Packing... check.

So, I'm basically all packed and ready to go minus a few things! I'm getting excited!

I still have a few more things to fit in there... but hopefully it'll all fit and be under 40 pounds! I want to save room to bring stuff back!! :)

And yes all my clothes are in plastic bags! If you ever plan a trip to Europe or somewhere that you will be for a good bit... then I definitely recommend this method!

1. You won't get shampoo all over your whole wardrobe if the bottles decided to explode!

2. You can pack day by day! Very cool.

3. Everything is nice and compact. I push all the air out and it makes for more room!

4. Awesome people pack in zip lock bags.

Here are a few things I'm taking with me to keep me company! :)

I don't know about you... but I can't sleep when there is snoring going on! I'm pretty sure that Pop snores. These little fellas will be gooood company, if I decide they should be!

My best friend, Leslie, let me borrow this book! It is going to be a movie soon, so I'm spoiling it and reading the book. I probably shouldn't because I don't like movies after I read their books... Oh well. 

I'm also taking "Where are you Now?" by... Mary Higgins Clark. I'm in the middle of it... and it's pretty good!

Ok, so I'm not taking these... but they are my favorite and I couldn't resist taking a picture of them!

This is the purse I bought not too long ago to take along. It has super security for all those nasty pickpocketers! It has the flap, then a zipper, then more zipper!

It kind of looks black in this picture... but it's really a dark purple. I like it  a lot.

While I am gone, Josh may get on here and post a few blogs for me! I asked him to be my 'guest blogger' and he said "I miiiight." So we'll see!!

I will also go ahead and write a few blogs about a couple of different things and schedule them to automatically post throughout the weeks.

They'll be about horses, art, fish, and something special!

I hope everyone has a great two weeks!! I'm not sure if I will have internet, but if I do then I'll update if I can! We are actually going to be on a River Boat going down the Rhine River! The website says they have free, wireless internet via satellite... so we'll see how it goes!

Pigs, baby, and pig babies!

New baby pigs!!!

This year Josh had two litters! So you get to see lots more baby pigs! I know how everyone loved them before, so I'll show you more!

Today my niece, Blair, got to go see the piggies for the first time! I think it was kind of special since they were born just last night. They are still so tiny (and loud) that they can be picked up without any problems!  

9 healthy little babies! I hope they all make it!

I just love this picture! :)

It was so funny watching Blair look at these pigs! Ashlee would pick up one and it would start screaming for it's mama! 

Then Blair would cover up her ears because it was so loud!

"Hold on a second, why isn't that thing screaming?"

I don't know if she liked them, but she gave them a try.

After we were done looking, Blair kept 'feeding' them! She's such a big helper!

Then we went over to see the other mama pig. 

It was a successful and really hot visit to Josh's pig barn!

Did anyone happen to notice the thermometer?! Crazy hot.

By the way, the first litter is getting HUGE! 

Remember Aubie?!

If you didn't see the first litter post, then go check it out! It is amazing how fast these things grow!! They'll be two months old in two and a half weeks!

Living in the country...

...means you don't have city water!

...means you have yummy tasting water from a well!

...means you don't have a water bill!

...means that when you're electricity goes out, your water goes out.

...means when the lightning strikes your pump, your water goes out... for good.

...means you may have to scavenge for water remaining in the pipes throughout the house and warm it up in the microwave for a 'spit bath' (mom).

I will be sleeping with my makeup on tonight...
At least I got enough water out of the pipe to brush my teeth! :)

I hope my horsies don't run out of water! Especially Flint and Opie.. They're sharing a pasture with 10 other big cows. Does anyone know how much water a cow drinks? Gallons and gallons. In one sitting too! Water hogs...

Cows..... 25-50 gallons a day.
Horses... a measly 10-12 gallons a day.
Deer.....2 gallons per day.

Ok.. Deer have nothing to do with this post.. I just felt that they must be included! :)

Ok.. goodnight!

Ray Ban?! Yes!!

I had a good bit of errands to run today before I go jump on a jet plane in a couple days! 

1. I had a Doctor's Appointment at 10:10.

2. I had to take a shirt back to Target.

3. Josh wanted to go to TJMaxx.

4. I needed to get a drug test for nursing school. 

So Josh and I head off to the 'big city'. It's not really big.. but it has a movie theater. So It's big to us!

