Attack of the baby spiders

After a long Monday full of yard work and a family BBQ, Ken and I were looking forward to getting some much needed shut eye. As we were getting ready for bed, we walked into the bathroom to and to our surprise we found this...

Now I know what you are thinking...does she ever sweep her floors...look at that dog hair!  Right?!?  On a serious note, I wish this picture actually showed how BIG this spider was.  Her belly was the size of a half dollar, no joke.  Ken and I have separate sinks and this beauty, who we will call Charlotte, was on his side.  I am amazed that Ken actually saw it because he normally never looks down which usually ends up with him stubbing his toe, kicking or stepping on anything in his path.  But for whatever reason Ken spotted Charlotte.  He grabbed a paper towel (a single sheet might I add) and was going to squish her dead. I panicked and made him get a shoe because you never know if these things are poisonous or if they will all of a sudden grow 10 times their size and chase after you (does any other women fear this too?).  I sat and watched as Ken began his husband duty of killing all spiders and you will never believe what happened next.  As soon as he smashed the Charlotte, out of nowhere, hundreds (ok maybe 30ish) baby spiders came running out. It was like a movie...just when you think you have seen it all, the heavens open up and monsters come out of the sky and attack. Haven't you see The Avengers?  Well, the baby spiders didn't attack but they did run all over the bathroom floor.  Now I know you are never going to believe this story and I wish I had captured the attack of the baby spiders but I was too busy screaming and prancing on tippy toes to get a picture. This is no tall tale and you'll just have to take my word for it and pray that it never happens to you!

We keep going and going and going...

Hello again! So much has happened since my last post so I am going to do a little recap of what Ken and I have been up to.  Since you last heard from me... I started my new job, we had a small housewarming party with family and friends, Ken's best friend Matt came into town, we saw The Avengers with my family in 3D, Ken got a new truck, had a fun little date with my bf Casey and her son Landon, and we had a small Memorial Day BBQ with my family. Well, needless to say we have been busy.

Don't judge us in our fancy 3D glasses!

Ken finally has a truck!  He was and still is so excited to have a car that he got to pick out. I haven't heard about anything else this past week except for how cool his truck is, did you know my truck has this, lets take my new truck........
I'm so happy that we could finally get Ken a ride he is thrilled to drive!

Casey, Landon and I had so much fun catching up and playing at Town Square.

We played bags/corn hole at our BBQ.  Let's just say that Ken and I rocked and the rest of the family needs to practice before they come over again.  W is for Wendtland or Winners because on Monday we were both!

A Weekend to Celebrate!

Last weekend Ken and I had our first house guests! Ken's younger brother, Karl and his girlfriend Christal, came to stay with us to celebrate Karl's 23rd Birthday.  We had such a great weekend and it was so fun to have friends in town to hang out with.  On Friday night we went to Nora's.  Ken and I had our rehearsal dinner there and Ken's family is officially hooked.  We ate until we were stuffed and Karl got a little dessert for being the birthday boy.

Karl & Christal at Nora's

After dinner we headed over to Stoney's but they wanted to charge us cover since we all had out-of-state driver's license.  After trying to explain that we just moved in town and it was Karl's birthday, with no success, we decided to leave and hang out at home instead.  Since it was Cinco de Mayo weekend I decided to bust out the sombrero and tequila shots.  I'm still not sure if that was a good idea or not!?! Anyways we had a great time talking, drinking and hanging out in our courtyard listening to country music!

This is the only group shot I got of the whole weekend (right after our tequila shot).

Holly wanted to get in on the action too! Poor mutant pup!

 

On Saturday, Cinco de Mayo, we took Karl & Christal to Town Square to eat lunch at CPK and walk around.  Ken got some new shirts from Tommy Bahama (he is such an old man) and I got a new phone case.  We then went to Boot Barn where Karl got new cowboy boots, a birthday present from Christal, and finally ended up at Bass Pro Shop. Ken and Karl love Bass Pro Shop and can just walk around for hours---I don't think I'll ever understand it.

Later that night we went to Lindo Michoacan to celebrate with margaritas!  We were able to sit on the patio and enjoy the beautiful weather and the awesome view!

 Our first family picture in our new house!

Thanks for the great weekend Karl & Christal.  We had such a great weekend with you two!

