Ashlea's Blog

2:1

2010-03-29T22:17:00.002-05:00

Just thought I would let you know... In case you like foaming hand soap, and you buy something like this (like we did)

...and you run out... If you send your husband to somewhere like Costco to buy more hand soap.... If he comes back with something like this.... (like my husband did)...

...there is still hope!!! Inspired by a friend's blog... I mixed two-parts regular soap with one-part water, tipped over the container a couple times, and it was ready to go. It works just like buying bottle of the foaming hand soap at the store. You can't tell the difference, I promise...

Valentine's Day Craftiness

2010-03-10T13:00:00.003-06:00

Like most of my posts, this one is a little late, but I still wanted to post about it. This year for Valentine's Day, I wanted to actually do something for my husband that was more than a dinner out and a card. If you don't know my husband, you don't know that he's a HUGE sweetheart. He calls me Princess and spoils me and is very romantic and thoughtful. He always does something really sweet and thoughtful for special occasions (birthday, Valentine's, anniversary, etc.). So, this year, while browsing through the Dollar Store Crafts blog, I got an idea to make something for him I was sure I could actually do START to FINISH!! And I was right!!!

I was inspired specifically by this post. Mine turned out just a tiny bit different, but I like it. Here's what I ended up with.

I decided not to post pictures of all of the pages, but wanted to give you an idea of what I did.

It may seem kinda cheesy, but I wanted to actually "make" something, and wanted him to have something that he would actually remember. Plus, it's something he can slip in his laptop bag and read if he's having a bad day or just wants a reminder of just how great I think he is!

An Idaho Update

2009-10-11T07:30:00.000-05:00

It wasn't until I was scrolling through some blogs and saw mine on the side (with the little note that I hadn't updated in 2 months) that I realized how long it's been!

I'm sure anyone that cares knows by now that we're back in Idaho!!! {YAY!!!} We found a house on Craigslist and were able to actually move to a place instead of just arriving in Idaho and deciding who's door to knock on and "crash" at for a while... (We are very happy about that!)

Jordan is back in school and doing horribly (at least in Jordan's eyes that is......he got a 97 on a test recently and a 96 on a paper....poor him)!!!! Really, he is doing well and I'm very proud of him.

I am still looking for full-time employment, however I have been in contact with several temp agencies and sent out on a job. It's done with, so I'm ready for that full-time job to spring up at ANY time. I've been on several job interviews, but so far nothing permanent for me yet. (I'm still waiting to hear back on one, so cross your fingers!!!) In the meantime, I want to say a big THANK YOU to all my friends and family who keep sending emails and making phone calls with suggestions for jobs! I'm following up on them, and I really appreciate you thinking of me!!!

And, for a little bit of honestly, as of right now Jordan and I have both been feeling our depression flare up, and we're managing. It's hard being stressed about all the many things in life we CAN stress about, but again, we're managing. Thank you to all of you who are emailing and calling (or even just thinking and/or praying). We appreciate you and your thoughtfulness, and it really DOES help. We really do appreciate knowing that we can turn to our friends and family for that emotional support when we need it. THANKS AGAIN!!!!

Talk To Me PEOPLE!!!

2009-07-22T09:30:00.001-05:00

Hello? Hello?? Who is this-is???? he he he.....

Back in December 2005 (I think!!!) Jordan and I signed up with a local phone company in Idaho for our cellular service so we could bundle our home phone, cell phone and internet into one bill. We've been with them since then, cancelling our home phone when we moved to Oklahoma, cancelling our internet when we went to Clearwire, but maintaining our cell phone service since there were no roaming fees (even living out here in Oklahoma), no long distance charges, etc. Well, we got a postcard in the mail from our friendly cell phone company about 3 months ago saying that they were very sorry, but they were going to be disconinuing their current cellular services in October and that we would need to make arrangements before then (and if we didn't, the phones would simply be shut off). WHAT THE HECK???? Yeah, that's what we thought.

So, since then we're spoken with the phone company, and apparently they are going to switch to a different carrier. Right now they're "piggy-backed" onto a Sprint system, and will be going from Sprint to something else in October (they could've just said that in the postcard...it would've created a lot less stress and a few less headaches....). Anyhoo, so before October, we need to decide what we are going to do. Obviously, the cellular plans are going to be different, so we're trying to figure out what option is best for us. HERE IS WHERE YOU COME INTO PLAY.

With all the friends/family/co-workers/enemies/frenemies/4th-cousin-twice-removed/pick your 5/pick your 10/etc. plans out there, we need to know what the best route is going to be for our buck. If we go with a cellular company that most of our aforementioned list is on, we can reduce our monthly minute plan, saving us money. So, if you don't mind, please take a minute (well, more like 3 seconds) to pick where you belong in my newly created poll, and that will help us decide what company to go with! Thanks a ton!!

A Little Bit of Good News, A Little Overdue

2009-07-02T12:30:00.002-05:00

Just like the title says, we've got a little bit of good news that's just a little overdue. Some of you may already know this, but we sold our car!

In March of 2000, I test drove a Toyota Camry. When I got into the vehicle, the odometer had 10 miles on it. Yes, that's right...10...like 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. I drove that vehicle around, and signed my name on the dotted line when it had 43 miles on it. I put on those 33 miles driving it to Homedale and back. The car has been through a lot with me, and was a great "companion" for a long time. She (yes, it's a girl!) will be sorely missed. HOWEVER, it was time to graduate my little family to a bigger vehicle and would serve our evolving needs.

And no, this is not a pregnancy post.

With our family now consisting of Jordan and I, 5 dogs and 2 cats, we knew that if we EVER want to travel anywhere again, and still be able to bring our luggage with us, we would need a bigger vehicle. So, we advertised the car on Craigslist, and on June 9, we got the verbal "we'll take it" from a young couple here in Norman. On Wednesday, June 10, we met them at their credit union, signed some papers, got a check, promptly cashed the check, and then frantically said to each other, "We REALLY have to find us a new car!" By the way, THANK YOU SO MUCH to Chase & Meghan who let us borrow their car for a couple days while we were transportation-less. :)

Here's our LAST few moments with the good ol' Camry. And notice that little piece of paper we're holding....?

It turned into a few of these....

Ashley and Richard, the new owners...

After looking around, we finally found a couple vehicles we wanted to look at, and decided that we would look at the ones the farthest away first. So, after I got off work on Friday, June 12, we headed off to Tulsa. After a long drive (2 hour little joyride) we made it. One vehicle was already sold (even though we called RIGHT before we left Norman and they said it was there) and the other one turned out to be EXACTLY what we never knew we always wanted! he he he...

We ended up purchasing a 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee (Limited edition). WE ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT!!! It's got leather seats (we're putting seat covers on so the little kiddo nails don't damage it, wood trim on the dash, 10 cd player, separate driver/passenger air controls, power seats/locks/windows/sunroof, folding down back seats, and much more. We really couldn't be happier with our purchase. We also even had enough money left over to buy 8 new spark plugs (which were BADLY needed...we found out AFTER we began changing them), new seat covers (I don't like them though, so we're going to see if we can't find something different), new oil/air filters, oil, and enough to pay the excise tax and all the title and tag fees that go along with it. We really didn't even expect to break even on our sale/purchase, but we couldn't be happier.

Now all we need is a fake license plate (vanity plate??? not sure what they're called) to replace the one that was on the front....BSU sounds good to us!

A View of My Own

2009-06-19T23:30:00.002-05:00

For those of you who are just regular readers of my blog and not members of Swap Bot, here's a little info on http://www.swap-bot.com/ (according to their website):

What is Swap-bot?
Do you like sending and receiving snail mail? Do you like writing letters, making crafts, or putting together fun packages? You should try swapping! Swap-bot is a online service that organizes group swaps and a community of creative individuals. Swap-bot takes the hassle out of participating in group swaps by organizing all of the participant information and doing all of the partner assignments. On Swap-bot, you can host swaps, join swaps, and chat with other swappers from all over the world. Give it a try!

So, I thought to myself, I LOVE getting things via snail mail that aren't bills, so why not up my chances of getting something good in the mail??? So, I've signed up, and while this isn't an actual snail mail swap, I still wanted to participate.

The swap I'm referring to is called "A View of My Own" were you take pictures from around your neighborhood and share them with your swap partners. I figured an email would be a little long, and I wanted to have my description right next to each photo, so naturally I thought my blog would be a good place to do it at. Hope you enjoy "my view"!

December 2007 brought with it an ice storm to Norman, Oklahoma. This is the first ice storm that Jordan and I have ever experienced! This is what the ice did to the trees in our backyard.

This sign cracks me up...It makes me wonder just how you're supposed to tell someone where you're at... "Meet me at the corner of Jones Avenue & Main Street & Abner E. Norman?....."

Oklahoma is the only place I've seen that has "Speed Humps". Everywhere else I've been they're called "Speed Bumps."

Norman has a couple different wall murals painted, so I thought I would take a pic of a couple.

This is one of my dogs, Jack, who REALLY did not want to be sitting here. He did very well though. He was happily running along, not a care in the world....

...that is until he realized there was a "person" in the ground. He got scared and ran over to me. (That's why he didn't want to be on the foot.) This is on the University of Oklahoma (OU) campus.

This is also on the OU campus, and no, it's in Oklahoma, not Europe. I told my husband that this probably isn't even a phone booth anymore, it's probably just used as a rain shelter now and then since so many people have a cell phone these days. I still thought it looked cool though.

Here is the performing arts builing on the OU Campus.

Here is a lone flower....

...on a wall of green.

This statue is in front of the Art Museum on the OU campus. While it looks sorta cool, it's really kinda creepy to me. Not during the day, but at night when the eyes glow BRIGHT RED. I thought it would be better served on the Boise State University campus rather than the OU campus since Boise State's mascot is a Bronco and OU's 'mascot' is the "sooner".

Here's a house(???) across from campus. I'm pretty sure it's a frat house, office, or something else other than a house though. If you look at the fence on the left, you can see just how tall the fence is.....

...a close up view shows that there is a DOOR in the fence. Yes, the fence is THAT high...there is a standard-sized door in the fence for access!!!

Norman has a "table" near the railroad tracks/downtown that has a model of the old town on it. I thought it was pretty cool. (BTW, we just live about a mile OFF the table to the right/East.)

Apparently James Garner was born in Norman, or was from Norman, or something to that effect. I'm not really sure. I DO know that they're pretty proud of him though. This statue is downtown. Standing next to it, I probably come up to his knee, maybe a little higher (I'm 5'6").

This is someone that I KNOW is from Norman! This is me and Christian Kane back in December at "Toby Keith's I Love This Bar and Grill".

This is where I spend 40 hours a week. (Then, I typically go home and at least several nights a week I dream about being here. It's exhausting!!)

This lamp is in a window of a second-story building downtown. It cracked me up.

AWOL

2009-06-18T12:30:00.002-05:00

I know I've been kinda AWOL lately, and my posts have become sporadic at best... Just thought I'd let you know that once again, summer is here! You already knew that? What's the big deal?? Well, the big deal is, in the Accounting world, that means that the clock has coordinated with the sun in my little world to make the working hours of the day triple and the fun hours of the day decrease. (My days start to feel really long is what I'm getting at.) There's less to do, so that means there's more time....for blogging? Possibly. You might start seeing more of me.

Unthankfully (just kidding!!!) THANKFULLY my sister-in-law Stacie introduced me to Google Reader (which has made my blog world SO much easier) so I don't just follow what three or four people are doing these days. I've been bitten by the crafty bug, and am curious to death about what other people are doing....which means that I'm now officially following 60 blogs! And, there are several others that I don't follow, but check in on once in a while. So needless to say, the time I used to spend blogging, is now usually spent reading blogs!

Things have been a little hectic in my life the last couple of months, and I've had a couple really trying things come up that have put a strain on me. So, if you've missed me terribly and wondered if I died or something, don't worry, I'm here. I'm still truckin on, wading my way through life's muck, trying to make sense of things and what not.

I do want to say a big THANK YOU for the support of my friends and family who have been there to support me during these last couple of trials (you know who you are), and for those of you who don't know what's up, don't worry. I'll probably be doing some back-posting since I pretty much use this space as my "journal". I want to be able to keep a good record of the actual dates that things happened.

May Craft Challenge...

2009-05-31T16:44:00.002-05:00

Holy Toledo you guys are awesome!! Thanks so much to everyone who voted for my project! I WON!!! Woo Hoo for me!! So, I'm feeling much better about my project (needless to say), and I'm also excited for the next packet to arrive! I'm also thinking about getting out April's stuff and making something (different than my original idea, but still). If you want to see where it's official, check it out here! Once again, WOO HOO!!!

Vote for ME!!!

2009-05-28T07:00:00.000-05:00

Okay, the polls are open! Please go to Christy's page and vote for my project!! Click here! Or if you're having troubles with the link, try http:/www.christynelson.net. You can only vote Thursday and Friday (today and tomorrow), so go check out the fabulous "Movie Organizer" and help me win!!

Christy's Craft Challenge: May

2009-05-26T12:00:00.000-05:00

You may be saying to yourself, "May? What happened to April?" Well, I had a great idea and it looked really cute in my head. When I went to create that beautiful idea, the reality of it wasn't as great as my imagination, so...I never finished. I know, slacker. In my defense though, it's hard to be enthusiastic about making something when you've got all sorts of tax deadlines and pressures and stressers. I had a few pressures and stressers during April. I may finish it, I may not. Oh well. Christy's didn't turn out the way she wanted it to, and she blogged about it. That made me realize that I didn't have to succeed at it either. What I had to do, was not let it get me down, and not give up. So, that's what I did. I signed up for 3 months worth (I think??) of the Christy's Craft Challenge. I figured, why not? It'll give me an opportunity to create something, and if not, build up my rats nest, cuz after all..... I am from a family of Pack Rats!!! He he he....

