my how time flies...

guess who is 1 now?  it is amazing to me how quickly time flies, and how my little puppies are no longer little!  barkley and mia had their first birthday last weekend, and it got me thinking how quickly they have grown before my eyes... i can't believe i have had them since September!  so, happy birthday barks and mia!

beware: insanely cute puppy pics to follow...

our adoption day

we stuck pretty close

we got a cage with lots of cozy things

and we slept cuddled up all the time

and we slept with our mom too

back when she could still hold us

and when i used to fit under here!

then we had these lame christmas shirts

which were promptly followed by sweaters

which made us want to eat and destroy this bush

which made us sleepy!

then we got a new house

and we ate some stuff

and dug a few holes...

and then slept off the shame...

but now we are big kids

and we watch over the house

and guard the door...

mom thinks we're pretty cute!

and now we are 1!

not so cute...

my four-legged friends are very frustrating lately...

 operation "trust" commenced last week in my effort to free my puppies from their confined cage and give them a bit of much-needed freedom.  being just 10 months old, i was hesitant to unleash my babies onto my brand new home, but also was tired of feeling guilty for leaving them in a cage and driving home every day on my lunch break to let them out for a bathroom break and a quick leg stretch.  we are currently in day 8... 


list of things my puppies have destroyed/dirtied:
one:   1.25 lbs of cedar mulch (approximately)
two:   10 decorative twine balls, varied in color 
three: 4 muddy paws, includes 12 muddy fingernails
four:  2.5 poopy paws, tracked on various surfaces 
five:  1 unfortunate tennis ball

in all honesty, this could be much worse.  However, I am quite sick of vacuuming my carpet every day and washing puppy paws.  Clearly my desire to have children is decreasing by the day...

NOTICE the slew of toys and menacing looks...

THREE DAYS!

Holy moly I am three days from closing on my first home!  The closing documents were sent through today, so I should be signing tomorrow or Thursday... The thought of being a homeowner is both exciting and terrifying for me...

I've definitely started to realize that Barkley and Mia are going to go through quite an adjustment, especially being without my parents' dogs!  I have a feeling this is going to cause a handful of sleepless nights due to some canine anxiety...

I have also realized that I am about to drop an obscene amount of cash in the next month; however, I am quite the bargain shopper, and have already saved myself a good chunk of money!  Let's not forget the 30% off total purchase at Bed, Bath and Beyond back in November, the dining room table on sale at Fry's Marketplace, and more recently 30% off total purchase at Kohl's that led to some beautiful Food Network serving dishes.  Additionally over this weekend, I racked up more super savings when I "purchased" a 16-piece glassware set from Food Network (also at Kohl's) for nothing! Yep, that's right, I got them for free thanks to some Kohl's cash and what I'm assuming was a register malfunction; nevertheless I ran out of the store with drink-ware in hand and never looked back...

Also on the list, a Groupon to Mattress Firm that I paid $50 for and got a $200 credit!  The best part is that they price match with their competitors, even up to 100 days after purchase!  Winner, winner, chicken dinner!

DAY TWENTY-FOUR: a picture of something you wish you could change...

I wish my dad could find a job... luckily my parents are fortunate that they are financially savvy, but two jobs is always better than one

jumping on the blogging bandwagon...

In an effort to keep myself from going completely insane over this next month waiting for my house to close, I've decided to do a blog challenge.  After following my friend Venessa's blog, I became inspired to turn my little piece of the internet into something more than a boring recount of my home buying experience (plus, the fun part will begin after March 11!) therefore, I am going to do a 30 day picture challenge!

DAY ONE: a picture of yourself with 10 fun facts...

one) i LOVE margaritas (as if you couldn't tell from the picture!)

two) i used to live in Japan

three) i have two lovable and adorable puppies - Barkley & Mia

four) i have a serious addiction to online shopping                            

five) my favorite place in the world is the Las Vegas strip

six) i have an overly emotional attachment to Grey's Anatomy 

seven) in my 2nd life, i will be an interior designer, not a therapist

eight) my favorite flower is a daisy...simple yet pretty

nine) i have a love/hate relationship with carbs

ten) I'M A SOON-TO-BE HOMEOWNER

double trouble

...september 25, 2010...
On September 25, with slightly more confidence that I would be in a house by the end of the year, I added two little furballs to my life.  A brother and sister pair from a rescue shelter in Scottsdale joined me, my parents, my brother and two older dogs in our house.

MEET BARKLEY

I'm sweet, affectionate and live up to my name!  I'm taller than my sister, but I let her beat me up every once in a while to make her feel better for being smaller, since I was the first born.  My legs are super long, but they help me get food off the table.

MEET MIA

I'm shy and little, but I'm also scrappy!  I like to be left alone, but I'll cuddle if I'm in the mood.  When I'm playing I can get a little crazy and cause some trouble, but I get away with it 

because I'm cute and fluffy!