Grandma and Grandpa help us take on Indy!

Well, this time it has been a few days, but for a few good reasons. Nate finished up his internship Friday and we are just catching up for a few days around here and then off on an adventure for our anniversary. For any of you who know Nate, the anniversary adventure is a surprise, and it will be fantastic.....

But back to details about Grandma and Grandpa coming in to town. They got down here on Thursday morning. We went out and about shopping on Thursday and had dinner at Texas Roadhouse. We argued with them as always about where they would sleep...but to no resolve. They are stubborn!

Friday we got up and around and then went down to Edinburgh.....the OUTLETS!!!!! My dear, dear Bapa treated me to a COACH PURSE.......for those of you who know what that means to me, it was pretty fantastic. I also got a cute jacket at Coldwater Creek. Grandma and I even tried on matching outfits at Coldwater Creek, just for kicks and giggles. We were the hit of the store. Grandma looked cuter in the outfit, can you believe it??

Also, my baby brother Mike went to camp and bought us t-shirts! He is just the sweetest little brother in the whole world. We took some pics in them and I am sending them to him in the mail.

Pretty excited to see some family this weekend. Not loving the drive, but it has been about 6 weeks since our last trip up at this point!

The Magnificent Hans vs. the ducks

Today Hans had a fantastic day! Being as bad as he was this weekend, perhaps he didn't deserve it, but it was so good! We drove him downtown and took him on an hour-long walk along the canal. I was so mad that I left my camera in the car, so we don't have any pics of that fun. However, the walk consisted of Hansy discovering his new nemesis......the ducks! As we were walking along, he almost caught a duck sitting in the bushes right next to him. About half-way through the walk he decided he was tired and I had to carry him for about 5 minutes. At that point he had renewed energy to take on the ducks again. He was just so funny.

Since we were downtown we decided that we would take him over to a pet bakery a few minutes away. We took him there and got him a "doggie sundae." He thought it was his lucky day. We got him a peanut butter flavored one. We came home and he even got a bath tonight.

He is beat tonight. That is the biggest day he has had in a long time! He will sleep really well. He is already dead asleep next to me in the chair.

Grandma was right, as always.....

Look, there are even "wet-wipes" for sticky rib fingers! And of course my dachshund corn-holders! Other than the food, I only spent $3 on the table cloth! I already had everything else!

I am finding myself saying this more and more......"Grandma was right!" My Grandma Wilkey is a very smart lady. She is definitely one of my biggest role models and I have learned much of what I know about life in general from her. That being said, this story actually goes back a few years. One day when I was in high school I remember talking with her one day in the kitchen about cooking dinner or something along those lines. She made some remark along the lines of "It is kind of hard to plan meals for every day." Me, being queen of the world and thinking I knew everything there was to know thought to myself, "I love cooking, I will never get sick of cooking and making meals...." AS IF!!!!

Four years into my marriage and keeping my own home, I am SICK of cooking. I am sick of grocery shopping, I am sick of spending money to buy groceries, I am sick of planning meals for everyday and then cleaning up the mess I make (and I always make a HUGE mess!) That being said, I now would prefer to eat out - every day for every meal. This would be unbelievably expensive and not really so healthy at all. Still, my idea of a fantastic evening includes eating out.

That being said, I was wide awake at 2:00am a few nights ago watching "Good Eats with Alton Brown." Mr. Brown made ribs - probably Nathan's favorite meal and something I have been refusing to make for some time because I didn't know how.

I decided I was going to make Friday a "date-night in" for us and work my tushy off all day to have a special evening for us. I began planning and getting ready at around noon and had dinner on the table by around 6:00. Nate came home to a very clean house, a cute set-theme dinner made up of lemonade, ribs, baked potato with the fixings, and corn. Later followed by smores made over our fire-pit on the back porch. It was a great evening and well worth the work. There was an element of proudness that I felt after preparing Nathan a special dinner. Something that I clearly don't get from saying "Let's go to Texas Roadhouse."

Turns out grandma was right, but to make it worse, grandma had been married for 45 years before she said that. We aren't even to 4 yet, boy, I am in trouble!

The (NOT SO) Magnificent Hans

Hansy was SO bad yesterday. I have no idea what got in to that little dog's mind.....but it was bad behavior squared. So Nate and I went out for a few hours in the morning. We were expecting Nate's brother Matt and his girlfriend Laura in to town yesterday afternoon. So out and about we go to do some errands, but lost track of time a little bit. We arrived home about 5 minutes before Matt and Laura were due to our house. Now, mind you I had been cleaning like a nutsy lady for days. When we left, the house was perfect. We come home to the kitchen trash pulled over and trash strewn all about the kitchen and in to the living room. We continue to tour the house and found the office trash also tipped over and rummaged through....and last, but not least, he had PEED in the guest room. This isn't really like Hansy to pee in the house, but needless to say I was a bit mad. We got everything cleaned up, but I was a bit peeved.

