Waverly Hills Sanitarium...

Yes, I am one of those people who likes to watch any TV [haunting] show about Waverly. I am fascinated with Waverly Hills history and the many many stories behind that old building that stands in Louisville.

I am one of those "I have to see it to believe it" people. I would absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE to take a tour at Waverly, but I think I would be scared out of my mind if I were to ACTUALLY go. Maybe if I had some not so afraid friends to go with me [hint, hint] I would go.

So what do you think? Is Waverly really haunted? Some of the stories are so crazy they are hard to believe then there are some stories that have so many different versions that are again hard to believe.

Some urban legends claim that "63,000 deaths" occurred at the Sanatorium. According to Assistant Medical Director Dr. J. Frank W. Stewart, the highest number of deaths in a single year at Waverly Hills was 152. Stewart wrote that the worst time for deaths was at the end of the Second World War when troops were returning from overseas with very advanced tuberculosis cases. Some independent researchers suggest that since 162 people died at Waverly Hills in 1945, the highest total number of deaths possible over 50 years was approximately 8,212.

The most popular story at Waverly is Room 502.

Here are a few of the different stories...

1. (the most popular) The head nurse in Rm 502 was found dead hanging in rm 502. She had committed suicide by hanging herself from the light fixture. She was 29 years-old at the time of her death and allegedly, unmarried and pregnant. Her depression over the situation led her to take her own life. It's unknown how long she may have been hanging in this room before her body was discovered.

2. Another nurse who worked in Room 502 was said to have jumped from the roof patio and plunged several stories to her death. No one seems to know why she would have done this but many have speculated that she may have actually have been pushed over the edge. There are no records to indicate this but rumors continue to persist.

And my favorite...

3. A crazy patient murdered a nurse in Room 502 by stabbing her to death. People claim to see the patient's ghost running out of the hospital's front door in a white nightgown, screaming at the top of her lungs. 

Halloween is just around the corner, any takers to go to Waverly for a tour ???

You Are What You Eat...

We’ve all heard the old adage ‘you are what you eat’, but have you ever stopped to think exactly how true that is?  When I was pregnant with Isabella I gained 33 pounds. So that means all that extra weight I had was pre-Isabella - eeek! 

After Isabella was born I came upon some pictures that I had of me when I was in college....

And I thought I was FAT then! PUH-LEASSE! Anyway... after I started going through all of these pictures I really started feeling bad about myself. How could have I let myself get to where I was? Then it hit me. I have a family now. Not only does my husband depend on me, but my daughter depends on me as well. I've got to make a change, and I need to make it pronto. 

Since then I did the yo-yo diet... which didn't work. Then tried Zumba - didn't like it; of course I only did one class, it wasn't what I thought it was going to be. I got frustrated and just gave up for a while.

Then I caught a great deal for BOOTCAMP on Groupon for 3 weeks. LOVED IT!! I had great motivators, good company to work out with, and saw some great results. I lost a total of 9 pounds and 18 inches. I would have loved to stay with it, but it was just too expensive for me, so I vowed to myself to keep it going at home.

No, I don't workout hard core like I did at bootcamp, but I do watch what I eat and make healthier choices and try to get out and walk or do some water aerobics (laugh if you must) atleast every day. Since the 1st of June I have lost a total of 32 pounds and couldn't be happier about it.

Am I boasting? YES! But I am also hoping to help those of you who need a little motivation to get out there and get at it as well.

So those of you who do exercise on a daily basis what do you do, to keep you going? Tips or advice? Inquiring minds wanna know! :)

 

Big Brother

You either hate the show, love the show or have NO clue what I'm talking about. BUT most of you know what I'm talking about. I'm a HUGE Big Brother Fan! And this is what this blog is about!

LOVE the show, hate the huge twist that has brought so much drama into the BB house. Okay, so not really - that's what draws me into the show - drama! What I don't like is Shelly's character. If you are team Jeff/Jordan, you know why......

However, fans of BB have taken the double eviction that sent Jeff home, a little too far. These so called "Big Brother fans" are actually sending death threats to Shelly's family and to Shelly's 8 year old daughter. Which is just down right wrong. I don't like her character as much as the next person and if you know me you know that I don't like liars, backstabbers, nor two-faced people. Those kinds of people I don't need/want in my life, but again BB is just a GAME. Yes, there needed to be a BIG move in the Big Brother house, but you could have been a heck of a lot nicer to my Jeff and Jordan! :)

Any who, In the few years that I have watched and become a fan of BB I certainly liked some houseguests more than others; but, no matter how intense things became in the house, I never hated a houseguest. The closest I ever came to “hating” a houseguest was Rachel. She was just an immature girl who only knew the words, "my man!" And "the only thing honest about her were the pimples on her chin.."  But sending death threats to someone for a game move is just wrong. It is just a game... life after BB will go on and Jeff and Jordan will be Jeff and Jordan once again afterwards....

 and Shelly will still have her adams-apple and "her dignity" (as she likes to say)..

