I'm still here and all over the place with this post.

Hello lovelies! I'm sorry I've been away for so long. I do apologize for the absence, but I just can't seem to get it together and blog lately. I do so appreciate my readers, and I've missed your wonderful comments. Thank you to a special few of you who have sent "miss you" notes!

So, let's see - it's September and in North Texas that = dove season. Want to see what we've been up to for the last month?

Riley is such a proud bird dog!

"Uh, hey guys? I think you missed a spot right there on the tailgate!" - Riley

On another dog note, Roxy has been missing for two weeks now, and that has had me pretty down. As her "rescuer" and foster mama, I still feel responsible for her. I think that not knowing what has happened to her is the worst part. Did someone see her and take her? Was she hit by a car? Did she just run away? There's just no closure, so we hold out hope that maybe she will still turn up. The unknown is killer.

Speaking of the unknown - I've got to keep it vague, but my husband and I are struggling with a difficult decision. It would be a huge leap of faith, and that scares the hell out of me. I find myself trying to strike a balance between supportive and cautious, between trust and security. I want to be supportive of him and his aspirations, but I find myself thinking selfishly of myself. Has anyone else been caught in this situation?

That's all I'm able to muster at this point without pictures from my home computer. But hey, it's something right?

Oh, and calling all Anthropologie lovers: I have a new blog crush. Kim @ Anthroholic is absolutely fabulous!! I love the outfits she puts together, and it's awesome to see Anthro pieces (that I wouldn't know what to do with) in action. Check her out!

Mutt Monday

This picture was taken in 2005 during our first "family" photo shoot. Riley was just two here. He looks so long and lean! Riley's a bird dog, and as we were sitting next to the duck pond, he was so excited here that he forgot to put the lid on his lipstick. Ah, the joy of boys!

I promise, I promise that I am good for more than just MM. I've been having some personal issues, and I don't think anyone wants to read my "woe is me" posts. Have mercy on lame-o me!

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Mutt Monday was spawned, in part, by you - my fellow bloggers! In my blogstalking, I have come across so many of you who, like me, have adorable hounds that you love to show off! And what better way to brighten a dreary Monday than man's (and woman's!) best friend???

So all you dog lovers out there, I want to see your mutts and your purebreds, your tiny Chihuahuas and your huge Great Danes, your brand spankin' new puppies and your lazy, graying flea bags! Do you want to join the Mutt Monday fun? Link to your Mutt Monday post (not just your blog) through Mr. Linky below so we can all melt over your precious mutt(s)!!

A Late Mutt Monday!

Tony's aunt says that our dogs are more photogenic than most people. I'm inclined to agree - they give good face!

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Mutt Monday was spawned, in part, by you - my fellow bloggers! In my blogstalking, I have come across so many of you who, like me, have adorable hounds that you love to show off! And what better way to brighten a dreary Monday than man's (and woman's!) best friend???

So all you dog lovers out there, I want to see your mutts and your purebreds, your tiny Chihuahuas and your huge Great Danes, your brand spankin' new puppies and your lazy, graying flea bags! Do you want to join the Mutt Monday fun? Link to your Mutt Monday post (not just your blog) through Mr. Linky below so we can all melt over your precious mutt(s)!!

I know I'm late, but please add your link if you played along. I don't want to miss anybody's mutts!

A Letter to My Husband.

A letter to my husband, on this our fifth anniversary.

I’ve said hurtful things that I regret. You forgave.
I’ve sweated so many small things. You obliged.
I’ve despaired when things got rough. You encouraged.
I’ve wished for more than I should have. You granted.
I’ve cried buckets of tears. You mopped.
I’ve felt unattractive and inadequate. You desired.
I’ve dug my heels in stubbornness. You caved.
I’ve needed more than you had to give. You endured.
I’ve questioned you. You tolerated.
I’ve shared my deepest secrets. You listened.
I’ve lusted for your touch. You consumed.
I’ve trusted when it didn’t feel natural. You committed.
I’ve laughed until my stomach ached. You tickled.
I’ve given myself to you unlike any other. You welcomed.
I’ve loved more intensely than my heart thought possible. You requited.
I’ve grown as a woman, as a person, as a wife. You inspired.

You are truly my better half. I love you more than yesterday but less than tomorrow!

My Summer Swap Package Arrived!

