My Boys! 09.04.09

Work....! I am looking for you!

Evergreen School District started school on Wednesday the 2nd and Vancouver School District begins on Wednesday the 9th. I have been on the Sub Finder System like white on rice these past few days. Surprisingly, I have seen a few jobs pop up, but I am too slow and keep getting beat to the job! I am hoping by next week I will finally get some work. It's been since June that I've gotten a paycheck and this whole "one income" thing kind of well.... sucks!
That's really all I wanted to share... Alex is off this weekend and we have plan to work on some project around the house. Stay tuned I will post pictures. :o)

7 weeks and 3 days!

Ryder is now 7 weeks and 3 days old! He was 8 lbs and 2 oz! He is getting SO big.
I took him to the vet today to get his next series of shots, but instead he had a lot of tests run to find out why he's not been feeling well. In fact, he has a bacterial infection in his intestines. He is on anti-biotics for the next 10 days then he should be fine. He will go next week to get his shots instead. This poor baby has been through enough for today!





I do have some GOOD NEWS though....

Simon has finally come around and is actually enjoying the company of his little brother! They were playing tug-o-war ALLLL night and then they were pooped and took a nap! :o)

DOUBLE TIME!

I wanted to share that Baby Ryder has now DOUBLED his weight from the day we got him! He was 3 pounds and 2 ounces on August 18th and just over 6 pounds today! We actually FEED him unlike the people. He wears me out and he's pretty naughty, but we love him and we think that Simon is starting to as well!

Substitute Training 08.27.09

Today was my first day back to work! Well......kind of! I had 4 1/2 hours of substitute training today. It was optional, but paid so of course I went. It was also my first chance to add clock hours! It was fairly typical, but I got a few questions I had answered in regards to how things are going to go this year.
I am anxious in a way to go back to work, but then again I missed the dogs and Alex pretty bad, even if I was gone only 4 hours! School officially begins on September 2 for one of my districts and then September 9th for the other. I anticipate that it will be a lot like last school year and I will be going full time by mid-September or so!
Let us hope so... it's been since June that I've gotten a paycheck! I miss the splurges....first of which- a new bedroom set very soon! KING SIZE.... with two dogs it's not impossible in a queen! Great excuse...right?!?! :o)

Mmmm... Still Craving EVERYTHING Cheesecake!

Caramel Cheesecake Bars

1. 1 1/2 cups crushed NILLA Wafers
2. 1 cup chopped PLANTERS Pecans, divided
3. 1/4 cup butter, melted
4. 4 (8 ounce) packages PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
5. 1 cup sugar
6. 1 cup BREAKSTONE'S or KNUDSEN Sour Cream
7. 3 tablespoons flour
8. 1 tablespoon vanilla
9. 4 eggs
10. 1/4 cup KRAFT Caramel Topping

{Because of Alex I leave out the Pecans....but still soooo good!}

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line 13x9-inch baking pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides of pan to form handles . Mix wafer crumbs, 1/2 cup of the pecans and butter. Press firmly onto bottom of prepared pan. Refrigerate until needed.
2. Beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add sour cream, flour and vanilla; mix well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition just until blended. Pour over crust.
3. Bake 45 min. or until center is almost set. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight. Lift out of pan onto cutting board, using foil handles. Drizzle with topping and remaining 1/2 cup pecans. Cut into 32 bars. Store leftover bars in refrigerator.



Cookies 'N Cream Cheesecake



1. 1 cup crushed OREO Chocolate Sandwich Cookies
2. 1 tablespoon butter or margarine, melted
3. 4 (8 ounce) packages PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
4. 1 cup sugar
5. 1 teaspoon vanilla
6. 4 eggs
7. 20 OREO Chocolate Sandwich Cookies, quartered




1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F if using a silver springform pan (or 300 degrees F if using a dark nonstick springform pan). Mix crushed cookies and butter; press onto bottom of 9-inch springform pan. Bake 10 minutes.
2. Beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition just until blended. Gently stir in quartered cookies. Pour over crust.
3. Bake 1 hour or until center is almost set. Run knife or metal spatula around rim of pan to loosen cake; cool before removing rim of pan. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight. Garnish with additional cookies, if desired.

