February Fun - Valentines, snow days, and more

The girls were in heaven the week before last. They were out of school for what seemed like forever! Thursday we got hit with yet another snow storm (I feel like I say it every year, but this winter really has been brutal!). 

                      

This is so me!

This Texas girl is so not cut out for this weather! What's even worse, after weeks of 20 degree and below weather, 35 starts to actually feel warm! What is wrong with me?!? Anyways, not only did they get Thursday and Friday off...but Monday and Tuesday were vacation days already, so they wound up with a 6 day weekend. They were ecstatic...and it worked out well for David as well. He was actually in Connecticut that week for training, and because of the storm had Thursday off...and was already off on Friday, so he got a long weekend too...Monday also as it was President's Day. The only downside is that they've had so many snow days, I know they are gonna have to make them up at the end of the year. I absolutely hate how long into June they already go to school...so not used to that. In Texas, we were always out of school before Memorial Day...and up here they've gone as late as the 25th of June before. Ugh!!! This year they are supposed to get out on the 12th...but I know it'll be later than that with makeup days. Oh well...what can ya do?

This storm was pretty big...I'd say we got about 8-10 inches this time around. You should see the dog in the snow. For some reason she just goes psycho in the snow, she loves it so much. Unfortunately, something about the gloves on the kids hands, she attacks them and steals their gloves...lol...it's kinda funny to watch, but they hate it! She really is quite a crazy animal when there's snow on the ground...she runs and runs around them, steals their gloves, knocks them down...hahaha, she's so bad! She's not mean at all, she just can't handle her glee with the snow. Noramlly when I let her out, she hates being by herself. If someone isn't out there with her, she's by the door crying and barking to come back in...but if it's snowy, she'll stay out there alone for a long time! She has two runs that she does...one is what I call the greyhound...she runs in circles really fast looking just like a greyhound at the track. The other is the deer...she literally springs up and down around the yard like a crazy deer. I wish I had video of it!

The next day was Valentine's Day. I made heart (kinda...but the kids got a kick out of it) bacon and eggs for breakfast. Since David was home, I thought it would be fun to go to lunch and a movie. I gotta tell you, it is SO nice to be able to leave the kids home by themselves, now that Red One is older. She's pretty responsible...at least in that area ;) and although a bit bossy, is great with kids, especially the little ones. Anyways, I figured lunch would be a lot less crowded than dinner on Valentine's Day...we went to Longhorn Steakhouse...haven't been there in years! Our waitress was a bit slow at first...but we told her we were in a hurry to get to the movies, and she tried to help us out. The food was really good! Then we headed to the theater to watch Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit. It only got a 57% on Rotten Tomatoes...but we enjoyed it! I mean, it's certainly not gonna win any Oscars...lol...but it was good, actiony, dumb (but not stupid) fun...good popcorn flick, except we were too stuffed to have any! hahaha...I actually thought it was better than I'd expected. I like Chris Pine (Captain Kirk in the new Star Trek movies) and David's always been a fan of Kevin Costner. I don't care for Keira Knightley much, but she didn't really annoy me in this one, so it was all good. ;)

I'd told the girls they could make cookies while we were gone...and use candy melts to decorate them. It's kinda a tradition for Valentines Day. Sugar cookies aren't any of our favorites...but we always make heart ones on the 14th. I was disappointed to not see any when I came home. The mixer wasn't working, so Red One had tried to mix them by hand...and was having a hard time with them. She actually managed to doctor them up, throw them in the oven and they wound up being the best sugar cookies we'd had! Way to go girlie!

Speaking of the mixer not working, it's because our garbage disposal has a leak! Ugh! Which is tripping the GFI on the outlet...so thankfully my mixer is fine, but not my disposal! I gotta get another one and hopefully David can install it! I've read that it's not that hard, but plumbing stuff is always no fun!

Funny story, the next morning when I came down to make pancakes...because Saturday is pancake morning in our house, I went to grab a cookie...and they weren't there! Then I see the empty container on the floor. Apparently Buddy got them out, then spilled them, and then Freckles ate them all! and then spent the rest of the day barfing them up! To add insult to injury, it was Red One's turn for dog duty that week. She was so mad at the dog for eating all her cookies...and then having to clean them up! Bwahahahaha!!!

