💖💚🪄Oh baby, baby, it's a witchy world.💖💚🪄

Dev and me live a *very* simple life... we do the minimum outside errands that life requires us to... and then we're back at our house together and having fun. When you're married to your bestie and surrounded by people who don't care or are terrible, you tend to be more than ok staying in your little hobbit hole and hanging out.

We laugh... binge watch our favorite shows and movies... tattoo... have self-care days... take care of our pups... paint random murals... do laundry... try new recipes... dream of our future life.

This past weekend? My baby went all out and proved that he is a f*cking BEAST. How? Well... just look at my hair. That's right, he gave me the ultimate SEA WITCH HAIR and I am OBSESSED. 

Y'all... it's been so long since I've done anything to my hair other than let it grow. I haven't colored, bleached, highlighted, cut, styled... basically anything to my hair in years. In fact, I think that last time I got my hair dyed/cut was the week of our wedding... and it was such a dramatic change that I think it shocked me into pause or something.

So... it's been a good five years. And since I had my hair chopped off up to above my chin and buzzed in the back.... guess who had virgin hair?! That's right... been a minute but that shit does reestablish. Bless Dev's heart... he could care less how I actually wear my hair... but... like anybody else, the man does have a preference. And that preference happens to not be a super short cut involving a razor. So here he's been the last five years... watching my hair grow out of my head... watching with bated breath everytime I decide to trim it myself... and I know he's just been hoping I won't have another snap and CHOP.

No worries on the chopping... I love having this shit long. Feels like a mane. But... I did want SOMETHING. And that something was purple and/or pink hair. I couldn't decide. So... off to the land of misfit toys (Sally's Beauty) to pick up some supplies.

And after debating between purple and pink... we settled on green. BECAUSE COME ON I am forever living my best little witchy life and I deserve to show it. 

Also... when I say I planned to do this and then quickly established I was WAY in over my head... well.

In my defense, I used to do my hair ALL the time. I started experimenting with it when I was like twelve years old and had a damn good run. Sure, I've been to salons throughout my life, but the majority of it? Me, myself, and I... you know... after Momma stopped cutting my hair and giving my 1983 bangs. I DIGRESS. The point is, this ain't my first rodeo.

However... I haven't had this much hair since I was a little girl (maybe not ever?) and it is ALOT thicker than what I thought. It always has been... but it's thinned throughout the years and with age. Nice to know... I still got plenty. 

I literally unloaded the Sally's bag onto our table and immediately became overwhelmed. Not to be discouraged... my Gatorbaby stepped right up and was like, I got this. Mind you... he has never before dealt with bleach or dye. I mean... I've dyed his hair, but him taking the reigns? Not so much.

I explained what needed to happen and with no hesitation he jumped in. Were we nervous and unsure? Sure. Did that stop us? Absolutely not. The part that pissed him off the most? When I explained that bleach does not lather and he had to regroup and reform his gameplan. After that though? Smooth sailing.

He strapped me right into his tattoo chair, hung my hair off the back and went to town. 

NO HESITATION. NO SURRENDER. NO MAN LEFT BEHIND. #THUNDERGUN

And now... now I have magical hair that makes me feel like a whole new version of me. Dev says it suits me very well because I'm the little witch that put and kept a spell on him and now my hair just reflects that. Personally, I'm in love and may have some form of green hair until I can no longer dye it at all. Lucky for me, I married a damned ole artist that knows no bounds.

Last thing...now that we've established I have amazing green hair and Dev has amazing pink hair (because don't think for one second we didn't refresh that shit and make it POP)... how much we remind y'all of Cosmo and Wanda? 

Was it on purpose? No. Are we happy about the coincidence? Absofuckinglutely.

Once 3:30PM Friday hits... we're on vacay time... until Monday at 5:00AM.

While me and Dev don't live a "crazy" life... we do live a fun life. No... we don't party or run amuck... in fact, y'all would probably think we're boring as homemade sin.

But, I digress... because I think we live a fun life. Not your kind of fun, but ours.

And sure, once we get our lives aligned with how we really want to live them (#thatrvlifeoutofthecitytho) we'll be happier... but for now... we do what we can to make ourselves happy and enjoy ourselves in the now.

One of the things I've always loved doing was having sort of... "maintenance" days. I think most people will know what I'm talking about. You know... everything showers, nails, hair, maybe a hair mask or something, that kind of thing. Nothing fancy, but definitely relaxing and fun. Afterall, nothing makes you relax more than being all clean and rubbed down in your soothing fancy oils, right? RIGHT?!!?!

I like how I say fancy like it's not just coconut/vanilla oil... but whatever.

Anyways... Dev totally jumps in on this with me for some of my nonsense because not only is he my husband, but he's also my bestie and we like to do things that the other enjoys with them.

This weekend? We were both in desperate need of toenail day (and yes... my amazing hubby lets me paint his toenails and he doesn't give a shit what anybody thinks about it) and while I've been wanting to do something different and fun with my hair... Dev actually let me have some fun with his.

It was a regular ole day of neon orange toenails... and fetish pink hair. F*cking love it.

The only problem with him having pink hair is... now I want pink f*cking hair too. Actually, I've been wanting pink hair and still dyed his pink before mine, so really this is my fault BUT HUSH.

And honestly, can we all just take a minute to appreciate how f*cking baller Splat hair dye still is? I used to use this shit back in my hayday and was wondering if it still worked and guess what? Sure as shit does. Most people hate it because it literally dyes ANY and EVERY thing it comes in contact with (and it's probably horrible for your hair health?)... but honestly it may be the messy trash child in me... I f*cking love that. It ain't a fun hair day if there ain't a mess.

Also... can we just take another minute to appreciate the fact that we're all adults and the majority of us are perfectly comfortable with how we all choose to look? Sure... Dev and me get some strange looks when we go out in public... I mean, we're usually in pjs, covered in tattoos, and have wild hair... and no one seems to bat an eye except older people who have nothing better to do. The Karens and Kraigs of the world, if you will. The rest of us? You do you, BooBoo. We don't give a shit. You want a bullring? Get a f*cking bullring.

