Philip & Courtney

May 15, 2011: How we found out about Baby Moser

2011-10-21T13:33:00.004-05:00

On a Sunday night, I was in my bathroom and noticed that I had two remaining home pregnancy tests when I had previously thought there was only one left. It was a couple of days early to test, but since I had two left I figured I’d go ahead and use one right then. After I did my part, I immediately cleaned off the plastic stick and held it up in the light. The horizontal line appeared right away and so did the vertical test line, but nothing else. I let the disappointment sink in, and I set the stick on the counter while I went to wash my hands and brush my teeth. When I was done I glanced over at it again, and I could hardly believe my eyes. Now there was also a vertical line making a big fat plus sign!!!

I was so shocked because I didn’t feel any different than how I normally feel. I really thought that I’d just feel magically different somehow when I became pregnant - that I would intuitively just know that I was, and the test would merely confirm it. Once the moment of disbelief had passed and I triple-checked the stick to make sure it wasn’t just my eyes playing tricks on me, I went in search of Phil.

I found him in the garage, where the attic ladder was pulled down and he was tossing empty boxes up. I heard that he was on the phone, so I tried to be patient and allow him to finish his conversation. Unfortunately, I soon realized that he was entangled in a very long and boring-sounding conversation with his dad. I had my proof stuck in the waistband of my pajama pants and I just wanted to wave it in front of him so he’d know! However, I thought that wouldn’t be the most “special” memory so I held off.

For about the next 15 minutes I tried to motion him into the unused bedroom (now a nursery in the works) and act like I needed his help organizing some of the junk and unpacked boxes we had piled in there from our move just a few weeks prior. He kept looking more and more annoyed and tried to indicate through motions that we could just take the dogs on a walk while he kept talking with his dad. We were having a near-argument through merely waving hands in the air. Then I decided to text him:

Me (8:51 PM) - Can u please end your convo ASAP? Not trying to be rude.
Phil (8:52 PM) - He’s talking about Mema.
Me (8:53 PM) - Please?

Finally, a minute or two later, I heard him say, “Uh... Dad? Dad? I’m sorry, I have to go, can I call you back about this in a little while? …. Ok. Bye.” and then he came around the corner from the family room into the bedroom hallway yelling in a loud voice with drawn-out words, and I quote, “Oh my freeeeeaking goodness! What is so important??” Very uncharacteristic of Phil to get so annoyed with me.

Now, here is where I *almost* tried to play around a little bit. I was thinking that I would say, “Oh - I need your help straightening up this room!” and he’d say, “Right now? That’s why I had to interrupt my phone call?” and I’d reply, “Yes! We only have 9 months to get it ready, and the clock is ticking!”

However, I decided that the best-case scenario would be that I’d get a cute chuckle out of him, whereas the worst-case scenario is would be that I’d accidentally goad him into an actual fight, since he was obviously pretty irritated already. It wasn’t worth the risk! So I threw cuteness out the window, and in response to his question, I gave him a huge smile, and while waltzing towards him, yelled in an equally loud yet sing-songy voice, “We’re having a baaaaaby! I’m pregnant!”

I will never forget the instant change in his expression! I can't remember a time when I have seen him smile so big! We spent the rest of the evening laughing about his instant mood change and talking excitedly about our much-anticipated little blessing.

Fear

2011-09-30T12:25:00.002-05:00

When I used to think about having children, I would become really apprehensive about how much it was going to hurt. Nowadays my perspective has changed a little bit. I'm not really worried about the pain. I actually think I have a pretty high tolerance for it, which is good, since I'm planning a home birth with no drugs.

This is my single biggest fear: WHAT IF MY BELLY BUTTON POPS OUT??????

Impatience is my middle name

2011-09-06T12:11:00.005-05:00

Last week when we were at the doctor's appointment and they said they could do an ultrasound and tell us the gender, guess who was jumping up and down and begging Phil to "forget about my silly beach plan - let's just find out RIGHT NOW!!!"

So we did! And we're having a little baby boy!!!

I hope our son will look a lot like this cutie pie in a year or so...

Right now it's too hard to tell if he looks like anyone, other than a little skeleton! But he's our sweet precious beautiful baby and we love him!

Finding out!

2011-08-17T12:55:00.002-05:00

I caved. I just don't think I can wait until the end of January to know the first tidbit of information about our sweet baby! We're going to find out!

We have a doctor's appointment on August 31st. However, I don't think I want the ultrasound technician to be a part of our special moment. Therefore, we're going to bring a card and an envelope and ask her to write it down (if she can tell).

In October, we're taking our "babymoon" vacation to Puerto Rico. We'll be there on Phil's 31st birthday, so the plan is that we will find a secluded spot on the beach that day and open the card!

To find out or not to find out?

2011-08-06T13:10:00.002-05:00

We're approaching that time where it would be possible to find out our baby's gender via ultrasound. I have an appointment in about 3 weeks.

Back in May when we first found out that we were expecting, I couldn't wait to get to 20 weeks so I could know that first tidbit of information about who this baby is. Then a number of people told me about how they didn't find out in advance, and how it was truly life's most amazing surprise. I started to wonder if finding out the baby's gender in advance would feel like peeking at my presents before Christmas.

We're still not 100% certain but I think we're leaning towards letting it be a delivery-room surprise. I don't think it will be any inconvenience not to know in advance, since I want to have as many neutral, re-usable baby things as possible. I think it will be more memorable to let the baby make its own little announcement, rather than hearing the news from an ultrasound technician.

We'll see if I can hold my resolve when I'm actually at the doctor's office, having the ultrasound, knowing that the technician probably already knows and I don't.

Our house and its inhabitants

2011-07-22T12:23:00.008-05:00

I guess I should pick up back in February, when we were buying our house. We bought said house. We love it!

We moved in on April 2. Just a couple of weeks later, we had to rush to Amarillo to say our final good-byes to Phil's Mema, the most amazing woman I've ever known. We miss her so much.

We came home from Amarillo with two extra passengers - Rocky and Sugar, Mema's pugs. She adored them. We adored her, and we love pugs. Thus it only made sense for us to take them with us and become a 4-pug household.

A few weeks later, we became a 3-pug household when Sugar passed away. She was very old and I guess she just didn't want to live without Mema. Rocky has adjusted to all of the changes just fine. He gets a walk every morning, so he's looking more trim these days and has a lot of energy.

Speaking of looking trim, my own physique is headed in the opposite direction soon. And I'm actually excited about that. Our newest household resident should be arriving at the very end of January. We think this onesie says it well - we know that Mema is smiling down on us from heaven...

House fever

2011-02-15T09:32:00.002-06:00

Our lease on our little 2-bedroom apartment ends May 15, and we have to give 60 days' notice regarding whether we are going to extend it or not. For the most part, I really like the apartment and its residents. It's very convenient to Phil's office - less than a mile. However, I'm ready to have a little more space - the kitchen is small, the master bedroom is small, the bathrooms are and all the closets are small. Plus, we have some college girls living above us who have been more and more frequently having their boyfriends over for some ridiculously noisy 2 AM escapades directly above our bedroom. All of these factors have me more than ready to find a house!

I've been scouring the real estate listings in detail ever since we moved here as we tried to decide what area of town we wanted. I have looked through hundreds upon hundreds of listings. We finally found "the one" and are making an offer today! I can't believe how fast it happened, but everything seems perfect - the timing is right, the price is right, the house has all the features we want (and more!), and we're ready to lock into a contract.

We should hear back from the seller's agent by 5 pm tomorrow!

The pool

2010-10-24T04:06:00.002-05:00

The nice thing about the Novotel is that it has a great pool and hardly anyone uses it. I packed my swimsuit, but forgot the cap and goggles. Yesterday I found those items at Hypercity so I am all set to swim daily for the next two weeks. My freckles are already back in full force... sigh...

Throwball Tournament

2010-10-23T11:49:00.002-05:00

This morning was our throwball tournament at the Lal Bahadur sports complex. It was a lot of fun, but we did not win either of our games. I scored a couple of points in serving but was otherwise not very helpful!

