Disneyland Trip

Even though Mark's travel schedule can sometimes be a drag, it isn't without its perks. The frequent flier miles, gold medallion Delta status, and serious Marriott points can be pretty fantastic. Mark had a conference scheduled for late October in SoCal and it was just too good to pass up! Paige and I decided to crash his plans and we had a marvelous time. Mickey Mouse was a huge draw, but knowing that he AND Grandma and Grandpa live in same neck of the woods is just ideal.

 

The trip itself was full of learning moments. We learned Paige gets car sick, and that when she says her tummy hurts, I need to take her seriously. The very first day of our trip we headed down to San Diego to meet up with Mom and Dad who were finishing up a conference of their own. Halfway through the trip, Paige started to complain and I assumed it had something to do with the thousands of treats I had shoved down her to keep her happy during all the airport travel. Not so. She stunk up the rental car pretty good. Mark ended up having to make a car switch the next day after the valet warned him his car was uninhabitable. Fortunately for Paige and I, we headed home with my parents and were able to do some serious laundry and car seat disinfecting! Once she threw up, Paige was much happier and we hit up the beach. It was Paige's first time seeing the ocean, and it really wasn't that warm, but it didn't bother her much. Mark and Paige chased waves and got soaked. She was honestly wild with joy!

 

 

Do yourself a favor and zoom in on her face. Pure joy.

 

 

Mark had to work for the first few days, so Paige and I bunked with Mom and Dad and hit up Disneyland on our own. After fending off another carsickness episode and some serious traffic, we finally made it to the happiest place on Earth, and it did not disappoint! Paige was in heaven and I had so much fun watching her light up. She had a serious fondness for the characters and couldn't get enough. I could bore you all with lots of shots, but I will spare you and choose a choice few.

 

Being so tall, I guess I felt the need to crouch down for this photo?? Hmm. 

 

 

She gave kisses to each and every character she came in contact with. Melts your heart a bit. Oh to be a kid and believe in magic again.

 

How do people capture fabulous shots of the Dumbo ride? I took about 20 shots and this is the best I came up with. Anyhow, Mom and Dad only had one day off, so we traded them in for Mark for our second Disney day. It was so fun to have two full days and not feel stressed about cramming things in. We were able to do all the rides we wanted and spend time in character lines.

 

Goofy was probably our longest wait but how do you pass up Goofy?

 

 Mark and I made Paige wear cowboy boots to boost her height. She was so close to the 40 in mark, which is basically the requirement to ride any of the cool rides. With her boots on, she was like 39 and 3/4. Sometimes our plan worked, other times it did not. We hit up Splash Mountain very first and somehow Paige made the grade. We walked right on and rode the thing 4 times in a row. They didn't even make us get out of our little log! Paige screamed "Again, again" after each time and the workers obliged. It was a blast!

 

She loved it so much. I snapped my own footage but kind of wish I would have splurged on the photo they take as you head down the big drop. Priceless!

 

The lines weren't too bad, but got busier as the day went on. Especially as we neared Mickey's Halloween Party. Paige did really well in the lines, mostly due these My Little Pony figurines I picked up at Wal-Mart for 2 bucks. Easy for me to pack away, and perfect for her little hands. They would gallop along the chains and line dividers and I would stick them in my pockets on the rides. She loved showing them to anyone who would take the time to look. Paige let Belle hold Twilight Sparkle which was a pretty big deal. Belle was super sweet about it and talked to Paige about horses. She told Paige she had a horse named Felipe, and Paige told Belle she had a horse named Tucker who lived at home. Belle thought they would probably be great friends.

 

The ponies did provide a bit of drama. We went on the Storyland boat ride or whatever it is called and I let Paige keep her little pony with her since it was a huge barge type thing that went about 2 miles an hour. Once we got back to the dock, Paige slipped on the edge of the boat and her little pony figurine took a dive into the water. Paige was hysterical. Major breakdown. Initially everyone, including myself, thought she was hurt and had hit her head on the dock. It finally clicked that she was just watching Rainbow Dash sink to the bottom. Apparently, there is no crying at Disneyland so a worker nabbed us and took us to a gift store and told Paige she could pick out any toy she wanted to replace the one she lost. ANYTHING. On the house. Mark and I were stoked and couldn't believe we had the magic ticket. There was some seriously nice Disney merchandise at Paige's fingertips. Christmas people! Well, Paige was too hysterical and upset about Rainbow Dash and she refused to be consoled. She wouldn't pick a darn thing and wouldn't even be nice to the worker people who were being seriously sweet to her. We somehow got out of there with this Minnie Mouse car thing that was the closest thing they had to a figurine in hopes it would fill the void of the lost pony. Opportunity wasted!

