watching Nudge attack the new door mat in various ways. Freak.

is awake after a night of not-so-good sleep. I think it is par-tay excitement!!!!

is not too sure what to do with herself at the present time....

hanging out watching SVU while baking brownies!

New Year's Eve..

Today is the eve before New Year's Eve! I am super excited because we are going to have a party again!! We had one last year and decided to do itagain. It is so much easier if you are at home and not having to travel. I am so excited to see everyone andspend time with them!
We are having the usual food for the party and drinks. I have to get cracking on the food because I am procrastinating. I figure that I will prep most of the food tonight so that I can clean up around here tomorrow.
I will have to post pics after the party is over!!

wedding update

So... as of tomorrow, I will be getting hitched in 8 months. I am so ready. Right now I am filling out thank you cards from the shower the other weekend, trying to finish up ASAP. I love that I keep getting gifts and they are waiting for me when I get home from work! I am also turning on the pilates full force. I want that damn dress to fit. Dan and I have made a New Year's resolution to eat alot better and allow one cheat day a week. I might start running also to add to the mix.
I think we have mostly everything under control: place, DJ, photographer, someone to marry us, wedding bands, my dress, and the invitations. I have to call the florist right after the new year to talk flower ideas. The guys will wait and get their tuxs a little bit closer to the wedding. We are still trying to figure out what to do with my brother moving but I am sure that they have the same tux rental places in Philadelphia and California.

this too shall pass

Christmas has come and gone very quickly this year. For me, it was a very melancholy experience. It was great to have dinner out house with Ruth (future mom-in-law), Scott (her boyfriend), Barbara (my mom), Sean, and Alice. It was like a pot luck dinner where everyone contributed by bringing something.
It became a little harder as the night wore on and a little more emotional for me especially. Sean and Alice were leaving for Maine the next day to spend time with her family before the big move to California. When my brother needed directions, I told him to meet me in the office and we had an emotional moment. We had a nice cry together saying how much we are going to miss each other. My brother is one of my best friends. It was not bad at all when he moved to NYC because it was a short ride and I could always use a weekend away sometimes. California? It is so damn far from here. In our emotional moment, I told him he better be at the wedding or else I would "come at him like a spider monkey". I know it is what he has to do or else there will always be the "what ifs" in his mind. I plan on racking up frequent flyer miles for this!
I know that technology is so different now. We have Facebook, MySpace, email, AIM, and iChat but nothing beats a face to face conversation with someone. With Sean and I, it is more of a heated debate. I am not only sad he is leaving but he is taking my new sister-in-law with him. Talk about a kick ass girl! Love her to death.
I will see him sometime in early January before they take the cross country adventure in their Volvo with their lives packed in cardboard boxes. They will love it out their even though I know it is going to be scary for them for awhile.
Hopefully they will get a permenant place soon as possible so I can crash at their place!! Until next time!

wedding shower and bachelorette party

So last weekend was INSANE!!! I was out all morning/early afternoon getting food and other stuff for the bridesmaids meeting I was going to be having at 3pm on Saturday. I was supposed to be picking Sara up at 3. Alice told me she was running late so I went to pick up Sara hoping the other Sarah would not arrive while Dan and I were out. For those that know me, I cannot stand to be late. I was running late picking Sara up BUT decided to stop for a cafe mocha anyway. Jenkintown Java was crowded so it too a little to long to get my caffinee fix and get out of there. When I get to Sara's house, Dan wants to go up and get her but I am pissy and just want her to come out to the car so we can leave. I call her phone and she does not answer so I stomp up to the house and ring the bell. She lets me in and- SURPRISE!!- there are all my friends and family waiting there. I was so freaking surprised! They decided to have the shower so early before the wedding b/c Alice is moving to California and was not sure if she would be able to make it one closer to the wedding. I yelled at Dan b/c I made alot of food but he said him and Steve, who was supposed to be in NYC, would eat it and hang out. I got a lot of awesome presents and gift cards to spend! There was awesome food and drinks as well. The girls also decided to make this my bachelorette partyas well! This was later in the night when family members had left andit was just the girls! They got Sweet Lucy's to eat, we did Karaoke, and played Pin the Junk on the Hunk... the types of junk they had were hysterical!! Dan and Steve came back and we decided to stay at the house and play some games. Needless to say, I had way too much to drink and had an emotional meltdown... I am not going to embarass myself with the details of that.
I wanted to thank my girls- Sara, Sarah, and Alice, for planning such an awesome time. Also, thanks to my friends and family members that kept it a secret, especially my mom!
I cannot wait for the wedding day and it is only a little over 9 months away!

Save the Dates are out!

