Bummed

The suspense was killing me... I had to look... now I regret it.  DANG IT!
I just looked on the Animal Control website and found the stray dog we had on our street... they picked him up on Monday.  He looks so sad and so scared in the picture.  I really hope someone claims him.  This breaks my heart... I really want to open a dog shelter.  A no kill shelter... I am promising myself right here, right now, one day I WILL own a shelter.  I will.  This is my goal.  I can't stand to see animals put to sleep for no reason other than not having a home.  It rips my heart out.  They can't help it.  They are completely innocent.  I cannot bear the thought of what might happen to this sweet sweet dog.  If only I could have helped him... please pray that someone will adopt him.  This is horrible. 

BOSTON

OK- I'm determined!  So here goes!  We recently took a trip up to Massachusetts to see Jay's family.  And for me to meet most of them for the first time.  Needless to say I was nervous.  First of all- I hate flying.  Hate.  It.  Plus I was going to meet a lot of family and hoped they all liked me (no offense but it's not like it mattered anyway- we're married and he's stuck with me :)).  So we headed up... first flight went smooth... I actually worked up the nerve to gaze peek out the window of the plane and the trees were GORGEOUS!  I ♥ fall!  It's such a pretty time of year and to see it from WAY up there was amazing!  We landed in Philly- only to drop off some passengers and pick up others.  Luckily we didn't have to get off the plane.  The second flight was smooth as well.  We flew over New York City and the coast of Rhode Island.  AMAZING!  We finally landed in Providence and this is when the fun started... We picked up our luggage and headed to the car rental counter.  I handed the lady my DEBIT card and she said- "You know we put a $400 hold on the card and do a credit check, right?".  I said "DO WHAT?".  Yeah... I don't think so.  My credit is excellent and I wanted to be able to SPEND some money while we were there so this just wasn't going to fly.  She checked with the rental counter next to them and we were sent there- they don't do the hold or the credit check.  Well... they only had a $300 Mid Size rental, which was $100 more than we had planned to spend on a compact.  I felt myself getting upset.  I swallowed my stomach and basically said- can't you give me a deal?  I basically told her it wasn't my fault politely asked if we could get a mid sized car for the compact price since they didn't have a compact... she made a few calls and found a compact... well how about that.  So we signed on the dotted line and were off.  The shuttle drove us to the car lot and basically said- "the compacts are over there" and drove off.  What?  We had NO clue what to do.  So we went and found our car and stood around like lost puppies.  Finally a guy told us what to do and we left.  We started driving towards Taunton and traffic was a hot mess.  I guess I'm not used to the BIG city traffic.  It was crazy!  We finally made it to Jay's uncle's house where we would be staying and got settled in.  Friday we spent the day in Boston touring Fenway and visiting the Prudential Building.  It was great!  We had fun trying to navigate the 'T' and were exhausted by the time we got home.  Jay worked the Lakeville Haunted House with Glenn on Friday night while I went to dinner with Niki and went through the haunted house with Niki and Jay's sisters.  It was fun!  They were so scared!  Saturday we spent the day visiting Jay's grandparents, aunt and uncle, and cousins (driving around in Jay's Uncle Dave's Lexus!).  I met so many nice people!  I wish we all lived closer together.  Saturday night Jay's Aunt Nina and Uncle Dave took us to North End in Boston to eat at a yummy Italian Place called Cantina Italiana.  Then we took a cab back to the Prudential Building to visit the Top of the Hub for some drinks.  It was so much fun! First cab ride and everything!  Definitely a romantic place!  We hoped back in a cab and went to Mike's Pastries and picked up some yummy stuff.  That was a crazy experience.  Imagine 100 people crammed into a room big enough for 20 people all talking and trying to order and pick pastries out of a million delicious choices.  We left and I thought... what did we get exactly?  Anyway... after that we drove back to the house and found out that Nina and Dave's daughter had a dangerously high fever.  They ended up rushing her to the hospital and luckily we were there to stay with their other daughter while she slept.  She ended up being ok though, so we were relieved!
Sunday we went to breakfast and drove out to Plymouth to see the ocean and the sites... We saw the Mawflower replica and the Plymouth Rock (which by the way is not what you would expect.  It's so SMALL!  I was expecting a boulder!)  We did some shopping, met Glenn for lunch, Jay had some lobster then we headed back into town.  We visited with Jay's mom and sisters before heading back to pack up for our trip home.  The plane right home was not as much fun seeing as how I didn't get to sit with Jay on the first flight and the second flight was PACKED (word to the wise- check in online 24 hours in advance in you fly SouthWest)!  But we landed safely and got our luggage, came home, and then picked up our doggies.  We were very tired but couldn't have asked for a better trip!  Here are a few pics...