I have been wanting to paint the girls' room for ages! I finally bought the paint...got them to clear out the room (kinda, according to them...) and made that my project for Saturday. Ever since I saw this gorgeous teen room in one of Better Homes and Garden's magazine's, I've been longing to copy it for the girls' room. It was actually inspired by the Arizona Tea can...isn't that cool!

I LOVE this room!!! I seriously saw it about 6 years ago, and have been dreaming about it ever since!

Red Three and Buddy had been sharing a room, and Red 2 and 1 sharing the other. We decided to put all three girls in one room, and put Buddy and all the toys in the other slightly smaller room. Buddy and Three had been in the bigger room, mainly because it was painted with a Winnie the Pooh mural when we moved in...lol. But now, nobody likes Winnie the Pooh, so we figured we'd switch things up. It's a little tighter than I'd hoped, but it works. Bunk beds would make more sense, but they used to have them and hated them. When we moved here I got them their own beds. Now of course, they want bunk beds! Go figure! 

Of course, I forgot to get a before pic...so here's an I've already started pic...but you can get the idea of what it was like before. I'm leaving the tree, and Rachel will be modifying it into a cherry blossom tree later on.  

This was one of my worst painting days though! I actually managed to spill the paint not once, not twice, but three times! The first time totally wasn't my fault! The lady who mixed my paint didn't put the lid on the primer all the way, so when I set it down it fell over and spilled everywhere. But the other two were all me...lol. Somehow, when I was touching up edges and stuff, I had a little container for the paint, and while reaching up with one hand to paint, I tipped it ALL over myself! Wow...I was a little amazed at myself! lol I should have gotten David to get a pic of me with the paint all over myself...it would definitely amuse y'all!

The color actually came out exactly as I had envisioned! I'm pretty happy with it, and the girls love it! Of course, their room is a long way from done! Still need the bright pink accents...gonna do curtains and new bedspreads at some point...and I still need to touch up the trim. For some reason, the previous owners thought it was a great idea to paint a lot of the trim with the room color instead of leaving them white. They also decided to paint all the air vents as well...so annoying!

I've mentioned how David's getting back into paintball again. We used to play together when we were first married...until we had kids ;) He's been wanting to play for a while, but finally able to get into it more recently. Although, his GP was a bit concerned about it...lol...said he should talk to his oncologist about it. David said "but he'll just tell me no!" lol...but, he's really way healthy enough to play. He's totally getting the older two hooked. Anyways, he's been looking for an indoor place, as winter is not really the right time for outdoor paintball. Unfortunately, the only one he could find was in Providence, about two hours away. Anyways, he decided that heading there right when another storm was hitting was perfect timing. He actually sent me a text saying "this is stupid!" I texted him back "Then come home!" smh!

He made it there...and actually had a lot of fun...but then when he got home around 10pm or so, the snow had built up so much, not to mention all the ice, and he didn't hit the right angle into the driveway and managed to get the van stuck half out in the road. And then, he was gonna leave it there!!! No way! I did not want a ticket...and I knew the plows would be out there soon. He really got it stuck good...he almost tore off the side rail from the ice underneath it. I couldn't tease him too much about that...as I actually did completely tear off the left side rail a few winters ago, also on ice...lol! I used up so much ice melt trying to get it loose...digging for about an hour! Those tires were just a spinning...I was getting pretty discouraged! And the snow plows passed by a few times! Finally got it just enough to get it about 6 feet further before it snagged again....at least it wasn't protruding in the street anymore! It was such a pain!!! Gotta admit, I was not thinking happy thoughts! lol...Actually missed first church the next day because of it...thankfully it was a bit warmer, so the ice melted a bit and I was able to get it out and make it to second church, which was really good, because I was working in the nursery!

The kids were still out of school on Monday. David had a doctor follow up with his general practitioner and then was gonna run some paintball related errands ;) so Sarah, Kim and I thought it was a perfect time to get together, let the kids play outside and for us to visit. We were all getting a little stir crazy! Have y'all seen that adorable snow day video, done by the same family who did the Christmas PJ video? It's so perfect! 

Of course, I had nothing in the house to make anything cool to eat...but lots of ring pops from Valentine's clearance :P We sent all 9 kids outside...but that didn't last too long...lol...so we popped in a video for the kiddos. It was super nice to hang out and let some of the crazy out! 

They were so funny...a bunch of them all in a row, mesmerized!