Anyhoo, so Christy mailed out the May Craft Challenge packets, and luckily I didn't have to wait to get it in the mail to know what was in it because Christy blogged about it here. When I read the post though, I was both a little excited (what would I make???) and scared (would I FAIL again???). Oh well, it came, I've made something, and "win" or "lose" I've got something crafty out of it in the end!

So, here are the materials that Christy sent out.

For some reason (probably because it's small) I lost the green flower button. Oh well. The rules say that you have to use at least SOME of each item, but not all of them. So......flower paper, blue fabric squares, 2 green wires, 2 large artificial flowers and 4 flower buttons later...... you get (well, if you're me at least):

FRONT

BACK AND FRONT

INSIDE

The reason I chose this project (which is sorta like an address book) is because I needed one! Jordan and I wanted a way to keep track of our movies (but you could also use the book for keeping track of your games, books, etc.) and so I made this. Now I can alphabetize my movies (on 3.5x5 index cards) and add more when I get more movies, or take some out if I give any away or sell any.

Now, the "win" or "lose" part. Well, everyone can vote on their favorite entry, and the person with the most votes will WIN. Win what? Well, a prize silly (a donated prize pack from one of Christy's sponsors)! And, Christy will also chose a second winner from those who blogged about it and that person will win a free month's craft challenge packet. So, if you like my little project, feel free to go to Christy's blog on the 28th or 29th (that's right, there are only 2 days you can vote) and vote for my project! Or, just go check it out, and if mine turns out to be really cheesy and someone else made something really cool (which will probably be the case because I'm new at this) feel free to vote for their project! I'll post a reminder on the 28th and 29th, just in case, so you don't forget to vote!!

So, based on my fun this past month (and I actually got Jordan's input and so it made it THAT much more fun), I'm definitely recommending this to everyone I know (and don't know too)! It's only $5 to partipate, and you can get all the details from Christy's site here.

Happy Birthday!!!!

2009-05-21T07:00:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday to my good friend Linsey!!!!

Happy Birthday!!!!

2009-05-17T16:07:00.001-05:00

I just wanted to wish my sweet friend Melissa a Happy Birthday!!!!

Great Gatsby! It's a GIVEAWAY!!!

2009-05-11T07:00:00.001-05:00

Okay, so while I don't have a little girl to do girlie hairdo's on, I still read a blog called "The Story of A Princess And Her Hair" and I love looking at all the cute little hairstyles. I try to think of my friends that have little girls who might not read her blog, and I usually forward it on because they are just SO DARNED CUTE!!! Anyhoo, she's got a sideblog just for deals and giveaways called Hair and Share! and on there was info about a GREAT givewaway! It's for a brand-spankin new flatiron! I've never owned one, and I'm WAY too cheap (um, I mean THRIFTY) to go out and buy me one, so I'm racking up my entries, hoping I can win it.

Check out all the details here that she's got listed about the givewaway, and how you too could be entered to win! You have a chance to have 12 different entries in the giveaway, which will be held on May 31st, but you gotta get crackin!!!

More GREAT STRIDES

2009-05-08T07:00:00.000-05:00

Just in case you are interested in participating in a GREAT STRIDES walk for CF in your local area, I thought I would let you know that there is a walk scheduled for the following areas (check-in time is at 9:00):

Boise, ID (Veteran's Memorial Park)
Saturday, May 30th

Salt Lake City, UT (Wheeler Historic Farm)
Saturday, May 16th

Ogden, UT (MTC Park & Ogden River Parkway)
Saturday, May 30th

Provo, UT (Seven Peaks Resort)
Saturday, June 6th

If you would like to participate in a walk in your local area, let me know, and I can add you to our "Team" and you can get registered online (or I can even register for you).

GREAT STRIDES

2009-05-05T12:21:00.001-05:00

This coming Saturday, May 9th, Jordan and I will be taking Great Strides to help the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation raise money for the research and development of a cure for Cystic Fibrosis. The GREAT STRIDES walk (for the Oklahoma City area) will be held at the Myriad Botanical Gardens in Bricktown in downtown OKC. Check-in for this walk is at 9:00, while the actual walk doesn't start until 10:00. It will be a short walk (about 1/2 - 1 mile) around the garden area, and lunch will be provided by the Norman Pita Pit to those who participate. If you're interested in joining, contact me, and I can sign you up as a member of my team, or, if you prefer, just show up!! There is no "entrance/registration" fee, however, sponsorship is encouraged...that's how they are raising money for the cure.

If you are unable to participate in the walk, but want to help sponsor my team by making a donation, you can do so by donating at this website: http://www.cff.org/great_strides/AshleaThiel

You might be wondering why I've chosen this "cause" to support, and how did I even hear about this fatal disease. Why do I care about this? The reason I support the CF Foundation is because my younger brother has been living with Cystic Fibrosis his whole life. This means that he has had numerous lung infections and hospitalizations, and a few times we honestly didn't think he would come home from the hospital. He's had a lot of health problems come up because of this disease as well, and I'm hoping that someday soon they will find some way to cure this disease.

**********************************************************
If you'd like to know more, here's some info on CF from the Cystic Fibrosis website:
**********************************************************

What is Cystic Fibrosis?

Cystic fibrosis is a life-threatening genetic disease that causes mucus to build up and clog some of the organs in the body, particularly the lungs and pancreas. When mucus clogs the lungs, it can make breathing very difficult. The thick mucus also causes bacteria (or germs) to get stuck in the airways, which causes inflammation (or swelling) and infections that lead to lung damage.
Mucus also can block the digestive tract and pancreas. The mucus stops digestive enzymes from getting to the intestines. The body needs these enzymes to break down food, which provides important nutrients to help people grow and stay healthy. People with cystic fibrosis often need to replace these enzymes with medicine they take with their meals and snacks, which helps them digest food and get proper nutrition.

What is a typical day for someone with CF?

Because the severity of CF differs widely from person to person, and CF lung infections flare up from time to time, there is no “typical” day. However, each day most people with CF:

Take pancreatic enzyme supplement capsules with every meal and most snacks (even babies who are breastfeeding may need to take enzymes).
Take multi-vitamins.
Do some form of airway clearance at least once and sometimes up to four or more times a day.
Take aerosolized medicines—liquid medicines that are made into a mist or aerosol and then inhaled through a nebulizer.

What is the life expectancy for people who have CF (in the United States)?

There is no way to accurately predict how long a person with cystic fibrosis will live, as many different factors affect a person’s health. Severity of disease and time of diagnosis are two such factors. Many people have a mild case of CF, while others can have moderate or severe cases.
In addition, some adults with cystic fibrosis have only recently begun to use new treatments, while an infant diagnosed at birth will have the advantages of starting specialized treatments that were not available even a decade ago.

Data from the CF Foundation Patient Registry, a tool that tracks health statistics from patients treated at CF Foundation-accredited care centers, shows that more than 45 percent of all people with CF in this country are 18 years or older. Also, the Foundation calculates the median predicted age of surviva for people with CFl. This number is based on a statistical method of using life table analyses developed by insurance companies to calculate trends in survival.

In 2008, the median predicted age of survival rose to 37.4 years, up from 32 in 2000. The median predicted age of survival is the age by which half of the current CF Patient Registry population would be expected to survive, given the ages of the patients in the registry and the distribution of deaths in 2008. The steady rise of the median predicted age of survival suggests how improvements in treatment and care are advancing the lives of those with CF.

In 1955, children with CF were not expected to live long enough to attend grade school. Today, thanks to continued Foundation-supported research and specialized care, an increasing number of people with cystic fibrosis are living into adulthood and leading healthier lives that include careers, marriage and families of their own.

Back Posting??

2009-05-05T12:15:00.000-05:00

Since we've now found homes for all 6 of our puppies (Jemaine was the last to go this past Saturday the 2nd) I've decided to take the posts off of the two doggy blogs and add them to this one, that way I have sort of a "running journal" that I can look back on. So, if you're using Google Reader, and all of a sudden a bunch of old posts pop up as new, that's why. I'm going to date them the same date/time that I originally did, that way I can keep a better time line.

Attention Girlie Mommies!!!

2009-04-11T11:49:00.002-05:00

Here's a cute blog that is having a grand opening giveaway drawing (well, actually two)! Clever Clips makes hair clips and headbands for little girls/infants/toddlers, and she's having a giveaway (one for clips and one for a headband). Go to her blog page here before April 16th to see all her cute stuff and enter her contest!!

I'm Feelin Crafty....

2009-04-01T18:54:00.002-05:00

Okay, so I've discovered a bunch of cute little crafty blogs, and I'm HOOKED! I found one blog in particular (Christy Nelson's blog) where she has a monthly craft challenge that you can participate in. Well, I thought, for $5, why not? If I don't like what I come up with, no big deal. I probably would've spent more on supplies if I went out and decided to get "crafty" on a whim and just bought a bunch of stuff. So, I've signed up for the challenge, paid my $5 for supplies (shipping included) and I'm anxiously awaiting my supplies to come in the mail. Please know though, if I can't really come up with anything cute or clever, I won't be posting my results. :) I'm sure SOMETHING will come to mind though, especially since I've been perusing all sorts of fun and crafty blogs. I've got a part of my brain that's SCREAMING at me to get crafty, and with all the sewing, stamping, scrapbooking, cooking and just all around useful tips I'm getting from these blogs, I'm JUST about to jump in with both feet and try it. (After April 15th, that is.)

Anyhoo, I'm planning to add some links to the blogs I frequently read, and hopefully you might find something there that inspires you too! Let me know!!!

March 31st

2009-03-31T07:00:00.000-05:00

I just wanted to send out Happy Birthday wishes to my sweet hubby! I Love you!

Christmas in March?

2009-03-20T07:00:00.002-05:00

No, not really. BUT, Jordan and I used one small portion of a Christmas gift from my brother's family (Ryan, Stacie, Lauryn, Faith & Kyla). We were given a some restaurant.com gift cards for some restaurants in Oklahoma City, and we actually went out one night and had dinner. In a restuarant. With no dogs and/or cats present. The two of us, together. Like on a real date. I know, I know, shocker eh?

For those of you who don't realize this, Jordan and I have actually become quite homebodies in our old age (har har har). We really don't go out that often, and honestly, I think the last movie we saw in a theater was back in December 2007 when his parents were in town. We actually have gift certificates that we could use to go to TWO separate movies, and yet, we don't want to use them unless it's for a movie that we just HAVE to see.

Anyhoo, the point is, that we finally went out, and we had a good time. The food was good, and since we have another gift card for the same place, we WILL be going back! Thanks so much!!

CONGRATS!!!!

2009-03-18T07:00:00.000-05:00

Congrats on the baby news!!! I'm SO excited for you guys!!!

Something Special???

2009-03-12T07:00:00.000-05:00

I make no guarantees about what I'll make but it'll be fun, I promise!

I'll make something for the first FIVE people to respond!The first five (5) people to respond to this post will get something made by me.This offer does have some restrictions and limitations so please read carefully:

1. I make no guarantees that you will like what I make. Whatcha get is whatcha get.

2. What I create will be just for you, with love.

3. It'll be done this year (2009).

4. I will not give you any clue what it's going to be. It will be something made in the real world and not something cyber. It may be weird or beautiful. Heck, I might bake (!!) something for you and mail it to you when you least expect it. I may even create something totally unbelievable and surprise you at work!! Who knows? Not you, that's for sure

5. I reserve the right to do something extremely strange.

6. In return, all you need to do is post this text into a note of your own and make 5 things for the first 5 to respond to your note.

IMPORTANT: This offer is null and void if I do not see you post your own note to pay this forward!!!

6th and 6th (at work)

2009-03-11T07:00:00.000-05:00

My 6th folder down, and 6th picture in, is this:

It's Jasper and Jemaine sleeping again! I seem to have more of these than I do of the awake looking at the camera pictures because they are so fast and playful that they always want to be up and moving. If I think about it when I'm at home, I might try doing this with my 6th and 6th from the home computer too. We'll see.

Checkin In

2009-03-05T12:30:00.000-06:00

It was once again brought to my attention that I haven't blogged in a while...I know, I'm horrible. Tax season is all geared up and in full swing. We are busy at work, and yet today, I find myself working on some of my time-filler projects, so I thought it would be a good time to toss a few words and maybe a picture or two out here to let you all know I'm still alive.

Since my last post back the end of January, not a whole lot has happened in our lives. It's pretty much dogs/puppies, work, dogs/puppies, home, dogs/puppies, eat, dogs/puppies, sleep, and dogs/puppies. Oh, and did I mention that we have lots of DOGS AND PUPPIES???? It's crazy, but still fun.

One thing that happened (as everyone knows) is Valentine's Day. Well, we actually did something this year. Normally we decide that it's just too crowded and busy to go out so we stay in and have an extra special dinner/dessert, but we decided to go out this year. Chase & Meghan got us a gift card for Christmas 2007 (no, that is not a typo, it was 2007) and so we decided to finally use it. {Many times it's been "found" and then put up for safekeeping, forgotten, and repeat....}

Anyhoo, the food was good, and it was nice to be out for a change. We made a reservation for 5:00 so that it was early enough in the evening (we're getting old ya know...), actually it was so that we could go to a movie after dinner if we decided to. After leaving the house around 4:30, we still hadn't decided if we wanted to see a movie or not, but in the end, we opted not to (I wasn't feeling ALL that great), so we went to PetSmart and bought dog food instead. I know, I know, you're thinking, "how romantic..." However, it did give me a new realization/appreciation for my parents though. It seemed like for mom and dad's anniversary they would always go to "dinner and a show" but the only thing they would have to show for THEIR night out was groceries. They were always thinking of us kids. Even though I don't have CHILDREN, I find myself doing the same thing. When we go out, I tend to think about whether or not I need to pick up food for the kids, when the last time was they got a new toy or perhaps picking up a treat while we're out. And, we HATE to leave them. We often think, when we're out, about the kiddos at home in their kennels and how happy they are when we come home (and let's not forget how sad they are when we leave) so we often don't stay out that long or go far away. I'm reminded by them everyday about unconditional love really is.

