New Orleans

Bear with me, b/c this was back in March...
We went  to N.O. for Amanda's birthday (her nice husband paid for everything including the hotel, wow). We went to the usual New Orleans places that ppl go (French Quarter/Bourbon Street/etc) to look around and shop, right? And later that night, we went dancing. I especially like dancing with Jason, of course. But he doesn't really like to go much anymore, b/c he was really wild in his college days, he used to go all the time. Eventually he was a DJ for a while at WR when it was still Cactus Canyon. So yeah, he doesn't care for reminders of his rebellious past. Well, anyway, in N.O, we found a place with a DJ that actually would teach the crowd the dance moves to certain songs! So it was perfect for me, seeing as how I can't just dance functionally on my own. Around 11pm, Amanda and Candace left early. Brandi and I stayed longer, since we weren't tired yet and were having a blast. So later on, these 2 guys started following us around. I had mace/pepperspray with me that Jason had bought for me, just a day before. Guess he already knew I'd need it. Ironically, it kept falling out of my pocket several times, while we were dancing, but I kept finding it again, no matter how far it was. So anyway, we lost track of time, AND that night/morning was when the time change got set back to one hour ahead. So we would have left at 5am, but it was 6am instead. The weirdos were still there, being stalk-ish. So we finally got smart and decided to go to the bathroom. We could tell they were going to keep following us around, especially after one of them was trying to offer us a ride...ick. So we stalled in the bathroom a while, trying to figure out how to ditch them. I thought at first, maybe we could just run outta there and walk back to the hotel really fast. The guys were near the bar, and the way out was in the opposite direction. As long as they didn't see us get out of the bathroom, maybe it was doable. It was safe enough to walk outside earlier, b/c there was such a huge crowd of people. But at this time of night/morning, we decided it was probably a bad idea. All the freaks were out then. So a taxi would be better. But I didn't have any cash, so I called Jason to see what we should do. He came up with the idea of asking a bartender to run a tab on my debit/credit card to get cash. But I was scared the guys would try to go with us. Just then, a girl came up to us, asking if we needed help with something. She seemed to know the place pretty well, so I told her our situation. She went and got a guy that worked there to walk us to a taxi! And Brandi happened to have enough cash for the cost. So we escaped the crazy guys! It was quite an adventure, and...I guess what I'm trying to say is...don't talk to strangers @ risky places...and make sure you lose them before you try to leave! Ok, survey time...
If you have not had a wedding, fill this out like it's in the future!
1. Who did you marry or want to marry? Jason Lee McDonald
2. Were you a bridezilla or think you would be? No. I was only a perfectionist, and that's REQUIRED. Can't be understood til it happens to you, I guess.
3. How many bridesmaids? I like an even number, but I had 5.
4. Who were they or will they be? Brandi, Butter, Tiffany, Tana, D.B.
5. If already married, would you choose any more? Yeah, I'd also have had at least Alicia, Amanda, Nelda, AshCain, maybe a couple more. I did plan on 2 of them, but that had fallen thru, due to difficulties, lol.
6. Who will be or was your maid of honor? Tana, but it was a close call between her and Brandi. I just saw Tana more often at the time, so that's how it was decided. The closeness to them was the same.
7. Best man? JJ, Jason's brother
8. Other groomsmen? Scott (Jason's friend from work), Andy (my bro), Jason's dad, and my uncle
9. Flower girl? Laynee (Jason's neice)
10. Ring bearer? Camdan (Jason's nephew)
11. Photographer? Nelda and Alicia! They did awesome!!!
12. Wedding planner? Nah, Mom was my helper. She was amazing. Bought everything, did my flowers, decorated....everything. Though I get a feeling Elle would have made an awesome helper too!!
13. Cake? Linda's Bake a Cake in Orange (gooood stuff) I had vanilla, bavarian creme, lemon, and strawberry! Some layers with fillings too.
14. Groom cake? Nah. Jason made him one with a lake and boat on it, but it literally fell through.
15.Topper? A Castle! What else?
16. Location of wedding? Calvary Baptist then Idylwild in Pinewood for the reception
17. House party? Who needs those, when you have servers that work at the reception site?
18. Match maker that made yall meet? Ashley Butter and Shelby (Permenter) Crouch!
19. Where do you live or want to live after wedding? We live in Bmt, we'll see bout later.
20. Honeymoon? Jacksonville, Daytona, and Key West!!!
21. Religion of wedding? Baptist wedding, Catholic reception, BAHAHA!
22. Food at reception? Dinner. Beef roast, potatoes, green beans, rolls, punch, tea, and cake (duh)
23. Dance at reception? HECK YES! Til 9pm, we danced! Fun times! Didn't leave for honeymoon til the next day anyway! May as well ENJOY what we were planning all year long!
24. Drinking at reception? No, except Mom and my uncle surprised Jason and me with champaigne in our glasses. It was planned to be punch. But it was cool.
25. Money dance? Yep, and we made quite a bit for the honeymoon!
26. Shoes? Llight up heels, haha
27. Dress? Long train, sparkly, sleeveless heart-shaped top, bow on the side
28. Maid dresses? I was NICE. I let them pick their own style out of quite a few types of 2 pieces.
29. Colors? turquoise (primary) and pink (secondary)
30. Wedding date? June 21, 2008 exactly a year after my beloved Germany mission trip, lol.
31. Engagement date? Happened May 14th of 2007.
32. Rehearsal dinner site? Mom's friend's sister's fancy gazebo in Vidor
33. Wedding songs? Before it started: Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring; Pirates of the Caribean; Bind us Together, Spring/Fall (whatever it was), Ice Castles, The Prayer
34. Bridesmaids entry song? Tara's Theme from Gone with the Wind
35. Bridal entry song? Trumpet Voluntary
36. Song for leaving the church? Just Like Heaven by The Cure
39. First dance @ reception song? You Had me from Hello by Kenny Chesney
40. Honeymoon songs? All Summer Long by Kid Rock, What You Got by Akon, Pocketful of Sunshine by Natasha Bedingfield, Leavin by Jesse McCartney, Viva la Vida by Coldplay, lots of Jimmy Buffett songs, Our Song by Taylor Swift, Realize, Four Minutes by Madonna and Timberlake, etc

