Hear me "rawr"

This is my new stuffed animal - it's my Valentiger... His name is Rawr.

I didn't know it, but apparently "rawr" means "I love you" in dinosaur. And here I was thinking it was a cute way to spell "roar". Oh the things you learn :)

Anyway, my first Valentine's Day married has been interesting. I hurt my ankle and I have a sinus infection, but my baby is the best. He brought me Rawr and a bouquet that wasn't roses. He knows me so well!

 

Hope you had an awesome day,

At Home

So lately I haven't been the best house keeper and I haven't cooked much and my poor husband is usually stuck taking care of me. I have a million excuses of course... Nausea, round ligament pain, fatigue and the latest one: a cold. But I have managed a few things and my loving, sweet husband has been so understanding.

My "pantry" filled with canned goods, baking goods, tea and recipe books.

 

My stove and white pantry thingy. We live in a 1940's farmhouse which explains the green stove and not so lovely wall paper (thankfully this is the only wall with this particular wall paper).

That's bread dough rising for cinnamon rolls on the stove top there.

 

Thanksgiving center piece that Lys and I did for the big Thanksgiving dinner my family does every year.

 

Cinnamon rolls I made one day when I had an energy spurt (please let me have another one of those).

 

The view from my back door. Lovely, huh?

 

 

 

Your sorta home-maker,

So Much Going On (Exciting News)

Life is taking so many turns for me right now. Not bad ones, just lots of them. It feels like everything has happened so quickly.

December 2009 - Started seeing Chad.
Spring 2010 - Lost my dear Grandfather (who was a really close friend as well and Grandfather).
Summer 2010 - Graduated.
December 2010 - One year with Chad.
Feburary 2011 - Engaged.
Fall 2011 - Started photography school and wedding planning.
December 2011 - Two years with Chad.
February 2012 - One year engaged.
Spring 2012 - Bridal Shower/Uncles Wedding.
Summer 2012 - Married!!!
So far Fall 2012 - Moved to a new house. Almost completed photography school (got my first perfect score on an assignment) and...

 

Little bit - what we're currently calling the baby - is estimated to be due June 3rd (just 13 days before our first anniversary). That would mean I am currently 10 1/2 weeks along! I've not had anything but blood work done though, so the due date could change.

 

Well, as I'm currently feeling a bit sick (I don't have morning sickness, I have all-day-comes-and-goes sickness), I'm gonna run.

Love your new mom-to-be,

Just a note

Just incase anyone is wondering, I do not know if I support Invisible Children or not, I don't know much about them, I don't know how they spend their money or what their political veiws are... I just know Kony should be stopped. So just so y'all know, I am only supporting stopping this man!

PLEASE READ!

Jessica at Diary of a Beautiful Soul posted about a man named Joseph Kony who is a horrible war criminal and is building his own army. How is he building his own army you ask? By kidnapping small children and raising them up. Forcing them to kill and the young girls to be sex slaves. He has been doing this for 26 years and has abducted 30,000 children and displaced 2.1 million. His "group" started in Northern Uganda (no longer operating there) but is now in South Sudan, Democratic Republic of  Congo and Central African Republic. Invisible Children has been working for 9 years to end Africa’s longest-running armed conflict. U.S. military advisers are currently deployed in Central Africa on a “time-limited” mission to stop Kony and disarm the LRA. If Kony isn’t captured this year, the window will be gone.

Please do anything you can to help. Blog about it, tweet about it, facebook (or whatever) about it. Create a pinboard at Pinterest to raise awareness. Send the video to people. Donate to the cause or buy some of their things. Please stop this guy!

Visit here to read Jessica's very enlightening post.

Visit here to learn more about it.

Visit here to shop their store.

Visit here to watch the video!



Please help!

