Closing out 2012!

  Okay, so yet again it's been a little while since I made a little post-y-post. :) SO HERE I AM!  I would love to complain about how busy I am, but it's a good busy.  Jake and I just got back from Mexico, and we had SO. MUCH. FUN.  We deep sea fished, and swam in the ocean and ATE ATE ATE and even held a sweet little monkey!  We stayed at a luxury resort (RIU Palace), which was interesting because there were not many people there OUR age.  6 years ago, we stayed at a regular RIU resort, and had a blast!  On that vacation, we shut down the disco every night at 3 am, slept in until noon and spent all day playing drinking games at the pool.  It's funny how much time changes things.  This time, drinking was reserved for evenings only, and at a much slower pace.  And sometimes, not at all, depending on what activities were planned for the next day!  We didn't even go across the street to the disco resort ONCE.  We were back in our room by 8 pm every night, and were up every morning by 9 am TOPS!  We didn't frequent the buffet like we did on that vacation, instead we had reservations at the "fancy" places every night.  The days were filled reading in lounge chairs at the beach.  Does that make us boring??  Because...we loved every minute!  It made us laugh comparing the two and how much things can change in such a short time!  We haven't had time to really connect like that in WAY too long.  In 2013, I hope we can make a lot more time for vacationing together - we're aiming for once a quarter.  We both love the ocean and ANYTHING outside of the country and there are so many places we still want to see!  Fingers crossed for a travel filled 2013!

Also happening in 2013........uh, lets see...We're expanding our business! (I saw "our" now because I officially made Jake a partner!)  We're even going from a lil old sole proprietorship to a corporation - how crazy is that?????  We're moving to a store-front location that's 1060 square feet!  It's big. Really BIG!  The whole thing is scary. And risky. But exciting!  We're going to do a build out and totally remake the space.  No lie, it's pretty horrid on the interior right now.  But it does have major potential!  This means I'll also be hiring more employees -- eventually 2-3 more estheticians (up to 8!), a receptionist and a salon manager.  I'm pretty excited for the eventual manager--this means I can delegate some of my responsibilities!  It's tough doing the actual services, ordering, inventory, handling client inquiries, hiring, training, phonecalls/voicemails/texts/emails, monthly profit/loss statements, payroll, advertising, taxes----okay I'll stop there - you get my drift!  There is lots of work to be done and I'll be happy to share the load.  Now, there is of course the chance that things head South and business fails.  I hope and pray that this DOESN'T happen - it would result in one thing: Bankruptcy.  That's uhh, pretty severe, right?  It is.  I'm aware of if -- Jake's aware of it.  There is that chance but we're going into this with high hopes and projections!  Wish us luck because we will certainly need it.  So that kicks off on January 2nd. :)

Pretty soon I need to think about my New Year's Resolutions!  Seems like just yesterday I was writing last year's! 

Well, unfortunately, this is all I have time for tonight... But I leave you with some of our fave pics from Mexico!!  {PS - I highly recommend staying at the RIU Palace Mexico -- It's paradise!}

Money & other worldy riches

Look at me, back again already, whaaaaat??!!  In comparison to the last 6 months, not much has transpired in the last 6 days. :)  Today Jake and I went to church somewhere different than the norm.  I L-O-V-E-D it!  We've been going to a small local church, where everyone knows everyone and the music and sermons are SUPER traditional.  Jake liked going there, but neither of us were getting much from the service which was disappointing. 

I've been suggesting this new place for a while but my stubborn hubby takes months to convince. Surprisingly, this morning it was HIS idea so I was pretty pumped!  This church  has much more contemporary music, and you're not standing the ENTIRE time. (I know, that's SO lazy of me!)  Most importantly, the message was SO much better received and really resonated with us!  I love when Jake and I can discuss the sermon afterwards and how we can apply the teachings to our everyday life.  It keeps us on track in a sense!  Jake enjoyed the WHOLE thing quite as much as I did; Since it's a campus you watch the message on projection screens. The service is longer as well, about an hour and a half.  Both make no difference to me, but were unexpected to him -- though not necessarily bad.  Today's message was about worldly goods and what our focus SHOULD be in life - which really spoke to both Jake and I as it's something we tend to struggle with.  We've got more material things than we've ever had before - though it is the result of hard work.  I really feel that we lead good honest Christian lives, but I also sometimes feel conflicted about this issue specifically.  Work has been so good, and it's easy to want to work my life away to make more and more money.  I imagine growing our family's monetary wealth so we and our children can have whatever we want, but then I think that's wrong.  Should we be making just enough to get by?  Should we stop rewarding ourselves with nice?  I get so caught up thinking: "I want to be RICH one day" but I need to remember that I already AM rich:  I'm married to an amazing man that supports and encourages me.  He loves me unconditionally and is absolutely my rock and partner in life.  We've got our health and our family's health.  We are surrounded by friends whom enrich our lives.  We have not only a roof over our head but a BEAUTIFUL home.  We've got way more than we NEED or deserve; when so many don't.  Most importantly: WE HAVE JESUS!  My goal going forward is to keep my focus where it should be and to find a good balance.  I don't want material things to define my existence or to be my purpose.  Money comes and goes, and quite frankly it won't matter in the end.  "Live in the world, but don't let the world live in you."   That doesn't mean I want to quit my job or stop moving forward with it's growth/expansion.  It doesn't mean we won't treat ourselves to nice things sometimes.  We just need to make sure that we continue to give back (doesn't giving always feel better anyway?) and keep our eyes on the REAL PRIZE. 

I'm so thankful for today's message - it was needed and received!

Don't Blink

SWEET JESUS I have not written a blog post since MAY!  How is that possible?  Where is time going?  How can I put FIVE months into one post??  Get ready for a crash course in the "Sample" life!

JUNE!
Jake turned 30!  We had a "moustasche bash," and it was a fabulous time with friends & family at the lake!  What a great weekend!  I love, love, LOVE seeing everyone but unfortunately our time is so limited and we don't get down that way NEAR as often as we like. 

JULY!
Jake and I went to CHICAGO in July!  Surprisingly, this was Jake's first domestic flight!  Chicago is absolutely one of my favorite cities.  I would love to live there if it wasn't freeeeezing cold during the winter.  This was a short trip but we got to have drinks on the 96th floor of the hancock building, we did an architecture cruise down the Chicago river (a MUST!), we walked for miles and did lots of tourest-y stuff.  We HAD to eat at RPM Italian (Bill & Giulianna Rancik's restaurant-YUM), and of course have some 'authentic' Chicago pizza at Gino's.  Once we were TIRED of walking, we were escorted everywhere via limo - how cool is that?  The food was to die for; shopping was phenomenal and just an all around great [quick!] trip.  We also went to a family reunion, which was the main purpose for our trip; it was nice seeing everyone.  It was also super cool getting to show Jake the city.  He fell in love with it too!  If you ever visit, I HIGHLY recommend staying at the Sofitel, btw!  We had a room on the top floor and wow, what a view!  I can't wait until we go visit again!

