Eat Less Chikn

Move over Chick-Fil-A cows... I'm here to spread a different message! I am officially in the middle of my rotation at Tyson Chicken plant in Springdale, AR and let me tell you, it is the most interesting clinical experience I have ever had. My day consists of the following:

- Sitting around, a lot. A whole lot.
- Reading for Critical Care, which is actually a very good use of my time, totally unrelated to the clinical but time management nonetheless
- First Aid. I do quite a bit of first aid, but these are not your average injuries. Allow me to paint you a picture... stab wounds in the chin of a grown and bearded man. Why? Because when his beard hair net fell instead of pulling it back into place with his FINGERS, he POKES it back into place with his KNIFE. As in the knife that he has been dismembering raw chicken with... Stab wound on the arm of a woman because the person she was working next to pointed at something WITH HER KNIFE and accidentally cut her. This is not a joke. The MOST ridiculous wounds! I spent about 10 minutes one day cleaning CHICKEN BILE out of a woman's eye, yes, chicken bile.
- Gagging at the smell. This is a live kill plant, as in kill, defeather, debone, package... the whole shebang. It stinks BIG TIME. The parking lot is teeming with feathers, not kidding.
- I took a tour yesterday. I was having a dilemma, should I keep my eyes faced ahead so that I don't run into anything? Or maybe cast them downward in order to dodge the chicken fat strewn all over the ground? Should I breathe through my nose in order to avoid getting chicken blood or unidentified liquid from dripping in my mouth? Or should I breathe through my mouth to hopefully not vomit from the smell? I sort of had a little panic attack with my hair net and Tyson embroidered smock on, ear plugs in.

So people, relish in the light and beauty of your normal jobs as I trudge through feathers and chicken parts while caring for the non-english speaking population of Springdale, Arkansas. In the wise words of my Gammy today on the phone, "Have fun and don't kill any Mexicans!" Sure thing, Gam, sure thing.

lump boulder in my throat

I sent Karl off to Iraq today and it wasn't fun. I just wanted some documentation of the day, on the day so here are a few very noteworthy things...

- I don't know why I am ever surprised by the love that my Pi Phi sisters show me. It is showered upon me, time and time again, in good times and in bad, unconditionally. I know it sounds silly, cheesy, stereotypical, and difficult to understand. I wish everyone could experience it. My phone died the day before Karl deployed but since my mom and aunt were with me, I knew I could last until we got to Raleigh the afternoon of Karl's deployment where I could get a charger and turn it back on. I just turned it on and it blew up with texts and emails from the past 24 hours. Who were they from? Pi Phis. Pi Phi best friends and friends that I only see once a week. Pi Phi actives and alum. I am overwhelmed with gratitude and overflowing with appreciation, love, and emotion at the unexplainable bond we have. Silly? Maybe. Real, continuous, by and through the grace of God? Absolutely. Thank you sisters for your incessant encouragement.

- The same love shown to me by Pi Phis, also poured out by my mom and dad's small group friends, church members, nursing school friends whom I've gone thru the academic good/bad/ugly with now tromping thru personal life hell, and old high school acquaintances. Nothing really warms my heart quite like an outstretched hand and an offered prayer. Praise The Lord for warming and softening the hearts of those who are willing to offer their time and grace to pray for those in need. I am in need, Karl is in need, and God is placing SO MANY in our lives to meet our needs.

-The bond of military spouses, children, and the military community in general. I wish I could explain this in greater depth... what is a fiancee new to deployment processes and norms to do when her one and only link to the military world is now out of reach? This is where other spouses come into play. Sweet women who offer up their contact information to people like me who just don't have a clue, men in uniform lucky enough to be staying behind and talkative enough to offer words that bring peace as my loved one boards a plane for a place so unfamiliar to me, kids playing together that have never met as their moms trade stories of their husbands deployments. It's obnoxious, it's stereotypical, it's utterly necessary and vital.

I wish each of you could've been with me, seen the impact that your specific words had on me. Felt what Karl & I felt as you prayed for our peace. I'm praising God for each of you.

