Ryan and Kendall Watkins

Before and After Christmas in Georgia

2012-01-06T21:49:00.001-08:00

We stopped in Georgia on our way to Salt Lake and back home to North Carolina and were able to see my parents and Carley. I love that you have to fly through Atlanta to get anywhere because it gives me a reason to stop in and see my family. I was also able to see my friend Amanda and her little boy, Banks, who is only 2 months older than Halle but way taller. We purchased Halle her first Christmas dress (hence the tags in the pictures). I was a bad mother and gave Halle her first taste of cheesecake and she loved it. Here are some more pictures from our trip.

Christmas Pictures

2012-01-05T18:58:00.000-08:00

My sister in law saved the day. She read my previous post and had taken some pictures of Halle over Christmas and emailed me them. So now I have some pictures to share. Thanks Ashleigh!

Busy Month!

2012-01-03T21:18:00.000-08:00

We spent the last month away from Greenville. My poor sister in law was in a horrible car accident when a driver did not tie a ladder down and it flew off his car on the freeway. Unfortunately, she ended up hitting his parked car after trying to steer away from the ladder in the road. I am so thankful that none of her 3 kids were with her because the other driver's truck went right through the car where the kids would have been sitting. My sister in law broker her pelvis, several ribs, had a partially collapsed lung and broke parts of her vertebrae. I am so thankful she is alive and will hopefully make a full recovery. This has been such a trying time for her and her family though. The doctors have said that it will probably be 6 months before she can walk with her full weight on her legs.

Halle and I flew to Utah to help my sister in law and her kids during the day while her husband worked. Halle had so much fun visiting her cousins and I was happy I could be there with them. Taking care of 4 kids was definitely challenging, but it was fun to see my nieces and nephew in a different environment and get to help with homework and the day to day activities. Honestly, most days I felt so inadequate. Her church was providing meals and taking her kids to after school activities. I only had to get them lunch, babysit, get them showered and get them ready for bed. I felt overwhelmed by just that! I left with a fuller appreciation of all my sister in law does. She works from home about 30 hours a week, takes her kids to all their activities, always cooks dinner, is an awesome budgeter and has a great food storage. She is also in the Relief Society presidency all while caring for 3 kids which is a full time job by itself. I don't know how she does it. I wish I were half the mother she is.

We were also able to spend some time with my mom, dad and Carley. We had so much fun! It was nice to just relax and I always enjoy seeing how much my mom loves Halle. Unfortunately I have no pictures from the break. I will have to get some of the videos my mom took of Halle. Some things Halle learned over the last month:

- At 10.5 months she started walking! She is hilarious to watch. At first she was so cautious, but now she kind of just fearlessly throws her little body around.

- Our pediatrician told us we could give her ice cream. Well that was a big mistake because once you start, you can't stop giving her some until your bowl is gone. If you try to ignore her standing there staring at you, she gives you a loud growl to remind you she's there waiting.

- She has started mimicking us more and tries to say a lot of the things we do. Her favorite word is baby (it sounds like buby). She has an obsession with babies and won't leave my friend Mary's baby alone. She has the same obsession with dogs and gets so excited if you bark or say the word dog.

- For the past several months she has been on the best schedule! I feel so blessed to have such a good sleeper and she was even good while we were on vacation. She sleeps from 8:30 pm to 8:00 or 9:00 am and then eats and goes back to sleep until 10:00 am. Then she naps from 12:00-1:30 pm and then from 4:00-5:30 pm.

- She loves the bath and will try to climb on my legs and push herself over the ledge of the bath so she can get in.

- She officially has 4 teeth now.

- She still gags pretty easily when she eats and often still pukes. She's getting better though. She loves peas, beans and cherrios.

- She won't eat more than an ounce of her bottle unless she is in a dark room with no noise. She is very easily distracted and would always rather be playing than eating.

- She can't figure out how to drink out of a sippy cup. She bites the spout and then smiles and sometimes giggles like she is hilarious.

- She loves to push around the stroller we gave her for Christmas.

- She still loves books. She starts to whimper whenever we hold a book because she is so excited to read it.

I love my little girl and am having so much fun seeing her grow. There are definitely challenging days, but she brings so much love and joy to my life.

Thanksgiving

2011-12-13T14:48:00.001-08:00

We met my family in Chapel Hill, NC for Thanksgiving this year and had a blast! It was so fun seeing all of my extended family. Its been a while since we were all together (well not all of us because Marjie, Jenny, Bob, Chris and Lauren couldn't make it). Here are some pictures of our time together.

Halloween

2011-11-01T19:09:00.000-07:00

Halle was a little lady bug for her 1st Halloween. We went with some friends and walked around their neighborhood. We didn't actually go up to any doors because she doesn't eat candy yet, and I felt dumb getting candy for me. It was fun to get out though. It was kind of a cold night and then started down pouring on us. I am excited for next year when she will be old enough to understand a little more about trick or treating.

Beach Trip

2011-11-01T18:58:00.001-07:00

Halle and I went with my mom and my mom's best friend from high school, Margo, to the beach and it was beautiful. Halle absolutely loved the birds and all of the dogs visiting the beach with their owners. I can't wait to go back when she is a little older and build sand castles and play in the water.

Friends!

2011-11-01T18:57:00.003-07:00

Halle has a little friend here in Greenville that is only 3 weeks younger than her. It is so fun to see them together. They smile at each other and steal toys from each other. They are adorable.

SPIDERS!!

2011-09-10T21:12:00.000-07:00

I went downstairs tonight to lock up and found a spider the size of a tarantula in our entry way with at least 100 baby spiders crawling around it. I tried smashing it with books and shoes and it just wouldn't die. I went upstairs to search for an insectiside and couldn't find any so I grabbed the next best thing, LYSOL. I lysoled the heck out of all of them until they couldn't move anymore and then wiped them all up with paper towels. I wish Ryan were here because I think I am going to have nightmares about spiders tonight.

Give Me That Camera!

2011-09-10T15:18:00.001-07:00

Like most babies her age, Halle has started to obsess over anything Ryan and I are holding. Here she is crawling over to grab our camera.

Halle Discovers Our Kitchen

2011-09-06T19:16:00.000-07:00

Help Please!

2011-09-02T15:03:00.000-07:00

Our church asked me to speak in church for 15 minutes (yes that's right 15 MINUTES) about myself and I am at a loss of what to say. I wrote everything down that makes me interesting and think it will maybe fill 5 minutes. HELP PLEASE! What do I talk about?

I Love This Face!

2011-07-27T18:21:00.000-07:00

I love this little face so much. She cracks me up so much! She is such a cheeser and gives us the biggest open mouth grins when we smile at her or say her name. I can't believe she will be 6 months old in less than a week. She is getting so big that it breaks my heart. I keep trying to remember to enjoy this phase so much. I was remembering the other day about how when I was 13 I was so embarrassed by my parents and thought they were so old school and didn't know anything. It makes me sad to think that could be Halle one day.

I was thinking about the things I hope she will know and take with her throughout her life:

1. Know that your dad and I love you so so much! When you don't agree with us on things, know that everything we do is with you in mind. We want what is best for you in life and always have your best interest at heart.
2. You are so beautiful and wonderful. You are special even if sometimes you don't feel like it. I don't think you will ever be able to understand until you have your own children how much your dad and I love you. Our hearts skip a little beat when we look at you or you smile at us. I could sort of comprehend God's love for me before having a child, but the way I feel for you now has made me realize how much he must love each of us and how much he must hurt when we don't do what is right or are suffering.
3. When you are hurting, we are hurting right along with you. There have already been times in your young life when I have seen you in pain and wished so badly I could take it from you. I would do anything to protect you and keep you safe.
4. I want to be such a better person for you. You deserve the best mother in the world and often I feel inadequate. I hope you will be patient with me and all of my imperfections.
5. Try to look at everything in a positive light. Its hard sometimes to see the good in the bad, but life will be so much more fulfilling if you can.

I love you and am excited to see you grow and reach your full potential.

Charleston, SC

2011-07-11T19:06:00.000-07:00

We had so much fun in Charleston, South Carolina. We went on a carriage ride and were told the history of Charleston, saw a plantation, went to a swamp garden and rode a boat and saw alligators, went to Ft. Sumter and saw dolphins and went to the beach. We also ate some really yummy food at Poogins and ate some wonderful ice cream. Halle got to swim in some of the fountains that all of the kids were swimming in and absolutely loved it.

Pictures of Halle!

2011-05-26T20:13:00.000-07:00

My friend Hailey is so amazing and took the most beautiful pictures of Halle. She is such a wonderful photographer. I couldn't have asked for better pictures of her. Hailey is such a good friend. We had so much fun catching up with her and her husband, Damon. It is so fun to see old friends who are so easy to pick right up with. We miss them so much. She has the cutest kids ever and it was so fun seeing how they've grown over the last few years. Thank you Hailey. You can find Halle's pictures on Hailey's blog below.

Halle's Pictures

Best Husband Ever!

2011-03-07T11:41:00.000-08:00

Not only has Ryan been an amazing dad, he is such a help to me. The hardest part about becoming a mom has been the lack of sleep. I was one of those people who consistently got at least 8 hours a night. It seems like getting 2 to 3 hours here and there would eventually add up to 8 hours and be sufficient, but I just never feel as rested. Ryan offers every night to get up and feed Halle a bottle so I can get a stretch of time to sleep. While his schedule has been really great, he still has to get up each day for work. He is such a wonderful husband to me and I am not sure I could have done this without him. He has told me that he honestly enjoys getting up to feed her in the middle of the night. I love watching him with her. The first thing he does when he gets home is to come see her and hold her. He calls and asks about how she is doing and always has to kiss her good night before she goes to bed. He is such a sweet father and it is wonderful to see them together.

Thankfully Halle is going 5 to 6 hours between feedings at night now so it really hasn't been bad getting up with her. She usually eats at 9:00 and then again at 2:00 or 3:00 am and then again around 8:00. Such a good baby. I feel so blessed to have the two of them in my life.

Bath Time

2011-03-05T16:44:00.000-08:00

Halle has started to love her baths. Tonight I gave her a bath in the sink and she started screaming when I took her out. I am still trying to figure out how to give her one because she she is slippery and you have to hold her head and her body. It is a little tricky doing it alone. It is a definitely a two person job.

Halle's Blessing

2011-03-03T07:34:00.000-08:00

Halle was blessed in church this Sunday and Ryan's mom and my parents were able to make it out for the blessing. Halle was a trouper and didn't cry during the blessing even though it was time for her to eat. She looked so cute in her dress.

Baby Halle

2011-03-02T17:10:00.000-08:00

Nothing can describe how much Ryan and I love this little girl. I love watching her expressions. Motherhood has been the hardest thing I have ever done, but has been the greatest joy and blessing in my life. I am so thankful for a healthy little baby.

My birth story was pretty uneventful. I rolled out of bed at 9:30 am on February 2nd (a little over a week before my due date) and my water broke when my feet hit the floor. I called Ryan and told him he needed to come home from school. I called the doctor and they said to get to the hospital as quickly as possible. While Ryan was on his way home, I took a shower and while I was getting ready the contractions began. Ryan came home pretty quickly and we left for the hospital. By the time I got to the hospital, my contractions were coming about 3-5 minutes apart and were lasting for 30-45 seconds. Within an hour and a half or two hours I got my epidural. I am not sure how people go without them. The contractions were so painful that I immediately asked when I could get my epidural. After I got my epidural, labor and delivery were smooth sailing. I spent my time chatting with the nurses and just relaxing. When it came time to push I was already to a 10 and was only pushing every other contraction because the nurse was worried the baby would come before the doctor could get there. By 4:42 pm Halle was born. I hemorrhaged after delivery, but other than that, it was a wonderful experience. I wish every woman could have such a wonderful birth experience. The doctors and nurses at Riverside Hospital were wonderful!

Halle and I both had a much harder time the 2 1/2 weeks following labor and delivery. We had a hard time nursing at the beginning. My milk wouldn't come in and poor Halle started to get a little dehydrated. Her gums were dry and she was peeing urate crystals. We gave her some formula until my milk came in. Halle was terribly gassy and had a few days where she cried 5-7 hours. She was pretty gassy during the first two weeks and so my pediatrician recommended cutting milk/dairy out of my diet. I am now on a no milk diet which I think has helped with her gas. I never realized how many things have dairy products in them. It has been a new experience trying to find foods that I can eat that don't contain any dairy products. Then she developed a horrible yeast infection/rash and would scream every time she would pee or poop. She also has thrush on her tongue and is now taking medication to clear that up. The doctor also put me on a yeast infection medication so we don't pass it back and forth. It has been awful to watch her suffer. It is heart breaking to do everything you can to try to help her feel better and nothing works. On top of it all, I broke out in a horribly itchy rash covering my body. I itched that back of my legs so much that I have scabs covering them. I got a steroid from my doctor and am happy to say that it has cleared up. Now that the thrush and diaper rash have cleared up some and her gas is under control a little more, she is a much happier baby. The past week has been wonderful.

I am so thankful for my family and friends and most of all for prayer in my life. There have been so many times over the past few weeks where I hit rock bottom and prayed and felt comforted that things would be alright. More than anything, motherhood has taught me that things are out of my hands and helped me realize that I can't do this on my own. I am thankful for a Father in Heaven who loves my little girl and loves me. I am so grateful for the feeling of peace and love that I feel when I pray. Most of all motherhood has shown me the love that God must have for each of his children. I know I can't quite comprehend that love, but I have a much better understanding than I think I used to. It is amazing to see this little person that I love so much and would do anything for. I am so thankful for her in my life.

Halle is 1 Month!

2011-03-02T16:48:00.000-08:00

I have been horrible about blogging so I think its time to catch up. My little girl is 1 month today. I have felt so blessed over the last month. Ryan's mom, Shelley, and my mom came in town to help us out. Them being here has been so much help. It broke my heart today when Shelley had to fly home and I had a few melt downs when my mom left over a week ago. I love watching my mom and Shelley with Halle. It is such a wonderful experience to see our mothers with our little girl. I have never felt such an outpouring of love in my life and am thankful to have such wonderful family.

Halle Jane Watkins

2011-02-13T20:39:00.000-08:00

hallebabe.tumblr.com

37 weeks

2011-01-21T20:00:00.001-08:00

So I don't look great in this picture. It was taken after a day of work (after 10 pm) and a couple of bad nights of sleep, but I haven't been documenting this pregnancy very well and felt that I should at least at the end of it. I honestly shouldn't complain because my pregnancy has been great overall and it could be so much worse. The last two weeks have been a little rough because I wake up 5-6 times to go to the restroom each night and then sometime between 2:00-4:00 each morning I wake up and am not able to sleep for at least and hour and a half or two hours. When the alarm goes off to get ready for work I groan. I can't say that I have ever felt this physically exhausted before. I guess good preparation for parenting right?

Another pregnancy joy is swelling. This also hit about 2 weeks ago. My feet and ankles are about as thick as my calves which is a very attractive sight. Last Sunday at church I slipped my shoes off for a bit and couldn't get them on so I ended up wearing snow boots (the only shoes that fit me right now) with my knee length skirt through the rest of church.

I love my OB so much and couldn't ask for a better one. At my appointment today we were listening to her heart beat and when my OB looked down at my stomach she said "those stretch marks weren't there last week were they? I am so sorry." I have been using special creams every day since 12-14 weeks, but to no avail I have a lot of stretch marks now. My OB said there really isn't much that can be done about it. It is hereditary and the lotion mostly only helps with itching.

This baby is worth all of the sacrifices though. I am so thankful to be having her. I can't wait to meet her. I have dreams about her and what she is going to look like and be like. I already feel so much love for her and know that is love will only grow. I am so thankful for this experience. It has been such a wonderful experience as a married couple as well. Every night Ryan likes to touch my stomach and feel her little feet, arms and body. It is so wonderful to see how much he already loves her and wants to protect her. I can't imagine what it is going to be like seeing her for the first time.

Cleaning!