Work-wise, July was totally nuts.  Even though I took a few days off, I had record numbers.  I also hired a new girl to work with me....then decided to let her go.  That was not so fun, but a great learning experience!  I definitely got a more clear picture of what I want/need/am not willing to make concessions on.  Everything happens for a reason, so now I realize that even though it was a headache, there were bigger/brighter things down the road. {more on that later!}

AUGUST-SEPTEMBER!
I'm pretty sure August and September didn't really happen this year because I cannot think of ONE thing that happened in those two months!  Seriously.  I got nothin'.  I'm just going to go out on a limb here and assume that work was just insane for Jake AND I and we didn't get to come up for air.  *deep breath in......*

OCTOBER!
This month we went to the Bears|Cowboys game; This was our first time to the new stadium.  It was really fun!  Uh, for the Bears fans.  Jake got really sick the night before so he felt a little crappy.  The loss didn't help matters so we left when the 4th quarter started.  We're not big on crowds anyway, and I would rather watch football on the couch at home snuggled to the hubs!  I also *drumroll please* FINALLY hired a new esthetician after the world's longest most drawn out hiring process, EVER.  This is exciting stuff, let me tell you!  I've been overloaded and overwhelmed for a while, so I'm excited that once she's in the groove of things, I'll have a little less on my plate and a little more time off, without the guilt of taking off.  I've also been considering a building expansion at work -- to a storefront salon location!  This is something I assumed would take YEARS to work towards, so the fact that it could be happening soon is quite exciting and of course, another super scary risk.  This time with a LOT more money at stake a much longer commitment!  I'm definitely still in the 'discussion' part of this lengthy process so it's totally up in the air, but who knows!  I'm excited to see where it goes!

So the next few months will be filled work negotiations, and Thanksgiving and of course the HOLIDAYS!  Sounds like a few more months will be cruisin' on by!  I keep waiting for life to slow down but I swear it's just picking up momentum.  Sigh... I'm just trying to keep my head above water and ENJOY it as much as possible! ;)  I can't make any promises but I'm going to SURE TRY to keep this thang updated! 

30 Days of 30

I'm soooooooooo feeling like an over-achieving wife right now, which is a nice change from my usual adequate-but-average-wife-status.  My hubbys 30th birthday is coming up so I wanted to do something EXTRA special for him.  Lately our schedules haven't meshed well, we've each been busy with our own things and have been left missing each other like crazy.  30 is a "big" birthday ~ not because it means your old, but because it's like saying goodbye to an era!  So much happened in Jake's twenties.  We met, got married, he graduated college, we got a dog, moved, bought our first house, he started his career, we got another dog, started a business together annnnnnd the list goes on.  Thats a lot of changes, right?!  Anyway, I wanted to do something sweet to start Jake's next decade off right! Jusssst in case he's a little nervous about getting old. ;)  {I may or may not be more depressed about this than he is.}  I found this idea to do 30 days of 30 gifts or "30 days of 30".  Most of the gifts are themed around 30 in some way/shape/form.  Do you know how hard it is to think of that many presents that revolve around 30?  I'll tell you.. REALLY F*CK!NG HARD.  Most of the gifts are the epitome of cheesey/lame but I definitely sprinkled in a few things I know he'll love.  A few of them aren't 30-themed at all and are just fun gag gifts, but I tried and thats what counts.  Every day he'll get to pick a gift from the pile!  Tomorrow starts the countdown and I can hardly wait!  Here are some ideas that I came up with!  {More pictures to come soon!}

1. "Dirty 30" <--- 30 bars of soap

2. Just "short" of 30 <--- new pair of shorts (in his fave color, I might add.)

3. "Word-y" 30 <--- 1 year subscription to his 2 fave magazines

4. "Nerdy" 30 <---  A book with facts about 1982 (his birthyear..duh)

5. "Aged to perfection" <--- Bottle of wine

6. 30 "sucks" <--- Mug w 30 suckers

7. 30 "rocks" <--- Poprocks candy

8. 30 beers for 30 years <--- a 30 pack. obvi.

9. 30 "blows" <--- Jar w 30 gumballs

10. "Shirt-y" 30 <--- A new Tshirt

11. "Cheers to 30 years" <--- Bottle of Patron

12. 30 "bites" <--- Jar of 30 cookies

13. "Hitting" 30 <--- A table ping pong game

14. "Young at heart" <--- A reserved copy of a video game that releases in Nov.

15. "Grumpy old man" <--- (gag gift) A book of passive agressive parking tickets

16. 30 balloons in wrapped box. (For day 1 w| the announcement/'rules' of 30/30)

17. "Feeling Lucky?" <--- 30 Scratch of Lotto Tix

18. Start 30 with a "bang" <--- Koozie shaped like pistol

19. "Flirty" 30 - Sexy game I found at Urban Outfitters

20. 30 "Stinks <--- Axe body spray - Cologne would work, but J LOVES Axe!

21. "Old" habits die hard <--- Can of snuff.. ha! I know this will get used!

22. "Age Old" Questions <---he Bro Code book from How I met your mother.. He loves that show!

23. Gag gift (not 30-themed) but a bottle opener shaped like a police badge; He's a cop so I found it fitting.  And I was running out of ideas.

24. "Squirty" 30 <--- Water gun.  I'm sure that'll be regifted to my nephew.

25. "Alert-y" 30 <--- 5 hour energy shots (6 to equal 30 hours) (can you tell I was running out of ideas??)

Soooooo.. What are the other 5?  To be honest, I cannot remember for the life of me, so I'll have to wait until Jake opens the gifts.  I bought almost EVERYTHNG in 2 days time and had to go 6 million places and it's all pretty much a blur.  I'm HOPING to end day 30 with a surprise weekend trip/vacay to Mexico!!!!  Waiting to find out Jake's work schedule though... if that doesn't work then he's getting speakers/speaker box for his truck. 

Isn't this an awesome idea though??  I'll post pix once he opens everything.  I can't wait to see his reaction.  I'm SO impatient though..Lord knows I'll want him to open all 30 tomorrow!  Eeek!

Can you think of any ideas that I totally missed that would have been good?  I'd love to hear them!

Ain't Love Grand?

My honey is SUCH a goof.  We have entirely too much fun together and joke about the worst stuff ever.  Some of the ish that comes out of his mouth makes me SMH. (Did I use that right?)  And yes, sometimes I like to cross the line too.

