Love love love this cd

I currently have a new favorite c.d. (I don't really know what I would say was my previous favorite cd - but I can now say this one is right now)

The Format - Dog Problems


Kyle owns an earlier cd by The Format, which I always enjoyed listening to, and was excited to purchase their most recent cd. And after the second listen, I fell in love.

There is something catchy, and yet musically mature in this album. I am by no means a music expert, or reviewer, but I can honestly say that I am incredibly impressed.

Kyle is borrowing it right now, and it is in his cd player, and every single time he drives me somewhere and I hear it all I want to do is turn it up and get lost in the world of The Format (it really does feel like a different world). I enjoy it very similarly to the way I enjoy my Shins cd. I wasn't expecting to love it so much, but there is something so addictive about listening to these albums.

Anyways, all that to say, I highly recommend giving it a listen.

I'm just a little behind...

It's storming and Kyle just left, and I can't fall asleep while it is storming, so here I am watching one of my new favorite shows (Jon and Kate plus 8), and updating.

I wanted to keep updated on the showers and other various wedding-planning activities going on, but I always end up waiting awhile before posting about it. Oops.

However, about a week and a half ago one of my bridesmaids, Corrie, threw me a shower here in Atlanta. It was so much fun - we even ate all of my favorite foods as the snacks. I can't think of any other shower I've gone to where I completely filled my plate up with food and wanted to eat EVERYthing that was there. Hope everyone else liked it though...





Me and my wonderful host, Corrie.


We are down to one month to go til the wedding. There are so many things to get done before then, but I just can't wait for the next 30 days to fly by. And I hope I get it all done!

Only 35 days...

I can't believe it is only 5 weeks until we get married. I just have this feeling that those 5 weeks will fly by... I hope so, anyways!

So as I sit here typing this entry, our cabinets are being installed just a few feet away. They did about half of the installation yesterday and are finishing everything today... and I am so excited about seeing the finished product. It looked great yesterday, but will look even better today. AND our appliances are being delivered tomorrow (except for our dishwasher, which has to wait on the countertops). Countertop people are measuring on Tuesday, installing a week from Tuesday, and then the dishwasher is being installed on Thurs, June 19. At that time the kitchen will really be completed.

I'm so glad we can at least breathe now - the amount of work WE have to do is minimal. There are lots of last little projects (like putting up new light fixtures, another coat of paint on our back wall, installing the faucet after our cabinets are in, renting a dumpster for a day and getting rid of the huge pile of trash next to our house, etc) The major projects are being done by others - installing the cabinets, appliances, countertops.

So, now that we are nearing the finish line of the kitchen renovation, there is something I want to stress about our project. We could not have done this AT ALL without the massive amounts of help we have received. So here is to all the people who spent an afternoon, a night, a day, several days, weekends, etc, helping us out. Thanks goes out to: Eric, Daniel, Amy, Corrie, Jason, Trevor, all who helped us out at different times.

Special thanks goes out to a few more people:

The Travelers: Leah and Kristin made the 2 hour drive up to Atlanta to spend the weekend helping me paint - at a time when I REALLY needed best friends around. With the price gas is right now, this help is even more amazing - thanks guys!

The Super Travelers: Like I said, considering gas right now, a huge thanks goes out to my parents. They drove up to Atlanta THREE weekends in a row. They provided invaluable help painting and moving everything I own. All while my mom was in the midst of finishing her last year of teaching, so she had enough of her own work to do. I love my family and the sacrifices they would make for me during the busiest, most stressful time of my life.

The Expert: Kyle got massive amounts of invaluable help and expertise from his uncle, Dave. He is the expert on all things plumbing and electricity in our kitchen and with him we were able to save thousands not having to hire someone to do that work. He spent several long days with Kyle that are amazing.

