So Proud!!

On August 7th Jeff Officially graduated from LSU with his MBA!
It was a lot of time and dedication, but he was a trooper and completed in 2 years by going to class at night after work. Of course, I have to brag that it was not a challenge for him at all; he is so smart, this stuff comes so naturally to him.

I can't be any more proud! He works so hard; he deserves every good thing that is to come his way. I know he is going to go far in life! I love you, babe! :)

Still Want A Smart Car???

Not if you're smart....

Below is a picture of a wreck between one of these smart cars and 2 trucks in Jefferson Parish (near New Orleans)

Gribnau Brewery

Jeff has finally decided to dive into making beer. He has been wanting to do this for a long time but with night school and work it just was not possible. I got him his first kit for his birthday about 3 years ago so he had everything he needed to get started. I think he has discovered a hobby that is going to stick around for a while. Not to mention that after all that hard work you get to have beer when your done! lolStirring the Malt

Cooking the Malt

I was in charge of sterilization

Yes, it is sitting in our bathtub.

Jeff loves to check on his beer first thing when he gets home from work. He cracks me up. When he does something, he goes all out. He has already researched how to make other kinds, like a German Lager, wheat beer, and who knows what else. He has plans for the specific beer brewing refrigerator that he wants and how he needs a whole room that he can control the temperature, lighting, etc. for a prime brewing atmosphere. He loves to show me all of the graphs on the rate the yeast is growing and eating the sugar to make the alcohol, and true to his personality, he has researched everything you can about the process of which the malt becomes beer.
I wish I could try it in a few weeks when it's done, but I have a feeling this won't be the last batch of "Gribnau Beer".

Andrea's Baby Shower

Jeff's cousin Aundrea is expecting her second baby in September. Zachary Perryman. Here are a few pictures from the shower:

MAC Owner Wanna-be

The past few weeks have been really stressful! As you can see I have not posted in a while.

I am so frustrated with PC's I could scream! My poor computer was attacked by loads of viruses which, in turn, corrupted my windows files. Every time I tried to get online I would get the dreaded "blue screen" and the computer would shut down. It wouldn't have been that big of a deal to reformat, but there was some software on there that I just could not part with.
When I lost my job, my boss gave me my computer and along with it the Architecture software (Bentley Microstation) that we used in the office. That program is amazing! I was used to using AutoCAD when I began working there, but quickly realized how much AutoCAD lacks in terms of sophistication. The things I could do with that software are only appreciated by those Designer and Architecture geeks out there.
So, to make a long story short, after 2 trips to Best Buy's Geek Squad and speaking to a few computer gurus that I know, my only option was to wipe the computer clean and reformat everything. This meant that I was going to lose Microstation {tear ;( }
At this point, I am going to have to teach myself AutoCAD again; it shouldn't take long, but it is still annoying!
I was able to re-upload every other piece of software that I had (Photoshop included, which is a good thing because I would really be lost without that, too).
It is amazing how emotionally attached you can get to your computers. They really are a reflection of who you are. I know that sounds crazy, but if you think about it, you have your files all organized the way you like them, you have software on there that you love to use, your itunes has your music organized and sorted in playlists that you love, your internet bookmarks reflect the sites you like to visit, all of your login names are remembered on various sites... I could keep going, but it is so true! Once Jeffrey saved the day and finished reformatting the computer on Tuesday night, I had to spend a few hours on Wednesday just getting it back to the way I like it.

I tossed around the idea of giving up the whole PC world and splurging to get myself a MAC, but we just really can't afford it right now. I would have to spend a ton of money, besides on the computer its' self, on getting new software that would be compatable. Maybe one day I can be cool and join the MAC world...

Next Project

I think these are going to be my next project.
They were hanging in the beach house we stayed at in Florida and I thought they were cute. I will have to do them with my own design and twist to them, but they would be adorable over a little bar or in the kitchen somewhere.

