Where does the time go?

Honestly, doesn't it feel like we just had Christmas??? I can't believe that we leave for Utah in less than two weeks. We are so excited for the trip...not necessarily the drive, but the destination. My brother, Jordan, is getting married on the 23rd. Grace is missing the last 6 days of school...it's just 1st grade, right? It's just crazy that it's already the end of the school year.

We'll be in town for just over a month. So, let's organize some playgroups and girls nights out! Dry weather and good mexican food, here we come!

I promise I AM going to post pics of our kitchen. We have a lovely habit of starting a project and getting most of the way done and burning out. So we just have a few odds and ends to finish and THEN I will take the "after" pics. I'll make it a goal to get it done before we leave for vacation. Oh, and wish me luck, I'm going in for my crown tomorrow...it better be perfect!

Tooth Trauma

Do any of you recall one of my most embarrassing moments that I shared on Megan's blog? If not, let me refresh your memory. A long time ago in a land far, far away (Utah) I was taking my required Fit for Life course at good old UVSC. I had put off taking the course until my last semester before graduating. I'm a great procrastinator...but in my defense I did bear a child during those years, so I had somewhat of an excuse. I took it with my sister-in-law, Marie, which was the only thing that made the class remotely bearable. We were living with the Aitken's at the time, so it was very convenient to get up on Saturday mornings and drive to school together in the dead of winter. (As convenient as it could be, I guess, considering it was on Saturday!) Well, one fun Saturday morning we were doing circuit training in one of the workout rooms. Half the class was doing cardio on treadmills, ellipticals, etc. And the other half was doing weight training. We would do each for a set amount of time and then switch when the teacher blew the whistle. Well, Marie and I were working on the weights when we heard the whistle to switch. We immediately headed over to two empty treadmills. Very nonchalantly, I hopped on up to start my workout...only to be knocked completely off my feet and thrown off the treadmill. That's right, some dimwit had left the machine running after leaving it. Hello!!! And me, already a dimwit, didn't notice. In my defense, the room was very noisy, and it is hard to tell that the conveyor belt is moving, when it's moving very fast! I got pretty banged up, but my pride got the better of me and I hopped right back on the blasted machine and completed my workout.

So let's fast forward a few years. And we'll find out what happens when you fall off a treadmill.

I'm sitting in the dentist chair after several years of no visits due to lack of insurance, and my dentist asks me if I've suffered a tooth trauma, because my left front tooth appears to be slightly darker than the other one. I had noticed, but I thought it was nothing that a little bleach wouldn't fix. Apparently not. An exray confirmed the fact that indeed my tooth had been traumatized and the root had shrunk back significantly. Well, long story short, they told me that at some point I would probably want to have that tooth either veneered or crowned so that it would match the rest of them. I've waited three years now since hearing that wonderful news, and started the process a couple of weeks ago. I don't know if you know the process, but they have to wittle your tooth down to a veritable nub to do this work. We decided to try doing a veneer since it was much more conservative. So I had a temporary veneer for a couple of weeks while they were custom-making a veneer that would match my other teeth. Yesterday was the day that I was supposed to get my veneer. What a disaster! The tooth looked WAY fatter than my other front tooth and it still looked yellow. No improvement at all, if anything it was worse. So the dentist tells me that they need to prep it for a full crown. Okay, fine. I can live with that. So they then proceed to wittle down my tooth even more. (There's pretty much nothing left by now.) And the dental assistant makes me another temporary. Here's where I have a major problem. The temporary is hideous! I'm not exaggerating. I think I could have made a better temporary...and I have NO experience. It's all bumpy and weird colored and just plain ugly. So I'm walking around not wanting to smile or talk to anyone because I don't want them to notice my gimp tooth. My confidence has really been shaken with this dentist and the lab. I really hope that I have normal looking teeth when I come home next Thursday. If I don't...someone's gonna get hurt! But I guess there are worse things in life...I could have this guy's teeth!



And, no, I won't be posting pictures of my teeth. I won't even show Trevor.

Sunday morning with pancakes...

Honestly, what's better than Sunday morning, homemade buttermilk pancakes, jammies, and conference? I say nothing. And it's a little embarrassing that my favorite food in the entire world is pancakes with strawberries and whipped cream. Many of you already know this about me. They are the ultimate comfort food for me. (And I wonder why I can't seem to lose ten pounds!) I think it's because we ate this growing up, and when I was really sick/pregnant with Holly, my mom made these for me and it was literally the only thing that sounded in the least bit appetizing and didn't make me throwup. (I know, why did I need to mention the throwup...sorry.) Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed your conference weekend.

Here's my recipe for delectable, fluffy buttermilk pancakes:

1 2/3 c. flour
2 T. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
Whisk to combine, then add:
2 c. buttermilk
2 eggs
2 T. oil
Whisk until combined. Batter will be slightly lumpy. Don't overmix.
Heat up griddle and cook. The key to fluffy pancakes is to only turn them ONCE. You know they are done when you can press on them and they immediately bounce back.

The Rest of the Story...

All right, my friends, here is the rest of the story. Sorry for the long delay, as I'm sure you were all just waiting on pins and needles to hear what happened next. Yeah right! In any event, hopefully this is the last post about racoons.

So after many sleepless weeks because of the critters in my ceiling, I finally called Critter Control. Yes, the same people that I paid to come last year that didn't catch any critters. But, I will give them props for giving me a "discount" for being a repeat customer.

So, the guy is crawling all over the outside of my house and canNOT figure out where the little devils have been getting in. Like I said before...Trevor had sealed up all possible entrances. So we have all been pretty dumbfounded that we are still hearing critters. Anyway, I showed him where I have been hearing racoon chatter in my ceiling, and he tapped around. He finally got them to start making some noise. And he cut a whole in my ceiling, and LO and BEHOLD, there were four little baby raccoons inside. No sign of the mama. I really hope she can't back inside because she's gonna be pretty mad if she gets back in and her babies are gone. Yikes!

