We got a puppy on June 16, 2007. She's a wheaten colored Scottish Terrier named Macy. Macy is 4 months old. She is SUCH a sweetie. We have been successful at crate training her and other than a few accidents, she is doing well with the potty training. At this point, she is teething, so she likes to nibble on our hands. But, we have been slowly breaking her of the habit. Macy has TONS of puppy energy...way more than we have! It's hard to keep up with her, but we love trying to do so! Macy is VERY smart...almost too smart! She figures things out quickly. So far she has learned what "sit" and "no" mean. We are working on "Come" and "leave it." We offically begin a puppy class on July 26th, but wanted to get a head start! While our schedules have changed a bit in order to take care of Macy, we're SO happy to have her in our lives!
If you are in the area, stop by and see us! Macy would love to meet you!
Posted at 1:10PM ;June 7, 2007 A whole lot of news
Hi all! It's been a long time since I updated and tons of news has happened. First, Brian and I bought a small colonial in the heart of our hometown. Built in 1945, it has 3 bedrooms, 1.5 baths, kitchen, dining room, living room, and finished basement. It also has a great fenced in backyard. We've moved in and are loving it! It feels like home. Although there are still some boxes to be unpacked, we've pretty much settled in.
Unfortunately, Brian's grandmother never got to see our home. She passed away in her sleep at age 99. She was a great lady who is missed! She always had a kind word to say. She was full of energy and spunk until the end! You're missed, grandma!
Our dog, Tina, also did not live to see the new house. From Easter until May, Tina's health declined. She got sick when she ate, her intestines made terrible noises, and diarreah reared its ugly head. After many trips to the vet, it was deterimined that she had cancer of the intestine (lymphoma). We nursed her until the end of April when the vet said there was nothing more they could do for her. She was beginning to fail. Her legs were giving out and she could no longer do the things that she loved. Brian and I made the decision to put her down. Her eyes told us that is what she wanted. It was the hardest thing to do, but we had promised my uncle that we would always take care of her...and that meant not letting her suffer. She is very much missed, but I know that she is up in heaven running around with her ball.
So, what are we doing now: Brian and I are putting around the house and slowly making it ours. We also are looking into adopting a rescued Scottie.There are so many animals that need a good home. Hopefully we will find one that will fit in with our family. If not, then we will probably get a puppy next spring. We've both been busy with work, but always have time for our friends, so give us a call!
We're on vacation next week. We've decided to do day trips this year as we want to go to England next year. We've planned a dinner at the Moshulu, a trip to the King Tut exhibit, wandering around historic Philadelphia, a trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC, and lounging around the community pool!
Talk to all of you soon!
Posted at 1:24PM ;October 11, 2006 A little sleepy eyed
Hi, kids! It's been a busy couple of weeks for me. My project deadline was moved up by 20 days, so I have been working 12 hour days everyday. Needless to say, I am tired and cranky, but still moving. Today, I am just going to work an extra 2 hours instead of 4. I'm too tired. A good night's sleep and I will be able to crunch numbers for 12 hours at a time for the rest of the week.
In other news, Brian and I took our Christmas card photo over the weekend. While it may seem early, I am so busy around the holidays with work, that I find it works better for me if I get our Christmas cards done early and then I just have to toss them into the mail. The photo turned out really cute. The cards are being printed as we speak and will be shipped to me by the end of the week.
Brian and I have begun to learn the salsa in the dance class. It is SO much fun (as are the other dances we have learned.) I have to say, Brian and I are definitely improving our dance skills. We're still not pros, but we look better than when we first started!
Posted at 10:00AM ;
September 26, 2006
My new hair
As I mentioned in my last post, I got a new haircut. I was tired of the same old style so I had Kim cut my hair in a Sienna Miller kind of style. I totally love it! So does Brian! It's a nice change from the same old me!
The weekend was pretty full. Saturday I spent shopping with my mom for some christmas gifts. (I shop year round for them!) Sunday I spent doing chores around the house. I scrubbed down the shower grout, did laundry, got some items ready for lunches for the week, and grocery shopped. In addition I made some yummy turkey burgers served with mashed potatoes for dinner. It was like an early, compact Thanksgiving dinner. Brian has already put in a request for them again. The recipe can be found here.
Posted at 12:00PM ;
September 14, 2006
Yea...ummm...I got really busy...
Okay, I know that I should be absolutely ashamed for abandoning my blog. I know that it was wrong to just stop like that. People, there is a reason I do not have kids. I might abandon them just as I have this baby. I am really sorry, okay? Alright. Now we can move on.
What's been happening with my life during the countless months in which I remained internet silent?
Well, first, I got a fairly large promotion at work. I spent months training for the position and took it over offically at the end of May. It's a good position involving lots of numbers, details, and requires lots of organizational skills which I happen to be pretty good at if I do say so myself. So, life is good, but busy at work.
