Oh, the weather outside is frightful!

Ok, as is customary, I will use the first line of my entry tonight to apologize for waiting so long to post! Life has been busy recently - of course, it took us a little while to recover from the wedding. But, we also had to decorate and get ready for Christmas, and....and...okay, so I don't really have any good excuses.

Anyway, the weather tonight really is frightful. Here in Nebraska were expecting a winter "grab bag" of crappy weather - i.e. sleet, freezing rain and snow. I know what you're thinking: "Oh my gosh - what could be better?" My thoughts exactly. David had to work tonight and of course the weather started getting really nasty about the time he had to leave. I told him to give me a call when he got to work and when he got ready to leave - hey, you can never be too careful.

Anyway, David and I are finally starting to get things all settled here in Nebraska. It took a while to find a place for all of those wedding gifts in this tiny little apartment, but we made it work. We also got all of our Christmas decorations put up (our thanks to mom and Chuck for sending the Christmas tree and Cheryl and Ted for sending the Santa Clauses). I've put up some updated pictures of our decorations and our apartment so those of you that haven't visited can see what things are shaping up to look like!

I just love having Christmas decorations up - I wish we could keep the Christmas tree up all year! But, I suppose that would take some of the 'excitement' of Christmas away.

Anyway, I suppose it's just more of the same old thing here in Nebraska. It's just as cold and wintery as it is at home - but, David and I are anxious to head home and see everyone for the holidays. I've taken a couple of days off, so our plan is to head home on Tuesday morning of next week. We'll have to head back to Nebraska the Sunday after Christmas.

Of course, when we come home, we can't wait to show everyone our WEDDING PICTURES! That's right - our photographer emailed me this week to let me know that the pictures were up and ready for everyone to look at.

The pictures look wonderful - I'm so excited that they turned out so well. Of course, I do wish that I didn't look like an Amazon woman, but there isn't too much I can do about that.

Anyway...in other news...David is still working for the Lincoln Journal Star and I think he enjoys it, but he's also really anxious to find a full time job. It's not that we can't make it work (it isn't easy - but, we can still make ends meet), I just think he feels like he isn't contributing enough.

I don't like it either - I don't think the situation is fair for him. I mean, he went to college, too. He has a degree just like I do, and I think he deserves the chance to have a full time job and put his degree to use, too. It doesn't help that the job market sucks right now, but he's been out here for almost five months and still hasn't found anything. So, he continues to look for jobs here in Nebraska, but he's also looking for jobs in other states. I told him that he should go ahead and look and if he finds something, then he should go for it. If he gets a job elsewhere, he can move out there and I'll stay here in Nebraska at least long enough to stay at my job for a full year. After that, I'll try to find a job in the same area and join him wherever he is. It isn't a great plan, but it's the only plan we have right now.

I suppose that's it from our end. Hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and a very happy New Year! Keep praying for David to find a job that he'll enjoy and will allow him to use his talents and intelligence....

Same old thing, different day.

I know it has been a couple of weeks since I've posted anything new on my blog - my apologies. I've just been busy with work, and...what else? I know there was something else in there....

Oh yeah....

GETTING MARRIED!

That's right, kids. We finally tied the knot! David and I got married in Clinton on November 15. Remarkably, everything went really well. We started on time and there were no major mishaps. The only thing that was a little off was our unity candle - and that actually turned out pretty funny. When David and I went up to light the candle, the wick was so short, I knew there was no way we were going to get it to light. After five of the longest minutes of my life (and actually, it may have been less than five minutes. But, when you're standing in front of nearly 200 people, 30 seconds seems like five minutes), we still couldn't get the candle to light, so we just left it. It did make everyone laugh, though.

Luckily for us, Chuck had a knife and hacked off the top of the candle for the reception. With a longer wick, we didn't have any trouble lighting the darn thing! The reception at the church turned out wonderfully - thanks to everyone who helped to prepare food and make everything run smoothly. And, of course, we had a good time "shakin' it" at the party at the end of the night.

