Finding Out I'm Pregnant

For a little bit of history on our journey of trying to conceive, please see the side bar time-line titled 'Our Love Story'.

LMP= Tuesday, March 2nd.
March marked our 13th month of trying to conceive. We were also on our 5th round of Clomid, 50mg, days 5-9 (a fertility drug used to promote ovulation) this month. March proved to be a very busy month and go, go, go! The month of March host the famous Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo which runs for 3 weeks. I ended up going to Rodeo 5 different times, an additional time to do some extra shopping and to start it all off, at the end of February, went to the BBQ Cookoff, Friday and Saturday nights--pretty much, A LOT of fun and partying with great friends sums it up!

I went in for my 21 day blood work on March 22, like I do every month to test my progesterone levels, which tells if I have ovulated for that month. The next week, my nurse calls to tell me that my levels were too low for ovulation and to try again next month. I had also spotted for the next 7 seven days, like I do every month of the week before my period, so this is very 'normal for me' and I waited like normal for my period to come. Easter Sunday rolled around on the first weekend in April and I still thought nothing of not starting my period yet. To me, my blood work showed that I did not ovulate and I had spotted for a week, so I just assume it will come. By the end of that evening though, I did think to myself, maybe I should take a pregnancy test tomorrow morning, just to rule it out, since I was still drinking wine and/beer in the evenings.

So, I woke up Monday morning and I had to pee so bad that I honestly forgot to test! I know, I know!!! I just shrugged my shoulders and said, "Oh well, I will just test tomorrow morning, no big deal."

Tuesday, April 6th, I wake up feeling horrible; my throat was in so much pain, I had so much drainage, was coughing a lot and I was achy; to sum it up, I felt pretty yucky! But when I to the bathroom this morning, I did remember to take a pregnancy test. This may be too much TMI, but it's my blog, so.....I peed on the stick, put the cap on, finished my business, and laid the test on our bathroom counter and proceeded to go back to bed! I was feeling this bad, I didn't even want to wait for the test result and in my mind, I just knew we would get another negative result. Scott wakes up soon after this and goes to the master bathroom/closet to get ready for work. Me on the other hand, I'm back in bed comfy again, trying to get a little more shut eye before going to the clinic by our house to finally get this horrible cold under control. Scott then opens the master bathroom doors and here is our conversation:

S: Babe, is there something you need to tell me?
A: No.
S: Are you sure there isn't something you need to tell me?
A: No. Why? What's going on?
S: What about that pregnancy test you took and laid on the counter? Was I suppose to see it?
A: Ohh yea, I took that this morning? Why.....? It's negative, right?
S: You haven't seen the results yet?
A: No. I came straight back to bed b/c I really don't feel good.
S: Ohhhhhhh.....well there's two pink lines showing....
A: Really??? You're kidding?
S: No, not kidding.
A: Oh my gosh, that has never happened before!
S: Soooooo, this means your pregnant, right?
A: YES! Yes, that is what it means!
S: These test are pretty accurate, right?
A: Yes babe, they are!
S: Well, looks like we're having a baby!
A: Oh my gosh, I can't believe it!!! I mean, they said I did not ovulate at all this past month....but obviously I did! Oh my gosh, I'm pregnant!

We then hugged and kissed and we're both smiling from ear to ear!!! We talked about a few things and how our lives had changed (for the better) in just that instant. I took another test about an hour later, a digital one, and in 30 seconds, it read back PREGNANT very clear! Here's my happy proof:

Thoughts for Thursday--Age

"Life as we know it can change in a blink of an eye. Unlikely friendships can blossom, important careers can be tossed aside, a long lost hope can be rekindled. Still, we should be grateful for whatever changes life throws at us, because all too soon, the day will come when there are no changes left."

This quote reminds me that age is a wonderful thing, the older we get just means that there is that much more stories to tell and memories to be made. All age is, is a number. I need to remind my husband of this. His 30th birthday is in June and he is kind of dreading it. I plan to make it very special for him though!

Thoughts for Thursday--Giving Thanks

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!
His faithful love endures forever.
Psalm 107:1

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours! I have so much to be thankful for this year. I am thankful for my husband, who stands by me everyday; our beautiful home that provides a roof over my head and plenty of food in my kitchen; our vehicles, they are by no means new but one is an SUV and the other a truck to get us around; my parents, who continue to show their un-conditional love and support everyday; my family and friends, whom it would be almost impossible to function without; mine and my husbands health, being healthy is everything and we are so fortunate; mine and my husbands jobs; we still have them and grateful for that everyday; my doctor, who has been very pro-active with seeking fertility treatments to help me ovulate and get us pregnant, and lastly the precious Lord above, with him, everything is possible.

