We Caved...

... it's official: we're now paying to be kept cool. A/C is on!

I lasted longer last year, but in my defense I had something to work for. I though that by going to the Middle East I was going to have to deal with insufferable amounts of heat with no relief in sight. Little did I know that the weather there is quite wonderful!

Currently in Campbellsville: 83 degrees at 63% humidity

Currently in Jordan: 72 degrees at 29% humidity

And to think that I sweated it out the whole month of May last year in "preparation!"

Beijing or Bust

T-minus 68 days until the beginning of the 2008 Olympic Games! Now there's something to be excited about!



I can't say that I'm an avid sports fan (though I do love me a good football game in the fall) but there is just something about the Olympics that gets my blood pumping. I guess you could say I catch the Olympic Fever every four years.





My favorite events are swimming, diving, and gymnastics of all types.

Recently Viewed

Let's just say, it was nothing spectacular. But it was a Redbox rental, and I don't miss my $1.06 at all.

Could It Be True?

"Got Me A Bad Case Of The Xenophobes!"

OK, so I wasn't really eavesdropping... I was in the same room. I just wasn't being spoken to. But the conversation that I heard made me sad. Here's a paraphrase:

Person 1: "Well my doctor told me that we're going to start getting our medicine from China. He said it's going to be a disaster. You never know what they'll put in our pills. Just like how we had to recall all those Chinese toys."

Person 2: "Oh they hate us over there. Everyone one of them."

Person 3: "Oh yes, they'd stop at nothing to get us. They want us all dead."

Ho-hum... yet another typical day in America. It makes my heart burn for the nations all the more.

Currently Reading

Makes me miss the Middle East.

Things I Wish I Could Say

There are so many things throughout the workday that I wish I could say. I don't say them not because they're mean and I know I shouldn't but because it's probably against the law to smart off to children in the public child care setting. But here are some scenarios from my week. What would you say?

Setting: We are passing out afternoon snack. It is granola bars. One child starts crying because there are no more "reds" only "greens."

My Wishful Response: "Only greens? Count to 10. Four kids in Africa just died because they not only didn't get a "red" or a "green" but haven't eaten anything of substance for the past month."

Setting: We are in gym. I see Child A pick a fight with Child B. Child B, in their frustrations, pinches Child A on the arm. Child A comes running to tell on them.

My Wishful Response: "Well Child A, you deserved it. And you're in time out for being a bully."

Setting: It is center play time. The timer rings and it's time to clean up our toys. The children start whining in protest, claiming they never got to play with "this toy" or "that toy."

My Wishful Response: "How many toys do you have at home? Yeah, that's what I thought. Clean up."

So think of things that you'd love to say at work but can't. Don't be depressed, but congratulate yourself. Your awesome ability to filter could very well be one of the reasons you are still employed!

The Third Wheel, Vol. 1

Everyone, meet Garrett. Garrett, meet everyone.

Hello Blog World. This is the first installment of my life with the newlyweds. So although i expect my fair share of awkward/funny stories day one has yet to yeild anything too exciting. I do have one strange occurence thus far. There is a mystery poof thing in the shower. For those of you who do not understand what i mean when i say "poof thing" check this out....http://www.outletnutrition.com/073377716812.html..... So lets think this through.....there are three of us living in the apartment......and there are four poof things. I have still yet to find the true source of the fourth poof......i will henceforth make this my mission.....
There is a question that has perplexed me about marriage. A question that seems to be the true gauge for the commitment that a married couple has for one another. But sadly this is not a question that Dusty and Emily will be able to answer for me. To me you can judge how comfortable a couple is with one another by how long it takes them to be able to use the bathroom with the door open. Seriously you know you really love someone (or at least how much they love you) when you can take a dump with the door open......I'll let you know about any development on that......actually hopefully not.....
So ill just let you folks in on some precautions that i am taking to ensure my virgin ears stay such......i have employed the use of a small fan as a noise block, so far so good.....i'll keep you updated on that.
By the way.....we need a name for our little household....any suggestions? Be on the lookout for more from the Third Wheel

Honeymoon Part II

OK! I couldn't resist... here are a few shots from the honeymoon! (Warning: No Nudity!) :)

Honeymoon Horror

It started Monday afternoon... I started feeling an intense sinus pressure. Soon it went away and Dusty and I had a wonderful afternoon exploring downtown Indianapolis.

