ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS

Yawn.....
I need sleep. For some reason I am awake between the hours of, oh 2am and 6am. Can't sleep, am restless. And although I can't actually FEEL our baby moving, I swear he/she is in there running a marathon. So, some sleep would be nice. Continuous sleep.....like 10 hours. Like back in college when you could sleep for forever. What happened to that?

In other baby news, I am getting a cute lil' belly & can no longer wear real women's pants. Everything maternity. And thank goodness for some decent styles. Shirts I'm ok on....but some are kind of short, b/c ahem, someones belly is like 3 or 4 beer guts, not just 1 anymore.

I am loving the whole pregnancy thing. For some reason, I am starting to have all the cravings & poor Matt is suffering on the weight side. But seriously. Who wants to eat Sonic blasts alone? Or fried pickles (no, not together friends). Or rotel/cheese ALL WEEKEND LONG.

Thinking about Christmas coming up, can you believe we are almost 4 months pregnant? Weird. We'll have our bundle in no time! Matt will have his very first father's day just weeks after our baby is born! And this time next year we'll have a bundle of joy who will be reaching for all the presents....oh my. Really makes me want to quit my job & do nothing for the next 5 months but sleep ALL DAY LONG.

Excited to see our families at Christmas! We'll be doing lots of driving as usual, but I'm thinking that may change next year. Who knows. All I know is that I can't wait to give everyone presents.....definitely the best part. Especially when you think of the perfect gift!

Annie & Buddy got Christmas clothes. Didn't have time for the pic. Annie had a beautiful Christmas dress and Buddy had a green ornament sweater. They were so cute. Matt loved coming home to dressed up dogs (i just know it!)

Hope everyone has a Merry Christmas Season!!

NEWS AND PICS

Hopefully in the next couple of weeks we will have a better ultrasound of Baby Dill....for now this one will work. We were 6 weeks when we had this one done. We are currently 14 weeks preggo. So fun, especially since the morning sickness has started to go away! I have a little bump & just had to buy some new maternity pants.

Annie got a new friend. His name is Buddy. They are getting along so great! I am so happy for Annie that she no longer has separation anxiety. I can go to work guilt-free....imagine that!

That is all the news for now! We are getting ready for the holidays. Time seems to be going by so fast!

SO MUCH TO BE THANKFUL FOR!

Well...only a half day left of work until the I can begin to relax.

Plans for this year: Dills in the morning Towes in the evening. Wear some comfy pants!

In other news, we are in a position to adopt another dog....we are going to pick him up Friday & do a trial 2 weeks to see how everything goes. We did a friendship test Saturday & Annie met him. They played. Weren't best friends. But they didn't get in any fights. So....we will see how everything goes. (note to self: need another leash, collar and crate).

There is so much to be thankful for this year. I am definitely ready for the holidays!

PUT ON THE COMFY CLOTHES

I love coming home from work. The first thing I do....let Annie inside, say hello & watch her run around and jump like crazy. You would think we had been gone 5 years and not just 1 work day.
the second thing I do.....put on comfy clothes. Sometimes its sweats. Sometimes pj's. Sometimes a random outfit that I hope nobody sees.

I am not liking this cold, crazy windy weather. Ehhh ewww!

Today I was very chatty at work. Lots going on. Talk about doctors, pto, holidays, on-goings with our families, etc....criminals, the ER. Whatever you like.  Banks, bank accts, shopping, not leaving your purse in your car, muggings, etc. We are usually all over the place. Dogs, dog toys....yes this was all today:)

In the craziness of it all, I get wrapped up in it. however, I love coming home & seeing my husband & our pups and being out here in cow town where it is nice & QUIET:)

HE'S BAAAAACK

It's been so good having Matt home that I had temporarily put the blog on hold. More important things were pressing for our attention.
Anyways, he had a great trip. I'm glad he's home & not involved in any of the A380 craziness. They don't call the Airbus a Scarebus for nothin'!
Not much else to report. Kind of boring on our side here. Annie is good. Work is eh...I wish Matt and I could work together every day. I always miss him so much!
Anyways, I am glad tomorrow is Wednesday. It's HIM (Health Information Management) week & my boss & her boss are taking us out for lunch. YUM. I wonder where we get to go!?
As usual, I am already ready for the weekend!! Only a couple days left in the work week!
I am ready to take a long soak with the relaxing bath salts I bought the other day. One whiff & your cares instantly go away.....now doesn't that sound like a great end to every day!

OH THE DRAMA....

Crazy drama at work today! What kind of drama do you experience at your job? (if any at all).

Working at a hospital can be just nuts. These tv shows don't even capture the half of it.

Anyway, I am anxious to see what tomorrow brings. I can't wait to share with Matt. He thinks I'm touchy about re-entering the work force anyway. Just wait til he hears about the madness today!

On another subject: It's cold. I don't like the cold + windy weather. I predict a heater turns on soon!

WHERE ARE THE KIDS??

We only had about 10 trick-or-treaters tonight........oh well. Lots of candy for Matt when he comes home from Singapore.

Spent a fun weekend with my Mom and Dad......they helped with some stuff here at the house. And they worked sooo hard. A big thanks to them!

Annie & I are ready for Matt to come back! This house is not a home without him here. We are really missin' him!! We haven't been apart this long since we've been engaged. And Annie really needs some wrestlin'!

I'm not ready for work tomorrow.....I really wish every weekend had 3 days......how can I make that happen??

WHILE I HAVE THE TIME......SOME UPDATES

Updates: will be short and sweet
1. Still loving the new house
2. Matt is in Singapore for a week...left Me & Annie here to fend for ourselves;boo:(
3. Tried El Jalapeno in Collinsville. Like  a whole bunch. Will be going back soon.
4. Jobs are going good.
5. Is it time for Halloween already? Time is flying fast
6. Better go, parents are coming up this weekend to hang out & I need to finish laundry & the dishes.
Cao!

HOME SWEET HOME

It's been a little over 1 week and we are sooo loving our new house. Here is a link to watch a video tour on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s71kzlzWTZE

Annie loves having carpet & a huge back yard! There are dogs on 2 sides of us & they all love to run the fence together and bark! We are thinking she may need a another pup to stay home with & keep busy with during the day.

Matt graduated from his leadership academy at Nordam last week & is glad to be done with classes and meetings for that. He has a trip planned back to Singapore for a week at the end of October/beginning of November. I'm totally jealous I have to stay here and work. At least I have Annie to keep company with.

My job at Bailey is going good. I am still liking it out there. The cafeteria/bistro is nice and everyone (well most everyone) there is friendly.

That's about all to report for now. We have been busy un-packing and getting settled. We are so grateful for our new house & feel so fortunate to be out here!

HEADACHE GO AWAY

I have had a headache since I woke up this morning.....it's called Monday. At least there are only 4 days of work left this week:) right?
Matt goes to Houston and back tomorrow...I'm sure he'll be exhausted when he gets home. Nice. Do I want to go to work tomorrow? No. I want to stay home & take care of the house stuff. It would have been a little smarter if I had started my job AFTER we move. However, we didn't know we were selling our house at the time I interviewed & told them I could start anytime.
I did however, take a nice hot bath with some Aveda bath salts.....smells like the spa! I love those.
Did I mention I'm ready to move? We showed my parents the house yesterday & they really liked it. We love it! We never want to leave when we go out there. We can't wait to move!!!
Matt has been so great with helping out with all kinds of things around the house.....since I've started the J-O-B recently. He really is THE BEST!
This was a random blog, but I'm tired & have the headache still:( Better later this week, I promise.

THE GOOD AND THE SAD

This week I started my new job at Bailey Medical Center in Owasso. I absolutely love it there so far. It's small & cozy and everyone is friendly and does their job! Wow! Such a difference from the past 2 I held temporarily this year. It really feels like a place I could be for a long while. It is a great fit & I'm super happy!

