Every so oftem I hear myself say something, or observe something in my life that is well .... odd to say the least.
Are there others out there that find themselves regualrly saying or experiencing things like:
"Oh yay, did you kill something this week?" (in reference to elk camp, not general killing)
"Don't eat the poop!" (Matine contemplating eating a large brown turd in the backyard)
Finding a pacifier, bottle of elk urine and nails all in the same pocket of Pete's jacket while doing laundry.
"How many horses did you do today?" ("do" as in put shoes on)
Me: "Hey babe, what did you just wash in the sink? It's all muddy ..." Peter: "My chaps. Oh, and I wouldn't use that sponge again ....."
This is our FOURTH set of tires to put on the trailer in 2 months! (yes, that really happened)
"No, it's not that windy ... I think it's only going to blow about 35 mph today." (we live in Livingston)
"Oliver, don't stick your tongue in her mouth!" (Matine - Oliver ... Need more explanation?)
"No Matine, we have already watched the elk video 3 times today ... We need to wait until later."
While standing in our horse trailer with 2 inches of horse poop and hosing it down, "wow, this is the cleanest I have seen this in a while" (what ??? what is my reality??????????????)
Me: "So, are we 100% booked or do we still have spots left?" Pete: "Yes." (Sure, that clears it up - welcome to my world!)
"Did you see that grizzly bear this week?"
"If we cut off the knee, I think it will fit into the cooler." (while helping a hunter get his dead elk in his coolers for the drive home)
"Brutus, quit humping your brother!" (pretty self explanatory, again)
Me: "How did the tent get that big tear in it?" Peter: "Oh, a bear."
And this was just this week ..... Have an "odd" day everyone!
So much has been going on lately! I am sitting here feeling like I need to get SOMETHING out of my head and on to paper (screen) before I lose it. Matine is growing like mad, so many friends and family have been coming and going out of our lives, so many fun things going on. Here it is, in about as much order as it is in my over stimulated brain.
1. My baby girl is finally getting her two top teeth! They have peeked through and soon, she will have FOUR chompers.
2. She walks around the house now looking for me and saying "momma, momma." I love it.
3. My dear friend Christina and her twin Jackie are in town - having SO much fun with teh crazy Thompson twins. Isla (Jackie's daughter, 18 mo) is also with her - she's adorable.
4. We have had guests or been out of town since we got the Airstream and I am DYING to get it on the road!
5. I haven't talked to Micca in over 5 days and it's killing me.
6. My mother's Birthday is today - I love her so much and there aren't words to tell her how wonderful, special and needed she is in my life. Happy Birthday mom... I love you.
7. My sister in law Amy's birthday is tomorrow! YOU are so special, so loved, and so missed. Wish we could be there to celebrate with you this weekend.
8. My brother's birthday is this week - no words there... Let's just say, I better be celebrating with you as a MONTANA resident next year.
9. I miss my husband - he's been gone for a week (fishing in Walden, CO) with his best buds... So happy you have such wonderful friends and that you make time for them and yourself.
10. Matine is starting to work me over! She is testing all the boundaries and figuring out that she "wants" certain things. I have to admit, I'm a bit sick of being the only one she whines with.
11. I am FOR REAL training for another 1/2 Marathon - I'll be running the Northshore Marathon in Vancouver on October 11th! Go me. Please remind me to run if you see me.
12. I can't wait to go up there and hang with Jackie and Christina in their new Canadian home.
13. I win the mother of the year award - I gave my child a bowl of cream cheese icing and she rubbed it in her hair like it was a hot oil treatment. Go me.
14. I like my home.
15. I like my friends.
16. I want to kill my dogs for scratching our pretty wooden front door.
17. I can't actually do that because they are actually quite loveable in a very annoying way.
18. Matine will be 15 months old in 3 days!
19. I can't seem to keep clothes on the child these days - she likes to be covered in mud, dirt, water or NOTHING!
20. 8 days until I go on a 3 day, overnight packtrip with Willow Ranch Outfitting (my husband) and friends. Yippee!
21. My new favorite summer drink is a sweet tea vodka concoction that makes me oh so happy ... I enjoy one every day (almost).
