The Good and Bad to "Sex & the City: The Movie"

The good is that I'm so happy they made a movie! It is my favorite TV show of all time -- many life lessons can be learned from that show! The bad is that as soon as the movie is over, it's really over. I do believe that I will shed tears at this event.

This morning, as always, I had the Today Show on in the background while I was getting ready. They had Cynthia Nixon aka Miranda on, talking about her character, the movie, life, etc. I was standing in front of the TV listening when Meredith, Today Show host, asked Cynthia aka Miranda, "It was really tough for your character in this movie because she is dealing with Steve's..."

That is when I screamed "NO!" and turned off the TV! How dare she try and ruin the movie for me by giving out details!!! The only thing I'm OK knowing is that Carrie and Big are supposedly getting married and that Charlotte is pregnant.

That is it.

So I'm super excited to drive to Bartlesville, meet my mom and sister at the movie theatre at 4 pm and head in for my last Sex & the City dose.

It makes me wonder... what did I ever do BEFORE this show?! :)

Good, Long Weekend

So I just rolled back into the office today after having been gone for four days. And the rest of the week will be fabulous because Cliff and Cris (coworker and boss) left at 10 this morning for Lincoln, Neb., for baseball regionals. So Allyson will be all by herself the rest of the week... YES!!!!!!!

Weekend in Review

-- Made it home late Friday night after having spent two miserable days at baseball games. I enjoy baseball, but I don't enjoy having to run a scoreboard for five-straight games. I was definitely on edge by 10 pm on Friday evening!

-- Lauren and I went to Wichita Saturday morning for my hair and makeup trial run. It went wonderfully! I was super happy with the way everything turned out and loved the stylist... she is going to kick back with us on the Big Day until the wedding starts to make sure everything is looking good! Can't wait!

-- We followed that up with a meeting to discuss the menu for the reception. The best story of the weekend came after we had finished our appointment. The coordinator at the country club told us to have lunch at the club on her... sweet! So she takes us into the dining room, tells the waiter to put our lunch on her tab, but says she has to run because she has a couple coming in from out of town that were doing a taste-test. So we sit down and wait on our menus. Instead, the waiter comes out and asks if we want our food all at once or in courses. Confused, we say whatever is easiest! So out comes our first course -- three different yummy salads. Next comes the second course - potatoes, risotto. Third course, green beans, pepper mixture and asparagus. Fourth course, yummy chicken and steak. After the fourth course, I happen to overhear the waiter talking to the coordinator, which sounded something like this:

-- Darian (coordinator): "They aren't here for the taste-test. That couple in the corner were the ones here for the taste-test. They weren't suppose to get that food!"
-- Waiter: "You never said that! I thought they were the ones here for the taste-test!"
-- Darian: "No! I just was letting them eat for free!"

I was told later that my eyes got REALLY big when I realized what had happened! We were not suppose to be eating the amazing food that was being brought out to us because that food was meant for the taste-testing people that were sitting directly behind us. Oh my gosh! I was so embarrassed! Though it was not our fault at all, I really just wanted to climb under the table and die!

We discussed our options on what the heck we should. Matt said wait until the waiter comes back out, we'll leave a tip and then go. I said we should just leave a tip now and get the heck out! Since it was taking the waiter a super long time to come back out, we opted for option 2, left the money, and scurried out as fast as possible! It ended up being a good story... and we had some great FREE food!

-- Had a cookout at the house on Sunday night with the Clark family (minus Patty). It was gorgeous outside so we hung out in the back and ate some delish corn on the cob!

-- Monday, I went out to the farm to eat lunch with Matt's grandparents and his grandpa's brother and sister in law. We always eat well out there and it is always followed up with a ping pong tournament between Matt, Michael and their dad. It's usually pretty entertaining because they are all pretty competitive!

-- Lastly, Matt and I decided (for sure) that we will be living in Wichita this next year and living in his house. It didn't take long to make this decision: "Matt, where are we going to live?" "I don't know, why don't we just live in my house. We can buy it." "OK, get it done." Something like that!

I took Tuesday off of work because mom and Lauren were coming to Tulsa. We had to take my wedding gown and Lauren's bridesmaid dress to the alterations lady as well as get mom's dress altered. It went quickly and everything should be done by the end of June (good timing since I'm leaving Tulsa June 30!). We also went to the mall and picked up dresses for my shower in Sedan on Saturday.

