Pieces of Us~Steve, Christy & Roscoe

Christmas At The Beach!

2011-12-06T11:46:00.000-05:00

Two things I love in one place. Christmas. Beach. I'm a happy girl. We went to a tree lighting at Fletcher's Cove this past weekend and it was so fun to just grab Roscoe and be able to walk there, since it's right down the street from our house. The lighted tree was a beauty and Santa rode in on the Solona Beach Firetruck....it was awesome! It was so small town and quaint, yet beachy. Perfect combo in my mind! We are in love with Solana Beach!
Merry Christmas!

Fall is Here!!

2011-10-20T16:42:00.000-04:00

I adore Fall. It is one of my favorite times of the year! Living in Kentucky gave me a special appreciation for Fall and I am missing the beautifully colored leaves there right now and getting a little nostalgic for those cozy Fall days in the country. At the same time, I am enjoying having Fall and not having it be freezing cold outside. I am still able to walk down on the beach with just a sweatshirt and be fine. I love that! We kicked off Fall by taking a trip to Julian with my sister and her husband. We took Roscoe along too and had a great time walking around looking at cute shops, eating yummy BBQ, picking our own apples in an orchard and then picking our own pumpkins off the vine in the pumpkin patch. We had the funnest time! The time of year, I find myself getting all excited! I just love the cooler days, and knowing all the holidays are just around the corner!!!

Mom & Dad's Pad--Abilene TX.

2011-09-27T15:37:00.000-04:00

Now that life has started to get somewhat settled, I am attempting to catch up on some of my blogging. It's been a busy past few months so these will be fun "re-cap" posts.

On our drive out to CA from KY (while we were moving out here) we were able to stop and see Mom & Dad at their home in Abilene TX. We had a quick visit with Dad and then picked up Mom to drive the rest of the way out to Cali with us for a visit. It was so fun getting to see where they lived, have a tour around the town and step into their lives for a minute. We also got to see Dad's office at the Burnett Law Firm where he works and even had time to sneak in a meal at our favorite Texas Roadhouse! It was a fast but fun visit! Roscoe loved being able to see Nana and Poppa too and run all around their place! Love you guys!

Happy Birthday Steve!

2011-09-06T11:18:00.009-04:00

Well...he's now a wise old man of 33. This weekend we celebrated Steve's birthday to the fullest! Sunday we had a fun BBQ with family, complete with games, Zobmondo, lots of food, talking, laughing and ....the Chocolate Motherlode cake from Claimjumper made its debut and just may be a birthday favorite of all time! We had a great time. Then Monday, (Steve's actual birthday!) we started off the morning by going sea kayaking in La Jolla and going on a tour of the caves! It was awesome--the best part was when tons of dolphins started swimming right around us. It was amazing to see and be that close to them! After kayaking, we went to Sea World, where we spent the day with Steve's family. It was so much fun. We went to shows--Pet's Rule, Shamu, Blue Horizons, Sea Lions, and even saw the Shamu Rocks show that night and ended the day with fireworks!!! Quite the celebration. I am so grateful to have Steve in my life. He makes me so happy! Our life is wonderful together and I couldn't imagine anything more. Happy Birthday sweetie! I love you so much!

We Heart Solana Beach!

2011-09-01T12:41:00.003-04:00

As many of you probably know, last month we made a HUGE move from our home in Vine Grove, KY (where we'd been living for the past 4 years) to San Diego, CA. It was bittersweet as we were sad to have to say goodbye to many good friends but excited to be close to friends and family in Cali again. We found an adorable place in Solana Beach and are in the process of getting settled into our new home. Steve is officially out of the army now and working in a private dental practice in La Jolla. We love being so close to the ocean and having such a "walk-able" beach town area to enjoy with Roscoe. It has such a fun feel here and we are enjoying discovering all the great little places to eat and hang out. We feel like we are able to get the small town feel with plenty around us to do! We love to jog to Dog Beach in Del Mar and let Roscoe run loose!! It really is a great place to live. We are loving Solana!

Good ol' Kentucky 4th!

2011-07-08T08:50:00.023-04:00

Hope everyone had a great 4th of July! We had a fun one. It was our last 4th in Kentucky, and boy did we live it up! The holiday weekend started off with a trip to Lake Nolin for grilling and boating with the Shipley's. We took Roscoe along too and he had a ball swimming in the lake and chasing after ginormous sticks. Then on Monday the 4th, the morning started out with a girl's trip with Diane to the Amish. We got the yummiest fresh produce and most delicious homemade peanut brittle! Then that afternoon we grabbed the boys and we all went to buy fireworks in Indiana for the big 4th of July Shipley extravaganza. After getting the fireworks we all headed back to the Shipley's for their big 4th of July party. We had so much fun playing around with Roscoe, grilling out, eating cotton candy, and then the night ended with a gigantic fireworks show put on by the guys. There is nothing like sitting outside with friends in their backyard watching fireworks that you bought yourself and getting your own custom show....it's a tradition that I will definitely miss about Kentucky. We had the best day. I am so grateful for the freedoms we so abundantly enjoy!

Scrumptious Cake Pops!

2011-04-21T17:44:00.006-04:00

I had such a blast this morning having some fun girl time with 2 of my good friends and experimenting with cake pops! They turned out so cute and are so fun to make. I felt my creative side coming out as I was thinking of how to decorate them and cute ways to display them. These would make adorable decorations for a shower, birthday party or spring picnic! To check out one of my favorite blogs where more cake pop ideas can be found go to: www.bakerella.com/category/pops-bites//cake-pops/

Simple Kindness

2011-04-05T14:09:00.003-04:00

I just have to share....today some of my good friends brought me some beautiful daffodils and a card---just because. It made my whole day and got me to thinking....do I do simple acts of kindness for others as much as I should? The glowing feeling I had after they left is still with me and I hope that I can provide that for others and be more sensitive to their needs instead of being wrapped up in my own world. I am so grateful for good friends who buoy me up and make me happy in so many ways. Today was brightened for me by simple kindness.

Jule's Wedding....

2011-04-01T18:08:00.033-04:00

Pre-wedding girly mani-pedi night

Everyone hanging out the night before Jule's gets hitched

Getting the bride all gussied up the morning of!!

Beautiful BRIDE GIRL!!

Awww....Scotty loves me!

Carp Fam--All together again!!

Carp siblings with Jules & Mikel

My cute Mom and Dad

A lot of this usually happens when we get together!

Jaime & me

I adore this picture of my sister and dad Nothing like getting doused with bubbles by your brothers on your first dance!

I have the best sister in the world! I love this girl!

awwww.......enough said.

Jules & Mom

Last week Steve & I flew to Cali for my little sister's wedding. It was so wonderful to be there with my whole family. It was the first time all 5 of us kids were all together in over 3 1/2 years. Needless to say, we had LOT of fun together! I loved being able to spend the night with my sister the night before her wedding and wake up and help her curl her hair for her big day. I loved being in the bride's room of the San Diego Temple with Julie and my mom helping Jules get her wedding dress on. It was such a special time to me and I'm so happy I could be there. She was one of the most beautiful brides I have ever seen! Now the new Mrs. Nelson and her hubby are happily on their honeymoon in Jamaica...mon! I can't wait to see pictures when they get home!

Being able to be with my whole family and especially all of my siblings again reminded me how lucky I am to have the family I do. We all have so much fun together---it is seriously ALWAYS a good time when we get together and I love it! I am looking forward to living closer to all of them so that we can hang out more often and have more good times! Love you guys!

Pillow Talk!

2011-03-20T20:56:00.005-04:00

I am new in the "sewing world." When I was a little girl my mom tried her darndest to teach me but I had absolutely no interest. Now that I am older I wish I had learned a little more from her, especially as I see so many cute sewing crafts and things to make. So this past Christmas, Steve got me my very own sewing machine. I was excited and intimidated all at the same time. So excited to learn, yet feeling so "sewing illiterate." I have been teaching myself slowly and just experimenting little bits at a time.

This past week I had so much fun learning how to make pillows! OK--I know they are easy for most people, but for me it was a HUGE accomplishment! I learned how to make a slipcover to fit over an existing pillow and also stuffed pillows. I practiced by making pillows for my dog Roscoe and his best friend Moose. I figured...they won't be too upset if I make any mistakes..ha ha. I was so happy with the end result and they were very easy and fun to make! Hopefully I will be posting more sewing projects on here in the future!

O What A Very Happy Birthday!

2011-02-25T07:30:00.021-05:00

Balloon #1 on my birthday treasure hunt!

What girl doesn't love a box of yummy bath treats to soak in?! I sure do!

My new loungy jammas from Steve

Birthday breakfast--cinnamon crunch bagel, strawberry scone, wild blueberry scone-- no I didn't eat them all...but I sure wanted to! YUM!

Fresh strawberries and cream--a Christy favorite!

Pretty flowers from my friend Rachie! Thanks for making my day girly!

They smelled so good I had to drink them in!