22. Other Matine words that we hear alot lately: baby, mommy, daddy, Gaucho, nana (banana), cheese, doggy, kitty, Annie... Others with signs, but these are pretty darn cute.
Back by popular demand, it's our life, simplified into numbers that (I hope) you can count to.
10 - days until the bro, the Cla, the Cotton gets here for a week long visit.
22 - dollars I spent buying us Livingston Classic PBR Rodeo tickets for while he is here! That's right - more cute cowboys in Wranglers
10 - Foot Tall and 80 Proof will be playing at the Murray Bar after the Rodeo! Dancing WILL be had.
62 - weeks Matine has been living, breathing and spicing up our lives!
14.2 - months Matine has been doing the same (if she's getting too old to count in weeks, let me know)
3 - dogs (of our 3) are overdue on their vaccines and I have never licensed them in the City of Livingston
150 - dollars in fines I will be paying if I don't do the above in 14 days :(
90 - degrees it is today - holy hot weather!
6 - weeks until we drop the fishing gig for 2010 and head right into HUNTING SEASON!!! Where did summer go?
10,000 - hits on our website after the Western Extreme show aired again!
3 - of MY outfits I had to change yesterday because I was either barfed on, pooped on, or mudded on. Thank you daughter.
5 - jumping jacks I did in anticipation to going to see my first "Theater" movie since Mattie was born!
1,000,000 - times my heart pitter-pattered watching "Edward" in the above mentioned Eclipse Movie!
3 - bananas I am defrosting to make some yummy banana bread today
8 - vehicles or snowmobiles or watercrafts that are in our yard, driveway or street right now (that all belong to us). Embarrassing.
14- days until me, Pete, Clark, his friend "Ritchey," and other L-Town pals will get to see Pat Green LIVE in concert, outside along the Yellowstone River
0 - the number of bucks we have to pay for the bad-ass concert!
2 - the number of teeth Matine still has. She is getting quite good at gumming her food.
3- the number of actual food items she will eat these days
4:30 - pm was when Happy Hour started at our house yesterday. It was way too fun. Need to make that a 7-day a week event.
15 - squeals Matine gave the ducks when we went to feed them yesterday.
0 - edible vegetables that are growing in my pathetic excuse for a garden.
5 - stars is what I give my anticipated walks and hang out time with my husband these days! I miss him.
22 - pounds is what our chubby little girl is weighing in at these days - nice and round and full of love!
7 - loads of laundry I have already done since Tuesday of last week
4 - times that Mom and JimPa have already watched Matine for an extended period and helped us out
9 - days is all they have been here!
30 - minutes I get to listen to the beautiful sound of my Kitchen Aid mixer mix the pizza dough for tonight's dinner... I LOVE everything about that Mixer. It is true love.
5 - men that will be at Pete's all boy weekend in Walden, Co in August
15 - minutes it too me to kindly decline going and being the only girl on an all-boys fishing trip in the middle of nowhere (with a baby)!
Well, many more numbers rattling around in this 30 year old brain of mine, but that will do for now!
It's the season of Gratitude. I decided this yesterday. When life throws you a few disappointments, I think you have to stop the engine and start focusing on the things that ARE going your way. The scale is usually tipped FAR to the good side.
