Turkey Day

Much love and many blessings, from our family to yours!

"Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever."
Psalm 107:1

"They will celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness. "
Psalm 145:7

It's almost official... I just have to sign and mail the contract.
I have a job!
{ummmmm, future job.}
At CVS!
Starting May 1st.

{Ya know, as a pharmacist... in case ya didn't.}

My preceptor use to work with CVS and highly recommended it. I said "Well, I dunno..." and before I could finish my sentence he called the district manager and scheduled a sit-down with him the next morning at Bob Evans. I thought it was just going to be a little chat about what they had to offer and to ask me a few questions about myself. But it turned out to be a total presentation about every possible benefit of working at CVS, answering every question I had, and after 20 minutes he asked me what he could do to get me to sign... ?

WHAT?! I thought I was going to be traveling door to door asking if anyone had any positions open, filling out application after application, and actually being interviewed. And I hadn't even planned on starting till months from now. So saying this job came out of the clear blue sky is truly not a complete exaggeration. The whole "increased-demand-for-pharmacists-thing" is AWESOME (!)

Did I mention that when I called the manager the next day to accept, before I could get to the point he offered a signing bonus of a couple K because we're relocating. WE WERE GOING TO MOVE ANYWAY!! crazy =)

But I don't graduate till May 16th.
And I don't take the boards till mid June-ish.
And should I pass, I won't be a licensed pharmacist till I get my results back 4-6 weeks later.
How is this possible?

Luck.
They hired me at the "Grad Rate" until I'm licensed and I will conveniently be trained to the "ways of CVS" during this time so I'm not thrown into the world of pharmacy as the "boss woman" completely clueless. Always a nice touch.

My feelings on all of this? Completely blessed. With the unemployment rate rising, how could this be anything but a blessing?

Nick and I have been uncharacteristically giddy. It's a very exciting time in our lives and we can't wait to start looking for a house in Lexington after Christmas. I think the butterflies in my stomach have overdosed on caffeine this week and it feels a bit like I'm waiting for the bottom to drop out - too good to be true? Hope not!

Lord willing:

• future job - CHECK!
• future homeowner - CHECK!
• presently extremely thankful, blessed, excited, and in complete and utter awe - CHECK!

We owe everything to the Big Guy upstairs!Thanksgiving couldn't come at a better time - lots to be thankful for this year!

Just for giggles

I stumbled upon this video yesterday and just couldn't help but share it. I know nothing about these people except that it looks like they may have quadruplet boys - which is no laughing matter. But perhaps they're making the best out of it since they are posting such a cute little clip to youtube.

Also, they sound a little country. So just in case you can't make out what they're saying, the dad behind the camera says in the beginning "Now Dad's gonna make you laugh." or something like that. Then at the end, the mom says, "Daddy's just a regular old stand-up comedian, isn't he?", again, something along those lines.

It's even funnier how the laugh track to whatever show they're watching in the background kinda sounds like they're laughing at Dad too...

Post Edit: It seems this must be a clip from "Funniest Home Videos"... so maybe it is still a laugh track, or maybe the audience finally found something to make them actually laugh after enduring all the corny Bob Saget jokes...

Happy Birthday, Papa Smirf!

Can you guess who's birthday it is?!
Betcha only need one guess...
Yeap, it's my dad's!

I know he wouldn't care, but I'm respectful enough to not post his age on the blog just in case. (Only that he was born in 1952... is that around the time that the last dinosaur went extinct??? hehehe) This man has truly been the best dad a girl could ask for in life.

If Mom said no, you went to ask Dad (and vice versa). He didn't cook much of anything except spaghetti, which only happened to be my very favorite growing up and made him a superb chef in my book. A Godly man, an elder in the church and next to never shows any sign of anger. My sister and I always knew that if Mom was away and Dad was in charge of the discipline, there wasn't a snowball's chance in Africa that we would EVER get a spanking.

