I'm back!

I am indeed alive, and I am back, and while i meant to post when we got back, time escaped from me, and I'm still worn out from the trip (and am getting ready to make another one this weekend!) and trying to adjust to a new family member.

We survived Tunica! I am happy to say, I had a blast! We won a decent amount of money, and didn't leave spending as much as we thought! I cannot get the sounds of the casino out of my head, and all i dream about is the wheel of fortune slots. Ding, Ding, Ding! I'll write more about it later, but it was a fun little get away!

We picked up our new addition to the fam on Monday! It is now Thursday and she still has no name. I am almost 99% sure it's a girl so if I'm wrong, I'll look like a total dumb ass but oh well. The first night she was so afraid of lily, but was so cuddly with us. Lily has been nothing but curious from day one, and wants to play until she starts hissing at her. Then last night, she completely broke out of her shell! She even touched noses with lily and batted at her tail! YAY! I was afraid she was going to hiss at her forever!

She also finally ate last night. I was worried because the first few days i couldn't' really get her to eat much but finally last night i got her to eat and drink. I have never had a cat before, and it amazes me the differences between them and dogs. She has definitely affected our sleeping habits because she's been trying to sleep on Blake's face. For some reason, he's not really down with that.

Anyway, I am leaving for chicago-land tomorrow for my friend Steph's wedding! Wheeee! Blake was supposed to go but got offered a side job making really good money, and with him being out of work, he couldn't pass it up. I'm definitely bummed I'll be going alone for the sake of driving myself nuts driving for 5 hours alone. I can only talk to myself so much without getting on my own nerves :)

I'll post pics tonight of the new kitty, who yes, still remains unnamed. On the way home from Tunica, we thought of a ton of names but not any that stuck. Paula Deen, Cotton (because of all the cotton we saw), Smoke (blake just loved this, and i was totally joking. ) and my favorite---Manheimer. I'll hopefully be back tonight to post some kitty and trip pics!

On a midnight train to Georgia....

That song is stuck in my damn head. I think it's because i am pumped for our trip. I wasn't so pumped before, but i guess I'm ready to blow this Popsicle stand! I have been here at work since, oh the butt ass crack of dawn. I left my house way before the sun knew it supposed to come up, and now I'm just sitting here, killing time, as i am done with everything i needed to be. 3 hours to go.....


If you read this later this weekend, I'll be having a blast in Tunica. (that is in MISSISSIPPI, or those who may not know, i didn't, lol, and i am assuming it's a poor man's vegas, i'll let you know) Hopefully, i'll come back a millionaire, lol. Wouldn't that be great. When i return on Monday, I'll have pictures galore, and a new family member, yet to be named.(I vote for Dexter, but Blake doesn't. He think ppl will think of the show, but yet doesn't care that ppl would think of male genitalia if we named him Johnson.)

Here IT is (i guess we still don't know what it is, I've never had a cat so i have no idea why this can be told....we clearly know lily is a girl!)

Blake snapped them at the farm yesterday (from his phone so they are crappy pics) when he dropped lily off to spend the weekend with her grandparents, and Uncle Chief (their dog!)
I never thought I'd have a kitteh. I THINK she is a girl. And apparently, it (she) is the most friendliest and most calm of the bunch!

Why i laughed until i cried....

I don't think i ever posted this but Blake got a job! Woot--and it was THE ONE he wanted! Great news, right? So, he called his parents to tell him, and guess what his mom's response was--well, besides congrats?

you guessed it, it was about babies!


MIL: "well, now you guys can have a baby!', 'I just want to hold one."

Thinking that was the end of the story......he responded like, yeah.

No, here is the kicker. She says, and this is honest to god, word for word what he told me.

MIL: Actually, I want to have one.
B: Um, i don't think that is possible.
MIL: yeah, i heard about a lady in England who was like 65 who just had twins.
B: Well, i don't know if dad would be up for that.
MIL: yeah, i don't think so.

I truly have no comments but to say that i probably laughed for a good twenty minutes after he told me this, i laughed so hard, there were real tears streaming down my face. I truly cannot make this shit up.

