Mine and Michelle's Theme Song :-) HA HA HA

....She's probably going to kill me for this one..... ;-)

Lip Gloss

Hello
Yeah
Uh huh

It’s poppin’, it’s poppin’
(Okay)
It’s poppin’, it’s poppin’
(Yeah)
I gotta ask ‘em ‘cause if I don’t

It’s poppin’, it’s poppin’
(I don’t know)
It’s poppin’, it’s poppin’
(Let’s go)


What you know ‘bout me?
What you, what you know ‘bout me?
What you know ‘bout me?
What you, what you know?

Is that my lip gloss is cool
My lip gloss be poppin’
I’m standin’ at my locker
And all the boys keep stoppin’

What you know ‘bout me?
What you, what you know ‘bout me?
What you know ‘bout me?
What you, what you know?

Is that my lip gloss is poppin’
My lip gloss is cool
All the boys keep jockin’
And chase me after school

MAC, L’Oreal, yep ‘cause I’m worth it
Love the way I puts it on so perfect
Wipe the corners of my mouth so I work it
When I walk down the hallway, they can’t say nothin’

Oh, oh, oh, my lips so luscious
The way I spice it up with the MAC-MAC brushes
L’Oreal got them Wa-watermelon Crush-es
That’s probably the reason all they boys got crushes

What you know ‘bout me?
What you, what you know ‘bout me?
What you know ‘bout me?
What you, what you know?

Is that my lip gloss is cool
My lip gloss be poppin’
I’m standin’ at my locker
And all the boys keep stoppin’

What you know ‘bout me?
What you, what you know ‘bout me?
What you know ‘bout me?
What you, what you know?

Is that my lip gloss is poppin’
My lip gloss is cool
All the boys keep jockin’
And chase me after school

When it’s time for lunch, my lips still rock
Lil Mama Melon with the hot pink top
Cherry, vanilla, flavors is a virtue
They lovin’ lip gloss universal

The boys really like it, the girls don’t speak
They rollin’ they eyes, they lip gloss cheap
It ain’t my fault but I can upgrade you
Show you how to use nice things with nice flavors

What you know ‘bout me?
What you, what you know ‘bout me?
What you know ‘bout me?
What you, what you know?

Is that my lip gloss is cool
My lip gloss be poppin’
I’m standin’ at my locker
And all the boys keep stoppin’

What you know ‘bout me?
What you, what you know ‘bout me?
What you know ‘bout me?
What you, what you know?

Is that my lip gloss is poppin’
My lip gloss is cool
All the boys keep jockin’
And chase me after school

‘Cause my lip gloss
It’s poppin’, it’s poppin’
It’s poppin’, it’s poppin’

‘Cause my lip gloss
It’s poppin’, it’s poppin’
It’s poppin’, it’s poppin’


Sittin’ in 8th period thought I was in trouble
Dean called me on the loud speaker on the double
I stepped in the office like, Yes Ms McClarkson??
She’s like Girl ran out of my lip gloss an’

Write down where you get yours from
‘Cause I must admit that Bubble Gum
It’s poppin’, it’s poppin’
It’s poppin’, she ain’t frontin’

And uh, I be lovin’ it, I be, I be lovin’ it, uh
I be usin’ it, I be, I be usin’ it, uh
I be rubbin’ it, I be, I be rubbin’ it
On my lips, my lips, uh, my lip gloss

What you know ‘bout me?
What you, what you know ‘bout me?
What you know ‘bout me?
What you, what you know?

Is that my lip gloss is cool
My lip gloss be poppin’
I’m standin’ at my locker
And all the boys keep stoppin’

What you know ‘bout me?
What you, what you know ‘bout me?
What you know ‘bout me?
What you, what you know?

Is that my lip gloss is poppin’
My lip gloss is cool
All the boys keep jockin’
And chase me after school

Michelle's Post :-)

It seems to be almost an every day occurance that the only person who reads this blog reminds me when it's not updated. :-)

So here is an updated dedicated to Michelle in Illinois. :-) Ha Ha Ha!

