eBooks vs. Paperback Books

Yep, that's what my essay is going to be about in my composition class. What better subject to write about?! I have to write a compare and contrast essay so I thought this was a good match since I love books so much. And in case anyone is wondering, I am on the side of paperbacks! I don't mind reading an ebook/iBook here and there but I love the feeling of actual paper in my hand. What is your stance?

So my birthday is in a couple days! Eeek! I am not only excited for that but I am also excited to get Halloween done and over with. I like passing out candy and all but once Halloween is over then I get to put up my Thanksgiving flag and my Christmas tree!!! I know they are 2 separate holidays but in my house I combine them as one because isn't it all about being thankful and loving each other anyway? Obviously, Christmas is a little more than that, it's Jesus' birthday but I just love having two months of pure excitement and love-filled air! This is seriously the best time of the year!!!!! I don't think any amount of exclamation marks could show how excited I am! I love Thanksgiving because everyone comes together and cooks and brings a dish to share. I usually bring Corn Casserole and homemade New York style cheesecake while Grandma Darlene usually does the turkey and some side dishes. My mom usually bakes a pie or two and Grandma and Papa usually bring the biscuits! What a feast! And I love Christmas because of everything it stands for: Jesus' miracle birth, giving to others, cherishing family time and most importantly LOVE! (Also, I really like Christmas music! I've already started listening to it...) Christmas is about loving and giving which is what we need more of in this world. Soooo, let the holidays begin!

As of some day in Novemeber, I will be working at Giant Eagle for 6 months! Woohoo! It seems forever ago now that I was dying to get everything straightened out and now look?! 6 months have flown by! I am so grateful to be a real person it's not even funny!

Well, I will be off to work for a couple of hours that I offered to take for someone, so I will finish with this: "Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory"-Dr. Seuss. Try to value everyone moment.

~Bri

Vroom Vroom!

Life just keeps moving on! Taking you places and changing lanes on you! I can also do that too now that I got my driver's lisence last Wednesday! I passed it on the first try!!!! (I passed my permit test on the first try too so I was hoping it would turn out the same!) I think the guy who did the test with me was really impressed and passed me mostly because I did my parrallel parking PERFECTLY. I never parked so well before and I am quite impressed by myself. So now that I can drive I feel like a real adult. I have a job, an apartment, a boyfriend I've been with for almost 5 years now and a driver's lisence with a car! LIFE IS SMASHINGLY GOOD! (Oh yeah, and I love my college classes too!)

My birthday is coming up on the 29th of this month. I will be 19! It seemed like it took forever to get to 18 years of age but to think that I will be 19 in a matter of weeks is crazy! Also, on the 10th of October is my Grandpa Buddy's birthday (my dad's dad) and he will be...umm... maybe he won't want that online! But I'm sure he will be thinking of it as just another day. October 10th is a special day for another reason because on that day, one year ago, Sebastian and I embarked on our "living on our own" journey. Can you believe it?! We will have lived together for a whole year! And since we obviously plan to be together forever, we have also set a wedding date. Yep, that's right! But don't worry, it's not for a couple of years, we will be going on 21 by then. June 14th, 2014 is when we decided we will "tie the knot". If my grandma and papa are still living at this current address by then, we would like to have a ceremony outside. No, I will not be wearing a white wedding dress but I do plan on having lots of food and a DJ because that's the most important part anyway!

All in all life is good!

New (Used) Car!

Since our ever so lovely '98 Plymoth Breeze will not get to pass inspection this November (due to rust, damage and just being plain old) and the fact that the PT Cruiser still only leaves us with one car, we just finalized the plans for a new (used) one! It is a Dodge Intrepid. And for being a 2000, it's in pretty darn good shape, has a lot of miles still left for it to run, and came at a great price!



 

 

The car will be driven off the lot on Monday and hopefully, I will pass my drivers test this upcoming Wednesday. Then we will have two cars for the both of us and I will finally be a complete adult that has a job and can drive! (Fingers crossed for next Wednesday!) If I don't pass though I will just reschedule as soon as possible, no biggie.

 

And then maybe one day, (if Sebastian ever finds time) him and my dad will work on the Lincoln MarkVIII that is sitting at my Grandma D's house just waiting (and wishing!) to be repaired and we will have 3 cars! Hmmm, the possibilities!?

 

 

Fall is here!

Fall is here! Hooray! Hoorah! Yippee! As you probably can tell, I really love Fall! It is my favorite season of all.
As you can see, the leaves are starting to change and starting to fall already:



I love how this tree has patches of changing leaves. It's so pretty.

