New Dishes

Last week, I tried two new dishes. I wasn't sure how they would end up, but I knew I needed to try some new things.

Typically Mr. McB is not a huge fan of my cooking. He is an amazing cook and simply makes things up and they usually end up good. I am not like that. I cook and sometimes it ends up good, but I have to follow a receipe. However, I am getting better at adding and taking away from the receipe.

My first new attempt this week was Southwest Chicken Skillet from Betty Crocker. Of course their picture is much prettier than how it looked, but smelled great. I made a few changes, so here is what I did.

I poured a bit of vegetable oil into the skillet and added my chicken chunks. With a dish like this, I usually cut the chicken into chunks. I let the chicken cook for awhile, then I added a bag of Kroger peppers and onions. I did not use broccoli or mushrooms, b/c broccoli doesn't sound southwestern and the bag did not have mushrooms in it. I heated the vegetable mix up to get rid of the excess water that would cook in the dish. I then added a drained can of black beans and 1 cup of chunky salsa. After that cooked for a few minutes, I added the cheese. Instead of using flour torillas, we put our skillet over crunched up tortilla chips. Mr. McB and I love crunchy food. We then topped it with a dab of sour cream. It was a great meal. I really liked it and so did Mr. McB.

The next meal was taken off of Delicious Meliscious' blog. It is the Mexican-Style Chicken and Penne. Mr. McB loved this one even more and I thought it was quite good. With this one, I made up a lot of it on my own. I started off by cooking the penne in boiling water. Then a put some oil in the skillet and cooked up more cubes of chicken. The start of this dish was much the same as the previous. I added some salt and pepper to the chicken and then added some onion salt and minced garlic. Real onions would have probably been better, but I didn't have any on hand. I then added a fresh banana pepper from our garden and a can of drained diced tomatos with jalapenos. In WV, I couldn't find the chipotle in adobo sauce, so I used some sour cream mixed with taco seasoning and a little water to make a creamy type of sauce. This was as close to the chipotle and adobo sauce as I could get. I omitted the corn and let it cook for a few minutes. Then, I added white quesadilla cheese and a dash of cilantro leaves. This was an amazing dish. I immediately feel in love with it and Mr. McB said it was the best thing I had ever made.

So, two good, but easy dishes down the drain for the week. :)

Let me know if you try them and enjoy them.

Life Update

Wow, it has been awhile. I love blogging and reading other people's blog, but I can't seem to ever find the time to update my own blog. So, here is my attempt at a quick update.

I am still around, but I have been really busy. I really am trying to get better at this. Plus, I like to blog with pictures and can never seem to track my camera cord down.

Last time I posted, my in-laws were about to come to town to purchase a car for cash-for-clunkers. They indeed purchased a beautiful navy blue Honda Civic. While they were in town, we had dinner at Cheddar's and rented a movie. They decided on the movie from reviews. We rented Rachel Getting Married, with Anne Hathaway.

I like Anne, but I must be honest that this was one of the worst movies I have ever seen. Maybe it was a little much for me with the style of the movie, but I just didn't find it enjoyable. I thought the movie was extremely weird and the wedding in the movie even more strange.

The next day we took a trip to Wheeling, WV, about an hour from our place. We went to Cabela's and looked around there all day. Even though I am some what of a country girl, I do not like spending the entire day at Cabela's. After Cabela's we checked out a sports bar for dinner. It was pretty good. I had their nachos and they were huge. Finally, we got to go to TJMaxx. My MIL and I are both huge fans of TJMaxx. :)

After the in-laws left, Mr. McB and I traveled to Pittsburgh, about an hour away, to see a free Eric Church concert. We both love country and especially Eric Church. BTW...Mr. McB went to the same high school and Eric Church and actually knew his sister. :)

Recently, we have started a tradition of wing night with some of our friends. Wing night doesn't always happen, but we try our best to go on Monday nights when the wings are 35 cents at a local pub. We actually went this Monday and had a great time. :)

Since my last post, we have also been camping three times. We always head to Mountain Lakes Campground and make good use of my uncle's boat. We even got away alone for a weekend and go camping. Although I love my family and friends to death, I enjoy getting away by ourselves every once and awhile. If you are ever interested in camping and seeing West Virginia, I recommend Mountain Lakes campground.

My job is moving a long nicely. I am feeling settled in the postion and getting the hang of things at my facility. If you are new to my blog, I recently took a position as Admissions and Marketing Director at a local nursing home. This will hopefully jump start my career in long-term care administration. However, now I am thinking I should have been a teacher or principal. We'll see as time goes on.

We had a cookout at our place for our friends recently. We had the main courses, but we had our friends bring a side dish and premium beer. It was a lot of fun and a great time to get together with friends. :) We had a lot of wonderfuly food and my great husband made amazing BBQ and I don't even like pork or BBQ sauce.

At WVU, they have a concert the first night of classes. They try to bring in different areas of music. This year it was Kelly Pickler, Third Eye Blind and Akon. We headed to the concert with friends and actually got to shake hands with Kelly Pickler. She is adorable in person and my husband likes her even more now that he was so close to her. I wasn't a huge fan of the other groups.

This past week I went to a conference for long-term care social workers. I am not a social worker, but my position works closely with the residents and families. A lot what I do overlaps with the social worker. So, I decided to go to the conference and I learned quite a bit. After the conference, I headed to my hometown and hung around with my mom and had dinner with the in-laws. It was nice to see family. :)

I have also seen two other movies recently, The Last House on the Left and The Time Traveler's Wife. I didn't really like either movie.

I thought the plot of this movie was really good. Unfortunately, I thought it had a little too much gore to it. I don't care to see all of the details of everything that happened. However, I thought the plot was a great idea.

I had a great time seeing this with my girl friends, but I wasn't a huge fan. I thought I would love the movie, but I just found it alright. I found the plot really unrealistic. With unrealistic movies, I have a hard time getting into them. However, the movie was sad and made me cry quite a bit. With being sad and unrealistic, I just got mad that I was so upset about it.

So, there is my life update. Hopefully I will be able to post more. :)

Happy Homemaker Monday!

Behind on blogging!!!!



The weather in my neck of the woods: sunny with a pop-up sprinkle every once in awhile

One of my simple pleasures: going to my fridge at work and eating a clemintine whenever I desire (usually my lunch-lol)

On my bedside table: 'The Last Summer (of You and Me)'

On my TV: I'm at work...but when I get home I usually turn on Bones as background noise

On the menu for tonight: not sure...busy night...reception at work for me until around 6 p.m.

On my to do list: deep clean the kitchen and living room for guests this weekend

New recipe I tried last week: didn't try anything new

In the craft basket: trying to catch up with everything first

Looking forward to: our cookout on Friday

Homemaking tip of the week: vinegar works great for cleaning glass tables

Favorite Blog post of the week (mine or other): I love all posts from Kelly's Korner

Favorite photo of the week:ummm...nada

Lesson learned the last few days: accept changes gracefully and expect them to happen unexpectedly

On my prayer list: several people

Devotional, scripture reading, key verse: Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it.
~ 1 Peter 3:15, NLT

Join Sandra at Diary of a SAHM for Happy Homemaker Monday.

Happy Homemaker's Monday!

