Drum roll please….

After months and months of waiting – the trip is finally here! (Well – in two days anyway!) Only 6 hours left of work and I am on vacation. J Steven and I have both been on a pre-vacation high all week long. We’re all smiles and all lovey-dovey. I can’t tell you how many times I have heard “I love you so much”, “You’re such an amazing wife” “I can’t wait to spend time with just you”. It’s like he’s buttering me up so that I’ll do whatever excursions it is that he wants on the trip.

I will admit that I am somewhat annoyed with all the naysayers. Multiple people have said, “Just be carful – it’s a third world country” or “Jamaica – why not Turks and Caicos?” Umm…because this trip was an AMAZING deal that we could have never afforded otherwise (there are a few perks to an unfavorable economy). And Steven and I aren’t planning on trekking off the resort for shopping or “extracurricular activities” including illegal substances. I’m pretty sure that as long as we stay on the resort we are perfectly safe and we will have the time of our lives.

We are staying in an atrium suite on the first floor – which means that we will have breakfast delivered to our balcony each morning. I think this is the part that I am looking forward to the most. I don’t even have to put my makeup on to go down and eat breakfast! Yea!!

So as you can tell – I feel like a high school kid on the last day of classes. 48 hours and I will be in Jamaica. Ugh! Can it please get here sooner? Stay tuned as I promise to have many pictures and stories when we get back!

The Miracle That Is The Crock Pot

I wish that I could shake the hand of whomever it was that invented the Crock Pot. This magical appliance is a must have in any proper kitchen – especially those of new wives! The Crock Pot just makes cooking too easy. Throw in your ingredients – stir them up – turn on the Crock Pot – walk away. Anywhere from 4-8 hours later you will be enjoying an amazingly tender, scrumptious meal! And your entire house smells amazing from the food – so people who come over will think you’ve been slaving away all day. While cleaning out my guest bedroom closet this weekend I found a cookbook titles “Famous Brand Name Recipes for the Crock Pot”. (Umm..thank-you Mom?? No idea where I got this from!) Last night I made super yummy cheddar chicken over rice. This evening I am trying Aztec Chicken over noodles. I wonder if it would be possible to cook every single meal Monday – Thursday in the Crock Pot??? That would just make like too easy! I definitely think it’s time for an upgrade. I need one of those big Crock Pots with the timer – so that you can set it to start/stop cooking whenever you like. Maybe a Christmas present?

On a side note - I do find it quite sad that every time I think about Christmas or birthday presents I tend to think of some practical appliance or serving dish that I need. Is this permanent or will I eventually begin to want the frivolous, sparkly gifts like I did a few years ago? I’m too young to give up jewelry and fancy perfumes just yet, right??

We Should Have Named Him Marley

Steven and I had a revelation last night – Bauer (our one-year-old, male boxer) is Marley – yes Marley – the mischievous lab from “Marley & Me”.

Yesterday after work, I decided to go for a run and take one of the dogs with me. Since it is impossible for me to run both dogs at the same time – deciding which dog gets to come for the run is always a difficult process at our house. As soon as they see me put on my running shoes & grab my IPod – they both bolt to the door and start whining incessantly. I feel so guilty leaving one dog behind (If Steven would get off his lazy bottom and run one of the dogs – we wouldn’t have this problem!), but there is no way that I can run two 70 lb dogs at the same time.
So last night, Dixie got to go for a run. We ran hard for a solid 35 minutes. Numerous times along the way Dixie tried to lie down. She was tired and had obviously had enough. As we were slowing down to turn into our neighborhood, we saw Bauer and Steven coming to meet us. Bauer became so excited to see Dixie that he literally wiggled himself out of his collar and bolted into the street!!!! I was already feeling light headed from the run – but when I saw all the cars coming I almost threw up. The thought of Bauer being run over brought immediate tears to my eyes and I almost started hyperventilating. Thankfully, Steven was able to get him back on his leash without any damage. Although once we knew he was safe – we both wanted to kill him for acting out!As we finish the walk back to the house, Bauer is clearly thrilled to be walking along side Dixie. Steven opened the garage door and let both dogs off their leashes to send them into the house – when Bauer saw the neighbor’s cat. I swear to you, I have never seen a dog run as fast as Bauer did after that cat. Of course the cat was hissing and pitching a fit and immediately ran up into a tree. Bauer refused to come when called, and Steven and I had to circle around a patch of trees and bushes trying to trick Bauer into coming into the house. Apparently we were making a huge fuss for everyone to see because about 10 minutes later one of the neighbors actually came running outside with a slice of cheese to help us. Finally Steven caught the dog and scooped him up like a football dragging him back to the house. Of course Bauer had no idea why he was in trouble and refused to “stay” or “sit” when we returned to the house. Dixie was still too exhausted from her run to care anything about why Bauer was in trouble – she did however seem quite pleased to be the “good girl” for the rest of the evening.

It’s a good thing that dog is cute – otherwise we would trade him in!

It's Time For A Challenge!

I’ve decided to run a half marathon on Nov 7th with a friend of mine, Natalie. In case you’re wondering how far a half marathon is – it’s 13.2 miles!!! And yes – I am willingly taking on this challenge. While he says he thinks I will be able to complete the run, Steven has this look of questioning on his face. Almost like he hopes I will finish the run, but seriously doubts it. So I’m putting it out there for everyone to see – I’m running a half marathon. Hoping that by making it public, I will find the motivation I need to get my butt in gear and start running! Sadly, I’m in the best shape of my life – so I figure it’s now or never. And I’ve never done anything even remotely athletic. So I’m embracing the challenge. I also embrace the idea that maybe, just maybe, this extra training will help to shed those final stubborn pounds that I can’t get off. Here’s hoping! Race day is Nov 7th – 88 days away – let training begin! Pray that I don’t get hurt!!!