...ACCORDING TO MY GOOGLE BAR...

If someone were to look at my Google Search history and try to piece my life together without knowing me, I have a feeling this is the conclusion they would come to...

"She is a hypochondriac, loves to look up interior decorating ideas, ruins the ending to every book or movie she comes across, can't seem to remember what date any holiday is on and gets Memorial Day and Labor Day mixed up on a normal basis, calls the movie line weekly but doesn't save the number, loves reading random blogs, has thought she had Melanoma once a week for the last 10 years, looks up way too many song lyrics, searches for the Purdue OWL website on a normal basis, and her dream car is a white Range."

As for Ryan, I think if someone were to make a conclusion based on his searches, they'd say "He must not think about anything other than sports, and ESPN must be the only 4 letters he can remember."

What would your Google bar say about you?

...RECOUPING AFTER MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND.

I want to first start out by saying that though Ryan and I's Memorial Day Weekend was quite busy, nothing got in the way of me remembering what the weekend was really for, and taking a few moments to say "thanks" and send up extra prayers for all of those who have fought, are fighting, or for the families involved in the fight to protect our country. My prayers go out to ALL of you, 365 days a year, not just on special occasions--so thank you for all of your sacrifices and much, much, more!!

With that being said, this post was intended to tell you all what we had going on this weekend and how we celebrated our 3 day weekend.


Friday: Sunny with a chance of tired.

Ryan had to work late Friday, so he didn't get home until later in the evening than normal and was absolutely exhausted from the week. There has been a lot going on lately and I think it finally took its toll on him--just looking at him he looked exhausted, and right away my motherly instincts kicked in and I was trying to shove food down his throat and get him to lay down! Haha. :) He ended up taking a little cat nap (was snoring!) in living room and then awoke to me saying I was going to my Grandma's for awhile. He immediately said he wanted to go and we headed there for a bit.

We chatted with her and listened to my Grandpa tell stories before we headed out to his parents' house. Ryan's sister's family was on their way home and we hadn't seen our niece or nephew in SO long, I was dying to get out there and see them. Plus, Ryan's mom needed a few things from him, so it worked out well. We visited with Sarah and Travis and and played with the kids awhile before deciding to call it a night and head home--not before a late night Subway stop though!


Saturday: Hot and sunny with a chance of marriage.

My Grandmother's Pearls

Saturday morning Ryan, his dad, nephew, and brother-in-law all went golfing bright and early. I chose to forego the getting-out-of-bed-before-the-sun thing and slept in awhile before realizing it was going to be close to 100 degrees that day and the PERFECT opportunity to get some sun! I woke up, packed my beach bag, and headed to the lake all by my lonesome! It was SO hot out, and SO sunny but I laid there as long as I could before Ryan called me and told me to head on home. I got back home, in the nice cold a/c, but it would be short lived--we had a wedding to attend that afternoon, and it was outdoors!We both rushed to get ready (what else is new?) and ran out the door in hopes that the temperature had cooled down since his golf game and my tanning game....wrong.

Before the ceremony

We arrived at the site of the wedding and reception and I think I literally forgot how hot it was though because it was SO gorgeous! I have never been to an outside wedding before, not one like THIS anyway. It was absolutely, positively, the prettiest thing ever!! There was a wooded area you had to walk back into and it was just big enough that all the chairs fit perfectly, leaving an aisle for the bride that led up to a gazebo. The gazebo was decorated with wild flowers and in it sat a man with just a microphone and a guitar. He was singing away and we were ushered to our seats. Soon enough, the wedding guests all stood and down the aisle came the wedding party and the groom, and then the bride! She looked stunning, as I knew she would, and the outdoor wedding fit her perfectly!

butterfly

After the ceremony, we all walked back up the hill to the barn where the reception would take place. Since it normally is not 95 degrees at 5pm in May here, there was a big area set up with outside seating and it was equally as gorgeous as the wedding. The tables were lined with linens and burlap and wild flowers and the patio was lined with hay bales covered in quilts for extra seating. There were bags sets and hula hoops for the kids scattered all around. It was so neat--can you tell I was excited to look at it all?! My creative little brain was just going a million miles a minute!

