Momma's Coming Home...

The day is FINALLY here....My Momma is coming to see me!!! I have not seen my parents since Christmas and I have been missing both of them terribly. We traded in some frequent flyer miles so Mom could make the visit for a couple of days and I couldn't be happier. As many of you know my Pappaw has terminal cancer so someone has to stay with him at all times. Sadly, that means I can only see one of my parents at a time unless we go home (which we are next week * super yay*). Like me, my Daddy is the only child so a lot has been put on his shoulders when it comes to my Pappaw's illness. Luckily, he didn't mind letting Mom come to Georgia for a long weekend to visit. I think she needs the break and a Brody fix quiet honestly. 

I have a lot of fun things planned as long as Mother Nature cooperates! We have had rain here all week and I am so.over.it! I can only take grey skies for so long before it starts making me depressed. It is supposed to start clearing up this afternoon and continue to be beautiful throughout the weekend....however, the weather here changes in a minute so I am not betting on it. Last weekend it was in the 80's and then turned to turbulent weather which has lasted 4 looonnnggggg days. 

I know Mom will be perfectly happy sitting in the house all weekend playing with Brody but for my sanity we will need to get out some. I am hoping that tomorrow we can go eat with Susie and Miss Annelise at "The Cookie Shoppe" because it's the most fabulous food I have ever eaten when it comes to a sandwich shoppe. Momma appreciates small town things like that so I am sure she will enjoy it as much as Susie and I do! I also have to go to Mark's Melon Patch because Daddy wants some more chow-chow and I guess he liked the jar he picked up from there the last time they visited. I am not really sure what else is on the agenda for the weekend but I am sure it will be something fun.

I am also so excited about our bedroom getting painted this weekend!! Finally the ugly Pea Green soup color will be covered with a beautiful shade of aqua/green/teal color. Mike and I had some trouble agreeing on a color but we finally chose something we both liked. This is a new color for both of us so I am hoping it turns out as good as it looks in my mind.

I have not had any time to really blog this week but I got a Cricut bundle from my sweetie. He is so, so, so good to me and I really shouldn't complain about him as much as I do at times. He is so thoughtful and loving and I need to be better about showing my appreciation for it. I truly know I am very blessed and have the perfect partner, husband and best friend. He is my everything and I would be so lost without him. 

I better start getting ready so I can make the 3 hour drive to Atlanta with Brody to get our Nannee! I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend! 

(Oh, and honey....I am in love with the darling bird necklace above. Click the link to check out the site on Etsy. Hint Hint!) 

Sew, maybe not.

Martha Stewart Bunny

Tonight I had a little time to myself (Thank God) and I wanted to finish a sewing project I had started over a month ago. I had seen the cutest little bunny project in my Martha Stewart bible and it *looked* easy so I thought I would give it a whirl. Needless to say it took me longer than expected and I am not so sure I am cut out for this sewing thing. Even though the project was only a couple pieces of fabric sewn together I felt like I had completed a quilt by the time I was done. It was so much harder than I anticipated and it really has made me a little insecure about future sewing projects. I messed up several times and had to undo some stitches and restitch poor "Miss Bunny"....I am sure she felt like a voodoo doll when I finally finished her!

I think she turned out pretty good (and cute) for my first time sewing something like this. I think I will try a couple more smaller projects before I try my hand at the pillowcase dresses that I have been aspiring to make. I know I can't be Martha Stewart overnight but I am going to get there.....eventually....that's the perfectionist and OCD in me :)

My "Miss Bunny"

Diggin' in the Dirt

I have spent the last few days digging in the dirt and preparing raised beds for our garden this summer. I am not really sure what I am getting into because I have never had a garden of my own and never even helped prepare, maintain or harvest a garden. Maybe I was on drugs when I came up with this brilliant idea?!? 


For the past couple of years I have mentioned to Mike that we should do our own vegetables in a garden but it was never the right place or the right time. You have to have the extra space to build a raised bed and when we lived in Jacksonville, NC the house there wasn't ours and I didn't want to pour money into something that we didn't own. I know that probably sounds really cheap but it didn't seem like the smart thing to do. We also really haven't had the time to devote to a real garden because of Brody. He is finally getting to the age where he can hang out and help -- Thank God! 


