Happy Mother's Day

We wanted to say thank you to our mothers for all that you have done for us and continue to do.  We are so appreciative of all of the support and love you given us.  We love you so much!

Mom & I at the OSU vs. OU football game

Ben & Debbie in Caldwell

At Ben's graduation

Mom at Uncle Brent & Nikki's wedding

And so it begins...

Now that Spring is here, it is time to begin our outdoor projects!  The first task that we wanted to tackle were these awful, huge, green, insect-infested, bushes that were located on the side of our yard.  Ben and Andrew were able to use Ben's truck to pull out a majority of the bushes, however there were many ruts that were left behind in the front yard from all of their work.  The people who lived in the house before us didn't take great care of the yard, so we have many patches of dirt that need some love and affection from some grass seed.  We also decided to add some landscaping features to the front of the house.  It's a work in progress, but so far we are really happy.  Check back every now and then for new pictures of our progress.

This is an after shot of all the hard work

A stump that got left behind due to stuborness

Ben hard at work

He even let me get in on the action!

New flower beds!

We also purchased a new rug for our living room with a gift card from Kohl's my mom got me.  I'm so happy with our choice, its make our living room seem a little more homey.

Easter Egg Hunt

Sarah, Ben's sister, organizes the annual Easter Egg Hunt at Reynoldsburg Baptist Church which includes a variety of crafts, facepainting, egg hunt, Easter story, and fellowship.  Ben and I were able to enjoy the warm and sunny day as well as the wonderful festivities.  Here are some pictures of Noah, Leah, and family!

Leah & I

Uncle Ben & Noah

Craft time with Uncle Ben & Pap

With the finished product -- a lamb!

Sarah & Leah hunting for eggs

On the lookout for some eggs!

 Basket is full!

Tired after a long day

Sarah did such a great job!  We can't wait until next year!

Babysitting adventures

This past Saturday, Ben and I agreed to babysit Noah and Leah while Justin and Sarah went to dinner and a movie for Sarah's birthday.  We decided to treat the kids and take them to dinner at Chic-fil-A.  After a chicken nugget and french fry filled meal, Noah and Ben enjoyed spending time on the playground and racing in the car while Leah and I watched giggling.  We headed back to the Rolston's anxiously awaiting cake time but until then we would be busy with the many trips to the potty, changing dirty diapers, being peed on, bath time and timeouts.  Ben and I were exhausted by the time 10 o'clock rolled around and had come to an agreement that kids will come much later down the road, until then we'll continue enjoying babysitting our two favorite kiddos!

MMMM chicken nuggets!

Hey, where did my Cheerios go?

Photo Shoot

Here are some recent pictures Ben and I took this past weekend at our house and during our visit in Caldwell!

Valentine's Day

 

Ben and I decided to celebrate Valentine's Day on the 13th since we were going to the Blue Jackets game with my parents on the 14th.  We went to lunch at Sakura Japanese Steakhouse, which is located on Stelzer Road near Easton Mall and it was amazing. 


We've come to the conclusion that going to a place like Japanese Steakhouse is best during lunchtime because the wait for a table is much shorter, you pay at least $5 less per meal than you would for dinner, plus you get more for your money!  Ben and I both ordered the lunch special: New York Strip Steak and chicken, which included soup, salad, veggies, rice, soft drink, and icecream.  Our total bill was $28 for two!

After our wonderful lunch, we went over to Easton Mall and I was surprised with a stop at Build-A-Bear.  While standing in the long line of young children I felt a little out of place since I was a 23 year old woman, soon to be married, but I always wanted to get a bear from my Valentine on Valentine's Day.  After picking, stuffing, dressing, and naming my bear, Lola, she now occupies a space in our home.


We spent the rest of the evening playing cards and watching the Olympics and simply enjoying our last Valentine's Day before we become Mr. and Mrs.


On another note, it was Sydney's, our English black lab, 4th birthday yesterday!  We decided to stop at PetSmart and purchase some toys and goodies for all of the pets!  Happy Birthday to our little puppy girl!

Threes Company

When we moved in together not only did we have to combine kitchen appliances, bathroom towels, and dishes; we also had to combine our pets.  Ben has two dogs Syndey, who is a 4 year old english black lab and Byrdey, a 3 year old weimaraner.   Izzy, a 2 year old tabby cat, belongs to me. 