2011-01-04T18:31:00.001-08:00

The craziness hit right after we got home from Christmas in Atlanta. I have been feeling so much anxiety over having the house clean and completely organized. Poor Ryan has to put up with my crazy. He has been a trooper though. I probably shouldn't be doing half the stuff I am, but I just can't stop myself. I am 35 weeks (5 weeks to go) and I want the house to be perfect before she gets here.

This weekend I:
* deep cleaned the fridge and freezer
* pulled everything out of our cabinets in our kitchen and wiped every cabinet out
* deep cleaned the downstairs bathroom
* vacumed all of the rugs downstairs and swept
* dusted the book shelf, coffee tables and TV stand
* purchased and put together stroller, car seat and pack and play
* cleaned out the counter under the upstairs bathroom
* organized the clothes in the baby's closet
* organized storage bins with our shampoo, conditioner, hair products and my makeup
* did 4 loads of laundry

Tonight I:
* Pulled everything out of the linen closet and organized
* did 3 loads of laundry
* vacumed two sets of stairs
* vacumed cobwebs in the basement

Ryan was so wonderful and went through all of his books and decided which ones to sell and keep. He posted them online to sell them, cleaned his desk in the baby's room and deep cleaned her closet out. That doesn't sound like much, but it was piled with junk. He is getting rid of 3 large bags of his old clothes to make room for our little girl. He did this all after taking two 8 hour exams last week including one on Friday. I should have let him relax a little more.

My back is killing me, but I feel such a sense of accomplishment. To do over the next two weeks:
* Organize storage room in basement
* deep clean finished part of basement where my mom and mother in law will be staying
* deep clean our bedroom
* deep clean baby's room
* deep clean bathroom

I think I will be able to breath easy when it is all done.

Night at the Airport

2010-11-29T18:28:00.000-08:00

On my way to Salt Lake City last week, I had a layover in Minneapolis, Minnesota. I left Columbus around 5:00 pm and landed in Minneapolis at 6:40 pm. My flight was supposed to take off at 9:40, but unfortunately the plane that we were supposed to be on had not arrived yet because of weather. When we finally boarded the plane, it was after 10:00 pm and a horrible ice storm hit. We sat on the plane for about 2 1/2 hours before we were told we could get off the plane and grab some food. I made a buddy on the plane who is also pregnant and due a few days before me. While we were off getting food, an announcement was made that due to the ice on the runways, we would not be taking off until 7:00 am the next morning. Delta gave us meal and hotel vouchers, but the hotel shuttles were not running because of the ice on the roads. The airport brought out mats that screamed "BED BUGS" so we decided to pass and instead went for some McDonald's hash browns and pancakes.

After eating, I looked down and noticed something scurry across the floor in the McDonald's. I watched for a second and realized it was a MOUSE. After gagging, we went to find some benches to sleep on. While laying down on the benches, my airport buddy saw another mouse scurry across the floor. If you have ever been to the Minneapolis airport, you know it is really nice. If a nice airport has mice, I don't want to know what other airports have.

At 6:15 am we made our way over to our gate. Because of the ice on the roads, our pilots were not able to make it to a hotel to sleep. FAA rules require that pilots get a certain amount of time off to sleep before flying again. We had to wait for a new crew to arrive at the airport which didn't happen until after 10:00 am. When we finally took off, the entire plane errupted into applause.

Ryan's plane left Columbus at 6:45 am and landed in Salt Lake at 10:30 am. He ended up getting to Salt Lake 2 hours before I did. It was definitely a night I will never forget.

Here is a picture of me and my airport buddy on the BED BUG mats which we decided to sleep on after learning at 7:00 am that our plane wouldn't be leaving for another few hours.

Bladder Troubles

2010-11-14T13:46:00.000-08:00

This week, I came down with a nasty cold. Unfortunately that means a lot of sneezing and coughing. I am trying not to take any days off of work since my work requires me to use 5 days of my paid time off before my disability/maternity leave kicks in. On almost a daily basis I found myself coughing or sneezing and then wetting my pants. I think it might be time for some Depends. I figured this might happen when I got closer to my due date, but I am just starting my 3rd trimester. This is not a good sign of things to come.

Topless Woman

2010-10-07T17:23:00.000-07:00

While walking to work this morning, I had an experience I'm sure I will never forget. I had walked off my bus and was preparing to cross the street when I noticed a security guard and woman arguing. It took a second for me to register that the woman was completely topless. That's right no bra and no shirt. It isn't illegal for a woman to go topless in the city of Columbus so unfortunately the man couldn't tell her to put a shirt on. I could definitely tell he was trying to encourage her to though. It was only 50 degrees outside this morning. Brrrr.... Seriously, one of the most interesting mornings I think I have ever had.

22 Weeks

2010-10-07T17:07:00.000-07:00

Here I am at 22 weeks. I decided to post a picture after receiving a few requests. My mom was in town two weekends ago and went maternity clothes shopping with me. It was so great to have her there. Shopping for clothes after gaining over 10 pounds was honestly not that fun especially knowing there is more weight gain to come. I am so thankful for this experience, but it can be a little difficult watching your old body slowly disappear. So after spending a day or two slightly depressed, I went to work. I had my first bad pregnancy experience with a coworker. At work most people have told me how cute my bump is or how great I look still, well not this woman. Our conversation went a little something like this:

Woman: "Wow you certainly have a bump don't you?"
Me: "Well, yeah I am 20 weeks now. It has really popped out in the past week or two."
Woman: Staring and looking surprised at my size.
Me: Feeling like I have to defend myself, "I have gained about 10 lbs which my online weight tracker says is in the normal range for how far along I am."
Woman: "Well, I only gained 17 lbs my entire pregnancy."
Me: "Oh were you sick because I haven't been sick at all?"
Woman: "No, I just really watched what I ate. I didn't wear maternity clothes until the last 3 months of my pregnancy"

Sometimes I wish people would think before they decide to speak. I tried to remind myself that weight gain is normal and that everyone carries their babies different.

We are having a baby GIRL!!!!

2010-09-22T08:49:00.000-07:00

She was so cute to watch because she kept playing with her feet.

6 Years!!!

2010-08-15T17:26:00.000-07:00

Ryan and I celebrated our 6 year anniversary on Saturday. I can't believe it has been that long! There have been joys and trials throughout, but I am so happy to have him to share my life with. Here are 6 funny and 6 more serious things I love about Ryan for each of the years we have been married:

Funny

1. I am a very deep sleeper so I am not really sure this happens at night, but have been told repeatedly about it. Since Ryan started medical school, he often has had to stay up much later then me studying (basically the last 3 years). Every 3 out of 4 nights, Ryan crawls in bed, turns me on to my side, cuddles with me and then credit card swipes my bum before rolling over to go to sleep. Apparently I complain in my sleep, but never fully wake up. I am glad he gets so much enjoyment out of this, especially since I sleep through it (I hate being woken up so I would be pretty peeved if I was aware he was doing this). Wondering when the novelty will wear off.

2. Since finding out I was pregnant, at least several times, Ryan has spontanteously grabbed my stomach and started to shake it while yelling "EARTHQUAKE!" Poor child.

3. I love watching his face when he plays Modern Warfare. He is almost as animated as the game he is playing. He sticks out his tongue and moves his head around as if he were really looking around corners or up at the sky.

4. I love the little crotchety old man inside of Ryan. He is always so sassy and it constantly makes me laugh. I can't imagine what he will be like when we are 60 years old.

5. When Ryan gets ready in the morning, he purses his lips together so his dimples show and checks himself out in the mirror. Not sure what the expression does, but it is very specific to Ryan getting ready and taking account of what he looks like.

6. When Ryan is watching a TV show that he is enjoying, I always know it because he mouths the words the actor or actress is saying as if he is trying to anticipate what he or she will say next.

Serious

1. He is going to be such a great dad. We have been working in the nursery at our church with 18 month to 3 year olds for the past year and I love watching him with the kids. They all love him so much and it is so cute to watch him interact with them. Sometimes he is teaching them educational things, but sometimes it is just something fun that makes them all giggle. In particular, he recently taught them "the People's Elbow," a professional wrestling move for those of you who don't know what it is. He taught them to tap their elbow twice and then body slam him. It was hilarious watching 6, 2-3 year olds jumping on him.

2. Often he has to put in late hours studying and preparing for school. He always takes 15 minutes each night to tuck me in and spend time talking to me. While it isn't always a lot of time, it is quality time together and I appreciate it so much. I hope that even after the baby arrives, we can continue to have this tradition. It is my favorite part of the day.

3. He continuously is making me laugh. He always has some witty remark that can always get a smile out of me.

4. I love his passion for life. He is always reading something and learning. He has such an appreciation for this country and the freedoms we enjoy. He loves politics and enjoys thinking about the impact of new and potential laws. I enjoy my discussions with him so much and the things I learn from him. I wish all Americans cared as much as he does about this country.

5. I love coming home at the end of the day knowing that he will be there to hear about my ups and downs. It is so wonderful to have someone that I know genuinely cares and wants what's best for me. Although sometimes I complain about it, I appreciate his honestly and him telling me the truth even if sometimes it isn't what I want to hear.

6. His hard work is inspiring to me. He works so hard at school and everything he does in life. I appreciate having a partner who is so dependable.

Ryan, I love you and can't wait to see what the future holds.

2010-08-04T18:59:00.000-07:00

Click the picture above to see the announcement...

*I want to thank my absolutely amazing friend Jamie for making this announcement for me. She is seriously one of the most talented, creative people I know.

Disturbing Dreams

2010-08-03T17:55:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, I had one of the funniest dreams I have ever had.

I dreamed that it was the day of our wedding and Ryan and I were getting married. When we received the marriage certificate, it showed that I was married to his 19 year old brother instead of Ryan. I tried to correct the error, but was told there was nothing that could be done. The officiator indicated that in God's eyes I was married to his brother Jeff and nothing could be done. We argued for a while mostly that God would understand a tiny mistake like a name on a wedding certificate. Unfortunately, nothing could be done so I was married to his 19 year old brother Jeff.

Ryan and I decided to live together as a married couple since we believed the officiator had gotten it wrong. Sadly, one day I came home to find that Ryan had also married Cameron Diaz. We argued for a while, mostly I cried that I hadn't signed up to share my husband. Several times throughout the dream I woke up and found that Ryan wasn't sleeping next to me. I immediately would panic that he was out with Cameron Diaz. I kept thinking he would for sure dump me once he was realized how much better looking she was. Once I woke up enough, I realized it wasn't real. Ryan was pulling an all nighter preparing for a presentation he had to give the next day.

Toilet Cleaning

2010-08-03T17:47:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted to my blog in such a long time. I feel a little like I am way overdue but honestly haven't had anything that funny to share. My family visited this past weekend and we had so much fun visiting the zoo, Ohio State Fair and eating lots of bad food/yummy. It was so fun. In preparation for their big visit I cleaned the house including a deep clean of the bathrooms. If you get queasy or disgusted with bathroom discussions you may want to stop reading now.

I must admit that it had been a while since I deep cleaned our upstairs bathroom. In our house bathrooms require weekly cleaning. Unfortunately, I hadn't gotten to the upstairs bathroom in a while. I often find myself worrying more about the downstairs bathroom because it is the one people see. So needless to say a deep clean was very needed. Growing up, there were so many women in my family that I rarely had to deal with men standing up to use the restroom and pee on the seats. Not to say that Ryan has a problem with this, but I think sometimes the urine makes its way onto the underside of the toilet seat. He would argue that this is issue is caused by my own abilities. When left for an extended period of time (namely over a week) it isn't fun to clean.

While my parents were here, I was complaining about how often I clean the toilets. It has been quite a while since Ryan got out the scrub brush and did a deep clean of the toilet. For those of you who know Ryan, one of his greatest talents in life is that he can out logic anyone. He is the master debater which I love so much about him, but sometimes I find myself thinking " how did he out logic me on that one".

The discussion began with me complaining about him not helping around the house. Ryan argued that he cleaned the bathroom more than me. At that, I just had to laugh because clearly that isn't true and his answer was....

"I aim my stream to clean the inside of the toilet bowl" said with a completely straight, matter of fact expression.

No wonder there is urine under the seat of the toilet. I didn't know that using a pee stream counted for cleaning. I know gross, but it just reminded me of another lovely part of being married. I think I need to train my future children to sit down when they go. What do you think?

I love Stephen Colbert

2010-03-04T15:45:00.000-08:00

The Olympics was even better this year because of Stephen Colbert. Two of my favorite clips of all time were Fondue Pong and when he interviews a man from the Canadian Parliament named Ujjal Dosanjh. You have to watch these two clips. He is hilarious.

Fondue Pong

Ujjal Dosanjh

Nationwide's World's Greatest Spokesperson in the World!

2010-02-15T08:10:00.000-08:00

As some of you know, I work in the Marketing and Intellectual Property legal group for Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company. Nationwide recently came out with some new commercials that I think are pretty funny. Anyway, I thought I would include them so enjoy!

All 8 clips

The Main Website

How Smart is Your Right Foot?

2010-02-05T11:28:00.000-08:00

I love dumb things like this. This will boggle your mind and
you will keep you trying over and over again to see if you can outsmart your
foot, but, you can't. It's pre-programmed in your brain! Do the following:

1. Without anyone watching you (they will think you are GOOFY......) and
while sitting at your desk in front of your computer, lift your right foot
off the floor and make clockwise circles.

2. Now, while doing this, draw the number '6' in the air with your right
hand. Your foot will change direction.

Now try it with your left foot.

I have to admit, I was trying it over and over again at work.

Questions about us having a baby

2010-01-07T18:59:00.000-08:00

Pretty often, Ryan and I are asked when we are going to have a baby. Often I am tempted to make up some story because I typically don't know how to answer. I don't mind when it is good friends that ask, but it seems like lately everyone has been asking (including people I barely know). I usually just try to say something like "well Ryan has a lot of school in front of him" or "we will have one when the time feels right". Over Christmas break, a friend from Ryan's high school asked when we were going to have a kid and Ryan responded like this:

Ryan: Well, after the two year separation, Kendall and I are just starting to get to know each other again so ....

Friend: Ohhhhhh... (really awkward pause)

I am not sure how long he let the poor guy sit there feeling awkward but eventually said "I'm just kidding man."

Ryan told me he has often wanted to say something like "well, after the cancer" or "we can't have kids."

I think it must seem weird to people that we have been married for over 5 years and don't have a kid, so they are just curious. Anyway, I thought it was too funny not to share. Have any of you who have been married for a while and don't have a kid yet ever answered baby questions in funny ways?

Thanksgiving

2009-12-18T19:13:00.000-08:00

I apologize for the lack of writing on my blog. Life has felt incredibly busy lately, but at the same time, I can't find much to write about.

We had so much fun in Georgia for Thanksgiving. It was so good seeing my family and enjoying good food together. We have this funny tradition that we do every year (although typically my aunt Carolyn takes the pictures). It is fun to look back and see how much we have changed over the years. Anyway, I have included the pictures for your viewing pleasure.

Michael Buble

2009-11-08T18:15:00.000-08:00

David Letterman

Many of you are aware of my love for Michael Buble. I was looking on his fan page (yes I know I'm sad) and I found a video of him doing Letterman's Top 10 list. This explains exactly why I love him so much. Listen to that beautiful voice and he's funny too! Click on the title of this post to go to the video clip.

FOR SALE: 2003 Honda Accord - Gently Used!

2009-08-02T17:45:00.000-07:00

So as you can see, our car isn’t really in working condition anymore. Unfortunately, on Friday night at 3 AM, a drunk driver hit our car. My mom was visiting this weekend and we all woke to a screeching noise and the sound of metal hitting. I thought it was someone screaming, but Ryan thought there had been an accident. Sure enough when he made his way outside, he saw a man crawling out of his Dodge Ram truck window. Ryan told him to stop and had him sit down on our camping chair (the guy is lucky I didn’t get out there first because I probably would have been a lot angrier).

First, the drunken man hit a celica and then hit our car almost head on and scraped along the driver side of our car, moved it about 3 townhome units down the street and onto the curb. The driver then went into the Wheeler’s front yard and struck their tree. Brianna’s sister saw him try to reverse, but he couldn’t because his front tire and the ball that connects to the axle had been ripped off when he hit our car.