The sad....my great Uncle Bob passed away this week. He struggled with dementia for awhile & it got to be pretty bad. I have peace because I know he is with our Lord. I have spent some time with Bob and I'm happy that my Dad and his family always made sure he had someone checking on him, somewhere to go for the holidays, someone to take him to Cattleman's for his birthday dinner, etc...I'm glad Matt was able to meet him. I know we are all sad to see him go, but all hold fond memories (mostly funny) of him close to our hearts......
Eternal rest grant unto him Lord and may your perpetual light shine upon him.

KEEP UP!

So this weekend has been great. Matt & I have taken care of some things at home. We went to the BOK Rockin' Rib Festival.....and it was kind of a disappointment. We read that admission was free & when we got there, they charged us $6 to get in. Nice advertising.
We also headed down to Fleet Feet's downtown location for the grand opening day. Matt used a giftcard & got a couple shirts and new socks. I got a new pair of socks. He also got a free water bottle with his purchase AND won a raffle for a Brooks running bag. Pretty cool.

We've worked on the house a bit. It seems to never end. Just when I think we are in the clear & done, something else always seems to pop up. Hopefully after this week, there will be no more!

I am starting work tomorrow. Well, orientation b/c they consider that to be your first day of work. I got a job with Bailey Medical Center. Yep, all the way out in Owasso. I love it there & have only been for my pre-employment paperwork & drug screen. It's amazing what a difference there is between a large hospital in town and a smaller one in out in cow-town! I'm excited.

Annie has been a real good dog this weekend. At the current moment, she is sleeping in her crate while Matt & I are both on our laptops. She went to the dog park this morning....she is the cutest dog to watch. She really loves the companionship of other dogs and she loves to be outside!
Thats all for now. Hope everyone had a great weekend & stayed cool. It sure has been hot!

ANOTHER WEEK BITES THE DUST

As usual I am super happy that Friday is here! Another week bites the dust!

 We have been up to a lot. For starters, our house has been in contract to sell and we are scheduled to close Oct 7th. Along with that, we have had 5 men at the house today making all kinds of repairs (a giant hole is burning in our pocketbooks). I just want it all to be over soon.

In other news, we are in contract to buy a new house out in Collinsville. Yee-haw! Country living here we come! We are set to close on that house Oct 7th as well. It's going to be a busy day!! But we are so looking forward to a brand new house!

Hopefully this weekend is relaxing. Unfortunately Matt is bringing home the laptop, but at least he'll be at home! I will be wearing my orange proudly this weekend and I'm sure Matt will be cheering for the team in blue. How fun! I wish we could have gone to the game, but now isn't the best time for playing:(

An update on Annie: she is sitting so good lately. Especially at the back door. Sometimes we don't even have to tell her to do it, she just does it on her own. Now that's a real good dog!!

READY FOR FALL

This weekend was wonderful. We didnt' do anything to our house. We did a little yard work. We hung at on the couch. Played with the puppy. We felt so normal again. We even had the wonderful opportunity to attend church on Sunday (say it isn't so!). We went shopping for appliances, some work clothes and to the grocery store. Annie was busy hunting in the backyard as well as chasing birds and squirrels. We spent a lot of time on the back patio enjoying the wonderful weather.
It was truly an awesome weekend. We are excited for what is to come in the next month or so.....cant jinx myself by spilling the details this early.
Matt is coming home to work from the house today. Got to work & there was no power. The construction crews at Pine and 169 cut the power lines with a backhoe. It will be nice to have him at home, but a challenge to leave him alone!! We love our Matt!
I'm ready for fall. It is officially here on September 22nd!

VERMONT

view from mt tom on our hike

Fabulous lobster dinner!

Vacation in Vermont was wonderful. Pictures are worth more than words. We had a great time shopping, visiting, hiking, drinking beer at a local brewery, we had a lobster dinner one night and it was a wonderful time!
Vermont has beautiful scenery and great food.

At Long Trail brewery, we loved it!

THERE IS JUST SO MUCH TO TALK ABOUT

First of all, have you been outside in the morning the past couple of days. It feels like fall football weather! I love it! Middle of the day feels great too. I am so happy about this weather! Annie loves it too. She would stay outside all day if we let her. She just hunts around her back yard and plays with the birds and squirrels.

Other news is we have a contract on our house (my fingers have never been crossed so tight for something to work like they are now). We have inspections Monday and hopefully if everything works out right, we will close Oct 7th. It's house hunting time for us! Yay!

Also, I have decided to run the 5k Race for the Cure in September....training to resume sometime after we get home from vacation in Vermont....which is a week away! Matt scheduled a massage before we go. I know we are both looking forward to it so much! It's been awhile since we have traveled (well feels like it anyway even though its been just since March). Annie will stay at Muddy Paws, she just loves that place. I've never seen  dog who loves to play as much as she does. It's great. She really is a good dog. She has done ok with me going back to work. A little chewing on some furniture, but we've taken care of that!

That is all the news for now. This weekend we'll be busy doing some major house cleaning for our inspections Monday. We are taking in a Driller's game with a co-worker of mine & her fiance. And even looking at 2 or 3 houses with Debbie on Sunday. It's going to be a busy but great weekend!

IT WAS A CRAZY DAY

It was a crazy day yesterday & here is why:
1. I got to work and the fire alarm was going off....as soon as I pull into the parking garage, I see a fire truck go by. Apparently 21st & Utica were partially closed off for the fire trucks. I walk to my building & see co-workers, visitors and patients spilled out into the street. Awesome. After a few minutes we were given the all-clear & went inside. There were still firemen in my hallway. Someone's got voodoo over SJMC. Last week a man got stuck in the elevator.
2. Someone threatened my boss saying she was going to come up there with a gun, so we went on lock down in our areas.
3. My scrub pants ripped.
4. No logins still. In fact, IT says I dont exist. Hmmm I wonder ow I am getting that paycheck then?
5. Oh, the ac was broken. So we were all sweating. Nice. We had to prop open our door with a chair.

And thats all basically why I am looking forward to this weekend!!

I GOT SOBER, NOW IT'S OVER.....

Had a great birthday weekend and then it was back to work and no fun for everyone.
I officially started back to work, however my boss just asked me Friday how training was going...hmmm? I had no clue what to say to her so I just smiled and walked away. Shocking, especially considering I'm working in a hospital! Also a little frightening, dontcha think? So last week here is what work was like for me:
1. my badge did not work to get into my office (which is next to the volunteer desk, pass out flowers, give directions, etc...and yes, I do know them by name)
2. no trash can or office supplies oh and dont even have the right software on my computer oh or any sign-ons, login ids or passwords
3. i kept a patient from making her great escape (not kidding you...where was her nurse or aide??)
4. i got referenced in a mtg as being "new" 6 times by my boss....she does realize i AM working on pt accts right? no, no clue probably.
5. i was ready to quit by Tuesday and pretty much every day there after
6. could not purchase headache/allergy medicine in gift shop b/c it was $5 and I hadnt been there for 3 months.....puh-lease....gave the nasty little girl in there glares as the old women who work in there searched in the purses for me (i felt like crappola)
7. I did interview with Bailey in Owasso...hopefully they give me a call soon
So enough work talk,
Here is what we have been up to this weekend:
1. Friday after I got off work, we met Danny & Meagan and that intern (what is his name) at Lucky's for a late night dinner and a few drink
2. Saturday we bummed around....ok not really. Matt did some work here at the house, we re-arranged furniture b/c we donated our awesome futon to John Dill and then more work around the house.....it's something every weekend, not kidding you (this is the part where I usually whine and insert dream of living/buying a brand new house in the country)
3. Umbertos for dinner with a couple margaritas (then off to bed b/c MATT was tired)
4. An early morning.....7am Sunday yard work has begun & is still ongoing.
Plans for later.....none. I miss my husband. Not too fond of the new work hours & that combined with housework we each have our own chores, I feel like I have barely been able to see him:(  One thing is for sure.....we are ready for vacation!!!!

