Coming Soon...

I'm really going to start blogging again! (I think!)

I figured there is so much going on at this point in my life I want to be able to document all the amazingness in some shape or form hence, the desire to really stay on top of blogging! 

I just updated the look so that was step 1...

Step 2... catching up! I've decided sometimes I'll write about the now and sometimes I'll reminisce and write stories that are my favorite from the past few years (since it's been that long since I've blogged!)

For instance... I could write a whole blog of stories just about raising this little guy!

This is mostly for my own keepsake so be warned, I'm a horrible speller and I don't care about grammar so read at your own risk!

Until tomorrow...

Luv Shannon

From Lemons to PUPPY!!!

I say “when life gives you lemons, exchange it for a lime to put in your Perrier, praise God for your tribulations, and get a puppy!” So that’s what I intend to do! I’m so excited! I get to go meet (slash) pick out my puppy this Saturday and I feel like a little kid that knows they’re going to Disneyland tomorrow and is too excited to sleep (you know what commercial I’m talking about)! I don’t think I’m gonna make it to the weekend! My mom randomly saw in the paper that there are black lab/GREAT DANE puppies in the area and one of them is mine! If anyone knows me they know I love LOVE big dogs, not the “what regular people consider big dogs” I’m talking giants! The bigger they are the better and I’ve especially always wanted a Great Dane since I saw an episode about them on I don’t know Animal Planet or something? I don’t even know but I fell in love with them when I saw how they sit on the couch… front feet on the floor back paws on the cushions LIKE A HUMAN!! 

I was all depressed yesterday because I called the lady who is selling them and left a message and she never called me back =( I got all mopey and thought that meant there were none left but I tried again later that night and someone answered! It was her son, who told me he had her phone for the day because she was going through a major surgery but he could give me her number and she could call me back later but it would be really late and he wasn’t sure how long I was going to be staying up for. I was like “ummm that’s ok, I can just call in the morning she does  not  need to worry about calling me today…. Buuuuut… are there any left?” Kid that answered the phone, “oh yeah there’s like 5 left!” me: jumping up in down wanting to scream “ok thanks! I’ll call her tomorrow!” I was so excited and I couldn’t tell anyone about it cuz Garrett told me whatever happens don’t tell him either way and surprise him when he comes to visit on Monday!!!! I can’t wait for him to see our little precious Bruno waiting for him at the door with a big bow on his neck!!! 

Also, I’ve been stalking pictures of Great Dane/ black lab mixes any chance I get and they are A-dorable! Seriously, every single stinkin one of them! I’m gonna die I’m gonna love him so much! 

I want mine to look just like this one when he grows up!!! Ahhhhhh sooooooo precious!!

Cooking Can Cause... Gas

First Weekend officially living on my own!!

I was finally done house sitting and came home Saturday morning after my radio show to make my first home cooked meal! I turned the gas to the stove back on (since the first time I did that I freaked out thinking there was some kind of gas leak) lighted my candle for lighting the stove and let the turkey bacon cook on in the pan! Garrett showed me how to make the most awesome breakfast burritos so I had all the ingredients from when we cooked them “together” as in IIIIII put ice cubes in the glasses for drinks while he cooked! We went “shopping” in my mom’s cupboards and Garrett pulled me out any seasoning that was double, plus the things I know they never use like sesame seed oil and stuff like that, and then we went to the Wal-Mart for the rest =) he’s never done grocery shopping there before isn’t that precious? Anyways I tried to mimick his every move, but I learned from some of his mistakes and made it even better! I had to microwave the tator tots though because my oven doesn’t work yet but that’s ok cuz Garrett already spotted that problem and told me I could heat them up in the microwave and then brown them in the pan, so that’s what I did! I cooked the eggs (mixed some cheese in with the eggs so it melted, that’s what I learned ffrom Garrett’s mistake) and put it all together and wrapped it up! It basically looked and tasted perfect! Cooking for myself… check! 

Garrett Says: "B+ Good wrap, properly sized, however I see that there is some residual egg on the right side of the burrito." Everyone's a critic...