Beautiful flowers from my sweet husband

Entering Estefano's--Casa Toscana

"THE MENU"

Spinach and 3 cheese ravioli with crushed tomatoes and olive oil

Lobster ravioli with a lemon cream sauce

Tomato bisque

Yesterday I celebrated my 33rd birthday. I mean....27th birthday. my bad. :) hee hee. It was such a wonderful day. I was absolutely blown away by all the people I have in my life that care about me. I received so many phone calls, emails, and facebook messages--all of which really made my day! Thank you so much everyone! I truly felt very loved.

I also, as most of you know, have one of the most romantic husbands a girl could ever dream of and he takes every opportunity to pamper me. My day started off with a birthday treasure hunt Steve had all set up for me to do while he was at work. It was so much fun running around the house looking for my next balloon. He had little gifts as well as activities for me to do to make my day special. He seriously blows me away with his surprises.

After my treasure hunt, my good friend Diane and her girls took me out to lunch! We tried out a new Indian place and had so much fun discovering all the different foods they had. It's always a blast being with them. Thanks girlies!

That night, we had reservations at an amazing Italian place called "Estefano's", the location was great as it happened to be right in our own dining room with the whole meal prepared and presented by "Estefano" himself. (Steve) It was delicious!! I have the best husband! It was so fun to sit inside listening to romantic Italian music, while rain pattered down outside and enjoy an incredible meal with Steve.

Last night when I went to bed, I was almost in tears....this time they were tears of happiness for all the love I felt throughout the whole day yesterday. It really was such a wonderful birthday, thanks to all of you who made it so special in many different ways. I am overwhelmed by the good friends I have in my life. I don't know exactly what I did to get them all! But I'm sincerely grateful to you for your examples, your strength, and your love to me. Thank you for making my day so happy! I've said it before and I'll say it again. I am one lucky girl!!

Moving On.....

2011-02-22T14:46:00.004-05:00

One of the things I miss most about California.....i can't get enough of this sight!

Gotta have our Waite Time! We love you guys!

Just the girls: Rach, Mia and me on our favorite comfy couch

Jule's Bridal Shower

The most beautiful BRIDE GIRL!

Let's get these presents opened...shall we??

Jules and I

Scotty boy...after his 7 month adventure in China! So glad you're back!

Danny & Steve giving us a private rock concert!

Ahhhh...yes. I have missed you.

Scott, Danny & Steve enjoying their In 'N Out

Roscoe ruling the pad in our hotel room in Augusta

Charis and I--catching up after 9 years!

Steve's and my goal over this past month has been moving on. We are trying to re-focus our lives and appreciate all the good things we have. We are looking for other ways to find happiness, even if it's different than the plan we originally had for our life.
These past few weeks have been busy. We took a trip to CA to look at some dental practices either to buy or for Steve to be a partner in. We have a lot of reservations about going back to Cali, (especially after we look at real estate) but it is home to us and the thought of going back is still very exciting and comforting. We have family there and many good friends as well as lots of things we like to do....baseball games, & BEACH (just to mention a couple)! While we were in Cali we got to spend a lot of time with Steve's parents and my brothers and sister. It was so much fun being with them. We played games, talked, stayed up way too late, and ate like crazy. I loved every minute! I also got to go to my sister's bridal shower (she's getting married in March!) It was fun to be a part of it! Love you Jules! We also got to see our good friends Rachel and Willie--we always have the best time with them. Yummy pizza, good laughs and of course a frozen yogurt run or 2 thrown in!
After our trip to California we went to Georgia for a dental CE course for Steve. We brought Roscoe along and stayed at the Marriot in Augusta, right by the riverwalk. Every morning Roscoe and I would enjoy a long walk around the river. It was great weather and a nice chance to be outside and enjoy the beginning of Spring. While staying in Georgia, I also got to visit one of my former college roommates and good friend, Charis and her family. I got to meet her adorable twins and it was so great to catch up with her after 9 years!!!
Now we are back home, and back to home projects. We painted another bathroom in our home yesterday and have one more to go. Hopefully we will be able to get our house all ready and on the market to sell in the next month and a half. This is a big year, full of changes, but we are excited for them!

Brokenhearted again....

2011-02-03T08:18:00.003-05:00

I apologize if this post doesn't make sense but I feel I need to update, even if I don't have the words to explain. This has been an excruciating week for Steve and I. We found out that the birthmother of the baby we were going to adopt next month changed her mind and would not be placing the baby with us. We feel brokenhearted and hopeless. We always knew this was a risk with adoption but we really didn't think it would happen or play out the way it has. We felt good about our initial decision to adopt this baby and felt like we had a good relationship with the birthmom. We felt a lot of love and reassurance from her for so many months. Everything just seemed to change so quickly. So here we are again--hurt, not understanding why we have to keep going through these difficult things. Why couldn't we have been spared from this one? We are once again trying to pick up the pieces and move on. It's very hard. It's difficult to find hope and peace again.
We thank everyone that has reached out to us and offered love and support to us during this time. It truly does mean a lot to know you are loved.

Happy Christmas to all!!

2010-12-20T07:01:00.005-05:00

I sure love this time of year!! For many of you who know me, this comes as no surprise!! :) I love everything about it...the smells, the music, the lights, the decorations, snow...everything!! But more importantly, I love the chance it gives us to reflect on our Savior and the wonderful gift he has given us. He has given us His love. He has given us Hope. He has given us a second chance when we fall short. For all these things I am grateful for---at this time of year and always. May we all use this wonderful season to show a little more kindness to those around us, and draw closer to our Savior--for because of his sacrifice for us...our lives are happier.
Merry Christmas to you all and a wonderful 2011!!!

Steve, Christy, & Roscoe +Baby Girl!!!!

2010-12-09T13:06:00.006-05:00

For those of you, who haven't heard.......Steve and I are going to be adopting a baby girl in March!!!!!! We are so excited!! We have waited a long time to add some babushkas to our home-so this is wonderful news for us!! Thank you to all who have shared in our excitement and to everyone for all your support. We can't wait to meet her!!

Thanksgiving with Danny & Jaime!

2010-12-02T13:33:00.021-05:00

We had a great Turkey Day! My brother and his wife came out to visit us and we had the funnest time. They were able to stay with us for about a week and a half! We had such a great time making and eating good food, roadtrip to Indianapolis for the Circle of Lights, seeing the Nutcracker, walk at Sunders Springs, Christmas in the park, the gingerbread house at the Galt House, our nightly hot chocolate, puzzles, Conan, Nertz, Jaime's and my mani/pedi party, eggnog toasts and boiled custard, ski ball and air hockey at Blazers, crusing the homes in Old Louisville, the Bat Musuem, and lots of other fun stuff. The best was the last night they were here, Jaime and I stayed up all night (literally) finishing a 1000 piece Christmas puzzle. We were just putting the last piece in as Steve was leaving for work at 6:40 am! It was so much fun! It was just great to have them here and I'm really missing them now that they are gone. Roscoe has been sulking too--he loved having extra people around to play with! :) It was a great time--come back soon guys!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

2010-11-01T07:20:00.012-04:00

Hope everyone had a great Halloween! Ours was fun! We dressed up for a Murder Mystery Dinner Party at our friend's house on Friday. We were supposed to be in the werewolf clan and going to a costume ball for our parts in the party. So I wore my best ball gown and Steve went as a werewolf dressed up as Phantom of the Opera. It was a lot of fun! Then last night for Halloween night we had our traditional dinner of pumpkin burgers, with hot cider and yummy pumpkin bars with frosting for dessert. mmmm....yum. We had fun passing out candy to the trick-or-treaters and seeing all the great costumes. We had a great Halloween!

Trip to New England!

2010-10-19T13:06:00.010-04:00

The Holocost Memorial--each side of this building is full of numbered people from the concentration camps.

Acorn Street...my favorite street in Boston! I love the cobblestone and plants.

Kevin Garnett taking a stroll on the field

Who's on 1st?.......Shaq's on First!!

Watch out...this guy throws some serious heat!

Aboard the USS Constitution

Check out those pretty colors!!

Jamie & Amanda eating the best lobster stew in the world at Newick's

Shopping in Portsmouth

Amanda & I at the lighthouse in Maine

A couple weekends ago Steve and I made a trip to the New England area to visit some friends in New Hampshire and see the beautiful Fall leaves! It was a fun trip. We flew there on Thursday night and Amanda and Jamie met us at the airport. On Friday, they had to work but were kind enough to let us use their car, the amazing Golden Bullet and Steve and I had a great day touring all around Boston. We saw a lot of historical sights and enjoyed some great clam chowder at the Union Oyster House....the oldest restaurant in the nation! We also struck lucky when we went to see Fenway Park and caught the Boston Celtics playing an impromptu baseball game for fun. Yes--we got pictures of Shaq and Kevin Garnett! It was a great surprise! On Saturday, the Hornes and Hallinans (our New Hampshire buddies) had a fun day driving to the White Mountains to see the leaves, eating the yummiest lobster stew at Newick's, stomping around the cute stores in Portsmouth, and going on a lighthouse hunt in Maine! We ended the day with Amanda's famous chili and homemade apple crisp.And of course snuggling with their loveable dog, Chica. We had a great time and miss you guys! Thanks again for everything!

