Snack Pack Love

Cold, soft foods just aren't doing it for me right now. I want some pizza, a veggie burger or some lasagna! I am working on my second bowl of cinnamon applesauce right now and wishing that all of my God given teeth would have just fit in my freaking mouth! Instead, they were cut out of my head yesterday. It really is a good thing, they were very painful while they still remained, crammed into the back of my jaw, but I just hope that I can eat some good solid food sometime soon.

Yesterday was quite an experience. I went in at 9:00 for my surgery and my first task as a patient was to remove my black nail polish I had donned for Halloween. The assistant said that her monitors could not read through the dark polish. So, I sat in the chair and worked finger by finger while she asked me the routine questions. "When was the last time you ate or drank?" "How much do you weigh?" "You understand we are taking out all four of your wisdom teeth, correct?" After my mini-interview and manicure I was instructed to hop up into the chair for surgery. They gave me some gas to calm my fear of the IV and proceeded to strap my arm tightly with the tourniquet and try to find one of my elusive veins. They ended up putting the IV in the top of my hand. It wasn't horrible and the assistant held my hand for the whole thing. Pretty soon I was floating away. I heard the doctor and the assistants talking about basketball and big hands, and was pretty sure I saw a bacon/crocodile skin pattern on the ceiling at one point. The next thing I remember was waking up and hearing the terrible crunch of one of my teeth being pulled or smashed or whatever it was they were doing in my open mouth. I also saw the stitches before he put them in, but I was in and out and none of it really mattered to me. The next thing I knew, I was trying to pet the nurse goodbye.

When I arrived home, my sister who was taking care of me told me I could not have the pain meds until I stopped bleeding. I promptly fell asleep only to awaken an hour later screaming in pain and crying. I knew I had to eat something before I took the medication and I forced some pudding in my mouth before I swallowed the first pain pill. All Rachel saw was pudding, blood and tears. I ran into our spare bedroom and threw myself onto the bed before passing back out. The rest of the day was a pretty big blur. Lots of sleeping, pudding and pain pills every 4 hours. Now that I am on my second day, it really is not that bad, I am just a bit sore and hungry. I am glad the experience is almost over and that my mouth will be feeling back to normal pretty soon.

Snack Pack pudding is my new BFF.

Chocolate Milk

One of my students approached me yesterday before class started and said, "My mom told me that she was going to quit smoking today." To which I replied, "Uh huh..." Then he continued with, "This morning she told me she was going to go buy a pack of cigarettes. I told her I would keep her secret if she would buy me a chocolate milk." He got quiet. I asked him what happened. He held up the chocolate milk, smiled and walked away.

Ahh, kids. :)

Progress Report: Rebecca Carter

I am almost positive that this is the latest I have stayed up in about a month. Making it to 11 o'clock really is a huge deal to me now. I usually stagger home at 5:45 after finishing my aftercare duties to lay down for a few minutes before moving on to my next activity. I have not had a chance to write down anything about my experience of being a first year teacher. I have relayed countless stories to my family and friends, some so frustrating I felt like I could cry, some very funny ones that I never would have believed could actually happen to me, and a few special ones that have touched my heart and that I will remember forever. This upcoming week I will be handing out my first progress reports to my students and I have realized that no matter what has happened in class or how crazy my kids make me sometimes, I honestly want every single one of them to succeed this year with flying colors. I care deeply about each child that has been placed in my care and hope to do right by them in any way I can.

Imagine!

So, I have not blogged in a long, long time...but I promise to be back soon with all of my fun observations from my new teaching job! I will be teaching 5th grade at the Imagine School this year and I cannot wait to get started and meet my new class and co-workers! I will be back shortly to hopefully entertain my few blog readers and remember my first year as a teacher!

My favorite.

In the morning I love to look into your beautiful eyes. I love to watch your strong hands go through your familiar morning routine. I love when you give me small kisses. Your laughter fills me up inside. If I could be your shadow I would. Watching over you throughout your day and giving you reassurance every time you were afraid. Your intentions are honest and your strength makes us powerful, taking on any challenge without fear and only with love. You complete me in every way. I can't even imagine a life without you. I want to hold onto you forever. I look into your eyes every night and know that I am exactly where I am supposed to be. You are my favorite.

