Weekend in Review

Hubby & I had a fantastic weekend that blended the right amount of time for relaxation with the right amount of time hanging out with family & friends. Friday night we headed to the hospital to visit our friends Kelly & Tyler--on Thursday afternoon they welcomed a little baby girl, Avery Adelle, into the world. There were a ton of people there visiting so we didn't get time to hold her, but I know we'll be dropping by very soon to visit them at their home. She is just beautiful but I can't imagine how tired they all were after having so many visitors! After the baby visit, we headed downtown to a local fondue spot that has fantastic fondue & drinks. All of the cocktails are modeled after childhood candy & the drink I ordered included a crushed Nerd rim. It was a very fun night & quite a late night out for Hubby & I.

Saturday Hubby had to work until noon so I spent my morning cleaning, making a trip to Walmart, and doing laundry. This resulted in a completely worthless afternoon as I spent my time on the couch dozing in and out as we watched some college basketball. We made tacos for dinner & just enjoyed the night at home.

Sunday we headed to church--I definitley missed it last week when we were in St. Louis so it was so nice to get back! After church we grabbed Bogey & headed down to my parents' house for a great afternoon. They live on about 15 acres that adjoins to a ton of land that my grandparents' own--so, we watched a little bit of basketball & spent the rest of the time outside with Bogey & my parents' 4 dogs (2 labs, a Brittany spaniel, & the little house dog Josie). My parents' have 2 four wheelers & there's a pond on my grandparents' property so we had a great time. I've included some pictures of Bogey playing with the other dogs.

Bogey leaping into the water going after a stick!

Bogey & Dallas playing tug-of-war with the stick!

It seriously looked like they were doing the 3-legged race at times!

We had such a great weekend & I'm so thankful that my parents live close by for us to spend time with them!

Happy 1st Birthday Bogey!!!

Today marks Bogey's 1st Birthday & although we aren't planning a huge doggy birthday party, it's certainly not going unnoticed. Hubby is stopping by Three Dog Bakery tonight to grab some special treats for our furry son & he'll probably get the privilige of coming inside to watch some college basketball with us tonight. In some ways I can't believe he's already one...but in others (as in how many things he has destroyed and how huge he is) I can't believe he's ONLY one. He's certainly a great dog & while he certainly tries our patience many times, we wouldn't trade him for anything. Here's some of my favorite pictures of our loveable son.

Almost always the biggest of the litter...we knew from the beginning he would be ours!

Oh the joys of being a little puppy!

Just trying to scratch that itch but stay happy all the time!

Shake, shake, shake!!!

Living the life at Grandma & Grandpa's house

Waiting patiently for a treat!

Surveying the storm damage with Dad!

Enjoying the sunshine

Please, oh please can I come inside?!?

Oh how I love the snow!!!

Happy 1st Birthday Bogey!!!

Marking his "Spot!"

Well as I briefly mentioned in last night's post, Hubby & I are dog sitting for my parents. They have an 8-9 week old Havenese puppy which is similar to a Bichon-Maltese mix. Her name is Josie and she's absolutely adorable. Neither one of us are house dog people, but it's been fun to have her around the past 48 hours. I've failed to take any great pictures, but trust me...she's adorable. Although she's not completely house-trained she's definitely trying hard & even if she does have an accident it's such a small amount it's not a huge deal.

So...on to the point of my post. Bogey & Miss Josie met last night and she was basically terrified of him but eventually warmed up to this gigantic dog that wanted to sniff her all over. We didn't leave them alone for long at all & they seemed to be fine. He just seemed to wonder who this furball was that was invading all of his space. This morning (for reasons beyond my control) I had to let Bogey in the house for about 10 minutes before I came to work. He and Josie seemed to be doing just fine but then I turned my head for just one moment. When I looked back--there my loveable dog Bogey was, leg hiked & peeing on Josie!!! I couldn't even believe it. Bogey is not neutered so he's been prone to marking his spot when we go for walks--but never, and I mean never has he even acted like he was going to pee in the house. I rushed Bogey to the garage & shut the door while I cleaned up his mess. I certainly didn't have time to give Josie a bath, but I did wipe her down with a wet rag. It was more of a small stream instead of a drenching so I think she'll be just fine. She didn't seem bothered at all & who knows, maybe they'll be best friends now! Add another story to the list of Bogey mishaps!

