Long Time No Blog...

I know...it's been awhile. Our lovely camera broke (yuck!) - so we've been without for almost two months. Luckily our "gift" to eachother was a new camera...now we just have to figure out how to use it!

I will update you all soon...until then here is a picture of our nephew, Ryker - on Christmas to keep you smiling.

9 DAYS!

In 9 short days we will be embarking from the Carnival Legend for a week full of fun, sun and relaxation. Here is a picture of one of the beaches I will be "beached" on (who doesn't love a 4 1/2 month pregnant girl in a swimsuit) and in the background of this picture you will see our very own ship.

AHOY!

Happy Halloween!

So..apparently we're really cool because we got invited to not 1 but 2 Halloween Parties this year. The 1st was at the home of Brandon's friend from work - Chuck. We had fun schmoozing with the CDS clan.

The 2nd was at the Hague's - which is always a good time. I must say that these get-togethers take on a whole new meaning when you're looking at everyone from the other/sober side. Too freaking funny!

Some pictures for your viewing pleasure:

Me & B. The Bun Maker and The Oven. Yeah, we're the coolest.

Hague and Chad. Hague as a slightly incompetent Priest. Chad as Hague. Now, I don't really know what to say about this other than Chad's costume was incredibly hysterical. I will refrain from details as I don't want this site reported to The Drug Enforcement Agency.

Goldie dressed as a characted from The Ghostbusters. I know I should know who - being a child prodigy of the 80's...but I don't. However, this is a GREAT picture.

Mr. & Mrs. Thorson. I found Waldo.

The Tiernan's. Sweet Eyebrows.

Delg & Laura. GOD BLESS this girl for finally getting Delger to wear a costume. Even if he is a big freaky.

Kristina (Nurse) and Tami (Ghostbuster-somethingoranother

AND I saved the COOLEST for last:

Superman Sam Goldman.

So yeah, he wasn't exactly at the party...but seriously? Could you possibly imagine anyone cuter coming to save the day?

Happy 2 weeks!

Just a quick update on our favorite nephew! Ryker is 2 weeks old today, which is hard to believe. All is well - he's slowly starting to figure out his days and nights..although his mom might disagree :) His little cheeks are starting to fill out and he looks more like his dad every day. It's been a lot of fun being able to be a part of his first 2 weeks and we look forward to continuing to watch him grow.

Overall he's perfect!

Happy Birthday Ryker!

We are VERY happy to announce the arrival of our new nephew - Ryker Lawrence Spihlmann. Ryker came into the world on Monday, October 13th, at 11:42 p.m. He weighed 8 lbs 7 oz and was 21.5 inches long.

Robyn unfortunately had a pretty rough delivery, but was VERY strong through all 18 hours of it! Her strength was admirable.

Ryker is P-E-R-F-E-C-T! He is eating well, starting to figure out his days and nights and get's undeniably cuter by the second.

Brandon and I are very lucky to be such a blessed aunt and uncle.

Let the spoiling begin!...

Introducing.......Baby Williams

Brandon and I are very happy to announce that we are expecting our first baby next Spring! This picture is unfortunately a little dark - but you may be able to detect 2 arms and 2 legs - which I've heard are pretty important in this whole "making a human" thing! We had our 1st ultrasound earlier this week and we were able to hear the heartbeat and see the baby waving his/her arms and legs. Needless to say, it was pretty amazing.



So far, things have been good. I'm starting to get through the nausea/vomiting glory that is the 1st trimester and everyday I feel a little better . Brandon has been extra caring and has picked up some extra slack around the house which is always nice. The fatigue is also starting to subside which is nice because for about 3 1/2 weeks I was really afraid that one of my employees would catch me in my office taking my afternoon nap around 2:30!



We anxiously await week 20 when we will find out the sex....I keep having dreams that it's a girl (sorry B).





BUT more importantly we VERY much await the arrival of our new nephew - who should be making his debut in 7 short days!! SO EXCITING!!