La Isla Mujeres

2010-10-12T10:03:00.042-04:00

Exploring the caves at the Sculpture Park

These iguana guys were everywhere! They are so cool! (even though this one looks like he

wants to eat us for lunch!)

This was my favorite spot--the pier at Playa Lancheros at sunset! So pretty!

Enjoying sunset at Playa Norte

We were in heaven with all the beautiful beaches!

This guy is priceless!

Gettin brave and holding a nurse shark!!

Delicious crepes at Hildago Cafe

My new BFF, Stefano...aka: the best gelato maker in the world!

Dancing with Angel the Dolphin

Steve getting a smooch

Holding Casear the Manatee

A couple weeks ago, Steve and I took a trip to La Isla Mujeres, Mexica. It is a small island off Cancun and is absolutely beautiful! This trip was a celebration of Steve returning home safely from Iraq and we had a great time. The highlights were:

-Relaxing and reading on the beautiful white sand beaches

-Adventurous taxi rides

-Chips and guac everyday!!!

-All the fun restaurants and new foods we got to try! (Cazuelas, chik n' tix, etc...)

-Ending our day with gelato every night at Monte Biano with Stefano (the Italian guy that owns it--yes we became best friends!)

-Swimming with sealions, manatees, sharks, rays and dolphins

-Seeing the "tortugas!" (turtles)

-pretty much everything. we had a great time. Welcome back Steve! I'm so glad you're home!

Chicago is our kind of town!!!

2010-09-09T23:06:00.003-04:00

Frank Sinatra's favorite restaurant in Chicago---tasty ribs!

Steve doin' his robot at Oz Park

Blue Man Group concert----what a party!

To die for orange bread french toast and strawberry orange juice at this gem

This was the cutest group of men outside the park, playing their instruments--

Cubbies game at Wrigley Field---we love baseball games!!

Beautiful Wrigley Field---gotta love the ivy covered walls

The most beautiful fountain I have ever seen--loved the architecture of it.

one of my favorite pictures!

Crazy masks at Grant Park fair

Enjoying some soulful music at the Chicago Jazz Festival

A "quick" hour wait for the yummiest bruschetta and deep dish Chicago pizza at Lou's--

Seriously...the tallest ferris wheel I have ever seen!

On the ferris wheel with my babes!

View of Chicago from the ferris wheel

Kicking off Steve's birthday with midnight sundae and hot chocolate at Ghirardelli's

Happy Birthday my love!

Steve opening up the Christmas advent calender I made for him while he was deployed

(it patterns the one he grew up with as a kid...he loved it!!)

Walking through the city in the rain---such a fun night!

This little...errr..big guy was so tucked in and cozy I couldn't resist a picture...so cute!

Steve...imitating his personal mascot----THE LION!

On a water taxi going down the river

AHHHH!!!....don't look down!!

Standing on the ledge in the Skydeck of the Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower)...so high!

Steve's personal message on the Willis Tower wall

The Bean in Mellenium Park

enjoying a tasty cinnamon roll in the park from Yolk...mmmmm

Last weekend for Steve's birthday I planned a surprise trip to Chicago for him!! We had a blast and crammed the few days we had there full of fun!! We loved everything but here are some of our very favorites about Chicago:
*yummy breakfast's at Yolk
*Blue Man Group concert

*Buckingham Fountain at Grant Park
*Cubbies game at Wrigley Field
*Skydeck in the Willis Tower (formerly Sears tower)
*Chicago Jazz Festival at Grant Park
*Lincoln Park Zoo
*Steve's birthday dinner at Benny's Chop House and our $61.00 appetizer that was "on the house" (as a thanks to Steve for his military service and safe return home!!)
*Walking through the city at night in the rain with my sweetheart
*Seeing Steve smile so much!
It was a great trip---it was the coolest city and we loved it!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SWEETHEART!! You are the best husband and make me so incredibly happy! I'm so glad you're home and we can play again! Love you!

HE'S HOME!!!!!!

2010-08-16T10:30:00.005-04:00

I don't know if I can even write how I feel---I am so unbelievably happy and complete!!! Steve was supposed to come home this Tuesday (the 17th) after being in Iraq for the last 6 months and I was getting really excited. I woke up last Saturday morning (the 14th) and got a call from him--he asked what I was doing that night? And if I would want to come pick him up at the airport! I was so surprised and happy!!!! He was able to get on a earlier flight and get home sooner than we expected! Needless to say, I said "yes--I'll be there!", hung up the phone and ran around the house squealing for about 10 minutes!!

Not seeing your husband for 6 months is hard!! I have missed him so much. I know there are people who are deployed for a lot longer and I appreciate the sacrifices they make--for us---6 months was enough!! We feel so blessed and grateful that he did not have to be gone longer than that. Apart from the emotional difficulty of being separated, I have worried every day about his safety. There were numerous mortar attacks and car bombs very close to him, during his time in Iraq and I feel so blessed that he was protected and is home safe.

So since Saturday night we have been living in our own little world! It has been wonderful. The best thing about him being back is--EVERYTHING!!! By that I mean everything is better! We appreciate and revel in all the "little things"...being able to eat dinner together, snuggle on the couch, kiss each other whenever we want--life is bliss! I couldn't be happier to have him home! Love you Steve! Thanks for how hard you work for us!

The 3 Musketeers (+ Roscoe) Roadtrip to KY Adventure!

2010-08-08T20:44:00.054-04:00

This past week my parents helped drive Roscoe and I back to Kentucky, after being in California for the past 6 months, while Steve has been deployed. It was a great trip. We had fun along the way, stopping in Tucson to see my sister-in-law Sarah and her husband Cary and 2 adorable boys, seeing my Dad's mission companion in Midland Texas, and then staying at a "pet-friendly" hotel in McKinney Texas and exploring some of the area. It was a fun trip! When we finally reached my home in Vine Grove, KY...my parents stayed for a week and we just played and played! It was a blast. We went to Fort Knox, the Patton Musuem, Abraham Lincoln's birthplace and childhood home, Mammoth Caves, Glendale, the Louisville Slugger Bat Musuem, a Bat's baseball game (the Cincinnati Red's AA team), and also explored some of Amish country and bought some produce from an authentic Amish farm. Not to mention all the good food we ate and the games of ping pong Dad and I played in my basement. It was so much fun and I was really sad to see them leave. Thanks again Mom and Dad for all the fun times and the support you gave me over the past months! I miss you!!!!

Anxiously Waiting.......

2010-07-31T09:05:00.002-04:00

I cannot wait till Steve comes home. I have been able to find things to do with my time while he has been gone, but now it is time. One of my friends, whose husband was deployed in Afghanistan earlier this year mentioned that she was excited to do all the "little things" again with her husband. This is exactly how I feel. I can't wait to just eat dinner together in our home, sit outside and talk, go to a movie, I would even be excited about cleaning the basement or garage as long as I could do it with Steve. Last night I was at a baseball game and the girl next to me was holding hands with her husband and I was insanely jealous......not of her husband but just that they got to hold hands! I can't even imagine what that is like anymore. I'm looking forward to all these things and to just being able to live life with Steve again. Love you honey!!

I Am the Luckiest Girl!

2010-07-19T11:26:00.002-04:00

Wanna know why.....???? Because I have the best husband in the world. Today we are celebrating our 8th anniversary and I feel so blessed. Being married to Steve is better than I ever imagined married life to be. I'm sad that we can't be together today to celebrate our day honey but know that I am thinking of you and loving you more today than the day I said yes!!!

I CAN SEE!!!

2010-07-14T20:14:00.003-04:00

Yesterday I had Lasik Eye Surgery and for the past 24 hours my world has been in high def and absolutely beautiful! I am one happy girl! I have been wearing glasses since 4th grade, hard contact lenses since high school and have been dreaming about having Lasik since the very first time I heard about it. The procedure went well. I was mostly excited to have it, up until yesterday morning when I started to get pretty nervous about someone else all up in my eyeball. But it went well and I felt very taken care of by my surgeon, Dr. Tooma. My sister and mother-in-law got to watch my whole surgery on video as I was having it done. They also got to enjoy the fun I bring to the table when I'm on Xanex. Ha-Ha! Anyway, I am enjoying my perfect eyesight and am so grateful I was able to have this done! Now the next exciting thing I'm looking forward to is STEVE COMING HOME!!!! Not too much longer!!! It will be the highlight of my year--even over the Lasik!!

Wild Animal Park

2010-06-28T21:00:00.008-04:00

Isn't this baby African elephant the cutest??!!

This picture is all for Steve--he loves lions!

