Dreams for 2011

When I was around 10 or 12 years old, I decided that everyone at our house on New Year's Eve had to write down their resolution.  Then, I wanted them to give them all back to me so that I could read them to everyone.  I'm guessing I would have probably harassed them all year to find out if they were sticking to it.  Needless to say, the only people who joined in were my younger siblings.  No one older than me wanted to be accountable to a child.  I think that was probably the last year I made a true New Year's resolution.  However, I am a big goals and dreams kind of person.  So, I have decided to share on my blog a few things that I want to happen in 2011.  Some of these I have been working on already, but that's what makes this list different than a resolution!

* I want a vacation with just me and my husband.  We got two great nights away for our anniversary last year, but I want a full vacay--not just a weekend escape.  Thankfully, we already have our cruise booked for April 2. So, this one can be crossed off in 92 days.  Before then, though, I need to get a new passport, find a hotel, book our shore trips, and shop!

* I want to run at least two races next year.  Obviously, I am already working on training for my first half marathon on March 5 (I paid our reservation fees last night!), but I want to do at least one more than that.  After the Snickers Half Marathon, I'll see if I'm up for another half, if I can handle a full, or if I need to cut it back to a 10k.

* I want to finish our kitchen.  This has been a project we have been putting off in our house, because we use the room soooo much.  We will need to commit to a week of hard work while having to eat out or microwave all our meals, because the stove will be gone while we are getting this all done.  We've had the ceramic tile for the floors since April, but I will also need to finally decide on a paint color and such.

* I want at least one good camping trip this summer.  I am perfectly okay with this trip only being two nights, though.  We've already decided that we won't feel guilty about leaving Max behind if he's not a good trail dog, but Blue definitely gets to come.  This trip would probably be hiking into somewhere fairly remote, too.  We'll start trying Max on some trails in the spring to see how he does.  If he's okay with it, he can come too!

* I want to have more fun this year.  I realize that I am the kind of person who can get too caught up in the details of life to step back and enjoy the moment.  This is something I want to work on.  If I am less stressed over the little things, those might even be more enjoyable also.

I don't think I am asking for to much this coming year.  Most of these "wants" are pretty manageable.  It's not like I'm asking to find a million dollars or have MCG declare Devin so smart that he gets to skip the last two years of medical school.  So, check back with me in 365 days to see how many of these things got accomplished.

On a side note, there are a lot of things I am just looking forward to next year.  I'm excited for Devin to start his rotations and get out of the classroom.  I'm excited to meet my new nephew. (Happy Birthday Logan!  He'll arrive in the world this afternoon!!)  I'm excited about looking at a calendar and seeing all the holidays and seasons--a new year equals a new one of each of these.  And, I'm excited to see what life holds in store for us these next 12 months!  I never would have imagined where these past 12 months would take us, so I'm sure I can only guess and where we'll be in life next December 31st!

Happy New Year!!!

Max

Max the beagle in now home with the family!  He is about 11.5 pounds and is estimated to be about 4 months old.  We have selected August 21, 2010 as his birthday, making him exactly 18 months, 2 weeks, and 2 days younger than his big brother.  (This is the same age difference between me and my sister Kassie!)

Max (short for Maximus--as in the horse from Tangled) came home with us Sunday night.  We detoured on our trip back from WV to get him.  After a tense car ride from Marietta where Blue made it very clear that the car was too full of stuff for two dogs, we are all settling in nicely.  Monday, Blue was kind enough to tolerate him and play with him on occasion.  Tuesday, Blue was initiating play with him and sharing his toys.  Wedenesday, I came back from the shower to find that Max had hopped out of the bin we have him sleeping in to curl up with Blue on his bed.  Then they spent most of the night sleeping together last night.  They are adorable together.

Blue and Max love to chase each other around the yard and could probably do this for hours.  However, Max didn't hit the "all clear" point from being neutered until today, so we have had to curtail the cuteness a little bit.  We'll probably limit it just a bit for a couple more days, though, because he's not quite healed all the way.  When he's good to go, I will definitely be posting a video of this...as long as blogger lets it work.

So far, the count is pretty even on going to the bathroom inside and outside the house.  (Thank goodness we don't have carpet!)  However, it he has already made tremendous improvement.  He is learning that the back door leads to where he is supposed to go, and he is having much fewer accidents.  The first night, he slept straight through until morning.  The next three nights, though, we've been up with him once or twice.  Despite these minor flaws, though, this little guy is definitely a keeper!

Christmas Prep

We leave for Parkersburg, WV to spend Christmas with my family tomorrow!!  I still have plenty on my to-do list before we can go, though.  Thankfully, Devin will be gone until tonight.  (I have found I am much more productive when he is gone!)  I have to:

   * Do 3 loads of laundry (and fold 6 total!)
   * Pack for Devin, Blue, and myself for 5 days
   * Finish wrapping a couple presents
   * Clean the house
   * Go to Target and Petsmart
   * Eat dinner (I sometimes forget this if Devin's not home)
   * Make a to-do list for Devin for tomorrow
   * Anything else I've forgotten on this list...

Having so much to do is my fault.  I could have done laundry yesterday, but I want as little left dirty when we leave as possible.  I also could just have 2 loads to wash if we hadn't eaten cookies in the bed after church yesterday.  (Hence, finding piles of crumbs when we went to sleep last night.)

