Christmas Break: 7 days down, 5 to go

First half of Christmas week in a nutshell.

We decide to drive from Denver to Wichita on the Wednesday before Christmas. We think this is going to be fine because we are leaving at 4:30am and I am assuming that we will be beat the storm we are hearing is going to happen on Wednesday. Well, nobody it mentioned it was actually going to start snowing Tuesday night, so when we woke up to leave at 4:30 and stepped outside, I think the first thought through my head was "oh crap". There was a few inches of snow already. The roads don't get bad until we get outside of the Denver limits. Then here is what we looked at for the next 7 hours of our lives:

Literally our 7.5 hour drive took us about 10 hours. We saw several cars off the road and flipped over, we were going 30 mph at one point and had a few close calls ourself (one where I was for sure we were going off the road. no question about it). BUT once we hit Fort Hays, the roads were clear and it was almost 40 degrees, so too warm for ice and we flew to make up some time into Wichita. Tyson was very restless by the end of this journey.

At one point I look back at him and this is what I saw. He is sitting, facing the trunk with is head directly bent backwards staring at us like "are we there yet??" it was hilarious. He also spent the last hour "hot boxing" us in the car with his toots. He went #2 twice in the Moore's backyard. One of them was horrible... sorry Moores!

Quick dog story. So anyone who has met Tyson knows he is a high-energy dog. I always heard that Labs were the most hyper dogs. Well, Ty has played with two different lab pups (Franklin and Dax) and Tyson both times has been non-stop play, play, play and much more hyper than both of the other dogs. Well, we are over at the Mann's house with Phillip and his girlfriend Nikki on Satursday and get on the subject of dogs. I ask them if they have met Luna (Adam and Jamie Smith's dog). Nikki responds with this answer "She is really cute and really hyper, but she is no Tyson"......... so it is official, I have the most hyper dog. I will admit it and I am learning to deal with it.

Anyways, we get into Wichita, see the Moores house which is adorable and Tyson gets some of his energy out while playing with Franklin (so cute!). Then you all the know the rest..... Thursday comes with a massive storm, which means on Christmas Day when we drive to KC to see Adam's family, we drive another 3 hours in snow/ice- but not near as bad as it was on Wednesday through Western Kansas. Christmas night with the Griffin's was a blast and Kelly, Kenny, Adam and I stayed up late playing games and drinking. So fun!

Now it is Tuesday, we are going to be in KC until January 3rd because of the Swain/Robben festivities which I CANNOT WAIT FOR! So excited!

Oh! And lastly, the only thing I really wanted for Christmas from my parents was new ski gear and my mom did AMAZING! At least I will look the part now :) Here is the ski jacket she got Adam

Just kidding. This coat is one we found in Marshalls and thought was hiliarious! She did a great job, though and I can't wait to wear my gear down the mountain- lookin like a badass.

I'm on a Sleigh!

Just in case you all haven't seen this hilarious, very well done video by the Mikey Needleman Band, check it out!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4PqzcjTP_M#watch-main-area

Hodge Podge, I want to make some Christmas fudge

- How do they come up with the words you have to type in for security purposes, like when you post a comment on blogger? Lora Yoakum swears she got "penis" once.

- Adam likes to molest Tyson. Please see pic below.

- I caught Tyson carrying around wrapped Christmas presents in his mouth this morning.

- In the words of Natalie Otto "Elf Yourself has made the Holidays so much more jolly!!!"

No kidding! If you want me to make one, I will. I am the Elf Yourself champ and have made probably 15 different ones since Monday.

- Can't wait for Christmas

- Tyson's hind legs won't heal!!! I have been playing doctor all week and have been trying to keep the stitches intact. Poor guy- but he won't stop licking them! With his cone on, he can still reach his hind legs. Ughh. His wee wee looks great, though, and is healing up very nicely.

- My husband is a really hard worker

- Jersey Shore is the best TV show on right now. Thursday nights at 8pm (Denver time)

- "How cute are these boots!" best GAP commercial ever

- I hate it when my big, big boss calls me. I get really nervous to talk to him sometimes

- This is what you call procrastination..... :)

Our Little Humble Abode

Here are a few quick pics from our house. Our living room, kitchen and office. I need to take pics of our bedroom because it is the cutest room in our house. But that will have to be another time.

This is our living room. There are a few eye sores (the cords off the TV) but we couldn't mount because we rent. Thanks to Greg for our awesome TV :) Oh! And we actually have an accent wall that is painted, but you can't see it in this pic.


View from the front door when you walk in. I took these last week, but now we have a new rug in the living room. This one has been moved to the office.



Office! This looks WAYY different now. So much better. We hate the white walls in this room, but there is not much we can do about it. :) My desk is on the right (which is the cute one if you saw it) and Adam's is on the left.

