Things that make me laugh...part 2

Laughter is good. Good for me, good for you, good for everyone...so, back by popular "demand" (ie: Kacey's request) Things that make me laugh part II.

     

Thirty Thursday's {18}

I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and are eagerly anticipating the New Year. This question wasn't a hard one for Alex, but it definitely took me some thought.

What is your favorite professional sport?

Abby:
My favorite professional sport.....is a compilation of a lot  of sports: The Summer Olympics. They're so good and they're not the traditional ESPN covered sports. I like to watch the diving, swimming, running and gymnastics most. Although, I did enjoy watching the Crew teams.

Alex:
To watch or to play? To watch is football, specifically the Rams. I know, they're not the greatest team, but they're my team. To play? Golf.

"Oh what fun..."

Some people would end the song, "it is to ride, in a one horse open sleigh," but in the Williams' household the song ends, "it is to be a home owner!"
I will begin with some background information first...

This morning I asked Alex to turn the crockpot on so we could eat a nice dinner...fortunately he turned it on. Unfortunately I didn't specify the temperature, so our chicken cooked for 8 hours on high...yum. Upon arriving home and smelling our crispy, blackened chicken, I turned it off and dumped it down the garbage disposal -bad choice #2 (number one was not specifying the temperature for the crockpot).

After running some water down the drain I decided that if I put some dish soap with the water it would give the pipes a nice bath (bad choice #3). Unbeknownst to me, our garbage disposal is a hunk of junk and when one uses too many bubbles in combination with too much water and food bad things happen.

In our basement we have a creepy, cinder block shower with a (seemingly) useless pipe. Apparently this pipe is where our extra bubbles, food and water spill over.
Luckily I went down stairs to check our dehumidifier and noticed the Nile of bubbles headed to our floor drain.

Alex mopped up the mess and I cringe the whole time.

Moral of the story: just because you have a garbage disposal, doesn't mean it works or drains properly. Hopefully it will be an easy(ish) repair and Alex's incredibly handy father can tackle it. My fingers are crossed.

Merry Christmas

Merry, Merry Christmas. I hope you have the most fantastic Christmas of all year : ). This time of year is so wonderful and magical. People smile more, are more generous and tend to be even more kind than usual. It's a great season and I hope that you get to enjoy family, friends and good food. We are excited to see our friends and family, and I've put in my menu requests with my Mom. So, good food will be easy to come by. Thank you so much for reading my little blog and making me feel somewhat special when my "blog views" are more than two (Me and Alex).

Merry Christmas!

-Alex, Abby & Moose-

"It's the hap-happiest season of all!"

Christmas time is by far my favorite time of year. I am so excited to begin the Christmas celebrations and festivities. Today marks the beginning of my "Christmas break." (This is my first year out of school and not having a whole month off...I will survive. I will survive. I will survive.) I get five whole days to spend singing carols, wrapping gifts, drinking cocoa and wearing Christmas socks. I LOVE CHRISTMAS! I'm giddy just thinking about it. We've watched most of our Christmas movies, but still have a few more to catch up on. We annually watch: White Christmas, Holiday Inn, Miracle on 34th Street (the original), ELF, The Grinch, Charlie Brown Christmas and the Polar Express. That's about our only tradition. Maybe someday we'll have more or different traditions but, who knows?  Does your family have any good traditions?

Merry (almost) Christmas!!

A Work in Progress

HGTV really tricked me. I thought that within thirty minutes we would buy our house, renovate it and show it off to friends and family. Apparently, that is what defines "TV Magic." This kitchen/living room revamp/renovation will certainly be a work in progress. We have "the wall" out, finished and now painted, but we still have a list three miles long to complete before it's done. The floors are next, hopefully followed by the counter tops, an actual pantry, back splash, new appliances and some day (most likely far far away) an island. Who knows when any of this will get done, but at least "the wall" is gone!! I can't express to you how much I disliked that wall...so, without further ado, a finished (ish) living room and kitchen area.

Behr: Anonymous (grey) Paint.
Alex spent the better part of two days priming and painting.  He's great!