And - last but CERTAINLY not least - the SUPER COUPLE: Without Randy and Emily, I really don't think this could have gotten done. Randy spent several late nights working in our crawl space, lots of time teaching Kyle a bit of the construction knowledge he has gained, while Emily helped me pick out colors and paint. They both are the main reason our floor got tiled, and that we are able to have our cabinets installed right now. Kyle left for Hawaii and hadn't had time to finish tiling the floor, so it was up to me to get it all done. Which I could NOT have done without the help of Randy and Emily (since they know what they are doing and I do not). They are the most helpful, accomodating, godly couples I know - and we love them for it.


I can't wait to post pictures of the finished product - eventually, they'll come :) But trust me, it's looking gooooood.

And now I'm off to order my wedding cake from Publix. Now that the test is over, and Kyle is back from Hawaii, I don't have to spend every spare minute of my time on the house. I can concentrate on what I need to - the fact that we are getting married in 35 days and there is a LOT to do! :)

Score one for McCain

Obama continually calls out for immediate withdrawal of troops in Iraq despite progress that is actually being seen there. And I must say, I give major props to McCain for calling him out on his ignorant judgments of the success of the war - stating that, while McCain himself has been to Iraq and seen the war at ground level, he notes that Obama has not been to Iraq in over two years.

Do we want a commander-in-chief that makes judgments on war-time efforts and progress without the consultation of those who know much more about it and without actually doing the field research?

This quote from a Mike Gallagher comment made me chuckle out loud:

"Sen. McCain knocked it out of the park when he publicly invited Barack Obama to join him during one of his many visits to Iraq. I can picture it now: Sen. McCain showing Sen. Obama the ropes, saying things like, "Now that's what we call a Marine" and "See, young man, that's a tank." And so on."

Just had to laugh.

Kitchen update

Ever since the day after my test, we have been going non-stop on the house and the kitchen. That first weekend we painted for hours and hours and hours - the next week Kyle continue constantly working in the kitchen and I spent every spare hour after work painting and packing. Finally, this weekend my parents helped me move in so now I am officially residing in the house we own.

It's been exhausting. I keep telling myself - just keep going. Stay strong for just a few more weeks. We are both exhausted but know that it WILL be worth it when it is done. The progress is starting to become very obvious though...

Kyle is starting to tile soon - which is exciting, because it will be the first new-looking part of the kitchen to go in. The cabinets are being installed sometime June 5-8. We ordered all of the appliances today (hooray for Memorial Day sales at Lowes - saving us hundreds of dollars!) and they will be delivered June 8. We will go order the countertops sometime right after Kyle gets back from Hawaii and they will go in about a week after the cabinets. There is light at the end of the tunnel...

But for now, it's nonstop tiling and last-minute working for Kyle before he leaves for vacation (I must say - I am extremely jealous and in much need of a vacation as well - but I have to wait 7 more weeks for Aruba). For me, it is continuing to unpack, patience with living in a construction zone, and painting the kitchen while Kyle is in Hawaii. (Any volunteers to help???) I just can't wait to see the finished product - when the whole house is ready to show off.

I've been so busy I haven't even been thinking about the time left til our wedding and somehow it has been minimized to 47 DAYS! Less than 7 weeks - wow!

Horrible...

... would be the perfect word to describe my test on Thurs. afternoon. I think it was best said in a post to an actuarial exams message board, "You know that great feeling you get when you solve a problem and see your answer in the choices? Yeah, me neither."

I could go on about how ridiculous the SOA is, or rant and rave about the actuarial exam qualification process and how it is set up not to prepare you for an actuarial career but instead piss off half of the students who then quit and therefore keep the profession small and elite. But I won't. I'm still trying to keep an optimistic attitude about my newly chosen career and I don't want to become quite so bitter only 1/5 of the way through the exam process. Wait till exam 8 or 9 and I might be writing long, raving, ranting, complaining, bitter posts. But for now... let's just say I'm extremely upset with myself.

No matter how many other people I know who thought the test was insane and impossible, it still doesn't seem to help me take the blame off of myself for possibly failing. No matter how I can KNOW that I KNEW the material as well as I possibly could - KNOW that no amount of extra studying would have done any more to prepare me for the test. It doesn't matter. It was my first test at my new job, and I clearly have not proven myself like I was hoping to.

