More pics...

Julie's camera saved the day!! Here's more evidence...









HaPpY meMoRiAl DaY wEeKeNd!!

Stephanie

Last night WAS a fairytale!

Besides the day Beau proposed and the day I say "I DO!", yesterday was probably one of THE best days of my life! Like I said in my last post, Julie, Ashley and I had tickets to Taylor Swift.

We made arrangements for Beau to drop us off and pick us up so we didn't have to worry about parking or driving intoxicated. We arrive at Toyota Center, get an adult beverage (or two), and started making our way to our seats. They were in section 411. Being the typical confused girls we are, we asked R.D (the man checking tickets at one of the aisles) to help us find level 400. He told us to get on the elevator and take it to the 4th level (DUH). As we were about to walk off to get in the elevator, R.D. asked Ashley,"Is it just the three of you?" Ashley replied "Yes" and R.D. then preceded to tell us to come back in 30 minutes because there were seats closer than where our tickets were and that he would let us sit in them. WHOA?! Wait a second! R.D. was offering to move us from the nosebleeds to sit on the FIRST level! We made our way to our seats on the 4th level and stayed for about 20 minutes and realized that we should probably take up R.D.'s deal. So we did. We went back to the first level and found R.D.. He was taking care of some other patrons, helping them find their seats, etc, and told us to stand to the side for a second. All of a sudden a tall man in yellow walked up to us. He mentioned that he had wristbands and pit passes to get all the way down in front of the stage but we couldn't make a scene about it or we couldn't go. We thought he was kidding. I flashed him my left hand and said use the old excuse that it was my last "hoo rah" before the big day and that I was dancing to Taylor Swift at my wedding. He slapped on the wristbands, gave us some of Taylor Swift's guitar picks and told us to follow him. Julie was almost in tears, I hugged him, and Ashley was beside herself. Then he goes on to tell us that he's TAYLOR SWIFT'S DAD and that he would personally walk us down there!!! (And he really was Taylor's dad...we googled him!) Good ol' Scott Swift followed through. He literally walked us backstage, where we saw Taylor's backup dancers, walked us through a black curtain and straight up to the stage! Two hours into the concert we kept asking each other "What the hell just happened?! and HOW did it happen to us?!" It was absolutely fabulous!! I must add that Julie, Ashley and I were the only girls down there old enough to drink so we definitely enjoyed ourselves (maybe a little too much!)

Everything was PERFECT...until...my camera AND my phone died. WTF? Seriously? Not only did my camera die but apparently it had a mind of it's own and deleted everything on my memory card (ya-it's time for a new one). But here are some pics I took from my iPhone, prior to it's death. For any of you who have an iPhone know there is NO zoom...this is really how close we were!








These are the ONLY pictures I have...I'm so sad...but I will NEVER forget this night! Thank you R.D., whom I will never see again, and thank YOU Mr. Swift for an unforgettable night!

Today IS A Fairytale!

Tonight, I am going to see Ms. Swift and I am SO FREAKING EXCITED!! I bought these tickets back in October and I am a HUGE Taylor Swift fan so it has been much anticipated!!!

My two BFF's, Julie & Ashley, are coming with so it should be an absolute blast! We hired a designated driver (AKA: Beau) and I took off work tomorrow as I'm sure I will be in full recovery mode! I'll post pics tomorrow!


"When you think Tim McGraw...I hope you think of me",

Stephanie

I can bake!

So I have never been a recipe person. I either make the same things all the time or I just fly by the seat of my pants, especially when it comes to dinner! As you know, with my job, I focus A LOT on yeast free eating and the benefits of following a yeast free diet. Therefore, I get A LOT of requests for sweets! Now, I can't take full credit for my new ability to bake...I actually owe most of it (well, all of it) to someone I have never met. Her name is Lauren and she is the author of a blog called "Healthy Indulgences". You can find her blog at healthyindulgences.blogspot.com and she is freaking amazing! After looking over her mouth-watering, healthy desserts I decided to give in to the recipe God's and make one!

I chose the Healthy Flourless Chocolate Cake. I was a little scared at first, you see, as I am the person who buys the cookie dough that you simply break off and throw in the oven. I have never made anything from scratch...until NOW!

