Owlcakes

Last week we had a couple snow days and, although I'm sure I'm probably the only one who felt this way, I was incredibly bored. I mean, I never mind getting the "you have a snow day" call in the morning, but I'm kind of on a deadline this semester with certain lessons that need to be taught at certain times, so I'm really not that into them at the moment. So I decided to go get some materials to make some sugarplums and some cupcakes. I took the sugarplums in for a couple classes and some coworkers at lunch on Monday, but didn't make the cupcakes until last night.

I chose this design a long time ago, because they are pretty easy to make and relatively cheap. I think they turned out pretty well...




My first bell couldn't just accept the treat...they were all "WHY did you bring us cupcakes? Is it your birthday?" And I'm all "...um, can't I just like you?" Any other class and it would have been a bribe, but not this class!

I had a couple left over and took them to lunch where a couple people decided that, because I brought sugarplums on Monday and these today, that I'm a super crafty person. I don't know if that's a good thing or not? But I mean...at least they'll remember my cupcakes when I leave in May :D

Now I have to figure out some cupcake creation to make for Little Man's birthday this weekend! I want to make some kind of cupcake cake (one that does NOT fail) like a racecar or alligator or something, but I'm not sure if I'm good enough for that.

Any suggestions?

Actual Update Say Whaa?

I know it's been awhile since I've made an actual life update instead of just pictures! But, this time, it's happening! In fact, I don't even have a picture for this post. Fact.

I got back to Ohio on December 27th and left my poor hubs at our new base wayyy out west. I started teaching again on January 3rd. I really do like teaching, but I've been to several different schools for my degree in the last couple years and, frankly, they were starting to make me hate it. This particular placement, however, is absolutely amazing. I have juniors and seniors, which is quite a different scene from the freshman and sophomores that I have had in the past, and I love it. Looove it. Plus, I have a pretty awesome teacher working with me this time, which is also a far cry from the usual.

B is lonely out in the middle of nowhere, but he really loves his job so it's not that horrible. He has some training about 10 hours from here in February and I have a 4 day weekend, so I'm going to head down and see him then. I think I'm also finally going to make the jump from my local cell phone service to Verizon so we're on the same phone plan.

Question: Droid Incredible--yay or nay?

I haven't been too super busy lately as I have no classes this semester and I only work my part-time job on the weekends. I'm not used to not being busy. I'm not sure how to handle it--I was bored within 30 minutes of waking up today.

Fortunately, this is a pattern that looks like it's going to continue for awhile. The last couple years I feel like everything I've done, I've done super quick. Last year I had to hurry up and get all my finals done in May, because our wedding was that weekend. The morning after I finished doing 10 credit hours in 5 weeks last summer we left for our honeymoon. The morning after I finished taking all my finals early in December, we left to move 18 hours away. It's been go-go-go.

But, this summer, I have nothing to do. It's just me and work, and some glorious weekends at the lake! B will be at a training, so I'll visit once or twice, but other than that...I have nothing until August.

I hope I don't go stir crazy!

Make it Melt

This post is part of Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop.

Prompt: The last time your heart melted.

Exactly 2 weeks ago, the midget and I both turned another year older. Brady turned 3, and I turned...well, another year older.




Now that she's three, she constantly says things to me that just make my heart smile. I save messages she, somehow, manages to leave on my cell phone because there is just nothing that's much more adorable.

But, the last time she really caused a full on heart-melting was about a year ago, after she had just turned 2 years old.



She had gotten up a little before me. I could hear her playing with her toys in the living room for probably about a half an hour before I joined her. I should say that this is not unusual...she gets up before me all the time.

But, on this day, I walked into the living room. She heard me come in, turned around, yelled my name and ran to me with her arms up. I should also say that this is quite normal, as well.



However, her royal cuteness wasn't done acknowledging me. She put her two tiny hands on each side of my face and exclaimed, "Mammay, I love you."

This is the first time she had said this without someone prompting her too. She then wrapped her arms around my neck tight and put her head on my shoulder. And my heart was lava.

I just love my midget.

Decoration Station

Our house has grey carpet. Which I love. Except that every room, sans the kitchen and the bathroom (which are both brown and cream), has brown furniture. But, since I'm back in the eastern time zone and B is still at the house in the mountain time zone, I'm done decorating until I go back in the summer.

So far, this is what we have. I know it's lame, but we had very few days to get everything unpacked, organized, and put together and even fewer dollars to decorate with.

