The J-Team

For the first time ever, my husband was right. *

2009-10-31T09:06:00.001-07:00

And he's making me admit that here. I guess he wants it in writing so he can savor it and remind himself for years to come. Until he's right again. ;)

*He made me say that. He's actually right quite often. But don't tell him that-- I don't want him to go getting a big head or anything.

Happy 30th, baby!

2009-10-26T17:08:00.000-07:00

My dear, sweet husband turns 30 today. Though it's a milestone, I think he's still a little uncertain about the big 3-0. Tonight we had a small Imos celebration ;) but a couple of weeks ago, we celebrated in style with a surprise birthday party:

We had a great time-- thanks to everyone for celebrating with us and making it a great surprise!!

J, happy 30th! I look forward to celebrating many, many, MANY more with you!
Lots of love,
me

Welcome to the world, baby Cameron!

2009-10-11T16:32:00.000-07:00

J has been blessed to have an amazing group of friends that he's known since elementary school, and is still great friends with today. These guys don't all get to see each other as often any more (two live out of town now) but they may as well be brothers.

When Brian told us earlier this year that they were expecting, we were so excited to welcome the first baby into the group! Saturday night, little Cameron entered the world to join a loving mom and dad, and awesome big sister McKenna.

The adorable family.

We were lucky to get the call to come to the hospital to meet little Cameron, and gladly came by to hold that sweet little girl for a little while. I could hold little newborns forever.

She's amazing. Congratulations guys! You have two amazing little girls!

So, it's been a while, huh?

2009-10-01T17:55:00.000-07:00

Yikes. I just looked at the old blog and realized that I haven't posted since August! Now that's just wrong. To my credit, I've been pulling one and three quarters duty at work the last three months, so that doesn't leave time for stuff like the blog... but I'm coming back soon, I swear. I really appreciate being able to look back at the stuff we had going on...
So. Here's what's been going on lately, in random order:

J set exam dates
we survived a month of major social activities every weekend. and we're looking forward to a Saturday to ourselves :)
I have three friends with babies due in the next couple of weeks. woah baby boom!
Dad turned 60! and we partied with him
G turned 25! and now I feel old...
I bought my first blow-up lawn ornament. Our neighborhood has finally rubbed off on me. More about this later.
We're welcoming fall. and I couldn't wait for fall weather to finally show up. I think it's really true that as you spend more time together, you and your spouse become more alike. I used to hate fall, J loves it, now I can't get enough of cool breezes, sweatshirts, and all things pumpkin. And, J is starting to like some country music. Next thing you know we'll be wearing matching sweaters on our Christmas card
I'm getting a new workspace at work. Which is actually really exciting! (how boring am I!)
I need to get back to cooking. Lately I've been slacking. The whole job and three quarters thing kind of saps your energy. Speaking of three quarters:

(just throwing that out there)

Despite the crazy-business, we've gotten to see a lot of friends. We need that more. It's good for the soul
Entourage on DVD is also good for the soul. Just saying.
Sometimes it takes really crap-ass cable service that cuts out a lot for you to appreciate things like Entourage on DVD. Also just saying.
My husband got me flowers a week ago. That made my week. It's still making me happy. I used to get flowers all the time (like almost weekly) when we were dating. And somehow the frequency change makes me appreciate them even more. It's all the little nothings that thrill me. Like random outbursts into Jon Bovi

That was actually a lot for being just bullets... maybe I'm on to something...

Seriously? Seriously.

2009-08-20T16:21:00.000-07:00

As I trolled through the UK, I was planning blog posts in my head.
One is funny things we saw while in the U.K.
Like this, for example:
Everything's a pound, indeed.

(Get ready peeps, there's more of that coming your way soon!)

Another was the fashion.
But I don't have to do that post, because I just read it right here. Glad I'm not the only crazy one who noticed that stuff... So go read that stuff and just pretend I wrote it, k?

mind the gap (reader's digest version)

2009-08-14T16:51:00.000-07:00

So at some point, I'll go back through and do a real post... probably a series of posts about our vacation, but for now, here are some of our favorite pictures. (We took close to 3,000 so consider yourselves lucky that I'm taking it easy today.) ;)

london bridge is falling down...
except this isn't london bridge. this is tower bridge. common mistake.

seeing Big Ben made me feel like I was really in london
except Big Ben is the bell inside, so I didn't really see Big Ben, but whatever.

such good weather!!

outside buckingham palace

that should seriously be a poster

the reason we went in the first place. look how smart he looks!

gorge.

j and tha' minster.

we had lots and lots and lots of these. seriously. sometimes 6 a day...

at the Temple Bar

when in doublin, drink guinness!!

see? i wasn't kidding.

gaelic

what can i say, paris spoiled me forever...

we were kind of obsessed with the guinness storehouse

the biggest beer i ever did see...

from the gravity bar while we drank our free (not really) pints

he's in heaven, people. ancient stuff and armor everywhere.

we couldn't not see oscar. what a stud.

a dublin sky

back in london

oxford

elementary, my dear j

look *really* closely. the swede who took our picture didn't zoom as well as he could have...

footbridge

our tube stop

st. pauls

I want to go back RIGHT.NOW. It wasn't cheap, but it was so worth finally going on our *real* honeymoon. Love you dear, and so glad we did it! :)

I don't know if you'd heard...

2009-08-14T16:46:00.000-07:00

... but it's football season again.

I don't know what tipped me off... the late summer heat, the enthusiasm about getting home fast, or the LOUD expletives coming from the living room.

He's also taken to turning the expletives into "good dogs!" because it freaks the heck out of the dogs when he yells. That just doesn't happen much around here...

For a quiet, mild-mannered guy, he sure gets passionate about his football...

:)

p.s. he just read me writing this and said "it's not real yet! it's just the pre-season!"

J, I love you, even if you are an avid football fanatic.

where do I start...

2009-08-01T13:21:00.000-07:00

I have so much to update on this blog, I don't even know where to begin...
So I'm going to start with our beach vacation with my family. We've been several times to the same island in the very southernmost part of North Carolina, but it's been a few years since we've gone. We couldn't pass up an opportunity to go back! SO, we packed up the "kids," piled the car with our stuff, and started on a long road trip!

Celebrating our arrival ...
With dinner at Ella's (our FAVORITE restaurant ever!)
I was very, very set on not going deep sea fishing. I know better than that. But after explaining that it would be easier to let me stay at home than whine the whole time, my siblings (and everyone else) wouldn't quit pestering me. So I gulped down some dramamine, and went along for the ride...
The guys fishing:
J trying to find a big fish

Turns out the meds were a good choice... since those that didn't take them ended up VERY sick. I kept saying, "you have to respect the ocean!"

I spent a couple of days working while we were there to make the vacation time work, but still had time to have some fun. How awesome is this sunset?!?

My aunt and uncle live in NC, so they spent the week at the beach as well. So much fun to get sibling and cousin hang-out time!

We even squeezed in some put-put. (I, of course, did not keep score, and ended up getting a gold star at one hole and a smiley face at another)

All of us after the last hole:

We also made sure we had some fun shopping time while near so many outlet malls. While we were there, we also managed to find our way to Margaritaville!

The last day there, we took the dogs to the beach for the first time. We weren't sure what they'd think, but they had a good time! Both kind of pranced in the sand (they couldn't figure out why it slid away when they walked), and ran into the water a bit... until a wave came and they decided that was the end of the water.

A big thanks to Mom and Dad for our family vacation! We had a great time, and were so glad we could make it work.

back from a month of travel....

2009-07-22T16:18:00.000-07:00

so I've been absent.... but with good reason. I just got back yesterday, but look forward to lots of blog posts about the beach and the UK as soon as I unpack, do laundry and wade through the photos. ;)

why so far away, fall?

2009-07-06T17:18:00.000-07:00

So yesterday's "cold" snap left me yearning for more. (And let's be clear. "Cold" snap means high in the low 70s. But it was cool enough to have the windows open and attic fan on. HEAVEN, I tell you.)

I'm so ready for fall. It feels like just yesterday, I was "ready for summer." And just before that, I was "ready for spring." Somehow I'm never ready for winter. But I digress.

I'm totally craving open windows, all things pumpkin, crunching leaves, and long-sleeved shirts. Mmmm.

But it's only July...

Happy 4th of July!

2009-07-04T15:57:00.001-07:00

We're just back from a week in paradise, but here's a little message from B & Ro:

Happy 4th!

:)

Things I Adore...

2009-06-23T17:09:00.000-07:00

Up until two weeks ago, we had a programmable VCR.

Yes, seriously.

If you want to get picky about it, we still have a programmable VCR. We just don't use it any more.

Why, you may ask.

Well, it's because of three little letters:

D.

V.

R.

MMMMMM. Look at that beauty.

No longer do we have to plan our evenings around the often inconvenient TV schedule. Gone are the days of having to watch any recorded TV in the basement (b/c that's where the VCR is). We are done with "tapes."

love it.

Especially because now we can record all kinds of things we would normally miss.

Which brings me to part two of things I adore...
BEST.SHOW.EVER.

Seriously. What ever happened to Pop Up Video??
Thank goodness for VH1 Classic.

:)

Welcome.

