The Gray Whale-y's

Emily's Thursday Thoughts

2011-12-15T19:37:00.002-05:00

So on my drive home I was thinking about what to post and this is what I came up with...Emily's Thursday Thoughts. So let's go...

1) Do even good football players do their own grocery shopping?

-Thought came after seeing Curtis Painter grocery shopping this week at Target. Just wondered if Peyton Manning does his own grocery shopping. How much cooler it would have been to see him instead. Is it sad that we noticed Curtis Painter based on his nasty, long, blondish hair?!?

2) Are all people as clueless as adults as they are as students?

-Thought came after a student seriously asked me the following questions 'Does Christmas or Christmas Eve come first? How do you know? Does Christmas always come on the 25th? Do we have to go to school on Christmas this year?'

3) How often should you replace your contacts?

-I know that the packaging on my contacts said 2 weeks but I have worn some for up to 6 months at at time. Partially because they feel fine and partially because I didn't have vision insurance until this August and didn't want to pay full price. After going to the eye doctor this week, he informed me nicely I need to change them more often, gave me a new kind, and now my eyes are very bloodshot and hurt. Was my idea of not changing them so bad after all?!?

4) If "It's a Wonderful Life" is such a great Christmas movie, why did we never watch it growing up and it isn't playing anywhere on television until Christmas Eve?

-I've been wanting to watch this movie for quite some time but when I searched for it on the tv guide to DVR it, it isn't on anywhere until Christmas Eve...seriously?!?

5) Can everyone else take what people say or what you hear and just start quoting a movie or is it just a Gray thing?

-Sometimes I think my brothers have rubbed off on my a little too much growing up because everything relates back to a movie quote. Are Zach and my students right in thinking I'm a bit strange?!?

Last thought for this week (that I'm going to post at least)

6) What would the world be like if everyone professed their love for Jesus Christ like Tim Tebow said in an interview--(I'm paraphrasing so don't quote this word for word) 'Do you just tell your wife that you love them the day you get married or do you tell them everyday? It is the same with God. You should tell Him everyday how much you love Him and thank Him for everything He has done for you.'

-How awesome of an example is that to everyone out there--especially children--who look up to the professional athletes! I wish there could be more outspoken, courageous Christian athletes!

Thanks for reading Emily's Thursday Thoughts...and in the words of Sue Slyvester off of 'Glee'--"and this is how Sue (Emily) sees it".

Babysitting "The Boys"

2011-12-03T19:28:00.003-05:00

"The boys" are getting so big and grown-up. We wanted to give Kristoffer and Dana a chance for a day away without their "balls of energy". We had the pleasure of watching the boys today. They still like to rough house and be boys, but enjoy the occasional book reading. We did a lot of both today.

We also did an art project that is now on our upstair's wall. Looks like a good wallpaper to me.

These boys are so cute and so much fun. They are truly a blessing in our lives to be able to spend a day with them. Don't their smiles just melt your heart...

11-11-11

2011-11-25T20:33:00.006-05:00

11-11-11 was an eventful day for the "new" Whaley couple. Zach's dad, Steve, was getting married on the 11th green of a golf course to Peggy to commemorate the day. Zach was Steve's best man and it was an exciting day for these two as they officially professed their love and commitment to each other for the rest of their lives. Here are a few pictures from the day.

The groom and best man together before the ceremony. Looking good in their golf wear!

Steve and Peggy--during the ceremony.

You may kiss the bride!

Zach and Emily after the ceremony.

Steve with his siblings (Teresa, Mary Jo, Chuck, Mark, Kris, and Rita--Jan is missing).

After the Friday ceremony, we went and had a small reception/Thanksgiving dinner at the Chase Center so that Zach's grandma Emogene could be there and celebrate with the family. The "old" Whaley...meet the "new" Whaley!

On Saturday, the real reception took place with a meal, cake, and dancing. Here is the newly wed couple sharing their first bite of cake together. Don't think they're being too nice...haha.

Let the dancing begin!

Congrats Steve and Peggy Whaley! May you two have a long life of happiness and love together. We love you!

Flashlight Photo Fun

2011-11-05T21:55:00.004-04:00

We are boring and never do exciting things...therefore, we never post. Well nothing has changed, but we are starting to feel bad that we never update you with our exciting lives. This is what we do on a Saturday night. We play around with our camera and a flashlight.

A smiley face
An IU symbol
A heart
A star
A kitten
A Pi Symbol
Infinity
The Cross

We are boring and have nothing to post about, but as you can see...we have a great time on a Saturday night.

Zach's Prep Work

2011-09-18T18:18:00.004-04:00

First of all, sorry for being behind on posting (for our faithful followers) and second, read at your own risk. It is a little too much information about Zach and don't read if you don't want the specifics.

Lately Zach has had some minor medical issues...cysts to be specific. He has now had 3 but the second one was concerning to us because of the location. I'm not going to go into specific detail but lets just say it was located very close to an orifice that food escapes when processed and was a very painful cyst. It erupted a few weeks ago which sent Zach to the doctor for a closer exam.

When he went to the doctor to get it checked out they ordered a colonoscopy...something that doesn't usually need to be done until you are 50+ years old. I'll be the first to tell you that Zach is not excited about this, but also wants to make sure nothing more severe is behind this specific cyst.

When I got home a few weeks ago Zach told me when he scheduled the appointment so I can be there and showed me the paper that has his directions. Lets just say I feel sorry for Zach as he has to go through the prep work.

So yesterday Zach and I headed to Target for our weekly shopping trip and to pick up his supplies for Tuesday. First of all, he can't eat anything solid so he is restricted to broth, jello, or popsicles but nothing red (which we all know those are the best kind of jello and popsicles). Second of all, I didn't think I would have to visit this aisle for a long time (and for the record Zach was a little embarrassed I was taking these pictures).

Welcome to Target..haha!

But as we entered and started finding what we needed I noticed a God moment. EVERYTHING we needed from medicine to food was on sale. It was meant to be. Starting at 3:00pm the day before he has to take 3 laxative pills and a 14 day supply of laxative powder taken with 64 oz of gatorade/propel. Zach doesn't have the firmest stool to begin with (TMI) and I can only imagine what Tuesday afternoon/evening will be like for him. So it was a blessing to see things were on sale to make light of the situation as much as possible.

Not only were they on sale...they were on sale AS ADVERTISED. Now my question is, how many people are going to go out and buy these items? There are A LOT of options and plenty to choose from so I'm guessing not many. Also, we had to buy 25 laxative pills and Zach only needs 3 so if anyone needs any please let us know and we can help you out!

Zach is not really looking forward to this procedure but I think he is dreading the "prep work" the most!

Target Tantrum

2011-08-14T19:39:00.004-04:00

We have now lived in the Fishers, IN area for 6 weeks and our local store of choice for shopping has become Target. We are finally near a nice Super Target and we are familiar with its set-up. We love their deals and Emily wanted a few things before heading back to school tomorrow, so we made a special trip. It was a wonderful trip until we went to checkout.

I want to preface the next portion of this post with an apology to anyone who may take offense to mild rule breaking...

We got into line "Express Lane: 10 items or less". As the picture below details, we did have 13 items. We both discussed the situation once we realized we were slightly over the limit, but agreed it should not be a big deal to anyone. We could have split the transaction and paid separately, but felt that would actually be slower than just the 13 item stretch of the limit.

The cashier was completely fine with the size of our order...it did fit nicely into a single bag, except the delightful woman behind us did not agree with our transaction. She felt the strong compulsion to point out we had more than the allotted 10 items, and proceeded to insult our ability to count and expressed her distain for us for breaking this "serious item limit crime".

This woman was quite displeased that we would do such a thing when she was in such a hurry. She huffed and puffed and complained. She glared and name called. By any definition, her performance would be one of an oscar quality tantrum.

tan-trum: (or temper tantrum or tirade or hissy fit)is an emotional outburst, usually associated with children or those in emotion distress.

She tried to make us feel bad for slowing her down and breaking the firm "10 item or less law", but actually it made me sad. It makes me sad because she appeared happy with herself and that she smiled victoriously at us as she left the parking lot because she said something to correct a wrong in the world. I pray that she one day understands that there are far more important things in life than being upset at the grocery store.

Saturday at the Zoo

2011-07-13T21:59:00.007-04:00

Zach knows that I LOVE the zoo! I'm not a huge cuddly animal kind of fan, but I love admiring God's creation. It just shows how perfect God is because who else could produce such different and interesting creatures.

Anyways...back to the zoo. The past two summers Zach has taken me to the Fort Wayne Zoo (which is an awesome children's zoo), but on Friday night he mentioned that he had a plan for Saturday morning--to go to the Indianapolis Zoo. Needless to say I was excited since I hadn't been there since college!

I kept asking Zach if we could go to the dolphin show (and he agreed) and it was our first stop. He took lots of pictures but since the lighting was off we didn't get great ones, but I like this one below.

The trainers can get these creatures to do crazy stuff!

Next up was the "desert" area which consists of you walking through an area with lizards and tortoises and birds (not my favorite).

Next up was the "plains" area. This is by far one of the bests because I love African animals. They are HUGE and so remarkable. I'd love to go on a safari someday (hint, hint Zach :-) )

Good pic of the giraffe! Every time we see a giraffe, I am reminded it has a black tongue. Very interesting fact in case you didn't know.

Very huge and filthy rhino. It just grossed me out how it would roll around in the mud!

New exhibit at the zoo (I think it was put in last year) is the cheetah area. Very lazy animals, but wouldn't you be if you were in a zoo and someone just brought you your food and you didn't have to hunt?!?

My fav picture...an elephant eating some grass.

Second bear picture in 2 weeks but this one was WAY lazier. Such a pretty animal!

Amanda the Red Panda is sleeping, but still taught us that "God listens to you"..."Thank you God". (Thought I'd throw in some Pandamania.)

After the zoo we headed to Keystone to eat at the Cheesecake Factory and along the way we drove through a rough part of town and saw this guy. I just couldn't resist taking a picture and he didn't seem to mind either.

I did notice a couple of things after our trip to the zoo:

1) Everyone looks at you strangely if you are at the zoo without children

2) The Indianapolis Zoo seemed so much larger as a 6 year old than it does as a 26 year old.

Overall it was a great Saturday morning with my favorite guy!

Great Smokies

2011-07-04T18:11:00.004-04:00

This weekend we took a trip to the Great Smoky Mountains at Cades Cove in Tennessee. Cades Cove is a 20 mile driving loop in the foothills with multiple stops and several hiking trails. Emily and I decided to go on a hike and had heard that the Abrams trail was very nice. It is a 5.0 mile trail that is rated as a moderate difficulty. We both felt that we could manage the hike, but I have to say it wore me out. I was tired from the hike, but the sites we saw were well worth the sweat...you will see what I mean in a few pictures.

These hiking pictures were taken early on the trail because if they were taken later, we wouldn't have been smiling so much.

Like I said...if you look closely, I was sweating quite a bit. I am pretty sure I did not bring enough water for the hike.

They had quite a few steep hills, which apparently means biking down them can be dangerous to your health.

My favorite part of the trip was finding a black bear. Emily told me that the park we were at had a large black bear population (approx. 2 bears per square mile). Since we only saw one set of bears the whole trip, I have to assume that it is not as many bears as it sounds.

The pinnacle of our trip was this waterfall. At the halfway point of the hike was this beautiful fresh water lake and waterfall. The water was cool and refreshing...just what a sweaty group of hikers could ask for.

Following the hike, we were both tired and just wanted to go back to the hotel so I suggested taking a "shortcut" road. The map showed a road called "Big Mountain Rd" and lead out of the park towards our final destination. On paper this looked like the perfect answer to getting back quickly. It turned out the road was a one lane gravel road that was extremely winding and 12 miles long. Our top speed was 7 mph in a subcompact car climbing huge inclines. I guess I should have known better when the sign said that the road is normally closed in the winter and is named "Big Mountain". Not my best decision for routes.

The road did provide us with one last great view of the park...high from atop the mountains.

Start Your Engines (Indy 500)

2011-05-30T15:41:00.004-04:00

I can now say I have been to the Indianapolis 500, "The Greatest Spectacle In Racing", and I have to say it sure does kick the little 5 bike race's backside. I actually had a very good time, and that coming from a guy who hates being in large crowds (~300,000) and excessive noise. The weather was beautiful and we (Kristoffer and I) had amazing seats for the race. I had to bring the camera to mark this day because it was the 100 year anniversary after all.

Prior to the race they had set up a giant full sized hot wheels ramp with an actual driver performing the jump. I guess he set a new world record in jump distance, but that was just the opening act.

At the start of the race they are going 3 wide and gradually build speed until the green flag. I thought it was kind of cool, but it is more exciting on restarts when they are 2 wide and are fighting for position.

Early in the race the "sparks were flying", something I never knew that actually happened. And the noise of the track was amazing, loud enough to make you feel the action.

The Target Duo lead most of the day and were my fan favorite from the start, just because I recognized both of the drivers names. They by far had the fastest cars of the day, but could not pull out the win this year.

The "Venom" car was my favorite looking and was driven by an Andretti, so I respected the car and mildly cheered for him to do well.

From our seats we could see both turns 3 and 4. Turn 3 I was told is generally the spot of most crashes because of the tight turn, but it turned out that turn 4 and the straight away got most drivers.

I really did enjoy the race. I am not going to call myself a racing fan by any means, but I do have a bit more respect for what these men and women do out there. I know I would love to drive 230 mph, but not in a circle. The day as a whole had its ups and downs, but all around it was a good day at the race track.

Here is a bonus question for you... Can you tell me what is wrong with this picture?

The answer is...he is missing a rear tire. He lost the tire coming out of pit road because it was never secured down. Yes, I think that guy will be fired by the time you read this post. The driver of the car was named "Will Power" (best name in racing) and he started the race is the second row, but this one mistake took him entirely out of contention.

Graduation Party!

2011-05-24T12:27:00.006-04:00

On Sunday, I had a graduation party in Logansport with all of my family and several of my friends growing up. It was a wonderful gathering of the people closest to me. We had a meal served and two kinds of cake. It was my kind of party. Here are a few pictures and captions to go along with the day.

This was my welcome table, I thought it looked pretty good. My favorite part is the tiny DPT after my name...it just makes me chuckle.

One of my cakes...seriously can I get another Dr. on there somewhere...I am kind of a big deal.

My friends of old, Dustin (left) and Alex (right), my best friends growing up. We picked up where we left off...the sign of a true friendship.

