And the clean up begins...

This morning I woke up, turned to Sammy, and said 'We did it, baby girl!'

We survived the whole night alone (I hate being home alone overnight) and without power or heat.

Sandy hit us and beat us up...

Trees are down.
Power lines are down.
Phone poles are snapped.
Roofs have been blown off.
Cell service is extremely spotty.
In NYC, the whole front of two separate buildings blew off.
Seaside Heights has washed away -- that's a bonus though.

The power company said it could be 7-10 days until things are restored. But the mess that Sandy left behind will take weeks - maybe even months - to clean up.

Prayers for all involved <3

Currently...

Currently, I'm...

Reading: I would say blogs but lately I haven't even had much of a chance to read those! About the only thing I've been reading lately are papers at work, as sad as that sounds. I should go pick up a good book... Recommendations?

Watching: Giuliana & Bill: Baby Dreams. I'm sure by now you know I love those two. One thing you may not know though is that I've always dreamed of being a gestational carrier. How amazing would it be to give a family the gift of life -- a gift they could not achieve on their own. When I saw this on the TV guide last night (which first aired this Spring but I always missed it), I knew I had to record it to watch. So here I am, watching it now!

Thinking about: A few things are currently jumbled in this head of mine right now. First is Beau and how I'm kind of ticked at how late he'll be getting out of work. That's the life of an EMT though... I would know! There were many nights he'd be waiting for me and I would be getting out 3 hours late. Second is that I should really be cleaning the house right now. At least vacuuming since Sammy pulled a bunch of stuffing out of her one toy. Third is that I really need to pee but am too lazy to walk upstairs right now  plus I don't want to disturb the sleeping puppy at my feet so I'll hold it. TMI?

Loving: YOU! And my birthday present from my sister and brother-in-law... A Clemson collar/scarf for the Samster!

Looking forward to: Our next Virginia trip. Hopefully I'll be able to go in November for a few days before the place gets winterized for the season. I'm also looking forward to decorating for Christmas.

Wondering: Why there are so many cars driving past my house at 9:40 on a Tuesday night. Shouldn't these people be home in bed?

Cooking/baking: Nothing at the moment but on Friday (aka: my first day off in 9 days) I'll be making pumpkin spice cookies!

Disliking: The thought of getting out from under the blanket to go upstairs and use the bathroom. And the amount of spiders I've been seeing thanks to the cold weather. Gross.

Making me happy: Pictures like these...

You better believe I'll be getting an underwater camera and doing this next summer!

(post idea borrowed from Katie who borrowed from Tammy who borrowed from Dani)

(phew, that's a lot of borrowing!)

And for the continuation of Friendship Week, today's prompt is celebrities you'd be BFFs with. I'm thinking...

We'd go together like PB and chocolate... Like a Reese's!
And the lame joke award goes to me.

Obviously! After all, she's amazeballs.

I can understand a heart like hers.

I think that's a pretty good group of best friends. Don't you think?

Bonus: If a guy does me wrong, Miranda can help me - er, you know - then Giuliana can report about it on E! News and speak of my innocence, and you bet they'd make a movie and the gorgeous Reese can play me! Double duty friends right there!

They say meeting people online is dangerous...

 

I love today's topic... favorite blog friends! Now, as much as I'd like to add all of you on here, it would take waaaay too long and I'm sure I'd accidentally forget half of you (since it's 11:40pm on Monday right now). So I'm going to leave you with the three I text the most with.

 

Twin. Lover. BFF. There are a million words to describe us. I can't wait to meet this pretty lady in real life! Just wait, world... all hell is going to break loose!

 

This girl is amazing. I mean, she ran a 5k with color being thrown on her and still looked gorgeous. Um, secret please??

 

Another I can't wait to meet -- and the kicker is she only lives 1.5 hours from me! I am so excited that she is on the road to recovery with her back and will soon be able to do back flips with me. Ok, who am I kidding. I can't do a back flip. You get the idea though :-)

 

 

 

Yes, I have friends in real life. No, they aren't all canines...

I realize this is my second post of the day but I just saw this and I can't help but participate!

Today is about my favorite friends in real life -- besides from my family and Beau, which is a given...

This girl has gotten me through soooo much in the few short years I've known her. Her strength is amazing and we've gone through so much together (even if it didn't happen at the same time). Bonus, she likes my cooking :-)

 

These two girls are my sidekicks and we've had so many crazy times together. And I mean cra-aaaaaaa-zy!

