I hope I DON'T get this for Christmas

So, Chris and I went Christmas shopping yesterday... first time we have been able to do that together in about 3 years! We went to the Mall of Georgia which is one of the largest in the US... and it was pretty big. We got lots of stuff for everyone including ourselves (just a few things) but one thing we did NOT buy was the animatronic Elvis head. We saw this thing up close and in person and it really creeped me out! I would be scared of it if it was at my house! It really did have a realistic feel to it...his lips and eyes move...it is so creepy. Chris thinks they made it for all the women that wanted to make out with Elvis and never got the chance! HA! Anyways, if anyone out there is looking for a good time, I know where to get one, just let me know!

What a great day!!!!!

Today has been wonderful. Chris had his final critique for first quarter at Portfolio Center today...I am so proud of him, he has done such hard work and really has pushed himself this quarter. He is in class with some incredibly talented folks so it makes me really happy to see him hanging in there and doing such a good job. GO CHRIS!!!!!

ALSO...today was Max's halfway point with chemotherapy. The great news is that they did new x-rays today and he is CANCER-FREE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
YEA!!!!! That makes me sooooooooo happy! They said his x-rays looked like the chest of a normal dog that had never had cancer! He has 8 more treatments before he gets done with chemo, but now he only has to go every other week. What a happy day. I couldn't be more pleased with the way things are working out.

A new...or just resurfaced...hobby

Since Chris has no time to play lately...I decided I needed to start working on some personal stuff. I have been craving time to spend doing crafty things like making purses, pillows, quilts, etc. for years it seems like. Growing up, my mom was super talented...she made all my clothes for years when I was really little, then when I was about 7 or 8 she opened her own quilt shop. I got dragged to every quilt show, shop, worked booths and in the shop, etc...for years and got tired of it! So it is funny to me that now, I want to quilt. I think I am getting old, or domesticated, probably both!

About 2 years ago, I mentioned to mom that I wanted to start sewing again (I made a few quilts when I was younger but have not touched a machine in years) and she got excited and bought me this really nice Bernina sewing machine. This thing is great! I can do all kinds of stitches...course I will stick to the straight line for now. Anyways, now that we are here and I have a little bit of room, I set up a sewing area and have started on a quilt. I will post pics once I get it a little farther along...it is really simple, just squares for now! I am so excited to finally have some time and a place to do this!

Time to catch up

I know, the postings have been few and far between lately...have not had much to say. We went home for Thanksgiving which was nice, got to spend some QT with the families. I am excited about going home for Christmas since we will hopefully get to see some of our friends. We are going to be in town Dec. 19-26 at least.

I have been busy with freelance and Chris has been insane with PC work. I still cannot get over the amount of work he has accomplished this quarter. Can you believe that he will be done with his first quarter a week from Monday? It still seems a little surreal that we are here and doing this. Our lives have changed quite a bit from this time last year. It is exciting to think that we finally went for it. We finally just decided that this is what we wanted and we were going to do what it took to get us here. And it worked. I am so glad everything has worked out like it has... the job, the house, everything.

Max is doing good. Both him and Samus had a bit of a stomach virus this past week but they are both better now. It was a little chaotic at my mom's house...6 dogs, 2 birds (1 that talks constantly!) and a cat. Now you know where my love of animals comes from... Max was facinated by their bird Alex. I think he would have liked to eat him. Every time he would walk away from the cage, Alex would make a "whew" noise then tell him to "come here!" That bird is a riot. I'll try and get some video at christmas to post. He imitates my mom and dad...sounds just like them, southern accent and all!

prayer request

I would like to ask all of you to keep my sister Amanda, brother-in-law Greg, and their kids Samantha, Jordan and Ben in your prayers today and this week. Greg's dad passed away last night from a massive heart attack. Out of nowhere, no warning or anything. They are absolutely heartbroken...they were very, very close to him. They have not told Ben yet, he is only 6 and very attached to Papa Louie. It's going to be a very hard day and week for them. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers. Thanks guys.

TIme to go home

Tomorrow I am on my way back home for a week... Mom is so excited. I am ready for a little bit of time away from this place...don't get me wrong, I love it here, I just miss home. Samus gets to go play with her boyfriend, mom's german shepard, Magnus. Every time we say his name, she cocks her head sideways like she knows just what we are saying. They are so cute together, kissing all over one another! Max usually feels a little left out...

I hope all of you have a wonderful Thanksgiving and be safe!

Running the race

Lately I have been crazy busy so I have not had much time to update... BUT I did get to go out with some very good friends tonight who I miss so much! Amy and Leigh Ann came to Atlanta today for a conference so we went to dinner at this place called Six Feet Under. They have great seafood and the deck looks out over a giant cemetary, hence the name! I think the girls were a little worried when we pulled up but it was great food and great times! Good friends are the best...one of my favorite things in life.

Condo life...

This is the item I got from UPS today. What is it, you ask? Well, I'd call it $100 worth of making your neighbors happy. Apparently Max has had 2 barking episodes, one on the day we moved in (of course, he was totally freaked out and really sick!) and then about a week ago. They happened when we were out and apparently continued for hours. We have a lovely (take that very sarcastically) downstairs neighbor that complained to management both times on us, instead of doing the neighborly thing and coming to talk to us about it first. Apparently she hates dogs and is a stickler for the rules (also complained that Max was peeing in the grass instead of the wood chips...gimme a break, the little guy has cancer and has to pee all the time!) But anyways... our landlord has been notified both times and first time she was ok but this time was kind of upset so we had to do something. Hence the $100 silencer that I really don't want to use at all. The lady suggested that we sedate him or get a shock collar but you know, I just don't feel right about doing either to a dog, especially a sick one. The only other solution was the noise deterrent. We tried it out already and he tucks his tail in and lays his ears down like he is in trouble. Poor guy! Maybe this will work...ahhh, the joys of condo life!