THIRTY

Turning 30 years old wasnt as bad as I thought....ok wait. I have to be honest. I did have sort of a crying breakdown Friday night & dreaded my birthday for the first time in my life. Why? I have no reasonable explanation, other than I just didnt want to be in my 30's now. Sounds so old (I'm sure I'll laught at this later in life).
Matt threw a great birthday party for me, 80's theme (cause I was born in 1980...get it?) It was great fun. Everybody (well, most everybody) dressed up, laughed at each other and had a fun night.
Sunday he took me to brunch and then to the Coach store where I got to pick out any bag of my choosing. I chose a burnt orange classic clutch & it is super cute! I cannot wait to take it out for the first time....hmmmmm maybe this weekend!
My Mom made a delicious chocolate cake, complete with Reese's peanut butter cups crumbled all over it.....delicious! That along with my Dad's "shut up and fish" t-shirt were priceless!
So....to that here are 30 of my favorite saying, memories, things, etc....(in no particular order)
1. Meeting Matt
2. Marrying Matt
3. Living in Singapore with Matt
4. Annie Dill
5. chocolate and peanut butter
6. Mexican food and strawberry margaritas
7. family & friends
8. our bed...super comfy
9. freshly laundered towels
10. coffee
11. Leininkugel's sunset wheat beer
12. a good book
13. huevos rancheros
14. clothes, jewelry, makeup
15. singapore
16. antigua
17. our honeymoon
18. riding in Matt's pickup truck
19. my wedding dress
20.craziness at the Colcord in OKC
21. road trips
22. mornings
23. being lazy on sunday
24. chili crab and tigers
25. chinatown in Singapore (how are they surviving without me?)
26. roses
27. marriage
28. the love we share
29. music
30. love getting to live with my best friend:)

EVERYBODY'S WORKING' FOR THE WEEKEND

Ahhh Wednesday! Feels great. Cannot wait until Friday 430pm comes around & I will be busting out of work like a mad person. Why? Cause it's my birthday weekend. And I have to admit that I'm pretty excited to hang out with my family & friends.
So lately we have been busy doing the usual, house, dog, work, yard,etc....Life is good! Last Friday Matt & I both had the day off work & we went to OKC. I got some shopping time with my Mom and even stopped in the nail place for a pedicure! Fun. Had dinner with my parents @ Manhattan Grill.
Over the weekend, we took it pretty easy. Did some costume shopping, ate some Mexican food, met up with some friends. It was a good time.
Annie has been to the dog park & Muddy Paws. This girl loves to run and play.....dreaming of a bigger back yard!
As I blog the last time as a twenty-something, I realize 30 isnt THAT bad, right? Eh. I'm just ready for Matt to join me. I feel young, people say I look young and whats even better is that in looking back on my life, I realize the best is yet to come. I have an amazing husband, an awesome family & thats all a girl can really ask for!

'ROUND HERE

Happenings 'round here. "Here" being the Dill household.

1. Annie had fleas. Ugh. she has been flea free ever since we have had her. Dang dog park! Where else would she have gotten them? And it's been recently because they have been checking her every visit we go to the vet. This stinks! So we took effort to rid them in case they were in the house and the yard and her.

2. I started my job. Well, I am training anyway. Well, I'm not training yet. I'm just there, watching, chatting, getting to know everyone. Wandering from place to place like a lost dog, except I have a badge, a parking spot and get to take 1 hour for lunch. Awesome. Here we go round 2 (ding ding)

3. This weekend we have no plans. Other than, I'd like to go out Friday night with my husband and act young again. Yes. You heard correct. Young again. We always have so much going & are so tired by the time the weekend comes around. Then we spend what remaining energy we have left on yard work & things around the house. Not this week folks. Oh no! Watch out. (In all honesty, even as I write this, I'm already thinking how nice a movie & cuddling on the couch sounds).

TIRED OF MAKING LEMONADE

This weekend has been exhausting! On top of such a crazy week, the weekend always seems full with a long to-do list. Yesterday, we were so tired, we didnt even meet up with friends as planned.
Friday evening was fun. We went to look at a house for a 2nd time. Still love it. Still ready to move into it. Still haven't sold ours (cue whaw whaw whaw music). We came home, I made homemade pizzas. Didn't last too long. Matt was super tired from doing EVERYTHING this week. It's really hard when one person in the pair is out of commission!
Saturday we woke up early, weeded the front flower beds....for 4 hours. There isnt even that much to do, just tedious weed pulling. I mowed the yard, while Matt finished up the weeding. We got a phone call for a 1030am showing. So we left, took Annie to the dog park (she needed to release some energy). Came home, I went to the grocery to get a few things so I could make lunch. get home, get a phone call at 1230 that the people who showed at 1030 want to come back at 130pm. WTH?! Fine. It's only 100 degree heat. And we have a dog. So we drove around, took Miss A to Petsmart. Came home. Fixed salsa, showered & drove out to the Pollard's house for some pulled pork. We barely made it past 8pm. Bodies were aching, headaches were painful. It was definitely time to come home and crash!! And crash we did, until about 7am.
Today we took Annie back to the dog park. She LOVES to play there & is almost always the cutest dog there. (Ok ALWAYS). Then we came home, did some more yard work & watered A LOT!
We are exhausted! This house really requires a ton of looking after & work. Feels like almost all we get to do on the weekends is work on the house. We are ready for the right buyer to come see our house & fall in love with it! And I'm pretty sure Matt & I are ready for a brand new house. I'm not gonna lie here, selling our house is the hardest thing we have ever had to do. It's emotionally taking a toll on us & exhausting. We are learning a lot as we go, however. I think we are just ready to be done:) And move on to bigger, better things! I saw a friend post the comment to "Stop worrying about nothing and pray about everything" on facebook. It really made me realize that god does ultimately have a plan for us and we need to have faith in him. And its ok that not everything goes as we always want to.....Matt & I both are perfect examples of that! So, to that, I am trying to be a more positive person and be more hopeful about things to come!

OVERDONE

Matt has had a loooong week. I fell sick sometime on Monday evening. It was bad. 4am and I wake up because I have fever/chills so bad my teeth were chattering. I take a nice hot bath (with some Aveda bath salts....awesome) to warm up and help relax. Matt got up with me. Actually had to. He's the best. Not only that but he had come home from work, mowed the yard, took care of Annie who was sick too AND made chicken soup for dinner. How awesome is he?! I felt much better yesterday, like a brand new woman. However, I think I over did it, because today I am sluggish, have a headache and another tummy ache. Ugh! Go away whatever you are! And dont ask, cause I havent been to the doctor and really have no idea. (Annie is much better too, by the way).

And now I  am blank. Cause I really have nothing else. Kind of hard to blog when you have been down and out, you know? I will say though, I am excited for the weekend to come and cant wait until I feel 100%.

DAY BY DAY

This weekend was exhausting!
However, it was a long weekend because Matt took a vacation day Friday.

So Thursday nights are now taken because Matt joined his company's soccer team. And let me just say he is the best player on the team. His cousin Craig is playing as well....always nice to have a familiar face around. They lost the game, but there will be plenty more I'm sure. I enjoyed watching Matt do something he really loved and it was so great to see him happy! After the game, we came home and grabbed Annie for some late night action at the puppy park. For 930pm, it was packed. She loved it! She always has a great time playing chase with the other dogs.

Matt looking good in his soccer uniform

Friday morning we took her back to the puppy park for some play time. She wore out pretty quick!
After that, Matt ran to get a massage....80 minutes! It was his birthday present from my parents & he really enjoyed it! While he was there, getting pampered, I stayed at home and cleaned the house. Ahhh..cleaning. Not as good as a massage, but close (or at least that's what I keep telling myself). Not much else happened Friday. We grilled some hamburgers that night & hung out on the patio.

Saturday was the real kicker. We volunteered ourselves into slavery at the dog park. We helped lay some sod down where the grass is not growing anymore. I don't know what they would have done without us....really. We worked so hard for 4 hours in the heat. I got drunk off 1 margarita at lunch (a treat to ourselves for such hard work).  We passed out for a nice nap afterwards too....I loved it.

