I posted so much about dreading my new job, but I didn't ever post about it after. I pleased to say, I really like my job. It makes me appreciate the time I have with my family and I get to contribute, a little. The people there have been really great and helpful. Joe has really stepped up to the plate and does little things to make my days that I work easier. He's a sweetie. I hate being away from Joe and Bella, but sometimes I enjoy being there. Especially now, since it has gotten cooler and the leaves have changed. The square in Dahlonega is so pretty in the fall. I am usually the upstairs server and we have this great porch that overlooks the square. I can just people watch. A couple of times people have brought their guitars up and they just strum and drink coffee. It's so nice. Not a bad place to work. I have worked in some restaurants where it just feels like you are trapped and completely unaware of the outside world. They also have concerts there. Last night I was the Performance Hostess(basically I just took tickets at the door), but the opening act was so good. Her name is Caitlin Crosby. She is tall, skinny, beautiful, and very talented. How unfair! If she wasn't so sweet you'd want to hate her just on principle. Lol www.myspace.com/caitlincrosby
I just thought after all my complaining, I should be positive and thankful for right now.

Wicked

So Friday of last week my friend Stephanie emailed me asking if I wanted to go see Wicked at the Fox and if so, did I have any idea on how to get a deal on tickets. I wanted to see it, but I just figured that I couldn't afford the tickets and I wasn't going. No Biggie, but Stephanie excitement (yes, I could tell by her email) about it, made me excited and really wanting to go. Ticketmaster had "limited" seating tickets. "Limited" was explained as you might not get to see the stage, but the tickets were A LOT less. So, I emailed Stephanie back and she said she was not opposed to sitting in the bathroom. LOL We got the tickets and fully expected to have crappy seats and not be able to see anything. Seriously, I thought we would be behind a wall or something. We were so excited when we got to our seats to find they were second row in the front balcony. They were fantastic seats. We were so close and could see really well. We could see down in the orchestra pit. The only thing we could find wrong with the seats is that there was not a straight on view of the stage, but we were thrilled to not be in the bathroom.
I have to say I was not as excited as I probably should have been, but I didn't know much about it. I have talked to so many people who after seeing Wicked are just completely enthralled and when they tell you about it, you can just see there eyes light up. hmmmm.... Don't get it, I thought. I am not one of those Broadway musical types. I hate to admit it, but I get bored. Sitting in one spot for that long is hard for me. I love Hairspray, but I got very bored during that at the Fox. I wanted to see Wicked because I love the Wizard of Oz. Well, I totally get it now. It was beautiful and amazing. I have seen a few shows at the fox, but none were like this. I just can't say enough. So, Thank you Stephanie for getting the ball rolling and inviting me to go with you. I had a blast!

We went to Disney on Ice last night and I had to share. I was "that" mom. You know, the Mom that thinks her child is the cutest and most special. yep, that was me. In case you don't know and if you don't know, you don't know Bella, she is Disney crazy. Mickey Mouse in particular. It's not like the normal kid obsessed, I mean really. She has always loved Mickey Mouse. She will pick out shapes that might resemble Mickey when we go shopping or just out an about. Like, at the grocery store there was a sign for eggs and there was a grouping of three, she started squealing MICKEY!! She was 3! REally obsessed. (like I can talk, Hello? Twilight She comes by it honestly.) So, she was soooo excited about Disney on ice! She wore her Minnie Mouse dress. She was even more excited because my Mom went with us. When Mickey and Minnie hit the ice and the "when you wish upon a star" song came on, Bella's face lit up. Ear to ear smile! She made the same face the first time we went to Disneyworld and she saw Mickey in person. Seriously, priceless! We had such a great night! A much needed night. We, like everyone else, have been stressed about money, but it made me feel so good to get to do this for Bella. I want her to have memories like that and not memories of us being stressed. So, a bill may not get paid exactly on time, but it doesn't matter.

