Tuesday's Tribute (a day late!)

Guilty Pleasures....that's what this Tuesday's Tribute is all about. I have lots of them, how about you?

First there are those oh so lovely food treasures .... you know, the ones that you feel guilty about after you eat them...but enjoy EVERY SECOND of the gorging? One of mine is Panera Bread's Asiago Cheese Bagel... one word: SCRUMPTIOUS!!! (I don't even think that word covers it!). Seriously...you absolutely must try one!

Then to go along with the bagel...there is my favorite guilty pleasure drink: Starbucks Carmel Machiatto! OH. MY. GOSH!!! What's not 'happy' about this tantalizing, warm, frothy coffee sensation?! There is coffee (great!), Carmel (even better!), & it's topped off with whipped cream!!! Nuff' said!! :)

There are so many guilty pleasures to interrupt, ummm...I mean, help you enjoy the day! For instance...TV!! Which leads me to the next guilty pleasure....The DVR!! Oh how much joy Brian and I missed when we didn't have the DVR!! ;) How else would we be able to watch all of our favorite shows...most of them on at the same time? I wouldn't truly be able to enjoy my Tuesday night Bible Study with the ladies (totally joking ladies...you know I love you!) if I wasn't able to record American Idol!!! And oh how we love to record our favorite show "24" so that we can fast forward through the commercials! That show is just too good to have to wait until a commercial is over in order to see what Jack Bower is going to do next! "Lost" is on tonight & I sooooo can't wait! You can get totally confused, yet it is soooo addicting that you can't turn away! :) These are just a couple of our TV guilty pleasures....of course there are more, thus the need for the DVR...but I won't bore you! ;)

The Wii!!! Oh my gosh...it is sooooo much fun! I had been wanting one for so long & it took my Mother in Law to be with us at Wal-Mart, for me to get one! (Thanks Mom B!) Brian wanted the Play Station 3....I won thanks to her! ;) Anyway, I love that you have to get up on a lot of the games and move around! Dakota loves playing too! Plus, I just got the Wii Fit and that has been a blast! It doesn't feel like a workout because you are having fun while burning those calories! Of course, you have to get past the beginning where you make your character & then the mysterious Wii voice insults you on how out of shape, out of balance, and FAT you are! But, I guess I am a gluten for punishment...because I continue to go back!

Blackberry Curve!!!! Ooooooh yes...I was warned! 'It will be addicting!!' Boy were they right! But....I LOVE IT!! I can hook up all of my favorite computer guilty pleasures (like FB, Twitter, Email, etc) and access them all from this wonderful little phone/computer thingy!!! :) At the store...I can update my FB buddies or Tweets! (like they really care) Need directions ... it's right in my phone! Want to text? I can do that too! To think we used to live without these little devices.....however did we manage?? Oops.....gotta run...heard a beep on my Blackberry....will it be a FaceBook update, an email message, a text....I can't wait to find out!! :)

Tuesday's Tribute - "BeeBopper"

For those that don't know..."Tuesday's Tribute" is all about talking about something or someone else...it's NOT about you!

Today's Tribute is all about...."BeeBopper"!! :)

Who the heck is Beebopper, you might ask? BeePopper is my one and only, my sunshine on a cloudy day, my rock, my better half.....MY BRIAN!!

Brian got the name BeeBopper from his niece & nephew when they were younger. He was always the funny guy dancing & singing...thus the nickname! This nick name really is a great description of him. He lights up a room with his awesome personality & terrific smile! He is always making everyone laugh, which is what drew me to him 18 years ago.

