Winter Storm 09!

Call me skeptic, but when I left work yesterday, I truly did not believe that we were going to get a foot and a half of snow that weatherman had predicted for the weekend. Well it's now Saturday night and while there is not 18 inches of snow on the ground, there is a solid 5 combined with lovely ice. The "Noreaster" :-) started yesterday night on my way home from work and it sure did take me 2 1/2 hours to get home with my blood pressure probably shooting extremely high. Adam and I had a wonderful evening planned out that included dinner at Olive Garden (we had a gift card:-)), watching The Blindside, and finishing Christmas shopping. By the time I got home at 8:00, we decided to risk it and head out into the storm anyways. Basically hunger was our motivation. We headed on to the interstate and before we could even get off the ramp, there is a wrecked car on the side with a teenage boy walking towards town. This was certainly not the first stranded car on the side of the road. We ended up taking him home, which was in the middle of absolute nowhere (keep in mind by BP was still skyhigh since our car does not have 4wheel drive). By the time we pulled into Olive Garden at 10pm, they were closing due to "inclement weather" and we ended up at DENNY's at 11pm. We had a very college date night, thankfully making it home alive. We woke up today to a wonderful winter wonderland and ventured out once again to finish up the Christmas shopping. This time we took Tammy Two-Tone because we thought if something happens to her, we don't care as much:-) The first two church services are cancelled for tomorrow and who knows about work on Monday:-) Let's just hope we make it home for Christmas!

See Ya Thanksgiving

Ugh. Time to get back to the real world. I say this every single Sunday night but I REALLY don't want to go back to work tomorrow. I have the hardest time getting motivated each week and it's especially hard after a holiday. We spent the last 4 days in Charlotte with Adam's family for a very relaxing Thanksgiving. We were lazy (maybe a little too lazy), we ate too much (even Denali helped himself to some of grandma Trees' homemade apple pie), shopped Black Friday madness (scored a printer and all 10 seasons of Friends), and caught up with family and friends. As always, I wish I could have spent Thanksgiving with both the Douglases and the Reusses and I'd like to say a happy belated birthday again to dad! Thanksgiving was great, but I'm ready to move on to Christmas! I feel like last year's Christmas FLEW by, so this year I am making a special effort to savor every minute:-) So after a great church service and an awesome lunch at Cracker Barrel, we put up our Christmas decorations! Granted the weather was about 65 and sunny here today, it was still fun! Here are some pictures:








I'm so afraid of making my house look tacky that sometimes I hold back even when I want to put something up:-) We put greenery on our railings outside and Adam is going to put up some icicle lights so we'll put some more pictures up of that when it happens:-)



Speaking of tacky, this is Adam's mullet shirt (party in the front, business in the back) :-) It was really an old tshirt I was cutting into a dusting rag but Adam felt the need to model it:-)

Family Bonding minus the husband

This past week I have been on a plane 4 times. My husband will have been on a plane twice and yet none of these trips have actually been made together. I was lucky enough to have my mom and my aunt Barb join me for a work conference in Chicago from Saturday to Tuesday and then Adam flew to Germany Wednesday until tomorrow. So instead of moping around Chester (:-)), I decided to head home to Cleveland. The weekend was action packed as always and I got to see most everyone I loved including Bam and my preggo friends. The weather was absolutely beautiful and so the fam took the opportunity to play a little tennis on Saturday afternoon. Scott & I lost to our parents. How pathetic is that?? I guess that's ok considering I have picked up a tennis racket twice this entire year. But by far, my favorite family bonding moment took place at 11:30pm Saturday night. I was coming home from Katie's house around 11 and I turned onto TN Nursery Rd (the road that takes me into the neighborhood), hitting a sewer/pothole thing on the way. I made it about 100 more feet and then realized I had a flat tire. Now it's a sad day when you are 2 miles from home and consider calling AAA over calling your father. So what do I do? Call my brother:-) And then we contemplate what to do, eventually deciding on calling mom and dad. There's nothing like family bonding having everyone standing outside, tired, cold, cranky, while watching dad change a tire:-) But it really was a great weekend. I'm thankful that I was able to come home and see everyone. Thanks mom and dad!

