New Smyrna

Beach Party! Saturday was our ward beach party at New Smyrna beach. We drove over Friday evening with the Whites and spent the night at their condo. They even let us bring Sting'em, which was really fun because we are not allowed to take him to our condo in Cocoa Beach. He had fun chasing Grace and Gavin around that night. The next day we drove over to the beach, making a stop at some beach shops and at a french deli to pick up some pretty amazing subs for lunch (Yum! They were so good!!!). We got to the beach and met up with the rest of the ward. The sand was blazing, so we spent most of the time by the water. I was little too chicken to wander too far out into the waves. As we were wading out into the water, Greg reminded me that New Smyrna was one of top the hot spots for shark attacks. Yeah, I stayed close to the shore at that point. (Thanks husband.) Afterwards we all headed back to the White's condo to hit the pool. It was an amazingly fun weekend. That was actually our first time at New Smyrna Beach. Thanks Gail for the fun ward party! And thanks so much to Randy, Ashlea, Grace, and Gavin for letting us tag along and stay at your condo! We had a blast! We had fun playing with Grace in the waves. She is so cute!

Ashlea and Grace.

Cute Gavin playing in the sand. All our beautiful YW that came. I love these girsl! Bishop Berge was worn out by the end of the day.

Bizarro Baseball and Ice Cream Hats

Yes, that's right! Amazingly, the Tampa Bay Rays are #1! Greg and I have been going to games since we were engaged. Greg, of course, has been a devout fan much longer than I have (seeing how I never used to watch sports before there was Greg). The first game I ever went to was four years ago, opening day, against the Yankees, the day after we officially got engaged. They won that night but had a disappointing season, not unlike every other season they have had. Now, four years later they are playing amazingly well. Ahead of the Red Sox and the Overpaid Yankees. How great is that? They even graced the cover of Sports Illustrated, the first ever comic book cover. Very cool. The most enjoyable part of this season is seeing how excited Greg is. He, like I said, has been a truly committed fan since day one. Cheering every season even though they didn't stand a chance against the big powerhouses they go up against in their division-The Yankees and the Red Sox.
Greg and I don't get to go to every game (Greg wishes), but we get to St Pete as often as we can. Saturday, we met the Lugo family over there for Rays vs Orioles. The Lugos spent the entire day in St Pete. Unfortunately we couldn't, I have been easily exhausted these past few weeks and I thought it would be too hard go all day and stay awake for the evening game. So we met them at Tropicana Field. It was a packed game. The Rays pulled ahead at the beginning of the game, and it was pretty much over. It was still a lot of fun. I love hanging out with the Lugos. They are such a great family. We got ice cream towards the end of the game. Mmmmm...chocolate with hot fudge and rainbow sprinkles. Don't judge, I had a craving (that's my excuse and will be until December)! Nashua and I got our ice cream in the little souvenir Rays hats. I promised her and Nellie that I would post a picture of Lil Sting'em wearing the ice cream hat in honor of the Rays kickin' booty this year. (It is only fair that I live up to my promise since they have kept their end of the bargain and posted pictures of their Choco wearing one too.) So here is Sting'em, in tribute to the Rays who are surprising everyone except their constant and dedicated fans-we've know they would be great for awhile!

(It is a good thing this dog absolutely adores us and lets us dress him up. Well, let's me dress him up.)

David vs David

We just finished watching the American Idol showdown-I love this show (I "forced" Greg to watch it...sure). It hasn't been the most exciting season for me, with the Dolly Parton, Mariah Carey, and Neil Diamond weeks (sorry Melody, I know you love Neil). But this final two has been amazing. Finally, the two most deserving made it to the finals. That usually doesn't happen, there's usually an upset. I am a huge Archie fan, and have been since day one! Even when he forgot his words, he was still adorable. I have been worried about him these past few weeks, but tonight, he totally brought it. I know that Cook fans would argue with me. But listen to Simon, the man. He knows what he is talking about! So, I am sitting here now voting, for the first time this season, with house phone in one hand and cell phone in the other. It's going to be a close one! I can admit that David C has gotten much better since day one, but I still wouldn't label myself as a fan. He seems nice and all, and less cocky than before...but I just don't think he as "original" as people praise him to be. Sorry Cook fans. "Hello" and "Billie Jean" were not his arrangements, and those were by far the best songs of the season. Plus, I really don't get all the Archie haters. He seems like a really young, nice kid, and people don't like him for being nice and innocent? I don't get it. I think he has a phenomenal voice and I love listening to him every time he sings. We'll see what happens. No matter what the turn out, I think they'll both do great. (Although, I would totally buy David A's CD, and not so much David C, Sorry.)