Things are crazy and life is insane and the economy is shit and things keep piling up and there's always a million things you wish could be different... but at the end of the day... at least I have my person that makes me happy and chooses me every single day. No matter what. And that? That gets me through it all. 

Now if you'll excuse us... we have many more crazy plans and dreams to live. With pink hair.

🌻I just grow sunshine in the backyard.🌻🌻And other ramblings.

Life is hectic. And crazy. And exasperating. And expensive. And hard. And overwhelming.

Life is beautiful. And fun. And full. And happy. And wild. And exquisite.

And we're all just along for the ride and hoping for the best. I've never wanted a big life. There's nothing in my personality that screams boss bitch in a Mcmansion with fourteen spoiled children. Never wanted it.

What I have always wanted was a small life. A happy life... stability. And to spend it with someone who chooses me first... every single time... no hesitation.

I found my person... and I'm so lucky and grateful for it.

Our life... while chaotic and hard at times... is ours and we're trying our best. Neither of us have ever wanted big. We've just wanted safe... and ours... and each other.

BUT... if y'all got a spare fairy godmother out there floating around, we'll take one of those too. You know what they say... manifestation and shit.

This weekend was... different. Any weekend I get to spend all the time with my hubby is amazing... but this weekend was weird for us. I don't know why. Probably because we had company on Saturday and then it stormed all day. And then Sunday morning the power company blew our transponder and we didn't have power for seven hours.

So... we did a load of clothes at Bonehead's and hung out. But Dev was sick... so home we went... to dead ass quiet. There was also an oil change in there for Trudy. And our pups went to Bonehead's with us and hung out with the babies... Sparkles loves heights...Steve doesn't do down the stairs. It was hilarious and adorable.

On the plus side? Dev got his tray, fake skin, and new ink. And I got a Tymo. Could we afford it? Probably not. Am I waiting for a miracle to pull us out of this funk and set us into my fantasy? Perhaps. #wishfulthinking

My cup plant though? Thriving and wreaking havoc. I think it might be a bit roid-raged out on motor oil... TBD.

🎉🎉Let's let all the weekends be like that one.🎉👽👽

I turned thirty-five last Thursday, Valentines Day was on Friday, and Dev and me are adults... so we celebrated both on Saturday. In fact, his exact words to me were:

"I'm gonna give you extra loving for the next three days and we'll celebrate right on Saturday." 

Honestly, how was I supposed to pass up on a deal that good? Besides, he always treats me like a little princess (and yes, I know how gross that sounds to some of you, but truly from the bottom of my heart, SHOVE IT), so even extra? My needy ass couldn't wait.

(Honestly though, I'm truly always living it while it's happening and forget to take pictures... and then always wish I had pictures).

We spent Thursday through Sunday hanging out, spending time together, and tattooing. On Saturday, Dev loaded me and him in the car (it's weird traveling anywhere without our pups... no matter the distance) and took me to Uranus.

That's right... Uranus.
As in... Uranus Fudge Factory (Anderson, IN).

And when I say this place was made for us... BRO. Between the amazing treats, the fact it's not five million dollars, and ALL the hilarious innuendos, I was sold. We hung out, shopped, got to see amazing art/randomness... even had icecream. We had so much fun and got the most hilarious sweatshirts.

Learned they sell fudge by the 1/4 pound... truffles by the ball (can I handle some balls for you today? HA!)... and mixed candy by the handfuls that you pick from. They had voodoo dolls and leaned hard into the alien theme. There's a variety of sweet treats but also you can get "real food" (ie: walking tacos, pretzels, hotdogs, etc.) at the same shop. 

There's even a spot for mini-golf when the season allows it. Dev and me had SO much fun. Seriously, I had a ball. And we cannot wait to go back. I'm sure it's not for everyone, but we've decided it's definitely for us... we'll be going back often (if possible)... and we want to take all our visiting family there pronto.

And we've decided that we can go back multiple times so we can... eat all the foods... play mini-golf... make crude jokes while surrounded by people who also like the crude jokes... and build a collection of sweatshirts... voodoo dolls... and marbles. Oh, and also just because we want to and we've decided it can be our thing now. Well, one of our things.

It truly was an awesome way to spend my birthday... Dev always makes me feel special like that. So an entire extended weekend dedicated to just me? Sold.

A we do what we want kind of weekend.🛻🌲💸😍

This weekend was... eventful. Actually, now that I think back on it, last week was INSANE for all of us. Not just Dev and me, but ALL of us. You, me, and probably the dude on the corner. Seriously, y'all have those weeks, right? Where you're super productive but also it feels like you have a million things to do?

Happened to me. To us. 

We decided to get a jumpstart on the weekend and paid our mortgage on Thursday after work. Smart, right? Would've been if I didn't also get a case of "fighting for my life" but whatever. I also got a little update on my cousin, Shanny, while we were out that way. She's having a second surgery on my birthday and another one in three-four months. Hopefully, everything goes ok with her and she's alright as can be. I should probably call her to check in on her and my uncle.

Even with my gut being an asshole (they were in a fight and yes... pun intended) we still managed to get in a WRTTMM Friday evening and were back home in time to get some rest and prepare for the day ahead.

Meanwhile... our pups were wylin out because that's what they do.

Saturday rolled around and Dev had a tattoo appointment up in Muncie. Like the true daddy he is... he made sure I got Mickey D's breakfast and coffee to fill me up before we made that trek. While it was an all day event, it was a good time and the piece turned out AMAZING. I'm so proud of Dev and the things he's accomplishing. Also... just to put it out there... being married to a tattoo artist? Fuckin hot. Being able to be tattooed in the comfort of my home by the sexiest man I know? Also hot.

His client was actually Macey's bio-dad and since Travis had a piece on her stepmom, we got to meet that side of their family. They were SO nice and he trains Malinois's for a living... so obviously he must be the dog whisperer because Sparkles was all up in his business. Seriously, my grumbly pup that doesn't like much of anyone... ok not true... he just doesn't like men... he's a real ladies man... was ALL OVER this dude. 

