Fall Fun

Well, it's official! The Haunted Housewarming will be on 10/20, kicking off at 1pm. The invitations went out in the mail Wednesday... Please if any of you have some tasty and spooky recipes, please pass them along...

As for the monthly dinner party... Matt and I were planning on having it at our house on Friday, October 12th (we switched months with Jen). We didn't want to cheat everyone out of the dinner party because we don't really think the housewarming will be the same, however, I know that this can be a busy month. Please let me know if you will be able/want to make it out to the city two weekends in a row... I will also send out an email for the bums that don't blog!

Are we done yet?

Well, I don't know how boring this is becoming for everyone reading, but this is about the extent of my excitement lately... Home Improvement! This weekend was pretty productive. On Saturday Matt and I continued the never-ending painting. (Note the picture to the right entitled "Defying Gravity" on which Matt attempts to paint the ceiling in the stairwell without making me a widow...) We also continued the yellow into the kitchen. (We need Mike B to come back to STL to help us re-trim the breakfast room!)

On Sunday, Matt had to work, so my dad offered to come out and help me knock out a couple projects... First objective was hanging a quilt that my great-grandmother made over 40 years ago. I learned from this project that we need to have a simulator house. Things always go smoother the second time around... However, the quilt is now up and while very yellow, it is very cool.

Lastly, I would like to say... If you were ever thinking of purchasing a power washer- DO IT! My dad borrowed my brother's and did the back patio... I couldn't believe what a difference pressurized water could make. We still have some stains to tackle, but I want him to bring it back so that we can do the rest of the house... See the difference? The concrete on the left has been washed, if you can't tell... And just remember... We will feed and hydrate (or dehydrate with alcohol- whichever you prefer) anyone that wants to come over and help!

Happy National Speak Like a Pirate Day!!!

Just wanted to wish everyone a mighty fine day full of bountiful treasures!
http://www.talklikeapirate.com/

Well, I think that I may have created a monster with a comment I made on Susan's blog... Matt and I have always planned on babies, however, we are pretty far behind the curve in establishment... We have decided that when I get the green light from the 15 doctors I see (slight exaggeration), we can begin getting ready... So we are thinking that in 6 months I can start going off the toxic drugs. So that means that it will probably be 9-12 months before we start. I know it's not right around the corner, but there are a lot of considerations for us... So, for curious minds... That's the deal- subject to change...

Tis the season

So, as you all know, I am a bit of a Halloween freak... And, yes, the Halloween part is imperative... I am still trying out all this fancy blogger stuff, so any help is welcome! I would like to get a countdown banner like Susan has for Peanut... Any other ideas?

New Addition!

So, Matt and I are now the proud owners of new bedroom furniture! I just thought that I would post a couple pics so that those of you unable to wait until the dinner party or housewarming can get a glimpse! We are so happy that everything fit! For and 11x12 room, we managed to fit in a chest of drawers, an armoire, and two nightstands... We still need a headboard, but Matt and I are debating between metal or upholstered... Matt is concerned with the comfort of a big piece of metal behind his head, but I think that it would look better in the room... Whatcha guys think?

Cheers!

Another month has passed and yet another eventful dinner party! A good time was had by all as we indulged in BBQ and all the fixin's... This one was particularly special because the VA crew was in attendance. The only thing that was missing was our Indy folk! Here is a good pic of the girls (we couldn't coral the guys long enough to get a group shot of them). Being a bit chilly, there was quite a bit of consumption of "antifreeze for the soul"... Which led to some less than appropriate dinner conversations! However, it didn't stop Katie and Kim from giving the guys a little show! And yes, I still plan on hosting the sex toy party...

It has been discussed that we will switch months with Jen because of the Halloween party plans... (My cousin's wedding kinda makes it tough to do it on the 27th, so the weekend before seems to be the best alternative.) So I believe the next event will be at our place on October 12th. We can confirm on Monday at the Windle's. And start thinking about your Halloween costumes! I expect more than a Cardinals fan this year, Susan! Matt and I are going to be Gomez and Morticia Addams... I wanted to dress up Denver and Malibu as Pugsley and Wednesday, but Matt won't let me...

