Modern Family

One of my favorite television shows is "Modern Family" while one of my favorite actors is George Clooney. The two of them together is magic.

Don't think you're missing out on the show yet? Try watching one of my favorite clips and try not to laugh.

My Birdie Heroes

I looked out our living room window one late afternoon to find a flock of birds finding dinner on our lawn. I'm just going to be thankful for how many of our numerous bugs they're getting rid of instead of thinking about how many they're leaving behind. What is more disturbing is that they knew our backyard would be great feeding grounds.

And here is probably an incredibly boring video, but I found it intriguing because I have never seen anything like this before in California.

Bringing Sexy Back

The Hubby finally returned home yesterday afternoon after almost a week in the field with no showers, three hours of sleep a night, and waking up to spiders the size of half his palm next to his head.

When I went to pick him up, his ACUs stood out from amongst all the rest of the soldiers. For whatever reason, he came back dirtier than everyone else. Our washing machines are certainly working hard.

Clean ACU top vs. dirty ACU top

He came home smelly, filthy, tired, and tanned. But he was also buzzing with excitement. He and his men were put into real war type situations where The Hubby had to lead everyone on missions. I won't go into all the details simply because he was speaking so quickly and in terms that I did not fully understand.

My husband was so animated in his story telling that he was dodging behind counters, grabbing my arm to lead me to safety and running around the kitchen. It was so wonderful to see him be completely caught up in his reenactments. I wish I could had video taped it for you to see, but I doubt he would have been too fond of that.

He described a situation where he had to throw a magazine to some other guy because he was out of ammo. I'm sure that his vast knowledge of war movies came in handy. Who else gets to do this? This is every little boy's dream!

The Hubby's guys seem to really like him, which is so comforting to me because I know that they've got his back. Plus, apparently his platoon rocked it.

When I asked him if he had fun he replied, "Yeah. It was sexy." I don't know when my husband began describing non-feminine things as "sexy", but it is apparently part of his everyday vocabulary now.

Knowing that he loves what he does and is good at it makes him not being home all worth it.

Good Morning!

Many mornings I wake up to see the following:

It's slightly disturbing to see an animal staring at you. She just stares. It's creepy. Doesn't wag her tail or anything. She remains completely motionless.

Until I make a movement that is. Then she comes over and sniffs my face or my arm. So sometimes I pretend to still be sleeping in an effort to catch another ten minutes of rest, but she's too clever for that.

Bella doesn't appreciate me trying to pull a fast one on her. She gets more aggressive if I do that. She'll growl, nudge, lick, bark...

And when she gets like this, there is no choice but to take her out to do her business and then feed her kibble.

I think she is confused as to who the pack leader of the house is.

On Repeat: I'm happy knowing that you are mine

Yet another song found via Pandora.

On How We Ended Up Watching 40 Minutes of Previews

I completely forgot to write about this earlier.

We treated ourselves to a matinée movie one afternoon. Each ticket was only $6.50. Score! I asked The Hubby to look up the showtimes for the new Will Ferrel and Mark Walhberg movie he wanted to see. As he was scrolling down the page, I stopped him when I saw Expendables and told him that the next movie time was 3:25pm.

At the box office, he asked again what the movie title was and I said Expendables. I was wrong again, but I didn't know that yet.

The Hubby and I discussed how we hoped this movie received good reviews and how we really like Mark Walhberg. We sat through the pre-previews and then the real previews for about 25 minutes. I knew something was wrong because the trailers did not reflect the genre of movie that was about to be played as they usually do.

Cut to the beginning of the movie. It's dark and ominous. I see the movie title graffiti painted on a motorcycle and right away I think, "Wow, they're really starting this movie dramatically for a comedy."

Just when I'm about to ask The Hubby if he was sure this was the right movie, I see Stallone's name. We look at each other. I tried to point the blame at him because I legitimately thought that he told me the movie's title when we were looking at the movie times and we argue through whispers and giggles.

Unsure of what to do, we continue watching, trying to convince ourselves that this might be a good movie. But then someone's torso got shot off with a small rifle within three minutes. And Stallone's face never took well to his numerous plastic surgeries. So we quickly left the theater and I had to ask for an exchange in tickets. I'm sure my face was tomato red.

