What, Lent already?

Well, here we are folks, it's Ash Wednesday again! So far I've done well today, fasted until 5:30 and made it to mass at 8:30 this morning. I am struggling, however on what I am going to give up. All of my go-tos are not realistic this year with us leaving for Switzerland tomorrow. Think: awesome chocolate, pastries, licorice, caffeine, cheese and bread! Okay so maybe the caffeine will actually be the same but I'm being realistic about the fact that I will definitely be drinking it while I'm over there. There are a lot of people that are saying that they are going to moderate better, work on themselves, etc.
I'm thinking that maybe this year I will agree to follow my Magnificat (if you don't know what that is, the link is here ) every night. I have followed it when I have felt like it over the last year and enjoy it but as we all know, life is busy and it always gets in the way. So maybe it is time to buckle down and give myself 20-30 minutes or so every night to read through and really focus on my prayers. Now to find the February issue....
You may be asking yourself what I'm doing blogging when I should be packing, and you are right. I should be packing but Mr. T is at the store and little B is snoring next to me. I don't get to hear her sweet little puppy snore for the next 2.5 weeks and I am enjoying it while I can! It feels like we are leaving our baby. I think it's going to be tougher on us than it will be on her, but if not I hope she still loves us when we get home. How could you not love this face?

Beautiful day!

Today was a bright sunny February 15, just the way Gram liked it and on her birthday. Happy Birthday Gram! We love you!
Mr. T, B and I had a fabulous day. I made apple cinnamon waffles, and we had fresh squeezed OJ from what is probably the last of our oranges. We found 4 new daffodils blooming in our back yard today!
The first picture is actually my original 4 + 1 new bloom found today. I think it gives you a good feel of our barren back yard and how lovely it is to see blooms again.The 3 in the next picture are new, I've been waiting for them.

Jared and I have gotten to take B for two walks in the last two days together and it has been so nice! He has been the only one to take her for the last two months since I am not home during daylight. I have really missed taking her! It was so nice to feel the sun on my skin and as you can see below, B was pretty happy to be able to play in the grass. As I get older I am starting to realize that while Fall is my favorite season I definitely appreciate all of them. And that I miss the sun more than I realize when it is not around.

We finalized our Switzerland itinerary today! I cannot wait. I really started getting excited this afternoon, I hope the next 2 days go by fast!

Happy Valentine's Day! (or Black Sabbath if you prefer)

I am definitely feeling the love today and I hope you are too!
This is honestly one of my favorite holidays and always has been. When we were young my Mom would always give us a card or a box of Sweethearts or some kind of little present. She was always good at making these little "hallmark holidays" feel special. I know that you are supposed to show your love every day of the year (which I try to) but what is wrong with a day to show and celebrate it more? Nothing, I say.
I am at home today, with a headache. :( There was no Sunday school today and I really missed my kids. I can't believe that I have to wait another month until I see them. We didn't go see Grandma today either, we'll go tomorrow, but I hate it when you can hear disappointment in someone's voice. I know that today is hard for her since it is her first Valentine's without Grandpa but I kinda felt like she wanted to spend it alone. With my headache, and Mr. T being at work, I really didn't want to make the drive over there feeling miserable. I hope she understands. I told you on the phone but, Love you Grandma.

 

December 2007: Grandpa & Grandma C took us to dinner to celebrate our engagement. One of our best dinners together.

I am also not-so-patiently waiting to give Mr. T his Valentine's gift. He thought we should exchange them over dinner tonight, I thought that was code for "I haven't gotten you anything yet." We'll see. We got little B her own v-day gift today, a pink heart chew toy. So far she hasn't torn it to pieces! I am off now, to the grocery store to pick up dinner ingredients.
Oh, and I have to include a pic of the two loves of my life:

 

Early 2009 when B was just a little puppy

So lucky to have them both

xoxo Mrs. T

It might be time to move home when....

*Disclaimer: This post will bring out my red-necky, hillbilly, small town up bringing and leanings*
 Today on my drive home Hank Williams Jr's "A Country Boy Can Survive choked me up. And also reminded me of this picture of my baby brother from our wedding...:
So Yeah, that's not normally the sentiment that goes along with that song but it got me thinking. I don't know how to plow a field and I don't even know how to clean a gun. Maybe if I had some more time on my hands I would but instead I spend a good chunk of my free time daily sitting in traffic thinking "I want to live where the green grass grows!" So immediately this afternoon I start planning my big escape from CENTRAL California and, of course, planning the playlist that will be blaring on the sterio on my drive. The first song will be Alan Jackson's "Gone Country" followed shortly by Brooks & Dunn's "Rock My World Little Country Girl" and probably ending with the Dixie Chicks' "Cowboy Take Me Away." And then I get really nervous about some natural disaster hitting and separating me from Northern California, and then what will I do? I can plant pre-grown plants but I have no idea what to do with seeds! I could probably figure that out but then, what do I do for shelter, how do I fight off crazies trying to steal my belongings, how do I build a raft from nothing?!? I usually try and remind myself that a lot of people in Trinity maybe don't know how to do these things but gees, it really makes you think!
My whole point is that while sometimes I can fool myself into thinking that I'm really only happy here, I miss living at home (not as in with my Mom but in the general vicinity of where I grew up.) I like slow-paced life. I like realistic people that don't judge you based on money (sounds cliche but its totally true) and I really like looking at tall mountains and trees. I miss my HLM Maddy (see her blog here) and I miss living within an hour of my siblings and their children. Not to mention I miss a 1 hour drive taking me 60 miles and not 30.
I can't wait for that day that I get to play Gone Country on my radio and be driving north on I-5 with my husband, my moving truck, and my rifle (which hopefully I will have learned to clean myself by then) whether its now or 20 years from now, Trinity county, here I come.