my healthy, beautiful baby girl (enough said there) a sweet, caring husband that tries hard to love me lots a nice home friends and family that help us out so willingly camping the mountains beautiful mountain summers kiddie pools on hot days a yard to grow my own food a fun town with neato stuff to do all the time live music! jobs that we love and that pay the bills! our fur kids - all 10 of them grandparents that adore our kids (human and fur alike) love dancing in the living room on a rainy summer night reading books drinking wine with my rad girlfriends new babies and new mamas friends that feel comfortable calling you at 9pm to take them to the ER good doctors in a small towns a clean house pretty window boxes and flowers this year the RAIN - which means green hillsides and no fires trout - they bring the fun, the money and make the world go round (at least around here) lifelong friends old friends new friends great Loves that you never forget getting muddy and dirty ice cream sandwiches on hot days camping in the backyard, just for fun best friends
Thought I'd hash out some things I am looking forward to (since I can't stop thinking about them anyways):
1. Sun on my legs - they are so white they look gray 2. To read the last Twilight book - Breaking Dawn. I think I might be a bit Twilight obsessed, and no, I did NOT see it coming! 3. Seeing Micca - always looking forward to that! 4. My folks to get back to Montana. Mom and Jim left 2 days ago but we miss them already. Dad says he's coming in June, but man, he can't get here soon enough! 5. For my garden to start growing! All is in (but the tomatoes)! 6. Sun, did I mention we need some sun for #1 and #5 to work? 7. My mothers day photo shoot with Meggan Carrigg Davidson! I bought my mom and I a photo shoot with she, me and Matine for Mother Day - wont' that be fantastic? 8. Pat Green concert on the Banks of the Yellowstone - July 31st! Need I say more? 9. Camping with my family this summer 10. Floating on the River with my family this summer 11. Matine in sleeveless shirts and sun hats! 12. The Farmers Market - starts next week! Yipppeeee - fresh produce and food all summer! 13. Sex and the City 2: Girls Night this Friday! 14. Sun. 15. Pete being home... But I know he loves being on the Missouri River, in his tent, fishing until dark... 16. For my house on Lewis street to SELL!!! Hellooooo buyers! 17. To see what pretty plants Joellyn picked out for my window boxes and get them planted! 18. Every moment with Matine - she's always the highlight of every minute!
I actually have a few minutes of complete and utter silence at my house. Oliver is not barking or pawing at me for no apparent reason for the first time in days. My dad is in town, but wanted some alone time and is at his house, likely in A.D.D. mode and trying to install his last remaining ceiling fan for his Livingston house. I am sure I will call him in an hour and he will have taken the light bulb out of the current one and maybe done 1/2 a load of laundry and drank a beer. I love that man, and I freely admit (as you can tell by this blog post already) that I too have A.D.D tendencies.
So, again, silence. Quiet. No agenda today. All that needs to be done is get dad to the airport by 3:30 today. This is unheard of! I might as well make a list of what's in my head- be scared.
1. Our kitchen remodel is ALMOST complete - drywall and painting done. Ikea cabinet and shelf installed. Watching dad, Peter and our friend Brian install the cabinet and shelf was hilarious! My father almost put a few enormous holes in our wall... Dad and Woodstock Cabinet Co. will be shipping me new cabinet doors in 2 weeks, I will paint them, and THEN my kitchen will be amazing! 2. I am sick of the constant mess and disorganization that we have been living in the last month. When the kitchen is being remodeled, NOTHING else can be organized in a house - I am convinced. My drinking glasses have been stored in the living room, there's drywall dust in the skillets, and the sinks have been filled with paint cans and brushes. ugh... 3. Brutus looks really, really cute with his new shave. Should have done it years ago. 4. Pete is gone until Saturday - Steelhead fishing in Idaho with our friend Brian. Glad he's there - he needed a break from me and time with dudes - I can be unbearable sometimes. There, I admit it. 5. My "self employment" as a marketing & development specialist is looking up! More work on the books and some good prospects popping up. Things DO work out, you just have to believe. 6. We have a nearly FULL hunting camp booked for Fall - VERY very exciting! Go Pete. So proud of him. 7. Matine might be cutting some more teeth - nasty diapers and a bit irritable. When she gets woken up in the middle of the night, something is up - that gal likes her sleep way too much. 8. I am cursing Madeleine for making chocolate chip banana bread for me - I have nearly eaten the entire loaf all by myself. 9. I bought new jeans last week for the first time since, well truly, since 2003 (I am not counting the 2 pairs of $1 thrift store jeans). I bought a size that was smaller than I was before Matine - I was excited. 