Impromptu Mattress

Shane and I went on a date on Friday night to celebrate the weekend. We headed to Applebee's, and the parking lot was packed. We found a parking space on the other side of the shopping center near a Mattress Firm. I asked Shane if we could go inside "just to lay on one", but my fingers were crossed that he would fall in love! Sure enough... 30 minutes later we had a brand new mattress that was long overdue. I am SO excited! It was delivered on Sunday, and when I got back from visiting a neighbor, Shane had washed the sheets and made then bed! 

Last night, we both slept well. I am sick with a cold now, but I still felt well-rested when I woke up this morning for work. We both noticed that we didn't move much throughout the night, and neither of us were sore this morning when we woke up! 

I have been putting off getting an adjustment from my Uncle Tony because I thought, "What's the point in getting adjusted just to go home and sleep on a 20 year old mattress". Now, I cant wait to get aligned and enjoy our new Serta mattress! 

Happy 40th Birthday, Sabrina!

I had the best time celebrating Sabrina! She is such an incredible person, and she is far too humble to get the appreciation that she so deserves. I really enjoyed setting up for the party with all of her friends. It was so sweet to spend time prepping with so many people who love Sabrina ALMOST as much as I do J

When I sent my email response that I would be attending the party, Sabrina told Roan, “Aunt C is coming to my party!” Rowan exclaimed, “Aunt C loves me all the time!” Haha… I’m not sure if that means I love her a lot or I love her forever… but either way she is correct! I would sell my soul to the devil for that sweet little trouble maker!

This guy told me I wasn't tone deaf!!! 

Animal Update

We have an electric litter box that rakes all the yuck into a little trough, so I don't have to clean the box very much. Last night was my first time, and let's just say it is not my favorite. I think Shane and I will have to trade off on this one!

Rocky and Macy are doing a little better. Macy is pretty territorial which is confusing for the dogs. She will hiss at them for no apparent reason, but Shane reminds me that she is just so small and the dogs' size alone could scare her. She will lunge at them which scares Polly so much. If Macy only knew how sweet Polly was, I think they would be best friends. 

She doesn't have any more flakes, which we think were caused by her stress. She loves nothing more than cuddling with Shane, but I can't say that I blame her ;) 

Rocky gets supervised visitation with Macy. 

She hissed at him shortly after this picture. 

And then he stared at her with this pitiful face and tried to avoid eye contact. 

Poor Rocky... he just wanted some attention. 

Weekend Update

Shane and I had such a wonderful weekend. We love packing our weekend full of fun things, but doing them at a leisurely pace.

Friday night, I got home from work in just enough time to change and enjoy a glass of wine with Shane. Rocky was in the garage with Shane and ran to my car to greet me. When I opened my car door, he tried to get in my lap! It was so sweet!Shane was working on his ax when I got home, but he came in to spend some time together before we headed out for the night.

Jackson, our sweet 9-year old neighbor, asked that we come to one of his basketball games. We have been to a baseball game before and had a great time. We were really looking forward to cheering him on and seeing where our kids may go to elementary school one day. Clark Creek is just 2 years old, and we are blessed to live in such a good school zone!

After watching the game, we went out to eat. We had a blast with Bryan and Cass, and it was a great start to the weekend. 

Saturday morning, we slept in and did a few things around the house before packing and going to the mountains. Our neighbors invites us to their cabin, and it was such a special treat! Angela and Steve are so incredibly generous! They are wonderful hosts, and we love spending time with them. The Hazelwoods were invited as well, and the first thing Jackson asked is, “Do they even have electricity up there?” Haha!! We also confirmed that there would be Wi-Fi.

On Saturday, we went to downtown Blue Ridge and shopped around. It was very cold, so I was excited to get a delicious hot chocolate. That evening, we played board games and laughed so much! The log cabin is so warm and cozy. It smelled like fresh brownies when we walked in :)

Sunday we did some antiquing in Elijah. We ate at this cute sandwich shop, and had fun browsing through the different stores. I didn't take many pictures because I wanted to have a “phone-free vacation” with no social media or work emails.

Sunday evening, Shane had a bit of cabin fever. I woke up from a long nap and he had been to Home Depot and was adding onto the pergola and building a stand for the firewood that he chopped. He is so handy… and can’t sit still to save his life! Ha!

We were off work on Monday for MLK Jr., so we enjoyed sleeping in (go figure) before heading down South to visit Nana. She is in a new rehab facility, and is making a good bit of progress. That afternoon, we stopped by Chikfila for lunch before heading to Cindilu’s property. Shane wanted to get some more wood to bring home. I like having a fire every night because I am notoriously cold, and it is just relaxing to sit by t he fire with a glass of wine or mug of cider. Shane let me drive the 4-wheeler which was a ton of fun for me J We spent the afternoon together in the woods. 

