No Computer!!!

Well ladies and gentlemen, our laptop (the only computer we have with internet access) has no more internet access. We are not sure what happened, but I took the laptop over to Scott and Jan's house Thursday night and I could not get it to find the server. So, I took it back home and still couldn't get it to connect to the internet. Brad took it back to Scott this morning and they are still working on it. I am currently on Jan's laptop updating for everyone.

I am not sure when we will be able to connect to the internet again. :(

{Random}

I don't have very much to say tonight. Nothing exciting has happened, so here are some pictures for you.

Not Me Monday

Sit back, prop your feet up, and listen to my "Not me!" Monday, filled with absurdities that I absolutely have not done this week.

I did not go home everyday last week and prop my feet up with a WeightWatchers popsicle and watch countless episodes of Bringing Home Baby. That would just be obsessive!

I did not sleep until 10:30 on Saturday and still get tired at my usual 10:00 pm, that would just be too crazy!

I did not make a special trip to Barnes and Noble just to read a little in a pregnacy book because I am just SO anxious to get pregnant. That would also be a little obsessive!

I did not suggest to my husband to play Rock Band this week, because deep inside, I really do feel like a Rock Star when I sing with the microphone and play the drums or guitar. That would just be too silly!

And lastly, I totally did not get a meal from Wendy's (while I'm on WeightWatchers) and eat all of the fries before we got home, which is less than 5 minutes away. That would just be ridiculous!

I have several blogs that I follow on a daily basis. One of which is Pray for Abby. It is the story of a family who has adopted several children, and one of the little girls, Abby, has cancer. It is truly a heartwrenching story of her struggle to live, and deal with the cancer. I also follow the blog of Matt Logelin, about a man whose wife died a day after giving birth to their daughter. It is his story, and basically how he is raising a child as a single parent, and also dealing with the grief that he is going through.

Reading these stories makes me realize just exactly how blessed I am in my life. God has truly blessed me in ways I never thought were possible. I have a wonderful family, and was raised by the best parents. I have an amazing husband. I have a job, and own a house. I have wonderful inlaws. It just seems that everyday, God finds a way to show me that He is truly the One.

Sometimes, we get bogged down by all that we have to get done on a day to day basis. Cooking, cleaning, going to the grocery, not to mention our actual jobs, and other activities that we may participate in. I sometimes forget to just stop and take a look around at all that I have been blessed with. I have been trying to find extra time the past few days to talk to God, and to thank Him for all that He's given me.

Don't you just LOVE my husband?

I had no idea that Brad hacked into my Blogger account and posted that video. I hope you all had a good laugh. I guess everyone now knows that I will NOT be auditioning for American Idol anytime soon:)

I just have some inspirational Bible verses for you to read. If you have any personal favorites, please leave them in the comment box; I love hearing verses.


"There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear ... "
1 John 4:18

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you."
Deuteronomy 31:6

"Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong."
1 Corinthians 16:13

But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. "Do not fear what they fear ; do not be frightened." Take Courage
1 Peter 3:14

"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."
Isaiah 41:10

"The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe."
Proverbs 18:10

"Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD. "
Psalm 27:14

"And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work."
2 Corinthians 9:8

"... but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."
Isaiah 40:31

Last is my all time favorite verse:

"I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me."
Phillipians 4:13

Sabotage!

Katy will find out about this post the same time everyone else does! She has no idea that I'm posting this...

Yesterday Katy posted about Valentine's Day. In that post, she said that she got me (Brad) a mic stand for Rock Band after she got the idea from Jan. I call shenanigans!! I think she wanted it for herself all along. See for yourself...

<3<3<3<3<3<3

Brad and I went to the Butcher Shop last night to celebrate Valentine's Day. We waited until today (actually Valentine's Day) to open our presents. I had no idea what to get Brad for this occasion, until my good friend Jan told me what she was getting her husband, Scott. I admit that I copied her idea, just because I knew Brad would like the same thing.

I got him a Mic Stand for Rock Band. This way, we will be able to sing while we play the guitar and/or drums. It didn't take him anytime to open the box and set up the stand. I know he can't wait until we play the game.


Brad got me a new hair dryer for Valentine's Day. I know you're thinking "What an odd present for Valentine's Day." But, this is a present that truly shows how much Brad loves me. It is something that I have been wanting for a long time. My old hair dryer was about to die, so he got me something that he knew I wanted and needed. He also had red and white roses delivered to the house this morning:
One of the speech therapists from work went shopping one night and found a little Valentine's Day pug. She knows just how much I love pugs (Especially Polo) and wanted to give it to me. It was adorable:

::The Fever::

No, I am not sick, and I do not have a fever...well, that's not true, I do have a fever, but not the type you are thinking of. I officially have Baby Fever. That's right, I have the urge to have a baby. I constantly find myself on the internet looking up cribs, baby bedding, high chairs, and car seats. (Not to mention baby clothes and whatnot).