Also, if we had any food in the house dinner would be simpler.  But, we haven't grocery shopped in 2 weeks to try to use up the hodge-podge of food in our house before leaving.  Devin keeps reminding me that we still have a can of beans, but I don't think I want that for dinner.  So, I am probably looking at a Panera night (it's in the same shopping center as Target/Petsmart).

Ideally, my list will be completely finished by 8 o'clock so that I can enjoy a little time on the couch with the last little bit of Cranberry Sierra Mist hiding in the fridge before going to bed at a decent time with fresh sheets.  But, it will probably be midnight while I obsessively scrub the grout in my bathroom.  I'll happily settle for somewhere in between, though.  If I don't write during our trip, I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas!!

Our Growing Family

Meet the newest addition to the Stephens Family Household!

This new little guy will be joining our family after Christmas!  He has an appointment with a vet to get "fixed" before we can pick him up.  Right now, we know that he is between 4 and 5 months old and is a pure bred beagle rescued from a puppy farm in Missouri.  About a week ago, he was given a clean bill of health by a vet, weighing in at about 11 pounds.

We were drawn to this puppy over how quickly he bonded with us.  He kept giving us both puppy kisses, and his tail just couldn't stop wagging.  He was adventurous and eager to see everything he could but would also snuggle right up aw well.

The little guy's brother (held by me) is still availiable on Petfinder.  While it was hard to say no to both, we knew his brother was so sweet that he also would be adopted pretty quick.  He is currently being called Austin in his foster home, but that name isn't going to stick.  Now, we are just debating a couple of names (a name won't be offical until he's here), and getting ready for him to come!  We have pulled out a few of Blue's old items, but still need to get food, puppy bones (Blue loves BIG ones!), a new collar and leash, and a bed.  dAfter two attempts to upload a video, I have given up on sharing that cuteness for now.  So, stay tuned for some adorable pictures (and maybe a video...) of brotherly love after the holiday!

Random Thoughts

I check my google reader several times a day.  It's so fun to read updates on the lives of the people I care about. I'm sad when I have none to read.  However, I have not always been the best about posting.  I vowed to do better about writing on my own blog but am slipping again. Besides writing about running yet again, there are just random thoughts that each are not worthy of a post by themselves.  So, I've decided to compile them here in a post to avoid an even longer blog-gap.  I will also vow to do something amusing and blog-worthy in the near future.  I promise. So, here are the thoughts:

* Don't knock your favorite insulated, flying WV, conveniece store-style cup off the night stand.  I did.  After five years of drinking out of the same cup in the middle of the night, it is no more.  The cup broke!  I was sooo unhappy.  But, I was also cold, did not want to get out of bed for a new cup, and therefore spent the night thirsty.  But, I don't even know what cup I would use!

Yeah...the two layers cracked apart.  I didn't even know that was possible!

* Apparently, when your office heater brakes, it may first have to get colder before it gets warmer in there.  You may spend a whole day wearing your coat and scarf wishing you could type with gloves on.  But, you wore think knitted ones, so you can't.
* The office white elephant gift exchange is strange.  It's possible that you will go through the entire thing thinking of a nice use for every single item (maybe even stealing one or two as the opportunity arises) to end up with the the next to last opened present--which also happens to be the only one that you don't want.  It may even be a set of Corona beer glasses.  And, you may in fact be the only person in the room who does not drink alcohol.  This may then be akward for everyone else.

I think I'll save these for a gag gift...

* Even when you check the box on Amazon that says "send in as few shipments as possible" you will still get waaaay too many boxes if your order is more than a couple items.  They will come from warehouses all over the US.  It will induce anxiety in any control-obsessed person because you could end up with as many as 10 boxes spread between three mail carriers all at the same time.  And, they never. update. tracking.  Of course, the day after it came you get a text saying that it was delivered...duh.

* Overhearing your husband teach your dog while snuggling/studying for an exam may be one of the most adorable things ever to happen.  Especially when the dog seems extremely content that it is going on, and your husband seems to think it's the most natural happening in the world..

Could they be any cuter?

* I hate the cold.  Anyone who knows my probably knows this fact.  It was a motivating factor in my moving to the south.  However, I hate it more than ever.  I've felt like I couldn't get warm for the past week or two.  Last night, Devin put my favorite blanket in the dryer until it was HOT.  Then, I finally felt warm.

So, there are my thought for now.  I'll try to update again soon!

High on Endorphins

I am almost two weeks into my half marathon training.  Already, I have learned a few valuable lessons.  here's a few: 

First, drinking Gatorade after every run helps prevent muscle cramps.  This includes the type that make it so you can't move your foot.  Second, it's easier to run on a treadmill with a tv.  Watching a cheesy Christmas movie or something on Discovery Health is very distracting.  Third, yoga is an even better compliment to running than I thought possible.  It is the perfect cross training exercise as far as I'm concerned.  My favorite lesson, though, is that endorphins are awesome.

I had a really, really good run tonight.  I ran farther before a walk break than I have in a while and have already shaved a good piece of time off of my Thursday run last week.  When I finished, I felt amazing.  I pushed myself pretty hard at the end, so I was pretty worn out when I first finished.  About a minute later, I felt like I was on drugs...good drugs.  Devin and I walked several laps and talked afterwards (as we always do), and I had to keep myself from starting to run again.  This reminded me why running can be considered addictive.  After a few laps, the feeling started to wear off, and I wanted to chase that high again.  But, I didn't.  Instead, I came home, drank my glass of Gatorade, did a little yoga to stretch, and started thinking about my run on Saturday.  Now, I'm going to go play QWOP with my husband and maybe eat a candy cane!!!  If you need a good laugh, you should check it out too...