1. My doctor's appointment was amazing. You see, I have had this major problem for about 3 years. I can't hear. Well, I couldn't hear. They vacuumed my ear canals out and removed some pretty nasty ear wax plugs. I think I was on the verge of being 'deaf' because when I was done I felt like everyone was screaming at me. I could hear noises that I couldn't hear before... like the blinker in my car. Speaking of my car... it sounds like an airplane!! When I cranked it up I thought it was about to shoot out over the parking lot! I'm so glad I can hear again! I have really tiny ears and now I'm not allowed to use Q-tips at all. I didn't really use them in the first place until I got water in my ears! So I can hear and the birds are singing a little louder! :)

2. I forgot the shirt at my house. Bummer. So much for getting a new shirt.

3. Josh and I head to TJMaxx. I was pretty excited about this because I like TJMaxx. My sister gets a lot of good stuff from there including a pair of Kate Spade sunglasses for only $30. My mom just got my new luggage from there as well! 

We walk in and I go straight for the sunglasses! I thought Josh was going to be able to get some Costas from a guy he knows that is a dealer, but that fell through. I have been hoping to get some new sunglasses ever since my old costas fell to the bottom of the lake while I was fishing. 

I started going through them and didn't see much. I got kinda bummed, but then I saw one of those security things on a pair... I picked them up and they were Ray Ban! Sweeeeet! They were $69.99. Yikes that's a lot for a pair of sunglasses. I bit the bullet and ran with them out of the store! Well, after paying of course!!

I got home and looked up those bad boys and they are $169.00 on the Ray Ban website! Saving that much just feels good!

4. Drug test. No drug test got done. I walked in the office and the lady wasn't sitting in her little chair when I signed in and I was about to wet my pants so I went and used the restroom! Well she comes back like 5 minutes later and is like oh what do you need? I need a drug test. Ok do you have the urge? Um, no. I just went but if you would have been sitting there when I got here over 5 minutes ago I would still 'have the urge'! Whoever told me at school that it was a blood test, you were wrong!!

So I was pretty mad after I left that place and forgot to go by the cake store for mom. 

I really don't feel like driving all the way back up there for a drug test, so it just may wait until after I get back from Europe! Unless I decide to go shopping... hmm.

Finally free!

I took my last final today! Well, sort of. I definitely don't have to study anymore and I don't have anything to do!! It feels very nice!

I do have a history final to take online. These are the instructions at the top of the test... "Choose the best answer. Use your book, past quizzes, and your notes from online lectures to answer the questions."

How awesome is that?! I made a 96 on my midterm. I would love it if all my classes were like that! haha!

Everyone remember Coal Kitty?

He was my college kitty. 

I saved him and his two siblings from being euthanized when I worked at the vet!

I had him when he was dis little!!

He was so itty bitty!! 

Gosh this makes me want a new kitten!

Anyways so he's a big kitty now...

He lived with me the last year and a half that I lived in Auburn. All my friends loved Coal!

I would take him with me when I went to my friends' apartments and they would all play with him. Well, there was this one apartment that had another kitty named Jonah and my best friends dog named Noah. So, when Coal went there he got a little crazy!

My two best friends that lived there had a touchy relationship with him because he LOVED to get under the bed and grab their feet from under the bedskirt! It was hilarious to me... but they didn't think so! They would scream and run out to the den and he would chase them!

I would also tell them funny stories like this one...

One day, I was in my apartment between classes and I was just cleaning up my room a bit. Coal was laying on the bed so I started petting him. Well, sometimes when you pet him he decides he doesn't really want to be petted right then so he grabs your hand and starts to do that kicking motion cats do and biting at the same time. He knows better than that because he gets punished for it! The second I move my free hand to pop him on the head he lets go and ducks his head. I flicked him on the head and said Bad Kitty!! Well he jumps up and runs into the hall. I sit down at my desk to get on my computer. My desk ran parallel to my bed and was right next to it so I could sit on my bed and work on my computer instead of sitting in the chair if I wanted to. Well, I felt Coal jump up on the bed and he ran up behind me and bit me on the shoulder and then hauled tail into the hall and down the stairs. I started cracking up!! I thought that was so funny that he wanted to get revenge!

My friends thought he was crazy and that all he did was bite and run and chase!

Anyways! My best friend with the little dog, Noah, lives in the same town as me. We graduated high school together so we have been friends a long time! She was at my house the other day studying and she went and sat on the couch to get more comfortable while she went through her flash cards. I look over there and this is what I see...

Coal has climbed up in her lap and about to fall asleep!

Leslie was so surprised that Coal Kitty was so lovey dovey! 

I think it's safe to say that they have renewed their friendship! haha

My new travel partners!

