Weekend Recap

We had a nice and busy weekend! 

On Friday, Jeff's dad and stepmom came to visit for the weekend. They got to the house shortly before I got home from work, and when I came in, everyone was already having a drink! It was a nice way to start the weekend! We went out to dinner at Outback and Jeff's dad finally paid his debt to us for the bet we won when the Yankees won the World Series back in November (he's a Phillies fan and bet us that the Yanks would lose). We went to Best Buy where I got "This Is It" on Blu-Ray. I can't wait to watch it!

On Saturday, we watched some episodes of "Modern Family." Jeff recently got me into this show and it's hysterical! If you're not watching it, you should be! My favorite character is Cam! Love him! We went shopping at Bed Bath and Beyond where I got a ton of Yankee Candles on sale (lots of fall scents for much later this year, but we also got Pineapple Cilantro which is nice and summery!) Then, we went to dinner at Buffalo Wild Wings, which is a favorite of ours, then to see "Sherlock Holmes." Everyone but me really liked it. I didn't hate it, but I thought it was too long and I got a bit bored. We watched some "Bridezillas" when we got home, which my Step-MIL got a huge kick out of!

Today, my in-laws left before I was even awake, so I've just been getting the house back together (cleaning the guest rooms, washing sheets, folding clothes, cleaning, etc). I have to go to the dorm at work tonight for 3 hours. Depending on how long you've been working at my school, you have to go a certain amount of Sundays each school year. I used to have to go 4 times, and one of them was from 4:00-9:15pm. Now I go once a school year from 6:30-9:15ish. It sucks, but I really can't complain since it's one time for only a few hours. It's always hard to go to work the following day because you feel like you never left! Oh well...

I'm already excited for next weekend when Jeff's friends Bret (his Best Man) and Evan (one of his groomsmen) come visit!

Reflections

I got this from A Day In The Life... of a Newlywed! I love things like this!

What I think of the Past

* There were definitely things that were difficult growing up at times, but my past has made me into who I am today and I've learned a lot.

What I'm experiencing in the Present

* I am so happy to be married! I love it!

* I finally feel like I have the hang of this teaching thing! I've been getting really great observation remarks and I've finally been able to figure out exactly how to accommodate each of my students and their learning needs!

* I'm reading up on how to get myself ready for pregnancy. Kind of scary and exciting at the same time!

What I'm anticipating for the Future
* I cannot wait to go off of BCP in March for many, many reasons.

* I can't wait to be pregnant and become a mommy!

* My summer camp job- I love being a camp director more than I can say. I look forward to my summer job all year long! It will be sad for me when I can't do that job anymore because I have a baby.

* March and summer vacations! I need a break!

Let me know if you do this! I love reading about and getting to know everyone!

Weekend Recap

I'm glad you guys liked my "Bad Wedding Pictures" post! I had a lot of fun looking back at those pictures and making the post! I hope some of you do it as well!

We had a pretty nice weekend, but as usual, it went too fast! On Friday, I was super tired, so I told Jeff I was taking a nap and he either needed to cook dinner for us or order something because I had no desire to cook. He cooked chicken francese and angel hair pasta and it was AMAZING! He cooks so much better than I do, so I don't understand why I do most of the cooking!

On Saturday, we had to take out cat Peanut to the vet bright and early. I think I posted about her peeing on the couch last week. It happened a few more times, so I did some Google research and everything I read said that cats do that out of the blue when something is wrong and they're trying to tell their owner something, so take them to the vet ASAP. I called the vet (Just Cats in Stamford. They are fabulous and I strongly recommend anyone in the area take their cat to them. They were so nice and much better than the a-hole vet I took Peanut to when we first got her) and made an appointment. We had to get a urine sample from our kitty which was about as fun as it sounds, but it's a good thing we did it because she would have had to stay till today so they could get one if we didn't! Anyway, the vet called with the results yesterday and our cat has crystals in her urine which cause discomfort and explain the peeing on our couch. The solution is prescription food for the rest of her life. We got some samples and we will buy whatever she likes best later this week. Jeff was sure she was being a brat and her problem was behavioral, but I KNEW there was something physically wrong with her! Momma knows best! :P After that, I went back to sleep for a bit, then we went to my parents' house that evening to give them their wedding album, have my mom cut my hair, and eat Chinese food. It was fun!

Yesterday we watched the Jets vs. Colts playoff game. Jeff is a HUGE Jets fan, so I rooted for them. Sadly, they lost, but this is the best season they've had in a loooooooong time, so we weren't too sad about it.

