Hardy Ha-Ha

Lee's super funny. It's not a biased opinion, he just is fun and funny. His facial expressions, the things he says, his body movements - all just make you laugh. He's very goofy around me and the kids and sometimes I even have to ask him to chill-lax and lay off the sugar. Most times he tries to get out of trouble by making me laugh, but the things he says really just crack me up and I wonder how he comes up with it. Here's a convo at the checkout line in Walmart:

Leeana: Oh look dad, crackerjacks!
Dad: I love those! Do they still put the prizes inside?
Leeana: Well yeah, they wouldn't be crackerjacks if they didn't
Dad: You're right... They'd be slackerjacks!!!

Flashback

Marsha obviously came over to show me her new dan-dan outfit while I was in the middle of doing housework in my home-clothes. I could hear her now, "Take ah pic, take ah pic before I head out."


Nothing's changed, except this time we were both heading out!

Gots My Hair Did

Goodbye long, shaggy, take forever to wash n dry hair.

Hello cute, age appropraite, 5 minute blow dry!

Happy Halloween 2011

I know I've said it a zakillion times, but time is flying. I can't believe Halloween has come and gone. Seems like literally last week we had the entire block of kids carving pumpkins in my back porch. I knew this year it would just be us and the girls. I even had some kids come over asking if we were carving this year. Negative. This year I think Lee & Leeana did a better job. They really cleaned that pumpkin out and that made a a clearer picture of what it was. But we couldn't tell Lauryn, who insisted she won, that her's wasn't the best so we just called it a tie!

Lee& Leeana's pumpkin

Me & Lauryn's
Lee's Chili
Lee's cinnamon raisin bread

Girl Scouts Nuts n Candy

"Service to others is the payment you make for your space here on earth." - Mohammed Ali

I don't think I ever posted about it, but since April I've been a volunteer for The Girl Scouts of Citrus Council. The idea actually came from Johann when I was moaning and groaning about how weak my resume looked for a new teacher with no experience. He said, why not join the Girl Scouts and that's exactly what I did! I started off as the Registrar which is mostly organizing paperwork and membership fees. This position gets busy at the start of the school year but then dies off. Then they needed a Cookie Chair. That person handles all the Girl Scout cookies for the entire unit come February. This took a while for me to think about because it's a big deal. Cookies are our main money makers and people go zonkers for them. Thousands of boxes of cookies and thousands of dollars. But I eventually stepped up because nobody else was. (Not a good sign I'm sure!) Then comes my favorite of all favoritest positions. Co-leader for Brownie Troop 1791. This position just happened by chance. I was at a Girl Scout function and the person sitting next to me needed help with her troop and it took all about 2 seconds to say YES! This is why I jointed Girl Scouts. To show on my resume I had children interaction and experience. But it has come to be so much more than a line on my resume.

This month was my first time leading the meeting for 2 hours and it was very easy and fun despite my sweaty armpits! I have about 11 8-year old girls who really care about 2 things at the meeting: the craft & snack time! They're super cute and super fun. This last weekend we had to do booth sales for our fall product. We stood outside Publix waving signs and holding donation jars saying, GIRL SCOUT NUTS N CANDY!!! The girls were so cute that we got alot of donations plus sales.

Couple funny stories. One girl thought it cute to say, GIRL SCOUT NUTS N CANDY, YOU KNOW YOU WANT IT!!! I thought it funny and so did all the passerby's. But the parent that volunteered with me said it sounded a little trashy and inappropriate for a 8 year old! When I think about it, it did a little, but coming from a cute 8 year old, it wasn't that bad.

Then the girls got a little sugar rush and the manager came out saying that a customer complained that they were CHASING them. Such a lie, but we told the girls to simmer down a little. All in all it was a great time. I didn't realise how tired I was until I got home and laid on the couch. I was in bed by 8 pm and slept for 10 hours until Monday.