When we bought this house several weeks ago Mike agreed that building a few raised beds would be alright because we had a large enough yard that we could do it and not miss the space it would take up. I don't think we knew what we were getting into because it's been a weekend process and we haven't even planted all of the seeds yet and we still have one bed to build. I have a ton of seedlings that I started in the greenhouse trays that will need to be transplanted in a few weeks and I have already used the other 2 beds for other seeds that had to be sowed directly into the earth. Mike will need to build one more bed (maybe two) so all of those seedlings can be planted in the next two weeks.


I also bought hybrid plants and have a couple of those planted. Thankfully those should grow nicely in their pots and I won't have to do anything with them but water and pick the veggies off of them! Maybe I should have bought plants for the raised beds instead of starting off with seedlings??? I will make a mental note on that and store for next year.


Gardening is something I never thought I would do in a million years. I don't like getting hot, dirty, sweaty and I don't like bugs. All of that goes along with gardening so I not sure if I am channeling my grandmothers or something on this whole issue. I do like to see things grow from a tiny little seed into a large vibrant vegetable. It's kind of like a little wonder in a sense....I mean in all honesty how does a itty bitty seed turn into a large vegetable with only soil and water? Another one of God's amazing mysterious ways, I guess. Both of my grandmothers and my great-grandparents were Green Thumbs so maybe I picked up the gene somewhere along the way and it's just now making it's debut.


I also don't even know what I am going to do with all of the fruits, herbs and vegetables that I have growing because some of them I don't even LIKE. I honestly can not stand tomatoes but being in the South you grow tomatoes no matter what -- it's a given. At least Mike, Victoria and the Blake family can use the tomatoes if they decide to grow. I am also not very big on spicy and hot things so the only reason I planted peppers was for Mike and his love for them. 

So, if you are ever around the Southwest Georgia area and feel like you need fresh produce stop on by the

 "Beemer Farmer's Market" 

because I will have it coming out of my ears. We are hoping for the following this season:

Supersweet Hybrid Mini Tomatoes, Green Beans, California Wonder Bell Peppers, Squash, Carrots, Big Dipper Sweet Peppers, Roma Tomatoes, Sweet Basil, Cilantro, Sweet Salad Mix, Brussels Sprouts, Oregano, Hybrid Cucumbers, Garlic, Jalapenos, Chili Peppers and Heirloom Tomatoes! 

Miss Lucy Lou

Now that it seems like our house is *finally* getting back to normal (is that really possible?) I have had time to take some pictures of our newest addition to the Beemer House......


Miss Lucy Lou


She is the dog that I blogged about several times because I wanted her so badly and my husband made that possible! 

Lucy is 6 months old and she is thought to be a mix of Labrador Retriever and Rottweiler. She is so stinkin' sweet and cute! She's into EVERYTHING (as a puppy should be) so we are always keeping a close watch on her. We can't afford for her to use everything in the house as a play toy. Like any kid, she is happier with things she shouldn't play with than the toys that we actually bought for her!!!

She has fit in nicely with her brothers (Campbell & Alex) and annoys them to death. She wants to play 24/7 and they are like "enough is enough". When those moments happen we end up separating them because it can get a little "WWE" in their fence. All we need are some chairs, popcorn and a drink for the main event! 

She has stolen our hearts with her personality and beautiful hazel eyes. She's a blessing and I am glad she is part of our family. I am sure there will be plenty more to blog about concerning Lucy because she is going  through that puppy phase and is always getting into something. It's *almost* as bad as having a toddler!!!!!

Life is a journey....travel it well.

Life is a journey and needs to be traveled well and lately mine hasn't been. The past few years have been very hard for me and has been a non-stop roller coaster. I have had many highs and some very low points the past 10 years and all of it has either made me a stronger person or taught me a lesson that needed to be learned. I have always been on the "right path" in life but I have had my share of little detours but thanks to age (and my Momma) I have been able to see the light and got myself back on the path that I was intended to be on.

