The Emersons

New Blog

2012-01-31T16:33:00.003-06:00

I decided I needed to revamp the blog. In doing so I had to create a whole new with a new name.

I will no longer be posting to this link so please follow me here....http://www.lifewith3bs.blogspot.com/

Enjoy!

Happy Baby Shower to Jess L

2012-01-27T15:25:00.003-06:00

Baby Girl Langan should be here soon! Can't wait to meet her.

Absolutely LOVE the shoes!!

NYE 2011

2012-01-27T15:25:00.002-06:00

Our bartender for the night---- he's the best! ;)

Toast to 2012

Heather so glad you were able to make it down to celebrate......had so much fun!

Lauren and I having fun dancing!

Nebraska

2012-01-27T15:25:00.001-06:00

Christmas in Nebraska..............

Pretty Nebraska Sunset on our drive up

Loved these windows in Bryan's Parent's new house!

Mosby and Jaxson loved them too ;)

Enjoyed Relaxing with the boys

Mosby and Jaxon loved that there were cows in their backyard too!

Mosby and Jaxson enjoying their car ride

Siblings! We had a great time hanging out with the family!

Krumland side of the family

Love how we all coordinated with the scarves :)

Emerson side of the family

My New Toy

2012-01-04T18:57:00.001-06:00

My new toy....

Samsung Galaxy Tablet

hopefully now I can keep the blog updated!

World Series Celebration

2011-11-03T11:28:00.004-05:00

View of Washington street while trying to find a place to park.

View of Busch Stadium on night of Game 7

Sea of Red fans!

Cards Win the World Series!!!!

Celebration at Busch Stadium after Victory Parade

Clydesdales with Larussa coming in first.

Pujols coming into stadium.

Lauren and Me......we are soooo glad that we went down and were
able to get tickets inside. It was a blast!

Sign needs updated 11 in '11!

I just thought these were fun lights they had on downtown.

Pretty view of the arch

Winery Day

2011-11-03T11:28:00.003-05:00

Wine and Country Garden

Aunt Mary, Mom, and Grandma

Out at Montelle Winery

Love this photo!

Fall Photos

2011-11-03T11:28:00.002-05:00

Puppy Whip

2011-11-03T11:28:00.001-05:00

Mosby and Jaxson love a little starbucks too!

New Shoe Rack

2011-10-19T10:35:00.002-05:00

Apparently, we've found a new shoe rack in........... the kitchen, haha!

Sunday Drive

2011-10-19T10:33:00.000-05:00

Bryan's parents came in town this past weekend and we had a great time. We watched the Cardinals win Game 5 of the NLCS Friday night at McGurks. Saturday, we strolled along Main Street downtown St. Charles. It was an aboslutley goregeous day out! We had a great dinner at Texas Roadhouse Saturday night and Sunday before they left we took a drive down to the river.

Mosby was loving it outside!

Mississippi River

This was the first time Mosby and Jaxson had seen ripples in the water, they were quite intrigued by it.

Ferry boat that takes cars over to Illinois.

We look forward to our next visit in NE in their new house over Christmas, only 2 months away!

Cards are in the World Series!

2011-10-17T15:34:00.000-05:00

Mosby and Jaxson supporting the Cards throughout the playoffs.

Speechless

2011-10-17T15:33:00.003-05:00

Mosby and Jaxson made me speechless one night about a month ago. In the time that it took me to take the sheets off the master bed and our guest bed and put into the washing machine I came back to this.....................

who knew they would attack it so fast!

My 10 Beauty Favorites

2011-09-20T15:07:00.000-05:00

I’ve wanted to write a blog post similar to this for awhile. I was inspired by some magazines which I know is totally silly but hey, I’m a girl and I love reading magazines. J So, this blog post is a little different from most of mine and primarily for my female readers. I thought it would be fun to come up with a list of my ten favorite beauty regimen items. You may see items you’ve considered trying or items you’ve been hunting for. I hope this gives you the incentive to try them out. Please, send me a list of your favorite beauty items, I would love to hear what they are and would love to try out some new products! Enjoy....................

1. Sephora lip gloss

I love this lip gloss because it’s only $7 and makes my lips shiny. It gives the lips just a slight colored tint and is definitely worth the money.

2. Ole Henriksen Walnut Complexion Scrub

This is my favorite exfoliating scrub. It’s a little on the pricey side at $24 but it usually lasts a long time. It definitely gives the skin that smooth feeling afterwards.

3. VS Sexy Little Things Body Cream

I just loved this body lotion from Victoria Secret. I loved the scent and it was the softest lotion/cream. I think they have discontinued it so if anyone sees it somewhere let me know. I need some more. J

4. Ole Henrisken Blemish Stick

Not much to say about this other than it works pretty well and I haven’t found anything else that has helped as much. Only downside it makes the skin pretty dry. Only need to apply it once and it does the job so the bottle does last a long time.

5. Moroccan Oil

As a girl with long and thick hair I absolutely love this product! This makes my hair feel extra soft and shiny. It also cuts down on the drying time. A little pricey at $30 but for me it’s worth it. I definitely recommend!

6. Jennifer Aniston perfume

I’ve been struggling to find a good perfume. I really loved this one because it’s not over powering and has a light beachy smell. Only negative is the scent doesn’t last long so had to reapply often. My bottle is empty.

Any recommendations for a girly perfume?

7. Neutrogena Stress Free Face Wash

I’ve tried a lot of different face washes even the expensive ones and this one has been the most consistent for my skin. The price is only $7 which I love. Plus, it’s an eligible item on my FSA card.

8. Sephora Jumbo Eye Liner

I just recently purchased this eye liner and so far I’m loving it. I thought since it was jumbo it might be difficult to keep from having a really thick line on my eyes. However, it actually goes on very smooth and with the perfect thickness. Only $10.