Everyone thought I was gonna starve… seriously Garrett was worried, Barbara was worried, slash everyone at work was! My mom may have been? I’m not sure, but obviously I can take care of myself (although as I’m wirting this I did just eat chips and salsa for dinner… I love them so much though I don’t see why I can’t do that?! Or popcorn for dinner?!) 

So I fell asleep and took a good long nap after finishing my meal which was definitely necessary after staying up late to plan the radio show and then waking up early for the radio show and then findng out some more bad news… and I awoke to… the smell of gas… but I can’t smell that good so I was unsure if I was just imagining it or paranoid from the last time I tried to use it. So I got my long cadle that I use for lighting the stove, lit it, and decded it would be smart to wave it around where I thought the gas may possibly be leaking from if it was actually leaking in the first place. So I waved it in the back where I turned it on at… nothing happened… I hovered it over each stove top… nothing… so then I opened up the oven and waved it in there and then in every corner… still nothing… so I thouhght to myself “I guess I’m just imagining it” I call Garrett and tell him my concernes and then tell him how I checked so I guess there wasn’t one and he freaked out!! He was like “oh my gosh oh my gosh stop telling me this stop TELLING ME THIS!!” Apparently what I thought would just enlarge the flame a little to let me know there was an issue could have blown my face off! I said, “at least then I’ll know if he loves me for me!” haha! I know I know NOT funny! 

Anyways, I’m so glad my guardian angel is super big and strong and powerful, God knows I need the extra help =) Anyways… Garrett suggested I leave the house and then if I came back and I could still smell it then I should call PG& E! So I came back and thought I could smell it still but wasn’t sure if I was still imagining it so I texted Barbara who has the master nose “can you come over and tell me if I have a gas leak?” She said yeah I’ll be right there and as soon as I opened the door to let her in she said “yep, you have a leak!” haha! The nose knows I guess! So I turned the thingy off in the back and we opened up some windows and it’s all better! PG&E will be here on Friday, my heroes!

Someday I'll Get to Live in My New Place...

Alyssa playing on the Jelly Belly mobile!

Jelly Belly Factory tour!! We met up with my Aunt Theresa, cousin Rachael, and her sweet baby Alyssa at the Jelly Belly Factory before Garrett had to make the trek home! I don't think I've been there since I was in elementary school! I just love it, even though I actually don't really like Jelly Belly's that much haha! It was fun just hanging out, taking the tour and laughing. My favorite part is all the art made out of Jelly Belly's! It really is amazing! We went to the store afterward and they had more gross flavors you could get individually that looked identical to normal, good, flavors! Garrett talked me into trying the Centepede... it tasted like dirt... but worse! I only tried it though cuz I made him eat the skunk one! I was so excited because I bought them for work! I mixed all the gross and good ones together and couldn't wait to put them out! (My favorite reaction was Marsha. She ate it and immediately spit it back into her hand and was like, "not licorice." but she did it with like no emotion it was so funny! Everyone kept eating half first after that! I thought it was so funny that even if someone got a bad one they kept trying... i would never! I broke them and smelled them and then threw it away if it smelt gross!)

After the Jelly Belly excursion we went to Texas Roadhouse! I could just stay and eat there buns all day! I go just for that! But my half of a chicken (that literally looks like half of a chicken) was nothing to complain over either =) Then, the moment I was dreading... Garrett had to go back home =( I loved (and love) him so much for being there for me and coming to my rescue! It made me even more in love with him! Then we had to say bye to the family too =( but I got some candles from them before they left which was exciting because I'm always accepting free candles! 

Now for the mishap (you knew it was coming)...

I lost my keys… I’ve stayed in my place a total of two nights and I’ve already lost them! Technically I found them… only they were in Garrett’s car halfway to L.A. =( But he’s the best and mailing them to me tomorrow (only tomorrow just happened to be a holiday) and for now I’m thanking the Lord that I have a spare set of car keys (unlike Logan who just locked himself out of his Jeep and had to get a new set made cuz he already lost the other ones) and my landlords the best and let me borrow her spare! I felt horrible, I was like “she’s gonna think I’m irresponsible!!” but I had to make the call because I literally had nothing with me, I coudlln’t even wash my face!!!! Which everyone knows is a very BIG deal to me! Kass had me come right over to get the spare and she even had me come in and sit down and tell her what happened and even on the phone as soon as I told her she goes, “oh you poor thing!” I just love her! 