Ham & Cheese....YUM!

So, I have been trying new recipes lately. Most of them have been flops but I finally hit a winner last night. It is so easy and good, I thought I would share:

Ham & Cheese Stuff & Puff
prep time: 10 min

5 eggs
1 cup milk (I used 2%)
1/2 cup Sour Cream (I used reduced fat)
1 pkg frozen chopped broccoli (thawed & drained)
1 pkg (6 oz) Stove Top Stuffing for Chicken
9 oz chopped, boiled ham
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar, divided (I used 2 cups...3/4 in the casserole and 1 1/4 cup on top)

Preheat oven to 375º. Beat eggs, milk and sour cream in a large bowl with a wire wisk until well blended. Add broccoli, ham, stuffing and cheese and mix lightly.

Pour mixture into a 2 qt. baking dish and cover lightly with tin foil.

Cook for 1 hour. Uncover and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake uncovered for 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

courtesy of Kraft Foods.com

The state of things at home

This picture says it all...I was on the phone and he crawled up and scrunched in between me and the couch and fell asleep. What a cutie!!!!!
By the way, Max had x-rays last week and they said the cancer is responding to the chemo like it is supposed to! YAY! He has felt a little icky this week from the chemo but it was such a strong drug that they wait two weeks until he goes again. He is feeling much better today and does not have to get chemo again for another week.

Generation Z?

I thought I would share a interesting bit of info I read about today. Seems as if the marketing world is getting even crazier, with companies actually wanting to start targeting babies with brand messaging before they are even born. Being immersed in the advertising & marketing world, I have seen a lot of interesting things but I think this is almost scary. Read for yourself and see what you think...

Hauntings

So I know I am a day late but I just could not resist. I got all worked up last night watching "Most Haunted Live". It was filmed at Eastern State Penitentiary, a prison that was originally built in the early 1800's and used until 1970. This place is CREEPY! Every inmate was in solitary confinement 24 hours a day and a lot of them went crazy. If you like that type of history, you should check out the website, they have a lot of the history there. Anyways, there were all kinds of crazy things going on at this place. Noises, things being moved and thrown, people scratched and touched...you may not believe in that kind of thing but I have grown up around so many people who have experienced things that it is hard to overlook.

Growing up, I had several friends who had haunted houses. You would think my childhood home would have been, considering it was built in 1804 and had been through many years of turmoil with indians and the Civil War...but it wasn't, at least I never saw anything crazy...just creepy feelings when I was alone at night. My friend, Christina's, grandmother died in her house and she swore that it was haunted. Of course, being naive 12 year olds, we would get out the ouija board and really freak ourselves out. I never saw anything, that I remember at least, but one night we were awakened around 2am by the radio (no it wasn't a alarm clock radio!) and it was on static, really loud. We couldn't move we were so terrified. It went off after about a minute or two. In the morning, we checked the station and it was on one of the regular stations we listened to, not static. It was weird.

I have another friend, Amy, whose house was built on an indian burial ground. Her mom has some crazy stories about seeing ghosts there. One night she got up to go to the bathroom and when she came back, she saw an apparition of a little girl sitting in a rocking chair on the other side of the bed. She laid back down, terrified I am sure! A few minutes later, she looked back over to see if she was still there but she was gone! I love stories like that! If you have any good ghost stories, I would love to hear them! Post them in my comments or email me!

I'm getting old...

So...I have gotten to the point where I realize that fear of death has taken over the desire to have fun. Yesterday we spent the afternoon at Six Flags...thinking we would have a great time. We were wrong! I have not been so scared for my life in a long time! We rode a huge wooden coaster that was so jarring it was hard to enjoy. Then we went and stood in line for about an hour and a half for the Superman coaster.

I was fine until we got on the ride, then I started to freak out. They put you in this harness and even strap down your ankles because you get turned on your belly for the ride. Did you catch that...you ride this coaster on your belly with all your weight resting on this harness! I got in and got claustrophobic immediately. I had to make the guy let me out to take off my jacket, then I could not get locked in again which freaked me out! They kept calling out my seat number (they have sensors that tell them when a seat is not locked down) and the guy kept checking it but it was not locking! Finally they got it locked but by that time I just knew I was going to fall out and die! The entire ride I just prayed that God would let me make it through! And I did but I will not ride it again!

We then went to the Goliath, which is the largest coaster I have ever ridden...no loops but plenty of drops, and all you had to keep you on was a lap bar. I kept feeling like I was going to fall out there too. Chris got pretty freaked out on that one, said all he could think of the whole time was "what if this lap bar comes loose?" So... after about 5 hours and 3 rides, we were done. I think I will stick to Disney world next time, at least I did not fear for my life on those rides!

photos of our new place

I finally have some photos of the new place... I know a few of you have been wanting to see it. Click here to go to my flickr page.

What a crazy week!