Paige's favorite character by far was Woody. She literally held on for dear life and would not let go. Woody was so cute to her and really hammed it up.

 

In order to meet Anna and Elsa, you now have to rush to Fantasyland first thing to obtain a call back ticket. The line used to be 4 hours long, and people would actually wait 4 hours to meet them. To try and simplify things, Disney now provides tickets with a call back time, almost like a Fastpass. They only give a limited number out and we barely missed out. I blame it on the 4 times we rode Splash Mountain. Paige was pretty bummed, but since it was Halloween, lots of park goers were dressed up. We found this girl wandering the streets of California Adventure and Paige was so excited. I asked the girl if she would mind posing for a picture and she was so nice about it. No she isn't a Disney worker and not the "real" Elsa, but I thought she looked pretty legit and so did Paige!

 

 

Disney was an honest to goodness blast. I wish Paige would have been 40 inches tall. She loved the rides and had no fear, but we were turned away from a few for being too short. Paige was also so sad about not being big enough. We did manage to "sneak" her onto Soarin, Splash Mountain, and Tower of Terror. I was pretty shocked we made it onto that ride, and even more surprised that Paige LOVED it. The entire time we were in line I was thinking we were the worst parents ever. Paige was the youngest by like 10 years. Even the line was  bit spooky. I kind of thought we would be booted at any moment, but we made all the way to the elevators and I thought, "Crap, we are actually gonna make it on the ride and I will scar Paige for life." Paige, however, really has no fear and laughed from the very first drop. She immediately asked to ride it again but it literally was the last ride we rode before the park closed. It was fun way to end the trip.

 

 

The trip was perfect, minus the throw up, and it was hard to come back home. A few more fun things Paige said on the trip:

 

After a long day, we hit up Cheesecake Factory for dinner. When the waitress came to take our order, Paige flipped open the menu and said, "I would like cake, two waters, and a salad." Mark and I couldn't hold back the laughs. The little stinker is seriously 3 going on 30. And no, she doesn't eat salad, but she will eat cake.

 

While racing to make a flight connection, "Mom, I have super speed, should I use it?"

 

She's a picky eater and it makes life away from home interesting. I think more restaurants need PB and J's on their menus. Anyhow, she was pretty excited to get home and eat her own food. I gave her some Easy Mac the first day back and she says, "These seem to be wonderful!" That kid. I guess she's easy to please as long as you have the right stuff. It's as healthy as cardboard, but easy.

 

 

Fall Catch-up

Somehow time went into warp speed, and before I knew it, I was two months behind in blogging. I am not sure if I am actually that busy or actually that lazy. Maybe a combo of both? Anyway, we will do our best with a few blog posts to catch up to speed. Fall really was lovely around these parts, and we did our best to soak in every glorious moment before the impending doom! 

 

Beth and I were fortunate to snag some great rides before the weather turned. Some were more glorious than others, and this particular ride was easily a favorite. Mark sold Scout, and our trainer Sherman informed us he had been working with a big gray horse for a few months and he might be a good fit. Since Tucker was out of commission, I needed a mount and decided to try the big guy out. Let's just say big is an understatement. Fortunately Beth is tough and basically my ranch hand and saddled him up for me. Had it been up to me, I would have been sunk! The weather was beautiful, the scenery was stunning, company couldn't have been better, and the big guy was a perfect gentleman. He really is a gentle giant and I am THRILLED Mark decided to buy him!

 

 

After spending a good portion of the ride coming up with some awesome names for this beautiful boy, we found out his name is TJ. I like the ideas Beth and I came up with better!

 

View from the top. Seriously magical.