All in all, it was a great four-day weekend. I wish I had them more often! OH, and baby Stella will be here soon! Mama Meg thought she'd be making her debut this weekend but apparently it was false labor. How the heck are you suppose to know what labor feels like if you've never been through it before? And I digress...

This week: Sex and the City on Friday (I'm sure tears will be shed when its over because then its really over :(, wedding shower on Saturday! Can't wait!

Roll With it Baby

Tomorrow night at 7 p.m., a great band will be performing at the Mabee Center. The only other performances I have ever seen at the Mabee Center, excluding ORU men's and women's basketball, was Sesame Street Live and Hanson (great show!).

But tomorrow, Huey Lewis and the News is coming to town. And what will I be doing?

Working stupid Summit League baseball. I have attended three games all year... and didn't even make it through all three of them. And now I have to go sit through two-straight days of it, watching HORRIBLE teams play.

Why is baseball ruining my chance to see Huey Lewis and the News?

Engaged Encounter and Lauren

Well... we can officially get married now! And thank goodness... if we had spent 48 hours by each others side (and 25 other couples sides) and got nothing for it, I would be an unhappy gal!

The reason we can officially get married now is because we spent a weekend at the Catholic Engaged Encounter in Wichita. We had to do it before we were allowed to get married in the church. So, we went, with some pushing and prodding out the door by Matt's mom, to the retreat.

Basically, the weekend entails this: meet in a big conference room with other couples. There are three speakers - a younger married couple, an older married couple, and a priest. They would switch off discussing different topics (starting a family, forgiveness, being married vs. your wedding day, etc.) and after they were done, Matt (or I) would go to the room he was staying in (with a random stranger he had never met) and answer questions about the topic at hand. I would stay in the conference room and write my answers and after 10 minutes, I would meet him in his room and we would read each others answers and discuss.

Though many of our talks were good, those that know Matt and I know that we are not the most serious people. After one session, I had written a page and a half on the topic and I'd go back to Matt's room, and he had wrote jokes down! Also during one session, we decided to nap rather than write answers.

We did get alot out of it and truthfully, I think we feel even closer after we left Sunday (we almost skipped out of the Spiritual Life Center, holding hands, we were so happy to be leaving!). We talked about a lot of important things and I left feeling so lucky to have someone that is so in sync with me. I truly feel like we are ready for the next big step and absolutely can't wait until the big day!

Sunday afternoon I drove home to see the little sister. She had gotten back from Manhattan on Saturday and on day one of being home for the summer, was already bored and not happy to be back!

I have told her over and over that she will be super busy helping me with wedding stuff (invites, programs, etc.) that she'll really enjoy those times when she has nothing to do! She'll look back in 10 years and be sad that she can't have that time back! I know I do! I'm jealous as all get out that she has the whole summer to relax!

And last but not least.... I'm picking up my wedding gown today! YAHOO!

In case you missed it...

NKOTB is back, baby! In routine fashion, I turned on The Today Show this morning while I was getting ready. And at 8:32 am I walked into my bedroom, only to hear the sweet voices of New Kids on the Block. :)

I just stood there, while trying to apply makeup, and laughed. And I'm sure had goosebumps as Joey (my absolute favorite) sang "Please Don't Go Girl" to me (who else would he be singing that to?)!

It took me back to my youth... and was just funny. I was like..8 when I fell in love with them, which was followed by my Hanson obsession (which is very comparable to the love that my cousin Sydney now has for the Johnas Brothers ... when explaining that comparison to her, she says, "Who is Hanson?" SERIOUSLY!!!).

Anyway, if I could get tickets to see the New Kids, I would do it in a heartbeat. Depending on where I am in three months, they are in KC in October and Minnesota in November. What a great birthday present that would be!

So, in case you missed the best boy band ever, here is the link to watch them on The Today Show.

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/24583744/

The best part was when they did a medley of 'Step by Step, 'Hangin' Tough (which included their famous dance), and 'Please Don't go Girl'.

Forever a Boy Band Lover!

Signed,

Allyson J. Hills

One down, one to go

At 7:48 a.m., Mr. Luke Vincent Barnes was welcomed into the world! I sent Meg a text message before I got to work asking he was here yet and she sent one back saying no, but that she'd keep me posted. Two seconds later, I got a phone call from her saying he was here! :) Apparently, aunt Sherron and uncle Steve had gotten lost in the hospital, but were looking at him through the window!