Because - A post in which I blame Jessica

It snowed yesterday and I was not happy. I don't like snow. It's pretty, it's photogenic and it kills off garden destroying pests, but other than that it does very little for me. Going on a walk in the snow with my camera is cool and all and I'll indulge in the random snow ball fight, but other than that it's just cold and wet and you end up stranded in the house until it melts and - being in the south -you're sure there is no black ice on the roads. Also it chases away fiances when the roads get icy. Yeah - not cool.

I am in love with Safe and Sound by Taylor Swift ft. The Civil Wars. It's so awesome, it goes with the Hanger Games and the music video gives me goose bumbs - or maybe those goose bumps are from the cold in this room - I'm not sure which. Also, are Bre and I the only one who thinks the guy from The Civil Wars looks a bit like Johnny Depp? Just asking... Also I think the Safe and Sound music is more inspired by their (The Civil Wars) music than hers (Taylor Swift). It just doesn't sound like her usual kind of thing. Anyway Dance Me to the End of Love sounds similar and we all know Fearless doesn't :) So maybe the soundtrack sould read The Civil Wars ft. Taylor Swift... again, just sayin'.

I do promise more wedding plan photos once I get enough time to take some pictures of it... I just haven't got the time... Maybe some later this week, although I can't promise that because Lyssa's coming to visit Wednesday and not leaving until Tuesday and another one our friends is coming to stay one night this weekend, so we're gonna stay busy busy.

(random note - I love the song Forget Me Not by the Civil Wars - and do all their songs sound haunting?)

Anyway - now to the blaming Jessica part. Jessica from Diary of a Beautiful Soul told me about Pinterest and now I love it!! Addicting really... I'm not sure why though... Anyway I just love it now and maybe one day will join in and do a Pinterest post...

Now because a post needs a picture:

Because Mr. Darcy is sooo amazing and I'm on a Jane Austen kick (am currently reading Persuasion).

"Dare not say that man forgets sooner than woman, that his love has an earlier death. I have loved none but you." Frederick Wentworth, Persuasion by Jane Austen.

"In vain have I struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you." Mr. Darcy, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

"I cannot make speeches, Emma...If I loved you less, I might be able to talk about it more. But you know what I am. You hear nothing but truth from me. I have blamed you, and lectured you, and you have borne it as no other woman in England would have borne it." Mr. Kightley, Emma by Jane Austen

Your's most ardently ;)

Updates and such

I feel like I'm/we've sorta abandoned y'all. We do apologize and hope that it wont always be this way.

Now for updates.

Wedding plans in full swing and I do mean full. Wedding dress fittings at the end of February, bridal shower plans and florist appointments. Color co-ordination, design ideas, ordering wedding invitation samples to make sure the picture's right, the font style is right, font size and color also. Trying to pin down my plans around my Uncle's, and he doesn't even have settled plans. It's nothing short of annoying, because I have to change my plans (ones I made before they did) just to fit their plans. Ahhhh! Ok, sorry for the vent. I'll move on.

Ok, we went to Grandma's house for ten days. Ran around doing tons of stuff... Saw movies (none that were high on my "to see" list, but whatever:), going to museums and such like. But I also got a sinus infection while there and I haven't shaken it yet. I am feeling tired, sick and run down... But hey, nothing a Chai Tea wont help, right?

My week is booked now too. Got home yesterday, milk run was today, tomorrow is pay day and I have a orthodontist appointment, Thursday we have a consultation with the florist, Friday Lina's guitar lessons and a b-day dinner and Saturday seems to be the only free. I am happy about going to church Sunday though. I've missed three weeks now, first due to being sick with a cold and then two due to being  at Grandma's. I miss a particular little boy so much. He is so adorable. I haven't seen him in too long! He is one of my good friend's little brothers (she has three). He is 2 and just the cutest little things. And I just love to hear him come up to me and say "Wiah... Hi Wiah!" His version of Riah :) Awww I miss him. I also will love to hear a sermon now. It's been too long!