Quick Little Getaway

Hubby & I certainly had a great time this weekend. Friday was just a night at home but Saturday mid-morning we got up and headed to St. Louis. We were able to get some nice shopping in & I picked up a pair of jeans at Anthropologie that were orignally $118 for $60--I was quite pleased with myself. Hubby has made me quite the bargain shopper. I also came home with a shirt from Anthro, a shirt from Nordstroms & a beautiful green vase from Crate & Barrel. Not quite sure where the vase is going but I just couldn't leave it at the store.

We had an incredible dinner at Ruth's Chris & were pleasantly surprised to see they now have an early bird menu that includes a salad, entree', side dish, beverage, & dessert. This saved us a bunch of money and we were able to get even more food than we had expected. The steaks were melt in your mouth wonderful, the service was fantastic & the chocolate mousse cheesecake was to die for! Yes it's a chain, yes it's expensive, & yes it's a steakhouse--but it might possibly be my favorite restaurant ever!

In addition to dinner, the Cirque show was fantastic!!! Hubby actually completely enjoyed himself & we were both amazed at the crazy things some of the performers could do. Most of those things just shouldn't be possible.

Sunday we slept in--mainly due to some obnoxious hotel guests & a very loud air conditioner--but then headed out for some last minute shopping where I finally got my first pair of golf shoes--they are absolutely adorable & even if I stink at golf, I'm going to look freakin' cute!! We got home at 4 and headed out to the golf course since it was beautiful outside!!! I also got to break in my new shoes...;o) The golfing didn't go so well but it was so nice to get out of the house & enjoy the nice Spring weather!

In other news, we have a magical dog on our hands. While we were gone, the neighbor boy was feeding & taking care of Bogey. Well, Sunday morning when he went to play with him he had managed to chew on the wire of his kennel & create a hole large enough to squeeze his body through--so he broke out of his metal kennel. What a dog!!! He is turning one year old this week & I am planning on creating a photobook through Shutterfly with pictures from the last year & a list of all the crazy things he has done/destroyed. I'll try to post the list just for entertainment purposes. We love him to death, but man is he crazy!!!

We also have a house guest tonight...my parents are out of town & we are babysitting their new puppy, Josie. She is a Havenese house dog & is crazy in her own right, but it should be a fun evening with both of them.

WooHoo for the Weekend...

I am so happy the weekend is almost here!!! Tonight we're just grabbing pizza and running a few household errands---but tomorrow we are headed to St. Louis for one of my birthday presents. We are going to do some shopping at some of my favorite malls--West County, The Galleria & Plaza Frontenac--It's too bad all of my favorite stores can't be located in once place!!! Then tomorrow night we are headed to an amazing dinner at Ruth's Chris--

Before we got married, Hubby & I would always go shopping at Country Club Plaza in KC around Christmastime & then have a nice romantic dinner at Ruth's Chris. Since becoming Hubby & Wifey, those plans have kind of been abandoned so I'm so excited to be going back to eat there. They have filet mignon that is just to die for!!! Hubby's favorite part is they cook the steak in an extremely hot oven and it's served on the same plate it was cooked on....so the steak stays very warm until you are completely finished eating. Yes, he is excited by some very simple things. ;o)

After dinner we are headed to the beautiful Fox Theater for the Cirque de Soleil show: Jungle Dreams. I've seen one other Cirque show (Mystere in Las Vegas) and it was absolutely wonderful. I just hope Hubby enjoys all of the amazing acrobatics & crazy costumes! Sunday will be a day for sleeping in and then maybe some last minute shopping before we head home. I am so super excited for a weekend away...hopefully I'll remember to take some pictures of us to post next week!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Furminator, Oh how I love thee...

Seeing as this is the first Spring season we have owned our furry son Bogey, this is also the first time we are experiencing the massive release of hair from his warm winter coat. Oh my gosh...I honestly think we could build another dog with the hair he has shed. Everytime we head outside we have to make sure we either have a lint roller handy or have on clothes that we don't mind being covered in white dog fur. It's EVERYWHERE!!! I tried brushing him using a normal brush but that just wasn't cutting it...so, I bought a Furminator after talking with some friends & family about how great it worked.

Last night after work I headed outside armed with my new tool. After Bogey realized it wasn't food and it wasn't going to attack him--I think he actually enjoyed the experience. Now don't assume that means he would just sit and let me comb him--Oh no, I still had to stand up and follow him around the patio; however, he seemed to enjoy the process & he looks so much better. I should have taken a picture of the Wal-Mart sack FULL of hair, but I thought it might be a little disgusting. Here's the Furminator...if you have a dog that sheds at all I highly recommend it!