-Tonight I talked to Karl once he landed in Ireland. I held it together. I wanted to just let it go, which actually happened once my phone was turned on and my inbox was flooded as I got ready for bed in London's bathroom. My chest is sunburned from standing out in the sun all day. A literally painful reminder of the crappy day. I didn't want to wash my face, to brush my teeth, to change clothes, to move on and sleep, to move into another day. But I'll go to sleep, because when I wake up I'll be one day closer to marrying Karl, to seeing him day in and day out. When I wake up I'll be more thankful and have a better attitude, closer to the one that I should have now... I'm thankful for his safe job. Thankful that he has a job at all, actually. Thankful that there are dozens, DOZENS of people praying for him.

Progress

I know this is going to sound ridiculous, but I struggle with the idea of working; there, I said it. Lazy, in my opinion, is the last word that could be used to describe my personality so I know that has nothing to do with my desire to be a non-working, yet completely productive member of society. My desire is to be a super involved, stay-at-home mom but that is for a much, much, much later chapter in my life. For the more immediate future, I am making progress. I realize that I need to probably use my $60,000+ education that I have shed blood, sweat, and tears over for the past 4 years. So today, as I have said, today I have made progress. Probably at least once a day someone asks me what I want to do with my nursing degree. My response, I either leave the questioner speechless with a blunt, "well, ideally not work a day in my life," or I lie, "I'm not sure yet, just nothing in a hospital." Part of the lie is true, I have yet to experience work in a hospital that isn't miserable or vomit inducing. So, back to the progress I made... for the first time since starting school, today I'm glad I'll be a full-fledged nurse come May 8th. Why? Haiti. I usually have a really hard time grasping the reality and gravity of natural disasters or acts of terrorism and if you were to talk to my roommate, Charis, about this she would tell you that I have a bad habit of cracking horribly insensitive jokes about these two tragic things. I have been watching the news and reading the blog of a missionary family that serves in Port Au Prince and my heart is aching for this country and it's people. Someday soon, it will be completely within my control to be apart of relief efforts, God forbid something like this happens again during my working career. That is neat. I feel a little inspired, I know the picture is super dramatic... and maybe it is a Navy Lieutenant Doctor in the limelight but I see that guy in the T-shirt holding that bag of IV fluids, THAT COULD BE ME... Also, I haven't mentioned this idea to Karl. Surely he'll go for it, he's strong and can dig people out while I save them. Maybe I'll use this degree after all...

Sneak Preview

With Karl in town came a whirlwind of wedding planning! While he was here we registered, signed the venue contract and deposited on it, picked a save-the-date & invitation, chose a jeweler for wedding bands, and worked on our cake stand and another craft project. Right before he came into town I conquered a few more wedding to-do's... my dress is officially being altered, our table linens and setting have been chosen, and bridesmaid dresses were purchased, ordered, and delivered! Karl's been up to his own task list as well, honeymoon: booked. Perfect.

I really wanted Karl to be a part of the whole planning process so that he didn't just show up at the alter surprised by choices and decoration. It has been so fun and such a blessing that he has been willing to give his input throughout the process, I haven't had to make any major decisions without him by my side. It has been wonderful! Also wonderful, his impeccable shabby chic taste, which happens to be similar to mine. Yes please.

As wonderful as planning our special day is, it's really not. Let's be honest, I wish the wedding were tomorrow for more reasons than one. Planning is officially stressful and the only things left to be conquered, aren't that fun. Case in point: catering. Finding a caterer isn't fun. Caterers are expensive, don't offer what I want, aren't able to see my vision for the wedding, and impose their opinion and vision on me... bad idea. Every appointment with a caterer or discussion about catering usually ends in me saying, "I don't want to talk about the wedding for like at least a week!!!!!" I just can't wait to enjoy the wonderful day that my mom and I are so strategically planning. More importantly, I can't wait to be married to Karl, to live in the same state city house as Karl, and enjoy life with him after what will be over 3 years of long distance dating!

Speaking of Karl, please pray for us (him in particular), as he deploys to Iraq on Tuesday. I leave for South Carolina on Saturday as my precious mom & aunt and I will see him off, I just can't believe that this time is here already. Such a crazy year this will be as we experience so many "firsts" and I continue to see what military life is like!