 

Yum. We had a hard time wanting to come home. I could have rode forever!

 

Beth keeps me sane. Literally. In so many ways. She's a blessing in my life for sure!

 

Since the weather was so great, Paige and I were able to do quite a bit of exploring down in the river bottoms. She loves a good walk! We spent a lot of afternoons trekking around with the dog, listening to music on my phone, and just enjoying the good life together. Nothing fancy, but oh so fun.

 

I loved that on this particular excursion she insisted on the binoculars.

 

 

We loved this rock beach. Paige would throw rocks in for hours! I enjoyed sitting down and observing until I discovered that spiders also loved the rock beach.

 

On one particular glorious fall evening, we hit up the local straw maze. It was pretty great and this little turkey led the way the entire time. She did a great job and pushed us through pretty quick. We somehow nabbed the attention of the newspaper and made the front page. It's hard to be a celebrity sometimes.....

 

Of course we needed to hit up Bear World and Beth's house a few times. I snapped this picture on one particular outing. These two have a love/hate relationship. Fight one minute, hold hands the next. I really think they are great friends, they just happen to be three and being three is just hard.

 

 

At some point this fall, Paige turned 15. Seriously though, I can't believe how grown up she looks and can I say gorgeous? What a sweet, wonderful, beautiful little one. Just love her!

 

We discovered that Paige is a pretty serious bike rider. We apparently should have bought one months ago. One Saturday afternoon, we decided to check out a bike shop and couldn't get Paige to leave. She rode this bike in the store for a solid hour and then pitched a fit when we left. Mark caved and ended up bringing the bike home from work one day. At this point, things were getting cold so we back out all the cars and Paige rides the bike in her indoor arena. The first week she rode the bike each day for 3 hours. 3 HOURS! Serious love. She insists that Roxy comes in and joins her and they have a marvelous time. Paige requests Roxy's presence and then when Roxy busts into the garage Paige usually yells, "Surprise Roxy!" Every. Single. Time. It's hilarious and Roxy loves the surprise each and every time. I can usually hear Paige cheering and laughing from the garage while I am doing dishes. Too fun.

 

Mark and I celebrated our 10 year anniversary in October. I am not sure where the time went. I can say I love him more now than I did ten years ago. We've seen a little bit of everything in the last decade, and I am grateful to have such a good husband at my side.

 

 

Changing Fast

I can't believe fall is here. I feel like I could really love this time of year if it wasn't for winter that looms around the corner. We've packed quite a few events in the last few weeks! First, Paige started preschool. She was so excited about wearing her new "pack pack" and could not wait for her actual first day. She had been attending summer camps with Mrs. Trina, her preschool teacher, all summer. It was a nice way to transition both Paige and I to the preschool scene! Paige is changing and growing so fast. I just want her to stay three forever!

 

 

I tell ya what, this type of behavior is all nature! She does not get this from me I can assure you. Who doesn't need makeup on their first day of preschool?

 

All smiles at Mrs. Trina's. I made Mark drop her off. It was just easier. He dropped her off and I picked her up. It's fun that Mark works from home and can be involved with things like this. Paige obviously has no separation anxiety whatsoever.

 

Paige and her good friend Mace. They play together so nicely. Paige insisted Mace call her princess all day, and apparently he obliged. That's a good clown right there.

 

This little collage is a preview of our latest family pictures. Katie does such a marvelous job! I can't wait to get all these back and get going on our adoption profile. It is past due for an update!

 

This past weekend, Mark tapped into his spontaneous side and we decided to do a little weekend getaway. We dropped Paige off with her birth family and had a little overnight stay all to ourselves. I feel like it was a win, win for everyone. Paige was SO excited to go to Mimi's, Livvy's, and Sophie's. She asked all day when she was going to go to her friends' house. I was a little jealous that all these girls were gonna have great time without me! But I am also glad that they were all able to spend some time together. LOVE our open adoption! And it was nice knowing Mark and I could spend some time together without having to worry about Paige in any way. She could not have been in better hands! I got this fun picture on my phone. I mentioned at drop off that Paige was the worst eater ever. Mimi sent this to me to prove that Paige has a healthy appetite. Well of course she does for doughnuts!

