Birthday #3 at Cracker Barrel

I love to eat at Cracker Barrel so when Luke's family asked me where I wanted to go that was my first choice. We had a great time last night and laughed so much. We talked about American Idol, movies, and of course animals. It was so neat to think everyone showed up for my birthday! Here is our group picture...and a picture of Luke and me...of course, it's a "hold the camera, bend you arm at a funny angle, and hope for the best" picture. And...Luke's eyes are closed...don't think I'll win an award for this one!!!

Birthday Girls

Christylee, Tonia, Alicia, and I all went to high school together. I am older than Christylee by one day!!! I guess that means I get more wrinkles faster....anyway...my birthday is on January 23rd and hers as well as Tonia's is on the 24th. Alicia's is in March, but she celebrates with us anyway. Last night we met at Chrustys house and had a blast!!!
She discovered a new recipe for Crab Rangoons which were a pain to make but way good. We had sweet and sour chicken, fried rice, egg rolls, and egg drop soup...all of which we made. I have never laughed so much! We listened to music and talked about the good old days of SCA...what fun! See, Alicia was always the quiet one, Tonia the silly one, Christylee the negative procrastinator, and I was always the dudley doo-right! We were perfect for each other!
I was so excited when I found Christylee in the 10th grade. I had been hoping for a best friend to share what my Mom and Aunt Debbi had. Mom's birthday is one day before Aunt Debbi's...and they were so close for 40 something years. I always wanted a best friend like that...so when I met her I knew just by our birthdays. Call it crazy or whatever...but we are best friends....sure we've had our ups and downs...but who doesn't. Even though she wasn't in my wedding...which she told me last night she wouldn't have worn the dress....but then again I wasn't in hers either...and I probably would have worn her dress, but told her I looked like a cow!!! We are still best friends now....after some 10 years! Love ya Chrusty!!!!

Well I can mark #17 off...

Mom, Dad, Luke, and I went out to eat Friday night to Dixie Cafe. This was the first time Mom and Dad have gone out to eat since they started their diet. We were all good (well except for Luke) and had salads....mine had fried chicken on it of course. I'm so proud of them though! Together, they have lost the weight of their cat Mertis...and boy is he a big cat!

I was able to get my birthday presents too! And, I can now mark #17 off my list....I'm going to meet PAULA DEEN!!!! Mom and I are going to Savannah to take one of her cooking schools. We're not sure when exactly, but I'm so excited!!! Do you think she will autograph a stick of butter for me???LOL

I also recieved my Grandma's wedding ring. That was totally a shock and very special to me. It's an antique for sure. Mom wore it for a while and I think it's so neat that on my left hand...I have Luke's engagement ring, the wedding bands that were originally Mom's, and now Grandma's ring. Luke's wedding band was my Dad's too. Inside they have their wedding date inscribed and we do too! They added YLFL (Your love for life) and we added BBFL (best buds for life...mainly because we were best friends before we fell in love).

So enough sappy for now. I had a WONDERFUL birthday and can't wait for many more!

Happy Birthday to Me!!!

Yesterday was my 25th birthday. I had a wonderful day! Mom and I got our hair cut, went shopping, and even took her Sadie Rose to Dr. Mike's! Luke and I went to Cozymels last night...it was really good. (I won't go into detail about what we ate....Mom and Dad are on the UAMS diet...and well I know she will read this).

It was a wonderful day. So, I came up with a list of 25 things I want to do before I turn 26....

1. Get caught up on my scrapbooking (yeah right)...nice thought though!
2. Try to walk at least 3 times a week.
3. Paint the outside of the house....yuck...
4. Walk, walk, walk....
5. Let my hair keep growing...not to get it cut short!
6. See my Mom and Dad become successful at their diet!
7. Encourage Luke with his photography....even though the 100 buck lense he bought last night could fit in your pocket!!!
8. Love my animals more
9. Teach Stormy not to bark at night (don't think that will work)
10. Finish all my unfinished projects (knitting, embroidery, etc.)
11. Cut back on how many Diet Cokes I drink....does that have to include Route 44's???
12. Teach Christylee how to scrapbook (we'll see at this one!!!HAHAHA)
13. Keep my car clean on the inside and out...basically free of dog hair!
14. Go to Branson at least twice this year.
15. Take a trip on our anniversary!
16. Cook lots of new recipes...some of which will have butter!!
17. See Paula Deen in person.
18. Learn something new in scrapbooking.
19. Learn some new knitting stitches....other than just knit and purl... I want to yarn over baby!
20. Train George to not have to be in a pet taxi when we are not at home and at night. (we'll see!)
21. Try not to joke about Luke's car....how it's....well....ok...I'm not going to say anything! LOL!
22. Spend more Monday nights with my Scrapbook Ladies
23. Spend more time in Gods word.
24. Reminder to self.....Marshmallows are a buck a bag....never MAKE them with Chrusty again! We'll have to do something new!!!
25. Decorate more for Christmas this year!....is that possible????

