This is Mark and Bob. Mark and Bob had a great time bowling. They had an even better time dancing afterward. See Mark and Bob bowl. See Mark and Bob drink. See Mark and Bob dance. Dance, Mark and Bob, dance. Whoa. Stop, Mark and Bob, stop.....
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Proof Mark was sober
Crush
Saturday we all went out to Imperial Lanes in the Haute to celebrate Tim and Bubba's birthdays.... it got sloppy.... luckily I was the designated driver... and photographer.... Mark didn't remember much of these pictures..... until I showed him the next day as proof it happened... This video is of Mark and Tim singing karaoke. "Crush" by Dave Matthews. It was intense.
For those of you who don't know, Crush is the song that I walked down the aisle to. None of that L.A.M.E. "here comes the bride" crap. For those of you who don't remember, it did NOT sound like it does in the video.... I promise... :-)
At the end of the song, Mark gave a shout out to me.... "8 2 Oh 8, baby! I love you, Tiff!" Yikes.... How drunkenly romantic.... We left not too much longer after that.... :-)
Reference Letter …Cont…
Mark comes from a big family, and he is the proud uncle of two small nieces. I have observed Mark around these girls. He was extremely affectionate and careful with them (they are still babies). He beams with happiness when around them, and he without a doubt values their presence in his life. Furthermore, Mark is defiantly a positive influence on his adolescent brother-in-laws (Tiffany's brothers). He often spends quality time with them and treats them as equals and not like children. Once, I went with Mark, Tiffany, and the boys to go roller-skating. Mark goes out of his way, so to speak, to include the boys and I can infer that they very much admire him.
I do feel that Mark is a tremendous role model to those around him. One of Mark's most noble and standout qualities is his loyalty. Mark stands by his friends and family through thick and thin. He never denies his support and love, and he especially extends it to those who need it the most. Mark is extremely personable and magnetic. He has a good time wherever he goes, and is a pleasure to be around. He develops a strong sense of fraternity with all of his friends and values them indefinitely. For this, I feel he is inspiring to both adults and children alike. I think this is an opportune time for Mark (and his wife Tiffany) to take on the extra responsibility of becoming a Big. They never cease to set aside space for quality time with each other. Whether it be going to Colts games, movies, local events, or hosting dinner parties at their home. I can easily see them adding a child into the mix, and I have no doubt that they would thoroughly enjoy the experience (as well as take it seriously).
I would like to add that I worked with Mark for three years at Menards hardware store in Terre Haute, IN. He was an exceptional employee. He was fair, responsible, punctual, and always treated co-workers and customers with respect and consideration. For these attributes, he was promoted to manager of his department and he flourished with this role of leadership. I have no reservation in recommending Mark for the Big Brother program.
THANKS SO MUCH, STEPH! LOVE YOU, GIRL!
Reference Letter
I always knew that she loved English and even has considered being a book critic or something along those lines. I have always known this… but never saw it in action. Steph was one of our references for BBBS. Czech.It.Out. I was blown away!
Tiffany maintains her home in an exemplary fashion and takes great pride in the maintenance and cleanliness of her possessions. Her home is a reflection of her-- colorful, creative, warm, and inviting. I do think the interior of her home is completely child friendly. However, she does have a balcony. She and her husband will have to exercise careful vigilance in the case of a small child. I have no doubt that they will not fail to do so.
Tiffany and I have a mutual friend that has a small child (he is now 5 years of age). I have observed Tiffany with this child. Tiffany was at ease and comfortable, as well as observant to him. I would also like to add that this boy is a special needs child: he is autistic. Therefore, his condition requires extra care and patience. I know that she cares deeply for the well being of this boy, I do not question that she has the capacity to treat any child with the same regard and adoration.
I know that Tiffany is a great role model because she has been, without a doubt, a positive influence on me. She is the kind of person that can find a silver lining in the darkest of situations. Her perpetual optimism is inspiring to me, and I think that this particular quality of hers will translate well with a young and impressionable child. Tiffany is humorous, passionate, intelligent, and organized. But the quality that I want to highlight the most of hers is her compassion. She is always considerate and respectful to others- regardless of their race, religious views, nationality, or income. For this reason alone, I feel Tiffany is a role model to both children and adults alike.
I think this is an opportune time for Tiffany (and her husband Mark) to take on the extra responsibility of becoming a Big. They never cease set aside space for quality time with each other. Whether it be going to Pacer games, parks, local events, or just inviting others into their home for dinner. I can easily see them including a child in to the mix, and have no doubt that they would thoroughly enjoy it (as well as take the responsibility seriously).
Tiffany and Mark have a profoundly deep and loving relationship that is apparent to anyone who spends any amount of time around them. They both are responsible and upstanding adults with formidable attributes. I have no reservation in recommending Tiffany for the Big Sister program.
Friday, April 3, 2009
Sin- Another God's Minute Devotion
( Romans 4:7-8 *NKJV )
The Apostle Paul once said ; For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, ( Romans 7:19 & 24 ) After all, to remain sinless was a struggle for him, as well as, the rest of the Apostle's! For sin has always been a struggle for mankind ever since the days of Adam and Eve!
Therefore when we slip and sin it is very important to ask our Heavenly Father to forgive us. For it is written; If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. Thus we become cleansed and forgiven from our past sins, and that includes all of them!
( 1 John 1:9)
After all it is written; "Come now, let us reason together," says the Lord. "Though our sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool. ( Isaiah 1:18 )
Just be the very best person that you can be, and if you slip and sin once in a while, do not think that God doesn't love you anymore. For no one is perfect, however once there was One, sinless and blameless, and filled with love, and they Crucified Him.....
