Christmas Card Photoshoot

Last year Hugh and I did our first Christmas card together. It was our first “married Christmas” so we thought it was finally appropriate to send out cards together…Shhh…don’t tell anyone that we lived together before we got married…we’re heathens.

Anyways, we ordered our cards this past weekend from a design company that’s new to me but has been around for a while. I am 100% impressed with their work and I can’t WAIT to get our cards in. We decided to use a few of our photos from our European vacation but we wanted a photo of the dogs as well. We have tons of photos of our dogs, but Sunday afternoon I decided to pull out the camera to see if we could get the dogs to pose in front of the fireplace. You’ll notice by our outfits that this was a last minute idea and that Hugh and I never had any intention of being in the photos. I wouldn’t choose to wear my pajama pants and fat unicorn shirt for a Christmas card photo op. The chaos of the next few photos should explain how successful we were.

 Camera? You want me to look at the camera?

 Here, Tobey is wondering why Cassie is posing when this is obviously a painful experience.

 Tobey is tired of our game.

 We thought it might be easier if we helped by getting in the photo. LOL.

 Tobey isn't submissive at all and I wasn't going to be spread-eagle in a Christmas photo.

 Both dogs want their bellies rubbed.

 This is my favorite. Hugh had to carry Cassie over after he hit the timer so she's being flopped around a bit and Tobey is biting her ear. HAHAHAHA!

 If this one had been in focus I might have used it. It's too cute!

The photo shoot was a disaster but we laughed so hard that I might have cried a little. It was hilarious. Our dogs are very sweet and well-behaved, but that does NOT make them models. I think their true personalities came through in the photos and I’ll probably use a few of these in frames around the house. We ended up choosing a photo from an outside shoot that makes the dogs look much more majestic.

We can be crafty!

Thank goodness I married a man that is very mechanically-inclined. I tell Hugh all the time that his true talent is engineering. He can take anything apart and actually put it back together! He’s very good at figuring things out and this can truly come in handy. Several months ago my parents decided to downsize their residence and Hugh and I were the new lucky owners of their dining table. We decided that we could take on the task of recovering the chairs and making it our own.

First off- minor repairs. This table had been through quite a bit in its lifetime. It’s an antique and it had to survive all four of us children not treating it with the respect that antiques deserve. Hugh had to reinforce several of the corners of the chairs where the seams were coming apart. All that took was some time, wood glue and a nice set of clamps. Some of the chairs had to have the plywood under the cushions replaced as well, but soon we were ready for the fun part: picking out fabric!

A good friend recommended that we look go to High Fashion downtown to find the fabrics we wanted. What an awesome store! They have very eclectic furniture and miles upon miles of fabric. We probably spent two hours going from aisle to aisle trying to decide what we wanted. Hugh suggested that we use three different types of fabric and have mixed and matched chairs. YAY!!! Great idea. Here’s what we chose:

A few measurements and several hundred staples later we had a finished product! We love them, and I know that we both appreciate the fact that we did it ourselves.



Just what the Dr. ordered...

I realize that this might seem like a strange post topic, but with all of the "thankful" posts and such I thought I'd throw in something of my own.

Hugh and I both see the same “regular” Dr. He’s a family practice doctor with a specialty in Sports Medicine. Hugh and I both just LOVE him. He’s very smart, cost-conscious and he’s just an overall nice guy. Let me share with you some of the reasons we think he’s so great.

Hugh went in once for what he thought was a broken foot. We’d gone on an 8 mile hike and he was having some excruciating pain in one of his feet. We get in the exam room and after listening to Hugh describe the issue he has him take off his shoe.

Dr. Awesome: “HA! Brother-you’re flat footed as a duck! No wonder your foot is killing you.”