100 wishes continued

I wish:

- I could figure out what to do for my wedding
- Make my unsavory neighbors disappear
- Could at least touch a dog
- I could go para sailing
- My high school friends lived closer. (like down the street)
- I could go back home and retire
- Magically get free amazing furniture for my house
- I could sleep next to Lee
- He didn't snore
- Nobody in my family dies from cancer
- To have a baby girl first
- My parents lived closer
- I didn't have to drive so far to work
- I didn't get period headaches
- Lee wasn't so clumsy
- We had newer cars
- I could make sushi like restaurants
- I could get a backrub on my lunch hour
- I made more money
- I had a better sense of direction

100 Wishes

Lee's been reading this self-help book and it suggests writing down 100 wishes that you have. Thought it was a good idea, but didn't do it. Now that I'm sitting at work wishing I wasn't here, I guess I'll start. Here's my first ten in random order:

I Wish...

- that I had a career I loved doing everyday
- Lee & I were rich enough so we didn't have to work if we didn't want to
- I had the Nikon D90 and could take photography classes
- I could travel everywhere in the world
- I lived in a custom made wonderful house decorated by a professional
- I didn't have to work out to stay skinny
- I get everything plus more on my wedding registry
- I didn't have this scar on my back
- My mother's Internet was fixed today so her magic jack could work again
- I didn't have to wonder what to cook for dinner everyday

Perfect Potholders

I took a break from my regularly scheduled baby-blanket making project to make potholders. They're so easy to make and apparently it's a big childhood thing to do in America. I could have bought cheaper ones in Walmart but these were fun and useful to make. It's a good craft for kids too, so I'm going to get Lauryn into them too!

My Half-Sister Inlaw (To Be)

Most people don't know Lee has a sister. Half sister to be more precise but sister all the same. Janet Marie Peters. His dad got frisky in his old age and voila...



She lives in North Carolina and I've met her once 6 years ago. She loves Lee & the girls to death and they've been dying for her to come spend some time during the summer with us. She's a little older than Lauryn...around 14 and still gets a laugh over making the girls call her Aunty!

Lee Makes A Pretty Girl !

Favorite Friday Fotos

Leeana at Homecoming 2011 with her date Josh!

Birthday Weekend

Usually I celebrate the entire month of September but after Mexico and our engagement, I scaled it down to just the weekend. It was a great one at that and started off with a good work out in the pool. Even though I had the day off, I forced myself to go because I knew the dietary gluttony the weekend had in store. My swim coach even had a "Happy Highlander Birthday" cap for me! I knew those fees would start to pay off! God even sent a special sunrise to commenorate my 29th year of life.

Luckily, the auspicious day fell on a Friday and Lee was also off so we got to spend the day together. He got me some Vera Bradley things: a Kindle case, Ipod case and wallet. Of course I loved them all since I handpicked it! See how I make his life so much easier!

We didn't do anything crazy, but it was really nice just to knock about town with him and spend time together. We tried this new place for lunch. It's a food van parked on a street corner and we heard it was good. I think Orlando should have more of this type of food around. Reminds me of Trinidad street food.

After a much needed snooze, we got ready, picked the girls up and met Marsha & Nick for our annual birthday dinner. Dinner was much to be desired, but the company was great and ended the day perfectly.


Sunday Jerome took me to yum cha for breakfast. God only knows how much I love yum cha..I can't do it often because I eat enough for the entire day in that one sitting! Didn't get many pics because the food looked too good to waste time posing. Lee didn't get to come with us because he had to unfortunately work, but I was sure to bring him home a doggie bag! He would have disowned me if I didn't. Sunday night, the boys and Megan came over to lime. Had a couple brewskies, laughs, cake, champayne and some more laughs! After couple beers too many we called it a night and that concluded the entire birthday weekend! It's the last year of my 20's so I going to enjoy it to the max and I surely look forward to the 30's! (Just realised Jerome didn't take the picture of me and Lee kissin after sticking the cake...great)

The "Stand-In's" Are In

Lee calls them the "stand-in's" but traditionally they are known as the Matron of Honor and Best Man. Danny is one of Lee's closest friends since primary school. They went to high school and college together and even though he and his family lives in Texas, when they visit Disney we have dinner together. Danny is big in the army and his latest assignment was like a year in Africa after he came back from Afghanistan. He loves guns and was super happy for us when Lee told him the news.