He is 6 pounds, 9 ounces and 19 inches long -- SMALLER than Annie was when she was born. And she was super small because she arrived so early! But Seth called and said he has the Barnes body -- long torso, short legs. According to the grandparents, he has strawberry blonde hair - he is definitely a Barnes!

So happy he is here... what a great way to bring in the summer! Little Stella will be here so soon as well ... my mom said we will not be waiting until August to see these babies so...

ROAD TRIP!

PS. Meg, my dad said that boat rides are what always got my mom's labor rolling, so if you want the little one to be here sooner, I'd head out to the lake house and hop in the boat!

Picture 1: Baby Luke!
Picture 2: Confused sister ... Seth said they were going to tell Annie that Luke was a cat. This look confirms that she is wondering why Luke is not an actual kitten!

Graduation Time

This past Saturday, I traveled to little Belle Plaine, Kansas to watch Matt's cousin (and my future cousin!) Kristin graduate from high school. I was a bit worried at first when I looked at the program and it listed 10 VALEDICTORIAN SPEECHES! 10... that is a large number that correlates to way too many high schoolers dragging on and on about random stories that are only funny to them!

Thankfully, most of the speeches went quickly. Kristin also was a Valedictorian and I must say, out of every speech, hers was the best (yes, I'm biased). She told a story, but told it in a way that everyone understood... and laughed with. My kind of speech!

All graduations remind me of my own (ofcourse!). I believe that my high school graduation will go down as one of the strangest... thanks to Lacy Allen and her wonderful "Get out of Sedan!" salutatorian speech. I remember standing up and applauding her after she was done, which now makes me cringe! I am all for moving back home to Sedan (as long as you leave, experience life out of Small Town first!).

But all graduations make me cry. I'm telling you... I blame it all on the Pomp and Circumstance song -- as soon as those drums start at the beginning of the song, I'm a goner! The worst part is I have found myself crying at graduations that involve students that I could have truly cared less about (I'm mean). I really think I have some kind of disease!

All in all, it was a great weekend. Matt's grandma (who I believe is starting to warm up to me), his uncle John, aunt Janet and cousin Andrew all trekked down from Illinois for the graduation and party. I love graduation parties... but I learned I only really love them when they involve the Barnes' and Hills' because we couldn't start drinking until all of the students and teachers had left the party on Saturday. At a Barnes'/Hills' graduation party, the keg was tapped before graduation was even over! :)

Here is to all the graduates... May your graduation day be a memorable one, but look forward to what is to come.

Babies Just Around the Corner...

From what I have noticed so far, all of the wonderful young people in my life that have gotten married seem - to only me - like they are all playing house. You know, like you did when you were little people. But when those married people who were just 'playing house' bring a baby into their house, that 'childhood' element seems to go out the door.

Yes, if I played house, I'm sure I had a baby in the mix -- but it was the kind that you could poke at its eyes and it wouldn't cry (I sound like a torturer!).

I say all of this because in one week, my cousin Seth and his wonderful wife will be bringing baby no. 2 into their family and my cousin Megan will be having her first with Sir Newt. Meg started a blog recently to keep all of us posted about the last few weeks of being pregnant and the arrival of baby Stella... and as I was reading it, the damn tears welled up (THIS is why I'm worried about my wedding -- if I can't keep it together while reading a blog about my pregnant cousin, how can I hold it together walking down the aisle!).

My cousins are some of the most important people in my life... they always have been. To me, they are kind of like the glue that holds us all together. We have all been 'kids' together... from Seth wrestling with all of us at grandma's and then yelling, "Grandma, they're hurting me!" and she believing him and yelling at us... to Meg being the curious one and asking lots of questions, but loving coming to Sedan and really loving the CQ County Fair (she asked in March when the fair was because her and Nate had talked about coming up for it!).

They are just good people... and married good people... and are now having babies that they will raise to be good people. It's all just crazy! Weren't we 10 like two weeks ago?! :)

So here's to my wonderful cousins and to the newest additions to their families... May they enjoy as wonderful a childhood as we all did!

I think Matt and I will just play house for awhile... :)