So the only key that was left that I absolutely needed was the work key and thankfully there’s a ton of people who have that one (at work of course)! Also, for some reason I had already taken Kensi the dogs house key off. I don’t even know why I did that because it was on the main set (so I wouldn’t lose them of course) but there they were lying in my car that I could get into because of the spare! Success! I now have my real keys back and am slowly returning all the ones I borrowed! I’m making copies of my house key stat and giving one to everyone I know (super well!) haha! 

Closet Catastrophe

I found out some horrible news so of course, like any normal person, I decided to put up my makeshift closet all by myself. Distraction is key. I had a screw driver so I felt all empowered, held up a shelf that was already hanging off the wall, and put up my little metal contraption that was going to support the already half hanging shelf and my rod for clothes, tried to insert the screws and fail number one happened. Did you know its incredibly hard to try to hold three different things in exactly the right place when you only have two hands, one of which has a electric screwdriver in it? Well it is. Then I tried to put anchors in but I don’t realy know how those work…so I ended up with a big hole in the wall and a screw stuck in an anchor that wasn’t the right size. So, I decided to lose the anchors and just try and hold my metal thingys in place. After much determination and burns from accidentally turning the scredriver on when my fingers were in the way, I got one screw in!!! Slowly but surely I got all of one side in place. Excited with my accomplisment, I started on the next side which proved just as challenging but I knew what I was doing this time so I only had to give my arm a break a couple times. Meanwhile, my phone is rining in my back pocket (it’s Garrett) but OBVIOUSLY I couldn’t reach it mid drill. 

Overjoyed with my completion of putting up my shelf all on my own I answer the phone the 2^nd time he calls me back. As I’m talking (and starting to remember that I just got some horrible news) I’m putting up my bins whose places are on top of the shelf I just secured and trying to suck it up and act like I’m ok when all of a sudden… my closet, bins and all, tumble on top of me and knock me over onto the ground and I crumple up on the fetal position sobbing. I think Garrett thought I probably died. It was the last straw and I’d been holding it in for too long, tired from the exertion of my masterpiece, and knocked down to the ground from my fallen masterpiece, it was too much to bear! Luckily, my mama had just brought over a nice cushiony rug that broke my fall, so all that was hurt was my pride! 

Poor Garrett, I broke his heart sobbing like I was and just like the knight in shining armour that he is, he drove down to rescue me the next morning =) even though I told him not to and that I was completely fine (clearly lies).  He was at a staff retrat for Church in Santa Barbara (his favorite place) and I’ll never forget what he told me the night I was trying to talk him out of it, “I talked to Pastor corey and he said that family comes first and even though you’re not family now, you will be and I need to go to you. And even if she tells you not to you need to go anyway. Pastor Corey says he’ll be mad at me if I don’t go.” I love that Pastor and that Garrett! 

Luv Shannon

P.S. here's what my makeshift closet now looks like with lots of help to finally get it sturdy enough to not fall on me...

House Sitting Shannon = Chaos!

After a long weekend of no sleep it’s back to work bright and early. My big plan was to go home for lunch and sleep, but of course my place had too many surprises and distractions in it for that to actually be a possibility! My bed was decked out with the cutest kitchen supplies I’ve always wanted, an adorable apron and mittens for hot stuff, another to go coffee mug (cuz I keep stealing all my moms), a welcome rug, etc. Also, my Christmas present arrived!! Garrett got me not only a record player, but a record player in an old vintage suitcase!! He knows me so well! I didn’t even know he knew I wanted one, I guess my ooing and aweing over them and wishing I had one every time I saw one must have gave it away! I swear, I had no alterior motives, and I didn’t even know you could get them in a cool suitcase! Anyways, of course I had to open it immediately! But alas, I had no record to play so I just sighed at how happy I was to finally own one and went back to work. 

It's a suitcase...

No it's a record player!!