Adjusting...

So after some investigation it is believed that Ryder is in fact now 5 weeks and 6 days old. Since we cannot trust ANY of the information that his prior owners have given us, we are taking him for a vet check up on Monday and starting his whole series of shots over from the beginning and getting him a full check-up. He is now FULLY sleeping through the night. He sleeps from about 11pm-9am. Not even a peep out of him and he holds his potty all night! :o)
Simon is very much still adjusting. He still growls and puts the puppy in check on several occasions during the day. Hopefully soon he will learn to accept him! He will though let the puppy sleep next to him, but if Ryder wakes up Simon is OUT OF THERE! It is pretty much impossible to get ANYTHING done when having a puppy so little. I live for his short little 30 minutes naps so I can leave him in a room and get some stuff done really quick! It's exhausting! I have a few cute pictures I thought I would share...


This one he was playing with Katie and fell right asleep even with the toy in his mouth!

Yes! Even Ryder wears shirts!

Playing on his and Simon's couch in their room!

My BOYS!

Meet Ryder Max Schiltz

This is Ryder...


Alex and I found Ryder on Tuesday, August 18th, 2009. We had been searching Craigslist, the Human Society and just about every website we could looking for a new dog for Simon. We were looking for a medium sized dog... 30-50lbs and approx. 6 months to a year old when we adopted he or she. We defiantly have the time, money, space and love to give to another dog and feel as if it would be selfish not to!
On Tuesday we made a few calls to local shelters and asked to put some holds on dogs we had seen online, but there are already holds, so we decided not to. We just went to look! We saw some precious ones, but we knew it had to be the perfect one because Simon is shy and spoiled and we knew he could only have the perfect sibling.
The shelters did not work out and we'd almost given up hope on Tuesday, but then I saw this add on Craigslist and it just was calling to me... 8 week old German Shepherd/American Eskimo Mix. I thought about it for a minute, then called Alex upstairs to look at it. 8 weeks old...?!?! We could have gotten an 8 week old at the shelter if we wanted and just said that's way too young for us! I thought I would just shoot the person over an email and maybe just ask her a few questions... I mean she said he would be 40lbs full grown so that IS what we are looking for! I emailed her and.... my email was rejected back to me. I thought that was strange, so I emailed her again. It was bugging me that the link was not working! I waited awhile and BAM the add was REPOSTED on Craigslist. I quickly emailed her again... strange because we weren't looking for this little of one.
Within 2 minutes I had a phone call and before I knew it we had an appointment to "LOOK" at him at 5:30. If you ever plan to just "look" at a dog be prepared that you will fall in love and you'll be taking it home with you no matter what. We met with the lady... I will just say EVERYTHING about it was strange. It was strange where she wanted to meet us... it was strange that her phone number was blocked... it was strange we couldn't know her last name... it was all very.... VERY strange. I felt I needed to take him... He needed rescuing! If we only knew just how "strange" it would get...


Ryder was originally named Frost... and it SO did not fit him. I always knew I'd get two boy dogs and they would be Ryder and Ruger. Well, Simon was named Simon and it was just too late to change it by the time we got him and he was four months old, so now I have Simon and Ryder. Maybe another's in the near future.... I think NOT! Read on...
Simon does not like Ryder. Period. So are working on that. Simon snaps at him occasionally because Ryder tries to nurse off of Simon and thinks he's biting a nipple... which in fact is NOT a nipple! OUCH! ;o)
We took Ryder to bed with us and placed him in a kennel. That was a little hard to do because to this day Simon has NEVER been in a kennel and I said I would NEVER allow my dog to ever. Ryder is 3 pounds and I was fearful he'd get squished in the middle of the night or roll off the bed, so we just let him be in a kennel for the night. I will make a looooong story short. RYDER DIDN'T SLEEP! And neither did I the WHOLE... ENTIRE... night. I sat up with him from 11pm until 9am when Alex got up. He cried. He cried like a baby and I knew something was just not right.
The next morning we seriously considered returning him because well... Simon hates him and he was just too young and going to be a lot and and I a lot of work! I cried my eyes out over him for about 4 hours... my sister drove 2 hours from Tacoma to calm me down... I talked to various friends on line about this (you know who you are and thank you for getting me through it!) After talking to people and the vet we learned...