Thoughts on the Drive Home

1. I had a really great birthday. I LOVE birthdays and I don't think I'll ever get bored/sick of celebrating. I will blog about the day's festivities later. Thank you to everyone who called/texted/facebooked/gifted, etc. Which brings me to my next point:
2. Why do people that you don't even know that well send you Happy Birthday messages on facebook? Come on people, we really aren't "friends".
3. UPS drivers are the worst on the interstate. I have actually been secretly boycotting using them due to their bad driving.
4. People are probably saying the same thing about me since I got my Iphone (:-)) and now have the luxury of checking my email while driving.
5. People that are super anxious all the time should not have children.
6. People that are not responsible should not have sex. Quote of the day: "I'm sure I didn't catch anything or have any STD. I pray everyday. So I couldn't get one because I pray every day". ..... Realllly?????
7. I sooo sooo badly want to be in Cleveland to celebrate my pregnant friends with their showers. I feel like I am seriously missing out on life events. Why does airfare have to be so expensive??
8. My husband is one of the most selfless people that I know. Hands down. I'm not really sure how I got so lucky.
9. I turned 27 and officially fell apart. I pulled something in my back and now am wearing a Thermacare heat wrap around my torso. And this is the 2nd time it's happened.
10. Hannah and Brandon's baby shower is Friday night. It's gonna be the most interesting coed Cornerstone shower yet I feel like. I have a part as a cheerleader. I have to learn lines. And get a cheerleading outfit. Enough said about that.
11. How do people have so much time to be on the computer? Like to be on facebook all the time? And to check your email all the time? Maybe I'm just jealous that I don't sit at a desk all day.
12. Tammy Two-Tone is shaking violently lately. This is what happened before that last tire blew out. Please pray for our lives on a daily basis.
13. Denali Dog is getting big. And once we realized he wasn't deaf (only selective hearing:-)), he's proving to be a somewhat smart dog. SOMEWHAT. If we could get this biting thing under control, we'd be good. We also still can't believe that we paid money for him to shed this bad:-)

That's all for now:-)

Boston In Pictures

Here is a look at our anniversary get-away to Boston. (A timeline in pictures basically)

We flew out of Newport News Thurs. morning at 7:00am. This allowed us to to be in Boston by 8:30am and enjoy a full day of action. The first thing we did was grab a famous cinnamon roll from this place that was featured on the Food Network.




Then we hit the Freedom Trail, a walking historical tour through the city....









That night was Adam's treat for the trip...




After a busy day, we headed to our B&B for some sleep, Aisling B&B



Day 2: Harvard





We met up with my second cousin Chrissy and her husband for dinner in the Italian District





And paid tribute to a legend

haha. just kidding. this picture was just too great.

Spent the night with the Testaverde's and was shown around Gloucester, MA (It is known for 2 things: The Perfect Storm & the teenage "pregnancy pact"





So glad we got to hang out with these guys!

Be Nice to Me, I Gave Blood Today

If you've ever donated blood before, you realize that once you donate, you are suckered in for life. The blood bank employees (Va Blood Services up here) literally STALK you with phone calls week after week until finally you cave in and donate again... which can be once every 2 months I learned tonight. While giving blood is definitely not my most favorite activity in the world, I really do think it is for a good cause.
Since Thursdays are my day off, I actually had a moment to sit down and watch afternoon TV. (We don't have cable so those options are limited). Dr. Oz happened to be on and the show was focused on a free clinic they ran one day in Houston. They showed stories of these uninsured Americans with real life-threatening conditions that didn't have access to healthcare simply because they didn't have health insurance. These people weren't lazy. They were educated. Had families. Many worked multiple jobs and many were simply not approved for insurance due to their "preexisting conditions". These were AMERICANS, not just illegal immigrants.
I literally sat on the couch and wept for a solid 30 minutes. Adam walked in and thought something horrible had happened. My heart was so broken for these people that are not given the same rights that all people should be entitled to. I got angry, but I also got inspired that one day I might be able to work for something with an amazing purpose like that.
So I know it was a small step, but Adam and I went and gave blood this afternoon. It was his very first time and he did wonderful:-) The fingerprick is still the worst part to me and you better believe I'll take the free Little Debbie snacks at the end, but I really believe that even the small steps can help save someone's life. So as my sticker says, "Be Nice to Me, I Gave Blood Today".

