Happy Howloween!!

From our lobster to you!!

Spooky Pumpkins

We didn't have much to do today, so we decided we should carve pumpkins. We headed to Wal-Mart to pick out the pumpkins and buy our carving tools and headed home. We were surprised with Wal-Mart's selection of pumpkins - they were huge!

Here we are cleaning and carving - I cleaned, Brandon carved

We both picked out spooky faces. Brandon says mine looks slightly "special", but I think his is mean looking.

Aren't they cute?!?!

I scooped out the seeds and saved them for a new recipe, but you'll have to wait until tomorrow to see the finished product!

I could get used to this

I took the day off today to go furniture shopping with my mom! I didn't have to wake up with an alarm, I could take my time getting ready, I tried on a few different outfits, I got to play with Koby, watch an entire "Good Morning America" and now, I'm casually playing on the computer, watching Food Network and just enjoying my time! I could really get used to this - at least once a week :) I think Mr. Koby could get used to this as well. It's almost like he's been giddy with excitement that I haven't left the house yet. And, I think he likes snuggling up next to me for his morning nap, too! It's funny how routine life can become and even with a routine, how rushed I feel.

We're headed to Manhattan this weekend for the K-State vs. OU game. If you think about it, say a little prayer for us tomorrow around 11:00. I think our Cats are going to need all the prayers they can get to just survive the game! And, before you start to think I'm not a very good fan, you are wrong. I will forever be a fan, but I'm also a realist and know that we're not having the best season. But, we will have a good time - the whole family is getting together, so we'll get to play with the little girls and maybe hit Aggieville! Hopefully, I'll have some pictures to post when we return since my blog has been rather boring lately!

It's Finally Fall!!

Things I'm loving right now:

* Spending relaxing evenings with Brandon
* Pumpkin anything - candles, flavors, decorations
* Sweatpants and sweatshirts
* Homemade cinnamon applesauce
* Lower gas prices - I filled up for $33 the other day :)
* Productive days at work
* Fall TV
* Good friends
* Time spent with my nieces
* Koby's Halloween costume - stay tuned
* Merona long-sleeved shirts from Target
* Long scarves
* Our new computer :)

Things I don't really love right now:

* The fact that it is pretty chilly in our house - Brandon has the temperature set at 67 degrees :(
* K-State's football record
* The election coverage
* Dirty dishes in the sink
* The inability to really "blog"
* The thought of Brandon having to travel at the end of November

I mentioned homemade applesauce above, so I'll leave you with the recipe:

8 Granny Smith apples, peeled and cut into quarters
1 c. water
1/2 - 3/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. red hots

Place peeled and quartered apples in a large pot and add water. Cook on medium-low heat for 20-30 minutes or until apples are soft. Mash with a potato masher, add the sugar and red hots and continue to cook until the red hots dissolve. Pour into storage container and chill.

The Past 48 Hours

In the past 48 hours (Tuesday - Thursday) I have: - Worked a full day in the office - Worked at a County Commission Candidate Forum Tuesday evening - Drove 3 hours, in the rain to York, Nebraska AFTER the forum. We arrived at 12 midnight. - Slept for 5 hours - Woke up and had breakfast with my boss and her aunt and uncle - Got back on the road and drove to Omaha, Nebraska - Met with the Omaha Chamber marketing/communications people during their business tradeshow - Walked around the tradeshow for a few minutes - Ate some lunch - Drove 5 hours back to Wichita - Unpacked my bags - Slept again - 8 hours this time - Woke up and attended a 7:30 Sunrise Scrambler - Worked another full day - Came home and crashed on the couch with my two guys (Brandon and Koby)

Needless to say, I'm a bit exhausted, but the trip was worth it. We got some great ideas for our tradeshow and a few bonus ideas for the Chamber! However, I am still very excited for the weekend and a little down time.

A Great Weekend

We've had a great weekend - not too much to do, but still enough to keep us occupied and happy!

On Friday, we braved the Northwest H.S. vs. Garden City football game. It was Homecoming for NW and they were playing Brandon's alma mater, so we thought it was the perfect game to go to. Well, the wind was blowing like crazy and GC wasn't playing so well, but we still had fun. It was especially fun to watch all the high school kids milling around. It just made me laugh to know we probably acted the exact same way! Also, on a side note, I did observe something very different from my high school days - the homecoming candidates dresses were VERY, VERY SHORT!! I coudln't believe what some of those girls were wearing..WHOA!!

We spent Saturday doing errands - grocery shopping, oil change and Hobby Lobby. We also went furniture shopping and I found another couch that I really like while ruling out a few from my last post. I think we're getting closer to making a decision, now it is just a matter of the arrangement of the furniture in our living room (which is proving to be more difficult than I imagined). Then that evening, we helped a friend celebrate his birthday at P.F. Changs! I forgot how much I love that place!