Ryder is NOT 8 weeks... (That is why the lady could not give us a birth date for him!) Ryder is FOUR to SIX weeks... WAYYY to young to be away from his mom! We is not even weened yet! The food she sent with us is adult dog food that she has had him on. We were told he was kennel and puppy pad trained. Neither are true. We were told he sleeps through the night... NOT TRUE. We don't know if she honestly gave him shots or not... and now we don't know if he is German Shepherd and American Eskimo at all. We see the German Shepherd, but also see that it could be lab or pit bull as well...sigh...
I tried to contact this lady... time and time and time again. She's vanished and now it makes sense why she was SO secretive about everything! Ryder has to been fed every 2 hours... he cries like a baby and has had an EXTREMELY bad start at life.
He was probably stolen or from a puppy mill... we WAYYY over paid, but I know deep down we saved his life so it is worth it. It's going to be a hard, hard road. He is NOT Simon and will never measure up to be the dog Simon is and we are learning that, but Alex and I can both truly say... "We love him!" He is our new baby... not a dog truly a baby!
We don't know his past, but we can give him an amazing future. He's happy and now has a very full belly. He is doing well with potty training. He LOVES treats! :o) We has a ton of new toys and we can't forget Simon so he has a ton of new toys too!
Simon will come around. He has lived a whole year and he is the center of our universe and now he shares that and it's hard for him. Alex and I have been taking lots of one on one time with him. It's been great having my sister here to allow us to do that! So that is his story... everyday will get better. I will sleep someday, but for now that baby needs me. Night two was way better than night one, we are hoping that night three will be even better!


August 20th his first bath!

LOVES the arms of the couch!

This is Simon last night wanting extra attention! "Yes Simon... Momma still loves you!" He's always going to be my number one baby! :o)

Tiki Torch

I just saw this recycled wine bottle torch and had to post about it. What a clever way to reuse a particularly pretty wine bottle while keeping mosquitoes away when entertaining in your backyard.



[****Safety Note: This is for outdoor use only. Tiki brand recommends that the wick never be set higher than 1-inch, and I recommend that you exercise the same discretion and common sense that you would with any small open flame.*****]

Recycled Wind Bottle Torch

In any of my design work, whether for clients or for myself, I’m most proud when I can find a solution that’s highly creative and effective while keeping resources to a minimum. This is totally inexpensive (around $5-bucks). Plus it’s a great way to recycle a wine bottle.

It’s been a record year for mosquitoes here in Indianapolis, Indiana and I’d been wanting to add some Tiki-esque torches to the patio to combat the little buggers, as well as provide some ambiance in the evenings. After searching the world over to find a torch that was affordable and atypical, I came to the conclusion that unless I wanted wicker or bamboo, I would need to become a bit more resourceful. A glance into my recycling bin and an aimless stroll through the local hardware store provided me with this clear solution.

Materials

1. Empty Wine Bottle (You can use any bottle you like as long as it’s glass and the neck is 1” in diameter. Be clever!)
2. Teflon Tape 1/2”
3. Copper Top Plate Connector (threaded for 3/8”-16 thread rod)
4. 1” Split Ring Hanger (threaded for 3/8”-16 thread rod)
5. 1/2” x 3/8” Copper Coupling
6. 1/2” Copper Cap
7. Two Hex Nuts (threaded for 3/8”-16 thread rod)
8. Two #10 x 1” Zinc Plated Wood Screws (if your mounting it to wood)
9. 3/8”-16 Zinc Plated Threaded Rod (I bought a 3’ rod and cut it down to 8, 4-1/2” rods with a hacksaw.)
10. Tiki Replacement Wick
11. Torch Fuel (For safety reasons, only use fuel made specifically for outdoor torches. i.e. Tiki brand)

Helpful Tools: Channellocks, adjustable wrench, hacksaw, power screwdriver, and a funnel