Thanks to everyone for all of the well wishes and prayers - it certainly wasn't easy to keep this giant secret for 13 whole weeks...and it's fun to be able to share it now with the ones we love.

Stay tuned....

Happy Anniversary/Go HAWKS!!

So.....I don't really know what came over me but I decided to give Brandon an EXTRA Special 1 year Anniversary Gift....Hawkeye Season Football Tickets. Perhaps I was feeling a little guilty (shopping problem) or maybe I was feeling a little bit generous, but either way I surprised him with the tickets a couple of weeks ago.



The reaction was just as I expected. COMPLETE SILENCE. He was Stunned. Baffled. Speechless. It was AWESOME. Now, I must admit that this was a semi-selfish gift as I got a taste of the Hawkeye Poison last year when our neighbors removed my Hawkeye Virgin Belt and took us to a game for Brandon's Birthday. It was over. They got me. Hook. Line. Sinker.









Now, don't get me wrong...it has been mandatory to "bleed black and gold" since we got married - have I ever mentioned that for my birthday the year we got engaged I got lotion from Von Maur and 2 Iowa Hawkeye T-shirts? He's such a giver.


So, anyhow - this whole die-hard Hawkeye thing has been burned into my brain from day 1 but it's different now. As Brandon said - "we're REAL fans now". It's true, I'll admit it. During last Saturday's opener against Maine, I actually found myself thinking "#6 - Jake Christensen just threw a pass to #23 Shonn Greene" AND THEN I even went on to think "o.k...Shonn caught it and he's running, that's a first down." A FIRST DOWN. I knew what a First Down was and I didn't even have to ask!! Holy S, there is a god. It was remarkable, it was as if the football gods opened up the heavens and dumped holy hawkeye football knowledge all over me.


So, with all of this new holy hawkeye football knowledge pouring out of me....I turned to Brandon and preceded to ask "So, I forget in this game are their 2 quarters or 4 halves?". Damn.


Maybe next game.....

Congrats!!

A long over-due Congratulations to Laura and Jimmy on their engagement. They are an absolutely wonderful couple and we are very, very excited for them! We are even more excited for their dog Stella who is no longer a bastard child.

The count down begins for the big day - Labor Day Weekend 2009!! Let the fun begin......

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

I swear Kinnick has multiple personalities.

Mr. Hyde -
This is where I caught him earlier today...delicately devouring a pair of my shorts as if they were the Lobster Special. And of course he has mastered this art of hosting his own buffett on our personal articles - UNDER our bed in the farthest corner. Where not even Shaq could reach him.


It is at these moments that I too can feel my other personality rising up from the depths of my soul....the personality that wants to grab the little booger and ring his neck. It's at these very trying times that *POOF* I turn around and he's switched on me to...

Dr. Jekyll -









Enough Said.

We aren't in Kansas anymore...

So....last night was an adventure here in the Life with B&M. We survived our first major event as homeowners....

The day started out as any other Sunday would. Kinnick awoke around 7:30 and thoughts of dog related torture flew through my brain. I kept thinking "If I lay here and don't move, he won't notice me". Not so much. We were moving and shaking 5 minutes later. The day progressed as normal...watched a movie, ran some errands, debated on whether to cook dinner or utilize the oh-so-tempting Papa Murphy's coupon (http://www.papamurphys.com/) that was sitting on the counter....

It was at that exact moment that Brandon happened to notice the sky getting darker....and then we heard the Tornado Sirens and we knew something was coming. As we flipped on Ch. 8 - we were quickly informed that this storm would be in our neighborhood in about 8 minutes. So, we did what every Iowan does...we went outside. Everyone knows that when you hear the tornado sirens, it's just a clue that you need to get on your "Storm Watching Goggles" and go sit on your front porch. Call us crazy....but as we embarked outside we stopped to chat with our neighbor Matt - who said "screw the goggles" and just went on about his business of seeding his lawn.

