So, the red beans turned out good. But, I don’t think I’ll be making it again. It takes too long to soak, boil, and cook. It’s way too much work for beans. But thank you to those of you who left suggestions and emailed me recipes. It was much appreciated.

In other news, Saturday evening was spent with my friend DM, who was kind enough to take our Christmas pictures. I had such expectations….after seeing his recent shoots with some of my friends. However, I think the Thomas family was his greatest challenge yet. Our four legged, furry child was not cooperating in the least. She wouldn’t stay still for a millisecond and insisted on letting her tongue hang out for the entire photo shoot. Not to mention the fact that Matt and I are not “picture people”…but for some reason, I had a glimmer of hope for my little family to take a good picture. The photography was great…but the subjects need a lil’ help.

Beans, Beans...the magical fruit! The more you eat...the more you....

A few months ago, three large bags of dry beans appeared in my pantry closet. After closely inspecting them with disgust, I discovered the bags consisted of chick peas, lentils, and red beans. Matt had officially decided that we would incorporate beans into our diet….cuz well, they’re apparently chalked full of proteins and necessary nutrients. Bleh.

I put it off for a long time….and ignored his pleas to attempt to try to make something with these beans. He officially got tired of waiting and took it upon himself to try a recipe with the dried chick peas. Much to my surprise, they were actually edible…and quite good. The next day, I went to work and my quad-buddy, told me that she ate beans all the time…cuz well, they’re chalked full of proteins and very good for you.

For some reason, when SHE said it, it sparked my interest. I went around the office asking for recipes for red beans. Since a lot of my co-workers are Hispanic, they had lots of recipes for red beans…since it’s staple food for them. But, most of them suggested re-fried beans with canned beans. No one knew anything about DRIED beans.

So, I decided I was going to take on the challenge and figure out how in the world to make red beans and rice with dried beans. I soaked them for a day and half…and the dumb beans still weren’t tender. I cut up onions, bell pepper, and chunks of ham…threw it all in a crock pot overnight…and they STLL weren’t tender. Matt suggested we boil the whole concoction on the stove for a while…so we did that…for 45 minutes and the beans finally softened. I threw it back in the crockpot and they’ve been cooking with all the rest of the goodies all day long.

I’m anxious to see what it looks like once I get home. And, if it’s any good…I’ll share the recipe in the next blog. Here’s to hopin’ it turns out good cuz if not, I haven’t a clue as to what I’m going to do with the rest of this 3 pound bag of dried red beans!

Encouraging word of the day:
O my people, trust in him at all times. Pour out your heart to him, for God is our refuge.
Psalm 62:8

I decided to change up the word of the day a little bit. In my office we have a memo board hanging in my quad. As of late, the air in the office has been full of negativity and people's spirits have been very low...including mine. So, I took it upon myself to use the memo board to write encouraging quotes. Now, my quad buddies take it upon themselves to find quotes as well and we all use it as a tool to mutually encourage each other in not-so encouraging circumstances. So, I thought I'd try doing the same thing on my blog.

God knows these are HARD times. I'm sure lots of you are dealing with the economic crunch and other personal issues that plague our mind with worry and lives with stress. So, I figured we could all use a little encouragement...a little reminder of where our hope lays.

All that being said...Today is BF's first day back to work after maternity leave. I'm quite sure she'll be too busy answering questions about Madison to check out the blog today...but just in case she tunes in today....I hope you're having a great day, Sonia...and I hope it goes by fast for ya! Rest assured that Maddicake is in good hands...and she'll be squealing in delight when she sees you when you get home! (like she always does!)

The other day I read a blog post by my blogger-buddy, Sibil. In her post, she admitted that she’s in a weird place with her blog. She longs to write the unadulterated truth, but fears how her readers might react to the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth…so help her God.

I’ve felt the same way many times. I’m not sure my feelings about posting the truth are the same feelings that Sib has about posting the truth.... My feelings are based on one simple question…How much is too much? Often times, I’ve found myself becoming a backsliding blogger just because the things that were going on in my head…and in my life…didn’t consist of blog appropriate material. It seems weird to censor yourself on your own site. Sometimes, you just want to say it like it is. We put ourselves “out there”…but how much is too much?

