It's the little things in life...

that matter the most. It's the season for thanksgiving and grateful hearts. As I was standing at the sink washing the dishes, I was thinking of all the little things in my life that I'm most thankful for today. I thought I should document these thoughts. Maybe, just maybe, if they are in writing they will stay more fresh in my memory.

I am thankful for the sink in our new home. It has a movable neck, a sprayer nozzle and it's a big, deep sink for a rental home. Makes washing those dishes so much easier!

I am thankful for people like Karen and Grandma Janet - people who swear by the beauty and kindness of sending real, tangible mail. Not emails. Not texts. Cards that you have to make a special trip to purchase, letters that you have to take the time and patience to write. Mail that requires a stamp and to be sent through the post office. I received two Halloween cards in the mail today. Made my day!

On that note, I'm thankful to have a husband that understands what real mail means to me. He always lets me be the one to open cards we receive in the mail. It's a little gesture that's so special to me.

I am thankful to have a husband that works so hard for me, never complaining about having to work on Saturdays. I've learned through the years, love isn't demonstrated through posting my photo on his facebook profile or the wallpaper on his cellphone. It's his willingness to work so hard for his family, making sure I have what I need to pursue my dreams and passions.

I am thankful to have two beautiful, bright-eyed nieces to spoil and brag about to all my friends and coworkers. They really filled a void in me and I hope we will remain close always.

I am thankful for my mom and dad. They were always skeptical of what we were doing as we were growing up, making sure we weren't straying from the path, and now I see why. I have a good head on my shoulders, my father's toes (and ankles apparently), my mother's need to give to others and I feel that I turned out alright. It's all because of them.

I am thankful to Monster for my greeting every time I walk in the door. Nobody loves me unconditionally like she does.

These are the little things I think about while I wash my dishes. The important things, people, and places that fill the corners of my mind. I have so much to be thankful for!

One word: FLEAS!

Monster is infested. We left her for the week while we were in Hawaii and she brought back a few hundred friends upon our return. Last night, we thought she just wreaked from being outside so much while we were gone so we gave her a bath. Little did we know, the dark brown/red water circling the drain along with little clumps of dirt (which now we understand were actually fleas) was actually the blood-filled flea excrement on her body. C'mon...are you serious? If that isn't bad enough, she slept in our bed last night. Of course, it had to be freezing so instead of sleeping under the bed, she sleep in between our blankets (mostly under). I don't think I can ever look at my bed the same. Let's just say, we have been breaking in our new laundry machines ALL NIGHT LONG. And, instead of our usual Thursday night ritual of champagne and The Office, we spent the evening scrubbing, anti-flea sudsing, bathing, brushing, combing, picking and tweezing fleas from her thick coat, dead and alive. It disgusts me to my core. I am literally beside myself, trying to figure out how to cope with this. I am the person that shrieks when she sees a spider in her house or a gnat flying around the garbage can. Critters are not meant to cohabitat with humans, in my opinion. Ever. No exceptions. Now, I have a sneaking suspicion they are hiding in fabric in our home. Gross.

Note: I understand if nobody wants to come to our house again. I would probably do the same thing, if the tables were turned.

Now, Kevin says that after 3 anti-flea baths, they have moved their way back down to her backside. So, with tweezers in hand, I'm signing off.

Ahh, life. You never know what's waiting around the bend (or in your dog's fur).

leaving on a jet plane

we leave in exactly 24 hours and i'm freaking out. so much to do, so little time! thank goodness i have a husband that does his own laundry and packs for himself! when it comes to packing for trips, i am such a huge procrastinator - one day, i'll be forced to change. you'd think with all the travelling i have been doing (trips to vegas and such) that i'd realize procrastinating stresses me out and then do something about it...nope. not yet. maybe next time? and don't even get me started on UN-packing....that's even worse. the real challenget today will be cramming both mine and kevin's stuff into one large suitcase (we're too cheap, i mean...frugal to pay to check 2 bags!)

anyway...we are very excited to be going back to our honeymoon destination. i am actually taking my nice camera (not just my point and shoot i took on our honeymoon), so i hope to have a ton of beautiful photos to share. not to mention, kevin and i can actually have photos taken together this time! i also plan to journal or blog at the end of each day so i can keep record of this vacation. so many fun things happen and i usually forget (or get too lazy) to share all the information when i get back. i packed up a little surprise bag for my niece on the plane. i'm sure she's gonna love it. hawaii, hold on to your hat...the griswold's are on their way!

update

warning: boring post ahead...

as usual, life seems to be spinning faster recently. when we haven't been distracted by unnecessary drama, we've been enjoying every moment with one another. we've adopted some new obsessions like our new couch and the show sister wives (okay, so that's mainly my obsession). we've opened up the baby talk again. it seems more real this time (and i'll admit, it kinda freaks me out). before it was just talk. now it's less talk, more plan. (gulp!)