I am officially self-employed! I had about all I could take at that job so Monday I wrote a letter explaining EVERYTHING I was unhappy with and walked out the door for good! There are multiple reasons...the company was not well organized, managed, owned... They had clients that were calling them, wondering where their invoices were from work that was done in FEB! They had some equip. stolen and never filed the insurance claim (for $20,000) and that was a year ago! When you can't manage things like that...how are you going to manage large clients and employees? There were numerous other things...the last straw being that they had cameras that watched all the employees and the owner could pull them up at anytime, even from home...WHAT? What the hell? That is not the way to keep good employees and that is why they have had massive turnover. They have 13 employees right now that have been there 3 months or less...And at least a few of those are ready to quit already too. I just did not want to waste my time or talents on something that was so obviously wrong for me. I am entitled to at least one walk out in my career, right?

Life has been great since Monday...I have had freelance work to do and I am actively pursuing more. I really like staying home with Chris and my puppies. I am able to take Max to the vet and make sure that he gets all his medicine on time...just be a mama to him. I LOVE IT!

Max is doing great. He had his 2nd round of chemo on Tues. and handled it like a champ! I just know that when we get another x-ray done of his chest that all this cancer is going to be GONE!

nice

This weekend has been nice so far. I was off yesterday so I got plenty of time to play with the puppies and get some stuff done that we needed to. We are having company for the first time this week, Chris's class is coming over to watch a movie on Wed. night. I am trying to get all the little stuff taken care of, like hanging pictures, etc. before they come over. Chris keeps telling me not to worry about it but I think it is just a girl thing, I like everything to be perfect.

We made a trip to "The Varsity" for lunch today...I was not very impressed...but it was huge! At least now I can say that I have been there! I am trying to convince Chris that we need to go to Six flags before the season is over. I could really use a fun day of screaming! We'll see if I can get him to comply!

Max is continuing to feel great. He did not get chemo this week because his white blood cell count was very low. They started him on an antibiotic to make sure he did not get sick and we are going to try again in a few days. I am so happy that he feels good and is carrying on like himself again! I have to make him hush....he is barking and woo-wooing so much! And eating like a pig! He has gained a few pounds thank goodness and I am trying to get him about 5 lbs overweight at least so if he has another episode it won't be as bad for him to lose a few lbs. Thanks so much for keeping us in your thoughts and prayers...

Thank God it is Friday!

This has been a long week! Started my new job...I like it ok, I think it will get better the more comfortable I get there. Right now there is a little weirdness just because they are growing so fast and no one really knows their place. But I think I will learn a lot and in the end, that is what matters!

Max seems to be doing good. The only side effect is diarrhea...which is ok as long as he can hold it till we get outside and he has been good so far! I am so glad to see him come back to life, it is amazing how much more like himself he has been the past few days. We are trying to put some weight on him and we are going to change his diet to a cancer diet...more protein and less carbs. I really want to do everything we can for the boy...

terrible

That is how this week has been. We found out yesterday that indeed Max does have lymphoma. His cancer is located in the lymph nodes around his chest. It has not spread which is good but he is considered stage IV. It is T-cell lymphoma which is worse than the other kind. Great.

We started his chemotherapy today and he seems better than he has in a while. My Maxy-boy is back for a while at least. We decided to treat it because we are not ready to lose him and dogs apparently usually tolerate chemo very well. We should know if he is responding in a week or two. If he does and we can get it into remission, we could possibly have another year or two with him (hopefully longer!) We have pet insurance so at least the cost is not a hinderance.

This just sucks. I don't know how else to describe it. At least we know what we are dealing with and we can start fixing it. I just really pray that this works. I love that boy. He is an incredible dog.

JAPANFEST 2007

What a riot! There were tons of people (last year they had over 17,000 in 2 days!) and not a lot of space!

The food was interesting, I had some kind of beef over rice and chris had udon noodles with something that looked like spam on top! We saw some martial arts demos and lots of cute little japanese people! I just love the kids, especially when they are all dressed up. I have some photos but they are not cooperating at this moment, I will post them later. Overall it was neat but way too many people and not enough space. Also they did not have nearly the amount of japanese art, decor, etc. that I thought they would. I probably will not go again.

The last day of freedom...

So today is it. Our last day of being unemployed. Chris starts school tomorrow and I start my new job. Not too excited yet (Chris is!) I hate it that we are having to deal with this health issue right at the beginning of my job. Makes it really hard to concentrate. I really hope they are cool with the fact that I may be having to deal with some issues with him and not the type of place that does not understand why I care so much for my dog. We'll see!


We went to visit Max again. They said he had been eating and feeling better all day. The test for Adrenal malfunction (cushings or addison's disease) came back negative. I know it sounds crazy but we were really hoping that was it...it is the easiest and best disease he could have at this point. He is going to have to go to an internal medicine specialist tomorrow to have an ultrasound done. The vet took an xray and saw some small abnormalities around his spine and chest so we are going to check them out further. Should have the lymphoma test back tomorrow or tuesday.

We went to see my boy today... they gave him a steroid shot that seemed to make him feel much better. Plus while we were there we got him to eat for the first time since Wed. morning! It was encouraging! They are running all kinds of tests so hopefully we will know something sooner than later. I am so tired of the rollercoaster. I just want my Max back.

We finally got the house in order today. It finally is liveable! YAY! I'll post pics soon!

Max is in the hospital

Finally we wised up and took Max to a different vet. He was trying to throw up this morning and then started eating tons of grass so we decided to take him into the doggy emergency room. They admitted him and put him on an IV so that they could replenish his nutrients and fluids. They did more blood work and said his calcium levels so high, they did not even register. So tonight they are going to give him an injection that will flush his system and hopefully start bringing those levels down. That is what I had been trying to get the other vet to do for a week! So hopefully he will start feeling better once his calcium levels come down. They are keeping him until Sunday at least. Actually it makes me feel so much better to know that he is in their care and not laying around here just getting worse. He has lost another 5 lbs. and is down to 55lbs now. Normally he runs between 65 and 70lbs. He is almost as small as samus now...