 

The weather is changing just as quickly. This wonderful shot was out the balcony of our hotel room. We love to stay at the Stein Erickson! Great food, great views, great spa. It was pretty darn fabulous. Even if I ruined it slightly with my excessive worrying....that story below.

 

The main attraction and probably the real reason why Mark was so spontaneous. He really wanted to go to the BYU vs Virginia game. I'm always down for a good football game so he doesn't really have to coerce me with fancy hotels, but why not go all out?! Our ten year anniversary is next month and it's a pretty busy month, so we decided to count this for our celebration.

 

 

I provided the other excitement for the month, unfortunately not in a good way. About 5 minutes into the first indoor soccer game of the season, I got DRILLED right in the eye with the ball. It didn't really hurt, but it was a pretty direct hit. One of my teammates struck fear into my heart by informing me that I could have internal eye bleeding and could be blind by morning if I waited. Being 10:30 at night, I wasn't sure what to do. I called my optometrist who said come first thing in the morning. My teammates convinced me not to wait so I went to the ER. Initially things looked fine and the ER doctor said to keep my eye appointment the next day. The optometrist said my retina looked good but I had quite a  bit of swelling and I was at a high risk for retina detachment so I needed to monitor things closely. At this point, I learned that there are two types of eye doctors and that I actually should have seen an ophthalmologist. So away I went for my third appointment in a day. Dr. Fullmer verified what my optometrist said and told me to come back in a week because I was so swollen, it could hide other problems.

 

At the week mark, the swelling had gone down enough, and sure enough I had a tear. So scary! It bothered me because I was supposed to be on the lookout for symptoms all week. The sooner you catch things the better. I seriously had no symptoms and I am Miss Paranoid. It wasn't like I wasn't looking at all times! I am an anxious worrier, and this whole experience has been AWFUL for me. At one point, I was pretty close to having a full blown panic attack. It is my eye people! I need it! Plus, Mark was out of town all week so I was alone with my craziness. An hour after my appointment, I was at the hospital getting laser eye surgery. I have been on NO activity for a few weeks now, and that includes lifting Paige. The mental battle has definitely been the worst part. Right before our weekend excursion, I had my first follow up and finally got good news. Things looked great, my visual disturbances would get better with time and in two more weeks I could resume activity. I was informed to keep being careful, no activity, no exercise, no horse riding since the healing was so new and could easily be re-torn. Dr. Fullmer then said to make an appointment in a year. I laughed and said no way! I pretty much made him make me an appointment for two weeks, just for mental purposes. I solidified myself as his crazy patient for sure! I left the appointment feeling so much happiness and relief for the first time in two weeks. It lasted all of two hours. As I was getting ready to jet out of town, I was retrieving an item from the back of my car and the tailgate did not catch on the hinge. When I leaned to get in the back of the car, the tailgate/door DRILLED  me in the head. Totally spooked me and I worried about it all weekend long.

 

I had already made myself look like an idiot at the office, and I didn't know if I should bug the poor doctor with my overly anxious worries, but I am certain that getting nailed in the head is on par with running, horse riding etc....I am still debating whether or not to make a fuss and actually call in, admitting I am first crazy, and second, terribly clumsy and accident prone! So, instead of having a joyous, relaxing weekend, Mark had to deal with crazy lady! I hate it. And I hate that I pretty much have dug my own crazy grave so no one takes me seriously. Oh the dilemma! The other dilemma? Trying to decide whether or not I am done with soccer. I love it, and I miss it. But at some point it might not be worth the risk. That point may be now. I might need to change things up and find something new. It might sound silly, but I feel like this game has been a part of me for so long. Foolishly, I identify myself with it and feel like it might be one of my few talents. I am sure I have placed more importance on it than it needs, but it just makes me feel like me. My once a week binge rejuvenates me each week. But it is not worth blindness!

 

The other big change around here is Scout. We had been pondering selling Scout for awhile, but hadn't really done anything or been serious about it. A farrier came out to work on Tucker and Scout and was eyeing Scout up pretty good. Mark said we were thinking of selling him and the guy jumped at the chance. The next day, Scout was gone. It happened so fast and I didn't even say goodbye. I will admit to having a bit of a love/hate relationship with that horse, but still, they kind of become part of the family! Paige noticed right away and has been pretty concerned about it. Tucker is pretty lonely out in the pasture. Hopefully we find a horse that fits our needs soon!

