My Weekends Just Freed Up

Apparently I'm now marrying a golfer.

Just a few weeks ago Jimmy has really gotten into golfing. He goes with his friends almost every weekend, and during the week they like to go to the driving range. Before this summer Jimmy NEVER went golfing. And now he has a whole new set of clubs and I'm left at home wondering who this new man is that I'm engaged to.

Not that I mind really. It's kinda nice when he goes out because it makes it easier to get things done around the house and for the wedding. Plus now I know he'll enjoy the free round he'll get to play at Cog Hill. BTW if you see pro golf on TV this week it's the BMW Championship which is held at our reception site!!

He got his new clubs this week and I haven't seen him that excited in a while. He even put them to bed that night because he hadn't yet bought a new bag for them... he's so weird.

ABC

I'm not quite ready to start the recaps of the Disney trip. I better soon though, or I won't remember anything. Geeze I hope I'm not like this for the wedding recaps!!

Some bloggers have been doing this, so I thought I would, too!

A- My AIR CONDITIONER is set on: 75. It would be warmer, but since I've been itchy we keep it cooler because it helps a little.

B- My BEDROOM theme is: comfortable? We don't really have a theme.

C- The CAR in the driveway is: probably one of our friends' cars. We keep ours in the garage. It really bothers me when people don't use their garages for cars.

D- My DESK looks: nonexistent. I have no desk.

E- The EXACT time I wake up daily is: it varies depending on work. I like to be up by 8am at the latest so I don't feel like a complete waste of space.

F- The FIRST thing I wash in the shower is: my hair.

G- My GARAGE is filled with: two cars, Jimmy's tools, lawn mower, patio chairs

H- My HOUSE is: tiny, but so cute and comfortable for Jimmy and I. It'll be tough when we start having kids.

I- If you peeked INSIDE my bedroom you'd see: a bed, two dressers, and a bunch of clean and dirty laundry I need to take care of today.

J- My favorite JUICE is: Cranberry and grape

K- The best part of my KITCHEN is: It's getting finished this week! We been living in a construction zone for about a month.

L- The LAST person who visited my home was: Jimmy's grandma, uncle, and father. They picked him up for a graduation party while I had to go to work.

M- The last piece of MAIL for me was: my bank statement

N- My NEIGHBORS think I'm: quiet. I don't like talking to my neighbors because they're all weird and like to poke their noses into our business. Especially the old man across the street.

O- If you OPENED my fridge you'd see: not a lot of food. Lots of drinks and condiments.

P- My last house PARTY was: I had an engagement party for our friends Ryan and Melissa in May. But people are always over here for movies or dinner.

Q- A QUICK meal I like to fix is: my homemade alfredo sauce. sooooo good.

R- My favorite ROOM of the house is: The front room. It has the most character.

S- The SHAMPOO brand I use: I switch all the time or else my hair starts to get gross

T- My largest TELEVISION is: we only have one TV and it's in the front room. It's pretty big.

U- UNDER my bed you will find: nothing. I like to keep it clean

V- The last time I VACUUMED was: Saturday. I need to do it today.

W- Looking out my WINDOW I see: my creepy neighbor's house. Can't wait until we own a house that isn't so close to our neighbors.

X- I wish I had X-TRA: money. But don't we all?!

Y- My YARD is: small, and needs to be weeded, but it's so hot and rainy outside I don't think it'll ever actually get done.

Z- ZZZZZZZ My bedtime is: whenever I can stop itching my skin off lately. Usually it's when Jimmy goes to bed because I can get some good cuddles before he falls asleep.

Puppy Supply Shopping

Shopping for all the things our puppy will need is overwhelming.

We've taken several trips to pet shops where we end up walking out empty-handed because we were unsure what to buy. We know what things in general he'll need, but there's such a huge selection that something as simple as a food and water dish can turn into a 15 minute debate.

Finally today, knowing that our baby boy will be coming in only two short weeks, Jimmy and I made a special trip to Pet Supplies Plus. Neither of us had ever been to this store before. It's in a not-so-nice part of a neighboring town, so I was skeptical. Thankfully I had little to worry about. It was just like any other pet store.