Today was a pretty good day... Except what time I had to get up. I didn't get to bed until about 1am and I had to wake up at 5:30am. I took a shower, got ready for the day, filled up the car and woke up Bre and T. Lynn and made sure they were getting ready. We left at 7 and took Bre to our Grandfather's for her shooting lesson and her gun-smith lesson, then we went to meet Superman for breakfast. It was his b-day today! He's 22 now. After breakfast with Superman we left and headed to get the milk. We stopped by Lyssa's first and we had a nice long visit. Marmie (I love using T.'s new name for mom) and T. Lynn stayed at Lyssa's house and Marmie read and T. occupied herself while Lys and I went to her old work place to pick up her tax stuff, to B.J's to get Vanilla Almond milk and then we dropped by Starbucks to pick up two coffee's for Mom and T. and then Lys and I got Chai Tea Lattes. I am all coffee'd out from being at Grandma's house. She doesn't keep tea and so when we don't go out to eat our options are coffee, milk, lemonade and sprite :) Not that I mind coffee, just I love tea.

And now that I've complained and ranted and talked y'all's ear off, I'll leave y'all with this:

Sorry, it's a Christmas photo... I just haven't uploaded my newest one's onto my laptop yet.

Oh and it's not watermarked, so please ask before use!

Much Love,

A bit of catch up

We've been strangers around here lately. Our lives are pretty busy. I'll try and give you a run down.
I started online photography schooling and am working toward my diploma and learning a whole lot. I got a PS CS5! I am super excited about that.
We had a big Thanksgiving dinner Saturday and will have a smaller, simpler one on Thanksgiving day.
Wedding planning is going. But at a nice slow pace. Lys and I got our dresses ordered and are waiting for them to come in. We have the officiator, but not the venue. Everything else is going alright.
I got a car Monday. A silver Mercury Sable. It's really nice. I haven't a license yet, I'm gonna get one in January. I have driven it twice and will take T. Lynn to her dentist appointment tomorrow.
I was sick with some sort of stomach bug for almost two weeks and am finally starting to feel alright again. I didn't eat much though for two weeks and now I feel like I can't get full. It's pretty annoying.
Let me see, what else, what else? (Ugh, I'm annoyed with my glasses - moving on.)
I am sadly behind on Christmas shopping/sewing. I need to desperately clean my room and I painted my nail deep purple ;) My iPod is in sad shape (the stripped ear phone plug in is getting worse) and I am dying to get started with the rest of my blog designing and some sewing. I miss Lyssa to bits!
I think that is everything. If I think of anything else, I'll try and let y'all know!


 Hugs and Kisses,
 xoxoxoxoxoxox,

Dear Blogger friends,

I just wanted to let you know something so you don't think I ignore you...
When you leave comments, I love them, and I would be so happy to reply....but blogger must hate me and it won't let me actually comment back. :(  SO! Thank you to all who comment and thank you for your lovely thoughts/compliments!
I don't know why blogger won't let me comment. Riah can still comment though! :)
much love,

Polkadots and Moonbeams :)

Dontcha like that name?! It is inspired by a song by Frank Sinatra. It is awesome!
The quote is also based off the lyrics of the song, but changed to fit us by our lovely Miss Mariah :) Ain't she gifted??? I thought so. I was trying to make the quote and called upon her for the use of her amazing brain. Yep - I surely did and it paid off :)
Well, I gotta go add wedding pictures to a disk to take to the photographer -
See ya!
Oh and be sure to leave us a comment to let us know what you think!

Re-design!

Right now Ri is working on our new blog design! Super excited about it :)
Not only is our look changing, but our name is as well!! So when you look at our blog after the design is complete, don't panic when you don't recognize the name. And no, I'm not gonna tell you what it is until the "unveiling" - rahaha :)
See ya later!

Procrastination part deux

Here I am again, listening to Some Kind of Wonderful by Michael Buble on Pandora. Here I am again eating a sour cream donut and drinking coffee (feeling slighting police officer-ish). Here I am again procrastinating. I should be sewing skirts, working on my secret project, uploading music into my computer, cleaning my room, cleaning the main areas, cleaning the bathroom and blog designing. Oh and calling Lys and working on a Christmas wish list (per her request, be it only September). I should be writing my untitled novel, but instead I'm dreaming about this store. I should be cleaning up the extremely messy table beside me, but instead I'm thinking about being here:

Paris at night...

