tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37423739147364227722024-03-05T06:27:17.887-06:00Just A Bit Of Silliness, ReallySarah :)http://www.blogger.com/profile/13103405432037619787noreply@blogger.comBlogger163125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3742373914736422772.post-14729895558289056162009-12-30T18:11:00.003-06:002009-12-30T18:15:48.608-06:00Here it is!<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', serif; font-size: large; ">The link to my new blog!!! I'm very excited about this. Hope it's everything I dream it is! *haha*</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Please follow me over to: </span></span><a href="http://www.abitofsilliness.tumblr.com"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">http://www.abitofsilliness.tumblr.com</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">All I have so far is one post, but the layout is FAB and completely appropriate.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Goodbye for now, Blogger!! </span></span></div>Sarah :)http://www.blogger.com/profile/13103405432037619787noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3742373914736422772.post-38611527827537249012009-12-28T12:39:00.012-06:002009-12-30T15:42:05.598-06:00Recap, Wrap-up, Moving on<div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">A time warp...that's the only explanation for why my last post could have been so long ago. I mean, AUGUST?!? Seriously? I'm not THAT delinquent, couldn't possibly be. I truly must have been stuck in some sort of time warp that made the months speed by at such a fast rate that I couldn't possibly have kept up! Yes yes, that's it. And I think that they have a name for this kind of time warp: "LIFE!"</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I never intended on taking that kind of break. I wonder if anyone is even still following this vacant space? I apologize if you are! ;) Now that I'm typing, I feel like I don't even remember HOW to blog! *ipe!* The problem is obvious: I just don't have as much time as I used to. But the good news is that I think I may have found a solution.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Have you heard of </span><a href="http://www.tumblr.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Tumblr</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">? As much as it bothers me that they dropped the "e" for a lame attempt at being cool (and that a lot of people use it for pretty raunchy stuff), this is an AWESOME new site. It's just like blogging, but it allows for a more random format. I can write a full bloggy-post if I want, OR I can just post a photo, a quote, a funny tidbit - anything I want! So I can check in briefly, if that's all I have time for. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">But wait, you haven't heard the best part: THERE'S AN APP FOR THAT!!! I can do all of the above from my iPhone!!! Which is great, because my phone is always with me...meaning I can blog anytime, anywhere: waiting for a movie start, on my lunch break, during a lull at work. It's the perfect solution!!! Seriously people, I feel like this website came gift-wrapped from God. (Ha, good thing I never get too high of expectations. *hehe*)</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Anyways, so I'm going to be leaving this space behind in search of greener pastures. But first, I need to update you on a few things (in case you're not a real-life or Facebook friend) so you know what's been going on! </span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">-Took our "2nd Annual" family vacation to Branson at the end of September. Dad rented a condo and we chilled, ate, shopped and enjoyed each other for a long, wonderful weekend. We went to Silver Dollar City (for the first time since I was a kid) and had a blast. Livvie and Jack enjoyed the kiddy-rides more than any of us even expected, while Jeremy, Mom and I got our thrills on an impressively fast and frightening rollercoaster.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">However, the "thrill was gone," as the song goes, the minute we exited the ride and I realized the my beloved camera was gone. Apparently, the sheer force and momentum of the coaster had popped the thing right out of my pocket (where I had confidently thought it was wedged tightly). It was a devastating moment...I LOVED that camera. (RIP, my dear little Canon Digital Elph. We saw many good times together.) But Jeremy proved himself to be the amazing man that he is, by not once yelling, scolding or losing his temper. He calmly told me that it was alright, that he would get me another and to be glad it wasn't my iPHONE that I'd lost. *haha* </span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span><div> </div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">- I finally got to see Wicked!!! I developed an irrational fear that it wasn't going to be able to live up to my lofty expectations. But it SURPASSED THEM!!! </span></div><div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2h1VV9ZUoNwY43XFl8Gk9fFjSCfaTT1nTi2XzZPjVby00ou713YMAYUC0lihpbTg35MO1iJiCqdKMpH35OXEDpnXTLKHhNcZYeuxsKcvfzrywHaIIudCGDNC7n6Zm9bwQlcyr5rx6xfA/s400/IMG_0498.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5421108920494216306" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px; " /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">What an amazing memory! I didn't know how great our seats were going to be until the doorman tore our tickets and said, "You have AMAZING seats." And they were - second row, dead center!! </span></div><div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmnZh3i4ZZWMfF_NJdF30maNMOLO7TlnccCrVefiBnlV6QO_8YMnbqnJGtLXEJY9pB8SL0EuwBkQ2kFh0oLDZiriD9MZ2xdyxMe-17ZXzrKyPZUMunHZCWs3hvgu7leB05zcsd7PJIFGs/s400/IMG_0501.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5421108931498084706" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">And as if that doesn't make me spoiled enough...the next week Jeremy got us tickets to ANOTHER showing and invited my Mom and Dad along. So I got to see it again and my parents got to enjoy the experience with us. </span></div><div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Q9-cwEdOw8-OhlUsMt4ooKI82XUSpeQkZjli4PxekxZn8Lrb96pCyzc9zk-G1verTm0WBZa1-GhG4zoSW98k6YIX__6Ul9SJpo7Xims9pFRI9kRXOPYHDPwDpT1dyyWzd-r13ZmwQnE/s400/IMG_0533.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5421108933964445794" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">- Got a new camera for Christmas! Glory Hallelujah! Ain't it a beauty?</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyTxCh1Tt6s80CeR6_-W4nDN0pEQT0wtQFLm0uOIOkQObjcJpffxEWlrPgwKeGAYWfnHEIm-aqF8B0wJ4Asa49q2UtYoZgqRldyj1HZxDujcOcDIfv3DAe4ixFP7yA16M8vAyRMr-YTd8/s1600-h/Canon_PowerShot_SD1200_IS_Digital_Camera_Blue.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyTxCh1Tt6s80CeR6_-W4nDN0pEQT0wtQFLm0uOIOkQObjcJpffxEWlrPgwKeGAYWfnHEIm-aqF8B0wJ4Asa49q2UtYoZgqRldyj1HZxDujcOcDIfv3DAe4ixFP7yA16M8vAyRMr-YTd8/s400/Canon_PowerShot_SD1200_IS_Digital_Camera_Blue.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5421121960599300994" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 345px; height: 345px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I told Jeremy that I wanted the exact camera I had before...and I basically got it, except this one is better (and obviously prettier.) I didn't mind new features, but I wanted the controls and everything to be in the same spot (aka: I wanted to learn as little as possible in order to use the thing.)</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">-One of my favorite NEW features on the camera is the auto-timer function where the camera doesn't take the picture until it recognizes a new face in the shot. It's amazing. We used that to take some family Christmas photos:</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6PDwPmSlUsZHDy7hI4LJ8yYX02SZ9iYmqZMWoT-0zgeermyYYtFW6sC2E-qJjWbi5dtdowiFAaE2qA1ts11mcIHxy5VcrQTMs0a-IHqUdMrYncm7HAwaU71qUO_ll7b98gGJjV1a5QsA/s1600-h/IMG_0095.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6PDwPmSlUsZHDy7hI4LJ8yYX02SZ9iYmqZMWoT-0zgeermyYYtFW6sC2E-qJjWbi5dtdowiFAaE2qA1ts11mcIHxy5VcrQTMs0a-IHqUdMrYncm7HAwaU71qUO_ll7b98gGJjV1a5QsA/s400/IMG_0095.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5421123345987856258" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8jQ8y8aEhhnQyypPTy6dTEK8RAbJGdDk1VYaqh8Bo7zcTmauUVuWfaHqgTTZUoc-e83mLrsTrAW_5RVTgv_zItRwVTI1r3I-dQm2syr0YfL75S5lDXU_v0BT3G3z8DOoUBngCBSU6mYQ/s400/IMG_0101.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5421123352271708050" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;">And lastly, because I forgot that I promised my sister I would post this, here is the final of the 4 photo-montage videos that I made this year. This is the one I made my brother in law for Father's day. Sorry it took me so long Lauren!</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyipQwavfPq9O8Jt0sI1FnD1qtOvkFuiOPoxgMeRWwXVKmudUlkGjt3GLPbpc8uFl5XvHSwEZBErmMAYbnZ2w' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Ok, as soon as my Tumblr blog is up and ready to go, I'll come back and get you!!! :)</div></span>Sarah :)http://www.blogger.com/profile/13103405432037619787noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3742373914736422772.post-31458143649871496972009-08-24T19:48:00.005-05:002009-09-06T17:56:27.060-05:00In My Arms<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Here's another video gift...this is the one I made for my sister. The song, "In My Arms" by Plumb, made me think of my precious niece and nephew the very first time I heard it. The lines "your baby blues" and "curly Q's" describe these sweetie pies SO perfectly! </span></div><div><br /></div><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyTuDAsxDdfiErr6xqYo4gmFi4uJinRhplduHhIq-EIp67UHxNrDNvProlbgct3_uDvYM0_EeKap9S0spVMJw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe>Sarah :)http://www.blogger.com/profile/13103405432037619787noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3742373914736422772.post-25330696437599647142009-08-22T18:54:00.005-05:002009-08-27T10:08:59.718-05:00These Are The Special Times<p></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Ready for the second iMOVIE? </span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">This is the one I made for my Mom for Mother's Day. When I began to do this, I wanted to use "The Best Day" by Taylor Swift because that song perfectly describes the relationship my sister and I have with our wonderful Mom. We are great FRIENDS and always have been!! But the song (if you haven't heard it, you need to. It's precious!) talks about very specific experiences (pumpkin patch, finger painting in the kitchen, etc.) of which I had no pictures. AND it starts out, "I'm 5 years old," then proceeds to "I'm 13 now," and I just couldn't get past the fact that my pictures weren't matching what the song was talking about. It drove me crazy!</span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">So I gave up and used this song instead. It's actually from Christina Aguilera's Christmas album. I've always loved it and because it isn't specifically about Christmas, just wonderful memories with family, I thought it worked!!<br /></span><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxMLAJuK2TL8J__6ueaNg11rtmNkNWjtSHC_GsQRzDHhed_rID16WJBWq-EWaCTKmeAC96sEwqhWd-sgSNj5w' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></p>Sarah :)http://www.blogger.com/profile/13103405432037619787noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3742373914736422772.post-25646347058155364452009-08-22T18:06:00.005-05:002009-08-24T11:18:14.686-05:00Daddy's Little Girls<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">I love iMovie! Using this easy software made gift-giving especially simple this year. I made photo montage videos for Mom & Lauren for Mother's Day and for Dad & Rich for Father's Day. I carefully chose music that went with the photos and evoked the proper emotions (my goal was to make each of them cry and I think it worked every time! *hehe*)</span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Facebook has recently buckled down on copyright infringement, so it won't let me upload these videos there because they contain copyrighted music. *phooey* Well after my success uploading my little dog video the other, I decided to try putting my other videos on here too. I'm going to post them one at time, since they take so long to upload. </span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">First, here is the one I made for my Daddy for Father's Day. The song ("You're The Only Little Girl" by Steve & Annie Chapman) is particularly sentimental because we used to listen to it as a family when Lauren and I WERE little girls. I remember thinking that I would always be that age...that the future, with boyfriends and weddings and all that, seemed so far away. None of us could even imagine it. So perhaps you can see why my entire family gets emotional watching this video.</span><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dy26lzdWH4mjaNlNIoR9dywEGiPLge-nbF0DF4rAtdRfi2LNY4LUx_Fxcd0NkLPkFKg1V3OHX8IyOHPqfxdUA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><em>(Note: I'm the younger, blonder one. *hehe*)</em>Sarah :)http://www.blogger.com/profile/13103405432037619787noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3742373914736422772.post-78070788898747402962009-08-22T17:02:00.006-05:002009-08-22T17:57:38.526-05:00Cuddly Toys<div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Today was an exciting day to be a dog in the Butler household. I came home from running errands after work bearing gifts: a stuffed toy for each puppy. Even though plush toys are their absolute favorites, I don't often buy new ones. Wrigley destroys them within mere seconds of their arrival, so I don't see the point.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">But today at Target I found these super cheap little plush puppies that DIDN'T have squeakers (meaning they stand a significantly better chance of lasting for a few hours). What the heck. It's worth having to pick up all the little bits of stuffing that end up all over my floor, just to see the thrill it gives them. :) </span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyfq3gA8q4jmKkseNuydzyXyRGdSK19N-1LUDkCTjr7ju-Uk8bNKOdyX0xW9rlc3KSAlgINE57Hwq8R8eATJw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></span><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">(Cuddly Toy - The Monkees)</span></i></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0VCP268_DrM1fbMbJSLNby9aKEatCojs_a7Oaz1vHDxhg0TcgL3VZk4d6Q74PFAuUq8HEWmqUkx2P0gP3eMb1kBv5T0BpfaodM8VfwDEBK8NGpmkOwzXDTQRg2tMD-IS3kcWJw4yn2aA/s1600-h/IMG_0190.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0VCP268_DrM1fbMbJSLNby9aKEatCojs_a7Oaz1vHDxhg0TcgL3VZk4d6Q74PFAuUq8HEWmqUkx2P0gP3eMb1kBv5T0BpfaodM8VfwDEBK8NGpmkOwzXDTQRg2tMD-IS3kcWJw4yn2aA/s400/IMG_0190.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372913684544537330" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a></div><div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitWZcbaBUjIYbHtduAVkidCLJYwfL9OYEFagfJwmW6kKr3DYdDzImNDuGCBQltKBhfxSN7k4U7HMtwjVkKlZZ9E56j_P-UMV23eHFVgDa2MUtSf_v8aER46TXyKOk_7z9AyJa8xLzjNLc/s400/IMG_0193.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372913675225491298" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px; " /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoUDef8gVfezCyKjShU2oaNr5jorYB5ojE0HlsTZZdC6hsyewi4RjiHpBagRdvPngcIjbz_cxLhWnw_UYkikI7y-49NcBW6V2piIIwXSLjbKydu2Dq2sSY8G95SoLYdtbnDKuJAVv6DnY/s400/IMG_0187.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372913665951998738" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></div>Sarah :)http://www.blogger.com/profile/13103405432037619787noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3742373914736422772.post-64364279503501264782009-08-19T16:11:00.006-05:002009-08-20T17:22:33.739-05:00Like I need something else to occupy my time.<div style="TEXT-ALIGN: left"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">When I began reading the Twilight series, I did it a little begrudgingly. As I </span><a href="http://justabitofsillinessreally.blogspot.com/2009/07/speed-bloggin.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">mentioned</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">, I was talked into reading the books by my sister who, like me, never really reads anything. I thought, </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">ok I'll try the first one and see where this goes.</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> Well the whole thing avalanched into me devouring the whole "saga." No, I didn't read it as quickly as some others have (Anne read the whole series in a couple of weeks, Lauren read them all in ONE), but for me, reading four books in a row was quite an accomplishment.