End of Busy Season Party 2010

2010-10-23T08:07:00.003-05:00

Backstage after getting all done up - me, Kabina, and Christina. The room was soooo hot and we were all sweaty. :(

The setting... a covered area at Shilparamam - Sampradaya Vedika.

Kabina, Matt, and me

After the fashion show - Manjari, me, and Bhavana

Party planning

2010-10-20T04:21:00.004-05:00

These are the dresses that we are supposed to wear for the fashion show on Friday - ghagra choli. First of all, the midriff-baring dress thing is not going to happen. No way! Also, we are supposed to buy them before Friday. Mais c'est Mercredi, et trop cher pour moi! Hopefully we can find a place where we can just rent the dresses...

Anyway, the whole office is getting really excited about this party. We had a few visitors come through our floor early this afternoon to get everyone pumped up about it.

Too many meetings

2010-10-19T12:55:00.002-05:00

Somehow I've gotten roped into a couple of extracurricular activities around here which seem to be almost as demanding as my real job! I joined a women's throwball team and we have a tournament on Saturday morning against a few other teams within our firm. We had practice last Friday and we are supposed to have two more practices at some point this week.

Next, I was guilted into volunteering for a fashion show to be held at our end-of-busy-season party this Friday night. Today was our first fashion show practice which took an hour. An hour. To have me awkwardly practicing runway poses. Me. This is why I am an accountant. I am no model, folks. I am not graceful. I hate being the center of attention. And I had to practice strutting down an imaginary runway with an Indian tax manager telling me, "Stop there! Turn! Hand on your left hip! Turn the other way! Pose there! Twist your body more to the front! Lean back!"

Ohh emm gee. I wish I could have taken a video of the practice. Not a video of me. A video of the manager/fashion show producer.

The Hyderabad folks have a disco theme and will be modeling disco wear. However, they wanted to have the U.S. expats and short-term rotators do a fashion show in traditional Indian dress, which I guess means that I have to go buy a sari in the next two days.

After fashion show practice I had about one whopping hour to get some of my real job done, and then it was time for a team dinner. Since there are 13 Hyderabadi team members, I split the team into two groups to enable me to get to know everyone better. Tonight, the senior consultants and experienced staff went out. On Thursday, I'll take the newer staff members out. We went to a place called 36 Chhatees where I had more Indian food than I'd ever had in my life. The team was highly amused at the foods that I deemed spicy. Baby steps.

I forgot my camera, and my iPhone doesn't take great pictures in the dim lighting - but here's our dinner group (clockwise around the table): Anupama, Manjari, Vinod, Narayana, Gouri, Srinivas, me, and Bhavani.

Hooters

2010-10-18T13:59:00.005-05:00

Womens' dress in India is pretty conservative. For example, women do not even wear knee-length skirts to the office. So I must say I was quite surprised to notice Hooters in Hyderabad.

Weekend 1 of 3

2010-10-17T02:49:00.005-05:00

It's Sunday afternoon already, and I just realized that I only have two more weekends left here. It's been a solitary but enjoyable weekend.

Yesterday I intended to join a cricket match in Secunderabad for expats & rotators. Unfortunately, my sleep schedule got a little messed up on Friday, and I wasn't able to fall asleep until 7 AM Saturday morning. Needless to say, I decided not to go to the 8 AM event! Instead I slept until noon, then went shopping at the mall. The Inorbit mall is nice, but it's so westernized that I almost didn't feel like I was in India (except that I only saw maybe 2 other caucasians the entire time). I browsed in a few stores, but nothing seemed like a good deal. Plus, I wasn't really looking for anything specific.

Finally, I made my last stop at HyperCity - think Target - to buy groceries. I don't like Indian food or spiciness, so my options here are extremely limited! I'm already tired of my three main options from last week: (1) room service, (2) Subway, and (3) Zone bars. I don't know why I didn't think of it before, but yesterday I asked the hotel to remove all the items from my mini-bar refrigerator, and I stocked it myself. Behold the bounty from HyperCity:

By the way, this juice box is my new favorite drink. I hope I can find this somewhere at home. I don't know why this flavor is not more popular in the US... sooo delicious!

We understand your world.

2010-10-14T08:00:00.003-05:00

Oh really? Because if they REALLY understood, wouldn't they use an image with the correct currency in the wallet?

Let's go to the mall!

2010-10-12T02:33:00.003-05:00

I needed a couple of small things that the hotel didn't have, so I was told to go to Inorbit, a shopping mall near the hotel and office. The signs say that it is South India's largest shopping mall. I got a couple of things at HyperCity, which is like a Target.

I didn't actually need Listerine, but the label amused me so much that I had to buy it.

Also, as I was leaving the mall, I saw a sign for Gloria Jean's Coffee. Working at Gloria Jean's in the Saddle Creek Shopping Center in Germantown, TN was one of my first jobs. I loved that store, and I've complained a lot about it being gone. (I don't actually drink coffee at all, but I like Gloria Jeans' non-coffee drinks better than Starbucks'). Imagine my surprise to see that I can get Gloria Jeans in Hyderabad but not in Germantown. I didn't actually have time to find it, because I wanted to get to the office early, but I am definitely going back to Inorbit this weekend. :)

And of course, my good friend Coke, dressed in a festive label. I'm so glad I can get this stuff anywhere in the world!!

Commute!

2010-10-11T22:31:00.003-05:00

First Day (Back) in India

2010-10-10T18:19:00.005-05:00

I'm back in Hyderabad for the first time in almost exactly 3 years. Honestly, I had been so focused on planning my post-India vacation in London & Paris with Brittany that I forgot to be excited about being back here in India, but once I landed I was reminded of a lot of fun memories from my last trip!

I left Memphis at 2:48 pm on Saturday. First stop was Chicago, where I had a brief layover - just enough time to hit up the United business lounge, watch an episode of Glee season 1 part 2, and get all relaxed with my new favorite drink, a Tanquerray and tonic (thanks to Critter for the recommendation). At 6:30 I departed Chicago bound for Frankfurt - an 8 hour + 14 minute flight. The plane was pretty old, and business class didn't have the lay-flat seats. It was not very comfortable. Also, the power in the seat didn't work so my computer became useless after the second episode of Glee, after which I was intending to get some work done. I decided to take that as my cue to try to sleep, so after dinner was cleared away, I took a sleeping pill. The next thing I remember, they were serving breakfast with only an hour left in the flight.

It was 10:00 AM when we landed in Frankfurt. We had to walk off the plane and board a bus that shuttled us to the terminal. An older gentleman sat next to me on the bus, and his wife was right across the aisle. Noticing a St. Louis Cardinals luggage tag on his bag, I asked where he was from. It turns out he and his wife live in Alton, IL, which is only about a 20-minute drive from the college where Phil and I met as undergrads. I didn't catch their names, but hopefully my they are now having a fabulous time on their tour of Rome and their cruise around Greece!

I only had an hourlong layover in Frankfurt, so I made a quick stop to buy some postcards for all my favorite little Texans (no, not Brittany...) and then had to rush to my next gate. Fortunately, the Lufthansa plane was a lot nicer than the United one. My seat mate was a nice man from Ohio who was making a 3-day trip to Hyderabad, a 2-day trip to Chennai, and then returning home. I can't imagine that kind of itinerary. I'm glad I'll be staying here long enough to get accustomed to the time change and decompress after 24 straight hours of travel. Honestly, if I had to get back on a plane on Friday night, I would not be my usually pleasant self. I think four weeks is just about a perfect stay for me.

The flight from Frankfurt to Hyderabad was 8 hours + 22 minutes. I stayed awake the entire time. What a short day! We departed Frankfurt at 11:00 AM local time, and about four hours later I looked out my window to see the prettiest sliver of the moon on the horizon:

It was a very strange feeling... the shortest day I can ever remember! We finally landed in Hyderabad at 11:30 PM local time at the new Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, which is stunning. (Actually, it's not "new" - it's been open about 2.5 years, but the last time I was here it wasn't open yet, so it's new to me.)