No test results yet but this vet also was skeptical that he had lymphoma. She seemed to think he was more symptomatic of the Hyperthyroidism. So, that would be great if she is right...Chris and I have a glimmer of hope again!

Tomorrow we are going to try and get out since we don't have to care for Max and go to the Japan Fest here in Atlanta! We are so intrigued by their culture...I think it will be really fun! Hopefully we'll get some good food as well. I'll post pictures tomorrow night...

Thanks again for all your thoughts, kind words, and prayers. It means so much to all of us.

rollercoaster of emotion

Well, the feeling good Max did not last very long. He has not eaten in a day and a half, we are force feeding him liquids at this point. When we came home today, he would not even come out of his cage, he is so weak. I am so sad, I cry at the drop of a hat. We should hear some results soon but if we don't start treating something soon, I don't know if he'll make it much longer. Why us? Why such a crappy year? First a baby, then me (almost) and now max. It is just heartbreaking. I don't know any other way to describe it.
Sorry to be so down...that is just the way it is for us right now. It is hard to be joyful about anything.

a little bit of good news...

Max seems to be feeling better! He has been eating (a whole pound of ground beef last night!) and I even heard a few woo-woo's out of him! It makes me feel so much better to see him acting somewhat normal again. Still do not have the test results so keep praying!!! It's working so far!

Life in Atlanta...

has been fairly lazy so far. I feel like we keep working on getting our stuff put away but it just does not seem to be getting any better! I start my new job a week from yesterday. I will be an Art Director at a place called Odyssey Marketing Group in Alpharetta. I think it will be great experience for me...they want me to be very involved in the strategy behind the advertising and the branding. I am excited about that opportunity! I should learn a lot!

The only fun thing we have gotten to do is go out to eat. We just can't leave the house for long periods of time because of Max. There are a few great places to eat really close to our condo, we can walk to them...mexican, italian, wolfgang pucks! We ate at Benihana's last night which has really good japanese food...expensive though! We won't be eating there much unless our parents come and take us out...hint, hint!

Chris already has a list of supplies and a chapter to read before school starts next week. Time has just flown by, it is hard to believe that 6 months ago, we were not even thinking about Atlanta.

As for Max...it really makes it hard for us to enjoy our time off. We have been so worried that it just seems to consume us (not to mention the time it takes to take him outside all the time and hand feed him several times a day!) I feel so bad for him. He will not eat hardly anything, even the food I slaved over for him. The only think he has eaten today is some bacon, a few chicken jerky treats and some turkey and ham lunchmeat. He is getting really weak, it is hard for him to stand up sometimes. I really wish the vet would give us something to make him feel better but she does not want to mess with anything in case we have to do more tests. Poor guy has been getting worse for a week now... I hate it that these tests can not be expedited.

Keep praying for him please!!!

inconclusive

So, since the first test came back as inconclusive... we have to run another test to see if he has lymphoma or not. It will take 5-7 business days for us to get the results. The other possibility is that he has hyperthyroidism. I really hope it is just his thyroid. That would be great.

He is feeling ok, a little better it seems than a few days ago. Basically he seems really worn out all the time, drinks a lot of water, goes to the bathroom a lot and he has high calcium in his blood which causes him to twitch constantly. If you know Max, you know that usually you cannot keep him from the food bowl but lately we have been having to give him turkey and eggs to make him eat. We are going to switch to a diet that is high protein that I have to cook for him (that is crazy...I don't even cook for us very much!) But I would do anything for that boy. He's my baby!

We greatly appreciate your thoughts and prayers this week and next. We are just trying to forget about it until the end of the week so that we can get some stuff done around here! We have been here since Monday and still have boxes everywhere...it's a mess!

Max

Well...I am just heartbroken. The vet called today and said that he either has early lymphoma or reactive lymphoid hyperplasia which is basically where his body has some type of infection or bacteria that the lymph nodes are fighting against that causes them to create abnormal cells. More tests have to be done. We are going back tomorrow. Please continue to pray for us all...Pray that it is the reactive lymphoid hyperplasia instead of cancer.

I just can't bear the thought of losing my baby boy...

URGENT PRAYER REQUEST

I need your prayers badly right now. We took Max to the vet yesterday and they ran all kinds of tests and x-rays. We are waiting on a test right now that will tell us if he has lymphoma. I am crushed and am praying so hard that the test comes back negative. I don't know what I would do without my baby boy and I don't even want to think about chemo or anything like that. He is only 5...way too young for anything like this. Please pray for him and that this test result comes back negative.

I'll update on ATL later. We just got internet hooked up today.

Goodbye LifeWay friends...

So, I have 2 days remaining at LW. Missey and the creative crew took me out to eat today at Amerigos. What fun that was! I hate that I just now learned who keeps a nap mat in their office...dang, I could have been napping all those times I had my door shut! And if anyone has an extra accountability checklist, Amy might need it...(love you amy!) And now that Missey knows how to text message, you guys better watch out...there is no place to hide! Or maybe that will work the other way around, now Missey can't hide from us anymore...what she really needs a personal GPS so that we know where to find her!

Anyways, I hope my next job is as great as this one has been, and I hope that the people that I work with are halfway as great as this group. I don't know how I could ever top such a great place... or people. I love you guys and will miss you dearly. Keep in touch...my place is always open!

