Welcome Back

Hello Friends.

The transition to Private went pretty well for me.  I think I got everyone invited.

Just wanted to let you know that my posts will not show up when you sign in to Google in your reading pane.  That is the only down side of going Private.  I know there is a way to set up for me to email you when I post something but I don't want to flood your inboxes.  So just check in often or if you do want to receive an email let me know.

Hope you all are having a great day!

Private

I have decided to make my blog private.  If you would like to be added to my readers list please send your email address to i_love_you_to_pieces at yahoo dot com with your email address in it and I will add you.

I will leave my blog open to the public until Wednesday morning, after then I will switch it to private.

Thanks for your understanding.

the car that eats bulbs.

My car needs to go to BA (bulbs anonymous) because it seems to be addicted to new bulbs.  On Tuesday after my apppointment Zach and my brother in law Matt changed my brake light that has been out forever, and my head light that went out on Monday night and they replaced the other head light because I am weird and didn't want one head light to be brighter than the other (or even worse, a different color!)!  So then last night we realize that I have another tail light out!!!  Come on car, please quit eating my bulbs!

Not a lot to say....

Gavin was realeased from the hospital on Monday. He is doing great at home! Thanks for all of the prayers!

I've just been working. And so has Zach.

Life is moving at a slower pace right now and I am completely ok with that.

What exciting things do you have going on in your life?

An Amazing Birthday

Thanks for all of the birthday wishes last week! My birthday was such a special day this year because of all of the comments and emails and tweets and text messages!!!

With my birthday money I bought myself two chairs for my living room, they are too cute! They are navy and cream toile right now but I may eventually recover them!

Zach's Aunt Margaret made me a phenomenal cake, she is so talented when it comes to baking and crafts!

On Saturday I went shopping with Erika and Gavin and we hung out at her house for the rest of the day! That night we had dinner at her house and Heather cut some of our hair. I really like mine, Heather did an amazing job!

On Sunday we attended another bridal shower for Heather and Patrick, she got so many nice things... their wedding is less than a month away, it seems like just yesterday they got engaged!

Yesterday, was not such a good day though... When I finally got to leave work at 5:10 (we close at 4:30) I go out to my car and it wouldn't crank, it wouldn't even make any kind of noise. Luckily the credit union that I work for is a private credit union for employees of a pipe making plant and we are located on the grounds of the plant... thankfully they have security guards and one of them was nice enough to bring some jumper cables and get my car going. I made it to my mom and dad's and my dad and Zach bought a new battery and now it cranks right up. My car is a 2003 and it still had the original battery in it so it was about time for it to go out... so hopefully no more car troubles for us...

Anyways, that is all I have time for right now. Have a great day!

you guys are going to hate me

When we finally get internet service at home because I will have so many pictures to post!!! I can't post pictures from work because we can't put personal pictures on our work computers... Ugh, I miss posting pictures!!!

Life is going great right now though. I love being in my house again! We had some friends over last weekend for a cook out! It was so much fun!!!

I just realized that my birthday is in less than a month! I will be 24, I think... Just kidding! I will definitely be 24!!! It is funny looking back I always thought that I would be married with kids by now... I have completed the married part just not the kids part. Some days I think I am ready to start a family and then I think about the cost of the doctor's visits and fees when I have the baby and I start to have a panic attack and then I have to tell myself to stop thinking about it... Then there are some days when I long to hold my baby and feed my baby and snuggle my baby and then I have to tell myself one day I will be able to do all of those things...

Then I really get myself worked up, what if we can't have children??? What will we do then, I have always wanted to be a mommy... adoption is so expensive and so are fertility treatments. And it is then that I tell myself to quit worrying that everything will work out the way God has planned.

To be continued... it is almost time to go home!

I adore long weekends...

This weekend was absolutely amazing... It was spent with family and friends and of course lots of good food! We had a great time and ate too much but it was so much fun to just be together!

I have started cross stitching again and I would post some pictures for you but I don't have the internet at my house yet. Directv is coming today about our TV service but we haven't set the internet up... that is one of those things that doesn't have to be done immediately... So no pictures until I can get internet access at home... but it is so much fun and I have completed a lot!!! You can follow me on Twitter and I will post some pictures there!

Totally random... but I am really missing Ava! I miss coming home to her every afternoon!!! That little girl is something else! I am going to see her tonight though and give her lots of hugs and kisses!!!

