Friday, May 31, 2013

Emerson Grace Julian

Allow me to introduce you to the teeny tiny little person who makes my heart melt!
My best friend brought this precious little girl into the world yesterday. I swear every time I look at her I could just cry!! I've been waiting on this little one for what seems like forever. I've so enjoyed watching her grow over the last 9 months. I was always anxious to see ultrasound photos and hear all about how she was growing and what she was doing every week. 
I had been with Jaclyn earlier yesterday afternoon hanging out with her in her hospital room. I left and came back later in the evening to wait for her to deliver. When I was finally able to see her I turned into a pile of mush. Seeing Jaclyn holding that sweet little angel that I had been dying to meet for so long was a moment I'll never forget. There she was! This little one that has pretty much been the only thing we've talked about for the past 9 months was finally here. It was an amazing moment for me.
Emerson is the sweetest, most beautiful little girl. She is blessed to have amazing parents who love and adore her and will take such good care of her. I can't wait to watch her grow! She's a wonderful blessing from God and I'm so grateful to be a part of her life.

Thursday, May 30, 2013

May 30, 2013

Today was a big day!! Baby Julian day! I'll share more about it tomorrow. For now, I'll share that my girls are having a slumber party at my house with Rose Julian and they are beyond excited.
Also, we had huge tornado warnings and since I was a little preoccupied and not at home, Scott ran home, gathered all of the girls up and put them in our safe spot. This photo will never not make me laugh!!!

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Memorial Weekend 2013

I had such a wonderful Memorial weekend!!!!! Saturday was full of fun birthday activities. On Sunday I was a lazy bum. I literally laid in bed almost all day watching Harry Potter. I finally peeled myself out by 2:00 and showered. It was wonderful. That evening we met up with a couple of neighbor couples at the pool where we grilled and chilled. 
On Monday I woke up so anxious for the day!! I hopped in the shower right away, went to Target then Fresh Market to get goodies and was at the pool by 10:45. I stayed until about 7:00. Have I mentioned how much I love my neighborhood? Especially when it comes to pool activities. It's the best part of my summer!
Everyone brought their own food to grill for their family and it was so fun hanging with everyone and watching the kiddos splash around. Scott and I made brats, I sprayed sunscreen on me all day (but still managed to miss spots and get burned) and sipped on a few Bud Light Limes after I devoured almost half a gallon of McAlisters tea. Iced Tea by the pool = perfection.
Today I ate lunch with one of my favorite neighbors at the most amazing little gem in Northwest Arkansas and I can't believe it's taken me so long to try it out--Crepes Paulette. It's in downtown Bentonville and I've heard about it for years but have never tried it out. It was so amazing!! I didn't get a chance to take any pictures but I'm making Scott go with me on Saturday so I'll share more about it later. It's worthy of an entire blog post just by itself!
Ivy and Madison got their hair cut yesterday. I love when they get their hair cut because they look extra, extra cute to me!!! I used to have it cut every 6 weeks but I decided this time that I'm going to start doing it every 4 weeks. They get too scraggly. They weren't in the mood to pose for photos tonight.
I texted Jaclyn Sunday morning asking her if she had that baby yet because I kinda needed her to. She didn't which is a major bummer (how amaze would I have been if I had totally nailed it) but I talked to Jake tonight and he said he wouldn't make me give him the $50 I technically owed him. I would be willing to bet anyone who reads my blog ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS that she has her tomorrow. May 30th. Any takers?

Sunday, May 26, 2013

Twenty Eight

I ended up having a really wonderful birthday yesterday! I woke up to a big box of chocolates from Scott. I love chocolate from the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory so a box of chocolates for breakfast was the perfect start to my day!!
After I consumed 250 calories of chocolates, Scott and I put on our workout gear and hit the gym. After we got home and showered, we met Scott's dad at The Egg and I for brunch. I had this mexican skillet thing and it was quite good. I'd love to try their lunch sometime. I'll definitely be going back!
Once we got home we threw on our swimsuits and lounged by the pool for the first time this summer. It's just as heavenly as I remember it being!! We visited with neighbors and soaked up some rays. I'm so looking forward to having a tan for the next few months. Slapping on Tan Towels gets old. (I've gotta have a year round tan).
Later that evening Scott and I had a group of friends over to hang out on our patio and grill. Scott makes this delicious Jamaican Jerk Chicken so we had that, Caribbean vegetable kebabs, couscous and andouille sausage!! Yum-O!!
I had to get a picture of the twinkies. V-neck shirt with shorts and brown flip flops. They're even sitting the same! Ha!!