9. Urban Decay eye primer

Absolutely the best eye primer! I've had issues with creases on my eyelids and this completely fixed the problem! I highly recommend this product.

10. Boscia Black mask

Okay, so technically I haven’t tried this out yet so it probably shouldn’t be on my favorites list yet. I’m just really hoping that I love it as much as I’ve seen people write about it in reviews. I received a sample last weekend and I can’t wait to try it out. If you’ve used it before let me know what you think.

A little bit of bragging is okay, right?

2011-09-20T15:00:00.000-05:00

All I have to say is that Bryan and I have been truly blessed with our careers. We both received promotions this month that we are extremely thankful for.

Husker Game Day

2011-09-20T14:59:00.001-05:00

Yes, Yes I did put Husker gear on our dogs this weekend. :)

Labor Day Weekend 2011

2011-09-08T10:50:00.000-05:00

Our friends, Julie and Adam came in town from Michigan for a visit over labor day weekend. They brought their two dogs Napa and Nelly along. Mosby and Jaxson had a blast playing with their doggie friends. Bryan and I of course had a great time as well!

We enjoyed the weekend by catching up, making homemade pizzas, going to dog parks, walks with the dogs, visit to the wineries, watching movies, Hot Shots (Adam and Bryan), getting our ping pong table put together (thanks Adam for your help!) and relaxing out on the deck. Perfect weekend!

The house was so quiet after they left on Monday. We already look forward to our next visit together.

At the dog park

We 've come to realize after going to the dog parks now quite often that Mosby has become the official dog greeter anytime a new dog comes to the gate. He absolutely just loves greeting the new dogs and knows everytime when there is a new one coming no matter where he is in the park. He's our social boy. :)

The 3 basenjis enjoying some time in the water

Mosby and Jaxson

It's time to RUN! Go Napa Go......Napa was such a good girl and loved the dog park!

Sisters...... Napa and Nelly

Mosby and Jaxson in the water

Nelly decided she wanted to just lay down in the water.....haha

Napa all tired after the dog park. So cute!

Some recipes I made from scratch for the weekend

This was an Indian dish made out of muth beans.
I'm definitely a fan and will have to make it again.

Chocolate Coffee Cake

Day at the Wineries

It was gorgeous over the weekend so we had to make a quick visit to the wineries.
We enjoyed the afternoon at Chandler Hill.

We made quick stop at the Augusta Brewery.
This was actually where Bryan and I had our rehearsal dinner at.

Relaxing

Jaxson and Napa were sitting right for their treats.......Nelly's giving Mosby a look

Jaxson cuddle up next to Nelly....Nelly was so good with all the little basenjis

Where's Waldo?

Mosby, Napa, and Jaxson

Nap time for the basenjis

Jaxson and Mosby relaxing after their doggie friends left

Mosby enjoying the sun after a long fun filled weekend

I realized after uploading the photos from the weekend I didn't take a single photo with Julie and Adam. Oops....

Completion of the 30 day Picture Challenge

2011-08-24T15:16:00.000-05:00

day16 - A picture of someone who inspires you.

Gordon Ramsey inspires me to want to cook. J

day17 - A picture of something that has made a huge impact on your life recently.

I’m drawing a blank I can’t think of anything that has made a huge impact on my life recently.

day18 - A picture of your biggest insecurity.

One of my biggest insecurities is probably how the back of my upper thighs and my legs in general look. And I don’t plan on taking a picture of them to post. J

day19 - A picture and a letter.

C is for Covidien and Candy Jar

day20 - A picture of somewhere you'd love to travel.

It's a toss up between Bora Bora and Australia.

day21 - A picture of something you wish you could forget.

I’m leaving this one blank I can’t think of anything I wish I could forget.

day22 - A picture of something you wish you were better at.

I wish I was better at being out going…..so this is an odd picture for that but I googled images of out going to see what it would come up with and this was one of them. I thought it was funny and different.

day23 - A picture of your favorite book.

I’m not a big reader but the Patricia Cornwell books on the Scarpetta series are my favorites to read when I actually get around to reading.

day24 - A picture of something you wish you could change.

I wish I could make my mom’s asthma go away completely.

day25 - A picture of your day.

I didn't get a chance to get outside over lunch today so here's a picture of my day at my desk. Nothing exciting except that I got a new work computer today and it runs much faster!

day26 - A picture of something that means a lot to you.

day27 - A picture of yourself and a family member.

Sarah and Me out at Balducci Winery the day the family was celebrating her and David's 1 yr anniversary.

day28 - A picture of something you're afraid of.

day29 - A picture that can always make you smile.

I love it when I can tell Mosby and Jaxson are happy boys. Sometimes it looks like they are actually smiling.

day30 - A picture of someone you miss.

There are several people that I miss but my grandpa is probably the one I miss the most.

3 yrs ago on his 77th bday

2011-08-24T11:31:00.000-05:00

The Big 3-0!

2011-08-24T11:19:00.000-05:00

I am officially in my 30s! My wonderful husband definitely spoiled me this year. Love him!

Bryan with the help of my sister surprised me with a sailing adventure while we were down in Florida for a wedding last month. It ended up being a perfect morning. I loved it!

Just a couple million $$ house we saw on our way out

SISTERS......we recreated a pose we did when we were little

We did see a few dolphins while we were out on the water.

He gave me a band to go wtih my engagement ring. Super love!

Like I said he spoiled me this year and went above and beyond and planned a surprise party for me with all of my close friends in town. Special thanks to Lauren Bates too for helping Bryan out.

Red Velvet Tiffany cake

I absolutely loved the party. It was a perfect evening with friends!

Birthday at the Cards Game

2011-08-24T11:13:00.000-05:00

My sister Sarah won tickets through her work for seats in a luxury suite on the day of my 30th birthday. She was so excited she won and could take me. We both had a lot of fun going.