Our drinking glasses

But with that being said, we were all ushered in the doors of the barn and some tables were rearranged for everyone to fit inside--the heat was just too much and the barn had air conditioning which was much more pleasant. As the hours went by, we all sat and talked, had dinner, and participated in all of the wedding traditions--toasts, bouquet toss, etc. After spending the entire evening there and being close to one of the last "friends" to leave, we decided we should call it a night as well and head home to our puppies and our a/c.

I was so happy to get to be a part of such a beautiful and intimate wedding, it certainly was something different than what is normally around here and I absolutely loved it!! They did a fantastic job!!

Sunday: Humid with a 95% chance of lazy.

Ryan and I were still exhausted from the weekend and chose Sunday as our day of rest! We literally sat around the house in the a/c and our pajamas for hours! We caught up on all the shows we have missed over the last few weeks, thank you DVR, and probably looked homeless while doing so. But after spending the better part of the day relaxing, we finally decided we would go get ice cream and go for a car ride. #familytime

We drove down by the lake and gawked at all the boats while giggling at Dezi, whom we brought with, that thought the ice cream we ordered was for her! Silly dog, ice cream is for humans! After that, we came back into town and it had cooled down substantially and Ryan's brother and Dad ended up coming to hang out with us. We ordered pizza and wings and had a bags tournament to end the night. It was a wonderful day and perfect way to end the busy weekend!!

Monday: Sunny with a chance of a burning trash.

Ryan ended up going into work on Monday and left this girl sitting at home alone. Normally, I would have just entertained myself via the internet or television, but I felt that wasn't appropriate for the last day of a holiday weekend! After getting ahold of a friend, we pondered several ideas for what to do for the day. First we thought we should go to the beach, because that is our go-to, but then realized it would be too crowded and all the dandys would be out. Then, after a little more discussion, I told her we should drive and surprise Cassie. She was down for it immediately, and before we knew it, we were on the road for a looooooong car ride with no real plans!

We took off for Cassie's house vowing that we would not tell anyone where we were going (we didn't want to ruin the surprise) and that we would not tweet along the way. Well, as fate would have it, the one time I felt like I had a million clever things to say, we couldn't say them on social media! (The landfill in a nearby town was on fire, burning 7.5 acres, and sending black smoke up into the town for days, leaving the air smelling like burning garbage, and I thought it was maybe just a barn fire hahah. #ditz)

As two giggly girls would, we got to Cassie's, assuming she was there, and hopped out of the car and started pounding on the door and hiding....nothing. We did it again...nothing. I looked at Pb and said "I don't think they're home!" We ran to the garage and checked and sure enough, her car was gone! All our hopes and dreams were crushed!! We just drove HOURS to surprise her and she's not even here?! We went to her back door and it slid right open and there was her dog. Seeing him, I KNEW they couldn't have gone far (like back home) so I was relieved.

Instead of just calling her and telling her we were there like normal people, we ended up taking a picture of Oscar and sending it to her. Her boyfriend, baby, and her were all out on a nice little Monday cruise and got this picture. She said she zoomed in on it, and said "This looks like Oscar" and showed it to her bf who said "and that looks like our house!" She immediately called me and I wanted to lie and tell her I had taken it another time but I was far too giggly. I told her we were at her house and she better get there!! Awhile later, the fam pulled into the garage and there Pb and I were, just sitting outside drinking some cold ones on her patio! :)

We ended up spending the afternoon sitting around talking and playing with her little girl and then had a big family dinner. Her wonderful BF went to the store and grilled us all dinner--wasn't that sweet?! Shortly after dinner, Pb and I decided we better get going back home, we had a long drive and our spur-of-the-moment plan left us no other options but to go back home that night!

We got back on the road and after laughing about our failed attempt at a surprise one too many times and having to stop on a gravel road to use the bathroom because the gas stations were all closed, we finally made it home that evening and I was absolutely exhausted and ready to climb in my bed and begin the week...a day later.