The other day I reminded him that our anniversary is coming up, so he should really make reservations at the new restaurant I want to try.  He replied with "Seriously?  Why do we have to celebrate our anniversary again this year??"  He was (half)kidding so I'm going to let that one slide.

Last week we were @ the gym and there was this girl beside me at the gym with freaking GIANT boobs.  We were on the treadmills and for some reason this chick (blond, tight clothes, pretty face, barbie looking)  was wearing a MEGA low cut top with something other than a sports bra. {maybe NO bra?!} Even *I* was distracted!   JIGGLES everywhere!  So when we left the gym, I described her and asked Jake if he saw her.  He said, "No, did I miss something?"  I told him she had a GREAT bod, but then I caught a look a her stomach and it looked like she probably had a baby recently, so maybe her boobs were so 'all over the place' because she was breastfeeding..  He thought for about 3 seconds and then replied, "Well..I like milk."  <-- the way he said it had me rolling. WHAT A PERV.

But sometimes I tell him some f'd up shiz too.  I had my root canal today and I told Jake afterwards that I dressed extra slutty because I heard the dentist was hot and it's not cheating if you do it while on nitrous.  But then I was disappointed because he wasn't hot, so I hope he didn't take advantage of me while I was out.  Jake said "Unless he had a big piece, because that would make it okay right?"  Touche! 

Jake also has...odd taste in women. (I wonder what that says about me... Okay, he has odd taste in women other than me.  There.)  In all honesty, he doesn't like skanky looking women which is I guess is nice. (It's all class in our household, can't you tell?)  The other day he was listening to gangsta gangsta rap in the truck and then next song was Taylor Swift, to which he sang along to.  I told him he was the gayest husband ever because he loves Taylor Swift's music.  He said he "doesn't like her music, he just wants to see her naked".  -- Riiiiight, so listening to her music is going to bring you closer to realizing THAT goal??  Lord. 

We also like to talk (kid) very candidly about our best qualities.  Jake's all, "yeah, I mean, every girl I meet stares at my crotch.. Even all your friends - they're totally trying to gauge my package."  And "I'm such a good singer, you're soooo lucky."  We debate over who our friends like more and who has more/top quality friends.  I'm all - I have lots of people wanting to be my friend and hang out with me.  I'm just REALLY picky so that's why I hang out at home a lot, alone, on Friday nights...writing blog posts. I have impossibly high standards. I'm exclusive.  We're soooo competitive but in a super fun way!

Anyway - the INSIDE, now outside, jokes between us don't stop there.  I swear Jake and I can't be serious about anything, but that's how we roll.  We both love to laugh and keep each other cracking up.  Sooo.. the point of this story was....... uhhhh, yeah, I don't even remember.  Okay, bye.  Please disregard this post.  This is what happens when pain killers from my root canal enter my system.  Nighty-night!

Married to a Cop

It's my hubby's first night of work OUT of training and on his own!  I'm so happy for him!  He's been a Police Officer for almost 4 years now; Being in training since essentially February of this year has been a littttle bit of a beating; Don't get me wrong, I'm sure he's learned a lot.  The great thing about him being on his own now is that I can actually CALL HIM every now and then and have dinner with him.  {HOORAY!}  I can't wait for him to get home in the a.m. so I can hear about allllllll about his night!

When I tell people I'm married to a cop, I get a lot of reactions and questions.. Some people DON'T like cops.  In my opinion, if you don't like the police then you're prrrrrobably a deadbeat or a criminal.  I know some lots of cops are total a-holes.  If a cop gives you a ticket because you were breaking the law, YOU'RE the a-hole, not him.   I've gotten my fair share of tickets...in fact, probably more than most people.  I don't get out of tickets JUST because I'm married to a cop..{trust me, I've tried}  I'm just as p.o.'d as the next person when I get a ticket; but how can you be mad at the police officer when he's doing his job??  That being said, if you DON'T like cops, then don't call them when you have an emergency. 

One of the questions I get most often is if I worry about my hubby's safety constantly.  In the very beginning, I'd say yes.  I think I'd be carrying around a lot of stress if I worried about what Jake was getting into.  With the things Jake tells me about his nights, it's become very evident that he is calm, cool, & collected.  He has integrity and empathy -- He's just all around a GREAT officer.  I love hearing his stories because he never ceases to amaze me.  I really am so proud of him and what a honest, hard working and dependable man he is.  He became a police officer not because he wants to write stupid (My description, not his) traffic citations to people going a mile over the speed limit, but because he wants to get "real" criminals off of the streets. He thrives on action but is so even keeled that he handles situations well.  As long has he stays proactive and doesn't get complacent, I imagine he's safe each night.. and of course I hope and pray for his well-being at all times. 

Another thing people ask if how in the world we ever see each other with him working nights and me working days.  Well, our schedules typically mesh very well.  Lucky for me, on Jake's day/nights off, he always goes to bed with me and gets on a normal person schedule.  A lot of officers can't do  that, so I'm pretty lucky there.  One of the things I love about us working opposites is that there is always someone home with the dogs.  Jake and I DO spend time together at weird times though.  He gets home about 6:15 in the morning and I always get up when he gets home so we can talk about work and he can wind down a bit.  Then we go to sleep together..even if I have to get up in an hour or so afterwards.  Every week we have one date night together. Our newest thing to do together is hitting the gym so we also try to go together 2X a week or so.  So yeah, our schedules are a little unconventional but they work for us for now.. Quite well! 

All in all, I feel bad that the media has given cops a bad rap.  As much as I respect ALL police officers and what they do, every person is bound to make a mistake.  Right or wrong, I think it's a department's job to sort that kind of thing out.  I hate when media gets involved, blows things up and then random people throw their two cents in without ALL the related information.  Luckily we haven't had to deal with this sort of thing first hand; I just hope we NEVER do!!!

I didn't mean for this to get all long and novel-like, so I'll wrap it up!  I love being married to a police officer;  I'm proud to have a husband that serves the public and keeps people safe.  It may not carry a Dr.'s salary or have the same kind of prestige attached, but I really couldn't be more proud of my hubs! 

Selfish Moment

Here's how this is going to go.. I'm going to have a total poor pitiful me moment and vent for a sec - and then I'll get over it. So here goes.

This has been a sorta craptastic week.  First, Jake found out that his work shift is flip flopping.  This is a problem for a couple of reasons.  Most selfishly, I have MY schedule worked around his so we can get lots of q-time together.  It'll take me about 2 months to slowly mold my schedule to his NEW schedule so in the mean time we won't get a whole lot of time together.  TOTAL BUMMER.  I live for our weekends off together and now it'll be a while.  *Sigh.*  For Jake, he'll have to meet a whole new shift of people and work a different area.. on top of working 60 hours/5 days straight.  This will probably end up being a good thing though because he's soooooooo  darn likable.  He'll make friends no matter which shift he's on. :)  The final thing that this whole flip-flop puts a damper on is our Chicago trip.  Now my hubs won't have the same days off, thus, we may not be able to go after all.  We're hoping to still swing it somehow, but we'll see what happens.

