Baby Beyonce

I guess I'm all about posting videos now.

This one is one I've seen a few times on America's Funniest Videos. I did a search on YouTube for it, and sure enough, I found it. This is just one of those things that makes me smile and laugh everytime I see it, so I wanted to share it with my friends.

My Water Bottle Hates Me

So, I just got a brand new water bottle. I made a special trip to Target (Grant couldn't believe I did this) to get this water bottle, because ever since Pinky won it at our first ever Albuquerque Pink Poker Night, I've been wanting it. Well, I've been using it quite a bit lately, and I swear, it's out to get me. It never fails - never fails - that at some point during the day I will spill water all over me. I've analyzed this situation, and come to the conclusion that it's not me being clumsy (go with me here), it's actually the water bottle's fault.

You see, I've been drinking out of regular water bottles for years, and then all the sudden a get a new one, with a wider mouth. My mouth is used to drinking out of a smaller bottle mouth, so that's why I've been having a spilling problem. If said water bottle had a regular sized mouth, I wouldn't be soaking my clothes every single day for a week!

But I'll keep using it, because it's pink and it's cute and I like it.

Happy Blogiversary to Me!

Yes, folks...one year ago today I started my silly blog, while sitting in a hotel room in England. I've seriously considered throwing in the towel, but I just keep coming back.

In honor of my blogiversary, I'll play this dumb little tag game...thanks Tink!

6 Weird Things About Me...

1. I'm really weird about drinking water. I will NOT drink straight from the tap. It either has to be from a filter or a bottle. And, as Grant keeps telling me, when I order water from a restaurant, it's more than likely from the tap, but what I don't know won't hurt me.

2. I don't think this is weird, but pretty much everyone else does, and most of you already know this, so it's no big secret, but I have always and will always love *NSYNC. I'm sorry, but I just do. I fell in love with JC Chasez when I saw him on the Mickey Mouse Club (or MMC, in cool people lingo), and when I first heard him singing Tearin' Up My Heart, it was over for me. I will be 85 years old, and still dancing everytime I hear one of their songs.

3. I think I've mentioned this before, too, but I can do this really weird thing with my toes. My big toe and 4th toe can stick straight out, while all the others curl down. I usually have to wiggle my toes for a few seconds before I can get them like that, but when I do, it usually freaks people out.

4. I have incredibly high foot arches. As Pinky once said, "You can roll a ball through those arches!"

5. I was a huge baby when I was born - 10 lbs 11 oz, 23 inches long. My mom thought I was going to be a giant when they handed me to her, so she started crying because she didn't know how she would raise a giant. Obviously, I'm not a giant, so everybody's happy.

6. I hate "mouth noises." Any sort of loud chewing, smacking, licking, etc...it drives me crazy! I've been known to plug up my ears if the sound gets too annoying.

So those are my oddities. Most of my readers probably already knew most of that stuff.

I'm tagging Mrs. J, Pinky, Megan, Mike, Melissa in England, and Haley.

Watley in Boots

I tried and tried and tried to upload this video to the blog, but I couldn't. So, I gave up, and decided to just post the link. PLEASE watch this video. It will make your day. It's probably the funniest thing I will ever post on my blog, which means it's all down hill from here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBh0IZ6m2_8

Our House

Well, for those of you who care, I thought I'd post some pictures of our house. You've already seen the outside, from the previous snow day picture.

Here's the guest bedroom
And the office

Our bedroom
And the living room

Since we're only here for a year and a half, I don't see the point in painting the walls (especially since we'd have to paint them back white before we leave). So, I tried to add color by using colorful curtains and blankets.

One of these days, we'll get rid of our hand-me-down living room furniture, and get "real furniture."

Go White Boy, Go White Boy, It's Your Birthday...

Last night, I received an email from Mike, with the following picture attached.
This is Grant's brother, John, dancing with a tribe in Africa. This is such a great picture on so many different levels. But for now, I'll just let it speak for itself.

California Dreamin'

The other day, I heard the song California Dreamin' by The Mamas & The Papas - a song that I've heard at least a hundred times before. However, I never really noticed the lyrics too much until I heard it the other day.

All the leaves are brown
And the sky is grey
I went for a walk
On a winter's day
I'd be safe and warm
If I was in L.A.
California dreamin'
On such a winter's day

This hit home, especially since we will be going to LA in a little over a year (that's how I'm counting down now). Even though this has been a "mild" winter for Ohio, I'm coming to realize that I'm just not a cold-weather person. I don't like it. I miss the sun. I miss warmth. I miss being able to wear flip flops almost every day out of the year (I do still wear flip flops to yoga class, and endure the freezing temperatures on my tootsies for a few minutes). So, I am California Dreamin'.

PS - We woke up this morning to a winter-wonderland of snow. We've gotten snow this winter, but this was our first "real" one. By the way, our house is the one on the far right.

El Nino

video:chris farley as el nino
by danfan91

As I was leaving a comment on Pinky's blog the other day, I was reminded of a skit from Saturday Night Live. Every time I say "El Nino" or hear weather people talk about "El Nino" I can't help but chuckle to myself, because I remember this skit from years ago.

