dilemma

I am packing (er, taking a break from packing) to head to the Midwest for a long weekend visit. My sweet Dr. Hubby has been up there for almost two weeks. I miss him so much. That's not really my dilemma. I will be a happy lady to see him though :) I am going for a visit to see how I like it and if it's somewhere we might consider moving, Lord willing. But potentially moving to a faraway land isn't my dilemma.....
How in the heck am I supposed to dress cute in such frigid weather??? I have a few suits and a nice dress to wear to meetings. And a chunky gap sweater to wear with some skinny jeans. (Yes, I am quite certain I will regret the skinny jeans in ten years but for now it seems like the right thing to do.) I bought a new dressy coat. And of course my cowboy boots will be making the journey with me. Cowboy boots are warm and comfy for sight-seeing. I've never traveled this far north in my life. I feel like I am getting ready to make a trek to an alien planet. Do people just wear normal clothes with thermals underneath? Or do they wear toasty warm clothes AND thermals? Do you forgo cuteness to stay warm? And what if my hair doesn't like the cold weather??? I don't even like coats. Or jackets. Or layering. And another dilemma, it will be like 80ish when I leave Alabama, but 30ish when I arrive at my destination. I think I am going to wear a comfy dress with a cardigan and my boots, no leggings, and carry a casual coat on the plane with me. Chris said the wind is blowing around 40mph. No, it's not storming, it's just that windy. I mean, I have cute outfits, but I am just not sure how well they will fare in winter weather. I'm just having a hard time wrapping my head around it. I am telling myself the weather isn't that different from Alabama, but who am I kidding? I had the air conditioner on in my car on my way to work this morning! Hmm I guess what I have packed will be fine. Be on the lookout for pics and stories from my trip. Some good news, at least it's not snowing up north. Yet. And please comment if you have any cold-weather wardrobe advice for me!

today.

today i cried.

today i miss her.

today is her birthday.

today should be happy. (its' not.)

today i feel like i have been robbed.

today i feel guilty because i feel like i have been robbed.

today i am glad no one told me how i should or shouldn't feel.

a different today

Is it too late to say "I told you so?"

Remember this post with the new "chew-resistant" bed Chris bought for Brooks?

We left it it the living room for a few weeks so Brooks could get used to it.

He likes liked it. I have a picture from my iPhone:

We decided to leave him in the crate for a little while, and figured he would be fine, he likes liked the new bed, remember?

Here is what happened after about and hour alone in the crate with the new bed.

Sometimes, puppy-mommas know best.

P.S. I told you so.

Four Years

Happy fourth anniversary, Dr. Hubby.

I hope we have at least a hundred more.

I love you.

~Manda

these are the good ol' days

house

sea oats

Dolphins

Shells

I love this pup. And he LOVES the beach.

I love this guy. He's my favorite.

Silly Boys

I have no idea what they were looking at.

I'm proud of my weight loss, but you didn't think I would post a full bikini shot, did you?

No oil here!

Us

Family Shot

guess where we've been???

More pics coming soon!

quick! (a tiny update)

My blogging hiatus is largely due to my return to the corporate world. In March I returned to work with the company I worked for when Chris and I got married. Yep, before I had a degree I worked there. It's like family. I am so glad to be back. My dad worked there for a long time, and I stayed in touch with everyone when I left.

I have also been having some health issues (nothing too serious) that have made my life a little bit more stressful and exhausting but I hope everything will be back to normal in a few months.

My Dr. Hubby is now a fourth year medical student! And Paulie is moving to Minnesota for residency in a few days. Dr. Hubby will visit Minnesota in the fall for an away rotation. He is definitely ready to get back in the O.R.! I am not sure how they will make it that long without seeing each other!

What about this guy? Isn't he getting so yellow?

I think that's all for tonight! It's good to be back in the blogging world. I promise to be better!

I'm alive.

Here's photographic proof.

a guessing game

The Shuberts have had an interesting week so far. Guess which of the following events happened to the family member. Some of these are trick questions. I totally love how our initials are A, B, & C.

