Brian + New Car = Hot Wheels!

It's official! Brian is the proud owner of a brand spankin' new 2011 Nissan Altima!

(At least for the next 39 months he is!)

Pooches Potter

Jack had a check up at his vet's office today to make sure his ear was healing and to see if we could remove the dreadful plastic cone. Unfortunately, we aren't able to remove the cone, but, fortunately, his ear seems to be healing quite well! We found out that the mass on his ear was a histiocytoma, and all his test results came back benign - a wonderful sigh of relief! His head was re-wrapped, and he received his next round of normal puppy dog shots, and all was as it should be...except for one thing...

...There was something strangely peculiar about his return home...

...In the middle of his forehead we noticed a lightning bolt.

Clearly this can only mean one thing: Jack is a wizard, akin to that of Harry Potter. We are sure, in one weeks time when we unwrap his ear again, he will have used a spell to heal his wound, and we will be cone-free. We knew our dog was smart. Evidently, our muggle brains just couldn't truly comprehend how smart he really is!

Auriculo Emendo!

(Yes, I Jack just spouted off a healing spell. And he waved his paw in the air, too, like he had a wand...)

Big Bird

And, no, I am NOT referring to your tall, bright, yellow, friendly neighbor on Sesame Street. I am referring to the bird that Brian saw in our yard the other day. The bird that most ornithologists classify as a 'raptor'. The bird that antagonizes, agitates, and intimidates all the little birds in the circle of life: the hawk.

My Mom and my stepdad, Scott, gave Brian and me a bird feeder for our housewarming gift when they came to visit in December. We were very excited about the prospect of making some new bird friends. After all, we are very animal friendly in this household with our bunny rabbit, Bun, our puppy dog, Jack, and our hopefully not permanent mouse, Mickey. (No offense, Mickey.) We thought it would be nice to add some birds into the mix. Plus, we've noticed it is actually really nice to have birds around in the middle of Winter. It makes Spring not seem so far away!

However, Brian and I don't know a whole hell of a lot about birds. Every 'bird' to us is...a 'bird'. We, obviously, can distinguish between a male cardinal (our state bird), a blue jay, and ... probably a blue bird, but we haven't seen one yet. Other than that, our bird knowledge is not that impressive. Nor are our bird ID skills. So, we've decided to try and snap some shots of the birds that we see and attempt to identify them. Check out the album below of what we've seen/been able to capture (in a non-threatening, very humane sort of way) so far:

At first, we just saw a lot of small birds, then we saw a blue jay which is really quite big compared to the other birds, then Brian saw a hawk. I'm beginning to wonder where this path is taking us. Based on my ornithological calculations, we will probably soon see an egret, a parrot, a vulture, maybe a crane, a flamingo, an ostrich...and then a pterodactyl, in that order.

We will be sure to take photos for your viewing pleasure!

Kingly Kitchen

35 days ago, we began the construction of our kitchen. Last Friday marked another milestone in our remodel with the addition of running water. (Nearly as extraordinary as 'fire' during the caveman era. Nearly.) Our faucet was installed the day our backsplash was installed, but it wasn't hooked up. There was one pipe that ended up being too short, so we had to wait until Justin picked up a pipe that was long enough. Fortunately, it ended up working out perfectly because the kitchen was essentially 'finished' on Friday, and Brian and I were able to move back in on Saturday. (I say 'finished' because we still have a final punch list that we need to complete, a few minor things that we need to replace, and a walk through that we need to do with Justin before we hold our ribbon cutting.)

We spent Saturday running our dusty dishes in the dishwasher, opening boxes of kitchen supplies that hadn't been opened since we moved into our house (because we didn't have a stove or an oven), and arranging our kitchen to work for us. We scrubbed the floor, we wiped the countertops, we set out our new placemats, and we generally readied our new kitchen for our very first house guests (since the renovation) - Patrick, Becky, Noah, and Brady. And it was absolutely marvelous!

