Happy Anniversary to Us!

Today was our 7th wedding anniversary.  Hard to believe that 7 years ago today, I was walking down the aisle, and yet . . . here we are!  It hasn't always been easy, but it has always been fun in the end.

When we picked our wedding date, pretty much every one told us we were crazy to get married over 4th of July weekend, but we picked it so that every year, there would always be a celebration for our anniversary.  And, we'd pretty much be guaranteed to get a day off of work, too. 

So, bingo!  Mike had the day off today.  It started out like a normal day, I took the kids to the Y, Mike mowed the lawn, and then we went swimming at the pool together.  But it ended magically!  My parents were gracious enough to come take care of Sammy and Sophia, and we headed out on a wonderful date.

Mike made reservations at the Monarch Bistro downtown in the museum district.  We started with Steak and Sticks, then Mike had the Seared Sea Bass, and I enjoyed the Pork Tenderloin.  They even had a special anniversary dessert for us - cheesecake with a chocolate anniversary wish brushed in gold!  The food was excellent, but the company was even better!

After we got home and sent my parents on their way, Mike decided to be romantic and draw me a bubble bath.  He even lit candles, and finished it off with rose petals.  Wait a minute - rose petals?  I asked him where he got the rose petals from.  Turns out they came from the single bloom on our rose bush after all the rain we had last week.  Great thought, but it really made me laugh.

And let me tell you about rose petals . . . they seem really romantic in the bathtub, but honestly they are pretty gross.  They stick to you and make you think there are bugs crawling!  It's terrible.  Maybe that's only if your rose petals came from the backyard, though.

Anyway, I love Mike - he's such a sweetheart, and he worked really hard to make today special - just like he works hard every day.  Happy Anniversary, Mikey - here's to 70 more years!

The Bed-Man Cometh . . .

We all know who "the man" is . . . he's a fictional character, sometimes embodied in the form of a complete stranger, who assists in handling or disciplining the little ones.  I think I've been using "the man" a bit too often . . .

The other night, it was WAY past Sammy's bedtime, and Mike sent him into our bathroom, where I was taking a bath, to say goodnight.  Sammy began crying and saying that he wasn't tired.  Yeah right, I've heard that line before.  I quickly told him "Sammy, you need to hurry up and go to bed.  The man is coming, and he's not going to be happy if you're not asleep!"  Sammy's eyes got wide, he kissed me goodnight and hurried out of the room, and my BFF Amanda (whom I was talking ok, gossiping on the phone with) giggled and said I was going to give my own child nightmares.

Turns out I gave my husband nightmares, instead.  Two days later, in casual conversation, Mike asked me, "Honey, who's the bed-man?"  "What?"  "The other night, when I was putting Sammy to bed, he told me he had to hurry up and go to sleep because the bed-man was coming."  "Who?"  "I know, I said the same thing.  But Sammy says the bed-man comes over every day when he takes a nap.  Who's the bed-man??"

OMG, seriously??  Who is the bed-man?  I wish he was a house-cleaning fairy . . .

It's Only About $300 . . .

I am going to share a big secret with you.  Mike has been out of town for two weeks now.  That's right - 2 weeks.  He left last Sunday, on his way to Las Vegas for a work conference, and we picked him up at the airport tonight.  I've been silent about it, I know - but it was for several reasons.  One being safety, and the second being my sanity - I figured if I didn't give myself the chance to acknowledge and complain about being a single parent for two weeks, I wouldn't notice how terrible it was.

OK, it wasn't that terrible.  But it was a bit stressful.  Don't get me wrong - I have the kids by myself all day long.  However, I'm used to having my relief pitcher come in at 6:30 pm each night.  And I didn't have that.  Plus, I didn't have my best friend, my husband, and the father of my children around.  It was a tough two weeks, but Sammy, Sophia and I survived.  And so did Mike.

We couldn't make it the whole time without a crisis, though.  Our big crisis came in the form of the garage refridgerator.  We have a fridge in our garage.  It's a cheap fridge - we bought it at the Scratch 'n' Dent store for $150 when we moved into our house almost 5 years ago.  We use it for beverages (aka beer), and to hold all the extra meat we buy.  Every January, it gets filled up with deer sausage and all of its various accessories (backstrap, jerky, etc), and we also store ribeye steaks, shoulder roasts, and pork steaks that I find on sale throughout the year as well. 