I ended up having a lovely birthday!! It was spent doing my favorite things with my favorite people!! I'm so blessed to have such wonderful friends and neighbors and I can't imagine a more perfect day!

Friday, May 24, 2013

One Hour Left

Yikes! I have major failed on blogging this week. It's been a crazy busy one.
In one hour I will kiss 27 goodbye. It's a blah birthday to me. There isn't a whole lot that's special about turning 28. Next year I feel as if I will freak out knowing it's my last year in my 20's. I know I'm still quite young but how did I get older all of a sudden? Cray.
To celebrate my birthday, I'm having my bestest friends over to grill and hang out on my patio. That's assuming Baby Girl Julian doesn't arrive before 6:00 tomorrow night. I've always said she would come on my birthday. However, Jake and I have a $50 bet and I wagered that she'll come on Sunday weighing 6 pounds, 2 ounces. Here's hoping I'm right. I could use fifty bucks. If Jaclyn goes into labor by 11:59 PM on Sunday I definitely think that's grounds for me winning.
Speaking of my bestie, we had lunch at McAlisters today. It was a moment for me. We've had lunch together at McAlisters every single week for over 3 years now. I feel like it was the last time as just us. Next time we meet we're going to be adding a tiny new friend to our weekly lunch date! I mentioned this to Jaclyn and she was like "no we'll have lunch next week." I'm not so sure about that!!
Sunday. 6 pounds, 2 ounces.
I think that tomorrow is going to be such a fun birthday! Scott and I are going to hang out at our neighborhood pool and you can't even comprehend my excitement!! I've been looking forward to the pool opening since September. I LOVE the Hyde Park pool. It's full of good company and fun times!! The plan for the day is that we start it out at the gym. After that, my father-in-law wants to take me to breakfast/brunch at The Egg and I. It's new here to NWA and apparently it's a chain? I dunno but supposedly it's heavenly. After that I'm throwing on my swimsuit and parking myself next to the pool until about.....4:00. Then I'll get ready to enjoy the rest of the day with my friends!! I'm so looking forward to it!
And since I can't do a post without mentioning my girls.....
We bought them a new toy today. I rarely buy them toys because....they have a zillion of them. This boomerang seemed like something they would really love so we got it and they do. Madison played with it all night. Notice Ivy's got her bone next to her. So typical!
Speaking of my sweet girls....their first (human) Momma, Hilda, reads my blog. Hey Hilda! I love that she helped create these two precious puppies and that she's still invested in their life. Hilda left me the sweetest comment on Tuesday's post saying she reads my blog every day and that just means so much to me. If anyone is looking into getting a puppy I know of a great place!!
If anyone needs a dog toy I bet we could spare one. Where's Madison?

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

A Joyful Year

A year ago today these precious little girls became a part of my life.
It's still so crazy to me how quickly these two entered my life. I was heartbroken over the loss of Holly and I was surprised (and honestly disturbed) by myself when I began searching for puppies online. It was simply for entertainment and a great distraction to look at puppies of all kinds. I started sharing cute photos with Scott and casually talked with him about getting puppies.
I'll never forget this one day that I was laying in bed when Scott called me and told me he was looking online and found these puppies that were really cute. They were Shorkies, just like Holly, which is what we always said we would get if we ever had pups again. I got online and fell in love immediately. I saw Ivy's picture first then clicked on the website and saw another girl was available as well.
The second I saw them I knew they belonged to me! I could not, not get them!! I was so nervous when I made the call to the breeder. While I was talking to her I was thinking "am I seriously doing this?" Ivy and Madison were ready to go a week before I got them but Scott and I had an out of town wedding to go to so I let them stay with their (birth) Momma until that weekend was over.
When the day rolled around that it was time to get them I was a nervous wreck. I was a mix of emotions. I couldn't believe I was doing what I was doing yet I was beyond excited.
We arrived at the airport at 11:00 am. I paid extra for the girls to get a quick flight to XNA. They normally would have arrived later in the afternoon but I didn't want them to be in a crate for very long. When we got to the desk to pick the girls up the guy who handed us the crate said he saw puppies come through every day but these were hands down the cutest he had ever seen! They were in a huge crate (which I appreciated very much) for two tiny girls. We didn't open it up and meet them until we got to the car. I have it on film and one of these days I'll put a video together to share with you all!
You can read all about the rest of that day here.

