Us Cousins

This past weekend we got together with my extended family to celebrate my aunt's 50th birthday. My cousins, Amanda, Michael, Kory and Aaliyah, were in town from NC. Now that all of us are grown up it's rare that we all get to spend time together, something I think we all appreciated when we were kids. I know I love spending time with my immediate and extended family.

The birthday girl



My long time friend Kristin who I haven't seen in years.



All of us cousins and our significant others from my mom and her brother's families.
From left to right: Vivianna, Vernon, Jordan, me, Michael, Kory, Amanda, Aaliyah, Brad, Fred, Shannon and Joseph.



It was a great weekend for Jordan and I to finally spend some time together. We hadn't been able to have a full, normal day together in over a month, so this weekend was much needed. Hopefully we'll be having much more of those through the rest of alpha, to help survive during the week.

More Birthday Fun

Jordan wants to go back to Howl at the Moon for his birthday this year. I thought last year was enough, see picture below, but for some reason he wants more. Looks like we'll be going back sometime Easter weekend.

Four Year Anniversary

We went to Season's 52 for dinner. We go every year. Jordan got me an Edible Arrangement, because the fourth anniversary gift is food. It had chocolate covered strawberries in it. Yum. We walked around Crane's Roost for a little bit.

My Dog Ate My Wedding Ring

Three years ago today, Jordan and I were preparing for a weekend away to celebrate our 1 year anniversary. As I was getting ready for the day I went to put on my wedding rings and couldn't find them. I found the engagement ring on the floor of our bedroom, and instantly thought of a sneaky little dog. I checked in all her usual hiding places - she liked to chew on things under the dining room table - but had no luck. I looked in drawers, the laundry, the sofas, everywhere, even places I knew the ring couldn't possibly.

Although we couldn't understand how or why a 12 lb dog could eat a ring, we still had our sneaky suspicions, so we called the vets to have an x-ray. They said bring her right in. By the time we got there, Banfield changed their tune and decided they needed to run a bunch of blood tests on her, needed to sedate her and keep her for the rest of the day. This seemed a little excessive for a simple x-ray. We decided to go the wait and see route.

We went on our weekend trip, which was very hard for me. You know that crazy "I've lost something but it should be right here" feeling of desperation? It was hanging over me all weekend. I felt like I should just be at home on my hands and knees with a flashlight looking in electrical outlets for my one of a kind wedding, custom made wedding band. And it was an extra punch in the stomach that exactly one year ago is when I got the ring in the first place. It just seemed like it should be ON MY FINGER, not possibly in the dogs stomach... or the toilet.

We left the dogs at my mom's house during our trip. Jelly was on a very strict poop watch. This was probably real fun for my mom; seven dogs and trying to figure out whose poop was whose so she could smash it up. After 3 days, nothing. After a week, nothing. After two weeks I think we had stopped looking in her poop.

After 2 weeks, I had come to the conclusion we were just going to have to have a new one made. We would go back to the same jeweler and hope to God he would remember what he created on the fly the first time.

After 3 weeks, as I was taking a shower, the dog threw up in the bathroom. Not uncommon, she tends to have a sensitive stomach. When I got out of the shower I noticed something black in the throw up. It was bark. And next to the bark, was my ring. My now yellow gold ring, with bits of dog hair and bark all jammed up in it ring. I don't remember picking it up, I was so gosh darn excited, but I must have. I believe I washed the slime and other doggy stomach content away, but I still don't remember doing it. I yelled "I love you Jelly" so loud she thought she was in trouble.

I do remember putting the ring in a baggy, and taking it to the jeweler. I held it up and told them my dog just threw it up, I needed it cleaned. They had to restain it white gold. I did start keeping it in a jewelry box when not on my finger.

And that's the story of when my dog ate my wedding ring

Didn't Know That

I did not know these verses were in the Bible until this week

2 Kings 6:28
"Then he asked Her, "What's the matter?" She answered, "This woman said to me, 'Give up your son so we may eat him today, and tomorrow we'll eat my son.' So we cooked my son and ate him. The next day I said to her, 'Give up your son so we may eat him,' but she had hidden him."

1 Timothy 5:1
"Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father. Treat younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity."

The first one was nice, shocking, but nice, to read when I realized the world isn't THAT bad right now. With the Alabama and Germany shootings you have to think what the heck is going on. Well, at least we aren't eating our offspring.

The second was used to prove that pre-marital sex isn't acceptable in last weeks sermon, cause you don't makeout with your sister, and you certainly don't want to get her in the backseat of your car.

Simple Pleasures

1. Pretending my cat speaks like the LOLcats

2. Looking for a failblog

3. Watching people break their hips on America's Funniest Videos

RIP Dear Canon

Vacation was over way too fast. I feel slightly gypped since I only got to ski 1 out of the 2 days. Now I'm just aching to go back and try skiing again since I'm not in physical agony anymore. I think I'm going to replace walking with rollerblading a couple days a week to condition my legs for skiing. Breckenridge 2010 is already being planned.

What made the second day even more depressing was my camera broke. No skiing and my 21st birthday present bit the dust. My parents bought it for me when digital cameras used to be really expensive. It would still take pictures but the LCD screen was just white with lines running through it. Ya, it was old, but it was faithful. We've been through a lot together. And last night I got online and bought the exact same one. Well, the new version of the exact same one at half the price.

