So Busy

The past week has flown by.  It has been so great!  I love my new job so much!  It has been so nice because I have gotten to spend so much time with Blake.  It hardly feels like it is work at all.  My schedule is really nice too because I go in at 10:30 at the earliest.  Most days it just depends on how many appointments we have.  I have been getting to take lots of pictures.  I have really caught on to everything pretty quick.  I have been doing other odds and ends work too like framing and packaging orders.  Soon I will start doing some of the photoshop work.  Today I went really early (7am) to go to Morehead State University and take pictures of the nursing students.  It is fun to be able to travel a little bit for work.  This coming Saturday I am helping with a wedding.  I am just flat worn out by all the activity I am getting now.  Oh I really like my boss to.  He is very easy going and caring.  He is really flexible with our schedules too as far as when we come and go and days we work.  Like today I worked until 11:30 and had the rest of the day to spend with Blake.

We were able to get our taxes done and get some shopping done that we needed to do.  Over the weekend we laid flooring in our bedroom.  It felt so good to get some visible progress done.  We decided instead of putting tile down we would put laminate wood.  It looks just like wood.  I will have to post a picture later.  We went and bought more boxes of it so Blake can work on it this week.  I am so excited about getting some stuff done on the house.  We only have a few more major things that need done then it is all little things. 

Oh lets see what else is going on???  Chloe’s nose has gotten so much better.  It is almost completely cleared up.  She has done a great job taking her medicine too.  Tonight I decided to see if she would take a pill without sticking it in something like cheese.  She gobbled it right down.  She will eat anything I think!  

Oh so I think that is it for now.  I will post some pictures of the floor later.  Leave a comment letting me know what you did this weekend!  

Our Sick Baby

Our poor little Chloe hasn’t been feeling too well.  She has a nasty crust on her nose that we thought was bone nose (a dry crusty she gets from raw hide).  She has started to act like she just wasn’t feeling good and she also started to get a green slim around her nostrils.  This morning it was really bad so we decided to get her to the vet.  When I called they said it sounded like it was an upper respiratory infection.  Unfortunately it didn’t end up being so simple. 

Blake took her and he said the doctor had trouble figuring out what it was.  All he could come up with was that it was some sort of infection on the outside of her nose.  She was running a fever of 102.  He said that her immune system was attacking her nose itself to try to rid the problem and it is eating her nose.  She was sent home with 2 antibiotics, a steroid, and a fungal cream.  The vet said that if it doesn’t clear up in 7 days he wants to see her again to take a biopsy of the surface.  Worst case they may have to cut a layer off of her nose to remove the problem. 

I just hope that everything will clear up good.  She did a great job taking her medicine tonight.  Here is a picture of how bad it looks.  Sorry if it is gross but I wanted to show everyone in case someone might have the same kind of problem some day.  Apparently Weims are prone to infections with their nose for some reason.

Another Cake

Blake had such a good time when we made that cake the other day that he decided to make one by himself.  He just made a small one for me for practice.  He did a really good job so maybe it will end up being something he does on the side just for fun!  He loves Ace of Cakes and would love to be the next Chef Duff!

Great News!

I have really been enjoying my time off but it is all coming to an end.  Yesterday Tom, the owner of The Studio, called to say he needed me to get started as soon as possible because he had been sick.  I am not sure what is wrong with him but I think he will be out most of this week.  I am really excited about getting to start so soon.  I really thought it would be another week or more before he would call.  My house could use me having a little more time off but that is alright.  I don’t have to be at work until 10:30 so I will have plenty of time to get things done around the house in the mornings.  Also that will give me time to take the dogs for a walk so I can get my exercise in!  God has blessed me and Blake so much lately. 

“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”  Mathew 6:33    

Baby Shower

I just had to share a cake with everyone that Blake and I made for a baby shower for a friend at church.  I really like baking as you all know but this was a new venture for me.  I was so happy that it turned out so well.  I was really glad also to have Blake help.  I really enjoy being in the kitchen with him.  I am very lucky to have a husband that enjoys doing things with me like this! 