2009-06-20T13:02:00.000-07:00

New laptop. New blog. New layout.

ahhhhh. :)

I blog mainly because it's a great way to keep track of our happenings, and it's so much fun to look back and say "remember that?" Even if no one else reads this, that's fine. To me, it's all about having a record of things... So, to anyone else, welcome, and enjoy our little corner of the internet. :)

... and I'm back!

2009-06-18T20:37:00.000-07:00

Remember all that b*tch*n' about my crap-tastic laptop?
And how slow it was?
And how annoying it was to use?
And how I've been stuck using the hub's computer and begging for time?

Well guess what.

That sh*t is over.

Because....

I GOT A NEW LAPTOP!!!!

It's not a super-amazing expensive model, but it's new, it's fast, and it's portable, and I don't have to stop my husband from being productive to use it.

What's up now blog?
;)

Things I Adore

2009-06-17T15:39:00.000-07:00

You missed these segments, didn't you.

(;) I'm sure no one even noticed they were missing.)

Today, I'm here to tell you about some serious fabulosity.
In fact, two pieces of fabulosity.

Here's the first:

(that would be the hubs)

and here is the second:
(not this exact one, but just go with it)

When you add these two things together, plus a determined wife and a ladder, you get SERIOUS TREE LIMB CARNAGE. Which made me the happiest person ever yesterday.

As a side note, if you are ever thinking about planting trees on your lot, and you already have 10-12 trees planted, even if they are small, and you think to yourself: "Man, I need some more shade! How nice would it be to have a few more trees out here?"

DO.NOT.DO.IT.

Thanks so someone(s) who thought that a good 5-40 years ago, I am in tree hell. I say "I" because the hubs doesn't mind them so much, but I would be happy if we took a massive chainsaw to all of them and had a 3-4 tree lot. But I digress...

THANK YOU BABE!!!!! You have a much happier wife who is impressed with your feats of masculinity and ability to wield a chainsaw.

Husband rating: A+ (I mean really, is that even a surprise?)
Chainsaw rating: A. It did it's work.
Tree rating: F. I hate those mo'fo's
Yard post-tree-trimming: Fantabulous.

3/6 years

2009-06-04T15:18:00.000-07:00

So, I'm sure I've said this before... but the anniversary of when we started dating and our wedding anniversary are 3 days apart. No, we didn't plan that. No, we don't really celebrate our dating anniversary, but it's always fun to note how many years it's been each year when we celebrate.
Anyway, here's some fun from memory lane...

tha' hubs.

moi.

us on the party bus post sweltering, dusty, muddy hike through Forest Park. hott I tell you. June is a great month to get married ;)

Jus, I dare say every year just gets better. And that's the sign of a good relationship. We've had a lot more bumps from the road of life recently, but you've been my rock through it all. I love you more and more each year. You, my dear, quite simply rock.

Hi... we're still alive.

2009-04-10T04:53:00.001-07:00

So... since February, huh? Didn't realize it had been that long... We're just not all that eventful I guess. Here's what's been going on:

Work.
School.
General adult responsibility.
Happy St. Pat's!
School.
Work.
Daylight savings time
Trip to AZ for work
Happy Birthday to Dad
Happy Birthday to me
Happy Birthday to Katy
Happy Birthday to Michelle
(all of that in one week, by the way)
Work
School/studying for finals/writing a million papers/general end of the semester stress

And that's our life.

There's also been a few fun crafty things worked in there, and some decor changes... but since I have also neglected to upload any of the pictures on our camera in MONTHS, those will have to wait too. :)

happy valentine's day

2009-02-14T10:07:00.001-08:00

six years ago, we were about to meet.

five years ago, we had our first valentine's day together, and I got more roses than I'd ever seen in one vase before.

four years ago today, you asked me to be your wife.

three years ago we were planning our wedding.

two years ago, we celebrated our first married valentine's day.

one year ago, it was our first valentine's day in our new home.

and today, we celebrate again.

i love you with all my heart, and even though i tell everyone else that it was a bit cheesy to get engaged on valentine's day, i wouldn't have it any other way. because it's you. and you're the one i want to spend forever with. and every year, we get to remember and celebrate the day we made our intent to do that "official."

love you,
me.

XLIII

2009-02-01T10:04:00.001-08:00

Hallelujah! It's FINALLY HERE!!!

Yes, that's right, today is the day!

It's the Superbowl!
Why, might you ask, am I so excited? Well, while it is a major sporting event, and gives me the opportunity to host a party, and has awesome ads (most of the time), none of those are the reason I'm excited for today.

I'll tell you the real reason, if you promise not to tell J...

Promise?

I'm excited because it means FOOTBALL IS OVER UNTIL AUGUST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YEAH!!!!
Now, if only the world cup was this week, and the semester was over too... then I'd have him all to myself for a bit...
:)

ugh. & Amazing.

2009-01-24T04:56:00.001-08:00

So I had full intention of blogging a fair amount this week, what with the historic events going down and all...
...and then I got sick. ugh.
Sunday night-yesterday was bad. I spent Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday in bed. That's right, I took sick days from work (plus I had Monday as a holiday, and it was wasted), which I never do.
yuck, yuck, yuck.
Bless my wonderful husband for going on white bread and apple juice runs for me.
I'm feeling somewhat better, but still not back to normal.

All that time in bed made for a few good things:

lots of snuggle time with the dogs
the opportunity to watch (or sleep through) all of the Harry Potter movies
the ability to watch coverage of our 44th president as he and his adorable family enter the White House

Tuesday I was feeling awful, but I made sure Harry and the Chamber of Secrets was over by the time they started showing the limos going to the inauguration ceremony. All I can say is amazing. What a wonderful day in our nation's history, and so appropriate that it was the day after MLK Jr. Day.

As I was watching the broadcast, one of the reporters said that they had not seen that many American flags since the day after 9*11. Just like election night in Chicago, I watched the crowd on TV, comprised of so many people, so different, but united in support and elation. Amazing.

I also think it was a blessing to be able to be at home for this one... The day after election day was rough, as those I work with didn't exactly vote to make us a blue state if you know what I mean. Everyone is entitled to their beliefs and opinion, but the amazing thrill of that day was tarnished for me by some hurtful comments. This time, it was pure joy. Oh, and throwing up. (Thanks to the flu, not politics.)

I've heard from others it's being "young and idealistic," but I DO believe that change is on the way. It's not going to be easy, but if we can unite as a nation with a common cause, and keep ourselves optimistic, it can happen.

And now, to try to catch up on all the things I was supposed to do this last week... :)

yes, I'm cheating.

2009-01-11T12:02:00.001-08:00

I have a busted laptop, and J is at hockey, so that's like 3 uninterrupted hours on the computer that works. I know I'm posting stuff from a month ago, but at least I'll get caught up, right?
:)

2008.

2009-01-01T11:04:00.001-08:00

I've seen this on a few blogs, and it's a great way to sum up a year.

So here we go:

January:

christmas clean-up.
bailey turns 3!
stress at work.

February:
superbowl with friends.

wallpaper fiasco; bathroom redecorated
v-day at home, 3 years since we got engaged!
more work stress.

March:
first beautiful spring day of the year!

and another snow just a couple of days later!
and for good measure, work stress.

April:

I turn officially old.
my amazing husband makes it better with a table runner that is pure happiness and chocolate cake. he's so good. :)
oh yeah, and work stress.

May:

K graduates!

promotion at work. getting paid more makes work a little bit better, but doesn't solve everything. decide to take a chance...

J is done with the semester after lots of hard work done. 1 yr down (or 21 years, depending on how you look at it), 3-4 (or a million, again, depending on how you look at it) to go.

take first vacation day of the year. totally needed. head to NOLA

rock out and celebrate E and J's wedding

on the same day as the wedding, celebrate 5 years together.

June:
married for 2 years. :) still love each other. :)

thank all that is holy, and a very very generous set of parents, that I get to go to PARIS!!
J stays home, but enjoys a baseball game and nachos with the boys.

ups, downs, lots of steps, crepes, art, laughs, shopping, memories in Paris
damn, I miss this.

while in Paris, get offered new job (at home, not in Paris). make decision via lots of emails and motherly advice. excellent choice.
start new job, thank lucky stars for June.

July:
add a new member to our family.
Bailey considers running away from home.

August:
even though she's trouble, she's freakin adorable
we still love you too, bud.
J goes back to school.
thrilled with new job.

September:

generous parents take us to Mizzou for some fun

get soaked, but have a great time. see new J school.
visit the site of our first CoMo "date," first time J has been back since it burned down and was rebuilt. ahhh memories.

October:
lake shopping trip.
travel for work.
J has a birthday.

he reminds us how old he is (and shows of a new gift). not 30!
btw, I'm an awesome wife. just look at that face. :)
go to Chicago for conference, see sibs, spend Halloween in Chi-town.

November:

yes we can!
travel to Chicago again, this time with ines.
mecca.
and they even have breakfast. and we know this b/c we went twice. in less than 24 hours.
turkey day in Cleveland. Grandpa turns 90!
Rosie eats a starfish.