And of course we had to wait another thirty minutes for The Other Guys to play, not including another twenty minutes of movie trailers.

In my defense, I think the title "Expendables" would have worked for the plot of "The Other Guys". Maybe?

Oops. My bad.

Lucky

I'm either the luckiest person on earth, or car dealerships are scamming me.

I won big! Did we just get a free Mustang for the house, thus solving our one-car problem?

$100,000 cash is just waiting to be deposited into our bank accounts.

I think just the fact that they addressed it as "Future Customer" is a clue.

Does anyone else get junk mail like this?

Living Single

The Hubby has been away since Monday morning. Only three more days to go! I have been more active and productive than usual so the days are moving quickly.

I feel like a bachelor. Bachelorettes are probably much cleaner. And healthier.

I have not cooked for myself and have been surviving on peanut butter sandwiches, almonds, juice, rice, and peaches. Oh, and ice cream. Vanilla ice cream will always be in my diet. There is no cure for this addiction.

The bed is always unmade. I have the blanket in the perfect position to snuggle up next to and our four pillows are arranged so that they frame my head just so. Bella has taken over the hubby's side of the bed too. I haven't Swiffered either so we have a nice collection of dog fur on our floors.

At least I felt guilty enough to wash the sink full of dishes and do three loads of laundry. So how have I been spending my time if I haven't been cleaning or cooking? I, my friends, have been social!

Typically, when The Hubby is gone the only human interaction I have is with cashiers or any neighbors I may pass by on the way to the mailbox. That time I was left without a car for three days I didn't even see another human being. Things changed this week though. I have had outings with three separate Army wives on three separate days this week. Tomorrow, I have an officer wives' coffee to attend.

I have a hard time making new friends. I'm a perfectly nice person with people and I would like to think that I am a good conversationalist, but it is difficult for me to go out of my way and try to turn an acquaintance into something more.

Right now, all I want to do is spend every moment possible with my husband before he leaves for a year to go fight a war. Making friends is not a top priority at the moment, although I know that having a strong support system would be nothing but beneficial later on.

Back at home, I only hung out with about three people semi-regularly and two more when they had a break from college. And that was the way I liked it. My definition of a friend basically boils down to something really simple: I wouldn't mind spending a day at Disneyland with them alone.

I know this sounds really strange, but it really makes a lot of sense when you think about it. When you go to the Happiest Place on Earth, the vibe can completely be ruined if you go with the wrong person. Sharing a seat on Matterhorn is tight and you will indubitably bump into your ride partner in a way that will break personal boundaries. You will then spend hours with them waiting in line for the next ride. Don't you want it to be somebody whose company you enjoy?

I have not found anyone like that here. I have met plenty of great women, but no "Annual Passholders". The closest person to that is moving next month when her husband deploys.

It is really difficult to want to go out with other people when I would rather spend time with The Hubby. But hopefully this whole thing will become easier when he deploys.

So here's to me becoming a social butterfly, or at least attempting to sometime in the near future.

Bella is limited to maybe only ten words or phrases in the English dictionary and a girl needs more than that.

Husband Stealer

The following pictures are just plain disgusting. The love between these two cuties is ridiculous.

When The Hubby gets home, he heads into the kitchen where I usually am, grabs something to munch on, talks to me about my/his day, and then climbs into bed for a quick nap. Bella follows without any hesitation. She knows the routine.

I typically walk into the room to find this.

Both of them are completely out of it. Bliss.

They're even holding hands/pawsies. I told you this was disgusting.

But I'm not jealous. I know Bella still loves me more. I'm a better big spoon.

This MUST be a Joke

I went to see a doctor today because I have had stomach and digestive issues for as long as I can remember. Five years ago, I correlated it with lactose intolerance. Cutting out dairy was a big help, but it didn't fix everything.

After waiting one hour to see the doctor for five minutes, she told me that increasing my fluid and fiber intake would be a great benefit. BUT if that doesn't work, then I may be having an adverse reaction to gluten.

ARE YOU FREAKIN' KIDDING ME? I already gave up so much. Do you know how many different foods have gluten? I didn't either until I Googled it. (source: Food Allergy Gourmet)

The following pre-made foods contain gluten, unless they are marked "Gluten-Free" on the label.