Christmas Decor

 We finally have our Christmas Tree up!  I was really excited about it. And, I took a lot of pictures.  After a few tries, we finally got one self-portrait style in front of our tree. 

We also hung the stockings (yes, that is tape, but they will be transported to WV before being filled).  Blue was extremely confused by them and stood there staring at them for a while.

These are the two "annual" ornaments that we have together since being married.

My parents gave us the first one last year. 

We picked out this year's together at Hallmark.

It has been fun sitting here writing this blog by the light of our tree listening to the Oak Ridge Boys Christmas Album from 1982.  It's a pretty awesome collection that reminds me of my Dad.  (Think cowboys singing with one person singing deep bass.)  I love this season!!!

A Look at the Numbers

We have a lot to look forward to:

The end of semester..........................15 days

Going to WV....................................19 days

Christmas..........................................23 days

New Year.........................................29 days

Blue's Birthday..................................65 days

Cruise.............................................121 days

Our 2nd Anniversary.......................151 days

Accountability in the Blogosphere

This post mainly serves one purpose.  If I tell you all my goal, I will be held to reaching it.  I want to run a half marathon.  Eventually, I would like to run a whole marathon.  Right now though, I have begun to focus my efforts on training for the Snickers Marathon Energy Bar Half Marathon in Albany, GA on March 5, 2011.  I made my 14 week training schedule loosely based on the Marathon Rookie website.  I put the information onto a calendar to track where I'm supposed to be and what I've actually done.  I used this fun website to create my first couple running routes. 

Then, on Monday, I snapped a few pictures and headed to the gym (because the sky looked like rain any moment) to begin my first day of real conditioning.  Devin came with me because he also plans to run March 5.  It's been a couple months since I've run although I've remained active and have lost 10.4 pounds in the time since I last ran.  It. kicked. my. butt.  I did just over two miles, and my lungs were on fire.  Thankfully, today was my cross-training day, which means some relaxing and energizing yoga.  However, I have learned that while I can read all I want on the internet, I need some advice. 

For those of you who have done distance running (or even know someone who has) what words of wisdom can you pass on?  Also, I need new shoes before the race, but what other gear is essential?  Or, what is just good to have?

Frigidaire

**Discalimer: I wrote this post on November 10th but didn't post it because my camera wasn't near me.  Now, my fridge is empty except some spoiled leftovers that we didn't get to eat before leaving town for Thanksgiving.  I want this fridge again but have to work and spend money to get it...sigh...

I love it when my fridge is clean.  I love it even better when it is clean and filled with delicious foods.  Especially when many of the items were on sale!  Notice the hummus, feta cheese, completely full produce drawers, yogurt, and orange juice.  Yum!!!

My Gratitudes

Instead of doing a post every day on something I am grateful for, or else updating my facebook status with it daily, I decided I would pay attention to the little moments and thoughts throughout this month.  Then, I would add them to this post to publish it later.  So, here goes!

1. When we cook something delicious, I can smell it everywhere in the house.  Even a toasted bagel makes my bathroom smell wonderful.  For this, our house is the perfect size.

2. My husband and I laugh all the time about nothing in particular.  I absolutely love being goofy and love when we come up with new inside jokes.  (i.e. Brian Reagan-like mispairing of words)

3. Our love seat is awesome.  Not that I still don't love the couch we bought the week before getting married (after opening a few cards and cashing the checks early), it's just that this new love seat is, well, new.  And it's deep and soft and just a little bit fuzzy.

4. Call me strange, but I really like helping my husband study.  This month, he's been doing his neuropsych unit, which is what I know like the back of my hand.  So, I have had a lot of opportunities to help him.  I also pretended to be a patient so that he could practice for his physical exam practical, but that's another story involving him beating my elbows with a brush trying to test my reflexes.

5. With my new benefits as an MCGHealth employee, I was able to get 24 pairs of contacts for $14.  This means I will actually follow the doctors orders and change them every 2 weeks instead of once a month.

6. Devin and I share a taste for orange tictacs.  We can split a box and eat them all in one sitting.  Weird, I know, but I enjoy the little "likes" that we share.  However, we do disagree over whether or not they are candy.  It makes for a good debate from time to time.

7. We have some really awesome friends.  They inspire us in ways too varied and complex to describe.  Having so many wonderful people in our lives is truly a blessing.  We used to wonder if it would be more difficult to make friends when we were married, but that has definitely not proven to be the case.

8. Tissue boxes are fun.  It's the perfect way to liven up my desk at work.  About a week before Thanksgiving, I put out my "Polar Bear Swim Club" holographic box after using up my fun Halloween one.  Thank you Puffs!

9. Picture texts are wonderful.  There is something so neat about being able to connect with my sisters visually on an almost daily basis.  We send each other pics when trying to decide between two items at the store or determining if an article of clothing is really worth the price on the tag.  We also trade pics of little things like our slippers, class notes, dogs, weather, beautiful views, food, outfits, pimples, injuries, etc.

10. Blue always goes to bed at the same time as me.  On the occasion that Devin stays up later than us, Blue gets to sleep on the bed for a while.  It's strange how hard he works sometimes to act like a human, but it's also very amusing to see him lay with his head on Devin's pillow like it's the most natural thing in the world.

