I guess we are skipping the reunion. I think if would have been fun but John is working on limo's and there is a ton of stuff I have to do here. John doesn't think he would really know anyone anyway, I guess most of the people there are distant cousins or something, and the cousins that he grew up with won't be there for different various reasons. His dad went so I hope he enjoys it. John's sister Verlee bought us all really cool shirts. They say "Proud to be an American" on the front with a really cool picture and on the sleeve they say "John L Sullivan Clan" (<~~ John's dad). We are all going to wear them when John's oldest sister and her family come for a visit this summer, about a week after the wedding. She even got one for Anthony and the girls.

Yesterday Verlee and Brittany practiced the song they are going to do at the wedding. Ver is playing the guitar and Brittany is singing. They did a wonderful job, it sounds really good. Well, I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! I have way too much to do to be sitting here on my butt! Anyone want to come help me finish up the wedding favors? Pleeeaazzzzzze? :-)

Well, I hate to follow the crowd, but this really looks like fun so here is my very first Friday Five. Besides, I didn't get home until after midnight and I am too exhausted to come up with my own witty and original comments. We planted more flowers at my mom's house in all of her planters etc, (for the wedding of course) they look gorgeous. I am so stressed out right now, I have no idea how many people are coming to the wedding because there are some who I know are coming and those that I have no idea about and out of the two groups not very many people have sent back those stupid response cards. You know, those cute little cards that are included with the invitation and are pre-addressed and stamped. Sheesh, how freakin' hard is it to write your name, check the box and put it in a mail box?? Okay, so anyway, here is my FF...

1. Do you live in a house, an apartment or a condo? We live in a house that has been turned into a duplex.

2. Do you rent or own? We rent, the house is owned by mom and stepdad and we rent from them. (my step-sister lives in the other half, which makes for some interesting family arguments lol)

3. Does anyone else live with you? Let's see, my fiance, 3 children, 1 cat and 5 kittens, on the other part of the duplex lives my stepsister, her husband and their 3 children. Thank goodness this is a large house!

4. How many times have you moved in your life? Hmmm...I've lived in Wyoming, Colorado, California and now North Dakota... I'd say in my adult life (I couldn't count how many times I moved as a kid, my dad is an IronWorker and we moved a lot) I've moved about 7 times.

5. What are your plans for this weekend? Nothing but wedding stuff. Only 12 days left and I have way too much shit to do! Hopefully I can squeeze in a little alone time with John and go to a movie or something. Okay, so I completely forgot, this weekend is John's family reunion so I guess we will doing that on Saturday and Sunday will be spent on finishing up wedding details. Have I told you how sweet John's dad is? When this reunion was being planned he was contacted for family information to add to the family tree and he not only included me but he included all three of the kids! Isn't that sweet? I was so surprised and of course very touched. I guess that means we HAVE to get married huh? lol

I woke up this morning and the kittens were gone! I looked everywhere and couldn't find them. Finally after 15 minutes of looking I heard little tiny meows. They were coming from Anthony's room. While we were sleeping last night she moved them all into the back of Anthony's closet! Sheesh, I knew she was pissed off about me taking pictures, but I didn't know she was that pissed! ROFL

My dad sent money for the wedding which I received yesterday. Thank you very much Dad! So today I have to go pay off some of the larger amounts (like the rental place). I also have to stop by the place that is doing my flowers and change my order a bit because there has been a slight change. Michelle (stepmom) and the kids won't be able to make it. I guess Jeremy is in summer school (he is a junior I think?) and if he misses even one day he will have to repeat his last year of school. From what my dad says he has really been blowing school off and of course Michelle is determined that he is going to graduate on time. So with Jeremy not being able to make it, Michelle doesn't feel comfortable leaving him alone for two weeks. So her and the kids are staying home and my dad will fly here alone for the wedding.

I'm starting to hate that countdown on my page! I think it must be broken.......it seems to be going way too fast! Yikes.....only 2 weeks left!!

Sorry for not posting the kitty photos yesterday, I started working on new graphics and lost track of time. Mittens was so pissed at me when I took the pictures, she kept laying on top of the kittens to keep me from seeing them! I had to have Brittany hold a couple of them so I could get a few good pictures. Well, I am oh so late (yeah, what else is new?!) so I've got to run. Enjoy the pics. :-)

My cat is trying to drive me nuts! Her kitties were way in the back of the laundry room so yesterday since I was cleaning the laundry room I moved them into a warm cozy basket with plenty of room for her to feed them without squishing them. Last night as we were getting ready for bed I noticed her in my closet. She had moved them all into a very small wicker basket that I use to keep magazines in. It was empty because when we moved stuff around in our room I threw them all away. So the kitties are once again squished and now I have to keep the light in my closet off because if I turn it on Mittens gives me the evil eye! Since she's already pissed off at me, I think I might as well just piss her off more and take pictures of them! I'll post them as soon as I am done.

