Spring Break

Spring break is happening everywhere in every state. Arkansas spring break was this past week and all my clients were talking about where they were going. Although we didn't go anywhere, Linda and Nikohl did. Deric and I spent the first part of last week with his mom and niece. We had so much fun! It was nice just having the two of them come down to see us.
The forecast was looking good for Sunday so we decided to head to the Tulsa zoo for the day. Right after we picked them up from the airport and dropped their stuff off we got back in the car and drove to Tulsa. Deric and I have never been to the Tulsa Zoo and only been to Tulsa one other time. We borrowed our neighbor's GPS, which turned out to be a great idea. That thing is awesome. We relied on it the whole trip. We have to get one! We all had a good time and the weather was great! Monday, I had to go into the salon for a few hours but that afternoon when I got home Kohl wanted me to teach her some belly dance moves. Okay just side note, I have been belly dancing for about 7-8 months now. I Love it. I am in a class and a troupe that will be performing in a few months. After I gave Kohl a lesson it was time for the two of us to go to practice with my troupe. She thought that is was pretty cool and had a lot of fun. We made her work... she had to dance with us, it was super cute!


(Kohl at the Zoo)





On Tuesday I took the whole day off. I told Kohl she was going to help me bake that day and we were going to use fondant to cover the cakes. First we went to the salon and did their hair then the store. While Kohl and I ran in real quick Linda stayed in the car. Turned out that Linda was the smart one as soon as Kohl and I got in to the store we heard rain pouring down. I mean it was solid rain. Linda meant us right outside the doors but when we got to the car the doors were locked. Let me remind you, the rain was coming down so hard I could hardly see. I am screaming "UNLOCK THE DOORS!" to Linda who replied "I can't find the button". Then I yell back" PUT IT IN PARK!!!" The doors unlocked and I jumped into the truck soaked. Meanwhile Kohl got her door open but the wind was blowing so hard she couldn't get it closed until she stuck half of her body outside and pulled the door shut! It looked like she jumped into a lake that is how wet she was!! Once we got home I fixed Nikohl's hair once again then we made the fondant before we went to lunch with Deric. We ate at this really cute coffee cafe called the Iron Horse C.C. I went there with my dad and uncle but it was the first time Deric had gone. After lunch we made our cute little egg shaped chocolate cakes covered in fodant! BOY, they were sugary but good. Deric made dinner that night while Linda and I took Kohl to the new target and she got some new clothes.


(Kohl poring the cake in the pan)



(She is now tinting the fondant, it was a mess!)







I had to work all day Wednesday but Deric took half a day off and they all went shopping. Linda made dinner that night while I was at work. After I got home the girls all ready had their bags packed for the flight out in the morning and we just hung out at the house. It was so much fun and so glad they got to come for a few days. Thanks again Linda for flying you and Nikohl out to see us! We sure did have a great time!






We have a week break then my brother Chris and his family will be here for their kid's spring break! But we will have many more people here, 2 adults and 4 kids! Wish us luck!

