Well, my weekend went very slowly due to the anticipation of hubby coming home today. My day today started off with me waking up and realizing how much I hated being Colorado (just for the moment). I have neighbors who whine and complain about my dogs, don't bother to wave, and really need to move to retirement homes. I spent the morning cleaning and preparing for hubby to get home, but at the same time wishing we were still in Hawaii; surrounded by great friends, beautiful sunshine, and beaches. After a big pity party for myself, I realized that I am very thankful for our Colorado experiences. We have a great church family that I wouldn't change for the world, a job & team I love, wonderful friends (and more to come), and a foundation to finally begin a family with.

So, after finally getting my honey home today and settling in to our normal routines I am also thankful to be mixing a little bit of this......

and this.....

to make my famous PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE.

Thanks to some of our wonderful church friends we will not be spending Thanksgiving alone. I will be preparing the cheesecake and my mom's famous sausage cheeseballs so we have a little bit of our tradition at their family dinner.

This weekend we are going to watch the local parade, cut down our christmas tree, and take some much needed holiday pictures up in the mountains :)

I hope everyone has a very very blessed Thanksgiving and creates lots of memories this year.

Glitter, Ribbon, Fake Snow Vomit

It snowed today on the way to church....briefly and it melted before it touched the ground. But, there's nothing better than snowflakes and a peppermint mocha to get me in the decorating mood. It's been a few days of pulling out boxes, unwrapping ornaments, and making lots of bows. Here are a few photos of what I've done.....so far. We still have 2 boxes left that I have not even touched yet and we (well, Jeff) have yet to touch the outside yet. I can't wait for him to come home so he can get in the Christmas mood too.

Our coffee table....don't mind the boring couch. I've yet to pull out all our Holiday pillows.

My favorite part of the kitchen decor....I love the little santa on the stove...it's probably hard to see, but he's a cook with a mixing bowl :)
This shelf is a working progress.

Still waiting for some more inspiration for the counter.

I'm working on Christmas curtains for the very plain window....please do not mind the sink full of dirty dishes....sure wish I had a dish fairy.

My FAVORITE part of the living room so far. The gold tree is a card holder....looking forward to all the family cards we'll be recieving this year.

The downstairs bathroom....I definately need more on the back of the toilet and the counter.

I got this plant from someone at church and it's just thriving, I'm so proud of myself for keeping it alive....I'm horrible at this. The tree on the table I bought after Christmas last year in Hawaii for $.25 and the "Hope" ornament means alot to me....many of you know why.

Bathroom corner

Thinking I need some toule for this table....hmmm, I'll be going to Hobby Lobby soon.

Our entertainment center.....it seriously needs help. I need glitz and glitter!

Stay tuned....for more decor vomit!

Give Thanks

Today I helped decorate for our church's Holiday dinner. It turned out gorgeous. We decorated each table with a hurricane candle and cute little pumpkins. It's going to be beautiful with the lights low and the candles lit.

Then, I baked two cakes for tonight. They are chocolate cake with pumpkin cream cheese icing and reese's for fun :)

Next week, I'll be all finished decorating the inside of the house for Christmas so all we have left to do when hubby gets home is the outside.

It's also beginning to feel alot like Christmas around here. It briefly snowed on Friday at work, but nothing in Pueblo yet. Today at noon it was 40 degrees outside and usually between 19-23 degreees in the morning on my way to work.

Speaking of work, only one full working week until Thanksgiving vacation. We're staying home this year, but celebrating with some very special friends.

For those of you wondering (Anna), Christmas is still up in the air. This has been a tough year financially due to moving, buying a house, buying a new car, and paying off credit cards. I think we'll take it easy and just celebrate the true meaning of Christmas rather than spoil eachother with gifts....although, I did hint for some cute pearl earrings :)

I hope everyone has a blessed Thanskgiving and remember in to give thanks in everything.

Today was the first day of fall....in MY house. I have a long weekend...thanks to the holiday weekend and I thought I could spend it cleaning and decorating for our first FALL season....(we didn't get fall, winter, or much of a spring in Hawaii).

The hubby is out today dove hunting and scouting for his upcoming Elk adventure in a few weeks. So, I have the whole day to myself to do this.... Put my subtle fall decorations on the shelves in the living room.

I'm thinking of getting some nicer fall colors leaves and placing them in the kitchen on top of the cabinets and maybe a few over the large windows as well.

