Sunday Nights

Sunday night is probably my most favorite night of the week. “Why?” you might ask. Well Sunday night is a set night I spend with my family and then my fiance. The first part of the evening I spend with my mom and sister watching two of our most favorite shows. After watching my shows with my family, and after my fiance gets off, I go over to his house. It started off that I would watch his two favorite shows with him but after a while I enjoyed them also. 

The shows I watch with my mother and sister our both military related shows. One is a reality show and the other one is not. The first show on Sunday nights that we watch is Army Wives. Army Wives is very much a heart touching show. It takes the lives of four army wives shows there ups and downs. The show gives you great insight to what military families really do go through. I think that is one reason my family enjoys it so much. Another reason it is one of our favorite shows would be because we can relate to it, because my father was in the Air Force for twenty-one and half years. Do to that fact it is become easy to connect with the families of the show. There are countless times I hear my mom say, “I remember having to go through that, it was one have the hardest times.” Even though the families in the show are not real, the stories are. The second show we watch is Coming Home. It is an amazing show that I have not made it through one episode with out crying my eyes out. Coming Home is reality show about military men and woman coming home and surprising their loved ones. Just like Army wives this show touches our hearts so much more do to the fact we can relate. I remember being a little girl and my dad having to go away for work. The moment he came home was the best moment ever. 

Sunday nights became like our stay at home date night. I go over to his house after he gets off work and we just spend the evening relaxing and watching our shows. At first they were shows I had never heard of, and for some reason right now I can not remember the names of them, but now they are shows I really enjoy. The one I like most out of the two is about a young women in her twenties that takes care of six younger siblings. Her dad is an alcoholic, is in trouble with the law all the time, and is never reliable. There mom has not be around since they were little and she ran out on them. The shows are good but my favorite part is just being able to spend quality time with my fiance. We are both really busy and on the go all the time so it is great to just sit down and relax. 

Teen Death

It feel like teen death is not on the rise. It might not seem that way everywhere but in Carthage, Missouri it feel like it. I graduated from Carthage and while in high school three girls just in my graduating class died, all with in about a year. That was just in my graduating class, I can think of at least five other that have died with in the past three years, right off the top of my head. Everyone of those deaths had a huge impact family, friends, and the community. I personally was not that close to any of them but I did have friends that were. During those times of sadness and loss I watched our community come together and support each other like I have never seen. 

Hannah Smallwood was a great girl that always had a smile on here face. Hannah’s mom was a physical education at the high school. According to the Joplin Globe, “the one-vehicle accident happened at 7:35 p.m. Friday (December 8th 2006) on County Road 120, four miles east of Carthage. Authorities said the vehicle hit a utility pole and overturned several times. Smallwood was thrown from the vehicle.” Hannah’s death effected the whole school, and something no one would ever forget. 

The sad thing is Hannah was not the only one lost to soon. The following are just a few teens from Carthage, and there story. 

“McKenzie R. Kisling, 14, and Kayla D. Story, 16, of Carthage, died in a one-vehicle accident at 7:21 p.m. Friday (June 2007) when the vehicle they were in ran off the west side of the road, struck a utility pole, and overturned, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol.”

“Johnson said Jeff Coggin told him his daughter saved him before she was crushed by one of the trees. "He'd been sleeping and his daughter was the one who saved him," Johnson said. "His daughter hollered at him and said we have storm warnings and he got up, went toward the living room -- that's what he recalled -- and then all he remembers her saying was 'tree!'”Johnson said he found Casey Coggin crushed beneath the tree that fell on the north side of the trailer.”

My fiance told me story of a girl he went to high school with. One day he had gotten to school and was walking into the building. As he was walking up the side walk into school, the girl jumped from the top of the building and land right in front of him. He shared with me that it was one of the most horrible sounds he has ever heard. He also went on to tell me that he had been so close that her blood had gotten all over him. At this point I thought the girl had die but he went on to tell me that she had survived. 

It is sad to think this girl thought things were so bad that the only way to get out was by jumping off a building. And the sad thing she is not the only one. 

Last Week

Last week was a crazy week for me. What am a kidding every week for me lately has been a crazy week. Last week on top of my normal schedule of work and school, my fiance had his wisdom teeth taken out. I learned that he is a baby when he is in pain. He wanted me to take care of him the whole week, which I did not mind doing. The funny thing is his pain medications made him totally out of it. There was one time when I was leaving to go home and he called me as I was walking out of his front door. He was completely out of it and asked me what I was doing. I continued to talk to him and he kept going on about random stuff. Then I asked him why he called. He then went on to tell me he did not call me and told me I needed to call his mom so she could give him his medicine, and she was in the same house as him. The next morning when I went over there I told him about the conversation we had had and he was clueless about it. 

Also this last week I got together with my mother and future mother in law to plan out the decorations and layout for both the church and memorial hall. It was not a short process at all. I am really big into details just like my mom so you could only image what it is like when you have us both together. The good thing is that we have it all planned out now. The bad part is we have to still make it all happen, but I know it is all going to come together in the end. My mom has been amazing at helping me with the wedding, she has been like right hand women the whole time. She has even made a binder to help organize everything. It really helps me that she has been so involved since I also have school to focus on. 

The thing that has been the most crazy part of my week would be trying to find out fits for both my church wedding shower and engagement photos. I had been looking for a while but just did not have any luck with finding something I liked. So my mom and sister decided to take me shopping. The first store we were in I found something. It felt amazing to have something and not have to worry anymore. I was now ready for both my wedding shower and engagement photos. Now that I am writing all this it does not seem that crazy of a week, but it sure did feel like it while it was all going on. I am sure I will have a lot more crazy weeks in this next month leading up to the wedding. Lets just I am ready for summer break, that way I have a break from school.  

