Michael Freakin Bublé!!!

Holy cow! What a weekend! Back at the end of May, Jesse bought us Bublé tickets for my birthday. The concert was last night. IT WAS AMAZING!

I have been dying to go to his concert for so long. When I caught wind of him coming to town I just knew we HAD to go. I was so pumped for this weekend to finally be here.

The opening act was Naturally 7. They were a super neat group of 7 guys. They used NO musical instruments, just their voices. They called it vocal play instead of a capella because they used their voices to make musical instrument sounds while others in the group sang. Very cool. 

Of course I was squirming in my seat waiting for Michael Bublé and he did not disappoint! He came out with a bang, literally. Flames came shooting up as he slid down a raised stage looking super dapper in his tux. Turns out he is not only a fantastic singer but also a great entertainer. He was so funny and engaging in between songs. And his voice... SO GOOD! Handsome, charming, funny, singer... what's not to love!?

I was a HUGE fan before the concert and now I'm an even bigger one! I would love to go to his concert over and over again. Definitely getting more tickets the next time he comes to town. Hands down one of the best nights EVER!

Crockpot Virgins

After almost 8 months of marriage we finally decided to put our crockpot to use!

We found ourselves a chicken fajita recipe on Pinterest, of course. While Jesse worked Wednesday, I whipped us up some salsa and made a marinade for the chicken. The chicken marinade was cilantro lime flavored. I chopped up an onion and green pepper too.

This morning, Jesse threw it all in the crockpot while I was at work. It cooked for 6.5 hours. When I got home (from the dentist, no fun!) I whipped up some rice and beans and we dug in!!

The fajitas were pretty successful! We both enjoyed it and can't wait to use the crockpot more. Jesse has already put in a request for chili!

Fun Night Out

Jesse's new work schedule has NOT been working out for me. I mope ALL the time. I try to remind myself that we just have to make it through a few more crappy shifts then he'll start his new job but I'm not all that successful. And while I adore Moose, she's not much for conversation. On top of life stresses in general, I'm needing some fun in my life!

So, I'm scrolling through facebook and there it is. Fun. Painting with a Twist had a class for Tuesday night and the painting was so bright and cheerful and cute! After I wrestled with the idea for a few hours, I decided to stop being mopey and start having fun :) So mom and I signed up! Going out on a week night!? That's right, signed us up anyway lol 

Artistic outlets -- writing, crafting,...painting -- have always been one of my favorite releases. While I sometimes overthink it, it usually helps my mood and I feel accomplished after. Definitely should do more of this type of thing to keep my sanity :P 

Here's our masterpieces! 

Thanksgiving Wreath

Well, when the husband's away, the wife will play! Jesse worked all day so I crafted :) Friday I went out and got supplies to make my Thanksgiving wreath. Today, I put it all together!

Here's what you need: 

- a styrofoam wreath

- brown yarn

- yellow, orange, red tulle

- wooden balls

- white and black paint

- red and yellow foam placemat

- hot glue

Here's what you do: 

Paint the wooden balls white, then paint a black circle on them to make the eyes. Wrap the brown yarn all around the styrofoam wreath. Cut pieces of the three colors of tulle (length depends on how long you want your turkey feathers). Tie your tulle strips onto about 3/4 of the wreath. I alternated colors. I hot glued the eyes onto the middle of the remaining exposed brown yarn. I created a beak and wattle out of the foam placemat (I wanted something a little more weather resistant than paper). You could also use a styrofoam cone and paint it yellow if you'd rather. Hot glue the beak and wattle on. Add a longer piece of tulle as a hanger. Ta-da!! 

Fairly easy project for a boring day at home :) 

Halloween Crafts

This past weekend Mom and I got our craft on! We made some cute (and easy) Halloween decorations for our homes. 

Here's what we made: 

The jars were repurposed wedding decor :) Here's how we did it!

