Monday, August 10, 2009

Just so you know...

I'm probably not going to be posting much on this site for a little while. I'll post a few things here and there, but I'll primarily be using our other site: sweetbabybendel.blogspot.com to post on. Please feel free to peruse there if you like, I love visitors.

Thursday, August 6, 2009

Baby Bendel

Some of you already know, but I wanted to let all of you in on some very exciting news. Chance and I are going to have a baby!!! I'm over the moon with joy, well I would be if I wasn't so darn tired. We found out on the 30th and don't have very much information at this time. {Wouldn't it be my luck that my Dr. is on vacation when I finally find out that I'm pregnant.} He'll be back next week and I'm busting his door in on the 12th. We think that I'm due around the end of March, but obviously we're not sure. I also wanted a special way to keep everyone updated so I started a blog - in addition to the one I already have { chanceandsarahbendel.blogspot.com } our new blog can be viewed at: sweetbabybendel.blogspot.com I plan to later publish this blog into a keepsake book, so please feel free to comment, so that I can include our dear family and friends. Also, when I updated my email account I lost many contacts in my address book, so please help me in passing this along, I'd scream it from the roof tops if I could.

I'm so excited to share this news with all of you. I love you all!!
Sarah

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Exciting news.....

We're going to have a BABY!!!!!!!!

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

One word

Where is your cell phone? Purse
Your hair? Gross
Your father? Gone
Favorite thing? Chance
Your dream last night? Non-existant
Your favorite drink? Lemonade
Your dream goal? Motherhood
The room you are in? Office
Your fear? Loneliness
Where do you want to be in 6 years? Here
Muffins? Eww
One of your wish list items? Sewing machine
Where did you grow up? Paducah
The last thing you did? Slept
What you are wearing? Pajamas
Your t.v.? Broken
Your pets? Perfect
Your computer? Dead
Your life? Changing
Your mood? Unsure
Missing someone? Daily
Your car? Crap
Favorite store? Limited
Your favorite color? Red
When is the last time you laughed? Yesterday
Last time you cried? Yesterday
Three people who email you? Deb, Gran, Brandi
Three of my favorite foods? Tomatoes, bacon, ice cream
Three places I would rather be right now? Disney World, Hawaii, Paris

Monday, June 22, 2009

A bittersweet sunday.. and an update.

Many holidays have become bittersweet for me since the passing of my Pawpaw in Oct. 2007. He was, for all intents and purposes my Daddy. He took care of me for the majority of my life, guided me through the treacherous waters of the teenage years, he taught me about the world- but taught me more about myself, and in a final act of selflessness- he placed my hand in Chance's on our wedding day. That was always his job, from the day I was born; though others have doubted my decision since then. I always knew it should be my Pawpaw who gave me away. So yesterday, Father's Day, was especially hard for me. I don't have a relationship with my biological father, so when Pawpaw passed away Father's Day took on a new "meaning" for me. Instead of being a day of celebration, it became a day of remembrance.


As I've written on here time and time again, my Grandfather was the greatest man I've ever known. I was immeasurably blessed to be able to call him Pawpaw. But more than that, I was truly able to call him a friend. There are few people in this world who know me as well as Pawpaw did {I can count them on one hand.} I never had to explain myself to him, he just knew. We were more alike than we were different. A handful of times that led to an explosive situation, but more often than not, it was wonderful. I'll always be incredibly thankful to the Lord for putting a man like my Pawpaw into my life. And even more thankful that he was there for me in so many more ways than he had to be {though he would have told you that there was never a choice.} I'll miss my Pawpaw everyday for the rest of my life, nothing will ever fill the hole that losing him placed in my heart. My only condolence is knowing that when Chance and I have children, I will be able to show them the love they deserve, because of the love Pawpaw showed me.

************

On the sweet side of things, we celebrated Father's Day in our house in a n unconventional way. Since technically Chance and I aren't parents, we don't do the gift thing. That being said we very much feel like Mommy and Daddy to our "little ones" Tyler, Baylei, and Oliver. I celebrated for Chance in the morning with my best friend Maria, out in the pool; I let Chance sleep. We got a little crispy so we got out in the early afternoon and went to Chance's best friend's house for some relaxin' on the couch. We laughed until we nearly cried watching our favorite TV shows. {We got to see the Mythbusters launch a little girl [a dummy of course] 13 stories in the air, it was ridiculous- but amazing} Then it was back home for some night-time swimming. All in all I think Chance had a good day, which is all that matters to me. I on the other hand, am still dealing with the decision not to get out of the pool sooner.



************

And for the update:

Oliver is recovering nicely after his surgery. He wasn't very happy when I first got him home {I have 3 very long scratches on my arm to prove it.} But I think he's adjusting to the no [front] claw/no manhood thing just fine.

Chance spent most of last week in Louisville and Lexington. Lexington: for a class, and visiting a friend of ours. Stephen Hunt. He is a blessing to us in so many ways. Louisville: for a much more upsetting reason.


