We will start off by saying for the first time in years we actually LOVE tax season!!!! We are finally experiencing the fun of it!
Of course we are being semi-responsible with it, but we are finally splurging on ourselves, something we very rarely do!! We will be putting half of our return in savings and getting a complete tuneup for both vehicles (our responsible side). After which we will begin our splurging, here we come iPhone 4s, we are in dyer need of new phones!!! We will also force ourselves to purchase a kitchen table. Now I say force because I (not we hehe) have been putting this decision off for some time now (a year to be exact). Due to indecisiveness and being scared that we will purchase one and it will not fit in our future home! ahhhhhh! But Bruce has said that since we received more back than expected we should do the semi-responsible thing and use the unexpected money for a nice table so that we don't have to use our "everyday" money on the purchase....I LOVE the way he thinks :) So we will go next week to the Springs and finally make a purchase. We will be driving the truck the 45mins to the Springs so we have no excuse but to go home with a table instead of wasting our precious gas on just the drive. I know it sounds crazy to stew this much over a table, I mean it's just a table right?! Well I'll let you know how that concept goes over after the many hours of shopping.....
And last but not least we will be getting the iPad2. We can't really spend the thousands of dollars on the ideal iMac right now, there are just so many other things to spend or save the money on and for. As much as Bruce would enjoy an iMac we truly can't afford to get the dream one and would rather wait until we can purchase the perfect one to last us years to come. So iPad2 it is. I think he (and I) will thoroughly enjoy it.
On a completely different note, how do you ladies paint your own nails so well?!?!?!? I had a mini-freak out last night. I acted like a 3 year old child, I was sitting on the floor and after the third time messing up my nails I kicked my feet and cried. Ha! I'm glad I was the only one home to witness it BUT still feel embarrassed, even if it was only me. :) I got this amazing new mani pedi kit for Xmas and finally decided to try it out. All I can say is WTF!! I can't seem to paint my own nails! I just don't understand why! It is so frustrating! So if any of you have any advice or tricks, it would be appreciated!
I forgot our camera the last snowshoeing trip, but Tuesday we will be taking off early to head up the mountains and I WILL NOT forget it this time! We can't wait! It's so peaceful up in the mountains, and of course beautiful. I am also happy to report that we are doing very well health-wise. Bruce is excelling in his running program, those long legs do wonders on the pavement. And I am thoroughly enjoying Weight Watchers (it keeps me completely honest) and my workout DVDs and running program. It feels great, for both of us!
Also I have recently started to get what I can only determine to be heartburn....I think?!?! After explaining it to Bruce that is what he thinks it is anyways. I have never gotten this before, but maybe due to diet change?! I am currently hunting for a good over the counter medicine for it, I'm so clueless. I also HATE taking anything but a vitamin (Women's one a day) so anyone with and advice would be appreciated.....ugggghhh I know it sounds weird but for some reason getting heartburn makes me feel old! haha I guess because I can remember my Dad or Gramps or someone always a significant bit older than me having it. Oh well, time to deal.
Well that is about it for this week. Sorry for the randomness and insignificance to this post! Maybe next time we will have something more exciting to report.....come to think of it, probably not! hahaha :)
Miss and Love you all so much!!
Love,
Nichole, Bruce, and Pudge xoxo
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Lilies & Cheesecake
It has been in the mid 60's for the past week, yes people....I said 60's!!! We are eating it up!! We have been able to go to the parks daily with Pudge before Bruce heads to work and because it's so nice down here (in the foot hills) it makes for beautiful days in the mountains and they have been incredible.
The beautiful lilies that Bruce had for me when I woke up a couple days ago. Flowers for no reason is the best reason aren't they?!
Bruce is doing very well. He received another email from Border yesterday morning with a push-up and sit-up routine to follow, so the sings are looking good! But as usual, we are trying to stay grounded until we get final word either way. He is making tremendous strides in his job with the State of CO also, moving up quickly and being recognized for it! So proud of him! He is such a hard worker.....he's truly a saint! I'm sure he would disagree with me, but really he is! I aspire to be a wonderful kind hearted person like him! I am truly blessed to have him in my life!
I am doing well. FINALLY healthy and happy about it! I have finally kicked that obnoxious cough and am feeling great! My amazing friend Lisa has sent me a few work out DVDs and I am enjoying the difficult task at hand. I am also following the app couch to 5K. Bruce and I are signed up for our first 5k of 2012 in May, we must be ready! :) My school meeting went very well, thank goodness and I have thoroughly learned my lesson and will NOT be procrastinating as bad as I have in the past EVER EVER EVER again! It is truly not worth the worry! So getting off (excuse my language again;) my ASS and getting this SHIT done is a MUST! So far so good!