I find so much symbolism in Fall. I just love how everything is getting ready for Winter and starting to fall asleep. I find hope in that. I find hope in the fact that they will wake up next Spring and it will be a whole new year with new adventures and new things to see. I believe that it goes to show that sleeping or dying isn't the end. It's only a waiting period for a new day, a new beginning. Fall makes me believe that there is more life than just this. Fall makes me have hope. Hope is what gives me strength to go through hard and difficult times. Hope is what relaxes me when there is nothing else left I can do. I think if I ever lost hope, I would end up lost and I wouldn't know where to go next. Hope fuels me to keep on going. I think hope is what makes me such a happy person.

-Bri
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

A Balance

I feel as though I have finally found a perfect balance between work, school, housework and other activities. Giant Eagle cut my hours at work to 24/week but Sebastian and I agree that it's okay for now, for I need time to do the things that he can't do since he goes to work and school pretty much 24/7. For example, I have time to do laundry, house cleaning, and cooking besides my own school work. I take care of everything else while he works his butt off for the both of us and I dearly, graciously love him for that. He never has to worry about whether he will have clean work clothes or not or whether he will have to get ready in a clean or dirty bathroom because I try my best to make sure he has what he needs. I make a pretty good housewife if I so say so myself! (lol) I am not perfect though, please do not think that I think I am. I know I am not. No one is. But I try my best and that is all that counts.

I am still sad that Little Grandma passed away last week. However, I am learning it is just a part of life that is hard but you can live through it. I have only ever went to two funerals before hers so I still didn't know what to expect last Wednesday and Thursday at the viewing and service. I did not cry because she lived a long life of 96 years. 96 years. I also did not cry because I have the comfort of knowing that one day we will meet again. I felt sad yes, I am not heartless, but I somehow felt like it was okay because she would tell me everytime I visited her that her time was coming. She would tell me that it was going to be okay and to not cry over her because she was going to see us all again. She was waiting while the rest of us denied it. We all thought she was going to live to 100. But she didn't and that is still okay. It's okay. She graced us with her presence and one day we will be graced by it again, along with God's grace too.

I did recently just get good news about my grades for my first two classes at Phoenix U Online. I passed Personal Finance with a B+ and Univiersity Studies with a A+! My goal was to get 2 A's and I was SO CLOSE with that B+ but I suppose I can still pat myself on the back for a job well done. I feel like I tried hard so that's what matters. I am now starting my next 2 classes which are: Composition I and Health & Wellness. I am excited for I love both of these subjects!

Sebastian's midterms at Mercyhurst Northeast will be coming up soon and so far he's doing excellent! He sometimes stresses out about having time to do school work since he has to work full time inorder to keep his 50% off tuition, but I try to help him the best I can. I help him stay organized and read his text aloud to him because sometimes that helps. I am deffinitaly very proud of him and what he is accomplishing! (And I love that he still finds time to make me dinner once and a while and suprises me with sweet little things!)

~Bri

Tidbit of a Poem

I wrote this poem when I was about 10. It made me smile so I'd thought I'd share it!

CHEESEBURGER
The cheeseburger sat alone one day.
The pickles didn’t want to play.
The ketchup stayed in the fridge to sleep.
The onions sat in the cupboard to weep.
As the cheeseburger began to cry,
It caught a little boy’s eye.
You probably know what happens next.
The little boy has no regrets.
He says it is so good and yummy.
Now there’s nothing else to satisfy his tummy.

Obviously I had an aversion to cheeseburgers when I was young... :)


-Bri
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

I Speak for the Trees

The answer is YES, I am still alive! I have actually had complaints that I have not blogged in a while (I do miss it) so I though I would give it a go today since I have some TIME. When you work and go to college time is something that becomes precious and seems to disappear quickly. I have found this out these past couples months.

"So, how's life?" you ask? Here's how:

1) I have become absolutely OBSESSED with new Lorax movie. I have watched it about 5 times in the past week. (That's where all off my free time goes!) "I speak for the trees, for the trees have no tongues," and yes, I cried when they chopped down that first tree. It broke my heart. :(

2) I got my permit! Woot woot! 18 years old and finally, finally.... finally got it! (On the first try too!)

3) I'm still working at Giant Eagle and Sebastian is getting back to work from summer vacation at Mercyhurst.

4) Sebastian starts college on the 28th of this month and will be going to classes in the morning, then working from 4 till 9?10?11?12? whenever they close almost everyday. Boy, is he REALLY going to look forward to summer vacation now! lol

5) I am in week 7 of Phoenix University online and I am loving it! In case you forgot, I am going for an arts degree with a concentration on communication. Later on it will become a Bachelor's degree in journalism  (mostly likely).

6)  Sebastian and I went to Cedar point for the first time of our lives and had an awesome time on all the roller coasters! Of course, the day we went it had to be the hottest day of the summer so we mainly stuck around by the water rides and oh boy, did those Fast Lane passes come in handy then!