This past Friday I went with my friend Kris to the San Diego Wild Animal Park. I went to this place a ton growing up but haven't been back for the longest time and I had a great time! It was so nice just being outside in the fresh air and walking around looking at cool exibits and animals. I would have to give my favorite animal award to the baby elephants---they stole my heart! It was a fun day and I loved getting to spend time with Kris and her cute baby boy, Griffin. Thanks for such a wonderful day Kris! Love ya!

I'm Still Alive....

2010-06-17T19:25:00.004-04:00

I have to apologize for my lack of posts recently. There has been a lot going on in the past few months and this last month especially was a bit of a rough one. But I'm alive and well. Still kickin. For a quick "short story" update....since my brother's wedding (my last post): our family has had another wedding reception for them, were supposed to be out of our house at the end of April---got the lease extended till the end of May, so we had another month together!! YAY! And during that month we spent a lot of good time together. We went on trips to Dog Beach, Yogurt World (many times!), watched movies, went to Padre games and just enjoyed being together. At the end of May, we packed up and loaded all my parents things into storage. Due to some job changes, my parents are unable to get another place of their own right now, so we had to split up, which was hard. My parents are living with my aunt and uncle in Rancho Bernardo, my brother Scott went to China to teach English to 4-6 year olds for 7 months and my sister Julie and I are now living in Orange County with my in-laws. It is hard being away from everyone but we so appreciate all the hospitality that has been offered to all of us in our different places. This last weekend we were able to get together in San Diego for Julie's birthday! It was a great day and we had so much fun! We spent the whole day at the beach relaxing, reading, talking, eating, going for walks and just chillin!! That night we roasted hot dogs and S'mores and then after the beach we suprised Jules with a trip to Belmont Park to ride the coaster! It was awesome and we even got mom to ride it!!! Good job Mom!! After that we ended our night with sweet treats at Extraordinary Desserts. What a fun day!! Happy 23rd Birthday Jules! We love you!
That about brings things up to date for now. I have been missing Steve so much lately and am so excited for the day he comes back home to me!! We are already dreaming of all the fun things we will do when we are together again! It will be great! Hope everyone is doing well!

Danny & Jaime's Wedding Day!!

2010-04-21T21:05:00.034-04:00

Carps minus Mark...love ya Elder Carpenter!

Danny & Jaime Carpenter

He's a married man!

Ahh..they are so cute!

The Carp fam--with the new Mr. & Mrs.

My beautiful new sister-in-law....isn't she gorgeous??

The Groomsmen

Jaime & her bridesmaids

Cute Danny & Jaime

The Wedding Party

Jules & me

I was in charge of making the cupcakes--I think they turned out cute!

My little brother is now a married man! Last Saturday Danny and Jaime were sealed in the San Diego Temple. It was a wonderful day! We all enjoyed being with them and celebrating in their happiness! I am so excited to have another sister--and especially one that makes my brother so happy! We love you Danny and Jaime!

Pre Wedding Bonfire!

2010-04-21T20:41:00.008-04:00

Tonight we had a bonfire with Danny and Jaime and their out of town friends that were here for their wedding tomorrow!!! It was a lot of fun kickin it on the beach and roasting hot dogs and s'mores and just relaxing. We are all excited for the wedding tomorrow and to have Jaime in our family!!

The Finished Product!!!

2010-04-14T02:12:00.009-04:00

So I finally finished my rag quilt! It was fun and frustrating at times, but it is finished and I had a good time working with my mom on it together. She made one too that is red, white and blue Americana design and turned out really cute! So here's mine.....and you can tell Roscoe pretty much thinks it's his--he LOVES it for some reason. It's kinda funny. Here's onto the next craft!

Learning something new.....

2010-04-05T18:24:00.008-04:00

Last week my sister taught me to make Mongolian Dumplings. She recently got home from serving her mission in the Washington DC. South Mission, most of which covers parts of Virginia. While she was there she met a lot of mongolians and grew to love their customs and foods. So she taught me how to make one of her favorite Mongolian dishes. They are so unique and intricate. I thought they were so pretty in their design I had to post pictures! They were tasty and we had so much fun making them! It was great to learn a new skill. Thanks Jules! Can't wait for the next time!

Quilt Progress...

2010-03-30T03:18:00.005-04:00

Today was a good day of working on the quilt. Since I last posted, I have ironed all my material, matched up all my selvege edges (the non-cut edge of the fabric--I just learned what that was!) measured and trimmed them all up into the size of squares I need, made the "fabric sandwiches" this consists of a fabric square with a square of batting inside and then another fabric square on top of that. (the batting squares are cut about 1/2 inch less than the fabric squares) and then just today I sewed all my "X's" on my fabric square sandwiches!! It was really fun! I learned about threading the machine and spooling a bobbin to load (for those of you who are wondering---YES I am a total beginner at sewing--so I'm learning everything from scratch!! And as soon as I got the hang of that...I was obsessed! I worked most of the afternoon and then took a break to take Roscoe to the park, then tonight I worked on it again for a few hours and just now finished...it's after midnight! I loved it! And it was a lot of fun to create something. I still have a bit more to do before I see the finished product--but I think it's gonna be great! And I'm having fun learning and making things myself. It's a good feeling! More updates to come!

5 weeks down!!

2010-03-27T21:38:00.002-04:00

Hi! It's been awhile since I've posted and I had to write because yesterday marked 5 weeks that Steve's been gone. In a way it seems like he's been gone forever, but then to think that it has already been 5 weeks feels pretty great too--like we are finally getting some time ticked down! He is doing well and thanks to everyone that has sent letters or packages--I know he loves hearing from you! He is adjusting to the clinic there and has 3 assistants at the moment, so they are helping him out. For the last day it has been raining constantly near where he is so he is taking advantage of the cooler weather and cleaner air. Things are going good. I am keeping busy here in San Diego. With daily trips to the dog park, hanging out with my brothers and sister, doing crafts with my Mom (hopefully I will have another quilting post on here soon!) and sampling frozen yogurt at every place I can find! Thanks again to all of you for your support and encouragement--we so blessed to be so taken care of by wonderful friends and family!
HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE!

Sewing Project #1

2010-03-11T17:26:00.005-05:00

I have decided that to maximize the time I have while Steve and I are apart, I will learn and do some new things that I have been wanting to do, and now have the time to. Plus it's another great way of staying busy and also getting to accomplish something!

One of the things I have always wanted to get into is sewing. I remember my mom trying to teach me to sew when I was younger and I had no interest in it. Now I do, so my mom and I are going to start by making rag quilts. I am really excited to get going on a project! And to learn a new skill that I can use all throughout my life. We went and picked out our fabric today for our quilts. I am going to try and post my progress on the blog for 2 reasons:

1) because it's fun to show what I'm up to and

2) to keep me motivated to work on it often and keep moving forward!

I always enjoy seeing what fun projects everyone else is up to so here I go on my own.....

He's There!

2010-03-04T11:04:00.003-05:00

I wanted to give a quick update on Steve. He spent the last week in Georgia for some training and then flew to Kuwait last Friday. He was there for a couple days and then flew to Baghdad. He was previously assigned to be working at a clinic at Camp Victory, but they are deciding to close that clinic down so he will now be stationed at Camp Prosperity. Camp Prosperity is mostly in and around Al Asad, one of Sadaam's old palaces. He got an orientation to the clinic, and everything seems good. The clinic where he will be working is very nice. He will have an assistant who is an civilian dental assistant deployed with the national guard, so he should have all the help he needs. He will also be the triage officer for any emergency mass casualty situations. For any of you who want to send letters or packages his mailing address is:

Steve Horne

550th ASMC, Ortiz Clinic

APO, AE 09348

You don't have to put Iraq, because it is an APO address through the U.S. and therefore much cheaper and quicker.

I will post more updates as I get them. For now, thing are good. We have been able to talk on the phone and/or Skype almost everyday, except the ones where he was traveling. So it makes it easier being able to communicate with him. Hoping the next 6 months will fly on by!

A Happy Birthday!

2010-02-25T21:53:00.002-05:00

Yesterday I celebrated 32 years of my life! I can't believe it--how am I that old already? For the record I still feel 22. I was a little sad this year because I knew Steve and I weren't going to be together on my birthday but I ended up having a really happy day. It started off by my family singing happy birthday to me in bed, then my mom made a delicious breakfast of waffles, with fruit and cream to put on top--YUM!! After breakfast, when I was getting ready for the day--I received a delivery of beautiful flowers from my adorable husband, who even though he's far away still makes me feel like the most special girl in the world! After getting ready for the day my brother's fiance' took me out for lunch and she had the coolest plan. She had gotten a bunch of sushi and we went and sat on the beach and ate it--it was so peaceful and beautiful! After eating we went shoe shopping--my favorite! Then later in the afternoon my brothers and sister and I all went to my favorite place in the world--HAPPY YOGURT! Then that night my mom made a birthday dinner for me with my favorite mint n' chip ice cream pie for dessert-and then they gave me my last present--the Wii Fit! Steve got it for me to go with our Wii. I am so excited to use it a lot!! On top of all these things that happened to make my day so happy, I received tons of messages and phone calls from dear friends who were thinking of me and wanted to wish me a happy day! Thank you all so much for making what I thought was going to be a tough birthday, a really special and memorable one! Love you guys!

