Look what I got...

The Florida vacation post is coming - I swear. Our laptop was out of comission the last 2 days but MrHoppy promises it's in tip-top condition again now. I wouldn't even consider using the archaic desktop monster in the office... :::shudder::: I'll download pictures tonight after the gym!

Anywho...

I've posted recently about my new obsession with being (becoming) crafty and home decor. The obsession is only growing as Christmas approaches. I've found new blogs to follow that are centered around crafts and decorating and I'm loving it!

Ideas are running around like crazy-town in my head. I can't wait to try some of them. And my goal is to do everything myself so I don't spend a lot of moolah. Plus it will keep my busy on lonely nights right? We are hosting Christmas at our house with MrHoppy's family from out of town and I'm so excited. He's the man with a plan in the food department but I am the woman in charge of the decor. The ambiance if you will... So it's a big deal to me that the house look great!

Imagine my excitement when I opened the mailbox last night after work and saw this little gem:

I have heard people rave about it and decided to break down and spend the money this year to see what all the fuss was about. I'll be honest when I say I was the tiniest bit disappointed. I was expecting DIY overload. Pages and pages of decorating ideas that would work in my home. And there are some great ideas, don't get me wrong. Just not a lot that will work in my space. But I have lots of pages turned down - not to worry! I just need to put my style into it a bit more.

I'm trying to hold off on Christmas until at least ummm 8PM on Thursday, November 25th? I swear I am. Is that fair? I have even been trying to get to Hobby Lobby or Michaels this week to make a little something for our living room for Thanksgiving. I just can't seem to make it happen! The casa does look nice right now with the "Autumn" sign I have up, the pumpkins, candles, mums and pretty Fall wreath on the front door. Oh and not to mention my super cute corn stalks outside at the front door! I should have blogged about that project... A blog/picture plan for the weekend I suppose! Before it's all replaced with red, green, Santa and garland!

Life is unfair

I promise to post pictures and write about our Florida trip soon. We had a fabulous time and it was a much needed break. Today just isn't the day.

I just have such a sad feeling about life today. Some of the wonderful women I met on my support website have had terrible things happen to them in the last week or so. I don't want to be specific as it's not my place to write about their loss and heartache. But Thursday night I broke down in tears for one of them specifically when I checked in and saw her news. My heart felt like it was literally breaking. I was angry, sad, frustrated and just so tired of the terrible things that happen in life. How much can one couple be forced to endure? Why would life be taken that was so difficult and painful to create in the first place?

I'll say it again. How much can people take? Why do they have to? Because life isn't fair. I understand that we can't have everything that we want in this life. But it doesn't change the fact that I hate it, it makes me sad and I can't express the sympathy I feel for them in words.

I'm still getting over our loss. The loss of a dream. Missing a child we'll never meet, that never was. I'm still raw even if I'm moving on and doing better. Maybe that's why when these things happen I feel devestated?

Awww Crap

Literally. I think the universe hates me. Like hates my guts...

All day yesterday I was thinking about our trip. All I need to accomplish before we go - laundry, gym (twice!), packing, pedicure (done myself of course!), bank, pay bills and wrap things up at work. It all needs to be done today since we leave bright and early tomorrow morning!

So Monday at 5PM finally rolls around. I pick up my carpool and head home. I walk into the house and it hits me.

The smell of dog crap.

Let me tell you a little bit about Gizmo. He gets diarrhea about every 4 months. He has to be put on an antibiotic, probiotic and anti-diarrheal during these bouts. Oh and an expensive bland canned food. We don't know for sure why this  happens but it seems like it has his whole life. Sometimes he eats other dog's poop though... This could be the cause huh? We were at my sister's house on Sunday and he was outside quite a bit...

So anyway, I walk into our house less than 48 hours before we have to leave him with my parents for a week. I know the drill: walk around the house and find all the little piles of poo and clean them up. Why would he keep it in 1 area?? That would be way too easy. Pile #1 is in the guest room. Along with some vomit from the cat. So I clean all that up. Pile #2 is on our white bathroom rug. No biggie, easy to wash and he likes to poop there for some reason... Pile #3 is the biggest and it's in the living room. So after using the last of our carpet cleaner I think I'm done. I finally change for the gym and go have a good workout. This will be the highlight of my evening...