Here are the ingredients (straight from Lauren's blog):

Healthy Flourless Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:
1-15 ounce can of unseasoned black beans
OR 1 1/2 cup cooked beans, any color
5 large eggs
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
6 tablespoons unsalted organic butter OR extra virgin coconut oil
3/4 cup erythritol plus 1/2 teaspoon pure stevia extract OR 1/4-1/3 cup honey plus 1 teaspoon stevia OR 1 cup Splenda
6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon water (omit if using honey)

Mint Chocolate variation:
2 teaspoons mint extract (in place of 2 teaspoons vanilla)

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a 9" cake pan with extra virgin olive oil cooking spray, or just grease it with a thin layer of butter. Dust cocoa all over the inside of the pan, tapping to evenly distribute. Cut a round of parchment paper and line the bottom of the pan, then spray the parchment lightly.

Drain and rinse beans in a strainer or colander. Shake off excess water. Place beans, 3 of the eggs, vanilla, stevia (if using) and salt into blender. Blend on high until beans are completely liquefied. No lumps! Whisk together cocoa powder, baking soda, and baking powder. Beat butter with sweetener (erythritol or honey) until light and fluffy. Add remaining two eggs, beating for a minute after each addition. Pour bean batter into egg mixture and mix. Finally, stir in cocoa powder and water (if using), and beat the batter on high for one minute, until smooth. Scrape batter into pan and smooth the top. Grip pan firmly by the edges and rap it on the counter a few times to pop any air bubbles.

Bake for 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes. Cake is done with the top is rounded and firm to the touch. After 10 minutes, turn out cake from pan, and flip over again on to a cooling rack. Let cool until cake reaches room temperature, then cover in plastic wrap or with cake dome (I use an overturned plastic chip bowl). For BEST flavor, let cake sit over night. I promise this cake will not have a hint of beaniness after letting it sit for eight hours! If you are stacking this cake, level the top with a long serrated knife, shaving off layers until it is flat and even. Frost immediately before serving.


Healthy Chocolate Buttercream Icing

Ingredients:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted organic butter, softened, OR 7 tablespoons nonhydrogenated shortening
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon erythritol, powdered, OR 1/4 cup xylitol, powdered
5-6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons half and half OR coconut milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Pinch of sea salt
Good-tasting pure stevia extract, to taste

Optional addition for a glossy finish:
1 fresh organic egg yolk

Preparation:
Cream the butter in a small bowl until fluffy. Powder erythritol or xylitol in a coffee grinder or Magic Bullet for a minute or two, until extremely fine in texture (reminiscent of powdered sugar). Let sweetener settle in grinder before opening the top. Stir powdered sweetener into butter with a spatula, then beat until smooth. Slowly blend in the cocoa powder (unless you want to redecorate your kitchen), vanilla, and sea salt. Beat in the half and half and egg yolk, if using. Add stevia, starting with 1/16 teaspoon. You'll probably use less than 1/4 teaspoon. Just keep tasting and adjust sweetness to your liking.


The finished product looks like this-just like any other chocolate cake!

(Ok-so I ate a piece before I even got to take the picture...I was excited!)

I know you are probably wondering how good a cake made out of black beans can taste....I did too. Until I put the first bite in my mouth. OMG. There is not the slightest bit of bean taste whatsoever...it's unbelieveable and extremely moist! I am not a HUGE fan of the icing because I used Stevia as the sweetener, which has a little bit of an after taste, but to be yeast free, sugar free, and flour free, it's pretty darn good! Next time, I plan on using xylitol to sweeten the icing so hopefully that will be the icing on the cake (HA!-get it?!)

I brought the cake to work for the official taste test and let's just say the girls devoured it! Even Daisy, our "I-make-everything-from-scratch-and-it's-amazing" girl said (I quote) "I love it!" As you can see below, it's only halfway through the work day and the cake is more than halfway eaten. (I took the piece from the middle...I'm that girl...)


So there. I can bake! And I didn't mess up one bit of it! Thank you, Lauren from Healthy Indulgences whom I have never met, for giving me the confidence to bake something from scratch. I love the fact that I can spread the wealth (and health) to our patients and I too, can enjoy chocolate cake without the guilt!

Putting on my apron,

Stephanie

Asparagus anyone?

So last night for dinner, Beau and I cooked chicken, green beans, brown rice and asparagus. We LOVE asparagus...well, until we have to go pee...

For those of you that are completely un-aware of the fact that eating asparagus makes your urine smell, let me fill you in a bit. Or try it for yourself one day. Thirty minutes after you consume asparagus, I challenge you to go to the restroom without having to turn the air vent on...

