Holiday Weekend

After a long & busy week at work, I was ready for a 3 day weekend! I wasn't on call & we didn't make too many plans so it ended up being a weekend filled with rest, relaxation, fun with neighbors & lots of firework-watching!

Saturday was spent doing the usual cleaning & grocery shopping while Shane took the Harley out & met his brother for an afternoon of riding. Later in the afternoon I made a new appetizer to share at our cul-de-sac get-together that evening. It was a Buffalo Chicken Dip & it turned out dee-lish. You can find the recipe here but instead of canned chicken I used actual chicken breasts that I had boiled & then shredded. I think it tastes much better than using chicken in a can.

We brought out the lawn chairs & gathered with the neighbors in the cul-de-sac for our annual July 4th festivities where we eat, drink & watch the little & "big" kids blow up fireworks. It is always a lot of fun & something we look forward to every year.

Sunday was an extremely lazy day. My plan was to lay out by the pool but it ended up being way to hot & humid out so instead I got a couple of movies at our local Redbox & we spent the majority of the afternoon vegging on the couch watching movies in the nice & cool AC.

Later in the evening we joined our next door neighbors for round 2 of the fireworks & enjoyed watching all the other fireworks being lit in the sky from around the neighborhood. A couple of blocks over someone was letting off some HUGE ones that were so pretty & very entertaining to watch.

Monday we ventured out of the house, had lunch at Panera & then went to see the new Transformers movie in 3-D. I love these movies. They always remind me of when I was younger & I would watch the Transformers cartoon with my brothers & would help them assembly their Transformer figurines. Good times!

I really liked the movie - especially in 3-D - but Shane didn't think it was as good as the first two. He was disappointed that Megan Fox wasn't in this one & he kept trying to tell me that it was because he liked her character in the movie - hmmmm, somehow I'm not convinced. Have you seen her? She is pretty hot!

After the movie we headed home & spent the rest of the evening catching up on DVR'd shows & enjoying the end to a very relaxing holiday weekend!

Hope everyone had a fun & safe 4th! Happy Independence Day to you all!

Family, Sun & Fun

This past weekend my family came to KC for a visit over the Father's Day weekend. On Friday my mom & dad drove down from South Dakota with my 2 nieces & then on Saturday morning my sister & my nephews flew in from Wisconsin. To say it was a whirlwind of a weekend is an understatement!

Friday - my parents arrived late afternoon with my niece's Kyra & Joslyn. We enjoyed the evening drinking wine, eating Papa Murphy's pizza & sitting out on the patio catching up, blowing bubbles & coloring pictures for "Aunt Hedder's" frig :)

Saturday - we awoke early & enjoyed the morning watching cartoons, drinking coffee, reading the paper & just hanging out. My sister & nephews' Tanner & Cael were flying in late morning so my mom & I headed up to the airport to pick them up. It was so good to see them & see how big the boys have gotten. Tanner was SO excited to visit "Aunt Hedder in "da city" - as he calls it :) We headed home & spent the afternoon playing on the Slip-N-Slide:
splashing in the kiddie pool: and having a water balloon fight:My sister & Cael sat out in the shade during the water balloon fight:

Later that evening my brother Steve & his wife Meghan came over for dinner & we grilled burgers & brats along with all the fixings of a great BBQ. It was great to get to see them & catch up with all that has been going on with them!

Sunday - this morning I was woken up at 6am by a cute 3 1/2 year old tapping on my shoulder while I was still in bed asking me to come watch "toons" with him. How could I resist that? So Tanner & I went downstairs, watched "toons", had a granola bar (or "a bar" as he calls it) with some juice & waited for everyone else to wake up.

After everyone was up, fed & showered we headed to the Kansas City Zoo & since it was Father's Day all Dad's got into the zoo for free as well as got a free brat, chips & a drink. My brother Steve met us there also to join in the family outing.
It ended up being really hot & humid as the afternoon approached & after about 3 hours at the zoo everyone was tired & ready to head home. Once home the kids played outside on the Slip-N-Slide while the adults vegged in the AC. I ended up making lasagna for dinner (or as my niece Joslyn calls it "basanya" - too cute) with garlic bread & a salad & we enjoyed one last meal before my parents & nieces headed back to South Dakota in the morning.

