Thank you mom and dad!

I have to say, my parents are the best! They spent another weekend helping us move into our house. I don't even want to calculate how many hours my dad spent in the upstairs bathroom. He tiled the bathroom, which was quite an ordeal, and then had the energy to put up new light fixtures. I will post new house pics soon.

In between projects, I got to take a few pics of the babies - Maggie and Bella. Since we were too busy to play, they had plenty of time for R & R. Aren't they cute!

Love you mom and dad! Thanks again!

A very busy Saturday!

Russell, my mom, my dad, and myself have been VERY busy today. It is another weekend of home decorating. Unfortunately, we have my dad working on a very big project in the upstairs bathroom. He is re-tiling the bathroom! The bathroom had carpet (yuck!) and tile. So, my mom and I have had to do our projects all on our own. One of our finished projects is making the family room feel more "homey." We bought a rug, pictures, a mirror, and some accessories. Assuming all goes well with the reminaining projects, I will post more pics soon!

Sneaky! Sneaky!

Last night I had pizza for dinner. I had part of a piece left on my plate when I put it onto the counter. I went to wash my face and brush my teeth and I was surprised Maggie had not followed me to the bathroom like she normally would. After a few minutes, I went back in the kitchen and found her on the barstool... headed for the countertop. I have no idea how she got to the barstool or how she knew that there was some food left on my plate. She is so observant. She doesn't miss a thing! She knew that I was shocked with her behavior. Can't you tell by the look on her face?

A change of scenery

I felt like the blog needed a facelift. I thought we would go with a Texas theme. Does it remind you of the LoneStar state? I hope everyone is having a great week. Only two days until the weekend!

Crawfish dip - as requested by Rachel!

This dip is great. I can't believe I am sharing it. I was the one who got to make it in Victoria but since we aren't there, I guess I won't deprive ya'll of this fabulous food! Just promise to the of LSU football when you make it!

1 bunch green onions
chopped parsley
1 stick butter
2 tbsp flour
1 tall can of pet milk
1 egg yolk beaten
1 pound crawfish tails
1/3 pound hot mexican cheese (velvetta)
salt and pepper

Rinse crawfish tails. Saute onions and parsley in butter. Sprinkle flour and stir. Add milk and stir until thick. Keep stirring and remove from heat. Add yolk (be sure to temper). Return to heat and add crawfish and cheese. Lower the heat and stir for 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

More house pics!

As you can see, here are pics of the family room, breakfast area, kitchen, and Russell's office. (Again, some of the colors do not look right photographed. I promise the family room furniture is not pink! It matches the window treatments really well.)

I was waiting to post a pic of the family room because we ordered furniture and it was delivered last weekend. However, the ottoman that goes with the furniture has not been delivered, yet. It was on back order and should be here any day.

Another room that is not shown is the master bedroom. I got new bedding, which I love, but I don't have the window treatments. The previous owners left the window treatments but they do not go with the new bedding. My parents need to make another visit so we can handle that situation!

Hope everyone is having a great weekend! Enjoy the pics.

Why you should plan a trip to McKinney

To visit Russell, Maggie, and I, of course! But, I found another reason why you should want to visit - THE SHOPPING! Since we moved here, Russell and I knew we had some great shops very close by. Really, almost any store you need is within five minutes of the house. But, today I ventured to the outlet mall! It is FABULOUS! It is only 10 minutes from our house. Ann Taylor was one of the first stores that I went in and I was in the store for over two hours! They had so many other stores that I never got to see. Not to worry, I got a map. Next time, I will be ready.

Maggie's perch

After two weeks of sniffing around, Maggie has found her favorite spot in the backyard. As you can see, she likes to perch on top of the stone wall that lies underneath our fence. Most importantly, I think she likes to keep an eye on the neighbor's dogs! She does not want anything going on around our house, unless she knows about it. She is a nosey little girl!

L-S-U! L-S-U! L-S-U!

Yesterday, LSU came from being behind 5 - 2 in the bottom of the ninth inning to beat Rice in the college world series. They have one loss so it will be difficult to win it all. However, the will get their chance at redemption tomorrow night when they get to face the team that handed them that loss - North Carolina. Geaux Tigers! As you can see, Maggie was not quite as excited!

And the verdict is . . . GUILTY

The jury came back today on our DWI trial from last week to deliberate. We were surprised when the court called and said the jury had a verdict after less then two hours. We were anxious when the judge read the verdict. It was a close one so we (Court No.3 prosecutors) were very proud of the job we did. It was a fun win because all three prosecutor's played a part in the trial. We got to go upstairs to the DA's office and write our win on the trial board, a tradition at the Collin County DA's office. It was a great way to start the week.

Happy Father's Day and Happy Birthday!

Russell and I want to say Happy Father's Day to all dad's but especially to our father's, Alan Morgan and David Day! We also want to wish my dad a Happy, Happy Birthday! We love you and hope you had a great day!

Welcome home!

