Nice Weekend

Our weekend started out great! Friday night Steve and Veronika came over and I got her dressed in her Swan Lake Barbie costume. We went to Boo At The Zoo which is basically a Trick or Treating Path at the Zoo. They have some rides set up and you can take a train ride. They had a costume contest and this one little girl was a jellyfish. It was absolutely the most adorable costume I have ever seen. She had on a pink sweatsuit and was carrying an umbrella covered in pink fabric with pink streamers hanging down. After we left there we went to McDonald's for dinner and Veronika got to play while Steve and I watched the FINAL game of the World Series. Saturday morning Steve and Veronika came over and we headed to the school for the Fall Festival. We only stayed an hour, but I thought I needed to make a small appearance, after that I headed off to my lingerie shower and Steve and Veronika went Garage Saleing (spelling) and then crashed at Mom and Dad's for the afternoon.
That afternoon we went shopping because I was in DIER need of new clothes. Well, I had a breakdown after going to Lane Bryant, Kohl's, Old Navy, Wal-Mart, and Target and only had a couple of shirts. On the way home we stopped at Cato's and I stocked up. I was SO happy and I think Steve was a little scared that I could change my mood that quickly.
Steve and Veronika came in to use the bathroom before heading home and Veronika threw-up all the way down the hallway. So, I took care of Veronika and Steve cleaned up the mess. Well, that made Steve throw-up. They both ended up staying on my couch Saturday night so I could take care of Veronika and Steve could rest between vomiting bouts. Sunday morning we were contemplating church and Veronika started again. Steve felt better by Sunday afternoon so we were able to get a start on painting Veronika's room and started organizing the kitchen. With the time change it felt like the longest day ever! By the time they left Sunday night Veronika had been asleep since 5 and Steve said she slept all through the night.
So, it was a long and fun/interesting weekend. I am looking forward to a break next weekend!

No Pictures Yet

Ok, so, obviously I have no new pictures uploaded which is very frustrating because I really think the pictures add alot to the blog. However, you can find recent pictures of my family on Amber's, Paula's, Amanda's, and my mom's blog! So, last weekend we went to the fair Friday night and had a great time. We ran into Amanda and some of her friends from church and hung around with them for a little. Veronika rode her first RollerCoaster and we went to the petting zoo. I took her in a fun house which was good until the last. For some reason she DID NOT want to go down the slide which was the only exit. We had a line of people behind us, so I had to force her down it...it reminded me of that scene from "The Christmas Story" where they force the kid down the slide.
Saturday morning Steve and I traveled to Fayetteville to watch the Razorbacks. It was actually quite enjoyable. During the boring parts I entertained myself by watching the Lesbians in front of us. They were dressed the same head to toe and were very affectionate. I was really quite mesmerized by their openess.
I am enjoying my new camera, but I haven't had time to bring it up to school to blog pictures. I have been leaving everyday at 3:15pm to go do wedding stuff and it appears that it will stay that way! ONLY 3 WEEKS FROM TODAY!!!

Busy Week

Well, it has been a busy and VERY fun week! Saturday Amber, Amanda, Paula, and Aunt Kay hosted a luau shower for us in Mom and Dad's Pole Barn. We got SO many wonderful gifts and we had a blast. Monday was the church shower and I was overwhelmed by how nice people are. I was really worried no one would show up, especially since it was a rainy night, but we had a very nice turnout. Tuesday we did a little bit of wedding shopping. Wednesday was the normal church stuff. Then Thursday, Amanda and Paula hosted a Pampered Chef shower for us at Amanda's house. We got everything that we registered for from there, I think. I can't wait for it all to come in.
Today we had our 1st grade field trip to the Pumpkin Patch and now I am EXHAUSTED! I had 12 parents there with me, but I almost think that made it harder because everyone was splitting up. I am going home to take a nap. Tonight Steve, Veronika, and I are going to the State Fair. I haven't been in a couple of years and I have never been with a child Veronika's age, so I am very excited. Mom and Dad got us a new camera for a wedding present, so I will have some pictures to upload on Monday. Have a wonderful weekend! We are leaving bright and early tomorrow morning to go to Fayetteville for the Razorback game!

