Smile Friday: Wedding Pictures

It's Friday again so to celebrate the end of the work week I'm linking up with my friend Ashley at Smile Steady for Smile Friday.  

Our wedding pictures always make me smile - even the not so professional candid ones.  I love them all!  Call me vain but I just LOVE looking at our wedding album.  We had such a great time and I never want to forget a second of it.

Smile Friday: The Love of My Life

Ok, so to celebrate that it is finally the end of the work week I'm linking up with my friend Ashley at Smile Steady for her Smile Friday.  

Luke and I had just picked him and Kato up from the doggie spa and he was enjoying his new Christmas present from the doodles.  Isn't he just too darn cute?!?

mish mash

Our little experiment with e-mealz has been a huge success!  I think I've eaten more protein in the last two weeks than I did the entire past year.  There has only been 1 meal I didn't like and that was in the first week.  I think we even have some new "favorite" dishes.  We have gotten out of our chicken rut and have eaten, fish, chicken, pork and beef in the past two weeks!  Plus - no scrambling at 5 to come up with a dinner plan!  Have I mentioned how much we love this!??!
What's for Dinner this week
white bean chili, baked ziti, sliced bbq pork roast, baked tacos, and bbq sandwiches.

I just scheduled my Lasik appointment.  Feb. 17th at 3:30!  It was originally scheduled for next Thursday but when I realized Luke would be out of town and I would have no ride I decided it might be best to wait until next month :)  Dr. Philthy says this ophthalmologist is a stud so that makes me feel so much better!

the magic 8 ball app on my phone said that I am definitely pregnant so that is exciting - much too soon to know anything but still, if the magic 8 ball says so then it must be true.  This would mean no Lasik - but after living this long with contacts I think I can continue 9 more months :)


I officially reported to job #3 yesterday!  When I was at my Lasik screening I started chatting with the Drs wife, when she found out I was an accountant she asked if I wanted any part time work.  Of course I said yes and the rest is history.  I'll be working a few hours a week at their office helping out with some basic accounting duties.  Plus I get discounted Lasik - score!  Plus a little extra spending cash never hurts. I'll continue to work full time at HealthSouth and will still do payroll twice a month for my dad. 

Luke is still reffing 2-3 nights a week.  I try and do payroll on the nights he is gone so I can stay busy. Plus I can usually find something trashy on TV and veg for a few hours which is a nice break.  Now with the new job I don't think I'll have a problem finding something to do with my time. 
I'm not sure what we are saving up for but all this extra work will hopefully pay off and we can splurge on something fun!

  My craft room is up and running at home.  It still needs a little TLC - curtains, and some frames on the wall but the essentials are in place.  I LOVE it.  I have spent the last 2 Saturdays holed up in there.  I think it drives Luke nuts but at least I'm not bothering him while he tries to study or read.  The dogs love to come in and help out whenever I'm in there working.  Buddy has a spot picked out under the bench and Kato would like to be in my lap but will settle for laying on my feet.

Luke took this last Saturday morning!  No wonder I sleep so good!  These guys keep me nice a toasty.  Ok - we don't actually sleep like this, Kato sleeps on the floor beside me most nights and Buddy sleeps at the foot of the bed, but in the morning they are both up there ready for a good snuggle!

It has been raining for the past week.  Kato LOVES it.  We were watching her out the window the other day and she was rolling in a big mud puddle!  I was scared to let her in because I just knew she was going to make a mess of me and the bathroom when we tried to bathe her.  We tried giving her a bath and it just wasn't getting the job done so we turned on the shower and made her stand in it for awhile.  She wasn't a big fan but she smelled like strawberries for the next few hours.

#1

today was due date #1.  

I wasn't sure how to approach today.  I knew I would be sad, would feel a little empty - and it's true.  I do, I feel those things but I also felt very lucky this morning.  I wasn't expecting that at all.  I am SO lucky to have the husband that I have.  He is so comforting when I'm not doing so great.  He knows the right things to say when no one else does.  He isn't afraid to talk about the tough stuff - the stuff that scares away everyone else.

I fully expected to be pregnant by the time this day rolled around.  I'm not - and I'm learning to be okay with that.  I know how to focus on the good things in life, while still remembering the bad.  I've learned patience, or at least I'm trying.

I'm in a pretty good place today.  I didn't expect to be.  I expected myself to be a wreck.