It’s both nice AND weird to know that there are people out there who tune into my blog that I don’t know on a personal level. On one hand, it’s kinda cool to know that someone thinks my writing is entertaining enough to come back and check me out again. On the other hand, it’s kind of scary to know that just by the things I write on this blog, perfect strangers have opinions about who I am, what I say, and what I do.

I think blogs like “DOOCE” are so hugely popular because professional blogger, Heather Armstrong keeps it real…and her REAL is really entertaining. This is also why reality TV has become so big over the years as well. People like to watch other dysfunctional people because it’s nice to know they’re not the only ones with dysfunction.

I’m not sure I’ll ever come to a point where I will let it all hang out. But, I do promise to continue to write as much as I can about the day in the life of SueVee.

A Week of Thankfulness-Part 3

I'm thankful for...
Thanksgiving dinner leftovers. I won't be cooking for at least a week and a 1/2! Yeehaw! What did we have for dinner?

1 ten pound turkey
Boston Butt...aka pork shoulder
sage sausage stuffing
sweet potatoe casserole
cranberry conserve
corn casserole
green bean casserole
rolls
mac n' cheese
rum cake
apple cinnamon cake
cupcake cupcake birthday cake
candybar brownies

If you're craving any of the above...come on over. I've got more!

A Week of Thankfulness~ Part 2

I'm thankful for....

my BF, who just so happens to be a birthday girl today! Happy 30th Birthday, Sonia! I'm excited to actually be in the same state with you on your birthday and look forward to celebrating with you tomorrow!

A Week of Thankfulness~ Part 1

WOTD:
litany • \LIH-tuh-nee\ • noun
1 : a prayer consisting of a series of invocations and supplications by the leader with alternate responses by the congregation
2 a : a resonant or repetitive chant
*b : a usually lengthy recitation or enumeration
c : a sizable series or set
Sentence: When I came home, I heard a litany of excuses as to why the dishes were not washed.

I'm thankful....

* that although I'm far from home, I will have a house full of fellow Okies over for Thanksgiving dinner.

*that in this time of economic crisis, I have a job and a roof over my head.

*that after six months at the job, I finally have two friends!!!

*that although I heard some very bad news over the weekend....God is in control over the situation...and with Him there's always hope.

*for the friends I have back home. Over the past six months, I've learned who really values friendship in the same way I do. I am blessed to have friends who don't feel that I'm out of mind because I'm out of sight. They still pick up the phone and call me...they return my calls...and they email to see how I'm doing. I don't have to give shout outs to them...because they know who they are.

*for a husband who never complains about what I feed him....

*for the most beautiful dog in the world!

*for my new TV!

gravid • \GRAV-id\ • adjective
*1 : pregnant
2 : distended with or full of eggs

There seems to be an abundance of gravid women among my circle of friends.

My friend, Fin emailed me the other day...and listed a few of the interesting things on her mind. I thought a random listing of random thoughts might be a good blog post for those days when I have very little going on and even less to say.

So here we go...the thoughts floating around in my brain:
*Remember to wish Julie Tee gone Vee a very happy birthday on Facebook .
*Cherry Coke Zero is a diabetic's best friend.
*There's no reality TV on Thursday nights.
*I need to make my Thanksgiving dinner shopping list and drag myself to the evil walmart.
*The new mommies must be called this weekend to see how they're faring.
*What's up with the word "swagger?" I never heard it before and now Brittney's saying, MIA is saying it, T Pain is saying it, Mario Lopez is saying it! What exactly is it?!?
*Speaking of T Pain, his song "chopped and skrewed" has me convinced that I could seriously have a future as a hip hop singer if only I had a voice box machine.

And finally, Thank the Lord Jehovah it's Friday!

Tessa is here!

I got a call from my friend, Nancy...otherwise known as "NC" yesterday letting me know that her baby girl, Tessa was born yesterday! Is it just me or does this seem to be the year for baby girls?? Nancy told me she couldn't tell who Tessa looks like, but I can already see a bit of her momma in her.

The Ingle family... Baby Tessa...
I could swear I've seen Nancy make this same face when she was 5 years old and didn't get what she wanted.

Pictures Galore!