Ryan came out of our house when the guy was climbing out of his car window. Ryan sat him down in the camping chair while a witness called the police. When the police arrived they gave the man a sobriety test and then placed him in the back of the police car. He had already passed out a number of times in our camping chair and passed out a couple of more times in the police car. Over the next hour and half, 5 police cars, 1 ambulance and 1 firetruck showed up at our house.

When the ambulance got there, they put him on a stretcher and cut off his clothes to see if he was bleeding anywhere. They kept having to roll him on his side so he could throw up. He was taken to a hospital and then I assume to jail after that.

We still do not know if he was insured or not. I was a little irritated to learn that our tax dollars take care of his towing fees since he was going to be sent to jail. However, we were required to have our car towed on our own dime. I am hoping that we can find as good of a car for the money we receive from the insurance company as we had, but we will see. FYI, I advise checking your insurance policies and making sure you have uninsured motorist and underinsured motorist coverage. Thankfully we were covered although we have a $1,000 deductible.

I was very thankful that no one was hurt and that the Wheelers car was not impacted by the accident. The truck ended up about a foot from their Impala. It was truly miraculous that their car hadn’t been hit.

I hope that people will think twice about drinking and driving. We were so lucky that this happened when everyone was in bed and not during the early evening when people are outside and could have been hurt.

Hair cut!

2009-07-15T18:43:00.000-07:00

I cut my hair short two weeks ago and have been promising pictures to some of you. Be mindful that these pictures were taken at the end of the day after work so my hair isn't looking fabulous and I took them myself so the photography skills are lacking.

My Sisters Keeper

2009-07-11T21:36:00.000-07:00

I just saw this movie tonight and loved it. It was probably the saddest movie I have ever seen, but the story was so beautiful. It was a good reminder of what is really important in life.

3rd of July

2009-07-04T09:47:00.000-07:00

On the 3rd of July, Columbus Ohio has a firework spectacular. Fireworks are shot of to music on a radio station and hundreds of thousands of people come out to enjoy. It is one of the largest firework shows in the Midwest. We had gone last year and decided to go again last night.

The evening began with a wonderful barbeque in one of the parking lots downtown. The food was so good and the people watching was even better.

Unfortunately, we had forgotten that the bathrooms were pretty limited downtown and drank too much soda. We ended up having to wait in a 30 minute line to use 1 port-a-potty without any toilet paper. Lets just say that it was on my list of the top 5 grossest bathrooms I have ever seen.

The line was about 30-40 women long. Pretty quickly, we realized that there was a men’s restroom that people were cutting in line to use. We had two women in front of us that were pretty upset at all of the cutting and it made for a very entertaining wait.

One was cursing at the girls who were cutting and going into the men’s bathroom. There were a number of guys letting one girl in particular cut. The woman in front of us kept saying things like:

“Just because your cute, it doesn’t mean you can cut all of us.”

“Look at the kids in line you (bleep), I can’t believe you are cutting kids!”

Some how, I can’t remember why because it didn’t really have anything to do with the port-a-potty, but she kept mentioning how she was a lesbian. Anyway it was pretty funny. I am going to get some pictures from and upload them.

It was also pretty funny to see all of the drunk people that had apparently not thought about drinking and the lack of restrooms available. There were people in tears because they had to go so badly. Seriously, I love red white and boom.

BUT THE BEST PART OF THE NIGHT WAS:

We had been walking around for a while and decided to head back to the car. When we got back to our car we saw some couples camped out on our car. They had also parked themselves on some other people’s blanket. Seriously, no shame!

Later Ryan wanted to get some soda out of the car. When Ryan walked around the back side of the car and saw the people with their plate of food resting on our trunk, he said “Excuse me, I need to get in my trunk.” They apologized, but still continued to loiter around our car.

Justin Wheeler was also with us and caught them changing their baby on our trunk and was offered one of the joints they were smoking. The saddest part was that the people probably had 4-5 little kids with them (great example).

Well, I am glad we could provide them with a nice seat because all 6 adults enjoyed sitting on the hood of our car while watching the fireworks. We didn’t really get to enjoy the show because we were afraid they would try to put out their cigarettes or joints on our car or key the car. The whole time I wanted to say something to them about sitting on car, but they didn’t really look like the kind of people you wanted to mess with.

Overall, it was a fun night with lots of fun memories made.

Bulbs

2009-05-29T06:53:00.001-07:00

I officially have a love hate relationship with all of the wild animals in Columbus. I loved coming out of my house last winter and seeing 5 dear standing in my front yard. I enjoy driving down the road and seeing the wild turkeys and beavers off to the side. Unfortunately, we also have the raccoons and squirrels to deal with as well.

For mother’s day, I usually buy my mom flowers but decided this year to get her some bulbs so that she could enjoy the flowers year after year. When I was in Georgia last weekend we planted them and then she gave me 40 of the 200 bulbs home to plant in my yard.

Two days ago I started to plant the bulbs, but it seemed that nearly ever time I came outside, within 15 minutes we would have a downpour. I would quit and decide to come back when it stopped. The next time I came outside, it happened again, but I was nearing the end of the unplanted bulbs so I kept going. Wet, yet satisfied I looked at my flower bed and was so excited to wait and see what all of the flowers would look like in the coming months.

Yesterday, I came home from work and was walking home from my bus stop when I noticed one hole dug into my flower bed. I stepped closer to get a better view and then realized that the squirrels had gotten to my bulbs. I couldn’t believe it. Of the nearly 30-35 bulbs I planted there were at least 15-20 little holes throughout my garden, right where the bulbs had been planted.

When Ryan and I first moved here, he always talked about getting a pellet gun to shoot the squirrels with (not kill them, just stun them a little bit). I always thought it sounded so mean and heartless until last night. 2 hours of manual labor after working a full day and nothing to show for it, I was angry and ready to declare war on the squirrels of our neighborhood. Honestly, I don’t know what to do to keep them away. I have some bulbs leftover to put in my backyard, but am afraid of what will happen once I bury them. Please let me know if you have any suggestions of how to keep all the vermin in Columbus away from my flowers.

Actors and Actresses

2009-03-31T11:10:00.001-07:00

I was at a girl’s night out last week and somehow we started talking about watching TV and commenting to our spouses on the attractiveness of actors or actresses. I recalled a number of experiences that I have had with Ryan in the past regarding my preference for Silver Foxes. Yes, I admit there is something about men over 40 that I like. They exude a quiet confidence that can only come with age. Many have reached a successful enough point in life where they no longer feel the need to show off like 20 and 30 year olds. It is a characteristic that I admire. They have families of their own and would rather enjoy their time with their children than going to bars and partying. I haven’t quite put my finger on what it really is, but for some reason I am attracted to it. I like their wrinkles and smile lines and gray hair that all remind you of their wisdom and knowledge. When Ryan and I first discussed our opinions on attractiveness, I think he was shocked and disturbed by my preference. I think he honestly thought that if I found these 40 and 50 year old men attractive, what did say about him? For lack of anything better or more exciting to write about, here are my top 10 choices. While searching for images to upload to my blog (you have to show pictures to do the Silver Foxes justice), I came across a Silver Feast website. If you have a chance, you should google it because it was pretty hilarious. Well, I hope you enjoy.

These are in no particular order because I was honestly having difficulty putting them in order.

George Clooney- He is probably number 1 in my book

Kevin Costner- Wait, no maybe he is #1. So wonderful in Rumor Hast It.

Hugh Jackman- I have heard from reliable sources that once you watch Australia, you will fall in love with him. Honestly, he really isn't that old, but is kind of bordering on the Silver Fox category.

Colin Firth- Pride and Prejudice. I am usually not into the whole British accent thing like some women, but he won me over.

Pierce Brosnan- James Bond and Mamma Mia. Ok, so maybe I do like British accents more than I knew.

John Slattery- Mad Men

Richard Geere- Runaway Bride

Robert Redford about 15 years ago (He is probably the most attractive of all, but now is a little too old)

Brad Pitt- Also not super old

Mel Gibson- Pre anti-semitic comments

If you think I have left anyone out, please let me know.

Passports

2009-03-30T10:38:00.000-07:00

Ryan and I are going to Aruba this summer with his family (yes we are so incredibly excited), however, this means we had to get passports. I went about a week ago and first ran to the Fedex store by my job. I walked into the store and spoke to one of the most mello kids I have ever met. He took me over to a white wall to have my picture taken. He would wait and wait with his finger on the camera and then when my eyes could no longer take the staring and I was just about to blink, snap the picture. I wanted to say, “come on can you please give me a three count.” So there I was waiting and waiting and could no longer continue to stare at the camera when…. FLASH, another blinking shot. The third time, I just managed to keep my eyes open. The kid asked me to wait while the pictures printed. When he handed me the card containing the photos, I looked and my first thought was “YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME.” In the pictures one eye is almost closed and one is open. They told me not to smile, but to make a normal everyday looking face, so of course I have the stupidest looking smirk on my face. For the next ten years, I get to have a passport with a photo of me looking completely stoned. Awesome. I wish they would let you look at the digital camera before printing the picture.

So today, Ryan sends me this text while I am at work.

Ryan: “My passport picture girl was about 4 ft. tall, so I had the option of an up the nose shot or a chin on chest, fat neck shot.”

Me: “Which did you pick?”

Ryan: “I had a split second to make the decision and went with the extra fat neck… I kinda regret it now.”

So there you have it. Won’t we be the pair, FAT NECK GUY AND STONED GIRL.

Melissa

2009-03-10T08:29:00.001-07:00

I had been reading that Melissa from the Bachelor was supposed to be taking the place of Nancy O’Dell on Dancing with the Stars. Well, I tuned in last night and sure enough, there she was. She only had 48 hours to prepare for the show and did so great. She has a dance background, so I am sure that helped a lot. Anyway, I am not a big fan of Dancing with the Stars, but I might just watch this season because I like her so much.

The Uglies

2009-03-04T05:46:00.000-08:00

My friend suggested that I read a series by Scott Westerfeld called the Uglies, Pretties, Specials and Extras. Honestly, if you haven't read it, you should. I am not huge into the science fiction stuff, but these books are so easy to read and keep you completely captivated the whole time. I have loved them. I read an entire book in a day and a half. I went to work for 9 hours and then came home and read the whole night and then finished the book in about 1 hour yesterday. Anyway, I just wanted to let you guys know. The books are really clean because they are young adult novels, so no language or sex. They have been really enjoyable to read. Here is a link to a synopsis of the books. I promise that you won't be dissapointed.

After the Final Rose Part II

2009-03-04T05:45:00.000-08:00

I watched The Bachelor again last night because I wanted to see how ABC would spin the breakup. I read the realitysteve blog yesterday and it talks about a conspiracy behind this season of the bachelor. If you watch the show, you should totally read it. Anyway, I am not sure what to believe anymore.

My friend McCall commented on my blog yesterday and I can’t agree more with her. I kind of felt bad for Jason at the end of the night. I really feel like the participants are put in this completely fake environment where everything is completely wonderful. It would make it really difficult to not fall in love on the show. When the cameras are off and real life is left, I can totally see how things could shift really quickly. It really doesn’t excuse what he did to Melissa. He honestly should not have proposed to her in the first place if he still had any feelings for Molly. I mean the guy was sobbing like a baby after letting Molly go so clearly there were some feelings there. But at the end of the day, I do believe it was better to let Melissa go before they got married or she gave up her life in Texas to move to Seattle for him.

I know that Jason probably signed a contract that said he would have to break up on national TV or something, but couldn’t the guy have at least tried to fight that more? I just felt so bad that they played the whole thing over again last night.

If there was a conspiracy behind this show like the realitysteve blog says, then I really think Jason is a complete tool. I guess I will never though. For Molly’s sake, I really and truly hope it works out.

I know that Jason probably signed a contract that said he would have to break up on national TV or something, but couldn’t the guy have at least tried to fight that more? I just felt so bad that they played the whole thing over again last night.

Well, I am really excited for Jillian next season. I hope she finds someone great!

The Bachelor

2009-03-03T07:13:00.000-08:00

I have something completely embarrassing to admit… I LOVE THE SHOW THE BACHELOR!

I particularly loved this season. I felt so sorry for Jason Mesnick after he was dumped by DeAnna and his first wife. I just felt like the poor guy got the shaft in life and really deserved to find someone nice. Well, after last night my feelings have changed. I am not sure how many of you watched the final rose ceremony last night, but it was horrible.

A recap for those of you who didn’t, he picked Melissa and proposed to her. Six weeks later Jason, Melissa and Molly, the girl he didn’t pick, went back on the show where he dumped Melissa on national television because he still had feelings for the girl he hadn’t picked, Molly. It was super awkward and really sad. Then after he dumped Melissa, Molly came out and talked with Jason and found out that he was still in love with her and had dumped Melissa.

For someone who had supposedly been hurt so many times in his life, how could he do this to someone he cared for? If he was still feeling like he loved both girls, why didn’t he just say that he wanted to continue dating both and see what happened. That has been done before.

It broke my heart when Melissa was just asking him to try to work on it and she said that she had only wanted to be engaged once in her life and that he had taken that from her. Jason kept saying things like, Melissa and Molly both have a right to be really mad at me after what I did, but I just have to go with my heart and live in the moment. I can totally see how you couldn’t know for sure who to spend your life with after 2 months, but if that is the case, DON’T GET ENGAGED! It just felt really immature. I just don’t know why he felt like he had to propose if he wasn’t sure. Anyway, I am sad for Melissa and hope she finds someone who will treat her well. I hope for Molly’s sake that it turns out with Jason although I wouldn’t be surprised if it didn’t. Most of all I just hope Jason grows up and stops feeling sorry for himself. He made everyone who watched the show feel so bad for him and then he turned around and treated people he supposedly loved like crap.

Anyway, props to Jamie, she totally called it!

Allergic Reaction

2009-02-21T16:19:00.000-08:00

Nationwide is great place to work. In the basement of our building we have a really nice (free) workout facility. I have been determined to lose weight before my best friend from high school's wedding. For the last 4 weeks I have been going to the gym and working out at least 4 days a week. Unfortunately, my diligence took a turn for the worst on Tuesday.

I ran my typical two miles (I know pretty weak) like I usually do and then went to do some weights afterward when a sneezing fit began and wouldn't stop. After close to 50 sneezes, I realized that my nose had completely closed up and that my asthma had hit with full force. I was wheezing and could only get really shallow breaths. This hasn't happened to me since high school so I naturally was unprepared. Luckily I had my work out buddy with me. She helped me up to our office and then ran down to the CVS in our building to buy me some benadryl. After 20 minutes of no relief, I realized that I might need to go to the urgent care or at least go home and get some of my asthma medication.

I walked over to my boss and began explaining that I was going to go home early and would finish my work at home that evening. As I was talking I started to notice him looking at me a little weird as well as an object obstructing my vision. Our conversation went a little something like this.

Kendall: Is my eye skin all fat and hanging down a little?

Boss: Yes, it looks pretty puffy

Kendall: Oh, I thought so. I think I am having an allergic reaction. Well, I am think I am going to go home. I will finish all my work tonight.

Boss: I believe you will take care of your work, please just go take care of yourself.

I called Ryan and asked him to come get me. I took my pills when I got home and within two hours the swelling had gone down and I was feeling 100% better.

Anyway, the pictures don't document the fat eye skin that well because they were taken 2 hours after I took my medicine, but you can still see it. I know I look like I am squinting with one eye, but that is me really trying to open my eyes wide. I feel like I have some of the most pathetic work experiences sometimes. First puking all over the floor in the bathroom and now walking around with a fat eye.

In high school I had a similar allergic reaction/asthma attack. I went to the ER that time because I had hives all over my body and was swollen to 1 1/2 times my usual size. I was asked to remove my clothing and put on a hospital robe and was mortified to find that a rather young, good looking man would be my doctor. I was petrified that he was going to have to give me a shot in my puffy and hive ridden bottom. I remember thinking "why couldn't it have been a 50 year old man, but instead I get a young, successful, very good looking doctor on one of the days that I look my absolute worst. Aren't I lucky." Anyway, enjoy the pictures.