All My Love & Prayers,
Pastor Allen
BBBS
To give you the details, you must commit at least one hour a week for at least a year. The children are selected to be in the program by those around them. They are willing participants in the program. They are between the ages of 8 and 14.
Mark and I asked for the youngest kid possible. We are hoping to be paired with a little boy (Couples usually get boys) between the age of 8 and 10. Surely we can commit an HOUR a week to do something fun with him!
We are so active now, that it will be just like having another friend along for the ride! We love going bowling, attending sporting events, plays, etc. Now we will just have a little one in the backseat!
This is the closest we are going to get to having a little one anytime soon. (We hope) But we ARE SO EXCITED to have the opportunity to be a part of such a wonderful program. It is very important to us to get involved with our community!
Right now we are still in the interview processing stage. We filled out an online application, then a 12 page application, and then each got three references. Now we are waiting to schedule a date for the personal interview. Say a prayer that we get into the program! If we do, I’m sure you will see/hear PLENTY about our adventures over the next year!
MAID OF HONOR SPEECH
I’d like to start out by reciting a poem about love that I found off Google…
Roses are Red
Violets are blue
Forever and always
Yours and Marks love is true
Just Kidding Tiffany! When my sister told me I was to give a maid of honor speech, she made me promise her two things: ONE: don’t copy any speech from Google and TWO: absolutely NO POEMS concerning anything romantic! So, as her sister, I felt an obligation to begin by breaking all of her rules first thing.
In all seriousness though, I thought a lot about what I wanted to say about Tiffany for her wedding. A lot of people told me to embarrass her as much as possible, but the thing is, I couldn’t think of one thing that would possibly embarrass her. Tiffany is the kind of person that no matter how embarrassing or uncomfortable a situation, she will just shrug her shoulders, laugh it off, and a few minutes later it will be forgotten. Tiffany is one of the only people I know that does not get embarrassed about anything! She has a personal quote she wrote herself online that says: "Life’s too short to be sad, boring, or mad" … It’s a quote she no doubt lives by. When Tiffany walks into a room, she can often turn into the life of the party, which is one reason why her and Mark go so well together, because this is a trait you can easily find in Mark as well. I mean look around at all the people that are here because of Tiffany and Mark. You’re all here to have a good time, support, and celebrate the beginning of Mark and Tiffany’s new life together as husband and wife and I’m sure when you got your wedding invitation, you thought this was one wedding that you did NOT want to miss. These two are true party animals.
As Tiffany’s little sister, I have always looked up to her. Growing up, I truly believed she was the smartest, coolest kid ever and I wanted to be just like her. I wanted to wear all of her clothes (which caused quite a lot of fights between mom, dad, and us girls…my dad insisted the only way to prevent our fights was for my mom to buy two of everything, which in my mom’s opinion was absolutely ridiculous. Tiffany had all the coolest friends, the awesome grades, she was extremely athletic , and seemed to know everyone. I remember my first day of middle school, she and I were standing outside waiting for the bus to arrive and I looked at her, in total seriousness and asked her…"tiffany, should I smile when I get on the bus?..." she rolled her eyes, told everyone and told me "absolutely not, definitely frown at everyone when you get on the bus"… Tiffany always had the wittiest comebacks, most of the time sarcastic, but always on top of her game. I used to come home and run into her room and ask her, "Tiffany, if someone was to say something to you, what would you say back? And of course, she would be like pshh! I would say blah blah blah and I would look at her, and think DANGIT I SHOULD HAVE SAID THAT!! This happened numerous times throughout my elementary and middle school days.
Tiffany, I’m so happy that you are here today, marrying your best friend. You two are so good together and everyone in this room is here to support you two in the first day of the rest of your lives. Mark, I’m thrilled to have you as a brother in law, you have been part of our family for years now and are just like a brother to me. When you and Tiffany first started dating, and I was without a boyfriend at that time, I would always tell Tiffany, "Man I wish Mark just had a twin, because he is such a good boyfriend and cute and sweet and so good to you" …and it’s true, you treat my sister perfectly and I wish both of you all the best.
CanCun
Mom has been doing the P90X workouts. Have you seen that infomercial? Every single time I see it, I want to spend the $140 to get the system sent to me. It looks like so much fun. And looks oh so effective.
So my parents purchased it a couple weeks ago. My Dad has been doing it off and on. Mom is COMMITTED. And (might I add) BUFF! I walked out to the barn (yes, that is where you work out if you live in Indiana) to find my Mom in front of the TV, rockin a P90X DVD, in a sports bra and spandex pants. She looks about 20 years old. And has four kids. She is my role model. I can only HOPE to look like that in (*cough*) 4 years.
My Mom always says she is 27. That is getting harder and harder to believe now that I am 23. Each year we celebrate Mom’s 27th birthday. And, if you didn’t know any better, you would believe it!
Anyways, enjoy Cancun, long, lost family! And, Nathan and Evan - - try not to check out Mom… it’s gross……
Thursday, April 2, 2009
This blog is awesomeaucity
YOU HAVE TO READ THIS BLOG! IT IS ON MY FAVORITES NOW! SOOOOO GREAT!
March 3rd, 2009 @ 3:58 am by: Marc
25 Ways to Live 25 Hours a Day
Time isn’t money. It’s the single greatest constituent of life. The more time you create for yourself, the more time you have to live. Thus, saving time is life saving. If you’ve been feeling a day late and a buck short, you’ve been mismanaging your time… and your life.
Here are 25 proven time saving tips employed by some of the wisest bloggers I know. Each tip links back to a source article containing additional insight.
Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time,
for that is the stuff life is made of.