Ready for a New Week...

Well, with Hubby being sick at the beginning of last week, my jury duty stint, the death of our family friend, and a horrific, tragic crime occurring in my hometown--I'm more than ready to start a new week. Hubby & I had a pretty laid back weekend...Friday I went to the visitation for my friend's dad and then Hubby & I headed to our friend's house for dinner. The visitation was basically exactly what I expected it to be. There were hundreds of people there & I was pleasantly surprised to see my friend Matt doing very well. Like I've previously said, we haven't kept in very close contact in the past few years but I know that I would do anything for him and he would do the same for me. It just broke my heart to see him hurting so much. I know his dad would be very proud of how he handled himself & the entire situation. At the visitation I was able to see some friends & others that I hadn't seen in a very long time---it's so sad how it takes the death of a mutual friend or family member to bring people together. I know it will always be that way but it's sad nonetheless.

Saturday Hubby & I both worked and then I went to the funeral & graveside with my parents. When I got home Hubby & I headed into town to have an exciting Saturday night of a trip to Sam's, dinner out, & then to Wal-Mart. It was actually quite nice and I was so glad I didn't have to think about anything. Today we went to church & heard an amazing testimony from a church member. The sermon was on the fear of failure & definitely spoke to a lot of hearts. We also had lunch with some friends' from church & finally got home about 3. Small group & laundry are still left on the schedule for today & then it will be off to the start of a new work week. All I can pray for is that this week goes better than the last!

Blog Under Attack

So this morning I woke up to 38 new e-mail messages in my inbox----38?!? Wow, I must be popular. Not so much....33 of these e-mails were comments on a blog post posted by none other than ANONYMOUS!!! At first, I thought to myself "What did I say to make people so upset?" & then I scrolled down in the first e-mail. Every comment was a very long Japanese message which of course I have no idea what it says. Go ahead, go click on most of my posts and you'll find a long comment from some Anonymous Japanese person--any one know what it says?! ;o) I'm assuming it's some sort of virus--the message is hyperlinked but I'm certainly not falling for clicking on it.

Have any of the rest of you had this experience?

Civic Duty & life gone too soon...

Today I headed to the Greene County Courthouse to fulfill my civic duty: Jury Duty!!! (sarcasm intended). I had originally been scheduled to appear on Monday & when I called the info line I was informed that I should call back last night to find out if I needed to appear. Well....I did & I am happy to say that I did not get selected. I was really happy---not only because it's boring but because the subject matter was just not something I wanted to deal with (high school coach vs. teen girls--I'm sure you can get the idea). We sat in the court room and answered hypothetical questions about whether or not we could provide a fair trial for both sides. It was the first time I had been called to jury duty and was actually kind of interesting to be a part of. At least my name should be off of the random list for awhile. Our questioning started at around 9:30 and the jurors were selected around 1:00. I was even able to make it back to work...YIPPPEEEE (more sarcasm intended!)

While I made it back to work, my day ended on an incredibly sad & horrible note. Around 3 pm we received word that a good family friend was killed in a tragic car accident at around 1:05 this afternoon. Knial was an accountant who had an office right down the street from my dad's & his son Matt was in my class all growing up. While Matt and I had kind of gone our separate ways after high school, I would still consider us good friends and my heart breaks for him right now. Matt & his dad always opened the doors of their home to any party & group of kids that wanted somewhere to hang. I've been to many gatherings at that house...Superbowl Parties, Birthday Parties, & parties just for no reason at all. I honestly cannot even begin to imagine what he's going through right now as I am completely sick to my stomach trying to grasp on to this realization myself. His dad was 59, had just quit smoking due to a recent heart attack and was such a good friend to so many people. I can't believe he's gone. My dad is taking this really hard as well--he's lost such a good friend. Please keep this family in your prayers as Matt is an only child & will really need support right now.

Sick Hubby=Bad Blogger=Catch Up

Well, as I sit here typing this I have put my sick hubby to bed for the night and I'm just hoping & praying that he feels better tomorrow when he wakes up for work. He started feeling bad on Thursday night and was feeling progressively worse until yesterday when he hit the worst of it with a 100.7 temperature, aches, coughing, & a runny nose. Lovely, just lovely. Basically he has the flu without the nausea. So...I've been taking care of him and trying to be a good wife by doing anything to help him feel better. As any woman knows, men are certainly not the best patients--but he's been trying his best and has expressed many times what a good nurse I am...;o) We did have to miss a wedding of one of his friend's last night, but I know he wasn't too disappointed & I wouldn't have been either except I was excited to get all dressed up in somethign Springy! Oh well, there will certainly be other opportunites.

