VOLUNTEERGIRL

Spring is just around the corner.....

2006-03-22T19:10:00.000-08:00

I have been so busy these last few weeks working. I have finally found a job that is ok and I definitely like it more than the bank. I do, however, miss the people that I worked with. So, if any of you read this, I miss you guys & hope that all is well.

My husband & I have been settling into married life pretty easily. We are both working our asses off and still having a hard time making ends meet. But everyone I have talked to has said that this is normal and that things will get better. The family is fine. I have been spending sometime with Jennifer, Joy, & the kids. We have all went to the park a few times and just hung out. It is GREAT to have friends that you can just hang around with and be relaxed. I don't know what I would do without Joy or Jennifer.

Things are pretty much boring around here. We are having some behavioral problems with Sunny, our poodle. She is being very destructive with all of her toys and her bed. I am not really sure what her problem is except for the fact that she is mad at me for going back to work. She got really used to having me at home during the day and when I went back to work, she just got lonely. We are thinking about getting another dog to keep her company because then maybe she wouldn't get herself into that much trouble.

Rocky and I have also been talking about having a baby. I don't know what has come over me but here lately I have really been wanting to have a child. I would love to have a baby. We are going to start trying really soon!!!!! We both agree that we don't want to be old and not be able to do anything with our child. I just hope that we have a girl because he already has a son, so he needs a girl now. He agrees that he would like to have a girl. We have already decided that if it be a boy, we will name him after my brother and if we have a girl, we will name her after his sister. So that leaves us with Derek, Dianna, Stephen, & Lynn to pick from for a name. I really like the name Allyson Dianna Whitaker and call her Ally. But only time will tell.

I have to go because I have a job interview in the morning and I want to at least be awake.

Love, Erica

Where do I start????..........

2006-02-03T11:21:00.000-08:00

Wow, it has been so long since I have written anything. I really don't know where to begin.

Let's see, I got married on 1/14/06 and it was a great day!!!!! The weather sucked but other than that most everything went off without a hitch. Everyone showed up and did what they were supposed to do. We just had a very simple wedding. The ceremony didn't last more than maybe 20 minutes and then it was on to the reception and pictures. We have so many pictures to look at and make our decisions about. I will try to upload a few once we pick out the best.

After the wedding, Rocky & I headed off to Myrtle Beach for a week. It was great!!!!! The weather was nice and it was really only cold during the night. We went out to eat a lot and did just a little bit of shopping. We had such a good time that we hated to come home but you can't stay in the fairytale world forever. Plus, we both really missed Sunny and we were anxious to get home to her.

Sunny was so excited to see us when we got home!!!!!! She could barely contain herself!!!!!! She was even more excited that she got to come home. She had been staying with my mom and Rocky's mom. They spoil her more than we do!!!!!!!!! She is their granddog.

Now, things are great and I am in the process of looking for a job!!!! Yes, for those of you who don't know, I quit Bank of Tennessee. I hated it and I am so much more better off not working there. I am serious when I say that they really need to re-evaluate their upper management. Some people really don't need to be a boss because they are way to hard to get along with. So, to HELL with the bank.

I have to go but hopefully, I will get to post later.

My poor Great Nephew!!!!!!

2005-11-02T09:45:00.000-08:00

Yes, that is correct I said my poor Great Nephew. I am 26, almost 27 years old, and I am a great aunt already. That is what you get when your parents divorce when you are young and then get remarried to people who are older than they are. My mom remarried and my stepfather had 4 children. They all now have children and their kids have kids. That is how I have a great nephew. His name is Robby and he will be 2 in December. He is not taken care of very well at all. He lives in a trailer with my niece and her boyfriend(his loser of a father) and they just don't really care much about anything. This is like the 3rd time that he has been sick already this year and it is not really even winter. I just hate it for him because he depends on his mother to take care of him and she doesn't do a good job at all. My parents have went and gotten him today and are planning on keeping him through the weekend to give him his medicine and help get him better, so that when he does have to go home, he will at least be better and no one will have to worry about whether or not he is getting his medicine or not. It is just a really bad and a sad situation. I am just glad that my parents are willing to step in help.