This coming weekend my FIL and step-MIL are visiting! They will be here before I get home from work on Friday and I look forward to seeing them! I have to go work in the dorm on Sunday for 3 hours which sucks, but it's only 1 time per school year, and I don't have to be there at 4:00pm or do it 2-4 times a year like I used to so I really can't complain! I'm REALLY looking forward to Superbowl weekend because I think the game will be awesome and Jeff's best man Bret is coming to visit! I adore Bret and we haven't seen him since the wedding (he lives in NH) so we're beyond excited to see him!

I'm definitely getting a cold (going to sleep early all week, taking lots of Cold-Eeze, vitamin C and Nyquil) and I have observations at work this Wednesday and next! I get observed a ton all at once, then no one bugs me for months. After next week, every person who usually observes me will have been in my room this year. Hopefully that means I have just my second formal observation of the year (they're way more involved than normal observations) and that's it!

I hope everyone had a great weekend! Who is everyone rooting for in the Superbowl? I honestly can't decide! I'd love to see the Saints win because they've never won a Superbowl, but I really like the Colts and they won the first Superbowl Jeff and I ever watched together a few years ago!

Off to finish watching "The Bachelor" and go to sleep!

Funny Wedding Pics!

Cheap Wife did a blog post of funny wedding pics, the ones that don't capture you at your very best. I decided to do it too and I have A LOT of them! These are just some of the pro ones. If anyone wants to see another post of the non-pro ones, let me know! I make some really attractive faces and I'm not embarrassed to show them!

This was before the ceremony when we were in Jeff's mom's (she works at the church we got married at) office. I was hiding from Jeff till I walked down the aisle! If this face doesn't say sexy, I don't know what does.

I'm pointing at my flowers for whatever reason. This was also before the ceremony.

Crying like a baby and my mom telling me to calm down!

Here I was whining that I wanted my dress bustled! I was not a joy to work with during the posed outside pictures because I was hot and my dress was heavy and it made me a bit whiny for awhile!

Death glare. I love that Amy is playing with her hair in the background!

I love this one and have it on my fridge! My brother Warren had no idea that this picture was actually being taken! 

This one is awesome and definitely a favorite (it made it into our album). This pretty much sums up our relationship lol. I had no clue this was being taken either!

Hot face during out first dance. All I did the entire time was ask Jeff what step to do next! I completely blanked!

Hahahhaha Jeff's Best Man during his toast! He's coming to visit soon and I can't wait to show him this picture!

I think we were singing something? Not sure, but it's funny!

I split my father-daughter dance between my dad and my brother Warren. My brother Kurt was asked to dance with me too (before the wedding) but he hates dancing and wanted nothing to do with it. Anyway, we were dancing to "Blessed" by Elton John, and it's pretty obvious that we both knew the words hahaha!

Anyone else have some funny wedding pictures? I'd love to see them!

Tuesday Morning Survey

I keep thinking it's Monday, so glad it's not! I love long weekends!

I took this survey from Ashley. I love these things!

1. Are you usually late, early, or right on time?

I'm always a little bit early. I like to get somewhere and not worry about making someone wait and I like to settle in before something starts. I HATE when people are late, it drives me nuts!

2. What is your middle name?

Ann. My mom liked it for a middle name, and until I got married, my initials were MAN. Awesome.

3. What are the last 4 digits of your cell phone number?

Do you really need to know that?

4. How big is your bed?

A queen. Sometimes I wish we had a king, but the queen is great for us! We have a hard time when we visit Jeff's mom and have to share a double bed! I got yelled at a few times this weekend when we were there for hogging the bed! :P

5. What are you allergic to?

Dust, pollen, flowers, trees, etc.

6. What is the first thing you do in the morning?

On a work day I get up at 6:00am, take my vitamins, brush my teeth, shower, get dressed, do my hair and makeup, have breakfast and go to work. I usually leave around 6:50 and get to work by 7:10ish. We don't start 8:00am if we have meetings, or 8:18 if we don't, but I like to get there early (see #1), make my copies, get into my classroom and settle in for the day and I like to take my time doing all of it! I will say getting up at 6:00am is brutal tho!

On weekends I get up whenever I please and get ready when I need to...

7. What was your favorite TV show growing up?

All the good stuff on Nickelodeon: Clarissa explains It All, Hey Dude, Salute Your Shorts, etc.

8. Will you, or did you, go to your 10 year high school reunion?

I went to Jeff's this past summer! Mine is in 2012. It really depends on when they have it. My 5 year was the day after Thanksgiving and we were on LI. If that time frame happens again, I might try to convince Jeff to leave LI and take me to my reunion. I'd kind of like to go if my friends are going!