</span></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371788482729972482" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 268px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_FFuI9uVtNcQTXAhbHtAct3-O0uFBpLv8CWvmGMh-AyiZKx8M0cxmaOAS4FIc9LJpuSPCtSphBwDH3Z7okk3Olb7MdMeyC4RxEOcChCqwHuuo2MGCFF1OSS0a6ZLb0hgt51hh8wwj-j8/s400/twilight-books-3.jpg" border="0" /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I hadn't anticipated the feeling I'd have afterwards. My lunch breaks? Boring. My evenings in front of the TV? Unfulfilling. Stupidly, it took me a while to figure out what was missing. It wasn't until I discussed it with Anne and found out she was feeling this same void that we realized our problem - gosh darnit, we MISSED READING! How on earth did this happen?!?!?</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">So logically, I ran out and picked up Stephenie Meyer's newest book, </span><a href="http://www.thehostnovel.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">"The Host"</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> even though it had nothing to to with Twilight. It's a kinder, gentler, romantic take on the "Invasion of the Body Snatcher's" theme. Sounds weird, I know.<br /></span><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371788497076664834" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 295px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 363px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpJX9Ay1t09aLIM31P0Jnz1ChVkujApUyfCHsN0JLrRbgzkNjAfaOEoM8WcyX1i9C9ZSWKwnRbS4PHD9fp8dLrFPkzL2JegTMOsHKgEFi_IXtxEDPJJPJZvedUqy04jYl30sG4FWWvGL8/s400/image_05.jpg" border="0" /></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: left"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">It took me a little longer to get into than Twilight did, but once it hooked me, I loved it! The characters are infatuating. The story is intense, full of heartbreak and longing and anger and fear and drama, OH the drama. :) I couldn't put it down. I spent my entire Sunday afternoon ignoring the real-life responsibilities and chores I should have been attending to. </span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: left"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: left"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">But...but now...what do I do now?!? I don't have anything to READ!! And the sadness has returned. This is ridiculous, I DO NOT NEED another hobby!!! Seeing as how I already feel like my free time is always sucked into a tiny black hole never to be reclaimed. The last thing I really </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">need</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> is something else I want to do. </span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: left"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: left"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Ignoring that logic, I need advice. Recommendations. I know many of you are readers. What books or series or authors float your boat? Let me preface this request by saying that I have no desire to read another vampire series. Yes, I adore Twilight and all of the characters therein. But vampires in general are not something I'm drawn to. Beyond that, I don't really know WHAT I would like to read!? There are so many options out there, it's absolutely daunting. I'm thinking of reading </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Wicked-Life-Times-Witch-West/dp/0060987103"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">this</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">, since we're going to see the musical in October. I already kinda know the story just by listening to the soundtrack, but it would probably be fun to know more. Other than that, I'm clueless!!</span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: left"><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span> </div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: left"><em><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">(BTW - my one year anniversary of blogging came and went without me noticing!! August 10th. Happy Anniversary to me! *hehe*)</span></em></div>Sarah :)http://www.blogger.com/profile/13103405432037619787noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3742373914736422772.post-77779828508646762952009-08-19T15:38:00.004-05:002009-08-19T15:59:14.584-05:00Julie & Julia & Sarah<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I just had the pleasure of enjoying the adorableness that is </span><a href="http://www.julieandjulia.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Julie & Julia</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">. Have you seen it? What a GEM! Amy Adams is one of my favorite actresses, based solely on how stinkin' cute she is (well not SOLELY, she's a good actress ta-boot). She didn't disappoint in this role - just as charming as ever!! And to even comment on Meryl Streep's performance would degrade it, since there are no words to describe how astounding she is. I don't know how she did it, but she actually physically transformed into Julia Childs! Bravo! I've never liked Julia Childs much but I walked away with a new appreciation for her. </span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Many people will probably go see this movie and be inspired to enter the kitchen with new fervor and bravery (my Mom, for example, who went to the movie with me, is probably going to go buy Mrs. Child's famous cookbook now). For me, not so much. Didn't change my opinion on cooking in the slightest. Can't do it, don't enjoy it, terrified of it. AND...not many of the recipes shown looked too appetizing to me (other than all the deserts, of course. *yum*) I doubt I will ever, ever cook because it "relaxes" me or because "it's the one thing in my life I can control and count on." BAH! I can't even control a bowl of cereal. ;)</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">What the movie DID inspire me to do is...this!! Blog! </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">(If you're not familiar with the premise, Amy Adam's character Julie decides to cook through Julia Child's entire cookbook in 365 days and blog her experiences.) </span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Watching her blog made me miss blogging terribly! The satisfaction of putting your thoughts down into words through the happy clickity-clack of the keyboard and the thrill of getting comments from total strangers that for some reason CARE about what you wrote. *sigh* It really is so fun.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Realizing how much I enjoy it makes me see that I need to make more time for it. I know I'm busy busy busy, blah blah blah, but in the scheme of things how long does this REALLY take? I've written, edited and rewritten everything you see here in the amount of time it took two songs to buzz by on my iTUNES. (Which were: an awesome version of "Heart of the Matter" done by India.Arie & a guilty pleasure, "Party in the USA" by Miley Cyrus. Don't judge.) </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I think back to my stent of unemployment (aaah to be so relaxed again *haha*) and remember how much I loved taking the time to blog each day. And for Heaven's sake, I have SOO much more to talk about these days! *haha* But now I'm not blogging? Ridiculous! And if I'm not going to keep a journal or something, this really is the best way to document what's happening in my little life so I can look back on it later! </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">So thank you, Julie & Julia, for inspiring me to make time for the things I LOVE...and for making me crave whatever that scrumptious looking 3-layer cake with chocolate frosting was. Mmmmm. :)</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I'll be back!</span></div>Sarah :)http://www.blogger.com/profile/13103405432037619787noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3742373914736422772.post-24701626439924855612009-08-09T18:38:00.007-05:002009-08-09T19:37:26.792-05:00Kitty Girl<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">I hate blogging so little, because every time I decide to make a post I feel like I need to grovel and apologize for my absence. So let's fix this problem right now, and just make the statement that there will almost ALWAYS be a ridiculous span of time between each post that I make. So therefore, I won't ever need to explain or make excuses. Kapeesh? :)</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">Yesterday I had a very sad morning at work. A family came in with their cat that had passed away suddenly, just a few hours earlier. One minute she was fine, then a while later they found her lying still on the couch. These clients hadn't been in to see us for a couple of years, so obviously I'd never met them. They didn't know what to do with the cat's body, so they brought her to us. I saw them coming from the parking lot so I met them at the door. The teenage daughter, whom I assumed this kitty had belonged to, was an absolute mess, bawling uncontrollably. She didn't look ready to surrender the cat yet, so I escorted them into one of the exam rooms for her to say some final goodbyes. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">When they emerged a while later, the girl handed her cat to me, wrapped in an old baby quilt. I was a bit taken back...this is the first time I've held a dead creature in my arms. (Animals have died in the time I've worked there, I've just always been watching from a distance when the bodies were cared for.) But she was still bawling, and continued to do so not even 1 foot away from my face, as she fawned over the cat I was holding. It was incredibly sad and I had to really work on keeping myself together. I tried to comfort her, best I could, reminding her that Kitty Girl (that was the poor little thing's name) had gone peacefully and hadn't suffered. I didn't want to downplay her sorrow, so I didn't say it out loud, but I kept thinking about what a blessing it was to have a geriatric pet die like this, instead of watching them live with pain for so long that you are forced to make the terrible decision of euthanasia. This natural passing seems to happen so rarely. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">Eventually she was able to part with her precious pet and the family left our lobby. Dr. Olson was in the middle of another appointment, so I just took the cat's body to the back room and laid her gently on a table. I knew this wouldn't be her final resting place, but I decided I'd let the doctor handle what needed to happen from there. :(</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">I am consistently amazed at what I'm faced with...and am able to handle. If someone had asked me in advance if I could handle these emotionally charged situations (or the medically gruesome ones) I would have probably said "HEEECK NO!" But there I stood, comforting this girl at probably one of the saddest points of her life thus far, saying goodbye to a friend that she'd known most of her life. And not just comforting her, but actually HOLDING that cat in my arms as she cried over it! All I can think of is that it's not ME working in that moment - it's God. I firmly believe that the strength I have found at these moments comes straight from Him. And all I can hope is that, in some way, His light and love will shine through to whatever individuals I come in contact with. And if it means being uncomfortable or pained for a few moments, so be it. I just want to be a vessel for whatever words of kindness or love He wants to give those people.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">But at least I can say that the good, joyful days FAR outweigh the bad!!! :)</span></div><div><br /></div>Sarah :)http://www.blogger.com/profile/13103405432037619787noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3742373914736422772.post-66375986496876724892009-07-14T18:29:00.010-05:002009-07-29T20:57:15.931-05:00Photo Parade<div style="text-align: left;">I felt terrible when I noticed that I've only blogged ONCE in the entire month of July. What is wrong with me? Well, I'm fading fast this evening but here's a cheap substitute for a post...<br /></div><div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="center">Random photos from recent life. :)</div><div align="center"><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><p align="center"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhfhkAkdN_iw6UCq6JzFG2iKPw9_WvS6uTyRDTqB9Hq9m0jXDg1qqPl6XY1b7HDIuMlGulyxUTnrt3fjGM27JViHR0a4tW8KE7uNjfYeQYLi8tkizDWcMwi5Lavg1oUuKkIQC1sW1EqPA/s1600-h/IMG_8114.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358464505061363650" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhfhkAkdN_iw6UCq6JzFG2iKPw9_WvS6uTyRDTqB9Hq9m0jXDg1qqPl6XY1b7HDIuMlGulyxUTnrt3fjGM27JViHR0a4tW8KE7uNjfYeQYLi8tkizDWcMwi5Lavg1oUuKkIQC1sW1EqPA/s400/IMG_8114.JPG" border="0" /></a> My nephew Jack. Does he have an angel's face or what?</p><p align="center"><br /></p><p align="center"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnf4oMyjTRskCS0tpF5K36jPhN2Jc-KDwTpu4p6Rs_Dbz6KGQ4usnDdexOJE4Z8-Coo0McNfhARcjYFzi8Xyph2tOckab1-z-b4IRSihqv_Iw111KRdmPoSModkoJMbmC0BGU-v3PdlyU/s1600-h/6493_1175207333681_1033015114_30544869_6369984_n.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358463993011029666" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnf4oMyjTRskCS0tpF5K36jPhN2Jc-KDwTpu4p6Rs_Dbz6KGQ4usnDdexOJE4Z8-Coo0McNfhARcjYFzi8Xyph2tOckab1-z-b4IRSihqv_Iw111KRdmPoSModkoJMbmC0BGU-v3PdlyU/s400/6493_1175207333681_1033015114_30544869_6369984_n.jpg" border="0" /></a> My niece Olivia, decked out for the Fourth of July.</p><p align="center"><br /></p><p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWmVJuYwBdsNp9ZVWhCab-KZa-s2QPha3hwA0jLV92ZailM20b3khs30Ct3l9acI_q82GEAfy6O9TjWeT0-et3YnSFC6yROMOsJas1oIGpR_hXZ9RMeyCpFRBda5u6rV8wXsGPXQj9tew/s1600-h/IMG_8056.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358462754426410562" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWmVJuYwBdsNp9ZVWhCab-KZa-s2QPha3hwA0jLV92ZailM20b3khs30Ct3l9acI_q82GEAfy6O9TjWeT0-et3YnSFC6yROMOsJas1oIGpR_hXZ9RMeyCpFRBda5u6rV8wXsGPXQj9tew/s400/IMG_8056.JPG" border="0" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; width: 300px; height: 400px; text-align: center; " /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;">Like the new dog bed? It's a "Fatboy" beanbag bed. They're made out of super durable material that can be wiped-clean easily. And of course I loved the color. I got it at this cute little store called "Uptown Paws."<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWmVJuYwBdsNp9ZVWhCab-KZa-s2QPha3hwA0jLV92ZailM20b3khs30Ct3l9acI_q82GEAfy6O9TjWeT0-et3YnSFC6yROMOsJas1oIGpR_hXZ9RMeyCpFRBda5u6rV8wXsGPXQj9tew/s1600-h/IMG_8056.JPG"></a></p><p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWmVJuYwBdsNp9ZVWhCab-KZa-s2QPha3hwA0jLV92ZailM20b3khs30Ct3l9acI_q82GEAfy6O9TjWeT0-et3YnSFC6yROMOsJas1oIGpR_hXZ9RMeyCpFRBda5u6rV8wXsGPXQj9tew/s1600-h/IMG_8056.JPG" style="text-decoration: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br /></span></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCFY5B8RGt1hmgcdS8r2vUZmZDzRitn4Dp-98Ooju27H5P7Rv3cVUPJFQ7By-62AFJlVyJRFw5SH8KpJafHWEY8srppdx9fKi9V2qOAGn4Ul_SqozgAv4uD6t5USyqBh3g7UL5CrmA_IQ/s1600-h/IMG_8113.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358463990625695394" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCFY5B8RGt1hmgcdS8r2vUZmZDzRitn4Dp-98Ooju27H5P7Rv3cVUPJFQ7By-62AFJlVyJRFw5SH8KpJafHWEY8srppdx9fKi9V2qOAGn4Ul_SqozgAv4uD6t5USyqBh3g7UL5CrmA_IQ/s400/IMG_8113.JPG" border="0" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;">Wriggie Jiggies</p><p align="center"><br /></p><p align="center"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtQkcM46KbVfkbFCFbLq0Rg0486q2AfoZS4alqBunD77jE5yEAcRvZdGfTnNtnVuFCAFT697FoxNcipLRVMwGzE1LXipijaQGUHwHrB9OD1N5gBoX3D7YKPkuVLPjqjnjYoaiBIZo0pBg/s1600-h/IMG_8112.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358463983102268882" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtQkcM46KbVfkbFCFbLq0Rg0486q2AfoZS4alqBunD77jE5yEAcRvZdGfTnNtnVuFCAFT697FoxNcipLRVMwGzE1LXipijaQGUHwHrB9OD1N5gBoX3D7YKPkuVLPjqjnjYoaiBIZo0pBg/s400/IMG_8112.JPG" border="0" /></a> Rub Cubby's belly for good luck!</p><p align="center"><br /></p><p align="center"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0cz8d6TBGbmZslzKNl0SPguC6PWdsq2BrUM24HbT6NAyptYYd-AGY74HsPK54lRMVFnIp76dUbK8DBHfR_C4q8yznoROCxO6lbMhVslCy8yfzJSKCssB_oaqZrR_pyHHMTZXWLS1x538/s1600-h/IMG_8110.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358463974423175266" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0cz8d6TBGbmZslzKNl0SPguC6PWdsq2BrUM24HbT6NAyptYYd-AGY74HsPK54lRMVFnIp76dUbK8DBHfR_C4q8yznoROCxO6lbMhVslCy8yfzJSKCssB_oaqZrR_pyHHMTZXWLS1x538/s400/IMG_8110.JPG" border="0" /></a> MoJo enjoying the new dog bed.