What really worked out nicely for us was that a super nice lady who just happened to be a dog trainer overheard us talking about our puppy, and led us through toy and leash shopping, offering us more advice than we could have asked for. I have a feeling she goes into pet stores to find new clients, but we got free advice, so who am I to complain?

We walked out of the store with some great things, and we're that much closer to being ready for our boy to come home.

Here's what we have so far for our pup:

A 48" crate with two doors. We were unsure on the size, so we went with the bigger one... it's huge and if our boy gets to be as big as Kenny and Joey says he may get... we should be good. I'm working on getting a divider for it so as a puppy he won't be able to make a mess in one end and sleep in the other. I was a dummy and bought the one that didn't come with a divider.

A nap mat for inside the crate. I'm not sure how our puppy is going to be with tearing things apart so I wasn't about to spend a lot of money on a nice bed that will get destroyed in a week. For now this is on the bottom of the crate and should keep him comfortable, especially in this warm weather.

And here it is all set up in our guest bedroom. I had to move the bed against a different wall than it used to be, but everything seems to fit nicely. I'm hoping I won't have to move anything, but I can see how having those picture frames near the crate could be a problem.

Two stainless steal dishes. One is large for water, and the other slightly smaller for food. The rubber on the bottom should help them not be pushed around. I'm just hoping our puppy doesn't get into the habit of knocking them over.

An "Insta Grip" lead. The lady we met in the store raved about this leash. I personally am not a fan of the retractable leashes. I've seen too many people lose control of their pet when using them. My FBIL has one and loves it though, so to each his own I guess. This leash will work well for us.

A "Check Training Collar." Another recommendation from the woman we met. We'll only use this collar when we take him on walks as a training device. She also recommended the Gentle Leader, but we're holding off on getting one of those until our puppy proves to us that he needs one.

A 15' tie-out for our yard. We have a back yard that is mostly fenced off, but there is a small section that is open to our neighbor's yard. We'll only use this when we are outside with our dog where we can keep an eye on him. This also will come in handy for when we go on trips to the lake since Jimmy's grandma's huge yard is not fenced in.

Another recommendation from the trainer was the Nylabone Dental Dinosaur. She said if she could recommend one toy to dog owners this would be it. Second would be a Kong, which we plan on getting in the near future. Apparently this also comes as a T-Rex. The store didn't have that style so we're stuck with the Brontosaurus. Soon I want to find a fun toy for the water for when we go to the lake. Our dog will be a swimmer!

That's pretty much it for now. We still need to pick out a brush, and I've heard great things about the Furminator, but at $60 it's way more than I want to spend. We're also waiting on any food and treats until we meet with Kenny and Joey. Out pup will have already been started on dry food so we'll need to continue with the same brand and gradually change over to something different if we choose to do so in the future.

We need to choose a veterinarian within the week. My aunt is a vet 45 minutes away from us, so I'll be asking her what she recommends. I also need to puppy-proof the house before August 7th. What great fun that should be...

If you have any suggestions on great puppy/dog supplies I should look into, please let me know!! Even though I grew up with a dog I feel like I'm jumping into this as a first timer.

One of Nine

Today Kenny and Joey emailed me. The first pick family had chosen their male puppy, thus revealing which pup would be ours.

We got the individual pictures of the entire litter just yesterday, and weren't expecting to know which one would be ours until this weekend since the other family was on vacation.

So I was surprised when I got the email saying we were getting the boy with the blue collar!! He's the lightest silver of the whole litter, and Kenny said he reminds him of his own silver lab Neo. The next two weeks are gonna pass so very slowly now that I've seen our little boy!

Just look at how pudgy he is!! Kenny says that this is the stockiest litter they've ever had and there isn't a runt among them. They take after their dad Duke apparently. I was kinda hoping to get the blue collar pup, but would have been just as happy if we had ended up with the green boy. I can't wait to get him home.

TTFN

I'm soaking up the last bit of internet time I'll have before I'm cut off during our vacation. Now way I'm paying for internet while I'm at Disney.

We're leaving tomorrow morning at 9am-ish from my parents' house. I'm definitely not gonna be able to sleep tonight.

One thing that I'm really excited about for our trip actually has nothing to do with it. Next wednesday our puppy will turn 5 weeks old, which means Kenny and Joey will send us pictures of our actual puppy!! We'll get to see what boy will be ours, and after that the last 3 weeks before he comes home will drag.