Now it's back to reality. Laundry, allergies, grocery shopping, vacuuming, and work.

My First Ski Trip

First off, the ski trip was great. Friday morning I woke up at 1am. I ended up only getting 2.5 hours of sleep from Thursday to Friday night. Once we got to Denver we went to the rental car company and got to pick out our car. We actually chose a minivan. It was good for all the luggage and the skis. I enjoyed driving it, and driving in the snow for the first time ever.

My travel partners and our pimp-mobile




When we got to Breckenridge we were feeling the effects off 9000 ft altitude. We had headaches and got out of breath for doing little things, like putting on our shoes. It was like that all weekend. Jordan and Emily decided they wanted to do some night skiing. Alex and me, the newbies, were definitely OUT for that!


The brave night time skiers


As Alex and I were sitting in the van, trying to stay warm, we watched for a while people skiing down the slopes. We saw one skier completely wipe out and slide quite a ways. We were all "Oh wow, did you see that". Once Emily and Jordan came back we figured out that was Emily we saw eat snow.

Saturday was ski school day. Alex and I got our skis and headed to school. Ended up being 5 girls with one really good instructor. We did all sorts of little practices, about 3 hours worth, before we ended up doing any real skiing. Pretty much we had WEDGE WEDGE WEDGE pounded into our heads and then he took us up the chair lift.

Eager students



My boots were hurting me pretty bad, but the incredibly unhelpful employees at the rental place just said they weren't supposed to be comfortable. I went out and kept skiing. With the pain getting worse and worse. My ski school instructor looked at my boots and I had them on wrong. Problem number 1. Problem number 2, I think they were too small. That ended up ruining my second day.

I thought they were cute until I found out they were made by the devil



We went up the chairlift 2 times with our instructor and I made my way down both times without falling! It was a lot of fun. It snowed all afternoon. It was pretty cool skiing for the first time with the snow just pouring down.

That night Jordan, Alex, and I went downtown. It's such a cute little town. We ate at a little cafe type place. It was REALLY cold out that night. It was still snowing. I think someone said the wind chill was -5. It was probably the coldest I've ever been. Thank God for Under Armour.

Freezing!



On Sunday, Jordan and I slept in. We got up and met with Emily and Alex to do some more skiing. I got new boots! I was already in a lot of pain, from my knees down. We got up the chairlift without any incidents, and started down the mountain. I wiped out pretty good with skis and poles flying. I had to laugh, because I fell backwards, the exact way our instructor told us not to. But by the time I got up, got my lost ski back on, and started down the mountain again, I was wiped out. My legs wouldn't work anymore. I could barely control my skis. I was so upset. I wanted to ski so bad but my legs just wouldn't. Jordan quit with me and we spent the rest of the afternoon off the slopes. I was really disappointed :( Oh, and my camera broke that day too. Insult to injury I tell you.

We did build a snowman, and we walked about downtown. We waited in line for 45 minutes for a crepe. I bought a t-short that says Breckenridge on it. And we had a nice quiet dinner by ourselves. So we tried to salvage the day even though we didn't get to ski as much as we wanted.

Our snowman



Over all, it was a great trip. I really liked skiing. I need a lot more practice, but first I need to prep my legs! I might buy my own ski boots so I can be guaranteed the most comfort possible. I think we're going to try a mini trip to NC for some practice skiing once the season begins again.


Can't wait to go back next year

Color Me This?

I went to Target for socks and found the bedding I was desperately searching for! I'm still looking for the inspirational piece. Although the room is half done now. I just need some sort of accent color. And I think I'm going to make a black headboard. I picture lots of chrome, white, black... and something else, in this room.




While playing around online, I came across this lamp at one of my favorite websites, Horchow. It's a $3995 table lamp! Hard to imagine huh? It is just the cutest little thing though, with the parrot on top.





Some dogs just have the life.



PS We're leaving for CO 7am tomorrow morning!

Teal Colorado

We're leaving this Friday for Colorado. We've put a lot of effort into this mini-trip. We've had to buy a lot of new gear. I'm excited that I found someone to go with us that hasn't been skiing before. The two of us will conquer the mountains together. Or maybe just the bunny slopes. We'll probably ski half the day, get tired of it, and go back to the room to nap :) I told her skiing seems like a lot of preparation to just go freeze our butts off. I hope it's slightly more fun than that.... Maybe we'll actually get to see it snow!

This weekend, after working Saturday night, I did some retail therapy. Much needed retail therapy. I've come up with some ideas for our guest room. I hit a couple stores and ended up buying out the display at Marshalls. This is what I have so far.



I was thinking about doing that teal book color on the walls, but now I don't know. I think it's too light. I think I want something more brilliant. And ya, I only have pillows, no bed, comforter, headboard to go with them. Just pillows. The rest of it is just in my head. And the wreath is white flowers, kind of looks like feathers though, does it? And I just love the little chrome owl. The pillow on the left is PLEATHER! Bet you'd NEVER have guessed THAT would be in my house. I see it working out really well, in my head at least.

Go Go Go Go!!!!

I just had to be watching this at 1 am when Jordan's trying to sleep. It was so hard to hold in the laughter.