Today was...

Today was one of those days. One of those days where I didn't want to wake up at 5am. One of those rare days where I needed to go to Target, but didn't necessarily want to. It was one of those days where I didn't feel like seeing a patient. It was just one of those days to get through, a day I usually take for granted.

Today, I was blessed to wake up with my baby girl at 5am. I was blessed to see her smile, waiting on me in the crib. I was blessed to play with her before I rushed to work, like every other morning. I happily shared my cereal with her this morning. I was able to carry her to the car, even though she wanted so desperately to be independent and crawl to it. I was lucky to get to go to Target with my precious grandmother, and to eat lunch with her and talk about things like best friends do.  I was fortunate to see a new patient, and hopefully help her out and bring a smile to her in her time of need.  We were graced with a torrential rain... we were in need.

Tomorrow, today will be my yesterday. And one of these days, it will be a day I wish I could relive. 

I Used to Want to Be a.....

I'm a girl with many loves. I've never denied the fact that I am a little bit scattered in my interests. I can shop with the girliest girl, come home, go outside, and get as dirty as the dirtiest little boy could manage.

 "I used to want to be a ..." is one of my well known sayings. Ryan makes fun of me a lot for it. Really, there isn't much I didn't want to be when I "grew up".

A few of the careers on the wishlist included:

• Zookeeper, age 4ish - My Granny Skeet lived in Fort Worth while I was growing up, and we frequented the zoo pretty much every time I went to visit her. This made a perfect fit with my love for all critters.
• Veterinarian, age 7ish- Probably would have wanted to work at the zoo. My dad and I used to have Saturday dates which revolved around taking our Bouvier, Zorro, to the vet. I think I killed a bird at one point, trying to give it a "shot" with a toothpick. 
• Scientist, age 10ish- My family supported me heavily in this! I had a microscope, rock collection, telescope, dissection kit.. You name it, I had it. I may or may not have put partially dead bugs in my mom's freezer (in a ZipLock- of course!)
• Mortician, hair stylist, age 12-15ish- I was weirdly fascinated with funerals. Totally not in a creepy way, it's just really neat. I actually ended up with a scholarship to the nearest mortuary school when I graduated high school!
• Liquor Store Owner, age 15-18ish- I would have located this directly across the street from my funeral home.. to help people drown their sorrows and all.
• Dog Groomer....yeah.

One thing I never really wanted to be was a nurse. It just seemed like the right thing to do at the time. I love where I have ended up in the home care business, but every day I question if I am doing what I really, really want to do. If money were no option, I would not do this.  I ask Ryan every day to buy a lotto ticket. It's more of my ticket out of full heartedly doing something that I only halfheartedly care about.

I often wonder how many people actually get to do exactly what they want, and make a living at the same time. We obviously won't be winning the lottery anytime soon, so I will make the best of my blessings and carry on ! After all, I'm not completely grown up just yet !

We're back... and a project, too!

  We made it back safely from San Diego- we had a fast, but fun trip! Ryan, his parents and little sister and I flew to San Diego on Wednesday, caught the zoo on Thursday morning, the Chargers/Raiders game Thursday night, and the beach on Friday before flying back. I'll put up lots of pictures soon.
  Anyways, remember the post where I mentioned some plans that I had for this old locker?

Ryan picked these up for free from the local middle school, when they tore down the old one school and rebuilt.  He got three sets, and put up 2 in our shop to store things, like our winter boots and jackets. This set has been lying around in the yard behind the house for a while. We weren't too sure what to do with it, but I got an idea while making my last planting project!

I was finally able to complete the project today. I'm pretty sure that from now on, whenever Ryan hears me say "Wouldn't it be cool if we....?", he will run away. This turned out to be a much bigger task than I anticipated. It took him a few hours, a few power tools, and a few beverages, but he got the job done.

Thank goodness for my husband lending a hand. When I get an idea in my head, I want it done! It was so hard to wait 2 weeks for this. Charlie and I were sure to encourage his efforts.

