The Decision

After a significant amount of thought, prayer, and traveling - we have made our decision regarding where Andrew will practice!!  It has been a long tunnel through med school and residency but the light at the end of the tunnel is within reach, and the time has come for Andrew to start a practice.

He knew from the start that he would do out-patient (clinic - not hospital in-patient) med/peds.  This means that he will see both kids and adults as their primary care doctor.  The question was where.  Would it be in Jackson, with Natalie in Alabama, or back home in Georgia?  Then it was even more of a challenge - would it be in a private clinic or a hospital owned clinic?  Would it a be larger system or a small office?

In the end, we made the decision that just felt right.  Everything fell in line.  All the arrows were pointing in the same direction.

Andrew will be practicing at UMC-Grant's Ferry in Jackson!!  We are staying out here!!

To our friends back home, no worries...season tickets are in the budget along with travel and hotel! 

Success and Failure

Please understand that as I type this - I am also dying laughing at how hilarious it really is.  I'm serious about the issues - but completely understand that it really isn't that big of a deal.  Just hilarious really.

I must report a minor success with Andrew's truck.  The brake light switch made it 18 months this go-round!!!  It was October 2011 when we replaced - until it went out again yesterday.  This is an improvement of 6 months.  Again - it is a success.

However, there is a new failure.  The front, left blinker bulb was replaced in March 2012 (when the electrically system shorted out and wouldn't let the truck crank - remember that story??).  We replaced it again in October 2012.  See where this is going??  Guess what also needed replacing yesterday - the front, left blinker bulb again.  This time they also replaced the "set-up" as well since when they put a new bulb in it blew within a few seconds.  Maybe it will last a year.

The power door locks don't work now and the fabric over the sun visors has come unglued and just hangs.


And it is officially the ticking time bomb - not only is the A/C motor on the "it could go at any second" list - the thermostat is stuck open, ha!  At least we don't have to worry about it running hot, it will forever run cool now.

Once again I must say, it is a minor problem in life.  We are forever grateful that we didn't have to buy the truck.  It has served us well.  Only once has it left Andrew stranded.  However, this sucker is about to see its way out the door.  We are this .... close to the end of residency, which is when we will be able to say "bye, bye" to that bad boy.

Surprise, It's John!

We had a last minute, surprise weekend with John.  At 12 noon on Friday, I got word that John may need a weekend with us and by 2pm, I had taken off work to go get him.  By 3:30 - this was in the back seat of my car..

 At his request we had Mellow Mushroom (mushroom and cheese only on his pizza) and DQ on Friday night.  We got up super early Saturday morning and went to the golf course.  John drove me around in the golf cart - there was only one near miss of a tree.  Pretty good for a 4 year old.

After golf, we decided he needed a hair cut.  Before..

 After...

He even let the guy use the clippers.  This kid is growing up too fast!!

Then we went on spider hunts!!  A cap gun and headlamp are necessary tools for spider hunts.

Shoes are optional.

We found a super large spider - but we didn't kill him.  We ate a sucker instead!

Of coursed we loved every minute of our time with him and until that boy went to sleep, we didn't stop going.

Checking Up

Does anyone else make their husband do things like this???

You do?!?  Bet you don't put the picture on your blog, though.  Thanks, Drew!

We had a great visit from the Ouzts' last weekend.  While Andrew and his dad played golf in the rain/sleet/snow, his mom and I got pedicures and went shopping.  Ha!  We had lunch at Bon Ami - it was my first time eating there - WONDERFUL!!  They went to church with us on Sunday before brunch and heading back home.  It was a nice chilled weekend together.

Tucker has decided to start playing with his bed/blanket outside again.  He goes through phases of taking it in the yard every single time he goes outside.  One would think that he would learn that his mother is not going to bring it back under the porch for me every single time, but no, not our dog.  Instead, he just makes use of it where ever he left it last...

 

Some days - I just don't get it.  Not only do we stamp "RECEIVED" on the front of ORIGINAL documents without asking to make sure it isn't needed to, oh say, send to another agency for approval, we also slice the dang letter in half then tape it some what back together and act like nothing happened.  Let's just say, I wasn't happy.  I was supposed to send this letter to the Choctaw's - I mean really.  Never mind the fact that I had to call the town to make sure it was the original because it was printed on a piece of white copy paper after photocopying their letterhead...poor letter.

 Then let's discuss Corner Bakery's failures.  They now mix the strawberries and blueberries.  So not cool.  I don't like blueberries.  I only want strawberries.  Annnnnd...I thought it was supposed to have a few layers, not two.  Oh well, it was still good.

 Does anyone else make a mess in their kitchen instead of cleaning up their house?  No?  Just me?  Oh, okay.  Well, I do.  We were having Angela, Dave and James over for dinner on Friday night then the Ouzts' were coming in town that same night and rather than cleaning my house on Thursday night - I did this.  There are cinnamon rolls in the making, veggies were getting chopped, all sorts of action, but cleaning, ha!

And finally - cooking club has had some pretty dang awesome recipes here lately.  I've been lazy and just haven't shared.  I will work on that.

Lamps and Such

I'm working on updating a few things around the house.  After the slipcover failure, I'm leaving the living room alone for now.  However, I am continuing on in the bedroom.  The painting is going to happen, and the lamps are now white.

Before

 During...

 After...

 Okay - So I don't love it, but they were two different colors from the sun (and yes, I switched them around, but it didn't matter).  I'm thinking once the painting goes up, I will do something with the shades.  I'm also considering distressing them.  Was it an easy project??  Super - Duper easy.  It cost $10 and took an hour total. 

While I was working on the lamps, this happened...

Why does he always go for our toothpaste???

Then after a 7 mile run - this happened...

Yes, it is Penn's Chicken-on-a-Stick.  It was amazing.  I ate all of it.

And finally, I got to stare at this beautiful face for two hours...

AHHHHHH!!!!!

Slipcover, Paw Prints, and Paintings

 I attempted to slipcover our sofa on Saturday.  It didn't go well.  I was ready to drink by 11:30am...  I think I will just wait to buy furniture, the slipcover idea is for the birds.

Would you like to know how difficult it is to keep your floors clean when this monster is roaming the house?  He had just come in from the rain and walked over his bed - this is what I found.  And please notice that he is helping me take the picture.  Yes, he needs his nails clipped, we are aware.

I'm trying to find a painting to go over our bed.  I couldn't visual them in the room so I zoomed in on the iPad and stuck it up there so I could see it.  By the way - I love the cotton field painting; however, it doesn't really go in the room.

Not Happening and Stuck

 
I spotted this get-up on Lakeland the other morning and sent it to Andrew.  It is an extra large dog crate that has been covered in hard plastic.  I assume this guy has a large dog - like oh say a Dane - and needed a way to "crate" the dog in the truck bed.  Let me add this - if you haven't attempted to buy a crate for a large dog, you have no idea how difficult it is to find one big enough.  We don't have one because Tucker is too tall for most any crate - even this guy would be tight.  Tucker would like to share that this "ain't happening - I ride in the cab!"

Veronica does this to herself from time to time.  It has become a game to see if she makes it back to her dock most days.  The majority of the time she makes it home just fine.  However, we have found her in a difficult spot some days.  Like yesterday.  She managed to wedge herself under the cabinet and couldn't get out.  Never mind that I was supposed to close the bathroom door before I left the house.  Andrew does a much better job of making sure the doors are closed.