And Tyson... doing what he loves to do. Sit at my desk. Adam and I really have a theory that he thinks he is human. Too bad he can't do my work for me too.

The French cake log

I baked "Buche De Noel" (Cake that looks like a log- in French) two nights ago. We went the Whole Foods to grab lunch and they had samples of this stuff out. I had never tasted it before, and thought it was the best thing I had ever put in my mouth. I took 4 trips to the sample station (luckily no one was around). ANYWAYS, when I grabbed the package to buy and looked at the price, I almost had a heart attack at how expensive it was. So, I bought all the ingrediants and baked one myself. It was very challenging, but turned out pretty good. I know what "tweaks" I would do next time around. But let's just say this recipe included, beating yoaks to pale and thick, beating the egg whites to stiff peaks. I had BOTH of my mixers out and the kitchen was a disaster by the time I was done. Here are a few pics from my endeaver.

This was one of those recipes where you bake the cake part, flip it out of the pan onto a towel, roll the towel up and let cool. It was pretty exciting, not going to lie. Here is my little log, cooling away on the counter
Finished product: I used a little too much whip cream (I did a vanilla one instead of chocolate because I forgot to buy the cocoa powder) but will adjust next time. Overall, a success!

Talk to the moose

This is the current commercial that 1) is my favorite right now 2) that I can't get out of my head for the few hours after I watch it. Adam and I will be going to bed and one of us will start singing "how cute are these boots, how cute are these boots!" Anyways, these little girls are just so stinking cute.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffRlqiIE4J4&NR=1

Gets me every time!

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!
http://elfyourself.jibjab.com/view/1L5orl0q6bjJVinl

Please teach me how to be cool

So badly I want to be cool when I am skiing. I try really hard to be, but I know I am not. First of all, my snow pants that I bought sr. year of college are too small- therefore, they do not snap at the top and I get nervous my pants are going to unzip and fall down while I am skiing. Secondly, I have orange skis. Like, REALLY orange skis. My apparel does not match them at all and I have no money to buy new stuff with. Fashion is huge on the mountain and I cannot compete.

I literally cannot walk in ski boots. I absolutely HATE walking in them. They hurt and are way too heavy on my feet. So, when I have to go down steps... I stick out like a sore thumb because I am the girl holding onto the railing, while trying not to fall and not to drop my skis. Speaking of carrying skis, I guess there is a certain way to carry your skis. Well, nobody told me. I carry them however I feel like carrying them. Today, Adam and I went and put our stuff in the car before walking to a bar to grab a beer. Well, everyone was leaving the slopes and a local literally walked by people and yelled at them "LEARN HOW TO CARRY YOUR SKIS". Seriously??? I am so happy he didn't see me with mine because I literally speared a lady with my skis today because I was carrying them wrong. I am sorry, but they are heavy and I don't like putting them on my shoulder like everyone else.

Skiing down the mountain.... today, I felt like I was getting better, feeling more confident, etc. Until the group of 5 year olds in ski school pass me and they all look like badasses. Seriously, I still "pie" the whole way down and I have a hard time stopping. Other give aways that I am a novice: I don't have a helmet yet (like everyone else wears), I don't have goggles because I lost mine, and if you stand at the bottom of the mountain I am the girl that isn't wearing a helmet, does not match, is flailing around, and has GETTO poles (but they were free!). I am sure I am the entertainment for people watching the skiers while eating their lunch.

A cute story to end the week with

"A very tired-looking dog wandered into my yard. I could tell from his collar and the fact that he was well-fed that he had a home and was well taken care of. He calmly came over to me, I gave him a few pats on his head; he then followed me into my house, slowly walked down the hall, curled up in the corner and fell asleep. An hour later, he went to the door, and I let him out. The next day he was back, greeted me in my yard, walked inside and resumed his spot in the hall and again slept for about an hour. This continued off and on for several weeks. Curious I pinned a note to his collar: 'I would like to find out who the owner of this wonderful sweet dog is and ask if you are aware that almost every afternoon your dog comes to my house for a nap.' The next day he arrived for his nap, with a different note pinned to his collar: 'He lives in a home with 6 children, 2 under the age of 3 - he's trying to catch up on his sleep. Can I come with him tomorrow?" - C.S.

Today is the day...

What up hommie?

Today is the day that Tyson is getting his surgery. Yes we took him into "Planned Pethood" this morning. I just crack up everytime I think about the name of this vet, so thought I would share with you :)

So Proud

You wanna smoke a joint with me? (check out the toungue)


Stop taking pics of me and give me that dang treat in your hand

How many tries does it take for us to unclog our bathroom sink?

Our bathroom sink has been a "slow drain" for a long time and has gotten worse... so what we thought was an easy task, ended up being an extravaganza.

