Sugar Loaf Mountain!!

Lacey and I riding back to the ramp!!

Lacey letting the wind hit her in the face.



Little Katie Bug is worn out.

Our favorite sandy beach area.

Katie and Lacey cooling off, after the hike.

The sun was in her eyes, so David let her borrow his visor!!

My handsome husband!!

David being "David".

Once again!!

Taking a break before the we got to the top.

What a view and we were not even to the top yet!!

What beautiful dogs!!!!

Another great view.

Just starting the climb!!

Beginning at the bottom.

We decided to take the boat out last weekend and go climb Sugar Loaf Mountain. The water is starting to get chilly, but the weather is so beautiful that we are not ready to winterize the boat just yet. David and I really enjoyed the beautiful view, but I think Katie and Lacey had way more fun. We didn't have to keep them on the leashes until we started to get to the top. I was so scared that would fall off a bluff. They had so much fun running ahead of us and then stopping to look back as if they were trying to say "hurry up". It was a great workout, I was huffing and puffing by the time we got to the top. After the climb, we went across the lake to our favorite sandy beach. There is the most awesome beach area with sand, so Katie and Lacey have the best time digging in the sand and chasing each other around.

HAWAII~HERE WE COME!!

I am so excited David and I booked our anniversary trip to Maui, Hawaii. We are leaving on November 8th, so it if officially less than a month away. I will have tons of pics to post when we get back. So, the countdown is on!!!!

Poor Lacey Lou!!

Well, last week I noticed a lot of fur balls floating around the house which is pretty normal for having two keeshonds. So, I just assumed Lacey or Katie was blowing their summer coat, well when David got home he asked me why Lacey's tail looked funny. We started to look and found a raw spot on her tail. I took her to the vet the next morning and he said it was a hotspot, which is common for their breed. He gave her a cortisone shot and some antibiotics. We were also advised that purchasing a cone, so that she could not chew while we are away would help it heal faster. So, here is she is with her cone. It is finally healing and she is not having to wear this as much!!

Katherine Elizabeth Skinner arrived!!!

David and I would like to give our congrats to Adam and Lesley Skinner. Katherine Elizabeth Skinner arrived on Thursday at 11:49 am. She weighed 6lb 13 oz. and was 19 inches long. Lesley and Katherine are both doing great. Adam called me on Saturday morning and they were going home later that day :)

Lots of birthdays this week!!

Lesley, David, Grandma Joyce and Kevin


I want to wish a special birthday wishes to Kevin and Lesley. Kevin's birthday was Monday and Lesley's is today. I hope you both have a great special day :)

Low-fat spinach dip recipe!!

My friend e-mailed me an awesome recipe the other day. I finally tried it last night and it tasted so good. I have been lazy in the past and just went out to buy spinach dip at the store. This was so easy and fast, that I will always make it myself. It made enough to serve an army, so if it is just for 2-4 people, I would cut it in half. It was so yummy!!!

Amanda's Awesomely Low-fat Spicy Spinach Dip!!!
2- 8 oz. pkgs. fat free cream cheese
2 cups shredded monty-jack cheese
2 cans Rotel
1"bushel" of chopped green onion ("for lack of a better word")
2 10 oz. pkgs. frozen chopped spinach
Thaw spinach and drain water from it. Put everything into a skillet over medium heat. Stir frequently until it is hot and cheese is fully melted. I love to add lots of hot chili powder and Louisiana sauce, if you're into that sort of thing. This serves a lot of people as a great side or appetizer with tortilla chips OR you could rock the healthy whole wheat crackers! You can always add some crab meat or 12 artichokes to give it a kick!

I really don't like no see-um bugs :(

Lacey is probably looking at ants.

The campsite.

Sarah and Roxie.

Sarah and I finishing our hotdogs.

Sweet little Katie Bug.

So, David and I had a huge Labor Day weekend planned at Lake DeGray with Jason and Sarah. We headed out on Friday afternoon with our boat and Jason and Sarah were meeting us there with the camper. Well, we beat them there, so David wanted to put the boat in so we could check out the lake. Well, that was a very bad idea. While, I was waiting for him to go get my car, I was holding the boat and hundreds of these little black gnats (no see-ums) literally attacked me. I really didn't think much of it, but the next morning is when I saw the damage. I was covered from my head to my toe with huge red whelps and it was itching so bad that I couldn't even think straight. We went ahead and took the boat out on Saturday afternoon, but then David started getting attacked by them too, so we decided to go home on Saturday night. Jason and Sarah were not getting bit as much as we were, so they decided to go ahead and stay. The only pics I have are from Friday night.

Deal of the Week!!

I got the deal of the week yesterday at the Colony Shop in Lakewood Village. I have been wanting a really good purse. But, I just didn't want to pay the price. Well, Colony Shop was having a great deal if you spend $200.00 you get $50.00 off. Well, I found this Dooney and Burke purse that I loved, it was $225.00, so with the discount it was $175.00. Well, my mom always gets me gift certificates there for my birthday, Christmas, etc. So, I had saved the one from my birthday that was $100.00 and I had about $35.00 leftover from a previous gift certificate. The final cost after I redeemed my gift certificate was $59.08 for a $225 purse. Now, David knows it was a great deal, but he did make the comment, "This purse better last you a long time"!!