So what's next?? Here are my thoughts...

Duo Rachel/Jordan need to win to POV to get themselves off the block then Porsche who likes to do everything that everybody else tells her to do will have to put up the only duo team of floaters that's left (besides them and since she can't put up Kalia and herself), Adam and Shelly and Shelly will be the next to go to the Jury House.  - - If this happens Rachel and Jordan just might have a shot of going to the final three, they will just need to win HOH this Thursday. Which means JORDAN, honey, you need to step it up "love!"  I'm going to say something I thought I would never say.... Let's go TEAM JORDAN and *GULP* Ra....Ra.....Rachel! (there I said it!!)



For Those Cinnamon Lovers…

Found a great recipe for my momma’s Cinnamon Bread as I was going through one of my cook books yesterday. I had completely forgotten about it and I’m hoping to make it this weekend.

I remember when I was little waking up to the smell of cinnamon bread on Saturday mornings.

YUMM!  Okay so here you go…

Cinnamon Bread

What you will need:

for the topping -
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons margarine, melted

batter -
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk (see my note)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9x5 inch loaf pan (yes you can use nonstick spray) and then just sit that aside.

Topping: In a small bowl, combine the sugar, cinnamon and melted margarine. Use a fork to mix together and set aside.

Batter: Place the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a small bowl and set aside.

Using a mixer on low speed combine oil and eggs. Add in half of the dry ingredients and mix to combine. Add in 1/2 cup of buttermilk and mix until blended. Add the remaining dry ingredients and blend. Add the second half of the buttermilk and combine until just moistened. Add in the vanilla. Pour the batter evenly into the pan you prepared earlier.
Drizzle the prepared topping over batter. Insert a knife into the batter and use a light swirling motion to give a marbled effect.

Bake for 50 minutes or until a toothpick comes clean when you insert it in the middle. Let the bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
You can also make morning muffins!! Just remember to watch the baking times, it will be different from the loaf! Just check in on them and use the toothpick test! :)

** BUTTERMILK NOTE **
I found a nifty trick if you do not have buttermilk on hand… I have NEVER tried this… but if you don’t have buttermilk and do not want to venture out to the store this is something to try… Place a tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice in a measuring cup, and then fill to the one cup line with whole milk – sounds simple enough!

Hope you all enjoy this delicious recipe!

Long Time No Read...

So it's been a very long time since my last post - my apologies. We have been so busy here lately trying to get things ready inside and out for Isabella's first birthday party. I can't believe my baby girl will be ONE YEAR OLD in just a few short weeks. Seems like only yesterday we were bringing her home from the hospital.

Speaking of her birthday, we decided to keep it simple. We are just inviting immediate family, her great grandparents, and just a few of our close friends. Jeff's family is huge, mine not so much, so to draw the line on making this decision was, thinking okay, her party is at the end of July so if we run in to a thunderstorm like we did yesterday (those of you who live where I do you know what I'm talking about) we need to able to fit everyone comfortably in the house. Thus the deal breaker of having just an intimate 1st birthday party for our darling daughter.

Isabella is now 11 months old and is MOBILE MOBILE MOBILE! She's not walking yet, but I'd say she's very close to it. Anything she can get a hold of she will grab and walk with it. If she holds onto your fingers she practically runs.  Her favorite word to say is baby. She recognizes herself in pictures and in the mirrors and if she sees another baby/toddler she points and says baby baby baby.  She's a hoot. She loves to flip pages of her cardboard books. There is one book in particularly that she absolutely loves. Her great grandmother gave it to her and when you open it and flip the pages it plays a song. When she opens it she will just jabber and it sounds like she's trying to sing with it. She has it open constantly and mommy needs to get her some new batteries for it. - Its starting to sound like it's dying haha

She only has 2 bottom teeth although it looks like she may have another popping up on the bottom, so we will see.

We just had her 1st birthday pictures made and can not wait to post them. They turned out really well and it was so hard not to buy all of them. She did so well and she is such a ham in front of the camera.

I guess that's all for now, so here are a few pictures for your viewing pleasure of Miss Isabella.

My little BIG girl, isn't so little any more!

Mark it down!! April 28, 2011, 1 day before Isabella turns 9 months old, she finally has a tooth popping through.

As daddy was saying his good-byes to her today before he left to go to work, Miss Isabella decided to chomp down on daddy's hand, as she usually does, but this time something sharp was felt on daddy's finger!

Of course we sit her down and try to look first. Every time we would try to get her mouth opened she would put her tounge in the way, or move our hands away. So with my (very clean, I might add) hands I started to rub her bottom gum...