This will be my last post until I get to the big city. If you think about it, keep Chris and I in your prayers this weekend and Monday. We are packing up the truck on Sat. morning, cleaning and turning over the house to our renters on Sunday evening, and getting up around 3 or 4 am to drive down on Monday. I am ready for a few days of doing nothing...I can see a teeny tiny light at the end of this loooonnnggggg tunnel we have been climbing through!

with mixed emotion

I am getting ready to leave. I go through moments of excitement and sadness...mostly sadness at this point. I know that will change once we get there, it's just so hard to leave when I have it good where I am...but I know I have to look ahead.

So, I think I have eaten more in the past week than I have in a long time! We have had so many dinner and lunch dates! We went out with Brian and Meleah to Maggiano's last weekend, it was soooo good! This past Saturday, we went to Stoney River with Tony, Jennifer and Jim. I think it was the best steak I have ever had... I actually felt hungover the next day just from eating too much! By the way, if you like creme brulee, you have to try Stoney Rivers...it was incredible!


Sunday, we had to take out a candidate for Chris's position at the church so we went to brunch at Ellendale's then headed to Heather and Jeremy's for a going-away party. I sure am going to miss those guys...

Chris and I were so blessed to get such a great care group, it just hasn't been the same since! Here are some pics from the party...the ones that were acceptable at least! No, I am not going to post the ones I got in the frame from the Harts! Heather and Jeremy, you are off the hook (but they are staying in the frame, haha!) and I have no idea why Chris is flying in this pic!

To all of you who have been our friends here in Nashville, we sure are going to miss you. I think that is starting to get to me...one of the reasons I am so sad. We don't know ANYONE in Atlanta! Most of you have said you will come visit, I want to see some action behind those words! We will have the blowup bed ready and waiting anytime, just let us know.

10 days left

Wow... I cannot believe that I only have 10 days left in Nashville. Part of me is really excited about the new place and part of me is really sad to leave my home and job. My boss, Missey, made me cry today in our Marketing meeting...talking about me leaving in a week. I am really going to hate leaving all the great people I work with.

So, on a happier note: I found a home for us in Atlanta! YEA! We are going to be living between Midtown and Buckhead. It is a condo, on the 5th floor of a mid-rise complex, with huge windows. It is a beautiful place, we got so lucky. The majority of what I looked at smelled, had cobwebs and looked like no one had lived in the place for ages. I don't understand how people rent those places...especially for 1200-1300 a month! I kept hearing "the best thing about this place is proximity..." you got that right!

So, our place has all the nice things (i.e. no smells, cobwebs, granite countertops, newer appliances, pool, tennis court, etc.) and it is within walking distance of mellow mushroom, 2 mexican places, an italian joint, wolfgang pucks and a kroger! AND the biggest plus...I am only 5 minutes from IKEA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So, for anyone who wants to come visit...we'll have the blow-up bed ready!

i feel like i am vibrating...

Is this what everyone feels when they are super stressed? Or "busy" is a better word I suppose. I realized today that I have 10 working days left at my job and I have a major project due on Friday. Mom and I leave Friday night to go to ATL to look for housing. I have lots scheduled...some seem really great! I am starting to worry that it will be hard to make a decision! I also have 4—yes that is correct—4 interviews on Tuesday!!! WOO HOO! One is for a freelance gig and the rest are full time. I feel like God is going to totally bless us in this new chapter of our lives, we are definitely stepping WAY out in faith.

OH, by the way, we rented our house last night! Three 23 year old females that are moving in on Sept. 16th. YAY! We feel so comfortable with them, I am really glad it worked out.

Now, we are just trying to figure out the cheapest way to move down there. Trucks are so expensive when you are moving long distance! Any suggestions?

The Wilson Co. Fair

Well, we finally made it to the fair. I've had to listen to Chris drool over the BBQ nachos and kielbasa for long enough, it was time. Seriously, he has been talking about this for weeks! It was hot, surprise, surprise...but it definitely made a difference in the crowd size. It was so much fun, I don't think it gets much better than watching the pig races at Hogway Speedway and eating a cherry shaved ice!


We did notice a lot of similarities between the hogs and Max...I really think he might have some pig somewhere in his background! The poor pigs were so hot, their caretakers were spraying them down with water bottles!



Chris and I love the chickens and ducks... If you have never been to this section of the fair, you would be amazed, we were! There are so many different kinds. Some look like they have fuzzy slippers on, others have afros, and there were even a few roosters there that were almost as big as a turkey! I guess a little bit of my fascination comes from my childhood—at one time we had over 100 baby chicks! I don't really know what happened to most of those babies... I think my parents gave them away. We kept a few, then my papa brought us a guinea (it's body looks like a gray football with white polka dots) and it would follow those chickens around everywhere! If it lost them, it screamed bloody murder! We also had a rooster named "Big Boy" that was the meanest creature alive...he would chase me all around the yard, up onto my slide and wait for me at the bottom! My mom would have to chase the mean little guy away every time! Why are roosters so mean?

Anyways, it was a great night, it's too bad it only comes once a year!

Ahhh....Summer in Tennessee

It is sad when you look on the weather report and actually get excited about the temp being in the high 90's! The heat this year has be absolutely miserable...my dogs have gotten NO exercise whatsoever. I am really excited about the promise of those 80 degree days that it says are coming soon!!!! I can't wait until fall...it's my favorite time of year.

