..recap..

Christmas has come and gone (way too fast for my taste!). My tree is dying and has been for about a week. No idea why it dried out so quickly this year. It will be quite the mess to clean up!

Our Christmas pic from last night...tree must come down now...

We started off the Christmas celebrations a week early with J's family. His sister's birthday is the 17th so it was a good time to head up there. We got to spend time with cousin Ron and his new fiance Amanda (who I LOVE). They just built their first home together and have a fun little dog named Lucy.Amanda and I with our little furbabies

We spent time with them, his aunt and uncle then we headed to his mom's for the rest of the weekend. We got to meet her new boyfriend Lee. He seems really nice and likes her a lot. If he makes her happy, we are happy. It's just weird for us to see her so giddy about someone, cuddling on the couch with him, kissing and holding hands. Must be strange for J because this man is still a stranger to him....

Anyways, J worked all week before Christmas but had Christmas day off. I, of course, decided to get a terrible head cold on the 24th..so therefore we did not go out to our usual fancy dinner on Christmas Eve. We tried out a new place called Lazy Dog Cafe. Cute and fun atmosphere. Steph-what was the drink that Curt and Mike were ordering at Applebee's? They were making it up right there or something...I think they have it at this restaurant :)

We had a wonderful Christmas day together. Filled with too much food, movies, presents, puzzle, desserts, and playing with Molly. I like when he has days off-we treasure them! J spoiled me this year with some great gifts. My favorite being a purse I had been eyeing at Target for awhile(similar to the one in My Favorite Things post). I love it. And some new fancy shampoo and conditioner that Santa brought me. It was a great Christmas but just went by too fast!!

Ohhhh and we hungout with our friends Josh and Christina on Saturday and played the game Settlers. Have you seen it or played it?? Sooo much fun!! Everyone was raving about it in our young marrieds group so we were glad we jumped on the band wagon and played it!! Tons of fun!


One of my favorite parts of Christmas happened a few weeks ago actually. We decided to do the shoebox ministry and filled up 2 shoeboxes with some fun and useful gifts for children who otherwise would not have a Christmas. We want to continue doing this every year. Or maybe adopt a family with some friends. The Christmas season means so much more when you are sharing God's love with others. Consider doing this next year...
What did you do for Christmas? Did you get a wonderful or meaningful gift that you love?
Do share ;)

..my favorite things..

After my straightner broke in May, I invested in this bad boy. CHI is awesome!!Using a straightner calls for some good hair protectant, I love Silk Therapy.

LOVE it!!

TOMS are a must have. They donate a pair to children with no shoes when you buy a pair. Awesome way to give back!

American Rag jeans are super comfy and all I own right now
I love these hats..I wear mine all the time
Every girl needs some funky nail polish color every once in awhile

I LOVE this big purse!! I have a green one that I adore!

I just did a fun collage on my wall at home..you should all have one too ;)

Arrested Development is hilarious..please watch it.

Long cardigans are great and go with almost anything.

Colder weather calls for some nice boots. I love to walk Molly in my comfy boots!

Sephora has some great makeup brushes.

I love Calphalon pans...amazing.

What girl doesn't love a cute peacoat?!

Alright now, these are my favorite things..and you all get them!!! WHOO HOO!!!
I wish...

What are your favorite things of 2009???

..cause I'ma pothole..

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..tis the season..

Keep your eyes peeled for my Melrah (Melissa/Oprah) Favorite Things 2009!!!!

Tis coming soon...

..gingerbread house..

Here's the back story:
Jesse's old youth pastor's family, The Todd's, are Thanksgiving fans. The only reason I think they like Thanksgiving is because it kicks off Christmas season-which they LOVE!! So every year they make a gingerbread house and it has turned into a competition. We have spent Thanksgiving with Mike and Sandy for the last 3 years. Every year we get a lot of flack for not making a house. Last year Sandy went out and bought a fake one that was awesome. It plugs in and has little lights, just perfect. So we tried to pass it off as homemade. Threw some flour on Sandy's face, put on aprons, and scattered candy all over. Emailed them the pictures that afternoon and yep, they discovered it was false (Dang it..haha) This year, we stepped it up and created the below masterpiece:



hahahahaha Let's tour this house, I mean masterpiece.
-On the left we have Jesse and I holding stick snowman hands, the awkward third wheel behind us is Michael Jordan.
-We have a very proud and patriotic snowman who owns the home.
-His little friend in the front, a Notre Dame alum-aka Brandon (son of Sandy and Mike)
-Scottie Pippen also joined the party and E.T. snowman as well.
-And last but not least is little one-eyed snowdog named Molly.