Writer's Block

I haven't written in awhile. Hey guys! 

Just wanted to update a little...I had a wonderful Valentine's day with Brandon. We went to the zoo and putt putt golfing and to the beach and out to eat and all in all it was a wonderful day. He really planned everything out and made it a fun suprise for me. I feel very lucky to have him in my life. Other than that nothing very eventful has happened. I am still yearning for a job and don't really know how soon one will come up, so I am just trying to wait patiently and hope for the best. My student loans are starting to come in and the reality of college costs has really hit me. I cannot believe how much money I racked up in persuit of my degree! I am so happy to be back in Vero, it just feels right here and I can't wait to get our own place when we save up some. My dad sent me a Valentine card with $30 attached and I decided to join Longevity Gym for the month. They had a deal that let you have 30 days for $30. I have been going since Friday of last week and I really like it. It is nice to have something productive to do for a part of the day while Brandon is at work. Other than that I have mostly been reading books from the library. I am catching up on my sequels and am currently reading "World Without End". It is really good so far. I loved the first book, so I didn't doubt the second would be wonderful as well. 

Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday. I would really like to go to some kind of service but I don't know what church to try. I have been contemplating giving something up for Lent, but I have not decided yet. I feel like I am in a valley right now in my walk with God. Lent would be a good time to pray and meditate more and hopefully draw nearer to Him. I really pray to be able to find a church where I can feel comfortable with their beliefs about equality. The search is always kinda hard. 

I am going to visit Benway tomorrow in West Palm. That should be fun. Katie is picking me up and we are driving down together. I haven't seen either of them since my wedding in June, so it will be nice to be together again! I always have fun with Rebekah and Katie and it seems like we are constantly laughing when we are together. Well thats all for now. Night. 

Love.

Fun with my iPhone

Lil' Monks

G Love

Valentine's at the beach.

Movers + PetSmart = Awkward...

Today our movers came to drop off our furniture at our storage unit. Our driver Luis picked up a guy to help him named Gino and we were all introduced at 8 am. Gino was a very interesting man...to say the least. He immediately asked the lady that worked for the storage place if she was married and told her to call him. It was actually pretty funny. Both of the guys talked about my tattoos and then showed me their prison tattoos and talked about how they made them. Wow. I had to drop Brandon off at work at 10 so after that I basically hid out in the storage office for them to finish unloading. 

After that strange experience I had an interview at PetSmart at 2. Pretty standard retail interview. The manager didn't really write anything down though and assumed that if I worked there I would have the supernatural power to read minds. Actually that wasn't quite his expectation, but it was close. He said after about 15 minutes of chatting in a hot little conference room, "Well hopefully you will hear from us at the end of the week...I have lots of other interviews." Although I want a job, I don't really think PetSmart would be the place for me...even as just a job to make some money... so on with the job hunt. 

The weather was beautiful today and I am really glad we got out of Kansas when we did. I got to experience a little of winter and a gorgeous fall and then left before I started to hate the cold...lol. So I am glad all of our stuff is back in Vero. That's pretty much all for tonight. 

Love.

Tank Toppin'

I have suprisingly been able to wear a tank top for the last two days and I have been loving it! I don't think I have worn one since August except inside! Today Brandon and his family and I went to see his niece Stevi get baptized at First Baptist Church. We had to go to the 8 am service, but it was nice to be there for that time in her life. She was very excited and we were all really proud of her for her choice. After the service Jamie and Ben (Brandon's parents), Brandon and I drove out to Sebastian to eat at the Roadside Restaurant. It is a little place that you could miss just driving by, but they have a really tasty breakfast buffet and although we had to wait a bit, the food was delicious. Later on this afternoon Brandon and I saw a show at Riverside Theatre called "Fully Committed". It was a one man show about a guy that worked taking reservations via the phone for an upscale NY restaurant. The show was hilarious. Jimmy Bennet, the actor did an amazing job playing about 25 different characters that were all talking with himself. I was amazed at how intense the show was and how quick the pace was. He was just spot on the whole time. It felt good to be back at the theatre. I missed Vero a lot. Brandon starts his new job there tomorrow. We both feel really blessed that he has work. I have been looking, but there really isn't that much avaliable. Oh well, something will come with time.

