A Surprise Birthday

So it's taken me until THIS weekend to finally post our adventures from last weekend! It's been quite a 'roller-coaster' of a week. So sorry! Anyway, last weekend was absolutely fantastic. Some good times spent with some great friends!

It was my best friend's, Ang's, birthday this past week. Her boyfriend, Mike, always tries to surprise her with something on her birthday, however, she's too smart and spoils the surprise every year! So he came up with an idea to have Ross & I come down to their apartment in Bethesda, MD to surprise her (since we ended up canceling last minute for their Halloween Party, this would be our way of making it up to her). It was perfect! Mike was thrilled to have finally surprised her! And luckily, no one spilled the beans the week prior about our planned adventure. She didn't find out the good news, literally, until we showed up at her door :)

Ultimately, it was a great weekend. Ross & I got to their place Friday night, and went out on the town with some of their friends to celebrate a few different birthdays. We were up til 4 am just reminiscing and enjoying ourselves. Saturday, Ang & Mike were our 'tour guides' and took us to D.C. to walk around and see the monuments & check out the Air & Space Museum (which I haven't seen since I was a kid). It was a bea-u-ti-ful day outside, and we were so happy to enjoy one of the last sunny days before the cold weather sets in!Afterward, we ate at '5 Guys,' a delicious burger joint that Ross & I haven't gotten the chance to try yet, even though they finally opened one in Cranberry a few months ago! It was delish! Then we had a few errands to run and the guys had a little too much fun in the "Five Below!"

Next, was my upmost favorite part of the whole trip .....a 2-story TARGET! ...complete with an escalator for your cart!! That's right...I was so excited I got a picture!! ha!

I was even more amazed that this Target had it's own 4-story parking garage...say WHAT!! Crazy-ness is what that is. Ross & Mike were dumbfounded that Ang & I insisted on going to Target, just so I could check out the cart escalator, but not so. Not when there is an escalator solely for your cart! And yes, I was not ashamed to push around my empty cart around the store just to get the full experience!

Saturday night we hung out at the apartment with a group of Ang & Mike's friends. They were all so nice and fun to hang out with! We played a few games, and had a lot of good laughs. I think I ended up crashing before everyone left though due to my lack of sleep the previous night. I knew it would catch up sooner or later.

On Sunday, needless to say, was a 'catch-up on rest' day after our 4-hour drive home. The trip was well worth it. It's taken us forever to get out there to see their place, but I'm so glad we finally made the trip. Ang's face was priceless when we knocked on their door and yelled 'Surprise!!' (ok, so maybe I was the only one who yelled surprise, b/c Ross refused to participate), but still priceless :) Happy Birthday Ang!

An Overdue Celebration

Last December, I told Ross I would take him out to dinner once he graduated from IUP with his Master's Degree to celebrate all of his hard work. Little did I know he would choose one of the most expensive restaurants in all of Pittsburgh... Monterey Bay on Mt. Washington! So I jokingly said, "We can't afford that! Why don't we go there once you get a job and we'll celebrate both!" So, 10 months later, he landed a job at NHS Human Services as an HR Generalist (even though it's only part time at the moment, it will turn into full time in a few months) so I finally took him up on my promise! I'm so happy for him and happy to have finally taken him out for a special celebration :) Even if it IS 10 months later!

This is before dinner, before the sun had completely set.

Ross striking a pose with the view of Pittsburgh.

Apparently I'm not nearly as "model-esque" as my hubby,
as this was the 5th photo taken before I got a decent shot! ha

We requested a table by the window so we had the breathtaking view of downtown Pittsburgh at night in all it's 'lit-up' glory :) It was beautiful. Dinner was great too! Ross took advantage of their specialty by ordering anything 'seafood' from the menu while I stuck with crab cakes for dinner (it was either that or a steak since I don't eat fish!). For dessert, we had a Neopolitan Cheesecake (or as I like to call it, "Napoleon" :) It was a great night out, and even though I really don't care to get all dressed up to go out....it was a nice change. But what can I say.... our 1-year Wedding Anniversary was celebrated with Pizza & a pitcher of Beer at one of our favorite pizza places, Sir Pizza :) Now THAT's my kind of celebration!! We are so "high-class"....