The Countdown is on

2010-02-23T02:18:00.004-05:00

Steve left last Friday Feb. 19th. It was a hard day as I kept watching the clock knowing our time was ticking down till I had to take him to the airport and say goodbye--in fact it makes my stomach turn just thinking about it now. But we made it through the goodbye. I haven't cried that hard in awhile and I'm sure it is the first of many tearful days. It is a hard thing being separated from your best friend. I am so fortunate to be able to have family and friends here to take care of me, but I sure miss my Steve. Luckily, the day he left we were able to spend a lot of good quality time together. We went to Balboa Island and took Roscoe to a dog park and had fun watching him play around with all the other dogs. So it was a good day till airport time came. :(
Steve made it to Augusta, Georgia where he will go through training for a week and then this Friday he flies to Kuwait for another week of training. After that he will fly to Baghdad and arrive at Camp Victory where he will complete the rest of his deployment. He will be the only dentist in the clinic there so I'm sure he will have his work cut out for him. But they are lucky to have him--he's the best dentist in my opinion!!!
Luckily, the area he is going to is pretty safe, but please keep him in your prayers! Even though this is a tough time we are trying to focus on the positive aspects of it. I feel like we can use this experience to grow even closer and I know we will definitely appreciate all the time we have together even more than we did before!
My goal is to try and keep this blog updated with Steve reports so you all can hear how he is doing but I have to warn you it may be used for a few venting/emotional breakdowns throughout the process as well....just puttin it out there. Thanks to everyone for all the support. I have the best friends and family a girl could ever ask for!

Horne Update

2010-02-08T13:37:00.002-05:00

Wow. I cannot believe it's been over a month since I've posted on here. So much has happened and we've been busy busy. For those of you who don't know, Steve is being deployed to Iraq in 2 weeks. It is a hard time for us as we dread the separation and time we will be apart. We decided that in order to help the time go by a little faster that Steve would drive Roscoe and I out to California so that I can be with my family while he is away. I have 2 siblings who just got back from missions and a brother that is getting married so the goal is that with all the "busyness" and people around it will help me be able to cope without Steve a bit better....although who can cope when their best friend isn't around??!!
Anyway, we made the trek from our home in Vine Grove, KY. to California and it actually was a lot better than expected. We were a little worried that our dog, Roscoe wouldn't be able to handle the length of the drive but he surprised us by being the best "road-trip" dog I've ever seen! He would jump in the car every morning when we began our driving for the day and fall asleep, wake up at rest stops and take care of business and then hop right back in the car for more driving. We were able to stop and visit with both of Steve's sisters....one in St. Louis, and one in Tucson. I know Roscoe loved seeing all the new people and we loved getting to spend time with them too! One of Roscoe's favorite nights was when we stopped at a "pet-friendly" hotel and he got to enjoy his first overnight stay--he was in heaven!
So we made it to our destination on Wednesday night and have been getting to see lots of family! I got to see my brother Scott who just got home from Chile last week--it was great!
It is a bitter-sweet time, because I am so happy to see my family but sad that Steve won't be here with me. It is difficult, because we know that Steve will be leaving soon and we are trying to soak up every minute we can together. At this point, I just want to get the time ticking down so he can come back. I'm grateful to all the family and friends who have given us encouragement, help and support through this time. And I'm grateful for my husband who loved me enough to make the drive all the way from Kentucky to make sure I would be taken care of during this time. Here's hoping the next 6 months will fly by!

Boss is a Fan of the snow!

2010-01-07T13:48:00.016-05:00

This morning it finally happened! We got snow!! A lot of it! There is something so magical about seeing everything outside all covered in white sparkling snow. I absolutely love it! Seminary was cancelled this morning because schools were closed so Rosoce and I took advantage and took ourselves a winter snooze! Then we went out for our walk and I realized again just how much Roscoe LOVES snow. He loves to stick his nose down in it and then he gets all energized either by the cold or the texture of it and starts running all around in it. He was hilarious! I got some good pictures that I think capture our morning pretty well! I think the snow festivities tuckered him out though because as I sit here writing this he is dreaming of doggy snow angels on our bed!

Happy Christmas to all!!

2009-12-28T19:21:00.024-05:00

Christmas Eve dinner with my sweetie!

The stockings were hung and Santa did come!

Steve giving Ross the Boss his stocking

My puffer balloon frog Santa brought me in my stocking

Christmas morning breakfast

2 of the cutest guys in the whole world!

Rosoce-so tired he fell asleep with paper in his paws!

Roscoe's new puppy dog toy! He loves it!

Roscoe tuckered out after all the excitement!

This is my favorite time of year! Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas! We really enjoyed ours! This year was our first year having Christmas in our home with just our little family! We had so much fun. Christmas Eve, during the day you could feel the excitement throughout the house--we were both wrapping presents, trying to hide them from each other and watching Christmas movie. It was fun! We also had a great time taking some Christmas goodies we had baked to some of our friends during the afternoon. One of my greatest accomplishments this season (I feel ) was learning to make English toffee. I have always loved it and wanted to learn to make it--this year I finally did!! Christmas Eve night Steve and I enjoyed a romantic candle lit dinner . We made all our favorite things and just enjoyed eating and talking together. That night we stayed up late watching White Christmas and doing a Christmas puzzle. I have decided that Christmas Eve is my favorite day of the whole year! I just love the feeling and all the magic in the air! The next morning we got up and had our traditional Christmas breakfast of Eggs Portugal, Cinnabraid, and fruit. YUM!! Then we had fun peeking in our stockings and opening our presents together under the tree. This was our first Christmas with Roscoe and boy did he get spoiled! We had a stocking for him and he even had some wrapped presents under the tree! Yes--we LOVE our dog! We had so much fun laughing at him opening his presents and seeing how excited he was with his new toys and treats! It was a great day! We loved being together in our own home! We hope that you all had a wonderful Christmas and that you have a great new year to come! HAPPY 2010!!

Thanksgiving in Cali!

2009-12-07T08:47:00.032-05:00

Wow! I cannot believe how fast the time goes once the month of December hits! I have to catch up on my blogging! Steve and I were able to go to California to spend Thanksgiving with our families for the first time in a few years---it was wonderful! The first couple days we were there we had fun spending time with Steve's parents going to Knott's Berry Farm, and seeing "A Christmas Carol" at the IMAX. On Thanksgivng day my family drove up to Steve's parents home and we all had Thanksgiving dinner together. It was so much fun being with everyone! We had a big slumber party that night with everyone and the next morning we all drove up to the Horne's cabin in Lake Arrowhead to enjoy some time in the mountains. It was so pretty! Friday night we spent playing games and watching Christmas movies. The next morning we woke up to a winter wonderland. Overnight, it had snowed and everything was covered! We were so surprised and excited! Seeing all the pine trees and everything with snow looked so beautiful! We went out and played in it before going to a yummy breakfast at Belgian Waffle Works and walking around the Arrowhead Village.

Saturday night we drove to San Diego to see my parents new house and to be there for my Mom's birthday the next day! Sunday morning Steve, Danny, his girlfriend Jaime, my dad and me all made my mom a surprise birthday breakfast of crepes, sausage, eggs and OJ. She loved it! It was fun to spend the day with her and celebrate!

Monday morning Mom and I went to Canterbury Gardens--one of our favorite "girl" Christmas traditions! We enjoyed looking at all the decorated trees and lights and picking out an ornament. I especially loved the Christmas elves ornaments! Monday afternoon we drove to La Jolla and spent the afternoon at Wind & Sea Beach exploring the beach caves and watching the surfers and the seagulls. We took mom out to El Pescador Fish Market for a "day-after" birthday lunch! It was delicious food and I enjoyed every minute of being with my family. It was such a wonderful trip. We had so much fun being with everyone. I can't help but reflect on the many blessings I have been showered with my whole life. I truly have so much to be thankful for--

As, always there is never enough time to see all our friends in Cali. We love you and miss you lots and hope to get together soon!! Hope everyone had a great Turkey Day! Happy Christmas season to you!!

Happy Birthday Ross the Boss!

