busygirl

dog vs. helicopter.

What do you give your groomsmen as a thank you for wearing monkey suits in front of a bunch of people?  Remote control helicopters of course.

Can you only imagine what my life has been like the last week?  'Duck Nicole!' 'Stand still, I'm going to land it on your head!'

Sigh.  Although I'll admit, it's fun to attempt to fly.  The dog however, isn't sold on the idea.  I don't think he's really figured it out yet.

 

***please excuse the absolute disaster our apartment is right now and my annoyingly squeaky voice***

puppy bliss.

Saturdays were made for long naps in the winter sunshine.  

Total puppy bliss.

mistaken identity.

The dog and I were playing tug-of-war this afternoon as always and I tossed his favorite toy rope into the bedroom.  He sprinted after it.

As Ricki came prancing back into the living room, I realized he hadn't picked up the rope.  He was standing there with a piece of um, laundry clutched in his jaw, growling, just daring at me to play tug-of-war.

Of all the times not to have the camera in my hand...

two oh eleven.

Sleepy puppies are so precious.

I'm relishing in life today.  2010 brought so many changes to our lifestyle and 2011 is bound to be just as crazy.  As we contemplate where the year will take us I've become excited and fearful of the chaos that is sure to ensue.

But that's life.  And that's how we like it.  And I am so grateful to have been blessed with a wonderfully patient husband and that sleepy puppy above.

My heart is full of love today for them both.

And the smiles that they bring.

miscellany monday: brr.

1. Oh my lord is it cold in Cleveland.

2. We had a weekend of constant change.  As in, every original plan fell through and we were making our minds up on the go.  Sometimes I'm not sure why we even have a calendar in the kitchen, it's so covered in crossouts and scribbles, who knows where we're supposed to be when!

3. But as a result of making plans on the fly, we were able to squeeze in a wine tasting at The Olde Wine Cellar with a few of our friends.  About two hours later, we were stumbling out into the snow, full of cheese and good wine.  And for a steal, the tasting is only $10 a person!  I guess it can't hurt to check out local wine shops for events instead of waiting for a weekend trip to the winery.

 
4. Sunday morning meant breakfast out with my grandmother and mom, and then off to Miles Market for fruit and veggies that don't cost an arm and a leg.  And I was reunited with one of my favorites.  His name is Jack and his house has a steeple.  And I have to drive 30 minutes to see him.  But it's ok, he can be bought in bulk.

 

5. Ricki was the poster puppy of snuggles this weekend.  Which I adored.  Except that I have an inkling that he might just be making up for his less-than-perfect behavior on Friday night.  Cause really, there had to be a valid reason for him to go in my purse, remove every single item and strategically place it around the living room.

6. I'm in a purging mode.  I tackled the second bedroom's closet this weekend and created a space for wrapping paper, cards and our financial stuff since we're currently housing it in our second dresser.  At least now guests can hang up a few items, or even throw some clothes in the dresser if need be.  Aren't we just the bed-and-breakfast hot spot now?  Free drawer space with every stay!

2010 recap.

Busy, busy, busy year!  And so ready for everything 2011 will bring.  We've been so blessed this year admist the chaos of relocating and getting married.  I cannot wait to see what our next year holds...hopefully a few surprises and lots of laughter.

If you missed any adventures along the way, I included links to the posts so you can catch up!

January - a trip to Connecticut to celebrate my grandparents' 60TH wedding anniversary!  60 years.  What an amazing feat!  I love every moment spent on our family farm in Connecticut...hours were spent capturing the winter calm over the fields and rifling through old love letters from our ancestors.  Another trip to NYC with my pal Grace and my sister Melissa to see Martha in person (and in 5-inch heels!)  I miss city life, but suburbia has been treating me just fine.

 
February - was spent watching the Olympics.  So much in fact, that I was thoroughly convinced I should quite my day job and begin a career as a professional curler.  No?  Ricki got to experience a soup bone for the first time ever.  It snowed.  A LOT.  And I got the best Valentine's Day present ever...a SISTER-IN-LAW!  My brother proposed to this lovely lady, who I simply adore.  To the moon.  And back.