It was a long.hot.summery.exciting.beautiful.fun.loving.funny.busy weekend but I wouldn't have traded it for anything!!

**Wordless Wednesday**

T...GIF.

Celebrating TGIF a little early with a couple GIF's. Enjoy--and have a good weekend!!



When old people talk about sex, I'm like...

When Ryan tells me he has a surprise for me, I'm like...

When I'm getting a pedicure and I see the the feet of the lady sitting next to me, I'm like...

When someone tells me they don't like Taylor Swift, I'm like...

Every month when I get my period, I'm like...

And then I'm like...

Then when Ryan says "it can't be THAT bad," I'm like...



And then I'm back to...

**to view other T.GIF's, click here.

...SUCH A PROUD SISTER!!

Abigal, Vinny, and Myself--I have on heels here, why do I look so short?!

This past weekend Ryan, myself, and the rest of my family got to celebrate the graduation of my little brother! Vinny graduated high school on Saturday night and is now a part of the "real world" (kind of). He officially has his diploma anyway and is no longer a high school student, though the real world may be years away for him still!

Saturday evening; my sister, her husband, and their baby, along with Ryan and I, all gathered at my house waiting to head to the high school for Vinny's graduation. Everyone got ready and chatted while I basically sat playing with Sol and laughing at his funny personality--he thought it was HILARIOUS when Dezi and Bella barked--if only I felt the same way :)

Once everyone was ready and they had finally pulled me away from the baby and into my dress, we headed over to the high school to meet up with my parents. Once the whole family was together, we were greeted at the door with programs and then wandered through the halls of my old high school on our way to the gym where the ceremony would take place.

Living in my Glory Days (not really) the halls of the highschool brought back SO many good memories, it was so fun to look at everything and reminince about how different/simliar everything looked when I was there, in the Stone Age, compared to now. The halls that I once felt like I lived in, looked so tiny, and the gym that once felt so big, now looked miniature. And the years on the record boards that seemed so current? Those are almost a decade old now. It's funny how a few years and life experiences changes everything, isn't it?

After looking at old school records for quite some time and listening to Ryan complain about where their state qualifiying banner had gone, we finally found a seat in a VERY hot room. Why is it that it is nice for weeks straight and then graduation hits and it is 93 degrees outside and no air conditioning in the gym?!

We talked with a few people that had stopped us and then became very antsy in our hot seats until the ceremony finally started. Out walked all 76 (I believe) graduates in their caps and gowns, girls in red, boys in blue, ready to turn their tassels--Vinny amongst them.

They all marched in and had a seat and then began the speeches. The principal, Class President, Secretary (I believe) and a few others spoke. Vinny did not :). He was, however, seated on the stage and not with the rest of the class because he was in the top 7% of his class (which is the top 5 students)--they no longer do Valedictorian and Salutatorian, isn't that strange?! I was so proud!! :)

After a few speeches and a song by the band and choir, the students were awarded their diplomas and all turned their tassells--they were all officially Alumni of the high school and the class of 2012!! There was then a big slide show projected that had pictures of the students from infancy until now..so cute! After all this and the throwing of their caps, everyone rushed the doors to get outside; it was time for the graduates to meet up with their families.

Everyone stood outside and took pictures in their caps and gowns and chatted with friends and family, introducing everybody to one another. I got to meet a couple of Vinny's friends and friends' family I had not met before while standing there, and Mom even convinced him to get a few pictures taken with the family!

After it was all said and done and we had stood there for quiet some time, Vinny assured us he was done with us and had other people to go talk to and parties to attend..and that was that! We all left and headed to Ryan and I's house, leaving the graduate and now "adult" to have fun and enjoy his big day!

I am so so proud of what he has accomplished this far and so excited to see what he will do and who he will be in the future!! He is off to college in the fall, VERY far from home, and is planning to major in Economics and Mathematics, and hopes to work for the government after college. I know he will do wonderful things!!

