Getting ready for baby Madison...

The gang here in Florida is totally anticipating the arrival of baby Madison in just 9 short weeks. I can hardly wait to have another "Maddycakes" to adore! I know that between the 7 of us, we'll be fighting over who gets to hold her and put her to sleep...but we'll let Dains/Matty do all the diaper changing!;)

We've been spending some of our weekends getting her room ready for her....Her momma sent me some pictures of it...and it's absolutely too cute not to share....so here ya go!

Maddy's Daddy spending his 30th birthday painting his baby girl's room...

A messy me...painting letters for her name to hang on the nursery wall...

The finished product of our work last Saturday...

These curtains are proof that Maddy's loved so much...even before she's gotten here. Her mom, Dad, Sue Aunty, Beena Aunty, Sheppy Uncle, and Aaron chachen all helped to make this for her...(Uncle Matt missed out...he had work!)
I'm almost sad that the nursery project is over! Now there's nothing left to do but wait for the baby!!!!!!!!

per the request of my pesky little friend....

i'm updating my blog. i know it's been a while. it's just been kinda busy and not much to report as of late...

the other night, bf and i went to watch the sex and the city movie. i figured the theater would be dead on a tuesday night. wrong. it was pretty much packed. there were a lot of women in line to watch the movie...basically groups of 4's. i was glad that bf agreed to watch it with me...although she never followed the show. i had to explain a few things to her....but overall she did a very good job in keeping up. when the theme music began...i got a lil' giddy and smiley. and then i saw the girls!!!!!!!!

it was so good to see carrie, miranda, charlotte and samantha again! it was like reuniting with four of my long lost friends! the movie was good...but i thought the ending was kinda cheesy. overall, i was pleased though. it was a much better ending than the series finale. i was left feeling satisfied!

in other news....matty and i finished painting madison's room. (more so matty than me). it looks awesome! it's a perfect shade of sage green and a butterfly/polka-dot theme....peaceful, yet cheery. i love it. sonia and i decorated letters to spell the baby's name and they put it up on the newly painted wall and hung her butterfly mobile. it looks quite cute. i'll post pictures as soon as she sends me some.

last night was a night of firsts! when i arrived home, i smelled indian food. my nose lead me to the kitchen, where i saw matt standing over a pot of chicken curry. i thought i entered the wrong house initially...but moussey was there...frantic for my attention...so i knew it was truly my house. i was astonished to find matt cooking...since the closest thing to food he usually makes is hard boiled eggs. the curry was the bomb dot com....finger lickin' good. i was proud of him!!! miracles never cease...i tell ya! after dinner we jumped in the pool. and....for the very first time...i went to the deep end. ok, so maybe i still had my float on and was clinging to the side walls...but still...i went...and that's a first!

anyway, is it friday yet?!? i didn't think so....it can't come any sooner...i tell ya. if i don't get computer access next week...i might just lose my mind. (what's left that is)

BIRTHDAY BOYS...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MATT AND MATTY! Yesterday was Matt's birthday. I thought it was today. I made plans to go to dinner and celebrate...and then when I was writing the date at work yesterday, I realized that the 5th was not on Friday. Not. Good. So, in a last minute attempt to right my wrong. I stopped by Walmart after work, picked up a few cards, a balloon, and a few ingredients to make birthday cakes.

For Matt, I made a chocolate cake...his favorite! I am not a big fan of icing in a can, so I decided to try to make my own. I made cream cheese icing and it was pretty good, I must say. For Matty...I made strawberry cake. Sonia gave me a heads up that he likes fruity cakes....(sheryl, resist making a joke right now...it's his birthday. be nice.) So, I made strawberry cream cheese icing for it. Back in OKC, the BOC crew and I used to go to lunch at a lil' place called Shirley's. She made the BEST strawberry cake and icing ever. I think I might have actually figured out how to duplicate it!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm thanking God that it's Friday...I've survived week two with no computer access. It's been frustrating...but I can handle one more day. Matt brought home some free movie tickets...so BF and I will be going to watch Sex and the City...and I can hardly wait!!!!!!!! I hope it's as good as the shows were. And...Matty and I will be painting the baby's room. I can hardly wait!!!!!!!!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Surviving the HEAT...