8 Years Ago Today

8 years ago today I started dating this handsome guy right here; my HUSBAND! We have so many wonderful memories together in these past eight years and then the past two that we have been married have been even greater. I can't even imagine how much more wonderful our memories are going to be when we have children, I look forward to that so much. It just brings joy to my eyes and a huge smile on my face to think of the day we have our family! I love you honey! Happy 8 years!

2 Years Ago Today, I Thee Wed...

Today is my wedding anniversary, my second wedding anniversary to my Scott. I refer to him as my Scott sometimes, because... well, he is mine, God blessed me with him, my one and only. This is simply the best day of my life. On this day, our two lives were joined as one if front of God, family and friends. On this day I joined my partner, my best friend, my true love, my everything in marriage. On this day, we vowed "To have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part." It is hard to put into words all the emotions that I felt on this day. We both have said how much fun it would be to re-live this day, although we know that is not possible, it all went by so fast.

It was a beautiful September day, the first day of fall, blue skies with a touch of white clouds and a light breeze in the air. I could not wait to see you at the end of that aisle. We laughed, we cried tears of joy, we ate and the nicest toast were given, we sang sweetly in each other ears and we danced and danced the night away! Our families, now joined together by our love, watched on with the biggest smiles on their faces. I will never forget how happy my parents were.

Below are just a few highlights from our Wedding Day. It is so hard to just pick a handful of pictures to share that capture the moments on our special day. But I am finally so happy to be finally putting these pictures on my blog! Enjoy.

Ohh September, How I Love Thee

September is probably one of my favorite months! Why you may ask...for many reasons:

1. My Wedding Anniversary is on the 22nd of this month, so far the best day of my life; the day in which I married my best friend, lover and companion, 2 years ago. I had waited a long time to become Scott's wife (6 years) and this day is the beginning of our new life together as husband and wife.

2. The official start of the Autumn Season begins on the 22nd as well. I love the Fall Season! It does start to cool off a bit here in southeast Texas (thank goodness) and so far the first two days of September have brought low humidity and morning temperatures in the high 60's/low 70's with the highs around 90 degrees. The evenings have also been very enjoyable when the sun starts to set and cool things off. We have also got a little rain during this first week.

3. Craft shows, craft shows and more craft shows. I have already got a few marked on my calender to try to attend and I am super excited about them.

4. There are some leaves already falling to the ground. Not many, but at least it is a start and maybe a start to a little bit cooler weather (fingers crossed).

5. All of my favorite TV shows start back up for the new season; Greys Anatomy, Private Practice and Desperate Housewives are some of my favorites. I am planning to catch a new show coming this fall called Mercy, all the pre-views look really good.

6. Football Season begins! I really do enjoy watching this sport on TV and in person. I also enjoy getting a break from having baseball on all the time (thank goodness for the hubs having a TV in our garage). I love our Houston Texans and make it a point to watch just about every game. I also enjoy watching college football with my hubby. College football is much more intense compared to the NFL. Those boys are really playing with the heart and you can tell.

7. Fall scents of candles can acceptably be burned to get me and my home in the mood for the upcoming season.

Enjoy your September, I know I will.

I Feel Like the Worst Mama...or Is Scott A Bad Daddy

This morning I woke up and dragged myself out of bed, like I do every morning, did my normal morning routine (took a shower, got my make-up on and hair done, got dressed) and headed out of the bathroom to kiss my loves bye for the day. I told Scott bye and to have a good day and said bye to Dakota, our dog. When I woke up I had noticed she was not laying on her pillow, which is on my side of the room, so I just figured that she was on Scott's side of the bed and thought nothing of it. I was saying her name but I did not see her, or hear her..... and then I panicked! SCOTT! Where is Dakota? She is not in here! I flung open our bedroom door and called her name again thinking maybe she got closed out of our room last night but I still did not see or hear. I then thought to myself, ohhh no, check outside.....I peeked out of one of our master bedroom windows and saw my sweet Dakota girl laying down on the concrete, wide awake, hears perked up, just waiting so patiently for one of us to see that she was out there. I immideately ran to the back door and let her in, saying her name over and over and telling her "I'm so sorry, mama didn't know you were out there". She ran inside so fast, heading straight to our room and jumped in the bed with Scott. I followed and loved on her for a minute and then had to leave for work. Scott and I felt horrible for this to happen. Dakota is not an outside dog. She is very much an inside dog who loves to be with her mama and daddy and only be outside to play fetch.