Buddy is so funny...he recently found his Spiderman baseball hat and has been wearing it just about nonstop for the last couple weeks! He looks so cute with it on too...then again I may be biased ;) When Buddy and I went to the grocery store last week they had a display up front with strawberries and blueberries. He was super excited and said please so nicely, so we came home with a bunch of berries. I already had some lemons, so I found a blueberry, lemon muffin recipe. They were some of the best muffins ever! So moist, tender and flavorful! The main change I made was to add fresh lemon juice from one of the lemons and then milk to make a full cup, and some struesel on top...mmmm!!!

Lemon Blueberry Muffins

The last time I took the older two to the dentist, they said the girls should see the orthodontist for a consultation. Red Two is actually missing an adult tooth...when they took an X-ray, there was a gap there. I didn't know that even happened. Having it missing can cause issues, like the baby tooth not wanting to fall out, spacing problems, etc. However, we don't have to worry about it right away. Red One has a bit of an overbite and some other possible issues that I totally don't understand. Anyways, they had Red One come back to get molds and whatever else done so they could come up with a plan and then let us decide whether or not we go forward with it. I wish I'd gotten some pics of all that...she looked pretty funny. I'm sure she's happy I didn't though!

This past week was a bit warmer, which had its own problems. In the daytime, the snow would start to melt...and then refreeze overnight. It was so slippery everywhere. Not only that, but all the stores were (probably still are) sold out of rock salt! I went to at least four stores trying to find some. It's a bit nerve wracking every time you have to step foot outside! 

I have some hilarious pics of Freckles. On this Saturday (pancake morning again, remember? only I was making waffles this time) I had to run to the store for some buttermilk and a couple odds and ends. I was literally gone 15 minutes. When I came home, Freckles had chewed up my slippers. I was pissed!!! I wear them ALL the time...it's how I stay warm. They were super cute, black sequin slippers. To make matters worse, the kids were right there in the same room and didn't even notice! Dadgum TV! Anyways, I yelled at her, and she put herself in timeout! She went by the mudroom door (which is where she sleeps or gets locked up when she's naughty. She sat down facing the door. Everytime she looked at me she started shivering and looked back at the door. She totally couldn't make eye contact with me...everytime she looked at me she started squinting and then blinking so hard. It was hilarious! I was still mad at her though. She totally knew she was naughty! 

 What a bad girl! lol

A day full of gray...

Like I mentioned yesterday, today we headed to New York City for David's MRI and oncologist appointment. It was a little later in the day, so I was able to drop the girls off at school. I've made it a habit this past year (since starting my blog) to wear gray whenever we head down for an appointment. Anyways, I was driving the kiddos to school and thinking about my gray outfit, and what should play on the radio but Glycerine by Bush...more specifically, the lyrics when I turned on the car was "And everything's gray." Talk about perfect timing! lol...David even wore gray today...but that was completely unintentional...:P

We got on the road about 10:00, leaving Buddy to hang out with Papa for the day. David's MRI was scheduled for 1:30...even with stopping at Nardellis for lunch...which, if you are ever in CT, is a must! The best Italian grinder restaurant ever! They were even featured in Rachael Ray's magazine. It's the weirdest thing...they actually don't look terribly awesome, but even I, an avowed sandwich snob (not a big fan of bread!), love them! We split a hot pepper, prosciutto, chicken sandwich with all the fixings...mmm, mmm, mmmm! Anyways, back to the main story, we got there by 1:00, which is necessary so you don't lose your place in line. Then we waited...and waited...and waited. Ugh...he didn't even get called back until around 2:30, and his dr appt was at 3. Of course, we wound up being late for that...having to walk a couple blocks after he got out from the scan. Then, wait some more, finally get back in the room around 4:00. Oh well...glad I had my awesome tablet to occupy me ;)

He is always so ready for me to stop taking pics of him...lol

David was actually a bit worried about this scan...no reason in particular. It's just kinda like the Sword of Damocles always hanging over you. He's actually normally not worried at all...but for whatever reason, this one was troubling him. There's actually a term in the cancer world for it - "Scanxiety." We were so grateful and relieved when the doctor told us right away that his scan looked good...no changes, nothing to see. Praise God! We met a new doctor in fellowship with his main oncologist...she was really nice. She took care of all the check up, neurological exams, etc. Then Dr. Omuro came in...really, the visit with him only took about 5 minutes...guess he was ready to go home. They thought David looked good. They still aren't worried about his body pain, especially since it is (very, very) slowly improving. Nobody really knows what it is...a few theories floating around...but nobody is worried. Guess it's not their pain. 

