Meet Brownie

This is Brownie our youngest guinea pig. (On top is Lightning, he's our older more mellow pig. We had to separate the two after we came back from vacation as the two were fighting and fur was flying, and frankly no one was able to get any sleep. I think the two miss each other now though). Anyway...



Brownie has learned how to beg or "oink" for food. I noticed this last weekend when I opened the refrigerator to make dinner and these high pitched squeals ensued. Worried, I peered over the bar to see what was going on and found Brownie running in figure eights around his cage squeaking, pausing at the cage to make sure I was looking and then charging off again. So I asked, "Brownie, are you hungry?" And he would begin his squeals and dashes around the cage. Don't be fooled, these pigs have pellets available 24/7, so they are never starved.

Today, I was sitting here reading blogs and eating grapes, and I noticed Brownie peering out at me. I plucked a grape from my bunch and walked over to give him one. He seemed a bit disinterested so I just dropped it in in the bowl and went about my business. And then it started!!! Squeals and oinks and charging around the cage. My husband would ask, "Brownie, you can't be hungry; are you hungry?" This sent the pig running wildly about the cage. So alas, he is eating midday (usually fed at dinner time), content as can be with almost nothing left in his bowl.

These pigs crack me up!!!

I Found a Dress!!!

I need to give kudos to both my husband and my boys for trekking with me all the way to another city just so I could look for a dress. As posted earlier, my husband's big unit formal is this week! While I'm not over the moon thrilled about going, I am thrilled about getting dressed up fancy and being the charm on my husband's arm for the night. And today... I found it! And a personal shopper too. She was awesome! Of course it is her job to be awesome, but when you are really missing your Mom and your best friend on a dress shopping mission, a personal shopper is just what you need!!!

So I tried on everything imaginable!!! I tried on short and long, pink, green, blue, taupe (I think a yellow one too, bleck!)... I tried on everything in my size. And FINALLY... BINGO! I found the one! I really like it! It's taupe and long with beads the run in a diagonal, and spaghetti straps. I cannot find a picture anywhere of it online and wish I had taken a typical MySpace/ Facebook pose to post so everyone can see before I left it for alterations. I will post a picture of both M and I on Thursday or Friday of the two of us looking fancy though.

I am getting excited... I wonder if I should wear my hair up or down? Ohhh... The next dilemma!!! I found a dress!!!!!!


A blast from the past! This was taken in December 2007 just after Mark completed OCS. Isn't he handsome? I love a man in uniform... Especially my man! :o)

Friday Fragments Episode #1

I stumbled upon this website via my friend, Jamie's Blog. Mrs4444 writes a blog called Half Past Kissin' Time. I think her blog is marvelous. Maybe it's because I see so much of my Mom and I in her relationship with her mother, or maybe it's because her blogs always make me chuckle or smile. Anyway... Here's to trying something new, and my family's first Friday Fragments.

***My baby started t-ball this week! I can't believe that B is actually old enough to play organized sports. (OK, it is organized, but it is recreational and the kids are still young, so they don't take score and no one is out!) Anyway, B and M have been practicing through out the last few weeks getting ready for the "big" day, and it FINALLY came! I'm sharing a few of my favorite pictures from the first practice.





Isn't this just wonderful!!! I love my boys, and boy does time fly!!! B was just a baby a few days ago, right?!

***This week I have had to take the boys with me on a couple of errands around town. I don't like to do this since they sit in their seats at school all day and when they get home I like for them to play especially with the beautiful weather! But this is the conversation we had on Monday while driving to the vet.

B: C, don't you play soccer.

C: I did when I was younger.

B: I play baseball now. Do you want to play baseball?

C: Nah, I already played soccer, but now I'm too old.

B: Did you graduate?

C: Yeah, I graduated kinda. The season ended and it got dark and cold. That's when you graduate and you grow up.

I promise, I did not laugh openly, but these are the sweet innocent kids that while growing up are still my babies!