And today, well, we've had a relaxing day. We went to church and heard a very good message - "Is Jesus the Only Way to God?". It was really a very creative way to present the gospel. Then, we came home and made some chili, since it is a somewhat cool and blustery day. After lunch, I took a nap while Brandon watched stupid movies and football, and then I woke up and started laundry and ironing. Oh yeah, and I made some pumpkin bread and pumpkin cream cheese (for bagels)! Yum!

We have a busy week ahead as I will be in Omaha Tuesday and Wednesday and Brandon's office has an open house on Friday - they are celebrating 30 years!

To end, I'll leave you with my pumpkin cream cheese recipe - it is great on toasted bagels or as a dip for graham cracker sticks!

Pumpkin Cream Cheese
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 c. pumpkin puree (you can use the remaing pumpkin puree for pumpkin bread!)
1/4 c. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice (I used cinnamon)
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Mix all ingredients with electric mixer until smooth. Refrigerate at least 2 hours.

Hunting

Koby is quite a hunter. Sometimes, he hunts for his toys, sometimes he hunts for bunny rabbits in the backyard and sometimes, he hunts flies. Today, he found a cricket, he chased it and he ate it. Then, he licked his lips with delight.

I have also been a hunter these days. Except, I'm not hunting for crickets or flies or bunny rabbits. I'm hunting for new furniture. While I love my red couches and they will always hold a special place in my heart, it's time they go to a new home. I would like to sell them because structurally, they are good shape. They might need to be recovered, again, but they are good couches. Anyways, this is not about the old couches. I'm hunting for new couches. I know what I want, something with a tight or semi-attached back, modern, but not too trendy and fabric that is durable and pretty. Here are a few that I have found:

I like the mostly straight lines on this couch, but I fear it's a little too traditional.

This might be my favorite of all that I have found. It's modern, but not too trendy, it would transcend through time and it has a lot of flexibilty as far as fabrics go. I defintely don't like the fabric in the picture.

This couch is a good mixture - slightly traditional with the cushion backs, but still has the modern lines. This couch also has a lot of flexibilty with fabrics.

I've thought about doing leather as well, but I'm not sure how it would hold against the wear and tear of the above said hunter?!?!

I'm not saying I'm going to buy any of these particular couches - they are just the couches I've seen in person - but, I need your help. Weigh in with your opinions! Which of these couches do you like best?

I have a lot to talk about...

...but not much time! So, here it goes, bulleted list style:

* Tonight's TV line up is AMAZING and I can't wait for the premiere of some of my favorite shows - Grey's Anatomy and The Office - unfortunately, I need to clean my house tonight too! Solution - DVR!! I'm so happy we made that purchase!!!
* We were without a computer for several days and I thought we were close to having to purchase a new one, but Brandon't co-worker fixed us up, almost... Every time I get on the internet, after about 3 minutes, I get kicked off. It must be some evil ploy to keep me from spending too much time online. Grr!!
* I decorated my house for Fall on Monday! I will post pictures soon!
* I attended a Premiere Jewelry party last week and found some earrings called "Tessa", so I naturally had to buy them! And, I signed up to have a party of my own!
* We went out to a friend's cabin last weekend and I had my first encounter with elk! Did you know elk "bugle"?
* We bought a Halloween costume for Koby - stay tuned for REALLY cute pictures!!
Okay, I'm out of time - I have a meeting to go to.

It's raining men...

**EDIT** More pictures below of Central and Tyler, just about a mile and a half south of our house!

Okay, maybe not men, but that was the first "rain" song that came to mind. But, let me tell you - it's raining and it's rainging hard!

If you know Wichita at all, you know that the streets in this city are incredibly prone to flooding, especially out west where we live. Here is a picture of the morning commute:

Basically, every major street around our house has been closed at some point today and it looks like they might be closing more. Most of the schools have let out and a lot of people have flooded basements. We're lucky that we aren't having any problems yet - hopefully it stays that way.

Brandon went home early from work since most of his sites shut down, so he's keeping a good eye on our sump pump and basement, and probably enjoying his time off. I'm guessing he's getting in a few rounds of golf with Tiger! I'm still here at work, so I hope I can find a way to get home!

It's addicting....

Koby got a new lobster - 2 hours ago....

I'm pretty sure he's addicted to the "fluff" - he couldn't wait to rip open the poor guy.

Ahhh, the good life!

It is currently 60 degrees outside, I'm in my favorite black sweat pants, our windows are open and I'm getting ready to curl up on the couch and watch the Republican National Convention speeches!

Have I mentioned that I LOVE FALL?!?!?!