The solution: He used some athletic tape to bind Hugh’s arch and told him that he needed to switch to a running shoe that has serious arch support. He also suggested that he get orthotics- but not the $600 ones that you get from a podiatrist. “If you’re going to get them let me know, I’ll send you to a friend that will make them for $100.” Hugh’s foot was 100% better in two days. We didn’t have to pay for an x-ray or a boot. Hugh started buying better arch support running shoes and he’s had no issues since.

He will EMAIL you. Seriously. Here are some of my favorite email exchanges:

Jenn: Hey Doc. Should Hugh and I get flu shots? I mean, do they really work or are they just some government conspiracy designed to make us give more money to the pharmaceutical companies?

Dr. Awesome: That’s just dumb. Get a flu shot.

Recently, I broke out with some fever blisters (fun pregnancy stuff!) and I wanted them GONE! So, I emailed my dr.

Jenn: So, I have fever blisters and they are disgusting. If I were a hooker, I’d be eligible for disability. I want them GONE! Please help.

Dr. Awesome: You’re hilarious. Send me your pharmacy number.

Can you see why we think he’s so incredible? I feel like our doc is one of those “throw-backs” that you don’t see any more. He’s a genuine, smart doctor that truly cares for his patients. Hugh and I consider ourselves very lucky to have such a great doctor. J

The McCrea house is growing!

We’re having a baby!!

YAY!

Hugh and I are thrilled to announce that we’re expecting our first child in June. My official due date is 6/10/12, one day before our anniversary and three days before my birthday. I’m currently 10 weeks along and doing well. Hugh and I were able to see and hear the baby’s heartbeat at our appointment when I was 7 weeks along. My heart rate was 77, the baby’s was 154 and on the ultrasound our little June bug looked a bit like a dinosaur.

We told our families this past Saturday at a lunch for Hugh’s birthday. I’d ordered a little onesie that says “PSU Tiny Lion” on the front and “McCrea” with a number 1 on the back. Hugh opened it as his last gift. Everyone was surprised and excited for us. We’ve decided to not find out the sex of the baby, and I think that makes it even more exciting.

Kudos to Maegan for taking such a great picture!

One thing I must say is this: Hugh has been hands-down the best husband ever. He has been so supportive and sweet. I’ve been very sick with this baby for the past 7 weeks. He’s done everything! He’s cooked, cleaned, made me grilled cheese sandwiches after he’s already made a meal that I suddenly can’t stand the smell of. There has been no limit to his kindness and understanding. I had to sit out of a 10k obstacle course race that I’d been looking forward to for months and I literally sat on the floor and cried about it. For an hour. He just sat there holding me and telling me that he’ll run it with me next year. I love him so much and I’m very thankful that I’ve been blessed with such an incredible partner in life.

I’ve had a bit of a hard time adjusting to pregnancy. I guess I just had this thought in my head that I would deal with it like I deal with everything else; take it in, process it, compartmentalize it and then go about my usual life. Umm, not so much. First off, I’ve been exhausted. I’ve discovered this entire new level of tired that I didn’t even know existed. I would come home from work with dinner plans in my head and my work out planned out and I wouldn’t make it past the couch. I would just lie down and pass out. Then, I would wake up and Hugh would try and make me eat dinner. Here’s a recap of about 300 conversations that we had:

Hugh: “What do you want for dinner?”

Jenn: “Nothing. I feel nauseous and I didn’t make it to the gym. I don’t need calories at the moment.”

Hugh: “You’re going to eat dinner. The baby wants to eat.”

Jenn: “Did the baby tell you that?”

Hugh: “You talk too much. What do you want to eat?

Jenn: “FINE! Grilled Cheese.”

Hugh goes into the kitchen and begins to make grilled cheese. Jenn sits in a chair and watches.

Jenn: “You’re making it wrong.”

Hugh: “No, I’m not.”

Jenn: “I’m not eating that.”

Hugh: “Yes, you are.”
Jenn: “Fine!”

Jenn then proceeds to eat the entire grilled cheese.

Jenn: “Thank you for making me a grilled cheese. We’re going to have to discuss how we’re going to teach our child how to properly make a grilled cheese.”

