Window Shopping

About 3 yrs ago we got new furniture, a love seat that rocked and a couch with a middle pull down tray with drink holders. We were so in love! However, the problem was we bought it from an Affordable Furniture place. The first year was amazing. Then the fabric started wearing in a not very nice lint ball kind of way, next one recliner back broke. After that it seemed everything, little by little started breaking. We called them out and they fixed it but it broke again within a few months.

So Saturday we went window shopping at a very high end furniture place. They were having great sales and for a little more than we paid 3 years ago we got a new durable love seat and couch! We are so excited! This Saturday it gets delivered—which we got for free.

This purchase cuts us close, as unplanned as it was, but with the checks Duste is getting now we should have our saving back up before too long. Let’s not forget about the slow returns we have coming, which will give us a little extra after we pay for vacation.  I love to see money in the savings acct and to have it so low has me a little freaked out.  But I know it will all work out—in the long run!

 I justify needing new furniture because we are the house of family events and on these days we need lots of seating. If it was just Duste and I, it would have waited and we could have lived with it. As our old furniture was you could not use one spot and the other was on its way to that state. Easter IS just around the corner!!

I suppose I should go on and on about how excited I am for SPRING again should I?

 

Happy Days Everyone!!

Spring Dreamin'!

I’ve got the itch—

The itch to landscape and make my yard look pretty again! It’s killing me to wait another month! A month from today is SPRING!! I cannot wait to get my porch decorated and to get the yard back in shape! Summer and spring is so much work, we have a very large yard and it seems there is always something to be done and I am never satisfied with the cuteness.  The yard is just too big for me, that is the problem, so I focus on smaller sections. This year we are redoing the fire pit area. It needs some major help.

The plan is to lay a base of sand, then easy to walk on rock with a wood boarder that will level it out. Then we will have the fire in the middle and the chairs in a circle around it. This will be on the side of the porch and the question is do we open up the end of the porch to have access to this area from there or not. I was also thinking of doing this same type of design around the outside table. Maybe with some solar lights and plants around….

I also want to do something about the chicken coop—the current layout isn’t working. I am thinking we need to move the pool that is in ground, closer to the downspout. This project is still in the beginning stages! (As in I am still thinking about what needs to be done)

Maybe next year we can do something around the pool—that is another eye sore area in the yard.

 

 

 

 

I can’t wait for warmer weather and sun shine!

A new normal for all of us....

Today Duste’s first day at her new job! Ivy and I both got up with her to make sure she had a good morning. Ivy was a little confused, but with some consistency she will get used to the new schedule.

 My Duste has to be to work at 5:30am—which means she gets up at 4:45. We get our lunches together the night before so mornings are such a rush for either of us. The plan is: Duste will get up and let Ivy walk around with her and go potty outside, and then before she leaves Ivy will be put in the bedroom with me—where I will sleep until 6:45 or 7:45 depending on the day. On my way to work I will take Ivy to school, except on Wednesday’s which is my day off.  Once the line gets caught up Duste will be off Friday so that is one less day of doggie school. Our poor baby, it will take some time to get used to the new normal but I am sure she will adjust.

We are a two income household once again—I am both happy and sad. I loved all the time we got to spend together and that is what I will miss the most. We just cannot get enough of each other! The money will be nice, as our house fund is getting low. But I will always prefer time over money.

We spent 4 hours on Sunday getting our lunches ready for the week and getting some dinners frozen for the busy after work dinner rush. It can be challenging to eat right--lunch, snack and dinners when both of you work but we are giving it our best! Speaking of which next week will make the One Month Mark for our lifestyle change! We will be doing a measurement and weight check as well as taking pictures! Two more months left of our 90 day Challenge!

  

Getting fat is so much easier then getting back in shape!

Changes—part 1

My Duste has a new job. She will be working in a metal shop 4 days a week, 10 hours a day. It pays well and that will be great for our saving account and our home projects. Each of us working 4 days a week will make doggie daycare a little more affordable so that is good.

This is just step one of, we are not sure how many, steps. 2013 is all about financial stability and prepping for our future together. So, with that may come some career changes until the right fit is made.  I am excited for all the future holds for us!

When your path is blocked and you can’t walk through you must find a way around or over it! We will never let anyone tell us what we can or cannot have, if we want something bad enough we will have it! So, while we figure out our side path that will lead us back, changes will be made, but they are all for the better!

All will be reviled in due time—in due time….

Castle of White Review—

As we pulled in we noticed the parking lot was full and there was a line inside the door. Once we got in and gave our names they insisted on taking our pictures in front of a giant heart hung on the wall—reminded me a lot of the prison pictures I used to take with my dad. These pictures will be available at some point on their website. Then they seated us, our table was decorated with table cloth and cute centerpieces complete with a lit candle. There were menu’s printed out on each side of the table and a waitress showed up to take your order. There were complimentary appetizers’ and dessert. We both had a romantic Valentine’s Day dinner for $13. It was interesting and fun but I’m not sure this will become our Valentine’s Day tradition.

 

 

 

My valentine really made me feel special this year. I got balloons and cute things for me desk on Tuesday. On Wednesday I got Valentine’s Day flowers for the house and small bag of my favorite white chocolate and on Thursday I got pink tulips.  On Wednesday I made my valentine 150 calorie Chocolate Mousse and dried Strawberries. I feel loved and special everyday but this one day she goes above and beyond to make sure!

 

We didn’t win the Valentine’s Day give away with our love story. Some typical boy meets girl and then god comes in story did—so expected for this county in Indiana. Maybe one day people here will realize a love story doesn’t always

have to involve a penis and a vagina, maybe.

 

The good news—February is half over and that means we are a little closer to SPRING! So excited to decorate the porch!