Our view

Florida Wedding Trip

2011-08-24T11:12:00.001-05:00

Bryan and I had a great time on our trip to St. Pete Beach this July. We went down there for our friends' wedding and it was perfect because I was able to spend the weekend with my sister too who lives down close to the area . I didn't take that many photos so some of these are copies from my friends. Of course there were many photos taken so I only posted a few. Here are just some of my favorites.

Mr. and Mrs. Wooster

College friends

Gorgeous view from the reception

Heather took all the photos for the wedding and it was just a tad bit hot out.....hence the red face. :)

Love this pic.... Ashley's toast.... " Friends are the family that you choose for yourself. "

Ash and Me

CU girls

Besties!

The whole Concordia Gang

HT and me- I think Heather had a lot of fun that night. :)

Photo updates of the Basenjis

2011-07-11T10:56:00.000-05:00

They love getting some sun!

Jaxson

Mosby trying to catch a mole

Our New Honda

2011-07-10T12:05:00.000-05:00

Bryan and I traded in my Saturn and got a new Honda Pilot. I love, love, love it!!!

4th of July Fun

2011-07-10T12:04:00.000-05:00

4th of July Red Velvet Cupcakes

Backyard fireworks

Storm rolling in

Firecrackers!

4th of July Breakfast with the Bates

Bryan and Andy enjoying breakfast....Lauren and I made them put on the hats!

Visit Back to Seward and Concordia

2011-07-10T11:48:00.000-05:00

View of the new gym

Heather and Amy

View of the football field from the new gym

Go Bulldogs!

Another view of the new gym

View of the observatory

Science Hall where I spent most of my college career. :)

Race for the Cure

2011-07-10T09:28:00.000-05:00

I know I'm a little behind but here are some photos from the Race for the Cure held downtown St. Louis.

Team: Friends of Deb

The start of the race where all the survivors walked through the arch of balloons.

Aunt Jess with Lexi

Janelle with her little girl Dahlia

It was amazing to see the amount of people downtown!

After 3 miles we finished!

Walking this race convinced me to sign up for the Rock n' Roll Half Marathon that is being held in St. Louis this October.

Night out on the deck

2011-06-18T22:23:00.000-05:00

We both enjoyed reading our magazine while grilling dinner.

Polynesian brats, twice baked potato salad, and green beans.

Neighbors set off some fireworks.

Mosby and Jaxson just relaxing outside with us.

MIA

2011-06-14T10:32:00.001-05:00

I know I've been MIA the past month on blogger. I currently do not have a computer I can frequently use to make blog posts. My laptop is broken and all Bryan and I have are our work computers. I will try and make small blog posts using my phone when I can, it's just not as easy. I hope to get a new laptop sometime during the summer. Right now I am on twitter if you want to keep up with me that way. :)

Route 66 Basenji Walk

2011-05-20T16:57:00.000-05:00

Bryan and I took Mosby and Jaxson on the Route 66 Basenji walk last weekend. It was a little rainy out but the boys loved it! Here are some shots from the walk from a fellow basenji owner.

Route 66 Basenji Group

Jaxson- 5 months

Mosby- 1 yr 5 months

Jaxson's sister Tempest teaching him Kung Foo ;)

Love this photo of Mosby!

Cinco de Mayo

2011-05-05T12:36:00.000-05:00

Can you believe we are already into the first week of May? Anyone else excited summer is almost here? Things have been really busy at work and I just haven’t had anytime to update the blog. I still plan to finish the picture challenge posts. So stay tuned for those....

Bryan and I have been trying to do little updates to the house when we can. We spent one whole weekend picking weeds out of our yard and mulching around the house. I don’t want to see any weeds for a long time! It was a great workout though. I painted the front door and the side window panels a couple weeks ago and we hung up new shutters. Next week our new front screen door should arrive, they plan to measure for it today. I’m super excited to get a new one that matches! Currently, our shutters and front door are black and the screen door is a forest green.... not the best combination. There was a lot of hail damage in our area from the awful storms that swept through the past couple weeks so we have a contractor coming out to inspect our roof. I have feeling we may have to get it replaced from what I’ve heard about the damage in our neighborhood.

Last weekend I was a little obsessed with watching all the Royal Wedding stuff. I absolutely love Kate Middleton’s fashion sense. This weekend I’m kind of looking forward to watching part of the Kentucky Derby. I wish I would have remembered and planned a mini Derby party or something. It would have been fun to dress up and wear a fun hat! Maybe next year….

Things with work are going really well for both Bryan and me. Bryan has been doing a really great job in the chiropractic office and things at my work are working out really well. My group is getting along quite nicely and there are some great opportunities ahead for me that I’m looking forward to.

goofing of at work :)

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Easter Weekend in Nebraska

2011-04-26T11:17:00.000-05:00

Jaxson's first road trip to NE

Team Building at the Ballpark

2011-04-26T11:12:00.000-05:00

Last Wednesday our group from work had a team building day at the ballpark. We had great seats about 4 rows behind the Cardinals dugout. I really enjoyed the day away from work and of course the game. My other team members were less than thrilled as they are not big baseball or sports fans.

Day 15 of the 30 Day Picture Challenge

2011-04-26T11:10:00.000-05:00

day15 - A picture of something you want to do before you die.

Day 14 of the 30 Day Picture Challenge

2011-04-26T11:09:00.000-05:00

day14 - A picture of someone you could never imagine your life without.

Day 13 of the 30 Day Picture Challenge

2011-04-26T11:07:00.000-05:00

day13 - A picture of your favorite band or artist.

Reba

Day 12 of the 30 Day Picture Challenge

2011-04-22T11:35:00.000-05:00

day12 - A picture of something you love.

Day 9, 10, and 11 of the 30 Day Picture Challenge

2011-04-21T16:04:00.001-05:00

day9 - A picture of the person who has gotten you through the most.

