The Spanns have returned

... from Webb Lake, Wisconsin, for the 4th of July blowout with the fam. I have many many cousins on my mom's side who live all over the country, er... world: Canada, Japan, Nebraska, Minnesota, Massachusetts... We have always talked about having a cousins reunion because we only get together every 4 years or so. This year we actually pulled through with it and all met up in St. Paul and drove to a lake in Wisconsin (despite the name of the town, it was actually Des Moines Lake). Seven of the cousins were able to make it this year, plus one hubby (mine) and a boyfriend (Paige's). It was an awesome weekend, full of lots of catching up, Porch Slammers (ask me about it soon... I shall show you. You will like it), fireworks, boat parades, and patio time. It's pretty amazing to me that a group of cousins can not see each other in such a long time (in some cases over 15 years), and we catch up and have a great time right away. I guess that's family, right?
Jeremy and I started the drive on Thursday after we got off work, around 6:00, and drove to Kansas City to stay in an awesome room that Kristen hooked us up with, courtesy of her brother. We stayed there a whole maybe 5 hours then hit the road again in the morning. Friday was complete with windmills in Iowa, meeting up with the fam in St. Paul, driving to Wisconsin, and grilling out. Saturday we hung out by the lake all day in the GORGEOUS 70 degree weather. It's pretty sweet to be in the sun all day and not feel like you have to get in the water because you're not DYING. We watched the fireworks that night on a party barge, then we shot off our own (see the above pic, courtesy of Adrianne). Makes you want to break out in the national anthem, doesn't it? Doesn't it?
For more pictures, scroll on!

Adrianne & Paige
Part of the 4th boat parade. Question of the day... Who's driving that thing?

The back of the beauuuutiful cabin that my aunt and her hubby let us borrow
That's my hubby out there!




The aforementioned windmills (turbines?) in Iowa. Pretty amazing.

The front of the cabin...

My camera has a fireworks setting that I played with. A lot. "Oooooh! That's a pretty one!" Click. Click. Click clickity click.

















Jealous yet...?
















Oh yeah, did I mention I CHOPPED my hair?











Caroline and Julia
Rob & Colin

The Good, the bad... and the occasionally peed upon

Let's start with The Good, shall we?:

1. My job. I am "head teacher" in the 2 year-old classroom.
2. #1 leads to many hugs, kisses, and babies sitting in my lap. All day. They're really very sweet.
3. They call me Miff Izzabuff. It's flippin darling.
4. I have recently recalled all the lyrics to "She'll Be Comin' Round the Mountain" (choo choo! Whoa back! Hi, babe! Yum, Yum! Zzzzzzz!).
5. I have also learned (or relearned) every single song to sing with two year-olds (Chicka Chicka BOOOOOM BOOOOOOM!).
6. Baby and I celebrated our big ol' six month anniversary. My, how time flies when you're having fun!
7. We are leaving on Thursday to head to Wisconsin to visit my cousins. Most of them. Cannot wait.
8. It's going to be dang near twenty degrees cooler when we go up there.
9. (This one should be must higher on the list, but...) The jetcat is AMAZING. Photos to come. My husband is brilliant. There will be a separate post so that I can elaborate on the amazingness.
10. I set up a Twitter account. I have resisted too long. So long, in fact, that the hubby had one before me. That just ain't right.
11. We recently harvested a CRAAAAZY amount of rosemary and oregano from the garden. Currently drying. Mmmmmm.
12. The garden is looking great. Tomatoes, okra, peppers, rosemary, oregano, basil.... Ahhhh summer!
13. I signed my contract for my internship, starting in August. Can't wait to start. Seriously. I'm ready. I actually MISS it.
    
14. PAID MY CAR OFF! Whoot, seriously.
15. Overall having a fantabulous summer... getting to see friends, grill out, go to the lake ;)

Now The Bad:

1. I do, in fact, occassionally get peed on at work. Actually, it's happened three times. Narrowly avoided it more times than that. There may or may not have been poo on my shoe at some point as well.
2. The babies are supposed to go outside every day for an hour and a half, total. It has been waaaaaaaaaaaay too hot lately, so we have to entertain them indoors. This means that I lead the class in either Mousercise or the "Get Funky" physical CD. It's exhausting trying to get babies to move for 45 minutes in organized chaos. And sometimes they look at me like I have lost my dang mind.
   
