Cooked Toots

Matt is working late because of tax season (I can hear my 3 readers now saying blah, blah, blah we know) but he is. I go to bed around 9:30. I just can't stay up later than that. Incredibly sad, I know. I do this because I wake up everyday at 5:30, except on Saturdays when I can make myself sleep until 7:30 and it's just glorious! Anyhoo, back to the story.

I have a little electric heater that I carry around the house with me. Matt and I have different opinions concerning the temperature of our home and this portable electric heater is my best friend (and it solves our problem in a very inexpensive way). Another thing you should know is that Midas is gassy. He just is and he can't help it. So Matt came home from work at 10:30 at which point I had been in bed asleep for an hour. Evidently, Midas had been tooting and I had no idea due to my unconscious state. I also was painting the crown molding in our bedroom prior to bedtime that the owners before us totally screwed up (pictures to follow) and that smell was festering in our room. I wake up when Matt walks in and hear him saying, "UGH!! It smells awful in here! Your heater has been COOKING his toots! And that paint smell! Is it even safe to sleep in here? LANA! Should we go sleep in the guest room?!"

Haha. Cooked toots.

Sarah Palin is the Bomb... and here's why

Ok. So I am driving along listening to Dave Elswick (Arkansas' leading Conservative Talk Show Host) on KARN as I do everyday. And I KNEW Sarah Palin was coming in to town last night, but I didn't want to pay $35 to go hear her. (Listen, Matt and I are trying to pay down some debt so don't think me cheap, even though I am cheap.) I hear the announcer say, "Dave has worked out a special deal with the Verizon Box Office. Go to the Box Office before 6:00pm tonight and tell them, 'Dave Elswick sent me' and receive your ticket for just $20!" Now, $20 I can do. There were a few problems though.

1. I had a dentist appointment at 4:00 on the far side in West Little Rock at the END of Chenal Parkway.
2. I LOVE my dental hygenist, but she talks more than anyone I know. Really, it's true. Appointments can run long.
3. It's tax season. So, you know I was going to have to go alone.
4. I have no idea where the Box Office was.
5. Traffic heading downtown on 630 is an absolute disaster. Not to mention the jerks who drive down the left lane and cut you off (which I NEVER let anyone do).
6. I have to go home and feed my dogs.
7. I have to buy dog food to feed my dogs.
8. I have no cash to pay for parking when I do in fact make it to the event.

So, I finish working by 3 and rush to the dentist. I'm in the chair at 3:50. After Jenae and I discuss my impending cavity I tell her, "Jenae, Sarah Palin is in town tonight and I need you to get me out of this chair as fast as possible so that I can get downtown and buy a ticket for just $20. She worked her magic, because she is the best dental hygenist after all and got me out of there by 4:30. Love her.

So, I rush downtown and I pray and pray and pray and traffic is really not that bad. Thank you, Jesus. I exit the Broadway exit and make a couple of illegal U-turns and ask a couple of security guards and they tell me where the Box Office (B.O.) is. I go there, they tell me they moved the B.O. I run up a hill, they tell me they moved the B.O. back down. Run back down the hill. They tell me it is indeed up the hill. I run back up the hill to another location. Find the B.O. Tell the B.O. that "Dave Elswick sent me". Pay $20 and sign a form that says the RPA (Republican Party of AR) will be contacting me asking me for $. Sure, ok, fine. Whatever to see Sarah Palin for $20. Run down the hill past all of the old people to my truck. Make it to Maumelle, run in to Kroger to buy dog food and cokes, push the cash back button and I'm golden. Run home, feed the sweet puppies. I let them outside to play and change clothes and make a sandwich to take in the truck with me. I let the puppies back in and they are covered in mud. LOVELY! Especially since they were bathed Monday. I grab my copy of GOING ROGUE and run out the door. I would be lying if I didn't tell you that I grabbed Kleenex expecting to get a little emotional seeing my hero.

So, I make it down town. Now, I am by myself in downtown NLR and wanted to bring in my mace but knew they would check my purse. So, I decide to park as close as possible. For $10, I parked in the First Security Lot which was lit and had a police officer there. I felt safe. Matt was worried, but felt better when I told him that.

