Some were funny, some were unexpected and reasons I wouldn't have even known, but all of them were extremely sweet and melted my heart.
I've said it before and I'll say it again, I am truly fortunate for what we have together.
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Possibly the best email...
Today Joe sent me what has possibly been the best email I've ever received. He listed out the "Reasons you're the love of my life."
Some were funny, some were unexpected and reasons I wouldn't have even known, but all of them were extremely sweet and melted my heart.
I've said it before and I'll say it again, I am truly fortunate for what we have together.
Some were funny, some were unexpected and reasons I wouldn't have even known, but all of them were extremely sweet and melted my heart.
I've said it before and I'll say it again, I am truly fortunate for what we have together.
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
A little sparkle...
It's definitely no secret that my favorite color is and always has been ORANGE. With that being said, do you know how hard it is to find a good shade of orange in jewelery?! Some Citrine stones end up being the perfect orange-ish color but more often than not they are more of a yellow-ish color. After looking for years with no luck (unless I had like $20k to spend...), I was pleasantly surprised to receive a beautiful citrine ring with small diamonds around it from Joe on our trip.
No...it's not THAT kind of ring, if that's what you're wondering at this point. :) As he would say, "it's just a token of my love" type of gift. Whatever the reason behind it...I LOVEEEEEE IT! After receiving it I couldn't stop smiling and looking at how beautiful it is. Heck, I still smile every time I see it.
Receiving it made sitting at the Atlanta airport for hours on end seem like a breeze. Have I mentioned how lucky I am to have such a great guy in my life?! Love him to pieces.
No...it's not THAT kind of ring, if that's what you're wondering at this point. :) As he would say, "it's just a token of my love" type of gift. Whatever the reason behind it...I LOVEEEEEE IT! After receiving it I couldn't stop smiling and looking at how beautiful it is. Heck, I still smile every time I see it.
Receiving it made sitting at the Atlanta airport for hours on end seem like a breeze. Have I mentioned how lucky I am to have such a great guy in my life?! Love him to pieces.
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Dolphin Swim!
On Valentine's Day, Joe and I went to the Dolphin Cay at Atlantis. Truly an amazing experience. We shimmied into some wetsuits and were able to dive under with scooters to swim deep with the dolphins, we got to have the dolphins push across the water on boogie boards, and of course we were able to pet, kiss, and hug them as well. We also were able to experience a rare opportunity of swimming with a BABY dolphin that was only a week old. SOOO much fun!
I think Joe and I had smiles on our face the entire time we were there.
I think Joe and I had smiles on our face the entire time we were there.
Paradise
I feel like this was a vacation that was planned so long ago that it almost didn't feel real when the actual day to leave finally came.
We were both off on Tuesday early and took the time to run our last minute errands and to have dinner and a beer. Embarrassingly enough, we were also sleeping by 7pm that evening in anticipation of needing to get up at 4AM. Next thing you know, alarm crickets were going off and we were off to the airport!
I'm pretty sure we were both like little kids the night before Christmas. We could no longer contain our excitement. We were both looking forward to a vacation more than we were aware. Fast forward a few hours and a pit stop in Atlanta later... we made it to Nassau! Palm trees, sunny skies and water for miles, now this was great scenery and we hadn't even left the airport yet!
After a LONG line waiting to go through Customs, we were finally stamped, had our baggage and were ready to get this vacation started! The ride to the resort was anything less than exciting. The driver even warned us that people in the Bahamas just do not know how to drive. He was NOT kidding. It was awful.
Once at the hotel we were greeted by the wonderful staff with some fruity drinks and we were ready to get out of our travel clothes and into our swimsuits! The view from our hotel room was great! We overlooked both the pool area and the beautiful beach. From the time our swimsuits got on until we left turned into one giant day of relaxation.
We took advantage of the weather and spent 90% of our time laying by the beach. We definitely soaked in some sun. The beach there was perfect. Private and not too crowded and beautifully maintained. It couldn't have been any more perfect. We spent most mornings walking the beach before the rest of the island woke up. We quickly realized that we get up WAY too early compared to most people on vacation. We also realized that we go to sleep too early too. Haha!
The first day we were there was spent enjoying the resort amenities. The pool and of course the beach. The resort had an awesome beachside grill that had the most amazing Conch Fritters. They were definitely a favorite of mine. I also found a drink that I grew to love...if only the bartender told me her secret recipe :( Haha. She was the only one at the resort that made 'Ave's Special' and she kept it a secret. It's a good thing she worked most days we were there!
Valentine's Day we took in the perfect weather in the morning and afternoon. There was not a cloud in the sky. We couldn't have asked for a better day. In the afternoon we ventured out to Atlantis, to Dolphin Cay for the Deep Water Dolphin Swim. BEST experience of the trip. Pictures and our experience can be found in this blog post.