I'm thinking that maybe my sister Alison will be able to get the pictures on her iPhone so I won't have to wait until we get home.

So until next week... TTFN, Ta-Ta for now!! (Wow that was really dumb... but I'm going to DISNEY!!)

2010 Disney Adventure: Packed And Ready!

We're almost ready to go! T-minus 2 days!

I am so ready to leave, but I have one more day at work before we go. I've been packing since last week. I like to do things slowly over a longer period of time so I make sure not to forget anything. The last loads of laundry have been washed, dried, and folded. All that's left are the things I can't pack until the morning we leave... like my toothbrush and contact solution.

Some people that go to Disney regularly have crazy packing lists that include things like moleskin for blisters, special water bottles, and even special bags they use for being in the parks. Not me.

I've been to WDW more times than I can remember. Plus living there for 5 months doesn't help either. I'm a simple being when it comes to a Disney trip. But then again I don't have any kids to worry about so that may be why I don't pack my entire life when I go on vacation.

The biggest tip I would give is to not bring in a purse or bag. They weigh you down over the course of the day, and make you hotter when it's already 90+ degrees. I carry everything I need in my camera case... which is about 3x5x3 and I carry it by hand - no strap or attaching it to my pants. Credit card, ID, room key, Disney ID, and camera go in there... THAT'S IT! You don't need all that other crap people carry in. Now my mom likes to have a fanny pack to stuff with snacks for her grandkids, but it's really not needed, although appreciated by the kids. I see people with huge backpacks and I have no idea what they would need that would fill an entire backpack.

I guess I'm just trying to say that I try to pack light for the parks. It really helps on this trip that we have a washer and dryer in our villa, too. I usually overpack my suitcase with clothes that I never end up wearing. Not this time... I'm even sharing a suitcase with Jimmy so I only have half a suitcase to use!! Dad will be proud.

In liver news I'm feeling a little better. For a while I was getting really nauseous putting me out of commission for hours at a time. This usually means I need to eat cleaner (less fat) to help my liver out so it doesn't have to work as hard. I'm still itching and it's still keeping me up at night, but I'm not having to get up for ice packs to ease the itching. At least I'm not like this guy:

I've only been like that a few times, in which I've then been admitted to the hospital for a few days. It's not fun being yellow, and the whites of my eyes always seem to have a slight tint of that nasty color thanks to PSC.

So far in 2010 Disney Adventure:

Intros

Details Part One

Details Part Two

Always Something

Exactly two weeks until I'll be at WDW with my family...

and my liver starts acting up. Great.

I've been diagnosed with a liver disease for almost 3 years now. It doesn't effect my day-to-day life, but it's something that I do need to keep an eye on. It's called Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (PSC) and basically is the scarring of the bile ducts within the liver for unknown reasons.

I see a hepatologist every 6 months, and Dr. Flamm is my most favorite doctor ever. I went through several doctors in my track to diagnosis, and I'm so happy to have found Dr. Flamm. At my appointments we talk about how I've been feeling, he'll check my abdomen and legs for swelling, and then sends me for a slew of blood tests. The blood tests check my enzyme levels as well as other indicators that my liver is working (or not working) correctly. Also, I have an MRI once a year to check for blockages in the ducts.

There's nothing I can do to treat this disease. All I can do is not drink alcohol, and keep having blood tests and MRIs done. Eventually I may need a transplant if the scarring ever gets too bad. I'm really hoping I'll never need one. According to research the average time period between diagnosis and liver failure is 12 years. I'm part of a support group and there are many people that have had the disease well beyond 12 years.

Anyway... back to what's going on today. Sometimes bile will leak into my blood stream when it can't flow easily through the ducts of my liver. When this happens I get VERY itchy. It's hard to describe, but it kinda feels like little pin pricks under the skin. Itching doesn't help, it's mostly in my hands and feet but when really bad covers my entire body, and most often is the worst at night. I have scars on my feet from making myself bleed trying to itch the itchiness away. It's the worst part of having PSC so far.