December:

dogs love each other. fight like siblings, but snuggle too. relieved that we didn't ruin Bailey's life.
bake ~11 batches of cookies in the month of December. most on one Saturday alone. forget to take picture of massive baking mess.
get Rosie to wear a bow. lasts less than a minute.

see family and friends, home and across the country. feel lots of love.

market, layoffs, gas prices. it's all scary, even more so at the end of the year.
feel blessed to have each other, and a pretty great life.
here's to a great 2008, and an even better 2009.

fun in o-hi-yer

2008-12-29T10:40:00.001-08:00

of course you can't be in Cleve*land without a visit to the Q... to see the Lake Erie Monsters

And of course we need a bowling birthday:

which is never complete, btw, without white Russians, a la Big Lebowski

and of course, birthday boy Bill in drag. ;)

Then, we must celebrate New Years, and of course we celebrate on the 27th at 9:00 p.m.

But you can't just celebrate New Years, it needs to have a totally unrelated theme.
Like the Olympics.

(or "wearing stuff from your collegiate years." We're not picky.)

We dress up as athletes from assorted countries (Germany, France, and Germany again)

Sweden (please note our medals. it was a big year for Sweden)

Doesn't everyone make a fake ball drop at 9:00,

then run to the end of the street to see how many cars you can stop by pressing the crosswalk button?

And it's totally normal to cap off the night by posing for a family picture with the panda
(since the Olympics were in China)

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-25T10:37:00.001-08:00

fun with gingerbread

2008-12-20T10:17:00.001-08:00

it all started with a harmless request to make gingerbread houses...

constructing and icing...

girls working hard

A wasn't so thrilled with how hers came out, so she decided to go a little crazy...

Here's Ju's. Check out that slam dunk!

K and her house
Mine (sort of an odd angle)

eating our hard work

what a fun family we have! I have no idea why we were wearing hats, it just happened. ;)

feels like Christmas!

2008-12-19T10:06:00.001-08:00

it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

a new way of decorating cookies... I'm now obsessed with pastry bags and tips. Just the first step in my dream: becoming the next Duff.

I love my sister

2008-12-12T14:18:00.001-08:00

So this week has kind of sucked (I am THRILLED that it is FRIDAY!!!), and my sweet sister sent an email, procrastinating during finals, that immediately lifted my spirits! I've seen this before (and even did it last year), but it was never this funny before:

CHECK IT OUT

...something about seeing your parents and brother (for some reason M and I aren't so funny to me...) disco dance is HILARIOUS!!!

Thanks, sis. I needed that!

oh yeah, and...

2008-12-05T16:58:00.001-08:00

... I went to see Twilight with Miss Mary, K and Sarah and became mildly obsessed with the books-- I saw the movie opening weekend (Saturday), only going for some girl time, and by that following Wednesday, I was almost done with the third book. I've had to slow down a bit, but just finished the fourth book tonight. FAN. FREAKING. TASTIC.

I know they're for 12 year old girls, but 12 year old girls don't make books hit the top of the best-seller lists. They're awesome. Read them! But consider yourself warned-- if you start, you won't be able to stop!!!!!

:)

for my momma

2008-12-05T16:39:00.001-08:00

Hi.

Yep, I'm back. :) It's been a little busy lately. And I love blogging, but the crap-ass laptop I currently have makes it take a good hour and a half to post. And when I get to use J's desktop (technically it's "ours"), I have pressing things to accomplish before he steals it back. Something about "papers" and "grading papers" and "doing well in school," or something like that. The nerve. ;) (really, he offers it up all the time, but I don't want to keep him from that stuff.)

All 2 of you can thank my mother for saying at Thanksgiving: "Why don't you update your blog anymore? I keep going to read it and there's nothing. I really liked reading it!" Leave it to good old mom-guilt. ;)

So, here's the bullet rundown of our life since, oh, like September or so (save the one election post):

lots of school. J's doing great-- presented at a couple of conferences this fall, and we have REALLY REALLY exciting conferences to go to next year. THRILLED.
still loving my new(er) job. (It's been 6 months, so not so new anymore.) a little scared about the economy, but my company has never had layoffs before. let's pray now isn't when they decide to start. for now, all is very very well.
Rosie gets in trouble every 5 minutes, but we love her and couldn't imagine life without her. She recently got spayed and scared the crap out of all of us when she ate a starfish. She's doing okay now, though, so no harm no foul. That girl sure knows how to get into trouble, but she's equally good at being a sweet little lump of love. It's hard to stay mad at her for long.
Bailey is great, loving having a sister, still getting lots of love without her jumping in his face. He's such a sweetie.
I traveled all over in October and November: the lake to shop with mom + sis, Chicago for J's conference and spend time with the sibs, Chicago for an IKEA run! with the ine/ene/eens, to the west coast for work, to OH-IO for turkey day weekend (after actual turkey day with my family). That was a whole lot of running.
J turned 29. pictures will follow. he hates that I like to remind him he's in his 30th year. :)
tree is up, lights going up this weekend, planning an all-day shopping blitz to start/finish our shopping tomorrow.
Thrilled about all-day shopping tomorrow b/c after the lake + downtown Chicago shopping + IKEA... well. Any of you that know me can guess that was a bit much. So I've been shopping free for about a month. I'm ready to go all-out tomorrow, all for other people. :) SO FUN!!!

That's all I've got for now... I'll try to do a big picture post soon to catch up...
J

VOTE! (and randomness...)

2008-11-04T15:41:00.001-08:00

long time, no update. I know I owe like 16 posts... I'll get to it, I swear... :)

We voted today... did you? If not, get your butt out there!

I stood in line for 2 hrs this morning... and J went at 10:30 and it took 20 minutes. :P

My wonderful husband knows how much I love election day, so this is what was waiting for me when I got home:

good man, huh?

off to watch election coverage... GOOOOO OBAMA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

dog update:

2008-09-07T11:25:00.001-07:00

Yesterday Rosie and Bailey snuggled for the first time! And by snuggled, I of course mean that while Bailey was laying down, Rosie decided to rest her head on his hip, and they didn't fight. They actually stayed like that for a good 10 minutes. Progress, people! That's what I'm talking about!!

wild and crazy saturday

2008-09-07T10:46:00.001-07:00

In an effort to be more adventurous, J and I have started trying to go out at least once a weekend to a new restaurant that is local and somewhere fun in our city. Last night, we tried a local "gastropub" in... well... on a block that is going through some revitalization.

I didn't think to break out my camera while we were there, but here are some pics, pilfered from the internet:

The interior of the joint, and what you can't see are the big screens.

What I had for dinner, though mine looked a little more appetizing (less greasy) than this...

The menu is pretty simple, with only a few choices, but good. Not a "WOW" in our book, but the rockin' beer selection and fact that they had the Mizzou game (on pay-per-view) on were good enough for us! :)

Our plans only included dinner, but on the way, we took a slight detour to drive past the the EMHE house happening near us. Because the streets were packed, and there was no close parking, we gave up, but I'm looking for an update from you, Mo! :)

On the way back, we happened to pass a local brewery where there was an event going on. After dinner, we figured why not check it out! Surprizingly, it was a free event. We grabbed a couple of beers and perused the creations showcased in the parking lot. (Please note, yet again, craptastic cell phone camera...)

The event may be free, but the beer sure isn't!

J, enjoying his first sip of Oktoberfest

Artwork in my favorite tent

The artist worked in mixed medium, and had these funny little pieces. This one cracked me up.
It says: "Aunt Marla from Milwaukee always sent the best gifts."

After we finished our beers and saw what there was to see (including some amazing, but spendy, handmade jewelery), we decided to go inside and check out the Schl*fly Shop for fun.

We didn't plan on buying anything, but when J saw this t-shirt, he had to have it.
the front...
...and the back, complete with an "unofficial" cardinal, letting you know where Schl*fly products are sold
at Busch Stadium! :)

Since it's the end of the season, we also couldn't leave without a six pack of my favorite beer, the Raspberry Hefewiezen. MMMMMMM!
It's a summer brew, and reminds me of our wedding because it was on-tap when we had our awesome rehearsal dinner at the Tap Room (Schl*fly's other location downtown).

We hope to do things like this more often. What a great Saturday night!

okay, one more.

2008-09-02T16:24:00.001-07:00

Thanks to the wonderful Kelly, we do have a picture from Saturday night, and for all you puppy-crazies, they're in it too:

MIZZOU-RAH!!

3lbs, 14oz

2008-09-02T15:19:00.001-07:00

That's how big Rosie is now. Since the last time we were at the vet (three weeks ago) she's gained a pound! She's still tiny as can be, but we're glad to see her gaining some weight. I shouldn't be surprised, with the amount of food she eats, but she's so LITTLE! :) We may have another 6-pounder on our hands. ;)

cuteness.

2008-09-01T17:52:00.001-07:00

So I know why I write this blog. But I know why the three of you read this blog. And they're not the same reason.

It's not for the house pictures (or lack thereof). It's not because our lives are fascinating enough to keep you coming back for more.

It's the puppies. Admit it. They're the real draw.

So for all of you drooling for more puppy pictures, I now present Bailey and Rosie, A Sunday Evening. (Please note I did not mean to favor a certain dog, but one of them kept making a "for real, mom? Knock it off with the camera already and get my sister away from me" face...)

Under the Table and Chewing

I'll get you!

Don't forget me!! I'm cute too!!

That's right. You WILL rub my tummy. You can't resist my fat-tummied puppy charm!

I'm so damn adorable. Check out my ponytail.

A rare moment of kissing (not biting!) her brother. Bailey still doesn't love it.

(We have to hold them to get them to be this close together.)

So there you go. Your weekly dose of cuteness. Happy now? ;)

happy houseaversary.