So I guess here is what happened: I went to bed a good hour before Scott because I was just so exhausted. Scott said that he must have let her out to go potty last night and got caught up watching something on TV and then just came to bed without letting her back in. He did not even realize that she did not follow him to the room. Poor baby! Ahh, the guilt!

Fortune Cookies

Today I met up with my sweet husband for lunch at my favorite Chinese buffet, eStar. The hubs and I try to meet up for lunch at least 2 to 4 times a month. To me it is always a treat to have lunch with him because it is like a mini date; just me and him, no friends, no family, just us. Since being married and having lived together for over three years now, I did not want to get in the bad habit of not going to lunch together all because we were married now and we lived together...you know, like the attitude of what's the point, we see eachother at home all the time, you know what I am getting at.

Anyways, we had a very enjoyable lunch and great conversation. I enjoyed every bit of it and the hubs sent a sweet text later this afternoon saying how great lunch was too. The great part about our lunch was when we received our fortune cookies. Seeing that we are in the middle of pursing a side opportunity to make extra money, which has the potential to replace my income and more, these were exciting fortunes!!!

Amber's Said:
"You will have an exciting business adventure."

Scott's Said:
"You will make a name for yourself."

The Love Dare

The Love Dare. This is the book that goes along with the movie Fireproof. I bought this book about 2 months ago or so after I was inspired by another friend who did the 40 day challenge and then blogged about it. She is a strong Christian woman and has a strong Christian and church based marriage. After she did The Love Dare challenge, she was so touched in her own relationship with Christ, her husband and her life in general that it really inspired me to take the challenge as well. I believe that anyone can do this no matter if your marriage is great or is rocky. I have not done the challenge yet but I am thinking I will start it come August 1st. I look forward to everything I will get out of this book and am hopeful that my hubby will do it after I have.
"The Love Dare is a 40-day guided devotional designed to strengthen every marriage and the same powerful book that plays a pivotal role in the new movie Fireproof."

Fireproof

Fireproof! Now I know why this movie is described as "The Most Inspirational Movie of the Year." The hubs and I finally watched Fireproof Saturday night. I was actually shocked that I got him to sit down and watch it with me; he really didn't know much about the movie but I told him that I have heard great things about it, it is very real to life, and it is very inspirational. I told him that I heard the acting was kind of cheesy but it was the message behind the story that is so powerful.

WOW! It was absolutely the most touching movie I have ever seen. I am so happy we watched it together. We both had many teary eyed moments and even some crying during the movie. We were both very moved and touched by this movie as well. Fireproof makes me want to become a better Christian, a better wife and a better person in society. This movie was so true to what life is really like; no sugar coating, no fancy acting and no special effects. More movies should be filmed like this. I am very thankful that this movie came into my life and into my marriage. The power of Gods love is truly amazing.

About the movie from the Fireproof website:

"At work, inside burning buildings, Capt. Caleb Holt lives by the old firefighter's adage: Never leave your partner behind. At home, in the cooling embers of his marriage, he lives by his own rules.

Growing up, Catherine Holt always dreamed of marrying a loving, brave firefighter...just like her daddy. Now, after seven years of marriage, Catherine wonders when she stopped being "good enough" for her husband.

Regular arguments over jobs, finances, housework, and outside interests have readied them both to move on to something with more sparks.

As the couple prepares to enter divorce proceedings, Caleb's father challenges his son to commit to a 40-day experiment: "The Love Dare." Wondering if it's even worth the effort, Caleb agrees-for his father's sake more than for his marriage. When Caleb discovers the book's daily challenges are tied into his parents' newfound faith, his already limited interest is further dampened.

While trying to stay true to his promise, Caleb becomes frustrated time and again. He finally asks his father, "How am I supposed to show love to somebody who constantly rejects me?"

When his father explains that this is the love Christ shows to us, Caleb makes a life-changing commitment to love God. Andówith God's helpóhe begins to understand what it means to truly love his wife.

But is it too late to fireproof his marriage? His job is to rescue others. Now Caleb Holt is ready to face his toughest job ever...rescuing his wife's heart."

Happy Birthday to My Scott

Today is my sweet husbands 29th birthday! I have noticed by some of his reactions and comments that this birthday is kind of a big deal to him, but he will not admit to it fully. I think he is having a hard time with turning 29 years old because it is his last birthday in his twenties before he hits the big 30!