2009-11-12T08:18:00.027-05:00

Today is Roscoe's 1st birthday! It is crazy to think that a year ago, we didn't have him yet--now I can't picture life without him. Anyone who knows us--knows that Roscoe is one VERY loved pup, so of course we celebrated his birthday! Yesterday Steve had the day off work so we celebrated by taking Roscoe to Feeders Supply and getting him a couple new toys and some treats, then after his outing to Feeders he enjoyed a trip to Freeman Lake, where he LOVES running around finding BIG sticks and then jumping in the lake for a swim--yes, even with it being 30 degrees outside, he still loves the water! We also had fun playing around in the leaves with him. Then we wrapped up his presents (I know some of you are laughing really hard right now--but Roscoe & Steve are all I have to spoil so I take full advantage!!) and had the joy of watching him go to town unwrapping them and seeing his surprises. The great thing was that I wrapped up a couple of new toys and a treat and then I just wrapped up some of his old toys and an old water bottle which he enjoyed unwrapping just as much as the new stuff! Love it! We had fun! Roscoe has been such a wonderful addition to our family. We love him so much and are so grateful he's ours! LOVE YOU BOSS--HAPPY 1st BIRTHDAY!!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

2009-11-01T07:49:00.029-05:00

SUPERDOG

We had a fun Halloween---it kicked off with a costume party on Friday night. Steve and I went as the scarecrow and the wicked witch. I have to brag on my husband for a minute. We had some ideas for how to make him a scarecrow costume but he was the one that actually put it all together---he even made his own hat! His costume turned out so good and I was very impressed with his creativity. On Halloween morning, we went to Bernheim Forrest with some friends of ours and their dog to walk around and enjoy the Fall colors. Roscoe seemed to find all the mud puddles and enjoyed a good romp in each one...he also liked attempting to get Chica to play, against her wishes! Halloween night we stayed in and passed out candy to all the trick-or-treaters (this is my favorite part of Halloween) I loved seeing all the creative costumes and cute little kids. We also feasted on pumpkin burgers, spiced apples, hot cider and pumpkin cheesecake. It was a wonderful Halloween!!

Fall Piano Recital!

2009-10-25T19:35:00.014-04:00

Kyla, Marcella and me!

Marcella & me

Reading the story of Peer Gynt in my witch hat!

This was a pumpkin cake that I made all out of cupcakes and then decorated with Reese's- -so fun to make!!

Our yummy treats: pumpkin bars, fruits & veggies and pumpkin cake!

Yesterday we had our Fall Piano Recital for the girls I teach piano to. The whole recital was Halloween themed. Kyla & Marcella learned Halloween songs to perform and I even tackled a tricky Edvard Grieg song called "In the Hall of the Mountain King" that is one of his famous eerie songs. The girls did great performing their pieces. They worked so hard to learn them and I was so proud of them! Before I played my song, I told them the story behind the song I was playing, which was all about a mischeivious rascal named Peer Gynt. He got into all sorts of trouble and ended up being chased by the Troll King and the many trolls that lived in his palace because Peer refused to marry the king's daugher---the Troll Princess. In the music you can hear the footsteps of Peer as he runs through the castle trying to escape the Troll King. It was fun to tell them the story and help them pick out the parts in the song, so they could truly appreciate the music. To make it more "halloween-y" I put on my witch hat for the storytelling. After recital ended we had some yummy Halloween treats--It was a great recital. Keep up the great practicing girls--you are awesome musicians!

Welcome Fall!!

2009-10-14T06:42:00.026-04:00

Steve and I have been hearing about this place called Huber Farms ever since we moved here to Kentucky. So last Saturday Steve, Roscoe and I decided to make the trip to Indiana and go check it out. It is a family owned place where they have orchards, a winery, a family restaurant, pumpkin patch, a corn maze and lots more! It was a beautiful Fall day and we had fun taking a tractor ride, picking our own apples in the orchards, walking with Roscoe around the lake, eating delicious food and getting ourselves some homemade black raspberry jam! It was a lot of fun and a perfect place to welcome in Fall!!

Conference Weekend!

2009-10-04T20:36:00.002-04:00

I feel I have to write tonight and say what a wonderful Conference weekend it has been. Steve and I always look forward to these times of the year where we get the opportunity to listen to the messages that the leaders of our Church have to share with us. I also love that we have the luxury of watching Conference in our own home. It always helps make our home feel more peaceful as the talks and songs are played and heard throughout the house.
As we watched the sessions of Conference, I felt that there was an overall underlying theme of HOPE and of gaining personal strength to help you through the storms of life. I especially loved Elder Uchtdorf's talk. He spoke about trying. He said that we need to try to love God more. He encouraged us to "try and keep on trying until that which seemed difficult becomes possible and that which seems only possible becomes a habit and a real part of you." He told us to not get discouraged if we stumble at times because regardless of our current state there is hope. I felt so uplifted while listening to his words, as well as the words of the other general authorities and our prophet, Thomas S. Monson. I mentioned to Steve that I wish you could capture how you feel when you are watching Conference and bottle it up to pour out a little during times when you need it most. Life becomes more simple and clear as I listen to the messages of hope during Conference. I feel like I can handle anything that comes my way. I wish I could find a way to hold onto those feelings. I am so grateful for a loving prophet who is inspired to know what we each personally need to hear to be motivated and most importantly to feel loved. I am truly uplifted today and motivated to be a better person. To keep trying. Even when it's not easy. I hope that I can do the things that will help bring me closer to my Savior and fully appreciate his sacrifice for me.

Football Saturday!!!

2009-09-13T19:50:00.008-04:00

Steve's yummy burgers--don't they look simply delish??!!

Steve and Roscoe having male bonding time watching football

I'm really gonna miss this kitchen when we leave--it's one of my favorite places in the house!

I have to blog for a minute about our fun weekend! Yesterday morning I had to leave early to go to a meeting in New Albany for a few hours. When I got home, to my surprise Steve had already taken Roscoe to the park for a run and some playtime and been to the grocery store to get all the things we needed to have a BBQ! I was so happy and surprised! I thought it was so cute that he would think to do that. So we had the funnest day watching football and grilling! Steve made the yummiest burgers ever...I'm drooling right now just thinking about them. We topped the night off by having loaded sundaes and celebrating victoriously about the wins of our favorite teams....BYU and USC!!!! Go Cougs and Trojans!! I'm convinced that SC won because of the tiki torch Steve lit in our backyard in honor of the 4th quarter torch lighting ceremony they do at the Collisium! I think that's ultimately what pulled them through! :) At the end of it all--I cleaned up the kitchen and realized again that there are few things in life that make me as thrilled as having a squeaky clean, shining kitchen!! It really does make me happy! That's the update on our weekend....we also spent a fun Friday night celebrating Morgan's birthday with her at Funtopia! Now, it's time to start a new week--hope it's a good one for everyone!

Steve-O's Birthday Bash!

2009-09-08T11:39:00.030-04:00

OOhhhh...what's next??......

Roscoe was a great help to Steve with opening presents!

Who me?? I didn't do anything.....

Me & Ross The Boss

Roscoe tuckered out after helping open presents...notice he fell asleep with paper in his mouth!!

This past weekend we celebrated Steve's birthday! I planned a surprise trip to Sandusky, Ohio for us to go to Cedar Point. Cedar Point is about 6 hours away from us and is basically like a Six Flags....on steroids....it has some of the fastest, highest, most intense rollar coasters in the country. We spent all day Friday there, running around like little kids riding all the best coasters. The cool thing was, since we went on a Friday, the lines really weren't that long for the rides..it was great! The first ride we went on, Millenium Force, was crazy! It was about 350 feet up, and then straight down going 93 miles per hour. Of course, Steve wanted to sit in the first row, and of course..being his birthday and all, I couldn't deny him. How much do I love this man???!!!! So we did it--and it was awesome!! We were both freaked out but loved it and ended up riding it again later on in the day. Another of the best rides we went on was Top Thrill Dragster. This ride was not for the weak of heart. You started at a dead stop and then zoomed to 120 miles per hour in about 4 seconds....it shot you straight up 420 feet high and then dropped you down (still going 120 mph) at a 80 degree angle. It was so crazy fast--the whole ride was only 17 seconds long! The first time we went on it, I was close to tears, I was so scared, but it ended up being one of my favorite rides and I was begging to go on it again at the end of the day! It definitely fulfills your need for speed! We had the funnest day! If any of you guys are looking for an intense time, or want to test yourself and conquer your fears check out www.cedarpoint.com If you click on a rollar coaster you can watch a POV (point-of-view video) and see just how fast and high they are! It was so much fun!!

We spent Saturday hanging out by Lake Erie and taking in the sights. We saw Marblehead Lighthouse and took lazy naps by the lake. Then we started our drive back home, stopping for Steve's birthday dinner in Cincinnati at the Precinct. I had made reservations there to surprise him! It was one of the most amazing restaurants we have ever been too. It is an old police station house that has been made into one of the classiest, most delicious steakhouses ever! The food was spectacular! We thouroughly enjoyed ourselves!

After dinner we headed home and Steve's birthday was made complete when the Dodgers, BYU and the Trojans all won their games!! He was one happy man!

Steve is usually the one spoiling me, so it was so fun to plan this and surprise him! Happy Birthday sweetheart! I love life with you!

Meet Me In St. Louis!