 

On a positive note, here are some things Paige has said lately that made me laugh:

 

When I ask her most anything, the response I get is "Can you think about it Mom?"

 

While driving in the car, listening to the radio, Paige says "This song is wonderful!"

 

Looking for a toy, "I think I will use my super, duper eyes"

 

On the way to Grandma's "Mom, my tummy is talking to me." What did it say Paige? "It said, 'Feed me!!!!'"

 

On the way home from the storm Paige randomly yelled "Kitty Cat I am coming! Mom, Kitty Cat just asked, 'Paige where are you!?'" Kitty Cat is still serious business around here. Hopefully she will let Kitty Cat go long enough for the poor thing to get a bath tomorrow!

 

She has started to say prayers all on her own. The other night she said, "Bless we can eat healthy food, and maybe some cupcakes."

 

On the way to Olivia's, "Mom, I think I maybe want to go back and live in Livvy's tummy for awhile." Hmmm.....good luck Liv;)

 



 

 

It Came, It Rained, It Went

Time is flying. Fast! I just am not ready to see summer go. Especially since August was essentially awful. I don't think it's fair to have a crappy summer. We suffer through 9 months of winter, holding onto the bright hope of lovely summer days where we can enjoy our nice surrounding. Instead, our area channeled Seattle and August was truly a wash. With the dismal conditions, I don't feel like we accomplished much or did a whole lot. We did make the most of a few scattered nice days and did our best to fill them with fun. On to the picture update:

 

 

We finally got our landscaping done, and with a month of rain we actually have grass coming up now. Just having pretty dirt was a vast improvement, until the pretty dirt turned into substantial mud.

 

 

Like a day or two after all our landscaping was put in, the heavens opened and it rained, and rained, and rained. Like hard, for days. Of course Mark was out of town so Paige and I had to figure out how to keep our crawlspace from flooding. Fortunately we have great friends who helped us out. Some of our lawn appreciated the rain, our backyard did not. All the fresh grass seed washed out. We just barely had it replanted a few days ago.

 

 

Just to add to all the fun, I had the pleasure of having four permanent teeth pulled. How nasty are they? I was pretty nervous about the whole procedure, but Mark's brother is seriously the best dentist. Coming from someone who has had ALL her baby teeth pulled, had a horrendous 2 hour wisdom tooth removal fiasco, and now 4 permanent teeth gone, that is a big endorsement. The aftermath was far worse than the actual pulling. It was terrible. I ate yogurt and noodles for a good two and half weeks. I got dry socket, and was just all out miserable for a good portion of the month. Nothing makes you feel hotter than having huge gaping holes AND braces in your mouth. Sexy.

 

When I wasn't being tortured on "vacation", I was able to see my brother Sam's family and snuggle his sweet new baby Grayson. My mouth was essentially an oozing, sore mess, but holding a sleeping baby seemed to help me feel better. Kind of. It also re-opened the baby wound and I spent most of the time snuggling this little guy while dropping tears on his head. I feel like I took two steps back and it made for an awfully hard week or two. But it was worth it.

 

 

Paige had swimming lessons, which was rained out most days. They still held it, but on cold, 60 degree days, it was just too hard to make my three year old get into the water. It didn't seem to bother her, but I felt slightly abusive as I watched in coat. The last day was actually nice, and Paige did great! It took her about two weeks to warm up (literally and figuratively) to the idea and then she really excelled.

So  much so that she passed and I ended up signing her up for another session. I figured between two sessions we would have enough nice days to equal one full session. Didn't really pan out that way but we did our best and she definitely improved!

 

I love finding evidence of imaginative play. The girl loves horses. Apparently so does the rabbit.

 

We only hit up the carousel once this year. I was shocked, this is usually a summer staple. My wallet takes a fairly good hit each summer thanks to the carousel. This years budget went to Karie Anne's. It is seriously the nectar of the gods. As a family we were fairly addicted. Paige started to ask for it first thing in the morning. "Mom, I think today might be a good day for Karie Anne's." And she was right, it usually was.