I recently participated in Miss Sweet Tea's at the Sweet Tea Diaries Summer Swap. It was such a fun experience! Thanks so much for hosting this Angela! Before I get to the goods, can I just say that I had an awfully crummy day yesterday?? I got some disheartening news about a co-worker, and it is going to make the next several weeks strange and difficult. But when I came home to my summer swap package, all that faded away!

I got the best partner in Amy at The Un-wife Housewife Life! We have tons in common, and I'm sure if we lived closer, we would be great IRL friends. For now, we will have to settle for bloggy friends, BUT Tony did ask me if we needed to take a trip to FL when I went on and on about how much I enjoyed this process with Amy!

I opened up my package to find this awesome tote bag on the top!

Inside the tote bag were all my goodies. Everything was wrapped super cute, and she even played into my blog theme with this "A Girl's gotta SHINE" label!

Some other items of note were gifts for Riley & Gidget and Tony! She is so thoughtful!

Here's all my loot:

• the tote bag
• koozies for me & Tony
• liver treats for Riley & Gidget
• a book light - sure to get lots of use while I work on my Sookie Stackhouse books
• a floatie for the lake
• Orbit gum in the best flavor - Bubblemint!
• a super cute nail polish color & clearcoat that I will definitely be taking to my next pedicure
• Maybelline Shine Seduction gloss. It's spooky how in tune we seem to be. Amy got me the EXACT same lip product that I use, without telling her, ONE shade off from the current color I am using. That's so great!
• and probably my favorite of all - a great chip & dip bowl for the lake with Amy's personal guacamole recipe! Tony is really intrigued to try this, so I will definitely be whipping it up for the 4th!

Here is a better shot of just the tote bag and koozies. These were all HANDMADE by Amy's mom Angie over at TLC by Angie! How cool is that?? Thanks ladies!!

Here's a close up of some of my other goodies. The lip gloss was already stashed in my purse, and Tony and I were drooling over the guacamole!

Gidget waited for her treats like a good little girl. Riley was impossible to capture as he was bouncing all over the room. I made a video of them, but I didn't have time to load it, so I think it might make a good Mutt Monday post!

This swap was so much fun! Thanks again to Angela, Amy and Angie!

Wordful Wednesday: Oh Deer!

Wordful Wednesday is hosted by Seven Clown Circus.

This past weekend, we took a break from Fort Smith to head to Possum Kingdom Lake with friends. We started to see quite a few deer as the sun went down, and Mark mentioned that they would come closer if I threw some corn out. So, I did, and the next several pictures show you what happened next.

OMG, it's eating out of my hand!! (I couldn't fix the red eyes on this one. Please resist the urge to draw horns on me.)

Tony got in on the action for a few minutes. I think he was resisting the urge to wrestle the deer to the ground.

Here come some more...

They ate out of my hand like this for a long time. Their little noses are so soft. I loved it!

I had just told this one that he needed to lay off and let someone else have a turn. He wasn't amused.

At this point, there were 15 or so in my little area. There were several more approaching on the other side of the fence.

The next day, these ladies were feeding on a brush pile in front of the house.

And, look what was hiding in between our fence and the neighbors...


A baby deer!! This little thing was almost as cute as a puppy. Sorry baby deer, nothing beats puppies in my book. It let me get pretty close before it hightailed it for its mama.

I found it with its mama a little later. Reunited and it feels so good...

I hope you enjoyed!

Pop Quiz

I saw this little quiz on Adventures in Newlywed a while back, filled it out and never posted it. I gots nothing today, so here ya go.

♥What are your middle names? I’d rather not say, but they start with M (me) and D (Tony).

♥How long have you been together? March 7, 2003 – ‘til death do us part.

♥How long did you know each other before you started dating? Hours. I don’t remember how many. There might have been underage drinking going on.

♥Who asked who out? He did.

♥Who said I love you first? He did.

♥How old are each of you? 26.

♥Whose siblings do/did you see the most? Mine, but not by a huge margin.

♥Do you have any children together? Nope. Let's keep it that way for a while longer, mmmmk?

♥What about pets? Duuurrr...check out the header.

♥Which situation is the hardest on you as a couple? We’ve had various issues over the years, namely adjusting to Tony’s schedule as a firefighter, but I have to say family estrangement has been the hardest.

♥Are you from the same hometown? Sorta. He was born elsewhere in Texas but moved here 18 years ago.

♥Who is the most sensitive? Queen bawl bag Jordan.