Foods Bagels Beer Biscuits Blue cheese (made with bread) Bread Broth (pre-made, cubes, powder) Cake Cheese (pre-shredded) Cookies Corn Dogs Corn Bread Couscous Crackers Croutons Cupcakes Deli Cut or Cold Cut Meats (unless sliced on a dedicated gluten-free meat slicer) Doughnuts French Toast French Fries (if frozen or coated) Funnel Cake Graham Crackers Gravy Hushpuppies Macaroni

Malted milk (malt is made from barley) Matzo Muesli Muffins Noodles Oatmeal Pancakes Pasta Pastry Pie Pita or Pocket Bread Pretzel Salad Dressing Semolina Soup Sour Cream Soy Sauce, Shoyu Spaghetti Stock (pre-made, cubes, powder) Stuffing Toast Tabbouleh Teriyaki sauce Waffles Yogurt

These Ingredients Contain Gluten

These ingredients contain gluten, unless marked "Gluten-Free" on the label. Always read the ingredients on the label and check with the manufacturer to determine whether or not they are safe.

Alcoholic spirits (Specific Spirits) Amp-isostearoyl hydrolyzed wheat protein Barley, Barley grass (may contain seeds) Barley hordeum vulgare Barley malt Beer (except gluten-free beer) Bleached flour Bran Bread flour Brewer's yeast Brown flour Bulgur Cake flour (meal) Cereal Binding Couscous Dextrimaltose Disodium wheatgermamido peg-2 sulfosuccinate Durum flour Edible starch Einkorn Emmer Farina Filler Flour (usually means wheat flour) Fu (dried wheat gluten) Gliadin Gluten Graham flour Granary flour Groats (barley, wheat, oat) Hard wheat Hydrolyzed wheat gluten Hydrolyzed wheat protein Hydrolyzed wheat protein pg-propyl silanetriol Hydrolyzed wheat starch Hydroxypropyltrimonium hydrolyzed wheat protein

Kamut Macha wheat Malt (made from barley) Malt (extract, flavoring, syrup, vinegar Malted milk Matzo meal, semolina Mir Oat bran, oatmeal, oats, rolled oats, groats, flour Oriental wheat Pasta (excepts gluten-free) Pearl barley Persian wheat Polish wheat Poulard wheat Rice Malt (if barley or Koji are used) Rye Seitan Semolina Spelt, small Sprouted wheat or barley Stearyldimoniumhydroxypropyl hydrolyzed wheat protein Strong flour Suet (in packets) Textured Vegetable Protein - TVP Triticale (a wheat-rye blend) Triticale X triticosecale Triticum vulgare flour lipids, germ extract, germ oil Udon (wheat noodles) Unbleached flour Vavilovi wheat Vegetable starch Wheat (Abyssinian hard, club, common, durum, timopheevi, bulgur, Shot) Wheat bran extract, amino acids Wheat berries Wheat durum triticum Wheat germ, germ extract, germ oil, or lipids Wheat grass (may contain seeds) Wheat nuts, protein or starch Whole wheat, flour Wild einkorn, emmer

These Ingredients and Foods May Contain Gluten

These ingredients may or may not contain gluten. Always read the ingredients on the label and check with the manufacturer to determine whether or not they are safe.

Anti-Caking Ingredients Artificial Color Artificial Flavoring Binders Bouillon, cubes or powder Broth Caramel Color, coloring Catsup Cereal Cheese (starting molds may be introduced on bread crumbs) Curry powder (spices sometimes contain undisclosed flour to improve flow) Demiglace Dextrins Emulsifiers Excipients Farina Fillers Flavor, Flavoring Food Starch Glucose Syrup Gluten Gum Hydrolyzed plant protein (HPP) Hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP) Ketchup Leavening Maltodextrin Maltose Miso Modified Food Starch Mono and Diglycerides Monosodium Glutimate (MSG) (imported MSG may contain wheat)

Mustard (wheat flour may be a hidden ingredient) Mustard Powder Natural Flavor, Natural Flavoring Rice Syrup (may use barley enzymes) Seasoning Shortening (possible added vitamin E from wheat germ) Shoyu (soy sauce) Smoke Flavoring Soba Noodles Sour cream Soy Sauce Spices (may contain flour to improve flow) Stabilizers Starch Stock, pre-made Stock cubes or powder Textured vegetable protein (TVP, same as HVP) Tomato paste (hidden ingredients may include HVP) Vanilla or other flavored extracts Vegetable gum Vegetable shortening (possible added vitamin E from wheat germ) Vitamins Wheat Starch White pepper (may contain flour to improve flow) Yeast or yeast extract (may be grown or dried on wheat flour)

The list pretty much includes everything I eat. I WOULD RATHER HAVE DIARRHEA.