Anyway, enough about that. Work has been really weird this week. Stef, a friend at work, left on Thursday to move to Atlanta and it has just been really quiet it seems since she has been gone. Robin, Jessica, and I have still been taking smoke breaks together some but I used to look forward to getting to see them all for the morning and the afternoon breaks and now it doesn't happen. Just sad that things have changed. But I did get a text message from Stef yesterday and she said that she is doing well and that she likes Atlanta. That is good and I am really happy for her. I just miss her. We will have to talk soon girl!!!!!!

Let me say also that I am really proud of Robin for FINALLY posting again because I was beginning to think that she had deserted us.

Rocky and I have just been doing the everyday life stuff. We haven't really made anymore plans or bought anything else for the wedding. I wish kind of now that we had just ran off and got married, instead of doing all of this planning. We have so much to do and I just can't find the time to do it all. Work has been really busy and when I get off, I just want to go home to rest. We are going to go out to Amy and Chris' this weekend for the first time to play some cards. We have Jacob this weekend but he is going to go with us. I think that Chris and Rocky will really like eachother, they just have to get to know eachother but boy, once they do, Amy and I had better watch-out because it will be them against us. I think that it will do Rocky some good to have a good friend, especially a good friend like Chris. He is all the time fussing because I have friends and he doesn't. Well, he has friends but not any that he does anything with on a regular basis. I hope that maybe Chris will become someone that he can bond with and have a friendship with so that he will understand what it is like to have a good friend like I have in Joy and Jennifer. He just doesn't really get it.

Halloween was a lot of fun. We dressed up and went trick-or-treating with the kids. It was great!!!!! I was a CIA agent and Rocky was a prisoner. Jacob was Jason from Friday the 13th. He looked real. I got a few pictures of us all and of Joy's kids, so if I can figure out how to do it, I might post one out here for you all to see.

That is all for now. Have a good one!!!!!!!!

Less than 3 months to go til the BIG DAY.......

2005-10-18T07:08:00.000-07:00

Well from Friday there was exactly 3 months to go until I say "I do". WOW, how time flies. I just can't believe that it is getting closer. I knew that it was coming up but it seems really close now. We have changed our minds again and we're now getting married at Clouds Bend United Methodist Church. It is really a small but nice church in my parents' neighborhood and we went to look at it last night. We both were really happy about it and the best part is that it is FREE!!!! We will make a contribution to the church but there is no fee to have the wedding there and so far, that has been the only thing that is FREE!!!!!!

I get my dress back tomorrow and the grandmother's are coming along with us. Wow, won't that be fun. I have a feeling that it will be a big crying party because they will be like"the baby is getting married". I hope that they don't embarass me to much but you can never tell when it is an emotional time like this and when it comes to your grandmother's . Joy, my maid of honor, and my mother is coming, so maybe with the two of them there, thing won't be to bad. I am really excited though to be able to try on my dress and to have it fit the way that it should. I am also really excited about having my bridal pictures done this Saturday. It will be a busy day but an exciting day. To the fitting tomorrow, we are taking a camera and so we will have those pictures and then once we take the bridal pictures, we will have those proofs also. A lot going on but it is very exciting.

Joy and I met for lunch yesterday to discuss the bridal/wedding shower and the night of the bachelorette party. We are going to have the wedding shower in December during the weekend of Dec.16-18. That is the weekend before Christmas and it will be busy but that is really the only time that we could do it. The next two weekends are tied up with the holidays and then the first weekend in January is the bachloretter party, so it really only left that weekend. My to-do list just keeps getting longer and longer. What am I going to do? I am just going to be so busy the next few months and I don't see how everything is going to get done but all the people that I talkk to keep telling me that things will just fall into place and not to stress to much. I hope that is the way that it works.

