family album!

family portrait!

(http://surisburnbook.tumblr.com/post/73317845435/sometimes-gisele-wants-you-think-shes-just-like)

...seriously… I can see myself in this picture. 

this one too… multitasking before I head off to work.

…..yah, a girl can dream!

I just love these pics from Gisele!

and please note - funniest celebrity website ever: http://surisburnbook.tumblr.com . the only thing you'll be sorry about is your new formed addiction to this site!

typical January day - and the cutest baby EVER! mine!!

So now that I have a child I have suddenly morphed into THAT lady who can't stop showing pictures of her "perfect" baby off to people who are within 50 feet of her and her camera phone. seriously, I have lost half of my mind! i am happy that at least I have taken the first step to coping with this glorious illness and i recognize my "addiction."

i am really sorry that I am NOT sorry about this…i have the worlds cutest baby (proven fact) and he is really worth bragging over, on a daily basis. (plus he is always, always on my mind!) let's look at a few examples of how he is SO adorable….

not even purposely posing! he's a natural.

candids? please… the camera loves me!

nothing to hide…letting all the cuteness hang out.

seriously you guys… these are just a FEW pics from the millions I have of him… every pic is perfection. sigh…. how can i be so fortunate? after making one post last year regarding how some people do NOT have cute babies, I thought I might be cursed (thanks to Karma) - but I suppose we really lucked out! I also used to roll my eyes/gag a little bit when people referred to their kid(s) as perfect… truth be told, I still have these reactions when people make such bold claims, but at least I am a little more understanding of WHY they are under the impression that they have birthed the GOLDEN CHILD. Fortunately for me (us), I know my baby has some delightful imperfections and I look forward to learning whatever they might be! I will let you know when we come across one. 

other things going on in my life right now are….hmmm… ummm…

just kidding. there's plenty going on!

Big James has learned how to down-hill ski and we've been enjoying "hitting the slopes" lately. YES it's only Afton Alps and not the mountains of the West, but we are still having a wonderful time out there and just trying to get better! Hopefully we will get a chance to visit out friends Kristin and Scott in CO this winter or next to try our skills on the big kid hills (ahem, mountains!!). Of course, all this really means for me is that I will get to check out a new chalet and maybe some yummy local brews on tap. :) I am a better "chaleter" than I am a skier! No shame! 

My sister, Jessica, is pregnant with Olivia's sister and due ANY MOMENT (Jan. 31st)!!! I am very eager to meet this new little girl and have another playmate for Sweet Baby James! I know she is going to be a fantastic addition to the Weller Family!! :) 

Today's forecast calls for freezing temps. I mean frigid temps. Wait, I mean temps so cold you don't wanna go outside! High of 0, with wind. :( super crappy out there. At least the sun is shining!! Days like this, I wonder if travelocity.com experiences an increase in "hits" on their "last minute vacations" and flights to ANYWHERE but here. 

well, that's enough for today. I am doubting anyone is even reading this - after seeing those darling bb pics I am sure no one noticed there are also WORDS on this page… just angelic photos of my sweet baby james. sigh...

look at the baby!

a few recent pics… just because I have about a zillion on my phone and need to SHARE THEM WITH THE WORRRLLLDDD!!! (mostly just of bb j!) I know you all want to see them. every.single.picture.

happy being happy

baby and the babysitter

happy new year!

Jilly Bean and me… pre dance party on NYE!

Happy New Year, New Post, New newssss

well its a new year. my resolution? i don't know. be on time. haha, how about be more realistic about things, starting with the fact that I will likely never be on time for anything. perhaps if i resolve to be EARLY, i will actually end up being ON time?? let's aim for that… be EARLY.

so there we have it… i shall resolve to be early.

2013 was quite the year for me and those close to me… let me explain: 

new dog, Nash

new job (same boss)

oops

new ring!

uh-ohh. poor nash

oopsies

new birthday lawn toy for James

oopsie poopsie

plans for a new kitchen (coming in 2014)

new James!

James Kenneth

10.30.2013

hunk

chunk

yay. finally used this spot (legitimately)

merry christmas

happy new year

stay warm!

so basically, 2013 was life changing in many ways. still not married, but I suppose it's always nice to have something to look forward to, right?!

happy new year and new loves!

Chicken FRIED Chicken? NOT my bag, baby!

