Ranting · and · Raving

Black with chrome wheels and the huge vista-roof with navigation/back-up camera/i-pod interface/blue tooth/Sirius satellite radio and upgraded interior package including black leather heated seats and power folding rear seats...100% LOADED.

Brian and I decided against the Infiniti EX35 after visiting the dealer last Thursday and learning the dimensions of the vehicle. It will be based on the G35 chassis...so it will actually be smaller than the Maxima was; we were looking for larger and I hadn't considered a Ford until Brian wanted to see about trading his Lightning in on a new Roush Mustang...so I explored the Edge while he looked at the stang.

It was the best car-buying experience we ever had...no haggling. The price is what it was - no crazy back-and-forth shit from the salesman to the Finance manager coming back with outrageous $850/month car payment prices. Ford actually worked the price of the vehicle rather than monthly payment like Infiniti and Nissan did; which we preferred.

I will miss my Maxima...but I love my new ride and so does Nathan! By the way...the new one didn't come with HID headlights (which I can't live without) so Brian is having them put in after-market for me. :-)

It was so mush easier on me this time - I was SO sad when he turned 1...

He's having his birthday pictures taken today and we're leaving for Huntsville tomorrow afternoon.

I got a mid-year raise...I'm one of only 2 people in the company that got a mid-year raise...an extra $540 a month will be nice! Brian finally agreed to let me have my Infiniti FX. He said "you deserve it". With my 2 raises this year; I have gotten a 32% salary increase - which is phenomenal for 1 year and I think I deserve it too! That was very nice of him to say though; I'm just glad he finally came around...because I was going to get it anyway.

Brian is also in the market for a new ride - pleasure vehicle. He wants a Saleen Mustang...he's been on the phone with a salesman from Massachusetts for the past 2 days; I can't imagine buying something sight unseen (only seeing pictures); it will cost an additional $2k to have it shipped here. This is the type of car you don't want to put a lot of miles on...kind of like his truck that he has put almost $50k miles on...bad husband!

My mom set her wedding date...August 11th...it's about time! Everyone will be there including my cousin from Washington who has a little boy 1-day older than Nathan - so I know they will have fun playing together. We're planning Nathan's birthday party for the Saturday before his birthday (August 4th); so we'll leave for Huntsville on the 9th.

Brian gave me my birthday present early: A gift certificate for laser hair removal...bikini area & underarms! Yeah - that's what I asked for! Too bad, I need to wait until after the summer to get started (you have to stay out of the sun).

My friend Jenn is having a baby girl! I'm so sad that I will not be able to attend her shower...I'll be in Huntsville. I'll find out what she still needs after the shower and get her tons of goodies tho!

I bought tons of decorative storage baskets to put on the bottom portion of the table under the plasma in the living room and stuffed them with Nathan's toys. I also bought a bunch to go in the storage tower in Nathan's room for toys. He's so excited because now he can get to things that were previously in the bottom of the toy boxes. Now that we have installed new fancy closet systems and done all these storage baskets...I don't feel as if the house is closing in on me anymore. I don't feel like I need a bigger house just yet; we can wait a bit longer. Brian just put in new Lutron lighting controls...so I know he's not ready to move. $2,400 to fully equip our house - I can't imagine what it would cost for the size of home I'm looking at...whew!
http://www.lutron.com/hlc/

I totally cannot believe my sweet boy will be two next month!!

Being Sneaky:

Kissy Face:

Me & the babe:

Daddy & Nate by the boat:

Nathan at island:

Nathan "Driving":

SpongeNate Crazybaby:

Nathan with Elmo sprinkler:

Nathan & me with a stealth:

Daddy & Nate in The Bradley

Nathan with Pilot:

Nathan on a tank:

Nathan & Me with a "scary-face plane":

We went to the air show in Goldsboro, NC last weekend where the Blue Angels flew for the first time since the death of one of their pilots at the air show in SC. It was amazing. I got tons of pictures with the new digital camera...which, by the way I like a lot better than the old one that was stolen...thanks thief! I will try to get them on the computer and post some very soon. I got a photo of Nathan and me with one of the pilot's in an F-22 Raptor stealth fighter jet! I think it's a prerequisite that pilots have to be HOT!

Brian has decided to take the day off after being at Kurt Busch's (NASCAR driver) house until 11:30 last night!! Apparently he wanted the theater done before all his friends and family come into town for the next two weekends of racing in Charlotte - which means horrible traffic starting tomorrow - I think I'm going to work from home tomorrow and next week to help avoid it. I can't avoid it all though, as over 60 of the teams are less than a mile from our house - UGH!!!!!!!!

For the Third year in a row my town has been named the #1 "Micropolitan" area in the US. My neighbors have decided to cash in on their investment and sell their house:

http://atthelake.helpusell.com/Listing/ListingDetail.aspx?Search=2b4cb1e9-748b-4813-8762-4d557d099dc1&Listing=20842818&IRPAgentID=&Image=1&First=1&Last=10&pagesize=10&SearchType=&ListingDistrictTypeID=&FirstLetter=&Sort=6&Cookies=

It is on the market for $399,900...last year they bought it for $300,000; so if they get their asking price they stand to make $100K in 1 year! I hope they get it. We are going to "sit on" ours a bit longer and cash-in in a few years. We need a bigger house before we have another baby (in about 2 more years) so there's no need to move now - I'd rather wait a little longer when the area is REALLY booming and make a killing.

Well, we finally decided to head to Huntsville to visit my family for Easter. My procrastination cost us big-time on the airfare...oh well. Brian's working on a pretty big job so he won't be able to come with us...he would miss out on about $13,000 worth of work if he were to take off - I figured it would be okay for him to stay home this time...at least we'll have a new pavered patio and landscaping when Nate and I return :-)

Nathan loves airplanes he's always pointing them out saying "see the airplane". He seems so confused when I tell him that he's going on one next week. He's been on an airplane many times...but the last time he was only 12 months...and I really don't think he realized that he was on an airplane then. Hopefully he won't freak out as he seems to understand that he's going on one next week.

I'm looking forward to seeing my family and hopefully taking a break from my workouts. I'm at 132 now, which is only 4 pounds from my pre-pregnancy goal weight of 128 - which is actually considered underweight according to my doctor - WHATEVER!! I'm 5'9" and I have always been under that (except pregnancy and after -baby). Luckily, I'm not trying to get to my wedding weight of 116...now that's TOO low.