 

 

Karie Anne's. Yum. Don't know what we will do come winter and they close. Withdrawal for sure!

 

 

My good friend Jackie came home from Nebraska for a visit and luck would have it, it was a super nice day. We took the kids to the splash park and then I had to introduce her to KA's. Paige and Logan played pretty well together.

 

 

Paige is at this awful stage where she could really use a nap, but if she takes one, it is like 11 PM before she falls asleep. I've decided to forgo naptime for a decent bedtime, but from 4-8 PM she is a MONSTER. It's like she drinks a 5 hour energy or something. I will never understand why she is hyper when she is tired, but I hate it. By this time of day, I'm wore out, my patience is thin, and she is crazy! On this particular day, Paige had an epic meltdown and I put her in her room for the safety of everyone. She must have wore herself right out, because she proceeded to crash on the couch while I cooked dinner. This has NEVER happened, ever in her whole life. I have never seen her sleep anywhere but her bed, and that includes baby Paige. I had to document it!

 

 

Grandma Norma was nice enough to watch Paige for us on the one nice Saturday so Mark and I could go for a ride. Paige loves to go to Grandma's and was so excited to help her mow the lawn. It was the first ride we have been on alone together since Paige was born. It was long overdue.

 

We had such a great time, and both horses did great. Tucker has since been sore. Who knows why, I tend to think it might be the fact Mark likes to trot rather than walk on trail rides. Or maybe I was just sore after that! How is it that riding can be such a workout for the rider? We have had an issue with Tucker's feet for awhile, and I think it is a combination of a lot of things. Makes me sad to see him sore. He's a good boy!

 

We are so blessed to have a secluded refuge right out our back door. We love to take walks on nice evenings. And since it rained most of the day, the bugs this particular night weren't too bad. Roxy loves to tag a long, and Paige loves to throw things in the river.

 

 

Mark's parents celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary this month. The family put together a fun weekend, which essentially got rained out. After some serious prayers, it was nice just long enough to get family pictures done. It was COLD, don't let the summery look fool you. It rained soon after and didn't stop for days. It's only been 7 years since our last attempt, so we were pretty glad thing panned out. We found a place down in the river bottoms behind the house, and I think they turned out wonderful. The colors looked fantastic. There was some serious stress happening, so to have them turn out well was such a relief.

 

Other than that, not too much has been going on. I get a little stir crazy and anxious when I feel like things get stuck in a rut. We are pretty excited that football season is upon us, but I can already feel doom and gloom knowing winter is much closer than I would like. Why is time going so fast?! Why can't it just be nice.

 

 

Life According to Paige:

 

"Mom, is it awesome and tool? (cool)" There are levels of awesomeness, and this is the highest.

 

She has been on a Land Before Time kick and tells me about Sharp Tooths and the Great Valley all the time. Quite the paleontologist.

 

At 11:30 the other night, we heard a little knock on her bedroom door. She informed Mark that she needed some medicine for her hiccups.

 

Paige is fairly concerned about Tucker. Each morning she asks me if he is feeling better. Since he's the only horse she is allowed to ride, this must concern her quite a bit!

 

The only obsession that ranks as high as Karie Anne's for Paige, is her obsession with Hagen. She asks about him all the time and tells me most nights that she is going to play with Hagen the next day.

 

Kitty Cat is a SERIOUS problem around here. This beanie baby goes with us most places and nighttime doesn't happen without her. Kitty Cat can't talk, but can answer yes and no questions. I am often directed to talk to her, but am reprimanded if I carry the conversation too far. "She can't talk Mom." I am usually confused.

 

Paige likes to tell me things are bad news. "Mom, that would be bad news if we stepped in the mud." The list of things that are "bad news" is endless.