He passed on great genes of height to my sister and I, which the good Lord only knows we wouldn't have got from my mother's side! (My nose was also quite the pass-down from good old Dad and the rest of the Dye family tree.) He's been our constant chauffeur, shopping bag carrier at the mall, car starter in cold weather, the cleanest person in the house, and never ever ever have I once ever heard him burp outloud, curse, or leave the toilet seat up!

He has always been there for us. Sitting in the stands as I sat the bench in 6th grade basketball, turned cartwheels in the softball outfield during the game, ballet and tap recitals, gymnastic practice, cheering, and even an always present fan for the dance team in high school (which he had previously crossed his fingers I wouldn't join and dance at half-time in those (gasp!) midriff baring uniforms).

I love you, Dad! We all love you AND hope that you've had a wonderful 56 (oops!) years and a great birthday in 2008! Celebration to come this weekend!

P.S. Thank you for dancing with me at my wedding. I know it was the first time I've ever seen you dance in public (or private), but it is now ranking in my top 5 best moments of my life. You're so wonderful!

The Great Pumpkin Massacre

It seems I have become a pumpkin roll factory lately without any sign of it ending anytime soon. I went out on a limb and tried a recipe I found online and LOVED it. Don't be fooled, it's seriously NOT hard. I am no seasoned cook/baker/domestic diva and even I could make these!

It started a little over a month ago when in the midst of what was supposed to be a quick trip in Food City, I decided to buy 5 pumpkins. I hadn't grabbed a cart, thinking I could carry the few staples we always make sure to keep in the house that easily cover every meal... cereal and milk. So I picked up one of the pumpkins and decided to come back for the others on another trip.

Did you know that pumpkins don't come pre-washed and scrubbed clean?? Yeah, I knew they didn't either... that's why I took 5 minutes to choose the prettiest pumpkin ever and then scooped it up under one arm, putting all that nasty grimy dirty dirt next to my white sweater.

After the damage was done, I went back to get a cart, loaded up 4 more nasty grimy dirty but still very pretty pumpkins and finished the trip.

Skip ahead a couple weeks, I was craving Paula Dean's gooey pumpkin butter cake, found the pumpkin roll recipe, and was planning my last attempt at baking edible pumpkin seeds.

The pumpkin seeds were a bust (pictured outside on our deck where their little smoldering butts could quit stinking up our teeny tiny mansion). I totally burnt them within the first 3 minutes. Maybe they were still wet from washing before they marinated. Maybe it was the 10 lbs of melted butter I covered them in. WHO KNOWS? From now on, I will scoop the little devils out, wash and dry them, then pass'em on to someone else who knows what they're doing in that area. Every year I try, every year I fail. I'm done.

***What to do when the spilt food on the floor of the oven is causing a horrific scene of smoke combined with the burning pumpkin seeds, the fire alarm is going off and you can't see through the billowing gray clouds in your apartment and the resulting tears when smoke gets in your eyes??? GOGGLES! And if you don't have goggles, find the biggest, goofiest, ugliest sunglasses you have and where them instead; for your protection and the entertainment of others.***

BUT I did successfully bake a pumpkin roll on my first time! AND I MADE IT WITH REAL PUMPKIN THAT I COOKED DOWN MYSELF!!!!!!!!! (This is actually an even bigger surprise, but again, the internet taught me how to do it in the microwave which works wonderfully.) The only thing I changed since the first one I baked, and this is very important, was to DOUBLE the icing recipe. Trust me on this one. I also sprayed Pam cooking spray on my jelly roll pan, laid down wax paper and sprayed that too. This makes it MUCH easier to flip that baby out after it's cool down.

My little cousin Sydney loves pumpkin roll and spent the night with us again last night just so I would make her another one. She did help, a little.