The weather in my neck of the woods: looks nice and sunny outside my office window

One of my simple pleasures: laying in bed trying to wake Mr. McB after my morning shower. I love the few extra minutes of cuddle time.

On my bedside table: 'The Last Summer (of You and Me)'

On my TV: usually the TV is just background noise, but I am at work right now

On the menu for tonight: Wing Night at Crockett's (a local pub)

On my to do list: clean our place and get rid of some things

New recipe I tried last week: I failed at cooking last week

In the craft basket: nothing....hoping to start up soon

Looking forward to: our wing night tonight and whatever is on the schedule for this weekend

Homemaking tip of the week: make time homemaking and crafts-I am not doing well with this.

Favorite Blog post of the week (mine or other): Hmmm...That is a hard one.

Favorite photo of the week:failed with photos lately.

Lesson learned the last few days: make sure you state your feelings if you have them.

On my prayer list: a few blogger friends

Devotional, scripture reading, key verse: any scripture dealing with casting your worries to the Lord.


Join Sandra at Diary of a SAHM for Happy Homemaker Monday.

Movie Review-The Proposal

Last night, Mr. McB and I wanted to catch a movie. We wanted to have a relaxing evening away from home. So, we invited two of our best friends to join us. There were several movies Mr. McB and I were interested in seeing. However, our friends had already seen The Ugly Truth, they do not like scary movies, and Mr. McB wasn't in the mood for Ice Age. So, The Proposal it was.


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Neither couple had eaten very much for dinner. So, we decided to stop at a little ice cream stand before the movie. Mr. McB decided on nothing and to be honest, my milkshake was not very good at all. Oh well!

We headed up to the movies and all bought stuff up there. If we get concessions, we always try to get the large size b/c our theater offers free refills on the large drinks and popcorns.

The Proposal starring Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds was fabulous. It is your classic humorous love story. Sandra Bullock plays an editor Margaret Tate who is originally from Canada. She is going to be deported; so, she tells her bosses she is marrying her assistant Andrew Paxton (Ryan Reynolds). However, the deportation office goes through a lot of checking up to make sure the marriage isn't fraud. So Tate goes to Alaska for Paxton's grandmother's (Betty White) birthday, where they are to tell everyone they are engaged. The movie is sweet with a lot of humorous parts in it. I won't give away the ending, but it is one of the best movies I have seen lately.

Everything was great, but the movie theater was way too hot. I was about to die. Mr. McB and I are thinking about a few more movies tonight. :)

Going Strong...

Not me, my marriage, that is. Everyone always says the first year of marriage is the hardest. I heard variations from this, but I truly think it is. Probably b/c I never lived with anyone other than my parents and my two best friends. I had never lived with a guy and it has been extremely hard to adjust to life in a two bedroom apartment with even the man of my dreams. Needless to say, we have had our ups and downs and several fights over something stupid. However, Mr. McB and I have struggled to talk things out and have been successful in keeping our love and commitment to each other the focus.
This weekend provided reassurance that our love and commitment to one another are strong. Our weekend together plans got changed, which created a fight. However, we talked it out and came out falling more for each other. I always seem more in love than before whenever we fight.
Last week was extremely busy with work and all. Plus, Mr. McB and I are trying to eat healthier and cook more often. During Mr. McB's baseball/softball season, it has been really hard to cook very often. However, we want to work on cooking for our health and for saving money. So, this past week flew by.
Friday night we were going to camp at a campground close to our house. However, the forecast showed rain. So we brought up going to our hometown. I really wanted to spend time with my husband, but we headed to our parents'. We got about halfway and I realized I needed to head into work Saturday morning to have a test read. So, we turned around. By the time we got home, we went to bed and cuddled for the night. The next morning we decided to check out some yard sales. They really weren't very good, but we got a few things we didn't really need like poker table top and a few old VHS movies. After the yard sales, we were going to head to the Upper Ohio Valley Italian Heritage Festival in Wheeling, WV. However, it looked like a lot of rain. So we headed to our home town. Mr. McB went to play golf with a few friends, while my mom and I headed to check out some sales in the area. We were supposed to eat at our favorite Mexican place, but they were closed b/c of a power outage after a terrible storm that afternoon. So, we settled for Steak Escape. Mr. McB and I then headed to the West Virginia Power baseball game with a few friends. It wasn't a lot of fun b/c of the on and off rain. I had my mom pick me up b/c Mr. McB went to see a movie with his step-dad and I heard it wasn't a girlie movie. So, I hung out with my mom and played with her pup. I ended up falling asleep on the couch I always use to. Mr. McB picked me up and we stayed with his family. We arrived to presents on our pillows from their trip to Maine and Boston. Mr. McB got a baseball hat and I got a mermaid nighlight. Cute! :) The next morning I woke up to fresh donuts. We didn't make it church, but we headed to lunch with his parents and my mom. We ended up at Olive Garden. I had the grilled salmon.

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The salmon was delicious, but it didn't settle well with me. After lunch, we hung out with each family for a little and then headed back home.

It was a nice little weekend and proved to me how important our marriage and families are.

Getaway or "Get Away" Weekend

As if Mr. McB and I haven't had enough breaks this summer, we decided to take another weekend trip. However, you all probably don't know this since the disappearance of my camera cord halted any updates of substance. Well, I finally found the right cord and will update about this past weekend.

One of Mr. McB's best friends moved home to upstate New York recently. To be honest, Mr. McB has been kind of lost without him. So, when we got invited up to his hometown, we decided to take him up on the offer-the only stipulation was to bring his girlfriend back home with us.

Mr. McB and I left Friday after our work day was over. Unfortunately, we got out an hour later than we wanted due to issues we were having with the rental car we had. The trip was really unadventurous except for stopping at Soergel's, our favorite orchard, for wonderful ice cream. I love traveling with Mr. McB. I don't have an explanation why, but I do.

We arrived to Pittsford, upstate New York, around 11:30 p.m. Michael and Cassie had pizza waiting on us when we got there. Then, I got a tour of the house since I am the only one who had not been there. We needed to get up early, but stayed up and talked until almost 2 a.m.

Surprisingly, we woke up pretty close to on time. We went to downtown Rochester and checked out their open air market. The place was absolutely amazing. They had vendors with tons of fruits and vegetables, vendors with fake products like Canal Street and an inside market with fish, meat, etc. I truly wish we had something like this somewhere close. We got a few fruits and vegetables, but I wish I could go to something like that every week. After the market, we got a tour of Rochester, NY. We then stopped at Wegmann's, the most wonderful grocery store. I had heard a lot about Wegmann's, but you can't believe it until you see it. I wish I could share pictures, but you can't take pictures in the store. We got a wonderful tour since Michael has worked at the sub shop for several years. The store has a prepared food section bigger than some grocery stores I have seen. So, we ate breakfast there. I got a bagel and biali. If you haven't had bread in upstate New York, it is a must. There bread is 100 times better than anywhere else. After Wegmann's, we got a tour of Pittsford and the surrounding area and then traveled to Canandaigua Lake where Michael's parents have a condo on the lake. His parents were waiting on us for lunch. After eating and hanging out, we went out on the boat and cruised around the lake. It was a little chilly, but overall really nice.