Workin' for a Livin'

I can officially say I have a NEW JOB and I start in a week!  That makes 3 job in the last 3 months...crazy I know.  I will be working for the March of Dimes as their Community Director in Las Vegas.  I had the pleasure of volunteering at their walk last weekend and I am excited to be working with such a great group of people. www.marchofdimes.com

To backtrack a little bit- Ken and I have been on a crazy journey when it comes to our careers since graduating college.  I was the first to get a job with a local Arizona nonprofit, notMYkid, managing young adults in recovery and helping them share their story with middle and high school students.  A few weeks later, Ken went to work, for TekSystems, doing IT recruiting.  After 6 months, I was given the opportunity to go to work for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, where I did a college internship.  This was such a wonderful opportunity and I was passionate about what I was doing.  Ken was shortly promoted to Account Manager, at TekSystems, but was not happy with being in a sales role. After a year and a half he took a position with US Airways as a Financial Analyst.  He really found his sweet spot as an analyst and was proving to be very successful.  Well....for 7 months that is.  We were looking to buy a house in Arizona, because that was where we were living/working at the time, before we came to the decision that we wanted to be closer to family. Ken started applying for jobs in Nevada and soon he was interviewed for a position as a Revenue Manager with Caesars Entertainment.  I started looking for jobs in Vegas online and applied to a few nonprofits that were hiring. He was offered the job with Caesars and moved to Vegas in February while I was still working and living in Phoenix.  While I was playing the waiting game, I became tired of living in a different state as my hubby, so I took a position in March, in Vegas, as a Marketing Manager for a mortgage capital firm.  Ahhh...are you still with me?  Well a few weeks ago I heard back from one of the positions I applied for at the March of Dimes (it took them 2 months to contact me after I had sent them my resume).  Needless to say after two interviews I was hired.

Ken and I are so blessed to have had great job opportunities, especially in this economy.  Each job for us has been a step up and a step toward each of us reaching our career goals. What a roller coaster we have been on! The best part of this journey is that we have both learned what we are good at (and not so god at) all while having the support of each other.  Wouldn't want it any other way!

Enjoy a little Huey Lewis (circa 1982) for your Thursday!

25 things about me in honor of my 25th birthday!

Yesterday I turned 25!  Last night I had a wonderful birthday dinner with the hubby at Grimaldi's -my favorite pizza place. But instead of writing about all of the stuff I did with family and friends right now I am going to share a little about myself...how about 25 things you may or may not know about me inspired by my 25th birthday.

1. Ken and I have both have had 3 jobs in the past year!  2. I lived in Arizona for 7 years and I lived in 7 different houses during that time  3.  I am terrible about returning phone calls - sorry if I never called you back  4. I have an awesome memory and in college I would wake up to 'study' a few hours before a test and just memorize the whole book/notes - hello Dean's List  5.  I love the rain so much and it just happened to start pouring when Ken proposed in the Bahamas  6. I love dogs- I would have a rescue center in my home if Ken would allow me  7. I love scary movies and when I was little I used to fall asleep to them every night (like I was 8 yrs old falling asleep to The Exorcist...creepy, I know)  9. Hubby hates scary moves so I usually only watch them now when he is out of town, by myself   10. I love planning parties and events but I have never actually planed one that I have hosted  11. I am a homebody - I'd rather be hanging on the couch than out and about  12. I truly love shopping-I don't even care if it's shopping for me or someone else-I love it all  13. I didn't know how to do laundry until I went to college  14. I never cry (unless I'm super frustrated) and my mom always said I needed to see the Wizard of Oz for a heart  15. I do cry at funerals (like uncontrollably and embarrassingly) even if I hardly knew the person  16. One of my favorite things in the world is roller coasters - there has never been one high or fast enough in my opinion  17. My ideal vacation is going somewhere with a beach but I dislike salt water and sand and usually only go to the resorts pool and just look at the beach  18. I love doing yoga and would love to get certified to teach it someday  19. I took a surfing lesson on our honeymoon and loved every minute of it (I never fell once)  20. I was a competitive swimmer growing up and one of my biggest fears is drowning   21. Even though I am a girly girl I think I am very tough...not sure where that self confidence comes from  22.  I don't stress, at all, and it drives my family crazy because I am so relaxed about everything  23.  I used to have a phobia of wearing the same outfit more than once...I am slowly getting over that phobia  24. One of my goals is to learn to play guitar and play during worship at church - I got a guitar for Christmas 2 years ago and still have never picked it up  25.  My mom swears by the old wives tale of the pencil test to predict how many kids/gender you'll have and I am suppose to have 3 girls and 1 boy (http://pencilpregnancytest.com/ see for yourself...it has never been wrong on anyone we have done it to)

I had an awesome 24 years of life and I know 25 will be the best year yet! I would love to hear about your fun/quirky things that make you who you are. Share something random in the comment section if you feel daring enough!