My family has always been a great foundation of support and I have the greatest friends ever so this is a hard one. Here are several pictures of friends that are always there for me!

CU Girls

Stefanie, Rebecca and Jessica

Heather

Carey

Megan

day10 - A picture of the person you do the most crazy things with.

Carey and Me

day11 - A picture of something you hate.

Day 5, 6, 7, and 8 of the 30 Day Picture Challenge

2011-04-19T10:44:00.000-05:00

day5 - A picture of your favorite memory.

I have a lot of favorite memories but I will go with the most obvious.

July 4, 2009

day6 - A picture of a person you'd love to trade places with for a day.

There are a lot of girls that I’d love to have their skin type, hair style or body shape but I’m going to go with something different.

I think it would be fun to be Oprah for a day. I don’t necessarily agree with all of her views but it would be nice to have the confidence and the skill set she has to stand up on stage and host her own talk show. It would be fun to travel to any of the places she gets to go and it would be awesome to have the resources to give away money or gifts in the amounts she does to so many people and makes such a big difference in their lives. [I know I can do that now but on a much different/smaller level.]

day7 - A picture of your most treasured item.

I’m struggling on this one. Aside from family and friends I can’t think of an item that I treasure. I’m going to skip it for now and maybe I’ll come back to it another day.

day8 - A picture that makes you laugh.

This is an early picture of Mosby showing off and being silly. :)

Day 4 of the 30 Day Picture Challenge

2011-04-14T16:58:00.000-05:00

day4 - A picture of your silliest moment.

Today’s post comes to you in form of a video instead of a picture.

Setting: Honeymoon at Dreams Resort Cancun- Dolphin Swim

Note: I really had no idea what I was actually doing.

Day 3 of the 30 Day Picture Challenge

2011-04-13T10:27:00.003-05:00

day3 - A picture of the cast from your favorite show.

I have four favorite shows so I wasn’t able to just pick one.

FRINGE

Nobody could play the Walter Bishop character in Fringe better than John Noble does. I never really knew who John Noble was until this show, phenomenal actor! I love Joshua Jackson too!

How I Met Your Mother is Bryan and my favorite show to watch together. We named our dog Mosby, after the main character, Ted Mosby.

Private Practice

Grey's Anatomy

I tend to lump Grey’s Anatomy and Private Practice as one long show since they are back to back on Thursday evening and PP is a spin off from Grey’s. Bryan got me hooked on Grey’s when he was in Chiropractic School. He now despises both shows and won’t even stay in the room when I watch them.

Day 2 of the 30 Day Picture Challenge

2011-04-13T10:22:00.000-05:00

day2 - A picture of you and the person you have been closest with the longest.

Rebecca and Me at Sarah's Wedding

The person I’ve been the closest to the longest goes to my sister, Rebecca. Hoever, I am close to both my sisters but since Rebecca is older she wins out. I know there are tons of stories that I could write up about us but I’ll keep the post short and sweet.

I can’t wait to go visit her down in Orlando this coming July!

Day 1 of the 30 Day Picture Challenge

2011-04-11T20:56:00.001-05:00

Day 1 of the 30 Day Picture Challenge

Okay guys, saw this on my friend's blogs ( Thanks Lauren D, love the idea!) ...and I think it'll be fun! So... enjoy!!!

day1 - A picture of yourself with fifteen facts.

day2 - A picture of you and the person you have been closest with the longest.

day3 - A picture of the cast from your favorite show.

day4 - A picture of your silliest moment.

day5 - A picture of your favorite memory.

day6 - A picture of a person you'd love to trade places with for a day.

day7 - A picture of your most treasured item.

day8 - A picture that makes you laugh.

day9 - A picture of the person who has gotten you through the most.

day10 - A picture of the person you do the most crazy things with.

day11 - A picture of something you hate.

day12 - A picture of something you love.

day13 - A picture of your favorite band or artist.

day14 - A picture of someone you could never imagine your life without.

day15 - A picture of something you want to do before you die.

day16 - A picture of someone who inspires you.

day17 - A picture of something that has made a huge impact on your life recently.

day18 - A picture of your biggest insecurity.

day19 - A picture and a letter.

day20 - A picture of somewhere you'd love to travel.

day21 - A picture of something you wish you could forget.

day22 - A picture of something you wish you were better at.

day23 - A picture of your favorite book.

day24 - A picture of something you wish you could change.

day25 - A picture of your day.

day26 - A picture of something that means a lot to you.

day27 - A picture of yourself and a family member.

day28 - A picture of something you're afraid of.

day29 - A picture that can always make you smile.

day30 - A picture of someone you miss.

Day 1- A picture of me with 15 facts:

At the Ozarks

Fact 1: I love all three of my boys: Bryan, Mosby and Jaxson!

Fact 2: I really want to learn to play the electric guitar.

Fact 3: I have been working for the same company for almost 8 years now.

Fact 4: I am the oldest of 3 children.

Fact 5: My favorite color is aqua.

Fact 6: My favorite fruits are pineapple and strawberries.

Fact 7: I can't stand having an unmade bed.

Fact 8: I've lived in 3 states: Missouri, Nebraska, and Arkansas (only for 3 months)

Fact 9: I am 5'2 tall.

Fact 10: I love the Cardinals!

Fact 11: I can admit that I am very stubborn.

Fact 12: I love shopping!

Fact 13: My middle name is Marie.

Fact 14: I wish I could be a really great singer.

Fact 15: I love traveling and try to do it often but I'm quite scared of flying.

We'll see how it goes and hopefully I can keep up with it!!!!

Cute photos of the boys

2011-03-29T16:07:00.002-05:00

Jaxson's classic stop blowing air at me look :)

Bryan's 3rd birthday celebration

2011-03-29T16:07:00.001-05:00

Sunday we invited my family over to celebrate with us.

Bryan and I both were excited my mom and dad got him these cutters so we can start trimming the trees and the dead shrubs in the front garden.

Mosby wanted to help :)

Grandma and Jaxson

Grandma got Bryan some BBQ tools, now we just need some nice weather!

I made a carrot cake but it wasn't from scratch.

The boys cuddling with grandma

Sarah decided she wanted to pamper mom and me, we both loved it! She gives the best foot massages and did a great job painting my toes!

Mom enjoying her massage. Her dog Belle came over for the party too to play with the boys.

Bryan's 2nd birthday celebration

2011-03-29T16:07:00.000-05:00

Saturday we had plans to go with Lauren and Andy to Barcelona restaurant for more tapas and then to one of the theatres down in the area. When we left O’Fallon it was snowing just a little bit but by the time we got to Chesterfield that was about as far as we could go. Several of the roads in the surrounding area had been closed or traffice was ridiculosuly backed up. We had to change the plans and ended up eating at WildHorse Creek Grill and then went to see The Adjustment Bureau at the Galaxy theatre.

We ended up eating so early everyone ate really light. Bryan, Andy and Lauren all had soup and salads. I had crabcakes.

Bryan eating his coffee ice cream- best coffee ice cream we've had.

Baby Bunnies

2011-03-29T16:06:00.002-05:00

While Bryan's mom helped clean up the weeds from the side of our house she came upon these baby bunnies. They looked like they could have only been days old.

Bryan's birthday with the Emersons

2011-03-29T16:06:00.001-05:00

While Bryan's parent were in town helping us paint we celebrated Bryan’s 28th birthday. Bryan's mom made a carrot cake from scratch and was seriously one of the best cakes I have ever eaten. For dinner we went to Modesto on the hill for some tapas! I loved it!

Here are just a few of the items we ordered.

Albóndigas Caseras

veal and pork meatballs with Manchego cheese and tomato sauce

Humus and Ensalada de Verduras Mixtas

grilled mushrooms, zucchini, artichoke hearts, onion and tomato in chimichurri rojo

Mejillones con Salsa de Sidra

mussels steamed in hard cider with chorizo and peppers

Croquetas de Camaron

creamy shrimp and tetilla cheese croquettes with avocado-caper sauce

Some type of pulled bbq porked with cheese and egg

Mojito!

Painting Complete

2011-03-29T16:06:00.000-05:00

Before

After
* Kitchen, hallway, front entry way and living room are all the same color: Trusty Tan
* Fireplace wall color: Foothills (similiar to a brown slate color)
* Stairwell to downstairs: Essential Grey (light grey)

The little things that make me happy

2011-03-10T12:22:00.012-06:00

Jessica Watson today confirmed she will race in the 2011 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race and will skipper the youngest crew to ever compete in the iconic event that starts on December 26, 2011. I think being at this event would be so fun and exciting! Seeing the boats race in would be such a neat experience. I’ve been dreaming all morning how cool a trip like that would be to watch the event. Since that most likely will not happen at least I can watch the tracker on the official Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race website. :)

http://rolexsydneyhobart.com/default.asp?key=521

A bunch of sailboats out on the water just puts a smile on my face!

Mardi Gras Weekend

2011-03-10T12:22:00.011-06:00

As I mentioned in an earlier post I was planning to spend Mardi Gras weekend helping my sister move to Florida. Plans changed and she made the 16 hour trip herself. There just wasn’t enough room in her SUV for me to go with. In case you were wondering she did make it there safe and sound and is already unpacked and loves her job so far. Her first day she sent a picture of her office that has a full wall length window that looks out to sunshine and palm trees! Jealous! :) Glad you are liking it, sis!

Since I was going to be home for the weekend Bryan and I thought we would make our own gumbo and hurricanes to celebrate Mardi Gras. We invited the Bates over to join in on the celebration. We got a nice surprise, our friend Ashley booked a last minute flight and came in town to celebrate the weekend with us too! How fun! It was a blast and Bryan’s gumbo was delicious! When should be the next party guys? :)

Lauren with Jaxson

Ashley with Jaxson

Mail for Dogs?

2011-03-10T12:22:00.010-06:00

I came home the other night to a package on the front porch which I thought was online order I had made. I excitedly went to pick it up and then saw it was addressed to Mosby and Jaxson Emerson, ha! What? That’s so cute! I wonder who it’s from?? Oh of course, Julie and Adam! Letting Mosby and Jaxson open up the package was so fun and hilarious to watch. They were so excited to see what was in it. Inside were two stuffed toys, a bunny and platypus. They loved them both but they like the platypus the best. Very cute toys and very thoughtful of Julie and Adam! Thanks guys!

Mosby and Jaxson are definitely spoiled little dogs. J Their “adopted doggie godparents” he he (Lauren and Andy Bates) brought them both over goodie treat bags. They of course went nuts over what was inside the bags. Jaxson immediately gobbled up the cupcake looking doggie cookie but Mosby decided he needed to hide his first. Cracks me up! Thanks Lauren and Andy!

Family

2011-03-10T12:22:00.006-06:00

I'd really appreciate if you could please keep my parents in your prayers, changes are in the near future that will require a lot of adjusting for them. My mom also is in the hospital this week from another asthma attack. She was at her vocal chord dysfunction therapy session and we think during her speech exercises it triggered an attack. I never realized how easy it is to take for granted something like being able to just breathe easily. I hate seeing my mom struggle so much and not able to do anything for her.

Happenings at the Emerson House

2011-03-02T15:36:00.001-06:00

• Bryan attended 2 full days worth of continuing education classes during the past month so now he’s all set for the next two years
• We are all READY for spring to get here and STAY, please no more snow!

• Mosby and Jaxson have adjusted very well together. However, Bryan and I have become early risers now not by choice. :) Jaxson likes to get up and start playing quite early in the morning.

How cute is he?!