Well, that's about it. Nothing that new and exciting but it's all good stuff. The only bad thing that happened was that Little Grandma (my 96 year old great grandma) was taken to the hospital because the swelling in her legs wouldn't go down and it was getting really bad but she's okay now. All is well in my world right now, I couldn't be happier! And just in case you are wondering, Sebastian and I are starting to count down to our 5 year anniversary in December! I can't believe it's been that long!

Picture time! Yay!

Nemo, as he sits on the couch like, "hey".

Testing out the underwater capabilities of my camera.

I'm wearing my most favorite piggy shorts!!!

~Bri

Awesome, Awesome and more Awesome!

Phew! I have been SO BUSY lately! All I ever do anymore is work and college, work and college! (I'm not complaining!) ;)

I am in my second week of college and it is AWESOME! I have turned everything in on time so far and plan to keep it that way.

Giant Eagle is AWESOME, mostly. (lol) I don't mind doing brainless work but I would prefer to do something that I CAN use my brain for! But I am not going to go looking for jobs until I start driving because to ask someone to drive me any farther than GE is too much for me to ask! So I am humble doing tedious work for now...

Our (as in Sebastian and I) graduation party was SUPER AWESOME! I LOVED it and I think everyone else had a blast too! It was so great to see my family and Sebastian's family together getting along! There were no problems, not even with all the kids that were there! (When you know there's no major issues with kids at a party, you know it's a good day!) I say that because we had like 20 kids there and for the most part they got along and played together or in groups. At the party, we had what I called a "balloon release"! It was our friend Carl's idea and all the kids joined to participate in it. It was really cool and almost magical.

There are more graduation party pictures on my Facebook if you want to see more!



So, basically, life is great and I am so grateful to be living it! :)

~Bri

99 Confessions

I have seen this new "99 Confessions" thing floating around Facebook lately, so I thought I'd might as well be apart of it too. I might learn things about myself, (lol), I don't even know what all of the questions are yet! Well, here we go...

1. Last hug: at Giant Eagle with Sebastian (he picked me up from work)!
2. Last phone call: also Sebastian, telling me he was there at GE
3. Last text message: from my mom, electronically hugging me (lol)
4. Last song you heard: "Live Like You Were Dying" by Tim McGraw
5. Last time you cried: weeks ago? Why would anyone want to think about when they cry? lol

HAVE YOU EVER:
6. Dated someone twice: Yeah
7. Been cheated on: no, not to my knowledge
8. Kissed someone & regretted it: naw
9. Lost someone special: sadly
10. Been depressed: no, I'm pretty much smiley all the time :-P
11. Pulled all-nighter: yepps

LIST THREE FAVORITE COLORS:
12. Green
13: Blue
14: Purple

THIS YEAR HAVE YOU:
15. Made a new friend: YESH!
16. Fallen out of love: Nope, still in love
17. Laughed until you cried: of course!
18. Met someone who changed you: naw
19. Found out who your true friends were: yeah
20. Found out someone was talking about you: no
21. Kissed anyone on your friend's list: uhhh, Sebastian obviously lol

YOUR LIFE.
22.How many people on your friends list do you know in real life: ALL
23. How many kids do you want: 2-3
24. Do you have any pets: Yes, 2 cats, 3 turtles, 1 hamster, 4 mice with lots of babies, and some fish
25. Do you want to change your name: NO! already been there, done that (haha)
26. What did you do for your last Birthday: Had a bonfire!
27. What time did you wake up today: 5 AM, to get ready for work
28. What were you doing at midnight last night: sawing logs, zzzz....
29. Name something you cannot wait for: Mine & Sebastian's grad party!
30. Last time you saw your mother: Yesterday :)
31. What is one thing you wish you could change about your life: nothing, I love my life
32. What are you listening to right now: the water running in and out of the filter in the turtles' tank
33. Have you ever talked to a person named Tom: YES!
34. Who's getting on your nerves right now: nobody
35. Most visited webpage: Facebook
36. Whats your real name: Briana Leigh Dobruk
37. Nicknames: Bri, Banana
38. Relationship Status: In a Relationship
40. Male or female: female
44. Write w/e you want here: I LOVE THE BOY WITH THE BREAD! (AKA Peeta from The Hunger Games)
45. Long or short: medium
46. Height: 5'5'
47. Do you have a crush on someone: just my boyfriend ;)
48. What do you like about yourself: my personality
49. Piercings: just ears
50. Tattoos: none
51. Righty or lefty: righty!