Craft Room Dreams

The next room we want to finish in our house is my craft room. This would make me absurdly happy as it is currently used as storage for empty cardboard boxes. I worked hours on compiling craft room inspiration ideas and finding the perfect furniture and accessories to fill it with. As always, click to enlarge pictures.

Inspiration:

I made this inspiration board using Big Huge Lab's Mosaic Maker with pictures of twelve craft rooms that I envy. It's free and amazingly easy! I noticed that the common elements are white furniture, a lot of storage and organization, and pops of color.

Top row: 1, 2, 3

Second row: 1, 2, 3

Third row: 1, 2, 3

Bottom row: 1, 2, 3

Shopping List:

My shopping list is broken down into three categories: furniture, organization, and accessories. I'm going to go with a Martha Stewart blue, white, yellow, and maybe a few splashes of pink as the color scheme. Some items are splurges, but most are all in a reasonable price range.

1. Etched floral 3-drawer cart (Container Store-$19.99)

2. EXPEDIT work station (Ikea-$119.99)

3. LACK side table (Ikea-$7.99)

4. EKBY HENSVIK wall shelf (Ikea-$19.99)

5. Martha Stewart Sea Glass interior paint (Home Depot) for interior of shelves

6. EXPEDIT bookcase (Ikea-$69.99) stacked on its side

1. Turquoise meets gold labels (iDIY-free)

2. SLOM jar with lid (Ikea-$2.99)

3. BLANKEN wire basket (Ikea-$1.99)

4. KASSETT magazine box with lid (Ikea-$12.99/2 pack)

5. Brocade magnetic bulletin board (Container Store-$39.99)

6. KRUS jar with lid (Ikea-$6.99)

1.Whale Love print (Etsy-$20.00)

2. Brocade desk file (Container Store-$19.99)

3. So Very Happy print (Etsy-$23.00)

4. TOLSBY frame (Ikea-$0.99)

5. SMYCKA artificial flower (Ikea-$1.99)

6. Liberty floral media bin (Target-$6.99)

1. KORT art cards (Ikea-$5.00 for 5)

2. SUPERFIN vase (Ikea-$2.99)

3. KARDEMUMMA vase (Ikea-$1.99)

4. Banksy art print

5. CLIPS frame (Ikea-$0.99/4 pack)

6. FEJKA artificial plant (Ikea-$5.99)

7. FARGRIK TROLSK bowls (Ikea-$3.99/2 pack)

Can you picture it all together? I sure can, and it is making me really excited! Also, this post probably took me over eight hours to finish from start to finish. I have a newfound respect to professional wedding inspiration bloggers.

Edit: I noticed that I am missing a "s" in accessories in my inspiration boards. Crap! I would fix it, but it would take way too long so please forgive me.

Another Reason Why CA is Better

There was another spider killing in the Schmidt household today. This one was the largest spider I had ever encountered in my 22 years of life. That last spider I saw was nothing compared to this one. That last spider was about the size of this one's butt, if not smaller.

I lived in California for about 17 years and have never seen such mutant spiders. What is it about Texas?

The steps I took after spotting this spider by the back door where they all seem to reside:

1. Screamed.
2. Determined whether to kill it or trap it. I decided that trapping it would not be a viable option because The Hubby will not be coming home until Sunday.
3. Grabbed my camera.
4. Grabbed one of The Hubby's shoes. I used his because I needed a sturdy shoe, not because I didn't want any spider guts on mine. *cough*
5. Screamed again because I had forgotten how large it was.
6. Became thankful that it didn't seem to be moving. Bella was barking at me trying to get me to let her in and it did not seem to budge.
7. Did a warrior cry and slammed the shoe down on the intruder.
8. Congratulated myself for a job well done, but squirmed a little bit because I then saw a smaller spider move across the floor.