Happy Birthday to Me!!! (...and Mother's Day!!!)

So Sunday, yesterday, I turned 27! Crazy, huh? To be perfectly honest, I was not looking forward to this birthday. I have been dreading it since Jan 1st. The older I got the more depressing it was becoming that we were not able to have children yet. And for this birthday, falling right on Mother's day...it was not a day I was looking forward to. For those who don't know, we have been struggling to get pregnant for quite sometime now. I think getting pregnant is something that many people take for granted. Some don't realize just what struggle it can truly be. I know I didn't until I was placed in that situation. Greg and I have been married for almost four years and many people have continually asked us when we were going to start trying. Little did they realize, we had...for awhile. I don't blame them. But it was still hard to hear. Well...after seeing a few different doctors, one finally decided to help us. On the evening of April 3rd, we found out that I am PREGNANT!!!! Exciting, huh? I don't think it has fully hit us yet. It has been something that we have wanted for so long now, and it almost seems unreal that it is finally happening. We decided to keep it quiet for awhile, just in case. But yesterday, on my birthday and Mother's day, we finally announced it to our very close friends, the Bergers, who are like family to me. Some other people have already guessed because I have been a little sick and tired. But since the Bergers know now and I am further along, we think it is time to tell everyone else. So that is our announcement, I am pregnant and should be due around 12/17! Greg and I are very excited and nervous to be parents. So it was a great Birthday/Mother's day this year. I am so happy that our prayers and the prayers of our families have been answered. You almost forget all the heartache and pain that you felt for so long because it really doesn't matter anymore. It hasn't been easy, but completely worth the wait. I know that Greg will be a wonderful father. I hope I will be a good Mom!

Saturday at Epcot

Since my birthday fell on Sunday this year, we wanted to do something fun on Saturday. So we decided to go to Epcot. I haven't been there since I was in 7th grade and Greg had never been there at all. We went with my mom, Heather, Mattie, and Matt met us there in the afternoon. It was a fun, long, very hot day. I was so tired by the end of the day, so much walking from country to country. Epcot is not like other Disney parks, where you walk a short distance to the next ride or show and get to sit down for a bit. There is so much to see before the day is over. My favorite part was the gardens. For springtime, they have beautiful gardens everywhere. There was even an amazing butterfly garden. Mattie was so fun to watch as she chased the butterflies around trying to get them to land on her finger. I kept thinking of our friend Dieter, who is not a huge fan of buterflies. He would have hated it in there. We had a lot of fun. It was a good day.
(This pic was taken at the end of the day-not my best...like I said very tired and hot!)

WICKED

Thursday night my mom, my sister-Heather, Theresa-Heather's mother-in-law, and I went to see Wicked in Orlando! (Greg wouldn't go see it with me unless I forced him to.) We got the tickets back in December and have been waiting patiently to finally see it. It was absolutely phenomenal. I tried reading the book beforehand, but had to stop. It was a little dark. The musical was so much better than the book. The singers/actors were amazing! I can't wait until it comes back to town so I can see it again. We all had a blast. It was totally worth getting home at midnight for.

Happy Birthday Sting'em!

One year ago today, lil' Sting'em was born. We, of course didn't get him until 8 weeks later, but we wanted to celebrate his birthday. For some history, when we moved out of the beach condo (we were not allowed to have pets in the condo) the first thing I wanted to do was buy a puppy. A chocolate mini dachshund to be exact. It did take some convincing with Greg, but since we hadn't been blessed with children, he gave in. I needed a little something to take care of. So I started searching for a breeder, I finally found one close by and on June 26th we picked our little Sting'em up. He was eight weeks old, so tiny and adorable. A little timid at first being away from his brother, but now he runs the house. He has been so wonderful to have in our home and absolutely was the best addition that we could make to our family at the time. We love him very much and he is so much fun to have around. A little hyper and ill mannered at times, but a lot of fun. I know that people think we're a little crazy about him, especially for celebrating his birthday with a cake and presents...but what can ya do, we still love him. Happy Birthday Sting'em!!!

Oh, and Greg, who was a little reluctant at first, absolutely fell in love with him. Ssshhh, he would never admit to that though!

Sting'em liked his peanut butter "pupcake." When he was done he had frosting all over his nose. And then he got some new toys. Which, of course, he loves.