I am sorry for the random posts lately but not having internet at home I have to cram everything into posts when I am at work... I have a mental running list of what I need to blog about... I have so many pictures to post that I need to make an actual list of them...

Well the phone beckons... I hope you have a great day!

Movin' on up...

to the east side... Actually I don't know what direction my house is from my sister's hosue but we are getting ready to move back to our house very soon!!!

We can't wait to be back at our house with our puppies!!!

In other news... We had an amazing weekend! Zach's birthday dinner at Top of the River was amazing! We love that place!!! If you are ever in Gadsden or Guntersville Alabama you should really try Top of the River, YUMMY!!!!

We have been making the rounds to see everyone since Zach is now home, so our weekend mostly consisted of that.

We went to church on Sunday where we celebrated Father's Day, Baptist Men's Day, and our church's anniversary! We had a fabulous lunch after church and it was so nice to see everyone again and be able to fellowship with them after the service!!!

Life is so wonderful right now and we are working hard to get back into our house in the next week or so!!!

Pictures coming soon!!!

I'm tired...

I am too tired to write about graduation and all of that fun stuff... So since this post was already finished I am publishing it, you know just to remind you guys that I am still alive...

I am sitting here in my hotel room and I just finished getting ready for the day ahead. I heard my phone go off a little bit ago and it was my email tone so I signed in to Yahoo to check it... It was an email from some company that I have never heard of thanking me for my recent order... my heart literally stopped! I haven't placed an order with this company and they had my name and my address at my sister's house. I still have all of my mail going to my house so the only way for it to go to Karmen's house would be for me to enter it(or someone impersonating me...i.e. hacked into my computer because I have ordered stuff and had it sent to her house)... I was starting to freak out a little bit. I quickly called the company and explained that I did not place this order and asked her when it was placed and by who... She told me it was placed on line and gave me the name of the person and I didn't recognize it. I mean I know lots of people with this person's first name but the last name didn't ring a bell! I was really starting to panic by this time. I have had problems with credit/debit card numbers being compromised and the last thing I wanted to deal with was that all over again. Luckily my debit/credit cards had not been charged. So the lady asked for my phone number to compare to the phone number that was on the order and it didn't match either so she told me that she was going to call that number and find out what was going on...

I hung up with her and as soon as I did my phone went off again and it was yet again an email... this time it was from Sweet Momma over at Adventures with Three. She was telling me that she had ordered my gift for me being the 4001 visitor to her blog! It was then that it hit me! Duh, Kristen this is the person who placed the order!!! So I quickly called the lady back that I had just spoke to and tried to catch her before she called Sweet Momma but it was too late, she was already on the phone with her!

So then I get another email from Sweet Momma telling me that she is the person that placed the order! Yeah I figured that one out after I had already freaked out and called them!!! But Sweet Momma was sweet about it and I will be receiving a copy of The Love Dare in the mail very soon!

So everything in the end was great, it was just the 10 or 15 minutes of panic that got to me!!!

Thanks Sweet Momma, I can't wait to read the book!!!

Not good, not good at all...

Today my faithful blog readers (the handful of you who actually read my ramblings) I decided that I would try a McDonald's salad for lunch. I ordered the Bacon Ranch with grilled chicken. I also order a Fruit and Yogurt Parfait and an iced McCafe...

Fruit and Yogurt Parfait- DELICIOUS!!!

Iced McCafe- PHENOMENAL!!!

Bacon Ranch salad- DISGUSTING!!!

I don't know what is was about it but it just was not good... Thank goodness for the Fruit and Yogurt Parfait and iced McCafe or I would have been one starving Chickie by now!!!

Now the real reason I started this post... Retirement! My friends I got splendid news today! I can retire on September 1, 2045! Why am I excited about this you ask? Well because that is two years sooner than the last time I got this statement. Not sure how that happened but I will definitely take it!!! So retirement is knocking on my door even if it is 38 years away!

In other news... At 12:30 tomorrow I will be leaving work and heading to Georgia with Zach's parents for the last time! Zach will graduate (hopefully as an Honor Grad) on Wednesday afternoon and will be coming home for us!

We had a great visit this past weekend and I have some pictures but they are at home and I am at work so those will have to wait until another day!