Hope you all had a great weekend. We had a wonderful day at the park and then went to spend some time with John's dad. He is so funny. He says he has the perfect song picked out for the wedding! Can you imagine?! lol I don't think so! hehe He says that if we can't find someone to sing it he can yodel it for us! I keep telling him that I have a song already picked out, but he of course thinks his song is better! John's sister Verlee is going to play the guitar (I'm sure she is home right now practicing, right Ver? hehe) and Brittany is going to sing the solo of this song. I don't know, out of the two which do you prefer? lol

Just stopping in to say hello before we head out. The fair was a lot of fun. I rode all of the scary rides with Brittany and Danielle and Anthony rode all of the little kiddie rides. John doesn't do rides, they make him sick. Of course the best thing about the fair is always the food. Can you believe Anthony ate an entire foot long corn dog by himself? I couldn't believe it! Of course you also have to have sno-cones, caramel apples, and funnel cakes. We played all of the games and the kids all won teddy bears. All of the kids were asleep before we even hit the interstate to head home.

I'd better get going, we're off to the park to spend a relaxing Father's Day with John and the kids. Hope you all have a great day!

Just stopping in to say hello before I head out for the day. Last night was sooooo much fun! From what I remember I crawled into bed at 4:00am. I remember thinking about posting a blog when I came home but it seemed like too much work to drag myself up from out of my cozy bed so I decided not to, or rather I fell asleep before I could. lol My sister did such a great job of putting everything together. We had food, games, gifts, etc at her house and then the limousine took us out barhopping.

We had way too much fun and at the last bar we ended up at, I was able to listen to the band that will be playing at the wedding. They were incredible, I really enjoyed listening to them and they played a great selection of songs, from classic rock style music to Pink. Brittany is going to be so excited! They sing one of her favorite songs and I was talking to the lead singer (this beautiful girl with an amazing voice) and she said Brittany could get up there and sing with them during the wedding reception. Isn't that so cool? We must have danced all night, I am so tired. I think I had one too many shots of this, but thankfully I don't get hangovers. It's a good thing too because we are taking the kids to the fair this afternoon. I'd better get running, I still have to buy Father's Day cards! I am always oh so prepared! hehe I hope you all have a great day! ~Hugs~

PS Eden and Liz, I'll email you an unedited version of my nite out as soon as I recover! lol

Has anyone else heard this cd? I saw her on Jay Leno and I really liked the song she sang (Complicated), now I keep hearing it on the radio. She kinda reminds me of Alanis. Anyway, just thought I would share. lol I am on my way to Media Play to pick it up as well as this. I figured I could use some new music for our bar hopping tonight. There are a few people going with who, I have a feeling, wouldn't enjoy Eminem. lol

If I don't get to post again before I head out tonight for my wild, bachelorette party, have a great night. I wish you all could join me, but don't worry I'll have a shot (or two) just for you. hehe

I took Brittany to her acting workshop this morning and relaxed in the park while Danielle played. Anthony was at day care because I have prepaid it and I have so much stuff to do, it's nice to have a break. Anyway, I was enjoying the sun, I slipped off my sandals and was squishing my toes in the wet sand, wet because it rained last night not because some gross kid peed in the sand! lol

Anyway, as I was waiting Danielle made a little friend with this cute little girl. We have seen her before with an older woman and I had assumed that the woman was her grandmother. The woman started talking to me and as we talked I found out that the little girl is her foster daughter, she is the foster mother to two girls the little girl in the park who is about 6, and another girl who just turned 12 who is in the same workshop as Brittany. The 12 year old has never had a birthday party in her entire life! Her birthday was last week and her foster mom is throwing her a huge birthday party tomorrow on their farm complete with hay rides for her friends. She said the girl was really excited about the whole thing until she got a call from her real mom who said she wasn't going to the party after all. I'm telling you, my heart was breaking!!!

There are some days when I think of all the things I want that I don't have or all things I want to do that we can't afford and I realize how silly all of these things are in the huge scheme of things. This woman and her husband are incredibly giving people, they do so much for the community and give so much to children who through no fault of their own have been given so little. She has had the little girl who is 6 since she was four and when she got her she couldn't even talk! The love she has for these children was so obvious to see. It's too bad there aren't more people out there like her! I am looking forward to talking to her again on Monday, I would really like to know her better.

