10,000 Browsers Open in my Brain!

OMG.  I can't believe it is the last day of February.  At the beginning of the month, I said I had hoped February passes quickly and, boy, it has!  I don't have much time to post because I am getting ready to road trip.  Here is a glimpse of what is going on in our life right now:

We are painting our master suite.  Well, we aren't.  I have people coming in to do it.  I would have loved to have been able to do it by ourselves but we just simply don't have the time.  I can't wait to share details of the room but for now, I am leaving you with my current living conditions.  What is worse is that I am leaving the mess to Chad while I am in Atlanta this weekend hosting a bridal shower.  There are clothes piled everywhere, laundry that needs to be put away, a laundry room full of dirty clothes, and the rest of the house is messy because I simply have been running ragged this week working on many different projects.  My to do lists have to do lists!

Oh, and this happened this week too.  I blew a tire out.  And Chad was out of town.  Something very expensive always happens to me, a kid, the dog, the car, or something at our home when Chad travels for work.  I am tempted to ask my good buddy and president of the company if Chad can have an accident protection stipend for his spouse when he travels out of town!

Happy Weekend!  No Five on Friday today.  If I had the time to write a post, it would be more like 10,000 on Friday!  Check back next week for my #tinaeveryday catch up, remodel update, and bridal shower deets!

#TinaEveryday Week 7

As I am typing this, my children are upstairs jamming to "Today is the Day".  How awesome is it to hear kids worship!

Day 41:
I usually grab the mail as I am heading out to pick up the kids and sort through it while I wait on them to come out.  This day, we received our third (and later in the week a fourth) sympathy card from our vet.  This time, the tech and office staff all signed a card that included a note stating that a donation in Gun'rr's memory had been made to Small Miracles Therapeutic Riding Center  (click on title for more info).  Cue the water works, again.  I cannot say enough about our vet's office.  I truly feel like they all have a love and passion for animals. I think you have to in order to have a job like they do.  One time when we boarded the dogs there, one of the techs said he came in over the weekend and just played with our dogs for a while.  He said he loved labs and ours were great dogs so he took them out to the fenced in yard and played with just them.  I can also remember when Tank and Gun'rrr first started living with us again after we built the house (they lived at the in laws during construction).  They got out early one morning.  I got a phone call shortly after 7:30AM and it was one of the employees at the vet saying that Tank and Gun'rrr was hanging out on their front porch and when she opened the door, they ran right inside!  We live a quarter of a mile from the office- basically at the top of the hill behind the office. Those were only a few of many memories we have of our crazy dogs!

Day 42:
I was feeling especially sorry for Tank so I loaded him up and he went with me to pick the crew up from school.  I didn't tell the kids Tank was in the back and I wish I'd videoed Carson's reaction.  He jumped out of his skin!  He then said, "What is dad going to say about Tank riding in the jeep?"  I had cleared it with Chad and was given the green light to take Tank for a ride as long as I cleaned it up.  We ended the field trip with a trip to PetSmart.  Tank got lots of attention at the store.  What is it about a black lab?

Day 43:
The kids were out of school for absolutely no snow.  I took several pictures on Wednesday so I made a collage.  By the end of the week, I was running out of ideas to entertain them!

Day 44:
Almost 6 inches of snow and a daughter wearing pajama pants.  Don't judge.  I made poor Tank sit in the snow for a picture.

Day 45:
The day of love.

This picture shows my peeps I love the most.

Day 46:
We broke the law and let the kids ride home from Barberito's without their booster seats.  They wanted to use the seat warmers because it was so cold.  In Tennessee, they have to stay in a booster until age 9,which is this summer for Carson.  He says he is going to shoot his booster with a bb gun.  I think someone is ready to say goodbye to the booster!

Day 47:
Happy opening day, Vol Baseball!  I am SO ready for some baseball!!  WOOP WOOP!

Five on Friday!

I'm linking up for Five on Friday! 

O-N-E

Today is day 3 of no school for the Macs.  They go to a school system that NEVER closes for snow so three consecutive days is unheard-of.  The suits and ties (school officials) have been getting a lot of slack for it too (partly from me, I confess).  They close school on Wednesday in preparation for the snow that was supposed to start at 1:00.  Every other system around us dismissed at the half day mark and we could have too.  They knew about what time it would start but closed anyway.  It was a wasted day!

This is what a snow day looks like at 8:30AM. 

By the time all was said and done, we went up with almost six inches.  Isn't this ruler the cutest?  Thank you first grade crafters!