- Benjamin Franklin
Seek privacy. – "You may be totally different and I can respect that, but I need peace and quiet. I feel stressed (and inefficient) when the TV is blaring, the dog is barking, the kids are shouting, the cat’s meowing, the phone is ringing, the microwave is beeping, the washer is running, the dryer is spinning, my Blackberry is vibrating, my email is dinging, etc." – via The Wisdom Journal
Use visual reminders. – "I’ve found it helpful to have visual reminders to do something that’s important to me. One way to do this is writing on a piece of paper what you need to do, and in smaller text why you want to do it. Tape this paper somewhere you will see it: bathroom mirror, in front of your bed, on your keyboard. This doesn’t work if you have many reminders for different tasks, but for a couple of tasks, it can work magically." – via Think Simple Now
Live by the truth. – You will eventually do "hard time" for lying to yourself and others. "The truth often comes out whether we want it to or not. Lying generally just complicates the situation and makes us look bad. Look at the scandals many of our politicians fall into because they fail to admit the truth. It is much better to just develop the habit of telling the truth even when it is difficult. This will save you a lot of heartache and misery in life." – via My Super-Charged Life
Develop a passive income stream. – "Passive income refers to income that is generated without any (or very little) additional time on our part. Some time may be put in up front, but the payoff from passive income can last for years. Every dollar you earn in passive income is a dollar you didn’t have to earn by working. In this way, passive income puts you closer to financial independence, a stage of life where you no longer have to sell hours for dollars in order to earn an income." – via Frugal Dad
Complaining kills time and energy. Stop it! – "By complaining, I was putting the blame on external things instead of myself. By noticing this habit, I’ve been able to lean into my fear and not let it decide my actions. After becoming more aware of my thoughts and emotions, I’ve learned that if I don’t give in to my fears, I could choose actions that may be scary at first, but they would reap greater rewards in the end." – via Work Happy Now
Trick yourself into waking up early. – Don’t snooze your time away. "A very effective trick I do is to place my alarm on the other side of the room, effectively forcing me to get out of bed to turn it off."– via The Change Blog
It’s okay… Just say NO! – "While saying yes can take us down some wonderful roads, there’s also a ton of value in saying no. We’re only given a certain amount of hours in our lives; do you really want to give yours away so easily? If you don’t have to time to commit to a new project, complete a favor, or serve on another committee, it’s a good idea to just say no." – via On Simplicity
Delegate or hire a helping hand. – "What value do you place on your time during your waking hours? Let’s say I had a great idea for a side business and the capital to get it rolling, but I didn’t have the time to get started. I could channel some of that capital into hiring someone to do menial personal tasks, then channel my own time into the side business, seeing if there’s enough meat there to get things to really take off." – via The Simple Dollar
Use technology to automate tasks. – "Don’t be dumb like me. Make sure your backups are automated so you don’t forget, because you will eventually. For those first 2 years and 3 months, I felt like my website was invincible. But everything goes down eventually. Don’t trust yourself to make regular backups. Leave that to a computer!" – via My Wife Quit Her Job
Stop trying to make things perfect. – "Perfection is an illusion. We strive for perfection because we have an image in our minds of what we should be, but what we are not. Realize that perfection and imperfection are a result of a conflict in your mind, they don’t exist in reality. You have to make mistakes in order to grow, don’t let perfectionism paralyze you. If you’re not failing, chances are you’re not trying hard enough." – via Illuminated Mind
Research it before you commit lots of time to it. – "When creating an online business, the successful person starts his company after adequate success is certain, whereas he who is destined for bankruptcy first creates a product and then looks to see if it will be profitable." – via Finance Your Freedom
Haste makes waste. Slow down. – A quicker, hasty pace in the short-term can lead to a more error prone set of results in the long-term. "Sometimes things get in the way, like a sick child or a disastrous house. Those days more than any other, I find the need to just stop, let things go for a little while and focus on being present is absolutely necessary." – via Remodeling This Life
Keep your priorities straight. – "Assess the balance in your life by creating a pictorial representation of your life. Using a pie chart you can easily see if your priorities in life are being met. Hang it up somewhere that you can see it. How does it look? Does it look the way you want it to?" – via My Dollar Plan
Don’t waste time worrying about the uncontrollable. – "The inevitable… Some things we just can’t control. So, aren’t we better off pushing worry aside? And living our lives. There will be good in our lives. And there will be some bad in our lives. Worrying about any of this is not going to change this fact. What can change these facts are actions, by us." – via The Jungle of Life
Enjoy yourself. Misery is wasteful. – "Do you ever stop and think… Why am I doing all this stuff? Do you ever feel like your sole purpose in life is crossing things off lists and maintaining your calendar? Maybe if you aren’t enjoying yourself, all your time is wasted. All that time we spend bored, frightened, angry, in a hurry, or unhappy, isn’t that the real waste of time?" – via Steve Olson
Clear clutter from your home and workspace. – "Devote a little of your time to tossing clutter from your life, and keeping things relatively clutter-free, and you’ll be rewarded with much more pleasing living spaces, with a less stressful life, and with better organization and productivity. Clutter weighs us down, distracts us, and brings chaos into our lives." – via Dumb Little Man
Turn off the TV! – "People don’t incorporate enough engaging leisure and spiritual activities, such as socializing, exercising or reading books, into their day. Despite having more leisure time than ever before, time spent on engaging leisure activities has actually declined over the past four decades. Instead, there’s been a significant increase in the hours devoted to what the authors call "neutral downtime," which is mostly watching television." – via Mom Grind
