Wednesday, June 30, 2010

I've Seen Better Days....

Hey there fellow bloggers-
I figured that I better get on and write something, so here goes....
Oh, and just so you know, this is not a pity party post, but I am warning you that I may sound a bit down. (Below is a picture by Caspar David Friedrich called The Lonely Tree)I think that I am slightly depressed, because my life has drastically changed lately. No, nothing has happened, but after spending the last three years meeting deadlines, writing papers, and reading text books, I feel like I am somewhat at a loss; like I have no direction.
(Below is another print by Caspar David Friedrich called Abbey In the Oakwood, 1810)

The good news is that I know this will pass, but the bad news is that I am finding difficulty enjoying many of the things that I used to...such as reading for pleasure or blogging. Thankfully, I still enjoy hiking, walking, and running, so I have been trying to spend my days outdoors.

I also think that being home with my kidlets 24/7 is annoying me as well, as I have never been one to stay home and not work at all.
(Below is a picture by Valentin Ruth called The Heath In A Storm, 1896)

My goal has been to take as much of the summer off as I can, but I may need to rethink that. We have been really busy with baseball, and it has been nice to be home, but I think that I need a job to do.
(Below is yet another Caspar David Friedrich print called Bushes In the Snow)Another benefit of going back to work is that I can get a horse...lol!!!! I have been looking...just for looking sake...and there really isn't much that is catching my eye in the great PNW. However, if I had the money to actually get serious, that would most likely change. : )
Aren't I terrible?????
(Below is a print by Albert Bierstadt called Storm In the Rocky Mountains)

Oh well, things will get better, right??? They always do....
So, have any of you seen Eclipse yet??? I haven't , but I plan to in the next couple of weeks. I always had to wait to see the other movies, because I was always in school.
Thanks for listening to me whine, I feel better already!

Monday, June 21, 2010

Let's Play Ball.....

Phew...did anybody else have a long weekend??? We just got back from yet another baseball tournament, hence my lack of posts...again. ; )
The regular baseball season is over for Eric, but he is playing on the 10 year old Allstar team, and we have had three-day tournaments the last couple of weekends.

Isn't he cute????We have a few more tournaments, and then the actual state tournament/competition begins. Eric is doing stellar this season, and he is really becoming quite the baseball player. I hope he keeps playing well and goes to a university that is located in a HOT state...lol!!!! Miss Katie is also playing coach-pitch right now, but I left my camera (with her pictures on it) in my hubby's truck, so I will have to do a post just for her. : )Well, that's about it for now. I have tons of laundry to do (do you see those white pants?????) and both of my kidlets have been vomiting about every 45 minutes. Since 3:30 this morning. Which means that we are all very tired. Including mommy. Who doesn't want to do laundry....lol!!!
So until next time, take care.....

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

My Heart Is In Arizona.....

Hello everyone!!!! I swear, now that I am done with school, I marvel at the fact that I was able to get anything accomplished. We have been so busy (what's new, right???) and I have not had much time to sit down and write.
That is one nice thing about FaceBook: it doesn't require that you put much effort into it, unlike blogging. ...
Now, about my trip....My good friend, Karen, and I decided that we should celebrate my graduation and her birthday by going on a "girls" trip. We booked our trip through Costco Travel, and the whole thing (airfare, hotel, resort fees etc...) came to $302 per person, and that included tax! Pretty cool, huh???
We stayed at the JW Marriot Desert Ridge Resort and we had a blast. The Phoenix/Scottsdale area was breathtaking, and we were there early enough that things were still green (I am thinking of your comment, Chelsi...although I love the desert when it is brown too).

We arrived during a heat wave/heat advisory, with the average temperature falling around 114 degrees during the day and 90-95 degrees at night.
We weren't bothered by the heat though, because there were four pools and a lazy river (all open 24 hours), so we spent a lot of time in the water.I fell in love with all of the cacti that surrounded us, and I probably took way to many pictures of them. It was so neat to drive down the highway and have blooming cacti all around you...and the birds???? Oh my goodness, were they ever cute!!! So were these little rabbits that seemed to be everywhere....

We also went shopping, and my favorite place was Old Town Scottsdale, with its Southwestern flavor and great shops. I bought a pretty turquoise and silver ring, and an unique piece of Navajo horsehair pottery.
One really neat thing was that all of the malls and shopping centers that we went to were open; that is, the main walkway between the shops was not enclosed. Instead, there were palm trees, fountains, and large pots of plants.
Oh, and everyone was tan, healthy, and fit, unlike the people who live in WA...lol!!!! I guess that is what happens when the sun shines over 330 days per year.....We had really wanted to drive up to Sedona one day, but we never felt like driving over five hours round trip. I think that we may have to make a family camping trip that way sometime though, because I hear that it is breathtaking. Anyway, we had a nice, relaxing time, with no husbands, and no kidlets. I would love to move to the Southwest, but I am still leaning towards NM; somewhere in the high desert perhaps....
I hope that you are all having a good week, and I will be back again soon...I promise. : )

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

I Am Back!!!!

Hello everyone!!! School (for me) is officially over and I have been very busy since I graduated...hence the lack of posts. : )

I feel totally relieved now that school is FINALLY over, and I find that I am constantly asking myself how I was able to fit school and homework into my hectic schedule. Or perhaps I should say that I am amazed that I was able to do anything besides school and homework...lol!!!
(Below is a picture of my friend, Karen, and I down at the beach)

Because PLU's graduation was on May 30th at 3:00 in the afternoon, I chose to skip it and go camping with friends and family. We went to the ocean, which is one of my favorite places, and we all had a great time despite the weather....
After Memorial Day weekend, I had yet another busy week, and then my friend, Karen, and I left for Scottsdale. We just got back last night, and we had a lot of fun. I will do a separate post about it.....
Now I know that some of you (Chelsi???) are wondering about what what has been going on in the horse front, and unfortunately, it has not been much. I am planning on getting a lot of riding in this summer, taking some lessons, and....????
I would love to get a new horse for myself, but I will wait until I get a job, so maybe this fall??? My hubby and I have agreed that I will take at least 1-2 months to recover from school, and then I will start to look for a job. And....because I am nice, I said that I would wait to add any extra expenses until after there is a second income.
Of course, if one falls in my lap, I would not turn it down. ; )
I hope that all of you are doing well, and I plan on trying to catch up on your blogs this week. Take care, and I will be back soon.....