This weekend we looked at a couple of potential new homes. We really liked 1 of the homes and are anxious to sell ours and move into another one!
Sunday was a great relaxing day.....I just wish it lasted longer. I'm never ready for the week start cause I always have a great time on the weekends with my hubs!

HAPPY WINESDAY (NOT WHINESDAY)

Some people may think I'm totally crazy. However, I call it clever. In an effort to be a little more green, I decided to quit using our laundry dryer. Why? I created a backyard laundry oasis that consists of gardening string being strung from patio chairs and porch posts. I have been drying laundry outside. The clothes smell so fresh and with this heat, they have dried in half the time it takes to dry them in our dryer. I'm saving time, money and electricity! Yay! And on the plus side, it sort of blocks the sun & slightly cools the patio. Annie loves laying there!

Matt & I are ready for the weekend. When are we not? Ha! He has been working that little tush off! I'll tell you what, he has the greatest work ethic I have ever seen. And he is hands-down, the hardest worker I have known. He is amazing. And on top of all that he is sweet, funny and the greatest husband to me!

I took Annie to the vet yesterday for a booster shot she was due for. She LOVES going to the vet. Maybe it's all the attention. Who knows. She weighed in at a full 22lbs. And she did just awesome! (except for the part where she thought she needed to ride in my lap in the car the whole way there AND back home). They all love her there & take great care of us. They even send out a magazine every 6 months and give you info on your dog, their age, etc...it's totally customized & they tell you what she is due for and when and give you other helpful info for pets.....like entertaining your dog in the summer heat.

WEEKEND OF WORK AND BRAUMS

So this weekend we really did nothing but work. Matt went into work Saturday morning. I did yard and house work both Saturday and Sunday. Matt worked on some special office things here at the house. He worked on the house. We really did all kinds of work, and then some.
But, it totally paid off.
My parents came for a short dinner visit. I love them. They are great. Introduced us to some ice cream at Braums. Got us some vino. Friday night we managed to watch a movie. Matt got us Braums popcorn....its very  yummy! See why living around the corner from Braums is dangerous?!
 I ended our weekend with an awesome dinner of bbq country pork ribs. They tasted great. Cooked them in the slow cooker while we had a second showing on our house. Made some dip/salad/something out of Southern Living magazine that was delicious.
Thats all we have to report. I really wanted to have a flip cup tourney but we had to be responsible adults this weekend instead. Maybe another time.

IS IT THE WEEKEND YET?!

This week seems to be going by so slow. We have been busy, which usually makes it go by faster, however that is not the case this week.
I'm tired (yawn). Yesterday Matt was supposed to have a 630am phone call at work and guess what? Cancelled at 615am when we was on the road there. Nice. Cant make up for lost sleep.
This morning came early. I mowed the yard....yay for a new blade installed by my wonderful husband. I am back at it! And of course the yard looks great!
When is the weekend going to get here? I am ready for.....just about anything and nothing at the same time.
I hope we have a buyer for our house soon. Our neighbors are about to drive me bonkers! Never have I been around such inconsiderate people. I mean, what about our house screams for their visitors to park in front of? For goodness sakes, there is room in front of the house they are going to!!! Ugh! I did get my revenge when I moved & blew grass all on their cars this morning. And if our neighbor across the street from us, mows his yard at the same time as we do anymore, I am going over there! Every time we are outside doing yard work he does it to. Coincidence? Did I mention his house is for sale too?
I am ready for a new house....well new to us. What is your dream home?  
Good thing we have beer in the fridge:)

YESTERDAY

The guys have been dreaming of turning Matt's Acura into a rally car & let me just say that their dream has come true.....well at least the part of having his car to do it.
Matt & I drove to Arkansas yesterday & bought a new truck. Yay for Matt! I was so excited for him. It's taken awhile to find just the right one & convince him to get it.
So here is a pic I took this morning of Matt on his way to work! He looks so good in that truck! I love it!

Also, yesterday was our 2 yr engagement anniversary. 2 years ago Matt asked me to marry him after I moved to Singapore! We got engaged at the Botanical Gardens in Singapore & it was beautiful!

Here are some pics to look back on from our engagement and of course Matt today in his new truck!

THEY DONT CALL ME NATTIE LITE FOR NOTHIN'

A great weekend! Wish it lasted longer (I say it all the time, but it's totally true).

Saturday we took Annie to the dog park off Charles Page Blvd. She LOVED it there. We really liked it too. Definitely going back. I did yard work when we got home. Mowed the back yard. Trimmed some bushes ( I will never critique anyone's trimming work because it is hard to do). Matt did some office work. Then we headed up to Lake Oolagah for Ryan's birthday party. His grandma has a house there & it sits on such a nice property, it was a perfect setting. It was such a great night for sitting outside with some good friends & cold beverages. Oh and thanks Ryan and Lance for the attempt at a fireworks show.

Matt and I

Sarah and RyanPatrick & KatieLaura & David

Sunday we woke up. I mowed the front yard. Matt did all the extras like weed eating. I came inside & cleaned the house. We did a great job & it looked amazing for our showing. Hope we hear something good back from that this week. Then we grilled some hotdogs & watched the World Cup finals....I was cheering for Spain, Matt was cheering for the losers.
We had a great evening. Annie & I cooked dinner while Matt did a little more work. It really seemed like time just flew by this weekend!

And, on a more serious note. My husband has NEVER played flip cup. Its almost a crime isnt it? Then I explained that where my Nattie Lite name actually came from. It made everyone laugh. They usually see a more serious side of me:)
What is your favorite game? Flip cup, beer pong, etc...?

A FEW RANDOM THINGS....

Today, I mowed in a hurry because I thought it looked like rain soon. And we haven't mowed in several days because it has been so wet & rainy. And we were supposed to show the house. Uh-oh, yeah, supposed to. Cancelled. After I got done with the front, it started sprinkling. So, I finished with the blower & put our equipment into the garage. Check cell phone. Missed call from Debbie. Showing is cancelled. Sweat drips into my ear and eyes. Ugh....Oh well. At least I have an excuse to wait on the back yard!

Annie is at Muddy Paws. There are days where I think she'd rather be there than at home. I can't say I blame her. She LOVES to play and be social. She's such a natural and has the best puppy manners. Such a good girl. I truly love that dawg!

Be careful what you pray for. Maybe you aren't seeing the bigger picture and praying for the right thing. Maybe what you think you need is not what you really want. Or vice versa.

I'm ready for the weekend and some sleep!! Sleep in. Heard of it? No workout, no farmers market, no work, no yard, nothing......SLEEP in and pull the covers all the way over my head!

I don't like the names______________ and_____________. Will leave that anonymous. I do not hate these people. I just need to get it off my chest. They are truly scum, well for the most part. I do not even see how they go about day to day living knowing they are a piece of junk. Non-Christian actions are louder than words, even when you have a fat mouth you can never keep shut. Enough of that nasty talk.

Maybe I should buy a bottle of wine to go with the pasta we are having tonight. Maybe not. Maybe just some water.

And you know what? I feel lucky. Every day. I really do. Have you met my husband? He is perfect to me. In my eyes, all the goofy, quirky stuff is why I love him most. And what I miss about him most during the day is his laugh. His mischievousness. His pestering of me just to get me to squeal. Isnt that sweet?

Hoda and Kathy Lee are on. I love their time on the Today show. I dont know why. But I do. Maybe it is their views. Maybe its my old fashion thoughts. Hmmm...who knows. Maybe I just like that they call Wednesday Winesday.

WHAT'S FOR DINNER?

Cause after this weekend & all the eating out, dips, drinks, etc....we are ready to stay at home for a home cooked meal!

Saturday started early, with a trip to the gym, local farmer's market and then home. Matt mowed right before it rained & then he enjoyed some hot breakfast while he watched soccer. Also amusing was watching our neighbor across the street from us mow his yard while it was still raining. Why did he wait 2 hours after the rain began, we have no idea. And on top of that, he was using a reel mower. Gawsh. He must have been desperate to get out of his house! Saturday evening we headed to Coweta to see Scott & Allison's new house & hang out with them for the evening. Their boys are too cute! We had a great time & enjoyed the yummy food. Scott & his neighbors put on a great fireworks show too. Very cool!