And of course I asked Marsha to be my Matron of Honor. There's nobody else I rather have and it'll just be me and her. Simple n Sweet. I watch these shows where the bride has like her entire sorority all as bridesmaids and I find that overkill and potential for drama.

Lee's girls will also play a part in the wedding party but on his side. Thinking of something significant for them to do besides give Lee away.

Best part of this wedding party...everybody's super cute and my wedding pics will be awesomeballs!

The Date Is Set!

After much deliberation (on Lee's part who insisted he check the auspiciousness of the date), we decided on November 10th, 2012 as our wedding date. 11/10/12. At first he wanted 12/12/12 but that's a Tuesday and I'm not having a Tuesday wedding.

On Friday we're going to check out a possible venue. A Victorian style historic house that allows outside catering & alcohol which is very important to us. I want to do my own thing and not be limited to in-house catering that most wedding venue's have as requirements.

I've only been engaged about a week now and I already have a limited tolerance on wedding planning limits. And the best indicator of that limit is when I get snippy with my mother on anything wedding related. At that point, I just say "I've had enough for today" and we change the topic until the next day.

It's so easy to get overwhelmed with all the details at one time when it's not even necessary. So I have to consciously remind myself to focus. Right now the focus is the date (check) and the venue.

IT'S GONNA BE A LONG YEAR!

I'm A Baking Fool !

There is nothing more intoxicating that the smell of baking homemade bread wafting through the house. And because I love all things homemade, especially of the food nature, I was set on learning how to make the best bread. Marsha is the flour hand in the family...the one I relied on for all baking goods. But since her delicate condition, I couldn't ask her to stand for hours baking me bread! I got her recipe and after a couple tries... I have to give it to myself. I'm the bomb dot com when it comes to home made bread! This weekend I had to show off, so I invited Marsha and Nick over for dinner and here's my bread...the half bread is a cheese one where we rolled grated cheddar throughout so when you sliced it it was marbled with goodness. The other is a plain bread which we made Reuben sandwiches with. Later that night, Lee insisted he wanted a cinnamon raisin bread for breakfast but I don't have pics of that. Believe it..it was the best!

Cloud 9 ...still !

Since Monday I've been just basking in the glow of everybody's excitement over our engagement! Everybody has been SO thrilled for me that I'm addicted to the attention! I feel as if everybody has been waiting along with me and they feel like they've been engaged to. I really want to enjoy and savor this time because I know once the wedding plans start..it's going to be a lil crazy. I've watched enough episodes of Bridezillas to know!

I'm in love with my ring. I'm not a big jewellery person but this ring makes me super happy! I only take it off when I'm doing housework or cooking. But typically I'm watching tv and occasionally glancing at it time and time again! Don't even talk about when I'm driving!

Well Worth the Wait!

Our Cancun Trip

Our trip to Cancun was uh-mazing to say the least! It was a vicious cycle of eat, drink, drink some more, and relax! We got there on Thursday and after checking in we explored the hotel. The view was to die for and the breeze..oh, the breeze off the ocean was heavenly! I even said, "Won't it be great if we got engaged here?!" Most of the time we stayed close to the bar or snoozed on the beach. We even took the city bus into downtown Cancun during the day but it wasn't much to see. After we got back to the hotel and cooled down with our frosty drink we wondered why the heck we even left! The hotel was all-inclusive so it got us very lazy to do anything. We did some ocean canoeing which was fun and on the last morning, we even saw baby turtles hatch and walked them to the ocean! That was definitely a highlight for me..but little did I know..the true highlight was to come still!

It was the last day and I was sitting on the bed counting my pesos and Lee asks if there was anything else I would have liked to do on the trip. "Of course not hun..I had a great time!!! What about you?" He says, "Well, there's one more thing I'd like to do..." and it was a blurr between my "Oh my God's" and him going on one knee and popping the question! He totally took me by surprise! He said he carried the ring with him since we arrived but no moment was totally perfect..not the long walks on the beach at night...not the morning strolls...not canoeing...but just two of us alone in a hotel room being us. It was perfect! The only negatives were that my camera conked out on me on the last day and Lee's snoring! Other than that, it was a trip to remember!