I love fall. It is my favorite time of year!!  I love being outside in shorts and a t-shirt or putting on a hoody if I wan to because it isn't hot but it isn't cold either...it is perfect!!  

Now the update on life in Marion...

I miss soccer.  I don't miss being gone all weekend or going to practice everyday but I do miss the game!!  I am still getting used to the fact that most people at IWU don't go to the game to watch it they go to socialize.   Sitting on the fans sideline is probably the hardest part!!  Watching the girls play and seeing things that I could tell them to help them...how to score on the keeper or get by that last defender or stop the opposing forward or helping the keepers warm up and telling them to do this or that better or that they made an incredible save.  You know the stuff that fans just can't do!!    

As  for the rest of life things are going well.  Payton will be a year old in about a month.  I can't believe how big he is getting!!  He is into everything walking all over the place breaking things and spilling things:) 

 

I would also like to express my deepest thoughts of sympathy for all of you Notre Dame and Michigan fans...I mean can Michigan fans really be all that excited about shutting out ND?  I mean they did get their first win but against a team that is 0-3 and hasn't scored an offensive TD!

 

 

Okay so it isn't all my fault that I haven't been able to post anything.  The school got a new web blocker and for some reason my blog was blocked so I couldn't update it.  So I appealed it and at least for now it is working. 

 

So since my last post I have been to New York City and home.  NYC was fun...We stayed on the NJ side and took the ferry back and forth to the city.  We got there on a Friday night a little later than we had planned becuase we got a flat tire just inside NJ.  Saturday we got up and went to the city and walked around.  We went to Ground Zero, Rockefeller Plaza, and Times Square.  We ate lunch at a place called Roxie's Deli...We split a cheese steak and Heather's parents split one as well and we ended up with a lunch bill of $85.00.  So we headed back to the hotel to rest up for dinner and the show.  The show was Awesome!!  I wish I could explain how cool it was but I don't even know how to explain it.  If you go to broadway definitly go see Lion King!!  

 

Sunday was the Yankee game.  We took the Yankee Clipper to the game which was pretty cool.  We got to go around the bottom part of the city and up the other side so we got  to see the Statue of Liberty on the way. When we got there they told Heather's Mom she couldn't take her backpack in...they said there was a bowling alley across the street where she could put it in a locker.  So Heather and I went in and her parents went to find the bowling alley.  On the way she asked a police man if there was anywhere they could put the bag so that it wouldn't cause a problem or get stolen...he told them to watch where he put it and it would be there after the game.  So he walked over to a trash can and put it underneath it and when the game was over and we were on our way back to get on the boat...the bag was right where they left it.  I'm definitly not a Yankees fan but being at Yankee stadium is a great experience.  We got to see about 6 pitchers in the first 8 innings. They were down 8-2 by the third inning and ended up losing 11-5. 

 

On the way back from NYC we stopped at the Little League complex and museum and Kristy and Doug picked me up and I went home for the rest of the week.  I did a little golfing and got to see my grandparents.  That was the good part.  Wed night I got sick and spent the next day and a half sleeping. 

 

We just got done with VBS this past week so the last two weeks have been planning and getting ready for it and then spending the next 5 days with a bunch of preschoolers and kindergartners.  It was fun but I am glad it is over.

 

I will try to update more often now that I got unblocked and can actually use this my blog.

  

So I am updating this because I was reading Raleigh's blog this morning and one of her wishes was for her friends to update their blogs...

Rals I hope this will do:)

 

I got to go home for Mother's Day.  It was a last minute decision but it was worth it.  I miss the mountians!!  I don't dislike Indiana but there is something comforting about not being able to see for miles and miles.  Becky was also home for the weekend so it was good to hangout with her and her family as well as my Grandparents and my Mom. 

 

We had our first church softball game last week and another game tonight.  We lost our first game to College Church.  They are the best team in the league...they have a couple coaches and a bunch of old athletes from the WU on their team so they are pretty good.  Hopefully we can win tonight!! 

 

Payton is learning to crawl...he sometimes does a face plant which is pretty entertaining!  I'm thinking by about July he will be all over the place and Kristy and Doug will have their hands full!!

