One year ago...

I have nothing to talk about today, but I was just thinking how much has happened in the past year! A year ago, July 2007, Garet and I had just bought our lot to build our house on! We had been checking out the area for a looooong time, and finally the time seemed right to buy it. This is what it looked like before

Just a bunch of trees, and we were the only ones up on the cul-de-sac. Now there are 3 other houses, plus 2 being built!

Sometimes it feels like it was forever ago that we started building our house, and then again it doesn't seem like that long ago! Also that month we went to pick out all of our colors - tile, brick, shudders... Time sure flies! And we just wish it away - like right now I am wishing the day would hurry up because I am ready to go home! =)

Guess I should include an after picture

This was taken the day we closed on it... back in November. It's just crazy when you really think about what you were doing a year ago - it really wasn't that long ago, but it sure feels like it!

Case of the Mondays...

Don't you just hate when people say that?! But boy, that is what I feel like today! We had a great weekend, but barely sat down, so now that it is Monday I feel like I need a relaxing weekend! =) So this weekend, we got to celebrate Garet's birthday...

I made him a cake

We also painted our office! And I love it! Saturday morning we painted one coat, then Sunday morning before church we painted the second coat. When we started moving everything back Sunday afternoon, we decided to just clean out things --- which took ALL afternoon into the evening. But it looks so good now!

After we started moving furniture back

Garet bought us a weedwacker and put that to good use last night too! Our yard looks SO much better! It is amazing what a little weedwackin' can do!

Garet and his new toy

So, now it is Monday again.... This morning, after I ate my cereal and was cleaning the bowl, etc. I hit the switch for the food disposal, and heard the worst sound of metal!! You know what that means? Yep, I grinded up one of my little spoons that I use for my flour. It had fallen in our sink, and now it is broken. Great way to start the week...

5 on Friday...

I am going to start doing this every Friday (we'll see how long I go...) I am basically just going to list 5 random, or not so random things that are going on or that are on my mind each week.

1. Garet and I have decided to paint. We figured out a paint color for our office, our bedroom, and our bathroom. When we got home and put it on the walls - I only liked the color we picked for our office. While Garet was out of town Monday, I went back to Lowes and got 2 more colors. I love the color I picked for our bedroom, Garet doesn't. We both don't like the colors for our bathroom. Who would have thought this could be SO hard?! I am thinking that this weekend we will buy the paint for the office, and just figure out the rest later...

2. We are also going to buy a weedwacker! Yay! (It's the little things in life) Now that we have our fence up it is very obvious that we don't own one! The grass is so long next to the fence! haha We also need to start edging around our driveway and sidewalk. I am so excited to get that. Garet originally told me that he would pick the weedwacker, I could pick the paint colors. But now that I picked one for our bedroom, he doesn't like it... Boys...

3. I have been in search of a painting to put in our living room, and I think I found one. I love it! And there are 2 similar ones -- but I will only get one for now. It is really big too, so it will look good on our big wall. I am so excited!

4. Every week I try to cook at least one or two new meals. I really enjoy cooking, and I LOVE finding new (easy) recipes! I have decided that I need to start focusing on veggies more. I am a very picky eater, so I rarely make or eat vegetables. I am going to try and change that. I have found a couple recipes that sound good - and, no they are coated in butter, or fried! I'll let you know how that goes.

5. Garet had his 28th birthday yesterday! We both had to work but last night when I asked him what he wanted to do for his b-day I was expecting him to say go out to dinner, but no... his answer was "roller skating". huh? I was caught off guard. We have a place like 5 minutes from our house with roller skating, an arcade, and laser tag. So after dinner, we were off to skate! And actually we had a blast! We played laser tag, and won! [I probably shouldn't mention that we were playing against 10 year olds, and Garet cheated at the beginning...] Anyway, the roller skating was HILARIOUS! It has been so long since either of us have done that - I'm sure there were people laughing at us, but we had a great time! This weekend we are going to cookout and do the cake and stuff.

TGIF!!!!!!

Back to normal...

I have my husband back! And guess what the first thing Garet did when he got home? (Besides giving me a big 'ole hug and kiss!) Give up?

Yeah he really did, and only then was Suzi interested...



Oh I missed him so!

Girl Time...

Well, looks like Suzi and my girl time is coming to an end... Garet will be back at noon today =) YAY!!! I really have gotten a lot done while he was gone. Yesterday I gave Suzi a bath - to wash away any evidence of the situation we had this week. We'll just call it "Suzi's landscape project". I will try and remember to get a picture of it! Suzi and I have made up and come to an agreement - She will no longer landscape our yard, and I will no longer leave her outside all day.

I have had lots of time to think while Garet was away, so I have decided that I want to: paint, make a photo wall in the dining room, get a recliner, make Suzi's landscaping look better (i.e. make some sort of stone or another type of walkway from our patio to our side gate...). We'll see what Garet thinks of my ideas! Better get ready to head to the airport!

I'm done with it...