We met through a friend. It was a magical storybook type thing. It really was! I was dating someone else, he had just broke up with his girlfriend of 5 years. There was a concert going on at our church & a blizzard outside. I was at my friend Dana's house when Brian called. He was upset about his breakup & wanted to talk to Dana. Dana invited him to the concert so that he wouldn't sit around the house & mope. I then got on the phone with this complete stranger & we began to talk about music & singing (something we had in common). I told him again that he really should come to the concert! That night he drove to the concert...in the blizzard. That's when it all began.... :) I was standing with some friends & my boyfriend in the lobby when Brian arrived at the church. He says that he walked in & saw Dana & started to approach her, when he noticed this girl across the room....he envisioned her in a wedding dress!!! (NO KIDDING!) He asked Dana who the girl was & she said "oh, that's Dawn! That's the girl that you spoke with earlier on the phone!".

After that night he started to come to our church. Brian started to pursue me BIG TIME. He was relentless! He & I became fast friends, but I was still with the boyfriend. Brian happened to actually have gone to school with the guy I was dating & approached him & told him that if he didn't have long term plans with me, to break up because he loved me! You know what happened? The guy broke up with me! LOLOL Brian continued to pursue me & tell me that he loved me. It took 3 months before I finally agreed to a date....I was so nervous because I knew deep down that if I said yes to this date...that would be IT! And it was! We were engaged 3 months later & got married 10 months after that! That was 17 yrs ago! :)

Brian has always been one to get what he wants. When he is motivated....WATCH OUT! :) I love that about him though! I have seen him use this in many situations...including his current job! He started at this company 6 years ago doing Accounts Receivable. He then moved on to A/R & A/P. Then a position came open to be the Human Resource Manager. My motivated man went after it! No degree. Never done H/R....but HE GOT IT! He does such a great job at it too! His compassion for others coupled with his ethics have proven to be successful!

There are so many aspects of Brian that I love. He is a wonderful provider. He took on the stress of us having one income coming in so that I could quit my job last year to be a SAHM. He knew that was my dream, and he took that added stress on & let me fly! I am so thankful for that! He is a WONDERFUL Daddy to Dakota. In Dakota's eyes, his daddy hung the moon...stars...& is so strong that he can lift trucks with one finger! ;0)

Brian has always been my rock. The Lord really knew what I needed when he picked Brian to be my husband. I was always the shy little girl & Brian has really helped me to have a voice. He has shown me that it is ok to speak up. To be strong. The best part is that when I do speak up...he is right there....standing beside me.

I really could go on and on about the things that I love about my Brian, but I need to end somewhere! So...I'll end with this.....

I love you "B"

Here are Pics....'The many faces of Brian'

Being his handsome self :)

Doing a Passion Play...he has a GREAT voice!

My goofy man

April 25, 1992....Our Wedding Day

Favorite Five Friday's

Hi everyone! Note...Friday's are now devoted to favorites! Five Favorites that is! Each Friday I was choose 5 things that are my favorites.....randomly chosen, by ME :)

Today's Topic: My Favorite Five TV Shows

5. The Office: If you've ever had a 9-5 job with a bunch of loons...this show is for you! It takes the craziness of office life to a whole new outrageous level! The humor is so suttle...it is GREAT! There is a love story between the secretary and one of the Salesmen, a total dork who gets jokes played on him all day long (like the time Jim slowly placed a bunch of nickles in Dwight's phone headset over a period of time so that Dwight would get used to increased weight. After a few days he took them all out so when Dwight lifted the receiver using more force then required, expecting it to be heavier, he hit himself in the head with it!! LOLOL Classic!!) :) Then there is the girl who dates more than one of the other employees...which causes all kinds of issues. There are arguments between some of the ladies about the Events Committee...it's all things that we have all experienced at our jobs..just heightened a little bit! ;)

4. General Hospital: Yes..it is my guilty pleasure!! Don't hate on the soap lover! I have been watching this show for years & will continue to :) From crazy Mob Madness to Post Partum Depression, they cover a variety of topics and of course....Love in the afternoon! ;0)

3. American Idol: Who doesn't love this show?! Well, there may be a few, but most of us love to watch & see if our favs will make it to the end! My favs for this Season? Danny & Kris! I love them both...& hope that they are the final 2!!