2008-09-01T17:47:00.001-07:00

The original point of this blog was to share house pictures, which sadly I've gotten away from. I was looking back at old posts, and realized that there's so much more that we've done to the house since the last pictures that I really should do an update post... and I never posted the kitchen. I'll get to it I swear...

Now it's more about keeping track of what's going on with our lives. That's why I write it.

Anyway, we closed on our house a year ago last Saturday, and it's been a good year. No major problems (knock on wood!!!), we're happy and comfy and cozy and have room to spare. We love this little house, and we're very happy with our first home buying experience.

Happy houseaversary, little home. We love you and we hope you continue to love us in the years to come. :)

labor day

2008-09-01T17:36:00.001-07:00

Happy Labor Day (aka extra day off work) to all!

We had a great weekend! And even though there wasn't supposed to be much "labor," we worked hard to entertain, but had a great time doing it!

Friday night we went out with Mom, Dad, my sis and her boyfriend to a great pizza place because she was in from school. Saturday we cleaned and ran errands, and had some good friends (some of my sorority sisters and their husbands) over to watch the Mizzou game! We had a great time cheering the Tigers on to a victory! (Take that, Illinois!!) Sunday was a chill day for us; we went and did some shopping for J, and watched a few movies. It was great to have a break to relax. Today, we saw my fam again and had them over for a BBQ and puppy fest. :) Bailey loved seeing Riley, and Rosie loved all the attention.

Sadly, I forgot to bust out my camera at any of the events, so there are no pictures, but we do have a clean house and lots of leftovers to show for it. :)

Hope everyone else had a great Labor Day!!

gettin' sh*t done!

2008-08-24T18:40:00.001-07:00

J and I took the time to make a to-do list a couple of weeks ago because there was too much to do, and it wasn't getting done. The last couple of weekends have been dedicated to crossing things off that list, and it feels GOOD! Here's some of what we've done:

weed the front garden
remove caulk in back shower; re-caulk both bathrooms
severely trim the rosebushes and tree out front
clean out the closets in the whole house
pull together our large donations pile
haircuts and baths for both pups
cleaning/organizing/getting rid of junk in the guest room (mostly my stuff that's been with us through too many moves)-- that room looks SO much better!!
preparing for J's first week of school/the class I'm teaching this week
organizing our mail system
taking care of our paper problem in this house (lots of shredding, filing, and recycling going on around here)

There's a lot more to go, but it feels SO good to be so productive. Our goal is to get at least one item checked off our ongoing to-do list each night after work/school, and at least one major item done each weekend. We've got plenty to keep us busy for a while... we'll see how we do with that goal :)

flashback!

2008-08-19T17:43:00.001-07:00

a little something funny for a Tuesday...

me, circa 1960 (when I was -22)

...and again in 1966.

wanna see what you would have looked like?
check it out

Well, I guess we're stuck.

2008-08-17T09:36:00.001-07:00

Yesterday we took a very big step in our relationship.

It only took: two visits to the DMV (during the first one all of the computers for all of the DMVs in our STATE were down), $28, the correct form of proof of address, and 3 years, 8 months, and approximately 19 days of living together.

For the first time, we now have the same address (that we actually live at) on our licenses.

HA!

Great way to celebrate the approaching first anniversary of home ownership, huh? We're really on the ball with this sort of stuff. We've both had our parents' addresses on our licenses for... well pretty much forever, and with all the moving around we did, it just didn't seem worth it to change them. But now that we actually live somewhere that we'll be for more than two years, and that we own (! still giddy about that, even a year later) we figured it was about time.

Nothing says commitment like a shared address in the eyes of the DOR. :)

why the horded posts?

2008-08-13T16:32:00.001-07:00

Because my laptop sucks, that's why.

I keep thinking about the things I want to blog, but just to get rolling on these posts, it took FORTY-FIVE MINUTES (!!!) to get my laptop up and running and blogger open. I'm tempting fate right now, because I've been at it for an hour and a half (since I turned on the computer) and my computer hasn't frozen yet. (QUICK! knock on wood fast!!)

I could use J's desktop, but he's getting ready for fall classes and has syllabi to write, so I don't want to interrupt that flow.

So, for now you'll have to deal with all the posts that I've thought of for the last week and a half showing up all at once... and lots of time in-between. Google could also help my problem if they'd let me be logged in to my normal account AND my blogger account at the same time. It makes me crazy that I have to sign out and back in (because that usually takes me 15 minutes plus two computer freezes and restarts) in order to post or comment on other blogs. Bleh.

I would really like one of these pretty things:

but unless I win the lottery, it's not happening any time soon. And, it also doesn't help that also on my wish list are:

(not necessarily that exact one, but I need a sewing machine)

and

Not. gonna. happen.

a girl can dream though, right??

Things I adore...

2008-08-13T16:22:00.001-07:00

I love to shop. And more than I love to shop, I love a good bargain.

That's why I'm a big fan of this awesome service that I was introduced to a week ago:

Shop it to me, baby!

I got the invite from a friend, and figured I would try it out. You go through and set your preferences (what brands/stores you like, what sizes you're looking for, what's the max you're willing to spend on something) and then decide how often you want to get the email update. I've been getting mine twice weekly, and though I have yet to buy anything, it's a nice way to get an update about your favorite stores when things are on sale!
So awesome. :) Totally worth checking out.

Form: sure, looks nice. A
Function: well, since I don't have to do anything, A+
Overall: A. It features mostly "pricer" brands, but they're all on sale, and I set my price limit at $200 so that I don't get lots of emails about $2000 purses. Still though, having the sales come to me is pretty sweet!

puppy update

2008-08-13T16:03:00.001-07:00

A quick dog update:

Both dogs are doing better. Still not best buddies, but they play with each other now, and Bailey will intentionally jump down from the couch (his "safe place" since she can't jump up) to go play with her.

We saw Bentley (my brother and his girlfriend's dog and Rosie's brother from the same litter) last week, and he's getting so big! When we picked them up, you couldn't tell them apart-- they looked like twins. Now with Rosie's haircut and Bentley's growth spurt, they look so different!

According to the vet's office, Rosie is now just under a hefty 3 pounds! She still eats like crazy, but runs around so much, we're not surprised she's burning a lot of it off. :) We asked the vet about her weight, and she said it's a healthy gain, but she's so little, I do worry that she's eating enough.

Didn't get a chance to get a picture of both babies together, but here's Rosie, lounging with me on the couch:

At the request of my mother in law, here's Rosie with the remote control to show "scale." (We brought Bailey and Rosie over to their house on Sunday, and they were surprised how little she was!)
We have a big remote, btw.

I'll try to get pictures of them together soon.
:)

Christmas in ... AUGUST??!!?

2008-08-13T15:44:00.001-07:00

So, I'm all about Christmas in July as I mentioned a few weeks ago. It's fun to listen to Christmas music, and even put up a tree for a day or two, all because the point is that it's funny because it's SIX MONTHS till Christmas.

Apparently Garden Ridge didn't get the memo.

I was there picking up something on Sunday, and here's what I walked in to:

(crap-tastic cell phone pictures, of course)

I walked in the door, in my shorts and tank top, sweating from the heat, and STRAIGHT into winter-wonderland, complete with blow-up lawn snow globes featuring characters from Winnie the Pooh. Woah. Talk about an assault to the senses.

I had a conversation with J last week about how I was excited for fall and to put up our fall/Halloween decor, and we debated whether the beginning of September was too soon. We concluded that it was pushing it a bit, but acceptable. I fully expected to see the fall and Halloween displays up at Garden Ridge. Not only did they also have Christmas on display, it was front and center, and the Halloween stuff was buried off to the side.

I'm all about extending the Christmas season, but this is CRAZY!!

meet Rosie.

2008-08-02T03:32:00.001-07:00

Rosie Marie
current weight: 2 lbs, 10 oz
favorite pastimes: bugging her brother, pouncing, eating, chewing, snuggling

Wow. Well, it's been quite the week, to say the least. I think we were fairly prepared for another little dog in our home, but it's still come with some adjustment. (As a side note: Anyone who has been bugging us about babies can just CHILL OUT because this has been a good reminder that we are NOT ready to selflessly give up our lives and our money for a kid just yet.)

My biggest fear was realized when she came home... Bailey thought she was fun for a while, until he realized that she wasn't going to stop pouncing on him trying to play. Bailey has been a sweetheart to her, never anything mean, but spent the first few days trying to avoid her as much as he could. I'm pretty sure he was thinking: "What in the heck is this thing, and please tell me it's not staying here. Simmer down whippersnapper!" That's kind of funny because HE was once the little puppy, and I know Riley (my parents' dog) felt that way about him. Ah, how the tables turn.
This was way closer than Bailey wanted to be for a few days...

So I spent quite a while worrying that we made the wrong choice. But a few days, a visit to the vet (Rosie's first check-up), and a lot of googling later, they started to warm up to each other, and I started to learn that it's normal for it to be like this for a couple of weeks whenever a new dog is introduced. We are making sure that they get plenty of seperate time with us, and Bailey gets tons and tons of love and praise when he's sweet to his sister. Every day, it's getting better, and I'm hopeful that someday they'll be buddies.

Rosie is... well... I think the best word for it is a spitfire. :) When we brought Bailey home, he was shy and didn't move around much and took a week or two to really "blossom" into his true personality. This little one showed up ready to party.
Rosie already telling us what's up.

