Sunday Confessions Link Up

Happy Sunday!!! 

Grab a button, write some confessions, and link them on up!
  <center> <a href="http://itsalyx.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7148/6701442513_4c7153a301.jpg" width="200" height="200" /></a></center> 1. I am probably the most irritable person you will ever meet right about now. I don't know if it's hormones or what, but dude. Don't disturb the beast. Hint: I'm the beast. A very grumpy, sleep-deprived, uncomfortable whale of a beast.

2. I'm out of things to clean. No, really. My living room got vacuumed three times yesterday. My bathroom is the cleanest it's been since we moved in, and our kitchen and bedroom are spotless. I should have worked right up until this baby came, because now I'm just wandering around like a lost puppy looking for things to do!

3. I hate lotion that smells like flowers. It makes me think of 90-year-old ladies, so I cringe to use it, even when I'm desperate and have alligator legs. I'd rather have alligator legs than smell like my great-grandma.

4. I haven't straightened my hair in a month. I haven't done my hair with my bangs in 2 months. I pretty much let myself go around 35 weeks.

5. I have the BEST husband in the world. Seriously - no one could even come close to this dude. He's so hardcore and awesome. And I love him. Oh, and he's a champ for being able to deal with "the beast." That's me, in case you forgot.

What do you have to confess? Link up your post below!

Three. 3. Drei. Tres. Trois.

Three years ago today, I met my husband (don't judge, that's like an eternity in Mormon years).

Yes... that's me on the right - the twenty-one-year-old with the braces. 

And if you're wondering, the second I saw him across the dance floor (quite literally - we were a head taller than anyone else there), I thought to myself, That guy who looks like he's fifteen - that there's mah future baby daddy... mmmmmhhhmmmm. 

See how mesmerized I was by him? Yeah, we were cool.

Okay, so I didn't really, but it sounded like a good thing to say.

Love you, baby daddy! :)

Sunday Confessions Link Up

Hola!! 

You know how to do it - grab a button, link up, and visit some other bloggers while you're at it!
  <center> <a href="http://itsalyx.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7148/6701442513_4c7153a301.jpg" width="200" height="200" /></a></center> 1. I have absolutely sucked at doing my weekly belly pictures. I have a few weeks' worth on my camera, but haven't had the time (or desire) to sit down and edit them. Maybe I will this weekend...

2. I caved and bought a pair of maternity leggings. Yes, I spent the freaking ridiculous amount of $20 on LEGGINGS. Were they worth it? Holy balls, yes. I want another pair. I'm trying to avoid anything else maternity besides those, though. We'll see if I can do it.

3. I am way less health-conscious now than I was before I got pregnant. Like, I work out... almost never. I don't really care what I eat as long as there's at least one serving of fruits/veggies a day. It's probably bad, but I figure that I'm right on track with weight gain, my blood pressure is as low as ever, and baby girl is definitely getting HUGE in there. Why worry myself sick about how many grams of whole grains I'm getting when all is well?

4. I have listened to this song at least 30 times in the past 2 days. Maybe I'm biased because it's my husband, but I think it's amazing.
5. I want to get my hair dyed. But... I'm cheap. And apparently once you get it dyed, you have to keep going back. And... I'm cheap.

What do you have to confess? 

It's always Funny when Someone gets Hurt. Fill-in-the-blank.

Oh, wait... that's not how the saying goes. 

It is in hockey, though. And you know what?! I think I just might become a hockey fan, because it's pretty hardcore when they start to slam each other against the glass and put each other in headlocks.

A week and a half ago, we went on a date night to a hockey game. Even though our team lost, we had a great time. I think this hockey date night might become a regular activity in the Garner household.

Note: These pictures are not the greatest. Sorry!

************************************************************************************
In other news... I have someone I want to introduce you to. Except... we are going to play a game of fill-in-the-blank for awesome points.