Tacky, Yes.
Creative, Yes.
Took a long time, Yes.
Won the contest, No.

We will be back Todd/Boswell/Huntsinger family..we will be back.

..survived..

okay, we survived the day. I will update later and hopefully post some pictures. We built a cute gingerbread house :) I will try to steal the pictures..didn't take any!!

Hope all your Thanksgivings were good!

..umm no thanks..

I think that Thanksgiving is one of my least favorite holidays. Actually, it might be my absolute least favorite. I know, I know..not cool. I just hate the amount of gluttony..weird, yes.

This year Thanksgiving is going to be awkward. We are heading to our family friends (we have done this for the last 2 Thanksgivings) so it's become a tradition. But certain circumstances now make this trip a little uncomfortable. THEN we are heading to their family friends for the actual dinner. It becomes way more weird-they have like 15 dogs. Watch out for hair in your food! Or dog food in the jello! (Christmas Vacation anybody?!) And sadly, her husband is dying of lung cancer so this will probably be his last Thanksgiving. There are a few other things that are unmentionable on here but yep overall, dreading the day! hahaha We will make the best of it...wait, I feel a tickle in my throat *cough* Yep, might have to stay home with Molly this year.

..new favorite..

Untitled by melster77 featuring Splendid

This is basically my outfit lately..I LOVE cardigans. I love this site too :)

..should I..

..read Twilight?

Peer pressure never convinced me to watch Titanic..but should I let it conquer me now?

Thoughts??

..this month..

Last year around this time I decided to write my senior seminar final paper on the power of positive thinking and outcome of breast cancer. Now, one year later, my cousin is diagnosed with breast cancer at 32 years old. Something we think we will never have to face, hits us when we least expect it.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. I always wear my ribbon and support cancer research but this month is even more important and special to me this year. It is a reminder that I need to be more self exams and taking steps of precaution. Early detection is huge. Spread the word to your friends this month...let's step up and take care of ourselves.

..i am..

I stole this from my Cerissa, who stole it from her SIL..lots of stealing happening!! I guess you just fill it out with your answers, and here mine are:

Outside my window: is Magic Mountain. I love hearing people scream on roller coasters. It makes me smile :)

I am listening to: my tv (TMZ!), air conditioner-yes running at 11pm..

I am thinking: that I need to get to bed because I am not feeling super great.

I am thankful: that my little dog is adjusting to a one-eyed life :)

From the kitchen: ummm..nothing. I might have myself some strawberry pizza in a minute before bed-tomorrow running starts! haha

I am wearing: my new fun little slipper shoes from Target (love that store). They keep my feet away from mice (see below) and jeans, tshirt, the works.

I am hoping: to move in December

I am creating: a mess of my life right now.

I am praying: for the ability to hold on a little longer. My strength is gone.

Around the house: umm..currently, mouse traps. Yep, you heard me...we have ourselves a mouse-but the bastard figured out how to eat all the peanut butter off the trap without it snapping. Jerk. Gotta go talk to the maintenance people now.

I am reading: I have been trying to read My Sister's Keeper..I am a bad reader.

I am watching: A lot of new shows this fall. It's insane- Modern Family, Glee, Flash Forward, The Forgotten. AND then all my old faves Grey's Anatmony, Dancing with the Stars, The Hills..gosh, I am glued to the tv. Ohh and Ellen. I have started DVRing her everyday..love the woman.

One of my favorite things: Snowflake mochas from Cutter's Point on a cold day sitting by the fire in the store with a good friend. NOTHING beats that.

A few plans for the rest of the week: I think coffee with a friend, beginning to train for a marathon/get in shape, buy new running shoes and clothes, APU's homecoming..yep, that's about all.

A picture that I am sharing: This is my little pirate Molly. Poor little girl but she looks pretty tough with her stitches!

..enucleation..