View from the kitchen. Don't mind the clutter, we're still trying to remember where things are or belong.

Moose is tired from all the hard work. He's slowly getting used to his new home. 

Thirty Thursday's {17}

Merry (almost) Christmas! 
This week's topic:  What is the thing you most wish you were great at?


Abby:


I wish I were great at baking. I like to bake and I'm not too bad but, I'm not great. I would love to have a bakery, but I don't think I would get very far. I wish I could just whip recipes up from scratch and make great tasty cookies and cupcakes...maybe someday.

Alex: 
I wish I were great at being a handyman. After buying our house, I've discovered that I can't do as much as I thought I could. Hopefully I'll continue getting better.

Renovation day 4, 5, 6......

The wall is out and finished beautifully! It was completed in four days, just like we expected and we couldn't be happier with the result!! Alex has spent the past few days priming and painting. I'll post all sorts of fantastic photos after its complete. I will give you a bit of a clue as to the new wall color: Anonymous by Behr. So, if you're really eager to the color you can Google it. Have a great evening an hopefully by tomorrow you will see out hard work!

Scrabble

With our phones and tablets, it seems that the good old fashioned board games are going by the wayside. So, in order to have some tv-less fun, we whipped out the Scrabble board and had some good word wars. With the holiday season among us, I feel it important to put away our electronics and spend quality time with our loved ones. I encourage you to play a board game or do whatever it is that you do with your family and friends to make lasting memories!

Alex would like me to add that I wrote this on my phone while playing Scrabble...at least I'm trying. Right?


--I would like to add that I won with a score of 318 to Alex's measly 185. He claims that he had poor luck at drawing letters from the bag. I think he's bitter that he's not the wordsmith that I am. : )

Renovation Day 3

Day three has come and gone, very quickly and full of progress. A vent was moved, walls were spackled, (I have no idea what it is that they did, so this is my very uneducated guess...it was white and putty-like) and a lot of other exciting things happened. :) Construction isn't really my forte, so I will leave it all to the pro's at Stuehlmeyer Renovations. Without further ado, here are some pictures of today's progress.

Day three: Kitchen

Day three: Living

Day three: Pantry

They will be back on Monday to put some finishing touches and then the hard part: painting, flooring, new counter tops, new appliances...this list could get quite long. Luckily, we're not planning on moving any time soon and have time to complete the list. I'll keep you posted as paint goes up, floors go down, etc... 

Have a fantastic weekend!

Things that make me laugh...Christmas Edition

With Christmas just around the corner, I thought a little laughter could easy some holiday stress...

Bad Holiday Photos via Ellen
Click on the link to see more bad pictures

Elf on the Shelf...

What's wrong with this picture?! Via Ellen
Click on the link to see some silly pictures.

Cat Photo Bomb...find the Kitty

Renovation Day 2

Day two continued our exciting reno progress! We have no studs (except for Alex) and have a clear idea (and view) of what our wall, or lack there of, will look like.  Everything is coming along great! Check out Stuehlmeyer Renovations to see what they could do for you.

View from the living room

View from the kitchen.

The doorway has been enclosed and will soon house our pantry! 

Thirty Thursday's {16}

Are you a morning person or a night person? Elaborate

Abby:
I'm definitely a night person. I would rather stay up late working on whatever it is I'm working on than wake up early in the morning. I, like my Grandma, could, would and occasionally do sit in my robe for hours in the morning waking up. Don't get me wrong, I don't necessarily  like staying up late, but I'd rather stay up than wake up. 

Alex: 
I am a morning person. I have a good morning routine. I wake up, walk Moose, drink my coffee, get ready for work and go to work. I take comfort in my routine. On the day's where Abby is up early too, everything gets a thrown off and then I'm crabby at Abby....

Demo Day 1

When we bought our house we had ideas of tearing down the wall the separated the kitchen and living room. After eating in it with more than just the two of us, we realized that it would be much more enjoyable with the wall removed. So, we began the search for a contractor. On Facebook I stumbled across one of my friend's pages and it said their "location" was Glen Carbon (if you're not familiar with the area, Glen Carbon and Edwardsville are indistinguishable) AND her husband has a contracting/renovation business. Our search was quickly over. We called him up, had him come over and give us an estimate and it was within our budget! So here we are, beginning renovations! Check out Stuehlmeyer Renovations to see all the good stuff they can do!