This little guy will be our guest for the next few weeks until Halloween is over. We don't really celebrate Halloween, but we love to decorate so an oh-so-scary ghost in the living room isn't too much of bad taste.

I whipped up a table runner today for the entry way table and the dining room table. It took less than 5 minutes and looks so much better than the gold one I usually have there. I still haven't quite finished decorating this table yet, but for now it's cute. I plan to add a large fall colored floral arrangement here....just as soon as I make my way to Hobby Lobby again.

Here is the center piece for the dining room table. I also plan to add to this table as well. That's on the hobby lobby list as well. :)

Here's a view of the table runner I made today for the dining room table as well. I think I may be making a new table runner for the Christmas season. This year I have way more patience and talent than I did last year. (The one I made last year probably fell apart in the moving process.)

My big project is to find something for our coffee table. It's so boring right now. I hope to find something...where else, but Hobby Lobby!
This was my project this afternoon when I found myself running out of things to unwrap and place on shelves. I am making a sign for our front door. I haven't decided what it will say yet, but I'm thinking "Welcome to the Strayer's"....boy that's so original.
In even more exciting news, my wonderful husband and I celebrate 5 years of marriage this past Thursday. We had a very low key day. After work we came home and discussed whether we should go to a movie, dinner, and then a walk with the dogs. But, we did none of that. Instead we rode the motorcycle down a very long, very straight road (which I was thankful for, I hate the turns) and watched the sun fall behind the horizon as we traveled in the cool breeze (sounds so romantic doesn't it?) It was so romantic other than the bugs smacking in to my helmet and the annoying sweat dripping down my forehead from that hot hot helmet ;) We stopped at a very classy restaurant known as Wen.dy's. Then, we came home and played with the dogs until it was time to go to bed. I wouldn't have wanted it any other way.

I also have not shared the best news yet! Jeff was baptized last Wednesday, August 25, 2010 at our church. It was the best celebration we've ever experienced together. I can honestly say since he was baptized he has changed so much. We now look forward to doing bible studies together and joining our brothers and sisters on Sundays and Wednesday. We are so blessed to have such a wonderful church family that has been so welcoming, loving, and supportive since we first visited in February.

Sinkhole

I never posted pictures of our "oasis" on the side of our house. We spent two days...sweating, shoveling rock, and arranging it perfectly.

We enjoyed one night in that area. The next day a huge gust of wind came and blew our 4 day old gazebo across the lawn and bent it completely out of shape and to the point that it could not be recovered....THEN,

After we were able to enjoy a few days of it while my in-laws were here, we noticed a small dip in the ground....

Well, that "dip" is a huge hole approximately 3 feet deep. The landscapers never bothered to fill in the hole from where the rain created a huge river through our backyard. They simply placed the material over it and poured rock over it. So, as the rain poured down it created this huge hole.

So, needless to say, all of our work has been a huge waste. We are now going back to the original idea of building a deck off the back of the house. This will most likely happen next summer. Now we just have to find out how to fix this hole and prevent losing a dog in that huge hole.

Weekend RoundUp

This weekend was alot of fun. It was quiet. It was a ride. It was spent with great friends. It was completely laid back. Just what we needed.
Friday night Jeff decided he was going to meet some of his buddies at the race track...well, I wanted to spend time with him so I offered to go. Only catch was....I wouldn't get on his bike. I gave in. For the first time ever, I rode on the motorcycle. My stomach was in my throat, my hands gripped so tightly I was white-knuckled. At each turn, each hill, and each speed increase....I prayed for my life! Not to knock Jeff's driving skills, but I feared for my life. literally. Only because I have never ridden on the back of the bike and it was a scary experience. Will I do it again? Probably not. It was fun though.
Saturday we spent all day at Amanda & Daniel's. Literally. Amanda & I went to the Farmer's Market in Canon City. I got a fresh loaf of Focaccia bread (which I will share later), fresh Pueblo grown peaches, fresh onions, and the most delicious salsa. While we shopped, the guys fished. they fished 3 times. Sadly, the fish weren't biting.

The delicious, well worth the $9, homemade salsa. (Jeff isn't a fan, so it's all mine.)