Utilize the power of compounding. – "I’m sure that everyone reading this understands the power of compound interest. When you invest money you earn interest. Then you start earning interest on the money you earned from interest. Over many years this continues to compound and eventually leads to a very large sum of money. The same concept applies to time. If you invest time by working hard when you’re young, you put yourself in a position to succeed that will continue compounding for the rest of your life. If you waste time when you’re young, you can’t make up for it later because you’ve lost the opportunity to utilize the power compounding." – via Pick The Brain
Read situations and anticipate outcomes. – "I would say that I have gotten better over time at reading situations and anticipating outcomes. This helps me be more effective. I’m still improving; let me give you an example. Recently I gave permission to this construction company to have access to one of our lots to help them access an adjacent lot. Since then, trucks have been wreaking havoc on my lot. I got all pissed off and was telling my friend how disrespectful that was, making a mess of our lot, after I was so cool with them etc… His response was great. He simply said, ‘Dude, what did you expect?’" – via Best Life Practices
If you want to remember it, write it down. – "If your memory is anything like mine it’s like a leaking bucket. And there are many great reasons to write everything down. You’ll have your ideas safely saved away instead of having them lost somewhere in the depths of your mind. If you don’t write things down you’ll forget many good and some great ideas." – via The Positivity Blog
Be productive while you wait. – "The moment you have to wait for anything, whip that book out and start reading. Usually you’ll manage quite a few pages while waiting. Use these pockets of time in your day, and you’ll be amazed at how much time you actually have. It’s been said that you can get a whole university education just reading one hour a day for five years. You just have to reclaim those lost minutes." – via Joyful Days
Put first things first by time boxing your tasks. – "Working on your most important projects first thing in the morning is a classic tip to guarantee that you do meaningful work in your day. Create a time box to work on your dreams every day, before the world out there has a chance to disrupt your plans. Time boxing is simply fixing a time period to work on a task or group of tasks. Instead of working on a task until it’s done, you commit to work on it for a specific amount of time." via – Litemind
Use the right tools. – "It’s easy to be a better housekeeper when you have the right tools. If your current tools make you work harder or make the task take a long time, consider investing in supplies that will make your life easier. There are many housekeeping tools available such as multipurpose spray cleaners, lightweight vacuums and steam cleaners, and disinfecting wipes that can be used for more than one task and save you time and money." – via Homemaker Barbi
Add value to everything and everyone around you. – If you aren’t adding value, you are wasting everyone’s time, including your own. "The biggest waste of time and oxygen that you can be is not being a valuable person. Not valuable to yourself, to your family, to society, and to the planet." – via Alex Shalman
Spend minutes now to save hours later. – "You have to spend a little time now to save a lot of time later. It’s the notion of giving some to get some. This ties into the idea of working smarter not harder. You can save countless hours over the long-term by spending just a few productive minutes now." – via Marc and Angel Hack Life
I LOVE THIS BLOG!!! http://www.marcandangel.com/
North Carolina
I am aware that there is a MASSIVE difference between SETTING the alarm and ACTUALLY getting up. I tend to set my alarms 40 minutes before my actual wake-up time. This probably ticks off my neighbors, who hear me hit snooze several times before eventually rolling out of bed.
My alarm clock isn’t even close to my bed. I have to walk a good 8-10 foot round trip to even turn it off…. For the nine minute snooze. This just puts a nail in the coffin to the ‘you are a lazy slug’ argument. I will not contest.
I also must mention that my alarm is 10 minutes fast. This (in theory) is supposed to ‘throw me off’ somehow. All it does is give me that much more of a cushion. Every time I look at the clock, I subtract 10 minutes. This is stupid.
Mark, on the other hand, sets the alarm for the time he needs to get up. He might get CRAAAZY and give himself a ten minute cushion for ONE snooze. But this morning when that alarm went off at 4:30. BOOM! That boy was up.
I told him that I needed to take a shower this morning after him, and that he needed to wake me up. It took him three ‘human snoozes’ before I finally moved. "Five more minutes," I kept mumbling. Chipper little Mark would just chuckle and head to the kitchen to finish his cereal. So0o0o annoying at 4:30 am.
I did get up at 5:15. (We were to leave at 5:30) I was pretty impressed with myself when we were in the car only ten minutes late! Go00o0o me!
I haven’t always been one to be ‘prompt.’ I’m pretty sure my mom tells me dinner is an hour earlier than it really is, just so that Mark and I show up close to the time the dinner starts.
Mark’s mom is s0o0o prompt that she showed up to her new second job last Saturday A WEEK EARLY. You read that right. She was so worried about making a good impression on her first day that she showed up 7 days early just to scope the scene. Okay, I’m sure she made an error.
But this is a mistake I would have NEVER MADE. I may have shown up a week LATE, but NEVER a week early! NoSirE….
Well, Mark is now in North Carolina and I am going to sit here until Sunday trying to figure out what the heck "NoSirE" means anyways….
Kayla's Track Meet
Kayla got second in the race! It was great to see her and to be there to support her! Love you, baby sister! I just prefer pictures of your face.
More Crankiness
Ur a real pain in my ass every April first.... I love u though....
Nice! Even Mark believed it was me! The best reaction of the whole day came from one of my BESTEST friends who had no idea what was going on… Jenny…. Her text went like this…
Today’s april fools soooo I’m gonna go out on a limb and guess that you’re pregnant?
BAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHA* I had to explain the situation, but Jen hadn’t even known about the facebook thing… she was just playing her odds…. And to think, I started out with a blog post explaining how ‘civil’ I was going to be this year.
But IT IS ON, KAYLA DANEILLE!
IT
IS
O.N.
KHARMA
The last couple April Fools’ Days haven’t been too original, but always effective… Remember yesterday when I said Kayla and I were always in the same spot when we hid from three year old Nathan when we played Hide and Seek? Nathan never caught on… Same scenario for when you announce a pregnancy EVERY April first…. I mean it is ludicrous!