My best man, my buddy, my bro, my best friend Brandon. He made the long drive up just for a couple hour party. You have to give him credit there...I didn't even want to drive that far for my own party.

And of course...the greatest moment of the day for me was my Grandma Emogene being able to come. She had fought through some bad illnesses and poor health over the last few years, and it is rare for leave the house. I have not been fortunate to grow close to many of my grandparents because they passed before I was old enough to remember, but Emogene has always been there. I don't get to see her nearly as much as I would like. She is my hero...I call her bulletproof because she is the strongest woman know. She is still holding our entire family together. She is an amazing woman...she is my grandma.

One last thought so I can finally close the chapter on my college career. Thank you to everyone who has supported me in my journey. I have the greatest friends and family, who always show me how much they care. I am proud to have accomplished such a degree, but I have to give a large amount of the credit to my beautiful wife Emily for being my rock these last 3 years. She is my motivation to succeed in life and proof to me that dreams are possible.

WOOHOO...DR WHALEY!

2011-05-15T21:29:00.003-04:00

Zach did it...he is finally a Doctor of Physical Therapy! I'll post about the graduation later this week, but here are a couple of photos for those of you who are interested to look. I'm so proud of him and all of his hard work! Thank you to both of our families for celebrating this special day with Zach and I...we love you all!

Indianapolis Indians

2011-05-01T14:32:00.006-04:00

What can I say about the Indianapolis Indians? They play baseball at Victory Field in downtown Indianapolis. They have a pretty cool logo. They are the Triple-A affiliate of the Pittsburg Pirates (not a great major league team). They are the closest thing we get to professional baseball here in the great state of Indiana. But most importantly, the start of baseball indicates the start of spring, and there is no better way to spend an evening in Indy than watching your local team play ball.

You never know what you will see at one of these games. On any given night you might just catch a glimpse of the local celebrity..."Peyton Manatee" or his faithful friend "Tiger Woodschuck".

The games are great fun for everyone. Children love the park and they have games set up all around for them to play. Some kids are just too cute...I had to take this picture even though I have never met these kids. They just show the innocence and enjoyment that is baseball on a Saturday night.

Unfortunately, the Indians play a lot like their parent team...awful. The below picture is the typical for the night. Just a little bit off and letting up the run. Letting up 11 runs to be exact. They were playing a good team, the Durham Bulls, and were just out matched all game.

Not to say that they didn't have their own moments of brilliance, but they did only score 3 runs.

I just love Minor League baseball because you never know...you could be watching the next great Major League slugger. Maybe one day these guys will be house hold names. Or, maybe not, but that is what makes it great.

Give it some time and the Indians will be back on top of the Triple-A ranks. I have a feeling they will be calling this little guy up the ranks very soon. Just look at his form...it's textbook.

If you love people watching or just love a peaceful night outdoors, go see our Indianapolis Indians. For the price of a ticket, it really is the best deal in town for a fun night out.

Spring Break (Part Two)

2011-04-30T19:35:00.005-04:00

The third day of Spring Break Mom and I headed out to Manatee Springs State Park in the morning, then the plan was to meet Maria and the kids after lunch and head out to St. Augustine. We followed the directions to the park and it was strange how a main road ended in the park and a few yards into driving (after we paid our admission) we saw this standing on the side of the road.

It is strange to me how deer are not afraid of anyone in the parks because they are so accustomed to it, but out here in good ole Indiana they run as soon as they see you.

Manatee Springs was really cool for two reasons; first, this was my first time to actually see a spring and second, it was a beautiful day and we needed a few hours to kill.

Definitely pretty cool and glad we saw it, but it yes this was it!

Me looking good with that bruise on my arm. I got it from falling down the stairs at the hotel...I wonder who I get my clumbsiness from?!?

After Manatee Springs, we said good bye to Trenton (don't you love the signs) and were on our was to St. Augustine--the oldest city in the US.

We saw these longhorns along the way. We definitely turned around to take this picture and I'm glad mom didn't get too close because those horns look like they could hurt!

We have ARRIVED! Once we checked in, Maria and the kids went to the pool and Mom and I went and bought trolley passes. Afterwards, we went to the park, ate dinner, and went to bed ready to get up early to explore St. Augustine. Check back soon for those pics and stories!

Spring Break (Part One)

2011-04-27T18:45:00.004-04:00

Spring Break feels like a long time ago, but I'm still going to post about some of my...I mean our...adventures. Mom and I flew down to Florida to visit Maria and her family. The first day we arrived it was really late, so we just said hi to Maria and found our hotel and went to bed. The second day mom and I had time to kill before meeting Maria for lunch, so I drove her around while she took some photos.

This was my favorite one. We were driving down the road with inlets--looked like little creeks or rivers on both sides--and it was just so pretty and peaceful. Every place had a boat of their own and their own little redneck character.

Everywhere we went had these tall trees planted in long rows. You can't get the full effect but I wanted a good one of these but we never had the opportunity.

After driving around in the morning, mom and I met up with Maria for lunch in Trenton. We ate at a mom and pop's little diner and it was delicious. It was good to catch up with Maria before heading out to her house later that day to see the kids and Michael.

After lunch, it was nap time (since we were on vacation and both mom and I love nap time) then off to visit the farm. Here is mom and I looking very white in the Florida state!

Growing up mom loved to play with my hair and I hated it. Little Seanna LOVED having her hair combed and loving up on her Aunt Terry. We visited and check out Maria and Michael's place then had dinner with them before heading back to the hotel.

Here is the crew. My Aunt Maria, her husband Michael, and my cousins Wyatt and Seanna. What a blast visiting their place and seeing what their life in Florida is like. Check back to see about the rest of my Spring Break! (I promise you won't have to wait another month for a post like you did this time.)

School Project

2011-03-30T11:30:00.003-04:00

I teach an Investigative Geometry class that is geared towards students who need their other math credit but can't do higher levels of Algebra. I try to not always just take notes and do homework, but I try to incorporate projects when I can.

I had just finished teaching about scale drawings so I had an idea to do a scale drawing in class of a candy/gum wrapper. The students would take a wrapper and had to increase the scale by at least double. To make sure this was practical, I thought I needed to do it first.

Zach also volunteered to do a practice one as well so that was our Saturday afternoon project. Below are the pictures of our work with the originals.

After a trip to the Dollar Tree, I did this Chiclets one because I didn't think it was too complicated for a non-artistic type.

And this is Zach's...I know amazing right?!? He is way more talented than me and I'm thankful the students got to see a good example.

It took way longer than expected to do these during class but I think the students enjoyed the project as did Zach and I.

Randomness

2011-03-12T21:32:00.005-05:00

This is a picture I took on Friday while driving on State Road 9 of my speedometer...yes I love

numbers and am a nerd! Can't believe my car is this old already!

Leaving our apartment at 7:30 for our "traditional" Cracker Barrel breakfast we took a "gander" at the geese! Never seen geese on a roof of a house before...but I also leave before daylight most mornings.

I just threw this in there for fun! A few weeks ago when we had the ice storm and Zach was home he was playing with the camera so I "posed" for him...haha!

All is well with the Greenfield gang and right now things are busy with Zach about to graduate and interviewing for jobs! Please be praying for us the next few weeks that we can make the right decision for what God has planned for us. Love you all!

New Orleans Part 3: CSM

2011-02-24T19:45:00.002-05:00

CSM stands for the "Combined Sections Meeting" but is essentially the national conference. It seems like everyone in physical therapy is at CSM, some 3,000 people and 400 exhibitors meet to discuss the newest and greatest information in the field. There are job recruiters, vending booths, product demos, and sale pitches...I must say a little overwhelming.
This is a picture of a product demo for a medical harness system. They really have everything at this convention. I was amazed at how large the conference was and how many people attended. It was a serious nerdfest, but I loved it. Every vendor was giving away free pens (I collected 37) and asking you to sign-up to win an iPad. Of course all they really want is to get your information and contact you to use their product/service. Since I have been home from New Orleans, I have received 17 emails from vendors who were "glad to have met you at CSM".

This was the real reason I went to the conference...to present our research poster. And it didn't hurt anything having half of the trip paid for by the school.

And of course the below picture is something I bought at the convention. It was my one product I bought. I thought Kamaron would appreciate it being a personal muscle massager. It is the newest product design. And yes, it works pretty well.

New Orleans Part 2: Bird's Eye View

2011-02-20T15:05:00.004-05:00

We stayed at a huge hotel in downtown New Orleans, right outside of the French Quarter (not my best hotel experience, but that is a whole different story). We were staying in prime real estate. The hotel was 18 stories high and we were on the 17th floor. We had an amazing view of downtown and a small restaurant named Mother's.

From our room we could watch the lines forming outside of Mother's. It is apparently one of the best dirty spoons in all of New Orleans, and the lines show it. It was funny to come back to the hotel and see a line of 50 people. We never did go eat there because they were always busy when we went for lunch and dinner.
The restaurant had one entrance and one exit, and an old fashioned sign. Mother's was established in 1938 and is home of the "world's best baked ham". I think if I ever go back, I will have to try it out.
I loved watching the city streets at night with all the lights and traffic. Below is a picture of the lights, as we faced into the French Quarter.

New Orleans Part 1: A Streetcar Named Desire

2011-02-19T20:50:00.005-05:00

The city of New Orleans is so full of history and character, especially the French Quarter. That is why I was so excited to visit. The busy life and the bustling city, makes for an amazing place to visit, but never a place I could call home. Traffic is simply horrible, just ask Emily... she had a bad experience. The roads are confusing, most of them one ways that join with other streets. Divided intersections are everywhere downtown which makes it a nightmare for out-of-towners. Below is a picture of an intersection and a streetcar, something we don't have to worry about here in Indiana.

The streetcars were my favorite part of the city. I thought they were quite interesting and not something you see everyday. Did you know that the screenplay "A Streetcar Named Desire" by Tennessee Williams was inspired and written in New Orleans? In fact, the next picture is the hotel in which he stayed and wrote the play.

From the outside it is very ordinary, very old, and not all that inspiring. We did not stay here, but I can only assume it is a very nice hotel...after all it did have a Ferrari parked out front.

This was my favorite picture of the trip and the reason I started my New Orleans series talking about streetcars. I just love how it looks "old world" and represents the character of a city.

An Inch of Ice + Closed Work = Cabin Fever and Few Cool Pictures

2011-02-02T15:45:00.005-05:00

I never was much for ice skating, even after our parking lot became an ice rink this week. It was bad enough out that my clinical actually closed for Wednesday. I am not one to just sit around the house and not do anything, so I am getting a serious case of cabin fever after just 2 days. Emily and I did go out and clean off our cars, for a total of 2 hours.

And of course I had to take some pictures of the cool ice. These are a couple pictures in tribute of Terry Gray. I tried to channel her nature photography with these two.

Finally...ezwhaley updates their blog!

2011-01-29T18:44:00.003-05:00

I know we've been getting complaints about not updating our blog enough, but to you tell the truth there isn't anything exciting going on and by the time I get home from work (8:30-9:00) I'm just not in the mood to post. I apologize and will try to do better on posting.

Well here is the update on my life! I've been teaching, but also have been coaching 6th grade girls basketball since the middle of December. This is a picture of my team. So far we are 3-0 (all thanks to the coach...haha)! I'm enjoying it so far this year and hope to have a good season. Go Lady Raiders!!!

Field Perspective

2010-12-21T18:01:00.007-05:00

Have you ever wondered what it would feel like to stand on the sidelines during an NFL game? I definitely have. I used to dream about being field level, especially for my Indianapolis Colts. I have always had a small dream to be an NFL photographer, but knew I would never land a sweet job like that in my lifetime. On Sunday, I got my one shining chance to finally live my dream.

Thanks to the amazing people at Canon and the Indianapolis Colts, I had the fan experience of a lifetime. I had a field access pass to the Jaguars' game during pre-game, 4 front row seats in the end-zone, and the use of a very nice pro quality 70-200mm lens to fit my newly received Canon Rebel T2i camera.

Here is just a taste of a few photos I took on my exciting day:

Yesterday, I was required to submit an action photo to Canon for the "Shoot Like A Pro" Contest. To see my entry photo and my competition for the Grand Prize, check out the website at: http://www.colts.com/sub.cfm?page=2010_canon

A Good Day for the Whaleys

2010-12-16T19:08:00.003-05:00

Although Zach and I are still sick and coughing like crazy, today was a great day at the Whaley household. To start it off, I found out that school was cancelled. Normally I don't like this because we have to make it up, but since I've been feeling miserable I knew it would be a day of nothing but relaxing. That hasn't happened in awhile and trust me that's all I did!

Also, Zach took his last final EVER today! I was worried about the weather, but it was timed perfectly. His final wasn't until 11:00 so he was able to leave after rush hour once the roads were a little clearer. When he came home he said it was the hardest one he took this week and we found out later he got a 95 A on that final (just a little bit of info for you in case you wondered). Only one more semester left and he's officially a PT!!!

To top off the day, Zach received his "SPECIAL GIFT" today from the UPS man. Yesterday they tried to deliver it but no was here to sign for it. But since I didn't have work, I was able to be here to sign for it and not have to have it delivered to the office and go through that extra hassle. Below is a picture of what he received inside the box.

A Canon Rebel T2i camera kit, camera bag, 2 SD cards, 4 tickets to the Colts game Sunday and a parking pass to Lucas Oil's garage. He was so excited and so was I (even though he is the one who won). But I got really excited when I looked at the tickets...

In case you can't see that is Section 117, ROW 1. That's right...were in the very first row at Lucas Oil on Sunday right next to the endzone!!! We are both pumped for the game and excited to try out our camera. Thanks again "Canon Shoot Like a Pro"...and for Zach applying every single day for the last 2 years!!! It was definitely a good day for the Whaleys.

No More Lectures

2010-12-10T14:32:00.003-05:00

I am not yet officially done with graduate school. I still have 19 weeks of being a student, but it sure does feel over. I am down to a week of finals and 18 weeks of clinicals and then I am Dr. Whaley. I have now completed my very last lecture. No more 8am classes. No more fighting to stay awake listening to someone talk about gait for the 300th time in 3 years. I am done with classes.

Yes, everyone has that day in their life where they never have to go to class again, but I never thought my day would come. I have been a student for 20 years...if you include kindergarten. That is a rather large chapter of my life that I will be happy to finally close.