In honor of my husbands birthday I thought I would blog 30 reasons why I love him; 30 reasons because what is a birthday with out 'One To Grow On'?

1. He chose ME! He chose me to be his wife and mother of his future children. He chose me as his best friend and partner in life; all which mean the absolute world to me.

2. I love all the ways he loves me. He shows me his love in his own special ways, especially when it is just the two of us at home doing our everyday stuff. His names for me, 'darling and sweetheart' and the way he looks at me. He always makes me feel good.

3. He is the most honest and trusting man I have ever met. If you ask him his opinion, he will tell you truthfully and it will not always be sugar coated. If you tell him something confidentially, you can trust that he will keep it a secret.

4. When he gets home from work everyday, he comes to me first and gives me a hug and kiss. I look forward to this all day. I am not as good at it as he is but I am working on it.

5. I can't help but love those baby blue eyes of his.

6. I love how he sends me random text messages throughout the week; They all mean so much and I will never get tired of getting them.

7. I love how he always looks after me and takes care of me. He always has, since the day we met and then started dating.

8. He helps me with my projects; whether it is painting, hanging curtains, or putting a piece of furniture together, he helps me and does not complain.

9. We talk; we talk about everything. He confides in me and wants to know what my thoughts are on issues and it sometimes seems like he wants some sort of approval from me, which I think is great because it shows how much he cares about my thoughts.

10. He adores our dog Dakota and shows so much love to her. I know he will be such a great dad to our real babies one day just like he is to our furbaby.

11. He has such a passion for babies and kids and becoming a father. There is no doubt in my mind that he is going to be an absolute wonderful dad!

12. He is a hard worker, dedicated to his job and wants to do the job right the first time. I know he doesn't like waking up in the morning to go to work, but he does and I want him to know how thankful I am for that and the benefits it provides for us.

13. I love when he helps me around the house with chores and doesn't make a fuse about it. Some men just don't do that.

14. He is so freaking handsome! To me he still looks the same as he did the day I met him, 8 years ago today (Yes, we met on his 21st birthday).

15. Whenever I ask for a back rub, he gives me one.

16. He brings home to me fresh flowers for no reason at all; he even puts them in a vase with water and arranges them so nicely.

17. He cares about his family and his friends wholeheartedly.

18. He helps me with the laundry and putting it all away because he knows how much I hate this one chore. He truly saves me on this one.

19. He is who he is! What you see is what you get!

20. He can hang out with just the girls (any of my girlfriends). He can carry on conversations and really enjoy himself.

21. He supports, believes, and encourages me to do greater things in life.

22. He cares about the way our home looks and feels.

23. He has a very soft and tender side to him that only few get to see. I feel lucky to be one of them.

24. He is the sweetest Uncle Scott to our little niece; And Oh, does she adore him!

25. He is great with his hands--working on cars, working at home on projects or in the yard. And I do love his hands, they are very masculine and strong.

26. Scott can put together a puzzle like it is the easiest thing to do; it truly amazes me the patience he has with them.

27. He loves to have fun, is very social and enjoy life to the fullest.

28. He is so smart when it comes to putting things together and following directions.

29. He reads the newspaper almost everyday and brings me home articles that he thinks I will enjoy.

30. **this one is the one to grow on** I really hope to make him a daddy by the time he is he is this age. This is my wish for him and for us.

Scott, I love you and am so proud to be your wife. I look forward to sharing a lifetime of birthdays with you! I hope you have a wonderful day!

7 Years Ago Yesterday!

I totally forgot to post about this yesterday! Anyways, as I was browsing through Facebook, something I do on a daily basis, I noticed one of my girlfriends from high school had updated her status to read: "I graduated from High School 7 years ago today, oh how time flies"!