♥Where do you eat out most as a couple? I don’t think we have a frontrunner. We are equal opportunity eaters.

♥Where is the furthest you two have traveled together as a couple? Cabo San Lucas.

♥Who does the cooking? Tony ‘cuz I’m spoiled like that.

♥Who is the most social? Tony. Consider me a recluse compared to that social butterfly.

♥Who is the neat-freak? All me. Tony doesn’t have a neat freak bone in his body.

♥Where was your first date? A local bar and grill.

♥Who has the bigger family? Definitely Tony - Mexican/Polish Catholics.

♥Do you get flowers often? No, but I did when we were dating. I prefer to spend that money at Anthropologie.

♥Who do you spend the holidays with? We split time between his family and mine.

♥Who is more jealous? Tough call. We are rarely jealous, but we have each had a moment or two.

♥Who’s better with the computer? Me. Ha!

♥Who picks where you go to dinner? This is an agonizing process of “You pick.” “I picked last time! It’s your turn.” Groan. “Ok, well what sounds good?” “I don’t know. What did you have for lunch?” And on it goes. It’s a wonder we ever leave the house.

♥Who eats more sweets? Tony.

♥Who cries more? Queen bawl bag Jordan.

PS: Don't forget to enter my giveaway! It ends Friday, June 5th!

Crazy Eights

It's going around the blogosphere, and I needed an idea for today.

8 Things I Look Forward To:

1.) My fifth wedding anniversary
2.) The completion of Fort Smith
3.) Summer weekends at the lake
4.) Reaching my fitness goal so I can have a glass of vino
5.) A trip to Anthropologie once I reach my goal
6.) The healing of a broken friendship, even though I'm not yet ready
7.) Seeing my friend Rachel whenever she can work me in for a visit
8.) The rest of my days with the love of my life

8 Things I Did Yesterday:

1.) Shredded with Jillian
2.) Went to the grocery store
3.) Talked to my husband on the phone
4.) Brought in seven boxes of lake purchases from the front porch
5.) Tidied my office while the network tech was there
6.) Blogstalked
7.) Thanked God for my blessings
8.) Watched the Biggest Loser - Team Tara all the way!

8 Things I Love:

1.) My husband telling me I'm his dream girl
2.) Puppies, puppies, puppies
3.) Spending time with family
4.) Browsing in a bookstore
5.) My husband's cooking
6.) Taking super hot baths and then rinsing my hair out in ice cold water
7.) Throwing random movie quotes into any situation
8.) Baking, even though I rarely have time for it anymore

8 Things I Wish I Could Do:

1.) Catch up on LOST (it’s not in 8 shows I watch b/c I'm super behind!)
2.) Fix my jacked-up knees
3.) Make money off of something I enjoy doing/creating
4.) Style my hair in an updo
5.) Rescue another fur baby to stay with us
6.) Fly to France to visit my family there
7.) Go back to school to get my MBA (this is more like I wish I wanted to)
8.) Sweat the small/OCD/anal-retentive stuff less

8 Shows I watch:

1.) Nip/Tuck
2.) Rescue Me
3.) Sons of Anarchy
4.) Big Love
5.) True Blood
6.) Weeds
7.) The Biggest Loser
8.) Survivor

#$@% you, hacker.

Yesterday afternoon, I was pleasantly enjoying a Golden Girls marathon on the Hallmark channel. The house was quiet (except for the tv), Tony was at the station, the pups were napping, and I was still in my pjs at 2:30 in the afternoon - a recipe for a nice Sunday - until it was brought to a screeching halt by a phone call from Tony.

T: "Hey, I'm on the other line with the fraud prevention people, and they said there's a bunch of questionable charges hitting your debit card."

Me: "Like what?"

T: "Some Bangkok airline and stuff."

Me: "What the #$%??? Are you serious??"

T: "Fraid so babe."

So, I freaked out and ran to the computer to check our bank account, and there were six lovely charges totalling over $800 to Match.com, Hotel Club Direct, Bangkok Air (mail order bride, perhaps??) and Free Hotel Search - who are apparently guilty of false advertising because that free search cost some poor sucker $437.55. Oh wait, that sucker was me. Greeeeeaaaaat.