We stopped for dinner at a little Thai restaurant nearby...I have never seen such a tight seating arrangement! hahaha...our curry was delicious though! David's first bite was super hot...he was like nope! Trade with me! Of course I said no way! But I tried his...and it wasn't that bad...he just hit a pepper spot I guess...lol We made it home a little before 9:00...it's always a very long day!

Today is also the one year anniversary (although it feels weird saying that for something sad!) of my mother-in-law's passing. We got the call at 2:00 in the morning from Dad...you never want to get one of those...they are always bad. We woke all the kids, got them in the car and made the 45 minute drive without knowing exactly what was going on. It was utterly heartbreaking! and so unreal....just didn't seem like it was actually happening. It was such an awful time for everyone...completely unexpected and entirely too soon.

I know I harp on it a lot, but my in-laws have been such an incredible blessing. I was immediately accepted into the family. Mama was the heart of the family in so many ways...and she just made me belong instantly. I can't even tell you how much she loved her grand-babies! She would do just about anything for them. She was always willing to watch them...spoil them! and love them to pieces. Her health had declined a bit in later years...but she always wanted to see them and love on them. And they of course, adored her! She wasn't perfect by any means...lol...who is? She was the boss...and it was her way or no way...as everyone would tell you. I did finally have to put my foot down after she cut Red One's hair when she was little...uh uh! hahahahaha...but really, I so enjoyed her company. She was funny, blunt as all get out (didn't hesitate to let you know if you had a humongous zit! ;) she was a wonderful southern cook! We'd go thrift store shopping and picnicking, and exploring before she became home bound. She loved nothing more than to have her family around her...eat and talk and laugh together. I will always be so thankful for the way she made me a part of the family...and I will always miss her. 

This was obviously a few years ago...when Buddy was 1.

Love you Mom!

Normality...kinda...I guess...I mean, what is normal? lol

So, I realized I never shared how the van came out. I came home from the play and David told me that it was all put back together except for the throttle cables connecting the throttle body. That was the last thing and he was so done...told me I'd have to put it back together. For all you non-car people like me, that's what hooks up to make your gas pedal actually do anything. It's just a bit obnoxious fitting the cables back on in the right order...and by that time of the day, his aggravation level had been completely met! He said it started...but I couldn't go anywhere until I hooked them back up...and then, at 4 in the morning, he headed to NJ...thanks babe! lol! Anyways...I managed to hook it up in no time...no biggie...like a tiny two piece puzzle. 

those are the cables on the left...and on the right is what they hook up to.

It's funny, I know nothing about cars...really...but I've worked on them way more then I ever thought I would. David's always calling me out to disconnect these plugs that you have to hold down the clasp and take them apart...the electrical connections. He's rotten at them...and I can usually get them pretty quickly. Oh, oh oh! I forgot...while taking a bolt off the back of the intake manifold (my hand fit better than his) I dropped a ratchet...and we couldn't find it! Luckily, David couldn't make fun of me too much, since he'd already done the same thing...but had better luck in that it fell all the way through to the ground. I'm scraping my hand all up trying to reach down in the tight space back there...no go. Couldn't see it or feel it. So, needed to figure out how to get that out before driving it anywhere too...wouldn't do to have that come flying out while I'm driving. Unfortunately, we had a snow day on Monday, so wasn't a great time to drive the van up on ramps to look for it. The next day, Dad and I put it up and I was able to see the ratchet. The driveway was still a bit snowy...so I was a little scared...I slithered under, got it out as fast as I could...couldn't budge it at first, but then I manages to loosen it and get out of there! hahaha...but anyways...after that, I drove it around to test it out. It was a little sluggish at first...but once it warmed up it's been driving like nothing ever happened. Whew!!! Glad it was a (relatively) easy fix...if extremely aggravating. Gotta admit, it is nice that David knows about cars and can take of stuff like that! Now, if only he's finish changing the rest of the brake pads out! :P

Because of the van, David wasn't able to take Red One paintballing...so I told her I'd take her to get her pedicure that week. I had bought her a gift certificate for her birthday...but we hadn't redeemed it yet. So Tuesday night just the two of us headed out. I've only ever been once myself...but it's so much fun and so relaxing I couldn't wait. There was no one there when we first got there. They have these massage chairs...aaahhhhh...so good! Poor Red One was super nervous though...had a hard time relaxing. She didn't know what they were doing to her! hahaha...poor baby. She enjoyed it...but thought it was kinda weird too. lol...the lady even painted flowers on her toes. Super cute!