This past weekend on Saturday night, Rocky, Joy,Derek(my brother), and I went the the Field of Screams in Jonesborough. We had fun. It wasn't very scary but it was nice to get out with friends and do something that we enjoy doing. We are going to try to go to another Haunted House or something before Halloween but it just depends on time. We are not going to be able to do anything like that this weekend because Saturday night, we have to go to Fanatics in JC for a little while to see Stef and Steven for their going away party. We are also supposed to go out for Jennifer's birthday that night but she's not sure what she wants to do. Jennifer's birthday is tomorrow, so Happy Birthday Jennifer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Who knows where we will end up or what we will end up doing but we will be busy. I am looking forward to actually getting out this weekend though. We usually just sit on our butts at home, so we are actually going to be out in public this weekend for once and we get to socialize with people our own age.

Tennesee plays football this weekend, too!!!! Most of you know how I am about Tennesse football, so I will have to try to catch some of the game. I have to cheer my boys on even though they are sucking ass this year. I still am a die hard UT fan. GO Vols!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11

That's about it right now. I have to get back to other stuff.

I'll post again soon to keep all updated on wedding plans!!!!!!!!!!!!

I just had to share this!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2005-10-05T11:24:00.000-07:00

I found this on someone's site this morning and I fell in love with it and I could relate to all of it. I had to borrow it to post it so that those few who do visit my site could relate just the way that I did. Here it is and I promise that you will laugh till you about fall in the floor because I did:

You know you were raised in the late 80's/early> 90's when...
1. You've ever ended a sentence with the word "PSYCHE ".
2. You watched the Pound Puppies.
3. You can sing the rap to the "Fresh Prince of Belair " ....and can do the Carlton".
4. Girls wore biker shorts under their skirts and felt stylishly sexy.
5. You yearned to be a member of the Baby-sitters club and tried to start a club of your own.
6. You owned those lil' Strawberry Shortcake pals scented dolls.
7. You know that "WOAH " comes from Joey on Blossom
8. Two words: Hammer Pants
9. If you ever watched "Fraggle Rock ".
10. You had plastic streamers on your handle bars...and "spokey-dokes" or playing cards on your spokes for that incredible sound effect.
11. You can sing the entire theme song to "DuckTales " (Woo ooh!)
12. When it was actually worth getting up early on a Saturday to watch cartoons.
13. You wore a ponytail on the side of your head.
14. You saw the original "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles " on the big screen, and still know the turtles names.
15. You got super-excited when it was Oregon Trail day in computer class at school.
16. You made your mom buy one of those clips that would hold your shirt in a knot on the side.
17. You played the game "MASH " (Mansion, Apartment, Shelter, House)
18. You wore stonewashed Jordache jean jackets and were proud of it.
19. L.A. Gear....need I say more
20. You wanted to change your name to "JEM " in Kindergarten. (She's truly outrageous.)
21. You remember reading "Tales of a fourth grade nothing" and all the Ramona books.
22. You know the profound meaning of "WAX ON, WAX OFF "
23. You wanted to be a Goonie.
24. You ever wore fluorescent clothing. (some of us... head-to-toe)
25. You can remember what Michael Jackson looked like before his nose fell off and his cheeks shifted.
26. You have ever pondered why Smurfette was the only female smurf.
27. You took lunch boxes to school... and traded Garbage Pal Kids in the schoolyard.
28. You remember the CRAZE, then the BANNING of slap bracelets.
29. You still get the urge to say "NOT " after every sentence.
30. You remember Hypercolor t-shirts.
31. Barbie and the Rockers was your favorite band.
32. You thought She-ra (Princess of Power!) and He-Man should hook up.
33. You thought your childhood friends would never leave you because you exchanged handmade friendship bracelets.
34. You ever owned a pair of Jelly-Shoes. (and like 24, probably in neon colors, too)
35. After you saw Pee-Wee's Big Adventure you kept saying "I know you are, but what am I?"
36. You remember "I've fallen and I can't get up "
37. You remember going to the skating rink before there were inline skates.
38. You ever got seriously injured on a Slip and Slide.
39. You have ever played with a Skip-It.
40. You had or attended a birthday party at McDonalds.
41. You've gone through this nodding your head in agreement.
42. You remember Popples.
43. "Don't worry, be happy "
44. You wore like, EIGHT pairs of socks over tights with high top Reeboks.
45. You wore socks scrunched down (and sometimes> still do... getting yelled at by "younger hip" members of the family)
46. "Miss MARY MACK MACK MACK, all dressed in BLACK BLACK BLACK"
47. You remember boom boxes.. and walking around with one on your shoulder like you were all that.
48. You remember watching both "Gremlins " movies.
49. You know what it meant to say "Care Bear Stare!!"
50. You remember watching "Rainbow Bright" and "My Little Pony" Tales
51. You thought Doogie Howser/Samantha Micelli was hot.
52. You remember Alf, the lil furry brown alien from Melmac.
53. You remember New Kids on the Block when they were cool... and don't even flinch when people refer to them as "NKOTB".
54. You knew all the characters names and their life stories on "Saved By the Bell ", the ORIGINAL class.
55. You know all the words to Bon Jovi - SHOT THROUGH THE HEART.
56. You just sang those words to yourself.
57. You remember watching Magic vs. Bird.
58. homemade Levi shorts.. (the shorter the better)
59. You remember when mullets were cool!
60. You had a mullet!
61. You still sing "We are the World "
62. You tight rolled your jeans.
63. You owned a banana clip
64. You remember "Where's the Beef?"
65. You used to (and probably still do) say "What you talkin' about Willis?"
66. You had big hair and you knew how to use it.
67. You're still singing shot through the heart in your head, aren't you!!!!!

