I want to go on vacation!

This weekend Nathan and I went to a wedding near Chicago and it made me want to go on vacation. I was not ready to go home yesterday, not that I don't love home, but I just felt like I wanted to go on a week long vacation somewhere. I'm not looking forward to going back to work tomorrow. Ever since I was little I wanted to be a stay at home mom and my motherly instincts are kicking in, they do every few months. I want to stay home and make a wonderful home for my husband and eventually children. I know kids will not be in the picture for a few more years which means me stay home isn't an options until they come along. Even then God willing I will be able to stay home. I even thought to myself yesterday as I thought how I didn't want to work that I will work at saving lots of money so when the time comes we will have more saving and maybe I won't have to work. :) So, I feel I have a lot of praying to do until tomorrow so that I am confident in the job God has for me to do tomorrow and I can glorify Him as I do it.
Back to vacation.....Nathan and I really want to go to Mexico. We were not able to fulfill our honeymoon there because our passports didn't come in. Knowing our friends (we went to their wedding this weekend) are getting to be in Mexico on their honeymoon makes us jealous and then guilty for being jealous. We are planning on going sometime between January and April 2008. I'm already thinking I want to take a vacation this summer for a week, just to get away. I am going to see my sister and her family in two weeks, I am pretty excited abotu that. I almost always love spending time with family.
Things that made me smile this weekend: Nathan looking handsome in his suit, IKEA, an 81 year old man giving my husband cooking tips, dancing, a beautiful wedding, seeing friends, joking around with my inlaws, crazy Arbys employees, taking a road trip, and many more.

This photo is quite funny...we were posing and just as the picture was taken bubbles flew by, but if you want to pretend that the bubble in front of Nathan's face is coming out of his nose...it is a very funny picture
Well, I have many things I want to get done on my day off today so I must go.

My smiles for today...

Today was kind of a blah day for me at work. It is Monday and I am already looking forward to Friday when I don't have to work. This really concerns me that I am not enjoying my job right now. I even looked online tonight for what recreation therapy jobs are listed in St. Louis right now. Some days I don't like my job because of the staff, but today it was the residents that I let get to me. It can be so frusterating when you put time into something for them and then they just complain about it. And its just those few that love to be vocal about it and stand out, while everyone else is enjoying themselves. It's so easy to let those few negative voices drown out enjoyment.
Does God get sick of us when we are complaining about life? I mean He has this wonderful creation and most of the time we don't even enjoy it. Tomorrow is a new day and I hope I am better at praising God tomorrow than I was today. Thinking of tomorrow makes me smile.
Nathan and I went to Castlewood State Park for the first time this evening. We had a good time hiking trails on bluffs that looked over the Meramec River. God's creation is wonderful it makes me smile. We didn't take the camera this time, but now that we know what there is to see we will have to take pictures next time we go. I doubt we will get to see a racoon climbing up a tree next time. This hour hike was great for a stressful day especially with the one I love.
Nathan started his new job today, it went well and he seems very happy about working again.
Well, I'm off to bed to get some sleep, I love sleep.

Cat in the bag?

Today I didn't have to work until 11:30, so I went to the mall to find a new dress for a wedding coming up. I don't know if it is just me, but I have the worst luck finding a article of clothing when I actually need it. I have known many other women that have this problem....when we shop for fun, we find many things to buy. But, when we need something...it is hard to find even that one item. I did find many dresses that had great patterns, but the fashion world has decided that showing half of your breasts is a good thing. Let's just say I left the mall with sweet tea from chick-fil-a and no dress.

On my way home from a long day at work I saw a woman with a pouch much like the picture above. Instead of having a dog in the pouch there was a cat peeking out. I have never heard of anyone carrying their cat on a walk! Would a cat even like a walk? I would never think to take my cat for a walk, but maybe she was one of those stereotypical "cat ladies'. Who knows....
My residents make me laugh....this evening I was leading a travel discussion on Minnesota. None of my residents had recalled visiting or hearing anything about this 'foreign' state. I told them about the land of 10,000 lakes, the twin cities, history, paul bunyan, author of Peanuts comic strip, little house on the prarie, and more. In the middle of the discussion one of my residents looks at me and says, "Honey, I don't think you should tell us about such queer places!" Everyone else just started laughing. I thought it was pretty funny because it was so random and so out of place, gotta love them though.

Glad Game Round #1

Nathan and I had a great weekend. His birthday was on Friday so we went to Carbondale to celebrate with his family. It was a good visit and our nephew is getting so big. Nathan got some nice gifts and some that I will be able to enjoy as well. Saturday night we saw Spiderman 3. Very good movie, but got kind of long in the middle. It didn't help that that the seat were not the "Cuddle Seats" like at the movie theaters we go to at home. You should all know and love the cuddle seats at the movie theater, they are the ones where the arm rests can be moved up so you can actually cuddle with the person next to you. But, then some people probably don't care about cuddling. Nathan and I appreciate them. My favorite is when the theater is very empty and i can put several arms up and stretch my legs out on the seats :) Overall it was a great weekend hanging out with the fam.
I am enjoying the married life, but life is very different, I don't quite have the balance of everything down yet. I've been struggling a little with needing more alone time, that is something I have needed my entire life. So, now having a husband and wanting to be together all the time is alittle hard. Nathan and I have started to come up with a plan on how to give eachother space for self. I have had alittle more trouble with needing space so far, I think this is natural though I feel guilty needing more alone time than Nathan. I wonder what it would be like if a husband and wife had a balance of needs, like if Nathan and I needed the same amount of alone time? I guess we wouldn't get the chances to work on our communication as much if we were in agreement all of the time. Even with the differences marriage is great! Please pray for Nathan and I as we work on balance with one another.
Well, I wrap things up with a round of the Glad Game. This is something I learned from Nathan and love, so here is round #1 on my blog of the glad game.
Being tickled, flirting with my husband, my nephew Eli laughing, noticing how green everything is outside, the sunshine, hugs, phone calls from family or friends, getting mail, the feeling of new socks on my feet, when the scale says you weigh less than you feel, baking, making others smile, cuddle seats at the movie theater, saving money, spending money, not having to say good bye to Nathan at night anymore, a clean home, giving, and the way my body feels after I have exercised.