Lucky me, my 2 checked bags were the very first to come out on the belt, so I was out of the airport very quickly. It's pretty intimidating when you walk out of customs to the area where all of the drivers and relatives are waiting for passengers, especially since I was the first one from my flight to walk out. However, my driver from the hotel found me right away and then we were off.

I was actually looking forward to the adventure of getting re-familiarized with Indian traffic habits, but the trip from the airport to the Novotel was uneventful. There's a highway that goes right from the airport to the Hitec City area; it looks pretty new. We hardly encountered any other cars along the way and it only took about 20 minutes to reach the hotel. I got checked in, unpacked, called Phil on Skype, and then crashed around 3 AM, waking up on my own at 8 AM.

Sunday was complete waste of a day! I wanted to get a lot of work done, but I found myself stuck in a post-travel haze all day. I did venture out of the room for breakfast and then sat by the pool for 10 minutes, but I didn't have a book (stupid me didn't pack any non-electronic reading materials) so I got bored quickly. I spent the rest of the day as a lazy recluse in my room. The day's non-highlights included a 3-hour nap, work, staring out the window at the people playing volleyball in the pool, watching French programs on TV, and video chatting with Phil and Brittany via gmail.

I made myself go to bed at 12:30 AM with hopes of sleeping till 8, but only slept for 2 hours and then popped up, wide awake, hungry, and bored. Please pardon this long, tedious blog entry but there's not much else to do at this hour. Now I have 7 hours before I have to go in to work (my team works 2 PM to 11 PM IST but I like to get in by 1 PM). At some point before then I should probably get a couple more hours of sleep.... like I said, I'm glad I'll be here long enough to adjust!

Memphis, Chicago, Frankfurt, Hyderabad, London, Paris, Miami

2010-10-07T10:20:00.004-05:00

Yes, that's my travel itinerary - 4 weeks in India, 5 days in London, 2 days in Paris, and 4 days in Miami. I just threw Chicago and Frankfurt in for effect, but I'll only be passing through their airports. I'm very excited to have something to blog about once again!

Furniture conundrum

2010-05-19T09:26:00.007-05:00

We're moving to Memphis in less than 10 days now. Philip is starting a new job with Raymond James on June 1! I am keeping my job; I am very fortunate that my firm has an office in Memphis and I have the flexibility to work from that office when I'm not traveling.

We sold our old bedroom set via Craigslist. It was hand-me-down furniture, and I'll admit, not very attractive. It was oak and very.... angular. I wasn't quite sure who would even want to buy it. Luckily a good ole' boy and his dad, wearing overalls, came and bought it from us. The deciding factor for them? It was "not gay" (imagine that said in a very slow drawl, "gay" being stretched out into two full syllables).

So now we're sleeping on a mattress on the floor. I'm trying to decide on what new bedroom set to buy once we move. I found one that I love because it has drawers under the bed which seems like a very efficient use of space. It's nice, right?

At first I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but I was bothered by something about the way it looked. Finally I figured it out. It reminds me of......

Blogging Revival!

2009-12-14T16:20:00.003-06:00

Not that I think anyone is actually reading this blog, but I feel a little guilty for not having updated it in such a long time. My sister recently resuscitated her own blog, and I thought I'd do the same. I need to get an app on my iPhone to allow me to post mobile-ly, otherwise it's not gonna happen very frequently.

I've been in Minneapolis quite frequently over the past month, and it amuses me to walk by this Accenture ad in terminal E. I snapped a photo of it this morning because I'm sure it won't be up for much longer. "It's what you do next that counts." Beneath it, the smaller print reads, "We know what it takes to be a Tiger Woods." I can totally see why they're dropping him from their ad campaign... I only think of really bad jokes now when I pass the Accenture ads. Probably not what they were going for.

We serve an awesome LORD!

2009-03-16T21:07:00.003-05:00

I wish I could think of something to say about this video but I do not have the words. I love this Easter season when we contemplate how amazing it is that God sent his son Jesus to die for our sins.

Sheldon's Family Reunion

2009-03-15T19:46:00.004-05:00

After finishing the race I walked a little bit past the finish line and ran into Brittany and Sheldon, who had just met up with Mike, the breeder from whom she got Sheldon back in November! Mike and his family live in Athens, so a couple of days before the race, Brittany emailed them to let them know she was going to be there and would bring Sheldon if they wanted to see him. Mike and his daughter came, and they brought Sheldon's little sister. Here's a picture of Sheldon and Vitra. Vitra, by the way, is short for Lavitra, which has to be the funniest dog name I've ever heard. Before Brittany adopted Sheldon, his name was Crotch Junior ("CJ"), because he takes after his dad, who is named Crotch. Yes, I'm serious. They are really nice people who love their pugs like we do!

Athens Triathlon

2009-03-15T19:06:00.004-05:00

Yesterday I did a sprint triathlon in Athens, TX, about 90 miles from Dallas. The weather was perfect (NOT). Earlier last week we were having gorgeous weather, sunny and in the 80s, but then some rain moved in and stayed for a few days. On Saturday morning, it was about 40 degrees and raining. Yes, you heard me. Ugh. This is the exact same race that Phil and I signed up for last year but chickened out because it was 28 degrees! So hard to predict the weather in Texas in March. I wasn't exactly happy about the conditions this year, but I just went ahead and did it. (And I was glad I did.)

It started with a 300 meter pool swim. Why can't the swim be a little longer? It's my best and favorite part! It was seeded by estimated time and so I was #29 of several hundred participants. Someone about 3 spots ahead of me must have been really optimistic about her swim training and then never followed through with it, because things got jammed up after the first 50 meters (and that was with 10 seconds between each person!) I quickly decided I'd had enough and blew past three people in a row, and then the rest of the swim was a breeze because there was no one in front of me for 25 meters, and no one catching up to me. I was happy....

Until I had to get OUT of the pool and run outside, where it was soooo cold. I took a LONG time in the transition area to dry off and put on some tights, a long-sleeved shirt, a t-shirt, full fingered gloves... the works! I was glad I did because BRRR - once I got on the road it felt very windy.

I only averaged about 14.5 mph along the 15 mile bike route. By the end of it, I couldn't feel my feet at all. When I pulled back into the transition area was told to dismount, I wasn't even sure whether or not my legs would hold me up! They did, kind of, and I proceeded back to my spot on the rack and sat down to massage my toes... feeling nothing. I changed my socks because my biking socks were soaking wet, laced up my running shoes, and headed out.

As I took off on the run course, I ran past Brittany and Phil, who were there to cheer me on. I grabbed a drink of water and yelled, "I can't feel my feet!" and smiled and then hobbled off. My lips kind of felt numb too... I guess that's the reason for weird face that Phil captured on camera...

I'm a seriously slow runner, but I didn't let myself walk which was a good accomplishment. Finally when I passed the "Mile 2" sign, I was able to feel every one of my toes, which was such a luxury! It was an out-and-back run course, and when I had just a quarter mile left to go, I ran past an older lady who was just setting out on her run. I smiled and said "Good job!" to her and she responded, "Courtney?" It was Diane, who swims at Baylor with my masters team and was a part of the group that went to Maui in 2007! It was so fun to see someone I knew and it definitely cheered me up for the finish!

As I ran up to the finish line it felt like I was running on a trampoline, the grass was so soggy. It had been raining in the Dallas area for about 3 days straight! Ugh. Phil was there at the end snapping some more pictures. He is such a sweet and supportive husband!

Ta da! Done. It took me an hour and 40-something minutes, but I haven't done a sprint tri in so long, I couldn't remember if that was a good time for me or not. Who cares? It was fun!

Pug 'o War

2009-02-13T14:55:00.003-06:00

Sheldon (left) with Ruby (top) and Dora (right) in late December 2008.

Ruby (top), Dora (bottom), and Sheldon (right) in early February 2009.

It's crazy how much he has grown! You can also see the scar on his back from where his tumor was removed. It looks bad, but like I said in a previous post, he acts like nothing ever happened!