          --the proud sister

**Wordless Wednesday**

...A BEAUTY PRODUCT JUNKIE.

I'll be the first to admit Ulta makes my hands sweat a little every time I walk through those doors. And Sephora?? My heart skips a beat..or two...or three. The bright lights and mirrors and fragrances make this girl weak at the knees! Just the simple idea that ALL of those beauty products could be in one store makes me feel like I've won the jackpot.

With that confession being laid on the table, I have to share with you guys my recent fav's this spring; not just from Sephora or Ulta, but from everywhere! I normally don't do "beauty posts" as it is definitely not my forte, but when I have so many new fav's, I feel like I have to share! So here goes...

1. First and foremost, and even if you take nothing else away from this post, I certainly think you should all indulge in this sugary treat! My absolute fav this spring is by a brand called "Fresh" and the product is called Sugar Lip Treatment SPF 15. According to Sephora, this product is "A hydrating treatment that nourishes, protects, and plumps the lips." According to me, this product is basically a tinted chapstick that feels MUCH smoother and much more silky. Seriously, it is THE best--hands down, my favorite lip product of all time!

**Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment SPF 15-- click here.

2. Second on my list was something I just tweeted about today and what actually inspired me to write this blog post. I have been on the hunt for awhile now for a tinted moisturizer that I could wear alone or with foundation and that didn't leave my skin feeling greasy or heavy--picky customer right?! I wanted it to look good alone but also provide a surface under my makeup when the occasion is right; well, I've milled (is that even the right word?) through quite a few of these over the last several months and am happy to report I have found THE one. What I ended up with and absolutely LOVE, is Smashbox's BB cream! More specifically, Smashbox's Camera Ready BB Cream in Medium. A lot of face products claim to "perfect" your skin and make it "flawless" but I honestly feel like this one truly does the trick and is all it's cracked up to be!! It definitely evens out my skin tone, while moisturizing and giving me a sunscreen, all without the greasy feeling of most moisturizers--perfect, right?! Definitely five stars in my book!

**Smashbox Camera Ready BB cream SPF 35-- click here.

3. I have been using the same kind of bronzer literally for years. I'll stray away from it every now and again and try something different and then always retreat back to it. But, I'm happy to report, I think I've finally found a NEW bronzer--and it may just stick with me for awhile. After being tested out by one of the girls at Sephora, the bronzer I fell in like with is Too Faced California in a Compact--Beach Bunny. I first have to give you a warning before I rant and rave about this...this product is VERY dark and also is very make-upy. So if you're fair skinned or are strictly "natural look" this product definitely is not for you. But with that being said, I do like the look of it on me and equally as important, I like the feel of it as well. It is light weight and very buildable. Bonus?? You don't need very much at all to give you a "natural glow" ...aka saving money! So, if you're loving summer as much as I am and like to add a bronzer to your face without the weight of makeup, definitely give this a try.

**Too Faced California in a Compact: Beach Bunny--click here.

4. I kind of feel like I shouldn't be typing this one out because if Ryan reads it he will have a heart attack again, like he does every time I buy it, but I have to share! If you've kept up with any of my other favorites posts (from A LONG time ago) you've probably noticed that I always mentioned that I use the Clinique 3 step system as my face washing system. I definitely give other things a try when I run out or in between bottles but it is certainly my main cleansing system. Well when my face started to break out more than normal, I was desperate and instead of seeing the Dermatologist (like I probably should have) I decided to switch it up and ended up with Lancome's Mousse Radiance Clarifying Cleanser--that's a mouthful--and the Tonique Radiance Clarifying Toner. To my surprise, they both work wonders!! These two products literally cleared up my face quicker than any other product ever has. I read through beauty posts online and some users commented saying that because it was a formula that is NOT target at acne, it actually clears it up because it is more natural. Whether this is true or not, I am not certain, but I absolutely love it either way!! On top of working so so well, they smell divine! The ONLY downside to these products is their price--they are a lit bit on the pricey side and I certainly don't like that but I DO like a clear face. The price of beauty :)

**Lancome Mousse Radiance Clarifying Foaming Cleanser--click here.

**Lancome Tonique Radiance Clarifying Toner--click here.

----just for the record, I do not and have not ordered these two products from Macy's website, I buy them at Younkers, but this seemed like the most popular link for purchase.