So, I posted a comment on a friends blog that got me thinking. If the house was burning down what would I try to grab? Really, I know, if the house is burning down getting the family out it #1 and as long as everyone is safe that is all I can ask. BUT, if you knew everyone was going to get out safe and you had just a minute to grab some things, What would it be? I have actually put a lot of thought into it. Until recently I had a cabinet by the front door loaded with all of our pictures so it the house did catch fire I could throw the albums out the door. I recently moved the cabinet because we are moving the jukebox to that spot. But, I would for sure try to throw pictures out. My Mom's family and My Dad's family both had house fires and lost a lot of pictures. I have just a few of my Gram from when she was young. I would love to see some more. When we went back to Kansas for Christmas and then later for my Papa Bill's funeral, I had several different family members tell me I looked just like my Gram used to when she was young. I don't see it at all, but we are a like in a lot of ways. As many ways as we are alike, we are different. lol I would also grab a book that my Gram filled out. It is full of her favorite memories and thoughts on everything from music to candy to scriptures. I also have a journal I have kept for Bella and about Bella since she was born, I would grab that and I a quilt a friend made for Bella along with some other blakets that were gifts. Other than those things, I can't think of anything else. My wedding dress is at my Mom's. (I tried it on one of the last times I was there, so depressing. I think I weighed 110 maybe when we got married. Sick.) I have thought of cutting it up to make a quilt with along with some of Bella's baby clothes.
So, what would you save?

Do I stink or something? I keep getting left out of things!

5 things...

Natalie tagged me...here goes.

5 JOYS

~music
~Twilight (I know, you can make fun of me, but I love it right now. Joe and I spend hours reading it together. Yep, we are cheesy.)
~Road trips with my family
~shopping-finding that bargain
~traveling

5 FEARS

~BEARS!!!!
~Sharks!!!!!!!!!!
~haunted houses- it makes no sense because I love creepy scary things and Halloween is my favorite holiday-non-religious holiday
~losing my parents or Gram
~being disappointing

5 OBSESSIONS

~my family
~blogging
~Thai Food
~Hawaii I save every year in hopes to spend a month there and every year something comes up, but I am still saving
~Twilight (roll your eyes again, it's okay)

5 SURPRISING FACTS

~
~I really can't think of suprising things about me. Does anyone know of anything they were suprised to find out about me? hmm....
~I'm quite stubborn
~
~I was in a Mcdonald's commercial "you want fries with that?"

5 PEOPLE TO TAG
Mom
Brenna
Kelli
Leslie
Stephanie

More TAG pictures

T.A.G. TAG Fall cave in pictures

TAG Fall Cave In

There was a point over the weekend that I was very tempted to pull out my laptop to write a new post, but we had no WiFi where we were and this weekend is the one time of year we all but disconnect from the "real world". At the point I was tempted to blog, I was sitting in a place called "Pat's Diner" that was literally a trailer, eating deviled eggs and chicken fingers, listening to pretty bad karaoke versions of Coal Miners Daughter, with Bella asleep across two chairs, and completely covered in mud. This was Friday night TAG weekend.
For those of you who don't know TAG is basically a caving convention. It is an annual event that we never miss if we can help it. It is on top of a mountain on some beautiful property near Trenton Georgia. We camp for the weekend. There are some really great facilities like a bath house that most of the time has hot water, port a potties, and a playground. It's three days of camping, caving, and just hanging out with other cavers. There are vendors, muchie stand, and a band for Saturday night. The highlight is a HUGE bonfire. When I say huge, I am not kidding. This year I believe the wood was stacked 30 feet high.
We got there late Thursday night and set up our campsite. We woke up fairly early on Friday and made breakfast and caught up with friends until about 1 then we headed to our first cave of the weekend. We went to Stewards Spring Cave. ( I am sure that's not the correct name, but close enough) There were I think 20 total that were on this trip. All adults except Bella. I have never been so proud of her. Joe's Sister Jjane and her husband Peter lead the trip. Bella loves them and wanted to be right along side them. She was tough and held her own. In caves I never try to push her. I never have had to. She loves it. She did get a little "creeped" out at one point this trip because there was water we had to walk through. She was not used to that. The water was thigh deep on adults and for Bella it got a little over waist deep. It was a brief part. She had on a little wet suit. After the water the was all smiles. We were underground for about 3 1/2 hours. When we came out we were exhausted and soaked. That's when Pat's Diner came in. We eat there at some point in the weekend every year, but it still cracks me up that it is a trailer. Trailer or not, they have the best pork chops. Saturday, we woke up sore and tired, but we headed out for cave number 2 at 10 am. This one is Howards's. I think this was Bella first cave when she was one years old. We have been here a lot, but it's a great kids cave and this trip there were 14. I think 7 kids and 7 adults. There were some pretty tight squeezes. i am not kidding like flat "pancake" squeezes where you had to turn your head sideways for your helmet to fit. They were brief and you just popped up on the other side, but the kids just did it like it was nothing. It was a wonderful trip and it was so neat to see Bella caving with 6 other kids her size. We were underground for about 2 hours that time. We headed back to camp for showers. This is getting long so i am going to wrap it up. Sat. night was just a big party. Joe and I gave Bella a dollar to buy something from vendor row. We looked at a couple of things and I pointed out a cross made from stone. She said she wanted to keep looking so we walked on. She then told Joe and I not to watch her. (we hid and watched her) she went back to the tent and bought the cross. She came back to us with it behind her back and said "it's for you. It's the best thing i could buy" I wanted to cry. So We gave her another $5 so she could get something for herself.
All in all it was a wonderful weekend. We had some ups and downs with some family. But, more ups than downs. So, I think we came out ahead. I'll post pictures later.

