The Anderson's

Way Too Long!

2010-03-25T11:44:00.005-05:00

Well, it has been ages. Sorry my blogger friends! Recap:

Sometime before Christmas, Molly stepped on a nail in the back yard and hurt her paw and she had to get a splint. I thought the pictures were entertaining:

She ended up escaping out the front door one night and took off around the neighborhood and broke her splint! It was crazy and I'm glad that ordeal is over with!

We had wonderful Holidays, spent time with Brian's family for Thanksgiving and drove up to D.C. for Christmas to see my family. The only downside of the trip was that we got caught in the snow storm that hit the Northeast in December. An 18 hour trip lasted 27 hours. I seriously didn't think we would make it and was so relieved to get there--thank God for his protection!

We also closed on our house December 15. So excited to be settled and have slowly been buying the big things we need. We are still waiting on our grass to grow! Here are some pictures of the barstools we purchased and our new table/chairs/rug. Love it all!

This weekend we are going to Branson for Brian's birthday so I will try to take some pictures and get back on the blog train! =)

Stone

2009-10-24T12:11:00.002-05:00

We were pleasantly surprised when our builder called us a few weeks ago to tell us he was throwing in some stone on the front for no extra charge =) We'll take that sir! So, we headed to pick some out and just wanted something very neutral since our brick is pretty colorful. We are very happy with how it is turning out. Today we meet with the painter to go over our color options for the walls/celings and stain options for the cabinets and our front door.

Molly

2009-10-24T12:03:00.003-05:00

I have gotten some cute pics over the last few weeks of Molly and just have to share. She is just the sweetest dog. Very low maintenance, happy go lucky, and a fluff ball! We love her!

More House Pics

2009-10-19T21:56:00.005-05:00

Jacuzzi tub in master bath

Right side of the house:

Back covered porch--so excited to chill out there!

Master bath

Looking into master bath from room

French doors in master bedroom

Big windows in living room---my favorite part about the house!

Fireplace in living room

Kitchen!

Front door that will be stained.

Dining area:

Back door leading to porch

Back porch and our room

back porch again

Because he loves me....

2009-10-19T08:07:00.002-05:00

Last week Brian suprised me with these:

Because he loves me and doesn't want our relationship to be "messy". (KPCer's know what I'm talking about). I am blessed with an awesome husband =)

House Update

2009-10-18T13:38:00.002-05:00

Our house is coming along quickly! This past week they started the brick. We are so happy with the brick we chose, it's always a little iffy since you don't know how something you picked out is going to look once it's on or in the house. I actually haven't seen it in person yet, these are pics Brian took on his phone to show me. I might drive up there today so I can see for myself.

Spirit Week

2009-10-18T13:24:00.003-05:00

This past week at Brian's school was Spirit Week.

Brian and another teacher on "crazy sock day"

Yes, those are my purple soccer socks!

Thursday (game day) was 50's day. Brian's hair wasn't quite long enough to slick back but we did the best we could!
Rolled up jeans and a white tee.

Monday was "what not to wear day"

This is Brian's favorite week of school =)

Our Silly Dogs

2009-10-18T13:17:00.004-05:00

The other afternoon I found all three of them sleeping:

Just thought it was super cute.

Here is Moses getting spoiled--totally knocked out. Brian and I were cracking up at this next picture:

My mom said she needs to "get her grand-dog braces". lol...He was totally out of it.

Some Favorite Recipes of Mine

2009-09-26T19:42:00.003-05:00

Everyone has their favorite dishes that they make all the time. Thought I would share a few of mine =)

Mexican Chicken Casserole (Brian's favorite, he would seriously eat it once a week if I made it)

3-4 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
1 can of cream of chicken, cream of mushroom, and rotel
1/2 lb of velveeta cheese, cubed
tortilla chips

Spray the bottom of a 13x9 pan
layer chicken in bottom of pan
layer cubed cheese on top
mix together soups and rotel, pour on top

bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until bubbly, crush chips and put on top for last 5 minutes

Salsa (great for parties)

1 large can of Petite Diced Tomatoes (drained as much as possible)
1 bellpepper
1 jalepeno
1/4 cup onion
garlic, cilantro, lemon juice, cumin, chili powder, cayenne pepper, salt

Cut bellpepper, jalepeno, and onion into big chunks.
Mix tomatoes and bellpepper, jalepeno, and onion in a bowl.
Add 2 teaspoons of garlic, 3 squirts of lemon juice, and a few handfuls of cilantro
"mix" in a blender until everything is finely chopped

Add spices/salt to taste. You may need more garlic and cilantro too. It's all about how spicy/garlicy you like it. I usually add a lot of cilantro.

If you need to make it for a large party, double everything except diced tomatoes, just add one smaller can.

Also, if you like it more chunky, get 2 cans of diced tomatoes instead of a large one, and only add one to the blender then add the second can in after.

Guacomole (also great for parties)

4 avocados, peeled and pits removed
1 can rotel (drained as much as possible)
cilantro
1/4 cup onion, chopped
2 teaspoons garlic
lemon juice
salt or garlic salt (instead of garlic) to taste

mash avocados with a fork
mix everything and chill!

YUM!

I will try to post some more favorites later =)

House Update!

2009-09-26T19:34:00.003-05:00

Things are moving along very quickly and we are so excited. We met with the builder today to do a walk thru and check on things so far. Our shingles were put on yesterday. He said we are still on track for the house being completed in December.

We also met with the brick supplier today and narrowed down our brick choices to three. We are getting addresses from him to go look and see what they look like on the houses. We have different tastes in brick but we quickly came into agreement on the top three (not in any order):

This has been a really fun process so far. I expected it to be really stressful but so far so good =)

We Have a Partial Roof!

2009-09-21T19:39:00.003-05:00

Before the rain hit today:

The doggies usually eat inside but they didn't finish their food by the time we were ready to leave on Saturday so we put it outside. Moses is the paranoid one guarding his food while Molly gets a nap in. Just thought this picture was pretty funny. Goobers!!!

Progress

2009-09-20T13:27:00.004-05:00

Our house has made some progress the last 2 weeks. It has been framed! We are so excited. Now only if the rain would move it along and we could have some consistent dry weather! We went yesterday and looked around for about 5 hours at samples of tile, wood, carpet, and granite. We came up with some samples that we really like. The square granite piece is called Santa Cecelia. It is our fav and what we matched everything to. Then we went to the supplier to make sure they had it in stock. Turns out that they got new slabs of it in BUT since it is not man-made and is natural, the new slabs are totally different. So, the other piece is still Santa Cecelia but it has a new look. I like it as well, just LOVED the other one. We are gonna still look around and see if any suppliers have any left of the old slab. If anyone has any inside info on granite--let us know =)

Happenings.....

2009-08-30T12:49:00.006-05:00

It's so hard to keep the blog going these days. With facebook and twitter, it's just tough! I don't even know if anyone checks this anymore but oh well! What has been going on with us?

Brian has started his new full-time job at Kirksey in Rogers. He teaches and coaches 8th grade football and is LOVING it. This Thursday kicks off his first game. We are super pumped!

We sold our house in Farmington a couple of months ago in ONE week. That was a blessing and confirmation of the steps we feel that we are supposed to take. We are currently renting in Johnson and broke ground on our new home in Rogers just this week. Very excited about that. Our home should be ready in mid-December. I don't know why we always move in the freezing cold or the blazing heat. We hope and plan on staying there for a good while--we are tired of moving! Pics of the foundation block:

Moses and Molly have adjusted really well and we don't have to worry about shock collars anymore since we have a totally fenced-in yard now. They are such awesome doggies! One
day we found them like this. They are not allowed on the furniture and so obviously not allowed to mess with the pillows either but I guess they decided to take a nap and needed a pillow--stinkers! I think Moses knew he was in trouble here!

We were blessed enough to vacation at Gulf Shores this summer with the Mincks family. We had a blast and want to go back asap! Not many pics though, camera is flaky and we need a new one. We also got the opportunity to travel to Washington D.C. to see my dad pin-on as Brigadier General the first week in August. It was amazing and we are so proud of him! I haven't gotten the main pics from my mom yet but here are some pics I stole from Meg's facebook:

Meg and I

Brian and I

Doug, Dad, and Meg

Dad's Star!
That's all folks! =)

Hogopoly

2009-02-28T16:25:00.005-06:00

Last night we played the longest game ever invented. I believe we started playing at 11:00 pm and it lasted until 2:00 am. I just want to point out that before the game started, I did warn Brock that I was going to kick his butt! He just didn't understand how lucky I can get with games. Brian tried to warn him too but oh well!! I won all the money and property. Too bad it's not real =( ha!

Of course Brian owns Hogopoly people!

Me after I won--please forgive the extra-squinty eyes, it was almost 2 am!

Lauren handing over her property, the boys kept getting mad b/c we would sometimes not make each other pay rent and what not! lol!

Brock right before he lost!

Brian after he lost all of his property.

Molly and Sasse are about the same size now. They play really well together. The dogs played their own games for hours. They were exhausted by the end of the night! I slept in this morning until about noon, haven't done that in forever! Brian is getting a nap in right now. I think we are way too old to be staying up this late! I love the lazy Saturday's that come around every now and then. Especially when it is cold and snowy right now. I found a recipe for Vegetable Soup so I think I'm going to go try it out. I made some guacamole dip from a new recipe I found and it was so yummy. If you are looking for a good guac dip, let me know and I'll email it to you! Have a great Saturday night!

My Poor Abandoned Blog

2009-02-24T12:37:00.006-06:00

I totally abandoned you dear blogspot! I would use the excuse that I am just so busy that I haven't had time to blog BUT I have watched quite a bit reality t.v. the last few months so I won't go there!

Lets see. What have we been up to the last couple of months? Thanksgiving was spent in LR with the Anderson family. No pics.

Christmas was spent in Fayetteville with my parents visiting (Miller family). We met up with Megan's inlaws in Branson for a day. No pics.

Brian is officially done with his AR History Class and just needs to send in some paperwork to get Middle School added to his certification. He has started his Anatomy class at NWACC this semester to get his coaching endorsement. No pics.

Michelle attempted to go back to school this semester but undid her attempt about a week ago. No pics.

The one thing that we have been doing consistently since late Dec is going to the gym. The post-marriage weight will catch up to you eventually =( We are working on that though. But again, no pics.

Doggies are doing good, Molly is getting huge but is just a big teddy bear. Moses and her have become BFF. Guess what? A pic!!

Dogs sleep in the oddest positions!

My dad got selected for Brigadier General. We are so proud of him! Another pic:

We are hoping to make it to his ceremony is August.

We are also praying that Brian's part time teaching position turns to full-time in the Fall. We could really put to use the extra $$. And you know, it's sorta his dream =)

We are super excited about the Grand Opening of our Church's south campus this Sunday. It's been an awesome 4 years with Keypoint. We have met some amazing friends there. We are also looking foward to our Beach Vacation this July with the Mincks fam. I plan on not moving once I plant myself on the sand. Except to get in the ocean of course. I think that sums everything up. I will make a vow to have my camera around more often and return to the blog world. I have missed it! =) Until next time!

Moses and Molly Playing

2008-11-02T19:21:00.003-06:00

Molly loves chewing on bones, she carries it with her wherever she goes! She is getting so big. Moses can now walk underneath her.