I don't know if getting sick for 5 very long days was an epiphany of some sort but it was definitely a wake up call and I have been trying to get in gear since last Friday. I have stopped taking all of my medicines that my Doctor had me on (anxiety/depression/chronic pain/appetite enhancer) except for my Lunesta which I have to take in order to sleep. I wanted to take a break from all of those mind/thought/feeling suppressants and see how I can act without them. I hate feeling "numb" from them and I wanted to see what it felt like being me without all of the chemicals involved. Right now it seems to be working well and I honestly have NEVER felt better!!! I feel so free and I can actually "feel" again and when I need to cry the tears come....I am no longer "numb" and I am praying I can keep it that way. I know there may be a time when I may need help again but I am really going to do it naturally instead of chemically. So enough of that boring stuff and on to the more interesting things about my week so far and good things that are on the horizon! 

Vic won her soccer game on Monday (yay) and we have one on Thursday that I am hoping we can make. Not so sure though because it's over an hour away and she really digs riding the bus home after the game with the team so she's cool with us not going to away games. They have had a great season with only one loss and we couldn't be any prouder of her than we are now. She's keeping her grades up, keeps herself out of trouble, stays involved with sports, band and FCA. She is such a great and sweet kid. I need to really stop sweating the small stuff that she is doing that annoys the ever living crap out of me (Thanks OCD & Teenage Hell) and enjoy the next few years we have of her left at home! Her next couple of weeks will be really busy because they have the "Trojan Trot" that her soccer team is running to help raise funds for their athletic program at school. The Lady Trojan soccer team has been invited to play in a tournament in several weeks so she's really excited about that. 




Brody is thriving here too and growing like a weed. He is enjoying being a constant fixture at his Sissy's soccer games and he's her number one fan. He has also enjoyed attending the Dixie T-Ball League games we frequent to support Susie & John's son, Will. It's a great family "date" and it's basically a weekly thing that everyone does around here. Baseball is BIG in the south...like almost to a point of insane. These people eat, breath, sleep and breed their offspring to play ball. Whew, glad we figured that out NOW so we can start helping Brody learn how to play the game.  Brody told us tonight that he was going to play T-Ball and was "gonna be guuud at it"! I love him and yes, baby, you will be awesome.


Ah, living in the Deep South is more and more starting to feel like home. I so wish my parents were here to live this life with us. It's an amazing experience and one I am so blessed and thankful about. It is my heaven on earth. Honestly. Everyone should get to experience this just once.....just once and they would be hooked.


Goodnight Y'all. Don't let the gnats bite ;)

Monday's "Concoction" - Seared Steak with Onions & Spinach

A month or so ago I had mentioned I was going to start blogging one recipe a week that our family has tried and we actually all thought was great! I had been salavating over a recipe I saw in my Woman's Day magazine and I finally got all of the ingediants to make it for dinner tonight and it was oooommmmaaazzzinnnngggg....greens and all! So here is the list of goodies you will need to prepare this bad boy:

Recipe Ingredients

• Olive Oil
• 2 12-oz sirloin or strip steaks (1 1/2 in. thick)
• Kosher salt, Garlic (Fresh, Jar or Powder) and pepper
• Steak Seasoning of your choice; I use Dale's Seasoning
• Package of Sliced mushrooms
• 1 Green Bell pepper, sliced
• 1 cup of Beef Broth
• 1 red or White onion, sliced into rounds, rings separated
• 2 - 5 oz packages of spinach of your choice; I used a mixture of Baby Spinach and Mixed Baby Greens
• 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 2 oz blue cheese, broken into small pieces (optional)

Recipe Preparation

1. Heat oven to 400°F. Heat oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Season the steak with garlic, salt and pepper and cook until browned on one side, about 3 minutes. Turn the steak. 
2. Scatter the onion rings, green peppers, mushrooms around the steak, drizzle oil over vegetables and steak and cook for 3 minutes. Add desired amount of your choice of steak seasoning to mixture and transfer the skillet to the oven and cook 4 to 5 minutes for medium-rare -- longer if you do not like a warm pink center.
(NOTE: If steaks are thicker you will need to cook about 8-12 minutes) 
Transfer the steak to a cutting board and let rest at least 5 minutes before slicing. After removing the steak from the skillet I place it (veggies, mushrooms and seasonings) back on the stove and heat over high until it thickens. You have to constantly stir this or it will burn quickly if you aren't paying attention.
3. Add the spinach/greens to a separate skillet/pan and add 1 cup of beef broth. Stir in salt, pepper and garlic to the greens and broth; mix well. Cook over Medium-High heat and cook to desired level of "doneness". I let our greens wilt completely but some may like them less done. This option is totally up to you!  After greens have cooked you can add balsamic vinegar and blue cheese chunks if desired (I do not add this because we aren't crazy about it). 

