Giveaways and an Award

First: Click on these pictures to
Check out these great giveaways!

The Reality of Happily Ever After is
doing an awesome Summer Giveaway:
And check out Blog Goggles for this
killer Messenger Bag Giveaway:

Next:

I was given the Honest Scrap award

from J.J. at I'd Rather Be Laughing.
and d.a.r. at Just Another Day in Paradise.
Thanks so much guys.

The rules are:
1. List 10 honest things about yourself that your
blogging friends do not know about you.

2. Give the award away to 7 bloggers.

3. Let them know they've received the award.

So here goes nothin':

1. I have never in my life driven a stick shift/6 speed. I am terrified to drive one, knowing I'd stall in the middle of a busy street and not know what to do.

2. I get super excited when all of the pickles in the pickle jar are gone so that I can drink the remaining juice! Yummm. My SIL and BIL own a sno cone business in Norman. They used to have a pickle juice sno cone if I can remember. My favorite. If you're ever in Norman you seriously have to grab one or ten of their sno cones. They're the BEST you'll ever eat. And not just the pickle, they have a GAGILLION flavors. You won't regret stopping by!

3. My grandfather has been missing for 30 years, (since '79.) He was a pilot and his last radio contact was over Mexico. We secretly think he worked for the mob and is now in witness protection!! He, his wife, and their best bud were all on the plane together. Neither they, nor their plane we ever found. Interesting.......

4. I always leave a little liquid in every drink and usually leave cups scattered throughout the house. (Think of the little girl in Signs) It drives my husband insane.

5. I was a gymnast for 12 years, competed and worked hard to be in an upper level. But doctors recommended I quit because of an arm injury. Boooo!

6. I'm a candy-holic. You'll normally find me with gummy bears in hand. I come by it honestly, my mother is a huge candy-holic. She hides her candy so no one else can have any!!

7. I have an OCD with time. I never take off my watch and I never wear fancy watches for that reason. I need a watch that can live through anything. Timex has been my watch savior.

8. I have trouble differentiating color. I failed the color vision test at the eye doctor. It was very embarrasing when Jon and I started dating and we would go shopping together. I always had to ask him what color something was.

9. I REALLY don't like my food to touch. When I was a kid my mom bought me my own special plates, like cafeteria style with little invidual slots, because I was a freak about my food touching. Still am.

10. I CANNOT stand being late. I have always been extremely punctual. Maybe it stems from my OCD with time, but it stresses me out to even think about being late. I'm weird.

I'm passing this award along to some of my newer followers to learn a little about ya!!

In no particular order:

Mrs. G.I. Joe
Little Woman, Little Home
Chapters Of Our Lives
If You Think Round Is Funny
The Mathis'
The Adventures of Katie and Josh
Jane

Hope you all have a great Tuesday!

Another Weekend Update

As always, the weekends are just never long enough! But I can't complain, this Friday Jon is off for the holiday weekend, so we will get to enjoy a three day weekend together! We are working on some fun plans for the 4th of July weekend, so I am really looking forward to that!

Really it was a slow paced weekend, lots of lazy moments and lots of walking in the park with Sampson. He's been such a good guy. He makes me want to have a dog of my own, but I think our friends (Ben and Tara, who we're dog sitting Sampson for,) really lucked out with this guy. He's the EASIEST, most laid back dog EVER! I know we'd get the crazy dog that eats shoes, barks non stop, is hyper as heck and poops everywhere! So we'll wait on that little adventure until we actually have a back yard.

Friday we met up with Sarah and Deaner and grabbed dinner at 7Sinnes. It's a cute little restaurant with outdoor seating. The food was pretty good and of course the beer was mouthwatering. After dinner, Sarah and I downed some gelatto (YUM) and then we headed to Scrooge's Irish Pub.

After several drinks and great convo we called it a night. We always have fun with these guys. (Maybe a little tooooooo much fun.)

