{whirlwind of memories} + {coming up}

So the past month or so has been absolutely crazy. There's so much I can't wait to share, so I'm just gonna lay it all out here. And to think the summer's only going to speed up from here...

NiKki*s SeNioR pRoM!

Look at this gorgeous princess. Can't believe it's my baby sister! Just yesterday we were holding hands waiting in line to ride Dumbo at Disney World. Where does the time go?

*Click to view bigger!*

Lo0K whO*s BacK tOgeTheR

And he knows good and well that her big sister will hurt him if he breaks her heart again. :)

thE boYs GoT a PupPy!

So far the puppy is still alive. And I'm definitely thrilled to say those two are doing fabulous with little Callypso!

ThE gRaD paRtY!

It rocked. For some random reason, Ohio decided to be like 90+ degrees, but other than that, it was a perfect day for my little sis.

*Click to view bigger!*

mY fuRbaBieS

Yep, even they're busy! Haylie's busy being a princess, and Riley? Well it's summer, so she's taken up her favorite sunny-day pastime:

This crazy girl searches the house to find the sunniest spot. Then she gets comfy and won't move for hours because she's busy working on her "tan". Seriously.

<3>

All I can say is thank goodness for this:

Without him I wouldn't be here right now. I'd have given up long ago. I think. I hope not, but I just don't know lately. We've been engaged for almost a year, together for almost four. We've definitely worked for what we have now, but I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. I never ever knew love could be so pure, comfortable, and true. Wait for it... it's possible. And it's the most beautiful thing that will ever touch your soul, I promise.

pLuS.....

...all the softball, senior stuff, etc. It's hard work being a senior, and it's definitely hard work being sister to a senior! :) Then throw in all of the only worsening pile of doctors appointments plus the fact that my health issues seem to be multiplying... Add in Pharmacology and two more classes beginning in a few weeks... Absolute craziness around here.

CoMinG uP

A lot of hard stuff. Lately every day is hard, but I try soooo hard to be optimistic and never crack. Well it's getting to be too much, too heavy. I have to get it all out, so bear with me. I can't keep it inside anymore. I've used this blog as a tool to help me learn to face my issues instead of deny them, but lately I'm not sure what I've been doing. I've begun going to therapy, and that helps, but journaling is my number-one go-to outlet for coping, and something about stating my fears and sharing my heart for all the world to see is my way of proving to my soul that what I face is tangible, real, and important. It's my way of forcing myself to realize that it's okay to accept myself for who I am and what I deal with, and it's okay to be vulnerable and afraid. I'm a firm believer in being raw and genuine, and I definitely see a large difference between being real and being a chronic complainer. So get ready for me to be real and bear my soul from the bottom of the most honest, humble, and vulnerable broken heart.

xoxo

We are blessed.

Happy Friday from Ri!

Riley.... how we love this crazy girl!

hey girl hey! from amanda on Vimeo.

Choreography and wardrobe (umm?) by Nikki... Styling and manicure (yes, that dog's nails are always painted pink) by yours truly! :)

night-night from ri-ri

oh yes, i almost forgot. riley says goodnight...

good night, good morning

Grrr.....  almost 5am and I still can't sleep.  Stupid muscle relaxers.  Stupid car wreck.  Stupid driver who didn't want to pay attention to umm, driving.  Yeah, I'll blame her.  lol

So yes.... for the past 3-4hrs I've been tossing and turning in bed, snuggling with both Haylie Brooke and "Ugwie Doggie," listening to podcasts on my iPhone, reading the new Marie Claire, eating Girl Scout cookies (the shortbread ones over chocolate!), checking my Google Reader, you name it.  I finally gave in and got my laptop out.  And here I am.  This is totally going to mess up my week, and I have a feeling tomorrow I'm going to be all out of sorts.  Oh well, c'est la vie, right?

Found a couple funny Kittehs for ya:

And here's a cute Ugwie Doggie for ya:

Yep, that's Princess Ri all snuggled up on my pillow with her doggie, all  tucked in with her Disney Princess blanket.  What a spoiled little girl...  Haylie on the other hand is so adorable.  She needs a haircut so she's extra fluffy, and she's so stinking cute I could just eat her up.

Let's see..... anything else I can share?  Well I'm totally excited for tomorrow - fun with Megs during the day then new Idol, new One Tree Hill, new Beauty & The Geek...  And it's spring break so I can watch without feeling guilty!  Hooray :)  Then Wednesday, Fiance and I are going to the Cavs game - I surprised him with tix for V-Day so even though I really can't stand basketball, I'm going just for him :)  

That's back to checking my blogs and adding songs to my Last.fm playlist.  Who knows, I might even organize my files on here because I need to send a batch over to the iMac.  We'll see.  I'm feeling real crafty but I feel like I have to at least stay in bed and "pretend" I'm trying to sleep ;-)  Heehee

So until tomorrow... or whenev.... xoxo :)

the most adorable besties evs!

From across the ocean, here is breaking news. As quoted at Best Week Ever:

A paternal dog has adopted an abandoned baby goat as his surrogate child.
Billy the boxer has become the constant companion of the 12-day old kid called Lilly. He sleeps with the goat, licks her clean, and protects her from any dangers at Pennywell Farm wildlife centre at Buckfastleigh, near Totnes, Devon.

Along with this pic...

Via Best Week Ever

Awwwwww......

I wonder what Riley (also a Boxer) would do with a goat! She's very friendly and cuddly, but I doubt she'd be that good with one.

Reminds me... when I was little I had my heart set on a goat. I went to the county fair and found really cute baby goat for $15. I talked my Grandma into agreeing to buy it for me under one condition - if my parents would let me. Of course, they weren't exactly as excited about the goat as I was. So yep, you guessed it... I never got my goat, but honestly, I really can't say that's a bad thing!! And for the sake of the goat, it was probably a very good thing. I don't have a good track record with my-very-own pets. Family dogs have always been fine, but like the fish tank my mom went all out for and turned it into a little fishy paradise oasis complete with lots of fun fish, all in the attempts to get me to fall asleep at night? Yeah, well after Bobbo, my favorite, died, and I found out Mickey Mouse fish only had a Mickey Mouse head on his body because his skin was transparent and his organs were visible.... and then just looking at all the fish poop swimming around in there... well, let's just say the fish tank didn't last long. Then there was the bunny... a rescue bunny I got from my friend. She assured me Bunny was a super sweet female bunny. Well Bunny stayed in the garage and decided she was a he and liked to umm, urinate across the garage onto cars. Then Bunny decided he liked to bite. So Bunny went to live at my other friend's farm until it got too cold and Bunny froze to death. Poor Bunny.

Fast forward to when i was 17. I was going through a lot at the time and decided I was going to get a little furbaby. Long story short, I got Haylie Brooke Gianna Soleil, a shichon (shih tzu+bichon) and she's like my real baby. Haylie is almost 3 1/2 and she pretty much makes my world go around. So see, the my-very-own-pet thing didn't end up all bad. ;)