BIG Changes

So I haven't posted a blog in FOREVER. Why, well I've been busy...busy doing what? A ton of stuff. Yearbook and classroom planning, cleaning and organizing, being a mom, and well....dating.

I've been single for nearly four years, and it wasn't until this summer that dating finally became FUN! Who'd a thought :-) Seriously though, since getting divorced, dating has been a chore, a punishment, an all around nightmare filled with tears, insecurities, and total frustrated failure. It's not that I'm not a good date or SOME of these guys weren't total losers, it just was never "right". Perhaps I was too critical, not open enough, or just plain not ready. Either way, I really wondered if a relationship would ever be in my future. I seriously started looking at becoming the "crazy-spinster-cat lady."

However, during all the bad dates and crazy crazy boys, there was always this "friend". The guy who would listen, flirt a little, and always be patient with me. For me though, Sean was always in the friend zone and could never possibly be anything more. Yet, I always trusted him implicitly. Sure, I knew he was a bit of a wild child, but his heart was usually in the right place and he was always willing to offer help whether I asked for it or not. Somehow he was always just "there".

I think about 2 years ago he started trying to get out of "the friend zone" but with all the stubborness of a mule I kept him there. I justified it by saying he was too young and my good friend's brother. He was off limits. We sort of dated a little over a year ago, but really it was like 5th grade dating...we talked to each other and hung out for a few weeks. We still talked and wrote letters, but nothing really came of it. In my head I figured he too realized we were just better as friends. Then this past summer, he showed up a little more forcefully. He wouldn't accept my brush offs and just kept trying. I finally decided to give him a chance. More to show him that dating would be disasterous and we were better as just friends than anything else.

I was wrong...I REALLY hate it when I'm wrong ;-). Dating someone was never more natural, never more comfortable, and never more RIGHT. I couldn't believe that "the boy next door" was really my future. He loves my Haley and she adores him. I've seen such a change in her since he came around. She seems more happy. I can't believe I finally get to give her a family. I feel so blessed. After only a few short weeks of serious dating, he asked me to marry him, and of course I SAID YES!!! I guess if I had to be wrong about something, this was definitely the thing to be wrong about.

So, we're getting married. We hope to be married November 22, 2008 in the Mesa, Arizona Temple.

We're in full swing with wedding plans. I can't wait. It's hard to believe that after years of either being or feeling alone, I have someone who truly desires to be with me for time and eternity. Other than Haley, he's truly the greatest blessing I've had in years. He's good for me, he's a great balance to my often too serious personality.

I'd love to send an announcement, so please send me your address. It's hard to believe that in only 8 short weeks I will be Amanda Lynn Jenkins.

Tagged

I am: multitasking (blogging, emailing, folding laundry, packing, cooking, cleaning, grading)
I know: I'm a master at procrastination
I want: to be in a relationship (anyone care to share the name of some good single guys)
I have: a fabulous daughter.
I hate: !!DRAMA!!
I miss: having someone to watch a thunderstorm with.
I fear: losing my daughter
I feel: overwhelmed by my To Do list
I hear: cartoons in the livingroom, Haley fighting with Sam, and the A/C
I smell: Haley's paints
I crave: pancakes and a crushed ice diet pepsi (I think I'm PMSing...cuz I know I'm not pregnant)
I search: GOOGLE
I wonder: if I will ever have enough time to be a GREAT mom
I regret: not having spent more time in hs making friends
I love: my amazing daughter
I care: about my family, my friends, and my students
I always: give hugs and try to encourage people
I am not: very good at "putting myself out there"
I believe: in faith. I wouldn't keep dating if I didn't
I dance: in my living room with Haley, in the car, in my classroom...anywhere I can
I sing: in my car and anywhere Haley decides it's time for a song
I don’t always: return phone calls
I fight: with real emotion!
I write: all the time...maybe someday it will turn into something
I lose: my keys or cell phone often
I win: every arguement, whether I win or not...I'm always heard
I never: go to bed on time
I listen: when people need to talk
I am scared: of being being alone forever
I need: people to communicate with me better
I am happy about: going to Prescott
I tag: Katie, Amber, Ronica, and Marinda

"Lazy" Summer Days

I can definitely say my summer has been anything but "lazy." I love the summer and all the fun that comes with it...and them I'm usually glad that school starts again so I can catch my breath. Here are some candids from the past couple of weeks. I can safely say that we're defintiely enjoying our summer.

Here we are at Kung Fu Panda

My Little Fish...she splashes and between water fights I read.


Met my VT's for ice cream at McDonalds and Haley climbed in the slide...took her about 20 min. to find this blue tube so I could take her picture...a great use of time if you ask me ;-)

I'm not so sure the uncles are the greatest swimming influences...but she sure had fun with them...so did Sam the dog lol.


A trip to Peter Piper Pizza is always cause for smiles...and I don't mind letting them provide the cool air and super cheap pizza :-).

Cali & Magic Mountain

Last weekend we had a "big kids" weekend in CA and Magic Mountian. Good fun! I like roller coasters...but I really don't think I would ride the scary ones if there wasn't some "peer pressure" involved. LOL The trip was fun...definitely an expression of who everyone is.