Yesterday I went to the post office and I sent off the Save the Dates for the big day! It is only a little than 8 months away but I am getting excited! The other week, I ordered the actual wedding invitations!! I was super excited when I got the phone calls today that people had gotten the save the dates already! Thank you Post Office!I also want to say "CONGRATS" to Chris and Katie! Chris popped the question Monday night!!

another rant

I have decided that my iPhone is possessed. Yup- POSSESSED! A few blo0gs ago I wrote about the issue I had with my phone when the BSOD came up. Today, my iPod part of the phone would play only a song or two then shut off. When it is 5:50 in the morning and I am trying to jam, this pisses me off! It did not get any better on the way home so I tossed it in my bag. I came home to update the newest firmwear, only to realize that I screwed up and, to make a long story short, had to reset my phone to factory settings- BLOWS!!!!! It finally resets AND backs up everything, saving me hours of time putting everything back on the iPhone.

Like I said, possessed! Now that Thanksgiving is fast approaching, I am 9 months from the wedding and one month from hosting Christmas dinner. Pray for me, please.

blahhhh

I am so tired and I want to sleep for a few days... EXHAUSTED!!!!

Thank you to all Veterans

So I had a nice Tuesday off today thanks to the people that have risked/given their lives for this country. For that, THANK YOU! It is appreciated by myself and many others.

Yesterday, I get an idea to keep myself busy on my day off. I had planned to write lesson plans and get ready for the rest of the 2008 school year. I decide that is NOT what I am going to do. I am going to rake the leaves in our backyard. Not a hard task! I will get some exercise and do some yard work done. I decide to tell Dan of my intentions to do this and he is all about this idea.

This morning, I get up at 10ish, eat some breakfast, drink coffee, and get dressed nice and warm! I then go out to take on the back yard. Started at 10:30 in the front yard. Finished in the very back of the yard at around 12:30! Those leaves and weeds I cut done have nothing on me!

The picture at the beginning of the blog is the finished product! I got my physical activity and am feeling pretty damn good!!

the mood was pissy

On Saturday, I had to get my ass out of bed early so I could attend a PFT Conference at a hotel at 17th and Race. I get off the train at Suburban Station and start walking up 17th Street when my iPhone goes dead. I mean no screen, no sound, NADA! I played with it for awhile and found no reason it should no be working. I did not drop it anywhere or get it wet. I had no clue.
Fast forward to when I get home. I plug it into the charger and it makes the screechy sound it usually make to let me know it is charging. No screen just yet. I have Dan call me- nothing again. Dan has the idea to drive to the AT&T store to see what they can do. Dan swears that the screen is broken because it is making sound but nothing is coming up. We get to the store and explain the situation to the girl. She played with it for a minute then tells us that we have to take it to an Apple store because AT&T can only sell them. The Apple store is who services them. I am so freaking upset at this point so I kick on the bitch mode instantly. Dan got something to eat and says he will look some info up on the internet and/or call the Apple store to see what they say. At this point, I am ready to throw the phone in the trash and not even care. We get home and Dan begins to Google solutions to my iPhone problems. He tells me it is the Black Screen of Death BUT he might be able to fix it. Finally, Dan was able to fix it. I have no idea how but my iPhone is back up and working!!
Lesson learned? Be carefully when you download the virtual Zippo lighter application for the iPhone!

sometimes I am a bit emotional....

Today was not a bad day! School was not too bad and only a few knuckleheads got on my nerves. I was sitting down today and I was overcome with some emotion. I began to think about my Grandmom. She passed away in March of 2004. For those of you who never had the pleasure of meeting Catherine Toohey, let me give you some info. She was right off the boat from Ireland, with the Irish attitude and temper intact. My father was her youngest child out of a total of 5. When my brother and I were young, my mom did not put us in daycare because my Grandmom told her she would take care of us. Everyday, until either of us werein school, we went down to East Madison Street to spend the day with my Grandmom. The only day I did NOT see my Grandmom was on Saturday. We saw her all week, including Sunday for the family Sunday dinner. She was the most wonderful person I have ever met. I was blessed to have her for so long. As the wedding gets closer, I miss her more. I wish she could be there. I KNOW she will be there in spirit but I will miss her being there.... To Catherine Toohey (1/13/10-3/08/04) I miss you!! (http://www.legacy.com/philly/DeathNotices.asp?Page=SearchResults)

Congratulations, Mr. President!!

Congratulation to Obama on his ass whipping of McCain in the Presidential Election. I look forward to seeing you officially take office on January 20th, 2009. I know you will do your best since you have to clean up the mess of the 8 years before you!

Phillies & Obama in '08

I have no idea where to start! First, the Philadelphia Phillies picked up the suspended game 5 on Wednesday, October 29th in the bottom of the 6th inning. Needless to say, the Phillies won the World Series that night. I am still pumped over this fact. Growing up a Phillies phan, I was only 2 when the won in 1980. I think it was fate. Look at the numbers- World Series in 80and now 08. Tug McGraw was 45 and Lidge is 54... fate I tell you!
I am sitting an watching CNN. Pennsylvania has been called for Obama!!! I feel important because I went tonight and voted with Dan. I was number 832 where we voted this evening. So far, Obama is way in the lead, which I am excited about! I loved Obama when he spoke at the DNC in 2004 and I cannot believe he is so close to being the President Elect! Things are looking up!
Tomorrow morning I will be saying that the Phillies are the World Series Champions and Obama is our next President!!

excitment to the max!