Next up:  I totally BROKE a tooth this past week.  Besides the 'ouch' factor lets talk cost factor!  I now absolutely positively have to have a root canal so that's a whollllle lotta pain and about 1K in cash.  Ugh, I'm cheap, so although we CAN pay for it, I really don't want to.  I'm totally worried about how much it's going to suck!  Idk how I'll keep my mouth open for an hour and a half, plus have to smell all the chemical-y smells and feel all the pressure, and needles shooting through my gums...eeeeeeek!  It IS necessary though - as I can't keep a gaping hole in my mouth.  Let's hope for minimal pain and no complications before or after.  And possibly a gold tooth, if my bff has her way..

The next happiness-suck is a weird story.  We were contacted by HGtv recently about being on one of their shows.  It came out of the blue so we were sooooooooooooooo thrilled and excited about the idea of getting to go on a once in a lifetime vacation!  I shouldn't have gotten my hopes up but I totally did.  I started redecorating/deep cleaning the whole house for filming and bought lots of new clothes/hair stuff/skin care regimens/etc. (Yes. I went overboard.)  I found out on Friday that we didn't make the cut, so that was a tough little blow.  Dang!  {Guess it's nice that my house and myself will be looking a little better.}

Buddy, our Vizsla, has a nasty virus right now.  Neither of us have a day off, so we can't get him into the vet until THURSDAY!  I asked the vet to pleeeeeeeease let us swing by and pick up the antibiotics, but No - that would be TOO simple.  They wanted to see Buddy first, which is somewhat understandable, but its very very clear he has kennel cough.  If you've ever had a dog with it, its totally unmistakable.  So for now we just have to give him over the counter cough syrup and honey.  That's a blast shoving down his throat.  My poor pup!  Every time you give him a dose (or shoot it down his throat rather) he gives you a sad 'shocked' look, like you've totally betrayed his trust.  Hopefully he feels better soon and stops throwing up all over the place. :(

So that about wraps up my yucky week.  Well, that, plus the fact that I forgot my lunch at home today.  Now I'm going to finish this post with some silver linings.  First of all, if all of the above are the 'worst' of my problems, lets face it, I have it PRETTY GOOD!  So I didn't win a free vacation.. We can easily afford one on our own.  In all honestly, there are probably a lot of people who need it deserve it a lot more than us.  And yes, I must have serious dental work - but luckily I have dental insurance that will at least cover a teensy little fraction.  Jake's work schedule throws a wrench in our day-to-day life and travel plans but it's not the end of the world.  It's an opportunity for him to have yet another fresh start and meet lots of new people;  Plus, our lack of date-time will end soon enough.  I'm very fortunate that I make my own schedule and it can BE changed. (Even if it takes a little time.)  (Absence makes the heart grow fonder?)

PHEW! ~ Now that I got that out I feel much better.  YES, I know my problems are minute (pronounced mi-nute not min-it) when compared to those of the world, but whatever.. I'm a suburban wife and it is what it is. Just like anyone, every now and then I just want to throw a little pity party for myself.  Just don't get me wrong:  I'm extremely grateful that these ARE the worst of our troubles.   Life goes on!  I'm embracing the journey; even the things that pop up that are totally out of my control!  I promise my next post will be much more upbeat!

This & That: Life Wrap Up

So about 2 weeks ago, I tried mashed potatoes for the FIRST time in my life.  Yes, I'm for real, NO, I'm not lying.  I'm uber picky and I always thought they looked disgusting and I hated that 'mashed' was in the title.  Trying them for the first time was like a hit of crack.  NO LIE I have been craving them for every meal.  Mmmmm... Oh and P.S.>>I've never tried crack either but it seemed like a good point of reference.

I also tried salmon for the first time recently -- and liked that as well!  Now, it's not a serious obsesh like the 'tatoes but something I would definitely have again.  My taste buds must be gettin' all growed up. 

Hmm..I cannot believe I just wrote about foods that I've tried.  How BORING and odd.  This is the life of a married lady, I tell you.  My excitement is derived from new foods and finding cleaning products that work well.  But I wouldn't have it any other way!

So Jake has now been working in his new city for a few months now and he's ALMOST out of training which he will be realllllllllly glad for.  Thank goodness they shaved a few weeks off for him.  He has an old friend that will be starting soon for the same department, so he's pretty excited about that as well. 

My work has been cruising right along too!  I'm gearing up for the summer which is my busiest season.  I may end up having to extend my hours or pick up an extra day to accommodate everyone.  How is that even possible already??  When I opened my doors in June/July of last year, I worked between 3-5 hours a day and typically 3-4 days each week.  I probably mention this EVERY time I talk about work, but I still feel STUNNED by the growth and success of my business.  I'm having so much fun with it, and just could not be more thankful for the freedom it has given me to be my own boss.  I'm happy, healthy and stress free and you can't put a price on those things I tell ya!

With all the WORK going on in our family, we SURE hope to make some time for vacationing this year!  We are taking a mini-trip to Chicago in July for a family reunion - I'm SUPER excited about this because it's Jake's first time to the big city!  And I LOVE ME SOME CHICAGO!  I'm going to try to pack as much in as possible.  We hope to take a few 'real' trips this year as well, but more on that later.

I've been doing really well with my gym workouts, going as planned... AND MORE!  Pretty exciting stuff I tell you.  I used to think Jake was a cray cray person bc he'd spend 2 hours at a time at the gym.. But now WHEN I have the time, I love it as well!  Some days I hit up the gym twice.  (Who is this girl?!)  Ever since I lost my extra weight (Thanks to cal counting and my itworks wraps!)  working out doesn't seem so hard these days.  When I was heavier I had NO endurance and also felt more pain in my joints when I did practically anything.  My energy level is way up too!  I'm doing an 8 week bikini challenge with a couple friends right now!  (Its FREEEEE, check it out on ToneItUp.com)  It just started a week ago so you can still get on the bandwagon!  You can do the workouts at home, OR print them off an take 'em to the gym.  LOVE IT!  And the TIU girls have the most bangin-est bods ever.  = MOTIVATION!

