cotton is 2!

cotton turned two on the 25th. she is now officially an adult dog. she got to go to petsmart with barley (and her owners, of course) and pick out some new toys. it was such an exciting day! :) here are a few pictures from when she was just a baby, including the day we picked her out.

turtle cake squares

1 (18.25oz) pkg. devil's food cake mix

1 1/4 c. milk

1/2 c. vegetable oil

3 lg. eggs

1 (14 oz) pkg. caramels

1/4 c. milk

1 c. semisweet chocolate chips

1 c. chopped pecans (i used only a 1/2 c. pecans, and this was plenty)

Beat cake mix and next 3 ingredients at medium speed for 2 minutes. Pour batter into a lightly greased 13 x 9 in. disposable aluminum pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 38-42 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

Combine caramels and 1/4 c. milk in a glass bowl. Microwave on HIGH 2.5-3 minutes, stirring the mixture every 30 seconds until smooth. Pour half of the mixture over the baked cake. Sprinkle with chocolate chips and pecans. Drizzle evenly with remaining caramel mixture. Cool completely on a wire rack. Cut into squares before serving.

almost time for walls!

we walked through the house yesterday and there is sheetrock abounding in stacks in the rooms... which means it is almost wall time! yeah! we will have our pre-drywall orientation one day next week. on that day we will confirm our closing date. there is an end in sight!!! yeah!

flowers from no one?

so yesterday...



i received flowers from ftd. they came in a box. the card said "happy valentine's." that was it. no from, no love so and so. just "happy valentine's." and, of course, the husband says they didn't come from him. now, all signs point to yes, but regardless of the fact they came from my husband, or didn't, they are very pretty. now, barley, cotton, and even dave seem to think that jay sent them. just look at their faces...








these faces are clearly saying that jay is full of "it" and that the flowers had to have come from him. especially dave.
but i have taken some pictures of the lovely roses with the new camera. playing with the lenses a bit. enjoy their beauty. i am.

our house is covered!

ok. so lots has happened in a short time period on the house. they started the siding and finished the siding. our tubs and showers are in place. and yesterday i discovered the ducts were in place for the hvac. and we have shutters! things are just moving right along. not much to say. just some new pictures. enjoy! (we are!)

my tub!

the guest tub/shower

mine and jay's shower (it is to the left of the tub)

family updates

jay passed his first big nursing test. yeah!!! so that is exciting. i took a class at work yesterday, so i am now officially a "preceptor" and "validator." all that really means is that i can officially orient new staff to the unit and can also check people off on unit competencies. yes. a bunch of big words and stuff. but on the days i do that i can now get a bit of extra pay, so that is always handy. we are getting back into the swing of things and are getting back into the good habit of consistently going to church. it is the lenten season now so, of course, it is a good time to get back there. good times for reflection. we are still disliking our apartment and are excited every day when there is progress on the house, which now is pretty frequent. i am slowly breaking into studying for a course i am taking in legal nurse consulting. it is a self study course that i have a year to complete. it is interesting and reminds me of how much i enjoyed my business law class in high school. the animals are doing well. (just for those who wonder!) and i think that is about it for us. keep checking back for house updates. we should have more soon!

walls, wires, a roof- oh my!

ok. so we were out of town for about a week. when we left we had a concrete slab for a house. well, now we have a "house!" when we drove by on thursday we had a frame with wiring completed, the tar paper on the roof and the protective cover on the house. when i went back today to take pictures they had added the shingles and windows. and our tubs/showers are in the garage. so here is a look at our house so far.

here is a picture of the house from across the street. the first window on the left is a guest room. then the front door. then the next window is the dining room. and behind the garage is the master bedroom.

this picture is from in the kitchen, looking at the back door. we have a back door! and just to the left of it is where the fire place will be.

this is a picture of the back yard from the kitchen window.

here is the kitchen from the back door area

this is a picture of the dining room and foyer area.

this is the view of the den/living room from the front door.

the front bedroom. probably the office/work area. but who knows!

this is the back bedroom... and probably the guest bedroom.

this is the master... but you are looking at the bathroom (right) and the closet (left)

sorry it is so dark! but this is the rest of the master bedroom. (and you can see the garage too)

and one last view from across the street.

so, needless to say we are very excited to have so much done in a week. and with the windows in, i would say it is about time to put the siding and shutters on. so, of course, when that happens there will be more pictures.

courtney is ONE!

well, i can't say too much because i missed the big party, but my sweet little niece has turned one. her birthday was january 30. she had a big party on feb. 2. and from the pictures and stories i have heard, she had a wonderful party surrounded by good friends and family. i have a few pictures to share... from her first day of life and her recent birthday. :)

july 13,1917 - february 3,2008

mamaw conkin has passed away after a very long and good life. she was a wonderful mother and grandmother (and great grandmother) who never minded to cook or do anything for you. she was always happy to give and reluctant to receive. we will miss her very much but we know she is much happier than she has been in a very long time.