**HOUSE UPDATE**

In case anyone is curious, there always seems to be one more obstacle with the house, but it's all coming along. All utilities are turned on as of yesterday. The bank paid the water company the outstanding charges, so that's squared away. NOW we've found out that we need a plumber to come light the water heater and de-winterize the house (which we were all unaware that the house was winterized to begin with!!). Luckily for us I have a family of plumbers and have them coming out Thursday morning, before the home inspection at 3:00 :) Ross & I are anxious to hear how the inspection goes..... by this point I don't think that there's too much that can take us by surprise! Or I possibly just jinxed ourselves! Adios til next time....

Jury Duty & Other Fun Happenings...

What's been going on in my life? Too much and not too much all at the same time.

I was called in for Jury Duty last Tuesday, and to my dissapointment, was selected for a trial. So I was downtown Wed. and Thursday as well. Luckily, all of my bosses understood, and were happy I did justice & put a bad guy in jail :) Let's just say this guy was a CREEP! I had all good intentions, and did NOT want to put anybody in jail....but once we gave our 'Guily' verdict (after concluding the DNA evidence was too hard to ignore), we were given some extra information that we were not allowed to know about beforehand, and apparently this was his 3rd conviction!! For the same thing! So I count myself as being productive last week :)

Saturday, Ross & I headed out to the Pirate's game with my friends Ang & Mike, who had Box Seats, thanks to Mike's parents who had won the tickets :) I felt very spoiled. Especially since our box had a flat screen tv, and we were able to watch the preseason Pen's game while trying to also pay attention to the Pirate's game. Nothing like multi-tasking! After the game, O.A.R. performed. I was loving it!!! I've only recently begun listening to them, but Ross has always been a huge fan. And we didn't even know they were performing until a few days prior, so it made going to the game that much more fun! Aside from the chilly weather, and Ross not thinking to bring a jacket, we had a great night!

Sunday was a nice Pedicone cousin outing! HA. We all "watched" the Steeler's win and enjoyed a ton of great food. I like football purely for the social fun of it. But I am excited more for the Penguins :) :) :) and my boy Malkin to be back!!

Anyways, my plans for this weekend are up-in-the-air. Should I go camping myself with a few friends since Ross is all "camped-out?" Or stay home and hang out with Ross and avoid driving 2.5 hrs. each way (by myself) to the campground? I've asked Ross what he would do to convince me to stay home, and he said "Olive Garden." Hmmm....tough life choices, HA! What to do?! what to do?!

"Best Wife of the Year" Award

I've often liked to acknowledge that I should be awarded "Best Wife of the Year." Last year, for example, when I 'allowed' my husband to buy a motorcycle without giving him much of a fight. THAT in and of itself should've won me the award :)

This year, I so kindly planned a camping trip for my husband and all of HIS friends. You see, it started out with all of us wanting to do a camping trip again (like we did 2 years ago). In the end, any of the 'few and far between' girls in his group weren't able to commit, which would leave me alone with 5 guys...camping. So you can understand when I opted out, and insisted they have a "guys" weekend. In the end, I had done all the planning and nagging to get enough people to come, and now I don't even get to enjoy all the effort it was worth. You'd think this was just some kind of ploy to get Ross out of the house for the weekend! Not really, although now I'm wondering if this was somehow a result of my subconcious. But after being sad that I won't be able to enjoy a weekend of camping, I'm kind of looking forward to a weekend of doing nothing :) And having Ross gone for a few days will allow me to take advantage of catching up on all the chick flicks I've missed in the past year! SO...I guess it won't be such a bad weekend after all.

AND I'm *again* awarding myself "Best Wife of the Year" award :)

It's a win-win situation!

Now if only I could get him to take the dog too ...it would be completely and utterly delightful....




AH. who am I kidding?! I love that stinkin' cute weiner dog....

All Work, No Play

In case you haven't noticed the trend of my blog lately, you'll see that I only update on Monday's. I guess you can blame that on the fact that nothing interesting happens during my work week, hence nothing to blog about, and then the weekend finally arrives and flies by, and I'm eagerly counting down til Friday again! Well, heck, at least I have two days out of the week to look forward to :) Anyway, this past weekend was no exception. It was great, and there's nothing better to perk up the Monday Blues by reminiscing.