Before I go I give him all of his medicine including the anti-diarrheal. This stuff is crazy strong - our vet says if they poop through that there is something really wrong.

When I get home from the gym I still smell crap. I look all over the house and can't find anything. We have brown carpet though and let me tell you - the poop and the carpet are the SAME color. So I shower, eat dinner and go about my evening. While I'm doing laundry I sit down to give myself a pedi. I walk over to turn on the light and step in a little pile of poop. Barefoot of course, I'm about to do a pedi! So I'm pissed. I go upstairs, wash my foot and clean it up. I then realize our bedroom kind of smells too. I walk over to the window to open it and air out the joint when... Yep. I step in ANOTHER pile of crap. Barefoot. I'm near melt-down mode at this point but I wash my foot again and clean it up.

And poor Gizmo. He feels terrible. I know he can't help it and he is never punished when he is sick but that doesn't make it any less gross or any less annoying. At this point I figure I'm done and I go to bed. Screw everything else I have to do.

He wakes me up at 5:30 to go out. He seems to feel fine and I know he's not actually "going". He's just trying to go. But he was pacing around our room and driving me crazy so I let him out and waited patiently while he sniffed and "went". When we got up an hour and a half later for the day I fed him his bland food, gave him his medicine and went to the window BEHIND our chair in the living room to let in the glorious sunshine. Because it's a beautiful morning!

 And what did I do? Step in another God-forsaken pile of crap. With bare feet - again. Is this some kind of joke?? Now they are very small piles, the guy only weighs 12 pounds and got the big one out in the open where I could see it. But I'm really worried about leaving him with my parents while we go to Florida. I don't have a choice but I'm just hoping this medicine works fast and he's on the road to recovery today! I know all the "piles" were from yesterday while we were gone and I just couldn't find them all right away. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that there aren't any new ones!

"I'm sorry Mom"

Gizmo looks sorry but that crazy cat Macie couldn't care less if I have to clean up her vomit! She's just going to lick and sniff her brother...

Monday Blues

I don't know what my problem is today - I guess I have a case of the Mondays? (LOVE Office Space!) I'm just grumpy and in such a bad place with work. After covering for 2 weeks alone and moving this office to a new location I'm just done. I need a break. And what does the boss-man do? Takes today off, as if he hasn't had enough days off in the last month, to golf. Leaving me here again. Alone. On a Monday. Yes, I know he's the boss, he can do what he wants. But we don't have another person to help cover when the other is gone. Which sucks. And I'm sorry, but it's not my responsibility to hire someone. I do everything else around here! Not to mention he'll be taking a 1/2 day tomorrow as well... Can you tell I'm grumpy yet?

:::sigh:::

The silver lining to all of this is that in 48 hours we'll be boarding a plane to Florida! I'm so excited to see our friends and my Grandparents but mostly I'm just excited to be away from work for a week. How sad is that?? Now if I can just get through the next 2 days...

So maybe it's just because it's Monday, maybe it's because today I hate my boss or maybe I'm just bored. I am incredibly bored with life at the moment. I need a change. But what? Let's hope a vacation is all I need! Right now I want to get in my car and drive away. And not look back...

Anyone else ever feel that way?

Thankful on Thursday

Today I am most thankful for good friends and family. I am so lucky to have amazing and supportive people in my life. We have been pretty open about our inability to have children and everyone has been fabulous over the 2.5 years we've been dealing with it. Two people/couples are specifically standing out to me today.

I'm thankful for my sister and brother-in-law who allow us to tag along to almost everything they do with their son. O is the closest thing I'll have to a child of my own and I cherish every moment I have with him. I'm thankful they are our "besties" and that they invited us to Cavalia last night. It was such an amazing show and I'm glad we got to experience it with them!