Anyway, I just think it's pretty funny that most people in Albuquerque were warning us about how bad the winters will be out here, and that we're going to be miserable, etc. Then Albuquerque gets one of the coldest, snowiest winters ever, and we get nothing. Don't you think that's funny?

My new thing

I've been very consistent with my yoga classes on base. The teacher is great (albeit, a little too chatty and high-energy for yoga). She teaches more of a power yoga, and makes it well-known to all of us that she's not into New Age-y stuff, and tells us if that's what we're looking for, then to go somewhere else. It meets twice a week after I get out of work.

Well as of last night, I've added more on to my exercise regimen. I found an article in Fitness magazine that talked about a great 45-minute treadmill workout. I don't have the best endurance, so I didn't know if I could make it that long on a treadmill. The most I've done before is 30-35.

Well, I tried it last night at the base gym, and let me tell you...it totally kicked my butt! I'm proud of myself because I did, indeed, make it the full 45 minutes. It flew by, because I was constantly checking the magazine to see what to do next, listening to my iPod, and watching Seinfeld. The article gave a minute-by-minute breakdown of changing up the workout. Every couple minutes you either change the speed, the incline, or both. It was great! So I'm now going to try to do this 3 times a week, and my yoga twice a week. Five days of working out! I don't know if I can handle it, and Grant thinks it might be too much, but I'm going to try. If I get burnt out, I'll do the treadmill thing twice a week.

In the meantime, I'm totally sore, and I have yoga tonight. I don't know about this new-found desire for fitness...It's very time-consuming and it really takes away from my laziness. And I love my laziness!

Grant and Watley

Here's more video...Yay! This was taken the other night.

Watley was very hyper, and Grant was provoking him. So Watley decided to take out his aggression on me.

I Heart Online Shopping

This is going to be a really scary post for my husband to read, but it's true...I love online shopping! You can find any and everything online! And what's even better is finding something for cheap.

For instance, I just found this new design blog (sugarloop), and saw this super-cool print that she designed herself! It will go perfect in my blue bathroom. Plus, she's from New Zealand, so I pretty much had to buy something from her, since I'm obsessed with all things kiwi.

Anyways, I just thought I'd share my love of online shopping with my faithful readers - both of you.

It's Showtime!

Well, Grant got me a new camera for Christmas. It has a video mode. Now I'll be posting videos like crazy. Lucky you.

Here's some footage of Watley running around Grant's parents backyard in Pensacola over Christmas.

The Real Thing

For those of my readers that I went to church with back in Albuquerque, you might remember the night that Grant wore a fake mustache to a Bible study, I think. Well last week, when it was time for Grant to shave his holiday beard, he decided to leave a mustache. It's pretty much the worst thing I've ever seen, and it was hard for me to even look at him. The fact that he's smiling greasily in this picture doesn't help.

By the way, he no longer has the mustache. He only kept it for that night. I made him an offer he couldn't refuse - if he didn't shave it, I wouldn't shave my legs for a month.

'Nother one

Thanks to Tink, I have yet another cool blog header to add to my collection. I think this one is my fave. Thanks, Tinky-Winky!

Free Willy!

This wonderfully-written song is just a glimpse of what they're teaching over at my beloved alma mater. *End sarcasm*

Now, I'm guessing the majority of my regular readers (that's you, Providence Presbyterianers) will get a big kick out of this song. But whether you're arminian or calvinistic, you can at least appreciate the cheesiness of this song.

Auld Lang Syne

I had so many pictures from our recent escapades...it was extremely hard for me to pick a few to include in my blog. I probably changed my mind at least 5 times!

Anyway, the wedding went well - I saw many, many college friends, and Grant made some new friends. After the wedding, left for St. Joe, home of Mrs. J!

When we arrived, Mrs. J's mom (Mrs. T) had dinner all ready for us (a fantastic wild-rice soup). We met the family, ate, talked, and the boys played Mario Kart.
We eventually went to bed, and got up for church the next morning. After church, another fabulous meal - a bruch prepared by Mrs. T, with ham, eggs, homemade granola, yogurt, peaches...you name it, we had it.

We had a quick picture time, then it was time for us to say good-bye and make our way to Chicago.

Here's Mrs. J's sister, Kendall with her baby boy, Jaxson. Mr. and Mrs. J with Mrs. J's other sister, "Boo."
Thanks to the entire "T" family for making us feel so welcome!

A couple hours later, we arrived in the Windy City! We were very happy to see very little traffic on the roads. We found our hotel, checked in, then off we went to explore Chi-town.

We needed to catch the L, and unlike NYC, you can't use a credit card to buy transit passes. So, here we all are in CVS Pharmacy, breaking our $20's so we can buy tickets.
The J's wanted to us to get some real Chicago pizza during our short visit, so they suggested Gino's East. We got a 4-meat deep-dish that was fantastic! Unfortunately, the J's weren't to thrilled with the salami.
After pizza, we went to the Green Mill Jazz Club to enjoy some great music.
Then it was time to head for the fireworks, which were taking place just a short distance from our hotel. I danced to NSYNC, we had champagne, we lit sparklers, we took some pictures, we had fun!

We were so happy to be able to spend time with great friends, even if it was just a short time. Hopefully, they arrived safely in Albuquerque, where they had just had a crazy snow storm!