Rosie will sprint around the house and is a ball of energy. That said, she does calm down and snuggle up in a sweet little lump:

She (as Evan put it) "runs on the same batteries" as Bailey- one minute super-active (though at 3 1/2 he's calmed down quite a bit!), then next, asleep. Rosie also LOVES to eat. It was hard to get Bailey to eat at first (small dogs are prone to hyperglycemia and it's important that they eat fairly often as puppies), but Rosie dove right in and has been chowing down ever since. We've been calling her Miss Piggy and Little Fatty. :)

Rosie has been great at crate and potty training so far-- she only cried her first night, and ever since she's been sleeping through in the crate with only a small whimper here or there. She hasn't quite mastered going potty outdoors yet (the grass was tall last week, but J cut it short and we think that will help), but she's a pro at the potty pads we put in the kitchen with her, so it's all good. She's quite content to spend a nice chunk of her day like her big brother, curled up in her bed in the study, but she always needs some toys to chew on.
We've been taking both dogs on a walk every night to help with their bonding (working well!) and wear them down before bedtime each night, and were surprised when Rosie DID THE WHOLE WALK on her first try! Granted, it wasn't a long walk, but getting Bailey to do a cul-de-sac in the beginning was hard. Most of the time she doesn't really run/walk, she hops and pounces, and frankly looks like a little frog. :)

We're very happy (albeit adjusting) as a new little family, and I think I'm going to like this feisty little girl... :)

Rosie's "baby" picture

For comparison, Bailey's baby picture:

Aw! He was so little!!

PS- Rosie got a haircut last night, and looks different now. :) I'll try to take some pictures and post soon! (but don't hold your breath...)

um, I lied.

2008-08-02T03:23:00.001-07:00

So, I promised a post, and asked my (three) readers to "stay tuned" ...and then I didn't post. Wonder if anyone actually "stayed tuned." :)

Not that this makes it better, but I still have yet to email, text, facebook, myspace, upload or in any way distribute (other than showing other people the pictures on my cell phone) any Rosie pics. We've been busy. What's that they say about second time parents? ;)
So I hope the next post will suffice.

Merry Christmas (in July)!

2008-07-25T14:19:00.001-07:00

Happy exactly-six-months-till-Christmas! :)
I've never celebrated Christmas in July, but was inspired by my good friend Maureen's celebration. This year (since I didn't plan ahead), my celebration includes listening to Christmas music on a local radio station. I think next year we'll celebrate full-tilt. Maybe it'll catch on and we'll all get the day of work. No? Well, a girl can dream, right?

Big news tomorrow... stay tuned!

Things I Adore...

2008-07-17T16:08:00.001-07:00

This thing I adore is not so much the thing itself, but the idea of the thing...

Being a busy working professional (not that I really think of myself as that, but I guess I am...) I go to a lot of meetings. And my specific job keeps me busy and away from a computer a decent amount of the time. Also, my workplace has banned pretty much any internet site that has anything to do with personal email, fun, or finding joy in life.

Because of these reasons, and many more, I bit the bullet and decided I needed this:

Now, I chose this specific phone (Motor*la Q9c), but I'm not all about this specific phone. I'm all about the idea of the phone.

I'll give you that it's totally not necessary, and not the most practical use of my disposable income, but here's what I love about it:

I can check my work email any time I want (this one is a recipe for becoming a work-a-holic, but so far I'm good at not looking too much during "home time")
I can check and respond to my personal email from work
If I choose to leave work early or come in late (thank goodness for flexible hours!), I can see if anyone needs me for anything, and answer their email fast, even if I am in the middle of Target
I can check email from meetings when I get bored
I have internet. EVERYWHERE. :)
I can google to see who's right when J and I have a heated discussion (friendly of course) about whether the guy in "P.S. I L*ve You" is the same guy from Gre*y's Anatomy
I can check sports scores for my husband when he's been gracious enough to leave the house to do something other than watch sports
If I get lost, I can always find directions
I can check the radar to see whether I'm driving into a tornado (a fear of mine)
It beats the heck out of my crap-tastic laptop

Let me explain that last one...

My laptop is crap. It's slow, it crashes, I hate it. (We have two computers, and J's is brand new, but he's always using it for school, and it's a PC, so I don't really use it often.) It's so bad that I've taken to using my phone to check my email and search the internet rather than getting on my laptop. In fact, when I was stuck in the bed with the stomach flu on Monday, I didn't want to bother dealing with my laptop, so I just checked everything from my phone. :) Without this phone, my husband would have to share his beloved computer. (Don't get me wrong- he's very willing to share and isn't stopping me, but that would displace his studying, and let's face it folks: I'm a fan of good grades and getting done with that PhD!)

Which brings me to my very favorite thing about it:
Google Reader ON my PHONE!

That's right folks, two things I adore in one. Woohoo!

Form: Well, I'm not rating my phone itself (which is fine, but not amazing), so A+ for mobile internet technology
Function: Yup. works just fine. Except that there are a lot of websites that aren't formatted for mobile, so there's some room for improvement. B+

a new addition

2008-07-10T18:25:00.001-07:00

So J and I have been talking about taking the next step for years now.

First it was just the two of us. We knew from the start that we would spend our lives together. I remember J leaving from coming to visit me at school for the second time, and telling my roommates that I was pretty sure I could marry this guy.

Years of commuting later, we made it happen so that we were in the same city, and made it official by getting engaged.

We felt like there was something missing, and decided to add to our family.

Our little family of three has been very fulfilling-- Bailey brings joy to our days, and warms my heart. I can't imagine life without him-- I sometimes call him my "little heart" (I know that's totally cheesy, but I mean it) because he's been like a child to me.

See, look at him:

extreme close-up... WOAH!

okay, really really bad pic of me, but how cute is it that he likes to sit like this?

and he even lets me dress him up for our Christmas cards and cover him in lights.
What a good little dog!

Bailey has been everything we've hoped for and more, but we knew there would come a time when we would feel ready for the next step, so I'm proud to announce that we are...

...

...

...

Getting another dog!! :)
(what? You didn't think we were-- NO!)

Bailey is always anxious to play, and J and I can only stand chasing him around the house so many hundred times per day. Every time we are around another dog, Bailey gets so excited and doesn't want to stop playing. We felt like this was the best time to add another puppy to our home, and SHE is coming home in late July. I keep going back and forth between excitement and worry... We are really doing this for Bailey-- so we want this new puppy to be his playmate and friend; not something that makes his life more miserable. We are working with the same bre*der that we got Bailey from, and have told her all about Bailey's personality, looking for a good match. I'm sure it will all be fine, but I'll feel better when they're happily playing and not trying to take each other out. :)

ch-ch-ch-changes

2008-07-10T18:04:00.001-07:00

and I'm not talking about David Bowie.

J has had some time off recently with a break between the end of his spring semester and the start of his summer session. If I were him and had a break from the massive amounts of reading and writing, I would spend my time: baking, shopping, napping, catching up on daytime tv, decorating, scrapbooking, practicing photography, having lunch with friends, playing with Bailey... pretty much anything other than what he's been up to:
Reading and writing.
The man gets a break from the usual, and guess what he does: he keeps on working. Figures, doesn't it? :) At least we know he's found something that he loves. He's managed to keep himself very busy with two reading groups (but they drink beer at a pub while discussing literature, so that's not really work, right?) and dissertation reading. This week he started an intensive language class, so he's buried in the books even more. I miss my husband who had time to hang out rather than study, but so it goes.

I guess that's not so much "changing" is it? Okay, well by "ch-ch-ch-changes" I guess I was more talking about me...

I started my new job last week. While there are so many wonderful things about my new job, and I was REALLY ready to start something new, I'm having some mixed emotions... Pros: more flexible time, less (or NO) 50-55 hour weeks, no tracking, smaller team, working with a new level of trainees, new material, getting away from drama and politics, better work-life balance. Cons: learning curve, different drama but still drama (not me, but around me), missing my friends in my old department, time not as flexible as I thought it would be, but not bad, traveling.
I think when I've got a couple of months under my belt, I'll be loving it, but at the moment, it's kind of like riding a roller-coaster. Overall, a good choice, but I think in the excitement, I forgot to remind myself that with change (yeah!) comes... well, comes change (hmmm) and change isn't always easy.

Bailey's got some change coming too, but that's a whole other post...

running a bit behind...

2008-07-10T17:46:00.001-07:00

I kept meaning to post for the 4th of July... and it didn't happen. :) Better late than never, right?

We had a great long weekend. I had a half day on Thursday, so J and I went shopping and out to dinner. Friday was wonderful-- we got up early and caught up on some yardwork (and I ended up on the roof :)). We worked very very hard, and made a small dent in the long list of things that need to be done, as evidenced by my husband's "dirt leggings" in the cell phone picture below. (You're a good man, honey!)
After thorough showers and a nap, we went to my parents' house for BBQ, washers, puppy playtime and fireworks at the local mall parking lot :) An odd place to watch fireworks, I know, (especially for what is known as a more upscale suburb) but a lot easier than trying to go downtown. It was nice to be able to relax in camp chairs with the cooler and just enjoy... (again, crap-tastic cell phone picture)

Saturday we ran errands and did more work around the house, and Sunday... well, we can't remember what we did Sunday, which means that 1) I need to blog sooner and 2)it must not have been too memorable. :) It was SO nice to get so much done, and also have time to relax for once!! Hope everyone else had a great 4th!

hi-larious

2008-07-02T15:37:00.001-07:00

just saw this on another blog and it made me laugh...

a modern twist on a childhood memory:

:)

in the last 9 days I...