 
March - Life changed.  A lot.  I left my job for a new one and moved 160 miles north to Cleveland.  Back home.  Near both of our families.  It was a rough month.  I felt like I couldn't breathe between moving and job switching and wedding planning.  But it was worth it.  Plus it snowed a lot so we got some great (and hilarious) snowboarding in that month.  Also, I slipped on a banana peel and exploded wine all over my kitchen.  For realzies.

 
April - left behind the snow for a quick trip to sunny California to visit my grandma!  And took Adam to Disneyland for the first time ever...four big kids in Disney?  Stellar.  Back home Adam and I moved into a new apartment and struggled to unpack for weeks, coming up with some creative solutions to hold us over.  I joined and played on a volleyball team for the first time ever...and managed to return the ball over the net without injuring myself or anyone else.

 
May - my beautiful bridesmaids threw Adam and me a fabulous wedding shower!  Ricki turned 9 years young.  And the weddingmares began as wedding planning was kicked into high gear.

 
June - Down to the wire with planning.  Begin hyperventilating.  Drink margaritas with my FSILs.  And life is back to fabulous.  I discovered that Johnny Depp doesn't exist in the land of spellcheck.  We made a ridiculous amount of salsa.  I had an FABULOUS night with my favorite girls downtown for my bachelorette party!  And the World Cup was on, so Adam was deliriously happy.  And he got to golf.  Go him.

 
July - um, we got MARRIED!  Obviously.  And it was perfectly wonderful.  The dog ate watermelon for the first time ever.  My nephew was cuddly and perfect.  We spent hours cooking and entertaining, with some kitchen mishaps.  I couldn't believe all the free time we had after the wedding was over.  Summer was in full bloom.

 
August - We enjoyed every moment of summer.  Spent hours out on the boat and discovering new adventures downtown.  Our dog learned to Vogue. Adam's golf club became famous.  In Cleveland.  The dog decided he didn't like our nephew.

 
September - I stopped blogging so much because I just needed life to slow down.  My friend Wren moved back to Cleveland!  And I discovered that Windex will get a stuck ring off your finger.  Who knew. 

  
October - Adam turned 26.  My phone busted.  And we tried starfruit for the first time ever.  Adam dressed up as Sheldon for Halloween.  Finally.  I had to bribe him to wear a costume.  We said goodbye to the official end of summer as the cold air rushed in.

 
November - Life became crazy once again.  My grandma was coming for Christmas so Adam/Chris hurried to create a bedroom for her.  An election came and went.  Christmas Ale arrived along with the cheers of every Clevelander.  I spent a lot of quality time with my camera, enjoying the rare warm days in November.  And we officially booked our honeymoon for the next month.  My dog really loves Thanksgiving.  And we really love spending days at the waterpark!

 

December - What did we even do?  The dog was in a mood due to lack of attention.  My iPod suffered a horrible death.  We jetted off to Mexico for our honeymoon.  And returned home in time to celebrate Christmas.

 

Whew.  Busy year.  How was yours?

the big reveal.

Remember those gorgeous, modern designs that I was coveting from Shutterfly?  Forget them.  I went out on a limb this year.  Since our cards were *free* I decided that I'd let Adam pick them.  I know.  What a nice wife.  And then I crossed my fingers and prayed.

Luckily, the one he selected is cute, although not quite what I would have gone for.  Especially since the 'theme' required a photo of me on a day when I had snow in my hair and wasn't wearing an inch of makeup.  Sigh.  But the dog looks good!

And for some reason the 'sleighs away!' phrase really makes me chuckle.

So without futher ado, our 2010 holiday card!  If you signed up to get one - check your mailboxes, they were mailed out yesterday!

It thoroughly annoys me that the dog photo is offcenter and of only half his body.  But you try getting a dog who has a vivid fear of anything cold, wet and uncomfortable to pose longer than 3 seconds outside.  And in an 'outfit' no less.