1) repeatedly stepped on his/her dance partner's toes at ballroom dancing lessons.
a) Amanda b) Brooks c) Chris

2) got food poisoning from eating a favorite appetizer at a favorite restaurant.
a) Amanda b) Brooks c) Chris

3) sliced his/her finger/paw and had to have it glued back.
a) Amanda b) Brooks c) Chris

4) worked in Birmingham for almost four weeks and is thrilled to be working in Tuscaloosa again starting tomorrow.
a) Amanda b) Brooks c) Chris

5) shredded a paper towel tube in the living room floor (I told you there would be trick questions.)
a) Amanda b) Brooks c) Chris

6) supplied dinner every night since Sunday.
a) Amanda b) Brooks c) Chris

7) learned how to fetch shoes. (Another trick question? Perhaps.)
a) Amanda b) Brooks c) Chris

8) had a visit from a grandparent.
a) Amanda b) Brooks c) Chris

9) caught up on all of The Office episodes that were recorded on the DVR.
a) Amanda b) Brooks c) Chris

10) did not get much of anything checked off the to-do list this week.
a) Amanda b) Brooks c) Chris

Answers coming soon! Comment with your guesses!

important day

Okay, I can't get my brain to work this morning, but I can't let this day go by without a post.

A year ago today my mom died.

The past year has been horrible, and as much as I hate it, I am having to let myself grieve.

My momma's death was one of the most important days in her life. She is now in heaven, with Jesus, for eternity. My brain can't comprehend eternity, but I am still very much comforted by that. I am also comforted that I will see her again.

I know that I am still on earth to glorify God. Some days that is hard because of the grief (see above) but I am trying. I am a work in progress.

Where will you be in your walk with the Lord when something bad happens, something bad enough to shatter you faith?

What is your concept of God? Buddy, our pastor, always says, "The most important thing about you is your concept of God."

I know that God's timing is perfect. I am thankful for a God that gives and takes away. I am thankful for a God that was and is and will be forever-regardless of me. I am also thankful that He gave me such a wonderful momma for twenty-three years. I am thankful that His love and grace and forgiveness are for everyone.

Whew, a very scattered post, but I had to get some of that out of my head.

we'll see about that...

Chris saw this "chew resistant" pet bed at Sam's Saturday night and decided that Brooks needed it for his tiger cage crate. The material feels like a waterproof snowsuit, which is much different than Brooks' normal bed of fleece and memory foam. When he steps on the new bed, it puffs up on one side and he is convinced that there is a monster inside. It is hilarious. I am pretty sure he hates the new bed and I am certain he will shred it to bits the same day we put it in the crate. We have tried fleece blankets and beach towels and crate mats but nothing survives the wrath of Brooksie. One time he even got a tarp from UNDER his crate while he was IN the crate (???) and shredded it. I wish we had the camera set up that day, like we did here. We used to keep a water bottle on the crate door but he refused to drink out of it and he eventually broke them all. Chris says we should leave the new bed in the living room for a few days to let Brooks take ownership of it and then he won't shred it when we put it in the crate. I am pretty sure all of this will just make a huge mess for me to clean up, but at least I will get a few good blog posts out of this. Stay tuned to see how chew resistant this pet bed really is...

you're welcome

Since I work a retail job, I am in the know for all the spring fashions. I'm pretty excited about Spring 2010. I will share with my dear readers so you too can be trendy.

Think nautical. Navy and white, with some red and yellow mixed in. A little khaki, too. Basics that everyone has (recession, anyone?) can become insta-trendy with some cute jewelry and a belt and maybe a new sweater or two.

50's dresses. I am so excited about this one. I love dresses, and I am glad that ladies are being encouraged to dress like ladies instead of slouches.

And what to wear with your 50's inspired dress? Nude-colored pumps. No, no, no, don't go raid your grandmother's closet. Get something like these:

Or these:

I am not seeing anything I am loving for this trend yet, but I love the concept: Teal with gold accessories/embellishments. I am secretly happy that gold is coming back. I think gold can be pretty (oh but it can be tacky) when worn right. This is also what I like to refer to as a now and later dress: Wear it now with a sweater and boots, then when it warms up just throw it on with some cute sandals.

Also be on the lookout for bright colored flats. I bought some red patent flats last weekend, and I am wanting to buy some yellow suede flats soon. Again, think 50s inspired: floral, fitting, femme. I am really excited to wear some of these spring fashions! Come on, warmer weather! You are welcome for my inside expert fashion advice.

distractions, updates, and Christmas pics

Well, I knew January was going to be a hard month for me emotionally, but I didn't really think it would be this hard. When will I ever realize that I must grieve? Anyway, today has been one year since my mom called me to come back to Little Rock because she was getting sick after her second stem cell transplant. I woke up on this day, and planned on having a good day. My dear friend Megan and her sweet family were going to come over the next day and we were on the phone when my mom called me. It was the last phone call I ever got from her. I am still so thankful that I was able to help as much as I could, even though I will never stop wishing the outcome was different...Enough about all that. I need a distraction, and I'm sure y'all are growing weary of my depressing posts.