I can't wait to see how our professional pictures turned out. Our photographer was AWESOME! She was with us from 10 a.m. until the last guest left at midnight and she took so many candid pictures of us and our guests. In fact, David and I got so many compliments from our guests saying they appreciated her friendliness and the fact that she wanted to interact with them and spend time with us at our wedding. Of course, we haven't seen our pictures yet, but if anyone living in central Illinois is looking for a photographer, David and I would highly recommend Julie Prochnow Photography - she was fabulous!

Once we have the link for the pictures, I'll post it here so you can all take a look.

Sunday, after the wedding, David and I left for our honeymoon. We went to Edisto Island, South Carolina. It was cold while we were there, but we still had a good time. We stayed in a condo just off the shore of St. Helen's Sound and watched the dolphins from our balcony every day we were there. We also spent one day in Charleston visiting Fort Sumter, the South Carolina Aquarium and taking a walking tour of the city.

After a week off work, I have to confess, I wasn't exactly ready to come back and spend my days in front of a computer. But, it was a short week this week with Thanksgiving. Plus, we had Janell staying with us after our honeymoon. Since we were planning to come back for Thanksgiving, Janell decided to ride back to Nebraska with us and spend a few days "out West." We headed back home Wednesday night after I got of work.

Today, David and I spent the day at Grandpa and Grandma DeMent's house for Thanksgiving and then headed back to David's house to spend the evening with his parents. As usual, my family was very entertaining: no story was off limits and Ted put cheese whiz in Grandpa Don's hair.

David and I both have tomorrow off and I think we're going to try to do a little bit of internet shopping to pick up some of the things we registered for but didn't get and use a few of the gift cards we received (thanks everyone!). Then, Saturday, we're headed up to northern Illinois for the wedding of a friend of mine.

I think that's it for now - hope you all had a wonderful Turkey Day and you are staying at home tomorrow instead of battling the outrageous holiday shopping crowds!

Sometimes it's just hard.

I could spend my time tonight dazzling you all with my political commentary (and I have plenty to say about yesterday's election), but instead, I'm going to go in a different direction.

Those of you that follow my blog or know me personally know that the past few months of this year have been a little challenging. A close friend of mine lost his father this year; another friend was in a serious car accident and nearly lost her life. Sometimes, it's just hard.

Five years ago, I lost my father for no reason at all. Actually, I'm sure God had a reason. Maybe he was just being selfish. I mean, my dad was pretty cool, who wouldn't want to spend time with him? But still, it doesn't seem fair.

He's been gone five years and still, sometimes it's just hard. This past weekend, while David and I were driving home from Nebraska, I looked out the window and noticed how clear the night sky was. I looked up and saw the beautiful stars and all of the contellations and remembered my dad.

On summer nights when I was little, if the sky was clear, Dad and I would sit outside and he would say, "Do you see it? There's the big dipper and there's the little dipper. Can you point them out? Where are they, Rach?"

As I was sitting in that car, looking out the window at the stars, I couldn't stop myself from crying. I cried the rest of the way home - I just couldn't stop. Sometimes it's just hard.

But, I think that's the way it's supposed to be. We don't like it. In fact, most of the time, we resent the tough times. Instead, we should embrace them and try to learn from them. I'm guilty of it too; we look at the small picture but forget that it's only part of the big picture.

Next weekend, I'll stand before God, family and friends and say my wedding vows to a man I love very much. And, while that makes me happy when I think about it (and happier than I have been in five years), there will be one seat noticeably empty in the church. Of course, I know he'll be there, but I still don't think it's fair.

Sometimes it's just hard. Sometimes it's not fair. All of the time, that's life. And life is what you make of it.

The countdown continues...

22 days until the wedding! I can't wait! Thursday evening mom and I were able to get some of the decorations and reception logistics taken care of, so that's one more thing I can knock of my "to do" list. There are still several things I need to do, but the list does keep getting smaller and smaller.

Tonight marks the end of a week of testimonial traveling. I spent the first part of the week in Michigan and then headed home on Wednesday night to spend the rest of the week at home. I ran to Champaign with mom on Thursday morning to have a horse scoped for ulcers and worked from home the rest of the day. Then, today, I ran up to Galesburg and Iowa City to interview a couple of veterinarians for testimonials.

