Happy Halloween and Anniversary!!

Dear Richard-

Today is the third anniversary of the best day of my life, the day we promised to love each other forever! Aren’t you lucky?!

 

I have known that what we have is special since the first night we walked across campus in the rain.

I now know that what we have is more than special, it’s unbreakable. 2012 tried to destroy us, but it didn’t. We are stronger and happier than ever.

You make me giggle with your silliness. You give me strength and courage when I struggle to find it. You help me find peace when I am certain it doesn’t exist.

We aren’t perfect, we make mistakes. More importantly, we forgive. That’s what we do.

You are my best friend and I can’t imagine walking this journey without you.

I Love You! Happy Anniversary!!

You read that right, we got married on Halloween. Here are a few shots from our big day:

 

 

Pinterest

Pinterest has motivated me lately. I love to cook but I am really bad about finding recipes that I like and making them over and over. I need to spice things up every once in a while! I have used two recipes this week and I must admit they turned out to be keepers!!

 

The first was a bacon chicken ranch mac-n-cheese. This was the bomb! It was a little more involved than I expected but totally worth it. The recipe sort of fools you into thinking it is a quick fix when it actually took about an hour. It is a pleasure for the taste buds and it’s a cooking light recipe! Boom!

Source: firstlookthencook.com via Kristen on Pinterest

 

 

 The second recipe was mini pot-pies. This recipe is GENIUS and super easy. Basically you pick a filling and add some bisquick baking mix. We decided while eating our Turkey and Veggie pot-pies last night that a variation of this would be on the weekly menu. You could literally use this recipe with any filling. You could do pizza pot-pies, cheeseburger, veggie, chicken. The possibilities are endless!

 

Source: bettycrocker.com via Kristen on Pinterest

 

Pinterest also motivated me to make this:

It took a looong time to make but I am so happy with how it turned out. I little fabric, a wreath wire, really tired fingers and Voila, a Bengals wreath!

All Things Halloween

Halloween around our house is kind of a big deal! It happens to be our anniversary. It is also one of my favorite holidays to decorate for. But, geez, decorations are expensive!! We are slowing expanding our collection. Chances are you will see me browsing the clearance decor the day after!! 

 

I thought I would share with you a few of my favorite decorations around the house (with the help of Instagram!):

Living Room Mantel

Wall stickers in our entrance.

Countdown to the big day! (A good way for Rik to never forget our anniversary!!)

The skeleton that Rik puts into awkward positions.

See above caption.

I love this pumpkin! It changes colors!

Idea stolen from Pinterest for my table centerpiece.

Front door

Candleholder!

 

 You can’t have Halloween without a few carved pumpkins. It is one of my favorite things to do this time of year.  Rik and I’s tradition is to turn on scary music, have a few fall flavored beverages, do a little trash talk and carve away!

It's serious business!

This is how they turned out this year:

 

Happy Monday!

Nine Years!

Two weeks ago Rik and I celebrated nine years together! Talk about crazy?! We were a mere 19 years old when we started dating. Babies, I tell ya!

 

I remember the night he asked me to be his girlfriend, like it was yesterday. Saying like makes me feel like a teenager again.

What a crazy nine years it has been?! We have both graduated with our bachelor’s and master’s degrees. We adopted Rudi, bought a house, bought a car and had an angel baby. We have been buuussssyyyyy.

 

This time next week we will be celebrating our third wedding anniversary. 

We exchanged gifts on our dating anniversary and this girl got a new iPhone! I have to admit, I have never bought into the hype, but it is pretty awesome. I kind of love it. There will be more on this later.

I look forward to everything the next nine years (and beyond) brings with this man!

Because I love sharing pics with you, here are a few from our early days.

The first picture we ever had taken.

80's party!

 

Fall Photo Shoot

Have I ever mentioned that my wonderful sister (in law) is a photographer?! At least once a year I try to have her do a mini shoot for Rik and I, to update our wall photos.

 

Well, if you remember a few posts back, I spoke of a family cabin trip. We do this every year with my husband’s family and it’s so much fun.

This year, it was the site of our mini shoot! Here are a few of our serious shots…

 

Now here are a few of our funny shots. Outtakes, if you will.

Imitating his 5th grade school picture

I know. She’s awesome, right?!