Ok, so no one cares about my list...but next year at this time, it will be neat to look back and see what all I did do!!!

And, I can always remember I share a birthday with Richard Dean Anderson (MacGyver!!!) What a babe!

Your one year older friend,
Melissa

Taking a Walk

Ok, so I don't have a picture of Madison and I going for a walk this morning...it's kinda hard to take a picture of your profile while walking. I got up this morning and usually I just walk on our treadmill. I sometimes have to make myself walk on treadmill. Luke laughs at my reasoning when I don't want to walk...I picture the money I am waisting by not walking on the treadmill we payed money for! I know...crazy...go figure.

Sometimes though, I just love to get outdoors and take Madison Murphy for a walk. She really enjoys it, and I think it makes her feel more relaxed during the day. So there is really no particular reason for this blog other than to talk about walking!

I love being able to get outside and enjoy the crisp, cold air, and seeing the birds and squirrels is the best! Most importantly, it's a time for me to spend time with God and enjoy what He has made for me!

Sorry, I was in a rambling mood today! Have a great day blog world!!!

Our House...

Ok, so I was home alone today and decided to take some pictures of our house. I didn't take one of the outside because it is raining out today. I figured some of my family would like to see what our house looks like. The last time any of them came to our house, we had no furniture! So here it is!

This is our bathroom and guest bath.

This is the kitchen. We love our table because it can sit 8 and it does sit a little higher up!

This is our guest room...or Nick's room. It also has a desk and TV there, but I couldn't fit it all in. We display Luke's photography here also. The colorful room is my scrapbook studio/dogs sleeping quarters. I love this room the most!

This is our living room. I love decorating with old stuff kind of like my Mom! It's also missing an end table and TV armoire (however you spell it)...towards the back you can see my "knitting" chair! I love to sit in that chair and knit or read.

This is our bedroom. It's also missing a mirrored dresser and 2 end tables. Our "deck" is something I love in the springtime. I'm able to plant plants everywhere! You don't really see our BBQ gril....and of course below is our dogs. They are ready to come in already...but you have to wait til at least 4:30!!!

Having Fun at Melissa and Duane's...

Luke and I went over to Melissa and Duane's house last night. We had a blast!!! We hadn't seen either of them since our wedding. I went to high school with Melissa...so we had plenty of old times to talk about.

Melissa and Duane have 2 kids: Valerie and Vanessa. Those 2 girls are SO sweet and very well behaved. Valerie is pictured here to the left...Vanessa was already asleep by the time I got out my camera. They also have 3 cats and 1 dog.

We laughed a lot, ate WAY too much, and stayed late! We talked about old friends, old flames, and joked about our siblings! Thanks for having us over girl. It's so nice to have another stay at home person I can now talk to during the day! You're a sweetheart...and we need to do this next weekend!

A new Cookie Tradition

I started a new tradition completely by accident with George and Madison. Madison get "cookies" which are really Lean Treats because of her pancreatitis. George now thinks he deserves a cookie too! So, you have to time it just right so that he gets his cookie without Madison eating it! He truly does think he's a dog! I wouldnt' have it any other way!

Luke's new Photography Website

So, as I mentioned earlier in my blog...Luke is being published for the first time! He was finally able to get his website all set up today. Check it out: www.lukewilliamsphoto.com

It's really neat and the pet portrait page is awesome!!! I'm so proud of him!

The Joann's Problem is SOLVED!

Ok, so I had to go by the store to get my Cuttlebug...they didn't have one in stock, so I ordered one!!! And get this....I had a 50% off coupon to use!!! So I got a $90 buck machine for $50 bucks!!!

Just had to share my good find! Even though the Customer Service lady was of absolutely NO help at all...I was still able to get my Cuttlebug...well I should have it in about 2 weeks!! Yeah!!!

Sitting on hold....

Can I just say I hate automated voicemail systems. I have been on hold with Joann's for over 10 minutes now...and if I hear that man talk about how he gave his time on some stupid gift for someone, I'm going to scream!!!!