I'm headed home to Nebraska tomorrow so I can have Sunday to rest before I have to head back to work Monday. I have to say, I really have missed home and David. He has spent the week at home by himself because he had to work this week, so I'm anxious to get home spend the rest of my weekend with him.

David and I are headed back to Clinton again next weekend to finish up a few final things that need to be done before the wedding (i.e. marriage license)....and then.....one final weekend...and it's time.

WOOHOO!

Ann Arbor is a Whore.

Ahhhhhh, it's great to be back in Big Ten country, even if I am in the stomping grounds of two schools I completely dislike.

For the past two days, I've been in Michigan collecting testimonials for work. Tomorrow, I'll be in Michigan and Indiana, then headed back home to collect some testimonials in Illinois and Iowa. I really enjoy traveling and talking with customers, but I'm still ready to go home and spend a day relaxing.

Anyway, I'm going to keep this post short; I just wanted to throw up some pictures from today's travels.

Nothing special, but still a little bit of something for everyone to look at - that way at least I won't get yelled at for not posting!

T Minus 27 Days

That's right, folks. David and I are officially 27 days away from our wedding - I'M SO EXCITED! I can't wait to see how it all comes together. This weekend, David and I met with our wedding coordinator and went over a lot of the little details for the rehearsal and the ceremony; going over all of that made it so real. But, it also reminded me of all of the things I still need to get done. While there is still quite a bit that needs to be finished, I think we're doing okay and I'm sure everything will work out just fine.

This weekend, David and I headed back to Illinois for family pictures for my Dad's side of the family. It was nice to see everyone; it was also nice just to be able to spend some time at home and get some extra wedding stuff done. As I said earlier, David and I met with our wedding coordinator on Saturday. I was also able to get my hair cut and run to Lincoln to get mom's wedding gift (I think all that I have left to get is Scott and Ted). I was hoping to run in and talk with our florist, but he was closed.

After running to Lincoln, we headed to Bloomington for dinner with the fam. Sunday afternoon we headed to the dealership for family pictures, then I went home and took some pictures at the farm.

I actually have some more pictures from the farm this weekend, but I'm having trouble getting them to load; I'll try to remember to put them up this week. Additional pics from this weekend can be seen on my Facebook profile.

Tomorrow I'm headed to Michigan for work. I'm excited to meet with veterinarians and producers up there and of course, I'll make sure to post pictures of my travels when I get time this week.

I think that's it for now - can't wait to see you all in 27 DAYS!

This is your brain...

This is your brain TOTALLY STRESSED OUT! Remember the, "This is your brain...This is your brain on drugs," commercials? Well, I actually think my brain looks like it's on drugs right now - I'm totally freaking out.

This week (all two days of it) has been absolutely nuts. The office has been busy with clients visiting and new projects for me. And then, there's that little thing I like to call A WEDDING.

David and I are still trying to get the wedding favors and programs done. But, on top of that, I'm also trying to track down decorations, figure out how I want to set up the reception hall, finalize flowers and figure out what kind of gifts to get the bridal party. It will be a miracle if this thing ever comes together - I swear. The good thing is, David and I are headed home this weekend and we'll have most of Saturday to get some things done. The bad thing? That list just keeps getting longer and longer.

We have to meet with the wedding coordinator at 9 on Saturday. Hopefully, we can get the rest of the wedding ceremony details nailed down and take a look at the reception hall to figure out how we want to set it up. Then, it's off to get the oil changed in my car and pick up my rental car for my business trip next week. I also have an appointment to get my hair cut and colored and I'm hoping to have enough time to run to Lincoln to get some gifts for the wedding party. David and I already took care of the gifts for the ushers and David has taken care of the gifts for his groomsmen and his dad. I have emailed Aunt Cheryl about some gifts for the little girls in the wedding and David's mom. So, that just leaves my parents, bridesmaids and Ted (help me out here, Cheryl) and Scott. After all of that, if there's still time, I'd love to run out and say "hi" to Grandma Shirley. But, David and I will have to run up to Bloomington Saturday night for an anniversary dinner for Grandma Margie and Grandpa Dick.