Last night, the snow was still hanging around but they call at 7PM and say we are on a two hour delay but it was subject to change.  I just don't get it- call school off without snow and a two hour delay with a half of a foot??  Granted, roads appeared clear last night (we went for a drive) but knowing that temperatures would drop, roads would refreeze.  They didn't make their mind up to call school off until 5:30 this morning.  

T-W-O

I know today is the day of love- BLAH BLAH BLAH.  I have never been a fan of Valentine's Day.  My junior year of high school, two of my close friends were killed in a car accident on Valentine's night so that is what I think about every Valentine's day.  Not just their death but how our community of school came together.  

I told Chad I didn't need candy or roses on this or any day.  He is not the most romantic type- he just has his own way of showing love.  I have to remind myself of that.  His love language is going to work everyday so i don't have to (and packing the kids lunches every night).  I'll take that over roses, candy, or flashy bling any day.   He did gift me with a Panera gift card.  He knows I love Panera and that I love our Panera breakfast dates that have gone by the wayside.  We have fallen into the work/raise kids trap that putting each other first doesn't happen.  I did not get him a gift (oops) because we went tubing last weekend and I thought that was everyone's gift.  Besides, anyone else find it odd that you go out and buy your husband a gift with his own money?  "here honey.  I bought you _______ with your money".  I know it isn't like that but that is how I feel it is.  I really struggle with the whole money thing when one works and one doesn't that is another post for another day.

T-H-R-E-E

I am loving the Proactiv system.  I am not loving the price of it but I have decided that I only have one face that cannot be replaced so I need to take care of it.  Beauty is expensive, people!

F-O-U-R 

This goes along with number two.  Instead of buying gifts for Valentine's Day (didn't we just have Christmas a couple of weeks ago?), we are spending time together as a family.  I didn't realize I was doing this but I had planned a special outing for each month through April.  In January, I took the kids bowling on MLK holiday, February we tubed, March/April we will be on a special trip.  I like doing this alot- just the 4 of us.

F-I-V-E

In closing, I am will leave you with five things that I LOVE (other than my peeps)

Luke Bryan:

Baseball

Target

Icees from Wiegels

My favorite picture of Carson.

I'll leave you with a little PSA compliments of Team Mac:

Don't eat yellow snow!

#TinaEveryday Week 6

First off, I am playing around with my layout on my blog.  I am somewhat clueless about this.  I would like to add buttons so my readers can follow me on Instagram.  How do I do that? I guess I can play around with it some and get it looking like I want it to look- in all of my spare time!

This week was a more "normal" week (whatever that is).  I made it to the gym twice, the kids were out of school on Friday for conferences, and we went to dinner with my parents to celebrate Daddy's birthday.

Day 34: Happy Birthday, Papaw!  Throwback picture!  This was Caylee's kindergarten party last May.

Day 35: Our baseball coach wants the boys to throw everyday.  Chad has been getting home a little before dark to throw with Carson.  I looked out the window and saw this.  I told you Tank has to be in the middle of us now.  I guess they are playing monkey in the middle lab in the middle?  

Day 36: Two pictures on this day!  Caylee FINALLY lost her first tooth.  For documentation purposes, the day was February 5th of her first grade year.  Carson lost his first tooth on March 5th of his first grade year.  Kinda cool, huh?  My kids are growing too fast!  

Also on day 36: I burned some calories at Zumba and bought new dry shampoo.  I am training my hair to not get oily and am only washing it every other day.  I love this dry shampoo but still find my hair flat on day 2.  I usually wear it up on day 2 (sock bun, messy ponytail, etc).  Any tips on how to give it more body on day 2?  Also, any tips on what to do with my bangs on day 2?  They are oily and don't  look right down or pinned back! 

Day 37:   I was getting ready to volunteer at the kids' school and Tankie came looking for me in the bathroom.  I told him he could stay with me while I got ready so he made himself at home on the shower rug.  He likes to be in the same room as me.  When we say goodbye to this dog, I will not be able to handle it.  Please pray for me now!

Day 38:

I don't like selfies.  I think I look stupid.  This day was errand running while the kids were at the movies and I had a conference with Carson's teacher.  I am wearing a tank top dress from Target for summer (too thin to wear in winter) and a denim jacket.  My leggings are fleece leggings I found on groopdealz.  I LOVE THEM.  A friend made my scarf.  I posted this on Instagram with the caption- this is my chamber dinner outfit.  I would love to get all gussied up for a night out but my introverted husband wouldn't go.  Oh well...

Day 39:

We went tubing.  SO MUCH FUN!

I am not sure who had more fun- the kids or the adults!  It was a little expensive but well worth the time together.  We want to go back at night. 