Long Time No See...

Taking A Tripp
Ok, It has been two weeks since my last blog. I really don't know what has been going on. School has been busy. I had parent teacher conferences which I dread because I have to be at school until 8pm, but I got the next day off so that made it OK. That day Mom, Amanda, and I went to Bridal shop to do Amanda's and my dress fittings and some Tux business. Then, we went to eat lunch and went and bought Tucker and Garrett(Steve's youngest nephew) their wedding tuxes. Saturday Paula called and told us about a garage sale with alot of 4T's so we ran over there and to a few more yard sales and then went back to my house to watch the Razorback game and work on wedding stuff. Saturday night we went out in search of a special deal at Target. If you bought "The Little Mermaid" DVD and Barbie set, you got a free wedding gown. Well, every Target in central Arkansas was sold out so we ended up getting a DVD/CD combo and the Barbie dolls. It is amazing what you will do for your children. When we got home I wanted to watch it immediately to show Steve the nasty part, well, evidently they took it out so he thinks I am crazy, but I KNOW there was a nasty part. After that we went to El Porton and then went back to my house and watched a movie.
Sunday morning Steve came over early, (I am not sure what time) I didn't even hear him come in. Well, he fell asleep so at 11:15 he finally woke me up. Mom called so we went to their house for dinner. I had plans to clean house Sunday afternoon but suprise suprise, we sat down to watch a movie and I woke up at 6:30, so I was up late cleaning house.
Monday the kids were out of school so we had some meetings and then I cleaned house some more. My house FINALLY looks decent! It is so exciting!
Last night we picked up Veronika and then went to eat a McDonald's. She loves it and I do too (secretly)
Then, we went to pick out her paint colors for her bedroom. She wanted pink and green with yellow trim. We are going for a princess theme here, I just hope it looks OK. Anyway, that is about it. The wedding is planned. Just waiting for that week! Only 5 weeks and 2 days until I am Mrs. Steve Tripp!!

So, I made a post last week and once again my crappy computer at school failed me. Nothing much has happened. Wedding plans are going really well,our colors are chocolate brown, turquoise, dark pink and orange. I am carrying pink roses (or that is the plan anyway). Right now we are working on things that we are making, throwing stuff, programs, etc. It is really fun. We are trying to get the house together at the same time which combined with school makes for some stressful days, but Steve is always able to help me see things in a more rational manner. Steve has completely taken care of our honeymoon, so that is a nice relief for me. I feel like I have written this stuff before, but I can't remember if it was the blog that failed, SO, please forgive me if you have read all of this before.
In Veronika news, Monday at Pre-School a little boy took the car that she was playing in so...she bit him. She has never been a biter, and hopefully it was a one time incident, but she DID NOT want to tell her dad.
We are getting both dogs spayed and neutered today. Dakota is just getting neutered to prevent problems. Belle is getting spayed as a last ditch effort to calm her down. She will not stay in the fence unless she is chained up and she can't behave well with Veronika. So, hopefully this will work or we are going to have one VERY sad 4 year old on our hands.
School is going pretty well, I honestly don't see how I can do this for the rest of my life so we are praying that I will be able to stay home in a few years by the time we have a baby. There is just so much paper work and nonsense that we have to deal with that has ABSOLUTELY nothing to do with bettering our teaching or helping our children. Sorry to rant there, but Steve gets tired of hearing the brunt of my frustration!
All in all life is Grand! I have a fiance that I love and I step-daughter that I adore. On top of that I have a wonderful extended family that I love and appreciate! Until next time...