It only took about two minutes before the goggles came off and we got our butts inside and downstairs. Well...we took a small detour upstairs and then decided when a Hubbell Homes sign went flying by our home that this wasn't the average Summer Storm and we headed downstairs.

Now...this is when the fun began because not just 4 minutes earlier had our power went off. Well, it took all 4 of those minutes for the water to just start pouring into our basement. I thought we were going to have to build an ark for Kinnick and call it a day. Needless to say...we panicked a little but after a bit of collaborative communication...I call it collaborative communication, some might call it yelling/screaming. Anyhow, after our little pow-wow we got everything moved quickly and started controlling the small river we had forming in the basement.

It wasn't but 15 minutes later that we thought we better arise out of the trenches and see what else happened to the outside of our home. As we walked outside....it was craziness. Our neighbors who live directly behind us (Andy and Billie) had a 2x6 fly through their roof, causing a sizable hole which was now full of the rain left behind from the storm. The water was pooling in their spare bedroom and making its way through the ceiling, into their kitchen. The lady next to them had a 2x6 fly through her living room, and unfortunately the size of the hole was too big to repair before the next round of storms hit. Another house two properties down, had 1/2 of it's roof torn off (hence the 2x6's flying through the air).

It was absolutely amazing the way that everyone in our neighborhood came together to help everyone who had massive damage. It was like people were crawling out of the woodwork. Matt and his dad Denny quickly helped Andy repair the hole in his roof.

**SIDE NOTE: Now, I must add that Matt acts in mysterious ways - I'm beginning to believe he has kits in his garage that are labeled for such emergencies (Storms, Tornadoes, Iowa Hawkeye defeat...etc.) as I've never witnessed someone who had exactly everything that was needed for this type of predicament and was able to retrieve it so gracefully. If I didn't know better - I would've sworn he kept extra roof shingles in his boxers for occassions just like these.....

With the help of everyone - the neighbors greatly affected by the 1st storm were able to repair enough of the damage needed to withold the next round of storms which came about 35 minutes after the first. Luckily - these weren't nearly as bad.

It was heart-breaking to see our friends/neighbors be forced with the damage that occured to their homes but most importantly no one was hurt. If anything, it was amazing to see the support, help and care administered by our neighborhood in this time of need. Situations like these help to refresh the sense of pride I have in being an Iowan.

When the day was done and I looked around - there is still a lot of work to be done around here. But we'll get there.

And, during the middle of all of this drama - I must say that I glanced around for some ruby-red slippers or some dumb witch under the debris -because we surely weren't in Kansas...anymore.

Ankeny Summerfest Parade

This past weekend was Summerfest here in Ankeny. Since we moved here over a year ago, we've heard story after story about this monumental occasion. Some people praise the events, some the Beer Garden....us - we praise the PARADE!! Now, I know by looking at us we wouldn't strike you as parade people. Jolly, semi-overweight 20+ somethings (I add the "+") as you know who is embarking on the big 2-9, therefore no longer solidifying his status in the "20 somethings" category. Way off task here...I know.




Anyhow, so many of you know the saying B & I live by around here and that is: "It's the best $20 we've ever spent". And no - we're not speaking of Big Tomato Pizza at 2:00 a.m., we're talking about Doggy Daycare. Which brings us back to the parade. Still with me? It's like the 6 degrees of Kevin Bacon for this post.


Moving on....so, we take Kinnick to The Bark Zone which is a Doggy Daycare ran by Joey Courtney here in Ankeny. Now before you get all "OMG, the seriously take their dog to daycare" on me. Come stay with us for .47 hours and you'll be singing a whole new tune. One that probably starts out with (insert singing voice here) "OMG, I L-O-V-E Doggy Daycare, it cuts down on the number of strong sedating medication consumed at the WIlliams home each week". Wow, that was a long verse.





