Back to School

I'm back in school. I started on Saturday. I was late to my first class because I set the wrong alarm. :( Luckily, I was only 5 minutes late. Still, it was an awesome way to start out the quarter. :)

I'm excited for the new season of Teen Mom... anyone else watch? Feel free to comment, we can chat about it. :) Well, that's about it. I just wanted everyone to know why I will probably not have anything exciting to post for awhile. :)

My Time in Boise

Sorry for the lack of pics in this post. But I wanted to write about my time anyway. After we went to the wedding we headed over to B-town. :) It was an eight hour drive. Like I said before we stopped at Shoshone Falls. Nicole and I went to dinner at Texas Roadhouse the first night. The second night we went to one of my favorite restaurants: Matador!

We then took a walk downtown (and stopped at Anthropologie), and then around the Greenbelt. Downtown is sooo much better then when I was in high school! It is so cute and has all the best stores now! I would consider moving back as the shopping has gotten so much better!!! The dress I got below is from this cutest boutique in Eagle! The woman who owns it is from Calabasis and sees the Kardashian's all the time. (Bonus for the celebrity obsessed me! :) She gets new stuff daily and goes to LA every two weeks to find new items. Have I sold you on this store yet? Well, here is the best part... REASONABLE prices. $40-$50 jeans. Cute, affordable tops and jewelery. My dress was only $30... loves it!!! It's called Club One Three 16 and it's near Rembrandt's coffee shop.

Here is my dad and I in front of the Capital building.

Here is the capital building... I've never taken a pic of this before! :)

My mom insisted we head to this furniture store on Chinden. We were a little tired and decided to sit down. :)

The perks of heading home... my mom paints my toenails. :) I love that so much.

Nicole and I also headed to Roaring Springs. It was sooo crowded and it was only a Tuesday! I left with a fab tan and a bit of a burn. :) Nicole left on Tuesday evening. I then hung out with two of my most favorite people... Annie and Kristen. Kristen did my hair and now that I'm tan I look so hot with my blonde hair. Hahahaha... I hope you all know I'm kidding. My hair is fab, though..... thank you so much Kristen! Annie and I had lunch with her son, Trey at Goodwood. I was scared I wouldn't like the food b/c I am not a huge BBQ fan, but she suggested this salad that was amaze-balls! Loves it! I had a blast with them both and I was sad to come back to Seattle. I also don't want to go back to work tomorrow, but such is life! I start school again on Saturday... and have had a fabulous break! Only four more quarters! (And the last quarter only has one class! That will be a breeze!)

Maya and Carl's Wedding!!!

Maya is my co-worker. She is one of the sweetest people I know and Nicole and I were so excited to go to her wedding in Livingston, MT. (Specifically at the Yellowstone Valley Lodge.) They were the cutest couple. They were so in love and we got some great pics. The food was amazing. Everyone's speeches made me cry! The band and alcohol were a hit! :) I love me a wedding with dancing and alcohol! I think it's the best way for everyone to have a good time! So glad Maya and Carl found each other. They are the cutest couple and I am so happy for them!!!
All ready to go!

This is how the wedding party arrived! So cute!

The cutest flower girl and ring bearer ever! They did magic tricks for a bunch of the tables!!! So freakin' cute!! **UPDATE** I later learned this little boy proposed to this girl. He then found out she lives in Australia and would be leaving. He cried and cried and could not be consoled until he got some chocolate milk. :) And this is why I love kids. So sweet, so innocent, so adorable.

Walking down the aisle! I cried. :) Isn't she gorgeous!!??


First kiss as husband and wife!

I loved her hair! I had to get a pic!

Picture of their future! :) This was such a cute baby... you just look at her and she smiled! Adorable!!!

Nicole and I took advantage of the gorgeous backdrop for a mini photo shoot. :)

My personal lemonade. :)

The amazing food. I used to hate steak, but this steak was to die for! They also had lamb and salmon. It was a meat lover's dream! :)

Nicole was excited food. She loves food about as much as going to bed on time. Haha. She's a good sport to put up with my constant picture taking. :)

Road Trip!!!