A Little Help Please!

So, I've been thinking of a way to earn some supplemental income lately and I came across this opportunity on Craig's List... It is for being a consultant for a company that sells custom made handbags designed by the consumer. AKA- purse parties. I think that it is a fantastic concept and the bags are super cute (Kate Spade like), but I am still weighing the pros and cons. I am relying on all of you to offer your support, suggestions, feedback... I have included some web links on the sidebar of various bag resources as well as a poll (thanks, Susan) for you guys to check out. Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

More Good News!

No, I'm not pregnant! However, I am feeling great for the 4th day in a row! I started antibiotics last Wednesday and it appears that it was a nasty infection in my gut all along. Of course, there is still the Crohn's to content with, but this has alleviated many of my symptoms.

So, in other news... Sunday was the "8th Annual Emerson Picnic." Matt and I spent the afternoon mingling with family, sampling grilled dove (much anticipated every year), and chasing after the Boo Brothers. Here are some cute pictures of the boys... (Note Jackson's early affinity for booze in the last one! He crawled right over to the cooler and took the lid off.)

The Good and the Bad

Just to provide a little update, I know everyone is pretty much aware that I've been in a rough place for quite some time. Well, with all the drugs that my gastrointestinal specialist has me taking and all the tests that have been run to find anything else that might be causing so much trouble, I finally went to another doctor yesterday for a second opinion. While my file had not been faxed by my GI, he was able to pull my test results and told me that with the extensive amount of active disease in my ileum (where the small and large intestine meet) he doesn't believe that the treatment I am currently on will work. While I really like the GI I have been working with, he always used terms like "quite a bit" and such. This doctor was specific and I felt that he wasn't sugar coating or dumbing down his interpretation. While it certainly isn't good news that your disease is about as bad as it can get before considering surgery, for the first time in awhile, I felt that the pain that I have been suffering is valid.

I was hesitant to break up with yet another GI, however, when I was awoken at 5am with my now incredibly sore belly, I decided that I need to go with my gut, even though it hasn't always been my best friend (joke for the blog). Hopefully, I can get my medication switched this week and begin to see some improvement. Matt and I are appreciative of all of your thoughts and assistance during this challenging time. If we didn't have such supportive friends and family, we could have never considered buying a house. Although, there was that eviction thing that kinda made it necessary... (Look! Two jokes!) Regardless, thanks again... We love you guys.

I think I can, I think I can...

Well, two weeks down and the little engine that could is still chugging along... Much to the credit of our parent's help (thanks, Dad!)... Matt has taken some vacation time to continue the effort of Operation: Get Settled. (I'm sorry I couldn't come up with a more catchy name...) So, we have made significant progress in moving boxes from one room to another and getting more wrong paint on the walls! Seriously, my dad lead the team in the much involved project of preparing the basement for storage use. This involved some demo, concrete patch, and a lot of dry-loc paint. So, with about 80% of the work complete, Matt and I started moving our not so frequently used belongings into the bright and shiny space. Two dramatic observations were discovered. First, we actually do have a fireplace and second, I can never nag Matt again for keeping crap. I didn't really know how much stuff I really had! Boxes of pictures, cards, newspaper clippings, text books, research material, fabric... the list goes on and on! But, of course, I need all of it!

The other project to boast about is the start of the guest room downstairs. It was originally going to be painted blue, but since we used the wrong paint color in our bedroom, we decided to change our plans. So, the green intended for the master is now a serene guest room. I'm actually very pleased it worked out this way, though. Our new bedroom furniture (to be delivered in a few weeks) is much more traditional than I expected, so the taupe in the master will certainly look better with the style. It's kinda like design by fate. Well, I'm off to Home Depot again!

Christening

So, every week it's beginning to feel a little more like home... At the end of week one, we christened the new house with our first dinner party. It felt really good to be able to function in the new space. (Although it seems like we just keep pushing the boxes from one room to another.) Everyone has been so wonderful during this process and we can't express enough how much we appreciate your help! So please, anytime you get the urge for some good food, good friends, or good times, head on into the city! But don't dress too nice because we'll put you to work...