 

The other day, she told me she had made me a beautiful picnic party upstairs. I came up to find a blanket laid out, dishes set, and plastic food on each plate. A stuffed animal was at each spot, the rabbit had a plastic carrot in it's mouth, and there was an empty spot reserved just for me. It was a beautiful picnic indeed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Enjoying Summer.....Seriously

Life feels like it is getting back to normal, which overall is probably a good thing. Not the new normal I was expecting, but our normal can be pretty great. All of us seem to thrive on routine, and staying busy continues to be the best therapy. I am so grateful it is summer right now. I really can't imagine how different my attitude and outlook would be if the storm had come mid-winter. Getting out and enjoying my favorite hobbies and great weather is such a blessing. For reals. Paige is at a seriously fun age and I wish I could record everything she says. She constantly brings a smile to my face. I feel like her personality is just blossoming. The things she says, thinks about, and stories she tells are just priceless. She maybe somewhat of a genius and she never ceases to amaze me, or scare me with what she catches and processes. Oh boy. What joy she brings! I was emailed this photo from her dancing performance at Relay for Life. Hilarious. Check out her face, so serious.

 

 

Lord of the Dance

 

 

The bed in all its finished glory. I need some more pillows once I convince Mark I need more pillows. I would also like a lovely coverlet and other accessories Mark finds completely unnecessary. I wish he shared in my Pottery Barn fantasies.

 

I feel like anyone that reads Beth's blog and mine gets a double dose of awesome. Or a good read at Beth's and then mine is all old news since I essentially tell the same stories a week later. At any rate, a gal I play soccer with informed me that they had some special visitors at her family's boarding stables. Being the horse freak I am, I was so excited and obviously needed my equally horse freaked friend to come with me. I knew Beth would join me in gawking. Yes, people made fun of us for our stupid questions and ridiculous amount of pictures. Little do they know I could have stayed and annoyed all day long.

 

This picture almost looks photo shopped. They are just huge. Amazingly huge and gorgeous.

 

Beautiful animals. Also, they may or may not have better hygiene and grooming habits than I do. Not a hair out of place. Anywhere. All their equipment is immaculate. I don't think I could convince them to ride in our trailer for all the grain in the world. Way beneath them.

 

There is a disorder I suffer from that I like to refer to as equinitis. Get around horses a little bit and it's just infectious. Always leaves me wanting more. It had been awhile since I had gone on a good ride, and I let Beth know that that needed to be remedied. For health reasons obviously. The only cure for equinitis is spending time with the ponies. Before the world thinks I am a fantastic cowgirl, I am a trailer wuss. I am way too scared to tackle that part of the horse world, which is quite limiting. So poor Beth has to come and pick me and my horse up. She's a pretty good sport to put up with me. To make matters worse, she tells me these great stories about blowing trailer tires and shattering the back window of her pick up with the 5th wheel hitch. On Friday, Beth trailered Tucker and I and took us on a great ride out on the desert. It was quite beautiful and I was surprised by how much I enjoyed being out there. Definitely one my favorite rides we have been on. Tucker was a rock star and behaved better than he had all year. I am sure that had something to do with the enjoyment level.

 

Cute Beth and Rogue.

 

Tucker is pretty much MIA in this picture, but trust me when I tell you he was there. We usually have a few battles each ride, and this time he decided to just let me be the boss. It was pretty magical.

 

 

On Saturday, we went for a 4-wheeler ride up to the towers and Packsaddle Lake. Paige loved it! She kept telling me we were in the beautiful forest and on the mountain. She kept her eyes peeled for the big hungry bear who likes to eat strawberries (per her favorite book). It was a bit windy and chilly up top, but the views were great.

 

I am not sure who that old lady with braces and acne is in the corner, wow seriously not a good shot of me. But Paige and Mark are so stinking cute so I had to post. I loathe selfies!

 

The water is freezing. That's as daring as we got.

 

A much better picture. Sure love this little one. She makes everything a lot more fun. I love being reminded to enjoy the little things like butterflies, smells, pretty rocks, etc.

 

The rest of the week was spent contacting agencies and attorneys. I am ready to move on and put ourselves out there again. This week we finished updating our home study. I need to work on updating our profile, but that is a big old monster. Not sure which direction to take there. I do feel like I have narrowed down our attorney/agency list and they look promising. In my heart, I still believe that our friends, family, and word of mouth are still our best options. Please keep us in mind and share our story and our desire to adopt!