The one with the Skank Blanket.....

I wonder what searches will lead curious minds to this post! :-) (Insert evil laugh....)

Anyway, this weekend my parents visited to watch the beloved Iowa Hawkeyes go 8-0!
Here is the conversation that happened during a portion of the game:

Mom- I know something I can get you both for Christmas! (While putting on a blanket)
Me- You are not buying us a snuggie! (I think these things are the most hideous inventions ever made!)
Mom- No, on QVC they had the original creator of the that blanket and it's actually called a "Slanket"

Me- Mom, those are dumb.
Mom- What if you want to change the channel, you have to take your arm out of the blanket to change it!
Hubby- (in his most loving, yet sarcastic voice)Yes, its so difficult to take your arm out of the blanket to change the channel, I don't know if I can do it anymore!

Mom- See! I knew you'd like one.
Hubby- Those are so stupid, I can't believe people buy them.
Mom- (all while laughing)  I'm getting you one anyway!

25 minutes later, Hubby brings the subject back up and makes fun of my mom....
Hubby- So, what do you do if your hands are cold or your back is cold because it's open in the back like a hospital gown?

Mom then replies- Yeah, I don't know.... But  now I know you're getting a skank blanket for Christmas!

Dad, hubby & I all stare blankly at Mom....

Me- Mom, what exactly is a skank blanket?  Does it come fresh from the factory dirty covered with holes?

Mom- Laughing hysterically says- Wow, I havent' heard that word in a long time, I'm not sure how I came up with that word....

Dad- I can't beleive you just said that!  I don't know if anyone would want a "skank blanket"

Me- And now we definitely don't want one!

I still think she might buy us one, only as a joke.  Apparently she thought they were very cool.

WYAW

Lois Lane II over at Fearfully, wonderfully made did a What's your Answer Wednesday post. 

Here are her questions:

1. What was the hardest class (high school or college) that you had to take?
2. What do you think about take home finals? Blessings or a curse?
3. What was the best birthday you had?
4. How did you spend your last birthday (or, if your birthday is coming up, how are you planning on spending it)?

1.  Hardest class.... Probably the one I'm in now.  Research!! Uggg
2.  Curse.... I usually spend far too much time worrying about my answers and going back over and over again to double check things.... They are also usually harder and take longer!
3.  Best Birthday I had was my 16th Birthday.  My mom went all out, 6ft sub from Hyvee, tons of people, a huge cookie cake and lots of fun.  I'll never forget it, though I've had a lot of other great birthdays too! 
4.  My last birthday I turned 24.  We went out to eat with my family and just had a good time together.  Nothing spectacular, but it was fun and relaxing and that's how I like it :-)

A picture is worth a thousand words.....

Or a thousand pictures is worth a thousand words?? ahh I don't know, regardless, here are some pictures of the happenings around our home! Nothing too exciting, so don't get your hopes up!  Just a few pics that we snapped :-)

Our kittiies are obsessed with suitcases.  This is Miss Allie

This is one of Josie's favorite spots to stare at the birds!

Allie loves to crawl inside of boxes for some weird reason

And here she is again.  She has really pretty blue eyes that you cannot see.

I Love fall in our backyard!

So pretty!

On another note, I participated in a Fall Swap over at History of the Harvey's

Way back in Sept!  My swap partner was Cat at Nashville Newlyweds!!

She sent me the cutest surprise!!

 

Isn't it awesome??  It's a beautiful frame that I cannot wait to put one of our wedding pictures in!

And the notecards!  They are so cute!  Thanks Cat!!!

Well, that's all for now!  Hope you're having a great start to your week!

Pumpkin Bread

My Mother-in-law gave me a great recipe for Pumpkin Bread.  It is so delicious!

 Here's everything you'll need!

I know, it doesn't look too delicious right now, but I assure you, it is!

Almost done adding everything!

Put into my pans...

Yummmmmmm

And yes, I had to taste just to make sure!

Hubby loved it and so did everyone else that tried it! 

Pumpkin Bread:

Beat together:

4 eggs

2 cups pumpkin (1 can)

1 cup salad oil (you can substitute plain apple sause for a healther choice, my mom said you cannot tell the difference!)

1 cup water

then add gradually:

1 cup brown sugar

2 cups white sugar1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. cloves

dash of salt

2 tsp. soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

3 cups flower

Pour into 2 large loaf pans and bake at 350 degrees for 1hr & 10-15 minutes or 4 mini loaf pans at 325 degrees for about 45 minutes. (Times may vary by oven)

Dear Cold,

I've been avoiding you for awhile now.  I've managed to dodge the bullet several times at work, schools I visit and even through the last week that my husband was sick....  Now that you have caught up with me and done your business, can you please just go away?  I'm sick and tired of being sick & tired!  You've caused me headaches, tiredness, coughs, soar throats, stuffed up nostrils, sleepless nights, money spent on medicine that doesn't seem to be working and my sanity!  I think you can consider this one a Job.Well.Done. 