 

 Then we got Chipotle's afterwards...yum!

We got another snow storm on Wednesday...about a foot! Ugh...I am not cut out for this! I have to admit though...it is super nice to have Papa around. He's out there snowblowing and shoveling. So much nicer...as I'm usually the one doing that chore. I mean, I go out and help him, but he really does do most of it. Thanks Dad!!! I mean, of course I'm glad he's around for more than just the snow clearing...hahaha...but it's a nice perk! The kids had two snow days last week. They went sledding at Auntie Kim's house a bunch. We even made maple snow candy...they loved that!

Looks a little weird, but basically you boil the syrup down a bit...then pour it over the snow to harden. I remember reading about that in the Little House on the Prairie series...but had never done it before. Fun!

Here's my Buddy being adorable section ;)

Have you ever seen such a cute face?!?!?! David wanted me to send him some new pics of Buddy with his mohawk...it took many tries for me to get him still enough for the pic to come out ;)

Buddy actually took a pic of his lunch with my phone...lol...where did he even get that idea??? So of course, like anyone else would, I Instagrammed it! bwahahaha

He came up to me and said "Look at my mustache!" I didn't have the heart to tell him it was on the wrong side of his mouth :)

Red Three had her first confession on Saturday. She was a little scared...it's so funny to see them go up all shy and nervous and then come back with the biggest smile on their face! It was really cool...at this church, the kids had to make a "fine garment" that they would put on after their confession. It was from the parable the Prodigal Son...when the son came home and his father forgave him and gave him a fine garment, and a ring and a feast. So she got to pick out some fabric to decorate to put on afterwards. They even gave all the kids little rings afterwards. I thought it was such a great way to drive home how much the Father loves us and forgives us.

David tried to take Red One paint-balling afterwards...but the field was closed. He was a bit steamed, as they brag about being open all year. He wound up taking her to a different field on Sunday. They had a lot of fun...but really they're gonna have to wait a while to play again. With the temps so cold the guns really don't want to work right. Not to mention, it's a bit miserable...lol...I sure wasn't gonna go watch them in that! But at least they had fun.

A few weeks ago I found some adorable dress shirts with ties on clearance at H&M for Buddy...and some really cute converse style sneakers. My favorite is this blue one with rocket ships, UFOs and planets all over it and a blue bowtie. Buddy was looking snazzy for church on Sunday!

Kim invited me over to breakfast with some other friends this morning. We had such a great time talking, laughing, and eating! They were even asking about my blog (I've been less than prolific lately :/)...so a shout out to Heather, Anna, Carey, Sarah, and Kim! hahahahahah ;) You made the blog! Thanks for having us today Kim!!! It was so much fun hanging out with all you lovely ladies! Then Sarah twisted our arms to go with her to Christmas Tree Shop (haha...not really! I mean, I'm always up for shopping!) I actually scored really cool artwork for my wall...I was super excited about it! 

lol...I'm realizing I don't have any Red Two pics to post for this week...I'll have to make sure to have a 2-centric post soon! lol

Tomorrow we are heading to Sloan in NYC for an MRI and then a check up with David's oncologist. Please keep us in prayer that things haven't changed. I'm really hoping that if everything is still normal that maybe we can start going less frequently. We'll see though. Yeah, I'll have gray on...so expect an outfit post ;)

Dave took this great pic of Sarah, Kim and I when we had our dinner together last month. I meant to post it last time, but forgot. These are just about my favorite people in the world! Love my girlfriends!

January...not much to do outside...but loads of geeky fun ;)

As awesome as my husband is...he's not known for his gift giving prowess...lol...I've pretty much gotten used to either not getting anything for Christmas/birthdays from him...or else he orders something on that day and it comes much later. Used to bother the heck out of me...now I'm used to it...there are certainly much worse things! And then of course, he makes up for it some years by getting me something ridiculously extravagant (albeit late)! A Coach purse and $300.00 perfume come to mind. Something in the middle might be better...haha...but, anyways, we weren't even sure Christmas was gonna happen this year. Thankfully all that was sorted...and he decided to get me a tablet! I've been wanting one for ages! I really didn't care what I got, as long as it was a large screen, 10 or 11 inches. He, of course, was very much concerned about the stats...it had to be up to his standards. Anyways, he did a bit of research...found one with whatever quad-core processor, RAM, speed, I dunno, I just smile and nod ;) I was so stinking excited when it came in the mail...love those Amazon boxes! ;) It is super duper cool and I absolutely love it! David got me a cool blue leather case for it too. It's perfect for browsing Pinterest, checking Facebook, playing games...etc. Thanks a million babe!