</p><p align="center"><br /></p><p align="center"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKayWlwkRssjsfQg7GV8CFwz43fwR3PHvB1X2bTstrXKS3qA5IR6iucZCXBuUKsPRoFcSBO-4Xhw4ViMqke6YJ0bIcSul1S2WUNxjl-K1YaGkwME880MyoHNPILwS6F3gdqz_dTguPOqg/s1600-h/4960_1169791718294_1033015114_30523633_3346979_n.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358463971310025794" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKayWlwkRssjsfQg7GV8CFwz43fwR3PHvB1X2bTstrXKS3qA5IR6iucZCXBuUKsPRoFcSBO-4Xhw4ViMqke6YJ0bIcSul1S2WUNxjl-K1YaGkwME880MyoHNPILwS6F3gdqz_dTguPOqg/s400/4960_1169791718294_1033015114_30523633_3346979_n.jpg" border="0" /></a> The sweetest little girl on earth...and her proud Auntie Sarah.</p><p><br /></p><p align="center"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf1JwYZR_kFDUVgA_hFoXDA6kggpNtvV0gVU9EHJlg-DCHOnWJP4n5nPFq5VpVqTYrFaJsm1VptZekRWDzs3fXYREjCT281PNXOyNnBIPO-nBdg6j4SVN5fNFU7OGBax1EEje34lZUmsY/s1600-h/4960_1169784958125_1033015114_30523605_626238_n.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358462769143649730" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf1JwYZR_kFDUVgA_hFoXDA6kggpNtvV0gVU9EHJlg-DCHOnWJP4n5nPFq5VpVqTYrFaJsm1VptZekRWDzs3fXYREjCT281PNXOyNnBIPO-nBdg6j4SVN5fNFU7OGBax1EEje34lZUmsY/s400/4960_1169784958125_1033015114_30523605_626238_n.jpg" border="0" /></a> My sister Lauren and I with our Dad on Father's Day.</p><p align="center"><br /></p><p align="center"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVgFEOkVwujJzGMC2z3XARjPg8UL8omkO7espdafvFOKGgpPtDGRXyz7p0ZjZs2sbv-glcCYYLeF6eC3yT44HdKD94_9GFBRooupXSk9CMnUJDyjpFOrSf3OphTvJhV8MYUIOrQLghvIA/s1600-h/5027_1166899125981_1033015114_30514755_449991_n.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358462764206118066" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVgFEOkVwujJzGMC2z3XARjPg8UL8omkO7espdafvFOKGgpPtDGRXyz7p0ZjZs2sbv-glcCYYLeF6eC3yT44HdKD94_9GFBRooupXSk9CMnUJDyjpFOrSf3OphTvJhV8MYUIOrQLghvIA/s400/5027_1166899125981_1033015114_30514755_449991_n.jpg" border="0" /></a> My Mom, sis and I on a girl's night out</p><p align="center"><br /></p><p align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358462753366533682" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 294px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7hzo6ZkSfgC_pd8c7B9-OzLrI9jXEenZCdQb06_j_xLHdxThqB6ZTMR1gfIX2Y47EZKs2nOdGOHUAuFx0Avucy97tZm_TWmdnGByyQZ2UbRUUCkCLalvGVhZ56bi0yYU2xQYmE8I6qTk/s400/IMG_7993.JPG" border="0" />My hubby Jeremy and I chillin' with a tiger at the zoo.</p><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge1DFmUEP41fIN08vDdMRvIGeqpLZ4BDFd7aXp2msugwDJxZU2Jteau0f3ryqVIuj4dkB4exxkRe1anmjMbnHrNnR7ZNEVeA1EbSCYJSw54AnLTXeXDgAvBM-Wc32opxOoRVSJ_C6mJWs/s1600-h/IMG_7961.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358462743043531330" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge1DFmUEP41fIN08vDdMRvIGeqpLZ4BDFd7aXp2msugwDJxZU2Jteau0f3ryqVIuj4dkB4exxkRe1anmjMbnHrNnR7ZNEVeA1EbSCYJSw54AnLTXeXDgAvBM-Wc32opxOoRVSJ_C6mJWs/s400/IMG_7961.JPG" border="0" /></a><p align="center">Me at my home-away-from-home, Village Animal Hospital! This is where I sit for about 75% of my waking hours. *haha*</p><p align="center"><br /></p><p align="center"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ-QvVs7SDirjcGXIo6gBNQgBoC0OvjVitwUfGHba7cNLcjRJjZWPqgSASQl_xo3YjZE1vXIG8n0oWJnIoqp6kG6XGM1kr5ySHvi6unW7FOHSySZgdVUN3sMdxgWmr_Y-zK7mtWw9dFSs/s1600-h/IMG_0072.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ-QvVs7SDirjcGXIo6gBNQgBoC0OvjVitwUfGHba7cNLcjRJjZWPqgSASQl_xo3YjZE1vXIG8n0oWJnIoqp6kG6XGM1kr5ySHvi6unW7FOHSySZgdVUN3sMdxgWmr_Y-zK7mtWw9dFSs/s400/IMG_0072.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364063485795037122" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px; " /></a></p><p align="center">An amazing cupcake (they called them Babycakes) I enjoyed at this cute little place called <a href="http://www.sugarsistersbakery.com/">Sugar Sisters.</a></p><p align="center"><br /></p><p align="center"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5LR2Lup5cj2uIrRNxQFqkEkvNsHAZVDI_Ga3KDX_3g8tudEpGaaaTYznPprN3I3z2hhgqT_3P2voogdXyUoT59z-7hgxiMagWpJOgq_791dKB1bCmUOPu3xMM6CRmEg6m286GJiMBABU/s1600-h/IMG_0081.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5LR2Lup5cj2uIrRNxQFqkEkvNsHAZVDI_Ga3KDX_3g8tudEpGaaaTYznPprN3I3z2hhgqT_3P2voogdXyUoT59z-7hgxiMagWpJOgq_791dKB1bCmUOPu3xMM6CRmEg6m286GJiMBABU/s400/IMG_0081.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364063479767580562" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a></p><p align="center">Meet my new obsession: sparkly bangle bracelets. </p><p align="center"><br /></p><p align="center"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQINR4C8PWfg3YiQgqekVDj89rNYvzgKEbKEDNcWWNLggu8C1VYECIatwoKlRfTQJwwLFrNpQLmVbOchPPvaHhqk8I5srhm_pQFqKZzcc4aVgZTxlz3EWR5-VeU9sglaa5A4skIlkpycI/s1600-h/IMG_8208.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQINR4C8PWfg3YiQgqekVDj89rNYvzgKEbKEDNcWWNLggu8C1VYECIatwoKlRfTQJwwLFrNpQLmVbOchPPvaHhqk8I5srhm_pQFqKZzcc4aVgZTxlz3EWR5-VeU9sglaa5A4skIlkpycI/s400/IMG_8208.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364063468203857762" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a></p><p align="center">My buddy Anne and I, enjoying BLUE Coconut snowcones in Ft. Worth, Texas. </p><p align="center"><br /></p><p align="center"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjPFJLkupeUoeP5Y-eQDT_iAZ9qmdYJRYZgL0kY4xUa8GA8qCbaJQUD7vHxD3KU9LZSr_h8GEqsxF0wNfFKjGQXSArjSsgrTUSaU9y5eZkXQ6JyTAEDRvDlzPIvF8fw6_eAPMH1bwtfxU/s1600-h/IMG_8183.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjPFJLkupeUoeP5Y-eQDT_iAZ9qmdYJRYZgL0kY4xUa8GA8qCbaJQUD7vHxD3KU9LZSr_h8GEqsxF0wNfFKjGQXSArjSsgrTUSaU9y5eZkXQ6JyTAEDRvDlzPIvF8fw6_eAPMH1bwtfxU/s400/IMG_8183.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364063456918047394" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a></p><p align="center">Jeremy and I at our first fondue restaurant, The Melting Pot. (Jeremy doesn't look scared at all, does he?)</p><p align="center"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT3Kpb-6ny7-uKO42FYVZ0KAl_hjccy1fpyhL8OTFOFgaVIoCaeUNEEyoxl80zmefK7rFjftg1HxWuR0dG27ibsf64xKMpglsnPdoQjtUuUpGRzMcUNtVPemASw-5nuquJcGBqijHe0Hg/s400/Photo+49.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364063470632920642" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 395px; " /></p><p align="center">New hair do. The bangs SEEMED like a good idea. But I despise them now. </p><p align="center" style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p align="center" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span></p></div>Sarah :)http://www.blogger.com/profile/13103405432037619787noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3742373914736422772.post-1957314728952202192009-07-14T15:12:00.012-05:002009-07-14T18:29:06.941-05:00Speed Bloggin'<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">I am a busy girl with a lot to tell you folks! Soooo, in an attempt to blog a lot of information in a limited amount of time, I am going to mimic the style of one of </span><a href="http://www.sarahchampion.typepad.com/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">my favorite bloggers</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">. We'll see if it works!</span><br /></div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br />1. I got an iPHONE! </span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGxKBfzS-3DaAnt039gexiqGPjJNT26Ua7kyn5QpB9hn4ZFUp3YJ2c-NPzu_8ki7Y6BHoKYqXF8Nl-6ZlmtiNO2buBo1z7LThyphenhyphen8-FsHYGc-QJ5BNLmWI2O02-8W-k33d3yvGdcM37nmhA/s1600-h/iphone_home.gif"></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span></div><div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-NQ0RQDAJdCsRWtU1HZT2qGJrINANrx8zTgXele3RgSsnlX7uD6wZ05bLnvmmM0lRSuH-U2QpecM1pya9N9Hqd6I0hRaG_EyNOhpGxcBmtNMv3kqjUyfKMkz_0alWKmCEsWcnZkB5Dbg/s400/iphone_home.gif" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358454877686719826" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 242px; height: 400px; " /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'trebuchet ms';">After months of putting off the inevitable and denying Jeremy his one and only (at the moment) wish, I gave in and we got iPhones. I don't why I hemmed and hawed about it for so long...they ARE amazing! I should have known, since I am so head-over-heels in love with my iPOD and Macbook laptop, that I would love any and every product Apple puts out. They really are so user friendly. And fun! I've tried to picky in what "Apps" I've downloaded, but I still already have a bit of a collection. My sole complaint is that the texting is a bit tricky...just because of the touch-keyboard. I'm sure it's more my clumsy fingers than the phone, though, and thankfully the predictive text feature usually knows what I'm TRYING to say and fixes my mistakes. :)</span><br /></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span> </div><br /><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">2. I'm reading "Twilight!" </span></div><div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp6iR5vHjqkdhC-xjW1si4tLKT8PoVR5zki8YNmuxRIZErqKSodcFyOpFwpo9_clhHdZRqvKG6-dTWbHC3SJ68C8Y7l-OpQsChXylUcFe6LJjPxH4GqJdRA0AKsxiEmTAxHgOQOn_CCyU/s400/twilight_book_cover.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358455229888938434" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px; " /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I know, I know...."Wayta finally jump on THAT bandwagon after it's gone past." Honestly, I'd been resisting for a while. I did see the movie when it came out. I enjoyed it and was sorta curious about the story, but just rolled my eyes at all the hype and all my friends telling me to read the books. But then my sister got into it...and she reads about as much as I do (which is never). Well she finished the entire SERIES in like a week or something. That caught my attention. So I borrowed the first book from her...and bam, I was hooked. People told me this over and over...but there REALLY IS so much more in the book that the movie failed to portray (or left out, or changed). These characters are just absolutely engrossing...and talk about an amazing, spine-tingling love story. Wow. Sooo...I also read the unreleased "inside-Edward's-head" book that was leaked online, and now I'm reading book two, New Moon. And while it's not quite as mesmorizing as the first one was, I'm still really into it. Since I'm basically just reading on my lunch breaks (which last week was dangerously low on), I'm not running through these nearly as quickly as Lauren did though. *haha*</span><br /></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span> </div><br /><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">3. I love Sims3! </span></div><div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWY0yWnCzHs_-IOZSigaeeyWmRz5mM65dxSEiZvtgaH192nFWTyweKlXJz9jl44YnU72PscdyJNJggjB3WmZ2NORabtZGSvqhCmtvI94SQDeeKsP8nKwRa3EVqejzB7soIavGxu33uyW0/s400/sims3box.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358456141078190290" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 283px; height: 400px; " /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Though I haven't really been able to play in a few weeks, I somehow feel this is still important information for you to know. I've always been a bit of a Sims nut, so Jeremy got me this latest addition when it first came out. I don't know if you've ever played or if you're familiar with the concept, but it's so fun and extremely addictive. Basically, you create people (at various stages of life, from toddler to elderly). You get to choose their features and clothes (my favorite part), then decide on their personalities. In this newest game, you even pick a life goal for them to strive for. Then you put them in a home and let them "live!" Of course you're making decisions FOR them all the time...which can get tricky if you have a large household of Sims to manage. The new features on Sims3 open up so many more possibilities...you could just play forever. Well, maybe YOU could, but I don't have that kinda time. *sigh* ;)</span><br /></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span> </div><br /><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">4. Got some really sad news last weekend: my coworker Anne that I've become such good buddies with is moving away. :( </span></div><div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUytSx_TGQiW97ETt-3oolceRag9VeLqw0mpW0F2iElHgYJYtcJysOpoyXb1pc0B7BgH1phsm_Yzo5CJn9y9kipRyCINikDEDYNOTNAxcHobkOmTTv1eV75Lwk_9JDj0-NRlmqWdlOaPk/s400/IMG_7916.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358456542675053682" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Just to Kansas City, which isn't TOO far away (as I've been reminded repeatedly), but she's still being taken away from my "everyday" which makes me so, so sad. We have so much fun working together and hanging out...she really has been a blessing in my life as a friend. And her hubby has become a good friend and golf parter for Jeremy, so this situation is sad on both levels. She's also become my workout partner, which brings me to...</span><br /></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span> </div><div><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">5. I'm doing P90X! </span></div><div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw9yxNQgJ4uEWYRW46zOo4h5NgevamHTG3QRDl1hGJZlGY4Ouxy1zcIbI5ChdpnMZUTdD1H0sUjF70iR2cfX-QBXk0K2ko_Ks62-E4wSPF_pe2aK63890io0sWzLJvwqvqPEfnaVn-TQE/s400/2qvuqg1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358457698115858898" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 195px; " /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'Trebuchet MS';">Ever seen the infomercials? It's this "EXTREME" DVD workout program where you can get completely RIPPED in just 90 days. Waaaaell...I don't know about all THAT, but we're certainly doing our best! *haha* The idea behind the program is "muscle confusion," so each video focuses on something different...and there's a different video for every day of the week! (Not that we've been able to do it that often, but again, I did say we're doing our best! *hehe*) It's nice because we aren't getting bored with it since there's so much variety. I am, however, worried about being able to keep this up once my workout partner is gone. :( I don't think I'm motivated enough to do it on my own!</span><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Trebuchet MS';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Trebuchet MS';">I'm going to finally get to see "Wicked!!"</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Trebuchet MS';"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ9fKZIT_j5U9gpU67LxsDZNfdzP78QmLKcmyyaK89J7rzRjKKQv8z8jMnWdfrF_duPxik-cE-uOvNURzBBCmie3-ji1OsED-Ax_-vOZ62x-pM7dshZM81jzvFhEBSctbkmU7EeCmaXbk/s400/wicked0606.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358458123684751666" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 362px; height: 400px; " /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Trebuchet MS';">I can hardly believe it, but the show is coming to Wichita in October. (Did I already blog about this? I can't remember...my apologies if this is a repeat.) I never would have thought that Wichita could draw such a huge production, but it's going to be here for the a whole week! When I first found out a few months ago, the tickets weren't on sale yet but we found some "prices" on a site and they were OUTRAGEOUS!!! Even knowing that, Jeremy agreed we could go. But we were delighted to discover that those prices had been way off...and we bought two excellent tickets for the price of what we initially thought ONE was going to cost. HOO-RAY! I am so stinkin' excited. And thrilled that Jeremy isn't just sending me off on my own to see it by myself. What a great hubby I have!!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Trebuchet MS';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Trebuchet MS';">Well I think that's it...for now. What did we think of this style of blog? I don't know if it saved me any time...but I feel better knowing you're up to date on my life. *wink* </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';"><br /></span></div>Sarah :)http://www.blogger.com/profile/13103405432037619787noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3742373914736422772.post-72378100402584609922009-06-22T20:26:00.007-05:002009-06-22T21:08:39.019-05:00Close Encounters of a Cook Kind<div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Went to see David Cook last night!! I went with Anne (my new buddy from work) and we had a most excellent time. (Bill & Ted reference, anyone?) It was at the Cotillion, which is this cozy, round, ballroom kind of venue with tables around the outside and a big open space in the middle facing the stage. That area seemed to be filled with a lot of uber-fans and drunk people, so Anne and I took a nice little spot at a table on the side. We still could see WAAAY better than we would have at any arena, so it was cool! </span><br /></div><div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqfUaskzD0RyHt7AlZLtSKsVvMdjxKnwPMb5HwjxHmimMbNa6xiU6IbgZvODoitOaiITWr2LJufabybXreqBuPZIKXiaQ_LQIxqDexLR5HDDQLNjCSph0ZohVTgzGVepFeGtou2h6K0ao/s400/IMG_8078.