With that statement, it really got me to thinking, because up until now, I have never really thought about the years past highschool up until the present, I was still living them; but WOW, we did graduate from High School 7 years ago.....What all have I done /accomplished these past 7 years? Am I happy? Am I at the point in my life where I thought I would be? Should I have done things differently? Who are my friends now? Could I have done more?...and so on. Here are my answers:

What all have I done/accomplished these past 7 years?
I was in the National Honor Society when I attended Cy-Fair junior college for two years before I went to U of H. I have graduated from the University of Houston with my business degree, majoring in Marketing, minoring in European International Studies. I also received an advanced certificate in Entrepreneurship. I have gotten married to my wonderful husband Scott, whom I have been with for almost 8 years. I am a mom, to our fur baby dog Dakota. I own my home in Cypress, TX, with my husband. I have worked for the same construction material supply company for the past 7 years and am pretty stable there doing inside sales, although unfortunately things have really slowed down. I have done some traveling with the hubs; to Las Vegas twice, Acapulco, Cancun, Playa del Carmen, Cozumel, the Riveria Maya, Alablama, and all over Texas. I have the best relationship with my womderful parents and am grateful everyday for them. Lastly and most importantly, I have a better relationship with the Lord; I talk to him and pray more now than I ever have and am learning to live each day for Him.

Am I happy?
Most definitely I am happy in all aspects of my personal life. I have my college degree, something to which I worked very hard for and something that I will always have. I am very happily married to my best friend, my partner in life, my other half, my Scott. The Scott that I started dating my senior year of high school who is three years older than me. Yes, it did work for us and we made it through those 5 tough college years of mine. We have a fur baby dog that we love dearly, our blue heeler Dakota. Scott and I are now at the point in our lives where we want to start a real family of our own and that is truly exciting! We have a beautiful new home together, that we purchased 3 months after we tied the knot and and then 3 months later moved in after it was built. I have a job...a job, not a career. A job is good, especially in this economy, it pays the bills, so that is what I am most thankful for. I want a career though and only time will tell when that will happen for me. I would be completely happy if I had a different job in which I called my career. A career in which I love waking up everyday to do and be at. One day, one day...

Am I at the point in my life where I thought I would be?
Yes, I am. All because of the reasons listed above. But, 7 years ago I did truly think that I would be at a different place in my work life. Starting a career and being more successful...but I am working on that.

What has surprised you?
Buying a brand new home has surprised me the most. A home that was built for us, where we had choices on what we wanted as far as upgrades on floors, cabinets, counter tops, brick color, outside paint color, cable outlets, outside lights, gutters, etc. Owning our home has truly been rewarding.

Should I have done things differently? If so, what would I change?
Personal life, No. Although I do sometimes wonder where I would be if I went off to college somewhere else in Texas? Would me and Scott have stayed together? Would I be with someone else and have been as just as happy? But, I am very happy with my life with Scott and know this is where I should be. Work life, Yes. I had a stable job all through college, they worked with my schedule and I was payed decently, received raises and bonuses. I learned a lot about the business world and how it all worked. I was able to do things that I might not have been able to if I did not work. But because of this, I feel there have been missed opportunities as well. Internships that I could have/should have applied for. Job fairs and Career fairs that I should have been more interested in and took more serious...but I have had a job since the summer after I graduated high school and that is a lot more than most of my friends had while in college.

Who are my friends now?
I am grateful to still have the same best girlfriends that I had in high school and was in Drill Team with. We are all still very close, have always stayed in touch through our college years, they all went off to Texas A&M and I stayed in Houston, and remain close as we all get married and find our way in life. We do monthly dinners every month and go on trips together. I have also made some of the most amazing friendships with my others girlfriends from 'Scotts side'. These are the girlfriends that have become wives now to all of Scotts guy friends from high school. He too has remained very close to about 8 guys that he went to high school with and they too are my very good friends!

Could I have done more?
Maybe, I don't know. I feel like I still can. I would love to go and get my Master's Degree (MBA) and my real estate license. I know for sure that I could have made better grades in college, not that they were bad, but an 'A' is always better than a 'B' and a 'B' is better than a 'C'. But I am proud of what I have done in the past 7 years and do not regret the decisions that have led me here.

It has been nice to take a backseat and reflect on the last 7 years of my life; some of the absolute best years of my life. I love everyone who has been there with me and a part of it! Thank you!

A Little More About Me

I came across this and thought it was neat!

A - Age: 26

B - Bed size: Queen

C - Chore you hate: Laundry

D - Dog's name: Dakota

E - Essential start your day item: Vitamin C tablet and a Diet Dr. Pepper

F - Favorite color: Chocolate Brown

G - Gold or Silver: Silver

H - Height: 5’2"

I - Instruments you play: I wish I could play the piano, does that count?...

J - Job title: Inside Sales for a Construction Company

K - Kid(s): none yet, but hoping to be preggo by the end of 2009!

L - Living arrangements: Our new home (4 bed, 2 bath, 2,250 SF) in Cypress, TX

M - Mom's name: Lynn

N - Nicknames: No nicknames, just the sweet names the hubs calls me

O - Overnight hospital stay: None for me, yet...