BTW (by the way), enjoy the sneak preview of the wedding venue, see above picture

Christmas!

I have so much catching up to do! I finally finished exams the second week of December, successfully I might add, and raced home to prepare for Karl's arrival! I worked every day prior to him coming, finished up Christmas shopping, and enjoyed much needed time with family. Sidenote, can I just say I swear I will finish my shopping at least a week before Christmas for the rest of my life! Never again will I be shopping the day before. Horrible. Arlington was completely overrun with psychotic shoppers from suburban North Texas which I don't understand because The Parks Mall is disgusting. Is there not an Agaci at your local mall? Needless to say, I finally finished it all in the nick of time.

After much anticipation on Christmas Eve morning Karl came in! I hadn't seen him since the middle of October and with his deployment less than 3 weeks away, this was a much needed visit. It was so great- we played wedding planning, relaxed, saw a lot of friends and family, and enjoyed Christmas and our first New Years we have ever gotten to spend together!

There is just so much I could share about Karl's visit but pictures are so much better than words so here are a few from his time in Texas!


I always love the Christmas Eve worship service! Here's the whole family. I might as well take this awkward opportunity to introduce Jeremy to my loyal readers. Jeremy is Callie's boyfriend and is a fabulous addition to our family pictures! If you see him out, he likes to be called J Man Bear Cat, just so you know and get it right.


So glad to have him home and to get to worship next to him on Christmas Eve!



Gifts at Gammy's on Christmas morning! I'll spare you the earlier pictures of 7 am gifts at my house. Gammy tricked Karl and Jeremy and gave them cuban cigars as gifts... turns out it was yummy smelling cologne, very funny!


After gifts we had lunch at The Worthington... delicious food, delightful mimosas, wonderful company!



No Christmas is complete without a short photoshoot


Saturday was Christmas with my Nana and my dad's brother and it was, as expected, wonderful! Also a great way to relax after the hustle and bustle of Christmas Eve and Day run around.

I'm going crazy, there is just so much more to tell! I can't even get it all out! Some more things that sum up my wonderful 24 hours of Christmas eve and Christmas Day... orange push-pops, Karl, sweat shirts, Sephora trips, shopping, dates, fires, gifts, food, sleep and rest, movies, pictures, wedding planning, Guesstures and games, decorating, birthdays, grandparents, white christmas, church & worship, long conversations, coffee twice a day just because I love the taste... winter break rules.

I loved how The Lord allowed me to really soak Christmas up this year. I love that I was appalled at the insanity of shopping and blessed by the presence of family, friends, and fiance! Christmas this years was fantastic, a wonderful reminder of God's love for us and the unfathomable miracle of Jesus' birth!

Happy Birthday, Mom

I don't do Birthday posts for just anyone. That being said, I have been planning to post a special birthday wish today for a while now. Today is my mom's birthday! I'm so bummed that I'm not home, unlike every single other member of my family, lame.

I'm going to tell you the 49 things that I love about my mom and Karl is contributing to this list (this should be interesting). Also, the number 49 isn't significant at all ;)