Sunday we spent the afternoon at Matt's grandparents. It was fun to get to see some of his family. Sunday evening we trecked over to OKC to my parents party with Annie in tow. She was spot on a social girl for sure! She was so excited to see Libby and Becca and LOVED playing and getting attention & lovin' from everyone.

Monday evening we had a small gathering with Andee & Bob and Glynna & Kenny. A couple sorority sisters of mine. Dinner @ Los Cabos, then a glass of wine after. We really enjoyed sitting outside since it was such a nice evening!

Nobody in our family was ready to get up this morning. Usually Annie is rustling in her crate, but is was so quiet today!! We are excited it is a short week. Looking forward to this weekend. I know Matt is looking forward to some soccer!

DID WE REALLY JUST SPEND A WEEKEND AT HOME & NOT DO ANYTHING?

Ok well we did do some stuff...
 Saturday morning, my wonderful Mom came in town & we went shopping. Let me say that Kohl's has some cute inexpensive dresses. Yes. Kohls.

Saturday afternoon I headed over to Brookside to help cheer on the USA soccer team. Wasnt pretty. Thats ok, it was nice to see so many people cheering them on.
Saturday evening we met up with Allen, Husein, Meagan and Danny. We decided to spend the evening at Doe's on Cherry Street and then have an after dinner drink at Kilkenny's.

Sunday we did nothing. Nothing. I made breakfast for Matt while another soccer game was on tv. We read the paper, were lazy. Went to a couple open houses in the neighborhood to check out our competition (ha, what competition!). We made dinner on the grill......so yummy! Grilled baja chicken with black beans and a mango/avacado salad. Super supper!

SUMMERTIME

Nothing says summer like a wedding reception, an afternoon at the lake, father's day and oh, a new toilet too. (sorry no pics of that)
Ugh......on with the story

So Friday night we ventured over to OKC for a friend's wedding reception. Katie & Dan got married in March in fabulous Las Vegas and we were there for that too. It was so fun to catch up with the newlyweds and lots of people from church and my grade school. See the pics above of Matt and Dan and Katie and I.  After it was all over we headed to Republic for some late night snacks and drinks with my parents, they are so fun & great! And we loved Republic....when is it coming to Tulsa?

Saturday we headed back to town and had a quick change into a swimsuit and on over to Skiatook Lake. It is really pretty over there. Matt rode the seado and Annie & I got our feet wet on the shore. John and Matt's Dad also took turns on the seado. It was got for sure. felt like summer was in full swing. But, then again, it seems like that for awhile. That night we spent dinner at Kilkenny's for Melissa'a birthday dinner. It was super yummy, they have a few new items that you should definitely check out.

Sunday we installed a new toilet :) Cause isnt that what you're dream shopping spree is for?! Anyways, Matt worked his butt off. I mowed the front & back yards....it was so hot! We dropped by matt's parents house & gave his Dad his Father's Day gift and then headed back to OKC to have dinner with my Dad and give him his Father's Day presents. We ate at the Wedge, a yummy gourmet pizza place. Our spot on the patio was perfect & we had a great time laughing.
Thats the weekend in a big nutshell. Hopefully this weekend wont be too crazy! We are ready to just stay at home and do nothing! And not have to go anywhere!

BUSY BEES

Over the weekend at my family reunion, my Dad's cousin Jami made some brownies. They were some kind of weight watcher type recipe and they were soooo good. I made some myself last night. And guess what???? They are partly made with black beans!! So healthy! And, yes, to you skeptics out there, they taste good too. Here is what you do:
1 package of brownie mix 1 can of black beans
Puree the black beans and 1 can of water until as smooth as you can get them. Then stir in brownie mix. Then bake according to directions. No oil, eggs, milk, butter or whatever. Just mix and beans.
Try it, just once.

Matt went to buy a truck the other day and got there for his scheduled test drive and guess what???? They had sold it! Oh well, we'll find another good deal somewhere else down the road.

We have had a busy week! Shopping for cars and houses, work around the house (we have a plumber coming out today),job interview, house showings, Matt's had a crazy week at work, I mowed yesterday & had to run to finish the backyard before the monsoon came, we have a wedding reception (the happy couple got married in Vegas) to go to Friday night, then celebrating Father's Day on Sunday.....and it never ends. But guess what???? Thats totally ok. We knew we'd be busy this spring and summer and that has proved to be no lie!

VACATION REVIEW

Since it went by so fast, I feel like I need a review of it myself.
First let me say how awesome of a driver my husband is. He drove back from Florida all by himself (of course with an overnight stop).
Next let me say, not any oil as of Wednesday morning when we left and very few tarballs were found. In fact, I think they had to be hunted for. So, let's hope for that part of Florida, it doesnt get any closer.
Ever been buzzed by a crop duster? Uhm...I experienced that first. Scared the living daylights out of me because I couldnt see him coming & then all of a sudden low-flying airplane was over the top of our car. Matt was laughing at me....of course.
Loved the beach. The sand and water were so pretty and clean! We had a great vacation rental and felt like kids again on the air mattress :)
Next was on to getting home, with a special guest joining us for the ride home. Who?? None other than Matt's Grandma Dill, of course! She was a great traveler.
Then, home to pick up Miss Annie for the night, she was so excited to see us & wouldnt calm down for like 10 minutes. Cutest dog ever! Love her & cant wait to pick her up later today.
Family reunion was great. I think we had 40 total. It was great to see everyone. I hadnt been in 2 years, so I've missed seeing some little ones who were babies grow up. They are too cute!It was great to be on vacation, but it was soooo nice to come home & sleep in our own BED! And as always, I think we could both use another vacation from our vacation!
Oh well, it's on to a new week and there is no telling what is in store for us, but I hope whatever it is, is great!

Vacation time is just around the corner!

First we are spending time with the Dill side in Florida at the beach (no worries, the house we are staying at has a pool) and NO WE ARE NOT BABYSITTING FOR ANYONE!!

Then we come back into town Thursday and leave Friday for the Towe side family reunion in Hinton, OK at Canyon Camp (a Methodist Church camp....they have a lodge-type building, so no tents for me!). Lots of family to see and so excited because I've missed the past 2 years. And my brother is even coming in from NY!

Today is busy finishing the beach packing, doing laundry, taking the pups for her extended stay at Muddy paws (thanks gawd they love her & she is a great pup), meeting my husband for lunch, etc...

So excited for our getaways! I think it couldnt come at a better time! Just to get away and be with family always does some good.

NEWS FOR NOW

Ok folks. Hope you had a great weekend. Here is the news for now:

1. Annie loves the dog park. She likes to cool herself off in the water bowls. She is a very social dog that likes to greet every dog and owner at the gate entrance to the puppy park. She loves her swimming pool at home and ice has become the new treat!

2. Got a lot of work around the house and car done over this holiday weekend. Cleaned windows and even put a new set of tires on the Santa Fe. Woo!

3. Had some friends over Sunday evening for a cookout. Was so fun. I found a new favorite beer thanks to the Weineckes. It tastes like fruit loops, I kid you not!

4. Getting ready for some vacation time. We will be going to the beach in Florida over this coming weekend and a few days next week, then the following weekend we will be attending the Towe side family reunion. Lots of travelling for us. Good thing we get along so well when we travel. We are great travel buddies!

5. Showed the house a few times. Hopefully we'll be selling soon. However, you never can tell with some people.
 So for now, all is good in this Dill household and thats perfectly fine with us:)

ANNIE IS A BIRD DOG

Annie is on another killing spree. This morning I got home from running errands. She was so excited to see me and as I reached down and was petting her, I noticed pink-ish feet sticking out of her mouth.....GROSS! I screamed and bird dropped out of Miss Dill's mouth. So I take the standard protocol for removing dead bird out of yard, complete with like 7 plastic walmart bags. get inside, let her out again and hear birds squaking like crazy in the back yard. Guess who has another prize black bird in her mouth? How is she doing this?!
So, I think she is definitely a natural hunter. I mean, we haven't ever done any "hunting" with her. So it's total instinct. What am I going to do with her? It's just disgusting. I mean, our neghborhood has tons of birds, so its not like a huge deal some of them are missing, but still. Those things carry diseases. I clorox wipe her muzzle and my hands after each bird removal. I know, I know. I have to though, I hate gross, germie, disease-carrying annoying, squaking things.
YUCK! GROSS! EWWW!