Monday - my parents & nieces left around 5am this morning because my dad had to work later that afternoon so I got up & saw them off. Went back to bed & guess who woke me up at 6am to watch "toons" again? :) Little stinker! We enjoyed a lazy morning around the house & after lunch & afternoon naps we then headed over to the Spring Hill Aquatic Center.

Unfortunately, I had forgotten my camera so the above pics are taken from the Spring Hill Aquatic center website. Made me mad because I missed some great photo ops with the boys :(

When we arrived the place was packed. We managed to find a couple of empty lounge chairs & set our stuff down. As soon as we were about to head in to the kiddie pool the manager comes over the loud speaker & asks everyone to vacate the pool for a 30 minute break. Well, 30 minutes turned into 45 minutes & while we were sitting there we find out that some kid pooped in the pool & they had to "decontaminate" it before anyone could get back in. Imagine trying to explain that to 2 little boys dying to get into the pool & play!? Surprisingly, they ended up being really patient during the wait.

Finally, they allowed everyone back into the pool & we had a ball sliding down the water slides, running through the sprinklers, floating around in the lazy river & playing in the kiddie pool. So much fun! We spent nearly 3 hours there & had to tear Cael away from the sprinklers when we left. He was not a happy boy :(

The evening was spent eating leftovers for dinner, giving the boys baths, putting the boys to bed early & then my sister & I vegged on the couch & watched trash TV. Great ending to a fabulous day!

Tuesday - said goodbye to my sister & the boys - which was sad :( I hate saying goodbye but I promised Tanner I would come to WI to visit for his birthday which is the 1st week of November so I am hoping the time goes by quickly! I had the day off so I headed home & enjoyed the afternoon of peace & quiet! Even took a 3 hour nap - I was definitely exhausted but so thankful to have gotten to enjoy the weekend with my family!

Memories

I was in the car yesterday cruising home from work on I-35 on a hot afternoon with the top down & my iPod on. It was finally the end of what was a very long day & listening to music on the way home is my therapy. I will often put the iPod on shuffle because I liked to be surprised of what song is coming up next. I have over 2500+ songs on there so I never know what kind of song is going to play. It may be rap or jazz or christian or country or even Christmas music - yes I listen to holiday music ALL year round :)

So as I was making my way home, this little number came on:



::cue the memories::

I was instantly taken back to 1988 - my junior year of high school. My BFF was named Heather also & we were both dating guys who were best friends that went to a "B" school while we both sported "mall hair". You could find us on any given Friday night cruising Main Street in her Chevette or my VW Bug jammin' out to this tune.
It is funny how a certain song can take you back & you can recall everything that was going on with your life at that moment. Music was a HUGE part of my life growing up so many songs do this for me & that is probably why I enjoy listening to my iPod on shuffle so much.

I can remember the Christmas I received my very first tape recorder. It was 1984 & I was 13 years old. I could not wait to put that thing up to the radio & record all of my favorite songs so I could play them back over & over. Oh the batteries & blank tapes I would burn through :) Come on - you know you all did the same thing.

Then a couple of years later I got a "boom box" for Christmas & I thought I was the sh!t with that thing. I would tote it with me onto the school bus & we would all jam out to music on our way home. Fun times!

Then while in college I bought my first real stereo system with components, big speakers & even a receiver. I was always getting in trouble in the dorm for having my music too loud. Those were the 90's so with music by Bell Biv Devoe, Snap, Vanilla Ice & Digital Underground so you know those speakers were thumpin!

And almost 20 years later I got my 1st iPod. The first thing I did when I got it was take all 300+ of my CD's, uploaded them to my iPod & sold them in a garage sale. Then I got an iPod hookup in both vehicles so I could listen to it in the car & I have been jammin' ever since.