i heard christmas music and saw the christmas decorations at kohl's today. then, i almost threw up. it's not even halloween yet! the retail world is pushing us faster into 2011 than i am prepared for. i can just feel myself getting older by the minute. AHH!

we leave for hawaii on wednesday and can't hardly wait. it's unbelievable to be going back to our honeymoon destination so soon but we're not complaining! the whole fam-damily is going, as my grandma would say. i can't wait to see hawaii through sophia's eyes. i can't get enough of that girl! but who couldn't....look at that face!!

peyton.

our little bright-eyed beauty.
is somehow always smiling.
talks with her hands.
is happy even when she's sick.
wants desperately to do what her big sister is doing.
gets overwhelmed and frustrated easily.
mumbles and sings her own little tunes.
when she's hungry, she means now.
thinks about how things work and learns by observation.
enjoys her sleep.
can't crawl yet, but rolls like a champion.
loves to be around other babies.
enjoys her binky and rarely cries.
has a tickle spot under her chin on both sides.
is very laid back.
loves a good balance between being held and being left alone.
steals our hearts every chance she gets.

sophia.

shows her emotions on her face.
rarely stops moving.
bites her nails.
can be sweet or ornery.
opens her eyes really wide when she's excited.
repeats what her mother says, thinking you didn't hear the first time.
loves any kind of toy cars or trucks.
can spot any airplane in the sky, big or small.
would choose to play outside any chance she gets.
goes crazy when she sees grocery carts in the shape of cars.
loves to have her fingernails and toenails painted.
prefers her sunglasses when she's in the car.
loves to sing along to mary rice hopkins.
would run around without pants whenever she can get away with it.
steals the show in a crowded room.
loves to show off whenever possible.
has everyone wrapped around her tiny finger

What will our baby look like?

Kevin and I morphed our images. Here's what that child is supposedly going to look like:
With the exception of the huge dent on the left side of the unisex child's face, it's pretty darn cute.

We did this once before and picked a boy. This is what it looked like (again, excuse the dent and the netting in his hair - I used a wedding pic of me with my veil):


Well, it's interesting and fun, to say the least. One day we'll get to see the real thing and I bet he/she (hopefully non-dented) will be beautiful!!

Invitation Design

I am trying to find the time to complete a website for my dream of my own invitation design "company". That word is in quotes because, not only does it intimidate me, it seems so official. Yet another person wanted my website, which I do not have. If I could magically continue to make money by quitting my job and working only on my invitation design, I would be in seventh heaven. But, since working full time is taking up all my time, I don't find the energy or extra moments in my day to do anything else. I have so many ideas swimming around in my head. I would love to do custom Christmas cards this year, but I don't have a website so nobody knows about my abilities. I have done multiple custom invitations in the past for birthdays, weddings, bridal showers, engagement showers, save the dates, display placards, etc. but how would anybody know that unless I put it on a website!?! This is what I want to do. This is what I like to do. This is what I should be doing. But, unfortunately, life and bills trump dreams sometimes. What to do, what to do? All I know is this would be the perfect side-job for when I have a baby (which should be soon hopefully) and I need to have all these things in order before we bring a baby into the picture or it really will never happen. Anybody have any suggestions? Perhaps just starting a blog would be the best option? Who knows. It's all very overwhelming and exciting wrapped into one.

Busy! Busy!

Kevin and I have been so busy lately, it seems like we don't have much time do anything let alone breathe. So many little projects to be working on. I am working on a special family project and taking senior photos this weekend. However, I think Friday, no matter what is going on, Kevin and I need to go on our weekly date night again. It's been a few weeks since we've been in transition between homes. If only this weekend wasn't packed with a bunch of stuff to do, also. I just want to finish setting up house and home before we go to Hawaii, but it doesn't seem like that's going to happen. This past weekend in Corvallis with the in-laws was so much fun. I even turned 25 again! How fabulous is that? Photos, stories and details to come...when I find time.

If only there were more hours in the day and more days in the week...

It's been far too long, Corvallis!

I can hear the fight song for the Beaver game playing over and over in my head. I can hear the "ooooooh - eeessssssss - uuuuuu" already! The in-laws are on a plane. Actually, they are almost here as I type this. Kevin and I have to work all day, then we will drive down to Corvallis just in time to meet them for dinner. So excited for my birthday weekend in my favorite town, watching my favorite team play football, walking around my favorite college campus and enjoying all of our favorite food and drinks. Reminscing around town about all the places that established Kevin and I as a couple. Of course, this trip will include a trip to the beloved bookstore to purchase myself some new Beaver gear. All in celebration of turning 25 again!

Corvallis, better watch out...here we come! :) It's been far too long.

GO BEAVERS!