49. She is a great housekeeper. Our house always looks awesome. She's one of those people who always says, "oh I'm sorry the house is such a mess" when people come over. It never is.
48. She can fix clothes that you mess up (Karl)
47. She gave horrible spankings as a child, and I'm pretty sure she knew it. They were a total joke. Thanks, Mom!
46. She's a Pi Phi. Obviously I love this about her, even if she was the most uninvolved Pi Phi in history.
45. She never let my sister's and I wear store-bought Halloween costumes. The greatest gift a mother could give, homemade costumes.
44. She's nice to animals (Karl)
43. She is very, very intelligent
42. She has vowed to save my wedding dress in the event of a house fire. I mean, what a selfless person.
41. She has the most well-equipped purse. You name it, she's carrying it on her shoulder.
40. She trusts The Lord. She has shown my sisters and I how to trust Him with our family, decisions, jobs, and finances. A huge lesson for us to learn through her actions and words.
39. She's not afraid to dance when music comes on. In fact, I would venture to say she gets an adrenaline rush out of busting a move to a rap song every once and a while. There's video footage to prove it.
38. She is a brilliant gift giver. I can always count on my mom for the perfect Valentines, Halloween, Christmas, etc. gifts to brighten my day and week!
37. She is a people pleaser in the best way. She receives joy out of doing things for others and making others happy.
36. She's a great cook (Karl). There is nothing better than coming home from a college life of soup and frozen meals to my mom's food.
35. She has passed on some ideal likes and dislikes to yours truly, which I can't help but love her for. Her hatred of scary movies, late nights, foamy textures, and driving and love of baked potatoes, being polite, and pulp-free orange juice are commonalities between the two of us.
34. She takes care of us when we're sick. I know this seems like an obligations as a mother, but she does this in a way that makes my only heart's desire to be home when I am sick up here in Fayetteville.
33. She's thrifty. She can grocery shop and clothing shop more efficiently than most and knows how to get bang for her buck.
32. She has always praised my sister's and I for everything we do. Even the small things.
31. She is joyful, not just happy, but joyful! My mom can put a smile on the grouchiest person's face, even if it is through lame humor.
30. She picks up after our messes (Karl). hahaha, funny that he came up with this. Not funny that it's unfortunately true.
29. She was the best homeroom mom. I love nothing more than the fact that she served as homeroom mom for me so many years for me and all of my sisters.
28. She'll talk to me late at night when I'm walking in alone to my dark house or when I'm in an awkward situation and just want to be on the phone.
27. My mom was and is a stay-at-home mom. The biggest blessing. We have been so fortunate to have had her home throughout our childhood and even now. It is so great in so many ways!
26. My mom never uses bad language. In our house that includes but*, shu* up, cr*p. We used to hate not being able to say the word but*. BUT (no pun intended), I totally appreciate being sheltered from crass.
25. She has all the fruits of the spirit.
24. She has common sense and street smarts. Like, who would know to rip up your junk mail. Oh, thats right, my mom would.
23. She'll stay up late to dry my hair. I know, I'm 21 years old, but I hate drying my hair.
22. She's healthy. She has never been one to completely withhold all things pre-packaged, frozen, sweet, carbonated, and fattening from my sisters and I but she is health-conscious, and it makes us health-conscious too! Thanks, Mom for making none of us fat!
21. She balances all parts of her life very well between church responsibilities, my sisters and I, my dad, my dad's business, friends
20. She's stylish (Karl)
19. She's never been one to "live vicariously" through us, her children. Praise The Lord for that.
18. She will listen when you need to talk (Karl)
17. She doesn't do gross things, like put her feet on anyone, burp, or do anything that ladies shouldn't do.
16. She loves our dog, Billi and would protect her with her life.
15. She has nice teeth (Karl)
14. She's a great friend. I think all of her pals would agree that she is loyal, tried and true.
13. She loves Karl (Karl)
12. She has impeccable taste. Decorations, clothes, hair cuts...you name it. My mom is no Michelle Duggar.
11. She genuinely cares (Karl). My mom is the type of person who will lose sleep over the neighbor who she suspects has a broken air conditioner and will continue to do so until she ensures it gets fixed.
10. She can make something out of nothing (Karl). Although I didn't come up with idea #10, I do wholeheartedly agree! My mom makes the best of every situation. Karl's example of this was that she comes up with great ideas!
9. She never complains (Karl). This is true. Except over her "messy" house. See #49.
8. She serves the church selflessly.
7. She loves and treats our dad in a way that my sisters and I desire to emulate. I think this is so rare and such a blessing.
6. She is the world's most accommodating person (Karl). Try and walk into my house and not feel at home. I dare you.
5. She's always classy (Karl)
4. She says "yes" whenever it is humanly possible. I was never denied the opportunity to try any instrument, rush, sport, or pair of shoes that my heart ached for, no matter how fleeting she knew my desire would be.
3. She loves others like Jesus.
2. She gives the best advice. Anytime I'm upset, happy, excited, depressed, confused...I just want to call my mom. She always knows exactly what to say. Every single time, exactly.
1. She loves The Lord in a way that makes each of her daughters desire to seek after Him in a bigger and better way day in and day out. (Karl said it too)

So, basically I have the best mom ever. Happy Birthday, Mom! I can't wait till I get home on Tuesday so we can celebrate more!