SUN AND BURNED

Run down of the weekend:
1. Garage sale started at 7am Saturday morning and ended about 2pm. Tulsa finest showed up! Made a couple hundred bucks, not bad for a small sale:)
Mom and Aunt Carolyn stopped by for a few to chat while they were in town running errands. So good to see Mom and family!
2. Ryan, Kat, Karl and Nate came by for a visit Saturday evening. I know Matt really enjoyed gettign to see his college buddies! It was nice to hang out on the back patio, but man, was it windy this weekend or what?
3. Saturday night=discovery of sunburns. Not so much fun. Still recovering.
4. Sunday worked on the yard & house.
5.Showed the house. Nothing still. Our fingers are crossed. People want to live in mid-town but are picky and want a newly constructed home. Hmmm....something seems out of whack on that one, dont ya think?
6. Sunday evening, grilled hotlinks and cheetos. YUM! Matt is the best griller ever!
So for this week.....nothing planned. Hopefully an easy stress-free week (ha, yeah right) or at least not as crazy as they seem lately.
I'm sure there are more updates to come. No news is good news, right?

I THINK WEATHER FORECATSERS TAKE ACTING/DRAMA LESSONS

Doesn't it seem like the local weatherman is always dramatic over a storm. Well, they didnt say much about our part of town....down here in Midtown. Which is good. But the sirens went off 2 times. Once while Matt was gone to retrieve some scrumptous dinner from Umbertos. I called him. GET HOME NOW!! So there was just 1 trip to the basement....after the 2nd siren. Ugh. And then nothing. Fortunately. Everything looks good here.

I had a horribel coughing spell. Yuck. Dont feel great. Matt went to the store for medicine at 2am....I thought I was going to rupture my throat! My poor allergies. Drainage. Coughing. No fun!

And for more official news.....we are moving! Where? We have no idea, but somewhere in Tulsa with a little more square footage. We have an awesome realtor & the sign was officially placed in the yard yesterday and St Joseph was burried in the garden. Yes. Can you believe it? We love our midtown gingerbread cottage, but it's time for some more space. Hopefully all goes well.
Garage sale is on this weekend.....thank goodness for a sunny/warm forecast!
Hope everyone has stayed safe through the storms!

THE BREAK DOWN.....BREAKIN THE WEEKEND DOWN

I am so glad it's Monday. I find myself looking forward to this weekend, yet again after one has just ended.
We had a jam-packed wedding weekend. Friday we started off with a little time to ourselves and enjoyed dinner at the White Lion (I dont like english food apparently).  But I did enjoy the couple of beers and chocolate cake my husband got for me!
Saturday we took Annie to Muddy Paws and then headed to Patrick & Katie's wedding. After we said hellos, goodbyes and congratulations we hit the road to Dallas, TX for my friend Jen's wedding. It turned out to be a beautiful day for an outdoor wedding and it was so great to see some sorority sisters.
We stopped on our way back Sunday at the outlet malls at Allen and actually got a few needed items. I'd reccomend anyone go there is you happen to be passing through. Best outlets I have been to.
So....hopefully THIS Saturday (weather please cooperate) I will be having my garage sale (it's been pending like a month due to rain). And other than that, hopefully we will be doing nothing. I have been fixing up and decluttering the house & I know Matt has alot on his plate at work, so some rest sounds good the nest couple of weeks before family vacation madness begins.

CATCH UP!

Ok...still not caught up totally. But for now, here is what we have been eatin' up:
1. Los Cabos last Wednesday to celebrate Cinco De Mayo
2. Marc's wedding in Guthrie over the weekend (see pic below)

3. Hung out with my family Fri-Sun
4. Mass on Sunday & brunch @ the club for Towe side Mother's Day
5. Hung out with the Dill side of the family Sunday evening for Mother's Day
6. Made day 1 of working out this morning (for this week).
7. Looking at a house later
8. Grocery store has been checked off the list, time for cleaning & laundry this afternoon.
9. Lots of healthy, fresh homemade dinners planned this week. 
10. Patrick's wedding Saturday afternoon in Tulsa, Jen's wedding Saturday night in Dallas
TONS OF REST AND SLEEP SCHEDULED FOR SUNDAY.....PLEASE DONT CALL US ANYTIME ON SUNDAY!!! WE NEED SOME GOOD R&R!!

AND WE RAN

Worked out this morning with Matt...felt great but getting up at 5am wasn't so much fun. Oh well, it was worth it.
We had a great weekend, I cant believe it's Tuesday. It feels like Monday again for some reason.
Saturday we went to OKC. I had dinner with Uncle Bob for his 77th birthday, along with Mom and Dad. And Matt attended Patrick's bachelor party in Bricktown. We had a great time in OKC but are still worn out from Matt's late night out with the boys!
Went to Mass with my parents, as we always do when we stay over on the weekend. Father Tang is so nice. hard to understand, but very nice and gives very meaningful sermons.
Yesterday I got some grocery shopping done....still dont have a grocery that I just LOVE! Hmmmm we'll work on this. Anyways, while I was in Owasso, I also got to have some lunch with my husband! I love getting to see my man during the workday!!
On Friday we'll head to Guthrie for the begining festivites of Marc & Serenity's wedding. What to wear!! Oh my! Mother's Day is also coming up this weekend, so dont forget!
Oh and a Happy Birthday to Matt's Grandma Dill today!

IT'S SPRINGTIME IN OKLAHOMA!

It's springtime in Oklahoma....can you tell? This weather may drive me nuts, and throw the meteorologists in there too! I was planning on having a garage sale tomorrow but after seeing chances of rain go from 20% to 40% to 70% to 50% I decided to cancel. Oh well...there is always another weekend.

Tonight my husband owes me a night out well...at least dinner. He is in trouble. This week he has eaten Rib Crib and Mexican during his lunch hour, without me. As most of you have figured out by now, I haven't been working. I have resigned from job through SJMC and RML. Unfortunately it just wasnt working out in many areas. So, with that said, onward we move!

Tomorrow Matt is attending a friend's bachelor party in Bricktown. And I will be on hand to celebrate Uncle Bob Ray's 78(?) birthday dinner at Cattleman's. YUM! I have lost 1 pound this week and been working hard on making healthy, homemade dinners and worked out a couple of times and a CHICKEN FRIED STEAK from there sounds so good. Maybe I'll just have celery and some toothpicks. Oh well, que sera sera!! Annie will be travelling with us and getting a free trip to the grandparents....my Dad is great at getting her all wound up so that should be fun.
Other than that, who kows what the weekend will hold, I just pray we stay safe travelling and that those boys dont get too crazy!!

Cheers!

THE GIRLS

So....yesterday morning Annie's cousin London came for a short-term stay. London is Melissa's dog the basset hound) and while she is working, I thought it would be good to get the two of them together. They get along pretty well.....I think Annie is a bit of a kid-sister pest to London, but she seems to enjoy the company!

Everyone is doing well otherwise. These dogs are too funny. Their personalities really have come through the past day! Both love the doggie cut-out in our fence and love seeing people walk by and bark at them. The window is just the right size and Matt and I agree that if/when/inthefuture we move, we'll definitely have another doggie cut-out for sure!

Thats about all the fun, news I have for now.
Cheers!

LATER AND LOVE

Later...
1. 2 hours later on Saturday morning, after sitting in the worst traffic ever, we aborted our mission of going to the airshow. Such a dissapointment. Hopefully they have learned a lesson. So instead we ran a few errands & headed to the Herb Festival in Jenks, didnt stay long but had a good chicken burrito.

