Cookin' On a Hot Stone

So Jon and I have found the neatest thing ever, a hot stone! While we were at Mann Mobilia last weekend we purchased this hot stone because we really liked the idea of using it to cook with. Plus it came with two burners which we need for our fondue set. (We lost a burner in the move.) This weekend gave us the perfect chance to use this neat contraption. We ran to our local grocery store, bought what we thought was chicken (it actually turned out to be turkey) and gave the hot stone a try.

Our marinated turkey

Jon checking out the flames

The turkey cooking away.

Mind the puzzle pieces, we still haven't finished this darn thing but refuse to put it away until we've completely mastered said puzzle. We just set up shop on our coffee table and cooked right there, given the limited counter space in our kitchen.

The turkey turned out perfect. We have now found our favorite tool to cook with and plan on using it A LOT. We think steak would be an amazing thing to cook on the hot stone and can't wait to give it a try.

This weekend we also bought some greenery to have around our place and some flowers to plant because it is now officially SPRING!!! And I can't begin to explain how happy I am that it is going to be getting warmer here in Germany. I can't wait to see the sun shining. As I am writing this, the birds are chirping away, and even though it is a gloomy day, it such a wonderful sound! Spring is finally here Time for hiking, time for biking, and time for being outdoors, my favorite things in the world!

Here are some of the plants we bought.

My favorite plant! It looks like hair, which is the perfect plant for me.

Yellow Calla Lilies

Jon's little bitty Bonsai tree. Isn't it precious?

Some flowers that we will be planting

Lavandula. It smells so good.Flowers to plant around our potted fig tree.Not too bad to start out with. Once we get everything planted, we can decide what else needs to be added to make our balcony rockin for our daily morning coffee ;)

And in other very big and exciting news!!!!

We bought Twilight this weekend. I've been dying to see it! After reading all four books several months ago, I knew the Twilight DVD was definitely a buyer and I was so happy we purchased this. The movie was GREAT! I had heard so many things about the movie, that it wasn't as good as the book, etc. etc. but I thoroughly enjoyed it, and so did Jonny. I can't wait to watch it again!

Hope you all had a great weekend! Ours definitely flew by..............

A Golden Birthday

It's my baby brother's golden birthday.
He turned 21 years old today!

Love ya buddy.
Sean and I have always been best buds. We are 5 years apart and I guess because of the age difference we never had TOO much trouble getting along.
I miss him dearly!

He's so funny. I called him this morning at 8:30 a.m. (my time) 2:30 a.m. (his time) to say Happy Birthday. He said he just left the Irish Pub in OKC! He waited until 12:00 to get in and the person checking ID's let him in and wished him a Happy B-day. Ahhh....To be 21 again!

Yippie An Award!

First off, thanks for all of the awesome advice you guys gave concerning my last post! All of those ideas were fantastic. Good news, Jon and I walked to the gym last night and worked out and today I worked out at the airbase gym. Thanks for all of the motivation. I can't wait to try some of the videos you all suggested. I'm totally interested in this Jillian Michaels video. I looked for it at the PX, of course they didn't have it so I am ordering it today from Amazon. So far we are off to a good start. I think this time we will keep it up!

Again a big thanks.... you guys ROCK!

Secondly.......

My wonderful blogging buddy Jenny Lee made my day by giving me this.....

Thanks Jenny Lee!!

With this award I am to tell 10 Not So Cute things about myself, so here it goes.........

1. I am OCD about time. I always have to know what time it is, and NEVER take off my watch. Even when I shower, exercise, you name it.... I have on my lovely Timex Ironman. What's not so cute is it can get really gross, because the band is velcro and not rubber. No matter how gross it gets I can't part with my watch, so we usually end up buying a new one often. My time OCD is so bad that I couldn't even part with it during my wedding, but my entire family agreed that it just wouldn't be the same if I didn't wear a watch so they bought me a white one to go with my dress.

2. I sometimes buy Jon and me new underwear so I don't have to rush to do laundry, that is how much I hate doing laundry. But I mainly don't do it because my washer and dryer are German so they are TEENY and take forever to wash and dry clothing.

3. I worry too much, it's just my nature.

4. I bite my nails. Icky I know.

5. I'm with Jenny Lee, I get REALLY cranky when I haven't eaten... I usually carry almonds or peanut butter crackers in my purse, so I don't have a crazy woman episode.

6. I burp... yep I do. I know it's so un cute, but I'm really good at it, so why not use what you have.

7. I eat SUPER duper fast. Ever since Jon and I have been together, I've had to keep up with him. He eats sooooo fast. I also think it has a lot to do with being a hairstylist. I used to never take time for lunch, so I'd be in the back mixing color and shoveling a sandwich down my throat at the same time. I can only imagine how sexy I look eating. Just picture the "Coneheads." Ya, that's Jon and me.