I woke up this morning with visions of a new Cuttlebug in my head. I had a 40% off coupon which I got from my mom....and I was going to use it. Every time I enter it into the website it says this coupon has expired....yeah right! Today's the 12th right????

So, you may ask what a Cuttlebug is...well it's a die cut machine...one that's small and lightweight. It's a machine I can use my Sizzix big dies on!!!

Well....I'm still on hold....and theres that stinkin' guy again!! AHHHHH!!! I'll write more later...feel better to vent for now!!!

Your still on hold FOREVER friend!!

Melissa

Dr. House

Ok, for those of you who have no idea who this is to my left...this is Hugh Laurie...he plays Gregory House on House. It airs on Fox on Tuesday nights. Luke and I, along with mom and dad, love this show!!

He is an amazing TV doctor with a smart atitude. Yes, he takes pain killers, yes he's addicted to them...but he can heal people at the same time!

No reason really for this particular blog...other than I wanted to have a picture of him. I guess I am obsessed or whatever. I really don't care...other people in my life know how I get about my TV shows, boy bands, (yes I STILL like the Backstreet Boys, and no I don't have pictures of them all over my room anymore). I used to have so many posters hanging up it wasn't even funny when I was a teenager. I have retired those days...so now, I guess I can resort to posting a picture of my favorite TV show on my blog!!!

Well, have a good day blog world! I'm off to do something productive!

Curious George

George discovered the mouse on my computer today. Talk about being silly. He chased the mouse all over the screen. I finally had to put him in his bed so I could surf for a bit. He's a mess!

A Memorable Trip

Mom and Dad love to stop at Gilbert, Arkansas on the way back from Branson. Gilbert is a town with a population of about 20....that probably includes dogs! Anyway, they have this little cafe called the Riverside Cafe and the food is wonderful. Their bread pudding is to die for...I have the recipe which I make for Luke from time to time.

Well, we decided to stop at Gilbert on the way back from Branson over Thanksgiving. Dad, being used to his keyless entry, locked the keys in the Expedition. The Cafe wasn't opened and no one was around. Thankfully we had my car and Luke was able to get the keys out with a coat hanger and a pair of socks....talk about MacGuyver!!!

Here are some pics from that lovely time. Sorry these blog entries are out of order...this will help me catch up on some much needed scrapbooking down the line. I'll have all my journaling done!!!

Our Sunday School Christmas Party

Luke and I wanted to have the Sunday School Christmas Party at our house this year. Of course, we couldn't have a party without some sort of game. We did a backwards cookie decorating contest. The guys were in the front and the girls were in the back. The girls basically decorated their cookies without seeing them. We even did a gift exchange. Then, we went around and told of our greatest Christmas memory. Poor Casey Craft didn't even get the motorcycle he had been wanting.

Luke's fondest memory was when I put up and decorated his tree while he was in California. It was a surprise to come back into that TINY apartment and have a full size tree all decorated. My fondest memory was of the puff patch quilt my Grandma made. That thing could kill a small child it was so heavy...but her little hands did all the work!

This Sunday School class is a blast. We have learned so much from Tim's teaching every Sunday. Luke and I are truly blessed to go to such a wonderful church.

The Sandstone Mansion

This is a picture of Mom, Aunt JJ, and Faye McDonald Gillogley (she says you have to gurgle when you say it). This picture was taken outside the Sandstone Mansion (at least I think that's where it was). This mansion had the best food. It also had Christmas stuff EVERYWHERE!!!

Faye came down for our Thanksgiving and boy did she have some stories to tell. She was Ma's next door neighbor when Dad and his sisters were little. Apparently this neighborhood was very close.

Faye called one of the neighbors one day....said she was working for the telephone company and they were going to be cleaning the lines...if she could just put her telephone in a paper bag, it would keep her house from getting all dirty. Faye said the next thing you heard was a paper bag rattling.

Ma also told me that on your birthday you always had dinner prepared for you. They forgot someones birthday and ended up bringing it over to them on their hands and knees.

It was so much fun spending time with Ma and Chuck over Thanksgiving. We ate WAY too much, worked on some color transfer, and even knitted. Chuck and I also tried to fix their Christmas lights....although I don't think I was much help! Family time truly is priceless.

Making Marshmallows

Ok, so my friend Christylee had this great idea to make Marshmallows. We tried to follow the recipe from Tyler on the food network. We ended up making 2 batches....hers worked...mine didn't.