Loki and The Doctor

Haha, gotta let my geek flag fly! 

Sony Xperia Z Tablet

I know I mentioned it before, but David's been working out of town in NJ for a while...he's home on weekends, which is good though. He actually went and saw The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug while he was gone without me!!! The nerve! So of course, I had to go see it...our theater has discounted tickets on Tuesdays, so Rachel and I went to see it then. I really enjoyed it. The Hobbit is truly the book that got me hooked on all things fantasy and sci/fi. I actually used to be terrified by it...my brother used to try to get me to read it, and I refused for years. We had a picture book of the Hobbit with pictures from the old cartoon, and it scared the crap out of me when I was little. Bilbo was actually the freakiest thing in it to me, more than Gollum even. 

Anyways, it scarred me and I wouldn't read the book for ages. I finally did when I was 13 and became a die-hard Tolkien fan. I've read the whole series 13 times I think, along with the Silmarillion a few times and various other works. Actually, now that I think about it, I'm way past due to reread them. I used to do it every year or two, but I think it's been several now. Hmmm....anyways, back to the present, the movie! Loved it..I mean, I think Peter Jackson's LOTR movies were better, more canon...but I still enjoy the world he created and the stories he's brought to life. It was fun to see Legolas again...I didn't mind the addition of Tauriel to the story (many purists hated that!) and Thranduil was just over the top fun. And don't get me started on Smaug!!! Y'all know I'm a big Benedict Cumberbatch fan! And he did awesome...that voice! wowsers. I loved the way they portrayed the Necromancer as well! (also Benedict :) Overall, it was a really fun time, good movie, I highly recommend it.

On a super cool side note, Google made an interactive map of Middle Earth. It's so realistic, and has a bunch of cool games and fun facts. Check it out! 

Middle Earth map

Speaking of my brother...I've mentioned he's in the Army and is stationed overseas in Qatar for a year. He's been over there for a few months, and I just now finally sent him a care package! I'm a terrible sister! Things have been crazy, but still, that's awful. He still loves me though! ;) don't ya, bro? right? right? ....crickets....

Our dear friends Dave and Sarah are in the middle of a cancer battle like we are. Well, it's never really the same, everyone's experience is so different, but being able to relate to the same types of doctor's visits, similar treatments, surgeries, etc..there is much in common. I know I've shared how about a year after my David's initial diagnosis, our friend Dave was unfortunately cast into the cancer boat as well. It hasn't been an easy journey...cancer is life sucking not just for the patient, but for the spouse, and family as well. Not trying to throw a pity party...but it really is something I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy (if I had one ;) let alone my best friend!...anyways...one of the omnipresent scourges of a cancer diagnosis is the overwhelming medical bills. We have been supremely blessed that David had amazing medical insurance from his union...and still...ouch! Without the subsidy from his Indian tribe for medical fees, we'd definitely be in much worse straits! Unfortunately, Dave's insurance is not as good...and the bills are really starting to pile up. One of their friends set up a fundraiser to try to help out a bit. With their permission, I'm posting the info to y'all...I hope that anyone who feels led would think about donating to this wonderful family!

One of the many things I had been looking forward to in January was the release of Sherlock season 3. This is one of the most amazing TV series ever!

More like mini movies...each episode is 90 minutes, and some of the sharpest, wittiest writing out there. Not to mention the acting is incredible, thanks for Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman...beautiful cinematography, even the score is wonderful! Anywho...the Sherlock fandom is known on Tumblr to be a bit insane...lol...and the two year wait we've had since season 2 had been almost unbearable. It didn't help that Martin Freeman had been cast as Bilbo in the Hobbit...and Benedict had seen his star power increase and was offered roles in Star Trek Into Darkness, and many other movies (including the Hobbit as well...haha)...and Stephen Moffat and Mark Gatiss, the writers and creators are also writers and showrunners for Doctor Who...anyways, it all combines to make a delay inevitable. But, the wait was almost over. 