Before

After Day 1: the wall is (almost) gone! View from the living room. 

After Day 1: The wall is (almost) gone! View from the kitchen. 

I'll do my best to keep you posted on the changes! 

Thirty Thursday's {15}

We're half way through this blog series, this week the topic is: If you were an animal, what would you be and why?

Abby: 
I would be a puppy. Almost everyone loves puppies, they're so cute and cuddley  I'd (hopefully) be adopted, loved and treated as well as we treat Moose. 

Alex: 
I would be a sea turtle. Because, in finding Nemo they were really cool. I don't know the food chain well enough to know what eats a sea turtle, but they don't seem too appealing or tasty to me. 

Installation Station

I am not high maintenance, but I'm not low maintenance either. Our new bathroom is not palatial but it suits our needs. However, our 18 inch wide, no drawer, one door, blah bathroom vanity was not doing it for me...there was an inch on each side of the sink basin for "counter space." So, an upgrade was on my mind.
As Alex and I strolled the isles of Home Depot I spotted a vanity that wasn't out of our budget, it would fit the space and it had drawers- not one drawer, but three! Alex, being the fantastic man that he is, said we should get it and install it while his parents were visiting. So, without hesitation, we bought it and hauled it home.
After a few hours of removing, assembling, plumbing and 2 trips back to the Depot, we have a gorgeous new vanity. I can't even begin to express my gratitude for Alex's brother, dad and mom's hard work. Thank you Greg, Eric and Sue (and Alex too)!!

Our new vanity! I didn't take a good picture of the old one, so you'll have to take my word for it...

Sunday was a busy day, not only do we have a new vanity but, we also have a new microwave!! It too was a family event! It was an early Christmas present from my mom and dad and Alex, his grandpa, brother and dad installed it for us! There was only one trip back to the store for it's installation. :) Home Depot is going to know us by name. Four trips in one day...good thing it's close by!

We've Moved!!

Alex and I are now homeowners!! We've purchased a 1946 ranch-elow. It's a cross between a ranch and a bungalow. It's cute, charming and we love it! It needs a few updates and changes, but nothing that we're not excited to tackle! We moved on Friday and my parents came to help us. They did so much and we really appreciate them working so hard. Becky also came down to surprise us with Ethan and Nora! They were a lot of help and good entertainment. Ethan helped remove the movers plastic wrap from the furniture and even carried a box or two! Moose loves his new yard and slowly getting to know his way around the house. He's been pretty nervous because of the changes but he's starting to settle out and be the same little Moose he's always been. I'm working on change of address/Christmas cards, so hopefully you'll know our new address soon!

Thirty Thursday's {14}

Week #14: Your house is on fire. What five items do you grab before you leave?

Abby:
If our house were on fire, I'd make sure Alex was able to escape on his own and then I'd grab:
1. Moose
2. Phones and iPad
3. Our external hard drive with all of our pictures and documents on it.
4. Our important documents. ie: passports, social security cards, marriage license, etc.
5. Shoes to wear outside

Alex:
1. Abby
2. Moose
3. Phone
4. Shoes
5. Wallet

Giving Thanks

Thanksgiving has come and gone and I took zero pictures. I guess we were too busy having fun! We headed to our hometown to celebrate with both of our families. We started Thursday with Alex's family in the morning at his Grandma's and ended with mine in the evening at Linda's. Everything was delicious. We had turkey, ham, soup and every side that is known to man! It was a great few days away from reality eating and getting to catch up with and see our families.

If you have Facebook, you may have noticed that throughout November, people have been posting what they're thankful for. I didn't join in on that fun, so I'm going to, ever so briefly, express my thanks here:

I'm thankful for my fantastic husband, Alex. He is kind and patient, funny, loving and he always knows what I need, what I cannot do and when I need help. He's not a saint, but he's close.

I'm thankful for my parents and my in-laws. They are all very supportive of Alex and I and love us unconditionally.