So I had to take Max to the vet on Sat. Apparently he has calcium oxalate crystals in his urine, which causes him to drink tons of water and have to go pee quite often. The doc put him on a special food but I am not so sure it is doing any good. When we get to atlanta, we are going to take him to a holistic vet and see if they find anything different. The vet really scared me, he started saying things like "kidney failure" and "diabetes insipidus" which neither one are good. I hope my maxy boy is ok... keep him in your prayers!

TV show featuring Nashville

So, have you heard about the new reality show about Nashville that is going to be on FOX this fall? We found out today that one of our neighbors is starring in it! He is the guy with the long hair on the right. We have not officially "met" him but he lives at the corner of Dellrose and Cottage Lane, right up the street! Chris noticed they were filming some kind of video at his house a few nights ago, then today we got an email from our block captain telling us about the show. How cool is that??? I knew we lived in a great little neighborhood!
Make sure you watch the premier, Friday, 9/14 at 8pm on Fox!

the joys of being a landlord...

Today has been the first Saturday we have relaxed in ages!!! The kitchen is done (isn't it beautiful?) and we have been showing the house. Yesterday we had 2 groups come to look at it, we were really excited about the first couple who seemed great... then when we asked about jobs, they were very lackadasical...oh, we'll get one when we move... Uh, no, we need you to pay your rent people! Anyways, we had high hopes and were let down. We told them to go find jobs and come back. The second group consisted of 4 LARGE slighly fruity men. I have to say that was interesting. They were really nice but I just don't understand how 4 men could make 1 bathroom work? Both the groups wanted to put a deposit down but we told them we had more showings and to fill out apps and get back with us. Who knows if we'll hear from them again. Today a really nice couple from CA came by, she is due to have a baby next month! They were great though and we really hope it works out with them. We may be having to live with one set of parents for 2 weeks or so if they want it... Now that could be really interesting!

I think we are going to the fair tonight... even though it is a million degrees outside! Chris is ready for some bbq nachos and polish sausage! He's been talking about it all week! How that boy stays so skinny, I'll never know. It's just not fair!

Oh, if you want to see more pics of the house since it is finally ready to show, you can click here

DO NOT GO TO THE STOCKYARD... EVER!

Tonight, after a long day of painting the outside of our house in the blazing heat, we decided to use a gift certificate, that my cousin gave us, to the Stockyard. It was the most horrendous excuse for a steak house I have seen. First we get in there and the lights are all up on high and the music was so low I could hear the people at the table next to us thinking! So then, we split the porterhouse, a $40 steak, you would think it would be heaven...IT SUCKED. And to top it all off, we asked the waitress to put 1/3 of the steak that was left on Chris's plate in a to-go box. When we got home, at least excited to give the dogs such a good treat, we looked in the box and there was a sliver of the bone and THAT WAS IT!

WHAT? Did our server actually think we wanted the small piece of bone instead of the large chunk of steak on our plates??? Sometime I wonder what the heck is wrong with people. Anyways... sorry, I just had to complain!

It took 2 years...

But I finally got my cabinet doors installed today! They look beautiful! We have had several people interested in the house and they are coming by next week. I will feel better once we have it rented... It will be one more thing we can check off our list!

Chris is getting excited about school. I am still jealous, I must admit. But in the long run, I think it will be great for us both.

Finally, a fun Saturday!

It seems like it has been all work and no play for LT and CT lately! Today was nice...I went and met up with some of my girlfriends at Cheesecake Factory for lunch (yum!) and got to catch up a bit. It is always good to see friends. It makes me realize how much I miss them when they are not around!

This afternoon we went to Cadiz, KY (where is that, you ask? In the middle of NOWHERE!) for Chris's uncle Gary's surprise 50th b-day party. It was held outside and the temp was around 100 today so it was especially sticky. But it was still nice to see family even if we were all just sitting around fanning ourselves and talking about how hot it was!








Apparently, Chris's parents are having a really hard time with the moving thing. It did not help when Chris's sister Liz told them last Wednesday that she was moving with Bailey (looking very happy in the photo above) and Sam to Birmingham, AL for Sam's job. I know it has got to be hard to lose both your kids and their families all at once. My mom is surprisingly doing good with the whole thing, said she has had plenty of practice (thanks Amanda!)

We started packing up the house last night... it still feels a slight bit surreal, I guess because we still have about 6 weeks before we move. I know it will go by quickly though!!!

The bomb has been dropped...

We have now informed our bosses that we are leaving. They were both incredibly supportive and were excited for us which makes things a little easier, I guess! Missey (my boss) sent this email to my entire department... it was so sweet, I thought I would share a portion of it:

"Speaking from a purely selfish standpoint, I am sad to let you know that Leigh Anna Thompson will be leaving us at the end of August or middle of September. As all of you know, Leigh Anna is an extremely gifted art director and designer, and there is no nicer person any of us could ever be blessed to work with. There simply is no measure to how much we will miss her, both professionally and personally. However, the reason she is leaving is a very exciting one—and because of that, I am absolutely delighted for her."

Wow. How am I ever going to find a job where I have a boss that is that nice to me? It is making it difficult, mentally, for me to be excited. I know that will change once we get there. There is so much to do that I am slightly overwhelmed at this point!

If any of you knows anyone that lives in Atlanta and might be hiring for a graphic designer or art director, please let me know!

It's time to party!

Today is Samus's birthday! She is 6 years old! I can't believe time goes by so fast. The photo above was of them about 4 years ago. My nieces came down to visit so we had a party for her b-day. They were thrilled, can't you tell!