The kitchen is exactly what we had envisioned and more. There is a ton of space, it just works, and it really makes us so happy that it all came together so wonderfully. When Noah and Brady went to bed, the four of us literally hung out in the kitchen, and it was just fantastic! It was wonderful and delightful, and we are just so impressed with our new kitchen space! We have yet to make it to the grocery store for a major shopping trip, and we have yet to try out our 'mood' lighting, but both are on our list this week/weekend. We will get to them at some point. For now, we are just revelling in our new space; our new space fit for a king...King Brian...

(He is going to love that one! As a matter of fact, I may have just created a monster...)

PS: On a puppy note, Jack has been feeling much better. He still has a cone, but he's got his puppy spirit back, and we are all so happy that he is doing well. (He's been loving the kitchen space too!)

Pupdate

The update on our sweet Pooch is as follows:

We made it through surgery, and we were quite the trooper.
We are now home and cozy in bed while the anesthesia grog wears off.
We are a little wimpery but nothing that a few cuddles (and pain meds tomorrow) can't cure.
We are absolutely, positively ecstatic to be home and with the family.
(And big brother, Bun, is enjoying his freedom from being chased, sniffed, slobbered on, barked at, and, all the other little puppy nuances that are now a part of daily Bun life.)

Get well soon, Puppy-Poo!

Our Sweet Puppy

Jack is at the vet's office today for surgery on his ear. He has some sort of mass that needs to be removed. It's been growing larger since October, and to say we haven't been slightly worried about it is a lie. He's seen the vet three times since then in regards to his ear, and each time we were assured that it would probably go away. It didn't, and it just continued to get larger, and now he is having surgery to have this bump removed.

When he is picked up from the vet's office today after work, his head will be wrapped, and we will once again be living with a cone head. This will be the second time that we've had to wrap his ears to his head and stick a cone on him. The first occured from an incident at the dog park when a stranger dog just bit Jack out of nowhere. We are familiar with the cone, and the sad puppy eyes that stare out at us pleading to just take that plastic thing off. It is truly heartbreaking, but knowing that our puppy will be good to go in a few weeks, and he won't have a bump growing on his ear, makes us feel better. The sooner he heals, the sooner we can get back outside and play ball.

I am really missing that sweet puppy this morning and hope that he's not scared or sad. It was definitely hard to leave him. (No thanks to you, Emotions. And don't even get me started on the wreck I will be if I ever have to drop our future kids off anywhere...) I was filling out his paper work and he was sitting at the exit door, waiting to leave... Oh, how I wished he didn't have to do this.

He will be showered with love, and kisses, and cuddles when he gets back home this evening. I can't wait to see that silly waggle and that funny smile of his! And I'll let him bark all he wants if that makes him feel better!

We ♥ you, Pooches!

The Homestretch

On January 2, 2011, we began the destruction and remodling of our kitchen. It is now 34 (working) days later, and we are nearing the home stretch! We've been told this has been one of the fastest kitchen remodels people have ever seen. (We've never remodeled a kitchen so we don't really have a base to compare this one to, but we are extremely happy and impressed with the way the work on our kitchen has progressed.)

This week has been relatively slow. On Monday, Brian picked up the back splash that we ordered. On Tuesday, Justin came over to install said back splash. Yesterday, we found ourselves with a working gas stove (though I haven't had the guts to turn it on yet), and Justin completed the BS. (That's 'Back Splash', of course. What did you think BS stood for?) We also picked up our stools for our little breakfast bar and got started on assembling them. Today we will have a slight break because Justin, Aaron, & Chris won't be coming over, but, by the end of the day tomorrow, we should have a working sink! Just in time for our house guests this weekend! And once the sink is complete, other than a few minor touch ups here and there, we should be able to hold our ribbon cutting!