The Great Escape

The weather has been so nice the past few days and it feels so great!  One thing Chloe has always liked when it gets warm outside is to hang out on the deck.  She could easily jump over the rails if she wanted but she is content to just hang out.  The other evening while we were cooking dinner we thought we would put all the dogs out on the deck.  We opened the window so we could keep an eye on them.  Chloe ran around most of the time, Zoe just usually lays down and Marley was wondering around checking everything out.  The deck is still very new to him so we were nervous about if he could jump over or get the gate open. 

They all seemed to be doing really well.  I was glad because it was always nice to be able to put Chloe out like that while we were in the kitchen.  Then Zoe started barking.  She barks at every little thing so we didn’t think much about it.  Blake decided to check on them all and from the kitchen I could tell by his calling for Marley that he had gotten off the deck.  I went out the front door to try to see if I could find him.  I called his name and he came running from the other side of the drive.  I was so glad he was close by and that he came when I called.  Our experience with him so far is that he would run off from us if he isn’t on a leash.  Chloe has learned the boundaries of the yard so we let her run free but Marley is clueless.

I took Marley back inside and was talking to Blake about it.  I asked if Marley had gotten the gate open.  He said that the gate was still closed.  I was surprised.  There was no way that he jumped over the rail because he just can’t jump that high.  We figured out that he must have just climbed over it.  This makes me nervous for our plans to build fence.  I have heard of many dogs that can climb fences.  I just hope that he will learn to be content in the yard enough to not climb.  We have a little escape artist on our hands.     

Simple Kitchen Tips

This Wednesday I am just going to share some tips that I have found.  I don’t take credit for any of these.  I really enjoy being in the kitchen and I like to hear other people’s tips they have learned over the years.  This is just a list I put together of some of the ones I think are good. 

Stubborn stains can be removed from non-stick
cookware by boiling, 2 tablespoons of baking soda, 1/2 cup vinegar,
and 1 cup of water for ten minutes. Before using the pan again,
season it with salad oil.

Whenever you empty a jar of dill pickles,
use the left-over juice to clean the copper bottoms of your pans.
Just pour the juice in a large bowl, set the pan in the juice
for about 15 minutes. Comes out looking like new.

To restore color and shine to an aluminum pan, boil some apple peels
in it for a few minutes, then rinse and dry.

When preparing lunches for your children (or anyone), try “drinkable” ice packs: Fill a 12-ounce plastic bottle about halfway with drinking water and freeze it overnight, tilting the bottle so the water will freeze at an angle (if you freeze it straight up, the expanded water will make the bottle bulge). Next morning pack the lunch, add more drinking water to the bottle, and stick it in the lunch box to keep the food cool and be melted enough to drink by lunchtime.

A roast with the bone in will cook faster than a boneless roast –
the bone carries the heat to the inside of the roast quicker.

For a juicer hamburger add cold water to the beef before grilling
(1/2 cup to 1 pound of meat).

To keep cauliflower white while cooking –
add a little milk to the water.

Microwave a lemon for 15 seconds and double the juice you get
before squeezing.

Microwave garlic cloves for 15 seconds and the skins slip
right off.

When slicing a hard boiled egg, try wetting the knife just before
cutting. If that doesn’t do the trick, try applying a bit of
cooking spray to the edge.

When mincing garlic, sprinkle on a little salt so the pieces won’t
stick to your knife or cutting board.

If your cake recipe calls for nuts, heat them first in the oven,
then dust with flour before adding to the batter to keep them from
settling to the bottom of the pan.

Stuff a miniature marshmallow in the bottom of a sugar cone to
prevent ice cream drips.

To keep potatoes from budding, place an apple in the bag with the
potatoes.

Poke a hole in the middle of the hamburger patties while shaping them.
The burgers will cook faster and the holes will disappear when done.

When tossing a salad with a basic vinaigrette, always make the
vinaigrette at least 1/2 hour ahead of time and let the mixture
sit to allow the flavors to marry. Pour the vinaigrette down
the side of the bowl, not directly on the greens, for a more
evenly dressed salad.

Chefs pound meat not to tenderize the meat, but to help
even the meat so it cooks evenly.

Save butter wrappers in the freezer to use for greasing pans when baking.

To keep salt from clogging in the shaker, add 1/2 teaspoon of uncooked rice.

Egg whites should always be at room temperature before whipping.
Be certain there is no yolk in the whites and that the bowl and
beaters are perfectly clean. Cream, on the other hand, should be
well-chilled. For the largest volume, chill the bowl and beaters
before whipping.

