It's the Weekend

It's time to take a deep breath, clear my thoughts, and just BE.  It's the weekend.  It's time to catch up on sleep, spend time with family and friends, and re-charge.  Thank you, God, for weekends.  This, my friends, is the last weekend before fall break.  Yes, fall break starts in just six days.

So Robert and I made a "married life" budget last week.  We've estimated how much we expect to spend on things so we will know how much we need to earn in order to live life that way.  Planning stuff like that eases my mind, and I'm thankful that Robert has learned that doing things like this make me a happier person so he participates.  Do you all have a budget?  Do you stick to it strictly - keep receipts, keep the numbers in a spreadsheet, etc.?  Being on a limited budget may seem lame, but it's actually kind of fun to see how you can save money.  Robert and I were just talking about this very fact this morning while we worked out on the elliptical.  I told him I had just put gas in my car for $3.07/gallon.  He put gas in his car over the weekend for $3.13/gallon.  He was super jealous!  I know it may seem weird, but you've gotta make budgeting and money stuff as fun as possible otherwise you'll just argue over it and get upset.

Random memory: Sitting in the dining room in sixth grade, playing the bassoon while my friend Leigha played the baritone.  Man, those were the days.

Okay, so today might have been the best/funniest day of babysitting EVER.  Samuel and I went outside to "play" baseball.  Really, he just throws it around, but he's learned how to hike up his leg like he's pitching.  It's adorable.  Then we went on a walk to SBU.  Everybody can't help but stare at the cutest baby/coolest babysitter combo ever.  Robert taught him how to say supercalafragilisticexbealidoscious (spelling), and I taught him how to say, "I've got skills."  It's precious.  This week he started saying, "Yes or no," when I ask him something.  Example: "Samuel, do you want some apple slices?"  Samuel: "Yes or no."  Slightly confusing, but very cute.

What are your weekend plans?  Anything fun?  I don't really have any plans other than watching the Cards whoop up on the Phillies tonight!

Babysitting Queen

I watched Life as we Know it last night.  Have you seen it?  It won't be winning a ton of awards anytime soon, but it was cute.  There was a babysitter named Amy in it.  She was awesome with their daughter so they called her the baby whisperer.  That's kind of how I've felt this summer.  I've been babysitting for two families consistently this summer.  For one family I babysit 8-12 hours a week, and for the other I babysit 11 hours a week.  Sometimes it fluctuates a bit - I have a 9 hour day coming up for a family!  Sometimes I'll babysit for other families here and there.  It's no full-time job, but anybody who thinks babysitting is a piece of cake obviously hasn't done it before.  Thankfully, there are plenty of cute moments that make it worth it.  What are some funny/memorable babysitting experiences you've had?  I guess it's preparing me for when I have kids (in the VERY distant future).
Robert should be headed to the airport now.  Their trip back is about 30 hours.  It takes longer to come back because of the direction of the wind.  Also, their layovers are a bit longer on the way back.  I get to meet him at the airport tomorrow!  Yay!
I officially have 13 days til I'm done with summer school.  Thank heavens!  I made a narrated PowerPoint for the first time this week.  Now all that is left is to give a group project presentation and write a "brief" report.  Could the word "brief" be any more vague?  I will have 21 days off before the fall semester starts.  Any suggestions for how I should fill me time?  I need good relaxing/fun ideas!
There's a 30% chance of rain coming up soon.  Fingers crossed!

Happy Friday

It's the weekend!  6 weeks down, 10 weeks to go until graduation!  I don't really have any exciting weekend plans.  I have a dentist appointment tomorrow morning, but it's just a six month cleaning.  Fingers crossed for no cavities!  It's storming tonight, so I've got my window cracked open so I can hear the rain and thunder.  Robert has job training at Windermere this summer.  I'm so thankful that he has already secured a steady summer job.  He'll be working at the Edge which is a ropes course and rock wall.  He might even give some cave tours! Hopefully it's not raining on him right now.  I got to babysit my favorite little guys in the whole world this afternoon.  Highlights include: eating fish sardine stick ice cream and drinking mud soda, making welcome signs for grandma, getting my hair done with a tractor as the comb, and hearing Coop shout, "Don't forget to tell Robert we love him!" as I walked out the door.  