I'm thankful for my sister Becky, she's my best friend and I love her and her kids to bits and pieces.

I'm thankful for my brother Jim, who is currently deployed serving our country and protecting our freedom. He's my American Hero.

I'm thankful for Moose and for sunshiny days. I'm thankful for the holiday season, Michael Bublé's Christmas album, Holiday Inn (the movie, not the hotel chain), I'm thankful for a cozy warm house and bed. I'm thankful for just about everything. This list could honestly go on and on. But, I'm mostly thankful for God and his unconditional, abundant love, grace and forgiveness.

Durning the holiday season we get caught up in the hustle and bustle of gifts, parties, decorating and deals at the store. But, the reason we all have things to be thankful for is because we have all been richly blessed by God.

What are you thankful for?

Thirty Thursday's {13}

If you could have any single superpower what would it be and why?

Abby:
Flying is the ultimate superpower! I would be the fastest flying super hero ever! But, I wouldn't have a cape.

Alex: 
I would be super fast! I would be faster than The Flash or Dash.

Thirty Thursday's {12}

Week 12's topic: If you could wake up tomorrow and do whatever you wanted to do, what would you do and why?

Abby:
I would go on vacation, because I love vacation, who doesn't? I would take Alex and we would go to Fiji, swim, relax and explore!

Alex: 
I would pack our bags and we would go to the beach and do absolutely nothing but relax. 

Bond

Alex and I are movie people. It's something we enjoy doing. We like watching movies at home and at the theater. But, lately we haven't gotten to go to the theater as much as we'd like. After much excitement and Fandango-ing, yesterday we went to see the new James Bond movie. It was very good and I highly recommend seeing it on the big screen.

As we sat in the theater watching the previews for the previews, we were talking about how there is no generation gap with the Bond films. We took a quick scan around the filling theater to find viewers of all ages. There were kids, parents, young people and old people all eagerly awaiting the next installment in the Bond series. There are very few modern movies that can bring so many generations together with all the excitement that 007 does. It's nice to know that there are still things that bring a common Bond between so many different people of different ages.

Thirty Thursday's {11}

Week 11: Describe two pet peeves you have and why.

Abby:
My current pet peeves-
1. Lights being left on. I don't know when I became the light police, but I hate when they're left on. Alex's excuse, "Moose is scared of the dark."   Really?! He's a dog!.....grrr
2. Dishes sitting in the sink for long periods of time. If you can put your dishes in the sink, how hard is it to rinse them off and put them in the dish washer? (This stems from college roommates. They thought we had a dish fairy.)

Alex:
1. When people stand in the middle of the isle(s) in stores, ie: Wal-Mart, Target, etc. Move, how hard is it to scoot out of the way??
2. When people take far too long to email me back. It's instant, shouldn't you instantly respond?

The Big 3-0

Not only is today Election Day, but it is also my sister's birthday!! She is the best 30 year old sister I've ever had and she's pretty fantastic too! As we have gotten older we've gotten very close and luckily Jared and Alex put up with us. She's my best friend. Someday I hope we can be next door neighbors like our mom and aunt and drink coffee  chai, raise kids, go shopping, scour pinterest for "original" ideas and do Zumba together.

I have an icing problem and the only time I get my icing fix is at Becky's house. We couldn't stand to let the left over icing go to waste, so she fed the icing to me- from the piping bag.

A more traditional, classy pose on vacation last summer. 

Happy Birthday Becky!!!

I love you.

Thirty Thursday's {10}

We're one third of the way through this series of posts! Week 10 topic: Who is your favorite superhero?

Abby:
Super Grover! I was never a big fan of the super hero's. My brother was enough older than me that by the time I was of age to like them, he was beyond them. I did watch a lot of Sesame Street and Super Grover was pretty neat. (Why yes, that did rhyme. Sesame Street taught me a lot.)

Alex:
Batman! Why? He's cooler than the other guys. He doesn't have any super powers and he still trumps the bad guys. He has the option to be a normal guy, but chooses to be a superhero.