My final word on the topic though... go ahead and use the canned pumpkin. It's so not worth the fuss. I know many people say that the real pumpkin makes everything taste so much better, (Mom), and maybe it does. But my taste buds are not discerning enough to justify the fuss of chopping, gutting, cleaning, microwaving, scooping, freezing, and thawing just to use the real stuff. I'll be passing on my stock of frozen pumpkin guts to my mother who appreciates the difference:

We're Baaaaaa-aaaaack....

Well, we're back.

We flew in yesterday afternoon and got back to the apartment last night.

Today, we were back to the grind, (or at least Nick was... I don't start my new rotation in Hazard till tomorrow). Back to getting up early, (again, just Nick.) Back to earning a living, (always ONLY the Nickster). And back to laundry, cleaning house, taking care of the pup, and making dinner (so at least I took care of these things... YES, even the making dinner bit.)

You want pics from the trip?? Well I'll give you pics from the trip.
(If your answer was no - then get lost, cuz here they come...)


Nick and I on the plane up there.
Why take this picture?
A tradition born from boredom. I'm sure you understand.

We were lucky enough to have Chad and Lauren pick us up from the airport and then drive us to see Nick's papaw. It was grrrreat to see him and kicked off the trip on a great note.

As you may know already, we went to a Detroit Lions game.

Did I need to post more pics from the game? Probably not.

Can't... fight... the urge... to post... as many... pictures... as I can...

I'm glad Lauren and Molly were there to keep this girl company while I stared at the "big green field" and marveled at the wonder that is an indoor stadium. I seriously did love getting to go to the game... but my "A.D.D." doesn't allow me to follow the actual game. For that matter, nor does it allow me to pay much attention in life, period.

(Really, I don't have ADD... just born to be a frequent space traveler.)

We passed Comerica Park, where the Detroit Tigers play, on the walk back to the car.

Maybe another day, Tigers.
I see a warmer, baseball field filled field trip to Michigan in our future.
(Did you get that?)

The betrothed couple =)

The scary married couple.
When you're weird enough to take your own picture (like we do all the time), you deserve to turn out looking creepy.


Awwwww, brothers.
Sisters grow up and abuse each other with only words.
Brothers are a completely different story, I've learned.

Thanks for the good times, C&L!

I ain't LION, I sware.

We made it safe and sound to Michigan on Saturday. L&C are great hosts and we just finished a great dinner a la chef Chadwick.

A funny pic of our car load on the way to the Detroit, Lions NFL football game today.

The indoor stadium was AWESOME even if the 0-9 Lions aren't...

Molly (L's friend from law school), Lauren, and me.

FUN FACT: Molly's from the great state of KY too!

The girlies @ the game

38-14 Victory for the Jacksonville Jaguars... apparently this isn't a huge surprise?

It was pretty good fun anyway.
HUGE plus that we weren't freezing our buns off outside too.
It's down-right frigid here.

It snowed on the way home from the game!

We'll be back from our mini-vacay all too soon.

Loves it! ~L

Extended lunch, Extended WEEKEND!

Thursday was the last day of my 4th rotation. You know what that means - I'm half-way through! Graduation is just around the corner.

I stole an extended lunch break yesterday and took the pup walking on our favorite local trail. I know I take this area's beauty for granted - the pictures don't even do the fall foliage justice. What a sweet day.

I love this last pic! He was so cute chasing a tiny yellow butterfly - I wish the little yellow gal had shown up in the photo. It was a quaint moment and seemed just how a sweet puppy should be spending his day.

I'm off to pack for our big Michigan weekend. We'll be spending the night with our newlywed friends, Adam and Jamie, in Lexington tonight. Then flying out tomorrow morning to visit Chad and Lauren. I could be wrong, BUT I don't believe I've even been to Michigan before... unless we drove through it to get somewhere else, but I don't even think that's been the case (where would we have been going??). If not, set me straight, Mom.