We were both off on Tuesday early and took the time to run our last minute errands and to have dinner and a beer. Embarrassingly enough, we were also sleeping by 7pm that evening in anticipation of needing to get up at 4AM. Next thing you know, alarm crickets were going off and we were off to the airport!
I'm pretty sure we were both like little kids the night before Christmas. We could no longer contain our excitement. We were both looking forward to a vacation more than we were aware. Fast forward a few hours and a pit stop in Atlanta later... we made it to Nassau! Palm trees, sunny skies and water for miles, now this was great scenery and we hadn't even left the airport yet!
After a LONG line waiting to go through Customs, we were finally stamped, had our baggage and were ready to get this vacation started! The ride to the resort was anything less than exciting. The driver even warned us that people in the Bahamas just do not know how to drive. He was NOT kidding. It was awful.
Once at the hotel we were greeted by the wonderful staff with some fruity drinks and we were ready to get out of our travel clothes and into our swimsuits! The view from our hotel room was great! We overlooked both the pool area and the beautiful beach. From the time our swimsuits got on until we left turned into one giant day of relaxation.
We took advantage of the weather and spent 90% of our time laying by the beach. We definitely soaked in some sun. The beach there was perfect. Private and not too crowded and beautifully maintained. It couldn't have been any more perfect. We spent most mornings walking the beach before the rest of the island woke up. We quickly realized that we get up WAY too early compared to most people on vacation. We also realized that we go to sleep too early too. Haha!
The first day we were there was spent enjoying the resort amenities. The pool and of course the beach. The resort had an awesome beachside grill that had the most amazing Conch Fritters. They were definitely a favorite of mine. I also found a drink that I grew to love...if only the bartender told me her secret recipe :( Haha. She was the only one at the resort that made 'Ave's Special' and she kept it a secret. It's a good thing she worked most days we were there!
Valentine's Day we took in the perfect weather in the morning and afternoon. There was not a cloud in the sky. We couldn't have asked for a better day. In the afternoon we ventured out to Atlantis, to Dolphin Cay for the Deep Water Dolphin Swim. BEST experience of the trip. Pictures and our experience can be found in this blog post.
The next day we got up and had deep tissue massages to start the day. It was by far the best massage I've had in my life. After the massage we spent the day by the beach...as usual.
The remainder after Saturday we didn't get much beach time. The weather turned into a little rain and some COOOOOLLLLD winds. We took advantage of this not so great weather by venturing out downtown to do some shopping and experience. We walked around the Straw Market and were bombarded with people wanting to bargain with us. NOT my cup of tea. I'll buy if I want to. Don't try to sell me on your items. So, this wasn't exactly the best experience as it made me irritated. Haha. We ate at a little cafe for lunch that had the most AMAZING lobster we've ever had. Cafe Skan, in downtown Nassau, definitely recommended.
We had plans of snorkeling but were hoping to do that on our last day there. The weather clearly had a mind of it's own. So... that will be saved for the next trip ;)
For a link of all the pictures from the trip, go here: https://picasaweb.google.com/106302054407160344167/Bahamas13?authkey=Gv1sRgCLfNmbj85OjYDQ
Monday, February 25, 2013
Gordie's Home!
After a LONG month without the little guy, he's finally home from training. He spent a month at Wings & Whistles for his field training and obedience training. I was a bit nervous at how it would go with him being gone for a whole month. Would he come home the same dog? Would he even learn anything? Would he still be the goofy guy I love? So many questions went through my mind but ultimately I knew whether I wanted him to or not, he was going as it was beneficial for Joe if he's going to hunt him.
We went out Thursday to pick him up and I must say, I was pleasantly surprised! He was still my big goofball BUT a well mannered goofball :) And he had also grown about an inch and put on a lot of new muscle weight. He's back to being in his awkward too long of legs stage. Haha.
After sleeping for a few days straight, he's finally back into his crazy routine of having more energy than he knows what to do with. Although he drives me bonkers, I will say I missed him more than I imagined I would.
On the plus side, at least this was his last training session away from home for a period of time. Now it's up to Joe and I to continue working him at home.
We went out Thursday to pick him up and I must say, I was pleasantly surprised! He was still my big goofball BUT a well mannered goofball :) And he had also grown about an inch and put on a lot of new muscle weight. He's back to being in his awkward too long of legs stage. Haha.
After sleeping for a few days straight, he's finally back into his crazy routine of having more energy than he knows what to do with. Although he drives me bonkers, I will say I missed him more than I imagined I would.
On the plus side, at least this was his last training session away from home for a period of time. Now it's up to Joe and I to continue working him at home.