The beautiful lake


Cassie and I-I love this cute picture


Here are the silly boys on Michael's balcony


Mr. McB and I

After our boating trip around the lake, we all went into the little town by the lake. This area is NY wine country, so we stopped at a cute little winery for a wine tasting. The wine was pretty good, but we didn't buy anything. They had the best smelling wine candle though. I really wanted it for my kitchen, but could not allow myself to purchase it for the price.

On our way back to Pittsford, we took a few detours. When we arrived in Pittsford, we stopped at a nice mall and looked around for awhile. They had Vera Bradley notepads on sale, but I also did not let myself buy that. After the mall, we stopped at a place called Beers of the World, where they sell beer from everywhere. You can pick out as many beers as you would like since they are sold as a single beer. Mr. McB and I picked up seven beers.

Then, we stopped at The Distillery for dinner. Dinner was good, but I like the atmosphere better.


When we got home, Cassie and I were really tired, but Mr. McB and Michael built us a fire in the firepit. To be honest, we had a long night planned, but headed to bed pretty early. I really wanted to hang out, but I was tired and freezing cold. I went to bed smelling like camp fire. :)

The next morning, we got up and headed back to Wegmann's for breakfast and some shopping. We got a few things we couldn't get back home.

After Wegmann's, we headed on the road for Niagara Falls. I had never been and part of Mr. McB's family is from there, so he wanted to show me the falls. The were beautiful, but not as wonderful as I expected. Next time, we hope to go to Canada for a few days.






After leaving the falls, we stopped to see the Whirlpool, which was a disappointment to me. Mr. McB was amazed. Then, we were off to an outlet mall prior to heading home.

On the way home, we saw beautiful New York and PA wine country and I was amazed by the beauty.

More 101....

41. Play with Kona (our dog) and Braxton (our cat) more often-trying to do this more often, especially while it is nice out.

42. Celebrate Kona and Braxton's birthdays.

43. Take Kona on more walks-I love, love, love to do this while it is nice out.

44. Donate to a charity-for our wedding favors, we donated to two charties close to our heart. I would love to donate again.

45. Host Thanksgiving-maybe when we get a bigger place

46. Get wedding planning license-too expensive right now

47. Get long-term care activities license-too expensive and time consuming right now

48. Go to all WV State Parks-started working on this one.

49. Go to Disney World (again)-Mr. McB has been too many times, but I still love it! :)

50. Do a full scrapbook-I haven't done a full one for awhile.

51. Have a spa day with a friend.

52. Have eyebrows waxed regularly.

53. Go to wine country in California.

54. See more baseball-we have really boosted this. :)

55. Visit as many states as possible.

56. Buy a new laptop.

57. See a movie at a drive-in.

58. Go to a Broadway show again.

59. Have nice pictures taken of our family-only have wedding really

60. Watch AFI 100 List-probably won't like a lot of them, but it would be fun to do.

61. See Niagra Falls-going this weekend :)

62. Keep an address book/list of all important people and important dates.

63. Get a piece of Tiffany jewelry.

64. Read the Five Love Languages.

65. Buy nice sunglasses.

66. Whiten teeth.

67. Get job in long-term care -DONE-Admissions/Marketing Director at Mapleshire Nursing and Rehab

68. Get WVU season tickets to football

More 101 in 1001

Here are some more goals.....

21. Wash my face at night-I struggle with this. I get tired and want to go straight to bed.

22. Make a realistic budget -Mr. McB and I took care of this one prior to getting the truck. We wanted to make sure we could do it all.

23. Pay off all debt-This will be hard, especially if we buy a house anytime soon.

24. Boost savings account-Working on this one every pay period. We had a good amount of savings, but used it for our truck.

25. Go to garage sales-Mr. McB and I did this the 4th of July. I hope to continue.

26. Go to open houses-I love them and Mr. McB hates them, but we agreed to go to a few.

27. Spend one hour of quality time together each day-Working really hard at this one. I think it is going well.

28. Go on monthly date nights-We try to do this, but we are always so busy. The past few weekends we have been spending a lot of time together.

29. Buy a house-This will be a little while.

30. Get pregnant-We are waiting on this one too.

31. Take a family vacation with my family-We try to do this every year, but usually my dad does not go. :(

32. Take a family vacation with James' families-This one will be much harder.

33. Travel more-We have been doing this. However, there are some key places I want to go (Italy, Greece, Ireland).

34. Start videotaping major events-We usually only video Christmas.

35. Start doing random romantic things for James-I want to keep up the romance.

36. Send out Christmas cards by December 10th each year.

37. Vacuum at least once a week-Getting better at this.

38. Clean each room once a week-Also getting beter at this.

39. Keep pictures updated-I am awful at this.

40. Make our bed every day-Almost perfect!

101 in 1001

I have been looking a lot at goals that I may have and decided to follow a lot of leads and do something similar to 101 in 1001. I am not following it as strictly as some. I don't know how many goals I have, but I do know that I will keep adding to this list.

1. Organize the files on the computers-I have failed to do this one recently and can no longer function.

2. Subscribe to a magazine-I use to buy magazines all the time, but recently have not hardly opened a magazine. I really miss it, so I want to subscribe to at least one magazine.

3. Go to New York City during Christmas-I love NYC. It means a lot to Mr. McB and I. We fell in love there, got engaged there....So I want to go back during Christmas.

4. Go skiing more often-We live in a place surrounded by skiing, yet we have failed to go very often. I would also like to own my own skiis again.

5. Start sewing-My mother is a master seamtress. However, I haven't tried very hard. I want to start sewing, but our lack of space has prohibitted me from bringing my sewing machine.

6. Get a massage-I admit it...I am the last person on earth who hasn't had one.

7. Get a facial-I have done this, but it has been awhile.

8. Buy at least one new car-DONE-The silver Civic is my new car (Mr. McB's old car) and we got the new red truck for him

9. Read more often-trying to do this one....

10. Transfer membership to Chestnut Ridge Church-wanted to do this for awhile, but the membership classes are always at bad times

11. Go to church every weekend possible-We try to do this

12. Start having more quiet prayer time-this one is a toughy

13. Decorate for Christmas early.

14. Read the entire Bible.

15. Pay for the person behind me in a drive-thru.

16. Send a care package to a soldier.

17. Make a meal for a family that has had a loss.

18. Get down to 125 pounds.

19. Work out more often.

20. Drink more water.

Here are my first twenty......

Firsts

Obviously I'm bored at work...