After last night's episode (and today's since I had leftovers for lunch), I did a little research and although the pungent odor doesn't seem so good in the first place, turns out it means everything inside is working the way it should!

I was that person that googled "Why does asparagus make my pee smell?" and this was the result...

"The good news is that asparagus does not affect everyone. Studies conducted on the "asparagus urine" phenomenon (aren't you glad you didn't volunteer!) indicate that roughly 40 to 50 percent of those tested developed the distinctive odor. Surprisingly enough, there is also a segment of the population who cannot smell the sulphurous fumes of asparagus-laced urine. It is believed that both the generation of the odoriferous urine and the ability to smell it are based on genetics. Only those with a certain gene can break down the chemicals inside the asparagus into their smelly components, and only those with the proper gene can smell the results of that chemical breakdown.

Scientists are still not entirely sure which set of chemical compounds contained in asparagus actually cause the smelly pee. The stalks themselves do not acquire a similar odor as they are prepared, so whatever happens most likely happens after ingestion. Experts believe that those with a certain gene produce a digestive enzyme which breaks down the asparagus into various chemical compounds. One of those compounds is called methyl mercaptan, which is the same chemical which gives a skunk its defensive smell. One theory suggests that asparagus breaks down quickly in the body and an enzyme releases methyl mercaptan, which eventually goes through the kidneys and is excreted as a waste product in the urine.

Others suggest that the asparagus smell is created by other chemical compounds called thioesters. There is also a compound called asparagusic acid, which is not surprisingly found primarily in asparagus. If these compounds are broken down and mixed with the genetically-created enzyme, the results could be a strong smelling urine. This smell is actually considered to be good news, since it proves that the asparagus eater's kidneys are functioning as they should."

So there. I have a healthy kidney and apparently a gene I inherited to have smelly pee when I eat asparagus. It's very clear Beau inherited this gene as well as we have to space out our potty trips after we eat the greens. What's sad is that I'm 100% sure our kiddos will inherit this gene as well. We will just be one big, funky, urine-smelling family.

Sorry for those of you that are a bit squeamish, but I thought I would educate you all a little bit. I know I'm not the only person wondering this...I'm just the only one who will blog about it!

Happy eating!

Stephanie

15 pounds and 2 pants sizes smaller...

This is how I did it!

Everyone has been asking me what I have been doing because although I'm not "teeny tiny" by any means, I'm a lot less "puffier" than I was before. Like I said, I have lost at least 15 pounds and dropped 2 pants sizes. How? I followed Dr. Hotze's yeast free eating program. This is something I preach every day to our guest's at the Hotze Health & Wellness Center so in January, I decided to put on my big girl panties and just do it!

Here are the basics:
-For the first 2 weeks, avoid fruit.
-For the first 30 days, avoid:
-sugar
-yeast
-milk or milk products (NO dairy)
-fermented products or alcoholic beverages
-After 30 days, you may add brown rice, sweet potatoes, and/or oatmeal.

I know it sounds extremely restricting but I never knew how many good foods were out there until I was restricted to eating only healthy foods! I thought I ate "healthy" all along but was I ever wrong!

So...being on such a "strict" diet, let's just I found several ways to eat healthy, but still feed my cravings! Below are foods I could not have survived without (and I still can't live without them today!):

Terra Chips (in moderation)
Hummus
Almonds
Almond Milk
Natural Organic Peanut Butter
Cucumbers
Black beans
Black bean soup
Spaghetti Squash
Tacos (with lettuce, 86 the shells!)
Larabars
Turkey chili
Avocadoes
Eggs
Turkey bacon
Beef jerky
Jay Robb's Whey Protein Powder
Tilapia
Spinach
Broccoli
Steak
Gala apples
LaCroix

I'm not a recipe-kind-of-girl so I improvised. ALOT! Especially for dinner. The first 2 weeks were the most difficult, only because I couldn't have fruit. After that, it was a breeze. The weight literally fell off. It's like one day I was in size 8 pants and now I'm in a 4, which are still a little big in the waist. Luckily, Beau did the diet with me so he was my support throughout the diet. He lost 19 pounds himself and we have never felt better. His allergies have cleared up tremendously and my stomach hasn't been this flat since high school (before the beer drinking days).