3. Did I mention it's real hot?
4. Ummmmmm.... I think that's it. This list is much shorter. Yay.

I will take pics in WI! Sorry I have been so quiet lately. ;)

More things

My mama and I went to go see Kris Allen at the Riverfront when he was here. Have I mentioned how much I love "American Idol?" Chandle, Cody, and I would always watch it in Conway. Now one of our own won. Whoot! Yes, I am a dork, and I am well aware of it. ;)




Gertrude's little babies have flown the coop. Or the nest. Here they are, along with their dialogue:
-You go first.
-No, you go.
-Ok, we'll go at the same time.
-On the count of three?
-One, two...
-You didn't go!
-YOU didn't either.
-Ok, this time we'll go for sure.
-Liar.




We also went to the Kris Allen watch party in Conway (see aforementioned admission of dorkitude). Jeremy met a big version of Zoey. Ha ha ha ha ha ha.
Have a good weekend, all!

How I've Spent My Summer Vaca (week 1)

• I wake up every day to have coffee with my hubby
• Pilates, yo (I'm getting better, but I still kind of suck at it- you will never EVER see me do it cause it's pretty embarrassing). But I'm sore, and I like it.
• I have applied for THREE jobs (I will only be taking one): one at a day care and two at the library. I'm really hoping for a library job. How much fun would that be?
• Season finales on all my shows! Having an Idol watch party at my folks' casa. Complete with Skeezers. They heard that's the way to do it. Word.
• STRAIGHT A's. Booyakah. I am in disbelief. I turned in three papers over 20 pages at the end of the semester, which is why many of you have not heard a peep from me in a while. DONE and DONE. ThanktheLord.
• I may or not DVR "The O.C." every day. I have never seen seasons 3 and 4. So I had some catching up to do. Thank you, Soap Opera channel.
• Ummmm, maybe DVR-ing "Angel" every day too. I can neither confirm nor deny this rumor.
• READING for entertainment finally. Just finished the third Twilight (oh, yes indeed), and currently reading The Time Traveler's Wife for our book club. That's right, I said book club. Whatcha gonna say? We're awesome.
• Trying to plan a way to get up to Wisconsin to see my cousins this summer. There is talk of a cousin's reunion at a cabin on a lake there (ahhh, that sounds so nice). Workin' on it.
• 2 days till our 5 month anniversary. I recently realized that since we got married in December (month 12), it's really easy to figure out how long we've been hitched. January= 1 month, October= 10 months. It baffles the mind. ;) Have I mentioned I'm easily amused these days?
• Planning lunch dates and evenings with friends and family. I love being done with school.
• Zoey's staples are out. She is a much happier doggy now. Poor baby.
  
• Let's hang out, yes?
  

Updates from the Spanns

Sweet little Zoey Spann had a little incident a week ago. :( We took her and Pooty for an after work romp in the woods, and she came out of the woods with a big ol' gash on her shoulder. It was pretty deep and yucko, so we rushed her to the vet to get stitches. Long and very frustrating story short, this sweet lady had to endure FOUR (yes FOUR) re-stitches and anaesthesias. Don't get me started. Anyway, she now has 6 staples, and she's pretty ticked at us. And mad at the world because of this cone (they call it an Elizabethan collar, ha, get it?). Hopefully she'll get the staples out Monday and she can return to her normal bouncy self. It's pretty sad watching her run into things with that cone, and a little hilarious to see her chase Pooty with it (Pooty doesn't likey...). ;)


Gertrude and babies are doing quite well. She has endured some CRAZY storms in that nest. She's a champ.

Snoop Dogg was A.MA.ZING. I can't even tell you. We had such a good time. It was an excellent way to celebrate being done with school. I may or may not have dislocated my knee while there and had to miss work the next day because I couldn't walk, but you know what? TOTALLY worth it. He performed every song you can think of. Even his parts on Dre songs.
I was flowin' and goin' that night, you heard?

So I am OFFICIALLY OFFICIALLY done with school. No more school. No more papers. No more work (well until I get that summer job... anyone hiring?). And I got A's on my final ginormo papers. Booyakah. I mean, seriously. This semester truly almost killed me, but I have survived. AND I got my internship for next year all lined up. I will be working for Conway schools, which makes me really happy. Their school psych department is amazing, and I will get to do some really cool things. So hooray! Summer vaca 2009 has begun! And I went out with a bang. I can't believe it. WHOOOOT!

Tonight, my sister and I are taking our mama on a surprise trip for her birthday (which was yesterday- happy birthday, Ma!)! Speaking of birthdays, a very happy belated birthday to Chandleous and Kat! :)

My plans for the evening

Did I mention this?