Here is a list of firsts....:)

1. Who was your FIRST prom date? Adam
2. Do you still talk to your FIRST love? If I run into him, but we live in different places and only see each other every once in a while.
3. What was your FIRST job? Limited Too, well babysitting, but my first "real" job was Limited Too
4. What was your FIRST car? 86 Mazada something
5. Who was the FIRST person to text you today? I think Mr. McB...I haven't texted a lot recently
6. Who is the FIRST person you thought of this morning? Mr. McB :)
7. Who was your FIRST grade teacher? Mrs. Hall
8. Where was your first airplane flight/trip? Hmm..I think Chicago when I was little
9. Who was your FIRST best friend & do you still talk? Grant-we sometimes talk, but not that often
10. Where was your FIRST sleep over? Grant's, but that was common b/c we lived by each other-I would say "real" sleepover was Bethany
11. Who was the FIRST person you talked to today? Mr. McB :)
12. Whose wedding were you in the FIRST time? Aunt Sharon and Uncle Tim or Steve and Tina....can't remember which was first
13. What was the FIRST thing you did this morning? Get up to turn my alarm off and lay back down with the hubby :)
14. What was the FIRST concert you ever went to? I have been to a lot, but I think my first was Reba.....not sure
15. FIRST foreign country you've been to? Bahamas
16. FIRST movie you remember seeing? I would say Cinderella b/c it has always been my favorite, but the first I remember is Snow White.
17. When was your FIRST detention? Haha...high school for chewing gum....but the principal loved me and let me go after 10 minutes
18. Who was your FIRST roommate? Amanda :)
19. What is something you would learn if you had the chance? I'm not sure....I like to do so many things...maybe crocheting or knitting?
20. Did you marry the FIRST person to ask for your hand in marriage? First who was serious about it.....:)
21. What was the FIRST sport that you were involved in? I'm not sure if figure skating or gymnastics was first
22. What were the FIRST lessons you ever took? Piano
23. What is the FIRST thing you do when you get home? Put my bags down....then let out the animals

All about me!

Holly did a really cute thing for people to get to know her better. I really liked the idea. :) So, I decided to do one myself. :) Here goes......

A-Age: 24
B-Birth date: November 21
C-Chore you hate: the dishes
D-Dog's name: Kona
E-Enter or Exit: ? don't understand
F-Favorite color: PINK
G-Gold or silver: Silver
H-Hair color: Blonde
I-Instrument: Flute, Piccolo, Piano
J-Job Title: changing jobs-Admissions Director at a long-term care facility
K-Kids: not yet....
L-Living arrangements: Live with my hubby and our cat and dog
M-Monkey or Moose: Moose
N-Nicknames: None
O-Odd thing about you: I have a lot of odd things...I'm a hypochondriac
P-Pet Peeve: When people cut you off in traffic, when people act like you know nothing because you are young, when people treat you with no respect
Q-Quote from a movie: I have so many, but I love this one from Sweet Home Alabama.
Jake: You're shittin' me, right?
Melanie Carmichael: I never fully understood that expression, but no, I am not "shitting" you.
R-Right/Left Handed: Right
S-Siblings: None, other than the 6 I received when I married Mr. McB-Ann, Paul William, Matthew, Jeremy, Alexis, and Jonah
T-Time you wake up? It depends, usually pretty early
U-Underwear: depends on the day
V-Veggie you dislike: raddish
W-What makes you run late: waking up late
X-X-Rays: haven't had one for awhile....
Y-Yummy food you make: it depends on who you ask...I make an awesome grilled cheese
Z-Zoo Animal: baby elephants

Now it is your turn......:)

I'm kind of a big deal....

.....lol.

Not really, but I wanted to post about my new job-which I ACCEPTED. Yay!

Currently, I work for the university I attended, West Virginia University. The job was a good start out of graduate school because of the bad economy. I was lucky-I was one of my friends who came out of graduation with a job. However, I really felt like the job description was inflated. I was the development representative, but I was more like a glorified secretary-I wrote notes and signed thank you cards. Don't get me wrong, it was a fine job, but I didn't bust my butt for six years to be doing this.

My passion for awhile has been long-term care. My masters degree is in public administration with a focus on health care, most specifically long-term care. In January, I started searching for a position in long-term care, but never got one. I was a little bummed, but knew one would come along eventually.

Jump to two weeks ago, I opened the newspaper (which I never do) and the first job listing is an admission director for a long-term care facility in the area. So, I had to apply. This was the job I did when I was interning with a long-term care facility. From there, I got called to interview and then again and then I was offered the position. I accepted on Monday and gave my two weeks notice with the university. My boss at the university is not happy. Oh well, you can only worry so much.

I had to take this opportunity. This job was my short-term goal. I will be in administration at a long-term care facility. Couldn't really pass that up.....

I start July 7. I'm really excited....Wish me luck! Prayers are welcome! :)

I got the job offer!

I got it!

I got the new job offer. I think I will accept. The job is perfect for me. :)

BTW-Mr. McB found the camera cord. So, looks like I'll be updating soon. :)

Not the happiest....

I still can't find my camera cord.

I want to put up details about our anniversary trip to Baltimore, but I can't do that without pictures. :)

So, I must find the camera cord to blog!!!!!!

Feeling Relaxed and Big Purchases

As you can tell by my blog, I have been have a rough time lately. I'm not sure I completely love my new job, I've been feeling really pressured and stressed (even though I didn't realize it at the time) and I am constantly thinking about bad things happening (such as bad health and such). So, I haven't been having the best last few weeks.

I have been praying about all of this and my worrying for awhile now. However, I still seem to have the anxiety and problems. Everyday I seem to feel a little bit more like myself, but then sometimes that slides away again. So, I continue to pray and ask for God to not let the devil put these toughts in my head.

Today, I took a walk at lunch. I went outside my office and there is a trail along the river for bikers, runners, walkers and I started walking. I've been trying to get outside every pretty day, but today I just started walking. I stopped and talked with God and to be honest, I feel much more relaxed right now.

Thank you God for granting me some peace! I pray that you watch over me and everyone struggling with worry and anxiety and help us turn our worries to you and get past this. In Jesus' name, Amen.

On a lighter note, Mr. McB and I now both have higher paying permanent positions. This is exciting. So, to celebrate, we purchased:

A Sanyo 42" flat-screen LCD....blah, blah, blah...I don't know everything about it. I just know that it looks great in our living room and it is so nice to sit down and watch with the hubby. To make it even better, we weren't planning on this. We just happened to be at Wal*mart walking around when we came upon this beauty. It was marked down over $300-not a bad deal. So, we bit the bullet and got it.

Our One Year Anniversary

We did it! Mr. McB and I have been married for one year. :)

I wanted to post on our actual anniversary with pictures from our weekend together. However, I seem to have misplaced my camera cord-or was that Mr. McB that misplaced it? Anyway, I will write a post today about our anniversary and then try to post pictures when I find the cord.

Overall, I have had a wonderful first year of marriage. My love grows for Mr. McB as each day passes. I can't imagine life without him near.

I also won't candy-coat things. The first year of marriage is hard. It is hard to always agree. It is hard to get use to the other persons' lifestyle. It is hard to be around the person so much. It is sometimes not beautiful and perfect.

However, the good outweights the bad and it is absolutely worth it-especially when he looks me in the eyes and gives me a big kiss.

Friday night, Mr. McB and I hung out with friends. We went over to one of Mr. McB's best friend's girlfriends' because his friend was in town from NY. They were nice enough to grill fajitas and they were wonderful. Then, we headed out to see "The Hangover" as a group. That movie was great. I laughed most of the time even though I wasn't feeling great. Then, we headed back over to their place to hang out.