Life after the diet? Couldn't be better. I have the best of both worlds. During the week, I eat yeast free and on the weekends I let go a little bit. I still try to stay away from fried and processed foods but on the weekends, my margaritas and mexican food are a must!

Like I said, I know it sounds hard but once I dove in, it was easy sailing and I have never felt better!

Cheers to having collar bones again,

Stephanie

Practice Makes Perfect. (Right?)

It just recently occurred to me that I'm really bad a wearing white. Not that I look bad in white (Hello! It accentuates my tan!) but because I always seem to find a way to spill something on it. It never fails.

An example.
At my job, I wear a black suit everyday. And yes, this includes a long sleeved suit jacket as well. I typically wear a cute color shell underneath but every once in a while I'll wear white. And every time I do this, I find myself asking "WHY!?" because every time, I leave work with some type of new stain on my white shirt. How can I get highlighter, or pen, or coffee on a white shirt that barely shows??? Let me reiterate that fact that I wear a long sleeved jacket. Therefore, I would estimate that there is only about 5 square inches of the white shirt that actually show yet I still manage to find the perfect place for a stain.

So my point in all this is the fact that I really need to practice wearing white. According to my wedding countdown clock, I have 337 days to get it right...(or white?!) I always thought I would have an ivory wedding gown, which wouldn't show dirt or stains as much as a bright white dress. Boy was I wrong. My dress is definitely "diamond white" (A.K.A.-white white). I don't plan on using a highlighter or a pen or drinking coffee on my wedding day but I'm pretty capable of doing anything so it should be interesting to say the least.

To be exact, I have 337 days, 1 hour, 5o minutes and 35.2 seconds to practice and boy do I have my work cut out for me! Ready? Set? GO!

Stephanie

Tag-I'm It!

So my friend Kristen tagged me and I am supposed to answer these questions(...or she will badger me to death.) So here goes...

Who is your style icon?
Really? Have you seen the clothes I wear? I have come to the conclusion that I don't really have a style icon. I'm not very creative when it comes to my clothes. As long as it's cute and I'm somewhat comfortable, I'm all for it. I LOVE LOVE LOVE dresses. Short dresses, long dresses, cocktail dresses-I love 'em all! I like BIG purses, which I can thank Jessica Simpson for and I really like BIG sunglasses...thank you Paris Hilton. Like my friend Kristen, I'm not the kind of girl who sees an outfit in a magazine and runs to the mall to buy it. My philosophy: if the shirt fits, buy it in every color. And for the record, NO, Paris Hilton is NOT my style icon. I just like her big sunglasses!


What is your favorite socialite literature?
Hmmm...well the only books I have read by a celebrity (I don't know that I would call her a 'socialite') is by the Chelsea Handler. I have read 'Are You There Vodka, It's Me Chelsea' and 'My Horizontal Life'. Funniest. Book. Ever. No joke. And to make things even better, she has a new one out-'Chelsea Chelsea, Bang Bang' which should be interesting. And to put the icing on the cake, her little nugget, Chuy, has a book too! It's called 'Little Nuggets of Wisdom'. I read a few pages while moseying around Target and let's just say I was the weird girl one aisle over laughing by myself. It's a MUST!


What is your favorite party theme?
I love themes. I love costumes. So really, any party with a theme is my favorite! I like the hoe-down style parties...you know...daisy dukes and cowboy boots but my ultimate theme party style was something we pulled off in college. The Sigma Chi's had a prom night mixer for my sorority. It was SO fun! They picked us up in limousines and everything (even though we lived like 5 houses down from them!) They paired us up with 'prom dates', had a photo booth set up and I got to wear my huge, poofy prom dress all over again! Since I had gained a few 'lbs' since high school, I definitely woke up with bruised ribs the next morning thanks to my size 2 corset top dress, but it was so worth it!

What is your go-to Halloween costume?
Well, over the years my costumes have definitely accumulated. I would say my favorite costume to wear over and over again is my sailor girl costume! It's so cute and I love the little tights with bows that go with it. Pics? Maybe later!

What is an extravagance you cannot live without?
I wouldn't call it an 'extavagance' by any means but something I absolutely CANNOT live without is chapstick, of any form! Burt's Bee's and Tropical Traditions are my ultimate favorites, right in front of Aquaphor. I'm so highly addicted to chapstick/lip balm I sometimes feel like I'm feening for it. Sad...I know. When I work out, it stays in the small pocket of my running shorts. At work, you can always find a tube in my top desk drawer, on my keyboard AND in my suit pocket. At home, I have 3 tubes by my bed, 1 in my bathroom and 1 on the coffee table. In my purse, there are always at least 2 tubes. I buy lip balm in bulk. I should probably own stock in Burt's Bees. It's just one of my things.