My Awesome 26th Birthday! =)

2008-11-02T18:48:00.007-06:00

Somehow Brian always out-does himself each birthday. Last year he sent me on a scavanger-hunt shopping spree. This year he (with the help of Lauren) got my sis to come down for my b-day and he got me and my friends a hotel room to stay in for the night. Then we went shopping all day Sat! First, we started out with dinner at Carrabas. YUM!

This is us on the way to Carrabas--Brian being a very careful driver/picture taker! lol!

Us eating and yes, we did end up matching that night..lol! Carrabas has the best coffee by the way!

Brittany and TJ--so cute!

Lauren excited about my birthday =) P.S. she got me the yummiest b-day cake even though we forgot to take a pic!

Brock and Lauren
Amanda and I--she is my fellow coffee drinker in crime!

This is us at the hotel room--our first attempt to take a picture on the timer, you can see we weren't quite ready! ha! Actually, I guess it was just Kelly and I who weren't ready!
Cute pic! Thanks girls for coming, I had such a great birthday! =)

Me and my Beautiful Sis!

Her cute bug car!

Us hitting the mall the next morning..we were BUSY and got some great deals!!!

Later that night we went out to Dixon to Jose's to eat some yummy Mexican Food!

at Jose's
me and neener (nick name)

yummy chips and salsa!

Thanks hunny for a wonderful birthday! It was awesome and I was so surprised! Thanks to Lauren for helping him scheme and BIG THANKS to Meg for coming down for it! Thanks to all my wonderful girlfriends (and a few husbands! lol!) for helping me celebrate! Can't wait for next year =) lol!

Girl's Night

2008-11-02T18:44:00.003-06:00

Not too long ago Lauren and I went out. We saw "The Dutchess" and went for coffee at our fav place, Common Grounds. They have the BEST coffee there..yum!

Trying to get our coffee in the pic, the cups are huge! I got a Raspberry Coffee (very sweet but good) and she got a Mint coffee.

It was pretty late and we were tired! (caffeine hadn't kicked in yet..lol)

The Doggies

2008-11-02T18:41:00.002-06:00

Just a few pics of Moses and Molly. They are getting a long great these days and I'm so glad we got her, esp now that she is potty-trained! She's getting bigger every week and will soon be huge! yay! =) They sometimes cuddle like this and nap..it's really cute!

Tonight's Game

2008-10-16T09:47:00.003-05:00

Brian realized this morning that he put the wrong location for the game tonight. If you are coming, it is at the Old Roger's Stadium off of 71B/Olrich (sp). At 5:30. Also, I have a pass that gets me and a guest in free, email me if your coming and I can get at least one person in for free =) Later!

2008-10-12T23:16:00.003-05:00

We are KIRKSEY FOOTBALL

Some updates on our football team. For those that don't know I am the defensive coordinator for our team and we are doing really well. Our record to this point is 4-1-1. I don't know how you tie but they just ended the game with a tie. It was really annoying.

Some highlights:

Upset Shilo Christian second game of the season
Our defense is giving up an average of ONLY 6.3 points per game. That is actually really good.
We are averaging almost THREE turnovers per game on defense as well.
Got a penalty for arguing with a referee! lol

I feel as though the kids are giving amazing effort and we are getting better every week. They are constantly teaching me everyday. I am truly having the time of my life. I just hope I can teach them football, but more importantly teach them to be successful young men!

Feel free to come out to any of our games if you get a chance. It is actually really funny to watch me as I'm told. I guess I get a LITTLE animated on the sideline.

We have a game at Rogers Stadium at 5:30 this week. Michelle needs a friend to sit with as well!

GO COUGARS!!!

I will post football pictures later

2008-10-12T22:37:00.007-05:00

SPIRIT WEEK.........

Ok, so two weeks ago Kirksey had a spirit week were every day we had a dress up day!!! I kind of took it to heart and wanted to show my students how to have pride in your school. lol enjoy

MONDAY: Mis-match Day

If you notice I have a brown sock on my black shoe and a black sock with my brown shoe. You can't really tell in the picture but my tie was pink and gray. My shorts were blue and brown.

TUESDAY: Superhero Day

Introducing Capt. SUB

The cape is actually a poncho. I had the hardest time keeping it on so I used the big paper clips. Also the goggles kept sucking to my forehead and made some funny looking marks.

WEDNESDAY: Hillbilly Day

THURSDAY: Colors Day

FRIDAY WAS JERSEY DAY but I can't find my picture. I wore my beloved DENVER BRONCO jersey. It is from like 1999. It was pretty awesome.

Needless to say my kids were so excited about what I would wear each day. I even had teachers and administrators come by my room to see what I was dressed like.

It was really fun and it kind of made me feel like a kid again. I have to give props to my father-in-law because he helped me create all of of my outfits. It was funny because he would get up every morning to take pictures for me since someone didn't want to wake up early while they were on vacation. :)

I'm Loving It (and it's not Mcdonalds)

2008-10-12T21:45:00.003-05:00

me and my mother-in-law
I've got a new gig!

During my long term sub job at Kirksey I received word that there was a part time job opening. It was reading. They gave me the choice that I could either take a friends long term sub opening which would last for a couple of months or take a part time position which would keep me at the school for the rest of the year. UMMM Easy decision! While I won't quite make as much as I would as a long term sub it eases my thoughts about not having to find work for the rest of the year.

Also, I was told this will definitely help me have a better chance of staying at Kirksey which is a school that I absolutely love if you couldn't tell.

2008-10-05T22:37:00.002-05:00

OK, so I know we haven't posted in a while, but I promise a post this week. I have some really great news and some fun picks from spirit week at Kirksey. Life has been crazy but never better. God has been so amazing in putting me in a place of success. I am so thankful for the blessings he has given Michelle and I.

Our dog Molly is getting huge. She is as big as Moses now and growing everyday. (as well as sleeping all the time)

Michelle is ready to be home full-time (Uh-oh)

Saw the Movie Fireproof, not sure of my feelings on it yet. Overall pretty good.

Arkansas lost but did better this week as they didn't lose by 40. (just by 31)

Organized and ready to take on the week.

Have a great week and remember to

"Don't let it rain on a Sunny Day" Brian

New Hair Cut =)

2008-09-22T17:20:00.005-05:00

Most of you have probably seen my new do. But you may have not heard the story! On labor day weekend, Brian and I were trying to BBQ on our new grill. I was scraping the grill and Brian says, "oh, we left the gas on from the last time we used it, we need to make sure to turn it off next time". He preceeds to push the button to light the grill and WOOSH huge flame engulfs us. We both scream, Brian pulls me away from the grill and starts beating me in case I'm on fire. We both realize that we aren't on fire and calm down a bit. Then we smell the burnt hair. I touch my hair and ashes and hair start falling out. NICE. I then begin to panic and immediately start crying. I can feel the singed hair and the damage but I'm thinking, ok, I just need to brush it. So I run in the house and look in the mirror and then start panicking for real and crying even more. HAIR IS FRIED!!! Looks like I had a chemical treatment that damaged my hair. I try to brush it but it just starts falling out and ashes are everywhere. I washed it but still no good. It burned all the hair framing my face and all the hair below my shoulders. The irony is that my hair protected my face from being burned. Brian's eyelashes burned off and both of our arm hair. It was wild and crazy and it just adds to our other catastrophes this year (flood, wreck, etc) but no permanent damage and God has taken care of us through everything. So, all that to say that I got a cute new cut thanks to Monica, super star hair stylist!!! =)

Before with my gorgeous Lauren:

AFTER

I also took a pic of a strand she cut so I could see how many inches but its on Brians I-phone. I will post later. I'm thinking 7 inches? I was sad that it wasn't long enough to donate. Maye next time!!! I think the burnt hair smell took about 2 weeks to leave the house and my hair. It still is damaged up top but it will just have to grow out. I'm glad that Monica was there for my EMERGENCY. I had to have Brian call her because I knew if I talked to her I would have a breakdown on the phone. LOL =) You'll have to ask Brian what his response to my hair-emergency was. Lets just say it was a learning experience for him =)

Kirksey Cougars

2008-09-21T21:28:00.005-05:00

It's Thursday night and the ref is screaming at me to get off of the field or I am going to get penalized. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? WAKE UP REF A MAKE A CALL! This was my response to him during our Kirksey football game this past week.

Well it has officially been one month since I started my long-term sub position at Kirksey Middle School. It has honestly been an amazing ride for me as both a teacher in the classroom and a coach on the football field. The kids are so fun and every day is a new adventure. It seems kind of funny, but I can't walk any where in the school without all of the kids screaming, "Hi Mr. Anderson or Hey Coach Anderson." It is probably because I am one of those goofy teachers that really messes with their kids everyday.

The coaching has been even sweeter. I have actually been the defense coordinator since the first week. IT has been a perfect situation for me sadly because of the misfortune of others. One of the coaches has had a lot of personal issues and has had to miss a lot of practice. These unfortunate events have given me an opportunity to step up and really begin my coaching career as an actual coordinator. I have installed and coached the defense for our first three games and to this point we are still undefeated. My defense has given up an average of 4 points a game. And we still haven't played our best game.

Feel free to come see a different side of Brian Anderson on Thursday nights at 5:30 most the time at Rogers Stadium. I can guarantee you a good time and some laughs just by watching me. I have already been ragged pretty hard from my fellow teachers about my temper on the sideline. '

I am hoping and working as hard as I can to be able to stay at Kirksey long-term. There are possibly some opportunities there to keep me at least a while longer. I truly love the faculty and the administration. More importantly the kids are wonderful.

I still hope to be an encouragement to anyone who is unsure of what they are doing with their life. There are still more things I hope to accomplish but I have reached one of my dreams and I hope to continue this amazing opportunity to make a difference in the lives of the kids God allows me to.

"What the teacher is, is more important than what he teaches." Karl-somebody

I will leave you with a picture of what my son will probably look like one day. This is a picture of Michelle's cousin Michael. All of her family says that we look just alike.

Some more Fun Pics of the doggies!!

2008-09-05T22:28:00.003-05:00

I love this pic!! So cute!
Love the puppy face!
They both have the ears....lol! It took a lot of tries to get this pic!!
This is as close as I could get them...good thing that she does everything he does!

They were both passed out in the bathroom while I was getting ready...weirdos!

Look at her really pudgy belly..it kills me!

This is just a fake inoccent face! We know the truth!

Razorback Game

2008-09-01T18:31:00.004-05:00

This weekend was the first Razorback game. We played Western Illinois. We managed to win even though it was kind of ugly. Tommy and Amber, our friends from Conway came down on Fri night and hung out with us all weekend. It was so much fun! We love them! Here are some pics from the game:

The Fly over!!

Sweet new Hog painted on the field!

Lou Holtz said, "Do What You Love"

2008-08-26T21:00:00.007-05:00

AN update on my unemployment.

First let me pre-phase the story by letting you know how unbelievably hard the last two months have been. I have probably been through one of my roughest storms ever in my life.

Over the past two months I have sat at home, interviewed at least three times, filled out an un-godly amount of applications and TRIED to be a housewife. (Cleaning was great, but the cooking of the meals was a little suspect) I have tried my best to not let those around me know that I have been struggling. I was constantly feeling depressed that my wife was at work supporting us and I was just sitting home helpless. It seemed every time I turned a corner, someone else was asking me how my job search was going. I appreciated the moral support but it certainly didn't help me get a job any faster! After weeks of utter disappointment from positive leads that went nowhere ,I began to become very discouraged. I tried very hard not to let it show and remain as positive as a person being tossed by a tornado can be.

