My growing family

Yeah so it's been a while!!! I've been meaning to blog but there's been this small thing called my brother's wedding that's been taking up most of my time. It happened on Saturday and was perfect and beautiful and wonderful! :) It seems to me that I get all of my blogging ideas and inspirations when I'm trying to fall asleep...or am in the process of falling asleep...and then I don't remember it the next day or am no longer quite so passionate about whatever I was ranting about in my half delusional state the night before... But I just got home from my second week of French class (Intermediate level 1....yay I'm moving up in the world!!!) and while at class had a happy reminder that gentlemen do indeed still exist! (Shocker, I know!) Now if you are a guy reading this do not take that as a man-bashing comment...because it's not. Any guy that is in my family or is a friend of mine would all do kind, gentlemanly things for me....but guys that don't know you have ceased to do random nice things for women. That is the kind of gentlemanly behavior that I am talking about. We were half way through our 3 hour class and me and another girl were sitting right under the 2 air vents in the room. The other girl (whose name I don't know....it's only the 2nd class remember...) said something about it being cold. So an older man that is in our class said "I'll switch with you, I'm always hot!" so they switched. I just sat there quietly and didn't say anything even though I too, was cold. The other guy in the class, a younger guy prolly in his early-mid twenties, waited a minute or two and then stopped the class to ask me if I was cold too. I had been sitting with my arms crossed and noticed him looking at me after the other girl switched but didn't think much of it because obviously I wasn't expecting some guy that I don't know to do something nice for me. I said that I was but I would be fine and he said "No, let's switch, I can sit there." for which I was very grateful for and we promptly switched chairs. So for all of those doubters...like me....there are still gentlemen and they aren't guys over 50 who were raised to be that way! Ok so there's my happy thought for the day :)
In other news....my little family has grown since the last time I blogged...which I'm sure you all know about anyways since I'm continually posting pics of my life on facebook for the whole world to see. Back in March (the 15th to be exact) I bought Ellie, my beautiful '06 Volkswagen Jetta...so we just had our 6 month anniversary on Saturday. We're quite the happy pair!

She runs like a dream and has a sunroof, a sport option so that I can drive really fast :) heated leather seats, a nice big trunk, premium sound system, satellite radio (if I want to pay for it), a 6 cd changer...oh and the list could go on. Basically I love her! We've gone to Indy and back and made 2 trips to Madison and will be going to St Louis in 2 weeks! I got approved for my very own loan (no co-signers or anything!) which was pretty much a miracle since I've never had a loan of any kind before!
The second new member to my little family is Rue! My new (very naughty) puppy! I got her back on June 9th while my whole family was in Madison :) You really shouldn't leave me home alone for a weekend... I buy cute puppies off of Craigslist! The fam knew I was looking for a puppy but hadn't been having any luck in my search and it just so happened that while they were gone I found her on Craigslist and took a coworker with me to look at her and what do ya know she came home with me! :)

She was 6 weeks old when I picked her up...she is now almost 22 weeks old .... so approximately 5 months old. She is a black and tan coon hound, pointer and something else I can't remember mix. But she pretty much just looks like the coon hound. She's ridiculously cute, extremely stubborn and kinda naughty. My mom says she's just like me.... I don't think she means it as a complement either :P She just got spayed on Monday so she gets to wear a cone and she hates it so much! She's terrified of the thing so whenever she starts getting naughty we just pull it out and then she runs away and starts acting like a good dog. 

Pitiful huh!? Sadie gets along with her pretty well...she acts like she doesn't really like her but she misses her if I take her to work with me so we know it's all lies!

Friday I pick up my newest baby....and iPhone 5!!!! EEEKKKKKK!!! *happy dance* I've been waiting for it to come out since February when I almost got the iPhone 4s but decided to wait for the 5. I ordered it in black and it's going to look amazing! So basically the year of 2012 has consisted of my family growing and/or God blessing me :) And speaking of growing families I now have a new sister...technically a sister-in-law but who likes to say that whole mouth full! Scotia is now a Thompson and we are all so happy about it! We love her to death and couldn't be more happy with Nate's choice! I mean really look how cute they are:

It was an honor to stand in their wedding....and then to dance back down the aisle :D A friend so kindly told me that I was my own version of 27 Dresses since I've now been in 4 weddings and have 2 more that I've already been asked to be in...and since some of my other close friends are dating now too we'll see how many more I'll be in in the next year or 2 :P in the words of a coworker: "Always a bridesmaid and never a bride huh?!" lol! I'll have a closet full of fabulous dresses that's for sure!