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350332650559273650" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">David's voice was even better in person than on TV or CD's. Not hoarse at all (like I would expect it to be, since he's touring like crazy). Very crisp and powerful. I was impressed with the way he dealt with the crowd, too. He was relaxed, personable and funny. But while they did a great, rocked-out cover of "I Just Died In Your Arms Tonight," Anne & I both wished he would have sang "Always Been My Baby" like on Idol. Alas, he did not. <br /></span></div><div><div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXPRQfnF1_UCAbROgHDgwxYnVA_-S24V717Fv7Q4m8deBs9jThm68tuOt4mQWGqmPNUMHR3ouTUH_fokiQlW1rHCU5lXw4MGw1Mi_2qDoakcECCOKAfPTOFMWIu1292KfCJ74BCcMzfLQ/s400/IMG_8100.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350332659166540738" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcWvlTT9VgiAQ4a5gXuwdWy_b04g3ABig5WzRWOpRn7A5pTTBUSWZW_RNefHx1dDwbyC5MmJK1bGd_p1_NkvQcXf8kUuLYfEX_6GdLkR7yJ6WV75uVXkaIZdyEaxcPHGfh6MiCW3OX_hY/s400/IMG_8104.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350332663850729266" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Our seats weren't too far away from the stage exit, where the band had to cross the hall to get to the dressing room. (Yeah, poorly designed.) So after they left the stage the first time and everyone was cheering for an encore, Anne suggested that I go over and wait by where the door was so I could get a picture of David coming back to the stage. Thought this was a pretty good idea myself, so I eagerly headed over there. I was almost immediately joined by a handful of security guards and quite a few other fans. We waited with anticipation, cameras poised, hearts pounding, excitedly staring at the door. Then...all of the sudden the door flung open...and out came....some hispanic guy. Dang! That threw me off my game and I was completely unprepared for DAVID to follow right behind the guy! Shoot. So while I saw him very clearly with my own two eyeballs, my picture turned out beyond crumby. This is what I got, AFTER much altering and lightening on the 'puter.</span></div><div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5eKnox1bbZxf3XaVj6-FM7uj26NF_mzldO4f7DpA0PvkiUkYB_SvG17ZHv3lgLJaLJ4XeXAv7tLcbxBmN26yWsYgDsRXidMogjRmkfM5GCJa7n5FKU_eQHTudg_7PkdZtO_kRrY6uc1w/s400/IMG_8108.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350332667945148258" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Do you see him? He's the dark black blur on the left that is moving AWAY from the camera. You can make out his head, his back, his elbows, and his legs. It's him, trust me. *haha* I could never be a paparazzi. :^/</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">I loved <a href="http://www.1053thebuzz.com/Sunny-s-Blog/1900475">this blog</a> from a local DJ, talking about meeting David Cook's new puppy that he had backstage with him! I can totally relate to what she did...and it made me like David more knowing he's a dog person. :) (Since I can't link directly to the exact post, I'm talking about the one titled "I Am The Biggest Nerd!" although she did say she's going to post pictures soon.)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); text-decoration: underline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span></div></div>Sarah :)http://www.blogger.com/profile/13103405432037619787noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3742373914736422772.post-61305256961736240172009-06-17T15:01:00.009-05:002009-06-18T09:17:07.745-05:00It's in the genes<div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><br /></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggOKXL3yiwvQp-SuMqm7CKvgrIkolzhMq6MsyessdPMohMx5IZ-95SeU__oqgGKLff30tsJ_-4T0AmCbn0SKkL_z7j3fdc4DmSZUJGQ5JHgIQhj_TP4ZdCK07SB3reut_rJUrGilYgovs/s1600-h/IMG_7202.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348393051899816994" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggOKXL3yiwvQp-SuMqm7CKvgrIkolzhMq6MsyessdPMohMx5IZ-95SeU__oqgGKLff30tsJ_-4T0AmCbn0SKkL_z7j3fdc4DmSZUJGQ5JHgIQhj_TP4ZdCK07SB3reut_rJUrGilYgovs/s400/IMG_7202.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">What I'm about to tell you will probably solidify my place in your minds as a complete wackadoodle pet owner...but I don't care. Because when I found out I could have a DNA test run on my mutts to find out what breeds are in their heritage, I couldn't wait to do it. And Jeremy was psyched about it too, so we submitted some of Cubby's & Wrigley's blood (that Dr. Olson drew at the hospital...we didn't like do it ourselves! Duh!).</span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">There are a lot of companies doing this nowadays, but the one our clinic uses is called </span><a href="http://wisdompanel.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Wisdom Panel</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">. You can visit the website if you wanna know all the little details about how it's done. Basically they look into the dog's DNA and decipher the genetic codes and badda bing, badda boom, you find out what your dog is. That's the simplified version. :)</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Here are the results!</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Wrigley</span></span></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmty-Lz1XTQ7FasuhCOroY9Nv5KRXKRbx6tudhBzMxp2SJKIDz7PQuIPA0KBbIh0OLx5GLMHlzAucvu9nKTqyAK277G-XdtWqssdkx78Enm4qT4-DJHMP0Igl33bkH35ALn-ftov0KO9U/s1600-h/IMG_7651.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348393053070002466" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmty-Lz1XTQ7FasuhCOroY9Nv5KRXKRbx6tudhBzMxp2SJKIDz7PQuIPA0KBbIh0OLx5GLMHlzAucvu9nKTqyAK277G-XdtWqssdkx78Enm4qT4-DJHMP0Igl33bkH35ALn-ftov0KO9U/s400/IMG_7651.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">We've always thought that Wrigley was a mix of maybe a </span><a href="http://www.dogster.com/breeds/Rat_Terrier"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Rat Terrier</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> and </span><a href="http://www.dogster.com/breeds/Italian_Greyhound"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Italian Greyhound</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> (especially before we fattened him up). And maybe some other kind of terrier too. As it turns out, Wrigley's heritage includes:</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><a href="http://www.dogster.com/breeds/smooth_fox_terrier"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Smooth Fox Terrier</span></a></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">(Can totally see this in his body structure and probably hair type.)</span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: left"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.traffordphotos.com/assets/images/Fox_Terrier_Smooth_9T072D-126.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 328px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://www.traffordphotos.com/assets/images/Fox_Terrier_Smooth_9T072D-126.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: left"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><a href="http://www.dogster.com/breeds/Borzoi"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Borzoi</span></a></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">(This is where we were getting the Italian Greyhound thing from. Just a bigger, hairier version. Possibly the source of Wrigley's polka-dotted skin?)</span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.justusdogs.com.au/images/borzoi.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 313px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 280px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://www.justusdogs.com.au/images/borzoi.jpg" border="0" /></a></span></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">You can see the face shape similarities when he has his ears back. See?</span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348400344957960226" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZQoBPFiHk2qcbnOT-iKhqk6ogQWUv8xlizzYKm8ySaXIL8J6kXc7wpIa_-YiGgfxS9N_l-mEPLcTokGHGJqiuh4weB8lylA8BEDJmbIPpKFlQBa-UlLTy8S8YXgbx_RlM8wOnkJlG27c/s400/IMG_2005.JPG" border="0" /></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><a href="http://www.dogster.com/breeds/tibetan_terrier"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Tibetan Terrier</span></a></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">(Reeeally?? Hmmm. We can only assume this is WAY back in his lineage. *haha*)</span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 217px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://creaturecomforters.net/catalog/images/tibetan%20terrier.jpg" border="0" /></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><a href="http://www.dogster.com/breeds/Dachshund"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Dachshund</span></a></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">(This surprised us, too. But perhaps it's the Doxie gene that makes him plump up so easily? *wink*)</span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://girlfromthenorthcountry.files.wordpress.com/2007/11/dachshund.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 350px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://girlfromthenorthcountry.files.wordpress.com/2007/11/dachshund.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="COLOR: rgb(85,26,139); TEXT-DECORATION: underline"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,238); TEXT-DECORATION: underline"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Cubby's turn!</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcyZSXfU4jLPgG-CNfwxCULzGY8aygbwz_tvVzNBG79M8Vze8Ss8aoWxHyoBT_fq2r809pPeCZJ_h7AZaPIONCmqyoGaqTmZ4rapISYVMTFsZM9UL78iQ1zL5yWivaeHJ4prDUY5HkYeo/s1600-h/IMG_7763.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348393063786566674" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcyZSXfU4jLPgG-CNfwxCULzGY8aygbwz_tvVzNBG79M8Vze8Ss8aoWxHyoBT_fq2r809pPeCZJ_h7AZaPIONCmqyoGaqTmZ4rapISYVMTFsZM9UL78iQ1zL5yWivaeHJ4prDUY5HkYeo/s400/IMG_7763.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">When we purchased Cubby from the shelter, we were told that he was a </span><a href="http://www.dogster.com/breeds/Chihuahua"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Chihuahua</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> mix (it was their best guess), but we also thought he probably had some </span><a href="http://www.dogster.com/breeds/Pomeranian"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Pomeranian</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> or</span><a href="http://www.dogster.com/breeds/Dachshund"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> Long-haired Dachshund </span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> in there too. But really, we've been mystified by this question for as long as we've had him. Well mystery solved!!! Cubby is a mix of:</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><a href="http://www.dogster.com/breeds/Tibetan_spaniel"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Tibetan Spaniel</span></a></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">(But of COURSE! Why didn't we see this sooner? The coloring, the fur type, the curly tail, the long-ish body! Its so OBVIOUS now.)</span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 224px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://creaturecomforters.net/catalog/images/tibetan%20spaniel.jpg" border="0" /></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I got especially excited when I compared these two photos (Just change the face and it's the same dog!):</span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348404142487510322" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 196px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 261px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqDsGUFp0Gz877DXRvAzJNIk8zm3qY7PvAurfPwOki9T33CksatknGTHcLnJ-MqyfpUuYBsDAA-ZSE_2qBUrmPMoSeIRmMf4L0QdS_0OmaOXXufjLpuqYXteSp_Tuz6DER2aKr8mJ_W8k/s400/tibetan_spaniel_02.jpg" border="0" /></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348403966846626834" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5478mOPmjGEwyvI5QycCZWIeyymE148WvYNPd87wz-eVoZ3AQ60QmajeplrpvLiPIfB-yjaYLJik9G4rUcx77hOL5HZe-zh0i7hVqEufBHmy5QsNx9Isbi_MGPHPMjOPEkXRjxYtwR-g/s400/IMG_7466.JPG" border="0" /></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a href="http://www.dogster.com/breeds/Miniature_Poodle"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Miniature Poodle</span></a></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">(*haha* Hilarious. Is this where he got his face shape? I kinda think so.)</span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 460px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://www.breedersonline.co.uk/photos/3b/3049x_1.jpg" border="0" /></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a href="http://www.dogster.com/breeds/Manchester_Terrier_Standard"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Manchester Terrier</span></a></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">(Hmm..you've got me!)</span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 301px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 360px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://static.gotpetsonline.com/pictures-gallery/dog-pictures-breeders-puppies-rescue/toy-manchester-terrier-pictures-breeders-puppies-rescue/pictures/toy-manchester-terrier-0002.jpg" border="0" /></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">And the best one of all...wait for it...wait for it....</span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a href="http://www.dogster.com/breeds/Labrador_Retriever"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Labrador Retriever</span></a></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">(NO WAY, right? Well it's waaaay back there in his heritage, like earlier than the Great Grandparent level. They did point out that Cubby did not have the same "size" gene as a Lab. Duh. *haha*)</span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 500px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 379px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://www.doginfopedia.com/images/yellow-lab.jpg" border="0" /></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: left"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">So there you have it. Kinda neat, huh? It's especially fun to look at the temperaments of each dog and compare the similarities. If you have a mutt, I'd recommend you try this out! It's a bit pricey, but if you've always wondered what your dog REALLY is, it's so fun to find out. And the folks at Wisdom Panel were extremely helpful. (Cubby's lab results originally came back as ONLY Labrador, which naturally I wasn't satisfied with. So I e-mailed them and got an almost immediate phone response. They gave his blood sample to their top geneticist for further testing, and that's where the rest of the results came from.) </span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: left"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: left"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Now the only problem is when people ask what kinds of dogs they are, I feel obligated to run down the whole list! Like people even care? *haha*</span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></div>Sarah :)http://www.blogger.com/profile/13103405432037619787noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3742373914736422772.post-62699271988276753692009-05-29T12:39:00.009-05:002009-05-29T18:32:26.084-05:00Watch out critters! It be huntin' season!<div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">I hate spring. All those stupid animals having their stupid little babies right in my stupid backyard. STUPID!</span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Ok, that came out all wrong. Let me start again. I actually <em>love</em> Spring. The beautiful weather, blossoming creation...yes even the new little families starting all around us. Baby ducks, baby birds, baby bunnies. Could they BE any cuter? I just wish the "circle of life" didn't stress me out so badly!</span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">If I see one more ducky couple trying to cross a busy intersection or highway, I'm gonna die. I just can't handle it. They're in their own little worlds, lollygaggin' across the street, like they don't even sense the impending doom of cars flying past them at 70mph. And Heaven forbid they have a little family of ducklings following them. I'd be apt to stop traffic to see them to safety. (My coworker Anne actually did just that, escorting 6 little momma-less ducklings out of the middle of the road. She's my hero.)