Wednesday, January 22, 2014

something to ponder

Keep people in your life that truly...

love you
motivate you
encourage you
inspire you
enhance you &
make you happy

If you have people that do none of the above, let them go. 

As I get older, (I said I'm getting older, not that I'm old!) :) I really have learned to appreciate and understand this concept. When I was younger, I always felt like I had to please all my friends & aquaintences and continue being friends with someone because that's "just what you do."  As I've moved away from my closest friends, I've come to realize and value those strong friendships that I have.   All relationships entail a certain level of "work" but sometimes it's not worth the effort or I have realized that some people don't seem to bring value to my life.  Or, maybe even causes an unnecessary amount of stress in my life. I have let go of some friends over the years and I've come to accept it. It's just the natural course of life, right?

What do you think about the quote?  Have you let people go from you life?



Sunday, January 19, 2014

today is the day!!

Today is the day my best friend, lover, & hubby comes home. (<~ that's all the same person by the way, in case you were curious)  YAY!!  He's been gone for two weeks and I'm super excited for him to be home.  And this is his last 2 week detail for awhile which also makes me happy…and we leave soon for vacation, which also makes me happy.

I think I've said this before but I do think having time apart is a really good thing for any relationship even though I hate it when he is gone.  It allows us to miss each other and get excited about seeing each other again.  It also helps me to appreciate him more and appreciate the things he does for me or the tasks he does around the house.  As the time of his arrival gets closer, I know I'll start to get butterflies and I'll leap into his arms when he walks through the door…well after Ranger greets me, of course.

I asked him if he wanted to be all romantic when he got home today and go out to dinner and go to a local spa but…he said the playoffs are on and the Broncos are playing so I guess we'll be watching football.  Haha!  And honestly, that's ok with me.  Mike is not a guy that is a sports junky so I think I can manage through one game so he can watch his beloved Broncos.  I'm going to try to find a chicken wing recipe and maybe some other 'football-type' food.  I think Mike knows I'll be attached to his hip once he walks through the door probably to the point of being annoying but I.Do.Not.Care!  :)

New Year's Eve

Mike has been at the AZ/Mexico border for these 2 weeks working with Border Patrol and this is one of the pics he sent me.  I kinda sorta love him in a uniform and kinda sorta love his beard when he grows it out for the winter.  :)

Sunday, January 12, 2014

thankful for...

I'm back with more reflection the great things in my life:

  • Smart Phones - I was late to the game with getting  my smart phone but now that I have one, I do find it terribly convenient.  From looking up the hours of a store to finding directions when I'm lost, it's pretty darn convenient.  Not to mention, I just recently added the Kindle app so now I basically get to have the book I'm reading with me at all times.  You never know when you may need to wait for something so it's nice to have a book with me.
  • Living in a country in which I can make my own decisions and generally have control over my own life.  
  • Wine - because sometimes a glass of wine really does make things better. (one glass friends, not the bottle!)  :)
  • I can sometimes go a long length of time without talking to my close friends and family.  I'm thankful that they don't take it personally and we can pick up the conversation right where we left it the last time we spoke.  Just because I don't talk to you everyday, doesn't mean I love you less. Thanks for understanding that I dislike talking on the phone sometimes.
  • Clean water - I drink a lot of water.  I'm glad I can turn on the faucet and drink water from it.  You know, there are many places in the world that don't have this.
  • Being able to talk to my husband on the phone ~ when he travels, we typically are able to talk everyday when he is away.  Honestly, all I need is a 5 minute conversation to hear his voice and tell each other that we love the other.
There you have it.  A few more things I'm thankful for.
What are you thankful for?

Friday, January 3, 2014

counting my blessings

I do not really have any new years resolutions this year but one thing I would like to do is to take more time to appreciate and think about the blessings in my life.  You can read a little more on my thoughts on annual goals here.
Let’s be honest – I have a pretty simple and relatively easy life.  I know numerous individuals and families that are struggling with things I can’t even fathom…cancer, baby born 3 months before due date, friends/family in hospital, etc.  Honestly, I just really have no concept of struggle in my life…I’m married to a fab guy and have three entertaining pups.  I’m healthy(aside from a current self diagnosis of sciatica…and it kills! I’m giving it until Monday & then I’m going to the doctor) & so is my husband.  It only makes sense for me to take a ‘time out’ and reflect on the blessings in my life.  Let’s get started:(in no particular order)

  • Like I said above, I’m married to a pretty fab guy.  More recently, I’ve come to appreciate the times we laugh together.  Maybe one of us cracks a joke, maybe we’re making fun of Stuart, maybe we’re watching a funny show, maybe we’re teasing each other – the times we laugh together give me much pleasure and I’m thankful that laughing happens multiple times in our household.
  • I have a job…and a job I enjoy and that has afforded me numerous opportunities.  Some do not have a job, some do not have enough money to support themselves, some barely get by paycheck to paycheck.  I want to kick myself when I look back on the times I haven’t appreciated my job.
  • I’ve had the opportunity to travel all over the world.  For 2013, we have a Caribbean cruise planned,(Mike is officially addicted to cruising) a trip to Steamboat Springs planned, & a trip to St. Martin in the works.  I get to make amazing memories, meet people from all cultures, & enjoy the time with my husband and travel partners.
  • I’m grateful that a friend Nikki told me about meetup.com.  With the move to Maryland and then New Mexico , I’ve used meetup.com to make new friends.  It’s not exactly easy to make new friends as an adult, in my opinion.
  • Starbucks – I know some of you probably cringe at this but I love Starbucks.  To me, it’s like happiness in a cup! 
  • Yards that have no grass – although, I secretly loved my huge yard in Nebraska , it’s nice to have a ‘rock’ yard here in NM.  Aside from picking up dog poo and pulling a few weeds, it’s such a low maintenance yard.  I have no desire to mow a lawn again.
  • My 3 love bugs – Ranger is always with Mike but I’m so thankful that I have Boulevard and Stuart.  When Mike travels for work, I get pretty sad and lonely and it’s so great to have my pup companions.  If it was just me in this house, I’d go bonkers I think.  I’m thankful that Ranger is always with Mike at work and I trust that Ranger would protect and fight to the death for my husband.


That’s my first list of blessings that I wanted to reflect on.  I’ll be back periodically to appreciate & reflect on the wonderful things in my life.