One of Chance's friends, his college room-mate actually, Ian Moore shot himself last Sunday morning. Ian spent the next 6 days on life support in the CCU at U of L Hospital. He was mostly brain dead {there was only activity in his brain stem.} Chance was lucky enough to get to spend the last few moments of Ian's life surrounded by his family, telling stories and remembering Ian the way he should be remembered; as a friend, as an athlete, and as an all around great guy. Saturday morning Ian's family made the decision to take him off life support, he passed shortly there after. The reasons behind Ian's decision will never be clear. There are only two people in this world who truly know what happened and one of them is gone from this world forever. Ian was an incredible athlete. He played baseball all through high school and then again in college. He was very outgoing and good looking. He had the kind of personality that could light up a room. Ian and Chance were good friends all through their high school days, but lost touch after Chance left Murray State; a fact that I think will haunt Chance for a while. They had, in recent years, however started to put back the pieces of their friendship. Ian will be greatly missed by many people, his life touched so many in his short 25 years.

Saturday, June 13, 2009

Oh Ollie...

* NOTE: This post was supposed to be posted on 6-12-09, but for whatever reason it was not.

The date has been set, his time has come. Our sweet Oliver will go under the knife Monday morning at 8:30 am.


Friday, June 12, 2009

Our Stephen...

This is one of mine and Chance's best friends Stephen and his nephew. Well technically he was Chance's friend first, but I stole him.

Has it really been nearly a month???

Goodness gracious, I can't believe it. It's literally been nearly a month since I last posted. Sorry to those of you who actually read my blog. So many things have happened, so many that it would probably take about a gazillion posts to explain it all. So I'll just skim the surface.
Our house is just about done. We're ready to start putting the interior walls in. We've got all the insulation we need, that's exciting. Chance seems to think that we'll be done in a couple of months. That's even more exciting. {actually it makes me giddy to think about it.} I'm more ready than you can possible imagine to cook in my own kitchen, to do laundry in my own washer, to sleep in my own room, to be able to sit on my couch, in my living room. I could go on for days, but I won't.
I've been having some unexplained health issues lately. The "ever-capable" doctors of our town have no idea what's going on. I've had 4 full blood work panels, an ultrasound on my gallbladder, and a HIDA scan. Next on the agenda are a 2-d echo, and a stress test. I'll let you know the results as soon as we figure out what the heck is going on.
As you may or may not have seen in my last post; I'm a complete Twilight nerd now. I've read all the books, including the first 12 chapters of Midnight Sun {posted here.} I was so addicted that I read all four books in four days. I'm actually re-reading them because I went through them so quickly the first time that they all kind of blurred together. I'm on my second round with New Moon as we speak. I bought the movie on Blu-ray, and I think I've watched it at least 50 times. I'm not exaggerating. And I can't seem to take the soundtrack out of my car stereo to save my life. I'm not entirely positive that I can wait until November. To all of you women out there who I criticized for your love of the books, I owe you one heck of an apology.
I bought this fabulous pillow from an even more fabulous woman. I love it. I can't wait to see it in the house! Isn't it perfect??
My best friend graduated in May from WKU. We're so proud of her.
My little sister also graduated in May from high school. I'm so excited for her that it's probably unhealthy.
Chance is still un-employed, and it's starting to get to me. He's trying very hard, I know, but it's just so frustrating.

Thursday, May 14, 2009

It official.


I'm unconditionally, irrationally, completely ADDICTED!!!

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Project 365.

Don't know how I haven't caught on to this before.
But here it is.

100 things.

100 things that I am thankful for today.
  1. My husband, Chance.
  2. God.
  3. Faith.
  4. My marriage.
  5. Freedom.
  6. Tyler.
  7. Baylei.
  8. Oliver.
  9. Family.
  10. Maria.
  11. Ashley.
  12. Friends.
  13. Lindsay.
  14. Kelsey.
  15. My job.
  16. The girls I work with.
  17. Vacation time. {only 4 more days of work!}
  18. Sunny days.
  19. New episodes of NCIS and American Idol tonight.
  20. Chocolate chip cookie cakes.
  21. Ice Cream cakes.
  22. Chance's Iphone.
  23. Christmas.
  24. All holidays.
  25. Christianity.
  26. Books.
  27. Movies.
  28. Tanning.
  29. Birthdays.
  30. Email.
  31. The sun.
  32. Prayer.
  33. Clean water to drink.
  34. Golden Corral restaurants.
  35. Outback Steakhouses.
  36. My clothes.
  37. My shoes.
  38. My purses.
  39. Facebook.
  40. The United States of America.
  41. Cars.
  42. Electricity.
  43. Traveling.
  44. Fox News.
  45. My Mother-in-law's banana pudding.
  46. The Limited.
  47. TJ Maxx.
  48. Modern medicine.
  49. Doctors.
  50. Logitech Harmony remote.
  51. My recipe book {post on that later.}
  52. Washing machines.
  53. Dishwashers.
  54. My blog.
  55. www.photobucket.com
  56. www.picnik.com
  57. Pictures.
  58. Cameras.
  59. Woodchuck.
  60. Steel Magnolias.
  61. Scrapbooks.
  62. Our DVR {that happens to be 80% full at the moment.}
  63. The big city feel of Nashville, TN.
  64. The small town feel of Paducah, KY.
  65. Target.
  66. Starbucks.
  67. Hobby Lobby.
  68. Chic-Fil-A.
  69. Being debt free.
  70. Air conditioning.
  71. Music.
  72. Bonfires.
  73. Grilling out.
  74. Swimming pools.
  75. August.
  76. September.
  77. Memories.
  78. Photoblog.
  79. Hugs.
  80. Polka Dots.
  81. Hydrangeas.
  82. Poppies.
  83. My poppies.
  84. Having 100 things to be thankful for.
  85. Sunglasses.
  86. Antiques.
  87. HomeAgain microchipping.
  88. Veterinarians.
  89. Flea markets.
  90. Cheetos. {which reminds me, I left a new bag at work.}
  91. My boss, Jesa. And the super motivating things she said to me yesterday.
  92. Online banking.
  93. Those buttons on soft drink machines that let you put vanilla, lime or CHERRY in your soda. Thank you Hucks!
  94. Text messaging.
  95. Inside jokes with good friends.
  96. Blue jeans.
  97. My red pea-coat.
  98. My ceramic straightener.
  99. Tylenol PM.
  100. Caffiene.