Not too much has been happening with us. We spent memorial day weekend traveling. Saturday afternoon we had a wedding in Little Amana and headed to see Adam's mom on Sunday. We spent most of the day there and then the afternoon with Macha and Mindi. :-)

Monday, I got quite a bit done at my pig farm and cleaned up while Adam was working at his pig farm. Otherwise I spent my day off relaxing on the couch....enjoying the Golden Girls Marathon. :-)

Oh and Monday we went to eat at the Texas Roadhouse with my family to celebrate my little sister's engagement. Her fiances family was there too. I think they were trying to tell us something though b/c they put my youngest sister, her boyfriend, my brother, Scott (her fiance Jeff's brother), Adam, and I at our own table.... just saying ;-) Mom, Dad, Jenn, Jeff, His parents, and brother and sister-in-law enjoyed their lunch at their own table discussing more of the wedding plans. I think our table had more fun. :-) LOL! They decided to set the date for June 12, 2010. The wedding will take place down in Imogene, Iowa about a 3 1/2 hour drive for us from Ames and close to 6 hours for my family back home or a little more. Yes, we're in SW Iowa practically in Missouri. I joked with a coworker I could take my retainer out and no one would notice I was missing a tooth. LOL :-) So we'll see how things go......

Other than that we've been working and doing chores. Getting ready for my birthday this Friday. :-) Yippee..... or something like that. :-) I hope we can make it to the piano bar to celebrate!! I love that place!

So Michelle, here is your post. :-) Written with love.... for those of you that don't know... Michelle has a lip gloss obsession...and if you do nice things for her she puts on extra lip gloss..... so I sent her my favorite flavors.... LOL...sorry inside joke she's going to kill me for! :-)

Anyways, Michelle, when you get here in September plan on hitting up the piano bar with me at least one night. We'll make it to work on time with bells on I'm sure. :-)

Happy Memorial Day Everyone! :-)

Happy Friday!

Happy Friday Everyone!! :-)

I received some good news on my Friday morning. My company has pushed the date back when they need me so I will be able to attend the World Pork Expo this year! :-) I'm pretty excited about the whole thing. It should be a great time!! I'm hoping with the date being pushed back I'll still be able to go to the Summer Type Conference as well.

I am excited to start my new task within the company, but now I get to "have my cake and eat it too". Which makes it that much sweeter. :-)

Well, back to work. Take care! :-)

A Life Changing Decision....

Adam and I were talking the other night about a friend of his and how he's heading back up to Mayo with his wife. Basically her liver is dead. Which to me was very sad to hear. Both are such wonderful people. I told Adam I had the blood type that I could give to anyone but could only receive from my same blood type...which I believe is O...? I'd have to check my donor card. We talked and more than likely she'll have to have a liver transplant, if they can find a match. So I made a decision today and it's one that I hope can help change someone's life. I was already an organ donor if I died... but today I made it to be a living donor as well.

It was somewhat scary to read about all of the risks and that, but if it could help make someone's life better it would be worth it.

One bonus was that they have a section where you can put in a specific person's name you wish to donate to. I made a note that if her name passed through that I would be willing to be tested to see if I was a match. The material that I read said they don't take much of your liver and you're able to grow it back...so that's kind of neat.

When my dad's cousin Dave and Adam's Grandpa Willis passed away they were both organ donors. I now wear my green "bracelet" each day to remind me of what they did for a stranger. Willis had parts of the bones in his arms and legs donated to cancer patients. How wonderful is that? If the recipient starts to square dance around the room...we should probably be concerned since Willis loved to square dance. :-)

It would be great to see what a difference your organ donation could make for someone while you're still alive, but even if it's after I'm gone it's worth it. :-)

When It Rains, It Pours....

Isn't that how the saying goes??? That seems to be how things are going for me at the moment.



I'm going to be ready to get away for a while and attend the pigs shows with Adam.... I hope :-) Still don't have any definite details regarding work and what's going to be happening the next few months as things progress. Hopefully they'll be able to give me a more definite answer this next week.



I had to be the "desperate woman" on the side of the road yesterday. I talked to my aunt, to see how she was doing after her surgery on her hand, finished my pig chores and headed home... or tried to. I heard a pop when I went to turn and drive off and figured my wonderful tired went flat....again...yes again.... luckily that wasn't it, so I decided to keep driving. I called Adam to let him know I may need a ride but he was still busy at work and didn't answer. The noise got worse and it didn't matter if I was going 30 or 55. I pulled over again and the tire wasn't flat, but I figured I really shouldn't be driving on it incase it's something else. I made it to the end of the road and pulled off. I checked all my belts and everything under the hood and it looked good, made sure nothing was hanging down from my car and it all looked good. I called Adam again and told him I was on the side of the road...he was still working and didn't answer. So I called the swine farm, I told Al what was going on and Adam came over shortly to see me. I told him it's really weird b/c the noise stops as soon as you hit the brakes. I wonder if it isn't something to do with those... usually the noise comes though when you're not hitting the brakes, not when you push on them. So we dropped it off at the repair shop and they're looking at it today.....



