My baby kicks ass!!

Saturday was Tyler's second Muay Thai fight. We traveled to Waterloo, IA for the Iowa Challenge Kickfest. Team RoundKick took 5 fighters. It was a big show with a big crowd and we won 3, lost 2 (one of which was debatable). Tyler won unanimously.  

My boy did awesome. He came in under weight, paced himself well and kicked/kneed/punched the hell outta his opponent. We saw his opponent later in the hall with an already black eye, limping a bit. I was really, really proud of him. Also, for those who like small details... he entered to "Bad Boys," the Cops theme song and yes, he wore the too short shorts! He still needs a fight name though.

The day after the fight Tyler was a bit tight and the tops of his feet hurt but he's already back in training and rarin' to go!

I had a blast as one of the team's corners and was able to see all the behind-the-scenes prep and sit at the cagedoor to shoot photos. It was super awesome.

My dad, brothers Bean, Ty, Richard & Stevie, plus 'brothers' Chris & Nate traveled all the way up to Waterloo to support Tyler. We even met Beanie's new girlfriend, who we hope doesn't think we're white trash since she had to meet Bean's family at a fight. haha. Mom & the girls watched our furboys and we're very thankful they were there to spoil & care for them. And Tucker is sorry for keeping his Auntie Bri awake all night...

See pictures of Tyler & Team RoundKick!

Pink boxing gloves & a gun

This is a much delayed Christmas post!

Christmas is definitely my favorite holiday. I love the baking, family gatherings and giving gifts to others. Of the gives we gave, my fave was the hardbound book I made of Tatey's senior pictures. I hope she'll have it for a long time and know how much we love her.

Tyler did such a good job with Christmas gifts this year! He gave me pink boxing gloves & workout gear for the hi intensity training I started Jan. 5. He also gave me a tiny handgun and signed me up for classes to get my permit to carry and an hour of personalized help. I'd been wanting this - figure I should be more knowledgeable and comfortable since I have guns around me. He gave me wonderful framed sayings that I've hung in our entryway. They're encouraging and tastefully designed. WTG babe!

Our families totally spoiled us!!  We got so many lovely things - sweatshirts, scarves, jewelry, art, books, etc. And it was delightful to spend time around the table just talking and sharing. It's always fun to get Christmas cards too and see/hear what everyone's up to. I do love photos in cards - the Daniel's & Agan's were definitely some of my faves this year! I still have all the cards up on our wall. :)

Now to wait til next Christmas....

Southwest vacation in review!

What a week!!  Tyler & Brandon (my lil bro) & I took a whirlwind vacation to Vegas, Utah & Arizona Nov. 14-22. 

Vegas - This was Brandon's first over-21 trip to Vegas. It was fun to hang out with him and show him the city. He'll say it's cheesy but I know I'm really lucky to have him for a friend now that we're grown. We didn't always get along as kid but now that he's grown he's a good guy. :)  

We had actually gone to Vegas to see UFC 91 - a HUGE fight for the heavyweight belt. A legend in the sport (and one of my personal faves) Randy Couture was fighting. It was cool to be there for the fight - seemed the whole city was in on a giant inside joke. MMA brand shirts/hats EVERYWHERE. One of Tyler's friends from the gym was out there for the fights too and thanks to his friend, he was invited to Couture's pre-fight workout. Because he's a super swell guy he got us in too!!!  We got to see him, his gym, shake his hand (haven't washed hands since!) and Tyler & Mark got their photo with him. While we were there we saw Randy's wife, also a famous fighter, and the Tapout guys (a popular MMA brand led by a crazy team of guys who also have a TV show). Also, Mark found the address for the Warrior (another popular MMA brand) gym and we set out in search for it. Finally arriving, we walked in and the guy gave us a tour. On the tour we happen to notice that Tyler's favorite fighter, Forrest Griffin, is working out there!  As if that isn't cool enough, Mark decides he & I are going to stalk Forrest and get a photo with him. But Forrest heads into the bathroom at that moment and we end up loitering outside the mens' room. (I could only drink from the water fountain for so long!!!)  Dunno what he was doing in there but he finally emerged after a LOOOONG wait and by that time Mark had forgotten what we were doing and didn't say a thing when Forrest walked by!  This entire time, Tyler is so embarrassed he is standing by the gym's front door pretending he doesn't know us. hahaha.  

Anyway, UFC 91 was really fun to see even if Couture lost. The Iowa boy Jeremy Stephens won which was fun to see. The next day while wandering MGM Tyler saw another famous fighter walkin down the hall and he says "Look!! It's Thiago Alves!! *pause* It's Thiago Alves picking his nose!!!"  Then he promptly ran up to him and slapped him on the back (A few paces back I cringed as I imagined the automatic response to randomly slapping a UFC fighter!!!).  He didn't get punched, he did however shake Thiago's boogery hand and get a photo with him. Good times.  