I am writing this with some hesitation because I am leaving a place I just started to feel comfortable in. I will no longer see the faces of my "friends/classmates" that I have come to know quite well. It is kind of bittersweet to say goodbye to these people because they have been there for me and understood what I have been going through. Below is the future of Physical Therapy...Heaven help us!!

The Yellow House in Maxwell

2010-11-20T18:47:00.004-05:00

Most of you (my faithful followers) have seen the house in Maxwell, IN that has the clown in the upper right hand window waving at you as you drive by. Mom has been telling me I should do a post about it because 1) it is something to write about and I don't post enough and 2) who has a clown in their room waving at people who drive by?!?

I think about it every time I drive by, but don't have the camera with me or don't have time to stop and take a picture (I know that isn't a good excuse but I'm sticking with it). Well last week as we drove by the house we saw something different. So last night I told Zach we're getting up early to drive into Maxwell to take a picture of the house.

Here is the entrance to Maxwell, IN...pretty exciting I know. I've always wanted to stop at "Mom and Pops" just to check it out but that is beside the point!

As you get through Maxwell, there is this nice yellow house that looks inviting until you look up the upper right window. I usually see a clown waving at me which is creepy in itself but ever since Halloween this is what you see...
The Grim Reaper waving at you. I know it is hard to see (it was foggy this morning and my camera doesn't have very good zoom) but who has one of these?!? I thought the clown was creepy and weird but this is even stranger! Who would want to visit someone with this in their window upstairs...but maybe that is their point.

But maybe they do it so people like Zach and I will notice and tell everyone else which will then check it out for themselves and tell everyone they know, etc, etc. I now can't drive through Maxwell without checking out the upper right window in the yellow house. Someday I'd like to stop and meet the people who own the house, but for now I'm content at just looking in their window and imaging what kind of people they are while staring the Grim Reaper in the eyes!

The hardest job I've ever had to do...and failed trying!

2010-10-29T14:20:00.006-04:00

This Thursday and Friday I've been on Fall Break from school. I really needed this break after volleyball has taken up so much of my time. I enjoyed getting home at a decent time on Wednesday and on Thursday I had to go over to mom's to put together a dvd from Brandon and Amy's wedding. So on Thursday when we were finished, I went with mom, Dana, and the boys to Pizza Hut buffet in Anderson (since it was only $4.99 a person).

In order to only have to take one vehicle mom or I had to crawl in the back of Dana's van. Mom quickly said I could do that and I agreed. However, I didn't know I'd have a job to do when I got back there. My job was to keep Kaden from falling asleep. On the way there, that was no problem. He was giggling at me while I was acting crazy and playing with his toys. Job completed successfully!

However, on the way home was another story. That boy had just eating A LOT and then the van was nice and cozy. Who wouldn't want to fall asleep?!? I did okay until about Middletown and then it all went downhill from there.

So I moved from where I was sitting and starting tickling Kaden thinking that would help since his eyes were about closed. By the time we hit 400 W his eyes were SHUT but he was still giggling while I was tickling him. It has to be the cutest thing I've ever seen. Mom handed me her small camera and I took a couple of pictures which are posted below.

Aren't these precious? I loved the giggles even while he was asleep. This was by far the hardest job I've ever had to do and failed trying, but I loved hanging out with the boys for a few hours on my fall break!

Fall Is A Beautiful Time For A Wedding

2010-10-22T10:55:00.003-04:00

Let me just tell you...I really love Indiana in the fall, having great friends, and seeing two them get married on my birthday. The weekend of Oct. 2nd was one I will never forget. It marks my 26th birthday, my first best man speech (which I rocked if I might add), and is now the anniversary of my best friends Brandon and Amy Downer.

The wedding was held in Montgomery IN. For those of you who don't know where that is...you are not alone. It is down in southern Indiana about an hour outside of Bloomington. It is where Amy grew-up and where she wanted to get married. The drive from Greenfield was quite long, but the scenery was beautiful. As the following picture will show.

It was of course a fall themed wedding; with shades of brown, orange, yellow, and red all around. Amy was beautiful like most brides are, Brandon was calm like most grooms are, and the wedding went off without a hitch like most well planned weddings do. It was just a wonderful day and a ton of fun had by all. Here are a few pictures to enjoy, so you may share in the moments of a great fall day.

The Table Arrangements

The Cake Table (with hot apple cider, a cake made by Amy's sister, and individual cupcakes)

The Gang

Really? Was that...NO WAY!!!

2010-10-13T12:19:00.002-04:00

Have you ever had one of those, "I wish I had my camera out for that" kind of moment? I had one of those today. I rarely carry a camera with me on campus because honestly I never see anything that exciting. Between the two of us, we have 3 digital cameras (of varying quality) and 2 phones that take pictures. So then why today would I have no camera and a phone that I couldn't reach fast enough? I guess God wanted to surprise me with something awesome, but not allow me to have proof.

I saw something on campus today that I can honestly say I never expected to see. My cell phone was in my pocket and I just barely got my phone out for a picture and it was gone. I swear I tried for the picture, but I am just not that fast. I don't think too many people are that fast...

Ok, I know, enough with the build-up...

I saw a black Indy Series Indy car driving down New York St. in downtown Indianapolis. That was a little unexpected. Everyone on the street just stopped and looked at the car drive past. I didn't even think they were street legal. It is an Indy car...that I was 5 feet away from and couldn't get a picture. I think it was past me in like .03 seconds and out of sight in 5 seconds. By the time I processed what I saw it was too late.

I have always hated racing. I have never understood the obsession in Indiana. I have never had the desire to go to the Indy 500. I think racing is stupid and designed for simple minded people to be entertained. It is a hillbilly "sport" where everyone in the stands drinks excessively. It is a waste of time and money. It is dangerous and a great way to break your neck. The cars look like little toys with engines. They are loud and annoying (both fans and cars). Racing is just plain not my thing...BUT, wow. That was kind of cool to see.

Interesting Fact:

RACECAR is my personal favorite palindrome, but did you know the longest palindrome in the English language is: tattarrattat used for the sound of a knock on the door. Yes, I know I'm a dork...who really has a favorite palindrome?

Hancock County Sites

2010-09-13T19:47:00.007-04:00

Well if you didn't already know, I'm a little bit like my dad. I might look like my mom and have a similar personality to her but my mind works like my dad's. I love math and think very logically. I also love to try new routes home from work/parents' house/church. I get tired of the same old thing and like to venture out.

Zach had decided to do that one day because I always do it and thought I'd be fun (and because he was tired of following people). Much to his surprise he found some interesting sites that he said I would love. So on Sunday after church he took me on the tour so I could take pics with my new camera. Below is what we found on the back roads home.

On a road that is barely traveled we came across this house. I told Zach that he could buy that for me anytime.

Here is a little better picture of it. I'm not sure it fits in rural Hancock county. What do you think?!?

It even has it's own lake. I'd call it a pond but it is HUGE. This picture doesn't do it justice.

It even has it's own security system to get into the driveway. If you know me I don't mind fences as long as they go around the property and it does! When I was showing mom these pictures she asked if there was a place for her to live and I told her she could live in the house next door...which is pictured below!

HAHA...love this little place but not quite as nice...HAHA!

Then we drove a little further and found this gate. Zach and I decided this house must be great (even though it is hidden by trees) but the best part is what is grazing in its front yard...

That's right...a ZEBRA! Who owns a zebra?!? Seriously!!!

A closer picture even though I'm sure I was trespassing on their property.

Across the road from the zebra house was this other very nice place. I told Zach if he couldn't afford the other one, I'd settle for this one (he thought I was super funny).

After that strip of houses and wondering who owns them we were on our last trek to the outskirts of Greenfield and saw this plane. Thought you might enjoy this picture.

Good ole I-70! Needless to say I loved the detour and it was a relaxing Sunday afternoon drive through rural Hancock County, IN!

Are We Really That Old??

2010-09-04T21:39:00.003-04:00

Last Monday our sweet little Emily turned the big 26, and I am quickly approaching the same number. Has it really already been 26 years? We are actually becoming adults (Emily being closer to an adult than I am) and enjoying every minute of it, but still enjoy the benefits of being a kid.

Emily received some really awesome birthday gifts this year...from parents, parents-in-law, family/friend, and of course me. She got spoiled a little bit and enjoyed it very much. We both know to enjoy these birthdays now because soon we will be buying more birthday gifts than receiving, but that is how life works. But until then, thank you everyone for the gifts...it made her still feel young. Below are a couple pictures of the awesome and generous gifts she received:

A week after Emily turned 26 she is already practically 27. It's awful getting "old", but having friends and family that care enough to send cards and gifts is always a blessing. So thank you very much for all the birthday wishes, you make our future years exciting and something to look forward to.

Happy To Be A Spoiled Generation

2010-09-01T19:17:00.002-04:00

Electronics may be my favorite thing. I love having the newest and latest gadgets that do everything for you but brush your teeth. They are absolutely great. Some fit in your pocket and can give you information at the touch of a button. You can now have "someone" tell you turn by turn directions to anyplace in the world when you are all alone. You can take thousands of pictures and never change a roll of film. You can read an entire book without turning an actual page. This generation should never be lost, not be able to find the right answer, or miss the perfect picture because it is all possible with just a person's phone. My generation is spoiled by electronics. And I love it...at least most of the time.

Everyone knows all electronics do one thing very well...BREAK. Some electronics break/die and are impossible to fix while others are simply needing a battery change or simple repair. In the world of electronics though nothing is ever a simple repair. I have grown up with gadgets my whole life and can fix most basic problems on anything that comes up. So when Emily's phone had the Apple symbol of death (see below) come up on her phone last night, I vowed to be her hero and fix it. Her phone would not respond to anything and I truly thought it was done for and I would be buying a new phone on Friday.

So what does someone my age do when things are not working and you think you have tried everything...that's right I turned to another electronic, my computer. Oh good ol' internet, how did the world survive before you? I searched the forums and found others who had fixed the same problem. It turned out the solution was simple, but the execution of the solution took me 2 hours. I was mad the whole time, hating all things electronics (as I searched the internet while I waited) because these things seem to break all the time.

I complain (with sarcasm) because I deep down love how much easier my life is because of these electronics. I am so glad I have an encyclopedia in my phone so I can look anything up on the spot. To have a GPS get me around construction in downtown Indy when I have no idea where I am. To have email that I can get a response from in minutes. Oh how easy my life has become because of those awesomely touchy and prone to break electronics. I sit here and think...one day when I have kids they won't even know what a pay phone is.

My 2nd Encounter with the "Short" Bus

2010-08-24T15:06:00.002-04:00

So last spring I had to take a test to drive the mini bus at school. Growing up we always thought the only kids that rode the short bus were the special ed students. I don't even know where that came from but it is definitely not the case! In May I took a group of National Honor Society students to a camp to help out underpriviledged kids. Mr. S told me since it was my first trip he would give me the "good" bus. I had no problems and I did fine.

This past week there was a JV volleyball game away and since the varsity wasn't going I was told I had to take one of the mini busses. I didn't really mind since I had done it before, but let me tell you this trip did NOT go as smoothly!

First off, they gave me BUS #39...one of the new busses. I thought awesome until I found out it has a alarm system. There are instructions on how to turn the alarm off but they aren't very clear. Needless to say I had the alarm go off 3 times on the trip. Once at NC and twice at SHS. Not only does a small alarm beep, if you don't turn it off in enough time then a car alarm goes off...lights and horns going crazy until you finally can figure out what step you missed and get it turned off. VERY FRUSTRATING!

I think by the 3rd time I had to turn the bus off I got better at figuring out what I had to do in enough time. I did have to take the same bus out on Saturday and I had a much better experience. Lets just hope I don't have to drive the "short" bus too many times because I think the operator is a little overwhelmed when things don't go as planned.

Curbside Capital

2010-08-17T20:28:00.002-04:00

Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale, a tale of my hometown. Logansport, IN population ~19,350 is the place I called home for most of my life. It is a relatively small town, comparable to New Castle in size. Logansport is nothing like it use to be back in the olden days...it was originally a bustling railroad town much larger than Lafayette. It was also a port town, being that it is located on 2 rivers; Eel and Wabash. The city was founded in 1826 by Captain Logan...it was originally named Logan's port, but eventually the name adapted to one combined word.

Logansport is home to the most complete Dentzel Carousel in the United States, the oldest school mascot in the state of Indiana: Felix the Cat, and the very first 4-cylinder automobile engine. The small town has a historic past, but a pretty dismal present and future. Unfortunately it is a vanishing city, but one I will always call home and have great memories of.

For years the community would celebrate its past with an annual Iron Horse Festival to remember the old railroad days. A place I spent many a summer growing up. We have a drive-in theater, 2 car hop hotdog stands, 3 homemade ice cream parlors, 2 homestyle diners, 3 old fashioned barber shops...it is a classic city in present times. The town never really grew up with the times, never changed...it is still embracing its past. That is what I love the most about my hometown. I can always come back and those small slices of Logansport are still there, even when nothing else is.

Summer is never the same without a hotdog from B&K hotdog stand, a milkshake for Sycamore, and a double feature at the Skyline drive-in. Ask any person from Logansport what they like the most about summers in their childhood and they will all say the same. We are a unique breed of people, but we all realize that the small joys of summer are what makes you always come home.

**FOR FUN**

Famous people from Logansport:

-Kenesaw Mountain Landis: First Commissioner of Baseball

-Samuel P. Bush: Patriarch of the political Bush family

-Greg Kinnear: Actor

-Aaron Heilman: Pro pitcher

-Dr. Greg Bell: 1956 Olympic Gold Medalist

-Tony Hinkle: Inventor of Orange Basketball (former Butler coach)

A Taste of the Real World

2010-08-05T15:09:00.004-04:00

Hancock Regional has been the place I call home for the last six weeks. They gave me a taste of the real world, 8am-5pm working 40 hours/wk. The down side...I paid them for my time, but I did get a good education. I had a great Clinical Instructor, CI for short, that taught me the ropes at Hancock Regional.

I worked in the IRU, Inpatient Rehab Unit, which consists of intensive rehabilitation. It is 9 bed unit that requires 3 hours/day of combined therapies: occupational, physical, and speech. There are only certain medical diagnosis that make the requirement for the unit, but trust me..you don't want to know the details.

I had some great patients while I was at Hancock, none of which I am legally allowed to talk about...kinda makes it sound like I am CIA or something. The whole staff I worked with was great, and they all seemed to like me. I really enjoyed my time and may look at Hancock Regional as a place of employment after I graduate.

