Blog time

Well, this is the first free second I've had in weeks. I hope everyone had a great xmas!! Mine was AWESOME!!! My perfect hubby spoiled me rotten, as always. : ) And my mommy went way overboard on us. God, I love that woman more than life. Well, my husband starts his new job next week. I am soooooooo freakin excited!! We have started house shopping lately and I can't wait to move on up. We were originally going to sell this house, but I think we are just going to rent it out.
I'm still totally loving married life. I really married the most dedicated, unconditional loving, giving, selfless man in the entire world. It took soooo long to train him to be this way but it was worth all the bs we went thru to get to this point.
Man man man....not much to say....soooo damn tired. I guess I'm gonna go put my baby to bed and lay it down. Nighty night.

Lonnnng week!

Whew, so glad this week is almost over. My biopsy was normal and I don't have cancer!! WHOOHOO!!! Brian and I also had our consultation with my obgyn and started our pregnancy plan. I'm on prenatal vitamins and b-12 right now. They are nasssssssssty!!!! So, its been awhile since I've updated this damn thing. So much has happened. We got the sweetest little puppy EVER. He is a daddy's boy but he loves his momma too. We just love him to pieces. Oh and the wedding pictures are done. You can go to amyhobbsphotography.smugmug.com to view them. They just turned out amazing, just like my dream wedding. We still have people telling us it was the nicest, most touching wedding they'd ever been to. That means so much to us. Life as a married couple have been amazing!!!! Idk why I didn't do this sooner!!! He deserves the best....and I think he got it...lolol. I don't know what I did to deserve such an amazing man. Oh and I chopped my hair off SUPER short...and ended up hating it so I put extensions in....they look amazing. The other day...me, Brian, my sister, and brother-in-law were all minding our own business at the mall and some random lady walked up to me and said "OMG you look like Britney Spears, honey" Totally made my day. I'm back!!!!!!! I am seriously in my prime. I look better than ever, have an awesome job, and awesome husband that would do ANYTHING for me, awesome friends, and awesome family............sooooo blessed. I wish this happiness on everyone out there. : ) Life hasnt always been easy and I've made alot of bad decisions in the past....but I am lucky enough to have the unconditional love of my hubby that has gotten me thru everything. I ALWAYS land on my feet. It feels amazing to finally be in my happy place. Everyone always remember that in order to experience the purest bliss, you must first crawl from the depths of despair.

Its over

So, Saturday was my wedding day. Everything went SOOO absolutely amazing. It was the wedding of my dreams. My cake was perfect, his cake (xbox) was crazy awesome, the centerpieces were beautiful, the backdrop was flawless, the ceremony and reception went off without a hitch....it was just really, truly, perfect. Brian surprised me with a very touching slideshow from us when we were kids, all of the pictures we've ever taken together, and our engagement pictures. Our first dance was "You Save Me" by Kenny Chesney and my father/daughter dance was "My Little Girl" by Tim McGraw. We had a FULL HOUSE, the food was sooooooo yummy and everyone had a great time. It couldn't have gone any better. The menu cards, programs, and all of the other stationary turned out great. There wasn't a dry eye in the house as we were exchanging our own vows. His best friend, my best friend, and my sister all gave toasts and I cried my eyes out. They were so sweet. The day started off amazing (in our 2 story presidential suite where the girls got ready in) and ended amazing (in our honeymoon suite). It was the most precious and perfect day of my life. We are on our honeymoon now and will be back Friday. Thank you to everyone who came to celebrate with us. Each one of you made the day that much more special. I will post pictures ASAP!! In the meantime, I'm going to post a slideshow of our engagement pictures. These were a BLAST!!! : )