MmMmmm good.

Last week, I posted about my free Progresso broth I got in the mail. Well, ever since Lisa, posted about her chicken soup her and her hubby made, I've been craving homemade chicky soup.

(I'm a dork and took a pic of the few things i've gotten free so far, i didn't get to put everything because i am a bigger dork and couldn't remember! I just got a mr. clean magic eraser, those things are awsome!)

So, what do you think I did with my free broth?

I grabbed a whole chicky out of the freezer, and (after is was defrosted of course) I boiled in a huge pot of water with minced garlic, salt, pepper, and parsley. After that bad baby was cooked to perfection and falling off the bone, I took the chicky off the bone. I used the entire chicken meat. (By the way, I don't really ever measure things out, and i am usually a trial and error kind of girl....and luckily, it usually comes out tasty!)


I dumped half the water out of the pot, and poured in my chicken broth, and a small can of the same broth. I added more garlic, salt, pepper, and parsley, and then some carrots, onions, and later a ton of egg noodles.


\I let it simmer for about 20 minutes. I served it with some yummy corn muffins, in our cute soup bowls i got as a wedding gift to go with our C&B dishes. (I will be honest, part of me wanted to make the soup so that i could use those bowls!)







and ta da! The yummiest chicky soup i've ever tasted! I think the garlic gave the broth an extra kick of flavor without being too over powered.

Where's my kitteh? TUNICA? WHAT?

Well, i found out we our getting our new addition to the family on Monday because Blake decided last minute he wanted to go to Tunica. He got a new job--woot (and it was the one he REALLY wanted) and it doesn't start for two more weeks. He REALLY wanted to go to Vegas, but after looking at prices right now, i immediately nixed it. So, he came up with Tunica. We could drive and get a hotel for pretty damn cheap for 3 nights.

I haven't had a weekend that wasn't chaotic yet, so i immediately nixed it. Somehow he won. Stupid birthdays. He loves to gamble, i mean LOVES to gamble. I finally gave in and literally said, FINE, WE"LL GO! (I'm just excited because there is a Paula Deen restaurant inside our hotel, lol) I'm sure we'll have fun, and i will be honest, i need a vacation bad, but i was hoping for more of a well, beachy place. lol.

So, now his sister and a friend are going too! I want to be excited, and i sure i will get there, but we are going to Chicago the following weekend for a wedding, (which reminds me, after the last GNO and this trip, I am sure my bm dress will be nice and tight). It's not like i am turning into a giant heifer as it is without STILL being able to work out (by the way, shot #2 wasn't AS bad. Hostel man wore a purple apron this time, it still hurt like a mother, but it was over way faster, and the recovery time was a little better. I won't lie, it's probably bc i had good pain meds this time.) I go back to my doc Oct 2nd, so we'll see what she says then!

So, back to my feline baby, now I have to wait until Monday to get my furbaby. His mom thinks it's a girl, and i still want her to be called Lu-Lu, but Blake isn't having it. He thinks it will confuse Lily.

(Here she is cuddled in the blankies, i wonder what her reaction to all this will be!)



Anyone have any other ideas? I want something cute and girly if its a girl, and something cute if it's a boy. Get it? I like cute! I like Marley for a boy, but that go nixed too. I swear, we are NEVER going to be able to agree on baby names. Our poor kids will be called #1 or baby........or worse, IT! AHHHHH!

The unveiling.....

Just to warn you, we got a new camera, so i am able to upload all our pics now, and have taken more so plan on a surplus of posts this week!

Remember, like a million years ago when i said we were working on our deck?

Here are a few before pics:

Notice, the color, and how it's chipping. BLAH!

Notice the lattice on the sides, and the UGLY UGLY color of the stairs and the bannister's. I shudder to remember what it used to look like.
This was the side of the deck, lattice. It was everywhere, and i hated it.

and the big reveal: The steps AFTER! Lily likes it.

and here is my one decent pic of the bannister's now.
I need to get pics of the underneath because it was covered in lattice, but also full of weeds, and other crap that the previous homeowner left.

