Day 59: Residual Snow

The office I work in is on the north side of the building...which always remains mostly shaded. Which means that we always have leftover snow and ice, even if the snow has melted everywhere else. The nice thing about the property though, is that it has a lot of beautiful landscaping...which lends to wildlife (quail, squirrels and tons of birds) making themselves at home in it...and since we are on the first floor and our suite has full size windows, we get to enjoy it!

I thought the different colors and textures of this specific area was very pretty and couldn't resist taking a photo of it!

Day 58: God's Graffiti?

I actually took this photo a couple of weeks ago, but never posted it because I already had a picture for that day.

It was just about sunset and I saw this incredibly odd pattern on a building...I knew it was from the sun, but the crazy thing was that it looked like graffiti! Best I could figure, was that the sun was reflecting off the windows from the building across the way, and the row of trees between the two buildings was the reason for crazy "graffiti" pattern. So, essentially...it seems like God was showing us His version of graffiti (which is totally cool, because it goes away and doesn't leave any ugly vandalism!).

Day 57: Popovers!

Oh, how I love Saturdays! My sweet husband made me popovers for breakfast and then we spent the whole day relaxing!

For as long as I can remember, Popovers have been a favorite breakfast in my family. When Greg and I got together, I made them for him, and he too, fell in love! They are amazingly easy and delicious! Just mix together eggs, flour and milk. Melt butter in a cast iron skillet, pour the batter in and bake for about 30 minutes. When you pull them out of the oven, they are puffed up ("popping over" the pan) and golden brown...essentially they are a simple souffle. For toppings you traditionally put lemon juice, powdered sugar and maple syrup on them, depending on your taste preference (I like lots of lemon juice and powdered sugar with a tiny bit of syrup...Greg mostly skips the lemon juice and just uses the other two). And then comes the best part...enjoying the hot, buttery, sweet taste sensation!

Day 56: Holy Snow Storm!

Woke up this morning to quite the little snow storm...the snow came down heavy, wet and fast...it was quite beautiful to see everything blanketed by snow.

Here is a print I left in the snow not long after the storm started...it was pretty deep!

Day 55: Already 10 Years Old!

Tonight we went and helped again with teaching the Readyman training to the Boy Scouts. Before the class, we grabbed a bite to eat at Jimmy John's with my dad, Robert, Morningstar and Nick. Nick's 10 birthday is tomorrow and dad brought him a little gift...Nick was super excited! I cannot believe he will be 10! Where does the time go? I remember when he was born and the first time I held him...now he is growing into a young man!

The night of training went well...the boys learned about wrapping and splinting injuries. They practiced on their parents, who occasionally looked like mummies! :)

Day 54: Visiting Amanda and Annabelle

Tonight after work I went to visit my dear friend, Amanda.  She and her husband, Nate recently had a precious baby girl and I have been dying to meet her! I had a wonderful time with visiting with Amanda...it has been far too long since we spent time together. It was also wonderful to see her in her new role as a mother; she is a wonderful momma...a complete natural-so gentle, so sweet, so in tune with her precious little one. Annabelle is an amazing baby...very happy and so beautiful. When I was holding her, it was so sweet, because she heard her momma's voice and was watching her the whole time with this amazing little look in her eyes, as if she was thinking "That is MY momma and I love her so much."

I am so happy for Nate, Amanda and little Annabelle and the blessing they are experiencing of being a family. I can't wait until our next visit! :)

Day 53: Looking Cute, In His Business Suit

Here is my sexy man, all spiffy in his suit! He sure does clean up well! :) We bought this for him back in 2007 for another interview and it was one of the best purchases we ever made...he has been able to wear it for many an occasion. We are both super excited for the interview, and are hoping and praying for the best!

Day 52: Getting Ready

Tomorrow, Greg has his interview with Washoe County Sheriff's Office for the dispatcher position he applied for. After dinner tonight, he got all his stuff ready for tomorrow...trimmed his hair, shaved, laid his suit out and pre-tied his tie! How cute is he? I will post a picture of him tomorrow, all decked out in his suit.

Day 51: Shrub Dinner

I know in a previous blog I mentioned our "shrub," but I never really explained it. So, I shall do just that...when speaking of our Shrub, I am referring to surrogate family we are part of...and instead of a family tree, or a bush...we have a shrub! It is mostly made up of a few of Greg's fellow SAR members and their families and then a few other friends. After a few SAR outings and functions, we all realized we were hanging out together and had created quite a fun and great group of friends. The ages in our group range from 10 years old to "over the hill." It is really great how we can always get together and have a great time, regardless of our ages, backgrounds, etc. And I think the best thing is, that we all know we will be there in a heartbeat if someone else needs anything!

Tonight we had everyone over for dinner and to "unofficially" celebrate Papa Minck's birthday (he's not big on celebrating his special day, but we always try to do dinner together). The food was great and the company even better!

Shawnee, Me and Mel.

Beautiful Sarah. XOXO

They are not just mother and daughter, they are friends. :) 

Love birds.

