Takin' It Back to the 90's

Does anyone remember this MTV series?

I was OBSESSED with this show back when I had huge bangs, called anybody "cool" my role-model, and had ZERO fashion sense (tight roll anyone?).

This series gave me something to look forward to as a young, impressionable middle schooler (what was I thinking?). It was the time in my life when I wanted to dye my hair red (until my mom's enraged face popped into mind). Needless to say, I loved and still do love the show, and I just found the complete series on DVD!!

Although Shawn doesn't share my passion, he will be sitting next to me on the couch as we watch and take a stroll down memory lane with a big smile on his face...or else! No, I'm totally kidding.

Please share your memories about the show...or maybe I'll find out that I was its only fan!

Not at all Laborous

Okay, so I'm not sure if laborous is a word, but it sounded pretty good, so let's go with it!

Shawn and I wanted to share some fun moments that happened over Labor Day Weekend with my...our...mommy. It's still hard to say that things are "ours" and not "mine" or "his", but we're working on it.

Mom arrived last Thursday and stayed with us in Atlanta through Monday. So before I begin, let's just say my parents spoiled me as a kid...just a little?...but I account that to being the youngest...and the only girl...but all that aside! I asked my mom to work her magic on our garden (or lack there of) and she was super excited to help. My mom and dad have such amazing talents when it comes to landscaping and growing things - one thing that they DEFINITELY did not pass on to me. I struggle to keep plants alive, so my mom was glad to pass on a few tips. So, while Shawn and I were at school working, mom took the car out and went to Lowe's to buy a "few small things" for the garden. Little did we know that mom had basically purchased a small nursery of plants...and garden decs!! And if that wasn't enough, when I got home from work, she insisted on going BACK to Lowe's to buy more "filler" plants, except that I insisted on paying for those...whew! No complaints here, but I knew that I wasn't going to get out of gardening like I did when I was younger. I will seriously play any card to get out of getting my nails dirty. Hence...dead plants and gardens. But, Mom and I worked for hours on Friday to "perfect" the pathetic area we called a garden. It is absolutely beautiful now! We never imagined we could pull off a garden in Hotlanta, but it was...and is...possible.

****pics of the new and improved garden to come (any day now Mom!...j/k)****

The night before, we went to the Braves game. This was my mom's first time, and she was super lucky to come with us the day that we had extraordinary tickets. We were probably about 8 rows behind the 3rd base dugout. I mean, you know you're close when you can see the players' sweat! Okay, so maybe we couldn't see their sweat, but we were definitely close. The exciting thing was the mom and I both caught baseballs during batting practice (Shawn came up with a big fat goose egg...ZERO!), and she also had a great time doing the tomahawk chop.

We spent Saturday in Atlantic Station...another first for my mom...and for the shoppers we are, it was divine! We found a few deals at H&M (check it out if you haven't gone yet), and then we were stopped by someone promoting a show. In all seriousness, it was one of the most touching experiences of OUR lives! It's call "Dialogue in the Darkness," and it's basically an indoor "journey" through the city of Atlanta (obviously it was a simulation) in complete darkness for about an hour to understand what it's like to be visually impaired or completely blind. WOW! It's the only word I can use to describe it. They give you a cane (that used by those who are visually impaired), the tour guides are also visually impaired (which makes it even more beautiful), and you walk through different rooms in TOTAL darkness which are set up as city sites. PLEASE do this with your family and friends. You will NEVER see the world the same again. Following our memorable Atlantic Station experience, we went home and spent the evening with Yulia Manor and Christian. We absolutely LOVE that family.

Mom spent the first meeting at Church with us on Sunday, and then we watched a great movie called "Where the Heart Is"...exceptional movie! Our last day on Monday, we ate breakfast at this VERY country diner (which are the best places for breakfast), did some IKEA shopping (another great store), and headed to the airport for the sad goodbye.

Mom, we had such an awesome time, and we are so very appreciative for all that you did for us last weekend. We'll never forget our experiences with you. Also, we apologize again for the "blown tire" mishap...long story...so we'll just leave it at that.

¡TE AMO MAMÁ!

Fresh Start

I don't know about you, but I absolutely LOVE 3-day weekends...and they always come at the best times...when you need them most. I can only speak for myself, but I feel like I'm off to a fresher start on this Tuesday "feels like Monday" morning.

Just a couple of "happy, fresh, rejuved" pictures of Shawn and I...just as motivation for us to make it to our next school holiday/vacation. Remember those smiles!!