Now, we also painted our house. It needed it bad, and it was a HUGE improvement. We had people drive by and tell us how great it looked! Here is before--this one is hard to see, it's from my phone.

Before"

and the one i have that is after........

The door before was a dark red, the shutters brown, posts were white, and the house was yellow. Now everything is white but the shutters, and the door. Now, we just need a new storm door. Soon to come--The FIREPLACE !

GNO Explosion!

Last week, (I think it was last week), I met Amanda, and some other stlwedders at Growlers--which in fact DOES NOT have Strongbow on tap. They do have other ciders (yum) and this

lambic framboise......mmmmm. Currently, obsessed!

My boob, that i obviously got food on. I am like a child i swear!

Look at Amanda', she live s in La and is a BALLER!

Rhonda is explaining why you don't eat really burnt potato chips. I attempted to eat one, i wont lie, and they are not good.

Then, Pamela honored us with her presence and her new do, and we ordered cute little tasters. Blue Moon! YUM!

Now, I was nicely invited to Teresa's for a wine and a roaring fire this past Saturday.
you can see the few pics's i snapped here:
http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=35442&id=777808479

Now, I learned a lot about these ladies. Some of them like to wear knee-highs, a little sumthin -sumthin about public restrooms (only the mens though), and a few things i already knew--they kick ass, and can sure cook us up some good food! I swear i couldn't drink enough wine because i ate so much damn food. Teresa makes the most kick ass homemade bread, like ever. I think she may be my new BFF! :)

Thanks, girls for hanging out with me! lol. I can't wait for next month! I truly look forward to each one! You girls rock!

We're getting a.......

KITTEN!

I've been wanting a dog but blake still refuses. His parents cat that lives in the barn (well, technically its a stray that they adopted and after two liters they finally decided she's gonna need to be fixed, duh!) just had kittens a few months ago, and his mom convinced him to let us take one!

I've never had a cat, so i'm hoping we'll adjust, and lily does too! I dont know when we are getting him/her (apparently they said it's too early to tell what it is....hmmmm)

Blake says that if it is a boy he wants to name is Troj (The return of Johnson, after a lily's brother we had to give away.....long story) or his name will just be Johnson......

Oh lord.

I wanted a girl and name her LuLu, but we'll see. Lily and Lulu.....aww

Thursday finds.....

I decided i wanted to share some blogs I've come across in the blogosphere. I have too many items left unread in google reader so i thought I'd share the love man. :) I think i am going to make this a weekly thing. As long as i don't run our of blogs to share, but i don't think that will be possible. I find new ones every week!

1. Sorry I Missed Your Party--I anxiously await new posts from this blog. It's simple, yet way to damn funny. Basically, its pictures from other people's parties from flicker. Some are so funny there are no words to describe it, while others are just bizarre. There is always something funny to see. When i found this blog, i read from start to finish. Take a gander, you'll find some entertainment for sure!

2. If you haven't heard of this blog, you might just be living under a rock. Just kidding but you NEED to check it out. Post Secret--The author has even wrote a book. It's simple idea, yet the concept is inspiring, humbling, interesting, and chuck full of secrets--hence the name. People from all around the globe send their secrets on postcards. See, it seems like a simple idea but some of them make you go huh, yeah, me too, or wow, that is sad, or amazing. Run there now!

3. This one is funny, because I'm not a mom yet, but this site has found to be the most helpful to me so far! Freebies4Mom. Many, almost all her posts have come across as something very useful for me, and my little family that consists of me, blake and dog. :) I will update this late but i have got SO many things for free so far. *A GINORMOUS box of Cheerios, Mr. Clean Magic Eraser, doggie treats, huge container of Progresso broth, and samples galore, that usually come with great coupons. I've become a coupon lady lately as we are trying to save more money, and prices keep rising. I have a ton more of sites that i will post down the road, but this one is my favorite so far!

