Sewing Update

Well, after completing 5 projects from my online sewing class, I was feeling pretty good about my future in the sewing department. However, at the end of each "class" I would always think, "next time I need to ..." There was always something I could have done better or different. AND THEN!! I took class #6! I am thrilled to announce that it came out exactly how I wanted it to... and the "it" I am referring to is- wait for it- ironing board cover! I know. Exciting stuff. And while it isn't perfect, it is pretty darn close considering I took up this hobby 4 days ago.

Behold:

The only problem... if something ever needs ironing, I send it to the cleaners or throw it in the dryer.

Sewing

     Like most women, my mind is constantly at work. Very often, an idea will form in my head, and I will keep this idea going and going as if it were going to happen. Generally, that idea will lead me to Google, my best friend. Google will often determine whether my idea will be pursued or DOA.

     Well, around Thanksgiving, I begin to wander upon several things that I wanted to do- as in crafty things (it's my love/hate relationship with Pinterest). "If only I knew how to sew," I thought to myself. So, I Googled: sewing machines, techniques, classes, learning at home, fabric, needles, supplies, etc.

     Ladies and gentlemen, I am here today to tell you that I am a sewer-in-progress!- is sewer a word? Kyle, God bless him, bought me a sewing machine for Christmas, and since that day, I have been incapable of doing anything else. Thanks to Pinterest, I have found an online sewing class that is rather helpful. My major flaw at this point is that I want to be good at it right now! My typical philosophy in life is that if I am not going to be good at something, I won't do it. I have a feeling that sewing is right up my alley, but I suffer from impatience through the learning process (plus, I want to send about $1000 on fabric this very moment). However, I haven't wanted to cry nor give up... and I think that is a pretty good sign considering I had both of those reactions to previous endeavors (i.e. Calculus/Chemistry/Biology, standing back tucks, student teaching, being an Aggie sports fan, watching the Godfather with Kyle... you get the picture).

     If all else fails with this sewing adventure, I at least learned to sew in a straight line.

A Savior is Born

 ¹⁸ This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about^[a]: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. ¹⁹ Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet^[b] did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

 ²⁰ But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. ²¹ She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus,^[c] because he will save his people from their sins.”

 ²² All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: ²³ “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”^[d] (which means “God with us”).

Matthew 1:18-23

Little Women

Being the book nerd that I am, I was completely looking forward to having some relaxing time to read during the holidays. Growing up, I loved watching Little Woman.


The Elizabeth Taylor version....

the cartoon version ...

Not sure if this is the version we watched.

and the Winona Ryder version.

I also loved reading this version of Little Woman.

And, in recent years, it has been a goal of mine to actually read the unabridged version of the book. To my complete delight, Little Women is a free download for Kindle. I started reading it today, and I must share one of my favorite quotes thus far. I totally related. 

Meg said this about Christmastime:

"'But it does seem so nice to have little suppers and bouquets, and go to parties, and drive home, and read and rest, and not work. It's like other people, you know, and I always envy girls who do such things, I'm so found of luxury,' said Meg."

I loved this quote so much, but I was on the exercise bike while reading it and didn't know how to bookmark on my Kindle. So, I took a picture from my phone. :)

Allie and Kyle Christmas Favorites

     This Christmas season has been a busy one for the Schielacks. Thus far we have been to at least 5 work parties between Kyle's work and mine, 2 Christmas shows, a polka, and I predict a couple church services between Kyle's parents and mine. (Throw in my step dad's 60th birthday party and the birth of our precious new niece, Leighton... who both coincidentally now share the same birthday).  I love the busyness of the season. I love the cold weather. I love being around family. I love having 2 weeks off of work. I love the Reason for the season. It all makes me happy.

     Kyle has been particularly cute. He has a particular fondness for plugging in the Christmas tree and bringing home baked goods. He is also adamant about watching as many Christmas movies as possible. I'm not complaining. When we have the luxury to sit down and watch a movie, I'll take it. Just plug in the tree and give me a cookie while we're at it.