Since the last time I bothered to write Brian and I have taken a few trips. In June we spent a week in Vegas for a summer vacation/2nd anniversary trip. We had SO much fun going to shows, checking out all the hotels, and going on day trips to the Grand Canyon. If you haven't been to either Vegas or the Grand Canyon, it's totally worth doing. In late August, we made a weekend out of going to the PA Renaissance Faire in Manheim, PA. Neither of us had ever been there, so we weren't quite sure what to expect, but we had a wonderful time checking out all the activities there. We watched jousting and archery demonstrations, rode elephants, spoke with the character actors, and had a lovely time looking at all the stuff the merchants were selling. In addition, we spent the night in a fabulous hotel room with a huge whirlpool (which was much needed after all the walking ) and had dinner at a great local restaurant called Summey House. We came back from wine from the local winery and tons of great memories.
As of late, Brian and I have been really working on getting ourselves in shape by walking around the block and doing weight training at home. In addition, we have taken up dancing. We're doing it for the fun of it, but the exercise is great, too. We signed up for a salsa,cha-cha, and merengue class at the local community college. The class meets once a week for 8 weeks. We had our first class last week where we learned the merengue and the basic steps to the cha-cha. While neither of us are natural born dancers, we're having a WHOLE lot of fun and getting a great workout! We've been practicing for 1/2 hour each day at home since our first lesson and have improved dramatically. We can't wait until the next lesson!
Last, but not least, (at least in my mind), last Saturday I chopped off a lot of my hair. After having bascially the same haircut for the last 5 years, I was tired of it and ready to do something dramatic. So, I got a lot of hair cut off! I don't have a picture to put up yet, but think Sienna Miller's short hair. My husband, family, and co-workers love it as do I!
So, here it is. I promise to start to write here once every week or two. I promise not to negelect the site again. Who knows...I might even revamp the site and give it a new look. I just wouldn't hold my breath if I were you!
Posted at 12:42PM ;
February 3, 2006 Long Week Over. Time to Party
It's been a LONG week. At work there were a number of computer crashes to contend with. (Don't fear, I got everything up and running within hours...despite a hard drive failure!) At home, we were busy getting ready for mom's birthday, doing our nomal chores, exercising, and trying to find some time to relax! I am quite ready for the weekend. Tonight is a celebration for my mom's birthday. Saturday, my mom & I will be on a trip to Lancaster, PA while my dad & Brian go to Atlantic City for a boat show. Sunday is of course the Super Bowl and while I do not watch the game, I provide the goodies!
Does life ever slow down? Probably not. At least I am going through each crazy day with my loved ones by my side!
Have a wonderful weekend.
Posted at 4:00AM ;
January 26, 2006
Flying off at the waistline
Hi there, kids! Another week of busy life is almost over. While I was incredibly busy, the week has gone by fairly slowly. By Tuesday I swore it should have been Friday! But, despite it being busy, Brian and I have stuck to our workout routine and done well. While my intention is not to lose weight, merely tone up, when I stepped on the scale this morning I was surprised to see I was one pound less than last week. So, I guess that is an added bonus...especially since I plan on sitting by the pool in Vegas! I am not on any special diet...I do try to eat healthy food, although sometimes when PMS hits that is out the window. I have counted calories in the past and found that my normal diet is usually a little under 1200 calories. So, I guess all the added exercise is enough for a little weight to come off here and there.
This weekend is both Katie's and Brian's birthday. We will be celebrating on both Saturday and Sunday with meals and cake! Other weekend plans include the usual cleaning of the condo, finally getting our Christmas boxes out of the spare room and into the attic, and a nice dose of quality time with my husband and puppy!
Posted at 9:22AM ;January 23, 2006 The rennovated living room
Here's a few pictures from our rennovated living room. I think it was worth all of the work!
Thus far in the New Year
So far I have managed to keep all of my New Year's Resolutions. Well, they were pretty simple...I try not to set myself up to fail! The first resolution was to keep in touch with 2 special individuals via snail mail once a week. And so far, so good. The other resolution is to get my muscles all toned up again. And I have been quite successful with this as well. I do cardio 3 x a week and strength training 3 times a week in the comfort of my own home. It's working out well!
Brian and I have decided to go to Las Vegas for our 2nd Anniversary. As neither of us have gone to Vegas before, we're really exicted for our trip! If you have been to Vegas, email or comment and tell me all of your best tips. We're leaning towards staying in the MGM Grand although we haven't finalized any plans yet!
Let's see...in other news, Brian and Katie both have birthdays coming up this weekend, so we are preparing for the festivities! Bring on the cake!