National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day

Dear Joey-

 

Today is National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day.  They ask that we light a candle for you as a way to honor your life. So we did just that.

Tonight Daddy and I lit this candle in your memory and also in memory of your friends Jack, Leah and Hope.  

 

There is not a minute that goes by that I don’t think of you. I hope you are being good up there and watching out for us, we both know Daddy and I could use a little extra help sometimes ;)

 

I miss you so much, especially this Fall season.  I had my first glass of cider a few weeks ago and it made me cry. Remember how (strangely enough) that was the only thing I could hold down for six weeks? Remember how I ate concord grapes every day for a week until I threw up? I ate a whole bushel of them today and thought of you every time I popped one in my mouth. Remember how I was so excited when Daddy got me an OSU shirt and when I put it on you were showing through? Remember how one year ago today we got to see you for the first time dancing around on the ultrasound?

 

I hope you remember every moment we had together because I will treasure every single one for the rest of my life.

I love you Joey.

With me every step of the way.

Please say a prayer today for all of the babies gone to soon and the families that miss them more than ever.

Bare Bum

Geez, I didn’t realize it has been so long…

Hi. My name is Kristen and I have been slacking on my posts. Life has calmed down a bit and you will hear from me more often. I promise!
 

Today I tell you about my poor, poor puppy. Over the past week and a half he has had an itchy spot on his bum/base of his tail. He has this same problem every fall so we are used to it. We have been applying hydrocortisone and pumping him full of benadryl hoping to avoid the vet. Some years this method works, others not so much.

Friday I woke up and he was miserable, this year was one of the not-so-much years.

Rudi at the vet is hysterical. He isn’t one of those dogs that cries and becomes outraged. Instead, he tries to become invisible. He doesn’t make eye contact with anyone or thing and he hides behind anything he can. The vet enters the room and there is Rudi hiding behind me, sneaking peeks at him from between my legs, almost knocking me over in the process. Need I remind you that he weighs 116 pounds (as of Friday) and is 4 feet long?! 

 

The vet takes a look at his bum and says that he needs to shave the area to let it breath and heal.

Five minutes later Rudi is back looking like this:

 The white stuff is a numbing/antibiotic powder. It was a lifesaver (and it should be for $40). It numbs the affected areas and applies an antibiotic and steroid for healing.

Seeing his bare bum (and sores) brought tears to my eyes. At that moment I felt like I horrible mom. He had two quarter-sized sores and probably a dozen smaller ones. No wonder he was so miserable for a week.

 

An empty wallet, two prescriptions and a bare-bummed pup later we were on our way home.

Let me just say, he was not happy about his new haircut, but it seems to have grown on him. The steroids have kicked in (along with his hellacious appetite) and he is feeling much better.

Fail.

I am going to go ahead and chalk the past 16 hours up in the Fail category for the following reasons:

1. I locked my keys in my car while at the grocery store last night.

2. I called my husband to see if he could come save me. He misunderstood when I said I was at the Kroger at the corner of “Morrison and Hamilton” and instead drove to the Kroger at the corner of “Morse and Hamilton.” One hour later, he was back at the Kroger that he drove past to get to the wrong Kroger, and unlocked my door. He blames it on my lack of enunciation and twang (you know, the one that he insists I have, that I do not). I say, he didn’t listen to what I said!

3. I got nothing accomplished last night that I wanted to, because my one hour grocery trip turned into a 2.5 hour debacle.

4. I was 20 minutes late to work today because people think rain = scary/icy road conditions.

EPIC. FAIL.

I am feeling a lot like the one on the bottom!

Thank goodness today is my Friday and I get to spend the next few days with my family at a cabin in Kentucky!! I have good food, great company, smores and bourbon slushes in my future.

Bring.It.On.

Candles

Candles, candles and more candles.
 

I love them. Candles are such a mood trigger for me. I can’t walk into my house smelling like pumpkin pie and be grumpy! And it is not just me that loves them, my husband is quite infatuated.  In fact, last week he sent me an email containing bath and body works’ newest fall scents and wanted to know if I had any coupons!  Funny enough, later that day I received one letting me know they are doing their 2 for $20 special.

Last weekend we decided to take them up on their offer and spruce up our fall selection. I mean, you can’t burn pineapple mango scented candles in September, come on?!