9. If a tree falls in the forest and nobody is there to hear it, does it still make a sound?

Sure 

10. What, in your opinion, is the greatest invention?

The Internet- I don't know what we'd do without it now...

Grad School

So I registered for grad school yesterday and it definitely won't be as bad as I thought! I'm taking 3 credits worth of class this spring, and it's split into 3 different weekend classes. I go on a Friday from 4:00-6:00 and Saturday 8:00-4:00 (but I hear you often get out early) in February, then the same type of thing 2 weekends in April. I get assigned a little project to do at the end of the second day of classes that's due a few weeks later and then I'm done! This is easier than taking semester classes because I won't have homework every week this term, and I don't have to buy a bunch of books or do ridiculous reading. I definitely plan on taking one 3 credit class (a research one that sounds annoying and I'd like to get it out of the way before I have a child) and a few weekend ones in the fall. I'm loving the weekend thing as well because when I have babies, I can easily leave them with Jeff for the hours I'm gone for class. My advisor said the program usually takes a couple years, which I can totally handle. I just wish I started this earlier! I didn't realize grad school schedules were so flexible! I'm used to undergrad where you had to do everything in a certain order and certain semesters.

I only have to work till 12:30 today and I plan on going home and napping! It's been a long and stressful week for me and I'm glad it's almost over!

Blah

I realize it's been well over a week since I've written something, but not much is going on with me right now! I had an observation at work on Monday that I was super nervous about, but it went really well, so I had nothing to worry about. I'm meeting with my grad school advisor after work today because classes start next week and new students need to register sometime this week. I'm only going to take one class this semester so I can get back into the swing of school (I also have no free period now, so I need to do planning at home sometimes and I can't do that well if I take too many classes), a few this summer since that job requires no planning outside of camp, and then one or two in the fall and spring. I plan on taking this slow and I will definitely still be taking classes once I have a baby if things go the way I plan. I already have my mom lined up to babysit when I have to go to class lol and I'd still only be doing a class or two at that time as well. I have until 2017 to get my master's in order to move on to professional certification. I think I can manage to get this all done by then, it's only 33 credits!

Tuesday night our heat decided to stop working, so Jeff worked from home yesterday and called the repairman. One of the circuit breakers was broken and it cost $360 to fix! I think that's a lot, but we have heat now, so I'm happy! Getting ready yesterday morning was miserable, especially when I first got out of the shower.. it was FREEZING!

I have a long weekend, which I am so excited about! I've been so drained and exhausted this week and I have no idea why! Jeff and I are going to LI Sunday-Monday because Jeff's sister's 24th b-day is Monday and we want to see her for it. We were originally going to go for the entire weekend, but I need to lesson plan, do laundry, and clean the house, and being gone all weekend won't allow me to do that, so we decided to only go one night.

Hopefully I'll have something more interesting to say soon! It's been pretty boring around here lately! :P

2009 Survey!

I got this from Jimmy Choos & A Baby Too!

1.What did you do in 2009 that you’d never done before? Got married! :)

2. Did you keep your New Year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year? I don't think I made any if I did it was prolly to lose weight for the wedding or something... my ones for this year are in the post below this one!

3. Did anyone close to you give birth? One of my friends did, but we're not super close!

4. Did anyone close to you die? No thank goodness

5. What places did you visit? Long Island for our wedding and to see family, Florida for our Disney honeymoon, Pennsylvania to visit more family.

6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009? A baby! hahaha I didn't necessarily want one in 2009, but I'd love a 2010 pregnancy!

7. What dates from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? July 3 which was our wedding day!

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? Getting into grad school and having 2 good teaching observations so far!

9. What was your biggest failure? I have a bad temper. I am continuing to work on that...

10. Did you suffer illness or injury? Nothing serious. The worst was the flu last May when I was out of work 4 days in a row and I felt miserable!

11. What was the best thing you bought? Out wedding and honeymoon! 

12. Whose behavior merited celebration? Jeff's- He dealt with all my craziness before the wedding! Also both our mothers who dealt with my crazy and all the wedding nonsense!

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? No one really

14. Where did most of your money go? Wedding

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? Our wedding... notice a theme here?

16. What song will always remind you of 2009? Any MJ song. I went on a ridiculous listening spree of his stuff after he died. I still listen to his stuff constantly!