I'm not sure if it is because Scott and Jan have a perfectly sweet and precious little girl. Or if it's because Jennefro and her husband just adopted an adorable little boy. Or maybe its because two coworkers are preggers.

One of our teachers at work is due at the end of March, and I got to feel her belly on Monday. Also, one of our substitute teachers (whose mom works in the office) is due in the middle of March, and I got to feel her belly this morning.

I have become absolutely obsessed with touching pregnant bellies. Now, don't get me wrong, I am NOT going around the mall or grocery store just touching random people's stomachs. I just wanted to feel those two because since I work with them, I have been able to watch their bellies expand and grow, and I just think it is the most beautiful thing in the world.

I've been talking to people at work and some of my friends about having babies. I am so curious about the entire pregnancy feeling. I have asked people so many questions, and I cannot wait until I get the chance to feel all of those wonderful feelings for myself. I truly think that I was born to become a mother, and I think that I would be really great at it.

Brad and I want to wait until August, when he graduates from school and gets his career started. I have been praying to God about this issue. I know of so many people who can't get pregnant, or it is very hard for them to conceive. I really want things to go easy for the both of us, and so I have been having some major heart to heart talks with God.

So, hopefully at this time next year, I will be posting about what it is like to be pregnant, and showing pictures of my expanding belly.

Makeovers

As some of you know, Brad and I bought our house from my grandmother last year. Since purchasing, we have made many changes to the house. Sadly, I don't have any before pictures of what our house looked like, but I have some 'after' pictures, but those will come later. Recently, I got in touch with one of my dad's friends, who is a painter, and hired him to paint our master bathroom.

As he was busy painting this past weekend, I went and got my hair cut. BIG MISTAKE! I planned only on getting it trimmed, but I was talked into getting bangs. At first I thought this was a good idea, because I have some baby hairs that tend to stick straight up, and I thought that if I got bangs, then they would lay flat, and not stick up. Well, I guess I forgot that I'm not 9 years old, or even 20, when I last had bangs. I now look like I'm about 10 years old.

Here are some before and after pictures of our bathroom.

Congratulations!

Congratulations are in order for our friends Billy and Jennifer. On Tuesday they received a call saying that they had a baby boy waiting for them. They got to pick up Jonathan Tyler on Wednesday. Here is a picture of the precious little boy.

::GNO::

Last night was GNO (Girl's Night Out). My good friends Jan and Stephanie and I try to go out about once a month without any men or babies. We also enjoyed the company of Jackie, a coworker of Jan and Steph's. I started off the night meeting Jan at the mall. She was looking for new work pants, since she's still losing her baby weight. I was just browsing around, although I was generally browsing towards jeans.

After we left the mall, we met up with Jackie and Stephanie at Chili's. We all enjoyed some much needed drinks, and were quite lucky to get there just in time for Happy Hour. (Which we all took advantage of).
While we were munching away on chips and salsa, we saw a table of 4 little old ladies having their own Girl's Night Out. Jan made the comment that that will be the four of us in just a few years. Well, I beg to differ on that comment. I do agree that we will all still be having our GNO, but I think it will be quite a bit longer than "just a few years" till we are little white headed ladies. Stephanie got a very stealthy picture of these women, and we also got a picture of the four of us.
After Chili's we all rode together in Stephanie's SUV to the movie theater to watch "He's Just Not That Into You". (The movie theater was just across the street). Steph and Jan decided to drop Jackie and I at the door so that we could go on and find seats for the four of us. (Steph had bought the tickets earlier in the evening).
Just as Steph pulled away to go find a parking spot, I realized she still had my ticket!! I took of running down the aisle to catch up with the car. (I guess I had a little more to drink than I realized). I thought that if I started waving my arms, Steph would see me and stop. Well, that just wouldn't have been as exciting. Apparently Stephanie doesn't look in her rear view mirror very often. I ended up running down the entire length of the aisle.

I FINALLY caught up with the car and tapped on the window. I saw Jan and Stephanie both crack up and laugh uncontrollably. I started laughing, and coughing, since I was so out of breath. I got my ticket from Steph and walked back to Jackie and the theater just like nothing had happened, although Jackie and I were both crying from laughing so hard.

The movie was really good, and the ultimate chick flick. Funny, romantic, and sometimes sad, it was just a great movie. I hope everyone who wants to see it will get to see it. After the movie Steph. dropped us all off at our cars, and then I took Jan to her car which was still at the mall.

All in all, it was a great, and very memorable GNO. It is a really good tradition to start, and we have so much fun together. It's really nice to be able to get out every so often to hang out with only girls, and we can talk about what's going on in our lives. We can talk about our husbands or boyfriends, and babies, and whatnot. It's just very relaxing, I hope every lady, 18 to 88 can enjoy a monthly, weekly, or however often GNO!