We all got our feet wet, but Christopher was the only one who was crazy enough to get out in the COLD water and swim.

My crazy family.

Dinner at Bubba Gump Shrimp Factory...YUM!!!


6 Flags Magic Mountain Fun!

The Bathroom Remodel

I finished the remodel of my bathroom, and other than some muscle from my brother to remove the vanity from the wall, I did the whole thing myself! I love the finished product! Here are some pictures from final tear out to completion :-)

The bad...and somewhat discouraging phase...

I feel better after COLOR!

I love this cabinet...definitely think I can handle this now!

Final Product at 1 AM...I was EXHAUSTED and EXHILARATED!

Sum..Sum..Summertime!!!!

I'm now a little over a week into summer break, and already I'm about 15 projects deep. There must be something seriously wrong with me that I can't take the gift of no school and just relax. Then again...I know that once those students converge onto campus again in August...I'll have no time for my own projects again. Regardless of my own sick mental reasoning (I've been diagnosed AAADD-Age Activated Attention Deficit Disorder...see earlier post) I have 15 projects in various stages of chaos.

We started our summer break with a relxing trip to Heber to visit my grandparents. It was a very nice trip and got me on the roll of my first project...my personal reading list. The trip was a little hairy...the weather was awful going up, but a perfect excuse to just wrap up in a blanket to relax and read. With my grandparents eagerly waiting to play with Haley I jumped into reading Twilight. FABULOUS young adult novel! I highly recommend it. It takes very little to get involved with the characters and once you're in you can't put it down. I've never been one for vampire books, but seriously...WOW...I'm in love with a vampire...where's my Edward? lol I finished the book in less than 2 days :-)

The rest of the trip revolved around food and outdoor fun.

Once we got home I started my to do list of summer activities. 1. Clean out the office and paint 2. Clean out the hall closet 3. Clean out Haley's toys 4. Clean out the china closet 5. Clean out the kitchen and pantry 6. Clean out my bedroom 7. Clean out Haley's clothes 8. Clean out the shed 9. Finish landscaping the backyard 10. Prepare of yearbook conference 11. Calendar out lessons for next school year 12. Paint my bathroom 13. Paint outside of house 14. READ 15. DATE.

Not a terrible list but certainly time consuming. Since I've been home I've cleaned out the office, cleaned out the hall closet, cleaned out the dining room, cleaned out Haley's toys, started landscaping, and instead of painting my bathroom...I've completely torn it apart for remodeling. I don't know how to do things in small doses :-). I've also read the sequal to Twilight, New Moon...another good book.

Don't think Haley's being neglected in all this "work." She loves to help and is great at sorting and organizing, so she's been in the midst of most of it. She even helped pick out the new bathroom fixtures and paint. She's loving having mom home. She's still going to the sitters a few times a week, but it's more for her own socialization. She LOVES her friends and I think it's important for her to maintain those relationships with them...plus I LOVE visiting with my sitter. She's like another mom.

AAADD...This is me

I received this email and it described me (and many others I know) so well I had to post it :-)

Recently, I was Diagnosed with AAADD - Age Activated Attention Deficit Disorder. This is how it manifests:
I decide to water my garden. As I turn on the hose in the driveway, I look over at my car and decide my car needs washing. As I start toward the garage, I notice that there is mail on the porch table that I brought up from the mail box earlier.I decide to go through the mail before I wash the car. I lay my car keys down on the table, put the junk mail in the garbage can under the table, and notice that the can is full. So, I decide to put the bills back on the table and take out the garbage first.But then I think, since I'm going to be near the mailbox when I take out the garbage anyway, I may as well pay the bills first. I take my check book off the table, and see that there is only 1 check left. My extra checks are in my desk in the study, so I go inside the house to my desk where I find the can of Coke that I had been drinking. I'm going to look for my checks, but first I need to push the Coke aside so that I don't accidentally knock it over. I see that the Coke is getting warm, and I decide I should put it in the refrigerator to keep it cold. As I head toward the kitchen with the Coke, a vase of flowers on the counter catches my eye--they need to be watered. I set the Coke down on the counter, and I discover my reading glasses that I've been searching for all morning. I decide I better put them back on my desk, but first I'm going to water the flowers. I set the glasses back down on the counter, fill a container with water and suddenly I spot the TV remote. Someone left it on the kitchen table. I realize that tonight when we go to watch TV, I will be looking for the remote, but I won't remember that it's on the kitchen table, so I decide to put it back in the den where it belongs, but first I'll water the flowers. I pour some water in the flowers, but quite a bit of it spills on the floor. So, I set the remote back down on the table, get some towels and wipe up the spill. Then, I head down the hall trying to remember what I was planning to do.

At the end of the day:
1) The car isn't washed
2) The bills aren't paid
3) There is a warm can of Coke sitting on the counter
4) The flowers don't have enough water,
5) There is still only 1 check in my check book,
6) I can't find the remote,
7) I can't find my glasses,
8) And I don't remember what I did with the car keys.

Then, when I try to figure out why nothing got done today, I'm really baffled because I know I was busy all day long, and I'm really tired. I realize this is a serious problem, and I'll try to get some help for it, but first I'll check my e-mail.