In all seriousness, we owe Joey our un-born child for all that she does for us when it comes to Kinnick. Not only does she tire the snot out of him every Wednesday, but she's oh-so conveniently available to take Kinnick over the weekend when someone accidentally forgots to call and tell her we're going out of town...the next day. Plus, she takes care of 15+ dogs a day and hasn't committed herself to the Mercy Psych ward....yet.....

O.k...so back to Square 1 (insert your connection to Kevin Bacon here). When I picked up Kinnick from Daycare on Wednesday, Joey told me they were having a float in the Summerfest parade and that all dogs were invited. I thought Holy H, a float! All my dreams and aspirations of being able to utilize my perfected Miss America wave were being reserected. And then those dreams were shot down when I remembered where I was and this "float" was in honor of the slobbering, non-opposbale thumbed creature below me. But, seeing that we're the coolest (dog + owner) I thought what the heck...could be fun.













I spoke to B, he agreed to walk (keep in mind he was still heavily medicated, I still can't believe he agreed) and so it was a date! Kinnick did very well - all 2.7 miles of the parade route and had MANY admirers.

Here is a great picture of Kinnick working the crowd like the little Show Pony that he is:













It was a good time...we met a lot of cool people and the nugget had fun. What more could you ask for?

Oh, and I only got scolded twice by my dear husband for "having terrible aim when throwing candy". Seriously?

Surgery = Success!!

It has been quite an eventful day and I'm elated to say that everything went GREAT!! Originally we thought his labrum was torn....however, after surgery Dr. Yoo (http://www.centraliowaortho.com/dryoo.htm) told me that once he got into Brandon's surgery he discovered that his labrum was actually detached. Thus, causing more work for them and more rehabilitation time for my wonderful patient. If memory serves - I believe a few more incisions were needed along with 5 sutures instead of the normal 3.

Brandon had a little trouble coming out of the anesthesia - so some additional drugs were needed to help stabilize, but after that he was fine.

I knew he was o.k. when the nurse was talking to him about "how good his veins were when she inserted his I.V." and he looks at her and says "That's what all the ladies tell me". I asked her if she wanted to keep him....she said no.

What's a labrum you ask?

On Wednesday, Brandon will be having arthroscopic surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder.

What's a labrum you ask?

Your labrum is a ring of soft fibrous tissue that surrounds the glenoid (the end of the shoulder blade) and helps stabilize the shoulder joint. Ligaments and tendons can attach to the labrum and when the labrum is torn, the shoulder becomes painful. (Yes, I totally cut and pasted this from a medical website).

What does this surgery entail you ask?

This will be an outpatient surgery - a mix of anesthesia and novocaine to numb the actual incision area. The actual surgery consists of three small (1/4”) incisions to insert small, permanent metal bone screws inside the bone. Attached to the bone screw are sutures that are woven through the torn labrum.

Why the hell did you agree to this you ask?

This is an old sports injury from college - that (surprise) "we" are just getting around to repairing now - 6 years later. I say "we" only because I fear that this next week will be a joint recovery for both of us. He - recovering from the actual surgery. Me - recovering from the alcohol abuse needed to be his "nurse" for a week.

In all seriousness - we are praying for a routine surgery and a speedy recovery. We will lay our faith at the foot of the cross in hopes that everything turns out perfect.

Here is a link to a good website that talks in detail about this surgery:

http://www.drgartsman.com/labrum_repair/index.asp

P.S. - Oh, and don't worry....all video game, softball playing, tippy cup fun can return in 6 weeks.

Our Friends Matt & Nikole....

So....this may be the last time I ever get to say those words "Our friends Matt & Nikole". I say that only because they've agreed to the un-thinkable....a road trip with B & M. We are leaving for Kansas City with our dear friends/neighbors in about 30 minutes. Now don't get me wrong - I've been looking forward to this trip to quite awhile...B & I take frequent trip to Kansas City and love all that it has to offer and are very excited now to share this with M & N.

