Weekend Wrap-Up

I feel the need to pat myself on that back for actually getting this weekend wrap-up typed and published before Friday! Life just gets so busy sometimes that it's hard to sit down and get the details out, you know?

We were both really looking forward to this weekend and the downtime that came with it. The past couple of weekends have been busy with home improvement projects and/or family in town...which we love, but is exhausting! My number one goal for this weekend was to sleep in. Did I? You betcha I did, and it was LOVELY! We stayed in bed on Saturday until around 10 just being lazy...I loved it. Once we got up we started getting ready for a different kind of shopping adventure and had a little photo shoot:

Back story: We are travelling to Florida in 19 days AND we are taking Louie with us. Our vet said that if he handled shorter car rides that he would be fine on a longer one. We decided to take a trip to Fort Wayne (about 45 min away) with Louie in tow as a test. I was excited to spend the day with him! We ended up taking him to the pet store and also Honda because we needed to stop by there. He was such a trooper and handled the trip so well!

He really was so good in the car and stayed right on my lap the entire time we were driving. The only time we were in the car and not driving was when we were eating Chick-Fil-A in the parking lot because it was way too cold to eat outside anywhere...Louie was just begging for french fries then :) He may have gotten a couple...

He was funny shopping at the pet store, also. He seemed totally unbothered by all the other animals and was fine as long as I stayed right by him. At one point I walked away from the cart and he jumped out after me. Woops!

Louie was totally spoiled on this trip. That's okay though, because he deserves it!

After lunch and the pet store, we needed to stop at Honda about the floor mats they ordered for our vehicle. Basically, they don't fit.at.all! It took quite awhile but they ended up ordering us new ones and washing the car. I love getting free car washes!

Louie in mid-lick while waiting at Honda :)

Saturday night we went to a game night at a co-workers house and had a great time. Their house was so beautiful and I got some great decorating ideas, too. Actually, I was intrigued by all the maps she has used to decorate their house and I might have ordered an antique map of the county we live in...by the time we got home that night, ha! Fun times!

Sunday we went to church and then did some things at the house and relaxed. It is tough to stay on top of ever thing...owning a house means there is always something to do. That is good usually, but not so good when we want to relax. Agree? It's okay...only 19 days until vacation in Florida. We will relax then at some point!

Now I will leave you with one super cute picture of Louie and one of his treats we picked for him while shopping Saturday. I think he face screams "don't you dare touch my rawhide, Mom!"

Well folks, that's the low down on our weekend. Hope you had a great one!

The rest of Mom, Dad & Hunter's visit {Part 2}

I realize this post has taken me forever to get published...can't say I really have an excuse. If you didn't read or don't remember Part 1, get caught up here.

While Mom & Dad were here we headed to Amish Country for them to get a taste of it all. We planned on doing the tour at Amish Acres, but unfortunately they close for the winter so we were not able to. I was a bit disappointed by this, but we didn't let that stop us. The restaurant was still open (it is closed now though) so we did get to enjoy an Amish Fest. It was D.E.L.I.C.I.O.U.S! Seriously, if you ever have an opportunity to eat at an authentic Amish restaurant, DO IT!

After lunch we strolled around some of the property and took a couple pictures:

We stopped at a couple antique stores on the way back home and had a great time doing so. Stephen and I enjoy places like that! We had been in these antique stores before, so it was nice to show them to Mom and Dad. Hunter was not too thrilled about the shopping for "old crap", but he put up with it pretty well! Maybe it was because we promised to go bowling with him that night? He rarely bowls in Florida, but loves to bowl up here!

That night can you guess what we did? If you guessed we went bowling, you are correct! The bowling alley in our town is small-about 6 lanes I think. We bowled there last year with Hunter and ended up going to a different, bigger bowling alley in another town. This year we tried it again and stuck it out. We were the only people in there each night (we went 3 nights in a row). It was awesome!

I loved the big tree they had inside:



We bowled and bowled and bowled. Hunter improved some each night, which was nice to see. Now he loved bowling even more and I know he has gone at least once since we returned home. Stephen and I have thought about going bowling since they left but it just seems weird to go without Hunter, ha!

Hunter also like "ice skating" in our yard. The snow was pretty icy to begin with, so that made some pretty icy tracks going into the garage. It was funny to watch him tackle the graceful job of ice skating on this "ice". He totally provided us with entertainment! I will say thought, that he did not fall once. Bravo, Hunter!

Another day we headed north, almost to the Indiana and Michigan state line for some shopping. We first went to my Dad's favorite store; Bass Pro Shops. It was cold outside on this day. Like freezing. It was nice that we were all bundled up close together in the back of Dad's truck:

While Dad shopped, we spent time looking around the store. Have you ever been in one of these? They are incredible and all different. So very cool! Hunter and Mom had an impromptu photo shoot when they did the exact same thing unknowingly, ha. Love that they think alike so much!