So... baseball is a HUGE deal right now! Phillies won game 3 last night and now lead the series against Tampa Bay 2-1!! They play again tonight and I am super excited.
Besides baseball, I am also excited that my dad is done with his cancer radiation on Tuesday. He is exhausted and needs the rest.
I need to get motivated. I have just about 10 months left until the wedding and I have to get my ass in shape! The dress must fit!
I am bored on Sunday after working my ass off on paper work and teacher stuff! The fun never ends!

it has been forever

It seems like it has been forever since I have written a blog. There has been a lot going on in my world. First, my brother got married August 23rd in Jefferson, Maine. I had such a great time and am so glad to have a new family. I love my new sister-in-law, Alice, along with the rest of the family she introduced me to. It was a lot of work but the end result was awesome! If interested in pictures, check them out- www.flickr.com/photos/teacher13.

Dan and I have not been doing too much wedding planning. We finalized the menu and some small details but we are still waiting until after the new year to send out the Save the Dates, order invites,and do the other things. I am just looking at bridesmaids' dresses for the girls. BTW, I have a new bridemaid- Alice. I decided to make her part of the bridal party and now it feels complete! We have a small party but that is exactly how we want it!

My Dad is doing well. He did have a minor set back a few weeks ago. The dosage of Chemo was too high and it caused him to become dehydrated and a short stint in the hospital. The cut his dosage in half and is doing better! He has only a week left of treatment and then it will be time to heal.

Other than that, nothing too over the top is going on! Now that the wedding is getting closer, I will try to blog more often. So far, the school year is going well!!

screw what I said..

YES! Screw what I said is what I said.... Dan and I have registered at www.target.com. We had registered other places but found it to be too much! This was to keep you in the know... Love, peace, and hair grease

regisrty stuff

Hello all! Dan and I have decided to register at a few places. First, www.target.com for our target registry. That is for some basic house stuff we can use. Next is a website called Travelers Joy (http://www.travelersjoy.com/members/elephantjuice/).
That is the web address will put you right at our site. This site will allow people to help pay for our honeymoon to London and Rome. You can buy us money towards our flight, hotel, and entertainment. It is up but not just finished yet! A work in progress!

Since we are paying for our wedding on our own, we figured that this would help alleviate the stress of honeymoon money and any gifts people would want to give us!

Love to all!!

new bridal party

So yesterday I was getting my hair done and a thought comes across my brain- We should have Steve and Sara in our wedding party. Before, we had my brother and Dan's sister and that was it! Steve and Sara have been such awesome friends and we have become very close over the past two years. I feel that they are a big part of our love and I love them lots! XXOOXXOO!!

wedding list

So I am looking at the rough draft of the Wedding Guest list. For the venue, we have to have a minimum of 75 people. So far I have a tad bit over 100 people on the list. I know I still have to finalize it and I have plenty of time BUT I only thought we would have like 75. I know people will RSVP that they cannot come but I am surprised at how many people we HAVE to invite. What is a girl to do?

Losing the

So I have been behaving myself this week and try to eat the right food. I am off to a good start! I think I lost like 2 pounds this week from eating a lot of veggies and cutting out refined sugar. So far. So good! Hopefully I can keep up the good work!

Losing the Weight

So here is the deal. I cannot get my dress zipped all the way up BUT I am so motivated to lose the weight because I LOVE my dress! I think it will be easier when I get done school and have the time to workout and really watch what I eat. Blah. Sometimes I feel like I am planning alone. I know I am doing things way in advance but I am like that! I am sure he will get more involved when it gets closer to the date or I nag the crap out of him. I love him and cannot wait. I have also decided to lay off the hootch to aid in the weight loss!!!

My First Blog

So....
I am getting married! Dan proposed on April 17th in our house. He took me totally by surprise! I am so excited that we are going to spend our life together! Here are some details of the wedding-
Date: August 29, 2009
Place: Celebrations (Bensalem, PA)
Time of Ceremony: 6 pm
Time of Reception: 7 pm
I have already booked the place, the DJ, and the photographer a year in advance! Gotta get planning ASAP! So far things are going good and are low key.
The best thing that happened was that I had found a dress online at Neiman Marcus totally by accident one day. When I first saw it I fell in love BUT they did not have my size (BOO!!!). I waited and kept checking and then they finally got my size in stock. I ordered it right away. The price of $410 was not too bad! I got the dress today. It was delivered to my mom's house. I went to open the dress and it was breathtaking... I kid you not! My mom and I both sighed at the same time. I did try it on BUT it did not zip all the way up. I have a small gap which means I have to lose some weight before next summer. I love this dress and I want to get married in it so I am totally motivated to get it done! There was no bigger size when I did call today BUT it was marked down to $283 so I got a price adjustment, making the dress so much more worth it!
I am NOT posting any pictures of the dress because I want it to be a surprise! I cannot wait for the summer when I can focus on getting in shape and looking fabulous for the wedding next summer!!
Until next time!!!!