Happy Holidays!

Happy Holidays to all of you blog readers!

Almost Done

I finished wrapping all of the Christmas gifts that I have at this point. I will finish up buying the rest this weekend. All the while I had my furry little friend was chasing bows and pawing at the empty wrapping paper holder. I love Christmastime!

More of Carters's 1st Birthday

He loved the party hat!

Christmas Trees, Oh Christmas trees!

The "girly" tree in the foyer.


Adrian's Yankee/Cowboys tree in the Living Room. We are still working at collecting ornaments for this tree, so it is not as filled as the others.


The "family" tree.

I love Christmastime! I am even thinking about getting a 4th tree to flank the other side of the sliding glass door next year!

Before and After Photos...Finally

So I finally found the charger for the digital camera and was able to upload several photos of the house. It's still a work in progress, but I am very happy with the way it has turned out thus far. After the Holidays the Master Bath is going to be completely redone. Enjoy!

Hallway Shots

Living Room/Kitchen Before and Afters

Finished Master Bedroom and Office/Spare Bedroom

Before and After Master Bath and Half Bath

Here are some pics of the half bath and master bath. Unfortunately, I didn't get a before picture of the half bath.

Wine Tasting

Adrian and I went wine tasting today. We stopped at 3 of our favorites- Knapp, Goose Watch, and Cobblestone. Although the day was cold and dark we had a great time! Adrian found the "Montezuma" statue to be comical, and asked that I take a picture for his father. Hope none of you have ever suffered from Montezuma's Revenge! I attribute my tired look to the Black Friday shopping that I am still trying to recover from ( I was in line at 5:30 a.m.!)!! Hope you all had a Happy Thanksgiving...we did!

Lights on the Lake

On Tuesday, Adrian, Carter, and I went to the Annual Lights on the Lake Dog Walk. We had a great time walking near the lake viewing the show! Here is a picture from our trip!

Happy Birthday!

Happy 30-something bday, Adrian! :)

My Boy

Insanity

Now you know why Adrian worries about me...and the dog! I tell him its practice for my 2nd child, one day. Ps- Carter loves them

A Day with Grandpa

I knew that Fridays with grandpa included fun things like dump runs and yard work. I didn't know that they included browsing the Internet, watching the unsuspecting neighborhood, and a mid afternoon desk nap!

Halloween Pics

Here are some pics from Carter's 1st Halloween. He seemed okay with his devil cape, but really didnt like his devil horns!

Finally Painted!

Today the painter finished the last of the interior painting! YAY! I promise to post before and after pics, as soon as I find the charger for the camera. The joys of moving. :)

Congratulations, Nobles!

Check out Carter's breeder's website...seen under "Guilty pleasures" on this page...2 of her puppy Papillons made the cover of a pet supply dog magazine! Congratulations!

Pink Eye!

My little 4 legged friend has pink eye! Poor little Carter...I guess thats the price you pay for days at the park and Wednesdays at daycare. He's out of commission for 2 weeks--no park, no daycare, no obedience class. I have a feeling Im going to be out of my mind with a bored little fur ball. Wish me luck!

Happy (early) Halloween

Here is Carter's Halloween picture taken at daycare. They had costumes there for the dogs to wear. Yes, he is actually in the costume. Why else would he have such an exasperated look on his face? We have a costume for him at home to wear on Halloween night..he is going to be a devil. It's perfect for him, trust me! We like to tease him by saying "trick or treat" he cocks his head a gets excited because he thinks a "treat" is coming his way. Anyways, another crazy moment for me involving the dog to document. I'll be ok, I promise!

FAMOUS!

Check out Carter's pic on his daycare's website...
http://www.caninesunleashed.com
click on "our guests" on the left hand side
Carter's picture is #55.

Moonlighting for AAA?

Tonight on my way home from my 2nd job to pick up Carter at my parent's house, I ran out of gas on the highway. Yup, that actually happens to people, and it's actually something that I have done twice now with this car! I guess it takes me a while to learn my lesson. Side note- if you have a Jeep and the gas light comes on, go get gas...don't wait it out to save a dime like I did! Its a little game I like to play- see how cheap I can find gas for. Anyways, of course I was literally like 1/4 of a mile from a gas station, but there was no way I was getting out and walking in the dark on the highway! So, I called my parents and they came, gas can in hand...as well as Carter. Poor little guy had been sleeping all evening after a long day at daycare and was then woken to rescue his mother on the side of the highway! Now we joke that he moonlights at AAA... and just in case you were wondering, I saved $1.50 in gas, due to the little jump start of gas I got from my dad!