Suetee's husband conceded....the baby's name is officially Sophia! Baby Sophie and Mommy are both at home and doing just fine. We finally got pictures of her and she's a cutiepie...just like her Momma...I'll let you see for yourself!
Baby Sofie with big brother JP...

This weekend, I went on a very quick trip to New York...for my cousin Benji's engagment. It's still hard to believe the boy is getting married. But, I have ten months to let that thought settle in. I had the opportunity to briefly meet my new cousin-to-be, Rolly. I can see why Benji likes her so much....she's a sweetheart! Pictures of the new couple below....

A blurrier picture of the two...

My mother's side of the fam....

The ladies....

My artistic shot of the day...

My mom and aunt...

Next up...I found some pictures that I never posted from my anniversary trip to West Palm Beach/Ft. Lauderdale/Miami. The thing I love about Florida is that there's a lot of beautiful places here where you can take mini-vacations to.

West Palm Beach

Us...

Matt...

Paw prints in the sand....(not Moussey's)

Matt in Ft. Lauderdale...wishful thinkin'

Me and Matt flying the friendly skies....ha! and if you believe that...You'll believe anything.

Sushi in Miaimi

That's all folks!

HOW RUDE!

I've been getting rude commentary about my blog lately. One person...who shall remain anonymous...told me to either blog or shut it down. Another person said that when I do blog...she wishes I didn't....that my blogs suck. (Such fanfare!...geez, it makes me totally wanna blog on!).

I've decided that I can't shut her down. I'll regret it too much when I finally do snap out of my non-writing funk. I have too much history stored here. In the meantime, I'm sorry that my lackluster life falls short of entertaining you. =/

I want to write about the election. But, somehow it feels like I'm a day late and a dollar short. I will say that I'm excited to see how Obama will impact this nation over the next four years. Apparently Busta Rhymes is excited too because he came up with some rhymes to celebrate the occasion. "Pop champagne for the Barack campaign." Uh, come on Busta!...could you not think of anything a little less cheezy?

In other news...I'm an aunt again! Suetee had her baby girl Sunday night. They named the baby Asha...but I will be calling her Sofie. I like it better. =) I will post pictures of the newest baby in the family as soon as I get one....so stay tuned!

Grocery Store Etiquette 101

There's no such thing as a quick trip to Walmart. There's nothing quick about Walmart. Either you spend hours roaming around looking at/purchasing things you don't really need or you spend all your time dodging carts and people or you spend your time flipping through a magazine or ten while waiting in line.

This is precisely why I try to avoid Walmart at all cost. The other night, I was desperate and didn't feel like driving too far for the french bread I desperately needed. I packed Mousse into the back seat and went to Walmart. I knew it was a bad sign when I couldn't find any parking spaces! So, I said..."to heck with this!"

I opted for Target instead. Yes, I'm the same person who wrote that Target was for yuppies a few years ago. That blog cause a bit of an uproar. Now, I know that Target is for those who can't tolerate Walmart...yuppies or not.

Sadly, my trip to Target wasn't a quick one either. As I stood in line for 30 minutes, I pondered on grocery store etiquette:

1. Do not park your cart in the center of an aisle as you try to decide which kinda of spaghetti sauce you should buy. There are people who actually need to move down the aisle, so scoot it over.

2. If you're checking out and you know that you have 5 people waiting behind you...and there's only two checkers open. Don't argue about a 20 cent coupon. Let it go. Is it really necessary to dig through your cart full of bagged food to dig out the product to prove it to the cashier?? All for 20 cents?!?

3. There's a new invention called the debit card. Try it. It's a lot easier and quicker to use than a check book. Oh, and if you're totally against debit cards...pre-write your check, so the only thing you have to do is write the amount and sign. (I can't count how many times I've been behind someone who is writing a check and asks..."what's the date? Where am I? How much was it again?-get a clue and a debit card, lady!)

4. Control your children. I know it's easy for me to say since I don't have one. But come on...Is it that hard to keep your kids from darting out from underneath the cart or running around the store? They will get run over by a shopping cart intentionally...err, i mean unintentionally.