Ok, I think I've inundated you enough for one night.... maybe my next post will be a little more interesting and not so much a life update...who likes those anyways?! Goodnight all!

Inspiration Without Ideas

So I absolutely love the story Julie and Julia...and I have since it first came out. I love it for many reasons 1) because it obviously reminds me of Paris, all of my wonderful memories there and makes me miss it soooo much 2) it makes me think of my fabulous friend America, who I first watched the movie with and who I still plan on deboning a chicken with! 3) it's about food...and I love food...especially French food 4) it inspires and motivates me to do something similar. And that is where I run into a problem. I was thinking about this story the other night and was once again filled with inspiration and motivation...I wanted to start my own Julie/Julia project right then and there....quite literally because it took me like an hour or more to fall asleep cuz my mind wouldn't stop running...quite irritating... anyways, so I get all of this inspiration and motivation and then proceed to get stuck at the same exact place as I always do when I think about this. I have NO idea what to do! I want to do the same type of thing, set a goal of something to accomplish within a years time, I just might not blog about it.... or I might.. you never know ;) Cooking is out of the question, even though I have the Julia Child cookbooks, because I just don't love cooking...sad story I know. And like in the story it needs to be something I enjoy, like she says, cooking is an escape for her from her every day life. But also like in the story I want it to be something that will either better me, or hone a craft/talent....not just something that won't benefit me in the end because then that's just a wasted year of my life. So ideas I have thrown around but squashed are reading like 100 books in a year (I LOVE reading) but then I thought about it and unless all of those books are like self-help, beneficial books I won't benefit from it...and I can tell you now that if I read 100 books they are not all going to be educational, improvement books...sooo I threw that idea out the window. Then I thought about learning so many new classical piano pieces...but then I thought about that one too and was like, really Abby, how often do you just go sit down and play the piano...not that often. I do love playing the piano, but it's not like a huge passion or anything, not like my sister. So I feel like I wouldn't fully enjoy that or possibly not accomplish it....sooo I threw that idea out too. My newest idea is kind of a vague one, and I'm not sure how it would work, but if I did so many crafty projects: like embroidery, photo editing, sewing, etc. because I do like doing all of that stuff, I'm trying to get an Etsy account started and that would push me to do that and make some money off of it, and it would be bettering a talent.... but I'm still not completely sold on the idea...partially because I'm not exactly sure how I would set the goal, or how it would all work out...anyhoo. So I bursting with this motivation and have no idea where to go with it. So if anybody reads this silly blog of mine at all.... and if you have any suggestions, PLEASE feel free to comment with your suggestion, email me, facebook me, text me, etc with your idea. because I REALLY want to do this. I feel like right now I need a goal, an enjoyable yet challenging goal. And I feel like I'm in the perfect place in my life to do this. I am busy but not over the top busy. I don't have other people that I necessarily have to worry about taking care of...it's just me! So yeah, shoot me any suggestions and ideas you may have or tweak any of the ones I mentioned that you think might still work. Thanks!

My Funny Valentine

It's Valentine's Day....and I have the best Valentine in the world...and no I am NOT about to say Jesus like all of the other Christian girls that don't want to feel like a loser on Valentine's....I have Sadie, my puppy dog :)

And the reasons why she is the best Valentine ever are as follows: she loves me unconditionally, she gives me kisses when I cry or am upset, she jumps and dances with me when I'm happy and excited, she is perfectly content to lay in bed and snuggle with me when I feel like it, she will watch any movie with me...and keep my feet warm while watching it too! lol....she never decides that she likes someone else, she will never break my heart, she stares at me with those big, beautiful brown eyes and melts my heart, she tries her hardest to always please me, I don't ever have to do things to try to impress her...she loves me for me :) ... I don't have to get dressed up and put on airs to get her attention, she goes on long walks with me, she never complains, she listens to me when I ramble on or vent, she hates it when I leave, she misses me like crazy when I'm gone and is beyond excited to see me every time I walk through the door :) the list could continue to go on and on but I think that this will suffice for making my point that I really do have the best Valentine ever...and while she might not buy me chocolates and flowers, she loves me everyday of the year and is always there for me and that my friends is worth WAY more than chocolate and flowers...and yes I do realize that this is a dog I'm talking about ....but that saying is just oh so true... "the more people I meet, the more I like my dog"...People come and go, love you, hurt you, annoy you, etc...but not a dog! I have been made very aware lately that I am indeed still single, but instead of moping around and/or being bitter on Valentine's day I am choosing to be happy, enjoy this day and be thankful for the wonderful Valentine that I do have in my life! Not to mention that there is always my daddy who has been the best Valentine a girl could ask for every year for the past 22 years :) I will most likely go buy myself some chocolates and maybe some pretty flowers today, because  no one knows better than me just how wonderful I am! ;) Lol! I have always seen this day as just another really good excuse for me to buy myself and consume delicious chocolates and it be completely acceptable! And I am always on the look out for those kinds of excuses :D  Chocolate really is a girl's best friend...I have never understood girls that don't like chocolate...there must be something REALLY wrong there...they  prolly need some meds and therapy... just sayin. I will be spending my Valentine's day at PetSmart, covering a coworker's shift so she can spend the day with her bf since I am the only single one left lol! But I get to spend the evening with 2 of my favorite boys!! Hank (a request shih tzu puppy) and Rio (cutest yorkie puppy ever!) so I am guaranteed a night full of puppy kisses! :) Who could be mad about that!? Not me!