****Safety Note: This is for outdoor use only. Tiki brand recommends that the wick never be set higher than 1-inch, and I recommend that you exercise the same discretion and common sense that you would with any small open flame.*****

Building Instructions


The Hanger

1. Decide where you want to mount your Recycled Bottle Torch. Position the Top Plate Connector on your mounting surface and mark the holes for where the screws will go. It’s easier to keep it level if you pre-drill your screws first.
2. Once you have your Top Plate Connector mounted you can screw in the 3/8”-16 Rod until it stops. Channellocks are helpful for this part.
3. Thread the two Hex Nuts on to the Rod and tighten one all the way down at the point where the Rod meets the Top Connector Plate. Leave the other Hex Nut at the front end so it can be used to secure the Split Ring Hanger.
4. Thread on the Split Ring Hanger just enough so that the Rod is flush with the inside of the ring. Turn the 2nd Hex Nut counter-clockwise to snug it up against the Split Ring Hanger.

If you’d prefer your hardware to keep its shiny, unweathered look you can always give it several coats of clear polyurethane before you mount it. Personally, I think a weathered patina will add a nice element of character.




The Bottle

1. Carefully and tightly wrap the 1/2” end of the Coupling with your Teflon Tape. You’ll want to keep each wrap nice and clean so that it creates a smooth, even surface. Continue building up the tape until it fits very snugly into the opening of your bottle. You obviously don’t want it to fall in.
2. Insert the Wick into the Coupling until it sticks out about 1/4”. The Tiki brand replacement wicks are about 3/8” in diameter so they fit really well. Once they absorb the torch oil they’re even tighter.
3. Unscrew the Split Ring Hanger on one side and position the bottle neck into the ring.
4. Flip the front half of the ring back into place and tighten down the Hanger evenly on both sides. You may need to loosen the other side to make sure both sides are an even tightness. (Don’t over tighten the Hanger. You don’t want to break the glass.)
5. Use a funnel to fill the bottle with your favorite torch oil. (I use Tiki’s BiteFighter because it’s clear and seems to do a good job of keeping the mosquitoes away.)
6. Insert the Coupling & Wick into the top of the bottle and twist it snugly into place. Give the Wick a few minutes to absorb the oil before you try to light it.
7. I typically just blow my torches out. Use the Copper Cap to keep the Wick dry when you’re not using your torch.

Better Late Than Never

Our first wedding anniversary was almost 2 weeks ago and I just now got around to sharing with you a very special book. For a wedding gift last year we got an Anniversary Book. The Anniversary Book is a book that you update once per year on your first through fifteenth anniversary. After the fifteenth there is a page to share you twentieth, twenty-fifth, thirtieth, fortieth, and fiftieth wedding anniversaries! I thought I should share with you my special little book that I was finally able to fill out this year!


This is the cover of the book...

Inside the first page...

Page One... "Our Wedding Day"


Page Two... "Our First Anniversary"



Stay tuned for my page next year! :o)

I also finished two scrapbooks this week! One was bridal shower and wedding themed and the other was full of random family pictures from mine and Alex's families!


Reality is finally setting in that I go back to work SOON! I am finishing up tons of little projects!

Christmas in August?!? Apparently...

I officially began Christmas shopping today! I know... I know you thin I am insane! I made my list, so I know who I need to shop for so it was time to start. I just find so many cool ideas and great deals this time of year, so I think it's just the best time to start. I have 30+ people to buy for, so doing it now eliminates the budget crunch when December rolls around! Even better I have kind of been Christmas shopping all year. I actually already have some peoples gifts since early this year! I observe a lot and I hear people talk about what they have and don't have and what they maybe would want and I make it happen! I am pretty excited about some stuff I've found, so I thought it was pretty blog worthy!

We Stained the Fence!

So we had to have a fence built after we bought the house and now it was time to stain and protect it! We wanted to use a color that was a little darker than it was originally because our front door is so dark. Here are the before and the after pictures...

Before...


After...

New Couch for Simon's Room

Well since Simon is out of the puppy stage (we think, at least) and now nearly 17 months old we thought a new couch for his room would be a good move! I think it looks better and he really seems to like it!!! :o)

Before... (BIG tears from Simon covered by an ugly blanket... )




After...