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? Happier
b) thinner or fatter? Thinner, but not by much!
c) richer or poorer? Richer since we combined our accounts haha 

18. What do you wish you’d done more of? Relaxed

19. What do you wish you’d done less of? Stressed

20. How did you spend Christmas in 2009? We were on Long Island with Jeff's family for Christmas Eve, then with my family in CT on Christmas Day

21. Did you fall in love in 2009? Yes! I got married! 2009 will always be a great year to look back on for me!

22. What was your favorite TV program? Real Housewives (any of them), Top Chef. I watched a ton of other stuff, but these were my absolute favs!

23. What did you do for your birthday in 2009? Jeff cooked me breakfast, we went to Crumbs for a cupcake, and then went to my parents' house for my favorite dinner!

24. What was the best book you read? Bed Of Roses by Nora Roberts!

25. What did you want and get? A perfect wedding and honeymoon!

26. What did you want and not get? Nothing! 2009 was great!

27. What was your favorite film of this year? I saw a lot of good movies, not sure what my fav was!

28. Did you make some new friends this year? Yes and reconnected with some from my past!

29.What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? Nothing. I had a great year!

30. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009? Lots of black as usual! I did add in a lot more color, mainly blues and purples. I tend to wear classic stuff and I am loving empire waist shirts and dresses to hide my fat/bloat when I have it lol!

31. What kept you sane? Friends, family, and especially Jeff and my MOH Shannon!

32. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? The Yankees! The won the World Series and I love them! <3

33. What political issue stirred you the most? No idea! I know it's bad, but I don't really follow politics much!

34. Who did you miss? No one really! I got to see everyone I care about!

35. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009. To go with the flow and not worry about stuff you cannot control!

Let me know if you post this to your blog so I can read it! :)

3 years and Resolutions

3 years ago today Jeff and I officially became a couple. In case any of you don't know how we met...

Jeff and I met online. I was coming off of a 3.5 year relationship with another guy (who for a time I thought would be my husband) who dumped me over the phone. The relationship was way past over, but I was too afraid to end it because I was scared I would regret it and I didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings, so I waited for him to do it (a stupid move looking back, but I was very young.) While I think I deserved a face to face breakup, I'm happy he did it and I wasn't terribly sad over it. I was out with a couple girlfriends a few weeks later and I was complaining how it's hard to meet someone because I don't want to date a co-worker (there aren't too many males where I work anyway) and I don't go to bars much. One of my friends suggested going on Match.com. At first I thought it made me look desperate and I was really embarrassed, but did it quietly (I've since found out that a few other friends of mine met their husbands the same way and a few friends have been inspired by me finding such a great guy on there and now do the dating websites themselves! I'm not embarrassed anymore!) I went on some dates with a few other guys who just weren't for me (one expected me to sleep with him way too soon and the other was just weird lol), and then I started chatting with Jeff online. We decided to meet in person in the middle of December 2006 at Starbucks. We hit it off (the Starbucks people had to tell us to leave because they were closing) and went on a few more dates throughout the month. I had plans to spend New Year's Eve at a bar in NYC with some friends and Jeff was in Philly with some family, so we made plans to hang out on New Year's Day. We decided to be exclusive that day and the rest is history! We're now happily married and I feel so lucky every day that I found such an amazing man to spend my life with!

This is us at the Museum of Natural History about a month into our relationship (it was also the first time I met his mom and sister who met us at the museum.) It's the earliest pic I have of us. I has just turned 22 and Jeff was 24 going on 25.

I hope everyone had a Happy New Year! I can't believe it's 2010! We had some friends over and had a nice, low-key evening full of food, drinks, and good conversations! Once everyone left around 1:00am, I told Jeff I hoped to be pregnant (hopefully somewhat far along) at this time next year, and he said he did too! It makes me happy when he says stuff like that because he jokes around a lot about it! I like when he's serious! 

Like many other bloggers, I've made some resolutions that I think I can actually achieve!

• I'd like to lose the 5ish lbs. I've gained since my wedding almost 6 months ago! I want to make sure my body is as healthy as I can get it before we decide to try to get pregnant later this year! I want to exercise on my treadmill 4-6 times a week like I did before my wedding.
• I want to be a better wife. I think I do a pretty good job, but there's always room for improvement in this area whether you've been married 1 year or 20!
• I want Jeff and I to find a church around here and get more involved with it.
• I want to continue getting better at teaching. I think with this being my 4th year, that I am finally starting to get the hang of it! Teaching an extra class for the rest of the year will definitely help me become better and it's part of the reason I agreed to do it!
• I want to learn to cook more things. I have several cookbooks that I need to crack open and use! I cook the same 4-5 dishes all the time, and while they're really good, we need some variety! I would prefer if the meals I learn to cook are healthy because that will benefit Jeff and I!

What are everyone else's resolutions?