In this dress...

wearing these shoes...

these bracelets...

And this necklace (I love this necklace!!)...

and this hat...

and this purse! Yep, that's a complete ensemble.

And it costs -  $233.94 - yep, that's without the Paris part ;)

Yeah, sometimes I have expensive taste **blushes** I try not to though. And I'd never actually buy those things. It would be a ridiculous waste of money; money I don't have.

Much Love,

Riah

P.S. I started this post way earlier...

P.P.S. It would be preferable if somewhere Fred Astaire music was playing, but since Paris doesn't have a soundtrack, like movies do, I guess I'll have to live without it :(

Surface of the sun... and HI!

Hey Y'all!
I feel like I am completely out of the loop in blogger world! I miss you! Life has been quite interesting the last few weeks. I'm really excited about most of it. :)
To start... as you know I was doing a Photography internship for a couple of weeks at a Sunflower field - it was AMAZING! I don't think I have had that much fun in a long time (except at Ri's house of course :D). I learned so much from the photographer; more than I thought I could in such a short amount of time. She taught me about the camera settings, lighting, framing...ect. I even got to shoot along side of her some (look at previous posts to see some of the pictures). I know I still have so much to learn, but I am on the fast track to improvement!
At the end of the internship Julie (the photographer) told me that she has loved working with me and that I have been a great help. She then proceeded to tell me that the internship was really like one big job interview and that if I wanted the job she would love to hire me! So, I'm sure you know what i said! YES! I have been praying for a job in photography come the end of Summer and here I have one! God is so good! We still have to talk about all the details, but it's basically locked in. :) YAY!
If I can get enough hours/pay with her then I can leave my current job! I hope that is how it will work because I am so DONE working where I am. (I have some snotty co-workers) Ehem... moving on. lol

Life has really kept me on the move this summer - on top of interning there has been camp all day/ working at the bookstore at night. The only time I'm home is to sleep and then several hours on Saturday and Sunday. Ask Ri - I've not even had time to talk to her much. I don't wanna think about it though because I miss her something awful and I might cry if I keep on... **Sniff**

So today it was SO HOT outside - one of the campers actually got sick (as in sick sick) in the barn - she got too hot, didn't drink enough water and just threw up right there on the floor. I couldn't handle it - i turned around and walked into a stall so I didn't hafta see it. (I don't handle throw up very well...). No worries though, Jill (the owner) took care of it! YAY! And moving right along back to weather.... the heat index was about 105 degrees I believe. When I walked outside it felt like a was slapped by a warm, and damp towel - gross! Humidity in the south is super high - but hey, at least we don't get bad snow storms in the winter! To every negative there is a positive! lol.

I'm going to see Hillsong United in concert on the 9th and 19th of August! I'm so excited! Ri was gonna go with me to the one on the 19th but our plan didn't work. **sniff sniff** It makes me sad - but I'm so excited about going! I've waited for this for YEARS!

Moving on to yet another topic....
Riah mentioned to y'all about the friend of my family with cancer.... I don't know much about what's going on. This woman and her daughter used to live in my neighborhood and we went to the same church for years. Our family kept her little girl during the day time while she worked from the time Hailey (little girl) was 10 mos old to 4yrs old. Hailey was just like a little sister! Stuff happened and we stopped keeping her... long story...
We haven't seen them in about 3 or 4 years, maybe less. My sister was online looking at some blogs or something and saw that Lauren (Hailey's mom) posted about the cancer. It's a very big shock. My mom emailed Lauren's mom to find out more - now we can hope and pray for a response!

Well, I'm off to bed - I have a VERY early morning -
YAY for the last day of camp for the next to last week all together! lol
Love and many yawns!