2008-06-22T12:47:00.001-07:00

ate 2 nutella crepes
spent 9 hours waiting for a plane in Cleveland
saw Paris from at least 4 tall monuments
...and hiked up over 2000 stairs (probably more than that) to do so
bought more gifts for J than things for myself
met my annual quota for museum visits (for the next 3 years)
saw the Eiffel Tower sparkle, once in the park, many times from our apartment window
ran all over the city of Paris
typed on a French keyboard (had a hard time finding the ' and ?)
got offered and accepted a new job
learned to navigate the Metro like a pro
got to actually use my French. With people who actually speak French. For real.
had an amazing vacation with my mom and sister!

THANKS MOM AND DAD!!!!!!!!!!! :)

Four more days...

2008-06-09T17:39:00.000-07:00

...and I'll be here:

I don't know how on earth I'm going to make it through the next three days of work.
Or how I'm going to make it without J and Bailey for a week. :)

Congrats E and J!

2008-06-09T16:31:00.000-07:00

Two weekends ago (yeah, I know... kinda late...) E and J tied the knot in New Orleans. That meant that not only did we get to be a part of the wonderful event, but that we also got to take a quick mini-vaca to NOLA, where neither of us had been before!

This is the only picture I got with both of them in it. What can I say... our camera is the equivalent of the Zach Morris cell phone... it's old and big and I hate using it. I'm relying on the facebook use of our cousins to get some good pics.
I did however manage to get a good picture of their cake...

The upside of the aforementioned huge-ass slow camera is that the screen on the back flips out, which makes for easy self-portraits. the girls

"...livin' on a prayer!"
Being in New Orleans also means good times...

Like eating in a restaurant that has a vault...
and of course Bourbon Street. :)

We even got to see Esteban again! (A's boyfriend; on the left)
Mom and Dad even came out to play!
This doesn't even begin to touch the fun of the weekend. I managed to miss: pictures of the bride and groom, the French Quarter, palm reading at 1:00 am, and drunken Bourbon Street, part deux. It was exactly what we needed! :) Now if only J was coming on my next adventure...

2 years, 17 hours ago...

2008-06-04T05:21:00.000-07:00

...you became my husband. You're my teammate, my partner, the half that makes me whole, my best friend, the love of my life. Happy anniversary, (a day late) Jus. Here's to many, many more! :)

lookie what I did! :)

2008-05-28T18:56:00.001-07:00

(Three posts in one day, and I'm up past 8:00. What is up with this craziness?? :D)

So, I like myself a good bit of crafty goodness. I bake every chance I get. I own two glue guns, and there's a reason why. Thus, it's probably no surprise that I do stuff like this:

That's right. It's a cake. Made entirely of diapers. No- let me stop you right there- they're not for me. :) It's a cake made entirely of diapers that the expectant mother (a friend at work) we're showering registered for. And no, you don't eat it. (Done in pink and chocolate brown-- the colors of the baby girl's new nursery)
Each diaper is rolled up and stacked together to form the cake. This entire thing is held together with rubber bands, string and wooden dowels. So all of the diapers from the cake are totally usable, not ruined by glue or pins.
Not the most amazing crafty thing ever done, but after you spend a good two hours rolling diapers, you want to show off your handiwork. (But not your hands. My hands hurt after all the diapers and rubber bands.)

I do have to point out that this wasn't my first rodeo. Here is the first diaper cake I made, over a year ago (I think) for my cousin's shower that we hosted:
I think that one might be a little better-formed, but I like the cleanliness of the most recent one. I still think it needs something more... maybe a couple more flowers on the other layers?? Lots of these cakes that you buy come with all kinds of junk hanging off the sides, but that's a bit much for me... but maybe little socks or mittens? Hmmm...
Anyway, if you're ever in need of a cake made of diapers, you know who to call. ;)

All about Kate

2008-05-28T16:45:00.001-07:00

Katy has had to do a lot of sharing lately. High School graduation is a BIG deal, and we were thrilled to be able to be there to see the amazing miss K do her thing. One of the best parts of graduating from High School is being in the spotlight. Graduation parties, celebrating with family, getting to be the "big deal" for the whole late spring/early summer. With other events in the family right now taking the majority of the spotlight, Kate has been AWESOME and gracious at sharing. But, I think she deserves something just for her, even if it is this measly blog post. :)

Kate in her big moment, crossing the stage

With the proud parents

Katy, you're an amazing, wonderful, talented young woman, and we are SO proud of you and your accomplishments!! A big congratulations, and we'll miss you in the fall!

Bad blogger...

2008-05-28T16:33:00.001-07:00

Do you think it means something that the majority of my blog posts have to do with being busy, and never blogging?
Yeah, I didn't either. ;)

Last weekend was full of fun-- we had a great time and got to do a TON. Friday we had Mike, Kelly, Tim and Becca over for BBQ and drinks. It was great to see them all, and J did a great job with the BBQ- everything was perfect!
Saturday, we went to Katy's graduation, and that's going to get its own post...
Sunday we shopped/cleaned/worked on stuff we've been putting off for quite a while...
Monday we BBQed again at my parents' house and got to hang out with the whole fam. It's nice to have my sister home from school, and to get to see everyone.

Hope everyone had a great Memorial Day!

Long time, no blog...

2008-05-11T18:13:00.001-07:00

It's been a little busy around here lately, so here are the quick highlights from the last few weeks:

Happy 1st birthday to two of our favorite one year olds:
Collin and Madeline! We had a ton of fun at Maddy's birthday party-- check out the pics on Maureen's blog.

I got promoted. Now, I'm a "level 2," which means... well... it means that I do more of what I already do with just a little more pay. Not all it's cracked up to be, but progress none the less.

J is in the midst of finals. (Yes, he still takes classes. :))
Two big papers down, one paper and a final to go tomorrow. GOOOOO J! He's looking forward to a nice summer break, and I'm looking forward to having my husband back. :)

This weekend for Mother's day, we did lots of fun family stuff:
We went bike riding and to the winery with my family on Saturday, and
spent Sunday with J's family decorating his dad's office and out for some great pizza.

For our Mommas on Mother's Day:

For Miss Mary: (they always joke about who the favorite child is)
For my Mom: ('cause we're too much alike, and have been known to drive each other crazy)
We love you Moms! Happy Mother's Day!

this pretty much sums it all up...

2008-04-23T15:45:00.001-07:00

"For a long time it seemed to me that life was about to begin-- real life. But there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be gotten through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, a debt to be paid. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life. This perspective has helped me to see that there is no way to happiness. Happiness is the way. So treasure every moment you have and remember that time waits for no one. Happiness is a journey, not a destination..." -Souza

EaRtHqUaKe! !! ! !!

2008-04-18T03:29:00.001-07:00

Whew! I woke up at about 4:30 this morning (which isn't that unusual for me...) shaking... I couldn't figure out if it was just an adrenaline-charged awakening from a dream, but things were rattling, Bailey woke up, and several of the dogs outside were barking. I stayed in bed for a bit, convinced that it was a dream, and then finally got up for some validation. Low and behold, we felt the shocks from an earthquake near the I*llinois/Indi*ana border! So far, everything here is fine-- not even a picture off a wall! Hope it was fairly minor for everyone else! :)

How fast are you?

2008-04-17T15:22:00.001-07:00

During a stressful week, this makes for some fun... try it and see how you do! And, BTW, I didn't cheat-- that was my first try. :)

54 words

Speedtest

Things I adore...

2008-04-15T16:39:00.001-07:00

Okay, Mo, I'm giving you a shout out right back ... :)

I've become an avid blog reader. Something about reading about others lives is really interesting to me. And, after some of the worlds longest days at work talking and answering questions, all I want to do is relax and NOT talk. :) A good sit on the couch, watching the news, and reading my blogs is sometimes exactly what I need.

My addiction began by clicking the little "Next Blog >>" link at the top of the page. (See, it's up there... try it out sometime) What I found is another story for another day, but needless to say, the web of links from one blog to another has left me with a nice little "blogroll" that I check each week. When I would finally find the time to sit down and check them all, I would click on each link, wait for the page to load, and see if there was an update. Sometimes that took forever because people have these massive templates or a million slideshows, etc. and wait for 5 minutes while it loaded, only to find no new post.

I was talking about this with my friend Maureen, who introduced me to this lovely tool:

Google Reader

Anyone with a G*mail account/G*ogle ID/whatever they call it can create one-- if you look at the top of your G*mail page, you'll see a normal blue link to it. All you have to do is go in, load your links, and with one little click each day, it pulls the RSS feeds for you and you can view the updates in the viewing pane on the right. How freakin cool is that? It makes my blog reading much more enjoyable and keeps my old as heck computer from freezing up. LOVE IT.

The only thing I'm still trying to figure out is that for some of the blogs I follow, it only pulls up a piece of the text, and there's no way (that I can figure out) to see it all without having to open the blog in a new window... If anyone has that figured out, let me know. :) Still, very very worthwhile.