Yesterday around 10:00 I got back from a break at work to find a text message from my sister. I checked it as I was logging back in to my computer. All it was, was that goofy sideways smiley face. My response? "What did you do, A-hole?!?!?"
I started to get nervous as I entered my pin number to access my emails. Sure enough- one from my mother in law… very upset. She didn’t know that she had to have a facebook account in order to get updates on her daughter in laws fertility. She wanted to know if she was going to be a Grandma and wanted an explanation for why someone with facebook had emailed her about the event.
I had no idea what she was talking about and even played it off that it wasn’t me she was talking about. (Because surely she was talking about Sarah or Amber)… But if she WAS talking about me, she needed to karate kick the ‘emailer’ in the tooth next time she saw them. My eggs are all mine, sister… and not sperminated.
Sure enough it was Mark’s Aunt (with facebook) who inquired to Tammy about my knocked-up-ed-ness. She had seen the following status on the website:
Tiffany Alexander Baker: I know I know... It's april fools day... but I can't wait until this stupid holiday is over to tell everyone that I AM GOING TO BE A MOM soon! Yep, me and mark and preggers!! NOT A JOKE GUYS... I WISH! HAHA! SERIOUSLY THOUGH! WISH US LUCK!!!
To which I FREAKED OUT and called my sister. Who was in HYSTERICS from laughter. She had hacked into my account and caused quite a stir. Some comments on my account were:
Jeremy Kunz Congrats you two, I can't wait 9 months until that little
bugger pops outs.... 29 minutes ago · See Wall-to-Wall
Muthu Shanmugam Advance Congratulation Tiffany and your dear hubby, Very
happy news. 56 minutes ago
Tiffany Alexander Baker I know I know... It's april fools day... but I
can't wait until this stupid holiday is over to tell everyone that I AM
GOING TO BE A MOM soon! Yep, me and mark and preggers!! NOT A JOKE
GUYS... I WISH! HAHA! SERIOUSLY THOUGH! WISH US LUCK!!! 10:05am ·
Comment · LikeUnlike · Show Feedback (17)Hide Feedback (17) You like
this.
Kayla Alexander at 10:10am April 1I just can't believe this! I did NOT
believe me when you called me last night but WOW!! CONGRATS I'm kinda
scared for the baby becuz you are mark are CRAZY! lol But I am sure you
guys will be great parents I LOVE YOU SISTER!! :)
Mandi Roman at 10:10am April 1
ahh!!! Congrats u guys and good luck!! :)
Mary Goda-Graves at 10:11am April 1 Congrats : )
Mz. Aryka 'sofly' Owens at 10:12am April 1
Congrats!! Good Luck!! Im sure you will be wonderful parents!!=)
Heather Stembridge at 10:13am April 1cONGRATS!!! :)
Nikki Wynne at 10:16am April 1
wasn't last april fool's joke that you were pregnant? :)
congratulations mama!!!
Becky Mai at 10:19am April 1
yay!!!!! so cool! :)
Darren Bohrer at 10:30am April 1
I don't believe you...Christie Rider at 10:31am April 1
I'll congratulate you tomorrow if you're still sticking with the story
after April 1st... ;)
Robbin Secrest Reid at 10:31am April 1
i don't either....
Kayla Alexander at 10:33am April 1
isnt it funny how last year you said ON APRIL FOOLS DAY that you were
pregnant and now here it is...april fools day and You find out Yep, you
actually are pregnant! Guess Karma is a ***** if you know what I mean!
hahaha sister!But on a serious note, I am excited about being an aunt :)
LOVE YOU LOTSO!
Magda Bednarowicz at 10:35am April 1
AAAAA! That's amazing Tiffany! Congratulations! You can believe me or
not but like one week ago I was maybe reading your status or watching
some pics and I was REALLY wandering if you're planning to have a baby
soon!
I am so so soooo happy! You've made my day! :D
Hugs for the..three of you!xxx
Annette Alexander at 10:39am April 1
Really??? WHOOO HOOO!!!! Congrats Sweetie!! You will be the best mom!!
I'm gonna be a great aunt again!!! :))))
Magda Bednarowicz at 10:43am April 1
And one more thing: it's "our" first Erasmus baby haha! :D
Hamish Campbell at 10:46am April 1
Congrats!!
Amber Boyce Bush at 10:49am April 1
Congrats!!
Tina Ograjenšek at 10:51am April 1
I will wish u luck tomorrow....:):) even I am happy already today anout
that kind of news from u Tifff!!!! Xoxo
Ashley 'Toney' Miley at 11:15am April 1 via Facebook Mobile
congrats!
Aaron Azar at 11:17am April 1
Congrats.
Autumn Hunt at 11:29am April 1
Congratulations, Tiffany!! :)
Lauren Hale-Furrer at 11:39am April 1
Dude, you pulled this same crap last year on April Fools Day. And this time: NOT FOOLED. So there.
Chris Doti at 11:58am April 1
yea... i agree with some of the others... not gonna believe it quite yet :)
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Shower Head
The shower head is the size of 1.5 of your face. It is hanging over you instead of attached to the wall pointed AT you. The water falls all over you from above. Like a water fall... Wait.... actually just like a waterfall...
Okay....
I have wanted a rainfall showerhead every time we went to somewhere that MIGHT have them to purchase. They are about $50, so it was kind of a splurge... ((we are in a recession, you know))
The other day, Mark and I splurged and got the showerhead. *A*M*A*Z*I*N*G*
Long story shorter, these bad boys are highly recommended!
Life is just too short not to have a rainfall showerhead. :-)
Evan's Prank
A few summers ago, Evan and I were painting the back deck. Dad always had us kids do some crazy ridiculous chore before he had a party. Like remodel the bathroom, or repaint anything we owned that was wood. This was always HOURS before the party STARTED. HOURS.....