SURE ENOUGH... A SHARP TOOTH POPPING THROUGH ON THE BOTTOM RIGHT!

I was so happy I could have cried today. It was however, bitter sweet for me. My little big girl, isn't so little any more....

Happy soon to be 9 months Isabella Jean!! Mommy & Daddy LOVE YOU! xoxo

Blog Award

I received my very first blog award from Building a New Hive! I'm so honored! With this award I am suppose to write seven facts about myself and pass it on!

1. I loathe mashed/smashed/ any kind of potatoes! French Fries are ok, depending on their thickness! Crazy, huh?!
2. I am OCD when it comes to things on my entertainment center!
3. Never liked ranch salad dressing until I got pregnant.
4. I love giving gifts; birthdays, holidays, etc. I love to see who ever I got the gift for, their expression on their face when they open their gift!
5. I am a huge Golden Girls buff. I know I'm a nerd :)
6. I love to bake and would love to take a cake decorating class!!
7. My favorite color is PINK!

Now I pass this award to....

Amy - Miracle in the Making

Erin - Rainer Adventures

Seriously??!

At a very young age I was taught the golden rule; do unto others as you would have them do unto you! I have always been one to believe in karma. Do something nice for someone, somewhere down the road you will have something nice done to/for you or do something horrible to someone and something bad will happen to you sooner than later! I've also been told to turn the other cheek, but how many times can one turn their cheek? Eventually your cheeks will get all red, sore and bruised!

So my question is what is the deal??

Last night I was told again from my husband, the messenger, that our group of furniture that we ordered (sectional and kitchen table) back on March 6, our couch was still missing. Three weeks ago we were told that we were just missing our wedge, that it will only be another two weeks. Two weeks go by and the hubby calls to get an update on our order. It is on the truck. It will be ready for delivery on Friday. Thursday, April 14 comes around, the delivery guy calls and sets up his window for the following day. Everything is good to go. Friday April 15, not a good day in the Williams' household. The guy from the furniture store calls and says, "well we have everything but your couch. Your couch was not on the truck!"

What the crap?! Two weeks ago we just didn't have our wedge. How did we go from missing a wedge to missing a couch? The guy says, "well our computer showed that it was all there, but when we looked in the truck it wasn't. So we are hoping that it will be on the truck for delivery next Friday, April 22."

Okay, so many of you know I am having a get together at my house, with a lot of people that have never been to my house before, on May 1. I NEED MY FURNITURE!! 

So the hubby waited until he got home last night to tell me the bad news. He knew I would be upset about this because he knows how upset I got last week when they called at the last minute and told me that my furniture wasn't going to be delivered. This time the guy at the furniture place gave us a few options The first option was to give us $120 (which isn't even the cost of the shipping) and give us a 5 year protection plan. The second option was to give us $60 back and give us an upgrade to any of the sectionals they had in stock. Then the last option was give us a loaner until our couch came in.

Okay, the first two just doesn't do anything for us, b/c your gonna do this and we still do not have couch!!  So we opted for the last option, give us a loaner until our couch came in.  Okay that is all good in well, but the two options he gave us for a loaner just doesn't work.  One optional loaner sectional does not match our color scheme what-so-ever and the other is just too small to go in our living room, we'd all be better off sitting on the living room floor. You see, we have a open floor plan and our living room is longer than it is wide so we have to put our furniture only a certain way because of our front living room window, so it's not that I'm not greatful for the 2 loan options, it's just that the one sectional physically would not work! And lets be honest, if we're having a get together/party you want everything in your home to look nice and mesh well with all the other furniture in your home!

So yet again, I am NOT a happy camper. I believe the hubby is going to call the furniture place this morning and see if we can get another loaner option like just a couch and love seat. I pray we can work something out, because at this point there is nothing I can do on my end to help the situation. I can get mad and upset all I want but it is not going to do anything.

I mean I understand crap happens, but c'mon! Seriously??!

So I have been up since 5am racking my brain on what to do about this whole furniture mess, what all needs to be done before my get together, and what's not going to happen!  The reason I selected the date of May 1 was because we just knew we would have ALL my furniture well before that date, boy were we wrong?!

Another Wonderful Birthday

Sunday was my birthday! Jeff, Isabella and I spent the whole day together.

I woke up to a beautiful arrangement of flowers, hubby put together himself and two sweet birthday cards from Jeff and Isabella!

We started my Sunday birthday by going to church...

She was such a good girl. She clapped and smiled the whole time.

Then we came home and got ready to go out to eat.

 

Then we went to Rocky's Italian Grill. We had such an amazing dinner. After we finished eating we took Isabella outside to look at the river. It was so windy, but she loved it!