With all of the hammering and drilling, we found a new little pet who had made the locker his home. I let him relocate to my flowerpot on the front porch. I'm sure he'll find lots of little bugs to snack on there.

 So there you have it! My new planter! The lockers are great for planting, as the holes will let water drain. We were sure to screw the doors shut from the inside to keep them from bursting open. 

I filled the planter with a mix of compost and potting soil. The flowers are pansies, and I loved the look of the tall grasses as a background. I filled around them with Cypress mulch for a finished look. 

It's good to be home- now perhaps I can survive work after being gone for nearly a week!

Wordless Wednesday- EK Bath Edition

Happy Early 10 Months, EK!

Another early monthly celebration for Ella Kate! This month, Ryan and I will be in California on her 10 month birthday.  I am so anxious about leaving her and flying halfway across the country, but she will be in great hands while her Aunt Kaci and Uncle Clifton practice their parenting !

I say this every month, but time is flying! I want to take another maternity leave, minus the "another baby" part. This baby will suit me just fine. I love the time we spend on weekends playing and being together. I miss her during the day while I work, and she drives me nuts at home approximately 90% of the time. I guess that's part of it, so I just try to soak it all in.

She has learned quite a few new tricks! She has Patty Cake down, well, pat. She loves to "roll it up". Cutest. Thing. Ever.  She also has learned to fake cough, and will cough, laugh, and mock you if you are clinging to your life while choking on food. My favorite trick is when she goes "AhhhBlahhh" while we drive down our ridiculously bumpy driveway. The sweet little "UhUhUhUhUh" is one of the highlights of my life these days.

She has a few more teeth, has had a terrible experience with diaper rash, and has had a few late night dinner dates with Mom and Dad. We certainly know what "No" means, and can pout with the best of them.

We've visited our first pumpkin patch, taken TONS of pictures, and learned a mean face. It comes complete with a snorting growl! Ryan and I aren't quite sure where she got that.

We love you sweet girl! Even Wylie does, too!

Rewind!

Can we rewind a few days? I am  the worst mom ever. I forgot to celebrate the birthdays of 3 little guys who I absolutely can not live without. Their names are Hank, Charlie, and Wylie. Yeah, my dogs.

Hank

October 28-Happy 6th birthday! I can't believe how time flies by. It seems like just yesterday, you were this precious puppy.

 I love you and the way you always greet me with ball (or mini pumpkin!) when I get home. I love your sweet heart, and how you let the little guys sleep all over you. You do not have a mean bone in your body, and never leave our side!

Charlie

October 25- Happy 4th birthday little one!  You are one of those dogs that completes a family. You are such a middle child, always behind the scenes and never obedient! I cannot tell you how excited I get for you when we play fetch with Hank, and you are able to get the ball! I can always count on you and your big brown eyes to cheer me up when I am having a rough day. 

Wylie

November 1- Happy 3rd birthday! I love how you lay on the couch, right on top. To have been such a nightmare of a puppy, you stole the biggest chunk of my heart. I cannot imagine loving another dog like you. I love your stares, and how excited you get when you are "hunting" squirrels. Inside or out, you go along with whatever we are doing. You are the best at snuggling and I love your silly head !

So, I'm a sucker for my dogs. Happy Birthday, boys!

Another Celebrating Home Giveaway!

I hope that the day after Halloween is finding everyone well and bellyache free! I can't say so much for myself. I think I inhaled a few too many Tootsie Rolls while passing out candy last night!


After Halloween, I am always ready to get into the full holiday swing of things. My birthday is coming this weekend, Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and of course there are only 54 days until Christmas! We have so many things to celebrate and be thankful for.


One of my favorite things about the holidays is all of the great food I get to share with my friends, family, and coworkers. I love to bring a dish that looks pretty, and my cooking needs all of the help it can get in the looks department! Here's where Celebrating Home comes in. We have gorgeous bakeware that lets you cook and serve out of just one dish.  Take a minute and go visit my friend, and fellow smart mommy,  Mama G over at  Growing Up Geeky to enter for a chance to win a Venetian Baker!