If that spider had moved even an inch, I would have packed my bags, grabbed Bella, and moved the heck out.

Do not scroll down unless you want to see this monster. It will haunt you in your dreams. And yet I can't seem to stop looking.

I thought that the spider was 1.5" long, but after measuring the lines, it was more like 0.75" long from head to pincher. Whatever. It was still humongous.

Fashion Show! Fashion Show! Fashion Show at Lunch!

My grandmother is a master cook and seamstress. She took it upon herself to build up Bella's closet while we left Bella under her care. It is pretty impossible to find clothing for dogs as large as Bella. We like to dress her up because she tends to gnaw on herself until she ends up with bald patches in her fur.

Here is Bella Schmidt in her first clothing photo shoot:

She's feeling quite fancy with her pockets that are the perfect size for squeaky toys, treats, keys and cell phones.

Admire the lace trim detail

Velcro straps makes it a lot easier to do a quick change.

Here, she is modeling the yellow palm tree bandanna.

The blue, green, and white flowers really bring out the color of her coat.

She prefers to be photographed from her left. It is her best side.

This last outfit brings out the classy lady in her.

I feel pretty. Oh so pretty. I feel pretty and witty and gay...

Ten points to anyone who can identify where the title of this post comes from.

Also, I know I seem absolutely nuts, but this post is really for my grandmother's sake so that she can admire her own work.

Not Lovin' It

I received the most awful news the other day. Apparently there is dairy in McDonald's fries!

WHAT THE F?!

It seems that I am way behind on this because this was in the news back in 2006. I found out through Facebook...again. Vegetarians were angry because they were secretly eating fries made with beef extract while lactose intolerant people and those with gluten allergies were getting sick without knowing why.

I knew that McDonald's is probably one of the least healthy things that I put into my body, but I thought it was fine considering that I only have it once in awhile. I'm not the type to count calories, anyway. But I always avoided dairy!

And fries were my absolute favorite menu item!

This is the ingredient list for French Fries and my other favorite Chicken McNuggets taken directly from their website. Milk in both! This is a disaster!

List of some things I cannot eat that I once loved to eat: ice cream, butter, ranch dressing, Caesar salad dressing, yogurt, pudding, milk chocolate, cheese, frosting, cakes, McDonald's fries, ....

On Repeat: I've got a question for you

I love love love LOVE this song. LOVE! Got it? I completely forgot to play "Question" by The Old 97s at our wedding, and I definitely regret it.

She woke from a dream

Her head was on fire

Why was he so nervous?

He took her to the park

She crossed her arms

And lowered her eyelids

Some day somebody's gonna ask you

A question that you should say yes to

Once in your life

Maybe tonight I've got a question for you

She'd had no idea

Started to cry

She said in a good way

He took her by the hand

Walked her back home

They took the long way

Some day somebody's gonna ask you

A question that you should say yes to

Once in your life

Maybe tonight I've got a question for you

I've got a question for you

Perhaps you can propose with "Question" playing in the background with this ring box modeled after the famous "Up" house.

*swoon*

Sharing is Caring

Try out these great free sites to save some money. We all need some extra dough, don't we?

Ebates gives you online rebates and cash back on your purchases made online such as 8.0% cash back with Sephora, 3.0% cash back with Target, and 6.0% cash back with Barnes and Noble. I haven't used it yet simply because we're saving money, but if I ever do need to buy something online, I will definitely used my Ebates account.

Groupon sends you a daily email with their deal of the day for your area. They have a deal for the big cities (Los Angeles and Orange County for the folks back in CA!) for a wide variety of stores. Most discounts are at least 50%, like the one today for Gap--$25 for $50 worth of apparel at Gap.
My favorite site is Retail Me Not. They always have great promotional codes for free cards or prints at Shutterfly, free bags or shipping at Victoria's Secret, and even free Cinastix when you order online with Domino's. Never make an online purchase without first checking Retail Me Not.
Happy hunting!

Being Adults and Such

A friend posted a link to the New York Times titled "What Is It About 20-Somethings?" the other day on his Facebook. Since when did Facebook become my news source?

It discussed the trend of 20-year-olds moving back home with their parents and jumping from job to job or internship to internship. It was a ten page article so I only skimmed part of it, but here is my take on why this happens:

IT'S FREAKIN' EXPENSIVE BEING AN "ADULT".