On Friday afternoon of last week I received a phone call from Dr. Roger Hill the Principal at Kirksey Middle School at 7:30a.m. (the same school that a friend works at) Thanks FRIEND! :)

I wake up (I stayed up until about 3:00 every night playing video games) to my ringing phone and I do not recognize the number. I always try to sound awake in case it is an important call back. I clear my throat and try to sound like I have been awake all morning. He asks me if I would be interested in a long-term substitution position for Social Studies. SURE!!! WHERE DO I SIGN UP? I had never taught this subject before but if there was anything I would teach besided P.E. it would be history! I ABSOLUTELY LOVE HISTORY!

Later that afternoon I am supposed to meet him at the school. (I got a speeding ticket I was so excited) I have the interview and he asks me if I can start Monday. In all the excitement of having at least an option I realize I have no idea what I am doing. I don't know what to teach, the rules and procedures of Kirksey, have nothing to decorate my room with, and I am completely at a loss as to how to start a class off for the beginning of the year. I was given no lesson plans or this is how your supposed to do it??? I just promised myself I would not allow myself to get overwhelmed no matter how chaotic it got. At the end of the interview he asks me if I would be interested in helping coach the football team. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? I would love to help coach. (It was just a week ago Michelle and I drove by the Farmington Cardinal Football practice and I shared with her how depressed I was that I wasn't working with a team) GOD was totally making everything fall into place.

Monday morning (my first day of school as a TEACHER) I wake up and I am absolutely giddy because I am so excited. School was absolutely amazing as was football practice. I was actually so excited about football that I went out and practiced with the team on Friday afternoon in my interview clothes. Fast forward to today and the past week and two days and been the most amazing days of my entire life. (besides Christ and Michelle:)) I have truly found what I am great at and what totally fulfills me. I really believe I was meant to coach and to teach. While I have many dreams and things to fulfill in my life I know this is my calling.

I would like to take a moment to say thank you to all those who have prayed for me and encouraged me (Especially my WONDERFUL, AMAZING, FAITHFUL, BEST FRIEND, Michelle). Everyone has been so sweet to me and I hope that I can be an encouragement and use this time that God has taught me to help others in a similar situation.

I would also like to share with those who read this that never give up in pursuing what you love. I have fought and worked for the past nine years in trying to figure out what I was called to do. I know that I will never fail because I love it too much. 78% of Americans wake up hating what they do EVERYDAY and I was not going to be one of those people.

"If you wake up doing what you love you will never work a day in your life" Lou Holtz

I am continuing to pray that this will become full-time, then my biggest fan can quit so we can add to our family. lol

I love you honey. Your the greatest.

My Husband Finally Gave In.......

2008-08-16T21:39:00.007-05:00

This whole week I have been looking forward to today. Brian finally agreed to go to Petco with me to find a friend for Moses. Forever Friends Humane Society was there and brought about 25 puppies for adoption. We had looked online and had a few in mind but instantly saw this girl, grabbed her, and never put her down. We brought Moses with us and he did really well. He was pretty distracted the whole time so he didn't really pay much attention to her. Since we've been home they have started playing and he's been really sweet to her. She is a German Shepherd/Husky mix. Each parent was a pure bred. She is 7 weeks old and weighs about 5-6 pounds. She is adorable! We know she is going to get pretty big but we are ok with that. I'll just enjoy the cuddly puppy time while I can =) Meet Molly:

Poker Night #2!!!!

2008-07-26T21:18:00.002-05:00

We had another impromtu poker night last night. It consists of me and Lauren badgering the guys to quit playing poker on their IPHONES against eachother and play with us! Apparently, we don't take it seriously enough for them. Lauren won the whole pot!!!

Do we look a little sleepy here? It was like 1:00 am so yes we were! We can hang and play some poker though! =)
This is what I'm talking about--them playing poker against each other on their IPHONES. Brock--you look really freaky here! I'm sure you'll love me for posting this picture!! haha! Thats what friends are for BRUCE!!! (or Brett--whatever you prefer!) lol!
And of course you didn't think I would leave out the children, did you?
They always wear each other out playing. They are BFF!!!!

Big Wag Party Continued....

2008-07-26T20:55:00.006-05:00

The Big Wag party was a huge sucess! I was really excited about it and thought they did a great job with it. I think the dogs had such a good time too! This is us on the way to the Dog Party. You can tell that Moses is super pumped up about the party! haha!

Just me!
He's having so much fun at the party--lol--huge tongue!
Sasse is having crazy fun! =)
Kafkha wants to go back to the pool!

Here is a short video of the Party. You will see a brindle looking boxer at the end. Pretty sure that the dog PEED on Brian. It was so gross. He was sitting on the curb and they dog straight up walks over to him hikes up his leg and starts peeing! The owner was pretty embarrassed and took Brian in the store to help him get cleaned up. It was so disgusting!!! I still can't believe that happened!

Big Wag Party Continued....

2008-07-26T20:49:00.002-05:00

Here are the dogs at the party. This was the best I could do for a group photo. They were pretty distracted =) Kafkha, Moses, Sasse.

I think this is a Great Pyranese. I thought he was pretty!
Little weenie dog--this is what Moses is half of! lol!
The Weim's were really pretty. The puppy was super cute! And that other dog is a 135 lb chocolate lab. He was the only one that Moses had issues with and he started it! Of coures Moses thinks he is huge so he tried to lay the smack down on him and we had to quickly pull him away. The dog is like 10 times bigger than Moses!

Big Wag Party!!

2008-07-26T20:37:00.003-05:00

Here is the "Bark-Day" Cake at the Party. It was so cute! They use peanut butter, mashed pototoes, and some kind of cream cheese mixture. There is no sugar in the dog cake. Moses and Kafkha LOVED IT! They pretty much inhaled it. Sasse wasn't too sure about it though!

Moses loving the cake!
Lauren trying to get Sasse to eat it. I was too late getting Kafkha eating it!

Kafkha cooling off in the pool, she LOVES the water!
So does Sasse! Moses won't get in..lol
This was a doggie that Moses kept wanting to play with. Her name is Bailey and she is a mutt like him and the exact same size as him, I think that is why he kept wanting to play with her!
It was extremely hot outside and he kept sitting right at Brian's feet. He was worn out!
Brian won the "Best Hog Call" and won a bag of dog food =) Who would have guessed that Brian would win??? haha!

Post Party--Doggies at the Lake

2008-07-26T19:56:00.006-05:00

Moses was so hot at the party that we thought a swim was in order! He got down behind my seat and the backseat. I guess he thought it was cooler there? Weirdo! He doesn't really like being wet and he has never swam. Last summer when we were at the lake we tried to get him to get in and he was not having it! So, I was interested to see if he would swim this time. He surprised us all!

He likes tight spaces!
Passed out!

Moses thinking about getting in!
Me trying to coax him in! Sasse just runs and jumps in! She loooovvvessss it!
He's in! =) Here is a video of it! There was this other really huge dog there that tried to attack Sasse! Brock had her and they were like knee deep in the water and the dog swam over to them and was looking crazy. The owners had to come over really quickly and get him b/c he was being so mean. It's a good thing it was Sasse and not Moses b/c she loves everybody and every dog so she just went with the flow!

Bigwag Dog Bakery Event

2008-07-22T09:14:00.003-05:00

Have any of you dog lovers ever been to the dog bakery in Rogers? It is fantastic! They are having an event this Saturday to celebrate their 2 year anniversary. Brian doesn't know it yet but we are totally going! Check it out!

For immediate release

No Worries for Party AnimalsRogers, AR… July 10, 2008

Recession. Rising food costs. Gasoline supply shortages. While these may be concerns for humans in Northwest Arkansas, their dogs have a completely different concern: “How am I going to get to Bigwag Dog Bakery's birthday party?” Dogs are right to worry about missing this party. After all, it is going to be the canine social event of the season. For four glorious hours, from noon to 4pm, on Saturday, July 26th, barkday cake will be served with gusto and canine wine will flow. There will be contests including “Biggest Wag” and prizes ranging from bags of premium dog food to a year's supply of free treats. And just in case people feel left out, there will be food, drinks, vendors and demonstrations for them as well. For children, there will even be a free bounce house. So why all the fuss? Well, it isn't every day that a small business gets to celebrate it's 2nd anniversary. And that's exactly what Bigwag Dog Bakery is doing - celebrating two years of bringing healthy, handmade treats, unique toys and American-made chews to the dogs of Northwest Arkansas. About Bigwag Dog BakeryBigWag is located at 2301 W. Walnut, Suite 23, Rogers, AR in Turtle Creek Plaza. The store is owned by brothers Cary and Toby Hague. It opened July 29, 2006. Media Contacts For Bigwag:Store Manager: Erin Hague, 479-631-2WAG

Further Information:

What: Food and treats, fun and prizes, vendors and demonstrations
Where: Bigwag Dog Bakery2301 W. Walnut Suite 23Rogers, AR 72756(Behind Popeye's Chicken)
When: Saturday, July 26, 2008 12pm-4pm
Why: Bigwag is celebrating it's 2 year anniversary
Who: Anyone can comeCost: Free

Movie and Poker

2008-07-19T23:36:00.002-05:00

Today, we met up with B&L and saw "The Dark Knight" at the matinee in Fayetteville. Then we went to Petsmart and saw the cute puppies! No, we didn't give in and adopt one. We ran to the mall and got a few things and then came home to grill out and play some poker! Lauren was kicking everyone's butt!

She took all of Brock's chips!
Then she took Brian's chips!
Then he won them back!
But it came down to a stand off between Mr. and Mrs. Crow!!!

Mrs. Crow let him win of course! =)

Life Group went Bowling!

2008-07-19T23:25:00.005-05:00

On Wednesday night our life group decided to go bowling. We went to the new place in Lowell, "Fast Lanes". It's a really nice place. I even brought my own ball that my mom gave me. It is purple and so cool but too heavy for me to use. We missed everyone who couldn't make it. Here we are on the way out:

TJ, Brittany, Amanda (& Ryan--lol) Luke, Me, and Brian

Brittany bowling, she came in second!
The scores--Girls kicked butt!

Me bowling
Brian and I
The girls
The guys.
TJ bowling

Luke beating everyone!
Brittany and TJ
Amanda bowling
Amanda and Luke
Brian bowling

My SWEET husband--who is also a cook!

2008-07-19T23:17:00.004-05:00

Last Thursday night, my husband made me a special dinner "just because". It was very nice and he made everything from scratch! He is a better cook than I am. =) He made chicken fettuccine alfredo from SCRATCH. He also made a salad and bread and a strawberry cake. He had the romantic candles and grape juice on ice. He also had some music to set the mood! I loved coming home to a clean house with a romantic dinner on the table. He had also already cleaned the kitchen. We ordered a movie off of pay-per-view and had a great night! He is truly amazing and I am blessed =) I love you hunny!

Moses' Best Friend!

2008-07-19T23:09:00.006-05:00

We have watched Sasse lately while B&L have gone on some trips. Moses REALLY loves her and they are BFF! Just some cute pics of them hanging out:

Couldn't quite get them close together!
Sleeping butt to butt =)
Sasse LOVES the pool!
Being cute for the camera!
Guarding the yard.

