We Call Him Maximus Moosimus…

 

 

This is our new dog Max!

He has literally changed my world!

The Dear Husband is gone a lot and this new doggie is quite the cuddler!

He is just a joy to come home to after a long dreary day of school.

And…it’s almost his birthday!

He turns 5 on December 6th!

This is my first ever dog (besides our family dogs growing up) and now I understand how people can love their pets ridiculously much!

DH (Dear Husband) and I conducted a mini photo shoot to obtain our family Christmas photo for the year (because, with the dog, we are now our own little family…aw).

I wanted them to be silly but things weren’t working out that way!

Right before we started Max took off and bolted toward oncoming traffic.

Dear Husband almost lost his best and only furry friend!

So smiles were at first, few and far between.

Bummer!

But I consider it a challenge.

Watch out 2012, our Christmas Shoot will be epic and hilarious! 

I’ve got entire year to come up with something.

I’m only showing the one photo because most of you reading are family and will get your very own card via snail mail.

I can’t let ‘the internet’ ruin all surprises!

Unfortunately, I must find time to punch out our annual newsletter (to go along with the photo card) some time in between studying for these finals.

But hey, only 16 months left of school with 11 down.

Not too shabby

The Crafty Craving

It’s official.. I’m going in to the wrong career!

As the 11th month of Physician Assistant school begins – I find myself fighting off the urge to craft more and more.

I shouldn’t be going into medicine. I should be googling “Martha Stewart Apprenticeship” jobs.

Do you think they exist? 

I am finding more and more wonderful blogs of stay-at-home mommies with beautiful posts of their million-billion projects – all equally genius and tempting.

I’ve got 2 projects in mind that I must start and finish in order for them to be props in our Christmas picture (Oh yes! I am that nerdy).

None of this helps with studying of course.

I can get lost for hours on the internet…finding more craft projects than I can keep track of.

Last weekend I managed to paint our room white and start a Van Gough acrylic painting that will one day hang on the living room wall. I didn’t take a picture of the bedroom because, let’s face it, there is not too much that is exciting about a white walled room! And the painting? Well that sits completely unfinished on its easel and I’m too embarrassed to enter its contents onto the internet!

I should be working on some Christmas stuff this weekend and get some photos up!

Who knows, after reading this, maybe the crafting bug will bite you in the butt too!

And you might end up with something like this adorning your home…

Date Night!

Yesterday I was released from class a whopping 1.5 hours early. AND – it was sunny and windy just like I like it!

As I burst through the doors and out of the building the last thing I wanted to do was study.

The first thing I wanted to do was hike. Or walk. In the woods. Or near trees. Trees with changing leaves.

Do we have those here yet?

Ta Da! I found a few!

Virginia is by far the slowest place when it comes to the maturation of this glorious season.

WILL IT EVER COME?

One day I’ll go to bed and wake up to find that fall started and ended overnight. I’ll be greeted by naked trees and 2 inches of slush/snow. I just know it!

Anyway, I called DH (dear husband) straightaway to say “TAKE ME HIKING POST HASTE!”

And so we went on a nice scenic drive toward the North Carolina border until we came upon this beautiful but hidden state park.

We didn’t hike – because that option is limited on the flat coastland.

We walked all around the park and enjoyed the sunshine on our faces!

We stopped to take some photos along the way (it has been a long time since I’ve held a camera in my hands).

This one is my favorite because aside from the fact that he is on playground furniture, of which reads "General Store," this totally looks like it could be a graduation picture!

DH has been working late, late hours this week. I have been studying during the wee long hours of the day.

Last night was just about us!

And that felt great!

We stayed until the sunset. And left blissfully happy.

We were happy about the day, our date, and to have one another!

Pumpkin, Spice & Everything Nice

Tis’ the season for crunchy leaves, crisp coastal winds, white hot chocolate and spiced pumpkin.

A few weeks ago my sister and I got the bug for fall. It may have been a bit early (considering that it was 74 degrees out on this particular evening that I am about to recount). However, once a Minnesotan, forever a Minnesotan I say! And I happen to know that it has already snowed once or twice in those parts of the country by now.