I started itching 2 days ago and I'm afraid it won't be gone by the time I leave for vacation. Like the disease itself, there's nothing I can do to stop the itching. Heat seems to make it worse, so I'll ice my feet and hands at night so I can get some sleep, but that usually only helps a little. There is a drug I was prescribed last year when I was itching for over a month, but I can only take it once a day and it needs to build up in my system. I took it again in February and it didn't help with that itching spell... which led to my terrible scar on my left foot that looks like an exclamation point.

If things seem to be getting worse, I'll call my doctor and see if he can get me that drug again, but I really just want to be healthy for this trip!! My last family trip to WDW was ruined when my liver disease showed up and I had to miss the last day at the parks because I could barely stand without wanting to vomit. Another lovely thing that PSC does to me from time to time.

So until we leave I'll be drinking lots and lots of water hoping to flush my system out, getting some sun (some people with PSC claim that UV rays help with the itching), and thinking good thoughts.

Kitchen Facelift

Our kitchen is straight out of the 1950's.

This is what it looked like when Jimmy bought the house, and what it had looked like up until this past weekend.

Notice the wonderful tiled walls, vinyl flooring, and dark wood-grained cabinets. Oooh... ahhh...

If you look closely at the first picture you can see that the cabinet doors have vertical divots in them. Wonderfully dated.

Up until last weekend we've lived with it. It's a very functional kitchen... minus the dishwasher that doesn't work that we use as a drying rack. I started to think about what it would take to give our kitchen a facelift, and Jimmy agreed that we could do a little work and get big results. I wanted to start ASAP because after we bring our puppy home it would be a lot harder to tear apart the kitchen and keep him out of the work zone.

So here's the plan:

• Fill all divots in the cabinet doors.
• Remove tile on walls except for the wall behind the refrigerator/stove/sink.
• Refinish those walls and small section above stove with new drywall.
• Remove vinyl floors.
• Lay new tile floor.
• Paint cabinets and cabinet doors.
• Paint walls.
• Paint all woodwork to match cabinets.

All of the cabinets will be painted "Gull" by Martha Stewart.

Walls will be painted "Rainwater" by Martha Stewart.

My goal is to finish all this by August 6th, which is the day before we bring our puppy home.

For now we're keeping our countertops because they're in good condition. Maybe in the future we'll upgrade to granite or Silestone, but that may not happen before we're ready to move.

I've already completed filling in the divots in the cabinet doors. The first step was to test the process to see if it was possible. I did it with 4 coats of wood filler, and primed over it. It worked, but 4 coats of wood filler took too long because each layer would shrink. For the rest of the doors I first filled them with Bondo (which doesn't shrink but is a b**** to work with), sanded them down, then topped it with wood filler. 2 layers are better than 4!

First test drawer turned out A-OK!

Right now the doors and drawers are drying the last layer of wood filler and waiting for sanding.

So until we finish the walls and start to paint, this is how we're living:

Can't wait to get rid of that yucky wall paper!

No doors or drawers.

All the junk from the drawers on our dining room table. Nice.

2010 Disney Adventure: Details Part Two

When I left off I was detailing the WDW portion of our trip.

While Thursday is our official last day in the parks, we won't check out of the resort until Friday morning. Friday starts our Disney Cruise portion of our vacation. Otherwise known as the main reason we're taking this trip in the first place.

I've never been on a Disney Cruise before, and neither has any of any other members of my family. I've never been on a cruise, period. So I have no idea what to expect. This is what I gather will be our itinerary based on what I've learned online about DCL.

Friday:

• Check out of Disney's Beach Club Villas and pack up the cars. Try to fit everyone into 2 cars.
• Drive to the port and park the cars.
• Check in for our cruise, board, eat lunch, find our rooms, safety drill, and sail away party.

Saturday:

• Arrive at Nassau in the morning.
• Spend the day exploring the island, on the beach, and shopping.
• Back on the boat at night.

Sunday:

• Arrive at Disney's private island, Castaway Cay.
• Spend the day on the island snorkeling, riding bikes, and enjoying time with the whole family.
• Back on the boat at night.

Monday:

• Day at sea.
• Spend the day exploring the ship and participating in ship activities.
• Be sad that it's our last full day on vacation.

Tuesday:

• Get off the ship and load up the cars.
• Someone will take the Hardings to the airport.
• Head home to Chicago.

So that's our cruise in a nutshell.