What you need:

- jars

- mod podge

- tissue paper

- paint or construction paper

- googly eyes optional

What you do:

Cut up your tissue paper into squares. Use the mod podge to glue your tissue paper squares all over the jar. When it's covered, put a coat of mod podge on top. Make the face for the appropriate Halloween character. Mom painted her faces on, I mod podged construction paper faces on. For Frankstein, we painted the lid black and added screws for a finishing touch. For the mummy, I made a few layers of strips of the tissue paper and added googly eyes.

The cans were even simpler! We saved cans for a couple of weeks.

What you need: 

- paint

- cans

- wine corks

- ribbon 

What you do: 

Peel the labels off your cans. Paint the cans orange and the tops green. Paint your corks green and hot glue them on as stems. Tie some ribbon on the stem for leaves. Paint a cute jack-o-lantern face. Ta-da! Pumpkin cans!

Super easy projects to add a little Halloween to our homes :) 

A Whole Year

This post is a week overdue. For whatever reason, I just haven't felt like writing it. No time like the present.

Last week marked one year since Dad's diagnosis. We made it a year. A whole year. We have certainly seen our ups and downs. In the past year, I was fortunate enough to have my Dad walk me down the aisle. We got to dance to I Loved Her First. Dad and Mom got to go to Montana! Dad had to have emergency surgery. Painful, terrible emergency surgery. There has been chemo, doctor appointments, scans. There have been holidays and birthdays. 

This past weekend, we finally made it to a football game! I bought tickets for the boys. A birthdays present for my Dad and a "thank you for everything you do, you're the greatest husband ever" gift for Jesse. We spent the weekend in Arlington.

Saturday we drove up to Arlington. Of course we had to stop in Round Rock for Mighty Fine burgers :)

We got all checked in, watched a movie, then went to dinner. Browsing Urban Spoon, I came across a restaurant with a funny name so we decided to try it out, Humperdinks! It was SO GOOD! We ate and drank and ate some more! The food was AMAZIMG! Dad had tilapia, Jesse had shrimp tacos, and I had chicken fried steak and the greatest mashed potatoes! Then we all shared ice cream cupcakes for dessert. The restaurant not only had tasty food, but a great atmosphere. We will definitely have to go back sometime!! 

After dinner, we headed back to the hotel and got a good night's sleep for the big game Sunday. Sunday morning we all woke up early and put on our team's gear. It was the Rams vs. Cowboys show down! 

We made our way to the stadium (which is GIGANTIC!). We wanted to get there early to take a look around. 

After we spent a small fortune in the Pro Shop, we found our seats. They were fairly high up but it didn't matter, we were at the game! We ate, we drank, we cheered, we booed. We laughed! It was an awesome day. Jesse couldn't have been happier that the Cowboys won, but of course that meant Dad's team lost.  

It was a fun weekend spent with my boys! It was great to spend some time with Dad, just the three of us. 

Of course, we couldn't forget about our little furball :) Moosey Goose got a new Cowboys collar! 

And in other news, Jesse got a job! Yay! Moose misses him for sure and so do I when I get home from work but we're so proud too. Jesse is such a great Husband and I am truly blessed beyond belief.

God just knows!

Another act of kindness to share?! That's right people, nice things are happening all around us.

My parents received a letter in the mail recently. It was from Northern Hills Methodist Church. Inside, was a little gift from perfect strangers! The letter said that the church had a program called Dollars for Hope. This program takes up a collection for persons who are "nominated" by a church member. Some member (we think we know who but it's a little more fun to let you wonder) submitted my Dad's name. This church full of good hearted people sent my parents a check without ever having laid eyes on them. They heard Dad's story and felt he was deserving of a little help.

And God's timing couldn't have been better! We are not rich by any means but we are fortunate enough to have the funds to get my Dad treatment. Sometimes the budget is a bit tighter than others but we manage. This week, my Dad has a scan, two doctor appointments, and chemo. It's going to be an expensive week. But God knows and He provides. 

Please continue to pray for Dad. Pray that his scan shows good things. Pray that his doctors are at their best. Pray for their skills and knowledge. Pray for healing. Pray for strength (for all of us). Pray for the friends, family, and perfect strangers who have gone above and beyond to help our family.

This road is made easier by the support of others!