Posted at 12:00PM ;January 9, 2006 Tons to tell you
Tons has happened since I last updated. Brian and I (with tons of help from family) managed to get the rooms all painted in the condo. It looks great! I will post some pictures as soon as I have a moment to a) take them, b) upload them c) get around to posting again! We moved in just before Thanksgiving. Then, of course, the day after we moved I managed to badly sprain my ankle. It was sprained badly enough that I had to be on crutches for a few weeks and go to physical therapy for the last 2 months. I am pleased to say that while my ankle is not 100% yet, it is definitely a lot better and I am walking around on it without a problem.
The holidays were crazy busy but incredibly fun. We spent a lot of time with both sides of our family as well as spending some relaxing time together. We absolutely love living in our condo...it's beautiful, in a great location, and just the perfect size for the two of us & a dog!
Posted at 4:00PM ;November 9, 2005 Almost done
In the last week, we have really been working hard at the condo. Every night when we get home from work, we eat dinner and then work at the condo until about 10:00. It's a hard schedule, but it has produced some fabulous results. I can now say that we are officially working on our last room, the office/guest room. At the same time, we have begun to move in. The curtains are hung in the living room and the master bedroom. The living room/ dining room has its furniture. The kitchen cabinets are ready to be filled. We will be so happy to done this last room. Our goal is to move in before Thanksgiving and it looks like we will meet that goal thanks to my hard working crew!
Posted at 10:00AM ;October 31, 2005 Happy Halloween
Happy Halloween to all of you! I hope that you had a good weekend and are ready to dress up and scare someone! :) Brian, my mom, and I got tons done this weekend. The master bedroom and the hallway bathroom are both completed now. The master bathroom has been sanded, spackled, and primed. The pergo flooring is all laid and the living room/dining room & hallway walls have been primed & painted with 2 coats of color. The floors make such a HUGE difference...it really looks like a different room!
FLOORS BEFORE (blue rug)
Floors After (Pergo American Beech)
The walls aren't finished yet in this picture.
TO view the pictures larger check out my photo gallery!
This evening instead of handing out candy, my mom, dad, Brian, and I will be hard at work at the condo trying to finish up a few more things. Happy Halloween to all of you!
Posted at 1:16PM ;October 28, 2005 Added a few pics
I added some pics of the painted bedroom and the beginnings of the pergo floor. Hopefully by the end of the weekend, I will have a lot more pictures of newly completed projects to post!
Posted at 3:47PM ;On a roll
This week has been quite productive. In addition to putting in 40+ hours at work, we have managed to complete the hallway bathroom. This includes sanding down the walls and ceiling, spackling, tsp'ing the walls, priming, and painting the walls. The plastic is all ripped up and we have moved onto the next project...the living room/ dining room. The pergo is being installed. The walls have been sanded down and spackled with tsp cleaning expected this evening. I suspect it will be another busy weekend of work, but it is totally worth it when we see the final project! The rooms are completely transforming before our eyes....first to a construction zone...and then into a home! We can't wait to finish up the work and put in our furniture!
On the agenda this weekend: priming the walls in the living room, sanding trim and painting it, picking up some sheers for the living room window, and sitting down to take a breather!
Have a great weekend, y'all!
Posted at 10:00AM ;
October 24, 2005
One down
It has been a busy week and weekend for us. We managed to get the bedroom completely painted a rich yellow color. In addition we managed to rip up the carpet in the living room/dining room and sand down the walls in the hallway bathroom in order to prepare them for paint. We also did a first coat of spackle in the bathroom. We're tired, but happy!
Posted at 08:00AM ;
October 18, 2005
And the work begins...
Last night we began our new decorating challenge...fixing up the condo! The first task...sanding down the walls in the master bedroom. Brian and I headed on over to the condo right after dinner and got started. Brian managed to sand all of the walls down while I finished cleaning off the furniture we pulled out of storage. It had a bit of mildew on it, so I cleaned it all up with a bleach solution. So, the work has offically begun. This week we hope to be able to finish preparing the master bedroom walls for paint. This will involve spackling, cleaning the walls down with TSP, and priming them. Hopefully this weekend we will be able to get a few coats of paint on the walls in addition to ripping up the carpet in the hallway and living room/dining room.
I posted some before pictures of the condo in my photo gallery. They probably aren't too interesting to anyone else, mostly just a LOT of white walls, but I thought I would give others a chance to see what it looks like before we work our magic!
Posted at 010:41am ;October 17, 2005 We're moving!
After thinking it through, Brian and I have decided to move into a cute little condo! That's right, we've pulled out those packing boxes and are filling them up once again. We're moving to a 2 bedroom, 1-1/2 bath condo. It's absolutely perfect for a young couple like us! But you know else moving means, yup, back to home projects. We've already picked out all of the paint colors for the condo and made the trip to Sherwin Williams. Tonight we're going to start working in the master bedroom! Hopefully we will be able to get through painting, and laying a pergo floor quickly and be able to move end of October, early November!
Posted at 012:46pm ;