I doubt I will spend much time on the computer tomorrow, so I wanted to make sure I had the opportunity to share this.  While there are many more things that did not make this list, these are just a few inspired by my everyday life throughout the past couple weeks.  Tomorrow, my day will be filled with family, food, and beautiful weather!  I hope your day will be just as wonderful...Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!!

My Glorious Weekend

Sometimes, there is a weekend that stands out as wonderful because it is so very different than the rest.  When I was younger, this was usually a weekend when something really exciting happened--like going to the zoo.  In college, it might have been a weekend where I either went out of town or a friend came into town.  This one, though was so different, because there was nothing, I repeat, nothing that we had to do.  And that has not happened in a long, long time.  So, we made the most of it, and it went something like this:

* Leave work early on Friday because I had stayed late the day before.  Spend that extra time laughing and relaxing with my husband and my dog.  (Friday afternoons have always been my favorite time of the week.)
* Then, we went out to dinner and a movie with friends.  Yes, we saw Harry Potter 7 part 1.  It was awesome.  While there was some unnecessary-ness added in that I didn't like, I felt it was the best movie they had come out with in a while.
* Saturday morning we slept in.  When we woke up, we laid in bed and talked.  Blue got to come up and snuggle with us, too.  I think I'd slept between 9 and 10 hours.
* I stayed in my pajamas until sometime around 2 or 3 in the afternoon.  After showering, we grabbed a late lunch/early dinner at Cracker Barrel and then went to Sam's Club and Target.  When we got home, I changed out of my jeans and put on sweatpants.  (The jeans were on maybe 4 hours...maybe.)
* After church on Sunday, we both came home and once more got comfortable.  (Sweat pants or pajamas for both of us!)  We ate an oven pizza and watched something out of our DVR together.  It was the only tv we really watched all weekend. 
* We ended up going outside to our nice, grassy backyard and playing with our dog.  Devin then tossed a little more grass seed around before his daily watering. (He had gotten dressed, I hadn't.)
* By evening time, I decided to put on some real clothes.  We took Blue on our usually 3 mile walking route while discussing evolution, environmentalism, military, real estate, people, plants, history, animals, foster care, and a bunch of other topics.

To make this all much shorter, my weekend was wonderful, restful, and very much needed.  With some much time in lounging clothes, it pretty much had to be.  Now, I just have a 3 day workweek before all the Thanksgiving festivities.  I hope your weekend was just as great!!

Be The Match

I am now a registered bone marrow donor.  Today, there was a multi location registration drive all over Augusta and the surrounding area sponsored by "Be The Match," the national bone marrow donor program.  It was being done in honor of a young boy with leukemia who started his treatment at MCG Children's Hospital.  He is now at St. Jude's after receiving his third bone marrow transplant.  I have come to enjoy reading the updates in his story that his father posts.  He and his family are very inspirational.  So, I signed up.  A couple cheek swabs and a sticker later, I am on my way to potentially saving a life.  I realize that the process can be very painful, but I figure that me being in a little pain is better than someone else dying.  Thanks to advancements in the process, too, it has become substantially less painful and invasive than in earlier days of bone marrow transplants.  If you would like to register as well, please visit http://www.marrow.org/.  From this site, you can either find a registration drive near you, or order a free kit with the swabs and a postage paid envelope to send them back.   I urge you to visit the website, learn more about it, and find out if you can  be the match!!

A Little Queasy

I know that Devin is going to be a doctor.  In fact, he was working on this goal as long as I've known him.  He took his MCATs just a few days before our first date.  I accompanied him on his interviews.  I photographed him being given his white coat.  I have helped him study for almost three semesters of school so far.  I am in the Medical Wives Club.  I work with one of his professors.  I should know that he is truely in medical school.  I don't think it hit home, though, until this came through his email.

What's that, you ask?  It is the proposed schedule for his third year rotations.  YIKES!!!  We talk about his rotations as in, "won't it be nice when you don't have to sit in class all day anymore?" or "won't it be nice if my abulatory care rotation is at MCG so that we can work together?"  But, nothing makes it more real than this chart.  I look at it, and I remember all the other wives talking about how their husbands were never home during this rotation or that one.  Pretty much, the only ones I haven't heard that about were the two week intersession slot and a couple of the electives.  For someone who is used to spending a lot of time with her husband, the idea of almost never seeing him is a little bit frightening.

In addition to the lovely chart, the email was filled with phrases such as "switched the lottery system to an automated system" and "marriage preference - definition and options."  The idea of us having less control than in the past is scary as is the idea that there could potentially not be any marriage preference given.  Then, Devin would be all over the state for rotations, not just in the Augusta area, and I would see him even less.  Of course, I know that this is all in the process of him getting to his doctor goal, but I just don't know that I relly thought the details through quite so much until now.  That is why I am a little bit queasy today...

(P.S. After writing this but before posting it, I talked to one of my sisters who reminded me that I can look at the bright side by being greatful that my husband will at least be around some unlike the wives whose husbands are in Iraq.  Or, I could not have a wonderful husband at all.  So I am greatful...just still a little concerned...)

What would you do-OO-oo?

Most of you have probably heard of the Carnival Splendor by this point.  If you haven't, it's the cruise ship that is currently being towed back to shore in off the coast of California after a fire in the engine room left the ship stranded.  Now, the passengers are eating spam and pop tarts while appreciating the restored toilet functions instead of dining at delicious buffets and taking in evening shows.  If it hadn't been for the US Navy, they wouldn't even have this much, though.
With our cruise approaching in 143 days, this news story has definitely peaked my interest.   It got us talking about what we would have done if we had been on this ship.  Of course, the Oasis of the Seas is much newer than the Carnival Splendor.  And, we prefer Royal Caribbean to Carnival.  But, it was a freak accident, so I guess it could have happened to anyone.  We like to think that we would have made the best of the situation, appreciated the good story we had to tell when we got home, and enjoyed the compensation cruise that we were given.  But, we can only guess.  What do you think you would do?