My mom scored at TJ Maxx and got me some new luggage! :)

It's the Olympia line by Picasso.

They also have it in Lime Green and Black.

I got the BIG one and the very little one!

I'm not a pink kinda girl... but I definitely do like it though!

I have been getting a lot of pink stuff lately...

Pink planner for school

Pink purse for my birthday

Pink luggage for my trip!

Don't worry... I won't go pink crazy.

I really am a lime green kinda girl... 

but they didn't have the carry-on size in the lime green!

I've never had luggage with four wheels before... 

they scoot around where ever you wanna go!

So much more convenient that the forward/backwards pulling ones

that fall over when you try to turn too fast or go up and down stairs with them.

 only five days!!

8 days and counting!

Until my grandfather & I will be here..

and here...

and here...

and here!

and 9 other beautiful places!

More info to come!! I can't let all the fun stuff out of the bag... I won't have anything to talk about this coming week when I don't have to study!!! Until then... I'll be studying. Last final on Tuesday. Then I'm free!! 

I obviously borrowed these photos!! :)

Shy dog.

Doesn't she look like the most pitifulest preciousest thing in the whole wide world?

Look at those puppy wuppy eyes.

"Pa pa pa please don't do this to me, mom."

The nose.

Lola's cold, black nose.

I like taking pictures of animal parts. Horse ears, horse muzzles, dog tails...

Yikes!

Lola could be one scary doggy!

Oh, the spots...

She has lots and lots of spots!

Her precious ears.

Her right one is normal...

but her left one... oh her left one. It does this weird flippy back thingy.

She looks like a wittle gremlin when she gets really excited and they fly up in the air

That is one athletic dog paw if I ever saw one.

I think that if Lola were a person... she would have really long toes. and toenails.

"Hey, what are you doing back there?"

Looking at your nub, Lola Belle.

She already had her tail docked when I found her. That is why I desperately looked for her owner. Who would dock their puppies tails and not want them?! I'm glad they didn't want her! She is one of the most sweetest most preciousest dogs we have ever had!

More Polka Dots!

She even has spots on the bottom of her athletic paws.

I don't know when she does it... but she puts eyeliner on every morning... ;)

Lola belle, you wanna treat?

oh yes yes yes!! 

As she runs to the closet where we keep them!

Oh that treat looks scrumptious, divine, so delectable...

oh I really, really want that treat right now...

I need that treat...

oh man, oh goodness, so good.

Horse Ride and Friends!

Yesterday evening Josh and I went riding with Chris and Crystal, the precious couple that got married back in June. This is only the second time Josh and I have ridden this Summer. It has been so hot that I can't ride more than an hour. I usually just grab Flint and go bareback around our farm for a bit. I have said in a previous post that Chris and I use to ride all the time. All the time as in all day, everyday of every week! I don't know how we did it... I guess it helped that I swapped horses every 2 or 3 hours, but I rode at least 6 hours a day and sometime more!

We definitely wouldn't ride that long... but we got in a good 3 hours yesterday.

Josh and I saddled up two of my horses and set off to meet them on Chris's farm! 

On the way there we passed the longhorn family! 

Daddy Longhorn approached to say Hi. Then he started swinging his head around trying to hit us with those big ol' horns! He only hit his head on the boards a couple times, then he hit the electric wire. I guess he decided he would stop after that.

Hello Daddy Longhorn!

Where we meet on Chris's farm is in the middle of a gorgeous pecan orchard. I always love taking pictures going through there. I was driving Josh crazy doing it, but they are pretty pictures! He's just gonna have to get use to the whole picture thing sooner or later! :)

This is a horrible picture because of the awful blurriness, but I love it because Josh and SoBe are going really fast and I don't have any pictures of him galloping on a horse! Lizzie and I were going pretty fast too.. hence the blurriness. 

I won't blame the blurriness on my little point and shoot! 

So we finally met up with Chris and Crystal and my camera started dying so I told them we had to take pictures before it bit the dust!

Chris/Misty and Crystal/April

Even Misty is smiling! :)

Josh and Me

It was a gorgeous ride! We rode through the hayfields and the woods. It was still a little hot but it cooled off pretty soon and the sunset was beautiful!

While I was in awe of the sunset, Chris's dad Mr. Herb snuck up on us! Doesn't he look cute in his cowboy hat! 

and then my camera died!

We all had a great time!

We are definitely going to go riding again soon. Before I leave to go to Europe and after all my tests next Tuesday.. I WILL be riding! I hope it cools off enough to be able to enjoy it!