Geez..where do I begin?? It’s been a long 11 days in our household. On September 11th I came home and Molly refused to open her right eye. She started shaking and throwing her head back. I remembered hearing that dogs often shake when they are in pain, so I instantly got concerned. Normally I can cuddle with her and she stops shaking-this was not the case. Went to the vet and they checked her eye. They discovered that she had a cataract and the beginnings of glaucoma. We started some drops. Her eye just seemed to not be getting better. She would sit and cry if she bumped it. Yes, cry. Like a small child. Went back to the vet and her eye pressure was so high. They sent me to the eye specialist whom I was to see next week.

They were the nicest at this place and explained everything to us in great detail. Before they examined Molly, they told us 3 options for dogs with glaucoma-removal, prosthetic eye, and injection to freeze all liquids and make her permanently blind. When they examined her, it was determined that she was already blind in her right eye. No clue how long now-I assume since the 11th or 12th (mothers intuition-haha) When dogs get glaucoma, their eyes go very quick. Sometimes within 30 minutes! I have been beating myself up for the last while because I have been thinking that I could have done something, but there was nothing I could do. I need to accept that.

We talked with the specialist for a while and found out that our only option was removing the eye completely. She wasn’t even a candidate for the other procedures. We scheduled the removal this morning. I haven’t seen her yet, she has to stay overnight but they told me she is doing well. I wish she was here sleeping in her own bed but tomorrow she will be all day! I plan to spoil her completely. Poor little gal. I know she will adjust and she has been for the last week. We didn’t even know she was blind in that eye so she has been getting around good. I know her depth perception will be a bit off for a while.

Dogs become like your children and since I won’t be having any for awhile, this is out baby!
Okay, enough about my dog..I could easily be some crazy old dog lady someday.

..quick list..

-I had a job interview at a frozen yogurt shop. FroYo is quite possibly my favorite thing in the world. It warms my soul. The interview went good, I was offered the job but the guy was kind of a jerk. Would rather not have him as my boss. No thank you.

-My cousin Lisa was recently diagnosed with Type 2 breast cancer. She had a double mastectomy this morning. She is 32 and has a 4 and 5 year old. She has months of chemo ahead of her. Please keep her in your prayers. It is breaking my heart to not be with her at this time, she is like the sister I never had. Hoping to head up there in October to spend time with her and take her kiddos to the zoo :)

-Jesse and I are looking into a move to WA in December.

-I have been looking for a job but in WA, I think I am getting ahead of myself. But who wants to hire someone for 2 months?!

-Molly would need a raincoat if we moved to Olympia..the smell of wet dog grosses me out..the only reason she would wear a jacket.

-I have come to realize that I like to workout but I like to eat more. That is why I never lose weight. I enjoy food too much.

-We bought a Wii 2 weeks ago. We like it.

-My little cousin (okay she is not little anymore) plays volleyball for Seattle University and is playing at Pepperdine on Saturday-I CAN'T wait to see her play! She kicks butt.

-It's still too hot here to even think about putting our fall decorations. 90+ does not scream fall.

-Speaking of that, I want to buy sweaters and long sleeve shirts but I have no idea when I will wear them. There are some cute things out there but buying them seems stupid to me right now.

-I also could use some prayers for my..mental health..yea, mental health. I am really struggling with life in general. I need prayer. I am not ashamed to ask for it or to say I need help. That's the first step.

-Lastly, I just paid of my Blazer :) Betty is all mine!!!!

..so is life..

A whole lot has been going on lately..I will update later when I can but for now, please be praying for me. It's been rough lately and I know that sometimes only prayer can get you through.

..celebrity look alike..

I am always told I look like her...Dr. Phil show, in-laws, college friends..

..really?..

Was my last post really June 24th?! Gosh, it’s been awhile!

At the moment I am sitting at home alone because Jesse is in Dallas for the week for work. It’s a bit lonely here with nobody around. I know he’s not around much but at least there is someone else in the house at night! Haha

So since June 24th two of my best friends got married! I was in both of their weddings and they were both such special days! Jen's was first. We have known each other for sooo many years that being a part of her wedding was just incredible. We drove to Idaho for her wedding. On the way back we were planning to split it up and stay in Vegas but we decided to power through. Basically we went through 5 states in one day. Looong drive! Molly did well on her first long car ride. It could have been torture but she is one good dog. Here she is for most of the ride-tongue out, laying in the backseat..