8. I LOVE boxing and MMA. I'll scream, kick, spit, cry, cuss, etc while watching it because I get way too involved. Luckily Jon thinks it is cute, but I'm sure I look like a big idiot while I am acting a fool.

9. While watching movies I'm the person that asks what's going to happen next, why it happened and what's going to happen because it happened. I scream at the TV, I talk to the actors and again act like a fool during movie time as well. Poor Jon, I'm so lucky he puts up with me ;)

10. I am a big, big, big, big baby when I am sick. I complain a lot and whine and cry. I'm literally a big gigantic baby. So not cute.

I award everyone! Seriously all of my blogging friends grab this award for yourselves. Because I love all of the blogs I read and I think all of them are cute, so it is so hard to pick just a few.

Hope you all have a wonderful Friday and a fantastic weekend.

Getting into the Spring of Things

I was looking at pictures this morning from last year and came across this picture taken in March of 2008.

I was taken a back by how different I look now.

This picture was taken on March 14, a year later.

It's crazy how much changes in a year. My hair is SO long. This is the longest it has ever been. (And my face and other areas of the body have filled out a little since then.)
Since I haven't looked for a hairstylist here, I really haven't thought of cutting my hair.
At this rate it will be to my hiney by 2009 ;)
Of course the hubs always looks handsome. And I don't think he's gained any weight.

This got me thinking, it's time to get my hiney back into shape. Moving over seas has definitely taken a toll on my body and I don't feel like my old self anymore. I lack in energy, have gained 10 pounds since moving here, continue to gain, and I know I definitely eat more here. But can you blame a girl, the only thing to eat in this country is bread and Bratwurst ;)
No not really.... it's my own fault for sure.
I was doing so well before we left for Austria, then I totally lost my routine and stopped working out.

I have seen so many of you ladies getting back into the gym and taking better care of yourself. It is definitely time for Jon and I to incorporate exercise into our daily routine. We do eat pretty darn healthy, but not exercising is definitely the problem.

Here's the speed bump.... I HATE going to the gym. Despise it with a passion. I've mentioned in previous posts, that I will make any excuse under the sun to get out of going to the gym. Not to mention I really have been sick lately so it's hard to get motivated when you're not feeling well.

I think I'm finally done with the dizzies and now I really want to take exercising MORE seriously.
I think my biggest problem is going alone.
But Jon and I plan on doing this together and want to work out at least 4 nights a week.

ANY SUGGESTIONS???? How can we stay motivated to exercise? How can we keep exercising exciting? Any other suggestions would be awesome!

So off to another subject, Jon and I have become completely obsessed with Entourage.
We borrowed the first 4 seasons from friends and LOVE this show. I wish I had my own possy of friends to hang out with everyday, while I am making tons of money as an actress, and we could just spend money and play all day. A girl can dream. I love Jeremy Piven's character.
I can't wait for the 5th season to come out on DVD. HBO has the best television shows, seriously!
If you haven't seen it already, you should rent them. I highly suggest this show.

And another random subject.... my seedlings are doing awesome.
Check this out.

I haven't killed them yet, so I must be doing something right.
I will be planting peppers soon.

This weekend we are going to plant flowers to put on our balcony. I was walking the other day and saw that so many people had already planted flowers and had them all over their balconies, so I guess it is time. Plus spring will officially be here this weekend, Saturday! I am so happy Spring is here.

I hope you all enjoy your day! Tomorrow is Friday!

Coming From Your Favorite Irish Girl

An Irish Prayer

May God give you...
For every storm, a rainbow,
For every tear, a smile,
For every care, a promise,
And a blessing in each trial.
For every problem life sends,
A faithful friend to share,
For every sigh, a sweet song,
And an answer for each prayer.

Wherever you go and whatever you do,
May the luck of the Irish be there with you.

Weekend Update

This weekend was wonderful, but went by in a flash, and I was so sad to see it end.

Friday night we celebrated birthdays for two people in Jon's office and had dinner at Wikinger, a lovely German Restaurant. It was nice to get together with everyone from his office; they are a fun bunch.

Saturday Jon and I got up super early, for we had a busy day on our hands.
We made breakfast quickly and headed out the door for Mann Mobilia (similar to Ikea.) While we were there we bought the fabulous patio furniture cushions that I posted about previously, some candles, and burners and sterno for our fondue set.

We then headed to the Four Seasons, (Not the fancy hotel, it is actually the name of our hardware store on base) and bought several planters, a tree, and a pot.

