Happy Belated blog B-day hunny

Okay, I admit...I am not on the ball. I was so busy enjoying Luke's birthday with him that I didn't post a "Happy Birthday" blog for him. As you should expect, I do not have any pictures from his birthday to post, but this one makes me laugh- so I thought I would share.

Didn't I marry a hunk? I my gosh I love this picture! I just wanted to shout out and say how much I love this man. Luke makes me laugh everyday. He is such a great friend and so much fun to be around. He keeps me in line, encourages me to fulfill my potential, helps me to think before I talk and put my foot in my mouth, helps me to be less judgemental of others, among many many other things. I also love how smart, witty, thoughtful and of course sexy he is! I am totally looking forward to another 80 years together! HAppy birthday babe- I love you this much...............................................................................................................................................................

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Crazy cat lady

I know that I haven't really come through with my promise to post a million pictures of my cats. The truth is, I am not very good at photographing them, it is a lot harder than you would think. They just don't pose very well and any time I pull out the camera, they stop doing the crazy funny thing they were just doing. Like the other day, Spot was chasing her tale around and around in circles while under the chair in Luke's office. As soon as the camera came out, the tail chasing stopped...one of these days I will be sneaky enough to get Spots craziness on film. She seriously is the funniest cat. Until then, here are some pictures where they posed pretty well...

Gun Slinger

Luke recently got his concealed weapons permit (don't worry, he doesn't carry heat ALL the time) and has been dying to get a hand gun. He bought one just over a week ago so we went out Saturday with his brothers (Kortnee and Nick came too) to do some target practice. Now, I grew up shooting rifles and shotguns but have never really felt comfortable around hand guns, because honestly I had never used one. So Saturday I got some lessons- I am not good at all, so it will take a lot of practice, but I feel a lot more comfortable having a gun in my house now that I know how to use it. Mainly that I know how to use it safely. I also want to point out that I have really improved my shotgun shooting skills. I hit almost every clay pigeon I aimed at!

New camera

So the screen on my camera was busted during my flight to Oregon in January. I was totally bummed- it made it through the entire trip and then my bag must have been dropped or something on the flight back because when I pulled my camera out the screen was cracked. I have hated not having a camera, I didn't realize that I used it so much. We just ordered a new one and hope to have it next week. I will make sure to post some new pictures when I get it :)

February

Each year it seems like January and February are such slow months. They seem to last forever and are so cold and dull. Well this year it has not been that way! January was over before I could really blink and now I realize that there is only one week of February left now! I guess sometimes it is good for time to fly, I really do look forward to warmer weather...but as time goes by faster, the more I realize that I need to take advantage of my life and live it to the fullest. Which at times can seem challenging. How do you fit in all the things you NEED to do to keep your world turning and still make time for the things that you WANT to do? I don't have an answer (any suggestions are welcome)...but I do know that for myself I have to take baby steps, prioritize and take a step back and enjoy the little things in life. Last week Luke bought me flowers and I have moved them all around the house so that I can enjoy them. I know it is silly, but it has brightened my days. I spent the morning yesterday cleaning my baseboards and walls, and it has been so nice to walk through my house and see it sparkling clean. I am making progress I guess...

Little bit-o paradise

So a couple of weekends ago Luke and I went down to St. George to visit his dad. The weather was so beautiful, it was in the high 60's and just absolutely nice out. It was the perfect brake from the cold and blahhh that I really needed. We went around to all of the church history sites down there, to the Dinosaur excavation site and over to Zions. We even got to go swimming while we were down there! It was a ton of fun. We loved spending time with Gene and had a very enjoyable and relaxing weekend. Here are a few pictures from our trip.

I'm alive!

Don't fret I am still alive. December went by all to fast. I was very busy with work as usual and didn't take the time to post much. Luke and I had a wonderful Christmas just the two of us (and the kitties of course!) We kept it simple this year, but as always had fun shopping for each other and trying to surprise one another. The holidays were bitter-sweet this year as my parents' divorce was finalized the week before Christmas and my grandfather passed away the Sunday before Christmas. I struggled with feeling sorry for myself and MY trials and quickly realized that my struggles are small and that I have been very blessed. I have a wonderful family that has grown closer together through our varying trials this year and have gained a lot of strength and unity. I have an awesome husband and best friend, and soul mate. Luke took special care this year to make my birthday special; breakfast in bed, time alone to read, took me out for lunch and shopping and a yummy B-day cake from Cold Stone. I have a challenging and rewarding job that gives me the opportunity to stretch myself and gain new skills, this past week I was able to spend in Springfield, OR getting to know my boss and colleagues better. I am so very blessed and I want to thank all of the wonderful people that I associate with that enrich my life and remind me those days that I am forgetful, that life is good and I have much to be thankful for. Thank you for being that person to me...