Sheldon update

2009-02-12T17:21:00.002-06:00

It's been a while since I've posted anything, but that's mostly because nothing new has been happening. However, this was a big week for Sheldon. In addition to losing his manhood on Monday, the vet also had to remove an ugly tumor that had been growing on his back. Back when my mom noticed it at Christmas, it was just a tiny bump and everyone assumed it was a mole. However, it just grew and grew, puffing up and turning pinkish-purple. At the time it was removed I think its diameter was about the size of a dime. Brittany just got the test results back today, and fortunately it was benign.

For now, Sheldy is sporting a big bald spot on his back and a long "zipper". Don't worry about him, though. On Monday, after Brittany brought him home from the vet and the anesthesia wore off, he was chasing Ruby and Dora and jumping up on the furniture like nothing ever happened. He's so wild that we have to keep him separate from Ruby and Dora during the day. We're worried that he'll get so fiesty that one of them will bite him on his back.

Playing telephone

2009-02-12T17:19:00.004-06:00

The bananas at Tom Thumb are imported from Honduras. Brittany pretends to use them as a primitive communications device to dial up Trey. The smile on her face didn't last long; the call could not be completed as dialed.

Scenery courtesy of God

2009-02-12T17:16:00.003-06:00

I was blessed with the most beautiful sky on my run this morning!

Blogging game... "Have You Ever?"

2009-01-21T17:41:00.002-06:00

Thanks for the fun idea, Ruth! Copy and paste the list below, then mark in bold the ones you've done. Then you can add one item to the list and keep it going!

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo Karaoke in my family room with no one listening
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run.
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone.
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Made amends with someone who offended you
101. Flew in a small Cessna plane with just you and the pilot
102. Ran out of gas
103. Eaten fried okra
104. Swam in the Caribbean Sea
105. Peed in a swimming pool
106. Rented a beach house
107. Hosted an exchange student
108. Been a Secret Santa to a family in need
109. Worked on a political campaign
110. Coached a sports team
111. Baked bread from scratch
112. Driven from coast to coast
113. Paid off all of your debt
114. Roast marshmallows over a campfire
115. Cut up a credit card
116. Drove a car through a flood
117. Been on t.v
118. Seen the twin towers.
119. Been to ground zero
120. Been on top of the Empire State Building
121. Lived outside of the United States
122. Been on a safari
123. Been saved by the grace of Jesus Christ through faith

Pugs on a walk

2008-12-27T22:23:00.003-06:00

Two people + 5 pugs on a walk... wow. Thankfully we live just around the corner from a middle school with a big field behind it. The field is surrounded by the nature preserve, so it's the perfect area to let everyone off their leashes to play frisbee. These pictures were taken yesterday when the temperature was over 80, so we had to bring along the water bottle. Yes, pugs overheat easily.

Sheldon vs. Bailey

2008-12-27T22:19:00.002-06:00

From Pug Appreciation Week

Hotel for Pugs

2008-12-27T21:24:00.003-06:00

This week, we are taking care of 5 pugs! From right to left, we've got our own babies, Dora and Ruby, plus Brittany's puppy Sheldon and my parents' girls, Bailey and Isabelle (who is actually R&D's big sister).

Christmas 2008

2008-12-27T21:19:00.003-06:00

We had a fun-filled 4 days in Aspen for Christmas!! Unfortunately, these were the only two pictures I took the entire time. We stayed at a great resort situated right at the base of the Aspen Highlands mountain, so we could just walk right over to the lift. I was a little rusty on my ski skills, but Phil did great!

White Rock Half Marathon

2008-12-16T21:26:00.004-06:00

Despite seriously slacking in our training, my sister and I ran the White Rock Half Marathon this Sunday. We had to mix in some walking, but finished respectably in less than 3 hours! The start of the race was so much fun with a jet flyover and confetti everywhere. The weather was perfect, in the upper 60s. When we reached the Katy Trail around mile 10, my hip seriously began to hurt and so I pretty much hobbled through the last 3 miles with a lot of encouragement from Brittany. I know I sometimes hate running but I'm thinking about doing the Country Music Half Marathon in Nashville in April....

That hurt!!!

Sister Sister Sister

2008-12-04T23:06:00.004-06:00

Puppy play time

2008-12-01T13:25:00.002-06:00

Sheldon finally got Ruby and Dora to ruff-house with him.

Sheldon has mastered the doggy door!

2008-12-01T10:49:00.006-06:00

He's little, but he bounds around so much that I figured the doggy door wouldn't be too high a hurdle for the little guy. Sure enough, he barely hesitated in going out for the first time, after I clipped the flap out of the way. He was a little more hesitant to come in, but I think it's just because he loves being outside so much.

First time going out -

Coming back inside (with some encouragement) -

Sheldon's Day

2008-12-01T08:56:00.005-06:00

Chilling in Aunt Courtney's lap :)

Meet Sheldon! He is Brittany's new puppy, which means Phil and I get to share in the joys of puppyhood vicariously. He came home on Saturday. I was thinking that Ruby and Dora would be thrilled to have a little furball to nurture and play with. Unfortunately, the girls are not so excited about Sheldon. Maybe it's the lingering memories of the disaster that was our foster pug-terrier, Roscoe, or maybe they're just older and more crotchety than I thought.

Sheldon is 10 weeks old and he's a typical puppy - play, play, play... then crash! Right now he's snuggling in my lap, but earlier he was biting me and eating my hair and howling at me to put him up on the couch. This one definitely has a strong personality!

Brittany is at work and I'm currently enjoying a month off before I start a new job, so I've volunteered to be Sheldon's nanny during the day. I know Brittany was sad to leave him this morning so I'm going to post his *every* activity for her today....

5:00 AM - woke Brittany up to take a #1 outside

7:00 AM - Brittany fed him breakfast

7:30 AM - #2 accident inside

7:55 AM - #1 outside in front yard (he wore his harness and I put the leash on him)

8:40 AM - #1 and #2 outside in front yard

9:00 AM - nap time with Dora!

9:45 AM - #1 outside in back yard

10:30 AM - #1 outside in back yard

30 minutes of wild play time in back yard with Ruby and Dora!

10:45 AM - used doggy door all by himself and did #2 in back yard

Loooooong nap

12:20 PM - ate lunch vigorously! Tried to steal Ruby's lunch when he finished his own!

12:45 PM - whined at his food bowl so pitifully that he earned himself a second helping of lunch

1:20 PM - more back yard playtime, another #2

Superhero Austin

2008-11-30T23:17:00.002-06:00

Genealogy

2008-11-30T23:03:00.003-06:00

Some people might find graveyards creepy; I find them fascinating. Especially one like Riverside Cemetery in Sterling where a lot of Bogotts are buried. I took pictures so that one day when I have time to devote to genealogy, I can have some names and dates handy.

Bob Bogott was my grandfather's cousin. I remember visiting him in Sterling when I was young. His wife Jarmon would always have M&M's and Cokes for my sisters and me! They were Mennonites. Bob kept a notebook containing family research and once I remember him saying that when you look at some of the wedding dates versus the dates of the first baby's arrival, there were a lot of premature 10-lb babies born in the family. Ha!

I don't know who these people are... but I'll find out!

My great-grandfather (Arthur Ellsworth - hence the A. E. Bogott & Sons steel business) and great-grandmother.

This was my grandfather's brother, who died when he was only a few days old:

Daily Gazette - 28 August 1913. The infant son of Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Bogott died this morning at 8 o’clock, aged 10 days. Private funeral services were held this afternoon with interment in Riverside. The sorrowing parents have the sympathy of their many friends in their bereavement.

My grandfather, whom I never met, and my precious grandmother, who was born into eternal life last year. I miss her.

Sterling

2008-11-30T22:53:00.002-06:00

After Chicago, we swung through Sterling for a couple of days. It was so wonderful to see my Aunt Liz, Uncle Dan, and my cousins Amy and Ted. (Kristen is still in Germany for now... check out her blog on the right and keep the Martins in your prayers!)

This was a new bridge across the Rock River. It was so cold, but beautiful to watch the sunset!

View from the bridge right over the Sinnissippi dam.

Aunt Liz and Dad. They had some fun stories to tell us about how they used to sell sinkers to the bums along the shores of the river!

Sunset in Rock Falls/Sterling.