I also picked up this awesome iced tea pitcher for future parties. I can't wait to serve lemonade, iced tea, and sangria.
After the farmer's market we went back to their house and munched on all kinds of food until dinner time. The guy's fishing trip was rained out a few times, so they worked on the horse arena. My video gaming, Ameri.can E.agle wearing soldier WORKED ON THE ARENA. I didn't get to see him, but I heard he had a blast. He's turning in to a country boy yet! We enjoyed a great day with them and always look foward to hanging out with them.

Jeff hanging out with Tips & Sparkle


Sunday I caught up on my sleep (accidentally missed church, ignored alarm clock) while hubby had yet another day of staff duty. After sleeping (almost half the day) I finally started dinner. Here's where the focaccia bread comes in....
I made chicken tomato basil bruschetta.
Check the bottom of the post for the recipe.

There was a victory this weekend. I have always feared Daniel's dog, Cyrus. He's a trained guard dog so he's not a fan of peppy girls. ha! The first time I saw him I said, (in a sorta high pitched voice) "HI CYRUS" and he growled. Each time they would let him out of his room I would stiffen up and just avoid eye contact.

Well, this weekend not only did he come up to me begging for me to pet him...he even saw an opportunity where my foot was hanging off the couch and begged for me to pet him with me feet. Ha! I thought it was hilarious. I was probably shaking like crazy, but I think I made a new friend. :)

And today, this is what our outdoor thermometer is reading....so this is what most of us are doing today......

I'm not a cook so excuse the poorly written recipe.

Bruschetta recipe

What you need.....

1.Boneless, skinless chicken breast (I used two pieces-one small, one medium) I marinated in garlic and olive oil for about 2 hours.

2. Half of a tomato (cut in to small chunks)

3. 1 tbsp. of basil

4. Olive Oil

5. Garlic Powder

6. Focaccia bread or Italian bread (cut in to small bite-size squares)

7. Fresh mozarella cheese (shredded or cut in to small pieces)

What to do....

1. Cook chicken on stove top and cut in to small chunks

2. Mix tomato chunks and basil with two tbsps of olive oil

3. Bake bread pieces at 350 degrees for 15 minutes flipping once until dry and lightly brown.

4. Warm olive oil and garlic on stove top. Place bread pieces in olive oil and flip once. Do not submerge the bread in the oil just lightly cover it in the oil/garlic mixture.

5. Mix the tomato, basil, and chicken all together.

6. Place the mix on bread pieces.

7. Sprinkle each piece with fresh mozarella cheese.

8. Broil until cheese is melted and lightly browned.

My New Favorite....

BLOG! I know....two blogs in one day? What!? I just discovered a fellow southern gal who blogs. This blog is my new....favorite!

http://littledaisymay.blogspot.com/

I don't know her personally...but I like her already :) Maybe it's the fact that she's a southern girl...who loves God...who loves to blog....who loves fashion....oh, and has the most adorable furbaby too :)

Time Out

Let me apologize in advance for the spacing issues on this blog. I have no idea what is wrong or how to fix it. I tried. I apologize.

So I took a little time out from blogging and now I'm back! Hopefully, I will have more to blog about in the coming weeks. It's been a fun-filled summer so far and I have lots of pictures to share. I think I'll share new pics with each blog. First, I'll share a few things we did while my mother-in-law and sister-in-law came to visit. They were here for two weeks and we tried our hardest to stay very busy and make the most of their time with us. We visited so many places and explored our new home turf! I love Colorado more and more each day. But, I am beginning to miss Hawaii more and more as well...well, I miss the beaches and my girlfriends. I made some of my best friends while living there.

Anyway, back to their visit. I'm sorry if these posts are a little out of order; who am I kidding, you guys have no idea what days we did what and frankly, you probably could care less :)

The last weekend they were here Jeff's little sister and I went to a Keith Urban concert. This was my first KU concert and Leslie's 4th...no 5th...maybe 6th? That girl is IN LOVE (total understatement) with him and is a member of his fan club...you should see her room. If only I had taken a picture of her room when I was there during Easter. Well, here are a few of the better pictures from the concert.

We waited in line for nearly 6 hours in the RAIN!

Then, once we got in the arena we had to stand in mud the entire concert!

Leslie & I waiting on KU
Leslie worked her way up to the second row! Istayed back in the fourth row as I was afraid of being beat up by the crazy KU fans!

This was the best pic all night in addition to about 150 other pictures! No editing was done to this picture...it just came out perfect!