Brownie Caramel Cheesecake

Here is one of my FAVORITE recipes to make a Brownie Caramel Cheesecake! I made one today for a BBQ that we are going to. It's just so yummy I thought I would share!

INGREDIENTS:

* 1 (9 ounce) package brownie mix
* 1 egg
* 1 tablespoon cold water

* 1/4 cup of caramel syrup

* 3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
* 3/4 cup white sugar
* 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 3 eggs
* 1 cup chocolate syrup


DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan.
2. In a small bowl, mix together brownie mix, 1 egg and water. Spread into the greased pan. Bake for 15 minutes.
3. Once out of the oven pour 1/4 of a cup of caramel syrup over the warm, baked brownie crust.
4. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla with an electric mixer until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Pour cream cheese mixture over caramel mixture.
5. Bake cheesecake for 40 minutes. Chill in pan. When cake is thoroughly chilled, loosen by running a knife around the edge, and then remove the rim of the pan. Heat reserved caramel mixture, and spoon over cheesecake. Drizzle with the chocolate topping.

A little about ME!

1. What time did you get up this morning? 9 AM

2. How do you like your steak cooked? Well done... I don't like the pink! Ewww

3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? Gran Torino... I think? It's been a long time!

4. What is your favorite TV show? I am addicted to tv... Big Brother... Court Shows, American Idol, So you think you can Dance... Bachelor! I could go on and on and on!

5. If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be? I like where I live now - Vancouver, but I hope to retire elsewhere someday.

6. What did you have for breakfast? I didn't... I rarely do.

7. What is your favorite cuisine? Italian . . .

8. What foods do you dislike? Seafood

9. Favorite Place to Eat? I don't have just one...

10. Favorite dressing? Honey Mustard

11. What kind of vehicle do you drive? Saturn Ion... Hopefully soon a SUV!

12. What are your favorite clothes? Casual and Comfy

13. Where would you visit if you had the chance? Fiji

14. Cup 1/2 empty or 1/2 full? Half Empty... Hey I am being honest!

15.Where would you want to retire? Maybe Hawaii

16. Favorite time of day? Evenings

17. Where were you born? Tacoma, WA

18. What is your favorite sport to watch? Football

19. Who do you think will not tag you back? I'm not tagging anyone

20. Person you expect to tag you back first? N/A

21. Who are you most curious about their responses to this? N/A

22. Are you satisfied with your life? Mostly, Yes. I wish I was a contracted teacher and not a substitute.

23. Are you a morning person or a night person? Both

24. Do you have any pets? Just one... We like to think of Simon Rex and our child!

25. If you only had one day to live, who would you spend it with? Alex...Mom...Katie and Papa

26. What did you want to be when you were little? Teacher and a Mom

27. What is your best childhood memory? Family Vacations

28. Are you a cat or dog person? Dog. I don't like cats.

29. Are you married? Yes

30. Always wear your seat belt? Always

31. Been in a car accident? Yes, a small one when I was not driving.

32. Any pet peeves? I don't have the time of day to list ALL of them....

33. Favorite Pizza Toppings? Peperoni and Sausage

34. Favorite Flower? I was a florist for 6 years.... I have many. Tulips being one.

35. Favorite ice cream? Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

Our First Wedding Anniversary: Las Vegas

Sunday, August 2, 2009:
We flew out of Portland at about 9am and got to Las Vegas non-stop at around 11am. From the second we set foot out of the airport it was HOT! We took a taxi to our hotel Mandalay Bay!

We had some time to kill between when we got to the hotel and 3pm when we could check in, so we went and had lunch at the hotel next door the Luxor.

After lunch we walked back to our hotel Mandalay Bay and went to check out the Shark Reef Aquarium. I have this crazy love for aquariums, so any city that I am in that has one I must go see it! It was a little on the pricey side for how small it was, but nevertheless very cool. Here are some pictures from there...