Pudge was a little sick this past week. Like so many Labradors he has a small skin condition. He will sporadically get sores on his chin and sometimes on his face....not very big but defiantly noticeable and very itchy for him. We have had biopsies done and even paid for the lab results to be sent to a specialist in California, but all they could come up with was he is allergic or sensitive to something and they (and we) aren't sure what......hmmmm to say the least I was NOT happy about paying the $400 for this answer, something I had already figured. But I suppose better safe than sorry! Anyways he got one on his chin and when this happens we give him a half of a steroid for a couple days, along with some Benadryl to sooth the itching. I HATE giving him these, they make him very sluggish compared to his normal self. But it doesn't happen too often so I guess we can deal with the couple of times a year episodes. He is feeling much better, and let me be honest even with the medication this did not seem to alter his willingness to play with his ball! :)
Other than that it is business as usual....living the dream here in CO. The biggest dilemma in the house right now is Bruce trying to decide what kind of computer he wants. We want to stick with Apple, as we now have the laptop and phones.....so I think he is trying to decided between the iPad and iMac. He wants the luxury of the iPad, but wants the big iMac to keep in the household for many years to come. We are completely new to Apple besides our phones, so if any of you have any good advice we would appreciate it. I am, of course, still using Pinterest daily and have made many strides in my ability to cook and bake, which has made for a happy and very FULL household. I was just telling Bruce that I use to dread it and now I am thoroughly enjoying it!! This week I made Chicken with mushrooms and cream sauce (HOLY MOLLY YUM!!!) Bruschetta (YUM) and NY style cheesecake. Bruce loved all three! :)
We hope you all are doing very well! We love and miss you so so so much!!
Until next time.....
Love,
Nichole, Bruce, and Pudge
The beautiful lilies that Bruce had for me when I woke up a couple days ago. Flowers for no reason is the best reason aren't they?!
My very first NY Style Cheesecake! It turned out delicious!! :)
Saturday, January 14, 2012
GO BRONCOS
As I type, Tim Tebow and the Broncos are fighting for their season against Tom Brady and the Patriots. I am a HUGE Tim Tebow and Broncos fan! So please excuse the typos or random capital letters, which would be my version of yelling at the TV while on the computer! My title is dedicated to the Broncos this week! :) GO BRONCOS!!
Anyways, we are doing very well, except this persistent cough that is plaguing our household. Bruce is thoroughly enjoying his new schedule and I am LOVING having him home at night. BUT this schedule does allow for a lot of free time for me with Bruce being gone from 2-10 on my days off. Needless to say my Pinterest addiction has worsened! But I am loving every minute of learning to cook and craft (and so is Bruce)! Bruce is also doing very well with his new work out schedule, and is feeling great after each run!
Pudge is as spoiled as can be. It has been in the high 50's low 60's all week and is suppose to continue throughout this week, so this allows for lots of trips to the park!! He will run and run and run if you throw and throw and throw his ball! It's just too nice to be cooped up in the house, so outside it is for us! He had to go in for grooming last week, so a trip to the "treat bar" at PetCo is always fun for him!
I have a meeting on Friday morning to get my classes and graduating in order, I'm a little nervous, but VERY anxious to get this (excuse my language) SHIT over with! Today we bought my ticket to CT to go visit my friends Mike, Naomi, and Tucker! We will also have Naomi's bachelorette party in NYC while we are all there! I am beyond excited, I have always wanted to go to NYC!!
The house hunt continues. The one house we were in love with wasn't meant to be, so we continue to search nearly everyday. Nothing has caught our eye quite yet, but we are staying hopeful and knowing that we would like to wait until the end of the summer to see if Boarder comes a calling anyway is a relief. Taking our time is actually a good thing for our situation. Speaking of taking our time, Bruce is now on a 2012 Ford Explorer kick instead of the Escape we have had our eye on. I don't really care either way (is that bad?!) just as long as the vehicle can hold future strollers and groceries simultaneously and has 4 wheel drive I will be a happy camper, Bruce is the VERY picky one. He has changed his mind a dozen times, but I did give him an absolute deadline of September......we need a new vehicle!! So hopefully by September we will have our second new vehicle, AND second car payment....blahhhhhh!!! That part does NOT amuse me, I like only having one car payment!
Other than that it is business as usual! We plan on going snowshoeing this "weekend" and enjoying the beautiful weather!! Hope all is well!! We miss and love you all so much!! I will leave you with a few pictures....
Love,
Nichole, Bruce, and Pudge xoxo
Anyways, we are doing very well, except this persistent cough that is plaguing our household. Bruce is thoroughly enjoying his new schedule and I am LOVING having him home at night. BUT this schedule does allow for a lot of free time for me with Bruce being gone from 2-10 on my days off. Needless to say my Pinterest addiction has worsened! But I am loving every minute of learning to cook and craft (and so is Bruce)! Bruce is also doing very well with his new work out schedule, and is feeling great after each run!