Anyways, I've never been accused of having a long attention span. I get really bored doing the same thing for, oh, more than ten minutes. ((Just ask Mom, Kayla, and Grandma about baking with me))
Evan and I were having a normal conversation (probably with the subject being llamas) when I stopped painting and turned to him.
"Evan, I have something to tell you."
"What's up?"
"Well, you are getting older, and I think that you should know."
"What are you talking about?"
"Well, you know how I took those pictures where you look so much like Mark? You two are just standing there in the kitchen and you could be twins! The similarities are uncanny!"
"Yeah, that is funny! I can't believe how much I look like your boyfriend!"
"*Sigh* That's what this conversation is about. Keep painting while I stop and talk to you." [I'm such a punk] "When I was ten years old, I had a baby. I was too young to take care of him, so Mom and Dad adopted him and raised him as their own. Evan, that baby is you. [and with a straight face] I'm. Your. Mom."
This is the point where Evan stopped painting. I didn't so much as start to grin. It was like I had been planning to tell him for all eight years of his life. He was speechless.
"Yeah, I know it's hard to believe, but it's true. Mark is your father. We didn't know how to tell you, so I waited until the perfect time--- I knew it would be right when you and I were picked to paint the fence while Kayla and Nathan planted a garden."
"But....But..... How......"
"I know, I know.....it's a lot of information to take in right now. Just keep painting while I explain further. I was just a baby. Can you imagine a TEN YEAR old raising a son? I wanted what was best for you and Mom and Dad....er....Grandma and Grandpa.... sat Mark and I down to let us know they were going to adopt you. It was such an emotional day. But I have been right here the whole time! It is amazing! I love you so much and am so proud of you, son! ...oh..... You missed a spot on the stairs.....[pointing]"
This went on for a little while. Evan thought for a while that I was his Momma. And I was Mark's baby momma. And he was Mark's Baby Momma's Baby. We still joke about it. It's all fun and games until Mom tells Evan to ask his mom to pay for textbooks, movies, or.....college.
SHE'S DEAD!
Nathan is DEFINITELY in my top three favorite siblings of all time! He was s0o0o0o freakin cute when he was little! ((Now I think I have to call him handsome....)) :-)
I must mention here that I was definitely the ugly one when it came to my siblings growing up. It's like my parents didn't really know what to do with me- didn't know how to ENFORCE that I brush my hair or didn't know how to suggest I choose glasses other than the windshield ones I got in second grade...or didn't know how to tell me I was going to look like a dude when I got my hair in a BOWL CUT that same year. (Imagine that stroke of luck....)
Anyways, all three of my siblings were BEAUTIFUL CHILDREN! And cute as can be in front of the camera. I was always all weird and lanky. And TOO COOL for the camera. This makes me look like a total asshole when we all gather around and watch family videos at Mom and Dads. Seriously it's like my family gets all pissed off at me all over again after watching the VCR tapes from 1992.
Now to Nathan's prank. Kayla and I used to looooove playing Hide and Seek with Nathan when he was about three. ((To make Kayla and I look a LITTLE better in this story, I have to mention that we were a mere 9 and 11 years old....)) This was not your normal game of hide and seek, though. It was what I like to so lovingly refer to now as Emotional Roller Coaster. or..... how to easily JACK UP your kid's first few years....... You will see.....
So, just like in normal hide and seek, Kayla would go hide. Nathan and I would seek. ((He was only three and he definitely needed aid))... Usually we hid in the same place. Kayla's closet. Nathan never caught on. Nathan would count to "Eleventeen" and then he was off. Searching for his sister.
It was oh so cute! He would look all around, all smiley and acting three years old. When he would peek around corners, he would get this excited look on his face like he was going to find her. Then he wouldn't. (That was the exciting part to me) After about two minutes of searching, when Nathan was starting to forget about playing hide and seek, I would start freaking out. This would scare Nathan.
I would start panicking and looking around for Kayla. Nathan would follow. Then I would turn to Nathan and say: "SHE'S DEAD! KAYLA IS DEAD!"
And (like any normal human being who was just told his sister died) Nathan would cry. Then Kayla would pop out of the closet and give Nathan a big hug and lots of kisses. He would get all happy through his crocodile tears.
Then it was my turn to hide. We usually played this game until we got caught. Nathan never caught on to our hiding spot and (lucky for us) Mom and Dad never caught on to our game. I'm pretty sure we would have gotten BEATEN if they would have found out....
Oh..... I hope they don't read this.......
You bit me!
My baby sister hasn't always been considered 'witty.' She used to come home from school and ask:
"Tiffany, what would you say if someone made fun of you for the way you tuck your sweatshirts into your green jeans?"
That was a hard one... but I tried my best... "Just make fun of their fivehead." I would simply reply.
"What the heck is a fivehead?"
"Have you ever seen anyone with a huge forehead?"
"I guess..."
"Well, that, my dear... is what us WITTY people refer to as a fivehead. You are allowed to use it tomorrow when you get made fun of for wearing that SAME outfit again."
Then I would walk away.
Now, don't go feeling all BAD for little Kayla yet... because I have a DOOZY of a story coming up..... OH YEAH.... Little Kayla the angel, huh?..... You be the judge.....
So Kayla and I were having a normal daily fight.... one most likely over clothes. And (playing my odds) ugly ones. Anyhoo, I'm probably screaming and trying to find a good piece of her hair to wrap my scrummy little bratty hands around so I could drag her to the ground when.....
KAYLA BIT H.E.R.S.E.L.F.