Next up was Traci and Josh's. Traci and Josh have been two of our closest friends for the last few years. They are an awesome couple that we just adore! I lived with Traci when she met Josh. I was there the morning after their first date when she told me she was going to marry him someday. I was there to talk to her when she realized that she truly loved him and wanted to marry him. I got the phone call saying "Josh told me he loved me." my response "He did?!" "Yes, and then he asked me to marry him!!!" (they waited to say I love you till he was proposing) Then she asked me to stand beside her on her wedding day and I cried lots of happy tears. I went with her when she picked out her wedding dress and helped her realize that the one she was wearing, was the one. She is an amazing friend who I have no idea what I would do without. It was truly an honor to be with her this weekend and watch her marry Josh.

I think that's about all for now...

..one left..

Of all the women I have lived with, only one remains unmarried. BUT she is getting married on August 7th!! My old roommate and one of my closest friends, Shelley, got married on Saturday. She had a beautiful ceremony filled with love and joy. Their families have known each other for years so it was awesome watching them all interact. They truly love each other and get along so great! It was just fun to watch!

Shelley is an incredible woman. I have a large amount of respect for. She cares for her family and friends. She is a wonderful nurse who treats patients with respect. She loves her husband with all she has. She is strong, independent, beautiful and joyful. Her husband is a very lucky man.

Shelley was my roommate for 2 1/2 years. She was one of the best! We went through a lot of life's ups and downs together. We experienced love, joy, sadness, much laughter, some fear, death, anxiety, illness, surgeries, first loves, breakups, psycho boyfriends, many dinner dates, birthdays (we are two days apart), but most of all, we experienced life together. I could not have made it through those 2 1/2 years without her.

I love you Shelley and am so proud to call you my friend!!

..no clever title..

Lots going on and don't have time right now to update..I will soon though!!!
This is us at our friends Jake and Anna's wedding last weekend! Jesse was a groomsmen and well, I just attended. I will post more pictures soon!

..the past..

When we adopted Molly in January, we knew she was a puppy mill dog. She was a breeder, lived in crummy cages, treated terrible, but for some reason was the most loving dog. Who knows why?!

Have you heard of The Dog Whisperer?? It's a show with a man by the name of Cesar Millan. He teamed up with LCA (Last Chance for Animals). This is a group who are advocates for animals, especially for dogs in puppy mills.

http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/series/dog-whisperer/3736/Overview01#tab-Videos/06652_00

They were able to rescue a number of dogs last fall and Molly was one of them!!! Well, the rescue was filmed and is airing tonight on National Geographic Channel. I am not sure what your local listing is but I am sure you can find it if you so desire! A picture of us with Molly will be shown and after watching this video many times, I think Molly is the one being carried in the cage by one of the LCA volunteers.

I know the present. I know what she is doing right now. She is sacked out on the carpeted floor near her bed, air conditioner is on, water is nearby, toys are all over the floor, and loving arms and tons of kisses are sitting on the couch. She has become a member of our family, she is our little baby/lovebug/sweet face/etc. I think I might be able to watch the show knowing the outcome. Knowing where Molly is now. I do not guarantee that tears will not flow when I watch it to see where she use to be but I know how it ends. It's a happy ending.

..seriously..

This week has been one of those weeks where everything seems to just be weird! Situations, conversations, etc..ever had one of those weeks?? Here are just a few things going on with us!

First, exciting news!! My mom is coming to visit me!! (well us now) Jesse was suppose to be heading to Dallas for work for a week. So I asked my mom to come visit and hangout with me. Well, the stupid swine flu made them cancel his trip…5 days before he was suppose to leave! Now it will be the 3 of us for the week instead of girl time! Which stinks but Jesse was happy to be able to see my mom more then just for a few days!

Second, that means we will be home this weekend. Due to the fact that it’s Mother’s Day weekend, we felt that we needed to try to see Jesse’s mom since he will not be in Dallas.
Dilemma-APU graduation is on Saturday, planning to see Cassie graduate and visit with lifelong friend Brianne (Cassie’s sis). Well MIL lives 5 hours away.
Solution-meeting her in Fresno on Sunday but Jesse’s sisters will not be joining us.