Well, Chris is officially in! We are moving to ATL! We have not told our employers yet, next week we will...I think. We have been trying to get the house ready to rent. Spending all of our money on drywall, plumbing and cabinet doors...dang, just when we get ready to move, the house starts looking good! Keep me in your prayers, I have started sending my resume out and I am a little nervous about finding a job. This is only the 4th time I have had to do this in my professional career and the 2nd time that I am being forced to find another job. It can be stressful and I am feeling it.

no sissy dogs allowed...

Yesterday, we thought it would be nice to take the dogs out to a Boxer meetup group function at Brenda Bass's home. (http://www.mtbr.org) It was a beautiful day, there were lots of boxers running around on this wonderful farm in Brentwood. Everything was great. Then chaos ensued...Our little innocent Samus obviously did not like one of the dogs, and she let her know... several times. We start to feel a little bad, because she kept attacking the poor dog (and she is so loud, everyone notices!) So Chris put her on the leash and took her away from the group. Well, in doing that, he leaves me alone with Max, who was not exactly being a little angel. I am trying to stay near him to pull him off any dog who he is trying to dominate at that moment when all of a sudden, I heard a fight break out in the corner of the yard...no, it wasn't Max, or Samus, BUT, in a flash of an eye, Max was smack dab in the middle of about 5 other dogs. By the time I got there, Max had another one down and was biting his neck like he was going to eat him! (thank God he was not the only one exhibiting this behavior) nonetheless, I was so embarrassed! Max was promptly put on the leash and we got the heck out of there. Chris said he felt like everyone was celebrating after we left—the bad dogs are gone! Well, I don't know about that, I still think it was the other dog's fault, Max was just taking sides! When did my dogs get so out of control? Why does no one ever see the sweet, calm, cuddly, wouldn't hurt a flea side of my dogs? Anyways, I think if we can afford it, we might take them to training when we get to Atlanta. I am not quite sure it would help at this point, but it is worth a try! At least I know one thing, my dogs aren't gonna take crap from any dog! Can you imagine if we had kids? Would ours be the bullies of their class? Maybe that is why we keep putting it off...

It's official...almost!

It has taken me a while to get back here... sorry! Our trip was great, Atlanta is really hot though! Anyways, Wed. night we drove down to ATL and decided to walk to downtown Buckhead to watch the fireworks (side note, we met this couple that could have been us in another 10 years. I mean it was crazy, she had on the same outfit as me except in a different color and her man had on the same type of outfit that chris had on...even down to the same exact shoes!!! We were a little freaked out by the whole thing, but I digress) We met a really great couple (Hi Jackie and Kenny!) at the bar we ate at and ended up watching fireworks with them at the pool of their hotel. We ended up talking for a few hours and then went back and crashed at the hotel.

Thursday was the big day...interview at PC! We were a little nervous but as soon as we met Liz and Catherine (the admission reps) we felt right at home. I have never been to a place like this before. It was so friendly, no one was pretentious at all, which I totally did not expect. They talked with us both for a while, Chris showed his portfolio and then they showed us around and we got to sit in on a class for a while. They told us that Chris would have no problem getting in, we just needed to submit the application and essay as a formality before they could officially accept him. This place was like creative heaven. They had all kinds of projects all over the walls... just being there made me want to go home and create something! I still wish I could go too but since I can't, I am going to try and squeeze as much knowledge out of Chris as I can!

Friday we drove around, looking for housing and shopping. I think we are going to be able to find something really great. We really don't want to live in a cookie cutter apartment. There are so many cool older buildings that have been converted to housing. I am really excited!

Well, we told the parents. Well actually, we told my parents and my mom accidently spilled the beans to Chris's mom before we could tell them. OOPS! Oh well, Chris tried to tell her it would only cost her $50,000 for her mistake but for some reason she just laughed it off ;-)

So, I am now in the planning stages. I am redoing my resume and trying to get everything collected for my portfolio. I need to get my website together but I just keep procrastinating on that one...

Since I have talked your eyes off, I am leaving you with a really cute puppy picture...I mean who can resist this face?

Countdown to PC

Well, here we are... three days away from Chris's interview at PC. I took him shopping on Sunday. That was an experience! Why is it that all he has to do is think about going into a mall to shop and he gets in a bad mood! I am the exact opposite! He almost threw a fit in the car because he wanted to go home! It was so funny, I mean come on... we were spending money on him! So anyways, I got him talked down from the ledge ;-) and we went in and found all kinds of stuff for him. Of course I had to get a few things as well... so when we left the mall, he was all happy and glad he went. And boys think that girls are crazy!

I'm such an impatient person. I am ready to start planning our move, where we will live, where I will work, etc. I guess part of that is because I am such a planner, I get impatient waiting to plan! Anyways, I will fill you in on how it goes on Thursday!

Fun things

Ok, I am tired of thinking about the future and my friend Amy inspired me to do some fun things so here you go:

How liberal/conservative are you?

Your Political Profile:

Overall: 65% Conservative, 35% Liberal Social Issues: 75% Conservative, 25% Liberal Personal Responsibility: 25% Conservative, 75% Liberal Fiscal Issues: 100% Conservative, 0% Liberal Ethics: 25% Conservative, 75% Liberal Defense and Crime: 100% Conservative, 0% Liberal

How Liberal Or Conservative Are You?

This does not surprise me, I figured as much.
you can take it here:
http://www.blogthings.com/howliberalorconservativeareyouquiz/

Amy also tagged me, so here is some useless info that I would rather tell you all about than doing the work I brought home to do!


Four Jobs I've Had:
Server
Game Attendant at Opryland theme park
Graphic Designer
Sales person at a store in the mall ("Paul" something or other...)