4. This one leaves me drooling on my keyboard after every single post. I am obessed with anything home related right now as we are always knee deep in a project. FurnitureFashion has drool worthy furniture and accessories.

5. Lastly for today, HabituallyChic. Another drool worthy blog, from a gal who works for a top designer. Her pics are always breathtaking, and makes me want to run out and redecorate my house.

That is all for today! hope you enjoy!

Here we go again....

Life has been so busy. I swear I thought it would slow down after the wedding but nope. I guess that it our fault for the 4,9393 projects we have at home going on.

Well, it's looking like I am going in on Friday for a 2nd shot. :( Totally bummed, and ready for some sedatives. If this doesn't work, I have no idea what is next. That is the scary part.

Our TV/fireplace project is becoming more work than we thought..then again so does everything we touch. Somehow the place where the HDMI cable (and just so you know, that just because i know the name of it, doesn't mean i know what the hell it does) goes broke on our TV that is only about 6 months old. So, yesterday, the TV men (do they have another name, Sony men? hell i don't know) came to inspect it (only to tell us that it indeed isn't under warranty and if we wanted it fixed, we could pay $800, wtf?), and the geek squad (or the TV squad maybe?) came to re-hook up the surround sound. Right now, the TV is laying on our couch. which meant we were forced to watch TV in the bedroom, and I was forced to watch football.

I swear throughout the football season, I am almost like a widow on Sunday and Monday's. The computer is hogged too because of some football thing with real players and pretend teams. Fantasy football i hear it is called. :)

They even gathered together at our house to a 'draft'. Basically it was an excuse to hang up a really big piece of paper, drink beer, and talk about and idolize men in a manly way without looking like they want to date them.

::Sigh:: I wonder why i get so excited for Superbowl every year....it means--football is over!

and because i like to have at least A pic in each post, here is one from the weddin' as I am still anxiously AWAITING (or is it waiting feverishly) for my proofs, or to at least see them.

Picture from Browers Photography

My idea of wine tasting....

See more funny videos at Funny or Die

I survived!

I just got back home from my Epidural Steroid Injection, and I will first say, it wasn't AS bad as I thought it would be, but I will ALSO say that I hope to God I never have to do that again.

I walked in shaking like the last leaf on a tree.....if I had to stand up, my legs surely would have buckled. The doctor came in and put one of those lead aprons, and then he reminded me of a mass murder from some gory movie, (I'm thinking of Hostel) and smiled at me. 'How are you, he asks me. Um, can't you see my knees shaking? I lay on my stomach, and they poke me with the first needle to numb me up. OH SWEET JESUS! A little poke? After that i wanted to jump up and run away, but my husband went with me and i couldn't look like a wuss.

After the first poke, i swear they poked me 8,599,030,939 times more. If I drank some water, I think it would leak out like a fucking sprinkler. The shots that numbed me were by far the worst part. He said they would burn, but it felt like i was being stabbed in the bone, and then twisted. It was just so much fun.......

Then, I hear him and his assistant talking, saying they couldn't find a way to get to where the shot needed to go--which is in between the disc. I hear him say something to the affect of 'we're going to have to go more in depth' You are already putting a large needle in between my spinal cord, how much more invasive can you get?

FINALLY--the 'shot' comes. I hear it go in, 'ssssssshhhhssssss.' and it was over. He even showed me on the monitor where the injection went (they injected me with dye too so it was visable!)

He put a bandage the size of Texas on my neck, and I stumbled out to the waiting room where Blake was sitting. My back is still numbish, and its starting to wear off and i feel like i got stabbed in the back in a dark alley.

That was a blast, or not. Let's pray that this one works, and I don't have to go back for round number 2! If it works, I'm going to have a flipping party to celebrate! On a positive note, it can only make me feel better so the experience was worth it, and was another living experience i can check off the list of things I've accomplished (lol, I'm sure that isn't on anyone's list, but facing a fear would be!) I can't wait to be able to go back to the gym!

Holy Bologna Batman!

This is what the shot I am getting tomorrow morning will look like (but in my neck---the one place on my body where there is NO FAT) and i just read that they recommend that someone drive me home afterwards.