Sleeping in the shade!

More Pics....

2008-07-19T23:06:00.003-05:00

Moses fell asleep like this on the way to the campsite. Silly dog!

Us on the way!
They were really happy to be out of the house! =)

Going Camping....

2008-07-19T22:30:00.009-05:00

We (me) decided to give camping another try. Everything was looking really good for the trip. Beautiful weather, great friends, lots of food to eat! We (josh, sabrina, aaron, brian and I) headed out to Devils Den around 5:00 on Friday, July 4th. We made it out there and found out that we had to walk about 1/4 of a mile from the parked cars to our campsite. Not too bad BUT when you take into consideration all the stuff we have plus the fact that we have to cross a creek--makes it a little more difficult! We finally make it there will all of our stuff and we are all soaked with sweat. We down like 2 water bottles each while we set up camp:

Once the boys got the fire started:

It was so wet out there we had to use kerosene from the lantern! lol! So, we grilled out and sat around the fire and just chilled. Moses, Sasse, and Kafkah were there hanging out with us:

All was well that night and I was having a blast. Lets fast forward to the next morning.....we are up and cooking breakfast. I am making potatoes and they are pretty seasoned with some stuff. One falls out of the pan and I tossed it in the direction of the dogs. Sasse eats it. Not five mintues later her face starts to BLOW UP! We are sitting there watching her face literally swell bigger every 2 minutes. I start freaking out b/c I'm thinking she's going to die and we are responsible for her! So, we pack up as quick as possible, give her some bendadryl and head back home. Poor Sasse!

Before:
After:

She was drooling everywhere poor thing! It took about 3 days, but she eventually was fine. She was just drugged up on bendadryl and sleeping ALOT. So much for camping experience #2!! Oh well, maybe one day all will be fine while out in the wilderness!

More Pics from our LA Vacation

2008-07-19T22:12:00.005-05:00

US with my Uncle and Aunt Melody, they are
pastors in Sulfur, Louisiana. He's an awesome preacher! =) To the right is Brian with Gracie, our second cousin. She is such a cutie!

This is us with our cousin Michael. He is a cutie too!

2008-07-03T23:21:00.004-05:00

So I although I am going to continue to get better at this blogging thing, I find it interesting that I have no memory or desire to take pictures during the occasion. Then when post time comes, it depresses me that I don't have any pictures. I have to boringly go on the internet and find some stupid image, hence the weirdo next to me.

Since the summertime blues are upon us, our YMCG (Young Married Couples group kinda looks like the ymca huh?) decided to change things up a bit and take a night on the town.

First we meet at LaHuerta a great Mexican restaurant that rocks most of the time except for this night. They stinkin charged me for a full dinner when I got a-la-cart. Anyone who knows me knows that I hate getting ripped off. In any normal situation I would have asked more in depth to take a look at it, but there are tons of people (including those in our group so I didn't want to embarrass myself in front of them) so I moved on and further investigated outside the bogus financial mishap. I went back inside to find that the line was even longer, so I just asked a waitress what the normal price was for what I ordered and it was $3.50 CHEAPER! UGGH I was fuming, but I calmed myself down and became a better man.

After my DRAMATIC fiasco (thanks Amanda for getting yours right) we headed over to gator golf for some VERY COMPETITIVE putt-putt. Survey who brings their putters to play mini-golf? ME
Everyone made fun of me because I brought my own putter. Whats the deal with wanting to win? Everything was moving along great until we got to the 11th HoLE and their were FOUR racoons staring at us. THEY looked like this!

We finished the night at SHAKES! You can't go wrong there. All in all we had a great time! We have a wonderful life group and it is always so much fun. Especially when I pull the hidden ball trick on JOHN LAND.

We are going camping tomorrow so please pray Michelle has a good time or it maybe the last time. Last time we went it rained on us all night long and our tent leaked. She was a camping virgin that night and it wasn't a great way to introduce her (I'm just talking about camping you dirty minds).

Happy FOURTH and LET it be known on this Fourth of July I miss my Grandpa. He always made homemade ice cream for the whole family. He would churn it all day.

b

road trip

2008-06-26T15:41:00.013-05:00

I apologize for any grammar errors as I don't like to proof read unless its necessary. Sorry

After much deliberation and planning (2 hours) Michelle and I decided to buy a car in Washington D.C. through my father-in-law (Thanks Mike and Susie). We looked around the Northwest Arkansas area for several weeks and found only one possiblilty. We found an 08 Civic which was exactly like our last car and decided that was what we wanted because we like our last one so much before it got totaled.

After being at the dealership for almost four hours they decided they weren't going to come down one cent of the sticker price. I said literally not one cent. The guy said he could sale them the next day as is. I said well good luck selling them. I felt bad for about an hour when I got a phone call from my father-in-law saying they were going to come down three-thousand dollars ($3,000.00) I said where do I sign.

As we look book at this whole wreck fiasco, we reflect on the fact that we wish it had never happened. But God has done some cool things for us. We made over 2500 on the old car because of appraisal value. We got an upgrade from an lx to an ex. (sunroof, steering wheel volume, alloy wheels) as Michelle smiles! We got an interest rate to go from 5.9% to 1.9% and are paying less per month than the last payment. I know Dave Ramsey says your not supposed to buy a car with out cash but I'm ok with getting a brand new car. It is pretty fun seeing you only have 21 miles on the car.

in front of the Smithsonian information center

The 21 miles didn't last long! After buying the car the next step was figuring how to get it back. WE looked for plane tickets off of cheaptickets.com and found a one way for $126 dolares. So i flew on a roller coaster to get there and here is where the vacation for me starts.

I got to hang out in D.C. from Monday night until Friday morning with Michelle's family. While some might look at this as a drag. I truly and absolutely adore my in-laws. They are incredible to be around and I was so excited to hang out with them. I even got the bonus of my sister-in-law and her husband being there as well because they are living with them right now.

TUESDAY: (Tuesday and Wednesday were days with Susie)
To be perfectly honest she has got to be the coolest mother-in-law ever because she is very short and those of you who know me, know that I walk very fast. She kept up the whole two days of walking without one complaint. I know she had to be getting tired because I was all over the place. (Anytime I get to see history I salivate) Here are some pictures from the first day:

This is the Natural History Museum
This is the bones of a rhino i think

This is what it looks like all together
Sweet Susie with an animal behind us but I can't remember what???

A cool looking elephant, who needs the zoo

My favorite part!! I love lions......
A real ART museum: While I find these to be pretty boring because I don't appreciate art it was actually kind of neat to see some of the famous pictures. I only took pictures of the ones i recognized(which was like two) *Prepare to laugh at my commentary

Stonewall Jackson one of my favorite hero's from the Civil War.
Here is a story about him that is really kinda cool)
Robert E. Lee (I have some books about him) Silly I know but he is the greatest General America has ever had in war)

The Greatest President we have ever had!

Woops how did that get in here?????

This is one of my favorite pics of all time...I have seen it several times. Does anyone notice anything funny about this picture. If you do I will give you a dollar!
DAY TWO: (And Susie is still walking)
Just a neat statue next to the Capitol
A cool picture of the capitol before our tour.

Inside the Capitol main room which this is called the Rotunda

OK, really funny, but sad story. We decide to schedule a tour inside the capitol. We get a ticket at about 10:00a.m. that morning that tells us to come back at like 2:30 that afternoon. We go around all day looking at stuff and come back. WE get this guys that can't talk and is completely slurring everything he says. They give us these headphones that are really loud. We can't understand a word this guy is saying!! Everyone is looking at each other wandering if this is for real. He ask really loud like 8 times if we can hear him and then he begins to discuss the history of the capitol only he loses his train of thought about every TEN seconds. He repeats they same thing over and over, until finally we decide to ditch him and go with another tour. You aren't allowed to walk around inside without supervision so we just kept sneaking places with other groups until we saw what we needed to and moved on.
We couldn't believe that they let this guy be a tour guide. I am all about giving someone a job and equal opportunity employers but let him hand out tickets not try to explain and lead a tour of 25 people. It was the WORST! By the time his particular tour was over we saw that they only had about Eight people left with him. OUCH! It was really a shame. But we still saw some neat things.

DAY 2 AT NIGHT: (This time I get to hang out with my awesome SISTER-in-LAW Meg)

The funny thing about this picture is she first got in between his legs and I looked through the lens and it looked like she was in his crotch so she moved to the outside to take the picture.

Albert Einstein

HONEST ABE

US WITH HONEST ABE

Cool Background

Vietnam Memorial

One of my favorite memorials. There is also a wall with names on it of those who served.

WWII Memorial (My grandpa's brother 's name is on the wall of this one.

Washington Monument

Ok so I am really mad about this one. Meg said she saw the silhouette of a sniper on the roof of the White House so we stayed for like 15min so I could see one and I never SAW IT! Dang it MEG.

OK more to come later because I don't want to overwhelm....
To come: Rest of trip including the Pentagon & drive home (that was fun!)

B

Chuck Norris Facts

2008-06-20T16:16:00.003-05:00

WARNING----This is extremely humorous!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
--Chuck Norris once roundhouse kicked someone so hard that his foot broke the speed of light, went back in time, and killed Amelia Earhart while she was flying over the Pacific Ocean.

-Chuck Norris recently had the idea to sell his urine as a canned beverage. We know this beverage as Red Bull.

-If you can see Chuck Norris, he can see you. If you can't see Chuck Norris you may be only seconds away from death.

-When Chuck Norris plays Oregon Trail his family does not die from cholera or dysentery, but rather roundhouse kicks to the face. He also requires no wagon, since he carries the oxen, axels, and buffalo meat on his back. He always makes it to Oregon before you.

-Chuck Norris does not sleep. He waits.

-The quickest way to a man's heart is with Chuck Norris' fist.

-What was going through the minds of Chuck Norris' victims before they died? His shoe.

-If you spell Chuck Norris in Scrabble, you win. Forever.

-When the Boogeyman goes to sleep every night he checks his closet for Chuck Norris.

-Chuck Norris can slam revolving doors.

-Chuck Norris Isn't funny, stop laughing.

-Chuck Norris CAN believe it's not butter.

-Chuck Norris is the reason why Waldo is hiding.

-When Chuck Norris does a pushup, he isn’t lifting himself up, he’s pushing the Earth down.

-There are no steroids in baseball, just players Chuck Norris has breathed on.

-If at first you don't succeed, you're not Chuck Norris.

-If you have five dollars and Chuck Norris has five dollars, Chuck Norris has more money than you.

-Chuck Norris can sneeze with his eyes open.

-Chuck Norris can eat just one Lay's potato chip.

-Chuck Norris can lead a horse to water AND make it drink.

-Chuck Norris doesn’t wear a watch, HE decides what time it is.

-Chuck Norris does not get frostbite. Chuck Norris bites frost

This is how we ended our Friday at work =)

Say A Little Prayer.....

2008-06-20T10:55:00.002-05:00

Brian is making the long drive home today and tomorrow, so if you think about it, say a little prayer for him and his safety! Me and Moses have missed him so much and we are ready to have him back! I don't really enjoy living the single life---I love my husband =) Have a great weekend! =)

My New Ride!!!!