Labrador Puppies: Day 21

2009-02-09T19:00:00.000-06:00

The Lab puppies are 3 weeks old today!

Mandy
Milo (aka Tank)

Mocha

Mocha Again

Murphy

Murphy Again

Labrador Puppies: Videos on Day 21

2009-02-09T07:00:00.001-06:00

The puppies turned three weeks old today. Here are a couple videos of them we took this past weekend.

Chihuahua Puppies: Day 34

2009-02-07T07:00:00.000-06:00

Here are a couple videos of the puppies playing with their mommy.

I lost Jasper for a couple minutes, but found him in playing with Molly and her lab puppies. I quickly grabbed the camera because he was being so cute!!

Chocolate Pecan Pie

2009-01-28T12:15:00.000-06:00

So, my mom found the Super Suppers recipe I was looking for! I thought I would share it with you since I love it so much!!! (And trust me, this is GOOD. I'm not a huge chocolate lover, but this is one pie I LOVE!!!)

Chocolate Pecan Pie
(Makes one 8-inch pie)

½ c. butter
½ c. chocolate chips
1 c. sugar
2 eggs, beaten
½ c. chopped pecans
½ c. shredded cocnut
1 8-inch unbaked pie shell (not a deep-dish shell)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a saucepan, melt butter and chocolate chips, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat; stir in sugar, eggs, pecans and coconut. Pour into pie shell.
3. Bake for 35 minutes (pie will be soft in the center).

FREEZE AHEAD: Bake pie; cool completely. Place pie in a freezer bag and freeze up to 2 months. Defrost completely in refrigerator.

Super Suppers?

2009-01-27T14:27:00.001-06:00

Anybody have a "Super Suppers" cookbook, or know someone who does? I'm looking for a specific recipe that they have and I don't want to spend $25 for one recipe. Plus, the closest Super Suppers to me is something like an hour away. Please let me know!!!

Chihuahua Puppies: Day 21

2009-01-25T07:00:00.000-06:00

Labrador Puppies: Day 4

2009-01-23T07:00:00.000-06:00

Molly and the puppies

Chihuahua Puppies: Day 18

2009-01-22T07:00:00.000-06:00

Labrador Puppies: Day 2

2009-01-21T07:00:00.001-06:00

Milo, Mandy, Murphy and MochaMocha and Murphy

Mandy, Milo, Murphy and Mocha

Murphy, Mandy, Mocha and Milo

Molly and the kids

Mocha, Milo, Murphy and Mandy

Chihuahua Puppies: Day 17

2009-01-21T07:00:00.000-06:00

Jemaine playing with his little brother Jasper

Jemaine being cute

Jasper is a cuddler!

Jasper is relaxed hanging out with Daddy

What a sweetie!

Curious about the camera

Sleeping comfortably

Comfy in his bed!

Waking up

Jemaine found a comfy spot to sleep

Jasper is comfy sleeping next to his mommy

Jemaine sleeping next to mommy

Mommy and the boys

Labrador Puppies: Day 1

2009-01-20T07:00:00.003-06:00

1 Day Old...and With NAMES!!!

Meet Mandy!

Meet Milo!

Meet Mocha!

Meet Murphy!

Mocha and Milo

Mandy and Murphy

Mocha, Milo and Mandy

Chihuahua Puppies: Day 16

2009-01-20T07:00:00.002-06:00

Jemaine meeting Daddy, Jack.Jack and Jemaine

Jemaine

Jemaine, bright eyed and happy, two weeks old!

Jasper's peeking out!

Jasper's waiving hello!

We Have Puppies!

2009-01-20T07:00:00.001-06:00

No, I'm not repeating myself. Even though it IS my blog and I CAN repeat myself if I wanted to... :) he he he...

No, we have puppies AGAIN! Two weeks after Jill gave birth to her two Chihuahua puppies, Molly gave birth to 4 little Labrador puppies. Needless to say, we had an interesting day yesterday! Read all about it on our Lab puppy page here: http://thiellabradores.blogspot.com/

Labrador Puppies: Day 0??

2009-01-19T23:05:00.001-06:00

Miller and Molly welcomed their 4 puppies today! 2 girls and 2 boys! Congrats to them!

Jordan and I weren't exactly sure how many puppies to expect Molly to have. We did know one thing for sure though, we needed to make her a "birthing bed" before it was too late! On Saturday (the 17th) we went some second-hand stores and bought some extra sheets and blankets, and decided that we would put down our old futon mattress for her to lay on. We took her into the "kids room" (this is where all the kennels are) and showed her the bed, and layed down with her a couple times Saturday evening and Sunday so she would get used to laying on the bed, and hopefully figure out that it was HER spot. Well, it worked!

I went home for lunch like I normally do, and Jordan had the dogs outside (this helps me from being trampled as soon as I walk in the door). Jordan let the kids in, and I went into the bathroom to check on Jill's puppies. Well, there ended up being a poo mess I needed to clean up, so after getting the puppies cleaned up and their bed changed, I threw their towels and bedding into the washing machine. (All this time Jordan is getting ready to go to the gym since he didn't have to work.) Well, when it was time to go kennel the dogs so we could leave, we went into the kids room, and Molly was laying on her bed, and she'd started pushing out a puppy! She hadn't even made a sound or any sort of indication that it was happening!!! (Needless to say, Jordan DID NOT go to the gym!!! I however, DID have to go back to work!!)

Anyways, Jordan and I were able to be there and watch her give birth to her first puppy, a little brown and white girl. She did excellent, and instinct took over right away and she started cleaning the puppy. About 2 hours later, Molly gave birth to a little black and white boy. Another hour later, she gave birth to a little brown girl. (By this time it's around 4:00) She took very good care of her puppies, and no more puppies (or signs of puppies) came by the time I got home around 5:45. Molly did eat very vigorously though, and stayed with her puppies faithfully.

We made dinner and ate, and when we were getting ready to let the dogs go out to potty one more time before bed (this is around 10:00), I went into Molly's room, only to discover she had just given birth to another puppy! Her 4th (and final puppy) was a little brown boy. So, girl, boy, girl, boy. Both brown puppies have a tuft of white on their chest, just like their mommy does. Jordan thinks that Molly might actually be part Pointer too, because of the look of the first two puppies. What do you think???

Little Girl #1 (Puppy #1)

Little Boy#1 (Puppy #2)

Little Girl #2 (Puppy #3)

Little Boy #2 (Puppy #4)

We don't have names picked out for them yet, but we would welcome any suggestions! We were thinking about naming them something that starts with the letter "M", since both Mom and Dad are "M"s as well. Any suggestions???

Chihuahua Puppies: Day 15

2009-01-19T07:00:00.000-06:00

Jasper & Jemaine sleeping

Bright eyed Jemaine

Two week old Chihuahua Jasper (right) and his newborn "twin" Labrador, Milo (left).

Missing?? (AND Chihuahua Puppies!!)

2009-01-17T10:50:00.004-06:00

Okay, so I'm sure a few of you have wondered what has happened to Ashlea... If you weren't, oh well. :) Here's a quick update on me and mine.

In case you aren't a frequent reader of my blog and already know this, I'll just mention that Jordan's brother Chase (along with his wife Meghan and their daughter Kate) live out here in Norman, Oklahoma too. They are the closest family we have for xxxx miles. (I have no idea what it is...) Anyhoo, this year for Christmas, they decided to truck on up to Idaho to go see everyone, and we stayed here. While we missed having them here, and we missed the idea of not seeing everyone back home too, it was a nice Christmas for us this year. This is the FIRST year that we've been married that we didn't have anywhere to go. I think that it's a good way to spend our 6th Christmas. We were lazy and got up when we wanted to. We didn't have to rush off to see one family, stay for only a short little while, only to rush off to another, repeat and then rush off again to yet another! We stayed in and just enjoyed each other's company and played games. We were able to talk to our families though, so that was nice too.

Our New Year's eve was nothing too exciting for us either. Jordan had to work, so I stayed at home with the dogs and played on the Xbox 360. (At least I was safe and didn't have to be out on the roads with anyone who had been drinking...it freaks me out!)

On January 4th, our little girl Chihuahua, Jill, went into labor, and ended up having her puppies early on Monday January 5th. Along with Jill and her puppies, we're also trying to get the house situated to welcome our next set of puppies that our girl Labrador, Molly should be having here VERY soon. Needless to say, we've been very preoccupied by our dogs lately. I have been taking pics like crazy of the Chihuahuas, and even a couple videos too. I created them their own blog too, and I will try to get all the pics posted here shortly. As for now, you can go there and read about the birth and at least see some of their first pics. Here's thier blog: http://thielchihuahuas.blogspot.com/

Chihuahua Puppies: Day 12

2009-01-16T07:00:00.000-06:00

Wiggly Sleeping Puppies!

Chihuahua Puppies: Day 11

2009-01-15T07:00:00.001-06:00

Chihuahua Puppies: Day 10

2009-01-14T07:00:00.001-06:00

Chihuahua Puppies: Day 9

2009-01-13T07:00:00.000-06:00

Chihuahua Puppies: Day 8

2009-01-12T07:00:00.000-06:00

Chihuahua Puppies: Day 7

2009-01-11T07:00:00.000-06:00

Chihuahua Puppies: Day 6

2009-01-10T07:00:00.000-06:00

Chihuahua Puppies: Day 5

2009-01-09T07:00:00.000-06:00

Chihuahua Puppies: Day 4

2009-01-08T07:00:00.000-06:00

Chihuahua Puppies: Day 3

2009-01-07T07:00:00.000-06:00

Still so tiny! These sweet little boys love to be close together.

Chihuahua Puppies: Day 2

2009-01-06T07:00:00.000-06:00

All cleaned up and eating with mommy! Jemaine looks so much like his mommy that he blends in with her REALLY well!

Jemaine is a VERY hungry little boy!

Jasper's our little Moo Cow!

The Puppies Arrive (Day 1)

2009-01-05T07:00:00.001-06:00

Our Chihuahuas Jack and Jill welcomed two little boys to their family on Monday January 5th.

On Sunday, January 4th, Jill went into labor and sat next to me on the couch (in her bed) all day and whined (except for the times when she had fallen asleep). Jill started her active labor around 10:30 p.m. Jill climbed off the couch and wandered down the hallway looking for a place to have her puppies. Jordan and I recognized what she was doing, and so we packed up her little bed and her blanket and we brought her into the bathroom. Jill continued to be miserable, but started pushing around 11:00-11:15. The puppy moved into the birth canal, but after not having given birth after an hour of pushing, we called the 24-hour emergency vet clinic and they told us that we should bring her in immediately.

So, we packed her up and rushed across town. We checked in and after we took her back to the exam room, the vet assistant asked us to put her on the cat scale that was on the counter. After we weighed her her (she was 10 1/2 pounds) I carried her back from the scale and as I set her in her bed, the puppy popped out!

Jill immediately started cleaning the puppy and taking care of him just like a good little mommy should! The vet said that she wanted to examine her, and after she was done, she told us that she believed that Jill only had one more puppy in there. She KNEW there was at least ONE puppy because while examining Jill she felt the puppy and said that she'd had her finger in the puppy's mouth!!!

After getting a clean bill of health, and advice that if Jill didn't have the next puppy within 4 hours, to bring Jill back in for another exam, we decided to go back home. By the time we got home and I got ready for bed (I had to be at work at 7:30 a.m.) Jordan was in the bathroom with Jill and she was pushing along. I took the other three dogs into the bedroom to go to bed and we got settled in just before 2:00. Not even 2 minutes after having turned out the light and crawling in bed, Jordan called me from the bathroom and told me that Jill had just had the second puppy!

I got up and went into the bathroom where she was cleaning the second puppy. After knowing that the puppy was okay, and that Jill was okay, I decided that I HAD to get to bed! A few hours later, while I was at work, Jordan called me and updated me on the puppies, and also let me know that he had named them Jemaine and Jasper. (Yes, Jemaine, not Jermaine...it's not a typo.)

Here they are!

Back home again after the vet trip. Only Jemaine has been born at this point. All clean and happy, he's ready to eat!

He sure is tiny!

What a sweet little boy!

Little brother Jasper was just born!

Jasper, still all wet, getting his first bath from mommy!

Still all wet, but wanting to eat!

Jasper is so much bigger than his older brother!!

12 Days of Christmas

2008-12-15T07:00:00.002-06:00

So this year Jordan and I are doing the "12 Days of Christmas" for a family here in town, and I need some suggestions. I want to keep the $$ low, so homemade or cheap ideas would be great. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks!!

'Tis The Season For Sharing...PLEASE STOP IT!!!!

2008-12-12T07:00:00.002-06:00

Now, before you get all mad at me...keep reading! I HATE HATE HATE reading blogs that are ALWAYS complaining and whining etc. and so I don't like to write negative blogs, AND, if the complaining etc. continues long, you should know that I probably don't read your blogs anymore. Once in a while I will skim them for USEFUL information that I want to know, like a GOOD thing that's happened or a major life event. Outside of that, I've stopped reading. Anyhoo, here's my "negative" thoughts, and after this one, I won't post any for a while. I Promise.

It seems that the holiday season and cold & flu season come hand in hand, skipping happily along in the cold weather to our doorsteps, and this year is no exception! We found out this past Monday (the 8th) that Jordan has bronchitis and walking pneumonia. I'm quite certain that it didn't arrive in a little wrapped package from Santa, so that means that someone SHARED it with him. He's having trouble getting enough air to breathe, he was up all night hacking away, and all in all, he's miserable. I started to feel a little icky on Tuesday, and now, I think I've developed into a cold with a touch of a cough. -Nothing anywhere near what Jordan has. BUT, if your sick, please use antibacterial hand gel and/or wash, disinfect door handles etc. cough into a SLEEVE and not a hand, and just be aware of the things that you're doing that could spread the sickness buggies.

I appreciate the opportunity once again to have that reminder of how I take for granted being able to breathe clearly and freely, and once again, I'm very appreciative of the times I'm well. Point taken, I'll remember!! Now, please buggies, move on to the trash can and STAY there, away from my friends and family.