Love,
your best daughter

Happy Birthday Courtney

I know this is safe because you admitted to reading my blog, so in that case...HAPPY BIRTHDAY, COURT!! I'm so bummed that I can't be home to celebrate your 22nd birthday with you. Instead, I'll reminisce about your 14th-19th that we have spent together! I miss you and can't wait to see you over the break! I hope your day has been fantastic, I love you!!

Please enjoy this picture of Court and I at her 16th birthday. I would appreciate not being made fun of. Just for kicks, I will add that I had braces brackets on both the front and backside of my bottom teeth...Court has been my best friend since we were in 7th grade at Boles Junior High, was the only thing "cool" about me through Martin High School, and has continued to be such a special friend to me through college, she always knows just what to say and do and is just perfect.

A short and slightly humiliating montage...






I could go on and on and on...Happy Birthday again, Court

overwhelmed

I'm about to go take my 5th of 7 finals but I'm feeling a little overwhelmed. I googled that word, overwhelmed, and this is the picture that came up. It perfectly describes what I'm feeling. A little stressed, also bowing at the feet of The Lord.
For the millionth time in this week of finals I feel overwhelmed, for the first time this week it's the joyful kind. I mentioned Karl's deployment in my last post. I've kind of been slowly thinking about this, trying to comprehend what it will be like to not text him throughout the day, to go more than 6 weeks at a time without seeing him, to not talk to him right before I go to bed, or Skype him while I eat dinner and study. With the date getting closer, I've been forced to think more and more about him being gone all next semester and about the logistics of him actually leaving. Turns out he will leave right after I go back to school. Convenient, huh? Not. So, I began the hunt to find out who my clinical instructor will be next semester so I could talk to her about the need to miss clinical one week, which, if you go to my nursing school you know is a task next to impossible. I went straight to the source, Dr. Smith-Blair gave it to me straight and gave me some great news...

a) I don't have clinicals on Fridays next semester!! This has NEVER happened to me and is SO great!!! WOO HOO!!
b) I got the Community Health clinical site that I wanted- Tyson!! Yes people, that's THE Tyson, as in Tyson chicken! FUN!
c) My clinical instructor for Community is Mrs. KVJ. At the time, this meant nothing. I only needed her name so that I could do some uark.edu research and find her email address. I was about to make a huge request. I would venture to say this request is virtually unheard of in my line of education...I'm going to ask to miss a week of clinical in order to see Karl off on his deployment.

So, yesterday I emailed KVJ my requests, being sure to include how responsible I am, how I will make up the days in the most convenient way for her, and how sorry I was for starting out the semester with these requests! I fell asleep praying last night, I'm sure each of you can imagine what my cry to The Lord was. It would absolutely crush me to not be able to see Karl off, for the last time we see each other to be when he leaves DFW after his Christmas break...

I woke up this morning to an email from KVJ. I called my mom and immediately started crying, which is kind of a big deal for me, but kind of not when it comes to stuff with Karl (flashback for all my Pi Phi '06 PC readers...picture me in upstairs center hall in my towel while Karl was at basic training...you know where I'm going with this.). Well, her email reads as follows...

"Hannah,

Buy your ticket, we can work with you. I can be available so you can make those two days up on Fridays the two weeks following your absences. I will check with your site but if they are unable to accommodate the Fridays I can find you another clinical site for excellent community experiences on those days if needed. We can deal with the details during clinical orientation or your first week. Happy Holidays and Best Wishes to you and your fiance. KVJ"

I am blown away. She doesn't even know me. She has no idea that I am a good student, that I am responsible, that I turn in all my work on time, that I have made all "A's" in clinical, that I don't like to ask for favors and rarely do. She is my new favorite person. What a huge blessing in my day, my week, my semester. Above all, what a fascinating and fun God I serve. I hate how blown away I am by this. God never fails to hear my hearts desire and go far above my requests, my God shouldn't shock me, He is very clear about who He is and what He desires to do for us and in our lives. I am overwhelmed at the mercy KVJ showed on me today, I feel blessed, happy, joyful, and so so pleased. I am overwhelmed at the God I serve and His ability to hear my heart and soften others. I am overwhelmed.

burned out.