We ended up going to the Ridge last night and Adam mixed some feed and shut the barn doors b/c of the rain. He had a great idea of going to West Cyde Wings for their $0.39 wing deal. I told him that was a wonderful idea after the day I had... but I really wanted to get my commit to fit steps in for the night. Luckily he had found a weedeater at the Ridge and wanted to work on that. So I headed over to the clubhouse and walked for 45 minutes and got my 10,000 steps in :-) and he had the weedeater pretty well going. It's a good thing his Grandpa Willis gave him a toolbox full of tools b/c we wouldn't have had much to work with otherwise. I told he'd need to thank him the next time he prays for the tools b/c he sure has gotten a lot of use out of them. :-) He said he has a couple more tweaks to make and then he'd be ready to roll. I'm very proud of how mechanically inclined he's become. We'll now have way to help keep the grass down a little bit at the Ridge....that would be our only form of "mowing" there. :-) We enjoyed a great meal at West Cyde with Dan and headed home to relax and get ready for the next day.....



Which leads me to today... the repair shop called and I was right it was an issue with my brakes... I have to have new front brakes, the rear rotors are almost rusted completely through so those are being replaced, and the air filter needs to be replaced. I can do the air filter myself... but while they're working they may as well put it in. We go to Trickles here in Ames for everything we need, from oil changes, to flat tires, to brakes and rotors. :-) They know Adam well and take good care of us. Luckily this bill should only be around $426.00. However it ended up being $466.00 :-(. Not what I really needed to hear this time of the month, but luckily pay day is coming up soon!! I'm just glad I had Adam around to help me out with all of this. This is the first time I've had to take a car to the repair shop for something more than an oil change...and usually don't do that if I don't have to... I don't know how I like being an "adult" and dealing with unexpected bills. :-) I do know that I need to set a better budget and stick to it so it won't be so tight in situations like this!! That's for sure.



I'm taking part in a Commit to Fit challenge at my office. It started May 10th and ends June 20th. It's a team and individual event. My team is comprised of 10 of us from the office (the maximum on one team) from all different departments. A few of our team name ideas were "Women on a Mission", "Golden Girls", and many more. Then we added a male to the team...so I thought it would be cute to be the "Golden Girls and Shannon"...yes he is a male, but figured it wouldn't work out like that. We ended up adding on two other males so we came up with the name "Shape Shifters". Our team level is beginner and we all as individuals are beginners with one member being an intermediate.



What it boils down to... we were each given a pedometer and put it on when we get up and record the number of steps we took when we go to bed each night. As a beginner the goal was set to get 6,000 steps in 3 times per week. We can record a maximum of 10,000 steps per day. The intermediate goal is 10,000 steps 5 times per week, and a maximum of 14,000 steps per day. I thought it would be difficult to get to 6,000 steps in a day, but it's not too bad. Since we can wear it all day I leave the office with almost 3,00 steps under my belt. :-) Somedays a little more. We're trying to get a nice day so we can walk around outside and get a few additional steps in over lunch. I am proud to say though I have gotten over 10,000 steps in each day. Adam's Grandma Bev told me it really doesn't do much good if you're just walking around casually and using those steps...it would help to get your heart rate up. So instead of settling for 6,000 I've actually gone on walks and RAN...I haven't done that in years and it was only a quarter mile....thank goodness! :-) I see now how out of shape I am.



It's was a good idea on the company's part to come up with this challenge though... we're working towards getting a t-shirt and being entered for a drawing. The prize is a Wii and Wii Fit. They give one away for each of the 3 levels, beginner, intermediate, and advanced. Like Adam said it helps when they give you a goal to reach and a way to track it. Plus the thrill of competition is great. :-) So I will, as captain, hopefully lead my team to first place and a prize of $150.00 for the team to split and win Wii and Wii Fit for myself. :-) YAY!