It was so amazing to see and actually made me a little emotional, because Sparkles has been real down since we lost Xur-Xur. Like, real down to the point of depression and we can't seem to pull him out of it. But after Saturday he seems a bit more like my old pup and it is without a doubt, more precious than I could describe.

We got home late from that appointment and successfully made our list of everything we needed to get off Amazon... and while the pups, Dev and me are now covered in all our areas... fuckin ouch, dude. Shit be spensive.

Sunday rolled around and wouldn't you know it... there was things to do. Luckily, it was minimal and we had everything done and were back at the house by 10:30AM. We headed out about 9:00AM so we could get Trudy her very FIRST oil change. She's officially almost 5,000 miles deep and it was that time. Technically, she had another like thirty miles left in her, but I'm trying to take care of her to the best of my abilities. Have I mentioned how much I love that truck? Because I do... we really do. Also... shout out to Jiffy Lube! They're not only open on Sundays... but that's where I took Doug Judy... and now Trudy. They had us in/out in like twenty minutes. Fuckin, G's.

After the oil change we filled Trudy up, picked up a few things from the grocery (this gal needed coffee, our pups needed food, and Dev needed burgers), had another Mickey D's breakfast run and hightailed it back to the house before church let out.

The rest of the day was spent hanging out and not doing anything... but I'm still somehow exhausted?

Also, now that Trudy is a bit broken in with a new oil change and a full tank? Pheesh. Fuck out of my way, because she is a BEAST.

So yeah... we had an incredibly busy weekend... we spent way more money than we intended... we're so tired you would think we haven't slept in three days... BUT it was so worth it and I had an amazing time.

I love spending all my time with my family and seeing them as happy as possible. Watching Dev do what he loves is incredible and I'm blessed to be able to share in that with him. The fact we all get to be together and can travel with him (most of the time) while he works is just an added bonus onto the ever-evolving amazingness that I call life.

And now... we start this work week over. It's all good, we're on a mission to be as chill as possible from here on out. The only things we have are my work schedule and Dev's appointments... other than that... home free!

Oh yeah... today is also Macey's birthday. So... HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MACEY-JO!!

This chill weekend needs to make an appearance more often.❄️🐶❄️🐶

This past weekend started off shit but ended up nice... while nothing insane was going down, Dev and me managed to get quite a few things accomplished. 

And by accomplished... I mean I got lots of pretty new ink, we set up Dev's tattoo page (more on that in a separate post), we had our first snowball fight of the year... and we stayed warm.

While most people would think we're something akin to boring, we find we don't need a whole lot to be happy and have a good time. Give us each other, our pups, and the ability to stay in our house and tattoo or hang out... we're sold.

We went out very little... had random sleep schedules... didn't wear pants... but it was all good.

Dev's birthday is this coming Friday, and while I have absolutely no clue how to celebrate it for him... I definitely want to make him feel special. You think if I wrapped him up like a burrito and rolled him down a snowhill he would think it's a grand adventure or something? Maybe I should ask him what he wants to do?!

All I know is, it's officially Monday morning and if I could go back to bed with my hubby and babies... I would.

This weekend was not quite a shitshow... but not at all restful either.

You ever have one of those weekends that you're so busy or something is happening and it throws everything all the way off? Happened to me. Like... just now.

I honestly thought running to do my main weekend errand on Friday would put us ahead and jumpstart a fun little time. It did not. Instead... once we had everything settled and snuggled in for the night (where I had finally convinced my hubby to watch a horror movie because spooky season!)... we learned our internet was down. So I contacted support and they informed me they had to have a technician come out to work on the line and he would be there... Sunday.

Ok then.

Saturday Dev had a tattoo appointment to finish up Bonehead's forearm and Sum's ankle. The day started off weird... Dev slept in because we were up super late trying to get things situated on Friday... but our pups had me up at a bright and early six thirty. Because children. I ran to the store, waited on Dev to wake up, and hung with the pups. Once we made it to Bonehead's what we thought would be a three hours (tops) appointment turned into like a six hour thing. Babies will do that to a timeframe.

Ok then. (But that chili was bomb!)

Sunday... again... weird. Our service technician showed up at noon... and was there over three hours. Apparently new cable for everything had to be run and it took some damn doing. It wasn't a problem... just threw the whole day off. I mean, it cut out the entire middle of the day and made things... I don't know... random? Later last night I decided it would be a good idea to wrestle around with Dev... because I'm a child... and he picked my little ass up and chucked me onto the bed. Ha... fun right?! Nope. Steve thought it would be a good idea to leave her very red... very hard... bone on the bed and it got introduced to my spine. 

Ouch.

And to top it all off... my little XurXur's left leg is still a wreck. We still don't know what's wrong with it... thought maybe it was a pulled or torn muscle but it doesn't seem to be getting any better. We're making him take it as easy as possible and I'm giving him meds but I'm starting to think we just might have a three-legged dog now. Either way, I love him more than life itself... so whatever we gotta do for him moving forward, we will. Maybe this is our new normal.

Finally... this happened earlier last week but I feel it deserves a mention... Dev broke his toe... again. This is like the third or fourth toe in the last three or four years... poor guy can't catch a foot break. This time it's his middle toe on his left foot. He's getting around better now... you know... until he accidentally hits it on something or one of our pups steps on it.

So yeah... that's what the Glisson's did all weekend and where we all stand. A little hobbled and sleepy... but good.

💕Keeping this little cutie on the lowdown is NOT for the faint of heart.💕

Things in the Glisson household were hectic this past weekend... and while it feels like we should be in the clear now... well... we ain't out of the woods yet.

Steve had her spay surgery on Friday and she came through it like a fuckin champ. And when I say it like that... I mean it. She has literally been a beast through this ordeal... resilient little shit. But... beast in a good way. For the most part. She's still her adorable little self but the problem is... she's also still her little rambunctious self. 