5. Hang up the cell phone and shop. As you stand in front of the spaghettios having a conversation while you try to figure out if you want the ones with meatballs or without...not only are you holding up traffic...but you're blocking the spaghettios! Move it...or lose it.

For the gang at BOC!

I’ve got some pretty brutal text messages regarding my blog…or more like “lack of a blog.” I won’t even try to think of any lame excuses as to why I have abandoned my blog the past few months. All I can say is sorry. Sorry to the few, faithful readers that I have. Sorry to my sweet friends who relentlessly check the site in order to know what the H is going on with me these days. And sorry to my poor blog, which has been my faithful soapbox over the past several years.

So, for the few inquiring minds who want to know…I decided to post the “goings ons” of the past few months. September and October were very busy birthday months...I celebrated my own at work. (oh so joyous!) My sister had a very special birthday this year. I would tell you, how old she is, but I fear for my life. Let’s just say it rhymes with shorty. ;) She wanted to try something new on this special birthday, so she opted to go to a Greek restaurant she discovered while surfing the web. Full of anticipation, we drove 20 minutes to the place, only to discover it was a hole in the wall. My brother-in-law went inside to scope it out for us. He came back to report that it has the same musky “old” smell that my 70 year old piano teacher’s house had. We then officially decided to go somewhere else. So we went a Lebanese restaurant. My nephew ordered “khebi balls.” He asked the waitress what “khebi” meant…and she said “goat.” I looked at my nephew and he looked at me, and I knew that we were wondering the same thing. Literally goat balls?!?!? When, he got his order, we discovered that they were meat balls made of goat meat, but the resemblance was uncanny!...Needless to say, he didn’t eat much.

Matt has dragged me to all the Disney Parks on the weekend. Thankfully, we have free tickets, so he wanted to experience each park. I never was much for the mouse or his friends….so I wasn’t all that hyped up about going. But, I must admit that it’s actually been kind of fun. This weekend we go to our last park…Magic Kingdom. I’m thinking about dressing Moussey up in a princess costume and taking her with me, so I can be like all the other moms.

Maddicakes has been in Oklahoma for the past month. I’m having new baby smell withdrawals. Her Mommy reports that she is doing just fine! It seems that she’s very much like her mom…very social, a smiler, and a giggler! She’s having her church dedication next weekend with a lil shin’ dig afterwards…Sadly, I’ll be missing out on the festivities. But, just a few more weeks until she’s back home in sunny, Florida…and going over to her house to hold her is definitely on my priority list! ;)

I will be heading off to NYC in just a few short weeks. It’s a quick weekend trip, so there will be no sight seeing this time. My cousin Benjamin is having his official engagement party. I’m looking forward to braving some cold weather for a change. I’ll have to dig out my coat from a box that I have it buried in! This will also be the first time I’ll be wearing Indian garb in five months! I’ll have to dig that out as well. What to wear…what to wear…tis the question!

And now for your viewing pleasure....

Matt took me to see the Blue Man Group as a pre-birthday birthday celebration! It was insanely fun! I sorta think Matt would fit right it in with the Blue Men if he were only blue!

Me and my Moussey...She's all ready for Halloween!

Welp, that’s all for now…maybe more later!

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun Sometimes...

It’s off-season for vacations, so business has slowed down quite drastically. This is good and bad. It’s bad because the nights are now as slow as molasses and because I’ve lost that sense of job security. But, it’s good because people around me aren’t quite so stressed because there is actually time to breathe and visit with each other.

Today’s topic of discussion in my quad was…….”having an occasional girls night out.” I remember when I was single and my married friends said they didn’t have time to call their friends or go out anymore because most of their time was spent with their spouses. I wondered if I too would become that way with the prescence of a husband in my life. After one year of marriage, I can safely say that I don’t think that I’m too busy to call my friends or hang out with my friends because I’m too busy with my husband. The problem is more about my odd work schedule and my lapsing memory….but definitely not my spouse.

Now, that I’m married…all of my “married friends” are now mommies….which is an entirely different ball game. Even the husband gets thrown to the curb when the babies arrive. Life becomes all about the babies and there is even less time for those friends that were once considered lifelines. I’ve watched enough TLC baby shows and known enough Mommies to know that babies monopolize one’s time. However, as we discussed in my quad today, it’s important to have a little good ol’ fashioned time with the “girlz.” It helps to keep one sane. It keeps you grounded so you don’t lose sight of who you are. Mommies aren’t just care givers who clean spit up, make meals, do laundry and dishes, and shuttle kids around…Mommies are people too!!