Saturday (after having had too many drinks the night before) we just took it easy. We had our weekly dreaded trip to the commissary (boo) to buy groceries and then came back home to be lazy. We took Sampson on a walk and spent the rest of the day watching Sopranos. I am totally hooked on this show and am really sad that we only have a couple more seasons to watch and then the show is over. It makes my heart hurt a little. ;)

Sunday we woke up early and headed out for a long walk with Sampon. But all of the sudden we came upon this pile of treasure. Most people would say it was a pile of CRAP. But to Jon and myself, it was like finding a hidden treasure inside a cave on a pirate ship that belonged to One Eyed Willy! (Okay, maybe not as exciting as The Goonies)

But look at some of the stuff we found:

A little shelfing unit for our shoes. (since we don't have closets)
I'm going to fix it up all pretty.

An old sewing machine, that STILL works.
It just needs a little fine tuning.
I love that it's bright red!!

A neat little table, very antique looking.
It also needs some fixing up.
And our most favorite piece of treasure, an old record player
with speakers that STILL works.
Oh yes, that is a tape player on the side.
This my friends, is REAL treasure ;)
Now I can play my old records and listen to my old Bangles and NKOTB tapes.
My old Louis record. We can't wait to buy more records.

After our Sunday Funday finds we finally headed out for a walk in the park. It was a beautiful day on Sunday, but very humid. It takes me back to Oklahoma.

It was a pretty nice little weekend. Jon and I are very excited for Tuesday, as we get to see Elton John in concert! Yup, that's right. Elton will be here on Tuesday and we're stoked to see him live. Sadly, I have only been to two concerts in my life and embarrasingly enough here are my two concerts: nSync and Linkin Park (whom I'm not fond of but took my brother to see on his 18th birthday anyway.) So needless to say, it will be awesome to add Elton John as my third concert. He has always been one of my favorites! I can't wait to sing Benny and the Jets and Rocketman at the top of my lungs.

They're already setting up the stage so I snapped a quick photo:

Yippie, I can't wait!

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend!

and a BIG HELLO to my new followers! We're so glad that you are here!! I am so happy that you found our little blog interesting enough to stop by and read! It always makes my day to see new readers. So, thank you!

A Furry Visitor

For the next two weeks Jon and I
get to hang out with this guy:

Sampson

Isn't that just the cutest face you've ever seen!!

Our friends left yesterday and returned to the states for a visit (jealous), so they asked if we'd watch Sampson. Of course, I gladly agreed! He's the easiest dog to take care of and the most chill Golden Retriever I've been around. It's nice to have him around. He gives sweet kisses and loves to be scratched on his back. It's so funny, Sampson and I have this ritual, ever time I see him he runs between my legs so that I will scratch his back and little hiney. It's so cute.

Last night after Jon came home from work we took Sampson for a walk in the park. He LOVES the park and the streams so he can jump into them. We played catch with him for a while but were told by some mean German "park guard" to put his leash back on! Other than that, he had a great time and was happy as a lark getting to play outside.

After we got home he was all tuckered out:

The night went pretty well. Every time I heard him move I woke up to check on him. He probably thought I was a nut case always checking on him.

That's the excitement in our lives right now ;)
And today is Friday! I always look forward to the weekend!!

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Feeling Good

I adore blues and jazz and always have since I was a child. My mom introduced it to me when I was a kid and now I couldn't imagine not listening to it. I listen when I'm cleaning, when I'm relaxing, when I'm cooking and while we eat dinner. I am listening to it right now. Jon always says, "You're listening to this again!" I can't help it, this music touches me in so many ways and makes me feel fantastic. So much history and feeling. They don't make music like this anymore. Here are just a few, listen and enjoy.

Ella Fitzgerald- Summertime

Louis Armstrong - What a Wonderful World
This song gets me every time.

