September Mix Tape

Since this month is the month of my wedding anniversary, I was really into listening to a ton of songs that meant something to Dave and I. 

Here's the background to a few of the songs:

::Grow Old with You:: our first dance at our wedding

::1,2,3,4,:: Our second dance with our bridal party, because 1:30 long song isn't quite what you want for a first dance

::Take Me Home Tonight:: I explained the significance of that one here

::Give me Everything:: We heard that song everyday at least twice a day on our honeymoon. It's one of the few songs that can make Dave get on the dance floor

::Somewhere Over the Rainbow:: Dave and I walked back down the aisle as husband and wife to this song. It was in ode to our first cat, Buddy Katt, who passed away shortly after we were engaged. We have a "thing" where if we see a rainbow, it's Buddy's way of telling us he is okay. This song was our way of making him a part of our day spiritually

::I'm Yours:: what my bridesmaids and I walked down the aisle to


Hope you enjoy!

Blogtember: A Walk Down Memory Lane

A memory you would love to relive ..................................... I had a tough time thinking of something to go with this one. There's just so many that I would love to relive. Some cliche, like my wedding, others unique, like the few times that I have gone SCUBA diving. But if I had to narrow it down, I would say it would have to be my trip to Florida last May. 
The trip started off rough and it ended up leaving a huge cloud over my head for the rest of the vacation, so much so that I really didn't fully enjoy it or appreciate it until I came home. When we first showed up at the hotel we stayed at a woman at the information desk offered us $70 to "check out" one of their newly built properties. Call me naive guys, but I had NO CLUE this was a time share offer. I legitimately thought they just wanted us to see the new place. 
I should have prefaced all this by saying I HATE smarmy salespeople. I hate dishonest people who will do or say anything for their own benefit without any consideration of others. Timeshare sellers are the bottom of the barrel (sorry if you are one, but I haven't met one I liked yet). Anyway, at the end of the pitch, and wasting 4 hours of our time when the woman at the desk said it would only take an hour, they proceeded to tell us we didn't qualify for the $70. So not only did we waste most of the first day of our vacation, but it was all for nothing. 
I was miserable, I cried at being taken advantage of. I felt so stupid and so beaten down, it just flat out ruined my mood for the rest of the trip. I viewed everyone in Orlando in a totally different light. Everyone seemed dishonest, money grubbing, shallow people. It's not fair to those people, but that's just what it seemed like. 
Anyway, because of that the rest of the trip I wasn't up to par. Don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed being with Dave and hanging out at Universal Studios (I may have spent all of the 2nd day the Harry Potter section and Dave may or may not have had to bribe me to get out of there and The Simpsons may or may not have been cloud 9 for me), there was just always a part of me that felt like a black cloud was raining down on me. 

When I got home I realized how much I didn't appreciate my time there and it made me wish I had just let the first day go and moved on from it. If I could relive that moment I would go back and really enjoy my time there. 
So if you could relive a moment, what would you relive?

Blogtember: Love Letter

Write a public love letter to someone in your life. (It doesn't necessarily need to be romantic.) .............................................................................................   I'm going a bit off the tracks for this one, but people (sorry, guys) isn't what inspired me for this post. 
Dearest Books,
As far back as I can remember, you have been a staple in my life. There isn't a moment in time where I don't have one of you within a few feet of me. If you aren't in my hands, you are in my purse, in my car, on my bookshelf at home, on my mind. 

Some of the best memories I have are with you. Like the time I took a day off of work and picked up the last Harry Potter book (that I pre-ordered 9 months in advance). I still vividly remember sitting on my couch in my living room reading you cover to cover. I didn't stop once to eat or drink, I just kept reading. When I was done I was incredibly happy but also incredibly sad. I knew I would never have this moment with you again, and it was among one of the best days of my life. 
The emotions that run through me when I read an amazing story are uncanny. 

I can't get through The Giving Tree without choking up. I don't know how I'm going to be able to read it to my children someday, but I will figure out a way how.
 The desolate feeling I get when I'm done a really, really good book and I just feel....alone. The way my fingers itch after a good tale, because I want to be able to pick you up and keep reading a story that has already finished but I just want it to keep going on and on. Ready Player One, I finished you two months ago and my heart still aches for the story to keep going on, my fingers waiting for the familiar feel of your pages in my hands.
You have given me a connection to a great group of teens. There isn't a better "high" than coming home after an in depth conversation with the kids in the book club because they loved your story and connected with it; or didn't and had to share their frustrations with me. 
Always there, sometimes faltering, I know I'll have an escape with you. And that is why my love for you will be undying. 

Blogtember: Self Portrait

A self portrait

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Can I just say I wracked my brain trying to think of some creative way to post a self portrait? I got nothing. 
So here is Nibbler sniffing my head. Because quite frankly, this is the most honest self portrait I could give you, a girl with her cat(s). 

End of the Week Roundup

Time for another EOTWR! Here is the round up for this week:

1. Friday I observed my friend Linda's classroom. The teaching class that I'm currently taking requires me to do some observations and it just so happened that she and I were already planning a day for me to come hang out. It awesome how things work out sometimes. It was an incredibly fun day and just reaffirmed how much I want to teach. The only bad part? Going back to my regular job the next day. Its not that I hate my job, but it definitely isn't as good as being in a classroom.

2. I celebrated 2 years with Dave on Monday. To say that I am a lucky woman is an understatement.

3. Dave and I watched "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" this week, which was fitting considering its content. It's about a boy whose father dies in the 9/11 attacks. He goes on a hunt to find the lock that goes with a key he finds in his father's closet. It was such a great and heartfelt story. Here is a picture of me watching it with Nibbler and Squishee close, which they always seem to do when I cry. The blanket is up so high to serve two purposes: 1.) to keep me warm because I ALWAYS have to be under a blanket if I'm watching TV 2.) it's my tissue to wipe my tears (tears only, I promise). 

P.S. Please ignore the crap in the background, the wedge serves as my catchall during the evening

4. Dave showed me this video Monday night and I've been singing it all week, much to the chagrin of my coworkers. By the way, if you haven't seen it, don't take this video too seriously...

5. I got this neat shot of Nibbler on Wednesday night. 

That's all I got for this week, how was your week?

As always linking up with Lauren and Friday Favorites!