I am now about to enter into my last semester of course work before my last semester of clinicals. I should find out soon my future clinical destinations and will keep you all posted as I am informed. I am excited to see the end of the tunnel and have a little more than a taste of the real world.

I love being Aunt Emmy!

2010-07-20T19:56:00.005-04:00

I never knew how much fun being an aunt was until about 2 years ago when Karter was born! I just LOVE spending time with him whether it is reading, singing, playing, eating, etc. And then in February I became an aunt again (if that is possible) to Kaden and man he is SOOO sweet! This past Friday they were at my parent's house and I couldn't pass up spending time with the two cutest boys in the whole world (and of course my fun sister-in law Dana). Below are some pics of the day courtesy of my mom.

Karter loves to read and he loves his Elmo. It is so cute when he kisses Elmo throughout the book! It is just so fun when Karter sits on your lap and enjoys every book you read.

After lunch it was time for a nap. Dana told Karter to pick out a good book to read while she got his blanket and his elephant. Karter picked out an "I SPY" book and said "Emmy read it please." How could one resist?!? So I held Kaden and Karter (along with his Elmo backpack) and we read the book together. Let me tell you that boy knows his stuff! He is definitely SO smart for a 2 year old (not that I'm biased or anything)!

Never knew it could be so fun to hold two kids and read a book to them! Aren't they adorable?!? Dana, I admire your patience and how much time you have spent teaching Karter.

Isn't Kaden sweet after a nap...or all the time!!!

Love this little guy!

After naptime it was time to play on the "Toys". Karter loved every second of it!

Thanks Dana for driving over so that I had a chance to spend a day with my two sweet nephews. I just love being Aunt Emmy! Can't wait to spend a week with them at the beach!

Friday Night Fun/Fiasco

2010-07-14T08:02:00.003-04:00

This past Friday Zach had planned for us to go the the Hancock County 4-H Fair. Since we haven't gone in the past 2 summers we've lived in Greenfield I thought it would be a fun free evening. For my Middletown family, it is a combo of the Middletown Fair and the Henry County 4-H Fair...so very trashy in a lot of aspects. The Hancock County Memorial Hospital had a booth so I got to meet some of Zach's coworkers and then we walked around.

Photo #1...do you notice what is in the background?!?

That's right...it's a mechanical bull! You can ride this for $6 but Zach and I passed. I've just never seen one of these before that weren't in movies. Thought it was interesting.

After we had looked around at everything (we weren't into riding rides) I thought we needed a lemon shake up and a lion paw (Lion's Club version of an elephant ear). While we were eating, Kara and Kyler called and said they were headed to Greenfield and thought we could meet up.

So we told them we'd meet them at O'Charley's for dinner and then just come back and watch a movie. Well here is where the fiasco part of the story comes in. I ordered a panini and the waiter brought out a pasta dish (it looked disgusting too). He took it back and then brought out the same thing and said it was a panini...it OBVIOUSLY wasn't. He finally agreed and said he'd bring my order right out. Fifteen minutes later and everyone else finished, I got my meal which I proceeded to take home and eat later!

It is definitely hilarious looking back on it and Zach and I had a great Friday night at the fair and with family! Thanks Kyler and Kara for making our night extra interesting!

Love Hurts

2010-07-12T10:30:00.003-04:00

On Saturday after it stormed for about an hour, our friends Brandon and Amy asked us if we wanted to go to the pool. Zach thought we were crazy but went because I wanted him to go. The water was warmer than we anticipated and had a good time until...Zach got hurt!

Zach was tossing Brandon using his hands as a lift. Everyone has done this before so I never thought it would cause such a painful injury. Zach had his fingers interlocked and when Brandon was launching off his hands, Zach's finger got stuck under his wedding ring and ripped the skin off and pretty deep. The first picture above is of the injury and the second picture is of the skin that was ripped off (gross I know but when we first found it it was wrapped around his wedding ring and I had to take a picture).

I knew I needed to document pictures, so Brandon and Amy helped Zach cover his wound with the first aid kit while I took some pictures with my phone. I knew it must have hurt when I saw Zach's face in the pool but I didn't know it would be as bad as it was.

He's such a trooper but he told me later that "love hurts". He went to the pool out of "love" and the symbol of love, his wedding ring, is what ripped his skin off with. Sorry Zach and I hope it feels better soon!

Yes It's True...I Have A Tattoo

2010-07-09T23:16:00.005-04:00

Last August I did something I never thought I would...I got a tattoo. I had always thought they were interesting, but never something for me. My dad got one many years ago when he was in the service, my brother...he is a living mural (so many tattoos I have lost count). So needless to say my family does not oppose the idea of body art.

I had always said, "If I get one, it will be for a reason." I believe all tattoos, no matter how silly, have a story to the person wearing it. My story is about where I come from and what I believe in... my family.

My dad and I share a special bond, and for awhile talked about getting matching tattoos, but nothing ever came of it. Partially because I was scared and partially because I wanted it to mean something.

My family is the most important thing to me...and my last name is a reminder of where I come from. Whaley may not be the most famous name in history, maybe it is even tarnished in parts of the world, but it is the name I have carried throughout my life. The family crest has 3 black whales, and the name is believed to be traced back to whaling origins. So the whale has always been a symbol of importance to my family. So what better image to carry with me...

The above picture is the whale I now have on my back, it is a humpback whale. I hand drew the picture taking ideas from other pictures I found, until I had something I felt was my personality.

A whale is an important symbol in many Indian cultures and stands for strength and wisdom. The whale is also considered the "great healer" in Indian legend. Whales are also one of the few animals that stays with the same partner for life, and always stays in pods with family. To me that is what I value...strength, wisdom, to be a good healer (physical therapist), and of course a family man.

To tie it all together, my dad and I got the same tattoo. Mine is larger and on my back, my dad's is on his forearm. It is a family bond we will always share, but the whale to me was always about family.

The Silver Bullet

2010-07-08T20:07:00.003-04:00

Here's "The Silver Bullet"! I wish I had a picture or two of it back in its hayday but you'd have to see my mom for those. I had just turned 17 and we were out to get me a new car. I knew what I wanted and even though someone else was about to purchase it, they let me buy it because it was my first "new car". As you can tell, it's not that new anymore!

In November of this year, I will have had my car for 9 years and let me tell you...I'm ready for a new one! It definitely has character though. I have had a cracked windshield for almost 4 years, my air/heat fan for low levels hasn't worked for 2 years, my passenger seat is broken (the springs and the level to adjust it), the trunk doesn't like to close very easily, and my car is starting to rust along the bottom. (See two pictures below..sorry they're not the best because the were taken at dusk with my phone)

This past week was a biggie for "The Silver Bullet". I have never heard of hub bearings but my car needed 2 of them. And if you're wondering they are about $160 a piece...apparently my car has expensive taste! I noticed my car was making very loud roaring noises when I went above 35 mph so Zach and I decided it would be better to take it in then for it to stop working altogether.

Neither one of us like to do these kinds of things, but the cars are "boy jobs" around our house. My loving husband looked around and found a good place and got my car taken care of. It now runs as good as new (or as good as my car can run at its age) and hopefully it can get me through 3 more years! It's been a big part of my life so far and I love "The Silver Bullet" but I won't be sad when it's gone. I need an automatic car (automatic as in windows and doors), a 4 door vehicle, one that Zach is willing to drive, and an armrest that two people can use without touching each other! Until then, "The Silver Bullet" and I will be good friends and hopefully she won't cost me too much more money or hassle!

It's always an adventure!

2010-06-30T10:04:00.003-04:00

Yesterday, I was over helping my friend Amy try on her wedding dress and she asked Zach and I if we wanted to go eat Chinese with her and Brandon. Of course, we couldn't pass that up! There is a place in Greenfield called the Bamboo Garden which we have gone to many times since moving to Greenfield so I thought it would just be a routine trip with nothing special. However, I was wrong.

When you are seated (like most buffets) they take a placemat (those little paper ones that are easily disposable) and your silverware. The man that was seating us was the owner's son and looked like he wasn't suppossed to work but got called in. He was wearing gym shorts, a cutoff t-shirt, and wearing sandals.

When he took us to our booth one of the placemats fell onto the floor. So this man took his foot, moved it over to him, picked it up, and put it back on our table. Now I'm not one to really complain or think this are nasty, but that is just plain DISGUSTING! And it's not like he couldn't go get another one. Thing the really got me was they pride themselves on being clean! It is even on their sign (check out below).

I'm totally grossed out, but still stayed there and ate. But I'm pretty sure they need to change their sign though!

One year from now...

2010-06-21T12:31:00.005-04:00

Today I sent Zach off for his first day of clinicals for the summer and it got me thinking that in one year from now I'll be sending him off to start his first job as a certified physical therapist! The past two years of Zach's schooling has been a learning experience not only for him but me as well. I never knew what a tragus was or an antitragus before knowing Zach and I can go on and on with the knowledge my husband knows. I'm so proud of him and what he has accomplished so far and I know he'll do great when he is finally on his own. As for now, we are paying the money for all of his hard work but I know it is for the best!

Zach told me this morning that this is my "trial run" as a housewife to see if I can do it all before we have kids because it will only get more hectic when we do. I will have no problems keeping myself busy that's for sure!

I'm sure Zach will do a post at the end of the summer on how his clinical went. And since I'm Terry's daughter you know I couldn't let him leave for his first day without a picture being taken so make sure you check it out!

2 years...Not As Scary As An Indiana Summer

2010-06-15T22:11:00.005-04:00

Monday felt like just another normal day in the Whaley household. However it was a special day to us, FLAG DAY and oh yeah...our 2 year anniversary. It had all the makings of an amazing and beautiful day. Below is a picture of the beautiful evening just prior to us leaving for dinner.

Our anniversary tradition is a special date night to a restaurant that neither of us have ever been. This year I chose a fun place in Noblesville called Mudsocks Grill. It is a really nice/upscale version of a Chili's or Applebee's (closest I can compare to). In the 1800's Fishers, Indiana was actually named Mudsocks, Indiana. The name originated from the farmers that left their horses in the fields. When the fields got muddy, the horse would get mud up to their knees, looking like they wore "mudsocks". A little history lesson on the origin of the name.

The meal was delicious and definitely a place I would recommend. They had very good food, but I also believe I had the very best company. It was a great anniversary together...too bad we had to rush home.

Below are pictures of the weather as we got home from our meal. One might say, "A little ominous". It is typical Indiana summer weather.

This is not fog...it really was raining that hard. We had pea sized hail and nearly 2 inches of rain in only about 15 minutes from the start of the storm. Gotta love Indiana in June, but especially June 14th...it is always a great day even if the weather disagrees.

Books, Books...Everywhere!!

2010-06-13T22:55:00.002-04:00

On Saturday I was given the opportunity of a lifetime. My best friend Brandon and his fiancee's family wanted to go to a publisher book sale (all overstock books just $1). It was a sale that couldn't be beat...if you are into that kind of thing. It was such a sale I had no idea what I was getting myself into by agreeing to go along.

We left Greenfield at 6:00am for the book sale in Lebanon, it doesn't "open" to the public until 9:00am, but people actually camp out for this thing so we had to get there early for a great place in line. The weather was HOT and HUMID, not making the warehouse we stood in line at any cooler. I was sweating and miserable by 8:30 and we didn't get to the front of the line to look through the books until 10:00.

Below you will see a picture of the warehouse with their huge inventory of books in the background and the line wrapping through the warehouse. I would estimate they had around 2-3 thousand people at the event in total. As you can see the woman in the picture below is just flat out exhausted from the book scramble.

Ok...so let me explain how this thing works. You wait in line for an hour to be given a box that you write your name on, then you go "book digging". They have pallets of huge boxes of books in no particular order. There is no order to this thing, just total chaos...a free for all. I would describe it as a Walmart's $5 bin on crack cocaine. People dig through all the pallets and fill dozens of boxes of random books then drag them to the sides and "sort" through them. This sorting can take hours I found out. The people we went with are die-hard about this sale. They gave me a book sale education.

The below picture is hard to see, taken on my cellphone, but it is of the free for all book digging. People get creative with their techniques and down right mean about their stacks of books. Some people bought whole pallets of books and others only a few. I felt completely out of place because I only wanted to buy like 5 books and everyone else I was with had 70. I ended the day with a grand total of 18 books in my box for purchasing...most of which were future presents for family.

I have tried to describe this day, but the words to describe it are not there...this book sale was in one word...WOW!!! I mean you just need to see it to fully understand. I am glad I went to this once in my life, but I will NEVER go back. I am still recovering for the chaos. So if any of you receive a book from me in the near future...you now where it came from.

You never know with the Gray's

2010-06-10T21:29:00.005-04:00

One thing I'm sure Zach has learned the past 5 years we've been together is you never know what the Gray's might be up to! I'm sure Dana, Anique, and Kara can all agree with that statement. Whatever it is, everyone ends up having a good time and a lot of laughs are shared. This past Saturday morning was "Chicken Killing Day". I'm sure most people don't understand the importance of this day but I've been doing it since I could reach the table...so probably 3 or 4.

I don't mind helping out because we get some of the profits and who doesn't love fresh fried chicken! Here are some pictures of the day courtesy of the best mom in the world!

Prior the being taken to Grandpa Kenny's dad catches all the chickens and puts them in crates.

Dad and Kyler preparing the chickens for their ultimate fate.

Grandpa Bud has the worst job in my opinion...actually killing the chickens.

Kyler looks super excited right now...who wouldn't want to be cleaning chickens at 7:00 in the morning?!? Where's Kara at?!? Guess she decided not the show up this time.

Don't we look like we're having fun. Zach is quite a trooper and one the only returnees on "Chicken Killing Day".

Nice hands Zach!

Dad, Uncle Kent, and Mom hard at work!

Chickens are done, in the freezer, and ready to be eaten. I'm sure it will take us a couple of weeks to be ready to eat some chicken after a day like that. Thanks mom and dad for sharing with us! For all those interested, next "Chicken Killing Day" will be sometime around July 4th and if you want to help, just let me know and I can get you the full details.

Lia Sophia

2010-06-08T20:37:00.011-04:00

Well lately I've been sucked into a phase of Lia Sophia parties. My friend Leann Buskirk decided to have a party to help her sister-in-law out and ever since then I've been going to parties and this past Friday I had my own (at mom and dad's house...thank you!).

