Daquila Days

Gainesville Christmas #2 and Family Shower

2012-01-15T17:53:00.000-08:00

Pa and his great grand Olivia

Deb, Me, Dave and Bernie

Me, Mom and Dave

Love how Olivia is holding the cupcake, too cute!

Dave opening baby gifts!

Dave's Nana made this baby blanket for us when we got married, 4 years later she was able to give it to us! Such a sweet gift!

Sweet Olivia

Dave and Emma

Olivia and Pa

Olivia telling Pa to sit down, so cute!

St. Pete Christmas and shower to come...

Baby Daquila has a name!

2012-01-10T19:00:00.000-08:00

Claire Josephine Daquila

The only name that Dave and I both really liked. I love the name, Claire is just a name we both liked and Josephine is my middle name as well as my maternal grandmother's name!! I made these name blocks this week. Dave cut the wood and I did the rest. I love them, they turned out perfect!!

Saw the OB on Monday. Will have my 32 week ultrasound on the 24th. One last final check of baby to check growth and all that good stuff!!

Stats: 30 weeks, measuring at 27 weeks. Total weight gain for pregnancy +10.

Pros: Passed my glucose test with flying colors, yay!! Sciatic nerve pain is GONE!! It gradually disappeared over the holidays and I am so thankful!! Still feeling really well overall! Feeling baby C move lots, Dave has actually seen her move twice in the past few days!

Cons: Not much to mention at this time! YAY!

Gainesville Christmas #1

2012-01-07T18:40:00.000-08:00

Wow, we had a busy holiday season! There will be lots of Christmas and baby shower posts in the next few days. Dave and I are so blessed to have such wonderful families and that makes for lots of family gatherings. Stay tuned for all of the festivities we celebrated over the holidays! Hope you all had a blessed Christmas and beginning of 2012!!

Merry Christmas!

Grace and Emme

Pup(Tom) and Grace~ LOVE this pic!! Grace loves her Pup SO much!!

Mom and Me

Grace and Daddy~ she loved her new giraffe!

Nana and Jack

Leanne and Grace

Leanne and her UGG headband for her Colorado trip!

Baby Daquila is going to claim these pink baby UGGS for herself next year!

27 weeks

2011-12-22T16:20:00.000-08:00

27 Weeks
Baby weighs almost 2lbs think head of cauliflower and 14 1/2 inches long

Measuring: 2 weeks behind (25 weeks) but OB is not concerned. (Side note: my mom did not get very big with me and I ended up being 8.5lbs, so I am sure baby girl is growing just fine.)

Weight: +9 lbs

OB Visit: Got my Rhogam shot last week since I am O- and we believe Dave had + blood. I have to get Rhogam now and after I deliver so my body does not produce antibodies. Just standard practice with mother's who are - and possibly have + babies.

Had my glucose screening this morning to check for gestational diabetes. Fasted all night then got to drink a very sugary drink and wait an hour to get my blood drawn. Hoping I pass to avoid the dreaded 3 hour glucose screening!!

The Good:
Feeling great most of the time. No nausea and pretty full of energy! Still sleeping well especially with my body pillow if Dave doesn't try to take it for himself. :) Lots of movement from baby girl. Dave has seen her move as well but when I tell him she is moving and he comes in for a closer look or feel she usually stops, of course!!

The Bad:
My sciatic nerve is bothering me on the right side, most likely baby girl is creating this problem. It really hurts when walking and getting to a standing position. When I am sitting or standing not much pain so that is good. Went to the chiropractor twice this week for adjustments. No relief yet, but hoping soon!

Heartburn is pretty constant right now but not too unbearable, liquid Maalox is my good friend!

Lake City Christmas 2011

2011-12-20T18:36:00.000-08:00

This past weekend we went to Lake City to celebrate Christmas with my dad's side of the family. Here are a few pics from the day...

Nursing baby

Dad and Me

Dad and Bubba the Bull

Our first baby...

Maggie Mae

Happy Pup!!

We're Back!!

2011-12-20T18:26:00.000-08:00

Welcome back, hopefully this time I can stay updated!! I am doing this mainly to document baby Daquila!!

Summer School

2010-05-19T19:33:00.000-07:00

So I made it through my second semester of nursing school and I received a B+ again, I'll take it! It is very difficult to get A's in nursing school so I am very happy with my grade. I am now in my second week of the third semester and it is a quick one being only 6 weeks. I am ready for my summer break to relax until the fall semester begins. Half-way there, yippee!! Summer here we come!

Dirty Laundry

2010-04-26T20:01:00.000-07:00

My new favorite product and I found it at Sam's. I usually purchase Free and Clear laundry detergents so they don't irritate my skin and let me tell you this stuff is wonderful! It is all natural and good for the environment. I am not a complete tree hugger but if I can do something to help myself and the environment; well I am all in and you should try it!! They also have all sorts of cleaning supplies even dog shampoo, guess what Maggie Mae will be bathed in soon?

http://www.ecos.com/

Earth friendly products gives you an honest-to-goodness, power-packed clean – without toxins, petrochemicals, bleach, ammonia, phosphates or other harmful ingredients.

Nursing School-Second Semester

2010-04-14T19:12:00.000-07:00

So I am in the last two weeks of my second semester of nursing school. After that I have a week off, which I will be working full time then it is back to school for Summer A. When that is over it means I am over half way through nursing school. These two semesters have been very busy and challenging but very rewarding as well. I was at Shands' new hospital this semester on the eighth floor with gorgeous views of UF campus and Payne's Prairie. This semester's clinical experience was much better than last semester, I have learned SO much and my instructor and the staff were awesome. We started administering medicines this semester so that was a bit nerve wracking but it is a big part of the nurse's job!!

Last week I did Meals on Wheels and my Operating Room experience. Both were a great experience. Meals on wheels was a huge eye-opener into how some people live. At some points in our journey my partner and I questioned our safety. As for my operating room experience, I got to see open heart surgery, AMAZING!! I got to hang out with the Anesthesiologist at the head of the OR table and got to see the surgery up close, DOUBLE AMAZING!!

Happy Birthday!

2010-04-06T18:02:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to me. For everyone that sent me well wishes, thank you so much!! I had a great time, my celebration began on Easter and finished Monday evening. The flowers above were sent to me on Friday from my sister-in-law and her family. Thanks~ Pam, Bill, Natalee and Emma!! They are still SO beautiful!!