Too Tired

A. Attached or Single? Totally attached to a wonderful guy!

B. Best Friend? Megan is the best!

C. Cake or Pie? Usually cake, but I'll take a good blueberry pie anyday, espeically the kind with sugar sprinkled on the crust! Yum!

D. Day of choice? I love Fridays - that sense of relief as I walk out the door from work!

E. Essential Item? I'm not sure - I guess I'd have to say Excedrin because when I need it, I need it!

F. Favorite Color? Lately, it's been green and blue.

G. Gummy Bears or Worms? Oh, definitely worms. There is just something about the firmer consistency.

H. Hometown? Pratt, Kansas

I. Favorite indulgence? Purses, or shoes - both are disgustingly addictive and fun!

J. January or July? July - there is something special about our 4th of July lake weekends! BUT, January is Brandon's birth month, so I like it too!

K. Kids? ..........

L. Life isn't complete without? CHOCOLATE!!!!!

M. Marriage date? June 3, 2006

N. Numbers of brothers and sisters? Tara, my sister and Todd, my brother.

O. Oranges or apples? Oranges, I love the juciness!

P. Phobias? Falling, face-forward on cement, tile, wood, etc and knocking out my teeth.

Q. Quotes?

R. Reason to smile? We're going to Manhattan tomorrow!!!!!!

S. Season of choice? Fall. As much as I'd love to say Spring, I really do love the nostalgia of Fall.

T. Tag 5 people: I don't know because I don't know who reads my blog.

U. Unknown fact? I have a deep down desire to have an ultra organized house, but the expectation to keep it that way turns me off.

V. Vegetable? Steamed homegrown green beans! Mmm!! Mmm! Mmmmmm!

W. Worst habit? Biting my nails when I'm nervous or bored.

X. X-Ray or Ultrasound? I've never had either, so I don't know.

Y. Your favorite food? This is constantly changing for me, but usually it's Mexican food.

Z. Zodiac sign? Leo

Old School

Last weekend, Brandon and I decided to go through our photos that we have uploaded to our computer but never printed. It was so fun to go back to our dating days and early married days and look at how much has changed. So, I thought it might be fun to take you all on a little journey:

Early dating days - look at my awful highlights!

A family rafting trip in Colorado

My one and only time to go golfing with Brandon

Our candle-lighting at my sorority to announce our engagement - also known as the worst night of Brandon's life!

One of my first official "Brungardt" photos (we were still engaged at this time)

Pumpkin carving in college

The annual Bohn Thanksgiving Hunt (this is the ONLY evidence that a bird has EVER been shot)

Wedding shower

Our Honeymoon

Our first picture in our first apartment (disclaimer: Brandon is NOT naked!)

Our first house (and current house, but this is a "before" picture!)

Our first family photo

Our first Christmas

Our first family vacation - Charleston, SC

And, the most recent picture

I hope you enjoyed our little "walk back in time". This is obviously just a sampling, but it is so fun to look at how things have changed over the past 5 years, especially my hair!!!

Who asks that???

Well, the survey indicated that most people like reading about our strange and mundane lives, so here is a good story for you!

Today, I went to get pedicures with my friends Ali and Emily. We went to one of the Asian places, so I couldn't understand the staff very good as it was, however it was a very nice place. As we arrived, we picked out our colors (I picked a really pretty shade of purple by OPI - I didn't write the name down and now I'm mad because I really liked it - beside the point) and went to our chairs. I sat and let me feet soak for a little bit, while my guy got wrapped up with another client. Once he came, he grabbed the massage chair controler and turned on the vibrating function - I did not ask for this, but I guess he thought I needed it. As I fumbled with the remote, trying to turn off the darn vibrator, he started my pedicure. He never said much to me the whole time, but that was okay, I was having more fun chit-chatting with my friends. Once he was almost finished painting my toe nails, he looks up at me and asks a question, but I couldn't understand him, so I asked to him repeat himself. So, he stopped painting and said "Ma'am, do you chew your toenails? They are too short!" - I was slightly taken back and politely told him no, that I didn't chew my toenails, but that I like to keep them short. My friends had finished up their appointments and were sitting in the waiting area, so I just had to sit there, blankly, not knowing what to say from there. I just couldn't believe it!!! Who asks that kind of thing? I mean, why couldn't he have asked if I just happened to trim them too short recently? Anyway, the end result was good, and if you recognize the color on my toes, please send me a message!

Tomatoes

We have a problem. We have too many tomatoes!! When we planted our cute little tomatoe plants a while back, I never dreamed they would grow to be so enormous. See for yourself:

They are so big, that they are fighting for space and so far, the large tomato plant is winning that battle. But, never fear, the cherry tomato plant is kicking the large tomato plant's hiney when it comes to the actual reproduction (is that the right term?)! Thus crating my problem - I had to throw out quite a few cherry tomatoes the other day because we can't eat them fast enough.

