Tyler Trip

We took a short trip to Tyler on Friday...it got off to a rough start. Chris took the car in for an oil change on Thursday in preparation for our trip. They changed the oil, rotated the tires, and cleaned the battery. Well Chris gets the car all packed up and ready to go and tries to start it and nothing, nada, zip, zero. It won't do anything! I call the dealership who serviced the car...pretty ticked, I must mention and explain the problem. When Chris opens the hood to look at the battery and it looks as though they just took an air hose and spread the battery corrosion all throughout the engine rather than actually CLEANING it off. So I proceed to gripe to the man who actually serviced the car and he tells me that he told my husband the battery terminal was cracked and that is probably the problem. I tell him, that he ALSO told my husband that whoever serviced the battery last time tightened the terminal too tight, thus resulting in the broken terminal...I told him that it has only been serviced there and if he would check his records he would see that they supposedly serviced my battery the last time I was there, so if it was cracked due to someone tightening it too much then that was a problem that THEY needed to fix!! He then proceeds to tell me that I need to drive the car in so they can check it. This is where I want to yell IDIOT! into the phone but instead proceed with "and how do you expect me to drive it in there when it won't even start?" He then stutters "uh, I don't know, I am going to have to talk to my supervisor" I say ok, you do that. He claims he will call me back. Chris switches everything over to the truck and then in his fury checks the engine again and realizes that the battery terminal is just sitting on the battery, not even tightened at all!! So he tightens it and sha-bam the car starts! But this isn't great news either, because obviously someone incompetent worked on my vehicle and that just isn't going to fly! When the manager finally calls me 45 minutes later, while we are dropping off my keys to Laci so she can take it in, I tell her the whole nasty story and how I am irritated because this has delayed our trip out of town and that I want my car fixed. She promises to fix it -- at no charge and we proceed on our trip.

Tyler was beautiful. Chris and I had a good time being lazy together. We went to Tyler State Park and stayed at a pretty bed and breakfast that the lady provided us with so much food we were stuffed after our afternoon snack and breakfast the next morning. She was so super sweet! I have a few pictures below of our adventures.

A picture of my belly as I walked through the park





















Chris' one and only fish he caught when we were out on the tiny pontoon boat that we rented on Saturday morning.





















What I did while on the boat...stared off into the pretty scenery and attempted to drive the boat in a straight line...this is a near impossible task, I must say. Especially since I have zero experience in driving a boat of this size and make.





















A rose at the Tyler Rose Garden
















Some of the tigers we saw at Tiger Creek Wildlife Refuge, so pretty! I love tigers!

















Our trip was relaxing and fun to just hang out with each other away from home for a couple of days. Chris did say at the end that he didn't really ever need to go to Tyler again, because there was nothing to do! Thanks honey...

And the end of the car story goes like this...they call and tell us that they replaced the terminals, the battery, washed and cleaned the engine and the interior and exterior of the car. Laci picks it up on Saturday turns it on, starts to drive off and the check engine light comes on. She goes back in tells them the issue and they say that they forgot to reset it. Great. Geniuses. Then I go out to drive to work today and what happens?! You guessed it...the check engine light comes on...again! So Chris had to take it in again this morning. All because we wanted a simple oil change and tire rotation and they have somehow screwed up my perfectly descent car! The dealership...you know, the ones CERTIFIED to work on my brand of vehicle. They now claim that something covered under the warranty needs to be fixed and we are driving a rental provided by them, because they could not have it fixed in a day. UGH! Cars...can't live with em, can't live without em!

Wedding Video

Not my wedding video, but Jamye sent me this earlier today and it was too funny not to share. Enjoy this wedding entrance dance only when you have your speakers up so you can dance with them.

Click on the title to enjoy this video...it will brighten your day I am sure of it :)

How fun, right??

My boys...

So my boys are getting along pleasantly. They play and argue like brothers, they wrestle, chase each other, sometimes play hide and seek, and they are of course jealous of each other. I find them quite amusing. And I can say at this point that I definitely am glad that we adopted Mr. Kalani Dog. He seems to be fitting right in. His calm and lazy nature isn't rubbing off on Spencer Ray, but at least Spencer now has a buddy to hang out with all day. We've been taking them on walks in the evening and I can say, Kalani and I get along very well walking, while Spencer still tries to drag Chris the entire time we are walking. So, as you can guess I always opt to hold Kalani. He rarely barks...we have noticed that he barks when the neighbor goes out on his back porch to smoke...I wonder if this has something to do with his past, who knows, but he doesn't like it. Last night on our walk, Kalani decided to bark and go crazy at one particular dog...whom I actually realized I know its owner (well one of its owners anyway) but I had no idea if she would remember me and I had this dog going crazy and being pregnant, I was trying not to tip over every time Kalani jerked on the leash. It was madness, but only for a minute. :) Well here are a couple of new pics. Chris loves his boys...






