I just love it!!!!!! I had to share and I hope that you all have enjoyed!!!! Have a good one. I am off to the dentist to have a root canal. I am so looking forward to that just let me tell you.

I'm glad to know that I am not the only one..........

2005-10-04T11:17:00.000-07:00

I am glad to know that I am not the only one who has the same everyday problems that I have. It seems like everyday things seem to start to get better and then BOOM they are right back to where they started, at the bottom. Finances are what I am talking about. Rocky and I both work. We both pay our bills but after that, there just doesn't seem to be much left and that is really depressing for both of us because what are we working for? I know that there are many of you out there who know where I am coming from and probably have the same exact situation. It just sucks because we work and work and just don't seem to get ahead. Hell, we can't even seem to get caught up. Anyway, that is life, I guess.

We did go to the UT game this past weekend and had a GREAT time!!!!!!!!!! Rocky had never been to a game there before, so it was an experience for him. We went with my brother, Derek, and his friend, Igor. We really had a good time. We left at 9:30 that morning and got home about 6:30 that evening. It was a long day but a fun day. UT played Ole Miss and UT won, of course!!!!!!!!! GO VOLS!!!!!!!!!!!!! When we got home, I was so tired and I had a really bad headache. I laid down while Rocky went to his mom's to get Sunny. I passed out!!! I didn't get up until the next morning. I was worn completely out. But it was worth it and I would do it again.

We haven't really done much on the wedding here lately. We have been really busy with just everyday stuff that we can't find the time to do anything else. I have got to get Amy and Jayden back to the Bridal Boutique to try on dresses, we have to pick out our invitations, and we have to finalize the guest list. We already know what type of invitations that we want to use, we just have to go to a few different places to compare prices, so that we can get them for the cheapest price. I really don't think that there will be that big of a price difference but we are going to be sure before we go and buy them. I do get my dress back this month and I get to have my bridal pictures made this month also. I am really excited about that. I hope that the weather will cooperate the day that we decide to do it.

Well, I have to get off here and get ready to go home. I hope to be able to right soon.

Is it really only Tuesday?

2005-09-20T11:37:00.000-07:00

What a time at work we have had over the last few weeks and then this week is not any better at all. Just a lot going on and not enough time to do it all. First of all, Kiley, thanks for the comment and it is nice to have a fellow Vols fan since no one around here is could really care less about it. I also want to tell you that the pain will go away and you will move on with your life. It won't be easy but it will happen. You just have to give it time. I went through sort of the same thing and it took me a long time but now I have found my mister right and we are gettting married. I swear that he just fell out of the sky and into my life and I wasn't even looking for someone. So, you hang in there and post a comment if you need to talk.