P - Pet Peeve: Messy houses, clutter, having no organization

Q - Quote from a movie: ....i'll get back to you on that...

R - Right or left handed: Right

S - Siblings: 1 younger brother, Garrett

T - Time you wake up: 6:00am, too early for my liking!

U - Underwear: Thongs fromVS

V - Vegetable you dislike: Squash & green peas. Broccoli is my absolute favorite!

W - Ways/Reasons you run late: Love to sleep in or hungover

X - X-rays you've had: Teeth and my hands and wrist (I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis at the age of 23)

Y - Yummy food you make: My family's Chicken Fried Steak and Chicken/Veal Parmigiana

Z - Zoo animals you like: Elephants and Giraffes

Now its your turn! Copy and paste to your blog so everyone gets to know a little bit more about you!

Chocolate Confession...and the Weekend

I eat chocolate everyday! A piece here, a piece there, that's all. I just thought I would get that out of the way and in the air now. Chocolate and Peanut Butter combined together are my ultimate favorite! Yep, that just about sums it up.
Oh, and on a side note, I am so happy to have my hubs back home. He was out of town in Appleton, WI all last week, Monday-Friday for work and classes and he came back home this past Friday night at 11pm. We spent the whole next day at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo; seeing all the animals, seeing two baby calf's be born, shopping, eating great BBQ, drinking cold beer and watching the Rodeo Finals where they gave $50,000 each to the Cowboys and Cowgirl who won in each of the 7 categories! Brooks and Dunn performed and had a great show as always. Afterwords, we went to a late night Crawfish Boil at some friends of ours house. Sunday we worked around the house and yard all day! It was such a great weekend!

25 Random Things

I was tagged on Facebook, so I thought I could also post this on here. Rules: Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 5 people to be tagged. If I tagged you, it's because I want to know more about you. I am tagging these ladies: Karen, Katie, G&D, Courtney, Abby.

1. I truly believe that my husband has made me a better person; I love being his wife!
2. I still don't 100% feel like I am an adult in my mid 20's.....until I see the mortgage note every month.
3. I look forward and am so anxious about having kids and starting a family, but at the same time I am not in a huge rush to do so.
4. My mom and dad are the most wonderful and generous parents I have ever known; my life is so blessed because of them.
5. I have the best girlfriends in the whole world; my old girl besties and my new girl besties, I do not know how my life would be without them in it.
6. I am so happy and proud to say I am from Texas and live in this great state.
7. My brother and I are completely opposite but have so many things in common.
8. I am still completely in love with George Strait!
9. I love milk! I drink at least one glass every night.
10. I really want to learn how to play the piano someday.
11. My beer of choice is Bud Light Lime; best beer ever!
12. Fishing is one of my favorite past times and I wish I went more often.
13. I did not get my first dog, Dakota, until I was 20 and since then my life has just been that much better.
14. My husband broke his ankle playing softball 4 weeks after we got married; so glad it happened after the wedding!
15. Scott and I got engaged on the Kemah Boardwalk which is also where we took our first official 'Big Date' 5 years previous.
16. I love to clean and organize but I absolutely hate to fold and hang up laundry!
17. Decorating is one of my true passions in life; I am obsessed with it and would love to do it for a living someday.
18. I really enjoy entertaining and having friends and family over at our house! The more the merrier.
19. Kirklands, Hobby Lobby, Target and Bed Bath and Beyond are some of my absolute favorite stores to shop at.
20. My grandpa Myron is my hero. I miss him everyday and our family farm is not the same without him.
21. I can spend countless hours looking at houses on HAR.com even though I live in a new house; I love looking all the different floorplans and such.
22. I enjoy to cook but don't do it as often as I should; I am usually very hesitant to cooking new recipes because of the uncertainty of how it taste and I hate wasting food and money if it turns out 'not so great'.
23. I really don't like cold weather, brrrrr.
24. I love wearing high heels!
25. I hate riding in cars, especially 2 door cars--I get all claustrophobic. So glad we have an SUV and truck in our family.