Bed Hog

How does a 10 lb pup take up the majority of the bed?

Brown Thumb

Today my mom came over and helped transplant my peony bush to the back yard, and she also planted mums going up the walkway. It looks so good, I love it. I need to take some pictures, inside and outside of this place so I can post some before and after pictures! My mom definitely has a green thumb, I'm not so sure I do! Cross your fingers I keep everything alive!

Caring (or crushing?) for the Elderly

Carter went to daycare yesterday and developed a crush on an older woman...a Bishon Frise. She apparently spends most of her time at daycare resting in a chair, to which Carter climbs up in and lays next to her in.

Please, no mouse in the house!

So tonight as I was making dinner my neighbor, Meredith, knocked on my door and told me that when her parents' dog was peeing on a bush in my yard she noticed a small, dead mouse.
Let me clarify a few things-
1- Yes, my neighbor is also named Meredith, and she also happens to be a Guidance Counselor at the High School in the same district as me. She also has a 14 year old Schnauzer named Demi, that Carter about dies to get to.
2- Yes, I did say that her parents' dog was peeing on a bush in my lawn...thats the suburbs for ya- close living quarters!
3- I now have to shovel up this dead mouse with a snow shovel so little Carter doesn't eat it! Snow shovel you ask? Well, I am still working at building up my lawn gear so I gotta do what I gotta do! I've never shoveled a rodent before. I know youre all surprised by this.
4- Meredith also shared that she has had a few mice in her basement. This does not make me happy. I am not afraid of mice, but I certainly don't want to share my house with them. Nor do I want to kill them. Lets keep our fingers crossed that the little mice stay outside, ok?

Well, thats my homeowner update for today. I hope to have some "before and after" pics to post this weekend.

1 Week Down...

Well, we made it through the 1st week of school. "We" meaning Carter and I. Carter is back to spending days in his crate while I am at work, and I am back to dealing with 506 K-5 students! The kids were excited to be back, and I was glad to see them. I got many hugs and lots of questions about my summer, my wardrobe, and Carter. It's very funny the things kids ask/are interested in. I was also glad to see my co-workers on Tuesday, our 1st day back as a staff.


Lots of fun, fall plans in the upcoming weeks. I love fall, when you get to wear jeans and blazers and cute boots! Enjoy!

Happy Anni!

Happy 2nd Anniversary, Adrian!

Time Flies When You're....PAINTING!

Yes, I realize it has been over a month since the last post. The closing on the house was August 6th and it has been non-stop since then! I will have some before and after pictures to post soon...I hope.

Had a housewarming/Carter's 1st bday party on Sunday...Thanks for all of the gifts not only for the house but for Carter too!

I will try to be better about posting...

VA yay yay yay!

Off to VA for 5 days! :)

Moving...

I hate packing!

Carla and Tom's Wedding

We had a great time at Carla and Tom's wedding this weekend! I loved the whole day spent with the bridal party, most of whom were College friends. Such a laid back day, and Carla is probably the most photogenic person I have ever met! Her photographer was great, tons of fun, and was able to put up a slide show of the pics he took that day, during the reception. The rain held off (mostly) :) for the outdoor wedding, and Tom and Carla eventually managed to get some post downpour shots of them playing on the golf course. The DJ was great...we danced the night away and the Vodka shot and caviar station was a big hit! Not with Adrian or I, but most of the other guests! I also really enjoyed the day spent at the salon...hair and make-up makes any girl feel great! I miss Albany so much, I realize this each time I go back to visit.

Carter spent the weekend with my parents, and he had class tonight as well. Needless to say we are all tired from a busy weekend!

I received word that the apt complex is able to rent out the apt before our lease is up, so I will be spending tomorrow contacting movers and I am anticipating packing the rest of the week. I need to be out of the apt before we leave for vacation on 7/24, if I want to be able to break my lease early and save a little money before the first mortgage payment is due. The joys of moving, cant wait!