This was taken the same day that Amanda took our pictures. Veronika is pouting because she can't really decide if she wants her picture taken or not. Oh, the life changing decisions of a 4 year old. I just thought is was really cute. It actually kind of reminds me of Amanda and her pouty faces of childhood.
Nothing much new has happened here. We didn't have Veronika this weekend so we just worked around the house. Saturday we cleaned, Steve mowed, then we went to Brad and Paula's to watch the game. After that, we went wedding shopping which is ALWAYS fun! Only 8 1/2 weeks! That night we went to eat at Cozymel's (one of our favorites) and to see "Black Dahlia." It was a good movie, but very deep and gruesome. But, we both really enjoyed our time together.
Sunday after church mom made some DELICIOUS spaghetti so we all went over there. I really love this new tradition. Soon, we need to all start taking turns, but it is so fun for everyone to be together atleast that one day. After that, Veronika's mom called and asked if we could keep Veronika and her sister Kalyssa for the afternoon. So, we took the girls for ice cream and went to Garden Ridge for a little bit. Well, that is about it for us! I will update later!
Love you all!

I'm Back

This is Veronika trying on a flower girl dress. It is not the one that we ended up buying. I feel like I can finally breath again! I was out 1/2 a day today for meetings and the kids acted like fools this afternoon. Then, I will be out tomorrow and Friday for meetings so there is no telling what I will have waiting for me Monday Morning. I hate being away from my class.
Steve and I went to get our engagement pictures taken last night. It was alot of fun. We are using the same photographer that Amanda and Josh used. After that we went to get Veronika and since Steve and I were already dressed nice we decided to go to Olive Garden. Veronika was a little upset that the whole family wouldn't be there, but she loves to get all of our attention to.
The wedding is going really nicely. Really the only thing left to do is figure out the flower situation. If all goes well, Jeane, the women who did Amanda's flowers will do them. However, her dad just found out that he has a brain tumor, so we are not sure about the situation there.
I am SO excited, I just can't wait to be married to this man. Yes, we both have our faults (or atleast I pretend to so that others don't feel badly)but I am so happy with him! I just can't wait to be his wife!
Well, I think that is about it in my life! We did finish what will be our Master Bedroom, FINALLY, so the house should obtain some sort of organization in the next few weeks! I love you all!

Labor Day

Monday comes too quickly! I didn't think about wedding, school, house stuff, or ANYTHING ALL weekend! It was so nice to get away and relax. Steve and I went to Branson for the weekend. We had bought a package a couple of months back...on of those timeshare deals. It was VERY annoying, our 90 minute tour lasted 3 hours, but, we got a hotel, dinner, and tickets to a show so I guess it was semi worth it. We got there Saturday morning and went to Branson Landings which is a new, huge shopping center and is has a Bass Pro Shop. That night we went and saw Cirque. It was awesome, it was all amazing feats of strength, etc. We had our free dinner that night and we must have picked the worst one of all of our choices. We were really surprised that we didn't get sick. Sunday morning we did the stupid Timeshare tour, it was a huge waste of our time. That afternoon we went to Silver Dollar City and messed around until they closed and then went to eat at Landry's Seafood; it was absolutely DELICIOUS! Monday morning we scoped out a few places for our honeymoon then headed back to Silver Dollar City to finish up some shopping. Well, on our 2nd ride I got EXTREMELY nauseaous, so I felt sick for the next couple of hours. Then, we make a few more shopping stops in town, ate dinner and headed home. Veronika didn't get to go with us b/c it was her mom's weekend, but we found places that we want to get her Christmas presents, so it all worked out well! I love you all...