We ate at Quaker Steak and Lube, which was pretty amazing. Hunter had hot wings that he talked about all day long, and I had a hot wing salad that I would order again in a heartbeat. I really like trying new places and finding out they are delicious. It is not so much fun when you hate your food and leave hungry, you know? After lunch we stopped at the outlet mall and I stocked up with some new jeans that I desperately needed. It was another fun (but cold) day in Indiana!

Mom, Dad & Hunter left for Florida (via: Georgia) dark and early the next morning. It was quiet in our house and seemed so odd! We really enjoyed the time they spent here with us and hope they come back again soon!

Vera, Vera, Vera!

 Today, I will be using a vacation day at work and shopping with my sister-in-law and some wonderful ladies from church at the annual Vera Bradley Outlet Sale in Fort Wayne :) I have been looking forward to this day for about a month and even more as the day got closer! Can't wait to hit the sales floor and pick up some oh so cute floral purses and bags :) Have a great Thursday everyone!

My story: how I lost my engagement ring!

I had planned on working until around 6pm since I have so much that needs to be done, only I could not make it until 6pm. I was too excited about the shopping I planned to get done and was simply distracted. I gave up the fight and left the office around 5:45pm. Along with my jacket and gloves I stepped out into the Indiana cold.

My plan was to leave work with two stops ahead of me before returning home to our apartment. My first stop was going to be at Bath and Body Works to spend the gift card that my super nice boss gave me for Christmas (he does not read this blog, or know is exists so this is not a kiss up). My next stop was going to be at my favorite grocery store; Aldi's. We did not need much, just some staples like gummy bears, ranch dressing and frosting lettuce, tomatoes, and some yummy fruit. Once I got into my car I took my gloves off thinking it would be easier to shop and pay without them getting in the way or having to worry about them falling out of my coat pockets. So, onward to Bath and Body Works I go...only I drive past it. At the end of the service road that B&BW is on sits Aldi's. I decide that nothing I need at Aldi's will go bad if I leave it in the car while I shop at B&BW for 20 or so minutes, so I do my grocery shopping first.

Y'all, I flew through that store. I was in and out with everything I needed in probably 20 minutes...and I ended up getting a lot of things. So after I stole took a box from Aldi's and boxed up my food-I headed back out to my car. Fast forward past me putting the box in my trunk and returning the shopping cart...I am now on my way to B&BW. Yay!

I park my car and walk into the store. As soon as I enter I grab one of their mesh, blue shopping bags and head over to the hand soap. (That is really all I was there for) I have 3 different scents in my bag in no time-SCORE. I am still shopping though, since I am pro ;) I wanted to smell some of the newer scents that are out so I reach to the shelf with my left hand to grab the bottle, and notice something...MY ENGAGEMENT RING IS GONE!

GONE!

After my initial instinct to panic, I start checking my pockets thinking that maybe it came off when I took my hands out of my coat pocket. Then I check the bag with my soap in it; nothing. I walk to the cashier counter and ask her if I can leave my bag here and come back in. I search the parking lot the entire walk to my car, then I search my car. Y'all, I searched like I have never searched before. I even took the box of groceries out the car and started taking everything out of the box, praying the ring was inside the box. It was dark outside and I could barely see anything. I put the contents back into my trunk and head back to Aldi's. At Aldi's I talk to the cashier who takes my name and phone number. I also retrace my steps in the store with extreme concentration. What do I find?...

NOTHING.

I search my car; again. I search the Aldi's parking lot and shopping car area...Nothing. I go back to B&BW and search that parking lot...again. Then I go inside and tell the cashier what happened. Bless her heart, I thought she was going to start crying with me! She also takes my name and number and tells the other woman working what happened so they both can be looking for it. I then retrace my steps in B&BW. What do I find?...

NOTHING.

Defeated and pretty emotional; I head back to my car to go home. Somewhere in the middle of all this I had texted my husband and asked him to meet me somewhere to help me look. He did not understand at first and was concerned that I was alone, shopping, and having an extreme low blood sugar...only to me, that was a way better option that losing my engagement ring! I go home...crying the entire way. I walk into our apartment; looking like I had been beat up I'm sure, and start searching my purse again. The Mr. was incredible during this time. He just kept telling me that he was not upset, and that everything would be fine. I knew this was not the end of the world; losing my ring, but it sure felt like it to me!

I think I had accepted that the ring was actually lost about this time. I asked The Mr. if he would help me get the groceries out of my car. He did not know that they were strewn all over the trunk though. We took a reusable shopping bag and a flashlight downstairs with us to search again, with better light. I started taking the remaining items in the box and putting them in the bag. When I took the last can from the box I saw something. Sitting in the rear corner of the box was...

MY RING!

Talk about happy, I was SO happy! After hours of searching and freaking out, my ring was found! Praise the Lord! I actually told The Mr. that I felt 100 pounds lighter and I was hungry. Instead of felling like throwing up, I wanted food! :)

So, what do you think are my plans tonight? you guessed it! We are going to a local jewelers and seeing about having my ring sized down since obviously it is too big. Rings should not just fall off like that! Then we are hitting up B&BW to spend my gift card and get some luxury soap.

...and that's the end of the story!