Back to the packing - we're trying to fit everything in our carry-ons so there's no chance to lose our checked luggage, no EXTRA charge to check your bag (lame). This will be difficult for Nick, darn near impossible for me. I already called Lauren to check if it would be okay if I use her hairdryer, straightener, curlers, and borrow any extra clothes or shoes I may need while I'm there... of course, she said yes. What would I do without her?! Checking a frickin bag, that's what. It's COLD up there, and winter clothes and shoes are BULKY.

So, excited for my first trip to Michigan, excited to see Nick's grandpa on the way to C&L's after they pick us up from the airport, and excited to spend time with our favorite couple that we (sadly) hardly get to see these days. They did visit us in Pikeville last week and somehow slipped out without any pictures! (Hard to imagine since I'm usually glued to the camera.)

This next one is for Lauren.

(L ~ Bob emailed it to me, let me know if you want me to forward it on.)

I can't remember if it's from Thanksgiving or Christmas. But if I do say so myself, we are two glowing girlie girls showing everyone our newly engaged, off the market, left hand bling. We are so lucky to have two fiances with such great taste. And I'm so lucky to have such a wonderful future sister-in-law! See you both TOMORROW!!!!!!!

Will be back Tuesday!

A Wealth of Health

HEY, did I ever tell you the tests came back - negative? I am so blessed.

(Reminds me of the time I had to get an MRI on my head and my mom told me, with a sad face, that the test came back negative - no brain. She's sooooooooooooo funny....)

NOW, that I have been given a good bill of health, it's time I start working on keeping it that way.

MAYBE, if I say it "out loud" to other people on the blog, I'll feel more responsible for eating healthy and moving about every now and then.

^^ Gag me.^^

THOUGH, with the weather getting cold again it's unlikely I'll walk my favorite trail as much, (which was about once a month in warm weather), unless the puppy's sweet little face can beg me to walk him. It's also his favorite place to find piles of wild animal dung and dig in like it was filet mignon. What a gross little brown beard that can give him.

ANYWAY, I believe this sums up my goal, which starts tomorrow, after I polish off this Wendy's frosty with M&Ms that my lovely husband just brought back.

hehe=)

Fun Times in Tennessee

Happy Election Day, ya'll!

If you haven't yet, get out and VOTE!

Halloween may have been Friday, but we kept the party going on Saturday with a trip to Bluff City, TN. Nick and I met up with a bunch of my gal pals from pharmacy school and their significant others. Anthony and Amanda Matney were sweet enough to host us all.

Can you say slumber party?

We ALL stayed the night - lots of fun!

The hosts in their very lovely kitchen.

Hendrix got to meet everyone for the first time - he was smitten with Anita.

We all brought a little something to munch on BUT check out Kalina's little display.

YUMMY!

We had been sitting around a while, debating whether we actually wanted to put our costumes on, but when Amber and Chad showed up already in character, they demanded we change, lest they be further embarrassed.

Hands down the best costumes of the night: Anita and Kalina as "Sleepy" and "Happy"... completely appropriately chosen.

The girls: Amber, me, Amanda, Anita, Kalina, and Tami.

"Got a little captain in you?"

Michael and Tami, the newly engaged punk rockers.

Amber and Chad... how sweet of them to include our boy as their "huntin' dog".
=)


I found this homemade Indian dress in my mom's garage this week. I think my sister wore it in a high school honor choir skit about 12 years ago...


I was doing the "little-kid-playing-Indian-hand-on-mouth-bahbahbah-noise-thing" but it just came out like I was yawning in all the pictures.

I never think my photo poses through thoroughly enough... would never make it as a super-model... guess I'll stick with pill pusher......


Indian sisters =)


"Sleepy" turned "Pirate"...


"Hendrix" turned "Sleepy"...

The boys built a bon-fire outside.
Apparently it brought out the Disney in us all.


Is that Bambi?

Somehow, Nick dodged the camera alllllll night. He's pretty slick sometimes.

(Don't worry, you didn't miss anything, he turned down every one of my creative costume suggestions...)

Thanks Matneys!