Hey, I’m Madison! _a. name of her blog (100 pts)_ is where I blog about life and all the dorky, silly things I come up with. Sometimes this means I will be a bit overly _b. adjective, find the answer here in the subtitle of her blog (500 pts)_ by starting a project and failing miserably. Other times I’ll share some funny pictures I’ve come across and discuss them. I am a huge _c. find the answer in the last paragraph here (last paragraph first line, movie/book) (1,000 pts)_ fan, a bit of a gamer, a fantasy novel nut, and an anime lover.

If you don't feel like playing for awesome points, you can find Madison at any of the places below: 

Blog//Twitter//Pinterest//Facebook

Don't forget to link up tomorrow for the book club!!! I guess I should probably get to reading the book...

Remember the Time I Talked about Breakdowns?

Yeah, just had one. One in which I got home at 10:00, walked into a disaster of a house, and flipped.

I took the laundry and threw it all in the laundry room [very angrily].

I grabbed candy bags and wrappers that were on the couch from trick-or-treaters and threw it into the trash [also very angrily].

I flipped out and screamed at Mike for not having emptied the litter box two days ago when I asked him.

I started crying because I got home from work and went straight to the gym and running errands. I was about to fall over from being so tired and hungry.

I yelled at Mike about the house being a disaster, and how I'm just ready to be finished with being pregnant.

I locked myself in the bathroom and took a hot shower while I cried.

And after it all, Mike came in, gave me a hug, and told me that he loved me. He may have also proceeded to tell me how lucky I am "to have a husband with such thick skin." [<--see b="b" re="re" we="we">real
 over here]

Basically.... our life isn't perfect. I flip out over stupid things, and at the end of it all, Mike is right there waiting for me. It's not always rainbows and sunshine, but even when I want to punch that guy in the face, or he wishes that I would somehow lose my ability to talk [read: nag, yell, whine, etc], we love each other in spite of it all.

That, my friends, is why I revel in the imperfections of life and love - because I have that dude at my side. Not just for today or twenty years from now, but forever. 

Remember, Remember the 1st of Octember. What Makes Us "Us."

You. Guys. 

It's freakin' October 1st. How did this even happen? I don't know. I also don't know how I've forgotten to answer emails for like, the past week. Or how I totally forgot to pick a blog of the month for October. Oops. I'll get on that asap. Oh, and I promise I'll give you guys an awesome points update later on this week.

Anyway. I guess I'm just a scatter-brain. I'll work on that, but I get the feeling that it's not going to get better anytime soon. In fact, it's probably going to get worse. A whole lot worse.

So. I was talking to that husband of mine last night on the way home from his parents' house (yes, we had a wonderful time, yes, I have pictures, yes, I will share them eventually) about us. We had a few questions about our relationship that we tried to answer.

What makes us a good couple? What could we do better? Why are we awesome? Why do we suck? I've compiled a list of it all (and sprinkled in some pictures of us, just because I can't handle a post without photos... and I wanted to make you all sick).

-- We talk about everything. Poop, cats, babies, movies, family, friends, hopes, fears, dreams, loves, hates, wishes - we talk about it all. There is no such thing as an uncomfortable topic for us.

-- We always work out our arguments... eventually. There are days when we fight over stupid things. I mean really stupid things. There are days where these arguments get out of hand and last way longer than they should. There are hurtful words that are said, but we always work things out. It may take a day or two, but we resolve them.

-- We hardly ever cook. I don't know what we do, because we don't ever eat out, either. I guess we just fend for ourselves or something, but we could definitely use some more time at the dinner table.

-- We sometimes ignore each other. Instead we pay attention to things like computers and video games. Our precious time "together" is spent worlds apart.

-- We're besties. I think that's pretty self-explanatory.

-- We laugh - a lot. There's not a day that goes by that roaring laughter isn't heard in this house. I love that about our relationship.

-- We are selfish. We each have things that we want, and aren't always willing to sacrifice for the other person.

-- We share. I realize it is ridiculous to say this after I just barely told you how selfish we are, but I promise we share. Unless it's the leftover pizza in the fridge, then Mike eats it all. RUDE.

-- We love deeply. Obviously. Our marriage wouldn't function if we didn't love each other more than we love ourselves. Yes, we're each selfish, yes we fight over stupid things like leftover pizza. Yes, we can be overly sensitive. Yes, we know what buttons to push to make each other mad. Yes, we sometimes want to rip the other person's face off. And yes, we have days where we just want to be alone.