Change

I was described at work today by a coworker as a free bird....she said, "For goodness sake you picked up and moved to France for 3 months!" and it's true...after being home for about 3 or 4 months I was feeling the need to get out, to go somewhere...to have an adventure...and that feeling hasn't left me....in fact, it just keeps growing. I feel as if the spontaneity is being sucked out of me and my life. That is the one aspect of college life that I miss...the ease with which you just jumped into anything and everything, not caring about sleep or health...and then it was always easier because you had multiple friends that all lived right there to take the leap with you...now it's down to just a few friends, none of which live within 10 minutes of me and even if they did it wouldn't much matter because our schedules always clash and we're always all so busy with our big, grown up lives....going to school, working our 40 hours a week, running errands, doing laundry....what happened to having fun and enjoying life?! How can life change so much in just 8 short months...I went from maybe getting 5 hrs of sleep a night, doing my grocery shopping anytime after 9 or 10 pm, having unending energy, always going out and doing stuff, hanging out with friends...and I feel like I had a tighter schedule then: 25 hrs of work, 21 college credits, piano lessons and practice time, church, homework.... Now I have to get 8 hrs of sleep or I'm really tired and/or get sick if the trend of not getting 8 hrs continues for several nights, if I go out and do something with friends it's a rare occasion, running to Target is actually a highlight of my day, after I get home from work I don't have the energy or drive to go do anything...I feel like the life is being sucked out of me...if this is what being an adult is then I'm on the first train to Never-never-land. I do enjoy knowing that I am responsible and self-sufficient, that I can take care of and support myself. I do love my job...but it all makes me feel so constrained and restricted...like I don't have time to truly enjoy myself. On my days off, if they aren't consumed with chores and errands, I sit around wondering what in the world I am going to do with myself because there's no one to hang out with cuz they're all working or at school and there's no where to go and nothing to do all by yourself....so then I feel like I've wasted a day....I've said it in my last 2 blogs but ever since the new year I've felt this sense of anticipation and excitement...like something is about to happen, like there's going to be a change...and I'd welcome it, I just don't know what it is! I crave adventure and spontaneity, for possibly the first time in my life I am kind of craving change. But I don't know what kind of change. Maybe it's just the restless wanderer within needing to get out and go....it makes sense that after being home for only 3 or 4 months I was ready to go somewhere...in the past 3 years the longest I've been home is 2, maybe 2 1/2 months at once because of school. Maybe it's the need for change and adventure that has led me to car shopping online :) Who knows if it will happen but I sat down with my dad and found a few prospects! Then I will own my very own car...and my parents can have the one they gave me back!...which will make their lives a lot easier...and then I won't feel like a burden to them (which is a feeling that I positively despise!) I know that I'm not a burden to them, but I hate that I'm racking up the miles on this car and using it all the time and then they pay for repairs and oil changes...if I paid for the car then I would pay for repairs and while I'm not looking forward to spending that extra money, at least I won't feel like I'm and extra load on my parents! We'll see what comes of this car hunt...I don't know, maybe it's just a need to feel independent...that has always been a strength taken to excess with me.. I am independent, but then I push my independence to it's limits sometimes...I push for more, I try to be more independent and self-sufficient than I need to be...which isn't always a bad thing, but it isn't always a good thing either. Oh well, I suppose that's all a part of finding your wings and growing up ;) Maybe this craving for fun and adventure will be solved after I go to Indiana in a week and a half! We will just have to wait and see!