This recipe is fairly fast and easy! My only suggestions would be to make sure your meat is at room temperature when you start cooking it and the thickness is key when it comes to timing. If the meat is too thick your other side dishes will be done before your steak is ready to eat.....it happened to me tonight!!! 

I made fried potatoes with this dish tonight since our veggies were already covered. I will definitely make this again! It's also a fairly inexpensive meal when it comes to the ingredient's it calls for. It probably cost us a total of $20.00 on the ingredients and fed 3 of us with leftovers.  

Enjoy!

Photo Credit: Woman's Day 

To Be Continued....Finally being Cont'd

So, it has seriously taken me days to continue my story from last weeks "Fabulous Friday" blog but I wanted to make sure I got through this beautiful weekend without jinxing us. And PRAISE GOD, we did!



So here is the continuation from last week....we all piled into our SUV to head to this "special" destination/reservation that Mike had planned for us as a celebration for closing on our house. All was well until we hit a dead stand still on the highway. We had just passed the only available exit within miles before we realized traffic was not going to be going anywhere for a while due to a wreck. We shut off the car, turn on the music and what do we hear? Brody throwing his little heart up in the back seat. LOVELY. As I search for something to clean him up with and find something for him to throw up in it hits me I didn't even bring the damn diaper bag. What kind of mother forgets a diaper bag?!?!?!? We don't have a thing in the car to help...no extra napkins in the glove box, no wrappers of anything on the floor, NOTHING. All I could do is use a spare sock I found in the back of the seat to wipe the poor kids mouth with. I felt horrible for him. The next part was getting him undressed without the puke going all over him anymore than it had how to keep it off the car seat and floor of the truck. So here we are stuck on the highway in the heat with a puker....nice, reeeeaaaaal, nice. 


After I got him somewhat cleaned up and things were getting normal again we noticed 2 ambulances speeding towards the hospital and our first thoughts were that can't be good but since our traffic started to move we were relieved because we were on a time crunch and I had to find a place I could get Brody a new set of clothes before we could do anything else. Mike agreed and said he thought there was some type of "Dollar General" store on the next exit and we would stop there....and that's just what we did. I was in and out of the store in a matter of minutes with wipes and a new outfit for Brody. Whew. Easy! 






After cleaning Brody up and putting his newly purchased outfit on from the handy Dollar General store we were once again on our way to the surprise that Mike had in store for us. The next stop was one that really had me a bit irritated and confused...A Veterinary Office. Really? I mean, what in the world do I need from a Veterinary Clinic out in the middle of nowhere? The receptionist was already talking to Mike when we walked in behind him and then she asked me if I saw any puppies on the board that I liked and of course I loved them all! Hello -- I was already wanting that sweet little Lucy I had found at the shelter in Lee County. As I turn around to answer her I see a young man bringing me out of ALL dogs -- LUCY!!!! My husband truly got me on this shocker because I had not figured out his plan. He had the pretty little girl for two days and actually kept it a secret. Even Susie and her family knew before I did. Victoria knew and even was able to keep her motor mouth from spilling the beans. I was so excited and Lucy was too because she peed ALL OVER ME and herself in the middle of the waiting room floor. 


However, my excitement was quickly erased when Brody started throwing up AGAIN. Seriously, this wasn't looking good for my little man and he was gradually get more lethargic while we were sitting there doing the paperwork for Lucy. I felt so torn because this precious puppy was scared and had no idea what was going on but my son was throwing up and really looked bad. Mike got all the paperwork done and we left and the entire trip home Brody threw up. He was getting pale and clammy so I knew the ER was our only option this late in the day on a Friday. 