No title needed

So, it has been brought to my attention that I haven't updated my blog much since I got my facebook......and now the blog is feeling a little left out. :( Well, after 3 weeks of being on pins and needles, I finally get good news on my mammogram......it was just fatty tissue. Whew!! I FELT a million times better until, literally, 2 hours later when my other Dr. called with not-so-great news. Now back to pins and needles for another 3 weeks until I can get my biopsy done. I am so sick of this stress just weighing down on my mind. I have so much going on right now and sooo much stress. I'm just so grateful for the amazing people I have in my life as my support system. On a brighter note, this last week was a BLAST! I had my office shower last Thursday and it turned out soooo beautifully. We got more stuff than we know what to do with. And then I was off Friday and me, my mom, and Brian went to Dallas to our engagement pics and my bridal portraits. We started our day off at the Botanic Gardens and we took pics for SIX hours. Brian was such a good sport. The pictures look sooooo amazing. You can click on my amazing photographers website (to the right) and view them. She will be adding them periodically because she is still editing them. Then we left the men at home and left for the Fort Worth Stockyards for my bridal portraits. I never knew what "15 minutes of fame" actually meant until I got outta that car in my wedding dress. It was so fun tho. I was getting claps, cheers, whistles, random tourists taking pictures of me....it was a freakin blast. I took pics in a candy shop, on a mechanical bull (don't ask), with a horse drawn princess carriage, walking down the cobblestone main street with a red parasol, up in a window archway, and handcuffed.....I even had my rights read to me....weird. lol. We had soooo much fun. It was just what I needed to help my bridal nerves. Then the next day was my baby niece, Braelyn's birthday party. She got sooooo much stuff and everyone had a great time. And she ate almost her entire cake!! It was sooooo precious. Well, time to go watch tv with my hubby to be. Love ya'll and hope you have a great week!!

Just a vent

So, I like to think that I am very reliable, dependable, caring, thoughtful, and courteous. I would give my worst enemy the shirt off of my back if they needed it. And I'd do ANYTHING for my friends. When I was in 5th grade, I had a birthday party....my last birthday party. We rented a huge pool, bought all kinds if food, cake, games, everything and I invited tons of people. I looked forward to this birthday for months. Well, ONE person showed up...and it was the friend that we picked up on the way there. I was totally and completely heartbroken, and on that day I swore that I would never have another birthday party again. And I didn't. In the last 3 years, I have thrown countless birthday parties, 5 baby showers, an anniversary party, and many more...absolutely not expecting anything in return. So, finally, it was my turn. I'm getting married in 5 weeks and yesterday was my bridal shower. I had been fearing it for 7 months because I was sooooo worried about people not showing up and I would end up devastated just as I was 15 years ago. While I had a great turnout, there were a few people that were expected to come....people that I had gone out of my way for, spent my hard earned money on, been their shoulder to cry on, their confidant, and their friend. Is it really that hard to spend ONE hour of your life to make someone else happy? Ugh. Well, I definitely know who is really down for me and who I can go ahead and cut out of my life. And something in me has changed...I hope people can take care of themselves now because I will no longer go out of my way for anyone. I won't be anyones doormat. Thank you soooo much to everyone that came to support me. You have no idea how much it meant to me. NO IDEA. Most people don't appreciate those things as much as I do. Because of my traumatic 11th birthday, every single soul that walked into the tea room yesterday unknowingly humbled and honored me so very much...and I thank you for that. This was the first thing that I've ever had for me...just me. I had an absolute amazing time and I enjoyed every second of it. It wasn't until I left that I started thinking about the disappointment of the absence of certain people that I considered good friends and had SWORN to me that they would be there....and were such cowards that they couldn't even let me know that they weren't going to be there. I just hope that whatever your reason for not coming was worth losing a friend like me.

Just an update

So, I haven't updated the blog in awhile and I'm sitting here bored, like a loser, on Friday night. My poor baby is laying down with a severe case of swimmer's ear and I feel sooooo bad for him but theres nothing I can do. So, what have I been doing lately? Well, pretty much anything wedding you can think of. Geezus! But its all going to be sooooo worth it. We have gotten almost everything done. We got his ring last week, too! Yay! We just picked up our toasting flutes and cake serving set from a sweet angel at Things Remembered. I've been gawking at them for a few days. lol. Last week started wedding critical time so we've been addressing invitations, ordering bridesmaid dresses, tux fittings, ordering cakes, prepping the menu cards, hiring the dj, reserving rental items, alllllllll the fun stuff. And guess what?? In the middle of the most crucial part of the wedding preparations, the events coordinator at my venue...quit. Not just quit......walked the hell out. So that sent me into panic mode. Not only has she been the one we have consulted with fron day one, but she also happens to be a friend of mine whom I know and trust with my wedding. And the new girl taking over ACTUALLY said this to me "I'm sorry that she quit. Trust me, I don't wanna be doing this. Not to hurt your feelings, but I don't like dealing with brides. I just want your money and to get you out of here." Nice. So anyways, enough about that. I feel like I haven't updated this thing in forever. I got a new phone today! I've officially joined the world of modern technology. I got a Samsung Captivate....and it really is captivating. LOL. Highly recommend it to anyone seeking a badass phone. Its "nothing short of a computer in the palm of your hand" says the Radio Shack dude. lol. So what else has been going on? Hmmm.....well, I'm getting these damn braces off in 2 weeks!!! Supposedly. lol. FINALLY we can take our engagement pictures! We have our cute little matching outfits and everything! Also, Candace is going under the knife again.....more details to come. Its a good thing tho. Well, I will leave you all with that little cliffhanger. lol. I'm gonna go be a good wifey and take care of my love. Tootles!