You know what, though? That's marriage. It's not easy, but when you love each other more than you love yourself, those things don't matter. The problems, the struggles, the fights - they are so small in comparison to this thing that we have called love. 

They say that love conquers all. You know what?! I think they're right. Love is an amazing thing, and I'm happy and incredibly blessed to have found it with Michael.

What makes you and your significant other awesome? What could you do better? What do you have that makes your relationship special or unique? 

If you don't have a significant other, what do you look or hope for in a relationship? 

What's in my Bag. The Vote. Mike ate all the Pizza. Awesome Points Scoreboard.

Happy Hump Day!!! 

As of noon, I will officially be halfway done with my work week, and you guys have no clue how stoked I am about that. Maybe you do - I don't know.

Anyway, Emily and some other awesome people are hosting a What's in Your Bag? link up, and I'm gettin' my vlog on to join.
In other news, we narrowed your suggestions for October's book down to three, and we want YOU to vote and pick the one we read!
And finally, I think you all should know that I'm human. I got mad at Mike last night. I yelled at him for like, three minutes and called him a poopy-butt-meanie-face-fish-head while he was on the phone talking to our insurance agent. Want to know why? He ate all the pizza, cheese sticks, and cinnamon pie. Yeah, I know - I'm mature. But that's what happens when my husband eats all the food.

Okay, I lied... now it's finally. Here's an Awesome point score update:

Sunday Confessions Link Up

Good morning!! 

How the heck is it already this time of the week again?? It always creeps up on me, and I'm never quite ready. Hopefully you guys are, though! Grab a button and link on up!!
  <center> <a href="http://itsalyx.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7148/6701442513_4c7153a301.jpg" width="200" height="200" /></a></center> Before I get to my confessing... It is Mike's birthday, so I just have to do a little shout out.

Dear Mike, 
Happy Birthday, [insert ridiculous pet name here]. I love you so, so much. You are the best husband in the world, and I feel so lucky to have you by my side now and forever. I have so much more that I want to tell you, but I'll keep that just between you and I so that my poor readers aren't subjected to so much mushiness. Just know that you're the best thing that has ever happened to me. And you look dang fine in a suit. Don't ever change, babe - don't ever change. Ha!

1. I have been an awful blogger this week. I didn't visit you guys, I didn't respond to your comments, and I didn't really feel bad about my lack of response. I've just felt pretty "blah" all week. Maybe this next week will be better?

2. I'm obsessed with Game of Thrones. I'm writing this post on Saturday night, and I can hardly wait to hit the "schedule" button so that I can finish the first book. Only about a hundred pages to go. If I haven't already convinced you to pick up these books, you'd better believe that I will within the week. Maybe.

3. I wish I was more organized. I try, really, I do. It's not that I'm disorganized or sloppy, it's just that I'm not totally organized. I'm a little scatterbrained, and it's hard for me to keep everything in my life straight. I think the only place I am organized is work.

4. I almost felt bad for Idaho State yesterday. My Huskers gave them quite the beating. I almost felt bad... till they scored and made it 73-7 instead of 73-0 (okay, so they scored when we had 66, but still).

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5. I think it would be awesome to own a golf cart and drive it on the sidewalks. What kind of person thinks about these things? The thought of someday ruling the sidewalks on my golf cart occurred to me earlier today and now I'm determined that it will happen, even if it's not till I'm a crazy 80-year-old living in a nursing home. Dear future children: please never put me in a nursing home - I won't forgive you.

What do you have to confess today?

OH!! If your name is Kaity Brown, you won the $50 to Paypal - holler at me and I'll get you set up with Natasha for your prize!!

AND! I haven't forgotten about you totally cool people that won awesome points. I'll email you someday (okay, today) to give you your total.

What Better Way to do a Book Review than with a Vlog? My Husband is a Poet, and he didn't Know it.

Happy Monday!! 