I shouldn't even post this picture since they both were being bad and I wasn't disciplining them but they were being cute so I had to snap a pic.

Jaxson loves starbucks cups just like Mosby. Mosby is very good at sharing his toys but two things he doesn't let go of so easy are ice cubes and his deer antler. I think we may have to invest in another antler since they are great chew toys for them.

• My sister, Rebecca will be moving to Orlando, Florida tomorrow. :( She accepted a new position at the Marriot Orlando Airport Hotel. I’m of course very happy and excited for her but sad for our family. I guess I will have to set up a skype account and figure out how to do the video chat thing. Plus, I just may have to take a few trips to Florida to visit, doesn't sound too bad.

• My plan for this weekend was to help Rebecca move but things didn’t work out as we originally thought so instead I will be home for the weekend. Bryan and I decided on a mini impromptu Mardi Gras Party! We look forward to making our own hurricanes and gumbo!

• We also are both looking forward to his parents and sister coming to visit the weekend of March 17-20th. I’m very excited because his dad is so kindly willing to help us paint the inside of our upstairs. Currently everything is just white so it will be nice to have some color in the house! Send any color suggestions my way. I think I have decided on what we want but I’m open to ideas. :)

Mosby and Jaxson

2011-02-22T14:25:00.000-06:00

Picking Jaxson up in Indiana
Mosby did so well when there were about 10 puppies swarmming him as soon as we got there. We heard other adult basenjis got scared but Mosby was fairly calm.

Instant Brotherly Love

I was quite impressed Jaxson immediately was able to go up and down our deck stairs and will fetch a toy down the stairs to the basement.

Mosby seems so gigantic and heavy now when we pick him up! ;)

Anything Mosby does Jaxson wants to do it too. If he can't find Mosby he whines......it's too cute!

It's interesting how last week we had to keep a constant eye on Mosby and make sure he didn't get into stuff to him almost maturing overnight to be an awesome big brother!

Mom's 50th Birthday Weekend

2011-02-14T17:06:00.000-06:00

I thought I'd start off the week with just a few pictures from the weekend. We celebrated my mom's 50th birthday on Saturday at our house and then went to dinner on Sunday. Sarah, Rebecca and I had a lot of fun planning! We have lots of pictures from the event so I plan to post more later this week.

50 presents for mom for her 50th Birthday! We had her open up one present every 5 minutes and it took over 4 hours! I think mom enjoyed every minute. :)

Mosby loved playing with the balloons.

Start to Valentine's Day- Chocolate covered pretzels and champagne, Yum!

Mosby and I watching the Grammy's.

Mr. Cool

2011-02-02T09:40:00.000-06:00

Where's the Beach???

I think we are all ready for some warm weather!

Snowpocalypse 2011 Part 2

2011-02-02T09:39:00.001-06:00

All the weather reports called for blizzard conditions and up to 20 inches of snow in the area. We did get a decent amount of ice but only a few inches of snow. Nothing at all compared to what everyone was expecting. It was kind of a big let down but still nice to get a day off work.

Front Porch Area

Start of Snowpocalypse 2011-Ice

2011-02-01T14:37:00.001-06:00

Getting Ready

2011-02-01T14:35:00.001-06:00

We have a little less than three weeks before we can go pick up the new puppy. The breeder indicated they would be making evaluations on the pups during week 7-9 before making the final decision so hopefully we will know which pup will be ours in about two weeks. The kennel we ordered for the puppy came in yesterday it looks so much smaller than the one we got for Mosby. Mosby was definitely curious about it when I was setting it up. Can't wait to see how Mosby will interact with his new playmate.

Photo courtesy of Tad Broks- 6 weeks old

Weekend at the Bates

2011-02-01T14:35:00.000-06:00

Bryan, Mosby and I had a great weekend at the Bates household this past Saturday and Sunday. Saturday evening we went to see True Grit at the new Marquee Suites at the Wildwood Theatre. It was a pretty awesome viewing experience with leather reclining seats. Afterwards, Lauren and Andy made Omaha steaks for dinner, so delicous! Lauren and Andy showed us how to play Dance Moves on the Wii......sooo much fun, I loved it! Later that evening Bryan and Andy went to Ki Sushi restaurant and got a private lesson on how to make sushi rolls. I think they both had blast. Mosby came with us so we could spend the night at their place since we knew the guys would get back late from their training class. Mosby had fun checking out a new place.

Andy and Me playing Dance Moves on the Wii

Starting Ingredients

Rolling

Interesting that Andy is watching Bryan and not what he's cutting.

Look at all those rolls!

Salmon pieces

With the Sushi Chef, Anthony

Getting ready to go home....Mosby was a little cold!

Work Group Members

2011-02-01T10:10:00.000-06:00

Cherilyn, Diane our new Sr. Director, Stacie

Poonam, Paula, Jasen and Me

Surprise 40th Birthday Party!

2011-01-25T16:53:00.000-06:00

My manager's husband threw a surprise 40th birthday party for her at Saratoga Lanes on Sunday afternoon. Everyone had a great time and Becky was surprised!

Surprise Becky!

Making a wish!

Look at Bryan's form....not bad.....but not good enough, I beat him again! :)

Bryan and Denise figuring out how to keep score......we were at old school lanes.

Denise actually beat us all!

Snowing Again!

2011-01-25T16:47:00.000-06:00

Saturday Morning Breakfast with the Family

2011-01-25T16:46:00.000-06:00

Mom and Dad cooked breakfast for us girls on Saturday morning. Bryan was at a continuing education class all day and couldn't come.

Family time enjoyed by all!

Snow Day Part 2

2011-01-20T16:51:00.000-06:00

Snow Day Part 1

2011-01-20T15:34:00.000-06:00

Work Baby Shower

2011-01-20T12:38:00.000-06:00

A co-worker made the cake isn't it adorable!

Covidien hats!