2008-06-11T19:07:00.003-05:00

Our adventure trying to find another car for me (michelle) has not really been that enjoyable. Over the past few weekends we have visited pretty much every dealership in NW AR. We have test drove both used and new cars. Our goal was something with LOW miles b/c we plan on keeping this vehicle for a LONG time. I don't think we realized just how good of gas mileage our poor totaled Civic got until we started comparing it to other vehicles. Our favorite vehicles that we test drove were: Mazda CX7, Honda CRV, Toyota RAV, Honda Accord, and Mitsubishi Outlander. We were really thinking of getting a cross-over car BUT when it came down to it, couldn't deal with the gas mileage. Although, the Honda CRV gets 30 mpg highway miles, which is awesome for a small SUV, but too pricy for us! SO, after all that we decide that we just want our CIVIC back. So we start the hunt for used civics. NADA. NOWHERE. Apparentley, everyone in NWA has decided to start driving civics. So, we start looking at the 2008 Civics at the Honda place. They don't have ANY out on the floor (apparently, they sell out as soon as they put them on the lot), the salesman finds 4 that were just delivered in the fenced lot behind the drive-in in Fayetteville. SWEET. They even have a black one, this is going to be like old times! Brian goes to wheel-n-deal them, won't come down a DIME! They seriously want us to pay sticker price for a brand-new car. They tell us that they will sell these tomorrow (saturday) for sticker price. SURE you will. We walk away. We go back by there the next night, sold 2 of the 4 they just got in. OK, so maybe they are right. But we still REFUSE to pay sticker price. Meanwhile, my mom and dad are driving home and decide to stop by the Honda place in Washington D.C. My dad goes in to talk to someone and gets them down $3000, with a ridiculously awesome interest rate. I mean seriously, hardly paying any interest. So, with all that, here is my beautiful new ride:

2008 Honda Civic EX (that means sunroof!) whoohoo! Atomic Blue. It has 4 miles on it! I'm so excited and I just pray no more accidents and that I have this car until we have too many kids to put in it! =) Then maybe I'll give it to my hubby =) Brian is flying on Monday to go get it and drive it back. Found a super cheap one-way ticket for $125!!! That was a blessing too! So we are just glad that we found a good deal and saved ourselves some major mulah! With gas being the way it is---you can't beat a civic! I had my first chiropracter appointment today. I have never been and was a little freaked out to get adjusted but it wasn't bad at all. I feel a little better already. I go back tomorrow. She said that my neck is pretty messed up. Its supposed to curve a certain way, mine is straight and slightly curved the opposite way. Plus, my lower spine is not aligning up either. I'll be glad when I get back to normal =) All of this has kept me from running b/c my neck and back would hurt so bad when I would try to run. I'm pretty sad that I haven't gotten to run in over 3 weeks, and I was just starting to shave time off too! So, I'm ready to get back into it soon. We'll see. Thanks for all the comments and prayers--we love all of you! See you soon!

peace be still

2008-06-05T09:29:00.006-05:00

We had group last night and it was awesome! The food was Mexican - the party was hopin - the lesson was dop... very exciting. I just realized after starting this post we didn't take any pictures. We did play signs though!

The main reason I wanted to write this post is to let you know that GOD is peace. He wants us to have peace in every situation. One of the greatest fruits of the spirit is Peace. We go through trials in order for our peace to be strengthened. Satan is constantly trying to steal it from us because it is the easiest way for us to NOT focus on Jesus.

"EaSy way to Lose Peace"

Spill your huge razorback cup full of MILK in the laundry room at 7:15 in the morning on your way to work. Then that milk knocks your sausage biscuit on the floor which your dogs begins to eat, that he throws up five minutes later. BAD DAY!

We laugh at stories like this all the time but the truth is there are normally circumstances that happen several times a day that try to steal our peace. You think that is an accident? No way jose! Satan knows that he has power over you when you lose your peace, and that is why God thought it be so important to teach about it so often.

Psalm 119: 165
Please take the time today to read this verse and realize that God is peace and it is easy to have peace in front of others outside your circle, but to have peace is to have it in front of those you are most comfortable with.

the GOOD, the BAD, the not so nice

2008-06-05T09:00:00.008-05:00

THE GOOD:
The good is that they have totaled our car. This means we are allowed now to get another car. (Thanks goodness, but I do love taking my wife to work, then picking her up from lunch, taking her back to work thirty minutes later, then picking her up from work.) What good husband wouldn't love that! She is amazing!!!

Also, I had an interview at Lowell Elementary School.
This would be a great opportunity because it would allow me to coach Football at any school in the district.
The school is connected to the city facilities so I would get to use them everyday. (That includes a Softball field, volleyball court, tennis court, track, fields, full size gym, and more) We haven't heard anything back yet but hopefully soon.

THE BAD:
Our adjuster would not call us back so we had no clue what was going on with the wreck. So I called, and I called, and I called, still calling. Voice mail every time. I tried to go over her head, but her manager was on vacation for two weeks. Yesterday morning she called back (after I spoke to a manager and told me she was trying to get a statement from the other driver! WHAT YOUR KIDDING ME. It has been ten days since the accident and you haven't gotten a statement yet. I thought to myself,
"WHO do you WORK for?

She also told me our case was a typical he said, she said case. NO IT'S NOT!

Finally I got a hold of someone and they switched our adjuster immediately. This new woman has been really good and believes they should be 100% liable. She was hardcore and awesome, because she was like, "We'll go to arbitration if we have to." I said go gettem girl.

THE UGLY:
Then we find out later yesterday they are trying to hold us liable because one of the girls (who was walking around after the accident and wasn't close to getting hit at any point during the wreck) said she now has a broken leg???? The funny thing is our cousin saw both the girls later that day after the wreck out on the lake partying it up. (Broken leg my butt)

Ok nuff stuff about that. I do believe that God has got something awesome that will come out of this whole thing. I haven't figured out what it is yet but I know he has the best plans mapped out for us!

Jeremiah 29:11

WHAT A VACATION!!!

2008-05-27T16:54:00.000-05:00

So, we decided to travel to Louisiana to visit Michelle's family. After visiting Sulpher, LA we drove to Ponchatoula, LA to see the rest of the fam. On Monday we were driving to Michelle's cousins Brian & Lisa to go ride in the boat for the day. On our way to their house we were in a not so pretty wreck. Even now as I type I am in shock that it happened.

The low down;
Driving aprox. 42 miles per hour over a bridge when a Chevrolet Z71 pulling a large ski boat pulls out in front of us. (I'm thinking to myself I can't believe he did that) then pulls over to the shoulder. I say out loud, "Oh he realized he cut us off and is letting us go around him." Then all of the sudden he tries to pull a U-Turn with out signaling right in front of us! He never looked and never saw us. As I see what is happening I begin to try to cross over the middle lane to avoid hitting him, knowing the boat has us pinned in on the other side. He is still trying to turn around and is not getting out of the way. I am slamming on the brakes and turning to the left side over the middle lane.

At this point Michelle is screaming and I am helpless as I being to skid on the rocks in the middle of the highway and we plow straight into their front driver side. Both of our air bags deploy and Michelle's side air bags as well. As we are both disoriented I look over at her and ask if she is ok. She is hysterically screaming she can't breath. I kept saying are you ok???? I realize she is moving and seems ok so I told her it's ok. "Is anything broke?" "No, I just can't breath." I see smoke in the car so I told her we need to get out! I help her crawl out on my side because her door was pinned in. We both get out and are trying to figure out what happened, when the other people (4 passengers) get out to see if we are ok. My poor baby is crying and can't figure out what just happened. I am trying to calm her down and figure out if she is ok. Then the cops show up and tell her to sit down.

I will let the pictures tell the rest.

This is the parking lot this guy is supposedly (story below) trying to turn around in????

I'm just glad we weren't in my car, who knows what would have happened.

Her poor car! We really loved this car....
You can see why she is hurting more than me!

The glass didn't shatter, it just cracked, thank you JESUS!

Michelle is going to kill me for posting this picture! I'm just so glad she is ok!!!!

SO the medical responder in the ambulance wants to take Michelle to the hospital for precautionary matters. They want to take some x-rays to make sure nothing is broken. After like four hours at the hospital she is diagnosed with a sprained neck. I was completely fine yesterday and now I my neck is hurting worse by the moment.

The cop shows up and tells me what he assumes happened. He tried to tell me after we left, that the the other driver told him he was pulling into the parking lot to turn around (which is still illegal) and the cop said, "Where were you turning, into to a ditch!" The trooper said he gave him a citation for making an improper turn. The funny thing is there was a no U-Turn sign less than five feet in front of the wreck. He told us that he (the other driver) can tell his story all day long because the road shows exactly what happened and that he knows that guy isn't telling the truth. MY personal opinion is if the guy would have seen us coming he could have straightened out and we might have missed him, but because he was still trying to u-turn we crashed straight into him.

NOW it is all up to the insurance company. If you are reading this please pray that his insurance is legit and everything is taken care of. Being that I don't have a job right now we need no extra bills!!!! I believe in my heart we did everything we could to avoid this and that the Lord will take care of everything. I want to personally thank all of MICHELLE'S family for being so supportive and sweet to us. They have really been so concerned and that means a lot to me and her.

I want to thank the LORD for watching out for us and for those who prayed for us that morning!! :) I know that it could have been a lot worse and if I never get to say it again, "I LOVE MY WIFE so much and I can't imagine life without her!!!!

Update

2008-04-10T16:53:00.002-05:00

Brian ended up taking Moses to the Vet this morning. He had to stay home to pump water out of the side of the house so it wouldn't flood again. Moses was getting worse and worse and was just miserable so he went ahead and took him. They gave him a steroid shot that is supposed to give him "immediate relief" and last for a month. So, we will see!!!!! I am so ready for the weekend!!!!! Have a great night! =)

Whats Been Happening

2008-04-09T21:58:00.002-05:00

We celebrated Brian's birthday a couple of weeks ago. It was such a success! We went to see the movie, "21" (black jack movie)then he went to AT&T to buy an Iphone with all of his birthday money. Then we met a bunch of friends at Powerhouse for his birthday dinner. It was a success and he LOVES his phone. He totally deserves it! He never buys anything for himself and has never had a nice phone. I have threatened him with his life if he drops/loses/gets it stolen, etc.

I think we are going next month to visit my grandparents in Louisiana. Of course they are getting up there in age and I hate that I only see them at major family events. We realized at my sister's wedding that they would not be traveling again for a long time. It's just really too hard for them. And I don't want to have any regrets about not visiting them more later on in life.

Moses is having issues. Apparently, he is having allergies associated with Springtime. I pretty much think that is the most ridiculous thing ever, I mean how can a dog be allergic to being outside?? It's a DOG!!! He has to go in on Saturday for some routine shots and the Vet is going to see what else she can do. The poor dog is so miserable, constantly scratching his belly and licking and biting at his feet. I have actually been giving him benadryl but I think he has become immune to it b/c it no longer phases him. I even bought medicated moisturizing shampoo and it doesn't help much either. Here is the article I read that convinced me it was allergies. I really do feel bad for the little guy. Hopefully they will have something for him on Saturday.

We had a new couple at our life group tonight. They were really fun and sweet. There is another new couple that is supposed to be coming next time and we are having dinner with them on Saturday so we are excited about that. I love seeing new faces and meeting new people!!