It airs first in the UK and in the US a few weeks later. However, people were posting all kinds of stuff on Pinterest about the first episode and I wondered how. Come to find out, there is a nifty little extension to Chrome called Hola that lets you unblock BBC content so you can watch the show online ahead of time. WOOHOO!!!! I was so super thrilled, you seriously can't even imagine! If you still haven't seen any or all of the new episodes...SPOILERS ahead! And really, are you living under a rock?!?!

I mean, come on, even DQ believes!

So, episode 1, Sherlock is back! alive...Watson's pissed...and then we got treated to multiple versions of how he survived...some of which cracked me up...most of the time I was just kinda like "Whaaa.....??????" 

Watson's moustache was not approved of...hahaha

 Friends hug you when you return from the dead...best friends try to send you back!

Then episode 2 was all about John's wedding and how gobsmacked Sherlock was to be not only his best man, but that John said he was his best friend. That best man's speech was epic and cringe inducing, embarrassing and hilarious...and just the best thing ever! And, he even prevents a murder...go Sherlock!

Best line in the whole season, IMO!

Although, this moment came close! hahahaha

By this point, everyone was in dread of what was going to happen in the third episode. We knew it had all been too good to be true, something dire and tragic was bound to happen! 

And true to form, Moffat did not disappoint. This episode was the most unbelievable, twisty, turny heart-pounding episode I've ever watched! I've never gotten into a show the way I did this one. I literally screamed at the computer, surprised I didn't' wake up the kids...paced the floor...called my sister-in-law at 11 o'clock at night to see if she'd watched it yet (she hadn't)...freaked out on her and said she had to right that instant. It was insane! lol...and the ending credits scene???? I flipped!!!!

What the??? How the???? Aaaaaggghhhhh!!!!!

I warned you, SPOILERS!!!

And then, the thrill and high wore off...and depression sets in...hiatus (or as us Supernatural fans call it, hellatus)

 Taking this rumor with a grain of salt and mountain of hope! lol

Meanwhile, in the real world, life just kept on carrying on, like nothing had happened! LOL...I actually met a new friend at MOPS because she's a giant Sherlock fan as well! Us fangirls have got to stick together! Anyways, a bunch of my friends were talking about signing up for the Color Me Rad 5K...not really a race, just a really fun event. Basically you run or walk a 5K and pelt each other and get pelted with powder paint. Looks like a lot of fun...so I signed up! I needed a little extra motivation to get into better shape, and this should do the trick! It'll be in April, so I've got a little time to get ready ;)

Unfortunately, the van started driving really weird...kinda stuttering when I'd push the gas pedal. It was fine in park, but as soon as I started to go anywhere, it just didn't want to. Then the engine light started flashing at me....ugh! with David out of town, wasn't quite sure what to do...I knew he'd probably be able to fix it...but in the meantime I just got a rental. He figured it was either the coil packs or the alternator...we wound up ordering this little bluetooth gizmo that hooks up under the dash to read the engine code. It's really cool, cuz you run a program on your phone or tablet and it tells you the error code. Turns out it was a misfire on cylinder 3...which stunk! because cylinder 3 is under the intake manifold, which makes it a huge deal of unfun work! The parts didn't arrive that weekend though...so I had to wait for this weekend for him to fix it. It didn't help at all that last weekend I came down with strep throat! I haven't had a sore throat since I got my tonsils taken out when I was 18! and let me tell you, getting strep in your thirties is a whole different ballgame than getting it as a kid! 

Red One had her friend birthday party last Friday...and I was fine that day...I'd had a cold for a couple days, but nothing that I even really noticed. She had a lot of fun, her good friend from church and her best friend from school came over. They decorated cakes, watched Doctor Who and generally had a great time. I wound up going to bed early because I was starting to feel terrible! Saturday morning, I was in horrible shape. I haven't been that sick in a really long time! I seem to come down with bronchitis pretty much every autumn, but this was way worse. It was terribly painful plus I was getting body aches, fever, etc...I was kinda worried I had the flu. And of course, every time I get sick, I'm always worried about passing it on to David. I know it wasn't the homecoming he envisioned driving back from NJ...lol...Anyways, I went to the doctor and the test came back positive for strep. I downed Dayquil and Nyquil by the gallon it seemed, sprayed my throat with Chloraseptic...slept as much as I could...didn't' really get out of bed all that day...finally started feeling better on Sunday as the antibiotics kicked in. I still can't believe David didn't catch it. Of course, all the girls did...but again, as I was telling my mom, they're made to get sick. It barely slowed them down, thankfully. 