All grown up

I know that I am becoming a responsible adult because: staying up past 10:30 pm is late and definitely past my bedtime, sleeping in means sleeping until 8:30 am (9 at the absolute latest), my day off is consumed with doing laundry, cleaning and running errands, I no longer really have a social life (sadness), I have multiple bills to pay on a monthly basis, I complain about gas prices and how often I have to fill my tank, I work a 40 hr work week, work has basically become/consumed my life, when I'm out and I see high schoolers I can no longer even remotely relate and find them rather immature and annoying most of the time, I no longer live in the present but think about how everything can affect the future, I am becoming stingy with money, I plan my own trips and  vacations, I pay rent, and the list goes on..... and when I was little I couldn't wait to grow up....what was wrong with me!? Lol! No, it might not be all fun, games and play time but I definitely enjoy the freedom and the responsibility...I like knowing that I can pay for all of my own necessities and don't have to rely on my poor parents for everything! (I'm sure they enjoy and appreciate that as well lol!) Do I still sometimes feel and act like a kid again....oh most definitely :) I am still daddy's little girl and the baby of the family....and those things will never change :) In other news I have 2 new men in my life...their names are Prince and Presley... aka my 2 new betta fishies! Prince is so named because he is mostly white and purple with the purple changing to a deep blue at the ends...so upon seeing him he was named Prince and I sing "Purple Rain" to him almost every day :) Presley is a gorgeous blue going into green, so he's a sparkly little aqua looking guy... Natalie helped me name him but it's very fitting because when I think of Elvis I think of sequins and sparkles....so it works lol! It's so hard to get a good pic of them so I don't have any yet...but hopefully soon you will be able to see them! Sadie had to give them a good sniff down when I first brought them home...she's not quite sure about fish and she never has been....Presley is sitting on a lower piece of furniture than Prince so hopefully she doesn't try to eat him or  anything like that! (see I told you I'm becoming a responsible adult...getting 2 new fish is the exciting news in my life) But for real...I can't wait for it to be 2 weeks from now because then I'm going to Indy for Live Recording and I can't wait to see all of my friends!!!!! Last night was my first night of French classes at Alliance Francaise! I was nervous like a kid at their first day of kindergarten but it went well and I actually answered several questions and had to talk in French and I didn't completely fail, so that's a plus! It's a small class, just 6 girls and the teacher is a guy...poor man....I think it'll be fun and good for me! So next time I go to France to visit everyone I'll actually be able to speak to them in French without chickening out! yay me! :) I'm off to get ready for work .... au revoir!  

Happy New Year!

Maybe it's cuz it's the new year but I feel the need for change and adventure...I'm feeling risky....and I like it...now what kind of risk do I want to take?! What kind of change and/or adventure do I want to embark on!? 2011 was definitely one of the best years of my life. I graduated from college, Indiana Bible College to be exact, with a BA in Music and did something I didn't think I could...I graduated with a 4.0 GPA and was valedictorian (I also didn't think I would survive my speech lol!)...I'm not trying to brag or be like hey look at me, I'm smart, cuz it has nothing to do with that...I worked my butt off and did my absolute best and was still scared I wasn't gonna make it...but thank God I did! Besides that wonderful bit of 2011, I also got to spend 3 of the most wonderful months of my life living in France, surrounded by people I grew to love and respect. Those short 3 months were completely life changing and revolutionary. I will always have France running through my veins. And then there's just the regular having a good job working with people I like doing something I love and living with the best family I could ask for and going to the best church I've ever been in....yeah 2011 had it's rough spots and not so happy moments but the good so far outweighs the bad. And even though 2011 was such a great year...I just can't shake this feeling that 2012 is going to be even better!!! I can't even figure out how that is possible! I'm heading back to school in a round about sort of way next week...I will be going to the Minneapolis branch of Alliance Francaise, a French school based out of Paris. I will be taking a class one day a week for French....I can't wait to be completely fluent...I can already understand everything and can read most of it, I just need to gain confidence and more knowledge for the speaking and writing portion :P it's a bittersweet beginning...I'm excited to get back into learning French but that means one more thing to add to my already full schedule, but I know in the end it's gonna be worth it. I don't know when and if I'll be going back to France in the near future but I can tell  you this, the language and culture will be something that will go with me everywhere and be with me always. I love it. Every little part of it. Maybe my first new change/risk other than going back to school will be jumping into the world of Apple... :) Tomorrow I have to go get my phone checked out cuz it's been acting up and if it's not fixable or if it's gonna be expensive to fix I'm just gonna get the iPhone 4...which I wouldn't mind too terribly much ;) Thank goodness I made some decent money over the holidays! Well I must say goodnight lest I fall asleep at my laptop typing...which would be rather uncomfortable and challenging....so farewell and Happy New Year!