Adding flood insurance to our Homeowner's policy tomorrow after that last fiasco. Hopefully it won't rain too hard tonight. I can't handle all that stress again.

I think that is about all that is going on. Oh, 3 weeks until Brian graduates!!! whoot whoot!!!

Happy Thursday!!!! =)

garage sale!!!!

2008-04-03T18:13:00.002-05:00

on Saturday, me, amy, and katherine will be having a garage sale at my house. Some major items are: stroller,basketball goal, bike rack, never used cookware, prom dresses, wedding dress (no, not mine) , crockpot, clothes, kid toys, kid clothes , shoes, purses, blackberry, and a bunch of other stuff. See our ad on craigs list!

Belly Laugh

2008-04-02T16:06:00.003-05:00

If you want a good laugh, and I mean a good, heartfelt belly laugh, watch this video. This little girl is so cute, makes me want one, almost =)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AR4PQ30VkBk

Movie Night

2008-03-21T15:42:00.002-05:00

Some of us girls are going to see a late movie tonight: The Other Boleyn Girl @ 10:00 pm at the Pinnacle Hills Mall theater. Call me if you want to come!!!!!!! 501-425-7060. Thanks for all the emails/comments/calls about our house. We are getting the padding replaced tomorrow and getting new carpet in one of the rooms tomorrow. I took a bunch of pics and I will post them later tonight. Have a great rest of your Friday!!!! =)

BLACK TUESDAY

2008-03-18T22:02:00.002-05:00

Things got bad today:

1). House flooded b/c of all the rain. Have spend the last 7 or so hours suctioning up water off the carpet, pulling up the carpet, removing the padding, and suctioning the water off of the concrete. Lovely. This is the brand-new carpet we just bought in July.
2). Brian and Troy pumped all the water out the side of the house that was causing the flooding and dug a drain. It's still raining.
3). In the midst of all this, Brian's phone got wet and stopped working.
4). While digging the drain, the underground fence got torn and now that has to be fixed as well.

Can I sound any more depressing? Well now that I got all that complaining out of my system, I can try to return to my optimistic self--things could always be worse. Lessons learned--don't be a cheapskate and opt out of flood insurance--I think it would be well worth it!

Thanks to the Canalichio's for all their help today!!! I'll post pics of all the excitement another night--I'm off to bed. Night!

RECAP of the Week

2008-02-23T13:09:00.002-06:00

It has been a L-O-N-G week. Lets backtrack. Last weekend we went to a Marriage Conference put on by Family Life. It was at the Embassy Suites in Bentonville and Brian actually won the whole weekend on the radio including a 2 night stay at the Embassy. We had such a great time! I totally recommend their marriage conference to ANYONE. Whether you are doing awesome or if you have major issues, it is so helpful and so refreshing. I'm so glad we went and wish that we would have attended one of these when we were first married. I really encourage all you married people to catch the one in Branson or the one coming up in Little Rock. Go here to check it out. It's totally worth it! I promise you won't be disappointed! We have like 10 books on our reading list now!

I got sick on Tuesday, sinus junk and head cold. So that made for a really long week at work. I'm still not feeling too hot and I sound like a man when I talk. No jokes tomorrow please! My husband and Brock have already made fun of me enough!!!!!!!!!!

Lauren and I kicked butt at spades last night =) Girls RULE! lol! I made a new recipe that was delicious! Check it out:

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Slow-Cooker-Chicken-Tortilla-Soup/Detail.aspx

Oh, and I attended the sewing night at Genessa's this week and learned how to use my sewing machine. I made some really cute napkins. Once I finish them completely I'll post some pics. I love them!

Brian is counting down the days until graduation! He has passed all of his Praxis Tests now and now is just waiting to finish up! I'm so proud of him--he is on his way to a 4.0 for grad school! I know that is tough and he has worked so hard for it! He's my hero =)

Can Spring get here already???

Surprises Surprises......

2008-02-14T20:01:00.003-06:00

This is my favorite Valentines Day so far. Brian totally surprised me, and I have to admit--I totally surprised him as well. He got me some perfume that I have been wanting forever:

Euphoria by Calvin Klein---LOVE IT!!!!!!

About a month ago, I was at work and looked out in the lobby by the transcript window to see Darren McFadden. This reminded me how Brian got his autograph for his dad but never got one for himself but always wanted one. So, I grabbed a piece of paper and walked out there before I lost my nerve and asked him for his autograph. I was super pumped and decided that I was going to frame it and give it to Brian for Valentines day. Then, the next day I look out in the lobby and Felix Jones is in the lobby. Seriously? Is my luck really this good? So, I grabbed my precious autographed paper and march myself out there again. I chatted it up with Felix for a minute and got his autograph too! Brian is seriously going to be beside himself! So I have to keep this secret for over a month and it was KILLING ME!!! I can't keep surprises very good and I have NO patience!!!! So i finally get it framed and ready last night and couldn't wait any longer--we cheated and exchanged presents a little bit early. I was right--Brian freaked out =)

**for those non-sports fans---Darren McFadden and Felix Jones are former Razorback football players that will be first round draft picks in the NFL, in other words--they are hot stuff!!!**

Life Group Tonight

2008-02-13T10:54:00.002-06:00

We are having our first life group tonight for the semester at our house! So, if you want to come, it starts at 6:30!!! We would love to have you there! =)

FOR ALL YOU CHILD-LESS PET OWNERS

2008-02-11T10:28:00.000-06:00

Remember: Dogs and cats are better than kids because they:
1. Eat less
2. Don't ask for money all the time
3 Are easier to train
4. Normally come when called
5. Never ask to drive the car
6. Don't hang out with drug-using friends
7. Don't smoke or drink
8. Don't have to buy the latest fashions
9. Don't want to wear your clothes
10. Don't need a gazillion dollars for college
11. If they get pregnant, you can sell their children

HaHa =)

ROAD TTTRRRIIIPPPPPP!!!!!

2008-02-07T11:23:00.000-06:00

After work today, Lauren and I are heading to Dallas! My cousin is getting married and she is road-tripping it with me to spend some QT with her fam. It will be so much fun! I'm so excited! Lots of pics and stories to come, I'm sure!!!!

Snow Day!!!!!

2008-02-06T21:57:00.000-06:00

Even though I didn't get out of going to work for the snow days, I still had fun after work. The snow doesn't phase this dog, he still loves to chase his soccer ball. We had a great time playing around and chasing each other. Brian recorded a video below and I recorded a video of the next day when his friend from next door came over. There is a hole in the neighbors fence that the dog crawls under to come and visit Moses. It is a huge brown dog. He is kind of timid but pretty sweet. He makes us mad though because he PEES ON EVERYTHING. I've even seen him pee on my dog--GROSS. I had to hose him down, it was disgusting! But anyways, you can barely see him in the last video but he is at the way back of the yard.

ok, can't get videos to load (arrggghhh) so oh well!

My Rants Part TWO

2008-01-31T09:12:00.000-06:00

Is it sleeting and snowing outside? YES. Are all the school districts closed? YES. Is the UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS OPEN? YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Super Bowl Time!!!!

2008-01-30T22:06:00.000-06:00

If you are reading this then you are invited to a Super Bowl Party at our house this Sunday! It starts at 5:30 but feel free to come by anytime after 4:30!!! If you think you might come then shoot me an email: mmander@uark.edu so I can get the details figured out (food, drinks, etc.). We will probably do "bring your favorite dish" as usual! So just let me know! Have a great Thursday!!!

My Grandpa is a Celeb!!!!

2008-01-30T21:50:00.000-06:00

I found out today that my grandpa, Maxie Docusen (aka "little duke") and my great uncle, Bernard Docusen (aka "big duke") are being inducted into the World Hall of Fame for Boxing in California in June 2008. This is a picture of them plus another brother. My grandpa is first, then my Uncle Bernard. Then there is another picture of my grandpa below this one, its actually on sale on Ebay! I think I might buy it! It seems that my Uncle got more publicity than my grandpa and has a whole "bio" online if you want to check it out: http://www.boxrec.com/media/index.php/Bernard_Docusen
Bernard actually fought Sugar Ray Robinson and lost in a decision. Pretty cool! Here are some facts about my grandpa:

~lightweight -class boxer, born on 11-15-1928
~Won 72 Fights , with 26 knockouts
~Lost 6 Fights, with 3 ending in a knockout
~Has forced a draw in 3 fights.
~Boxing stance: Orthodox
~Height--5'7
~Fight Reach/Arm Length: 31"
~Total Career Fights: 82

Its kinda cool to google your grandpa and see all this stuff come up! I dont' get to see him all that often and I sure do miss him and my Meme! Love you both!!! =)

Moses Loves Babies...=)

2008-01-30T21:39:00.000-06:00

We went to dinner with V & C & A (haha) the other night and then they came over. Moses LOVED A!!! He would just sniff him and then start licking him and then A didn't know what to think about that! It was so funny! I think he got a little freaked out and started crying and mom had to pick him up and then Moses had a cow! He started whining and circling around like what did I do? Why can't the baby play anymore? It was so sweet! He was so gentle with him and was so curious! They were really cracking us up! Here is a pic of Moses sniffing and circling around him! Big ol' tail!!! haha!

My Rants

2008-01-22T09:54:00.001-06:00

I wish someone would let the University know that it takes more than TEN GRAINS OF SALT to de-ice the parking lots and sidewalks. I was more than irate this morning when I pulled in to park in a sheet of ice parking lot and walk up the hill on a sheet of ice sidewalk. I don't mind coming in when the weather is nasty but a little SALT would be nice. (breath, breath).

A Weekend To Remember Conference

2008-01-21T20:25:00.000-06:00

My awesome husband called in on the radio everyday and won us free registration and free accommodations ( 2 night stay at the Embassy Suites in Bentonville) to this marriage and family life conference the weekend of Valentines Day!! We are so pumped about it! I've never been to a marriage conference before and it will be wonderful to stay at the Embassy for 2 nights for free! Plus, their breakfast ROCKS!!!! The registration is usually $130 per person for the conference but you can get it for $89 per person through Keypoint Church. I know that is a lot of money but we have heard nothing but good things about this conference!

We had a wonderful day off of work/school today! Brian relaxed and cleaned the house (my hero) and ran some errands. I went to lunch at Olive Garden with Sabrina, Genessa, Lauren, Monica, and Stacy to celebrate Sabrina's birthday! We had a lot of fun eating lots of yummy food! Then I went up to the church to help decorate for ~Crowned~ this Friday night. The foyer looks amazing and we had a lot of fun doing it! If you haven't decided yet, you should definitely COME! It will be so much fun! I really really HOPE that it ices over tonight and they close the U of A tomorrow. Doubt it but I can always hope!!!!! Anyways, have a great night! =)

New Car !!!!!

2008-01-19T21:47:00.001-06:00

This is a picture of me and my first car back in my Senior year of High School. I'm not putting the close up on here b/c I have a mushroom head haircut!!! lol! Say goodbye to Mustang Sally!!!!

And say hello to my new (slightly used) 2007 Honda Civic:

I'm too lazy to go outside in the 15 degree weather and take a picture!

Side View

Inside view

It was a little sad to see the Mustang go b/c it was my first car, it held lots of memories, and it was paid for!!! BUT, I hydroplaned on a regular basis, it was pushing 100,000 miles, electric seat didn't work anymore, electric locks worked sometimes, and the check engine light was permanently on. We found a good deal and went with it! I LOVE this new car, it has so much more room, smells all new and it only has 12,500 miles on it--it will last me forever! I feel like an official adult now b/c I have a four door!! =) Still can't picture any carseats in the back seat though....ha!