I had about 8 people show up and it was a fun night of laughter, food, and some purchasing of jewelry. Mom decided to photograph the event so below are some pictures that she took. Also, if anyone is interested in some Lia Sophia jewelry, my advisor is Selena Buskirk and you can look her up as well as view a catalog on the website www.liasophia.com.

Overall I had a good time with friends and family! Thanks to everyone that came and/or ordered. You guys are definitely the best.

Change of Plans

2010-06-01T12:02:00.004-04:00

I was on Facebook a few weeks ago and saw I have an old friend from IU that plays on the Fort Wayne Firehawks, an indoor areana football league team. I thought it would be fun, and cheap, to go up to Fort Wayne last weekend for a game. I got tickets and was looking forward to it for weeks. I reserved a hotel room and was all ready to go when I received a call on Thursday of last week saying, "The game has been canceled". It was too late to cancel the room, so we decided to go to Fort Wayne for a date weekend.

On Friday, I went and picked Emily up from work and we were on our way. The first night was uneventful because all Emily wanted to do was nap...I can't blame her, she has been pretty tired lately. After a short nap, we went to my favorite restaurant, Flat Top Grill. It is a create-your-own stir fry place and is connected to a nice outdoor shopping mall. We walked off dinner through the mall, which had a live concert going on...pretty cool. After that we headed back to the hotel to relax, but ended up walking over to a movie theater that was next door. We watched the new Shrek Forever After in 3D (review available upon request).

On Saturday we decided to go to the Fort Wayne Children's Zoo...we were the only adults there without children. Both of us being big kids, we still had a great time. See Pictures Below:

First stop on the trip was the tortoise pen (Emily's favorite). We learned about everything there is to know about these guys from a lovely lady named Barbara. She is know from all around and is a huge hit with all the kids. Barbara is the real attraction here...so sweet and knowledgeable about her job. Sorry I didn't get a picture of this lady, but if you look up the zoo on Facebook, she will be there.

The Kamodo Dragon is what the Fort Wayne Zoo is known for because there are so few in captivity around the world. They are pretty cool with a very long tail. They are extremely venomous so they are housed in a glass case. This was one of my favorite things to see.

Being a children's zoo, there were statues and fun figures everywhere. Here is a larger than life "Mother Goose" watching over her flock. Tons of ducks and geese in the pond (kids can feed them).

I just thought this was cool how the goose was diving for food.

This was my favorite animal of the trip...how cute is it that they are so much like humans that they even wear blankets.

The zoo was actually pretty fun. I took several pictures, but I don't like that they all have cage bars in them. We did go see the Sea Lion show, but no pictures of that...too congested. All and all a good weekend, even though it was nothing like what I had planned.

God Sightings

2010-05-18T12:35:00.002-04:00

Have you ever had something happen to you, either good or bad, where your first instinct is to recognize it as part of God's plan. Yeah, I know...not too often. Recently I have been doing it more and more. Our Sunday School class is on a mission for God sightings, those moments that stand out and show you God is in control.

I think He is the most difficult to "find" in the stressful, bad situations. It is easy to blame Him for not doing things, but to actually find Him in the situation is difficult. I think I never fully understood "God sightings" until yesterday morning. I finally found Him in a bad situation.

Emily's car died...

Emily woke up Monday morning to a car that wouldn't turn over, something we have feared for the last year. It has been starting to show its age, and it is becoming inevitable that it will soon need replacing. We have been trying to hold out until I finish school and we have some extra income. Fearing the worst Emily came inside crying and asking me what to do. In case you don't know me very well...I am NOT someone you would call a mechanic. I know about 6 things you do to a car and that is it...the biggies: oil change, wiper blades, headlights, brake pads, flat tires, and jumping a car. So I was out of my element.

I told her to take my car and we would figure things out when she got home. The first day of my summer vacation and I am stuck at home without a mode of transportation. I went outside after she left to see if I could "expertly diagnose" the car trouble. It was a battery problem, I was actually 100% positive...this one was right inside my wheelhouse. However, I have no idea what drained the battery because nothing seemed to be wrong. So when Emily got home, I jumped her car (go me), and we went to Walmart to get a new battery.

So, where is the God sighting? It was quite possibly the most convenient day ever for her car not to turn on. I didn't have class. I didn't have to leave. It was something easily fixable. It was actually a weird feeling for me...like her battery was intended to die that day. God even has a plan when it comes to a simple car battery. To me, I saw God yesterday...and He is in control of everything.

My History of Illness: A Zach Whaley Final's Story

2010-04-30T08:38:00.002-04:00

As many of you may know, I rarely get sick. In fact I took care of Emily everyday when she had mono and never even developed a cough myself. I guess I just have a strong immune system. Ever since I can remember, the common cold would go around and everyone would be out of school for days...I would get sick and sleep it off in a night. That is just how things were for me. Except at finals time.

I am still tired and coughing from a cold/respiratory nightmare that I came down with last Thursday. But I think I know why...I am cursed. I always get sick at the end of the school year, which in grad school is called finals marathon week(s). I mean I ALWAYS get sick at the end of school. I remember having the chicken pox the first day of summer vacation in 1st grade. I remember getting the flu the 1st day of summer freshman year of high school. I had a cold on 3 of my 4 years during finals in undergrad. I have a cold now, right before finals of what the professors call..."the hardest set of tests you will take in the program".

Oh what luck I have with sickness. I just don't understand it. I guess it could be stress related, but I don't stress over tests. I think my body just knows I am going to enjoy myself soon, so it gets even for the rest of the winter months I was healthy.

I am happy to report that I made it through my week of practical finals with higher than expected scores, so the cold didn't effect my grades. I am also just now starting to feel better as written finals are next week. This year is "the same old finals week, just different tests".

Pictures from Minnesota Trip

2010-04-18T21:31:00.010-04:00

I know this is a little overdue, but the last couple of weeks have been crazy! Here are some pics from my Minnesota trip...all pictures taken by Terry Gray.

Me and my newest and sweetest nephew in he world, Kaden!

Karter loves technology and especially Emmy's phone. And believe me, he knows how to use it and texted Zach quite often!

Giving Aunt Emmy smootches...the best smootches are from Karter!

Karter being silly!

Karter loves to read and I did a lot of reading with Karter

Thanks Karter and Kaden (Kristoffer and Dana too) for a wonderful time up in Minnesota! Can't wait to see my nephews again soon in a couple of weeks. Love you Karter and Kaden, from your favorite Aunt Emmy!

I've Been Working on the Railroad

2010-04-10T23:53:00.009-04:00

So over Spring Break, I was able to have the opportunity to go up and visit with my favorite older brother, my sister-in-law, and the two cutest boys in the world...my wonderful nephews Karter and Kaden! It was no surprise that the two boys were the main reason I went, but I always enjoy seeing Kristoffer and Dana too and catching up on their lives since they live so far away. I'll do a post sometime this week that includes details of what we did and pictures, but I thought I'd do my first video.

Karter loves to sing! Once you get him started he never wants to stop. The first night we were there, mom and I heard Kristoffer and Karter singing "I've Been Working on the Railroad" during Karter's bath time and it was so cute. Over the next couple of days, I sang it a lot with Karter because this is a song he can participate in with me (and also because I don't know that many childhood songs). I hope you enjoy the video and check back sometime midweek for a post on the rest of my trip with mom to the Minnesota Gray's!

Everyone Has Their Own Schedule

2010-04-04T22:31:00.002-04:00

This past week I, Emily, have been on Spring Break. It was a much needed and enjoyable break but I am ready to get back into MY schedule. What do I mean by this?!? Well the older I get, the more I realize I like to do things on MY time and MY way and not other people's. To most of you, this probably isn't a surprise and you think I've liked things my own way for a LONG time!

I do love traveling but everyone does things differently and when you go somewhere you are on their schedule. Well the first schedules that had to accomodate each other were mine and mom's. It is no secret that mom goes to bed early and wakes up early. That wouldn't be an issue except when you're sleeping next to her for 5 days. Zach would much rather stay up later and sleep in until 8:00...yeah a lot different that mom's schedule! Also, mom doesn't like country music, mexican food, or chinese food....all three my favorites...so those are out of the picture on a trip with her! I love traveling with mom and we get along great but it's just adapting to someone else's ways! (And I'm sure she doesn't want to adapt to me either...I think we're a lot alike!)

Then there was Kristoffer, Dana, Karter, and Kaden. It is no surprise that when you are at their house you are on the kid's schedule. I never have to deal with figuring out nap time, bath time, feedings, etc on a daily basis...I just do what I want. Totally an adjustment at first! I'm not really on a schedule over break. I just eat when I'm hungry and do what I want to do when I want to do it. I don't think about how much of an ordeal it is to just go to a store or two. I guess I had a true insight into what having children is like...but I had a blast! Who couldn't love those two adorable boys?!? (I'll do posts later on my visit when I get photos, etc from mom)

After Minnesota, mom and I went to visit Kamaron and Anique in Kansas City. Now, in my opinion, they are the most easy going of all of us when it comes to a schedule. They just seem to go with the flow more and don't plan every detail out. That is great and I wish I could be more like that but I'm kind of a planner and like to know what lies ahead for the day and night at all times. It was great to see them and Anique's new workplace and just catch up on life!

When I got back home I had a day to do my own thing then it was on to celebrate Easter. And with extended family events comes with being on more different schedules and going with the flow. I had a wonderful time over my spring break but I'm glad to do things my way again for a few weeks. Don't get me wrong...I love traveling and spending time with everyone, but the older I get the more I realize I like things MY way!

Check back in the next week of so for more posts to come about my spring break with the Minnesota Gray's!

When The Wife Is Away, The Boys Will Play...

2010-03-28T21:39:00.003-04:00

Sorry for the long awaited post. Our lives seem so uneventful these last few months, same ol' routine repeated day after day. So why post now? Emily is on spring break and I am home alone. Certainly a change of pace for me, but I can't lie...I would much rather be with her right now. She is in Minnesota visiting "The Growing Gray Family", and enjoying time with the nephews. I am stuck here in Indiana going to classes, doing homework, and working on projects (see below).

This has been my idea of fun for the weekend. I built a suspension bowling system for a mentally challenged adult center to help encourage physical activity. It is a project for a community outreach class. I created a simple design and with the help of my friend Brandon we engineered this amazing pin resetter.

All you have to do pull up on the strings and the pins realign and set for the next throw. It isn't all that impressive, but I am quite pleased at how it turned out. I don't do many random projects when Emily is home, so this was a fun "boy activity" for the weekend.

And just to prove it...it is level!!

Emily's Winter Life

2010-03-08T20:47:00.002-05:00

Well to start this off, I am very thankful today that I chose to move to Shenandoah! I knew it was the right move but when I found out today that 13 teachers were getting laid off and I would have been one of them made me feel like I made the right decision even more. God is so good...all the time!

Okay...now onto the post. There will be no pictures but only descriptions of what has been going on in my life the past couple of months. I'm sure most of you aren't interested but for those of you that are, here goes nothing.

I agreed in early November to help coach 6th grade girls basketball. The season was short, they needed me to help out, and the pay was good for the time put into it so I was game. Needless to say the season was VERY interesting. I totally forgot how middle school girls act. All I remember from middle school was crying EVERYDAY because of my brothers and dad making any kind of remark (nice or mean). Well let me tell you after being around middle school girls, I felt really bad for my mom having to deal with me 24/7. It is rough putting up with drama, attitudes, and girls constantly caring about their looks.

However, I did really enjoy the job after getting used to middle school girls. The girls are so willing to soak up your knowledge of the sport and really looked up to me because I was a "state champion". We all know I wasn't the star but these girls have NO clue! It was kinda nice to be thought of as a "legend" to these girls...but also funny knowing the truth.

I've also been really involved with some school activities like being on the handbook committee and having to work on textbook adoption. Somehow I can't say no and I'm wanting to make the best impression possible with my superiors. That has taken the rest of my free time up until practice started about every day. I enjoyed seeing how the school ran and doing things I'm totally unknowledge about.

The weekends have been spent grading, planning, and spending as much quality time with Zach as possible. He has been a great supporter through all of my teaching, coaching, and other activities this winter! Thanks to the best husband in the world...love you Zach!

Well...now it is on to spring! I'm going to enjoy coming home before 5:00 everyday and actually getting "me" time. What an interesting winter to leave behind and I hope you enjoyed my boring recap. Only 14 work days until Spring Break!

Indiana Weather

2010-02-07T17:45:00.027-05:00

Well anyone that knows Indiana knows the weather can change in an instant. A prime example was this past Friday. Thursday was absolutely beautiful. It was in the 30s, sun was out, and hardly any of the snow was left on the ground. If it wasn't for meteorologists, no one would have had a clue we were going to get 6-10 inches of snow in central Indiana.

Friday morning around 10 am, the snow started coming down and it didn't stop until about 6 am the next morning. I got out of school early but Zach was doing a clinical at Methodist hospital in Indianapolis, so he experienced the 'fun' drive home. Saturday morning, we made plans with our friends Brandon and Amy to play in the snow that afternoon. Amy was sick, but Brandon came outside with us. The snow was not packable, so we weren't able to have a snow fight or build a snowman but were did have a good time. Below are some pictures of our apartment complex along with some pictures of the fun we had.

My cute hubby dressed for the cold!

Brandon walking to meet us to go play!

The boys thought it would be fun to throw chunks of ice into the frozen pond.

While the boys played I made a snow angel...

and wrote in the snow!

Brandon with a little help from me thought it would be fun to bury Zach in the snow.

Overall, it was a good hour or so outside together. Who knows with about 5-8 inches of snow coming Monday night-Tuesday morning we might have more snow to play in! Indiana weather is just sooo unpredictable.

Christmas Time...I know WAY overdue!

2010-01-17T19:50:00.013-05:00

Well I realize that Christmas was a month ago, but I (Emily) have been slacking on my posts and I wanted to do one about our Christmas vacation together. So I guess it is better late than never!

The weekend before Christmas Zach and I, as most of you already know, were in the live nativity at our church. We were just locals wandering around as people would drive by and look. It was definitely a rewarding experience and we would like to do it again in the future. Below are a couple of pictures from that night courteous of mom, Terry Gray.

Zach and Emily posing as Bethlehem locals.

Mom and Dad as a Bethlehem local and Wiseman from "afar".

Emily, Zach, and Kyler along with Hannah and Ashley. Hannah and Ashley look like onery angels to me!