Happy Birthday x 3

This weekend has been one big birthday celebration! Jared and Nora shared a birthday yesterday (October 26) and Alex's is today! I managed not to take any pictures of my own, so hopefully Becky will post some on her blog soon. It was a great party. Becky did a great job planning, preparing, decorating, crafting and cooking. She's a skilled party planner, after all she did plan a surprise party for me recently! It was a fun soirée and Happy Birthday Jared, Nora and Alex. I hope you have all had great birthday's.

Thirty Thursday's {9}

The topic for week number 9's installment of Thirty Thursday's is: Would you rather be deaf or blind?

Abby: 
I would rather be deaf than blind. Because, I hate being in the dark and I love color. To lose my sight would be far more devastating than losing my hearing. But, I hope to not lose either ability in the near future. 

Alex: 
I, too, would rather be deaf. Because, I would rather see what's around me than hear it. I could figure out how to read people's lips and not have to hear/listen to the garbage people say. 

Rainy Day

Do you ever have those mornings that you wake up with every intention to tackle your "To Do List" to find out it's raining? That's what happened to me today...I woke up, heard the rain and rolled back over. I don't think I would be a very good citizen of Seattle or London or wherever else it rains a lot. Poor Moose wants to go outside and explore this wet, new land. But, it's rainy and gross, so I'm not going to go further than our front door step. My "To Do List" entails a lot of errands and that means getting wet. So, we'll see if there is any dinner on the table. But, every rainy day means a lot of time wasted watching YouTube videos....so I will share some of my favorites...

Webcam 101 for Seniors

The real meaning of MPH

Witness Describing a Robbery

Enjoy!

Things that make me laugh...

According to Charlie Chaplin, "A day without laughter is a day wasted." So, in an effort not to waste a day, I will share some things that are making me laugh.

Ellen's Scare Montage:

This blog post is HILARIOUS and follow it up with this one! 

There is a website out there for everyone. Seriously, if you have a hobby or an interest there is something out there for you. I can and have sat mindlessly scrolling through dogshaming.com. It's sad I know, but if you have a dog it's relate-able...for the most part. 

If you have an iPhone, texting is not always as easy as it should be...

Last but not least, a self explanatory picture.

Tasty Cookin'

Tonight I made dinner. It doesn't happen as often as it should, but I made dinner and it was good! So, I will share the recipe with you. It started as a Weight Watcher's recipe...but I added bacon, so I don't think it was really "1 Point."

3 Cups Chicken Broth
1 Can Rotel
2 (1 lb.) Bags of frozen broccoli and mixed veggies
10 oz. Velveeta Light

Bring the chicken broth, Rotel and veggies to a boil and then add the cubed Velveeta. It was a little spicier than I had anticipated so if you're feeding little mouths or tender palates, go with the mild version of Rotel. Add bacon if you want to, it definitely wasn't a bad idea. I served it with salad and Hawaiian bread (yummmmm) and I got the nod of approval from Alex and Greg (his brother).

Happy Cooking!!

Thirty Thursday's {8}

Week 8 Topic: What television show would you be best suited to be in?

Abby: Bones. Why? Because, they are geeks and nerds and I consider myself to be a hybrid between a geek and a nerd. I did have a patient stop me in the middle of treatment to tell me that I am a nerd...(I was explaining what the bacteria in plaque could do). But, if I were on Bones, my nerd-y-ness would be appreciated. 

Alex: White Collar. Why? Because, they're smooth Ex-Cons. I'm good with words and I think the ability to run a smooth con would be cool. However, this is all hypothetical...

Decidedly Busy

I am one of those people who likes to be busy. I think that may be why I did well in school, I thrived on the stress, deadlines and goals. Now that I'm not in school, I feel the need to keep myself busy. However, I don't know what to keep busy with...

I specifically went into a career that when I walk out the door at night, I don't have to think about or worry about it until the next morning and I like that. Alex comes home with his laptop, making phone calls, researching and still working much later than the hours on his door say. But, he keeps himself busy (and happy).

So, back to my dilemma. What to do to stay busy? We have small group for church on Wednesday, but other than that, no real obligations. I think I will spend more time cooking, writing, creating, hanging out with Alex and Moose and less time watching TV.  Here's hoping!