Lets just say Marshmallows are a sticky mess!!! We had fun none the less making a mess with powdered sugar...which I am still finding on my mixer!

We have been best friends since the 10th grade, and there's no one else I would rather make a HUGE mess with! This is such a great picture of us...big heads, pasty faces...you name it. Oh well....we learned a lesson...marshmallows are $1.00 a bag for a reason!!!

Cloverdale Animal Hospital

Mom and I had Dr. Mike and his staff at Cloverdale Animal Hospital come over for a Christmas lunch. It was a way that Mom and I could thank them for all of their hard work on our animals. We have been using Dr. Mike for YEARS...and have brought him countless things over the years.

He is a WONDERFUL vet and the only one for us. He is a no nonsense kind of guy. If you ever go in to visit him and he ends up saying "Well Guys....." you know someone is going to heaven.

Picture: (starting from the left): Pam, Paula, Stephanie, Dr. Mike, and Chris.

Christmas Morning

We had a wonderful Christmas this year! We spent Christmas Eve with Luke's family....which was kind of a marathon considering we had 2 church services on the same day! Christmas morning we woke up around 6 am...because I can't sleep late when there are presents to give!!! Luke got me the House Season 1 DVDs, a new bag for my camera and some other great goodies! He recieved a homemade calendar, a new watch, and even a Tim Ernst book!

Then, we went to Mom and Dad's to celebrate with them. Mom made some of the best Cinnamon Rolls out of crescent rolls! I was FINALLY able to give Mom her quilt I made...which was really neat. Dad seemed to enjoy his Nascar scrapbook album and his new video camera Mom got him. Chris liked his bag of junk food we got him!

All in all...it was a wonderful time had with family and friends. This picture was taken around 6am. at our house....notice our tired eyes!!!

Peabody Reflections

Originally uploaded by Luke Williams.

I wanted to put this picture in our blog because I am SOOO proud of Luke. This is the picture that he got published in an Arkansas Business book. It was a FULL page picture!

Aly

Aly
Originally uploaded by Luke Williams.

This is Alyeska. She was our first pet..other than the guinea pig. She found us at the Dollar Movie. I can't believe we've had her almost 4 years! She's a truly loveable cat!

Madison

Madison
Originally uploaded by Luke Williams.

This is Madison Murphy....my Valentine's Day present. Luke got her from Mrs. Nancy as a surprise for me. It has been so hard getting over Mollie Margaret...and Madison has truly helped me. We really didn't need a 5th dog, but the Lord has always provided for us and these animals.

Madison was on death row...her family of 7 years no longer wanted her after she got sick. So, Mrs. Nancy took her in hope that we would too! And we did!!!

She is a sweet dog and a BIG part of our hearts. She keeps me company during the day while the others are outside....the best part about Madison is that Luke chose her truly for me.

Beetlejuice

Beetlejuice
Originally uploaded by Luke Williams.

This is BJ...he's a mess. He goes by a whole list of other names, but I won't list them here. We adopted him from CARE he was on deathrow and was about to be put to sleep. I thought we could just foster him and move on...well now he's a permanent member!

Samson

Samson
Originally uploaded by Luke Williams.

This is Samson. He wandered up to our house on Mother's Day. He was only a puppy then. We posted signs, but no one ever claimed him. He's a BIG baby at 95 pounds...but we love him just the same.

Snoopy

Snoopy
Originally uploaded by Luke Williams.

This is Snoopy, our beagle. He is a little strange and has separation anxiety. When we first got him, he had no spark in his eyes...now he rules the backyard!!! He can roll Samson everywhere!

Stormy and her nose!

Stormy and her nose!
Originally uploaded by Luke Williams.

This is our CRAZY dog Stormy. My Mom and I rescued her from a ditch after it had "stormed"...hence her name! She is the most stubborn dog I have ever met, but we love her!

Georgie

Originally uploaded by Luke Williams.

This is our adoptive cat Georgie....or Jorgi....or just plain old George. He is my brothers cat that we adopted...and he's a sweetie. At first, he was into EVERYTHING....now he still is but in a more calm state! He really thinks he's a dog...and Madison Murphy is his Mom...

My First Entry

Ok, so this is my first entry in our NEW blog!!! I have never blogged before, and I'm not sure if I will keep this up...but we'll see.

Luke and I have no children...just dogs and cats...and even a guinea pig! So, I'm sure I will post lots of pictures of them on here!

Plus, it would be nice for our out of town family to keep up with us...


So there are my reasons for starting this blog!!