Funny Tag

2009-02-21T16:16:00.000-08:00

This was a funny tag that I got from my friend's blog. Ok, so I was a little bored Saturday night. Anyway, you type your first name and then NEEDS into Google and list the top ten things that come up. Pretty Funny

Serving you for all your Kendall needs
It looks like Kendall needs some rest (yes please)
Kendall needs to stay behind the plate
Kendall needs to start smoking again
Kendall needs more work, money (I could use the money, but not the work)
Kendall needs to learn subtlety (that isn't very nice)
Kendall needs to butt out (I am starting to get a complex)
Kendall needs to carpet bomb Pine Valley, her idiot husband shot her “brother”, had child with her sister and is not connected to her... (I think best one yet!)
Kendall needs to kick the betraying (a word that rhymes with witch) to the curb
Kendall explains why producers and others involved in creative process need entertainment attorneys

Sleep

2009-01-26T13:43:00.000-08:00

Honestly, I haven’t had a bad night of sleep for a while. Last night was absolutely terrible! As many of you know, Ryan has a part time job procuring organs for transplants. Well this weekend he got called twice to West Virginia which is about 2 ½ hours there and 2 ½ hours back. He left at around 12:00 pm on Saturday and didn’t get home until about 1:00 am (so about 13 hours) and then was called again on Sunday at 11:00 and didn’t get home until 1:00 am (so about 14 hours).

Because we share a car, I dropped him off and picked him up both days so that I wouldn’t be stranded. On Sunday I knew I was going to have to get him and when I laid down to sleep I kept stressing that I wouldn’t wake up when he called for me to come pick him up. So I basically laid in bed until about 12:00 and then found out that he was going to get home around 12:40 and would call me.

Well, I finally fell asleep and then woke up when he called me about 30-40 minutes later. I picked him up and got home around 1:20. This weekend I cleaned the bathroom with comet and sadly some of the powder must have risen out of the bathtub because I breathed a bunch in and have been wheezing ever since. My throat has been really scratchy as well. The rest of the night I was coughing and when Ryan finally came to bed he fell into a very deep sleep. He must have been really tired because when he rolled on me 4-5 times, he had no idea. I had the hardest time waking him up and trying to get him to roll back over. Then he ripped the blankets off me a few times. Luckily I got to sleep until 8:00 am because he was so nice and offered to drive me to work the next morning. He is a good husband. Needless to say, I am read for bed right now!

Oh no Renee

2009-01-23T22:09:00.000-08:00

Did any of you watch the Golden Globes? If so, did you see Renee Zellweger? Seriously the most hideous dress I have ever seen. I love her. She usually can look so much better, but I honestly don’t know what she or her stylist was thinking. So sad.

Freezing Cold!

2009-01-23T21:44:00.000-08:00

Last week we were hit with a terrible cold spell. Columbus was below freezing and below 10 degrees for 2-3 days. On Friday the news said that the high was supposed to be 4 degrees. When I woke up Friday morning to get ready for work it was -13 and felt like -32 with the wind chill. I decided that I didn’t really want to sit out and wait for the bus, so I thought I would drive to work instead. Well, I went out to the car right after the last express bus had left and found that it wouldn’t start. I haven’t jumped a car in a long time so I went back inside to read on the internet about how to do it. Also, when I looked at the battery I noticed some blue corrosive material and found that it could contain explosive material. Unfortunately, our internet was also not working. I called my mom to find out about the battery and she found an article that said the battery could explode if it was frozen.

I decided that I better not try to jump it and instead get on one of the local buses since the express buses stop running at 8:00. Anyway, in the end I was outside about 1 hour and on the bus for another hour. So much for trying to get out of the cold. The air was sold cold that it made me feel like I had a brain freeze.

Flying

2008-12-30T11:06:00.001-08:00

I have decided that some airline agents really stink! Ryan and I flew home yesterday from Atlanta, Georgia after a week of visiting my family. Our flight was scheduled to leave at 10:00 am and we arrived about 55 minutes before its departure. We checked in at a kiosk and got our boarding passes and then stood in line to check our bags. The agent weighed our bags and found that we were 1-2 lbs. over the allotted 50 lbs. She said she would come back in a minute while we readjusted our baggage.

We waited and waited and waited and finally after about 10-15 min., we decided to ask another agent. The agent scanned my ticket and found that we were passed the time limit. She said that she would not be able to take our bags and that we would have to rebook our flight. We explained that the only reason we were late was that the other agent had said she would be right back so we waited for her and when she never came back, we moved to another counter. We said that if she would have come back, like she said she would, we would have been on time. The agent apologized and said there was nothing she could do.

Ryan and I were really frustrated and waited in a line with 50- 100 people in order to rebook. While we were waiting, I got the phone number for the sky miles line and talked to a really pleasant employee. He explained that he could get us on another flight but that it wouldn’t be until 5:15 pm. Since that was our only option, we took it and decided to ride the subway back to my parents’ house. We hung out for another 4-5 hours and then my mom drove us to the airport.

Babies

2008-12-06T11:36:00.000-08:00

I showed Ryan the following picture and asked him what he thought of the baby. He said, "the baby is cute it just doesn't look like it will grow up to be very attractive." Sadly, Ryan didn't know the baby was me. I was a little dumb founded because I had always grown up thinking I was a cute baby. He was a little shocked to learn it was me. Anyway, it was a pretty funny conversation.

In other news, Ryan and I were on the couch today and we like to play this hitting game (by hitting I mean little pats. It is a way of flirting with each other I guess). Anyway, after I had already softly punched Ryan twice (really it is soft and we are laughing the whole time. I don' want you to come away from this thinking we abuse each other), he started to act like he was going to punch me back. He likes to swing his arms around probably because a) I have horrible reflexes and he can easily get around me if he wants to, and b) I think he enjoys the watching me swing my spastic and uncoordinated self around trying to block him. So he is swinging himself around and I am swinging myself around in an effort to block him and full on slap him in the face on accident. He looks completely shocked and we both start laughing hysterically. Along with the horrible coordination I was blessed with the inability to determine how far my body is from other objects. This is probably why I run into things, miss tennis balls by a mile when trying to hit them, and fall a lot.

Thankful!

2008-11-12T19:52:00.000-08:00

I am not really into the whole mushy blog posting thing, but something happened the other day that made me realize that sometimes it is good to share emotion.

Most of you know that I started a new job at Nationwide working in their Office of General Counsel. At first I was a little afraid to make another change in my life, but felt strongly that it was the right choice. I prayed that I would fit in and enjoy my new position. When I started at Nationwide, some of my coworkers quickly befriended me and made me feel so welcome. I was so scared of fitting in, but found myself surrounded by friendship and kindness. Yesterday, after a few months of knowing there would be some significant changes made at Nationwide, I found out that 2 of the 3 attorneys I worked with were going to be loosing their jobs.

I honestly, sat and thought for a while about the situation. They were hard workers and such kind people. You hear on the news about all of these companies laying people off and the economic hardship our company is facing, but I never thought it would happen so close to home. It made me realize that I need to be more grateful in my life for what I have. Each morning I hear people on the bus complain about our country, our government, their jobs, and everything else and find myself also getting caught up in it.

I forget so much how wonderful my life is. So I decided to share some things that I am grateful for.

These are in no particular order…

1. God. I know that we are able to have a relationship with our Heavenly Father and I am grateful for that comfort in our lives. When I have felt like I can’t go on and had no where else to turn, I have felt the warming comfort of a God that loves me and is there at all times in my life.

2. America. So many people live in places where they are not allowed to practice their religion, speak freely when they do not agree with something, and vote for individuals who they feel would represent them best. I am grateful for this melting pot of a country that is constantly giving me opportunities to meet people with different beliefs and backgrounds.

3. My husband. Even though we have our rough patches, I am so thankful that he sticks by me. We have grown so much as a couple over the last 4 years. I am happy that I will be sharing the future with such a wonderful person. He really is a great man with so many things that I admire. He is such a hard worker and has found something he is truly passionate about. I admire that he never just does anything to do it. He always reaches for what will make him happy and gets so much enjoyment out of school and his hobbies.

3. My family (both the family I grew up in and all my in-laws). It has been so fun doubling the amount of family I have. I have been so lucky to be loved and supported by so many people. I couldn’t have asked for a better group of people in my life. I can’t wait to see you all over the holidays!

4. Our friends. Without family around, our friends have become our family here. It is such a reassuring feeling to know that you have people who would do anything for you if you need it. We have been lucky to find such a sense of community here. We love you and thank you for your good influence in our lives.

5. My job and Ryan’s school. Even though me finding a job out here was a lot of hard work, I am so grateful that with hard work and determination, I could find such a wonderful job. It has been such a blessing to enjoy what I do and the people I am around. I know I complain about having to get up and go each day, but I am so thankful to be able to support us while Ryan is in school. I am happy that we were able to come to Columbus, Ohio for Ryan’s school. We have loved it here. I couldn’t have asked for a better place to be.

Nieces!!!

2008-11-03T09:13:00.001-08:00

I have realized that one thing I miss the most about living near family is my nieces. Both of them are so adorable and so much fun to be with. Addison is 5 and is a great conversationalist. She could talk to us forever about what is going on in her life and what she observes around her. It cracks me up how adult she sounds. Her sister Olivia is 2 and ½ and sadly doesn’t remember us as well. After all, we lived there over a year ago (which is about half of her life time). It is amazing to see how much she has grown up.

Typically when I call, I talk to my sister in law, Ashleigh, for a while and then talk with Addison. I am not sure why I have never asked to talk with Olivia. I guess I figured she probably wouldn’t want to because she didn’t remember me. Well, last week, after talking with Ashleigh and Addison, Olivia asked to talk to me. She got on the phone and said “Hi Kendall!” Completely shocked that she knew who she was talking to, I said hello.

For the next few minutes I spent my time asking her questions about things that I knew a 2 year old would be interested in. The conversation went a little something like this…

Me: “So what are you going to be for Halloween?”

Olivia: “Tinkerbell”

Me: “Well that sounds fun! Are you going to go Tricker or Treating?”

Olivia: “Yes”

Me: “Wow, I wish I could Trick or Treating. What do you get when you go Trick or Treating”

Olivia: Heavy Breathing and a slight pause

Me: “Do you get candy?”

Olivia: “Yes”

I asked a few more yes or no questions.

Me: “Well we are going to come visit you soon and we are so excited. We miss you a lot.”

Olivia: Heavy breathing

Me: “I love you and miss you. Can you pass the phone back to Addison?”

Olivia: “Yes”

Me: “Ok thanks”…. Waiting to hear Addison

Olivia: 30 seconds of heavy breathing

Me: “Olivia, are you still there? I love you. Can you hand the phone back to Addison?”

Olivia: “Yes” followed by 1 minute of heavy breathing

Me: “Olivia are you still there? Can I talk to your mommy or Addision?”

Olivia: “Yes” … another minute of heavy breathing and then silence

Finally, she hung up the phone on me. I love 2 year olds. Seriously, I forget sometimes how much my nieces make me laugh. I miss them so much and can’t wait to see them soon at Thanksgiving.

WORST DAY EVER!!!! (Do not read if you get sick to your stomach easily)

2008-10-16T13:09:00.001-07:00

Today was the worst day ever! Seriously, I am not even kidding.

This morning, I realized that I was supposed to give blood at our Red Cross Blood Donation Center. I thought about what I had eaten and been drinking today and realized that I hadn’t really been consuming that much. I called the blood donation center and explained all of this to the receptionist, but she insisted that they had a critical need for my blood type. She pleaded with me to still come, so I kept my appointment. I drank a lot of liquids and just hoped that I was putting my self in a good situation to give blood.

At 2:30 today I walked down to give blood. Everything went great and after it was over, I sat and ate my snack and drank some water. I sat for 20 minutes and decided that I felt fine. Because the blood donation center is in the basement, I have to take stairs up to get to the main floor. As I started on the first flight of stairs, I realized that I was loosing my vision and hearing. Everything started to become fuzzy and I knew I was on the verge of passing out. I sat down on the stairs for a little bit and then continued on, just wanting so badly to be back at my desk. I then approached the second flight of stairs and climbed them until again I felt like I was loosing my vision and hearing again. After another rest, I approached the long hallway that connects one high rise to the high rise I work in. I got to my high rise and took the escalator up, leaning against the side the entire way. Again, I started to loose my vision and hearing. There was nowhere to sit in the lobby, so I pushed on just thinking that I if I could get to the elevator, I would be ok.

I approached the elevator and stepped in with another man. He pushed the button for the 10th floor and I pushed the button for the 11th. As we rode up, the following conversation took place.

Me: “I think I am going to pass out.”

Him: “Oh, well just breath. You will be ok.”

Me:”Well, I just gave blood. I think I am going to pass out.”

Him” You will be ok, just relax.” (as he gets off the elevator)

Seriously, would you get off the elevator if someone was telling you they were going to pass out? Wouldn’t you be worried and telling them you would stay with them and make sure they are ok?

Anyway, so he stepped off the elevator. I rode up one more floor and started to realize that I wasn’t going to make it. I ran to the women’s restroom (the closest door to me) and as I entered, I threw myself into the first stall. Immediately, I felt that I was going to be sick. I tried to contain myself, but I threw up all over the walls and floor of my stall and somehow the stall next to me.

Completely mortified that someone would walk in and see, I rested for a minute and then decided to clean it up. I hate leaving messes like that for other people. I started wiping the floor, but sadly, I had a bad type of lunch that wasn’t easy to clean up (Sorry if that totally grosses you out).

So while I am in the middle of cleaning it up, a woman walks in and sees the entire mess. I was completely embarrassed and mortified. I kept apologizing for the state of the bathroom. She just kept saying, are you ok? Can I help you? You don’t have to clean that up. She was so nice. I insisted on cleaning it though. There was no way I was going to leave it for someone else. No one wants to clean up someone else’s throw up.

When I got to my desk I called the janitor and told them that someone had thrown up in the bathroom and that it had been cleaned up, but the bathroom should probably be moped. I didn’t want to give my name because I was so embarrassed. I even went to the extra effort to call from a conference room as to conceal my identity.

I got back to my desk and explained the situation to two of my fellow employees. One fed me animal crackers and gave me water. She was so sweet.

I really want to go home, but Ryan is in a carpool and doesn’t have a car to come get me with. Unfortunately, it wasn’t his turn to drive this week so he is stuck there until the driver decides to go home. The bus comes in 30 minutes, so that’s not bad. I am still feeling pretty fuzzy though and am having a hard time focusing my eyes and have a massive headache.

To make matters even more interesting, I have to host book club tonight and am expecting 10-15 girls to come to my house. Hopefully I feel better by then.

Well, I learned my lesson today. Never give blood when you are low on water or food (even if the blood donation center is trying to talk you into it).

The whole situation felt like Elementary School all over again when I threw up on the floor in my classroom and I was so humiliated.

Georgia

2008-10-13T13:18:00.000-07:00

It was the weekend before the test for Ryan this past weekend, so I decided to go visit my mom since I knew he would be studying.

On Saturday, we decided to go to Elijay, Georgia which hosts an Apple Festival (http://www.georgiaapplefestival.org/) each year. Elijay is a quaint little town in the North Georgia Mountains. When we arrived, the first thing I noticed was the picture above.

Honestly, how tacky is that. A kiddie ride made to look like the Titanic sinking. When we arrived, it honestly looked like the movie with the bow face down and the stern sticking straight up in the air. I can just picture it…“ Mommy, please let me go down the Titanic again” or “it was so cool it looked like it was sinking”. Maybe it is just me, but I thought it was a little tacky to make light of such a sad moment in history.

Then we went to look at some of the many apple products being offered at the fair. I ran into a man straight out of the deep South and inquired about the Apple Butter he was selling.

Me: “How much is this Apple Butter”

Him: “Five dolla” (picture him speaking with a very heavy southern accent)

Me: “Oh, ok well thanks anyway” (about to walk away)

Him: “Givtoyafothreedolla”

The sentence literally jumbled together just like that. Thinking that I had heard that he said three dollars, but embarrassed to ask him again and hear the same thing and have to ask him to repeat it once more, I decided to give up and walk away.