Take a little looksie!!

I have some random wedding pics on my camera that people took, but if you wanna see the professional pictures, just click on the Amy Hobbs Photog Website link on the right and she has been updating them daily. : ) So beautiful!!!

Mrs. Smith!!

So, my baby sister is now a married woman!!! Wow!! The wedding was absolutely amazing and the reception was a blast. My sister looked wonderful. And I did too....if I may say so myself. lol. It was a good time. My handsome fiance looked so good in his tux. And guess what?? NO bowties!!! Yay!! Congrats Markie & Blair! We love you!!!!

As promised...

Showers of love

Today was my baby sister's wedding shower....I say WEDDING shower, not BRIDAL shower because it was for Markie AND Blair. It turned out great and everyone had a good time. Good food and good company....what more could you ask for? OH and for anyone wanting to rent the Lucy Park Log Cabin.....if you unlock the door, put your stuff down and go back out to your car to bring stuff in, the door WILL lock behind you. Yep.....me and Love Bug stood outside in the heat...locked out for 45 minutes. Our purses, phones, everything was in the cabin. It was ridiculous. LUCKILY, we have friends in low places and the door was easily opened with a simple slide of a credit card. lol. I'm usually really good at sliding them credit cards. Haha. I will post (of course) all the pics soon. I got really teary eyed and started to cry at the shower, so I can't even imagine how big of a wuss I'm gonna be at the wedding. I love my wittle sissy!

Penny for my thoughts

You wanna know something that really bothers me? People who judge others. Whether it be narcissism, religious reasons, or just plain ignorance. And I rarely do the whole "bitch and vent" blog thing, but we are all entitled to one every now and then and this one is a long time coming.

My main focus today is on my hubby to be. Yes, we all know that Brian is an asshole. Yes, we all know that he and I had a rough first couple of years. And I understand that its my family and friend's jobs to take my side and condemn his behavior. With that being said...guess what?? I have absolutely NOT been the perfect companion, either. Granted, there’s no excuse for some of his behavior (from years ago) but take the time to get to know the him now. He is a completely different person and HAS been for almost 5 years. Also, I encourage anyone reading this blog to keep your relationship problems to yourself. Telling others is the fastest way to cause resentment towards your partner, which then causes you to resent that person for resenting them (got that?). I am a very loyal friend, and am very protective of my family....so I understand fully that its much easier to forgive someone for something they've done to you than it is to forgive something they've done to someone you love. I do appreciate the gesture....but lets move forward, ay?

Its also quite offensive to me that people think I am just this weak, passive aggressive, wuss that stays in a crappy relationship because I have a low self esteem and think I can't do any better. While this was the case many years ago....it is far from the truth now. Let me give you a little run-down on Candace (now I get to brag). I have never had life (or anything else for that matter) handed to me. Mommy and daddy didn't buy my first car, or pay for my college, or constantly bail me out when I couldn't pay my bills (not that they wouldn't have, I just didn't need it)....I have done EVERYTHING on my own. When I turned 16, I got a full time job...then (while still in high school) got a SECOND full time job. I bought my first car and all thereafter, I moved out on my own 5 months after graduation, obsessively built up my credit, bought a house at 22, have a decent cushion in my savings account, and live a comfortably modest life with the man that I love. I never hung with the wrong crowd, drank alcohol, did drugs, get pregnant, or any other mindless ailment that would have taken me off my track. Most teenagers have this big plan to go to college and make something of themselves....while I think that’s great, it was never for me. But I tell you what...I am happy with everything in my life. THAT was my plan. I have waited until I was old enough and responsible enough to get married. I wanted no doubts that Brian was the one I wanted to spend my life with. I do believe in divorce, but definitely not for me. I was raised with amazing parents that may not have gotten along all the time, but we never knew it and they worked it out and are still married. I want that for my children. As most know, I just celebrated my 25th birthday. I think its safe to say that I am not a moron and can handle making my own decisions. Its worked out pretty well for me so far.