FIRSTS:
53. First piercing: ears, October 2007
54. First best friend: eh, I don't remember
55. First sport you joined: I did gymnastics for a couple years.
56. First vacation: Coco beach, FL, I think

RIGHT NOW:
59. Eating: nothing
60. Drinking: nothing
61. I'm about to: watch Futurama
62. Listening to: turtles tank again
63. Waiting for: the air to get De-humidified

YOUR FUTURE:
64. Want kids: YESH!
65. Get married: YESH!
66. Career: journalist or editor

WHICH IS BETTER:
67. Lips or eyes: eyes
68. Hugs or kisses: kisses
69. Shorter or taller: taller definitely!
70. Older or Younger: same age
71. Romantic or spontaneous: romantically spontaneous
73. Sensitive or loud: sensitive
74. Hook-up or relationship: relationship

HAVE YOU EVER:
76. Kissed a stranger: NO, EW!
77. Stole something for someone: no, I am a law abiding citizen (teehee)
78. Lost glasses/contacts: nope, i need my glass all the time
79. Hurt yourself: not on purpose
80. Broken someone's heart: yeah...
82. Been arrested: heck no!
83. Turned someone down: yeah...
84. Cried when someone died: OF COURSE! DUH!
85. fallen for a friend: yeah, Sebastian is/was my best friend ever!

DO YOU BELIEVE IN:
86. Yourself: YEPPERS
87. Miracles: definitely
88. Love at first sight: yes
89. Heaven: yes
90. Santa Clause: no but i want to lol
91. Kiss on the first date: sure
92. Angels: YES

ANSWER TRUTHFULLY:
94. Had more than 1 boyfriend at a time: Yeah, teehee, but they knew about it
95. Did you sing today: yeah, everyday
96. First person in your contacts: Anna Z
97. If you could go back in time, how far would you go?: 10 years, so I could be with Grammy and Paapa again <3
98. One person you still care about: I care about everyone.
99. Are you afraid of falling in love?: Nope, I'm falling face first (haha) 

I'm a Phoenix!

I talked to my college counselor today and I found out that I am officially a college student now! Yay! All my papers when through and such so I am officially a "Phoenix"! You've seen the commercials haven't you?

I guess before I was accepted to the university but now that my FASA papers were accepted, I am actually allowed to go to their college. I don't know how much I will end up having to pay or not yet but I am very excited to find out!
Speaking of paying for college and all that though, Sebastian found out yesterday he will only have to pay $2,000 for his first year in college! Once he fills out some more papers though, he may only have to pay $1,000 because since he works at Mercyhurst, they should pay 50% of his tuition cost! Yay for him! He's so excited and I'm so proud of him!

-Bri
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

"If Heaven Wasn't So Far Away"

Yesterday in the car, I was listening to the radio when I heard the country song "If Heaven Wasn't So Far Away" by Justin Moore. I've heard it before but never actually listened to it until yesterday.
"If heaven wasn't so far away
I'd pack up the kids and go for the day
Introduce them to their grandpa
Watch 'em laugh at the way he talks
I'd find my long lost cousin John
The one we left back in Vietnam
Show him a picture of his daughter now
She's a doctor and he'd be proud
Then tell him we'd be back in a couple of days
In the rear view mirror we'd all watch 'em wave
Yeah, and losing them wouldn't be so hard to take
If heaven wasn't so far away"

"Introduce them to their grandpa..."

That one line, "Introduce them to their grandpa" just stuck out and kept repeating in my head. It got me thinking. I could not even imagine what it's like to not know your grandparents. I started feeling sad and sorry for all the kids who will never get to know or meet their own grandparents. Ugh, my heart just sank at that moment. That is when I realized how lucky I am. I am SO lucky to not only know my both sets of grandparents but to have the chance to know 3 of my GREAT grandparents! When that song was over I thanked God for the blessing of grandparents that he gave me. I feel so blessed and so lucky that I can not even put it all into words.


-Bri

Busy as a Bee!

I officially have a schedule to work at Giant Eagle now! But, I need to make sure when I go in on Sunday, that I wrote it down right because if I did, I'll be working 44 hours next week! (Definitely not complaining!) I am surprised! I guess it was more hours than what I was expecting but I am glad that they want to give so many! Like I said though, I'm going to double check because it just seems like with all the 300 new people they are hiring, that they wouldn't really need me that much but who knows!? I will definitely be very busy this upcoming week and I am so looking forward to finally making some money!

Basically, I am just so excited that my life is finally getting straightened out and I can finally share some responsibilities. Even though Sebastian makes enough to support us, I always felt bad not being able to help financially. I mean, sure I cleaned and took care of everything else while he worked but it still felt unfair somehow (even though he would never think it was). It's all finally coming together perfectly. :)

~Bri

Boom Chicka Boom Boom!

OMG! I AM SUPER EXCITED! I have orientation at Giant Eagle at 4 today and I have officially become a student at the University of Phoenix online! Eeeeeeek! I start college June 25th! For anyone who is wondering, I will be going for an arts degree with a concentration in communication. I want to become a journalist or an editor when I'm "all grown up". By the way, I officially got a PA identification card today and that really does make me feel like a real person now! AND I got to use it like 30 minutes after I received it by going to PNC and getting my own bank account! YAY! AND because I work at Giant Eagle, I received an "upgraded" account that has higher interest rates and all sorts of cool stuff that a regular account doesn't have! OH YEAH!