Here's something y'all ain't gonna believe. David totally took advantage of me basically being out of my mind sick and decided it was a good idea to time his paintball gun on Saturday, in our bedroom! He actually had a little bit of a plan, it just didn't work. He had a laundry basket in there, covered it with a towel and started shooting. The very first paintball went right through the towel. My room was covered in paint! I couldn't believe it...at the time I was too out of it to think straight, much less protest. But the next day or so...I was just in disbelief! Bwahahahaha...it was even on the ceiling! And of course, who left it when he went back to NJ for me to clean up???? That's right...that naughty man! lol

My phone came in that weekend too! Let me tell you, I've basically had a third world phone for about a year. Between Buddy and me taking it out of its case because it frustrated me...that thing was in bad shape! The touch screen only worked 50% of the time, you couldn't press anything right in the middle of the screen. Other times it functioned perfectly. The case had strips torn off of it, courtesy of Buddy. David would get so mad at it every time he borrowed it. I finally got a replacement. I really didn't care what I got, since I had my tablet now...but since we have the smart phone plan I got another one. It's SO nice to have a completely working phone!!! I forgot they're supposed to actually work! hahaha I even have all my ringtones and text notification sounds set up...all either Sherlock, Doctor Who, Supernatural, or Loki sounds! :D

And there are my other fandoms represented! lol

On a little side note, since I just mentioned Supernatural...Timothy Omundson from Psych (a hilarious show!) guest starred on Supernatural as Cain, yes, the OT Cain, the father of murder...he killed it! hahaha, yes, I kid...but seriously, really cool episode!

Ain't my little Buddy just too cute!

So this past weekend, David was gonna fix the car and then try to take Red One paintballing. He's taken Red Two last weekend...but wasn't really the right weather for it! It was freezing, and with snow on the ground...the guns didn't like the cold, paint kept breaking, then Red 2 got snow in her shoes...overall, fun but then not! lol...So he said he wasn't going to take anyone unless it was above freezing. Anyways, Sunday he started on the car. I was planning on going to see Coriolanus at the local art theater with Rachel at 1:30...but I didn't want to leave him working on the car by himself. He said as long as I made him coffee before I left he'd be fine. We had changed spark plugs on the van a couple years ago, and it was a huge job. You wouldn't think spark plugs would be a big deal, but unfortunately, half of them are located under the intake manifold, which is a huge pain to remove! He was hoping since we'd done it before, it wouldn't be as big a deal. Anyways, we started at 11 or so...and had barely removed the intake manifold by the time I needed to leave. I felt bad about going...and he rubbed it in, of course! He said he'd lied earlier...he didn't want me to leave. But I did make him coffee! If that wasn't the only showing left, I would have stayed...but that was it! It was a live broadcast of the theater production in London of the play by Shakespeare, Coriolanus. I had seen the film version Ralph Fiennes made a year or so ago, and enjoyed it...and wanted to see how they handled it as a stage version...didn't hurt that Tom Hiddleston was playing the lead! Have to say, he is my absolute favorite actor. For those of you wondering, he's the actor who plays Loki in the Marvel movies...and absolutely steals the show in them! He is such an amazing actor, and an amazing man in real life. I can't wait to see what else he does! I'm really impatient for his upcoming films...Only Lovers Left Alive, and Crimson Peak...and of course, I really can't wait for him to reprise his role as Loki...but no news on that front.

He did an absolutely incredible job inhabiting the role of the less well known Roman general in Shakespeare's play. The staging was superb...it was really cool to watch the more minimalistic theater version...and in a way, much more visceral than the movie version. I really hope they release the performance on video!

When we got home, time for the Superbowl! I was rooting for the Broncos, not because I like them so much, as I've been a fan of Peyton Manning for years. It was a bit heartbreaking to watch. Certainly, it was not a boring game though. The half-time show was good, except for some reason the sound was messed up. Apparently it was just our TV as everyone else said it was fine. Oh well...as Papa says, as bad as you might feel for those guys, they're all millionaires...ahahahaha

My favorite commercial was the Jaguar commercial...why are all villains played by Brits? Starring none other than, Tom Hiddleston! And Sir Ben Kingsley and Mark Strong...so funny!

And that concludes my fangirling for the day ;)