*** Oh yeah, does anyone have a dress??? My dear sweet husband decided to ask if I owned a dress... I own several dresses, but not one of the type he wants me to wear to his FORMAL NEXT WEEK! About a month ago, I was told he had duty, so my hopes of being the Belle of the Ball were dashed. No big deal, really. until this week when My Love announces at dinner that duty has been switched and we can go to the ball now. Errr... Where do you find a dress in the itty bitty military town competing with prom and a zillion other military balls? I don't know? BUT I promise you this... I will be finding out tomorrow as I embark on a dress rampage. Alright, boys... Hope you can keep up! :)

Random Dozen

OK OK I know I'm supposed to be studying my Anatomy and Physiology, but I'm taking 10 minutes or so to answer the Random Dozen this Week!!! Please Visit Lid's blog!!! :)

1. What is your favorite sign of Spring? In Texas it is the bluebonnets!!! They make my heart sing!

2. Did you remember to spring forward on March 14? If not, how did it impact your day? Oh yes, bleck!!! I need my sleep especially in the Spring, but I do like longer evenings to spend outside!

3. If soil, time, talent and climate were no problem, what vegetable would you plant in a garden this year? Green Beans

4. If soil, time, talent and climate were no problem, what fruit would you plant? Strawberries!!!

5. What is your least favorite insect? Mosquitoes!

6. March 22 was World Water Day. To celebrate, here are some water questions. Do you drink bottled water? If so, what brand? I used to, but it isn't good for your teeth, so I drink filtered tap water now.

7. Have you ever been somewhere that it was not safe to drink the local water? If so, how did you handle that? Yes, there are iodine tablets you can add to the water to make it better, but they taste yucky!!! That being said, I drank primarily bottled water.

8. How many glasses of water do you drink per day? :( Sadly not enough. I think maybe 2 or 3. :(

9. March 24 is the birthday of Harry Houdini. Have you ever watched a professional magic show? Share. I had a pixie at a birthday party once. I remember she wore an outfit similar to tinker bell's.... Way before Tinker Bell was popular. She has a brown bunny that she let us all pet after her show. She was amazing! She must have been something else too because I remember her 30 years later!

10. Have you ever been a participant in a professional magic show (up on stage!)? Sigh... No.

11. March 24 is also the birthday of Steve McQueen and Clyde Barrow. Do you like Westerns or gangster movies? If so, what is your favorite? Nah... Not really inter Westerns, BUT I did like the God Father. Does that count???

12. (Really random) What U.S. state that you've never visited would you like to visit someday? The Northern Mid West... Montana, South Dakota... Places like that. It would be so very different for me. I'm a by the sea kinda gal, but I just think it would be so awesome to see some of the nature that abounds just in the middle of our country!

Happy Celebration of GREEN!

When I first read my friend, Jamie's blog, I was a bit perplexed at to what to write for her "Green" theme. And what picture was I going to find???

Well, I have to admit a walk with wonderful company produced these:



I'm not sure what this flower actually is, but it is a beautiful little reminder that Spring is right around the corner! He was sitting right there in the middle of the field. He managed to avoid being mowed over like the rest of the grass in the field, so he reminded me that Spring renews. What a great reminder! :)

I also found this:



Isn't this a perfectly puffy dandelion??? It was just sitting there blowing in the wind. Another reminder of the freshness of Spring.


And this:



I found this in a lady's yard at the end of our little town. I had a print made into little note cards (thank you Snapfish for making this possible), wrapped the cards with a a little ribbon and gave the lady a present. I LOVE bluebonnets. It is quite possibly the ONLY thing I love about Texas! Some how these little beauties make me smile! :)

And this is my favorite!!! When I look at it, it makes me smile! Now this a true celebration of GREEN!!! :)



Thank you Lord for the freshness of Your work. Your reminder that all of us can renew even after a long battle. Thank you for giving us rain in Texas, so that we can see Your beauty!! Happy St Patrick's Day my friends!!! Go celebrate GREEN! :)

A "Go me!!" Moment

I have these every once in awhile!!! Oh come on... You have to give me points for making it look easy sometimes (btw, I know who you are. Yeah... R, D, M. Do not roll your eyes at me). Really I do work hard and I do beat myself up for a B. I paid out of state for my first undergraduate degree, and now I'm back for version 2.0. I'm allowedto be critical and stress!

Anyway... I did it!! Four A's already in Anatomy!!! GO ME! Seriously, I dreaded this class figuring this is going to be my make it or break it class. I mean after hearing a semester of horror stories I was terrified!!! I still am to be honest with you! I kill myself to make these grades, but really I just keep my eye on the prize. Make it through this one, and you are one down; two down, and three... You get the picture. BUT I am pretty darn proud of myself!!! Not to mention the human body is a completely fascinating thing. To think that God made us so purely balanced, and when you look at the power of certain things that seem so simply made, it is amazing!!

I guess it is just me, but GO ME!!! GO ME!!! GO ME!!!