We took off Friday the 24th at 5 pm (well with traffic we didn't get out of Seattle till 6!) Nicole and I were headed on a roadtrip to Livingston, MT for our coworkers wedding. After a quick stop in Issaquah for gas and then Ellensburg two hours later for dinner at Taco Bell we were well on our way! (It was a road trip...you have to eat bad food! :)


Here we are at Taco Bell

On the road! :)
Nicole is an excellent driver. I'm okay... We rocked the "Fuckus" (we called it that all weekend)... sorry mom. This was my rental car because I got in a car accident a week ago. (Ugh... bad day for me. Luckily, I have rental with my insurance for up to $20 bucks a day, so I only had to pay $6 bucks a day for this beast!) Back to the car. I am sorry for all of you who own a Ford Focus. This car sucks. You accelerate and it makes all the noises like it is trying to accelerate, but you are still sitting next to the car you're passing! The steering wheel was super sensitive. A little shift and you were on the side of the road. Ahhhh!! Also, I couldn't figure out the side mirrors till the trip back to Seattle!!! Good grief!! But it was good times. Nicole is quite the road trip partner... until midnight. Then she hits a wall and starts talking gibberish. It was hysterical... well for me. :)

We made it to Missoula, MT at 3 am their time... only to find out the hotel we had booked was over booked! Funny story, they said! In the words of Nicole, "It's 3 am, I don't want a funny story I want a bed!" They had reserved us a room down the road, "On them!" they said. It damn well better be! :) Actually, I wasn't really upset. I just thought, whatever, at least we have somewhere to go. However, Nicole was pissed! Don't mess with that girl's sleep when it's 5 hours past her bedtime. :)

We got a couple hours sleep and got up and were on the road at 10 am the next day. (Go us!) We made it to the wedding and had an amazing time (that will be the next post).

On Sunday, we completed our crazy road trip by heading to Boise, my hometown (technically Meridian, but you get it). :) We stopped at Shoshone Falls, which I have never been to. Paid the $3 to get in the park (I love how affordable everything is in Idaho!) We got some good pics, but the one of us was horrible. The mom taking the pic damn near accosted her son to get out of our pic, but neglected to advise me my hair was jacked up. I'll post it for memories sake.

See what I mean? Who doesn't tell someone they've got some hair issues?? I would have thanked her b/c this could have been a cute pic!! Oh well :)

The water was a little much for my outlet mall camera. (I'm still mourning the loss of my Canon that fell in the Atlantic last year... tear) :(


I am glad the camera was able to pick up the rainbow though! I love rainbows. :)

We saw this poor sap on the way to Shoshone falls. I think his alignment is a bit off because this is how he drove down the straight road.

Ahhh... we finally made it to my parents house and had dinner that night at Texas Roadhouse. I freakin love that place. And their margaritas are to die for and a well deserved treat after our 8 hour trip. Random... I ran into my ex and his fam that night at dinner. Luckily it was a good ex who I still consider a friend (there are some exes I would have ducked behind a booth if I had seen them... immature? Maybe... do I care?... not so much. :) Anyways, I stuck my hand out to his wife and said, "Hi, I'm Jessica." "I'm his wife," was her reply. Listen you, I dated this kid 10 years ago when we were still in high school! There is no need to be jealous or snippy, I am happy he's an EX boyfriend. Grrrr... some girls just piss me off. Anyways... I hope I never do that to any of my (future) husband's exes. I mean, it's Boise... when do you not run into someone you know? It is a lot classier to be polite than possessive... just sayin'...

Father's Day

Father's day used to not even be a holiday in my family. Well, I guess we would go to my grandparents house and celebrate my Grandpa, but my mom and her dad are not super close. He's kind of hard to be close to. Don't get me wrong, I love him a lot and he's a great guy. He tried really hard to be a "fill in" after my dad left. But, we are a pretty Christian family. We are more conservative, my parents don't really swear or drink and that is not him at all. He is an atheist and sees no point in religion. Not having that in common is kind of a big deal. He just doesn't "get" us sometimes. Which is fine. I love him and am so thankful for him. I just never really considered him a father figure.

