Define: (everything is completely) Different (because I haven't blogged since 2010)

2010. That was a looooong time ago. And even my last post was a few months after the one before. And now everything is so different.

The first thing that happened since I stopped blogging was that I graduated from Douglas J and got a job at a salon in Chelsea. I have been working there for two years now, and I am still really enjoying it. Now that I live in Jackson (another change) a few people have asked if I plan to look for a job closer to home, but I can't say that I want to. After two years, I have started to build up a clientele, and I'm not "the new girl" anymore. I don't really want to start over at a new salon. The biggest reason, though, is that I really love the people I work with. I have been really blessed to make some good friends, and I am so glad to know each of them.

The next thing was getting married! Well, I guess getting engaged came before that. Jamin and I had our wedding at my dad's house August 27, 2011. He is my best friend, my favorite, my partner, my Jam. He is the best.

After the wedding, we moved to an apartment in Jackson. We took Jamin's cat Joktan with us, but a few months after moving in, we had another addition. This story is going to seem to go into pointless detail, but it's important.
One morning before a wedding, I realized I needed to run to Meijer to get a card, and since I was going, I thought I would get a new litterbox and litter. Joktan was, ahem, slightly missing the mark, so to speak, and we needed a box with a lid. I got to Meijer, grabbed the litter and box, and then realized that I had already gotten a card for the wedding (the night before! why did I not remember that?!), which was the whole reason for going to the store. Oh well, right? When I got back to the apartment, I had both of my hands full. I knocked (and by knocked I mean kicked the door a few times), but Jamin was upstairs, so I set everything down to unlock the door. I picked the litter and box back up, and out of the corner of my eye, saw a small white something come out of the woods near our door. I turned, and there was a little gray and white kitten running towards me. I didn't know what to do. The door, was open, my hands were full, I couldn't kick it, it was a kitten! So inside our apartment it ran.
"Jamin Jamin Jamin JAMIN JAMIN!!!!!!!"
I dropped the stuff and ran inside to grab the stray. I picked her up, and she immediately started purring (and then it was all over, haha). I called to Jamin, who came downstairs, and didn't even think of putting this cat back outside. Joktan was already at the top of the stairs, hissing at the intruder. I told Jamin we shouldn't keep this cat, we didn't even know if we could have more than one. I had to go do hair before the wedding, so I took the cat back outside with me and put it down. She followed me to the car (She is still pretty obsessed with me, actually. She follows me a lot.), and after I drove (sadly) away, she started crying. Jamin heard her inside, and his big loving heart couldn't take it, so he went and let her back in. When I met up with him later for the wedding, he informed me that we had a new cat.  We decided on the name Haven.

We're pretty sure that God had a plan to bring Haven into our lives (since the only reason I went to the store was for the card, which I already had), and since letting Haven into our house, we've learned a lot of things about God. Jamin says he wants to write a book about things he has learned about God from our animals, and I am very excited to read it.

In August/September of 2012 we moved to a house in Jackson, very near our church.

We're still getting things figured out with that, but a radiator exploding in October kind of hindered a lot of the progress. All the (hot) water that came spewing out on our main floor went right through the wood floor and came through the ceiling of our (finished) basement. We have just gotten all the repairs done.

In late September we adopted a dog. He is crazy. I'm not really sure how I feel about him right now. We tried to take him back to the shelter, but we just couldn't do it.

The biggest news is that we are having a baby! Our current due date is July 1, but we are going to have an ultrasound in the beginning of February, and hopefully we'll have a better idea then of when to expect. I'm not gonna lie, I am obsessed with the idea kind of hoping to have twins. I got pretty sick for the first few months (lost a few pounds, yay!), which I know is probably nothing, but still makes me not very excited to do it again.

As of right now, Jamin and I are in Greece with a group of others from 1208 Greenwood. We've been here since last Thursday, and head back Monday. It's been really cool, but I am so excited to see my cats and sleep in my bed. And our wood floor was refinished from the radiator fiasco after we left, so I'm excited to see that too.



I also promise to try my best to keep up with the blogging again.

Define: Art

Blogger informs me that my last post was March 1. Has it really been that long?
Oops.

I'm over halfway into my program at Douglas J now, which is really scary. November seems so far away, but it seems like January just happened, so I know it's going to be here before I know it.