The fraud folks put a nice little freeze on my debit card (which is in my possession, so I'm guessing someone hacked or copied the info), and I have to order a new one - grrrr. AND, I have to file affidavits with the bank that deny the charges so I can begin the reimbursement process. I spent the morning on the phone with vendors cancelling auto payments that were tied to the card. What a freaking nightmare. @#$%&*(@#&@# But major kudos to the fraud prevention people for catching it before it got too out of hand and for calling on a Sunday!

ETA: I love my husband so stinkin' much. I just got a text asking if I wanted to go on a date with him to see Wolverine tonight! :)

That darn cat dog!

This little dog...

...is so much more evil than her cute little face lets on. She mischievously turned a productive Saturday afternoon at Fort Smith into a scramble fest with the push of a button.

Taking a break from working, I went out to the truck to get my checkbook out of my purse to pay one of the contractors. Gidget hopped right in like she thought we were leaving. Once I wrote the check, I tried to get her to come back out, but she was not having it. She plays this game every so often when we come home from the groomer, and usually, after a few minutes left to herself she jumps right out. So, I just left her in there with the intention of coming back in a few minutes.

15 minutes later, I went out to the truck to let her out, pulled up on the handle and nothing...happened. That little snot had locked us out!! Tony's keys were right there on the console, and she was sitting in the driver's seat - smiling. (Yes, the dog actually smiles - I have photographic evidence.) I tried and tried to coax her back up onto the door in hopes that she would hit the unlock button. But Miss Priss didn't want any part of it. She climbed up onto the console and took a nap...on top of the keys, just to add insult to injury.

I'm sure this went through her evil little noggin: "Keys in the truck? Check. No water bottles in the house? Check. No food? Check. Ridiculously strong winds? Check. Lock truck? Check. Operation Lock Out has commenced. [Insert maniacal dog laughter here.]" Every now and then, we would beat on the door to try and get her attention. She would flick her ears, barely open one eye to check out the hoopla, and then ignore us.

Two hours and numerous creative attempts later, we finally found a way in. It took both of us prying the door open wide enough to shove a piece of copper pipe down and hit the unlock button. And then that little brat had the nerve to jump right out and prance around. She's lucky Tony let her live ride inside the truck on the way home.

There's a reason my mom calls her The Brain (Riley is Pinky, by the way).

Happy birthday babe!

May the winds of fortune sail you,

May you sail a gentle sea.

May it always be the other guy

who says, "this drink's on me."

Sláinte!!

Happy St Patrick's to all! It's a fairly uneventful week for us. Maybe I'll have some pics from T's bday dinner and his present tomorrow!

A night at the movies

I got carded last night to get into an R-rated movie. Seriously?? The guy at the ticket stand asked for both Tony and my IDs when we asked for tickets to Watchmen. We both just looked at each other, dumbfounded. I said to Tony, "is he kidding?" as we pass the licenses to him. The guy fires back, "you both look really young" as he checks the dates out. As he passed my ID back to me, he says, "I thought you would have been 16." I muttered, "Uh...thanks?"

I frequently get told that I look young, but I didn't know what to say to being likened to someone almost ten years younger! Sometimes it gets really frustrating. I get carded all the time, but it's often more than people just doing their job. My license has been questioned as a fake more than once because I look older in my license pic (taken four years ago with short hair) than I do now. Hopefully, looking younger will be a blessing for me several years in the future!

On another note, I really do not understand the parents who take their young children to R rated movies. I'm not talking about the parents who are trying to get a night out with a baby who sleeps through the entire movie but parents who take children that are old enough to be aware of adult situations but too young to fully comprehend them.

We saw a man in the movie with two young boys - probably six and four - and we just knew that the movie was going to be way too adult for them. Watchmen had lots of nudity, an attempted rape, a graphic sex scene that lasts over a minute, a slew of f-bombs and other four-letter words, and pervasive violence/gore. One guy had his arms cut off with a circular saw, and another was whacked in the head multiple times with a butcher's knife! I had to turn away a few times, and even Tony cringed some. After the movie was over, we both turned to each other to say, "I can't believe that guy brought those kids!"

Now, I'm obviously not a parent, so I can't judge that man's decision to bring those kids. I just don't understand it. What makes someone think that a child that young can handle seeing those kind of things or that a child should see those things? I just don't know sometimes, but what I would like to know is how those little boys slept through last night - and the next few...

Gidget's Favorite Place...

... is anywhere she's snuggled up with Tony!