Have you ever received flowers in a cardboard box? They were sent via UPS from 1-800-flowers.com. They came in a cardboard box, you open it up and put them in water and they perk right up and start to bloom. Very cool, didn't know you could send or receive flowers this way!!

Resolutions and Dumplings

2010-04-01T17:38:00.000-07:00

Happy New Year's, I mean April Fools! Is it too late to make a resolution? My late New Year's resolution is to keep this blog updated at least biweekly. Here's to the remaining 3/4 of 2010.

So this is what we will be having for dessert on Sunday while celebrating Easter and my birthday. In my opinion cake is optional for birthdays but dessert isn't!! This recipe is SO easy and super YUMMY!! Compliments of the Pioneer Woman, she didn't include this in her cookbook which I think is a huge mistake. Enjoy!!

Apple Dumplings
2 Granny Smith apples
2 cans crescent rolls
2 sticks butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoons vanilla and cinnamon
1 small can Mountain Dew
Peel and core apples. Cut apples into 8 slices each. Roll each apple slice in a crescent roll. Place in a 9 x 13 buttered pan. Melt butter, then add sugar and barely stir. Add vanilla, stir, and pour over apples. Pour Mountain Dew around the edges of the pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Serve with ice cream, and spoon some of the sweet sauces from the pan over the top.

(Scottie's modification: I used 1 stick of butter, PW goes a little crazy with the butter and they taste just as good with half the amount. You can use less sugar as well, 1 cup.)

Merry Christmas!!

2009-12-24T13:15:00.000-08:00

Have a Very Merry Christmas!!

Love,

Scottie and Dave

Oh Chirstmas Tree...

2009-12-03T09:47:00.000-08:00

We got our Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving. We headed out to High Springs to a Christmas tree farm. I grew up in a artificial tree house but Dave grew up with real trees so he insisted on a real tree. When we arrived at the farm they had a selection of potted trees and that is what we ended up getting. We are hoping to possibly be able to use it next year as well and then plant it. This is our "green" contribution for the year to recycle and reuse our tree. We also like the idea of supporting local farmers so we are glad we could participate in that as well. Maggie had a ball at the farm too. Coming soon, Christmas decoration pictures...

Giving Thanks...

2009-11-26T07:08:00.000-08:00

We are thankful for our family, health and happiness. Dave and I are truly blessed!! Happy Thanksgiving to All!!

Nursing School

2009-11-12T16:58:00.000-08:00

Well my first semester of nursing school is almost over and it went quick!! I can't believe it will be over soon. I have been really busy and feel like I am back in high school going to school everyday of the week! I am doing clinicals at the VA here in Gainesville and it is a interesting experience every Friday from 6:45am-12noon. Next semester I will move to another hospital and will have clinicals Thurs. and Fri. So far I have learned and been checked off on performing bed baths, vital signs and physical assessment on patients. We are wrapping up the semester with foley catheters and feeding tubes, hopefully I will pass the check off. I am averaging a B+, only 2 pts away from an A so I am hoping I can pull it off by the end of the semester, we will see!

Back to Blogland and Welcome Fall

2009-09-23T17:19:00.001-07:00

It's been a while but I am back. Last post was in May and it is now almost October, how time flies. Here is what we have been up to in a quick summary. Dave and I enjoyed June with a trip to Boca Grande with Dave's mom's side of the family. I took a girl's weekend trip in July to the W in Ft. Lauderdale. We celebrated July 4th and Bernie's birthday here in Gainesville. In August we celebrated a beautiful wedding in Orlando of one of my former Hello Florida coworkers. Congrats, Lorraine and Chirs!! This weekend we are headed back to Orlando for Dave's cousin Allison's wedding. In between I have started a second job on the weekends at Spa Royale as well as nursing school! Life is very busy right now for me and the summer has been the peak of Dave's busy season. Coming up in the next month is Dave's birthday and following that in November is my friend Gina's wedding. I promise to keep things updated on here! The picture above was our dinner the other night, chicken and cheese ravioli and acorn squash. It was a yummy start of fall meal!!

Some of our summer pics...

Boca Grande sunset

Boca Grande

Girl's Weekend in Ft. Lauderdale

4th of July and Bernie's Birthday

Lorraine and Chris' Wedding

My girlfriends/co-workers from Orlando

Graeter's Ice Cream

2009-06-04T17:53:00.001-07:00

Okay, so I didn't mention where I was in the previous post when I saw the peonies and envied the basement. Dave and I went to Cincinnati for Memorial Day weekend to see Lee and the Jobert family. Something else we BOTH fell in love with is Graeter's Ice Cream. We had their ice cream 2 of the 3 nights we were there. It is some of the best ice cream you will taste. It is specially formulated in a process called French Pot process. They create the ice cream just two gallons at a time. It’s the only way to achieve the irresistible creaminess that is Graeter’s. That last sentence was directly from their website: http://www.graeters.com/. Too bad there isn't one in Florida but if you happen to ever be near one, YOU MUST GO!! I had blueberry pie ice cream the first night and Tangerine Cream the next, it was just like a dreamsicle. Heaven on earth, let me tell you!! If you look at the ingredients it speaks for itself!! Fresh cream from farms that pledge not to use artificial growth hormones (rBST), Sweetened with 100% cane sugar, No hydrogenated oils, therefore no trans fats. Another popular flavor is Buckeye Blitz, chocolate and peanut butter, yum! You can also have it shipped to your house!!

Oh Peony, How I Love Thee...

2009-05-31T20:57:00.000-07:00

Peonies are some of my favorite flowers along with Gerber Daises and Hydrangeas. I had the exact same shade in my bridal bouquet. Too bad you don't see them growing in the south like you do up north. This picture is from my sister-in-law's back yard, actually this is what you see when you look out of her kitchen window. I saw these within the first five minutes of being in her house and I fell in LOVE!!

Something else I LOVE about the north are the basements. I would actually consider moving north if I could have a basement, I hate cold weather but I think I may be able to cope if I had a basement. There are just so many uses for basements as well as lots or storage space!!

Question, can peonies be grown successfully in Florida? Anyone out there?

