cottonwood = FAIL

this weekend we are camping with family over on Lake Michigan for the Memorial day weekend. It's been absolutely beautiful out, however, one small thing has made part of this weekend absolutely miserable. COTTONWOOD. Yes folks, it looks like it is snowing outside with all this stuff. It's pretty, some may say, but when they make your allergies go absolutely insane...you just wish it would have stayed on the tree and left you alone. Look at all the fluffy stuff...! It looks like it's still snowing in May!  :) Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

MIA

Things have been a little crazy around my life lately. I haven't even had a chance to update hardly anything! Especially my  blog!! :) I've officially moved out of my apartment and into my sister and brother-in-law's house. :)  So, I'm trying to get adjusted to my new life.

I promise, I have some cute updates coming in the near future...:) I just need some time to get back into my groove...

I'll be back soon! I promise!  :)

super stressed

it's been one of the most stressful times in my life lately. i can't seem to catch a break...

work has been sucking the life out of me...making me not want to go back the next day. i know i need to be thankful for my job..and i truly am. but it just seems like i can't catch a break the past couple weeks. i'm either so busy that i can't catch my breath, people expecting so much from me and i do the best that i can do for them, or being thrown under the bus by staff that doesn't accept change. it's just been a very difficult couple weeks, and i just need a break. i'm so thankful that i have a job...however, it'd be a little easier to deal with if i was appreciated for the hard work that i do...instead of always being looked down upon. i know that i'm doing the best i can...but sometimes i just feel it's not enough...and i feel like i'll never make everyone happy.

along with all the stress at work, i'm super stressed about moving. i'm moving out of my apartment and into my sisters house. i've got boxes up to my ears and am just ready for it to be over. i'll miss this place like crazy, but know this is the next step in my life. that i need to keep taking baby steps to keep moving, instead of feeling so stagnant.

i'll keep praying for strength...because i know i have it. i just have my days when its hard to appreciate what God has given me. i'll continue to be thankful, but i'm extremely ready for the crappiness to move out of my life and take a hike. God has given me so many great opportunities...i just need to focus on those and in no time, hopefully things will get better. it has to, right?  :)

young picasa

Since the weather has been gloomy and rainy all week, we decided to have a little fun this week and fingerpaint! :) It was so much fun and of course brayden rocked out some amazing pictures! I'm thinking his artwork could pass for better paintings then even Picasa himself painted. Just sayin'.  :) I could be a little biased, however, take a look for yourself...I'm thinking he did pretty darn good job.  :)

a little tenative at first...however...

as you can see, it didn't take long to warm up...:)

momma & brayden teaming up in the fun!

aunt erin decided to join in on the fun...:)

look at my hands! these are the hands of my masterpieces!

one of the many masterpieces created!! folks, we have an artist on our hands!  :)

joy.

this little guy brings much joy to my life.

girls weekend...aw yeah!

This past weekend, my mom took my sister & I to Chicago for a girls weekend. :) :) It was SO nice to get away and just have fun...and of course shop! :)  Even with the not so good start to the trip with the trailblazer breaking down on us, standing on the side of 80/90 whilst semi's FLEW by us (almost peed my pants), attempting to be a guy and check the transmission fluid (had no idea what I was doing), and finally turning around after an hour on the road and barely making it back to my apartment to drop off the bad car, and pick up mine.

After about 3 hours of traveling, sitting on the side of the road, and swapping vehicles, we FINALLY got on the road towards Chi-Town! :) We arrived right around dinner time and stopped in at good ol' Crate & Barrel...A-MAZING store...however, too expensive for what my wallet can afford.  :) But, it was still fun to walk around and get ideas of how I'd love to decorate my house someday.  :)

After we left there, we headed to CHAMMP'S...the place that we finally remembered.  :) After weeks & weeks of trying to remember where Mandy had her most amazing hamburger EVER, my brother finally remembered.  :)  Phew! That was close!  :)

After dinner we were WIPED out...and wanted to head to the hotel to relax, swim in the pool, and have a couple drinks to unwind.  :) Let's just say the hotel fiasco was insane. After driving around for about an hour, stopping in at 3 hotels, we finally found the one we were staying at...oh.my.word. It was scary...let's just say. So, with communication back to Kalamazoo, we finally found an amazing hotel to stay at and finally arrived in our room. Sheesh!  :)

The next day we got to enjoy more girls time...:) We headed out early in the morning and headed to breakfast. Then we shopped around Shaumburg for a little while and finally headed on over to IKEA. Let's just say we went crazy...couldn't.stop.shopping! I swear it was an addiction that day...as you can see in our pictures.  :)

Overall, it was an amazing weekend, so much fun with the momma & sister...and just a great weekend to get away together to laugh & have fun! I can't wait to go again! Woot woot!

rain, rain...go away...

Well I see skies of blue and I see clouds of white
And the brightness of day
I like the dark and I think to myself
What a wonderful world

Somewhere over the rainbow way up high
And the dream that you dare to, why, oh why can't I?