A Seat of Love

When we bought a house, we realized we didn't have enough furniture.  Actually, we knew that when we got married and lived in a large house for our first summer together.  We were only there for three months, though.  But, we moved into a rental when we first came to Augusta and had enough furniture for that house.  Then, when we left our rental and moved to our home, we found a need (and want) for more. Now, seven months later, we finally began looking around about a week ago.  Additional seating for our fairly bare living room was the first order of business.  It turns out I am a picky furniture person.  We looked online for ideas and went to several stores.  At one, we found something we liked, but it was not available in the color we wanted.  At another, the colors were right, but the styles were wrong.  We eventually made our way to Weinberger's Outlet on Friday, which is awesome.  We found several love seats there that we liked and could work in our room.  We actually had choices!  We made a selection and picked it up today. 

Now, we are in love...with each other and our seat for two!

Now, we have to decide what we want next...a new rug, end tables, or an entertainment center/tv stand.  Any thoughts?

12 Reasons to Love My Life

#1 - Our cruise leaves in 152 days.  If it left in 2 days it might seem even better.  But, I am really, really, really enjoying the planning and the countdown.  We get to have discussions on the virtues of doing a wave jet tour over parasailing and whether or not we should have a cupcake from the Cupcake Cupboard every day of the cruise or only some days.  So I'm okay with it being 152 days away.

#2 - We have a big bowl of leftover Halloween candy.  It's not as much as we had left over last year, but it mostly all Reese's and Kitkats.  After loosing a hard fought 9 pounds, I don't need that much candy to make me gain it back, though.  So that's why it's good that I don't have as much as last year.

#3 - It's November.  Of course, it's November for everyone, but we have lots of fun things planned.  We have the Alzheimer's Walk, a trip to Atlanta, lots of church events, a progressive dinner for MSA, Thanksgiving, and a trip to Albany.  Plus, daylight savings time ends, and we'll get an extra hour of sleep!

#4 - Christmas is only 54 days away.  I actually listened to one Christmas song last night.  It was mostly because I had just received my free download of the Veggie Tales Incredible Singing Christmas Tree album, but I loved it.  I'll probably wait a couple weeks until I make the music a habit, though.  Unless I'm shopping for gifts...or wrapping presents...or just feel like it...

#5 - Our utility bills were AWESOME this month.  Seriously, we have managed not to turn on our heat in the mornings yet.  It's pretty darn cold when we wake up but soooo worth the savings.  We had planned to try to make it halfway through October without the heat and are now just trying to see how long we can go before turning it on.  We also never need the air conditioner any more.  And, our water usage was half what it was this summer!!

#6 - We have a porch swing.  When we were dating and just married, we had plenty of access to a porch swing.  Then, we moved to Augusta and had almost a year without one.  Now, the weather is perfect in the evening for us to sit out on our swing and talk and talk and talk.  I. Love. It.

#7 - Blue is the most entertaining dog there every was, and he is ours.  We rarely get through a movie or a tv show without having to pause it to watch something adorable he is doing.  Right now, he loves catching flies.  I hope to be able to catch it on camera soon.

#8 - There is grass in our back yard.  Sure, probably everyone reading this has grass in their backyard, but we didn't a month ago.  After the grass grew and then stopped and then grew and then died a little, it is finally enough to call a lawn.  Granted, it is not a super think or super plush lawn...yet.  But, it is well on its way and is looking fantastic.

#9 - My wonderful husband did all the dishes today.  After falling behind with our crazy Halloween weekend (think cupcakes + multi-colored jell-o cups + everything else we used), our sink was full.  We planned to do them together yesterday but kept finding better things to do.  So, he did them all before I got home from work.  And, he cleaned other parts of the house too.  Like I said, he is wonderful.

#10 - Amazon.com is entering you in a drawing for a $100,000 shopping spree just for adding an item to a wish list.  How easy is that?!  I love to shop on Amazon and am especially good at picking out things to buy.  Because it's a wish list, I can add and subtract all I want, too.  I currently have 3 different lists going, I think (what I want for Christmas, what I'm buying others for Christmas, what I want to maybe buy someday).  Every week that you add an item between now and Christmas, your name gets entered in again.  Awesome.

#11 - My pants were too big when I put them on this morning, and I had just taken them out of the dryer.  (see #2)  They weren't just big in the waist, though.  They actually look big on me.  When I wore them for the first day at my new job in June, they were a little tight.  I'm happy.

#12 - Devin discovered today that I have an unopened box of Chocolate Cheerios.  I had completely forgotten.  While he teased me about it, I am excited!  It's almost as cool as finding money in a pocket of clothes you haven't worn in a while.  And, if you didn't know, it's one of the best cereals ever made.

Happy Halloween!!!

So, even though it is just now Halloween today, I have had a lot of celebrating the past few days.  First, I carved a pumpkin with my Wives Club to donate to the Ronald McDonald House.  I managed not to hurt myself while creating the pumpkin on the left.  (Please don't notice that one of the teeth is held on with a toothpick.)