Monday, February 4, 2013
Volunteering
Joe and I have talked about volunteering for an organization called Secondhand Hounds for quite a long time. We just always seem to forget to fill the paperwork out. Last week, however, we changed that. We finally submitted our volunteer paperwork and to our surprise a few days later they were in search of volunteers. I quickly jumped on the opportunity and volunteered our time...during the Super Bowl. This was sure to either be a hit with Joe or I'd be quickly in the dog house, literally. I should have known he'd have been all for it :)
Side note, this made me adore Joe even more. Being the football fanatic that he is, skipping the SUPER BOWL to help out with some animals melted my heart.
Not only did Joe melt my heart but so did a dog named Shiloh. This was the dog Joe was "assigned" to help in the intake process and get ready to send him to his foster home in MN. Shiloh came from a shelter in Oklahoma that has nearly a 100% kill rate. So thankfully his wonderful foster family found him on a website and had him sent to MN to help him find a home. A home, that I'll add, I would love to be ours. I'm working on Joe. Shiloh is the sweetest little guy, he's roughly a year old, in great health outside of needing a little extra food to help him put on some weight, and...he looks a lot like and has a lot of the personality traits that Timber used to have. I think that was the kicker and why I fell in love with Shiloh. If it's not our home he ends up at some day, I hope he finds his forever home and a family to snuggle him up and show him the love he needs.
I will definitely be volunteering at SH as often as my schedule allows. Although I left in tears, partially because I wanted to take Shiloh home and partially because the future of these other dogs is so unknown, I do know that my volunteering is helpful. If I can make a dog smile for even a minute while they are transitioning into foster care, I will be happy.
Side note, this made me adore Joe even more. Being the football fanatic that he is, skipping the SUPER BOWL to help out with some animals melted my heart.
Not only did Joe melt my heart but so did a dog named Shiloh. This was the dog Joe was "assigned" to help in the intake process and get ready to send him to his foster home in MN. Shiloh came from a shelter in Oklahoma that has nearly a 100% kill rate. So thankfully his wonderful foster family found him on a website and had him sent to MN to help him find a home. A home, that I'll add, I would love to be ours. I'm working on Joe. Shiloh is the sweetest little guy, he's roughly a year old, in great health outside of needing a little extra food to help him put on some weight, and...he looks a lot like and has a lot of the personality traits that Timber used to have. I think that was the kicker and why I fell in love with Shiloh. If it's not our home he ends up at some day, I hope he finds his forever home and a family to snuggle him up and show him the love he needs.
I will definitely be volunteering at SH as often as my schedule allows. Although I left in tears, partially because I wanted to take Shiloh home and partially because the future of these other dogs is so unknown, I do know that my volunteering is helpful. If I can make a dog smile for even a minute while they are transitioning into foster care, I will be happy.
Trip to Cloquet
On Saturday, Joe and I made the trip up to Cloquet. I don't get up there as often as I'd like. Although it's only two hours away, at times it seems like it's half way across the country. There wasn't a special occasion or reason for making the trip other than I just missed some of my good friends.
We headed up to Cloquet in the early afternoon and spent time with Katie, Pete, Lauren, and Charlie at their house. We then met up with Lindsay and Bristol, and Thalia for a quick dinner at the Buffalo House. I have not been there for years...they pretty much have the BEST sweet potato fries ever made. After dinner, Katie and Pete brought the kids to Grandma & Grandpa's so we could go out for some drinks.
Although it wasn't a wild and crazy night like it used to be when heading to Cloquet to visit, it was perfect. We were able to catch up with everyone and spend some time together. Everyone lives a completely different lifestyle now compared to five years ago. What used to be a full night of going out and randomness has now become a night of being home by midnight. Haha! I must say, it's a welcomed change.
I am so grateful that I have maintained such a close friendship with a few of the girls that I've known since our teen years. Good friends are hard to come by...and some times hard to keep.
We headed up to Cloquet in the early afternoon and spent time with Katie, Pete, Lauren, and Charlie at their house. We then met up with Lindsay and Bristol, and Thalia for a quick dinner at the Buffalo House. I have not been there for years...they pretty much have the BEST sweet potato fries ever made. After dinner, Katie and Pete brought the kids to Grandma & Grandpa's so we could go out for some drinks.
Although it wasn't a wild and crazy night like it used to be when heading to Cloquet to visit, it was perfect. We were able to catch up with everyone and spend some time together. Everyone lives a completely different lifestyle now compared to five years ago. What used to be a full night of going out and randomness has now become a night of being home by midnight. Haha! I must say, it's a welcomed change.
I am so grateful that I have maintained such a close friendship with a few of the girls that I've known since our teen years. Good friends are hard to come by...and some times hard to keep.
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