So, all in all, life is going good today!

~Bri

Being a Person Day 4

4 days into my "being a person" days and I have officially become a Giant Eagle employee and did half of my paperwork for college! SO much paperwork I had to fill out today and SO much electronic signing! I never knew how much information a person needed to have/know until today. I thought it was cool though that because of technology developing and all that I just filled out everything I needed online and just "signed" all the papers with just clicks of buttons. What will this world think of next? I'm scared.
But anyway, when I finished filling out stuff for GE and saw that they "officially welcomed" me to their team and that I had my own employee ID number, I started freaking out and jumping up and down. Because you know, it is my FIRST employee ID number! Yay!
Tomorrow is also a day of many first! I will be getting a state ID, possibly a permit, and definitely my own bank account! SO EXCITED! I'm also excited and very happy for Sebastian because he found a landscaping job since Mercyhurst is out for the summer! We are becoming two working/college bound 18 year old's! And we aren't doing too bad if I do say so myself! ;) 

Wish me luck tomorrow and Wednesday!

~Bri

The Beginning of the Rest of my Life

Early last Friday evening I was doing my hair and getting ready to go to Olive Garden to celebrate my brother, Nyke's, birthday with my family. I was singing "Holes in the Floors of Heaven" a country song I have sung with my grandma Becky and Grammy since I was real little. Once Grammy died, we dedicated the song to her. As I was singing and prepping, the phone rang. My grandma then called me upstairs and told me it was the social security office asking for me. ME! My heart started racing when I picked up the phone. The lady told me the good news that I have been waiting to hear! My name on my social security card is now also changed to Dobruk, just like my new birth certificate! I felt like Grammy was with me at that moment. My journey of 4 months is finally over and I am officially and completely a Dobruk on paper now! (I've always been a Dobruk at heart.) Mostly thanks to Jane Earl's pushing and prodding, I can now go to college, go to my job at Giant Eagle (FINALLY!), get my own bank account, get a permit and driver license! I can be a person now! Going into college debt and all! (lol) I can now finally begin the rest of my life. I feel so relieved, so over joyed and I almost feel reborn because I am not stuck anymore. I am free to do as I wish!

On a random note, Mooey the mouse, who we thought had 12 babies in one litter, actually had 13! AND she's ready to pop again! ;)

~Bri

Mooey Plus 12

Instead of "Kate Plus 8", we have a Mooey Plus 12 situation here. My mouse, Mooey, recently had 12 babies! 12 babies at the same time!!! That's huge for a mouse litter. They usually range between 4-6 babies but Mooey had twice that many!!! Ahhhh! The cute thing is though, is that 9 out of 12 are black and white just like their parents while only 3 are brown and white.


You can't even see all of them in these pictures!
(isn't the little runt so cute?!)

UPDATE 6-6-12: We figured out that we missed counted and that Mooey actually had 13 babies! 13!!!

-Bri
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Turtle Party!

Today, Sebastian and I decided to take our yellow-belly slider turtle, Max, and our baby snapping turtle, Franklin, outside to play! (And if you are wondering, yes, we did name Franklin after the old kids show Franklin! haha) They seemed like they had fun and I know we had fun just watching them walk around in the grass. We even provided a pan of water in which we camouflaged in the sand to make it look like a natural pond for them!

This is Max!

Max again!

This is Franklin!

I miss that old show! "Hey it's Franklin! Comin' over to play!"

Yesterday, Sebastian and I decided we wanted to have lunch in the middle of Lake Pleasant. So, we blew up our boats and paddled out there! It was amazingly fun and a real good workout for my arms!

~Bri

I'm Officialy Born!

I"VE BEEN BORN! I RECIEVED MY BIRTH CERTIFICATE IN THE CORRECT NAME IN WHICH I HAVE ALWAYS WENT BY! When I first found out about being Briana Atwell to the goverment, I became undecided about which name I really wanted to have, whether I wanted to leave it alone and be called Briana Atwell, because it was my legal name or go through the process of changing my name to match my school and medical records. I was actually quite confused on what to do. But obviously I chose Dobruk and it felt right that way. No matter what, I belong in their family.

This past Monday I went down to the Social Security office to change my name on my social security card to Dobruk also, so that both of my legal forms match. Everything was going along well until they couldn't "automatically authorize" my birth certificate. Why, you ask? Because darn Vital Statistics may have issued my birth certificate but they DIDN'T PUT IT INTO THEIR SYSTEM. The delay is because of their new program and new way of doing things but COME ON! I can't start my life without these things being done! My mom sent an email to Jane Earl (once again) and told her about what's happening now. She replied back today saying that she is working on it and faxed some papers and so I should be able to get my S.S. card name changed soon! YAY! I am so glad that my representative can/has helped me out so much! If it wasn't for her, I wouldn't even have my birth certificate in Dobruk yet! I can not thank her enough! If she decides to run for anything again, I will deffinitaly register to vote just for her! (The ironic thing is, is that because of her, I will be able to register to vote!) haha

Whew! I am so greatful that this situation is FINALLY getting straightened out! By the way, Giant Eagle still calls and they still are waiting for me to start work! Pheonix University calls too now, they can't wait to start me into college! (I CAN'T WAIT EITHER!) I LOVE LEARNING!

