julie and jon

More Erin and Mike Photos

2009-11-13T12:27:00.010-05:00

Okay, I have to post some more of the photos I took of my best friend Erin and her fiance Mike. I had a great time with these two and their pictures turned out sooo cute!

This one is my favorite

The "serious" shot

Work it

So excited for your wedding!

When the Puppy's Away....

2009-11-11T08:00:00.001-05:00

...the cats will play! Wrigley had his boy parts snipped at the vet on Tuesday and had to spend the night in the hospital as a precaution. Needless to say Pancake and Henry were thrilled! They ate their dinner in peace, played on the deck, ran around the house without being chased by a puppy, and enjoyed some undisturbed time on the couch with me! They were in heaven! I think they thought we finally came to our senses and got rid of the evil puppy. They are in for a rude awakening later today when we bring him home!

I started to edit some of my photos from my trip to CA. But since Wrigley was away and we actually had peace for once, I didn't get much done because all I felt like doing was relaxing and catching up on the shows I recorded on the DVR while I was away. Here are the few I did get to.

Me with my favorite girls, Erin and Heather. They both took a day off of work to spend it with me! It was just like old times. We went shopping, ate and In N Out, gossiped, and had ice cream. Pretty much the perfect day. I love these girls!

I also spent some time with Erin and her fiance, Mike. We went down to Shoreline Village in Long Beach to snap a few shots. I got some really cute ones...but still need to edit them! But I know Erin really wants to see them...so here is a little sneak peak. More to come!

Mike totally struck that pose on his own. I told him he should be a professional model.

And of course we had to have a little fun with the huge lolly pops. So cute!

I'm Back!

2009-11-09T07:28:00.002-05:00

So, I'm finally back from my trip to California. I had a great time catching up with old friends and seeing my family (oh, and working too). I'll post some pictures of my trip this week. Meanwhile, enjoy these pictures of Pancake and Henry hunting a lady bug that got into the house.

I think their plan was to just stare it to death.

More Memories

2009-11-04T08:00:00.000-05:00

Here we go, round two of "let's look at how cute we were" photos. I hope you aren't sick of them! I love looking at photos of people when they were goofy kids!

I know I've posted this one before. Me and my cousin John. Everyone thought we were twins because we both had red hair. But I am a few years older. I have no idea what we are wearing but my mom clarified that it is a bear on my shirt, and not a stain. I was a very clean kid. Click here (4th photo down) to see my cousin now!
Here is the husband dressed up with his sister, Erin. He still does that head tilt when he doesn't want his picture taken. Some things never change.

I think this was a Halloween costume. Can you tell I wasn't very good at ballet?
The husband showing off his trophies...not in a Halloween costume. I guess these photos don't match as well, but were probably taken in the same year. Just a few weeks ago the husband's parents brought a huge box of his trophies over to our house.....we will be making a donation to Special Olympics very soon.

I LOVE this photo of the husband. He looks so great in suspenders, don't you think? This was one of his senior year photos.

Here is me, about a year earlier, in my 9th grade photo.

I hope you enjoyed our little trip down memory lane! I'll be back soon with pictures of California!

Seriously, How Cute Were We?

2009-11-02T08:00:00.000-05:00

As promised, here are some of the photos I used of the husband and I at our wedding. I tried to match similar photos together. I put one pair on each table at the reception and it was a big hit. Here are some of my favorites!

Me, workin' my bathing suit. I just die over that belly. Look how much confidence I had!

The husband. Don't you just love his blond hair?

I love this one. So does my mom...because, um, I'm her kid and I'm totally adorable.

The husband in a similar pose. Don't you just love how we had so many photos that were alike?

This is my mom's absolute favorite photo. And proof that I've always had bright red hair! (Take that, silly people who ask me if it is natural!)

How cute is the husband in his bow tie? I love it.

Me with our Collie Lady. I named her that after watching Lady and the Tramp. We later had a cat named Tramp!

The husband with his Sheltie puppy Sunshine.

Stay tuned for more photos this week!