Then, on Monday Zach and I headed up to his dad's for a few days to celebrate Christmas. We had a blast together and sorry we don't have any pictures. We baked, ate, opened presents, and just enjoyed each other's company. Thanks Steve and Peggy for such a great week together!

On Christmas Eve, we headed down to Sulphur Springs for the Christmas Eve service then stayed the light at my parents. We celebrated Christmas morning with the Gray's then ate lunch with Kenny and family then dinner with Bud/Lois and family. Needless to say we were exhausted but had a good time catching up with our extended family.

The day after Christmas, we had Myra, Rod, Scott, and Alex to our place for our final Christmas celebration. Myra brought a meal that we shared along with some great presents. It was a good time catching up with everyone from this family as well as we don't get a chance to see everyone as much as we would like.

Zach and I enjoyed the next couple of days together before Kristoffer, Dana, and Karter came down to mom and dad's to visit. We basically spent as much time with them as possible catching up and playing with Karter. It was a great time filled with a bunch of laughs!

New Year's Eve and New Year's Day was spent with the extended Gray family then Zach and I were back to our swing of things. But, we had a great break filled with family times, eating, relaxation, and recuperation. School is back up and running but we'll do our best to keep you updated on the Gray Whale-y's adventures!

Snow Day

2010-01-07T17:48:00.002-05:00

The last few weeks have been very busy, full of family activities and tons of traveling. We were only home for 2 days over the last two weeks= not much time for posting. So today when we woke up...it was perfect, a snow day. I don't go back to school until Monday, but Emily has been back all week. Today she got her first snow day of the school year. We went out to see the snow and this is what we saw...

This is really not beach chair weather...

This is of course just a little dusting, nothing like a Minnesota snow, but enough to cancel schools here in Indiana. It was honestly a good excuse to be lazy, catch up on sleep, and have fun snowed in together. It was one of those bonding days where we played, laughed, and loved each other. I recently bought this kiddie looking game for my new PS3 I got for Christmas because it was said to be a great family game. We both have played it most of the day. I don't think I had heard Emily laugh so hard in long time. She is so funny to watch play this game. I would explain the game, but I really can't...It is very different from all other games.

All and all a fun day of not leaving the house. You really know it's love when you stay inside with that one person all day long, and have the greatest day ever.

Always A Spin Too Late

2009-12-18T18:55:00.002-05:00

As I sit here I am a little disheartened at the fact that I did not receive the Christmas miracle I was hoping for...I did not win Colts tickets. I was very close though. I went to Meijer this afternoon for what they call Blue Fridays. Meijer and Hank FM 97.1 give away 25 pairs of tickets the Friday before every home game during the Colts season. I had never gone before and was just sitting at home not being productive...when I got the idea of trying to win some tickets. I thought it would be a great present for Emily (and me too).

I drove to the giveaway location on E. Washington St. AKA I-40, which runs through Greenfield. It was only a 15 minute drive away. The website said get their early and try your hand, so I was there early at 1:30pm for the event starting at 3:00pm. I was about 30th in line to have a chance at spinning the wheel. As I waited the line really built. By the time the event started, about 300 Colts fans were in line. It was a sight to see.

It was an interesting group of people, definitely someone from all walks of life. I had a few VERY INTERESTING people in front of me, who had no concept of personal space, and loved to talk. I am never one to shy away from people so I politely listened. I learned the life stories of about 5 people in an hour and a half.

As the event started and people spun the wheel, I actually got nervous. You get up there and everyone is staring to see if you win. The first winner of tickets for the day...the man directly in front of me. As for me, I was one space on the wheel away. It was kinda sad at how close I was, so I stayed and went through the line again. I was of course much further away now, but I was pretty sure I would get one more spin. The wheel was about 100 small spaces, like the one on wheel of fortune, with 3 of those spaces giving you Colts tickets. I thought it was worth the wait for a 3% chance for a great night out.

I should have left after the first spin. I waited another 45 minutes for my second chance...redemption. They announce 5 pairs are left as I approach my turn; the woman immediately in front of me wins one of the pairs. As for me, AGAIN...one space away. It was just not meant to be, but it was an interesting experience.

24 hours, 1 car, 2 people= Adventure

2009-12-01T18:13:00.004-05:00

One thing I have learned since being married is that road trips either test your relationship or makes it stronger. Over the last couple years Emily and I have made a few long road trips and in each of those trips we have bonded. We have been lucky and have managed to communicate and have fun in tight quarters. I think it is because we don't just take trips but go on adventures.

Emily is not one to plan out every detail, and I love that about her (most of the time). We left for Minnesota the Wednesday before Thanksgiving with a set of driving directions and that was it. We drove through the night planning our stops around empty gas tanks and stomachs. As we drove through Illinois we were running low on gas and needed a driver change, so we stopped at a Pilot in the middle of nowhere...literally! We each got big drinks, some caffeine, to help us stay awake in the dark backcountry. We later decide we are getting hungry (about an hour from the Pilot) and started looking for a restaurant near the interstate for dinner. Emily wanted Mexican, not the easiest food to find on a highway sign unless you are wanting taco bell.

We saw a sign for "Mr. Salsa's" so we both said lets try it. We are so agreeable. As we take the exit we look around and don't see much in this town. But knowing what Emily wants, I decide to just keep driving and be patient that the restaurant will appear. We drive for about 2.5 miles and get into a small town main street that looks half abandoned. Then all of the sudden, there it was, Mr. Salsa's...inside a bar, a dirty looking bar.

Like I said Emily wanted Mexican, so we actually ate there and the food was pretty good...and yes, they had good salsa. The adventure of finding the restaurant was weird enough, but not this night. As we sat there eating our chips and salsa, this family walks in...that Emily recognizes. A woman and her adorable daughter walk in, the same from the Pilot we got drinks at. Emily was 99.9% certain it was them, but wasn't going to say for sure or ask them to confirm it.

So we both just sat there eating thinking..."What are the odds? That has to be them! Are they from this small town or passing through like us?". I had to know, so when Emily went out to the car as I paid for dinner; I made a detour. I "politely" asked if they happened to be the same people Emily noticed at the Pilot. They confirmed it and laughed, saying "I'm glad we are at least memorable". They told me they just decided to stop here too and they were also traveling for Thanksgiving.

I am still amazed at how we saw the same people in the middle of nowhere twice in one night. We had never meet before, but had a very weird connection that night. Of all the places on that road to eat and stop, we both chose Mr. Salsa's, a place most people would drive right past. It makes me think of how small this world truly is...

The rest of the trip was fun, but less interesting than our chance occurrence. We made it to Minnesota, had a great time, and drove home. The trip was ~24 hours of driving total, but one crazy adventure in whole.

Best Husband Ever

2009-11-17T20:10:00.008-05:00

During the week, one of the worst things for me is trying to get everything done around the apartment. I feel like I already have a lot to do with grading and planning, then to add cooking, doing dishes, picking up, and laundry it just sometimes can be overwhelming! But, I knew with being a teacher that I'd have to take work home so I deal with it.

However, Tuesday and Thursday are the worst because I tutor two students until about 5:00 so I'm not home until 5:45 or 6:00. I know that isn't late but when I'm used to getting home around 4:15 it can make it stressful to get what I want accomplished done before I'm ready to relax for the evening.

Today was a rough day at school with the students being really wound up, then there was a fight outside my classroom which made everything worse. I was not in the mood to come home and be productive. However, Zach had no clue that I had a tiring day but when I came home I came home to this...

Zach cooking dinner!

Zach also had bought me flowers just because...and there were my favorite orange/yellow roses!

Zach also was doing the dishes along the way! What a wonderful way to come home from work! I could not have asked for a better husband who always is willing to make my life easier without even knowing it. This turned out to be a good Tuesday evening for me! Thanks sweetheart!

Sleeping Beauty

2009-11-07T12:42:00.004-05:00

I have got to make this post quick before my cover is blown. Emily wouldn't like me sharing this secret information with you. Emily has a weekend addiction to... SLEEPING, or "daytime napping". I know it's not a crime, but she really does this EVERY weekend. I felt obligated to let you all in on her little dark secret. We sleep in on Saturdays usually until about 9am, so how can she be "soooo tired" by 12:30pm? That is the mystery.

Here is the proof:

This is what she is doing this minute as I write this. Sleeping again!! Can you believe her?

Actually, I can... I may be writing this with humor, but I understand and know she needs this rest. I give her a hard time about sleeping every weekend, but as you can see, I usually don't wake her. She is hard working and does so much for me during the week. She works with teenagers everyday... which should be enough to entitle her to a nap on its own, but she also helps cook, clean, and helps me with everything. The weight of the week adds up and by the weekend she just needs to lay down.

So, she may sleep a lot on the weekend, but she does so much during the week I have to let it slide. I guess in some ways I married famous... I married my "Sleeping Beauty".

Behind The Masks

2009-10-31T14:34:00.008-04:00

Tonight many people will be putting on costumes, face paint, and even masks. Here in the United States it is only acceptable on one day of the year, but in many other countries and cultures it is very common. So common in fact, mask carving and dressing rituals have become almost an art...an art that I greatly appreciate and have begun to collect.

Many of you may know I collect tribal handmade masks and that I enjoy the stories behind them. I thought today would be a great day to share my interest with others and show off my odd collection.

This mask was my first. My mom got it for me several years ago while on a cruise to the tropics. She thought they were interesting and got a mask for me and my brother. She bought this one in Barbados. The funny thing is that this mask is the one that started my collection, but the one my brother got was actually the one I thought was the coolest.

This mask is one of my favorites that I own. A special person (Emily) got it for my while on her spring break cruise a couple years ago. She searched for several days to find me the right one. I am very lucky she supports my collection.

I would say this one is my absolute favorite mask because of the colors and detail. It is very special to me because Terry (my mother-in-law) got this for me on her latest trip to India. It is only fitting to get an elephant mask from India.

This mask is interesting because the designs are stimpled on with dots of paint. I received this mask as a gift from Kim and Terry (parents-in-law) from their trip to Australia, New Zealand, and Tahiti.

I like this one because it is the first international mask I bought myself. I got it in Jamaica on our Honeymoon. The man I bought it from looked like the mask. I thought it was unique and definitely unlike any of the other ones I had.

This is my newest mask with the least exciting story. I got it last summer on vacation in Emerald Isle. It was at a gift shop and I wanted a new mask for the collection. It is part of my "American Mask Collection"

This is another mask that fits the American category. I also got this in Emerald Isle, but it hold the most meaning to me of all my masks. I got this the summer I proposed to Emily on vacation. It is an everyday reminder of the vacation; the greatest of my life.

These masks are used as decorations, but to me mean so much more. Each one has its own story, and most of the masks were made by hand and are completely unique. I don't wear too many masks these days for Halloween, but I have a few if I ever want to.

It's hit the Whaley's...H1N1

2009-10-20T16:38:00.008-04:00

On Friday at school, I developed a cough but didn't think much of it since I seem to always get sick during the school year here and there. Nothing ever big...just something that last a couple of days then comes back later. The students seems to ALWAYS have some sickness they are just willing to spread around.

Saturday I woke up feeling a little off, but by after lunch I felt miserable. I was aching, had a fever, couldn't get comfortable, would be sweating one minute then be freezing the next, and my cough got worse. I tried taking multiple baths to make me comfortable, tried taking Advil and NyQuil, but nothing seemed to help. I went to bed that night and only slept about 3 hours of which were on the couch.

Sunday morning I knew there was no way I was going to church and after my shower I told Zach I had to go see a doctor. I felt awful...worse than I ever felt with any other sickness including mono. So Zach being the amazing husband that he is told me he'd drive me to a clinic. We drove around Greenfield but NO place was open until noon. I told him I couldn't wait that long so he went into the CVS in Greenfield and asked if they knew of a place that was open now. The nice ladies told him that there was a Minuteclinic in a CVS in New Palestine so Zach got in the car, turned the heat on full blast (he was miserable because he was so hot), and drove to New Pal.

I have been to urgent care places before and knew it would take a while but since this was called a minute clinic I thought it might be quicker. Boy was I wrong! We arrived and signed in on the sheet around 10:45 am. I was 9th on the list. We didn't get seen until 1:05 pm. Apparently this clinic had just received the H1N1 vaccine and parents were trying to get their kids vaccinated before they ran out. We were also informed that being 16th wasn't being very far down on the list!

I tried to be patient, but after an hour I was tired so Zach said I could go lay in the car while he waited and would text me when I was 2nd on the list. Isn't he the best!?! When I finally got called in the lady asked me a bunch of questions, told me I had the flu, and said that I looked good for a sick person (ha!). I could have had been officially tested for the H1N1 but she told me that she hasn't had anyone test for anything other than that and since the test was $120, Zach and I just took her word for it.

She told me some over the counter stuff I could take, prescribed me some cough medicine, and sent me on my way. Zach was a great trooper but told me he couldn't take care of me this week because he had midterms and didn't want to get it himself. So I decided to call mom and dad to see if they'd let me stay with them. Of course, they are the best and mom agreed!

My only complaint so far is that when I woke up on Monday morning and was laying on the couch, mom thought it'd be funny to take pictures of me then laugh. They are kind of funny so I'll post some of them but don't laugh too hard.

Don't I look healthy?!?

After I was coughing...mom thinks she's so funny!

This is mom's favorite one. She said I wasn't opening my eyes so I did this time.

Well to finish my story, I have the H1N1 virus, can't go to work all week, Zach was the best this weekend, and mom dad have cared for me like I was a little kid again. I am finally feeling better and plan to head back home tomorrow night or Thursday morning.

Christmas in October

2009-10-11T21:48:00.005-04:00

For Christmas this year, Zach and I decided we would just get each other a nice big television instead of buying little gifts. I made some extra money this year with coaching volleyball and I thought it'd be a nice purchase which Zach would love (and he does by the way!). So on Saturday after my volleyball tournament, I went and borrowed mom and dad's vehicle since we knew neither one of our vehicles would work and headed off to Costco.

Brandon and Amy (really good friends who live in our same apartment complex) wanted to go look at furniture so we said we'd have plenty of room if they wanted to join us. We knew what we wanted and it would take no time at all. Oh was I wrong...

We walked into Costco and found the television we had looked at and wanted from searching the internet. But we thought we'd look at all the deals just in case something changed our mind. Zach saw and fell in love with a 50 inch LG plasma tv which was about $200 cheaper and also bigger than the tv we looked at before. We got a sales associate to come help us lift it, paid for it, and went to leave. Only one problem, the tv didn't fit into the vehicle with all four of us.