It’s kind of like when some body wants to drink a beer or an after work cocktail they’ll say, “It’s five o-clock somewhere.”

In this case: “It’s 30-degrees-and-leaves-are-changing-and-frost-is-forming-on-the-window-panes somewhere.”

Anyway, back to the story at hand.

We went pumpkin crazy!

I wanted to make a pumpkin pie. And my sister, bless her heart, wanted to make pumpkin soup.

Ew! Pumpkin soup! You may say…

But, let me just tell you – do not knock it until you try it!

It tasted very much like a potato soup!

Which is perfect for a chilly fall night (we’re pretending it’s chilly – because we ate it anyway)!

After cooking and baking and having the oven on for 3-4 hours – the house temperature was up to 80 degrees.

Hence the sweat upon our brows!

It’s a woman’s work. Rough and tough – such conditions we bear to provide sustenance!

All in a fall days work!

Little Bits of Virginia

The Accidental Bird Booby-Trap

This is my bird feeder.

We recently moved it to the back corner of our yard because the feeder was at first mounted to our deck and birds were leaving there droppings all over it.

All kinds of birds – from cardinals to black birds – have been hastily draining the fruit and nut mix inside because of the horrible drought we’ve been in for the past 2 months.

On the 4th of July when DH and I went outside to start our yard work, I spotted a blackish ring of grass that was at the far end of the yard.

I didn’t think much of it and went about my business of tearing up the lawn for the  wild flower planting.

DH, as mentioned in the previous post, was doing man-stuff: walking around the yard, grunting and scratching his head and cutting wood and yadda yadda.

Apparently, he had also spotted the black ring and had further investigated its origins.

He called me over to it with excitement.

Once there I noticed that said black ring was a ring of bird feathers.

Feathers – nothing else.

No black bird body.

Let me first say that the black bird is the largest known bird in the neighborhood.

They are large, some what ugly, and squawk all about the premises.

I don’t even like the fact that they eat my fruit and nut mix – but with the drought and all I’ve come to terms with it.

Anyway, DH did not give me but a seconds worth of investigating as he had already figured out who murdered the blackbird in the yard (with a candlestick….ha! A little “clue” for you)

I’ll put up the picture and see if you can solve the mystery.

Can you see it?

Did you get it?

No? Okay, squint!

How about now?

Well, unfortunately for you I took this picture with my phone. It only has so much zoom involved.

Anyway, if you look closely over the roof of the house in the middle – there is an electric tower.

Sitting atop the tower is A MASSIVE NEST.

With two birds that average a wing span of SIX FEET each!

My bird feeder sits directly in the line of sight of said nest!

A perfect booby trap for these predators.

Meet the Osprey. Native to Virginia Beach.

This is a moment that I am happy to not have small children.

I fear this bird would eat them!

Cinnamon Rolls, Iced Coffee, Sparklers and Pool Parties

I’m drinking coffee. Right now.

Iced coffee.

And I had some yesterday.

But only one cup.

Do you think I’ll be okay? I mean c’mon! I cannot be the first person that is addicted to the stuff.

And, in all fairness, PA school is impossible without the java.

I nearly fall asleep in class every day!

And.. I don’t know what to do because I am getting the normal amount of sleep.

There is just no stopping it – my body wants a nap at 2pm sharp!

Unless, of course, I drink coffee.

DO YOU SEE MY DILEMMA HERE?

Moving on:

Fourth of July Weekend: Saturday, Sunday, Monday in that order:

SATURDAY

We went to a pool party / barbeque at a classmate’s house

I have been dying for my husband to meet this guy. I knew they would get along right away! And I’ll be darned if I wasn’t right!

I didn’t take any pictures though. I don’t know them that well!

Imagine how creepy that could’ve been!

Some times I get sneaky with my phone and take pictures…but I couldn’t risk it.

Then my whole class might think I was a weirdo!

SUNDAY

Cinnamon Rolls

I made them from scratch.

It looked a little like this:

This was my first time making them. They were delicious. Dear husband appreciated them very much!

Shortly after spending 2 hours on those decadent treats I caught wind of a barbeque that we would be attending later that evening.

….so I spent two more hours in the kitchen.

Making a layered strawberry/homemade chocolate pudding/graham cracker crust & frosting conglomerate.

I felt like it was patriotic enough for our holiday weekend!

After we stuffed ourselves silly, we lit giant sparklers and waved them all around the yard with as much fervor as the 10 and 12 year-old children standing next to us!

I have no pictures of that as it was too dark.

MONDAY

On Monday July 4th, DH and I did a ton of yard work for most of the day.

We meant to go to the beach but became distracted by our constant need to garden (me), mow (him), transplant plants (me), saw up wood (him) and the list goes on and on.

And so…since I’m doing so well with pictures today…here are some more!

Before

After

I know it doesn’t look like much but I planted wild flower seeds. When they grow in it should look pretty darn spiffy.

Look at me being all Martha Stinkie and all!

(I’m gearing up to do a before and after of our deck – from the time we moved in until now so I can brag about my green thumb housewifeness and my husbands sturdy arm carpenterness…stay tuned!)

Later in the day we attended another barbeque. Though this one started to get a little rowdy! I was the only one that had school (or work) in the morning you see.

We left promptly.

No thank you!

When we arrived home it was raining – but a neighbor was lighting off fireworks (and being illegal in the process – shame for him, gain for us!)

We laid down on the living room floor and watched them through the windows of our french door!

Happy Independence Day

 

From mine to yours

TMJ Revisited

Remember my horrible bout of TMJ issues a few months back?

Well.. guess what?

It was not TMJ.

I visited the dentist. They were kind enough to get me in a week later.

So I suffered a bit, yet was thankful for the appointment.

My dentist is a smart man.

He suggested this as the culprit:

(image courtesy of pinterest)

And, he was right.

I cut coffee cold turkey!

And now, when I drink the occasional cup of coffee and then have a second – I get a splitting headache.

I’m back to downing water and tea and the occasional Emergen-C vitamin drink mix (not that it actually provides anything of value).

Anyone have any suggestions on tea? I tend to tire of its particular flavors quite quickly.

In fact, because of four years of near starvation in college (not literally – that’s just life on the college budget) I over-did it on the green teas and haven’t touched the stuff in years (at the time, I was going for the appetite suppressor trick).

Oops.

I currently drink Good Earth Sweet & Spicy.

But, as you can imagine, I am trying not to dislike my favorite tea!

The Job

I got a job!

I had to!

Too much school can ruin any hard working scholar!

I wanted a fun job. I wanted a non-medical job.

And so.. this is what I got:

Def Leppard & Heart in concert.

I’m almost 26 and this is my first serving (waitressing) job.

I feel dumb…like I don’t know what I am doing.

I did, for instance, forget to give my customer a pen with his bill. Then I thought I’d be really respectful and give him plenty of time to fill out the tip and his signature. When, in fact, he sat waiting for way too long for a pen.

Oops.

And did I mention that this is the VIP section that we’re talking about?

That customer paid way too much to have a server that left him hanging!

But… I did not make any mistakes in food and beverage orders. Which I consider a win!

I had two tables. Next concert I should expect to have four. Eek!

Let’s not forget that it was great fun to see the concert up close. And to get paid to do so.

Even more fun was the people watching. There was a man sitting near my perch that looked strikingly similar to Ozzy Osborne. He was indeed wearing all black and a top hat! Another woman was decked to the nines in British flag attire (top to bottom). It didn’t take me long to figure out that Def Leppard is a British band and that she considers that to be their most important asset!

I welcomed the break from the books and I hope it only helps my grades and scholarship.

Only time will tell! (Next up on the roster is Toby Keith)

Meanwhile – DH (dear husband) was back at the ranch studying Spanish and dreaming big about our future.

Oh how I love that man! You never know what you’ll come home to -

Spanish? Who knew?

You mean that dusty Rosetta Stone box that’s been sitting abandoned for two years?

Now is better than never, right?