So we have two monsters dogs of course and we'd been attempting to leave Buddy The Destroyer out instead of his kennel.  He'd been chewing up the blinds and stuff, but once they were ruined we figured it didn't matter if he damaged them further.  (Terrible, right?!)  Cut to last weekend.  Jake and I have a glass bowl on counter with all of our prescription meds, vitamins, 1 chocolate bar, etc.  Well, Buddy somehow got almost ALL the medicine out of the bowl --thankfully the glass bowl didn't fall/shatter-- but we came home to a pill explosion all over the couch and floor.  Pills and crushed pill powder everywhere.  We were able to determine that he had ingested the following:  Blood Pressure Meds, Hydrocodone, Ibuprofen, Biotin, Folic Acid, Vitamin C, Unisom, a bar of chocolate, andddd God knows what else.  Someone tell me how this dog LIVED??  No throw up, no diarrhea, no slow breathing, hyperactivity, N O T H I N G !!!!!!!  I swear he's got 9 (million) lives or something.  It was redic. And back in the kennel he goes!

Some House-y Type Stuff

In the last week or so-ish I've been trying to do some stuff with this janky-looking house of mine.  I rearranged a little last night and I feel like it's a WHOLE NEW PLACE!  WHOOOO!  Jake was working and I was totes bored -- When he's gone it's the best time for me to get creative, crafty or in a cleaning mood.  No distractions plus it helps the time go by.  We hope to put our house on the market later this year, so I figured a little sprucing up could help.. Well, that AND a nice good 2 day DEEP clean.  Phew!  Now that everything is like new, I'm all " AWW I love this house!! "  I really do. *Sigh.*

Rearranged!  Excuse the dog toys & clutter.

Anyway, so want to see some of my projects??  My MOST exciting one was the bar stools I reupholstered last night.  I bought these stools from walmart a few years ago.  They are just basic. Boring. Blah.  I hit up hobby lobby to find some fabric and buy a staple gun.  I KNEW I had to find chevron fabric because it is my most favoritest thing in the whole world right now!  Unfortunately, they didn't have any colors except gray+white... It's still adorbs, but I couldn't do all three stools with it because my house has more warm tones and I was afraid it wouldn't look right.  I bought 3 fabrics with the hope that I could make them go together in a non-go-together kinda way.  I'm REALLY digging Moroccan styled decor, and lots of pops of colors and prints.  I absolutely A-D-O-R-E how these came out, take a looksie!

Next up: My makeshift jewelry holder.  I have{had} a jewelry tree thingy that someone gave me, but it wasn't working.  First of all, my clunky jewelry was weighing it down.  They also kept getting all tangled up, and they were much too long for the little tree anyway.  It always looked messy and unorganized.  I practically never wore any of my necklaces because it was such a b!tch to untangle them.  I wanted something that I could display my stuff easily on.  Solution: A chunk of rustic looking wood with little white rosette knobs on it.  So fun, simple, easy and cute.  I love looking at all my necklaces!  P.S. I retired my jewelry tree to a pony-tail holder tree.  HA!  It looks redic, no pictures of that mess...

Did I talk about my pinterest spare bathroom makeover yet??  Well, if so, you're gonna hear about it again.  My bad.  I found a tutorial for tiling around straight edge mirrors in the bathroom - seemed easy enough!  Have to say though, it wasn't QUITE as easily as I hoped.. I ended up with liquid nail (glue) all over my mirror.  Also, the first go around I decided I would do it my way which didn't work and all the tiles fell off, shattered and even CHIPPED MY MARBLE SINK.  Uh, whoopsies.  Lesson of the day:  Follow the directions, no shortcuts.  Once it was all finished though, I was really pleased with how it turned out.  I also put up double curtains just because I think it looks cute different.  I also did this 'my' way - I bought REAL curtains so they're extra long, anddddd they can't get wet or be exposed to heavy humidity.  Bad idea for a SHOWER right?  I guess it would be if we ever used that shower but we don't.  I just couldn't find any shower curtains that didn't look cheesy or cheap. 

Tile Border on Mirror

Curtains

So, the spare bathroom isn't exactly practical, but apparently practical isn't exactly my style.  Take my dining room for example -- it's my FAVE room in the house, but if you THINK about trying to eat in there OR GOD FORBID use a plate or napkin I will assault you.  That room and all of it's contents are for looks only.  I mean, why else would I have fake pears sitting on every plate?  {BTW, I've toned the dining room down a little bit... I put up all the glasses and silverware.. That shiz gets dusty and it's just extra cleaning.  And Lord knows we aren't having some formal dinner party any time soon!}

I guess that's about it for the house lately.  I bought some new vases and some decor type stuff, but nothing too exciting.  We still have a LOT more that needs to be done though.. New carpet, new blinds, new paint... Ay yi yi it never ends!  Thanks in part to our lovely dogs.  I like taking it one little project at a time though!  I'm really into antiquing right now and waiting to find perfect pieces here and there!  Maybe I'm finally getting the hang of this home decorating thing after all  . . . Now . . . If I could JUST get something up on the walls.

My April Update

WELL I took the WHOLE month off of March and didn't do one teensy ounce of blogging!  Okay ~ it wasn't actually on purpose, I just got carried away with all the nothingness I was doing all month.  Seriously, when I look back, I'm all uhmmmm, where the F was I all month long??  I'm going to blame it on working.  Maybe I didn't work any more than usual, but HOORAY I had a record month!  Actually, every month is a little better than the month preceeding so maybe I should stop getting so excited and shocked when I run my end of month reports??  Then again, increasing profits are always reason to celebrate, whoo partttayyy!  Now I remember what I spent March doing -- SHOPPING, splurging on myself, throwing back cocktails, lots of dining out and even some treating other people to some little gifties.  But now I'm going to come back down to Earth and stop being so wasteful and splurgy.  And selfish, basically. 

So, I signed up for a gym membership (Jake's bright idea)  and I'm working on my fitness!  Starting yesterday. :)  I took yoga yesterday and I'm doing zumba today!  My goal is to hit up atleast 4 classes per week.  I'm finally down to my goal weight so this is just so I can feel good AND be somewhat in shape...and  not be out of breath when I walk from my car into work.  Mmmhmm, it's THAT bad.  Since I may or may not end up knocked up at some point this year, I want to be in the best shape possible.  Anyway, group classes are kinda my thing-thang so hopefully I can stick with this.  I'm locked into contract for 12 months which makes me a leeeetle nervous.  If all else fails I'll just use their tanning bed - then it won't be a total waste.  I guess.