Hugh: “You talk too much. Now you can go back to sleep.”

Isn’t he amazing? I would have left me a long, long time ago.

The other adjustment I’ve struggled with is my work out routine. Because of my asthma, I’m being treated jointly by my regular sports medicine physician and my OB. Originally, my OB told me that I needed to keep my heart rate under 140 when I work out. That pretty much means that I have to spend my entire time at the gym on an elliptical climber. BORING! My other Dr. and my OB discussed this (he basically explained to her that I would go nutso if I was that restricted) and I have much more leniency with my work outs. I still can’t go to spin class, or ride my bike but I’m much happier being able to lift weights and swim to my heart’s content.

We go back to the doctor on November 22^nd, where we’ll have first trimester screening ultrasound and a check-up. I’ll post more when we know more!

This is my ultrasound from when I was 7 weeks and 3 days along. The baby looks more like a dinosaur than anything else to me.

Until then,



Friday Stream of Conscience

·         If you’re going to drive 50mph, don’t get on the beltway. It’s just silly and I’m going to have to run you over.

·         I wore a scarf today and it’s just AWESOME! I’m loving this weather. And my heated seats in the car. Ahhhh.

·         Fountain coke tastes better than canned or bottled coke. It’s a mystery.

·         Hugh informed me the other day that I’ve been misspelling Tobey’s name. It’s Tobey with an “E”. Ugh. It only took him 4.5 years to tell me.

·         I want to find someone that will do ironing for me in my neighborhood and I have idea where to start with that. We got a new washer and dryer that are magical. We can wash “dry clean only” stuff in there, but Hugh’s ghetto work shirts still wrinkle enough to need a pressing. I’m not doing it. Neither is Hugh. I know our dogs are gifted, but there’s a limit to that.

·         Cassie can open our back doors. The hardware is handles instead of knobs and she’s figured out how to pull it down and push the door open. TobEy has not.

·         Somehow I’m down to two long sleeve shirts that I can wear under t-shirts in the winter. They both have stains on them so I’m going to have to break down and go to Old Navy.

·         I’m really looking forward to my sister’s bachelorette party this weekend. Champagne, Chick-fil-a nuggets and a spa day. I’m not really sure life can get any better.

·         If you want to feel overwhelmed and confused, just go to any Michael’s craft store and walk around in the scrapbooking section. It’s crazy. They have their own vocabulary that is secret and will make NO sense to people that don’t belong. It took me 30 minutes to find 15 sheets of open paper stock and an adhesive roller thing.

·         I found out last night that Hugh and I disagree on how to make a grilled cheese sandwich. Apparently we come from different types of grilled cheese households. Our parents really raised us differently in this aspect. We may need counseling.

·         Coconut water may be a “super food” but it’s disgusting. I would prefer to drink tap water from the City of Tomball (and that’s REALLY saying something).

·         Cassie’s hair is starting to make her look like a homeless dog. She’s a shaggy-haired dog and she’s currently in the “in-between” stage from her summer shave cut to her winter coat. She looks fierce.

·         I forgot to bring my lunch to work today. L

·         I’ve been dragging my feet on getting my dress for another wedding altered to fit me. It’s HUGE (it’s an oddly cut dress for my body type) and the alterations are going to be pretty intense. I’m not excited about paying for it or listening to the alterations lady telling me that I’m small chested. I also need to find a strapless bra that doesn’t make me look like I have deformed boobs.

·         I’m heading up to College Station this afternoon and I’m excited about getting to stay with my parents.

·         Choosing photos to use on Christmas cards is harder than it sounds.

·         I love my husband, even though he doesn’t know how to make a grilled cheese correctly.

Have a great weekend!

November Ramblings...

For those of you that prefer a more thought-out organized writing style: This entry is not for you. I’m warning you beforehand that I’m all over the place today.