Well, I'm off to drop Brittany off at her best friend's house for a sleepover. The fun, simple joys of summer. :-) I don't think my children realize how fortunate they are, I guess that is why they are so fortunate, because they have never known anything other than two parents and an entire family that love and adore them. My prayers are definitely with those two little girls, I just hope they are able to stay where they are for as long as possible.

I talked to my dad yesterday and he said Michelle and the kids will be able to make it to the wedding! I am so happy, I felt so bad for the kids because I know they were really looking forward to visiting. Now, let's just see if I can talk them into taking a kitty home with them. lol My dad said Katie (my new stepsister who is 9) really wants a cat but my dad is afraid Tigger (his other son, part pit bull but a big baby pup) will hurt it. I think Tigger will be fine as long as my dad is the one to introduce the kitten to him, but I can see his concern. Oh well, I'm not sure if my North Dakota small town kitties would be able to handle the big city life of California. lol

Went shopping yesterday for something new to wear to my bachelorette party tomorrow night. I found a cute pair of hip hugger jeans. I really wanted capris but I have, lets say curvy hips, and the ones that fit my hips were way too big around my legs. They looked stupid. My mom said I could have them altered but I didn't feel like going to yet another fitting! lol So today I am off to shop for shoes, I always wear tennies (when I'm not barefoot which I usually am), I have three kids, I don't have time to be chasing after them in cute little sandals! Okay, I will admit that I'm just not a big fashion person. Give me a pair of shorts and a t-shirt and I am perfectly content! I hate dressing up and my idea of style is NOT something you would find in Vogue! lol It drives my mom insane who is always dressed in the latest style and looks as if she just walked off a runway complete with perfect manicure and high heels. You should see us a shop together it is not a pretty sight! hehe

Anyway, I do want to look good for my party, my wonderful sister has put a lot of time and effort into it! She is so wonderful!! Although she has pointed out that as my maid of honor and as my personal attendant she is carrying out two wedding duties which entitles her to two "thank you" gifts. She also "casually" mentioned that she spent over $300 on my wedding gift which of course is a not so subtle hint that I had better get her something nice! lol I love my sister she is always oh so honest! hehe

And my little brother is the absolute best. I was in tears yesterday when I heard about his last conversation with my mom. He told her that if my dad didn't come through helping out with the wedding he would pay for as much as he could because according to him he has a lot of money saved up and nowhere to spend it considering he is living on his ship right now. I couldn't believe he would offer something like that, well I guess I can because he is just that way, but still. We of course won't have to take him up on his offer, but the fact that he would offer is so sweet. I am feeling so very loved right now. :-) My family is all so wonderful! sorry for the sappy stuff but I had to share. hehe

Sorry for the long post today, I am feeling very chatty due to the fact that I have had way too much caffeine! I am going to put my energy to good use and get some laundry done before I head to town. Have a great day! :-)

Good morning, I am off to take Brittany to her acting workshop. It is only an hour so it is kind of a pain in the ass to get up, get everyone ready and drive into town. Oh well, at least there is a park close by to hang out in while we wait. One of Brittany's wires on her braces came loose last night so after the class we are on our way to the orthodontist to get it fixed. I have decided to not go on any more job interviews until after the wedding. It will give me more time with the girls before they head to California to visit their dad, and I will have more time to finish up wedding stuff. Not to mention you can't really start a new job and ask for time off a month later to go on a honeymoon. We aren't going on a long honeymoon, we can't afford that, but we are going to drive up to Minneapolis and then to Wisconsin. We aren't leaving right after the wedding because my dad and Gilly will be here and I won't see them again for awhile. Gilly will be shipped out to the Middle East shortly after that for about 9 months. :-( Anyway, after everyone leaves and Jorge picks up the girls, my mom will take Anthony and John and I will enjoy a 4 day weekend. No kids, no work, no limos.........OMG what in the world will we talk about?! ROFL Have a great day and thanks Aimee for the blinkee...... I love it. :-)

Okay Eden and Liz, I got the rest of my stuff today to start working on my project. I have looked at it a few times and keep putting it aside. I think I am intimidated by this whole thing. On top of that I am just not feeling motivated to do much of anything today. The kids are playing outside and the kitties are all snoozing. What a lazy day to sit at the computer and not do much of anything. I would really enjoy it too.......if I didn't feel so damn guilty! lol

The kittens are all doing well. At first I thought there were three and then there was a fourth one and when Marshall came home he said there were five. There are two that seem to be all black, two calico cats and one black/white one. The kids were of course very excited. Anthony thought there was a mouse in there! lol