Seriously! So yesterday Suzi dug a couple small holes in the yard. Today I thought I was prepared, and I poured pepper on the holes so she wouldn't want to go near them. I ALSO gave Suzi her purple ball (the toy she is obsessed with), a toy that you put in the freezer (so it is really cold), and a toy that I stuffed full of peanut butter (which she loves!), AND I put a treat in her doghouse. That should have been enough right?........... NO, the crazy dog dug up all of our grass next to our house! The air condition drain thingy is right there, so it was damp, so the poor dog was trying to cool off! So now I feel like a horrible mom that put her baby out in the heat, and I have a muddy dog, and a torn up part of our yard...........

So, long story short, I am not going to be able to do a 4 day a week work week - it just isn't worth it.

So far, not so good...

This weekend, after I bought Suzi her doghouse, I started leaving her out longer during the day so she could get used to being outside in the heat. This week, starting on Monday, I have been leaving her outside when I leave in the mornings, then bringing her in for the remainder of the day when I go home for lunch. Monday she did great! Tuesday she did great! Today...... I found 2 holes in our yard =(

We have a couple of chipmunks that have made our backyard their home and have a couple of holes in the middle of our yard. Occasionally they like to jump out and tease Suzi. Well I guess today Suzi showed them that she can and will dig deeper to find them! I was soo mad! Here I thought I had the perfect little princess puppy -- psh yeah right! So now I am trying to figure out how to teach her NOT to dig!! I already poured [lots and lots] of pepper on the holes so she won't go near them. Wish me luck with that.... I need to get rid of the chipmunks!

On a better note - our 4 day work weeks were approved by the board yesterday! Yay! So starting Monday I will have Monday's off! So I WILL figure out how to make this work with Suzi!

On an even better note - my hubby will be back this weekend!!!! I can't wait!

I did it...

I bought a doghouse.

Garet has our camera but here is a picture of what it looks likeI will have to take some of her when Garet gets back.
So, I had some friends of ours, Kevin and Carrie, help me bring it home. They have a truck so that was nice, because there was no way I was getting that thing in my car! I also bought Suzi this new toy - and she LOVES it!! I mean she loves it so much that she doesn't even want to come inside! In fact, it is raining right now (and Suzi does not like to get wet!) and she was wanting to go outside to play with her new toy, so I opened the door - thinking that she would say forget that! But nope, she ran out and started playing in the rain!! Hopefully this will help her [me] be more okay with the transition. =)

A doghouse...

So... we now have this awesome fenced in backyard - but do I really want to make Suzi an outside dog for most of the day???? I think I do.

We are trying to go down to a 4 day work week at work, so that would mean longer days the 4 days we would work AND a shorter lunch. Right now either Garet or I drive all the way home to let our poor lonely pup outside to do her thing at lunch, then drive all the way back to work (about a 20 min drive for me one way). To do the shorter work weeks there would be no way I could go home for lunch, and with Garet's schedule it wouldn't be a guarentee he could either. SO I thought "Duh, lets get a doghouse and leave Suzi outside all day while we're at work!"

BUT she is used to being an indoor dog, so I think we will have to acclimate her to being outside in the heat all day. And as you can see in a previous post, Suzi really doesn't know what to do outside by herself, except look inside at us... Not only that but I am an overprotective mom and don't want my sweet [spoiled] dog to have to sit outside in the heat all day. I mean just look at how happy she is inside...

So I am trying to talk myself into it, because I think she will LOVE it and it would be great for us too. Hopefully I can find a doghouse this weekend and start getting her used to the outside!

This week...

Guess what I have to do...
Yep... mow the lawn. This picture was taken probably 2 months ago - it was the first time I cut our grass! Garet had to take a picture for proof I guess! I cut the grass when I was younger, but my dad had a tractor, so I just put on my bikini and rode around getting a suntan.

This is work! And since Garet is out of town (sad) I will need to cut the grass at some point this week. I don't mind really - I just like teasing Garet about it - but it really is a workout! =)

July 4th...

For July 4th some of our friends invited us out to Lake Guntersville to hang out and then watch fireworks. We got out there and ate BBQ then the sky opened and it started pouring down rain! When it looked like the rain wasn't going to let up, the boys decided they were going to kayak in the rain! They were soaked, but had a good time. This is Garet finishing up his ride - you can see the raindrops on the lake.

The rain stopped right before the fireworks were supposed to start. We jumped in the boat and went to the middle of the lake to watch. It was so pretty! I love being out on the lake - it is so peaceful! We had a great time! Garet, of course, took his famous picture! This is Taylor, Garet, Amanda, and me.

Fence is finished...

Yay! Our fence is up and it looks GREAT! Garet and his dad worked non-stop getting it built. To see all the pictures just Click Here.

The fence builders!

We ended up having to do each panel of fence one at a time, instead of using a big panel already put together. Suzi had to watch from inside so as soon as the last nail was in, we let Suzi out to check out her new outside:

FREEDOM!! She was running as fast as she could go!

Ever since we moved here (almost exactly 2 years ago!!) we have had to have Suzi on her leash everytime we take her out. So it is to be expected that she is a little confused when we let her outside and we stay inside...

The grass is always greener...

Poor dog! She just sits and stares in at us! =) Suzi has no idea what to do with all of her freedom!