Third, Jesse’s sister is making a huge mistake right now and I just need you to pray for her. She needs all the prayers that people can give. I am fine with her not coming on Mother’s Day, actually kind of glad that I don’t have to deal with her and all her drama. Sometimes people make the worst choices and know that they will suffer in the end and yet, they do not care. I am shocked by this…

Fourth, I am over the inconsiderate people in this world. We have a friend couple who have chosen to be complete jerks about a situation. I have decided that their friendship is not really worthy of the work. All relationships are work. Everyone needs to do their part to make it work and to be good friends. If the shoes were on the other feet, you know that we would have an earful from them with this situation. Well they have proven to me that it does not matter to them. I feel bad about this but I am over it. Do shady things, I don’t want to be involved with you. Life is too short to be sitting around feeling like a victim. (I sound harsh, but I am upset and for good reason).

Fifth, it’s hot out. Like 95-100 out but it’s windy as heck! I am not talking like a soft breeze flowing through that makes you cool down for a second in the heat. No, it’s like gusts of 60 mph every 2 minutes. We live in a really windy area but the last two days have been insane. It’s been waking me up the last two nights. Only bonus is with this wind, the windows are open and a breeze is flowing in with no A/C on :) YESSSS

Sixth, I have a love/hate relationship with the dentist. My whole day was spent numb yesterday to finish up my dental work. I had surgery in April and am all healed up from it so they were able to do my dental work. Finally! I can’t wait to eat on the right side of my mouth again; my left side is tired, angry, and overworked.

Do I have more?? I feel like I do. Tell me about your weeks…anything fun or exciting happening??

..all paid..

It was a milestone in our household..we paid off our first credit card!! Completely paid it off! We only have 4 so we are 1 down..3 to go!! Whoo hoo!! Not only did we pay off one card but we paid another debt off and then paid down another card a big amount! Sooo exciting!!

The joys of getting married and combining your lives=credit card debt. Not for everyone but some for us. College is when they get you…come knocking on your door, sending you mail, calling you..“sign up for this card..0% interest..blah blah” Don’t get suckered in!! We are not in over our heads but we definitely are working at paying them off asap!

Dave Ramsey has been helpful with giving us the drive and desire to pay off our debts as soon as possible. He has given us a new perspective on debt, saving, and planning for our future. We are thankful to be taking this class now-new in our marriage, still young. We are the youngest members of our group by about 10 years. Many of the members of our group are so far in debt they are barely surviving. It is interesting to hear their stories. We are thankful to not be in that situation but we are learning from them and taking all their advice very seriously. It’s nice to have a support group in this journey.

If you are looking to learn about paying off debt and learning to live like no one else, check out the Dave Ramsey link over to the left. He is a good teacher and great motivator.

Big shoutout to Gretchen and Dominic-you guys are such an amazing couple! Thank you for sending us the Total Money Makeover book and inspiring words!! You introduced Dave to us..thank you, thank you! We love you guys and wish we lived closer!!

..if only..

If she knew her worth, she would leave.
If she knew her beauty, she would walk away.
If she knew her inner confidence, she would go.
If she knew that love never hurts, she would stand up and walk away.

Until she knows, we will pray.

..came and went..

Washington was calling my name in April. Not only would I be able to visit family and friends BUT it was Jen’s bridal shower. I am a matron of honor in her wedding July 18th. I decided to surprise her since I have never been able to surprise anyone since living in California. I came up to her at David’s Bridal as they were leaving and said “Oh hey!” Great line, Melissa but it was a little chaotic in there so we were having trouble hiding from her. Anyways, it was great to see her. The last time we were together was at my wedding so it had been 20 months!! 20 months too long if you ask us! It was wonderful to be a part of her shower and her special day. She got some amazing gifts..made me want to have a bridal shower again! I was able to see some friends and family but as always, the time slipped away from me. I wasn’t able to see my friend Jenn who was visiting from the east coast and her new niece :o( I was pretty bummed but I know that they will be moving back to Washington so next time! (Sorry Jenn!)
I am currently sitting on the plane and bummed. I want to have a life filled with family and friends but it’s only filled with lonely days, no family, and no friends. I do love where we live right now but the biggest things lacking are family and friends. We are still trying to meet people but it just seems to not be happening for us. I see my friends when I visit and it makes me so sad to know that I only see them 2 times a year. Hailey is growing up so quick and I wish I could be involved in her life more. Brian is such a teenager and I don’t even remember that happening! Many things are happening and changing for all of us and I feel so left out of it. I pop in for a week, run around like a mad woman, and then head back to Cali.
I just wish we could move to Washington. Everyone always asks me and for the record: I have no idea. I would love it, but Jesse on the other hand, not so sure. We will see though. Advice to everyone: Marry someone from the same state. Haha Your chances of wanting to move back to the state are more likely. I am working on him and the idea though but not sold yet.