Then, my Babe carved our pumpkin.  Which, of course, was better.  That is why it has become his job to make our Mr. Punkin every year.  This year's Mr. Punkin was featured in our Church's Pumpkin Penny Toss at the Trunk or Treat and Carnival.  Devin gave me a choice of a mean face, a happy face, or a devious face.  I think it's pretty obvious which one I picked...I think...

Speaking of which, myself and one other person were in charge of all the festivities at the Church last night.  It was a lot of work!  We had a dinner and a slew of games (10 or 11?) before the Trunk or Treating.  For the cupcake walk, I made a bunch of these cute cupcakes.  Devin enjoyed his (I didn't get to eat one), and they were all gone at the end of the night.

I also made cute slime cups (jell-o and gummy worms) for our kids who have gluten free diets of just don't like cupcakes.  Most of the jell-o was sugar free, too, as not one of those kids needed any more of that last night.

When it came time for the candy giving, our car was fully decorated.  Or, at least a little decorated.  Do you recognize these?

That's right!  We were Mario and Luigi, with a little bit of our world there with us outside our car.  I didn't get a picture before I spilled water, though.  It was a lot of fun to wear those costumes, but I am glad that I will never have the option to grow a mustache!  That was not comfortable at all.

Now, we are waiting and wondering if anyone will stop by our house tonight.  We have kept a reserve of candy (one big bowl full) so that we can be prepared.  It's full of our favorite candies, so if it doesn't get given away, we are okay with that.  I hope your holiday was as wonderful as ours!  Happy Halloween!

My Grammam

A week ago today, my Grammam passed away.  She was a wonderful woman with many people who loved her.  I love her.  And, I can't even begin to list all the wonderful memories I have with her throughout my life.  When I would visit as a young child, she would let me eat a tastykake for my bedtime snack.  While she cooked dinner, we would dance around the kitchen singing about tomatoes and potatoes.  As I got older, we shared shopping trips and evening teas (hers was decaf with a little milk, I took an herb tea with milk and sugar).  Once I became an adult, she dispensed advice and wisdom and shared tips on marriage, family, cooking, and life in general. 

I lived with my Grammam for three summers during high school and college.  I also spent many of my Thanksgiving and Easter breaks with her during college.  I loved that she referred to her guest bedroom as my bedroom whenever we talked on the phone, even if it had been months since I had slept in there.  With Grammam, I always felt that I had another home that was just as comfortable and familiar as the one I shared with my parents and siblings.

Grammam was a wonderful cook.  She made the best soups, barbeque, potato cakes, peirogies, pigeons, and  "platters" I've ever had.  She enjoyed cooking and loved to do it for the people she loved.  Every Sunday for years, she prepared a dinner.  When I was with her, this was an opportunity for her to serve my uncles and myself.  She also made sure she always had the best snack foods avaliable for me as well.

Throughout her life, Grammam loved to collect advice.  I used to joke with her that she could write a book with everything she'd learned.  She would always tell me that she should have started writing it all down years ago.  "Pin a Bounce sheet to your window screens to keep the bugs out."  "Use a drop of classic Dawn in warm water to make your jewelry shine."  "Never microwave soup because it won't heat evenly, and serve it in a bowl you can drink from."  "Add a few grains of rice to your salt shaker to keep it from clumping up."

For the past two and a half years, my Grammam's health had been deteriorating.  It was often painful to talk to her because I could hear the decline in her voice.  However, we were blessed that in general, my Grammam's mind and personality was in tact.  As she fought through frequent hospitalizations and ER visits and was constantly navigating a full schedule of doctor's and specialist's visits, we was slowly getting worse.  She was then admitted to the ICU with multiple problems, and we feared that she may not recover this time.

Thankfully, everything worked out where I was able to drop my life in Augusta, GA and rush to Shamokin, PA to be with her.  I had two wonderful days to spend with her.  While she had difficulty talking, she was alert and lucid and could converse as much as her breathing allowed.  In fact, she appeared to be improving.  The second day I was there, the conversation was much easier and more positive.  She was able to eat again and even enjoy a cup of tea.
During that night, though, she took a turn for the worse.  On Saturday, October 23, 2010, my Grammam passed away quietly and peacefully.  While I miss her tremendously, I am drawing comfort from knowing that she is no longer in pain and is in a much better place than this earth.  She has joined her husband and daughter.  While I will continue to mourn her absence, I know that she is much, much happier.  And, one day, I will see her again.  I love you Grammam.

Grammam's obituary was published today in the Shamokin News Item and the Sunbury Daily Item.

My Week

So, it's Wednesday...the day I get to look at the week equally from both directions.  And, I did not expect what I've got.  On Monday, my facebook status read something about all my ambitions for this test week. For example, my plans included shopping for curtains, stripping wallpaper, scrubbing my floors, and getting some items hung on my walls.  Instead, I've had my evenings booked and none of this is done.  This is my week, forward and back:

Sunday: Survive church.  With boundaries redone in our area, we gained a bunch of kids and lost several teachers.  As president of Primary (the children's organization), I had to deal with all of this.  Then, I picked up my dog from boarding and napped a little after a week of exhaustion.  I also made my to-do list that hasn't been touched.

Monday: Get my eyes dialated at my annual eye appointment.  Then, I sat in the dark most of the evening.  I really didn't think I needed to try to use a hammer when I couldn't see.  However, I did get a chance to sit and talk on our porch swing with Devin during a study break in the cool evening air...looooved it!!!