Warm Weather Brings Vistors

Two weeks ago we were having temps in the high 70's. When I talked to my parents I told them of the great weather we were having and it must have made an impression on my dad. It was probably two days after I told them about this unheard of weather, my dad told me that he and my "uncle" Jim were coming down for a few days. I say "uncle" because he really is just a great family friend who has become an uncle figure in my life. We haven't seen any family since Christmas so we needed some guests. My Dad and Jim got here on Tuesday night and came up to the salon because I was still working. The next day I planned on just driving them around so they can see the area. When my parents and in-laws have come in the past we never just drive around so it was nice to be able to do that. Jim loves to go into the downtown areas to see where the cities started out like. Deric and I have never stop in downtown so it was as new to me and it was to them. We went to the Daisy Air Rifle Museum that I didn't even know was there! It was pretty neat to see how the Daisy company started and where it is now. We were walking back to the car and I saw one of my clients and she told us where to eat. It was so funny; it was like I was a tourist in my own town! I didn't even know where to eat! She told us to go to the Iron Horse Cafe. It was the cutest little coffee and sandwich shop. I am sure Deric and I will have many more visits there. Then we went to "Junk Shops", which was a lot of fun. It was nice to do that with them, both Dad and Jim love to look at places like that.
On Thursday we had lunch with Deric and some of his coworkers then back out to explore different downtowns. First we had to stop to get a part for our freezer. Good thing the guys came when they did. The evaporator fan motor in our 2 year old GE decided to stop working... it was making this annoying noise that kept get louder and louder. But Dad and Jim fixed it and now you can't hear a thing. So quiet, so nice! After we picked up the part I took them over to a store call Oops. I love Oops. It has everything you can think of. We bought our ladder shelves and a tall vase there a while ago. It is a hit or miss kind of store, but it is still fun to go. After that we headed to Bentonville, which is Wal-Mart town. The headquarters to the biggest retail store is about 10 minutes from our house. I took them to the first ever wal-mart but back then it was called "Walton's Five and Dime". This now museum sits on the Bentonville Square. Once again I forgot my camera but we bought a disposable one for Jim to take pictures. This was our last night with Dad and Jim so I made homemade pizza which was super good! Then I baked cookies for the drive home.
I took some pictures but they were all taken that last night the guys were here. Thanks again to Dad and Jim! We loved having you here! Come back soon!



my dad and I




Uncle Jim and I

Sweet Treats

I have been so eager to bake something. I think this feeling has been sparked by a new blog that my friend Val introduced me to. You can find the link on the side of our page. The woman behind "Bakerella" is hands down the best I have ever seen. She is best know for cake pops which she was on Martha for. She was the inspiration of the latest cake I baked.
Another stylist at work needed to get a cake for her little girl's 5th birthday. She is a single mom raising 2 children on her own. When she told me she couldn't find anyone around to make her daughter a "Littlest Pet Shoppe" Cake. I jumped right in. My brain starting filling with all kinds of ideas. I was just so excited that I could bake something and not have to be tempted by the sweet cake sitting around my house.
So when I got home I sat right down at the computer and started searching for cake ideas. I found a few cute ones but I wanted to come up with something original. So on Friday when I was done at the salon I went to Hobby Lobby to get a cute cake pan and went straight home. I had called Val and asked her to come over to help. We were really wanting to fondant something, but since neither of us had before we threw out that idea and stuck to butter cream! We had such a great time making this cake and I was so glad I got to bake and decorate something! Val and I make a pretty good team! Our very first themed caked turned out wonderful..... I think! Thanks again Val Pal!

Things are a little slick around here!

As of Monday afternoon I had my first auto accident.  My high school vehicle was involved in a hit and run accident while it was parked, but this was my first real accident.
I decided to go to the salon to pick up my schedule book that afternoon because we were supposed to get ice and snow that night. I wanted to go for a couple of reasons... the first was to get my book so I could call my clients if the weather got bad. The second reason I wanted to go to the salon on my day off was to see the new wall color. Yes!!! We finally got rid of the blue paint! No more blue hole for me!!! (sorry side note)
So after I told Deric that I wasn't going to go anywhere I got out on semi slick roads.  I also thought I would take the dogs with me since they never go anywhere except to the vet. I do drive a 4 wheel drive SUV but of course not thinking, I didn't switch it over to 4 wheel. We were heading to the salon and I have to cross over the interstate, knowing the road conditions weren't the best I slowed down at the bridge. I started to fish tail in the middle of the bridge then some strong force from somewhere whipped me 180 degrees to the left and I slammed into the guard rail just passed the bridge. Poor Divot got slammed into the passenger side door then continued to fly forward and hit his little head on the dashboard. I felt like the worse dog mom.... but on the other hand.... little Birdie was sitting on my lap safe and sound. Good thing the airbags didn't deploy.
After the accident I notice that the back end of my truck was in the middle of the road and the passenger side was encased in the metal rail! I backed up from the rail and got out of the way from the oncoming fishtailing traffic.
I called Deric right away and come to his surprise he didn't even know I was out on the roads! He was such a big help.  He called the police for me because I just broke down in the middle of our conversation. All I remember telling him " I don't know what happened, don't have a pen and I have the dogs, Help me!" I didn't have to sit in the car for very long, but while I was sitting there a few people stopped to see if I was okay. This one guy's conversation with me stands out....
He pulls up beside me in a sporty BMW and ask me " Are you okay..... what happened?" So I tell him through tears that I spun around and hit the guard rail. He says " Oh man, do you think it is safe?" Now I just sat there for a minute thinking did he really just ask me that?! I really wanted to reply "Here's your sign!" "Do you think if I drive in the middle really slow that I will be okay? Man, I really hope I don't wreck!" Here I sat alone with two barking dogs, a smashed car and he wants my advice on crossing!
So when the officer got there we filled out paper work and I was back on the road.... did I mention I had to cross over the same bridge. No worries I didn't wreck again.... didn't even slide. Deric ended up coming home early do deal with the car and to come check on me. I did take a pretty hard hit to my knees and my lower back was really hurting. I am feeling much better now. As the night went on the weather got worse. It continued to sleet and ice all night. We have now been stuck in the house since Monday afternoon. I have never seen so much ice in my life. Our tree in the front yard is drooping to the ground. I think it will make it because it is still a young soft tree. Here are some pictures that I took throughout the day on Tuesday.