What do you do to stay busy?

Top Secret Weekend

Alex and I had a very busy weekend. However, I can't tell you want we did. All I can say is it involved tools, paint, fabric and my sewing machine. Oh, and a trip to Hobby Lobby. So, if you're getting a Christmas/Birthday present from us, get excited, you may be receiving a one of a kind creation!

What did you do this weekend?

Thirty Thursday's {7}

Week 7 Topic: What is your dream job, and why?

Abby: My dream job is to be a news reporter that gets to travel all over the world and report global breaking news! I think that it would be so fun and exciting to get to see all of the events that we read about first hand.

Alex: If I could have any job in the world, I would be a professional baseball player, specifically a pitcher, for the St. Louis Cardinals. Because, I'd get to work a few days a week and I would get to be a Cardinal...need I say more?!

Thirty Thursday's {6}

Week Six Topic:  What is the hardest thing you have ever experienced?

Abby: This is a tricky one....I guess it would have to be boards (lame, I know). But, we lived two hours away from school and I was commuting everyday, still having to be the little housewife AND study for a huge test that would determine my future...very stressful. I'm sure there will be something much harder down the road, but right now that's still pretty fresh in my memory. 

Alex: I guess that would depend on what you consider hard. I think that our wedding day was the hardest, but most rewarding day of my life. I was so nervous/scared when it started to rain. We had planned the day for a year and if we were going to have to get married in the church with no decorations, I would have been disappointed for Abby and for myself to an extent. But, other than that the hardest experience would probably be my last year of school. I felt really lonely because my roommate (Greg, my brother) was always at work or out and Abby was in Carbondale, it was just a lonely time. 

A Surprise & A Mystery

What a weekend!!

Last Sunday was my birthday and we celebrated low key. Which was fine because, Alex had planned to take me to the Lemp Mansion for dinner Sunday night. However, they do not perform the Murder Mystery Dinner Theater on Sunday's, so Alex said he would make reservations the next day for the following Saturday night.... 

{Fast Forward through the mundane work week}

On Friday night Alex came home from work and told me that he had (finally) made reservations, to celebrate my birthday at the Mansion. I was really excited and looking forward to Saturday evening. 

A lot happened between Friday Night and Saturday Night....

On Friday nights at dinner we usually map out our weekend. This weekend I had originally planned to go to our niece's soccer game. But, when I mentioned it to Alex he said he didn't want to go because he wanted to sleep in...I thought it was odd that he wanted to sleep in because he sleeps until 7 and the game was at 9....but I agreed to "sleeping in." Upon Saturday morning's arrival, we were watching TV when Alex blurts out, "I am really hungry. Lets go to Dewey's for an early lunch." I was really confused and suggested he eat breakfast so he wouldn't be hungry. But, he adamantly said no, he only wanted Dewey's. Not having a reason not to go, we showered and went to Dewey's....

{Insert Surprise}

We walked in and when the hostess asked us if we wanted a table for two, Alex said no and said we'd sit with them (pointing to my parents, sister & family, cousin & family, and aunt & uncle). I was surprised!!

I'm still a little mystified that they could keep secrets from me for quite a while. But, they did a great job and I feel truly blessed, loved and surprised. My sister detailed the party here. Thank you all for coming over to celebrate my birthday!

After the big surprise, we still had the Mystery Theater to go to. We got dressed and ready and headed across the river. When we got there, there was a wedding reception going on and a  lot of people around, so we didn't get a chance to explore before dinner. We'll probably have to go back...maybe even to spend the night. But, it was a really pretty building and has a lot of history. The dinner was good and the show was very funny. It was very audience driven and interactive, Alex even got to put his acting skills to good use. He had to portray the victim's last moments before death...it was very funny and he got a trophy for his great performance! Although we didn't see any real ghosts, it was a lot of fun and I would definitely recommend going.   

Thank you everyone for helping me celebrate my birthday! What's your favorite birthday memory?

Thirty Thursday's {5}

Week 5 Topic: What are the 3 things that make you most happy right now?