Sunday should be really...interesting. I think David and I are going to go to church with Grandma and Grandpa, then to lunch at Aunt Steffi's. Finally, it will be time for the big, bad family picture! After that, I think David is going to head back to Lincoln and I'm going to head up to Michigan for my business trip. The good thing is, I'll be headed back through Illinois at the end of the week, so I can spend the following weekend at home finishing up anything else that will need to be done.

Now, here's the kicker: pictures are this weekend (Oct. 18), I get back to Illinois after my business trip the next weekend (Oct. 25). Then, it's back to Nebraska for a week of work and back home that weekend (Nov. 1) to do last minute things like experiment with hair and get last minute decorations, etc. The following weekend is Nov. 8 (David's birthday) and David and I will be staying home in Nebraska. THE NEXT WEEKEND IS THE WEDDING. THAT MEANS, AS OF TOMORROW, THE WEDDING IS ONE MONTH AWAY.

Now you know why my brain probably looks like it's on drugs. You know, maybe drugs would calm me down.....

We have reached that point...

That's right; I have finally reached that very interesting point on the calendar where I can say, "No, I don't think that will work - that's a week before my wedding so I know I can't be here for that."

Isn't that crazy? David and I ran into that today. I've been planning one final trip for work before the wedding and it unfortunately ran into a week that David and I were planning on having his mother out here. So, in the midst of David and I trying to work the situation out, he said, "Don't you usually plan your own trips? Can't you just move it?" After I thought about it for a minute, I realized that there was no way I could really move it back any further (I'm planning it for the week of Oct. 20) because that would be cutting it really close to the wedding and I wouldn't have time to get all of my trip stuff wrapped up before I left for a week and a half. YIKES!

Continuing on the wedding notes: I talked with our wedding coordinator tonight and things seem to be coming together nicely. She asked me a few questions about the ceremony and people in it so she could finish up some odds and ends and we set up an appointment to meet the weekend of Oct. 17 when David and I are home for family pictures. I'm really excited to meet with her and get a few of the last odds and ends wrapped up so I don't have to worry about it anymore.

Well, I mentioned last night that mom was planning on coming out here today - obviously since I' taking the time to blog, that didn't happen. For a lady that doesn't have a 9-5 job, she sure stays busy. Plus, she said that she's old. Well, she didn't say that - I just kind of deduced that myself. She actually said that she just couldn't stand to drive eight hours straight through and it would take her too long to get out here. So, I don't know when she'll eventually make it out, but I hope she can get it planned for sometime soon. Being so far away from home, David and I obviously don't often have visitors, so I get so excited when we do.

Other than the ususal boring wedding stuff (I know a couple of you guys that read this are probably really ready for the wedding to be here and be over so you can read about something new!) I don't have too much new to report. David's at work and I'm off to bed!

Time for a change.

Well, what do you think? I decided I needed to switch from the ominous dark blogspot to a new, fresh and friendly layout.

And, the blog wasn't the only thing that needed a change. I decided I needed to change a little, too. Not drastically, obviously, but a change just the same. Instead of white, I'm now more of a lobster color.

I have recently decided that if I'm going to wear a white dress in November (long after the sun has retired from it's tanning days) I need to get a little color. That way, I don't look like one big, overweight ghost walking down the aisle. So, as of Thursday of last week, I have started tanning. I never thought I would pay money just to be roasted like a Thanksgiving turkey, but I have to say, I do like being a color other than white. And, tanning is very relaxing - it's all warm and cozy and makes me want to take a nap. On the other hand, there are hidden perils - including burning. That's why, right now, I look more like a lobster than I do a human being.




Anyway, this weekend I headed over to Iowa to visit my best good friend Rachel and the rest of my pledge class from 4-H House. All of the girls that I pledged with are seniors this year, so they decided to take their senior walk-out up to Ames, Iowa for a little tailgating and to have a little bachelorette party for me. It was so great to see them and just get to hang out and catch up with them this weekend.

Needless to say, when we haven't been together for a long time, things can get a little....awkward.