2009-08-31T12:17:00.016-04:00

This last weekend we had the chance to make a trip to St. Louis where Steve's sister and her family live. Our nephew Spencer turned 8 on Saturday and got baptized that same day so we were honored to be able to be a part of it. Then on Sunday, our neice Katherine was blessed. It was fun to be able to be with family and play with our neices and nephew. On Friday night when we got there we went to the Cardinals game---Puhols hit a walk off home run in the 9th--so it was pretty exciting! After the game we headed to Ted Drew's for some yummy custard! The rest of the weekend was spent just hanging out, talking, playing games and eating good food! (what we do best!) It was a great time! Thanks for having us Jones'!

Time Flies!

2009-08-26T18:25:00.003-04:00

So, I know it's been forever and a day, since I've posted anything on here...don't even know if anyone is reading it at this point. Sorry guys! I can't believe the summer is almost over--it has been HOT HOT HOT here and I find myself getting that shiver of excitement for Fall and all the holiday festivities to come! We have just been busy with daily routine stuff and the time has gotten away from me. Seminary started back up on August 5th so I'm back to my early morning routine of getting up, teaching seminary at 6:30, preparing the next day's lesson, taking Roscoe out for a morning jaunt, then getting ready for the day. Lately, I've been meeting Steve for lunch everyday, so that has been really fun! Things are going pretty good. Just busy, busy--like everyone else. This weekend we are going to St. Louis to visit Steve's sister and her family. Our nephew is getting baptized on Saturday and our neice is getting blessed this Sunday. Should be a fun weekend. I'm sure we'll come back pooped--which everyone knows equals=a LOT of fun had! So hopefully after this weekend I will have some exciting pictures to post. Till then.......

Roscoe's New Girlfriend Molly

2009-08-03T08:31:00.016-04:00

The past couple weeks Roscoe has been having "doggy playdates" at the park with another lab/poodle mix dog named Molly. They love to play together and have fun and always come home tired out from all the excitement and running around they do. This last time we took them to the park, they found a HUGE puddle and both being labs..they jumped right in and were in heaven splashing all around. It was really cute to see! They are usually both always running around or exploring but we did catch them cuddling up a couple times too! :) Roscoe will be so sad when Molly has to move this month. We'll miss you Molly and Michelle!

Good Music + Great Husband=Good Time

2009-07-28T12:36:00.007-04:00

Last Friday Steve surprised me yet again by getting tickets for us to go see John Legend in Indiana. I am a big fan of his and love his crooning love songs with his cool jazz vibe thrown in--plus he can really tear it up on the keys! It's rare to see such an amazing piano player. The concert was outdoors and was so much fun. I love being outside at night in the summer! It was a great time and I am feeling very spoiled right now by my adorable husband! He never ceases to amaze me! Love you Steve!

Stompin Around the Big Apple!

2009-07-20T12:34:00.072-04:00

Street show--They actually grabbed Steve as a volunteer and he was in this show..he was part of a line of people that these guys ran and jumped over!! Crazy!

This structure was on top of the World Trade Center when it was crashed into and has been preserved in the state it was found that day.

This was a tree near Trinity Church that was found on 9/11 and used to make this structure

Our hotel in Manhatten--THE HUDSON

Our room at the Hudson

Brunch at Sarabeth's Kitchen on the upper west side of Manhatten

Eating Grimaldi's pizza at Fulton Park under the Brooklyn Bridge

We saw some beautiful sights...........

....and some not so beautiful sights

On the steps of The Plaza Hotel...growing up watching Home Alone--this was a magical place for me to see!

Central Park--this place was stunningly beautiful--I loved it! What a cool park!

Cool statue by where they do "Shakespeare in the Park"

Belvedere Castle and Turtle Pond in Central Park--there were tons of turtles swimming around!

Musuem of Natural History

Columbus Circle-this was the main junction by our hotel

On the observation deck of the Empire State Building--our real life Sleepless in Seattle!

Our scared faces hanging off the top of the Empire State Building--it was SOOO high!

View of NYC from the Empire State Building

Ess-a Bagel----one word: YUM!

This is where they stayed in the movie "Serendipity"

New York Library

"Bookworm Christy" in the huge New York Library-I love to read and fell in love with this place!

Eating mango and blood orange gelato on the ferry ride to Statten Island

Statue of Liberty

Skyline view from the ferry

We had the yummiest coconut cake at Magnolia Bakery

The "Friends" Apartment in Greenwich Village

Ground Zero-The World Trade Center Site

The most gigantic yummiest sundaes at Serendipity

Been wanting to go here forever--love this place!!

Relaxing on the SkyView Terrace on the top of our hotel

View of the city from the SkyView Terrace

Waiting for the subway--what an experience!

Walking the Brooklyn Bridge

Arch in Washington Square

Playing in the fountain at Washington Square--there is nothing more free feeling than frolicking in water!

Going to dinner at Vice Versa

Hanging out in Times Square

Steve in his "happy place"

Galinda was played by Ali Mauzey, a girl Steve performed with in middle school

Wicked Stage at Gershwin Theatre on Broadway--this was a dream!! So good!!

Getting ready to see Wicked!!

No..we're definitely not Yankees fans but we had to see the new stadium

The Hershey Store

I have a wonderful husband. I know this and many of you do too. He is a true romancer! This past week he surprised me with a trip to New York for our 7th wedding anniversary! I was so excited--I had never been to the Big Apple before and have always wanted to go. First of all, I have to back up a bit--Steve handed me a list last week with a bunch of movies on it...some were I Am Legend, Maid in Manhatten, An Affair to Remember, Serendipity, and lots of others. We picked out some that we wanted to watch and watched them all last week--the week leading up to our anniversary. Last Thursday, Steve left me a note when he went to work asking me to figure out what all the movies had in common. I put it together after awhile that all the movies on the list were filmed in parts of New York. When I called to ask him if this was the right answer..he told me to pack my bags and get ready to go--to New York that is!!

We flew out Thursday night and spent a wonderful 3 days exploring all around New York! I loved it!!!! Such a fun city! Thanks to Steve for finding great deals on everything we were able to get to do a lot of fun things while we were there! The pictures tell most of our trip but a few of my favorite highlights were: sundaes at Serendipity, the Plaza, walking all through Central Park, Greenwich Village, seeing WICKED on Broadway!!!!, Times Square, the New York library, our delish dinner at Vice Versa, exploring the Farmer's Market on Lexington Ave., having sore, tired feet at the end of everyday but then getting excited to get up the next day and walk hundreds of miles again!, getting a manicure and getting all dressed up for the show, breakfast at Sarabeth's, and most of all spending all day, everyday with Steve. I am so lucky to have him. He always goes the extra mile to make me feel so special and do the things that he knows will bring a smile to my face! I love you so much honey. Happy 7 years! Here's to another 70!!!!

Celebrity Sighting!

2009-07-20T11:56:00.003-04:00

While we were at the Louisville Airport getting ready to fly to New York I had my first Kentucky celebrity sighting. I saw Ed from "The Bachelorette." He walked by me and we made eye contact for a second, then he went to a bar next to our gate while he was waiting for his plane to Chicago. I hurried and called my friend to tell her who I just saw. As I was on the phone with Rachel, I saw another girl calling her friend, after she recognized him too. We started talking and laughing about how crazy it was that he was here in Louisville of all places. We sat where we could see him in the bar. The other girl really wanted a picture with him. So Steve, being the great husband he is....went into the bar and actually talked to Ed and asked if we could get a picture with him. Ed was really nice, shook Steve's hand and and introduced himself. He said he was just finishing up his drink, and then he'd come right out. Unfortunately we had to board our plane early, so we had to leave before he came out, but it was funny to see him. I wanted to ask him how the Finale ends.

He makes us laugh!

2009-07-15T13:46:00.008-04:00

So we've decided that Roscoe is the funniest dog ever! This past week he has been making us laugh so hard! He has so much energy and is always up for playing. His latest thing is picking up random objects around in his mouth and bringing them to us to play with him. The other night, I had asked Steve to bring a clean towel from upstairs for me to put in Roscoe's crate. When I came downstairs a few minutes later and asked Steve where the towel was, he pointed to the floor by Roscoe's crate and said, " I put it there." We looked and....no towel...no Roscoe either! A few minutes later we look out on the back porch and Roscoe is standing there in the rain with the whole towel in his mouth, waggin his tail and begging us to come play with him. We about died laughing. Another funny thing he did, was one night Steve snapped his fingers for Roscoe to bring him a toy to play with and Roscoe ran to get one. He was gone for a few minutes. When we looked up he was coming into the house with a wood 2X4 in his mouth to play with! He had found some leftoever wood we had from the fence and brought it in to play with. Hilarious. Then yesterday Steve was swatting flies with the flyswatter and set it down for a second...the next thing we know, we look and Roscoe has the flyswatter in his mouth all ready for us to chase him! He is so funny and we find ourselves constantly laughing at all the cute things he does. We love this dog!