I'm bad...

I'm so bad at this... blogging that is.  I cannot seem to make time to blog.  I'm going to try to do better.  I promise. 
We recently returned from a trip to BOSTON (yes this was the 'big' thing I was talking about in my last post... I'm not pregnant) and it was so much fun.  I'll try to get some pictures up and the stories blogged soon... tonight maybe.
When we got home from our vacation however, we discovered that the stray dog was gone... not sure what happened to him.  And I hate that.  He tore up two of the neighbors trash bags last week so I'm thinking people had had enough of him.  Poor guy.  He was just hungry.  I feel so guilty for not feeding him but he wouldn't come close to me and we can't have another dog... I know it happens every day but it's still sad. 
Right now I'm praying for Stellan.  Please keep him and his family in your thoughts and prayers.  This precious little boy has gone through more in his short little life than any of us ever will. 
Anyway... more to come tonight hopefully. 

Something exciting is happening!! And the sad puppy...

We are getting ready to embark on an exciting trip (and no, I'm not pregnant!).  We are both thrilled and can't wait to share!!!  Stay tuned!!!

On another note, we have a sad story.  There's been this stray dog hanging out on our street for about 2 weeks.  He stays on our neighbors front porch most of the time... he has though come into our yard a few times.  We've tried to get close to him to pet him but he runs in the other direction if you get within 10 feet of him.  It's so sad.  I want to help him so bad.  We finally asked the neighbors if it was their dog and they said he wasn't.  They actually called the pound (NO!) but luckily for the dog, no one answered.  I would rather him run lose and wild than for the pound to pick him up and then euthanize him in a few days.  He's wearing a collar but no tags and appears to have been neutered... so he's SOMEONE's dog.  I've kept an eye out for missing dog posters and have been checking Lassie Come Home everyday... with no luck.  He looks so sad and I don't know where he is getting food or water... He was playing with a stick in their yard over the weekend but mostly he sits (with his tail tucked) and watches... It breaks my heart.  I hate it.  I want to help him so bad.  I'll keep you posted on his story.  Poor guy.

Happily Ever After

So we talked on and off for about two months.  Nothing ever really came of it (he was seeing someone and I was in the middle of a breakup).  Then one April day, he called me out of the blue.  He told me he had called it off with his girlfriend because he couldn't stop thinking about me.  And that was that... we were inseparable.  We spent as much time as possible together (hanging out at each other's houses, riding the motorcycle, etc).  We've shared lots of memories: special trips (mountains, beach, and many other places), laughs, cries, and special moments. 
After about three years of being together, we started ring shopping... I found the ring I wanted and refused to shop for any more (I was a complete brat about it but I knew what I wanted- sorry honey).  Jay surprised me one night in May by popping the question.  We were watching 'Deal or No Deal' in our PJs and he said "give me your ring (the one he bought me during our first year together) and I'll go clean it".  I thought this was VERY weird but I gave it to him anyway.  He came back a few minutes later and kneeled down in front of me and held out his pinky finger and said "Lacy, will you marry me?".  I looked down and realized that he was NOT holding the ring I had just given him, it was THE ring!  I said "YES"!  I was so excited! 
We started wedding planning immediately and decided we wanted to get married that year.  We picked September 16 and it was all downhill from there.  We've been married for three years now and I love him more every day!  He's the best friend a girl could ask for and an even better husband. 
We can't wait to see what the future holds...

