Monday night football

No, I'm not a football fan all of a sudden....I don't have predictions on who will win nor do I really care but I have against my will become a Monday night football watcher, come to think of it, a Sunday watcher too!!!! I love doing things with my husband, even if it means sitting through a four hour long game, okay so I don't usually actually watch the whole thing, I usually have the computer out and will catch up on my girlie tv shows that Derek can't bear to watch, or write on my blog like tonight. But I do try to at least stay in the room, if any thing to appear interested! Any thing for my husband. Maybe one day I will be a fan... I will confess that slowly I am warming up to certain parts of football....like the tight pants! Just kidding.

Once you start watching it enough you start to figure out what's going on and where the heck the ball goes when they throw it. I like knowing the players, makes it more personally...I know, I'm such a girl, making football personal...hey I went to the Ohio State game, I saw a grown man cry, don't tell me it's not personal for some people! (and no Derek wasn't crying, some random dude) I do admire the fans devotion, how they will stick with a team through a ten year losing streak, or like the patriots even though they are cheating sissies! I think us women just have to accept the fact that guys aren't like us, they don't get upset about missing a big sale but will huff and puff for days about their team losing a game...the mysteries of life.

Game is starting, Tonight the Saints and Patriots are playing...in case you were wondering, my prediction; The Saints will win....winning streaks shouldn't be messed with...just ask the Colts! :) See I'm catching on to this whole sports thing!

Until time next,

The Love Birds

Recovering

Sweet, sweet bliss...no more turkey..no more pies...just me, my husband and our darling little home, a day filled with togetherness and much needed rest...not to mention a birthday celebration for my sweetie pie!! Derek turned 22 today!

I just want to say how thankful I am for online shopping! Derek had a list of items he wanted to buy today on black Friday, and was planning on going to Walmart at the butt crack of dawn to get everything, but some genius out there decided to make the deals easier to get to...I love this genius!! :) We stayed up till 3 last night waiting for the deals to start, but we were in our house..in bed, actually, instead of with hoards of people in the cold or packed into the store..we ordered our items, turned off the lights, kissed and went to sleep!! :) We slept in this morning and I made birthday breakfast for Derek, then we got ready for the day, bought a Christmas tree and I put my Christmas decorations up! I love days like today, relaxing but so much got done.

Overall Thanksgiving this year was a success, we enjoyed seeing everyone and spending the day reflecting on the many things we have to be thankful for! :)

I hope everyone had a good holiday! Excited to get ready for the next one...time to do some serious Christmas shopping.

Until next time,

The Love Birds

Plans for tomorrow

Two days before Thanksgiving and I'm counting my blessings that both our families live in the same town and that both of the moms in my life make delicious meals!!

We are celebrating with Derek's family on Thursday afternoon and then going to my parents that evening for supper and going to see a movie, a family tradition. Don't really have much to make for thanksgiving...Tracie (my mother-in-law) makes things days in advance because she has so many people over so she had everything covered for her meal, and my mom isn't making a ton since it should be just us kids and my parents so she didn't really need help with the food...Betsy was going to make pumpkin pie but I felt like I should helped out with something so I offered to make the pumpkin pies for Betsy...I would much rather make a dessert than food any ways, and I started realizing that I like to feel like I have something to do, and that I'm helping out...so I jumped at making the pies. :)

So tomorrow will be pie day for me, not to bad, I work in the afternoon and Derek is going to Fort Wayne in the morning with his dad so I will have the house to myself, which is always good when I need to get stuff done! If they turn out pretty I will try to remember to take pictures so I can brag about them here.

Until next time,

The Love Birds

Sunday afternoon at the Smith household, not much going on. Colts are playing so Derek is glue into his man chair watching it, I have laundry going and got some christmas shopping done, I love the internet! :)

I can't believe Christmas is coming so soon. I've told myself not to think about it to much until after thanksgiving...I just have to make it through this week then I can stress out! I have it a little easier this year, both our families are trying to save money and with a lot of the guys out of jobs we all decided we need to cut back this year on presents. So we are drawing names for our families, so instead of 12 presents I only have to buy 6...so nice!! Of course me being a gift person I already found 6 other people that I would like to buy presents for...so we are buying about the same amount still...hopefully less money though! I'm trying really hard to stay in budget or under, making a lot of cookies for people's presents, I would love to get candy so I figure everyone else will...I really hope so!

I will start making my buckeyes and different candies the beginning of December, Derek's friend Chris is coming for his annual stay the second weekend of December and will be here till the day before Christmas eve, so I want to try to get as much as possible done before I have somewhat of a house full. I like to visit with Chris and his lovely girlfriend Jo, so I don't want feel trapped in the kitchen!

Should probably start thinking about thanksgiving this week though...I have two dinners on Thursday, probably should see what I'm bringing and then make a grocery list...ugh I hate groceries. but most likely I will be making desserts so that is always fun, wish we could live off desserts! :)

Until next time,

The Love Birds

Skokie, Illinois, new friends and the Pioneer Woman

It's been awhile...I know, I know! My new blogger friends would be ashamed. (more about them later) I have very good excuses! ;) Any who I wanted to catch you all up the best day of my young life...except of course my marriage to my cutie pie of a husband, but definitely up there...

For the past year I have religiously been reading the Pioneer woman blog, pretty sure I have told you all about her when I did some recipes of her's...yum that strawberry cake was good...well she wrote a cook book and has been doing a book tour of america, when I found this out I went right away to see if she would be any where near our small little town, and to my happiness she was coming to Chicago, which is four hours away from Bluffton, I was so excited, I would be seeing my two favorite things, Chicago and the pioneer woman! I immediately told my mom to clear her schedule we were going to Chicago, just had to wait for the time and place to be announced...well weeks later it was posted and the first thing I saw was the place wasn't in Chicago but a town called Skokie..."Skokie, Illinois, where the heck is that" pretty sure were my exact words! I wasn't swayed though, I just said "oh well, been to Chicago, never meet the pioneer woman..she wins!" It was so worth it.

My mom and I left after work on Thursday at like 12:30 and headed up to Skokie, the book signing was at 7:30 and we wanted to be there early to get a good place in line, we were there three hours early and ended up 91st in line, not bad considering there was over 250 people there. Ree (the pioneer woman) was going to give a short Q/A presentation before the signing so they set up chairs on a first come first serve basis at like 5. and then after the Q/A they would line us all up to get our books signed.

While waiting we had the opportunity to meet some fellow bloggers and pioneer woman fans/stalkers. We had so much fun with these ladies, We were all excited to be sitting in the front row, we swapped stories and exchanged blog addresses. It was a new experience for me...never would have classified myself as a blogger, but now I would proudly own that title! :)

The whole night was something to look back at and smile about, we laughed a lot and were so thrilled to be a part of the experience!

With all that though I am happy to be home. I missed my husband, I couldn't wait to come home and share everything with him...especially this picture of the pioneer womans husband..he reminded me a lot of Derek, sweet, charming and overall a really handsome guy! :)

Until next time,

The Love Birds