The Joys of Being a Patient Wifey...101

How to get candle wax out of carpet.....? Ohhh, this is the magic question that I was asking myself this past Sunday evening after my sweet, sweet husband accidentally knocked over our WoodWick candle that sits on the bar, onto the carpet in the living room. I tried my best to keep my composure.....but I still had 'that look' in my eyes (all of us women have 'that look', you know what I am talking about) that inside I was furious. I had been burning this candle for atleast 6 or 7 hours, so there was a lot of wax to say the least that was slowing sticking itself to the (what I still consider fairly new) carpet. The first thing that came to my mouth to say, well...I kept my mouth shut, then came the "Are you serious? How in the heck did you manage to do that? Ughhhh, you have got to be kidding me, you have had too many beers... and so on" speech. The hubs of course at this point was trying very diligently to get candle wax off of his hand and wedding ring, while I at the time am having not much remorse. Several minutes later came the guilt from my hubbs and the "I am so sorry, it's ok, I will clean it up, not sure how, but I will take care of it babe, don't worry". Yeah, I have heard that line before. So being the patient wife that I am, I know I have got to figure out how to get this wax out of the carpet. I tried to think back at my teenage years when I know this has happened before while having an all night chat sessions with the girls. Nothing came to mind...except the wonderful world of the internet and google. Here's what I learned and did: It worked too!

1. Let the wax harden (this should not take long). If you can, scrap off the excess wax with a dull knife.
2. Place part of a paper bag (any kind--shopping, grocery, sandwich) over the wax area. You can also use paper towels, a clean cloth or newspaper ( I used the paper bag method).
3. Using a warm iron (on low to medium heat) press gently on the paper bag. Be careful not to leave the iron in one place too long or you may burn the carpet fibers. Rub the area where the wax is and you will notice that the wax begins to melt and soak up onto the paper bag.
4. Continue to do step 3 until all the wax is melted up. You may use several paper bags depending on how much wax is spilled.
5. Rub your fingers over the spot where the wax was and if you still feel some wax on the carpet continue to do step 3 until it is all melted up.

To remove stains left from colored wax, try gently dabbing the stain with a rag dampened with rubbing alcohol. If the alcohol doesn't seem to work, try using dry cleaning solvent.

The hubs was very impressed with me getting the wax out of the carpet and was also very apologetic. I really was not mad at him just re-iterated to him to be just a little more aware, LOL! It's times like these when I think both spouses can appreciate the roles of husband and wife!

Christmas in January!

Take a look at our new beauty that now stands up perfectly on our huge, blank canvas of a wall in our living room; Our much anticipated entertainment center!!! This was our big Christmas present this past year and we finally got it delivered. And get this, it's from Sams of all places and is about half the price of what you would pay at Pottery Barn or Crate and Barrel. We purchased it online, never seeing it in the store, just hoping that it would look as great in person as it does online! And to our excitement, it is even better than what we ever imagined. I did do my research on this piece of furniture though; I read many reviews on it and others like it from Sams and we did go to our local Sams to check out the quality of all their furniture. It came in three huge boxes already put together and was packaged very, very well. All we had to do was un-wrap, wipe down and re-run all the wires for the TV in the corrct spot. The picture below is from the Sams website. Pics from our home to come soon.

We have also been very busy this past week and half doing alot of paiting... in our living room, hallway, entryway, dining room and kitchen. The walls look amazing now, so much warmth and color!!! It still amazes me how paint can make such a huge difference on how a room looks and feels! We used Sherwin Williams paint for all rooms. Pics to come soon on that too!

Ahh and before I forget, I have to brag about my wonderful hubby; he did put together for me my beautiful wine buffet from Target last week. He put it together the same day I brought it home. He was occupied doing that (which I find difficult for me, reading instructions and all) while I was painting. We have been very productive this past week and half... and it feels so good!

Looking Back at 2008

Looking back at 2008
January

• Annual Old Girl Besties Christmas Party
• Baby Payton Williams is born
• I host Southern Living at Home party (and get lots of great loot for our new house)
• Crawfish Boil at Christie and Dustin's house

February

• Super Bowl Sunday with Old Girl Besties at Jessi and Wes's
• My father in-law's surprise 60th birthday party at Saltgrass Steakhouse
• My baby twin girl cousin's 1st birthday and party
• Walk through, close and move in our new house at the very end of the month

March

• Finish moving into our house
• Go to Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo four different times (it's a big deal here in Texas)
• Easter and egg hunting at my parents house with family
• Our very close friends Mark and Jenn close and move into their first house together

April

• Surprise 50th birthday party for my best friend Shelly's dad
• Hubs goes to Nascar Race at Texas Motor Speedway
• Turning 25
  
• My Company's 12th Annual Crawfish Boil

May

• Friends Kristy and Jason's engagement party
• Astro's baseball game
• Best friend Dayna, her husband Eric's coming home from Iraq party
• Frio River for a long Memorial Day weekend vacation

