Plans for the Weekend...

This weekend, Michael and I will be busy preparing for the baby.

killing ant beds...
(with an eco and pet friendly concoction)

cutting grass...
(so that we can locate Chaucer in the yard when we start our intense house training regimen)

transplanting lantana...
(the berries are poisonous to pets)

securing the water hose...
(this was Winston's favorite thing to drag all across the yard!)

locating the poop jaws...
(Michael used this for poop-scooping. I used it to scare Winston when he was being bad.)

and setting up the nursery...
(hopefully he won't have a bed fetish like Winston)

A Trip to See Chaucer...

Michael and I drove to Aberdeen, Mississippi today to meet Chaucer for the first time. It was so wonderful to see Wendy (our breeder) and her children, Georgia (Winston's mom), Maddie & Lucy (Winston's sisters), and our sweet Chaucer.
I was immediately attached to all seven puppies the second I walked in. I wish I could take all of them. Of course I took about a million pictures. Meet Chaucer E. Ford...

Oh, how this trip made me miss our precious Winston. To see his sisters all fat and wrinkly really reminded me of him. A year ago, you could have never convinced me that anyone could love a dog so much, but there was something about him that stole our heart immediately. We became "the crazy cat lady" before we even knew it! Although Winston's life was cut way short, I am so thankful for the time we had with him. I cannot even put into words how precious he was to us. He taught us (in addition to lots of patience) to love life and to love the bulldog breed. I cannot wait to love Chaucer that much!

Amanda wasn't paying attention in class...

My friend Amanda posted this on my Facebook wall a few days ago...I still laugh uncontrollably every time I watch it.

My Job is DONE...

The following "duty" rule applies in our house 24/7/365...
Inside the house: Jamie's responsibility
Outside the house: Michael's responsibility

Well, I have FINALLY finished decorating the inside of our house for Christmas. It usually takes me 2 full days, but this year it took 3. I added a few extras and didn't realize how time consuming my "small additions" were. Oh well, I LURVE decorating for Christmas...it's absolutely one of my top 3 favorite things to do. I still have a couple of ideas here and there, but for the most part, I am FINISHED, EXHAUSTED, and ECSTATIC!!!









Michael is going to do the outside while I am working this weekend. He always does such a great job with the outdoor decor because he works so hard to hide wires, lights, etc. I will update this post with pictures of the outside when he finishes. As of tonight, we have santas inside and pumpkins outside...weird?!?!?!

Ahhh...

Reading this blog post felt like inhaling a huge breath of fresh air. It left me thanking God for my precious husband and wishing that he was home so that I could love on him.

MckMama: marriage, submitting, forgiving and ducking.

Hotty Toddy!!!

Michael and I spent this past weekend in Oxford with our friends Thad and Amanda (and Thad's roommate Charlie...although I don't feel compelled to give him a shout out because he "doesn't really get in to blogs..." Whatever.) As always with these two (and "roommate") we had an absolute blast! Michael and I are truly blessed with the most wonderful friends and we are so very thankful. Here are some pictures from the festivities...

Best play of the entire game...

A Weekend Away...

Thanks to Michael's WONDERFUL bosses, we were able to spend this past weekend in the Crescent City! We haven't been out of town since our New York trip last December, so we were really looking forward to a weekend away. We were excited about the Audubon Zoo and Aquarium (not quite as huge as it seemed as a child), shopping on Magazine Street, and (of course) eating some really good food. It was a quick yet delightful trip...

First Stop: Audubon Zoo


This reminded me of my job...


This reminded me of my husband...

(only kidding...sort of)


Friday Dinner: Brennan's
They had a great four course dinner special that we really enjoyed.

Everyone told us that we should have eaten breakfast here instead of dinner Then I explain that I cannot even begin to get close to an egg without throwing up in my mouth...and that my reaction is especially bad before noon.
Plus who wouldn't love a fried dough ball with powered sugar on it for breakfast anyway?? That sounds much better to me...

Saturday Breakfast: Cafe du Monde


Saturday Lunch: Guys Po-boys
We ate with our friends/past co-worker Hannah and Jason who have recently moved to NOLA.

Their house is just precious...


After some GREAT shopping on Magazine Street...
we went back to the hotel to get ready for dinner.

Saturday Dinner: Emeril's Delmonico


What an IMPRESSIVE restaurant. I cannot even begin to explain how beautiful and yummy this place was.

I was blown away with my non-seafood loving sweety's choice for an appetizer...lump crab cake. Every time I would question his food selection by saying, "Babes...do you know what's in that?" He would sarcastically respond with, "Well, I am trying to expand my palette!!" Maybe he really does read my blog?!?!

I had lamb meatballs...perfection!!!

We both had fillets for our entree followed by what I would like to call heaven in a ramekin a.k.a. Chocolate Creme Brulee
What a wonderful weekend with an even more wonderful husband...I love him SOOOOO much!