It was 90 degrees out yesterday, and in the land of the scantily clad, I wore a sweater over my shirt. Yes, I'm aware of the fact that most people prolly think i'm LOCO. But, I can't seem to give em' up. I rather sweat to death. Matt says I'm getting darker by the day. Now, if I was pasty white, this news may excite me, but I'm far from that...so I figure I could use some covering to help me block out that Florida sun a lil bit.

When I came home from work yesterday, I had a watermelon waiting at my door. It was attached to a note t hat said "welcome to the neighborhood." I thought it was a rather kind gesture from our neighbors. Now, I don't know what the proper protocol is. Do I just cut the watermelon and think fondly of them as I eat it? Or, do Matt and I go over there and introduce ourselves and thank them? I haven't experienced this kind of niceness before. Any suggestions?

Well, I have already discovered my two most favored spots in FL so far. (both introduced to me by BF) 1. Pollo Tropical. It's a fast food joint that has a chicken n' rice dish that's very comparable to NYC's own. 2. Shoe Land. When you walk in it's like you've died and gone to cheap shoe heaven. Not only are they cheap, but they are oh-so-cute and stylish. The only downfall is that they smell like fake leather. In case you don't know what that smells like....it stanks.

Well, blogosphere....enjoy your weekend. I survived my first work week here! yee. haw. Matt and I will be trying to hit up Universal Studios tonight when I get off. Other than that...I got some much needed cleaning to do this weekend.....

On the job...

It's my 3rd day of work. On my 2nd day I was 30 minutes late...A huge accident had traffic backed up. Luckily, my boss and half of my co-workers were stuck in it too. Other than that...the drive to work is pretty simple. I've managed to get there and back with out "Gina."

My boss reminds me a lot of my first boss at AF. She looks and talks just like her. She manages the eastern region...just like my AF boss did. coinky dink. No friends as of yet. Something tells me I might be to busy to be making new friends. We shall see....

Matt had the past two nights off, which was nice for a change. We went to Downtown Disney and walked around a bit...and got some stuff taken care of around the house...and hung out in the pool a little bit. So, I don't really like the new raft. I decided it's too big and I'm gonna revert back to using the little donut floaty instead.

Summer's about to start...anyone coming down for a visit?

I'm officially up and running...

Hopefully I will be blogging more regularly now. We're officially proud owners of internet connection, so I have no excuses. Tomorrow is my first day of work!!!!!!!!! YIKES! I'm really nervous about this for some reason. It's the same feeling I had when I started a new school as a kid. I'm sure it will be fine...I've started new jobs several times before...but for now, I'm really nervous.

Anyway, this weekend was BF's baby shower...in Okc. Yep, I missed it. However, I did get to do a little planning for it before I left. Sheryl did a great job of keeping me in the loop and making me feel like I was part of the last minute mayhem. Overall, I heard it was a great success. The baby has enough clothes to last a long while, and mom and dad have all the baby equipment that they'll need. Here's a few pictures from the shower...

Our cute lil' mom-to-be opening her presents....

I totally recognize the look of delight on her face....She's cutting herself a piece of chocolate filled chocolate cake....

Memorial Day was spent at my sister's. The B-I-L grilled us up some fabulous burgers with yuca fries! D-to the-licious! Matt had to work, but before he left this afternoon, we bought a few floaty devices for the pool. I wasn't having much luck with the donut floaty that we had already. This time we bought a raft...which I'm greatly looking forward to lounging on!

Stay tuned tomorrow....new job updates soon to come!

Sunny, Florida...

Sunny, Florida hasn't exactly been sunny the past few days....more like rainy, humid and cloudy...but I'm not complaining. We've been in the house four days...no fridge, no clothes, no furniture...but the movers will be arriving with our stuff early tomorrow morning. So far, I pretty much feel like I'm on vacation...staying in someone else's house...floating around in their pool...visiting my sister and BF. But that feeling should change soon enough....work starts TUESDAY.

