A New Addition

I have a little confession to make. I think I may have bitten off a little more than I can chew. A couple months ago, I was perusing the classifieds, looking to price a little kid potty (and to see if it was weird to sell a toilet), I came across a lab for sale (free). A two year old male, house trained, kept outside during the day. I instantly fell in love! I texted the guy all day, I was seriously considering getting him. I know I want a lab one day. I love them. And I want one that has been trained and is 2 yrs old. I decided to check up on about how much this animal would cost me to keep. So I phoned my sister-in-law, who happened to have a yellow lab. WELLLLL.... she had given her to the Humane Society the day before, and was feeling terribly guilty. They live in an apartment, on the 4th floor, and just felt like it was not working out. The dog ate walls, barked a lot when they were not home. Both things that have solutions, btw, but I think they just decided she needed a new home. Anyway, I was like, maybe this was meant to be.. SO my SIL offered to go pick her up from the HS and pay the fee to bring her home, if I would take her. SO I did, she got sick, had pneumonia, SIL had to pay $$ at the vet blah blah blah. So she was at our place, gone for a week, then back, but she was still pretty mellow from being sick. I was enjoying her, even though she was a bit more work than I had expected.
Fast forward a few weeks. A few circumstances in my life have changed.  This dog follows me around like crazy and and I am getting very cranky with her. I want her to be with my kids. To play with them. She wants to play with me. They throw something, she brings it to me. She plops down in the kitchen (right in the way, I might add) anytime I am in there.  She did not do this at first, but just this week, she is jumping up on the counters (front paws) more, stealing food from table etc. All things that I would have scolded her for, but chuckled at the nature of the beast. But now, she just makes me downright mad! She is shedding like a freaking wildebeest! (Do they shed? Sounded good...) Hair EVERYWHERE. I mean, if I do not vacuum at least once a day, it piles up. It is grossing me out.
All the things that drive me nuts about this dog might be fixed with frequent baths, brushing, bones, a shock collar, and maybe even an electric fence outside (did I mention she takes off if anyone opens the door... add that to THREE kids, one of which would kill him to actually SHUT the door behind him???). She is potty trained, and a very good natured dog. She is good to my abusive children (picture Aidan, with his whole body laying over her whole body), she wants to please me (even though her lab puppiness wins out, usually). She is very friendly, etc.
SOOOOOOOOOOOOO. I am just at a spot where I really need to figure out what the heck to do with her.  Realize that I may have thought I am equipped to deal with this kind of responsibility, albeit easier than a brand new puppy (even though she has a little seriously annoying programming that needs undoing), but it is just not going to work out right now, and try to find her a home (and sell of the kennel I had to buy)? Or do I suck it up, put aside my crazy bad feelings towards her (I really have no desire to be nice to her... I tell her to go play with someone who likes her... I am a serious animal lover, but she just crossed a few lines recently and for some reason I can not let go...), spend $$$ (what I did NOT want to do) and work hard to obedience train her, knowing that she will be a great dog for our family in a year or so when she has matured more?
I am at a loss as to what to do with her. I know she just wants to please me and is a good dog. But I know things have changed, since I obtained her, and now I just do not feel like I can handle her. I am too tired to vacuum her fur up every freaking day, and deal with her shenanigans. I feel bad saying all of this cause she is really a good-natured dog with loads of heart. That makes me feel guilty, and that she came from my sister in law, so I feel a bit guilty if I ended up getting rid of her... I feel like I let her down a little too. I know I need to do what is right for me, I am just not exactly sure what that is at the moment.

A Little Pinterest-Sparked Thought (or Two)

 This would pretty much be added to the things that sum up my life right now. I found this image on pinterest, and I tried to give proper credit but I do not understand tumblr and couldn't find it there so I just took it from pinterest. People, if you want credit for your stuff, don't make it so hard. Just sayin'.

At any rate, I am ready to pack up my house and move to another state {among other things}, or something big. I don't know, I never thought I would want to move again. Truth be told, I wish we had the $ to leave this house here, taken care of, and go to another house for a few years, then come back when we were "done" there, lol. 

What would it be like to just "life" jump? I would love to experience living in Florida. The Bay Area. San Diego. Somewhere foreign & tropical. Southern France. Massachusetts.  Texas. Connecticut. New Zealand (thanks a lot Sue, for tempting me with all your pictures!) Maybe even go back to the Kansas City area. 

I know, we are probably not moving anywhere. But I think about it and wonder if it would be fun. 

Someone find my spouse a job that makes more money (should not be hard...) and they move us out and I will say, I am very, very tempted!

 itworksforbobbi.com * I love her!

This is so me. I talk and talk and talk about something, long before I pray about it, And then a lot after I do. LOL. Makes me feel better or something.

For Valentine's Day, I made heart shaped beignets. Just in case you were wondering, the scraps should be tossed, this dough was really not meant to be re-rolled out!  Those hearts were tough. These were not my best beignets ever, not sure what the problem was but it made my kids happy. We had strawberries & whipped cream with them. 