Chilly Bone

2009-05-20T17:13:00.003-07:00

Maggie's favorite toy!! She loves it and it is one toy she can't destroy. You don't know how important those two things are, she plays with it for hours and it is indestructible. Aunt Leanne and Uncle Drew gave it to her for Christmas and it is still in one piece. Maggie loves the texture of fabric toys but usually they are all destroyed in a week or less. One toy only made it a couple of hours in our house. Needless to say we have saved on toy expenses since this came into our lives. THANK YOU, Leanne and Drew!!

2009-05-20T17:13:00.001-07:00

Test!

They keep growing...

2009-05-02T05:24:00.000-07:00

Here are more pics of our tomato plants, they keep growing...

(grape tomatoe type)

Strawberry Trifle

2009-04-26T06:44:00.001-07:00

I made this for a coworker a while back and it was so yummy! It was the first time I whipped my own cream, awesome!! Also, I prefer this recipe to others because it doesn't use pudding, I hate pudding. Okay, exception, banana pudding is good only because it has banana slices and nilla wafers included, but pudding alone, no way!! Oh, and the almond extract, one of my favorite things (more on that in another post)... ENJOY!!

1 large, store-bought angel food cake (about 10 inches, or 2 smaller ones), cut or torn into cubes
3 pints strawberries (I usually use two quarts), sliced or quartered
1.5 cups powdered sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
almond extract
1 cup sour cream, at room temperature
8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
1 pint whipping cream, chilled
vanilla extract

1. In a bowl, mix the strawberries with the granulated sugar and some almond extract. Set aside to macerate.

2. Beat together the cream cheese, sour cream, and 3/4 cup powdered sugar until smooth*. In a separate bowl, beat the whipped cream, adding 3/4 cup powdered sugar and some vanilla extract when it begins to look almost done (firm peaks). Fold the whipped cream gently into the cream cheese mixture.

3. Layer the ingredients in a large bowl or trifle dish, starting with cake, followed by strawberries, then cream. You should be able to make 3 layers. The trifle is best chilled for a while before serving.

*the cream cheese mixture can be lumpy if your ingredients are too cold. You can use a food processor if this is a problem.

**I used pound cake instead of angel food.

Happy Birthday!

2009-04-24T09:12:00.000-07:00

Where has the month gone? I can't believe it is almost over. Thanks to everyone who made my 30th birthday a special one. Many celebrations, thanks for everything, I am a very lucky girl!!

National Geographic

2009-04-01T19:09:00.000-07:00

My work is like National Geographic. The doctor I work for is an avid hunter who loves the outdoors and it is obvious by the way our office is decorated and where we are located. Yesterday a patient put it perfectly when she said to me "this place is so full of life for being filled with death" referring to the dead animals decorating our office.

So last night after work Dr. Stoer was out feeding the turkey and I had to ask him a quick question so I walked out to the back porch and he said "come here, you gotta see this." Let me preface this by saying we have been seeing our resident gator "Stumpy" sunning on the bank of our pond. Stumpy got his name because he is missing a chunk of his tail, as a result, we think, from a battle earlier in life.

Anyways back to the story, I reluctantly go off of our back porch to see the "must see." I walk over to the pond and Stumpy is lounging in the water and I am about 5 feet from him. I was pretty nervous but Dr. Stoer said "don't worry he is too full to try to get us," meanwhile I am not so convinced. He said "come over here, you won't believe this," I said "what, did he get a turkey?" He said "No, bigger than that" Then I see it, the poor deer, submerged in the water and it's backside gone. The gator had killed it and had been feasting on it. Circle of Life/Survival of the Fittest

So today my co-worker Chris and I decided to go take some pictures. We walk out to the pond looking everywhere for the gator(s). There has also been a second gator on the property in the last couple of days, at one point one gator was seen chasing the other. It is mating season so I guess they are even more aggressive/feisty. We got to the deer first then we saw him resting on the bank, Stumpy. He heard us coming and he started moving so we didn't get too close. He was still guarding his kill about 10 feet apart.

Poor Deer

Stumpy

Who needs National Geographic or the Discovery Channel when you have Dr. Stoer's office at Serenola Plantation. This is one of the many things I love about being back in Gainesville!!

Tomatoes

2009-03-25T19:52:00.000-07:00

Here are some pics of our upside down tomato plants, not the most attractive thing in the Firehouse sub pickle buckets, but hopefully they will produce great veggies. This is all Dave's doing, they would have already been dead if it were up to me. I can cook the food not grow it!!

Breakfast for Dinner

2009-03-21T10:55:00.000-07:00

I have never been a fan of breakfast, especially for dinner!! I am not a fan of eggs, I only eat them in omelettes or in casseroles. They have to be well disguised, I will never eat them alone, never ever!! Also, pancakes and waffles are not high on my list, but for Dave breakfast is his FAVORITE!! So he requested it and I made it. I was talking to one of my friend's while cooking dinner and I told her the request and she said "What is he, 8?" I said "yes!" Anyways, it was quite good if I do say so myself. I made breakfast casserole see picture below as well as pancakes. I made plain for Dave and blueberry for myself. I think Dave ended up liking the blueberry the best. To top it off we had blueberry syrup from our trip to the mountains in December as well as venison sausage in the casserole from my dad. It was all very yummy!!

Goodbye Winter, Hello Spring!

2009-03-19T16:33:00.000-07:00

I am sitting on our back deck right now while Maggie is playing. Everything in our back yard is covered with pollen, everything including me now since my eyes are starting to itch. Hopefully we will get some rain soon!

Although I can't complain too much! This is probably my favorite time of year. The weather is perfect. The azaleas and dogwoods are blooming, gorgeous!! And I know warm weather will be here soon! I am a true Floridian, I hate cold weather!

Cheers to the end of Winter and the beginning of Spring tomorrow!

Happy St. Patty's Day!

2009-03-16T18:18:00.000-07:00

This is early but better than late!! Actually Dave and I woke up thinking it was St. Patty's day today, I realized before I got dressed, Dave was already gone to work. He didn't realize until he started the corned beef in the crock pot this afternoon. So we had our corned beef and cabbage tonight, is that bad luck to celebrate early? Anyways, I hope your day is green and great!!

Happy Anniversary!