They gave us strict orders when we picked her up on Friday to make her get as much rest as possible and not to let her do anything too strenuous for the next two weeks. ESPECIALLY the first week. No jumping, stretching, running. Nothing.

HA.....Ha.....ha.....HAHAHAHAHAHA.....HA.....HA.....Ha.....

I don't mean to be sarcastic or anything... BUT... trying to get this little hellcat to be calm and not run around like a damned ole headless chicken is NOT exactly an easy task. Even if I was ten years younger I'm pretty sure I couldn't keep up with this little shithead... this has got to be what all those moms have been talking about. 

Daughters are NOT for the fuckin weak, dude.

She's been so turned up that Dev called the vet on Saturday and had to make a special run up there before they closed (ah... weekend hours) to get her something to calm her down. We gave her one pill... and I know it sounds insane... BUT... that shit had the opposite effect and jacked her to Jesus. She was running circles like a fuckin crackhead and it took FOREVER to get her to calm back down. Needless to say... she hasn't had any more of that one.

Nope. Just strictly pain meds (that she gets once day... first thing in the morning... and tomorrow is her last day)... the occasional benadryl... and hoping for the best. 

She's doing good as far as I can tell. We're trying to be as gentle as possible with her... carrying her outside and lifting her down from the bed and steps. We're trying to keep her as calm as possible... lowkey activities and lots of snuggles. Even her big brothers have been more gentle and caring towards her... and I hope it stays that way.

Basically, the only person who won't acknowledge that she had surgery recently is her. Dev likes to say she takes after her mother like that. He meant it as a joke... but also not really because accurate. I love that our pups are our legit kids and take on characteristics of me and my husband. It's a win/win for me and so damn hilarious.

And that's where we are. Trying to keep it lowkey and calm at the Glisson household. Easier said than done... but our babygirl is in recovery so we're doing our best. If you need us... well... we'll be at the house. (Or work... but mostly the house).

We should stay in our fortress more often.💜💜💜

I say that but honestly, we stay home ALOT so I can't really complain. But, I mean... you can't blame me... right? I'm SOOO content at our house when it's just Dev, our pups, and me. But this past weekend was my kind of situation.

Sure, it was thrown a bit off because my brother and his BM were packing up his stuff (almost there... just a little more to go!) but that didn't stop us from doing our thing. Although, I do wish Dev's head would've been feeling better on Saturday... everything was fine and we were one tattoo in and BAM... migraine. I don't know where it came from but I felt horrible for him.

Migraines are no joke and make me want to vomit... both for me and him.

Aside from that though, we cleaned house together... Dev cut the back yard... we made lots of nanner bread... did some laundry... got some snuggles in (my husband can literally cure my insomnia by holding me down and barely touching me)... and I am the proud new canvas of two more Glisson Simplistic Tattoos.

Aka... my smoking fine hubby put some new ink on me (and me wants more).

We talked to my brother about his new living arrangements and finally came to a conclusion for him on Friday night. Come Saturday... he put his foot down and his life is on the right track (I think). This is his last full week at our house (he has a few off days the weekend after next but if we get his place set up I doubt he'll want to be back) and then they'll be setting his new place up. We offered to help this weekend/next week after work if need be. I want him to do good and be happy... hopefully this is a good first step.

Aside from that... my babies are still the cutest little gremlins on the planet. Sparkles is all about extra snuggles with me lately and I have to admit, I f*cking love it. Xur is forever anxious but is so full of love and the fact he gets up with me in the mornings makes me all fuzzy inside. Steve is growing like a damn weed and is going to eat us out of house and home. She's adorable and keeps her big brothers on the edge.

Of glory or sanity... I'm not sure.

And now, here I am. Trying to make it through this Monday without a nap or any motivation. I would really appreciate crawling back into my snuggly bed, surrounded by my babies and maybe getting some nanner bread and some food to warm my belly... and maybe a little more ink.

Because I don't know why... since it's literally dead ass July... but my mood is very laid back fall already.

It's not like we haven't already been playing the game the last few weeks.

It's always weird when a holiday that I get off work falls in the middle of the week. For instance, Independence Day was this past Thursday so work Mon-Wed... off Thursday... back to work on Friday. I'm not complaining by any means, because yes, give me all the days off while still being employed... but it still feels weird and throws shit off. Luckily, Dani is awesome and let me do a halfsie day on Friday (hoorah for her).

People do it big around us for the 4th. We've spent the last three weeks or so playing our annual neighborhood game of "gunfire or fireworks?" and people are still ringing it out.

While Dev fell asleep Thursday... with Sparkles faithfully under the covers hiding from the boom-boom... I sat outside with Xur and Steve for a bit watching the firework show the city puts on (our house was surrounded by the bright lights). It was relaxing and I sat out watching lights and contemplating life.

We decided to do it right come Saturday though. We needed it.

Last week was a clusterf*ck of anxiety and the weekend entailed stress-induced debilitation, so come Saturday... the Glisson's needed a little pick me up. We loaded our three babies up and headed over to Mavis's for the afternoon/evening. I mean... nothing says feel better than hanging out with your bestie couple friends, right? That's what we're going with.

Mavis was kid-free for the night (a rarity in their lives) so we loaded up all our pups (and one of theirs) and we all headed down to Prairie Creek to watch the firework show. Nothing says good time quite like watching fireworks on the lake with your hubby and babies.

We had a great time and didn't even make it home until almost two in the morning... because we're wild and do what we want! Really though... it's cause Mavis lives SO far away. And yes, I'm being a little dramatic but damn, I want those bitches to live closer... like... can y'all just be my neighbors already?

And that's how we spent our Saturday... hanging out, helping Mavis move a couch and watching fireworks. Because nothing says good time like fire in the sky.

I was bamboozled and I'm not even sorry about it.

There's officially a new member of the Glisson household. She's a six week old blue nose pitty and her name is... Steve.

Steve Irwin Glisson.
(And if you don't think that's f*cking funny, we can't be friends).