Trying to upload pics

Weekend Trip

Ok, so, once again I am frustrated because yesterday I had this wonderful blog all written out and then my computer disconnected. The guy came to fix it today so hopefully it won't happen again.
We had a WONDERFUL weekend! I survived the first week of school. Friday I went home right after school and slept until 6pm. Then, Steve and Veronika came over and Steve mowed while Veronika "over" watered my plants and I cleaned house. They went home about 9pm and I crashed as soon as they left. At 5am Saturday morning I met Steve and Veronika at his apartment and we took a trip to Lake Tenkiller in Oklahoma to visit Steve's family.
Veronika had a blast playing with Riley, her two year old cousin and two other girls from the Tripp's church. We went out on the boat and then came back and grilled hamburgers and had a picnic. That night we got home around 10:30 and I took some NyQuil for a cold and went straight to bed.
Sunday after church we went to the Ringling Brother's Circus and had a blast. It was Steve and Veronika's first circus and we all really enjoyed it. Veronika got to go down front before the show started and she met a clown. She is really scared of clowns but this girl was only about a foot taller than her so I guess she felt more comfortable with her. After the circus we went to eat Mexican food (yum!) and then went home and took a nap. Of course, Veronika slept through dinner so she was wound up when we wanted to nap so she watched Cinderella in her Cinderella dress while playing with her Cinderella Barbie doll and Cinderella penny bank that Aunt Amanda got her at Disney World. She is just A LITTLE into Princess stuff right now! Until next time...

So Happy Together

Well this could get a little lengthy. I survived the first week of school. I must say that it was completely different then my first week of school that happened in the middle of the year last year. I went home right after school and crashed until 6pm when Steve and Veronika came over. Then, when they left about 9:30pm I went straight to bed.
The next morning I met Steve at his apartment around 5am and we traveled to Lake Tenkiller in Oklahoma. Veronika had lots of fun playing with her cousin Riley and two little girls that go to church with Steve's parents. I slathered us all in sunblock and we didn't get burned except for Steve's shoulders. It was a really beautiful lake, you could jump in and see your feet from above the water. That evening we got into Little Rock about 10pm and I went home and went right to bed.
The next day after church we went to the Ringling Brother's Circus. This was Steve and Veronika's first circus and we had a blast. Veronika got to go down front before it started and meet a clown which really surprised us because she had just finished talking about how clowns scared her. But, this clown was probably only a foot taller than her so maybe that made her more comfortable.
So, now it is back to the grind stone. I need to get home so I better run! Love you all...

School Days

School Days
Well, I'm pooped. School started yesterday. I have a pretty good class...I think. They LOVE to talk so I am having to start out pretty strict on them. I already had to change a card (like getting your name on the board) and I hadn't even planned on starting that until next week. Yesterday my feet hurt so bad I thought I was going to cry but wonderful Steve came to the rescue and rubbed my feet for me. Poor thing, those things really are disgusting...I don't know how he did it. I really like being at East End. I like the teachers and principals and it is WONDERFUL being so close to home.
Veronika started Pre-School yesterday. She loves it. She had been helping me in my class last week and she walked around going, "I am such a busy teacher." (This is while she was gluing paper to all of my furniture) She already made a new friend and she enjoys learning. Of course, I am pretty sure that she is too smart for Pre-K, but what can I do...it is not my fault that she is a genius.
Nothing has changed too much with wedding stuff. We bought stuff for the centerpieces, but we have really been too busy to do much of anything else. We are very excited about it though.
I will try not to wait so long to blog next time. I really love these things, they really help us stay in touch. Until next time...

Poop

Well, I am very frustrated. I wrote a great update that was very entertaining mind you and my computer screwed up, so maybe if you are lucky you will get an update tomorrow. Goodnight and love you all!

Taking A Tripp

Hey, isn't my title clever! Tripp is my future last name! Well, this is my first attempt at blogging so let's see how it goes. School is going good right now. I am trying to get my room ready. We've been working every night but I'm trying not to work too late, especially on the nights that Steve has Veronika. Steve is really scared that I am rubbing off on her; Sunday we were hanging out at my house and she had some Strawberry Shortcake Bubble Bath that she had gotten for her birthday. So, she was rolling around on the floor saying, "I need a bath, I am filthy." Then, we told her to pick up her toys and she said, "Well, I'm about to go crazy with all of this junk around me." (Talking about her toys of course) She is VERY entertaining. We took her to Sunday School and she has been singing all of the little songs. It is really amazing how quickly their little minds learn.