10. This does not mean that I am in shape AT ALL! In fact, I think it's because I have lost ALL muscle mass - I need to run or lift weights. 11. To combat my thinner, yet less in shape body, I asked my workout guru - Clark - to design an at home workout routine for me. 12. I will start it tomorrow :) 13. I am sad to see Dad go - I've had a great time with him this week. Glad he will be back in May. 14. MORE family is coming in May - Clark, his friend "Richie" (What?), Aunt Susie, Cousins Ahna and Lacey, and my Uncle Doug - it's going to be great! 15. Matine's first birthday party will be "Dog Themed" - all ideas are welcome 16. The weatherman on our lame news channel this morning name was "Ferdinand Furer" - I am not joking. Who has that name except characters from Spanish Invasion movies? He needs to wear armor and carry a sword while doing the weather. 17. I miss Micca - I always miss Micca. I wish I can $$ to crash her upcoming vacation to Mexico. Anyone feeling generous, send me pesos. 18. I am excited to play with my mom's new iPad in a few weeks when they get back to Montana - where they belong! 19. My back hurts because I had to contort myself in order for all three dogs to sleep on the bed with me last night. 20. How do they know Pete's gone - they only try to get up there when they know I am alone in the bed! 21. I am not impressed with American Idol this year - from the bit I have seen the only contestant worth anything is Crystal Bowersox. She's good. But she has bad teeth. 22. I have decided I need to start a real photo album for each year - I am afraid I will die with pictures of my life only on the internet. 23. Modern Family is my new favorite show of all time - I like to watch episodes over and over on Hulu. 24. I have great friends and I miss the ones I have not seen in a while - you know who you are. I need to be more social. I need more hours in a day. 25. Matine won't quit saying "hi" very enthusiastically to me and anyone she sees. She hands me the phone now and wants me to put it to my ear, call people and say "hi!" She also makes duck lips, scrunches her nose and breathes heavily when she crawls these days - like she's working out or lifting weights. Hilarious to see. 26. I hope I remember to feed the fish for Peter these next few days. 27. I will either get Matine wooden blocks, a cool wooden fishing pole set with magnetic fish, or a wooden car-vehicle of some sort that she can push - for her birthday. What do you think? Maybe I will do a survey kind of post to get a consensus! 28. I am going to be THIRTY in 22 days!!!!!!!!! 29. The Blind Side movie was really good. 30. This list of 30 things just happens to be how old I will be! Ha!
I was thinking the other day about what I felt was luxurious . . . These are a few of my luxuries.
Lazy mornings with multiple cups of coffee Turning off my phone for an entire day Wandering around a bookstore in the middle of a weekday Dishwashers Nice face creams Wood burning stoves Reading an entire US Weekly in one sitting Walks with Peter Expensive meals on vacation Fancy shampoo and soap Curb side recycling (which Livingston does NOT have yet) A new dress for a fun occasion Central heat Your own garden Our boats Our snowmobiles A pair of skis for any weather Presents from your best friend My dad having a second house here (nearly next door) A really great massage Really faithful and amazing friends Having dog sitters for our dogs when we want to go on vacation (thanks John and Jo) Never being without toilet paper on the roll The Green Egg (it's a grill, check them out, best meat in the world is cooked on one) Sleeping in - anytime Ice Having a grocery store, hardware store, friends house, movie theater, coffee shop, park, and river within 1 mile of your house. My wedding rings Friends and family visits all the way here in MT Getting to come home for the holidays
I have a great Fondue Party post for tonight. Check back later :)
1. Spring Weather! While it is really fun to have such a great, long winter, I am ready for green grass, flowers, flip flops, a tan . . . I think we will be skiing into June this year with as much snow as there is in the higher elevations . . . with that - I am looking forward to 2. Skiing in Cooke City with friends in May! 3. Dinner tonight with Jacqueline and Griff 4. Peter to be done with his archery course and be a "certified archery hunter" 5. Getting locks on our doors 6. Updating my wardrobe with all the cute stuff we sell in the Shop! 7. My mom's visit in 1 week! 8. Getting back into our morning hot tub routine (it's been a whole week since we soaked)! 9. For today to be over and my never ending hangover from the crazy 49er Winer night to be gone! 10. Our first summer pack trip with the new business 11. Guiding season when Pete is making lots of $$ again! 12. The super fun adventure slideshow / fondue dinner party with the Cox's, Blank's, and Burford's on Sunday. 13. World peace 14. A new President in the White House and for radio / news to be about ANYTHING but the elections! 15. The invention of an anti-hair medicine to keep the dogs from shedding.
