One of these days...

So here's the deal. I'm basically obsessed with the idea of a gel manicure. I have no idea why. But I must get one. And soon. The problem is, I cannot seem to spend $30+ on myself right now. We are still trying to get settled in and bills are coming, {lots at a time} whether we're ready or not. Just last week we had a leak in one of our water drains and there goes a couple hundred dollars, then I got sick, which caused Dr. bills and medicine...etc. Welcome to the real world, right? Priorities. Got to love them. Guess this means I'm growing up. Bills over manicures. Lame.

Have you had a gel manicure?

I'm failing. Failing miserably...

I thought I'd be better at blogging in 2011, and some times I still think I will. But I have zero time to sit without being interrupted and this is just a lost cause. Hopefully things will change soon. In the meantime, here's the latest...
We took this sucker home...

We had our FIRST snow day, let me just say- Heavenly...

I've been raking my heart out. I ended up with 11 GIANT trash bags. Never again...
...and watching this little guy run through my leaf piles to chew on them. But it's hard to get mad when he's so darn cute...

I've been baking my heart out all day every day. Something is wrong, I'm suddenly obsessed with sweets. But these are my favorites from Recipe Club, and I can't get enough. Even Dylan's friends love them. They're a good "quick! company's coming" cookie...


Speaking of company coming... We have four guests coming to stay with us tonight. Our friends from Amarillo :) They'll be our first guests, and I can't wait to show them our house and show them our new life in Oklahoma! I hope it's a good time!

Monday Ramblings...

This year has already started out fantastic. I've decided to not drink diet coke anymore. :) I freaking love that drink, but seriously I could save some serious cash by cutting back. So that's my plan. More water, less diet coke. I'd say in the last 3 days I've done a darn good job! I think I drank like 100 oz. of water today. No lie.

In other news, I made my first batch of chicken and dumplings tonight. My parents, my brother, my sister and brother in law and my nephew all came over to see the house and just have a good family dinner together. Let me just tell you, it was so good and so so easy! It will definitely be going in my recipe collection. Thank you Southern Living, you never fail me.

Tomorrow we start back up at school and I'm already praying for a snow day. How sad is that? I love my job, but it has been so nice to have such a low key weekend. I need to do this more often. It's good for my health. So maybe mother nature will give me a few more free days in the near future. One can hope, right? ;)

Tonight I have to finish painting mugs for McNellies and put our laundry away and pack lunches and pick out my outfit for tomorrow... Oh and paint my nails. These resolutions are legit I tell ya!

Goodbye 2010, Hello 2011...

Dear 2010,
I had low expectations for you. I was blown away by 2009 and really doubted the excitement you would bring. Boy was I wrong. I feel like I was slapped in the face, and now it's over. You were by far the fastest year of my life.
Thanks for all of the memories.

Here are some that I don't want to forget:
Living in Amarillo for almost 8 months- thought it would be horrific. Come to find out, I would meet some really sweet friends, and make memories to last a lifetime. I learned a lot about my walk with God and all things being in His timing.

My brother being diagnosed with Cancer and me praying my heart out that Channel 5 would hire my husband so I could be closer to my family. He didn't get the job. They wanted a girl. Obviously, that's not something we could argue.

But God can move mountains and within three days of hearing the disappointing news about not getting the job, Channel 4 (the number one station in OKC) called Dylan wanting him. In two weeks. It was absolutely in His plan for us to be back home. I serve an unbelievable God.

My brother finished his treatment and is now Cancer free. I will never forget his last Cancer appointment and hearing the Children's Hospital staff singing him the Goodbye Cancer song. I just have chills and tears of joy writing this. My parents were out of town, and it was just me and my brother. What a memory! I love him more than words can say, and I am so thankful that he is healthy. So thankful.

Packing up our life and moving back to Oklahoma so we could live with my parents for a year while we saved for our first home. Needless to say, we bought our first home 2 1/2 months later and rebuilt the whole inside.

We celebrated our 1st wedding anniversary.

We now live in our home that was redone with more love and hard work than I could ever be thankful enough for. I really have the best family in the whole entire world.

We bought each other a Golden Retriever and in 8 days we'll welcome a new puppy into the mix.


I'm sure there is way more that went on than I can even remember right at this moment. This year presented a lot of struggles and hardship and a whole lot of celebration. Through it all I'm more happy right now, at this moment, than I've been in a really long time. I love my family, my husband, our health, our home... I could go on and on, but at the end of the day I am so excited for 2011 and my prayer is that it will be much calmer than the last! :)


Happy New Year!