I have been working and working and working. My part-time job is about 37 hours a week. Which is pretty much full-time, I think. Chris started his surgical rotation Monday. I am excited for him because being able to be in the OR makes him happy. It makes the last two and half years of madness seem not so bad. Also for the month of January, we have a house guest. Chris's friend Paul (who is a year ahead of Chris in med school) is also doing a surgical rotation in Tuscaloosa, so he is staying with us. I have been making hot chocolate and/or cider every night because of the cold weather. Speaking of cold, Paul will be traveling to the great land of Minnesota for his Mayo residency interview next week. He is going to make pictures for me. I can't wait to hear what he has to say about it. Ideally, Paul and Chris will both end up at Mayo, because it really is the best program in the nation. It would also be great to know someone when we move. What else is going on? Hmm, I am taking down Christmas decor today. I was off last weekend (my first weekend off since October) and I refused to do it then. Last week I bought one of those balance ball things at Dirt Cheap for $9. We also got a new PUR water filter for our sink (our other one broke) for $7. I love Dirt Cheap! I guess it's not for everyone though. I am working hard on toning up. I want to be able to buy a cute bikini and feel confident in it this summer. Yay for goals!

Of course I am not going to post an update and not talk about my dog child. He is spectacular, getting better with age. Brooks gets smarter every day. He brings his dish to the door when he's ready to eat (we keep the dog food in the garage), he fetches his leash when it's time to take a trip or go for a jog, and the newest thing I have taught him is to bring me laundry that I drop on my way to the laundry room. I love that dog! He always comes and nudges my leg if my phone rings or the oven timer beeps and I am in a different room. I didn't teach him those things, and I think he just gets annoyed with all the beeping/ringing.

Now for some Christmas pics. I really don't like making pictures much lately, but we got a few this Christmas. Enjoy!

That is a cinnamon stick from Chris's cider. Brooks LOVES cinnamon. It's bizarre.

the dreaded antlers

Momma & Brooksie

unwrapping his gift

Brooks and his weasel-duck. And Santa & Mrs. Claus.

my guys

The spacing and captions are driving me crazy so I give up! Argh!

maybe this year will be better than the last?

Yes, that is a question mark. 2009 seemed like it was going to be a great year, but it turned out to be the worst year of my twenty-four years of life. I almost vomit when I think about it. On top of dealing with my mother's death, I also have had the wonderful experience of not getting a job. Yes, I still have my part-time retail job, but it would be nice to put my degree to use. I've also decided to wait on pursuing a Master's indefinitely, due to a big move that is coming up in our lives. Chris's schedule has been ridiculous, and that's just the way things are going to be for us. And being the eternal pessimist that I am, I am almost certain that 2009 will not be the worst year of my life. Last year I made some resolutions, and was actually pretty successful with some of them. I'm much healthier. I've lost three pant sizes. I take my vitamins. I think about nutritional value (most of the time). I am much more organized, making lists and menus and calendar reminders and such. My bacne is under control. I have worked really hard (so has Chris) on our marriage. I'm ever so thankful that Chris works so hard and has a job that can take us almost anywhere in the world. I'm also thankful that he just wants me to be happy in life, and wants to enable me to do whatever I want. He makes me feel like a lot less of a loser, which I do feel like most days. He says it's all about perspectives. Sometimes he is right, but don't tell him I said that. I know that 2010 will have many travels for our little fam, as well as getting our house ready to put on the market later in the year. There are many things that we must be prayerful about. There are BIG changes coming our way. (Nope, no babies involved. Maybe in seven or eight years. Maybe.) I haven't really enjoyed making pictures much, so that's something I hope I can be better about this year. I still wish I could be better about using coupons, too. I had also gotten into a really good habit about reading my Bible every night, but the past few weeks I've slipped. I hope to keep that up. Wow, okay, so this is a terribly depressing and scattered post. I did a recap for 2008 on my blog, and that is neat to look back on. Here's my recap for 2009: It sucked. Bad. Even though 2009 was a crap year in my history book, I'm still thankful for salvation and forgiveness and eternal life from Jesus Christ. I wish I could tell you that my life is all sunshine and giggles and that things are on the up, but I just can't do that right now. And it's not biblical to say, "Everything will be fine." I know that God has used some big life changes to get my attention. I'm struggling with letting go of my ways and clinging to God's ways. Wow, there's a resolution.