It was a much anticipated and NEEDED weekend. Highlights with pictures (coming tonight)...
1) After a very stressful and wierd work day Friday - the Cox's came over for tortellini soup and wine. It was fun (as it always is with their clan). The boys played downstairs as we had a semi-adult dinner, then we watched a little ski movie - getting Caid and Brad excited about their weekend of skiing. They are 2.5 and 4 and already little rippers on the slopes - thanks to their active and athletic parents no doubt. Caid informed us that he wants to start jumping off of cliffs and jumps. I just hope they don't send us the emergency room bill and blame it on the Howell movie night.(Brad being goofy - classic Brad face)
During my weird work day, Laurie was an awesome friend and took time out of her busy day to walk with me at lunch - letting me vent and clear my head. She's a rock star friend! She also gave me a super cool new journal - 3 Things Journal. You jot down 3 things you are either grateful for, want to do, would like to accomplish, and a few others.... It rocks and is EXACTLY the kind of journaling I am capable of with my A.D.D brain and busy life.
2) Peter and I had a very relaxing and fun Saturday that started with of course, a long hot tub, lots of coffee, and a delicious breakfast of pumpkin pancakes and sausage links.
3) Housework which included: mopping floors, vacuuming floors, cleaning rugs, dusting, finishing / reinforcing the garden fence, pooper scooping ( 5 bags worth - gross), hanging pictures, laundry, cleaning my closets and mentally designing a new and improved closet for both of us.
4) Energy savings upgrades - I insulated our basement more by doing a really cool little project that ANYONE can do... You cut bubble wrap to the size of your window panes. You spray water on the window, just a bit, and put the bubble wrap on the window. It will seal itself and stay! You still get all the light from your windows, but it increases the R-value by ALOT! I did it in all my basement windows that we don't "look out of" but still want the light. I also added insulating tape / seal to the openings. Check out www.builditsolar.com for more super cool and easy tips to reduce your energy bills and save the planet- one little home at a time.
5) Peter and I experimented with an old favorite recipe of his - meat pie with homemade biscuits on top. Yum. With the extra biscuit dough we made cinnamon rolls - delicious (and ate them all ourselves).
6) Peter has decided to become a football fan. So, we had the infamous playoff games going on in the background all weekend. They were actually really fun to watch! Go Brett Favre!
7) We harassed our friends Matt and Jeannette while they were trying to start their floor-refinishing project. I am trying to stay positive and reassure Jeannette-o that it will be done in 1 week. They have currently moved ALL their upstairs furniture and rooms to storage in the basement and are sanding and refinishing all the hardwood in their very cute house. BIG project... They are more than capable.
8) Spent more time over at Matt and Jeannette's later that night for more football. Our friends Levia and Will were also there... So good to see them. The girls sat upstairs giggling and reliving the 80's. We made those really cool paper fortune tellers. Remember when you ask it a question, pick a number, move the paper-finger-teller thing that number, pick a color, spell it out with your count, then open the flap and it answers your question? It was fun. The fortune teller concluded that: I will retire at age 75 (boo), Jeannette's floors will NOT be done in 1 week (or even close), Levia gets to retire at age 45, and it finally concluded that we needed to leave and go catch the 9pm show of Charlie Wilson's War.
9) Charlie Wilson's War rocked! Go and see it!
10) Peter and I had a perfect Sunday - and got to spend the whole day with his mom - she is fantastic!
11) We had a great morning hot-tub (the usual) on our own and then a nice egg scramble breakfast with Joellyn.
12) We then packed up the truck with cross country skis and 4 dogs and went to West Mill Creek for a day of cross country skiing. None of us had skied this trail and it was awesome! it followed an old mining forest service road and we got great view of Mill Creek and the fires from this summer and a fire from a few years back. The weather was perfect and the snow and trail was great. The dogs had WAY too much fun sliding in the snow, pouncing in the deep pockets, and running as fast as they can up and down the trail. According to my nifty Suunto watch / work out program counter thingy, we were in a calorie burning workout zone for 1 hour 45 minutes and 59 seconds and burned 599 calories. I figure we burned off the cheesy egg and sausage breakfast? One thing comes to mind when I think of our AWESOME DAY in the mountains - "Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home; that wildness is a necessity..." John Muir
13) We then went to Chico Hot Springs - local resort with natural hot springs / pools. We had their (in my mind) famous and delicious bloody marys and soaked for about an hour. Joellyn had NEVER been to Chico in all the years she has lived in MT, so it was a treat for all!
