Keurig or not to Keurig?

Okay, how many of you have gotten on the Keurig band wagon?

Dan and I have been doing the "should we/shouldn't we" dance for about six months.

We think about how convenient it would be to go in and fix a cup of coffee whenever -

but, then we talk about how expensive the K-cups are.

Then we also talk about how we still like to have a whole pot of coffee in the morning.

So, we talk ourselves into one, and then talk ourselves out of one.

Dan had decided that he was going to buy me one for Christmas - I talked him out of it.

Now, fate decided to rear it's ugly head.

Our coffee pot that we have had for about four years decided to go out on us.  So, we had to make a decision.

Well, we were out looking a couple of weeks ago - and had pretty much decided on the middle Keurig model - not the cheap one, but not the most expensive one either.  When, what to our wondering eye should appear, but this -----

The absolute best of BOTH worlds - 

and cost less than the cheaper less expensive model Keurig.

You can still make a full pot of coffee - OR - you can do individual cups.  PLUS, you don't use K-cups. 

Nor do you have to buy  the strainer thing that you have to use 

with the Keurig.

You can use your own coffee and adjust the strength of your coffee.

Plus - it is programmable.

So, 

guess what came home with us.

Yep, 

 here she sits in our kitchen.

Love it!

So, IF you haven't jumped on the Keurig band wagon - you might want to consider this Hamilton Beach model.

We have really enjoyed it so far

(it was really nice last week when I was so sick -

 Dan was able to fix me hot drinks 

without having to fix

a whole pot of coffee).

Oh, just a little disclaimer - I am not being compensated by Hamilton Beach (yeah, I wish) in any way and the opinion stated here is strictly my own.

Hope you guys have a fabulous rest of your week!

Hugs -

Carol

How can someone so little create this?

Good Monday morning ya'll!

It's good to be back at the computer - I am starting to feel much better.  Still have the "fog horn" cough and the masculine voice, but it is getting better everyday.  Pretty soon Dan will stop asking me "What did you say?"  Well, at least not every time I say something.

I hope you all had a fabulous weekend - but to tell you the truth I'm getting a little depressed.  Why?  Well, yesterday was the Pro Bowl, which means - there is only ONE more football game this season.  That is such a bummer for me!  I don't know what I'll do on Saturday's and Sunday's - much less Monday night and Thursday night.

Seriously, our whole TV schedule is skewed around football.  This is (or was) our TV watching schedule:

Monday - Monday Night Football

Tuesday - NCIS (only show we watch every week)

Wednesday - anything that I've TiVo'ed (Castle usually)

Thursday - Thursday Night Football

Friday - nothing (this is usually when we watch a rented movie)

Saturday - College ball

Sunday - Pro ball starting with pre-game stuff until the late game

Pretty lame, huh?  

Really - this is our TV viewing schedule.

So, as you can see, we have a problem Houston.

There is nothing to watch anymore - 

we are not Basketball fans, racing fans, or hockey fans.

Now, I will watch golf (yep, golf) IF Tiger is playing.

Now, before anyone jumps on my case - I don't agree with what Tiger did in his personal life - but that was in the past and he has paid dearly for his major screw up.  I still like to see him play golf - and when he is on - NO ONE can come close to him.

Anyway, I have ordered some books for my Kindle so it looks like  Dan and I will spend a lot more time with the TV off and the Kindle's on.

Not, necessarily a bad thing.

Boy, am I completely off topic.

So, let's get back to the program.

I'm sure that many of you (if there are people out there that do actually read this) have this problem  - but we aren't use to this anymore.  I'm a little OCD - okay, a lot OCD - so, this is something that I'm getting used to again. 

What am I talking about?

Take a look

!

You see, when my oldest daughter was a baby, her dad and I rented a nice little house in Thomasville, GA.  In the family room was a wall of wonderful bookcases - with cabinets on the bottom.  Wonderful storage!  In the middle was an open area for the TV and underneath was a big cabinet with no shelves.  So, I put a big round laundry basket, and at the end of the day all the toys went in the basket - close the door and all was clean again.

This is really pretty tame - 

but you know what -

I don't care.

Let her make a mess - it takes about two minutes to pick it up and put it in her toy basket.  She is only going to be a baby for such a short period of time.  Such a small price to pay for being able to take care of her every day.

She certainly pays for any mess she makes with her smiles, and her hugs, and her little kisses.  

So, where was she when I took this picture this morning?

Nap time!

Sweet baby!

Hugs -

Carol

Cold and Secrets

Well, I have caught the cold that has been passed along between family members - We have all been trying to keep the baby from catching it, and so far, we have been successful.  Let us hope that it continues to be true.

Dan has gone over to the storage unit to get a different area rug for the living room.  The one we have on the floor now is a "grass-cloth" type rug and not very soft under foot.  It goes with the leather recliners and the upholstered chairs we are using, but it is not very soft for Miss Lorelai's little knees.  We have to have an area rug because the entire house, except the bedrooms, is tile.  Have I told you how much I can NOT stand tile.  It is so hard on my back and the tile in this house never looks clean - it's that off white with dark brown grout.  I have been talking to Dan about getting the other area rug for some time, but he has been putting it off.  I think he was putting it off because it just doesn't match the furniture. 

 However, Lorelai has been working so hard on crawling for the past couple of weeks.  You know the "worm" - where they get up on all fours and then just sorts 'flop' forward and move that way.  Well, she worked and worked and Friday night she finally succeeded in crawling!  I wanted to post the video that her mom posted on Facebook - but, alas, I don't know how to copy it.  So, if you would like to see the video you are more than welcomed to go to my Facebook page and see it - or I will try and get a video on Monday that I can share with you.