5. Lastly, I have to share one of my cheap favorites after that last confession, right?! :) As you all know, I certainly do not take care of my nails. I pick them when I am nervous, bored, or stressed out, and I paint them and use acetone on them every other day. When I get a manicure, though, I seem to take better care of them and can leave them alone for ooooh say a week? With that being said, I cannot afford a manicure every other day and needed something to improvise. I found this Sally Hasen No Chip Acrylic Top Coat at Wal-Mart one day a few weeks ago and have love love loved it ever since. It keeps my nails extra shiny and makes the nail polish last WAY longer than a normal coat ever has--it really feels like you have an extra layer of thickness on top of them. I have even gotten compliments on my nails lately, which has never happened in my entire life! So if you're into painting your own nails and like the feel of Shellac but want to do it at home, give this a try..it's cheap and works wonders!

**Sally Hansen No Chip Acrylic Top Coat-- click here.

That's all for my favorites for right now!! I will finally quit blowing up your twitter feeds with all my new found fav's this spring :) Hope you enjoyed!

...GOING TO BE A SECOND COUSIN!!! (AGAIN!)

Or is it first cousin, once removed? I'm not very good at figuring these things out, but either way, my cousin is having a baby!!! I have wanted to tell you all for quite some time but I first wanted to a) make sure it was ok with her b) wait until they knew the sex. So here we go....

For those of you who don't know my cousins and I that well, we have a very playful relationship. We are always teasing one another and joke about EVERYTHING. Well, a couple years ago we started a group chat where Kelli, Kari, and myself can talk to each other (similar to texting) all day, every day--and that is exactly what we do. We talk/tease/laugh about everything multiple times a day. So much so, that Ryan automatically assumes when I pick up my phone and start giggling that I am chatting with Kelli or Kari.

Well around February (or maybe late January) we were just being ourselves and I was teasing the girls saying I had a secret but couldn't share what it was with them (it was their "Will you be my bridesmaid?" gift, actually). They were getting so frustrated and kept asking but I was keeping my mouth shut. The next day, Kari asked me again; and again, I said I wouldn't tell. She then said "well then I won't tell you my secret either." Playing along with it, I told her I didn't care about her secret, and that mine was obviously better since she came up with her "secret" after I came up with mine--so childish, right?! :) She then counteracted my response with "Well I guess October 8th doesn't mean anything to you then." I immediately started counting months in my head thinking "could she be pregnant?!" and started tapping out a response as quick as my fingers would go! I have to admit, I kind of thought she was kidding at first, just to get me to slip on my secret, but then I realized she wasn't--and she was right, her secret was WAY better than my secret!! I was so happy for her and though she wasn't very far along, I couldn't wait to tell everyone!!

An early pic of baby Potter

So as a few weeks/months passed, more and more people started to hear the good news and finally the cat was out of the bag; Kari told everyone her and Danny were expecting a little bundle of joy at the beginning of October. Everyone seemed very happy and eager to find out if it was a boy or girl and said they couldn't wait to start shopping!

So this takes us to last weekend..

Kari and Danny had planned to have a big gathering Saturday afternoon at my Uncle's to reveal the sex of their baby that they would actually get to find out Friday morning.

Kari had been so excited for this day (Friday) and said she couldn't sleep OR study for finals in the days before because she was so anxious! She was certain she would keep to her word though and not tell anyone before the reveal on Saturday when everyone would find out at once--although I'm pretty sure she told her mom and bff ;) even if she denies it!

Ultrasound pic from Friday

So Saturday afternoon finally rolled around and Kari was certainly glowing with excitement! As everyone started to show up, we all got to meet one another and talk a bit. I had heard so much about so many of the people, it was nice to put a face to their name and I'm sure everyone else felt the same! Besides just meeting one another, we all got to indulge in some drinks and yummy snacks before the big announcement.

