YES!

I said "YES!" Well...I eventually said "Yes!" After the laughing, crying and shaking calmed down...After the "No, wait! You have to ask my Dad!" was answered...I said "Yes!!!!"

I'm ENGAGED! Manhattan, Kansas. March 19, 2009. My First Time Golfing on a Golf Course. Hole Number Nine. Josh got down on one knee and asked me to marry him.

I arrived in Kansas City the night before. We stayed in Kansas City for the night and the next morning Josh took me shopping at Legends 14. He bought me two new dresses and two new tops at BCBG, then we went home. When we got to the apartment he surprised me with a new set of PINK golf clubs.

They are BEAUTIFUL! He took me to the golf course and we hit balls and then we went out on the course to play 9 holes. I mainly watched so that I could learn about the game. Josh is a fantastic golfer! Well...he WAS doing fantastic...until Hole Number 9...

Last Hole of the game, his first shot off the tee...Not so great. He was nervous, but I wasn't sure what the problem was. Frankly, I still thought he was doing great! But, he said otherwise. After he putted the ball into the hole I decided I wanted to take a photograph, so I made him line up the ball with the hole and the putter, and his shoes....it was lovely. After the picture I went back to the golf cart because I was cold! I wrapped up in Josh's red wind breaker and he put his club in the bag. I turned to look behind the cart at him, and he wasn't there anymore! I turned to my side, and Josh was on one knee with a little brown wooden box.

My first thought was, "What in the world? A new Golf Tee? Golf Ball? What is in the Box?" Then he started talking! I was in shock, what was going on?! He opened the box and there was a GORGEOUS Diamond Ring! "Karen Irene Lyons....will you marry me?" I started shaking, crying, laughing.... then I said "No, wait! You have to ask my Dad!" He told me he already had.

Josh loves Golf. Josh Loves Me. I love Josh...Therefore, I am learning to Golf! It is really very enjoyable and I am excited that it gives us more time to spend together. Golf is a part of my life now (even more so that he ingrained it into our relationship by proposing on the course)!

I am so excited about my future with him. I'm so Blessed and so Happy!

Shopaholics Anonymous

"You know that thing when you see someone cute and he smiles and your heart kind of goes like warm butter sliding down hot toast? Well that's what it's like when I see a store. Only it's better."-Rebecca Bloomwood

In February I went to visit Josh in Kansas and he took me to the Shopaholic Movie. Before the movie we went and looked at the apartment we will be living in when I move. The place is absolutely lovely, and I was so excited to see, in person, my favorite part...WALK IN CLOSETS. The man who gave us the tour of our future abode noted there is a seperate "storage" area in the bedroom also, he called it the "shoe closet." I was so excited, my bedroom was going to have a shoe closet for all of my pumps, sandals, boots, peeptoes...then I opened it. Only five shelves...Only about a foot deep...I would need another "shoe closet." After looking into the walk in closet, and coming to the realization that the other two bedroom closets were not for my use...I became a little discouraged.

Then, the movie. This is when I had my Ah-Ha moment. I either needed to rent another 12x14 room in a seperate apartment for the rest of my clothes and shoes, OR I needed to do a little spring cleaning in the clothes and shoe department. The movie inspired me to go through my clothes.

The next weekend, I cleaned. I sorted. I boxed, bagged, donated, sold and threw away. I was motivated! And then, after a little mourning the loss of...I felt accomplished. This is something that definitely needed to happen in order to move and have room for my daughter and Josh.

Here are the 13 pairs I got rid of...Elizabeth's comment was "Mom, you still have over 50 pairs!"

Here are the Clothes I got rid of:

Here is the finished result, (minus the clothes that are in the laundry and those in my dresser).

Then, when it was all finished, I rewarded myself afterward with a cute pair of Clogs.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Guinness. Corned Beef and Cabbage. Bagpipes, Leprechauns, Wearing Green....But my favorite part of the St. Patrick's Day tradition is making my daughter breakfast in the morning and packing her school lunch!

I woke her up this morning and helped her get ready for school...No Green in her school uniform, but a Green Shammrock Scrunchie, a Green Necklace and a Green Bracelet complete the outfit perfectly! No Pinching will be happening today!

We were running a little behind so I told her to run downstairs and make breakfast. A few minutes later I came down and she was sitting at the table with a glass of juice. I asked her where her breakfast was...she answered (in a very pathetic sounding voice) "I was really hoping I could have green eggs and ham for breakfast." How could I forget?! So, scrambled eggs, chopped ham, a little green food coloring and Voilà! Green Eggs and Ham.

For her "surprise" St. Patrick's Day Lunch I made her a green egg salad sandwich, green shammrock cookies, broccoli (also green), green grapes, green jello and a green apple juice box...complete with a Shammrock Napkin.

My pot of gold is making her happy.