This does not really show how bad it really is


This is kind of pretty





took this morning.... we had freezing fog last night and today



this truck is parked right behind our drive so we can't get out without fear of hitting it!

New living room update!

Deric and I have been throwing around the idea that we wanted new living room furniture. We liked our furniture but really couldn't rearrange it or add anymore seating to the room. We also have a hide-a-bed in the long sofa and we no longer needed that since we have two extra bedrooms.  When we got back from Christmas my neighbors came to my rescue when Deric noticed that a mouse had chewed through the power cord on the fridge in the garage. While Ken was fixing the cord Marcia and I were taking down my tree in the living room and talking about how I was going to rearrange it. Come to find out Marcia LOVES our couches. The brand new sectional she just bought from J.C Penney really didn't fit her living room.  She says "Well, I love your couches and you were thinking of a sectional since you have to leave the layout in a L shape, so why not just trade furniture!" I stood there for a second thinking about what she had said, while at the same time remembering that my precious dog, Divot, got mad a couple of times while we were out and chewed at 2 cushions on that furniture that she LOVED.  Now I had to tell her about the cushions. Marcia had no problem with Divot's  work.
Now Marcia and Ken went to Florida on New Years Eve because Marcia had to have major back surgery at that Mayo Clinic. While they were gone I wanted to see if I liked the color of their sectional with our wall color and decor. So when we had our friends, Val and Spencer, over for dinner Val and I decided it would be a good idea to carry a piece of the couch across the street at almost 10:00 p.m.  After a few stops in the middle of the road to "get a better grip" we made it over to the front of our house. The guys were standing outside just watching us struggle while we were laughing so hard we about dropped the thing. My lovely husband says after I yelled for him to help " Well I just have socks on"!! Spencer on the other hand came running down the drive way with no shoes on to help us ladies! Thanks Spencer!! I was so scared the cops were going to show up at the door step that night because somebody had reported some girls walking down the road with stolen furniture.
  Anyway, this passed weekend got got everything changed around with the help of Ken's truck.... there was no way we were carrying all that furniture down the road, especially our big sofa! I think it looks great and am really loving it! We also went last night to Gordman's to buy new wall decor in the living room. But I would recommend that if you ever get the chance to trade furtinture do it!! It is a fun way to get a new look for your home!

Pictures of our trip

I didn't take time to post any pictures when I last blogged. So I decided to put them up now! Enjoy!

Jen and Blake


This isn't the best photo but I had to include it because Blake just makes me laugh!


Nate loves Iron Man.... He makes a pretty cute one if you ask me!

My best friend's little boy, Jaxson, with the toy I bought him for Christmas!
Stephanie Miller(Justin's wife) with her dog Zoey, they are so much fun!

Nate and Nikohl after the Christmas program at church.
Nikohl all dressed up as Mary for the program

Nate being himself.... a little "wise-guy" as Pastor said
Just thought this was cute..... Birdie you can tell really hates that outfit..... poor girl!