This morning, we are having a smoothie. Today's smoothie (it has been a while since I have made one) has some spinach I found in the freezer (hope it is not nasty tasting). I added frozen peaches, bananas, & strawberries, two oranges, some flax seeds, some wheat germ. Writing these ingredients reminds me I forgot the chia seeds, dang it all. Anywho, I think with all that fruity goodness, we should be good to go, huh? It is an ugly color, as usual, but it tastes yummy. I got lazy while bottling peaches and threw some on a tray and froze them. Very helpful when the ice machine decides to go out (again). 

Have I mentioned how much I love my Blendtec? Well I LOVE IT! I love that I can just throw all that crap in it (ps I just halved and peeled the oranges, I do not section them out or anything) and it blends it all up nice. This smoothie took three rounds, but it was a lot of stuff and most of it was frozen.

Yummy healthy ness!

Random Thoughts of a Runner

I saw this on Pinterest (sorry no clue where it came from) and it really is the truth for me right now! I don't necessarily need to run, but any morning I am able to run or get in my cardio/resistance training at the gym,  I am better prepared to handle the day & the stresses that come along with it. That along with a couple visits to the temple (needs to be more!) as well as prayers are really what carries me through everything that is going on right now in my life! So, I may seem a little obsessive about exercising, and I wish it was making me hella skinny (but I do like to eat, so no dice), but without it, I think I would pass out from stress. 

Random thoughts/happenings on my run this morning-

1.  When you are driving, and making a turn, please look for pedestrians!  I was almost hit twice at the same stop sign (not for me, for them). They were both turning right and only looked left, and btw, I was under a street light, very visible. I know I need to work on this, as a driver, I just want to help others be aware as well!

2. I am fine with a car being three feet away from me, as long as I know it is staying where it is supposed to be (in lines!). I realize if I want to use the pavement, I am going to have to share with drivers, after all, it is for cars!

3. If I do get hit by a car, at least I have two hospitals close haha!

4.  I saw a dead fox on the side of the road. 

5.  To be motivated to move, I listen to loud, sometimes a little risque, music. I do my best thinking/get answers to my prayers when I am out doing my thing, in the great outdoors, enjoying some fresh air. Even with my music blaring loudly in my ears.  {Also in the quiet early hours when I get up and get ready to go but no one else is awake or around.}

6.  I am so grateful there is still construction going on in the area ;)

7. I love to run out in the boonies (as long as there is a gas station or port a potty, haha). I just wish, sometimes, the high school was not out in the boonies too lol!

8. I would take running in 35 degree weather (or whatever it was this morning), wearing the right stuff, over running in 70 degree weather any day. As long as there is not snow/ice to contend with, anyway! {My preference is 55-63 degrees, sunny, and I would wear my tank/shorts.}  

9.  I had hoped to run 5 miles today, and I had the chance to run more, so I did. I could not help but keep thinking:

SEVEN GLORIOUS MILES!

It was so great to get out there today, so grateful for the experience. 

I love to run, I love to "go somewhere" on my own two feet!

I am grateful to Jody for being willing to pick me up wherever I run to!
I am grateful for the improvement I have been making, and will continue to make.
LOVE IT!

SICK :(

It has been such a long time, I am sorry. I think about writing posts all the time, I just haven't been taking the time. I am super sick and forced into bed, so I decided to write a little note. Things have been overly stressful around here the last few months. The Jazz are back in full swing, as well. So I am sort of a single mom too!  Anywho, I will maybe go into that at another time, maybe when I write about the rest of my Mexico trip :). Which, I am SO dreaming of right now, btw.

My cute cousin Brandon, Bro Joel & dad.

Joel's 17th birthday was just the other day, so I thought I would post a pic of him :)

Letter to Self Magazine

This is a letter I wrote to the person in charge of the sneaker testing @ Self Magazine.

I just wanted to take a minute and thank you for the opportunity to test these sneakers. I run 15-30 miles a week and am due for new shoes. Money is tight and new running shoes just are not in the budget right now.  I know this is not about giving free(ish) shoes to someone, but in being able to help out with this, I have been helped too. Also, being able to do this did a couple things for me. It matched me up with the best shoes ever (I really liked both pairs, but one pair is a match made in Heaven lol), motivated me to get to the gym/outside to run 4x a week, and to take a break from running and do something else the 5th day. It was more motivating to go, knowing I was doing something for someone! My eyes have been opened to different brands, which I may never have tried otherwise, and also to the benefit of switching shoes during the week.  It has been nice to run in two different pairs of shoes.  This has been the most fun little mini job and I am grateful for the experience. Thank you for doing this program- for the testers and for those who will read up and decide to maybe try something new. I look forward to seeing what other people have said when the issue comes out! 

 Thanks again, and hope you have a wonderful holiday season!

This was a great experience and I am so grateful I was able to take part. On several levels, I have benefited and I felt like I needed to send thanks. I also wanted to remember for myself, so that is why I am posting here.