     Kyle and I have tried to take full advantage of the holiday season, so I thought it would be fun to ask Kyle some of his personal favorite Christmas things. Side Note: Kyle didn't know I was blogging his answers... oops. :)


Kyle's Christmas Favorites:
Favorite Christmas Song: "Counting the Days" ... from Sesame Street and "Here Comes Santa Claus"

Favorite Christian Christmas Song: "Joy To the World"

Favorite Childhood Christmas Movie: How the Grinch Stole Christmas... the cartoon version

Favorite Christmas Movie: Christmas Vacation


Favorite Childhood Gift: I remember the happiest gift I ever got- a train set. 

Weirdest Gift You Ever Asked For: Underwear?

Favorite Childhood Christmas Memory: Decorating the tree with Lance

Favorite Christmas Tradition: watching Christmas Vacation on Christmas Eve

Favorite "Christmassy Thing": parties

Favorite "Allie and Kyle" Christmas Tradition: "Well, Al you don't really let me partake in much, but cooking food. Also, listening to Christmas music. Doin' whatever we're doin' with Christmas music."

Favorite "Allie and Kyle" Christmas Memory: "Well, it's lame, but finally watching Scrooged together. I had to give you a massage the whole time to keep you awake. I've been tryin' to get you to watch it forever."

Favorite part about the Christmas Story: "Joseph because he was going to be the human father of Jesus. And, he had to trust Mary through all of it." 

As a child, what did you leave out for Santa Claus: "chocolate chip cookies and milk... one year we left eggnog and Santa only took 1 sip"




And while we're at it... my Christmas Favorites:

Favorite Christmas Song: All songs from the Amy Grant Christmas CD and a little Brenda Lee

Favorite Christian Christmas Song: "Away in a Manger"

Favorite Childhood Christmas Movie: The Santa Clause or Home Alone

Favorite Christmas Movie: Elf and Four Christmases


Favorite Childhood Gift: Anything Barbie or for my American Girl Doll

Weirdest Gift You Ever Asked For: in the 3rd grade, I asked for a trashcan, scale, and crutches

Favorite Childhood Christmas Memory: Cliche, but Christmas morning. I loved Santa Claus, and it was always so coincidental that he left the appropriate amount of batteries on the kitchen table for everyone's toys.

Favorite Christmas Tradition: Being with my family on Christmas morning. We sit around and chat. Open stockings, and then we go by the Christmas tree to open gifts....Everyone always sits in the same spot as they did the year before to open presents. Afterwards, biscuits and gravy, pancakes, and bacon. 

Favorite "Christmassy Thing": Christmas decorations

Favorite "Allie and Kyle" Christmas Tradition: This is only our second Christmas as "The Schielacks" so not much has evolved. However, I love when Kyle is off work because we get to spend some stress free time together. Pancakes, Starbucks, sweat pants, movies... you know, all my favorite things with my favorite person.

Favorite "Allie and Kyle" Christmas Memory: The first Christmas we had together was in 2007. We had almost been dating a year. I was home for the holidays, but Kyle was staying in College Station. He asked if I could come up because he had something planned for us. I met him at his house and exchanged gifts. He thoughtfully gave me very nice pearl earrings and necklace. I on the other hand gave him a Temper-Pedic pillow. Both good purchases as we still use those gifts, but Kyle gets major credit for his gift to me. After that, Kyle took me to U-paint-it. We picked out a picture frame and painted it in Christmas colors. Later that night he took me to Maddens for dinner, a walk around Downtown Bryan, and then to a park to look at Christmas lights. For a college guy, this was very romantic.

Favorite Part about the Christmas Story: The wise men. Isn't it amazing that a baby could capture the attention of WISE MEN. It's because He was Jesus. 

As a child, what did you leave out for Santa: cookies, milk, celery, and carrots. My sisters and I once left cookies that we had made  in our Easy Bake Oven. Gross! (but, at the time, so delicious)!