Amy and Forest at work are having twins a boy and a girl. We all can't wait to see the baby photos!

Crab Cakes and Wine

2011-01-20T12:18:00.000-06:00

Bryan made asparagus and crab cakes for dinner, delicious!

Puppies

2011-01-16T10:34:00.001-06:00

We have about a month before we can go pick up our new puppy. We still don't know which one will be ours but here are some photos from the last two weeks.

Photo courtesy of Tad Brooks-Meisterhaus Basenjis: Pups approximately 3 weeks

Photo Courtesy of Tad Brooks-Meisterhaus Basenjis: Pups approximately 4 weeks

Random Photos From the Week

2011-01-16T10:22:00.000-06:00

Bryan and I were excited to discover a new tv channel, ID (Identification Discovery) that has continuous Dateline episodes or Extreme Forensic cases. Apparently, Mosby likes it too. ;)

Search dogs out in the woods caught his attention.

Getting ready to leave work one evening. I thought it was a really pretty sunset.

I was really shocked to receive this gift basket from my previous Director at work. He thanked me for all my hard work and dedication. So nice and very thoughtful of him!

Key Organization

2011-01-16T10:05:00.000-06:00

Bryan and I had a great time visiting and having dinner with our friends Derek and Amy Ng at their new house last night. They had the cutest key holders on their wall that I told Bryan we had to get. I'm a sucker for anything related to organization.


How cute are these!?!

Post dinner drink- Japanese Green Tea and chocolates

Mom Update

2011-01-16T09:57:00.000-06:00

For all those who know my mom has been struggling with chronic asthma this past year or so she went into the hospital again a week ago Thursday and was just released this Friday. The decision was made between her boss, her doctors, and the family that the best thing for her is to go on long term disability for 6 months to a year. Of course this is not something my mom is happy about doing but we all hope that the time off will allow her body to heal. Please keep her and my dad in your prayers as they go through this adjustment period.

New Years Weekend

2011-01-05T11:37:00.001-06:00

New Years Eve

New Years Eve we started out at McGurks Irish Pub in O'Fallon for lunch and some drinks. Afterwards we started preparing appetizers for the evening.

Bryan and Adam relaxing before everyone showed up and enjoying a cosmo.

Lots of food!

The Boys and their Cosmos

Lauren and HT

Julie and Me

Sitting at the bar


Andy holding Mosby

All the Girls

HT and Me


Dancing!

Basenji Pups

Treat time

Napa

Basenji pillows

Mosby

Too Cute!

Homemade Pizzas

Julie spreading out the dough

Thick crust with sausage, green pepper, onion, mushrooms and sun dried tomatoes

Thin wheat crust with sausage, green pepper and onion

Adam getting the fire started

Playing Partini

We had a great weekend with great friends can't wait until next time!

Celebrating Birthdays

2010-12-29T15:15:00.000-06:00

Happy 10th Birthday Alex and 67th Uncle Larry!

Sarah made the cake

Rebecca, Sarah and I playing Bananagrams

Christmas Day

2010-12-29T15:03:00.000-06:00

Christmas Morning

Sisters

Steam Vac from Bryan's parents.....excited to get this it may come in handy when the new pup arrives.

Alex testing out his drinking glasses he got from Rebecca.

Snuggies! All 3 girls got a Cardinals snuggie from Aunt Ella and Alex got the camo one from Grandma.

Opening gift from mom and dad

Yay it's a printer....we really needed one!

After opening presents with Grandpa White

Mosby tearing into his stocking

What's in there?

Toy #1 Squeaky Penguin

What else is in there?

He also got a stuffing free raccoon that's in the picture from Bryan's parents and he loves shaking it around!

Toy #2

White Christmas Eve

2010-12-29T14:42:00.003-06:00

Outside Church on Christmas Eve

Uncle Larry, David, Aunt Karen, Alex, Rebecca, Bryan and Dad. Sarah was with her husband celebrating Christmas with his family in town.

After church we all came back to our house and had soup for dinner and just relaxed.

We had the TV on in the background and realized that 101 Dalmatians was playing. Mosby loved watching it. :)

Personalized Stationary

2010-12-29T14:42:00.002-06:00

I had to showcase some work from my friend, Heather Tollers at HT Designs . She made a set of personalized stationary for Bryan's grandma for Christmas. All I told her was do something girly in purple and of course her initials. This was the end result.....I loved it!

Puppies!

2010-12-29T14:42:00.001-06:00

Puppies from one litter

Boy Puppies from a different litter

Same boy puppies

Girl Puppies from second litter

Puppy pictures from the breeder......as of right now we don't know which one will be ours but aren't they all adorable!

Happy Birthday Rebecca and Lexi!

2010-12-29T14:42:00.000-06:00

December 20th....Happy 26th Birthday to my sister, Rebecca!


December 20th.... Happy Birthday to Lexi Rae! She was born at 7:41 am weighing 7.0 lbs and 19 3/4 in.

Rebecca and Andrew Gerwitz's little girl!

Mosby and His Antlers

2010-12-29T14:41:00.000-06:00

He wasn't so sure about the antlers...

I think he's a little embarrassed ;)

Happy Monday

2010-12-13T17:07:00.000-06:00

Morning Stretch!

Best Weekend

2010-12-12T20:52:00.001-06:00

I've enjoyed everything about this weekend........

Friday evening we went to Monarch restaurant down in Maplewood for Bryan's office Christmas dinner.

I had flat iron steak.....cooked perfectly.

Bryan had skate...aka sting ray.


I loved the hanging decor.

Saturday I went shopping with my sisters for Christmas presents, took Mosby to get his free birthday bone from treats unleashed and watched Twilight:Eclipse and Winter's Bone with Bryan. The funniest thing when we were watching Winter's Bone (based and filmed in the Missouri Ozarks) Mosby seriously sat in front of the tv for at least a half hour watching the movie like he was really into it. It was cracking us up.