2009-03-01T18:56:00.000-08:00

It made it a year in the freezer, it was Dave's idea to put the topper and the rings on it for the pic!! :)

I can't believe it has been a year. Time definitely flies! We celebrated our one year anniversary this weekend in Savannah, see the post following this, great time!!

Savannah, GA

2009-03-01T18:15:00.001-08:00

Driving over Talmadge Bridge to our hotel on Hutchison Island

Ferry ride from Westin to downtown Savannah. Savannah is the 4th largest port in the world.

View of our hotel from Downtown Savannah. Thanks to Gina for the hotrate!!

Our first stop, Moon River Brew Co., good food and beer!

Downtown Savannah

Our hotel ferry

Check out the parking garage with the stairs to nowhere?!

City Hall, 24 karat gold roof

Savannah Cotton Exchange

Steep stairs, this picture cannot really show how dangerously steep the stairs are all over Savannah. Nothing in Savannah is level from cobble stone streets, stairs, thresholds, etc.

Yes, the uneveness of the city got the best of me. The place I hurt my foot, the uneven threshold!!

Love you!!

Dave loves mahi-mahi, so I took the pic for that reason. Now the pic also has more meaning for me, when we were on our Savannah trolley tour I learned the meaning of the pineapple in the south. It is a sign of hospitality, women used to put out pineapples to welcome guests or to let others know they were having a party. When they wanted the guests to leave they just took the pinapples away and that was the polite way to say the party was over/go home. Love it!!

Pic 1

Pic 2, they say Savannah is the most haunted city in the US. Look at this pic vs. the first one, see the white spot, that isn't the moon and it isn't in the first pic. I guess it is one of those ghost/aura things, spookie...

We also saw places named for our family members, Bernie's Oyster House...

This is for you Nana...

This is a couple we met at our hotel bar. It was their first year anniversary as well, we were both married on March 1, 2008.

Happy Couple

5 Guys Burger, yum!

Beignets at Huey's, double yummy!!

Pontchartrain Omlette with cheese grits, triple yummy!!

Toby

2009-01-29T20:09:00.000-08:00

Our sweet cat Toby only comes inside during cold or rainy times. So he has been in quite a bit the past few months. His favorite nights are when we have fires, he loves to curl up next to the fireplace. Dave purchased a kitty cube for him a few months ago so he could have a safe-haven from "Maggie the terror" but Toby didn't' really take to his cube until this past week. We had totally thought it was a waste of money until we caught him hanging out in it recently. He has also taken over Maggie's beds and water bowl. We never thought she would share her things but we think she is too scared to protest. Toby is much smaller than Maggie but she is still intimidated by him. They have actually become somewhat of friends. Well this morning Dave went to put Maggie in her kennel before he went to work and he found Toby enjoying a nap inside the kennel. He actually didn't want to get out, Dave had to put Maggie in the kennel before Toby would move. See the pics below, I love it when he curls up with his head touching his toes!

Happy Birthday, Maggie

2009-01-24T07:23:00.000-08:00

Our little Maggie is now 1yr. old. We don't know her exact birthday but we did know it was in January sometime so we picked Jan. 15. I know her first few months of life were rough. She and her entire litter were dropped off at the pound luckily Puppy Hill Farms came to the rescue. Sometime from birth to when we adopted her in April she got pneumonia. It was a slow recovery but we made it through after 2 months of meds and breathing treatments. Her life has now been spared twice within her first year, but she couldn't be happier. She is completely spoiled and a daddy's girl. She loves me but Dave is definitely her favorite, her "Alpha" dog. When we were in the mountains we found this great dog shop and the owner was a former resident of McIntosh, close to us in Gainesville. We found the cutest birthday treat for Maggie and she loved it!!

Go Gators!!

Happy New Year!

2009-01-05T17:49:00.000-08:00

New Year's resolution, lose weight! Actually I think my mother-in-law put it best "20 lbs off the tush." That goes for Dave as well, actually he wants to lose more weight. Since our wedding 10 months ago we have both put on a few pounds. So now that we are making the public announcement, we really have to stick to the plan!! Dave wants us to take before pics with all the flab hanging out, don't worry I won't post those pics!! So here's to day 1! Hope you have a Happy 2009!!

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-24T20:38:00.001-08:00

This is a picture of our 3 ft. Christmas tree, we have a small tree this year since Maggie is still a mischievous puppy...

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care...

We celebrated with Maggie on Christmas Eve since we have to drop her off on Christmas morning at Pet Paradise. She will be staying here, www.petparadiseresort.com, while we are in the mountains, we will miss her so much!

She loved all her new toys and new collar (aka bling bling)!!

Merry Christmas from Dave, Scottie and Maggie!!

Busy Month

2008-12-13T17:10:00.000-08:00

I am sitting by this fire as I write this post, I love warm fires!!

Maggie by the fire with her Christmas collar (blurry, sorry)

We spent Thanksgiving in Gainesville then on Friday we headed to St. Pete to visit Dave's mom's family. We took Maggie and the boat along for the weekend. Dave's family lives on the water and his uncle Glenn was excited to see the "new" boat. It was fun to finally get the boat in the water after having it almost a year. Maggie didn't exactly enjoy her first boat ride but I think she will love it, eventually. Dave got her a puppy life jacket, she loves it, she prances around in it and is so proud!! We were worried she would fall in the water since Pris and Glenn's backyard is the intercostal. Fortunately she didn't fall in the intercoastal but she did fall into their pool. The first night she was playing on the pool deck with her cousins Gus (Boston Terrier) and Kayla (Pit Bull/Boxer mix) and she accidentally backed-up and ended up half way in the pool but Dave rescued her from completely falling in. It was a great weekend of family, food, football and fun!!

The following weekend we watched the Gator's win the SEC championship!! Woo hoo, can't wait for Miami!!

Today we went to my Dad's house in Lake City to celebrate Christmas early. The food was yummy as always. It was great to see everyone and all the kids!! I will post pics later...

Next weekend Dave's sister will be here with her family and a few days later it will be Christmas!!

The day after Christmas we are heading to Hiawassee, GA with the Daquila family for 5 fun days!!

When we get back we are going to head back down to St. Pete to see the rest of Dave's family and to wrap up the holidays before heading back to work in 2009.

Wow how this year has flown by, can't believe Dave and I have been married for 9 months and the new year is on it's way! Happy Holidays!!