When I tell you I had no intention of getting a third pup, I whole heartedly mean it. I knew eventually we would bring another little pup into our lives, and we would love them unconditionally, but after losing Tayder last year, I honestly didn't know when that would be.

I didn't know when I would feel ok or if this was going to be a bandaid situation. Friday night, the answer was clear. I was neither ready or unready, I was just... me. Dev and I drove up to hang with Mavis, they got me inebriated, sat my ass down on a kitchen stool and put a six week old puppy in my lap while proceeding to tell me all his siblings needed a home. Saturday rolled around and next thing I know, we're headed fifteen minutes down the street to pick up the newest member of our family.

It's strange having a third pup again. I love it... I mean... the more dogs the merrier, right? But, it is an adjustment and completely different than it was. Dev and I haven't adopted together since Tayder. When we found each other again, Tayder was still with me and I had the addition of Sparkles. Dev had Xur and we became the most beautiful blended little family.

Now, we have a new little one to add in our ranks. And let me tell you, she demands to be seen. Little shit.

Xur is loving it. It's like he was made for this life. He wants the little darlin to follow him around and treats her like a proper mother hen. It's adorable and the sweetest little thing. Sparkles is Sparkles. He neither likes nor dislikes Steve, but he is warming up to her a little more each day. I swear, that pups middle name should be Indifferent. I feel like he likes her but he's a little thrown off by how small she is. I mean, six weeks really isn't anything and she's a spitfire in a teeny little body. Both pups reacted differently, but seemed to be on board with having a new sibling.

Then there's my Gatorbaby... the love of my life. The bamboozler that bamboozled his way into a new puppy. Because honestly, I can't tell that man no for shit and once he put the pup in my arms? Game over. I gotta hand it to him... man knows how to get his way with me.

Side note... when we adopted Steve, we were handed a box of puppies and told, "these are the boys." I'm a boy dog mom and haven't had female dogs of my own as an adult ever, always boys. Didn't think anything of it and went about our merry way... it took us a legit two full days before we were like... huh.. never confirmed that. And that's how we ended up having a girl named Steve.

And here we are. It was a bit of a crazy weekend but in all the best ways. Pup cuddles, hubby kisses, new ink, and visits from old friends (shout out to Dev's friend, Joshie!). 

Welcome to this side of the Glisson's, Steve! The four of us love you so much already (don't worry about Sparkles, I promise his grumpy ass will come around!) and are so happy you round out our little family.

Catch up... not to be confused with ketchup.

Life has been... lately. Things seem to be moving at warp speed and slowly crawling all at once. If I'm being perfectly honest, it feels a little Twilight-zoney around these parts.

But I digress... mostly because I don't know where that potential ramble is headed off to.

Our days are basically filled with work (both me at the shop and D at the house) and spending all the rest of the time together when possible. 

We finally got a call about Dev's oral surgery... they can't fit him in until October 9th. I'm so frustrated with that but also just want it done so he can stop being in constant pain. Poor man literally just has a toothache round the clock and I feel miserable for him because I know he's miserable as hell. We're just waiting on all the calls from the hospital and labs to confirm appointments/etc. Hopefully, things will go streamlined from here... fingers crossed!

Dev took me to my "lady" doctor appointment a couple weeks ago and I go in tomorrow to have my Kyleena changed out (its due in September). Thankfully, my insurance still covers birth control (for now) so while I'm not looking forward to being poked and prodded, I am happy to have this taken care of on the quick and up.

We've been spending quite a bit of time with Mavis and the cutest little Bean on the planet. We've come to the conclusion that we can rock this whole Aunt/Uncle life. Kids might not be our forte (we're not having any of our own) but dog parents/auntie-uncle life? We got this. Along with spending so much time with Mavis comes the fact we all have many more tattoos than what we started with. Dev and I counted the other night and he's on like forty-five/six and I'm on thirteen, I think? We're basically just all walking canvases at this point. I ain't mad at it.

Dev, Greg, Gabby and I went on a nice long bike ride yesterday. We were gone about four hours and had a real nice time. We ended up riding down to Morgan and Dev and I talked about moving out there someday and finding our forever home. That would be hilarious, right? For me to move myself and my husband and our kids (pups but they count!) to the first ever town I remember living in. Talk about full circle.

Other than that, we've essentially just been living life and going about our business. Work for me has been insane and busy as all get out (though I'm not mad at it and prefer to stay steady busy instead of lagging around) and Dev has been doing lots of cleaning and reorganizing the house. 

I would be lying if I said I didn't miss my Tayderbug so damn bad. Honestly, I look for him everywhere and think about him constantly. I just want to hold and cuddle him and love on him after a long day. But I can't and that makes me so incredibly sad. I still go looking for him and listen for him every single day. Dev told me it wasn't a "habit" that I do this, it's just my natural instinct for almost two decades, so it's going to take some time to be ok. Because I am not ok with it. I mean, I'm "ok" but I'm not "ok." Ok? Ok.

At the end of the day though we're just doing what we can... we're dreaming and making plans and loving each other.

I know we just had Memorial Day weekend and all but... *SNORES*

Y'all, I am officially back to work after a three-day weekend and I am not having it. Sure, I'm very proud and feel blessed that I have a job I love (most days) and I am forever thankful for it BUT COME ON. Let me snuggle back into the covers and recover my whole ass body. That's it, I just need another day.

You see, we had a real fun weekend. While it was supposed to just be me, Dev and our pups, we ended up spending the majority of the time with Travis and Macey (aka Mavis). We alternated between houses and managed everything from tattoos to homemade french dips to dabbling in botany. 

And yesterday, the four of us took the tubes down White River for the day. I had personally never been tubing before and we all were a little lost on the process. It was supposed to be a three-four hour trip and it ended up being five and a half instead. Which was fine, except we're all a little crispy for it. Why we waited until the day before we had to go back to our normal lives to do this I'll never know, but here we are.