2. $100 later, Annie has meds and should be free from her snotty eye, itching eyes & nose and sneezing. Who know a trip to the doctor could cost more for a pup than an adult human. Oh well. Expensive vet, but they take good care of Miss A. And I must say, I have never seena dog so excited to go to the vet's office.

3. Later this week, on Saturday morning, I am having a garage sale. Lots of quality items, nothing junky. Just all the good pre-Matt stuff.

4. Later, later , later......ugh! It's so hard to get ahead. Maybe that will happen this summer. Who knows.

Some other random thoughts: (to end on a positive note:)
1. I love lipgloss
2. I really love the Rockstar group on celebrity apprentice (Why did Donald Trump's wife look so ticked off?)
3. I love a good sharpie marker
4. I love cooking (made a homemade veggie lasagna Friday and it was awesome)
5. I love getting dressed cute for my husband
6. I love our sweet Annie Dill....wouldnt couldnt trade her for the world!
7. I love my awesome hubby!
8. I love my parents

Hope ya'll had a great weekend. I wish it wasnt  over (like always) but am looking forward to the next!

WOW....HAS IT REALLY BEEN A WEEK?

So, have a little updating to do since it's been almost a whole week since the last time I blogged.

Let's see....last weekend my folks (the Towes) came in town Saturday to take Matt & I to dinner for his birthday (since his birthday weekend was booked full). We had an awesome dinner @ Lucky's on 15th street, right across from Full Moon. It's definitely a treat! A little secret most dont know about or see and continue to drive by. But people, should you stop? Absolutely! LOVED it there & will be going back for sure!
Got my hur (hair) done on Saturday too. Love the girl that does it, she reminds me of one of my best college friends. Matt worked on his car a little bit.

This week has been crazy. I myself have been working different hours & have been trying to make the best of some uncomfortable situations....so we'll see where I'm at come Friday afternoon. I have an idea, but will wait to dish the gossip until it's all officially said AND done:)

Matt has had leadership training at work this week. Today and tomorrow. He really enjoyed the first part of it this morning & thought it was actually worth it. Oh and, apparently, his place of business is bringing in Qdoba every Friday (not sure if its free or you have to pay, but still). So I think I may be having lunch with him every Friday again, just like when we were in Singapore.

This week is National Lab Week.....some fun facts about lab work (please respect your laboratory professionals):
Did you know?
• Laboratory results drive 60% to 70% of the physician’s decision making for a patient.

• Regional Medical Laboratory processes over 12,000 specimens a day.

• The fleet of Regional Medical Laboratory courier cars travel 400,000 miles a month.

• A team of 19 Pathologists representing Pathology Laboratory Associates work with Regional Medical Laboratory.

• 12,200 new laboratory professionals will be needed annually to meet the growing need of the world’s population, but only 4,000 to 6,000 graduates will join the workforce each year.

• Laboratory test results constitute a significant portion of the patient’s medical records vital to the diagnosis and treatment of illness and disease
How sweet it is......my wonderful husband and parents sent me flowers at the begining of this week. I'm truly thankful and so very blessed!!
 
Rain rain go away. I want some sun! Two things to keep in mind for this weekend:
1. Tulsa Rocket & Air Show
2. Arts Festival in OKC (a Towe family favorite, especially the food)
Hope its a great one! Cheers!

LIVIN' FOR THE WEEKEND

Ahhh...the weekend. How cherished it is and it always seems to go by so fast. I'm always wanting more weekend.
So, work has been going ok. I wont bore you with the details, but for once in my life, I wouldnt mind going back to the housewife life. I am having a hard time keeping up with dog, laundry and house all while holding a steady job. Hopefully all that will change when I settle into my early hours! And maybe my clean-freakness will slightly dissipate.
Annie has been doing well. Matt bought her a pool on Sunday. Yes, Annie got a pool. It's just one of those small plastic $10 ones from the store. Remember the ones when you were little, like the green turtle one or the blue whale, etc...? She absolutely loves it. It's the first thing she runs to when she goes outside. Cutest lil' thing ever.
So...I have been at an oncology clinic this week.....those people are amazing. One man played harmonica for everyone and he was 86 years old. Just going to town in the waiting room. Those cancer patients are awesome! I took pictures of Annie to hang on their wall & everyone noticed they were new & commented on how cute she is (oh they too are fooled...looks can be very deceiving....hahaha).
Looking forward to a weekend of doing nothing!! Sunday we celebrated Matt's birthday at his parents house & this Saturday my parents are coming up for his birthday dinner. I wonder if I will get 2 weeks for my birthday?!
If you could go on vacation, where would you go? If you just had a couple days over the weekend.
Oh and I should note, that our yard & garden are looking so pretty. Such a nice thing, spring is!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MATT (on Sunday)

Happy Birthday to the greatest husband, friend, etc....in the entire world! I love you so much & you are the greatest blessing in my life!

Updates coming soon, this post is only dedicated to Matt for his 30th, I mean 29th birthday!

OH THE MADNESS....

Hope everyone had a Happy Easter!
We got the weekend kicked off right Friday. Matt had the day off, so he drove me to work (didnt want the new car getting hail damage) and had lunch with me & then when he picked me up, he took me to a happy hour @ full moon on the patio. LOVED it!
Saturday we took Annie to muddy paws so she could play with some friends while we did a ton of yard work (and I must say, it looks soo good). And then the unbelievable happened: our sink stopped up. We also had Singaporeans coming in town that Matt was meeting at the airport, oh and I had 15 people coming over Sunday for Easter. YIKES! So, somehow we barely pulled off Easter without a kitchen sink & getting it fixed is still in the works. At least, for now, the appliances & plumbing in the bathroom are still in working order!
Yesterday was stressful trying to get everything ready for family & friends to come over. Matt & I need like a week of sleep to catch up on after all our hard work (did I mention he is the best husband ever!!?) but it was absolutely worth it to see & spend time with everyone.
This week has gotten off to a sleepy start. Hopefully it picks up as the week goes on! We have a busy weekend ahead of us as Matt's birthday ends it on Sunday.
More pics & other updates to come later.

VEGAS BABY!

It's good to be home, but I sure do wish we were still on vacation. Vegas was a great trip! We had an awesome time at Katie & Dan's wedding, Garth Brooks was an unexpectedly awesome show & Penn & Teller still has me wandering how they do it.

Annie is excited to be home. She is still looking for Matt. And not liking the fact that I'm cleaning the house, wood floors included. I think she feels like her space is being violated. She is enjoying the sun. Muddy Paws loved having her around for the weekend & they said she did great. She even got a hair cut, which was much needed. Alot of gray under that black coat of hers!

Matt is off to work today while I get everything at the house back in order. Being gone just for a couple of days takes it ouf of us, all the way around! Our yard is even getting mowed this evening! It feels good giving the ol' house a good scrubbing. Everything from windows to the floors! Ive been busy. The exterminator came, apparently everyone has been calling about the ants & he thinks they are going to be really bad this year (yikes).  Our back yard is looking beautiful, all the flowers are springing up & I cant wait for some more blooms!

We are going to be super busy the next couple of weeks. Lots of markings on our social calendar & more birthdays coming soon!

MAYBE I CAN SLEEP IN WHEN WE GET TO VEGAS

I'm super exahusted. In a short turn of events & due to some confusing policies, I was in St John orientation today, have training @ an RML lab 2 days this week and then 3 days next week at St Francis and after that Tulsa Spine orientation after Easter. THEN I can start my new job!

Last night we had puppy graduation. Annie won the musical chairs game. Matt did such a great job being her trainer:) We'll definitely continue to take her to Muddy Paws. She LOVES to play & see her friends there.  She is pictured above with her friend Luke (a gentle giant).

Friday we head out for Vegas. I cannot wait. I am ready to sleep in! And do some vacationing. Matt is reading his "Attack the Casino's Vulnerable Games" book he got in his stocking @ Christmas. It never hurts to be prepared people!

Thats all to report now. We'll be busy until after Matt's birthday.....I feel like we havent stopped since we got back from Singapore. Well....maybe 1 or 2 days, but thats about it!