SEC Champs

2008-12-07T08:23:00.001-08:00

SEC Champs!!

Congrats, Gators!! Now we are BCS bound!!

GO GATORS!!

Dave's Doe

2008-11-21T18:13:00.000-08:00

Dave got his first deer last night. It is doe season in Florida this week. Congrats, Sweetie!!

Dave and Zeke

The proud sportsman

After being "christened" by Zeke

NKOTB

2008-11-05T17:15:00.000-08:00

Yes, that stands for New Kids on the Block. I first saw them when I was in 6th grade, 17 years ago! My mom took me to see them in Tallahassee, well I got to see them again and it was great. What a flashback!! We left Gainesville late on Sunday evening and then we got a little lost. FYI, the St. Pete Times Forum is not in St. Pete it is actually in Tampa!! I just assumed it was that big place I see every time we visit Dave's family, once we arrived I realized that we were at Tropicana Field, oops!! Anyways we turned around and made it to the concert and only missed a couple of songs. It was great!! I even made my own t-shirt!!

Front: Too Late Donnie I'm Married Now!!

Back: I loved NKOTB

Happy Halloween

2008-10-30T20:14:00.000-07:00

Angel Maggie

Dorothy and Pirate Dave

The Gang: Sonny and Cher, Angel, Dorothy and Pirate, Pimp and Lady of the Night, Redneck

I hope everyone's Halloween is great!! No tricks but lots of treats!!

The "Gift"

2008-10-27T19:55:00.000-07:00

**WARNING** contents may be disturbing to some people!!

So our cat Toby only likes to come inside when the weather is inclimate. He was in last Thursday night because it was raining. Dave was petting him and mentioned to Toby that he hadn't brought us any "gifts" in a while, the last time was January to be exact. Well the last gift he gave us was a baby flying squirrel that wasn't quite dead. Toby is definitely the sweetest cat I have known, he is so patient and kind. When he delivered his last gift he kindly meowed to let us know he had something for us.

Thursday night Toby fell asleep next to me. Around 6am Friday morning I was awoken to Maggie's whines which usually means she needs to go out. I also heard the sound of Toby's nails kneading the carpet. If you don't know cats that is something they do, I never knew until I met Toby. Anyways, I thought Maggie was just whining because Toby was on the floor with her and sometimes she gets excited when he is around. I was going to pick him up and put him on the bed to calm Maggie and when I peered over the bed I saw Toby but there was something else there as well... I turned on the lights to find a baby squirrel, this time dead. Toby had gotten us another "gift." I immediately woke Dave, since he requested the "gift" I figured he could thank Toby and dispose of it as well. That night was very rainy and windy so Dave and I think the squirrel was knocked out of a tree and that is how Toby retrieved him. I know this is very hard to believe but it is the complete truth. Such a random coincidence, or does Toby really understand English? If only he could talk...

Happy Birthday, Dave!!

2008-10-18T10:47:00.000-07:00

I am so sad I didn't post yesterday! Happy Birthday, Dave!! Dave worked during the day then we went to Deb and Bernie's house for dinner. Thanks for such a great meal!! Tonight we are having an early Halloween party since it is a bye-week for the Gators and to celebrate Dave's birthday. Gotta finish cleaning and getting ready!! I will post pictures soon. Have a great weekend!

Noisy Neighbor

2008-10-15T18:52:00.000-07:00

I have just arrived home from work, 6:30pm. I decide to take Maggie out on the back deck since she has been cooped up in her kennel all day. I am checking my email on my laptop enjoying a peaceful and cool October night when our neighbor’s daughter decides to start screaming bloody murder. Everyone seems to be a nuisance her brothers, their friends, the entire world!! Screeching, screaming, screeching!!! I tell you it is some of the worst sounds I have heard from a child!! Where is her mother???

Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day for her!

On a side note her name is Montana and the other neighbor’s kid is named Hannah. They are quite good friends so every time we see them playing or they come to visit Maggie we say it’s Hannah Montana!!

The many names of Maggie Mae...

2008-09-21T09:23:00.000-07:00

Maggie

Mags

Wags

Magger

Magger Wagger

Maggie Waggie

Waggie Maggie

Wag-A-Muffin

Wags to Riches

Big Girl

Biggers (short for big girl)

(One of her favorite toys, Go McCain/Palin!!)

Leanne and Drew's Wedding

2008-09-07T18:55:00.001-07:00

Congratulations, Leanne and Drew!!
Yesterday was the big day and we had a blast.
Best wishes, we love you!!!

July 2008

2008-08-13T17:56:00.000-07:00

Well we had a very busy July. We spent lots of time with our families and friends. The beginning of the month we celebrated Forth of July with my mom, Tom, Leanne and Drew. It was a fun afternoon with great food: boiled peanuts, Texas caviar, Dave's smoked ribs and other traditional cookout foods.

The next weekend we worked on stuffing and mailing Leanne and Drew's wedding invitations followed by their engagement party the following week. I pickled okra, more to come on that.

I went to Orlando and Hollywood, Fl for a girls weekend. The weekend started on a Thursday night in Orlando, we celebrated Traci's birthday over dinner at PF Changs. The next day we headed to Hollywood, FL to stay at the Westin Diplomat. My friend Gina is an accountant for Starwood and we got a great hot rate at the Westin. The weather was very warm and free of rain for the 2 days we were there, awesome!! We also visited the Hollywood Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. (The place where Anna Nicole Smith passed away.) We returned to Orlando on Sunday afternoon.

During that weekend, Dave's sister Pam flew in with her daughters to visit with us and the family for the week. On Monday I met Dave, my sister-in-law, nieces, and in-laws at Seaworld. We enjoyed Seaworld from 10am till 10pm, what a fun day. The following day we visited Aquatica, Seaworld's water park, it is very new and it was very crowded, but it was a good time!! On Wednesday, we celebrated Emma's 5th birthday at our house. Dave's mother and grandmother drove up from St. Pete and the entire Daquila family was there to celebrate as well. We wrapped the week up with more Daquila family time and lots of food. The week went by so fast, we enjoyed spending time with everyone!!