So you want to move out and live on your own? Here are the things you will be financially responsible for every month:

• rent/mortgage payments
• electricity bill
• gas bill (if applicable)
• water bill
• lawn maintenance
• cable/television bill
• internet bill
• cell phone bill (unless you piggyback on your parent's plan like we do)
• renter's/homeowner's insurance
• car insurance
• personal property insurance
• health insurance (thank you, Army, for free health insurance)
• gas for the car
• groceries
• vet bills if you have a dog (and hopefully you don't have one as messed one as Bella)
• clothing

And hope that your house or apartment comes with the following or else you'll need to buy these too: refrigerator, stove/oven, laundry machines, furniture, television, and dishwasher (if you're lucky).

It never hit me more that we were on our own until The Hubby had to buy a weed whacker and take care of the lawn for the first time in his life. Check out his protective eye wear and his bulging biceps and triceps .

Let's talk about home maintenance, shall we? There is no mommy/daddy/grandma/maid who comes in to do your chores. You are now accountable for the following:

• laundry
• cooking
• dishes
• sweeping
• vacuuming
• mopping
• yard work
• taking out the trash
• washing the car
• changing out the air filter and the refrigerator filter
• scrubbing down toilets, showers, tubs
• wiping down furniture, counters, mirrors, windows
• picking up dog shit
• feeding the dog
• bathing the dog

Good luck, kiddos! At least you can eat ice cream for breakfast, lunch and dinner whenever you'd like.

On Why Naps are Necessary

I have a confession to make. Although I immediately miss The Hubby as soon as he crawls out of bed at 0500 for work, I also welcome it. I quickly sprawl out, arrange all of our four pillows to my liking, and doze off into a deep slumber.

I rarely get a full night's rest and typically wake up groggy. This is due to several reasons:

1. Bella makes a lot of noise at night. For whatever reason, she is the itchiest when we are trying to sleep. I have her bed next to my side so that I can nudge her throughout the night in an attempt to make her stop before The Hubby notices.
2. I try not to move too much in order to keep from disturbing The Hubby because I know that his sleep is more valuable than my own since he works and I just lounge all day. The Hubby told me to stop worrying about this, but I can't seem to help it.
3. He hogs the bed and I'm left with my little corner.
4. The Hubby talks in his sleep. Some of the award winners include: "We can't cross until everyone else does. We aren't the only ones in this room!","dismount artillery", and (my personal favorite) "FUCK!" At least he isn't as bad as the Sleep Talkin' Man.
5. He hits me in his sleep, typically in the face. One time he elbowed me so hard in the nose that he woke up from the impact. I proceeded to groan loudly in a fetal position. The next day, we went shopping.

I am also to blame though because my bladder is equivalent to one of a mouse. And whenever I return from yet another trip to the bathroom, he is spread out a little more than when I left him.

I told my newly engaged friend, Belinda, to get a king size bed if they have room for it. I once believed that such a large bed would be detrimental to intimacy, but a well-rested couple is a happy couple.

Our backs are also turned against each other and we have a pillow barrier in between us. I promise we still love each other though. It's just a precaution so that I don't smother him in his sleep the next time his arm jerks and hits me in the spine or my already flat Asian nose.

That's What She Said

Aunt Shirley purchased a giant 24 inch rawhide bone for Bella. We were both so excited to see Bella go at it with gusto, as she typically does with anything edible. I had expected that I would have to pry it away from her, but I was sadly mistaken.

The bone is about the length of her body.

Bella, can you at least feign some interest? Yawning is just rude.

Don't be scared, Love. You should be overjoyed by this giant piece of food.

Yes! I got a sniff out of her!

I am so sorry Shirley that Bella is so ungrateful for such a great gift. We will probably cut it down later so that she will recognize it in the form that she is used to.

me: bella doesn't like the bone! i think it's too big and confuses her. it's 24 inches long

tasha: Ha ha ha. That's what she said

me: hahahaha

On Repeat: Oh, it was the first time I fell in love

Pandora has introduced me to so many new artists and songs. Here is Basia Bulat's "Before I Knew". It may sound familiar because it was used for a Subaru commercial back in 2009.