I am going to try & link up with Casey over at Align my heart, body & mind every week or so for her Music Experiment post & see what kind of memories I can stir up in y'all! I bet I get the memories flowin' & the booties shakin' :)

The Maids

This weekend my family is coming to visit so I have been busy all week preparing for their arrival. I have made a grocery list, bought the groceries, wrote an itinerary of what to do all weekend, washed bedding, & prepared guest bedrooms but the one thing I have been dreading all week is cleaning the house - especially the bathrooms. I HATE cleaning bathrooms.

So I went out on a limb & did something I have never in my life done before. I hired a maid service to come clean my house. Not because I am injured, or have lots of extra money laying around to spend on maids or because I can't physically do it myself but because I am lazy. Plain & simple. I don't want to nor do I have the energy to "deep clean" my own house. I would rather pay someone to clean my baseboards, my floors, the microwave, ceiling fan blades & my bathrooms then do it all myself.

I had been referred to "The Maids" by a co-worker of mine who raved about their cleaning business so I thought I would give them a try. One time deal - just to do the deep cleaning. They came while Shane & I were at work (much to my husbands dismay) & cleaned our entire house in 2 hours.

When I walked in the first thing I noticed was the smell. It was a combination of a "clean" scent & bleach & it smelled good! Next thing I noticed was the carpet. There was a professional-looking pattern made by the vacuum which looked awesome. Then I noticed the ceiling fan blades & the blinds had been dusted - all this & I haven't even headed upstairs yet. As I looked around the house I instantly fell in love. I could get REALLY used to coming home to this every couple of weeks.

The floors were super clean, the baseboards dusted, the microwave spotless, the bathrooms sparkling, the beds turned down & everything just looked clean. It is such a huge relief to know I don't have to rush & get all this done before my family comes on Friday. Definitely a nice treat & worth every penny to not have to do it myself!

Perhaps I can convince my hubby that we "need" them to come every 3 weeks??? Hmmm - gonna have to work on that one :)

Bagel Beds

Last month I ordered a custom-made dog bed for the bullies. They were in need of something to lounge around on other than our furniture. I am also getting rid of Bubba's kennel in the bedroom to make some room & am hoping he will sleep on the dog bed instead.

I ordered it from a website that was being sponsored through a bulldog rescue organization I am "friends" with on Facebook - Carolina Pet Pantry. They are called "bagel beds" & come in sizes small - X large. There is a HUGE variety of fabric & patterns to choose from & they also make leashes, harnesses, collars & blankets. You can check out their website here. I wanted a neutral color since the bed is for both Bubba & Millie so I chose cute polka dots in lime green, pink & chocolate brown for the top & chocolate brown for the bottom. The fabric is a a super soft chenille which is durable & washable.









Well the bed finally arrived today & we LOVE it! It is SOOO big & soft & fluffy. I wouldn't even mind curling up in it :) The cover zips off so you can throw it in the wash & the stuffing inside is enclosed in a waterproof fabric so if there is an accident it won't soak through into the stuffing. They are a bit pricey but worth it! Especially when I walked into the office & saw this:

And later in the evening this:

And look who else likes the new bed:

Looks like I will be ordering a small one for Neo too :)

The bullies seem to like their new bed - YAY! We have since moved it down to the family room & they take turns laying in it & falling asleep with their stuffies while we are watching TV - so cute!

If you are looking to buy your furry friend a new bed I highly recommend these. And no I am not getting paid to recommend them. I just think their product is awesome & I am wanting to share a good thing with all my blogger friends :)

Starlight

Tonight I joined my girlfriend Jilly & a couple of her friends for an evening under the stars at the Starlight Theater. The first broadway show of the summer series started this week which was The King & I starring Lou Diamond Phillips. It was an awesome production with bright, vibrant costumes, lots of singing, dancing, & LD Phillips did a fabulous job as the King.

It was 100 degrees during the day & I had worried it would be miserable sitting outside but lucky for us it cooled off a bit once the sun went down & there was a breeze which helped . It ended up being a fun & relaxing evening with great company. I am looking forward to joining Jilly this summer to a couple more shows - Guys & Dolls & Mamma Mia!