 

A pretty girl and beautiful soul. Out of them all, I've known Becky the longest and although we don't get to see each other often, it's like no time has passed when we meet.

I can't forget my favorite guy friend! This kid is amazing... smart, funny, and super handy.

Love you all!!!

 

 

Hey, that's Pin-tastic!

I was going to make something for this week but then life got in the way and something else amazing happened (which you'll read about below)...

Once upon a time I saw this pin.

But then forgot about it. Mainly because I smelled bull.

Luckily, my awesome cousin remembered about it while our bonfire wasn't starting.

Well holy crap! Who knew it would actually work?!

I now know to never keep them by the stove though... it'd be pretty embarrassing to tell someone that Doritos caused your house to burn down!

Sunday confessions...

I confess that I'm a terrible daughter and didn't have a chance to write a post yesterday about the #1 man in my life on his special day. So here it is, a day late... HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DADDY!! You set the bar extremely high for Beau!

 

I confess that I was extremely proud of the dinner I made last night. Who cares if the chicken was pre-marinated, the veggies were steam in bag, and the mashed potatoes came out of a pouch? Alright, alright -- not a trophy wife moment but after an 8 hour work day, that's all the energy I had in me.

 

I confess that when I got out of work and saw the score of the game, I squealed, rolled my windows down, and BLASTED Tiger Rag all the way home. C-L-E-M-S-O-N I'm a Tiger til the end!

 

 

I confess that I am the worst when it comes to putting gas in my car. As in, my low fuel light comes on at least twice a month. Whoops.

 

I confess that I wore my pajama pants to work yesterday. Let me explain before you judge though... I was wearing black yoga pants - which I'm allowed to wear to work - and since I was called in early, I just got up, brushed my hair and teeth, put my shirt on, and went.

 

 

 



It's ok...

It's ok... that I haven't blogged much the past week. Heck, I haven't even opened my laptop in a week! It's been a nice break though.

It's ok... that I haven't done a birthday recap. Please see above.

It's ok... that I only got 5 hours of sleep last night. That's what coffee is for, isn't it?

It's ok... that I've eaten waaaaay too much cake the past 2 days. Good thing it's cold out... hello over sized shirts!

It's ok... that the guy at Target didn't take off for my reusable bag. Alright, that wasn't ok but I'm over it.

It's ok... that I haven't put many fall decorations out yet I'm day-dreaming of decorating for Christmas. I'm not one to rush the seasons but this year I'm ready for Christmas music, smells, and lights.

It's ok... that I forgot to take the garbage out this morning. It happens.

 

And out popped the baby...

October 16th many, many years ago...

Lies. Lies. And more lies!

I love my Daddy to death but the newspaper lied about what happened that day.

My mom said she was having the baby but he refused to hear it. So as he was driving up the mountain, out popped Baby Sarah and then he pulled over.

Poor Daddy... he turned grey quick after that day. I don't blame him -- I would too if someone gave birth in my brand new vehicle!

And if you're wondering, the smell doesn't come out.

Anyway. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!

Love never fails...

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. -- 1 Corinthians 13:4-8

Happy anniversary to the two people who taught me what true love really is... My Mommy and Daddy <3

The truth about bad habits...

When I saw this, I knew I had to share these little facts with y'all.

The truth about bad habits via New York Live yesterday...

 

Never in a million years would I use ANYONE'S toothbrush!

Gross!!!

 

 

Their reasoning? Germs and bed bugs from hotels, airports, etc.

Growing up I was guilty of this.

Now that my closet is attached to the bathroom, I unpack on the floor there.

 

 

They say it interrupts your sleep.

Once again, this happened as a teenager.

Once we moved in together I created a rule though -- No TV in the bedroom!

 

 

Guilty. Guilty. GUILTY!

I realize that they'll last longer if I don't dry them.

Maybe one day when I have a nice laundry room...

Which are YOU guilty of doing?

One of the strongest ladies I know...

Last year, I had a guest who isn't a blogger but was kind enough to write a post for me in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month to feature on here. Since I didn't have many followers then, I wanted to post it again this year. Here is her story...