"I'm Nuts. This is my partner, Pretzels." - Berg

After blog stalking for months, I am now joining the ranks of the stalked ones (assuming someone out there is actually going to read this drivel). Did you ever watch the show "Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place?" It was about three grad students - Sharon and roommates Pete and Berg. It hasn't been on the air for years now, but I always thought it was a funny show. Anyway, in trying to come up with a clever name for this blog, the show title came to mind, and I ran with it.

I'm not sure why I've decided to start this. Maybe it's because I miss writing, or maybe I'm just bored, but whatever the reason - here it is!

This is Dog #1 - Gidget AKA Miss Gidget, Gidget Girl, the Brain and Baby Girl.

Miss Gidget was a puppy that I fell in love with almost six years ago when she was featured as the "Pet of the Week" in the newspaper. She was listed as Harley, and Tony (then boyfriend, now husband) took me out to the Humane Society to see her. When I asked about Harley at the reception desk, the volunteers told me that she had already been adopted, and I was just heartbroken. Since I was really bummed, and we were already out there, we walked outside to see the other dogs available for adoption. I came across one of the kennels, saw the cutest little face looking at me through the chain link, and I shrieked, "That's her!!"

I hurried back inside to ask about her, and it was then that the volunteers explained that there had been a mix-up, and "Harley," as seen in the paper, was actually Gidget. I was so happy to see that she was still there! We took her out to the yard and instantly bonded. I paid the fee, and I actually had to wait a few weeks for her to be spayed before I could take her home to Tony's house. I visited her a few times out there, and we got to bring Miss Gidget (the name the shelter had given her was so fitting for her little personality that we kept it) home Memorial Day weekend 2003. She was estimated then to be four months old, so that makes my little princess six as of this month. She is part Chihuahua, part unknown terrier and all heart.

Then, there is Dog #2 - Riley AKA Riley Dog, Pinky, Fatty and Bud.



Riley came about when my parents' neighbors bred their female yellow Lab, which I often dog-sat, with a Field Trial Champion Lab. Tony wanted a bird dog, and I'm a sucker for Labs...so, it was kind of a no-brainer for us to claim one of the pups. I wanted one of the white pups, but they were all females, and Tony had his heart set on a yellow male. Six weeks later in August 2003, we brought the little guy home. I honestly can't remember how Tony came up with the name Riley, but I loved it from the moment he suggested it.

He can't be classified as full blooded because his mom Abby - who was very much a Lab - was found as a stray, so not much is known about her lineage. But, he's about as close to full blood as he can be without actually being 100%. Riley was quite the challenge, as most Lab pups are, although thankfully he has never been a chewer or a digger! He was a huge cry baby and would keep Tony up at night, and he gave us fits with crate training. But, he grew into a great companion and bird dog, and he will be six in July. He lives for September 1 when we all go out on opening day of dove season. By the time sundown comes around, he is exhausted, but he's the happiest you will see him all year. I spend a lot of time alone because of Tony's work schedule, and he is always the protector by my side.

There's the Girl - Me AKA Jordan, Nadroj, the Yellow Dart, TPT, Karen and Jo.

If you know me, well, you know me, and if you don't, you'll catch on...

As for the Husband's Grace part of the blog title, when I decided to play off the show title, the two dogs and a girl part came easily. But, I wanted to include my husband, Tony AKA Tone, T, and Tone Loc.



He was a little more difficult to fit in the title. I was sitting there thinking of words that rhymed with place, and I came to grace. Normally, when I think of grace, I think of God's mercy, so I wasn't sure if it was going to be appropriate. But in googling the official definitions, I came across this:

Grace 1Definition: The exercise of love, kindness, mercy, favor; disposition to benefit or serve another; favor bestowed or privilege conferred.

And it just clicked. I couldn't think of anything more fitting of the character of the man who chose me to be his wife. Plus he has the grace just to put up with me! He's been my partner from the day we met, March 7, 2003. I can remember my Dad telling me that I would marry him after the first time he met Tony. I thought he was crazy! We didn't date long before - wouldn't you know Dad was right?? - we were engaged in December that same year. Tony's placement in a fire station shifted our wedding plans up from October to July 8, 2004 in Las Vegas, baby! We are coming up on our fifth anniversary this summer, and we're planning a trip back to catch all the things we missed on the first go-round. I'm so excited!

Stay tuned for more episodes of "Two Dogs, a Girl and a Husband's Grace"!