While this is all good and fun, remember the true importance of Christmas. If there was not Christmas, there would be no Easter.

Thank you Lord for both.

The Christmas Bus

In keeping with the Christmas spirit, I searched Amazon's list of free Kindle books in hopes of finding a Christmas story. I wandered upon one titled The Christmas Bus. It had decent reviews, but I didn't know what to expect from what could be a potentially cheesy Christmas fiction novel. I was pleasantly surprised by this story about a small town called Christmas Valley. The story is about a couple that owns a bed and breakfast and the guest that come to stay during Christmas. I read it in about two hours, so it was a short read. Slightly cheesy yet enjoyable. Christmassy.

Bailey's Christmas "Outfits"

     Every day I come home from work, the cutest little bulldog is curled up on my couch. I think I have a million pics of Bailey's sweet, snugly poses, but I thought today wouldn't be a bad day for a little Christmas photo shoot.

     Ladies and gentleman, let me introduce to you Bailey's "everyday" look. Just your classic Christmas colors and a little sparkle. Perfect for lazy days around the apartment.

    

      Our next look is for more formal holiday occasions. Three red felt flowers accented with red rhinestones makes Bailey the "daintiest" bulldog around. 

And finally, for more whimsical nights, a quality acrylic and polyester reindeer suit complete with antlers and red nose. However, Bailey wasn't really diggin' the outfit and got a little camera shy

Pretending to be asleep.

Posing next to her Christmas gift from me and Kyle

"Hey, I smell something in there that I want."

"Allie, enough is enough."

Look for the Spring 2012 collection soon. :)

... thanks for humoring me.

Christmas Family Tradition

     I love how cozy homes feel during Christmastime. The ambiance of Christmas lights and candles mixed with baked goods and holiday movies... well, you can't go wrong. Last year, I picked up a few decorations at the Nutcracker Market, but we still had one thing that we were missing-Christmas stockings! Right when we got married, if not sooner, I knew exactly what kind of stockings I wanted us to have. Growing up, my mom made all of our stockings. Albeit from a sewing kit, but nonetheless, I looked forward to the time each year when my mom pulled out the box of stockings and perfectly arranged them around the fireplace. Each stocking was perfectly picked out for each of the kids, and every time I look at them I still associate all the stockings with everyone's personality. What's even better is that every time one of us gets married, my mom makes another stocking.

     Well, as I said, I knew the kind of stockings I wanted Kyle and I to have. I wanted to carry on the tradition my mom had started. I went ahead and picked my stocking out first. I had no sewing experience at the time, and I would have felt terrible if I had messed up Kyle's stocking. I did manage to figure the stocking kit out, but it took forever to finish! It is no easy task, and I now appreciate how much time it took for my mom to sew 13 of them!

Stockings at my mom's...

My mom made this when I was in the 3rd grade. I wanted to take it to show and tell, but I thought I would get made fun of for believing in Santa. :0)

Kyle's- Notice... my mom had "Howdy" monogrammed on Santa's shoe. Gig'em.

Little brother's... he's 19, but I remember when my mom was pregnant with him while she was sewing all of these stockings.

Little sister's... again, she's 24.... I guess the May kids are all grown up.

The boss hog... my big brother's stocking

Josh's wife's

My stepdad's... I think this snowman is so cute!

My older sister's... she had a dog named Lucy when my mom made this stocking.

My mom's... the Christmas Queen

If you look closely at the bottom, you can see the scraps of Steven's. My mom is working on his Football Santa stocking. :)

Carrying on the tradition...

My first stocking to sew

And Kyle's... he wanted another beach stocking.

Looking forward to making more... but not for a few more years. :)

Routine and the Future

     I have noticed that about the time October rolls around, a nice consistency has started to form. Granted, this was only our second October as a married couple, but still, there is such peace. It is so easy to get bogged down and tired from the work day. Seemingly, it takes a lot of will power to not want to become a permanent fixture on the couch once the work day is done. But, what makes our marriage fun are the times that come once we are both home from a long day at work.