I go in Verizon, find my seat and begin to read my copy of her book waiting for her arrival. Mind you, I have arrived an hour early. I sat next to the sweetest couple from Arkadelphia and they even held my seat so I could potty before she started.

Ok, the speech. She is magnificient. The excitement surrounding presence was palpable and the crowd loved her. Here are the reasons I love her.

1. She's consistent. She said the exact same things she said during the 2008 campaign. You know she means what she says.
2. She believes in a common sense approach to the government. She believes in limited government and that the national government is to step back and let small businesses and local government take care of things. We don't need Big Government or Big Business to run the show. When that's the case, only the insiders win- and they win with big pay days.
3. She wants taxes cut. She would do it too. She did it in Alaska. She walks her talk.
4. She was a small business owner. She and her husband Todd ran a commercial fishing company and she knows what it means to run an organization. I think that is so important experience wise.
5. She believe in strong national defense. She thinks we should stop apologizing for our actions to foreign nations and get back to building up our country.

I have about a billion reasons I like her, but I figured I would spare the 3 people that read my blog (who have probably stopped reading this tremendously long post already) and only list 5 things.

Sarah Palin, I love you. All of that running around was worth it and I am thrilled all of the cards fell in to place. The end.

Valentimes with My Valentine

Hello Blogger it's been a while! My life is exciting and fun to me, but I find it hard to believe the 3 people who follow me on here find it that fascinating. Lately, I have been training for the half marathon March 6 here in Little Rock and watching Alias. Can you say OBSESSED? But more about Sydney Bristow in her own post. I think she deserves it.

I had such a great Valentines weekend! I left last Thursday and went to Collierville to see my family! Mom, Lauren and I did a little shopping. I finally purchased a pair of "skinny" jeans from Banana Republic thanks to a tip I got from the Pioneer Woman whom I follow on Twitter. Well, they are actually "straight leg" jeans. When you have big ole' muscular cheerleader legs like I do, "skinny" jeans are not an option. But, I am so thankful for my strong legs that God has given me!!! :) Anyhoo, I also got a super cute purse at Franchesca's that I am thrilled to tote around town. We went out Saturday and trained all 8 dogs at Shelby Farms! It took 2 trucks and a dog trailer to haul us out there, but we made it. We had a blast. Lunch was at Cracker Barrel. Ken Gilbert and I just LOVE Cracker Barrel. SO silly. Worship at Grace Crossing was amazing as always. If you are ever in Memphis on a Sunday morning, that is where you have to worship. I can say it is without question the only place I have ever felt "safe" to worship.

So, I made the long trek home in the rain Sunday after lunch- after helping my sweet brother-in-law pick out a beautiful diamond neck less for my sister! Of course, I didn't pick it out. He has her nailed down and knew exactly what she would like. He picked it out and I watched! Matt was not able to go with me due to his tax schedule! I am so proud of how hard he works for us. I like to make an annual trip with out him and visit my family alone. He is so sweet to tell me do this too! Absence makes the heart grow fonder. We (meaning me and the doggies) got home and he said, "Ok, we can either eat somewhere quick and go see Percy Jackson (we both read the book) or we could go eat somewhere nice! You pick, sweet thang!" Ok he didn't say the last part, but he did let me pick. We went to Wendy's and saw Percy Jackson and just had the BEST TIME! Isn't that silly? But we did! I love spending time with him so much! We are not hard to please and he is always so silly and entertaining to me. He also bought me more of my perfume- VERA WANG and a sweet, sweet card. Matt Summitt is my best friend in the world and the best Valentine a girl could want!

Christmas times 2 and New Years

Happy New Year! I am so excited for 2010 to be here. Being in an even year just feels so much better than an odd year to me. I don't know why. More orderly I guess.