Getting Spammed

2008-01-15T08:09:00.000-06:00

Hello all! Real quick--I have been getting spammed on here through comments so I have updated the security on comments, you will now have to verify and be approved--I tried to keep it simple but these people keep spamming my wonderful blog!!! booo!!!! Have a great Tuesday!!!! =)

NO More Text Messaging

2008-01-13T22:40:00.000-06:00

I just wanted to let everyone know that I have had text messaging taken off of my phone. I simply cannot resist the texting temptations....=( And we are too cheap right now to add it to the plan. So if you text me and I don't text back...it's because I don't get them anymore! Sad sad day...lol. Have a great Monday!

B-O-R-I-N-G WEEKEND

2008-01-12T22:06:00.000-06:00

I think this is the first weekend in like a year where we have stayed at home both Friday night and Saturday night. It was amazing!!! =) I definitely couldn't do it every weekend or anything but it was nice this time! Brian had his Praxis II tests today, so he was gone from like 10:00 until about 4:00 taking tests all day. Gross! This is why I quit school =) So me and Moses hung out all day and did absolutely NOTHING. Ok, I did clean my house but that was about it! We did venture out to get some chinese food for dinner (we have been eating healthy for the last two weeks so I needed some real food). We have been eating LOTS of salad and fruit/veggies. It has been a lot harder than I thought it would. We mainly do chicken now. I don't like fish so that kind of limits me on stuff besides chicken. I did substitute turkey for ground beef this week in one recipe. And what really stinks is that I am a really picky veggie eater. I made this broccoli/spinach/rice casserole thing as a side dish and thought I was going to vomit after one bite. So, basically I like zucchine, squash, and peppers as veggies. Oh, I do LOVE corn but apparently, that is not a "real" vegetable. Absolutely NO beans, carrots, peas, broccoli, spinach, etc. GROSS ME OUT! So this is why it is so hard for me b/c all that stuff is so gross to me. So if anyone has any recipes for some good veggie sides, please send them my way. I can usually tolerate veggies in soups or casseroles, but that one side dish was just gross. I think its because it seriously just had spinach, broccoli, rice, and some seasonings, no cheese or anything. Basically what I'm saying is that I only like veggies once they are fattened up!!! HA! So it has been hard but good, because I have seen good results! My husband has been a great encourager and has jumped right on board with me to healthy eating! Anyways, enough about that. If you live in Fayetteville and are craving some chinese food, Hunan Manor off of Wedington is very good. They are cheaper than Madame Woo's (which we love) and they have a buffet that is actually really good. I usually hate buffets because the food is cold and has been sitting there forever and is gross. But they do a good job at this place to keep the food hot and fresh. I was impressed. And it was a good price! Well, this was a pretty random boring post so I will keep you no longer! Have an awesome Sunday and be blessed!! =)

New Nephew

2008-01-09T21:49:00.000-06:00

We found out last night that Shonda and David (Brian's sister and her husband) are going to be having a boy this time around! We are so excited for them! We already have the cutest niece ever, Alivia, she will be a great big sis! Congratulations guys!!!

Things Are Getting Crazy....

2008-01-07T19:40:00.000-06:00

My coworkers and I have decided that every semester, people (aka. students and parents) seem to get more hateful and rude. Especially on the phone. For example, this is one of the first phone calls I received this morning:

Me: "Good morning, student accounts, this is Michelle, can I help you?"

Student: "I need to find out where my refund check will be sent to me at?"

Me: "Okay, can I have your student account number?"

Student: (exasperated and annoyed) "uggghhhh..do you really need that from me right now?"

Me: (what I wish I could say) " yea, genius, if you want me to look up your account then I need the stinkin' account number".

Me: (what I really said through clenched teeth--b/c after all, she did call ME for HELP) "Yes, I will need the account number to answer your question."

Student: "Fine, hold on."

She's gone for a couple of minutes. Comes back finally and gives me the account number and we are done in 10 seconds. I just love that she calls me for help, gets annoyed that i ask for her account number and then puts ME on HOLD. lol, I did have to laugh at that one. Trust me, that is one of the MINOR rude calls so far. And it's only Monday. I think that is why we keep lots of chocolate on hand during working hours. Anyways, at least I have a job and I like the people I work with---thats the upside! Here are some cute pics of Moses and his girlfriend, Sasse =)

New Years in Chicago!!!

2008-01-05T11:15:00.001-06:00

Brian and I went with our friends, Tommy and Amber to Chicago for 4 days, including New Years Eve and Day. It was an awesome vacation and we had a blast

At the comedy show.
In the hotel lobby
I think this one speaks for itself!
Best Hot Dogs Ever--Chicago Style, I love the skylines int he back!
Navy Pier has a lot to offer!
Pizza Chicago Style--Stuffed!!!

We also saw I Am Legend in the IMAX--freaked me out! We went to the Shedd Aquarium, The Natural History Museum, and on a 2-hour tour of the City. We tried this fabulous restuarant called The Big Bowl (thai and chinese), ate popcorn chicago style and had some awesome fudge (yes, we ate a lot!) but we also WALKED A LOT in the FREEZING cold. The comedy show was hilarious (and family friendly) , our hotel was great and we did some good window-shopping on the Magnificent Mile. If you've never been, you should go!! Lots to see and Lots to eat! =)

Thanksgiving Pics--Better late than never!

2008-01-05T11:05:00.001-06:00

We loved having my family in town for Thanksgiving! We miss you guys already!

the day after thanksgiving purchases!!! yes, we are the ones that get up at 4:00 am!
mom getting the food ready!
me pretending to help get the food ready!

meg's thanksgiving plate!!!

best mom and dad ever!

toasting!

Best Hot Chocolate Ever!!!!!

2007-11-25T17:39:00.000-06:00

I will NEVER drink hot chocolate out of the packet again! Feeling the need for some homeade hot chocolate (thanks to catherine!) I ventured on to allrecipes.com and searched for hot chocolate recipes. I found one and tried it out--so yummy! I thought I would share:

Creamy Hot Cocoa:

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup white sugar
1 pinch salt
1/3 cup boiling water
3 1/2 cups milk
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup half-and-half cream

Combine the cocoa, sugar, and pinch of salt in a saucepan. Blend in the boiling water. Bring this mixture to an easy boil while you stir. Simmer and stir for about 2 minutes. Watch that it doesn't scorch. Stir in 3 1/2 cups of milk, vanilla, cream, and heat until very hot, but do not boil! Serves 4.

My whole family enjoyed it too =) I will try to get some Thanksgiving pics loaded soon, need to download them on the computer! We went to Olive Garden after church today and my mom and I split our two dishes--we usually do that =) Eggplant parmigiana and Shrimp caprise. Very good!! We did go see that new movie, "Dan In Real Life" yesterday. I thought it was pretty funny. It was weird b/c it was also kinda depressing....but good movie in general. I laughed a lot! Anyways..I'm off! =)

Video

2007-11-24T18:50:00.000-06:00

Here is the video that I attempted to load last post:

~Carter Bug~

2007-11-24T12:16:00.000-06:00

We watched this little guy last week:

He was so much fun! Him and Moses played most of the night:

After they wore themselves out, they took a snooze:

They were so cute! It is good to know that Moses is good with little kids. He just followed Carter around all night and they would both play with his soccer ball. In the video, Carter decided to be a dog too and crawled around the house. They really cracked me up. At one point, Carter would run from the living room to the office and back and Moses would follow him. They did that for like 20 minutes straight. No wonder they both crashed!!! We always have fun with Carter =)

Sleeping Puppy

2007-11-11T22:08:00.000-06:00

Just a cute pic of my sleepy puppy:

DATE NIGHT

2007-11-11T21:57:00.000-06:00

A bunch of the couples from church went out on Saturday night. We had dinner at Chili's and then we went ice skating at the Jones Center. It was a lot of fun! We laughed a lot and just had a plain ol' good time hanging out! Ice skating was hilarious--it was so funny to see people fall down, we even cracked up at people that fell that weren't part of our group--too bad! I took my camera with me:

Razorback Basketball is Officially Here!!!

2007-11-11T21:54:00.000-06:00

We went to a basketball game on Friday night--I was so pumped! We played the first season game and we won considerably! Here are just some fun pics from the game:

I like the picture of everyone calling the hogs--only in Arkansas!!!

Trip to Baton Rouge

2007-11-11T21:50:00.001-06:00

I went to a women's conference a few weeks ago with Stacy, Lauren, Genessa, and Mariale. We drove to Baton Rouge and go to stay in a hotel for 3 nights and 4 days. The conference was AWESOME and we had a blast hanging out and shopping! I got to try lebanese/greek food and I was very impressed. That is some good stuff! Here are some pics from the trip:

My Birthday Adventure....=)

2007-11-11T21:32:00.000-06:00

I always joked with Brian that it would be hard to top my 21st birthday b/c he did such a good job that year...but he suceeded this year =) He sent me on a little scavenger hunt when I woke up. I had 10 envelopes to open at certain times during the day. FUN! My first envelope was opened at 8:14 am: Go into the kitchen like you are...(which is scary..haha!)....he made me breakfast:

My next envelope said to go get ready. Then I opened the next envelope at 9:30, and it said to drive to the Pleasant Grove Walmart and buy my favorite magazine (random, I thought!). Once I got there, I opened the next one at 9:55 and it said to go get a manicure and pedicure at Cindy's Nails across the street =) SWEET! I was secretly hoping for that!!!!!!!!!!

After I got my wonderful mani & pedi, the next envelope was to be opened at 11:00 am, it said to go to Chic-Fil-A and meet a friend for lunch and it had a Chic-Fil-A gift card in it. At this point I am having so much fun b/c I love suprises and there is a new one like every hour!!!!! My friend at Chic-Fil-A???

Lauren!!!!! So, just when I am feeling all special and stuff, I get to open the next envelope......are you curious now???

Yes, my friends, it was a glorious HOUR massage!!!!! =) I haven't had a massage in like a year! It was AWESOME! That place is really good!!!! I defnitely recommend it!!! Very peaceful and they WORK IT OUT! =)

Then, my next adventurous stop was:

Because, you know after you are all relaxed you need some caffeine to prepare you for the GRAND FINALE---Shopping Money!!!!!!!!!!!!

Can we say BEST BIRTHDAY (or just best day) EVER????? I am truly spoiled =)

Thanks Hunny!!! Your the best hubby ever!!! =) He truly blew me away...=)

Ok, stop gagging, I'm done! ha!