One Year Later....

It's so crazy to me how I had the girls pegged from the very first day. I nailed it!! One year later my opinion of them is still the same....

Ivy
Ivy is no different from the day I met her. She is my skeptic. It takes her a while to trust you. Ivy gives the softest and sweetest kisses. She's my snuggle bug. She curls up in my curve every night and snoozes like an angel. Once I wake up in the morning and turn on the TV, she migrates onto my pillow and hangs until I get out of bed. She doesn't care if there isn't a spot for my head! Ivy is my little shadow. I can't even go to the bathroom without her. I don't bother shutting the door these days but when I do, her little nose peeks from under it. Ivy doesn't love everyone. She's sweet as pie and says hello to everybody she comes in contact with but you're special if you get Ivy love. Ivy is a tail wagger. Her little nubbin is always going. Ivy LOVES playing outside. She stands by the back door a lot asking to go out. Ivy's weakness is bones. That girl loves chewing a bone. It's her favorite thing but it takes her forever to finish one off. Ivy is still my little crier. She cries to get what she wants and it's so pitiful. It (almost) works every time.

Madison
Madison is my mess. This girl is not lacking in personality. We laugh at her all the time! Madison has so much love to give. If you spend the night at my house, Madison will come snooze with you at some point in the night. She's truly the most loving dog I've ever known. Madison HATES getting in trouble. Not kidding, I can simply give her the evil mom look and she will cower, run to me, ask me to pick her up, then kiss me all over. It's SO funny!! Madison is very smart. I wasn't so sure about her intelligence factor the first few months I had her but she is definitely a smartie. I keep their puppy pads in the laundry room and any time I go in there to do laundry Madison runs in and potties on the paper. She's like "see Mom! I know how to do it right."I actually have to stop her sometimes. I go to fold clothes in there and see her twirling around on the puppy pads and have to tell Madison not to go just to go. She looks at me like "but I want you to know I know how." Madison is OBSESSED with toys. She will typically fall asleep with a toy in her mouth.

Ivy and Madison
Ivy and Madison are the sweetest sisters I've ever known. They love each other SO SO SO much!! Ivy is definitely the dominant. Madison is for sure stronger but Ivy rules the roost. They may fight over toys and bones but they always look out for one another. They love us but are definitely each other's priorities and I love that. I'm so happy they always get to be together. They are so different yet so much alike. I know this is horrible to admit but when I see them from behind I sometimes don't know which is which!! Ivy and Madison have their things. Ivy's is bones and Madison's is toys. Every single morning I wake up to a bone and a toy in my bed. Every. Single. Morning. It makes me laugh.
Ivy and Madison have brought me so much joy within the last year. Looking back on it now, I feel like I didn't really enjoy their puppy stage because I was so ready for them to get potty trained and not destroy stuff. Actually, they still destroy stuff.....one year later. They aren't bad but they aren't perfectly good either!! Holly was perfect. They have perfection to be compared to! I wouldn't trade them though. I can't imagine life without these two sweet babies! They make me very happy and bring so much entertainment, joy and happiness to my life. It's been a really wonderful year with these two!!