Function: A- (when I learn how to see the whole post, it gets an A+)
Form: whatever... it's simple like all Google stuff, and I like that. Too many of these things are way too flashy... A
Price: uh, it's free, which totally gives it an A+

You say it's your birthday... it's my birthday too, yeah!

2008-04-10T17:06:00.001-07:00

Happy happy birthday (within the last week) to J's dad, K, and M! We got to celebrate with the first two (kind of) last weekend, and will celebrate with my not-so-little-anymore sis this weekend. (M is 20 and K is 18!!! Who can believe it??!?!?!!)

Also, my birthday falls in the middle of the amazing family birthday week, so I got to celebrate with them! I had a great birthday weekend, sandwiched in between very very busy weeks at work, but the weekend was a relaxing break with WONDERFUL weather! And, I am sad to report that I'm officially in my late 20s now. Wow. My amazing husband made it a lot more fun with a cake, flowers, and gifts, including a new treadmill. :) Thanks to everyone for the gifts, cards, emails, and facebook messages! :)

Things I adore...

2008-03-29T15:56:00.001-07:00

One of my favorite things to do at the end of a long day or on a weekend morning is relax on the couch. I often prefer to take this time to catch up on my email with my laptop or read the paper. Add to this that I am often freezing (thanks to my husband, with whom I engage in thermostat wars...), and you have a complicated situation.

It's so nice to be all warm and toasty, tucked in with a warm blanket, but if I want to use my laptop too, I have to sacrifice a limb or two to the cold. Logistically, it's near impossible to find a way to stay totally covered and use the laptop at the same time. I've tried multiple blankets, tucking the laptop in with me under the covers, and even using a blanket-covered hand to type and click. All of which result in funny looks from J, and my frustration.

Enter:

The SlanketThe best little (big) blanket known to mankind. It's a large fleece blanket, plenty to cover you head to toe with tons to spare. And the best part: it has sleeves sewn in. :)

It's certainly a function over form kind of item; it's not the kind of blanket that's meant to display on the arm of your couch. However, it is warm and toasty and comes in a variety of colors. I was lucky enough to get this amazing invention from my in-laws for Christmas (with a little help from J), and though I had to settle for my 5th color choice (brown), I don't even care because this thing is the perfect solution to my arm-freezing problem.

Function: A+
Form: B-
Price: B- (worth it, but you could make one yourself for cheaper...)
Customer Service: D+ (we tried to exchange for another color after Christmas and they were not so great to work with... I ended up keeping the original one I got because it was not worth the hassle.)

Happy (belated) St. Pats!

2008-03-19T15:04:00.000-07:00

Though I had to work on St. Patrick's Day, which meant missing the parade (what's up with that by the way? I agree with Guinness, who is petitioning to make St. Pat's an official holiday. But I digress...), we did get to celebrate a bit over the weekend, complete with a trip to Seamus' and another to LLywelyn's. (Which I spelled correctly on the first try!) Both were complete with very drunk parade-goers. Woohoo! On Saturday, we also got to see Nic and Nicole, which was a lot of fun.

J is on spring break this week, but is still working hard on school work/papers/our infinite to-do list around the house, and I have Friday off!! (Good Friday is a recognized holiday by the NYSE! Woo-Hoo!) Hope all of our Irish relatives had a great St. Patty's too! :)

Riiiight...

2008-03-04T14:00:00.000-08:00

Well, the spring weather was awesome, but now it looks like this outside:
Close to a foot of snow. And it's still coming down. Yikes.

Fresh air.

2008-03-02T15:49:00.000-08:00

So, as previously mentioned below, I've been sick for over a week now. I decided last night that I was sick and tired of being, well, sick and tired.

We woke up this morning to BEAUTIFUL weather-- in the 70s and sunny! We promptly opened all the windows and turned on the attic fan. It's about time we get the yuck out of this house.

The view from our back window.
I live for spring weather!!!! Too bad it's supposed to snow again this week...

So today, we:

vacuumed and then swiffered everything, and even moved all the furniture to make sure we got everything
deep cleaned the kitchen
took down the Valentine's decorations (I know, a few weeks late) and put up our Easter/St. Pat's stuff (We decided since they're less than a week apart this year, we'd combine them . It's kind of funny to see Shamrocks and Easter eggs in close proximity...)
re-organized the basement storage area
let Bailey get a nice long romp in the yard (it's been too cold for that for months!), then gave him a bath and a haircut
played hockey (that one was just J)

We also changed some of our decor... For our wedding two years ago, we made copies of pictures from our parents' and grandparents' weddings, and had them on display during our wedding reception. They've been boxed up since then, and while re-arranging the basement, I decided they didn't belong in a box. Here's how they look now, proudly displayed in our hallway:

(Clockwise from Top L: My maternal Great-Grandparents, J's parents, my maternal Grandma, my paternal Grandparents, J's maternal Grandparents, my parents, my maternal Grandparents, J's paternal Grandparents)

I think at some point I'll get black and white copies made of the color photos so that they all go together a bit more... not that I don't love the amazing 70s color in our parents wedding pictures... :)

Hope you all got to enjoy the beautiful day as well!! :)

Ughhhh...

2008-02-29T14:03:00.001-08:00

Fluish yuckiness: 1 Me:0

It's been a week and it doesn't seem to feel like leaving yet. Yuck.

Happy Valentine's Day

2008-02-14T16:25:00.001-08:00

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo
love,
j&j&b

Feast or famine...

2008-02-10T04:25:00.001-08:00

Well, it's sometimes a long time between posts, but when I post, I post a lot! :) Today it's three posts to catch up from all the stuff we had going on last weekend (including bathroom pics... see below).

This weekend has been about catching up on to-dos. I spent yesterday cleaning and organizing closets, we ran errands, did taxes (yuck!!), and took J's poor computer in to see if there is any way to fix it. (It's 4 years old, so its days are numbered, but we hold out some hope... Cross your fingers for us!) Today is more errands, hockey, and putting the top protective coat on the walls in the bathroom (see two posts down for pictures) to protect it from water.

While we were at Home Depot yesterday, I was stunned by the orchids they had! Normally they have some that look okay, but they had just gotten a new shipment in and they were all stunning. Even though I/we have successfully killed every plant we've owned in a very short period of time (except the bamboo, Colene-- that's still alive!), we thought for $10 we'd give the orchid a shot in hopes of breaking our streak. Here's the one we picked out:

Any orchid-rearing advice is VERY welcome! We need all the help we can get. :)

The frog prince and Superbowl!

2008-02-10T03:48:00.001-08:00

Last weekend was a busy one for us! I spent Saturday with two of my most favorite people, Colene and Maureen. We had a great time at lunch and then spent a few hours shopping. It was great to see you girls! :) Colene and I picked Maureen up, which gave us the opportunity to see Miss Madeline, and for me to give her a little something I got back in November (yikes! We have to make sure it's not that long before we see each other again!) Click here to see Maddy and the frog that led Mom, M and me on a bit of a chase through Ikea. :) He was well worth the hunt!

Friday night, Saturday morning, and spare moments between these two events were spent working on our little project... (see post below)

On Sunday, we had Paul, Brian, and Tara over for the Superbowl. It was great to see Paul (it's been way too long since he was in town last!) and was the first time we got to meet Tara. We all had a great time, complete with a Giants win! (Not that it really mattered to most of us, but I asked J when the game started who we were rooting for, and he informed me that we were rooting AGAINST the Patriots. Guess he's still holding a grudge from XXXVI. :) And yes, I had to look that up...)

What's a Superbowl party without themed dessert covered in football and helmet shaped sprinkles?
Paul and Bailey hanging out before the game

Unfortunately, when the game began we forgot about the camera, so I don't have any pictures of Brian, Tara, or the rest of the food. :) So much fun guys! Can't wait to have Paul back in town again, and maybe next time McKenna can meet Bailey! :)

Hall Bathroom

2008-02-10T03:18:00.001-08:00

As we approached last weekend, I wasn't sure if we'd have time (or energy, for that matter) to finish the bathroom project. But, at the last minute, the Martha Stewart in me came out, and I decided I was not hosting a party with an awful-looking bathroom. And any one who knows me knows that once I decide something is happening, there isn't really much that can stop me. :) Fortunately for J, I did not impose my craziness on him, and though he was a very dedicated wallpaper stripper, he provided the moral support while I finished off the project. Everything was done and up before anyone got here on Sunday.

Bathroom before:
The hall bathroom had recently been renovated (new vanity, fixtures, toilet, tile) in nice neutrals, but the butterfly/dragonfly wallpaper had to go.

Bathroom picture taken at our inspection

Sadly I didn't get any real "bathroom during" pictures... the walls were a little depressing after the wallpaper removal. Rather than a weekend of mudding, sanding, and vacuuming dust, we decided to go with a Venetian plaster technique.

Bathroom After
Still to do: top coat over the plaster to waterproof (there wasn't time for that before the Superbowl party :D), and as we come across them: something for the wall, rug, new non-Vegas-looking light fixture. (It may be a while before that last one happens!)

Overall, the bathroom was not in bad shape, but needed some aesthetic updates, and we wanted to keep this project cheap:
Materials for walls: $40
Mirror: $4o
Everything else we already had
Total cost: $80 (and what a difference!)