Hospitality House at Seaworld= Free Beer

Shamu Show at Night

Journey to Atlantis Ride

Emma's Birthday

Emma, Natalee and Maggie

Dave and Pam with Grandparents

Ponte Vedra Beach

2008-07-06T20:10:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pics from our weekend at Ponte Vedra Beach. We got to spend a family weekend together thanks to Nana and Jack. They rented a house for a week but due to some of our busy schedules we could only enjoy a couple days, but it was great!!

Thanks, Nana and Jack!!

Back on the Wagon

2008-06-11T17:41:00.000-07:00

Caffeine that is, not alcohol. I gave caffeine up for a week and I couldn't take it any longer. I thought to myself, could I really give up caffeine for the rest of my life? It is very doubtful, so I thought why put myself through the misery now. Besides I only have 1 cup of coffee in the morning and at the most only 1 other caffeinated beverage a day. Everything in moderation, right? As a good American I have to do my part to keep Starbucks in business...

Wedding Announcement

2008-06-04T13:33:00.000-07:00

FYI- Our wedding announcement will be in the Gainesville Sun this Sunday in the Daybreak section. Finally, yay!!

Sparky

2008-06-01T18:44:00.000-07:00

RIP

1991-2008

Blueberry Pie

2008-05-27T19:03:00.001-07:00

I am fortunate enough to work for a doctor who's patients LOVE him (and his staff). On any given week we have patients who bring us cakes, pastries, peanut brittle, fresh veggies and fruit. They even bring him homemade moonshine!! This past week the blueberry man came with tons of blueberries. I fell in love with him last year. I made around a half dozen blueberry pies last year between Easter and Mother's Day. Dave and I did not consume all of them, but let me say it is one of his favorite desserts. Before last year I had never made a blueberry pie and I have definitely perfected the recipe. The below recipe is a combination of many, making it my own!

Disclaimer: I am more of a Sandra Lee type of cook 1/4 pre-made + 3/4 homemade= semi-homemade. That means I don't make my own pie crusts. Sorry, maybe one day. For the meantime, enjoy!!

Filling:
3 Cups of Fresh Blueberries
3 Tablespoons of Corn Starch
3 Tablespoons of Water
1 Tablespoon of Lemon Juice
½ Cup of Sugar
¼ Teaspoon of Cinnamon

Topping:
½ stick of softened butter
½ cup of sugar
½ cup of all purpose flour

Mix all filling ingredients together and pour into frozen pre-made deep dish pie crust. For topping, mix ingredients together with a fork to make a crumble topping. Sprinkle over pie. I wrap just the crust in foil or if you have one of those fancy metal crust rings you can use that. Bake at 350 degrees for 45min to 1 hr., or until topping is golden brown.

Serve warm with vanilla ice cream. YUMMY!!

School 101

2008-05-18T17:41:00.000-07:00

So I made it through my first semester and received good grades as well...
A&P 1: A
Nutrition: A
Medical Terminology: B
Chemistry: B

I am now taking Microbiology during Summer A which is only 6 weeks long, that means class every day and lab twice a week. After that I will have 2 months off from school for the remainder of the summer. I am applying for SFCC nursing school for the Fall, I should know in mid July if I get in, if not I will apply next spring for UF's nursing program. I will keep you all updated!! I hope all is well, can you believe it practically Summer already?

White is Bad, Dark is Good...

2008-05-15T19:10:00.000-07:00

We took Maggie to the vet today for her 3 week check-up from the day we were told she had a 50/50 chance. The vet was very impressed at how well Maggie was doing. Her lungs sounded much better, unlike 2 weeks ago when she said "well she isn't any worse." The vet gave us lots of praise for taking such good care of Maggie she said without all of the breathing treatments and couppage she wouldn't have been as well. We were told we could stop the breathing treatments and couppage, yippee for me!! We are keeping her on doxycycline for 2 more weeks then "calling it a day" as the vet put it. You can see in her x-rays below, her lungs are much better. Normal lungs appear black on x-rays, as you can see below, before Maggie's lungs were almost completely white, they are now much darker. So white is bad and dark is good. Her lungs are almost completely clear, she may have scarring that will last her lifetime but that shouldn't be a problem since we won't be entering her into any races. She has tons of energy and enjoys getting into trouble. We are happy that she has finally received a clean bill of health!! YAY!!

Before

B

After

Before

After

African Violets

2008-05-05T18:35:00.000-07:00

Well my mother-in-law left her african violets in our care when she moved. Needless to say they are barely surviving and one is completely gone. They were placed in a window that is very close to the ground and Maggie loves being outside so she is constantly looking out the windows. In her quest for the outdoors she discovered the african violets. She completely destroyed one so we are down to 2 and they are now out of Maggie's reach. Maybe we can keep them alive On another note, my okra plants are still alive and growing, not producing any crop yet but I am still hopeful.

We visited the vet again this past Thursday and she said "Well she is not getting worse" in her lingo that means her new antibiotics are working and she is getting better. We can tell she is better. She no longer has weeping eyes or a runny nose and she is full of energy. When Dave picked her at Petsmart he liked her because she was a lazy dog, just what he wanted, little did he know he was picking the sick lethargic dog who is now very active. She has gained 4 pounds in 3 weeks. She is pretty much leash trained. Now we just have to master the potty training...

Oops!!

Someone is in trouble!!

There's the violet

Sorry!!

I love this stuff!!

2008-04-25T18:45:00.000-07:00

If you haven't heard of this stuff or don't have any you should get some soon! I think every household should have some Wilton Armetale, http://www.armetale.com/. I registered for some pieces for our wedding and received quite a few. I didn't realize how great this stuff was until I actually received it and went to use it. You can cook in it!! Put it in the oven, chill in the fridge, grill or even cook on your stove top. As most of you know I am clumsy and I love this because it will hopefully be impossible for me to break! It is very attractive as well. If you are in Florida you can get this stuff at Macy's and Belk's. It is somewhat expensive but you can find it 50% off at both stores. I got 2 pieces for 50% off at Belk's a couple of weeks ago and it is now on sale at Macy's this week. I totally think it is worth the full price but I love a good bargain!! This is definitely my favorite product of the year!!