Happy...

Cinco de Mayo!
Cheers!!

Sunday, May 3, 2009

Pigs...

I've always thought that pigs were a perfectly pleasant creature. Yes they roll around in their own filth. Yes they eat something called "slop" {just saying the word makes my stomach turn.} But for whatever reason I've always thought they were "cute." Charlotte's Web was one of my favorite books as a child; Wilbur stole my heart. Only God knows how many times I've read it.

So it breaks my heart to relate this sweet, swine face:
To this not so sweet, bio-hazard.

To be perfectly honest the whole idea of this swine flu thing makes my skin crawl. I think I've used more anti-bacterial gel in the past week than most people use in a month and I think if I wash my hands much more my skin is going to fall off. I never thought I'd say this but I'm really glad that Chance and I don't have kids right now {I know, I can't believe I said that either.} But honestly, I think if we had a little one right now I would be in hysterics, trying to build one of those bubble things. And somehow I just don't think the Lowe's on Clarks River Road carries those. So for now I'll just continue to wash, sanitze, and repeat like a crazy person.

Thursday, April 30, 2009

Oh where does the time go?

Our engagement portraits were taken 2 yrs ago today.

I don't know where the time has gone.

We look so much younger, I look so much skinnier, Chance has hair {my hair's about the same}


This is us now: older, not a size 4 anymore, shaven head; but still just as in love.

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Tyler Nikolas Buddy Bendel, our baby.

The AKC, who began recognizing Brittanys in 1934, says the following about Brittanys: "The Brittany is a medium-sized, leggy, dual-purpose dog, equally suited for sport and companionship. According to AKC® Registration Statistics, it has surged in popularity in the last 50 years due to its talents as both a hunting and show dog. Originally called the Brittany Spaniel, it is now referred to simply as the Brittany, as its hunting style more closely resembles that of pointing breeds. Its dense, flat or wavy coat can be orange and white or liver and white in either clear or roan patterns. ... A compact, closely knit dog of medium size, a leggy dog having the appearance, as well as the agility, of a great ground coverer. Strong, vigorous, energetic and quick of movement. Ruggedness, without clumsiness, is a characteristic of the breed. He can be tailless or has a tail docked to approximately four inches."
I say that our Brittany, Tyler, is a fierce companion. His loyalty to our family is unwaivering. Though Brittanys are primarily used for hunting, our Tyler has made one heck of a family dog. He is so intelligent and eager to please. We have never given him any formal training, yet he knows to sit, lay, stay {all the usual commands}; he even "points" on instinct! He never ceases to amaze me. He loves his pal "Ducky" {a stuffed duck, imagine that}. He's great with our two cats and loves children. He's seen his share of adversity in his short 2 yrs. On Tyler's first birthday he was hit by a car, breaking his front left leg. At the vet's office he was exposed to parvo and struggled trough several extended vet visits for nearly a month. He recovered and was back to his cheerful self quickly. Then in February of this year he and our sweet Nik ran away. They were gone for nearly a week; Nik didn't make his way home, but thankfully Tyler did with just a few minor cuts and bruises. Tyler has always been my weakness, but since he's been home it's been more of an obsession. He's spoiled to say the least! He's never alone, he's either with Mommy or Daddy or Grandpa is "Tyler-sitting."
I can't say enough wonderful things about our baby, or the breed for that matter. Whenever we are ready for a new little one, we will definitely be going with a Brittany!

Everything

I'm currently obsessed with this guy. Our Brittany Spaniel Tyler. {he's getting his very own big boy post soon} He celebrated his 2nd birthday last week, complete with a puppy-approved birthday cake. Chance says I'm going over-board in my obession. But after we lost Nik I feel the need to make Tyler as happy as I possibly can; and if that means giving him an entire bag of treats all at once, or sharing a "few" bites of everything I eat; then that's just what has to be done. End of story.

A big congratulations to Mr. & Mrs. Ryan Hughes. Our cousin Cassie got married last Saturday. It was a lovely ceremony! Ryan is in the marines and is stationed in Washington D.C.; Cassie is going to be moving to join him after this semester is over. We are so happy for the both of them!!
This is our back deck. I'm loving the wisteria, but it's seriously lacking some luster. We're trying to decide what to do with it right now. We are hoping to find some old window frames to hang from the sides of the arbor. I think we're going with a pink and red color scheme.