Tuesday: YOGA!!!  I missed it terribly after having to skip 2 classes.  Then, I talked on the phone...all evening...oops.

Wednesday: Booking my Spring Break Cruise and Church Meeting.  I'm trying to organize getting teachers lined up for all the kids ASAP.  And, let's face it, a cruise is priority for me.  I dream about a week with my husband and no job/med school/telephone/wives club/church/internet/family/friends/life to deal with.  It's just us in the middle of the ocean, and I'm so glad it's getting finalized!!!  Also, I got my flu and tdap shots today.  I'm afraid I won't be able to sleep on my side for a week because both arms are pretty darn sore.

Thursday: Wives' Club event.  We're eating chili and carving pumpkins.  I'm very excited.  First though, I have to go grocery shopping.

Friday: Test Day!!!  Then, we will set up for the Halloween Party at church and then eat out for dinner.  I'm thinking Takosushi?

Saturday:  Halloween Party.  Enough said.

Anyhow, no where in there did I see my awesome decorating skills coming into play.  And, my house certainly won't be seeing any deep cleaning.  Oh well...maybe next week!

Good Oral Hygiene

Do you remember when we got a mile of free floss delivered to our door?  I do.  I guess that didn't improve our dental hygiene enough because we now have more stuff.  We returned home after being gone for 4 days to find that our nice UPS delivery man had delivered and then covered two boxes with our door mat.  Thank you nice UPS man!  As it turns out, he was protecting our 3 gallons of Listerine...

...and assorted Listerine office supplies that we had been given.  (And be "we" I actually mean Dr. Michelle, Dentist Extraordinaire that was at least 2 home owners previous to us...) 

Once again, it was non-returnable.  So, while we will have some fresh minty breath for months (or years) to come, I also have to figure out what to do with my awesome clocks, mouse pads, ceramic business card holders, and wall plaque.  (Is that really spelled the same as the nasty stuff on your teeth?  Wikipedia says yes.)  Oh...and did I mention we got an additional 1,080 feet of floss?  I didn't think so...

p.s.  Does anyone want any coupons for Listerine Smart Rinse or Agent Cool Blue?  I have about half a million of them...give or take a few...

Great-ful for the Little Things...

Life's not always perfect.  Sometimes sad/bad/mad things can happen.  But, I love that I can always find somthing to be grateful for...and I've got a great number of things I can put on my list.  Mostly, I love the little things...

1.  My husband thanked me for folding the big pile of laundry I just washed.  He knows how much I hate doing this.  I'm grateful he noticed and appreciated it enough to comment.

2.  I love to watch my dog get excited over tennis balls, marshmellows, and being allowed on the bed.  I'm greatful that he shows me how amazing every day can be.

3.  Cell phones are amazing.  The internet is too.  I am grateful that I can reach my family at a moments notice or get information that I need so quickly and effortlessly.

4.  Eating dinner with a friend is wonderful.  Finishing it with a Chick-fil-a milkshake is even better.  I am grateful for friends to share good company with and good food to enjoy while we do it.

5.  Rodney Atkins is cool.  He reminds me of everything I love about America.  Seriously, listen to his song It's America.  I'm grateful for his reminders of what it means to live in the USA and in the South.  (btw...he may just convince me to move to East Tennessee...his songs are that good...)

6.  My life is so full of so many unbelievable opportunities.  Sometimes, I like to look back and realize that have been so very, very blessed in my life.  I swear I must be one of the luckiest people in the world.  I couldn't ask for a better life and wouldn't change a thing.  I'm grateful that I have a Heavenly Father who loves me and has given me this life that I have.

I have learned...

This has been a very educational past week or so.  For example, I have learned the following lessons:
1.  When making Pumpkin Pancakes, Yoplait Light Vanilla Thick & Creamy yogurt does not substitute for plain, lowfat yogurt.  But, with a few adjustments, the batter can be saved to actually make a really good breakfast.
2.  If you decide to plant grass, be prepared for a lot of excitement as the little blades begin to pop up through the ground.  So much excitement, in fact, that you might just close the locked door behind you and your husband, leaving your panicked dog trapped inside and nothing but a credit card and your husband's amazing skills to get you back in there with him.
3.  Watching TLC during the week of your period, which also happens to be a test week, is never a good idea.  You will cry while watching it.  You will cry again while brushing your teeth.  You will cry again while telling your husband goodnight.  Lastly, you will cry yourself to sleep.  So, don't do it.
4.  No matter how experienced/competent you think you are with kids (when you have none of your own), you are not prepared for the rare opportunity to watch 4 of them all at one time.  Especially when it's a 6 year old boy, 4 year old boy twins, and a two year old girl.  Sure, you will have tons of fun and remember how exciting little things like bubbles and running up the slide are, but you will also need some form of leaverage.  We used the promise of a trip to Cold Stone after the little girl woke up.  And, you will pass out when you get home...garunteed.
5.  If you happen to have a husband who has "test weeks" on a regular basis, you will survive.  Even if it's a big test, and it's scheduled on a Monday just to ruin the possibility of any weekend fun you might want to have.  Once it was all over, I had a husband who scored an amazing 92.5 and had entire amazing evening to celebrate.  It was filled with tempura asparagus, cucumber salad, sushi, ice cream, a movie, LOTS of talking time, and much more!
Learning can be a little difficult sometimes, but I wouldn't trade the lessons for anything...I think...

In case you were hungry...