Chicago

2008-11-30T22:45:00.003-06:00

We just returned from a week "up north". We started in Chicago for Phil's cousin Darcey's wedding, which was absolutely beautiful. (Unfortunately I didn't get any pictures other than the two below!)

My neph-huwer

2008-11-06T12:51:00.003-06:00

These pictures are from last month when I was in Memphis. My parents were in China at the time, so I didn't get to see them. I got to visit with the Memphis pugs, though - check out Bailey in the bottom right corner of the last pic :)

Fear the punter!

2008-10-26T21:43:00.000-05:00

Fireproof

2008-10-24T22:07:00.004-05:00

We just saw "Fireproof." It's the best move I've seen in years. Take your spouse to go see this if you haven't already.

Laity Sunday

2008-10-20T09:58:00.002-05:00

I got to help lead the traditional worship service on Sunday. All I had to do was read something and it made me very nervous! Here's a picture of everyone who participated in the 11:00 service. We are so blessed with a wonderful church family!!

Little C-Monster

2008-10-12T06:57:00.003-05:00

I had a chance to visit Stephanie in Memphis this week when I had to be in town for a client. Chloe has gotten so big since the last time I saw her! She's so smily and sweet. The only time I ever heard her fuss was when she saw her morning bottle. She absolutely shrieked with delight. Steph said she loves to eat and I can believe it!!

LHB practice

2008-10-12T06:43:00.003-05:00

On Friday afternoon we stopped by Richardson High School to watch the Longhorn Band practice for their halftime show at the TX/OU game (which was yesterday and yes, good triumphed over evil).

Of course, as a former member of the high school band, I was in heaven. I love marching bands. We haven't had a chance to go to Austin for any games this year and that is the biggest thing I miss - the sound of the band (and of course the sea of burnt orange in the stadium).

I was able to take this video with my phone. It does not do justice to the awesomeness of this band but it was all I could get!

My parents are in China!!

2008-10-07T11:21:00.001-05:00

Check out their blog (see link to the right).

Bethany Boba Tea House experience

2008-10-04T16:07:00.004-05:00

Today Brittany and I caved to our craving for authentic bubble tea. About a month ago, when we had occasion to be in Plano, we tried out a place called Fat Straws. It was good, but waaay far north of home, kind of overpriced, and... well, I can't exactly put it into words, but it had that franchised feel to it.

We looked for bubble tea closer to home and found the website for Bethany Boba Tea House in Arlington, about a 15 minute drive from home. It was in a strip mall that contained the following restaurants: Acopulco Restaurant, Nizza's Pizza, a Mediterranean grill, The India Star, and the Bethany Boba Tea House. Diversity? - check.

Brittany ordered the iced almond milk tea with boba:

I ordered the iced Japanese green tea with milk and boba:

Yum! And chewy!

It was so good that we are going back tomorrow for lunch. I think I'll avoid the stinky tofu, however.

Needless to say, this place has landed a spot on my local favorites list! The employees were so friendly, and they played Christian music which earns them bonus points.

Deliciousness

2008-09-27T06:49:00.003-05:00

If you have ever driven down Main Street in Duncanville, you've probably noticed a cute little drug store called Ben Franklin Apothecary. We drove past it every Sunday for 2 years on the way to and from church. Finally, one Friday this summer, Phil and I met with our pastor on a weekday to discuss FPU, and after the meeting we decided to go in for lunch at the little deli inside the drugstore. It's called Kitchen's Deli and it is now on the list of my top favorite local restaurants. We went there for lunch yesterday and split a cherry vanilla ice cream soda - YUMM.

What other places are on my list, you ask? Drum roll please.... here they are:

1. The Commissary - Germantown, TN (best barbeque in the world)

2. Kitchens Deli - Duncanville, TX (everything is amazing, especially their old-fashioned ice cream sodas)

3. Sam's Pizza & Pasta - Cedar Hill, TX (best house salad dressing I've ever tasted)

4. Cafe Etc. - Cordova, TN (what really puts this place on my list is the fried dill pickles)

5. Veracruz - Duncanville, TX (especially when they have live music!)

As you can see, to be included on the above list you must be a local place. No chains allowed!

Tour des Fleurs 10k

2008-09-20T12:27:00.002-05:00

This morning we ran a 10-k near White Rock Lake. It was a beautiful morning and the weather was nice and cool!

My most recent Grocery Game success

2008-09-20T12:23:00.003-05:00

10 boxes of cereal, after sale price, coupons, store promotion, and mail-in rebate... 50¢ each!

If anyone's having a cereal potluck, give me a call.

It's cold in Texas

2008-09-19T07:11:00.002-05:00

We have been enjoying some nice cool nights with temperatures in the 50s and 60s! We turned the A/C off and opened the windows. Dora thinks it's too cold, though... you can tell by the way she tucks her front legs under her chest!

Fighting over Fido

2008-09-18T16:06:00.005-05:00

As seen on MSN.com... cuuuuute! Don't worry, Ruby and Dora. Your parents' marriage is rock solid.

The next movie I plan to see

2008-09-18T16:06:00.002-05:00

Downtown Dallas Farmer's Market

2008-09-16T08:35:00.002-05:00

Grilled corn... yummmmm.

This one's for Meg

2008-09-16T08:30:00.002-05:00

Meg had a funny post on her blog recently about unnecessary quotation marks. This photo was taken at the grocery store.

I get so annoyed with signs that are printed with incorrect spelling or punctuation. Near our old house in Cedar Park, there was a high school with a "Busses Only" traffic sign by one entrance. Also, one of my favorite restaurants in Cedar Hill, Sam's, has a big neon sign advertising their expressos. Ugh!

Financial Peace update

2008-09-16T08:17:00.002-05:00

On Sunday, we had our first class for Financial Peace University at our church, First United Methodist Duncanville. We had a full classroom with 19 people attending! We have been so blessed since we started following Dave Ramsey's principles about personal finance, and it means so much to us that our pastor Dr. Jim Bowden was supportive of our plans to bring FPU to FUMCD.

Traveling Pug

2008-09-16T08:12:00.001-05:00

Dora doesn't like it when we pack for a trip. The other night, I think she thought Phil's gym bag meant that we were going somewhere. So she packed herself along for the ride.

Running group

2008-09-16T07:58:00.003-05:00

I've been training for the White Rock Half Marathon which will take place on December 14 here in Dallas. I knew I couldn't stick to a training plan on my own (tried it last year...) so I invited some friends to create a running group. The group includes my sister Brittany, my sister-in-law Kelsey, Chelsea - a friend of masters' swimming, and two of Chelsea's friends, Steph and Kat. We all do our mid-week runs on our own, and we get together on Saturdays for the long runs. This picture was taken after our first group run where we started at 3 miles. Since then, we had two consecutive Saturdays at 4 miles and two more Saturdays at 5 miles. This Saturday (9/20) several of us are running the Tour des Fleurs 10k... I'll try to remember to bring my camera and get a group picture!

Dirty Jobs Revelation

2008-09-02T21:06:00.002-05:00

I just got to Dayton and settled into the hotel. I happened to turn on "Dirty Jobs" on Discovery where they are at a pig farm. During the show they mentioned the well-known nursery rhyme "this little pig went to market..." and for the first time in my life, I realized that the lyrics aren't referring to a pig going grocery shopping. I always pictured the momma pig dressing up in high heels and pearls and going shopping at, say, the Piggly Wiggly :)

I can't believe it took me two decades to figure that out.

Lord Have Mercy

2008-08-25T17:08:00.002-05:00

...when will Phil and Brittany let it go?

I have been singing the lyrics wrong to an oldies tune. I like to sing "Lord Have Mercy, I'm a boy from down in the boondocks." Seriously, it's not off by that much and I don't see what it's that funny.

But here are some mix-ups more worthy of mention:

Secret Asian Man (Phil's high school buddy Tony)
Give me a reservation (me again; can you tell I travel? This is a great new Third Day song, though! - supposed to be "Give me a revelation"... oops)
Give me the beach boys... and free my soul... wanna get lost in the rock and roll (Amy)

Financial Peace University

2008-08-16T20:26:00.004-05:00

Courtney and I are excited to start Financial Peace University, Dave Ramsey's 13 week personal finance course. We will be facilitating this course at our church, First United Methodist, Duncanville. Log on to www.daveramsey.com to find the nearest FPU class to where you live. I know it's going to be awesome!