So, I need help! What can I do with all of these darn things? I plan to make some yummy homemade bruschetta this week to accompany an italian meal I have planned, and I could probably make some salsa once my large tomatoes start to produce more frequently, but I just don't think cherry tomatoes will make the best salsa. So, any suggestions? I'm desperate!!!

New Features - Revisited

***EDIT***

I lied - I guess they are updating. I just looked over at my RSS feeds and as I was typing, the good ol' Pioneer Woman Cooks feed updated!! Halleuia!!!

*************************************************************************************

Okay, so I was all excited about adding the RSS feeds to my site, but it doesn't appear that the links are working properly - they aren't updating themselves. I'm bummed! So, if you know what I can do to make them update, please let me know. Otherwise, they will just sit there, with the same information forever!

New Features

I don't have much time to blog right now. Koby is dropping his ball in my lap and whining for me to throw it. I was supposed to go to the grocery store tonight, but got distracted by Target and Maurices. And, I'm getting up VERY early to head to OKC tomorrow.

But, check out my new RSS feeds to the right! Now all of you can keep up with my new hero, The Pioneerwoman! You will fall in love, I promise!

Oh yeah, and I have an RSS to People.com updates. Call me shallow, but I love celebrity gossip!!

Also, I'm thinking I'm going to revamp my blog topics. I feel like I tend to blog about boring and mundane things, so please take answer my poll question to the right and help me out!

Have a fab weekend!

Whew!!!

Life is flying by these days. I can hardly believe it is almost the middle of August. Where has the summer gone? We've had so much going on that I hardly know where to start.

Currently, as in this very moment, I'm sitting at my aunt's house, using her computer while Brandon preps her floors to be tiled. He's been working for the past two nights and will be working all weekend to lay tile in her kitchen, hallway, bathroom and entry way. Brandon got the itch to lay tile after he and his dad did our kitchen backsplashes, so my aunt has graciously let him practice on her floor. Really, it's a win-win for both parties - she gets her floors redone at a cheaper rate and Brandon gets the practice. And, I'm just here for support! I really don't have a role in all of this. So, if you can't find us in the next few days, we'll be here!

This past weekend, I turned 25 - yes, a whole quarter of a century. It feels good to be 25, but nothing too exciting, except that I can drive a rental car now. I had a wodnerful birthday, though. We celebrated the weekend before with my family in KC, then we went back to KC with Brandon's family for a Royals game on Saturday. We visited the new Power and Light district downtown for lunch, did a little shopping and then went to the game. It was miserably hot, but we made it through - thank goodness the concession stand only made you pay $6 for the first cup of water!

My new job has also kept me extremely busy, which is good. I pretty much learn somethign new everyday!! I just mailed out my first printed newsletter and I must say, I'm pretty proud of myself. The newsletter turned out great and was a good confidence buidler. You see, part of the job requirement was that I write and update the design template for the newsletter, and that was not something I had ever done before, but I was confident I could do it. So, to see the final product was such a relief! We have so many projects in the near future, that I'm not sure the pace is going to slow down for a while. We're in the beginning stages of over-hauling our website and working up a 2009 marketing plan. So, I have a lot on my plate, but you know what, I wouldn't trade it for anything!

Brandon leaves next week to go to NYC with his good friend Nate and his boss from Key. They have tickets to watch the Royals vs. Yankees at Yankee Stadium, so he's pretty stoked! I'm excited for him, too. I know this is something he'll never forget. I can't imagine how excited he'll be once he actually gets there. He asked me what I want him to bring me back as a momento and I told him that I would like something in a blue boxes! I doubt I'll get anything, but it's worth a try, right?

While Brandon is gone, I'm going to go visit my pregnant friend, Megan! We typically celebrate our birthdays together, so I figured this would be the perfect time! However, Megan is a year older than me, so she'll be 26, while I'm just 25!! I told her the other to just wait until she turns 40 and I'm still 39 - she's never going to hear the end of it!!

Well, that is pretty much life in a nutshell. Maybe we'll slow down one of these days!

Helloooooooooooo????

Is anybody out there?

I know it has been a while since I've posted - I've probably lost some of you. But, I have reasons!! This new job is keeping me sooo busy that I'm having trouble finding the time to post. So, it is certainly a good problem to have, but I do miss my blog. So, I'm going to promise to update about the new job and such soon, but I just can't do it right now. I have work to do!!!!

Picture Recap

I know I told you last week that I would post pictures from Koby's birthday, so here thay are:

The Birthday Boy!

His birthday treats

The presents

The pup after a fun day of playing