Now that I am heading back after my mini vacation that means the job hunt needs to begin and become serious. We have so much going on this summer so the new job better let me have time off. We have 4 weddings and are in 3 of those 4. AND 2 of the weddings involve a good amount of travel but we are looking forward to both so much!
Prayers would be appreciated for a good job to come up..and for Curtis in Iraq.

..goals..

I am currently working on a set of goals 101 in 1001 days. I will post them soon :)

Until then, life is good. Molly is sick right now so please pray for that little one..she is too sweet to be sick!

I will post more soon...until then..here is our new apartment! Not many but a few!

..daily activites..

Most days I wake up around 9am and try to wake up my mom by staring at her till she opens her eyes and sometimes I sneeze on her. I want to make sure she is really awake! I like to wiggle around and stretch while my mom complains about me sneezing on her. I always want to go outside and go to the bathroom. I like wondering around and smelling all the fresh cut grass. Sometimes I find a salamander to chase into the bushes.

I don’t like plain dry dog food anymore so my mom has to make me some canned food and dry food mix, which I enjoy. I also need my face washed after I eat because I am rather messy!

I like to curl up on the floor outside the bathroom while my mom gets ready for the day. I sleep, roll around, stare at mom, and lick her all afternoon. I like to curl up in her lap and wait for my dad to get home. When he does, I go crazy! He always plays with me so I love when he gets home. He also takes me for an evening walk. We hunt for bunnies so I can chase them around. Mom does not let me chase bunnies but dad does. Then I come home and eat again because mom always has my food ready after my walk!
I then smell around, maybe play with a toy or two and curl up again.
Before she goes to bed, my mom always kisses me a bunch! She then goes to bed and about 2-3 hours later, I scratch on the door so I can sleep in the big bed! And because I know I can get my way, she caves and I get to sleep right in the middle of my mom and dad!
Most days are like this but some are filled with grooming appointments, trips to the park, meeting other dogs, and hanging out with my parent’s friends. I like it here with them. I am glad they picked me from the adoption place. I am glad I am no longer in a puppy mill because I am lucky to have such a great mom and dad.

Molly wanted me to share this with you :)

..one channel..

Bonus to living near the mountains: beautiful snow when is rains, gorgeous view, doesn't feel like L.A. anymore.

Not-so-much bonus: we only get one channel with our antenna

Yes, it's true, we don't have cable and I know we need to get it but I have been putting it off for the last 2 months. We only get ABC. That's right. One channel.

So all you people out there who can't decide what to watch tonight...remember me and flip to ABC to see what I am watching.

..it's been awhile..

Remember that song from Staind?? Well, it's been awhile since I have posted...

I am currently stealing internet from someone, not sure who but someone. Maybe not the smartest thing but sometimes a girl needs internet!

Quick update: We love our place. It's perfect for us. Our neighbors are not bad, the area is really safe, and are starting to become integrated in the community. We started going to a church and also started Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University at the church. We met a wonderful couple at our table at class. They are about 10 years older then us but we all get along great. They have a new dog so we can relate to all the stuff they are going through with him! haha