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-30T08:00:00.000-04:00

I am away and in my home state of California for a work trip. (I know, don't I have the best job ever?) Since I won't be able to upload my trip photos until after I return, I'll post of few of my favorite photos of me and the husband when we were little kids! At our wedding I used photos of us growing up on each of the tables...it was so cute! So now is as good a time as any to share. Stay tuned next week for some California adventures!

Halloween Party

2009-10-28T08:00:00.000-04:00

Last weekend was our friends Mo and Ali's Halloween Party! We've decided it is going to be an annual tradition! We had a blast, of course!

Me and the husband. The pilot and flight attendant or "air hostess" as Karri was calling me! The best part of the husband's costume is his "Capt" pin that I found in his space camp stuff from when he was 12! Love it.

Our host and hostess, Mo and Ali. Can anyone guess what Ali was? If so, you get a gold star for the day....it took us a while to figure it out. As for Mo.....lets just say that his name tag said "Richard" and we watched a certain SNL video clip featuring Justin Timberlake. I'm sure you know what I'm talking about...don't make me say it on this blog!

Here is Brett and Karri. Karri is from Australia, so she made sure to bring a little bit of culture to our party! Brett was Crocodile Dundee! Kari made his costume and it was fabulous! To keep with the Australian theme Karri was Vegemite, which is a popular food paste in Australia. We all thought it was gross....but Karri loves it!

Mo's sister Andrea and her hubbie Mike, aka. Popeye and olive Oil. Don't they look great?

The boys

The girls

Karri with her Vegemite on crackers for everyone to try.

Everyone eating the Vegemite...except me and Brett. We knew better. We all played drinking Jenga that had tasks written on each block. We quickly added "Eat Vegemite" to one!

Jenga made us do some weird things....like switch an item of clothing with another player.

And sit on another player's lap. Man I look pale....but Brett's tan is totally fake.

More switching clothing.

And more lap sitting.

And of course dancing. Sorry Ali, I just had to do it! Thanks Mo and Ali for a great time! We can't wait for next year!

Puppy School Graduate

2009-10-26T08:00:00.000-04:00

It's official: Wrigley is a puppy school graduate! After six weeks of puppy class, our little guy received his diploma. Probably because every puppy did. Wrigley did complete all of his tasks during his final evaluation, so we were proud. We just need to keep practicing!

He loves his diploma.

I didn't get a picture of it until after he slobbered all over his name...oh well.
It adds some character.

Pancake is keeping it safe, for now.

Then and Now: Bath Time Edition

2009-10-23T08:03:00.000-04:00

Remember when Wrigley looked like this? All cute and fluffy? It was so nice to be able to give him a bath in the sink.

This was Wrigley several weeks ago....his very last bath in the sink.

Here here he is now...in the tub...like a dog. I miss that little puppy....but I love this big guy too.

More Photo Shoot

2009-10-21T08:29:00.000-04:00

Here are some of our favorite shots from our photo shoot with Loon Lake Photography. Wrigley looks so different now. It is so great to have these shots of him when he was a little fuzz ball.

Back when I could still carry him. Those were the days.

I heart this one. It totally captures his personality.

So does this one.

I hope you like them! These just might be on our Christmas card this year....

Cider Mill

2009-10-20T08:30:00.000-04:00

This past weekend the husband's parents came out for a little visit. And my sister in law, Erin, came too! We went to a cider mill in town and enjoyed some yummy donuts and bought an apple pie to take home (it was sooo good). We also did a little wine tasting...yum! Unfortunately I was lame and didn't take any photos except for this one of me and the husband with Erin and my mother in law in front of a huge red apple. But it was nice having them in town....it was especially nice when my father in law took care of Wrigley Sunday morning so that the husband and I could sleep in a little...it was heavenly. Love you guys!

Changes

2009-10-16T14:31:00.005-04:00

In honor of our first anniversary I've decided to change things up a little on the blog. We met with our wedding photographers, Matt and Angie from Loon Lake Photography, a month ago to snap some updated shots of us with Wrigley. We were so excited to recreate our wedding shoes shot, which we love...let me know what you think of the new header!