The next morning, Mr. McB and I headed to Pittsburgh, PA for the Kenny Chesney concert. For our anniversary, we wanted to stick with traditional paper gifts-so I got Mr. McB tickets to see Lady Antabellum, Miranda Lambert, Montgomery Gentry, Sugarland and Kenny Chesney. What an amazing line up. First, we went to eat at The Cheesecake Factory. I wasn't very hungry, but had the fabulous lunch portion of their grilled salmon. It was fabulous! :) Then, we got stuck in traffic for forever. After finally parking, we stopped by Calico Jack's Cantina. It was such a great place. Then we headed inside for the concert. I had such a great time.

After the concert, we knew we would be in traffic for awhile. So, we decided to stay in Pittsburgh at the Holiday Inn Express. I was shocked by how nice it was. The breakfast the next morning was amazing.

Our actual anniversary was not very exciting. We drove home from Pittsburgh, rearranged our living room and then Mr. McB had to coach a baseball game.

I will leave with a few pictures from our wedding.

Trolley ride to the reception

One of my favorite non-professional pictures

Our beautiful cake

Cutting the cake

Our first dance

The Wedding Party

Awesome Giveaway!

Fancy Schmancy Designs has her own Etsy site now. Yay! I love all of her cute stuff and I am sure you will also.

Check out her amazing giveaway and enter for a chance to win.

Tagged!!!!

Although not specifically tagged, Becky, tagged her blog readers. So, I am actually going to do this one. :)

Tag, you're it!
Open your FIRST photo folder.
Now find the TENTH picture.
Post that picture on your blog and then tell us the story of the picture!
The tag FIVE friends and have them do the same!

I am not on my home computer, which would probably be more interesting, so I may post again later.

However, the first folder is College-Friends.

Here is the photo. This is me and my best friend's husband painting their new townhome prior to moving in. She always commented that you knew your true best friend when they came to help you paint your house for no reason. I love them and wanted to be a part of this special process for them. Also, we had to get out of the apartment we shared. Haha! So here we are in all of our painting glory.

So, I tag YOU!!!!! Anyone who wants to play along. :)

In Case Anyone was Wondering......

I'm not pregnant.

With this feeling funny, bad, awful, weird lately, I have gotten the common question for a newlywed: "Are you pregnant?" "Could you be pregnant?" It started at the first doctor I saw. At this point, it hadn't even crossed my mind. Then everyone, including Mr. McB's step-mother (a nurse), began to ask the question on everyone's mind. Finally, it ended up with my old boss asking through a message on Facebook.

Mr. McB and I checked and no we are probably not pregnant. However, blood work on Monday will confirm this for certain.

At this point, I am very happy to find this out. Not that I don't want kids, but now would not be the ideal time for either one of us. Hopefully in a few years we will be blessed with beautiful and healthy kids. For now, I am happy with myself and Mr. McB and our furbabies.

I went to the doctor today and am happy to report she didn't seem too concerned. I'm having blood work done to check everything out, but she doesn't think this is any huge issue. I loved the doctor. She is actually the mother of two kids who play on James' baseball team and I think I've found a keeper. She listened to everything I had to say and was very understanding.

Thank you for all the prayers. Please continue to pray for me until I am clear with everything.

Our God is an awesome God!!!!!!!!

Just What I Needed to Hear....

As I brought up in the last post, I haven't been feeling well. It all started a couple of weeks ago and I've progressively gotten to feeling better since then. However, I am still having times when I am really dizzy and light-headed and just don't feel like myself. Being scared of everything, this has caused me some small anxiety attacks because the thought of death or serious illness keeps coming back to mind.
Luckily, I have another doctor appointment tomorrow. The first appointment basically told me I was having anxeity attacks and not to worry about it unless it got worse, it hasn't gotten worse, but it is still hanging on. Well, I needed a normal appointment anyways, so I am going and just discussing everything with my doctor to make sure I am all on track. I am sure it is something minor, especially after talking to every health professional I know, but my mind still drifts to what if I have something that will kill me.
I am a typically happy person, but this is tearing me up inside and making me extremely upset. So, I am asking for your thoughts and prayers.
I know that our God is an awesome God and will take care of me and watch over me, but sometimes the devil gets the best of your thoughts and emotions. I have been working through this by turning to God everytime I begin to worry and battling against the negative. At times this works, other times I seem to fail at this. So, this morning I open my devotional and find today is about the devil getting the best of your thoughts and turning your worry over to Jesus. This truly helped a lot because I realized that worrying isn't going to help me any, but praying to our Heavenly Father can.
Then, I get on one of my favorite blogs, Kelly's Korner, and she has posted words of encouragement from the Bible. These scripture verses truly helped calm me down and praise Jesus for the wonderful life I do have. I will continue to pray to have God help me through this and battle through the anxiety and worry I am experiencing. I ask you to also not only prayer for my faith, but also for my health.

Thank you God for being a truly wonderful and eye-opening God!

I am Back to the Blogging World!

Hello my few readers!

I am happy to say I am fully back into the blogging world. I was having a busy time with the change of jobs and finishing up graduate school. However, I am settled within my new position and feel I will have time for regular blogging. I hope to get back to my "exciting" life and things I love.

Also, I haven't been feeling well. A couple weeks ago I started feeling really strange. I went to a doctor and was told it wasn't anything that was a big deal-it could be a mixture of many small things. Anyways, I needed a general appointment anyway and will be trying out a new doctor on Friday. I'm happy to just be able to talk to someone about what I've been experiencing.
(Note-I am a hypocrondriac-I always think the worst is wrong with me)

My life has been consumed by baseball. Mr. McB coaches a Pony League (13-14 year olds) team in our town and he also plays softball. Also, he is a huge Pirates fan and the stadium is only about an hour from us. So, I have been living and breathing baseball the past few weeks.
Funny story-last night Mr. McB and I got kicked out of our first Pony League game. There is this one umpire who does not like our team. To be honest, I think he has anger management problems and definitely displays this while umpiring. It is important to take your job seriously, but I don't think it takes it seriously-he takes it as a power trip. So Mr. McB asked about a call and he got up in his face. This continued as he told Mr. McB to shut up, while staying in his face and pointing his finger between his eyes. This was extremely disrepectful. So, I had to tell him about having to earn respect, not just receiving it. So, we got thrown out of the game. I absolutely hate people on power trips-get over yourself.

Also, we got an adorable cat from people who rescue them. His name is Braxton and boy is he a cuddler. Kona, our dog, has had some trouble adjusting to life with a "brother", but she is doing rather well. :) I'll post pictures as soon as I get a good one. :)

Also, Mr. McB and I joined a small group to grow in our relationship with God, ourselves and other couples. Unfortunately, we had to miss the last one. :( I really am enjoying it and recommend it to anyone seeking more time with Christians.

My jeweler, Joyce's Fine Jewelry in Uniontown, PA, opened a brand new store. My mom came up and we went to the grand opening. What a fabulous store and fabulous evening. I was amazed by how I felt like I had stepped into New York City while still in Uniontown. Congrats to them! :)
Although we haven't been home in awhile, we have had a lot of family time. :) I love being able to spend time with our families. Most of our family was in town for my masters graduation and my sister-in-law's graduation. We were able to spend time with each family seperately and together. Eating was interesting considering it was an already busy weekend for restaurants and we had about 14 people. Unfortunately my dad was out of town and didn't get to come see me graduate.