 

 

Rank	Bracket	Points	Correct Picks	Overall %	Overall Rank
1	Royal5 ---Adam	115	44 of 63	75th	487153 ▼237802
2	Doug	112	43 of 63	72nd	538538 ▼227491
3	Kristy	108	50 of 63	69th	599225 ▼183502
4	Hooligans ---Raliegh	108	43 of 63	69th	604227 ▼188504
5	Heather's Bracket	102	48 of 63	62nd	737375 ▼147278
6	Mindy	97	41 of 63	57th	851421 ▼100788
7	Smack Down *---Gail	97	45 of 63	56th	863595 ▼112962
8	jamie's guess	82	36 of 63	35th	1276174 ▼38657
9	mustang--- Mom	78	41 of 63	31st	1363192 ▼11384
10	leopards ---Dad	71	38 of 63	23rd	1533054 ▼10574
11	Bobbie ---Becky	71	38 of 63	22nd	1542871 ▼20391
12	mel	70	34 of 63	22nd	1551233 ▼8225
13	Beanie's Picks	51	37 of 63	10th	1774860 ▼2417

 

 

 

Who knows how Kristy is in first place...she will even admit that lucky guessing got her to the top!  Mel well she might have somewhat of a handicap since she is in India.  The rest of us are still pretty close and who knows how it will end up.  The way last nights game went...OSU being down the whole first half and getting a lucky block at the end to seal a 1 point victory or the Kansas game that was tight not to mention that number 2 ranked Memphis team that won't be stopped.  I love the close games that March Madness brings!!  Who knows what will happen...

The IWU Lady Wildcat Basketball team finished the season 38-0 and won the NAIA Div II National Championship!!  You can check out pictures and clips at http://wiwutv51.com/wildcatcentral/ 

 

A little story...The day of the championship game they sent out an email here at work and said they were going to show the game in the student center.  So I figured what the heck I'll go watch it over there.  I really didn't want to watch in the crowded commons but better there than not at all.  Then by early afternoon we got another email that said you could watch the game on CSTV. 

Well I don't get that channel in my Direct TV package so I had a choice to make...do I spend the twelve extra dollars to watch the game at my house in my furniture or do I go to the SC and watch it with a bunch of loud college students...I wayed my options carefully...if I do order the sports pack for just the game what else could I watch the rest of this month...well included in the sports pack is not only CSTV but a whole bunch of Fox sports channels which sometimes have the same things on...a negative so I have one positive and one negative...the Women's game on CSTV  and Fox sprots channels that show the same shows and games.  Then it hit me...I will also get not 1 but 2 soccer channels.  Decision made...so I ordered the sports pack and have enjoyed a few soccer matches some of which I have never heard of either team but also got to see Emerton and Chelsea yesterday.  The question is was it worth 12 dollars...It sure was!!

After having off the last two days I am back to work.  The best part is that I am only working half a day tomorrow and taking Monday off as well.  I don't know how much snow we actually ended up with...around a foot I guess I don't know how you measure snow when it is blowing all over.  I have a lot of shoveling to do when I get home tonight.  The spot where I park my car is covered with about knee high drifts and all the snow from the street that the snow plow pushed into my spot.  It will be fun to get out and do something though...sitting inside for two days is okay but I wouldn't choose to do it very often.  I did get some reading done...this will come as a surprise for some of you...I started reading Pretense, which is a Lori Wick book with about 700 pages,  a couple months ago.  It has been very slow going since football season was in full swing and the shows I watch were all new I spent a lot of time watching TV.  So yesterday I got a good start on it and I am getting to the point where I don't really want to stop reading it until I finish it.  Who knew I would like reading enough to say I don't want to stop until I am done:)

Rals thanks for the ideas on what do in a snow storm!!  I definitly took a few naps!!  Well since I am back to work...I should probablly get to it!

Okay, so maybe it's not that bad...but IWU closed for the first time ever!!  So I didn't have to work today and I have been really bored. Which is why I'm writing on my blog. Any suggestions on things to do during a snow storm?

Juan is amazing and made it through huge drifts. He's resting right now by the gym.

Well I need to find something for dinner.

 

The Colts won!!  I don't know that I actually watched much of the game.  I "watched" the game with Jamie, Adam, and Ellie, Doug, Kristy, and Payton, and Heather.  We all went over to Kristy and Doug's and the game was on but there were two pretty cute kids there and so I spent a lot of time watching Ellie play and holding Payton.  I didn't realize how much of the game I actually missed until I went home and was watching the post game stuff and they were showing great passes and touchdowns that I didn't remember seeing.  It was a fun night and I guess I really didn't care who won the game so I got distracted by the 2 cute kids in the room a lot more often than if the Eagles would have been playing:)

 

So Indiana is a frozen tundra these days.  Juan has had a lot of trouble adjusting to the cold. As much as I like winter...if there isn't any snow what is the point of the cold...I think I should live some place warmer or maybe Colorado because at least they have snow!!