However, we are now stepping into un-charted "couple friends" territory. It will be this very weekend that they (M & N) will find out just how crazy their neighbors (us) really are. I mean all of those weird, odd, some might say annoying things that you do that only your spouse (and for some of you - psychiatrist) knows about....those are destined to be exposed on this road trip.

For example, everyone knows that Brandon is obsessed with sports, we know it, we love it...end of story. HA. End of story for most of you. M & N are about to find out how truely obsessed he is....they will begin to witness the countless hours of checking fantasy baseball stats on his blackberry and then our discussion of some semi-witty response for him to text to Corbin. Pathetic. Yes, we actually spend time talking about things like this and they're going to witness it - first hand.

AND what about my odd shopping habits....what if they don't understand that you HAVE to look at every store first before you buy something? What if they actually expect me to make a purchase the very first time I'm in a store? The tragedy.

AND then our obsession with Kinnick - that might drive them to jump into a fountain at Country Club Plaza and make an end of it.

So stay tuned....we certainly hope and pray then can handle us and all of our craziness for 2 days. If they DO happen to survive god knows all they'll be thinking is: Wow, these people REALLY needed this vacation....where's the vodka?

R.I.P.

So....life with a puppy continues to get interesting! We had a tragic loss over the weekend, one that we're still bereaving over at our house. Brandon left his cherished Oakland A's hat on the stairs - and as anyone who are the parent's to a 1 year old puppy know, anything left in sight is "fair game". Needless to say when we returned downstairs a little while later.....we witnessed the massacre first hand.

I honestly thought I was going to have to get the defibulator out - it was like he was watching a car accident. Paralyzed, completely paralyzed as he watched all of his countless Oakland A's hat memories get dissolved into a pile of Puggle spit.

For a moment, I actually felt for the guy. But then that moment quickly passed and I found myself a tiny bit amused.....as we fast-forward to earlier in the week and I recalled Brandon's delight when he told me that my precious little nugget had sucessfully destroyed my 27 dresses DVD. You know the saying...Paybacks are a.....!

While I do feel sorry for Brandon, I must admit I am secretly a little ecstatic at the idea of FINALLY getting a new hat. Goodbye sweat stains, goodbye stink...hello glorious, new, white Hat!

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day to all of the wonderful dads out there! Seeing that we now have a semi-child of our own, I have to say a BIG thank you to Brandon for being such a good dog-dad to Kinnick.

Of course - wishes are sent for a Happy Father's Day to Brandon's dad Jeff. Brandon couldn't have asked for a better dad and I couldn't have been blessed with a better Father-In-Law. Today was fun - we went to my grandparent's to celebrate Father's Day. It was a good time, good food, good company...all around a good time. My grandma will be 80 on July 2nd - what a milestone!

I tried a new recipe today: Greek Cheese Torta. I saw it in a Pampered Chef catalog at work and decided it looked good. We are a big fan of Sun Dried Tomatoes and this is one of the first recipes I've seen in awhile that calls for them, so I decided to be adventurous....as "new adventures" is the theme of the day! It actually turned out really good, I got a lot of compliments from my family and even Brandon tried some. Here is the recipe if you're interested: http://cedarmontfarms.com/index2.php?option=com_content&do_pdf=1&id=85.

Here is a picture of my final presentation:

We are gearing up for another exciting week. I go to Omaha on Tuesday-Wednesday and this Wednesday marks Brandon's last week of classes for this term. Next term he will be taking one on-line class and one class at the Upper Iowa University (http://www.uiu.edu/) center here in Ankeny. Hopefully this will be better as this term he has taken two on-line classes and they are very time-consuming. I'm (selfishly!) ready for him to have a break!

A new adventure...

So...as I was lying awake this morning trying to enjoy every ounce of what has become a coveted thing around our house "Lazy Sunday Mornings", I decided to start this blog. With family and friends now spread out across the States - hopefully this will assist me in sharing the wonderful adventures that are "Life with Brandon & Megan"...