June

• Friends Nancy and Shaun's wedding couples shower
• My handsome hubby's 28th birthday and party

July

• 4th of July at close friends Jessica and Brett's house
  
• Hubs plays in the Buzz's washer fest tournament

August

• Astro's baseball game

September

• Friend Tracy's baby shower
• Astro's baseball game
• Hurricane Ike storms through Galveston and Houston
• My cousin Laurens bridal shower in San Antonio and dinner with my parents in Gruene, TX at the delicious Gristmill
  
• Our 1st wedding anniversary
  
• Grey's Anatomy 5th season premier

October

• Robinson annual Fish Fry (Yummy)
• Five day vacation in Las Vegas for my cousin Lauren's beautiful wedding at the Belligio

November

• Friends Brandy and Phillip's couples baby shower
• I present our Blog
  
• Our 7 year dating anniversary (Yes, this day does still count)
• The loss of my dear friend and co-worker
• Thanksgiving at my parents home with lots of family
• Our niece's 2nd birthday

December

• Friends Kristy and Jason's holiday party
• Tailgate and Texans football game
• Our First Annual Christmas Party
• Christmas, my favorite holiday
  
• Visit to our family farm in south Texas

We had such a fun, exciting and emotional 2008 where we made memories that will last a lifetime. As we rung in 2009 we both were so very grateful to be coming into the new year together happy and healthy and anxiously await what the oh-fine 2009 will bring. Here's a toast of champagne to oh-eight and a hearty welcome to 2009!

Everything Loved in Decmber

I bought this printed sablesoft oversized throw for two knowing well and good that the last thing I needed was another blanket. But I could not resist while shopping in one of my absolute favorite stores, Bed Bath and Beyond. The print I loved, the softness was incredible and the size was great for cuddling with the hubs, which I might add the hubs uses this throw all the time now and it is great for cuddling ;). These are not new to us but I had to share about them because they are so great; Tervis Tumblers drink ware. The hubs and I use them on a daily bases and think that they are the absolute best drinking glasses ever! They have double insulted walls so they reduce condensation and rings, they keep hot drinks hotter and cold drinks colder, they have glass like clarity, they are microwave, dishwasher and freezer safe, you can customize them, and they are guaranteed for life. You can also buy the great lids and straws that fit with them. Get some or get many, you won't be disappointed.

The hubs still can't believe that I spent money on these, but his opinions, thoughts, concerns or suggestions don't phase me when it come to my winter Nadia Crocs in the Khaki color. I saw them in a Macy's add and just HAD to have these of my own. These are the best winter, wear around the house kind of house shoe/boot. They are so comfortable and cute. I still have a hard time considering them as boots though because they are made of the 'Croc material' and I am not sure if I could see myself tucking a pair of skinny jeans in them..... but I do love them to wear on cold winter days around the house.

Our House, Our Home

So since this blog is also suppose to be about our house, I figured I needed to get some pics up on here to show it to all and share a little bit about our home buying experience.

It was the end of October 2007 when the hubs and I were driving around newer neighborhoods looking at houses and trying to determine what area of the Houston suburbs we wanted to settle down in. We visited the Neighborhood of The Villages of Cypress Lakes because of new houses that I saw were for sale on har.com. I was pretty impressed with the whole 'what you get for the money' aspect of all the homes in this neighborhood and the upgrades that were available really appealed to the hubs and me both. We walked through the model home and loved what we saw, talked to the home sales man who then showed us a couple of inventory homes available and liked what we saw in those too. We then became immediately interested in the possibility of building a house of our own! We got all the information we needed on all the floor plans, the lots available, the upgrade options and the pre-approval application. Two weeks later we put down our earnest money to hold the lot of our choice, the week after that we were pre-approved, the following week we decided on the floor plan and on November 26th we decided on all our upgrade options, had our contract typed up and signed the dotted lines! We had just made the biggest decision in our new married life together and in our young adult lives. We were excited and scared all at the same time! Ninety days later our house would be built and complete! We did our walk through on a Tuesday and we would close on Thursday, February 28th, 2008! It was so exciting to be handed the keys to our new house and to turn the page to this chapter in our life! With the help of my amazing parents, the hubs and I were all moved in by the weekend! Everyday since has been a total blessing and we are so fortunate for all that we have and have been given. Four bedrooms, 2 baths and 2,250SF later, here we are! Click here to view our floorplan.