We got home and let Lucy in the back with the other dogs and we headed to the ER with the sick little man. As we pulled up the ER it was packed and something had either happened that brought a crowd or they were that busy with patients. We got registered and into a room pretty quickly but in the meantime it was well aware the people in the waiting room with security were experiencing a major loss of their own. The two ambulances we had seen earlier were for a fatal car accident and it was the family in the lobby that we had seen when we got there. My heart broke when I was informed it a 10 year old boy who was killed in the car that was being driven by his Mother. 


I had to shake all of that off and out of my mind so I could focus on my own sick little boy because he was getting worse as minutes ticked on. He had a fever and was throwing up until he had nothing left to throw up. He was becoming lethargic and after 3 attempts they were finally able to get a good vein on his hand to push fluids through to help hydrate him. They had given him some Zofran to help with the puking and it seemed to help and as soon as that bag of fluids were halfway through he was a new kid! He started bossing us around and was back in his usual frame of mind. We finally saw that smile that was missing for about 5 hours. The worst was yet to come....the pee test. They ended up doing a cath on him and that was the most painful for Mike and I to watch. Brody hated it and screamed bloody murder during the entire thing. It broke my heart seeing him so upset and begging them to stop. Something I never want to expierence again. 


After many hours in the ER we were finally released and let our precious baby boy go home so he could rest. He slept with us that first night and ended up puking all over our bed with us in it. Nice. After cleaning up that mess we hit the sheets and I was praying it was a good nights sleep for all of us.....it was until I woke up early Saturday morning throwing up. OMG. I got the same virus he had and I was in no way ready for it. I was so sick and ended up in the ER and was given 2 full bags of fluids to help me. I left the ER feeling the worst I have ever felt in my life and I just wanted my bed. That bed was my haven for 5 days!!! Brody was also a permanent fixture in our bed. We were a sad case to look at and we felt like that too.


It's been one week ago that all took place and I can honestly say we both are not 100% back to normal. We are eating slowly and appetites aren't what they were. I am praying his turns around soon because he has lost 5 pounds and he can't afford it so PediaSure has been added to see if it helps. 


The End to the Stomach Bug/Flu from hell....you are never welcome back!!!! 

Fabulous Friday - Take 2

Letting my hair down on this fabulous Friday...it's going to be great because I am going to make it that way.

Three little birds, sat on my window.
And they told me I don't need to worry.
Summer came like cinnamon
So sweet,
Little girls double-dutch on the concrete.

Maybe sometimes, we've got it wrong, but it's alright
The more things seem to change, the more they stay the same
Oh, don't you hesitate.

Girl, put your records on, tell me your favourite song
You go ahead, let your hair down
Sapphire and faded jeans, I hope you get your dreams,
Just go ahead, let your hair down.

You're gonna find yourself somewhere, somehow.

Blue as the sky, sunburnt and lonely,
Sipping tea in the bar by the roadside,
(just relax, just relax)
Don't you let those other boys fool you,
Got to love that afro hair do.

Maybe sometimes, we feel afraid, but it's alright
The more you stay the same, the more they seem to change.
Don't you think it's strange?

Girl, put your records on, tell me your favourite song
You go ahead, let your hair down
Sapphire and faded jeans, I hope you get your dreams,
Just go ahead, let your hair down.

You're gonna find yourself somewhere, somehow.

'Twas more than I could take, pity for pity's sake
Some nights kept me awake, I thought that I was stronger
When you gonna realise, that you don't even have to try any longer?
Do what you want to.

Girl, put your records on, tell me your favourite song
You go ahead, let your hair down
Sapphire and faded jeans, I hope you get your dreams,
Just go ahead, let your hair down.

Girl, put your records on, tell me your favourite song
You go ahead, let your hair down
Sapphire and faded jeans, I hope you get your dreams,
Just go ahead, let your hair down.

Oh, you're gonna find yourself somewhere, somehow

Beautiful words...

“Run your fingers through my soul. For once, just once, feel exactly what I feel, believe what I believe, perceive as I perceive, look, experience, examine, and for once; just once, understand.”