And last but not least, we had a Dr.'s appointment recently to discuss conception/fertility.  We've been off the pill since July-ish of last year (I can't even remember, honestly!).  Jake and I have been in serious baby-mode lately.. We love talking about the future and all the things a baby will add to our lives!  We also like to talk about our fears with the whole thing -- It's SCARY stuff, you know?!  I asked Jake what his #1 fear was -- Was it the responsibility?  The financial strain?  The fact that our lives will be totally different??  No.  Jake's ONLY fear (so he says) is that I'll die.  Yes, DIE, during labor.  {Eeek!}  I don't know whether to think that's sweet or freaking weird.  I wonder if that's a common fear for soon-to-be-daddies.  Who knows?!  Well, so anyway, in the mean time of waiting to turn up preggo we are going to have some genetic testing done.  Both of Jake's parents were adopted so we have NO medical history beyond them.  Surely everything will be fine, but it can't hurt to be cautious!  Especially for a chronic worrier like me.  Speaking of worrying - people have asked if we're worried about NOT being pregnant yet.  The answer is N O.  Although we would love to add to our family, we are confident that it'll happen when it's supposed to.  We aren't "trying" REALLY hard by any means...NO doing ovulation trackers and checking daily BMT's ~ We're just having fun the ole fashioned way.  We LOVE our marriage and our life together, and we aren't in a crazy hurry to turn everything upside down; We're young, healthy and still have lots of time left to expand our family.  It's not a race, people!  If it happens soon, we'll be over the moon..but if not we'll just keep on embracing the journey.  After "trying" (I use that word loosely) for 18+ months we'll revisit the matter but I don't even want to THINK about crossing that bridge when/if the time comes.

Tummy Tranformed!

I wanted to share with yall my tummy transformation ~ Props to the "It Works" Body Wraps that helped me slim down!  I love them so much that I'm thinking about just going ahead w/ becoming a distributor. (So let me know if you want some, since I can get 'em at a discounted price!)

I have a 4 photo/8 week transition photo and then the 2 photo/8 week transition photo that I'm posting today.  It's me prior to my first wrap and then me again 8 weeks later.  (I tried to do a wrap once every two weeks.) The first photo was taken December 1st 2011 and the "after" photo was taken on January 31st 2012.  {The 4 photo transition is too wide to fit on blogger, so I'll have to stick with the 2 photo one!}  Check out how well this stuff works! -- P.S. -- I hope nobody looks as this and thinks I look ill.  I'm still within a healthy weight range, and still have fat in LOTS of other areas on my body...just not the tummy!

Want to know more about the Body Wraps??  Here' some of the FAQ and info from the itworks website:

Expect "ultimate" results with this amazing 45-minute body Applicator! The Ultimate Body Applicator is a non-woven cloth wrap that has been infused with a powerful, botanically-based formula to deliver maximum tightening, toning, and firming results where applied to the skin.

• Tightens, tones, & firms
• Minimizes cellulite appearance
• Improves skin texture & tightness
• Mess-free and simple to use {<---- they lied on this one..it's a little messy!}
• Results in as little as 45 minutes {3/4 times, I left mine on overnight!}
• Progressive results over 72 hours
• Made with natural ingredients

What is the Ultimate Applicator?The Ultimate Body Applicator is a non-woven cloth wrap that has been infused with a powerful, botanically-based formula to deliver maximum tightening, toning, and firming results when applied to the skin. It continuously hydrates for firmer, smoother, more youthful-looking skin and reduces the appearance of cellulite and skin slackening. See results in 45 minutes.

How often can I use the Ultimate Applicators?The Ultimate Applicators can be used every 72 hours and should not be used closer than that since they are continuing to work during that time.

Can I use more than one Applicator at a time?In most situations, we encourage you to use only one Ultimate Body Applicator wrap at a time because it will give you the most dramatic results when targeting one area at a time. The Ultimate Body Applicator targets the specific area where you have applied it and will continue to work for 72 hours.

What about for arms and legs, is it okay to wrap them at the same time?For leg and arm applications, it is safe to either cut one Applicator in half and use half on each limb, or, if necessary, use one Ultimate Body Applicator on each limb to promote symmetry.

How does the Ultimate Applicator Work?The Ultimate Applicator works by detoxifying, tightening, toning and firming. Daily, toxins are naturally removed from the body by your stool, urine and the air you breathe out. The ingredients continue to work for 72 hours after you have applied the Ultimate Applicator, so you may continue to see progressive results over this time period.

How long do the results last from the Ultimate Body Applicator?The results you see from the Ultimate Body Applicator are not temporary, as you may have experienced or heard about with many body wraps that simply cause water loss. The Ultimate Body Applicator helps detoxify, tighten, tone, and firm in a manner that produces lasting results—without water loss.

Happy Belated Valentine's Day Bloggers!

Valentine's day is soooooo made-up and over-commercialized, YES?  YES.  But, with that being said, who doesn't love the ever-so-cliche lovey-dovey gifts from their significant other??  I think the kiddos have the most fun with it - I know I did back in the day!  My husband did a fab job this year  . . . annnnd I'll leave it at that! ;)  Is anyone else annoyed by the people on FB who took a million photos of their V-Day gift(s)...{AND their xmas gifts..AND their birthday gifts...AND any-frickin-time they spend a dollar?!} It's ironic that the people who want to prove soooooooo bad that they're doing financially well, or in a happy relationship (and sometimes marriage)...are the ones that are fulla shizz!  I've come to realize that bragging about something on FB tends to mean one thing:  You're overcompensating big time!  When you know you've got something good or you're doing well, you don't have to try to remind/convince everyone around you or rub it in people's faces.  Plus, with today's economic state, and the sad misfortune of a lot of people, it's in really poor taste to post that kind of stuff ..... Ahh, yes, I feel another FB deactivation coming on SOON....

Anywho!  I'm  onto Phase II of Operation: Get Dead Sexy for Summer.  Phase I was all about droppin' pounds the old-fashioned and easy way... counting calories and using body wraps! NO, I didn't exercise at all, because I felt like that would be too much of a life change and I would give up. I am L A Z Y, people!  I've lost as many inches/pounds as I can for my body type to remain in the healthy category, but the last time my scale saw this #, I SURE don't remember having all this saggy skin, these two saddle bags and lots and lots of CELLULITE.  Ugh.. Not cool.  So now, in order to firm my skin and vanish the cottage cheese on my thighs, it's time to get off my butt a bit.  But I'm still doing it the easy way.  I bought this gel that tightens/tones/firms AND gets rid of cellulite (its basically the same stuff in the wraps, but you can just use it daily) and I'm also doing a litttttttttttle weight lifting.  Okay, and I'm also taking a fat binder/carb inhibitor so I can feel a little less guilty about eating crappy food sometimes.  NO cardio though, cardio is my mortal enemy for realsies.  I'm really digging the ItWorks line, and so far everything has worked as advertised!  Oh, and I took a before pic of my butt & thighs (w/ a swimsuit on of course!) so that way when I'm finished w/ the gel I can see if my cellulite is gone.  I couldn't stop laughing!!!!!!!!  It's terrible.  Really, REALLY terrible.  I don't know if I'll ever be able to post it on here but i'll keep ya posted on my progress!  (But don't expect a model-esque photo of me looking PERFECT in a bikini in a few months... I'm just trying to work w/ what I've got here... there's only so much you can do w/o plastic surgery... and, you know, working out for real and stuff...)