My BF is a brand new Mommy…and since she happens to be baby Maddi’s food source, we haven’t gotten to have our “best friends day out” in a few weeks. But, she makes time to call or text me daily. I’d like to think that our conversations are good for both of us…our chance to vent, chat, cry, laugh…etc, etc. CCL and SueTee are also two mommies that I chat with every day. It amazes me how they can juggle the phone, carry on conversations with me AND their kids…all while lil’ ones are hanging on their arms and legs. But, the point is…they make the time.

Basically, our time is what we make of it. It's important to be devoted to your family...to make sure their needs are met and the household runs smoothly. But, it's also important to connect with people, have a good time, laugh, share, and let loose. Suddenly...I feel like watching Sex and the City....I'm sure there's a re-run playing right about now if I hurry!!

I love Reality TV…I find it fascinating even though my spouse tells me that even the most convincing shows are staged. Yes, I do think it’s a strange coincidence that Speidi seems to show up to the very same clubs that LC and crew decide to hang out at on any given night (despite the fact that they live in LA, the epicenter of clubs and lounges). But, that doesn’t really bother me, because I find the drama intoxicating. It reminds me of the drama that ensued in my younger years…but more fabulous.

And although I admit that reality TV is my guilty pleasure…even I have to draw the line somewhere. I didn’t draw that line for the million seasons of the Bachelor/Bachelorette that I invested my time and emotions into, or the Flavor of Love, although I found him repulsive, or I love New York…as annoying as she is, or the plethora of MTV reality shows that I can watch repeatedly. But, I am drawing the line now…Paris Hilton’s search for a new BFF?

Come on!!! Where do they find the idiots to WANT to be her BFF? Why does MTV think America cares? Why do the rich keep getting richer by doing stupid things on television? Every time I see the commercial for this crock of crap, I want to scream!

I must admit, even though I love me some reality television, I miss TV shows…good ol’ sitcoms. The only new show I watch nowadays is “The Office.” But, I miss good, quality humor that shows like “Friends” and “King of Queens” possessed. I’m up for suggestions…so if you’ve seen something funny…let me know!

Word of the Day:
scion \SY-uhn\, noun:1. A detached shoot or twig of a plant used for grafting.2. Hence, a descendant; an heir.
Sentence: Mousse is the scion of a chocolate lab named Hampton and a blonde lab named Harriette.

I’m back from my 4 day get-away…which was much needed and much appreciated. It made me realize that everyone needs to take a breather once in a while…and just treat themselves to a little fun and R&R…or life will definitely get the best of you.

The resort we stayed in had an amazing swimming pool that always seemed to be the perfect temperature…and felt as if you were stepping into a pool of silk. It was very difficult for me to pull Matt out of there on most days. The very first day of our trip, he jumped in and I sat poolside reading some gossip magazines. He kept insisting that I didn’t know what I was missing, but I didn’t have the proper attire to be swimming in a public pool.

Now, in my pool at home I wear shorts and a tee-shirt. But, I felt dumb wearing shorts and a tee when everyone else was bikini clad…even gray-haired woman in their mid sixties. So, Matt took me out swimsuit shopping the very next day. I was dreading the little shopping excursion like the bubonic plague. Me…SueVee-gone-Tee wearing a bathing suit? I’m the girl who wears black sweaters in 90 degree weather!!

I’m happy to report that there are great selections of decent swimwear these days. And, now’s the best time to buy it…since the season is over and swim gear is on sale. I was able to find something that covered me…completely…except for my arms and part of my legs. I was quite pleased to be the most covered girl in the pool! Matt wanted to take a picture of me in my new suit, but I threatened to break his arm off and then slap him with it. So...needless to say, we have no pictures. ;)

Live Blogging from West Palm Beach...

Word of the day: misprize \mis-PRYZ\, transitive verb:1. To hold in contempt.2. To undervalue.
Sentence: Taking off my Oklahoma State tag and replacing it with the Sunshine State tag made me realize that I misprised my hometown...and maybe it ain't so bad, afterall.