I'd like to say that I'll be blogging a lot more frequently, but my computer isn't set up yet. I'm staying the night with BF tonight, and she urged me to blog before I hit the sack. (ever the best friend...she checks it daily...even when she knows I have no updates)

For once in my life...I must admit that I don't know what I'd do with out Gina (our navigation system)...she is my confidant these days. ;) So blogosphere...life continues on...it's new...it's exciting...it's stressful...and it's humid. I've learned to appreciate where I've come from (good ol' OKC) and be thankful for where God has brought me.

That's all for now....

I've been MIA. Most of my time is spent packing these days. Our first move went so much quicker and easier since it was a combined effort. This one has been a real pain. But, I can finally see the light...the movers will be here by the end of the week, the utilities will canceled, the house key will be returned to the landlord, the car will be back from the mechanics and ready for the trip, the old furniture will be hauled off, and final goodbyes will all be said. *sigh*

I'll be taking lots of pictures for the next few days...so hopefully I can post until it's time to box up the computer.

Sunuset in OKC...

Sheryl and Elijah...she hosted a little going away fondue night at her new home...it was a good time to chillax after a weekend of packing. =/
The girls...
Micah being as cute as ever...

And before I forget....Happy FIRST birthday

to Maddy!!...she's our lil' Cinco De Mayo Baby!

Big bucks and pick up trucks...

So, it's 7 pm, Saturday night...and it feels really GREAT to have nothing to do. I spent the past 2 hours lounging on the sofa watching my Netflix order of the week. Ok, Ok...I'll tell you what I watched...Laguna Beach Season 1. Before you scoff, let me explain...I'm an addict of the Hills...and I never saw LB, so I was kinda curious to see how LC first started off in the wonderful world of reality TV. Ok, now scoff. =/ I'm a reality tv junkie and I admit it.

I spent most of yesterday and all of this morning and afternoon helping my mother with a garage sale. My niece, Marissa kept track of our patrons...I think her final count was around 85...not bad. And the money we made?? Not bad at all. I actually made enough money selling my miscellaneous junk to fill my car with gas...halfway, at least. I was happy.People brought their pick up trucks and hauled away some old furniture that my mom was most happy to get rid of. That's when I realized that I want a truck too. Although, I don't particularly enjoy the "cowboyishness" that pick ups tend to represent...I think they are pretty practical vehicles...I can almost picture Moussey sitting in the back with her ears flapping in the wind. It would be especially nice for our drive back to Florida....but alas, I'm stuck with "ol Faithful"...my CRV.

Don't Give Up On Me...

I'm still here...alive and well...but for some reason, I just can't bring myself to blog these days. But, I refuse to pull the plug on my blog...because I know that one of these days, I'll snap back into my former self and muster up the energy and drive to be a devoted daily blogger again.

Until then, I'll fill you in my trip to Austin this past weekend. It was so nice to have a 1 day getaway with the girls...We talked and laughed and over-exerted ourselves...(or maybe that part was just me!) A few months ago we decided that a family that runs together stays healthy together...Lisa was in charge of picking a 5k for us to run in. She warned us that it might be intense...hence the name..."the toughest race in texas." I blatantly ignored her, since she tends to be a bit of an exaggerator.

What I discovered is...no, I'm not tough enough. I can't run through the wilderness. I trip over things...like holes and rocks and tree limbs. I can't skip over hills effortlessly...I have to climb over them in excruciating pain. So, although my cousins discovered they enjoy runs...and would like to do it again next year...i discovered that, i'm much better running on a treadmill, in a park, on flat surface...at my own pace...not competing against anyone...Last place is not a fun place to be. =/

After the run, we did something more my speed...shopped in San Marcos. CCL was ready to shop till we dropped...and eventually Suetee and I did drop. I could hardly limp and hobble behind her anymore... But, we were both very proud of her for not purchasing anything cacky! Way to go CCL...now just wear the clothes you bought!