The Boys are Back

2009-10-15T08:00:00.000-04:00

So have you missed seeing Pancake and Henry on the blog? Wrigley seems to have taken over our lives...but we still manage to give the kitties plenty of love and attention. Here is Pancake enjoying some time in the back yard.

Oh, and Wrigley was there too. Keeping Henry in line.

It didn't go over too well with Henry.

Anniversary Balloon Ride

2009-10-13T08:00:00.001-04:00

Okay...I'm back. Did you miss me? I am happy to report that we have a new computer power cord that so far hasn't been eaten by Wrigley. We'll see how long this one lasts. Anyway, as you know, last Monday was our one year wedding anniversary. To celebrate we went on a hot air balloon ride! We were supposed to go on one during our honeymoon, but it was canceled because of bad weather. So the husband had the great idea to try again for our anniversary. We were worried because it rained all weekend...but amazingly on Monday it was perfect weather for a balloon ride.

Getting ready to blow up the balloon. The pilot that took us up works for remax on the side, so he used their balloon for this trip.

The team recruited the husband to help set up.

The inflation only took a few minutes. They start with just a large fan.

Then they switch to the heat. I was a little nervous for the husband....I was scared he was going to catch on fire! (But he was fine.)

This was the scary part. The team has to hold the balloon down while the pilot completes the inflation. I was nervous he was going to fly away! This photo was snapped right before they gave me the signal to climb in.

And in a matter of a few seconds we were up in the air! It was a really smooth take off. These people came to see us off. They just pulled over when they saw the balloon and got out to watch!

We flew over Lake Macatawa in Holland and got to see all the pretty lake-font houses.

There we are!

It was a really pretty day. Here you can see the leaves have started to change color.

The husband enjoying the view.

That's me!

It was a little cold up there, but not too bad. It was such an awesome experience!

The balloon right after we landed. They had the other team members (aka, the "chaser crew") follow us from the ground so they could be there to help with the landing. The pilot never knows exactly where he will land, it all depends on the wind speed and direction. We learned you have to be really in to the weather and navigation to be a hot air balloon pilot!

The landing was a little bit bumpy. We landed in a field out in front of a Marriott hotel. The chaser crew helped bounce us to a good spot and then held down the balloon down so we could get out.

The husband helping deflate the balloon with the pilot.

It came down in just a few minutes. Behind him is the field where we landed.

We did it! And we got a certificate too! Such a great way to celebrate our anniversary.

One Year Ago...

2009-10-05T08:00:00.001-04:00

One year ago we thought this was a good idea...

And we were right.

I love you baby, more and more each day. One year down, and many more to come!

Wrigley's Destruction

2009-10-02T11:37:00.002-04:00

Well, blog friends, I am going to be taking a small break from the blog. This is not because I actually need a break, but because Wrigley has made it impossible for me to use my computer. This morning he decided to eat our Macbook power cord. And of course the Macbook battery is dead too, so I have no way to charge it. The worst part is that this power cord only lasted us one week. Yup, you heard me right ONE WEEK! Exactly one week ago Mr. Wrigley ate our original power cord. Which we replaced that day at the Apple store....and I tried unsuccessfully to stifle a cry when we were told the total....those babies are expensive! Wrigley must have been dreaming about the yummy power cord all week. And this morning he got his fill of it.

So, needless to say we need to buy another cord and find a new place for it where he can't reach it. This time around I was a little smarter and saved some money by buying it online. However, that means I have to wait for it to arrive in the mail, so no computer for a week! Right now I am illegally blogging from work (don't tell!) I'll try to post during the week and hopefully we will be back next week with some fab pictures (as long as Wrigley doesn't eat my camera cord too!) We have a big event coming up this Monday....we are celebrating our one year wedding anniversary! Go us! So thanks to Wrigley you'll have to be patient and wait a few days to see pictures of our celebration.

Well, I'm off to buy stock in apple power cords. Have a great weekend! We'll be cheering on our MSU Spartans and hoping they beat Michigan!

Who Stole My Puppy?

2009-10-01T08:00:00.000-04:00

Seriously, who stole my puppy and replaced him with a dog? I'd sure like to know.