Albany!

We are off to Albany for the weekend.d One of my best friends, Carla, is getting married this weekend, and I am in the wedding! Have a great weekend everyone!

July 4th already!

Happy 4th of July! Hopefully wherever you are reading this you are enjoying warm weather, yummy food, and fireworks!

Bad Habit and some Randoms

I have this awful habit of creating countdowns. For example, I am on summer vacation for 10 weeks. I have already started the countdown to September. Not in a "oh I cant wait to get back to work and see my 500 kids.." no, in a "oh my God, It is July 1st, I am out of town for a total of 9 days this month, I am taking 54 hours at the Teacher Center in July, I have groups and individual therapy almost every day this month, I am moving in August, the days will fly by, summer is over!" kind of way. I found myself doing this today for the first time, and I'm wondering if there are others out there that do that too?

On another note, I am a bit disappointed with the weather. The temps have barely reached 75 most days, and the rain continues to creep in each day. This leaves very little time for the pool! I need a tan, doesn't Mother Nature know this?

Today Carter and I went to Onondaga Lake Park and walked for 2 miles. Then we went over to the Good Dog Park. Carter was loving life, harassing all the other pups, when of course there was a mini- disaster. When Carter is involved, there is always an issue! All of the sudden while playing on one of the dog toys, Carter falls off onto his side and begins crying, more like squealing, non-stop. This of course disturbs the other dogs and they begin barking and jumping all over me as I am attempting to carry Carter to safety. He seems to be fine, I'm not sure if it hurt when he fell, or just scared him, probably a little bit of both. Although I will say he's pretty rough and tumbly, so when he was crying like that I was really worried. Adrian told me that happened when he took Carter there one time when I wasn't with them. I asked him why he never told me, and he said because I worry too much. A mother always needs to know when there has been an accident!

Anyway, just some random thoughts on this overcast Wednesday...sun- come out, come out wherever you are!

Bethany Kate and Shane's Wedding

Yesterday I was the Maid of Honor in my best friend, Beth's wedding. The ceremony was held at The Landmark Theatre in Downtown Syracuse www.landmarktheatre.org There were 5 Bridesmaids plus me, the MOH. Shane had 6 Groomsmen and his Best Man, as well as a flower girl and Shane's son as the Ring Bearer. He was too cute, carrying the rings down in a baseball glove. Too bad he's probably going to grow up a Red Sox fan! It was absolutely beautiful, with a bagpiper playing for the guests just before Beth and her dad walked down the aisle. The ceremony went well, with a few moments of laughter giving it some character. I was wearing Beth's engagement ring during the ceremony and was so nervous that I was going to loose it! I have no idea why, I guess just wedding jitters. The reception was the longest I've been to yet- 7pm-1am! It was held at the Genessee Grande Hotel in Syracuse, another gorgeous choice! www.geneseegrande.com
The food and drinks were plentiful, and as the evening wore on and the crazy bridal party let loose and changed into flip flops and their street clothes, we danced (and I mean danced!) the night away!
Here are my 10 top favorite things about Beth and Shane's day:
1- The marquee outside of The Landmark displaying their names
2- The Bagpiper
3- The excited look on Shane's face as he waited for Beth to come down the aisle.
4- The tears in Shane's Best Man's eyes.
5- The champagne that flowed in the hotel while we were getting ready, in the limo, and at the reception! :) Love champagne!
6- The fact that we had 2 stretch limos, just to make sure that everyone was comfortable...I mean, we did have some big boys on Shane's side.
7- Giving the speech and the compliments I received afterward...who knew?!?
8- DANCING WITH THE BRIDAL PARTY, and Jaime too!
9- Grabbing the mic and singing some totally inappropriate songs to the crowd with Beth
10- Beth's Grandma, Hilde, bustin a move at 12 a.m.!

Something I was not so fond of- the camera crew! I felt like I was on reality TV! Beth had a videographer with us the ENTIRE day! Everytime I turned around, there he was! YIKES! However, I know that he will put together a great video for the 2 of them to enjoy:) I had such a great time getting to know the other Bridesmaids and I can't wait to see them all again.