I straight up went from being Dev's little princess to being his little lobster. Seriously, my shins and stomach are F****D up. And D's shoulders? Pfsshh. CRISPY like KFC. I know Mace and Travis HAVE to be feeling that shit today. Mace is pale like me and Trav is a ginger so you know they're extra spicy looking this AM. *And yes, we used sunscreen, but that shit only goes so far.*

Full disclosure, I had to dress like Miss Honey from Matilda for work today, because things touching me aren't a thing. I asked Dev how I looked and his words were... "sexy... like a librarian." I wasn't aware dudes had a thing for librarians, so I'm taking it as a win. Then again, I mentioned the Miss Honey thing and he was like, "well, now that you mention it." It could be worse. I could be having a Trunchbull moment.

We all laugh about it, because what else are we supposed to do? Not to mention we have a couple new tattoos (Leo is a new dino-lizard on my thigh), a new bombass recipe, and memories to go round. Honestly, while I'm exhausted and want to do nothing but sleep right now, the fact we were going and had those experiences and that fun was worth it.

Seriously though, today when I get home I'm having a shower, putting on some comfy clothes, have a chill moment, snuggle with my pups and hubby, eat some leftover spaghetti (I made that shit when we got home from the river last night and it is delicious), and watching tv. That's it. That's all I'm doing and can't nobody change my mind.

Please.

Everything, everywhere, all at once. I can't stop rambling for nothing.

No, I haven't watched the movie... not because I'm against it, but because we haven't had the opportunity to check it out. We have however been watching a lot of random shit.

Like Knock at the Cabin. And Scream VI.

Before that, Avatar: The Way of Water. (Having just seen the first Avatar movie- for me- the night before).

I digress though, because this isn't all about movies. Even though it could be. No, this is just a little catch up on all the happenings as of late.

We've been painting around the house like crazy. The kitchen, laundry room, hallway... it's all different at this point. I both love it and want to get the rest of it painted but also have to kickstart myself every time to actually get the painting part done. Procrastination party of one? Right here.

On top of that we've basically been playing the waiting game trying to get D into the oral surgeon so we can get his dental problems handled (his appointment is on the 25th of this month). He'll feel so much better once it's all taken care of and I'll feel better knowing he's not in constant pain 25/8. Just one more step to get my love on the health and narrow.

We also came to the conclusion to maybe sell the Juke. It was Dev's idea/decision and we're seriously putting a lot of thought into it. Hopefully, if we do end up selling, it will be a painless process. *fingers crossed*

Hold onto your hats, because a couple of weeks ago we found out Travis and Macey are having a baby. That's right, another little Glissonbug is on the horizon and we're all so damn excited for them. She's been having a rough time with morning sickness and everything, so hopefully, it'll all ease up on her a bit soon. I don't know how shit like this works, but I hope she doesn't have to feel like shit the whole time.

Speaking of Trav and Mace, Dev and I took the Z up to their house on Saturday for a drive and a hangout. We had so much fun on the bike, but I can guarantee long trips are something we have to work up to, because their house is about 1.5 hours each way, and my whole body is feeling it. It was feeling it yesterday and it's definitely feeling it today. I am young no more. 

But, it was totally worth it.

And speaking of kids, Gabriel lost his two front teeth. He definitely resembles his hillbilly Aunt Katie a little more for awhile.

Work is work. Crazy and hectic and exhausting, but we're trekking forward and doing what we have to do to make sure shit gets done. Because at the end of the day, isn't that all we can really do?

My Tayderbug is an angel and demanded to go back to regular dog food. I swear, we make that little shit his own batch of fresh chicken every night and he just ain't having it. He wants regular ole pup food. Meanwhile, his brothers are drooling every which way trying to get a little piece of the actual chicken.

Dev has been feeling a bit better and doing so much around the house. I swear, I do dishes, but I don't do anything else really around the house. He basically has all the important stuff done by the time I get home and then our time together can either be spent relaxing or doing projects together. And I love both.

Just a side note, yesterday was the four year anniversary of Dev proposing to me and I was all heart-eyed once I realized it.

So yeah, a little catchup with shit I am most definitely forgetting, but here we are. Doing our best and making the most. And doing it all with a little hope, some happiness, and a fuckton of love.

A weekend of motorcycle rides, cuddles, and furbabies.

If more weekends could be like this past one, I think we would all be good to go. Go where... I don't know. But go.

The weather was beautiful, we actually had plans that went through, and I got to spend the whole thing with the hubby and my babies. When I say it was a good day, you may as well crank up Ice Cube.

It started off Friday with a movie night. Have y'all seen Cocaine Bear yet? If not, you're definitely missing out, because that shit is hilarious. Seriously, I laughed so hard at one point I almost peed down my leg. Even if I wouldn't have wanted to see it, you could of told me O'Shea Jackson Jr. was in it and I would've been SOLD. 

And good ole Ray Liotta... ah man. No one can play a bad guy like Ray Liotta. I'm gonna miss that guy. He was my very favorite crass actor. The dude could literally play a piece of shit human being (which he did often) and I would be like.... yeah.... but I mean... it's Ray Liotta.

Saturday we got up super early and I got ready while Dev made breakfast. Trav and Mace showed up, we got everything situated, I loaded up our babies and we made the 1.5 hour trip out to their house. Once we got there we got pork in the smoker and settled in the pups and then the four of us went on a nice little ride.

It was peaceful and beautiful and honestly, I feel like if we had more relaxing days like that, everybody's anxiety would be down and happiness would increase. 

After the ride, their parents showed up at the house, we made a trip to the meat market, and we all proceeded to cook, eat, talk, and hang out until ten at night. Then we loaded up and headed to the house.

Sunday was spent resting and not doing anything at all, because my old ass was dragging and there was nothing but rain and gloom out. Go figure, we had one beautiful day and now it's back to shiver-ass cold. That's ok though, because that just means I get more cuddles, comfort food, and movie nights. 

And honestly, that's this girls dream.

A little catchup on life in general and the daily struggles of mental health.