The other night I thought it would be fun to make a little surprise dinner for dear James. What is a surprise dinner? although some people who know me may think that means that I finally made him a real dinner, it actually does NOT. I make him dinner most nights a week - give me some credit! And if I don't make something, I at least buy something and try to pawn it off as my own. hehe. Not every meal I make (or serve) is extremely healthy, however I make a decent effort to serve mostly healthy foods and prepare everything in the healthiest way I know how. One of James favorite foods happens to be one of my arch nemesis: FRIED chicken. EWWWW. first of all, FRIED. Yes I like FRIED onion rings and french FRIES, even the occasional fried buffalo chicken (very, very rare), but that's different to me… why? because I said so. THAT is why. 

back to friggin fried chicken… the bones are still in the chicken! GROSS! I hate eating meat off the bones and having those leftovers on your plate. gross. No offense, but its definitely not my favorite thing. And I don't know if all fried chicken is this way, but some friend chicken still has the skin on. that's another WHAMMY of unhealthy raunchiness. Unnecessary! I mean, listen to those words - the SKIN is still ON the meat. If meat doesn't gross you out as is (sometimes it does for me, the recovering vegetarian), then doesn't the fact that you're CHEWING on SKIN make you wanna HURL!? blah.

ok, shutting down the rant…. Deary James loves fried chicken (thats how much i love him I guess… i tolerate this nastiness!) and I've never had it for him for din din…until last week. I didn't tell him that was what dinner would be, but i did tell him that I made him (aka BOUGHT and warmed up) a surprise for dinner. Along with the meat I also made brussel sprouts and yukon gold potatoes tossed in lemon and rosemary and pumpkin brownies. I was definitely most looking forward to the sprouts & taters, and was so happy with the lovely aroma of rosemary left in my kitchen! I baked the brownies first so the smell was eliminated because of the rosemary, so my kitchen, in my opinion, smelled fresh and lovely all night. Picturing this? take a deep breath!

now let me set the scene: Brownies are done and cooling on the stove. the rosemary sprouts and potatoes are just warming (done baking) in the oven and the fried chicken is also just warming in the oven… I am enjoying the house smelling of fresh rosemary, and in walks james. After being anxiously and lovingly attacked (greeted) by Nash, James came over to me in the living room to say hello. But instead of hello, all i got was "FRIED CHICKEN! Is that the surprise!?" 

WHAT THE FRAGGLEROCK! I didn't know what to say! How could his snout pick out the FRIED CHICKEN, from all those other scents in the kitchen? I could NOT smell it! heck, I don't even think Nash could smell it! But James picked it up in a nanosecond!!! Am I marrying a redneck? Should I be worried? It was pretty hilarious - maybe you had to be there. I was simply amazed at his ability to smell the friend chicken over everything else!! BINGO, he nailed it! And I think he liked it too, which counts as a small victory for me! I wish i had a pic to post, but obviously the entree went pretty quickly and all that was left were a pile of bones - and I don't have room for those pics on my phone, thankyouverymuch. 

We have been staying quite busy lately both at work and at home, which is why i haven't posted. i know, i always have an excuse… but who really cares what I do anyway? 

James has been coaching the Carleton Knights to a 2-1 season thus far, and i have been staying busy with work and trying to stay on top of home chores. yippee skippy for me. Oh, I guess I've been going overboard lately with pampering myself, too. I have been getting pedicures every 2 or 3 weeks (ok ok, more like every 2 weeks!) and i have gel polish on my fingernails again, which i love (until i have to take them off, for good). I also have gotten 2 massages in the last 6 weeks, which is pretty unheard of for me. The last one, I must admit, felt nice, however the nice massage girl wouldn't stop talking and having conversation. that was a disappointment. I felt like it really took away from the relaxation aspect of the massage, but at least she was really sweet and whatever her hands were doing, I couldn't complain.

I am looking forward to another weekend of college football (James' team and NCAA) and maybe even raking the yard. IF i am feeling really ambitious. BIG fat IF on that one. :)

OK, and i must comment on these... I don't typically find candy that I don't like or speak poorly about, however this candy, my precious M&M's, has set a new precedent. These Pumpkin Spice M&M's were terrible! :( I know Autumn is the season of pumpkin flavored EVERYTHING, but just not M&M's please!! yukky! I ate 4 I think, and couldn't get the nasty taste out of my mouth ALL day long! seriously, please save your money.

Now if you want a surprisingly tasty fall-themed treat, I DO recommend Starburst brand and flavor Candy Corn! Yes it's true! I know it sounds really weird and nearly gross, but trust me, they are delicious! They are very fruity like regular Starbursts, but are just disguised as candy corn. I thought they'd be too thick and almost creamy, but they were pretty light and fresh tasting. Definitely recommend! 

Happy Hump Day (so goes the trend these days!)!!