Currently Freedom By Akon see related

Update on job situation

Just setting the record straight for those of you I told about PA. I applied for a teaching position there, and the principal at one of the schools interviewed me. She was one of my professors at Lamar. I sat in the front row every morning and also feel asleep every time we had class! So I'm not sure why she even wanted to hire me in the first place. It was pretty hilarious. She started me subbing at DQ Elem, and she basically told me she'd hire me as a permanent teacher by Feb 19th. Well, a couple of weeks later, she got demoted to asst. principal due to personal issues, and now there's a new principal in her spot. So I talked to her about the situation, asking if I was still getting hired, since the 19th was the next day. So she talked to the higher ups, and they told her it's too late in the year to hire anyone at this point. I'm happy to leave all that behind for now, seeing as how it was one of the worst classes I'd ever been in. I think I'd pull all my hair out, if I had to stay anyway, as would any other teacher, new or veteran. No wonder everyone avoided PA at the teacher career fairs, haha. Plus, the drive is way too far. Takes 45 min to get there in the morning traffic...30 min to get home from there without traffic. So, it's back to Bmt and Lumberton, where the kids are decent! Having said that, though, the new principal at DQ Elem told me she wants me to come back when they are able to start hiring again and that she's very serious. I don't know yet if I'm going to or not. Depends on how desperate I'll be by then, lol. I subbed @ PME Friday, which was cool, b/c I had my kids from when I student taught there. I can't believe how much they've grown since last year. My "boyfriend" (K) and I are still close, but we've decided to just be friends after all. It's just been so long, and he needs to play the field right now and explore his other options...after all, I got married too. Haha, j/k. It's not like that; it's just a joke I tell, b/c of the way he always acted, when I was there. Sweet kid. The asst princ there told me I did good and that he wonders why I'm not hired somewhere already. I wanted to scream, "Well put in a good word for me here, then!" But he says I should talk to the principal and make sure she knows I'm interested. So I guess I will. I do like it there alot.
Oh yeah, Jason and I have a new car. It's a '98 Mustang Cobra. The previous owner was obsessed, so he always kept it real clean and in perfect condition. It's beautiful...red with black leather inside. We got it for 8800 dollars. That's a pretty good deal. Jason has taught me how to take off in it (it's stick shift) and break so far. But I SHALL learn how to drive in it other than the LCM parking lot soon!