Monday, May 20, 2013

A Lot About Nothing

Happy Monday everyone! I'm looking forward to this week for many reasons. It's definitely going to be a fun one!!
My weekend was busy. I worked for my parents. I always say it's not really a big deal to work events but I'm always glad when they're over. Even though my parents were up here this weekend I hardly saw them. They worked baseball while I worked soccer and it's an all day, all weekend long thing so I don't feel like I saw them at all. Luckily I did get to see sweet Gracie and the girls were excited to be reunited again.
I felt bad on Saturday because it was Scott's birthday and I didn't get to spend the day with him at all. I woke up early so I could make him breakfast because he really enjoys a big, yummy breakfast and that's about all I did with him. Scott and a bunch of guys went golfing then he had dinner with his dad so he wasn't abandoned and alone on his birthday. Not that he really cares. Birthdays aren't what they used to be the older you get are they? Still though, I like to make them feel special for people!
Yesterday was not a fun day for me. I had the worst stomach pains and laid in bed all day. Before my Mom, Grammy and Uncle Wesley left NWA we ate at Abuelos for lunch and I had to get up and lay in Scott's car before I could even finish my meal. I had stabbing pains all over. I came home and crawled in bed with a heating pad and the stomach pains didn't go away until late last night. My Mom has been trying to get me to go to a Gastroenterologist for years now. I've had stomach troubles for literally as long as I can remember. I've had blood drawn and seen many doctors over the years to see if they could figure out what's wrong with me and nobody can ever diagnose me with anything. 
I am very sensitive to food but I don't think I'm full blown allergic to anything. I have to eat a very clean diet quite consistently if I want to feel good. For the longest time I thought I had celiac disease but I learned I'm just sensitive to gluten. I'm sensitive to dairy too. I can have gluten or dairy here and there and it totally doesn't bother me but if it's in my diet a lot for a week I start to have problems. Eating clean is the only thing I've found that keeps the stomach troubles away.
You were wanting to hear all about my medical history weren't you? Moving on....
We're supposed to have bad weather tonight which is always a little scary. We don't have a good place in our house to hide. Stay safe NWA!

Saturday, May 18, 2013

Twenty (Nine)

Happy 29th Birthday to my best friend! You are the person I love being around the most. You make me laugh and bring me such joy. You take care of me, protect me, and make me feel safe. I truly fall more in love with you every day and I feel so blessed that I get to spend the rest of my life with you--my dream guy! I don't know what I would do without you!! I love you more than you will ever know and I'm so glad you were born!!

Happy 29th baby!! You turn 30 next year and I'm not gonna lie....that kinda freaks me out!!! Last year in your 20's? Let's make it fun! XOXO

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Life Today

This is what I did today. 
Woke up, went to pilates, came home, watered flowers, got dressed. Grabbed Subway to go, drove to Fayetteville, ate my turkey and ham sandwich in my car. Worked an event in Fayetteville for my parents. Drove back to Rogers, popped in TJ Maxx, Ulta then Walmart. Got completely soaked---thanks to the pouring rain---while loading my groceries into my car. 
Came home, made dinner and now I'm doing this. Once I'm finished I'll watch Modern Family then Nashville, shower and hop into bed.
That's it.
Oh and also this....
Today is my brothers birthday! I would guess this is a photo from his 6th or 7th birthday. How much does this look like Landon?!! It's so crazy to me how much they resemble one another!!!!!!! 
Happy 31st Birthday Kyle! I hope you've had a really nice day. 

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Power Salad

I've been making the most delicious salad for lunch lately. There's nothing special about it except for my new salad dressing that I found. I actually look forward to eating it. I always try to eat a salad at home for lunch at least twice a week but something else, like a lean cuisine, always sounds better. However, ever since I've found my new salad dressing I crave a salad loaded with my favorite fruits and vegetables instead! I call it my power salad. YUM.

Last night we (per usual) spent the evening outside. The girls LOVE going outside. I don't mind them being outside so much except it adds a slight level of stress for me. There used to be a spot under the fence that they could get under but we had it fixed so that worry went away. However, about 2 weeks ago we were all hanging outside when we spotted four hawks circling over our house. Scott leaped up faster than I could, grabbed the girls and put them inside. A hawk taking my baby has been a fear of mine forever. I worried about it with Holly and now with Ivy and Madison. I cannot imagine anything worse than watching that happen right before my eyes. I have nightmares and wake up in a pool of sweat on a weekly basis---and have for years!!!! Now that we had such a close (I feel like) call it's happened almost nightly. I never let the girls go outside on their own. I'm always right there with them and I'm so overly cautious but I never fail to let my mind go to the worst places.
All my dramatic fears being said, the girls love outside and Ivy has really enjoyed our landscaping as proof from this photo.
She looks like a homeless puppy!! We're having to water our new trees a lot right now and Ivy somehow manages to get extremely filthy by walking in the wet mulch around them. It's so frustrating because I have to give her a bath and it takes FOREVER to get the dirt and mulch off her. She loves it though!!
We can usually distract both of them from getting muddy with the frisbee. They still love this thing. Gamma bought them an indoor frisbee and that toy is so annoying. They're both relentless and ask you to throw it all. day. long. We've finally gotten to where we hide it from them. One can only be entertained with throwing a frisbee for so long.