(Some of the pieces we received for our wedding)

50/50

2008-04-24T14:01:00.000-07:00

Well today was Maggie's week check-up with the vet. She has been feeling better for the last few days, so we both thought she was getting better. The vet listened to her lungs and they are the same, still pneumonia. The vet had me listen to her lungs as well, not good. I had to leave her for an xray and blood test to find out what was going on. Dave and I went back together to pick her up and to get the diagnosis. The vet told us she has a 50/50 chance. Her white blood cell count is off the charts, normal is 16 and she is at 36. She put her on a new antibiotic, since the other one hasn't really made a difference. The vet believes that the thing that has worked the best for her has been her breathing treatments with the coupage. We are instructed to keep that up with the new medicine and hopefully we will see improvement. We will know more in a week. Keep Maggie in your prayers!!

It's a Girl!

2008-04-22T17:21:00.000-07:00

A puppy, not a child, of course. Dave surprised me with her Saturday before last. We had a garage sale in the morning and afterwards Dave said he was going to run errands. A little over a hour later he placed a puppy on me while I was sleeping on the couch. My belated birthday gift! We named her Maggie Mae and she is the sweetest thing!

She had a bit of a cough when we got her which progressively got worse the first night we had her. The next day we went back to the puppy rescue to get some medicine. On Tuesday I took her to the vet for her first check up. As soon as I entered the vet they rushed me into a private room b/c I had a "sick" animal as they noted the second I walked in the door. The vet finally came to give her a check and after listening to her lungs she told me that Maggie didn't just have a cold, it was pneumonia. The prognosis wasn't good, she basically told me the worst case scenario and she totally left out any good outcome. She told me that Florida has a lemon law on rescue puppies, well you know what that was referring to...no way could I take her back!! Maggie was placed on a very strong antibiotic and I was ordered to give her steam treatments and then follow that up with coupage (pounding on the chest) 3 x a day. Normal puppy vaccinations were also discussed as well as heartworm and flea treatments. It was all overwhelming and a big blur once I heard the "pneumonia" word. We were finally escorted by the nurse to the front desk to pay our bill but once we got there the vet came out and told us to go back into the room aka "quarantine." I had to pay via the nurse running back and forth from the front desk to the quarantine. The staff was nice and all but after the diagnosis and being confined to the quarantine, I wasn't in the best of moods.

It is now a week later, after many steam and coupage treatments and lots of antibiotics Maggie health is improving. Dave is the official pill popper and I give the treatments. She is starting to act like a puppy! Running, playing, chewing, disobeying, all the typical puppy stuff. I am taking her back to the vet on Thursday for her recheck so we are praying the vet has a better prognosis for her this time.

Some things old and some things new...

2008-04-17T15:16:00.000-07:00

Well Dave and I are still getting settled in our home and it is an ongoing project. I am still moving out of my parents' house, we are trying to get out of our storage unit and of course there are all of the wedding gifts. There are storage bins and boxes galore but we are getting there. We had a garage sale last weekend and got rid of most everything we put out. Very successful!! We are going to have another in about a month, so if you want to join in let me know! We finally got my china cabinet to the house and I stocked it with all of our china. Thanks to all who contributed during our wedding, we got all 12 place settings! I love my china cabinet it was my great grandmother's so that makes it very special to me. Another old item I adore is my silver pitcher gently placed in the cabinet. Nana gave it to Dave and I for our engagement, it has been passed down for years in the family. I am proud to be the owner and can't wait to pass it along to my children or grandchildren someday.

Take time to...

2008-04-08T19:22:00.000-07:00

stop and smell the flowers. That is so true. I have been so busy from school to wedding planning to moving. I am finally getting back to normal life after many crazy months. This cute vase was given to me for my birthday. It made me realize I need to stop and smell the flowers more often. Enjoy the rest of your week!

1 down, 7 to go...

2008-04-03T19:57:00.001-07:00

I have never claimed that I am not clumsy! I am the one who fell down stairs at work while talking on my Blackberry and broke 2 bones in my hand! Needless to say I had an incident tonight with wine glasses and luckily only broke one, wine glass that is not my hand again. :) It broke on me, see picture below. Dave actually had to remove embedded glass from my arm. The cause of this accident is due to the fact that I don't have a shelf in my kitchen that is tall enough to fit my wine glasses. Does anyone else have this problem at their house? I guess this house was built before they made the wine glasses as big as they are today. By the way, I am not ungrateful, I am very happy to have a house, thank you Lee (aka Mother-in-Law). Since I know how much Lee loves her wine, I am really confused on how she stored her wine glasses. See picture below on how I have stored my wine glasses. When I was putting the open box with glasses in the cabinet is when the accident occurred. I am sure you can visualize them sliding out of the open box that is on it's side while I am sliding it into the cabinet... At least all of my china made it into the china cabinet tonight without a casualty, that could have been a real tragedy!!

Blood on arm at top of picture and then down on the top of my hand

Wine glass storage, with missing glass :(

Professional Wedding Pics

2008-03-24T20:37:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to let you know that our wedding pics are starting to be posted online. I will let you know once they are all up but you can check on the progress at...

http://www.howiwonderphotography.com/blog/

My cousin, Katie, is the photographer and she is awesome! I couldn't have asked for more beautiful pictures!!

Enjoy!!

Good Eats

2008-03-18T16:24:00.000-07:00

After being on a cruise ship for 7 days Dave and I were in need of home cooked food. The food is great on the ship but since this was our second time on the same ship with the same food we got tired of it. So tonight I made 2 meals for the price and time of one!!

Start with approx. 2.25lbs of skinless bone-in chicken thighs. Put in a pot with water and boil until cooked, season with salt and pepper. Remove chicken and cool on a plate. Leave broth in pot on stove. Remove chicken from bones and shred.

First Meal- Chicken with Yellow Rice, Avocado Salsa and Green Beans

Cook yellow rice as directed and add 1/2 of the shredded chicken when you add the rice to water.

I like frozen green beans, cook those while your chicken and rice is cooking.

The best part, Avocado Salsa! My own personal creation...

1/2 med. vidallia onion
2 plum tomatoes
2 med. avocados
salt
pepper
white wine or apple cider vinegar
1 clove of chopped garlic
lemon or lime juice

Dice first 3 ingredients add to bowl. Mix with following ingredients, season to taste. I like my salsa sassy but you may like yours a little more bland.

Use the salsa to top your chicken and rice, yummy!!

Second Meal- Chicken and Dumplings

The key ingredient to this meal is Mary Hill's Homemade Dumplings. I found these at Publix in the frozen food section. They had another brand but this one looked the best. My great grandmother made her's herself but this is the next best thing...