Who is a living person you admire?
I know. I know. It's cliche to say my mom, as Kristen put it best, but it's true. First of all, she raised me. Anyone that went through that hell I definitely have admiration for. But second, and most important, my mother has been through SO much in the past 28 months. With my dad, her husband of 24 years, passing away, the woman has incredible strength. A lot of times I don't give her credit where credit is due but she's amazing. I could never imagine going through the heartache she has been through. Granted, he was my daddy. He was my world so it's definitely been an emotional roller coaster but he was my mom's rock. He took care of her, he kept her in check but at the same time gave her every bit of freedom she could have ever asked for. Like any other mom, she will do anything for me. But UNLIKE any other mom, she goes above and beyond and I would be absolutely lost without her. (Love you, Mom!)

What is your greatest fear?
Oooh-tough one. Physically, my biggest fear is anything that has to do with needles. (If you know the episode of me passing out at work while getting a cortisone injection, you feel me!) This is a really strange, and new fear of mine. You see, I have had my ears pierced twice, belly button pierced, and I have two tattoos. I have gotten plenty of injections and have had 3 surgeries so you think it would be no big deal. Pssh...think again! Emotionally, I would have to say pain is my biggest fear. Emotional pain....heartache, loss of a loved one, hurting someone else's feelings, etc. It's not fun. Trust me. Been there. Done that. Things like death are inevitable. I shouldn't be afraid of these things but honestly, I am.

What talent would you most like to have?
I wish I had to ability to retain any and all information. I do a lot of reading and researching, especially with my job, but I have to read something multiple times before it actually sticks. I'm so jealous of the doctor's I work with. I swear, their brains are like sponges. I don't get it! Sure, they're doctors. They're supposed to know everything...but dangit...I want to know everything too!

What is your greatest achievement?
No questions asked-my greatest achievement is graduating college Magna Cum Laude the same semester my dad died. It was a long, rough semester but there was no greater feeling than accomplishing my goals during the hardest time in my life. And daddy would be proud too!

That's all I got! Hope you enjoyed!

Kristen-are you happy!?! ;)

XOXO

Stephanie

I'm going through the big "D" & don't mean Dallas...

That's right. I'm getting divorced.

Julie & I are splitting up. It's really sad...I know...but it's time for the two of us to go our separate ways. By "divorce" I mean we are moving out, by the way.

I have mixed emotions about this.

Julie and I had talked about living together since we were 8 years old. We finally got to live together for this past year-which I am so thankful for. Best friends should live together, at least once. For the past year that Julie and I have lived together, we have had completely different schedules. It's the best of both worlds. I "technically" have a roommate but then again it usually feels like I live by myself, which has its benefits as well. You see, Julie is nocturnal. Not really-she's a bartender and has been for years so her sleep schedule is the complete opposite of mine. When I wake up at 6 a.m. to go to work, she is usually just getting home from work. There have been several occasions where I am up at 6 a.m. and tell her 'good morning' and she tells me 'good night'. It's actually kind of funny!

I'm moving home, which has its ups and downs as well. I am THRILLED about saving a LOT of money. Of course, I will help mom out with bills, groceries, etc...but I will be saving so much since I won't be paying rent. [Insert choir singing 'hallelujah' here.] Another reason I am so excited about living at home is the fact that I get to hang out with Tini everyday! In case you missed the last post, she's pretty much the coolest pup ever. Living at home will also give my mom and I good bonding time. (Which I hope is a good thing!) I haven't lived at home in SIX years. Talk about drastic change! Don't get me wrong, my mom is pretty cool and doesn't care about what I do or where I go, but I am an i-n-d-e-p-e-n-d-e-n-t woman. I like being by myself and going my own pace so we shall see how this big "move" impacts me. One last FABULOUS benefit to living at home is the POOL! Every afternoon and every weekend, this is where you will find me!