Here comes the fun, I’m a mess, story… I’m house sitting for Kenzie the dog with the biggest personality you’ll ever meet (although she may be tied with bailey but she’s way bigger so the things she tries to do are funnier) first I try to get all cozy on the couch and make a nice big bowl of popcorn and hot chocolate. There’s something in the microwave, which I assume is some kind of helper tray for microwaving (P.S. as I type this Kenzie is trying to sit in my lap and snuggle up in my neck), however 2 minutes later with a kitchen full of smoke and smells like fresh burnt popcorn and rubber I’m running around like a crazy person flapping dish towels around in the hopes that the fire alarm won’t go off and running the popcorn outside so the smoke that is never ending from inside the bag can waft around outside! All the while Kenzie is running around staring at me and running circles around me like I’m a crazy person! I find the “helper tray for microwaving” melted/melting in the microwave so I throw it in the sink to cool it off to hope I can salvage the damage, no luck, it was destroyed =( I don’t even know what it was so I can try and replace it!! 

That’s not all, I get all ready for bed and am turning off all the lights when I think the switch to turn on this enourmous fan that pushes air in from outside is a light switch… not… good! It’s SUPER loud so Kenzie is all scared and hiding from it and I’m doing everything I can do turn it off, flipping multiple switches try to turn the heater off, I even get up on the cupboards to try and reach the vents to close them manually, nope, that’s not the trick… so after about 45 minutes of trying to figure it out, even calling their daughter, I just leave it on, close my door and turn up the personal heater in my bedroom full blast. It think to myself, maybe its just windy so the fan keeps spinning? When I wake up in the morning it will be off. I even prayed my heart out that it would somehow turn off on it’s own! I wake up annnnd it’s still going strong and loud and the house is FREEZING!!! I finally get a hold of their daughter and the texts go like this me: “hey, I hope this doesn’t wake you but I’m having trouble wth this fan thing in the hallway. I thought it was alight switch and it turned on this natural fan from outsie that won’t turn off, I don’t’ know what to do! Her: “Lol um not sure… might be suction that won’t turn it off… try opening a few windows and then try?” so I tried that… and the suction went crazy the vents flew open all the way and got twice as loud! Me: “hmmm I think you may have been right about the suction thing but opening the windows seemed to have made it worse! I think maybe it’s windy outside so the fan is stuck turning?” Her: Uh oh… Is it turning but really loud? Cuz if it's on, it’s really loud! I think the switch has three settings low high and off…” I’m already in the car just throwing the towel in when I got this text but Me: “yeah it’s super loud! Really? I just flipped it back and forth maybe I’ll try having it balance in the middle!” so I run back in the house… Her: haha… oh my gosh! You poor thing… I wonder if it’s broken… I’l try texting my mom to see if there’s a trick to it.” Me: “ahhh you’re a genious!!! It worked! Thanks so much!!!” I’ve never been so relieved in my life! 

Luv Shannon

Independent Independence

I'm moving out! I've moved out before but I've never officially done it on my own, lived by myself, became... a grown up! The story of how I got my place is actually such a testimony in itself! I had decided that it was time to be a big girl and get my own place for a few weeks but finding somewhere seemed impossible. Everywhere I could afford was sketchy (someone cussing at me from their car while I'm doing a drive by of one apartment, that one definitely got crossed off the list fast). I was really disappointed at first because I looked at so many places and went from excited to defeated in about a day. But I looked on the bright side and just figured it wasn't the right timing. Randomly, I remembered Matt (our youth pastor) asking me if I was looking to rent a place in the Summer because he had a buddy that was looking for renters. At the time I said "No thank you, I'm fine mooching off my parents and saving for now." First of all, it was a miracle in itself that I remembered Matt asking me that months  ago... second I actually remembered to ask him when I saw him in person, miracle number 2! It was such perfect timing! He told me that he wasn't sure if his friend was still looking but he actually had just ran into his old neighbor the day before and she had said she was going to rent out her studio in January! He said the place she has would be so much better and that I would love it! He was going on and on about how it felt like a New York loft and how cool it was, wood floors, brick... so I was sold! he texted me a little later and told me he talked to Kass (his old neighbor) and she would love to meet with me and that I could have it for $450 a month!!! Miracle number 3! I was praying for $500 and anything even close to that was scary!! 