This weekend, we got out again with my friend Ang and her boyfriend Mike, to a new campground along the Maryland/PA border. Since they reside in Bethesda, MD, we were trying to find a campground at the halfway point, and I think this particular campground was the best we could find. It was called Hidden Springs Campground, right by Rocky Gap State Park, which was beautiful, and nestled in the PA mountains. It took us about 2 1/2 hrs. to get there (a bit too far if it were just me & Ross) but perfect for meeting in the middle. The campground itself was nice, once Ang & Mike explored and found a good site.

They got there a few hrs. before me & Ross, so they were in charge of checking out our site to see if A) it was wooded and shaded, B) if it was private (to avoid Dakota's insistent barking at ppl) and C) away from all the noisy RV's! ha. Well, they were ready to call it a weekend as soon as they got there! To their horror (and ours), our (original) site was located directly across from all the seasonal RV's (aka fake green grass carpet, and an overabundance of tacky lawn ornaments), provided only a few trees for shade (not nearly enough when they were calling for 105 degree weather!) and the sites were very crammed, sitting one on top of the other (I'm sure Dakota would've enjoyed it!). So after making a quick U-turn back to the campground store to inquire about some other sites, they found a perfect site located in the "Tent Area", which by the way, was the only area in the woods. Again, we're not sure why we weren't originally placed there after Ang specifically asked for privacy, woods, shade, lots of room for 2 TENTS, etc. Out of about 15 tent sites, only 2 were already reserved, so they were lucky to have their pick. I was relieved to show up and see that we had everything we had wanted. So after the initial reaction, we loved our site and the campground.

The only con of the whole weekend (besides the heat) were the rules of Rocky Gap State Park. We had anticipated on going swimming at their "beaches" in the lake, but they didn't allow dogs in any of the areas. We had to do a little of our own exploring on the trails to find a spot to get into the water with Dakota, but nothing was sandy except for what they had reserved as the swimming beaches. It's always dissapointing to not be allowed pets, especially when it's such a family-oriented place, and who doesn't treat their dogs like family anymore these days?! So we didn't spend as much time there as we would've liked. Normally, I don't mind putting her in her crate, but in that kind of heat, I didn't want to take the chance.

So overall, we had a great weekend! We can't wait to go back and try out another site that was even better than ours (but already taken). And hopefully next time the heat won't be so bad. After this weekend, I've finally found a flaw with our tent.... it allows NO air circulation! HA. But I still love it.

On a side note.... Happy 2-Year Anniversary to my hubby :) (wow! can't believe it's been 2 yrs. already!!)

Relaxin'

As much as I love camping, it's nice to have a weekend at home too. I almost think it's necessary to have at least one weekend in between camping trips, just to get the house and chores back in order before being gone for another weekend. And it makes me think that staying home isn't all that bad anyway.

Friday night we got together with the whole fam as an excuse to celebrate Michelle's birthday. Did I get a family cookout for my birthday?! NO. But then again, I'm not the queen of the family. ha...just kidding. Ross at least treats me like the princess I am, on my birthday :)

Saturday was nice to be home to get some errands done. I had a few to run with mom, and of course, that always means lunch is included, which I always enjoy! That night, I went out with 2 of my girlfriends to the Pirate's game (which also was Skyblast night!). It was great to get out for an all-girls night, which hasn't happened in ages, and was long overdue. We also enjoyed the fireworks since none of us bothered to see any for 4th of July, so it was a good ending to a great night!

I'm declaring Sunday my laziest day of the week, every week. Every Sunday seems to be exhausting, even if it means doing nothing all day, but just being lazy, like yesterday. Ross & I forced ourselves to go grocery shopping (like we normally do on Sundays) but we were both so tired, and boy, did it seem like a chore. Luckily, we had a great dinner to look forward to when we got home. Betsy had recommended a great way of cooking Ribs, so we were anxious to try it out. We bought some Baby Back Ribs, put them in the oven, at 275 degrees for a total of 2 hours. During the last hour, we intermittingly spread on our favorite BBQ sauce. They were delicious!! By far, one of our best dinners yet :) We also lounged around and watched a few movies, one of which was 'Avatar.' Ross saw it in theatres with the 3D effects, but I was still curious about all the hype and wanted to see it for myself, even if I didn't get the effects. But I have to admit, it was actually pretty good, after procrastinating to watch it for so long, but was a bit long. Maybe just b/c it ran past my 10:00 bedtime! So needless to say, I am tired today, ha!

So, the weekend was great, with good weather too. Let's hope we can have another sunny weekend since we'll be camping next weekend again. Nothing like camping in the rain when it's calling for scattered thunderstorms all week :( Finger's crossed!