My Pink Ribbon Journey

On September 28, 2009 I stepped foot in Africa. For an animal lover like me this was a journey of a lifetime. For three weeks I was to volunteer with lion cubs and elephants on a game reserve in Zimbabwe. On the weekends we would go to the local orphanage and play with the children most of which suffered from aids or had lost their parents to the disease. This work was more rewarding than anything I had ever done in my life so far. Then it was on to Cape Town, South Africa for another three weeks of volunteer work in a no kill shelter with cats and dogs. Many of them had been severely abused and/or neglected. During this trip I was the happiest I had ever been. Africa had captured my heart yet her wildlife and children had captured my soul.

 

Exactly one year to that date, September 28, 2010 I lay on a surgeon’s table waiting to have a mass in my right breast biopsied. Tears came to my eyes as I thought these could be the last moments of life as I know it. How could I have been so happy one year ago today and now I am lying on this table with possible breast cancer? While the doctor was performing the biopsy I closed my eyes so I could get lost in those beautiful memories from the year before. I thought of the lion cubs we walked every day in the bush and how the giraffes would run by in the distance.  I remembered how the puppies would attack us with wet kisses at the shelter in the morning. I longed to be there again, to be anywhere but here.  No matter how I tried I could not escape the fear and panic I was feeling. If only I had gone to a doctor right away would I be here right now?

In July 2010 I had noticed a pulling feeling in my right breast but ignored it thinking it would go away on its own. It did not. I examined my breast while lying down and did not feel anything. One day I did a self exam while sitting up and there it was, a large lump. My heart sank; it was at that moment I knew this could be serious. I went in for a mammogram and could tell by the look on my nurse’s face that this was not going to be good news. They called it a suspicious mass and told me I needed a biopsy. 

 

On September 30 my doctor phoned with the results of my biopsy and I heard the words no woman ever expects to hear. “You have breast cancer”. Every emotion you can think of comes flooding in. Am I going to die? I’m not ready! Will I lose my hair? What about my career? The next day was Oct 1, ironically the beginning of breast cancer awareness month. Everywhere I went I was reminded that I had breast cancer! I can remember seeing commercials with women who were surviving this illness and were thriving. I made a conscious decision that I wanted to be like them, a survivor not a victim.

 

I began weeks of testing, scans, and doctor visits to plan my treatment options. Due to the size of the tumor my surgeon suggested a mastectomy. I was only 41 years old and this option did not sit right with me. We decided to go through chemotherapy first to try and shrink the tumor so I could have a lumpectomy and save my breast. I also began a clinical trial where I was given even more medication to try and shrink the tumor. After six months of chemotherapy we were successful. The tumor had shrunk in half! I was given some time to recover from the effects of the chemo before undergoing surgery. A few weeks later I had a lumpectomy and everything went well. So I thought. A week later my surgeon called and said that they needed to go back in and remove some more tissue to get clearer margins.  Now, after the second lumpectomy my margins are clean and the tumor is gone!

 

Recently I began a six week course of radiation to decrease my chances of recurrence.

As my one year anniversary approaches I am reflecting on all that I have experienced this year and how far I have come. The most prominent feeling I have is gratitude. The support and love I’ve received from family, friends and strangers was and continues to be overwhelming!

 

Cancer forced me to look at and reevaluate every aspect of my life.  It brought me back to basics. What I’ve learned is that I am not guaranteed to be alive tomorrow and so I must life my life to the fullest. For me, that meant pursuing my true passion in life, animals and animal welfare. I took an animal cruelty investigator class to help me be a better advocate for the animals. I began doing public outreach at circuses informing people of the cruelty that animals suffer as well as doing undercover investigative work exposing that suffering. I’ve felt more fulfilled and satisfied this year than ever before and I owe it all to cancer.

When times got tough I would turn to my memories of Africa and the animals to help get me through. This time next year I hope to return to Africa and the animals I love to celebrate life, to celebrate being a survivor.

My journey through the pink ribbon of breast cancer has been challenging at times but I would not change one moment of it. It has made me who I am today…a stronger, better and more beautiful me!

-Cheryl

Friday Favorites... On Friday.

So this morning I thought about doing a Friday Favorites post (since the gorge Lindsey brought it back) but then I thought 'Oh wait, it's only Thursday. Why is Beau still home? Hold up, is it only Wednesday??'

 

Needless to say, I'm a little off today. Apparently Beau is too though since he just came back inside 3 times before leaving for work -- one time because he had his sneakers on instead of his work boots.

 

Jewelry:

 

E-Cards:

 

 

Dream home

must-haves: