Tis the Season

This blinds me a little...does it blind you? Anyway, Merry Christmas!

Our tree....

Okay, now I'm sorry

Okay, the guilt set in about neglecting my blog. I said I wasn't sorry, but I had a change of heart. A little like Jason on the Bachelor, without national TV and as many tears.

I love our new puppy, I really do. But man, there are times when I ask Ryan whose idea it was to get a second dog. Then he looks at me and I say "I know, it was mine.....but it wasn't one of my best."

She is cute, but she is a little fireball. I am sure Sadie was this way, too, but I don't remember her being like this. And another weird note about our 2nd dog is that I feel like I have "2nd child syndrome" with her. I don't have as many pictures of her. I have not blogged about her too much. And she doesn't even have her own Christmas ornament yet. So I am going to attempt to make up for that. I'm sorry, Parker. We love you just as much as we love Sadie. Sadie is just trained and easier to manage. She doesn't try to jump up and eat my hair, and she doesn't have a really high pitched bark that drives me crazy. Anyway.....

We got Parker from a fantastic rescue shelter called "Animal Guardians of America." If you are looking to rescue a stray, please check them out. They were so kind, so accommodating, and I was very impressed with them. They came to our home twice. Once to bring Parker and once to follow up. But they messed up one little thing. They told us that they had not had her fixed, and so we had to get it done. Now, this wasn't too big of a deal, except that Parker had to have the surgery, and she couldn't jump, run or horseplay for two weeks. Wait, hold on. That is all she does. How are we going to keep her from doing the very things that define her? She is a jumping, running, horse-playing ball of fire. Good luck to us, right?

And the solution. A rawhide bone. This is the only thing that would keep Parker and Sadie from playing roughly. I won't even tell you how many bones we have gone through in the past week, because it is just embarrassing. I feel so bad just giving them bones to keep them happy, but I don't want Sadie to rip Parker's stitches. Ew.

To end this post, a picture of our sad little puppy as we left the vet. She was disoriented, sad, clumsy and quiet. She was just not herself. But the good news is that the next day you would have never known she had surgery, if you couldn't see the horrible shave and the stitches.

Much love,

Allison

Not even sorry

I have neglected my blog. And I don't feel bad about it. This is unusual.

Imagine there are cute pictures of the new puppy and our Christmas tree. Ready, go!

Our new puppy, Parker!

Here she is! And she is just as sweet and adorable as she looks here....in a sweater. I never thought I would be one of those people....but look at her! She is precious!

Much love,

Allison

New Puppy

We are getting another dog, and I am pumped. We are rescuing her from a shelter. I like to say that we are "rescuing" her. Doesn't that make us sound cool and nice? I think so.

Back in the Spring, we discussed getting another dog. We felt so awful (and by we, I mean me) about leaving Sadie home, by herself, all day. No one to play with. No one to talk to. It kinda broke my heart a little bit to think about that poor puppy in the backyard by herself for 9 hours a day. So we decided that we would look into adopting another dog. But we had stipulations. We wanted her to be older. At least a year old. And we wanted Sadie to like her. Because if she hated her, then what was the point?

So first there was Jasmine. Ah, Jasmine. Sweet little dog we found at petfinder.com that was born in 2008. Perfect, we thought. Turned out to be a typo. She was born in 2009. But we didn't find this out until we took Sadie to visit her at a Petsmart on a Saturday. Sadie did not like her. She kept trying to run away from her and she kept looking at me like "Really? This is who you want me to hang out with?" But she was very cute, just young. And her paws were massive and Sadie didn't like her. So sadly, I put her back in her crate and tearfully went home. Just a few tears. It is very sad to put a dog back that you know needs a home. Ryan assured me that someone would adopt her. And they did.

On our way home I told Ryan I didn't want another dog. One was enough. So that was the end of that until a few weeks ago.

A few weeks ago, I decided that I needed a new beginning in my life. I wanted a change. I wanted to add something to my life to make it more interesting and different. So I decided that this change was a second dog. It was either that or learn to pilot a commercial jet. But I would have trouble not using my laptop or iPhone while flying, and we all heard what happened to those poor pilots.

We found Parker online, and she looked just like Sadie did when she was a puppy. We went and met her, and Sadie tolerated her. Sadie did not mind her. She was no threat to Sadie. Sadie didn't run from her or give me the look. So we applied to adopt her.

Tonight they will bring us our new puppy. She is 4-5 months old and she looks like a mini-Sadie. When she was a few weeks old, she was found wandering around west Dallas. She needs a home and I am so happy we can give her one!

There is just one small problem. It's her name. Parker is a boy's name. But it is pretty cute. I will either change it to Piper, or call her Parker. What do you think? Most people say Piper. She doesn't answer to Parker, so we could change it. Cast your vote!

Much love,

Allison

Have I mentioned I love Glee?

I adore Glee. Last night's episode was lacking a big group show choir number, but I still loved it.

Best line....

"I'll need to see that set list for sectionals after all. I want it on my desk, warm from the laminator, at 5pm. If it is one minute late, I will go to the animal shelter and get you a kitty cat, I will let you fall in love with that kitty cat, and then on some dark cold night I will steal away into your home and punch you in the face. " --Sue

Much love,

Allison

Updating

I am very very sorry for my lack of blogging as of late. I feel awful. I feel like I just read other people's blogs and twitter nowadays. I love twitter. To keep you updated on my life, because, let's face it....why else would you read this? I will tackle this update the best way I know how. With a list.

Without further ado, here are the top five new things going on in the Harms house.

1. We went to see the Sooners play the Shorthorns on Saturday. And no, we don't want to talk about it.

2. We want to get another dog, and we are trying to get this puppy that looks just like Sadie. I am not sure why. Because we want to mix them up? Because it will be fun to not know which German Shepherd mix made the mess or chewed the shoe?

3. I am having trouble with blogging, because I want to just tell everything and I can't....because I think it would get me into trouble if the wrong person read it. Does anyone else feel this way when they blog?

4. We had a Baby Blessing yesterday at church and we have 25 new babies! And after that, we had a Baby Blessing Brunch. (Say that 3 times fast. I dare you.) We had over 90 people there! Yes. 90! 9! 0! Craziness. If you know me at all, you know that I was just a little bit stressed about it.

5. I just read "Ten Thousand Splendid Suns" and would HIGHLY recommend it. It was recommended to me by my good friend, Allissa. She gets a gold star for this stellar recommendation. It is a fantastic book.

Much love,

Allison

Mini-update

Last time I posted was too long ago. I haven't even posted about my birthday, which was Sept 29.

I just don't have time right now, so I will just do a little update now, and update more later.

We might be getting a second dog!

I am going to the OU/Texas game!

I am rooting for Natalie Coughlin on DWTS!

That's about it. :)

Much love,

Allison

Tribute to Patrick Swayze

Great tribute to Patrick Swayze from last night's DWTS.

I love the second couple because they are a married couple in real life.

Much love,

Allison

Austria or Italy?

I was SO close. So close to having our Europe trip completely planned. It was London, Paris, Venice, Florence, Pisa, Cinque Terre, Rome. After planning London and Paris, I started working on Venice.

And then I discovered that Venice is expensive and crowded, and that we would be there on May 1st, which is Labor Day. My book said it is usually very booked and expensive. Then my eyes wandered to the Austria section of my book...

Italy: Venice, Florence, Cinque Terre, Pisa, Rome

or....

Austria: Vienna, Salzburg....SOUND OF MUSIC

Cast your vote...PLEASE. Really, I need help. Cause when I freak out and can't decide, Ryan says..

"We will do whatever you want, babe."

I never thought hearing THAT would stress me out. :)

Much love,

Allison

What's going on around here...

We got iPhones! I have cavities! My birthday is in 20 days! We go to Europe in 223 days!

I LOVE Glee.

Last night, Ryan and I are watching TV and I notice "Glee" on the DVR. I look at Ryan and raise my eyebrows.

"Babe, why did you record that? I thought we talked about cutting back on our shows. You just started grad school." (go here to see a list of the shows we watch)

"Yeah, but I thought you said you might like it."

"Some of my High School friends said I should watch it. But really, we don't need another show."

"Well, let's just watch it, and if you hate it, we won't record it anymore."

"Alright."

Note: I was a singer/performer/dancer/show choirer in High School. Yes, one of those people. I made some of my best friends there and I will always remember it as one of my favorite times in my life. Performing with my friends was SO MUCH FUN. I kinda wish YouTube had been around then, and maybe I could have some videos available. Just for fun.

**an hour later**

Uproarious laughter fills our living room.

"I love this show. LOVE. THIS. SHOW. Google it. What, he was nominated for a Tony? They do all of their own singing?"

It makes me so nostalgic to watch this show. I can guarentee you that I will never miss an episode! Check out some clips below and go watch the pilot at www.fox.com.

Sometimes I miss Act II.

If you were in Show Choir with me, and you haven't watched this show, you need to. And even if you weren't. So funny. So great.

Much love,

Allison

Still nothing too exciting to post about...

The Fall Quarter starts Sunday and we have all of our volunteer/teacher spots filled. And there was much rejoicing throughout the land! Every quarter I fret, and I worry....and then the spots are always filled when the quarter starts. God takes care of us.

Here are the words to my aforementioned first-day-of-school-music-rap:

Did I use the ford "aforementioned" correctly? Anyone know? I mean that I have mentioned it previously.

Listen! Listen!

Lend me your ear.

Here's an expectation rap for the music year.

Enter the room quietly and have a seat!

To yourself keep your hands and feet.

Listen carefully to what you hear,

Follow directions throughout the year!

Show respect to everyone

Work together to make music fun!

Time to start with no delay

Let's Sing, Say, Dance and Play!

Cheesy, I know. And it had instruments. (For shame.)

Much love,

Allison

What's new around here?

I am slacking on my blog. I realize this. You don't need to tell me. Not that any of my two faithful readers probably would. What should I post about? Here are five things that are going on in our lives. 

1. I am on a reading-kick. I have read 5-6 novels in two weeks. Three of them were while Ryan was out of town and there were no good TV shows on, but still. That's a lot for me. 

2. We finally got a new fence. It. is. glorious. Sadie has not had any visitors since we got it. Good thing. I was starting to worry about her. 

3. I am constantly recruiting volunteers for the Children's Ministry at Prestoncrest. If you go to church with me and want to teach something, anything, please let me know. And I can make it a light commitment. Once a month, for a month...or what I prefer....FOREVER. Just kidding. 

4. On Monday, in honor of school starting, I quietly said my "First Day of School Rap" to myself at my desk. Don't worry, everyone was at lunch. I always loved the first day of school...and my students loved the rap. 

5. Ryan and I love Scrabble now. I never played the game until four days ago, and I am hooked. We play it while we watch TV, after dinner, before dinner.....we forget to watch the movie we rented because we get so into Scrabble. Go ahead, judge us. We are nerds. We have accepted it. 

There you go. Interesting? Not really. But at least I posted. 

Much love, 

Allison

Gotta love kids...

Last night at Sunday Night Bible Hour.....

Cute little boy: I went to Walmart today. 

Allison: You did? That's cool. 

Cute little boy: Do you want to come with me later? 

Allison: (laughs) We'll see. What did you get at Walmart?

Cute little boy: Megatron!!

Ryan: Wow, from Transformers? 

Cute little boy: No, from Walmart. (looks at Ryan like he has two heads.)

Gotta love kids!

Much love, 

Allison

Summer Children's Ministry Events

Yesterday we had our Mother/Son BBQ, which was our last official "Summer" event. It was a success! Here are a few pictures of that event, and our Father/Daughter Tea! 

I really enjoyed putting these events together. I loved seeing the Dads bring their little girls all dressed up to the Tea, and the Moms bring their sons in their "western" gear. At both events they had their pictures made, played games and did a small craft (a frame for their picture). It was so much fun!

FATHER/DAUGHTER TEA, June 2009

The food table....

The centerpieces! The girls got to wear and take home the jewelry, and they loved that! The frames with the stickers was the craft they did. It was perfect to keep them busy...but the cupcakes actually took care of that!

Yummy cupcakes!

MOTHER/SON BBQ, August 2009

Centerpieces! Little bales of hay that were so cute!

I didn't get a picture of the games, but they are in the very back. We had a little rocking "cow" that the boys could lasso, and a shooting game with nerf guns and ping pong balls on top of golf tees stuck in foam blocks. 

This is when people were just starting to arrive!

Some people I took pictures of that I know wouldn't mind being posted on my blog! :) 

Angie, Carson and little Tanner. 

I had so much fun taking the pictures!

It has been a fun summer at Prestoncrest! 

Much love, 

Allison

Sadie has a boyfriend?

So here is a crazy story. On Sunday night when Ryan and I got home, I saw a little Jack Russell terrier running around our fence in the back. I have taken a local Jack Russell terrier, Jack (clever, huh?), back to his owner before, so I took off down the alley trying to get him to take him back. He was gone. Ryan and I looked for a little bit, and then went inside and didn't think much else of it. 

This morning, Ryan goes to let Sadie in, and he yells, "There is another dog in our backyard!" I run to the door and as we are about to grab him, he runs under a gap in our fence. (Yes, we need a new fence. We know.)

We both stare at Sadie. 

R: Sadie has a visitor! I think he was here the other night, too!

A: Oh my word, our dog has a boyfriend. 

Now I keep imagining that when she wants to go outside, it is to wait for him to come over. Maybe he was her final choice on her season of "The Dog Bachelorette". 

Or maybe while we are at work all the local dogs come over to our backyard and play charades. 

Where we think the little guy got in. We have since secured the area. You can tell by the lovely bricks. Again, we know we need a new fence. 

Sadie looking guilty, waiting by the door for her boyfriend to come over. 

Is this not hilarious? Maybe it is just us. 

Much love, 

Allison

VBS

Some fun pictures from VBS workdays.....

Laura and I after Day 1 work! Making progress!

Laura with Julie, Rosa, Jake and Simon!

With details added....it is coming together!

More pictures to come! 

Much love, 

Allison

Marriage Moment

Aw, memories....

(Going through our closet clothes.)
Allison: Ryan, awww! This is the shirt you wore on one of our first dates! (Holding up a completely plain blue T-shirt)
Ryan: No, I didn't. There is no way I wore that.
Allison: Yes you did. We watching John Q in your apartment and then went to Applebee's for dessert. (If you know me well, you know I remember the tiniest details and I am usually right.)
Ryan: Seriously? I did? There's no way.
Allison: You did. I remember vividly!
Ryan: Well, I'm sorry. I should have dressed up.

*smile*

Much love,
Allison

Planning our Europe Trip

I am in the process of planning the Europe trip. We are planning to go sometime in 2010. Spring or early summer. There are so many places I want to see, so I have been trying to narrow it down as best I can. Here is what I know....

1. I want to go on the Sound of Music Tour-- Salzburg
2. I want to see Mozart's Birthplace and House, and where he composed the Salzburg Symphonies and parts of The Magic Flute. --Salzburg
3. See as many places from the Sound of Music movie as possible-- Salzburg.

So that is what I know. Salzburg is a go. The rest is up in the air. Other thoughts....

1. During college, studying music history, I had a huge desire to go to Venice, Italy. I know I want to see at least one city in Italy. But which one....
2. Ryan has never been to Ireland and Scotland, and I hear good things about them, so I that is an option.
3. I want to see London..Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace and also we could see Broadway shows, which I LOVE.
4. Paris is an option, and Ryan says we could see it in 2 days max. I want to see the Eiffel Tower, of course.
5. I also don't want to overwhelm myself, but I don't want to waste a trip where I get to pick where we go. Decisions, decisions!

So many thoughts....Can't decide! I need a first time Europe survival counselor.

So that's where I stand. Back to my research!

Much love,
Allison

My Favorite Psalm

One of my all-time favorite Psalms.....

Psalm 139

 O LORD, you have searched me 
       and you know me.

 You know when I sit and when I rise; 
       you perceive my thoughts from afar.

 You discern my going out and my lying down; 
       you are familiar with all my ways.

 Before a word is on my tongue 
       you know it completely, O LORD.

 You hem me in—behind and before; 
       you have laid your hand upon me.

 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, 
       too lofty for me to attain.

 Where can I go from your Spirit? 
       Where can I flee from your presence?

 If I go up to the heavens, you are there; 
       if I make my bed in the depths, ^{a]" style="line-height: 0.5em; ">[a]} you are there.

 If I rise on the wings of the dawn, 
       if I settle on the far side of the sea,

 even there your hand will guide me, 
       your right hand will hold me fast.

 If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me 
       and the light become night around me,"

 even the darkness will not be dark to you; 
       the night will shine like the day, 
       for darkness is as light to you.

 For you created my inmost being; 
       you knit me together in my mother's womb.

 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; 
       your works are wonderful, 
       I know that full well.

 My frame was not hidden from you 
       when I was made in the secret place. 
       When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,

 your eyes saw my unformed body. 
       All the days ordained for me 
       were written in your book 
       before one of them came to be.

 How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! 
       How vast is the sum of them!

 Were I to count them, 
       they would outnumber the grains of sand. 
       When I awake, 
       I am still with you.

If only you would slay the wicked, O God! 
       Away from me, you bloodthirsty men!

They speak of you with evil intent; 
       your adversaries misuse your name.

 Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD, 
       and abhor those who rise up against you?

I have nothing but hatred for them; 
       I count them my enemies.

 Search me, O God, and know my heart; 
       test me and know my anxious thoughts.

 See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. 

Much love, 

Allison

I have a new show. . .

Like I need a new TV show! And especially one where I am in the bedroom laying on the floor, and Ryan when asks what's wrong.....I have to tell him that I was pretending I am on SYTYCD and I hurt my knee a little bit. How humiliating. 

But Ryan and I have started watching "So You Think You Can Dance" and we like it a lot! I knew my good friend Brenna enjoys it so I decided to give it a try. I think it is such a fun show! 

My favorites right now are Randi, Melissa, Ade and Kayla. I was totally bummed when Caitlyn got eliminated. She was so good technically!

This video is the Hip-hop routine from Randi and Evan. For some reason, I love it! I think the proposal and ring and the story line about her being pregnant (they talked about it before they danced) made it seem hokey, but I just love this routine for some reason. I think one of the reasons is I never thought of Beyonce's Halo as a hip-hop dance number. But I just love Randi. She is super cute. 

Okay, this is old. This is the top 20 group dance, but I thought it was SO good.  I wish the video was better quality. I thought this dance was really cool. 

I have no idea who will win, but I really like this show! Makes me miss dancing. Now I just need to not hurt my knee pretending I am "Dancing for my life". 

Much love, 

Allison

Who will Jillian pick? I want to know!!

I can't stop the desire to know who Jillian picks on the Bachelorette. I can't stop searching online every evening. I am just glad Wes is gone. He was just horrible. I shouldn't even give him the "publicity" of mentioning his name. Not that I think my blog reaches millions. Anyway. I read this article and thought it was interesting.  

--------------

There’s nothing like watching someone watch themselves on TV — especially when that someone is busy kissing hot bachelors.

I got that chance Monday night with Bachelorette Jillian Harris, who watched her hit reality show with 30 girlfriends at Calgary bar Crush.

“I can’t talk about the show,” said Harris as soon as I was introduced as a reporter. “I can’t tell you who I pick in the end or even if I picked anyone.”

Although she was tight-lipped about the show, Harris is as friendly in person as she is on TV. Soon after meeting her, she invited me to join the group and watch The Bachelorette — as long as talk of the show was off the record. I jumped at the chance to hang out with her group — partly because I hoped I might get some insight into her final choice and partly because it just looked like a great night out with the girls.

“I don’t know the outcome of the show — there’s no way she’d tell,” says Kendra Bryant, who led the cheering as Harris got closer to the crowd’s favourite Bachelors. “The girls and I are guessing it’s Ed or Reid.”

Let’s get the guy thing out of the way right now. With the exception of two men Harris has known for decades, there were no bachelors in sight Monday evening. There was no sign of a ring on her finger or even a tan line from a ring that had previously been on her ring finger. She didn’t blush during any particular make-out scenes. She texted someone at one point, but gave no hints as to who it was.

For those who missed the show Monday night, the final four bachelors joined Harris in Spain for one-on-one dates and a chance to spend the night with her in the fantasy suite. Unlike several previous Bachelorettes, Harris decided not to “sleep” with anyone saying she “wasn’t emotionally ready.” She did go back to the suite with Ed, but she used that time to catch up with him since he left unexpectedly a few weeks ago and returned last week.

It’s also worth mentioning that Harris wore the cutest flamenco-style black dress on the televised rose ceremony Monday. Initially knee-length, she says the stunning strapless was cropped to fit. And, yes, she has a stylist.

The biggest drama of the evening, however, came when Harris’ relationship with bachelor bad-boy Wes finally came to a head.

As a cowboy singer, Wes has always had a leg up on other contestants with the Alberta-born Bachelorette. But like many fans online, Harris’ friends turned on him when they felt he may have a girlfriend at home and was only on the show to promote his music career.

The Calgary crowd booed after Wes invited Harris to spend the night in the fantasy suite and they all looked to their friend for her real-time reaction.

Harris just smiled.

“Yah, I think I’m going to have to skip it,” she said on the show. Girlfriends everywhere cheered.

As if the possibility of him cheating was not enough, Wes made some outlandish comments throughout this episode that may stop him from getting a date ever again. While sharing an evening with Harris, he squirmed under pressure. He was as unconvincing in his denials of having a girlfriend (“my girlfriend, I mean, ehm, my ex-girlfriend”) as he was denying he was only on the show to promote his music career. (I know at least 30 women who won’t be buying that album.)

While waiting for the rose ceremony to begin, in which suitors are sent off the show by Harris, Wes inspired another roar of disapproval from the Calgary crowd when he turned to the other bachelors and said: “If it’s me, boys, know that I’ll be at home having lots of sex.” Then, on his way home in the limo (albeit, looking like he had been drinking beer for hours) he said slyly: “I was the guy with the girlfriend who made it to the final four on The Bachelorette.” Adding — wait for it — “I’m cutting off the chains and going out in Spain.” (Are we sure this man is a songwriter?)

Could it be that our Bachelorette really misjudged Wes that much, or did the show’s editors take him down in the end? Maybe a little of both. Since the show aired Monday night Wes has come forward to confirm that he does not have a girlfriend, yet his comments in the limo appear to be a confession. Perhaps the producer asked: “How do you think you’ll be remembered?” To which, he replied: “I was the guy with the girlfriend who made it to the final four on The Bachelorette.”

Then again, that might be giving Wes a little too much credit. And besides, Harris has better bachelors to worry about now.

Wearing a black, fitted, one-piece tanktop pantsuit — not many people can get away with that — Harris is prettier and more petite in real life. When I ask her about her fitness routine she confesses that she works out every spring enough to get into bikini shape and then flakes out for the rest of the year. When her friend says Harris never has to worry about gaining weight, she interrupts and says she put on 20 pounds after The Bachelor. “People thought I had a bee sting,” she said. “I was a little depressed.”

Although Harris watches the episodes a few days before they air so she can blog about it, she doesn’t shy away from watching herself onscreen. At times she watched the episode intensely, other times she joked and told silly, inconsequential back stories about what happened after the cameras stopped rolling. She held court with her friends, laughed and blushed the few times she was censored for swearing during a conversation with Wes.

“Who could blame her?” quipped one friend.

“Poor guy,” said Harris of Wes. “I wish the world could have seen him as I saw him.”

As promised, Harris gave nothing away. But I wouldn’t tell if she had. I don’t want to risk my next invite.

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/Entertainment/girls+night+with+Bachelorette/1768440/story.html 

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Who do you think she picks? Who do you want her to pick??

Much love, 

Allison

Staycation starts tonight!

Tonight Ryan's parents arrive, and our "staycation" begins! We are going to the lake tomorrow and renting jet skis! I cannot tell you how excited I am for this weekend! 

Goals for this weekend: 

1. Laugh. 

2. Relax.  

3. Go see movies!

4. Not worry about work. 

5. Get Ryan to install a ceiling fan 

(Don't tell Ryan about number 5. It is a surprise. Muhaha.)

In other news, I made it on Mandy's photo blog. :-)

Enjoy your 4th of July weekend!

Much love, 

Allison

And I'm back!

I have not cooked a "good-actually-cooking" meal in like two weeks. Ridiculous. I am back in the saddle again!

Chicken Parmesan, corn, bread and pasta....

My happy Husband. 

Much love, 

Allison

Our Song is a Slammin' Screen door....

(The Title of my Post is my cell phone ring. Remember? I love Taylor Swift.)

Ryan has installed a screen door on our back door! He is super handy. This may sound like it is not a big deal, but the directions were ridiculous and it took longer than the nice Lowe's man said it would. Ryan worked diligently after work for a four days. I was the official complainer and drill-holder. My mother would be so proud. 

We got the screen door because our dog, Sadie, scratches the current door like crazy. And it is nice because we can leave the back door open and see outside. Okay, I mean Sadie can see outside. Man, we do a lot for this dog. Anyway, so far she is afraid of the screen door, so she won't scratch. We'll see how long that lasts.

Here is Ryan's handy work: 

BEAUTIFUL. My Husband rules. 

Sadie looking at me weirdly because I am taking pictures of a screen door. Sheesh, Sadie. Ungrateful. 

Much love, 

Allison

Our Staycation

A very reliable source (cough, Wikipedia, which I used to tell my students is NOT a reliable source, so really I am joking) calls a "stay-cation".....

staycation (or stay-cation, or stacation) is a neologism for a period of time in which an individual or family stays at home and relaxes at home or takes day trips from their home to area attractions.

We are going to take one! For Fourth of July weekend, we had been planning to go to Houston to be with Ryan's family. We have not spent nearly enough time with them this year! We have been finalizing plans, but have decided that they will come here to Dallas and we will rent jet skiis! I am so very excited. I have been itching for a vacation, but this is more exciting to me, because I don't have to worry about packing, or what to do with the dog, or how much money we will spend on eating out. I am SUPER excited. 

Do you buy the staycation? Do you think that it doesn't count? Would you go on one? If you live in a boring place, is a staycation not possible?

Or I guess a more important question is.....When will Jillian see that Wes is a fame-hungry jerk?

Much love, 

Allison

Inspirational/Really Sad Video

This made me cry! But it was also very inspiring to hear them talk about their son, and their faith. 

Much love, 

Allison

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Happy Father's Day!

I LOVE my Dad. He is seriously the best. He is funny and sweet and loving and I am very blessed to have him. I love you, Dad!

My Dad and I at the Sooners/A&M Game last season!

My Dad, Ryan and me at Ted's for my Birthday last year!

Happy Father's Day, Dad! :) 

Much love, 

Allison

My Best Friend's Wedding

Last weekend, Rachel got married! Here are some pictures I took....or Ryan took...or Addi took....

Bridesmaids!

Wedding Day! 

Beautiful bride!

Ryan and I outside....right behind us is where we got married. :)

Beautiful bride and the Maid of Honor!

Signing the Wedding License! 

Congrats, Rachel and Blake!

Much love, 

Allison

Bachelorette Thoughts

So, I have not blogged about Jillian's Bachelorette season yet. Which, if you read my blog, is abnormal for me. But, alas, there is so much going on in our lives. But that is a whole other post. 

To see something funny, go to my Facebook and see Sadie chose the color of our grout. It is pretty funny. I would post it here, but it is on Ryan's computer at home. 

Okay, now to the Bachelorette. Hmmm. Here are my current thoughts. 

1. One thing I have noticed about this season is there are a lot of "dark horses". I think that there is only supposed to be one "dark horse" in a competition, but I think in Jillian's case, there is more than one. I think both Reid and Jesse are her dark horses. What a weird sentence. I like both of them! Reid reminds me of Chandler Bing, and there was one moment last night where he was joking with Jillian about having two wives, and it reminded me of Ryan and myself. So I think I like him because he reminds me of my husband. Nothing wrong with that, right? I also like Jesse cause he seems to be genuine, like Reid. 

2. When the show first started, I liked Kipton and Jake. I still like them. They are both good looking, and seem sweet. But for some odd reason, I am just secretly wanting a relationship (besides Trista and Ryan's) from this reality show to work out. Because otherwise, I feel like a loser for wasting my time watching it and ahem, blogging about it. All that to say, I think Jillian and her man have a better shot of making it if she chooses Reid or Jesse as opposed to Kipton or Jake. Reid and Jesse have both seemed like easy-going, down-to-earth guys who really, really like her. Chose one of them, Jillian. For the love, please make a relationship work for this franchise! (I really doubt this will happen, but a girl can dream....)

3. Wes is slimy! He keeps playing that same song and talking about his CD and I think he is bad news. I don't like him, and if you watch the show, they make it seem like Jillian is the only person who can't see through him. Ugh. Go away, Wes. I will NOT buy your CD. 

4. Ed left for work. Okay, so he had to go because his boss gave him an ultimatum. He said he could stay there and "find love", or he could keep his job. I bet that boss got a hard time at work this morning. The women in the office are probably glaring at him behind their coffee cups and talking about him when he uses the water cooler. Jillian was SO upset about Ed. Overly upset, it seemed. To me, logically, he should have left (as he did), because he didn't know how long Jillian would keep him around, and when she dumps him later, he would have no career to go back to. But honestly, to my girly-nature, I see how Jillian would see this as "Ed would always chose work over me." And, if you are going to start a family with someone, they need to have their priorities in line. But it is a little different, because it is a reality show, and if I told my boss I was leaving to go "find love" for 6 weeks (if I wasn't married to the love of my life, obviously), I would get SOO made fun of. If not from my boss, the other ministers would have a field day. I would never hear the end of it. Wow, this is a long paragraph. Let's move on. 

That's all for now. Hopefully you are still awake. 

Much love, 

Allison

And we're out!

Alright, we are out of here! On our way to Edmond for Rachel and Blake's wedding. I cannot wait to do all my bridesmaid-ly duties and celebrate with the happy couple. And see some old friends! Have a great weekend! 

Happy Wedding Weekend to one of my dearest, oldest, bestest friends!

9 days till....

....Rachel's getting married!
Some of the bridal party at her Bachelorette party!

I am so excited for Rachel. We have been friends for a very long time....since 1st grade. She is going to be such a beautiful bride and have a wonderful life with Blake! 

Much love, 

Allison

Allison Harms, Animal Rescue

Lately I have been saving small creatures left and right. It is becoming a pattern! Here's why....

Last Friday I was driving down Allen Heights, which is a street in Allen (Duh. I don't know why I just wrote that). I noticed on the other side of the road, a sweet turtle was trying to cross! I instantly needed to save this turtle. I pulled into the nearest neighborhood and took off running down the sidewalk. As I am coming close, I see a car coming and I almost lose it. I cannot stand to see this little turtle get squashed. Luckily, the car slowed down and waited for the turtle to cross, and then drove off. (Insert your best "Why did the turtle cross the road" joke here.) I then ran over, grabbed the little turtle, who instantly went in his shell, and put him in the woods by the side of the road, just before another car speed by. Phew. 

The other day at the gym I was on the elliptical, which faces the pond outside the recreation center. Which, by the way, is really nice. It is so peaceful to watch bunnies hop and ducks swim while you work out. But, I digress. So I am working out, and I notice these children running around. No big deal, right? Then, I see that they are THROWING ROCKS at the new BABY DUCKS the park just celebrated. I hop off my elliptical (interrupting a great workout, by the way) and go to the front desk at the gym. I asked the receptionist man (nicely) if I needed to stop the kids outside from throwing rocks at baby ducks. He told me not to worry, and that he would get them to stop. He did. Phew. Baby ducks at the park can live in peace for another day. I mean seriously...throwing rocks at ducks? Where are your parents? Were you born in a barn? 