We'll have a rotational dining schedule each night for dinner. We'll go to different restaurants, and our servers will follow us throughout the trip. There also is a live show each night that is supposed to be as good as broadway. Also, the ship has a full sized theater that will play new releases. I'm hoping to see Toy Story 3, and maybe The Sorcerer's Apprentice onboard.

This doesn't begin to touch on everything the cruise offers. I'm really looking forward to the cruise!

So far in 2010 Disney Adventure:

Intros

Details Part One

2010 Disney Adventure: Details Part One

There's a lot that goes into a Disney vacation. We already covered the who and why, and now I'll go through the where, when, and how.

There are three main groups on this trip arriving at different times.

The first is Mom and Dad's group which consists of Mom, Dad, Alison, Jimmy, and I. Our group will be driving from Chicago to Orlando starting on Sunday, July 11th. It will be a quick 20 hour road trip since we have 5 drivers, and take the trip semi-often since Mom and Dad own a condo in Florida. We will arrive on Monday, July 12th in the morning.

The second group is the Hardings which consists of Kris, Jamie, Kaleb, and Emma. They will be flying to Orlando from Bloomington, IL on Monday, July 12th. Someone from Mom and Dad's group will drive to the airport to pick up the Hardings when they land.

The final group is David and Jen's group which consists of David, Jen, Sophia, and Alex. They don't arrive until Wednesday, July 14th by car. They will be staying at the same resort as the rest of us, but in their own studio.

This is the layout of the two-bedroom villa I'll be staying in.

A look at Disney's Beach Club Villas, which are a seafoam green color. Beach Club is blue, and Yacht Club is greyish, so even though these three resorts are connected with the same design, you can still decipher which is which.

Disney's Beach Club Villas are a part of the Beach Club and Yacht Club Resorts. These three resorts share the amazing Stormalong Bay pool. So excited to swim here again!

Mom and I chose this resort because it is absolutely gorgeous. We stayed at the Beach Club once before in concierge, and it was spectacular. We also love this resort because it is walking distance to Epcot, and you can take a short boat ride to Hollywood Studios. Most other resorts require bus rides to the parks, and we like having the option to walk or boat to those two parks.

Our plan for July 12th-15th kinda looks something like this:

Monday:

• Mom and Dad's group arrives in Orlando and checks in to Disney's Beach Club Villa.
• We'll set up our villa, and then go grocery shopping for breakfast foods for our mornings before the parks and snacks for during the days.
• We'll spend some time at the pools, or take a trip to Downtown Disney.
• Sometime in the afternoon, Dad (most likely) will leave to pick up the Hardings from the airport.
• We'll spend the rest of the day at the pool or Downtown Disney depending on what we did that morning.
• We'll need to get lots of sleep for our first day at the parks!

Tuesday:

• This will be our first day in the parks. We will be at either DHS, Epcot, or DAK depending on extra magic hours, and if the Hardings purchase park hopper tickets.

Wednesday:

• Our second day at the parks. We will be at either DHS, Epcot, or DAK depending on extra magic hours, and if the Hardings purchase park hopper tickets.
• At some point during the day, I will have to leave whichever park we're at to meet David and Jen's group at the resort to check them in. Since I am a cast member and made all of the reservations, I must be present at all check-ins.
• I'll return to the park to meet up with the rest of the family, and David and Jen will most likely relax at the pool with the kids.

Thursday:

• This is our only day in the parks with everyone.
• We will be at Magic Kingdom.
• In the morning Emma and Sophia have an appointment at the Bibbity Boppity Boutique to get their hair and makeup done like a princes.
• After BBB, we all have reservations to have lunch in the castle at Cinderella's Royal Table.

So that's the WDW part of our trip. As you can tell we don't like to plan our days down to the minute like some Disney vacationers. We'll most likely decide which park to visit each morning. If someone gets tired they can go back to the resort. We're pretty knowledgeable about each park so we know a lot of the tricks to save time while touring. I can't see us all sticking together the entire trip, but we'll try to meet up throughout the day.

In the next post I'll detail the cruise portion!

So far in 2010 Disney Adventure:

Intros

Happy Tears!

Yesterday was a fabulous day!

After work, Jimmy and I with a bunch of our other friends went out to BWW to watch game 6 of the Stanley Cup finals. The Blackhawks were up 3 games to 2 against the Flyers.