Life has been... I would like to say good, because it really does feel that way, but I also don't want to jinx myself or anyone around me either. I'm not sure what it is, but life has had a kind of calm around it lately. Things are very go with the flow and I find myself reflecting on memories or thoughts in a peaceful kind of way.

Don't get me wrong, there's every day normal stress... daily personal problems, work, health, financial. But, life in general has felt a bit serene. I find myself on edge less and it takes more than usual to make me panic.

Perhaps it has something to do with my surroundings... D and I finally managed to get our house and yard cleaned up. Don't get me wrong, more could definitely be done, but for the most part it's clean and doesn't look like a swarm of crackheads came through and had a field day. It actually looks like normal people live there... well, mostly normal people.

I don't think anyone would accuse us of being too normal. Or, normal at all really now that I think about it.

Also, I find "normal" to leave a bad taste in my mouth. I'm not sure who decided what was appropriate and what wasn't, but the fact that we live our lives how we see fit and let ourselves be happy is good enough for me. I don't really care if other people don't find my way of life to be acceptable.

But yes, our house being clean was like a giant weight lifted off my shoulders. It may sound insane, but I had so much anxiety that constantly ate at me when our house was a mess. 

And yet, I couldn't find any motivation to do anything about it. It was a real Catch-22 situation. I didn't like it a mess, but couldn't find the effort to do anything about it. Ironic, huh? It literally took me four hours to scrub our shower down.

FOUR. And don't get me wrong, it probably didn't need that thorough of a cleaning (yes, it did) and I could've probably stopped long before I did (no, it definitely needed all of the attention it got and probably then some), but it looks so much better now... and I feel so much damn better about it. 

I've talked about not cleaning or maintaining a house like Momma used to... I'm just not that person. I've thought about it, accepted it, and moved on. However, there are some things that are forever ingrained in my brain and while I may not keep house like her, I do still like to keep house. Or yet, I like having a kept house. It doesn't have to be perfect or immaculate, but it does have to be comfortable 

And I do like cleaning house... mostly. I find it comforting to toodle around mopping or cleaning... making sure laundry is caught up. Once everything is cleaned, the windows are open, and the candles/incense are lit, I'm at my most calm. Remember when I said I sometimes wake up early in the morning and stand in my kitchen with nothing but silence and coffee and contemplate the day ahead or my life in general? Well, it's even more peaceful surrounded by cleanliness and comfort items.

D did the entire back yard by himself and I am entirely impressed. He hacked down all the crazy tomato plants and vines that had taken over and put everything back in its rightful place. Even our firepit is standing at the ready to take out all the hang around stuff that shouldn't be there. He blew off the sidewalk and the pups are so damn thrilled. Spart and Xur love to run around and play in the openness and even little Tayderbug appreciates not having to scour the jungle looking for a place to pee.

We've been meaning to do this for quite some time, but always lacked the motivation to do so. I always joked with D that something like his mom coming to visit would have to happen before it actually got done. I mean, something would have to kick us in our asses to get the ball rolling, right? Well, something did apparently.

D's cousin, Travis, is staying with us for a bit. I love the guy like he's a little cousin or brother so when D said he needed a place to crash and asked if he could stay with us, I didn't mind at all. In the span of one day he... lost his job, house, fiancé and dog. Honestly, I'm just glad the guy has a newer truck, because I had a feeling it was going to be turning real 90s country love ballad soon. He started staying with us last Thursday (? I think it was Thursday) and it's been going real good. We don't mind having the company and we've seemed to find a somewhat routine with each other for now. D and I have a very calm and "hippie-esque" vibe about our lives and that's how we live it... and he seems to be ok with that and fit into it nicely. We all go about our own business, but also co-exist and hang out.

With that said, that's the motivation we needed. Trav is currently crashing in our spare room, so we rearranged to fit his stuff, but that also kickstarted our cleaning weekend. And honestly, I'm glad it did, because I love our house even more now. 

Other than that, we've just been relaxing and trying not to get too stressed about anything. D's been taking me for rides on his bike (and got me all decked out in gear-helmet, gloves, jacket) and it's something that we both have fun doing together. Between that and the random fishing trips we've been taking down at the river, life has just been... nice.

Cleaning, cooking, reading, relaxing... I know it all sounds ridiculous and you're wondering how any of that could possibly make me happy, but it does. Because I feel like me and I feel happy and I feel peaceful. I have an amazing, loving, caring, compassionate, adoring husband and three of the most adorable and loving pups that were ever put on this planet.

Sure, I have everyday stress and worries, we all do. I struggle with my mental health on a daily basis and there are times I feel so overwhelmed I don't know which way is up. I have moments or thoughts that are sad or unsettling, but I also have wonderful moments full of laughter and light. 

Things aren't perfect, they rarely ever are, but if this is the feeling I have for the rest of my life, I'll take it. Because while it may not be someone else's perfect, it feels pretty damn great to me.

I know it died out in 1353 but... I don't know. It's shady is all I'm saying.

Dude, you would not believe the damn weekend that D and I had. 

By the time he got home from work on Friday he was so damn sick he could barely stand and had a 102° temperature. By the time I got home (about an hour after him) he was showered and in the bed curled up. I took his temp and immediately went to the store to get drinks and meds. The poor guy was miserable and I felt terrible for him. He hardly ever gets sick, so when he does, he's usually down for the count.

...Cut to Saturday evening and I started feeling like shit... followed by waking up at one o'clock in the morning thinking this is the end and having a 101.8° temp. Between the two of us we had every ill symptom you could think of... cold sweats, fever, shivers, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, body aches, fatigue. I'll tell you one thing, this flu was not fucking around but we sure as shit found out. I thought I was going to have to at least get D in the doctor at a couple points.

We mostly just stayed in bed all day Saturday and Sunday watching movies and taking meds, because we didn't have the strength to do anything else. Our pups sure loved being able to hold us down and make sure we couldn't go anywhere though. We watched some movie about the Black Plague and honestly, I thought way too long about the fact that may be what we had. I blame NyQuil.