</span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">And then you have the "local wildlife:" the animals that insist on settling down in my backyard. Couldn't they at least live in my <em>front yard</em>? Haven't they heard tale of the "Bunny Massacre of 2008?" Don't they <em>know</em> what my dogs are capable of? The little monsters. Well, Cubby and Wrigley are monsters. (MoJo isn't interested in anything that's not on the other side of a fence or window. Put it right in front of him and it's like it disappears.)</span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Last night we had our first traumatic incident of Spring '09. We had just gotten home from Bible study. I was changing into my jammies and Jeremy had just let the dogs outside. I heard him calmly say, "Wrigley, leave it." but it quickly escalated into, "Wrigley...WRIGLEY! LEAVE IT! WRIGLEY! NO! WRIIIIGGGLLLEY!" So I came running down the stairs and into the yard to see what was going on. I found Jeremy playing defense on behalf of a small robin. Wrigley and Cubby were lunging and pouncing, trying to get past Jeremy's legs. (MoJo was in the back corner of the yard, having it out with his nemesis, the evil and menacing "Dog-On-Other-Side-Of-Large-Wooden-Wall.") I ran out and somehow caught hold of Wrigley's collar, dragging him back into the house. Then I went back for Cubby, whom I scared so badly he piddled all the way across the patio. He's SO not used to getting in trouble. :( And I tossed MoJo in the house too, for good measure.</span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">With the hunters safely corralled, Jeremy told me what had happened. Apparently, this young robin was flying low, across the yard. Wrigley saw it, jumped up and caught it - IN THE AIR! As if it were a tennis ball and he was a Labrador! Holy moley!!! Who the heck does he think he is, anyway? He had the whole bird in his mouth, but then, not really knowing what to do with it, he dropped it. That's when Cubby joined in the excitement as the poor thing flopped around on the ground. </span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Well my animal-savior instinct kicked in and I immediately went to pick it up to see if it was hurt. (Like I'd even be able to tell, right?) It proceeded to flap it's way right out of my hands. Pretty sure neither of its wings were broken, but it was obviously still a little stunned from the horror it had just endured. So after MUCH discussion about what should be done (my sister and I used to rescue baby birds in distress and try to nurse them back to health...so my initial thought was to take it "under my wing." Get it? Get it? *haha*) I decided it would probably be fine on it's own...but not in my backyard. I wanted to give it a chance to regain its equilibrium in a safer area, so I took it to the front of our house and released it</span> <span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">in the flowerbed at the furthest end of our yard. I have to say, I did enjoy holding the little guy. He was so soft and sweet. *awww*</span><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Both Jeremy and I checked the area this morning and our little feathered friend was nowhere to be seen. So either it WAS fine and flew off into the sunset, or someone else's monster pet (likely a cat) got it. But at least I know it wasn't one of MY monsters that finished it off. I'm hoping for the nicer scenario, of course. </span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">I'm a little worried, though, because this incident seems to have awakened something in Wrigley. Now he's much more interested in going outside and sniffing around. *sigh* So now you know why MoJo is my favorite dog...in the Spring. ;)</span></div>Sarah :)http://www.blogger.com/profile/13103405432037619787noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3742373914736422772.post-71596853382096901042009-05-27T16:54:00.007-05:002009-05-27T19:56:23.587-05:00Our wet-n-wild weekend<div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipnu8jvce1jOID_4J5jfAGO7aWHoP8lVExTEP4_nYJxlX5BLkpwPr_2wjlGm6cPkLb5hRBh5N9ktdbmCAQ1IjLSDxGfZiCMZAatsdKMuNjH0wE6pZZS9qCtSV8QA85fxFEiIrOH7F6iCU/s1600-h/schlitterbahn_newbraunfels_400.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipnu8jvce1jOID_4J5jfAGO7aWHoP8lVExTEP4_nYJxlX5BLkpwPr_2wjlGm6cPkLb5hRBh5N9ktdbmCAQ1IjLSDxGfZiCMZAatsdKMuNjH0wE6pZZS9qCtSV8QA85fxFEiIrOH7F6iCU/s400/schlitterbahn_newbraunfels_400.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340654437980264626" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 256px; " /></a><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">It rained. Well, more like thunderstormed. As we were driving into New Braunfels on Saturday, the skies were sunny and beautiful. But the closer we got, the darker the skies were. And by the time we parked, it was downright pouring. No biggie, we thought, we're gonna get wet anyway. But all the rides were closed because of the lightning. *haha* So we ended up walking around in the rain for almost 2 hours. Once the thunderstorm passed the rides did open back up, but by then it was a gusty 60 degrees. The upside is that everyone left so the lines were really short! ;) <br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">The next day's forecast didn't look much better, but we ended up having PLENTY of sunshine to get our fill of </span><a href="http://schlitterbahn.com/nb/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">Schlitterbahn</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">. In fact, had we spent anymore time there I'd shudder to think of what my condition would be. As is, I have bruises under both of my arms from tubing, my feet are so sore I can STILL hardly walk on them barefoot and my pinky and wrist may never by the same after I fell out of my tube in a shallow section of a ride and slammed my hand against the bottom. Ouch. No sunburn, though! Still has pale as a sheet of paper. :)</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">So to sum up </span><a href="http://schlitterbahn.com/nb/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">Schlitterbahn</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">...it IS really huge! It started as a small park sandwiched between the little town of New Braunfels and the winding Comal River. They've expanded all over the place (there's a tram that can take you from one park to the other - that's how far apart the editions are.) But it's also the most poorly laid out amusement park I've ever been to. There was an entire section of slides that we almost didn't even find! We wandered down this random staircase and there they were! (They ended up being our favorites, so I'm glad we found them!) The </span><a href="http://schlitterbahn.com/nb/trip/pdf/NBMap07.pdf"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">maps</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"> were absolutely no help, either. For one thing they're not very accurate. And they had them posted all over the park but never labeled with "YOU ARE HERE" markers, making them pretty much useless. So this is probably the reason my feet hurt so bad, because we just had to walk around till we figured out where we were. *haha*</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">One more complaint, then I swear I'll say something positive. :) One of the major draws of this park are the famous "Blaster" slides, which are marketed as "water coasters." I can't tell you how many times I've seen these slides on the Travel Channel on their thrill ride or amusement park specials. *in my best announcer voice* "They've harnessed the technology of using water jets to propel rafts uphill, defying the gravity that has limited to waterslides to downhill movement for so long." So that sounds really cool, right? I mean, I love me a good rollercoaster! What could be more fun than a water coaster? Um, lot's of things. In fact, after waiting in line for over 45 minutes, I called "</span><a href="http://www.schlitterbahn.com/dragonsrevenge/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">Dragon's Revenge"</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"> the most disappointing part of the trip. It's a double ride, meaning we rode in one of those joint tubes, Jeremy was in front and I was in back. It was a regular tube where your booty is exposed. Remember those water jets that propel the tubes uphill? Well, when we went over them, it felt like someone was shooting my backside with a power washer. NOT comfortable. The jets practically knocked Jeremy's swim shorts all the way off. With every hill I was yelling, "OW! OW! OW! OW! OW!" And, beyond that, the designers seemed to be so excited about their UPHILL technology they neglected to have very many DOWNHILL portions. Which, isn't that the whole point of going uphill? To come back down? That's what I thought. But we just kept going up, then down just a little, then back up again. Not very exciting. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">Enough complaining. We really DID have a great time!! The park is beautifully green and lush, probably because of its position along the river. (I didn't invest in a water proof camera so I don't have any pictures to share, but I did find a couple on the internet to show you.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 54px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 18px; "><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRVWadlkC99cVfM2_LH3n7JDJqwHmjeE_IKiHM4zhuMCy3kA-ae9NlgGkOxXcFyVCu8ToGT8uoOkHrFkxQtZlGgEfcAsVn45vHyZkOmY1ITq2hWMCITafLho5ggzweLWjlFSH4_H5NsUw/s1600-h/view-from-balcony-towards.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRVWadlkC99cVfM2_LH3n7JDJqwHmjeE_IKiHM4zhuMCy3kA-ae9NlgGkOxXcFyVCu8ToGT8uoOkHrFkxQtZlGgEfcAsVn45vHyZkOmY1ITq2hWMCITafLho5ggzweLWjlFSH4_H5NsUw/s400/view-from-balcony-towards.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340654442737806514" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a></span></span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">This shows part of the park that runs along the river. The sidewalk on the left leads up to some slides.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">Jeremy and I both agreed that our favorite rides were the "tube chutes," where you sit in a tube and float your way through twisting white water, down little drops and spills. Like this:</span></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0pDlL12gPMI8CbhG7i7vfyTtdMhMQ3-7JqF8Vn3lnUB1K3iBhyphenhyphengoqOAnYfpbD-aoAjs_OfExeYbGgvQIts9KSvQqqmPQSwOh5g1XSlZNjw4wuvdH_DDdaMP9WXXfd3a_EUWfYJDzDWdo/s1600-h/042509Schlitterbahn+Opens+1.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0pDlL12gPMI8CbhG7i7vfyTtdMhMQ3-7JqF8Vn3lnUB1K3iBhyphenhyphengoqOAnYfpbD-aoAjs_OfExeYbGgvQIts9KSvQqqmPQSwOh5g1XSlZNjw4wuvdH_DDdaMP9WXXfd3a_EUWfYJDzDWdo/s400/042509Schlitterbahn+Opens+1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340654433341201186" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 288px; height: 400px; " /></a><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">This picture shows a particularly gentle portion of a ride, but there were parts that got really rough. (Jeremy fell out of his tube multiple times. *haha*) They were so fun...and each of these rides lasted long enough to make standing in line seem worthwhile (unlike a regular slide where you're done in a matter of seconds.) </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">We also engaged in one of our absolute favorite pastimes - people watching. Is anything more fun than people watching at a WATERPARK? ;) It was particularly entertaining playing "tattoo spotters." Boy did we see some doozies! One dude had a spinal cord tattooed all the way down his back. That was certainly unique.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">And I have to say, walking around in my swimsuit in public had the exact opposite effect on my self esteem than I would have thought. It really did me good to see ALL KINDS of bodies. I think I get so caught up in what I see on TV and in magazines that I really start to believe that my body is hideously misshaped and unusual. That I'm in the minority because I'm carrying extra weight. But seeing other women stripped down and bare, it was apparent to me that NO ONE is perfect, including the skinny minnies that probably look flawless under clothes.</span></div></div>Sarah :)http://www.blogger.com/profile/13103405432037619787noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3742373914736422772.post-29714408254500805182009-05-22T10:24:00.006-05:002009-05-22T13:52:12.817-05:00Let it begin!<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">I am so ready for a weekend away with my hubby!! There's nothing I love more than going places and experiencing new things with my best buddy. Whom, by the way, I've been married to for FIVE YEARS! Yup, today is our fifth anniversary. It's a little hard to wrap my mind around. We've actually been together for 9 years in total when you count in the time we were dating and engaged. While I don't think our lives are exactly what I pictured when I walked down the aisle, I really couldn't be happier. I feel blessed every day to be happy and content. :)<br /><br />Today our vet clinic is open but Dr. Olson is out of the office. So that means I'm here to answer the phones and sell an occasional bag of dog food or box of flea prevention. I'm not gonna lie, it's pretty boring. But it helps to know that the second I get home we're loading up the car and heading to Texas!! Our plan is to drive as far as we can get tonight, crash at a hotel somewhere, then get up tomorrow morning and drive the rest of the way, going straight to the waterpark. It's like a 9-hour drive in total so I'm glad we're going to break it up a bit.<br /><br />I'm pretty psyched about Schlitterbahn. No, I'm not excited about wearing my swimsuit, although it's fairly cute...on the hanger. ;) But I've really just decided to have a good time and not be self-conscious. People aren't going to be looking at me, they're going to be too busy having fun slippin' and slidin'. So phooey on caring about that. It did occur to me, however, that I haven't been swimming in almost 10 years. Yikes. Will I even remember how?!? The last time I swam was the summer Jeremy and I met. My parents took us all (me, my sis + both our boyfriends, now husbands) to Florida and we swam both in the hotel pool and in the ocean. I can't believe that's really the last time I've been in the water. How pathetic to let my poor body image keep me from doing something that I enjoy so much. Well I'm putting that on hold this weekend and I'm gonna live it up, baby!!<br /><br />Looks like a fun place. It's absolutely HUGE!! We're spending both Saturday and Sunday there in hopes to ride everything and take it all in. They have all kinds of slides and wave pools and river-thingies to float in. Plus they have water-coasters where you actually go <em>up and down</em> in your tube. I guess water jets you up each little hill? I'm looking forward to trying those, since I've seen them on the Travel Channel a few times. :)<br /><br />Then on Monday when we drive home, of COURSE we have to make a pit-stop at IKEA! Hello, it's right on the way! It's a no-brainer. I want a new lamp for the living room...you know, to replace one of the few objects we have left that isn't from IKEA. *haha* (We've got the one that is presently sitting in our living room at Wal-Mart when we got married. It was way cheap and it's getting kinda rickety.)<br /><br />Happy Memorial weekend, everyone! Hope you all get to enjoy it!</span>Sarah :)http://www.blogger.com/profile/13103405432037619787noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3742373914736422772.post-75688548790233747622009-05-16T19:14:00.005-05:002009-05-16T21:54:39.657-05:00Reason #568...<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">...that I have the best husband in the world. Hands-down. I know I've said it before, but it's true. Here is my most recent proof:</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">1. Thursday night as he was packing for his trip, he gave me a card that said (basically) "I'm so lucky to have a wife that will let me do things like this, but even luckier to have a wife I would rather do all those things with." Awww. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">2. Friday morning when I went to my car to leave for work, I found a card from him on my seat. This one told me to make sure the boys (aka: Moj, Wrigs & Cubs) gave me lot's of lovin' so I don't forget what it's like to adored while he is gone. Double awwww.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">3. This morning when talking to Jeremy on the phone, he hinted that I should look in the drawer next to my bed. And what did I find? Another card - this one featured </span><a href="http://www.hallmark.