I'll be home in a few short days. Until then, I hang on to thoughts of things to come, which prompts the following list of delights I'm looking forward to enjoying upon my return home and my respite from academia...

5. No School. I wish each of you, my utterly faithful readers, could truly grasp the significance of this for me. For those of you in and around my daily life or somehow associated with nursing school or the medical field in some way, shape, or form, you probably can. For the rest of you, allow me to paint you a picture...by the time I graduate I will have completed a staggering 1005 clinical hours. Come next Tuesday, I will have completed 143 tests thus far in my college career. I would say that I am not being dramatic with the guesstimate that I have completed 3600 hours of studying hours since freshman year. Nursing school is so stinkin' demanding for the outcome, in my humble opinion.

4. R&R...I'm slowly becoming a little bit more seasoned and picking up on more and more military lingo. R&R is affectionately known as "rest & relaxation" by our servant-hearted military personnel. R&R for me over the next month will lend to much needed sleep, TV watching, PLAYING WITH BILLI (one of the things I look forward to most about going home, even though she sends my allergies off the deep end), blog catch-ups, and eating my mother and father's home cooked food. Speaking of R&R, Karl's going to be getting some of that too! See #1 below...


3. WORK! I know. Call me crazy. Most people would groan and moan over the thought of working over their Christmas break, BUT, I have been graciously accepted back by Covenant Kids, a non-profit foster care and adoption agency that I work for over Summer and Christmas break. It is just the nicest place to spend a few weeks over Christmas, seriously. Great work, great people, great boost to my savings account.

2. I have my first dress fitting the first Saturday that I'm back. I am thrilled. Let me repeat myself, THRILLED, about this. I know we are a little premature for fittings because lets be real here, I'm hoping (like every other glass-half-full bride) to have hit the gym a few more times come August BUT, I'm having my bridal portraits done up here (by, ahem, my obsession) this Spring. So, better hop to with the alterations.


1. KARLLLLLLLLLL!!!! This requires a sublist...


A) I haven't seen this boy since the beginning of October. That is far too long, if you were wondering. Karl is being deployed to Iraq in January and I just am so desiring time with this boy before he goes. I feel blessed we get to spend Christmas with each other.

B) We will do wonderful things including but not limited to: REGISTER (which I clearly have been excited about for a while now), finalize wedding details with the venue, pick a wedding invitation, finalize our guest list, see a movie (because according to my calculations, we haven't seen one together in almost 18 months), celebrate the birth of our savior, relax.

C) Can't wait to relax with him. In reference to R&R, he needs some of that too. He's a hard worker, he actually ties for first place in the "hardest worker I have ever met" contest. My dad would be the other 1st place winner. I can't wait to serve Karl while he's home...sorry all you feminazi's who read my blog, but if your fiance's hands looked like this after work, you would want to serve him too.


D) Celebrate the start of 2010, which, if you were curious, is the year we are getting married, to each other.

So, may the ghost of finals passed (pun intended) be with you all as you embark upon this finals week and weekend (which, in my humble opinion is just downright sinful. That's right Gammy, we have finals on a Saturday! Throw be a bone Chancellor Gearhart!).

hannah

I dabble.

Finals are looming, as is my arrival back in the grand state of Texas. Naturally my days left in Arkansas are almost outnumbered by the tests I have remaining so, as one can assume, my life has been consumed by studying 20/7...because 2 hours a day for the past three days have been spent doing something I enjoy WAY MORE. That would be Christmas partying. The other 2 were spent photographing my dear friend Leah and her precious fiance, Michael (or "Mike," if you really know him well...like, well, me. Duh). And the last 3 editing their adorable images. Hope you enjoyed a breakdown of my Saturday.