~Bri

Day 9: Something You Do Everyday

READ, of course! I read whenever I get the chance! The most recent book I am reading is The Hunger Games, book 1 to the trilogy. When I am not reading that, I usually pick up my Food Network magazine. I think it is the best food magazine out there; I love it! This month it's all about tacos! YAY! We celebrated by inviting Grandma and Papa over to eat tacos for lunch on Sunday. We had a wonderful time of course!

~Bri

Day 8: A Smell You Adore

I adore the smell of the Ocean Mist Tide Pods! I know that's probably weird but I can't help it! THEY SMELL SOOOOO GOOD! I actually look forward to doing laundry just so I can smell it. (haha) But don't worry, I will not end up on My Strange Addiction on TLC.

~Bri

Day 5, 6 & 7!

Day 5: bird

Sebastian and I went "garage saleing" the other day and I found some awesome books to add to my collection! This bird is from one of the pages inside a children's book that I just adored. The pictures were so bright and the story was so neat! The book was Animal Serenade by Susan James Frye.

Day 6: you!

This is me. I am the animal lover, memory keeper, and future journalist. In my hand, I am holding my mouse, Mooey. Her name is Mooey because she has spots like a cow. I love my animals so much and I don't know what I would do without them!

Day 7: someone that inspires you

The picture above is of my Grandma and Papa. They both inspire me because of how generous, thoughtful and wonderful they are. Anyone who have ever met them, becomes their friend. Anyone who needs help, they try their best to assist. Anyone who just needs someone to talk to, people call them. They both work hard for what they want and one day when I am older, I hope Sebastian and I can be just like them! After 40 years of marriage they are still in love! You are both an inspiration!

~Bri

Day 4

Fun!:

This picture represents fun because it was taken on Labor Day weekend of last year about 400 feet under ground. We were in Seneca Caverns somewhere in Ohio. I have loved caverns and caves ever since I was little so going go to one last year was just tons of fun! That is my dad on the right, he is the reason I have got to do a lot things and go a lot of places. Thank you Dad! :)

~Bri

Day 3

Something you wore today.

This is my necklace that I wear almost everyday. Sebastian gave it to me in 9th grade (2009). I can't believe it's been 3 years ago since I received this beautiful gift! We are forever imprinted in each others hearts. This December we will be celebrating 5 years together! 5 YEARS! That's pretty darn good for only being 13 when we met.
FYI: That 5 years is 5 years straight; there was none of that "taking a break" stuff involved what so ever.
We are best friends forever!

~Bri

A Photo a Day in May

I have been inspired by my friend Kristie's blog in which she was inspired by this blog to post a photo a day that follows the theme according to this chart:

May 1st: Peace

I always feel peaceful when ever I look at the moon and stars. I think about how great it is to be alive when I am so small compared to this huge universe. I feel peace knowing that God created little ole me and He decided to put me on this huge (small?) Earth.

May 2nd: Skyline

This is my skyline that I see everyday with my tire swing!

~Bri

From Baptisms to Goats to TV-Computer

Yesterday, was a busy day! First, Sebastian and I went to our friend Jeannine's baptism. I would just like to say congratulations and it was absolutely wonderful to watch and be a part of! I am so proud of her!

Then we went to my cousin Trina's house where we played with goats, kitties and doggies. The pictures will show you our adventure.

This is Jazzy, the little wiener dog, playing with a barn cat.

Sebastian holding out Jazzy for the camera. So cute!

Sebastian playing with the goats and Jemma, the huge goat guarding dog.

Jemma acts vicious but she's so loving!

We thought it was funny that the goats liked to stay in  a huddle but when Sebastian walked through them, it was like parting a crowd! But then they formed into their huddle again!

We like goats! Well, animals in general!

Sebastian playing with Jazzy inside.

Once we were home again, Sebastian decided that he was going to make the TV into a huge computer screen! He bought a wireless mouse and keyboard and the appropriate wire and now I can play Sims or write this blog from the TV! Yay! I thought that was a pretty good idea. I never would have thought of it!

It was sad that for once he had a day off and it went by so quickly but I guess that's what happens when your having fun!