And, I'll try not to share anything this year!!! :)

Sorry

2008-12-06T22:27:00.001-06:00

I just wanted to say that I'm SO sorry things didn't work out. I really wish they did.

An Evening With Christian Kane!!

2008-12-05T07:30:00.001-06:00

For those of you who were not aware (and I’m not exactly sure who you would be out there, because I think by this point you are all aware) I’m a fan of Christian Kane. If you’re not sure who he is, check out his webpage for more information (www.christiankane.com) or his MySpace page (www.myspace.com/christiankane). Well, Christian Kane is actually from Norman, Oklahoma (where I’m currently living). He is also starring in a new television series called Leverage that will be aired on TNT. AND, not only is Christian an actor, he is a musician as well. (I discovered his band back in 2005, and promptly went online and purchased both cds that he had available as well as 2 band t-shirts.)

Anyhoo, to promote Leverage, there was a screening in Oklahoma City on Monday the 1st. Christian came to town to promote the show, but also did an acoustic show at Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar & Grill (which is a bar and grill, just as the name of it says…) right before the screening. I was lucky enough to be chosen for 2 seats to the screening, and so Jordan and I decided to make a date of it.

I took the whole day off work and Jordan and I spent it at the house with the fur kids, just getting things done that we needed to, and just relaxing. When it got closer to “show time” we got around and headed into the city. We decided that since we were going to be at a restaurant (and since we’d probably be getting home later than a decent dinner hour would allow) we would just eat dinner there. The food was good, but I should know better than to expect to have a GREAT chicken Caesar salad at a country bar/grill. The chicken was really good, but the dressing is NO WHERE near as good as my sister-in-law Allissa makes. Jordan had the prime rib, which was delicious (he said), but I just couldn’t bring myself to taste since it was a lovely shade pink. (I need my meat to be somewhere between WELL done and burned to a crisp.)

The show was very laid back and casual, and it was an intimate enough setting that it was just all in all fun. Sad for me to admit, I’ve gotten old enough that I can no longer sit in a huge room full of screaming people (who are crowding each other, stinking up my airspace, and just plain old being rude to one another) with music that feels like it’s loud enough to pop my ear drums. In the words of my friend Shannon, “Oy.” I’m kinda afraid to ‘see’ what I’m going to be like in 10 years when it comes to concerts. I’ve grown comfortable in the thought of just sitting in a nice comfortable temperature-controlled (BY ME) room while I listen to music at the volume that I’ve chosen, by myself, or with people I have chosen to be there with me. Don’t get me wrong, I would love to meet some of the performers out there, but thinking back to all of the concerts that I’ve attended in the past, I was able to get two autographs, but never actually “meet” the artists. AND, those autographs looked like scribbled circles that I got while standing on the other side of a four foot high safety fence/wall thing that blocked off a pathway for them to go from the stage to their tour buses and back. (And, also having to pay anywhere from 3-6 times the price of a cd just so I can enjoy all that!!) All in all, it was nothing really too exciting in retrospect.

But, on Monday Christian played for about an hour, which included my favorite one of his songs “More Than I Deserve”. Afterwards I decided to use the restroom before we headed over to the theater. While I was washing, I noticed the other two women in the restroom were also two other ladies that were at the concert. One of the ladies (the blonde) had a REALLY nice camera and was taking pictures during the whole show, and the other lady (the brunette) was at a big table with a bunch of people who were taking some snapshots here and there during the show. Well, the brunette turned to me and asked where I’d gotten my shirt (I was wearing my Kane shirt) and how I heard of him. I explained how I first heard of the band…Jordan and I used to watch the tv show Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which also starred David Boreanaz (who now plays on the Fox tv show Bones). Well, after season three, David got his own spinoff called Angel. Christian Kane played an attorney on that series by the name of Lindsey McDonald. And it was while we were hooked on the 5 seasons of Angel, Jordan discovered that Christian had a band by the name of Kane, and time passes on…here were are today. Anyhoo, the brunette asked the blonde lady if she was with a promo company or something like that, and she replied that “everybody has a hobby, this is mine: concert photography”. (At this point, I’m still star-struck at the fact that I had actually been that close to him, and that I might actually get to meet him, and so I don’t bother asking the brunette how she’s heard of him…which I might add is a dumb move for anyone because 1) it’s rude not to reciprocate the question and 2) you never know what they might end up telling you that could be useful or really interesting.

We all decided it was a great show, and went on our merry way. When I came out, Christian was being interviewed for the news so I kept my distance and waited for Jordan and basically just kinda stood around like a dope hoping to get to meet him and maybe get a picture… After a couple minutes pass by, he’s done with the interview and goes over to talk to the people that were sitting at the big table (which included the brunette)… And guess what? If I hadn’t been so star-struck and rude, I would have found out that the brunette I was having the conversation with was HIS SISTER!!! Geez Louise…

Anyhoo, I stood around for a couple minutes and he talked to a couple people that went up to him, and then I got close enough that he walked over to Jordan and I and told us thanks for coming out to the show and stood for a picture with me. He then asked us if we were going to be over at the premier and when we said yes he told us that he had to get going, but that he would see us there.

Here’s the pic Jordan took of me with Christian Kane

When we went over to the theater, the guy from TNT (Eric) that was there getting everything all set up didn’t really seem to know what all was going on. In the email I got from Brand X Management (Christian’s band manager) I was told that my name would be on the guestlist. And, since I have a really smart husband who told me to print out the email and bring it with me, I was able to show him when he didn’t have my name on the list. After he read it, he points to the second row and says that we can sit in that row. We decided that the 4th seat in from the end was a good spot and sat down. Shortly thereafter another couple came in the theater and talked with TNT Eric, to which he pointed over by Jordan and I and they came up and sat down. (Two names were drawn for tickets, mine and the wife of that couple, Michelle.) We kinda chit-chatted for a little bit while we were waiting for the show to start (and immediately had a bond because we were both wearing our Kane t-shirts). After a little while I glanced over at the sign that was taped to the chair next to me, which said “Reserved Seating, Christian Kane”. Of course I about had a heart attack, but then realized it was the rest of that entire row, as well as the row in front of us. Well, his parents and some friends ended up sitting in the same row, and he sat in the row in front of us, about 6 seats down.

The show itself was really good, although the theater people seemed to have a few issues, like not getting the lights dimmed enough before they started the show, and then also the first approximate 20 minutes of the show the screen was really dark. Christian had them stop it and made them adjust it because he said that the Director would be “really pissed if he saw that they were showing it like this”. It was kinda funny, but a TON easier to see after that. All in all, it was a great show (at least I thought). Afterwards there was a kind of informal Q & A, and one lady mentioned that she really liked it, and that it kinda seemed like a modern day A-Team. Not ever having watched the A-Team, I don’t know that I could agree, but it WAS good. Since I don’t have cable/dish/etc. I will be watching the episodes via streaming on the internet. If you do have cable/dish/etc. I recommend at least watching the first episode, if you don’t want to watch any others. It was entertaining, and at the screening there were even a couple kids there, I think one of the boys was somewhere between 7 and 9 that loved it. During the Q&A both boys (who were with different groups) actually participated in the Q&A and got to talk to Christian. The age range of the audience was from those boys clear up to a grandmother that stood up and her question was “Will you sign my shirt?” It was cool. Everyone there really enjoyed it. After the Q&A we went right outside that theater into the hall where he signed Leverage photos and posters and even took pics with fans there too. That’s where I got the pic of Jordan and I with him.

Here’s Jordan, me and Christian Kane

I’m still debating if I should send out that as our 2008 Christmas card, or if I should go with something a little more traditional… he he he…

Sorry for the long post, but as Jordan (and my co-workers who have had to hear all about it) will attest, for me this was just like Christmas eve for an 8 year old. I was REALLY excited about it, and I’m THRILLED that I got to meet Christian and get photos with him. He was really laid back and down to earth. Feel free to email me if you have any questions or if you’re just plain old jealous!

Thanksgiving 2008

2008-12-04T20:36:00.003-06:00

I know it’s a little late, but I figured you might want to hear about our Thanksgiving anyways… This year was a pretty good holiday for us. One of the best things about it for me was that I wasn’t half frozen all day like I was last year!!! This year Jordan and I spent the holiday with Jordan’s brother Chase and his wife Meghan and their daughter (we did this last year too, but this year we went to their house instead). Meghan and I talked with our husbands and made a plan of she and Chase they would make and what we would make and decided we would eat at 4:00.

Last year Jordan got an idea from a cooking show to use oranges and lemons on the bird, and it turned out really good. He looked up the actual recipe on the internet this year (which included a recipe for gravy with the drippings) and made the bird that way. We bought an 18 ½ pound bird so that we would have leftovers, and it cooked most of the day. Jordan and I brought (in addition to the turkey and gravy) a sweet potato casserole (thanks Chase for the GREAT recipe), two kinds of stuffing, corn, deviled eggs, cranberry sauce and beverages. Chase and Meghan provided two different kinds of mashed potatoes (they were both very close to heaven), rolls, green beans (the good kind with the bacon in it), a veggie tray, homemade chocolate dipped pretzels, a homemade pecan pie, homemade cookie dough cheesecake and homemade pumpkin rolls.

Jordan and I showed up late (just like we normally do), but Chase and Meghan are forgiving…

We all ate (including Miss Kate) until we were stuffed and then we headed to the living room to stretch out and watch a movie (Open Season) and then we got desert and watched the last part of The Incredibles on tv and then watched an episode of The Office that came on after The Incredibles got over with. After the shows were over we packed up and headed home. It was a good day, and it was nice to be able to spend it with family. (Even if it was just a little bit of the family instead of the gobs and gobs of family back home!) Hope you like our spread…we were convinced we could’ve fed 20….

Jordan's BEAUTIFUL Turkey

Jordan's BEAUTIFUL Turkey Again

Here's Our Thanksgiving Spread

My eggs... I had to make them since I couldn't eat my grandmother's eggs!

Keyboard Silence...

2008-12-03T21:30:00.003-06:00

So, I'm not really sure what happened...but.... I had such a blogging fire for quite a while there. And lately, it seems my blogging keyboard is quite silent. I've lately been feeling like nothing much is going on. Either nothing really of much note to share, nothing I WANT to share, or nothing YOU would want to read. In case you weren't aware, I have depression. It's hereditary in my family. I got that lucky gene. Woo Hoo for me... I only mention this because it seems that it's always in the winter. I mostly just get tired, which I'm sure is mostly due to the darker hours of the day.

HOWEVER... I do want to say that I TRULY enjoy reading all of your blogs, and hope that all of you all keep your keyboards clicking away. I actually do have several posts started, as well as several in my head that will be posted as soon as I get "creative" and post them since I like my posts to not be boring and monotonous.

Well, here it is, 9:40 p.m., I'm sitting here with cold feet (as is the norm in the winter) thinking I should probably make something for dinner so that Jordan has something to eat when he gets home (Hastings has a midnight book release tonight, so... Jordan ended up being one of the lucky ones that "gets" to work tonight...they called him in...he wasn't even scheduled). And yeah, I know that I need to not eat this late and then go to bed. I KNOW, I KNOW, I KNOW. I've heard it. I believe it. In case you weren't aware, "Dinner" is a bane in my existence.....

Well, till next time...

Free Apron? Count ME In!

2008-11-25T07:03:00.000-06:00

If you want to be entered into a drwaing for a really cute new apron, check out Epicurean Style's blog page. She's got some really cute aprons on there, and who knows, you might be the lucky duck to get one! Happy Blogging and Thanks Katie for the heads up!

Happy Birthday to ME!

2008-11-20T13:26:00.005-06:00

As some of you might know, my birthday was on Monday the 17th. I had a pretty good day overall I would say. I did have to go to work (wish I could've just stayed in bed and then played all day) but I did get to leave work a little early, so that was nice.

I got phone calls and cards/presents from family and friends (they started coming on Sunday and they're still continuing even today) and lots of well wishes. It was nice to be thought of on my birthday (and afterwards, obviously).

On my birthday Jordan and I met Chase, Meghan and Kate at Red Robin for dinner (my choice... I love going there for my birthday...) Anyhoo, it was nice being able to have dinner (at an actual sit-down restaurant, which J and I hardly ever do) and be in such good company. Kate was really cute, and she kept offering her bear to Jordan to give "loves" to. She even tried handing her bear to the waitress as she walked by. (She's really into giving her stuffed animals "loves" lately. It's really sweet.) She also accomplished drinking out of a straw. She did end up wearing a lot of water too, but still. She was pretty enthralled too when the waitress and a couple waiters came over with a sundae and sang me a birthday song while clapping. It was cute.

Anyhoo, after that we all went back to Chase & Meghan's where we had carrot cake (I also LOVE carrot cake) and ice cream and just visited for a little while (in between my birthday phone calls that is). Here are a couple pics from Monday.

Here is a picture of the flowers that Jordan brought me. He arranged it himself and put in some really beautiful red & gold roses along with a really pretty pink in between my favorite flower... two calla lillies.

Here's a little closer up view of them.

My mom also sent me some flowers too.

And here's a close up view of them.

Here's my cheeseball self at Red Robin.

Here's me with my birthday cake!

I shared some frosting with Kate... She was a little wound-up at this point and was having trouble keeping her balance. (Especially with the bear.)

Here she is just cruisin around with her bear.

Drinking from a straw at Red Robin.

Blog Commenting

2008-11-06T16:12:00.002-06:00

Just in case you're wondering, as far as my third quarter goal of commenting on all of the blogs I read, I've succeeded...except for one blog that the author had disabled comments.

However, sometimes I get behind in reading, and when I'm trying to catch up on all you guys are doing, I often feel OBLIGATED to comment, and I really dislike that feeling. I want to comment just because I WANT to.

So, just thought I'd let you know that I will no longer be commenting just so I meet my goal. If you get a blog comment from me, it's because I wanted to, and I had something to say about it. No more obligations. And yeah, I plan on catching up on reading all of your blog posts at least by the end of this weekend! :) Have a great one everybody!