Monday, May 13, 2013

MD // 2013

Scott and I celebrated Mother's Day with his Mom yesterday. We picked her up and took her to lunch at Fish City. I love eating at that place!! One of Jodie's friends, Julie, joined us and we had a lovely time.

Afterwards we walked to the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory and grabbed some dessert. Scott and I shared this salted milk chocolate caramel treat. Heaven. It's going to be my new thing. 
Jodie has been talking about getting an iPhone for a long time now so Scott and I took her to get one. How anyone functions without a smart phone these days is beyond me!!! Like, what did I do before my iPhone? We got it all set up and spent some time showing her how to use it. I'm so glad she has one now. 
For her Mothers Day gift we got her a gift card to Glo. She had mentioned to me a few weeks ago that she would really like to get a makeover and have someone show her how to apply makeup, etc so I'm sure we'll be heading down to Fayetteville soon to get her all set up. Makeovers are always fun. I may have to treat myself to a few goodies while I'm down there!! I love new makeup. 
That was about the extent of our day yesterday. We came home and enjoyed our Sunday night shows and that was it. I sure did miss my Momma yesterday and was sad I didn't get to spend the day with her. Luckily she's coming up here this week so we'll have a delayed Mothers Day together then!

Sunday, May 12, 2013

HMD

Happy Mothers Day to my amazing Mom!!!!


I love my Mom SO much and feel SO lucky to have the kind of relationship with her that I do. I don't know what I would do without her!
I love you Mom!!! You mean everything to me! XO!!

Thursday, May 9, 2013

JAKE & SALLY

Linking up again. Ready for it?

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1.) Unlike my brother (that I love very much).....I like all the foods. I'm a foodie but Kyle is SO picky and eats horrible (I swear he keeps Chick Fil A in business) yet manages to not weigh 500 pounds. Most people who eat like he does would. Why, WHY didn't I get that skinny gene?

2.) My best friend says.....that he just learned last weekend that hashtags were actually for a purpose. While talking to my friend, Jake, (you may have heard of him?) on Saturday he told me he never knew hashtags were meant to link a certain category. He thought people used the number sign and put words after it and that was all you did. #HelloGrandpa #IThoughtYouWereAComputerTeacher

3.) People call me.....and ask for travel info all the time. I love it. I've had the pleasure of getting to travel and I love helping people pick a travel destination! I live on Travel and Leisure. If you ever need help planning a trip, I'm your girl.

4.) I most often dream.....that Scott and I have the kind of life where we live all over the world. I'm fascinated by people who are adventurous and get to live in amazing places.

5.) The best part of my day.....is in the evening when Scott and I are cooking together and drinking wine.

6.) I really don't understand.....why people think they can run their hands under water for 3 seconds and call that washing their hands. I catch females doing this in public restrooms all the time and it disturbs me to a level that I can't even describe. Like, ew!

7.) I get really annoyed.....at people who take their sweet precious time while driving. Even if I'm not running late to something, I'm still in a hurry to get there.

8.) There's nothing like a.....great dining experience. #foodie

9.) Lately, I can't get enough.....of Coldplay. I've always loved Coldplay but I've gotten obsessed recently and have downloaded nearly every song. I mean, not really. Don't you hate when people do that. Really? EVERY song? You know what I mean though. I enjoy working out to Coldplay....and cooking to Coldplay....and don't even get me started with my girl crush on Gwyneth Paltrow.

10.) One thing I am NOT is.....a litter bug. That's one thing people do that I truly can't wrap my head around. How can you just throw your trash on the ground? I'm like the crying Indian when I see it happen. (If you got that please leave me a comment.)

11.) I spent too much money on.....delivery fee's from IO Metro within the last year. It's $100 for them to deliver and some of their stuff is delivery only as in, you can't even pick it up yourself and save the $100 even if you wanted to. I've spent $500 simply for them to bring me pieces of furniture. I have to stop talking about it now or I'll become angry.

12.) I want to learn.....how to speak in different languages fluently. I'll probably never take the time to do it but how amazefest would I be if I could talk to you in Italian?