Tuesday morning, 4:00 am. I wake up crying and severe pain. Dusty the Super Husband runs to Walgreens to buy me some relief. We wake up eventually and try to head into the city, but I quickly realize that it's not going to happen.

We turn around and head to the urgent care center by our hotel. Three x-rays, one shot in the hip, four steroid pills, and three prescriptions later (not to mention losing my breakfast in the hotel room) I find myself in bed with a sinus-migrain pain thing that will simply not go away! Wednesday and Thursday have come and gone and it's been a pretty bumpy, painful road. Hopefully things will start to get better... I can only pray because the pain, well... not to be a Debbie Downer, is pretty bad.

Baby's Coming!

Here is Aubri, my new sister-in-law at roughly 17 and a half weeks! Word on the street is that she has started to feel the baby move! Whoopie!

Married Life... Take I

So, it's official. I am Mrs. Emily Snyder. Mrs. Emily Snyder!

The wedding day was a whirlwind, the honeymoon rather, um... eventful (who would have guessed that we'd end up at an urgent care center near our hotel?!) and it seems we're headed into reality only a little too soon.

I really want to take this time to thank everyone who was there to support Dusty and myself on our big day:

• First, our parents who sacrificed a lot to make the day happen
• Our wedding party, for going above and beyond to help and make the day as stress free as possible
• Brenda Ahearn, our fabulous wedding photographer, who traveled to capture our big day all the way from Washington, D.C.
• Adam Truax and Andrea Burnett for providing beautiful music during the ceremony
• Ray Hollenbach and our entire Vineyard family for your support and flexibility
• The Williams clan for the scrumptious reception dinner!

More pictures and news to come, but for now... I will try to relax and recover! (Both from the honeymoon and my new, improved sinusitis x 4.)

Extinction, According to a Three Year Old

Last week I read to my class a book about dinosaurs. At the end of the book, it talks about how the dinosaurs don't exist anymore. The following conversation occurred:

Me: "So, can anyone tell me what the word 'extinct' means?"
Kid #1: "It means you don't live anymore."
Me: "That's right, good job! Can anyone think of other animals that are extinct."
Kid #2: (raises hand) "Um yes, unicorns."

Funny, I thought I saw one on the highway just yesterday. :)

Things That Make You Go...

"AAAARGH!"

That's the sound I made when I discovered the following lurking under the oven of my (former) apartment:





This, my friends, seems to be years worth of former tenants' useless crap and nastiness. So next time you lose that bouncy ball of yours or your favorite hanger, check under the stove. Odds are it's sitting there, waiting for you to find it.

(P.S. This solidifies my resolve to make the best of this current move. I've checked under the oven. It's all good!)

Fotos Min Graduation

Guest Blog

Following the wedding, Sir Garrett Gilkey will be commencing a guest blog once a month (or once a week depending on how interesting things get) telling everyone the in's and out's of living with a newlywed couple.

Name of his new posting: The Third Wheel

Wedding in t-minus six days... guest blog soon to follow.

4th Time's A...?

If third time's a charm, fourth time's a b!%$&. Well really, that's how I feel. I am currently moving into my fourth living quarters in the past year:

1. Duffy Street
2. Arbor Lane
3. Apt B8
4. Apt A7

A7 is Dusty's current resident, Garrett's current resident, and me you ask? Homeless. Bumming a bed at my grandparent's house. Boo-yah!

Happy Derby Day!

Hope everyone enjoys this year's derby race! Eat some derby pie, swig a mint julep, and wear a wacky hat!

Tides of Change

So, I get married in two weeks and one day... and counting! I've grown my hair out for what seems like forever for this special event but I'm starting to look for a change. Now, don't worry I'm not getting my hair cut in the next two weeks and one day (boy don't I wish!) but I am starting to look at my options. By this time next month I will have short(er) hair! Here are the options that I'm looking at (and no, i'm not a celebrity stalker):

Any opinions?