We hope everyone had a great Labor Day weekend!

We spent a lovely weekend with my mom, so fun tales to follow!!

Mysteries

I just wanted to plug how wonderful my husband is. It's been a hard couple of weeks for us after a long summer: preparing for students, teaching, coaching, team games, lack of rest, etc. While you think that us teachers have it easier that most with summer vacations and other holidays, teaching is a lot of work and extremely tiring, and I think I forget how hard it is every new school year.

Shawn has noticed how tired and (more or less) "cranky" I've been, so he planned a great date for us last Friday (Fridays are our official date night). We promised each other to go out on a date once a week once we were married because it's so easy to get caught up in everything else going on, and we really want to try and keep our relationship fun, spontaneous, and well...just keep it!!

Shawn took me to Agatha's Dinner Theater downtown. I love theater in general, but this was incredibly fun and different. The package comes with a mystery show and a 5 course meal: appetizers, soup, salad, meal (options: chicken1, chicken2, filet mignon, salmon, veggie pasta), and dessert. Shawn ordered the beef, and I ordered the salmon, and we both clean our plates throughout the other courses. Did we mention how much we love to eat?!?! The food was delicious. As you enter, they give you an actual role in the production - Shawn was a Native American chief, and I was a singer...lucky me! In each play, there is a murder (hence the name mystery theater) and you're trying to figure out who in the audience is the killer. Between each act, they serve the food and give you about 10-15 minutes to eat and chat. The plays they perform make fun of actual plays, so the one we saw was called Annie Get Your Uzi! mocking Annie Get Your Gun! It was such a fun time, and the audience members were so hilarious. We are always trying to find new things to do in Atlanta, so here's a fun new thing! I believe they change the play every few months, so it's something we look forward to doing every now and then. Here are some pics from the night. Check out the website and reserve away!

Lost and Found

Hello everyone,

Shawn and I are in the middle of a desperate search for a home for a lost puppy/young dog. Lulu was rescued by a friend of ours a couple of weeks ago, but escaped again a few days later. She then returned to their house last week, so this dog is desperate to find a safe haven. Shawn and I offered to be foster parents to Lulu until we were able to find a home for her. Now a bit about her...

Lulu is a very young and innocent dog (she still has a few sharp puppy teeth, but most are adult teeth). While we can't figure out what breed she is, beside a good ol' classic mutt, we are guessing a mixture of lab, shephard, and possibly beagle? She is by far the most friendly, laid-back dog I have ever seen! We have only heard her bark a few times because she was playing with our dog Annabelle (which if you know Annabelle, you would bark too), and she whimpers a bit when she wants attention. Lulu is definitely a cuddler. She will either cuddle up right next to your legs, or she'll plop down in your lap, but either way she just loves to be loved by people. She basically made herself at home since the minute we brought her in the house, to include sleeping in bed with us. She seems to be house broken, but she definitely HATES the crate (trust us!). We're thinking she had bad experiences in her old home? Who knows, but we baby gate her in the house, so that seems to work. She is very clean (no scars, fleas, scabs, etc.) but we're not sure about her shot history.

Trust me when I say that Lulu would make an awesome addition to any home - big, small, with kids, without kids. I want to find her a trust-worthy home before we have to call animal control. I can't stand thinking about her in a cage waiting for adoption. While we would love to keep Lulu ourselves, we unfortunately have a very dominant dog who wants things her way or the highway. Shawn has actually debated taking Lulu over Annabelle, but I had to snap him out of it lol. We are also away from home more than we are at home, and we want Lulu to have the most attention possible in her new home!

Please: If you're not interested in having "another" dog or responsibility, or even if you don't like dogs, help us look for a couple or family who does! Lulu did not ask to be in this situation, so please help us find her a safe place to call home.

Here you go Mom

I promised my mom that I would show her my new haircut asap (following in my husband's footsteps), so here are some before & after pics.

I loved my long hair, but it was just....long! I felt like I (and it) needed a little "oomph."

Of course it's near impossible to re-create what the hair stylist did the night before, but I did my best.

**BTW Mom, I agree that it is definitely hard to take a "cute" pic of yourself. The angles were definitely off! And these I just settled for after 50 takes...or more! LOL***

Before pics

After...

with a bit more volume and shape!

A pleasant surprise

We wanted to share some pics of our little baby tree out front that blossomed recently.

Just when we thought that our landscaping was in need of a "pick-me-up,"
God gave us something pleasant and beautiful to smile about and appreciate.