Also, to complete my animal rescues, I save bunnies and birds from the wrath of my dog on our daily walks. She has discovered that birds and bunnies would be really fun to chase, and if she sees one, I better hold on, because she takes off pretty forcefully. 

Maybe tomorrow I will save a squirrel. Who knows? Or a stray kitten. 

Much love, 

Allison

Taylor Swift Sadness

Last Friday Ryan tried to get me tickets to the Dallas Taylor Swift concert on Sept 25. It would have been perfect, cause my birthday is Sept 29. If you read my blog, you know I love Taylor Swift. I wanted to see her so badly. But alas, the concert sold out pairs of tickets in a few minutes. Ryan and I were saying I should have just joined her fan club or whatever to do the pre-sale.  But anyway, Ryan is  a good man for trying. I didn't really want to go by myself with all the teenage and preteen girls. I wanted to go with Ryan, and he would have gone with me, which is sweet. He is a good man. He takes out the trash and he indulges my music taste. That's a good man, people. 

One thing about Taylor Swift though, she is not very good live. Now you know I am a fan, but I can't really handle off-pitch singing for very long. My music degree has trained that to hurt my ears. Or, okay, really, I have trained that to hurt my ears. When she was on SNL this year, I thought she was pretty bad, but I still love her music. 

So today when she was on the Today show singing, and she was pretty bad, I felt better about missing out on the concert. That makes the blow of now going OH so much easier. 

But you can judge for yourself...

But I do love Taylor. My ring tone is still "Our song is a slammin' screen door..." I will still 

listen to her in the car and at the gym. She is one of my favorites! And even after slamming her singing-live abiliites.....anyone have tickets to the concert??!?!?!?

Much Love, 

Allison

Creativity can cure a bad day.

After a long day, I decided to take some pictures at sunset, just before a storm. I couldn't get the shot I wanted, but I got these instead. I like them. 

Much love, 

Allison

DWTS....little late...

Okay, so I have over and over said that I am a Melissa supporter. You know, Melissa, from the Bachelor? And now Dancing with the Stars? What? I have mentioned this before? 

So on Monday, when it was down to Gilles, Shawn and Melissa, I was so excited! All three are great dancers. Of course I wanted Melissa to win, but to be honest, I just didn't want her to be second! Especially after Jeffrey Ross roasted the contestants and mentioned Melissa's dumping on national TV by Jason The Jerk Mesnick. (Ryan, if you defend him, I swear...)

So when Melissa came in third, it was a relief for me. She just seemed so happy to have made it that far and she seemed genuinely proud of her third place finish. She did so well!

Now when it came down to Shawn and Gilles, I wanted Shawn to win. I was a Nastia fan during the Olympics, but Shawn has grown on me. Gilles, on the other hand, I never got why he was such a big deal. He kinda erks me. 

Anyway, so I wanted Shawn to win. AND SHE DID. So I am pleased! 

Since Monday night, I found this video, which I think is a great video of Shawn on DWTS. Even if you don't watch the show, or didn't watch this season, this is a good video to see why America loves Shawn. She is so cute! And this Cha cha she dances was my favorite of her dances, because it is so fun and cute, and it makes me want to go to Edmond, drive up Kelly to 2nd and see my old pals at Star Steps dance studio. Love it. 

Much love, 

Allison

Happy Birthday, Sadie!

August 1, 2008, we brought Sadie home......

She stole our hearts.....
Her ears started to perk up, and she started to grow.......

Then the ears just kept getting bigger and bigger......and so did she....

And she never stopped! 

Happy Birthday, Sadie!

Oh how we love her. 

Much love, 

Allison

Shedding Season

Yes, that is hair! Here Sadie is getting her nightly/"whenever-we-remember" brush. 

Jealous? Didn't think so. 

P.S. When a clump of hair falls off inside, Sadie eats it. So really, she is doing her part. 

Much love, 

Allison

Happy Two Years!

Today is our two year anniversary! We can't believe it has been two years since we tied the knot. We had a great time reminiscing today....there are so many fun memories of our 6+ years together!

What a blessing my husband is to me! I cannot describe how much I love him and how special he is to me. He is sweet, honest, smart, entertaining, good-looking, fun and I am so blessed to have him! 

May 12, 2007

Halloween 2008: Brangelina

Fall 2008: Supporting our Sooners

Fall 2008: First "Child"

Holding the keys to our new house! (Dec. 2008)

Heres to many more years together! :)

Much love, 

Allison

We will miss you, Brittany

My childhood dog, Brittany, passed away last week. She was 16 years old. We will miss her so much!

She was such a good dog! She played with us, slept in our beds, and was an all-around good dog. 

We will miss you, Britt! 

Much love, 

Allison