Thanks Jilly for allowing me to be your "date" :)

Lily's

I am in Asiatic Lily heaven:
These beautiful flowers POPPED over the weekend & I absolutely love them! I must say though that the red ones are my favorite!

Sprouts

I love Brussels sprouts. My husband - not so much. So I am always looking for ways to spruce them up so my hubby will eat them. I usually steam fresh Brussels sprouts then spritz with butter & add a little salt/pepper to taste. I have also roasted them with onions & red peppers & they were dee-lish. So imagine my excitement when I found the recipe for this tasty appetizer...

Those would be bacon-wrapped Brussels sprouts with a creamy mustard dipping sauce. Looks good doesn't it? I can vouch for their yumminess personally. I made these for our cul-de-sac get-together last night & unfortunately got called in to work before I could put them in the oven. So I put them in the frig & the hubby & I snacked on them for lunch the next day. I had also made Bacon-wrapped shrimp w/pineapple which was very good. I baked these in the oven also rather than cooking in a skillet so I could get the bacon crispy & they turned out great!

Here is the recipe for anyone who is tempted...

Bacon-Wrapped Brussels Sprouts

Preheat oven to 400°. Microwave 10 bacon slices, in batches, between paper towels, at HIGH for 1 1⁄2 minutes. Cut slices in half crosswise. Cut 10 Brussels sprouts in half lengthwise. Drizzle under-sides of Brussels sprouts with low sodium soy sauce. Wrap 1 bacon piece around each Brussels sprout half; secure with a wooden pick. Place sprouts, cut sides down, on a lightly greased wire rack on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with pepper to taste. Bake at 400° for 20 - 25 minutes or until bacon is crisp & Brussels sprouts are tender. Serve with Creamy Mustard Sauce, if desired. Makes about 6 to 8 appetizer servings.

Creamy Mustard Sauce: Stir together 1⁄2 cup sour cream, 2 tsp. whole grain mustard, 1 tsp. brown sugar, salt & pepper to taste in a bowl. Makes 1⁄2 cup.

*I would NOT suggest using turkey bacon or thick-sliced bacon.

Enjoy...

Crazy weather

Living in tornado alley has been interesting to say the least these past 4 days. Our weather has been quite active around the area & has kept everyone on their toes & on edge.

First, Saturday night I stayed up until 12:30am listening to the tornado sirens go on & off while Shane slept comfortably in our bed. I had wondered if I should wake him up & head down to the basement or should I stay close to the TV?! Needless to say, I stayed by the TV & listened for confirmation of a "touchdown" of a tornado in Spring Hill while letting Shane sleep. A decision I would get fussed at for later by my husband :(

Then Sunday evening the horrible devastation occurred in Joplin, MO from an E5 tornado. Even though the town is located 2 hours south of us, it was a bit too close to home. I had spent lots of time at St. Johns Regional Hospital in Joplin when I worked as a Device Rep & can clearly remember what the area around the hospital looked like. To see the images on the TV now & hear the stories from people who lost their homes, family members & friends is truly heartbreaking. I just can't even imagine what they are going through. So heartbreaking...

Monday night was pretty quiet - weather wise. I stayed close to the TV & sadly watched the news coverage from Joplin. It really got me thinking - where in our house would we go if there was a tornado & how would we survive if we were trapped for hours or days? So after work on Tuesday, I went to the store & put together a "tornado survival kit" to keep in the basement. It includes items like: bottled water, granola bars, trail mix, flashlight, weather radio, new batteries, a whistle, dog food, pillows & blankets that I put in a plastic storage bin...just incase!

On Tuesday they were predicting a "tornado outbreak" across the Kansas City area for the next 2 days so I stay tuned to the TV....until around 9:30pm when the satellite went out :( Shane had left for work around 9pm & shortly after we had two different severe thunderstorms roll on by. Hail, heavy rain, strong winds but thankfully no tornadoes.