So, as I prepare to (hopefully) successfully end the first semester of my Senior year of college, I am trying to muster up enough motivation to study for my remaining (ahem, 7) exams. Fortunately I have a fireplace to sit by that fuels my fire to stay on The Dean's List, which I'm not sure if my school has, which obviously means I've never been on it.

I digress. The purpose of this post: to share with you the joy of Mike and Leah's engagement shoot! I had so much fun taking their pictures yesterday and am so blessed to have gotten to do so. So, enjoy, because I enjoy dabbling as Madame Nikon every once in a while...

Define "Phantom"

What I love: The theory behind this mask.
What I don't love: The nasty man who dons it.

You know, I would like to give a short blog shout-out to all of my loyal readers who boldly proclaim the name of Dynasty Living by:
a) Commenting on my posts. Thank you, Noel, my one loyal commenter.
b) Publicly follow me. Hey, its cool that you have nothing to say but at least I know you're out there in cyber world following me
or
c) people like Gammy. She may not have mastered the technical art of the "following" or "commenting" that I speak of, but hey, her phone call to praise the name of my blog was more than sufficient.

To the rest of you, shall I say, phantom readers, please continue to enjoy my posts. I hope you secretly delight in each and every one of them. May you someday choose to brighten the day of this smug author and come out of your dark world-wide-web alley.

D-E-P-E-N-D-E-N-T Woman.

UPDATE: I won't go into detail, but please see above photo for proof of my most recent car work...need I repeat myself, I. can't. wait. to. never. get. greasy. again.

All the time I am so ready to have a man in my life every single day. Maybe that sentence didn't make sense to each of you, let me explain...I am engaged to the most hunky, perfect, do-it-all man in the whole world. He can change tires and oil, move the hugest piece of furniture by himself, clean a bathroom immaculately without breaking a sweat, bake a dozen cookies to perfection, build and upholster the most gorgeous headboard you've ever seen, refinish furniture flawlessly, lay tile, rehang lighting and fans...people, be amazed, this is The Karl Burton we're talking about. As fabulous as he is, I have had to live without him in my daily life for the past 2 1/2 years. We have had a long distance relationship since day 1 of our dating career and I couldn't be more ready for the "long distance" part to be done! Back to Karl's list of things he is great at...I have yet to benefit from the list in it's entirety. I have learned to become an I-N-D-E-P-E-N-D-E-N-T woman over the course of my 4 years up here at school. Allow me to humor myself and share with you the morning I endured...

I went home for Thanksgiving via the plane ticket my parents graciously bought me (if you've never made the drive from Fayetteville to Arlington, don't. It's 6 full hours of misery.). Naturally I left my car keys at home in Texas and didn't realize it until after my flight back to Arkansas when I turned my phone on to see the onslaught of texts from my parents reading, "don't get on the plane! left keys!" and "take later flight! keys here at home!" Too late. And onset of crying. But the good news is that I had a spare key. The bad news is that my car alarm won't let me start my car until I unlock my car with the remote, which is in Texas, which makes the fact that I have a spare key irrelevant. Let me just cut to the chase here. Picture me, on speakerphone with Car Toys in Arlington (the genius' behind my car alarm that wouldn't stop going off), with my head underneath my pedals trying to figure out how to obliterate the alarm system. This is like putting Bruce Jenner in Neimans and leaving him in charge of registering Khloe for all of her wedding gifts. Bad. So, naturally, I stole my car today. I, Hannah Cuppett, queen of all things non-greasy, non-car, non-electrical, disengaged my car alarm and stole my own car today.

How 'bout a round of applause?

So, back to my original point...As nice as it's been to be all "girl power" and independent woman, I'm over it. I've pat myself on the back for changing my own car battery, at night, in the Pi Phi parking lot, with a flashlight in my mouth, using my Sorority Sister's floral tool kit. I've held my head high for putting air in my own tires. I've treated myself to Braum's for disengaging my car alarm and then hooking it back up. I've indulged in a shopping trip for jumping my car, twice, and Jill's car, once. And the list goes on. As the saying goes, "Don't knock it 'till you've tried it." Well, i've tried it. And I'm knocking it. Knocking it off my list of things to try and knocking it off my list of things I want to do in the future.