Family Reunion at Reid Ranch

2009-07-09T07:51:00.029-04:00

What a trip! We just got home from our trip "to the west". We packed in so much fun I don't even know where to start! Our trip began by going to a family reunion for the Horne side at Reid Ranch in Heber Utah. This was our first reunion that we had been able to attend since we have been married. The last one Steve went to was 9 years ago! So it had been awhile since we had seen everyone. It was so great to re-connect with all the cousins and aunts and uncles! The ranch where we stayed was awesome. There was horseback riding, archery, volleyball, soccer, frisbee-golf, swimming, canoeing and you could do any of these things, pretty much whenever you wanted and as much as you wanted. Also, they cooked all of our meals for us! This was quite a treat! We just showed up and a delicious meal was all ready for us! We enjoyed being able to spend so much time with everyone!

The reunion ended the afternoon of July 4th and that night we went to a park in Orem to watch the fireworks with everyone! It was fun!

On Sunday, Steve and I went to Salt Lake and were able to see our good friends Willie & Rachel who just moved to Utah from Cali. We love hanging out with them, so we were excited to be able to see them in Utah while we were there. We had so much fun driving up to Park City and just hanging out and laughing like we always do when we're with them! We love you guys!

Monday morning we drove to St. George to see my Grandma who just moved there from San Francisco. It was so great to be able to see her (we hadn't seen her in a couple years) We ate lunch with her and spent a fun afternoon singing songs with her in her apartment. We hope we can see you again soon Grandma! Love you lots!

Thanks to Steve's parents we drove to Las Vegas Monday night to visit some more friends! (Steve's parents were able to drive us there on their way home to Cali). First stop in Vegas: Spuhler's! We were happy to be able to celebrate Bryan's birthday and enjoyed going to Claimjumper for dinner with them! The next day, we had fun hanging out, and swimming at the pool, and also eating the most delicious lunch of Brazilian food prepared by Katya and her mom! I know Steve loved practicing his Portugese too!

Monday night we were able to spend time with our other good friend Brian. We love our "Slade time" and always seem to spend a lot of time laughing together when we all hang out. It's great! We had so much fun going to In 'N Out (YUM!) and staying up playing cards and talking till 3 am and playing with Cosmo the kitty! We love ya Brian! Come visit us soon!

Well...that's pretty much our trip, in a nut-shell, a big nut-shell!! We had a great time being with family and friends. It's always comforting to go to the west coast, because that's home for us! We loved being able to spend time with people that mean a lot to us! Our time is always too short and there are always so many more people that we want to see and don't get a chance to---so hopefully we will be able to see the ones we missed next time! For now, it's back to Kentucky life! We are happy to be back in our home and to see Roscoe again. Thanks so much to everyone that helped make this such a fun trip! We will remember it for many years to follow!

Ross the Boss Goes for a Swim

2009-06-21T20:02:00.009-04:00

Yesterday Steve, Roscoe and I packed a picnic and headed to the lake. It was a beautiful day-- very hot and perfect for a cool dip. Roscoe loved the ride to the lake...he was in doggie heaven with his head out the window and in the breeze the whole time. It was Roscoe's first time going swimming and he jumped right in! He didn't so much love the rocky shore or the waves that kept bumping up against the rocks but he loved being in the water. Here's a few snapshots I got of him enjoying his first swim!

Hangin at Girl's Camp!

2009-06-11T08:19:00.009-04:00

This week is Girl's Camp and even though I'm not in Young Women's anymore, I've still been able to go up and spend time during the day with the girls at camp. It has been so much fun and I love getting to hang out with Diane & Cindy too! (my past counselors) This year camp is in Glendale and it is beautiful! Lots of trees and a lake with a trail to walk around. The theme for camp this year is "Survivor 2009" and every ward has a tribe name and cheer. Our ward is the Fede Tribe (Fede is "faith" in Italian) Yesterday when I went up to camp, I took Roscoe with me and man did he have a blast! He loved seeing all the girls and getting pampered with all the attention they gave him. Tonight Steve and I are going up to watch their skits and also for dinner. I love our Young Women! Can't wait to see you today girlies!!

We finished!!!!

2009-06-08T07:50:00.007-04:00

Last Saturday Steve and I finished the fence in our backyard that we've spent MANY hours working on!!!! It was so exciting to see something that we had made ourselves and to be proud of it!! Roscoe likes it too--now he can go outside more since I don't have to watch him when he's out there! We are loving our backyard and feel like we can use it even more now with the fence up!! YAY!!!!! Thanks for all your hard work honey--we make a good team!!

Ridiculously Cute!!

2009-06-05T08:20:00.016-04:00

It's been awhile since I've posted pictures of our not-so-little puppy Roscoe! This week I got a few good ones and wanted to share. Steve and I also had fun one day playing dress-up with him. He is now almost 7 months old. We love having this lil guy around!!

Hi Ho Hi Ho..It's off to work we go!!

2009-06-02T08:24:00.007-04:00

Ever since we moved into our home in August 2007, Steve and I have been wanting to put up a fence in our backyard. Getting Roscoe made that idea a little more of a necessity--so we decided to take it on ourselves!!! Neither Steve or I has ever put up a fence before so we are learning together. We have learned that it is a LOT of work, takes a lot of time and precision...but the good thing is that it has become our project and since we have spent so many hours working on it together it has given us a chance to spend that much more time with each other! I am lucky to have a husband who is smart and hardworking and was willing to take this on. Last Saturday we completely one side of the fence!! We were so excited to see the fruits of our labors. Just 2 more sides to go!!! We can do it baby!!

Time to Sleep in!!

2009-05-29T09:04:00.004-04:00

Today we had our last day of seminary for the school year. We survived!!! And what's even better is we had a fun time too! Don't I have the cutest seminary kids ever! They are great! (They were all decked out with spray paint in this picture because they had a school party last night where the seniors all spray painted the juniors and then they have to go to school with their spray paint on the next day.) I am so grateful for the Spirit they brought to class every morning, and their participation and dedication to seminary. Have a great summer guys....sleep in lots!!!

Johnson's come to Kentucky!

2009-05-26T15:13:00.012-04:00

This past weekend Steve's cousin Derek, his wife Hilary and their 3 kids came to visit us! It was so great to see them and we packed our days full of fun!! On Friday we rented a boat and played on Taylorsville Lake all day waterskiing and tubing, Saturday we went to the Louisville Slugger Bat Musuem and also to the races at Churchill Downs , then Sunday we went to Church and after Church we went to the park and enjoyed a beautiful day! We also had a lot of fun after the lil guys went to bed every night playing Nertz with Derek and Hil and staying up late talking! We love you guys! Come back again!

Pure Fun-P Party!!!!

2009-05-11T14:33:00.009-04:00

This past Friday night we had a Triple P Slumber Party (Personal Progress Party) at my house with the Young Women. Back when I was YW President I had set a goal with the girls to reach with their Personal Progress. The reward was a P Party where everything would start with the letter "P." Well the girls reached their goal so we had the party and boy did we have fun! The girls came in their PJ's, they all brought their favorite P snack--like pretzels, pickles, peanut butter cups, popcorn, etc, I made ice cream pies for dessert...we watched P movies-- like Penelope, and I even got a parrot pinata for them to bust open. We also had fun doing pedicures and painting our nails. I miss getting to work with the Young Women and it was so fun to have them all over. I love you girls!!! Keep up your good work on Personal Progress!

I Dared and I Conquered....

2009-05-11T14:23:00.002-04:00

I had to post about this because it actually worked and I wanted to share!! After everyone went home from the slumber party for the Young Women that I had at my house, I was cleaning up and found bright purple nail polish on my brown leather couch. I was really distraught and didn't know how it would ever come off. I know that leather is really tricky to treat and I didn't want to make the damage worse...but I couldn't see having purple polish on it forever!! So I called one of my genius friends, (a big thank you Adrianne--since this was actually your idea) and she reccomended that I swab a little nail polish remover on the spot on the couch with the polish on it. Sounds simple. Right. But I was scared to do that because I have always heard that nail polish remover ruins anything it touches. Anyway, after two days of staring at the purple on my couch I decided to go for it. I used some nail polish remover on a Q-tip and lightly went over the area, and then wiped it off with water...and voila!!!! No more pretty purple on my couch!! I was so happy! I love learning about things that work as solutions! I am also very lucky to have smart friends!

Springtime Flowers!

2009-04-27T09:03:00.004-04:00

Ever since I planted bulbs last Fall, I have been anxiously awaiting the arrival of my Spring tulips! Well they are finally here and I just love them! It is so fun to plant things and then watch them grow and flourish. I really am discovering my "inner-gardener" since being here in Kentucky. I love it!! Happy Spring!

Homesick for the Hoffs!

2009-04-20T10:07:00.006-04:00

This last weekend our good friends Andy & Melissa moved! We have had so many good times with these guys and will miss them so much! We love you guys and wish you all the best in the next year! Thanks for being such wonderful friends! It's not the same without you here in Kentucky with us!