     I generally get home from work 1-2 hours before Kyle. Within that time frame, I take Bailey on her "mini walk," work-out, prep dinner, and do a chore. I can't even think about sitting down on the couch, or I won't get up. And, without fail, the moment Kyle steps in the door from work, he goes into his "de-work" mode.

  Step 1: Say hi to wife and dog.

Step 2: Walk to side table. Empty pockets of business cards, cell phones, and wallet. Take off watch.

Step 3: Walk into bathroom/closet (loosen tie on the way there). Slip off shoes, hang up tie and suit. Put shirt in the cleaners bag. All the while, we recap our day while I sit in the computer chair nearby. 

Step 4: Put on workout clothes.

Step 5: "I'll be back."

    It seems that we rush through the "unfun" things so that we can get to spending our quality time together. We only have 4 hours together everyday, and we try to make them the most stress-free, fun, and happy hours. One of the things that I love about Kyle is that he is always planning for our future. I am a planner/worrier by nature, but Kyle takes those worries and uncertainties away from me. He wants to take care of me. Naturally, our evening conversations tend to gravitate towards talking about our future.

     Within the past 7 months, Kyle and I have joined a Sunday school class at our church... First Methodist-Westchase... you should come :). And even though Kyle and I have both grown up in church, we have really been challenged by the things we are learning together. You see, Kyle and I have such big plans, and we have had to really step back and evaluate the future we have said we want versus the future God has for us. To be completely honest, Kyle and I have struggled with the idea of owning a house. We want one. Now. However, God keeps telling us, "not yet, you two." Kyle and I have had countless conversations about when and where we will buy as well as why haven't we bought a house yet. It is hard for 2 people that want their lives mapped out perfectly to not be in control. So, we will wait, and wait on His timing. By accepting this, we know that owing a house won't make us any happier. We are very happy... and blessed already.

     What's wrong with our cozy, 900 square feet and evenings spent together on the couch? We don't need a house to do that... well, not yet anyway.  

Allie and Kyle Firsts: Boy Meets Girl

     I don't deny that it was love at first sight, but I wouldn't necessarily say I saw my future spouse the moment I laid eyes on Kyle Schielack. It was a fall, Thursday night in college, and Ol' Ags (Kyle's not-a-frat men's group) was having a crush party. Kyle invited my roommate Marisa while I was invited by another Ol' Ags friend. I typically denied any such invitation and usually cringed at the idea of going out on a school night (I know, what kind of college kid was I)? However, spontaneity ensued, and the next thing I know, I'm dressed like an indian and headed out to the "Boston Tea Party."
 
     I had no real agenda in going, and for the most part, it was a fairly uneventful night. Marisa did insist that I meet her friend Kyle, though, and this is how it went down.

SCENE: A male dressed in khaki linen pants and a deep, v-neck, white linen shirt dances in the middle of four college girls. The girls are wearing feather head dresses and other native american garb.

Marisa: Kyle, this is my roommate, Allie.

Kyle: continues to dance Hi Allie. Nice to meet you.

Allie: Hi. (In my head... He's a little ridiculous- clothing and dance moves)

     Lets say that meeting Kyle didn't really change my world... yet. The real highlight of the night was when the dj finally played "My Humps," and Marisa and I were able to show everyone what we were made of... dance moves more ridiculous than Kyle's.

     Okay, fast forward a few days. Marisa comes home from class- the one she has with Kyle.

"Kyle said you were hot."

     Now the boy that didn't impress me suddenly had my attention.

     Weeks pass. Kyle's not on my mind in any capacity. I don't even know him for goodness sake. But then, one random night, I spy him studying at West Campus Library. 