13.) If I ever met Ivy and Madison's real family I would.....love it!! I also wish I knew and could keep in contact with their "siblings." They are 2 of 5 litter mates. They had 2 sisters and a brother. I would love to know what their Mom, Dad and siblings look and act like!!

14.) I can't stop.....laughing every time I think about Scott snow skiing for the first time. He had no idea what he was doing and flew straight down the mountain at 458 mph. I couldn't keep up partly because he was going so fast but mostly because I was laughing so hard. He finally busted it and I thought we'd never go skiing again but he pushed through, took lessons and LOVES skiing now.

15.) Never have I ever.....colored my hair, eaten a PB&J, gone a day without shaving, rode a horse, or missed a single episode of Friends.

16.) Reese Witherspoon.....is my new favorite celebrity. I've seen her arrest video at least 20 times and I laugh out loud so hard every time I watch it. If I was witnessing Scott getting arrested I would totally act just like her. I think she's genius to say he couldn't arrest her because she was an American citizen standing on American soil. My favorite part is when she claimed she was pregnant and needed to use the restroom. The whole thing is just beyond.

Wednesday, May 8, 2013

CHEESE!!

I woke up from a deep sleep this morning after dreaming about shopping in J Crew. You read that right. I had an entire dream about shopping in J Crew!!! I knew I was obsessed, but my dream took it to a whole new level.

Switching Topic's completely.....

I've fallen in love with a few new food products and I thought I'd share them with you guys. First off is this.
I love this honey mustard salad dressing! I struggle with store bought salad dressings. I never like them. I usually make my own at home with different oils. Olive oil and lemon juice is really good on salads believe it or not. I bought this at Fresh Market last week. I was in a hurry and just grabbed it and was pleasantly surprised at how yummy it was!! If you're like me and picky with store bought salad dressings you should give this one a try. Scott loved it too.

So Scott and I have been on this awesome health kick but we are major failing with cheese right now. I make us a cheese platter to nibble on while we sit outside and wait for our food to grill. It is a small cheese platter but a cheese platter nonetheless. My number one favorite cheese is pepper jack. I promise I can appreciate more sophisticated cheese, but pepper jack will always be my top choice. I've been getting this at Fresh Market and it's taken pepper jack to a whole new level for me.
It's so soft and creamy! I got home yesterday and walked straight to the fridge to cut a slice off (OMG I'm disturbing myself and feeling so disgusting right now as I type this) and noticed it was all gone!! Scott is such a bad roommate and never replenishes what he polishes off. I called him and ask him to pick some up on his way home. He stopped by Walmart and got Great Value and is was so yuck compared to my creamy Jeremiah's kind. Never turning back.
I've saved the best for last. Also while browsing the cheese isle at Fresh Market (okay after I'm done with this post I'm voluntarily entering cheese rehab) I noticed these cheese spreads. They looked very appealing so I grabbed the Abbruzze one to try. OH MY GOODNESS IT'S SO GOOD!! Today I picked up the Roasted Garlic and Herb one and it is just as yummy too!! Scott came up with an amazing idea that it would be heavenly to grill a filet then plop a small scoop of this on top and let it melt all over the plate. Best. Idea. Ever.
I'm seriously LOL as I type at how much of a tubby I sound like right now.

Anywho, I got a comment the other day that this cheese platter looked delish and this is what all was on it! It's a little bit of cheese heaven and I felt it would be rude not to share it with you.
Do you have any yummy products you'd like to share with me? I'm always looking for new delicious foods!!

Tuesday, May 7, 2013

Control Z Fail

I just wrote an entire blog post that took me 35 minutes to do and while proofing it the whole thing managed to freaking disappear. Seriously? Control Z, control Z, CONTROL Z.Z.Z.Z.Z!!! Didn't work. I may have said a bad word. Over it.
Here's how it went in a nutshell.
I sent Landon a birthday card with 50$. He sent me this thank you note today. I love it and will keep it forever!
These two played outside today and got ridiculously filthy. It's never taken me so long to give them a bath because they were covered in the mulch from my new landscaping. The landscaping adds a whole new element of fun for their outdoor adventures. Unfortunately it makes them extra dirty. They look like they have black booties on!! Crazy girls.
I'll post pics of my new landscaping soon. We love it so much!!!
I'm tired and off to bed. Now that it's spring/summer (otherwise known as a nice winter this year) I'm having that 'dreadful bright light beaming through my windows' problem again. I need new curtains with blackout backing on them. They have some at Pottery Barn that would work perfectly and I want them so bad.....In case anyone was wondering what I would like for my birthday which is in 18 days.
That's all....