Yes, the questions were esoteric and impossible. Yes, there were quite a few questions that came from absolutely no where. But... if I was truly smart enough... I would have passed. That's what just keeps going through my head.

It is still possible that I might have passed. We'll have to wait 8-10 weeks to see. For now I am going to enjoy it being over and prepare myself for studying all over again for the same test. It will be OK - I can handle failure.

But I am still glad I changed jobs. :)

Oops!

It sure has been a long time since I last posted. I apologize (to my 2 readers)... the internet in my apartment has been out and I just don't feel appropriate posting at work. A lot of things have been going on including:

1. I had my very first shower on April 26! It was in Columbus, hosted by Erin's mom - even though Erin couldn't come because Alaska is too far away :( In attendance were my best friends from Columbus (minus Erin), Kyle's mom and my mom, my Aunt Pat, and my grandmother.


Kyle's mom, me, and my mom


Sallie, Leah, me, Erin's 14 year old face on a balloon (she was there in spirit), and Kristin


Present time! How convenient that Sallie wouldn't give me just a waffle maker, but the mix and syrup to go with it - now I just can't wait till we have a kitchen to make waffles in!

2. Kitchen demolition and renovation has begun and is in full swing! Kyle has been hard at work (with a lot of help from wonderful friends and family). The cabinets are out, the countertops are out, the flooring is out, the washer and dryer hookups are in as well as electricity stuff that I know nothing about, and I left him and Randy last night putting up sheet rock. Painting begins THIS WEEKEND and we have finally decided on our colors: Yukon gold for the kitchen (a light yellow/gold), Planetarium for the back wall that connects the kitchen and living area/dining area (a dark, pretty blue), Creamy Chocolate for the living area, hallway, and entryway (a dark, creamy taupe), Serenity for our master bedroom (a light blue), and Brick Dust for the office (a dark, deep red). The bathroom and guest room are escaping painting this time around - but we might get to them eventually. The colors all look great together and I think they will look great in our house - I can't wait till we paint and it feels much more like our house.

3. Erin came down from Alaska to visit one last time before she is deployed. I was able to make the trek down to Columbus one Wednesday evening after work to see her. I took half of Thursday off, met the girls (and Chuck) for breakfast, and drove back to Atlanta to work. I'm trying not to think about her overseas - it's a scary though t to realize one of your best friends might be in harm's way. And I'm trying not to think about her not being at my wedding - if I think about it I might just cry. But here are some pictures from her time here. We miss you Erin - move back to the Southeast!!!


Leah, Erin, and me at Country's barbecue


Kristin, Erin, me, Leah outside of Cracker Barrel. If we look tired it's because we met for breakfast at 8:30 and that's just plain early!

4. My wedding dress is well on its way! My sister and I went shopping for details to go on the dress and I am REALLY EXCITED about my dress. I think the wedding dress has always been my favorite part of weddings and what I have looked forward to the most about my wedding. And I am so lucky and blessed to have such an amazing designer and seamstress as my sister, making my dreams come true and creating the perfect custom-made wedding dress.

5. And what is on my mind the most RIGHT NOW is my actuary test that is in a mere 3.5 hours from now. Why am I on here posting when I have a test so soon? I need to get my mind off of it! I have been studying, stressing, thinking way too hard for the past week and I don't want to push my brain into overload. I'll have time to do some review before taking the test but I'm just ready for it to be over. It's been an incredibly stressful week, cramming for the test. This test has been so hard to study for and I've been waiting so long for this day, when it would be over. I just pray that I am able to pass - I always worry about my ability to pass. I know all the knowledge I need is in my head somewhere, I just pray that God helps me recall it quickly enough to do well on the test. But right now I'm at the point where I've done all I can. Any prayers would be much appreciated!

And off I go to do a final review... I'll let yall know how it goes! (if we have internet...)