D had to call out of work this morning, because his fever still hadn't broke completely. I managed to come into work, but I sure as shit can tell I'm running on fumes. We're both feeling better(ish), but we're drained and so damn sore.

Oh, and did I mention we're supposed to leave tomorrow evening to head down to FL so we can spend time with my MIL and help out with my FIL's Celebration of Life?

Essentially, nothing we had planned in order to prepare for our trip got accomplished. And our house is a disaster. Kind of smells like sickness in there too. I have to wash everything and Lysol/bleach the rest. I'll get to it... maybe. If I can find the strength. In other words, this all should be very interesting.

And a picture of Tayder... just because (and yes, he has a bald spot on his butt... mind your own business).

Country roads take me home... to the place... I BELLLOONNNGGGG!!!

We had to make a trip to good ole GA last Thursday for D's grandmas funeral. While it was a sad occasion, we decided to try and make the best of it. Sure, it was emotional and devastating for the family, but everyone came together to say their goodbyes and it was nice.

We even got to spend a little time with D's dad (Kerry Dale) and cousin (Travis). 

The funeral was in D's great grandad's hometown in GA, and when I tell you that the church/cemetery we laid Carol Ann to rest in was in BF GA, I am not exaggerating. We drove so far out that even I was like, umm... did we take a wrong turn somewhere? 

Damn, I miss living in the middle of nowhere.

We stayed at Little Ocmulgee and honestly, I so wanted to swipe the vanity mirror from that bathroom. Seriously, that thing was huge and had amazing lighting and if D hung it in our bathroom just right, I could have it for my entire body. He's probably not going for it, because then I'll be obsessed with staring at everything in HD and he'd rather not have to deal with that nonsense. 

*that seems fair to me, but also, I want that damned ole mirror*

On the way home, we decided to trail Travis so the three of us could spend some time together and hit up a few sites. We all agreed that the scenic route through TN was the way to go and I for one was super excited for D to see the places I got to grow up with and in.

It was nice to show my hubby where his wife came up and get to see the wonderment on his face while we were traveling through those mountains. I swear, there is nothing like home to me. Say what you will, but I wouldn't have wanted to be raised any other place and come retirement, God willing and the creeks don't rise, that's where our happy asses are planning retirement.

Because I want to go back to the peacefulness that is the country and spend the rest of my life with the person I love living a calm and utterly devoted to each other kind of life. 

Until then though, we're rolling with our Southside Indy lives and making the most of it. 

We stopped by Fall Creek Falls to do some hiking (that the pups LOVED by the way... even though they almost wiped me and D out on the side of a mountain) and you know we couldn't pass up the scenic overlook. 

There was even a suspension bridge that I crossed solo, because my hubby is petrified of heights and his cousin wasn't having any of it either.

Our trip ended up being about four extra hours, but it was worth it to make all those stops and get to spend that time and do those things with D. With everything happening within his side of the family, things are a little bit on edge and scary, so any time we get the chance to spend some quality time and I get him to relax, even for a little, is more than worth it to me. We even found out his cousin lives about 15-20 minutes from us and I think he'll get to finally have someone around from his side to hang out with. Which I know he is looking forward to (we stopped by his house after we got back to Indy to hang out).

So yeah, it was an extended weekend for horrible circumstances, but we tried to make the best of it. And any day that my hubby smiles is a damn good day to me.

Our love language is sarcasm and I am here for it, baby.

 **does some random cleaning and pulls wedding arch out of our garage**

D: “I‘m just gonna spray this down and clean it up.” Me: “Ok, just be careful of the flowers up top.” D: “They’re fake, right?” Me: “Nah, they’ve just been living in our garage for a year and a half with no sunlight, water, or soil.” D: “……….” Me: “They’re Jesus flowers.” D: **sprays me in the face with the water hose**

Side note: When you tell the hubby you (unrealistically) want your wedding arch in the house and he makes it happen anyways.

I am an extremely lucky (and overindulged- via my hubby) woman. D makes sure he takes care of me and spoils me to the point of being rotten, and I definitely don't hate it.

I never thought that I would A: be spoiled and B: enjoy it as much as I do. But, here I am living the dream. Don't get me wrong, I also like to spoil D and he thrives on it too. We hate telling each other no and our family crest should probably say "Treat Yo Self" but that's neither here nor there.

If people don't like it? Well, I guess they can't come and hang out under my cool wedding arch (ie: our living room).

Over the weekend and through the woods to grandmother's house we go.

Ok fine, that was a little bit dramatic, but it was an eventful weekend. Even with all of the rain that seems to be lurking around for the past two weeks, we've managed to get quite a bit accomplished. Go us!

I may have even made a couple of friends? Well.... ok.... they're technically D's friends, but I think they might like me or at the very least be able to tolerate me, so that's good, right? 

This past weekend, even though we were both supposed to be off, we spent the majority of Saturday morning at his job and then the majority of the afternoon/evening at mine. Why? Well, we're gluttons for punishment.

I'm kidding. Mostly. No, we had to change some stuff for D at work and just ended up hanging out and talking to a couple of his friends up there (that may be my friends now too, but I don't know for sure?). Just talking and hanging out and Ariel even fixed my key fob! 

Then we picked up ten pizzas (it was like a pepperoni and sausage sauna up in that car!) and made our way to the shop (after letting our pups out of course!) to help out with the party. It was the first "event" that we had at the shop that D got to come to, and I really liked that he got to come with me.

Even though we spent the majority of our day at our jobs, we were together and had a really nice time. I guess we can be social little folks when we want to be. You know, since we essentially always just hang out in our cave. 

Then we went home and spent that evening and all day Sunday just relaxing and watching Marvel movies. Because why not?

Side note: A police officer knocked on our door at four o'clock this morning and by the time I realized who it was, got dressed and woke D up, he was already in his vehicle and had driven away. So.... anybody have any clue why that would happen? I assume nothing was too wrong or he would've stuck around, but I'm still curious?