Show Us Your Life: How I Met My Husband

From Kelly's Korner, the "Show Us Your Life" topic is How You Met Your Husband. Here's our story:


Brandon and I come from the same hometown, West Plains, Missouri. Even though we grew up in the same town, we never knew of one another until August 2006. During this time, I was living in Springfield, Missouri attending Missouri State University. I was starting my senior year and on my way of obtaining my Bachelor's Degree in Communication Sciences & Disorders. In the summer of 2006, Brandon and a mutual friend of ours, Kent Turner, moved to Springfield. On a weekend in the middle of August, one of my best friends, Diana, drove from St. Louis and stayed with me for the weekend. On Saturday night, Diana received a phone call from our friend Kent, and Kent invited us to come over to his and Brandon's apartment. We decided to go on over and hang out. When we got there, Kent was the only one at their apartment because Brandon was at work. While Kent was getting ready for work, Diana and I decided to raid Brandon's room. First thing I noticed when I walked into his room was that he made his bed! I had never known of any boy that made his bed. Also, his room, bathroom, and closet were all well kept and cleaned up! Before Diana and I left their apartment, Kent took a picture of Diana and I. Apparently, while at work, Kent showed Brandon the photo. I've been told that from the moment that Brandon saw me, he had to meet me. 


A couple of weeks passed, and then one night, I received a phone call from Kent. He asked me to meet him and Brandon at Wal-Mart because Brandon wanted to meet me. After changing out of my pajamas and into a t-shirt, jeans, and flip flops, I went over to Wal-Mart and met up with them. The first thought that entered my mind when I laid eyes on Brandon was that he was good-looking!  I wanted to talk with him and get to know him; however, I never really had the chance to talk with him because he was on the phone. So, I mainly talked with Kent. What I didn't know at the time was that Brandon is extremely shy at first, but I thought he was blowing me off. Naturally, I thought Brandon wasn't interested in me, but I was about to be proved wrong.


A few days passed and I got a phone call from an unknown number. I answered it, and it was Brandon. Apparently, Kent gave Brandon my number. We ended up talking for a couple of hours. After that phone call, I didn't hear from him for a few days. Then, he calls me and finally asked me out on a date. We went out on a Friday night and went to Chili's for dinner. Two things took me by surprise that night at dinner: 1. Brandon was not shy at all. He talked non-stop, which I loved; and 2. He showed that he has a big sweet tooth. After ordering our food, a waiter was bringing a dessert to a near-by table. Brandon took a glance at that and said, "Ohh, we are gonna have to try that!" I know I will never forget his face when seeing that dessert. After dinner, we went to the movies and then went back to my place. We sat in my living room and talked for hours. We probably got back to my place at about 11:30, and we talked until 4am! I was so comfortable talking with him. It was as if I had known him my entire life. Once realizing the time, I walked Brandon to his truck and gave him a hug good-bye. Since I felt such a connection with him, I wanted to see how he kissed, so I made the first move. It was a kiss that I will never forget! From that night on, my heart belonged to Brandon, and the rest, as they say, is history! 

Here's a few pics of our story as time goes on:

Us At Mammoth Springs, AR, Summer 2007

A Family Wedding in Indiana, August 2007

Our One Year Anniversary, September 1, 2007

Engagement Picture, October 2009

During the time of our engagement photos, I was in full-swing of trying to make decisions for the wedding, attend Graduate School full-time, and work full-time. It was a crazy time in my life! By constantly being on the go, time flew by, Christmas had came and went, and it was time for the wedding. On January 3, 2009, I married my best friend at Spring Creek Community Church in West Plains, Missouri. It was one of the happiest days in my life! 

Honeymoon Key West, FL

Honeymoon Nassau, Bahamas

I hope everyone is enjoying their day! GOD BLESS and have a merry week! 

Show Us Your Life: Cleaning Tips

This week on "Show Us Your Life," by Kelly's Korner, cleaning tips were discussed and shared.

I wouldn't consider myself a "neat freak" by any means. I don't have to have my house immaculately clean 24/7. However, there are things that I have to do every day to make myself feel sane. 

1. Our bed has to be made everyday. It just gives the feel of an organized and well-kept bedroom. 

2. All clothes are either hung up at the end of the day or put in the dirty laundry basket. I can't stand it when clothes are just lying on the floor. 

3. I don't like going to bed knowing that dirty dishes are in the sink. I usually try to either put the dishes in the dishwasher before I go to bed; however that doesn't always happen. If I don't do it at night, I will get up the next day.