All Growed Up

2008-07-29T09:50:00.004-05:00

Right now my sister Brittany is at a very exciting time in her life! She just graduated from college and begins her first job next week. It's fun to see all the stuff she has to do as a new Texas resident and remember back to 5 years ago when Phil and I landed in Austin. Our experience was a little different.

[Insert the wavy lines on the screen from Scooby Doo.... taking you back in time to 2003]

On July 26, we were married in Nesbit, Mississippi.
On August 2, our honeymoon (a 7-day Royal Caribbean cruise) ended when we pulled into the port in Galveston. I was actually excited to leave the ship because I really, really, really wanted to get started setting up our apartment in Austin. We took a shuttle from Galveston to the airport in Houston, and Phil's parents picked us up and drove us to their house in The Woodlands where we had left our first car, a 1999 Ford Explorer named Larry. That evening we drove 3 hours to Austin.
The first month in Austin was kind of a blur. It was so fun to "play house" in our apartment and set up all our new things. I remember feeling kind of giddy at the grocery store. I loved it!!!
We had to do all the administrative stuff and then some - first thing was to change my name. I stood in line at the Social Security place for HOURS. Then I also had a get a Texas drivers' license. We had to update our insurance with our new address. We also had to go to the bank and make Phil's checking/savings account into a joint account. Then we had to set up internet, cable, phone service, and get cell phones. (Why did we waste our money on a home phone and cable TV? Ugh.)
Jobs? Oh yeah, employment. Now that you mention it, that is kind of a critical part of living on your own and being an adult. Unlike smarty pants Brittany, neither one of us had jobs yet.
After a couple of frustrating weeks of commission-only door-to-door phone sales, Phil took a job as an assistant manager at OfficeMax because we needed a paycheck. A couple of weeks later, I found an hourly job as an accounting clerk at a small company.
In the end, though, the job thing worked out. Phil only had to work at OfficeMax for a few months before he found a position with his current employer, and my hourly position turned into a salaried one. A year later, when I enrolled in the masters of professional accounting program at UT, I was able to convince my boss to let me work part-time (back to hourly, but at a much higher rate).

And that's our story. We've made a lot of progress in 5 years. I love you baby!

("Baby" inserted on purpose. The term seems to annoy Brittany... ha! I guess I'll be using it a lot!)

Dogs vs. Cats

2008-07-22T12:38:00.000-05:00

The Dog's Diary

8:00 am - Dog food! My favorite thing!
9:30 am - A car ride! My favorite thing!
9:40 am - A walk in the park! My favorite thing!
10:30 am - Got rubbed and petted! My favorite thing!
12:00 PM - Treats! My favorite thing!
1:00 PM - Played all day at Camp Bow Wow! My favorite thing!
3:00 PM - Wagged my tail! My favorite thing!
5:00 PM - Dinner! My favorite thing!
7:00 PM - Got to play ball! My favorite thing!
8:00 PM - Wow! Watched TV with the people! My favorite thing!
11:00 PM - Sleeping on the bed! My favorite thing!

The Cat's Diary

Day 983 of my captivity.
My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects.
They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while the other inmates and I are fed hash or some sort of dry nuggets.
Although I make my contempt for the rations perfectly clear, I nevertheless must eat something in order to keep up my strength.
The only thing that keeps me going is my dream of escape. In an attempt to disgust them, I once again vomit on the carpet.
Today I decapitated a mouse and dropped its headless body at their feet. I had hoped this would strike fear into their hearts, since it clearly demonstrates my capabilities.
However, they merely made condescending comments about what a 'good little hunter' I am. Jerks!
There was some sort of assembly of their accomplices tonight. I was placed in solitary confinement for the duration of the event. However, I could hear the noises and smell the food. I overheard that my confinement was due to the power of 'allergies.' I must learn what this means, and how to use it to my advantage.
Today I was almost successful in an attempt to assassinate one of my tormentors by weaving around his feet as he was walking. I must try this again tomorrow, but at the top of the stairs.
I am convinced that the other prisoners here are flunkies and snitches. The dog receives special privileges. He is regularly released, and seems to be more than willing to return. He is obviously challenged.
The bird must be an informant. I observe him communicating with the Guards regularly. I am certain that he reports my every move. My captors have arranged protective custody for him in an Elevated Cell, so he is safe . . . . . for now.

Backyard visitor

2008-07-22T07:57:00.001-05:00

We're on the List!!

2008-07-19T09:31:00.004-05:00

Grand Prairie placed #96 on the list of 100 best small cities in the US. Not so bad for a place that gets made fun of a lot by the uppity Dallasites!

See how Grand Prairie Barbie is made fun of??? Click on metroplex barbies.

Unexplained hatred of the medicine ball

2008-07-19T08:30:00.003-05:00

We have had this medicine ball since before we got Ruby and Dora, and both of them have always hated it. It's impossible to try to use it in their presence! You might want to turn down the volume before viewing these videos... Ruby's barking is really shrill!

Fort Worth Stockyards

2008-07-19T08:10:00.003-05:00

This post is a week late, but last Saturday we went to the stockyards with Mom, Dad, Brittany, Trey, and Trey's parents, Rick and Debbie. Even though we've lived here 2.5 years, Phil and I had never been to the stockyards before. It was so much fun!

We got there at 4:00 just in time to see "the herd". Actually, only Mom and I got a chance to see it. What cute, sweet longhorns... as I was taking these pictures, I started feeling uneasy about eating dinner at a steakhouse later that night!

Later we wandered around through some stores. I decided against buying a $1400 pair of cowgirl boots... ha! Then we had dinner at Cattlemen's. It was pretty good, albeit no Nick & Sam's! ;)

Finally we got to the best part of the evening, the rodeo! I had been to one other rodeo before an Alan Jackson concert at the AA center. I didn't really pay much attention to it because our seats were kind of far away from the action.

THIS rodeo was so fun! Our seats were really close and I could see all the action. I felt a little bit like an ancient Roman watching the gladiators. During the bull riding, one guy got his arm stuck and was being flopped all over the place by a crazy bull. And there was another guy who got bucked off and then trampled a little bit. I kept covering my eyes during those parts, but then I'd peek a little out of fascination!

I felt really sorry for the little calves who had to get roped. That looks painful to get lassoed around your neck, flipped on your back, and have three legs tied together. I'm sure they just want their mommies... so I cheered whenever a calf got away! :)

The other fun thing that happened at the rodeo was that we met some people from Dusseldorf - what a small world! I was sitting next to Phil, and on Phil's other side was a little boy maybe 7 or 8 years old. Phil tried to make small talk but the boy never responded, and finally his mother leaned over with a smile and explained that he only spoke German. After a little conversation Phil learned that they were from Dusseldorf, so I made Phil pull out his iPhone so that I could bring up Kristen and David's blog. I told her I'd been there and showed her the pictures of the apartment they were living in when I visited last fall. She didn't recognize the area (it's not exactly a small town, I guess...) but it was still a very fun connection to make, particularly at a rodeo in Fort Worth, Texas!

By the way, speaking of Kristen and David, I have added a link to their blog on the left. Kristen is my cousin; she and her husband David are serving in Germany as missionaries. In case you have not been reading my blog for very long, I had a chance to visit them last fall on my way home from India and there are pictures if you navigate back to November 2007 in the blog archives. Please keep them in your prayers!

Roscoe strikes again

2008-07-08T18:17:00.004-05:00

Today he destroyed - and ate some of - the dog toy basket!!! Arggggghhh! It was the cutest basket that my friend Kristin made for me a long time ago right after Phil and I got married (it even had the letters "M - O - S - E - R" painted across the handle). That darn dog. At least we found a new foster family for him. He was evicted from our house TONIGHT!

My Angels

2008-07-06T15:10:00.002-05:00

I am my father's daughter

2008-07-06T15:08:00.004-05:00

This is what happens when I try to "trim" the bushes in the front yard. Oops.

