Crawfish Boil!

We had a crawfish boil on Saturday for my brother's birthday.  It is always fabulous to have the family together, and good food makes it even better!

It is kinda nice that my parents have never really moved...they have been in the same house for about 30 years.  Both my brothers and I grew up in that house, so going there really is like going home.  I love when we all go over there because it means so much to all us!

Ginny, my sister-in-law, and I collaborated on making a monkey on Eric's cake.  I think it turned out pretty good for us being "non-artist"!

On an entirely different note, today my 7th graders decided it would be awesome/hilarious to call me 'Momma S'.  Despite my insistence that I am soooo not their mom, they think it is a great idea to call me 'Momma S'.  I am not exactly a fan of this; however, Nick says I should just take it as a compliment.  Who knows...

Happy Birthday Baby Brother!

Today my little brother, Eric, turns 20!  I love this kid...it is a love that has grown since we both left home.  We were totally the bickering siblings that thought they hated one another, but now we enjoy our time together and would be there for each other in a heart beat!

I adore my brother!  He is growing up to be an awesome man.  I love that he and Nick have become like brothers and are super close.  This picture definitely shows their personalities...they knew I was taking a picture of their backs so they planned 'the turn and pose' just as I snapped this shot. (Sorry it is so small, I took it off of Face Book)

Eric has met a wonderful girl named Selina, and I hope nothing but the best for them!

Happy Birthday, Eric!  Love you!

Current Obsessions

It is the little things in life (or sometimes big!) that make me smile, so here's to my obsessions at the moment

• Snapple Raspberry Tea made with green and black tea...it is so so crazy good!  Plus, you get a fun fact on the inside of every lid! (I could only find a picture of the diet)

• This obsession is not just current, more like a 2 year obsession!  Volkswagen Tiguan! Nick and I have been looking into them for a while...we were originally looking at the Touareg and then the Tiguan(which is a smaller version) came out we knew that was going to be my next vehicle!  We have done everything from test drive, price, haggle, and all that is left is to buy.  We are hoping to purchase one at the end of the year!

• The Drink Station!  It is this super cool drink/hang out place in Pearland right by our house.  It has an awesome, eclectic vibe.  The best part is that you get the fun cup that they like seal and you puncture the top with a giant straw!  This is exciting to me because I don't like tapioca, and you usually only get the fun cup with tapioca drinks, but here you always get it.  Lame, I know, but it makes me smile!

 

• Live Entertainment!  Over the last couple of months we have gotten tickets to...
• Nick won Taylor Swift tickets...despite those who say she is not good live, we have seen her live before and she sounded awesome!
• Nick got Conan O'Brien tickets, which means we are having a 3 day weekend in Austin and I am super pumped about that!
• Last week Nick was able to get an awesome pre-sale deal for Lady GaGa tickets!  He really is the best husband...this makes 3 concerts that are totally girly but he hasn't complained a bit!

Ninja Warrior!

Nick and I wasted several hours this past weekend on the couch watching American Ninja Warrior and Ninja Warrior.  Don't judge until you have watched it!  I stumbled on in by accident and apparently there was a marathon on.  We got hooked very quickly, and had to see how it ended!  It is basically guys doing these insane obstacle courses...the Americans were competing for a chance to go to Japan to do the bad ass obstacle courses, and then the Japanese went through 4 insane courses and you had to pass one in order to move onto the next one.

In other news, we got a new lawn mower!  The front yard is looking amazing, and I am already ready for the weekend again!

The Children

I thought I would introduce and share mine and Nick's two beautiful children...Mouse and Delilah!

Meet Mouse:  This dog is the sweetest and most caring animal you could ever imagine!  He is a blue heeler/red heeler mix.  His story starts out kind of sad...  He was found by a friend of my brothers outside the hospital he works at.  He would come in every time the automatic door would open, and eventually the friend brought him home.  My brother had him for a while, and finally he found his forever home with Nick and I in December 2008.  He was abandoned and abused; however, you would never know it with how loyal and loving he is.  He seriously acts like he never gets any attention.  He is never satisfied with being next to you, he has to be in your lap!  He is my puppy boy, and we adore this dog so much.  We call him our circus dog because he is so incredibly smart, can do nearly any trick, and learns things ridiculously fast.  So, here is Mouse!

Meet Delilah:  We call her the "Wee One".  She is full blue heeler and will be a year old on Friday! We got her in the Summer of 2009.  She is pretty small for the breed, but it works out perfect for us, we love how petite she is.  Her story is very different...  We were looking for another dog and playmate for Mouse.  Mouse wasn't going anywhere so the dog we got had to be 100% compatible with him.  We looked at shelters and adoption programs, and almost came home with a few.  Then there was Delilah!  My sister-in-law's sister-in-law (confusing I know, read it again and should make sense) was trying to find homes for some puppies for her dad.  The puppies were not in the best shape, and when they brought Delilah to us we just knew we had to keep her. Plus, her and Mouse instantly bonded!  She hadn't liked any of the other dogs she had been around until Mouse.  She is so full of energy and love.  My dad says she should have a collar that plays "I'm so excited, and I just can't hide it" all the time because she really does just run around like crazy.  Mouse is pretty much Nick's dog and Delilah is definitely mine!

Eventually we will have real babies, but for now these two are a handful and give us plenty of love!  They totally have their own personalities and each day is more exciting, fun, and complicated because of them.

Here is our little family so far...

Easter in Chicago!

Nick and I spent Easter in Chicago this year.  We were there for three days, and now I have cold; hence, the lack of a new post!  So, without further ado, here is our fabulous Easter weekend...

Day One:

We got to Chicago bright and early Friday morning, headed straight to Grandma Sally's and then to Navy Pier.  The weather was amazing, and we had a great time.  After the pier we headed to Lincoln Park Zoo.

Once we got the Grandparent's house, Grandpa set me up to do some egg dying!

Day Two:

Saturday I was told that I had to make a lamb cake...  Apparently lambs are all the rage when it comes to Easter up North.  I had never heard of or seen a lamb cake until this weekend (they were EVERYWHERE).  So, Grandma informs me that I am in charge of making a lamb cake.  Here is my just baked lamb...

Then there is my beautifully decorated lamb cake!  Very fun Easter tradition!

Then we had the big family Easter dinner.  It was exciting because everyone showed up, all nine of the children with spouses, and all of the grandchildren except three.  It was good to have everyone together!

Day Three:

Sunday, Nick's parents decided to wake us up super early to do our very own Easter Egg hunt.  We had a blast, had an egg stolen by a squirrel, and unfortunately I have no pictures of the event...  Afterward, we went to church and then just hung out with Grandparents all day.  It was an amazing weekend, and we enjoyed every minute of it, except the part where our flight home was delayed.  All in all it was a fabulous Easter!

Easter Eggs

I am totally enjoying getting 3 school days off for Easter!  Oh, the perks of being a teacher...I have worked 8 of the last 21 days!  I am super excited for Easter this year, and here is a little egg humor...

I will hopefully have real Easter Egg pictures to share next week...these are way cuter and funnier though!