Speaking of gardening, these are my new babies. My pretty pretty poppies have "popped" through!! I can't wait until they're all grown up. I think I'm going to put them in the kitchen.

The Bendel's Easter 2009
We had a delightful Easter, lots of good food and relaxing with family. And of course, since Easter is one of only 4 days that the bridal store is closed all year, I thoroughly enjoyed the day off. It is unbelievable to me that this was our second Easter as "Mr. & Mrs."
This was us last year:

The Bendel's Easter 2008

This whole swine flu thing has me wanting to bathe in anti-bacterial gel, spray my house down with lysol, and put plastic over all the windows and doors. It's terrifying! I'm praying that it doesn't make its way into my small corner of the world.


I'm still trying to figure out what I'm going to make with these beauties that I purchased on Etsy from KellWood. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Friday, April 3, 2009

No fun.

No fun for me today, it's a gross rainy day. I hate rain! Tyler, who is usually game for anything, doesn't enjoy this weather either; he doesn't like to get wet. Breaking news on the house: Chance went and picked up our heating and air conditioning unit last night {in the pooring rain, it took him 4 hours to make a 2 hour trip.} It was a craigslist find, we got it for like $350.00. I was amazed. Chance checked it and everything is in working order. So now we just need to go to Lowes {our second home}, buy the tub, toilet, and the sink for upstairs and we'll have everything we need for the next step in this process- plumbing! I rearranged all of our boxes yeaterday, pulled out what I wanted to put in the half bath downstairs, and kind of re-prioritized things. I'm seeing a massive upload to eBay in my very near future! I don't know where all that stuff came from, and that's what it is-- STUFF. How do two people accumulate so much??

Thursday, April 2, 2009

I want I want I want

J Crew- I love you.

True Friendship...

... is my best friend.
I'm counting down the days until she gets home!

Ummmm,

I scarcely know where to begin. So many things have happened in the past month. Huge changes for the Bendel's. The house is coming right along.. We have new tile in the downstairs bathroom. Just bought a hot water heater yesterday. And we're making HUGE decisions almost daily. Lots of exciting things!! I'm still at the bridal store, no big changes there. Chance is still laid off, no big changes there either. In more upsetting news, we suffered a major loss in our small family. Nik, our beloved dog, our first "child" is no longer with us. A few weeks ago he and Tyler ran off and were missing for 5 days. We were beside ourselves. On the 5th day, while I was at work, Chance found Tyler. He immediately brought Ty home and went back out to look for Nik. When he found him he had been hit by a car. We laid him to rest with his teddy bear and a doggie treat, beneath the tree that is next to our new house; it is his home too. We were devastated by the loss of Nik, but it has made us appreciate our Tyler even more. He's been microchipped and registered on more online sites than I would like to think about. He's jsut now getting back to normal, but has recieved a clean bill of health from Dr. Everett. We love Dr. Everett, and so does Tyler!

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Wooo-Hooo!

I couldn't be more excited.
This morning I booked this cutie for 1 week.
You heard me right- ONE WHOLE WEEK.
I'm vacationing with 3 girlfriends.
July 12-19, 2009 -- I will be unreachable.
I'm LOVIN' it!!!

Thursday, February 26, 2009

Untitled.

Normally I like to think that I'm pretty cunning when it comes to titles. Today there is none of that. Today is a day of serious thought and diligent prayer. I have a dear, dear friend {who for privacy purposes will remain unnamed} that is going through a tragic time right now. She is expecting her first child, due in July. All things were going fairly well, she and the baby {my love-baby as I call him/her} were healthy. Yesterday that all came crashing down. Apparently, she had some routine blood work done and they told her to go to work and they would phone her with the results. So she went on to work, as if it were any other day. She started her routine, just like every other day. Then the phone call came. The bloodwork came back positive for Down Syndrome. My friend- a single mother, graduating college in May; has struggled before with decisions reguarding this pregnancy. She has often doubted her ability to care for a healthy baby, naturally this is one of her greatest fears. When she goes to the doctor she is going to be given the option of the "easy-way-out" I pray that God touches her heart and lets her know that this is His will, and that in the long run the easy-way-out isn't always so easy. Please keep her and the baby in your thoughts and prayers; and hug your children a little tighter today.

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

The BIG day!

I have a love/hate relationship with my hair. I always love it when I get it cut and then after about a month or two, I want to grow it back out, a month or two later- I'm ready to chop it all off again. So today is the day. I'm getting a new 'do. Only this time I'm stepping a little out of my comfort zone. Not only am I getting a new cut, but I'm also getting it colored. I haven't haxd this done professionally much in my life, I usually just buy the box and do it myself. But this time I think I'm going to get a color and highlights and lowlights. I'm nervous. Wish me luck.

Hair Now:


I'll post pics of the after later!

Happy Fat Tuesday!

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

How well do you know your husband?

I like to think that I know Chance better than anyone else. So naturally when I came across this silly little quiz, I thought I'd prove myself. Added benefit, even though this is "our" blog, he never posts anything. So this will give everyone a peek into his psyche. It might be frightening.