I KNOW, I KNOW

2007-11-09T09:46:00.000-06:00

I know that I have totally sucked on the updating the last 2 weeks!!!! Just haven't felt motivated I guess. BUT, I do have LOTS to share, so I will get on it tonight or tomorrow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks for all the birthday wishes, my birthday ROCKED!!!! And thanks to my WONDERFUL Hubby--he's such a sweetheart =) I will write soon--I promise! XOXOXOXO ~chelle~

WATTA WOMAN

2007-10-24T22:35:00.000-05:00

I'm in love! FYI (this is brian) It's Wednesday night and I am sitting alone doing my homework. The saddest part of about it is not the homework, but rather the being alone part that is tragic. My wonderful, amazing, gorgeous wife is out of town. I think even Moses has had a rough night not having his mom around. My wife is the key to making this family function and when she is not around things seem to fall apart. To tell on myself, the last time Michelle left me alone for a weekend the only thing I ate all weekend was scrambled eggs. She is the reason that I am able to go for all the things I am passionate about. She is the most selfless person I know. She has two full time jobs. Her jobs are working at the UofA and the second is taking care of me. God has given me someone who makes all my dreams come true! Today is her 25th birthday and I wanted to take this time to let her know how much she means to me (and to Moses). She always laughs at you and makes you feel funny even if you really aren't, She gives of her time even if she doesn't have it, She gives her heart unconditionally even if you don't deserve it. She is the funnest person I have ever been around and she's my best friend. I knew I had something special from our first date on the Putt-Putt course when she whooped my tail. Every day has been better than the last and I wouldn't trade a day in my life with my wifey. WoW! Watta Woman.

Website for Megan's Pics

2007-10-14T23:36:00.000-05:00

For those of you who know my sis, Meg (the "america's next top model" post was an inside joke b/t her and me, so sorry for the confusion!!!)the link above will take you to her professional wedding pics. Have a great Monday!!! =)

SO....I'm Ready For Basketball Season.

2007-10-13T22:32:00.000-05:00

Tonight's game was pretty much the worse game ever. I think it was worse than getting beat by 30 points. We actually LEFT EARLY. In the entire history of going to Razorback games with my hubby we have NEVER left early. Not even when we were killing a team. I knew it was a really bad game when he suggested we leave. I really think that Coach Nutt might be in some big trouble. I do feel so bad for D-Mac. Good news is---basketball tickets go on sale MONDAY! I'll be there at lunch! PEACE!

America's Next Top Model (Meg Johns)

2007-10-03T16:25:00.001-05:00

Jumping Problem Solved!

2007-10-02T21:52:00.001-05:00

I forgot to let everyone know that Moses' jumping problem is solved! We tried many different methods but in the end guess what worked? Good old-fashioned SPANKING! HA! And saying, "NO JUMP" in a very firm, authoritative voice. It literally took like 4 days and he was trained not to jump on people. We got to test our training this past weekend when Brian's family came into town. He didn't jump on any of them! When I come home from work, I act super super excited and talk in this ridiculously high pitched voice to get him super hyped up to see if he will jump. Still hasn't jumped. It cracks me up that we have could have taken care of this a long time ago this easily but never knew it. I also tested him with our neighbor kid, Billy. He is about 7 or 8 and short so a couple of days ago I had him come in the yard to play with Moses. Moses behaved very nicely and didn't jump on him once. I do remind him sometimes and say "no jump" when people come around just in case. I went to Wal Mart tonight and bought one of these:

It is a "no pull harness" and is supposed to work much better than just a collar. He used to be a really good walker but in the last couple of weeks he has been trying to wander and go up to fences and egg on the other dogs. And try to run with them and sniff them through the fences. He would end up choking through half of the walk and my arm, hand, and wrist would be killing me when we got home. That sucker is strong! So, I picked one of those up and I tried to test it out tonight but it was already dark and no dogs were out and it was about to rain. I can tell that it will work out a lot better though. He WILL be a good walker again! =) Good Night!

Razorbacks VS. North Texas

2007-10-01T21:47:00.000-05:00

I don't have any pics of the actual game, but I do have a few of the fam before the game. Here is Brian, Matthew, Mr. Walter, Evelyn, and Tonya. There are also pics of Moses and this stray dog that decided to hang out with us that afternoon. He was a sweet little dog! I saw him again today just roaming the neighborhood. No one seems to know who he belongs too but everyone hangs out with him! He must be a nomad! Anyways, we had a really good time, grilled out and ate lunch before the game. The guys threw the football around and we just chilled. Beautiful Day!

Moses getting a Bath

2007-10-01T21:37:00.001-05:00

I just think it is so funny when Moses gets a bath. He doesn't like to stand in the water so he always has to have his front paws up on the side of the tub. Which actually works out great cause its really easy to scrub him then! I would really like to get one of those kiddie pools and do this outside but I'm not sure if he would go for that. Its kinda late to get one now b/c HOPEFULLY the weather is about to COOL WAY DOWN!!! Maybe next Spring! Anyways, if you want a good laugh, here are some pics!!! (and don't worry--i sanitize my tub afterwards =) )

Meg's Wedding

2007-10-01T21:02:00.001-05:00

Here are some pics from the Miller/Johns wedding. My little sissie got hitched! AND we LOVE the groom! Welcome to the crazy filipino family , DOUG!!! =)

Outside the Chapel at the Rehearsel

The Glass Chapel--Beautiful~

Me, Meg, and Laura

Meg and Doug at the Rehearsal Dinner

The happy couple "dirty dancing" at the reception!! haha!

ahhh..how sweet! lol

I believe we were attempting the "boot scootin' boogie" here!

leaving the reception!

us with meg pre-wedding

Head Table

First Dance!

Mom and Nan breaking it down----crazies!!!! They are soooo not afraid!

lovely cake!

entering in the reception.

Brian and Brian

Me getting Meg ready!

Miller women!

Getting the centerpieces together at the reception and having fun!!!

Doing the nails and toe nails the night before at the Condo in Branson!

GOOD TIMES!!! =)

RECAP of the last week or so

2007-09-17T21:03:00.000-05:00

Things have been super busy over here! Brian has been working really hard doing the bazillion things on his plate. I have been working, taking care of our child (haha!), trying to keep our house in order, and doing random things that we never seem to get done! My sis is getting married this weekend so I'm pretty excited about seeing my whole extended family! Some of them I haven't seen since my wedding! We had a really nice weekend, I actually got my hair cut =) I went to the John Clark Salon in Springdale and Kim cut my hair. She was super nice and did a good job. I recommend her! Today I went and worked out at the HPER instead of going to group exercise classes. After I did some cardio I headed over to the weight machines and let me tell you how embarrassing it is to not know how to operate the machines!!!!! Apparently they got all new machines in there not too long ago and so when I went today, I had no idea where things were or how to use this particular one:

(i met him at the gym..haha..just kidding!)

I tried for a few minutes to adjust the height..couldn't figure it out and couldn't bend forward at all, so I left that one, then I saw this girl about my size using the machine and so i went over there right after she was done and tried to do what she was doing. Still couldn't bend over and it was on the lowest weigh--20 lbs. I thought surely I'm missing something important!!!!! NOPE turns out that Michelle is just that much of a weanie!!!! I had to leave the stinkin machine b/c I couldn't even do the lightest weight! Pathetic. I think I have a lot of work to do before I am strong! =)

Anyways...that was very random! All is good over here...and I will take lots of pics of the wedding this weekend! love you all!!!! M&B

(us last year at a razorback game)

AWESOME WEEKEND!!!!

2007-09-09T18:51:00.000-05:00

Had a really great weekend!!! Friday night I went to the Mountie football game with the Mincks fam while Brian coached. The rain held off and we had a great time! I've decided that kids can be really entertaining! Then on Saturday, well, the only bad part of my weekend: I was so excited about getting a haircut b/c I really needed one and I made an appointment for 11:00 am on Sat. at the place I went to last time. I get here about 10 min till. Around 11:10 this girl asked me if I had an appointment and I said yes, with Whitney at 11:00. Then around 11:25 I'm officially very annoyed b/c I'm still sitting there and no one has let me know whats going on or how long its going to be. So UNPROFESSIONAL!!!! Then I decided the girl had 3 minutes to redeem herself and I was out of there. So I ended up just walking out. Didn't even tell anyone...decided that they could figure it out! I was so mad! I might give them a call on Monday and let them know. So now I'm back to square one with finding someone to cut my hair. There is a woman I absolutely love in Rogers but I just don't want to drive that far now that we are in Farmington....but at least she wouldn't leave me hanging!!! Anyways! The moral is...don't go to the "Kutting Krew" in Farmington. They STINK! Then we tooke Moses to the VET for a routine shot later that afternoon. Then we got all pretty and met some new friends for dinner and then met up with Brock and Lauren later and stayed at their house WAY TOO LATE! Church was awesome this morning. It was so amazing to have our own place and not have to set up or tear down. PC preached a great message! Then we went to Las Fajitas with the Krouts, Crows, and the Wilsons and ate WAY TOO MUCH!!!! Lost the soccer game today. Hasn't been a great season =( But thats ok!!! and the countdown to meg's wedding is 1 week 6 days!!! ahhhh! My lil' sis is getting hitched!!!! can't believe it!!!!!!!!!! =) This is kind of a run-on random blog so sorry if your bored! Here are some pics for your viewing pleasure! haha! Us before we went out on Friday night and got soaked! I kept trying to take pics of me and Moses but he wouldn't stay still!!!

Moses

2007-09-02T21:05:00.000-05:00

Haven't talked about our child in a while!!! He's been doing really good! It cracks me up b/c he is so accident prone and I make fun of Brian and tell him that he gets it from him. For example, Moses and I were playing outside with the soccer ball and I kicked it and he chased it and was running so fast, that he kinda tripped and sprained his leg or something. He limped for about 3 days before he could walk normaly. SOOO my husband!!! haha! We are having a big problem with him jumping on people. We tried ignoring him when we get home until he sits or lays down and then giving him attention and that sorta works, but he still jumps randomly on us at home. Then, when we have people over he always jumps on them b/c he is so excited. And I hate that!!!! I know people don't want a dog jumping all over them! I want to take him to obedience school but its pretty expensive! Thats really the only thing that he does that I don't like. He knows how to sit, stay, and shake. He's pretty good at coming on command too. But the jumping thing is driving us nuts!! Any suggestions???? Here are some cute pics of Moses:

MOVING ON.....

2007-09-02T20:53:00.000-05:00

Today was the last day that Keypoint Church had sevices at Tucker Elementary school. We have been there for about 2.5 years!!! We are finally getting into our own building. I don't think it has sunk in yet that I no longer have to get to church at 7:00 am and then work my rear off for 2 hours to help get things set up for the services. Not to mention the hour or so of tear down and loading that we do after service as well. We end up being there from 7:00 am till about 1:30. That makes for LONG DAY. But, it was all definitely worth it. We have met so many incredible people and gotten to know so many awesome people by doing that. However, showing up at 10:45 am for the second service will sure be nice!!!!! I stole this picture from Josh's blog (thanks, Josh!). One last memory of our church at Tucker:

LUAU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2007-08-28T20:53:00.000-05:00

So, on Saturday night we went to our 2nd annual couples LUAU at V & C's house. It was so much fun!!!!! Yummy food, limbo, hula hoop, let me correct myself--Josh hula hooping, one of the funniest things I've ever seen!!!! Seriously, if you missed it, you need to ask for a personal show =) It's THAT FUNNY!!!! Anyways, here are some random pics from that night:

sooooo

2007-08-24T18:41:00.000-05:00

sorry we haven't updated in a while. Its been a NASTY week. First week of school=nitemare at work. I'll spare you stories about the RUDE parents and EVIL students. I'm just glad that I made it through!!! I'm pretty excited about this weekend! Tommy and Amber are driving up as we speak to hang out tonight and tomorrow. And then tomorrow night we have a hangout with our group from church. It will be a blast! =)