Day 50: Pretty, Pretty Flowers

This morning I once again met Sarah at My Wedding Library...she is trying to go to as many of their classes/presntations as possible and I love to go with her! Today's presentation was about catering and flowers...this time it was learning how to DIY (Do It Yourself) completely or with some help, but cutting out the expense of the middle man.

Sparks Florist was the vendor for the flower presentation...the son of the owner was the presenter, and he told how you could buy flowers from them at wholesale prices, then rent their workshop and make all the items yourself (instead of having them do all the work...which saves a lot of money!). He also showed how to make a couple of center pieces...totally cool to watch him do it and learn some tricks of the trade! I love putting together flower arrangements and can never just bring home a bouquet from the store and put it in a vase...I always rearrange it to make it look just right. I also totally love making bouquets and boutonnieres for weddings...I have done it for a few friends and, if I do say so myself, I am pretty good at it! Can't wait to use his tricks in the future!

Day 49: CAbi Party

Shawnee had a CAbi clothes party tonight...I promised her I would go, but I told her ahead of time that I would not be able to buy anything. Yesterday we paid off our truck, and now own it outright! Woo hoo! What an amazing feeling! The next few months we are really trying to buckle down and get our other vehicle paid off...we have it all planned out and in the budget to have it paid off by April. It will be tight financially until then, but it will be worth it, and we are ok with having to make a few sacrifices to make it happen! So all that to say...no CAbi clothes for me!

The party was super fun, and the clothes are amazing! CAbi stands for Carol Anderson by invitation...she is the designer and you can only see her line by being invited to a party. The consultant brings all the clothes into your home on portable clothing racks, she talks about the different items, the highlights of each one, etc. Then you get to try it all on! We all had a great time trying on the clothes and seeing how great they made each person look. I would definitely consider buying some items in the near future!

Day 48: Snowy Palm Fronds?

February 17, 2011

It is snowing again...lots of big, wet, fluffy flakes are covering everything. On the way home we had to stop at the store, and in the landscaped area of the complex, there was the coolest snow covered plant/bush. It is very much like a mini palm tree (or something along those lines), and the contrast between the tropical looking leaves and the fluffy, arctic snow was sensational!

Day 47: Drippy Snow

February 16, 2011
A big old snow storm rolled into town. It snowed and snowed, then the sun came out, melted it a little and then it got very cold and froze all the drippy snow. Gotta love our always changing weather! :) But it was very beautiful!

Day 46: Slacker Central

February 15, 2011

No photo, and no excuses. It just didn't happen today!

Day 45: Valentine's Day...Our Way! :)

February 14, 2011

For some reason, Greg and I have never really done much for Valentine's Day. Some years we might go out to dinner, or he has gotten me flowers, but a lot of times, we just feel like Valentine's Day is very much a consumer driven holiday and is a little overdone. We always say, we don't need one special day a year to show each other we love one another...we do it every day, for no special reason at all, other than that really love each other.

Tonight after work we got some take out, came home and watched a movie. It was a really nice night and very relaxing! Happy Valentine's Day all you love birds! I hope you are all as lucky as Greg and I!

(No photo today...I know, I am a slacker LOL.)

Day 44: Relaxing at Home

February 13, 2010

How I love the weekends...especially this one, as we just relaxed and tried to enjoy the time away from work and obligations. Aren't my hubby and my kitty cute? :)

Day 43: Talking Back

February 12, 2010

Greg actually took this photo, but it was so interesting, I had to put it on here. Toler is speaking her mind and talking back to us...probably being a pain and begging for some milk. LOL. She looks kind of freaky!

Day 42: Rainbow Chip Cupcakes for John

February 11, 2010

I made some cupcakes for my co-worker, John's birthday celebration at work today. I normally go all out when baking and make something homemade...but I just didn't have the energy last night to do that. Besides, John said he loves Rainbow Chip cake mix...and Greg and I do too...so why the heck not? Hehehe. :)

John and Greg totally goof around every time they get together...they call themselves Pumpa and Timon (John is tall and skinny...so yes, my husband is the warthog! lol).

Day 41: Feel Sorry For My Kids

February 10, 2011

How is it that gas can be so blooming expensive? The price just keeps going up and up and up...I can't even fathom how much it will be when we have kids and they are grown and driving...what a nightmare! Maybe we should all start riding our bicycles everywhere!

Day 40: Forever and for Always

February 9, 2011

Tonight I went with Sarah to a presentation by a wedding florist. She and Matt are getting married in June and she is working on all the normal wedding planning details. We had a great time and got some great ideas. The presentation was at this really cool business in South Reno called My Wedding Library...they have a library of hundreds of different local wedding vendors...everything from photographers, florists, hairstylists, facility rentals, limo companies...you name it, they have a contact and product display for it. No gimmicks, no pressure...just the ability to go into their library and see all the amazing different local options for helping you plan your wedding. Sarah is so excited and stressed all at the same time! I remember those days and absolutely love helping with weddings! I can't wait until their wedding day...she will be a beautiful bride and it will be a sensational wedding! She and Matt are a great couple and I know they have a love that will last a lifetime.