EVERYTHING

First, I need to say how thankful I am for such an amazing husband. And a great dawg. Love them both.
I am so thankful Annie is an all-weather dog. She loves the sun, she loves the snow. Can I ask for any better? Dont think so. And speaking of little orphan Annie, she has Puppy School Graduation tomorrow. A very big event! Yeah for Annie. I'm pretty sure she is the best dog in her class!
And....because the Sheehan's are such a nice family, Annie is getting a free trip to Collinsville while we are in Vegas. Thank you Mr & Mrs Sheehan! She and Moey met Friday evening & I'm sure they will eventually be best friends ( little bit of a rocky start, but hey isnt that how some of the best friendships form?).
Went to a wedding Saturday. Poor Tera. Its snowed on pretty much every significant occasion she has had in the past couple of years. But it didnt stop them. They even did a cute little dance down the isle to some hip-hop music after they were pronounced Mr & Mrs. It was cute.
Today....a lazy day. Tons of snow. Doing laundry & looking to warmer weather in Vegas (70's).  Annie & I got up early & Matt has been sleeping in. He definitely needs all the rest he can get. I'll be the first to admit (eventhough I dont like to) that some days he's got his hands pretty full at home with us 2 girls!!
Hope everyone has enjoyed the snow (ugh, whatever). And stayed safe & warm!
Ps-Did I mention we went to the gym Sat morning? I tried Zumba & loved it. Matt ran on the treadmill & we both got a got sweaty workout in the midst of all the snow! Yeah for us!

HAPPY ST PATTY'S DAY!

Matt has been sick, ugh. I got sick. Now we're over it. We have much too much going on right now to be sick!! About to head to bed last night, when Matt discovered some ants. Yea, called Mother Natures, apparently EVERYONE has them right now & they cant get to us before Monday....4 days! Wow, at least we are not alone! Spring must be close!
Annie has done so well in puppy class! She has graduation next Monday & I'm so excited. I think she is the best in her class! Our trainer said she would be a great therapy dog, so we'll be looking into that in the future as a possibility! And did I mention, she LOVES to play! The thought of boarding her while we are in Vegas is killing me!!
I went to good ol' OKC to do some shoppin with my Mom. Had fun. She is the best shopper! And we got some great dresses!
I am looking forward to some nicer weather, ahem, cue weather. Where is the sun?!!
I'm supposed to be cleaning. Off to disinfect the house!!

A RANDOM BUT VERY NICE WEEKEND

Well its been a good weekend.
On Friday night Matt totally finished our closet! I am so excited, it's 10 times better than it was before & I think it will be extremely efficient for us! Hooray!

Saturday, I went to the spa with Allison and had a great time. Matt & the pup hung out here cause he wasnt feeling the greatest. 2 glasses of white wine later and SUPER springy pink nail polish I felt like a new woman. I had such a great time with Allison. It was so nice to get to spend some time together & find out how just alike our lives are! It's very nice that our husbands were fraternity borthers & I think it's even more awesome to be able to get along so well with his better half! And a super congrats to them for buying a new house! So exciting!
Saturday night we tooka quick drive to OKC for John Dill's 21st birthday. Took him to dinner @ Bricktown Brewery and had a drink. Then he & his roommate were off to the races. So Matt & I wandered down to Roosters where his cousin LV works. We had a good time and headed back pretty quick.

Sunday Matt woke up with a serious case of the yuckies! Super green snot, achey, fever, etc....and I am making him go to the Dr this morning, cause you never know & I'd really not like it to turn into a sinus infection or bronchitis or anything like that. So let's go just to err on the side of caution!
Hopefully he gets to feeling better soon!

IT'S ALL COMING TOGETHER

Here is why I say it's all coming together:

1. Annie has been calm the last 10 days, she & I are sick of being cooped up in the kitchen and thankfully she can now run and jump like other dogs. Hooray for a successful recovery!

2. I landed a great job yesterday! So exciting. I will be working in the lab of a small spine & specialty hospital, which is super nice (I've never seen an admitting area with wood floors) and the hours are great! It will be a smaller, slightly different workload than what I'm used to and I cant wait to start! There will be 2 phlebotomists working under me and 1 other tech that overlaps with scheduling!

3. I sanded & painted the closet yesterday for Matt. I knew he would be relieved if it was all taken care of when he got home yesterday & he was so surprised. Hopefully tonight he can install the new closet/organizing system & we wont be living out of the kitchen sitting area anymore. No more hunting for clothes!! And the office renovation will finally come to a completion!

Now before all is said & done I still have tons on my to do list: pull out old scrubs, summer polo shirts for Matt, find some cute kitchen tiers and plan for our Vegas trip, Easter brunch and Matt's birthday! Lots to do!

FEELIN GOOD!

Well Annie was horrible at puppy class last night. Let's just say her surgery has had her cooped up too long and she was just so anxious to be out & about she could hardly even focus on her training. Amy, our trainer felt bad (for us too) cause she has so much energy she needs to release.

Matt & I attended spin class this morning. It felt good. Well other than the fact that it was at 545am and I had just gotten up to let Annie potty at 330am....yikes! Matt was pretty impressed with how well the ol' ball & chain kept up. Pretty good for not having worked out in I dont know how long & I havent done spin in like 10 yrs! He liked it, thought it was hard & is up for going again (I think....).

On to run a few errands today, picking up my new running shoes & looking for some Easter decs!

Hope everyone has a great Tuesday! I feel good & wanted to pass along the cheer. Going to church Sunday definitely got me & the week started off on the right foot. That combined with our exercise & some nice weather definitely has put me in a springy care-free mood!

MARCH ON!

We had a truly awesome weekend.
1. Friday night I discovered the taste of tilapia (I thought it was similar to red snapper)
2. Saturday I went to the grocery store & discovered a new trick for scanning items.
3. Saturday demolition on office closet began. I found "oops paint" for $5....basketweave beige (and it's perfect). Matt did awesome with that sledgehammer :)
4. Got the grill out this weekend!! YUM :) Grilled food always tastes so good to me
5. Annie played outside in the beautiful weather, she missed being outside
6. Sunday went to church, saw the Sheehan family, sat with Mr & Mrs during church and finally had some Hideaway with them all afterwards. The weather was gorgeous yesterday!
7. Yard work! Hauled 12 bags to the curb! But it has paid off & the fruits of our labor are bearing an awesome backyard.....front yard coming soon!!
I really had a great time with Matt this weekend. We got so much done. We work so great together, the reason I assigned the address as teamdill! It felt great to go to church. I'm looking forward to getting more done & all the exciting events we have coming up in the next couple of weeks! And to more beautiful weather!

POST-OP CABIN FEVER

I'm starting to go a little crazy. Annie got spayed 2 days ago. She is supposed to be inside (except to go potty & for 1 walk a day) and no running, jumping, etc... Which means we have to pick her up to put her on our couch, bed, etc....or she will try to jump. We dont want torn stitches!! Pick her up to take her outside (cause of the stairs on our back porch). The weather is super nice & our one walk just didnt seem long enough for either of us. Poor Annie just stares out the back door at the birds & squirrels running rampant in her yard. Boo! No fun for either of us. How am I supposed to keep her "calm" for 7-10days? That cant be a realistic request from the Dr! It may drive me crazy!

Matt & I have a company dinner thing tonight for Nordam because we donate to United Way :) Should be interesting. I haven't met too many people he works with and I am anxious to meet the characters (if you will). At least I dont have to fix dinner!! Hope I can find something to wear!

I'm definitely ready for Matt to get the grill out of the garage & put it to use this weekend! He is anxious to brush up on his grillin' skills! Mmm...I can just taste some delicious dinners now! I am definitely missing being outside & think an evening with grill, fire pit & drinks sounds very nice!
Not sure what this weekend holds for us, but maybe we can get some much needed yard work done. We have some tiny green things coming up in the flower beds & I am anxious to see what our garden holds!
Here's to Spring being just around the Corner!!