Over Memorial Day we went camping with friends and family. Mr. McB plans a huge trip everyone. This is his thing-he loves this camping trip. Unfortunately, many people left early and I wasn't there a lot because I felt awful and I went to my hometown for the evening to see my cousin graduate from high school. I was not going to go, but his expression when he saw me was very worth it.

The group camping-minus me-Chris, Kayla, Jessica, Rick, Jill, Andrea, Tony, Mr. McB

Mr. McB's youngest siblings-Alexis, Jeremy, Jonah, Matthew

In the water-I hate lakes, but I sometimes get over it.

My mommy and me on the boat-please ignore my fat legs

Mr. McB piloting the vessel :)

Awww-Sutton Lake

Some of the girls-Lauren, Andrea and myself

Our campsite-well part of it

This past weekend, Mr. McB and I went camping for a night in a new place. We went with one of our best friends, Jill. The campsite was awesome and we slept really late. The whole area was surrounded by trees and the light barely came through. Also, we were surrounded by running water, which always puts me to sleep. That night, Mr. McB and I had great tickets to the Pirates Game. After the game, there were fireworks and the Zac Brown Band played. It was so much fun and so exciting. :) Also, we treated ourselves and rode over to PNC Park on the Gateway Clipper. I love being able to spend time with my wonderful husband. :)

Tonight we are headed to another Pirates game. Mr. McB scored the tickets for $2.50 each and they are decent tickets. :)

It's been awhile....

Life has been crazy.

I finished up my masters degree and will be graduating this Sunday. I'm super pumped because this means I'm done with school for good-unless I decide to go for my PhD- lol. I was really proud of myself this semester-I got a 4.0.

Now my mind is on to summer-oh wait-that's right-I don't get a summer. I started my new job on May 1 and don't really get any vacation time. That is ok though. I can look forward to working all summer. Ha.

However, my mind is wondering to the Zac Brown Band song "Toes." I really like their sound. If you haven't heard them, check them out. They are a mix of country and island music, similar to Jimmy Buffett and some of Kenny Chesney's stuff. I really want to take another trip to the Carribean, but I have so many trips I want to do. However, I'd love to go back and relive our honeymoon and 2nd honeymoon (friend's destination wedding).

Overall, the new job is alright. As odd as this sounds, I wish I had more concreate stuff to do. Oh well, maybe once my new boss sees my work, she will give me more. I'll eventually get to where I want to be.

The family is coming in this weekend. I'm graduating with my masters degree-did I mention that?- and my sister-in-law is getting her nursing degree. This weekend should be jam packed and interesting. Apparently, Mr. McB's dad is coming in today. That probably means he is not bringing the little kids with him-kind of bummed. However, he is able to watch James coach his baseball game tonight. Yay! Also, my mom and grandma are coming in tomorrow. Yay! My grandma still hasn't seen our place. She is really excited. Unfortunately, my dad and my aunt can't come-bummer. Also, my mother-in-law and step-father-in-law are coming at some point, but I don't know details. Should be a good weekend?

Mr. McB and I joined a small group at our church. However, I think we are going to have to miss the first two meetings. One is Sunday-right after my graduation and the other is Memorial day weekend when we'll be camping. Sundays probably weren't the best days to small group-oh well.

So next weekend we are going camping with friends. This should be a blast. :) I'll come back with lots of pictures. :)

My Small Problem with OCD

Sometimes, I become a little OCD about things. One thing is organization and cleanliness. I feel like I can't go on unless everything around me is organized. This could possibly be a form of procrastination, but I truly feel like I get a little obsessed with it.
Mr. McB and I live in a two bedroom condo/apartment that we love. We were the first people to live in it and I really like most everything about it. One problem-very little storage-and I have a problem with the amount of stuff I own. Mr. McB loves to camp, but we have no place to put everything. So, since he has brought his camping stuff up from his parents' house, it has been sitting in piles in our living room. This has been driving me nuts!!!!! We got a storage unit for the stuff and it looks like we can finally pick up the key today. Thank goodness!!!!!!
However, we have a house guest spending the night and we are going camping tomorrow night. So, it looks like the stuff won't be getting put away before he gets here.
So, I decided to procrasinate from grading papers and clean our bathroom. One thing I hate is being a guest someplace and having to use a bathroom that isn't shiny and clean. So, it was time for another bathroom scrub down.

1. Cleaned the two mirrors in our bathroom with streak free vinegar spray.
2. Cleaned the sink with 4-in-1 cleaner. I'm a stickler for a clean, shiny sink.
3. Cleaned and organized our over-the-toilet organizer. No matter how organized I feel it is, it never looks organized to me.
4. Cleaned the toilet with 4-in-1 cleaner and a disposable toilet bowl cleaner.
5. Cleaned the bathtub/shower with Scrubbing Bubbles cleaner and a cleaning brush.
6. Finally, I cleaned the floor with a vinegar cleaner I make.

So, the bathroom should be nice and clean for our guest to use. :)

Anyone have any great tips for cleaning bathrooms??

I Got the Job!!!!

Yay!

After all my interviewing and preparing, I pretty much had three job offers on the table.

I immediately nixed one because it hadn't been fully offered and I thought it was the most time consuming out of the three offers. Don't get me wrong, I know jobs take time, but I don't want to be away all of the time. I admit that some travel is good and sometimes awesome, but too much travel can get the best of you.

The next option was really good and truly in the field I want to stay in, but there would be a fairly long commute every day unless we moved a little more north. I am not totally against moving, but Mr. McB's job is here for now. He has the possiblity of a job near where we would move, but nothing has been confirmed. Also, the cost of living would be a lot higher and I would still have somewhat of a commute.

Finally, I have accepted the tentative offer for a position at the university I currently work for. This position would have me using a lot of my undergraduate skills. It is a combination of public realations/communication, donor development and special events. This is the perfect job for me. :)

Yay!!!!! Thanks for the prayers!

My Busy Day is Almost Over!

Hooray!!!! My busy day is almost complete. This is a day I have been truly stressing over, but with God's help it is almost over.

This morning, I awoke early to make sure I have everything in preparation for today. I wanted to especially look nice for my interview. I liked the way I fixed my hair-curly and back in a bun type of style. I hear wearing your hair back for an interview is best. Then, I put on my suit I haven't had on since I purchased it awhile back. Apparently, I have lost some mad weight-the suit looked too big, but it had to do.

I left for class and powered through class anticipating my upcoming interview. Luckily, my interview was in the same building as my class. So, I went up to the interview. Overall, I think it went fairly well, but you never can tell. I've had interviews I think went perfect and have never heard back from the organization. I have prayed about this interview and jobs in general. I tried my best with the interview questions. So, if this is the job or fit for me then I will take it. I just hope God puts me in the right direction.

After the interview, I grabbed a quick salad and headed to meet my group member for our presentation. We went to present. I thought the presentation went well overall. At least I believe the person who grades us liked the presentation. We had to develop a secret shopper program for the transportation company in our town. I think we put together a really nice program-I just hope the organization liked it. I still have to do this same presentation to our class in two weeks.

Tonight, I have another presentation. This one should be much easier and I am truly not concerned with it. So, for a few minutes-I am relaxing-which I haven't done in days. I look forward to later tonight, tomorrow evening and the weekend.