This is the only room we really attempted to decorate. And it's still curtain-less. I bought blue curtains and received green curtains, so they went back. :(

Living Room:




Kitchen




Spare Bedroom



Who ever lived in our house before us decided to paint the basement dark purple, so I'll spare you that picture :)

Funny Faces

Merry Christmas! A day late, I know. Tomorrow I have to leave here and go back to our home state, as I start teaching again on Jan 3rd until May. We have the house set up here and relatively done. I'll post pictures and such in the coming week.

But, for now, I just wanted to show you some adorable faces of one of my newest nephews, Raj.

Like this adorable face when he's happy...



And then this adorable face when he thinks something is hilarious...



Does that face not make you the happiest human in the world??

Things We've Found Around Here

Chalk messages on downtown walls...



Giant boots...



More antelope than I care to acknowledge...



And giant fields of buffalo...




We meet with the inspector to do a walkthrough of our house in Tuesday, and we move in on Wednesday barring any drastic issues. We plan on having everything put away, put together, and the living room decorated for Christmas (...we won't be sharing the rest of our house with anyone back home, because we don't have time to make them look pretty!) by Christmas! It ought to be fun!

20 Hours Later!

We made it!

We made it through Indiana, which I failed to photograph.

Then Illinois...


Then Missouri...


Then Kansas, where we missed the state line but found this awesome sunset...


By the way, I hate Kansas.

Then we made it through Colorado...


And, finally, to Wyoming!




We were here for less than an hour before we almost hit an antelope, and then found a mall :) Tomorrow we'll go exploring a bit more and check in with housing to see if we might get into our place pretty soon. If we're even getting a place on base!

"Wait, so that dog's not going?"

Yesterday, we had a small visitor about an hour before our movers made it to our house.



He's a stray that's been living round our neighborhood for the past few days, but not really at our house. I fed him, tried to coax him into the garage, learned he was absolutely terrified by the garage door, and watched him lay in the snow and shake like he was having a siezure.

So, we got some old flannel sheets from the "rag" bin and put them on the spot he was laying on so he'd be warmer. We succeeded, and he stopped shaking. He's a friendly guy, but spent most of the day not wanting to be touched. He'd come up to you and smell you, but if you went to touch him he'd take off. It was down in single digits last night and I was seriously starting to fear for his life.




But, with a bit of pepperoni and a little help from one of our movers, we got him into the car. Where he, of course, preceeded to freak out for about 15 minutes before deciding that it was warm in there, panting happily, wagging his tail, and finally sprawling out on the backseat for a nap. Of course, I had already spent all morning calling rescue groups looking for a place to take him. Especially now that he was in my car.

Knowing he needed a leash, I hopped into the backseat with him and made friends for 2 seconds before slipping a leash over his head, which he was fine with. He immediately tried like hell to get his head as far behind me as he could, sticking it between my back and the seat, because he was as scared as could be. And it was all over.

This dog was not going to a shelter.

After the movers got all our stuff out of the garage, we pulled the car in and let him out to roam. We have floor sample tiles lining around the cars in the garage so that we don't slip on water. Here, we discovered he's scared to not walk on the carpet. We also decided he loves to be pet but in a "oh em gee please don't hurt me" kind of way.




Again, I spent the remainder of the afternoon looking for rescue groups while my husband concocted ways in his head that we could keep the dog since we're moving tomorrow. Which, unfortunately, is just not logical or possible. No rescue group can take him.

I spent an hour dragging him out of the garage to go out last night, where I discovered that he doesn't understand leashes, and then another hour dragging him back IN to the garage because the carpet doesn't extend all the way to the driveway and he was scared of the garage flooring. Haha!

He really is a sweetheart, but needs some TLC to know that humans really aren't evil. This afternoon, I'll have to take him to an SPCA around here. I found the best one I could and it's on the other side of town, but it's the only one I know of that only euthanizes if they get too vicious or too sick. It's his best chance.

And, I mean...just look at his face. He deserves a chance.

Who ordered that Blizzard?

And it's officially winter...

Postcard Swap!

This past October/November, Jessica over at Jesstagirl and her Officer hosted a kickin' Postcard Swap! It was a fabulous idea. I got a postcard all ready for my partner and sent it several weeks early, then patiently awaited my postcard throughout the entire month of November.

Which never came.

So, three of us who never received postcards got together and swapped amongst ourselves! Success!

Today, I received these two lovely postcards from Nina over at Adventures of A Lifetime.



Yes, that's right...did you SEE where this awesome lady lives?



ALASKA.



Nina, I give you serious props for surviving the ridiculously cold temps! I freeze here in my house when the temperature is set at 68. Literally, I sit here in my coat. More power to ya, woman! And hey...here's hoping for Hawaii next time! :D

Thanks girl!

(P.S. Please ignore the tacky date stamps on the photos. We've been photographing all of our belongs for next weeks PCS!)