Things have settled down a bit for us here lately. After my month of medical crap (I have no other words for it) things are finally getting back to normal for us. After being out of a gym for two months Hugh and decided to join the local LA Fitness near our house. It’s very convenient and we’re both much happier with a steady work out schedule. I had been running outside and getting plenty of the cardio that I need but I was missing my weight work outs.

The dogs.

Since we’ve moved in, Tobey and Cassie have had complete personality changes. Cassie used to be the most loving dog. She would do anything to be inside and in your lap. Tobey was the one that could care less. He would lay out in the grass for the entire day and most likely ignore you if you opened the door and told him he could come in. Well, now that they have a little over a half acre of fun to run around in all day, things have changed a bit. Cassie has a squirrel obsession. She spends the entire day in the backyard chasing squirrels. When she’s inside, she’s at the backdoor looking for squirrels. She was waking Hugh up twice a night to go outside and look for night squirrels. Tobey has become the one that is seeking attention and sleeping his entire day away. Don’t get me wrong; he spends most of his day running after squirrels and playing but the minute you open that back door he’s inside and done.

Well, Cassie caught a squirrel the other day. Caught it and um ate a bit of it. She left it on one of our stepping stones where the courtyard goes out into the backyard. I saw it when we came in one day and simply informed Hugh that he needed to take care of it and went inside. Ewww…. The reason I’m telling this story is that BECAUSE she killed a squirrel she has settled down. She’s become more like her old self and doesn’t seem to obsess about the squirrels any longer. At least, that’s what this doggie psychologist thinks.

Wedding(s)

My sister and Hugh’s brother are both getting married in the next two months. My sister Chelsey is getting married in a week and the other wedding is in December. Needless to say, Hugh and I have been spending a lot of time hosting/attending various wedding activities. Showers, Parties, Fittings, Meetings, Bachelor and Bachelorette parties….whew!! We’ve been busy. Oh, and then my other brother is getting married in Colorado this summer. I guess that only leaves Jordan as the “non-married” sibling. Hint. Hint. Hint. As the wedding festivities commence I’ll make posts about them.

Facebook

I’m really torn about Facebook. I enjoy getting to see pictures of my nephew and other family members. I like keeping up with old friends and such, but what I don’t like is the snarkyness of a few people. I don’t think it’s healthy and I’ve been wrestling with deleting my account for a while. Every time I go to delete it Hugh urges me not to because of all the positives. I think it would be a good thing. My life was fine before Facebook and it’ll be fine without it. I’ve been on G+ and I like it better, but to be honest I just feel like I have better things to do with my time that aren’t Facebook related. The more I type the easier the decision seems to be. I think it’s time for Facebook to go. If I’m stressing to see pictures of my nephew I can always have Hugh log in and look for me. OR…maybe my silly sister could email them to me.

Hugh’s Birthday

Hugh turns 32 next Sunday! We’re going to celebrate with our families the day after Chelsey and Eddie’s wedding in College Station. We’re going to eat lunch at Chicken Oil Company, which is awesome. Delicious. We used to go there after softball games in high school. Of course, this was back when I could eat a cheeseburger and Tijuana fries and it not end up on my butt. We’ll celebrate with our friends that night with sushi in Houston. And maybe a nap on Sunday.

Thanksgiving!

Originally, Hugh and I were going to spend Thanksgiving this year in Indiana with our favorite Aunt Anna and Uncle Paul. Ianthe (Anna) is Hugh’s aunt and Paul is her husband. We just LOVE getting to spend time with them. They’re great people, very interesting and educated, and we never fail to have a blast when we’re together. Unfortunately, the plane tickets are outrageous this year. As in, crazy expensive. So, instead we’re going to host Thanksgiving for the family at our house. While we’d love to be in Indiana, we’re both excited to be hosting a family meal in our new place. We’re going to attempt to decorate the house some and cook a turkey. Hopefully, our plan to visit Indiana over Spring Break will work out.

There….this is what’s been going on in our world. Nothing too exciting, but it’s our life and it’s real.

Love always,