Our room at MGM Signature was AWESOME. The MGM buffet for breakfast was AMAZING. We HAVE to find out how to make pancake casserole. mmmmmmm.  Oh yeah & we saw some SWEEEET cars:

Utah - After Vegas, we toolied off in our rented Equinox (side note: Alamo staff in Vegas = SUPER rude. would not recommend) to Kanab, Utah to visit my grandparents. They live in a tiny town surrounded by mountains. BEAUTIFUL scenery. We had a lovely visit with them. Brandon & I really enjoyed cooking with Grandma and spending quality time together in the kitchen. We played many games of 'mexican train' dominos (I even won one night) and took a trip up the Kaibab mountain to place a ham radio repeater. It really is a gorgeous country we live in. We also went out for ice cream one night - ice cream runs in our blood so it's always a good time for a cone. I do so love my grandparents and hated to leave. 

The only downside to this visit would by my grandparents' silly poodle with a broken leg. He has not been fixed and he thought Tyler's leg was attractive...  heee hee.  

Arizona - After Utah we headed south to Phoenix, dropped off the rental car and went to see Tyler's parents in Surprise, AZ. They always spoil us and dote on us and have our lil guest house ready for a stay. The first night Tyler's mom cooked up a storm and we had Thanksgiving dinner. DELISH!!!!  It's so relaxing (& warm and sunny!!) there. We toured model homes and went shopping (scored sweet shoes!) and had a blast catching up on everything. 

The 2nd night we went to Scottsdale to visit my aunt/uncle/cousins and Uncle Rick whipped up a delightful Mexican dinner. We love visiting there. Tyler felt comfortable with them from the first time he met them because my aunt is SOO like my mom, it's like being at my parents' house!  

The third night in AZ we went to Ruth's Chris Steakhouse to celebrate Tyler's birthday with a meal Tyler's been anticipating since last year's birthday dinner there. The steaks melt in the mouth and even the spinach is yummy. Brandon is doing experiments at home now to recreate the Ruth's steak deliciousness!

It was sad to leave, the time in Arizona felt short but Tom & Wanda will be back in Iowa in a few short weeks for Christmas.

LOTS of trip photos here!

Random things I learned this trip: 

Don't CHEW Jolly Ranchers. Even if they're cinnamon. They will break your teeth!

I don't like being without my dogs. It's not only that I miss them and want to hug them and get slobbery kisses. It's that a dog-free day makes me sad!!   We saw about 1 dog other than my grandparents' dog and my aunt & uncle's dogs. 

I'm allergic to desert air just like Iowa air!

*sigh of relief*

Wow. After hours at the gym + pounds of veggies & cooked chicken + LOTS of hardwork + sheer determination my best friend (ie. my husband Tyler) got in the ring Saturday for his Muay Thai debut. And let me tell ya - it was quite the show. He kicked and punched his opponent around the ring while we screamed & shouted. And he came out uninjured ('cept for a nice black eye) which I'm truly thankful for.

I'm married to one exceptional man who makes me proud on a regular basis and this was no exception. When my man sets his mind to something there is NO dissuading him. And so once he decided to train in MMA fighting, he adopted a strict diet, dropped weight and worked his tail off in the gym. I doubt many in the audience would have guessed he'd only been training in Muay Thai about 3 months.  I've only gotten to see pieces and bits of his moves and skills (usually when he's practicing holds on me or hitting pads I'm holding) so it was really fun for me to see him put it all together. Plus, he looked exceptionally hot despite those ugly green shorts!  :)

Judging from how many in the audience cheering for him, we have both been blessed with wonderful family & fiends. Thanks to all who have been so supportive!

I'm having trouble loading more pics into this blog so check out more here!

Some cool finds on Etsy

I love, love, love Etsy and buying awesome handcrafted items directly from the artists. If you don't know about Etsy, check it out!

These are my fave earrings on AlwaysAmy:

Studs:

fudgesicles

squirrels (see pic!)

Dangly:

awesome ornaments

I just bought this from Elaphannie for the 'toy room' at the end of the hall upstairs. SO excited to put it up!!

Details on the big fight!

So....my favorite person ever is going to make his public debut as a fighter on Nov. 8. A lot of people have said they'd like to be there for Tyler's fight so here's the details (You in NO way need to feel obligated to come but I'd love to have you cheering along with me.)

Nov. 8, beginning at 7:30 p.m., Val Air Ballroom. Tyler is the 4th fight. It's a Muay Thai* event - some pro bouts, some amateur. More details here.