The crisis began innocently enough.  I had a babysitter on Tuesday night (to celebrate my friend Trish's lingerie shower), and on Wednesday morning I headed to the garage to pull out something to defrost for dinner.  I was a bit suprised to find that the freezer and its contents had started to defrost.  I thought for a second, then figured that perhaps someone had gotten a coke out of the fridge the night before and shut it too hard, which will invariably pop open the freezer (hey - I said it was cheap!).  I pulled out our dinner for the night, shut the freezer, and went about my merry way.  I didn't think to check it again on Wednesday night, or Thursday morning.

As a matter of fact, I didn't check on it again until Thursday night.  Mistake number 1.  We had just finished swimming at my brother Aaron and Trish's house, and I was trying to find something quick to make for dinner.  Imagine my horror to find that now, the entire freezer, all of its contents, and the refridgerator were now defrosted.  Really?  Yep, really. 

I was confused.  Absolutely confused, and unsure how to go on.  I might have started crying.  I called Mike, called my brother, called my parents, and tried to call others.  My brother, Aaron, came over, and he helped me clean out the freezer of its contents.  We were a bit scared to do anything with the food.  After all, while it was still cold, it was definitely defrosted, and who knew how long it had been that way . . . at least since Wednesday morning.  Aaron took the deer sausage home, and he and Trish ended up grilling it and then refreezing it since it had been smoked and cured before.  Everything else was trashed.  About $300 worth or so.  Including the salvaged deer sausage.

I still couldn't figure out what was wrong with the fridge.  The lights still worked, but it was no longer cooling.  My only guess was that the cooling element had gone out.  It was a cheap fridge, right?

Wrong.  We picked Mike up from the airport on Friday night at 8:30 pm.  We got home at 9:37, and he headed out to the garage to check out the carnage.  He opened the fridge door, stood there for a second, and then asked, "Who messed with the dials?"  What?  "The dials are completely turned off, who turned off the dials?"  You know, the temperature dials - the ones that regulate the temperature in the fridge and the freezer? 

Yes, I'm that dumb.  I didn't check the temperature dials.  I just figured the cooling element went out.  Turns out there was a culprit.  "Sammy, who turned the dials?"  He looks at us sheepishly, then says, "I did!"  Really, Sammy?  Wow - $300 later, I'm glad he's technical, but really?  Sammy and I had a little talk about not messing with the fridge anymore.  Mike turned the dials back to the correct temperature. 

And in the meantime, I have a little confession to make.  I was honestly a bit tired of deer sausage.  Everytime I don't feel like cooking, Mike suggests I make deer sausage.  So I've grown to resent it a bit.  Just a bit.  Not enought to purposely sabatoge it, but enough to be a bit glad that my 4 year old fiddled with the temperature dials.  Besides, now I get to fill the fridge and freezer with what I want to fill it with.  You know, popsicles and ice cream!

Immersion

Are you fully "immersed" into Christ?  I am . . . and not only once, but twice!  I was first baptized via full immersion when I was 12 years old.  My Baptizer was my Missionettes leader, Lisa Smotts.  I loved her so much - Lisa was a Godly woman.  She was married, had one daughter, worked fulltime, and sang like an angel.  I looked up to her so much when I was a girl, and I really appreciate the beautiful life she demonstrated to myself and all of my friends at such an impressionable age.  I am thankful for the beautiful gift of such a God-loving woman - I first met Lisa when I was about 8 years old.  She worked full time for Southwestern Bell, and gave her entire life to God and to her family.  I cannot place into words what an awesome woman Lisa Smotts was - she stood by her man, and raised her daughter in the fullness of God's light.  And I cannot tell you what a beautiful witness she was to me and to many of my girlfriends in church that I grew up with.

I remember looking up to Lisa so much.  We lost touch after awhile, and many years later, after a long battle with cancer, Lisa passed away.  She left a beautiful legacy to all of us - she never lost her faith in God, and her love for her family.  Today, I am in touch with Lisa's daughter, Christina, on Facebook.  It is so wonderful to me to see the way that Christina has matured and grown up.  I know that God, and her wonderful mom, Lisa, are looking out for Christina, and shining on her life today.  I cannot express how much I am thankful for the wonderful role model and woman of God that Lisa was to me.