Next week I'll be out at camp, I am so pumped! I'll be working with Explorers (my favorite age group) and I can't wait!

This week is the Ann Arbor Art Fair. Lots of tents with people trying to sell things, lots of roads closed, all that kind of fun stuff. I ride a bus into the downtown area, so it's not that bad for me.

I always cut through an alley and a parking lot to get over to school from where the bus drops me off, and I've never really had a problem. Today, I was walking through the alley, texting, when I slipped. I almost fell, and honestly, my first thought was, "I just stepped in someone's vomit." While it may not be likely, it's at least possible.

I looked down (quickly, because I knew there were people behind me), and, fortunately, it was not vomit. Unfortunately, it was a giant glob of pale green, hot orange, and tan paint. And it now coated my black shoe, and got all over the bottom of my black pants. Lovely.

A girl from my class was walking behind me (not close enough to see what had happened), but I asked if she saw the paint when she walked through, and she said, "Yeah, were those your footprints?" Yes, yes they were.

When I walked back through after school, I was both pleased and displeased to see that other people had stepped in it. Nice to know that I'm not the only one who didn't see it, but it might have been neat to be the only one. I can definitely still tell which footprints are mine, so it's not all bad.


Oh, and the text I was writing when it happened?
"I already don't like the art fair."


P.S.
If anyone knows how to get paint out of clothing...

Define: Little Things

This morning started out awesome. I woke up feeling pretty awake, the sun was out, I listened to some good music while I got ready...it was nice. Then the little things started to pile up.

On the way to babysit, I called my doctor's office to try to get an appointment. I asked for one with Lou-Ann, only to have the receptionist tell me that she hasn't been there since August (can you tell how often I go to the doctor?). I did get an appointment with Dr. Conant, but it's going to be weird. I like having a girl doctor. Ergh.

Babysitting was overall alright, though there were a few moments where I felt overwhelmed. One was when Jack came up to me and said, "I got pee pee on the carpet." Thank goodness he just meant the rug in the bathroom, because I was picturing a big wet spot in the middle of the living room or something. Another was just the amount of spit-up from Ben today. It was incredible. I think he saved some from the bottle before the one I gave him to get on me. Overall though, it really wasn't a bad day.

I drove out to Spring Arbor to see friends, but when I got there, everyone was in class. I decided to go across the street to McDonald's to get a fruit and yogurt parfait (sooooo good). As I started to pull out onto M-60, my car sputtered and died. I turned it back on, only to have the same thing happen. I put it in neutral and fortunately it rolled back a few feet out of the intersection. But I still freaked out. I called everyone, but everyone was in class. Jamin (my hero) came out of his class to help me, and as he was walking up his friend Andy was pulling up behind me, so he helped too. (strike)We(/strike) They pushed the car into the church parking lot.
Oh, did I mention that RIGHT before this happened I filled up my gas tank? Not. Happy.

I told my brother I'd probably need to borrow his car, and he was cool with that. My dad came out and took a look at my car (I missed seeing him, which was the last little thing that I could handle), and he couldn't get it started, so it got towed.

I had a small cry on the way home, but I took a shower and made some macaroni and cheese, and I'm feeling better. Tomorrow will be better. If only because I am driving a much nicer car. :)

Define: Fundraiser

My friend Clare has the opportunity to go to Madagascar this summer to shadow some missionaries, and she needs to raise a lot of money! She's selling flowers and plants from this website, so if you need any, give her some help!

Define: Men's Haircut

Before (okay, about a month before, but you get the idea):




After:

Define: Round Layers

Before:




After:

Define: Stupid Car

Last night, when I went to leave Spring Arbor, my car wouldn't start. The battery wasn't dead, lights were coming on, but it refused to turn over. I don't know anything about cars, I was tired, and it was cold. The situation quickly reduced me to tears.

Somehow, Jamin managed to get it started, and I came back to Chelsea. On the way I stopped and put air in one of my tires (I need to do it once every week or so, it's got a slow leak).

Earlier today I went out to try to start my car (to make sure that it would start again, because I don't know what Jamin did to get it to work), and I saw that the tire I had put air in less than 12 hours before was totally flat.
Lovely.

My dad is planning to bring out a new tire, thank goodness, but I still just hate this stupid car.