Afterward we ran by the electronics store on base to buy some fancy chord Jon needed to hook up the computer to the tv.

We drove to the commissary where we bought groceries, ran by the PX and bought a couple more things we needed for our St. Paddy's day party and then finally stopped by the shoppette for some good Irish beer.

And we did this all in 3 hours!

When we arrived back home, we did little things here and there to make the house look nice. Then we put up the decorations, prepared some of the food and placed it back in the fridge, marinated the meat, made cupcakes, etc. etc. Somehow we fit lunch and showering into the equation before it was 7:00 p.m. and the doorbell was already ringing. Luckily the wonderful Don and Shannon arrived first and we are ever so thankful because they helped us with the finishing touches. THANKS GUYS YOU'RE THE BEST!

We had a ton of food, yummy desserts and of course great Irish beer.
Jon, Don and Shannon digging into the fondue.

Georgina, me, and Shannon

The guys playing Lightening Reaction Extreme. Four people play. You push the center button on the game console, music plays and when it stops you push the button on your controller. The last to push the button on the controller gets shocked.

More game fun and Damon with his Irish Tux!

The party lasted until 2 a.m.! We spent most of the night playing Apples to Apples, New Yorker, and Encore. It was a blast!

Sunday Jon and I slept in til 11:00 and just spent the day lazing around. We actually did a puzzle. The other day I saw on a fellow blogger's post that she and her husband put together a puzzle and I thought.... How fun! Before we left the states, Jon's mom got us 4 puzzles, each with 1000 pieces. So you bet we pulled one of them out and spent most of the day trying to put it together. Let me tell you guys, this puzzle is HARD. On the box it says ages 12+..... are you kidding, we barely have 1/4 of the puzzle put together and spent a good part of the day trying.

Here's the puzzle

This is as far as we got! The hardest part is the sky and the water. Which about 30% of the picture is of water and sky. We'll see how it goes later tonight!

Hope you all had a wonderful and blessed weekend.

Balcony Fun

We finally found cushions for our patio furniture. Let me tell you guys, this was such a chore, as there really is not much to choose from at our local stores. So we grabbed these cushions and think they are pretty perfect for the spring season.

We bought this beautiful tree today and planted it into this fun pot. Our patio needed a touch of plant life, and we thought this would be perfect for our morning ambiance.

Now I absolutely love our balcony. I can't wait until it is a little warmer outside, so I can plant flowers to make it even more colorful. Can you tell I'm in spring mode?

Something I was super excited about was finding these this morning. My little herbs are sprouting! I can't wait to see how they turn out.

Hope you all have a wonderful and blessed weekend!

Audispray

Thanks you guys for all of the great advice about my little ear problem and THANKS so much for the well wishes! Today is a lot better. I was a little dizzy this morning, but popped some Dramamine and used this.......

and now I am starting to feel a lot better.

This product is amazing! Jon found it at the pharmacy in our neighborhood, and luckily the woman working there spoke English, so he was able to find exactly what we needed. You place the sprayer into your ear, tilt your head so the solution does not run out of the ear and spray for one second. The solution has to stay in your ear for 10 seconds, then you tilt your head to the opposite direction and it pours out.

Although, the first day I used it, it freaked me out a little. I guess I don't like the idea of anything going in my ears and nose, or eyes for that matter, but if it was going to help break up the pressure and make my balance stable again, I was willing to try anything.

I wriggled and jiggled and screeched the first time Jon sprayed that into my ears.
Jon asked if I thought he should try it. I was like "heck ya, I want you to know how it feels." When I sprayed it in his ear the solution automatically poured out. I tried it again and it did the same thing. We moved to the next ear and it didn't seem to be working for him. He was like "I didn't feel anything."

Today we both tried it again, this time it worked for Jon. He wrinkled up his face and kept saying "eeeeeeeeeeeee." He said, "I thought you were just overreacting yesterday when you freaking out over this stuff."

Me overreact ugh, come on, I never overreact...... (Ya right) ;)

His ears were clogged so bad that the solution didn't even work for him yesterday, but it must have broken the ear wax up enough for it to actually work today. So that is proof that it does actually does do what it is supposed to. I am sure they have similar products back in the states. For those of you who are afraid to go to the ear doctor to have them clean your ears so you don't say "HUH?" anymore..... this might do the trick for you.

The box reads: The solution is a micro-biologically controlled seawater solution which rapidly dissolves cerumen for good ear hygiene.

Well enough of that! Hope this post helps someone.