After consuming apple dumplings, Greek cuisine, looking at vendor booths, and purchasing apples, peanuts and apple butter, we decided to leave. On our way out, we noticed people in line for Camel rides. Honestly, I never pictured seeing camel rides at a North Georgia fair, but what do I know.

It was such a fun weekend spent with my mom and dad. Sometimes it is so hard to visit family because when you leave, it reminds you of the things you are missing out on. I love my life in Ohio, but I miss family too.

Bedding

2008-09-28T18:52:00.000-07:00

So I have been searching for a new duvet for a couple of months and finally realized that I wasn't going to be able to find one for under $70 dollars. The problem was that the duvets I found never came with pillow shams and I would still need to buy sheets. I finally decided that since I couldn't find anything, I would have to make it myself. I bought 3 white sheets sets so that I would be able to use two top sheets to make the duvet, one fitted sheet to cover the ugly floral print on our box springs, one fitted sheet to cut up and make shams with, and a sheet set to use as our actual sheets. This ended up costing me under 70 dollars for all of the bedding. I also found some throw pillows on sale at Hobby Lobby. I am pretty happy with how it turned out. I called my mom and mother in-law to tell them about my project because both are great seamstresses. I was proud that I actually made something (I am notorious for having a lack of patience, so the fact that I got through this is amazing). I was so proud of my new bedding even though it was really really easy to make. I just need to put up some pictures on the wall and our room will be complete. Anyway, here it is for your viewing pleasure. Also, I am trying to decide which pillows to keep, so please participate in the pillow poll on my blog. Thanks!

TV Stand

2008-09-28T18:46:00.000-07:00

I recently found a TV stand off Craigslist that was a very light colored wood. The majority of my house has black or dark brown furniture, so I decided to spray paint it.
Unfortunately, the stand was made of laminate instead of wood so it was a little more complicated to paint. I sanded it, primed it and spray painted it and here is what it looks like now. I actually kind of like it. I also included pictures of our living room for those of you who haven't seen our new place.

High School Tag

2008-09-21T15:18:00.001-07:00

Sorry McCall, I was going to answer the last tag that you asked me too, but I kind of already had a couple posts before. I decided this one would be a better choice.

1. Did you date someone from your high school: Yes. I kind of dated a lot of people during high school. I think I was one of those girls who always had a boyfriend. Here is a few: Jason, Eddie, and Chaz

2. What kind of car did you drive? : I drove a really old Toyota Celica that had no air conditioning. Then my dad decided it got get better gas mileage than his car and decided to start driving it instead. I traded up and ended up with his Lexus ES300 (it was 5-6 years old, but way nicer)

3. What is your most embarrassing moment in high school?: Wow, I seem to have a lot of embarassing things happen to me, but I can't think of the best one. One day I went to lunch and sat on a brownie and went around the rest of the day with brownie right down the middle of the seam of my pants. I looked like I had pooped my pants all day.

4. Were you a party animal?: No, I think I was pretty calm.

5. Were you considered a flirt?: Unfortunately, yes! I was a huge flirt I think. I am not proud of it at all!

6. Were you in band, orchestra, or choir?: Nope

7. Were you a nerd? : I don't know. I tried really hard in school and did well. Does that make me a nerd? (McCall, you are definitely a nerd!)

8. Were you on any varsity teams? : I was a Varsity basketball cheerleader, but that was it

9. Did you get suspended/expelled? : Nope, I never was suspended or expelled

10. Can you still sing the fight song? : Did we have one?

11. Who were your favorite teachers? : I liked my Foods teacher Mrs. Phillips, and my math teacher Mr. Williams and my Economics professor Mr. Medwed

12. Where did you sit during lunch?: We used to sit at this round table in the corner of the lunch room. We weren't allowed to leave campus at lunch

13. School Mascot?: Knight

14. Did you go to homecoming and with who?: Hart Baron, Chaz Goblish, Eddie Rowe

15. If you could go back and do it again, would you? : Nope, high school was so much drama. I would love to do college again, but not high school. Too much peer pressure and drama! I felt really lonely in high school.

16. What do you remember most about graduation?: We had so much fun at our all nighter. We rode go carts, played mini golf, played games at the arcade and watched movies.

17. Where did you go senior skip day?: We went and laid out at the river

18. Have you gained weight since then?: It depends what year you are talking about. I am bigger then I was when I was a freshman.

19. Who was your prom date?: I never went to my own schools prom. I was going to go junior year, but that date toilet papered someone's house a couple days before and then shot paint balls at the dad who owned the house when he came outside to yell at my date and his friends. Then the dad tried to throw himself in front of the kids car when he was driving away. He was caught and charged with reckless driving, tresspassing, and assault. He spent two days in jail. Stupid junior senior war pranks!

Then senior year, my date (also my boyfriend) had an air soft gun in his car (left over from the weekend) and some stupid kid pulled it out of the car while at school. One of the bus drivers saw it and told the school about it. He was suspended (even though he was a great student and on a million sports teams and a good kid) and almost didn't graduate. He wasn't allowed to go to prom either.

20. Are you planning on going to your 10 year reunion?: I am not sure. I live pretty far away from there and while I like people I went to high school with, I think it would be awkward. I haven't talked to a lot of people in a long time.

21. Looking back, what advice would you give yourself?: I wish I would have had more fun and enjoyed how simple life was then.

You're it: Brianna, Nancy, Jamie, Heather, Elisa, and Lauren S.
I want to hear what ya'll were like in High School.

Palin SNL Skit

2008-09-16T13:15:00.000-07:00

Oh my gosh, I hope all of you saw the Saturday Night Live Gov. Palin and Hillary Clinton skit. Honestly, I like Governor Palin and John McCain for a number of reasons, but this was absolutely hilarious. My outlook on politicians is that you can't take any of them too seriously. Hopefully you have been able to watch Gov. Palin speak at the Republican National Convention and her interview with Charles Gibson (if not, this might not be as funny to you). Anyway, please look at the following link above. Enjoy!!!

IKE!!

2008-09-15T10:21:00.001-07:00

Who knew that a hurricane hitting Galveston, Texas would affect those of us in Ohio so much. Sunday after church, we started noticing the winds picking up. In about 30 min. we found ourselves in the middle of a huge storm experiencing 65+ mile an hour winds. Trees were falling everywhere, signs two stories high were bent in half, the shutters on our windows were falling off and blowing away, trash cans were all turned on their sides and trash was blowing everywhere. The storm lasted from about 3:30-8:00 pm and afterward we were left without power and with trees lining our streets and yards. Late last night, after sitting mostly in the dark (except for the candles and few flashlights we had) we decided to go hang out with a friend who had power. On our way there we heard on the radio that 380,000 people were experiencing power outages in Columbus. This morning, newscasters are saying 1 million people and businesses are without power in Ohio. When we got home at 10:00, we realized that without power our food would surely spoil and decided to head out to our local gas station to store up on some ice. It was a good thing we did because some friends went out to get ice this morning and drove for about 30 minutes before finding a store carrying ice. I called last night to see when our power would be turned back on and was told that the power company was working to assess the damage and determine what areas would be the most important to restore power to. I was told that our particular address may not have power until Wednesday, September 17th at 8:00 pm. So right now our meat, milk, cheese and eggs are in a cooler packed with ice. I am lucky enough to work at a place that has a locker room in the basement. I took a shower in almost complete darkness this morning (our bathroom has no windows and I lit 2 candles to help) and drove to work with wet hair. I brought my hair drier and makeup to work and got ready here. Who knows what we are going to do this evening if the power outage continues. It makes it difficult to cook with no electricity. We do have a barbeque so hopefully that will. Anyway, it has been quite an experience. I am so grateful for the power company and all those individuals who are working overtime to get us power. I am even more grateful that I held off in buying groceries this weekend. It makes it so much easier when you have very little in your fridge.

What Makes Me Unique!

2008-09-02T08:55:00.000-07:00

I don’t know if any of you have had this experience, but I always thought I was “normal” until I got married. I mean I did everything my family did and I don’t think I was ever around anyone enough to really realize how different I am. Marriage definitely makes you see yourself in a different light. All of the sudden the things that make you different become very apparent. For lack of anything better to write about, I have decided to list the funny/different things about me.

1. Obsessive/ Compulsive: I never realized how obsessive compulsive I am. I absolutely hate things lying around everywhere. Even if my house is clean, and I have a few papers everywhere, it doesn’t feel clean to me. Unfortunately, I have married someone who acquires lots of papers and books because he is in school. I kind of have that out of sight out of mind mentality, so when I see clutter, I pile, stack and shove everything into corners. For some weird reason, even though it isn’t clean, I feel so much better about the world.

Ryan told me that his sister Lisa used to do the same thing, except she was 10 years old at the time. She would stuff things under her bed and in her closet and without fail, her mother would find the stashed piles and make her put them away. Fortunately, Lisa grew out of this behavior. Sadly, I still continue this habit. When I consciously tell myself to not pile, stack or shove, I can control it, but it takes so much effort.

2. Social Skills: Not quite sure who I got this problem from, but I hate silent/ awkward moments. Many of the people I work with on a day to day basis are men and I have found that men communicate very differently than women. On many occasions I have found myself out to lunch with a couple of male employees when a conversation stops and a pause follows. I absolutely cannot stand this! For some reason I feel the need to fill the void space with something so I typically find myself blurting out the first thing that comes to mind. Typically the thing I blurt out a) makes the conversation more awkward, b) makes no sense at all, and c) makes me look like a complete idiot. I have really really tried to work on this habit, but sometimes I can’t help myself. One solution I have found is to drink my water if I am at a restaurant until someone starts talking again or until I think of something brilliant to talk about. It has worked out pretty well although I find myself really needing to use the restroom afterward. Unfortunately for me, after an hour or so of sitting at lunch, I find my water empty and I am stuck between a rock and a hard place. Do I suck on the straw and make the really annoying slurping sound or do I just sit and look around trying my hardest to bite my tongue? I typically try to bite my tongue since the slurping noise isn’t exactly professional.

Along with this, I get incredibly anxious in situations where the conversation is ending and I don’t know what to talk about. I am not sure if it is a lack of confidence or what, but I find myself also blurting out the first thing that comes to mind which typically is completely embarrassing. Sometimes I try to carry on the same conversation just to avoid the awkward silence when clearly the conversation is over. I apologize to those of you I have done this to. It isn’t you, its me. I have noticed that I do this with the people I feel the most comfortable with as well as the people I feel the most awkward around.

3. Fighting/ Arguing: I always thought that arguing or sharing different opinions meant that two people yelled at each other until they felt better and then everything was normal and fine between them. Poor Ryan came into marriage with a much different idea. For him, the point of discussing or even arguing was to resolve an issue. When he realized that the solution to our fighting meant very different things for each of us, I think he realized that we would need to find some common ground. I appreciate his patience in trying to teach me. I have learned over the last 4 years that discussing works much better than yelling and that typically if someone brings something up that is really bothering them, I should probably try to change that about myself. Merely getting it off your chest isn’t enough for most people I guess. I think I am getting better.

4. Anxiety: No matter what I do, I am always anxious. I guess I thought that the rest of the world felt the same way I did. If I have people over for dinner, the table will be set, ice cubes will be in the glasses along with water and the vegetables will be cut up 2 hours before my guests arrive. Ryan has tried to help me see a more logical way of doing things because when we do it my way, the vegetables end up soggy, the ice cubes melt and the water is warm. I have really tried to work on this as well and I think I am ready now only about 1 hour before my guests arrive. I am still working on it!

5. Time: I think I got this from my dad, but I get incredibly anxious when it comes to time. I have to have life planned a week in advance (even if we are only watching a movie at someone’s house or just hanging out) and I have to be on time to everything. I grew up being 15 min. early to everything and married into a family where most of the children are 15-30 min. late to everything. (No offense guys, I love you). So this has been very difficult for me. My greatest pet peeve… being late to church. The Ralphs were always 15 minutes early and sat in the same pew. We are very much creatures of habit and like our lives to be scheduled. You can imagine what I get like when Ryan is getting ready and I am ready to go so that we will be on time and not have to walk into church while everyone is singing or someone is speaking. I appreciate so much that Ryan has been patient and realized that this is something that may never change about me. He tries to be on time as much as possible and doesn’t point out how irrational I am being.

6. Impulsive: I think I got this from my dad as well. I am incredibly impulsive by nature. I don’t do well with delaying gratification and waiting for the best deal to come around. If I want something, I want it right then. Ryan is on the other end of the spectrum when it comes to buying anything. He will have researched it out and found the best possible product and the best price before buying something. He will wait months to get the best deal even if it means only saving a few dollars. While some people find this ridiculous, we are in school and every bit counts. I always hear people say, well we are already going to be in a lot of debt, what is a little bit more? While I can see their point, I have started to realize that all the little bits really add up to a lot. Ryan has taught me to be more like him in this sense and I think I really appreciate the things I purchase more because I found the best deal out there. Not only am excited about getting to enjoy the item, but I get so much satisfaction out of knowing that I saved us some money.

Married for 4 Years!

2008-08-13T12:55:00.001-07:00

Ryan and I celebrated our anniversary this last weekend even though it actually isn’t until tomorrow. We had a really good, relaxing weekend. We spent the night at the Hyatt downtown (if you haven’t used Priceline, you should try it because for the same price as the Extended Stay, we got to enjoy the Hyatt downtown). We were pretty lazy and watched the Olympics and walked around downtown. On Saturday, we drove to Cincinnati and went to a Reds game. It was so much fun. Of course we decided that paying 5 bucks for peanuts was way too much, so we stopped by Kroger and bought some peanuts. I stuffed them into my purse and did my best to cover them with papers so that they wouldn’t be confiscated when going through the ticket line. As we were walking into the stadium, a lady asked to look inside my bag. Fingers crossed and hoping she didn’t dig deep, I opened my purse. (I must say I was impressed with her thoroughness.) Typically the bag checkers get a quick glimpse inside and then send you on your way, but not this lady. She took her job very seriously and looked through each nook and cranny. When she came to the hidden bag of peanuts she asked me to take it out. I gave Ryan the warning look as though to say, “Oh no, we’ve been caught” when she said “ok, you can go”. Completely shocked, I wondered “when did they start allowing you to bring food into games?” Needless to say we were both happy for the rest of the game. Unfortunately, the Reds lost and we made our way back to our hotel.

I was recently reading my sister in-laws blog and loved the idea of listing the things I enjoy about Ryan. I have a habit of paying attention to his faults too much and not praising him enough, so I think this would be a good time to share all of the positive things about him.

1. I love that he tucks me into bed at night, even though he typically has to stay up late to study. He always takes time out to lay down with me and talk for a few minutes. I think this routine has become my favorite part of the day.

2. I love when he sends me text messages saying how much he appreciates me or he will text me an inside joke that always seems to cheer me up.

3. I love what he calls his “Repertoire” of recipes. The boy has skills in the kitchen and is always finding new recipes he wants to make. He makes a killer stir fry and uses brown sugar to caramelize the chicken. He makes amazing rolls, coconut tilapia, apricot asparagus, and a pretzel spider. For the last 6-8 months, he has been saying he is going to make a chili recipe he found on the Internet. We have had the ingredients in our freezer since then, and every time it rains outside, he says he is going to make it. I haven’t tasted it yet, but can’t wait to try it.

4. Ryan is a wheeler and dealer. He will wait and get the best deal on any item he is going to buy. He researches the product and picks the best one and then waits. Recently he purchased 4 sets of golf clubs off of Craigslist. He would pick and choose which clubs he liked and what he was going to keep from each set and sell the rest. He ended up with a pretty nice set and made back all the money he had spent as well as making some more on top of it. He has taught me to defer gratification and to find the best deal I can. There is no better feeling than getting a truly amazing deal on something.

5. I love Ryan’s passion for everything he does whether it is school or golf. He picks up hobbies and will work at them until he is as good as he can be. He has really shown me what hard work means and I hope this is a trait he will pass on to our kids one day.

