it happened

that's right, it happened. and for me, it's huge. after many, many months of research, sweat, and searching and then finding it and knowing it was the one... and then the waiting, oh the waiting... for the right time, perhaps the right deal, the right situation... it finally happened.

this happened.

the canon 7d.

i got one. at the end of last week. it will be in my hands shortly, but the anticipation is killing me! after longingly feasting my eyes on this bad boy many moons ago, i have been awaiting the moment when i would get to hold one of my own. i am hoping/praying/crossing my fingers that this little gem will come before our weekend trip to utah. i will be soooo disappointed if it doesn't get here before then! (although my brother and family may be grateful)

i am on my way friends. one step closer to where i want to be.

and it feels fantastic.

rough life/from the sidelines

would you look at this? would you look at the rough life my poor dog has...

this is what happens after i get out of bed, either to run, or get in the shower.

when i leave, she jumps right up into my spot (after an invitation from hank, of course), and makes herself right at home.

yes friends, my dog leads a very rough and difficult life.

hank claims that this doesn't happen everyday, but i am not buying it.

i am pretty sure it does.

i'm pretty sure this is the luckiest dog on the planet.
at least that's over 15 pounds...

(the tiny dogs that get carried around in purses all day while wearing diamond studded shirts totally baffle me even more.)



also equally amusing (okay, definitely moreso) was beth the other day, as she sat and watched the neighbor boys play basketball in our backyard.

it was so great - she carried the ball around the court with them for a while and when they decided they were going to play a game "street rules" (they're 5 and 6 - where do they get this?), she took the ball over to the grass, sat on it, and watched them from the sidelines the whole time. and she would yell at them and wave her arm, sometimes pointing to... i'm not sure what she was pointing to, but she was absolutely involved in that game. it was very funny for me as i sat and watched her sit and watch them. i was thoroughly amused.

and after the game was done and the boys were guzzling water from their water bottles, beth too rewarded herself with some hydration. she had worked so hard to be a good fan!

and i do not need the reminder that in the blink of an eye she'll be

old enough to play with these boys... yikes.

don't mind at all

normally, i am not one to love rain for extended periods of time. but today, i quite like the rain.

it smells good. everything is green.

and the sound of it against my office window has been soothing me all day long.

today, i don't mind the rain at all.

new house

this is beth's new house. we found it for her on craigs list. for a deal. had to have it for her. had to. and when we gave it to her, it was as if christmas suddenly manifested itself to her in this house. she LOVES it. loves, loves, loves to play in it. (ps: her laugh is so spectacular... you have to turn up the sound. it's kind of hard to hear.)

it sits on our deck outside and you can see it from the windows in our kitchen. so when we get home and sit down to eat, beth looks out the window at her new house and points at it, wanting to go out and play. and when we're done eating and i let her out of her high chair, she runs to the back door and pounds on the window saying, "ma... ma..." (that's "mom" of course), begging to be let out so she can go and play in her new house.

there's a little phone in it that she'll put up to her ear and talk to(where does she get this stuff - she's one for crying out loud!), and hang back up when she's done. and she'll go from window to window, poking her head out and talking to... anyone who will listen and perhaps talk back. usually she just ends up yelling at the dog and giving orders, who miraculously seems to comply, and satisfies her need for some control.

there is nothing better than giving your child something that brings them so much joy in the simplest of ways. i could sit and watch her play in that house for hours.


we have also had really good luck with baths lately. not in the "whoa, she actually comes out clean" sense, but in the "this is fun for everyone" sense. someone once told me that if you have a cranky, whiny or bad mood kid, stick them in the bathtub. incredible advice! it's as if there is a magic veil that hangs from the ceiling and falls down to the edge of the bathtub separating it from the outside world.

out of the bathtub, screaming. in the bathtub, splashing and playing with nothing but squeals of delight. out of the bathtub, tantrums on the floor over hearing the word "uh-oh". in the bathtub, laughter and singing and toys for everyone! it's amazing. we have such a blast that we all end up soaked, including the dog who is usually napping in the family room one floor below us. and it has literally meant that those it's-almost-time-for-bed-but-not-quite-and-i'm-so-cranky moments are fun instead of torturous. thank you, unknown author, for giving me such great advice.

