FaceLift

I think it's time for a change. I've had several friends tell me I should blog about my new found hobby but I'm not exactly sure what that hobby is. Crafts? DIY? Embroidery? So I think after a year of blogging hiatus and with a new year just around the corner I will blog about about my foray into, what I promised I would never become, a crafter!

So, I thought to myself, what the heck do I name this new blog?! The more creative I try to be the lamer the names become**. SO - blog name suggestions are welcome. FYI: blog names in the running thus far...
1. Amy's Attic
2. Craftastic
3. AH! CRAFTS!
4. HOLY CRAFT!

Several of my projects are inspiration from other crafties out there, other websites, blogs, and most of all - my mother. I told myself long ago I would never turn into my mom. But, much to demise (or not so much at all actually) I have become Betty. So, needless to say, I will give credit when credit is due!! So ... here is to a new blog (and probably blurbs of whats happen at the Thompson crib) and a bit of a facelift :)

**see what I mean?

Here we go!

I knew student teaching was approaching quickly whether or not I wanted to hide from it. I was nervous, mostly for how awkward it can be at times but also because now the classroom is on me. I want to make sure I'm leaving an impression with the school and more importantly, the children. It's a heavy load to carry but after a week under my belt I feel like I'm ready for the challenge.

This new year is the first time in a while that I truly don't know where I'll be in a year. After graduation - the possibilities are endless. We don't have plans...yet. We have weddings on the calendar but nothing planned for a getaway just for us. We'll probably end up camping this summer (hopefully in Colorado) and take a trip out to Chicago for a cubs game [maybe they'll play the twins this year!] and I'll enjoy applying for jobs and interviewing - god willing. Needless to say, 2011 is going to be exciting, probably an emotional roller coaster, and hopefully pleasantly surprising :)

But for now, I have a snow day - few and far between when I was growing up. I'll spend my excitement about snow days on the latter half of my twenty-somethings. No plans for the day - and I can't wait!

HIGHS and lows

This is the time in life when we are suppose to live paycheck to paycheck, understand what it means to appreciate all we have and trust better things are in store...when we hit our 30s. Right? HA. This 20-something life is proving to be gut-wrenching. I thought I was over the days of feeling financially unstable but alas, it never ends.

The other day we were so excited to find out that we would be getting a 5% discount on our rent for the next 12 months because Deren works at a "preferred employee" company. We were happy to not experience an increase in rent like we thought we were going to have. No sooner had we celebrated this small victory than we realized Deren got an unwanted charge of $129.99 and $69.95 from something he had purchased online (another life lesson, but that is a different story). He spent most of the day on the phone with a TERRIBLE customer service rep who couldn't even find his account information! Talk about scam. Next phone call = USBank to report a fraudulent charge. He's going to try calling the customer service rep again Monday to get our dang money back. Word to the wise - don't order crap online. Chances are they are scamming you (okay, I might be a little bit of a pessimist).

To make matters worse, Deren went out to his car to find a ticket on his windshield while it was PARKED on OUR sidestreet. A ticket for expired plates. Okay, before I rant about my distaste for Missouri I must say at least we can AFFORD a $38.50 ticket for expired plates (unless of course we take yet another case to our lovely Missouri court system - they LOVE the Thompsons). OKAY, Here I go....

1. Most (aka ALL) people in the state of Missouri get a nice little postcard in the mail to remind their plates are going to expire soon. Not my husband.
2. I have been paying property taxes on my car for the past two years (another reason I do not like Missouri). Deren has not.
3.We have a strong suspicion Deren's car information has gotten lost in the jumble of property tax paperwork Missouri sends out at the end of each year. (that's right, tax is due 5 days after Christmas. How thoughtful.)
4. The states of Minnesota and Iowa put the MONTH and year on your plate tabs to give you a heads up of when they are going to expire. Missouri puts the year to let you take a 1 out of 12 stab when they might be expiring - the odds are really against you.
5. The proactive measures this state takes to keep their citizens 'in the loop' is appauling.

In the midst of all of this commotion my mom called to let me know my great aunt Eleanor had passed away on Friday night. We had a close realationship growing up, she was like a third grandma to me. Since moving to Iowa for college and to Missouri after graduation I hadn't seen her in a while but it still breaks my heart. Heaven has a new, precious angel.

Bad things happen in threes so we took it all in one day...we're done for a while, right? Right?!

On a positive note about our 20-somethings...this is the age of weddings. My good friend from college got married last weekend and we wrapped up our 2010 wedding season in Cedar Rapids. Lindsay and Levi had a beautiful ceremony and such a fun reception. As always, so fun to catch up with them and other friends we aren't able to see nearly often enough. Congrats you two!! Love you!

Another positive - a friend from school had two free tickets to the Zac Brown Band tomorrow night so I'm excited to head out to a concert with her! I haven't been to a concert in a long time! Thanks DeAirra!!

This post is feeling a tad bit bi-polar....such is our life right now.

Hey! At least we get some extra sleep tonight!!

So excited...

for fall!

We went out with a few friends last night for some well deserved adult sodas and somehow got on the topic of autumn, halloween and pumpkin carving. I decided to unveil the pictures of my AWFUL attempts at carving pumpkins. My first attempt probably since 7th grade was in 2007 when Deren and I first started dating and I'm going to blame my ill-talent on stage fright (but really I have no excuse). My second attempt was me giving my all - I'm TERRIBLE at pumpking carving. Our friend, Brian, got a kick out of the pictures - he couldn't stop laughing and his face turned purple (I'm pretty sure there was no oxygen supply for a good three minutes).

ANYWAYS...I want to share with you all, for your enjoyment and to have you all partake on MY excited for fall :)

This was in 2007 (the first attempt) :/

This was in 2008 - the second attempt! (mine is on the left)