I talked to my dad tonight. He said he is sending money on Friday to help with wedding expenses. I didn't ask how much so I guess we'll wait and see. He also said that Michelle (my new stepmom) and the kids might not be able to make it out here (for the wedding). There is a new job that she can't pass up, so if she gets it he will be coming out alone. I mostly feel bad for her kids, they were really excited to visit and they both had parts in the wedding. I don't have any problem filling in their parts, I just wanted them to be a part of it too. It's kinda cool having a new little brother and sister. Oh well, I guess we'll see what happens. I am getting tired, I guess I should head to bed. :-) *Nite*

OMG...........Mittens just had her kittens!!!!!!!!!!! I think I mentioned that I thought she she might be having kittens but I was in denial so I didn't want to think about it much! lol I was sitting here checking email when I heard little tiny meows. She has them hidden in the back of the laundry room. It is dark in there so I can't see how many she had. She is keeping them close and purring like crazy, I think she is very proud of herself! :-) I'll keep you updated. :-)

Thanks for all of the positive thoughts guys! :-) I got a $25.00 tip last night plus the casino gives a package worth $15.00 plus my wages. It's going to be nice not to be broke. lol Although I did buy the kids cute little gifts from the gift shop, and then a book to read cause I was bored, and something to eat, two bottles of water because it was extremely hot and muggy, and I played and lost $10.00 worth of nickels in the slot machine..... lol let's just hope I broke even!

Working on some graphics today, wishing while we were working on the house yesterday we would have put the air conditioner in, drinking ice water, dreaming of snow and trying not to think about the million and one things I have to do before the wedding!

Well, I thought that by stalling on getting my tuxedo, it would give me a little time before I had to start driving. My mom, who knows me better than anyone had different ideas! I got fitted for a tux on Friday and should have it sometime next week. Tonight I am driving along with her to the casino to get the feel for what I have to do (and so that I don't get lost on my first trip up there! lol). I don't have to drive tonight, so I'm not nervous, but by next weekend I guess I'll be an official chauffeur! lol

We moved our bedroom around today. Wow, we have a lot of shit! Marshall is going through the DVD's because the kids have a lovely habit of watching them and not putting them away properly. He is not too happy right now. :-P I know of two little girls who won't be watching movies for awhile.

Well, I guess I've got to run. Marshall is telling me to get ready. *Nite*

My mom called me today to tell me that Brittany was driving Marshall's truck! She (my mom) was totally freaking out. Well, to be honest with you it freaked me out too, but I didn't let her know that! lol Marshall and Brittany were working in my mom's yard and while Marshall was cutting tree's he let her drive his truck from one end of the yard to the other to dump all the stuff in back. My mom thought for sure she would hit a tree, but I guess she did really good.
*~*NOTE TO MARSHALL*~* I'm glad you and Brittany are bonding and stuff, but don't encourage her to start driving already......she's only 11!! Sheesh, before you know it she will be stealing the car! lol

Tomorrow we are taking the kids to the AirSho. Anthony is going to love it. He loves airplanes. I just hope it isn't too loud for him. I hope you all are having a great weekend! ~HUGS~

Well, I've made my rounds to my favorite blogs, drank two too many cups of coffee, and have answered most of my emails. I think I'd better quit stalling and get to work getting my house clean. Having the kids home all day sure creates a lot more work! More dishes, more clothes (why do girls have to change two or three times a day?!), just more messes! I want to have it done by this weekend because I'm sure most of it will be spent at my mom's house working once again on her yard. I really don't care or think anyone will notice they way back corners of trees that need to be trimmed but can't seem to convince my mom, so it's easier just to get it done! lol

I think I need to clean my desk. I have three coffee cups sitting here and only one of them has fresh coffee. I haven't as of yet drank out of the wrong cup but as time progresses the chances of that increses! Ick. Although I can tell which cup Marshall left here, his cups have Jack Daniels written on them, mine have Winne the Pooh. LOL....that pretty much sums us up wouldn't you say?

Well, the driving yesterday went ok. Joe never did call back....he'd better not do that on the 4th because he is supposed to drive us that day! lol Anyway, Marshall didn't want me to go through a day of nerves without actually driving so we went for a drive last night after dinner. I was so nervous but it wasn't as bad as I thought. You have to take turns slower than normal but for the most part it was ok. I'm still nervous about driving in town mostly because of all the construction/detours going on right now. I would hate to end up in a place where I have to back up. That still scares the shit out of me and I refused to back it up into the shop when we got home. Next time we drive I'm going to make him sit in back so he can tell me how it feels from back there. I want to drive a little more before I go order my tuxedo and NO I will NOT wear one of those stupid hats! lol