and as a bonus? she comes out clean as a whistle. (who came up with that term, anyway? are whistles really that clean? really....?) it's brilliant. like a baby therapist and body scrubber all in one. i'd really like to post a video of her in the tub sometime. it's quite amusing.

almost as cute as the full 1 minute and 52 second video above... :)

MIA

i realize i have not posted for two weeks. sorry about that. i was in memphis all last week, didn't have a chance to do it before i left, and literally had ZERO time to do anything but work and breathe while i was there. in fact, this is literally all i have to show for it:



taken as i was flying away from the city, and seconds before my oh-so-comfortable plane ride nap. at any rate, i have lots to blog about and promise to get on it. and soon.


cheers.

3x12

i wanted to take this picture for this month specifically because it was almost exactly one year ago that we did the same thing. see picture on the right sidebar to compare. i admit it's not beth's best, but hey, she's one. she doesn't know what the heck we're asking her to look at and be cheery for. can't blame the kid. mostly i just love the blossoms on the tree. i wish they lasted longer than just a couple weeks.

holy mama, april blew by. (no pun intended a la my post below.) and this is what i have to say about it: boo to the weather (march's was way better), and hooray for all the good blessings in my life. there are indeed many.

mostly i am grateful for family. my little one, of course, that shares the same roof as i do, as well as the family who doesn't. on easter we spent the afternoon at my parent's house, eating food galore with them and some other dear family members. i have the best parents and grandparents on the planet and i feel so fortunate to be close enough to them that we can get together for those kinds of things and hang out. it seems the older i get, the more grateful i become, and now that i am in my ever-wise 30's, i am really feeling a deep appreciation for them and all they've given me. thanks mom and dad. you guys rule.

and my little family continues to rock my heart. beth, aka: rascal, is still just that, but man, she is fun. the best lately is when you stick your tongue in and out while blubbering (really no other way to describe it) she does it with you and it is comedy. she LOVES to make this funny sound and it is sooo cute. she also loves to say hi to everyone, including - and mostly - dogs. "i-da" translation: "hi dog". it's awesome. she does it to every dog, not just our dog, and she does it over and over again while "petting" them/hitting them in the face. hank hit a home run in one of our softball games, looked pretty hot doing it, and never fails to impress me with his mad playing skills. i signed up for a half (-marathon, that is). it's in june in estes park, so i am training for that and so far feel pretty good about it. i'm actually really excited for it, and happy that i'll be knocking off another goal from my list.

i got a good bike ride in with my riding friend; however our dates have been put on hold for a while when after our ride she totaled her bike by pulling into the garage with it still on the roof of her car. still bummed out for you friend! i continue to look on craig's list for a high-grade bike that costs $100 or less... haven't so much found one yet, but i'm not giving up. the search is not over and neither are our riding days. let's be optimistic here. at least we got a good ride in this month, right?

i skyped with my sister who lives so far away from me and i always love that. wish i saw you more often sis. thank goodness for skype. we need to do it earlier in the day so the cousins can see each other and you can see beth. have you even seen her yet ever? can't remember...

got garden boxes in place this month, saw a horrifying pedestrian accident which i will not go into detail about despite it being forever imprinted in my mind, got a black eye from a fall snowboarding, had an awesome last day of snowboarding with hank, he went to opening day of the rockies, i trained my sales coordinator and settled into my new office, and listened to a lot of Band of Horses. it has been a good and full month.

i also spent a lot of time this month thinking about balance. how to find that magic place, how it's different for everyone, why i so often feel out of balance, and how to find it again. but i think i will save those thoughts for another day - they are many.

but overall, i am happy. i am blessed. i am grateful. and i am holding my breath. (does anyone else ever do that when it seems like everything is going really well?) in the meantime, i am eating it up. i am excited for may. and warmer, wind-free weather!!