Before opening a package of bacon, roll it. This helps separate
the slices for easy removal of individual slices.

Whenever possible, warm your dinner plates slightly in the oven
before serving so the meal stays a little bit hotter.

Cookies will spread if your dough is too pliable by allowing butter
to get too soft. If your cookies are spreading too much, try
refrigerating the dough for a couple of hours before baking.

Cookie dough can be frozen up to three months in an airtight
container or refrigerated three to four days.

I hope this list has a little something to help everyone.  I know lots of these were helpful to me!  For more great tips check out Rocks in My Dryer.

I Quit!

That is right I officially quit my job!  Yesterday was my first day of being unemployed and it was great!  Blake and I decided last week that I should take some time off between jobs because I have never had time off since I moved down here.  The stress and unhappiness that my job was creating was effecting both of us.  I am so excited to have the time off to relax and also spend time working on things around the house that have been neglected.  More than anything I really look forward to the time I will have in prayer and Bible study.  Over the past few months God has been leading me to give more of myself to Him and this time off is going to be all about getting my heart in the right place and taking my life in the direction God would like it to go.

Yesterday was a great day!  Blake took the day off with me since it was raining. He is just about finished with the pergola he is building but with the rain yesterday and today it has been put on hold.  We had some things we needed to go take care of anyway so it worked out well.  We went to Lexington to get Blake some pants.  He was in need of some new work pants and church pants.  We decided to get the rest of our camping stuff while we were out also.  We had a great time spending the day together.  Oh the electrician came out yesterday too and hooked up some of the light fixtures.  I will have to post some pictures of them later.

Today we haven’t really done much yet.  We got up and made blueberry pancakes for breakfast.  We were going to finish up the last bit of the painting that needs done in the house but it is too dark since we still don’t have all the lights in and it is dark and rainy outside.  I guess we are just going to do laundry and have a lazy day.  I will admit it feels good to be sitting at home in bed while I blog!  Marley is laying on my feet and Chloe is curled up beside me.  I think I can get use to this.  

I almost forgot

In the midst of my crazy busy weekend I forgot about one thing.  We took our elliptical back that was continually breaking.  We exchanged it once and it did the same thing as before.  It had a warranty but that doesn’t do any good when the company refuses to have someone answer phones or emails.  Dicks Sporting Goods refused to give us our money back.  I really think that was stupid of them.  I think they should be standing behind the stuff they sell.  We had 2 different machines that broke after 2 weeks each time.  We did get them to at least take it and give us an in store credit. 

So we bought a tent and an awning. 

We still have a few hundred dollars left to buy some more camping stuff.  Last year we wanted to buy everything to go camping but never did.  Now at least we have no excuse about going this year.  I grew up camping all the time but Blake really has only camped when he was really young.  We have lots of places near by that we can go for a weekend easily but my favorite place is where my family goes every year.  It is so pretty and the camp grounds are great!  Check it out…Old Man’s Cave!

Just call me Tired!!!

Wow my body is aching today and I would love to be back in my pj’s in bed!  This weekend went great but I am tired!  I worked at The Studio for 8 hours on Saturday and 6 hours on Sunday.  I wiped noses, acted silly, played with puppets, cleaned up baby spit-up, calmed crying children, moved lights around, tickled kids, and so on and so on.  I spent most of the weekend getting up and down off the floor.  My legs are not use to that at all.  I have bruises from standing on my knees to be at the children’s level.  Oh but it was really fun!  The weekend just flew by.  I never ended up taking any pictures just because I didn’t know the camera they were using very well.  But I was able to prove myself by assisting Tom (the owner/photographer).  Most of the girls that work there act like they could care less if they are there and so I jumped in as his assistant and did really good.  I had so much fun.   

As far as getting a full time job there….I will have a job they just have to work some things out first.  I think there is a girl who would rather not be there and she has been ill for about a week now.  I guess they think she may quit or something so they just need some time to see what happens there.  I am really excited!  I love how close it was to the house and the work environment.  I felt like myself again this weekend and I think Blake could vouch for me being happier after a hard day at work!  Now I just have to wait.  I really hope that I hear something soon!