Walking to look at the river

 So windy, but she loved it!

Daddy and Isabella

SMILE!

Loves being outside!

Mommy and Izzie

The wind blown hair look

The bridge

Momma's Girl!

Me and Jeff!

After we left Rocky's we went to Kirkland's and did some birthday shopping!! :) Well, I did any way hehe.  After the shopping spree we piled back in the car and ended the day at my parent's house where we ate some birthday cake and ice cream! 

On Monday, Jeff's mom and step dad took us out to eat for my Birthday. We went to Cheddars. It was delicious! Isabella sat in the restaurant highchair for the first time, and LOVED it!

We ended the night by watching Jeopardy!

Today we have been just hanging out! Somebody is trying to cut a couple bottom teeth so we've been attached to mommy's hip!

Until next time.......

Time for an UPDATE..

Yes, I know, I know! It's been a long time since my last blog. I also know you have been wondering where I have been, right? hehe Well, if you live close by you will know that the weather has been amazingly awesome the past week and a half. The sun has been out and the temperature has been perfect to take my little Izzie & Sadie outside to play!

This past weekend the hubby went to Tennessee for an annual car show. He and his buddies go every year! So, the way I started this past weekend was playing BUNCO! Which by the way, we FINALLY got a bunco. I ended up winning 2nd place and was soo excited about it!! While I played bunco, Isabella stayed at Gammy and PaPa's house all night Friday night.

 The next day was Saturday, since Jeff was out with his buddies, me and Izzie hung out at my mom and dad's house for the most part. We went out to eat @ King Fish with them later in the day and after we ate we walked outside to show Isabella the dirty Ohio River. She was amazed with all the water.

On our way to eat!

PaPa, Isabella, & Gammy

Once we got back to PaPa's and Gammy's we played for a long time in the nice weather.

You know what they say, you play hard..... you sleep HARDER!! While I was getting ready for bed Isabella fell asleep on mommy & daddy's bed. Momma didn't want to wake baby girl up, so I let her sleep with me Saturday night.. I know, I know, bad momma.. but oh well, they only stay little once! Besides she sleeps in crib, every other night!

The next day was Sunday.. Daddy came home!!

Today, Isabella helped me fold laundry!

Such a good mommy's helper!!

Then after we folded the laundry we decided to play for a little bit

In the later part of last week I decided to get a little creative and made Isabella a romper! I'm actually quite proud of my very first piece of clothing I HANDMADE with a SEWING MACHINE!! :)

Now, Isabella is taking her mid-afternoon nap, and so I decided to finish up some school work and update you on our crazy, wonderful, beautiful life! Hope you enjoyed the update and all the
wonderful pictures!

Beautiful Day!

Oh my goodness, today was an overall beautiful day! It was absolutely gorgeous. The sun was shinning, the sky was blue and not a single ugly grey cloud to be seen! Today was a beautiful day.

Isabella stayed at Gammy & Pa Pa's house (my mom and dads) while Jeff and I cleaned up some brush on the other side of the house, decided how we were going to do our landscaping in the front and back, marked for our garage we are going to have built and marked the yard to see if we had room to fit a pool. We have a huge back yard, but we have lateral lines that keep us from being able to do a whole that consists of any "permanent structures".  So we did about 3 hours worth of work and 1 hour of talking about what we wanted to do in the next few months.

When we were finished doing our outside work we went to go pick up Izzie. She played in her car while daddy started up the grill and mommy cooked the sides! Pork n beans & mac n cheese! Dinner was delish!

Yesterday, we went shopping @ Kohl's. My little big girl sat in the cart for the first time. We found a shirt for daddy to wear to his sister's wedding and Isabella danced the night away!!

Shopping with mommy and daddy!

Isabella danced with Papaw Williams...

danced with Nana...

and danced with daddy

The months April - July will be crazy hectic for us!

April 7, I have Bunco!

** We need a sub, any takers??

The following weekend is our nephew's birthday party, my birthday! (YAY) April 24, is EASTER!  May 1 is my TASTEFULLY SIMPLE PARTY - Mark your calendars - THE TSP is my first; never had a party or been to one. :) Wish me luck! Also some where within the month, my new sectional will be here along with my new dinning room table. Starting in the next few weekends we will be putting tile in the kitchen and bathrooms, building a pantry, getting new carpet and building a fence in the back yard. SHEW!! This wears me out just typing it.  I am so excited about it all, I'm just hoping we can get it finished before it gets too hot outside.  So hopefully we can get all this stuff done by July!! hehe



 What fun summer "to-do's" do you have planned? Any landscaping, flooring, remodeling to be done?

Until tomorrow...

Unless we think of others and do something for them, we miss one of the greatest sources of happiness.                                     - Ray Lyman Wilbur