6. Ryan has the funniest face that he makes when he is checking himself out in the mirror. When I say checking himself out, I don’t mean looking at himself and thinking “wow, I am sexy”. When I say checking himself out, I mean looking to make sure his hair looks ok or his outfit is on right. He squinches his eyes together, and squeezes his lips so his dimples show in his cheeks. I have grown very fond of this look.

7. I love how much time and effort Ryan puts into doing nice things for me. He always plans such fun anniversary trips or knows just the right Christmas gift to get me (Michael Buble tickets). He is so thoughtful when it comes to the things he does. Over the years, he has learned to accept my eccentricities and I appreciate so much that instead of constantly calling my obsessions stupid, he does little things that will make me happy. I am a stasher and a piler, meaning that I can’t stand clutter and my way of getting rid of stuff is to pile it and put it in corners. I guess I am a believer in the whole out of sight out of mind policy. Ryan knows this and although it is pretty irrational and very compulsive of me to feel this way, he will pick up before I come home so that I don’t feel anxious.

8. I love Ryan because he constantly is making me laugh. Nothing embarrasses him and he will make a fool of himself for a good laugh. He really is a little kid at heart.

9. He is the most logical person I know. I appreciate that he faces each problem or issue trying to figure out all the facts before reaching a decision. Sometimes, I find this incredibly annoying because he usually always has a better argument than I do, but I think that being honest and making responsible decisions and thought out decisions is so important.

10. He is a really good man. He is compassionate and kind. When I am feeling moody or being too judgmental, he always points it out and helps me to be a better person. I love that he always gives people the benefit of the doubt. I think that being married to him over the last 4 years has helped me become a much better person.

Thank you Ryan. I love you so much and appreciate you sticking by me through everything. I know times haven’t always been easy, but it is a wonderful feeling to know I have someone who is on my team.

Squirrels

2008-07-30T13:08:00.003-07:00

As I have mentioned before, Columbus is crawling with vermin. Usually I go on 2-3 walks every week and I have seen about 30-40 cotton tail rabbits, a beaver, a prarie dog looking animal, chipmunks, skunks, a raccoon in the middle of the day, and more squirrels than I can count. At the beginning of the summer, the squirrels all seemed to look well fed, and playful. As the summer has progressed, the state of the squirrels has worsened and I can’t seem to figure out why. I am not sure if it is the heat or the humidity that makes them begin to look crazy, but something has definitely changed. More than one person has commented to me about this. As well as looking more crazed, the squirrels have gotten pretty gutsy.

One morning, a friend and I sat down to stretch after running. All of the sudden, two squirrels raced out from under a car sitting about three feet away from us. We quickly jumped to our feet and stood back as we watched three more squirrels chase after one of the squirrels. We figured they must all be males and were trying to mate with the one female. Desperate and with no where else to go, the female squirrel ran up a very tall tree. You could hear the males fighting and warning the others to stay away. As we watched, she ran to the very top of the tree and fell about 3-4 stories to the ground. One of the aggressive males followed and plunged to the ground. My friend and I both looked on wondering if the poor female had died or if she had in fact survived her fall. Within seconds, both squirrels raced from the ground back up into the tree.

On another occasion, my parents and I were playing corn hole and dropped a bag near the Corn Hole board approximately 25 feet away. Out of nowhere, two squirrels ran toward the board and stared in curiousity at the bag. I proceeded to throw a few more near them and as we watched a few more squirrels joined them. The fattest of them all, flicked his tail as a warning to the others to stay away. Evidently, he was in charge because the others watched as he scooted closer to the bags. I was surprised to see how fearless they were as they came closer to us in order to sniff the bag that had contained the corn bags for the game.

Each time I see them, they seem a little skinnier, their tails look a little rattier and they seem more aggressive. You would think that with it being August and everything so green, the squirrels would be well fed, but this hasn’t seemed to be the case.

Watkins Update

2008-07-30T13:07:00.002-07:00

I apologize again for the lack of blogging lately. I usually have some embarrassing story to share or something new and exciting, but unfortunately nothing interesting has really happened in the last few months. We moved into a new place (pictures will be posted once it is finally in order), I changed jobs and now work for Nationwide. We went to California, my parents just visited, and Ryan’s parents are coming tomorrow. I have loved having family visit.

Last weekend, my parents were in town. We saw Baby Mama at the dollar theater and for those of you who haven’t seen it, I definitely recommend it. It is a little crude at some points, but absolutely hilarious. On Saturday, we visited our local Farmers Markets and enjoyed fresh produce and some really yummy pastries. Saturday afternoon we went to the Jazz and Ribs Festival downtown. I really feel like the festivals here could compete with the best of them. We arrived to find both sides of the river packed with vendors and people. Unfortunately, it was a very muggy day and while being jammed in between hot, smelly people wasn’t exactly my cup of tea, it made the people watching all the better. It is always interesting to me to see what people will do when it is about 90 degrees outside with 80-90% humidity (which even feels hotter than Utah and Arizona when it is in the 100’s). Sadly, many thought that the weather was an excuse to break out their skimpiest underwear. We bought ourselves a bunch of ribs and enjoyed the corn bread and coleslaw. We even saw a Canadian Goose steal a rib away from a guy laying in the grass. He would shake his head to rip the meat from the bone. After taking in some jazz music, we indulged ourselves in a funnel cake. Ryan and I were introduced to the wonderful world of funnel cakes and I think we are hooked.

1 Year Anniversary

2008-07-30T13:07:00.001-07:00

Wow, I can't believe we have lived here now for an entire year. A year ago, we were packing up our Uhaul, crying a lot and saying goodbye to everything and everyone we knew. When we moved here, I promised myself that I would make the best of my life in Columbus and that I would not mope and cry about the fact that I was so far from family. I feel like all in all I have made that happen. Columbus officially feels like home. Honestly, I feel so lucky that we were able to come to Columbus, Ohio. I have a great job and work with wonderful people, Ryan loves Medical School and has had nothing but good things to say about OSU, we have a wonderful church community here, and have made really great friends that have become like family to us. I really and truly feel that you can make any situation a good one if you try to have a good attitude about it. I think it has made a world of difference for me. Ryan and I have really learned to depend on each other. It is a scary yet wonderful experience to feel like you are all alone and the only person you really have is your spouse. For those of you moving away from home, I hope you have as positive of an experience as I have.

Fourth of July

2008-07-09T12:49:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful fourth of July. I got out of work on the 3rd at 2:00 pm and we went to Red, White and Boom (according to the website, it is the largest firework display in the Midwest). The parade started at 5:00 and then we watched the fireworks. The parade included everything from the plumber and lumber union to Eduardo (the funny hispanic guy who wore a white cape and feather cowboy hat on American Idol). We saw everything from drunk red necks to religious zealots telling us we were all going to Hell. It was a pretty interesting crowd! Unfortunately, it was a really windy night and we were downwind of the fireworks. As they exploded in the air, I noticed chunks of fire flying toward the crowd below and watched as many began to run away. I think everyone came out unscathed, but I am not sure. The wind carried a good deal of ash (some pieces were about the size of a quarter) towards us. By the time the show was over, we were pretty covered in ash. The show was amazing and we had a good time people watching.

On the 4th of July, we had some friends over and deep fried everything we could get our hands on... broccoli, sweet potatoes, mozarrela, squash, zuchini etc. It was pretty tasty, but unfortunately the next day, Ryan and I both suffered from some stomach issues! That evening we attended the Upper Arlington firework show. There is something to be said for smaller community firework displays! They had two bands and shot the fireworks off to music. It was a lot of fun and a pretty classy event in comparison to the night before.

Chocolate Butt

2008-07-05T11:08:00.000-07:00

I went on a walk today unaware that my butt was covered in chocolate particularly in the center of my bottom. Unfortunately, I didn't know it until the end of our walk when my friend busted up laughing. I knew I had a tiny bit of chocolate by my side, but not right in the middle!

Pepe Le Pew!

2008-07-05T10:43:00.000-07:00

On the fourth of July we had some friends over and as they were leaving our house, our friend Jarin spotted a skunk running for our air conditioner. He quickly ran back inside and we slammed the door. A number of items such as shoes, a chair with their child's booster seat and miscellaneous barbecue items were left outside approximately 2 feet from the air conditioning unit. We weighed our options and decided that most of the things would need to be moved before night fall because of the imminent Ohio weather that we have been experiencing. Jarin made a run for it and I waited for Ryan to sneak back through the gate to get my shoes on the porch.

Ryan and I waited at the back door with the lights off for the skunk to return. He immediately decided to peak out from behind the air conditioner and check things out. First he ran over to the planters and my gardening supplies, then the mat outside our door and then checked out both barbecues we own. We found that he really enjoyed climbing along the ledge by our backdoor and look in at us. I always thought that skunks were quick and agile, and while this one appeared to be fast when he needed to be, he kind acted a little like a drunk person. He would fall of the ledge by our back door and have a difficult time getting up and down from it. It was amusing to watch him. We thought he might be blind because even with the light on, he would walk by the back door and look right in at us. Here are some pictures from our experience.

Today, I was on a walk with friends and decided to come in the back door. I was picking some things up in the back yard and walking toward our sliding glass door when I noticed the skunk staring back at me. In fear we both ran in opposite directions. Thankfully I was not sprayed. I am actually surprised that none of us have been sprayed yet because we have startled the little guy on a number of occasions. (Maybe his glands aren't functioning properly.)

I think he is really cute and although Ryan has begged for me to let him get rid of the skunk, I can't bring myself to do it. He is so cute and even though I know it is just a matter of time before he decides to spray, I can't bring myself to hurt him. I figure that if he keeps sneaking into our neighbors backyard, which is an arsenal of varmint of traps, we may be rid of him forever. They have a rather large garden and have had a number of issues with squirrels and chipmunks and therefore have defended themselves against them. My friend Lyndsay suggested calling animal control and having him relocated, so I think I might do that rather than let him meet his end with our neighbor. It saddens me to think that I won't be able to watch him anymore because I have thoroughly enjoyed it. He is such a curious little guy and seems to have his own little personality. Anyway, I had to share!

California

2008-06-20T13:10:00.000-07:00

Ryan's 1st year of medical school is officially over and we celebrated by going to California to see my family and grandparents. We had so much fun! We went kayaking on the American River with my aunt Jenny, went to San Francisco and relaxed with my grandparents.

While we were in San Francisco, we took a tour around Alcatraz. Before getting on the ferry, we took a picture. Typically family pictures never turn out, but surprisingly we all looked pretty decent in this picture... except Ryan. I guess he thought it would be funny to make a face in the picture. Anyway, we were all laughing so hard that my dad decided to buy it.

The Shower Head!

2008-06-03T09:57:00.000-07:00

Sorry for not posting for a while. Life has been crazy lately for both Ryan and I. On Friday we moved into a new place, I am changing jobs and my last day is Friday (unfortunately, my job had been really slow and I was worried that I might be laid off. I started looking for something new and found a FABULOUS position and start on June 23rd). I got a new calling and am planning a baby shower, so things have been pretty hectic.

We absolutely love our new place. Before, we were always embarassed to invite people over because it was old, dirty and smelled musty. When we moved into our new place, we were hit with the aroma of varnish and paint. It started giving me a headache and I wanted to open the windows, but Ryan would have none of it. Evidently the stench of chemicals was a luxury for him compared to the old grandma smell. So I left the windows closed.

Well, everything about our place seemed absolutely perfect except for one major detail! Our shower head barely worked. By barely, I mean that a steady trickle came out of it, but nothing more. It took Ryan 20 minutes to just get his hair wet and get the shampoo out of it. After a good deal of frustration, we decided that taking baths might be the way to go until it could be fixed. I don't think I have taken a bath to actually wash my body and hair since I was 10. Typically a bath means relaxation for me. Well, the baths were quite an event.

Each day I would lay down, head facing the faucet. I would turn on the water and slide my head underneath but crunch up my stomach because as you know long hair gets longer when it is wet. I didn't want the nasty gutter of the shower and pipes touching my hair! So I would crunch my stomach muscles and get as close to the faucet as I possibly could, without using my arms for support, and pile my hair on top of my head with my hands. I would then slide away from the faucet put shampoo in my hair and repeat. After doing this a few times, my abs really hurt. I guess I did my ab excercises for the day though!

Ryan was even funnier because he is so tall and had to get clean in this little bath tub. He ended up using a 44 oz. gas station cup to fill water up with and pour on himself.

I am glad to say it is now fixed and I love my house!

The SKUNK!

2008-05-22T09:24:00.000-07:00

The other night, Ryan and I were sleeping and I woke up in the middle of the night because of a really rancid smell. It smelled as though a skunk had sprayed all over our house. Smelling skunks is a frequent occurence at our house in Ohio, but I have never been this close to a skunk when one sprayed. (Actually that might be a lie, because on my way home from Toledo a little skunk ran under my car while I was driving and sprayed the car. Fortunately, the wind and going 70 miles an hour helped dispel the odor). We opened the windows to air out the place, but it seemed to sink into everything in our house. The next day, I opened all the doors, hoping that the smell would dissipate. It sort of did, but every time I walked in the front door, I noticed the smell. I guess that maybe the skunk sprayed on our front door or something because 4-5 days later, it still stinks.

Today, I came to the office in my cute new shoes and new shirt from Forever 21. I have been moving around a lot all day and it wasn't until I sat down that I noticed the overwhelming skunk smell seeping from my clothes. It honestly is making me sick. I shut my door to trap the skunk smell in, but am afriad of anyone coming in and also being engulfed with my scent.

I asked my secretary if she has an perfume (hopefully I can cover up my tainted odor), but have not heard back from her.

Happenings in the Life of the Watkins

2008-05-19T12:11:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the lack of blogging lately. Life has been pretty busy for both Ryan and I. Between showing our place for our landlord, trying to get into a new place, and Ryan studying and taking a test, we have been busy. Luckily, we are now moving June 1st into a really nice townhome just down the street (pictures to follow). We also found our landlord a new tenant. Unfortunately, I have been procrastinating and have not started packing yet. I am so excited to be in our new place, but dreading the cleaning and moving part of it. I keep telling myself that if Ryan and I both do 2 boxes a day, we will be set. Getting myself to actually pack the boxes has been a problem though.

Ryan has one test left and then he will be finished with his first year of Medical School. He is officially done on June 7th. Well, more to follow later.

Spa Day

2008-05-05T10:29:00.000-07:00

Out of appreciation for the paralegals, our firm decided to treat us to a spa day. We were given about $150 dollars to spend at the David Broadway spa in Toledo. On Thursday I traveled to Toledo. The trip turned out to be quite the experience.

While driving on Highway 23, I noticed a number of cones in the distance. As I approached the cones, I realized that they were forcing all traffic onto the exit ramp. I exited the highway and began following the detour signs. They lead me through the town surrounding Ohio Wesleyan and through a number of two lane roads located in between corn fields. At one point, I came to a stop on one two lane road. Not knowing what was up ahead, I put the car in park and answered emails on the borrowed blackberry I had taken with me. I sat for approximately an hour, spending my time talking with my mom and answering my emails. After an hour, a man a few cars behind me decided to walk ahead and see why the traffic had come to a hault. As he remerged, he began to stop the oncoming traffic and started to signal for us to move forward. We each passed a stalled van carrying a large trailer carrying corn in front of us (WELCOME TO OHIO). The detour continued to wind through corn fields and finally we exited onto Highway 23 again. The first sign I came to stated that Toledo was 93 miles away. I had left the house around 7:30 and by this time it was 10:30. Typically my Toledo trip takes about 2-2 1/2 hours, but had already taken 3 hours and I wasn't even halfway there. I decided to continue on and arrived in Toledo at 11:30.