(this is a photo from the Chico website - we do not know this cute pool baby - BUT, this is what Chico looks like)
14) We went straight to Lee and Abby's house where they were celebrating (again) Lee's birthday with double iced brownies and hamburgers.
15) When we got back to the house, Peter's cousins were there. They are sick and wanted to get out of their house and rest. They watched movies, played cards, and watched more football with Peter.Loni and Gaucho - relaxin - on our NEW couch that we scored from Sally's moving sale
16) I tried going through all my mysterious keys that go to NOTHING! I tried about 2o different keys in our cars and doors of the house - trying to find what they go to. In the end, most are still in a little baggies labeled with a "?"
17) Cleaned out my medicine cabinet box. Found scary drugs in there! Some had been expired since 2003 and some medicines I have no recollection of buying. Why would I have ever needed glycerin suppositories and isn't that a problem I would remember!
18) We did some Willow Ranch business stuff and ordered a nice big Rosa's pepperoni pizza for dinner. Drank lots of tea and hot chocolate, watched a GREAT movie - Freedom Writers - I cried and went to bed wanting to become a teacher, work in a integrated school in the projects and save the world.
19) Woke up Monday morning NOT wanting to move to the projects and came to my job that works just fine.
I am stealing this post idea from someone (aghem... Meg). But, I am needing a positive outlook for the rest of my day.
Juicy pears, hot tea, mailing presents, wrapping presents, christmas lights on little houses, my hot tub, a really great nights sleep, dog kisses while i am sleeping, taking pictures of stupid things, pretty stamps, real flowers, glitter, talking to clark, packing for a trip, my green hobo purse, slideshows, maps of montana, maps of the world, globes, politics (sort of), feeling skinny (which I don't at the moment), hearing from old acquaintances, doing my job well, vanilla candles, 'thunder down under', vegas, calls from peter, brutus' smell, oliver's head tilt, gaucho's nose, lots of blankets, clean floors, no laundry, pretty yarn, raw honey, babies, kids' christmas programs, thank you's, snowy days, backcountry skiing
What happened this weekend: 1. I drove to Ennis to hang out with Peter and our friends Billy and Storrs Bishop before they went into camp for another week. 2. I thought I would only get to stay Friday night till Saturday afternoon, but I got to stay ALLLL day AND Saturday night - BONUS! Yay! 3. I got to pet and play with the horses... They are wonderful. 4. We got to hear some really fun and outrageous stories of the Alaskan Wilderness, Storrs' experiences doing everything under the sun in his lifetime (this includes running a horse drawn sleigh business, being a bad-a climber and dirt-bag ski bum in Aspen - before Aspen was the monstrosity that it is today-, realtor, store owner, hunting outfitter, farmer, teenage wanderer, and more). 5. I recommend anyone take the time to get to know Storrs Bishop III and his lovely wife Bev. 6. I sold my Honda Civic on Sunday! This good ol' faithful greenie has been with me till my Exloder died in college. It has taken me MANY miles with MANY people (physically and figuratively). I will miss the Civ... Wish her luck with her new owners who I am sure will love her just as much as I did. 7. I showed Peter's rental house to some possible tenants - both very nice. 8. I cooked a delicious Thai Chicken Chowder with Loni and Marni on Sunday night. 9. We watched the fabulous Sunday night show, "Brothers and Sisters." I love Sally Fields matriarch role in this show and the hilarious dysfunctionality of the family. 10. I bought paint to touch up and paint my outside side door and window trim. I would like it to all finally match 11. I went for a run with my friend/neighbor Leah - 4 miles. 12. I soaked in the tub this morning with Loni and Marni and we had coffee and watched the dogs play and be ridiculous in the cool morning air. 13. Peter gets home Saturday night... the countdown is on! 14. We have been married for 1 month TODAY!!!!!!!!