Try 1: Put Draino down the drain for 1 hour.
outcome: still a clogged drain

Try 2: Pour boiling water down the drain
outcome: still a clogged drain

Try 3: Baking soda and vinegar down the drain- followed by boiling water (this was really fun to do!!! Like a volcano in your own house. I highly suggest trying this next time you are bored)
outcome: still a clogged drain

Try 4: Trip to the hardware store. The guy who helped us said to buy this 3 dollar gadget called a "zip it"
outcome: still a clogged drain

Try 5: Unscrew the pipe behind the wall, and let the crap fall into a bucket
outcome: STILL a clogged drain (at this point we realize the clog is all the way in the wall somewhere)

Try 6: Back to the hardware store to buy an auger
outcome: A DRAIN THAT DRAINS!!!!

Toodles!

At about 5am

At about 5am the past few mornings we have heard the sound... the huuuuhhhhgggggg, hhhuuuuuuggghhh (AKA: Tyson's puking sound).

Our dog has an obsession with eating anything and everything. Including but not limited to:
Hair Ties
Rubber Bands
Raw Hide (not like most dogs, but like an entire 6 inch bone whole)
Wood Chips
Carpet
Coal
Condoms (yes... i know)
Paper
Matches
etc.
etc.
etc.

So, eating all of this means that he throws it up that night. It is always a surprise to see what is in there. Probably the most funny part of this is when we hear him gagging... Adam jumps up and tries to get him out of his kennel, so he will puke on the wood floor and not on his bed- for clean up reasons. So it is a race for time... so far, we have been in luck and Adam has dragged him out before the puke has come out.

(Side story: Tyson sleeps in his kennel, but randomly we will let him sleep with us. Well, one night when he was in our bed, I hear him start to gag. I literally throw him off the bed onto the floor so he won't throw up in bed. Luckily, he made it to the ground in time... I kind of felt bad, but not really).

Having a dog totally prepares you for kids... throw up clean up in the middle of the night, nights of not sleeping when you first get them, cleaning up their mess constantly.... Plus, Tyson is a cry baby/whiner. He is getting fixed on Thursday and getting his hind dew claws removed. Tyson has the craziest dew claws. Instead of like most dogs that have them (attached) Tyson's are hardly connected. The only thing holding them to his leg is a little piece on cartilage. Since he goes hiking and is outdoors, it is good to get them removed so they don't rip off. Please see exhibit A. I researched this online and there are a few types of dogs with these sort of dew claws- Great Pyrenees and some other large breeds.... so who knows what he is. :)

Exhibit A: The hind dew claw

Reasons to get married and buy a dog

Here are all my top reasons for loving the fact that I am married besides the obvious (living with your best friend, being in love, etc.... ).

1) I never have to do anything gross anymore. Here are a few examples:
- Taking out the trash
- Picking up the dog poo in the yard
- Cleaning up Tyson's puke
- Killing bugs
- Cleaning out moldy food in the fridge

2) No heavy lifting

3) Never being scared at night

4) Snuggling EVERY night of my life, even if it makes Adam claustrophobic

5) Having a permanent lawn guy


Top Reasons for buying a dog:

1) They are freaking cute

2) They LOVE you and boost your self esteem

3) They make you laugh

4)They keep you in some what of descent shape because you need to take them on walks

5) They make you keep your house clean because you can't have things laying around anymore that they can and will chew on

6) And what got me thinking about writing this post is I just spent my entire lunch break making Tyson sit on the couch and watch me do all my old classy cat routines. Adam won't let me do them when he is home and Tyson makes a GREAT audience. (He had this look on his face the whole time like "what are you doing you crazy person").

Another week in KC

Adam and I just finalized our Christmas plans and it looks like we will be in Wichita on Christmas Eve and Christmas day and then in KC until Jan. 3rd! What all this means to you? Well, we need New Years plans... so please feel free to drop me a note or invite us to a party :)

Thanks Everyone.

Need a pick me up?

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

Enjoy :)

**Tyson** Our one and only...

The other day I literally was thinking that I would be OK with my life if we just had Tyson be our only son and dressed him up in clothes and pretended like he was a human. That is how much I love him. I was even day dreaming about his first day at school when we show up and the teacher is like- that is a dog... and we are like, what are you talking about, this is our son!

I know, I am weird.

Here are a few updates:

-Tyson was really jealous of the Moore's dog, Franklin, so we had to get him a purple collar as well. He loves it.

-His new favorite past time is trying to eat the ornaments on our tree. So far he has gotten one of the gold snowflakes and broken the strand of pearls. I am was not too happy about that.

-He still thinks getting on top of the kitchen table is fun. Since I have gotten a new centerpiece for the Holiday season, I have caught him up on there twice chewing on the beads... head covered in sparkles.

-He is getting neutered this month, but please don't tell him this. He is getting so big! Weighed in this morning at 48.5lbs!

Dogs are so funny... how this is comfortable? I don't know...

Doesn't this make you want to go snuggle with him?

He is very handsome and he knows it.