So I met with Kass that weekend and was so excited because I had done a drive by and looked it up on google and already fell in love with the outside! It looks like a little Spanish cottage with palm trees in the front! I have even always said that I want a yellow house or Spanish styled house... hello... can you say perfect! Logan came with me (for protection of course, haha) and the minute we walked in I was sold. Kass kept saying oh don't mind the mess all this will be cleared out (because she was initially hoping to open an antique store in it so it had all this awesome old furniture and nick nacks all over the place!) I was like I wouldn't even care if everything came in it, it's perfect I love it so much! It had dark hard wood floors, french doors, a little old school kitchen with an old old stove (that looks just like the one in breakfast at Tiffany's!), an old tub and sink, and to top it all off... one random brick wall with an archway that was hand laid in the 1940's! It's a registered historical landmark! When Kass asked me what I thought I said, "It's everything I ever imagined living in, I'm in love with it!" She told me that she loved it so much that she couldn't bear to sell it even though she wasn't going to end up opening the antique store and that she just wanted to find someone who would love it as much as she does! Here comes the next blessing, Kass told me that the reason she was offering such a steal of a price (my words, not hers) was because back when she was starting off on her own as a single mother someone had given her a really good deal and never raised the rent on her for 12 years and she had always wanted to be able to do that for someone! I told her that anywhere I could afford was scary and she said, "anyone I offered this price to was scary!" haha! I was so thankful and appreciative! I just love her too! She has such great taste and is so sweet! She even let me come over to pick out whatever I wanted before she had a huge sale to get ride of everything she had been collecting! (I got a beautiful black table, an old suitcase, dresser, and old movie projector! I was a very happy girl) The timing of moving in could also not have been any more perfect because it gave me time to find stuff on craigslist and buy things like dishes and silverware when I could afford it while not paying rent! AND it let me wait out things being sold on Craigslist so I could be more choosey and wait till I saw something for really cheap! Ok I have one awesome story about my table I got on Craigslist I just have to share! I wanted mismatching chairs anyways so I had seen this table that I thought I could make work, with no chairs, so I was going to pick it up and then I was looking at Anthropologie pictures from room decor inspirations and I saw the most amazing table of my dreams that even had little drawers that pulled out with utensils on them that the kiddie table next to it could use! I thought, that's exactly what I want, "oh Lord I would love a table like this" I kid you not I get right back on Craislist just kind of trolling when what to my wandering eyes should appear but a table with drawers like the one I had just seen in the anthropologie magazine... for only $60!!! chairs included!!!!! AND it was the color I was going to paint whatever table I got! I screamed I was so excited, called immediately and they said it was still available! I drove all the way to Dixon for it but it was soooo worth it!! Here are some other awesome finds of mine...

The Anthropologie table I saw...

The one I found on Craigslist! I think mines even better!

An item I snagged before Kass' sale! I thought it looked perfect right where it was!

Another awesome piece I had to have from Kass' collection!

 Fast forward to December 24th! Move in day! I got to move in early cuz Kass was going out of town for a few weeks and as long as I didn't mind cleaning up the mess (dust, cobwebs, etc) it was a free week and a half! Also, there's some kind of accomplishment in making a shower and stove slash entire kitchen that no one has used in YEARS, full of dirt, rust, cobwebs, transform from disgusting to bright and shiny! I was so thankful for all the help too from my dad, brother, Shane, and my mom! I feel like they're always helping me move haha! This ones for a while though... well at least I think so ;)

First night moved in… someone tries to break into Shane’s car… awesome! But God is so good at reassuring me of what he has given me! I had forgotten that Joe (one of the guitarists at our church) lives across the street! I was feeling a little nervous about being there if a group of guys tries to get into someone’s car and I only just moved in that afternoon, and then I hear someone honking and see someone waving at me in a car that is backing out and I’m like who is that? And it was Joe! I felt like it was the Lord reminding me that he blessed me with this place and he will protect me here and has people looking out for me! Barbara came over and blessed my house with her awesome prayers as well and even though her and Chris were telling stories that scared me before I spent my first night there, I felt safe, peaceful, and good in my new place!