I haven't really been doing much but working and spending time on wedding plans. We have FINALLY chosen a place to be married and it will be at Celebration Church(the church that we have been going to since we started dating). It is really a nice church and I really like the people there. I am really excited that we have chosen the location now because we can finally get to the invitations and the other 100 items that have to be done. I had a great weekend and got to have my favorite dessert on Sunday. We met Nicky and Brandon(our friends who introduced us) at Applebee's and had desserts on Sunday evening. It was fantastic and it was great to see them because Rocky and I have been so busy that we hadn't seen them in awhile.

Pretty much that is all that has happened and I have to go now because I have to get back to the grind. Have a good one!!!!!!!!

DOES ANYONE WANT A JELLY BEAN?

2005-09-08T08:29:00.000-07:00

I found my favorite jelly beans last night at Food City and of course I had to have some. They are Jelly Belly's Very Cherry beans and I love them. I even brought them with me to work today and all morning I have done nothing but eat them. I think that I am going to have to hide them from myself so that I don't eat them all.

Not much else exciting is happening right now in my life. Rocky and I are still trying to find a place to get married. We are going to check out the small sanctuary at Celebration Church to see if we might like it. Rocky took a look at it yesterday and he thinks that it may be just what we are looking for. I sure do hope so. We can't do anything else until we figure out where we are going to tie the knot.

I am getting my hair fixed tonight and I can't wait. I won't have anymore roots that will show. They are really bad right now. Everyone thinks that I am crazy because they say that they can't tell but I can. Gotta GO!!!!!!!!!!!

Back to Work!!!!!

2005-09-06T09:36:00.000-07:00

Well, I am back at work and after the three day weekend, it was very hard to come back to work this morning. I did have a nice weekend though. Rocky and I spent most of it trying to get things back in order after he moved his things in. It was a MESS but now things are starting to come together and it's not as bad. We had some friends over on Saturday and Sunday evening. It was nice to be able to kick back with friends to play cards and watch a movie. We watched "Monster-in-Law" on Sunday and it is GREAT!!!! I laughed just about the whole entire way through it and I just love Michael Vartan!!!!!! He is just so SEXY!!!!!!!! Yesterday, we were both off and didn't do ver much. I went shopping with my mom and we got some things for the wedding. I swear everytime that I turn around, there is something else that we need or have to do. We are kind of at a stand still right now though because we can't seem to be able to find a place to get married at that will allow us to have the type of ceremony that we want to. Either it's we can't get married here because we are not members or we can't get married there because we want to play love songs during the ceremony and they don't allow it. I just never thought that trying to find a place to get married would be so hard. It has really been a struggle for us and it doesn't seem that it's getting any better. I hope that by next post, I hope to be able to say that we know where we are going to get married at.

WHAT A DAY!!!!!!!!

2005-09-02T11:05:00.000-07:00

What A Day!!!!!!!!!!!! It is Friday and I feel like it is Monday. We have been so busy today and we have two people on vacation. That is why things are so bad around here today. For those of you who are reading this and don't know who I am. Let me tell you somethings about myself, I am 26 and lead a pretty boring life. I work for a bank locally where I live in Northeast Tennessee. I do corrections and cash letter adjustments for quite a few diferent banks that we service. Things can get pretty hectic there sometimes but for the most part I really do like my job and don't mind going in. I just recently got engaged to a guy named Rocky. He is the most wonderful person that I have ever met in my life. I had just about given up on love but then he came along about two months ago and it has been heaven on earth ever since. I have no actual children but I do have a dog and her name is Sunshine but Sunny for short. She is a white toy poodle and she is really small. She only weighs about 5.5 lbs. She's the sweetest thing that you have ever seen though.

Well, anyway enough about my life, we don't have any major plans for this holiday weekend. The coolest thing about this weekend though is that it a 3 day weekend because we are off on Monday for Labor Day. Gotta love Banker's holidays!!!!!!!! I have to go because I have more work waiting on me to get it done. Have a great holiday weekend!!!!!!!! BY THE WAY, GO VOLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!