2. LOST: I absolutely enjoy getting 'lost' in this show! I have to admit, I was super confused at the beginning of this Season though. I mean, the back & forth between time periods can really mess with your mind!! LOL But, after last weeks episode when Sayid shot Ben....OHMYGOSH! It left me wondering....how the heck is THAT going to mess with the future? If Ben's dead...then what? Plus there is the push & pull between Kate, Sawyer, & Jack...and don't get me going on Lock...LOVE his character!! We DVR'd it this week...can't wait to watch to see what happened!!

1. 24: Jack Bauer.....handsome, doesn't play by the rules, passionate, INTENSE! This show is not for the faint of heart! I remember the 2nd Season I was watching & Brian would always come into the room during a horrible torture scene...he would ask 'how can you watch that?'. The next season, he was hooked & BOUGHT the other ones that he had missed! LOL It is by far the BEST show on TV! I really think this season is the best one too! We just watched this weeks episode last night....man was it good! Of course, Jack has been infected by a deadly virus....do they really think that they can fool us into believing that he will die? I read that he just renewed for another Season....thank goodness!! :) Makes me wonder though...if Jack wasn't around, who would save the world??

So.....there ya have it! My Favorite Five for this Friday! What do you think??

Random Happenings & Goings On....

Hi World! It seems like forever since my last post, so I thought that I should get my butt in gear & post something!

Dakota started Tae Kwon Doe! He is really enjoying it & is sooooo stinkin adorable in his uniform! Here...take a peek....



He's soooo focused! LOL I'm really enjoying watching him learn the art. I know his Uncle Randy would be proud! :)

We still haven't been back to church. We have really been passing the sickness around. Not fun! I know that we will find a church home, so I am encouraged!! Hopefully this Sunday we will be there!

We switched our Internet/Cable/Phone subscriber! We are now with At&t U-Verse. Wow...is all I can say about that! It is soooooo great!! Really...you should try it! We are saving around $30-40 a month too! BONUS! Plus, with U-Verse you can DVR up to 4 shows at a time! Love that!

I started a Women's Bible Study! It has truly been a blessing!! I had gotten together with my wonderful friend Toni & afterward was thinking 'hmmm...I wonder if Toni & I could join a Bible Study group...maybe through her church or something.' Before I had the chance to ask her, that night I received an email from her inviting me to a Women's Bible Study! She said that the Lord had laid me on her heart about it! Incredible, eh? At that time, I knew that it was of the Lord, so of course I said YES! I am so glad that I did! We started a couple of weeks ago & it was rough at first...but as of last night, I am loving it!! It's a pretty thought provoking study about the Woman's place in Creation & how to get through hurts in our lives. It is called Captivating: Unveiling the Mystery of a Woman's Soul by John & Stasi Eldridge. If you haven't read the book, go out and buy it!! I really was nervous about going to the group because I only new 2 of the ladies, and all of them attend a church that Brian and I left long ago. But, the ladies are all wonderful & inviting & I am building new friendships as a result! It has been great for me to get out of the house for one night a week too. It has refreshed my spirit & I think will make me a better Mom & Wife as a result! Best of all, it is helping me deal with issues that I usually keep buried in my heart where only God can see. It helps to get those feelings out & pray with other ladies & work on healing the pain.

On a lighter note...Home Schooling is going great! I am sitting here typing as Dakota is working on his Subtraction problems!! He is doing so well & I am so happy that we decided to Home School!! I really think that he is learning so much faster this way! I am praying that the Lord will guide Brian and I to know what to do come Fall. We are debating on whether I will need to go back to work or not...if so, then Dakota will need to go back to Public School. There are plusses & minuses to that. If you think of it, please pray with us on that subject :)

Well, I need to go and check Lil D's work. That is an update on us...I will try to post more on a regular basis! Take Care everyone!! :)