Oh, sorry. I think i just passed about...........

Updates!!!

*Blake got a call yesterday from his doc. He has a 'fatty liver' which could be serious but his dr. is not worried at the moment. He has to get another round of blood tests in 6 weeks to see if the enzyme levels are rising, but if they are not, then he shouldn't have to worry--BUT i've read up on it and it can lead to cirosis, and other issuse. His mom apparently has one too, and she's been fine so far. His spleen is also englarged but he's had tests on that before, and they think he might have give blessed with an irregularly size spleen. lol. Good news so far!

*I don't' think i posted this here but Blake lost his job last week. He applied to some jobs Wednesday, and 3 of them call him back yesterday! He has 3 interviews next week! Two of them are for really large companies, and he is pretty pumped!

*We are working on our fireplace this weekend, and the TV will be mounted on Tuesday! We had to rethink the design because what we wanted to do, wouldn't work since the TV is so honking big (and which is why i said we didn't need one that big in the first place, but i lost that battle!) I can't wait to see the end result!!!

*I am scheduled for a ESI (Epidural Steroid Injection) on Wednesday. I was supposed to get on yesterday but there was a miscommunication at the doc's office, and i have to go somewhere else to get it. Believe me, I am freaked out about it, but i am convinced it will be what i need, and is worth it!

Hopefully, camera will be fixed (or i will just say screw it and buy a new one) and i'll have some good pics of my brand spankin' new fireplace! woot!

Ultrasound

Blake had his ultrasound this morning at 7:45! Geez, that is way to early for anything. I told him to call me afterwards in case they told him anything, but i didn't hear anything from him until after 10. I was in a meeting so i didn't get to talk to him until lunchtime.

He said the woman repeatedly held the wand over his stomach near his pancreas and kidneys. (he thinks he was in there for an hour.....or at least 45 minutes.) Usually, your in and out right? He asked her what she saw, and she wouldn't tell him anything (which is normal, i think?) but he definitely left worried.

He left there and had to give blood at the doc office. They put him on an IV and took like 8 viles of blood---Which kind of irks me. The nurses wanted someone to drive him home, but no one warned him of this beforehand. Luckily, he was okay to drive, but i wish I'd gone with him.

I've given him encouraging words, and i have to admit, it was hard to do because i am a bit worried myself. Hopefully, we'll get the results sooner than later. If you have any good thoughts, send them our way!

I labored on labor day!

Blake and I must have been stuck inside for too long or

maybe we got a wild hair up our butts, but this is gone, poof!

The fireplace, not the dog. lol. Yes, we really are nuts. We seriously chiseled each brick (well, some of them on top came as a whole group) and now, there is nothing but the shell. Since we moved in, we've wanted to redo the fireplace, and Blake's manly inclination to put the TV above it kicked in the day we looked at the house. We had planned on only taking a few layers off, but Blake decided his manly tv was going to be too high. So, we make it all disappear.

The crappy part is we didn't think this whole thing out, and it ended up taking us all day. When we finished---the floors, the tv, coffee tables, everything--even lily were covered in dust. Exhausted, we cleaned the whole living room and kitchen top to bottom. Smart ones we are.

So, we plan on finishing it this week, and hope to have the TV installed by next weekend! I'd post pics of it now, but my freaking camera broke.

The rest of the weekend ended up being busier than we planned too. Saturday morning, I had planned on cleaning all day, but we ended up going our friend's new house! Congrats guys! Then, Friends of ours stopped by so i could finally see their baby, and this is like the 9,39393 baby I've held in the past month. NO MORE OR MY OVARIES WILL EXPLODE from the fever!!!!

Later on that night, I managed to snag another night out with a few of the girls, watched MIZZOU kick ass, (GO TIGERS!!!) and managed to find myself tipsy. (Obviously, i am feeling better!!)

This weekend was great! It always is too short for me, but I'm already ready for next weekend. Next week is busy one, and we have our fair share of work to do.....what did we get ourselves into?