Last night was "Battle of the Air Bands."  Basically people lip sync and dance around to songs.  Robert and two of his friends did "My Little Buttercup" from The Three Amigos.  They got honorable mention!

Intimidating!

Robert drew that impressive eagle free-hand!

This week Robert and I discovered our new favorite hang out place to just sit and chat:

Perfect for a cheap date!

  Okay so the power just went out for a few seconds.  I'm glad I'm in for the night.  Have a great weekend!

There's a first time for everything

Well, here I am making my first post.  Not sure exactly how to start, so I guess I'll just jump into things.

Mom and I have had a lovely girls weekend.  We watched Despicable Me and went out for dinner yesterday.  Today we had MAJOR shopping success.  That's a big deal for us.  It's so hard to find clothes that fit well when you're tall.  We ended up going to New York and Co.  Success!  Then we found this little German tea house.  Precious!

 This picture was taken of Mom and me at Easter

I've been babysitting the Scowden girls all evening.  The girls have officially fallen asleep.  We had fun tonight.  We had pizza and grapes, watched Veggie Tales: The Wizards of Has, Eisley napped, we played "The Mermaid Game" (An Amy Grabowski specialty), the girls took a bath, we read, and then it was bedtime.

School stuff:  I have my first tests of the semester next week.  Both happen to fall on Thursday: Communication Theory and American Public Address.  I've been trying to make myself study over the weekend.  I've made the study guide for APA so that's a start.  It's exciting and scary that this is my last semester of college.  It's rather surreal actually.  I'm excited to be done with early morning classes, chapel, cafeteria food, and loud dorm life.  However, at the same time I know I'll miss the friends I've made, my fantastic professors, and not having to make my own food.  I had receive an email with my acceptance to grad school in December, but I got the official letter this week.  Another reminder that I'm starting a new chapter of my life.  I have thoughts going through my head like, "Will I be able to handle grad school?" "Will I make friends in my classes?" "Will my professors care?" "Will I get lost on my first day?" I try to ignore those thoughts since it's still a little less than four months away.

RA stuff: This is my fourth and final semester being a resident assistant in my dorm.  It's been rewarding to see the girls on my hall grow over the months.  I find myself starting to detach myself though.  When things happen I just think, "What does it matter?  I'll be gone in three months."  Probably not the best attitude, but it is true.

 After the Homecoming Parade last year

I am so thankful for my wonderful boyfriend, Robert.  We've been dating for almost a year.  He's my first boyfriend, first kiss, and first "I love you."  This past year has been so great!  For Valentine's Day Robert took me to Build a Bear where I made a super cute bear named Franklin.  I had made reservations at The Keeter Center, the restaurant at College of the Ozarks.  It's where my high school prom was, but Robert had never been there before.  It was so special!  They had a Valentine's menu, a band with electric guitar/stand up bass/drums, pink roses, candles, a dance floor, and fantastic food.  I got chicked with cous cous, and Robert got salmon with braised spinach in a phyllo pastry.  After that we walked around the campus for a bit.  It was very nice outside!  We wrapped it up by going to Fedora, a fondue restaurant.  Delicous!

 At a NYE party

My brother, Jim, plays professional basketball in Portugal.  He got to come home for Christmas, and this week my dad has been there visiting him.  He'll be back tomorrow night.  I guess Jim said this week has been the coldest week so far while we've been having the warmest week in a very long time.  Dad got to see Jim play (they won!), they went to the beach, had dinner at friends' houses, and even got to go to Belgium for a few days.

 Jim and me on a train in England

Alright.  I think you're officially updated on all the background information.  May this be the first of many posts!