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/article%7C10001%7C10051%7C/HallmarkSite/hoops_yoyohome/HOOPS_YOYO_HOME_PAGE"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Hoops & Yoyo</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">, whom I LOVE. (They are ridiculously silly and noisy - just like ME!)</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I can only assume that I might have another card waiting for me tomorrow. I mean, I don't know that for sure, but reviewing the facts it seems promising. :) HE'S SO SWEET!!! I love that he put the advance thought into it</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">One thing is for sure, though, I couldn't handle being married to a man that travels a lot. I was so worried last night until I heard he had landed safely. His flight was scheduled to leave around 6pm, right around the same time some really severe weather was coming in the area. I looked at the radar and I'll be darned if it didn't look like a red carpet of tornadoes and thunderstorms had been laid out directly between here and Chicago. Admittedly, I got a bit panicky. In the end, his flight was delayed till about 9:30pm. Poor guy, stuck in the boring ol' Wichita airport for over 4 hours. But he got there safely and even drove to his hotel without falling asleep (my other worry *haha*). And today he went to a Cubs game in some beautiful weather (although he DID get sunburned since his wife wasn't there to put sunblock on him *sigh*) and is really enjoying himself.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I had a good day as well. I finally bit the bullet and went swimsuit shopping. I figured that since our waterpark trip </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">is</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> next weekend, I should probably see what I could find. Though I won't be modeling in a catalog anytime soon, I did find a tankini combination that didn't make me feel like a total cow. I've got a ridiculously nasty bruise on my thigh right now, which glows so nicely against my paper white skin. Ugh. I hope it goes away. (Now if I could just get myself to remember that my desk at work is LOW and stop trying to stand up before scooting my chair out, I'd stop getting these lovely bruises all the time.) I also found a pair of jeans and some capris. Hallelujah! They weren't a smaller size or anything exciting like that, but I really needed them. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">After my shopping spree, I went and got my piggies polished. Jeremy got me a gift certificate as a Congratulations for my new job and I just hadn't gotten around to using it. Again, with our trip next weekend, I thought it was a good time to have pretty feet. I even splurged and had the lady add the extra little flower with a rhinestone in the center! They are SO cute!! (I would take a picture to show you, but Jeremy took the camera with him. *phooey*) I'm not sure how long the rhinestone will actually stay on but it sure made my day! *haha*</span></div>Sarah :)http://www.blogger.com/profile/13103405432037619787noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3742373914736422772.post-27198989673532575472009-05-14T12:39:00.005-05:002009-05-14T13:14:19.213-05:00Give-n-Take<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">My husband is abandoning me. *sniff* But just for the weekend. He is going to Chicago! There's some Bears expo/convention thing that he's always wanted to go to, where he'll get to meet coaches and players and do other Bears stuff...and now he gets to go. He's also going to a Cubs game while he's there.</span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">I have mixed feelings about this. Part of me is really sad that he's going to go experience Chicago for the first time without me. (It's hard for me to let him experience ANYTHING without me. *haha* Let alone a city that I've always wanted to visit!) Won't it be lonely? Won't he be looking around thinking "Wow, this would be a lot more fun if I had someone to share it with." (Yes, I am egotistical enough to think I'd make the trip better by being there. *hehe* Come on, he LOVES me!! *grin*) I'm also nervous about him going all by himself. I know he's a responsible, trustworthy guy, but I've got that weird feeling that he'd be a lot safer if I was there to look out for him. What if he gets lost? What if he wrecks his rental car? What if he decides never to come back? Ok, that last one is ridiculous, I know that. But it definitely COULDN'T HAPPEN if I was there!! ;) </span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">But I'm also really excited for him to get to go. He's a lifetime fan of both the Bears and the Cubs but has never gotten to go to Chicago. And it just wasn't possible for me to go right now, what with a brand new job and all. Plus, I don't really want to spend my first time in Chicago inside a Bears expo, whatever that even is. I want to experience other parts of the city...so maybe we can plan a trip there sometime when both of us can go. I WOULD be more interested in going to a Bears game rather than the Cubs, too. </span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">It'll be good for him to have some vacation from everything. His adventurous heart longs for more excitement than Wichita has to offer, I'm afraid, so I don't begrudge him some traveling. He's been so sweet and understanding of my desire (and need) to be near my family. I know he never thought we'd be in this city this long. Coming from a po'dunk town in Ohio, I know he thought of Wichita as a springboard to bigger and better places. But alas, he went and fell in love with li'l ol' hometown, stuck-in-the-prairie me. And now he's stuck. *haha* So if he needs to stretch his wings from time to time (I know he's wanting to go on a backpacking trip later this Summer) then I simply can't deny him that. </span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><strong><em>PLUS</em></strong>, it gives me great leverage for things that I want. Like, hmmm, I dunno, tickets to WICKED!!! Just found out that it's coming to town in October! The actual Broadway company tour!! I saw a billboard on my way home earlier this week and LITERALLY screamed "Oh my gosh!" to absolutely no one right there in my car. Tickets don't go on sale till August and the prices are REDONKULOUS. But we're going. I've decided it. I wanted to see it so bad when we were in New York City but it was completely sold out. I have the soundtrack memorized - shouldn't I be allowed to finally know the story and see the show that goes with the music? I think so. </span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">And Jeremy didn't say no. How did I get so lucky to have such a great guy? We were having game night with another couple and the subject came up of the show and the tickets and all that. Jeremy said, "Ask me if there's any possible way that I wouldn't take my wife to that?" Meaning he'll do whatever it takes for me to go. Awwww.... :) So even though I said his trip to Chicago is leverage, I don't even need to use it. He's the bestest hubby in the whole wide, wide world. :) I really am blessed to have him. I never have to fight or struggle to make sure I'm treated fairly or taken care of. He's always a step ahead, thinking of me. I think we're pretty good with the whole "give and take" part of our relationship. I know a lot of women that have to go behind their husband's back to get things they want, or they won't let him do the things he wants to do. I'm so glad it's not that way with Jeremy and I. He comes home from golfing and thanks me for "letting" him go because he hears that the other guys are getting crap from their wives about it. But I never do, because I know he's not going to golf us onto a poor farm, or neglect me because of his hobbies. Maybe it's just this easy because we don't have any kids to balance yet. </span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">But I like it. :)</span>Sarah :)http://www.blogger.com/profile/13103405432037619787noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3742373914736422772.post-71580054884609444142009-05-10T12:39:00.015-05:002009-05-12T21:45:32.469-05:00Guts and Glory<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Working at a Veterinary clinic is a dream job...but not last week. I haven't witnessed or dealt with the passing of many animals in the time I've been there, but last week we had FOUR die in 2 days. It was pretty hard. </span><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">One was an elderly Golden Retriever that could barely walk anymore (that reminded me of Shadow on "Homeward Bound." Talk about a heart <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">tugger</span>.) Another was a cat we were hospitalizing that died overnight. Then there was an Australian Shepherd that needed surgery...and once Dr. Olson got inside he found the situation to be much more grave than expected. All were sad. But the one that was most difficult for me was the final one on Friday.</span></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">An older woman and her granddaughter brought in a Pit Bull mix that had the most swollen stomach I'd ever seen. Had it not been a male dog, I would have immediately assumed it was carrying a major litter of pups. They clearly didn't have a lot of money (this was the dog's first visit to a vet, I think) but they were still concerned for the dog's well-being. The woman said she'd been giving him herbs and other natural remedies but nothing was working.</span></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Well, nothing was working because the dog, Kobe, was in the final stages with <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">heartworms</span>. He was suffering from congestive heart failure, which was apparently linked to the retaining of fluid in the abdomen, causing the huge swollen stomach. Dr. Olson let me look at Kobe's blood under the microscope and you could actually see the tiny, wiggling worms <span class="Apple-style-span" style="FONT-STYLE: italic">in his blood. </span>Talk about freaky. </span></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Treating <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">heartworm</span> disease is incredibly expensive. Besides that, Kobe was so far gone that the chances of curing him were fairly slim. His breathing was labored and you could tell he was miserable. You should have seen those sad eyes. :( So the decision was made to put the dog down. It made me so sad...these people had never heard about <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">heartworm</span> preventative medication. Something that could be so easily avoided by giving him a little $4 pill had cost them their pet. :( </span></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">After they left, I was up at my desk doing my normal duties when a woman came in to refill a prescription. I had a question about it, so I walked down the hall to the lab where Dr. Olson and Anne had gone. I'd seen them take Kobe's body back on a stretcher, but I <span class="Apple-style-span" style="FONT-STYLE: italic">didn't know</span> that they were going to dissect him to find the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">heartworms</span>. So when I turned the corner, I found them with Kobe on the table, split wide open, guts and blood everywhere. It looked like a prop from a horror movie set. (<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Sidenote</span>: I'm an extremely queasy person. Generally I can't discuss or see surgical procedures without feeling ill. I actually fainted in the hospital after my sister's scoliosis surgery when I was little. I just don't fair well with that kind of thing!) So I backed way-the-heck up making yelping noises. Dr. Olson goes, "<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">HEEELLLLOOOO</span>!!!! Didn't expect to see that, huh?" I laughed and said, "Um, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">nooo</span>...." then asked them my question while still hiding around the corner. *<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">haha</span>* </span></div><div><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Later though, Anne hollered for me to come look at the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">heartworms</span>. I didn't want to, but figured I should for the educational purpose. (<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Afterall</span>, I get asked a lot of questions like "are these pills really that important?" all the time.) I asked that they cover up everything ELSE, though, which they kindly did. The adult <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">heartworms</span> looked like twine or string...extremely long and skinny. There were SO many of them and they were still alive! Again, very freaky.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">While I'm still squeamish and nervous about the guts, gore and death that I'm occasionally surrounded by, I'm striving to become a little tougher skinned. I think it's pretty neat that Dr. Olson finds it important to educate me about what's going on, so it challenges me to move past my tendency to freak out. Ideally I'd like to work in this field (if not THIS JOB) for a long time, so the more I know the better I'll be at it. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">On Saturday a dog came in with terrible bladder stones. Dr. Olson asked me if I wanted to <em>feel </em>them. Part of me didn't, but the other part of me was curious, so I did. I put my hand on the dog's belly and squeezed...you could literally FEEL them! Like one of those <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">squeazy</span>-stress balls filled with sand! The poor thing, no wonder it had been <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">pottying</span> in the house. Talk about painful! </span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Then for the surgery last week I was asked to "warm up some blood," that would be used for a transfusion. So I was handed a bag of blood (like you'd see hanging from an IV tree) and ran it under warm water for about 15 minutes. That's a big step for me. *<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">haha</span>* I joked when I was finished for them to holler at me when they wanted me to "scrub in." :) </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span> </div><div><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span> </div><div><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span> </div><div> </div><div><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span></div><div></div><div><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"><strong>UPDATED:<em> </em>Since several of you commented about the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">heartworm</span> problem, I thought I'd mention this: <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">Heartworm</span> is the number one killer of dogs. Some people think if their dog doesn't go outside or isn't around other dogs that it's safe, but the truth is that <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">heartworms</span> are passed from mosquitoes. And as we all know, you don't even have to go outside to get bitten by one of those. All it takes is one bite and the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">heartworm</span> larva can be passed into your dog's (or cat's) blood stream. It IS treatable (unless it's left unchecked like</strong> <strong>poor Kobe's) but it's very expensive and not always successful. You're much better off investing in a preventative. There are many different kinds, some are even combined with preventatives for other parasites (like fleas, ticks or a variety of intestinal worms). Obviously your vet can give you <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">recommendations</span> on this better than I can, but my point is that it <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">heartworm</span> preventative IS important and can be relatively inexpensive, especially in contrast to the treatment. As always, thanks for reading my blog and leaving comments! Makes my li'l ol' day to see someone's reading this stuff. *haha*</strong></span></div>Sarah :)http://www.blogger.com/profile/13103405432037619787noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3742373914736422772.post-64225745512645472312009-04-29T19:54:00.004-05:002009-04-29T20:09:39.299-05:00Introducing...my house!<div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms'; ">Many of you have asked to see pictures of our home and decor, since I've talked the heck out of IKEA on here. And I know you're also probably curious to see our new floors, since I've been talking about them forever.