Each of our pets have their own unique personality and bring something different to the bunch.  Syndey enjoys running outside, playing fetch, swimming after birds in the pond, and following us around to see what we are doing.  Byrdey is such a cuddler, she also likes to curl up in bed and take long naps, she enjoys chasing Sydney around in the backyard, and eating her food as fast as she can.  Izzy loves laying on Ben and I, playing with her sparkly toy, doing flips in the air, and climbing in all of the window seals to get a better look at what is going on outside.

Sydney

Izzy

Byrdey

At times our house can feel a little crazy with all of the pets running around, chasing each other, and outdoing the others to get our attention, but I enjoy the craziness.  Anytime I have a bad day and I don't look forward to doing laundry, cleaning, or cooking somehow seeing the girls make my day better.  I enjoy coming home to Izzy greeting me at the door with a meow and following me back to the bedroom to let Sydney and Byrdey out of their cage with wagging tails.  Ben and I are so lucky to have such caring, loving and loyal pets! 

Its Always Better When We're Together

Today marks the 1 year anniversary for Ben and I.  It has been quite an adventure for us as we have developed from hopeless romantics into future "Mr. and Mrs."  I'm so happy that God took into consideration everything that I need in a life partner and blessed me with such a great man as Ben.  I now know through all of the tears, heartaches, and breakups that I've experienced in the past, God was preparing for my ultimate relationship, my future husband.  I look forward to this year as we continue to plan our wedding and the coming years as we grow in love.  Happy Anniversary Ben, I love you.

Eat Better America

Ben and I decided at the beginning of the year to make a few household resolutions: exercise at least 3 times a week, eat healthier, and only eat out once a week, this includes buying lunch at work.  On Monday, Jenny, my friend at work, suggested that I visit this website Eat Better America,  www.eatbetteramerica.com  It has a variety of simple and healthy recipies from snacks and appetiziers to dinners and desserts.  The recipies I've written down and bought groceries for are high in fiber, reduced fat, less calories and use fresh herbs, fruits, and veggies.  I've made Creamy Apple-Raisin Oatmeal for breakfast almost everyday this week and it's kept me full until its time to eat lunch.  I typically get hungry mid-morning and have the tendency to snack on unhealthy things, but that all has stopped this week thanks to the oatmeal. 

Creamy Apple-Raisin Oatmeal

At any family function or gathering where food is involved I sign up to bring my oh so wonderful and delicious Buffalo Chicken Dip.  Eat Better America has the exact same recipe, but "healthified."  My Buffalo Chicken Dip contains 210 calories, 18 grams of total fat, and 9 grams of saturated fat.  The "Healthified" Buffalo Chicken Dip has 110 calories, 6 grams of total fat, and 3.5 grams of saturdated fat!  I'm looking forward to making the "Healthified" Buffalo Chicken dip for my next family event!

"Healthified" Buffalo Chicken Dip

I hope everyone gets a chance to look at the website and get some great meal ideas!

Lets Get It Started

After Ben and I got engaged, we decided that we wanted to start our very own blog not only talking about the wedding, but ourselves and things that we find interesting and important.  The last few months have had quite an impact on both of our lives, so let me catch you up to speed. 


In November, we purchased and moved into our very first house!  Being a homeowner has been pretty interesting from the get-go.  We've encountered a few obstacles already from the limited kitchen and pantry space to many tiny ants running around in the kitchen, living room, and bathroom.  We also continue to add changes and improvements to our "house project list."  However, in the couple of months that we have lived there, we've made it into our own house and love it.


During a very cold and Christmas-lit carriage ride, Ben asked me to be his wife!  Since then its been a rollcoaster ride of excitement.  We finally booked our ceremony and reception sites at the Columbus Athenaeum.  On September 11, 2010 we'll be married in the Priory followed by a reception in the Small Theatre (see pictures below).  I think I'm finally relieved of some initial stress from finding a place to have our ceremony and reception, that I'll actually be able to enjoy planning more!

The Priory

The Small Theatre

Well, that is all for now, I hope you look forward to being apart of this blog as much as we are.  Hope you enjoy!