Chris and America

Chris and America were able to fly in for a very short visit-America's sister had a baby, so they came to see her. While they were here, we got to snag a few hours with them. We drove down to Palm Bay on Saturday to see them. Chris, America, Greg, and I went to the Melbourne Art Festival and then met up with my mom, Heather, and lil' Mattie for lunch. Matt, unfortunately, was on reserve to fly that day and couldn't join us. Poor Matt. We had a nice time. Mattie was a little wild in the restaurant. She kept saying very loudly, "I want NOOOODLES." She's so cute. Then we had to drive back home and get ready for Sunday. It was a short visit, but it was so great seeing them!

Rays at Disney

Last night we were able to go to another Rays game. They were playing three games at Disney's Wide World of Sports against the Toronto Blue Jays. Whenever the Rays play in Orlando, we like to take advantage of that and go to as many games as we can...shorter drive. So last night we met up with the Lugos and headed down to Disney. The Lugos are our new baseball buddies. Jose is a huge baseball fan and it's nice for Greg to have a guy to talk with about the game...or about every game. And it's nice for me to have Frances to talk to about how crazy our husbands are about sports. We have a lot of fun with them. I love going to the Wide World of Sports stadium, because no matter where you sit, you have great seats. It was a good game. We had a blast. Greg, of course was cracking me up the entire night. For those of you that think my husband is very quiet, you have never seen him at a sporting event. He is standing up and yelling, cheering, sometimes happy, sometimes angry. It's a pretty funny, sometimes embarrassing, sight. Don't feel too bad for me, I knew he was like that from our first date, which was to a Magic game. So, I have known from the beginning how he really is. Anyways, we were sitting at the game, it was the bottom of the 6th, and Toronto brought in a new pitcher...Shawn Camp. Shawn Camp was previously a pitcher for our Rays...he's really not the best (that's being nice). In his past with the Rays, he messed up many, many games with his awful pitching. But, luckily he is now part of the Blue Jays. Well, when they announced his name, Greg's ears perked up and he started laughing. Then, as the crowd quieted down...it was really quite...Greg stands and yells, "Shawn Camp, you suck sooo bad!"(while pointing his finger toward the pitching mound). Well, needless to say,everyone in our section and the neighboring sections heard him and turned. I, of course, had my hands over my face, half mortified and half laughing. Greg sat down shaking his head and turned to us, very seriously, and said, "He has caused me so much heartache." HA! My poor, tormented husband. He was yelling all night. I think he threw Shawn Camp off because he only last 2 innings before his team took him out. Poor guy. I was giggling the rest of the night. TheRays went on to win 6-4, we were happy. Go Rays!

Sting'em's Sting

So, I am sorry that we talk about our dog all the time, but it is what it is. He's our little guy. Sting'em, like many dogs, is fascinated with anything with wings. He likes to chase butterflies and bark at birds, he's a curious little guy. Well, he was outside playing in the afternoon near some little flowers. I looked out our back door just as he has was pawing at a small bee. I knew that this was bound to end up bad and before I could do anything, poor Sting'em let out a little bark and he came running into our house. That tiny bee stung him! We couldn't find the stinger, but the damage was done. He had a rough hour or so. His front paw was very swollen and he just laid there in his bed, completely miserable. It's tough to be a dog. He did let us put ice on it for a few minutes to help the swelling. Luckily, that was as bad as it got. It was hard to see our little guy so hurt...but he was back to being the little stinker that he is by the evening.

YAPA

How exciting! In November I started tinkering around with making vinyl signs. As my husband would say, it's always something new with me. It's true. There is always a new craft that I am trying to teach myself-thanks Greg for putting up with my many experiments. Well, needless to say, everyone in the family got a beautiful vinyl sign for Christmas. Even my nieces. Mattie's read "My Prince did come, his name is Daddy'-in the Walt Disney font, of course. I think they were a big hit. So, I kinda fell in love with the vinyl sign thing and bought my own cutter. Well, this weekend I sold a few of the signs to our friend Robyn, for her store, YAPA. YAPA is this incredible store in downtown Melbourne. YAPA means "a little something extra." And that's what the store has in it. All these cute cool things for your home or whatever. Well, Robyn and I are hoping that my signs do very well and if so, she will definitely continue to sell them. She loved them. Greg and I were trying to come up with a name for my little "signing business." Any suggestions???