Oh, it was the first time I fell in love

the first time I felt my heart

it was the first time I sang out loud all through the night

but before I knew I was lost,

before I knew I was a prisioner

and I still can't find a way to make it right

Ukulele Kids Have Soul

Our future child will know how to play an ukulele. Why? Because ukulele kids have spunk, soul and are just beaming with cuteness. I apparently have a lot of expectations for a little boy or girl who has yet to be conceived.

The Hubby is still working on his PowerPoint since my last post. I'm not quite sure why it is taking him so long, but I suspect it has to do with his lack of experience with making paper goods for our wedding or invitations for other people. There's a lot of cursing coming from his corner of the room.

I'm Still Here!

Anyone else notice that I haven't been posting? I got a worried call from Tiff asking what was going on. Don't fear. All is well.

I was doing about three blog entries a day out of immense boredom, but we had our friend Shirley from California visit for awhile so I was able to do better things than sit at my laptop for hours. Thanks, Shirley, for keeping me company while The Hubby was doing who knows what out in the field. Whatever it was, it made him reek. I just hope that all the other guys were just as stinky because otherwise they're probably talking behind his back about his personal hygiene.

Also, Shirley was kind enough to bring me my crafting supplies from back home. I'm dying to do something creative! The craft room is still a box room though. It will be awhile before we get that section of the house up and running.

The Hubby came home this morning at around 0600. I had to drive on post half asleep to pick him up and we spent the rest of the day mostly resting. The guy hadn't slept for 48 hours and now he is at his desk working on a PowerPoint presentation of some sort. I don't remember the last time he had a full weekend off. He's burned out and I miss him. More on all this Army business later though. Boy, do I have some ranting to do!

Anyway, I have some very dirty laundry to take care of so I leave you with yet another video of Bella. She knows that she has to be invited onto the bed, but we caught her stealing some very comfortable zzz's. Spoiled brat was then "punished" by a kiss on the forehead by The Hubby. That man is weak when it comes to her.

Nobody Puts Baby in the Corner!

Bella knows not to enter the kitchen area so she peeks at me from around one of the counters whenever I cook.

Before I got this shot of Bella, The Hubby made a giant leap in front of the camera. I hadn't realized that he had mooned me until I saw his bare butt staring at me from the camera screen.

The picture has been permanently deleted to shield innocent eyes.

Let's Make: Brownies for Dinner!

I made a dozen chocolate chip cookies on Sunday afternoon, thinking that The Hubby would be home soon and that it would be a nice surprise for him. He then called saying that he would be back Tuesday around 0400. I ended up eating all of the cookies on Monday.

I then baked more cookies to make up for the fact that I ate all of his. But then he called saying that he would be back Wednesday around 1000 instead. And of course I ate those cookies, too.

To supplement the missing cookies, I decided to make brownies from scratch for the first time. I came across Martha's recipe for Double-Chocolate Brownies and changed it up a bit. My brownies will never look like Martha's brownies (pictured to the left), but at least they taste good!

Ingredients: 1/2 cup unsalted butter, 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips, 1 1/2 cups sugar, 3 eggs (3/4 cup egg beater), 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 cup plus 2 tbs all-purpose sifted flour

Ingredients I added (because triple-chocolate is better than double-chocolate): 1 cup (or more!) milk chocolate chips and 1 cup toffee bits

I have been adding toffee bits to everything, including brownie cookies.

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350. Line pan with parchment paper for easy cleanup.

Step 2: Melt semisweet chocolate and butter. Stir until smooth. Remove from heat.

Step 3: Whisk in sugar. Whisk in eggs. Whisk in cocoa powder and salt.

Step 4: Fold in flour.

Step 5: Stir in milk chocolate and toffee bits.

Step 6: Pour into pan. Pound pan on counter to release air bubbles. Bake 35-40 minutes if using an 8 x 8 pan. Bake 30-35 minutes if using a 13 x 9 x 2 pan or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs.
Step 7: The most important step! Take fork and eat brownie directly from pan.

Ooey gooey yummyness...

I think that brownies made from mix out of a box are just as good, if not better, and are so much easier to make. They're also cheaper, but I like the idea of knowing exactly what is in my chocolaty goodness.

EDIT: These brownies are freakin amazing.