We also went to a Young Marrieds group on Friday and met a few other couples. But they aren't young marrieds so it was really funny. They all mentioned that having younger friends keeps you younger and I guess Billy Graham at one point said he wished he made younger friends because it's terrible to watch all your friends die. That made me sad but made me realize that it's true! So Jesse and I are thinking these people want to be our friends, even if we are 10-20 years younger then them! haha Funny story from that night: couple walks in and the guy is very nice. Talks about his job and what not. Finally at the end of the night he says something about real estate and looks over at me. It hits me! He is Real Estate Nate!! He is on every cart at every grocery store, bus benches, and signs all over the Santa Clarita Valley! I was like "Hey! You are always on my cart!" He laughed so hard and was like "yep, I can't go anywhere anymore!" He is one of the best in the area and sells all the multi-million dollar homes in the gated communities behind our apartment. He and his wife want to go out with us sometime soon...maybe we can go see their insane home ;) Jesse and I still laugh over the whole situation but he was on my shopping cart today :)

Molly is doing great!!! She is completely housetrained and I rarely worry that she does her business on the carpet or anything. She is such a joy! I just love her! Sometimes I tell Jesse that I actually miss her when are out to dinner or out for the day. It's kind of funny but she is basically my best friend here and hey, she loves me to pieces!!

Other then that not much is going on here. I am going to try to post more often but with the internet not always allowing me to post, it can be difficult!

Please continue to pray for Curtis and his time in Iraq! He could really use the prayers and encouragement!

..now a mommy..

She arrived on Saturday the 10th, light brown and white, 5 years old, about 10 pounds, and is just the cutest thing!
She is a Shih Tzu. We found her at a local dog foundation and she is a former puppy mill dog. We all know how I feel about puppy mills (they break my heart and make me cry haha). When we arrived, she ran up to me and within seconds was in my lap chewing on my hand and then within minutes was falling asleep in my arms. So yep, she is a keeper. Jesse allowed me to pick out the dog I wanted and she was the one I wanted! We are excited to have another member to our family. We were a little nervous about housetraining her but she is pretty smart and only has had 2 accidents on the carpet! And both were Saturday when she arrived. She has caught on quick so we are excited for that. She is just a sweet thing and we love her to pieces. I have not begun searching for a job so I will be spending some time training her and helping her adjust to life in a home. She had never been on a leash, worn a collar, gone up/down stairs, been on carpet, etc. It’s sad..she doesn’t even like treats because she has never had them. I’ll keep you updated on her progress!!

P.S. I can't post a picture of her on here...won't let me, think it might be the internet connection. I will soon!

..toe incident..

We moved into our new apartment! We started on the 20th and finished only about 10 days later ;) haha Gotta love the sudden moves! Jesse told me on a Wednesday night that we should move in Saturday and therefore we had no time to pack. It wasn’t too bad but I hate moving. It makes me realize how much crap we have. We both have so many stupid textbooks, papers, organizers, pens, staplers, all that stuff we needed when we were living in the dorms or apartments. BUT now all that stuff is sitting in our new apartment with no need for it! I need to do some “winter cleaning”. We love our new apartment. It is in such a nice area. We are sort of out of LA County now and we have less crime (yes, the Santa killer was about 2 miles from our old apartment), cleaner, safer, etc. I don’t feel uncomfortable walking to the mailbox or even running to Albertson’s (which is right down the road, along with Starbucks!) We are working on getting internet so stay tuned for pictures of our new place J

So why is this labeled toe incident? Little backstory, for one of my bridal showers my mom got us these awesome kitchen shears. I use them to cut chicken, then take them a part and throw them in the dishwasher. Perfect! The only thing is that they seem to “fall apart” easily. Okay, I was putting drawer liner in and grabbed a kitchen towel. I did not realize that the shears were on top of it. Of course they go flying and come apart in the air. One of the shears falls on the ground and the other goes between my toes. “Oww! What the crap?!” Fear strikes my heart, I look down and the shear is by my foot. “Okay, didn’t stick in my foot but that definitely hit my toe, not good” I pull off my sock and count my toes “..3, 4, 5” Little bit of blood on #3, no biggie. I hobble to the bathroom and as I enter, the blood starts flowing. It’s like a CSI crime scene in the bathroom, I sit down on the ground and check my toe “too much blood, can’t see damage”. Well about 20 minutes later the blood has stopped and I can see the damage. The kitchen shear had gone through part of my toe. It was just a deep puncture wound and ended up with a sweet bruise and deep cut. It was like Chandler on FRIENDS, but at least my toe is still intact.