Lunchtime with Greg

Lunchtime has become my favorite time of my work day. Now that Greg is at his new job, he is much closer, and we get to eat lunch together. He meets me at work (since he gets the longer lunch break) and we get to spend even more time with each other. The ladies at my office all think he is so cute and funny! And they all say how lucky I am because my husband actually wants to spend his lunch break with me. Well, of course he would! So, I am loving this new job location and my lunchtime breaks!!

(He also gets home 30 min earlier at the end of the day than he used to. Sometimes he even beats me home! Maybe he should start dinner on those day...hmmm.)

TAG!!!

10 years ago I was:
I was a junior in High School, getting ready for my summer break before starting my senior year. Planning to go to Ringling School of Art and Design and become a Disney Animator…what happened?

5 things on my to do list today:
1. Go to work, blah
2. Check my blog
3. Go to Dr’s appt
4. Walk my dog
5. Relax!!! (had a busy weekend)

Things I would do if I became a billionaire:
Hmmm…what to do with all that money?
1. Buy a house on a lake, maybe a little house in the Keys too, for Greg (he loves the Keys)
2. Pay off Greg’s student loan
3. Invest the rest and take care of our parents

Places I've lived:
1. Palm Bay, FL
2. Cocoa Beach, FL
3. Sorrento, FL

Jobs I've had (in random order):
1. Marketing Assistant
2. Medical Receptionist
3. Dental Receptionist
4. Hospital Registration

Things most people don't know about me:
1. I have become a snooze button hitter, I like to hit it twice some days (I was always anti-snooze button until recently)
2. If I could stay at home and do art, vinyl signs, soap, jewelry, scrapbooking, or any craft, I would. (Most people probably know that though)
3. I am terrified of heights!!!
4. I absolutely HATE scary movies...I want to sleep peacefully!

Okay, so I tag:
1. Heather
2. America
3. Christi
4. Melissa

Take me out to the Ball Game...Wait! No Sting'em Dog??

Ah, Baseball Season! Yesterday we took our yearly trip over to Tampa for opening day at Tropicana Field. We have gone every year for the past four years. The Rays were playing the Mariners for their first home game of the season. I was looking forward to it all day. We met up with the wonderful Lugos, friends from our ward, and started out on the long drive to Tampa. Anxious to get there to see our team, and especially craving a "Sting'em dog"....For a little history, the "Sting'em dog" is a chili dog they started serving last season. And it happens to be what we named our little puppy after. When we decided to get a puppy, we wanted to give him a name no other dog has. Since he is a "wiener" dog, we had to give him a "wiener" name. Oscar or Meyer would not do, so I came up with Sting'em...after a chili dog. Everyone asks us where we got that name, so there is the story of how our Sting'em dog came to be. So, this brings us back to yesterday. I was craving a Sting'em dog all day, to eat in honor of our little guy. To my shock and disappointment, Tropicana Field has stopped serving the popular Sting'em dog! I was upset. I pretty much save all my hot dog consumption for the entire year just for baseball games. I had to settle for a regular old hot dog with mustard, nothing fancy or exciting. It was still tasty though, it's funny how hot dogs seem to taste better when you are at a baseball game.

So, the absence of the Sting'em dog was the first upset of the night. The Rays losing the game was the second upset (I think there were some bad calls). We still had a great time. And even though they don't serve that delicious chili dog anymore, we'll still keep going.

Phlox and Blossoms

Can I just say that I love Springtime. Greg and I have been very blessed to live in some beautiful places since we have been married. For the first three years of our marriage we lived on the beach in our condo. We loved hearing the ocean waves at night and first thing in the morning. Truly one of my favorite things. The one thing that I didn't particularly care for was springtime on the beach. Not that it wasn't beautiful...it was just so busy. All those Springbreakers from the north. They just made life a little...noisy. Moving to our new place, opposite of the beach, the country I guess you would say. I have learned to enjoy springtime again. Not only is it quiet, but it is gorgeous. On the side of the road, these beautiful little purple flowers have sprung up. I have been told that they are called "phlox"-I don't know too much about plants, I generally kill any plant I try to take care of. These are just so pretty. There is a field not too far from us that is covered in these little flowers. Driving by it, it looks like a purplish-pinkish field. Very colorful. So here are some pictures, to enjoy what we get to see everyday. Another one of our little delights is smelling the lovely orange blossoms. We have many orange groves around us...yum. And they smell delicious!


We do miss our ocean view, but love all of the colors of Springtime we get to enjoy over here.