Pudge is as spoiled as can be. It has been in the high 50's low 60's all week and is suppose to continue throughout this week, so this allows for lots of trips to the park!! He will run and run and run if you throw and throw and throw his ball! It's just too nice to be cooped up in the house, so outside it is for us! He had to go in for grooming last week, so a trip to the "treat bar" at PetCo is always fun for him!
I have a meeting on Friday morning to get my classes and graduating in order, I'm a little nervous, but VERY anxious to get this (excuse my language) SHIT over with! Today we bought my ticket to CT to go visit my friends Mike, Naomi, and Tucker! We will also have Naomi's bachelorette party in NYC while we are all there! I am beyond excited, I have always wanted to go to NYC!!
The house hunt continues. The one house we were in love with wasn't meant to be, so we continue to search nearly everyday. Nothing has caught our eye quite yet, but we are staying hopeful and knowing that we would like to wait until the end of the summer to see if Boarder comes a calling anyway is a relief. Taking our time is actually a good thing for our situation. Speaking of taking our time, Bruce is now on a 2012 Ford Explorer kick instead of the Escape we have had our eye on. I don't really care either way (is that bad?!) just as long as the vehicle can hold future strollers and groceries simultaneously and has 4 wheel drive I will be a happy camper, Bruce is the VERY picky one. He has changed his mind a dozen times, but I did give him an absolute deadline of September......we need a new vehicle!! So hopefully by September we will have our second new vehicle, AND second car payment....blahhhhhh!!! That part does NOT amuse me, I like only having one car payment!
Other than that it is business as usual! We plan on going snowshoeing this "weekend" and enjoying the beautiful weather!! Hope all is well!! We miss and love you all so much!! I will leave you with a few pictures....
Love,
Nichole, Bruce, and Pudge xoxo
My first monkey bread! Turned out delicious! Found on Pinterest here: http://pinterest.com/pin/2251868533413938/
Ornament Wreath! You can find the directions here:http://pinterest.com/pin/2251868533309587/
Fat free pudding pops! Found on Pinterst here: http://pinterest.com/pin/2251868533269850/
Pikes Peak at sunset on our drive home!
Dreamy Oreo Brownie! Bruce was in love! Found on Pinterest! http://pinterest.com/pin/2251868533411046/
Pudge waiting to go play with his ball! It's a stare contest!!
Homemade sugar scrub! This is amazing stuff!! My skin is so soft after using it!! Found on Pinterest here: http://pinterest.com/pin/2251868533411046/
My adorable pink cover for my Mac! Love it!! :)
Love Stamped jewelry! New charm with our wedding date on it. Worn on a second necklace! Love the layered necklace look.
Monday, January 2, 2012
Dear Blog......I have an addiction!
Yes, I am talking about Pinterest again....yada yada yada! BUT I will say this, I feel as if it is a GREAT addiction to have. It has made me more......hmmm I'm not sure I like this, but.....DOMESTICATED! I didn't know much about crafting, baking, and cooking when Bruce and I first got together, and was slowly coming around, especially after the wedding. But I must say, all three of these areas have improved SO MUCH since joining Pinterest. If you haven't checked it out yet, GO.....RUN....NOW! Here are a few pics of the latest projects. Oh and I am happy to report supplies have been purchased for our headboard. All that is left is fabric, and that is what is holding the project up, the big choice of fabric. I am giving myself the rest of the week to decide and then we will proceed to make it next weekend!
Homemade Stew! Very delicious recipe!
Homemade peanut butter cups. Bruce was drooling over these!
This didn't come from pinterest, but it was a gift we received for Xmas, isn't it cute?!
I've never had so much fun making popcorn!
Homemade ham & bean soup. Bruce has been asking for this after every Xmas ham for the past 2 years! I have finally done it!! :)
A blast from the past! Thanks for the reminder interest!
Dollar tree apothecary-like vases for the bathroom. I originally made ones with taller thinner candle sticks and didn't like them too much. Found the smaller thicker candle sticks and now love them!
Hope all is well!!
Love,
Nichole xoxo
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Happy 2012
YAY!!! Happy New Year everyone!!! It's the start of a wonderful year, I can just feel it. The first of the new year is always my favorite, it's starting with a clean slate! So with our clean slate there are so many things we want to check off our goals list......so excited to get started!!