Tickets on the ground floor cost $20, 30 or 40 apiece at a table for 10, if you buy in advance. We are planning to get a couple tables and group Tyler's fans together so let me know if you wanna go. We realize the tickets are pretty pricey and completely understand if you can't make it.

The event is put on by Tyler's coach Pete and his gym. It's an all-ages event. There will be food and drink available for sale.

* Muay Thai is a martial art from Thailand. It is not a fruity drink. (that's a Mai Tai!) A form of kickboxing, athletes use the hands, shins, elbows & knees for punching, kicking, kneeing and throwing elbows. MMA fighters (such as in the UFC) are often trained in Muay Thai for the standup portion of their sport. If you've watched 'The Contender" on Versus, you've seen Muay Thai.

I'm here, I'm here!

Ok, Tatey called me out - I've been neglecting our blog again. So, here I am with some photos I've been meaning to share...

First, some of my very favorite boys:

And here's some changes in our house - the kitchen light and art in the living room:

Get his fight on

The MMA scene is pretty big in Iowa. Here's where Tyler trains: RoundKick.

Here's an interview with the owner/muay thai coach at Roundkick:  http://vimeo.com/1782542

YAY for Emmys!

I'm not typically a girl that cares about award shows but I'm super psyched about how well '30 rock' was recognized!!  It won best comedy, Alec Baldwin got best comedy actor and Tina Fey got best comedy actress. Tina Fey won best writing for a comedy series. The show also won best casting for a comedy series.

If you haven't seen '30 rock,' you are totally missing out! Tyler & I love it. I usually laugh til I cry.

Also, props to 'Deadliest Catch' for best cinematography for nonfiction program!

Takin' his game to the ring

In an age when someone can ignore flashing lights/siren behind them, fail to produce a driver's license, slap a cop's hand, jump out of a car when told to say put and refuse to follow orders and  then file a complain on how they were treated AND get all kinds of sympathy, I give extra credit to those strong enough to be in law enforcement. Sure there are cops who use excessive force or discriminate but they're the minority and partially a result of this flawed system. But why as soon as there are allegations does everyone point fingers at the officers? There was an opinion piece in yesterday's paper pointing out that good old fashioned respect & law-following might have alleviated the situation. Whole thing pisses me off.

In other news.... Tyler is going to take his game to the ring. That is, he's going to put these months of training, dieting and hard-work on display. Nov. 8, at the Val Air Ballroom, he'll be fighting in a pro Muay Thai exhibition, RoundKick Rumble 13. He's worked really hard, his coach says he's ready and he's continuing to train hard. And so I'll be biting my nails and screaming my lungs out. Holler if you want to come see him! Also, we're working on his fighter persona...   nicknames & theme song suggestions are being sought!  Think hard so he doesn't have to be Tyler "The kitten" Tompkins with the theme song  "It's raining men." :)

In other random news.... I HATE DEALING WITH CAR INSURANCE PEOPLE. I just want my FJ fixed!!!!!  and I want her fixed NOW.

Our life, available as screenplay!

As I tailgated a limo through Missouri, past Amish buggies and through flooded, closed roads this weekend, I laughed to myself. When I sat on the side of a Missouri Interstate in my mom's car and watched the trooper who'd pulled over the limo chat up my husband, I laughed to myself HARD and thought perhaps our life should be made into a straight-to-DVD movie.... Oh wait, should I back up a bit?

Let's begin with Friday as I left work in the rain, cruisin home in a great mood, ready to head to the fights with Tyler & my brother Brandon. Great mood until some dumbass punk backed UP the interstate onramp and into my car. MY CAR! My precious FJ that I love. Said dumbass got out of car and said "Sorry. I didn't want to get on the interstate" at which point I punched his lights out. Oh wait, just kidding. I WANTED to punch his lights out. Instead I took his DL and called the cops and sat in my car until they arrived. The dumbass admitted it was his fault AND admitted he had NO insurance. So today I'm playing the insurance/rental car/repair shop phonecalls. Which is why I was driving my mom's car Saturday. As for the rest of the story....

Tyler likes to browse Ebay motors and bid on vehicles he could fix up and resell. (In his spare time!) Apparently one day while doing that he saw a 1990 limosine for sale and thought "hm, that's a good deal!" and bid on it. And WON IT. at which point he remembered that good deals are only good deals if it's something you want! All jesting aside though, he got a good price and plans to fix it up a bit and sell it for more, which looking at comparables looks like a good plan. So we now own a limo. a LOOOONG limo with red vinyl seats and carpet, crystal glasses on the bar and 2 tvs and a vhs player. I know our neighbors are scratching their heads after seeing it parked in front of our house!!