We had to decide what to do because nothing was going to work. So I decided Zach and Brandon would take the tv to our apartment while Amy and I walked around Castleton. And now my adventure begins. What was suppossed to be a quick fun trip turned into a funny afternoon.

Amy and I walked down the road and NONE of the roads had sidewalks. Guess everyone drives around this area. Our first stop was JoAnn fabrics. We walked around to get ideas about Christmas ideas, etc. The following stop was Rooms Express. Apparently they just opened and were having really good sales. Needless to say, we toured the ENTIRE place and tried out many coaches, chairs, beds, etc. Well that took about 30 minutes.

Still about 45 minutes to go...what's next. Well nothing esle besides a rug store was on this side of the road, so we thought we'd adventure to the other side. We waited our turn for the light but it was definitely NOT long enough. We ran across the street to Pier 1 Imports and then went to The Room Place. Now the latter was a little creepy. The sales associate was a little overwhelming and found us WHEREVER we went! Oh the stories we can tell.

This was a pumpkin man trying to get people to come shop at Halloween USA. This is as close as we got.

Finally, Zach and Brandon come back to get us and we head to one more place. Ashley's Furniture in Carmel and then dinner. At dinner we realized we would need a new tv stand since our old one couldn't hold it. Best Buy it was...the main condition...it had to fit in the vehicle! It barely did and we got the one we wanted. What a Saturday! Unforgettable and definitely a time to look back upon. We love the new tv and I guess it was worth all the trouble. Merry Christmas to us!

Not the best picture but this is our new tv with the tv stand...Superbowl party at our place this year!

A Man Named Hedge

2009-10-05T22:25:00.004-04:00

It never fails whenever I go to mom's house someone always stops by when she isn't there and usually wants to buy eggs. This time, however, the person wanted honey. And this wasn't just any person...this was Hedge.

This older man, who reminded me A LOT of Grandpa Bud, wanted to buy some honey. I didn't want this man to have to come back so I went inside, found how much it cost after calling mom, and sold him a jar of honey. You think the story should end there, but that is just where it begins.

After I gave him his honey, he meticulously counted out 5 one dollar bills. He then proceeded to ask me how long this house had been there. He remembered when it was an orchard and Albert Myers (sp?) owned a house across the street. That was before I was even thought of...so over 25 years ago.

He went on to tell me all about him. His name was Hedge, he was born around this area in 1939, graduated from Sulphur Springs High School, got married in 1957, and moved away with his wife. His wifed died 7 years ago and since he still had a plot of land on 600 N he thought he'd come back to the area. He told me it just "feels like home".

I definitely agreed with him and I went on to explain that I came back to teach at Shenandoah where I graduated from and grew up. Well believe it or not, Hedge was a teacher and then an administrator at Muncie Southside High School. He also wasn't shy to tell me that schools have changed and students are much worse. So true but he is definitely old school.

I thanked him for buying the honey and he continued to talk about how his doctor told him local honey will help with his allergies. He saw mom and dad's house as he was driving by one day and thought this would be perfect. I agreed and then we said our goodbyes. He asked me for my name, my parents' name, and then said again his name was Hedge and it was good to meet me.

I have never met a man named Hedge before today, but let me tell you he was a very interesting man. I'm glad I went to visit mom today after school or I would have never had this opportunity! I only wish I could have taken a picture of him...but I think that would have been a little awkward.

Time with Auntie Em

2009-09-27T20:38:00.010-04:00

When Dana and Karter were here last week I took every opportunity possible to come and spend time with Karterman at Grandma T and Papa's house. He is too cute and has changed SO much since Kamaron and Anique's wedding in August. He can say some words, answers yeah to EVERY question, gives smootches, never slows down, and LOVES his Auntie Em and Uncle Zach (we're his favorite of course!). The following are some pictures that Grandma T took over Karter with his aunt and uncle. Hope you enjoy!

After his afternoon nap on Saturday, his Auntie Em dressed him and of course we had to smile for the camera!

Karter with his favorite aunt and uncle after church on Sunday!

On Wednesday, after work, I came over to see Karter (and Dana) one last time before they leave. We won't get to see them again until Thanksgiving so I was trying to soak up my time with the little guy. He even came to watch me coach the volleyball team that night (even though we lost).

Bye bye Karterman until we see you in Minnesota. Uncle Zach and Auntie Em love you and will miss you (Kristoffer and Dana too)!!

Closest Thing We Have To A Child

2009-09-22T20:31:00.003-04:00

As many of you may know, we have a one year old Yorkshire Terrier named Peyton. Grandma Lois House asked us to post some pictures of him, and we can't let her down. Peyton is our family's closest thing to a child for the next few years...he's our trial run. He is only about 5 pounds with a golden head and "blue" body hair. I swear it's really called blue hair even though it is black/gray.

We think he is really cute, but not as cute as a baby. He will do for the time being though. Zach has had several Yorkies growing up, but none as well behaved as Peyton. We really lucked out with him. He is the only Yorkie we have ever met that never barks. He whines when he needs to go out or wants attention, but never truly barks. In case you don't understand the magnitude of this, just visit a house that has a "normal" Yorkie.

Below is a picture of Peyton when he was just a little puppy. He was about 2.5 lbs in this picture. A Yorkie typically weighs around 2-7 lbs depending on the lineage. Peyton is fully grown at 5 lbs.

Around our house Zach takes care of Peyton. He walks him, feeds him, and cleans up after him (just like a dad). Zach does a majority of the work for him, but guess who Peyton likes to spend his time with...Yes, you guessed it, Emily. Most nights you can find Peyton curled up in a ball resting on Emily's legs wrapped in a blanket. For the most part he is a lazy dog, who isn't territorial, and very passive.

The American Kennel Club's description of Yorkshire Terriers is: brave, determined, investigative, and energetic. The Yorkshire Terrier breed is very hostile towards other dogs, growling and barking at them. They are surprisingly brave dogs for their size.

Our description of our Yorkshire Terrier is: passive, lazy, investigative, and loving. He has never found a dog he doesn't like or wants to play with; licking and sniffing them before ever growling. He knows his role in life and lays down when approached by a larger dog. I swear he is 100% Yorkie, but I think he was bred with a cat somewhere down the line. He is more kitten than puppy. We love our dog, especially because he is the best of his breed.

A couple interesting Yorkie facts:

1) Yorkies have hair very similar to that of humans, making them hypoallergenic. They need to be groomed similarly to a human with long hair.

2) Yorkies are an English breed of dog that was bred over many years to gain their particular attributes. They were desired by the lower classes for their small size and investigative behavior. They were commonly used to enter small spaces and flush rats out of holes and walls in the 1800's. In present day society they are sought after by the rich and famous for their cute looks and petite size.

HCPCC Walk for Life

2009-09-13T20:40:00.013-04:00

This weekend Zach and I have the privilege to walk in the Henry County Pregnancy Care Center's (HCPCC) Walk for Life. For those of you that don't know about the HCPCC, it is a non-profit organization that helps out women/families in need of pregnancy tests, formula, diapers, clothing, etc. The majority of the women that come to the center are single moms who cannot afford much of anything.

It is a Christian organization that my mom has been a part of since I can remember. Although she has held many positions, her job currently is to counsel women who come in on Mondays and need pregnancy tests or other things. She really enjoys her time there and looks forward to going to volunteer her time. I am sure that mom does an excellent job as she really feels for the children involved with these families. She is a very caring person who is always the first person to lend a helping hand if asked, and I'm sure the women in need that come to the center feel comfort in having my mom as their counselor for the afternoon.

Mom had asked us to walk and although we didn't have any sponsers besides our donation, we were glad mom invited us along to walk for her team. The team consisted of Zach, myself, mom, and Peggy (one of mom's good friends). It was a mile walk around Baker Park in New Castle followed by a small breakfast. The following are some pictures that Zach took of the walk...we didn't get too many as mom took enough for EVERYONE there!

This is my wonderful husband taking a picture of me as we wait for the walk to start!

The small group of people there while we were waiting on mom and Peggy to get there. There ended up being about 200 walkers but this only shows a small portion.

This is what mom did for the majority of the time before that walk started....so Zach thought it only appropriate to photograph mom!

Mom and Peggy talked the whole walk...imagine that!?! Zach and I followed and discussed their gait which I think we will leave undiscussed on the website.

Overall our Saturday morning was a fun filled time of fellowship in support of a great organization and we are already looking forward to next year's walk!

The Brain Game

2009-09-07T11:35:00.003-04:00

I have now completed a total of three weeks of neuroanatomy with the med students at IUPUI, and have passed my first exam. It is a never ending job of studying. It is one of the most interesting, yet mind-blowing subjects I have even taken. The below picture is one that came up in a google search and I had to laugh...it captures my life. The rest of the post may give you insights into the life and times of a neuro student, but always remember the kitten picture.

This is one of my textbooks, the small one. It is the atlas of the brain with tons of pictures and diagrams. I like pictures for studying because the lectures make you drag your jaw across the ground. I can actually say a few lectures made me listen with a "dumbfounded stare". They are good lecturers, but too smart for their own good OR mine. The other text for the class are course packets. They are preprinted versions of the lecture notes that fill a 2 inch binder per half semester. It comes down to only about 50-60 slides a class/about 25 pages of notes per class period. Did I mention the class is 60 minutes a day, 5 days a week? I am not the math expert in the house but I am pretty sure that is a slide a minute...good pace for detailed diagrams.

Here is just one basic CT image we get to learn. By the end of the semester I should know every square inch of the picture, but I really don't want to. Just so you know the center black areas are the lateral ventricles, the largest ventricles of the 4, where a large portion of cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) is stored. The CSF is made in the cornoid plexus which are stored in the ventricles. This is a very common image that is used to diagnose many head conditions and to look at the levels of CSF.

This picture shows all of the 12 cranial nerves. The cranial nerves serve many different essential functions to survival and perceiving the outside world. For example the the optic nerve helps with vision, the olfactory nerve serves as your sense of smell, and the vagus nerve (my favorite) is the nerve that allows us to breathe because it innervates the diaphragm. The 12 nerves are named and numbered so people commonly remember them by using a pneumonic. The nerves in order with starting letters are: OOOTTAFVGVAH, which to me means: Oh, Oh, Oh, To Touch And Feel Very Green Vegetables AH. I know it doesn't make much sense but it helps me remember. I chose to use the PG version of the pneumonic, but there are other vulgar ones that many others use and didn't feel would be appropriate for such a post. It just goes to show everyone has their own way of remembering difficult things.

I want to finish this post by instilling a little neuro knowledge upon all of you who are reading this. It is an interesting fact I learned. Heroin the highly addictive opiate based drug is actually less potent than morphine. Morphine is created by the breakdown of the inactive heroin. So why is heroin then more addictive and abused than morphine? Heroin is able to cross the blood brain barrier 70 times better than morphine, meaning more heroin gets to the brain and converts to morphine than a straight morphine injection would for the same dose. A less potent drug is therefore more potent because of how it works in the body. I thought it was cool and interesting, but then again I enjoy the class.

I now know how I learn, but don't know if that really helps me with neuroanatomy. I guess I need to build a few more glial cells. HAHA...neuroanatomy joke, I guess you needed to be there.

Who wouldn't want me as their teacher?!?

2009-08-30T21:36:00.006-04:00

So...first of all we apologize for not updating the website earlier than this. However, I have been VERY busy the past week with not only school but also volleyball. I realize this is no excuse but I chose sleep and lesson planning over posting on the website. I'll try to do better in the future...

Moving jobs/schools was definitely a good choice for me as I have really enjoyed my time thus far. The worst part of teaching in my opinion is the decorating of the classroom. I don't have must creativity and I lack motivation. It is just something I DO NOT enjoy. This is where Zach comes in. He is such a good support system AND he willingly helps decorate my classroom every year. The first picture is the before and the following 3 are pictures of my room now.

Zach's creativity at work...doesn't it look wonderful!

The only thing I take care of arranging...my desk. I try to keep it clean but as you can tell it needs some work!

Friday after teaching. Who wouldn't love to be in my classroom as a student?!? Doesn't this look like the best classroom in the school?

With the first few days of school down I have realized I have lots of good classes and students. However, one of my classes is just way over the edge. They constantly have stories, excitement, and they LOVE to get me off task. But they always get homework so I don't seem to mind because who doesn't love laughing at the end of the day.

One student in particular always makes me laugh. She is short, has a good sense of humor, and always "mothers" everyone in class. Her feet don't touch the ground and she swings them as she listens in class. Although the students and myself give her a hard time, she always gives one back to us and I laugh the whole time. She is pretty witty for a 4'8" senior girl....and she loves her Ricker pop! Oh such a good time...

School and volleyball monopolize my time, but I'll try to update again as soon as possible!

2009-08-17T21:30:00.003-04:00

Are you ready for some football... Here are a few of my favorite pics from the game, with a little commentary.

Running out onto the field

The Vikings started the game on offense. The Colts made a few plays, and also let up some points. The Vikings started out the game with a TD and finished the game with a total of 13 points.

When the Colts took over on offense they struggled. The line couldn't hold anyone and the defense was blitzing. I had a few pictures of Manning being sacked, but they were too sad to show. The one highlight was the play of the RBs. Both backs looked great and appears we will have a solid running game this year.

They tried out a new place kicker for the game. He made one of 2 attempts and put up the Colts only 3 points. The backup kicker does not have much power (missed a 44 yarder by about 3 yards short) so lets hope Vinateri stays healthy.

The new punter has power... he is no Hunter The Punter, but I think he will do.

Manning only played 6 snaps, I think we will play better if he sees a few dozen more a game.

I will leave you all with an image of what I expect to be a staple around Colts Nation for much of the season. Until next kickoff...Go Colts!!!

It's Good To Be A Colts Fan

2009-08-16T21:32:00.002-04:00

We recently had the chance to go to see the Colts in their preseason home opener game on Friday August 14, 2009. It was the Colts vs. Vikings, Manning vs. Peterson...or the battle of the second strings, but it was still an awesome game. It was awesome thanks to the great parents/parent-in-laws we have here in Colts country. Kim was able to get us tickets through Anthem for their box seats. I know, great way to start football season right? You don't know the half of it...amazing.

