Thursday, December 28, 2006

quickie...

Hi All...
Just a quick post tonight, hope you all had a great Christmas, we had a lot of fun and it continues into this weekend...we're traveling to Iowa tomorrow night and staying until Tuesday. We'll celebrate Christmas with my family and get to spend a little time with some family and friends. Tuesday we're taking a detour though Galesburg to spend a little time with our "Knox family" and then we'll head back home to get ready for another week. Whew....and just a warning, things are getting busy at work and once tax season hits full on, the posts may be pretty scarce, unless I can talk Bob into taking over the blogging duties! :o) Anyway, there are some new pictures in the December album (mostly of Brianna opening her presents). Enjoy, hopefully I'll have more after this weekend. Have a safe and happy New Year! Here's to a wonderful 2007!

Sunday, December 24, 2006

merry christmas...


With lots of love,
From our family to yours!
We wish you a fantastic 2007!

Monday, December 18, 2006

fun weekend...


Hello again all!
I hope you're all enjoying this abnormally warm holiday season! :)We spent this past weekend in Wentzville visiting Angie, Nick, & Braden. We (Angie & I) decided to make Christmas cookies together. So Bob, Brianna, & I took off Friday after work and headed down there.
We made cookies on Saturday while the kids played together and Bob and Nick (well, I'm not sure what they did ;) I guess the only other exciting thing is my fabulous new low-maintence haircut! Other than that, not too much to report. Check out the new pictures in the December album!

Friday, December 15, 2006

it all started with a little duct tape...

Today is a day that is very special to me, December 15th is a day that changed my life forever...let me take you back....

Well, it was Christmas time and I was traveling to spend a few days with my boyfriend (You all know Bob. Internet say hello to Bob!) and his family to celebrate an early Christmas. So I packed my car up with the loads of presents and started on my journey. I arrived in Crystal Lake on Friday afternoon, excited to see Bob, because it had been a month since I'd last seen him. We hung out Friday night, talking and relaxing.

Rise and shine...its Saturday morning, and we all head out to watch Brian's basketball tournament. We had a great time at the tournament, I met some more of Bob's friends and talked to some friends of his parents, and of course watched basketball! :o) We arrived back at the Carroll's house where, like any good visitor would, I took a nap. Actually I think Bob and I started watching TV or a movie or something and after I fell asleep he got up. Mary was coming over that evening and we were going to have the traditional opening of the presents.

Fast forward until evening ('cause really I was sleeping...I have no idea what was going on). Mary came over and we were sitting around the tree, opening presents, talking and laughing, you know...general holiday merriment. So Bob hands me my present, a huge box and I quietly wonder to myself what this could possibly be? So I tear off the wrapping and inside, I find....another box. Haha...funny funny, I tear open that box and I find....another box...OK really? Are we 12?? So I open that box and find yes, you guessed it, another box. (I'm getting a little frustrated here) so I tear the wrapping off of that box and underneath I find....duct tape. And I'm talking several thousand layers of duct tape, he seriously might have deprived a small country of their duct tape rations for an entire year on this thing. He is laughing uncontrollably as I tear the layers off one by one. I think they did finally have pity on me and let me cut through some layers! So...finally...we're inside the box. I dig to the bottom of the box and find....a note. OK...so I open the note and read "Your present needed to be cleaned. Look in the dishwasher." You can all see where this is going, can't you? Inside the dishwasher was yes...another note! "Your present is clean, but now it needs to be dried. Look in the dryer." Imagine my surprise when in the dryer was...another note (you're shocked aren't you?) "Your present needs to cool off. Look on the porch." So out to the porch I go. Did I mention that during this whole thing 5 people are following me around the house...yeah..I didn't feel like a dork or anything :o). Anyway, out to the porch, I start looking around and then I believe Bob tells me to maybe look under the pillows (there are of course 1 million pillows on the porch). So pillows start flying and of course under the very last pillow is....you got it...a note! (Boy you guys catch on quick). "Your present has been with me the whole time. Look in my pocket." I really wanted to punch him at this point, sending me on this wild goose chase while all the while he's holding onto my gift. Of course silly me...in his pocket was....A NOTE!! "I promise this is the last one, your present is up in my room. Don't turn on the light, you will see it when you enter my room." So we head upstairs, me and the gang :o) As I step in his room...I see a light in a tiny box shining on the bed holding the most beautiful ring I have ever seen. It was perfect. As I turned around, Bob was on one knee asking me to be his wife.

And I know what you're all thinking "after all that, you had to know thats what your present was going to be" But honestly I didn't, it took me by complete surprise, it was the most amazing proposal and it all happened 5 years ago today. December 15th is the day that set all my dreams into motion, it is a day that still brings me to tears and makes me smile. It is a day that replays in my head each time I look down at my ring. It is a day that makes my heart happy, it was a day that ended a chapter in my life but that began another.

Actually now that I think about it, the way Bob proposed is actually quite fitting for our life together. We started out with some big dreams and plans, and as we've opened boxes and found some notes, and fought our way through the endless layers of duct tape, our dreams and plans have changed and led us in directions different than what we imagined, some good, some bad, but through it all we never let the duct tape get in the way of getting to the good stuff.


Bob,

I could not possibly put all of our memories in this short little video, but I hope this makes you see how each and every day I'm living my dreams because of you. I know December 15th, 2001 is not the beginning of our story, but its the day I began believing my dreams could come true. Thank you for always standing beside me, encouraging me, and loving me, even through all the duct tape :o). You have changed my life in so many profound ways, no words could possibly describe (funny how I've used 12,000 to try) so I will leave you with this...

Here's to unwrapping our future, through all the paper, boxes, and even the duct tape, may we discover all the wonderful and exciting things life has in store for us and continue to dream....together.

I love you!

Sunday, December 10, 2006

its about time...














I know thats what you're all thinking, but hey...give me a break...I've got a life too (sort of!). Things are busy here, but nothing exciting to speak of. We were back in IA for Thanksgiving. We celebrated Braden's 1st birthday, can't believe he is one already. Thanksgiving Day and the day after Thanksgiving were actually quite hectic, but they were a lot of fun as well. The Saturday after Thanksgiving I went shopping with my mom, grandma, and Aunt Cathy. We left mom and dad's at 7am and did not return there until 1am Sunday morning. Yes, you read that right, it was a long day, but we had a lot of fun and I got almost all of my Christmas shopping done in ONE day! So, nothing exciting around here besides trying to get ready for Christmas, working and trying to get ready for tax season :o(, and trying to keep Brianna from cracking her head open (she is at the present time sitting in her baby bouncy chair backwards bouncing up and down) Geesh...she is going to make all of my hair fall out and/or turn grey! She has become quite the stubborn little girl and doesn't like to be told "no" at all. But she also makes us laugh and smile more than she makes us frustrated (most days!) It was fun watching her and Braden together over Thanksgiving, they seem to really like each other and actually shared very well. Other than that, not too much else happening. I know I didn't post my sappy sentimental Thanksgiving post, but we really do have a lot to be thankful for. I'll leave it at that. :o) I'll try to post more in the near future, but everyone enjoy your holiday season!
Love to you all