2 Years and Counting

I can't believe that Adam and I have been married 2 years! The time has flown by and I feel like it was yesterday that we were shoving cake in each other's faces and moving to Virginia! We celebrated big time over the weekend with a really great 3-day trip to Boston. (Pictures and details to be posted later). But yesterday, October 6, was our official anniversary and with it falling on a weekday and Adam leaving for Atlanta at 4:30 AM this morning, we enjoyed a delicious dinner and dessert at Millie's Diner in Richmond. And of course when we got home we sat and watched the video of the actual ceremony:-) No tears this time!













Happy Anniversary Adam! These have been the best 2 years of my life and I can't wait for 62 more:-)

A House Divided

This past Saturday Adam and I went to Raleigh, NC to meet up with the Reuss parents and grandparents. We got to do a little bit of shopping at this awesome mall (where i also received awesome birthday shoes:-)) and then had lunch at Firebirds Wood Fired Grill. Then the day turned magical for Adam. His buddy, Dan, called him up and had gotten us 2 free tickets to the NC State/Pittsburg game. Now I knew my husband is a die-hard NC State fan, but we had not gotten the opportunity to go to any NC State sporting events as a couple. I also like to add that I think I am a pretty good wife for sitting in the rain the entire game. The game was actually pretty good, but I realized one thing: I am a true Vols fan and I don't think I realized just how much I love TN football. I felt like a poser with my NC State t-shirt on that day (Hey, it was a Christmas gift). It is just not the same going to watch anybody else play! Give me a Rocky Top cheer any day over that creepy wolf pack howl thing:-) And let's be honest, the SEC is definitely the most competitive region in college football. Alright, so I might be slightly biased with my faithfulness to the bright orange, but I think that's ok. Adam & I will argue about this to the day we die. You know how you see those license plates with the two sports teams logos and then their is a split down the middle and it says "A House Divided"? If anyone can find one with NC State and Vols, then please let me know:-)

Home Alone on a Saturday Night

That's right. I am home, all by myself (and Denali of course), at 8:00pm on a Saturday night. Adam has been in Cleveland for his friend, Grant's, wedding since Thursday and I am chilling at the house and LOVING IT. Now maybe in high school or college I would have been insecure about not having any fantastic social plans on a Saturday night, but now I love it. I had my social fix last night and this morning and so from 2pm on, it's all about me:-) I've decided that life is just too dang busy during the week and most of the weekends are usually spent traveling or doing a million other activities. When you have the house to yourself you can choose to not take a shower until 6pm and eat whatever you want (my meal of choice tonight was left-over pizza and mangos). I can bum around in sweatpants and a t-shirt and feel giddy because I get to clean, organize the house, read my bible before 11:30 at night, and do my bank statement. (Please don't judge me on that last sentence-- I feel like Katie and Abby might be my only 2 friends who also feel the same way:-)) So however "cool" you think you are that you can't stay at home on a Friday or Saturday night, I encourage you to try it and feel liberated as well:-)