Jill and the Bed

2008-10-29T07:00:00.002-05:00

Just thought I'd fill you in on this little bit of information.... When we got Jack, we let both dogs (Miller and Jack) get on the bed, but because our bed is so high (we have it on those little posts/lifters), Jack couldn't get up there by himself. So, I put a couple boxes together, and taught him how to climb those like stairs. After almost 2 years, he's a PRO at running up onto the bed. He doesn't really use them to get down though, he's usually happy about getting down and kinda does a skydiver-jumping-out-of-a-plane jump onto the floor. (It's really funny to see him do this!)

When we got the baby, we wanted her to be able to get up on the bed whenever she wants to as well. WELL, whatever happened in her life before she came to live with us has got her very cautious and timid about certain things. This is one of them. She WILL NOT climb up on the bed using the "stairs". It's frustrating, because she acts almost scared to be picked up and put up there. She tucks her little tail between her legs, walks close to the ground, and usually heads for the space under the bed. However, once she's up there, she jumps around, "dances" (spins in circles), leaps over at Jack and on and on. She LOVES to be up on the bed (so long as Jordan or I is in the room with her).

At night, she likes to burrow down in under the blankets, and usually curls up by our calves or feet, and that's where she plans on staying for the night. And, if there is any movement around her, she gets MAD. She doesn't like the dogs moving around on the bed near her, or even Jordan or I moving our leg or adjusting at all. She's really funny about that.

Well, she did something really cute this past week. I was getting ready for bed, and since it was late, ALL of the dogs were crashed out in the living room. They all know the nighttime routine, so when I started getting ready, they all headed for the bedroom. Well, since Jill doesn't get up on the bed by herself, she had to wait until I was ready. She was really cute, she would walk down the hall to the bedrom, then walk back to the bathroom and peek in at me, and then repeat. When I was finally ready to go to bed, I walked to pick her up, and she did her little tail between the legs and crouching down thing, but this time when I picked her up, she kinda did a little 'jump' to help speed up the process. It was really cute. A couple of times since then, when she wants picked up (and knows I'm going to get her) she will wait in her little crouch, but she happily 'jumps' up in my hand. It's really cute.

Here's a pic of her from Monday night (the 27th) and went to sleep. She was so cute I had to take a pic. Well, of course the flash woke her up! I thought this was the cutest of the ones I took that night.

Haning Out With Kate

2008-10-28T07:00:00.001-05:00

On Saturday (the 25th) I got to hang out with my neice Kate for a little bit while her Mom and Dad went out. Well, after Kate had decided that she'd had enough formula, she pulled her bottle out of her mouth and the formula squirted all over her face. It was so cute I had to take a picture. (And I only made her wear it long enough for a picture, I promise!!!)

Guess What???

2008-10-27T07:00:00.001-05:00

I noticed this sign at Wal-Mart this weekend and thought I would share it with all of you back home. Enjoy!

And another just in case you didn't see it the FIRST time! :)

HAPPY MONDAY EVERYONE!!!!!

Me Again

2008-10-23T07:15:00.001-05:00

So I know it's been a week since I posted, but I've been busy. Not that I could really give a list of things I've been doing cuz I can't really think of anything, but I swear I HAVE been busy. -Ever have days (or weeks) like that? When you KNOW that you've done stuff, but if someone asks, you're left standing there going, "...um....well, I did SOMETHING.... I know I did...." I'm at that point.

So really, I don't have a lot to say that is an interesting update on what we've been up to. Work, school, home...that pretty much sums up the life of Jordan and I.

As for the kids, they're still happily truckin on. They have their daily routine, and they don't really like to deviate from that. When we're gone during the day, they are all in their kennels (each dog has their own so that they have their "own" space) and even though they all have toys and chew bones, I know they spend quite a bit of time napping. So, when a Saturday or Sunday rolls around, and there is a lull in our physical activities (like when we sit down and play a game), a couple minutes later, if you look around our house, it looks like a war zone with 4 sleeping dogs laying around everywhere. (It's a little house....) It's kinda funny.

My "Vent" This Week

2008-10-16T07:00:00.000-05:00

I'm a complainer. Anyone who knows me, knows this to be true. Today I feel like just shooting off a quick little complaint, and then I'll feel better. My pet peeve for this week? Music players on websites!!! I LOVE them. I do. Honestly. BUT................................I LOVE them more when they don't start up automatically!!!! A lot of my "reading time" for blogs is done in my down time at work (shhhh....) and so those that automatically start up DRIVE ME COMPLETELY NUTS!!!!! Especially if it's a LOUD or annoying song!!!

Okay, I'm done. Thanks for indulging me!!

A "New" Tagged

2008-10-15T12:10:00.001-05:00

In this tag you go to your fourth picture folder, choose the fourth picture, and talk about it. This one is fun to talk about. (I'm at work, so this will turn out differently than it would if I was at home...)

Yeah, I'm one of those people that have personal pictures on their work computers. So SUE me!!! Anyhoo, this one is of my sweet hubby Jordan (of course). I think we were going to go somewhere and he went to go get one of the babies off the bed (and they have a tendency to roll over onto their backs so we can pet their bellies) so he went over and couldn't resist giving a belly rub. I feel bad for all of you who never actually get to see the sweet side of our babies, because they really are VERY sweet and loving. It's amazing to me sometimes just how sweet they are. They both LOVE to give 'loves' and attention and they just want to be with us whether we're playing or just sitting there. And, they are FIERCELY protective of us. It's a nice feeling to be loved that much.

Anyhoo, my sister-in-law Meghan decided to tag me, so I'ma tag Stacie, Amy, Nykki, Tifani, Melissa Boggs, Melissa Despain, Linsey, Ruby, and Chelsea.

To Vote or Not To Vote???

2008-10-09T12:15:00.000-05:00

So, I originally posted a blog last October urging you to see where you stand on the issues, and who really supports your ideas. Just for the fun of it, I clicked on it today to see if that link still works. And it does. Here's my original post:

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Monday, October 22, 2007
2008 Presidential Candidates

So, I found this website (my cousin sent me the link) and I took the little survey. It took less than 10 minutes, and I was able to see which candidate best 'fit' me and my beliefs.

Do us all a favor and check it out. MAKE SURE THE PERSON YOU VOTE FOR ACTUALLY AGREES WITH AND STANDS FOR WHAT YOU DO!!!

Then, if you're game, let me know where you stand...you can email your results to yourself or a friend, doesn't matter. Happy "Voting"!
http://selectsmart.com/president/2008.html

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I'm not here to urge you to vote for one candidate or another because I know that each person has their own individual beliefs, and someone telling you to vote for an idividual will not sway your decision. I do, however, urge you to check out the link and answer the questions. Please see who ACTUALLY supports your beliefs and stands for what you believe in (or at least comes the closest). I tried it again today just to make sure that I didn't flip-flop on my ideals or that some 'whim' didn't change who would best represent how I felt. I came up with the same candidate and that reaffirmed to me who I will be voting for this November. Please do so. I think it's VERY important to cast an EDUCATED ballot, and not just casting along party lines or tradition.

Oh, and by the way, in case you're wondering, Jordan and I have (at least more so than not) made ourselves Oklahoman's. We registered to vote here. I guess all we REALLY have left to do is each of us get an Oklahoma driver's license.

Ah, Wednesday

2008-10-08T07:00:00.001-05:00

As we are getting closer and closer to the October 15th tax deadline, things have been getting busier at work. In spurts. So, that means that there are times that I'm sitting there wondering what to work on next, and then there are times when I have a lobby full of people, multiple phone lines ringing, the fax going off in the background, some co-worker waiting on me for something, a FULL BLADDER, etc. etc. etc. It definitely swings back and forth between busy and dead. At least it will all balance out a week from now.

For now, I'm sick. I have been since last Friday. Well, that's when I admitted I was getting sick. Jordan got REALLY sick last Tuesday night (that's when he picked it up) and it really started to seriously manifest last Wednesday. Wednesday he was sick (coughing, etc.) and had a high enough fever that he made an appointment at the doctor's office for the next day, and he spent part of Wednesday night at home in a cold bath trying to bring down his 103 degree fever. -Needless to say, he missed his classes last Wednesday. Well, we finally got the fever to break, but he's still been feeling crummy. My symptoms didn't manifest the same as his though. No fever for me. Sore throat for me, none for him. Cough for him, none for me. Swollen glands=both of us. Tired=both of us. Slept most of the weekend=both of us. My main thing right now is being achy and stuffed up. I can hardly breathe, and when I do, I make funny noises, which is also making me sound funny too. And not in the funny ha ha way either. My throat is still sore, and with achy glands, I would prefer to just stay at home in bed all day. BUT, being this close to tax deadline, everyone at work has their function, and if one person is gone, it puts a lot of extra onto one (or more) people. I really don't want to put that on anyone in addition to their normal jobs, but I'm seriously debating it every morning when I wake up. I feel like scum. Scum that's been walked on and squished. I'm pretty sure I look like that too.

Perhaps my next post won't be so whiney. We can all hope, right?

Big Mouth, Lazy Fingers!!!

2008-10-03T18:38:00.003-05:00

As I'm sure you're aware, I quite often have a BIG MOUTH!!! I know that my close friends and family just laughed at that... you did, didn't you Linsey Ethington??? He he he..

Anyhoo... my little 'resolution' that I made? Well, it's still going strong. I have discovered though, that I have some pretty lazy fingers. I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE to read what you're all doing, thinking, experiencing, etc., but I've found that I'm kinda lazy in my desire to comment. I love reading about all the interesting stuff you all have to say. I feel edified and closer to you when I read about it all. AND, I've been tempted to just smile to myself and go on my merry way. BUT, I'm STILL holding to my goal. It would be INCREDIBLY nice if some of the rest of you followed by example though...that way I KNEW for sure who was reading!

7 Things (I've Been Tagged, Have You?)...

2008-10-01T12:30:00.001-05:00

7 Things I Plan To Do Before I Die

1. Be a Mommy to kids who don't walk on all fours
2. Buy a house
3. Own two cars at the SAME time
4. Travel to Italy with my husband
5. Go back to school
6. Go to the opera (Phantom of the Opera, preferrably)
7. Go to Hawaii

7 Things I Do Now

1. Text message people more than I call them
2. Miss my friends and family
3. Work at a CPA firm
4. Watch WAY too much TV --but I'm OKAY with it
5. Go to bed every night with at least 3 dogs in my bed
6. Love my husband more and more each day
7. Take a thyroid pill each day so I don't die :)

7 Things I Can't Do

1. Pee standing up...
2. Write my name in the snow :) he he he
3. Speak another language fluently
4. See my family whenever I want to
5. Remember everything I want to
6. Play sports well
7. Run a marathon

7 Things That Attract Me To The Opposite Sex

1. Symmetrical features (no lop-sided eyes, hunchbacks, etc.) he he he.. :)
2. Attitude
3. Firm handshake
4. Masculinity
5. Sense of humor
6. Quick wit/intelligence
7. Kindness

7 Celebrities That I Like

1. Ashley Judd (by the way...she has an AWESOME name)
2. Christian Bale (Pretty sure if I met him before I met Jordan, I might've been Ashlea Bale)
3. David Boreanaz
4. Christian Kane
5. Seth Green
6. Sean Connery
7. Sarah Michelle Gellar

7 Favorite Foods

1. Jordan's Italian cooking
2. Cold Stone Creamery (Mud Pie Mojo)
3. Rainbow Chip Frosting (I know, I know....)
4. Sauteed Mushrooms
5. Garlic mashed potatoes
6. Cheeseburgers
7. Cheese sticks

7 People Who Need To Do This

1. Melissa Despain
2. Linsey Ethington
3. Ruby Weideman
4. Alicia Thompson
5. Tifani Wallace
6. Melissa Boggs
7. Chelsea Jones

"Mini Stroke" or Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA)

2008-09-30T12:30:00.000-05:00

Just thought I would bring some information to light that some people might not be aware of (up until yesterday, this included me). I got this information from WebMd, and I think it's a very good thing to know. AND, for future reference, if for some reason someone I care about (like a parent, for example) were to have a TIA, I would like to know. Please contact me...and not a week later.

Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA) - Topic Overview

What is a transient ischemic attack (TIA)?

Some people call a transient ischemic attack (TIA) a mini-stroke, because the symptoms are like those of a stroke but do not last long. A TIA happens when blood flow to part of the brain is blocked or reduced, often by a blood clot. After a short time, blood flows again and the symptoms go away. With a stroke, the blood flow stays blocked, and the brain has permanent damage.

A TIA is a warning: It means you are likely to have a stroke in the future. If you think you are having a TIA, call 911. Early treatment can help prevent a stroke. If you think you have had a TIA but your symptoms have gone away, you still need to call your doctor right away.

What are the symptoms?

Symptoms of a TIA come on suddenly.
· One side of your body may feel numb, tingly, or heavy.
· You may not be able to move your arm, your leg, or your face on one side of your body.
· Things may look blurry or dim. You may have double vision or not be able to see.
· It may be hard to speak. You may slur or mix up your words.
· It may be hard to understand words.
· You may feel unsteady, dizzy, or clumsy. You may have trouble walking.

What causes a transient ischemic attack?

A blood clot is the most common cause of a TIA. Blood clots can be the result of hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis, heart attack, or abnormal heartbeat (arrhythmia). Brain cells are affected within seconds of the blockage. That causes symptoms in the parts of the body controlled by those cells. Once the clot dissolves, blood flow returns, and the symptoms go away.

Sometimes a TIA is caused by a sharp drop in blood pressure that reduces blood flow to the brain. This is called a "low-flow" TIA. It is not as common as other types.

What tests do I need after a TIA?