Afterwards we enjoyed some down home Texas Barbecue at Salt Lick! Over all it was a delightful weekend. A good last hoorah before I move away to Sunny Florida....

I need a....

I need a break. It's been difficult job and apartment hunting in Florida whilst living in Oklahoma. I'm ready to pack up my things and my dog and head South East. But, I still have a while before I can do so successfully...and in the interim, I need a break. A span of 24 hours with out thinking about the future, jobs, apartments, moving trucks, and money will suffice.

I'm grateful to be getting just that....this weekend, I'll be heading to Austin, Tx to have a girls day out with CCL and SueTee. I know they're both excited to have 24 hours to step away from their responsibilities as "mommy" and "wifey" as well. We have things planned...a 5k that I'm not so sure any of us are prepared for...and shopping and eating barbecue...things that come more naturally to us. I think it will be a delightful little getaway...and my last hoorah with them for a while since I'm moving even further away.

Blue bonnetts...barbecue...bears...broads in cacky pants....here i come!

TGIF, I guess...

It's Friday. The weather website predicted sunshine and 70 degrees, but it's noon, and neither prediction has come true. I'm feeling rather blah. My hair's curly, no make up, and I'm wearing a Yaga T-shirt from the 90's. Actually, I haven't seen the t-shirt since the 90's either. Somehow it was left at a cousin's house and then floated through one grubby cousin's hand to the next for the past 10 years. I just got back last October and now I love to wear it when I'm in need of comfort and TLC.

Job hunting is getting the best of me. I had forgotten what this kind of disappointment and self-doubt felt like. Oh...how quickly we forget. I'm trying really hard to remain positive and focused...and think not on the "what if I never..." but on the..."surely I will..." Make sense? Probably not.

The weekend plans are low-key. The furball will be keeping me company this evening. I'm sure we'll do a lot of nothin. I'm going to make us stuffed tortellini with chicken breast and spinach parmesan alfredo sauce. I'm sure consuming it will be the highlight of our evening.

The rest of the weekend will be spent packing...one room at a time...for the next 3 weeks.

Old and Neglected....

That's how my ol' blog feels. I haven't updated in days...which is totally unlike me. I'm finding myself in a bit of a funk these days. When you uproot your life and strive to make changes for the future, things can get a bit stressful. I've been zapped of all my creativity...apparently my stress is eating it for lunch. So please bear with me...

I'm sure in due time I'll be once again talking about nothing and posting pictures of sweet babies...and things of that nature.

Until then, keep me in your prayers as iron out a few kinks in my "master plan."

Polka dot tights...aren't they cute? They'll look even cuter on my BF's baby girl when she arrives in August. Yep, that's right...BF and Matty are having a baby GIRL!! I'm so excited!!...now there will be little toe nails to paint to pink perfection and pig tails to tie up in polka dot ribbons! I'm sure she won't be spoiled or anything. ;)

Meanwhile...here are some little lovelies in my life in their Easter best....

Baby Leah...lookin like a big girl in first Easter dress...
Ethan and Lola (no one told them to hold hands)

Today's Matt's first day of work, and I'm anxiously awaiting news of how it went. I'm sure it was fine...since it was just Day 1 of training. He thoroughly enjoyed our first weekend apart. While I attended Easter service alone, went to lunch with the maternal unit, and came home to clean...He went to visit one of his childhood friend's in Tampa. The friend just so happens to be in flight school. So, Matt got to fly with the friend to Daytona Beach. Sounds like he's having a rough time without me, eh?? He called me from the beach...and I could hear the wind whipping through his hair...err...I mean, I could hear the wind whipping. =)

Matt and DJ (not his real name, but I can't try to pronounce it. ;)

The coast...

The itty bitty plane....

He also sent me a few pictures of our trip to Florida...

My uncle, Cousin Ansley, and Aunt....we stopped in to pay visit when we drove through Houston

Sunrise in Beaumont, Tx

The lovely city of New OrleansI went along on the trip to help Matt drive. But, instead, I slept...waking up only long enough to take pictures of the states we were crossing..and then falling back asleep again.