I CAN'T WAIT TILL KARL CAN DO MAN STUFF FOR ME, because I'm tired of doing it myself. Amen.

Noteworthy

Noteworthy things about my day...

-I chugged my Route 44 Diet Cherry Vanilla Coke because I was craving a maraschino cherry. There wasn't a cherry to be had. I specifically asked that Sonic ensure one was lovingly put into my cup. Awesome

-I'm missing my last home football game as a college student to study incontinence in the older adult. Also, awesome.

-Currently listening to the rereleased "Fearless" album by Taylor Swift. Goosebumps. Actual and literal goosebumps. Praise God for this delightful little thing. I want to pocket size her. Also want to high five Joe Jonas for being such a tool bag. Call me heartless but I just can't live without the new piano version of "Forever & Always."


-Last time I went grocery shopping I bought a frozen Chicken Cordon Bleu Pasta Casserole for $6.00. I finished it off today as I ate on it for the third time. Shout out to my dad for teaching me how to eat cheap!!

-Spent a lot of time looking at pictures, wishing I were anywhere but in the middle of academia. Along the same lines, I think it's OK for me to wish this, I mean, doesn't everyone while they are in school? If one more person tells me to "enjoy it while I can," I will explode. Better yet, I'll open up my peanut butter & jelly sandwich and smash it around in their hair like K.M. (identity protection) did when I was in fifth grade because I said "Furby" when he told me not to. So, take that all you working, non-collegiate, business professionals who wish you were in school! In reference to the above mentioned pictures I enjoyed browsing through today, allow me to include my most current favorite of the hunkiest guy I know...


-Along the lines of both Taylor Swift and pictures, I recently made a comment to my roommates and Keith about Taylor looking like the hottest little deer. OK, poor wording, impala would be a more appropriate animal comparison. Someone please agree with me. I'm so right. See proof below taken on my most recent excursion to Africa...


-Remember the construction incessantly going on outside my house? My roommates and I socked it to the big man when we carved our initials in the freshly laid concrete. Someone call the cops, I'm a felon.

-I stayed in my pajamas all day today, for the fourth day in a row.

So, go buy the Taylor Swift CD, and enjoy but don't dance dirty.

World, Meet "Holiday Head"

Someone alert the Griswold's..there's competition in the neighborhood. My roommates and I decorated for, ahem, Christmas last night. Before you judge me, please recognize that as a college student, we only get to enjoy about a week and a half of December in our precious begging-for-Christmas-decorations cottage before we go home for the holidays. So, as I sit here pecking away at my keyboard, Frank Sinatra's Christmas Collection is, naturally, joyfully playing in the background. (Sidenote, not only is Sinatra playing in the background but so is Jorge's crew's music which is obnoxiously blaring from their Ford outside my house. Obviously the construction in the aforementioned post is still a storm being weathered by yours truly.)


So, needless to say, I had to pray for forgiveness upon my return from Hobby Lobby last night after an hour and half of lusting through the Christmas aisles. I absolutely cannot wait to decorate mine and Karl's house for each and every holiday. I may or may not have asked him earlier this week what my holiday decorating stipend would be come next October...

Fortunately the three of us have similar taste in Christmas decorations, nothing tacky, everything classy, mostly glittery. Instead of buying a tree, we painted one! Delightfully sized, perfectfully painted in "Christmas Green," and lovingly hung by Charis' boo, Keith, our Christmas tree smiles upon my roommates and I from above.

Next, our mantle. Praise The Lord for our fireplace and it's sister, the mantle. The mantle is the new and transient home to a lot of gold ribbon and garland that is the perfect mix of sequins and chic Christmas black. PS, if you haven't heard, black and silver are the new red and green. I swear.


Please enjoy the following pictures, the time is ripe and the weather is cool. So go make some hot chocolate, wish you were as creative as my beautiful roomates, and stop by the cottage for a complimentary picture with Holiday Head, our bald, androgynous, glass head that we affectionately decorate for each and every holiday, event, and season.