In other unrelated news, our dogs Cupcake and Q-Tip lost their virginities today with each other in an awkward attempt at mating. I hope Cupcake has puppies, they would be adorable....that's all for tonight.

Love.

Boobah we aren't in Kansas anymore...

That's right, Brandon and I made it back to Vero after two days of traveling. We stopped overnight in Nashville to get some much needed rest. It snowed some that night and then a little the next morning. It made the sky was really pretty, it almost looked sparkly from the flurries. On the way home we stopped at Bath Junkie where you can make your own bath product scents. It is really fun. You start out with about 100 fragrances to mix and you pick what kind of scent you want and then mix and match to find your favorite. Brandon made 3 new body sprays for himself and I made 1 new scent. I would love to own one of these stores, I think it would do great on the beach in Vero somewhere. The investment is very large though and I don't know if I would ever be able to put down that kinda dough. We also ate dinner with Brandon's brother and his wife in Gainsville. It was good to see them and get to hang out. Tracy and I always have a good time making fun of our boys. Today we brought in most of the stuff that was packed in the car and found a storage unit for next week when the truck arrives. Brandon's work offer came through today and he also has something lined up for the summer. It looks very promising! I really want to find something soon too. He starts on Monday and I would like to be able to contribute to our savings too. Tonight we are just hanging out. Brandon's sister and nieces came over and it was really nice to see them. I am so glad we are back and closer to our families. Tomorrow we will be unpacking so we don't have to stumble over our stuff in our room anymore. :) 

Love!

I'm a Junkie!

Last Night...bittersweet.

Tonight is our last night in Kansas. It is a bittersweet night because we got to go out with friends and eat dinner and even though we are happy to be coming back home, there are some pretty good people we are leaving behind here. We had dinner at the Jerusalem Cafe with Jinni, Jill and Timothy and had some great food and even better company. Our movers came today and we were so glad we decided to get them. Some of our furniture is so big, I don't think we could have done it alone! They were really nice guys and even though they were late it only took them a few hours to get done. Tomorrow I think we are just going to take our time and get the apartment cleaned up a little and then pack the car up to go! I am so happy we don't really have a deadline or anything to get back into Vero because it will make our car trip a lot nicer. Today Brandon also found out about some possible work opportunities that are really exciting. I feel so blessed and know that God is taking care of everything. Kansas was an good experience and I am glad we got the chance to see new things and find out more about ourselves. Till tomorrow. Love.

They got all our stuffs!

Moving Company: Raw

Fif wants some Frosted Flakes...

QIK | Streaming video right from your phone

Casino Times.

Ameristar!

QIK | Streaming video right from your phone

Kolache Factory!

Busy Bottoms

So today and yesterday were pretty busy days, if not externally then definitely internally. We went to the MinuteClinic at CVS and found out that I have an ear infection along with a cold, so I got some medication to clear that up. Thank God, my ear was hurting so badly. My cold has almost run its course, just a little sore throat and the sniffles to deal with. I haven't been sleeping well the last two nights so hopefully tonight I can get some good rest. Today Brandon and I started packing. We started with the closets just trying to get everything organized. Whenever I pack I find giftcards and money in birthday cards and today I found something again! I found a giftcard to BestBuy for $25 in my bed side table. For the life of me cannot remember where I got it...kinda strange, but in a good way! I think we did a good job for today. The apartment is starting to look a little less like homeand by tomorrow it will probably look just like a regular old apartment again. We are going to pack all of our dishes and such tomorrow so we have everything done by the time they come on Monday. We got the call today that they were coming between 9-9:30 am.  I am excited for the move, I think we have everything ready and I cannot wait to be back home again. Well that's all for tonight. Love.

Fif trying to get a waffle....

Bath Time!