Currently Just Who I Am: Poets & Pirates By Kenny Chesney see related

Forgiving/Being forgiven/Forgetting/Moving on

Currently New Moon (The Twilight Saga, Book 2) By Stephenie Meyer see related

Random Facts 4 no reason

1. Jason just got us tickets to the Josh Turner concert on March 14, and the seats are very close to the front!  Somehow the tickets were only 20 dollars a piece!

2. I saw Bridal Wars Saturday night, and I liked it.  Was funny, sad, then really sweet in the end.

3. We are taking my brother to see Jeff Dunham in early March as his early bday present.

4. Jason and I just got a 92 inch tv screen, so he's hoping to have Superbowl and Daytona 500 parties.  Any of you guys into that junk?  lol

5. I recently rode in a Mustang Cobra with Alicia, and omg it scared me!  I had no idea how much power those things have!  You can go from zero to outrageous speed in one second!  I now understand Jason's obsession with racing.  Poor thing.  And I'll never let him...hahaha!

6. I have started cooking more often, seeing as how I used to never cook.  I've recently made chicken parmisan (sp?) and peppersteak...yummmmmmy!

7.  My kitten now lives at Mom's house, since she ALMOST pee'd on our new sectional couch, lol

8. I'm reading the Twilight series like everyone else, but you know, you can't knock a fad til you get your own opinion about it...I like this one!  And Harry Potter, I like that too.

9. I may be going to Germany again this summer in May/June.  Pray for me--safety and money to go.

10. I am obsessed with missions.

11. I currently lost 2 of my best friends in December.

12. Starting in November, I've been making new friends, which is awesome!  I hope to soon be closer friends with all of you.  You know who you are.

13. My favorite tv shows are Greys Anatomy, Private Practice, and House.  But all in all, I don't watch much tv.

15. Im a Christian, I love God, and everything I do is for Him.  All my decisions (even the hard ones) are based on what I believe is right, and that's because of Him.

16. I love Shelby mustangs, especially the ones with the 2 big stripes down the middle.

18. I have never been able to whistle before.  Still can't.

19. I bit my nails out of habit til I was 15.

20. We have a cute new shower curtain.  It has 2 layers: the bottom is dark brown, and the layer over it is sheer, light blue.

22. I have a sweet tooth after almost every meal.

Currently Twilight (The Twilight Saga, Book 1) By Stephenie Meyer see related

Replacing Flesh

Remember those elf hat shaped paper cups you got as a kid to put water in at field day or whatever kind of sporting events?  After a while, if you haven’t drunk all the water yet, it starts to leak through the cup.  What happens then?  You throw it away and get another one.  But the same thing’s going to happen eventually.  So if you had a real cup, made of plastic, glass, ceramic, or whatever you prefer to hold your water, how long will that last?  Until it evaporates, forever, right?  When we die, as believers, we get a new body.  A body that doesn’t have to take nexium, prilosec, lexipro, aderal, or whatever you might be on.  The older we get, the more stuff breaks, so to speak.  When it does heal, it never gets completely like it was before. 
1 Corinthians 15:50-58
“What I am saying, dear brothers and sisters, is that our physical bodies cannot inherit the Kingdom of God. These dying bodies cannot inherit what will last forever. But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed!  It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed.  For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies.  Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die,^[a] this Scripture will be fulfilled: “Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory?  O death, where is your sting?”  For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power.  But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.  So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.”
When you die, you leave time, which is linear.  You enter into eternity.  No aging, no breaking, no pain, no suffering.  In Heaven, anyway.  There eventually comes a point when death is merciful.  That point when your body can’t endure any more than it’s already been through.  If you don’t really know whether or not you are going to Heaven, you’ve got to repent.  God loves you, but He’s not playing around.  He sent Jesus to make Heaven possible for you; don’t spit on His grace offered to you.  Take everything negative that life has thrown at you, all the pain, sorrow, sadness, suffering.  Mutliply that by…a lot.  Still that can’t compare to the misery that is hell.  You don’t want to go there.  Repent, be converted, so your sins will be blotted out.  Give yourself completely to God’s work and will.  Why?  It’s the only thing that will last.  It’s the only thing that counts in and after life.  It is not in vain.