The main reason as to why I am sad about moving out is because this is technically my last 'bachelor' pad...if you will. It's like taking a giant leap into "the real world", even though I thought I was already there. The next big move I will have is when Beau and I get married. We will have our own place to call home, which I am SO excited about...don't get me wrong ...but it's hard to get rid of all my fun, girly decorations. I like my red and black rhinestone pimp cup, and my "Vogue" pictures, and all my hand-painted martini glasses. I thought I was going to break down when I started packing them all because it's probably the last time I will see a lot of them. I will miss living with girlfriends, and sharing closets, and complaining because someone made a complete mess in the kitchen and didn't bother cleaning it up. This is it. I have a little over one month to live it up and take it all in.

Although it will be sad for Julie and I to get divorced, luckily our parents live 2 blocks away from each other...so it's not like I'll never see her again! You see, Julie is moving home too! I'll pass her house everyday on my way home, not to mention, she'll have to pay me alimony every month which will give me a reason to see her! ;)

Until next time,

Stephanie

Meet Tini!

Tini [teenee] noun, est. 2005
-a "so-called" chihuahua.
-also known as:Tini Tiny, Tini Weeny, Stinky Winky, Radar (hence, the ears)

For my 20th birthday, mom bought me Tini. She weighed a whole pound and a half and fit in the palm of your hand. We picked her out of one of the many baby cribs they have set up at Trader's Village. (We should have known then that she wasn't going to be the most trained and well-mannered dog but we gave her a chance anyway.)

I mean, how could you pass up this face??

She was by far the biggest puppy of them all but she was the liveliest. I knew I wanted a chihuahua (hence my then obsession with Paris Hilton) but I didn't want one of those tiny, bug-eyed, shakes like a leaf dogs. Which is how I picked her out. Well, back up a bit. I first picked her up because she's a blond. (I know, I know. I was a little discriminatory towards the other pups but let's be honest...blonds do have more fun!) After being licked to death (literally!) I decided she was the one. I didn't have a name for her so as we walked to the car, we threw around some ideas.

I always wanted a dog named "Petri". No, not like a petri dish. Like Petri from Land Before Time! But she didn't quite look like a "Petri" so we threw that idea out the window.

Then I thought of naming her "Hollywood" and calling her "Holly" for short. Then I realized that "Holly" was a real person's name and I could never give my dog a human name.

As she walked (a.k.a. tripped) over her leash on the way out, I noticed her white markings on her face, feet and neck. Her feet looked as if she had little white socks on and the marking on the back of her neck looked like a martini glass (at an angle ok?!) which is where we got the name "Tini". So. Her "legal" dog name is "Martini" but she goes by "Tini" for short...unless she's in trouble. Then, I call her by her full name, "Martini Tiny". If you focus on the white marking on her neck and tilt your head to the right, you can ::kinda:: see where her name originated from:


Which brings me to my next point. "Tini" is by no means "tini". She weighs 11 pounds and puts my arm to sleep just carrying her up the stairs. She's not fat-she's big boned. Literally. She's kinda long like a weeny dog but tall like a greyhound. It's strange but I love her for the dog she is!

So her dress is a little small...

Tini is completely un-trainable and rules the roost. I am convinced she's part human. She's so spoiled rotten that these days she's just too good for dog treats. Every time I give her one, she looks at me like "Seriously?" You see...although Tini is technically my dog, she has never actually lived with me. When Daddy was still here, he was her best friend. He spoiled her to no end. They had long car rides to PetsMart, shared popsicles in the summer time and on a nightly basis, they enjoyed chips and salsa. Tini loved daddy!

So like I was saying, she is just too good for kibbles-n-bits these days. She insists, and I mean insists on eating people food. She's a downright snob. Next thing you know, she'll be demanding only Grey Goose in her dog bowl.

"If you give me one more Milk bone, I'm going to puke."

But she really is sweet. She's the most loving pup I could ask for. Every time I go home, it's like she hasn't seen me in years! Even when she's really bad or I'm having the worst of days, she always makes me smile!

Wedding Dance

As you can see,from the Scissor Biscuit pictures, we have a pretty RoWdY group of people we have chosen to be in our wedding party. If you don't know, here they are:

Bridesmaids:
Julie Waddill (Maid of Honor)
Ashley Bright
Destiny (Perry) Inman
Kristen Grube
Brooke (Bowans) Filson
Angelica DeVries
Julie (Howard) Patterson

Groomsman:
Jon Yager (Best Man)
Brian North
Adam Watters
Scott Wright
J.W. Wright
Christopher Wright
Chris Joffrion
Brian Patterson

Ushers:
Jared Shuler
James Thornton
Irvin DeLa Cruz
Mark Cortez
Ben Munnell

Bride & Groom:
Me & Beau (DUH!)