I worked all of Thursday and slept in Friday morning since it was Spa Day and my facial didn't begin until 11:30. I don't know if I have mentioned this, but I have a terrible sense of direction, so of course on the way to the Salon, I got lost (even though I had mapquest directions... imagine that). I arrive about 5 minutes late (thank goodness for the extra time factored in just in case I got lost). I put on my wrap and robe and then was taken back into a room for my facial. The girl, Heather, asked me to lay down and close my eyes. She applied a number of solutions and massaged them into my face. Steam blew into my face and the quiet sound of water trickling over rocks in a stream played in the background on a cd. I started to feel myself drift off when all of the sudden I felt a pinch. I quickly realized that we had come to the zit popping part of the facial. Thinking that I had pretty decent skin and this wouldn't last long, I suffered through, but zit after zit I realized that this painful process may take longer than I had originally thought. The assistant mentioned that I needed to exfoliate more and asked what things I used on my face. I explained that my Dermatologist had given me two acne treatments. Apparently, the girl felt she knew better and explained that if I would exofoliate more, it would solve all my problems and that I didn't need the medicine. She covered my eyes with little cotton pads and turned on some machine that made a humming noise. I tried to imagine what it could possibly be, although nothing I thought about prepared me for what I experienced next. I saw a flash of light and then a zap and she touched my face with the device. I about jumped off the table. It reminded me a lot of those globes that you find in Science museums with the electricity running through them, except this was painful. Over and over again she ran the device along my face and pulled it away and chose a new spot to zap me with. She explained that this would kill the bacteria and close up my pores. She then continued cleansing my skin with other solutions. When the facial was over, I stood up to fix my hair. I couldn't find any mirrors in the room so I did my best to put it in a ponytail.

After the facial, I got dressed, again no mirrors, and exited the spa to the salon part of the building. After my pedicure was over, I got in a friends car and opened up the passenger side mirror to find a pizza face looking back of me. Little red dots covered my forehead. I quickly grabbed my makeup and began applying it to my forehead while on the way to lunch. When I arrived I sat down next to a number of the other paralegals and asked if they had experienced the same facial treatment. One explained, "I had a facial, but she didn't pop any of my zits." Another one stated the same thing. Sadly, I guess I have bad skin and the facial administrator felt that I needed them all popped! Evidently she thought that this would make them better, but it has made them way way worse. Unfortunatley now my head looks like a pebbled side walk.

While the whole spa day idea was wonderful, I think I will pass on the facial next time and go for the massage!

Most Embarassing Stories from the Life of Kendall Watkins Part 4

2008-04-18T08:21:00.000-07:00

The weather has officially gotten warm again and it is time to break out the skirts and my favorite shoes! Since moving here, I have decided that riding the bus and wearing heels in the snow is not a very good idea. Today, I surveyed my closet and picked out a cute black pencil skirt, some black really high heels. and a cute purple short sleeved jacket.

I think I may have previously commented on the people found in Ohio, but just in case you forgot, I will update you. After coming from Utah, the place where everyone is blond, pretty and a size 2 it seems, I have found that here, I am well above average. (I really am not arrogant by the way, even though I sound like it in these next few posts). I have decided that many of the women in Ohio tend to fit the following description: 80's hair, 80's clothing, and either they wear tons of makeup, or they wear none at all. Many also have poor dental hygiene. They really are great people, but just aren't as consumed with their appearances as the women in Utah. So coming from Utah, where I was probably about average, to a place like this, I have found that I get substantially more attention (let's face it, I am borderline supermodel material here in Ohio)!

Well, on my way to the bus stop, I started to feel pretty confident about the way I looked today. After crossing over 4 lanes of traffic and walking along the side of the road, I came to a pile of mulch. As I began to step over the small mound, my heel began to fall sideways and down I plunged to the concrete below. In shock and somewhat in pain, I looked down to notice both legs spread eagle in front of me with the crotch of my underwear fully exposed to the world. (I wonder what all those truck drivers were thinking as they passed). Forgetting my throbbing knee caps, I pulled my legs together and tried to pull myself up from the black top. I glimpsed over to see if my bus buddies had noticed my fall. Thankfully, no one appeared to have noticed. Once on the bus, I looked down to find a few cuts and pieces of skin pulling away from my knees.

Honestly, I don't know if God is try to humble me or if I am just the most uncoordinated person that ever walked the face of the planet, but you would think that I would learn! I don't think I am ever going to get this walking thing down, nor am I going to ever be able to walk in shoes gracefully with anymore than a 1/2 inch heel. Am I the only one that these things happen to or are you all just not telling me your stories? Keep reading below for more embarrassing memories!

Most Embarassing Stories from the Life of Kendall Watkins Part 3

2008-04-18T07:52:00.001-07:00

Something that happened today made me start thinking about embarrassing memories from my past. I will get to what that event was later, but was recalling a time when I worked at Kirton and McConkie in Utah. One weekend, I had gone shopping at our local mall and was on the lookout for a brown pencil skirt. After looking at each store, I finally found a beautiful, silky, brown, pencil skirt that flattered my physique in all the right places. I couldn't wait to wear it to work the next day.

The next morning, after viewing myself in the mirror and being thoroughly pleased with how I looked, I set out to work. Once at the office, I made the rounds and talked with many of my friends and strutted my stuff. You know those days where you really feel like "yeah, I still got it", "I am looking pretty good today", well, it was definitely one of those days.

The day had been especially set aside as a staff appreciation day and out of gratitude for the staff, our office had decided to let us all leave an hour early. My friend McCall and I decided that maybe we should go to the temple that evening on our night off. Again, I did the rounds and said good bye to everyone and left our building to walk across the street to the Salt Lake Temple.

Upon arriving, and handing the temple worker our temple recommends, a man behind McCall taped her on the shoulder. He informed her that her friend's skirt had come undone in the back. She looked down to find a 5 inch gap where the teeth in my zipper had pulled apart and my underwear was exposed. She quickly informed me of my mishap and I covered my bottom with my temple bag. We made our way down all of the stairs and to the ladies dressing room where we discussed how long my butt had been exposed to the rest of the world. (The majority of my friends sit behind desks with large walls that shade them from any part of people walking by, chest or waist down.) Mortified, I wondered if a few of the attorneys I worked with had seen my underwear and had been too embarrassed to say anything. (I worked with Intellectual Property attorneys who typically tend to be pretty nerdy, so I wouldn't be surprised if that was the case).

After visiting the temple, I took my usual bus home and although it was 90 degrees outside, wore my winter coat the entire way home in order to cover my butt.

Updates!

2008-04-17T05:37:00.000-07:00

I feel like the luckiest girl in the world! Do you ever have those days where everything just goes right? Well, Yeseterday was that day. Michael Buble came to Columbus, OH and was playing at the Nationwide Arena here last night. I have been wanting to go and emailing every radio station asking if they are giving away tickets. After following up and still not hearing back, I decided to take matters into my own hands. On Tuesday, I started watching Craigslist to see how many people would try to sell their tickets at the last minute. On ticketmaster, most Michael Buble tickets run anywhere from 65-120. I found a couple of people willing to sell their tickets to me for $25 a piece. One guy had floor seats that he paid over $100 a ticket for and offered them to me for $25 bucks. Unfortunately, I had already bought some tickets by then, but it made me realize that I should never buy tickets through ticket master again. My friend Jamie went to the concert with me and my sweet husband went and picked up the tickets for us (even though it took at least two hours out of his day). Michael Buble really is amazing live and has an incredible voice. I am telling you that you won't be disappointed if you go.

In other news, we got our new vacuum. It really is a good vacuum for those of you looking for one. Last Saturday, Ryan and I deep cleaned the majority of our house. (Thank you Ryan for helping me with that. I appreciate you not waiting for me to nag you.) It felt so good once it was done and now we officially have vacuum tracks in our carpet. I love the feeling of of vacuumed carpets. It truly makes everything feel better.

Overall, it really has been a great week so far. The weather is getting nicer, I have lost 4 lbs, I have a new vacuum, I went to see Michael Buble again, and my house is clean (although it is getting dirty again too quickly).

RIP Bret Michaels

2008-04-15T12:12:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a truly sad day. It was the day that I officially bid farewell to my desire to see Bret Michaels in concert. Unfortunately, the tickets ended up costing a little to much. I thought long and hard about my admiration for Bret Michaels and decided to turn over a new leaf. Ever since I proclaimed my love for Bret Michaels, I have gotten nothing but harsh critism from those around me. For a while I refused to believe what I heard...

Ryan: "I am embarassed of you. I can't believe you think Bret Michaels is good looking" or something like that.

Jamie: "Kendall, he wears a wig and is so nasty. He wears more makeup than I do! He looks so old."

Mom: "Kendall, I can't believe you like him. He is so trashy."

After seeing the finale of Rock of Love II, I decided that maybe I was a little too classy for Mr. Michaels and that maybe I could do a little better. He did pick the best girl out of the bunch, but everyone on the show was right, Bret doesn't want a white picket fence. We come from way different backgrounds that really don't mix. While it would have been fun to enjoy the Poison concert, maybe there is someone better out there for me to admire (someone more like Michael Buble, now he is classy!)

DO NOT Click on Reunion email

2008-04-15T12:10:00.000-07:00

There is a reunion.com email going around. DO NOT OPEN IT. The message I received was emailed to everyone in my contacts without my knowledge. Just wanted to let you know.

Monster Truck

2008-04-08T06:25:00.000-07:00

I believe I promised some of you pictures of us at the monster truck show. Approximately 5-6 couples went and some single guys from Ryan's medical school class and we had a blast. When I picture monster truck shows, I think of rednecks with trucker hats, camouflage, flannel shirts, mustaches and the smell of old, cheap tobacco. Basically, all of this was true, but I never realized how many children would go to monster truck shows. About 60-70 percent of the people there were under 12 years old. In particular, there was a group in front of us of 5-6 little kids and 2 adults. At the beginning of the show, Ryan and our group decided to pick out one particular car to boo (of course it was the Gator truck). The monster trucks compete for the best jumps and doughnuts. Unfortunately, "Tail Gator" was the best car out there. Throughout the competition as Tail Gator backed up and began to rev his engine, Ryan and the rest of the students would boo! One little boy would turn around and give Ryan dirty looks and tell on him to what I expect was his dad. I felt bad for the poor little guy. At one point, he looked so frustrated and close to tears. In the end, Tail Gator was vindicated and won the competition and the little boy went home happy.

At another point in the show, a reclining chair on steroids came out to the floor. It was fully-equipped with an engine and a torch that propelled it forward! It is amazing what all these Red Necks think of.

We also saw real transformers! One bad transformer (Reptar) was trying to steal our freedom and all the little kids were yelling "Freedom Rules", "We love freedom", "You can't take our freedom away". Luckily the good transformer (Galactron) destroyed the Alien Transformer (Reptar).

Hoover U5140-900 Tempo Widepath Bagged Upright Vacuum

2008-04-07T11:53:00.000-07:00

When Ryan and I were married, a very close friend bought us our first vacuum. It lasted for a while, but unfortunately, started to self destruct. The detachable hose lost the piece that attaches it to the actual vacuum. Duct tape worked for a while, but unfortunately everything we sucked up would end up on the duct tape or back on the floor. About 1-2 months ago, I finally gave up on vacuuming until we had bought a new vacuum. Unfortunately, I was born a pretty compulsive person and felt the immediate need to purchase a vacuum. Ryan became my voice of reason after we were married. He is the king of getting the best deals possible, and notorious for waiting until he finds the best deal (even if it means months of waiting).

When Ryan and I had talked about getting a new vacuum, we never discussed price. Knowing how much my family, Ryan's family, and friends have spent on vacuums, I was thinking that our price range would run anywhere from 100-300 dollars. Ryan on the other hand, not knowing how much a GOOD vacuum really costs, figured we could easily get one for under 100 dollars. Unfortunately, neither of us communicated our ideal price range for a while until I had gotten in my head that I was going to find the best deal on a Dyson and buy it. I had found the Dyson Animal (usually anywhere from 400-600 dollars) for 250 and thought I had struck gold. Unfortunately, during further communication, I found that Ryan was actually looking for something much, much less. Frustrated and confused at how he could possibly think we could get a good vacuum for under 100 dollars, I began my search for a mediocre vacuum with an economical price (of course thinking that any vacuum in the price range would have to be a piece of garbage). To my amazement, after researching consumer reports, I found 2 vacuums under 100 dollars and listed in the top 5-10. I must admit, Ryan I was wrong... Sorry.

Immediately, I began surfing the Internet for the best deal. Amazon ended up having the best price because you can get free shipping (even better than eBay... imagine that). Again, Ryan told me to not act impulsively and wait to see if it would go on sale. So I waited and waited, each day the dirty floor beginning to call out my name more. Finally, this morning I did my daily search for my vacuums and BAM, there is was. I saved 20% and got free shipping (the vacuum was on Consumer Reports top 10 list and rated better than those 400-600 dollar Dysons). While playing the waiting game was terrible, the feeling of getting such a good deal was well worth it! I can't wait to try it out. I am so excited to see carpet tracks again! Unfortunately, I don't think the carpet in our house has ever been replaced (built circa 1960-1970), so this carpet could use a really good vacuum. Stay tuned... pictures to follow.

Ryan's Celebrity Look-alikes

2008-04-07T11:10:00.000-07:00

Celebrity Look-alikes

2008-04-07T11:05:00.000-07:00

What makes life good

2008-04-04T06:03:00.000-07:00

I was watching TV last night and there is a Yoplait yogurt commercial where this lady goes to a tailor and says that she wants all of her clothes taken in. She tells the lady that she has been eating Boston cream pie, apple turnover, and white chocolate strawberries. I have attached it for you viewing pleasure in case you don't know which one I am talking about.

A couple of days ago, I bought a couple of Yoplait yogurt cups on sale at Giant Eagle. As you know from my previous post, I have been trying to eat much better and have mostly cut dessert out of my diet. My day consists of trying to eat as many raw vegetables as I can and drinking a ton of water. Both of these things are quite possibly the things I hate most in life. When I got to work today and noticed that the Yoplait yogurt (my one saving grace) was the Light, Key Lime Pie yogurt, I just got this happy feeling inside. I love when little things in life surprise you like that. For those of you who have not tried the different flavors that yoplait offers, you are really missing out. So this post is a testimonial for the light Yoplait yogurt flavors. If you haven't tried them yet, you really need to. It is a great substitute for dessert!

Continue to Rock My World Brett Michaels!!

2008-04-01T10:32:00.000-07:00

Seriously, who can resist this?

On Saturday night, Ryan and I went to the Monster Truck event at OSU's Schottenstein Center. Pictures to follow... On one of the boards I saw that Poison was coming to town. Ok, so I was born in 1985 and I know that Poison was popular when I was pretty young, but after I was introduced to Rock of Love on VH1, I didn't know what I had been missing. The show is kind of trashy, but I am hooked. I admit it, I think Bret Michaels is pretty hot stuff! My friend Jamie and I were discussing Bret Michaels and she thought I was pretty sick for thinking he was a good looking guy, but honestly, I can't help it. If I weren't married and LDS, and was able to keep up with the Rock Star Lifestyle and trashy, I would have gone on Rock of Love 3 (If there is going to be one). Ryan unfortunately doesn't think that I am a big enough fan to go to the concert. So this post is dedicated to proving my Love for Bret Michaels.

1. Bret Michael's accepts people for who they are and doesn't judge. And I quote "I can deal with whatever kind of baggage you come with, but I can't take someone who is emotionally unavailable" (or something like that). I just love this perspective. We all could learn a little more from Mr. Michaels. You definitely go a lot farther in life when you accept people for who they are and what they have been through. "Every Rose Has It's Thorn"

2. A man that can wear more makeup and eyeliner than I do, have long hair, and still be masculine.... That's all I need to say about that!

3. I know that Bret Michaels is spelled with only one t. Bret has type 1 diabetes. Bret broke his nose, ribs, jaw, fingers and lost 4 teeth in a Ferrari accident. Only a true fan would know that. I should seriously get double points for that one.

4. I have added a number of songs to my music on this blog so that I can be fully prepared to sing along at the concert in August.

5. What is better than an 80's Love Ballad? If you want to really and truly show your loved one you care, what's better than a CD with a bunch of 80's love ballads? Ryan, you know you love them.

Ryan, think of how fun it will be. Me, you, Bret Michaels and his 80's love ballads... a dream come true. Plus, you can't beat 11 dollar tickets and a vacation to Cincinnati. Well, that's my argument.

UPDATE to the UPDATE

2008-03-27T10:35:00.000-07:00

The last post was all Ryan! I think he really really wishes I loved the mustache that much.