...In the Beginning (continued)

About two week later, I was once again working the drive through early on a Friday morning.  All of the sudden this red truck pulls up.  I greeted him in my normal fashion and proceeded to cash his check.  Then it hit me.  I read the name on the check over and over again... it was HIM.  I was totally thrown off guard because he was driving a different car.  Was I sure it was him?  I glanced at him again... yup.  Same hot guy that had hit on me just two weeks before (I later found out that he felt so mortified from our first encounter that he couldn't make himself come back the next week... it took him two weeks to work up the nerve).  My stomach was in my throat.  What should I do?  What should I say?  In the blink of an eye, I decided.  I wrote my name and number on a little sticky note and slipped it into his money envelope.  Can I tell you how nervous I was?  Why?  Because I knew he always sat in the drive through and counted his money (to make sure it was right... like I would ever get it wrong!? ha!).  As I handed it to him, I smiled and said "Thanks, have a great weekend!".  He quickly said thanks, grabbed his envelope, and DROVE OFF!  NOOOO!!  That's not how it was supposed to go!  I wanted to see his face when he found it!!!  About 10 minutes went by... I was so nervous.  Did he find it?  What did he think?  Did he still think I was beautiful after I dissed him so bad?  Did he think I was crazy?  At that instant, I heard my phone vibrate in my purse... are you kidding me?  Is it him?  I grabbed it and didn't recognize the number... I let it go to voicemail.  Two minutes later it rang again.  Same number.  Had to be him right?  I let it go to voicemail again.  Beep.  They left a message.  WHO is it?!  It was killing me!  I think my hands were shaking so bad as I was typing in my password to listen to the message.  IT WAS HIM!  My heart jumped out of my chest!  This has to be the craziest thing I've ever done...

Later that evening I decided to give him a call back.  He didn't answer... I was bummed but knew in my heart that this wasn't the end.  He ended up calling me back later that night and we talked on the phone for a good three solid hours.  Who are you?  Where are you from?  All that stuff.  As we hung up the phone I felt this sense of peace.  Like this is where I was meant to be at this point in my life.  And I knew he would be playing a special part in it...  He was unlike any guy I had ever been friends with or dated.  Sort of a "bad boy" type.  Earrings, smoker, loud stereo in his car... but for some reason I was drawn to him. 

More to come...

In the Beginning

So I decided it would be fun to blog about how Jay and I met and where we've been since then... so here goes.

I started working for the bank in September of 2002.  I was a teller at a local branch and was moved to the main branch in December of 2002.  The drive through at that branch always opened at 7:30 each morning.  One January Friday morning, it was my turn to go in early.  We opened the branch as normal and needless to say it was Friday... payday for lots of people.  So we were quite busy. I, for some reason, was also really tired.  Not on my toes you could say.  There seemed to be a break in the action and then a guy in a white Celica pulls up... I said "good morning" as normal and proceed to cash his check.  When I went to hand him his envelope back, he said "Do you have a boyfriend?".  This question, for some reason, threw me for a loop.  I was dumbfounded.  First of all, because it was so early and I was so tired, but secondly, who is this HOT guy in my drive through asking if I had a boyfriend?  I don't think I ever even answered him.  I just looked at him like... "Who?  Me?".  He said "well, I just want to let you know that you're beautiful...".  My jaw dropped.  I know it did.  Then he drove off.  I probably stood there speechless and motionless for at least 2 minutes.  I then proceeded to find the check I had just cashed and wrote his name down on a sticky note and stuck it to my computer screen.  I was going to remember him and redeem myself next time he came through.  I knew he felt so dumb... especially since I didn't say a word in response...

To be continued...

New camera

Just a quick note to share some pics that I took with our NEW camera!  So excited!  I've got to learn how to use it before our big trip to Boston!  So excited!!!

Long time

Wow- it's been a LONG time!  We are doing great!  Quick update on what we're doing right now... We've booked a trip up north to see Jay's family.  We are so excited!  We just bought a new camera so as soon as I figure out how to use it we'll be posting some awesome pictures!  My work event was a huge success and everyone just raved about how nice it was.  SCORE!  Needless to say I was asked if I was planning the other region's forums.  I was flattered but gave a resounding NO.  I cannot handle that stress again for a while.  Ha!  Anyway- this weekend we'll be celebrating my dad's birthday.  My brother and sister are coming into town to hang out and I'm excited.  Jay and I both love October (birthdays, Halloween, the weather) so it's gearing up to be a great month.  Lots of blogging to come!