In keeping with that, my husband decided that he would like to be fully immersed into Christ as well, however he wanted us both to share in the experience together.  At first, I honestly did not want to.  In my humble opinion, I had been baptized at age 12 by Lisa, and I didn't want to discredit that experience in any way at all.  However, I wanted to support Mike as well.  After much prayer and consideration, this Tuesday, May 18th, Mike and I were both baptized by our pastor, Darren Walter, at Current in Katy, Texas.  It was a beautiful experience, made even more special by the witness provided by my parents, and my paternal grandmother. 

Have you been baptized by immersion?  Are you excited about your decision? I know we both were . . .

It's the Last Year of My 20's . . .

It's the last year of my 20's . . . yes people, you heard that right.  Today was my birthday, and I turned 29.  I cannot believe it - it seems like just yesterday that I was turning 21, Mike proposed to me, and we spent all night at the square in San Marcos.  Here we are, 8 years later - an almost 4 year old son, a 1 year old daughter, and we spent all night at my brother's house swimming . . . boy, how life changes!

And what a wonderful change it is!  Had you asked me 8 years ago where I would be today, it would be a completely different story - I would have been the youngest female CEO of The Hartford, living somewhere in the Northeast and wearing power suits.  Instead, I'm living in Katy, organizing a playgroup, and wearing sweats.  Or, a T-shirt and shorts most days.  Other days I put on my bathing suit!  Do I regret it?  Never!  We are having the time of our lives, and I am so grateful for the direction God has taken for us!

So, where does that leave me in the next year or so . . . I have to be honest and say that since I was 22 years old, it has been a dream of mine to run a marathon before I turned 30.  Looks like it's time for that dream to come true . . . almost!  My awesome sister-in-law, Trish, her best friend Kelley, our friends Cheryl and Monica, and anyone else we can recruit, will be running a half-marathon this January 2011.  Yes, we are running the Aramco Half Marathon on Sunday, January 30, 2011.  And if you mean anything to any of us, you better be there at the finish line, cheering us on!  OK, it's not the marathon dream - but it's halfway there, and that's better than nothing.  Maybe when I turn 40 I'll do a full.  In the meantime, I'm proud of myself!

I've registered at KatyFit.com, and I'll be training starting from mid-July on.  I suppose in conjunction with this marathon goal, I can say that in the next year before I turn 30, I'll probably lose about 20 lbs.  Which would fulfill another age 30 dream of mine.  I've had two kids in the last five years, and while I've been proud of how I look, I can't wait to get fully in shape while I'm training for the Aramco Half.  Can we say "hottie"???  Just teasing!

This year should be interesting . . . I'm running the Aramco Half, it's Sammy's last year before he starts kindergarten, and it's the last year of my twenties . . . I don't think it gets better than this, people!

The Queen Bee

Mike and the kids gave me my mother's day present early.  Two days early, to be exact.  Perhaps because I asked for it, or perhaps because they were so excited!  I was excited, too . . . sort of.

For Christmas this past year, my gift was a Pandora clasp bracelet.  Ever since, I can count on receiving a Pandora charm to add to my bracelet for pretty much any occasion.  It's always exciting to see what's been picked out, and I enjoy looking over my charms and reminiscing.  So I was a bit taken aback to see this one . . .

The Queen Bee

My first thought was, "The Queen Bee-yotch?"  Really?  And this is supposed to be flattering?

I've done a bit of research, though.  And I've decided that I am quite honored.  You see, the queen bee actually has the most important role in the bee colony.  Most bees live in colonies, and each member of the colony contributes equally for the good of the entire bee society.  But the queen bee is the most important member, as without her, the bee colony collapses.

I feel pretty honored - I think it means I'm important.  And I'm needed.  And loved.  Which are all good things to be.  Happy Mother's Day to me!

What do yours look like?

Do you have a pair of "No Way in Hell" panties?  You know what I'm talking about . . . the underwear you wear when you're sick, tired, or just have no desire? 

I do.  And I'm not ashamed to admit it.  It's one pair in particular, which have been appropriately named, "Scottie Dog Underwear", by Mike. 

I'm sure you can see why.

Stop laughing.  These are not undies that I purchased by choice.  I bought these in a Hanes pack, the kind that come with 5 different pairs, when I was 2 months pregnant with Sammy.  Yes, that was almost 5 years ago.  But no matter. 

Again, this is not a pattern I would have picked up off the rack at Frederick's or Victoria's Secret, my normal panty purchasing haunts.  But it is a pair I cherish. 