My Hot Dog can Swim...

So I promised on Facebook that I would supply pics of Dakota taking her first swim, and instead of posting them to the whole world, I thought I would share them on here instead :) We went camping this past weekend with the whole family and were located right beside a river. On Saturday, a few of us decided to go kayaking, hence the reason we were in the water, and Ross was anxious to see if his dog could swim (after all she is unusually long for a weiner dog) but I knew she could do it....I mean, really...her paws are huge! She's got weird webbed duck feet....

Anywho! Let's take a look....

Ross is still holding her here, getting her prepared for the water....

At this point, Ross is bent over from laughing so hard. He was still holding her, about 2" above the water, and her instincts must've kicked in, b/c her paws just started paddling in the air! Our dog was ready to go! It really was hysterical.... Her first swim complete! Of course, she swam right to me, begging to be saved....

That was fun! Let's do it again....

pssss - Did anyone notice Ross' extreme farmer's tan?!?! HA! Too bad you couldn't see his legs, those are the whitest.

Anyways, it was hysterical seeing her paddle through that water. I couldn't believe how well she did (of course, she couldn't go long distance or anything like that). But best of all...she dried in about 40 minutes. Did I mention how much I love having a short-haired dog?! Of course, I'm sure it helped when I put her on my lap and she shook it all off on me. O well...I was wet before anyhow :)

3-Days Too Little

Welp, since I'm sitting here at work, on a rainy, miserable Tuesday back from an enjoyable 3-day weekend, I might as well update this blog a little and reminisce about how wonderful my weekend was.

This past weekend was mine & Ross' camping trip with my 2 closest girlfiends and their boyfriends, at a campground near Ohiopyle, which we've all been to before. First off, the weather was nothing short of PERFECT! Nice & sunny, upper 70's/low 80's (but cooler since we camp in the shaded woods), and not a single drop of rain (even though it was calling for thunderstorms Friday night, it somehow missed us). So I guess for scoring such a great weekend, I won't be allowed to complain if we get one rainy weekend of camping later in the season, I guess it's a fair trade?!

Our white-water rafting trip on Saturday was a lot of fun. The best part?! Me NOT falling out of the raft. We all had a great time, and our guide even called us an athletic bunch :) I'll group myself into that category since I was there, even though I'm the least athletic person you'll ever meet! I have so many great stories and memories from that trip, it was so exciting to try something new. Our guide was also perfect for us, he was about our age, and had a ton of experience, so we got a lot of individual rafting time rather than being grouped in with the other 8 rafts who all stuck together. We were also always first into the rapid, or last, depending on whether our guide had to help guide the other rafts through (giving us time to relax on shore and watch the other rafts go through the rapids).

Sunday we explored and walked around the little town of Ohiopyle, checked out the natural waterslide and relaxed on the riverbank. I actually managed to get a little sun on my shoulders....look at me catching up to my Mexican-colored husband!! (haha)

Other than that, we played a little cornhole, phase 10 and Skipp-o, drank a little beer, and ate a LOT of great food. It was the perfect way to relax on a long weekend, and I wouldn't have had it any other way :) I can't wait til our next outing, that has yet to be planned.

But for now, Ross & I have our next camping trip to look forward to in 2 weeks, with Stephen & Betsy, Michelle & Mike, and mom & dad. We're trying out a new campground, about 30 min.'s from Ohiopyle, where we get to tent along the river. Should be great! Or maybe that's when mother nature will make me pay my dues for last weekend's sunny weather....

Farewell Old Friend...

Even though we technically moved 2 weeks ago, it was only yesterday that we finally turned in the keys to the old apartment. It was a bittersweet moment. That apartment was a first for many things, and looking back on it, I can't believe how much has changed since first moving in there. I lived there for 3 years, and Ross, 2 years. It was my first taste of independence, my first taste of adulthood. I never really had the "college" experience, so the first year of living alone really allowed me to learn a lot about myself. I held my first "real world" job while living there. I transferred to GVA Oxford only months after moving in there, and got laid off from GVA months before moving out, so I really relate that apartment to my time spent at a job I enjoyed that also helped carve a path for my future.

Ross & I got engaged while living there and married the next year:
We brought home Dakota to that apartment. She was my first dog (aside from family pets, that don't count) that I had to beg and beg Ross to allow me to get. Of course, I had wanted a pug all along, but we had compromised & settled on a miniature dachshund. Now I could officially call us a "family."