You might think with us being at home the past 2 days I would have been very productive and gotten lots done...not really. I basically just laid around the house and spent a little bit of time outside with Bogey enjoying the nice weather---anything I could think to do either cost money or involved manual labor and I wasn't really excited about either of those options. So I just took advantage of the situation and enjoyed a relaxing weekend at home.

I kind of fell out of the blogging world last week, but there wasn't much to talk about. Basically, just work, dinner, working out & back to bed. I did get to go out with my best friend from college Sarah on Tuesday night. She had to attend a play for a grad class and so we grabbed a nice dinner and went to see the play---it was pretty terrible, but the company was great & I was so glad she asked me to join her. She was the maid of honor in my wedding & I was the matron of honor in her wedding. We don't spend as much time together as I would like, but I love catching up with her and sharing our lives together.

The most exciting part of the week is that we finalized the decision to go to Florida with my parents over Memorial Day Weekend. I'm already excited and it's still 3 months away. When I was growing up, my parents took my brother & I on vacation every year. We normally headed to Panama City Beach---but once it got to the point of Spring Break atmosphere all the time, we moved our location a little to the West to Destin. We're headed back there for a week and I can't wait! I just love the beach, the sun & the ocean!!! I was really hoping that my brother & sister-in-law would be able to join us--but since this is their first summer as a married couple they are taking a vacation just the 2 of them--which I totally respect. Hopefully we'll all be able to travel together next summer.

The weather has finally turned to Spring and even though another cold spell is in the forecast for the end of the week---I've got my first Spring flowers blooming!!! YEAH!!! I'm so glad all of those bulbs I planted in the Fall are starting to arrive. I'll be sure and post pictures when they're all in bloom.

What a weekend!

Well, as promised the weekend was incredibly busy and it doesn't look like the beginning of the week is going to be any different. My friend Kelly's baby shower was a huge success on Saturday! She is married to one of my best guy friend's from college (he and Hubby actually were great friends in high school). She had one shower for family, friends & her church so needless to say there was quite the crowd in attendance and I think she opened presents for nearly an hour and a half. She got some of the most adorable stuff for their little girl Avery Adel & I even walked away with a prize from one of the games. We had great cake & punch and I got to visit with some friends that I don't see very often. I do have to admit--for just a brief moment all of the cute things made me ready to start having kids--that idea was quickly gone as I remembered all the work and responsibility that comes along with the cute clothes & decorations. I certainly want to be a mother--just not quite yet. ;o)

The beautiful mom-to-be!

Kelly opening one of her fabulous gifts!

My friends from college: Kelly (due early April), myself, Miranda (due early June), & Sarah

After the shower, I braved the little bit of snow on the ground to go blow what was left of my birthday money. Then I headed home to help my friend Andrea with the surprise party for her husband. After running around like chickens with our heads cut off, we finally got everyone situated for the big surprise. My hubby was in charge of keeping Derek occupied most of the afternoon and until we were ready for them to come back to the party. I honestly think Andrea with some help from her family & friends actually managed to pull it off. I didn't take a ton of pictures but we had a great time hanging out with good friends.

Derek & Andrea's kids hung around for the surprise and then Grandma & Grandpa took them home. They really thought they should hide under the table for the surprise! How adorable!

Derek's reaction to SURPRISE!!!!

Sunday afternoon I had another shower---of the bridal variety this time. It was a family shower so it was fairly short and I was able to get home in plenty of time to get ready for small group. My dear hubby worked so hard while I was gone--he vaccuumed, rearranged the furniture (like I had asked), finished the laundry, & worked outside to fix an issue with Bogey's pen. I often don't give him enough credit but he is honestly the best husband! He helps out so much and just when I think he's done helping he goes above and beyond what I ever expected him to do. He certainly makes my job easier & I can only hope I do the same for him. We certainly are a team and I am so thankful for that!

In other baby news, I also found out yesterday that my cousin & his wife are expecting their second child! Congrats Jason & Michelle!!!! They already have one absolutely adorable little girl Alyssa. I just love nephews (I don't have any nieces yet) & baby cousins--they are so fun to spoil!