I'm going home for Easter!!!! Yay!!!!

Stressful Week Ahead

Praise God-He is probably the only One helping me power through this week.

Tonight, I drove in from my hometown (about three hours away)-had a group meeting for my capstone course.

Tomorrow, I work and then have to finalize everything for my capstone course.

Tuesday, I work and have to finalize everything for the rest of the week

Wednesday, I have class, a job interview, a presentation for my capstone project, and a presentation to undergraduate students

After Wednesday, I can finally breathe.

Please pray for me as I power through this week with God's help.

Prayer Warriors Needed

Hi all!

I have a huge prayer request. My best friend's husband, S, recently had surgery. The surgery couldn't be performed in state, so he had to go to a different hospital about 4 hours away.
However, there have been many complications with the surgery. His condition has been up and down. Now, he is in ICU at the hospital in the different state.
My best friend, A, has been struggling with her job letting her have additional time off and she is having trouble with her in-laws.
Please get on your knees and pray for God's healing power on their family. S needs to be deeply healed and A needs comforting arms around her.

Also, Mr. McB has been fighting a cold/sinus infection thing for about three weeks now. He gets a little better and then feels worse. At night, he has a lot of trouble breathing because he is coughing so much from the congestion. Pray that he quickly gets better because it is starting to really worry me-he never gets sick. Also, pray that his position quickly becomes permanent so we can have health care to battle these problems.

On a lighter note, pray for me. I have a few job prospects which could potentially turn into something. I pray for strength through this process and I also pray that God helps guide me to the right position.

Finally an update

Hi all!

I am still around. I have been super busy and haven't found the time to sit down and write a post. I've had so much I've wanted to share, but I have sense forgotten about many of them.

I never did an update about our conference, Capitol Convergence. The conference was a complete success. I had a lot of fun with everyone I worked with and must say I was extremely tired when I got home. However, I always feel like we get so close when we are around each other so long.

The beautiful capitol where the conference took place

The conference was in my hometown, the state capitol. So, I got to see my mom for a few. I arrived Thursday night with another of my co-workers so we could get everything ready. We got a great chance to have dinner and hang out that evening. Thursday, I wore my Limited cords with a teal v-neck shirt and a great shaw type of thing. I also did my adorable curly side bun.

Friday was very much all work. We got everything set up and ready to go. Then we had registration, followed by dinner and speakers. We closed the night with a session with the students. Friday, I wore black dress pants, black heeled boots, my black dressy tank top, and a purplish colored jacket. I wore my hair back in a headband.

Saturday was a long day. There were many speakers and many sessions. During the day, I wore black dress pants, a white tank top, my cute black Ann Taylor Loft cardigan and dressy heeled boots. I wore my hair pulled back with my Coach ribbon.

Saturday evening was our gala at the Governor's Mansion. The staff did a great job decorating and we all looked fabulous. :) I wore a black dress with a off white waist band. I wore my hair in a bun to the side. The speaker was my mother-in-law's co-worker and friend. I had a great time chatting with her over dinner.

The wonderful ladies I work with-Kim L, Kim C, myself and Kristi

My fabulous past co-worker, Neil, who helped with the conference

The conference coordinator, Brett, and I

Our staff picture-I love this one.

Finally Sunday, we had a few speakers and we all split up to do service projects. I lead a group to the Covenant House, an organization who caters to the needy. We were able to do things around the house to make it more organized. We had a great time. It was nice to be able to dress down on Sunday. We all got to wear jeans and our black staff shirts. Unfortunately, we all woke up extremely late, but we made everything work.

Spring Break

Over my spring break, I worked and my mom was able to come up for a couple of days. I've always been a momma's girl and being able to spend a few days with her was great. I really miss her.

We did some shopping. We both love to shop, but being a newlywed I have to watch my mom. So, for a special occasion, my mom and I did a little shopping. Boy, did we get some bargins!!!! :)

She came up on a Thursday and we went to the small mall we have in town. We also hit up Gabe's and our shopping center. We sure did find some bargains at the mall. We found my grandmother some awesome birthday gifts and we got ourselves some stuff off the sale racks. I got some awesome shirts for $4 each. Gabe's had a ton of Ann Taylor stuff, but I only convinced myself to purchase a headband. After dinner at our favorite Italian restaurant, we headed up to TJ Maxx. I found a Vineyard Vines tunic for cheap, but didn't buy it. I sure do regret that now. However, I did find this:

A Lilly dress for the cheap price of $7-I couldn't believe it

Friday, we were going to head up to Pittsburgh, but settled on outlets closer to home. I had never found much there, but it was a bargain day. I bought a beautiful black and white Columbia coat for under $30 and ski pants and gloves. I also bought a few new pairs of jeans from Gap and Banana. I scored some Crocs for my husband for $10-he wears them camping.
Here are my awesome purchases from Columbia

My mom and I before she left-oops we are sideways, oh well. :)

Finally, I have been doing some bargain shopping with the husband and on eBay. With Mr. McB, we bought some awesome pillows for our couch. They are beautiful. They are the white pillows with the black flowers. The other pillows were all on sale from Target last year.

I bought these awesome Lilly capris off of eBay for $10.

This past weekend can be summed up by my best friends birthday. Friday was my best friend of 12 years birthday. Her husband recently had surgery and is still in the hospital in another state. So, Mr. McB and I took her out for dinner at Fujiyama. We missed her husband, but we had a blast. Then, she came over and we watched movies and she stayed over. :)Saturday, I went to lunch with my two bffs, again for her birthday. We had salad and bread sticks at Olive Garden.

For her present, I bought her a Vera Bradley Capri Melon wallet-her favorite pattern. I also included a Strawberry wallflower to make her house smell summery and VS My Desire in travel sizes since she'll be making lots of trips in the coming months.

Here we are after dinner.

Please keep their family in your thoughts. Stephen, her husband, has a long recovery and a few more surgeries. Please pray for His healing power.

No Spring Break....

but my momma's coming to see me and Mr. McB.

I don't get a spring break because I have to work. However, my momma is a school teacher and her spring break is this week and she is coming to visit. So, I have taken Thursday and Friday off to spend some time with her. :) Yay!!!!

I'm such a momma's girl and I miss her a lot sometimes. I can't wait to get to spend some time with her.

My Lifestyle....

....living by faith.

Today, I was reading my devotion which was about living by faith. I constantly try to live by faith every day of my life, but I can't think of a better example of ways individuals live by faith than a couple of women in the blog world. They are my constant inspiration for living by faith and I try to do better everyday of my life because of them.

The first is Kelly

The second is Angie

The third is Erynn

These women are an inspiration and remind me to live by faith daily. I constantly think about the small hardships that have fallen on my life, but then I realize that these hardships are not monumental and that God and my faith will pull me through. I realize that all these hardships come as challenges from Satan. In the past, I have let these problems drag me down, but no more. I will endure these hardships, realize they have made me stronger, continue to pray and will stand strong on my faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

"Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus."
2 Timothy 2:3

Serious Life Magazine

Hello friends!

I wanted to put a shout out about Serious Life Magazine, a fabulous online magazine that writes about faith, families and other inspiring stories. The subscription is free and it will benefit you from reading it. This month, I was added to the blog directory.

