The Birthday Boy

On January, 21st, my wonderful husband finally caught up to me in age for ten months and turned 23! Now, if you know Nick, this is a very special birthday for him because his favorite basketball player of all time is #23 Michael Jordan. I decided to do a basketball themed birthday for him. My husband is so special to me. I look forward to this day more than he does because it is a way for the day to be completely about him. (he actually doesn't care for it at all to be honest)

(On his birthday with makeshift decorations)

I really wanted to take him to a basketball game for his birthday, so we went the Saturday before and saw the Jazz play the Bucks. Jon and Karina went with us, but Jon got lucky and won tickets for the 6th row center court through his work! We bought the cheapest tickets we could find and were up in the upper bowl seating. Jon and Karina were so sweet, they let us switch tickets for the second half. And they were really sweet to buy us a really good dinner at Z-Tejas. he other really cool thing was that we made NBA.com. Yes, be so jealous. Jon sent this little picture to Nick because he saw that we were in the video clip. We are in the upper left corner. I am in pink and Nick has his hat on. The guys were bummed out because they went to see Brandon Jennings play, and his team lost big time. But we still had a fun time.

(Sorry, the picture of the clip didn't work!)

On his actual birthday, he wanted to have his parents and siblings over for dinner. It turned out to be Dave and Carol, and Jon and Karina. He chose the menu and we had BBQ ribs and Chicken Drumsticks. They were both done in the crockpot and were really easy. (Thanks Carolyn for the recipe!) We also did baked beans and mashed potatoes and his mom brought a really good fruit salad. I didn't plan anything special for the day since he was going to go to school, but last minute he ended up missing the last train to get him down there in time so it was a nice surprise to have him home and get to relax all day. He opened his present from my mom and I. We went in on some Celtics basketball shorts. He liked them! Especially with all the basketball he has been able to play lately.

This guy is the most wonderful guy there is! I kid you not! I have never known someone to treat a wife like he does me. This man is my best friend! He always helps around the house, cooks dinner, helps out others whenever he can, and is just genuinely sweet! I am so lucky to have him.

Everyone singing happy birthday!

Here he is blowing out his 23 candles on his strawberry rhubarb pie. It is his favorite. I had never had it and I can see why he loves it.

Nick with his mom

On Saturday, we met my mom and Charlie at the Cheesecake factory and they bought lunch for Nicks birthday. It was so fun, and really delicious!

To finish off the weekend, we went and saw a free movie through my work Extraordinary Measures. It was supposed to be Invictus, but it got changed last minute. It was a pretty good movie though. We rented a couple redbox movies and ordered in pizza for a good Saturday night.

I hope you had a good birthday this year, Nicho! I love you with all my heart. I am so lucky to have you, and I can't wait to start this new, exciting, and yes, scary chapter of our lives together! Happy Birthday, Babe! -wife

Frustrated

I am frustrated!

I came home from work today to my wonderful husband who was cooking fish and rice. Lately our power bill has been ridiculously expensive because the cottage has no insulation. So...today it was freezing in our house when I got home. I walked over to the thermostat and it was at 64. I turned it up to 70. An hour later, it still hadn't kicked on. I was getting a little nervous thinking it was broken. So, we changed the batteries in the thermostat, and nothing still.

We called our landlords. Our crazy, lazy, strange landlords. The woman, Bonnie, answers. I tell her my name, and first off, she doesn't remember who I am. We have been here for 9 months and she doesn't even know my name. Thats the first awesome thing. I tell her our furnace is not working and that it is freezing in our place. Her response is, "I will have to call you back." So, she calls us back a couple minutes later and Nick answers. She gets way too confused and Nick states that it is okay to talk to him. She tells us to turn it off and wait and then turn it back on. As Nick is talking, she hangs up. We waited about half an hour and had no luck.

In the mean time, Nick heats up our rice heating pads for me and I sit on the couch. Even the couch cushions are cold through my clothes. I pretty much throw a fit having to use the bathroom and sit on the toilet. It seriously felt like I was sitting on ice cubes.

So, I called Bonnie back, and I told her it didn't work. Her only response once again was, "We will have to call you back." Fifteen minutes passed...then a half hour, then forty-five minutes. I told Nick I would call her in another fifteen. We planned on going to his parents if they couldn't fix it tonight. We planned on leaving at 8. At ten til 8 right as I was about to call her, furious that she hadn't returned my call, Bonnie's lovely partner, Reed, showed up at our front door. Not a call, or any warning that he was coming. (Now if you remember, I made a post about Reed back in July that pretty much explained my feelings towards him. All in all, I can't stand him.) He barged in our house and walked straight to the thermostat. I felt like a mom, scolding her young child as I quickly started getting after him. "I was waiting for you guys to call back. I didn't know you were even coming." He didn't even speak a word to me.

He is now in our attic "fixing" the thermostat. He told Nick, "Oh! This is more complicated then I thought." I am freezing on the couch with sweats, slippers, a blanket, two heating pads, and numb fingers. My nose is running because it is freezing to the touch. He just shut the attic door, and I won't be surprised if he drives away, without fixing it, and without another word.

My dear sweet husband always tries to help by talking to them for me, since he knows I will be vicious, but I always want to get a word in. So, for now I will sit cold on my couch, frustrated, trying to warm my fingers under the computer.

Twenty Ten

For our New Year, we celebrated by painting pictures of each other blind folded. If you look really closely (or maybe if you look really far away with eyes squinted) we sort of resemble ourselves.

This is Nick. I think I made him resemble Homer Simpson.

This is me. I look mentally handicapped.

Then we painted out our Family Goals for the year.

We also watched a couple of movies, and it resulted in me falling asleep around 11. I suck. But in my defense I did have work the next morning at 6.

Welcome 2010

Things we hope will happen this year:

Nick will get into graduate school

We will move in the fall

We will both be healthier and have smokin' bodies by the summer

I can keep the house clean and spider free

The last one, um, definitely difficult, but its a new year, and I will die trying. Wish me luck and bring on the new year!

Holiday Happenings

We are so lucky to be living close to both sides of family. Especially since we were able to spend our Christmas with them. Since we were going to be with other family on the 25th, we celebrated our own Christmas at the Cottage on the 22nd.

We bought our tree one night, thinking it would easily fit sticking out of the trunk of the car. After much struggle, this is what we ended up with. It stuck out a foot through each back window. We both had to have our seats jammed into the dash. Not recommended. I think we will figure out something a little different for transportation of next years tree.

Here it is all decorated! I loved having a real tree. There is something about having one that just makes Christmas better.

On Christmas Eve Day, we went sledding over by Rob and Amy's house. It was freezing, but it was tons of fun.

Jared, Nick, Jon and Karina

Nick with his Mom, just before singing tons of Christmas Carols

See how he just fits on my lap so nicely? He thinks he does anyway.

Opening presents Christmas morning

Carolyn, Erica, Karina, Jon and Jared

Making a delicious Christmas Lunch!

Nick and Jared

Our Christmas Photo

Overall, we really enjoyed our first Christmas together. I was supposed to work Christmas day, but a little Christmas miracle came along and the night before, someone called me and told me I wasn't needed.

We went down to my mom and Charlie's house in the afternoon and had a great dinner there and stayed the night. (I forgot to take any pictures there.) We saw Sherlock Holmes (awesome movie) and enjoyed our time there. Thanks to all our family for making it a perfect Christmas.