We had two fabulous Christmas celebrations this year! I have been on call the last 2 years and We have not been able to travel. So, this year, just like we did Thanksgiving, we went both places. We loaded up the dogs (in one kennel and Bear ALMOST killed Midas) and all of our presents for both families and made our way to Paragould the 23rd. We had a great time there. Of course, the rain was not very fun with the dogs and their one kennel and we got to dry off their feet each time they came in the house. Also, to make matters worse, we put their leashes on to go outside and potty when we get there and Midas chewed through his. That is the second time he has done that! The little stinker. We got some flannel sheets that we have loved using because our bedroom is the coldest bedroom on the planet. However, it is helpful that our dogs sleep with us and keep us warm. I think if it was warmer, we may be hot so it all balances out. I also got a Hobby Lobby gift card to get some things framed that I have been putting off because I didn't want to spend any money on it. I am taking one picture as soon as I finish this blog! They are drawings that my great grandmother did in chalk pastels. We also both got several devotional books. We had a TON of food of course and we both felt sick when we left. I DID GET this awesome cook book from Karan! It's called The Pioneer Woman Cooks by Ree Drummond. Her story is so cool. She was a city girl and was about to take a corporate job in Chicago. She was home visiting her friends and went out one night and met this cowboy. They fell in love and got married and she moved to his cattle ranch in Oklahoma. The cookbook contains all of her recipes that she cooks for her 4 kids and the cowboys who work on the ranch with her husband. She calls herself an accidental country girl. The recipes are SOOOO yummy!

It rained so much that we came to a baracade on the way to Collierville. We thought we might be stuck for a minute, but when the Mustang that was in front of us drove through the water, we knew we would make it in my Yukon. Christmas with the Gilberts was fun! That was the first time we had all been together since 2006. It was really nice. It was the 6 of us and our doggies! I got some Muck Boots for dog training! I LOVE them. They are so warm and easy to clean when I get dirty. I also got several gift cards to JCrew, Starbucks, Panera Bread- delicious and several things to carry cakes and cupcakes in to travel and a HUGE over night bag that I love. Matt got a waffle maker from Lauren. We've made them twice and they are so yummy. It is a batter from The Fresh Market. Our dogs loved being there and being able to play with all of their puppy cousins and brothers and sisters. Mom also took me shopping the day after Christmas at JCrew- they had an extra 30% off sale prices and it was fabulous! I got some super cute stuff. She's the best.

We came home and last week I slowly took down all of the Christmas decorations and cleaned the house up. It feels so empty now, which is strange because it felt so cluttered with all of the extra Christmas stuff hanging around everywhere! Lauren came for New Years Eve! We went out to Brave New Restaurant. It was allright. I wasn't super impressed. We came home early and got our favorite pie from Chips Barbeque. They are so delicious. We like the chocolate. We went to bed before midnight- my kind of New Year's Eve! We are also training for the Little Rock Marathon (we are doing the half) so we ran Saturday on the River Trail. I made a pot of beans and some cornbread, from my new cook book, and we just relaxed! It's been a great few weeks. I am going to have to adjust to a regular work week again!

Christmas Decorations!

Finally! I have been meaning to post this for a while. Here are the pictures of our house decorated for Christmas. First picture is of our new dining room table. I must say I am so proud of the light fixture. Several years ago, I bought these beautiful red balls from SAMS CLUB. There are about 500,000 in the box and so they usually go all around the house. I tied them to our light fixtures in the dining room and kitchen with pretty gold ribbon.



See? This is the light fixture from the kitchen. The table cloth was purchased thanks to Matt allowing Midas to create a super long, deep scratch in the table. I don't mind so much. Now, I get to purchase all kinda of pretty table cloths.

I copied this wreath card holder from the one and only Ms. Kayla Seaman. I saw it on her blog and loved it and immediately purchased one to hang and it is now covered in cards! I LOVE Christmas cards! I love to see what people do with them.

Oh Christmas tree! Oh Christmas tree! The bow at the top is a new addition this year. And I am so excited about it! I think it looks super pretty. My favorite combination is red and gold. So, it's all over our house! I hope Matt likes it too!

This is the fireplace. It was so fun decorating our new house for the first time. I loved finding homes for everything. And it is so cozy in the hearth room when the fire is going and the lights are twinkling!

Anyhoo, that's the Summitt house all done up for Christmas. You should come over and see it in person! I will make you a cup of decaf Freshmarket Christmas Blend Coffee. It's simply divine.