While your first meal is cooking start this one as well. This meal is best the second day so make it a day ahead. Bring broth to boil. Follow directions on the back of the dumplings adding the remaining 1/2 of the shredded chicken as directed. Cool and refrigerate overnight, the dumplings thicken up and are great the next day. Enjoy!!

We had a great time on our honeymoon and I will post some pics soon! It is good to be back in Gainesville and actually be able to start our life together as husband and wife.

Married!!

2008-03-04T20:05:00.001-08:00

Well the wedding was wonderful!! Thanks to everyone who made everything possible and for all of your help the days before and day of the wedding. Dave and I appreciative everything!! We are still trying to unwind from the all of the festivities, we had such a great time at our wedding. Next week we will be on our honeymoon in the Western Caribbean, can't wait!! We hope to see you all again very soon!!

Almost Official

2008-02-22T20:32:00.000-08:00

Today Dave and I ventured downtown to get our marriage license. First of all we ended up at the wrong courthouse. I didn't know Gainesville had two, I thought after they built the huge courthouse on Main Street that the other one was turned into something else. Well that is not the case, the new courthouse is for the criminals and the old one is the civil courthouse. FYI!! So we filled out all the paperwork and turned in our premarital counseling certificate, for our discount, and we ended up with a marriage license, or at least all of the paperwork to turn in after the wedding to get the official certificate. On the paperwork you have to note how many times you have been married, so Dave asked the Deputy Clerk what was highest number she had seen, her response "9", I think I would definitely give up before then. Anyways I think it is pretty funny that you have to have a license to get married but not to have kids!! Crazy!! Only a week away and we will be official, yay!!

We've got sprouts...

2008-02-15T17:22:00.000-08:00

Okra sprouts to be exact. After telling Dave I wanted to become an okra farmer he went out and purchased me seeds and mini potting pods to start the process. We planted them 3 days ago and we already have sprouts. I am very excited and hope I can really produce a crop of okra. So the reason WHY I want to grow okra is so I can pickle it and sell it. Well, maybe not sell it just yet, but at least eat it. As a child I grew up eating my Dad/Stepmother's pickled okra; he grew it, she pickled it. Well since he hasn't grown any in the past few years I have resorted to purchasing it in the grocery store and needless to say it isn't as good!! I had an epiphany a while back and that is were I decided to become an okra farmer and mass produce the world's best pickled okra. If you aren't from the South you probably can't appreciate my love for pickled okra. I will keep you posted on the status of the okra, if I can't keep it alive I always have Dave with his green thumb!!

Happy Valentine's Day

2008-02-14T16:56:00.000-08:00

Dave's Bachelor Party

2008-02-14T16:01:00.000-08:00

Dave spent last weekend with his guy friend's at St. Augustine for his bachelor party. They did all the typical guy things: fished, ate, drank, smoked cigars, played cards, etc. Here are some pics...

Pictures from the last few months...

2008-02-03T11:54:00.001-08:00

Brittany, Natalee and Emma Christmas Morning
Dave and I in St. Pete
Dave and Lee
Pris, Emma, Pam, Bill
St. Pete Sunset

Me and Dave New Year's Eve
Leanne and Scottie NYE

Gina, Traci and Me- Bachelorette Party
Girls, Girls, Girls

My Weekend in Orlando

2008-01-29T16:57:00.000-08:00

So this weekend I was in Orlando for one of my bridal shower's and my bachelorette party. We had a great time thanks to Traci and Gina, who are very thoughtful hostesses. We started out at Traci's house for an afternoon shower, it was great to see all of my O-town friends!! After the shower we headed downtown to the Grand Bohemian hotel. Upon arrival Gina and I spotted a Boston Celtic in the lobby. We later found out that the entire team was staying a floor below us in preparation for their game the next day with the Orlando Magic. Our hotel room was beautiful and we had great view of downtown Orlando from our room. We had a couple of drinks and appetizers at the hotel before we headed out on the town. We enjoyed 80's night at one of our favorite places. It was a very fun night!! I will post some pictures soon! Thanks girls for a wonderful weekend!! Can't wait till the wedding, only 32 days to go!!

http://www.grandbohemianhotel.com/default.asp

Satchel's Pizza

2008-01-19T14:58:00.000-08:00

So Dave and I finally made it to the famous Satchel's!! If you are from Gainesville you have probably eaten there or have seen many bumper stickers on cars. Last night we went to Satchel's for a friend's birthday party. There is always a long wait but it is worth it. We enjoyed playing boccee ball while waiting a hour plus for a table. There are other things to keep you entertained while you wait from live music on the back porch, Lighting Salvage their 'gift shop' as well as boccee ball in the back by the parking lot They serve great salad, pizza and calzones. If you live in Gainesville and haven't visited I recommend it and if you are ever here from out of town you should check it out as well!! By the way they only take CASH!!

http://www.satchelspizza.com/

Back to School!!

2008-01-10T14:57:00.000-08:00

So I think I have offically lost it. I am planning a wedding, moving and I started school this week!! I have been thinking of going to nursing school since I moved back to Gainesville so I decided to take the plunge and just do it. Once I told my bosses who are a doctor and a physician assistant they both insist that I do the physician assistant program. So I am looking at nursing, nurse practitioner and physician assistant programs. All are very competitive so I am planning on applying as I am applicable. I already have my bachelor's degree so the only prerequisites I need are the science classes. Wish me good luck and pray for my sanity!

Trading Spaces

2008-01-06T16:29:00.000-08:00

Well as most of you know, Dave's mother is letting us live in her house for a few years while she is in a traveling nurse program. So this weekend Dave started moving out of his apartment and into our new home. I won't move in until after the wedding, but since we are starting the process now hopefully we should be close to settled by March 1st. We have been painting, cleaning, and organizing the entire weekend so needless to say we are both exhausted!!

Welcome!!

2008-01-02T19:07:00.000-08:00

Since Dave and I are planning our upcoming marriage and life together I thought I would start a blog. Seems like everyone is doing it so I thought I would jump on the band wagon as well. It is also a good way for our family and friends to keep up with us. I am sure my mom will especially enjoy the site since she doesn't think I will every call or visit her once I am married. Enjoy!!