We also hosted our very first party with all of our friends on New Year's Eve 2008. It was a blast and one to remember :)
A lot has changed for Ross as well since moving in. This apartment was his first time not living at home with his parents anymore. He always commuted to college, so he also did not have the "college" experience. Aside from that, he's now a married man :) He also graduated from Robert Morris, and then IUP with his master's. He was studying hard in those days, and now finally has time to relax. He also purchased his first bike (after nicely calling me @ work one day to ask for permission, I'll never forget that phone call!) What a good husband :)

In case you're wondering, he's moved on already to a newer and better bike, for no cost, don't ask how but I guess my husband's a hustler! Don't worry if you can't see a difference, b/c I couldn't either and he was offended, ha!

Even though 3 years may not sound like a lot of time, it's amazing how much has changed! I can't wait to see what the next 3 years holds for us. We hope to own our first house in the next 3 years, and I hope to see us both working full-time jobs that we love and in the careers we had seen for ourselves. Maybe that is asking too much, but you can't have what you don't strive for. So here's a toast to the future and remembering old times :)

My Favorite Things

Well, we're finally situated in the new apartment and I wanted to share it with all of you! It was hard to take pictures of the rooms, so I decided to just highlight some of my favorite things in the new apt. :)

First off, my absolute favorite thing in this apt. is my new, and very own, washer & dryer:
Aren't they bea-u-ti-ful! Yes, I am truly in love. I've managed to do at least 3 loads of laundry a day since moving in and I'm yet to be bored with them. Ross laughs at me, but he doesn't understand the frustration of trying to do laundry only to find that you don't have any quarters left, or lugging all your laundry downstairs only to realize that the washers are already taken! Ok, maybe he does understand a little, but he still doesn't appreciate them as much as I do :) I think he's secretly laughing at how domesticated I've become...geesh, who woulda thought! I also wanted to point out the curtains hanging, which hides a shelving unit I have to the left of the washer & dryer, sneaky sneaky! I love not seeing all the clutter hidden behind the curtains! Of course, I could also close the curtains to hide the washer & dryer, but for these beauties, I like looking at them at all times :)

Secondly, I have to give a shout-out to our new fluffy 4'x6' rug in our bathroom:
The picture doesn't nearly do it justice, but it's the best rug in the world...courtesy of Target, and it's also the perfect size for our oddly big-sized bathroom. I love our bathroom 100x more than the last apt. after getting situated in it. I bought a pretty new shower curtain and some really cute new accessories:
This is an odd picture, but I wanted to show off my new soap pump....it's also from Target, but I love the vintage-y style and the subtle green glass (since our bathroom is full of greens and beiges). It makes me smile every time I wash my hands :)

Next, I've come to love our small, teeny-tiny kitchen:

Yup, that's pretty much it.... the only room I was able to capture in one photo. The kitchen cart is from Mike & Michelle who were no longer using it and let us borrow it for awhile. I'm in love with it, and it adds some much needed counter space! After freaking out about the kitchen being too small before moving in, and not knowing how I was gonna make it work, I found the perfect solution, and now love this space more than the bigger kitchen in the old apt.

Here a pic of our eating space:Nothing too exciting here, but I thought I'd share anyways. This space is in the same room as the kitchen and the washer & dryer. It's a big odd-shaped room, but it's working out perfectly.

Here's a few random living room pics:
The living room is also much smaller, but it feels so cozy, and all our furniture fit perfectly.

Sorry to not have any bedroom pics. It's the least exciting room, especially since Ross is STILL unpacking his closet and it's a huge mess! And it's barely decorated. Isn't it always that way?! Why do we always leave that room for last?!

Oh, and lastly, I didn't want to forget my other new addition to our apt.:
Fresh Herbs!! Holla' for saving a dolla' everytime a recipe calls for fresh herbs :) Please excuse the dying basil. I'll be lucky if I can keep them alive for long, but for now, they're alive and kickin'. For now. Because they've only been in my possession for a few days. But now that I have the little railing and deck out the front door, I felt the need to finally buy fresh herbs since I had the perfect place for them.