Country Living Fair

2009-09-29T08:00:00.000-04:00

One of the reasons my mom wanted to come to visit was so that we could go to the Country Living Fair in Ohio. She reads Country Living Magazine and apparently they have this big craft fair every year....so of course we wanted to check it out!

Welcome to the fair! We finally got there...after 5 hours in the car, one stop for breakfast at the Cracker Barrel, and one stop at Home Goods.

There were tons of tents set up with all the goods for sale...heaven!

These photos are for my mother-in-law. She loves her some Longaberger baskets!

Me in a big basket! And yes, it is Longaberger!

Big old pile of harvest goods.

I'll post some pictures of our finds over the next few days. I meant to take some that day, but it was so hot and I was feeling pretty parched by the end of the day. Our plan was to spend the night in Ohio and then go to some antique markets the next day...well that never happened. When we were leaving the fair the husband called me to tell me that Wrigley was really sick. And since it was my first time away from the puppy, and his first time being sick, I really felt like I couldn't enjoy myself until I knew if he was okay. Of course my mom totally understood and recommended we drive back home. So that's what we did! My poor little guy was feeling really crummy....and so was the husband after caring for him (and cleaning up after him) all night. Wrigley was fine by the next day, but I'm still glad we came home to check on my boys!

Window Redo

2009-09-27T20:00:00.001-04:00

Today I'm participating in Metamorphosis Monday over at Between Naps on the Porch. Go to her blog to see some great before and after projects! My mom was just out here visiting from California. Whenever she is in town we always manage to come up with fun projects to work on. And, since my mom is creative and extremely handy, I like to take advantage of her skills as much as possible...so I am always on the hunt for something for us to do!
One day while we were out shopping I spotted this old window and immediately knew we could make something cute out of it, so I snatched it up for just a few dollars.

Then, we found some adorable mis-matched knobs at Hobby Lobby for half price! My mom is so jealous that she doesn't have a HL by her!

Once we got our supplies we recruited the husband to help us out...since he is handy with the drill and all. He drilled four holes for the knobs....all the while saying "you want to do what with this old window?" It sure helps to have a husband who is a good sport about these things.

Then we (well, my mom and my husband...someone has to take the photos right?) screwed the knobs in.

Not all of them were long enough to reach through to the other side, so they had to get creative by drilling a larger hole in the back so the screw could reach....I know that totally didn't make sense...but it worked!

Then they attached some hooks on the back so we could hang it on the wall!

And there is it! I love how it turned out!

A close up on the knobs....my mom now wants to do something similar in her house!

It goes great in our downstairs bathroom! Thanks for stopping by!

Ice Ice Wrigley

2009-09-21T08:00:00.000-04:00

Wrigley has a new love....ice! He goes crazy over it.

Just Blame Harry

2009-09-19T08:00:00.000-04:00

Never turn your back on a teething puppy.....least you want to suffer a similar fate to Harry Potter.

The husband discovered this in Wrigley's mouth. My poor book. Torn to shreds (well the cover and first few pages at least!)

Why oh why did Wrigley have to take out his puppy aggression Harry? Does he know who he is messing with????

Wrigley's Favorite Show

2009-09-17T08:00:00.000-04:00

Wrigley absolutely loves it when he hears a dog barking on TV. His little ears perk up and he looks around the room for the dog. It is so cute! A few days ago I put the Animal Planet channel on and Wrigley was instantly captivated by the dog doing tricks!

Wrigley wanted to play too!

Am I a bad mom for plopping my boy down in front of the TV? It might rot his brain! He only watched for about two minutes...then a commercial came on and he was done!

Turkeys in Our Yard

2009-09-15T21:12:00.002-04:00

We have a family of wild turkeys that live in our neighborhood and yesterday they were in our back yard! You never see this kind of thing in California, but out here in Michigan it happens all the time! The pictures aren't the greatest because I was also holding Henry back....otherwise we might have been dining on turkey all week!

They started to take off once they spotted us....probably a good idea!

More Wrigley

2009-09-13T08:00:00.000-04:00

We can't get enough of this cute face!

The Wiggle

2009-09-11T08:00:00.000-04:00

We are working on being more graceful....so far, no luck!