PINK FLUFF, i love you.

you guys. 

it's getting closer.

i cannot wait to try THIS. YUM.

i am NOT a "foodie," nor do i frequent any fast food establishments, aside from Yogurt Lab or any variations of it. However, this breakfast taco from Taco Bell looks right up my alley and i would definitely plan for this to be on menu well in advance (read: I would certainly account for these additional calories in my work outs and make sure i "earned" this tasty treat!).  I get excited just thinking about all this breakfasty-goodness! plus syrup!

other exciting things happening in my life (what? you mean in addition to salivating over pictures of fatty fast food online?! yes!) include...ready?... our upstairs bathroom is inching it's way closer to the FINISHED line! we had round II of plastering the sheetrock this morning, and we will have it taped and painted over the next 24-48 hours! Then comes the floor installation, and finally on to the cupboards, toilet, vanity, mirrors, and light! then, VOILA! We will be happily flushin' on the second floor once again! and really, this is a great treat, now that we've moved our bedroom up there. I will try to get some before/during/after photos posted, just as soon as I can! 

lately i have been in some serious love with FLUFF. more specifically, PINK FLUFF. What is Pink Fluff? it's the simplest, most sugary, PINK salad one could ever imagine! My sister's sister in law Janelle, typically brings a Nebraska version (which is the BEST version, really) from Omaha whenever she visits. Last time Janelle was in town I happened to try some of this sugary explosion of pink magic and it was love at first ENORMOUS fluffy bite!! so last week, while bored with my culinary adventures, I decided to get this recipe from Jessica and make my own! I've since made three batches of it and still can't get my fill! here it is, step by step!

Ingredients:

 start with pineapple:

add the strawberries...

admire the concoction that looks like 

an image you might find after googling "flesh eating bacteria" 

(no, this means you're on the right track! keep going)

let's get rid of the RED and make our treat PINK! add the wHip!

(silent H? nah)

stirrrrr...so pretty!

here comes the FLUFF!

(boom!)

more stirrin'! and... TADAA!

see the FLUFF in action! nothing accompanies 

a filet and steamed asparagus quite as well 

as PINK FLUFF! (james is such a trooper!)

THAT, my friends, is PINK FLUFF! and it's delicious! I mean, if you're a fan of trashy, high sugar content, easy to chew food. :) yes, this reminds me of something that would be served in the 80s from your great grandma Elda, but still - its so damn good, i don't even care. when it comes to food i do not judge. TRUTH.

and just for sh!ts and giggles, here's a snap of Nash SLEEPING on our bed. NO we did not invite him up there, NO we did not let him stay there, and NO we did not make him lay like this... this is simply NASH being NASH. I don't know how we got so lucky with him! :) love.

he is laying in the dead center of the bed, 

taking up pretty much more space than either james or myself. 

what a lug! lovable lug!

it's thursday-eve (as in wednesday night. on the eve of a much anticipated Thursday!) and I am stoked. cannot wait to get to saturday! why? just, because. i get to lay out and catch some rays, most likely! and maybe even get the boat out on the river! YES! it's been too long!! 

2 more sleeps till the weekend! owwwww!

Dog days of SUMMER!

Inspector Gadget. One of my favorite shows from my childhood days. Some people actually don't even know what "go go Gadget (enter james-bond like gizmo here!)" MEANS! can you believe that!? Sometimes I feel sad that younger people don't know what it means to go-go-Gadget ARMS. the horror!! So anyway, here's a link demonstrating just how futuristic Inspector Gadget (and Penny!) really was, back in the late 80s. Pretty good!!

I'm not going to lie, it's been a slow week. We've been dealing with Nash's cast (STILL) more more lately - he's been getting really sick of it, as it's been on since June 8, and I think the heat is getting to him. Today he is FINALLY getting the cast replaced with just a "bandage," so there's no longer a mechanism to help support his toes (which are broken/nearly healed). Hopefully this provides him with some relief and his metatarsals finish healing in the next 7-10 days. Fingers (and toes!) crossed for our little pup! I am anxious to get him back out to Lake Calhoun for his walks...he needs that outside time and we need him to get worn out so he is a little more CHILL at home in the evenings! well, ideally that is what happens.

Speaking of chillin' out and resting, here are 3 of my most beloved darlings caught in the act of SNOOZING! 

Even Bat Girl (AKA Olivia!) needs to recharge her bat-ass self every now and then!

Oh, Nash. 

This is pretty much how our person-dog sleeps ALL the time. 

yes, he cuddles and relaxes just like we do! he will even 

move the pillows or blankets to accommodate his comfort. 

it makes us laugh every single time. 

and of course, i must include 

my sweet stuffed animals, as well! 

there are 2 bears from my-WAIT A MINUTE!

Looks like I have a stuffed head of James? 

No, that's just him sleeping in one morning, all nestled in with my cuddly animals. It's pretty funny...and pretty darn cute, too. In fact, he WON that green Cheerleader bear for me in Cold Spring a few months ago...by playing "The Claw" vending machine game. in some dive bar. Isn't that romantic!! Hopefully this year at the State Fair he'll win me another MUCH NEEDED stuffed animal! SWOON!!!!!

Well, it's almost Friday! I am hoping my dad takes out the boat this Saturday so I can get my tan tuned-up! It's been a few weeks since I've dedicated a day or three to sunning, and I am seeing the loss of color. Disappointing! Friday night Kenny Rogers is playing at the Freeborn County Fair Grandstand, which is just an hour and a half south of us - I am hoping to zip down there to maybe see him, eat some cruddy fair food (YUM) and maybe get James warmed up to dominating the Fair games! right??

Happy Thursday!