It seems like just yesterday that he started AIT and now here we are, 17 weeks later and he is graduating!

We are so ready to move back to our house and live a normal life. But I am going to miss coming home to Ava every day. I love getting hugs and kisses from her as soon as I walk in the door! No matter how bad of a day I had I know that Ava will be excited to see me and that makes everything so much better!

That is all I have for now folks, I must get back to work... Have a great afternoon!

Closure

You can click here to read the end to all of the April Rose stuff. Please keep praying for Beccah and everyone else involved.

I am excited because...

...Zach will be back from his field training exercise tomorrow and I can talk to him again. We haven't talked to each other since this past Sunday. It is so hard not talking to him because he is my best friend and the person I tell everything to.

...I get to eat dinner with my family tonight!

...I am finally caught up on work stuff!!!

...my husband will be home in less than a week!!! I can't wait!

...there are so many good things going on in my life right now!!!

...watermelon is officially in season and I have already eaten my fair share of it!

...I have a day and a half off next week, vacation time is always exciting for me!!!

...I finally have business cards at work!!! After 5 years of working here, I finally have some!

What are you excited about? Is your birthday coming up? Are you going on vacation? I would love to hear about it whatever it is!!!

Speculation

There has been a lot of speculation over the last few days about a certain blog. It breaks my heart that it has been confirmed that this indeed was a hoax. MckMama and Angie Smith both posted about the situation, along with Raechel who was just a friend trying to be supportive. Feel free to visit their blogs to read their posts...

I am not going to go into depth on this but I am going to ask you to pray for those involved... Those that have been lied to and those that did this. I have read several posts and comments where people are arguing over whether it was true or not and now that the truth is out we all need to just pray about it.

Sometimes I don't understand why people do certain things, but I can lean on God to help me through and to help me understand.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6

Please join me in prayer for Angie, MckMama, and Raechel today! Thank you friends!

Just a quick update

I am still alive you guys! I have been trying to catch up on the stuff that I couldn't get done while the auditors were here. They left kind of early on Friday so that was good. I was able to avoid them and not have to answer any questions. Go me!!!

I am looking forward to going to Augusta this weekend because it is our last weekend there! I have enjoyed visiting and sight-seeing but I really just want to stay at my house and relax for once and that day is almost here!!!

Oh! I got my business cards in for work today!!! I am so excited, no more writing my name and number on a sticky note. They are fabulous!!! Yes, only I would be excited about business cards!!!

I am wanting to get back into quilting but nothing in depth like what I was trying to do a while back. I want to start off with a simple patchwork quilt and then move on to some different patterns! I found a pattern that I want to try first so when Zach gets home and we get settled in our house I am going to see if my mom will let me borrow her sewing machine to get started!!! I will keep you all up to date on this...

Zach is at his field training exercise and he couldn't carry his phone. He left on Sunday and will be back on Friday. So, a whole week without talking to him... but at least I get to see him! It is weird how I plan my day around when he calls me. He called me every morning when he got up which was around 3:15 my time... Then he called me around 12:45 my time everyday and then he called me at 5:00 my time every evening and we would talk until time for bed check. I woke up yesterday morning in a panic around 4:00 my time because I thought I missed his call but then I realized that he would not be calling... I will be glad when we can actually see each other every day and not just talk on the phone during the week and see each other on the weekend! And that day is almost here my friends!!!

Maybe when Zach gets home I will have something more interesting to post about than what we did in Augusta the previous weekend! We'll see!!!

Hope you guys have a great day, I am going to run some errands for work!

To my newest follower...

Jess, I tried to email you at the email address that you gave me but it keeps coming back to me...

My personal email address is babysisterskd@yahoo.com. Email me so I can get your corrected email address and let me know what your blog address is in there too so I can come visit!!!

Oh cornbread!

I was going to do a 100th post post but I just realized that I have 103 posts! Oh cornbread! Maybe I can remember at 150 and we can do something fun!!!

I hope you guys and gals have a fabulous weekend!

Alabama's new state song...

It's raining, it's pouring... I wish I was snoring...

Wait, that's not how it goes...

Seriously though, it has been raining a lot here in Alabama in recent weeks and all of this dreary weather is making me sleepy! I think an afternoon nap time is in order...

Today it has rained so much that our drive thru here at the credit union is flooded, not cool, not cool at all!

