Why Hello Strangers

No, I didn't completely forget how to blog, I just took a slight hiatus.

Truth of the matter is, I check blogspot.com every day to get my daily reading of Crystal.Cattle, A. Liz Adventures and Craftaholics Anonymous. I just never actually blog.

Basically, I fell off the blogging boat. But, I am jumping back on folks, I promise.

I know what you're saying, "We've all heard that before, Jamie." And you have and you will again. But for now, please accept my begging and pleading for your forgiveness and welcome me back!?

So how 'bout I start you off with a little review of life?

The last few months went a little like this...

Summer came and not only did I get busy at work and start having mild "I am a wedding planning failure" heart attacks, but then we started spending every waking minute at a cattle show and I loved it. Then the State Fair came and if you know ANYTHING about me, you know how much I love the MN State Fair. Honestly, it's 12 days of heavenly bliss and 2011 was no different. In fact, I still owe you a blog post about those amazingly delicious mashed potatoes on a stick. Really, I am craving some this very instant.

family bonding at Dakota County Fair

Then I sent my dear little brother off to college and got to experience the "empty nesting" phenomen with my parents. A positive of the experience? I think I am prepared for what it will be like for Mark and I fourty years from now. Eventually we got over it though and Mama May and I dived in head first to all things wedding. I had two bridal showers, a family fish fry and a five-year class reunion (yes, FIVE already!) all to fit into one weekend. It was overwhelming and fantastic.

Fast forward to the next weekend and I finally bought a car! Allelulia! Amen! Praise the Lord! They even paid me money (a pathetic amount, but it was something) for my old car. So, I am a proud new owner of a navy blue 2010 Nissan Altima. It's not quite what I was thinking of getting, but it's really practical and it might be a good time in my life to be practical. Maybe that Lincoln can be my next car!?

The next week I got to drive that new car to the hospital to visit my baby nephew, Blake Aaron Stark. We all love him a lot. I can't actually confirm that with his big sister yet, but she did stop calling him "that baby" so I think they are progressing.

excuse my messy hair, it was a looonnng day.

Then October came and we became obsessed with sale cattle. Honestly, I know more about Purfeerst's cattle than my family's cattle. But with the Harvest Roundup Sale coming up this weekend, and seven more calves to sell off the farm, we have to be pretty serious I guess.

And to continue the blur of October, I made a quick trip to Fargo last weekend to relive my glory days and celebrate the wedding with besties! Basically my take away from that trip was that I have fantastic girlfriends and my body could still physically handle college. And that's a relief to know.

aren't they gorgeous?

And that brings me to today where I mastered all things wedding. But given that the countdown number is getting scarily small, I better start mastering this thing soon!

Thanks for being patient and waiting for me to come back. I hope to goodness we talk again soon!

Much love,

JLM