Hello World

Ahh! I am finally taking time to relax and recuperate some brain cells. Finals are over and I am taking the summer OFF for the first time in years! ^v^ My husband and I picked up a grill and a swinging bench for the lawn. We've been enjoying the outdoors with Gomez. We planted lilac bushes and are going to start growing some veggis. Nic did some landscaping work using the rocks he dug up a few years ago and it actually looks pretty great. We've also been playing bongo ball which is something like tennis, but with really loud plastic rackets. I'm really bad at it, but oddly enough, I love to play anyway and I am totally addicted! Gomez doesn't like the loud noises though and hangs out on the swinging bench a good distance away while we play. We made up for it by doubling the length of his tie out to thirty feet. His favorite pastime is chasing a tennis ball... Well, after eating. We got him some healthy sweet potato chews too. To make up for taking time off of school, I've been selling stuff on eBay and keeping up in my studies in Japanese. It's easy to study when you can play videogames from Japan and call it studying. ^v^ Of course, I have to play with a big heavy kanji dictionary next to me which slows down the fun a bit, but not so much. Life is good! I can't get away with living like this for long, I better enjoy it! I feel really blessed!

As I mentioned before I, my awesome Cooking Mama apron embroidered by Beeks, and my stuffed-tomato Cheep Cheep all made it into the August 2007 issue of Nintendo Power (volume 218, page 95). Prior to publication they were informed of the N+ contest and Beeks' amazing creative style. I regret that they didn't not include this information. However, I dedicate this article to the entire N+ community as it would not have been possible otherwise.
Click read more to see a scan of the article! ^v^

Read more...

My husband holding Gomez our 11 week old merle chihuahua!

From potty training to general obedience, I have been running around in circles taking care of Gomez- with lots of help from my husband. His size changes a lot of things. While potty training, messes are extremely difficult to detect unless he is caught in the act. Constant supervision is needed. I can't let him sleep in bed, because he might get rolled over on or fall off and break his little wrists. When I train him, I usually put him up on the bed and stand so that I can reach him more easily. The "down" command is hard, this is a dog that spends much of his time standing on his hind legs and hopping up and down to be nearer to us. However, his size is a great plus in many ways. He goes almost EVERYWHERE with me. I take him to Meijers (a grocery/general merchandise store similar to Wal-Mart for those of you who've never heard of it) in a special doggy purse. Not very many people notice him in there. He is nice and quiet and sleeps a lot at this age, so generally he is on my lap or on my shoulder. When he isn't sleeping it is energy abound as he plays with toys (his favorites are bigger than he is) and runs around at a rabbits pace. I am in puppy love. Since we got him just a few short weeks ago his ears have begun to stand up and he visibly growing all over. ^v^

Pictures of my husband holding Gomez!

Last night, I bought a new plant for the bedroom. Its name is Pothos. I believe the variety might be familiar to those who play Animal Crossing. Anyway, I have sort of a brown wilted thumb when it comes to gardening and the label read, "easy to grow." It needs low light, a temperature between 62 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit as well as moderate moisture. This picture was taken to show you how green and happy it is now. I've been taking really good care of it. I moved it into the sunlight this afternoon and then away from the window later when it got drafty. My room is kind of dim most of the time, so I have it up in the corner right now because that’s where the sunshine is still visible… oh; wait… the sun’s gone now. Well, anyway, I’ve been trying as hard as I can, even breathing nutritious carbon dioxide at it. In psychology class they taught that plants, not only clean the air, but they have therapeutic effects that hit us on sight, relaxing us, lowering our blood pressure, and all sorts of great stuff. The effects are similar to water. There is also scientific evidence that nature improves productivity in the work place and might even raise your IQ! I really want a plant in my room, but I’ve never kept a house plant alive before and I haven’t tried in years. I am not going to over water my plant this time (as has happened previously), so I really hope it lives and grows all over the place. I will take another picture in a few weeks to keep everyone up to date on its progress. Wish me luck!