Mexico, Una Parte

I know it is a bit strange to blog while on a trip, but I want to remember some things and what better way for that than to write it down? So I am going to take not of a few things we have done so far, etc.

This is the view of the beach from our hotel room-

 of the city--

 Closer

 Goofy pic @ Mikado. Hotel restaurants are good, but cost a lot and none of them are really "Mexican". This is dinner Saturday night.

 I know, I am an *awesome* photographer! These next pics are not that great, but they get across the point I am trying to make/remember. This place at night is so serene and beautiful.

 Our hotel- our room is on the 8th floor of the building on the left.

Just a recap-- Jody was bumped to first class due to his status, so he let me sit up there in his place. It was nice. The flight was enjoyable. I watched a show on my computer, until it died, then I read The Help. A friend in my ward lent me her Kindle and I am in love with it. SO we arrive. We get our stuff and make our way out this little corridor. Let's call this the.... paseo de los buitres... the walk of vultures! I could tell they were selling something cause they just had that look, I thought.  So I walked & avoided eye contact. Then someone, Hector, grabbed my attention and asked me if we needed help getting to our hotel. I thought maybe I misjudged them and this was where you contact your shuttles. Haha. No dice. So anyway, he pulled out a map of the area, showed us places we need to go, then said oh do this tour and that. THEN he told us how he could help us do those tours.  OH SNAP. I have been had! So after a bit, we were signed up to go see this presentation for Paradise Village in Nuevo Vallarta. If we do that, we get trans to hotel & back to airport, and THREE excursions. We are uh... sans dinero.... so we agreed. Craziness. Something we really hate, btw.   We had to deposit $60, which kind of sucked. But we would get that back if we showed up to our appt (which they would send taxi for us and pay for that too, as well as the breakfast during the presentation).

So the next morning (Sunday) we headed out to Paradise Village. I am sure, if we had money we did not know what to do with, we would totally go back and get Ricardo, our "host" and buy one from him. We loved the place. But we were able to get through all 3 salesmen with no problems whatsoever and they were so *nice*. Unheard of. We got our tickets to our stuff and we were out of there. SO, in hindsight, we are pretty glad it has worked out this way so far. 

We had our cabbie take us to Costco. We bought a few things, water bottles, Diet Coke, some bagels, cheese, pastries, grapes. Just a funny little note- it was like $5 and a bagel in our deli here at the hotel (little market & they do sammies too) for one is the same amount. We bought skittles, chocolate bars (little), and two sodas and it was like $15. EEK! So anyway we bought a flat of coke for the price of our two.  Here, you kind of need to drink everything from a can or bottle, so we figured it was a necessity.  

It was fun to go to Costco and see it was pretty much the same layout as the Murray one (except the giant alcohol section) and know what everything is even thought it is in another language. Something else I noted as well was most of the milk that was offered is boxed.  A few in the fridge, but the others in boxes. Interesting. Oh and lots of cookies. These peeps like their packaged galletas. 

I forgot to mention Jose, our cabbie from Paradise Village to Costco.  He is 54, has like 4 kids and 4 grandkids or something like that. He showed us pictures of his son & his son's kids. While in that cab, I was noticing the music (his was a nicer car, with a/c and seatbelts- others are just roll down the windows and hope they drive safe!) and I was like.. .I know this song! So I nudged Jody to see if he recognized it and we both cracked up laughing! It was Total Eclipse of the Heart, in Espanol. So funny. I love it. So I was laughing cause of that, and I was envisioning in my head the literal music video (kind of an inside joke). 

Anywho, good times so far. Part 2 (parte dos) will include the rest of Sunday as well as Monday. 

Adios for now!

Madagascar!

My cousin, Jason, is going on a mission.  I remember when he was adopted. He was my favorite little guy to play with. I loved his other siblings too, but Savannah, the oldest (and they were quite the novelty too cause they are half black half white and absolutely gorgeous, babies and all grown up), was always stolen by Rachel (haha), so I latched right onto Jason. Anyway, I used to babysit the Wests, my aunt Leslie & her husband Lance's kids. That was a long time ago (apparently!), and now Jason is headed on a mission. He was called to the Madagascar Antananarivo mission, to teach the gospel (what we call it lol- Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints) for two years.  

Jason's talk was so well put together, he is an amazing person.  I have not spent a lot of time with them since having kids and such, but you could just tell his spirit is big and strong and he has a lot to offer. He will be a great missionary and I am sure the people he will be serving will love him.  So his farewell, he spoke in church then we headed to their house after for food & chats and it was fun.  I love their yard, it is full of big shady trees. I *LOVE* BIG SHADY TREES!

Sister, Erica

 Group shot- that is my Grandpa Harrison back there, colon cancer beater woohoo!

 Another group shot

 My mom and back of my dad's head, Jody, bro Joel kind of hiding behind my mom. 

 Sister Jenni & hubs B-Rad

 AnnE & Talia Harrison, my aunt & cousin

 My Uncle Greg & my Cousin Elder Jason West

 Aidan Baby