I'm choosing to greet you in such a cheerful way because I'm hoping that it will make me a little more chipper as I roll out of my bed this morning, 15 minutes before I waltz out the door, still rubbing my eyes and grumbling about how I frickin' hate Mondays.

I'll let you know later if it worked.

Anyway. I don't really feel like typing, so here's a book review in vlog format.

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If you don't want to watch the vlog, the book was Is Everyone Hanging out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) by Mindy Kaling.
My Grade: C+

The bottom line: I'm generally not a fan of memoirs, but this was an okay read. I'd recommend checking it out if you're looking for a mindless, somewhat humorous book that's easy to put down when your kid starts screaming or punching his (or her) siblings.

On another note - have any of you ever read the Miss Peregrine series?? I downloaded the first one yesterday and am looking for some opinions/ someone who will talk about it with me when I'm finished!! EDIT: I just finished the first one... someone talk about it with me!!! 

And.... just for kicks and giggles, I have something from my hunk a hunk of a hubby.

Mike: I had an assignment to write a poem based on a picture or image I saw. At the time we were in the car driving to Wichita, KS. We had gone to a KFC/ Taco Bell where I got a meal deal #4 from the Taco Bell side. A beefy five-layer burrito without sourcream, adding 'redstrips'. Comes with a medium drink and a bag of doritos. The drink cup they used was from the KFC side and had a picture of Col. Sanders. I chose to write the poem on the cup since it was the only thing I could think of. (Alyx here - it was totally my idea)

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The Old Man: Colonel Sanders

Red, white, and no, not blue. Black.

The colors dance across not paper, not canvas, not even cloth, but across plastic.

Not flat, not rough, but round and smooth. It fits snugly in my grip and provides nourishment.

As I look down I see a face warm and bright, but formed with the colors of anger and despair.

He smiles and stares kindly, inviting you to enjoy what’s underneath.

The tie he wears is black, his shirt as white as his hair which glistens in the light.

His spectacles bright and clear create ovals around his eyes that bring them closer and into your soul.

Not penetrating, but embracing. Not forcefully, but as if he asks permission to lighten your burden.

Even now as you see him, you thirst, and long for satisfaction and know that he has it.

Not in him, but a part of him. Not through him, but in him.

Satisfaction is found and thirst sleeps.

Favorite Things Friday

HAPPY FRIDAY!!!!! 

Thank goodness it's Friday. I can honestly say that this was the longest week ever, even if it was only a four-day work week. I can't celebrate too much, though, my department has one person work each Saturday from 8-noon, and guess whose Saturday it is tomorrow? Mine. 

Anyway. Time for my favorites from this week!!

1. Combined cardio and weights. Guys. I am like, an exercise nerd. It's pathetic, really. If I had to choose between exercise and sleep, I'd choose exercise nine times out of ten, and I'd love every second of it. It's almost sick how much I enjoy the soreness after a hard workout, or feeling like I'm going to die while pushing myself to the next level. I could talk about it for hours, so I'll just shut up now and tell you that I'm really loving combining my cardio workout with weights.

PS This is week 5 of working out regularly!!!

2. How involved I get with fictional characters. This may be a weird favorite, but I love the way I read - I see everything as it's happening, I feel the emotions of the characters, and I imagine myself as they are. It's like an escape to an alternate reality.

source

3. Banana and Walnut granola. SO. FREAKING. DELICIOUS!!! And filling. And healthy. Did I mention that it's delicious?

find it here

4. Not feeling guilty for taking a couple days off from blogging this week. I didn't blog Tuesday OR yesterday, and you know what? I don't feel bad about it. Instead I spent that time working out, reading, and cuddling with Mike (wipe the disgusted look off your face - I almost never get mushy on this here blog).

5. FAMILY TIME!!!! Yep, I saved the best for last. We got to go down to Kansas and spend time with my parents and younger brother, and it was great. I love them all so much, and was glad to spend the weekend away. My parents are amazing, and I love them more than life. Mike loves them too, which is definitely awesome. None of those silly "I hate my in-laws" feelings in this house!
 I don't have photo evidence because I didn't think about it.

What are YOUR favorites from this week?? 

WIWW. Einstein Invented the Lightbulb. Living Real Life.