All in all, I'm very happy with the new space. The washer & dryer make this apt. 100x better than the old. I had to sacrifice a dishwasher, but I've found that I really don't mind not having one. This apt. became a great solution until we can finally save up to buy a house, but for now, I'm happy and content in the new digs. And I'm especially happy with how much better this place looks after decorating and adding some of our own touches. I should've taken some 'before' photos, b/c it was def. a challenge to make it look cozy and livable.

Spring has Sprung

The weather has been absolutely B-eau-ti-ful this week! And I took full advantage of it today by washing & detailing my car. It was pretty dirty, inside & out, and now I love it again after giving it a good wash and vacuum :) I also did a quick cleaning for the apartment and cracked the windows open to let in some fresh air. There's nothing better than fresh spring air when you've been trapped inside for the past 4 months. Anyways, as much as I am enjoying the nice weather, I'm praying that it gets cold and rainy again for a few weeks....so that I can concentrate on starting my new job (on Monday) and not wishing I was still jobless in order to enjoy the nice sunny weather! it's back to the job world for this gal....

Keeping Busy...

Finally!! After weeks of unemployment, mine & Ross' insanity has been put to the test, and we've tried just about anything to keep us preoccupied. Of course, we're constantly on the lookout on the job front, but until then, we're desperate for things to do. Well, as of yesterday, we had to make the decision of whether or not to renew our lease for our apt. at Presidential Arms. I've been here for 3 years now (Ross -2 years) and we're both sick & tired of paying rent, and we just can't commit ourselves to being tied down to another year-long lease. And we're just not in the position to buy a house just yet. Our lives are so "up in the air" with not knowing where our jobs are going to be (hopefully close, but you never know), or where we'll be in 6 months or even 1 year, so signing up for another year just didn't seem worth it. AND we would love to be SAVING, rather than spending....who wouldn't?! SOOooo...*drum roll please* we've decided to downsize (yes, yes, i know...there ain't much downsizing to be done when you're already living in a 1-bdrm. apt.!!!!) and move to the empty apt. that my grandparent's have over their detached garage (for little or no rent!). We're literally packing up anything and everything that we haven't touched or don't use in our everyday lives and putting it into my parent's garage for storage until, one day, we can upgrade to a bigger space. (p.s. - Sorry mom & dad...we all know how much you LOVE having your kid's crap stored in your garage! JUST as soon as Mike & Michelle finally got their stuff out...here we come!! :)

So, anyways, we've got 2 months left here at Presidential Arms. *Tears please* Don't worry, I will do a post dedicated to my first apt. before we leave. I have to. It's only necessary to document your first home of independence. I will miss it, but at the same time, I'm excited for a new change.

And of course, I'm excited to have an excuse to spend money on some home decor for the new place :) The amount of hatred I have for clothes shopping is quickly made up for in home decor shopping! I dream of curtains and rugs and color schemes. I dream of finding deals for this stuff as well b/c a deal is always sweeter than paying full price. OHHH Ikea! Here I come! I'm tingly all over just thinking about it. So, for the next few weeks, we will be busy packing stuff up, and moving down the road 10 minutes. I'm excited even though the new place is much smaller. It'll be a fun change.

Oh, and did I mention that we need to buy a stove & fridge as well for the apt.?? I've found a few great deals on used stoves on Craigslist, and now I'm officially giddy with excitement about how fun it is to find great deals on that website. We're thinking of buying a new fridge, since a second fridge can always be handy in a home one day, so I'll have to start researching a few. AND we also need to buy my own washer & dryer for the place. MY OWN WASHER & DRYER! NO QUARTERS NECESSARY! *gulp* I'm giddy again. I should go before I'm overloaded with giddiness.......

Ignoring the Blog

Welp...just so you don't think I'm completely ignoring the blog, enjoy this picture:



:)

Sorry my life isn't more interesting these days. On to better news, I finished my wedding video today!! :) I can't wait to watch it, JUST as soon as the program burning it to DVD decides to unfreeze after its been burning for over 2 hours. fml...

Coming this Spring.....

HA! Talk about having too much time on my hands :)

I guess I should really start on that job hunt...

p.s. - please don't judge my technically-savvy-video-making-skills...I made it in 20 min.'s flat, for pure enjoyment while waiting for Ross to stop playing NHL hockey on his ps3 so that we can play mario together on the Wii :)

p.s.s. - don't ya just love b. spears singing up my special day?! Yup, we're THAT close, I can call her b. spears. Ross is especially fond of my music choice to represent our d-day :)