Anyone who knew me back in the day is not at all surprised about it. I only know Snoop's parts by heart in the songs. This is going to be amazing. I shall report back. Don't be jealous.

Don't worry, I'm alive...

Check it: $5 Cover got an article written about it
And it starts MONDAY at midnight (I shall DVR and have a watchparty if you'd like, because...)
Also, Cory Branan is playing Friday. You know where (the WWT, of course).

And I'll be done with school. (Un)Officially.

Just turned in a huge paper, and my hands are sweating. Kicked some serious booty on a GINORMO presentation I gave this a.m.
2 giant things done. 1 more to go...

Update time...

*Here are some pictures of Pooty & Zoey running around in the garden... which will have beautiful veggies and herbs very soon!
*EIGHT DAYS OF SCHOOL LEFT. Holy goodness, I cannot wait.
*Much like Leah, the majority of my semester has been "on your own time" assignments. Which I have none of (my own time, I mean). We have had to do a trillion assessments (thank you to all my guinea pigs) which has taken a gazillion hours.
*In addition to these said assessments, I have to write ginormous papers (aren't you loving these descriptive words I'm using?). My current paper (ONE OF THEM) is 33 pages. And I'm about 2/3 done. Shoot me.
*Eight days left. I can do this.
*Looking for an internship for next year... I have some pretty awesome leads... Fingers crossed.
*Lots of pictures today- keep scrolling!
*Got to see Melissa and fam last night- yay!
*Eight days.

Spring has sprung at the Spann house

... and Jeremy has been workin' hard! We bought some beauuuuutiful azaleas for the front flower bed. They are the Encore kind, so that means they'll come back (hopefully) in the summer and fall. If the AR heat doesn't get them too bad... YAY!

Here's what we've got in the flower bed by the front door. Starting at 1:00: a plant called fireworks-something-or-other, then I don't know what the yellow and pink ones are (anyone?? I love them though!!), and some amethyst-something-or-other. Ok, so I'm not so good with plant names, but it sure is looking good! Way to go, hubby-o-mine!

GORGEOUS, aren't they??

Meet Gertrude

Meet our new friend, Gertrude! Jeremy and I were going to grill some shrimp Friday night (mmmmm)... and I noticed this little lady sitting in one of our potted plants on the deck. On the grill, to be more specific. It appears that she has built a nest and will be having babies quite soon, I believe.
We obviously couldn't leave her there, so Jeremy ducked down, picked her up (she didn't move!), and carried her oh-so-slowly to a new location, on the wine rack on the deck. She's still in the middle of the action, but not on top of the grill... She doesn't seem to be bothered by Pooty and Zoey running around the deck and barking. She didn't seem to be bothered by the days of rain over the weekend. She HAS been getting fatter... and seems quite content in her new home. Fingers crossed! Happy Earth Day!

I'm the Mary, and you're the Rhoda.

Michele: Did you lose weight?

Romy: Actually, I have been trying this new fat free diet I invented. All I've had to eat for the past six days are gummy bears, jelly beans, and candy corns.

Michele: God, I wish I had your discipline.

Apparently, 10 years somehow passed, and it's happening. Oh, Lord, that can't be right. Are we going? Let's discuss the pros and cons of high school reunions. Go.

Ch-check it out, yo

MTV Shows

I'm tellin' ya, our boy's going to be FAMOUS. Very soon. MTV- whoot! The show premieres May 1, supposedly. So keep your eyes (and your DVRs) out, and let me know if you hear anything. Go see the website here, and be sure to click on artists to read more.

Austin!

Hey kids-
The Spanns are officially back. In AR. And at work (boo). We had an awesome Spring Break '09 in Austin, packed with tons o' fun. Austin is a really really cool city- we never had a lack of things to do there.
On the way down, we camped at Inks Lake State Park, which is about an hour outside of Austin. It was a really neat campsite- really close to the water with a lot of rock and cacti all around (watch out for those man-eating jackrabbits and killer cacti.... heyyyy dude...).
The next day, we went to Longhorn Cavern, a cave really near the campground that you could tour. It's been a while since I took a tour of a cave, and I'm really glad we did. Saw a bat. Experienced total darkness (creeeeeeepy).
The rest of the trip was full of 6th Street, Mexican food, Mexican martinis (mmmm... who knew?), going to the Alamo Drafthouse to watch a movie, discussed later, shopping, doing homework (ick), and sightseeing. It was really nice to get away for a week. Enjoy the pics! Go see more here if you'd like!

Entrance to the cave...

The dome in the capitol building
Perhaps the best sushi I have ever had.... mmmmm