Random Saturday

This is going to be a kind of random post. I have a few things to talk about..and can't decide which one to do a post about..so I'll just throw them all into one!

1st...

Duane and I were talking about Kaia's size last night. Everyone that comes over or sees a picture of her always comments on how huge she is. I guess we just don't really see her "hugeness". We both consider dogs that are 100+ pounds big dogs. Kaia weighs somewhere between 75 and 80 pounds..so that's not huge..is it?! I guess if she continues to grow I might consider her huge. What does this have to do with anything you ask?! Nothing..told you this was a random post.

Here are a couple pictures of my cute puppy..

See..not so huge!

Ok..in this picture I will admit she looks HUGE!

2nd...

I went to a baby shower today for a teacher I teach with. She is due in April and it was fun to celebrate with her today. I have been so blessed with the people I teach with. They have been SO helpful and I couldn't have gotten this far without them. As a first year teacher, I have been so thankful to be teaching with such wonderful people!

Here are a couple of pictures from the shower..

DCMS sixth grade teachers at the shower

My teammate and I. She has been a lifesaver over the past few months!

Stephanie and I..both first year teachers!

3rd...

I just wanted to say that I am really sick of the cold weather! Most people are well aware that I have never been a fan of winter..but for some reason this winter has almost been unbearable. Perhaps it is because I now have a dog that I have to walk in frigid temperatures. Or maybe it's because I have a class of 12 year olds that are dying to go outside for recess and can't because it is just too cold. Or it could be the fact that for the first time in a lot of years I am not going anywhere on spring break. This just means I have to wait even LONGER for warm weather. So all of these things combined make me sad. On the bright side I did just order a swimsuit and Duane told me the other day that he is ready to start going tanning because he is tired of looking so pale..wahoo!! My teammate at school changed our uppercase living sign from winter to spring, and I am in the process of taking down anything snow related in my house. Surely this will encourage spring to get here just a little sooner?!

Here are a couple of nice warm picture in case you too are sick of the cold and gray...

Duane and I in Barbados..I'm longing to be there!

BEAUTIFUL!

Well I'm off to look at real-estate in a warmer climate! Happy Saturday!!

Feelin' the Love

This post is going to be a little sentimental..just a warning! :)

I want to start off by saying congratulations to my wonderful friend Stefanie!! She and I had lunch today and she told me that she got engaged last Friday! I am so excited for her! It meant so much to me that she wanted to tell me in person rather than text me or let me see it on facebook. Stef and I have been friends since high school and although we aren't always the best at keeping in touch, I love her dearly and and so excited for her! Congrats Stef..let the wedding planning begin! :)

Stef and I at my wedding

As I sat in my classroom today I got to thinking about what a blessing friends are. Of course I don't just sit at my desk and day dream all day, but after lunch with Stef it made me think. So as my students were getting their sex ed. talk, (which is a whole other post in itself) I had a little extra time (ha, like there's even such thing as a teacher) to think.

I don't want this to sound cliche at all, but I really do have the best friends a girl could ask for. I have sisters that have become my best friends over the years. I have friends that I've had since preschool that I consider sisters. I have friends that I went to high school with that I still consider great friends (even if they live far away and we rarely get the time to see each other). I have friends that I met in college that I probably wouldn't have survived college without. I have friends that I've come to know through Duane, all of which I am very thankful for. And of course I have my husband, who makes a pretty great best friend if I do say so myself. :)

I don't think I could ever thank all of my friends enough. They have helped me through the hard times, the good times, the sad times, the happy times..they have been there through it all. Some of them I wish I could see and talk to more often but I am thankful for them none the less. I know that God put these people in my life for a special reason and I am so glad he did!

So friends...this blog post is for you! I love you all!

I could NEVER write a post without pictures. Here are a few pictures of some of my awesome friends..

My lovely sisters

At our rehearsal dinner with Chelsea and Anthony..Duane I would both agree that we desperately want to live closer to these two!

Lauren, Carrie, and I with the chaos that is our dogs. I LOVE this picture!

My CCT friends!

Us with Isaiah at the Liles' wedding rehearsal

Some of my longest friends

My parents, also great friends!

Us with Todd and Carrie on spring break in 2007. I am LONGING for a tan so this picture makes me sad!

Duane and I on our honeymoon in Barbados. Man, I want to be there NOW!

New Blinds!

You know that you are pretty domesticated when you get excited about new kitchen blinds (and a new ironing board cover, but I'm almost too embarrassed to admit that)! Had to post a few pictures of them! They are from Cost Co. World Market. I love this store!! If you are looking for a great home decor store..check out their website.

Here are a few pictures of the blinds...

We are off to the groomer to try and get some of this awful shedding under control. We are hoping Kaia won't be too bad for the poor person that will have the "privilege" of giving a bath to a dog that absolutely despises bath time. Have a wonderful Sunday! :)

Up to no good!

Don't let that cute face fool you..this puppy has been up to NO good!