Yesterday we did do some running around, but by the time we got home I was wiped out!  I came in, put on my flannel jammies, and went to bed!  I think I was asleep by 7 last night.  While my nose is still stuffed up and my voice is a little "strained" I am feeling better.  Some good cold medicine will work wonders!

Now, you know about the cold part of the title of the blog - but how about the secret part.

Well, I have been keeping a secret for about two months.  If you know me at all you know that this has been extremely hard for me to do, but I didn't want to jinx the secret.

However, on Friday it became official - so now I can tell you guys about it!

We are soooooooo excited.

Okay, enough of keeping you in the dark.

Are you ready???

Okay, okay!

WE BOUGHT A HOUSE!!!!!

Here she is!

YaHOOOOOOO!

We will be back on one of the canal's that lead to Lake June (two canals down from our old house).  

However, this house does not need stuff done to it (but, if you know us, we will do some things - like paint).  But no major remodeling projects!

It is a little smaller than our old house - but that's okay.  We have decided that downsizing is a good thing.  We will be having a HUGE garage sale because we bought the house FURNISHED!  We will need to sell some of the furniture that we bought for the old house, as it just won't fit in this one - and we will need to buy some new furniture (like some couches for the living room) which we didn't need in the old house.  However, that will part of the fun - making this house our home!

Dan also gets a boat with this deal and to say that he is super excited would be a major understatement.

We have already been out in it once and, now that we have signed the papers, Dan says he will be out fishing in it every day.

Well, we be moving the middle of March and we can't wait!

I am so proud of me that I didn't say anything for TWO WHOLE MONTHS!  (We are buying this house from an individual.  This is their winter home and they wanted to wait until March when they will go back to Indiana - since we couldn't do anything until the end of February, when our lease here is up, we said that wasn't a problem.  We talked to the Real Estate Agent that handles the rental for our house and there is not a problem with our staying one extra month.  I guess I was afraid that they would change their minds - so I didn't want to say anything until we had signed all the papers.  Now, we just wait for the appraisal from the bank and then closing.)  Anyway, we are hoping that the next two months go by quickly - eight weeks - we can do this!

Anyway, just wanted to let you in on our not so "little", little secret!

Welcome to our new house,

 and I hope you come back soon to visit!

Hugs -

Carol

Lorelai's First Christmas

I know that it is the middle of January,

but I promised I would 

share some pictures

of Lorelai's

first Christmas.

Hope you enjoy!

Christmas morning Melissa gave us a call when 

Little Miss woke up.

Dan and I headed over to their house

with some breakfast goodies.

This is the sweet 

sight that 

greeted us when we walked in the door.

Love the Santa on her sleeper.

Dad was dressed up as Santa

and

he handed all the 

gifts out.

Does anyone else

see the

resemblance

between these two?

Then the fun began!

Hey, Mom, I

can do it

myself!

Oh, look!

There's a bottle!

Thanks Aunt Crystal

for the help!

Oh boy!  

I love my 

Minnie Mouse ears!

(she really does love Mickey and Minnie)

The little surprise

from

Nana and Granpie Dan.

(I have to say, this is the cutest rocking horse!)

After Christmas dinner

we all got together

for some

"formal"

Christmas pictures.

 Melissa, Justin, and

Lorelai.

Hi Aunt Crystal!

Aunt Crystal, Aunt Kim, and

Lorelai!

Melissa with her dad

"Grumpa"

(name is his choice)

Three generations!

Crystal, Melissa, Lorelai, and me.

Donnie (the girls dad), Melissa, Lorelai, me, and Crystal.

Grampie Dan, Lorelai, and me.

Lorelai with one of her favorite

gifts -

a TV remote control!

(Is this a hint of things to come?)

I'll leave you today 

with my favorite 

picture

of Lorelai

from 

Christmas day.

I think it says it all.

Have a great week!

Hugs -

Carol

BTW - hope you check back - 

there might be

an 

announcement

made this week.

;-)

AWOL

I know that I have not been posting much.

Why?

Well, to be quite frank - my life is boring.

Not a whole lot going on here.

Monday through Friday we keep Little Miss.

Now, while she is doing so many AMAZING things

and I enjoy all the things she does,

I don't think you guys would be interested.

I mean, come on, you have your own kids/grand kids 

you don't need to see mine, right?

Saturday and Sunday -

well, that is a different story.

Sometimes we (meaning Dan and I) go somewhere.

For example, last Saturday we went down to 

Ft. Myers shopping -

 Home Goods and

 Bass Pro Shop

(hey, I had Dan with me - give me a break).

Sunday was spent 

doing laundry, 

cleaning, 

and watching football.

You know that I am a little bummed that the football season is almost

over -

 my favorite thing to watch.

What did you think of the BCS bowl game?

Roll Tide!!!

Anyway - that is how our week rolls.

Pretty lame, huh?

And since we are being truthful around here

I guess I'll just lay it all out there - 

I just don't feel like working on anything - 

I could care less about decorating this place.

It looks okay -

 and I just don't want to do anything else.

This place isn't ours 

and 

we have done all we can or,

I should say,

 want to do.

So, here we sit.

But there are changes coming.

Things I can't talk about yet.

But, 

there are changes on the horizon.

In the meantime,

I know that I promised you some pictures of 

Little Miss and her first Christmas.

I'll get that done 

in the next few days.

Hope you guys are having a great week.

Hope to

Talk to you soon!

Hugs -

Carol

Happy New Year!!!!!

Hear is wishing everyone 

a

very

hugs -

Carol