Finally after everyone had arrived, Kari and Danny summoned everyone to the back yard where they had a big box sitting in the middle of the lawn that was decorated with the words "girl or boy?" It was covered with tissue paper, and balloons of either blue or pink were inside it waiting to be released.

After a few pre-announcement pictures, Kari and Danny counted down and then ripped open the tissue paper on the top of the box, sending lots of PINK balloons into the sky!! It was a girl!!!Everyone stood around and clapped and cheered as the balloons flew off, and then immediately started giving the expecting parents congratulations hugs. It was a special moment--everyone was SO happy and Kari and Danny looked like VERY proud parents!!

This has got to be one of the greatest pictures EVER taken (thank you Ryan). Look at all the parents' reactions!!

After all the excitement, everyone sat around and talked and ate dinner that Uncle Rod had been grilling up for awhile. It was the perfect end to such a good day. I was so happy to be able to spend the day with the family and be a small part of their special announcement. I am so, so, soooo excited and happy for Danny and Kari and I cannot wait for their precious little girl to enter this world--only a few more months!!

Watching the balloons fly away...

She will certainly be a little doll...and hopefully the next generation of BCF...:)

...NOW A DOGGIE THERAPIST.

The girls are pretty adorable, but so is that picture of all my cousins holding hands :)

Bella after she got her ears lowered

Rewind...

As a rule, I try to make Dezi and Bella's grooming appointments at the same time, that way they're "in it together," literally and figuratively. They get SO stressed out during their grooming that I feel a little bit of comfort knowing they're both together and even in the same cage most of the time. Well, with Bella being sick and so fragile for so long, plus the loss of so much of her hair, she really didn't need groomed for several months. Finally, as the little mite started to get feeling better, I started realizing she needed her ears lowered badly, and Dezi didn't. So, I made her an appointment alone.

Fast forward...

The morning of her appointment I went to drop her off and I took Dez with. Bella was of course terrified when we walked in the door but Dezi didn't seem too concerned as she was just sitting in the car waiting on us. I got back in the car and obviously didn't have Bella with me, but Dezi seemed fine.

Well when we got back home, and it was just her and I, she started acting SO strange. She was pacing all through the house and sniffing every door and window --I swear, I think she thought I must have forgotten Bella somewhere!

Doggie Depression

After an hour or so of panic, she finally calmed down and just slept. She literally slept. She would not get up to go potty, to eat, to drink, or even if I told her the neighbor dog (Lily, whom she hates) was outside. She was acting as if her world had come crashing down suddenly. Ryan's grandma even stopped by at one point and Dezi did not even come out the bedroom to greet her--so unlike her! Usually she's the first to sound the alarm and the last to shut up! I was texting Ryan at work telling him how depressed she was because I had never seen her act like that--it was kind of funny.

Finally, when it was time to go get Bella I asked Dezi if she wanted to go and she was so lethargic she couldn't even stumble out of bed. I just left her where she was and went and retrieved her bestie.

We arrived home a few minutes later and when Bella sprinted in the door, Dezi came charging out of the bedroom and was shaking her tail and her body so fast I thought she was going to go into shock! She was running around whimpering and panting and crying. I swear, I think she thought I performed a miracle and brought Bella back from the dead. It was THE cutest thing I've ever seen.

WHERE have you been?!

I thought you were gone forever!!

Bella was just happy to be home I think, having no idea that Dezi had lost her will to survive just hours before. They followed each other around for awhile and played and then finally curled up on the back of the couch together...tough day for both of them.

How did you expect me to protect this place all by myself?!

Love, love, love

Lesson to mommy: same day grooming appointments!

...A LITTLE DRUNK ON YOU AND HIGH ON SUMMERTIME.

When life hands you limes...

Grab your bff...

Order margaritas...

Take shots of tequila...

And do a Mexican hat dance.