We have gone on a date every single Monday night for years now, but last night we decided to pick up a pizza and eat in. We were both tired from the busy weekend, and Shane wanted to split the wood before dark so he could stack it on his new stand.

Last night, Shane did some research while I caught up on my trash-TV! Here are a few pictures from the weekend.

Jackson warming up before the game. 

Bryson and me cheering in the stands for "Jackie"

Bumper pool was a lot of fun! 

The guy's room. 

Jamies!

Shane said this corner of the store sounded like Grandma Clancy's house. 

Downtown Elijah. 

The view. 

Splitting wood. 

Jackson and Remy loved watching Shane split wood in the driveway. They asked if they could touch the ax. Haha... it was so cute. Shane said he remembers being that age and being so impressed by tools! 

They played with Shane's air soft gun and came inside to play video games. 

Mr. Shane is the "cool neighbor".

Weekend Update

Friday was so much fun! After work, I met Shawna and Cindilu at the most adorable Wine Boutique in Atlanta. We had a wonderful time chatting and tasting wine. It was so fun to spend time with the two of them!

When I got home on Friday night, Shane was cuddled up with Macy on the sofa. It is safe to say that he LOVES this cat, and she is obsessed with him, too!

Saturday, we dropped Shane's car off for an oil change. My girlfriend, Mali, came over in the afternoon, and I had a blast catching up with her! We laughed and finished each other's ridiculous thoughts just like we always do :) When she left, Shane and I took advantage of the gorgeous weather and took the dogs for a walk. We love walking through the neighborhood and admiring the landscaping of our neighbors' yards and seeing the progress of the newer homes. I was glad we were able to take the dogs with us, because I really don't want them to get jealous of Macy. We let the dogs ride with us in the car to get the oil changed, too! They love car rides!

Macy and the dogs are allowed supervised visitation after a little incident where Rocky chased Macy up the stairs and scared her to death! She had an accident on the floor because she was so terrified. Poor thing. We are definitely making progress though. She only hisses at the dogs an average of two times per minute now.

Sunday I slept until 12:45! I must have been exhausted. When I woke up, Shane had done 4 loads of laundry and the dishes and was about to start working in the yard! Oh how I appreciate him SO much! I went to the grocery story, and came home and prepared some meals for the upcoming week. I made baked ziti for dinner because that is one of Shane's favorites.

We are looking forward to a long weekend this weekend. We are going to the mountain house with our sweet neighbors, and we can't wait!

^^ Shane would NEVER let the dogs do this! He is such a softy for this cat! 

She hugs him like this for minutes at a time while rubbing her little head against his beard. 

When I first asked Shane if we could have the cat, he agreed but made it very clear that the same rules we have for the dogs would apply to the cat. He said she wasn't allow on the bed, she could only eat once per day, etc. Last night when I picked Macy up to put her outside the room for the night, he said, "Why can't she just stay in the bed with us?"

Macy

We added a new addition to our family! I have been asking for a puppy, but Shane is adamant that we don't have time to dedicate to training one properly. We are away from the house for 12 hours a day concentrating on our careers, not to mention our busy weekends... so maybe he is right! He told me he would agree to a cat, but I was hesitant because I haven't had the best experience with cats. They freak me out a little -- the fact that they stare at you and lurk in the corners is creepy... very creepy.

My friend is allergic to her fiances cat, and they needed a home for Shadow. My friend assured me that she is sweet and not "creepy". Shadow is 8, and the shelters wouldn't take her due to her age so I asked Shane if we could have her. We were both reluctant to agree because if the cat didn't get along with Rocky and Polly (or if Rocky confused the cat for a squirrel) then it wouldn't work.

Last night, the cat came over for the first time. Polly was timid around her at first, but she ended up giving her kisses when we told her to. Shadow didn't mind that Polly was licking her! Haha...

As always, Rocky was a different story. Shadow hissed at him and swatted her little clawless paws at him. Rocky was not deterred and kept sniffing the cat. At least he didn't try and eat her!

Eventually, Shadow seemed to warm up to her surroundings. While we unloaded a car full of cat supplies, Shadow explored the house and found some great hiding spots.

Later that night, we decided to change her name. We thought of Ebony or Noel (Kim K.'s middle name), but neither seemed to fit. I narrowed it down to Kimmy or Macy, and called my mom (a.k.a.: my best friend) to make the choice. She really liked Macy, and we did, too!

Macy let me hold her, and she purred in my arms. Not for long though, and then she tried to hide on the stairs by shoving herself into the angle. Haha!

