a love of mine.....

Salon's. Everywhere I go, they always happen to catch my eye. If I happen to drive by & spot a cute Salon....I must take a picture or get an idea for our Salon in Stayton.... ACT I Hair Design.

This Salon is located in the little town of Nob Noster, Missouri. And the Salon...you can see is called, Curl Up -N- Dye. Cute cute! So I had to pretend to be Vanna White and display this tickle my fancy Salon and snap a quick pic!

ACT I, just got a mini make over with a new Logo. Curtesy of Monica Pynch http://www.240noble.com/

She did a wonderful job! We have this logo on our brochures, my business cards and @ the front door & back door.

I will add new pictures soon but here is a sneek peek....

We have a new sign hanging in the front room that my friend Denise Bunn (Take Our Words For It/ Vinyl signs co.) made as a Gift for the Salon It say's, Be Yourself...Everyone Else is taken. Everyone just adores it when they come visit. And I love that they do. I think I take in something new and remove something old, and move something here and organize something everyday. But I guess that's the fun part of it all.

Mr.Personality & Me

This is my Hubby. This first pic is taken in Missouri, where he lived for a year before we got married. You can see he is bored and had to take a picture to let me know and to tell me "Whas up!" He was in the Air Force for 4 years and signed up for another 4 right before we got together. Big Oops! But what could you do?

He then transfered to the National Guard (reserves) so he could come home and get married. So now he has two jobs. The Stayton Phone Company as an INR tech. and has done really well climbing the ladder there. He recently got a big raise, which he deserves for all his hard work. What a great time for a raise! Or should I say Praise! Umm...both.

We are on our way to buying our Beautiful Home, so everything helps. But that's not all he does...He just got transfered from Klamath Falls Airforce Base to the Portland Air National Guard. So, one weekend out of the month he will be working up @ the Portland Airport. Whatta Stud. I am so proud of him. Soon he will becoming a Staff Surgent, which he should of been a long time ago, but he chose to come home early and be with me, so that stalled the process. Sorry honey. But Thank You! I really do enjoy not going to Missouri 3 times a year and having you here everyday! Don't let the facial expressions fool you above. He really does love hanging out with me, I swear! ;) wink wink.

mY American idoL

This is Casey Nash, formally known as Casey Bunn or Bunner. In highschool a dear friend of mine would say when the both of us were together, "Aww, its Lambchops & Bunner." :) She is one of my best friends and always will be. Casey is what you call a true athlete or one who would star in the movie Love & Basketball. We played sports together in highschool; basketball, volleyball & softball. Well she started out freshman year playing track instead of softball, but my Dad being the head softball coach and knowing what an athlete she was....Deffinately wanted her on OUR TEAM. He would go to her house and talk to her parents about playing and really tried to make it seem so awesome to be a softball player. He deffinately had high hopes that she would come and make a great asset to our team and become, not only a basketball star but a softball one too! There was once a little joke made that he would buy her anything if she would come play, well she said, She always dreamed of having a jeep wrangler.. haha. He was seriously going to go get one (rent it for a day) and have it sitting at her house when she got home from school....But I think she agreed before he had to! But I know he would have done it, just because he was that kind of person. :)

Well she played softball and her junior year I believe made 1st team all league first base & Player of the YEAR! That's how much he believed in her. And She also helped us WiN a State Championship our senior year!!! So cool.

My friend Casey got a full ride to play @ OUS and I watched he school a bunch of players from all of the world. And yes, she did get her dream car, a white Jeep Wrangler....but it sits in the shop until she returns from acrossed the globe. Because she is now playing basketball in Spain and her wonderful husband is playing basketball in Holland! The Life of Two ballers! I love this girl and can't wait for her to come home!

"Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God." Philippians 1:3

Honey Moon in Seattle

This was the view from the Space Needle but similar to the view from our room @ Crown Plaza Hotel. We thought we were Rockstars being on the 23rd floor and ordering room service.

The second night in Seatlle we attended a Mariner's game! A gift from Louis's father. It was a package deal with hats, bags, free food and drinks and we were also on the Big Score Board during the 7th inning stretch! So fun!

Calling All Angels for 2009

The year of 2009 is here and I believe it can only get better. But I do wish I could call God and have him send all his Angels just so we know that it will be ok and we can get through another year. I might not have God's cell phone number, but praying does help and I know he does listen.

It's funny how sometimes people believe things, even if it is to make them feel better. But what if silly things we try to believe are really true? For instance, I, myself, believe in "signs". Signs sent from God that make me feel better about a certain moment or thought that I might have. Right now I have been seeing signs about my Dad.


When I hear airplanes.....to me, that is a sign that my Dad is saying hi. He is saying hey, I'm always going to be there for you. I am still your silly Dad and I love you! So when I step outside some days I will hear that sound and for a split second I think of him and smile. And my day goes a little better just because what I believe.

Another sign I believe is.....when I will be thinking about something and.......I will look up, and a bird will fly off into the sky. And for that second I breath a little stronger. I don't know why, but to me, that bird is a sign of HOPE. Not every bird I see does this, because I know there is a gazillion, But in the moment of a sad thought it sometimes happens that a bird flies gracefully off into the distance and it releases tension or something that makes me feel a tiny bit better.

I could go on for hours about certain things like signs, but I probably would go crazy. So for now , those are my signs. They are tiny things that make a huge impact on my day.

Happy New Years to you All & God Bless!

Christmas Tree's

"Oh Christmas Tree ~ Oh Christmas Tree... How you remind me of My Father!"

I Love Christmas! Being with family, cold weather and hot chocolate, going to Great Grandma Melsness's for Christmas Eve and playing the white elephant game to see who gets the funniest present! I love having Grandma's lefsa and Rena's Hooch! (weird names, huh? sounds kinda gross) Oh but it is delicious! I love seeing all the kids get so excited!

But this year will deffinately be different. Being married I have to share family time and Louis only gets Christmas off and has to work that Friday so it would be hard to travel to Southern Oregon to see the Lamb's ~ Wessel's ~Melsness's and soo on. But most of all I will miss my Dad!

And I don't even know how this Christmas will be? I can't decide if I even want to put a tree up in our brand new house for our first Christmas being married together because I am so sad or if I want one in every room and to go all out!? Because Tree's will always make me feel like my Dad is there! I know he will be here with us!

Wooden Nickel always brings out the Best

Here is a lovely picture of My Mom's best friend Diane & two of her oldest daughters Sara and Christiana. And yes, that is me being a dork, as usual. But for this blog, lets pretend I am being serious and just look at these pretty ladies. When I look at this picture I see Love, family, Life, and Hope! Diane (also known as Mama Fay) She means alot to me! She is a warrior, trooper, and friend. She is one of the most non selfish people I have ever met and would absolutely do anything for anyone. She stands for what she believes in and she LOVES her family & friends. I know all of her favorite things because she is alot like my Mom, but her most favorite thing I know now because I heard her say the other night is when her whole family is home and they get to eat dinner and play games, share stories & laugh together. And that is what I have seen the last few times I have gone over to their house. Hugs, Smiles, Laughter, and nothing but Love. A place where it makes you feel good when you leave.

My family is Super close and I am thankful for that! I don't want to think about how life would be if we weren't that way we are. It makes me happy when after a days work or any day, I can stop and think about my family and be really Happy I have each one in my Life and my Heart.

The LOVE of a Family is Life's Greatest Blessings!