Life right now

Is good. I started classes last week. I am just taking two online classes, which it seems are going to be very easy for me. I'm already four weeks ahead in one and 2 weeks ahead in the other. Nice.

I'm glad that I'm able to work ahead, since I'm planning a lot of travel in the month of September. It will be nice to finish all my assignments ahead of time rather than every night at a hotel with crappy internet.

Where am I traveling, did you ask? : )

Well, next weekend I'm going to go see Andrew to celebrate my birthday. By celebrating I mean probably watching movies and swimming at one of local lakes in the area. We also might go to the Oklahoma City Zoo, but that is still undecided.

And towards the end of the month after Andrew graduates from tech school I will be heading down again to drive with him to California. He'll be there for about two months before we officially move to our new home. We're going to make our five day drive a little more like a vacation, with a side-drive to the Grand Canyon, and two nights in Yosemite! I've never been to Yosemite or the Grand Canyon, so I am very excited. And very happy to be doing these things with Andrew.


Last weekend mom and me drove to North Dakota for a semi-family reunion. My uncle Pat, who has been in living in California for years finally agreed to get together with the family! It had been 20 or so years. I was very small the last time I saw him and his wife, Cheri. It was wonderful to see them and enjoy family time with all my uncles and aunt together. : )

I'm hoping on my way back from California, I'll be able to stop by at their place and visit before heading back home.

I'm pretty excited to drive back from California, I drove to Texas and back all by myself. But, if you didn't know, the midwest is pretty flat. Coming from west to east, there are mountains!
I'm looking forward to a different scenery.

I'll be posting pictures from my ND weekend sometime later.

Dakota afternoons

Today was another beautiful day, maybe 75 degrees, sometimes breezy and sunny. It is so nice compared to the last couple weeks of 98 and 90% humidity.

So, what else should you do with an afternoon like that?

Grab a dog, blanket, pillow and a book and head outside.

My blanket, pillow and book.

Ever seen a cicada? Me either. I know their familar high keen of summer, but have never seen one. I hope I never see one again...

Dakota always has fun outside, even more fun when I'm relaxing instead of chasing him around trying to make him tired : )

Today while laying on my stomach reading, he apparently thought it was the funniest thing to run around the yard and finish with an Over-the-Hattie jump. I should look into some agility classes for my circus dog.

Hoping for more days and sunny afternoons like this.

Meet Arson who should have been Oliver

This is our cat, he is about 5 years old now. My mom bought him for me when we first moved to Minnesota from California : ) I needed a friend.

I always wanted an orange cat, with a plan to name it Oliver. Obviously, that didn't work out.

A few Halloweens ago...He was a moose!

We have a goofy cat, we did not put him like this.

Or like this...

Arson doesn't like new people, he spits and hisses, it takes him a while to get used to people and warm up to them.

When Andrew came into my life, and he started coming to the house, I was worried Arson would through a fit. It turned out he loved Andrew. He climbed in his lap, purred, meowed and made a friend. (I think he knew how much I loved him already).


So that is our wonderful, angry, cute and fussy orange cat, that isn't named Oliver.

Not Sleeping and Pier 1

So, lately I haven't been sleeping well. I don't know if it's a missing Andrew thing, but that would be weird considering I slept like a baby while Andrew was gone for Basic.

I usually get to bed by 10:30-11:00, and then proceed to lay there until 2:00am. Well, not these past few nights, now I'm laying here until almost 4:00am. Yeaah, this is going to get old...fast.

I don't really sleep in, I am up by 9:00 at the latest. Yesterday, the last I looked at the clock it was 3:15, and I am pretty sure I laid in bed another 45 mins to an hour.

Anyone have any solutions... I have been trying relaxation methods like deep breathing and thinking of a getaway (I can only do this on my back) then I roll over to sleep and an hour later realize I've been thinking the whole time.

Enough about my bad sleeping. I told you I like livstock...I wasn't kidding. I go to the fair just to look at cows, sheep and llamas.

I saw these in the Pier 1 catalog and yes had to hunt them down.I didn't see these at the store, but if I had, they would also be mine!

And my pretty, pretty apron for baking and cooking this fall/winter : )

Why I love camping, fall and our dog

Looking at this picture is somewhat shocking. He was maybe 4-5 months old at this time, his kennel size was Medium. His kennel now is X-Large. : ) Our baby is all grown up.

There is something beautiful about dead corn. Maybe the colors.

This is my favorite picture of Andrew.

Everyone who knows me, knows I love livestock. I have a purchase to share with you that proves it... More on that later.



Where did Dakota go?

Oh, yeah. He's being carried.



Ignore the rosy cheeks. Cold air and fire do this to me.


So proof, that there really is nothing better than camping in October with your favorite person and a goofy dog.

Arson and Opal

The bear: Opal (a gift to my mom from my grandma)

The cat: Arson (my 5 year old cat)

It's a love story. The cat and the bear.

: )

Wichita Falls in Pictures

Waiting outside the courthouse to get married. : )

Lucy Falls, the falls in Wichita Falls (which are actually a man-made replica of the real falls that don't exist any more)

One of the many downpours thanks to hurricane Alex

Not too many pictures, but still a great weekend. : )