House DIVIDED!!!

Okay so I am just going to throw it all out there and say....AGAIN this year our HOUSE is DIVIDED!  Why you may ask? THE BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIP!!  Last year it was not as bad as this year.  You see I didn't really LIVE with Chris.  Well now that we are married this game proves to be a little bigger.  Not only because we live together...but it is also the end of the "BIG 12" thanks Nebraska. 

Let's set the scene here:  Chris BORN and RAISED in Nebraska is a die hard HUSKER!!!  He loves his huskers...I mean come on he graduated from Baylor, yet we have more Nebraska items at our house!  I guess when you live in a state that has one major team you have to LOVE it!!  I of course went to the GRAND school...The University of Oklahoma! (BOOMER SOONER) I love my school and I love being a Sooner.  I a Sooner fan of course have ToNs of SOoNeR gear!  Therefore upon moving into "his" our house I brought my Sooner gear; clearly!

Here is how our house looks currently!!

Yes there are 2 flag poles and 2 flags.  That my friend was not always the case.  I brought this cute flag and pole with me.  I have other flags that are flown on it, but during football season it is the Sooner flag that flies.  Well Chris thought he would be cute and went online of course (the only way he shops) and bought a Nebraska flag.  Then he would switch the flags out based upon who had a "HaRdEr" game that weekend!!!  NO NO NO....not in our house mister.  This went on for some weeks!  It went on so long that 3 different neighbors commented.  One even asked, "so do you like Nebraska or OU?"  Thus Chris had to explain why we switch so much.  My wonderful husband then goes back online and buys a new flag pole.  Yes, that is right he bought his own flag pole.  He then proceeded to place it in the yard next to mine.  Oh and did I mention he put his flag on my pole and my flag on his pole (I don't know why really??).  Now we have a house with 2 flags and 2 poles outside!!!

Oh and did I mention that I also have this on the door (well until Chris replaces it with our Christmas wreath)

....and a few other Sooner items around the house.

my cute rock thanks to Kara!!

I didn't take pictures of them all....a blanket, salt and pepper shakers (that Chris bought me!), dishes,  and more.

He also bought a floor mat that sits by our front door.

Now here is the dilemma....SATURDAY our teams will play!  SATURDAY, Chris his father, brother, best friend and more will ATTEND the game at the Cowboys' stadium (ha they are sitting in the OU section, and I had nothing to do with that!!!)....But SATURDAY I will be attending something other than a football game, my sweet niece Little Bear's 7th birthday.  I go every year and wouldn't miss it for the world.  DILEMMA: The house will be HOSTING all NEBRASKA LOVERS while I am out of town!!! YIKES...I have already been told my Sooner gear must go down.  ~WHAT~ how could those boys?  Chris claims that as of this Thursday night we are HUSKER territory!!! YIKES!!!  I am scared that when I return on Sunday the house will be covered in corn or something (ha).

Although we are a house divided this weekend; we both do love that our teams are good enough to make it this far.  We love that we have this weekend to "battle."  What I love most is that my SOONERS can beat some Husker butt!  Let's go SOONER!!!

Fun at the Club!

The family had some good times up at the club this week.  We headed up for dinner, wine tasting, and gingerbread house building.  On Wednesday night we had a nice little family dinner up there.  Of course we were still waiting on one family member (Whitney) to arrive.

Friday night the "girls" did some wine tasting up at the club.  They were having a wine sale for club members to purchase wine at a discounted price.  We enjoy the party!  Then on Saturday we got to decorate gingerbread houses!!!  Now that was SUPER FUN!!  Chris and I decorated one house, while Riley and Whitney did another.  We really did have a fantastic time making our houses unique!  I think you will see!!! (picture over load....yikes)

Riley at our table ready to go...

our house before we started on it

 the determination on both of their faces says it all...

my roof...it was still a work in progress

Chris did an amazing job on our landscape...just like at home

here is the front, everything done by Chris....still not done though

here is the front of Riley and Whitney's...still a work in progress

The final products....Riley and Whitney's on the left, Chris and I's on the right

All the HARD WORKERS

I love our house...it is so cute

Riley and Whitney did an amazing job too!

Our front

The side view

close up of the Pez window

close up of Chris' tree he worked hard on

the back of our house

and finally the front walk way!

Happy 2nd Birthday!!!