My thoughts: Oh gosh! There's Kyle! If he thinks I'm hot then he can't see me like this. On man! Why'd I wear these stupid cheer shorts! And my hair-the frizz! No make-up! Get out of here quick!

     The next time I would see him... well, the rest would be history.

     Stay tuned.

Kyle and Marisa... maybe it wasn't such a deep v-neck

Me and Marisa before Boston Tea Party

Simple Things

Yesterday was one of those days. I felt tired, overwhelmed, and lazy. I basically forced myself out of bed, all the way down 610 and 290, and taught with as much enthusiasm as I could summon. I hate feeling this way, so in order to recharge, the following were essential to reviving my attitude:

Prayed this verse

and this one

watched an episode of glee

Kyle knew I was having a bad day, and he came home from work with a chocolate chip cookie!

asleep by 9

Sometimes it only takes simple things to feel better... and knowing that a 3 day weekend is on the horizon.

thanks google for the pics.

Newlyweds: A Year Later

It has been about a year since I started the blog. One of my first posts was about life as a newlywed. Going back to work after a summer break is always a difficult transition, and I remember last year at this time I was barely balancing my life at work and my life as a new wife.

Before we got married, I lived with my parents. My responsibilities around the house were virtually nonexistent. My general routine was wake-up, go to work, come home, and repeat the next day. I took care of my laundry and other personal chores, but taking care of things around the house didn't really fall into my to-do list ... well, as far as I was concerned. My mom may tell you differently, but that's another story.

My expectation of marriage didn't seem like it would be too different than dating and being engaged. Kyle and I were very close. We had a good idea of each other's charming and not-so-charming qualities, and I knew the transition into marriage would be fairly seamless... and, it was.

However, I never would have expected that the following things would overwhelm me.

Taking out the dog
Making the coffee
Cooking dinner
Making my lunch
Doing the laundry
Putting away the dishes

It's not that I didn't know that I would have to take on those things, but oh, how overwhelming it all was at once. I expected our life to be so similar to dating, but there are many obvious changes that happen when you get married. With our work schedules, I was only seeing Kyle on the weekends before we got married. Our weekend plans tended to be routine: out-to-eat, watch recorded t.v., go to church. It wasn't until we were married about 6 months that we naturally evolved into a more "grown up" routine.

Last night I was talking to Kyle about all of this.

"Kyle, remember last year how upset I would be about having to make the coffee?"

"Kyle, remember when I wouldn't put the laundry up for weeks and it would sit on the floor of the laundry room?"

"Kyle, remember when we used to fight about who would take out Bailey... oh wait, we still do that." :)

I am prone to stressing out a bit, but I am also prone to fixing what stresses me out. A year later, I laugh at the things that I couldn't keep up with. We now have a much more organized way to get things done around the apartment and still feel like there is time to spend with each other after work.

Our favorite/typical weekday/evening routine:

make coffee and lunch
workout
1 chore (laundry, vacuum, etc.)
dinner
conversation on the patio
walk Bailey
t.v.
sleep

Oh, it works out so nice and organized. :)

Pinterest Projects

While the past few weeks at work have been great, they have definitely made me tired. My main goal this weekend was to catch up on sleep and do something fun. In case you were worried, I did both of those things.

Knowing that I had opted out of the Aggie game this weekend, Kyle decided to spend the night with his brother on Friday so that they could get to College Station early on Saturday. So, while Kyle was with Lance, Jill came to spend the night with me. What Jill and I thought was going to be a "Bridesmaids" DVD watching party, it turned out to be something much more elaborate.

Our "sister weekend" started with dinner and cocktails at the Black Walnut. We chatted about random sister stuff, and we started concocting some crafty ideas. We searched through some of our Pinterest pins, and we came up with some of our favorites (and easiest to do). 

Game Plan:

-fall wreath

-tie dyed shirts

-DIY necklace

-DIY earrings

Pinterest Inspiration #1:

Our version:

Newspaper, paint, felt, ribbon, wreath=$12 :)

Pinterest Inspiration #2:

Our Version:

We couldn't resist.