1. He's sitting in front of the TV, what is on the screen?
Mythbusters, Family Guy, South Park, Law & Order SVU, That 70's Show.

2. You're out to eat; what kind of dressing does he get on his salad?
French {Tangy Tomato at Outback}

3. What's one food he doesn't like?
Broccoli

4. You go out to eat and have a drink. What does he order?
Miller Lite

5. Where did he go to high school?
Reidland High School

6. What size shoe does he wear?
Depends on the shoe: 10 or 10.5

7. If he was to collect anything, what would it be?
Miscellaneous computer parts, tools, guns or golf clubs.

8. What is his favorite type of sandwich?
Sweet onion chicken teriyaki on wheat with a little bit of lettuce, provolone cheese, salt and pepper, a ridiculous amount of tomatoes and sweet onion sauce.

9. What would this person eat every day if he could?
Tomatoes. End of discussion.
10. What is his favorite cereal?
He doesn't eat cereal, or breakfast for that matter.

11. What would he never wear?
Any garment that's tag said Phat Farm, Sean Jean or anything similar to those brands.
12. What is his favorite sports team?
Indianapolis Colts.

13. Who did he vote for?
He didn't.

14. Who is his best friend?
A 4-way tie between Stephen Hunt, Terry Hines, John Holt and Joe Yamada.

15. What is something you do that he wishes you wouldn't do?
Shop.

16. First vehicle?
1972 Chevy.

17. You bake him a cake for his birthday; what kind of cake?
He doesn't really like cake that much so I would make him Snickerdoodles.

18. Did he play sports in high school?
Soccer for 16 yrs.

19. What could he spend hours doing?
Golfing, playing video games.

20. What is one unique talent he has?
I'm a pretty moody person {shocking I know} and no matter how mad I am at him, the world, or Joe-Schmo he can ALWAYS make me smile. It pisses me off sometimes.

Whew..

Three things are on the agenda for today folks. It might be a long one so sit tight...


1. Nik, our baby, is epileptic. He's been having seizures, and now has to take phenobarbital for the rest of his life. Chance and I are now on some kind of national registry, because we have to adminiter a narcotic- a controlled substance to our dog. Fun.

2. I want this rug, right now.

3. Something I found on the internet, that I found surprisingly poignant.

Open Letter to President Obama

Dear President Obama -
There are plenty of shallow things I care about - like University of Illinois basketball and the sad state of rock & roll - but I can’t really afford to do much of that anymore because you keep screwing up. By the way, you can expect this to be incendiary. I am pissed. And I want you to know it. I am tired of glad-handing and playing grab-ass.
You keep perpetuating the madness of previous administrations.
1. You’ve hired a bunch of the same people that were the architects of this economic and social disaster in the first place.
2. You’ve canned campaign promises left and right just like your predecessors - such as with the lobbyists you have hired that you said you wouldn’t hire.
3. You’ve blathered on about hope and change - and I guess I hope you change your ways - but you have managed to destroy my hope that you had it in you to change things for the better instead of the underwhelming fortitude to wallow in pursuit of the status quo. Are you a shill for corporations, sir, just like all the others?
You keep bungling opportunities in crisis for real change.
1. You could have pushed single payer health care with private delivery in any stimulus package, but you didn’t. Why not?
2. You could have initiated steps for recovering some funds and dramatically altered (for the better) the state of our planet by generating a comprehensive carbon tax, but you didn’t. Why not?
3. You could have developed a small speculation tax so Wall Street could bail out itself, instead of breaking the backs of us taxpayers with little to show for it, but you didn’t. Why not?
Are you a coward, sir?While I am sure you thought it was pretty awesome to go to Chicago over the long holiday weekend and play basketball with your buddies, I thought it was pretty not awesome that my dad lost his job over the same weekend because you and your cronies in Treasury and at that god-forsaken Federal Reserve have no backbone when it comes to forcing the banks (you know, the guys who contributed tons of cash to your campaign) to move capital around a bit so we plebeian can keep our 9 to 5.
I recognize you inherited a mess. I also recognize you do not understand or embrace the concept of boldness. I don’t care that this is the biggest piece of legislation in history - that means nothing to me, or my father, or millions of others out there who are struggling, stressing, and dying. I know there is no easy solution. I also know you have demonstrated very little acumen for finding any portion of one. I want to hear about accountability, Mr. Obama. I don’t want to hear excuses. Simply put, you work for the American people. You work for me. And you stink at your job. You don’t have a hundred days or whatever the mainstream press is using as a deadline for judgment. I can tell you now that you are screwing up royally.And it is not just with the economy.I don’t want you to use the state of the economy as an excuse for keeping us in perpetual war and occupation status in Afghanistan and the rest of the world. That’s been done, and that isn’t change, Mr. Obama. That’s a repeat of World War II and continuation of Bush policy. So are those infiltrations into Pakistan. You are a smart guy. You know Pakistan is a sovereign nation. I know you’d like to solve their issues for the sake of “national security” but I think we have a few problems of our own here at home that you are bungling and that need your full attention. Plus, they don’t like it when you kill human beings inside their sovereign borders. Are you a war-monger er, just like so many of the others? A moment for pettiness - stop using “look” and “listen” to begin so many of your damn sentences. Most of us who are paying attention are looking and listening. It’s not like you are going to get more people to look and listen simply demanding it. I know your staffer is getting bored with this letter, so I will close and keep it simple by summing up what I have said, and will do so by making a few demands of my own.
Brief digression - I won’t expect any real response on paper, because that would take too much time from a lowly staffer’s normal duties of chasing down your brand of smokes and looking for that errant black sock lost in the laundry. I also won’t expect any real results in the coming years of your presidency: I may be a fool (for the simple fact that I am not in Washington already harassing the crap out of you and your cronies), but I am not gullible, Mr. Obama.
1. Have David Plouffe (you know, the guy you have sending annoying peppy emails every other day) send an email laying out which campaign promises you have broken, which ones you really intend to keep, and which ones you envision being difficult to keep. In other words, cut the crap.
2. In every speech you make, and in every stand you take, include single payer health care as the highest priority. Make it happen. If you are going to break our backs in a thousand other ways, at least make sure we have health care as a right, rather than a privilege.
3. Begin global discussions on a universal carbon tax. Use that noggin of yours and recognize cap and trade won’t solve anything. Unilaterally start a carbon tax against the worst polluters here in the good old US of A.
4. Tax the crap out of corporations that have no state loyalty. Again, you are a smart guy. You know what I mean here.
5. Implement a small speculation tax immediately, so these corporations can pay for their own buffoonery.
6. Apologize to the American people for being such a tool for these same corporations. Prime-time. On National TV. Then stop being a tool for these same corporations.
7. Stop the war-mongering. Now. Bring our daughters, sons, brothers, sisters, husbands and wives home.
8. If you choke on any of 1 -7, resign.
Sincerely,
Gregory Vickrey
Plebeian
Angry Citizen
Illinois Fan