Past Two Days

This last two days have been great. Yesterday I had a “me” day. After my classes I went to the mall to purchase some makeup, where I ended up having a great conversation with the cosmetics girl. You know some times conversations with complete strangers are the best kind of conversations. I have also learned that those type of conversations are the ones that usually make peoples days. Anyways, after that, I went tanning. Tanning is not something I do often but since I am getting married in June I did not want to be a ghost for my wedding. Plus it is something that is relaxing to me and I enjoy. After tanning I went home and cleaned my parents house. It was not something I looked for to doing but it did make me feel very accomplished after I was done. Yesterday I also got to see my god daughter Bella, she is almost two years old. My fiance and I had put together an Easter basket for her. It was full of sweets, bubbles, a dress, and sidewalk chalk. She was unsure what to think about it all until I told her it was hers and then she went straight for it. It was so cute she kept calling the Peeps cookies. She also demanded me to blow bubbles for her. By the time it was time for her to go she was loaded with sugar. I am sure her mom had fun with her that night. After that I went with my future sister to get manicures and pedicures. It was my first time getting a pedicure and it was amazing. It was so relaxing. After that I spent the evening just relaxing with my amazing fiance. 

Today was an exciting day do to the fact that we had our engagement pictures taken. We had our engagement pictures taken by Josh Cater, a photographer in Carthage. He is an amazing photographer, I love his work. My fiance and I had an amazing session with him. He makes the experience fun and personal. I can not wait to see how our engagement photos turned out. After our engagement photos we went back to my fiance's house where he made me a great lunch, chicken alfredo. After he went to work I spent the afternoon with my mom. My mom and I are really close and love spending tome together. It was fun just getting to go grocery shopping with her. After our shopping we came home to watch our show that we had recorded, called Coming Home. Coming Home is about a member of the military force coming home to surprise a family member. Lets just say I lose a lot a tears while watching the show. Now I am doing homework and trying to get caught up on everything. On top of my homework I am doing laundry, which is much needed. Oh and I am also waiting on our photographer to put up a couple of our pictures from today, he said he would have some up by tonight.   

Since starting my second job, at Wal-Mart, my life has been crazy.  I have been totally stressed and tired all the time.  I came to the point where I knew I reached my limit.  I realized that I could no longer handle having two jobs, where I worked a total of over 40 hours a week, taking 18 credit hours of classes, planning a wedding that is happening in less than two months, and also trying to have a life.  With working all the time I am ready to just crawl in bed by the time I get off work.  With everything going on I have allowed myself to get behind in school which I am not proud of.  By getting behind in school it has put even more stress on me.  I knew I had to change something and fast.  After thinking about everything, I realized my only option was to turn in my two weeks’ notice at Lane Bryant.  I enjoyed my job there very much but it was not worth all the stress I was having.  Before making the choice to give my two weeks’ notice I had to look things over with my fiancé and see if we would be able to do it financially.  We both decided that my education was more important than having that extra money.  I still have my two weeks left but a lot of stress has already been lifted off.  Now I am trying to get caught up in school which has not been easy.  School has never been this hard for me.  I believe part of it is because I transferred this semester.  Not only am I trying to get use to things here but I am also missing my old school and friends.  Since moving here I have felt it hard to connect and feel like I belong, even though this is where I went to high school.  At this point I am just trying to make it through school.  I have already decided to only take 12 credit hours next semester and to not take any online classes.  Even though I know it is best for me to only take 12 credit hours it is still hard for me because I have never taken less than 16 credit hours.  I know it is going to help but it is going to mess up my plan of graduating early.  I have learned that when biting off more than you can chew it does a lot more harm than good. 

Spring Break

      Spring break was a crazy, busy week for me. Over spring break I started my second job. My second job is at Walmart. I got hired as a lawn and garden cashier. I enjoy working in lawn and garden, so far. It is nice because it is not as busy and crazy as up front, except on the weekends. Even though I work in lawn and garden I have been used in many different ways. I have worked up front as a cashier, in electronics, in toys, and I have even helped moved an aisle. What is also nice is that I make more and receive more hours, then my first job. Do not get me wrong, I enjoy my first job too. My first is as a stylist at a clothing store. All the people I work with are great. My favorite thing about my job is the customers. I enjoy helping them find the perfect outfit or piece of clothing that fits them great. At the store I work at we try to build a relationship with our customers. I have never been to a clothing store that has helped their shoppers as much as the the company I work for.

 With working both jobs I worked everyday of break except one. That day I took a road trip with my future sister-in-law to Kansas. We went to Kansas to go to the zoo and visit my college friends from MidAmerica Nazarene University. The night before our trip we stayed up late making road trip CD’s. We ended up making four CD’s. The next morning we made our lunches so we could have lunch at the zoo. After that we got our coffee and hit the road. We were planning on actually listening to the CD’s that we made but we ended up talking the whole time, it was great. My future sister-in-law is a great girl. She is a freshman in high school, but she is really mature for her age. Plus she is lots of fun to be around. 

     We had a great time at the zoo. We were a little disappointed that half the zoo was closed because they were doing remodeling. We both agreed that our favorite part was the polar bear. Another part that I thought was really neat was that there was no fence between the park visitors and the kangaroos. I thought it was very trusting of the visitors for the park to do that. Another cute part was a baby orangutan. There was a male visitor that reached his hand out to the baby orangutan. The baby orangutan reached his hand out also and touched the man’s hand.

     

   On top of an amazing day at the zoo, getting to see my college friends was great. We did not do much but it was nice just getting to spend time with them. We were able to have dinner together and just hangout in the dorms. Over all it was good spring break. The only thing I wish was that it was just a little bit longer.