Your doctor will do tests to look at your heart and blood vessels. You may need:
· Tests that show pictures of your brain and blood vessels, such as a CT scan, MRI, magnetic resonance angiogram (MRA), or a cardiac catheterization and coronary angiogram.
· A test that uses sound to check your blood flow (doppler ultrasound).
· An echocardiogram to check your heart's shape and its blood flow.
· An electrocardiogram (EKG, ECG) to measure your heart rhythm.
Your doctor will also check to see if something else is causing your symptoms.

How is it treated?

Your doctor will start you on medicines to help prevent a stroke. You may need to take several medicines. If tests show that the blood vessels in your neck are too narrow, you may need surgery to open them up (carotid endarterectomy). This can help prevent blood clots that block blood flow to your brain. Another type of surgery is carotid artery stenting. During this surgery, the doctor puts a small tube called a stent inside your carotid artery. This helps keep the artery open. Carotid artery stenting is not as common as endarterectomy.

You can do a lot to reduce your chance of having another TIA or a stroke. Medicines can help, but you may need to make lifestyle changes too. Keep your blood pressure and cholesterol under control.
· If you have diabetes, keep your blood sugar as close to normal as possible.
· Take a daily aspirin or other medicines, if your doctor advises it.
· Take your medicines just as your doctor says to.
· Eat a heart-healthy diet that includes plenty of fish, fruits, vegetables, beans, high-fiber grains and breads, and olive oil.
· Get some exercise on most, preferably all, days of the week.
· Stay at a healthy weight.
· If you smoke, quit. Avoid secondhand smoke too.
· Limit alcohol. Having more than 2 drinks a day raises the risk of stroke.
· Avoid getting sick from the flu. Get a flu shot every year.

What A NIGHT!!!! (Friday night that is.....)

2008-09-27T04:13:00.001-05:00

If you're REALLY attentive and happened to notice what time I'm blogging this, you're probably wondering what in the world I'm doing up at this hour. And if you know me really well, you KNOW that I'm not a night owl. Well, there's a GOOD reason I'm up right now. I picked up Jordan from work around 1:30 and drove home (which takes about 10 minutes). Well, we turned on Barkley Street and noticed the headlights of a car coming towards us (no big deal, it happens all the time)...BUT...what's that sound? The horn constantly blaring? So, my first thought is a flashback to Lorne working in Boise and telling me how he rigged his boss's horn up to the brakes so that every time he touched the brakes the horn would go off. It was funny for about 1/2 a second, until I realized the guy was accelerating, and NOT stepping on his brakes. We continued on, then turned onto Barkley Circle. Well, horn guy turned and started following us. By this time, I started to wonder what in the world was going on, and was starting to worry a little bit. We kept watching him in the rear view mirror to make sure he wasn't following us ALL THE WAY home, but he pulled off to the side of the road and parked. I continued on and then we parked and went inside. We heard that the horn was still going, so Jordan grabbed a flashlight and a pair of pliers and headed out the door.

I took the dogs out back to potty and was out there 5 or so minutes and when I came in I looked for Jordan, but he wasn't there. He was still outside. I finally went into our bedroom to put away the laundry that we had on our bed, and while I was doing that Jordan finally came in and told me how the guy down the road REAKED of alcohol. When Jordan (and the neighbor) went over to figure out what was gong on, they noticed the front of the guys truck was smashed like he'd hit something, the guy was OBVIOUSLY intoxicated, and both airbags had deployed. The guy started to give them a line about how he'd just hit a curb and was just going to park his truck and go in his house (the one he parked in front of), which turned into a friend's house, and then might have just been a stranger.... Then the guy mentioned how his airbags had been deployed all night, and it wasn't a recent thing and on and on and on, and Jordan could tell the guy was full of crap and his story was constantly changing. The one constant that stayed the same, was the part about how he was supposed to graduate from OU in December and so he didn't need a DUI and if the cops came he would "have to run". Jordan mentioned that the cops WOULD find him since they would have two witnesses to what the guy looked like, what he was wearing and which direction he took off on foot (because he obviously couldn't drive). The guy kept saying that if Jordan called the cops JORDAN was going to get him in trouble and it was going to be JORDAN'S FAULT he got into trouble. Well, since the guy had obviously hit something other than a curb, and they had no idea if it was a car, house, a PERSON or just what, Jordan KNEW he had to call the police. Once the police showed up, that's when Jordan came into the house.

So, Jordan and I finish sorting and putting away the laundry while he filled me in on all of the details. By this time, we're pretty much awake, so Jordan decided to play a game on the Xbox 360, and I thought I would sit there and watch him for a little while (being the supportive wife that I am). Well, while we're sitting there, all is fine and normal, when all of a sudden, we hear what sounds like could have been something LARGE thrown at our living room windows, or something exploded, or ??????? We have no idea, but it was LOUD and it was VERY close by. So, my mind immediately goes to horn guy (Jordan and I were apparently thinking the same thing--we found this out later) and Jordan opens the blinds and says that there's something on FIRE outside. So we're both thinking that horn guy for some reason DID NOT go to jail, is ticked off, and is vandalizing the house and/or our possessions on the back patio. Well, we open the door and go out there to see a HUGE fire behind our back fence.

There was a pile of weeds/brush back there that someone had been cutting down the past month or so, and apparently someone lit it on fire. WAIT, it gets better. They decided that they really wanted it to start on fire, so they were lighting it with an AEROSOL can. Yes folks, that's how smart these college kids are around here at 3 am and beers have happened.

Of course they don't want to get in trouble, so they are out there hosing it down as fast as they can. Jordan went back to find out just what as going on, and I was trying to kennel the dogs so I could go see too. Well, after I finally get 3 in their kennels (Molly DID NOT want to be caught) I went out to the back and I hear a couple of neighbors yelling over their fences asking what in the world is going on, etc. Jerry (our next door neighbor) was out in his yard talking to Jordan and investigating as well, when he noticed a fire truck up front driving around looking for the fire. So Jerry and I ran up to the front and I shined my flashlight at the firemen (by the time I got there they were about 4 houses down talking to some people that had gathered outside). We told them the fire was behind our houses and the 2 firemen followed me into the backyard where Jordan filled them in on what he knew, and the guys went over our fence to see what the deal was. We heard the firemen asking the guy what was going on and the guy was of course downplaying it. The fireman asking the questions mentioned that SOMETHING was definitely going on, and it was more than just lighting some weeds because they were having calls coming in from a SIX BLOCK radius complaining about the explosion they heard.

At this point, Jordan and I figured that they didn't need us for anything else, and headed back inside. Of course, neither one of us were all that sleepy now, so Jordan started playing his game again, and I decided to share our wild night with YOU!!! Crazy Stuff people!!!

My Family 2008

2008-09-26T07:00:00.001-05:00

Here's my family!!!

Family Reunion

2008-09-25T12:30:00.000-05:00

Okay, so I'm finally getting around to posting something. Hopefully I'll catch you all up with everything in the next few posts. This attempt, as noted in the title, will be to update you on my family reunion.

The Thomas family reunion was scheduled for a campground in Idaho City (Idaho) this year. Jordan and I both wanted to attend, but since we're driving a Camry, have 4 dogs, and not enough room for 4 dogs, 2 adults and 4 dog kennels in our car (no, we're not going to show up without our dog kennels) we pretty much knew that there was no way that we were going to be able to drive up for the reunion. (We also found out that the campground does not allow dogs, and we didn't want the family to incur any additional penalties for us bringing them there.) So, Jordan stayed home with all the kids and I flew off to Idaho. I headed out of Oklahoma City and flew into Denver then on to Idaho.

Here's a couple pics just after my take-off in Oklahoma City.

Notice all the red? It's the dirt! Oklahoma dirt is mostly red!

Here's a couple I took when I was soaring above the clouds...
(literally above the clouds.....................I wasn't on drugs)

Denver has brown dirt...

Denver again...

I got in to Boise on Sunday the 10th. My little sister Jamie and her family came and picked me up. It was really cool to see them all since it's been just about 14 months since I'd seen them. My little sister and her husband were pretty much the same (not that many adults change THAT much in a year). Her little girl was a lot bigger, cuter and sweeter, so that was nice to get to see her. She is absolutely adorable. AND, she seemed really helpful with her little brother (who was not quite 2 weeks old when we moved out to Oklahoma).

Here's Jamie's baby boy Keegan with my oldest brother Robbie's youngest son Seth

(Hopefully that made sense to you....)

Here's Kali...she'd been running and playing with Keegan and was gracious enough to pause for a moment to say cheese and let me take her picture. -She totally hams it up for the camera. I love it!

Jamie trying to keep her sanity while chasing after 2 kids (waiting on Dad, Mom and I to arrive a couple hours after we said we would) and also being 6 months pregnant I might add. I think she looks pretty dang good! What a sweet little mommy my baby sister has become.

Cell phone pic of Jamie's husband Jeff...

(I told him to smile so I had a pic of him that came up when he called me.... This is what I got.... Not that Jeff ever calls, but still!)

Baby Keegan again

Applesauce faced Keegan

Keegan likes corn on the cob....

Anyhoo, they took me to Parma to my parent's house where I was able to see my younger brother Brandon, my older brother Lorne and his family (wife Amy and kids Bodhi and Taylor), my older brother Robbie and his kids Jake, Matison and Seth. My dad showed up later that night too (he's been working and living in Wyoming--he's an electrician for a company out of Utah and that's where they had a contract at, so that's where they sent my dad).

The newest look of my parent's house (front view)

My oldest brother Robbie

Robbie's youngest, Seth

Robbie's only daughter, Matison (aka Mattie)

My dad

My mom

Amy (at Red Robin)

The family reunion was Monday thru Thursday. Since dad had just gotten home, mom and dad did errands and stuff on Monday, and I pretty much just hung out around my parents and was happy to just do whatever. Tuesday we went up to the reunion and spent a couple hours, Wednesday we drove back up there and stayed the night since we were in charge of breakfast Thursday morning. Thursday morning dad got up and made breakfast before mom and I got up to do anything, so we were pretty much just there for moral support. -I didn't mind.

Here are a couple of pics I took on the way back to Boise after we left the campground in Idaho City.

Thursday night I stayed with my in-laws and had dinner with everyone there, which again, was nice to see everyone since Jordan's brother & his wife had a baby about a month before we moved down here and she was a whopping 6 pounds. She's gotten a lot bigger, cuter and sweeter (I think all the kids did) as well as Jordan's sister's 2 boys as well. It was a fun night being able to visit, and the two boys stayed with Gram and Grandpa (and thus me as well). It was nice being able to reconnect with the boys, but wish I could've spent more time with Ruby. I really miss all of them.

Kai

Beckett

Kai

Jimmy, Kai, Allissa and Beckett

Me, Jimmy, Kai, Allissa and Beckett

Beckett

Here is the picture that Beckett decided he needed to take of me.....
VERY UP CLOSE

Grandpa Thiel (Grandma was running around taking care of stuff like normal)

Beckett

Ruby and her Daddy Mike

Ruby and Mike again

Mom Karen, Ruby and Daddy Mike

Me, Ruby, Karen and Mike

Friday I had a meeting to go to, but after that I met up with my mom Diane. We had breakfast around 9:30 with Lorne, Amy, Bodhi, Taylor and Amy's mom and stepdad (Tina & Ron) because Lorne and his family were going to head back to San Diego. We ate and had a nice meal visiting, then went out in the parking lot and talked for another 20 or so minutes while we took a bunch of pictures.

Speaking of pictures.....

Here's Taylor at Breakfast.

And Bodhi at Breakfast

And Lorne at Breakfast (I didn't have one of Amy at Breakfast because she was sitting right next to me and I was busy talking to her the whole time....)

Here's a bunch of the pics that we took outside the restaurant.

Bodhi and I

(That little sneak gave me bunny ears!!!!)

Lorne and I

Lorne and I again

Lorne

Me, Mom and Lorne

Lorne, Amy, Bodhi, and Taylor

Lorne and Amy

Taylor and I

Amy and I

Lorne
(Taylor took this photo...pretty good, eh?)

Tina, Ron, Bodhi and Taylor

Tina, Amy, Ron, Bodhi and Taylor

Me, Mom, Lorne, Taylor and Bodhi

Me, Mom and Lorne

Bodhi and Taylor

Bodhi and Taylor again

(Bodhi NOT inadvertantly covering Taylor's face this time)

Bodhi and I

Taylor, Me and Bodhi

Bodhi, Grandma Diane and Taylor

After breakfast mom and I did some shopping then went back to her house so she could perm my hair. -Yes, I'm THAT cheap that I waited until I was in Idaho so I could have my mom perm my hair and I only had to spend $10 (my hair is long so I had to buy 2 perms to do all of it).

Here's the cell phone picture of me that I had my mom take so I could send it to Jordan (I wanted him to be the first one to see my new hair).

One thing that was out of the ordinary that happened while I was home, was that after I got to Parma on Sunday, I got to see my younger brother Brandon for about 10 minutes before he went to the ER and was admitted because he had severe abdominal pain, was running a fever and hadn't eaten much in the week prior to my arrival. While in the hospital, they scanned and prodded and poked and questioned Brandon, and finally arrived at the conclusion that Brandon had a pin-sized hole in his intestine/colon that had developed from all of the antibiotics and medicines that he has to take. So, needless to say, Brandon had to have surgery, and was in the hospital the entire time I was in Idaho (except for those first 10 minutes). Brandon was doing SO MUCH better before I got back home, so don't worry about him. (And don't you just love his wife Nykki's new haircut??? -She's so cute!!)

Brandon just chillin' at St. Luke's

The Cute Couple....

Gotta have one with big sis!

And one with mom too!

(And no, mom wasn't mad, I just caught her during a blink)

Dr. Brandon

(Had the mask on so he could walk around without getting some infection)

I feel like I should also mention that while Brandon was in the hospital, and Nykki was still in California working, their sweet little dog Lucky was staying at my parent's house. And, since I obviously love dogs, and I was missing mine terribly, and Lucky's mommy and daddy weren't around, he was my pal the whole time I was there. -I even let him sleep on the bed with me and bought him some toys. He really is a sweet, well behaved, fun-loving dog.