~Bri

I Bet You Didn't Know-Day 7

The last and final "I Bet You Didn't Know" post. Hmm... what shall it be about? Well, I suppose most people know how I got Nemo, my wonderful loving moose of a kitty. (If not, click here.) But Nibbles has a different story to share.
I bet you didn't know, Nibbles is what we call our "parking lot kitty".

This cute (some people call her ugly :'( ) kitty, was found in a parking lot by Sebastian's mom. She was cold and starving and so cuddly! She purred when ever she was held and she purred louder when you pet her. Sebastian's mom asked if we would want her and of course, we could never turn a kitty down so we invited this little one into our home. When she arrived, we got her some food immediately and she ate it right up. While she was eating, Sebastian and I were trying to figure out a perfect name for her. As we watched her, the perfect name appeared as bright as day. Every time she got distracted while she ate, little pieces of food would fall out of her mouth when ever she would turn her head. We started to laugh at the fact that she was leaving "nibbles" of food all over the place! So, after brainstorming a few names such as, Nibblet or Nibbler (from Futurama!), we decided that "Nibbles" was the best name for our new strange little kitty!
As she has lived with us for the past 5 months, she has grown into our hearts and has become our "teenie weenie baby" (for she has not grown since we got her, we think it may have something to do with the fact that she was left starving at such a young age). She holds a spot in my heart, right next to Nemo. (That's saying something! haha) I love that when I talk to her, she responds every time. I love that I could give her a home. I love that I was able to teach her her name since she was already about 7 months old when we got her. She is definitely our baby Nibbles!

Her eyes are always huge but they look REALLY huge in this picture!

~Bri

I Bet You Didn't Know-Day 6

I bet you didn't know that I think about and miss my Grammy and Paapa everyday. Grammy and Paapa are my great-grandparents on my mom's side. They are Grandma's (Becky's) parents. Grammy passed away when I was 9 (2003) and Paapa passed away when I was 16 (2009). I use to go over to their house ALL the time! The best thing was, was that there house was right next to Grandma and Papa's house! When I remember Grammy, I think about the times when she would push me on their tire swing and how she would always stand by the tree inorder to protect me from any possible collisions. I remember the times when we use to listen to tapes in the cassette player and she would hold me on her lap in her favorite chair. When I think about Paapa, I remember going fishing. Grammy, Paapa and I would go fishing at Lake Pleasant after picking worms from the ground for bait. That was my favorite part. Me and Grammy would pick worms for forever! I will never forget the times we spent play games, watching Tune Disney, or cooking boxed macaroni and cheese. Paapa use to record hours of Tune Disney for me to watch in case it wasn't on sometimes when I was there. Still to this day, I wish I had those tapes just so I could watch them and pretend they were still here in the flesh. I know they will always be with me in my heart and memory. I pray one day that we will see each other again.


Me and Paapa (I was around 3 or 4)



Me and Grammy




All of us together <3

Sadly, I don't have any pictures with them of when I was older. There are probably some in the myriad of pictures my grandma has but these ones will do for now.

"If tears could build a stairway,
And memories a lane,
I'd walk right up to Heaven
And bring you home again."
~Bri

I Bet You Didn't Know-Day 5

So I thought it would be fun to give some little facts about my birth!
I bet you didn't know, I was born on October 29th, 1993 at 5:36 in the evening. I was born at Hamot Hospital in Erie, Pennsylvania with a weight of 8.5 ounces and a length of 20 inches. I was born on a friday with brown hair and dark blue eyes. (My hair is light brown and I now have green eyes!) I was born Briana Leigh Atwell but I am really known as, Briana Leigh Dobruk. Apparently I was close to being named Brandi or if I was a boy (which the doctors thought I was) I was going to be named, Gavin. My first day home was on Halloween day (no trick or treating for me yet!). My home then is actually my home again now. It says in my baby book that I loved to cuddle with "Grandpa K" a.k.a. Papa! My first words were, "Mama" "Baba" and "dog".
There you have it! Some cool facts from when I was just a wee little tot!
And here's my picture of when I was 1!

And 2...

And 3...

And 4...

And 5...

-Bri
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I Bet You Didn't Know-Day 4

I bet you didn't know, that I haven't told a lie since I was in second grade (2002). I really do believe that honesty is the best policy. The lie that I told in 2nd grade was the stupidest lie too! I used to take my lunch to school in a lunch box almost everyday. One day, I didn't like how the sandwich got soggy by sitting in the lunchbox all day, so I just left it in there and stuck the lunch box in my cubby. I never ended up taking it home and after a couple of weeks, I was honestly scared to open up that lunchbox again! (haha) In the mean time, I was carrying a different lunch box or brown bagging it, I don't remember. But anyway, I eventually just threw that stinky lunchbox away and of course, that's when my parents started asking where that lunchbox went. I, of course being 8 years old, said that I didn't know and that I would look for it at school. My parents kept asking and they told me to look in the lost and found, and obviously I knew that I wouldn't find it there. I knew what I had done and I was just too scared to tell them. I don't remember if they just eventually forgot about it or if I just told on myself now while they are reading this (lol) but either way, I knew it was wrong and I decided I never wanted to lie again. I really haven't lied since then. Even through my teenage years and when "boys", *cough cough*, Sebastian came around, and they asked me questions. I told the truth. Looking back now it makes me feel good about myself knowing that I did. Throughout my small amount of time on Earth, I have learned that honesty and communication are 2 of the most important keys to life. I'm glad I learned it young.