Finally, a few pics of the house. As you can see, this includes pics of the foyer, formal living, formal dining, two guest bedrooms and the gameroom. It takes too long to download too many of these so I will post more pics later. These are rooms that are, I hope, completely finished. The only room in these pictures that has more to be done is the gameroom. Eventually, we plan to take down the wallpaper border (or paint over it) and put up new drapes. But, that is very low on the priority list. Also, some of the colors look strange because I took the pictures at night. I will post more pictures of the rest of the house very soon! Have a great weekend!

Opening Arguments

On Wednesday we started a DWI trial. My chief (or the no.1 prosecutor) in my court is the lead counsel on this case but I am sitting second chair. It has been very unusual but alot of fun! The case has a blood test of .091 but the defense has already called two experts. I haven't had the opportunity to have a blood or breath test DWI trial nor have I had a trial with experts. So, this has been a huge learning experience.

To get to the point, I got to do the first part of closing arguments today! It's not a huge part but I was excited to finally get my chance to speak to the jury. Unfortunately the judge is gone tomorrow so the jury can't start deliberating until Monday. Anyways, my first scheduled trial (where I will be first chair) should be the week of June 23rd. Keep your fingers crossed!

First Day

So, yesterday was my first day at the Collin County District Attorney's Office. It went really well. I went to the District Courthouse so that the DA could swear me in. A photographer came and took pictures. It was really nice. After the swearing in, I went to the County Courthouse were I will be working. I met alot of people but, most importantly, I met my chief and the 2nd prosecutor in my court. They were both great.

I had a few surprises on my first day! Around lunch I was headed back to the office and it began to rain. I had a little gift from the Victoria County District Attorney's Office (no doubt, specifically Bob and Randy). A bunch of little hole punched pieces of paper fell out of my umbrella like little sprinkles of rain. Luckily, my umbrella is huge and I have to open it outside of my car. Guys, seriously, that would not have been good if I opened it inside the office! But, it lightened my mood and I definitely thought of my Victoria friends! (Also, just so ya'll know, the investigator for my court is really nice. He actually reminds me of ya'll - minus the practical jokes!)

My second surprise was from my sweetie. Russell had to go out of town for work but he knew I was a little nervous and stressed about starting a new job. He left two pink roses and a gift card at the house for me. It was so nice and a great end to my first day. Of course, I took a picture - they are so pretty.

First Arrivals

Last night we had our first house guests. Todd, Karen, Will, and Drew Cerniglia came to visit. Here is a picture of the boys checking out the hot tub. As for moving, things are going really well. But, we have been very very busy! So busy that I have not taken pics, yet. I promise they are soon to come. We hope everyone has a great week!

Maggie's sleepover

Since Russell and I have been busy with the movers the past two days, Maggie has stayed with my parents. She is getting plenty of quality time with our newest family member, Bella. Bella is my parent's malti-poo. Isn't she precious!

Move update: Things are going great! Yesterday the movers had everything moved into the house and unpacked all but a couple of boxes. The only unpacked boxes were holiday decorations and we were just too tired to tackle those. Today the interior decorator (my mother) and the picture hanger/handyman (my father) arrive with Maggie. We can't wait for them to see our new home and help us with the finishing touches. After they work their magic, we promise to post pics!

Polish Mistakes aka Party Pizzas

This recipe is great for any occasion!

1 pound hamburger meat
1 pound regular sausage
1 tablespoon oregano (or to taste)
8 ounces velvetta (1 box)
one loaf party rye bread

Brown meat and sausage. Drain. Add meat and sausage to skillet with oregano and velvetta. Melt the cheese. Spoon cheese/meat mixture onto party rye bread. Toast in 400 degree oven for about 8 minutes. Delicious!

Maggie and Mandi's haircuts

Maggie and I both got haircuts for our move to McKinney. Granted, you can't see mine in the picture but, isn't Maggie beautiful!

I know, I know, most small dogs are supposed to have long hair. That is not going to happen with the Mags. Maggie loves to go outside. Notice in the picture how she loves to sunbathe. More importantly, she loves to go on walks. We live in Texas. It is just too hot!

Moving out!

Russell and I got great news on Sunday. The movers were ahead of schedule. They were set to arrive today but arrived at 8:00 a.m. yesterday instead.

Russell and I have moved several times but this time is a breeze with the help of the movers. They are doing a great job. At this rate, we may be in McKinney by Wednesday afternoon - two days ahead of schedule!

Farewell Friends!

Rachel and Erin
Rachel and Micah
Stewart and Sherry Sherry and Ann and Vern

Last night was our last night with several of our Victoria friends. We had a wonderful Mexican fiesta. Russell and I are really going to miss these great parties! Ann, I must get the corn dip recipe and I will post the Polish Mistake recipe for you. Sherry, Happy Birthday! Micah and Rachel, good luck this week in trial! We will miss ya'll and we will see you soon!

Dinner and a Movie

Last night Russell and I decided to relax with dinner and a movie. We went to see Sex and the City and it was great! For those of you who know me well, know that I rarely, if ever, can sit through an entire movie at the movie theatre without looking at my watch. I have to say, I didn't look once. Russell's opinion, however, was slightly different than mine. But, we all knew this would be a total chick flick!