I don't want my ramblings to seem like I am unappreciative for the lack of financial assistance I've had throughout life. I am so very thankful that my parents didn't hand me life on a silver platter. I have no doubts that I would be a negligent loser with a couple of car repo's on my credit report and not a lesson learned from it...and more than likely still dependent on them. My parents may not have given me a fancy, expensive education, but they taught me some priceless life lessons. So enough about that, back to the topic at hand. Nobody has, does, or ever will know the Brian that I know. No one sees him cry, knows what hurts him, or knows his sensitive side....and that’s ok. That is his angle. He was taught that people mistake kindness for weakness and its taken me many years to teach him otherwise....still a work in progress, btw. But as far as his love and devotion to me??? I will NEVER in a million years find a man that loves me on the level that he does. Ever. I am his life...I am his family...I am his whole world. Nothing that I have ever done to hurt him has ever changed his love for me. We have been through everything a relationship can possibly go through, and we are still standing stronger than ever, holding hands. In 10, 20, 50 years...I will NEVER have to doubt his love and admiration for me. Brian is and will always be an asshole, but you can be assured that he isn't an asshole to me. He has grown and matured, and indeed, his love for me has grown and matured. He appreciates and respects me as a person first, and then appreciates and respects me as his partner. He would kill for me or die for me in a heartbeat. And that I know. He does so much for me. He cooks me dinner, does housework and yard work and is so conscious and considerate of my needs and feelings. Isn't that what a relationship is all about? We've got this.

I know that I shouldn't care what other people think, but I do....for his sake. It saddens me for him that he, most likely, will never live down his reputation, no matter how much he has changed. But I guess it really doesn't matter. My immediate family and friends know the real deal. And in the grand scheme of things, its me and Brian against the world. : ) I couldn't have found a better man to spend my life with.

Happy Birthday, Kakers!!!

Friday was my baby girl's 3rd birthday!! I can't believe it! Time goes by soooo fast. It seems like yesterday the whole family was packed in the hospital waiting room just waiting to see that beautiful baby. She brings so much happiness to my family and I can't imagine life without her. Shes Aunt Candace's special girl! I love you baby!!

Kenley's Birthday Party & Easter

Jennifer Lea Alexander!

My best friend in the whoooooooole world got married last night. It was so sweet......then came the party. lol. Everyone had a great time. The free alcohol may have had something to do with that. Haha. And my Jenn dedicated our best friend song to me. We danced to "You're The Inspiration" by Chicago. Her first dance with Stevie was "Then" and her father/daughter song was "I Loved Her First". Then her, Stevie and Braelyn danced to "It Won't Be Like This For Long". Everything turned out perfect. And she hadn't seen her ring until the ring exchange ceremony. It is absolutely amazing. HUGE!! It looks awesome on that angelic little finger!! Congratulations Jenn and Stevie!!! I know you will be happy forever!! I know that my angel is in good hands. That girl is my rock, my heart, and my best friend....the best friend I have ever had...or will ever have. I love you.

Really, Brian???

Ok, I need everyone's help, here. Anytime you see my future husband, can you PLEASE remind him that he is NOT James Bond and it is absolutely not necessary for him to wear a effing bowtie to our wedding?? GEEZUS! And absolutely NO short tux jackets with tails in the back will be permitted. Good lord. Whatever happened to "Just tell me what to wear and where to be and I'll be there"???? Baby, I love you very very much, but PLEASE just stick to planning the honeymoon and let me handle the wedding. Goodness, he hasn't picked out a single item of clothing in the last 8 years, what makes him think that he is capable of handling a huge task such as dressing himself for our wedding??? I swear on everything, if I walk down the aisle to a bowtie, I will snatch it right off his damn neck!!