Hello Blogosphere. I am alive. (And no, Shelleybelley...Gustav did not carry me away. ;) I wanted to blog all week...but I didn't seem to have the time to make it to the computer write...this is partially because mine and my sister's "secret project" and partially because I've been spending lot of my spare time catching up on watching TV. Oh TV, how I've missed thee!!

Last Monday, September 15th, was my FIRST anniversary!! Time fliesss. Matt and I have survived our first year full of lots and lots of changes!! Unfortunately, I had work...and he was off, so we were unable to celebrate. But luckily...I have an awesome brother-in-law,..who so graciously let us use his time share...so we took a few days off of work to come hang out at Marriott's Ocean Pointe in West Palm Beach!! It's beautiful and relaxing...and so nice to chillax with NOTHING to do for few days. I'm sure curious minds are wondering what we got each other for our first anniversary....

Well, I got him a remote control airplane and helicopter. In fact, I'm hearing the whirring of helicopter blades as I type. And I can't help but crack up because I see him trying to the plane, but it keeps crashing....into the floor and into his face. Too funny.... Ever the romantic...(not) Matt got me....ehh, he's waiting for me to pick out the gift. I've got my eye on Bare Minerals make up these days. =)

Other than all that jazz....I'm liking my job lots better. I finally feel like I somewhat have friends. I mean, maybe I don't go to lunch with anyone...but...I talk to people. And this week...some of the girls actually dubbed me with a nickname....I think that means I'm officially "in" now!!! In case you're wondering...my nickname is Suzie Su....kinda like Lucy Lu...but not. ;)

Welp folks....that's all for today...perhps I will write more tomorrow. Maybe now that I'm stress-free livin' for a few days...I'll be on a roll!!!

I'm ashamed....

It's been an unexcusably long time since I've blogged. I'm actually at my BF's house right now, and Matty locked me in the room and told me that I can't come out until I write a post....so here I am.

Life's been busy...my sister and I have embarked upon a new project which is eating up most of my time. In due time, I'll share it with the rest of blogosphere, but currently it's still under construction. =)

Last week...Sheryl, Sujith, and Elijah came to visit. We had a great time at the beach...Elijah has grown up to be such a delightful, happy little baby boy....and he's quite edible too.

See?? What did I tell ya?? I guess his mom ain't half bad either. ;) It was nice to have friends from home with us after 4 long months! We all went out to Daytona Beach, where Sujith was able to do something he's wanted to do his whole life....jet ski! Speaking of Sujith...he's the newest blogger in the blogosphere...Check him out!

From Tornado Alley...to Hurricane Hell...

gubernatorial \GOO-ber-nuh-TOR-ee-uhl\, adjective:Of or pertaining to a governor.

So, thehe gubernatorial race is not a bunch of goobers racing towards the finish line, as I had assumed.

So far, I'm figuring out that Sunny, Fl...isn't always so sunny. In fact, over the past 3 months, I've stepped in more rain puddles than I have in my entire life. I thought I was leaving the bad weather behind when I left Oklahoma. But apparently, I moved to Florida just in time for hurricane season. Lucky. Me.

It looks like Gustav is bringing more rain and winds into town. He definitely put a damper on weekend plans with Sunu...and hurricane Hannah looks like she'll be whipping through town to put a damper on weekend plans with Sheryl. Gotta love it.

Now that you've been updated with weather conditions...let's move on. For those of you who have asked, BF and Baby BF are both doing well. I would post pictures, but the munchkin refuses to open her eyes when I visit. Who can blame her? I'd sleep all day too if given a choice!!! However, check out Madison's blog for her latest adorable pictures...

Shout out of the day goes to............

Miss Sheryl Jenkins James Jacob. Sheryl to me is like the itch you can't scratch...the fly that's too fast to swat...the annoying little sister I never asked for but somehow inherited. Now, that seems a bit harsh...I know. But that's just the dynamics of our relationship. The harsher I am, the more she likes me!

People who don't know us....hear us conversating and are apalled by how brash we are to each other. People who do know us just laugh.