First, I need to preface this post by saying that normally Kaia is a really good dog (not that I really know what to expect considering she is my first dog, but that's beside the point). She is by no means perfect and she is still 100% puppy, but on the whole she is a good dog. She was potty trained in 2 weeks and never has accidents unless she is really excited or scared (of Duane because when I discipline her it's like she is laughing in my face). She is pretty relaxed and loves to just lay on the floor and chill. However, this "good dog" image is only complete if she goes on a daily walk. Without the walk she becomes a different dog, a dog that could give the famous Marly a run for his money. Due to all the snow and freezing temperatures, Kaia has been sadly neglected of her walks. And because of this, she has become a different dog. A dog that I'd rather never see again.

It all started on Tuesday morning when I found Kaia on our bed with a bottle of Vicks Vapor Rub (Duane and I have both been sick). She had chewed the cap off and was eating the Vicks. I was under the impression German Shepherds were supposed to be smart, but I guess not this one. That same day when I was going outside she ran out the door with me. Keep in mind we don't have a fenced in yard (until spring) and when Kaia gets out it is almost impossible to catch her. It took me a good 15 minutes to get her in and she was nearly hit by a car. Wonderful! If that wasn't bad enough, not a half an hour later I walked into the living room only to find Kaia with my iPhone in her mouth! Luckily I caught her in time and she only managed to put holes in my screen protector. I guess I won't be leaving my phone in "Kaia reach" anymore!

I was hoping she would have a better day yesterday, but I was wrong. Last night while Duane and I were asleep on the couch Kaia decided it would be a fabulous idea to get out honeymoon album off the coffee table and chew it up. Our ONE souvenir from Barbados and she chewed it up. Ugh! To top it all off, she managed to weasel her way out the door when I was leaving for school this morning. It took Duane and I chasing her around the yard (in our nice clothes) for 10 minutes before she was back in the house (in her crate to be exact).

So that is what Kaia has been up to lately. I know what you are thinking...this dog is in desperate need of some obedience school! That's why I prefaced this post by saying that she is a pretty good dog, as long as she has her walks. Luckily it got up to a stifling 31 degrees today so Duane and I bared the cold and took Kaia on a nice, long walk.

As I write this post Kaia is laying right next to me looking about as innocent as a puppy can look. She is lucky she's cute, or I'm not sure she'd still be alive!

I know this picture is random, but I though it was pretty. I hate the snow and wish it would go away, but it sure does make for some pretty pictures!

A Quarter of a Century

Happy birthday to my wonderful husband! He turned 25 today...and is feeling pretty old! I have been blessed with one amazing husband. I could list off all of the things I love about him..but that could take all night and I don't want to bore you with the mushy-gushy stuff. I will just say that I am so thankful that I married such a positive man. If you know me at all you know that I am not the most positive person. Not something I am proud of, but I will be the first to admit it. It's something I've always struggled with and am constantly trying to improve. Duane has helped me tremendously with this. He is always working to change my mood around, and I love this! This is one of the qualities I have fallen more in love with since we've been married. Ok....enough with the romantic stuff (my sister is probably throwing up as she reads this post).

Duane desperately wanted to go skiing/snowboarding for his birthday. He has only been once and has been dyeing to go back ever since. I too have only be skiing once, and to be honest, one time was enough for me. In case you're unaware, the cold and I are NOT good friends. Which automatically means skiing and I aren't good friends. BUT since I knew how bad Duane wanted to do this, I sucked it up and went with it. After all, the guy did surprise me with a massage for my birthday, so what's a girl to do?!

We left early this morning and headed to Perfect North with some of our best friends, Todd and Carrie. I must say, it was a lot of fun! Yes I said it...skiing was fun! I only fell a handful of times and snowboarding came back to Duane with no problem. I actually stayed on the slopes for six hours! Not bad considering I brought papers to grade because I was just sure I'd spend all day in the lodge. It was extremely crowded, which made for a lot of people dodging, but overall is was a great trip. We are so happy to have such wonderful friends close to home to share these memories with.

Here are some pictures from the day....

Duane and I worn out from skiing!

Carrie and I

Todd and Carrie

That is a hill I did NOT go down, but Todd did!

Duane and I are both incredibly sore already. I have a feeling we both won't be able to walk tomorrow..but it was well worth it. Happy Birthday Duane! I love you! :)

Our Very Own Marly

Meet Kaia...

She is our 8 month old German Shepherd.

She weighs 75 pounds and is STILL growing.

She gets into lots of trouble.

She loves to chew on socks.

She loves to look out the window.

She has a minor obsession with playing fetch.

She is under the impression that she's a lap dog.

BUT....

She is so cute! :)

Welcome!

Welcome to our new blog! I have an obsession with reading blogs..in fact , it takes up most of my time on the computer! Although I'm not sure what I have to blog about, I thought I'd give it a try!

This is a picture of my husband and puppy Kaia. We are newly married and are loving each other and loving life. Feel free to visit our blog anytime!