Pinterest Inspiration #3:

Our Version:

All made from stuff at Hobby Lobby

Pinterest Inspiration #4:

Our Version:

Also Hobby Lobby stuff

Although the taste level of some of our projects might be in question, we had a lot of fun planning, shopping, playing, and chatting. Not to mention, "Bridesmaids" and "Toddlers and Tiaras" served as our background noise and Le Peep and Papa John's provided the sustenance.

Other tested and approved Pinterest projects:

Kitchen Drawer organizer- Worked great for me b/c our apartment only has 3 kitchen drawers, so this is saving me space.

The highlight of test day in my classroom. See below for my version.

It's amazing how exited they get when I "sprinkle" this over their heads before a test. Gotta love sixth graders. 

Cilantro lime vinaigrette. Yum!

Clean the dust mites from your mattress. 

Carpet cleaning recipe. Worked for me!

Thank you Pinterest.

My Thoughts About Coffee

     You see, I had this coffee cup that I loved. I took it to work with me everyday for the past 2 years. I would pour my coffee at 5:00 a.m., and my coffee would stay hot for hours. Literally. It was almost bizarre how long my coffee stayed the perfect temperature. This past weekend, I loaned it to Kyle. Kyle lost it. There was a brief moment where I thought there might be tears. I told myself to snap out of it. So, I went to Target.
 
    I have seen that blessed cup at Target since purchasing the recently abandoned cup. I just knew it would be there, so of course, Target didn't have anymore. I bought some other mediocre cup that is doing a lackluster job, and it in no way compares to my other cup. I will not give up hope. I just need to go to another Target... and another if necessary.
   
 So if you really want to know my thoughts on coffee, here are just a few.

• You can never drink enough coffee.
• While coffee is needed every day, the best day to drink coffee is Saturday. On the couch. In jammies. With Kyle. Watching t.v. A big bowl of cereal. A comfy blankie.
• Starbucks always taste better in the winter.
• The smell of coffee alone is comforting.
• Don't ever loan Kyle your coffee cup.

   

First Week Back

     If my first week back to school is any indicator as to the kind of year I am going to have, it is going to be a fantastic year! Despite that the first week of school brings insane amounts of exhaustion, I felt refreshed and ready to go back. Overall, it was a positive experience, and let's just hope I am not jinxing myself... stay tuned.
     In other news, please pray for my little brother as he starts college this week at Blinn. Pray that he finds good friends that he can depend on and can adapt (and succeed) in college classes. I love you Christian! You can do it!

Apartment Life

As I hooked Bailey's leash on her collar at 9:45 p.m. and headed out the door to "go outside," I arrived at a fascinating conclusion about apartment life. You see, when you live on a property of hundreds of people, there are certain amounts of shame you as the resident must release unto the world. This is especially true if you have a dog.

Allow me to enlighten you...

• Clothing- About 75%  of the time I take Bailey out I am wearing my pajamas. Pajamas generally include sweat pants that are a size too big or shorts that are a size too small. Throw in a plethora of travel shirts I have accumulated and my 7 pairs of slippers and now you're talkin'. Mix all of that with my frizzy hair that emerges after sleep and no make-up... well, welcome to apartment living. My neighbors don't mind me toting my english bulldog along while I adorn my pink elephant night gown do they? 
• Communication- We all know and love the voice in which we speak to our pets. Well, thankfully, when you live in an apartment, the whole world gets to hear the special way you speak to your dog. It's amazing that at 5:00 a.m. I become my dog's biggest cheerleader. "Come on Bay! You can do it! Good girl!" What support she receives when going to the restroom, and, interestingly enough, what strange stares I get from my passerbys. Can a girl not support her dog?
• Cleanliness- Now this is my favorite part. All dog owners that live in apartments have a unique opportunity that not all homeowners get to enjoy. We, the apartment dwellers, avoid at all costs having to get to pick up our dog's poop every time they do their business. Further reason to be jealous, the apartment staff generously supply green "poopy pouches" for us to dispose of our dear pet's poo. But don't worry, I've always got extra green bags tied to the leash if you ever need any. 