We did so many other fun things, but that's for another day........
As for Fourth of July, I went to church while Jeff slept after a 24 hour shift. That afternoon we went to Amanda & Daniel's for some yummy hamburgers, brats, corn, beans, and angel food cake. This was day 4 of nausea and complete feeling of helplessness. Until today, that meal was my last full meal that my stomach could handle. Thankfully, I'm ALL better now. Then, we enjoyed not one...not two...not three...but four fireworks shows right from the comfort of their pasture...well, not really but we were accompanied by their horses :)
So today I spent a few hours at work preparing for our new school to open in a few weeks. Then, I went to the Jeep dealership to have an issue looked at (nothing major...thank Goodness) and I spotted a South Carolina sticker on the back of a truck with a Pennsylvania plate. You know the one....like this....

So we struck up a conversation and turns out he lived in Greenville for several months and then moved to Myrtle Beach and now he's living in tiny little Pueblo. Small World! I didn't give him too many details, but he stayed in the exact same hotel that Jeff & I had our wedding in 2006. It made me miss my roots and good friends in good ol' SC.

So, I've been having a great time catching up on all of my favorite blogs. One of which, I highly recommend you read, it's one that I've mentioned on here before. No one can tell her story better than she can. Her life is truly a testimony to her faith. Anyway, she just gave birth to her first baby and his a micro-preemie. I encourage you to read her story and pray for her son. I absolutely love her blog. You can't help but continue to wish the best for her growing family. http://http//our-journey-to-parenthood.blogspot.com/

I hope you all have a great Thursday and come back now ya hear!

Bad blogger

I've been a horrible blogger lately. I apologize for my 24 devoted followers. :) I have some hilarious photos to share. I'll be blunt. My job is fun. We have a great time and have to pull pranks to maintain sanity.

Here's proof: (do not attempt this in your office unless you are really, really, really sure your boss is ok with it)

My favorite prank thus far: we foiled the Principal's office!

We even foiled everything we could..... 235 sq. yards of tinfoil to be exact.


I assume it was like Christmas morning eachtime he unwrapped an item in his office ;)

Office furniture fell victim to our prank as well.

He had a great time unwrapping everything just so he could use his laptop, phone, stapler, etc.

This is the assistant principal's office...for the record, I HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS ONE! She has two things against her, she's on the wrong team AND it was her birthday haha!

This one I did have something to do with....a bag of shredded paper above the door. It was classic....even though it was an epic failure...until I gave the paper a nudge.

This one is another one I had nothing to do with...but, I fell victim to the sick pranksters.

p.s. It's NOT real so please do not email saying we are unsanitary.

There are few things that I do not have pictures of, but they were funny anyway:

1. Tied cans to the back of the principals car.

2. Assistant Principal told me I was being traded like a washed-up 40 year old baseball player to another team.

3. Fake letter from St.ate Fa.rm In.surance claiming that they will no longer cover the principal's vehicle...he didn't fall for it.

4. Then, today....while I was in a meeting with the Principal and Asst. Principal (that they swear was not a prank) a certain someone (not naming names-Aaron) wrote some funny inside jokes on my vehicle...that had to be erased almost immediately due to the fact that I'm a happily HETERO married woman and fearful of being beaten up by soldiers. HA!

5. The last few days of school the principal & asst. principal hid my purse, sent me on a scavenger hunt to find it, meanwhile they STOLE my car and parked it across the street.

I'm sure there are many more that I cannot remember....but, I'll have plenty to share throughout the next school year. (hint hint Kim)!

Anyway, so I've been up since 4am preparing for my mother in laws visit tomorrow so I may be absent (surprise surprise) from the blogging world for two weeks, but will return with many photos of my beautiful sister in law.

I hope you all have a blessed week and enjoy your Father's Day celebration next week.

I do have a few prayer requests:

1. I have a very important appointment tomorrow that will determine the path for our future.

2. A family member is struggling to find herself and make wise choices.

3. I have to make a decision on something in the next 12 hours and really need to figure out how to make this decision....please pray!

4. For the many families who are dealing with the loss, physical damage, and destruction left over from the flooding in Oklahoma.

5. A 19 year old woman from my hometown passed away yesterday. I did not know her, but she was clearly loved and will be missed by many. Please pray for strength for her family and friends.

6. The many women struggling to start families of their own, dealing with infertility, adoption decisions, losses, and grieving. We recently passed a very hard anniversary of one of our losses and I am grateful that a few close friends kept me in their prayers. It's time to pray for others and share our faith that God will provide.