Hearts and Kisses and Mushy Stuff

I have been married to my favorite person for over six months. We took a lot of care to plan our wedding ceremony and I don't just mean flowers and dresses. I mean the words - the songs, the readings, the prayers. I walked down the aisle to my handsome groom to Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova's "Falling Slowly," which is one of my favorite songs from one of my favorite love stories. Now it is part of my love story and I think of my Matt every time I hear it.

Take this sinking boat and point it home.

We've still got time.

Raise your hopeful voice, you have a choice.

You've made it now

Falling slowly, sing your melody.

I'll sing it loud.

Happy Valentine's Day to you!

"snOMG"

Snowmaggedon, snowpacalypse, snownami, or according to KOMU 8 News, snOMG....

February 1st was the anticipated blizzard of 2011 and for once, the estimations were mostly accurate. In our pocket of Columbia, we ended up with about 20 inches of snow and huge snow drifts reaching four to five feet around my little house. With MU and Columbia Public Schools closing for three days and counting, plus a declaration that Missouri is in a state of emergency from Governor Jay Nixon, there was a lotta hype and the storm didn't disappoint.

Right after being dismissed from school at 12:15 on Monday, January 31st.

4:30 pm January 31st, 2011.

7:30 am February 1st, 2011

8:30 am February 1st, 2011

9:30 am February 1st, 2011

10:30 am February 1st, 2011

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12:30 pm February 1st, 2011

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7:30 am February 2nd, 2011

There will be lots of shoveling. Lots and lots.

Don't Be Jealous

I do not mean to offend, but I definitely have the best family and friends on the planet. You may argue your case, but I cannot be persuaded. Thank you all for helping me to usher in my 28th year with style :-)

Laundry Detergent Blues

We do a lot of laundry. Too much for just two people. Yes, we go to the gym so there are workout clothes that add to the day's pile. Yes, Matt washes his referee uniforms frequently during basketball season. Yes, we have two dogs that seem to be messier than a fleet of toddlers at times. And yes, I have been known to forget about a load and have to rewash it a time or two. We just plain go through detergent REALLY quickly.

I've been thinking about making my own laundry detergent since it is, according to the where website I found the recipe, about 1/4 the cost of traditional laundry detergents. I just don't know. There are plenty of environmental reasons to do it. It wouldn't be expensive to try it, and it would save some money, but it is enough to make the effort worthwhile? It is only three ingredients...Just mix them and store or wash... But would the life expectancy of our clothes go down after plenty of washings with the homemade stuff?

We just purchased a bottle of off-brand, super watered down, liquid suds last night. Maybe after that is gone, I'll try it out and report back about whether or not it's worth it.

Menu for Jan 9-16, 2011

This week we will be eating:

1. Ratatouille

2. Pumpkin Harvest Soup

3. Pot Roast Beef Stew with Guinness

4. Golden Chicken with Tomatoes and Olives

YUM.