I usually deep-clean once per week. I used to deep-clean on Saturdays, but recently, I've been doing my "major" cleaning on Fridays right after I get home from work. I really like NOT cleaning on a Saturdays because then I have the entire day to rest and relax. Ahhh... Here are some of my fav products:

1. The Clorox Green Works Products

I really like the Green Works line because all of the products are made with natural ingredients. The one thing I have always hated about cleaning is smelling the awful, toxic, strong smells of the chemicals that could potentially give me a headache later on. I don't have to worry about smelling a toxic smells with the Green Works line. Another reason I love this line is because it actually cleans very well! :)

2. Vinegar

I love cleaning with vinegar. It removes any bad smell that may be lurking around. Vinegar cleans deep down. It is absolutely amazing! Also, it's a safe cleaning product that won't cause any harm to our health. I mix it with almost all of my cleaning products.

3. Anti-bacterial Wipes

I love using disinfecting wipes on our counter tops. The wipes gets rid of nasty germs that you can't see. Using them just makes our kitchen and bathrooms seem and feel cleaner. LOVE THEM! 

4. Soft Scrub

When cleaning our bathrooms (especially our showers/tubs), my must use product is Soft Scrub. It removes almost everything and gives our showers/tubs that sparkling, bright look that makes me feel clean! One downside of this product though is the smell. It has a strong smell, but it is very powerful when removing grime.   

Typical Day

From Kelly's Korner, Show Us Your Life topic is "What Is Your Typical Day Like?" So to answer this question, like so many others, I am going to divulge into this topic! 

• My alarm clock goes off at 5:15 am just about every day work day. I'm a morning person, so this really doesn't bother me. Right when my alarm goes off, I'm up and at 'em!

• After waking up, I hop in the shower for about 20 minutes. I get out, lotion up, put make-up on, and get dressed. By the time all of this is done, it's approximately 6:00 am.

• Before I start my hair, I go and make COFFEE!!! I have a love affair with coffee! That's all there is to it. I then turn the tv in the living room on to KY3. 

• After I start the coffee and turn the tv on, I go fix my hair. That is an ENTIRE PROCESS! Before I brush my hair, I spray in a leave-in conditioner. After I brush all the tangles out, I run gel through my hair with my hands, spray my hair with a spritz gel, and then hair spray it. With a diffuser, I dry my hair for about 5 minutes, spray with more hair spray, and then finish drying it. All in all, it takes me about 20 minutes to do my hair. By this time, it's pushing 6:30 am.

• I then go into the kitchen, eat breakfast (always cereal), and drink my coffee while I watch the morning news and forecast.  I watch tv for about 20-30 minutes (depending on how well I'm getting around that morning).

• Between 7:15 and 7:30 am, I go start my car, make my lunch, and brush my teeth. 

• By 7:30-7:40 am, I'm out the door and headed to work, which is only 10 miles away. At work, my actual day begins at 8:30 am and finishes at 3:00. I see kids all day long, except for my lunch break at 11:30-12:00. Depending on the amount of paperwork, calling parents, talking to teachers, it varies what time I'm home. Usually, I'm home at least by 4:30, but sometimes, that doesn't happen. 

• At home, I start dinner, and Brandon is usually home by 5:00. We eat dinner together and usually will either watch tv, a movie, or play video games together for a few hours. If we are going to work out that evening, we wait until after dinner (around 6:30-7:00) to go and work out. 

• Between 10-10:30 pm, I'm in the bed. I wake up the next morning and start my day all over again! 

That's my typical day! Crazy, hectic, and it's my life! I love it and wouldn't change a thing about it. Where I live, the sun is shining on the bright and glorious Saturday! Thank you GOD for giving us the amazing day! Have a great day and GOD BLESS! 

Beauty Products. All women have them, and most can't live without them. I know I most certainly can't. Heck, I don't like leaving my house without looking half way decent. Like the majority of women out there, I have my favs that I can't live without.

Let's start with the FACE...

I can't live without Proactiv. When I was about 18 years old, my face started breaking out. I tried everything. Switched cleansers, always washed my face in the morning and before bed, took antibiotics, etc. My dermatologist did prescribe me a powerful drug (however, I forget what the name is), and it did work for 6 months. Over time, my face started getting worse. I couldn't do anything about it. I was self-conscious and embarrassed. Then, I was introduced to Proactiv. Proactiv has completely changed my life and my face! I can't live without it!.

Next, let's talk MAKE-UP...

BARE MINERALS. The entire line. I can't live without it. Enough said.

Finally, let's talk HAIR...

I have one of the BEST hair stylists. I've been with Gayle for about 2 years now, and I can't imagine going to anyone else. When I first started going to her, she recommended that I try a salon brand because it would help the overall condition of my hair. I have curly, long, brown with blonde highlights hair that has a tendency to be dry and easily damaged. I used to just buy any kind of shampoo and conditioner and didn't give a second thought to it. After taking Gayle's advice, I bought a salon brand shampoo and condition and LOVE IT!!!! Joico has done wonders for my hair!

As for hair products, I have fallen in love with John Frieda's Frizz Ease Daily Nourishment leave-in conditioner, Clearly Defined gel, Dream Curls, and Moisture Barrier hairspray.

Well, I think that's all of my obsessions with make-up and hair. :) Have a great weekend and GOD BLESS!