Day 40:  Just keeping it real.  I stay behind on laundry.  I don't mind the washing and the drying.  It is the folding and putting away that I dislike.  UGH!  Good news is that all of this has been folded and about half put away.  I need to put away the kids clothes.  

And, while I was working in Mt. St. Laundry, this is what Tank and Caylee were doing:

May the force be with you!

Five on Friday!

Happy Friday!

I am glad this week is behind us.  I've had a little bit of an adjustment this week without Gun'rrr.  I came home today and found myself asking where he was.  I've said it before- I never thought I'd get attached to a dog!

For my Five on Friday this week, I thought I would post five things that I think would be great Valentine's gifts.  We will probably do small gifts here.

O-N-E

This is for Mama (ahem, me).  I want the new Naked Palette.  I have the first two as well as the Naked Basics and threw away all of my other eye shadow.  This stuff is the bomb dot com!

T-W-O

For the man, how about a Tervis?  We have two large tumblers and two small tumblers for the kids and we LOVE them.  Maybe a Broncos or a Red Sox one for the man?  Of course, I had to picture my beloved Vols!

T-H-R-E-E

I am thinking about getting headphones for the kids.  We will be road tripping soon and they will need them!

F-O-U-R

I can't get these stupid expensive things out of my mind.  My feet FREEZE and I would love for these to appear on my doorstep.  #wishfulthinking #notgoingtohappen

F-I-V-E

Perhaps the most important thing you can give our Valentine is time.  It might be a date night together minus the distractions of emails, texts, etc.  It might simply be watching TV or a movie together after the kids go to bed.  It might be meeting for breakfast at Panera.   Give each other your undivided attention to talk and to listen.

Tonight is our town's Chamber Dinner.  Think of it as prom night for businessmen/women and anyone else who wants to get tickets.  Chad's company is a member of the chamber of commerce but you will not see us there.  I would love to go- I think it would be fun to get dressed up and have a night out but my extremely introverted I never talk husband would never go.  Oh well- I am already in my pajamas.  

#TinaEveryday2014 Week 5

How can it be February already?  February certainly did not get off to a good start with having to put Gun'rrr down.  I am still very sad about it.  A couple of my friends suggested some reading materials for the kids and for me so I will check into both of those.  I have also asked that our school counselor meet with the kids today to help them process things.  We bought dog food yesterday and as we were putting it in the buggy, Carson said, "this bag will last longer since we don't have two dogs to feed."  I almost lost it in the dog food aisle at Sam's.  I am thankful we still have Tank.  He is a source of comfort for me.  I had just gotten so used to the two dogs being with me here at home during the day- especially during the cold weather.  They stayed inside.  Gun'rrr slept most of the day- another indicator that his time with us was numbered.  Looking back, there were signs and I just ignored them.  I have to remind myself that we did the right thing. 

Ok, I didn't expect my Tina everyday post to get all sad.

Moving on.

Day 27: First grade homework

Day 28 bonus material: I went thru the drive thru at Pal's and Caylee was fascinated with the snow on the hamburger bun!

Day 28: Early dismissal from school! 

Day 29: Schools closed!  We sled!

Day 30: We baked a cake for one of Daddy's coworkers for his birthday! 

Day 31: I was employed for the day!  I worked for AMT/Chad to help him set up his new office in our town.  Here is the before.  

Day 31 bonus: The after.  Still several things to do. 

Day 32: We'll just move on from this day.

I found this in one of Carson's books.  Caylee drew it.  I love the fact that she is comfortable writing her thoughts down.

Day 33: Giving Tank lots of extra love.

Day 33: At least the cupcakes were good.

I knew the day would come but I wasn't prepared that it would be today......

I knew I would be sitting down to type this post but I didn't know it would be today.  We had to put our yellow lab Gun'rrr down today.
Note: I didn't publish this on Saturday.  I was too emotional.  I finished this on Sunday.

We got Gun'rrr when he was six weeks old and he turned eleven last month.  We've had him longer than our own children so to say we are heartbroken is an understatement.  The story of how we got him is quite funny.  We noticed that Tank, our black lab, was licking himself raw in some places.  Being the worrywart I was, I took him to the vet and Dr. Gordon diagnosed him as lonely and suggested we get him a playmate.  ;)  Gun'rrr became Tank's playmate and part of our family.

The kids, especially Caylee, is having a hard time with it. They have never been afraid of our big dogs.  The dogs, for the most part, left the kids alone but did enjoy playing with them.  The humans and the dogs just meshed well.

Tank, our surviving lab, seems to be doing better than the rest of us.  I think he knows something is different but we've showered him with extra attention.  We let him sleep inside last night instead of in his kennel.  It was a hard day for us all.  I couldn't even look at Tank for a while without sobbing.