Sunday, February 15, 2009

My sweet sweet valentine.

"As we grow older together, As we continue to change with age, There is one thing that will never change. . . I will always keep falling in love with you."
That's the note that was attached to the tulips that Chance had delivered to me yesterday!

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Never a dull moment.

To say the least we had a very interesting day yesterday. I should have known I just needed to go back to bed when it began. As always I started my day off with a sit down at the good ole' computer. So I sat there minding my own business, quietly stalking everyone on my google reader. When the silence is abruptly punctured with a series of very loud thumps, followed immediately by the sound of a little girl screaming "Nik" {I later found that little girl to be my husband, Chance.} Of course I shot out of my chair and rushed over to my dog lying at the bottom of a very steep flight of stairs. He was unable to stand up and didn't have any control over his own body. Then all of the muscles in his body tightened and he completely locked up, he was splayed out across the floor, Chance and I completely paralyzed in our fear. He began to drool all over the place and stumbled in a feeble attempt to walk. We immediately called the Dr. Everett {We might as well have him on speed dial.} He told us that Nik had a seizure and that there was no need to bring him in, unless he had another one. That was just the beginning. A few hours later in the middle of the wind storm we were having yesterday, the shingles on my brand new roof began flying off. Luckily the contractor was coming today anyway to take a look at what had been completed, since he hadn't been here since the groundbreaking. But that's a blog for another day. In Chance's walk through of things we still want done, things we want fixed and things that should have never happended {the workers left soda cans and candy wrappers all over the place} Chance discovered that one of our doorways in 32" across at the top and 34" across at the bottom. How do you not notice that when your putting up a 2/4 that it's completely diagonal???

In happier news, we now have electricity. And I have a new shiny garage door opener for my car!

Monday, February 9, 2009

My hearts desire...

*Disclaimer: I may begin to ramble, I tend to get highly emotional when I discuss this topic.*