Apparently, a New Yourk City artisit and photographer named Sarah Davies has won a bet...big time.  She argued with a friend who believed that any burger would rot, mold, or otherwise begin to decompose after being left out for 2 or 3 days.  She claimed to have known a teacher who kept the same McDonald's burger for 12 years at room temperature.  Now, more than 6 months later, she has won the bet.  And that's just kind of gross.  If I already didn't eat food from there (see: terrible issues after being assigned to read Fast Food Nation), I wouldn't eat there any more.  Of course, if this was consumed on Day One, it still might taste okay...maybe...

To see an interview with Davies, click here. 

To see a slideshow of the "journey," click here.

Enjoy!

Dream Haircut

On Thursday, I have an appointment to get my hair cut.  Since moving to Augusta 14 months ago, I have just been walking into Great Clips for a trim once in a while.  Sometimes, a little more was "trimmed" than others, but my hair has been essentially the same.  I'm not sure if I'm ready for a big change or if I just want things trimmed up.  I know that I don't look good with short hair.  And, my hair is bone straight and very flat...leaving very little to work with.  If I lived in a different reality, my hair would look like Sarah Connor's from "The Sarah Connor Chronicles."

Doesn't her hair look really, really good? 
I can't help but admire it...a lot.

Beacause I am living in this reality, this was the closest I could get to her hair.  For about 2.3 minutes after I curled it, my hair looked somewhat like hers.  ( I just didn't get to the camera in time.)

So...any suggestions on what to do?  I want to get my money's worth, and I have received a great reccommendation on the stylist.  Any help before Thursday would be much appreciated!

Baby Blue

While my little boy has been busy growing up...

...his bone has been busy growing down.

Now he has a new bone...

...and a learner's permit.

They grow up so fast!

Cloudy and gray, but life is good!

So, here's a quick update on our lives.  If anyone really cares besides us...

Devin just finished his first module of the year last Friday, and his final grade was posted this week.  He did VERY well.  I am extremely proud of him for all the hard work he put in the past two months.  We've also learned that he is really really good at pharmacology...which is supposed to be one of the harder parts of the second year of medical school.  Needless to say, we went out to eat to celebrate.

As far as things go with me, not much has changed.  I still love my job.  (I also still love my husband and my dog.)  Work has kept me busy this week, which I don't mind one bit.  I truely enjoy working with my elderly patients, and couldn't think of another job I would rather be doing right now.  I've also started making my Christmas shopping list and plan to start my purchases within the next week or so.  There is no way I want to wait until the last minute like we had to last year.

Blue is pretty much the same.  He was sick and sad a few days ago, but he is better now.  He is now lifting his leg to pee (which is a huge accomplishment as far as I'm concerned) but managed to get it all over his leg yesterday morning when he was still half asleep.  So, he got a bath and is now fluffy and soft and smells really good.

All week, the weather here has been gloomy.  While it reminds me that it really is fall, it has made me tired every day staring out my big beautiful window over my desk at work.  However, the rain here has been great for our newly planted fescue grass in the backyard!  Devin spent a lot of time putting it in a few days ago.  It just leaves me wondering, will the grass still grow without sun?  Sigh...

Drinks on us!

We ate lunch at Olive Garden today.  Apparently, we ordered drinks for the whole house...

Goofy Blue

This is Blue's favorite pose, and he loves it most of all laying under the fan...like here.  When he decides to do this, we just say he's airing himself out.  Gross, I know.

We got no troubles, Life is the bubbles, Under the sea!!!

Okay, so I wasn't actually under the sea this past weekend, but I may as well have been.  The first summer we met, Devin promised to take me to the Georgia Aquarium.  Over two years later, we finally made it there with Devin's sister, niece, and nephew.  It was even better than I could have imagined!  When we first walked inside, there was a petting pool with small sharks and sting rays!  Because I fell in love with sting rays during the Grand Cayman stop of our Honeymoon Cruise, this was a fun first exhibit.  (Ignore my funny face...this was the only picture that actually showed a sting ray in it.)

In the river exhibit, our neice asked why the alligator was white.  After trying to explain albinism, she  remarked, "Oh!  All of his color just got trapped inside and didn't come out!"  According to Devin, this is apparently somewhat accurate scientifically.

When we first arrived at the eel tank, it looked empty.  Then, one after another, the tangle of eels started to move and swim around.  They have such evil and gross looking faces...it's fascinating!



The Artic exhibit brought us to the Baluga Whale tank.  They were absolutely beautiful.  It was very calming to listen to the peaceful musical selection while watching them swim through bright blue waters.  That was, of course, until one of the whales emptied his/her bowels up against the glass.

Next, we saw the sea otter habitat.  This otter was swimming circles, so I decided to record a short video.  I wasn't expecting him to suddenly do something this cute!

The highlight of the trip was the giant 6.3 million gallon tank that housed a whole ecosystem!  We walked through a tunnel under the tank to the giant viewing room.  On the way through the tunnel, Devin made friends with a giant grouper.

I found the long nose saw shark pretty cool.  I wish this picture better showed the edges on the saw nose, though.

The manta rays were also pretty amazing.  I never knew just how big they actually were!

And, of course the stars of the aquarium were the whale sharks.  They are not only the only aquarium to have them in their exhibit but they have four!  Right now, all four are juveniles but eventually they will grow to be the size of a school bus.  That is proof of the hugeness of the tank!

All in all, this was an amazing experience.  There are plenty of things we didn't get to do (like swimming in the big tank and sleeping over) that I want to do someday.  If you haven't been, I definitely reccommend a trip!