Feeling a little better tonight, just watched some tv with Brandon after sleeping almost all day. Now he is playing Cornhole on the Wii. It is a fun game where you toss bean bags into a target. We played it in reality at Filthy McNasty's Bar in Vero where we discovered it over Christmas break. Tomorrow we have to start packing. I hope I feel a lot better by then. Gonna go drink some Vitamin C and finally take a bath. I don't think it would be good for anyone in the household including the pups for me to go another day without one! Love.

First video...

Reality Television...

...can be so much fun to watch. Even when it is the cheesiest thing and looks so set up it is still fun to get into it. Our latest additions to our viewing line up are: 

13 Fear is Real 

Rock of Love Bus 

The Real World

Hell's Kitchen & 

American Idol

Wow, typing all of those out makes me feel really lame!

Today I woke up not feeling so well. Brandon has been nursing me back to health throughout the day, bringing me some ColdMD and Vitamin C drinks. My throat is a bit sore and I am super conjested but I hope to be over it in a day or two so we can start packing. It snowed almost all day today. I haven't been outside though to experience it since I figured it better just to stay inside and not shock my body with the single digit temperatures. I slept a lot today so I hope I will be able to sleep well tonight. Not much to report, just hung out with the hubs and my puppies and feel very blessed to have a roof over my head tonight. Brandon is starting to play his favorite Christmas gift again. He is absolutely in LOVE with the FIFA Soccer 2009 for the Wii. He plays it every day and is actually really good at it. It is cool because you can play other people from all over the world over the wireless connection...anyways I told a friend the other day "it feels like I am watching soccer all day for some reason..." lol. I tried to play him once, but I gave up really quickly. Soccer really isn't my thing, in real life or on the Wii. I am glad he got it though, it is a great game and definitely his favorite! On one last note, if anyone out there reading this hasn't seen Step Brothers the movie, go see it now! It is hilarious. Love.

Last Week in Kansas

Our Kansas adventure started in August of 2008 and now in Febuary we are heading back to Florida. Many things contributed to our coming and leaving, but Brandon and I feel that our home town in Florida is where we are supposed to be. We really realized the importance of family and friends when we moved so far away. God always lets us know what His will is for our lives and he definitely showed us that we belong back at home. This experience has taught us so many things about ourselves and us as a couple. We have been tested with so many challenges and supported each other through everything that has come our way. I am so happy to have someone in my life that I feel like I can turn to when everything else feels like it is falling away. I told him the other night that I was lucky in love...but it is so much more than that. God put us together for a very special reason and I feel like although our feet are not planted firmly anywhere and our pockets might not be very full, that time of blessing will come to us. Now we just need to be assured that God will provide for us, which he always does. Some things have to be sacrificed and I feel like in these last 7 months as a married woman I have learned so much about life and I love every moment of it. I decided to start blogging just to keep people updated on what is going on with the Carters. We will definitely be making some big changes soon and I am excited for what new adventure we will stumble upon. 

Next week on either Monday or Tuesday a moving truck will be coming to pick up all of our furniture and clothing and all of that to take it back to Florida. When we arrived, we didn't have any furniture and we really made this empty apartment our home. We enjoyed getting away from everything for a while and figuring out what we really wanted as a couple. Now we have lots of stuff and will have to wait for a couple months to find a new home. Right now we will be living with Brandon's parents at their house in Vero. His family has the most welcoming spirit and although we will not have our own place for a little while we will feel very at home staying with them. They really are some of the best people I have ever met. They are there for their family through everything and really have shown me a different kind of love than I have ever been around. So for the next week we will be packing and stowing away all of our winter clothes. It is supposed to snow tomorrow and it will be nice to see it snow one more time before we leave. Trying to eat yourself out of house and home is not as easy as you think. You should see our fridge, the food is slowly dwindling away, while some random ingredients remain. What we will make with the leftovers should be interesting! I cannot wait to be home and start the job hunt, although I know it will not be the easiest thing ever, I pray for favor while I am out looking for something fulfilling and something to help us out financially. 

For tonight, I will say peace out...Worst Week comes on in 30 minutes and we love watching that poor guy try and make it through. Love.