Bad Dog!

2008-07-06T14:59:00.003-05:00

Yeah... Roscoe's gotta go.

He has some good points. He is very energetic and enjoys going for walks, runs, and playing at the dog park. He is good with verbal commands and obeys "sit" better than Ruby and Dora. Whenever he gets too playful in the house, he can be easily controlled with a squirt gun.

When we're NOT home, however, he turns into a very bad dog. Here are just some of the things he's "worked on":

Ate two pairs of my flip flops and "tasted" two other pairs.

Pulled the cushion off our hand-me-down rocking chair and ate a bunch of foam out of it.

Chewed a couple areas of woodwork before I was able to spray everything with bitter apple.

Chewed/broke the baby gate we purchased to keep him out of the upstairs.

Ate my lap desk (pictured below).

Quickly destroyed the tug-of-war toy I bought to distract him (pictured below when it was new... 15 minutes later he had pulled all the stuffing out of it!)

I emailed the pug rescue and let them know that this just isn't working. Unfortunately, he is going through "separation anxiety" according to the rescue folks. Sorry, I don't like the fancy terminology, I think he's just a bad dog who can't stay here anymore!!!

Meet Roscoe

2008-06-25T13:02:00.003-05:00

This is our first experience fostering a rescue pug. Roscoe is actually a pug-terrier mix. He's adorable and (almost too) full of energy. We picked him up last Friday and we'll be keeping him until he is adopted.

http://www.dfwpugrescue.org/

Thank you, CVS & The Grocery Game!

2008-06-19T18:31:00.004-05:00

Let's play a game. Check out the first picture and see everything I bought today. Guess how much I paid? Come up with a good guess before scrolling down to see my receipt (click on the picture to enlarge it).

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

Ok, are you ready? I bet you guessed too high!

Ruby and Dora are getting a little brother!

2008-06-19T18:24:00.002-05:00

We are taking a big step into the world of being foster parents. To a pug. Well, not exactly. We'll be fostering a pug/Boston terrier mix... apparently they are referred to as Buggs. We're picking him up tomorrow night, and his name is Roscoe. He didn't fit in with his first foster family, which has nothing but old, blind pugs. Apparently he is very energetic and needs someone to play with. Perfect for Ruby and Dora! Especially because they're not getting the nieces they had wished for!

You can check out Roscoe's picture at www.dfwpugs.com - apparently he's a little camera shy. Once we get him home tomorrow night, we'll post some good pictures of him playing with Ruby and Dora.

Small group party

2008-06-08T15:45:00.002-05:00

Had a party for my small group from church last night. They just finished 9th grade. Here's one of many of Photobooth pics...

Helicopters

2008-06-07T11:16:00.004-05:00

On our way to the dog park this morning, we got a little turned around. We drove past South GP High School and there were some military helicopters out front in the parking lot. We see these things fly over our Joe Pool Lake all the time and I've always wondered where they're coming from and where they're going. I talked to one of the Army guys and it turns out there is a naval air station at Mountain Creek Lake and when we see them over Joe Pool Lake, it's because they are flying out on various training missions. Good to know!

Central Bark

2008-06-07T10:50:00.005-05:00

This morning it wasn't too hot so we took Ruby & Dora to Grand Prairie's new dog park. It's only about a 5-minute drive from our house, I think Phil & I loved it more than the pugs did! There are separate fenced areas for small and large dogs. Each of the fenced areas has covered benches to sit on while the dogs play. Everything was very clean and nice. We'll have to take Izzy & Bailey there when they visit us next month.

Welcome to Central Bark.

Smelling all the exciting smells...

You heard him.

Water fountain for people of all sizes... plus the dogs!

Tired of playing frisbee!

Sisters, part II

2008-06-06T15:57:00.003-05:00

See? What if Mom and Dad had sold us to different families? Wouldn't you be sad? Think of all the fun times we would have missed.

Dear Brittany,

2008-06-06T15:49:00.002-05:00

To help you decide that sisters belong together....

Fetch my ball

2008-05-13T08:28:00.001-05:00

This is what happens when Dora's ball rolls under the couch.

Humbled

2008-05-11T20:03:00.002-05:00

I have been sick all week. After the MS 150 (which was actually only an MS 86 for us, since we only rode on day 1) I had a slight sore throat on Saturday, which snowballed into a horrible mess of sneeziness, congestion, couldn't swallow, couldn't breathe well at night and therefore couldn't sleep well, lost my voice, etc. I'm feeling a lot better today but I had planned to run a lot this week in preparation for the Memphis in May triathlon this coming week, and that didn't happen AT ALL. So I've been fretting about that a lot.

We went to church this morning and in Sunday school we covered chapters 8 & 9 of Max Lucado's new book 3:16. The whole study is about John 3:16 - "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, so that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." Chapter 9 was about how so many of us struggle with the fact that all we have to do is believe in order to be saved. How true. We think we have to do something to earn (or demonstrate) our salvation - but in fact Jesus himself said that all we have to do is believe! It is such a wonderful gift, it's no wonder it's hard to fathom.

As one of the examples in the book, Max Lucado mentions Dick & Rick Hoyt. I'd never heard of these two before. The son, Rick, was born with cerebral palsy. Nowadays this father and son team races together - we're talking marathons and iron man triathlons. Because of his disabilities, the son cannot do any of the work, but he trusts in his father and together they share in the glory. What a great example of what God has done for us through Christ. (Warning, you might want a tissue when you watch this video).

So needless to say, I'm going to stop whining that I was congested last week. I'll do my best in my triathlon.... and I'll be thinking of Team Hoyt for my inspiration next Sunday!

Funny moment of the day

2008-05-02T14:04:00.002-05:00

First, if anyone's been reading this, I do apologize for the lack of blogging lately! We haven't been up to anything new & exciting, just lots of work.

Today I had to run an errand at lunch and so I stopped at Potbelly's to get a sandwich. While there, I made a trip to the ladies room where I was greeted by this framed picture on the wall. I burst out laughing and I'd like to thank whoever decorated the Potbelly on McKinney Avenue for making my day:

Rangers and Cowboys

2008-04-13T14:51:00.003-05:00

Yesterday afternoon we went to the Ballpark in Arlington with some friends. Before the game, there was a free Third Day concert! We were pretty far at the back of the lawn after having arrived a little late, but we love their music and the weather was superb. Later the Rangers "played" Toronto.... I don't know much about baseball but I do know that the Rangers are not very good at it. However, it was still fun. I LOVE the ballpark and how it's completely enclosed.

From the ballpark you can look out at the progress being made on the new Cowboys' stadium. It's disgustingly huge and I am going to love going to a game or two there someday!!! Texas is surely the best state in the union.

I love my husband

2008-04-10T21:48:00.001-05:00

He is on the phone with Discover right now to close the account we haven't used in over a year. He is telling the customer service lady all about how to live debt-free and just suggested that she read Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey.

He is so cute.

Soon there will be three!

2008-04-06T22:31:00.002-05:00

In not too many months we are excited that our household will be expanding to 3. Yes, 3 people.... no, definitely not what you are thinking.... hee hee.

Bea's coming back!

Lilly, Marshall, and Ted will be together again! Yippee!!

Saturday cycle - Cedar Hill, Midlothian, Ovilla

2008-04-05T21:16:00.004-05:00

This morning we spent a couple of hours on the road. The weather was fantastic! Sunny, clear, and in the low 70s with no humidity. It was the perfect day to be out! We took some photos along the way so you could all enjoy the day, too...

top of the hill (Lake Ridge & 67)

Thought this was cool on Shiloh Rd...

Zone bar break

Me posing in front of the Midlothian Cement Company. Thanks to a cement-producing client I am quite knowledgeable about cement production and the proper tax treatment of their fixed assets. Ask me all about clinker.

Going back to India!

2008-04-02T12:17:00.004-05:00

Hooray! I get to go back to India in January 2009... this time for 6 weeks. Yes, it's a long time to be away from home and my sweet husband and darling pugs. However, I loved India and I am excited to go back. I don't have to do any laundry, cooking, or ironing for 6 whole weeks! And the best part is that we are planning to take a trip to Rome at the end of my 6 weeks!