I finally got to Rachel's house at about 11 Friday night and the rest of the girls got there a little after 12. Saturday, we spent our morning and afternoon at the Iowa State football game - partaking in the tailgating. I wish I had taken pictures of the tailgating festivities to put on here (if you would like to see some, check out the "Blog List" box on the right side of my page and click on "The Meating Place."), because, let me tell you, those Iowa State fans really know how to tailgate. Rachel tailgates with several boys on a regular basis and earlier this year, they got together and bought a retired ambulance (yes, you read that correctly) to take to tailgates. They even had decals made for the side of the ambulance that says ISU 911 and has the ISU Cyclones logo on it. Very original.

After a long morning of tailgating and partaking in tailgate festivities (you know what I mean), we headed back to Rachel's house for a little nap. Unfortunately, napping wasn't as successful as I hoped it would be. I did get a couple of hours in, but the Illinois-Michigan game was far to exciting to sleep through (ILL-INI!). Finally, we grabbed some supper and headed out for a night on the town to celebrate my last remaining days of being a single gal. And, anyone who really knows me, knows I've actually been settled for about 5 years - so, I wasn't much of a bachelorette. But, I had fun just the same. For additional pictures of the festivities, check out Facebook.

That's pretty much the most excitement I've had in a while. Today, things were back to normal. I got home, went to the tanning salon, got some groceries, came home and worked out with David, and then made supper. Then, David and I settled in for a little movie watching - Forgetting Sarah Marshall. If you're a fan of "stupid-funny" movies, this one is a must watch.

Tomorrow mom will be here to help me finish up a few of the wedding things that need to get done. She'll probably end up staying through Thursday. And, her arrival can only mean one thing: I need to wrap up this post so I can clean my entire house.

I know - this is lllllloooooooonnnnnnnggggg overdue. My apologies.

I inteded to write last week before I headed home for Gordyville, but it just didn't get done. But, on that note...

Last weekend, David and I went home so I could announce one last show at Gordyville. It was nice to go home, but when you have to announce a two-day show and still fit in 16 hours of driving, it makes for a short weekend. On the up side, I did get to see mom and Janell and watch Janell show all weekend. In fact, I took a few pictures while I was home.

That's a good friend of ours in the top picture; she leases my horse, Linny, so I had to snap some pictures of her, too.

I have to say, I would give just about anything to have a camera like the one I used this weekend. The camera I had this weekend was a Nikon D70 - they don't make them anymore, but a Nikon D80 is nearly the same thing and they are just wonderful cameras. One of these days, when I can save up a boatload of money, I will have one of those cameras!

Anyway, while we were home, David ran over to Champaign with his dad and brother to get fitted for his tux for the wedding. He was hoping to have a few of the other guys that were in the wedding come with him, but with harvest everyone is so busy. So, instead of going out for drinks in Champaign, he just headed home and invited a few guys over later that night.

In terms of other wedding items, we're actually doing pretty well on the "to do" list. We still have to get gifts for the wedding party and take care of some of the decorations, but most of the big stuff is done. And, it's a good thing considering the wedding is less that two months away - I can't believe it! In fact, David and I got our first RSVP cards back today.

We're thinking the next trip home is going to be the weekend of Oct. 18. Grandpa and Grandma Baum want to have family pictures done for their 60th wedding anniversary, so David and I are planning on driving home to participate in that. The pictures aren't until Sunday, so Saturday is going to be packed full of wedding things that need to get done. Hair cut, dress fitting, flowers and meeting with the wedding coordinator are among them.

Other than that, I don't have too much to report. David is still working part time for the Journal Star, and so far, seems to really enjoy it. Of course, we're still looking for that perfect full time job - keep praying that something comes our way soon. Mom was thinking about heading over to Nebraska to see the apartment and help me finish up some of the wedding stuff - last time I talked to her she was thinking about coming next week. I'm really looking forward to that because I'm hoping that will give us a chance to get some of the little things done like picking up some decorations and getting odds and ends like the pillow for the ring bearer and such.

Parting words for tonight's entry? 44 days until the wedding!

I love lazy weekends...

Happy Saturday evening, all. I hope your weekend thus far has been magnificent!

So far mine has been just the way I like it: lazy. David and I haven't done too much this weekend and that has just been wonderful. Today, we slept in, ate a late breakfast and ran to the mall to pick up a few things before David had to head into work.

