Tent

At the end of August is the "First Annual Welch siblings and Their Better-Halves Camping Trip." I've only been camping once (with Mike a few years ago) and I swore I'd never go again. Well, I guess I'll give it another try. Mike is an eagle scout and Nate (Brooke's boyfriend) has a lot of nature knowledge. Billy, Brooke, Leah and myself are more of the "indoors-type." I think it should be fun though. Thankfully, the dogs get to come with!

This is a picture of the tent we bought today. Mike kept saying, "Do we need one this big?" I said - YES! The bigger the better. Heck, I don't have to put it up so why do I care how big it is? :) I'll let you know how the trip goes at the end of August. If I come back alive!

Mike's home!

Mike is finally home from RAGBRAI! I picked him up in North Liberty on Thursday. He said he had a great time. This is his third year biking across Iowa. I don't think I'll ever join him on the trip. I'm not much for the outdoors, camping, sweating etc.

Last night was date night. I surprised Mike by taking him to the Olive Garden for supper and then to the new Batman movie. He was happy about the movie because I'm more of a movie renter... and he like to go to the theater.

I finally got around to ordering large prints of our wedding pictures. I know, I know. It's been a year. Better late than never! I bought a beautiful 11x14 frame for this one picture. To make a long story short - Darrell jumped on it and shattered the glass. I was able to use the frame anyway, it just doesn't have any glass left. Oh Darrell. I think he wanted to sabotage the picture because he wasn't in it. I wanted Darrell to be the ring bearer in our wedding but my Mom put the kabosh to that idea.

This morning we cleaned the house. Mike's mowing right now. I'm sitting on the couch watching tv and drinking Diet Pepsi. We're going to our friend's son's birthday party this afternoon. His name is Cael and he's turning 1. He is so adorable. I'm starting to get baby fever. Mike's had the fever for a year now... but he is so too busy for a baby right now. For now, I'm content with my six year old baby:

How bout a round of applause

My brother got married this weekend! It was a great time. The colors were black and fuchsia. The wedding was beautiful. Leah was a gorgeous bride! (Pictures will be posted later... Can you believe I forgot my camera?) The reception was so elegant. We drank and danced the night away. Darrell had a fun time playing with his cousin Ellie. The newlyweds are going to San Diego this week for their honeymoon. I'm jealous! I came back to Des Moines last night. Today I wasted the day away by sleeping, reading and eating junk food. For lunch I had circus peanuts and chocolate. For supper I had Sponge Bob Mac & Cheese. I'm a true kid when it comes to food.

Midnight Madness

This is the third year in a row that Mike and I have participated in the event "Midnight Madness." It's a 5 or 10 k race in Ames, Iowa. The runs usually start around 8pm and afterwards there is a pasta dinner, beer and music! It's always a fun time. Darrell walks with me and Mike runs. Mike did awesome as usual. Me - I walked the whole thing. I walked by two firemen who were dressed in full gear (helmets, hoses, oxygen tanks, and carrying an American flag)! I pretended like the crowd was cheering for me instead of the firemen. The weather this year was fantastic! The only downside to the festivities is that it takes places in Ames... home of the Cyclones - boo! Here is a picture of us after the race:

Yes, my husband is wearing flag shorts. He loves to embarass me.

Wedding Rings

This blog is about one of my pet peeves: when married people don't wear their wedding rings. What is up with that? To me, my wedding ring is not a fashion accessory. I wear it all the time (sleep, shower, work, etc). I know that my ring will show some 'wear and tear' over time and that's ok. I'm scared to take my ring off - it would be a costly mistake if I lost it. It makes me sad when I see people that I know are married without their rings... especially at bars. I would feel like crap if I knew my husband took his wedding ring off when he goes out with his friends. Just had to share one of the many things that make me nuts!

- I found this link when I was looking up wedding rings. It's hilarious!
www.weddingringcoffin.com

Dreams

For as long as I can remember, I have always had vivid dreams. I dream every night. I remember what I dreamed about when I wake up. For the most part, I have good dreams. Some of my recent dreams:

-I had to fight a pit bull to save my dog. The pit bull was so mean and kept biting me. In the end, I won! ake that pit bull!

-I frequently dream that my teeth fall out. I looked this up in a dream journal once. It said that people who dream about losing teeth are usually very vain and care a lot about appearances. I don't think I'm vain. Well maybe a little.

-I dreamed that my grandma (who is 80) wanted "just one more" child. So she was pregnant and had a baby girl. I think my grandma got a good laugh when I told her.

Does anyone love the tv show "Medium" like I do? It's about a woman who dreams about crimes and she helps the police solve the crimes. I wish I would start dreaming about something important. It would be fun to quit my job and sleep all day... searching for clues about an unsolved mystery. I'd be great at that.

Ending this post with a picture of my dog. This was taken a couple years ago. It's cute how he has his little friends lined up in a row. Darrell always sits with his paws crossed. He's very proper.

Darrell's Birthday

Today my little guy turns six! Our day was spent doing everything that Darrell loves to do: riding in the car, going to Petsmart, playing with toys, taking a nap, and eating ice cream!

Here is a picture of Darrell doing his signature pose (one ear up, one ear down):


Enjoying doggy ice cream (peanut butter flavored):


Laying in Grandma's yard with cousin Ellie:


This is how you will usually find Darrell and me... curled up on the couch:
We adopted Darrell two years ago from the Animal Rescue League - I would highly recommend getting a pet from a shelter! Darrell's original name was "Granger" but I've always wanted a little dog named "Darrell." The name fits him well.

Anyone that knows me, knows how much I love my dog. He truly one-of-a-kind. I love how Darrell always wants to be near me. He loves me to hold him (22 pounds get a little heavy at times). I recently read this quote - "Anyone who says diamonds are a girl's best friend has never owned a lap dog." haha so true