OHH, and the flooded streets.....so about 1 mile after leaving the guy's house in Nowheresville, Mo, we hit a 'road closed' sign (during torential rain) but Tyler decides we can make it if we go slow.  So, in limo, he fords the river that was a road. and then it dies. on a closed off rural road. with no cell coverage. in the rain. BUT God was looking out for us and the next truck along was a mechanic who had worked on this limo before and he pulled out his rags, dried something out and off we went!!!

And as for being pulled over....apparently you HAVE to have a license plate in Missouri but we were not far from the Iowa border so he skipped the ticket but he did ask him why he would buy a limo!!  And, super weird, he knew the twin brother of Tyler's sergeant!

Regular Day?

Ah another not exciting day.

After watching a full 4 episodes of The Office last night (I love that show), I set my alarm for 8....and I woke up around 9. I have never slept through my alarm before but toady's the day.

Went to Muay Thai class and glad I did. I meet a newer member of the class who also installs granite and tile. We had him out the other day and he swears he is going to give me the deal of a lifetime. He apparently owns a 2003 Porsche 911 twin turbo. For those of you who are car-tarded one of the fastest cars on the planet, AND HE OFFERED TO LET ME DRIVE IT when he brings it in. I guess this means regardless of what his granite price is I have to pay it to get into that car.

The rest of the day was usual fielded some calls from tenants that could not pay their rent, cleaned the carpet in 2 units with Rug Doctor. OK side note here I wanted to purchase a rug doctor as often as I use one, there are thousands of dollars. So that made up my mind...I will rent (never thought I would say that). After helped with various tenant repairs and then headed for home, and work.

Boring day but productive I suppose.

woah, woah, a new voice on our blog!

Our blog finally has 2 writers-enough to make it "ours," not "mine" which is very exciting!  As I drove home last night, Tyler said "we should blog about our everyday life" and I said "that's the idea but I don't have time!" so he said he'd give it a shot.  But not only do I not have time, sometimes I just figure I don't have anything interesting to talk about....

But later last night as I danced with a mastiff and golden*, in my pajamas, and sang "Mercy" by Duffy out loud, I thought maybe he was on to something. Our everyday life IS something to blog about. 

So here 'tis, all 4 of our readers....a renewed commitment to regular blogging!

*Tonka refuses to dance with me.

Uhh am I in the right place...

Hello all this is Tyler.. you know the webmaster/blog freaks husband. I decided to not let Courtney have all the fun and start to post.

Soooooo here we go...

We are currently in that time of the year when we want to get out of town and have some fun. This time we are putting a little bit of planning into our trip and not just booking a trip and leaving two days later ( Courtney hates that, I do not). We are headed back to Vegas for a UFC fight on Nov. 15th (and yes we both love MMA) we leave on the 14th and leave Vegas on the 17th. We then journey up to Utah and see the grandparents in the lovely and hard to find town of Kanab ( and Joyce I swear you have to go through Zion Park to get to your house). After a few days enjoying the middle of nowhere Utah we will travel back down to Arizona and see my parents for a couple of days.

You know I go on these vacations and by the end I really am ready to return home for what ever may be waiting. It is usually some property emergency that gets me all frustrated on vacations and ruins a day ( just as Courtney). It never fails by the end of the vacation I swear I am never going on vacation again.........but here we are.

I'm famous!

for looking 12.....   

If you have a dog, read this

If you have a dog, please read Chai's story and share with anyone you know who has a dog!!!

Vote for my furbabies!!!

Local weekly is having a cutest pet contest.....and we all know who has the cutest pets!  Please vote high and often for our boys!!

Tanky

Tonka

Tuck

New furniture!

Mom & I went to a huge tent sale a few weeks ago and I scored some great deals for our house. (love knowing people in high places!!) Let me know what you think!

I got this $289 chaise for $149!




The red chest/buffet is new. Instead of $299, I got it for $129! See how cute it is? Gramma, I'm going to put the silverware from you in the top 3 drawers, then I have china in the cupboard & drawers for tableclothes!

Mom found this $349 lamp for $43 AND she got in a fistfight with some weasely guy who says he saw it first. GO MOM!!!

The weirdness has been transformed!!

Remember the weirdness on our fireplace in the family room?? My siblings called it the dance floor on the wall. We just called it strange & confusing.

Then my brilliantly talented friend, Sarah Hill, (also a Grand View College grad) worked her magic to create this FIVE feet wide, FIFTEEN feet tall masterpiece!!!!

See Sarah (paid with check & beer) for size comparison to her gorgeous paintings:

So now that's another huge project off our to-do list for the house. YAY! Thanks, Sarah, for being awesome and working magic on this weird space in our house!!  It's beautiful!!

My furbabies

It's been awhile since I shared pics of my kids so here you go! Tuck hittin the bottle, Tank thrashin Tuck & Tonka meeting Bill: