Willis and We

17 weeks, oh my!

2012-02-16T05:48:00.000-08:00

According to babycenter.com:

Your baby's skeleton is changing from soft cartilage to bone, and the umbilical cord — her lifeline to the placenta — is growing stronger and thicker. Your baby weighs 5 ounces now (about as much as a turnip), and she's around 5 inches long from head to bottom. She can move her joints, and her sweat glands are starting to develop.

I am still feeling really great and have had no weird allergy related symptoms this week. My biggest ongoing complaint is sleep. This has been happening since about 8 weeks and seemed to have gone away for a week or two around week 13 but the restlessness and insomnia is back with a vengeance! I find myself waking up in the middle of the night and having a really tough time falling back asleep. The dreams have been very vivid and often times this is the reason I am woken up. The doctor said it is very normal and unfortunately will probably only get worse as I get bigger and more uncomfortable.

Speaking of bellies, mine seems to have appeared overnight! This is the only belly shot that I have taken this whole pregnancy so I am not sure when it actually happened but it has. I officially have a bump!

This photo was taken yesterday morning at 16w6d. I guess it's hard to see how I am carrying from this angle but to me it looks a little high. Maybe consistent with the old wives tale for girl?? Who knows, but we will (hopefully) know for sure on March 12th!

New Favorite...

2012-02-15T13:29:00.000-08:00

Other than Pinterest this is one of my other absolutely favorite sites to get recipes from:

http://www.skinnytaste.com

Check it out! Also, start rooting for the H2Okies tonight as they kick off the Women's ACC Championship! Follow here for live results:

http://swimmeet.christiansburg.org/

**hopefully I can get Willis in the spirt and pose for me in some VT gear this evening.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2012-02-14T06:48:00.000-08:00

In our family we don't make a big fuss about Valentine's Day. I don't want (or expect) flowers, candy, cards etc. We typically share a nice breakfast together and call it a wonderful day. With Valentine's Day being a Tuesday and Aaron's championship season starting today we changed things up and had a nice meal together on Saturday. I guess this was pretty traditional. It was nice to share a meal and mostly spend some quality time together before Aaron is MIA for the next few weeks. Gotta love the busy season.

I do love doing things for others' for Valentine's day so I made Aaron's swimmers some treats to wish them luck as they head in to the ACC Championships.

My office is also having a Valentine's Day potluck so I decided to bring the sweet treat. And it is inspired by where else, but Pinterest =)

M&M Samoa Blondies
Recipe source: Recipe Girl

Ingredients:
10 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated white sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups sweetened flaked coconut
1 1/4 cups mini M&M’s
a few extra M&M’s

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 8x8-inch pan with nonstick spray and then line the bottom with parchment paper.
2. Heat butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until it browns and begins to smell nutty (watch it closely so it doesn’t burn). Let the butter cool for a few minutes, until just barely warm.
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the browned butter and sugars. With a wooden spoon, stir in egg, vanilla and salt. Stir in flour, coconut and M&M’s until batter is blended.
4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula. Sprinkle a few additional M&M’s on top. Bake 25 to 30 minutes. Let the blondies cool before turning them out onto a cutting board and slicing into squares (chilling them will make that process even easier).

Side Notes:
*Use chocolate chips in place of M&M’s if you’d like.
*For slightly gooey, underbaked blondies, bake for 25 minutes. For fully baked blondies, bake the entire 30 minutes (I baked mine for about 27 minutes and I thought that they were perfect!).

16 weeks: Update

2012-02-13T10:42:00.000-08:00

I had my 16 week appt. today and Baby Bell is doing great! It was just a regular appt. so just a check in on the heartbeat which was a strong 150. Some more blood work was done for the second screen for downs and trisonomy. We had the first scan and blood work done at 12 weeks and all was great then- we are expecting to hear the same great news when this lab work comes back.

I am still feeling really good. I am up another pound so that bring the total weight gain so far to a whopping 2 pounds! I was actually really happy about this as it is hard to tell how much weight you are or are not gaining when you can't button half of your pants. Amen for Bella Bands =)

On other weird pregnancy news, on Saturday Aaron and I went to dinner and I had scallops. I love seafood and shellfish in particular. The meal was great but when I got home I noticed I had hives all over my face! They were not itchy but they were very red and raised so I took Benedry and went to sleep. The next morning they were mostly gone, my face was just a little blotchy. I asked the doctor about it today and he said that any allergy is heightened during pregnancy and I could have always had an allergy to shellfish or I may be developing one. He wasn't concerned but said to monitor it shall it happen again. Very strange.

I made the appointment for the anatomy scan.... March 12th will be the big day. Here's to hoping these next 4 weeks fly by so we can get a peek at Baby Bell. Hopefully he/she will cooperate and show the "goods."

Decisions, Decisions....

2012-02-10T10:15:00.000-08:00

Where to live next year.... Of course when we moved here we chose to rent for many reason. One, we needed to sell our house in the Arctic. Never in a million years would I have imagined we would have sold it in three weeks. Well, I mean I knew it was a great house but with only two bedrooms it was definitely for a specific market. Luckily a young, single women fell in love with 101 South Dr. just the way we had in 2008. Second, we wanted to get to know the area before committing and buying a house right away. I think it is always important to get acclimated before making a huge investment in a house. Third, I was going to be unemployed when moving to VA and who knew how long it would take to find a job. Again, I got really lucky in this dept. Maybe we are just lucky people? Perhaps I should play the lotto... OK back to decisions...

So here we are now, feeling settled in beautiful Blacksburg and both employed. Although the house that we are renting is located exactly where we want it to be, the layout is not really all that functional and we are spending more in rent that our mortgage was in Buffalo. Again, renting was the best solution for us in September but I am not so sure it is what is best now. Part of this is maybe the "nesting" beginning and the desire I have to want to feel really settled before Baby Bell comes. Is it ridiculous that the thought of not being able to decorate a nursery makes me sad and may be the driving force behind this?? I know it may sound a bit extreme.

So, we are house hunting. Right now it is very leisurely and just by viewing properties online. We have driven by a few of them and ruled most out based on location and the lots. Being that we are in the mountains some of the properties are located on steep hills which would basically provide no yard. What is the point of owning an acre if you can't use any of it?? And some of the houses are so close together... we love meeting neighbors and living in a place with great people, but do you really want to look in to their windows and feel like you are joining them for dinner? No thanks.

We realize this will be a process and we hope to start actually looking at the homes and their interiors next month. Right now Aaron is too busy and his focus does not need to be on house shopping. And the reality is that if we don't find anything we can certainly stay put where we are for another year. As mentioned, the house is plenty big for all of us and would fit our needs. Baby Bell will just have to do with brown walls- I'm sure they won't complain.

16 weeks!

2012-02-09T05:23:00.000-08:00

Holy moly, 4 months down! In hindsight time is moving quickly but the past 3 or so weeks are crawling a bit. In the beginning the appointments were more frequent and with the holidays mixed in there it was week 12 before I knew it. I have an appointment next week and then will schedule the anatomy scan and learn the gender. Aaron and I knew from the beginning (even way before becoming pregnant) that we would want to know the sex of the babe. Outside of just the logical stuff such as planning, I want to begin to bond with Baby Bell and I feel knowing the sex will help me do that.

According to babycenter.com, here's how Baby Bell is developing this week:

Get ready for a growth spurt. In the next few weeks, your baby will double his weight and add inches to his length. Right now, he's about the size of an avocado: 4 1/2 inches long (head to rump) and 3 1/2 ounces. His legs are much more developed, his head is more erect than it has been, and his eyes have moved closer to the front of his head. His ears are close to their final position, too. The patterning of his scalp has begun, though his locks aren't recognizable yet. He's even started growing toenails. And there's a lot happening inside as well. For example, his heart is now pumping about 25 quarts of blood each day, and this amount will continue to increase as your baby continues to develop.

And The Obsession Continues...

2012-02-08T06:27:00.000-08:00

With Pinterest of course. If you still have not checked out this site I warn you to proceed with caution. It is highly addictive but in my opinion can be highly useful as well. When I first joined in September I would wander aimlessly through all the categories but now I find myself using it more as a resource. My biggest use for it: recipes. I have mentioned several times how I have felt creatively stunted in the kitchen and Pinterest has helped a bit in this area. And now that I have some more energy in the evenings I feel I am better able to prepare a nutritious meal for Aaron and I. For awhile dinner consisted of pasta, cereal or whatever I could muscle down the energy to eat and prepare. I know holy carbs!

Aaron and I love Mexican/Southwestern inspired meals. Typically this type of cuisine is a weekly staple in our house. When we lived in Ohio we ate weekly (sometimes twice a week) at our favorite "Mexican" restaurant, Casa Nueva. I say Mexican with the quotes because for those of you who love and know Casa know that it is more like hippy, modern Mexican but either way fabulous! We miss it everyday. When we moved away from Ohio I worked on mastering the burrito. Although I have never even come close to recreating anything you could get at Casa it was still a meal we enjoyed almost weekly. I would use fresh and seasonal ingredients (just like Casa) and bake them off with a little Salsa on top.

To find a spin on the 'Courtney' burrito, I cruised Pinterest on Monday looking for ideas and I found this one from Cooking Light Magazine:

Ingredients

1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken breast
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
3/4 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup refrigerated fresh salsa
4 (8-inch) flour tortillas
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Cooking spray

Preparation

1. Bring first 6 ingredients to a boil in a small saucepan. Stir in shredded chicken and green onions.

2. Combine beans and salsa. Spoon 1/4 cup bean mixture and 1/2 cup chicken mixture down center of each tortilla; sprinkle with 2 tablespoons cheese. Roll up.

3. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add 2 burritos. Place a cast-iron or other heavy skillet on top of burritos, and cook for 3 minutes on each side. Remove from pan, and repeat procedure with the remaining 2 burritos.

-----------------------------------------

I have always seasoned whatever eat I use but this recipe was really flavorful. I also added avocado because lately I cannot get enough of the delicious green fruit. This might be my only craving worth noting so far.

If you would like to get on Pinterest let me know and I can send you an invite to join. I know some people have been saying they are unable to join without an invitation. I'll hook you up =)

15 Weeks

2012-02-06T07:13:00.000-08:00

A little late with this post due to traveling but here it is:

According to babycenter.com

Your growing baby now measures about 4 inches long, crown to rump, and weighs in at about 2 1/2 ounces (about the size of an apple). She's busy moving amniotic fluid through her nose and upper respiratory tract, which helps the primitive air sacs in her lungs begin to develop. Her legs are growing longer than her arms now, and she can move all of her joints and limbs. Although her eyelids are still fused shut, she can sense light. If you shine a flashlight at your tummy, for instance, she's likely to move away from the beam. There's not much for your baby to taste at this point, but she is forming taste buds. Finally, if you have an ultrasound this week, you may be able to find out whether your baby's a boy or a girl! (Don't be too disappointed if it remains a mystery, though. Nailing down your baby's sex depends on the clarity of the picture and on your baby's position. He or she may be modestly curled up or turned in such a way as to "hide the goods.")

I am still feeling really great and have definitely noticed that I have more energy. I guess I didn't realize how tired I was in the evenings but now I have actually been able to make dinner and not fall asleep while doing it. Although I don't really have a defined "bump" yet my pants are starting to get tight and I look much thicker through the middle. I have started to feel some movement although it is dull and not consistent. Mostly, it happens in the evening when I lay down for the night.

I have a regular appointment next week and at that time we will schedule the anatomy scan for around week 20 (unless they let me sneak in a little earlier.)

Phoenix!

2012-02-06T06:14:00.000-08:00

Despite the horrible adventure back home I had a fabulous time in Phoenix! The conference was good, the weather was great and seeing old friends was the best! Although I wish that I had more time to spend with my friend Kristen, (aka Dinger) her husband Jani and their twin girls Mikaila and Addision the time we did get to spend together was great!

Dinger and Jani with the girls

Mikaila and Addison sporting their Tom Brady jersey's. Good thing they are to young to realize the outcome of the game last night.

First Baby Purchase

2012-01-31T07:38:00.000-08:00

While in Charlotte this weekend I purchased our first baby item: a stroller! I actually got it off of Craigslist and it is very gently used. It was purchased in September and used only 3 times. The family decided that a double stroller was a better fit for them; so their loss was my gain.

The stroller is a Bugaboo which according to mom's and every baby blog is the Mecca of all strollers. It can pretty much ride on any terrain and has it's own suspension system to make the ride for baby nice and smooth. I know sound ridiculous, right? I went back and forth and tried to justify the cost and also whether we would actually need it to do half of what it really does. My sister has one; she got it as a gift when she had my oldest niece and she swears by it. It has held up well for 5 years and is still going strong after 3 children.

So here it is, the first of many purchases =)

The one we purchased is the same as this but only has black fabric. However, you can purchased new fabric in about 10 colors, but I like the black and will probably stick with it. I think this will probably be our last baby item we buy until we learn the gender in late February/Early March.

Also, I have posted a poll on the right so you can vote. Do you think Baby Bell is a boy or girl?

Visitors and a Trip to Charlotte

2012-01-30T08:46:00.000-08:00

On Friday my college and friend Jill and her (very handsome) 3 month old baby, Owen came to Blacksburg for a visit before we all headed to Charlotte to celebrate our other friend, Heather's son's second birthday and to 'sprinkle' her new bundle which is arrive in early March. Phew! Did you catch all of that?

First up, some quality time with Jill and Owen. It was fun to walk on the Huckleberry Trail with Jill, Owen, Willis and Bella. The weather was beautiful and just made for a really nice afternoon. Jill also got a taste of some of Blacksburg's flare on Friday night at one of the local brewery's Bull and Bones.

So how did Bella and Willis do with Mr. Owen? Great! They love children but have not been around many small babies. They were very interested in sniffing all of Owen's things and also giving him gentle kisses on the face and hands. Owen only has cats at home so this was probably a little less enjoyable for him than it was for Willis and Bella. Bella was definitely a little jealous when I was holding Owen... she laid right at my feet or sat really close by. Willis was a little less concerned and mostly just curious with all the smells.

I think Willis and Owen are fast friends, what do you think?

On Saturday, Jill, Owen and I packed up and headed 2.5 hours south to Charlotte to visit with Heather and her family and to celebrate her son Liam's second birthday as well as 'sprinkle' Baby Fisher who is due in March. Liam had an absolute blast at his party with all his friends. Owen too enjoyed his first birthday party.

Sunday was the 'sprinkle' that Jill and I hosted for Heather. It was an intimate affair with some of Heather's closest lady friends from Charlotte. They shared stories about their children and gave her some helpful hints about welcoming baby number two. Since it is Heather's second baby and she has everything she needs, we asked people to bring diapers. I think little Hayden will be covered and have a dry and clean bottom =)

Back to the grind today.. but not for long. I am headed out west on Wednesday to Phoenix for a conference and to visit my other dear college friend Kristen and her husband, Jani and to meet these beauties:

Life is good! Happy Monday everyone!

The End of the Beginning

2012-01-26T05:47:00.000-08:00

Today marks 14 weeks for me and also the end of the first trimester. With the exception of being a little tired and some slight food aversions I have felt really well. No terrible morning sickness or headaches so I guess I will just chalk myself up as one of the lucky ones who doesn't feel awful for the first 12 weeks or so. At my 12 week appointment I had gained a pound (which honestly surprised me... I thought I had gained at least 5!) My next appointment is at 16 weeks and I would imagine I'll be up a few pounds from week 12. My clothes still fit but I definitely look a little thicker in the middle.

According to pregnancy.com

When you are 14 weeks pregnant, your baby is about 3 to 4 inches long. He or she weighs about 1 ounce. All of the baby's nourishment is being received from the placenta. The placenta has also taken over all hormone production from the ovaries. These hormones will continue to play a vital role in maintaining your pregnancy along with the changes in your body.

The baby is now about 12.5 cms or 4.92 inches. Your baby is now producing urine and actually urinating into the amniotic fluid. It also can practice "breathing" the amniotic fluid in and out of its lungs.

Your baby will start to get covered with a soft, fine hair over its body called lanugo. The lanugo will be shed before he or she is born and replaced with thicker, coarser hair. Your baby's sex organs have fully differentiated into male or female.

Other fetal development that occur around week 14 of pregnancy include the ears having moved from the neck onto the head, complete digestive glands, the thyroid starts to produce hormones, and the vocal chords are complete. Your baby will begin to inhaling and exhaling.

Public Service Announcement

2012-01-24T08:34:00.000-08:00

First comes love...

Then comes marriage...

Then comes....

Yup, we're expecting! Baby Bell is due to arrive on or around 7/20/12 and we could not be more excited! It has been really fun to share the news with family and friends as it was such a big secret that we were keeping. Now that we are actually speaking of baby it seems real and the excitement for July continues to build. It has been a very uneventful 13 weeks in the land of pregnancy so I am hoping that the rest goes this smoothly.

Now for the next challenge....

Getting these two on board with sharing all the attention.

Welcome Jamison Maynard!

2012-01-13T05:39:00.000-08:00

I am over a week late in posting but my best friend and her husband welcomed a baby boy to the world last Wednesday. Congrats Shannon, Jesse and big brother Jaxson, and welcome to the world Jamison!

The Things that Bella Gets In to...

2012-01-11T13:51:00.000-08:00

She is so rotten and food motivated it drives me nuts. Willis loves food too but we can leave things out and he could care less about them. With Bella we have to put everything away or she will eat it. We learned this very early on with her but sometimes we find ourselves "forgetting" and she will eat the entire dinner I prepared, the muffins I made for a sick friend, the meal I prepared for a new mom... The list just goes on.

Before the New Year I was packing up to go see my college roommate and ran in the basement to grab the laundry. Typically when I go in the basement Bella stands at the top of the stairs and waits. She is not allowed down there after she snuck down the one time and made a buffet out of the cat box. However, when I came back up she was not there. I was distracted and carrying laundry so I didn't really pay any attention. But after I put the laundry down and was in the kitchen (again she is usually by my side if I am in the kitchen) I noticed she was not around. That is when I went to the living room and saw the mess...

There she was hard at work eating a pack of Orbitz gum. I didn't really think much of it. I had left it on the counter and she grabbed it. It was fair game to her. I had opened it that morning and had a piece and there was one left in the pack so she ate 12 pieces in all. I cleaned up the little wrappers (luckily there was no gum on the carpet) and threw away the mess. Then, I went back to packing and enjoyed Bella's fresh minty breath. But then it hit me: I hope that was safe for her to eat. We were going away and I figured I would call the vet just to make sure she didn't need to be seen. Whenever my pets have an emergency it's always after hours or the weekend so I was better to check now than pay later.

I phoned the vet, told her what happened and immediately she wanted to know the artificial sweetener. Ummmm, I have no idea... Bella ate the package in to a million pieces so even if I wanted to find out I couldn't. She put me on hold checked it out and came back on. The artificial sweetener in Orbitz gum is lethal if dogs ingest. Of course it is! Just my luck... Ok, well what happens now? I was instructed to give Bella hydrogen peroxide and make her vomit. How on earth will I give this dog hydrogen peroxide?? I don't have children and do not have medicine droppers. But it hits me, I have a turkey baster. So there I am on the porch with a happy dog forcing hydrogen peroxide down her throat. She did not like it and she made a horrible face. Within two minutes she was vomiting and there they were, 12 pieces of Orbitz gum. Thank goodness I was home and she didn't digest the gum.

Bella is fine and was left unharmed by this incident. The lesson learned, no gum on the counter! In fact, nothing on the counter! Oh, and what was Willis doing while she was getting in to all this trouble? Just watching. Some tattle tale he is...

Catching up

2012-01-06T10:24:00.000-08:00

I am a little behind so I thought that I would post some updates of the past few weeks. For Christmas Aaron an I flew to MA to spend the holidays with my family. We had a fabulous time but of course it went by too fast. With Aaron's swimming schedule and my work schedule we could only get away for 4ish days so it was fast! We spent lots of time shopping, dining with friends and enjoying our time with family. My nieces and nephew are getting so big! Christmas is just so special when you have the little ones around to enjoy it with.

Addy got a doll house! Poor Ryan (brother in law) spent the next few hours putting it together.

Riley likes it too!

Riley got her own big girl bike! The look on her face was priceless when my dad rolled it in from the porch.

Liam just hanging out. I love his spiked hair!

The morning after we flew back to Blacksburg, Aaron was out the door at 3:30am to drive (yes drive) to Ft. Lauderdale for his teams training trip. I had the week off so this is what my house looked like for most of the week:

Serious. Snuggle. Fest. Willis, Bella, Brady and I enjoyed some lazy days on the couch and long walks on the Huckleberry Trail. Luckily the weather has been beautiful!

Last weekend, I loaded up the pups and headed to Pittsburgh to visit my college roommate (and bestie) and meet her (at that time) 7 week old baby, Nicholas. The pups love visiting Shannon and Brad too because they get to see her dog, Troy. Seriously. Wrestle. Mania.

Baby Nick. How cute is he? Such a good baby!

Willis and Bella sleeping. For some reason the only pictures I have of the dogs are them sleeping and resting; however, the reality is that there was a lot more wrestle mania then there was sleeping. I think when they slept was the only time we actually go to sit down. I had a very quiet drive back as Willis and Bella slept the whole way and then even the whole next day. By Wednesday they were back to being their normal pains in the ass. But, I love them just the same.

Happy New Year Everyone! I hope 2012 brings lots of happiness and health for everyone!

Happy 5th Birthday, Addy!

2012-01-04T07:56:00.000-08:00

My beautiful niece is 5 today! She is in Disney celebrating her big day and loving every minute. I cannot believe how fast time has gone and how she has developed in to a witty, charming and very smart little gal.

Happy Birthday, Addy!

A Town that Lost It's Innocence...

2011-12-12T13:04:00.000-08:00

In 2007 Blacksburg, VA and the campus of Virginia Tech lost it's innocence to a selfish man named Seung-Hui Cho. He took the lives of 32 individuals and then claimed his own. Although Aaron and I obviously did not live here at that time the images and the stories from that day haunt me. Once we arrived on campus I paid respect at the memorial which was dedicated to those who lost their life that day. The memorial is beautiful and a wonderful tribute to the lives lost; however, it still leaves me angry at the thought that anyone could do such a horrible thing.

Blacksburg is a very rural community and without the University would hardly sustain itself or be recognized nationally. It is quiet and home to good family values and small town living. The Univeristy gives it a "dot" on the map, but honestly the massacre of 2007 sort of did that too. It's not the type of thing any places wishes to be known for. Maybe for high quality education or research but not for 32 lives taken in a horrific manner.

This past Thursday the city and surrounding area was challenged once again. Four and a half years after Cho scarred this town another young man decided to do the same thing. For reasons that we will probably never know since he too took his own life after killing a police officer. In my opinion the University did an outstanding job of securing the campus and keeping students and the community involved. However, none of this changes that fact that a police officer, husband and father of five lost his life.

Below is a picture of the VT memorial for the 32 victims who lost their lives on April 16, 2007

Oatmeal Bake

2011-12-08T09:37:00.000-08:00

I had some blueberries that needed to be used so I decided to make an oatmeal bake. It was delicious! We actually ate it for breakfast but I think it would be excellent served as a dessert with some ice cream as well. Enjoy!

Ingredients

3 cups rolled oats
1 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
2 eggs
1/2 cup melted butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 cup dried cranberries

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a large bowl, mix together oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt. Beat in milk, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla extract. Stir in dried cranberries. Spread into a 9x13 inch baking dish.
Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes.

**Recipe from Allrecipes.com

Getting in the Spirit

2011-12-06T10:06:00.000-08:00

So I took your advice and I channeled my inner Martha and put up a tree and some of the other holiday decorations. You all were right, how could we not have a tree?

The stockings are hung by the ~~chimney~~ TV with care...

No presents under the tree (yet) but there is the sweetest pup all snuggled up

Taken with my iPhone at night so the quality is awful, but if you look closely (very close) you can see Sir Willis on his bed under the tree. He does this every year and I love it! Here are some photos to prove this is his favorite spot year after year:

2009

2008

Love this guy =)

Hello December...

2011-12-02T08:10:00.000-08:00

Wow! How is it already December? The last 6 months have seriously been a whirlwind. I am sure selling a house, moving to a new state and starting a new job all contribute to the insanity but I seriously cannot believe I am staring at the calendar and it reads December 2, 2011.

With that said, I typically am fully decorated for Christmas, finished almost all of my shopping, addressing all my holiday cards and making festive holiday treats. I have completed none of those as of yet and I am having a really hard time getting in to the spirit of the holidays. Aaron and I usually put the tree up right after Thanksgiving but we are contemplating even putting one up this year. I think some of it has to do with the space and some if it has to do with the home. It's hard to go back to renting after you own your home. And it is exactly just that, our house does not feel like a home. I am only partially unpacked from the move nearly 3 months ago and I just don't feel cozy. And my biggest reason for not decorating? We don't have a mantle. I know it's ridiculous that because we don't have a mantle I wouldn't decorate for Christmas; but seriously, where do you hang your stockings or put all your snowmen and Santa statues???

And in terms of shopping... We are flying home to MA this year because it will be easier than driving (12 hours by car but we have to go through DC, Philly, NYC and then of course the 95 stretch b/w Stamford, CT. and Providence, RI. NO THANKS) and I will not be able to pack everything. I could ship it all and have it there when I get back or I could just wait until the few days before the holiday and shop then. Let's face it even if I was done shopping Aaron and I would still brave the stores because we like the mall and living in rural town, USA there is no shopping within a two hour radius (good shopping anyway.)

So help me, should I put up a tree or not? Will it help kick start the season of giving? And where do you hang your stockings if you don't have a mantel?

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-11-28T06:29:00.000-08:00

We hit the road last week and headed south to Myrtle Beach for Thanksgiving. Aaron's family owns a condo in North Myrtle so we met his dad and his wife, her sister and Aaron's sister, husband and two children. The weather was beautiful and the the company was even better. It was a weekend full of eating, shopping, walking on the beach and just enjoying time with family. We haven't seen Aaron's sister and her family in quite some time so it was so great to be able to see them all. I think we may have started a new tradition on the Bell side of the family.

Aaron and I enjoying walking on the beach Thanksgiving morning

How cute is she? This is 14 month old Parker.

I am absolutely awful with the photos and these are the only ones that I took the whole weekend. A personal goal of mine is to take more photos and capture more memories...

Bobcat Baby Boom!

2011-11-23T06:08:00.000-08:00

Many of my former teammates at Ohio have welcomed babies this fall. Congrats to the newest parents Becky and Phil Zawadski (both OU Swimming and Diving Alums) on the birth of Trey David! It has been so fun watching our network of future Ohio Bobcats expand. Plus, on a positive note for all those who don't live in Ohio (which most don't) you can now send your bobkitties to Ohio and wave the $8,000 out of state fee. Which I'm sure by 2030 will be something more like a $20,000 fee!

Here's how the (potential) graduating class of 2034 is shaping up:

Owen Orton
Nicholas Poleski
Trey Zawadski
Baby Fisher

Whoa, holy boys! OU will have to bring back the Men's swimming and diving team!

H2okies Win!

2011-11-21T12:53:00.000-08:00

Aaron had a very successful week at the Georgia Tech Invitational. The men won the meet and the women finished in third place!

Go H2okies!

http://www.hokiesports.com/swimming/recaps/20111120aaa.html

'Steals and Deals'

2011-11-15T06:49:00.000-08:00

I am a HUGE fan of the segment on the Today Show called "Jill's Steals and Deals." Every Tuesday she features some amazing deals on things like clothing, bedding, shoes, jewelry, etc. I would not call myself a bargain shopper by any means (I don't really enjoy shopping that much) but she really finds items that are significantly marked down from their original price. And although I don't like to shop, I do like to save money on things that I like!

This week she featured a Philosophy skin care set for 75% off the original price. I love Philosophy products but hate the price tag that comes with them. I will definitely be scooping up one of these for myself and maybe even buy some to give as gifts. If you are looking for some amazing deals be sure to check out the site and check back every Tuesday. If there is something that you like don't wait as you only have 24 hours to use the promo code. Happy Shopping!

Click here to see the other deals being offered today:

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/45294634/ns/today-holiday_guide/t/steals-deals-philosophy-package-holiday-gifts-more/#.TsJ6qmBUOFV

Welcome to the World Nicholas!

2011-11-14T10:28:00.000-08:00

My college roomie Shannon and her husband, Brad welcomed Nicholas Bradley Poleski to the world last Friday. This kid definitely has some awesome parents and also an awesome birthday. Last Friday was 11/11/11 and his Nelly loving mom certainly has a #1 kid with all those 1's in his date of birth!

Congrats Shannon and Brad! We cannot wait to meet this handsome little man!

Closing On A Chapter....

2011-11-09T09:23:00.000-08:00

Well it's official, we have closed on our house in the Arctic. It is definitely bittersweet for sure- we loved that house! I am sure everyone holds s special place in their heart for their first home but that house I think was so much more for us. It symbolized a lot of "firsts" for us.

First off, it was our first house we owned. It was not a large house, but it was ours and we loved it's 'bones,' the street and the neighbors. During the house hunting process it just spoke to us...

Second, we welcomed our handsome and tiny pup, Willis to that home.

He brought so much warmth to 101 South Drive and truly made that house a home for us. We loved our walks on the tree lined streets. Willis too misses his friends that he had in the neighborhood. It was a very pet friendly block!

Third, it's the house we returned to after we said 'I Do' and promised to death do us part.

We exchanged our vows in front of 200 family members and friends and after the vacation of a lifetime to Greece we returned home to our humble home and handsome pup and kitty.

Fourth, it's also where we helped Bella find her forever home after being in several houses over a short period of time.

We were so excited to find a friend for Willis and to also introduce her to all the neighborhood pups. Bella bonded quickly with Willis but no so much with the other neighborhood pups.. She can be a little "bossy" at times...

Although we no longer get to call that house our home, we will always remember it for the great memories and also all of the great opportunities we were given by making the move to Buffalo. That house will be a reminder of both family and friends and we will forever be grateful that we were able to go home to that house for 3 1/2 terrific years.

So here's to you 101 South Dr. Forever our first home and forever in our hearts!

2011-11-08T13:40:00.000-08:00

If this is a new word to you then you may be one of the people who still have time left in their day. For those of us who have found and fallen in love with Pinterst you know what I mean. I have no idea why I find myself spending countless hours on this site... wait yes I do, it is highly additive! There are so many things to look at and discover but I mostly find myself 'pinning' food. I think I may have a food addiction. Most of the stuff I will never make because I would feel too guilty consuming it but I 'pin' it anyway.

Other than recipes you can get ideas for your home, fashion, fitness, photography, etc. I will say that if you decide to venture down the road and become a member of Pinterest: Beware- a whole new world will open to you. Luckily I discovered this site while unemployed so I had plenty of time to waste. Now, I just jump on here and there to explore and see what other people are pinning.

I will say that I have made some recipes that I found on this site... all of which were amazing!

Chicken Enchiladas from pink-parsley.com

Chocolate Coconut Bars from Marthastewart.com

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Bars from Brandysbaking.blogspot.com

Random Updates From VA

2011-11-07T05:46:00.000-08:00

All is well in Virginia. Everyday we get a little more settled in to our life in this college town and we feel blessed that we have been given an opportunity to live this life. The pups are LOVING the weather and the Huckleberry Trail- it is so nice to have access to a bike path just steps from our door. Although I am missing my daily long walk with them, I certainly make it a point on the weekends to take them for our "route" that we did everyday for 6 weeks. Aaron has gone back to being the primary dog walker as it is just too far for me to go back and forth everyday from Radford.

My job is going great. I am meeting with students and just doing what I love. Again, I feel blessed to have found a job so quickly and to not have sacrificed what it is that I love just to get by. The office is great and the people are even better. I find myself referencing Buffalo a lot but I think that is probably typically. I am hoping that all I learned in Buffalo will help the students and the office here at Radford University.

Everything else is calm and not too much to report on. I suppose that is a good thing, right? Here are some recent pics of who else, but Willis and Bella. Yesterday was such a beautiful day and we spent it with the pups at the park!

And this is totally random.... We had some friends over on Saturday to watch the LSU vs. Alabama game and I tried my luck at a new lasagna recipe and it turned out pretty good. I substituted cottage cheese for ricotta. Here is the recipe in case anyone would like it:

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/homemade-lasagna/detail.aspx

I also substituted ground turkey for beef and instead of mozzarella I used asiago. We like cheeses with strong tastes and mozzarella is just too bland for me.

Go H2okies!

2011-10-31T10:33:00.000-07:00

Willis and Bella were not able to attend the meet but they were able to show their support from home:

Go H2okies! Click on the link to read the full story- VT is on the move!

http://www.hokiesports.com/swimming/recaps/20111029aaa.html

Homecoming X2

2011-10-31T08:54:00.000-07:00

I am backtracking a bit here but a few weekends ago I headed back to Athens, Ohio to enjoy homecoming at Ohio University. It has been four years since I was able to enjoy Athens to it's fullest and it certainly felt great to be back in A-town.

Ohio University is nestled in Southeastern Ohio and just epitomizes to me what college should look like. Brick streets with mature trees, nothing for miles in either direction and of course 20+ bars in a quarter mile radius. Just what the students need, right? It's a "NeverNever Land" of sorts and will forever hold a soft spot in my heart. It's where I met some of the most amazing people, earned two degrees, held my first "big kid" job and of course where Aaron and I met and fell in love. It truly is a magical place.

I was able to see lots of old faces and reconnect with former teammates. Additionally I was able to visit some of my favorite restaurants and bars. Although I was only there for 36 hours I would venture to say I lived Athens to it's fullest!

The women's locker room at Ohio has undergone some updates and I got a chance to take a peek. There has been talks of a locker room upgrade since I was there 10 years ago and I am certainly glad to see that it finally happened. I was also super excited to see that Striker, our wannabe bobcat still has a home in the locker room.

As if one night in Athens didn't kill my liver I was so lucky to celebrate Homecoming VT style in Blacksburg. I have two friends who are a VT alum and came back to enjoy Blacksburg for the weekend. It was really nice to get a tour of the campus through their eyes and visit all their favorite bars and restaurants on campus. It was a wonderful 3+ days spent with good friends.

Colleen and I tailgating before the VT vs. BC game

Hokie Nation

2011-10-14T13:48:00.001-07:00

Six Saturday's in the fall this town is transformed into Hokie Nation. People come from near and far to cheer on their beloved team. The first weekend I witnessed this it was truly an experience. RV's furnished with multiple 60" televisions, tailgate food galore, backyard games such as corn hole, coolers packed with beer, and tables set up with a full service bar. They set up shop around 6 am and it's a full day of tailgating!

We were so fortunate to have two of our dearest friends from Buffalo come stay with us this past weekend as well as Aaron's Dad and his wife Shirley. Mike and Rebecca were amazed by the car decals, flags and mailboxes as they drove to our house on Friday afternoon- I assured them they were in for a treat come game day.

We took a long walk on Saturday through campus and downtown so I could further illustrate for them the love this town has for the Hokies. Although I have been part of two Universities neither one were quite as proud of their team.

It really does feel nice to be in a community where everyone is so proud of what sustains them. Without VT Blacksburg would just not be what it is. When I lived in Athens it was similar to this but game day just exemplifies how wide the love is for this school.

The game is such an experience- 78,000 fans yelling and screaming. This past week the game was super exciting and the Hokies pulled off a win against Miami. I took a video and once I figure out how to post I will. Here are a few photos from my phone:

Employed!

2011-10-13T10:16:00.001-07:00

I learned last week that I will be an Academic Specialist at Radford University. The position is housed in the Student Support Services office and it a program for first generation college students; I could not be more thrilled with this opportunity! Although this job will not be working with student-athletes, I feel that it will be an easy transition for me and will also give me another perspective into student affairs at a University.

Radford is located about 25 miles from where we are living which will
be a slight change from our 4 mile commute in Buffalo. Luckily it is mostly all highway and took me just over 20 minutes to get there (thanks to the 70 mph speed limits.)

I start on the 25th- one more week of vacation and then I'm back in the office working with students!

Some photos of Radford's beautiful campus:

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Delicious Dinner

2011-09-29T08:30:00.001-07:00

This is not a cooking blog but right now that is all I really have to think about all day. The ongoing question of what to make for dinner paired with unemployment have allowed me some time to search the internet for fresh ideas.

Yesterday's protein selection was spicy chicken sausage and this was the recipe that I decided to use:

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Chicken-and-Sausage-Couscous-13296

It was delicious! Hearty and a touch of heat from the turmeric and red pepper flakes. The only changes I would have made would have been adding some spinach or any other green leafy veggie. I also browned the sausage before I added it into the sauce.

On other topics, aren't they cute?

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

'Tis the Season...

2011-09-28T14:05:00.001-07:00

No, not holiday shopping- it's pumpkin season! I love all things pumpkin and while on a sabbatical from work I am trying to fill my day with activities. This was yesterday's "activity."

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Pumpkin-Walnut-Muffins-14500?mbid=ipapp

They are delicious and after I ate more than the recommended serving, I followed up with today's activity: a 4 mile run followed by a long stroll with the pups. Happy Wednesday All!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

A Crappy Situtaion

2011-09-26T13:08:00.001-07:00

Yesterday we had a very messy situation on our hands. This situation involves Bella....

Bella is a vulture; a thief. She will eat almost anything and sometimes she'll steal your food right out if your hand or off your plate. No food is left unattended when Bella is around. As i just said, she'll eat ANYTHING and this is what has been causing stress in our house.

In the old house in the Arctic we had a cat door to basement and we kept the cat box down there. We didn't choose this location because of the dogs it was just out of the way and gave Brady some privacy (because you know cats need privacy too.) Here in the rental there is no cat door to the basement so the door has to either be open or be closed. Are you getting the idea yet??

While trying to relax yesterday afternoon Bella approached me and this overwhelming horrible smell came with her. I noticed she looked dirty... Oh how I wish it was just dirt. Bella took it upon herself to no only have a kitty litter buffet but to also remove it from the box and roll all in it! See why I wish it was just dirt?? She rolled in cat S#^t!!! Even though she had just been bathed by the vet students, back in the tub she went for a thorough lather, rinse and repeat (x2!!)

How can this sweet pup be so mischievous and gross??? No kisses for Bella yesterday.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

No Excuses

2011-09-26T05:32:00.001-07:00

I officially have no excuses not to blog. I am unemployed, living in a new place and have plenty to write about and Aaron got me an iPad for my 30th birthday! No more excuses about a slow running computer making blogging a nightmare. So be prepared followers, more blog updates coming your way!

Security Guards

2011-09-25T05:27:00.001-07:00

Just in case any of you worry about my safety while I'm hone alone and Aaron is working or traveling....

Would you want to break in with this staring back at you??? They are harmless but yes, so intimidating.

Greetings from VA!

2011-09-24T13:28:00.000-07:00

We have made it to our new home and we are all getting settled and adjusting to life in Virginia. Compared to Buffalo it is a much different pace of life; not a bad pace of life but just different. Buffalo's traffic was hardly bad so I won't complain about the commutes in Western NY but here you can seriously get from one side of town to the next in 5 minutes. It is actually kind of nice.

The weather has been beautiful; nice fall temperatures. The setting is also gorgeous! Blacksburg is full of lush mature trees and plenty of rolling hills. Running around here has been excellent! Our rental home is cute and we are unpacked (mostly) and finding it to be cozy. We do miss our house in the Arctic but I think it's because we had a strong emotional attachment to that home. It was our first house and we made it a home.

Being in a college town we have found many perks. One being cheap food and beer! However I have had to get used to getting carded when going to eat dinner. I forget that once the sun goes down the tables disappear and it's standing room only for drinking. I guess with the benefits of cheap food and beer come the negatives in that you cannot escape the students. This is their town and they run the show.

The veterinary school had a fundraiser today so we brought the pups for baths and nail trims today. Willis was less than thrilled with the bath but he survived and received a bag of treats! There was also another family of weims there at the same time- fun to see 5 weimaraners all together.

Getting his nails clipped- this part he likes...

Bella is loving the royal treatment!

Willis says "no way!"

Being a pain in the rear

Dry and happy...

Bella's always happy

So fresh and so clean!

Showering Baby P!

2011-09-04T18:07:00.000-07:00

I hit the road this weekend for a very special occasion. My college roomie, Shannon is expecting her first baby with hubby Brad in November. This is going to be one lucky baby; his life will be filled with loving parents, grandparents and big bro Troy (a nearly one year old chocolate lab.)

The beautiful Mommy to be!

Cute sea animal cookies to match the babies nursery

Shannon opening up her gifts with some help from her cute helper, Bryn!

Jenny, me and Heather

Me and the mommy to be!

OU Ladies, Heather, Jenny and Shannon

Our attempt to recreate a picture from Heather's wedding 3 years ago. Clearly we missed the mark and it should read O-H-I-O

Congratulations Shannon and Brad! We cannot wait to meet Nicholas Poleski in a November!

Totally Long Absence!

2011-08-22T18:51:00.000-07:00

Holy Cow!! Well, I have officially neglected this blog over the past three months.... And it is certainly not because there is not a TON to blog about. The truth is that things have been crazy and our personal computer needs to be recycled so blogging on a slow, old computer is not really fun or motivating. A new computer is definitely on the short list of wants. However, our need list has been extended so the want list is getting pushed aside.

For example, something that we need is to sell our home. About 4 weeks ago Aaron was offered the position as Head Assistant at Virginia Tech. And although it was a tough decision to make, it really was an opportunity that we could not pass up. As greedy and selfish as it felt to walk away from two jobs we love, a home we love and (yes I'm going to say it) we love the Arctic. I will be happy to trade the ~~stupid~~ long winters but we love Buffalo and it is a place that will always hold a soft spot in our hearts. But back to the point, we need to sell our home. It has been listed for a whole two weeks ( I know that's nothing) and we have had no action. We did have an appointment made to see it but it got cancelled. Poor Aaron worked like a slave to get the house ready to show and it was cancelled. I came home to a very clean house that night- I guess that is a positive thing, right? So in the interim, the lovely man that is replacing Aaron will be moving in here with his wife and enjoying our home while we continue to try to sell the house. Cross your fingers we see some action!

Another thing on the need list is a job for me. As much as I know I would make a tremendous domestic engineer (stay at home wife) it's just not in the cards. I need to work at a minimum of part time to balance the mortgage and rent of the new pad (which is super cute). I would love to find a job similar to what I am currently doing but I will move to another area of education if necessary. The reality of me continuing in Athletics is not probable just because it is a narrow field and Blackburg, Virginia is not really a booming metropolis with lots of other colleges around. I have communicated with the people at VT and expressed both my interest and what I can offer to them and I will just wait and see. I do have two phone interviews set up for this week; one with Radford University (20 mins. down the road) and another with VT at their Child Development Center. We will see what happens!

Although we are very sad to leaving Buffalo we are looking forward to the new adventure that Virginia will offer. Shorter winters, ACC football and basketball, and hills! I have forgot what it is like to run hills! I will be resculpting the buns and legs- bring.it.on!

As we make this move I will be sure to blog a little more frequently. In fact, Aaron is already gone and it is just me and the animals here holding down the fort. That in itself offers enough entertainment. I am playing the role of the "single animal lady." The poor pups definitely miss their primary dog walker!

Mr.Popular and Ms.Not So Much

2011-05-19T16:37:00.000-07:00

Willis has always been popular amongst the other dogs in the neighborhood as well as with their owners. Everyone knows Willis and everyone loves Willis. I mean what's not to love? Outside of the rotten behaviors that he demonstrates in the house (eating paper, jumping on people when they come to our house, etc.) he really is an angel when interacting with other dogs. We actually credit Willis for helping us meet such incredible people in the Arctic. He is a conversation starter- everyone wants to know more about him.

Willis always had play dates with the neighborhood dogs. We don't have a fenced yard but his friends would invite him over to play. However, over the past 9 months or so we have noticed the play date invitations haven't been coming as frequently. Last week we learned the reason- her name is Bella.

Poor Bella is Alpha Dog and not nearly as social as Willis. She is great with people and kids but sort of nasty with other dogs; especially female dogs. And since Willis is a ladies man, all of his closest friends are female and this has caused a major issue.

So while on a walk last week we ran in to Delhi, a beautiful Golden that lives a few doors down and her owner Barry broke the bad news to us regarding why Willis has been seeing a little less of his besties. In hopes that we could all learn to be friends, Barry invited the pups to come play with Delhi in their backyard. At first there was some growling, hair standing and barking but it was VERY short lived. After about 20 seconds, Bella stopped growling and then about a minute later the hair on her back went back to normal. It was a fantastic play date!

Fast forward a week- I ran in to Delhi again today and Bella was an angel! Willis of course is always happy- go- lucky but Bella is a little bit of a loose cannon. However, after seeing her today with Delhi I feel completely confident that she will be asked to a few backyard parties in the near future.

Owning dogs is giving me so much insight as to what it must be like to have children. What do you do when one of your kids is popular and the B.M.O.C. and the other one is a total jerk? We are certainly learning. Now lets just hope when we have children they are both likable and people enjoy their company. I'm pretty sure growling and barking is unacceptable social behavior =)

Road Trip to the 'Burgh

2011-05-08T15:10:00.000-07:00

On the same weekend that Prince Liam arrived , myself, Aaron and the pups headed to Pittsburgh to celebrate the upcoming wedding of one of Aaron's closest and oldest friends, Matt. Before we made the trip Aaron and I spent the best $90 we have ever spent; we purchased a gate for the back of the car that kept the pups confined to the hatch for the trip. It made such a HUGE difference. Bella is a great traveler but Willis (as mentioned many times before) sucks in the car. He wants to literally drive the vehicle (i.e. be in the driver's seat with me.) If he were an 8 pound poodle this may be OK, but he is a 94 pound Weimarainer and highly impedes my view of the road. It's a huge safety issue and has resulted in me taking them nowhere by myself. However, after this awesome car experience I feel so much more confident about taking Willis on car trips by myself. Why it's taken us this long to get one I have no idea.

In addition to getting to spend some time with Matt and his fiance Julie, as well as some of Aaron's other childhood friends, we were able to hang out with my college roommate, Shannon and her husband Brad. It was a treat for Willis and Bella too because Shannon and Brad have a 7 month old Chocolate Lab named Troy. Although Bella was not really that interested in playing with the boys, Willis and Troy had a blast!

Willis and Troy were wrestling so much it was impossible to get a decent picture of them

Willis taught Troy how to watch the world go by....

This is what the Bell house looked like for about 24 hours after returning from Pittsburgh- Willis and Bella (Aaron and I too) were exhausted!

Prince William!

2011-05-08T14:48:00.000-07:00

Although the world will remember April 29th as the day of the Royal Wedding, my family was celebrating for other reasons. My sister and her husband welcomed their own Prince in to the family- William Henry Collins!

Baby Liam!

Top: My sister Leann with my oldest niece, Addy and nephew Liam. Bottom: The proud Grampy with his grandchildren, Riley, Liam and Addy.

I cannot wait to get home and meet this handsome fellow!

Quality Time

2011-04-03T14:09:00.000-07:00

I have no idea how this routine came to be but the routine on Sunday's is that I get up with the dogs in the morning. Willis' natural rhythm is around 7am (it always has been) so this is when we wake up. Although Willis is an early riser, Bella would probably sleep until 10; but since she is a Velcro dog and doesn't like to miss a beat, she joins us downstairs. After we head downstairs and they go out for a short walk, Willis joins me on the couch to catch up on my DVR'd shows while Bella thunders back up the stairs and heads back to bed with Aaron. Again, how did I get stuck with the early shift?

As much as I don't like that I am the one that never sleeps past 7am on a Sunday, I do really enjoy my time on the couch with Willis. This is about the only time that he and I get to spend together without Bella. While I drink my coffee and watch my TV shows that I cannot during the week, he curls up on the couch next to me.

However, more than the snuggle time that we have together what I really love is when he hears Aaron upstairs getting out of bed. He sits at the bottom of the steps, wags his tail with such happiness and waits for Aaron to come down and join me for coffee.

What did we ever do before this incredibly sweet pup?

Friends and Celebrations

2011-04-02T09:24:00.000-07:00

'Tis the season for celebrations! Congrats to our friends Mike and Ginger Tomes who are expecting their first baby in September and Mark and Emily who recently got engaged! So many things to celebrate and we were so glad we could all get together for dinner and share in their happiness.

The Parents to be, Mike and Ginger

The Bride and Groom to be, Mark and Emily

These boys could talk swimming ALL night

Ginger, me and Emily

Half Marathon

2011-03-25T16:49:00.000-07:00

Even since I retired from swimming 7 years ago, I have not really found a fitness routine that works for me. Swimming was never "exercising," it was training and something that I really enjoyed. Once I was done swimming I was ready to take up something that I could develop over time- I chose running. When I lived in Ohio I has a great training buddy, Shelley and we would run while also sharing life stories, work stress, etc. When I left Ohio I just never settled back in to running or any consistent training.

For the past year, I have been running with a friend of mine Rebecca and we have found enjoyment in running together in the mornings on the treadmill. We discuss the worlds problems all the while conditioning our bodies. I have found comfort again in running.

So to give myself focus and purpose, I have officially decided to run a half marathon this spring. I have done two in the past- one that I really trained for and another that I mostly did for the fun of it and although I would not say half marathons are my "ideal race," it gives me a fitness goal and a reason to get the miles in.

The half will take place Memorial Day weekend in Buffalo. It will be a nice flat course so I am hoping to clock my best time yet!

Baby Emma

2011-03-18T17:06:00.000-07:00

One of my dearest friends from Massachusetts welcomed a baby girl last Wednesday and she is absolutely perfect! Congratulations Kristin and Matt! I cannot wait to meet this precious little girl.

Emma Kristin Lewandowski

March 9, 2011

8lbs. 6oz.

MAC Champs

2011-03-18T16:54:00.000-07:00

The week after the UB Men's Swimming and Diving team returned home from Carbondale, IL as MAC Champions they were recognized during the last home basketball game. Here are some photos from the ceremony.

**excuse the quality- the zoom on the Iphone makes my pictures fuzzy.

The Neverending Story of a Rotten Dog

2011-03-16T18:03:00.000-07:00

Willis was a pretty good pup and really didn't chew or eat anything that he wasn't supposed to. For the first two years of his life, he was in a crate when we went to work. However, we always made sure he was stocked up on bones and chew toys while we were away. The only thing that caused us stress during the first year was finding his dog bed chewed to pieces and returning home to find a dog lost in a sea of white filling. And yes, this was quite costly but I attributed his rotten behavior to getting bones stuck below the bed and him digging to get them out. Whether my theory is true or not I will never know but I don't think his behavior was malicious.

Once Willis was two he was released from "Crateville" and allowed to roam free. He was an angel! We never came home to any surprises but just a sweet amber eyed dog to welcome us home every afternoon.

Fast forward to the present. Our sweet dog has become a little too "curious." Everyday it seems to be something new. He keeps going for paper products and chewing them to shreds. He doesn't eat the paper (usually) he just shreds it. The list includes: junk mail, insurance forms, checkbooks, textbooks, toilet paper and the most recent addition- Bella's medicine for her stomach!

Last week when Bella was sick I was given a prescription to put on her food once a day. It came in a box that had 30 individually wrapped "servings." Once I returned home from the Vet with Bella I headed right back out to the store to pick up chicken and rice to make her bland diet for the week. As usual I just plopped the bag down on the dining room table. When I returned home I found the box of medicine shredded to bits and NO evidence of the 30 small packets that should have been littered all over my house. WILLIS!!! Sure enough he ate every single packet. And how do we know? Evidence was littered in our yard an hour later, and then again the next day, and the day after that. What a rotten dog!

I called the Vet to make sure that Willis would be OK and of course when I called they thought I had a concern about Bella, but I assured them Bella was just fine and it was Willis who now may potentially need care. They said he would be fine but to bring him in if he seemed ill. Luckily, nature ran it's course and Willis was just fine.

I will accept partial responsibility for this since I left the medicine on the table and right in reach of the rotten dog. However, I am ready to have back my not so curious Weimaraner and resume a lifestyle free of picking up shredded paper every afternoon. Move over Marley, Willis is officially the most rotten dog.

Kurrle/Hedrick Wedding in Mexico

2011-03-13T15:48:00.000-07:00

I fled the Arctic sans Aaron (he was at the women's championship meet) and headed to Tulum, Mexico for the wedding of one of my oldest and dearest friends, Andrea. We grew up swimming together when we were in middle school and have been friends ever since.

To me the idea of a destination wedding is amazing. Honestly, I wish that Aaron and I had thought of it when we got married. What could be stressful about being surrounded by some of your closest family and friends and being in the sun and sand? I can't think of anything. It was so nice that both Andrea and Dave were able to spend such quality time with all those who were able to make the trip.

Andrea and Dave had phenomenal weather and the place they choose to get married was breath-taking. Although we stayed at a Dreams resort, the wedding itself took place at a restaurant on the ocean a few miles away. With the ocean as their backdrop and everyone barefoot in the sand, it was picture perfect.

Dreams Tulum, Mexico

Relaxing on the beach the day before the wedding

Showing off our dance moves at the hotel "club," Desires

Abby and Kathleen getting ready for the wedding

The beautiful bride getting her hair done

Relaxing before getting ready

Andrea and her mom, Jeanne

Husband and wife!

What an amazing backdrop.

Bridesmaids with the Mariachi Band

The Bride and Groom having a blast on the dance floor...

Congrats, Andrea and Dave! Here's to love and happiness and to being each others dance partner for the rest of your lives! We wish you laugh today as much as your did on your wedding day.

XOXO, Courtney and Aaron (Willis, Bella and Brady too)

Diet

2011-03-12T07:15:00.000-08:00

No not me, Bella is officially on a diet. I took her to the Vet yesterday because she has been having some stomach issues and we were getting a little concerned. However, I never imagined I would have seen the numbers that came across the scale. Back in August when we took Bella to our Vet for the first time she weighed 54 pounds; yesterday she weighed 68 pounds! We officially have the fat kid! She doesn't look fat and still has good muscle tone but the Vet did say she could stand to lose a minimum of 5 pounds.

I was beside myself. How could we let this happen? She no longer has a waist! Both she and Willis are grazers so it is hard to know how much she actually eats. The Vet recommended that we begin to food train them. The bowls go down for 20 minutes and then they are taken away. Both she and Willis will learn to eat in those 20 minutes and there will be no other food until the next feeding.

Also, since Bella has been having stomach problems she is on a bland diet of chicken and brown rice for the next week. She loves this! I made a huge bowl of this last night and she is in heaven. At least she is enjoying her "diet" so far!

Whoo Hoo!!

2011-03-06T07:48:00.000-08:00

Men's Swimmers Claim First MAC Championship Crown - Buffalo Athletics

So proud of Aaron and his team for this amazing accomplishment! This weekend UB captured it's first ever team title- and they crushed the competition!

Winter Blues

2011-02-11T14:38:00.000-08:00

Cooped up- that about describes how I am feeling in the Arctic right about now. I know most of the country is experiencing an incredible freeze so I hate to complain but the realty for us in Buffalo is that it will go on like this for another 6 weeks or so. Althought it will warm up a bit the end just does not seem in sight. Blah!

Ok enough about the weather...

Other happenings in the Arctic:

It's taper time for the UB Swimmers and their Championships are right around the corner. The Women are less than 2 weeks out and the Men 3 weeks. Aaron is getting super excited for what's to come. SN: I have not been a compeitive swimmer for 7 years!!! That just doesn't even seem possible!
I leave for Mexico for the Kurrle/Hedrick nuptuail in less than two weeks. Oh, Mexico how I need you so!
Willis keeps eating paper. The latest victim- the checkbook. If you could see him curled up next to me on the couch you wouldn't believe how rotten he is. But yes, it's true. Oh, I spoke to soon- now he's shaking out the rug at the entryway!

We hope you all have a wonderful Valentine's Day weekend! Aaron and I traditionally do breakfast for the holiday but are thinking about having dinner this year instead. We don't usually do gifts but I got Aaron something he has been eyeing. Oh, and he bought me something too while I was shopping for him. He of course doesn't know this yet but I will make him aware when I present his gift to him.

Should Have Seen This One Coming...

2011-02-02T11:29:00.000-08:00

Many have joked about it and the time has finally come. Willis ate Bella's sweater while she was wearing it! Although he didn't tear it off of her or anything he did eat the pocket off the back of her sweater. Where will she keep her bone now?

So why do I keep putting clothing on my dogs? No more for Willis except when he goes outside- he has a legit jacket for this purpose. Bella actually really likes her sweater- yes she told me! When I pull out the sweater she actually comes to me and feeds he head through the hole. Willis on the other hand, runs and hides from me even when I grab Bella's sweater. Poor pup has been so tortured!

Bella

2011-01-31T12:35:00.000-08:00

Every since we adopted Bella is has always bothered me that we will never know her birthday. Every April on Willis' birthday we make him a cupcake and celebrate-it really upsets me that her birthday is unknown. When we got her she was five; however, was she newley five or closer to being six? I know I am crazy but I love this dog and she deserves a day in which we celebrate her life with us. So I am asking my blog readers to weigh in on this decision- when should we celebrate Bella's birthday?

Bulls Win Fifth Straight Women's Swim Meet - Buffalo Athletics

2011-01-31T11:57:00.000-08:00

Bulls Win Fifth Straight Women's Swim Meet - Buffalo Athletics

Neglected

2011-01-27T18:15:00.000-08:00

This is defintaley a neglected blog. My deepest appologies to all 10 readers for my absence. No good reason for the absence just been busy enjoying life, two rottenly wonderful pups, a sweet kitty and a great hubby.

So what's been happening in the Arctic? As expected, cold temperatures have blanketed the area. The past few days have been comfortable compared to the beginning of the week where we experienced temps around -7. You know it's cold when you go outside and the moisture in your nose sticks. I know gross, but just reality here in the dead of winter. It warmed up 30 degrees in one day and it felt like a heat wave! We're back to the mid 30's and all is good on the weather front. The weather actually feels mild compared to the weather my family has been getting in Massachusetts.

School started last week so life around UB has been a little crazy. Call me insane, but I actually like the insanity- keeps me busy. The break feels long without all the students around and I enjoy their company.

Things for Aaron have been going great. The Men's and Women's team split their meet at Eastern Michigan and they saw some great swims on both sides. Aaron has two meets this weekend and they are one week closer to thier respected champoinships. It's getting exciting!!

I would post pics of the pups but they are sleeping and I never wake a sleeping pup! Pics to come soon....

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday

2010-12-29T11:38:00.000-08:00

The dogs received new dog beds for Christmas and it they love them! We went to Orvis before the holiday in hopes we could give them to the dogs before Christmas but they were a huge seller this year and had to be ordered form Orvis.com. Willis and Bella have slept in them the past two nights and Aaron and I have felt like we are on vacation! I forgot what it's like to be able to stretch my legs out at night without having to move a dog first.

Uh oh, someone else likes the new beds too.

'Twas the Week Before Christmas...

2010-12-20T12:07:00.000-08:00

... And all through the Bell house- Craziness! Oh the holidays, it's such a love hate thing. I love spending time with my family and friends but the days leading up to traveling are nuts! Lucky for Aaron he gets to brave the post office today. I strategically left him the one job that I hate the most-visiting the post office anytime in the month of December. I did package everything at home so all he needed to do was go to the post office to buy the postage-simple, right? I'm sure I'll hear about this one later =)

For everyone who hates the mall in December, people who do not border Canada really have no idea how horrible the mall is for us that live in the Arctic. The volume of people is multiplied by 1000 and then you have the trash bags full of clothes (the ones they wore to the mall that day) thrown in the parking lot. They pile on all the new clothes they purchased and wear them back over the border to avoid paying tax on the clothes. I'm sure I am stereotyping that this is all Canadians this time of year, but I literally had to dodge several bags left in the middle of the parking lot yesterday. It's insane. Aaron mentioned out the idea of going to the Outlet Mall in Niagara Falls yesterday and all I needed to do was flash him a look and instantly he knew that was a horrible idea. Canadians I surrender- you can have the mall. I'll return in January....

We'll make our way to Mass. tomorrow and it will be our first long trip with the pups in the new and much more spacious car. I am very excited about this- not the 7 hour drive but the added leg room is a plus. To all our readers, Merry Christmas and safe travels to you all!

Love,
Aaron, Courtney, Willis, Bella, and Brady

Weekend With the Ladies

2010-12-19T06:51:00.000-08:00

I fled the Arctic and the animals for a weekend with my college girls. There was no doubt that time with these wonderful ladies is just what the doctor ordered for me. Between the running around and the craziness that is life, some R&R was much needed.

When I went to Ohio University 10 years ago (crazy that it's been that long) I knew that I would have the time of my life. However, what I never realized would happen is that I would make such wonderful friends that would last a lifetime. I could not imagine my life without these girls as they have helped shape me in to who I've become. Although we are sprinkled across the US, we still have remained close and involved in each others lives.

Our weekend was low key and very relaxing. Other than a short walk around the neighborhood with Shannon's new pup Troy we never even left the house. It was amazing! The Wii kept us very entertained as we tried to master our dance skills with the Just Dance games and what would a reunion weekend be without some Michael? We of course had a blast rocking out to some oldies but goodies.

Carlee and Jill dancing to Michael. Please note the pajamas- we stayed this way most of the weekend =)

Excuse the dance moves but note how much fun we we're having!

Baby It's Cold Outside...

2010-12-15T17:08:00.000-08:00

Winter has officially hit the Arctic! Since we know that Willis hates sweaters we have refrained from buying him one (he can thank Petsmart for not carrying nearly enough XXLs.) However, we don't want him to shiver on his long walks through the snow so we bought him some "ruffwear."

Isn't he so handsome? He actually likes it and doesn't run away when we take it off the hook. =)

In previous winters, (this will be Bella's first as a Bell) sleeping becomes an issue as Willis likes to nuzzle himself right in between Aaron and I. However Bella has crowned herself "queen of the bed" so this year should be interesting with the two of them competing for warmth between Aaron and I.

Where will Aaron and I sleep?

Men’s Swimmers Win Zippy Invitational - Buffalo Athletics

2010-12-06T17:39:00.000-08:00

Men’s Swimmers Win Zippy Invitational - Buffalo Athletics

Updates from the Arctic

2010-12-04T07:27:00.000-08:00

We got our first snow on December 1st and when I posted "bring it on" to facebook some friends disliked. However, what I have learned after living in Buffalo for three winters is that no snow before December is a miracle! The southern suburbs (known as the Southtowns) got HAMMERED with snow. Some towns up to 35 inches! We on the other hand got a dusting. The lake effect snow is such a new concept to me but I am so glad we live in the northern suburbs (the Northtowns.)

Winter is officially here and we have begun to decorate for the holiday season. In our house the tree always goes up the weekend after Thanksgiving and stays until New Years. I just love the lights, the smell and all decorations associated with Christmas. Now to get all the shopping complete before the mall gets completely insane...

Willis has been on good behavior (except for the basket he ate the other day,) but for the most part he has been good. No more peeing on the bed or tearing holes in carpets- I am hoping we have seen the end of that. He has also been told that if he is good Santa will being him a new dog bed. Maybe we should start the Elf on the Shelf tradition with the dogs? Do you think they are too young to understand??

Aaron's team is away this weekend at the Akron Invite. Both the Men's and Women's teams are off to a great start this season and this could be the year for them to win a Championship. He works so hard and I am so proud of him!

Celtics in Toronto

2010-11-29T11:47:00.000-08:00

Since Toronto is just a short drive for us (about an hour an a half depending on boarder traffic) we decided to head up and watch the Celtics take on the Raptors. Although the Celtics lost in the final seconds of the game it was still an amazing experience. We scored seats 8 rows up from mid-court and from this seat I was able to confirm that Shaq is a monster. He looks huge on TV but in person he truly is a beast. I think his arm is the same diameter as my waist- no joke!

Our friends, Mike and Rebecca

Thunderstorms in November

2010-11-24T12:03:00.000-08:00

For all those who know and love me you can agree that I am a grump when awoken from sleep. So as you can imagine being woken up at 3:15 in the morning with a dog sitting on your head and panting violently doesn't fare well for me. We of course learned that Bella was afraid of thunderstorms right after we brought her home in July. We had many nights that looked identical to the one we had the other night. When I brought Bella for her well visit in August the Vet. gave me a sedative but since she gave it to me I had not had a chance to test it out.

When the thunder hit the other morning I went downstairs to get her a pill and hoped it would kick in fast. Then Bella and I headed to the guest room. I figured I left Aaron sleep. I know I am a great wife =) Willis of course came in to check out the commotion while Bella continued to convulse and drool all over me. I tried my best to not get angered at her but it was hard since it was 3:30 in the morning and I am a grump. I'm not sure if the pill ever actually worked because all I remember is that the last time I looked at the clock it was 4:10 and I think the thunder had stopped.

I think the best part of this story is the part after Willis came to check in on us. When he left he went back in to our bedroom with Aaron and shut the door behind him! In the morning when Aaron woke up he asked if I closed the door (which I did not) so the assumption is that Willis did.

Hopefully that is our last thunderstorm until next summer. Until then we hope to all get a good nights sleep...

Rotten Dog

2010-11-23T17:08:00.000-08:00

It my previous post I made mention of Willis' bad behavior. There have been a series of events that have coined him (officially) the world's most rotten dog. It all started a few weeks after we welcomed Bella into our home. We expected there to be an adjustment period for both Bella and Willis but what we didn't anticipate is that it would be delayed by a few months.

It started with Willis moving the area rug at the bottom of the stairs to all over the downstairs. He wasn't destructive he just kept moving it. I just didn't really acknowledge it and just moved it back to where it should go. He always looked at me like, "why bother moving it. As soon as you leave I am going to put it right back."

Then, he had a phase where he would take the pillows off our bed and one by one move them downstairs. Again, he wasn't destructive- just being strange. Who knows, maybe he had aspirations of being an interior decorator?

Next, he ate an entire blue pen to bits. I mentioned this particular event in the blog back in October. He ruined the area rug in the dining room and had ink on his paws and muzzle for weeks there after.

The follow event was the icing on the cake for me- I woke up to find the guest bed saturated in urine!! I know very gross. It was all over the bedding and pillows. I have no idea the motive behind this one. My co-worker thinks it was his way of saying F-you for bring another dog in to my house!

The most recent was when he dug a large hole through our wool area run in the family room. I came home to find carpet fuzz all over- I put a piece of packaging tape over the hole to prevent him from digging any further. So far it has helped polong the life of the rug.

It has been exhausting and we of course feel bad that he is jealous about the situation. However, at the same time we are exhausted and annoyed that he keeps acting out. We are praying that we have seen the end of the terrible twos...

Updates

2010-11-17T11:48:00.001-08:00

Hello all! I realize it has been four weeks since my last blog post- yikes! There really is not a good reason for this other than the time crunch. I also find myself using the actual computer much less since I got an iPhone. I know excuses, excuses. Here are some updates on what has happened over the past month. They consist of great joys and also sadness.

On October 1st Aaron and I welcomed our 4th niece Parker Grace to the family. She is healthy and thriving. Big sister Paige is adjusting as well and all are doing great!
My grandfather passed away at the end of October. It was a rough time for all and he is greatly missed.
On swimming news, Aaron's men's team remains undefeated on the season- they beat Pitt for a HUGE win. This was very exciting! The women too are doing great. The season is in full swing and all things are going awesome for Aaron
Football- oh, football. This has been a rough season for the Bulls. I continue to counsel and assist the guys through the tough times. Most importantly I continue to emphasize the importance of earning a degree. My days have been long and stressful...
Willis has been ROTTEN! I will create a separate blog for this post- definitely deserves it's own post.

I know not very exciting- I will do my best to get this blog rolling again!

Chicago!

2010-10-18T11:47:00.000-07:00

I headed to Chicago a few weekends ago to celebrate the upcoming wedding of my dear friend, Andrea. We grew up swimming together and have been friends since I was 10! She has impacted me in so many ways and I have always looked up to her. She was there to celebrate with me at my wedding and I cannot wait to return the favor for her.

I have only been to Chicago twice, and both times I have had a blast! We started out Saturday by rooting on Michigan (Andrea is a UM alum) and then later on headed out on the town. We rented a trolley to take us around- this was the first time I had ever been in a trolley and it was a great time. Very big which accommodated the group of 20 ladies.

Andrea and Dave will tie the knot in Tulum, Mexico in February. I have never been to a destination wedding but the idea of getting married in Mexico on the beach sounds amazing! Why Aaron and I did not think of this is beyond me.

The beautiful bride-to-be, Andrea!

Andrea and I on the Trolley.

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

Also while in Chicago I got to see one of my college friends, Carlee and her boyfriend Jason. We spent Sunday touring around the city and stopped for [what else] a pumpkin ale at a downtown restaurant. Carlee defiantly shares in my love for all things pumpkin and also cooking. I think she needs to start a cooking blog so we can call have access to the yummy things she writes about on facebook. How about it, Car?

Carlee and I at the Bean in Downtown Chicago

The view from Carlee and Jason's rooftop deck. Amazing!

All Things Fall

2010-10-10T15:43:00.000-07:00

Fall has arrived and the weather and surroundings in the Arctic have been beautiful. Temps in the mid to upper 60's and trees of booming colors all around. I love this time of year- its perfect for just about anything and the foliage is just amazing!

We took a drive today down to Ellicottville, NY to the Fall Festival. This is a place that has always been special to Aaron. As a kid he used to go there with his family and it holds a special place in his heart. We went the first year we moved here but this is the first time we have made it back there since. Ellicottville is a sleepy ski town and hosts some really great little shops and one of our favorite breweries, Ellicottville Brewing Company. If you like fruity beers you should try their blueberry beer- AMAZING!

The Fall Festival is a street fair of sorts. Lots of tents and of course amazing fair food. We brought the pups and they were wonderful (as always.) I think I am bias but we really have the best dogs on the planet. Everyone wants to pet them and know about them. Bella does great in public spaces, but she is a vulture for food so she was dragging me down the street a bit. Willis is just the gentle giant and walks at Aaron's hip and hopes everyone who passes by will give him a look or a pet- such a ham!

The pups get to cruise in style now. So much more room than the go-cart had to offer. Not such a great picture, but you get the idea...

The drive was beautiful. It's only an hour drive but it's amazing how the landscape changes and you feel like you are in a whole different world. Buffalo is soooo flat and and hour south is rolling hills and ski slopes.

Long day for the pups. Sleepy from all the fun. Bella was sleeping as well until Aaron took the camera out.

Side note: My camera is broken so we have been using our iPhone to document all things Willis and Bella. There is no flash and that is the reason for the dark photos. Our apologies- a new camera will be on my wish list to the hubby for the holiday season. =) Happy October All!

Craving Attention

2010-10-07T16:22:00.000-07:00

Willis has been displaying some strange behavior recently. My diagnosis: he is craving attention. I am no dog whisperer but that is the only logical reason I can come up with for his crazy tactics.

The past few weeks Willis has been taking the area rug from the landing of the stairs and moving it around the downstairs. Sometimes it is in the living room and other times it ends up in the dining room. Then last weekend, Willis took the pillows off our bed and brought them downstairs. He wasn't destructive with them but he has taken it upon himself to redecorate. All of these behaviors are new- Willis never really had any interest in chewing things.

Today we returned home from a visiting my grandfather in Boston and came home to find a pen had been chewed to bits. Not only was it in a million pieces, there was ink all over the carpet! As much as I wanted to blame Bella- and only because Willis has never chewed anything, I knew it had to be Willis. I inspected him but couldn't find any evidence of blue ink so I just let it go. Perhaps it was a duel effort? About an hour later as I was putting away laundry and Willis was lounging on the bed and there it was- BLUE INK all over his paws and some on his muzzle. Busted! He is such a jerk!

I think some quality bonding time is in Willis' near future. Aaron and I have been so busy and I think we have fogotten how wonderfully rotten and needy Sir Willis truly is. Although I am annoyed about the carpet, my feelings for the sweet pup are as stong as ever.

Sneak Peak

2010-09-26T17:56:00.001-07:00

It's that time again......

Wait for it.....

Poor Bella had no idea what she entered in to by choosing us to be her new parents....

NEW CAR!!

2010-09-22T11:31:00.000-07:00

I have graduated from the roller skate of a car and I will get my new Honda Pilot on Thursday. This also happens to be my birthday! Does it get any better than that?? I am so excited about picking it up tomorrow and cruising in style.

As mentioned in the previous post, Aaron and I were super slow with this purchase and cautious because we know how huge taking on a car payment is going to be. We looked at a few cars but the numbers never quite matched what we were comfortable with. Last night we went back to look at one of the cars we saw on Sunday. While there we feel in love with a different vehicle. She's (the car) beautiful! I am upgrading from a base model Chevy coupe to a fully loaded (navigation and all) Honda Pilot. And you know what makes me even more excited? I get to share it with these two cuties:

Random Updates

2010-09-20T11:41:00.000-07:00

I have been awful at this blog thing since school started back up. Every time I think to blog I really don't have the time. And as much as some of my stories from school would amuse you all, I am choosing to not blog about them in hopes to keep my job. But seriously, everyday is interesting and college students never seem to amaze me anymore. It's either that I was highly motivated, naturally a genius, had career ambitions or that I am getting really old that the new generation is extremely lazy and unmotivated. And, since I can check my email, use Excel as a tool to assist me and essentially use the computer for more purposes than facebooking, skyping, etc. I am a computer genius. Just sayin'....

Ok, end rant =)

Aaron and I have been car shopping. I say the term loosely because although we are in the market to buy a car we really don't need one tomorrow. Our cars work fine, but we would like an upgrade. Both of us have been extremely fortunate to have never had to make a car payment. Thanks to our parents, we were given our cars which we are so grateful for. However, both of those cars are nearing 11 years old and although the mileage is not really high for their age (100K each) we are ready for a grown-up car. I guess Aaron already has the car that he loves, but since we paid cash for it we have still never had to have a car payment.

We are ready for the car payment, but also have a budget to stick to. We don't want a car payment to consume our monthly expenses so we are being smart and not impulsive. We have narrowed the search down to a Honda Pilot. It is a big car, but we have two large pups and we would like a car we can grow in to. We fully intend to keep this car for another 10-12 years so I am sure we will get our fair use out of it.

We are looking for a certified pre-owned vehicle. It will save us about $10,000 and we only put on about 8-10k miles a year so we can get by with a car that is pre-owned and has low mileage. We have been out to see a few, but the numbers haven't been right so we are waiting patiently until one comes that we are looking for. Good things come to those who wait, right? I am hoping we do purchase by Christmas or else we will have a very long 7 hours in the go-cart with to dogs.

Happy Monday everyone!

Aaron's Mom's Carrot Cake

2010-09-13T12:25:00.000-07:00

I apologize for the delay in posting this recipe, but I wanted to be sure to share it all with you. From what I have heard, Aaron's mom was a phenomenal cook and an especially awesome baker. Baking is definitely not a strength of mine but for Aaron's 30th birthday I wanted to make him something both delicious and special for him. After sifting through her recipe collecting I found one for carrot cake- which also happens to be on the top of Aaron's favorite list. The cake was very simple to make and extremely moist.

Carrot Cake:

2 cups all purpose flour2 tsp. baking soda2 tsp. baking powder1/2 tsp. salt3 tsp. ground cinnamon1/2 tsp. nutmeg4 eggs1 1/4 cups oil1 cup granulated white sugar1 cup packed brown sugar2 tsp. vanilla3 cups grated carrots1 cup nuts (pecans or walnuts) optional1 cup raisins (optional)

Cream Cheese Frosting:

8 ounces cream cheese, softened1/2 cup butter, softened 2 cups confectioners’ sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 325°F. Prepare two 9” pans or one 12” cake pan or one 9”x 13” sheet pan by lining with parchment or wax paper.
Mix together in a bowl together flour,baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.
In a bigger bowl, whisk together eggs, oil, sugars, and vanilla for about minute or so.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and mix for about 2 minutes more.
Add the grated carrots. Then add nuts and raisins if desired.
Pour batter in prepared cake pans and bake for approx. 45 to 50 minutes. Test for doneness by inserting a skewer, it should be dry when taken out. Cool then fill and frost with cream cheese frosting. Garnish with more nuts.

To make the cream cheese frosting: a bowl beat together cream cheese and butter until creamy. Add in icing sugar and beat for a minute. Add vanilla. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat for another minute.

Randomness

2010-09-08T11:49:00.001-07:00

Terrible.Horrible.No Good.Very Bad.Blogger. My apologies go out to my readers, (I know all 15 of you or so) on my lack of updates on the blog. The true reasons have something to do with the words: work, football, freshmen, students- not in that order of course. We (Aaron and I) are back to school and the first week was a blur. Scheduling nightmares, lost and confused freshmen and of course everything else thrown in there. Aaron and I are working long hours and mostly seeing each other as we cross paths at work (yes we work in the same building) or while one is leaving and the other is going. It is crazy at first but will settle down in a few weeks.

Some exciting things that have been going on:

I returned home for my Aunt's wedding at the end of August and had a wonderful time with my sister and hubby and also family. I also had a chance to hit Cape Cod and spend Kristin's 28th birthday with her and some of our other closest and dearest friends. It was a quick trip (arrival Sat and out Monday am.) but it was jam packed and wonderful.

My college roomie turned 29 on the 3rd of September and she and her hubby, Brad came up for the weekend. We did a lot of Wii playing, lounging, wing eating and beer and wine drinking. AMAZING weekend!

Aaron turned 30 on Monday. Holy cow, 30! I made him one of his favorite things, carrot cake and used one of his mom's recipes. I know I will never be half the baker she was, but I'll admit the cake was pretty damn good.

Those are some brief updates. I of course have photos that correlate to all of these items and I will post as soon as I get a chance. The last update is that Bella had her first well visit at our vet. She is healthy and apparently very happy and well fed. On July 16 she weighed 47 pounds and this morning she weighed in at a whopping 54 pounds! The vet didn't seem concerned but just stated that she must be happy in her new home. I would agree, she is very happy and extremly spoiled.

Things That Make You Go Hmmm...

2010-08-26T17:26:00.000-07:00

Willis has never been interested in toys. When he was a pup we bought him the indestructible toys such as Kong brand items and he never touched them. Until of course another dog came in to his space and then he was always more than interested in these toys. So naturally now that Bella is in the picture, Willis is all of a sudden very interested in plastic chew toys that he never once even liked.

In hopes to resolve the issue I bought an identical toy for each of them- one of those nylabones so they could each have the same toy and they would be equally content. WRONG! I gave them each one and for less than three minutes they chewed on their own contently. Then, Bella dropped hers and approached Willis as if she was saying, "let me have it." Willis held on to it tight and she grabbed the end that was sticking out of his mouth and they entered in to a game of tug of war. Willis let go and Bella ended up with the bone. She then went to where she dropped the one she originally had, picked it up and kept both bones! Willis was pissed (so was I). However, Willis is so complacent and wouldn't "say"anything so I grabbed one from her, reminded her to share, and gave it to Willis. He said thank you with his eyes, and went back to chewing. Bella dropped her bone, and hovered over Willis wanting the one that he had. Why the hell did I but two bones if they are both going to fight over the one the other dog is using?

This has been the way that play goes in our house. Pure sibling jealousy about what the other one has. Never content with the same toy because they want the one the other one is using. Is this what it is like to have kids? If so, we might just stick to the furbabies. I guess with kids you could maybe reason, but not so much with these two.

Pure Rotteness. Absoulte Chasos. Totally in love.

Headed East with a Broken Heart

2010-08-24T16:45:00.000-07:00

We headed back east this last weekend to visit with my friends and family before the craziness of the school year starts for both Aaron and I. However before we left we had to make some tough decisions. We left Willis back in Buffalo and only took Bella east. We knew leaving both the dogs with their fabulous dog watcher (thanks, Tiffany) would be too much and we also knew that if we brought both the dogs we would be pretty house bound back in Massachusetts. Neither was an ideal situation so we packed up Bella and waved goodbye to Willis.

We had a jammed packed week while home. Here are some pictures to tell the story of our travels. Some words in there too, of course =)

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First up, a visit with Jaxson and my bestie Shannon. We got to see Jaxson jump away and also try bananas. He is such a handsome boy!

That afternoon we had lunch with my grandparents and then took over for my mom who was watching my nieces all week. We took the girls for a stroll around the block and little Miss Addy showed us how she can ride her tricycle.

My sister and brother-in-law went to Aruba for their 5 year Anniversary (congrats you two) and my mom spent the evenings with the girls throughout the week. Thursday we relieved my mom and Aaron and I had a slumber party with the girls. They are early risers (5:15 am) but it was so worth it. We don't get to spend nearly enough time with these cuties.

All the while, Tiffany kept us up to date with all of Willis' happenings. Thanks, Tiffany!

I have no pictures for this, but we had dinner with some of my closest friends on Friday. It was so nice to see them. It was also great to learn some exciting news about my dearest friend Kristin. The next Red Sox fan will make it's debut March 2011. We are so thrilled for them!

Then on Saturday, we headed to Newport, RI with my parents. We had lunch on the water and took in all beautiful Newport has to offer. It was great to spend time with my parents. They are wonderful and I love them very much. Again, would have been a great photo opportunity but I really sucked at those moments this weekend.

Before we knew it, back to Buffalo we went. Bella is the best little traveler. Often times we forgot she was ever there.

It felt great to get home and most importantly reunite with Willis. Tiffany dropped him off and had him waiting for us. We opened up the back door and he and Bella played a little fetch. They are great friends!

School starts on Monday and our (new) students arrive this Thursday for Orientation. It is so crazy to believe another year is upon us already. Both Aaron and I are excited to start our "seasons" but at the same time know how busy we will be one week from now.

**As much fun as we had this past week, I am feeling less than creative or excited while writing this. Sorry for the narrative all. Bella and Willis say hello. Maybe that will excite things =)

Sleep Interrupted

2010-08-16T18:36:00.000-07:00

From the way that our evening went last night you would have thought we had a new born in our house. As I sit here now and enjoy a glass of wine I am able to laugh about the series of events, but last night Aaron and I (and the animals too) were beside ourselves.

We learned last week that our little princess Bella is terrified of thunderstorms. Since Willis has never been bothered by thunder or fireworks we were confused when she awoke us around 5 am in what appeared to be a near heartattack/ panic attack. It was very hot in our house that morning (as it always is in the summer without A/C) but nothing else seemed out of the ordinary. It wasn't until the next evening that I was home from work and Bella started panting, shaking, tail tucked and she crawled on my lap that I realized, it was thunder and lightening she must be afraid of. I gave her 5mg of Melatonin, a natural sleep aid and she calmed down within 30 minutes.

Ok, fast forward a week. Saturday night there were threats of thunder in the forecast so to prevent another "episode" I gave her another 5mg of Melanin before bed. I have no idea if it actually thundered or not but if so the pill did the trick. Last night they were forecasting thunderstorms, but scattered so I had no idea if it actually would (thunder). I didn't give her any pills- I really don't want to just keep giving her pills if I am not sure if she will need it. Well, this is how the rest of the evening unfolded.

11 pm -all 5 of us in the bed (yes, I said 5 we are dog sitting.)
12:30 am-the panting begins and shakes the bed violently.
12:45 am- there is a light show in our room and Bella is sleeping on my head.
12:50 am -I give Bella 5mg of Melatonin
1 am- She is drooling and panting everywhere. She is up and down from the bed and crawling all over Aaron and I. Willis and Scobee (dog we are sitting) are wondering what the heck is going on.
1:30am- Aaron grabs a pillow and Willis and heads to the couch.
2:00 am- Still a complete lightening show in our room. Bella has now drooled all over my arm and I am soaked in dog slobber.
2:15 am- Bella's panting and slobbering begins to calm down.
2:25 am- The last time I looked at the clock before falling asleep.

When I woke this morning she was sleeping soundly as if nothing ever happened. I felt so bad for her. Her heart rate was probably that of Husein Bolt after a 100 meter dash; however, Husein Bolt could probably recover within 90 seconds from his heart rate escalating- she was in distress for 2 solid hours.

In the midst of being awoken by a convulsing dog, Aaron and I were yelling at each other as we tried to problem solve what to do for her. I don't want to always give her sleep aids/sedatives when I think there may be a thunderstorm, but what other choices are there so she doesn't have an episode like that again?

Poor Bella Girl!

Taste of Williamsville

2010-08-08T16:06:00.001-07:00

In the short week since adding Bella to the Bell clan, we have only ventured out with the dogs once. Willis is used to toting around with us where ever we go. In the summer we seek to find things that we can do outside and to find places that welcome dogs. Today, the neighboring town of Williamsville hosted their annual Taste of Williamsville festival. There were 28 different (local) restaurants that each had a menu of their popular items. For 20 bucks we certainly sampled more than enough food.

Take one of me with the pups. They are looking but I am not...

Take two, the exact opposite. Willis is a ham for the camera but Bella is not as enthusiastic.

Our friend Brian Wolffe joined us for some fun in Williamsville. He noticed all the attention we were getting by having the dogs so I let him walk Bella as she is a chick magnet!

My boys =)

Aaron with his "kids."

Bella is such a scavenger. The whole time she was on guard hoping she could pick up any food someone may have dropped. We are not sure if her previous owners didn't feed her very much or if they fed her a whole lot of table food because she devours anything that come near her snout.

Waking the Neighbors

2010-08-06T13:51:00.000-07:00

Everything with Bella is perfect except, She is a barker! She barks at everything. A car door shuts- bark. A person walks by- bark. And if a dog walks by- definatley a very loud bark! I realize that most dogs bark but Willis never did so now that we have a dog that barks it is really quite annoying. Worst of all, Willis has started to join in the chaos!

Dog lovers and owners, we need help in getting her to stop barking. I realize it may not be realistic to get her to stop barking entirely, but we would like any suggestions that would help to minimize the amount of barking that is occuring in our house.

Fast Friends

2010-08-01T17:33:00.000-07:00

Bella is so fast! We have learned that one of her favorite games is fetch. The only toy that came with her was this half chewed plastic snowman. We took it outside to test her skills. Watch out Willis, she is very quick!

This is the only time Willis got the ball and I think Aaron tricked Bella so Willis could have a turn. I lectured him (Aaron) about playing favorites and not teaching Willis that he will need to share with his sister. **** I love how he is so on guard and in attack mode.

Everything with Bella is going great. As if we and everyone else didn't already now, she has found her forever home. Other than the fact that she is a HUGE bed hog, she is essentially perfect. I would change nothing about her. Walking two dogs may prove challenging, but Bella is great off a leash so we might substitute long walks with fetch (especially when Aaron is gone.) Feeding is also getting easier. Willis is a grazer but Bella doesn't seem to be so as long as I keep Willis out of her bowl everyone will get what they need. We have started the process of switching Bella's food so she and Willis eat the same kind. Luckily she was already eating a grain and wheat free food so the transition will most likely be easy.

Life with two dogs is going to be an adventure, but we are certainly in for the ride. Welcome to your forever home, Bella Bell!

Please Allow Me To Introduce....

2010-07-29T17:30:00.001-07:00

I will start by saying my house is quiet, peaceful and I have two pups sleeping on either side of me on the couch. Yes, two pups! I know we are crazy right? We work 50+ hours a week, (each-on a good week) and we already have one perfect pup and a wonderful kitty so why would we ever want to enter another animal into what already (sometimes) feels like a circus?

I have become a sick and twisted advocate for dogs and love my dog more than my husband sometimes,(sorry Aaron)which is why we now have two dogs. As I wrote about a few days ago I was on Craigslist and someone had posted that a 5 year old Weimaraner was in need of a good home. We are a good home right?

After we took Willis to meet Bella and saw that they played perfectly together I could not stop thinking about her. She was sweet, gentle, petite- sort of just like an extremely smaller, yet almost better version of Willis. I don't think anyone could be truly better than Willis, but she is just more mature at five.

Her first night home was great- a smooth transition as she came right in, ate her dinner and then appropriately make herself right at home on the couch. Willis checked her out a bit and then found himself a home on the floor right by her. Such a great "little" brother.

Here are a few pictures that tell you more about Bella's first night in the Bell house.

I think she is going to make a perfect new addition to our lives. Now it is on to tackle a few challenging tasks:

1. Walking two dogs- today was interesting but it will get better (I hope).

2. Feeding two dogs. Willis is a grazer so he usually eats all day. I don't know about Bella yet but I know Willis will eat all of her food if she walks away. Any tips from you have about feeding two dogs that are grazers would be very helpful.

3. The sleeping situation. Let me paint a picture for you about last night. Bella in the middle, Willis at the foot to the right, and Brady at the foot of the bed in the middle. Oh yeah, and Aaron and I were squeezed in there somewhere too. Total Zoo, right?

Hard Decisions

2010-07-27T18:51:00.000-07:00

Ok let me just start with this:

5 year old beauty named Bella needs a new home. She's crate trained and house broken. Up to date on shots and has a good bill of health....

This is what I read on craigslist today. Of course she is a Weimaraner and had all the papers. We took Willis out to meet her this evening. They ran through the acres of land together and had a blast. The couple just rescued her four days ago but they have a one year old weim who I guess is very territorial. It's not going to work out for them.

We left and told them we need till tomorrow to decide. Can we handle two dogs? She is so petite and very sweet. And she LOVES the water. Willis hates it.. We are a swimming family and and a dog that loves the water is sort of desired and fitting. Don't you think?

What do we do???? People with multiple dogs please advise. I am in love with her already but is it a good fit for our life?

Trip to PA and Car Troubles

2010-07-21T18:54:00.001-07:00

We hit the road again this past weekend after a few weekends at home. We headed south to PA, Greensburg , PA that is to visit my in-laws and visit Aaron's Grandma. It was a wonderful trip and we were spoiled with amazing food and great company.

We were also able to spend Saturday with my college roomie, Shannon and her hubby, Brad. We spent the afternoon by the pool and caught up on each others' happenings. It is always a treat to see the two of them. On a side note (very important side note,) Shannon is also a HUGE dog lover. So naturally she was ecstatic to see Willis. They had some great bonding time too!

On the way home the A/C in the Go-Cart decided to malfunction, or just plain old not work. Although I enjoy the windows down on a summer's day, going 70 on the interstate is a bit much. However, I would have been fine and dandy with the windows down if there had not been an accident on the highway which caused us to remain at a full stop for nearly an hour. Can we say miserable? Aaron and I were extremely hot but poor Willis was lethargic and lifeless. He just sat in the back and drooled all over himself. It was pathetic and it was the LONGEST trip home EVER.

After all this I think it is clear that the Go-Cart must go and I am due for a new car. I know Willis definitely deserves one!

1st Anniversary

2010-07-11T05:17:00.000-07:00

Well, we made it. We survived our first year without any bumps or bruises. To be honest, it was really a piece of cake. For our Anniversary I stuck to the traditional first year gift of paper and I surprised Aaron with Red Sox vs. Blue Jays tickets in Toronto. Since our official Anniversary was on a Saturday and that was also the day of the game, I had to convince Aaron that we should go to dinner on Friday night instead of Saturday. He didn't argue or questions my antics he just went along with it. We exchanged our gifts- Aaron loved his tickets and I got an IPhone!! Aaron didn't stick to the paper gift, he went with the modern gift of a clock. I'll take it!

We made reservations at Tempo in downtown Buffalo and it was so AMAZING! The day after our wedding last year, we went to Tempo with some of Aaron's family and had the best meal we have every had. As soon as we left we said we would go back for our 1st Anniversary. Tempo did not disappoint. We shared a bottle of wine, both had lobster bisque for a starter, gulf shrimp risotto, and for a main course I had gorgonzola encrusted fillet and Aaron had an asiago stuffed veal chop. They had to roll us out of there we were so stuffed! We didn't even have room for dessert.

Two glasses of Champagne, compliments of Tempo.

Rogers Center, Toronto

We had awesome seats. 10 rows above the Red Sox dugout. In Toronto, the away team is on the first base line.

Yesterday was awesome! It was a busy day and we didn't get a chance to have a piece of our wedding cake just yet. The place that made our cake gave us a replica for our 1st Anniversary- Chocolate Overdose, yum!! We will have a piece of that tonight and wash it down with the bottle of wine that given to us to be enjoyed on our 1st Anniversary. Such a fabulous weekend!

Heat Wave

2010-07-09T15:41:00.001-07:00

Last night before we went to bed this is what our thermostat read. Holy cow! The worst part is about an hour earlier it read 90. I have no idea why we don't have air conditioning- at least in our bedroom. Every summer we talk about buying a window unit for our room, and every year we survive the 5 days that are so hot you can barely sleep. We had three of those nights in a row this past week so I hope we can survive the two that remain. The good news is that the weather is cooling off and today the thermostat reads a brisk 79.

The 4th on the Lake

2010-07-05T15:21:00.000-07:00

Since we had the cookout on the 3rd, Aaron and I decided to head down to the Naval Park on Lake Erie in Downtown Buffalo to spend some time enjoying the weather and the scenery. Buffalo has some really great selling points to it (the snow not being one). One of those selling points is the water.

Willis is ready to go. He wanted to drive=)

Lake Erie and the Peace Bridge to Canada.

My boys. Willis refused to look at the camera.

We stopped to check out the boats at the Naval Museum. No pups allowed so we just looked from the walkway.

Aaron and Willis (still not cooperating) on the pier. This also happens to be the location of this picture taken on July 10, 2009:

We hope everyone had a safe and wonderful 4th of July!

Backyard BBQ

2010-07-04T06:39:00.000-07:00

We had our second annual July 4th BBQ and it was a success. We love hosting our friends for grilled food and backyard games-what could be better? I decided that I would slow cook ribs all day and they came out great! Usually I marinate them with part barbecue sauce, part cherry wheat beer, but today I decided to do a dry rub and baste them as they cooked for 4 hours. They were delicious! Everyone brought a dish to share and all the food was yummy =)

Next week is our anniversary so Aaron and I decided we would defrost and serve our top tier at the cookout. I honestly thought that it would taste freezer burnt or be dry, but it was AMAZING!! It was a chocolate fudge cake and it tasted as good as I remember it tasting on July 10th. We will get another cake (of our choice) from the bakery this week for our actual anniversary. The Dessert Deli rocks!

Cornhole, Washers and Ladderball. Plenty of games for all!

Willis' new friend, Chloe!

Willis with two of his besties, Sam and Caitlin.

I was too nice on July 10, 2009- got my chance to shove cake in Aaron's face =)

Thanks to all who were able to celebrate with us!

Working Overtime

2010-06-30T16:10:00.000-07:00

Yes, Aaron and I have been working overtime, but I am referring to Willis. The timeliness of this post is not timely at all but I did really want to post about it. Last week, right after I posted about Willis working 9-5, he was called in to work at 1:30 am. Here's the story...

At 1:30 am I woke up to Willis barking. Willis rarely barks and he has never woke us up from a deep sleep barking. I didn't even hear him go down the stairs- I just awoke to loud frequent barking. I woke Aaron up and was freaking out. Just as Aaron was getting ready to go down the stairs, the person who Willis was barking at rang the doorbell. We were freaking out!

Aaron was about to open the door when a flash of light flickered and a voice said, "Amherst Police." What the heck??? We were total idiots and just opened the door. It could have been anyone claiming to be the police, but at 1:30 in the morning who really makes good judgement? I guess we were lucky the badge we were flashed was legit.

Long story short. A neighbor on the next street over called the police saying her car has been burglarized. The Police then decided they would alert all neighbors to notify and remind them to lock their car doors. I guess there was nothing better happening in Amherst last Thursday night...

Willis was rewarded Ham for a job well done. Such a good guard dog...

Working 9-5

2010-06-23T17:39:00.001-07:00

Willis is working 9-5 that is. I mentioned that Willis is no longer crated during the day and he gets to roam free. As far as we can tell he doesn't move very far from his carpet at the bottom of the stairs. We know this because when we get home it is very warm! Over the past few weeks we have been so pleased with how easy Willis is getting. It seems like it happened overnight, but he really is so easy now.

Yesterday, as I ate my sandwich on my lunch break, Willis was no where to be found. Typically when we are eating he can be found watching (and hoping) he may get a crumb or taste of whatever we are having. But we was not begging, he was (again) lying on his carpet at the bottom of the stairs. Other than a quick trip outside when I first came home, Willis was literally passed out for the 45 minutes I was home. We have noticed this behavior in the evenings too. As soon as we get home he is sound asleep on his carpet.

Aaron and I laughed uncontrollably last night when we hypothesised why Willis has been so tired when we get home. We believe that although he may be resting, he is "sleeping with one eye open" as to guard the house, or perhaps wonder when we will get home. When I was home on lunch, Willis too took a lunch break. And when we are home in the evening, its as if he is "clocking out." He realizes that when we are home he no longer has to be on guard. We then chuckled when we realized, no one is going to break in to our house when they get a glance at the 100 pound (not so ferocious) pup inside. Although he is HUGE dog, he is not very mean. But hey, if I didn't like dogs I would probably go running too.

Willis on a break =)

Four-Legged Friends

2010-06-22T18:21:00.001-07:00

Before there was Willis there was my first child, (Tom) Brady. I realize I don't post much (anything) about Brady, but in all honesty Brady is well behaved and not that exciting. When he was a kitten he was mischievous and rotten, but at 5 (35 in cat years) he is pretty docile.

People always ask how Willis and Brady get alone and usually they don't pay much attention to each other. Brady is still his social old self and Willis could care less about chasing him. So, they (we) live in harmony and everyone gets along. Every now and then they get close enough to rub noses, but it is a rare occasion.

The weather has been hot and we are without air conditioning, but have several window fans. On any given summer afternoon, this is how you might find the two brothers...

A Week in Paradise

2010-06-20T16:54:00.000-07:00

We has an amazing vacation in Puerta Adventuras, Mexico at the Dreams all-inclusive resort. It is about an hour south of Cancun and just south of Playa del Carmen. It was our first go in Mexico and also our first try at an all-inclusive. Our verdict: we would definitely go back! We certainly ate and drank our money's worth over the course of the week. It was a vacationers dream!

**On a side note, we almost had a very rocky start to the journey. I booked the trip under Courtney Bell, I mean why wouldn't I? I have been a Bell for nearly a year. Well, as we approached the ticket counter it was brought to my attention that I never changed my name on my passport! Luckily, the lady at the US Airways counter was feeling helpful so she changed my name in the system back to Gould so everything matched. Close call!!!

The resort... it was not a massive resort, but just perfect with 6 a la cart restaurants, 5 bars (two swim-up beach bars) and right on the Caribbean.

Welcome to Mexico!

View from our balcony

Puerto Adventuras is mostly known for snorkeling so you could not go out very deep, but we were fine with that. We spent most of the week by the pool anyway =)

Couldn't resist putting a stamp on our journey

Dinner at one of the restaurants. The food was great!

Right outside of the resort was an "aquarium" of sorts. You could swim with the dolphins or manatees. We choose to just watch the beautiful animals.

Such cool animals!

Couldn't resist... I didn't buy one, just tried one on for size

Yikes!

Back to the real world tomorrow. Although it was nice to be away from our hectic schedules, sleep past 6 am, and read all day by the pool, believe it or not, we were ready to come home. There was one big reason why we missed home. I am sure you all have a good idea what that one reason was.....

Of course, Willis. Thank you Sam for taking such great care of our furbaby!! He was spoiled rotten all week!

A Letter from Willis

2010-06-12T19:15:00.000-07:00

Dear Mom and Dad-

Please have a great time on your vacation. I will be on my best behavior for Sam (as always.) Although I will miss you very, very much I know how much you need this break from your hectic lives.

Oh, and please bring me back something sweet from Mexico. Do they have special dog bones there? If so, I would love one! Just not one from a pig- I'm really not into swine.

XOXO,

Willis

On the Road (Again)

2010-06-12T08:02:00.000-07:00

This post is not very timely, but last week we hit the road (again) and headed back to Athens for the Kostival/Wener wedding. For all of you who know anything about Athens, we were bound to have a fabulous time!

Athens will always hold a special place in both of our hearts. It is where I went 10 years (yikes!) ago to set out of an adventure. A place where I met some of the best people, where I learned a lot about myself and also where I learned to do 26 pull-ups. Yes, the pull-ups are ridiculous, but to all my dearest members of OU swimming and diving you get it. Four years went by in a blur and every time I return I warp back to 21 years old. Maybe a more tasteful 21 year old, but we'll leave those stories out.

Athens is also where Aaron and I met and fell in love. For that reason, Athens is also a special place and we will always cherish our first date, first kiss, etc. All of those moments occurred in Athens. It is where we began our professional lives and where we began our journey...

So... what did we do? We ate at our favorite restaurant, Casa twice in 15 hours, drank way too much, and reminisced about the old days with some great friends. We also attended the wedding of Courtney and Greg and there too had a fabulous time!

Congrats Courtney and Greg!!

Updates on The Ear and Free Willy

2010-06-08T18:43:00.000-07:00

Willis' ear is doing great! He got the babushka removed last week and the vet was pleased with the progress of his ear. However, he has a small cut on the other ear and we are worried it is going to take the same path as the other one. He is just an ear slapper and we can't make him stop! On other news, his coat looks great! We think the new food and the allergy medication the vet gave him is definitely helping.

Aaron and I had discussed when Willis turned two we would begin opening up the house and eventually allow Willis to roam free throughout the day. Well April came and went and Willis still went in to his crate when we went to work. When he had the babushka on his head he also had to wear the e-collar (cone) when we weren't home. It was really hard to get him in his crate with the cone so we made the decision to let him roam free throughout the house. What harm could he do? He couldn't get to anything with the e-collar on.

Tuesday was Willis' first trial to roam free without the cone and he has been (knock on wood) an angel. We have yet to come home to find any messes or destroyed furniture. I think we are turning the corner and Willis is becoming a very independent pup!

Finally, The Truth About the Totum Pole...

2010-05-31T18:39:00.001-07:00

I know I am a bit behind on this so I apologize if it seems irrelevant now, but I wanted to make sure you all got the truth about how the Totum Pole came to be. We found out the real story from the guy who cut down the tree and not the neighbor.

As I stated in the original post, our neighbor told us that the tree was left as is (Totum Pole) because of "inclement weather." To our amazement (insert sarcasm) that was very far from the truth. We were told to follow up with the landscaper to discuss stumping. And when the landscaper came, this was his version of the story.

The landscaper could not find the quote for the tree that he had given the neighbor so he asked the neighbor if he had his copy. The neighbor did and he went in the house to go get it. He went in and came out empty handed. Not only did he come out empty handed, he told the guy some outrageous price. Obviously the landscaper knew it was wrong- he does this for a living and knows what a tree of that size costs to remove. Knowing that he (landscaper) was getting screwed, the landscaper went to his truck to try to find the original quote. He was not successful. He was pissed, let the neighbor pay him $400 dollars less than he remembered quoting the neighbor and packed up the truck and left. This is why we returned to a 15 foot limbless tree.

While the landscaper told Aaron all of this, Aaron was annoyed. Both at the neighbor because he was being shady, and also at the landscaper because there was no note or anything left to explain what really happened. Aaron then told the landscaper the whole story as to why the tree was coming down. He explained that after months of nagging and letters about damage to their property, we surrendered the tree. Now, this is the part that we are both pissed about.... The response form the landscaper was: "All the tree needed was a good trim." Son of a B!$%&!!! We lost a good tree when we didn't need to....

While this is all happening, Aaron is still curious about the stump. No one ever told us how much that would cost. Aaron and the landscaper walked to the Totum Pole and the guy told us he would come back and finish the job and he would remove the stump for $100. We were of course thrilled with this price as we were prepared for up to $400.

Five days later the landscaper returned and this is what our backyard now looks like. No more Totum Pole. No more beautiful tree. Just a pile of top soil and wood chips....

The Totum Pole has been put to rest, but we are still annoyed and angered by the whole situation.

Willis Updates

2010-05-31T10:49:00.000-07:00

It has been 3 days and Willis has left his "headdress" intact. We can't lie, we never thought he would make it 3 days. We are grateful becuase if it had fallen off we would of found ourselves at the emergency vet hospital since our vet is closed on Sunday and also for the holiday today. He has been good about taking his meds and we'll go in tomorrow to remove the headdress and check the progress of his ear. We are quite sure he will come home rewrapped tomorrow, but since we know that he is well adjusted to it, it's not that big of a deal. We are just praying for no more ear infections!

The Story Behind the Photo

2010-05-29T05:37:00.000-07:00

Poor Willis, he just can't win the battle with the ear infections. Part of the problem is that it is nearly impossible to get the ear drops in his ears. He puts up a huge fight and it is exhausting. Since he has yeast in his ears, the best treatment is the topical cream and an oral medication is not the best treatment.

Sometime within the past week Willis ended up with a small cut on his ear, and every time he shook his head the cut got bigger. It turned into a scab, and then an abscess, and it would bleed every time he shook his ears.

The first step is to treat the infection his ears so he won't shake. So in hopes to let his ear heal, this is what he have to deal with for the next 4 days. Any bets on how long we can keep the babushka on his head?

A Post With No Words

2010-05-28T13:03:00.000-07:00