Abby: 
1. Alex & Moose
2. Traveling
3. Cupcakes and Balloons- it's my birthday month....


Alex: 
1. Abby and Moose
2. Alone time to play video games/watch ESPN/eat Doritos
3. Success at work.

I'm Golden!

Today is my "Golden Birthday" meaning: I turned 23 on the 23rd. Exciting stuff....so far I have indulged in ice cream and a cupcake. I have also received cards, phone calls, face times and messages from well wishers. My mom even got me a golden wig...she's pretty great.

We're those sad people who get our dog a treat for our special occasions...

Alex also has something up his sleeve for our dinner plans, so I'll keep you posted. 

Happy Birthday to Me  (and my Mom yesterday)!

Pink Elephant

On I-55 near Livingston there is an antique shop/mall that always catches my eye. They have a giant pink elephant, space ship, ice cream cone and a lot of other unidentifiable objects littering the front lawn of an old school turned antique store. I always want to stop on our way to Springfield/Decatur and Alex never wants to. But, yesterday I decided that we were going to go see what they have to offer....

We had a good time looking at their odd collection of "antiques" (apparently Hannah Montana paraphernalia is antique...). I tried on a lot of "fur" coats, silly hats and jewelry. Alex didn't admit to finding anything that caught his eye, but I know he secretly wanted to wear some "fur" too...

Also, the previously mentioned ginormous ice cream cone is a working ice cream stand. So, we had to indulge....I got Dirt 'N Worms- vanilla ice cream with marshmallow fluff, Oreo's and gummy worms- it was quite tasty. Alex had chocolate with brownie bits (less adventurous, but still good). 

Thirty Thursday's {4}

Week 4 and still going strong! Topic: List 5 things you would tell your 16 year-old self, if you could.

Abby: 
1. This is just the beginning.
2. Enjoy living at home...everything is free (ish). 
3. Pick and choose your friends wisely. 
4. You're never going to have to take another math class, so don't sweat the small stuff.....no one really cares about geometry anyway.
5. You're smarter than you give yourself credit for. 

Alex: 
1. Treat that Abby girl right, you're going to marry her.
2. Don't work so much-enjoy high school.
3. Play more Halo- you won't ever have as much free time again.
4. Don't worry about fitting in.
5. Be more confident in your abilities. 

Tasty Treats (via Instagram)

http://instagr.am/p/Px4MC5A1GO/

Where did our weekend go?!

We had a busy, unproductive, fun weekend.

We got to go home to Salem for one of my friend's weddings. It was a beautiful ceremony and a really fun reception. We got to catch up with a lot of our friends we haven't seen in a long time, eat, dance and take some awesome pictures in a photo booth (#1). It was a really fun night! Congratulations Amy and Jon, we wish you hundreds of years of happiness and love!  

On Sunday, Alex and his brother got to meet up with their uncle Tim to go to the Ram's game! They had a lot of fun and I'm (not so secretly) glad that Greg went so I didn't have to-I squeezed in a 3 hour nap. But, it was Fisher Stache day- he's the new coach who sports a nice mustache (#3). To top it all off, the Rams WON!!! A successful day was had by all.

On Tuesday of this past week I got to see my sister-Becky, cousin-Libby, their kids and our moms for a fun afternoon. I even got to help Ethan make some major bubbles...I'm a cool aunt (#2). 

Last but, not least, today was mowing day and poor little Moose has green paws...it's kind of cute...(#4). 

Happy Monday!

Thirty Thursday's {3}

Week Three Topic: Describe your relationship with your parents.  

Abby: I have a good relationship with my parents. When I was growing up, I don't know how I felt about them...they were definitely not the "cool" parents. But, looking back, the kids with the "cool" parents aren't as "cool" now as they once were. I think that my parents had an even balance of nice and dictator. They told me very nicely what was expected of me and saw to it that I did as expected. It made me a hard worker and gave me a strong(er) back bone than, I think, I would have had.  It's funny how things change as we grow up. My mom is now a genius. She knows every recipe, how to fix any problems and her advice seems like God placed the words on her lips. I really love and appreciate my mama. My dad is now (one of) the funniest men on Earth, he's hilarious. He use to embarrass me...but now he's just really funny. I have a great deal of respect for my father. He is ridiculously smart, witty and a good Christian leader of his family. I love my parents, I think they're the best. 