There have been FEW times in my life where I was stunned. I was stunned to realize that my mom used to make me repeat the phrase, "I think I can" until I pooped in the toilet. I was even more stunned (to the point of speechlessness) when I saw the PICTURE she took of my little four year old half naked body GRUNTING on the toilet. Classy.
Back to Kayla the biter.
Imagine that my baby sister and I were fighting in our bedroom while our (loving) parents were ignoring us in the living room. Kayla holds out her left arm mid fight (I was probably pulling the 'fivehead' card) when she pulls that arm right to her mouth and BITES. Hard.
I know she was biting hard because her veins were popping out of her neck. Her head was shaking. Her beady little eyes were focused on me. Like she had years of built up frustration and she was taking it out on me .... and her arm.....
"WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU DOING?" I screamed.
[Biting/shaking/Glaring]
I didn't know what to do. This type of situation didn't come in the 'witty kids' handbook.
Then Kayla stopped. I stared at her.
"YOU BIT ME!" She shrieked.
"AH! YOU BIT YOURSELF!" I was appalled. Whoa. In all my years of picking on my little sister, I had never encountered a counter-attack. It's like someone came to her in a dream and gave her a play by play on how to get me back the next time she stole my silk shirt.
"MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!" Kayla screamed and cried all the way to Mom and Dad.
Long story short. Guess who got in trouble? Me. Mom refused to compare my teeth to Kayla's nasty arm.
Now I'm not saying that I didn't deserve it. There were PLENTY of times Mom or Dad would give us some candy and tell us to go outside to play. Then I would tell Kayla she couldn't play with me until she finished all her candy. Right when she was done scarfing down her candy, I would pull mine (unopened) from behind my back and SAVOR THE FLAVOR right in front of her.
Then there were the clubs that Amber, Ashley, Kayla and I would start. Amber and I were the oldest. We would ALWAYS be either President or Vice President. Kayla and Ashley were always the other two STUPID roles.... Treasurer and Secretary. Seriously. Those roles are like participation awards in an art contest.
I'm not even mad to this day. I'm downright awe-struck. Whatever little monkey told Kayla how to out-play her sarcastic older sister that day deserves a medal. Well played, baby sis... Well played.....
HAPPY APRIL FOOLS DAY!
HAPPY APRIL FOOLS DAY!
This year, I am celebrating April Fools Day by letting everyone know that I am not pregnant. In fact, I am going to go one step further and booze tonight. I also am going to post it like it's hot today. Throughout the day, I am going to reminisce about the pranks I have played on my siblings... and them on me in some cases.....
But to reminisce on last year, I copy-pasted the posts......
Positive
I apologize to all of those people who were offended about my 'tangent' blog post. Yesterday, Rach and I went to the hospital after a home pregnancy test came back positive. I haven't gotten my period since I have been here, but thought it was related to stress and the change of atmosphere. Turns out it was for a different reason. Yep, you guessed it, I'm pregnant! Sometimes life throws unexpected curveballs at you, but I am very excited about this one! Cannot wait to see you all in a month!! AGGGHHH!!!!!.... Guess this means no more pivo for me.....
Negative
Okay, it was an April Fools Day joke... I held pretty strong all day... It was easier to keep the secret via email, but hard to keep it with my new friends here... I had some people telling me congrats and letting me know what a fun mom I was going to be... I felt terrible! haha* Anyways, to prove I wasn't preggo, I went to a party downstairs in the dorms last night and brought a beer.... I got some crazy looks until Darren came up to me and informed me it was not okay to booze while I was preggo. I said, "Great! Because I'm not!" The pic is of Darren and I! :)
Classic reactions include:
Jenny: "Hunnie...the only one you MAY trick is Steph. Not me though, my dear :) I'm not buying it for a second. MUAH!!"
Abby: "I CANT BELIEVE YOUR PREGNANT!!!!!!! how far along are you?? What are you going to do about the wedding, and your beautiful dress....Tell me girly, I need some details. What did your parents and marky say???I MISS YOU!!!!XOXOXO to you and the wee one from Terre Haute :)"
Emily: "Abby fell for your April Fools Day prank... Nice job..."
Chris: "you'll be 8 months preggy at your wedding! :) Hopefully you will make it through the rest of your semester without morning sickness and all that other stuff! Okay, I'm done for the day. If I look at your blog tomorrow and it says APRIL FOOLS just now you got a butt kicking coming! :) Love you! "
Bridget: "haha. good one. too funny. looks like there is no more pub visiting for you. "
Amanda: "Whatever dude...Im not stupid...its APRIL FOOLS!!! But if you are pregnant I STILL LOVE YOU AND CANT WAIT TO SEE YOU!!! (the only one that will fall for this is probably Steph....haha ) ;) MISSS YOU!!!"
Kate: "Sorry Tiff I didn't take you seriously for one second, at least say something believable like you have herpes or something hahahaha kiiiiiiiidding!! "
Kayla: "you don't have me fooled missy... I do belive you waited till april 1st to post this... ;) "
Mark: "No you aren't! Take that down! Do you know how much damage control I'm going to have to do because of this?!?! TAKE THAT DOWN! I'm serious! Pretty cool, Tiff! You are on the other side of the world! Laugh it up! TAKE THAT DOWN! I still love you though...."It's not down, but at least I admitted it's false... Sorry, Markie! :)
HAPPY APRIL FOOLS DAY! ENJOY!
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
MATURE
So at Bridget's Bachelorette Bash, we stayed at a hotel on Saturday night. As soon as Steph, Amanda, and I all got to the hotel, we layed on the beds upside down and faced each other. This is something I am very glad I captured on camera.... :-)
Enjoy....
Devotions....