Thanks for the ride home Colby!
Jaime your text about the bra is still cracking me up! I paid good money for that so dont get any ideas on taking it for Suzie's wedding! :)

2 more weeks and I am off to Albany for my 2nd Bridesmaid duty this summer! Then, a nice wedding break, until August when another friend is married. I get to be a guest at that one though!

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day to my 2 favorite guys!
Love,
Carter

Get Well Soon!

Unexpectedly, Adrian had his appendix removed this week...get well soon!

The New House

Tonight was the home inspection on the house. To make a 2 hour long story short...the inspection went great! Here is a picture of the new place. Mine is the townhouse on the right, with my favorite flowers- peonies, in the front! My neighbor on the left is a guidance counselor in my district and her name is Meredith too! She also has a cute little dog so I'm hoping that her dog and Carter become fast friends.

Time to Breathe!

Ok, so for anyone who has bought a home in the last year, or is in the process, you will appreciate this. Meaning- Allison, Tracy, Deb, Brian, etc etc...who isnt buying that is the question! I have officially locked into my mortgage contract. Why is this big news you ask? Well, the market has been at an all time low in regards to rates over the last several months (5% and under), and historically over the last 13 years. HOWEVER, OF COURSE, over the last week interest rates have increased ( and then decreased, increased, etc) which in turn affects EVERYTHING-monthly payment, cash needed to close, etc. Of course this is the week that I was looking to "lock in," leaving me with the decision to play it safe, or gamble a bit with the hopes that the rates go back down. So, the decision to gamble with the market was made late last week, and Im glad I did...I finally locked in my rate tonight! YAY...peace of mind! Although I still sit and wonder what could have been, I feel confident with my decision. Next step is the home inspection and obtaining home insurance quotes. Note- As I sit and type this I think "how boring, I cant believe that you are blogging about this." Thats what "grown-ups" do I guess. I tend to not blog about anything too personal and there will NEVER be a personal pic posted...I have a deep set paranoia from the school district I work for re: blogging without tenure! Also, as some of you may know I have a lovely little second job with some "interesting" clients, so while they should not be using the Internet to Google their therapist, one never knows. I mean, I drive and use the cell..oops.

Summer Vacation and a NEW HOUSE!

Summer vacation is less than a month away! YAY! I don't go back to school until September 8th, which is another bonus, so this summer I will have a full 10 weeks off! Thank goodness, since much of August will be spent settling into the new house:)

So excited about that, by the way! It's a 2 bedroom 1 1/2 bath townhouse in Liverpool, fairly close to where we are living now. We have an attached garage, great basement, and a private driveway. A lot of times you have to share a double driveway with your neighbor when you live in a townhouse. The downstairs is all hardwood floors, nice white cabinets with stainless steel appliances in the kitchen, and custom windows/slider looking outside to the deck! Love the deck by the way...it overlooks a quiet wooded lot, and the current owner has this pretty awning-type structure that she is leaving. The upstairs has a large Master bedroom with a sitting area and a HUGE walk-in closet! The second bedroom will be used as the office. LOVE this place! It is move in ready, just need to paint the walls...good thing I have connections in the paint world! :)

Boredom!

Carter has been sick with the stomach bug since early, and I mean early (!) Wednesday morning. We have been to the vet twice and I am crossing my fingers that the puking has stopped! Poor little guy has been dehydrated from getting sick, so each time he has gone to the vet they have given him a little water hump under his collar to get fluids into his system. I then spend my time telling anyone and everyone that sees him, "No, that's not a goiter or a tumor, he is dehydrated...." Most people probably don't even notice, but there I am explaining away! So, because of my boredom and staying in the house with this sick little pup all weekend, as you can see I have been playing around with our blog. When Myspace first came out, I was all over that. Changing my page, adding pictures non-stop, now I guess I don't care as much, well, and lets admit it, Im not as Blogger savvy as I was Myspace savvy! However, thanks for the compliments on the new page...I can't guarantee that it will change again anytime soon...I gotta get out of this house!:)

Puppy Pool Time Fun!

Carter's first attempt at a pre-summer swim...

For Krista...

Enjoying the flowers we planted on Memorial
Day weekend.


This is the first...and I'm sure the last!


Our little fur baby...he's almost 9 months old!