Monday, May 6, 2013

House Plants

Hey all! How was your weekend? Hopefully great!! Nothing to report here. It's been a busy week with everything that's been going on with us.
Should we talk about how it snowed in May here in NWA or are we all over that topic? I always love snow but this one managed to make me just so confused. I stayed at Jodie's the night before and my car wasn't in a garage so when I left early in the morning to go home my car was COVERED in snow. I felt so stupid driving home because it was clear everyone else had their car parked in the garage. I couldn't see out of my windows and I usually have a snow scraper but it somehow disappeared the one day I needed it. I thought if I cracked my window a hair it would magically make all of the snow slide off. It was really a grand idea except when I nudged the window button I couldn't make it stop and a whole blanket of snow fell inside my car. Fail.
It was finally pretty today, still slightly cold (especially for MAY) but pretty so I celebrated with bright colors.
I ate a yummy lunch with Jaclyn (at McAlisters, duh) today then headed to Jodie's after. I brought Ivy and Madison with me. They love getting out of the house and there's no sense in leaving them at home. I was helping Jodie with something when I noticed I hadn't seen the girls in about 5 minutes. If I can hear them I don't worry but if they've disappeared and it's silent I know they're up to something. Sure enough I walked into the kitchen and noticed a leaf on one of Jodie's house plants (that they'd been toying with all day) was half eaten. I wasn't too alarmed but decided I better google 'Poisonous House Plants' to be on the safe side. Low and behold that particular plant was listed in the top 10.
I called the vet to ask them if I needed to be worried when they told me I had 15 minutes to get some hydrogen peroxide down them to make them throw up. Umm...who has that just lying around? Scott literally walked into the house at that moment when I (dramatically with the vet still on the phone) said "Get in the car and take them to the doctor you have 5 minutes!!!!!!!"
He hopped in the car and took off with the girls. A few minutes later I managed to get Jodie in the car so I could be there too. By the time I arrived the vet had already looked them over and didn't think they'd ingested enough (I cut the leaf off the plant to show them how much they ate) to even worry about making them throw up. They told me to stay with them for the rest of the day and watch out for certain signs but other than that they felt like the girls would be okay. Thankfully they have acted fine all day and I haven't noticed anything that would alarm me.

We are so bad......

Thursday, May 2, 2013

Home

Hey guys. Jodie is home now and doing well. Definitely experiencing some pain but moving around pretty good. I've taken the roll of Nurse Kara this week. I wasn't sure I could handle it but those motherly instincts kick in and you just do what you've gotta do.
My parents are working up here this week and I'm so grateful for the timing. I would be so stressed and worried about my girls being alone so much but knowing Gamma and Pops are at my house completely puts me at ease. Ivy and Madison are still quite "playful" and we're worried about them pouncing on Grandma Jodie. I truly think they'd do well though. They're still full of energy but manage to be quite mellow as well. (I never thought I'd be able to say that!) We're going to test them out tomorrow.


Until then....

Wednesday, May 1, 2013

So Long

I wrote on here a few months ago about my mother-in-law, Jodie, being diagnosed with breast cancer at the end of last year. Today she had surgery to remove her tumor. Scott and I woke up at 3:30 this morning so we could pick her up and be at the hospital in Fayetteville by 5:00. Its been a long day. According to her doctors the surgery went great and she seems to be recovering very well. She's actually going to go home tomorrow and Scott and I plan on spending the majority of our time with her for the next few weeks.
If you think about us please keep us in your prayers for fast healing and that her biopsy comes back with clean margins. I would greatly appreciate it.


While we were in the waiting room I couldn't help but notice three huge canvas paintings of Iris's on the wall. I just sat there for what seemed like forever, anxious and nervous about the next few hours with nothing to look at but those paintings. It made me think about the beautiful Iris's that were planted in my back yard this week and I feel as if every time I look at them now I'll remember this day. A day of fear and sadness but also a day of celebration for a new life that, hopefully, just kissed this cancer goodbye.