We still can't believe the kitchen in our house is ours. The addition of the back splash this week really pulled the entire kitchen together. It's a beautiful textured stone that just looks fantastic! (I'm not trying to toot our kitchen horn, but the back splash is really my favorite part of the entire kitchen.) We are both so pleased with how everything that we have selected for our kitchen has worked together. And it all really started from a granite color we liked loved before we even decided that we were going to renovate! It has really been an incredible journey, and while we are looking forward to getting settled in our new kitchen, we are both going to miss Justin, Aaron, and Chris and their extreme craftsmanship!

Gallery of our most current and unbelievable kitchen photos!

...Perhaps we will have to start another major project!?

PS: If you or someone you know is looking to renovate anything in the Central Ohio area, we have a fantastic recommendation for you!

Cupid's Arrow

In March of 2008 I was struck by Cupid's arrow. That dazzling, glitzy, love potioned spike of intense power that he so valiantly carries around with him pierced me (it got me good), and it sent me falling deep into the beautiful, bright, and eternal chasm of everlasting love. I'm not complaining. I'm just reminiscing since today is Valentine's Day!

Last night, I decided to sweet talk Brian into making valentine's rather than purchasing store bought cards. When I approached Brian with the idea, after a bit of convincing, he willingly agreed! (Fancy that!) I brought some of my crafty things down the to the living room table, and we sat and made each other homemade valentines while we watched the Grammy's. (Brian doesn't know this, but I'm thinking we may have just started a new tradition!) Tonight, we will present each of our creations to one another and celebrate, share, and spread the love this day so unmistakably exudes!

Here's to hoping you all had a fantastic Valentine's Day!

(Click the image below to view our first married Valentine's Day adventure!)

Oh! Heaven, let your light shine down!

Our electric is officially back on! Ok, Justin explained the reasoning to both Brian and I, and I'm going to do my best to reiterate what he said, but keep in mind that I'm no electrician, so the layman's terms that I may use to define the electrical issue may sound slightly childish to anyone who knows anything about ... electrical things.

Ok, here goes nothing.

So, apparently, the main connection line to the bedroom and spare room (they were on one line) just went out. Surprisingly, this electrical wire is newer than some of the other electrical wires in the house. Because the wire went out, we didn't have electricity in either room. Makes sense. Justin connected the bedroom and spare room to the ... 'other' main line that connects directly to the ... real main line of the house? Something like that. This 'other' main line is nearly as old as the house but appears to be working perfectly! And whether this is a temporary fix or more of a permanent fix, we do not know. What we do know is we now have electricity back in the bedroom and spare room, and we are so appreciative of Justin's expert knowledge and
handyman-ness.

(Yes, I've taken layman's terms to a new extreme.)

Thank you, Justin!

It's Electric!

Boogie woogie, woogie!

Um, something weird is happening with the electricity at our house. With the recent ice storm, there were a ton of trees and branches that fell and, consequently, a ton of houses without power. Fortunately, ours was not one of them. (And I think power has been returned to those houses by now. At least, I hope it has.) Our lights flickered more than usual the night of the storm, but we never 100% lost power. Yesterday, however, I tried to plug our vaccuum into an outlet in the wall. It didn't work. When I tried another outlet and it worked, I didn't think anything of it, just chalking the non-working outlet up to our home being an older home. (Despite the fact that this outlet had worked in the past...since Brian and I have lived there...)

However, when I went into the bedroom, the clock on my nightstand wasn't on, and when I tried to plug the vac into an outlet in the bedroom, it didn't work there either. Then, when I tried to turn the light on, it wouldn't come on...weird! The hall light works, the bathroom light works, the office light works, but the spare bedroom and the master bedroom don't have any power...

Brian checked the breaker box and reset the power everywhere but to no avail. I feel like it's probably something simple, but Brian and I (with the non-electricians that were are) haven't figured it out yet. We're going to ask Justin about it today. He knows everything!

♥ Love ♥

Exactly six months ago, on Friday, August 6, 2010, Brian and I were married at Goodale Park. We were married! (Sometimes I have to say it twice to believe it. Still!) It was our perfect day -- the weather, the people, the love, even the minor hiccups -- they all made our day one that neither of us will ever forget. Ever. And today, we are celebrating our first half year anniversary of marital bliss!