TN10 Vacay- St. Pete's Beach

Well I'm always a week behind in blogging, but last weekend (Labor Day Weekend), was the 3rd annual TN10 Vacay. For those that may not know, the TN10 is the nickname we dubbed ourselves. We are a group of 10 girls from Lee (all in DZT) that have made a special effort to keep in touch even after we all graduated. The first year we vacationed at Myrtle Beach, the 2nd year in Maryland, and this year at St. Beach, FL. We traveled from Tennessee, Maryland, Virginia, D.C, and Minnesota (kind of.. since Lisa & John just moved to TN). Arhmin & Steve Thompson headed up the task of organizing this year and it was awesome! Since we have so many attendees (9 girls this year + 8 spouses), we rented a house that was within walking distance of Steve's parents house and the girls slept in one house with the guys in the other. Our days consisted of laying at the beach, talking, laughing, talking, eating, swimming, talking, taking pictures, reading, and talking some more. (Trust me, we covered every topic available). This year the boys really seemed to get along and actually hung out with themselves more than with us! They enjoyed making pyramids in the ocean:-), playing any kind of sport imaginable, fishing, eating, and taking our pictures:-) I can't imagine my life without these girls and I value their friendship so much. I can't wait until next year!!
** Please check out this AMAZING video that my friend Jessica made. All credit goes to her!

Inadequacy

I feel like I have it pretty good when it comes to my job. If we could just erase the hour drive there and back, I think I would actually consider this THE perfect job. I only work 4 days a week, get a decent paycheck, and have a generous amount of autonomy. The practice is small (but growing, growing) and it's so nice working in a Christian environment. I love that I am allowed to share life experiences with a number of people on a daily basis. I am so thankful that God chose this path for my career (at least for the time being) and I know this is what I enjoy doing. BUUUUTTTTTTT... even when you know you're in the right place, do you ever feel like you're just not good enough? Maybe I'm just having a slump this week or something, but it just feels like every procedure I've done, along with a few negative/rude patients and a little extra criticism from the boss is just a little too much for one week? And this has only been a 3-day work week might I add. I understand that I'm still really new at all this, but sometimes it just feels like you can't do anything right. Does anyone else ever feel like this? I'm trying to not get discouraged and I'm sure it's just a nice little attack from Satan, but all I really want to do is provide excellent healthcare to women. I want to be GOOD at what I do. Is it too much to pray for God to sharpen my gynecological/obstetrical skills:-)

Can I add that I CANNOT wait for the TN10 Vacation tomorrow??? Here we come Florida!

The Life of our Denali Dog

I've always said that we would never be those parents that talks about their kids (now pets) ALL THE TIME. I know that not everyone is a dog lover and I hate to be an inconvenience to anyone with my latest pet discovery. But since we've only had Denali for 3 weeks and my job is good, Adam's job is stressful as always, we haven't traveled anywhere fun, friends/family are the same, I've decided to update on the dog. The precious dog previously written about in the last blog is still precious, but much, much, much more "puppy-like" (ie: chewing, peeing, not eating, biting, etc). The biggest struggle for us as new parents has been getting this stubborn dog to eat. Another thing I said I would never do is have a picky eater in my house.... That too has been disproven. Denali came to us eating Iams dry food. He wouldn't touch that stuff with a 10-foot pole when he got here and we have since tried dry food with chicken broth, dry food with wet food, only wet food... you get the picture. Since he's underweight and having severe GI issues (I'll save you the details), the vet now has us feeding him a strict diet of homemade chicken and rice. Seriously? I don't even eat that good. He is crate-training and doing quite well with that, but still struggling with the concept of peeing/pooping outside. Does anyone know how long this "phase" will go on/ have any good tips for us? :-) He's also had numerous scares for me where he falls or runs straight into the glass door (which was hysterical might I add) in which I was convinced we were going to have to make a trip to the vet. I must say though, I think he is a pretty good dog. He loves car rides and has been to Williamsburg, the James River, and numerous homes and get-togethers. He is a people lover:-) I definitely advise anyone thinking about children to get a dog. It's excellent training:-)


Michael gave him this duck when he was visiting last week

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He loves his bed. He also loves to pee on his bed. Does that make sense to anyone?


First bath... Not quite the water dog. Actually he looks super skinny and sick when he's wet!