I have wanted to be a mommy since I knew what being a mommy was. Anyone who knows me can attest to that. When I was in kindergarten and the teacher asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up I quickly responded with "I want to be a mommy." {However, I've always felt that conceiving would be difficult for me.} The sight, smell, and feel of an infant are absolutely intoxicating for me. I love to hold their little feet in my hands, to caress their soft wisps of hair, to feel their soft breathing next to my chest. {Tears well up in my eyes just thinking about it. I'm such a sap.} Sometimes when I don't have anything else to do online, I look at photos of nurseries, and baby bedding, or baby clothing. I've had baby fever since the moment Chance and I walked back up that aisle after saying our "I Do's", maybe a little before that if I'm being completely honest here. It comes in spurts, sometimes the longing subsides, other times my mind dances with thoughts of nurseries, bath times and bed times. Many people say that I'm too young, or that Chance and I haven't been married long enough. Those people are the same people that said I was too young to get married and wagered in their minds whether we'd even make it to 6 months. I've always known I would marry young, and I hoped I would shortly there after become a mommy. 18 months have come and gone with not so much as a glimmer of hope. Let me make it clear, Chance and I are not actively "trying" to conceive. I'm aware that, that would be foolish. I know that God will bless us when we are "ready" in his eyes. That being said, Chance and I have done nothing to prevent pregnancy for over 2 years now. According to my doctor this is when we get serious with fertility treatments, if I want to ever have a baby. I'm not sure that I'm on board with all the medicines, ultra sounds and bloodwork again just yet. {Chance and I VERY briefly tried to conceive in early 2008, but I was exhausted with work, and the 5 ultrasounds a month and taking 6 medicines was just too much for my body.} The doctors say that I have Poly-cystic Ovarian Syndrome {PCOS}- not sure that I entirely buy into that. I've begun to feel as though that's the new blanket diagnosis when the doctors don't really have and answer for why a twenty something, perfectly heathy woman can't conceive. Chance is a strong believer in, "It will happen when it's supposed to happen." and "This isn't going to happen on our timeline." I know with all of my heart that both of those things are true. Though it doesn't make the yearning andy less. He ofcourse would be thrilled with a new baby, he's very opinionated on the topic of baby names. We've agreed on Olivia Kaye and Elliot James. But he doesn't have the strong desire that I do and he doesn't really understand my fear that I won't be able to naturally be a mother. I'm not sure that he could understand completely. He's supportive and is always willing to hold me when I cry. {Which I usually do at least 2 times a week.} I pray for deliverance from the desire to be a mother, but feel no relief. I pray for a blessing of our own. I'm not really sure why I feel compelled to share such personal information, in such an unprivate arena. I don't really talk about it to very many people. But lately I've felt like I was going to explode. Chance is getting less patient with me on the subject. And my friends say all the right things but are in different places in their lives and just don't wholy understand. I feel very alone for the first time in my life, and I am surrounded by more people than ever. I work with a wonderful group of women, some who have children others who don't. I have a wonderful husband and family. Yet still I feel completely isolated. I'm beginnig to doubt that I'm meant to be a mother, but then again I can't believe that my God would give me such a strong desire if He didn't intend for me to become a mommy. So I suppose that for now I will be praying until I'm blue in the face- or round in the belly.

Thursday, February 5, 2009

Ooooh, How exciting!!

I just love logging into my Facebook account and being welcomed by a message from our dear friends saying that they will be playing in Murray, KY. I just love it!! In case your wondering, they are Bordertown and they are fabulous! Stephen Hunt {the lead singer. our best man} is a more atrractive cross between Keith Urban and John Mayer. I couldn't love the sound of his voice more. He sang our first dance on the day we were married. The band is made up of an extraordinary group of men, they are all so sweet, and talented. So in case you haven't figured it out yet, I get to see them tonight, at the Big Apple in Murray, KY 9-12!! I'm giddy with excitement!!

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Aahh, back to reality...

Photo by Donnie Holt. This is Kenmar Rd. about 1/2 and mile from our house.

Last Monday night {1-26-09} I got off work at around 7. It had already started. Ice and snow were coming down. By the time we woke up Tuesday morning it looked like this. We took Nik to the doctor, got him re-bandaged. And by the time we got him home at 11:30, we had no power. We were on our way to Nashville by 2 pm. Reidland's water tower was running out of water, and there was a pesky rumor going around that we would be loosing running water. Chance couldn't handle that.We stayed in Nashville 2 nights. It was a nice retreat. We had dinner, went shopping, it was nice to just be alone. No in-laws! When we got home we were greeted with mass power outages {some places still don't have power and the next county over hasn't had running water for a week.} Western KY has been blessed, so many out of town workers have come, the National Guard is going door to door to make sure everyone is ok. We lost all of our trees, but everyone is healthy. That's all that really matters. I really suprised myself. I handled it with more grace that I thought I could. I did better than Chance, but he'd deny that. Thankfully we were lucky enough to get a generator on Friday and actually got power on Sunday night {and cable today.} I was soo pleased to be able to come home and get on the internet. I had 207 items in my google reader. That took a while! Thank you to all of you who had us in your thoughts and prayers this past week, we needed it!




Monday, January 26, 2009

oh what to do...

I love my husband more than anything in the entire world. He knows that. I understand his heart and soul completely. So why the heck can I not think of anything to get him for Valentine's Day? We've never done anything big. So all the gift guides that tell my to buy him a iPod, or a GPS system don't do me any good (plus he already has most of the items on those lists.) I've looked everywhere. I want to badly to be this person for him.


And to look like this person for him.

Both I'm sad to say are not happening in the next 3 weeks. I'm disgusted wiht myself. I'm usually so good at these things.

Sunday, January 18, 2009

An apology.

Dear Mr. Construction Worker,

Hello, my name is Sarah Bendel. I owe you an apology. Sit down, because I don't do this often. I'm very sorry that I wrote such nasty things about you last week, I was wrong. Because as it turns out you came the very next day! And my hopeful concrete slab turned in just a week and a half into a home, of course there are no interior walls, no electricity, and only half of the siding is up. But I am so thankful for that little (I guess it's not so little anymore) beackon of hope everything I look out the window. It's beautiful. Thank you so much for the gorgeous front door, with those pretty windows on either side I asked you for. Boy did you deliver mister! Who knew that something as simple as a front door could be so beautiful. OOh, and you put in my windows too, they're so nice. I have to confess that I may or may not have gone back there and opened one of the windows, just to day I did it. It made me very happy. I can't wait to see the roofing company come next week and for the rest of the siding to be put up. Then the fun starts. Working on the interior, and even though Chance want's to do that on his own, I'm pretty sure that you'll only be a phone call away if I need you. Please accept my sincere apology for writing such nasty things about you, and saying even nastier things. I'm so sorry. Maybe I'll bake you some cookies to show my appreciation, eh maybe not.