The best husband!

Three reasons why I have the best husband:
1) when he picked me up from work on Sat. we had this conversation Joe-"I did something that might make you mad."
me-"what did you do?"
Joe-"I tiled the hall bathroom"
My jaw drops open because this was not something we had even been talking about. He did have this great travertine tile, but we have had it for 6 months or more and had no plans for it.
me-'why would this make me mad? It's fantastic."
I will say that was Sat. and we had a toilet in our hallway until last night. It is now in the fron porch because we got a new one, too. I didn't even know we were renovating, but it's beautiful.
2) He didn't freak out when I brought another dog home. I ham starting to develop a habit of bringing home animals. But, this one was in our yard when I drove up today. So, actually, I didn't bring this one home. It is an adorable choclate color puppy that is asleep on Bella's bed. it is not staying, but is pouring down rain and it was shivering. I don't want to go door to door in the rain trying to find the owner. As soon as it stops raining we will try to find the owner. i figured if it was my puppy i would rather someone take it in out of the cold rain than kick it to the curb and hope for the best.
3) He also realizes that sometimes "the Mom" needs a treat. We went to target to return some stuff and I saw the cutest shoes that are not sensible AT ALL. But, they are the kind of shoes that make you melt when you put them on. They are really different than any shoes I have, but I sadly put them back on the shelf because right now anything over FREE is too much, but Joe saw how much I wanted them and bought them. I protested, a little, but he got them anyway. He said they look like Sweeny Todd shoes. He said if he got them for me I would have to learn the song about meat pies. I guess that doesn't make sense unless you have seen the movie. What a sweetie!

God has a sense of humor

Really, I think God has a sense of Humor. I know it's probably not something you are supposed to do, but I prayed to God to win the lottery. Yep, you can laugh. But, I thought if I won I could help my family and some friends. Everyone is sooo stressed about money right now and there is nothing I can do to fix it. So, I thought praying to win the lottery might help. You can laugh if you want. It won't hurt my feelings, I know it's silly. But, worth a shot. So, I said a little prayer and bought my megamillions lottery ticket and stuck it in my wallet. I checked the numbers yesterday and my prayer worked, I won the lottery! The catch is I only won $2! FUnny thing is this is the second time this has happened. Last time I won $5, I think. Not on the scratch offs, but on the megamillion, call the balls out ob tv, lottery. I guess I need to be more specific and pray to win all the money, but that sounds selfish.

Suggestions?

So it's no secret that money is tight right now. I think everyone has the same story right now. But, I love to shop. I try not to, but I really love to shop. Mostly for bargains. It pains me to pay full price for anything and I love unique eclectic stuff. But, since we are broke as a joke,(not really) I have been window shopping online. I still get the "shopping feeling". I VERY rarely buy anything if ever so it's a lot safer money wise just to browse, but I have exhausted my usually online stores. I need suggestions! Where's your favorite places to shop online?