UPDATE !!! - RYAN'S BIRTHDAY!!!

2008-03-27T09:14:00.000-07:00

I had a real change of heart about my "Ryan's Birthday" post. Mostly the second part about the mustache. You all should read it again, because this is what I originally meant to say!

Diet Time!

2008-03-24T10:59:00.000-07:00

Columbus has been rainy, snowy and that yucky humid cold now for close to 6 months. I am getting sick and tired of it, but more importantly, my body is sick and tired of it. I had been so proud of myself while in Utah for eating better, exercising a little more (typically walking around the office and to and from the bus is "exercise" for me) and loosing 2 dress sizes (yes I was actually down to about a size 4). Then, Columbus Ohio happened. The lack of gym pass (not that I would have had the motivation to workout everyday anyway), the drizzly, humid, cold weather, and a more demanding job have added to my ever increasing butt size. I finally hit one of those weeks where nothing in your wardrobe fits quite right and you come to the realization that it is time to do something about it. Now, I am not complaining because as Ryan has pointed out, I have been born with a pretty good metabolism, especially considering how much I eat. I still wake up each morning though regretting what I ate the night before, have almost no energy, and am having trouble fitting into the clothes I could hardly keep on a year ago. Thankfully, my sister in-law posted her rewards program (for maintaining a healthier lifestyle) on her blog. A friend and I have personally challenged ourselves to eat much healthier, exercise and hopefully loose a few lbs. and inches off our waists. This requires a before and after shot I think. Actually... after the rather large and depressing head shot of me with my tiny mother two posts ago, I decided I wasn't in the mood to document my current state. Here is to a new, more active and energetic me!

Happy Birthday Ryan

2008-03-20T08:34:00.000-07:00

Sweet Mustache huh?

On Wednesday night, we celebrated Ryan's birthday. He doesn't enjoy celebrating his birthdays very much, so it was pretty low key. We went out to dinner at Coochos, our favorite Mexican Restaurant in Columbus (almost no Latin Americans live here it seems, so it has been difficult finding any form of good South American food). When we got home, I made Ryan Buttermilk Bars. It was a recipe his mom makes often and they are really yummy. This was my second try at making them and typically you don't want to try my cooking when it is only the second attempt, but surprisingly they turned out to be really good. I will have to add this to my repertoire.

By the way, the freakin' sweet mustache has been an on-going thing with the 1st year medical students since they started school in August. They decide on mustache months and unfortunately, we are at the end of March so Ryan's has grown in fairly thick and super sexy. It is probably the most ingenious kind of mustache ever as well...The Handlebar. This might be too much info. for you, but I have to kiss that mouth every morning before leaving and every day when coming home - and I can't think of anything in the world that makes me happier. IN fact, a well-groomed mustache on a handsome young guy (Ryan) who really knows how to rock his stuff is one of the greatest pleasures of life. My Top Three All-Time Sexiest Men List includes: Tom Selleck, Burt Reynolds... and now my own husband. Life is good.

Michael Buble Concert

2008-03-20T08:22:00.000-07:00

My head looks huge in this picture compared to my mom's, but I had to document our concert and this was the best one!

For Christmas, my husband gave me the best present I think I may have ever received. FYI to those of you who are new visitors to my blog, I am obsessed with Michael Buble. Ryan gave me tickets to his concert in Cincinnati and asked my mom to fly out and go with me. My mom came out this past Friday and we drove to Cincinnati on Saturday. Ryan had entered us in an auction and we won third row seats. Michael actually threw his sweat rag and we were so close to catching it. Unfortunately, the people in the row directly in front of us got the coveted sweat rag. Some of you might be thinking that keeping a sweat rag of some famous person is gross, but for me it would would have been a treasure.

The concert was incredible. It wasn't like a lot of the other lame concerts I have been to, where the musician lip syncs or has recorded music played in the background. He had a whole band made up of 3 saxophones, 2-3 trombones, and 2-3 trumpets, a piano, a Bass, and an electric guitar. He was so fun to watch (he dances like Elvis) and really funny (I was laughing hysterically for most of the show). It was a great experience and was so fun to see my mom. His concert was well worth the money. In fact, he is coming to Columbus on April 16th and I am trying to find out if any radio station is giving away tickets.

Spring Break in Utah!

2008-03-14T08:49:00.000-07:00

The past week, Ryan has had spring break and I was able to get a few days off to go to Utah with him. We had a lot of fun with my nieces and all of his family members. My brother and sister are at college in Utah and so I was able to visit them as well. Here are a few pictures of my siblings and cousins. Ryan and I got to enjoy our favorite restaurants (Cafe Rio and Gandolfo's).

Unfortunately, Gandolfo's wasn't the best of experiences. For those of you who know Ryan well, you know that to him there is nothing better than a really good sandwich. I am not talking about the Quiznos kind of sandwich that is hot and has chicken or steak on it, I am talking about a sandwich with cold cuts and lots of mayo. We decided one night to go with my brother to Gandolfo's. We used Ryan's trusty Wing (his cell phone), complete with Internet, to locate the nearest restaurant. (I am sure many of you know that his Wing is his pride and joy).

Unfortunately, the Wing didn't tell us that the nearest Gandolfo's was in a gas station. After arriving at said gas station, we decided that sitting in a gas station was not ideal and continued on to another Gandolfo's that was an actual restaurant. When we walked in the door, I took in the two employees behind the counter. The first looked young, a little dirty, and sort of dumb. The second looked like one of the EMO/Skater looking teenagers you find living in Utah that look as though they are wishing they lived in some big city where they could work in a coffee shop. I guess sandwich shops must be the next best thing. As we placed our order, the slightly dirty teenager asked on a number of occasions which meat I would like to substitute for the turkey (I think turkey is gamey (spelling?) and hate it on anything), and ask for ham instead. After placing the order and paying for it, the second employee states "We are out of ham". I, a little dumb founded that someone would take an order and have a customer pay for it and then explain they were out of something, try to clarify by asking "You are out of ham?" EMO employee states "Yeah, we are out of ham, see only one slice left" and proceeds to hold up the remaining slice. My brother and I both have ordered sandwiches with ham on them and begin to discuss who the remaining slice of ham should go to. Trevor decides that the ham should be mine and that he will take extra pastrami instead. We then discover that the sandwich shop closes at 7:00 pm. What sandwich shop closes at 7? Anyway, we decide to eat in the car out in the parking lot since they are closing. I take a bite out of my sandwich and find that although the ingredients for this particular sandwich list mayo, my sandwich has little to no mayo on it. Ryan and I were both a little disappointed.

The rest of the trip was fun. I wish I had taken pictures because we had an excellent karaoke night with Ryan's family. Again the in-laws prevailed (Ansen and I tend to kick butt at this particular game). It has become my favorite past-time (although we have only played it twice) because it is the one game I can beat Ryan at. He refuses to believe that I have ever beaten him. However, after one particularly good song, I challenged him to try to beat me. Ryan is very competitive and doesn't typically turn down a good fight, therefore he must have felt a little intimidated because he turned my offer down.

Overall, it was a really relaxing and fun trip. I really enjoyed myself.

Embarassing Moments in the Life of Kendall Watkins

2008-02-22T11:00:00.000-08:00

Today a friend filled out one of those forwarded emails that lists things she knows about me. McCall reminded me of the fact that I have a talent for always embarrassing myself. Sometimes the embarrassment is small, but sometimes the events are horrifying. I have listed an example that I think I haven't shared with most people that happened recently.

For those of you who do not know, I work at an office with about 20 other people. In comparison to my last law firm, this office is quite small. On a number of occasions, it has been impressed on me by my bosses that as one of only two paralegals in this office I was to present myself in a professional and confident way. They are trying to make a place for me here, but it has been difficult seeing as how I am not an attorney, nor am I secretary.

After months of working on my confidence and my professional attitude, I felt like I had finally gotten the hang of things. One morning, I walked out of my office and down the hallway to the other side of the building. Along the way I passed a couple secretaries, saying hi to each as I passed in a very confident and professional manner, the receptionist and then more secretary stations when much to my astonishment, I was stopped by one of the secretaries.

She exclaimed, "Oh No Honey" and then immediately began giggling. A secretary sitting next to her turned around and looked at me and then also immediately began laughing so hard that tears started streaming down her face. A little bewildered, I looked to them in confusion and asked "What's wrong?" Our office manager, a really funny guy, came walking down the hall as I said this and took one look at me and also began laughing. One of the secretaries handed me a mirror. I gazed into my reflection only to notice blue ink smeared all over my mouth and all over my teeth. I unfortunately have a nasty habit of chewing on pens among other bad habits. The secretary gave me toothpaste to use in the bathroom on my teeth and on my lips. Luckily, the majority of the ink came off (besides the residue still lingering on my tongue).

In honor of my embarrassing moment, our office manager brought me my very own chew toy. He took the ink part out of a pen so that it looks as though I am holding a pen, when really it can't be used for that purpose. He was pretty amused with his gift. Honestly, I can't deny that I haven't used it on a number of occasions when realizing I am chewing on perfectly good pens that could leave ink all over my mouth.

So much for professionalism and confidence! I would share more embarrassing moments that have occurred while working here, but unfortunately some are to embarrassing to share.

Blog Comments

2008-02-21T12:46:00.000-08:00

While many people enjoy shopping online or reading the news when they are bored at work, I enjoy reading and commenting on blogs. This has become a favorite tradition of mine during my lunch hour each day (when I get a lunch hour). The other day I read a rather long blog post written by friend much in need of a comment and as I mentally prepared what I was going to say, I realized my blog commenting abilities had been blocked. How could I enjoy my favorite pasttime of reading my friends and loved ones blogs each day without commenting?

First they took away You Tube, which I can totally understand because of the band width issues, although I am a little annoyed at the idea. But come on! Blog commenting? Who does that hurt? I immediately connected with my friend Lyndsay, who works out of my law firm's office in Toledo, about my frustration. She was fully aware of this problem and vented along with me.

Today, as I sat at my desk with my email up, working away, an email from Lyndsay popped up on my screen, but it was not just any email. It was a notice from blogspot that Lyndsay had commented on my blog. I thought for a minute that this could not be because I had previously spoken with Lyndsay earlier that day via gmail chat and she had been at work. Then she informed me that we were once able to comment again. I am not sure if this was mere coincidence, or if the blog commenting blocker occured out of error, or even if some wonderful IT consultant decided to give us our freedom and let us comment, but it was a very good day overall. I know some of you are probably thinking that this is a dumb post, but those of you who are thinking that have probably never felt your internet freedom being taken away.

My Shoe

2008-02-14T18:38:00.001-08:00

In the last week, we have gotten a lot of snow here. For those of you who didn't know, I take the bus every day to and from work. I end up walking a total of about 10-11 blocks each day. A few months ago, I decided to invest in some snow boots which have turned out to be a necessary item during the winter here. I have started packing my work shoes in a little plastic bag every day and carrying them with me on the bus. I came home the other night and found a gigantic hole in the bottom of my plastic grocery bag and only one shoe remaining in the bag. Although they weren't the most attractive of my shoes, they were by far the most comfortable. Ryan told me that I should contact the COTA (Central Ohio Transportation Authority) lost and found. My opinion of COTA workers and the organization in general is not what you would call high and so I feared the worst for my shoe. Ryan was walking home from the bus today and found this, MY SHOE! Unfortunately, it looks as though it had been run over by a car and is soaking wet because of the slush currently covering the streets. Knowing what my reaction would be, my sweet husband decided to wrap my shoe in a bag (as my Valentines gift). When I got home from work, we exchanged our presents and opened my bag to find my wet and ragged shoe. I guess my expression was priceless because he immediately began laughing at me. He decided that maybe it was time for new shoes. It was a sad day, but at least I get new shoes out of it.

TAG- I'm it

2008-02-02T19:23:00.000-08:00

MY HUSBAND....what is his name? John Ryan Watkins

How long have you been together? married 3 1/2 years

how long did you date? It depends on who you ask. I say that we started dating in December, but Ryan doesn't start counting until you are really serious. For him that was February (this was his late date with another girl)... so 9 months for me and only 7 months for him.

how old his he? 25 almost 26

who eats more? We both eat the same probably. I know, it is really going to catch up with me one of these days.

who said i love you first? We can't remember this, but Ryan seems to think him. Ryan accuses me of loving him first though.

who is taller? He definitely is.

who can sing better? We did Karaoke one Christmas and the playstation could tell who was hitting the right notes. According to the Karaoke machine, Ryan and I were tied. I personally think I am better.

who is smarter? Ryan for sure. He is the smart one. I don't think I am dumb or anything, but he is really smart.

who does the laundry? Me, for sure.

who pays the bills? Ryan right now. I used to pay the bills.

who sleeps on the right side? me

who mows the lawn? We don't have a lawn so no one.

who cooks dinner? me when I cook, but Ryan cooks too sometimes.

who drives? Ryan (I don't enjoy driving)

who is more stubborn? Definitely Ryan.

who kissed who first? This is a funny story. We hadn't kissed for a while and I was starting to worry if he liked me or not. I pinned him up against a car one night and just smiled at him in anticipation. He finally gave in. It was terribly awkward (we smacked teeth). Ryan told me tonight that it was by far the worst 1st kiss he has ever had. I would have to agree with him. It helped break the barrier though.

who asked who out first? Ryan

who proposed? Ryan

who has more friends? I do.

who is more sensitive? Me

who has more siblings? Ryan

who wears the pants? Ryan. I have learned how to get my way though.

Sick! Sick! Sick!

2008-02-02T19:08:00.000-08:00

Don't you hate those weekends where you are completely down for the count and can't seem to get anything done because you feel so awful? Well, it was one of those weekends for Ryan and I. On Wednesday, Ryan was really sick and I started to feel the scratchy sore throat coming on. By Thursday, we were both really sick. Unfortunately, it was a test/work week for us. I had a huge real estate closing which means that taking off for a sick day was out of the question. Ryan had a test on Friday and sadly Medical School doesn't wait either. By Friday night, we both were tired and ready to rest for the weekend. Our house officially looks like a disaster because I haven't felt up to cleaning or doing laundry. I hope that by Monday everything will be well in the Watkins household and we will be up to the regular again.

Ryan and Kendall Watkins

Before and After Christmas in Georgia

Christmas Pictures

Busy Month!

Thanksgiving

Halloween

Beach Trip

Friends!

SPIDERS!!

Give Me That Camera!

Halle Discovers Our Kitchen

Help Please!

I Love This Face!

Charleston, SC

Pictures of Halle!

Best Husband Ever!

Bath Time

Halle's Blessing

Baby Halle

Halle is 1 Month!

Halle Jane Watkins

37 weeks

Cleaning!

Night at the Airport

Bladder Troubles

Topless Woman

22 Weeks

We are having a baby GIRL!!!!

6 Years!!!

Disturbing Dreams

Toilet Cleaning

I love Stephen Colbert

Nationwide's World's Greatest Spokesperson in the World!

How Smart is Your Right Foot?

Questions about us having a baby

Thanksgiving

Michael Buble

FOR SALE: 2003 Honda Accord - Gently Used!

Hair cut!

My Sisters Keeper

3rd of July

Bulbs

Actors and Actresses

Passports

Melissa

The Uglies

After the Final Rose Part II

The Bachelor

Allergic Reaction

Funny Tag

Sleep

Oh no Renee

Freezing Cold!

Flying

Babies

Thankful!

Nieces!!!

WORST DAY EVER!!!! (Do not read if you get sick to your stomach easily)

Georgia

Bedding

TV Stand

High School Tag

Palin SNL Skit

IKE!!

What Makes Me Unique!

Married for 4 Years!

Squirrels

Watkins Update

1 Year Anniversary

Fourth of July

Chocolate Butt

Pepe Le Pew!

California

The Shower Head!

The SKUNK!

Happenings in the Life of the Watkins

Spa Day

Most Embarassing Stories from the Life of Kendall Watkins Part 4

Most Embarassing Stories from the Life of Kendall Watkins Part 3

More Embarassing Stories from the Life of Kendall Watkins Part 2