Crazy is the new normal

Well it has been a crazy, hectic last few weeks in our house. Due mostly to having the cutest little puppy around. I knew when we brought Lola home that things were going to change, but little did I know how much! (Apparently I forgot about this stage because the last dog I had was when I was 12)

Here are some of the big changes:

*Not getting to sleep throughout the night anymore. Lola gets up at least twice a night to go potty. While thankfully, she now goes outside and immediately relieves herself, it is still a disruption to MY schedule to have to wake up and put on many layers of clothes to go outside for 2 minutes...oh well, who needs a full nights sleep?

*Gone are the days where I can just sit down on the couch and eat a snack or a quick meal. Lola has to be in my lap or on my shoulders almost constantly. And she feels that anything I have, she should have also. (This coming from a puppy who hasn't ever had human food)

*Getting to go to the bathroom(myself) by myself. Enough said!

*Cleaning, doing laundry, basically anything that involves leaving the room Lola is in is just about impossible. I just hate to hear her whinning. But I know when she stops whinning, its usually because she's found something to chew up, like my cushions, coffee table, or shoes.

But with all these things we've given up since getting Lola, I couldn't imagine not having her with us. She is quite entertaining and can be super cuddly and loving that you can't help but smile!

You might be a redneck if...

So I totally had this pop into my head last night. Dan and I were celebrating our 1 year anniversary and had just gotten home from eating dinner at Shoguns. I had our cake out on the kitchen table and had just started unwrapping it so we could slice a piece off. Dan was taking care of the wine that my mom had bought...it was the same wine that we toasted to at the wedding. Well it didn't take Dan long to figure out that this particular bottle was corked and we didn't have a corkscrew.

I was so dissapointed! Here I thought we were just going to have to forget about the wine and I was really looking forward to a glass. But Dan had a plan.... and neither of them worked. The first involved a drill bit and drill, where he drilled into the cork. But he went too far and ended up going through the cork. Well you know what happened next...little bits of cork fell into the wine...yuck! So it was on to the next plan...this one we got off the internet...it involved taking a large screw and putting it into the cork and then pulling it out with a pair of pliers. That didn't work either. :(

At this point we had been trying to open this bottle for about 30 minutes and getting very frustrated was I! So what was the only option left? Go to Wal-Mart for a corkscrew of course! Needless to say, I ended up getting a corkscrew and we were able to successfully open the bottle of wine. We even managed to get most of the cork bits out of the wine without having to injest them.

It was definitly not the smoothest operation, but then I guess most redneck moments probably aren't smooth!

P.S. the wine was as good as I remember from the wedding and was totally worth it!

10~10~10: One year and counting!

Well we did it! Made it to our 1 year anniversary. It seems like yesterday that I was waking up on my wedding day ready to get it started so we could celebrate with everyone around us.

It was a picture perfect day at the end of a week that was filled with cold, rainy weather. But when I woke up it was a beatiful 56 degrees and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. And since we were having an outdoor wedding, trust me, this made all the difference. I had all the girls come over to my moms house so we could spend the morning getting pampered. Big thanks to Jenn Horton who did a fantastic job on our hair and makeup. She was the only person that I would trust to do our hair on that day...since I was told I was not to touch a curling iron! When we were all done, we climbed into the BMW Limo that my dad suprised us with. I knew were were getting one, just not one that cool! It was amazing. The girls downed a bottle of champagne on the trip to fayetteville and we were all exicited to get to the Botanical Gardens. +

After that everything just flew by like a blur and before I knew it we were lining up and dad and I were waiting to walk down the mile long isle. Seriously, now that I look back on it, why did I insist on walking ALL that distance? But I guess it was worth it in the end because a few minutes later I was being pronouced married! Then the real party started!

The whole day I felt so blessed to have the people I cared about most around us to help celebrate our new lives together. But after a day jammed packed with family, friends, food, dancing, and of course love, it was nice to be alone with my new husband.

Since that day, we've had some great moments and a few not so great moments, but what's never changed is that I love Dan more than anything and wouldn't change a moment of what happened last October 10th.