David started his first night of work on Friday - he had to work from 7:30 to 11:30 at the Lincoln Journal Star. Basically, he spent his night answering phones and taking high school football scores and stats for the sports section. But, he said he thinks he's going to like it there and the people he will work with - which is a huge plus. He's back at work tonight, too, so I thought I would come into the office and catch up on some work I had to get done. The Lincoln Journal Star office is less than a block from my office, so it makes it easy to just ride into work together.

I was going to head over to Des Moines tomorrow morning to watch mom show one of our babies in the Iowa Futurity, but mom talked me out of it. It is a three hour drive, and it seems kind of silly to drive three hours over to watch an hour of show and then drive three hours back. Plus, I'm headed home next weekend to announce the Illinois Futurity, so I'll have a chance to watch her then.

I wish I was going to have time to run down to CU and see the girls while I was in town next weekend, but I just don't see that happening. David, however, will be spending most of his weekend in CU. The men in our wedding will be heading over to Michelle's to get fitted for tuxedos and then bar hopping for the rest of the day/weekend. I can't wait to get the phone calls from that outing...

In other news, we finally got some of the honeymoon situation figured out. I still have to call and see how much it's going to cost me to change our plane tickets, but at least we have a resort booked and it's final. RCI called me yesterday to tell me that the other two resorts we had requested were unavailable, but they could book me in a similar one in Sapphire, North Carolina. So, I told them to go ahead and confirm it and I would call back if David and I decided we didn't like it. After a little investigating, we decided there was no way we were going to be staying at the place they had us confirmed in - all of the reviews we could find online were horrible. For the most part, people reviewing the place complained that it wasn't clean. Let me tell you, I can deal with outdated decorations and hotels that don't have the "newest" accomodations, but I can't deal with a dump. So, that place was immediately disqualified. I called back later yesterday and there weren't too many places left available, but we were able to get reservations in a resort on Edisto Island, South Carolina. The reviews were good and it looks BEAUTIFUL! So, once plane tickets are lined out, we'll have everything set for the honeymoon.

Other than that, I don't think I have a whole lot of new information to report. Just the same old thing out here in the land of Cornhuskers - football is king, the weather is still beautiful and life is busy!

I don't like Ike.

I mean, the president was okay, but I'm not so fond of the storm.

Please keep in mind, I feel very bad for all of the people in Texas that have been displaced from their homes because of Hurricane Ike, but.....

.....but.....

....but.....freakin' Ike ruined our honeymoon plans! We were all set up to stay at the Silverleaf Seaside Resort in Galveston, Texas right after our wedding, but I'm thinking that is not going to happen. I have seen several pictures of Galveston Island and it looks like it was totally decimated, so even if our resort was able to clean up and make repairs, the rest of the town will still be in shambles.

The best part about this whole scenario? We've already bought our plane tickets. Yep, that's right kids, I'll be paying millions of dollars in change fees to change our flight from Houston to some other place we decide to go. Yuck.

I talked to Janell tonight - it was so nice to talk to her on the phone for a little while and just catch up with what is going on with her. She told me that she was thinking about interviewing at 4-H House. And, while that wasn't the best place for me (of course, I'm grateful to have met my best friends there), I think it would probably really benefit Janell. She's very different than I am, and I think that kind of atmosphere would really help her settle into school and make her really comfortable.

She also told me that she's planning on joining the U of I meats judging team! She emailed my best friend, Rachel, (Rachel did the meats judging team during her undergrad at U of I) about it the other day and asked her some questions about it. Janell said she thought she would really enjoy it, so she's going to meet with the coach, Dr. Carr, tomorrow to talk to him more about the time commitment and practices.

In other news, the workouts continue. But, now that David is out here, I'm pulling double duty. I always do better with my workouts when someone is holding me accountable, so for the past few days, David and I have been working out together after I get off work. Since he was a kinesiology minor in college, he knows all about anatomy and fitness and weightlifing. So, every night we go down to the exercise room and he helps me lift weights, then I run a couple of miles on the treadmill while he does leg presses and the bike. Then, we come back upstairs and I renew my friendship with Gilad. I had kind of fallen off the wagon there for a couple of weeks, so I'm hoping I can get back on the wagon and really stick to it to look smokin' hot for the wedding.