It's a sunny day in Germany today! I've got loads of laundry and a house to clean before Saturday evening's St. Patrick's Day party, so I am off to get this house in order!
Again thanks for the well wishes and prayers ladies.... I am feeling a lot better! You guys are so awesome.

Random funny thing, last night Jon had a dream that we hung out with Obama. (We didn't even vote for Obama, we're from Oklahoma and are Republicans.) But in his dream, Jon said that Obama was really cool and funny and he was just hanging out at our house here in Germany, like we'd known each other for years. He said it was so realistic.
Dreams are so strange sometimes!

Have a great Friday everyone!

Huh, What Did You Say?

Hey all! Man I feel like I’ve been missing out on my blog world and I sure have missed my wonderful blogging friends. I’ve been stuck in bed for the last couple of days. Honestly, I’ve never been sicker in my life than I have been in these last 7 months of living in Germany. What is it about this country??

Sunday I started feeling awkward; having random dizzy spells that would subside once I sat down. Monday I went to the gym and pushed myself rather hard, since I hadn’t worked out in a while. Monday night I felt just like I did Sunday, with random dizzy spells and was especially tired. Come Tuesday I could not get out of bed. Every time I sat up the entire room would spin and I felt like I was going to vom. It was full on vertigo. I spent the full day in bed, only getting up to use the restroom and to grab more water. Jon brought me lunch in bed and luckily around dinner time I was able to waddle into the living room so that I could eat, only to rush right back to bed afterward. I felt like I was drunk. The light headedness, the dizzies, wanting to throw up, having to lie in one position and not move my head so I wouldn’t get dizzy, etc.

Wednesday it wasn't any better. I finally asked Jon to call the doctor’s office on base to see if I could get in to see the doc. Of course they were full up and didn’t have any appointments for TWO WEEKS; like I could wait that long. He did find an ear, nose and throat doctor on the economy and booked me an appointment for that day. Thank you Jesus.

After arriving at the doctor’s office, my sweet German doctor looked in my ears and said, “Well that’s the problem, they are completely clogged!”

Gross…… are you kidding me!!! So he had me hold this odd bowl device under my ears as he cleaned my ears out with water, some weird suction thingy, and air. He then used some weird tools that I refused to look at for fear of my life, while he continued cleaning out the rest of the wax. I’ve never been to an ear doctor, nor have I ever been through anything like this before.

Let me tell you guys, I’ve never been able to hear so well! I can hear everything now.

No wonder I could never hear what my husband was saying. Now I can stop saying, "HUH?" and we always had to turn the TV up so loud.
It’s amazing, but how gross that my ears were completely clogged.

After the ear cleaning they hooked me up to some weird brain wave machine to check my balance. I had a sticky thing on my forehead in the middle of my eyes and one on each temple with a chord hooked to each one.

It was similar to this, but ok, not this dramatic. They didn't shave my head and make me lay under a blanket with no clothes on. But I did lay there with three of these things on my head.

I could have kicked myself for not bringing my camera; I can only imagine what I looked like. Jon of course was giggling at me, which in turn made me laugh! Thank goodness for my husband being there or I would have been freaking out, I get nervous getting my teeth cleaned at the dentist, let alone having weird things attached to my head. Jon can always make me laugh. After about 10 minutes of reading my brain waves, they learned that my balance was above normal, which was wonderful news, and that there was nothing seriously wrong with my balance or brain causing the vertigo! Thank the Lord. God is good.

The doc told me to take it easy, no exercise for 10 days and if the vertigo doesn’t subside in 10 days to come back. 10 DAYS! I hope I am not dizzy for 10 more days. St. Paddy’s is coming up ;)

But seriously, in all honesty I am so thankful and praise God that it wasn’t something more serious. I’ve been so very blessed and fortunate.

I just took it easy the rest of the day on Wednesday, still feeling quite a bit dizzy, but nothing like it was on Tuesday. Jon grabbed me some Dramamine from the PX and I was eating those like they were Smarties. I was so done with these dizziness. I wouldn’t wish the dizzies on anyone, well except for maybe that crow that I saw the other day that made me come to a stop in my car, while it walked across the street!

Today is about the same. I woke up dizzy and I’m trying to get my handle on this thing they call gravity. Hopefully this feeling will subside. I’m so glad I was finally able to get onto the computer to see what is going on in the world. I haven't read the news since Monday.

I did notice that my right ear is clogged again and I can’t hear well out of it. What can I use to help prevent this? The doc said my body produces too much wax. (ew) Well how can I help my ears from clogging? Any ideas ladies and gents? My lovely nurse friends! Hydrogen peroxide is out, they say you should never put that in your ear........

Okay, I’ll quit crying like a little baby and let ya’ll get on with your day!

Have a great Thursday!