Ok. Now that you are wondering why I listed all those people, I would like to roll out what Beau and I have in mind for our wedding party entrance...

This was actually done during these people's ceremony (GUTSY!) but Beau and I want to do this for our reception entrance! Talk about getting the party started! This cracks me up EVERY.TIME.



After a few beers and a pair of sunglasses to make us feel "invisible", this is something we would could totally pull off!

Playing choreographer,

Stephanie

A few more engagement pics...

As you can see, by some of the photos, the shadows were our biggest enemy. We are re-scheduling to take more engagement pictures later this summer but here are a few more that we both liked.

My Weekend-In A Nutshell

Well, this weekend ended up being not so bad after all...

Friday afternoon, after I had my crying fit, I hung out with Beau-who always makes me feel better. The poor kid cannot do anything...and I mean anything!

On Thursday, he had his third knee surgery (you would think after the first two he would learn his lesson.) He had to have his ACL and lateral meniscus operated on. They took out his ACL because it was shot and put in a cadaver Achilles tendon GROSS! He is hooked up to this hammock looking machine that moves his leg for him. Everyday he has to turn the machine on for 4-6 hours to workout his leg so the muscles don't get tight. On top of that, he has to have an ice pack air cast thing on his knee 24/7. It's basically a mini-cooler with a hose attached to an ice pack. The bad part about it is that it runs out of ice every hour...seriously. So guess who had to fill it up? Every.Hour. Yep-me! And guess who had to remind him to turn his machine on to work his leg? Yep-me! And guess who had to set her alarm every 2 hours-even through the night? Right again...it was me! Every time he had to go to the restroom it was a 20 minute production. We had to take off the ice pack, gently take his leg out of the machine and put it in a brace that goes from his groin to his ankle. Then, since he couldn't lift his own leg, he would scoot to the end of the couch with me lifting his leg. I then lowered his leg to the ground slowly, he hoisted himself up onto his crutches or walker (he changed his mind a lot), then I had to follow him to the restroom to turn on all the lights so he didn't trip and I would close the door behind him. Phew! As if that's not a job, I had to do the whole process but in reverse when he came back. Nine times out of ten, the second I got him comfortable again and I finally get comfy again...he would look up at me with this sad pouty face and hold his big ol' mug in the air. Yep-time for a refill. Don't get me wrong-I will do anything for him. But I thought I was going to go insane if he did that one more time. It's like he was waiting for me to get all cozy to tell me he needed more water...(or food, or medicine, or remote, or cell phone...)

Friday night, I made Beau homemade chicken noodle soup (mom's secret recipe!). I was delicious-to say the least! After dinner, Marsha & Ric made me my FAVORITE cake-in-a-box...FUNFETTI! It was amazing!! So bad, but so good!

Saturday, Beau got a bath. I won't go into detail but I will tell you that after that, I have a whole new appreciation for nurses.

It may not sound all that exhausting...but it is. Trust me. Especially the part where I had to wake up every 2 hours throughout the night to give him his pain meds. So this is us on Saturday afternoon...


I told you...exhausting!

After doing wayyyy to much laying around/napping, I snuck away and ran some errands. All I went out to do was get Beau's oil changed in his truck. I came back with new hot pink Under Armour tennis shoes, a new book: Dear John by Nicholas Sparks, a single serve blender and Mother's Day cards (yes, for next weekend...I'm ahead of the game!) I was so excited about my new tennis shoes I wore them to the gym today. They completely clashed with my outfit but the guy that scanned my card noticed them! They look like this...but like I said in PiNk!

My book of choice was Dear John by Nicholas Sparks...LOVE!! I just got it yesterday afternoon and I am already more than halfway through. Pretty impressive for me! (Any book with Channing Tatum on the cover has to be good!)

My single serve blender was by far the best $15 I will ever spend. It's the perfect size for a smoothie and only has one setting so you can't screw anything up! We have one of these at work that I use almost every day and I FINALLY found one so I am thrilled to have my very own at home now!


Nothing too exciting. Just a relaxing, fiance-tending, reading kind of weekend.

Sorry if I put you to sleep!

XOXO

Stephanie