ALLLLLL MINE!!!!

I got my wedding dress today!!!!! Its super gorgeous! I would post a pic, but I am keeping it a secret until our wedding day. I'm sure David's Bridal was soooo happy to get us out of there. lol. And I ended up getting the first dress I tried on! After ALL that. Its too perfect! AND, its brand new, so I'm the first Wichita Falls bride to wear it!!! YAYYYY!!!!!!!!!

Can't wait to say "I do"!!

Sooooo........this last week has been a whirlwind!!! Already got so much done for the wedding of the decade!! And.....yesterday, My Jenn rented my bridal shower venue. It is going to be elegant and fabulous.....just like me! ;) September 18th, ladies!! Tomorrow, Brian and I have an appt to look at our possible (more than likey) wedding location and I'll be getting the dress next week. Once thats done, its allllll downhill from there. Now the hardest part is writing our own vows. Ahhhhh! There is so much I want to say to him. I just can't believe we are finally getting married. Wow. October 23rd will be here before ya know it. Much love!!

Always a bridesmaid....now a BRIDE!!

Yep.....the rumors are true! After 8 years, Brian and I are making it official. As of Thursday, March 25th, we are ENGAGED! I will post pics of my amazing ring soon! Thank you to all of our well-wishers. We couldn't be more happy or more in love. Save the date - October 23, 2010 is the big day!!!!

I've got big ass problems!

So, you wanna know what drives me nuts??? My ass is so freakin big that the whole thing won't tan!!! Hahaha! I lay in the tanning bed, and right kinda under my ass....upper thigh (?) won't get any color. I was bent over the other day "picking something up off the floor" and Brian was like "Umm......baby.....I think you missed a spot!" LOL! Anyways....anyone have any ideas? Ugh.....ok, usually I love my badonkadonk....this is my only complaint. Enough about that....so, the weeks just fly right on by....I LOVE it....loving my job prolly has alot to do with that. I remember previous jobs....not mentioning any names.... *COUGH Hampton Vaughan COUGH COUGH***.....that I effing dreaded going to. But I really really think I found my calling! Patient accounts are my life! Haha....that sounds lame....but its not, I tell you!
So.....while I am slamming local businesses...I ventured from my normal nail salon to Kenny's nail's (currently in the mall...hopefully soon in bankruptcy) and got my fill on Thursday, we went bowling Saturday and my thumb nail broke. These assholes charges me $8.00 to fix my damn nail.....really???
Besides that bs, ALL that I have been doing is wedding this and that. My best friend and sister are both getting married within the next 3 months so we have been super busy! I'm pretty sure the guy at A1 Rentals thinks that Jenn and I are marrying...each other. lol. Owell. I've seen worse female couples...and besides, I'd take that hot bitch any ol day. ; ) RLAD!
Anyways, thats all I got for ya today. Im gonna go watch Shutter Island with my love and put him to bed. Love!

Congrats to my bff!!!!!!

Sooooooo...................AWESOME news!! Jenn & Stevie are getting married!!! YAY! So (for those of you that are invited) save the date! April 24th, ol Jenn Jenn will be walking down the aisle! I'm so excited for them!!

Happy Late Valentines Day!!!

So how was everyones V-day??? Me and the old man went to Dallas for the weekend. Hotel was pretty nice and Paul Wall was right down the hall!!! Kinda. Brian bought me some Coach sunglasses, a Coach makeup bag, and a sexual Coach hat. He even stood in line for over an hour for me! Awww! God, I love him! I made it up to him that night, though. : ) We went to like 5 malls, Papasitos (AMAZING Mexican food) and then since our hotel was in a dry county (good lookin out babe!) we had to drive to another town to have drinks that night. LOL! Was worth it though...we really had a great time and it was soooooo nice to get outta town for a couple days.

On a not-so-brighter note.....most of you know about my little cousin. Melinee was in a really really bad car accident on Friday night. She's still not in good condition but is now coherent. Please keep her in your thoughts....and prayers, if thats your thing. My family would greatly appreciate it. Well, I'm going to see my little angel now....I will update on her condition when I find out more. Love!