Honestly I've never been a hockey follower, and definitely didn't really care either way about the Stanley Cup. Yes, I root for Chicago no matter what sport, but beyond that it just didn't really thrill me.

Of course there are sooooo many fair weather fans that started to follow the Hawks only as they were winning. That's one of the things about sports that really bothers me. If you don't normally watch hockey, why do you get so wrapped up in it just because they are winning. You should support them no matter what... like how I support the Chicago Cubs. But the Cubs probably won't be winning anytime soon, and I'm ok with that.

Anyway... Alison and I spent the night playing that free trivia game at BWW while the rest of the masses watched the game. In the end the Hawks won in overtime and brought the Cup back to Chicago. It was very loud in that bar.

But that's not why I shed happy tears!

About half an hour ago I got an email from our breeders Kenny and Joey. Our puppy was born last night!! There are 9 puppies and only 2 are males. We have 2nd choice of the boys, so we lucked out when we placed the deposit. Any later and we may have not been getting a boy.

The green collars are male (one of them is our puppy!!!), and pink are female. So happy that Bella and pups are doing well. Kenny said that both boys are at the top of the weight range at 15 ounces each. He also said the boys are eating quite well, and should be two solid lads!

So our babe's birthday is June 9th, 2010 which means he should be able to come home by the weekend of August 14th... which happens to be my niece Emma's 8th birthday. We'll be at their house for her party, and coincidentally we'll be only an hour away from where our breeders are located. So hopefully we'll be able to stay the night at my sister's house, and then on Sunday, August 15th we'll be able to go get our boy!!

Yay!!!!

2010 Disney Adventure: Intros

If you didn't already pick up on it from my 100 Things list, I'm a bit of a Disney nerd. I've been on countless Disney vacations since childhood, worked at Walt Disney World for a semester in college on the WDW College Program, and have worked at a local Disney Store for the past 7 years. Yeah, I'd say I'm a little obsessed.

I think I have my mom to blame for that. She's a big advocate of Disney. It's one of her favorite places in the world. I own every animated Disney movie made thanks to her. Since Disney started their own cruise line, it's been her dream to go on one big vacation with all her kids and grandkids. Well... this summer her dream is coming true.

It feels like we've been planning this trip for YEARS. It's gonna be a fabulous trip that I doubt will be topped. Before I get ahead of myself sharing all the details, let me introduce the cast of characters.

Wendy and Earl aka Mom and Dad aka Grandma and Grandpa

These are the two people that really made this trip possible. This is a picture from July 2008 in Epcot with Emma and Kaleb.

Wendy: Ultimate Disney Mom. She insists on being at the parks at opening and staying till close. See those fanny packs in the picture? She never leaves for a WDW vacation without hers. It may be completely dorky, but it's really a lifesaver because she packs snacks in there for the day.

Earl: He is amazed on every trip with the technical side of Disney. He raves long after a trip about the rides, night shows, and parades. I think he'd like to be less commando on vacation, but follows Wendy's lead.

The Hardings

This is my oldest sister's family. They've been on a few Disney vacations in the past, but would much rather spend their time in Aruba or a similar tropical location.

Kris: Loves to experience Disney through the eyes of her kids. She booked us lunch in Cinderella's castle for this trip. And then of course the little girls will be getting their hair and makeup done at the Bibbity Boppity Boutique.

Jamie: Enjoys Disney when he's there, but it wouldn't not be a top choice for vacation. Jamie will not go on rides like The Hollywood Tower of Terror. A bit of a wuss.

Kaleb: Kaleb is 10 and follows after his dad when it comes to thrill rides. He did tell me last weekend that he can't wait to go on the Rockin' Roller Coaster... but when I asked about the Tower of Terror he said no way.

Emma: She's the little daredevil of this family at age 7. When we were there in 2008, she wanted to ride everything! In fact she was too short to ride the Rockin' Roller Coaster, so she and I went back to the Tower of Terror and rode it for the second time that day.

The Meseths

This is my brother's family. They live in Virgina, and have never been to WDW as a family. This will be the first trip for their kids and I can't wait to share that with them!

David: The stick-in-the-mud. He is not a fan of Disney. Hates the fact that it's a huge corporation and thinks it's taking over the world. He'll have a good time, but may not express it as much as he should/could.