On that note, contrary to popular belief (ahem adam), he is not in an 'outfit', but a navy blue hoodie that I assure you is quite manly for a 12lb fluff-ball to be sporting for the two minutes he actually lasts outside.

And so ends the tale of our 2010 holiday card.  To recap...Nicole - embarassed by lack of makeup and awkward squat due to still having her snowboard attached in the photo.  Adam - quite pleased with his selection of card and considers it a major contribution to modern day society.  And Ricki - refusing to pee outdoors either because it is a) cold, b) wet, c) a disruption to his strict napping schedule, or d) a feat which requires him to don his hoodie which according to him, greatly decreases his chances with the lady pup who lives next door (never mind the fact that she's four times the size of him).  Life is tough as a pup!

wordless wednesday: my stylish pup.

stick to the agenda please.

Adam was out on the east side last night so I spent the evening home with the dog.  You know what that means...yippee, free reign of the remote!

It's the little things in life.

So, I decided to treat myself to a solid dinner of chicken fajitas to snack on while catching up on The Tudors (LOVE).  Ricki apparently had other ideas of what I should be doing.  His agenda involved multiple games of fetch, two long walks in the freezing cold and snacks of carrots galore.  My attempt to cook dinner instead of playing fetch with him did not go over so well.

While cutting up some peppers and onions, the little bugger snuck into the bathroom trash, grabbed a few discarded tissues (yuck) and proceeded to tear them apart in the middle of the family room.  Ha! He'd show me.  When it's time to play fetch, it's time to play fetch. 

Sigh, my dog is such an attention hog...

why my dog loves thanksgiving.

Back from a four-day weekend and struggling to keep my focus already.  Sigh, if only every week were Thanksgiving!

We had a relatively mellow weekend...with the exception of Adam working...but still, a nice break from the typical daily grind.  Wednesday started out with a trip to the east side for dinner and drinks with my brother and FSIL.

Ricki ate TWO helpings of dinner by accident (a la me forgetting that I fed him BEFORE driving to Solon and then feeding him upon arrival).

Thursday began with a trip to the grocery store to hunt down forgotten ingredients.  And then off to my SIL's house for a vegan thanksgiving. 

Ricki not only was given extra treats out of pity since he had to stay home (my SIL has a cat) but was also given some mashed potatoes as a late night snack when we returned home.

Friday [morning] started early with black friday shopping.  We managed to hunt down the big ticket item we were searching for after a couple attempts, thank goodness, along with some deals for ourselves.  Adam wasn't impressed with his first black friday experience.  I don't think he was expecting the level of um, 'rudeness' exhibited by some shoppers.  Heck, I'd make my kid wear earplugs around them.  That night Adam put together the Christmas tree while I took Ricki for a long walk.  When I came back he was playing video games (apparently the TREE turned on the xBox) so I finished up the decorating and wrapping the presents we had purchased that morning.

Ricki was once again treated to some leftovers, three long walks and a morning of sunbeams.

Saturday was our second thanksgiving at Adam's parent's house!  Ricki came along with us for dinner with Adam's parents, sister/BIL and my brother/FSIL.  They actually deep-fried a turkey.  I know, it sounds gross but OH MY GOD have you ever had it?  UNBELIEVEABLE.  I may never bake a turkey again.

Ricki was given enough carrots that Bugs Bunny would be jealous, along with a green pepper, and TWO hearty helpings turkey and rice stuffing.  He finished off the evening by making his rounds napping in everyone's laps.

Sunday, Adam and I just hung out, slept in, watched football and were generally lazy.  We then headed off to a birthday party for Adam's cousin while Ricki kept an eye on the house for us.

Ricki, of course, snacked on some leftover turkey and bread stuffing for lunch.  And then finished it off with a nap in the sun before retiring to his bean bag chair for the evening.

We're going to have to up the walks after this weekend...for all THREE of us.