So the moral of day 4 is: "Honesty doesn't always pay, but dishonesty always costs." -Michael Josephson

-Bri
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I Bet You Didn't Know-Day 3

Welcome to day 3 out of 7 of the "I bet you didn't know" series!

I bet you didn't know, that I have 1,801 books in my room at this very moment! Yes, you read right, one thousand, eight hundred, and one books! I really, REALLY, love, LOVE books! Obviously! If you are wondering what type of books I own, I have children's books, to teen books, to adult books. I have the full spectrum. So if you ever need a book, I'm like the private library! (haha) I love being the person that can help someone out if they need a book for some research or for enjoyment. Whether you need a book about weather patterns, dinosaurs, or a book to make you laugh, I have it all and I love sharing with friends and family!
I have been told that I learned to read at a very early age which is probably why I love reading and books so much. My favorite part about having my collection is the fact that I can recommend books to anyone looking for a specific kind of book. For example, if you want a "tear-jerker", read the Kissed by an Angel series by Elizabeth Chandler. If you want a "raunchy" kind of story, read anything by Ellen Hopkins! (She is my favorite author of all time! Right beside Shel Silverstein, of course!) And if you want something more on the religious side of things, (besides the Bible!) read "Life Death Hereafter", it interprets the Bible about what will happen after we pass on.

By the way, no, I am not a hoarder! I am a very clean person that REALLY loves books! (haha)

-Bri
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I Bet You Didn't Know-Day 2

I bet you didn't know, that I refuse to have a wedding when the time comes. Honestly, I do not like weddings and I really don't like going to them. Don't get me wrong I love receptions (they're the fun part!) but I can't stand weddings because of the big ordeals about dresses, and I don't like how everyone has to think it has to be perfect. (No one/nothing is perfect!) Long weddings are the worst. I had to go to this one wedding where the preacher talked for about 30 minutes and then we STILL had to sit there and listen to the "beautiful couple" say their vows! I just think, why spend all the money? Most people know if you're getting married that you plan to love each other for eternity anyway. I guess I just don't get what the big hoop-dee-doo is about! At least I can now say I won't ever be forced to go to a wedding again (like I was forced last year!)! I would rather spend that money that I was going to spend on a wedding, on other stuff, like a nice road trip, or lots of books (lol) or anything but a wedding really! (haha)

For anyone that has had a wedding or likes weddings, I don't want to offend you or anything. This is just my opinion and point of view. To tell you the truth, my grandma is actually upset that I plan to never have one. But she will be okay, I know it! She will be just as happy to plan the reception as we get married in a court house!

So that concludes Day 2 and I promise tomorrow will have no complaining in it at all! (teehee)

I Bet You Didn't Know-Day 1

I have decided to start a 7 day series of posts of things I bet you didn't know about me. I thought this would be a fun way for any readers to get to know me better! Welcome to day númbero

Day One: I bet you didn't know that I have a new Tiny Zoo Friends obsession! Tiny Zoo is a popular new game that runs through Facebook, and any devices that can download apps, where you have your own little zoo. It is kind of like Farmville except, better! If you haven't played it already, you should definitely try it out. If you do, make sure to type in my I.D. as your recruiter.
My I.D. is: bribri121407
I used to be obsessed with The Sims 3 but not really so much anymore thanks to Tiny Zoo! Haha
Tune in tomorrow so see what day two will tell!

-Bri
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First Day of Trout!

Yesterday was the first time I went out and did anything for the first day of trout. I went with Sebastian, his dad, Sarah (his sister), Sebastian's uncle and Sebastian's aunt. I had a lot of fun even though I couldn't actually fish (because you need ID to get a fishing license! Ha!). I stilled loved walking the creek and getting to see awesome waterfalls and I really had fun building a rock hut with Sarah. I hope when I do get a fishing license, that I can go there again and fish for real.

This is everyone checking out the water for fish under the bridge.

Everyone has there fishing gear now!

Since I couldn't fish, I found an island of rocks in the middle of the creek to sit on!

Isn't it amazing how Sebastian and the sucker fish have the same lips?!

Sebastian and Sarah!

The big waterfall!

Sebastian's dad, Sebastian, Sarah and I standing on the big waterfall.

Sarah and I in our rock hut!

That's our front door!


So, it was an Awesome day and I can't wait to do it again!

-Bri
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