Jen: I'm not sure when the last time Jen went to WDW was. I know she hasn't been there at least since she married David 8 years ago. We always joked that she and I would take her kids without David because she wanted to take them so bad. And now we're all going!

Sophia: She is 5 and is a genius. Sometimes she's too smart for her age. She knows all of the Disney princesses, and her favorite at the moment in Snow White.

Alex: Alex is 2. He's the most adorable little guy. Last weekend when they were at my parents' house visiting, Alex was pointing out all the characters he knew on a snow globe my mom has. My favorite was when he pointed to Baloo and said, "Blue!!" So cute.

Alison

Alison is my little sister. I love going to Disney parks with her because she gets just as excited as I do. When Jimmy and I went in November 2008, she had me call her when we rode Ellen's Energy Adventure so she could listen along as we rode. The picture above is of her and Emma at Epcot in 2008. I think she's most excited to vacation with Jimmy for the first time. They're both planning on drinking around the world at Epcot.

The (future) Rohdes

Of course me and Jimmy are going!! The picture above is from our first WDW trip as a couple.

Jimmy: He's truly a kid at heart. Some of the rides he doesn't understand... like Pirates of the Caribbean, but he really has a great time at WDW. I have a great video of him skipping toward Cinderella's Castle.

Jill (me): There's too much to explain when it comes to me and Disney. It's my favorite place in the world, and I would live in Lake Buenna Vista and work there if I could. My favorite park is Epcot, and my favorite ride is the Carousel of Progress.

So that's the whole crew. We have 32 days until we depart for Orlando. So excited!!

Up next I'll share all the details of our trip. Where, when, what, etc.

Any Day Now

I'm checking Jimmy's email constantly hoping for the announcement of our puppy's birth.

They're due mid-June, so it's still a little early, but we're so close and I'm so excited!! I'm sure after we get the good news it'll be even harder for me to wait till August when we get to take him home.

Another Busy Weekend

Last weekend was another whirlwind.

Friday was my cousin's wedding. Read all about it on my wedding blog here.

On Saturday I woke up with a hangover. AWHAT!? I don't drink because of my liver disease. However I my doctors have told me that a celebratory drink is fine every now and then. So I had a few sips of beer, and a So-Co and Coke at the wedding. So I was punished with a raging headache the next morning. UGH. At least I wasn't alone and Jimmy was just as miserable as I was.

Saturday we went to my Aunt Mary and Uncle Dave's house for my cousin Ryan's high school graduation party. We played some bags and hung out with my family a little.

We were only able to stay for two hours because we had a surprise birthday party to make. Jimmy's old neighborhood friend turned 30, and his wife threw a huge bash at Dave and Buster's.

She rented a private room with three pool tables, and served an amazing dinner of nachos, pretzel bites, mini burgers, chicken nuggets, fried ravioli, and mini pizzas. Sooooo good. Plus she ordered this crazy super chocolate cake that even I couldn't finish because it was so sweet.

Sunday was spent with Anthony and Moik during the day, and then Alison, Jen, and her boyfriend John came over to watch Alice in Wonderland and the Blackhawks' game.

Great weekend.

Puppy Love: Part One or Revealing Our Secret

Re-post from the wedding blog on 5.19.10... since puppies have nothing to do with weddings.

I'm awful at keeping happy, exciting secrets.

I had a secret that I was DYING to blab to everyone I know. I've kept my mouth zipped for TWO WHOLE DAYS, and finally Jimmy gave me the go-ahead to tell my sister Alison since I assured Jimmy she wouldn't mention anything to my parents. I also broke down and told my BFF/MOH Amanda. It wouldn't count if I told Amanda... I mean, she's my BFF, and I know she wouldn't spill the beans since she lives all the way out in freaking North Carolina, and then in June will be moving to CALIFORNIA! What the heck Amanda? California is not closer to Illinois.

Anyway... our little secret. I don't know exactly why it's a secret. I guess because Jimmy wants it to be. The minute it was official he asked, "can this be a secret?" Sure... keep something I want to tell everyone a secret. So we didn't tell anyone until yesterday, and we're still waiting to tell most of our family members.

What is our secret you ask? No, we're not pregnant. Let's get that out of your minds right away.