Weekend Update

This weekend was filled with emotions and family. My sisters and their husbands stayed at our house for the funeral and for the Denmark Family Christmas at Papa and Peggy's house. Shane and the boys had a lot of fun... maybe even too much ;) I LOVED having my sisters at my house, and I was able to spend a lot of time with Makenzie, too!

Lissa and Jason drove in on Wednesday. I made chili for dinner, and we laughed and caught up on our busy lives. After work on Thursday, I came home and we all ate dinner together. T & J's flights was delayed, but it worked out so I wan't rushed to go get them from the airport.

Friday morning, Justin (the chef of the family) made breakfast, and it was delicious! It was nice to all eat together :) The funeral was very peaceful and beautiful, and we all spent time together at Alison's house later that night.

Saturday we had the Denmark Family Christmas at Papa and Peggy's house. I snapped a bunch of pictures on my phone!

Shane and I LOVE playing with these two

My cousin Mike met Mak

Sam wanted to Facetime his mommy to find out where she was! 

Reese is so much fun!

These two are so goofy!

This is the first time that all of my siblings, our spouses and the grandkids were together since Mak was born! How fun!

We took A LOT of family pictures!

Mak was such a trooper!

We played Guess Who!?

Rowan loves holding Makenzie!

Reese wanted to snuggle! 

Papa said he couldn't go to college when he was younger, so he bought a sweatshirt! Haha... he is too funny!

Sunday, we slept 'till 11:00! We were so exhausted from all of the weekend plans. We went to visit baby Luke for the first time, and then went to see Nana who is still in rehab. After visiting Nana, we headed to Cindilu and Bill's house where Shane cut down some trees for firewood. The low today is 5 degrees, so I am thankful we will have a warm fire after our weekly date night!

New Year's Survey

One of our friends recently did a survey on her blog, and I thought it would be fun to do one at the start of each new year to see how the times change. Here we go... 

Making memories is my goal. I love hosting and spending time with loved ones to create memories we can cherish for years to come.
Cooking a yummy chowder in the crockpot. I ALWAYS use the crockpot because it works best with my long work days. (Thank you to my friend Cami for the recipe)
Drinking Coke Zero… I need caffeine in the morning.
Reading emails… hundreds of work emails. Lean In is on my bedside table waiting for me.
Wanting to decorate another room in the house. I love crafting and decorating.  
Looking forward to Shane saying we can a get puppy! 
Playing with my nieces and nephews this weekend will be oh so fun! 
Wasting energy on trivial matters is a thing of the past. 
Sewing lessons are in my future. My sewing machine that Shane gave me LAST year is still in the box.
Wishing my newly engaged friend, Jennifer, a lifetime of happiness!
Enjoying being DINKs… for now ;)
Waiting ‘till March so I can plan Shane’s birthday party!
Liking that my hair is finally growing out… I feel like it has taken FOREVER to grow out the stacked bob.   
Wondering what is going to happen next season on Scandal (our favorite TV show) 
Loving our doggies and our neighbors!
Admiring how supportive and loving my entire family is… especially during difficult times! 
Needing... hmm. This one stumped me. I can't say that I NEED anything that I don't have. This is such a blessing because I have prayed countless times for contentment in my life. God is so good.
Wearing a suit and panty hose :/ #workingwoman
Following celebrities on Instagram is my guilty pleasure.
Noticing how much Shane makes me laugh lately! 
Knowing that I am blessed with more than I deserve. 
Thinking I need a day at the spa with my girls. A massage and facial are in my future!
Listening to the space heater in my office… it is always freezing in here! I have also been listening to comedians on Pandora during my commute.
Bookmarking new recipes in my cookbook. Hey... ya gotta learn sometime.
Opening a New Year with a lot of optimism.  
Giggling about all of the quirky things that Shane loves to pick on me about. 
Feeling excited to pick up Tina, JuJu and Mak from the airport tonight!

Missing: My Uncle Greg who we will bury tomorrow. 

Happy New Year

On New Year's Eve, we both got  off work early. Shane finished up on a surprise project he has been working on for Munca, and I finished cleaning the house since my sisters are coming in town to stay.

That evening, we headed over to Cass and Bryan's house next door. Our other neighbors came over, too! The boys played poker, and we all laughed and enjoyed spending time together. We struggled to stay awake until midnight, but we made it! We had a champagne toast and a midnight kiss, and then headed home.

My sweet cuddle bug! Bryson said he would propose to me when he is older.. hehe!!

Oh how I love my Cass!

Mwah!

My sweet Angela!

Poker!

blurry :(

Video games

Happy New Year!!