*The great family that brought us to the game...Thanks Kim and Terry, love you guys!!!*

*The amazing view of the field*

We liked (loved) the seats...

and the food

So, the Colts didn't have the greatest game in the world. We lost 3-13 and Manning was sacked in 3 of his 6 snaps, but it is only preseason. It was still the greatest game I have been to for any sport. I think it was the mix of great scenery, great family, and amazing food. We are truly blessed to have had such an amazing opportunity, and the family to share it with.

I am planning a future post of the game action shots I took in the next couple of days, so more details are to come. I captured some really fun action shots I think everyone can enjoy.

30 Years In The Making

2009-08-11T12:38:00.008-04:00

So I recently spent the last few days with my dad and 9 of his old navy buddies. They got together again after 30 years of not seeing each other. Oh the stories they had to share. I wanted to go along just to see if all of my dad's stories I heard growing up were true. I needed witnesses to the so called crazy antics of his military days. Turns out his stories were true, and he even left some good ones out that he couldn't remember but others could.

The above picture is my dad in a cut-out at the Naval Museum in Norfolk, VA where he was stationed. The bubble in the picture says he is a storekeeper, the position my dad held on his ship. He was on the USS Edenton, a salvage ship, that was deployed from the Amphibious Base in Norfolk. He was in service for a total of 4 years and was happy when he finally got out. As happy as he was to get out, he did make some great friends.

The above picture is of a 3 masted schooner that we took for a tour of the Naval Bay and the ships that were docked in the harbor. Below are some of the ships.

When all the guys got together the chaos began. These guys are crazy, but honestly some of the nicest, caring, and insightful men I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. I walk away from this trip with wisdom given from men who have tried it all and learned life the hard way...

It was a trip I will never forget. I learned about my dad's Navy days and met the men who helped make him who he is today. These guys all became men together while on that ship, but many stayed boys at heart. They shared a bond I may never fully understand, but have to respect and appreciate.

I also learned what NAVY means... Never Again Volunteer Yourself (I thought it was funny).

Saturday August 1st...oh what an adventure!

2009-08-06T21:16:00.002-04:00

I wanted to give myself time to settle down from this past weekend and get school started with before I gave my two cents on the wedding weekend. As most of you know, one of my younger brothers Kamaron got married this past weekend to the love of his life Anique. They both looked very happy together and I wish them the best as they start their lives together in Kansas City!

What was meant to be just a fun day where I could celebrate, turned into an adventure to say the least. My job on Saturday was to drop Zach off at the church at 10:15 for pictures so that I could meet Imogene to get the cake set up at the reception hall. When I arrived at the church, I was in a very good mood. Then I found out that plans had changed slightly as I found out I was going to have to go to the Union first to meet Dana to get the key. I was suppossed to already know this but somewhere it was lost in translation. But no big deal... I had plenty of time....until....

I went into the men's bathroom (since the women's was occupied by Anique and her bridemaids) with Zach so he could help fix my dress and when Zach was zipping it up the zipper got off the track and got stuck. After hearing "oh no" I tried not to freak out but when I figured out what happened I wasn't too happy. So I took off the dress and tried to fix it myself. When I got really frustrated because I couldn't, I asked/cried/got angry with Zach to get my mom. There I am in the men's bathroom with no dress on but a tank top, underwear, and dress shoes (quite comical looking back on it). Well after mom looked at the dress, we figured out that there is nothing that could be done except sewing me up...with a small sewing kit...not gonna happen!

Well with the back on my dress completely open, my "bite me" underwear, and no sweater I had NO CLUE what I was going to do. But even though I was getting hysterical, mom stayed calm and safety pinned me, gave me her sweater, and sent me off to Kohl's to find a new outfit so I can be back to the church in less than an hour for pictures. This is totally going to happen (haha)!

Well Zach drove me to Kohl's (keep in mind he is completely dressed to the T all ready for pictures while I am basically hanging out of the back with only the tops of my underwear showing). We were on a mission. Zach was a real trooper and we looked for every dress that I could wear a regular bra with and were in my size. Then I went for a skirt and top option which turned out to be the best. But there was still a problem...my shoes I brought were brown and my new outfit was black.

So we headed to the shoes area where we looked at EVERY SINGLE black dress shoe and couldn't find a single 9 or 9.5. Actually there was nothing bigger than a 7. So I settled on a flip flop that kind of matched my outfit (not really but it was the best I could do). Then it was time to check out where I paid WAY TOO MUCH for the outfit but what was I to do.

The checkout lady was about as slow as they go and said she liked the outfit I had chosen but liked my dress better and that I should just wear it. This was immediately after I told her that my zipper broke. We made it out of the store, I cheered up, left mom an interesting voicemail, and headed back to the church. Luckily Zach didn't miss any pictures, but I felt awful because I missed the cake and mom had to miss Kamaron and Anique's first sighting. Needless to say, my Saturday morning was eventful. The rest of the wedding went well and reception was crazy at first but once we started dancing it was all in the past. At least I can tell you this...I have MANY memories from this wedding that I'm sure I'll laugh on a lot and will never forget. Thanks Zach and mom for everything! (Sorry I have no pictures of the wedding/reception to share!)

Almost Back to Normal

2009-08-03T16:32:00.002-04:00

Sorry it has been so long since we've posted but last weekend was crazy to say the least. But with vacation over, the wedding over, and it is now August, it is time to get back to "normal". Today I started jump start at the school and also had 2-a-days for volleyball. So my work schedule will be from 8-3 til the end of May (minus school vacations). Summer was awesome but I'm always glad when things get back to normal. So as school is about to start back up, I'm wishing the best not only for Zach and myself but also for everyone else out there! I'll try to post again this week once I get my classroom decorated so you can see where I'll be teaching this year!

New Place - Final Part (3)

2009-07-27T09:44:00.012-04:00

Okay...so I have drug it out long enough. We have finally had our first visitors last Saturday so our place is no longer a mystery. Thanks Mom, Dad, Kyler, and Kara for coming to check it out! Here is the last pictures of the new place.

This is from our small deck/patio looking at the inside of the apartment and also at the storage unit.

This is inside our storage unit. As you can tell, we filled it up pretty well!

At the end of our small hallway is our bedroom. This is as you look in the door.

View # 2 for the bedroom. The back white door is our closet (I'll spare you the picture!).

And last but not least...the bathroom. This is looking in through our door.

This is the second view of the bathroom. Okay...that's our new place drug out in as many posts as possible. I promise my next post will be about something new and exciting...okay...probably not but I'll try!

New Place - Part 2

2009-07-24T21:23:00.010-04:00

Here is another step into our Bluestone Apartment. Just because I'm posting these pictures doesn't mean you shouldn't come over and check it out yourself! We love visitors!!!

When you walk in from downstairs we have a coat closet. As you can see, we have decorated the stairwell with Zach's collection of carved masks.

At the top of the stairwell is a built in desk...which we refer to as Zach's desk. This is where he keeps his computer and important school stuff. It was a very nice addition to the apartment!

Just around the corner is our little dining room. A lot of the time we eat in the living room together, but it is nice to have there. Right now it is collecting my school stuff to prepare for Jump Start at SHS.

And this is where we have spent a lot of time so far...the living room. We have a bookcase on the left side which isn't visible in the picture you can see everything else. We have enjoyed having 2 couches (thanks Grandpa Kenny) and love spending time together relaxing in the living room!

Stay tuned for the final part in our apartment tour tomorrow. I know how to drag it out and keep you suspensful..ha!

New Place

2009-07-24T10:57:00.014-04:00

Zach and I decided awhile ago that we were going to move into another apartment. We were tired of the old place and wanted a change that would fit us better. We downsized to a one bedroom but it has more square footage and we can actually enjoy all of the space our apartment has to offer. It is a brand new apartment complex and we are the first residents in this unit which is an extra bonus. The next few posts will be pictures of our new place starting with the kitchen and laundry room for those of you that are curious!

This is what you would see after you walk up the stairs and make a left. We have lots of storage space and a nice basic oven/stove.

This is the other side of the kitchen. My two favorite parts are the double basin sink and that I can see the living room while doing dishes.

So...this is a little different but behind this curtain is our laundry room. It might be a little unclassy but we didn't know what else to do that would be as cheap so we used a curtain rod and one curtain to make a "door" to separate the kitchen and laundry/pantry.

This is directly behind the curtain. Zach bought and hung up those shelves for me so we have more storage for food. Isn't he just the best husband!?!

This is directly to the right. That cabinet was in our old place and we moved it here and then Zach hung more storage for food on the other wall.

Then on the left is our washer and dryer that Steve bought for us as an anniversary gift. And as you can see...I've filled up the shelving too!

This is the kitchen and laundry/pantry rooms. Stay tuned tomorrow for some more pics of the new apartment!

New Obsession

2009-07-23T16:19:00.006-04:00

Okay...we have a confession to make. Emily and I are officially obsessed with the TV show LOST. We made the decision at the start of the summer to give the series a try with season one. After testing the "waters" we fell in love with the story of the 42 surviving Oceantic 815 passengers.

Lost follows the lives of the 42 survivors from Oceantic Flight 815 that crash landed on a deserted island in the South Pacific. It is an elaborate story with several twists and turns showing how every character is interrelated without them knowing. Every survivor has something special to provide to the group and helps in piecing the the story-line together as they learn about each other. The passengers gradually discover that the island is unique and holds many secrets. We both love the show because it has something for each of us; gun fights, secret monsters, a top secret organization, psychological mind games, love stories, several deaths, and a few births.

We have now watched the first three seasons and are in the process of finishing season four, which will be complete in the next 2 days. We watch around 4 one hour episodes a night and that is if we are busy. You can get "Lost" in the show only to realize you have watched 3 of the 6 discs of a season in a single night. It is a good thing we chose to catch up during the summer and not during the school year. Season 4 is the last season available on DVD until December 8th. It is now a given that we will get season 5 and be finished in time for the start of the 6th and final season in January.

Emerald Isle Vacation

2009-07-22T08:15:00.016-04:00

Wow...what a week! Last week Zach and I (along with my mom, dad, Kristoffer, Dana, Karter, Kyler, and Kara) headed down for a week of relaxation and seafood at the beach. Since Zach and I have been together, we have never drove down with our parents but instead have driven straight through. It was nice to be able to relax and not have to drive the whole way down. But finally on July 13th we arrived...have you ever seen anything more beautiful than this!

I love being able to look out at the God's awesome creation and feel so small in comparison. I also enjoy taking naps on the beach, reading a book or two, and taking walks with Zach.

But...one of the best things this year at least for me was watching how much Karter loved the beach! He was not afraid of the ocean and loved every single minute he spent down there. These next few pics are of Karter with his parents Kristoffer and Dana.

Karter playing with mommy (Dana) while Daddy (Kristoffer) cleans the sand off.

Kristoffer and Karter playing in the water!

We had a great week of beach time and I hate that we had to come back to the 'real' world, but you can't stay at the beach forever. Thanks mom and dad for an awesome week!

Vacation Time!

2009-07-10T22:35:00.008-04:00

One of the last things Zach and I had to do before vacation was to take Peyton (our dog) to Steve and Peggy's house. Since we were going up there we decided we would play a round of golf and go out to dinner with them before heading home. This is Steve (Zach's dad) and Peggy (his girlfriend).

Zach and I at dinner...man don't we look attractive after golfing!

Thought we needed another picture...this is the place where Steve and Peggy have a membership to go golfing. It is a par 3 course which is perfect for Zach and I. I don't have any pics of the course though...sorry!

Now...just have to finish the last minute packing. Emerald Isle...here we come!!! That means probably no more posts until after vacation unless there is a rainy day (which I hope there isn't)!

Kansas City Trip

2009-07-07T13:44:00.000-04:00

This past Thursday Zach, Anique, and I loaded up the car and headed out to Kansas City to visit Kamaron over the holiday weekend. He had Friday, Saturday, and Sunday off so we thought it would be a great visit full of fun and adventures. It was quite the trip and here is a summary of what we did along with a few pictures to go with it.

In our way out to visit Kamaron, we got stuck in traffic in St. Louis. It just happened to be right at the arch, so we were able to capture a picture or two while we waited about 30 minutes only barely moving...

As soon as we arrived in KC, we went straight to go see where Kamaron works. Hallmark Cards was an interesting place as was the visitor center and the Crown Center.

The "traditional" shot of Kamaron at his desk which was very clean and organized with LOTS of Hallmark Cards!

After we checked out the workplace, we went and ate at the 13th place in world to eat before you die according to Men's Health Magazine, Oklahoma Joe's. It was definitely delicious and I have a good appreciation for Kansas City BBQ. After eating, we went to Kamaron and Anique's apartment, relaxed, and watched a movie. Thursday was a lot of fun!

Friday was full of lots of activities as Kamaron had an agenda written out for the whole weekend! Our first stop was Union Station where we were able to see one of the biggest train stops in the United States.
After Union Station, we were off to the Atkins-Nelson Art Museum. The best part, was the sculpture garden outside. The shuttlecocks were our favorite!

Then to top off a good day, we went to a Royals/White Sox game. Off course, Zach was cheering on the White Sox which won 5-0. It was a full day and we were exhausted by the time we got home!

Saturday morning we headed to Weston for a tour of their brewery and to see their cute little town. It was interesting to learn more about the history of area and to meet the locals. That afternoon/evening we headed to a coworker of Kamaron's house for a cookout and fireworks. We weren't expecting much of anything, but it was a good time. Phyllis and her husband Terry showed us their woods and house and promised to watch out for Kamaron. Then came the fireworks. I wish I would have had my camera. IT WAS AWESOME! They put on their own show but it is basically what you would see in the city but SO much closer. It was definately worth it but I couldn't believe they would spend so much money on fireworks! Saturday was also a great time but I don't have any pictures to share...sorry.

Sunday we headed to church, then to Legends (a outdoor mall), then just came home and relaxed by watching a movie and packing up to head back to Indiana on Monday. It was a great trip and thanks Kamaron for showing us a good time!

Finally!

2009-07-06T23:24:00.000-04:00

Zach and I have been holding out for as long as possible but...we FINALLY have a website! It started out with Mom, the Minnesota Gray's (Kristoffer and Dana), and Kyler all creating websites. I thought I was still okay because Kamaron and Anique didn't have a site yet. Well, as most of you know they have had one for about a month now and Zach and I decided we couldn't hold out any longer. Peer/family pressure is just too strong! So here you have it...our first website! I hope you enjoy and we'll try to post as often as possible.

Here is a picture of Zach and I at the Weston Brewery just outside of Kansas City. Check back very soon for pictures/updates from our July 4th trip to visit Kamaron!