A few hours later we went out to dinner. We were careful this time and closed up most of the doors in the house, and we were thinking we were smart and brilliant when we took a kitchen chair and pushed it up to the trash can in the kitchen. We were probably testing fate by kind of thinking we had won and there was no way that this small dog could manage to get the trash down with the chair holding it up....................we were wrong. We came home to the trash can pulled down again. How did he do it???

We went out one more time, and we prepared ourselves. We removed all the trash from the trash and and closed off the rest of the house. A few hours later we came home to find that rotten, terrible Hansy had pulled Laura's purse off the coffee table.......................unzipped it...............yes, you read that right, he UNZIPPED IT! How did he do it without tearing or pulling apart the zipper.......I don't know. But he had somehow managed and pulled everything out of her purse and ate the following:

A bag of skittles
A kind size white chocolate Hershey bar (thank goodness white chocolate and not dark, or we would have been to the emergency vet)
And about 10 lifesaver mints

We thought for a few minutes he had also eaten the lid to a Tide stain remover pen, but luckily we found that.

Once we realized there wasn't any danger......I was MAD. He had just been so bad, all day. What in the heck, Hansy?

I was so mad I even picked up his toy basket and bone and closed them in the office, big-time punishment, I know....but what else to do? As we got ready for bed I carried him in the bedroom and told him in a grumpy voice...."I just dare you to be sick tonight and vomit or even just squiggle around all night because you have a belly ache from eating all this terrible crap all day."

Thank goodness, no more issues. He slept all night like a good boy and seems fine today. We went to a neighbor's house for lunch, and he was good while we were gone.

No matter what, I love the little doober. Sometimes he tries my patience. Sometimes he tries my nerve to the last possible end, like yesterday. But as I sit here writing this blog, he is sitting right here next to me in the chair, being so good and cute. Life is good!

I am the weakest link........

Many of you know how I feel about Hans and pets/animals in general. I am sure I give them more credit than they are due from time to time, but I just love The Magnificent Hans!

I have several beliefs on Hans:

He knows when I am feeling crappy and has a great way of making me feel better

He is funny, almost all the time - I know he can't speak, but he is hilarious - he does funny things and is a goofball in general

He is a good judge of character - and this leads to the purpose of this post........

About an hour ago I got a craving for a steakburger......I have a recently developed love for the single steakburger from Steak n' Shake (the single with everything on it, but no cheese). Nate decided he could go for a steakburger as well, so off to Steak n' Shake we go. We went through the drive through and brought home the belly-busters.

This is when I had my revelation, as Hansy stands and begs at me all pathetic and sad looking. Why is it that if Nate and I are sitting right next to each other, both eating identical steakburgers, Hansy must beg only from me? It is because he knows I am a softy and in no way immune to his cuteness. I do not like to share my food, especially if I want it. It does have a good spin when I am eating and not really wanting the food, then he is welcome to all my stuff I don't want.....but the steakburger.....................IT IS MINE AND I DON'T WANT TO SHARE, DARN IT! Inevitably, as I finish the last few bites, I pulled off a small piece and gave it to him.....I am sure only fueling the problem to begin with.

Oh well, it is fun for the most part and he is so darn cute, how can I say no?

HARRY POTTER - my favorite holiday, ever!

So last night Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince (the movie) came into the theaters. We were shocked at how many people were in to Harry Potter down here! We have two theaters here in Greenwood, and we have one we like and one we don't like so much. I just got online by chance on Monday and saw that the theater we liked was completely SOLD OUT of all - are you ready for this - 7 THEATERS!!!!! I know, sheer crazy!!! So I got on to the theater that we don't like so much, and they had 5 theaters, 3 already completely sold out. We purchased our tickets on MONDAY - for the midnight showing on Tuesday! And I thought we were hardcore HP fans! We got to the theater at 10:00 pm for the midnight showing. We were actually seated in the theater, which was fine because we got good seats, but I have a hard time sitting still/being patient for two hours.