Just to show the extreme difference in height...hahaha...Kalani actually walks over him a lot.






















Oh and I forgot to mention that Kalani wouldn't eat...we had to go purchase some wet dog food to mix with his dry food to try to get him to eat. Last night was the first night that he ate everything in his bowl! Yay! It took a while but I think he is coming around to eating on a regular basis...Spencer still inhales his food as soon as we place it on the floor, so then he stalks Kalani to see if he will finish or if he can rush in to sneak a bite. We have to stay out there the entire time they eat because of Sneaky Sneaky.

Kalani's teeth are gross...tons of nasty tarter and possibly a cavity or two...I am thinking this is why he has problems eating. I have been attempting to brush his teeth. Can you imagine this? Oh well just go ahead and laugh...no dog of mine is going to have icky teeth! And he enjoys the dog toothpaste I have...he just doesn't open his mouth well for me.

27 Weeks

So even in black and white you can tell I am tired in this picture. That's what I get for not going to bed until after 11 and waking up at 4:30...nevertheless here is a picture for you of my ever-growing belly.

1 + 1 makes 2

So, I finally gave in. That's right...we adopted a second dog. Chris has been wanting a second dog for some time now. He felt like Spencer needed a playmate. And that maybe, just maybe it would help Spencer calm down and behave a little better if he could spend some of his energy playing with another dog. Well yesterday, while browsing at PetSmart, I believe we found the perfect fit. He was named Ray, and I believe he is a border collie/whippet...maybe?? Not sure. He has the color markings of a border collie and the body shape of a whippet, but that is just a guess. He is super cute though and very well behaved, SO FAR. He was rescued by the humane society and apparently in a big "dog bust" so he is used to being around a bunch of dogs, so Spencer bothers him none. He hasn't even barked or tried to bite at him. Spencer on the other hand, is being his normal ornery self. He grumbles/barks/growls/whines...I don't even really know how to describe the odd noise that he makes when we pet the new little guy. I lectured Spencer yesterday and told him that if he too would sit still, people would enjoy petting him, but no, he just makes weird noises and kind of stalks you in a weird way. Laci was giving them treats yesterday when they obeyed her commands and Spencer was being all cute and rolled over, so Laci tries to pet him and what does he do?? Takes off in the other direction, like hahaha, catch me! Nerd. This new dog, Ray, is so calm, he is dying for affection so anytime you go out there he just sits at your feet and looks up at you like, ok, please pet me now. Chris wants to name him Kalani...I am not opposed to this, seeing as how we already call Spencer, Spencer Ray and I do not want a child of mine named Kalani, that will suit. He doesn't appear to respond to the name Ray anyways, I am thinking the shelter must have named him that. But regardless, we have entered a new chapter with a new doggie face. Here he is:

His legs are definitely longer than Spencers, but he only weighs about 10 pounds more and he is approximately 2 years old, so they are the same age.

Mr Kalani Dog

















And he is already proving to be smarter than Spencer, he actually finds the doggie pool as a good way to cool off...he fell asleep in there yesterday with his head hanging off the side. So cute!

So, what do you think? I am crazy, yes, I know. A little Asian lady at PetSmart told Chris yesterday while we were adopting the little guy, that he is going to heaven for doing this. Haha! Well, I guess it couldn't hurt our chances, but I don't believe it will be the reason we will be going!

Fat Ankled Friend...

Yes that is right, just call me your fat ankled friend. One of the ailments I get to enjoy during my pregnancy. :) Some people I think must forget the fact that I actually do have ankles, because they say things like "oh its not that bad" or "I can hardly tell"...then I get those who I suppose studied my ankles or just really have an awesome memory that say things like "OH MY GOSH!! I am so sorry, they look huge!" Hahaha...yeah, I KNOW!! Anyways, I don't really think the pictures do much justice to the situation, but it does shed some light.

Here is a picture of my ankles on Tuesday evening...completely swollen and hurting like a mother to walk on them, stand, bend my ankle, move my little toes...etc.

And here they are this morning. Completely not swollen (or to the best of my knowledge) and resembling what looks like my normal-sized feet.

Sorry for those of you who are grossed out by feet. I am one of those such people actually but at as long as I don't have to touch them or have them touch me I am fine, pictures are ok...of "nice-looking" feet of course. And I don't consider my feet necessarily gross...or at least I hope they don't look that way :)

Anyways, in the last picture I hope it proves that there are actually bones in my ankles and feet. Sometimes they appear and sometimes they don't. Here's off to another day at work...we shall see what this weekend holds: to be swollen or not to be swollen...that is the question!

Definitely getting bigger...

Here I am at 25 weeks...I am definitely getting bigger. If I keep this growth up, I am going to be huge way before October!