New York

Ok, so many of you may not know, but Karnell and I are planning a trip to go to New York. We have some friends that live in Jersey that we will be staying with, so we don't have to pay for a hotel. Karnell and I are super pumped. We haven't been on an official vacation since our honeymoon, almost 4 years ago!

I'm just couldn't wait to see Ground Zero, the Statue of Liberty, Times Square, Central Park, Lion King on Broadway, China Town, Little Italy; I could go on and on!

Karnell and I were able to take this wonderful vacation because of some workman's comp money he is getting from a burn on his arm. So this is a "not out of our pocket" vacation! Those are the best kind!

Well, all of our hopes and dreams came to a screeching hault as of yesterday. Yesterday I remembered that I needed to get the tags renewed on my car. No biggie, all I needed were tax receipts from 2007 and 2008, and a current inspection. So I went online to pull up the receipts to find that I DIDN'T PAY THEM FOR BOTH YEARS!!!! Can you believe that?! I definitely had an "I'm not a grown up yet" moment. I thought the taxes that you pay for your car payment was personal property taxes... well, no it's not... it's call SALES TAX... DUH! Not only that, but the taxes were in Kansas City... I didn't know you had to register your car when you move!

So when I first called the Kansas City people (that's the technical term) they told me I owed a GRAND!!! But I wasn't living in KC at the time, so I then got on the phone with the Springfield people (another technical term) and found out how much I really owed. Not quite a grand, it's a couple hundred less, but still... New York is in jeapordy!

So, the first thing I did, I cried! Then I pulled myself together and called Karnell. I knew he would be upset; but to be honest, he handled the intial shock quite well! When I went home I tried to think of things I could sell in order to get extra money... So far, I've sold a mirror. After work today, I'm gonna see if I can get some good money for some antique earrings.

I know that this seems a little crazy, but my life for the past 2 years has been crazy and very unstable, so I really need this vacation. Please pray that I find a way to get to New York! If nothing else at least pray that I do a little better at being an adult!

It's official!

My mommy and me!

The family!

The family again!


So I've been getting into "trouble" by not updating my blog. So here it is! These pictures were taken while my mom and brother Brian were here for a huge banquet for my job. Obviously, we took these pictures at Lamberts! Ok, so it's a short post, but it beats nothing!

Have a great day!

Way too much...

So... I've decided that I'm officially way too busy. My life picked up and ran... quick, fast and in a hurry! I don't even have time to blog. I love blogging so the mere fact that I don't get the chance saddens me. Well enough about being busy... I do have some thoughts on my mind.

Ok, so I've have been totally submerged around pregnant people. Whether it be my friends (which I have quite a few) that are pregnant, recently had babies, or starting their 2nd or 5th child; or at my job, where I'm faced with pregnancies all day long; I can't deny that it appears that everyone is having "baby fever".

So for the longest time I have convinced myself that I was TOTALLY not ready for children. But as time progresses, I start to see my dear close friends start to have children and I am starting to get more and more motivated.

I guess my question for the day is: am I one of those people that "won't" be able to get pregnant? Now, I'm sure you are curious as to why I'm asking that question. Here's why: Karnell and I have been married 3 1/2 years today, and we have in no way, shape, form, or fashion stopped a child from entering the world from the moment that we said "I do". So, in my head, I feel as though it's safe to at least question that as a possibility.

Also, I know that being pregnant and actually having the child is expensive... and Karnell and I are not ready to handle that type of responsibility. (If you want to know more about that... facebook me!) On the flip side of things, I do want a family and I don't want to be 35 years old when I do... so I guess, how do I get over this hump that I'm in... Any advice from those out there?

Marley and Me

I must say that this movie is the cutest movie I've seen in a long time. Of course, most of you guys know that I'm a huge pet lover and so it should come to no surprise that I would be interested in such a movie.

I loved it from beginning to end. I definitely could relate to Marley, be cause we too had a lab... named Jett! I laughed and I cried... it was too cute! If you want to see a cute movie, you need to watch Marley and Me, I'm tellin' ya, it's good stuff!

Holiday fun!

Ok, so now that I'm back into the swing of things at work, I have a little bit of time to actually do some blogging! So as you could see from the past blog I got creative and made my first truffles ever... and man were they tasty!

Now, you will get the opportunity to see what we did over the week of Christmas. Karnell and I spent Christmas with my family and it was fun times! We ate more than we should have, and did a whole bunch of nothing... Just the way it should be! The first set of pictures that you will see are how I spent my 29th birthday. Some family and friends went to Jack Stack BBQ on the plaza, boy it was just like I remembered... delicious!


My sister petting the beautiful horse... Monty in the background!


Jodi, Matt and Danny, and Me... baby John wasn't looking at the camera, so I held up is binky so that he would look up! Classic!!!


This is an example of what baby John did before the binky raise!


My beautiful sister Ashley!


My family: Monty, Ashley, Me and Brian... boy we look good!

Now here are my favorites of the many pictures taken over Christmas break! Enjoy!


Brian, Me and my mom... the 3 Musketeers


Taye and her kids Corey, Tyalor and Craig... cuties!


Getting ready for Christmas dinner... couldn't wait!


Monty and Me


Karnell and Me

Happy New Year!!!

Ok, so I have quite a bit that I wanted to post, so just bare with me and enjoy the pictures! This first set of pictures were of my wonderful attempt to make truffles (which were a HUGE success I might add). I made these truffles as Christmas gifts to my family. These truffles along with chocolate chip cookies and chocolate covered pretzels were in this cute little Christmas tin... If you have ever attempted to make truffles it can be a messy experience, but with the help of YouTube, my success rate went through the roof! I made two types of truffles: peanut butter truffles rolled in cocoa powder and/or graham cracker crumbs, and I also made a cookies and cream truffle rolled in oreo cookie crumbs. So the pictures that you are backwards as far as the order that it happened, but I'm too lazy to fix it! Besides, I have a lot more pictures to post, so here is Round 1.


Cookies and Cream truffles


The peanut butter truffles and some cookies and cream


Karnell getting the measurements right... such a helpful guy!


The peanut butter ganache that needed to harden in the fridge


The beginning stages of the peanut butter truffles

Way too long...

Ok, so it has been way too long for me... I can't believe I've stopped blogging. It has almost been two months! I have had so much going on that I didn't blog... no excuse, I know,but it's the only one I've got! So, since my great- grandmother's birthday, we've had Thanksgiving, and soon we will have Christmas.

Now keeping with tradition (well my tradition anyway), Christmas can't officially get here until after my birthday passes, which will be this Saturday! I won't disclose how old I am, for sadly, I'm in denial! I've always loved birthdays, even if that means I was born during a sucky time of year. This year is so different, I just dread turning a year older. I know that I'm still quite young, but the number itself just seems so old. Ok, I'm starting to get depressed... moving on!

On a brighter note, I will be heading home on Friday (19th) and I won't be back in Springfield until the 28th! Now that is something I'm very excited about!

Ok, so Karnell and I haven't taken many pictures together because he typically isn't around me a lot...( he works a lot). So, here in the past week, I've taken a few. The one's of us sitting together were taken on our date night to Old Chicago... man, if you haven't been there, you should make a serious effort to try and go, their Sicilian Pepperoni Rolls are to DIE for! The other pictures are of Karnell trying to clean his windshield, without much success... Stay tuned for birthday and Christmas pics!