But first I must be a bit of a complainer and say we had one hell of a NYE morning. I woke up to a huge thump, to which I immediately woke Bruce up and asked if he had heard it to. He assured me that it was just the wind and not to worry. But after I rolled over and was not able to fall back asleep after 20 minutes I decided to get up "just to make sure." When I looked out the patio door my jaw immediately hit the floor. We had a semi-large shed in the back right corner of our yard, which held our lawnmower, patio set, fire pit, kayaks, and all things summer pretty much. Well what I saw did NOT resemble our normal backyard layout. It was so windy that the shed doors were completely blown in and off of the shed itself, which of course turned the shed into a very large kite!! At that point it had been completely ripped off it's base and was half on the four corners of ours and our neighbors fences and half sitting on top of our things. So after screaming for Bruce, he also stood in shock as he looked out our slider. We then threw on our cloths and carefully hauled our belongings to the garage, which was luckily just cleaned and had ample room. We packed it to the rim with everything from the shed, and lucky for us nothing had been broken in the ordeal. Then came the hard part. After about 30 mins the stupid ass shed managed to be completely lifted off the ground and sat resting on the fence entirely, causing the fence to start lean and give way. FINALLY the shed was down with some help, and flipped over on it's top. It looked like a crushed tuna can. We put sand bags and bricks in it to hold in place. After about two hours after the ordeal had started the crazy crazy wind just completely stopped, but not without making it's mark first! Needless to say, it was a VERY eventful and frustrating morning! But it got taken care of without anyone getting hurt and that was a plus. Now to wait for the insurance company to decide if they are going to pay up!
To ring in 2012 we got cozy in our favorite pj's, made a delicious pulled pork recipe from pinterest, played games, drank some delicious cocktails, and skyped with some of our best friends. Saddened by the fact we couldn't be home to celebrate with friends we decided to Skype and act like we were there anyways. It was wonderful, God bless Skype, it's a life saver!!! It was like we were sitting at the kitchen table with everyone and that was a wonderful feeling. Not to mention I was able to see Tucker and all of his cuteness!! It was WONDERFUL!!!
Today consisted of taking down all Christmas decorations. I am always sad to see the tree go. I love everything about them, especially their smell!! Do I really have to wait 11 more months to put up another one?!?! But on the other hand it is always nice to get the house back to normal.
We hope you all had holidays filled with love and happiness!!!
Love,
Bruce, Nichole, and Pudge xoxo
Here is a picture of the shed......
But first I must be a bit of a complainer and say we had one hell of a NYE morning. I woke up to a huge thump, to which I immediately woke Bruce up and asked if he had heard it to. He assured me that it was just the wind and not to worry. But after I rolled over and was not able to fall back asleep after 20 minutes I decided to get up "just to make sure." When I looked out the patio door my jaw immediately hit the floor. We had a semi-large shed in the back right corner of our yard, which held our lawnmower, patio set, fire pit, kayaks, and all things summer pretty much. Well what I saw did NOT resemble our normal backyard layout. It was so windy that the shed doors were completely blown in and off of the shed itself, which of course turned the shed into a very large kite!! At that point it had been completely ripped off it's base and was half on the four corners of ours and our neighbors fences and half sitting on top of our things. So after screaming for Bruce, he also stood in shock as he looked out our slider. We then threw on our cloths and carefully hauled our belongings to the garage, which was luckily just cleaned and had ample room. We packed it to the rim with everything from the shed, and lucky for us nothing had been broken in the ordeal. Then came the hard part. After about 30 mins the stupid ass shed managed to be completely lifted off the ground and sat resting on the fence entirely, causing the fence to start lean and give way. FINALLY the shed was down with some help, and flipped over on it's top. It looked like a crushed tuna can. We put sand bags and bricks in it to hold in place. After about two hours after the ordeal had started the crazy crazy wind just completely stopped, but not without making it's mark first! Needless to say, it was a VERY eventful and frustrating morning! But it got taken care of without anyone getting hurt and that was a plus. Now to wait for the insurance company to decide if they are going to pay up!
To ring in 2012 we got cozy in our favorite pj's, made a delicious pulled pork recipe from pinterest, played games, drank some delicious cocktails, and skyped with some of our best friends. Saddened by the fact we couldn't be home to celebrate with friends we decided to Skype and act like we were there anyways. It was wonderful, God bless Skype, it's a life saver!!! It was like we were sitting at the kitchen table with everyone and that was a wonderful feeling. Not to mention I was able to see Tucker and all of his cuteness!! It was WONDERFUL!!!
Today consisted of taking down all Christmas decorations. I am always sad to see the tree go. I love everything about them, especially their smell!! Do I really have to wait 11 more months to put up another one?!?! But on the other hand it is always nice to get the house back to normal.
We hope you all had holidays filled with love and happiness!!!
Love,
Bruce, Nichole, and Pudge xoxo
Here is a picture of the shed......
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