Linking up here. 

top and sweater: Ross leggings: f21 shoes: Walmart necklace: gift

Happy Hump Day!!! 

So I really wanted to tell this funny story about my dad and Einstein, but he told me I'd be out of the will if I blogged about it, so that "dadism" will just have to be left out. It's too bad, really, because it's a pretty funny one. 

Anyway. 

I have to tell you guys something about blogging. It's something I'm sure you all know, but I want to take a minute to say it anyway.

I don't want you guys to leave comments telling me I'm awesome - this post is not me fishing for compliments - I don't want them. I just want you guys to know how I've been feeling lately - why my posts have been lacking in real content and feeling lately.

You see, I got caught up in it - the race for followers, wishing I took exotic trips and had lots of money to host giveaways, hosted link-ups where hundreds of people stayed up until midnight to get their link onto my blog first - I felt inadequate. I got discouraged. I began to look at my own life and think that I was boring, that the things that I do are not good enough. 

Then do you know what happened? I got a slap in the face. Mike (wonderful blogging husband that he is) could tell something was up and asked me about it. I complained to him, telling him about all those bloggers whose blogs make me feel like crap about myself, and do you know what he said (more or less)? 

Blogging isn't life. 

You see, the thing about blogging is this - we share what we think other people will like about us. We pick and choose what the rest of the world sees. 

You know what? I don't have hundreds of dollars to go travel. I don't have 5,000 followers. I don't have extra money laying around to do giveaways. I haven't come up with a genius blog-growing link-up. I also don't have a pet tiger, but if I did, I'd sing this song to it: 

In real life, though, I'm blessed. I have a loving family, I have a roof over my head, clothes on my back, a full-time job, and food to eat. I have a real life, and I'm living it. If I don't have a blog post up every day, it's not the end of the world. If someone else has better pictures, better clothes, gets to go on cool trips, or more money, good for them. 

We all have different lives and different opportunities. You know what that means, though? It means that we all have different struggles. We all feel inferior at times - it's not just me, and it's not just you. It's all of us. 

So. If you start to forget that blogging isn't life, take a step back, and go live your real life. It'll make you feel better. 

Sunday Confessions Link Up

Happy Sunday!!! 

I can't believe it's already September! If you get a second or two, take a look at the sidebar over there - I've got a brand new blog of the month, and some really amazing people hanging out for a while!

But... don't do that until you grab a button and link up with your confessions! 
  <center> <a href="http://itsalyx.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7148/6701442513_4c7153a301.jpg" width="200" height="200" /></a></center> 1. I saw the movie 2016 yesterday. It was amazing, and I think that every American that is eligible to vote should see it. I'm not really a fan of political arguments, so that's all I'm going to say about that.

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2. Our trip down to Kansas was awful. First the a/c on our car decided to die. We were able to recharge it, but that put us behind by an hour or so. Then, when we were in the middle of nowhere, Kansas, we started to hear this horrible sound. We pulled over to the side of the road, looked under the car, and saw that we were dragging a sheet of metal. I guess it's a heat shield or something? Anyway, we had to jack the car up, then kick the sheet of metal back up so that we could make it the rest of the way to Wichita.
By "we," I obviously mean this guy. Best husband ever. 

oh, yeah... remember that time we went to Scotland?

3. I really wish I could take a day off of work just to read. I feel like I haven't had a spare moment in the last week - I've just been so freakin' busy.

4. The fact that my baby brother is driving makes me feel old. He's supposed to be a little boy. Where the heck have the past ten years gone?

Obviously he's driving a real car, but I thought this worked.

5. I *just* found out that my parents have the same anniversary as my grandparents. I'm an awful granddaughter. Oops. Next summer will be 50 for my grandparents and 29 for my parents. Watch out, Utah - we'll be comin' for you in June (and Ali... even though you're in AZ, we'll come for you, too. Heck, Kristen, we'll make a stop in CO as well).

What do you have to confess? 

A Worm of the Bookish Type.

Greetings, friends. 

I'm just popping in to tell you one thing - I need your help. I'm going to go out on a limb and assume that each of us enjoys reading.