Frank Sinatra - That's Life

Louis Armstrong - A Kiss to Build a Dream On

Frank Sinatra - Strangers in the Night

Nina Simone - Feeling Good

Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald - Dancing Cheek To Cheek

Peggy Lee - Why Don't You Do It Right

Dean Martin - Everybody Loves Somebody Sometimes

Billie Holiday - The Very Thought of You

Louis Armstrong - Mack the Knife

Chet Baker - My Funny Valentine

Ella Fitzgerald - Cry Me a River

Otis Redding - These Arms of Mine

BB King - How Blue Can You Get

Etta James - Sunday Kind of Love

Peggy Lee - Fever

I hope all have a wonderful Thursday, Friday is one day away!!

Market Day

Every Wednesday and Saturday, Wiesbaden has a large farmers market in the downtown area. There are many vendors selling fruits, vegetables, breads, meats, cheeses, flowers, etc, you get the idea ;)

Today I walked downtown to meet Jon for lunch at the market so that I could grab a couple of things. I wanted some fresh lettuce, cucumber, and some fresh strawberries. (They are in season right now in Germany.) I love having a farmers market so close by!! There was nothing like this near my house back in Oklahoma, so it is a real treat to be able to buy super fresh produce and I only have to walk a short way to the downtown area.

Thought I'd share a couple of pictures from the market.

If you've been following our blog for a long time, I'm sure you've seen this church a dozen times, but here's more pictures, just for the heck of it!

After market I met up with my friend Sarah and we made a little trip to Ikea for a couple of things. I bought a couple of picture frames to add to our dining room and some glass spice jars for my spice cabinet. Yesterday I also bought glass bottles for olive oils and vinegars and I'm going to use those in my spice cabinet as well. I am excited to get it all organized so my spice cabinet will look all pretty. (Wow, you know you're getting old when a spice cabinet gets you excited.) I'll have to take a picture of the finished product because I know you all will be excited too ;)

Sarah and Deaner bought a new TV for their soon to be house, so we headed over to the base to pick it up from the electronics store. Who said women can't do a man's job? We heaved that thing into the back of my vehicle (with help from Deaner and a few passerby's) but when we got back to the hotel where they are staying we lugged that sucker all the way into the building. That TV was not light, let me tell ya! We definitely looked like two super human wives. (At least I thought so!) I was very proud of us!

Now I'm off to do dishes and laundry.
If only I could be super human and wiz through that! Booooo!

Hope you all have a great Wednesday!

Me Tarzan, You Jane

A couple of weekends ago, we were hiking and came across a ropes course, which I mentioned in a previous post. My husband is SET ON DOING THIS. A year ago, Jon and I went on a canopy tour while we were on our honeymoon in Costa Rica. My husband, the adventurer, thought it would be so much fun to go flying through the top of the trees hundreds of feet from the ground dangling from a single wire! I have to admit, I was TERRIFIED at the beginning, but once we got out there and I realized there really was no real danger, (except for falling several hundreds of feet, plummeting to the ground,) I actually had a GREAT time. I felt like Tarzan or Jane, whoever, just deep in the jungle (rain forest) doing my Tarzan yell. My parents have taken us on our yearly family vacation, every year for over 10 years to Costa Rica and this was the first time I partook in a canopy tour. It took me over 10 years to build the courage to get out there and try it. Here's some of our pictures from that day:

Doesn't that look a little terrifying???

Anyway, this ropes course Jon is interested in is definitely a lot closer to the ground and with this course we actually have to work hard to get through it, unlike the canopy where you just sit back, hang on for dear life and glide through the canopy. I think the ropes course will be a lot of fun, but it looked pretty tough watching it from the ground. At least I won't have to fear for my life!!

Has anyone ever done a ropes course? How was it?

Lazy, Lazy Days.....

This weekend Jon and I were incredibly lazy. It truly was a wonderful weekend being lazy, I think our bodies finally caught up with us and we didn't feel like doing anything but relaxing most of the weekend.

Here's what we were up to:

Friday I was supposed to meet my friend for our daily walk/run, but my shins were killing me. (and they still hurt today.) I got the worst shin splints last week and I know why..... I'm pushing my self too hard too fast. So now I have to pay the consequences. I don't know why I get them so badly, but they truly are painful, frustrating, and disappointing!!