We're getting one of these!!

Not one of these exact puppies, but a puppy that will look very much like the ones in the picture. In fact this is a litter from the same breeders we are going through.**

Our puppy will be a silver Labrador Retriever. The AKC registers silver labs as chocolate labs. Many breeders feel it is just a matter of time until the AKC recognizes silver labs as their own separate color.

Jimmy saw a silver lab at a park a while ago, and was completely smitten. He has always loved labs, and during our search for a puppy, he kept asking about getting a lab. I've never seen a silver lab myself, but I adore the temperaments of other labs I know, and the pictures of silver labs I've seen had me sold that a silver was for us.

On Saturday the 15th of May, Jimmy Googled silver labrador retrievers. He eventually ended up on the website for Dances with Dogs Retrievers. They are a family owned and operated premiere breeder of yellow, black, chocolate, silver, charcoal, and silver-factored labs, as well as Golden Retrievers and Irish Wolfhounds. I tried to convince Jimmy that what he really wanted was an Irish Wolfhound, but he wouldn't budge. After scouring the webpage for nearly an hour we decided to sleep on it and come back to it the next day.

Sunday morning we went back to the Dances with Dogs Retrievers site. They are expecting a litter of silver labs mid-June and were starting to take deposits. I opened the page to make a deposit and couldn't press the "pay now" button myself. I wanted Jimmy to make the final call, so he pressed the button and we are officially going to be puppy parents!! We're in the second picking spot for a male, and he will be able to come home with us around mid-August.

We're not sharing the news with too many people yet because we want to wait till the litter is actually born and we get pictures from Dances with Dogs Retrievers. But I couldn't not share with you guys. Plus Alison is my only non-blogger friend that follows me... that I know of. If there's someone else I know reading this keep you lips zipped!!

I figured this would be a multi-post topic since our puppy hasn't even been born, and we have much to prepare for our little addition to the family.

Up next in the series: talking with Kenny and Joey, and prepping for our puppy.

**I am happy with our choice to adopt a dog from a breeder. Jimmy and I looked at shelters and adoption agencies to find a puppy. We were often times left disappointed and heart broken when the puppy we fell in love with ended up in a different home or otherwise unavailable. I whole heartedly praise those of you that have found shelter pets to love, but in our hearts this was the right choice for us. Our breeder is a reputable couple that only breeds dogs that have been given top health clearances. In the future if we get another pet we will again try the shelter route, but once we found this breeder we couldn't imagine going a different way this time around.

Memorial Day Weekend 2010

This past holiday weekend was jam-packed.

Saturday at noon was FSIL Sonya's baby shower at FMIL's house. I got there early to help set up. Sonya and Rick showed up with their dog Lucy, and I had a great time socializing with my future family. Sonya got some great gifts. She's due August 23rd!

Sonya and Rick

FMIL Pam and FSIL Sonya

Sonya's sister Andrea, Sonya, and their mom Kathy

Then Saturday night was my cousin's fiancée's bachelorette party. We started with dinner at Bar Louie. Unfortunately the whole place was packed with Black Hawk fans watching the first game of the Stanley Cup. We had reserved seating, but it was annoying having to hear cheering every time they scored. I'm not into hockey, even if Chicago is in the finals.

Mary and Alison

Of course penis straws showed up. Jen demonstrating.

After dinner we headed to a bar where there was more drinking, and then some dancing after the hockey game ended... yes, even the dance bar was playing the game. I am not into the whole clubbing thing, so I was out of my element. Luckily my sister was there to commiserate with. At least Allison had a great time! She gets married this Friday!

Random guys harassed Allison and then bought her a shot. They came up to me initially thinking it was a birthday party. Really? You missed the girl wearing a light-up sash and tiara with veil?

Allison's MOH Gwen giving her a (pathetic) lap dance.

Sunday was HOT! We spent the entire day and night at our friend Steve's house in his pool. There will be many more days exactly like that this summer.

On Monday Jimmy finished framing the shower in the basement! I am so excited that the bathroom is starting to take shape.

The whole time it was pouring outside. I love storms.

In the afternoon we went to my parents' house for a huge dinner of ribs, corn on the cob, fruit salad, spinach salad, potatoes, and sour dough bread. So delicious.

All in all it was a great weekend.