You see, my Scottie Dog Underwear have seen me through two pregnancies.  They've seen me through two post-partum recoveries, a serious stomach virus that landed me in the hospital when I was pregnant with Sophia, and many various colds and "monthly visitors" in between.  Which is more than you can say for some friends.

So, I'm not saying they're my favorite.  But I am saying that I'm unable to part with them.  Until the time comes that they have seen their last days.  But don't tell Mike that - he hates them so much - he'll try to speed them along to a slow and painful death.

In the meantime, my Scottie Dog Underwear are content to wait for me to need them . . . and to deal with Mike calling them an "underwear carcass" when they are in the dirty clothes laundry basket.  He also heaves a big sigh whenever he happens to notice me wearing them.  Not sure why that doesn't happen when it's my lacy Frederick's thong . . .

What do yours look like?  Dare to post a pic?  Be brave, Mama!

Day Six

Today was more of the same.  Can I just say again how nasty Sammy's breath is?  I cannot wait until we can brush his teeth again!  Hopefully we'll get the go-ahead on Tuesday, when we have our followup appointment with our ENT. 

Another normal day - started out in pain, and ended with a sleepless night.  I'm not sure if it is the pain meds, or if it is the constant "resting," but either way, Sammy doesn't fall asleep until around 11 pm each night.  It's terrible!  He is still sleeping in our bed (since Mama has to get up two times in the middle of the night for pain meds), but we've at least trained him to watch movies in our bed while we watch our DVR'ed shows in the living room.  But, I still wish he would GO TO SLEEP!

The mood today has been terrible - Sammy's very cranky.  I think that being in the house for the last six days is taking a toll on him.  Although, we did a few test runs today, and none went very well. 

First, we spent about thirty minutes in the car - dropping off Mike's car for an oil change, going to Kinko's for some copies, and then the drive-thru at Chik-Fil-A.  Sammy was crying from Kinko's on that he wanted to go home. 

Then, we let Sammy play in the backyard.  He was so excited - riding his bike around in circles, climbing the tree, watering his plants . . . and then, after he'd been outside for 20 minutes, his cheeks were flushed, he was exhausted, and he actually ran into the house and proclaimed he was tired, thereby spending the next half hour on the couch.  Oh, if this was a normal day in our house . . . he would have been out in the backyard for hours!

However, exhaustion or not, he is still difficult to tame throughout the day.  We got a wonderful reprieve this evening - my parents came over to watch both of the kids at 7 pm.  Mike and I had a date night at Alamo Drafthouse, and saw a hilarious (albeit embarrasing to admit we paid to watch this) movie - Hot Tub Time Machine.  It was wonderful to get out of the house with my awesome hubby - we enjoyed every second!

When we got back, Sammy was, of course, wide awake - we coaxed him back to bed with more pain meds, and eventually he fell asleep watching Tinkerbell . . . which appears to be his favorite movie.  Uh oh . . . How many more days until we're cleared for normal activity????

It's Getting Better All the Time . . .

I would like to take a minute to express how much I love both of my children.  And in that, I'd like to thank God for giving me a glimpse today of where Sammy will be in several years. 

As many of you know, this has been a rough year for Sammy.  I honestly don't know who came up with the expression The Terrible Twos.  Because I'm here to tell you that the threes have been a million times more terrible than two ever was.  That being said, I also know that this is a phase, that Sammy has been adjusting to his baby sister being a member of the family now, and that he's also testing his boundaries.  He can be so darn stubborn sometimes, though. 

Those of you who know me well know that I have spent countless hours crying and asking God why Sammy can be so headstrong.  I honestly know the answer - it's in his genes.  My parents love to tell me stories of some of the crazy things I said and did growing up.  And they say that you are repaid seven-fold.  All I have to say is, thank goodness that Mike was such a good child, because otherwise, we'd really be in trouble.  Rita, feel free to jump in at any time and share with me that Mike was actually a donkey sometimes as well - methinks he doth protest his innocence too much!

I know that God never gives you more than you can handle.  And I also know that I wouldn't change my spirited little boy for anything - although he does need to tone it down a bit!  I'm not sure if the past few days have been so wonderful just because it's such a sharp contrast from his drug-induced psychosis the other day or what.  But either way, I'm not complaining!

Tonight, when I put Sammy to bed, we read a wonderful book by Max Lucado, called You Are Special.  I love this book - we'd never read it before, and the message is so powerful.  It brought me to tears as I read it to Sammy.  I love how it is so timeless, and demonstrates to children that God loves them just the way they are, no matter what.  I pray that I can always show unconditional love to my husband and my children - just like our Maker does to us. 