Hopefully it won't be too much longer.

Night One

Our first night on E-mealz was a success! Our low fat meal for two consisted of a pepperoni loaf, salad, and fruit!  The grocery shopping on the other had was a big fat fail!  Tuesday's must not be a great time to grocery shop at Walmart.  They were out of EVERYTHING!  I was there for an hour fighting the crowds and still ended up at Super One.  I may have to start at Super One next Tuesday or move my shopping day to a different day of the week.  Tonight is Russian Chicken - it's in the Crockpot getting all yummy right now! 

E-Mealz

Luke and I are starting E-Mealz tomorrow.  According to their website e-mealz is going to simplify our lives while saving us time and money!  I'm not counting on a miracle here but any little bit helps, right?  I get frustrated so many evenings about what to make for dinner.  I get home from work and don't have a clue, then I'm missing an ingredient and we end up eating something that maybe isn't that great for us.  We eat great on the weekends when I have all day to plan and prepare, but during the week I can't say the same.

 We are doing the low-fat meals for two that e-mealz offers.  There are several different plans but this is the one we chose.  Tomorrow they will send me our first weeks menu, grocery lists and recipes and then turn me loose in Wal-Mart.  (you can pick which ever grocery store you like after entering your zip code, but for those of you living in Ruston - I hope you like shopping at Wal-Mart ;)  The sample that I looked at had a total weekly grocery bill of $45.  This is a huge improvement from what we are currently spending - cross your fingers this works!  I'm really looking forward to it - I'm a picky eater so I'm hoping to learn to like new things while getting to enjoy my evenings more while stressing out over meals less!

I'm hoping that by combing this new meal plan with my new workout routine that I just may be able to melt off a few of the extra pounds I've put on over the last year.  Watch out world - I'm gonna be a whole new woman - maybe 

Christmas Update

Luke and I had a great trip home to Kansas!  We spent Wednesday night with his grandparents in Norman to break up the drive.  We had a blast with them.  We played Scene It and ate way too much.  Thursday we woke up bright and early to make the trek up to Hesston.  We arrived just in time for lunch at D'Angelo's - my FAVORITE Hesston restaurant.  After that I went to the MAYB/Imprints Christmas party at my parents.  Since I'm now on the payroll as the payroll clerk I got to be a part of the festivities.  I left with a $25 Barnes and Noble Gift Card - perfect gift for me.  Dad really stepped up the gift card selection this year, there was a TJ Maxx card that I had my eye on as well and several restaurant cards that would have worked as well - but the one I got was PERFECT!  After stuffing my face with way too many desserts it was time to get fitted for my bridesmaid dress.  I can't wait to seem them all done and together - Lauren has great taste and the dresses will be amazing! Hopefully my size will be smaller come May and she will have to make alterations (I am going to get back in shape - hopefully).  We finished the night loving on some puppies and dinner with the Simmering family.  

Friday was Christmas eve and Simmering Christmas.  Mary and Andy weren't able to join us - they are in Hawaii visiting with Andy's family but the rest of us enjoyed a yummy breakfast and opened gifts.  We were lazy the rest of the morning and then Luke and I headed off to my grandmas for Christmas with her and Matt.  Then Christmas eve church and we were off too bed.  On Christmas morning we celebrated with my family, then packed up our vehicles and headed to Kansas City.  We spent the evening on the Plaza admiring the lights and eating way too much, but we worked it off at the indoor water park at the hotel ;)  The next morning we headed to the Chiefs game.  We ate at a makeshift tailgate from the back of the armada and then headed into the game!  We had a blast, Luke and I spent WAY too much money at the gift shop but just couldn't help ourselves and not all of it is for us ;)  We don't get many of the Chiefs games on TV so this was a special treat for Luke to get to watch up close and in person.  We left the game at the beginning of the 4th quarter to make the drive to Springfield, MO where we spent the night and then headed back to Ruston on Monday morning!  It was a whirlwind trip but we had a blast, were spoiled by our families and loved ones and we are already looking forward to our next trip back!

Fireworks

Louisiana Tradition is new to me, and most of it just makes me laugh - but I LOVE fireworks on New Years Eve.  This is one tradition I wish we had at home.  A few weeks ago firework stands began popping up on the side of the road.  Luke and I don't spend our money on them but we are so glad that others do.  I love watching them from our backyard.