( Psalms 3:3 *NKJV )
When your life becomes filled with anxiety and confusion, and you become concerned about the events in your life, turn to our Savior Jesus Christ! For He has said; "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this World you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the World." ( John 16:33 )
After all Jesus' never abandons us, or leaves us to struggle alone! For it is witten; Therefore we can always call on God in even the most troublesome times, for He is always with us!
( Hebrews 13:5 )
After all; The Lord will guide you always; He will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame.You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. ( Isaiah 58:11 )
Also remember that when confusion, worry and fear enter your life, it is not from God but from satan. For it is written that; God is not the author ofconfusion but of peace. ( 1 Corinthians 14:33 )
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. ( Philippians 4:6 )
Monday, March 30, 2009
You must read this blog!!!
It is amazing!!! It contains practical advice for productive living…. (As stated by the website itself)
Below is one of the posts I fell in love with: 34 Reminders to Help You FindYour Way
Enjoy……
We’ll kick-off this list of reminders with one of our favorite poems, "The Guy in the Glass" by Dale Wimbrow.
When you get what you want in your struggle for pelf,
And the world makes you King for a day,
Then go to the mirror and look at yourself,
And see what that guy has to say.
For it isn’t your Father, or Mother, or Wife,
Who judgment upon you must pass.
The feller whose verdict counts most in your life
Is the guy staring back from the glass.
He’s the feller to please, never mind all the rest,
For he’s with you clear up to the end,
And you’ve passed your most dangerous, difficult test
If the guy in the glass is your friend.
You may be like Jack Horner and "chisel" a plum,
And think you’re a wonderful guy,
But the man in the glass says you’re only a bum
If you can’t look him straight in the eye.
You can fool the whole world down the pathway of years,
And get pats on the back as you pass,
But your final reward will be heartaches and tears
If you’ve cheated the guy in the glass.
Everyone and everything seems normal from a distance.
When you die you can’t take anything or anyone with you. This includes your family, friends, money and belongings. Memories are all that remain. Make them count.
If you are breathing now, congratulations! You still have a chance to fulfill your bucket list. Don’t hesitate.
Don’t make public generalizations about sex, race or age. Doing so will almost certainly bite you in the ass.
When something is troubling your worried mind, ask yourself this question: "Will this issue really make a difference in my life one year from now?" If the answer is no, move on.
The key to saving and maintaining a relationship starts with two simple words: "I’m sorry."
Never underestimate the joy of life’s simple pleasures… like the pull-through parking spot.
Live in a few different cities, states, or even countries before your time is up. The life experiences gained in each location will open your eyes again and again for the first time.
Beginnings and endings… Both are powerful. Both are memorable. Both are necessary.
Don’t be afraid to start. Don’t be afraid to bring something to an end.
Alcohol fogs your judgment… Sometimes for the best, and sometimes for the worst. Use accordingly.
Why wait to look back on it and laugh? You may as well laugh about it now.
You will appear far smarter in the eyes of others if you simply pay attention to the details they care about, rather than attempting to impress them with your wits. For example, if your boss always has Johnny Cash playing in the background when you walk past his office, mention it to him. Ask him what his favorite album is. Share your favorite song, etc.
Lessons cannot be taught, they can only be learned.
Compliments go a long way. When given the chance, always make people feel good about themselves.
True wisdom is achieved through life experience. No book or classroom can teach this.
Don’t give other people advice in the gym unless they ask for it.
Don’t argue or flirt with someone via email or text messaging. Most people are not poets. The message will get lost in translation, and may end up in the wrong hands altogether.
Appearance isn’t everything, but it’s something. Purposely neglecting your appearance for the sake of it is just as foolish as judging a book by its cover.
A little preparation will always save you a lot of grief.
The better mood your boss is in at work, the better mood you’re in at work. Help him or her help you.
You cannot do everything, but you can do something. Make it count.
A small gift from the heart is always better than a large gift from a shopping list.
Dreams will remain dreams forever if you don’t take action.
As long as you are alive, there is always more to learn.
Enjoy yourself. The situation is always lighter than you think.
What you learn in school does matter. While you may not use the specifics of every classroom lesson, every lesson does expand the core thought process of your mind. Over time you will develop problem solving skills that are universally applicable. No single classroom lesson can teach this, and no single classroom lesson is more important.
Own up to your mistakes the instant you realize you’ve made them. People will respect your honesty, and your conscience will thank you.
Concentrate on the things that you can change, forget about the rest.
Maintain your body, but never be ashamed of it. It’s the greatest tool you’ll ever own.
Don’t let mistakes from the past corrupt your future ambitions.
In life and in love, you get what you put in.
Don’t spend your whole life waiting for the ‘right time’.
In many cases you will learn more from failure than you will from success.
Become a critical thinker and always be skeptical of those who dish-out advice. As such, weigh each of these tips against your own experience and judgment.
I LOVE THIS BLOG!!! http://www.marcandangel.com/
VIP Treatment
The March family night was in Indy at the Pacers Game. We all met for dinner at Scottys Brewhouse before the game. Dad wore a schnazzy sport coat and SUNGLASSES into the restaurant. There were a couple other groups waiting and I'm pretty sure we got confused for someone else. This is why: We got seated in the VIP section.... In the back. With several waiters/waitresses... and a board room table... and office chairs... and a huge plasma TV..... oh... and complimentary appeztizers from the owner of the restaurant.
Apparently they thought we were the Manning, party of nine... :-)
Anyways, Dad went to the bathroom at one point and Jeremy had the idea to raise Dad's chair while he was gone. We all acted like we didn't notice. But that just didn't last long. It was too funny.
Of course, Dad sat at the head of the table, just like Donald Trump. He 'fired' us all several times throughout the evening.... :-)