Becoming a Housewife

Slowly but surely, I am becoming more of a housewife. I'm not saying that I stay home all day and cook and clean (which I would love!). Let me rephrase...I am becoming more domestic. I am trying to cook more often. I am also cleaning more often. The only thing that I don't do is laundry. I am horrible at it. If I ever do start a load of laundry, it NEVER makes it to the dryer. Then, it starts to smell, and has to be rewashed. When Brad and I got married, we both decided that it would be best if he did all of the laundry. (Which is fine by me.)


Instead of doing laundry, I try to contribute to our house by cleaning and cooking. I am becoming a tidier person as I get older. I am also trying to become a better cook. I have always considered myself to be a good cook, I just rarely do it. I really want to start making the time to cook more often. (Occasionally, I will try to post some really good recipes that I come across.)


When I was younger, and my mom can attest to this, I NEVER cleaned my room. Looking back, I don't know how I stood it. Anyways, as I have grown up, and moved into my own home, I want it to look perfect at all times. I still have a lot of work to do to get to that point, but I am working towards it. Also, as my back has gotten better, I have had more energy to clean more often than I have in the past couple of years.

That's all for now, so I am going to leave you with a recipe.

Chicken Nacho Bake:

4 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1 lb.)

1/2 cup TACO BELL® HOME ORIGINALS® Thick 'N Chunky Salsa

1/4 cup BREAKSTONE'S or KNUDSEN Sour Cream

1/2 cup crushed tortilla chips

1/2 cup KRAFT Mexican Style Finely Shredded Four Cheese

PREHEAT oven to 400ºF. Place chicken on foil-covered baking sheet. Slice three cuts on top of each chicken breast with sharp knife.

TOP each chicken breast evenly with salsa, sour cream and tortilla chips.

BAKE 20 min. Remove from oven; sprinkle with cheese. Bake an additional 10 min. or until chicken is cooked through (165ºF).

Favorites

Here is a survey I found, just in case you would like to know more about me.


What is your favorite...
Grocery Store: Kroger

Amusement Park Ride: The Tower of Terror at Disney World

Three Words: I love you

T-shirt: Right now, its any of them that still fit me

Color of pen: Blue

Broadway play: Haven't been to any, but I would guess it would be Legally Blonde (I loved the movie)

Three fruits: Bananas, Grapes, Strawberries

Three vegetables: Corn, Green Beans, Broccoli

Artist: Probably Picasso

Author: John Grisham

School lunch: Chicken Tenders

Potato chip: Cool Ranch Doritos or BBQ Lays

TV channel: E!, HGTV

Hair color: strawberry blonde

NFL team: Haha, ummmm, Dallas Cowboys

Crappy part time job: For 4 days, I worked at Steak N Shake

Brand of shoes: Nine West

Top three guilty-pleasure movies: Clueless, Steel Magnolias, Knocked Up

Store at the mall: Nine West, Pottery Barn, Limited, Gap

Time in history: Probably the 1700's. I love pictures of the women all dressed up with the huge hoop skirts and corsets. They always looked so elegant.

President: I don't have much knowledge of what earlier presidents did for the country, and haven't been around long enough to have any great presidents in my time, so I am just going to say Kennedy, because he was an icon, and seemed to do a lot of good in this country.

Two Sesame Street characters: Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch

Tree or plant: Japanese Maple

Wild animal: Polar Bear or Panda Bear

Beer: Yuengling

Kid's Cereal: Fruity Pebbles

80's fashion: side ponytails and bright colors

Fashion decade: Fifties

Drink at Starbucks: Hot Chocolate (Don't like coffee)

Place you have lived: The house I live in right now.

Fast food restaurant: Zaxbys' or Chik-Fil-A

Vacation Spot: St. Lucia, or any Sandals resort

Gas station: any with cheap gas

Place to develop photos: Snapfish.com

Amusement Park: Six Flags, or Disney World

Type of flooring: Hardwood

Brand of Makeup: Mary Kay or Clinique

Flower: Tulip

Vehicle color: Navy Blue, or Steel

80's cartoon: She-Rah, or Rainbow Brite

Grade completed: 2nd, 5th

Day of your life: my wedding day

Superbowl Sunday

Well, ladies and gentlemen...football season is officially over! I, for one, am super excited. By the time August rolls back around, I'm sure I will be ready for it to start back. (And hopefully, Brad will officially be coaching!) I didn't even know who was playing in the Superbowl until we got to our friends Chad and Jenn's house. Jenn did a great job decorating their house for the main event of the night, which, for some, was the actual football game. For me, I enjoyed playing the games that were set up for us when we got there.

We played cornhole:

We played billiards:We played air hockey:There was also darts and beer pong, which I don't have pictures of. Everything was arranged by gender and sport, and in a tournament format. We had to fill out the brackets and play our games. I won the Women's Darts Tournament. Brad and I both won money on quarters of the game. So, all in all, it was a very fun filled day. The boys enjoyed the tournaments and the football game, and the girls enjoyed talking and hanging out. Everyone loved all the food!