Back to Sammy's wonderful day . . . he has the most loving spirit.  He can be so gentle and kind, and his innocence is so beautiful.  I love his inquisitive nature, and the crazy ideas that he gets.  He continued to wear his police badge everywhere today - again, I really think he might have a future career in mind.  Either that, or he might be a pirate, since he loves to put on that costume as well.

Have you nurtured your child's spirit today?  Have you told them how much you love them, and how much they mean to you?  You should - you never know how much your child might need to hear that.  And when you say to them, "I'm so glad that you're my son," and they turn to you and say "I'm so glad that you're my mommy," your heart will break all over again for them.  Thank your children for the joy they bring to your lives . . . remind them that are children of God, and that you love them just for being them.

Eighties Craze!

Tonight, I rocked the eighties.  Understand that I was 9 years old when the eighties died a slow and painful death, but as a 28 year old, I ROCKED the eighties. 

Several weeks ago my girlfriend Tanya convinced me to attend an 80's prom which was being put on by her church.  Church or not, they were having a cash bar, so I was game for it.  I convinced . . . ok, I TOLD Mike he was going, and in addition I persuaded my brother Aaron and his fiancee Trish to attend as well.

Now to solve the what to wear issue . . . well, as if there was any question . . . I ordered myself a brand new royal blue petticoat with a matching pair of pettipants.  I also hit up Claire's for a rockin' hat, hoop earrings, chain necklaces, bangles, and awesome holey gloves.  Plus I finished off the look with fishnets from Frederick's and an awesome studded shirt from Forever 21.

I looked HOT if I do say so myself!

A bit of a caveat . . . my mom informed me before we left that she could see my legs.  No big deal, right - I was wearing fishnets, plus I had on my pettipants.  So it's not like anyone could see my underwear.  However, I spent the rest of the night imagining that people were looking at my petticoat, trying to determine if I was wearing underwear underneath it or not.  Like anyone cares if I was wearing underwear.  But it really worried me. 

The prom part was ok . . . food was good, DJ played some rocking tunes, but it was a bit low key for me.  Here's our group at prom . . .

Bruce, Tanya, Trish, Aaron, Me and Mike

Bruce and Tanya had to check out early because their youngest was crying . . . been there done that!  Speaking of, thanks Mom and Dad for watching the little ones.  You rock!

After we left the prom, which I was sorely disappointed about not even being NOMINATED for prom queen . . . wait, did I just type that?  Yes, I was disappointed.  I thought I looked awesome . . . but perhaps it was because I don't even go to Crosspoint church, therefore no one knew the chick in the awesome petticoat?

Anyway, we left the prom and headed to Baker Street Pub at La Centerra.  You should have seen the looks on the crowd's faces when we got there.  It was so funny - people were absolutely dumbfounded.  Perhaps they thought we were fresh from the 80's? 

Fresh from 1985 - coming at ya!

My prom date . . . Mike Chase . . . the love of my life!

Trish split her dress while dancing . . . LMAO!

Aaron dancing . . . by himself!

Strutting our stuff and pausing for a drink!

The requisite picture that you take yourself . . . ignore my large arm jutting out of the corner!

I think it was more fun at Baker Street, simply because it was hysterical.  As a matter of fact, in a few months I'm going to put on my eighties costume again, except this time I'm just going to go somewhere.  Just to see what people will do . . . who's with me?

Happy Birthday, Mikey!

Today is my wonderful husband's 32nd birthday.  Happy Birthday, baby . . . you have made my life such a wonderful world for the past 9 years - I only hope that yours has been half as great as mine!

I arranged with Mike's boss, Alex, for him to have the day off.  It was a surprise, and when I told him last night, I actually was unable to tell if he was excited or not.  He kept saying they were going to get him a cake at his office and he felt bad and didn't want to miss it.  I had no idea that Mike shared my affinity for cake . . . either that, or he is just being good-hearted Mike who wants everyone to be happy.  In the end, he was excited!

We woke up this morning and Sammy and I sang Happy Birthday to Daddy.  After we were done, I asked Sammy how old he thought Daddy was.  He replied, "He's old and nasty.  And his breath is kinda' stinky."  I love that kid!