Happy New Year!

Finally!!! I have been such a lazy bone when it comes to this blog! I don't know why because I get online everyday! So a lot has happened since my last blog!
We have had both sides of the family down here! Deric's mom and older brother Jeff (his first visit to the house) were here right before Thanksgiving. They drove down for a long weekend. We didn't do anything too exciting but it was really nice to see family since we hadn't seen anyone since my sister's wedding in July!

Guess I will start this long blog with Thanksgiving.... I know that was forever ago... I mean it is ALREADY 2009!!! My parents came down to our house again this year. My sister Jen and Blake however didn't make it here this year. They are going to do every other year. I love having Thanksgiving here. It has become the new tradition for my family. Mom and I put up our huge tree that my grandparents gave us.  It is always a lot of fun to do that with my mom. We also got the rest of the house all decked out for Christmas that weekend.  I really don't know why I HAVE to get out all the Christmas decor I own. We aren't even here for Christmas! I think it just gets me in the holiday mood. It makes me want to get my Christmas shopping done! I wanted to get out on "Black Friday" and shop... my mom however didn't, which is fine.  Instead we both went to get hour-long massages. I wasn't really looking for anything I just "had to have" or wanted to get an amazing deal on anything. I was really in it for the people watching! I have always wanted to see some woman go crazy in a store so early in the morning then watch it again on the news that night! I know weird! So once again I didn't get to see some hillbilly woman dragged off to jail! Man! (Putting this on my 2009 list!)
So after Thanksgiving we had to get all the shopping done for Christmas. We have to be careful with our gift giving since we have to take it all in the car on our 12 hour trip to Indiana. I am a typical girl who packs 3 weeks of clothes for one week and 10 pairs of shoes. For just two people and two dogs we are always so loaded down! I think we might have to buy a over the head luggage thing for the top of the SUV for next year.

We had a great Christmas! Our travel time was filled with good weather until we got to Fort Wayne so that is always helpful. The dogs were great in the car... makes the trip so much better. Birdie our 7 pound guard dog would stand in the back on top of luggage and bark at cars/semis that she thought were too close for comfort! Divot on the other hand has to be right in the front making sure to get to Grandma's house in good time. He thinks he has to sit on my lap the whole time even when I am driving. Then he will fall asleep at the wheel, head on the steering wheel which is never a good situation. We got into Indiana Saturday night, we decided Sunday morning on our way to Church we were SO OVER the nasty cold weather. It was so cold and windy Sunday I couldn't get warm all day. But all that cold was made up for by all the love we get when we come home. Spending time with family and friends makes the long 12 hours worth it. It is so fun to see the kids and how much they have grown. I love to be around to hear all the crazy funny things that come out of there mouths! It makes you realize how much you miss out of in 6 months of not seeing them. I didn't get to spend that much time with my beloved Aimee this year.  The day I did get was great seeing her and little Jax! This year I didn't get to see my brother and his family at all. My poor sister-in-law got super sick that turned into rumatic fever! The whole family was cooped up in the house. She was so sick couldn't even get around on her own.
We headed back to Arkansas on Sunday. It is always nice to get back to a normal routine. It takes me a couple of days to get caught up. On Monday Deric and I realized our extra fridge out in the garage was not working.... come to find out we have a furry friend that decided to chew through the power cord all the way to the copper! So I called on to my wonderful Arkansas parents Ken and Marcia to come help! Ken saved our fridge and the food I just bought that morning! 

For New Years we went to the house of one of the girls I work with at the salon. She is also from Indiana... around Indy. She and her husband just got married in July. Becca is such a fun person. We have been doing a lot together. She is also a horse trainer and has 4 horses and a donkey! We hung out with Becca and Brian in the barn with the horses!  We played the famous northern game of Corn Hole in the barn and got beat by Becca and Brian. I probably was the worst.  Well I definitely was the worst player, which didn't help our game! But I pulled thru on boys vs. girls us girls almost won that game!!!  I mean, we only lost like 21-8.  
I hope everyone had a wonderful and safe new years!I wish the best to come for all this year!!!

-amanda