Mosby loved the blue lettering the best.

Styling in his fleece jacket.

This has awful lighting but he was just so attentive to all of the nature sounds in the movie.....loved it.


Eventually he decided to cuddle up with me while we watched the movie.

Saturday night into Sunday morning we had the first snow of the season. Mosby had to go outside around 3 in the morning it was the first time I was actually excited to go let him out that early to see what he thought about the snow. The first thing he did was eat it. :)

Sunday evening Bryan and I had a good time cooking hot chicken salad and making chocolate chip cookies.

Our breeder posted on his facebook wall that both of his liters were delivering today....so exciting! Can't wait to see the puppy photos.

I'm starting my count down to Christmas Break......6 more work days! :)

2010-12-08T16:45:00.000-06:00

Mosby loves playing with the nerf football

Up early to head to Nebraska for Thanksgiving

Mosby is such a good traveler he just lays in his bed and relaxes

Aww, sleepy boys

Aww, cuddling with Kaleigh

This is Mosby's first Christmas with us. He was so curious about the tree when we were setting it up. I'm not really wishing for snow but I am a little excited to see what Mosby does when it does. Also, Mosby turns 1 on December 11th.

New ornament from my Grandma Webb

Some kitchen decorations

Thanksgiving Countdown

2010-11-21T16:15:00.000-06:00

I only have a 2 day work week.....Woohoo!! I'm so excited to have a few days off and for our trip to Nebraska!

Picture Sunday

2010-11-21T16:12:00.001-06:00

Relaxin

He was so excited to get out of his kennel this day he went straight for the socks to play with.

I got a new makeup brush so I let him chew on my old one for a bit he was so exited.

Checking himself out in the mirror

Just being cute

Friday night Bryan got some Chinese for dinner and several IPA's for a beer tasting

Saturday night we watched Steve and Janelle's baby, Dahlia

We brought Mosby over with us to play with their dog Bailey and her friend, Berlin

Bailey giving Bryan lots of kisses!

Mosby trying to get Berlin's attention

New Puppy

2010-11-13T09:13:00.001-06:00

Bryan and I decided earlier this week that we wanted to get another basenji puppy so Mosby would have a playmate. We inquired with the breeder and he was excited that we wanted another pup. He has 3 litters planned for this season so he put us on the list to get one of the pups. My guess is that we will be able to get him or her sometime between Jan-March. We are both super excited and know that Mosby is going to love having another dog around the house.

Fun Friday

2010-11-13T09:13:00.000-06:00

Exhausted after his play date

A good friend of mine from work had surgery this week and was feeling pretty good come Friday so she told me that I should bring Mosby over so he could play with her dogs Nola and Junior. Mosby had a great time and was exhausted by the time I picked him up after work and we got home.

Kitchen and Bar Updates

2010-11-13T09:12:00.002-06:00

Bryan and I were excited to get our new kitchen table delivered Thursday night. We put the 8 chairs and table together ourselves. I actually enjoyed putting it together. The first two chairs took awhile but after that we got the rhythm down and finished pretty quick.

6 chairs down 2 to go

Finished......Love it! :)

Just added the new Budweiser/Clydesdale Bar Mirror

Getting the bar mirror was a crazy experience. I found the mirror on ebay and thought it would fit perfectly down by the bar. I won the auction and immediately sent the money. I was actually going to give it to Bryan as a Christmas present. A few days after the auction was over I got the email that the package had shipped. A day or two after I got the email I read the details and realized the package had been sent to our previous address at our condo. I paid through paypal which I had already updated with our new address but I apparently had not on my ebay account. I immediately contacted the seller so I could get the tracking it call UPS and get the package rerouted to our house. The seller never responded to my request. I contacted UPS and they couldn't help me even though I had the date, address and name of the shipper. They had to have the actual tracking information. Bryan contacted the condo leasing office to see if they could call the new tennants and ask if they had received the package. They called the tennants and didn't get a hold of them. I contacted the seller again one more time and no response. I decided to put in an ebay dispute about it but was 2 days too late. Last Sunday Bryan and I just drove over to the condo and knocked on the door and asked if they had the package. The guys there knew what we were talking about but said that one of the guys girlfriends had dropped it off at the condo clubhouse. It was Sunday so we had to call them on Monday morning to see if the package was there. They condo ladies said that there was never a package dropped off there in my name. So Bryan contacted the leasing office again to have them contact the tennants again. Finally, this time they got a hold of the girl who actually had the package. We eventually got the package but it took over 2 months.......all of that over a stupid bar mirror.

Tobacco Control Act

2010-11-13T09:12:00.000-06:00

I'm not one for the government to control our lives but I have a personal interest in the topic of tobacco. This past week the FDA issued a proposed rule for required warnings for cigarette packages and advertisements.

The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act (Tobacco Control Act) requires that cigarette packages and advertisements have larger and more visible graphic health warnings.

If you are interested see the link below for the proposed graphic warning labels that are open for public comment at this time and will be finalized by June 2011.

http://www.fda.gov/TobaccoProducts/Labeling/CigaretteProductWarningLabels/default.htm

Nothing Exciting

2010-11-08T19:02:00.000-06:00

I just thought this was a funny picture of Mosby. He was checking my sister, Sarah out.

Having fun tearing apart the football. Mommy had lots to clean up afterwards.

He loves cuddling up right behind daddy when he's on the computer.

I thought these were super cute! We got the the reindeer antlers so Mosby can wear them in our Christmas card photo and of course we had to get him his own stocking. :)

Loving the heater

Chili Time

2010-10-29T20:39:00.000-05:00

Mosby wanted my chili!

It was really chilly this morning so we turned on the heater. Mosby quickly found a vent and layed on it. :)

Bar Stools

2010-10-29T20:34:00.000-05:00

What do you think? We just got two of these for our basement bar.