Here's Lucky in the car

Lucky

Lucky again

I flew back to Oklahoma on Monday the 18th (and I'm half retarded, in case you didn't know, so when I was booking my flight back home I didn't pay attention to where the flight left Boise around 6:00 P.M., which then didn't get me flying back into OKC until just after midnight!!!) Anyhoo, I flew out of Boise around 6:00, then into Denver around 8:00 and then on to OKC.

Here's a little bit of Boise as I was flying back to Denver.

These were taken between Boise and Denver, but I'm not exactly sure where we were. Irregardless, we weren't in FLAT ol' Oklahoma yet...

Here's the beginning of a Denver sunset. -For all of you Oklahoman's out there, that's what we like to call a MOUNTAIN that's peeking through the clouds.... he he he.....

And here's the Denver sunset that greeted me as I arrived.

When the plane was about 45-50 minutes outside of Oklahoma City we started getting into some turbulance. When we were about 30 minutes away from landing there was enough turbulance (rain and lightning too) that the pilot turned on the seatbelt sign and made everyone (including the flight attendants) buckle in for the rest of the flight. The girl sitting next to me was kinda freaking out, and was getting a little sick too. She just kept telling me how she felt sick to her stomach cuz she hadn't really eaten anything. I offered her some pretzels (from an earlier flight), but get this....she didn't want to eat any because once she got off the plane she was headed straight for a Braum's! (It's kinda-sorta like a Dairy Queen but with a little store in it for those of you back home...)

Anyhoo, we only got in about 10 minutes late, and my husband was waiting for me there. AND, he brought the babies to see me too (Jack & Jill have been dubbed "the babies" at the house since they're the little guys). All in all, it was nice to come back home to my family, but I sure do miss Idaho!

Sorry it took me so long to post about my Idaho trip (I only typed the message and added pictures in no less than six sittings) so hopefully the gobs of pictures made up for it!!!

Not So NEW YEAR's Resolution

2008-09-24T12:00:00.000-05:00

I'm not really one for making new year's resolutions, especially in September. So, I'm going to call it my End-of-Third-Quarter Goal! And, I've decided, it's a good one.

For all my friends and family out there who are into the blogging world, I just want to say a big THANK YOU for taking the time to blog. I LOVE to hear about what's happening in your life, good, bad, or ugly! I'm a user google reader (thank you Stacie for teaching me about this wonderful tool), so I don't miss any of your posts. I read all of them. I promise. You may not realize this, because I RARELY comment. Well, that's my new goal. I'm going to comment more often, hopefully on every post. I miss you guys. I want you to know that I love you, and I miss you. I'm happy for your happinesses. I'm sad at your dissapointments. My heart aches when your does (so long as you share it) because I hate to know that someone I love is aching.

I also wanted to say Ruby, you're AMAZING. I KNOW that I could never be the kind of wife you are. I complain too much. I COULD NOT handle having my husband deployed (to who knows where sometimes) and be okay with it. The longest I've been away from my husband in the last 5 years was when he went to Idaho to visit his family/friends back in March. It was awful.

So to all of you out there, expect words from me to be coming your way. It's my new goal. Feel free to tell me to shut up once in a while if you get tired of reading my nonsense that I post on your comment sections! Happy Blogging (and reading)!!!

I'm A Marked Woman...

2008-09-22T07:00:00.000-05:00

I decided to get a tattoo, so that's what I did last Friday (the 19th). And for those of my friends and family who just GASPED at that sentence...I love ya, but get over it. It wasn't a spur of the moment thing, and no, it's no one's FAULT, and nobody deserves and BLAME. Nobody influenced me to get it. It was something I wanted, so I informed Jordan that's what I was doing. END OF STORY.

I like it, and if you don't, feel free to stew to yourself, feel utterly disappointed and hurt (I know some of you will), spout off to your spouse, tell your kids I'm a HORRIBLE person and influence, whatever you need to do, so long as YOU DON'T TELL ME. I don't need the lecture, nor do I want it. I'm excited about it and just wanted to share. Here are some pics (it's a bee with a scorpio sign).

Tax Day Is Done (Part 2)... Part 3 To Come....

2008-09-16T07:00:00.000-05:00

We made it! .....It's Part 2 because we had the first tax deadline on April 15th, (the second on September 15th -- for Corporate taxes) and the third tax deadline will be on October 15th. We survived it without any casualties, so now we just need to get past October 15th.

And, just so you know, I've started a post about my Idaho trip, I just need to add pics. Hopefully I'll get it done soon now that I should have a little tiny bit more time.

Sorry I've been quiet so long... I do plan on changing that. :)

No Good Excuse

2008-08-27T07:00:00.000-05:00

As I'm sure you're all aware, I went to Idaho on vacation for a family reunion recently. I flew out on August 10th and arrived back home on the 18th (technically it was the 19th cuz we got in EARLY in the morning).

I obviously didn't post anything while I was gone, and since I've been home I've also been slacking. So, as I said in the title of this post, I really have no good excuse. While I've been tired and haven't felt 100%, I guess it's still not a good excuse. SO, just wanted to let you know that I am planning on posting some pics from my trip and telling all about it........when I get the time. He he he.... :)

Make Way For The Queen!!

2008-08-11T07:00:00.000-05:00

While Jill may be tiny, she does assert herself and make her presence known around here. We feed the dogs in one big bowl (or individually when they have to be kenneled because we're going somewhere). The other night I filled the bowl, and Jill let it be known that SHE was going to eat first. And boy did she....well, she ate, but she also made a mess.... (I have quite a few Jill messes around my house at any given time actually.) Here's 'her highness' at work...

I also feel the need to point out all of the extra "junk" in my photos today.

I'm sure you noticed the blue crate. This is where we keep the going-for-a-walk backpack, the big bones, pig ears, treats, etc. The rug to the left would normally be in the kitchen, the bobypin in the bathroom, and the sock in the bedroom. They are all in the living room right now because my 'kids' felt it was a better place for them.... Anyways, the blue treatball and the blue thing with strings (it's actually 1/2 of a treat 'pill' that we got at PetSmart--you put the treat in and twist it together and it keeps them occupied until they get it open) and the basketball (one of Miller and Molly's favorite toys) are all mobile since they're toys.

But, I'm sure you noticed right off that Jill was digging through the food with her nose rooting around looking for a specific kind she wanted. (We changed dog food, so there's some of the old kind, some puppy food, and some adult food in the bowl. She picks out what she wants, which is typically the old food, then the puppy food.) But, what a MESS!!! Luckily my house comes with 4 built in hoovers that also hog the bed and make messes of other miscellaneous things that are able to clean it up. Every time it happens. Which is every time they eat. If it's not Jill's rooting that makes the mess, it's Miller trying to bury the food for later.

She's Getting So Big!!

2008-08-06T21:00:00.001-05:00

Not literally, but yeah, "the baby" is getting bigger and more mature. One thing we learned (very quickly) about Jill is that she DOES NOT like her paws played with/touched.

Ever since we've got Miller and Jack when they were puppies, we started them early with paw touching. We wanted to make sure they would not make a fuss when their nails needed trimmed, or if we needed to look at them for whatever reason. So, starting when they were small, we would examine them, spreading the pads apart, trimming nails, etc. and then immediately praising them like crazy. This worked wonderfully, and they are great with it. Molly, is Molly, and she's special. :) Not a lot bothers Molly. She's kind of oblivious to most things going on around her, and thus, she's wonderful with us prodding and poking on her anywhere whenever. Sometimes she will be laying on the floor in front of the 'pantry' and when I need in it, I will ask her to move. She sweetly looks up at me and rolls back so I can pet her belly. It's a cute game we play. I tell her to do something, and she looks at me like, "how can I adjust myself so you can give me the most love and attention." I know that this is just Molly and I've accepted it. So, Molly just lays there, and I just scoot her out of the way with my foot. Molly just lays there like I'm petting her, and my ankles and calves get a workout at the same time. :)

Now....Jill. Jill is special on her own in this house, mostly because she's 'the baby.' As in, "where did the baby go?" "is the baby with you?" "Jack Jack, go get the baby!" She's delicate and soft (so long as you're not trying to move her or invade her space when she's sleepy) and just really sweet. She's still a clumsy baby, and we know it's the puppy in her and she'll grow out of it. For instance, so many times she will get excited and run to jump on the couch, but she will jump too soon, or with not enough "umph" and she ends up kinda bouncing off the cushion and having to try again. Sometimes, when she's REALLY excited, it can take her four or so jumps to finally get up on the couch. She will also do this when she's trying to jump onto our shoulders. And she doesn't have enough "umph" so she will slide down.............our arms.............digging her nails in as she goes. -That's why we're typically scratched up. Anyhoo, whenever we've tried to get her used to us touching her nails and feet, she pulls away and cries like we're trying to murder her.

Today while I was at home for lunch, I noticed Jill was laying on the living room floor in front of Jordan and I and she was kinda playing/tugging on her dewclaw. We decided that it must be long enough to bother her or maybe something was stuck (like a thorn or sticker, etc.) so either way, it was probably time to trim the nails. (We've also been hoping her nails would get long enough so that we could cut off the hot pink nail polish that was on her nails when we got her.) So, I got out the cat nail clippers (the dog ones are just too big) and while I held her, Jordan cut her nails. She didn't cry ONE time, or even let out as much as a whimper! We were so proud of her, and she promptly got a treat for being such a good girl. She's definitely growing up!!!

Here's a pic of Jill playing in the yard this past Sunday afternoon.

Cute Crafty Ideas!

2008-08-02T07:00:00.000-05:00

For those who know me pretty well, you all know I'm NOT crafty. Also, if you know my stepmom Kathy, you might think to yourself, "how in the world did she not pick up on SOME of that over the years???" Well, I don't know. I'm lame.

BUT, I did find a blog that I think is awesome! I added it to my Check it out section. It's called Stamping with Monique! Hope you like it as much as I did!

I'm Going HOME

2008-08-01T07:00:00.002-05:00

I am totally psyched! I'm going to be going back home to Idaho on August 10th for my Thomas family reunion.

I know that for some people it wouldn't be a big deal, but you've gotta remember that I haven't seen ANY of my family in over a year. The reason it's been so 'hard' for me is that I've never lived more than 40-45 minutes from my parents, and I've lived pretty close to most all of my siblings before moving out here to Oklahoma.

My brother Cody is supposed to be in Idaho the 8th & 9th, so maybe mom could convince him to stay another day so I could see him, but other than that, I KNOW I will see all of my other siblings and my parents. I'm SO excited!!!

Kinda Strange To Think

2008-07-31T07:00:00.001-05:00

Sometimes I like to think back to where I was two, five or even ten years ago and what I was doing then. Then I remember thinking back then, where would I be and what would I be doing going forward those two, five or ten years. I must say, I never thought I would be where I am today. Don't take it the wrong way, I don't think I'm doing horrible or anything, it's just interesting to me the point I am in my life right now and it's fun to remember where I was at that particular time in the past.

So, I'm curious (and curious to see who will do this), but would you comment or email me and tell me where you were in your life and/or what you were doing during these times?

Summer 1998:

Winter 1999:

Fall 2000:

Spring 2001:

Summer 2002:

Winter 2003:

Fall 2004:

Spring 2005:

Summer 2006:

Winter 2007:

Summer 2008:

Here's what I was up to:

Summer 1998: Working as a 'flagger' on the road crew for my Grandpa, getting ready to head into my senior year of high school.

Winter 1999: Been married a couple months now, living in the town of my hometown's football rival (Homedale) GO PANTHERS FOREVER!!

Fall 2000: Still living on the farm in Homedale, working for MBCI/ABC, driving my new car (I'd only gotten it the previous March).

Spring 2001: Working for Canyon County Development Services as a Recording Secretary, attending public hearings on Thursday nights.

Summer 2002: Moving BACK to Homedale (we lived in Parma for a year, approx July-June).

Winter 2003: Recently divorced and living on my own.

Fall 2004: Happily celebrating my one year anniversary with the love of my life!!!

Spring 2005: Sealed to my husband in the Boise, Idaho temple.

Summer 2006: Moving into the north end in Boise, added a sweet baby Miller to the family.

Winter 2007: Living in Oklahoma, surviving "The Ice Storm" and welcoming 2 new neices to the family.

Summer 2008: Still in Oklahoma, pretty much used to all the humidity, and missing my family cuz I haven't seen them in over a year.

Well, that's my little trip down memory lane. Can't wait to read about yours!

Selling The Camry

2008-07-28T10:39:00.003-05:00

Hey all, Jordan and I have decided to list the Camry for sale. It's been a great car, but since our little family only seems to be getting bigger, we really need more room. So, if you know of anyone who's looking, feel free to pass it on. We have listed it on Craigslist as well as my MySpace page. Shout at me if you want more info! Thanks!

To pass on the link, copy the address and email it on.
http://oklahomacity.craigslist.org/car/772353696.html

It's A Miracle!!!

2008-07-28T07:00:00.000-05:00

Yesterday as I was trying my hardest to snap a quick picture of my two 'babies' playing (Chihuahua's are VERY fast), I decided that since I had a camera in my hand, I would take a picture of Jordan. For those of you who know Jordan well, you already know he doesn't LOVE to be in pictures, so it came as a COMPLETE and TOTAL shock that he let me take one of him. The second miracle? He DID NOT make a silly face! I have proof!!! And I think it turned out great! Thanks honey!

PHS Class of 1999

2008-07-25T07:00:00.000-05:00

If you were a member of the Parma High School Class of 1999, then please LISTEN UP!!! I want to be able to contact all the members so I can at least get a feel for where people are on the whole reunion thing, or at least LEAST make sure they are still alive!

So, if you have an email address for ANY member of the Class of 1999, or you are one of those lucky people, please email me with the addresses! Email me at parmahigh1999@hotmail.com!

Thanks so much!

My Sister's Kids

2008-07-23T07:00:00.001-05:00

The other day I got a card in the mail from my baby sister telling me all about what her kids are up to. It was really fun to hear about them growing up, but really hard on the same token because I haven't seen them in over a year. When we moved down here, her baby boy, Keegan was just over 2 weeks old, and Kali was just a few months shy of turning 2.