</span><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Well you can go to my </span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=104541&id=612354738&l=1d0dd2c63b"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">new Facebook photo album</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> to see pictures! Don't worry, you don't have to be my Facebook friend to see them. (But if you wanna be my Facebook friend, that's even better! *hehe*) I was going to post them all here but decided not to because, 1. I don't really have time and 2. There are most pictures than I can probably put in one post. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I will, however, post some "BEFORE" photos of the old carpet. Just so you can get an idea of how much better everything looks! </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE5EGBxtOGd_qmDfMDI_BrjU9Cvq0oiPVc9WBNXGzBk-yYNi1FHybL9Nqy2a2gxYlAQJ_jFvNbRhWfFb5ptPFuMAvcRe-PpcqKsv9zyhZioXSVec2BkTzpDMzqLISoUmHLTgft2OmgK2M/s1600-h/IMG_5313.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE5EGBxtOGd_qmDfMDI_BrjU9Cvq0oiPVc9WBNXGzBk-yYNi1FHybL9Nqy2a2gxYlAQJ_jFvNbRhWfFb5ptPFuMAvcRe-PpcqKsv9zyhZioXSVec2BkTzpDMzqLISoUmHLTgft2OmgK2M/s400/IMG_5313.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330284032317452194" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivc8Ye1gpM63mIaix9H2h4rE-JUvIXwJ3z5hDKMyEgB1N75E3FEW0rl31xivG2rPJZN9fa8k36BV9YwDuKLs5ONneQmW3WY1vY-4WbaXvhAuRYKQ0iep8r_-B-uzXi_C9S_3p8dZFMd6Q/s400/IMG_5317.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330284046728495202" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); text-decoration: underline;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvBUdFI3iAiGVk3OlC1iFIBW59JnXHFtspBbTYuFciNSKeaPlmujkjfgEBDZD7BqRmCPb2xgBEPNfJ83hyphenhyphen8aMZ1KcPqbKeQbcSaB9g6bJBJi5bhn53aPVgdzc2f8M1-64WSpH5dPM7sHs/s400/IMG_5330.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330284049157844610" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">"AFTER" but before the trim went in</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpEHg9IRCyOioetY_zwGjzgbOdIAPhKC01duvulxuz2FvanOmsSkqhg2j4UDeQNn3MHqCMSu9qAM76KtmnP-55jdIrDvtIxGVxO_toB9a8GFdamutfAh6W0r5bCrFVvB7FirI-N9LuymE/s400/IMG_5331.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330284056353841586" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">The kitchen/dining area</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); text-decoration: underline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></div></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">So go check out my photos and let me know what you think!</span> :)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Sarah :)http://www.blogger.com/profile/13103405432037619787noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3742373914736422772.post-34692907157278738292009-04-25T19:41:00.007-05:002009-04-25T20:59:44.045-05:00I got ma hair did!<div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Well I finally did it. After</span><a href="http://justabitofsillinessreally.blogspot.com/2009/02/extreme-makeover-sarah-edition.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> blogging about it</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> ages ago, I just finally went and had my hair done today. Good grief, right? What took me so long? I dunno...just dragging my feet I guess. I did have my Mom trim it for me like a month ago since it had gotten so ridiculously long and stringy. But I did still want some shape and color.<br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">My new friend at work, Anne, went to a new hair stylist not long ago and was very happy with her cut and color. I liked how it turned out too, so I decided to make an appointment with her. I went today after I got off from work. My appointment lasted from 1:00 - 4:30!! Why? Cause I have a </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">ton of hair</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> - it's really thick and dense. It always takes a long time for anyone to do anything with it. And I wanted the color to look really natural all the way through, not just highlights or thick chunks. She kept saying, "Wow you have a lot of hair!" Poor thing, I would hate to work on this mop. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">But she did a great job! I LOVE the color!! It's exactly what I wanted. Looks sunkissed and fresh...not too blonde, not too dark. I'm still deciding about the cut. First of all, I asked for a "sideswept bang" because lot's of my friends have that and I think it looks so cute. Plus I thought it would shake up my look a bit. Well I HATE it. *sigh* They fall right in my eyes. I don't know if it's just the wrong length or what, but I'm regretting asking for them. And then she styled it all cute and curly, quite glamorous actually. But I know I will hardly ever (if at all) mess with that. So I'm still curious to see what the cut will look like when I style it myself. We shall see!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I took these pictures when I got home this evening (after a run to Wal-Mart...the curls have died down a lot here). Notice I'm STILL in my scrubs. (And also notice how well they match my walls!) *haha* </span></div><div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxjGUAjAcg78l83JsqfaALHd187tOQEpRAzG_hPynwt6z0uvMnTCwSYPXEhAuenuNGjtYuIaBKYFJsp1NPfGat13nAcOnA6Y9zsw8EeuGlzniGPziKlP-tABwOAXBLL6NMonyNn-0ElB8/s400/Photo+17.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5328795475471306354" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">The color actually looks a little lighter than this in person. </span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"></span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnpV5tl536rjNXty6B-NT-NkgBSapahb6ac_UVqI7LjxC4_g7MRwXOOqvjb9-7vmSlxL_gZT0-hcqnqxQFQaOmdUTj9wCRx3w1B3DBRd544hQ_mRaoyKSa26YqBTSVvGbjknKB58fN94I/s1600-h/Photo+12.jpg" style="text-decoration: none;"><img style="text-decoration: underline;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnpV5tl536rjNXty6B-NT-NkgBSapahb6ac_UVqI7LjxC4_g7MRwXOOqvjb9-7vmSlxL_gZT0-hcqnqxQFQaOmdUTj9wCRx3w1B3DBRd544hQ_mRaoyKSa26YqBTSVvGbjknKB58fN94I/s400/Photo+12.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5328795481215235554" /></a></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">The back (Wrigley thought it smelled good. *hehe*)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); text-decoration: underline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRP0_nh_0t3gL7qoNAULqmQa1i5EJ5ArLSuTP9YoFvC8Etly6kIb-q15K_Q4CB4oOGPTQRcPB76RP_lm_T-wkmAWlIJFej7BSgZ-OPjZ8daVZ-J1x2rgh6RsdiHfpGn0bIdnhI9kie2lk/s1600-h/Photo+18.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Auhbl7JhRIY4Pr5aHVYYVDQ_1rHX8Q-84IZYz8cKExjNks1Z032wGAm847N4WuYTFFSeMLtEZzOaDxCe1ffl3_nAtlJtcer1fKQtLSVRrFv69UkrTQu08YR8ZXNEYm_rbCh0CTLu3kA/s400/Photo+15.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5328795469306740658" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">What my bangs kept doin'. Drives me NUTS! Maybe I need better hairspray?</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">And here's what my hair looks like right now as I'm chillin':</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdNyWMCEcTFaV3pu7fmkWMXuPnl3_XDspYYyXL2La26TvPBKwKu_cW60Ju2AxVjERDqdXGnletOLsulDm4lkTo56OBusSmEBSKd8hCZJS_oGwPotok2yMX3NDElmIX0yDFJKGH1o9iFxM/s400/Photo+19.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5328802879637875042" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Ahhh...what a relief to have the hair outta my eyes!<br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); text-decoration: underline;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0kJ4tISevuX_8bUWTCVl3vZY2O7SkeaVvaCm9rKq8UkmxuIkgXT-LcpuaThaZNMfL0l3puVt6yR-6kRzMAUR_TZ1qBAkTUWEkzLhjgyQIY8tSVzhOk-ejjA5kc6EMs9sv_3Tp9mJb98c/s400/Photo+6.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5328802881182684594" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Side view (sorry, forgot to do that while it was styled).</span></div><br /></div>Sarah :)http://www.blogger.com/profile/13103405432037619787noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3742373914736422772.post-35715221510828457642009-04-23T20:08:00.004-05:002009-04-23T21:52:55.387-05:00Absent<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">A whole week without a post?!? Wow, my life has really changed in the last month, hasn't it? I'm sorry to disappear on y'all like that. But to be honest, I didn't even REALIZE that an entire week had passed already! I am so busy! Did you know that I'm working 45-48 hours a week? What a switch from my old 27-35hrs a week I pulled at Scrapbook Garden! (And what a TOTAL opposite of being unemployed!? *haha*) </span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Don't get me wrong, I am not complaining at all! I am still enjoying my job. It's very fulfilling and I love it! I'm really getting the swing of things and feel confident in my position. (And have I mentioned the puppies? I love puppies. *hehe* There is a particular black and white </span><a href="http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&client=safari&rls=en-us&ei=1hTxSbmABaPQMvnBrbMP&resnum=0&q=papillon&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=8hTxSYzoNqS0Ne_jpbwP&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&resnum=1&ct=title"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Papillion</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> puppy that I would totally dog-nap if I wasn't the nice person I am. She is the most adorable thing you've ever seen in your life! I tried to find a picture online that looked like her so I could show you, but no other Papillon puppy is quite as cute. Wow, I digress....) But man, I am having trouble getting everything in my life balanced out. I feel so good if I just get laundry caught up from week to week. Thursdays (today) we are open from 7:30am to 7:00pm...and while that's technically only an hour longer than the other days, it feels like forever! By the time I get home (which can be as late as 7:45) I don't feel like doing ANYTHING. So that's what I'm doing tonight...although technically blogging isn't nothing. :) </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I have a confession to make. It's shameful, but you should all know since you've been so supportive to me. I have been SERIOUSLY slacking on my exercising. Beyond seriously. It's so hard for me to get myself to the gym after work. I am so gal-darned pooped! And there ain't no way I'm gonna get up and go before work. (Holy cow, I'd have to get up at 4:00am or earlier! </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Not happening</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">. I have a hard enough time getting up when I do now!) </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">And while I've gotten my eating back under control (I fell way off the train from my Birthday through Easter), I'm still up 5lbs. *pout* I feel fatter than that, though. I was actually pretty relieved when I got on the scale and saw that the number wasn't as high as I expected. But I could show you exactly where those 5 pounds are sittin'. *haha* So sad. I can also tell I've lost muscle tone. How do these negative results happen so quickly, when the positive ones take SO LONG? It's been just </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">one month</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">. No fair. But I am determined to reign myself back in. I've made it to the gym twice this week and on the other days I've walked the dogs. That's at least a start.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">One thing that is helping renew my motivation is a little trip Jeremy and I are planning for the end of May. Our clinic will be closed May 23 - May 25 so we're going to take advantage of that and go to </span><a href="http://www.schlitterbahn.com/nb/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Schlitterbahn</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">! Our anniversary is on the 22nd, so it'll be fun to get outta town and celebrate. We've never been to Schlitterbahn (came close once but had to cancel the trip) and we've always wanted to!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">But, um, for those who didn't click the link, Schlitterbahn is a WATER PARK. Which would require, naturally, a swimming suit. *eek* No no no...the horror. What am I thinking?!? I know once I get there I'll get caught up in the fun of slipping and sliding (or at least be able to remind myself that we're hundreds of miles from home and I'll never see any of these people again so why does it matter what they think of how I look?) but for right now, the thought of going in a dressing room with those little pieces of stretchy fabric is NOT fun. Especially because I'm ghostly pale (my coworker caught a glimpse of my ankle the other day and asked if I was wearing stockings under my pants. *haha* No, that's me!) I know I'll just glow like a blinkin' beacon! (Yukon Cornelius, anyone?) </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">So I'm focused on undoing as much of this damage that I've accumulated as possible in the next month. As frustrated as I am, at least I know what works and what to do, right? I was doing so well before, I just need to find that focus again. Better get that swimsuit and hang it around my NECK every day. ;) Wish me luck!!! </span></div>Sarah :)http://www.blogger.com/profile/13103405432037619787noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3742373914736422772.post-6315424290939254462009-04-16T20:52:00.005-05:002009-04-16T21:30:14.366-05:00Judge Not, Lest Your Dog Be Even More Obnoxious<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">One of the most amazing things about my new job is the savings I get on my dogs' health care. I probably shouldn't disclose the actual information or discounts, but you should know that it's a substantial savings! :) Plus, our clinic goes much more in depth than our old vet did, with tests and immunizations that I'd never even heard of. It's really quite impressive.</span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">So after having all their records faxed over, I discovered that all my dogs are due for various things. I decided to take MoJo to work with me today to get things rollin'. I figured I'd just keep him in the back (in our boarding area) for the majority of the day, bring him up for his appointment, then "board" him again till it was time to go home. Well within 15 minutes of his stay in back, I was regretting this decision. He barked incessantly </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">the whole day</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">At first I was really embarrassed and annoyed. For one thing, all week long I've been complaining about a </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weimaraner"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">weimaraner</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"> that's been boarding with us. She seemed to bark non-stop and was really, really loud. But MoJo's bark was at a particularly irritating pitch and much more persistent. More like an "AAH! AAH! AAH!" instead of "woof woof." I kept thinking, "Geez! Stop it!" I was worried that my boss and coworkers would form a negative impression of him before even getting to see him outside the cage. They kept insisting he was fine and not bothering anyone, but he was bothering ME.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">Well then as the day went on, my annoyance turned into concern. I simply had no idea that MoJo had such terrible separation anxiety. And no one we've boarded him with in the past has ever said anything to me about his ridiculous overreacting. (My theory is that those kennels have indoor/outdoor runs so he doesn't feel so confined. But who knows.) When we crate him at home, he just lies down when we shut the door. (WRIGLEY is the one that barks like a maniac when crated. You can be sure he won't be coming to work with my anytime soon! *haha*) Anyway, when I went back to check on him, he was practically frothing at the mouth with drool because he was panting so hard. He kept it up all day. It was terrible!