 

xoxox

Valentines Day L.O.V.E

Happy Valentine’s Day to my special someone!

 

 

 

 

 

 

She was made just for me and is perfect in every way! We have been exclusive for 9 yrs and those years are just a drop in the hat for what’s to come! No one can make me happier; no one can make me feel so loved, beautiful and special.  Duste, you have my heart and soul—you are my heart and soul. I could go on and on but I will stop there. I love yoooou more xoxox

Valentine’s Day 2013

 This year we have our reservations at the Castle of White—ha! It’s fun, funny and cheap, just like us so it is perfect!  This is the first year I am working on Valentine’s Day and having a dinner reservation will make it easier to get through the day.  Speaking about the working day, this year I got the two ladies I supervise a small valentine gift—a small pink bucket with chocolates, lotion or nail polish and pens each with their own personalized message of how much I appreciate them! That should make their day a happy one I hope!

The day of love makes me think of Duste and me, if we had an anniversary this year would be our 9^th.  It has been an amazing 9 years and I have never been happier! I will never be able to say it enough, how much she means to me, how much I love her and how happy she makes me. She is perfect for me and we are perfect together! I am blessed to have her!

 
Sending out loving thoughts to each and every one of you!

 Life is short, kiss the one you love--regardless!

Enter your love story contest—

A Summary of our love story....

We met years ago as children, her mom and my grandma-with whom I lived with-went to church together. Our parents formed a group, which gave us lots of time together. She was older than me by 4 years so once we got old enough our parents left us home alone together. At first we started out as friends but as we aged and our hormones changed so did our feelings for each other. We hid behind the words Best Friends but we knew it was more. We spent every waking moment we could with each other and soon our parents started using our time together against us. I would often get grounded, not from things but from her. We were smarter than that however and always found a way to be together—even if it meant when her mom was gone we would hide the car away from the house and walk back, just to be together.

As the years went on we both tried to have other relationships but always preferred our time together. We would often be too busy for our relationships with others but always found the time to sneak off together! We then decided to move in together and hid behind the Roommates title. The others we dated could not compare to or compete with the love we had for each other. Years of this went on, neither of us truly happy with our lives outside our time together until we decided to stop dating others.

It didn’t take long for the one bedroom to turn into the spare but outside the house we were still just Roommates. One step at a time we came out of the closet and have never been happier! We now own a home together, share a bank account, are planning a wedding and a family. We have been exclusive for 9 years now and we are truly happy with each other and our lives together.

 I am so glad I followed my heart and was able to open my eyes to see what would truly make me happy!

Feeling great and doing great!

 

I am happy to report things are going great with our lifestyle change! We are eating yummy new foods and we are watching our calories. I don’t want any of these new recipes to be lost, so I’m keeping an Album of each meal with total calories. As soon as I get a nice collection of these I will share. It is important to realize a lifestyle change does not have to mean less desirable foods!   We have currently lost 5lbs each!  We are well on our way!

 

Since I have only been drinking water my face has cleared up, for the first time in years! I am currently off the antibiotics, first time since I was 16! Water is doing wonders! Oh, and I am even happier to say the detox is done--shew, thank goodness! 

 

My tumor free leg feels great! No pain no problems and thanks to my personal trainer and working out 6 days a week, it is getting stronger!

My new schedule at work is allowing for more sleep time two days a week, which is wonderful! I love it! I really should have done this long ago!

We have our first trip of 2013 planned! This time we are going to the Michigan side of the Dunes and staying in a little town called Lakeside. Of course I got a cottage with a lake view on a private beach—it is all about the atmosphere! It is only an extra hour on the road and we love to go new places! We are travelers at heart and the best way to keep us happy is to take a few trips a year. Travel makes our hearts happy and our souls breathe! It’s nice to have a warm sunny beach to look forward to on these cold dark days of February.

Like I said a few post back we are working on some life altering changes—I am making 2013 our year! So excited!!

 

 

                                                     Hope everyone has a wonderful 2^nd week of February!!

Working again....

It’s the end of my first week back to work and things have gone nicely. Starting next wk—the beginning of Feb—I will be decreasing my hours at work! It’s only 3 hours less but I am super excited! This means I will be able to sleep in on Tuesday and Thursday! Plus I will be able to go to personal training before going to work and won’t have to use any of leave time! I’m sold!

Went to the doctor on my day off this week—a new doctor who is trying to figure out what is wrong with me. (Tiredness and joint pain)  He says one set of blood work shows I have a virus. This virus mutated from the mono virus I had in high school, some 10 years ago. It is not contagious but I will always have it. Unlike mono, it does not make me tired all the time. It flares up when I am stressed, sick or sometimes for no reason at all. I am tired because I don’t get REM sleep when this is acting up. That is why when I wake up I feel like I have only slept a few minutes and I can never get enough sleep. He also said it changes the way I deal with stress. Most people’s brain releases endorphins, I instead get tired. Something I have dealt with since I was in high school. He took another 8 tubes of blood and is checking out all my vitamin levels. He is going to do the best he can to make me feel better and keep this virus from flaring up as often.

I am so thankful to have a doctor that is listening to me and took me seriously!

Have I mentioned the new 2013 plans for the house—

Replace remaining 3 windows; redo basement window

Install support ceiling in two rooms.
Replace Fuse box
Rewire Pool Filter
Fire pit project

I would love to get the house painted and the drive way fixed this year but we will see!

Our Miss Ivy Rose is coming along well. She has received lots of training, loves agility class and daycare. She is 9 months old now and still moms cuddle bug! She has lots of energy that has not changed. She keeps up busy and that is helping in our weight loss goals! She is our dog for sure!

 

Have a Happy February!!

A Indiana February in 1978