Please go to http://www.seriouslifemagazine.com/

and sign up for your free monthly copy.

Adorable Finds

I have been in the shopping mood, but I am trying to be good and just look.

However, today I found two adorable finds. I probably won't get either, but I think they are both great prices.

They are both from Terry's Village, which has a ton of stuff on sale for really good prices.

The first I would love to have for Kona's leashes. It is a "Wipe Your Paws" wall hook.

The second is an adorable Leprechaun Dip Bowl. Mr. McB is Irish and I think these dip bowls are fabulous. You put ice in the bottom to keep the dip cold.

Help!!! I can't spend any more money!!!

Crazy....Beautiful Life

The past few days have flown by...... (waves goodbye!)

I work in an extremely small office and we have been preparing for special events, our upcoming conference and creating a minor degree. Although higher education is not my field, I have loved my experiences working in our office. If I could stay in higher education and do this, I would totally do it.
The past few days, I have been finalizing things with the massive amounts of students I am specifically working with this semester. I handle the Multidisciplinary Studies program at our center and help the senior students decide on a capstone project. This week, I have been organizing everything and doing my first rounds of check-ins. Also, I have been helping my boss prepare for organizaing a service-learning minor. I'm really excited about WVU having a service-learning minor through our office.
Also, next weekend is our conference in my hometown. I will be extremely business, but it will be a blast. My old co-worker is coming back to help with the conference. I'm so excited to see him!!!! We were such great buds!
Other than being really busy, life is fabulous! I'm loving that it has gotten a little warmer here. I love the start of warm weather. Also, it looks like Mr. McB will be getting a promotion. Yay!
But, it appears I have done something to my lower back. Ouch!!! So, I've been in a lot of pain.

I hope to update with something a little more exciting. :)

Interview from Lindsey

Awhile back, Lindsey featured an interview on her blog. I left her a comment wanting to do the same thing for my blog. However, it took me this long to do the interview.



1. What would a perfect day look like to you?
I have a lot of perfect days I can see. One of my favorite types of days is just spending time with Mr. McB in any way I can. Together, we have formed a lot of my favorite days by doing little adventures together-like traveling to Pittsburgh for the day just to drive around or just driving around and talking.
However, I see my perfect day as a cool summer day spent outside with a lot of friends and family-just enjoying ourselves and cooking good food. It would be ideal if it was at Mr. McB and my dream country home by a pond or stream and listening to country music :)
2. If you became president, what is the first thing you would do?
What a good question! I've never thought about being president, so I really don't have any idea. I have very strong opinions, but not very strong political opinions. I'm really stumped by this one.
3. Chocolate or chips?
Hmm...I don't really like either all that much. Occasionally I do like a little chocolate and sometimes I like to have a handful of chips. I guess it just depends on my mood. Most of the time, I'd probably pick the chips.
4. How did you get into your profession and do you love what you do?
The job I am currently in is not truly my profession. I am finishing up my masters degree and I am in this position while I finish up. I love working with higher education and I love working with the community, but I wish I had more control over my position and exactly what I am doing. Although I overall like what I am doing, it has nothing to do with either of my degrees. I would love to utilize my masters degree and work as a healthcare administrator, especially in a nursing home.
5. What do you love most about your significant other?
There is so much! I would say that I love James the most for what he does for me. I depend on him a lot and rarely does he complain. I know I can count on him for anything-cleaning the house whenever I need help, preparing dinner for us. He's the best!


If you would like to play along here are the directions:1. Leave me a comment & your e-mail address saying, "Interview me." If you dare.2. I will respond by emailing you five questions. (I get to pick the questions).3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions.4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions. The first five 'askers' get the interview!

Valentine's Day

I wanted to give an update since I go through stages of faithful and unfaithful blogging.

Since Valentine's Day was this past weekend, I thought I would recap my events.

Mr. McB gave me an early Valentine's Day gift by taking me to see Rascal Flatts and Jessica Simpson in concert with our best friends. I have always loved Rascal Flatts and was even lucky enough to meet them and talk with them a couple of years ago in New York City. I think they are fabulous and super down to earth. Also, I can't help but love their music.

I use to love Jessica Simpson. I'm not so much a fan since she and Nick broke up, but I wanted to at least say I had seen her.

We had awesome seats for the Rascal Flatts portion of the show, but not so great for Jessica. That was alright though because she wasn't that fabulous. Although I must say I think she looked fine. Maybe she gained a few pounds, but she doesn't look overweight-just normal.

Jessica-sorry so far away

I was super excited to see the show and wasn't disappointed. I think Jessica should stick to pop music, but I was so happy to see her. Rascal Flatts was amazing as always. Mr. McB wasn't excited about the concert, but came out loving it. He couldn't believe how great Rascal Flatts was. :)

Their entrance at the front of the stage



Joe Don-my favorite-he rubbed my back and winked at me when we met- he definitely favored our side of the stage


Gary-he looks like he has lost some weight

Joe Don again-this is when the balloons and confetti were falling

Mr. McB and I having a good time-he wouldn't make a nice face :)

For actual Valentine's Day weekend, we were going to take a nice trip to a cabin, but decided against it. It would have been nice, but we wanted to save some money.

I got off work early on Friday to no power. When Mr. McB got home, we still had no power. So we decided to go for a drive out to the lake before it got dark.

The lake looked so pretty. This picture doesn't do it justice.

When we got home, there was still no power, because our fuse blew and the rest of the complex had power. It was going to take awhile for us. So we decided to go out to dinner Friday night. We headed to one of my favorite places. I look over and there is one of Mr. McB's co-workers. I say, "Don't you work with him?" Mr. McB replies with "Yeah and there is my boss." So, Mr. McB heads over to speak. His boss buys him a beer and then sees me and buys me a beer. I was thinking-Wow, that's really nice. As soon as he gets back from the bar, we get seated. I felt extremely rude leaving them after just buying us a drink. We get to our table and it is large. So I tell Mr. McB to ask them to join us (they were trying to get in and out for a basketball game). So, we had a nice dinner with Mr. McB's boss and coworker. At the end, they even bought our dinner. It turned out to be a really nice evening.

For Valentine's Day, Mr. McB and I decided to volunteer at the nursing home I use to work for. We volunteered for their Valentine's Day Dance. So, dinner was out. We headed out in the morning to do something, but I had a feeling Valentine's Day was going to be lame. However, Mr. McB had something in mind. He took me to our first "date"-shopping at Target. I got angry until he told me why he took me there-then it hit me-how sweet! I got to get a few treats I don't usually get to buy for myself. Then, Mr. McB took me to get a fishing pole and fishing license. He loves to camp and I get bored easy-so he thought fishing was something we could do together. He also thought we could go to ponds on nice weekends and do devotions and fish. How cute! I love the idea. So, I got a pink breast cancer fishing pole and I can't wait to use it on the first nice weekend we have.

After all that, we went to lunch. We both ate really healthy and it was a great lunch. :)

Finally, we got ready for the Valentine's Day Dance. The residents had a blast and I felt really good doing something for someone else. Here are a few pictures.
Dancing and having a good time!

Me and my favorite!!!!


I hope everyone else had a blessed day! :)