Finally - a little joke to cap off tonight's entry. Here goes:

Two mothers decided to visit their engaged children (who happen to live together in Nebraska) at the exact same time.

Wait, that isn't so funny. But, it's true. David was talking to Denise last night at the same time I was talking to my mom and our mothers had both decided they wanted to come out and visit. I have some wedding stuff that needs to get done, so mom thought she just might come out here to help me get it done and see my apartment. Denise thought it would be nice to ride out to Nebraska with us when we come home in October and then take the train over to Denver to visit the grandkids. The catch is, they both want to come the same week.

God sure has a funny sense of humor.

2 MONTHS!

Holy Cow. I can't believe our wedding is officially less than two months away! I'm so excited - I can't wait for it to be here. We still have a bunch to do, but we keep chipping away at the list of to-dos and it keeps getting shorter.

Still working on the favors and a few of the reception things, too. I'm just so anxious to see it all come together and I can't wait to see everyone there and do a little bit of catching up with my friends.

I'm trying to decide if I want to go over to Des Moines this weekend. Mom and Janell will be there for a horse show, and that's only about 2 and a half hours away from me, so I could run over there and hang out with them this weekend. We'll see.

Then, the weekend after that, David and I are headed home for the weekend. I have to announce the futurity at Gordyville and David is going to spend his weekend in Champaign. He and the boys are going to go get fitted for their tuxedos and then go out on the town. I'm hoping I might be able to at least swing through Champaign and say "hi" to my girls that I haven't seen in a while.

But, if I don't, I'll get to see them the next weekend; Rachel and the rest of my pledge class are throwing me a little bachelorette party which should be really, really fun (and maybe a little scary!).

I can't think of too much else that it super important...

David is still looking for a job. He does have a part time job lined out but is still waiting for that perfect full time job. I know he'll find one because he's so talented and smart, but I also know how discouraged he is because he hasn't found one yet. Pray for him and that perfect job to come along.

I think that's it. Hopefully, I'll see some of you at the end of September, on October 4, or at the very latest, NOVEMBER 15! YAY!

Alright all you whiners, here's the newest post...

Oh my gosh - stop yelling. I know it's been a while since I posted. But, trust me when I say I just don't have the time I used to. I didn't realize how much of a life I didn't have when I was in college. Seriously.

Anyway, time to get to the "goings on" around here - David and I have actually been fairly busy. David, of course, is still on the job hunt. He had his second interview with a publishing company here in Lincoln last Friday and he said he thought it went well. So, we're hoping to hear back from them soon as to whether he gets a third interview - keep your fingers crossed! In the mean time, he was able to land a part time job with the Lincoln Journal Star. He will be working nights laying out the box scores page for the sports section. Nothing too glamorous, but every little bit helps.

When David and I came out here in April, David met with Todd from the Journal Star about a job when we moved out here, but Todd said he didn't have anything open - he had plenty of staff and freelancers. But, he told David he would definitely keep him in mind. Shortly after that, we heard that Journal Star and laid off seven or eight people, so David didn't even contact Todd when we moved out here, thinking that if there wasn't a spot in April, there surely wouldn't be one now. Then, about a week ago, Todd emailed David and said he might have an opening that would work.

So, between my job and David's interviews, we actually had a pretty busy week this week. This weekend, we spent most of our time working on more wedding stuff. We got some of our programs printed, made more CDs, labels, and notecards for the favors, and tried to finish up as much of the invitations as we could. Everything is now in them, we're just waiting to get the rest of the addresses. We'll probably end up mailing the ones that we have completely done and then just mailing additional invites as we get the addresses. Anyway, you all can start watching your mailboxes for those! (There's no turning back now...KIDDING!)

Sunday evening, we got cleaned up and headed to a casino in Council Bluffs for a concert. David and I went to Cross Canadian Ragweed and Gary Allan (I know, you're all jealous...insert evil laugh here) with a girl I work with and one of her friends. The concert was outside, so it was a little chilly, but it was an AWESOME concert. Man, Gary Allan is SEXY. And, any of you who know me, know exactly what's coming next..."Just because you're chained to the porch, doesn't mean you can't bark at the cars." Seriously...he's yummy.

