Early closing date!

Oh boy, the time is just flying. We got word from the agent of the curret home owners that we could close early if we'd like. YES WE WOULD LIKE TO!!! Thankfully, our loan agent has been super friendly and as soon as we get harry's union savings fund, we're set to go!!! We could literally close by the end of the week- the 1st of march is an option!!! I'm in awe of our home-to-be and just the idea of holding the keys in my hand is breath taking. I already have so many dreams and aspirations for our lives in that big house.
If you asked me in the past if i'd own a home, start a family, become an adult... The answer would have been a resounding no. I was lost and running was the only thing i knew how to do. Now that i have so much emotional and mental freedom, i am so excited to take on these adventures. I no longer see family and responsibility as a burden or punishment; it's a gift- joy- real love.

Date Day!

On days off with no pre-decided plans, it automatically becomes a date day for us! Last night, knowing there wasn't anything we had planned, we tried to decide what to do for the day. When the morning arrived, a home cooked breakfast was first on my list after sleep-in cuddles. Harry was a good dog- daddy and took jethro on a snow adventure through the woods. We took our time getting ready and then took our beloved Jethro off to his grooming appointment. Knowing we had at least two hours before we had to pick him up, we went to the shooting range. Apparently harry hits head shots good while i have mastered the groin shot! HA! We also meandered around Pat Catan's craft store for a bit before returning home with our fluff ball.

Fresh and clean and happy to be heading home!

And soooo sleepy! 

After making lunch, i went into a massive food coma, rather than heading to the gym as planned. I am not much of  a napper (unlike hubby) because i tend to feel drained after them. Today was no different; my two hour unintentional nap made me feel withered and more tired. We decided to have other people cook dinner for us and used a gift certificate we've had since the holidays. We love the food at Atria's and devoured our food faster than most people. We were literally in and out of the restaurant within 40-45 minutes! The snow began to fall heavily again, so we walked over to Coffee Tree Roasters to enjoy some hot drinks and watch it for a bit. CTR is one of our favorite coffee shops... They serve such great drinks and have a beautiful, unique set up. 

Don't let his "i hate photos" face fool you... We were having a blast! 

Days like this are perfect to me... Slow paced, quality time with my man, beautiful seasonal weather, delicious meals, and rest. After this great monday, i know all the craziness that's coming this week will go well! 

Love Day, Hergy style

Since our first Valentine's day together, we celebrated by buying crab legs, steaming them at home, and devouring them on the couch. Simple, sentimental, solo. This year, we thought we'd be wild and venture out into the public- but only because we had a gift card for Joe's Crab Shack. Harry tried to make a reservation to save us a bit, but they weren't taking them. You would think that after years of experience in the food industry that i would know better than to try to get a seat in a restaurant, especially with an empty belly! Our adventure was fun, but fruitless (in regards to food). We drove through the city traffic at the end of rush hour, sipping giddily on our red bulls. We're wild, i know. After battling through the Liberty Tunnels (which took longer than anything we did aside from eventually eating), we parked in Station Square. Here we go! Let's wait a bit and then get our big crap pots! JUST KIDDING! The girl kindly told us it would be about a two hour wait-- far too long with my growling belly. We politely left, grabbed coffee and tea at Crazy Mocha, and humbly drove back to our suburbs for a nice quit, japanese dinner at Rice Inn.
How wonderful though, knowing that we remained calm and had fun even with setbacks in our plan. My husband grounds me so much and brings me so much joy. Because of that i am able to work on my own patience, as well as obtaining some from him when i need it.
Also, for valentine's days from here on out, we're back to our regular tradition. The couch and crabs is what works for us!!!

Days off together!

Days off together are always started off the same way- sleeping in later than usual (which is never later than 10am somehow) and having morning family snuggles with the dog. It is the BEST way to start a day. As well as my favorite!!! 

My silly boys :)

We like to spend these days as snuggled and lazy as possible! Hubby made us delicious omelettes, we watched 50 First Dates, and pj's stayed on as long as possible! After running out to get my TB shot, we continued the couch fest by buying Insidious 2. On Demand movies was probably the greatest invention ever. We pay less than the price of one ticket to the movie and get to snuggle. Going to the movies is fun, don't get me wrong! But not all the time. Between the money you spend and the fact that we're hooked on cozying up under our blankets, we'll stick with our livingroom! 

I left for a bit for some girl's time and harry got some quality painting time. But we are together again on our couch... It is easy to say that it's our favorite spot together! We love our quiet little life!!! 

Snacks and book buying with this angel!!!

Our little chicken nugget

I get so excited thinking about how our beloved Jethro will soon have his OWN yard!!! He hasn't had that since i briefly stayed with my dad & step mom a few years back! And even then, he shared it with the family's three little ankle biters. Our home is going to be such a playground for our little ham. We're so blessed to have a well trained, mostly calm dog. He's playful, yet contained. I'm sure he's looking forward to summer weather to run around. Althought you'd never hear our 9 year old boy complain. He LOVES snuggle time! All day, anywhere! Although preferably with a pillow and blanket.

I mean, being a dog is a hard, hard life!!!

Sometimes i get nervous as jethro continues to get older. But i know that life is a circle, and there's no changing that. All i can do is savor every snuggle and fun day! It also helps to remember the life he came from in arizona was such a drag compared to what we have given him.  I can rest easy knowing we have given him a great life, full of love and attention! 

Now let's just hope we get pregnant while jethro is still strong enough to carry a wee one on his back! You better believe i will do that! 

Winter date night!

Last Saturday night, we had a REAL date night out! Now typically, we have several nights that we spend together; whether on the couch watching our favorite shows, at the gym, spending time with family, etc. But it is few and far between that we journey out into the general population and spend the evening somewhere fancy! Behold! A present from hubby allowed us to do just that!
As a longtime super fan of the Pixies, i cherish any moment i hear their sweet music. I was very fortunate to see all the original members perform live in new york in 2011, playing my favorite album from start to finish, and then some! So when hubby told me he secretly got us tickets to see them when they came to our hometown, i was ECSTATIC!!! One thing we have always managed to do is get each other extremely thoughtful gifts; we genuinely get each other and know what makes the other smile from the inside out.
As our date night approached, i was filled with worry. You see, i found out the original bassist had left the band and was concerned that: a) her replacement would not hold a candle to her and b) they would try to push a new album or sound.
How silly i was to doubt our date night! First of all, SAVOR ANY AND ALL DATE NIGHTS!!!! I wasn't even thinking about the fact that harry and i got to go to one of  the most beautiful buildings in pittsburgh (the carnegie hall of music in oakland). Plus, any time with my dream guy is magnificent. AND THEY PLAYED GREAT!!!! Kim deal's replacement, Paz, had the same energy and smile as her and was very talented. It was magical.

Moral of the story: Enjoy each moment rather than predetermining its value. You never know how amazing an adventure can be until you are actually diving into it!

The Pixies