We started our day with pancakes at IHOP, and then ended up having to run to Target to get Sammy a new shirt.  On the plus side, Sammy is now asking for a napkin to wipe his hands with while he is eating. 

Then we headed to the Children's Museum!  We hit the Tot Spot, Kidtropolis, the phone area, and Water Works, and all had a great time.

I don't know how I got this pic . . . but I LOVE it!

I also caught Sammy having a tea party with himself.  How cute is this?

Sammy took a picture of Mama crawling through a tunnel . . . I was stuck, to be quite honest!

Look at the birthday boy crawling with his baby girl . . . he is smitten with her!

Helping Sammy in the "Vet" clinic . . . he really enjoyed Kidtropolis this time and role playing!

Daddy and Sammy had a blast at the Water Works exhibit . . . it's much more fun in 100 degree weather!

Sammy painted his own face!  Slightly scary, I know!

All in all, Mike had a wonderful birthday.  We picked up beautiful ribeye steaks on the way home, and Mike made a great dinner.  We also had brownies with ice cream . . . so much for missing out on cake with his office!

We rounded out the day with Sammy making Valentine's for his friends and family . . . and Sophia helping!

Happy Birthday, Mikey!  Love ya, baby!

Flat hair color and tires

fter an entire month of looking like a vampire, I've had it.  You may not know it but on New Year's Eve I dyed my hair super dark.  It was black.  I had a purpose - I was still trying to get back to my natural color, but in the process I turned myself into either a goth chick or a vampire - I'm not sure which. 

Look at my hair - it's blending in with the black furniture behind me . . .

I gave myself a month to get used to it.  But seriously every time I looked in the mirror I scared the crap out of myself.  I don't even want to picture what kind of nightmares I gave my children. 

I even tried to purposely fade it.  Every time I took a shower, I turned the water super hot, almost to the point of scalding myself, and washed my hair about 3 times with clarifying shampoo.  It turned it from pitch black to midnight.  I guess it's really not THAT bad, I just hate that it's only one color and has no dimension or different colored strands.  Either way, I couldn't take it anymore.

I called around to every salon in Katy today, and finally found an opening at Cinco Ranch Salon for 6 pm.  I had to have my brother come over and watch the kids for a few minutes until Mike was able to get home, and I was finally able to start feeling myself again.  I had caramel highlights put in.  They are super cute - albeit a bit expensive.  Mike asked me if they were worth $140.  I don't know, honey - but I don't look like I just crawled out of a coffin anymore, so I really don't care!

Voila' - my skin tone has improved overnight!

On my way home, I was going to stop at the Redbox and pick up a movie for us.  I drove over the railroad tracks at Katyland Drive, and when I hit the other side, I heard this weird noise and the car suddenly became very hard to steer.  I pulled over, and turns out my tire completely blew.  I don't really know what caused it, but suffice it to say, I was none too happy about it.

I called my parents to send them to my house to watch the kids, and then I called Mike to come change the tire.  I was trying to get everything ready for him, so that all he'd have to do when he got there was jack the car up and switch the tires, but I swear I think I failed Survival 101.  I was able to locate the jack and the tire, but getting them out of the trunk of the car is a completely different story.

Try as I may, I couldn't pull the jack out of its spot.  Apparently, you have to unscrew something and then pull it out.  Like I'm supposed to know that.  And as far as the tire was concerned, the screw holding it in was too tight!  I tried to use the pliers to turn it, but that wasn't happening, either.  Finally, I gave up, and proceeded to stand next to the car with my flashlight, the flat tire, and the trunk up. 

Would you believe that only 2 people stopped to offer me help?  I was on the side of the road for about 15 minutes waiting for Mike, and one person stopped about 2 minutes before he got there, and a second pulled up right when Mike did.  I guess my hair didn't look THAT good . . .

Mike changed the tire, and while he did, I assisted by laughing.  I cannot believe that I got a flat tire.  Again, it's one of those moments where you can laugh or cry.  I was laughing.  But I do have to admit that while I was waiting for Mike I felt like crying.  I'm so thankful that I have such a wonderful husband.  I cannot even imagine what I would have done had I been a single mom, or living on my own in another state with no family nearby. 

Although, Mike informed me that next time this happens, if he can't get to me in a quick amount of time, or if he's out of town, I'm supposed to call Katy PD.  Apparently they will either come change my tire, or at least sit with me until Mike can get there or a tow truck can come. 