Wednesday started out to be a quiet morning but by 11am things started to get crazy. I was working at St. Lukes South & was getting ready to go to lunch when we hear the tornado sirens come on. We looked out the window & only saw gray skies & rain. Then we turned on the TV & they were talking of "rotation" being spotted about 12 blocks straight south of the hospital as well as above the area where we live. I tried calling Shane but he would not answer the phone so then I started to worry since there had been severe weather at our house as well. Then they announced over the hospital speaker to "please put the Code Gray into effect" which meant evacuating all patients, family members, staff & head to the designated "safe place" which was the lower level of the hospital.

We evacuated patients out of their rooms, into the hallways & away from windows & then they announced a tornado was spotted several blocks away from the hospital so we were all instructed to move down to the lower level. I was amazed there was no chaos as the entire hospital made their way down stairs to the basement. We sat down against the wall in the hallway for about an hour waiting for the "all clear". I tried to text/call Shane again but we had no service down in the basement so none of us knew what was going on outside.

*photo of the tornado above the shopping center 12 blocks down the road from the hospital - thanks Michelle!

In the hallway to my right was a woman in active labor that they had brought down on an "evacuation sled" which made the hour interesting. As I sat there, I listened to her fetal monitor & watched her cry. I didn't know if she was crying because she was in pain or because she may have thought she might be delivering her baby in a hallway during a tornado!? Regardless I felt bad for her. Then I thought what a birth story to tell to your child!

To my left was a new mom holding her 2 week old preemie baby tight. After talking with her she had shared that her baby was going to be in the hospital for about 3 more weeks & she was here visiting her. The baby was SO tiny! There were some people crying, others desperately trying to get ahold of loved ones & others sitting there quietly praying. It was a weird & eerie feeling sitting in that hall thinking about what "might" happen as the events of the Joplin tornado were all fresh in our minds.

We finally got word that the tornado warning had been lifted & we were able to return to our departments. We watched more of the weather, ate lunch & went about the rest of our day. In just 2 hours there were 14 reports of tornadoes around the area & unfortunately, it isn't over. We will be under a tornado watch until later tonight.

Needless to say, I am pretty much done with this weather & living in Kansas. Oh & I never did get ahold of Shane. I was told tornado sirens went off in Spring Hill when all this was going on & he never called me.

My guess is he slept though the entire thing...go figure!!

Anniversary

Today the hubby & I are celebrating seven years of marriage! It just doesn't seem possible that 7 years have already passed us by. We have definitley had our share of ups & downs this year & have dealt with things I wish no other couple would have to face. We definitely enjoyed all the "ups" & managed to work through all the "downs" which brought us even closer together & for that I am so very thankful. I couldn't have asked for a more loving or supportive husband!

So with 7 years of wisdom behind me, I thought I might list some of things I think are important in a marriage. It seems to have worked for us thus far!?

10 Things I've Learned in 7 years

(in no particular order)

1) Marriage is never 50%/50%. It’s both people giving 101% & it requires a lot of "give & take", sacrifice, compromise & negotiating.

2) Marriage is about acceptance. To accept each other regardless of who or where that person is in life is an act of love. Each person will have strengths & weaknesses that they bring to the marriage. Definitely try to encourage the strengths & learn to accept the weaknesses.

3) Forgiveness is crucial. Just saying the words “I forgive you” isn’t enough. When you are able to release your spouse from the punishment of their wrongdoings is truly forgiveness. And if you’re not sure if you have truly forgiven your spouse, then try asking yourself this: Am I still bitter? If the answer is yes then you may have some work to do within thyself. Shane isn’t perfect & as much as I think I am perfect...I am not. Shocking, I know :)

4) Be totally honest with one another. When you aren't honest with your spouse it is a recipe for disaster. There should also be no secrets. Honesty is the key to trust. When you aren't honest with one another then there can be no trust.

5) Be sensitive. We both have different pasts & perspectives & what may be no big deal to me, just may be a big deal to Shane. I have learned to recognize that & have learned to be more sensitive to his thoughts & needs.