[Note: Not all candles are created equal. We are accustomed to only buying Bath and Body or Yankee candles. I find that other candles lose their smell after you burn them the first time! These candles last forever and keep their smell as long as you burn them. With my husband being from Cincinnati, we pass a Yankee candle outlet every time we head down! We generally make a stop with every few months.]

We bought four fall scents and a man candle. Yep you read that right, a man candle. My sister and her bf turned us onto these. Yankee candle has a Man-line. They have scents like 2x4 (smells like wood), Mantown (smells like man), Riding Mower and First Down. We purchased First Down for Rik’s “Man Land” in the basement. It is perfect and he loves it! The first thing he did Saturday morning was go downstairs and light his candle. It smells like football, not necessarily a football, but a football game. It has a grassy, leathery smell. It is pretty crazy!

Our house now smells like fall (and the basement like football) and it is quite fabulous!

Here are a few of our new scents:

 



I Will Never Forget

Wow. It is really hard to believe that 9/11 was 11 years ago. I had a discussion a few days ago with co-workers about how weird it is that something still so fresh in our minds happened over a decade ago. 

It is crazy to think that my sisters and brother who are 16, 13, and 12 were barely talking let alone able to comprehend an event that has impacted my generation as much as it has.

I will never forget that day. Ironically, I was sitting in Mrs. Winneburg’s (Winnie-as we called her) American Government class when another teacher came in and told us to turn on the tv. We watched in horror as the second plane hit.  Even writing this, I have chills thinking about it.

At the time they had talked about a third plane hitting the Pentagon. That is when it became a personal matter. I had spoken with my Dad earlier that week and remembered him saying he would be in D.C. at some meetings at the Pentagon for a few days. I remember putting two and two together and panicking. Was he still there? What day was his meeting? Why didn’t I listen closer to what he was saying? Was he ok?

Back then, high school kids didn’t have cell phones (crazy, right?) so I went to the office and used the school phone to try and contact him. I got the busy signal over and over. I later learned it was because cell towers were down.  It several hours before I found out that he was safe at the airport and watched the plane hit.

I know the panic I felt after only a few hours of not knowing. I cannot fathom the panic and pain of those men and women in the towers that day. Or what their loved ones felt watching the Towers fall knowing their loved ones where inside.  I can't begin to understand the thoughts of the wives who talked to their husbands on Flight 93, knowing that would be the last time they spoke.

I salute our nation for standing behind the innocent 2,977 people killed that day. I salute those families who found the strength to go on. I salute our troops and their families for fighting this long, hard war. I salute the men on Flight 93 who said “Let’s Roll.”  I salute the men, women and dogs who spent weeks and months searching for survivors and victims at Ground Zero. I salute all of the unsung heroes from the tragedy of 9/11.

I will never forget.

 

 

 

The Gentle Leader

I hope your weekend was as great as ours! As soon as I take the time to download my pics from my camera, I will post a few.

 

Today’s post is about a life changing event:  the purchase of the gentle leader.

Not Rudi, a look-alike.

Rudi is OK on walks. Rarely Sometimes he is an angel and walks beside or just in front of me. Most Other times he drags walks me. There are times when he sees a stray cat and gives it his best attempt to dislocate my shoulder.

Walking is a daily occasion for us and I hate it when our walks end with me being frustrated at him. He is such a good boy most of the time that I don’t like to be mad at him. I mean, how can you stay mad at this:

 

After a little research, we decided to purchase the gentle leader and see how it works. They instruct you to fit them first and then take them immediately for their first walk. I did that yesterday morning, and let me tell you, it was hysterical. It took us 20 minutes to make it two houses.

He was absolutely, over-the-top ridiculous.  Being almost seven and 120+ pounds, he has gotten used to being in charge most of the time.  He likes to play this game where is goes limp and flops to the ground when he doesn’t want to do something, because he knows that I am not strong enough to do anything about it. He did this after about 15 steps with the gentle leader on.

I apologized to our neighbors and told them we were experimenting and that I was willing to stand there as long as it took for him to realize I was going to win this war. He flopped around like a fish out of water, I dyed laughing, he gave me death stares and went limp, over and over. Really, if someone would have been videotaping, I am sure it would be on some funny videos website. The way he was acting, you would have thought I was torturing him. He was gagging himself and everything. A bit dramatic, you think?