I am in a fabulous mood today... Anyone care to take a guess as to why???

I am sure Karmen is raising her hand and she is probably saying "Because Zach is coming home in exactly two weeks and you can finally move out of my house!" Way to go Karmen you are exactly right! Well about the Zach coming home part... Moving out part, not so sure about... Just kidding! I owe Karmen, Matt, and Ava a huge thank you for allowing me to live with them since Zach left. It has been so nice to have someone to come home to every evening to keep me occupied through the first few months that Zach was gone because those my friends were some rough months! So thanks you guys!

Anyways, I have to go be productive at work now! Hope you are having a fabulous Wednesday!!!

A Twist on the ABCs...

This was too fun to pass up... I found it over at Stafford Stories but I also saw it on a couple of other blogs... But I saw it at Stafford Stories first, so she gets the credit!!!

A - Age: 23

B - Bed size: Queen

C - Chore you hate: Laundry

D - Dog's name: Max and Emma

E - Essential start your day item: Caffeine

F - Favorite color: right now blue (it changes often)

G - Gold or Silver: Silver

H - Height: 5'3"

I - Instruments you play: I used to play the piano

J - Job title: Operations Assistant & IRA Coordinator

K - Kid(s): one day

L - Living arrangements: With my sister and her husband until Zach is finished with training and then it is back to our house when he gets back.

M - Mom's name: Marie

N - Nicknames: Chickie

O - Overnight hospital stay: None since I was born.

P - Pet Peeve: Smacking, slurping, crunching, etc.. any noises while eatting. eekkk! (I agree with Crystal)

Q - Quote from a movie: I speak whale!

R - Right or left handed: Right

S - Siblings: twin sister, Karmen, one minute older than me.

T - Time you wake up: 6:30am is when my alarm goes off but I snooze until about 7.

U - Underwear: Yes I wear them!

V - Vegetable you dislike: Broccoli

W - Ways/Reasons you run late: Zach, he is a lolly gagger (is that even a real word, if so is that how you spell it?)

X - X-rays you've had: teeth & chest & sinuses & and my hand when I had a cyst on the tendon.

Y - Yummy food you make: potato salad!

Z - Zoo animals you like: sea lions

I've been tagged...

MelanieElissa tagged me to do this... You should go check her out... Her blog is fabulous!

First off... the rules:

1) List Six Unimportant Things That Make You Happy.

2) Mention and link to the person who tagged you .

3) Tag six of your favorite bloggers to play along, and comment on their blog to let them know they've been tagged.

Okay..6 unimportant things that make me happy...

1. Reading a good book on the beach... with lots of sunscreen on of course!

2. Watching a CSI: Miami marathon with my hubby.

3. Riding around in the car eating chips and dip with Karmen and Alline... I miss this!

4. Taking a great photo!

5. Laying in bed listening to it rain...

6. A pair of jeans that fit perfectly...

I tag...

Karmen

Lindsey

Kaitlin

Whitney

Jen

Natalie

Hiding out

This week we have had auditors here (I work for a credit union) and they will be here all next week too! BIG FUN!

I have a huge fear of auditors... not the actual person because ours are actually really nice but it is their position that terrifies me. And no I haven't done anything wrong to warrant being scared of them but they can come into my office at any given moment in time and start asking me questions and if I give a wrong answer the credit union could get written up for it... I don't want to be the cause of any write ups so I avoid them like the plague when they are here...

I walked out of my office for a couple of minutes and while I was gone one of them came in here asking for me (I share an office with someone else) and she told him that I had stepped out. When I got back she told me and my stomach immediately started churning. I started praying that they didn't come back in here because I knew that if he did that I might just throw up on his expensive shoes he has on. They seriously make me that nervous!

I can picture it now:

Auditor: Hi Kristen, how are you today?

Me: Great, thanks! *stomach churns*

Auditor: Can you tell me who your compliance officer is?

Me: Sure, Jo... *stomach churns again, this time out loud*

Auditor: Who balances the ATMs?

Me: That would be me and Sh... *barf*

Auditor: OK I think we are finished here...

Me: Thanks, sorry about the shoes...

And this my friends is why I avoid them like the plague because this scenario may actually happen if one of those nice gentelmen come in here to quiz me...

I am off to the post office, maybe I will get stuck by the train today and be gone for a while! Wish me luck!