Here's a close-up of the texture:
(The above pictures are a bit more true to color except it doesn't have that pinkish tint... and this picture is darker than the walls appear in the room. Click for greater detail)

Still pretty busy...

2008-01-31T16:57:00.001-08:00

...but that's no big surprise. :)
Recent random goings on:

It's snowing!! :) Bailey isn't a big fan of snow, but the first exciting romp in each snowstorm is adorable (until he realizes that it's cold and wet, and runs as fast as he can back inside!)
We took down the wallpaper in the front bathroom a couple of weekends ago... and still haven't done anything else. (We're planing a minor aesthetic overhaul. No major work involved-- the vanity and fixtures are new.) That's on the list of upcoming plans... (apologies in advance to those coming over this weekend who get to see the lovely paperless walls...) I promise pictures when we get it done. :)
J started another semester at school and is lovin' every minute. This semester: Oscar Wilde, American Spiritual Writing, and Chaucer.
Last weekend we saw Katy's cheerleading competition (Yea Kate!!)and went to a benefit where we saw (among other bands) a folksy country band whose lead singer is a Willie Nelson look-alike. I swear, he was his twin. And, Sarah and I amused ourselves by taking bets on when the back-up guitarist would pass out. :) Good times.

And, because I thought it was interesting, an article I read today. :)

Anyone still there?

2008-01-14T15:13:00.001-08:00

Okay, so we've taken a bit of a blog hiatus... it's been a BUSY past few weeks; I'm working about 50 hours/week on average and that doesn't leave a ton of time for anything else.

Here are some pictures of the other bedrooms in the house to make up for it :)

Here's bedroom number 2 (Before):

Now it's J's study:

(It may be a lot fuller now, but it's a study all to himself,
and what PhD student wouldn't love that?)

Bedroom number 3 (Before):
Now it's the guest room/where we have my desk:

Happy 2008!

2008-01-01T16:54:00.001-08:00

What better way to kick off a new year than with a Tiger victory!

May 2008 bring you health, happiness, and many blessings. Happy New Year!!

Merry Christmas!

2007-12-24T10:26:00.001-08:00

From our family to yours...

best wishes for a Merry Christmas filled with family, friends, and laughter!

love,
j & j & b

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

2007-12-15T19:31:00.001-08:00

(It's been awhile since I updated, but today it's a double entry to make up for it :))

Today is our first big snowfall of the season, and it made for a wonderful day indoors getting into the Christmas spirit. We wrapped presents, baked cookies, and finished writing papers. (Okay, the first two were me, and that last one was just J, but whatever...) We also got our first pictures of the house in the snow!!

This is what happens when you forget to turn off the flash... Check out the HUGE snowflakes!

Christmas lights in the snow

And, just for fun, a little something that made me laugh today.
(Make sure to turn on the volume on your computer...)

***Update***
That was just the beginning of the snow... I'm not going to go outside, but here's the view from our back door...
That's 7 inches, folks. And, that's on the porch, close to the awning.
Thank goodness it's the weekend. :)

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

2007-12-15T19:06:00.001-08:00

Only 10 more days till Christmas!

With finals and a training classes wrapping up for the year, it's been pretty busy around here, but we're starting to wind down a bit and getting into the Christmas spirit.

Some sights around our house:

Dining Room

2007-12-01T15:02:00.000-08:00

For a house blog, we haven't really done a whole lot of posting house pictures, have we? :)

Here's some for any lingering readers....

Sadly, we have no before pictures of the dining room. (I know. You all are SO disappointed!) Try to envision the yuckiness in your head: like the living room (see post below this one), ugly old dining room table, an oddly placed curio, and cat hair galore. Oh yeah, and more doilies.

After of Dining Room (set for Thanksgiving)
(that ceiling fan is on its way out... we just need to find a fixture we like)

Here's what it normally looks like:

Living Room

2007-12-01T14:25:00.001-08:00

Living Room before:
(thank the lord, the doilies are gone!)

this isn't the best picture, but this is the same corner our TV is in...

Almost after:

there's a 42" flat screen there now... Merry Christmas to us! :)

Future plans: end tables :)

Kelly and Mike get married! (finally!!)

2007-11-27T05:07:00.001-08:00

Here's a great picture I just got from Kelly's mom of the lovely bride and her bridesmaids. (All but one are sorority sisters!)

A big congrats to Kel and Mike! You had a beautiful day and an amazing wedding! Love you both!

PS- recognize those bridesmaid dresses? ;)

A belated Happy Thanksgiving

2007-11-26T15:46:00.001-08:00

Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! We were lucky enough to get to spend this Thanksgiving in our new home with parts of both of our families, and had a great time. This past weekend was extra-busy, with my good friend Kelly's wedding on Saturday. It was a beautiful wedding, complete with a Mizzou win to add to the excitement. More about all of that soon...

I've been a blogger slacker lately... I got some good house pictures on Thanksgiving, so I'll post those later this week when work slows down a bit. (I have my last training "exam" this week and that's keeping me pretty busy!)

love to all and GO MIZZOU! :)
j&j

Bailey meets a baby!

2007-11-10T04:56:00.001-08:00

A few weeks ago, we had the privilege of having two of my very good friends from grad school, Maureen and Colene over for lunch/to see the house/to celebrate birthdays. Of course that meant Maureen's daughter, Miss Maddy, got to come for a visit as well. I think both of us were a little nervous about the Bailey-Maddy combination, and though it took them both a bit to warm up to each other, (I think I said "Bailey, no-no!" a million times to keep him from jumping on the couch with Maddy, and Maureen tried to explain that Bailey's bark was a loud Meow...) they finally got a chance to play.

Bailey did a great job, giving Maddy's hand "kisses" and letting her pet him, and Maddy was very good at being gentle. We all had a great time-- thanks ladies! We'll have to do it again soon!

Happy Halloween!

2007-11-01T15:33:00.001-07:00

Having been starved of "real" Halloween for the last few years as apartment dwellers, our first Halloween in our new home was a lot of fun. It's an unwritten rule in our neighborhood that everyone MUST have some sort of light-up decoration in their yard, and display it for all of October, so we joined in with pumpkin lights and the luminarias pictured above.
It was nice to finally have real trick-or-treaters, even though the second ring of our doorbell brought our home's previous owner and her daughter. (Awkward!! Should I ask them if they would like to take the old toilet and vanity left from their bathroom remodel, or the shelf full of paint they left in the basement with them? Maybe not the best idea...)

Bailey was loving every minute, and would wait patiently by the door for the next round of kids in costume.

We even carved pumpkins. Here's J's:

Hope everyone had a wonderful Halloween!! :)

PS- if you'd like to see the world's cutest baby in a chicken costume, click here and scroll down :)

Happy Birthday, J!

2007-10-27T12:32:00.001-07:00

Friday was J's birthday, and we celebrated by going to dinner Friday, having the fam over for football and BBQ on Saturday, and going to the Rams game on Sunday. All in all, a great birthday! :)

I won't mention exactly how old J is, but here's a hint if you didn't catch on
from the candles on the pie... :)

I love you, babe! Happy Birthday!! :)

Master Bedroom

2007-10-27T12:10:00.000-07:00

Before...
(With the sellers stuff, of course. Did you really think we would have a plaid bedspread and vertical blinds?? Seriously.)

As you look straight in the door

To the left

... And After! Well... kind of...
(Please ignore Bailey's toys on the bed as well as our makeshift nightstands... those are next on the furniture list!)Yes, we know the king size bed is huge, but we love it. Who cares if it eats up a lot of the room?

Additional plans:

Matching furniture :)

Way to go, Ev!

2007-10-10T05:44:00.000-07:00

A big congrats goes out to brother Evan who completed the Minneapolis Twin Cities Marathon last weekend in 4 hours, 40 minutes! Way to go Ev! Wish we could have been there to see you!

first things first...

2007-10-08T17:10:00.000-07:00

Before we get into the before and after photos, a little background on the house:

3 bedroom, 2 bath
Ranch-style house, built in the '60s
full basement, garage
on a cul-de-sac
fenced backyard (which Bailey loves, by the way)

Here's a basic idea of the floor plan: (I would like to note that the former aspiring architect in this marriage was NOT the one to create this floor plan, so please forgive its inaccuracies and lack of detail.)

We love that we have plenty of room to grow into this house, and have been able to upgrade from mix and match post-college furniture to "adult" furniture and decor. It's amazing how good it feels to have new matching couches and more than enough space to store everything so we can live clutter-free.

And so the madness begins (or continues)...

2007-09-16T07:44:00.001-07:00

After months of searching, debating over location, negotiating, reading many legal contracts, and negotiating again, we own a home. It was everything we hoped it would be. :)

Seriously, though, it's been a lot of work to get this place up to a livable standard... There were no major issues with the house, so we're lucky that it didn't require any major projects. (Fingers crossed, knock on wood...) There was, however, plenty of ugly wallpaper, cabinets and fixtures from the 1960s, and more cat hair than we ever wanted to deal with.

Thanks to a few weeks of scrubbing, stripping, sanding, painting, screwing, mowing, and lifting heavy objects (and four amazing parents, plus friends and siblings), we are now in a livable home. Now, all that's left is to unpack and decorate. As we go, we'll post before and after pictures of our home, and you're free to lurk as we do so. :)

*** A HUGE thank you to all four of our amazing parents for all of your help throughout this whole process! ***