Alex: I have a great relationship with my parents. They taught me responsibility at a very early age. They gave me the option to make my own decisions and I would have to live with the consequences-good or bad. They taught me hard work and that there is more to life than making money. They have been a great example of how a marriage should be, that there is give and take in all relationships. They never argue about anything, which is what Abby and I try to emulate. But, they were the "cool" parents and I turned out alright.

Wednesday Pinsday {9.12.12}

Lately I've been pinning some (in my opinion) fantastic typography,signage and letterpress. It's beautiful art that often goes un{der}appreciated. We read and see some fantastic signs, fonts and letterpress every day and likely don't notice or appreciate it. So here's to you typography/signage/letterpress.

1. Billy's Bakery...looks like a yummy place to me
2. Look how great the L's are on all!
3. Boston
4. Talk Type
5. I would have no problem walking into Ralph's, look at that "S"!
6. Stay in school, drugs aren't cool....but this sign is.
7. Eat.

Confessions

I still eat yogurt with sprinkles. Try as I might, it's not likely to change anytime soon.

Does anyone else remember the yogurt that came with the sprinkles in the lid? That was the best. A psychologist would tell me I'm trying to hold onto my childhood and I wouldn't be able to disagree.

Oh, Happy Day!

Happy Monday all! I hope this post finds you doing well. I, somehow, managed to get a four day weekend this weekend and I will happily take it! This weekend was relaxing, not necessarily lazy, but not busy either. A happy weekend, with no further delay, our weekend in pictures:

The pictures are slightly out of order, but who wants to see a giant storm cloud blown up?! Not this girl...

On Friday, I made cookies  (#3) for our new neighbors. But, they haven't been home, so we had to eat them. Bummer...But, they were really tasty and so easy. You should give them a try. 

Saturday we headed to Forest Park to enjoy the absolutely gorgeous weather. The storms from Friday night (# 5) brought in a cold front, so it was very fall-esque. However, the rest of the city had the same idea. To say the park was crazy busy is an understatement. It seemed like everyone, their kids, cats and grandparents decided to go to the park. No trip to Forest Park is complete with out going through the zoo, but the crowds made it less than relaxing, so we left. The fountain in front of the World's Fair pavilion is a favorite of ours (#1) so we sat, people watched and dipped our toes. 

After leaving the park Alex was a doll and took me to the Galleria, more importantly Nordstrom and Anthropologie my two favorite stores. I was a happy girl AND to tip the scales of happiness even more, I had my  first Pumpkin Spice Latte of fall 2012 (#4)!! We had a great day. Then on Sunday, we headed to church for some great worship and watched the Rams lose.

Moose Update(#2): He is doing great and growing like a little weed, weighing in at 12lbs. Little chunk! He is still teething and chewing like crazy, but he's a sweet little fella. 

How was your weekend? 

Thirty Thursday's {2}

This weeks topic: Describe 3 legitimate fears you have and explain how they became fears.

Abby: 
1. I am afraid of the dark. I do not know why but, I hate darkness. Maybe it's a deeper, psychological or philosophical reason that I'm not aware of...or I'm just scared of the dark along with all other 10 year old girls....

2. I am afraid of uncontrolled water sources (oceans and rivers). They have the ability to suck you under and you have no control over the situation. What prompted this fear? When my family went to the ocean (or Gulf) when I was little we were boogie boarding and I got pulled under for hours (or 5 seconds) and it frightened me.

3. I am afraid of not getting the approval of those I care about. I guess I'm a people pleaser to a certain extent, mainly with my parents, Becky, Alex and other's that I'm very close to. 


Alex: 
1. I'm afraid of failure, for obvious reasons. Who wants to put effort into something and then fail...it scares me.

2. I'm afraid to lose people that I care about. Also for obvious reasons.

3. I'm sort of afraid of heights, but it's an adrenal rush that I like...I'm weird.