I am beaming!

If you could see me right now, you would be almost blinded by my smile. Not that I have super white teeth or anything - I am just super happy! I am doing my photography internship right now and am learning so much (such as my ISO in my shots has been WAAAAAAY too high... lol) - You know that you're doing what you're called to when you come home at the end of the day smiling and excited for whats next!
I was able to shoot with the photographer a little today (with my own camera)!!! I was so excited - I will post my favorite shot in a little bit - Gotta go clean first -
With love and smiles,

Remember me??

Hello my fellow bloggers...
Long time no talk!
I know it's been a while since I've posted but I have a good reason... I've been working from 7:45am to 5pm and then on some days going straight from the camp job to Lifeway to work until close. Its been a crazy 2 weeks adjusting to my schedule but I'm getting used to it enough to do this post. lol

I've been taking a good amount of pictures when I have some free time - I've missed taking pictures so much!

Riah and I are probably going to see Hillsong United in concert in a couple of months! We are super excited about it - can't wait!!

Well, I'm going to end this choppy post for now and get some sleep! G'night all!
With love and yawns,

huuuuuuuuuuummmmmmmm....

We have a plague of periodical Cicada's right now that have been huuuuuuuummmmming for a week so far - we have about another week left (or so they say). It is a high pitch hum that never changes its tone or takes a break. They hum (more like scream) from the time the sun comes up, until it goes down at night. We can hear it in our house - even in our basement. Yay us. There must be a million of the Cicada's here.
Even though it's annoying enough to make anyone feel like going crazy, it's kinda neat since this doesn't happen all the time - I think it only comes around this bad every 17 years or so. But it doesn't change the fact that I'd really like some quiet... :) lol
I took some pictures of their exoskeletons and one of the live bugs - I will post them after I upload them later.

May I just say....

THOR was AMAZINGLY AWESOME!! I will own this movie on the day it comes to DVD. It was that good. I am actually gonna go see it again on Thursday with my dad. Can't wait! And it helps that the guy who plays Thor is quite handsome (and Australian..) :) :) :) lol

Yes, you may call me a nerd - but only this once. I really can't help it right now. I even wore my Marvel comic t-shirt to the movie... yeah and Thor fruit snacks. Couldn't help it...
AND good night...

May already?!

WOW! Time flies! Wasn't it just Christmas??
I'm having a hard time believing that I have just a month until my Summer Camp job starts. That means I've gotta go shopping for some clothes. Ugh. I'm am so shopped out. And I've only been twice in the last two weeks! Well...that's not saying much - I never shop. Ever. So I guess it makes sense that I'm shopped out.
Ok. I'm rambling now. Moving on.
Before camp starts I need:
1. Socks
2. More jeans
3. Light weight t-shirts
4. Hair ties
5. And a giant water bottle! (and I do mean giant) (Last year I had one that was about a gallon and I drank most of it in one day. Hey - being outside in the sun all day will do it to ya!)

New Topic:

I NEED TO GO ON A TRIP!! Yes, Riah, I would love to come to your house again, but I'm talking about a trip that requires you to fly across the ocean. To Australia... England... Ireland.... Scotland... Yep - that's it - I'm going. As soon as I can. **Deep Sigh**
Signing off for now - need to go stop off at my work to discus my Summer schedule with my boss. :)

Love,

Whew!

The storm passed without any tornadoes for us. Ri's family was in a warning but they are fine.
I was up until 2 watching the weather and then was up again at 3 because I heard some very odd thunder.
I just saw on the news that the storm has killed at least 213 people... They say this storm is worse than the one they've been comparing it to from the '70's.
Yikes.
I'm off to get ready for work -

DANGER!

We have bad storms that are supposed to head our way - tornadoes have hit heavily in other places from this storm. I have a major phobia of tornadoes - as in I feel like I could be sick when there is a chance we can get them... as in I feel that way now. AGH!
Ok - I'm gonna go breathe and watch the weather...and pray and try to remain calm!