But wait, it only gets better. The movie was to begin at 12:01 am. Just a couple minutes prior to that, the movie theater person (who didn't seem too thrilled to be there) came in and made the annoucement that the theater had 5 screens showing and only one person in the booth, they let us know to be patient, but it may start a few minutes after 12:01. So about 12:15 (catch the sarcasm and annoyance) the movie finally starts. Well, not really, because it is actually the previews - and GET THIS - the COMMERCIALS (yes, COMMERCIALS - like the Allstate and Coke commercials from the TV at home) start. We get through the 5 or so minutes of commercials and get in to one preview and the theater wigs out. The audio continues but the picture goes out. IT TOOK THE THEATER UNTIL 12:35 TO GET THE TECHINCAL DIFFICULTIES SORTED OUT, ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!!!!!!!!! ahhhhhhhh.......

So the much awaited movie itself finally started around 1:00 am....................I am glad to say it was worth the wait, but poor Nathan had to work this morning. It was a great and memorable night. The movie was good (not as good as the book, but is never is!)

Oh yeah, and I made an outfit - for a total cost of $1.50. It was fun, fun, fun! Harry Potter is my favorite holiday!

Yes, I look awesome, and yes I know it - please pay attention to the wand (stick from the backyard) that Nathan carefully picked out!

Nathan and myself using the great camera function - also sending out a sign to our family and friends, who knows a little bit of ASL? Also could just be a "WOO-HOO" sign!

Our happy family, although Hansy may disagree with you!

The Wonderful Wizard of Dometic

Once upon a time, in a land far, far away (well 3 hours north, but you catch my drift) there lived a man we shall call "Dad the Awesome." Dad worked for a wonderful company that sold magical "mini-fridges" to hotels in the midwest. I called Dad after a rough couple of weeks to ask him about any advice for a weekend away. He sent a magic e-mail and hooked Nathan and I up with a weekend away in the magical town of "Mariemont, OH."

It was much needed and "just what Nathan (the doctor, although still future) ordered." We had a FABULOUS time. It was great for Nathan and me just to be able to reconnect again and get away from some worries.

Our great friends, Brad and Krista, watched the Magnificent Hans for us. Hans got to be with his girlfriend Sadie.

We spent three days and two nights in Mariemont. We had good food, fun, and lots and LOTS of Graeters Ice Cream!

This is Graeters Ice Cream - yes, those are 6 small cones for both of us to split - it is the BEST ice cream on the planet - and I would know because I am a professional ice cream taster - Grandma and Grandpa Wilkey - this is all for you!

Us on the observation deck of Carew Tower, the tallest building in CincyUs with the "pig" outside of Montgomery Inn, the most famous restaurant in Cincinnati (famous for their ribs). It was good, but not really fabulous - definitely overrated in my opinion. Still very fun!Some nice camera work on Nate's behalf - I was actually standing a few feet in front of this pig-thing.

Finally, a BLOG!

In all honesty, Nate started a blog several months ago, which we put a total of two posts on. For at least two months I have been swearing I was going to get really good and strict with this "blogging" mumbo-jumbo. I just know I love looking at other people's blogs, so why not be really good at ours? Also, I figure it will give our family and friends with Internet access a great way to keep up to date and see pics and fun with the Stewarts! As many of our family and friends know, we have had a rough couple of months to say the least. The miscarriage is still fresh and painful, but we are determined to make the best of it and look at it as "glass half-full" rather than "glass half-empty." The more things I go through in life, the more determined and sure I am of the fact that life is very much what you choose to make of it. It is really all about attitude and choice. Nate and I have been blessed in SO many ways in our lives and we know and appreciate it.

For now, our life is me, Jen, cleaning and being a good wife and home-maker. Nate, the most AWESOME husband ever and always diligent and hardworking 2nd year medical student. And of course, last, but definitely not least - HANS(Y)! Hansy is our 7 year old dachshund - and really more like best friend, comedian and child for the time being!

Here are some great pics of Hansy-

Hansy driving me around Indy - actually as I hope you know and guess Nate is driving, but it was pretty funny - he really looks like he is focusing on the road

This is so seriously adorable and so "Hansy" first of all, Hansy is like a lizard, he LOVES the sun and lying in the sun. This pic is all the greater though, because Hansy found a pair of my slippers, sitting several feet away. He actually put them there where you see them and used them as a pillow - only the best for King Hansy

Another thing about Hansy is that he also LOVES the trash - I know - gross! He is always looking in the trash for anything he considers a good find. We actually have pretty "Hansy-proof" trashcans, but one evening while we were out, he somehow knocked down the super-heavy metal trash can. He pulled out the trash and rummaged through it. Too bad for Hansy there really wasn't anything "good" in there. You may wonder "what is "good" trash?" It would be something edible and a real treasure for Hansy.