Finally he realized I was not taking it off so he, begrudgingly, decided to give it a try. Although, I think he was planning my demise in the first few steps after he admitted defeat.

A block or so in he recognized that it was, in fact, not hurting him and he could still smell and leave his pee-mail. After that realization, he was OK with it. We still have a little work to do, but it was such a difference.

It was the first time, since he was 12 weeks old that I felt in-charge during our walk. He did not pull once!! We even encountered the stray cat and he made no attempt to go after it. I felt like I had won Gettysburg!

I am so excited to enjoy our walks and not worry about not being able to control him! THIS THING IS AMAZING!!!

Marriage and Cherry Coke

Happy Friday!

 

Today is a great day for three reasons.

The first: My in-laws leave for their anniversary trip to Cabo San Lucas tomorrow morning. I hope they have a great week on the beach!!

 

The second: Two great friends are getting married this evening! They are one of those couples that are perfect for each other. You know, the kind that you have no doubt one day your grandchildren will play together. I can’t wait to help them celebrate!

The third: I found out the cafeteria at work now has Cherry Coke on tap. If you know me, you know my love for Cherry Coke. I am not a big pop (soda/whatever you call it) drinker, but I crave Cherry Coke. It cures headaches, hangovers and upset stomachs. I even know what restaurants in Cbus have it. If I am having McDonalds, I will drive out of my way to go to the one that has Cherry Coke. I refuse to feel guilty or apologize for that! Ha!

Now that it’s only an elevator ride away, I foresee my once-a-week-pop becoming a regular affair! Oh, and I may have a shirt that has the cherry coke logo on it. Yep, true story.

 

Have a great weekend friends!

Fall is Upon Us!

 

 

 Fall is here. Fall is here!! 

Source: imgfave.com via Shannon on Pinterest

In our household the season has officially arrived. How do we know it’s Fall, you ask? Well because a pumpkin spice candle is burning, pumpkin spice coffee is in the pantry and we are watching football, that’s how!!

 

Rik thinks it’s still a little early to be celebrating its arrival, but it’s September 5^th and  I say, it’s time! Who cares if it is 90 degrees outside? My goal for this weekend is to get my fall decorations up. Woohoo!

It is by far, my favorite season. I love the smell of Fall. I love the colors. I love the warm days and cool evenings. I love sitting by a fire with a glass of wine.  I love pumpkin spice lattes. I love watching football. I love it all!
 

Speaking of football, I am the commissioner of an all-girls fantasy league, Touchdowns and Tiaras. It is officially our third year. This year, however, is the first year of seriousness.  We are playing for money and a tiara. Yes, it’s true. Our winner gets to wear a tiara for the entire season and at the draft party of the following season.  Ha!

We have so much fun doing this.  The team names are hysterical, the trash talk is brutal and getting together is a blast.  Who says only boys enjoy football?!  I’ve got 12 girls that would tell you otherwise.

Here are a few pics from our draft party:

The Commissioner...it's serious business!

Last Year's Winner

Touchdowns and Tiaras 2012

 

Lots of Excitement

Happy Hump Day friends! So far today, I have spilled half my coffee on my desk, dropped a bowl of oatmeal (uncooked) on my office floor and accidentally put my water in the freezer instead of the fridge (now it is frozen solid). FAIL.  At least it is already Wednesday. I love long weekends and short weeks!

 

Labor day weekend was full of excitement for us. Saturday was spent hanging with friends and watching the first Ohio State game of the season. Go Bucks!

Sunday we went surprised Rik’s parents with a mini 30^th Anniversary party.  His sister gets the credit for organizing the soiree. We met at her place and then drove to his parents together. We sent our pups in the house first with anniversary balloons around their necks.  We took them for dinner and drinks at the Cheesecake Factory.  It was so much fun surprising them and celebrating 30 years! The evening ended with his mom putting on her wedding dress. I can only pray that I will still fit into my dress after 30 years! She looked great!

 

Happy 30^th Anniversary to the best in-laws a girl could ask for. I mean, seriously, the best!

 

Monday, we got the exciting news that great friends of ours welcomed a beautiful baby girl, Ella Grace. Jen is a close friend of mine, stemming back to my college/sorority years. She has been such a great support person for me since January. They have two angel babies and finally have one that they get to take home. I could not be happier for them!! I cannot wait to get my hands on this little one.

 

Meet Ella Grace!