New Club!

Sooooooooooo....today I had my first meeting with Jake's new department's Police Wives Association!  No lie, I was totes nervous about going.  I'm like snappppppp what if I screw this up and everyone HATES me??? Eeekk!  I'm happy to report it went well! . . Like, reallllllly well!  The meeting seemed so formal with an agenda and discussion topics and everything!  I was even comfortable enough to speak up throw some of my genius ideas out there!  (I'm usually totally silent around new people!)  All of the ladies were extremely nice and welcoming to me.  I didn't even feel like the "new girl."  I can definitely see Jake's new department as a place that we will forge even more close friendships -- this is EXCITING for us!  Ever since Jake has switched departments, it seems a lot of his former co-workers are thinking about coming over too.  How awesome would that be??  A month and a half into 2012 and I'm feeling really good about it!  I'm ready for Jake to head back to shift work so we can just get back to a regular routine, although, I will sure miss getting to have dinner with him every night AND getting to go to bed together!

Low Cal Meals I LOVE

I'm all about finding easy to whip up meals with super low calories.  I eat the following three meals pretty frequently, and they are all UNDER 200 calories.  Each one takes less than 5 minutes to make.  EASY!  Sometimes I have to make my hubs' lunch and dinner, so it's nice that my meals are so quick and effortless. 

Low Calorie {Soy} Grilled Cheese {130 Cals}
~ 2 Slices of Pepperidge Farm Whole Grain Wheat Bread (90 Calories)
~ 1 Slice of Soy Vegan American Cheese (40 Calories)
~ Olivio Buttery Spray (0 Calories)
Make this the same way you would a regular grilled cheese.  Spray the butter on the bread, and grill it on a skillet with the cheese slice in between.  Typical grilled cheese sandwhiches will cost you 300 calories or more.  This one is only 130 Calories and tastes soooooo good!

Spinach Salad with LOW CAL Ranch (YES, it exists!!){134 Cals}
~ 1 Cup of Organic Baby Spinach (4 Calories)
~ Salad Spritzers Ranch Vinaigrette, 10 sprays (ONLY 15 Calories!)
~ Garlic & Butter Croutons, 2 tbsp (35 Calories)
~ 1/4 Cup of Shredded Mozzerella (80 Calories)
Toss everything together in a bowl and eat!  This recipe is totally filling and only 134 Calories!

Almond Butter Toast {180 Cals}
~ 1 Tbsp of All Natur al Almond Butter (90 Calories)
~ 2 Slices of Pepperidge Farm Whole Grain Wheat Bread (90 Calories)
Toast your bread in a toaster and spread on the almond butter while still hot.  I eat this for breakfast often, and it's enough to keep me full for a while.  I love toast with just about anything on it though!

Heyy shawtyyy!

WELLLLL, with summer approaching-- uh, okay, so technically its a few months out, but this is Texas so naturally it feels spring-y now.  Anyway, EVERY summer I have the hardest time finding SHORTS!!!!  I'm 26-ish so wearing shorts that cover less than underwear is definitely a faux paux.  (Wait, is that okay at ANY age??)  Personally, I like shorts that DON'T require a bikini wax.  Anyone else notice that the less material the more the price?? RIP OFF ALERT!  I also don't want to wear mom shorts, aka shorts that are made from a cheapy looking denim, especially if pleats are involved.  You know the kind, they're not quite bermuda, not quite daisy dukes. Long. Awkward. Ill-fitting.  (None of my mom-friends even wear these!)  Last summer I  was lucky enough to stumble upon some cute twill shorts at Jcrew with the perfect 3" inseam.  3 inches seems to be a respectable length with just a smidge of sexy.  I literally bought them in EVERY.single.color. -- I even bought 'em in khaki twice {on accident}.  The downside to twill shorts though, is that they wrinkle easily and need to be dry cleaned after one mayyyybe two wears.  Ugh - maintenance...on SHORTS!  *So redic.*  Anyway, this year I have spotted a new trend:  Retro-inspired shorts.  First, let me say I typically love anything modern with a vintage flair, but retro shorts are HO-rrendous for realsies.  They are high waisted, (with an awkwardly long crotch area) and are mega short.  Plus, EVERY photo I've seen on models gives them a camel toe!  No thanks!  I don't think I'll be following this trend, how bout you???  Anyone else have pure hell finding the 'perfect' shorts??

Too Short.  Told you underwear covers more.



When I imagine mom shorts....



My Faves: JCrews 3" shorts! LOVE!

Retro. Camel toe much?

Here's a longer version.  I guess they even make skinny people have a FUPA!

Note the XXXXXXL crotch area.

My Short-Lived Chubby Phase

Okay, so {A LOT of} people are all, 'ohhh myyyy Goddddd, why are you counting calories and doing body wraps, you don't even NEED to lose weight...blah blah blah' and I'm all, "I was 15+ pounds heavier two months ago, I swear" and they're all "PSH, whatever you're totes  exaggerating" ...... or you know, something to that effect.  I know some of my posts seem weight-obsessed, but it's time for me to reveal my "before" photo so you can see that my obsession was for good reason!  Nobody believes that just a couple short months ago, I weighed my personal 'heaviest' at 140 pounds.  Don't get me wrong -- that's not obese or even a remotely high number to a lot of people...and I'm definitely not saying anyone that weighs that or more is overweight ~ but for someone who usually fluctuated between 126-130 lbs for a solid 8 years, it was quite a shocking increase. I freaked a bit and then IMMEDIATELY began limiting my caloric intake to 1200 cals per day so I could just get back to a good healthy weight... one that wouldn't cause me to BUST out of my jeans! ;) 

Anyway, I decided to show a clothed photo of me at my heaviest...  When I saw this November 11th photo, (along with a few others) I was horrified.  BTW, that's no spare tire hidden under my shirt.  I'm sure a lot of you will be like DAYUMMM, because you didn't ever see me looking like this. (HA, like I would post this photo ANYWHERE online!) (Well...uh, until now.)  I even made the photo XL so you can get a good look at my jelly roll/muffin top and my bloated azz face. You're welcome.  I also included two after photos (I gotta have SOME dignity left) that I took on January 23, 2012 ~ simply to prove that calorie counting REALLY works if you stick with it! 

Well... Can't believe I'm putting my "chub" photo out there for the world to see, but here it is!! 



November 11, 2011 ~ @ 140 lbs
My face is so big my eyes can't fully open!

 

January 23, 2012 @ 123 lbs

 

January 23, 2012 @ 123 lbs



Patience is a Virtue

Had a little spare time before I head into work so I figured I would tell yall a litttttle story that happened to me the other day.  Okay, so it's kind of a long story. 