Simply Beautiful

You "Sago" What?!?!???

Since we have closed on our house and we are the "official" home owners of our "Doublegate Escape" it's time to do a little landscaping. I have been out of commission the past few days with some awful stomach bug aka "The Stomach Flu" but now things are back on track and the work shall begin...

Earlier this evening Mike and I were out in the back yard trying to figure where we were going to place Brody's playground, make a dog run for our fur babies, make boxes for my garden beds, build his work shed (and my "dog house" as Mike so eloquently called it) and extend the entertaining area around the pool for the humans of the house. We have been blessed with a very large back yard so we have plenty of room to make all of the above happen but making it happen on a tight budget is where we butt heads. My wants and our needs are two totally different things but with Mike's analytical thinking we always seem to make it work. He usually drives me CRAZY when he draws things out on paper or over thinks things for hours on end but in certain cases  I truly  appreciate it (ouch, that hurt to type). Hmmm, maybe opposites *really* do attract? Noted.

While drawing the "map" < insert my MANY eyerolls>  of our plans for the backyard it became evident we would have to use part of our neighbors privacy fence as backing to our dog run. We will have to nail boards at the bottom of their fence due to gaps where the land has settled and could possibly be areas where our dogs would/could dig out. Thanks to good timing our neighbor came home and we were able to ask him for his permission to nail boards to his fence and he gave his consent after we told him about all of  the things that would take place in the next couple of weeks. Whew, I was relieved he gave the go ahead because sometimes you can get the "neighbor from hell" who agrees to nothing. Check that off the list!


Mike and our friendly neighbor were chatting it up about  their careers in the Marine Corps and somehow we got to talking about dogs and landscaping they had done recently. The neighbor had mentioned that their young Labrador had eaten two of the plants they had discarded from their side yard recently and it made her very sick. He wasn't really describing it all that well so Mike pushed a little further because he was concerned since we also have dogs that will eat anything and everything. As this man starts to describe this mystery plant it becomes evident to me he is talking about a Sago Palm plant. 


Now, I know most of you probably do not know or even care what a Sago Palm is but being the Southern girl I am these plants are like heaven on earth. It has "SOUTH" written all over it's prickly leaves and body. It's a sure sign your in the South or somewhere tropical and that is somewhere I want to be! 


After I recovered and pulled myself together from hearing him say he "threw the bushes out back" I excused myself because all I could think of is how I would have loved, loved, loved having those beautiful babies somewhere in my yard (away from the animals, of course). I atill can't stomach hearing them called "bushes"....seriously, dude, bushes??? Sago's do not come cheap so he basically threw $200 worth of sunshine out into the wooded lot behind his house. Too bad it's days since they were uprooted and tossed  aside because I would be stealing those things from their final resting place and put them in pots for my front steps!  


It also occurred to me afterwards that I was actually a tad insulted he did it...did it make me feel bad??? Nah, it's just another reminder that I am a true "Southerner" through and through.

"Tiny Light" and a tad bit of jealousy...

I can't begin to tell you how jealous I am that my parents get to go see Grace Potter and The Avett Brothers in concert. I mean, seriously, aren't they too old?!?? I know it will be one bad ass show and I hope they bring me back something, lol. That totally made me sound like I was 13 again but I really could care less.


My parents are fools for music and their love for it has passed down to me. I really do think music is good for the soul and is the common cure for about anything. Whether your happy, sad, bored, ready to party or just want to chill by the pool there is *always* a song that helps take you to that special "happy place". 


Maybe I should listen a little more to music and pay less attention to reality? 


So here is my song for today....Tiny Light...I need to see a little hint of light. 

Tiny Light
What will come of us today
What we need we cannot say
It’s been a long long time since I’ve been so afraid
As we all fall down it’s hard to see a brighter day but

I see a tiny light like a flashbulb sparkle in the night
I see a tiny light telling everyone to hold on tight

What will come of all our pride
This house of stone has crumbled from the inside
It’s been a long long war now the battle is drawing near
Closer and closer til it whispers in my ear

I see a tiny light like a flashbulb sparkle in the night
I see a tiny light telling everyone to hold on tight

Bring me back the streets of gold
Give me something warm to hold
Give me love and only love and we will see it shining from above

I see a tiny light like a flashbulb sparkle in the night
I see a tiny light telling everyone to hold on tight
I see a tiny light like a flashbulb sparkle in the night
I see a tiny light telling everyone to hold on tight

I see a tiny light but it’s not going to shine without a fight

"Fabulous Friday"...