Four Movies I Can Watch Over and Over:
The Last Samarui
Memoirs of a Geisha
Any Pirates of the Caribbean movie (I have a huge crush on Johnny Depp and a small one on Orlando Bloom...sorry Chris!)
Elf

Four Place I've Lived:
Nashville (includes Goodlettsville, Bellevue, Franklin, Mount Juliet, Hermitage, and Donelson)
Chattanooga
soon to be Atlanta!
??

Four Places I've Vacationed:
Kauai, Hawaii
Sedona, AZ
Bahamas/Grand Cayman/Jamaica/Cozymel
Italy/France/England

Four of My Favorite Dishes:
panko crusted chicken with japanese rice/peanuts/green onions
Michangelo's pizza
anything mexican
Fish and Chips from the Blue Plate in Chattanooga or the Cafe in Hanalei Bay, HI

Four Sites I Visit Daily:
foxnews.com
bullybuddies.com (my happy place, I want one of those cute little things!)
craigslist.org
mediabistro.com

Four Places I Would Rather Be Right Now:
Outside with my dogs
Beach
accepting my lottery winnings ;-)
on vacation, just about anywhere would do!!!

Two People I am Tagging:
bethany
chris

Ok... the panic is over

I know you all have been waiting for an answer to my dilemma....
drum roll please...
I am not going to go back to school. Unless something happens like we win the lottery or my parents offer to pay for everything. (which I doubt) At this point they don't even have any clue about the plan. They will soon enough.
I just looked at my options and decided that I really don't want to have to work for a living for the rest of my life and if I owe 50K to school, I will have to for a while at least! I want to eventually start making t-shirts, purses, jewelry, and selling it instead of doing what I am doing now. So... my decision is made.

We are getting so excited! Only a week and a half until we travel to Atlanta for the big interview!!! We are going down on the 4th which could turn out really bad... we are staying in Buckhead and they are having a 10K race that morning and a huge party with fireworks in the evening (which will be so much fun!!!)

Work is getting really tedious lately. Partly because I think I am leaving soon and partly because it is my crazy season. VBS is blowing up and I have LOTS of stuff to do in the next 2 months. At least it will go by quickly.
Gotta get back to it...

What to do?

Why does life have to be so difficult? I keep going back and forth about what I want to do. A big part of me wants to go back to school too. But then I start thinking about the money. We would have to borrow at least $100,000 to pay for both of our tuitions plus housing and we would have to get part time jobs just to live. I am so torn. I wish it were an easy decision to make, like if $50K just fell out of the sky...

2 weeks!

2 weeks until Chris's interview at PC. We are both so excited... but impatient. I think that is why we never finish anything we say we are going to do. Like the adoption thing... We were planning on getting that started this summer and told everyone, now we have completely swithched gears. First of all, $25,000 for a child was a little overwhelming. Second, we decided Chris needed to be in a better place with his career when we start that process. I would hate to get it going then have to postpone it because he quit his job and went freelance. I think that him going back to school is a great idea. I think he will learn so much and gain a whole heap of confidence in the process. We are going to stick to this. Now I just hope he gets accepted and that I can find a job. Waiting a few more years for a kid is not a bad thing. I really don't feel ready anyways, I wonder if I will ever be. Anyways...
that's all for now.

Ch-ch-ch-changes

I love change... but I hate all the part that goes before a big change. Chris and I are going to sit down tonight and try to plan out everything we need to do to move to Atlanta. Renting our house, getting a job, living on one income instead of 2, finding somewhere to live, etc. I think I'll feel better once I know for sure that he will be accepted. I hope he gets in... he needs this! Right now, he is expected to work basically 7 days a week and it is a place that is killing him creatively. I will be glad when he gets out of that enviroment.

Part of me is scared about trying to get another job. I really like where I am, which makes it that much harder...But I also am sure that if this is where God wants us, I will find something great.

Atlanta is a really cool city, much bigger than Nashville. I was there last week for the HOW conference (http://www.howconference.com) and really enjoyed myself. That is actually where I first heard of portfolio center. They have put out some amazing graduates that are working for the top ad agencies in the country. This guy really inspired me and Chris (http://www.okaydave.com) I hope one day Chris is on that level. This guy now has his own ad agency in San Fran. Pretty impressive.

So as you can probably see, I am consumed with this whole new life direction that we are about to embark upon. Wish us luck!

Are we all posers?

My husband and I have decided that we both feel like posers in life. Maybe it is because we both went to a 2 year school and don't feel as qualified as we should be... well that is about to change. Chris (the hubby) has decided he wants to go to the Portfolio Center (http://www.portfoliocenter.com) in Atlanta. It is a high intensity graduate-type program for graphic designers/art directors/photographers/illustrators, etc. Fortunately, he does not need a 4 year degree. He has an interview on July 5 when we go to tour the school (they are going to let us sit in on the classes, how fun!) The only bad part is that while he is going back to school, I will be working my ass off trying to pay for everything else. I guess it is worth it. I think it will get us to a better place than where we are today. Plus he promised to get me a big ol diamond to replace my tiny one from 8 years ago... what girl would turn that down???

Here I am...

Finally, I have a blog. Not a big deal, I guess. I have been thinking about it for a while and finally decided there were too many thoughts going around inside my head (and I spend way too much time in front of a computer) not to start one. Most of the people I know are still in the "Why would I want a blog?" stage... but I don't have much in common with them anyways!

So, here I am, my thoughts, on display for you, the world, to read. I hope you enjoy.