My dad left when I was two. I remember him calling one time and he said, tell your mom it's "Tom". I don't even know if he considers himself my dad. Kind of crazy to think, but it happens. I see my friend's babies and have this emmense love for them I could not imagine just pretending they don't exist-and they aren't even my kids!!! I used to cry myself to sleep praying God would send my dad back. Begging him. After awhile, I knew it was a worthless cause and I kind of gave up. I gave up that God would answer this prayer, or that the answer was no.

My mom didn't date much when I was growing up. She did meet this guy and dated him when I was about 11. It was a horrible relationship. Very disfunctional. I will not go into it in honor of my mom, but it is part of the reason we've both needed some counseling. Luckily, my mom went to a counseling retreat in Colorado Springs when I was 12 years old. (My aunt and cousins lived out there and I stayed with them.) While walking through the airport my mom told me she met someone... oh man, here we go again, I thought. But I was wrong.

Less than a year later, they were married and we uprooted from Milwaukee, Wisconsin to Meridian, Idaho. The first couple years were hard to say the least. Learning to live with a guy, share my mom, make new friends, be 13-15 in general, ugh, tough years! But, we made it through. I am now blessed with the most amazing father. God did answer my prayer. A little later than I expected, but with a better father than I even asked for. Steve paid for my college, calls me all the time to see how I am doing, gives me advice, and loves me unconditionally.

I can't express how lucky I am. I am so glad I know what to look for in a husband/father now. I didn't have that model growing up. I want my kids to have a dad from birth. I hope to find someone who loves on the same level as Steve does. Ask anyone who knows him and they will tell you how great he is. He really just cares for other people. I am so grateful he is my dad.

Sick Pack

So, it's been a long time since I've been really sick. I missed 4 days of work! Ahh, I can't even believe it. And all for a stupid cold. But this was a knock me on my ass cold. Oh, and of course it's finals week! So, here I am blogging, when I should be studying, but I am taking a break! :)

This is the first season I watched the Bachelorette (I rarely watch these as I feel they are kind of gross. The same girl or guy making out with numerous guys/girls in the same night, possibly sleeping together, all vying for her/his attention. I just don't like it.) But, I caved when I heard about this Bentley character. Oh man... he was a jerk and she totally fell for it. Gross. I really like JP. If he doesn't get picked I want to apply and then he can be the new bachelor and pick me. And only kiss me. Hahaha... right. These are the dumb things I think about when I am home sick.

Alright, back to studying. I have a full weekend of tests, studying and homework, but by Monday at noon I am done! Yay. If my cold goes away by then, too, I'll be very happy.

Post 100 - Update! :)

Wow... 100 posts! Who would have thought I had so much to say... hahaha... anyone who knows me knows I am never lacking in things to say! Surprised, I'm not already at 1000!

Here's what's up...

I'm still working out each morning, and - SHOCKER - I actually like it! The days I take off I am more tired and have a harder time concentrating at work. Crazy! I bought a cute new duffle bag to hold my morning life (makeup, flat iron, shampoo, conditioner, razor, etc...). I love it and it makes working out more fun.

Work sucks! And not in the usual way. Our office manager is sick again (don't smoke people!). Which means I have twice the workload. That and school have been a bit overwhelming. Plus, another one of my employees moved to another department. So, essentially, 3 of us are now doing the work of 5... I love small companies.

School is going alright. I actually understood stuff today better than the guy next to me and actually got to help him! (It's usually the other way around.) I felt so smart. :) And, like I was no longer a total mooch. Finals are over by June 12th I think. Yay for a break!

I got new tires for my car. I'm all ready for my road trip to my friend's wedding in Montana. My other good friend is getting married and I'm going to be a bridesmaid! Yay... I am really excited for her wedding, because I know it will be really fun. The reception is at the Crystal Ballroom for all you Boiseans who know where that is.

I miss having a life. Getting to read the books I like, hanging out with friends, etc. (The tire purchase has contributed to the lack of social life as well... why do they have to be so expensive???) But yay me for not using credit and slowly but surely paying off this debt. (Well, credit card debt... I'm racking up school debt by the day here, but I find that less stressful than credit card debt!)

Life is busy busy busy, but luckily the world didn't end so I can just keep on pursuing my goals! My current goals right now... Keep working out, finish school and pay off debt! Wish me luck!!!