Fridays are supposed to be "Fabulous" right?!? I mean for most working Americans it's a sign that the weekend is ahead and it's time to let loose for a couple of days and enjoy a couple of days off from the hustle and bustle of the busy week. 


My Friday started off somewhat fabulous or so it seemed -- 3/11/11 was the day that our home was *finally* ours and we were homeowners in the great southern state of Georgia. Our home that we own in Concord is really Mike's so this was our first home buying experience as Mr. & Mrs. Beemer. Excited right? Right. We met at the lawyers office and signed our life away to what seemed like a thousand pieces of paper but it was still worth it because we purchased the home that I had been lusting over for months. 


As I had mentioned in my previous post I have been bit with "Puppy Fever" and I had my eye on this precious little girl named Lucy at the local animal shelter. I had been begging Mike for days for the puppy and what better way to celebrate our new life and home in Georgia together with nothing other than a new puppy for our family? My constant begging and pleading fell on Mike's deaf ears Friday because I knew when the clock struck 4:30 we were not getting a puppy to celebrate because it was too close to the shelters closing. I was completely bummed even though Mike tried to lighten my mood by telling me he still had something fun planned for us to celebrate. 


While on our way home we get a call from a hysterical Victoria stating screaming Brody had just thrown up all over himself and our sofa while we were at our closing meeting. She was having a complete meltdown and had no idea what to do or handle the situation....Victoria "doesn't do" puke!


Thankfully we were only minutes away from home but nothing could have prepared me for what I was about to smell or endure for the next 96+ hours. NOTHING. I run into the house and the putrid smell of vomit covered every inch of my being but I barely noticed it because Mommy mode kicked in and all I could hear is my baby boy yelling and crying at the top of his lungs in the middle of my bathroom floor. He was covered in throw up from head to toe and was scared to death. 


After a good scrub down in the tub and a new change of clothes he seemed to be fine and we came to the conclusion that he had eaten too much junk the night before and his diet had a bit more dairy in it than normal. I was hopeful that this was the first AND last episode he had for the day. For the time being it was all good in the Beemer house and I couldn't be more relieved.


Finally we were able to settle the house down and clean up from the craziness of Brody getting sick. we were in a rush because we still had a time frame for getting to Mike's reservation he had planned for late Friday afternoon. We allnpiled into the Suburban and left the house headed into the unknown; or at least I was.

To be continued...

Puppy Love

Ah, puppy love....wasn't that such a great stage in our younger years?? To go back to that type of "love" would be wonderful (in some ways). Those days were were filled with butterflies in your tummy, smiles you couldn't wipe off your face, burning red cheeks and love letters that were straight from the heart. Such an innocent and fun time. I had forgotten about all of that until tonight when we were at Susie's house for dinner and both of our boys seemed to be hit by cupid. 

Brody is in L.O.V.E with Susie's daughter, Annelise! He has had a few "gewlfreends" in his short 2.5 years on earth but something about this one has him wanting more. I mean, I guess if I were a little boy she would be right up there on my "gewlfreend" list too! She is a beautiful blue eyed, blonde haired girl who has a bubbly personality to go along with her precious good looks (and wardrobe - Thanks to Cosco & LaLa). She is super sweet to him and I think he eats that up in all honesty. She holds his hand, tickles him, gives him hugs and practically tells him what to do but he doesn't mind because as long as he's her top priority that is all that matters to my little guy. Luckily, for now it's puppy love but it hurts my heart a tad because I know my baby is growing up and one day that puppy love will turn into the real thing and I can't even begin to think about that. It gives you a sense of losing something so special and dear that it's really a feeling of great loss. I don't think anyone can fully understand what I am talking about until they are a mother of a little boy or a father of a little girl. It is a strong bond that's between the two that nobody can totally grasp or explain....or at least *I* haven't been able to.