After the Shark Reef it was finally 3pm, so we went to get checked into our hotel room. This hotel was beautiful and the rooms were so fantastic! We even had a tv in the bathroom that I could watch from the HUGE bathtub! I was in heaven. :o)

By the time we got unpacked and settled it was time to shower, change and get ready for dinner and a late night show. We went to a restaurant called Planet Dallies inside the Planet Hollywood Hotel. We decided to take a taxi to and from our hotel to Planet Hollywood and then back after dinner and the show, but the cab driver ripped us off by taking us not down the strip, but on back road to get 2 miles north and our taxi bill was outrageous, so we knew we'd be walking back to our hotel that night! Alex's friend Sean worked at Planet Dallies and treated us to a very good dinner! If you are ever in Las Vegas I would recommend it they have a great menu and any food you could think of! Next we walked next door to the Paris Hotel to catch our show a hypnotist! It was a VERY funny show! Next, since we were already in the Paris Hotel we figured that was our chance to go to the top of the Eiffel Tower. It was about an hour wait to go to the top...I thought it was worth it and Alex thinks it was a waste of time! The views are good from the top, but there are better, I will give him that.

By the time we were done at the Eiffel Tower it was after midnight, so we thought we'd make the walk back to our hotel. Little did I know that my decision of walking 2 miles in stilettos on the hot and hard pavement would ruin my ability to walk normally for the rest of the trip, due to the huge blisters!!! It was not a fun walk... and my mood was less than stellar when we finally made it back to our room. This is what happens when cabs hustle you in Las Vegas...


August 3, 2009:
Finally...Our true wedding anniversary! Our plan for this day was to RELAX and take it easy! Instead we got up early and took The Deuce (a double-decker bus that takes you up and down The Strip) we took it all the way to the Wynn. The hotel was beautiful and this was where I thought I would try my first shot as a slot machine! First one I tried was winning me a lot of money... ok well not a LOT, but hey I was playing penny slots and winning over $20 back! Little did I know from this machine on I would loose EVERYTHING I had and would not have any luck with ANY machine for the rest of the trip!

We kept making our way up The Strip from hotel to hotel and casino to casino. We definitely covered the most ground on this day. Later in the afternoon we went back to the hotel to get ready for our anniversary dinner. We learned it was just best to take The Deuce! We had dinner and then saw a few more sights. The city is AMAZING at night! Just beautiful!


August 4, 2009:
Today was our lazy day! We slept in and went to have lunch then spent the next few hours at Mandalay Beach! I do not think I came home with any more tan then I went to Las Vegas with, so I am pretty bummed about that! It was REALLY hot about 107 and that just makes me grumpy, so I was laying out for a little bit and then in the pool for a little bit! After a few hours we went back upstairs to get ready for dinner. We had planned to go to the Venetian on the night of our anniversary to ride the gondola ride only to find it closed because of the a slight wind! BOO! We after getting ready for dinner, Alex and I took The Deuce north to the Venetian Hotel! It was a beautiful ride and the temperature was just perfect!

After the ride we met Alex's friend Sean for dinner and then the three of us went to a comedy show that night! After the show Alex and I went to the Excalibur Hotel and Casino and Luxor to check out some late night stuff. We were invited to Mix Nightclub which is on the 64th floor of The Hotel at Mandalay Bay. It was a great view of The Strip. We just enjoyed heading up to the top for about 10 minutes to see the views!


August 5, 2009:
Our final day started with us checking out of the hotel and off to see a few sights! We had breakfast at The House of Blues restaurant which was in our hotel and then went to check out of last hotel and casino which was New York, New York.

Next, we took The Deuce south to the Las Vegas Outlet Malls. Mostly because I went into two coach stores in Las Vegas and could not find what I was looking for, so I went to try my luck at Coach Outlet! By the time we were done shopping and we were waiting in 107 degree weather is when it hit us that we were tired and ready to get HOME! We has a quick lunch and then went back to the hotel to kill some time before heading to the airport. Alex's aunt and uncle happen to also be in Las Vegas on vacation, so we chatted with them awhile and then headed to the airport and home sweet home. It was so late when we got home, we had to pick up Simon the nest morning! Boy did we miss that little boy!

I put all the pictures we have up on Facebook, so you can see them all there!!!