After he was finished, I jokingly told Mike not to be mad, and then revealed that right after I realized I had a flat tire, I looked down and the gas light was on as well.  He responded by telling me, "I guess you're going to have to stop at a gas station on the way home then."  I stuck my lip out and said, "You're going to make me drive on the doughnut?"  Seriously, Mike.  I can't even drive the truck, and apparently I can't drive the car, either.  Now you expect me to drive on the doughnut tire?

I suppose he hadn't considered that option.  He started laughing, and said, "Yeah, you drive the truck home."  I've never been so glad to drive my truck home.  Bad parking abilities and all.  At least it doesn't have a doughnut tire!

Oh No . . . I'm BORING!

I was reading a friend's blog the other day, and she was saying that most SAHM's blogs are boring and that the only person who ever reads them is their mom and their husband's mom.  By that definition, my blog must be boring.  EXCEPT, I have a faithful reader in Terre Haute, Indiana who reads my random musings every morning!  Only thing is, she never comments on them . . .

I must confess, I've been in a funk lately.  I don't really want to share any long drawn out details, but suffice it to say, I'm ticked.  I've got a lot on my mind, it keeps running through there, and it irritates the fire out of me every time I think about it.  I'm trying to channel the anger through my workouts, but in the process I am getting completely sore!

I've also been eating baked goods.  Which is not a good combination with working out, but I guess one cancels out the other, right?  I had a cake at my house from home group last Thursday.  I made the cake, iced it, and Sammy put tons of sprinkles on it.  Looks disgusting, but I love sprinkles.  And frosting.  And cake.  We had about half the cake left, and in my funk of anger I think I ate the whole thing myself. 

Come Monday, I was out of cake.  And I was even angrier.  When Mike got home that night, he walked in the door with two big cookies.  I'm talking BIG - they had about a 6 inch diameter.  I said, "How sweet, you brought me cookies?"  He says, "Well I knew you were having a bad day, and I figured it was because you ran out of cake.  So, I brought you cookies instead and hoped they might help."

He brought me cookies?  I was having a bad day because I ran out of cake?  Seriously - how does Mike know me so well?  I'm glad I married him, because otherwise I might have to prosecute him for stalking me . . .

Kona the Wonder Dog

Kona, our German Shepherd, is a wonder dog!  I've always felt this, but I'm just now really seeing it.  He is such a loveable, huggable member of our family.

I got Kona for Mike as a birthday present in 2004.  He was the tiniest little puppy - we picked him out, brought him home, and immediately bathed him.  I still remember the first night - he whined all night long!  Kona didn't like being on the floor in our room. 

Kona's first night at our house in San Antonio!

We got Kona to try to help calm down our black lab, Bobo.  That didn't work too well - Bobo taught Kona how to dig, and Kona taught Bobo how to eat the fence.  Kona was named for the coffee bean out of Hawaii.  Coffee is black and tan, depending on how much creamer you use, and Kona is a black and tan German Shepherd, hence . . . KONA!

In October of 2007, we almost lost Kona.  It was almost time to go to bed, and we had let Kona out at Westwood Shores to go to the bathroom.  When Mike opened the door to call him back inside, he didn't come, which was strange.  Mike set out in the truck to look for him, and we still couldn't find him.  All of the sudden, Mike looked across the field in front of Westwood Shores, and saw cars begin to slow down and stop on FM 356, a major road that ran about 500 yards from the house. 

Mike looked closer and saw Kona trying to come to him, however he had been badly hurt, and was hardly able to walk as he had been hit by a car.  Mike sprinted across the field and carried Kona back to the house.  Kona weighs about 80 pounds, so this was no small feat!  It was almost 10:30 at night, Sammy was about 19 months old and was already in bed for the night, and I was taking a bath and had just washed my hair.  I jumped out of the tub, quickly dressed, loaded Sammy in the car, and then Mike and I carried Kona to the back of our Jeep. 

We drove over an hour to get to the closest animal hospital in Conroe.  When we got there, they immediately took Kona back to work on him.  We kept asking if Kona had broken his leg, and finally they advised us that they were trying to keep him alive through the night, and then they'd worry about his leg.  When we left the animal hospital, we were unsure if Kona would live.  It was one of the hardest goodbyes we'd ever had to say.

Kona made it through the night, and the next day we took him in to a veterinarian in Huntsville.  The vet advised us that the nerves in Kona's right front leg had snapped, that they would probably not be able to regenerate, and we should consider amputation as soon as possible.  We decided to wait and have the specialists at Texas A&M look at Kona before we made any final decisions.