Well, now, a year later, I still miss them terribly, and my baby sister is cooking another genetically blessed bun in her cute little oven. (Seriously, when my sister is COMPLETELY pregnant and ready to pop, she only looks pregnant from the front or the side...it's like she's hiding a basketball in her shirt cuz she doesn't seem to gain any weight anywhere else.... Don't worry, I'm packin the extra weight around for her).

Anyhoo, hopefully we will get a chance to see our family more often in the next (and coming) year(s). I sure do miss them. Here are two of the pics she sent of her kids.

Kali and Keegan (he fell down and bumped his lip, hence the "Elvis Lip" as my sister calls it.)

Here's Keegan playing ball in the park with his daddy. He is a spitting image of his daddy, but my sister thinks he looks more like her. She's totally wrong...that kid is ALL his daddy (but cuter...sorry Jeff)!

Idaho Summer Days

2008-07-22T07:00:00.000-05:00

I gotta say, I really miss Idaho. Especially summertime. Mostly because it's really hot out here in Oklahoma, but add the humidity and the bugs, and you got M-I-S-E-R-Y for anyone who's not used to being in it. (I know I'm exaggerating a little bit, but I want to get my point across.) It's not as bad this summer (at least for me) as it was last summer, but I chalk that up to having a year under my belt adjusting to the humidity.

Anyhoo, I found a pic the other day (well, re-found it...I find them, put them in a safe place, and then start the cycle over again a couple months later). I thought I would post it here. Here's Jordan and I 6/17/06 enjoying a picnic at his parent's house in the Idaho summer weather.

Dog Park Days

2008-07-21T07:00:00.005-05:00

Since the dog park is separated into two parts that are fenced off from each other (one side is for dogs UNDER 30 pounds, the other for dogs OVER 30 pounds), I typically take the 'babies' to the small dog side while Jordan handles the big kids. I snapped a shot of each of my babies last time we went that I thought were cute.

Also, after we were headed home and everyone was thoroughly hot, Jill layed down in my lap with the A/C blowing on her and was just loving it. Here are some of those pics too. -Sorry they're mostly blurry...that's what happens when you're A: driving (I already know, I don't need the lecture....) and B: you're REALLY close to your subject!!! AND, she was being really cute, so there's lots!

Two Peas In A Pod

2008-07-19T07:00:00.002-05:00

Just thought I would make a quick post about my little 'peas'. Here's a pic of them waiting to pick up dad from work. They anxiously watch the door for him to come out, then they run back and forth between my lap (in the driver's seat) and the passenger seat, tails wagging like there's no tomorrow. They are SO excited when I ask them if we should "go get daddy!" All 4 dogs LOVE going for a car ride so much that if we're not sure if we're going to take one, we refer to it as a "C.R." until we're sure. After we say car ride they bounce (and run) around the house until the leashes are on and we're ready to go out the door. Most times we make them "Say Please" (speak) before we go out the door, so Jack just runs over to it, puts his front paws on the door so he's in a 'standing' position, and just speaks until we open the door. They are all so much fun.

Anyhoo, I thought this pic of 'waiting for dad' was really cute!

The Opposite Of A Tree Hugger...

2008-07-18T07:00:00.002-05:00

That's US! On Saturday (the 12th) Jordan and I once again set out to tackle the "tree project" that was left in our backyard FROM DECEMBER that our landlord still hasn't done anything about. He did let us borrow his chainsaw though, so I guess he wasn't COMPLETELY useless. Anyhoo, we went to Walmart and got some safety goggles and gloves and headed out to the backyard. In case you forgot what it looked like out there, here are some pics.

December Trees

April Trees

July Trees

In order to cut down some of the limbs, we knew we would need a ladder. (Obviously!!) So, we got the ladder from Chase & Meghan's house (Jordan's dad bought it back in December for Jordan and Chase to share and this is the first time we've actually had a REAL need for it). Anyhoo, we got that out there, but since it's only a 6 foot we were kinda limited in what we could do. HOWEVER, we have a neighbor 2 doors down that cuts trees commercially, so I went and asked him if we could borrow a ladder. He said sure and actually brought it down to the house. While he was there he saw the "project" and he said to us (I'm not kidding) "I could help you cut some of this down, I have a chainsaw on a stick that I could go get." Yes, ladies and gentlemen, he said "A CHAINSAW ON A STICK". He quickly decided this was a good idea, so he walked off to get it leaving Jordan and I looking at each other and both picturing something like a wooden rake handle with a chainsaw and duct tape. (We ARE in Oklahoma afterall! Sorry all you Oklahoma readers....Both of You!!).

Well, to our surprise (and delight and RELIEF) he came back with a commercial chainsaw that had an extension pole on it. He sliced off some of the high branches that were broken and twisted (which was cool cuz we were looking at them thinking that even with the taller ladder there was no way we could get to them). He even picked up our landlord's chainsaw and inspected it. He decided that it needed oil and the blade sharpened, so Jordan put oil in it then he kindly sharpened the blade (which took him about 2 minutes, if that). Overall, we wouldn't have been able to accomplish as much as we did without his help. (Thanks Dan!)

Obviously we've still got a ways to go to complete the project, but at least we made a dent. Now we pretty much just have to cut up the stuff that's on the ground and set the twigs/branches out by the road for the mulch/landscape removal people (in Norman they have a regular weekly pickup day for things like grass clippings, twigs, etc. just like a regular trash day).

Special Delivery

2008-07-17T07:00:00.002-05:00

Here's an article that was in Wednesday's edition of The Norman Transcript (our local paper). The article is about one of my co-workers, who obviously just went on maternity leave. She was due on July 23rd, but delivered her baby on the 13th. Overall, it's a pretty cool story. (Sorry about the quality, that's what happens when you scan the newspaper!) Congrats Jennifer!!!

Bad Dreams???

2008-07-16T07:15:00.002-05:00

For those of you mommies out there (well, the mommies who's children have only 2 feet instead of 4 paws), I have to be honest about something. If you know me, then you already know #1.

#1 is that I'm a little jealous of you (I know, I'm NOT supposed to be jealous, but since it's only a LITTLE, so I think I'm fine). If you don't know me, let's just suffice it to say that I've always wanted to be a mommy, and leave it in that little nutshell.

#2 is that I'm a LITTLE tiny bit glad that my children have 4 paws insted of 2 legs!! (I know, they totally contradict each other, and my husband will vigorously shake his head at me because he HATES when I give him the explanation/rationale that it's just a woman thing and can't be explained!!)

The reason (today at least) I'm thankful that my kids have 4 paws, is that when they make a noise/cry, I typically know that is going on. When you have a new/young baby (for example), when they cry, it could mean a whole bunch of things. -Is the baby, hungry? Wet? Poopy? Tired? Sick? Hurt? Scared? Is something BIGGER the problem? Well, it's kinda nice knowing that when my babies cry, their cries sound VERY different. (I'm sure to actual moms their child's cries sound different too, but since I haven't had children, I'm basing this solely off of my babysitting experiences.)

The reason all this comes to mind, as you might have guessed, is because of {as read in my blog title} hopefully, and I know it sounds bad, Jill had a bad dream last night. (Hopefully because I don't want there to be some sort of internal problem that the vet hasn't found.) She woke up around 3:45 just CRYING like he was getting beatten to death. She is only 7 1/2 months old now, and I hate to think that she's been through some sort of trauma that would warrant bad memories, but on the other hand, I hope (YES, I'M SAYING IT AGAIN) that nothing is wrong with her. Of course, since she sleeps on a regular sized HUMAN pillow in between Jordan and I on our Queen sized bed (that I might add also sleeps Jack and Miller too--Molly likes to sleep under the bed), I knew that neither one of us had rolled on her. AND, she's very much a space hog when it comes to her mom and dad. If she's laying with either one of us, or even just sitting on our laps on the couch and another dog comes over, she FIERCELY defends her spot. We are still correcting her on this and trying to reassure her and her position in the 'pack' though.

So, needless to say, I was awake for quite a while EARLY this morning making sure my baby was okay and just petting her and talking to her softly. It seemed to help and she burrowed her head in her blanket (she LOVES to burrow) and curled up with me and drifted back off to sleep. I drifted back to sleep somewhere around 5:00 and got up late at 6:40 with a headache the size of Texas. (I'm feeling good now though, thanks for asking!) Anyhoo, when I got up, I handed her to Jordan and he took all the kids out while I got in the shower. I heard another cry from her while they were outside, but I think she was just scared. Jordan is home with her now, and so far I haven't heard anything from him about the 'activities' continuing.

I really do think it was bad dreams though, because she seems VERY healthy. She runs and runs and runs in the backyard and plays with all the dogs (she LOVES to play tug-of-war with Molly over our socks) and she plays with Jack (and follows him around) like she's always been part of the family. They have a good time playing and it's really cute, except for when I'm sitting on the couch and they have lovingly dubbed mom's lap as "base". Oh well, I still love it.

Here's a pic of Jill with one of her FAVORITE chew toys: DAD'S FOOT!!

Yes, I'm Alive!!

2008-07-16T07:00:00.000-05:00

For those of you who've been wondering if I'm alive or not, don't worry (that, or either, sorry for the terrible news....) I'M STILL ALIVE!!! Just had some craziness that didn't warrant blogging as my top priority. I will try to post more frequently now though.

Looking For Some Quick Lovin'???

2008-06-30T07:00:00.000-05:00

I know where you could find some!!! Looking to stay away from quick lovin'??? I know the area to avoid! This town (Norman, OK) is SO helpful with letting me know about these areas of town...

Beware of what is ahead....

I kid you not, this is a REAL sign in our town!!!

And for those of you who are wondering what the big deal is about this sign that makes it so funny...well, in Idaho (as well as EVERYWHERE else I've seen), these signs say Speed BUMPS, not Speed HUMPS!!!

For My Brother....

2008-06-27T07:00:00.000-05:00

In case you thought you were hiding from me REALLY well...you're NOT!! I have my sources, and my sources here in Oklahoma have told me where I need to look to find you!!!

He he he...it's pointing WEST!!!

(I couldn't resist...I thought this was so cool!! I know, I know, I'm a dork...)

What Good Is A Poll?

2008-06-26T12:15:00.000-05:00

If no one will "poll"???? Hint Hint.... I put up 2 polls under my "About Me" section...

Dallas Baby!

2008-06-25T07:00:00.003-05:00

On Saturday the 21st, a friend of mine was taking some furniture to Dallas, so I hitched a ride and kept her company. In return for my selfless act, she nicely drove around Dallas so I could take pictures of things since I'd never been. They aren't the best pics, but it's what I got so I thought I would share with you. Enjoy!

In the distance you can see a building with a white dome top. That's where the Dallas Cowboys play!

This hotel reminded me of the "Park Barrington" from Family Guy...it's a hotel that doesn't allow any Asians, so the reporter (Tricia Takanawa) has to stand outside.

Just some really tall buildings.

Sidways stop lights... Also, if you notice the walkway in the distance that goes over the street, there is a sign hanging down off of a building below that and to the right (it looks like a little red line in this pic).

Here is a closer-up view of that little red line. That's right, it says "First Baptist Church"... I thought it was funny since it looked like the old signs they used to hang that said "Motel"...

Here's a side of a HUGE building...Guessing it's either a Disney/Pixar building (or something to that effect), or they are sure getting paid OODLES to have this on there...

Here's a mural painted on the Dallas Aquarium that is just opposite the Wall*E mural building. They've got penguins in the basement...

Here's an "oddly" shaped (HUGE) building by the two mural buildings.

Another "oddly" shaped building.

Um, it's a Paramount sign...

We thought this was odd that there would be two huge wooden owls in downtown Dallas, but as we got a little further up the road we realized that the building right behind it was Hooters. Oh well, the owls were a sight to see!

I had no idea what to expect when I saw this...

Here's what's in front of Dick's (it's a restaurant).

I'd never seen these in real life, let alone a "herd" of them...

I thought this was interesting and just had to take a picture of it. You decide....

A college SO fancy they have their own banner announcing it!!! Actually, just down from this banner is a nice permanent sign.

View from the truck's sun/moon roof. REALLY tall buidling...

Thought this was a cool looking building.

This little log cabin/building was amongst all the cement downtown.

"American Airlines Center" Home of the Mavericks (basketball) and the Stars (hockey). It had a lot of parking and was located right next to the freeway as well as rail tracks. Talk about options! They have concerts etc. here too.

You might be asking why did I take a picture of a Coors Light billboard as I was going down the freeway...well, it's because it has a REAL LIVE WATERFALL built into it. I thought that was pretty cool!

Here's a better pic.

I thought this was odd...these stores are everywhere down there... It's a regular site, just like passing a Burger King or a Blockbuster in Idaho...

Texas has a day AND night speed limit. I didn't know this, but thought it was interesting when I saw the two signs...

And arriving back in Oklahoma. They went all out on the sign...it's made of stone.

All in all it was an interesting trip. Mostly because I learned that I'm only about 200 miles away from Dallas...I thought I lived A LOT farther away. I'm glad I got the chance to go, expecially because I wasn't using MY gas, but wish Jordan could've come too. (-He had to stay at home with the kiddos since there wasn't room in the vehicle, and I don't think my friend wanted the vehicle covered in dog hair!!!!) Jordan and I will have to go down sometime when gas prices go down....hopefully we're still alive then! :)

Happy Birthday!

2008-06-21T07:00:00.000-05:00

I'm sending out Happy Birthday wishes today to my mom who turns the young age of yeah-right-you-think-I'd-tell-and-end-up-murdered??? This is the woman who brought me into the world, so she's probably okay with being the person who takes me out of it!!! Just kidding. Anyways, just wanted to send birthday wishes out to my mom! Happy Birthday Mom (aka Di, Diane, Di-Di, Gramma Di, Grandma Diane AND, Karen)!!