Susie's son, Will, is in the same boat as Brody but he is head over heels for Victoria who is 11 years older than he is. He gets all bright eyed and smiley when she is in the room and it's the cutest thing to watch. He acts all tough and macho around her which is comical but not in a "make fun" of him type of way; it's heart warming. Tonight he came to me while I was cleaning up after dinner and handed me a note on a bright green piece of paper. Before reading it I had STRICT instructions to give it to her on Friday morning so I agreed and read his note/love letter. I opened it and honestly I thought I was going to cry because it was too sweet for words....he wrote " I will marry you someday". Seriously?!? How can this little boy have more sweetness in him than most grown men I know!! I swear, I think these young men need to give a class called "Sweetness 101" because they got it down. I am 32 years old and that melted my heart and I wanted to marry the little fellow right then and there in the kitchen! However, I didn't follow the directions Will had given me earlier because we really wanted Susie to keep the darling little note for years down the road. Victoria did read the love letter statement and was flattered.....seriously, how could anyone not be?

Now for my own puppy love -- oh dear. I have been wanting to get Brody his own dog for a while now because he is at a great age where he can appreciate an animal that's his. We are in a large enough house that has a large enough yard for the puppy to play and roam freely. We also happen to have 3 kennels so one is open and readily available for a new addition to the Beemer house. I was browsing the local shelters and ran across the most PRECIOUS puppy ever and fell in love instantly. Her name is Lucy and she's a 6 month old Lab/Rot mix. I haven't been able to stop thinking about her since I found her post online. It breaks my heart to see the picture of her with that cute snout poking through the fence she's been living in the past 2 months. I have expressed my desire to have this puppy to my husband but he's not biting. I honestly don't think he knows how bad this has me torn up inside. I can usually see pictures of these sweet babies that need homes and go on about my day without thinking twice but this little puppy has tugged at my heart strings and isn't letting go. I am really hoping and praying he has a change of heart because I think Lucy could bring a lot of joy in our lives and most importantly Brody's. 

Sew Much Fabric, Sew Little Time!

I think know that I am becoming addicted to sewing and I haven't even really started my first real project yet. Yes, I made a set of curtains for Vic's room but that was somewhat easy and I only had to sew one seam across the top of the fabric to finish the curtain....nothing too tricky about that. However, my husband made the mistake of buying the perfect gift for a crafter like myself; "Martha Stewart's Encyclopedia of Crafts" and "Martha Stewart's Encyclopedia of Sewing". 


I am not a huge fan of Martha because I really think she could win the award for "Snobbiest Bitch on the Planet" but she does come up with some really cute things to make. In all honesty and I *hate* to admit this but I love all of her stuff she comes out with...even her lines, cookware, crafting supplies...if her name is on it then I will be the one drooling over it at the local Michael's or Hobby Lobby. Her taste is very chic and tasteful. It's never overdone or tacky; it's very trendy but yet it's timeless. 


Tonight I printed out several patterns from my book that I want to try in the near future so after dinner I told Mike we needed to run to Wal-Mart (big mistake) to get a couple (bigger mistake) of things that I needed  wanted for my upcoming projects that I had chosen from my Martha Stewart Bible. Needless to say we walked out of there with $50 less in our checking account and a few more additional items I thought of while we were there that wasn't on our original list. Ooops. 


I am looking forward to making these new items because they are so cute and make great gifts for newborns or small children. I know we have had some of these given to Brody and he loves them and I do too. It's something about the handmade gifts he receives that pull at my heartstrings. I know someone took the time to put their time, energy and heart into a project that was specifically made for that person. How can it get any better than that? Yes, you can go buy a stuffed bunny, duck, table runner or dress off of the shelf at the store but in my mind it's more interesting and meaningful when someone took the time to make it for you. Maybe that is the "old soul" in me but I am glad I still carry that way of thinking around with me. 

So my new projects will be coming from my Martha Stewart Bible and will hopefully include the Menswear Bunny, The terrycloth Duck, The Leaf Table Runner and a Pillowcase dress. I am really excited about working on them....now if I can only find the time!!