I can not believe our little guy is already 2 years old.  It seems just like yesterday when we were "talking" about getting a dog.  Wow how Winston has grown up over the past two years.  He never was a really bad puppy.  I mean he only chewed up 2 or 3 things, and of course had a few accidents in the house.  But over all we have been very blessed with a smart little pup.
Here's what you are doing now:

• You graduated from all 3 levels of dog training.  WAY TO GO ROCK STAR!!  
• You now are allowed to stay out of your kennel all day while mommy and daddy work.  
• Your father thinks you should sleep in our bed...mommy still makes you sleep in the kennel.  What can I say I like my space in bed without a pup on my legs. 
•  You can go out in the yard without a leash (even though it makes mommy really nervous) and listen well enough to stay.  
• You love your walks...and tell us about it if we forget! 
• You love visiting your cousins when they are in town! 

Next year we are going to work more on being friends with your SISTER BOB the cat!!  One day I hope you will love each other.

We had a little celebration today once we got Winston from 4P Doggie Dude Ranch.  Thankfully they gave him a super hair cut (he was a shaggy mess prior to his stay).  I love 4P they are the best...they even put up with crazy puppy moms like me.  You better believe we sent a baggie with birthday goodies for them to share with him while we were away!

I really wanted to give him this yogurt he LOVES from Pet's West...but they are closed on Sundays.  Since we have been gone for a week it didn't happen.  That's when he got to enjoy his 2nd favorite treat!!! CHEESE!!!  Yes he is  sucker for cheese, I blame his father on this one (who also loves cheese).  Here are a few shots from the celebration today!

**BlAcK FrIdAY**

I HEART BLACK FRIDAY!!!!  (yes I am yelling at you)  It is one of my top holiday LOVES!!  This year Black Friday had a whole new TwIsT,  the cold of Minnesota.  All of my prior Black Friday experiences were spent either in Amarillo or Houston.  Now don't get me wrong Amarillo can be pretty chilly in the morning so I can handle some cold.  However, Minnesota cold is WAY, WAY, WAY different.  Okay enough with the fact that it was freezing out.

Another new was added to the list....I grew up doing Black Friday.  However, the Roberts well they have NeVeR participated in Black Friday EVER!!  Can you imagine?  I was in pure shock.  I mean come on surely they had gone out at least once, nope.  Therefore I had to do a little BF teaching.  First things first explain the procedure, checking the ads.  Thankfully Chris and Timmy braved the weather Thursday morning to get a nice fresh paper so I could have all a "hard copy" of the ads.

I had to teach Lily how too

Next arranging the ads by OPENING time!  This is important otherwise you may be at the wrong store at the wrong time.  After you arrange the ads you can begin making your list.  Once I had made my list we were ready to enjoy the rest of Thanksgiving!  HA

Of course since it was not their first BF they needed a little reassurance.  I don't think his family really understood what it was going to be like.  That was until his mom and sister were BRAVE enough to take me to Toys R Us at 9.  Okay so I personally wasn't going for a huge item but one I did need.  So we didn't want to be there too early...I thought 9 would be okay for a 10 o'clock opening.  Plus let's be honest I didn't really want to be out in below zero temps that long.  Well our 915 arrival got us about 1/2 way in line.  The line wrapped around Toys R Us and back past another major department store.  We only had to wait about 30 minutes in line but still it was FREEZING.  Poor Teri and Riley had NO IDEA.  Then once we entered I told Riley to hold on to me...zoomed straight to the item that was needed.  Thankfully I had Teri because she found the perfect check out location.  We were in and out in less than an HOUR! Record time thanks to my family.

The troops after our trips out!!

just some of our goodies

Back home we caught a few hours of shut eye....then it was time to rally the troops again.  We were off at 4 am for our next 5 stops.  The team did a great job.  I think they had a LITTLE fun too!!!  We all ended up getting the things we wanted with no worries at all.  I even picked up a few little momentous that we try to always get.  What a fun Minnesota Black Friday it was!!  I loved the experience with the Roberts family too!!

Thanksgiving

We had the best Thanksgiving meal...mmmm I am still full from it.  Everyone helped make the meal which really was wonderful.  Riley did the table setting! She did a wonderful job preparing each spot just so.  Whitney, Chris, Terri, and I just cooked our little hearts out.  What came from this hard work was an AMAZING FEAST!!!

Riley setting the table

The turkey....mmmmmm

Chris carving the turkey 

my grandma's stuffing...my first time making it

all our food out and ready to feast on....mmmm