Aren't you tired of posts about moving?

When Ken and I first moved to Las Vegas, we still had our house in Arizona we were renting. Instead of packing everything up and putting it in storage we decided to leave all of our furniture in our AZ house and move it when we bought our house in Vegas. Last weekend we drove to Arizona with my parents and Ken’s mom and brother met us there. We rented a moving van and packed and cleaned the house. On a side note, I was traveling the weeks leading up to our move so our house was completely unpacked!

On Saturday night, after we had packed the whole house, the six of us went to dinner at Sand Bar.  Later on that night we meet up with some friends to have one last hurrah in Arizona! It was good seeing our friends but I wish we had gotten at least one picture of us all.

Dad, Mom, Me, Ken, Karl (Ken's younger brother) & Joyce (MIL)

Here is a fun fact-Ken and my Dad were wearing the same sweater.  They were both trying to cover the logos in the pictures so no one would be able to tell. Cat's outta the bag boys!

We returned to Las Vegas late Sunday night and Ken, my dad and I unpacked the moving van.  We have been trying to tackle one room at a time when it comes to unpacking boxes. The house is a disaster! We have boxes everywhere, towels in the dining room, bedding in the living room, not enough furniture to fill up our 5 bedroom house…you get the point.  Since we have to live with this mess until we are finished putting everything away I figured I would share it with you. My last post I had before pictures….and below are during pictures. We still have so much work to do.

This is our guest room in the casita. It is the only room that is somewhat complete. Who wants to be our first guest?

On a random note, we cleaned our new house the night before we moved in. How cute are my Grandparents. They came over to help and they both were in our shower cleaning-my Grandma Shirley was spraying the cleaning solution and my Grandpa Al was scrubbing. I hope one day that Ken and I will have the love that my Grandparents still have today. I just love to hear stories of their early days being married and how far they have come! I truly love these two wonderful people.

A new chapter...

Last night, Ken and I got the keys to our FIRST HOME. I can't even begin to describe how I feel right now.  I am so excited to be in our home, proud that all of our saving really added up, nervous of the road ahead, grateful for all those who helped us get here, blessed that God has rewarded us, anxious to fill it with memories and love... 

I just have to thank both of our parents for instilling in us the tools needed to make it to this point in life.  Ken's parents have been a great resource for us when it comes to finances.  I know we are both so thankful for the love, support and advice they have given us along the way and know it really has made an impact on how we want to be. 

My parents have also be instrumental to Ken and I, not just in this process, but also in life.  I can't thank them enough for their generosity, love, support and encouragement.  They are always willing to drop whatever they are doing to be there and help.  They have always been my rock and a great example of how after 30 plus years of marriage (wow) there can still be love and respect.  I appreciate them more than they will ever know.

Ok...back to me! So, last night we got the keys to our house. We invited my parents and their best friends-Kevin and Londa over. Kevin is the handiest man I know and he installed a doggy door for us. Londa and Kevin are like second parents to me and I am thankful that Kevin allowed me to pay him in beer and pizza for his service! At this point all of our furniture is still in Arizona so Ken and I ended up sleeping on couches that were in my parent's garage (my dad has been holding them for us for almost two years...he was happy to have his garage space back)! I didn't get any pictures of the fun we had last night and of the handy work the boys did but I do have a few pictures that were taken when the house was put up for sale. I will make sure to post pictures once we have settled and decorated. I can't wait!

This is the front of the house. We have a cute little gate that leads to our courtyard. Don't mind the HUGE tree that needs trimming!

This is the front door and the entry way. I just love the circular entry with the columns. Ken said, the first time we saw this house, that he could imagine these columns at Christmas and how I would have them just perfect. He was right...I'm already thinking of how awesome they will be to decorate.

One of the reasons I fell in love with house was the kitchen/family room.  It is beyond big and open. I can't wait until we can have family dinners and holidays where everyone will gather in the kitchen. I wish the other half of the kitchen could be seen in this picture for the full effect. Oh yeah-see that big rectangular hole-we are without a fridge until next week-take out it is!

This is a view of our backyard.  One of the cool things about our house is that the front courtyard connects to the back (there isn't a gate separating the two). Holly can spend her days running laps around our house.  In one of the side yards we have fruit trees and I eventually be be having a garden to grow some vegetables and herbs. Yum! We also don't have neighbors on one side because we are next to a green belt. So excited for that but we have already found balls from the kids playing in the green belt (Holly will be in heaven with the balls)!

So that's our house in a nutshell. Again, I promise to post pictures as soon we get settled in.