I, for one, love it. Unfortunately, though, I haven't really had much time to read since coming back to the states. In the hopes of making it easier to read on the go, the husband gave me an [extremely] early bday present.

Of course I then had to sprint to the nearest library and get a library card so that I could check out ebooks. And of course I couldn't leave the library empty-handed...

You will notice that I love Nicholas Sparks. I could read his books all day, every day. I'm also a huge fan of mysteries and crime novels. My mom (who is the best resource when it comes to finding a good book) recommended Maisie Dobbs to me, and so far, I'm loving it.

ANYWAY. Back to the point - I need your infinite wisdom, dear reader. My question for you all is this:

I may be jumping the gun, but I can read fairly quickly, and I don't want my list dwindling down anytime soon. Leave your recommendations in the comments. And please - no HP or HG... I'm not that out of touch.

Favorite Things Friday

Yo homeskillet french fry faces. 

It's been a while since I've done a favorite things post, and that is soooo not cool. Just sayin'.

1. Chicken Alfredo roll-ups. Another excellent recipe from my pinterest. Try it, love it. You're welcome.

Source: mmmcafe.blogspot.com via Alyx on Pinterest

2. Getting back in shape. I'm writing this on Thursday night... so I obviously haven't worked out for Fri yet, but the plan is to go tomorrow morning. If I do, I will have worked out four days this week. I missed Tues because I was sick on Monday night. It's a good feeling, though (working out, not being sick)!
I mean, look at these guns. I just almost wrote buns. That would have been awkward. No, I'm not modeling my butt for you. Sorry, sickos. Kidding. I love you. Unless you think that's weird. Now I'm just going to shut up.

3. My husband. Just because. He's a pretty cool dude.

4. Baby goats. Have you seen how cute they are?

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5. Candles. I love candles. What else is there to say? They smell good, they make a room feel cozy... they're just awesome.

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CAN I GET A FREAKIN, "YAAAYYYYYY FRIDAY!!!!" 

Two Years. I Guess it's Time for a Sappy Post.

Why hello, my little Lovemuffins. 

Is that one word or two? I'm just gonna leave it at one.

Anyway. Today is August 10. That might not be a significant day for any of you, but it is a pretty important day to me and the husband. I even marked it in my planner. Right alongside my dinner plans and Mike's work schedule, see?

And don't go all hater on me for having to write it down - I'm super busy and would probably forget to get dressed in the morning if I didn't get so chilly after showering.

Okay, I got way off topic there. This is supposed to be a mushy post about how much I love and adore Michael and how happy I am to be with him. But you know what? I feel like he knows that, so I don't need to tell the world.

       

Instead, I'm going to tell you guys how much fun I have with him... and take a little journey through our second year of marriage in pictures.

Right before we left for Germany, we got anniversary pictures taken together. 

We moved to Germany in August and were welcomed by craptastic weather that didn't stop the entire time we were there.

             

 We went on a ton of trips - many cities in Germany plus France, Spain, Scotland, and the Czech Republic.

We spent some time Skyping with the family and friends we missed back home.

 We flew back into Kansas and spent some quality time with my parents.

 We played at the lake.

 We spent the 4th of July with Mike's parents in the Black Hills.

Now for the semi-mushy stuff. 

Michael - In the past year, I have come to love you more than I ever thought was possible. You are my best friend, my confidant, my companion, and my favorite trouble-maker. We have so much fun together, and I love that about us - our relationship is never too serious, and I think that's perfect.

              

I love that you love me for who I am, even though I'm easily stressed, high-strung, ridiculous, and sometimes get lost in the future instead of the present. I love that you let loose and aren't afraid to be yourself with me. I love your bear hugs, your smile, your stupid jokes, your teasing, your ninja coding skills, your "woman" jokes - I love it all.

Thanks for a great two years - I can't wait to see what the future brings. Maybe a mini-you? He'd have me wrapped around his little finger. Except I hope he doesn't look quite as... interesting as this little guy... girl... thing.

Oh, and in case you were looking for it... DAY FOUR, PEEPS!! After this week I'll just do weekly updates.