Week 13

As you can see I have definitely started to put on that initial weight through the first Trimester. I dont know exactly how much I have gone up, but I am pretty sure it is more than the recommended 5 lbs! lol Oh well, I can lose it later. I need to get back into walking so that I can keep some of the excess off as much as possible to make it easier after the baby comes!
As I begin my second trimester this week, I can finally look in the mirror and see my tummy growing; it actually feels a bit more real to me. Here is what Griblet is up to:
-He/She should weigh between approximately 13 and 20 grams (1/2 and 3/4 ounce) and is approximately 2 1/2 to 3 inches long.
-This week marks the end of the embryonic period. Most of the vital systems are developed now, and baby starts really growing, at times, growing as much as an inch this week.
-He/She can smile and his/her vocal cords are quickly developing, too. He/she looks more and more human as his/her eyes move closer together and the ears are beginning to move to what will be their normal positions.

Thanks to Tisha and Emily I have LOTS of really cute maternity clothes that I have already started wearing. I can still fit into my jeans and shorts but they are definitly getting snug (maybe from all of my excess eating, which never seems to surprise me how much it takes to fill me up!). I love wearing the a-line shirts now though! You can hide a multitude of sins with those! lol

"I would smell good..."

I need to add to Allyson's post "Kids say the darndest things"...
I was watching Tisha's kids this morning for a bit while she went to get her car washed. We played with Playdough, played dinosaurs, cut paper, built a few puzzles, and watched this movie that Allyson and Tim gave Carson about dinosaurs.
Carson preceded to tell me, "I want to be a dinosaur! I would be a T-Rex!"
I responded, "But then you would be extinct."
Carson gave me a confused look and said, "No, I would smell good!"
I laughed hysterically and then explained what it means to be "extinct."
Those kids can keep you laughing, that is for sure! :)

LOST season 6 previews

I was doing some searching on YouTube when I found these videos... They are pretty awesome! I wish I could find a bit more, though! 6 months to go!
I found this blog about season 6; it is pretty awesome to read. Also, there is a lot of speculation (mentioned in this blog and elsewhere) that Charlie will be returning! (I sure hope so!!) Here is the Promo that started the chatter where Dr. McDreamy says "you're so dead" and Charlie responds with "Actually, I was." Who knows what this means, if anything... :









If you notice on this last video the date is October 12, 1492. This would be Colubus Day. So, is this really the Black Rock, or is it Columbus looking for the New World...??? There is more than just one ship so if it is the Black Rock, what happened to the other ship and how did it get to the middle of the island. Also, whoever it is that they keep focusing on seems to be very relieved to have found the island. Was he looking for it specifically, or did he think it was the New World? Are they referring to the fact that Jacob said he brought them to the island in the season 5 finale?.....Any Thoughts?

Book Worm

So I finally finished the Twilight Series about 3 weeks ago. (I just realized that I never posted about it.) I have to say that for the longest book of the series, Breaking Dawn was a bit disappointing. The ending was so anticlimactic that I almost cried out of disappointment! The story was very cute over all and I still LOVE the series, but I can't help but be a bit sad about the way it all ended. I can't wait to see the second movie coming out this fall! :)

My next series to tackle is Harry Potter. I know, I know, it's a bit cheesy and childish for someone my age to be reading, but I feel a bit out of the loop. Besides, after the Twilight series, I am kinda into the whole "magical"/"fantasy" genre. (Jeff is a bit worried that I am going to start dressing in all black, dye my hair, and get really pale... believe me, he has nothing to worry about since I love color, scared to death of dyeing my hair, and love laying out in the sun! lol)
Since I only saw the first movie, Stori has given me the first 2 books to read before I tackle the movies; and since the 5th (or is it the 6th?) movie just came out, I figured it's about time I catch up! I finished the first book, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone last night. It was really cute and very easy reading so I finished it really fast. I hope to get the second one read this week while I am laying on the beach in Florida! :)