Remember how I mentioned that our computers were in the shop for 11 days??  Well, it all started when I was surfing the net and I acquired a virus.  It was one that wouldn't let me open internet explorer so I could download a virus killer. (KICKING MYSELF for not renewing my subscription to Norton!)  Anyway, I figured I would just pop on over to BestBuy and they could fix it all quick style. Phewwwwww I was wrong.  The nice guy at the desk told me he would hook me up and I could bring BOTH laptops in to get fixed (our old one had a virus too, but we ended up just buying a new one, rather than fix that one.) (BTW, the new one was purchased on the CHEAP @ Black Friday.. We don't TYPICALLY just go buy something brand new when something breaks.) Back to the story! ~ so the geeksquad told me my computers would be out in 5-7 days MAX and even that was a stretch; most of the time they were finished in 3.  After day 7 I began to call daily (Okay, maybe 2x daily) to try to figure out the hold up.  The old one's hard drive is blown, so that computer might as well be tossed.  The "new" one supposedly had just ONE virus that kept showing on up the scan and I was repeatedly told it would be ready in half an hour.  TWICE I actually showed up to pick it up and of course it wasn't ready.  Finally on day 11 I went in and was told yet again that it was ALMOST ready, just 10 more minutes.  30 minutes later an over apologetic tech guy came over to tell me that he had accidentally super-jacked up my computer and it wouldn't even TURN ON.  He also told me that more than likely I would lose all my data -- un-backed up photos and docs.  This is a pretty big deal considering 2 years of my life in photos are on there, along with all of my created business docs.  I suspect the tech guy was under a lot of pressure being that he crashed my computer and surely had a ton of other electronics that needed work as well.  He kept perpetually apologizing, to which I kept telling him it was okay and it wasn't his fault..even though maybe it was. 

In the past few days in my frequent visits I had seen lots of people in line, and most people were very unfriendly, short and just plain rude to the techs. Throughout all the run-around and even after the BIG mess up, I remained friendly and didn't go all psycho on anyone. (It WAS, however, tempting at times.)  Once it was all said and done, the man helping me got all teary eyed and thanked me for being so nice and patient.  I was kind of taken aback, I mean, you don't see a grown man cry everyday, right?!  I hoped I was mistaken, but no.  Tears LITERALLY ran down his face as he told me that his sister had past away in the last few days; and he was just stressed to the MAX.  I think he had so much pressure on him both in his personal life and at work that he just needed to let out for a second.  I felt terrible that I wasn't NICER but it was a great reminder that everyone you meet could be fighting their own personal battle.  Yes, it's his JOB to fix computers and do-so quickly and correctly, etc. but I think it's a great lesson that we should all be a little more patient and kind to others.  There are so many more important things in life than material goods. 

Okay ~ Just thought this story was worth sharing because it really inspired me. It's crazy to think we each have the power to make or break someones day. Sometimes, an encouraging word, a helping hand or a friendly smile could be all it takes.   

Gotta love 75° in January!

What a beautiful day in North Texas today!  Sunshine, blue skies, nice breeze, oh my! 

And, okay, so I KNOW it's technically 'winter' and people get all bent out of shape when it's not winter weather.  But this is Texas: The Bipolar state.  Plus, it's not like it was a hot sweaty get third degree burns when touching your steering wheel; or a take a dip in the pool kind of day.  But it WAS a sit on the back porch with a light read; play fetch with the doggies; lounge on the couch with all the windows open kind of day.  Regardless of what the weather is supposed to be like this time of year, how can you possibly complain about the awesome alternative?? 

Pleasant weather and fresh air make me feel oh-so-good!  So yes; Ahhhh, what a beautiful lovely day that put me in the brightest of moods!  Hopefully this is an omen for a good week. :)

Cheers to Friends; New, Old & Reconnected

Over the weekend, we threw a little house bash to celebrate Jake landing his new job.  We had a blast as always, and this time we even hung out in the HOUSE a bit! {trust me, that's a big deal..} ANDDD, for the first time ever, we served food on the dining room table! :)  Out of all the parties we've hosted here, I would definitely say the food was the best this time around.  Jake made some freaking DELISH pulled pork, and I DO NOT EVEN EAT PIG. EVER.  But I surrrrre did that night!  I baked some Texas Roadhouse Rolls, which are not complete w/o the homemade cinnamon butter.(Mine was even better than the restaurant's, no lie!)  This also marks the first time I've ever cooked for one of our parties. (PSH, sad right?)  Other peeps brought stuff and we had a little feasty feast.  We also boarded the dogs for the night so everyone could hang out inside a bit, and not be stuck out in the cold garage.(And also so nobody would be mauled by our monsters. You're welcome!)  I WANTED to be good about taking pics, but I've been totes sucky at taking photos lately.  UGH. Whatevs though, I got a few, you can check 'em out at the end of this post!

We had a good turn out, and even met another new couple that moved in down the street.  BTW, I feel like there is definitely good friend-potential because they are around our age (I'm guessing here) and they also have two doggies and no children!  Jake and I SOOOO need to meet more peeps who live around here!

So anyway, it was great having everyone over, and I know Jake appreciates everyone's support!  We missed a few friends who couldn't make it, but were impressed that so many people would come out to wish him luck and bid him farewell.  One particular couple came out that I hadn't talked to in about three years, except for maybe a civilized 'hello' in passing.  When Jake first started in Addison, the four of us hung out a lot and they were our very first friends from the dept.  At some point, the wife and I had some kind of falling out -- to be honest, I don't even remember WHAT we were fighting about, but since then we've each disliked and totally avoided each other.  I'd say we've each grown up a whole lot in that time though, because we were able to have a great time in each other's company.  We maturely talked about the past and patched things up, and even without any awkwardness.  After catching up with her and chatting throughout the night, its clear that I totally misjudged her, and we have a lot more in common then I thought.  Go figure, right?!  It's  ironic to me how things come full circle; She was my first police-wife friend in the beginning, and now, here at the end we were able to reconnect.  I'm very glad!  I feel so foolish for wasting all this time, and not patching it up sooner, but TIMING is everything.  And hey, better late then never though, right?! 

Soooooo Jake has only 3 more nights in Addison.  I'm so excited and nervous for him to start in his new city.  Closing one chapter and beginning another is aways scary. {Being a grown up and making adult decisions is hard work folks!}  I think this is the right decision for him though; I have hope and faith that Jake will prosper in his new position!  Wish him good luck for next Monday, the 30th!  BTW, he'll be off on nights and weekends for a while which will be pretty great! [But bad for my calorie count..*sigh*] 

had to snap our dining table in use.. this was prior to the main dishes

Nothing Bundt Cakes - THE BEST THING EVER!

Some of the boys!

no dogs, and people still want to hang out in the garage