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">On the upside, his appointment went fine. We're waiting on the results from a couple of tests, but I was excited that Dr. Olson didn't tell me he was falling apart or anything (since I felt like he was, with the way he'd been acting.) And he also didn't act like he hated MoJo, which relieved the Mommy in me. :)</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">And I've learned my lesson about judging other people's dogs. Just because they rant and misbehave in our setting, doesn't mean they're bad dogs. It's obvious to me that dogs can have split personalities and be a COMPLETELY different animal away from home than they generally are for their masters. As I type this with my sweet MoJo snuggled calmly up against me, I can't even see a shadow of the crazed maniac he was earlier. (Probably because he's so completely wiped out and exhausted from all the barking! *haha*)</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">On that note, I put together this little video about my babies and I wanted to share it with you. (I used iMOVIE to make it. Words cannot describe how user friendly this software is - it's SO easy to use!) I hope you like it. :) (The song is "The Puppy Song" by Harry Nilsson. I first heard it on the "You've Got Mail" soundtrack. It makes me happy!)</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyMYqsMKXyDGk5d8xTgzEgpd60Snj2RkwSSTSb5rpyieX0X4JRwnHcv21S_ksm_UEsIQy2yT3JrLo7xMsTPXw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></span><br /></div>Sarah :)http://www.blogger.com/profile/13103405432037619787noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3742373914736422772.post-76477015463216667492009-04-11T20:24:00.012-05:002009-04-11T21:41:51.083-05:00"Girl, you know that you need to stop..."<div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">"...always talkin' 'bout what you got, always talkin' 'bout what you got..." </span>(Anyone else love that song?) But alas, I'm about to talk about "what I got." :)</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I promised a loooong time ago to show you what I bought at Michael's with my Birthday money. And since then, my package of goodies I purchased with my 2P's gift certificate arrived. So I am practically rollin' in new scrapbook stuff and I just HAVE to show you!<br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">First, the Michael's loot. </span></div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPCg7-9gUkv1r9QJNJTp_JMh5zp6c38KdUVzxWR2ljr8H0aF34TE9xOAvg6IBnckDWj8mkGxKrX_GjKt6E9JeaX_MPa0GPFTYI0Lt47dyUdhTTqQlpVHWIKmJtcsw58oHuC2VWGASZW9s/s400/IMG_7451.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323612427370478994" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">This line is "Friendly Forest" from Colorbok. I saw it first thing I walked in the door and absolutely fell in love. Bright colors, cute little squirrels and daisies...what's not to love? (To see more pictures, check out <a href="http://www.twopeasinabucket.com/pg.asp?cmd=display&layout_id=1434137">this lady's post.)</a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIpRxLiuVRZxjQOa0Q0rfwDxexhLYz1L-ztyqJVN2C6yGo_xVEAeJXUabqNq3WOipDoBLGIBJx9ZmM_OIu1QPy3QnnKmWPS-Z1scn-mpB_kv5viphFCWFBj2HhhPDmfAFpmh-_uqccvJc/s400/IMG_7444.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323612419055990466" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px; " /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDjR2zQV0Pax6lXy0S-RTbqaz8BDZWE2kq4wFW8CtqblgOldJx0zEYgm4Th8PeefdCOcj_MorcKmMz4G9uHV0PAdM7ohZ4ppCrUT0cVZFUkIewHQ9Sn7PGpK74DLmYPkjNYDsABRm_Lyw/s400/IMG_7443.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323612424947399186" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.meandmybigideas.com/cms/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Me and My Big Ideas</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> has always been a favorite company of mine and they've come out with some really cute new stuff. A lot of it features the stick figure kids they're known for. These little charms and tags were simply irresistible, and there's a matching paper pad that I still regret not buying. Maybe next paycheck? (YAY! I love getting paychecks. *haha*)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJDnUk_RNTT-epT1-1JleKRcQSjEvk9w-A9mPRvWg6h0r6u2wijcpYhKIei0QiaHqfKts2ni8Gc-ZgYeX2Rn6ftEMS7DENVZ8-K9s017i57kVJfIDvDIO0Xl6gBwiND89DU0w0MTInnVE/s400/IMG_7445.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323612431578827746" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjWB2g5y8aWcrrz0Pq0gjeZu0XNwtDBvXZIal3Bx7t59yrFxj_BlRb7mdu9qzAeiszJ5u4IWFWVIcwDZ2RePSAVIOCQE9IJ0qXq42IHVVcHplSFpcVkt-WJTJJto-yI-NLBVJmBepU7s4/s400/IMG_7448.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323613023352653618" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE0qGV6E2t1ifv7sGqLi4b-UoUiKCBvu-ki_J7ChiOLfWuLtVJFJn6iUhgVFOa-oBw9dZ6c9PPAFArKA8QsjqiceKewYEMGPrSNGBBTgBGYIKVoGKjoMx8DNqKwLLvGwC8aqRCK1q1Sxs/s400/IMG_7450.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323613029913964354" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">This line from K&Company is called Actopus to Zelephant, which I think is a cute name. It's going to be so much fun for zoo pages. The paper pad came with a whole bunch of punch-out animals (last photo) that can be layered and popped with dimensional adhesive. I adore the artwork. How cute is that raccoon? <br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">And now for the 2P's goodies. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I love American Crafts. Their design team is one of the best around, in my opinion. I particularly fell in love with two of their new collections when I saw them online. But lemme tell ya, when I opened the box and saw this stuff in person, I about lost my flippin' mind. It's TOOOOOO CUTE! </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">This is </span><a href="http://americancrafts.com/subcategory.php?id=25&sub=166"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Craft Fair</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">. The colors could not be more fun. They are so vibrant in real life!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7krLJvXi7PXQAx71SaURjcum-8g0YHULcxqSG_HkRQvvG7d8BZJMBlGn2md2C4-6VYVR8G0Ob9Pw09QXsyjzmpYkr1meEQv9rsMdRW9oYYEam2m90m_-R8x3La4gQHc8JFFUY2tQC1wQ/s400/IMG_7479.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323618389243377778" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px; " /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH9rT4d-8WhGxVzE3FKWo52cSwTrQema6L5oAPm7fQ3GV43evCY3tYwNqGqjzRG4LC9p_tMegWJXdf6jnX9aYmIX0RPkWF5P-L7hqPAM9bVAcrEYWmSAMCSfeMtA4IjDgwFj8Rb1V_IvU/s400/IMG_7480.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323618395274716546" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj46zb04Zt27-JymJzEM2F73DKuRG-hMkD6R6rUO12wDahcYv8q45crC6g6XfAbeLj387G6JMrX9c7pzEfSzDZKNhjPqo7r00KPEjkuFpekTYmJaKRN3X5z2yLcn2otjR1P2aahuY7jKQM/s400/IMG_7477.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323618399757291682" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">(Won't this city paper be so cute for a New York City layout? *squeal*)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwO2GUX3FVnG00bwNYshrZbmBny5lWQFxGtPE4oLi1ar82U7p-agwUM21vwMHMTEK0RJr70enJkiiFdKSno2Vq8LeD7YtS5KJtoaC-UDpbMgkykTfrFlNGMFzEeXXNpQ-Laofe91pEZ_g/s400/IMG_7481.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323618407720969282" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVYPe4XQLjk1H6ob3KV0bBaA82AK_QzxS78zgnUnmpkPjD0sO624n8VtAFdL5cdY2LnQszMcD5hd2sky_b2q6Gcbb5oKadGrLHmzlcbXMApzuekp6JjnUNkJyWeiaBdE1dknixaYhb5nE/s400/IMG_7482.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323618413651589842" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">American Crafts started making "Flair" (just like on Facebook! *hehe*) a few collections ago, and I think they're so fun. See the "I Love Blogs" one? Of course I had to have that one. :)<br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); text-decoration: underline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">This is </span><a href="http://americancrafts.com/subcategory.php?id=25&sub=169"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Backyard</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">. It's Spring through Summer, all rolled up into one collection. Great colors and designs that include everything from chocolate bunnies to kites.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGfyu5j3s25SL2URu0OxFyb91dbPHrYeQkplSw_g3wADAVyMA5DRo-FguIrH32WHkPSpReaZoPHJgKnqlYGHtFtJEi8OK857R5oaB719XJdZXIgSSkaYJnBCg6-stWYP1l71RyryxCDBQ/s400/IMG_7483.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323624255322582626" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px; " /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_5GeKcvONYHy92BTswcYjs0LGONjLfcrnRx_n0F3x6_vwEVSF6ER4HY14fXCh-N3lIA-2MHiTVgtpovyM0TV7uR2IChwx05fTduRBds0HxyJHZpqEyC8oE7dXBGuZ0uAeXiFAPhAbjbA/s400/IMG_7484.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323624262910683874" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFzWNfFXLnfY4WNivukMB9Sf7dIYOH2Z6wI_Kvipy77CfiIjuGJxE6YOd-mDZN33r6k4qkvI4eTge6thLTfGEtKHfzt9aqW_Q9CIaYVXvzhIDH9VTPqW2Jb4Q8Za2QGywDuY-dm2cZfHc/s400/IMG_7485.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323624267673854546" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4bue-1W_gPWpB5uwjgLIaVzZPLWGY_k9jiPyQG4rKlU6mpHzL3n4I9QQ8e9InwIuL4enS24Z_dbVddOJFnslSmon1FCLf92V0tMQL2jQXZQi9sRaznJZvss58hjOL_mFQ3PNqr0I-PQM/s400/IMG_7487.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323624268839246658" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px; " /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">And this is my favorite piece of flair. I think it's hilarious! :)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_UjlIA_fd5sRfOxBERRm9WLjLngpxWixzJ2FbmNvSNUJwIzGI3eEXXb4aF2EkSweNG53klNgjxzC6Vt6RRp1faVDm4XxFkXMboeQS5YWDY3qvTA1sGRJvag_IB2laWACYS7C7DKugs3o/s400/IMG_7474.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323626374536609986" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0-MsndC-VsTKu58DcWyXRYpPQMQSFgCQVGvWHdaSat1fTzhdD4vohjjAWUmh7uQaCu-D2enP01oH7doQUwTSpTXmQ0Ja6nIF_LJVNZLzKfDKviIGjQHGX8j0cxwEo0-wB0anXRQPHkFQ/s400/IMG_7473.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323626388455986354" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhcTBVE6enRx3Pb_xm5KJ78vOZStRXGU3Em3z999AkdPKrle8sMwoVos3V7cmZjnO1ZjmIgNgQ-H9SCEa7KLXmmdBltyPNmPTM-sK4wER7GqkD3tSKp-hniQQWq_KICQ7KoR7oxxFf6KI/s400/IMG_7475.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323626393339200786" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ0-XhG2Jtf3qdZtxS88jUx14tdsQSYMaNVf2ij0uEpdIJkmKZH6pTjJ55yhzkq3gaOd5DSzerGSXTCA043UqLBgyEMrR75CQtn-2bpCR68bHibDrI6PKXLw-KWMYyD_TIjapt8dj7dXI/s400/IMG_7472.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323626382526517202" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">And not that I really needed any more animal paper, but how could I resist this line from Sassafrass Lass? Well, clearly I couldn't. ADORABLE!!! The colors, the artwork...it's all so cute I had to have it.<br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">So that's it, folks! Makes ya wanna come over to my house and play with my toys, doesn't it? ;) </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Happy Easter everybody!!! Jesus is risen!</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Sarah :)http://www.blogger.com/profile/13103405432037619787noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3742373914736422772.post-80351749406061588892009-04-09T12:27:00.007-05:002009-04-09T22:29:44.182-05:00Keep them doggie's rollin'!<div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">When I was 8...or 9...(or maybe 7? *haha*) I got my first pair of rollerskates. Like REAL rollerskates...not the Fisher Price ones with the bell inside the wheel that seemed to make it impossible to even move. Being a bit of a daredevil, I took to them immediately. I don't mean to brag, but I became a darn good little skater. (Hey I have to take joy in the few talents I excell in, right? ;) ) I could do turns, twirls, skate backwards and all that good stuff, plus I was really FAST and could stop on a dime. I participated in </span><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">all</span></em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> the "contests" at the roller rink and positively lived for the speed-skate song when I could fly by the older boys and even the show-off teenager "referees." :) My bestest childhood buddy Ellen and I felt like we ruled the rink and had delusions of becoming amazing professional rollerskaters someday. <br /></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span><div> </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Rollerblades came along and became the cool thing, but I stuck to my skates. I never liked the way rollerblades felt on my ankles and wasn't nearly as coordinated in them. It became more and more difficult to find my favorite skates (which were more like tennis shoes than the boot skates you see as rentals at rinks) and eventually I did wear out my last pair. (I'd wear the stoppers right down to the screw, to the point the metal would leave marks on the driveway. Oops! Daddy, I need some new skates!) It was very sad. :( </span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span><div> </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Well several years ago, Skechers came out with a pair of rollerskates that closely resembled the kind I used to get as a kid. Except these were Skechers, so they were automatically cooler! I got a pair for Christmas that year. It was so exciting. The first time I went out on them I was a little wobbly (more height + more weight = more to carry on 8 wheels!) but eventually I regained my coordination and I'd say I'm pretty decent again. Here's a picture of my beloved skates, sporting the pom-poms a friend of mine bought for me for my Birthday. (I had a skating party for my 24th Birthday...I know, I'm so grown up. It was SOOOO fun!!! And while we were there, I mentioned that I'd always envied the girls with the cute pom-poms on their skates. And tada, I got a pair of my own! So sweet, right?)</span></div><div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfBhxXnWYeJctyW7HNN-utCTkarxm08XPwj_azhw5z7NmgdBmKPDiZDX7CalaY4gTK6o_JFdipjaevKtcHoV2-UVw7Oxw-bdtsAyO6NgTvCzBisej4aeYKNyMX_jJqcLkWryPUBMmhyphenhyphen68/s400/IMG_1131_2.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322897884810460226" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); text-decoration: underline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></div><div> </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">When we were a two-dog household, I used to take Wrigley and MoJo rollerskating all the time. (Note to the sarcastic: *I* was the one rollerskating. Not the dogs.) They loved getting to run full speed and I liked the fact that it wore them out in half the time. Normally I make them walk beside me, but Cesar Milan (the Dog Whisperer, aka, my hero) says that it's alright to let dogs run ahead when you're skating with them...even letting them PULL you, because it equals a job or a task for the dog to perform. Just like a husky would pull a sled or a sheepdog would herd sheep, the task is actually good for them mentally as well as physically. And I enjoyed it too, so I did it with the boys every chance we'd get.</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span><div> </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">But when we added Cubby to the family, I stopped this because I didn't think I could control all three of them while on wheels. I could just picture them getting tangled up around my feet, making me nose-dive into the pavement and knocking all my teeth out or breaking my nose. (Yes I have an overactive, morbid imagination.) And Cubby probably couldn't have kept up last Summer anyway, since he was still a tiny tyke. But he's big enough now and they're so good on walks, I decided to pull out the skates and give it a go yesterday. </span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span><div> </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">It went SO WELL! Cubby was a little frightened by the big clunky wheels on my feet at first, but when he saw how excited his brothers were about it, he decided they weren't that bad afterall. He was by far the slowest of the three, though. It was funny...he would run up and pass Wrigley, look back at him like "HA! I passed you!" but then immediately fall to the back of the group, even behind ME to the point I felt like I was dragging him. He couldn't figure out how to keep a steady pace. *haha* He's still a silly little puppy.</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span><div> </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I thought MoJo would be the most excited about running, since he's our high-energy-go-go-go guy, but Wrigley was just ecstatic! He was running </span><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">as fast as he could</span></em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">, ears back, tongue hanging, tail straight out. He looked like a shorter, stalkier greyhound. :) And not once did anyone dart out in front of me or tangle around each other. I stayed upright the whole time. *haha* And today my thighs and rear are quite sore, so it's clear that the dogs didn't do all the work. </span></div>Sarah :)http://www.blogger.com/profile/13103405432037619787noreply@blogger.com4