Sincerely,
Miserable Me

Catching up!

It's been a few days since my last post and I have no real good reason why.... I mean, I'm busy, but I could have sat down to type something up.  Nothing was blog worthy, but now that I have a few minutes, I thought I would catch you all up on what's going on.

This weekend was great since we were able to spend it at home!  Jesse was home sick on Friday, so most of the weekend was spent taking care of him and watching movies.  I have my first draft of my lit review for my research paper due this Sunday (which I was able to START on this past weekend)  I'm only about 2 pages in, so I've got a long way to go.  We did get to see some great movies though.  We watched The Proposal which was cute and a must see!  We also watched Lies & Illusions which was the worst movie we've ever seen a very odd movie to say the least. State of Play was the other one we watched and it was ok, not my favorite, and not my least favorite.

Other than that, Saturday, hubby drug me kicking and screaming took me to a speaker competition.... Yes, I said speaker competition.  More on that in a later post, but really, it wasn't that bad.  It was quite humorous and fun to see how creative people are when it comes to building speakers that sound really great.  It's hubby's new found passion in his free time.  He's working on a new project for our movie theater room, so I'll have to show pictures of that soon as well! 

I'm currently loathing my research class.... It's got to be the most waste of time class I have ever taken.  There is so much busy work.  AND get this, the research project we are putting together, well we aren't even following through with the research (or at least we aren't required to and since I'm not currently working in a school, it's quite difficult to do so).  So, I'm going along, doing whats required of us, but not really learning a damn thing in the process... I keep thinking only 7 more weeks to go and I'm finished with the class!!! (I wish it seemed like a short amount of time!)

I'm having a crap-tastic week, I can't really share a lot of the happenings, but just know that I could use some prayers to help fix things... 

I'm excited for this weekend, it's our biggest annual fundraiser for Big Brothers Big Sisters called Bowl for Kids Sake.  Hubby and I are bowling with two of my co-workers, Angie & Katie.  We've raised our money and now we are ready to celebrate!  We'll be bowling, enjoying food, hopefully some prizes and just having fun.  Afterwords, my parents are coming to visit and go out to dinner with us.  I haven't decided on a place yet, but I'm sure I'll think of something! :-) I'll be working on my lit-review the rest of the week/weekend, so no other fun will be had!

Lastly, I just want you all to know that there's only 66 days until Christmas!!! I'm very excited, can you tell?  Although, I'm also almost as equally excited for Thanksgiving when both sides of our families will join us for a home cooked meal by ME!  Yeahhh!! 

I hope everyone is having a crappy week like me great week! (No really, I hope it's better than mine!)

Buring Question of the Day

Meredith over at La Buena Vida does a Burning question of the day and I've decided to participate this week!
Her question:


Think back 5 years ago from today. October 16, 2004. What was going on in your life? Where were you working and living? Where did you think you were going in life? Is it where you've ended up? 

Let's see... 5 years is a long time for my memory!  haha I was in my 2nd year of College and dating someone (not my beloved Hubby).  October 16th, 2004 was a Saturday, I'm assuming I was watching some sort of football at the time or doing something with my family.  Anyway, I was majoring in Criminal Justice at Loras College in Dubuque, IA.  I thought I had everything figured out, I was doing well in school, dating a police officer and having the time of my life (or so I thought).  Anyway, said boyfriend ended up breaking my heart a few months later, (at the time, but I got over it) and on with my life I went.  It was quite some time before I dated again, which was a good thing.  Guys were nothing but trouble at that point. 


Anyway, back to October of 04, my plans were to graduate in May 07 and become a Juvenile Probation officer.  Little did I know it would be a hard position to break into.  I was very close to my family and thought that going out every weekend was the "coolest thing ever".  I had a few close friends (whom I still have today) and a few who feel by the wayside as the years went on.  I was a young 19 at the time and thought that it was the life.  I owned my own house, had a roommate to help pay my mortgage (smart girl here! haha) and loved every minute of it.  I don't think anything spectacular happened that October, but it was fun to be young and carefree.  I think I was working very little (maybe 10-12 hours a week), so my only concern was school and having fun. 

O, to go back to those days every once in awhile.... Ha just kidding, I love my life now more than I ever have before. Apparently, what I thought I had figured out, ended up being completely different than my life is now. I am pursuing my masters in School Counseling, married to the love of my life (whom I met 2 years later on October 4, 2006), living away from my hometown (though we hope to move back in a year or so) and loving every second of my life, in the here and now.  I know that all of my choices from way back when have helped to lead me to where I am now.  I think about those college days and realize that I wouldn't go back there for a second because even though life is harder now and there's more responsibility, I love where I am and I cannot wait to see where our lives are taken next.