Happy Birthday, Brooklyn!!

She is having a ball. It got worse, it was all in her hair.

Starting to warm up to the idea that the cake is all hers.

What a dream-cake, burger and cheetos.

Shalin, Brooklyn and Brandy

David and I want to wish sweet Brooklyn a wonderful 1st birthday. Thanks to Brandy and Shalin for letting us spend Saturday with you guys for Brooklyn's party. She had a wonderful time tearing up that pretty yellow cake that Brandy had made for her. Shalin and Brandy did such a wonderful job with the party. Behind their house is a nice covered pavilion and they grilled out burgers and hot dogs. Then, it was on to the messy cake time. Brandy had a lady in her church make some beautiful cupcakes. Brooklyn got lots of fun new toys, DVDs and lots of stylish fall and winter clothes. We love you very much, Brooklyn and have really enjoyed watching you grow over this past year. FYI-She is walking all over the place :)

Nanny Diaries

So, Monday night I finally talked David into going to see "Nanny Diaries". I had to go see this movie since I am in the nanny profession. I was a nanny all through college and now that I help families find nannies, I was dying to see this movie. I thought it was very cute and very accurate. I put the overview below that I found on a website.

Synopsis: A 21-year-old New York University student becomes a nanny to a family on the Upper East Side who turns out to be the family from hell. It's the story of the journey of Annie Braddock (Scarlett Johansson), a young woman from a working-class neighborhood in New Jersey, struggling to understand her place in the world. Fresh out of college, she gets tremendous pressure from her nurse mother to find a respectable position in the business world although Annie would prefer to trade in her blackberry for an anthropologist's field diary. Through a serendipitous meeting, Annie ends up in the elite and ritualistic culture of Manhattan's Upper East Side--as remote from Annie's suburban New Jersey upbringing as life in an Amazon tribal village. Choosing to duck out of real life, Annie accepts the position as a nanny for a wealthy family, referred to as simply "the X's" (Laura Linney and Paul Giamatti). She quickly learns that life is not very rosy on the other side of the tax bracket, as she must cater to the every whim of Mrs. X and her precocious son Grayer, while attempting to avoid the formidable Mr. X. Life becomes even more complicated when Annie falls for a gorgeous Harvard Hottie (Chris Evans), and she's forced to explore her identity as never before.

Sarah and Jason's Engagement Party!!

Jason and Sarah holding their t-shirts that I had in their goody basket.

David just being "David"

David and I enjoying the party

I have the best little sister ever!!

Sarah with her two favorite Jason's :) Twin brother on the left and fiance on the right.

Jerry, Tasha, Joslin, me and Sarah

The twins.

Sarah's future sister-in-law.

Sharon and Lloyd

Joslin, me, Jackie, Kendra and Lindsay

Sarah and Mom

This is long overdue, but I am finally updating on Sarah and Jason's engagement party. Three of Jason's aunts threw them a party at the Kordsmeier's house. It was a luau theme and they did a wonderful job hosting it. They had lots and lots of food!! It was a great time to meet some of Jason's family and friends and a great time to catch up with our family. I am sure there are many more social events to come before the wedding in June.

Congrats to Miranda and Travis!!

Me, Sarah and Halle (Miranda's adorable little girl)

David and I at the church


I wanted to wish a big Congrats to the new Mr. and Mrs. Travis Sanders. Miranda has been like a part of our family for a long time. I can't believe I have no pictures with the bride or groom. But, I did have a couple on my camera. They had their wedding Friday night at the New Life Church in Conway. It was so beautiful!! They had a super fun reception at the Knights of Columbus later that evening :)

MY NEW RIDE!!!

David and I have been looking at new SUV's for sometime. I loved my black explorer, but the miles were racking up and we decided it was time for a change. So, after a couple of months we ran across a deal that we could not turn down. Pinnacle Ford gave us the best price for a trade-in, so we had to take it. I got a 2007 Ford Expedition and I LOVE it!! Before, my black explorer I had a white and tan explorer. I am not quite sure if I would ever own a black vehicle again, it was so hard to keep clean.

Psalm 23~Adorable Video

I had a friend e-mail this to me, so I had to share it on our blog. It is so cute!! This one of my all time Bible verses :)
http://www.godtube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=9e7c4b40cf5a13cea6ca

Babies Galore this weekend!!!

Two of our friends had babies this weekend. Many congrats to both of them. Cash Charles Pierce was born on Friday at 8:07 am and weighed 10 lbs 8 ounces and was 21 3/4 long. Addison Leigh Priddy was born this morning at 4:41 am and weighed 7 lbs 5 ounces.

Seafood Feast last night...

The finished dinner.

David getting ready to put the shrimp on the grill.

David and I are were both craving shrimps and crab legs. So, we boiled some shrimp, crab legs, corn and new potatoes. David also put some shrimp on the grill. It was so good!!