Tonight we are celebrating by eating our year old cake. (We'll see if we actually go through with it!) We're also going out to eat at Shoguns, and will hopefully get to enjoy some of the amazing champagne we toasted with at the wedding. And of course we'll include Lola in on the festivities when possible because she is part of our lives now!

Happy Birthday's and a Puppy too!

Yesterday was my 26th birthday and I have to say it was pretty good indeed. As I've gotten older, I've found that I don't much like getting suprise birthday presents. Its not that I'm not completely grateful for whatever I get...I just really like to know or have an idea of what I'm getting on the front side.

My mom got me a really great 3 piece patio set for the patio that we built earlier this summer. If you know me, you'll know how long I've been looking for a set so that I can actually enjoy the patio instead of just looking at it as we enter the house. Now all I have to do it get it put together.

My dad really came through and helped me renew my cosmetology license. I have to admit that I've sort of just let this go and haven't renewed it in a few years. I'm just grateful that there is a grace period for such things and that no additional school or testing is required. This license is essential because in 3 days I will be working at Salon Ulta.

For my birthday and Beth(Dan's Sister) birthday, we went shopping in Branson for the day. This was made possible by Dan's Mom, Debbie. I was given the chance to be part of this tradition last year and have to say it is a truly fabulous present. I got some MUCH needed clothing for the new job, as well as some really cute stuff to wear on the weekends.

But the best present, by far, came from Dan. For years I've been saying that I wanted a puppy. Well, Dan's response was always when we get a house...and then when we get a fence. I was always a little disappointed, but understood. So let me tell you that when he suggested I could have a puppy for my birthday I was a little shocked! I think I told him I didn't believe him and he just kept telling me yes. When it finally sunk in, I didnt waste any time to start looking. There has only been 1 type of puppy that I've wanted since we started dating pretty much. That is a puggle. What is a puggle you might ask? Well it is a part Pug, part Beagle, and completely the cutest thing in the world. I lucked into finding a breeder outside of Purdy, MO who was selling Puggles for an AWESOME price. I knew at that moment is meant to be!

So I would like to introduce the newest member of the Carter Family...

                                                        This is Lola!

More about bringing Lola home and adjusting to our new life a little later...

It's Ulta!

So for the last 3 years I've been working full time at Sam's Home Office. And while I like what I do and am glad to have steady income, my first love has always been doing hair. I normally have people come over to the house after work and sometimes on Saturdays, and have turned our 3rd bedroom into a "salon". Yes its very convienent, but sometimes more work when I have to rush home to make sure the house is picked up before an appt. Lately I've been thinking about going back to work part time at a salon. However the right time/right salon never showed itself...until now.

Soon I'll be working part-time at Ulta in the Promenade Mall. If you've never heard of Ulta, its ok, neither had I before talking to Jenn. Basically it is a mega-store that has everything from makeup, fragrances, a full hair salon, and everything spa related. Check out their website http://www.ulta.com/, and I'm sure you'll agree it looks incredible.

I am super excited to get to do something that I absolutely LOVE, but without having to sacrifice the career I have going. And as a bonus I get to work with an amazing stylist and dear friend again.

I think this is just what I need to put a spring back in my step! And as an AMAZING bonus I get discounts on all product! Heck yes!

...

Its been a rough day. Life is ever changing and ever revolving and I just wasn't prepared for today. So I'm taking the time to reflect on it, maybe be sad for a little while, and then build myself back up and face tomorrow. I can do this because I have the love of my husband, the faith given to me by family, and the support of great friends.

New Additions

So my sister-in-law, Beth, had a beautiful baby boy on May 30th! I may be biased, but he is quite possibly the cutest little boy in the whole world.

Unfortunately I wasn't able to be in the room at time of delivery.(I was present for Valerie's birth, his older sister) And I was very sad, but when you hold this little bundle of joy in your arms all that sadness just flys out the window.

And of course EVERYONE is again asking when we are going to start a family. If you ask my wonderful husband, he'll say 5 years. If you ask me, I'd say lets leave it in Gods hands and see what happens. For now, we are content to be here, in this life, just the two of us.

In the meantime, I'll have a blast snuggling the cutest addition to the family!

 **Luke Thomas Andreason**