My sincerest apologies,
Mrs. Bendel

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Should have known.. part 2

Of course, the contractor and his employees never showed.
So we {and by we I mean Chance} called to find out where they were.
No answer.
Never returned our call.
I'm angry to say the least.
How can you run a business like that?
The same contractor did work on our neighbor's house and they didn't have any problems. But with our house he has done nothing but drag his feet.
Already, they have procrastinated over a month. They were supposed to start in November; we see where that got us.

Should have known.


11:39 am and no utility trucks in our driveway. I thought something might be off yesterday when a local lumber company {who was supposed to deliver all the supplies} only left the glue and nails - no lumber. That being said, it's raining. The contractor has backed out everytime when it has rained. He's never called and told us they wouldn't be coming, just didn't show {frustrating to say the least.} Maybe he's made of sugar and will melt if he gets wet, maybe. I don't think I've ever endured something as aggravating as this process has been. I can't imagine taking a deposit {a rather large deposit I might add} from someone, telling them you would report for work on certain days, not showing, and not keeping them in the loop. As if it's not stressful enough living with Chance's parents during this process, but getting the run-around from the contractor just adds insult to injury. So for now I have one very expensive concrete slab. Oh, and 65 tons of red gravel.

Monday, January 5, 2009

I'm soooo excited!!

They're starting construction tomorrow!
We spoke with the contractor this morning.
They're dropping off the supplies this afternoon.


I'm so excited. Words cannot express how anxious I am to be able to decorate my own place. I've been tinkering with my mother-in-laws, moving her things around almost daily. But nothing replaces making something completely your own. I've been searching the web for months now gathering ideas an color schemes. I thought I'd share some of my favorites.









Many thanks to the Nester for all of her wonderful ideas. (Many of the photos came from her blog.)

Saturday, January 3, 2009

Da Da Dum...

The ever feared, anticipated, planned for, maybe prepared for BRIDAL CHRISTMAS is upon us. To clarify for you we at the shop define bridal christmas as: the first quarter of the year when ridiculously huge masses of girls get engaged over the holidays and then they {and by they I mean their consultant - me} try to get their wedding planned by the pending date of her choice, usually May or June. That all sounds great right? Loads of people to sell wedding gowns to, but there's a catch; sometimes it takes up to 8 or 10 or 15 or even 30 weeks to get dresses in and we get 5 months to prepare the bride for the big day. It's interesting. So the dreadful bridal christmas is here, it starts today actually. I know I'll handle it just fine {I've done it for a couple of years.} what I'm concerned about is the 3 constultants that we have who've never seen a busy day. Pray for us.. pray for ME!!

In other news, I hear that beautiful sound again. More gravel. Yay for driveways!!

Friday, January 2, 2009

The most beautiful sound in the world.


And it's right outside my window RIGHT now. It's the sound of progress, gigantic trucks with only God knows how many pounds of rock coming to lay the foundation of our driveway. They've already dug the perimeter and are now laying the red gravel {they'll then lay the white gravel on top of that, followed by the black top.} We discussed for the gazillionth time last night how we're going to layout the laundry room, we've yet to completely agree. I'm pretty sure since I'm the one that will be doing the laundry- I'll be the one to win. We do however agree on one thing- the closet. I'm super excited about my closet, it's going to be huge. Actual construction should restart on Monday weather permitting. We shall see.

Thursday, January 1, 2009

Happy, Happy

New Year!!
Bendel Family Portrait - Nov. 2008

Although the Bendel New Year was not all that I had hoped for {Nik was my midnight kiss, Chance was in the garage} I'm sure that 2009 is going to be much, much better than 2008. Hey, it'd be hard pressed to get much worse. We enjoyed the wonderful company of our dear friend John, he is so close to our hearts {someday he'll be the god-father of our children}.


2008 was a tough year for us. It was our first full calendar year of marriage. It was also the first full calendar year without my sweet Pawpaw. We nursed a dog {Ty} through a broken leg and parvo, AT THE SAME TIME. We moved- three times. We got a new kitten, Oliver who we lovingly nicknamed "Little One". My Gran moved 6 hours away. Chance lost his job. I became closer than I thought possible with my Mother-in-law. We began construction on our new home. Not just one, but two of our cousins got engaged! I turned 21 {also not quite what I had hoped for.} Chance turned a quarter of a century. We also celebrated Nik's 2nd brithday & Ty and Baylei's 1st. We threw a huge "Mad Hatter Tea Party" for my cousin and sister. Chad {Brother-in-law} and Michelle got married. --It was an eventful year to say the least, with lots of twists along the way- more to come I'm sure of it.


We have lots of exciting things to look forward to this year. Chance finding a new job, or going back to the old one. Our 2nd wedding anniversary. Lindsay's high school graduation. Mavyn's wedding. Being completely 100% out of debt. Completion of our home. Moving again. A trip to New Orleans. 22nd and 26th birthdays. I'm sure I'm forgetting some.


So here's to a happy and oh so prosperous New Year to us and everyone out there.