Well, back to work for the day. Hopefully the rest of the week/weekend looks up. :-)



-Melissa



P.S. Michelle--- here's your update :-)



I Heart My Car :)

Rain, Rain Go Away :-)

What a day for a BBQ.... or something like that. The rain has come again today. Hopefully it stays away so we can enjoy our mother's day weekend!!

Nothing too exciting is happening with us. We spent last night making potato salad for a BBQ tonight and in the farrowing barn. :-) What a great way to spend an evening.

Adam dropped a bomb on me the other night... we were asked to make potato salad for his co-workers, daughter's graduation. It's a curse that grandma taught me how to make this. :-) We'll be so good at making potato salad when we're done it can be done in our sleep. It's nice that he asked us to do it though....and I think it speaks highly of our potato salad, but after all I did learn from the best!

The Pork Expo and Summer Type are getting closer and it's beginning to look like I now won't be able to attend due to work commitments. It's so hard when you have to choose if you want to pay your rent and bills or do something you enjoy and love. :-) I am excited for what I will be doing at work. I can't really say anything at the time, but hopefully it's a step in the right direction and can help further my career. Luckily Adam is very supportive and willing to help me out with chores and getting my gilt to the show if I can't be there. :-)

We're both excited for Mother's Day.... we're spending Friday night with Adam's dad and step-mom, heading to Rockford on Saturday to see my grandma, aunt, and mom, and then on Sunday Adam's mom and grandma are coming to walk around Reiman gardens. We hope the weather cooperates and makes the weekend pleasant. :-)

This is a picture of Clint and Heather's boy and Adam's ad for the upcoming Breeders Digest. What a sweetie! He stole my heart a couple years ago and is one of my favorites!!! :-)

Well, that's about all for now. Take care!

What a Weekend!

What a busy weekend! :-)

Thankfully we had the chance to enjoy the beautiful weather this weekend! Yes, most of it was spent out at the farms, but what better way to spend it?? The pens are clean which means one less thing for us to do this week. It's so nice to have the past couple weekends to relax and do things as we felt like it, instead of being rushed from place to place. :-)

We're kicking ourselves for not placing a bet on the Kentucky Derby...even though I don't think we would've bet on the horse that won. :-) What an upset!! Adam joked with his boss' wife that they could've run off together if they'd only placed a bet...Poor Shirley! We are getting excited to go and watch the ponies run in Altoona though. I can't wait to get my big hat to wear!! :-)

We were lucky and got to spend part of the day today with Adam's mom, grandma, brother, and step-dad. We enjoyed lunch and then headed to the farms to check out the pigs. :-) It was a sad day though b/c my first gilt sold as breeding stock left today. She went to a good home and will be taken care of...it's just always sad to see them go. Yes, I get way too attached! I guess that's how I got started in "my own" operation.

Now to get ready for a busy week. I'm so glad I don't have finals anymore!! :-)

Hope you all had a good weekend as well! :-) Maybe the nice weather will be here to stay for a while!!

Just Getting Started

I've decided to try my hand at the whole blog thing....with the help of Michelle hopefully it'll be cute soon. :-)

Adam and I've been keeping busy with work, school, and the pigs. :-)

I am still with Syngenta in Ames and enjoy what I'm doing. I look forward to all of the challenges and tasks that are to come in the near future!! I have a sow and a boar at my mom and dad's up in North Central Iowa and their 4 babies. I also have 2 gilts just outside of Ames. One is sold and should be leaving this weekend :-( and the other one will hopefully be shown as a bred gilt at the Summer Type Conference.

Adam is working on his masters and hopes to be done in December of 2009. Not too far away! He is going to have his masters in Animal Science, it's a broad based degree and not specifically towards nutrition, genetics, etc. He is still working at the ISU Swine Teaching Farm and would never leave if he didn't have to it seems like somedays. :-) Adam, Al Christian, and Al Conover (his dad) have 6 Berk sows together at a farm just outside of Ames. It's a "quaint" place as Adam's mom put it, but it gets the job done. They had the best farrowing season this February/March that I have ever seen! There are little piglets everywhere!!

We're getting ready to head to the World Pork Expo in 34 days!! :-) The Summer Type Conference is only 56 days away! I love show time! Plus the Michelle's (Keyser and Knight) are coming to the Summer Type to see us!! :-)

That's about all for now, but I'm sure I'll be posting often. :-)

Have a good Friday!