6) Work together as a team. I have learned that it is much easier to get something accomplished with Shane when I am not nagging or bickering with him. Sometimes you just have to keep your thoughts to yourself & "play" nice to get something done together.

7) Communication. No communication = a lonely marriage. Talk about things that matter to the both of you. However, I think I sometimes irritate Shane with my excessive talking & too much communication :)

8) Laughter. I think this is why we remain strong. Shane makes me laugh every single day. We laugh at each other, at ourselves & are always joking around with each other all the time. Laughter is the gift that keeps us grounded.

9) Sacrifice. You both must be willing to sacrifice some things in a marriage. That is definitely where the "give & take" comes into play.

10) You need your own life. We are always encouraging each other to pursue activities, hobbies & friendships outside of the home. It doesn’t really matter what it is — as long as it gives your life additional meaning & purpose & it’s something you enjoy doing. I love that I am able to enjoy my "girl-time" whenever I want & Shane loves that he can ride his Harley whenever he wants. We enjoy doing lots of things together but also are able to enjoy doing things apart.

And the #1 lesson I think Shane has learned: HAPPY WIFE = HAPPY LIFE :)

Now I am no "marriage-expert" by any means, but this is what seems to work for us & so far it has been pretty great! Thank you Shane for a fun, exciting, entertaining & never-boring 7 years! I am looking forward to sharing many, many more wonderful years with you!

Love,
your wifey :)

Game-Night

This evening was our monthly game-night festivities hosted by Michelle & it was another fun evening had by all. We did our usual gathering around the kitchen island nibbling on appetizers, sipping on yummy sangria, sharing in conversation & enjoying the end of the work week.

I ended up making a new appetizer called Jalapeno Popper Dip & it was a huge hit. Will definitely be making it again. I served it with Triscuits & Pita chips & there wasn't much leftover - which disappointed the hubby :(

After we all filled up on dee-lish appetizers, we gathered around the table for a fun game of "Loaded Question - Adult version". You know anything that says "adult" on it has to be fun & so much fun it was! We laughed until we cried at some of the answers the girls gave - or it could have been the alcohol that made things so funny :) Michelle & Keri's husband came over half-way through the game & even ended up playing a few rounds with us.

After we were all "gamed-out" we decided what better way to end the evening then a trip to the local bar - The Hideout. You never know who you are going to run into at this place or what might go down & every time we go, it makes for an interesting evening.

Tonight we ran into the lady who delivers the mail in our neighborhood, Shane's cousin & her husband who we haven't seen in 2 years, we almost got into a fight with a girl who was one of "Spring Hill's finest", & exchanged words with a guy who had on overall's with no shirt & had more tattoo's than teeth. It was definitely a wild time & we ended up shutting the place down yet again.

And for those of you wondering, yes that is my pager clipped to my shirt - classy I know. I started call at midnight & was worried I wouldn't hear my pager go off in the bar. Oh, & that is just a Diet Coke in my hand ;)

I must say it was another great evening spent with these lovely ladies! I am so glad we make it a point to do this every month & am thankful for this great group & their friendships!

*thank you Melissa for the great photos

Nest Update

So when I peeked in on the nest this past Sunday, this is what I saw:

And when I peeked into the nest this morning, this is what I saw:

All the eggs are gone :(

I am SO sad.

I was looking so forward to watching the little chicks hatch & grow. I have NO idea what happened to the eggs. I don't think it was a squirrel that got them because the nest is untouched & a squirrel would have tore it up. I of course consulted with Mr. Google today & after doing a little research I have a feeling that the Blue Jay in our backyard ate them :( They seem to be notorious "nest-robbers" - especially for robin eggs! The nest is too high for a snake to get them, the lattice around the deck is too small for a raccoon or buzzard to get them so the only thing I can think of is the Blue Jay flew in there & ate them. Ugh - it makes me sick just thinking about it.

I feel really bad for the mama robin. Imagine yourself going out to eat for an hour & returning home to find all of your children missing - never to be found :( I know it is just a bird but it still makes me sad....