I haven't posted anything lately...there just isn't much going on.  Payton is growing and starting to make fun noises and smile a lot!  So he is getting to the fun stage.  Ellie is there!  The other night I was visiting Jamie and Adam and I taught her how to blow on the window and draw:)  So the one window in their apartment might be a little smeared:) 

Work is going well and other than spoiling Payton I am not doing a whole lot of anything.  So that is all for now...I will try and update more often than once every couple of months...

I am an AUNT...Payton Ray  was born October 23rd @ 7:25pm.  He was 6lbs 10.9oz and 20.5 inches long.  Kristy and Payton are doing very well!!  I was able to be there for the delivery!!  I am even doing better with the whole baby thing...I even gave him a bottle the other day...I still give him up when he needs changed but who wouldn't do that  I have tried to add pictures but I haven't been very successful.  I will keep trying and maybe one day they will appear. 

 

I have been trying to add something for a while but I haven't been able to add.  I don't know what is going on I tried to add a cool slide show on Sept 11th but I only managed to add the title September 11 three times.  Who knows if this is even going to work.  I wrote a list the other day of things I love and thought I would share them with you...

My quick list of things I love…

Mountains                                    Camp Fires                            MWS

Chocolate & Peanut Butter         Weekends                                                      Driving

Taking Naps                                   Listening to Music                                       Road Trips

Fall                                                    Watching football                                       Playing any sport

Cuddling                                           Silence                                                          Listening to people

Playing with kids                           Warm-up pants                                              Sunsets

Helping people                                 Cleaning                                         Watching movies…Musicals, Old Disney

Being on my Grandparents farm                                                            Smell of fresh cut grass

Reading Lori Wick books                         Tea

Exciting news...I have a new job!!  Yes just one job!!!!!  A full time with benefits job!!!!  I will still be doing a few sessions a week with the keepers and will be going to all the games that I can.  My official title is Textbook Distribution Clerk in the APS Dept at IWU.  I pack and ship books for online classes and deliver books for class starts to places in Indiana I have never heard of. 

It has been a bit tough getting used to a new schedule.  I am not used to working 8 hours in a row.  With my other jobs I worked 3 here and 2 there and then maybe 6 on the road driving computers and then clean for 2 hours.  It has been nice getting done at 5 and being done for the day!! 

 

One more thing...If you don't leave a comment  then how am I supposed to know that you read it.  I got in trouble for an entry that said...Heather and Raleigh are the only two people who read this.  I got an email not a comment on my blog so not my fault that I think that there is only 2 people who read this. 

 

 

I just got back from a great vacation.  I went to Smith Mt Lake in Virginia with Heather and her family.  We had a house on the lake.  So we spent our time boating, fishing, swimming, and eating.  A whole lot of eating!!  Heathers sister-in-law kept us well fed.  Oh yeah and did I mention they have MOUNTAINS in Virginia.  It was a great change from the vast wasteland I call home.

 

We have come to the conclusion that Heather and I are better at cleaning the lake of junk then we are of actually fishing.  We started out fishing with worms...our first clue that this was not a good idea should have been the left over worms in the fridge from the people who had rented the house the week before.  It wasn't!!  We spent the first night fishing with the worms and we didn't catch anything...Well we didn't catch any fish.  We donated a lot of hooks and fishing line to the bottom of the lake.  So a change in bait was the next idea. So we got some minnows for our next outing.  Heathers brother and his wife caught two very nice fish.  Meanwhile Heather and I  only managed  to catch a rope, a boat fender, and a broken fishing rod.  We also pulled up a few trees.  Our last night of fishing was the most productive at least for me.   I caught what I think was a bass that was about 16 inches long. 

 

I also won the cannon ball contest...I was the only contestant so it was a pretty easy victory.  We  also rented a canoe while we were there and have mastered that.  Well we can at least get from one point to another without tipping it! 

 

I would have to say the most entertaining part of the trip was...Harley.  Harley is a weiner dog.  This dog has a life jacket that must be worn in the water at all times.  It is the funniest thing you will see on a dog.  Just a thought... if humans can keep their head above the water by doing a little thing called...doggie paddle don't you think a dog could do that to.  To the Allen family...know that I am just kidding and if you ever read this I had a blast!!

 

I am leaving for PA tomorrow night for my last bit of enjoyment before preseason starts up and I am back to working 4 jobs. :(