Happy Birthday, Shrekky....If I was still in town...I'd make you some of your favorite brownies....(although I'm sure you'd call me a few hours later to tell me they gave you gas.) Enjoy your day....I'll see you in Sunny, Fl soon!

Saturday!

supernumerary \soo-puhr-NOO-muh-rair-ee; -NYOO-\, adjective:1. Exceeding the stated, standard, or prescribed number.2. Exceeding what is necessary or desired; superfluous.

My supernumerary safari expedition was the highlight of my trip to Magic Kingdom!

I finally found my camera adaptor, so I was able to upload a few pictures that were in my camera's internal memory. I will now post them for your viewing pleasure....

Aaron's 14th birthday back in June...and the lopsided pink cake with the funky candles that I baked him.

The phenomenal ribs his dad made for the occasion. Is your mouth watering?? Mine is... Missy with her cousin Moussey...parting from each other was such sweet sorrow

Andrew and Moussey...

3 of my mom's 4 grandkids layin' down watchin' TV at Amachi's house. Matt and I went to Animal Kingdom on Saturday...It was probably the most fun day I've had since I've moved to Orlando! We had a wild time...get it? ha! Animal...wild... ;)

He might not have shown it, but he was excited to be there.

The famous tree...

If you ever go to Magic Kingdom, I suggest you go on the safari ride...you'll have a wild time...haa...(that joke never gets too old for me). There are lots of animals to see and you can see them pretty close. Here are a few I saw...

Mr. Crocodile

Mr. Giraffe....

Mr. Elephant...
Mr. Lion...who looked pretty harmless...almost as innocent as Moussey when she's napping on my kitchen floor.
Mr. Ape. He seemed a lil' depressed...

I got this nifty leather id bracelent from Animal Kingdom. I saw it at a shop, and it took me back...way back to when I was 4 years old. My dad had taken us on a family visit to Wisonsin Dells. I can barely remember it, but I do remember him buying all 3 of us leather ID bands...and I do remember wearing it for years to come...until finally the snap broke. So, I thought I'd buy another...in memory of the first one.

Last but not least...no set of Disney pictures would be complete with out the mouse...
Maddicake update....Maddi and Momma are doing good. They got to go home today! I get to see Maddi in her new habitat tomorrow...Pictures soon to follow!

She's here...she's here...she's here!!!

After a long night of waiting at the hospital...Madison decided to show up at 7:30 this morning. She has all 10 fingers and all 10 edible lil' toes...and she's absolutely precious! I'll let you see for yourself!!....

Isn't she a doll? I think she's a smiler like her Momma...because she was smiling so much while we all held her! I'm sure she will be gracing my blog...and her daddy's...and her own...with a lotttttt more pictures in the days to come! ;)

Bringin' it back...

The other night I looked back through my old blogs in search of inspiration. I can't seem to get it together to post faithfully these days, so I went back in time to see what it was that I used to write about all the time. I discovered a few features in my blog that I really enjoyed and want to bring back.

One...the word of the day! I decided it was a fun way to learn new words...that being said....

provenance \PROV-uh-nuhn(t)s\, noun:Origin; source.

Sentence: The provenance of the strange odor was the furry, brown labrador retriever who was remitting gas while she was sleeping. ;)

Another feature of my old blogs that I enjoyed were character profiles. This was something my friend Matty suggested I bring back to the blog as well. I told him that I felt like it would be too hard at this time since I don't know anyone!!! But, then he suggested that I profile my friends back home. So, I thought I'd do a little re-vamp to the character profile and make it "Sue's Shout Out"...to "holla" at the people I miss or have been thinking about a lot lately. So, here it goes....my very first shout out....

goes to.....T'Dub...also known as, DT (Detective Terry), Terrence Trent Darby, Mrs. Roper, Spider Pig....or just Terry. She always had a way of making my work day entertaining...whether it was her magazine clippings or her strange illnesses or her commentary on the rest of our associates or even just her evening updates on what she had for dinner the night before. I know she is feeling blue right now because her bestest friend moved out of town. First she had to deal with the heart ache of losing me...and now another friend!?!?!? Life can be cruel. =/ T'Dub, I miss you, pretty girl!!