This provides a great incentive for us to get through Baby Step 2 of our Total Money Makeover by the end of 2008. If not, no trip to Rome. But we're already ahead of our plan, and we are sticking to it and making a game of it. I haven't felt deprived of anything. It feels great to be in control of our personal finances.

This is a YouTube video that someone else from Deloitte just posted upon returning from a 6-week rotation. I love the song, and the images bring back great memories from my fall visit to Hyderabad.

Weekend, etc.

2008-03-31T20:06:00.003-05:00

The cute Stewart family @ Northpark Mall

We had a fun weekend! Eliza, Byron, and their little girl Avery came for a visit. Byron and Phil played a little golf and Eliza and I checked out the new mall in Cedar Hill. Unfortunately, most of the stores aren't open yet. Eliza and I also got to experience the joy of seeing a 4 foot snake draped across the front entrance. The boys were golfing so I had to ask my neighbor Javier to come over and kill it. I don't think it was a poisonous snake. I didn't get a positive identification, though, because after Javier cut its head off with a shovel, he tossed it down the sewer!! Ewwwwww.

Anyway, we were sad to see the Stewarts leave... hopefully we can make a trip up to Michigan sometime this year! (Preferably in the summer so we can get a little relief from the Texas heat.)

Today was a momentous day for me! I submitted my application for CPA certification. Exam? Check. Ethics course? Check. Notarized oath? Check. Work experience form? Check. Check? Check. Whooo hoo... I'm almost a CPA!

Sweet relief!

2008-03-24T23:23:00.001-05:00

I am finished, yes, finally FINISHED with CPA examinations.

Introducing our new niece

2008-03-21T11:11:00.001-05:00

Congratulations to my sister and her husband!! They have adopted a 3-month old daughter named Chloe. Here's a sweet picture of Austin and his new little sister.

I'm 79% dixie!

2008-03-18T18:14:00.004-05:00

Though born in Illinois, I was raised in Tennessee and then, as they say, got to Texas as fast as I could! So I consider the other 21% of my score to be my parents' fault (Mom especially says stuff like "melk" for that white stuff you drink).

Click here for your own quiz.

my first mavs game!!

2008-03-08T20:18:00.006-06:00

I am at my first mavs game! As you can tell I am not so into the game itself but the atmosphere is sure fun! Here's the pic from phil's iphone....

Thanks to my firm for a "suite" time! :)

Baby Steps

2008-03-05T09:43:00.002-06:00

We have started a Total Money Makeover with Dave Ramsey and we're already so excited about finally having a real plan for our finances. We have been reading our book every night and planning our budget. (Yes, in almost 5 years of marriage, we have never had a budget.) I highly encourage anyone reading this to check out what Dave has to say. Our outlook on money, wealth, debt, and self-control is forever changed! And we're still on baby step #1!

"A budget is telling your money where to go, instead of wondering where it went." - John Maxwell

"If you aim at nothing, you'll hit it every time" - Zig Ziglar

Dave is our new hero!

Am I a freak?

2008-03-05T08:48:00.002-06:00

There is a Starbucks in my office tower and every now and then I like to get a chai in the morning. Usually I get it iced, except in the winter (which is, like, 2 months a year). My major pet peeve about getting the hot drink is that they give it to me like this:

Maybe I'm a little obsessive but I cannot allow myself to even take a sip until the cup, lid, and sleeve are perfectly aligned, like this. Shouldn't they train the baristas on this?!?!

Alpha Pug

2008-03-03T10:33:00.003-06:00

We have finally determined that Dora is the alpha pug in our household. Dog behavior is fascinating. Although Ruby can be quite controlling around the food bowl, Dora really is the top dog. Ruby acts submissive to Dora by rolling on her back and letting Dora lick her, but we have never seen Dora submit to Ruby.

This finally explains our biggest mystery: whenever Phil picks up Ruby in the presence of Dora, a nasty fight always breaks out. It doesn't happen if I pick up Ruby in front of Dora, or if we pick up Dora in front of Ruby. It's so strange. But we finally figured out that Dora gets mad when Ruby is physically lifted above her by Phil (who she probably sees as the "alpha" person) because it throws off their pug hierarchy.

So maybe this is jibberish to most of you reading this but it makes a lot of sense to me. We read that in order to prevent fights between the two of them, we need to respect Dora's alpha position by feeding her first, petting her first, and letting her outside first. This way there will be no confusion between Ruby and Dora about who's alpha.

And thus we've added a new nickname to Dora's already long list of nicknames: Alf.

I think it's over!!!

2008-03-01T08:45:00.004-06:00

It has been just over a year since I started taking my CPA exams. I started with FAR, then BEC, then REG, and passed them all on the first try. Audit, on the other hand, was a whole different beast. This is partly because I've never done audit work (and never care to) and partly because I got cocky about passing the first 3 and stopped studying as hard. I first took the audit exam back in August, the day before we left for Hawaii. I guess I was understandably distracted, and no surprise - I didn't pass. Next I took it right after Thanksgiving. I should have studied a lot more, but it was only a few weeks after I had gotten back from my big trip, and, as Brian Regan might say, "I didn't take it serious!"

Yesterday I took the audit exam for the third, yes, THIRD time. It's actually a little embarrassing to admit this. I'm not used to failing anything. (Although I did fail my driving exam on my 16th birthday because I rolled through a stop sign, but hello, it was in a parking lot and there was no one around!) I really did feel confident about this exam. Most of the questions looked quite familiar this time around! :) I should get results within about 4 weeks!! I hope, hope, hope that I am finally done with all these exams. I really should have gotten this out of the way 3 years ago while I was still in grad school!

Just call me the grocery bandit!

2008-02-28T16:39:00.006-06:00

Oooh I am so excited that Ruth asked me about the Grocery Game! It's one of my favorite things. I seriously look forward to grocery shopping every single week! Before I started doing it, I found it really hard to keep our weekly grocery bill under $80, even if I bought everything generic. So I decided to give GG a try and I haven't stopped. You can sign up for a 4-week trial for $1, and it costs $10 every 8 weeks after that (the cost is minimal compared to what you'll find yourself saving if you stick to it).

Basically, you pick a grocery store near you and you get special access to a list that is published once a week. The list you subscribe to takes care of tracking ALL the store sales, ALL the special store promotions, ALL the available "blinkie" coupons that are set up around the store, and ALL the outstanding manufacturing coupons for your area. All of this information is compiled into an amazing, magical LIST that tells you exactly what the best deals are at your grocery store that week. You find yourself adjusting your purchasing habits by learning to stock up on things when they are super cheap. So during the first few months I did it, my overall spending didn't change much because I was stocking up. It took some getting used to at first - "Why am I buying 10 tubes of toothpaste? I only need one..." - but now that I have a good "stockpile", my weekly grocery spending is a LOT lower because I can pretty much cherry-pick the list.

Since becoming a Grocery Gamer my brand loyalties have changed and so have my perceptions of what's "expensive" at the store. It's now usually cheaper to go with brand names than it used to be to buy generic. For example, I prefer Crest toothpaste but I never pay more than $0.50 per tube. I also don't pay more than about $1.50 per box of cereal, usually less (but always name-brand). I like All Small & Mighty detergent but will not pay more than $2 per bottle. And my freezer is full of about 15 packages of Pillsbury cookie dough that I got for free - yes, free! (Looking back on it, I really should NOT have bought that much cookie dough regardless of the fact that it was free!!!) I also always get Softsoap hand soap for "more than free"; Tom Thumb pays me $0.05 to take it out of the store. That's because it goes on sale for $1.00 and Softsoap always puts out $0.35 coupons, which the store triples, taking $1.05 off my grocery bill. Love it!!!!

So, if you don't mind taking the time to buy papers every week and clip and organize your coupons, there is a TON of money to be saved by Grocery Gaming! Or, there's another site with a similar service offered at no charge (The Coupon Mom). I just prefer the layout and organization of GG, and I think it covers special promotions more thoroughly.