Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Happy Love Day!



I was really never into Valentine's Day growing up. My family didn't make a huge deal about it, and I honestly never had anyone in my life that I considered Valentine worthy.
Then, I went to college, and met Jason.
And we had our first Valentines Day together.
I hadn't really shared with my family that Jason was around. I was having lunch with my Grandma on Valentine's Day when some girls from the sorority house called and said I got a massive bouquet of roses sent to the house. I played it cool in front of Grandma, but on the inside I was leaping for joy.
My first Valentine's Day with the guy of my dreams. Boy, was I lucky.
Especially since my bff and roommate got a plant from her boyfriend.

Now that we are married, we skip the crazy busy restaurants and make a fab dinner at home and just enjoy being together.

And, now that we are parents, we get to share this day of love with the greatest and symbol of love in our life.

I continue to be so thankful for my amazing husband. He shows me love everyday, not just today. He thinks ahead and gets our little girl a valentines gift and card when I totally space out. And, like last night, he is patient with me when I am totally sick and just want to curl up in a coma.
After nearly 9 years together, I am more thankful today for his partnership and love than I was when we still had those first valentine's day butterflies.

Wishing all our friends and family a day of love and happiness with whomever you decide to spend it with.


Sunday, February 12, 2012

Welcome to the family, Ginger!

I've shared that several weeks ago we began the progess with the Retreiver Rescue of Colorado to adopt a second 4-legged family members. The process was intense: online application, several phone calls, family/home visit, getting set up with a matcher, then, we waited. We were matched with a beautiful golden retriever last Saturday, and were thrilled to set up a meeting with her for this weekend.
But, eventually, after several days of back and forth with the foster mom, we decided to move on. She was extremely unkind to our family, passing untrue and unkind judgements about our ability to care of a second dog. As much as we loved what we had been tolk about the dog, we really didn't want to subject our family to meeting the dog only to be rejected onsite by the foster mom. (the rescue allows the foster family to make the final decision)
The most frustrating part of the situation was that everyone else in the organization agreed that we were a great match for the doggie. However, with a very heavy heart we did eventually move on. Which ended up being such a blessing. The very next morning we were matched with our darling Ginger. She had not even arrived at her foster family yet, but we were already smitten. Ginger is a family release due to finances. She previously lived with a family with young children and a black lab (sound familiar).
We immediatly recieved her photos and put a hold on Ginger. After a great conversation with our matcher and her foster mom, we met Ginger yesterday morning.
Jason made the grand declearation that we need to "be objective" when meeting Ginger. It took our entire family about 5 seconds to fall in love with her. She is so sweet and loving. Emery immediatly wanted to take her home.
The previous night we shared with Emery that we were going to meet a doggie and if we loved her, we could take her home. She pretty quickly told us she didn't want a new doggie, she wanted Carley. You can imagine how that broke my heart. I would love to have Carley back too...
It made me so happy that Emery so quicly fell in love with a new doggie.  She is just like her Mommy, a doggie lover.
Jackson was excited too! He literally tore into the house to meet her. They were both a little nervous, but it seemed to go really well right away. After about an hour we signed the contract and took Ginger home. She immediatly go a new bed and kong toy.
Ginger quite literally spent the afternoon on the couch, mostly in my lap. We did have a couple of furbaby growing pains and snarls, but nothing major. This morning they seem to be eager to get out and play. We are planning a nice long family walk for today.

We can't wait to continue to make her feel like a member of our family. She is so kind with Emery and is crazy loving with us.
Isn't she fabulous?!

Thursday, February 9, 2012

Our household mystery

We have a major mystery going on in our household these days.  Something that is about to take my sanity and throw it out the window, the window, the second story window.
Since moving to CO, Emery has been a pretty awesome sleeper.  She might wake up in the night, but mostly because she loses track of whatever stuffed toy she went to bed with that night.
She sleeps awesome, unless her daddy is traveling.
Then, she doesn't actually sleep at all.  At least that is what it seems like.
Last night was no exception.  In fact, it was one of the worst of them all.
My sweet girl asked to go to bed at 8:30pm.
She refused to sleep in her own bed.
Or by herself.
But insisted on sleeping in my bed, with me.
Except she didn't want to sleep in my bed at all. 
She wanted to play with her two tiny teddy bears.
Then came the screaming.  The first round of screaming.
We retreated to the couch an called in Daddy on the phone for back up.
To no avail.
Here comes 10pm and we finally make it to her bed to sleep together.
She's out like a light.  I'm up until 11pm.
Then, just past midnight, in comes our darling dog, Jackson.
He needs another potty break.  Which these days, is code for sniff fest.
At midnight.
I toss an turn and cat nap until 2am.
Awesome, right?
Emery is crying again in her sleep.
And burning up.
Temp? 101.9.
And, now she is demanding watching Mickey on the couch, in my arms.
Very specific, this girl.
So, up we go to watch Mickey.
I come in with medicine reinforcements, which Emery loves.
That kid LOVES medicine.
Mickey is over.
Round 2 of screaming begins.
I'm shocked my neighbors don't call 911 because she screams like I am skinning her alive.
Which clearly I am not. Nor, would I ever (for the record).
But, I am crying too and begging her to go to sleep.
3:15am.
We in my bed and she is quickly falling back to sleep.
4am. I finally fall alseep too.
Only to be woken up at 6:20 by my darling husband calling.
Apparently "by accident."

Not.enough.coffee.in.the.world.today.

Thank goodness husband comes home today to rescue me from the non-sleeping baby.

I'd bed $100 that she sleeps through the night today with Daddy home.

ugh.

Friday, February 3, 2012

Snow-pocolypse 2012

Taken from our patio.  Yes, that is snow above my child's knees.  It took like 15 minutes to get her properly bundled.  But, she was dying to play in the blizzard.

Jackson is one of those giant, freakishly tall labs.  Please notice the snow that is up to, or beyone his rib case.

While I am enjoying my snow day at home with my family (complete with afternoon coffee and girl scout cookies), I am angry and jealous that my CA have FB status updates that have included the BEACH this week. At least today I am justified for having not gotten dressed and mostly not left the couch.