Does anyone know how to control these killer things?? or know a remedy? I've researched and there really isn't a lot you can do. I also asked my sweet friend Mrs. G.I. Joe and she gave me a couple of ideas that seem to be helping a little. She suggested ice and that really is making them feel better. Also she suggested that I not run on a treadmill. I have yet to try this because they have YET to go away. I will definitely be trying this as soon as they are healed. Thanks girl for the advice!

Anyway, instead of working out I picked up the house, ran some errands during the day and did a haircut. We had one of Jon's co-workers over for dinner. He is looking to live in our building, actually the apartment right beneath us, so I showed him around our place. Living in the hotel here in Germany gets old very fast and he is just ready to find a place to get settled into, instead of living out of suitcases.

Saturday we made a trip to the commissary...... bad idea! The entire town of Wiesbaden was at the commissary at that exact same moment Saturday morning. What were we thinking??? It was packed. But we did our grocery shopping and finally made it home all in one piece, except for a little piece my sanity I left behind in the checkout isle!!

I made a banana pudding pie type of thing that afternoon and later that night we went to our friends for dinner. They cooked out for us on the grill, because LONG story made short, we were yelled at by a German woman living above us about grilling out, she said it stunk and we needed to shut it off and not grill anymore. Oh the joys of living in our building!

Our friends were so awesome knowing how much we loved grilling out, they made grilled chicken and ribs, roasted potatoes, salad and bread! We were in HEAVEN! Not to mention we had lovely wine to go with a lovely dinner and some yummy banana pie! We ended up crashing at their place, because before we knew it, time had flown and it was already 3:00 a.m.

Sunday Jon and I watched movies and didn't move from our couch all day. We bought the 7th season of Family Guy and watched the entire season! There were a couple of scenes that Jon laughed so hard he cried, his laugh is so contagious, that in turn made me laugh until my sides hurt. Perfect ending to a great weekend!

Here's my banana pie recipe if you'd like the try it:

Beware, the chocolate shavings get a little messy as you can see by the picture ;)

What you need:

35 Fat Free Nilla Wafers, finely crushed
1/4 cup melted margarine
1 pkg, Philadelphia Cream Cheese 1/3 less fat
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tub Cool Whip, light
3 bananas
1 package Fat Free, Sugar Free Instant Vanilla Jello Pudding
Milk (follow instructions on pudding box)
1/2 square Bakers Semi-sweet Chocolate, grated.

1. Combine Nilla crumbs and margarine. Press onto bottom of 13x9 baking dish. Refrigerate

2. Mix cream cheese and powdered sugar until blended. Stir in 1 cup Cool whip. Spread over crust and top with Bananas.


3. Beat pudding mix with whisk for 2 minutes. Spread over bananas. Top with remaining Cool Whip and grate chocolate to top.

4. Refrigerate 3 hours.

Pretty easy shmeesy right?!?

I hope you all had a fabulous weekend! Here's to getting through another Monday ;)

Kickin' It Moe's Style......

or Chipotle style, or whatever, you get the idea. One of Jon's favorite places back in Oklahoma City is Moe's Southwest Grill. Their burritos are out of this world good!! So the other night we thought why not make our own burritos similar to Moe's or at least give it a try.

I wanted our burritos to be as HONKIN as Moe's so we thought of everything we could pack into a burrito and here's what we came up with: chicken (canned chicken was easiest), a little garlic and onion powder (for those of you who have husbands like mine who don't like the texture of onions) added to the chicken after browning, and a dash of salt and pepper. We had fiesta corn with peppers, black beans, rice, and Mexican-style shredded cheese. I also made homemade salsa, and we had velvetta cheese.

Here's our wanna-be Moe's masterpiece:

And of course, what better way to enjoy a
Honkin burrito than with a bottle of wine!

It was a fantastic dinner, so so delish; I just had to share it with you guys.

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend!

P.S. I loved hearing about some of your fondest memories from childhood! Thanks for sharing.