Happy Easter....

To me, Easter is about more than grass-filled baskets, colored eggs, and half-eaten chocolate bunnies. I think that the cross symbolizes different things in the hearts of different people. To me, it symbolizes "Grace," and that is what I reflect upon on Easter.

My life has been touched by God's grace...for many reasons. When I led a faithless life, He was always more than faithful to me. There have been countless times when I've ignored him, denied him, and doubted him, but He still stood with me. And then, beyond all of that...there is the cross. The shame Jesus bore, the pain that was inflicted, the abuse He took....for me and you.

My prayer for all you this Easter is that you would take a minute to reflect on the cross and that you too would be touched by His grace. Our minds can't comprehend how much love the Lord has for us...the only thing we have to do in order to receive this love...this grace...is to believe. Sometimes the easiest things are the hardest to do.

I'm finally back from my hellacious road trip to Florida. Matt and I left OKC Friday night, stopped in Houston on Saturday, and were back on the road to Florida early Sunday morning. We had very little sleep, but lots of caffeine to keep us going. I have lots of pictures that I took of the various states we drove through, but alas...they're in Matt's camera, and he's no longer with me in OKC. I'll post them just as soon as he emails them to me.

Life without Matt is very quiet. The house is very empty and Moussey keeps waiting by the door for Daddy to come home. We will all have to be strong for a few months until I make the transition over...it's one that I know I can get used to. The weather in Florida is just glorious and since I'm solar-powered, that works out well. ;) Plus being around my sister and fam and BF and Matty has its perks. ;) And, I simply can't wait until the new baby is finally here...It will be lots of fun to live close enough to hold and spoil him/her.

Anyway, I hadn't posted in a long while because I was falling behind in keeping up with my ever-changing life. But, I think I've finally gotten to a place where things have slowed down enough to catch my breath and post a blog. ;)

The Last Supper...

The last supper at Buffalo Wild Wings on I-40 and Rockwell, that is. Tuesday night is our favorite night of the week because it's "Wing Tuesday." So, Matt and I decided it was a great night for a celebratory dinner.

What are we celebrating? That's a great question...Well, for one, we've survived our first six months of marriage. Time definitely flies. I can't believe it's been half a year!!! This six months has brought about a lot of changes for us. It's funny how life works. There was a time when my life was so monotonous...and I craved change. And now, I've been dealing with one change after another.

Which brings me to our 2nd reason for celebrating....Matt got a job!...In Orlando, Florida. It's a great opportunity for him...and I am quite sure he's going to do great in the new position. So, after 23 years, I'm moving out of Oklahoma City.

It's bittersweet really. There's a lot of people and things that I will miss. I'm excited about all the opportunites we'll have in Florida...but also a little nervous. But then I think about my parents, who moved to another country! ...and I know that we can handle this.

I'll be in OKC for a few months...until Matt gets acclamated to his new career and environment. But, by the time the summer rolls around...I'll be in sunny, Florida...and not just on vacation.

Where's the Beef??

They ate the meat...and left me with nothin but the bone. =/

Baby Updates...

On Sunday, I went to go see the babies...the eej and baby Neela....Elijah has grown up a lot. I think most of his weight is contained in his cheeks. He had just had a bath and was a wittle bit cwanky...so I sang to him "It's ok, it's Ok, it's gonna be okay. It's ok, it's ok, it's oooooooo kaaaaaaay." I thought it was a pretty snazzy tune...and the eej did too. It calmed him down and he closed his eyes. I kept singing, assuming that he was enjoying the tune....but then very slowly....his little hand made its way to his ear...and his pointer finger slipped dow inside....HE WAS PLUGGING HIS EAR!!!...One month old, and he's already a smart alec like his mother!

Neela is a beautiful little girl. She has the most beautiful eyes and eyelashes. She's just a little doll...

Last but not least, baby Leah is growing so fast. She was recently visited by her cousin JP, who looks like quite the giant next to her. I'm sure he was giving her all sorts of great advice...like what chips taste the best. ;)