My Top 5 Favorite Christmas Songs

I absolutely love love love love love this time of year! It makes me incredibly happy. What really puts me in the mood you ask? CHRISTMAS SONGS, BABY! I wait all year long to listen to these songs and it is only for such a brief period of time! So, I start listening in November. Matt (who I like to refer to as Scrooge) does not like Christmas songs as much as I do. But, bless his heart, he tolerates it pretty well! Amazingly, I NEVER get sick of Christmas music. So, I thought it would be fun to post my top 5 Christmas songs. Side note: it was really hard to pick just 5.

5. Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree by Brenda Lee
Love it!! It makes me literally want to pull my Christmas tree out away from the wall, grab my best man, and dance around it in circles. I love her version of it and I blast it every time it comes on in the car and sing my heart out along with ole Brenda.

4. Blue Christmas by Elvis
This is my mom's favorite Christmas song. She loves to sing with the ladies in the background (do do do do do) really high pitched and I sing Elvis. We get so tickled every time. I love to call her when it comes on the radio. She has always made Christmas so special. Dad took me to Graceland 5 years ago at Christmas time and we got to see the whole house decorated for Christmas. That made this song a little more special to me.

3. Little Saint Nick by The Beach Boys
My very first concert we went to see The Beach Boys at Mud Island. I remember it pretty well and I love this song because it makes me think of it. It's also really fun to sing!

2.Joseph's Lullaby by Mercy Me
It is such a cool perspective of the story of baby Jesus. It is Joseph singing to Jesus and I love it so much. Definitely one of my favorites.

1. All I Want for Christmas is You by Mariah Carey
I know every word. I love to sing it at the top of my lungs. I love that Matt HATES IT! Haha. It has caused a number of fights in our 4 Christmas seasons being married. He tolerated it better when we were dating. :) So, I have started mouthing it instead. And mouthing it in his general direction, pointing at him and making sure that he knows that he truly is all I want for Christmas. (Him and perfume, a new jacket, rug, dining room table, pictures framed, comfortable PJ's, socks, time with family, lots of good food, face mask from Origins, new jeans, bag from L.L. Bean, the list goes on...)

Happy Thanksgiving!

We had such a great thanksgiving! It was so fun to be with our families. We started out our thankful holiday (I was definitely thankful for the long weekend) in Paragould. We left Wednesday after work and had Joe and our two precious dogs with us. Thursday morning, I woke up and Joe and Karan had already begun cooking and had been running. I didn't really have to do anything (except show up and stuff my face) so I went running at the track on the high school campus down the street. Have I told you all that I am training for a half marathon? Well, I am. So there. Now you know. Anyhoo, we had a delicious supper. Turkey, dressing, sweet potatoes, deviled eggs, green bean casserole, rolls, peanut butter fudge, peanut butter pie, pecan pie, pumpkin pie... I can't think of anything else. Matt and the boys went outside and shot skeet (which is their new tradition). Then, we took pictures as a family. I thought the one I posted below this was really funny because Nathan is out to the side by himself he-he! Friday, we debated waking up early and hitting the sales, but we decided not to and slept in a little bit! We tooled around town with David and Karan and hit up Sears and Radio Shack- Matt bought 3 new Playstation 3 controllers woo hoo!

We left Paragould around 10 and went to Collierville to see my family. Mom, Lauren, Matt and I immediately went shopping. We found a fabulous rug at the Pottery Barn Outlet that we purchased as my Christmas present and it now lays on our living room floor. Also, Ashley Furniture was having a 10% off sale and we really need a dining room table. We looked around and low and behold Sunday, we purchased a dining room table! I am soooooooo excited! It will arrive next Saturday and we have to drive back to Memphis and bring it home ourselves and set it up. I can't wait. We got home Sunday night and I immediately forced Matt to help me bring down the Christmas decorations! I am so thrilled with how they have turned out and will post them this weekend.

I thought it would be a good time to list the things I am thankful for this year. This Thanksgiving, I was so thankful to be with family and not worry about being called out for work. I am thankful to have a good job and to be able to give back and hopefully share the blessings that we have. I am thankful for a husband who makes me laugh and helps me realize how silly I can be sometimes. I am thankful for my two sweet dogs. I am thankful for our health and that in general, we really don't have much to worry about. I am thankful for a warm house, especially on a cold day like today. I am thankful for the blessings of this Earth. Even though they are not eternal and our real home is still to come, I am thankful for the little things and I am excited for what the future holds! Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

s.