Heya!!

So I realize it's been awhile since I've updated, however, nothing much new going on. This weekend is Valentines Day!! I'm sooooo excited! Me and my honey are going to Dallas for the weekend for a shopping spree!!!! What better gift to ME than unlimited shopping? Hahaha! And I have a little something for him too. ; )

So, I hope everyone is doing awesome. I couldn't be happier. I live with my 2 favorite boys, Brian and Tony. We go out maybe a litttttle too much but hell, you only live once right?? My bro is a baaaaaad influence on us! Haha! And I don't think Brian has gotten used to my new found attention from the opposite sex. Haha! He has tried to beat some random guy's ass pretty much every weekend. LOL! Can we say nutjob?? Haha! I honestly don't think I've gotten used to it either......wait.....yeah, I think I have! Hahaha! J/P baby you know you're my one and only!! Bitch can't help it if she's got game!! lol. I forgot

So the jobby is spectacular!! Looooove loooooooove looooooove it!!! Well, time to go pick up my shizzle from the cleaners.....makeup and white shit doesn't go together! lol! LOVE!

Kicking off 2010 Candace style!!

So as most of you know, 2009 was a hard, probably the hardest, year of my life. You wouldn't believe how happy I was that it ENDED! With all of my health problems and ughhh......it was just one thing after another. However, I am happy happy happy to report that 2010 has started out just absolutely amazing. I guess my good karma is catching up to me, finally! Thannnnk goodness!! I'm so ready for my break! So far, two amazing things have happened this year. My brother moved home AND Jenn got a job working with me! The start of 2010 has inspired soooo much confidence in the rest of year. Thank you again to everyone that has been there for me through the last year....I would NOT have made it without each one of you.
So, along with "badass 2010" theme - my friend, Linda, got promoted last week! Congrats! You are so perfect for that job and we are lucky to have you there!
So last weekend was a blast! We went to Stage to celebrate my bro moving home. It was a goooood time. lol. Then shopping with the bff all day Sunday! This coming weekend is the Bridal expo and the weekend after that is Markie's birthday & Randi's baby shower! I can't wait to see my bcbs friends! Misssss ya'll!!
Well, its El Chico night, so imma go get ready to go. Hope everyone is well!!

New Slideshow!!!!! Its a long one...

Baby, it's cold outside!!

Grrrrr.......I HATE being cold. I haven't been warm in weeks...ugh! How did everyone like our white Christmas? Yeah.....I don't ever want to hear anyone say that again! But besides the snow, Christmas was wonderful. My parents went to Ohio for the holidays, so we missed them alot, but we tried to make the best of it. We spent it with our friends and family and had a great time. Lets see......Brian got me another pair of Uggs, the Ugg cleaning kit, 90210 Season 8 (I'm a collector...shut up), makeup, and a little of this and that......*wink wink*
I got a few gift cards to NY & Co....my favorite store EVER!! Everyone said that they went in there to pick me something out but I had everything so they just got me gift cards.....lol....PERFECT gifts!! I got Scentsy stuff, jewelry, Coach stuff from my Ohio family, lots and lots of gifts cards to Victorias Secret, Hobby Lobby, Kohls, Dillards, On The Border, Chilis....wow.....I was truly blessed this year. And I got my fave Juicy Couture perfume. Yummmmy! What a great way to end 2009. It was a painful year but thanks to the people I love, I made it through somehow. I love you all soooooo much! 2010 is going to be painful too......3 plastic surgeries are set for this year......ahhhhh......but it will be worth it. I can't wait for all this to be over so I can just enjoy my new rockin' bod!!!
So how was everyone's New Years?? Mine was fantastic! I got to spend it with my bestest bestest friend, Jenny Boo Boo! After we left Jenn's, we decided to head to Old Town.....not really my kind of place, but its whatever. We were having a good time and then Brian throws up alllll over the bar floor (no one even noticed) and ALLLL over my brown Uggs!! OOOOMMMMMGGGGG I was soooo pissed! I dragged him out by his hair and made him go home and clean them. Haha. Took me over an hour to get his drunk ass out of the car.
Well, I hope that everyone had a wonderful Christmas and a happy New Year!!!