At A&M, they advised to give Kona about 3 months, and that his nerves would probably regenerate.  The next three months were tough, having to see Kona in his disabled state, but A&M was right.  One day in about January, I looked up and he was walking.  The next week, he was running, and today, you'd hardly know he had any issues with his leg at all.

I'm so glad we didn't give up on Kona - he's never given up on us.  Kona will be 7 years old in October of this year.  He is calm, loving, gentle, and most of all, protective of our family.

It seems like wherever Sophia is, Kona is right there.  He lets her do anything she wants to him, and she loves to touch his fur and giggle!  He gives most of the same privileges to Sammy, but is not as lenient when Sammy plays rough.

The other day, one of the little boys in our playgroup walked into my bedroom where Kona was sleeping.  Kona jumped up to greet him, and scared him so much!  The little boy came running down the hallway, screaming "A moose, there's a moose!"

Kona, you big moose, we love you!  Thanks for being our loyal friend and puppy!

A Sweet Treat!

I got to go on a date with my husband tonight!  What a great treat - to be quite honest I believe it was the third (yes, I said third) date we've had since our daughter was born 8 months ago.  I know, that's sad.  Our first date we had sushi and then wine with friends.  It lasted about two and half hours, then we had to go home because Sophia was crying so much!  Our second date was last month, when we went to Mike's work Christmas party.  And our third date was tonight.

My parents came over at about 6 pm to watch Sammy and Sophia.  Sammy was very excited to spend time with Meemar and PappaTony, plus they brought him Chick-Fil-A, which everyone knows you can't go wrong with!  Sophia was in a great mood, despite that fact that Mike and I had to take turns holding her while we were getting ready.

Nothing can top that feeling of freedom you get when you walk out the door . . . except maybe seeing their sweet smiles when you get back!  But really, we were excited to have some alone time together.  We went to the Alamo Drafthouse to watch The Blindside, with Sandra Bullock.  Wonderful movie, and amazingly it is a true story!  There really is a Leann Touhy out there, who took a chance on Big Mike and changed his life (and her family's) forever. 

We had burgers for dinner and shared a bucket of Miller Lite, and then we called to check on the kids.  They were doing great, and Sophia was already asleep at 9 pm!  How 'bout them apples?  We headed over to the Villagio to have martinis at The Mercury Bar, but when we got there, a sign was posted on the door stating they were closed that night due to a maintenance issue.  Given the freezing temperatures the night before, I'm thinking perhaps one of their pipes may have burst, but we'll never know.

We walked across the street to The Public House, instead.  Have you been there?  It's great - lots of beers on tap, the bartender makes a mean chocolate martini, and suprisingly enough it is NON-SMOKING inside!  Yes, you heard me right - you can go to a bar, with lots of beers on tap, and not suffer through second-hand smoke.  I might be going there more often!

We enjoyed our child free night, but it was so sweet that Sammy waited up for us!  He was almost asleep on the couch with PappaTony when we walked through the door - full of stories about watching The Water Horse, playing playdough with Meemar, and many other adventures, and my sweet princess stayed asleep until 6 am the following morning. 

Here's to knowing that your children can survive an evening without Mom and Dad (but secretly praying that they won't - because it means you're special!) . . . and here's to having family in town so you can have a much-needed date night - thanks Meemar and PappaTony!

A Little Lovin'

I am so in love . . . with my daughter!  She did the absolute sweetest thing yesterday.  She was eating Apple Wagon Wheels, which are a quickly dissolving cracker in the shape of a wagon wheel.  Sophia's pretty serious about her food, so I was quite surprised when she pulled the wagon wheel out of her mouth and shoved it into mine.  Now that's love!

I was thinking it was a fluke, but when Mike went and sat by her, she tried to feed him as well.  All these months, we've been feeding her, and smiling at her, and loving on her, and now she's expressing it back.  It's such a beautiful moment!  I never thought I'd be so overjoyed to have a sticky crumbling piece of cracker shoved at me!

And to top it off, she was cuddling on the couch with Mike, and she expressed her love in a different way.  She pulled her pappy (pacifier) out of her mouth, looked at it for a second, and then put it into Mike's mouth.  Again, that's love - sharing your pretties!

Sleeping with Daddy after sharing her pappy!

What's your favorite way to share the love?