I could go into how much I love Brian, and how much more I love him everyday, and how I am so excited to spend the rest of my forever with him, but I'll keep it short and sweet...today. I did, however, include a small album to reminisce about our day with us, if you'd like:

I love you, Brian, with all that I am. Happy Half Year Anniversary! Here's to many, many, many more! ♥

Sleepless in Columbus

Last night, I could not sleep, and, consequently, Brian could not sleep either. (Sorry, B.) I'm not quite sure why. I was exhausted when I went to bed, but when I was, ah hem, awoken around 11:30 pm I was wide awake. By 2:30 am, Brian and I were talking about the Superbowl, who we think is going to win, and our house, what we are going to tackle next, and insurance, and all sorts of random things. It was quite funny, really, but to this hour I still cannot figure why my body wanted me to burn the midnight oil.

Anyway (not that you really care about my sleeping habits), in kitchen news, we are really nearing the home stretch! Today, we expect the granite company to visit and measure the countertop areas for the template that will be created, and we get to officially move back into our living room! Aside from a few minor kitchen projects and a little bit of a clean up, next week will be relatively quiet in our kitchen. We're just waiting on the granite which we anticipate will take about a week and be installed next Friday. We are just thrilled with the transformation and are still so happy with the decision to renovate.

Last, but certainly not least, we have continued to update our progress with photos, but we ran out of space in our first web album...so we made another!

To check out our kitchen transformation (Day 1 through Day 22): Kitchen Renovation.
To check out our kitchen transformation (Day 23 through present): Kitchen Renovation - Part II.

It's Friday, it's sunny, the high today is above 25 degrees, I haven't slipped on the ice in over 24 hours, and it's not supposed to snow again until tomorrow morning. Life is good, folks. Life is seriously good!

Weather Schmeather

I may love the snow, but I do not, I repeat, DO NOT love the ice. Despite the weather forecasters calling for freezing rain and sleet last night, I went to bed not thinking anything of it. I feel like I can count more times of them forecasting something terrible and waking up to absolutely nothing out of the ordinary. But not this morning.

I woke up and, as predicted, my car was covered in ice. Covered. Being that it was/is just another work day, I went to start my car to defrost some of the ice that I would soon be chiseling away at. I took my first step outside and, like a cartoon slipping on a banana peel, I fell straight on my tush. (I swear I saw stars and had little birdies tweeting and circling around my head.) I had no idea what just happened.

When my senses came back, I realized that not only was I still sitting on the ground in the puddling rain but also that it must've been too early for my brain to be functioning. Even though I saw my car covered in ice, my brain didn't register that everything was probably covered in ice (and still is), and as I took my first step I slipped ... on the ice. (Go figure.)

I must of permanently knocked some sense out of me too because right after I fell I locked my keys and purse in my car after I turned it on and, consequently, was late for work.

We're supposed to have more freezing rain tonight. [Sigh.] You better believe I will be listening intently to what Mrs. Weatherwoman (ours is a girl) has to say. I learned my lesson today, and I have a constant reminder in pain form when I sit down. Now that I think about it, perhaps I should consider taking a sick day tomorrow...?!

(By the way, I would like to send a shout out to Tom, Brian's stepdad. Tom is my hero. Not only did he cook me dinner last night, but he also did the dishes and told me to relax. (I stayed at his house since we couldn't walk on the floors for 24 hours.) Then, this morning, after I locked my keys in my car, he called AAA and had them unlock my car. He salted the driveway (and the deck for Jack) so we wouldn't have a repeat of this morning's picturesque plummet that I had just performed, and made sure that I was ready to go for work. He's a life saver. AND, he's been showing Jack the time of his life since Saturday. Seriously, THANK YOU, TOM for all your help! And I'm keeping my fingers crossed that you found your wallet!)