As you can see, I am a very modest and shy resident. I dress in ways that are appropriate, I keep my voice at a tolerable pitch, and I always clean up after my pet. I love apartment living... really I do.

An Experiment

     This past Monday my alarm went off at 6:00 a.m., Bailey and I crawled out of bed, and I started getting ready for my first day back to work. Well, fast forward to 5:00 p.m. Kyle comes home. I am excited to tell him about my day, and of course, he willingly listens. I come to the end of my stories, and Kyle says, "you sure were loud this morning." I laugh and say, "oops, I'll try to be more quiet tomorrow."

     Come to find out, Kyle wasn't really all that concerned with the noise.

     "You don't have to take Bailey with you when you wake up," Kyle confesses.

     You see, when Kyle gets up for work in the morning while I am on summer vacation, Bailey doesn't budge. I get up for work after being off for 3 months, Bailey bounds out of bed.

     "Well, Kyle, I don't tell her to get up. She just comes with me," I say.

     Kyle doesn't fully believe that Bailey isn't coerced out of bed, so we decide to hold an unofficial experiment. As we all learned in middle/high school science, you must test something at least 3 times to get the most accurate result... or I think you are supposed to. Anyways, here is how our experiment played out....


Tuesday: My alarm goes off. I am a little slow to turn it off. I look at Bailey. I get out of bed. Bailey follows.

Wednesday: My alarm goes off. I turn it off quickly as not to disturb the test subject. Before I can put my feet on the floor, Bailey has already jumped off the bed and is looking up at me.

Thursday: My alarm goes off. I quickly turn it off, but I'm way too tired to get up right away. Bailey sits up and starts to paw at me until I get up.

     Well, there you have it folks. Bailey loves me more than she loves Kyle Bailey is choosing to wake up on her own.

Summer Reading: Book 5

Book #5: Unbroken



     I finished my last summer book, and just in the nick of time. When school starts, I don't read nearly as often, and I am so glad that this book ended my summer reading streak.

     Without giving the book away, it is about a World War II soldier that survives so many extreme circumstances. The story is based upon research and a real people. It is unlike any book I have ever read, and it is a must read! Kyle is actually "reading" the audio version of the book, so it has been a lot of fun discussing the story with him. This is now apart of my top 10 favorite books. That's all I am going to say because I want everyone to read it!

     (It was also really fun to read this on my Kindle... in case you were wondering :)

Playtime With Bay

Bailey,

     Bedtime is not when you place your scantily clad rubber chicken on me and ask to play. Although, it is hard to resist that face!

Love,

Allie

10 Signs My Summer is Over

10.  I accomplished many chores in a two-day time period... how did I put off all of my "to-dos" until the end of summer?

9. I started cooking again. :)

8.  Kyle gets his old chores back. (Kyle, tomorrow's trash day :).

7. I have a rather large supply of new pencils, folders, and staples.

6. Instead of reading a "fun" book, I've pulled out my copy of The First Days of School.

5. At 8:00 p.m., I start to think that it is a good time to get ready for bed.

4. I put my vitamins in my lunch box instead of the bathroom cabinet.

3. I talk to Kyle about lamination and bulletin board border.

2. The pantry is filled with items you might see in a kindergartner's lunch. i.e. jelly, goldfish crackers, yogurt...

1. I went to work today.

Bailey's Vacation

While we were on vacation, Bailey stayed at my mom's house.

The following are the pictures and text messages I received while we were away.


From Jill...

Happy Birthday!!

Bailey got a manicure :)

From my mom...

Bailey praying that you win $$$



I love that Kyle and I aren't the only ones that think she's special. :)

I also got a text of this little cutie while I was away too...

What a little angel! I love him!