I know the picture doesn't really show it, but they were really kinda cute. It made me kind of feel bad for all the cursing that went on about them. My girls really wanted to keep them. Yeah right. No, those little rascals are on their way to a rehab center to be nursed back to health and then released back into the wild so they can break into someone elses's house to have their own babies. That's right, that's what I just paid for--racoon rehab.

I'll post again soon, and show you pics of what else we've been up to lately...a little kitchen remodel.

New Theory

Um, I think we were wrong about the squirrels...
It's something much bigger than that. Last night, when Trevor went to check out the "racket", I thought he was walking around the room just above our bedroom. When he came back, I asked him, and he said he hadn't been. Whatever was walking around up there was A LOT bigger than a squirrel...big enough to make the floorboards creak. It might explain why when we set up squirrel traps, we never caught any. Our current bet is that it is an oppossum. Maybe a racoon. Last night, we were both up very late, and couldn't go to sleep because the critter was in our walls again. Trevor patched up any possible holes during the day, and it's probably stuck in there. So...we are setting some racoon traps tonight in hopes of catching something.
Can you believe any of this? I hardly can. Who would have thought I would be posting about a racoon/oppossum invasion.
So, for now the squirrels are safe, and there has been no alliance formed between the racoons and the squirrels. Phew! That's a load off my mind...

Well apparently, I do!

Our home...a squirrel's paradise

So, here it is...a veritable squirrels paradise. We live in a heavily-wooded area of Houston. Our whole neighborhood is full of trees. Our lot alone has 20-30 trees, and for some reason the squirrels prefer our yard. At any given time during the day, you will see numerous squirrels frolicking in our trees, running along our fence, and even playing on our swing set in the backyard. It's like disneyland for squirrels! When we first moved in, we thought it was so cute. In the above picture, in the big tree, do you see the stump that kind of sticks out? That's the squirrel's little perch to sit on while he eats his little acorns. I actually caught one in action a couple of weeks ago.

Awww...cute right? Sure, you can continue to think that for the moment. While these little creatures are cute, they are wily little devils. Last spring, in the wee morning hours one morning (Trevor had just left for work, so I was alone), I heard some rustling above my head. I totally freaked out. I thought someone (or something) was in my house. My bedroom is on the main floor, and the girls are upstairs, which is where I head the rustling coming from. I immediately called Trevor (it was about 6:30am, and he had just walked into his office), and was whispering on the phone that something was in the house. I didn't know what to do. I ran upstairs and barricaded off the rooms in which I heard the noises, so that whatever it was couldn't get into the rest of the house. I continued to hear the rustling noises as well as some animal chatter. So I knew it was an animal of some sort. Well, to make a long story short, we had squirrels in our attic. And every morning, I would be awakened to them knocking their nuts and acorns around, and scampering through the walls. I called Critter Control, and they came and set traps on the roof and in the attic and found a hole in our roof where the squirrels had chewed their way in. (And you thought they were cute and friendly! oh no.) Do you think that we caught any squirrels in those traps? Oh no, they are way too smart for traps. Look in the below picture. Do you see the above the upper window some vents? Well, we also discovered that they were getting there as well.

So, Trevor fixed all the points of entry. He put chicken wire over the attic vents, and for a year we have been squirrel-free (in the house, anyway). Well, a couple of weeks ago, we started to hear a bit of rustling in the room that is just under that attic vent (you know, the one with the chicken wire). Trevor ran outside, and guess what he saw! A racoon was hanging from the tippy top of the roof upside down, pulling up the chicken wire. That's right, the racoons and squirrels have formed an alliance against us. Here's a close-up picture of what the racoon did. Incredible!!


Trevor threw a stick at it, and scared it off. And the next day, he climbed up there and fixed the chicken wire. So, problem solved, right? Read on, dear friends, the fun isn't over.

Well, this morning (and when I say morning, I mean 4 am!), I was enjoying the first full night's sleep in several days due to a sick baby, and what do I awaken to? Not a baby crying...but the rustling above my head! I listen for a while in shock! How are these creatures getting in?! I rolled over and said, "those d#$% squirrels!" Trevor just laughed...he had been awakened as well. Neither one of us could go back to sleep because they were being so loud.

Let's not think about the fact, that they could be chewing through my electrical wires, and could possibly cause a fire. Let's not think about the fact that they are probably having their babies in my house. That's right, it's that special time of year when animals procreate. Let's not think about the possibility of spending another $200 to have Critter Control come set traps that WON'T catch them. I'm not going to think about any of these things.

I will, however, be making a trip to the sporting goods store and seriously consider buying a pellet gun.

I Heart Michael Buble

Okay friends, turn the mute off on your computers, and crank up the volume. What you are listening to is the fabulous voice of Mr. Michael Buble. His new-ish song "Lost" is the first on the list I have on my playlist, and it just gives me pins and needles all over (and brings a tear to my eye, even) when I listen to it. I love love LOVE his music and voice.

Last fall, I heard he was coming to Houston, so I bought a couple of tickets put them in Trevor's stocking on Christmas. Well, the concert was this last Saturday night. I have to tell you, I am always a little leary of seeing someone in concert, because sometimes they just don't measure up live. Let me tell you, he definitely delivered. What a fantastic show, and he was just hilarious, too. I just wanted to take him home with me! You know, to sing me to sleep every night. :)

If you get a chance to see him in concert, do it. Don't hesitate...it's worth every penny! American Idol holds nothing compared to this. (Although, I am a fan of A.I.--hello, David Archuletta?! Wow.)