And because today is the 7th anniversary since Greg and I started dating I am posting a picture of us back in the day! Greg and I were talking about it and couldn't believe it has already been 7 years! It just seems like yesterday. We feel very blessed to still be together, still be very much in love and still be each other's best friend. Here's to 70 more years! :)

This was our first photo together (2/14/2004)...haha...we are babies! XOXOXO

Day 39: Preying for Breakfast

February 8, 2011

Today the most handsome visitor dropped by the trees outside my work building today...a hawk! I am not 100% positive as to the species...I am pretty sure it is a Sharp-Shinned Hawk. From what I found online, I am pretty sure it is an adult. And if I was making an educated guess, I am saying it is a male. Again, I have no idea if any of my assumptions are correct, but I am pretty good at researching things, but since I am not an ornithologist I am really only guessing. In my research I did found out a neat fact...hawks are monogamous and mate for life...which I thought was very precious. 

So the story of my hawk is that he and Mrs. Hawk have a lovely little nest...it is in one of the only a couple of miles down the road, in one of the great big trees that are next to the pastures on McCarran. He left early this morning to go out and search for food for himself and Mrs. Hawk and the nest of babies they will soon have. And today he stopped by peruse the foliage around our building. What a good hubby and daddy! Happy hunting, Mr. Hawk!

Day 38: Everyday the Same

February 7, 2011

Everyday, as I drive to and from work, the thought has popped into my head..."wouldn't it be nice if I had a chauffer?" Then I could do whatever I wanted on the drive...maybe I'd put on my makeup...or one day get a power nap in, or ready my book, or work on my blog...the possibilities would be endless! But I think the nicest thing would be not having to deal with traffic and rude drivers and slow drivers and stoplights...should I go on? LOL. Ah, just to sit there and let someone else worry about the drive...

Day 37: Chili and Football...Shrub Style!

February 6, 2011

Our friends/shrub family, the Burger's, hosted a chili cookoff/super bowl party. It was a great way to spend the day! In addition to watching the game and hanging out, we had a ton of great food! There were 5 different kinds of homemade chili...it was super hard to decide which one was the best! They were all so unique and had great flavor! Overall, it was another great day with our "Shrub" family. :)

Day 36: Far Away Friends

February 5, 2011

This weekend, our friends, Catherine and Chris came up to visit us and her family. Cat and I have been friends since we were 4 years old, and we have been blessed to maintain our close friendship, even after all these years! She and Chris were married the same year that Greg and I were. Thankfully our husbands get along with each other, and when we all get together we always have a great time! The only draw back is that they live in the bay area! :(  But, her family lives in Reno now, so we have more opportunities to see them! :)

By time I remembered to take a photo it was late in the evening and we were all too tired for a photo opp...so instead, I took one of Honey...their adorable and sweet pit bull. She is such a lover and so gentle...she not only looks like our precious Shadow did, but she has the same exact sweet temperament. They could seriously have been twins, except Shadow was bigger than her. Pits get a bad rap for sure, and like any breed-some deserve it, some don't. Shadow was a such a sweet dog and never hurt anyone or anything...it's crazy how much Honey reminds us of him!

Day 35: Brewhouse Birthday

February 4, 2011

After work today, we went to our friend, Matt's birthday celebration. We know him and his fiancee, Sarah, through Rocksport. We love hanging out with them and always laugh like crazy. His celebration was at Buck's Brewhouse in NW Reno. We had a great night playing pool, hanging with friends and eating some tasty pizza. I had fun taking photos...tried some funky angles and different settings. These seem to have a very "modern/grungy art" feel to them...well at least I think so! LOL.

Day 34: Readyman, Part Deux

February 3, 2011

Tonight was the second night of the boyscout's Readyman training. The boys learned child and infant CPR as well as how to use an AED on adults and children. Again, the boys did really well, they had a lot of fun and caught on quickly to each new lesson!

Day 33: Search and Rescue Stud

February 2, 2011

For Greg's birthday, my dad surprised him with another set of his SAR uniform. The uniform company was back ordered for quite a few months, but Greg finally got it and it was worth the wait, as the uniform looks great! I promised I would take a picture so my dad could see how great Greg looks in it! :) Of course Ranger wanted to show off his studly self too! Hehehehe.

Day 32: Day at Night

February 1, 2011

Today a co-worker sent me a link to some pretty amazing photos that people had taken at night, but, by adjusting their settings, they made them look like they were taken in the daytime.

I didn't have much time to mess around with it tonight, and just wanted to see if I could get the general principle to work. I was able to do it, but because of the street light there is just too much light. Now that I know I have got the method down, my goal is to go up to Tahoe where it is just the night sky and gorgeous scenery and get a truly awesome photo of Day at Night. I hope to be able to do this in the next couple of weeks.

Anyway, here is the photo I took of our neighborhood. Can't wait to get the actual shot! :)