Unfortunately, that brings me back to the beginning of another work week. The past couple weeks at work have been pretty crazy, so I was not looking forward to going to work today, but the afternoon turned out okay, so that helped. This coming weekend, my best good friend Rachel is coming back out to Lincoln (not necessarily to visit me - more like to visit her new love interest, but I'll take what I can get). David and I pretty exicted to have someone to hang out with this weekend, plus David is going to get to meet Rachel's new man. I've met him before and he's pretty fun, so I think David will like him. Hopefully, that will give him someone he can call and hang out with when I'm gone on business trips.

On a completely different note: my little sister has officially started college. The first few weeks she was having some trouble adjusting, but I think she's starting to feel a little bit better about it. I haven't gotten as many calls here recently, so I think she starting to gain a little bit of confidence about the whole school thing. Plus, she said she knows some of the kids in her ag classes, which should definitely help - at least so she won't feel like she's all by herself. She's a smart kid, so I know she'll get it all straightened out. But, sometimes she just worries too much and she gets herself all worked up for nothing - and I think that was the biggest problem those first couple weeks of school. She just wasn't comfortable with everything yet and was worried about everything from where to pick up her books to what classes to take.

And finally, to those of you at home in Clinton: if you have a chance to sign a petition for Weldon Springs, please do so. I've been keeping up with the most recent updates on the Clinton Daily Journal's website and it has been so wonderful to see the city rallying behind the park and its employees. Dave Herzog and his staff have done such a wonderful job taking care of the park for the past several years and it breaks my heart to think that the governor is thinking of shutting it down just to keep his plane running back and forth between Springfield and Chicago. The park has so much to offer residents of Clinton - and those outside of the city limits - that it would be a shame to see it closed.

Personally, I still don't have the guts to visit the cemetary to see my dad's headstone, but I do make regular trips out to Veteran's Point at Weldon Springs to see the wonderful memorial in his name that was paid for by the dealership employees. I can't imagine not going out there to visit that - and I would hate to have to tell the many veterans that visit Veteran's Point every year that they can no longer pay their respects to friends and family members that have served in the armed forces.

Weldon Springs is truly a treasure for the city of Clinton - and indeed the state of Illinois - if you have an opportunity to make your voice heard, please do not let it pass you by.

"We're sorry sir, your plane has been grounded...forever."

I think if we actually did that to Illinois Gov. Blagojevich, we might be able to keep Weldon Springs State Park open. My home town has one of the most beautiful, well-maintained state parks, but as of November 1, 2008, it will be closed due to state budget problems. But, miraculously, we have the money to continue to operate the plane that flies the governor back and forth every day from Springfield to Chicago. Amazing!

It's so sad to me that Weldon Springs will be closing. I remember taking field trips there when I was in gradeschool and walking the trails with my grandma when I was little. This November, I was planning on taking some of our wedding pictures out there.

So, this weekend, David and I went over to Weldon Springs and took some pictures. I took pictures of my dad's memorial and Veteran's Point and just walked around, enjoying the scenery. Especially with the part of Veteran's Point that has my dad's memorial, I knew I wanted to take pictures - who knew what will happen to it after the park is closed.

After that, David and I came home and played with his nephew (also known as the cutest little boy ever). He is such a sweet little boy and he just loves his Uncle Dave!

We actually got a lot of wedding stuff done today - I ran down to Lincoln to talk to the florist. Then, David and I ran to Decatur to Sam's Club to take care of the table service for the reception. I'm still trying to get fitted for my dress, though. I've called twice to see if I might be able to run over this weekend to have a fitting done, but the lady who is doing my alterations has never called me back. With just over two months before the wedding, dress fittings really need to start now.

Anyway, tomorrow we're off to a cook-out. Then, Monday it's back to Nebraska. The good news is, this week David has another job interview. He got a job offer last week, but he said he just really didn't have a good feeling about it. Almost immediately after that, he was asked to come back for a second interview for a copy editing job. So, we'll see how that goes. At least, David is feeling better because he has gotten some interviews and job offers.

Anyway, I think that's it for now. Just counting down the days until the wedding...