I'm thankful for my friend K. She always thinks to ask how I'm feeing about things as we continue on in this journey. She lives in another state and I was so excited to get a card from her this week. Just a little something to say she is thinking of us and she sent 2 pictures of her gorgeous daughter A. It is framed in my office next to my picture of O! I can't wait until they are living in CO again so we can see them as much as we want!

What are you thankful for today?

Do you know?

How dark it is this time of year at 6AM? I'm sure most of you do but I had forgotten since I'm not usually up that early! I'm not a morning person, I don't start work super early like I know some do. I prefer to start my day about 7AM...

In the Summer I usually get up once or twice a week at 6:30 to run outside with our Ridgey. She loves it and I love it too - once I'm up and finally awake that is. The sun was always shining brightly and it felt so good to be out in the warm, quiet morning. I try to work out 5 days a week and normally do so in the evenings (not a morning person, remember?). So when things come up after work and I plan ahead I workout in the morning.

Very different getting up to workout in the Fall/Winter! It's hard!

This morning my alarm went off at 6. I was confused - it was still dark as night, the heat hadn't kicked on yet and I was so comfy under the comforter and blankets! So I hit snooze and vowed I would be up in 10 minutes. And you know what? I was. I put on my sports bra, sweats and a t-shirt. I let out the dogs and got in the car to go to the gym. It was miserable out, I can't lie - dark, cold and SO windy (as it has been for the last 3 days here in CO...). There were a few other people at the gym and I actually got in a great workout! It was nice to watch the sun rise along with the other gym rats. I was there almost an hour and felt really refreshed when I got home and got ready for work.

Now I can enjoy my evening out. My sister got free tickets to a cirque du soleil-type show downtown and invited MrHoppy and I to join them for a double date night. We're going to meet at my parents house for dinner (they are watching the nephew) and head down together for the show. It starts at 8 so I know it will be a late-ish night but I am excited. The 6AM wake up call was worth it - work out is done, I feel good and I'm going to spend time with my 3 favorite people tonight!

Happy hump day!

Weekend Recap - Pumpkins and Fall Fun!

While the hubby was away this weekend I was busy! Friday night ended up being super fun. I went out downtown with my friend M and we got pretty drunk at "her" bar. We gossiped, stayed up late and just hung out. I was in desperate need of some girl time! Even with the late night I got up early Saturday morning (starving and with a pounding head) and made the trek home. My Mom came over and we did some painting in our house. I love the way the guest room turned out! The color is called "Tony Taupe" and it goes so well with the furniture and bedding in that room. I love the contrast with our bright white baseboards and doors. I ended up doing a few other little projects too. I found some sale Halloween/Fall decorations and put them up. Damn I'm productive when MrHoppy is gone! The rest of my night was spent lounging with a movie at home by myself. Sometimes you just need some alone time!

On Sunday my awesome sister and brother-in-law invited me to join them at the pumpkin patch! I am so happy to be included in these outings since we don't have children of our own to have these experiences with. It was so fun. A little windy (annoying), but fun.

This place is just a little family run patch, they had dogs running around, 2 donkeys, rabbits, a corn maze, a big blow up slide and of course the pumpkin patch itself. Since O is so little she didn't charge any of us the $10 fee and said we could do everything and she would just charge us for the pumpkins. Score! So we walked around, K took O down the slide a couple times while my sister and I watched and took pictures. I was SO mad we don't have a new camera yet. I used my iPhone as usual and got some cute pictures. They brought his Halloween costume for the pictures and I almost died from the cuteness...

 When we were done at the pumpkin patch we headed back to their house to carve our giant pumpkins. Did I mention that the owner only charged us $5/pumpkin? And they are SO big! I had printed some patterns on Friday at work and decided right away I would do an owl. I LOVE owls so it was fitting. I think he turned out pretty cute! This picture sucks because again, only have my iPhone and it was dark and lit up but the flash goes off no matter what I do in that light. But it gives you an idea of how cute it is. :)

This random picture was snapped last night as I was getting into bed. What is it you ask?

Oh that's my 85lb Ridgeback wrapped up in a blanket. She spends a few minutes every night getting her blanket arranged on her bed and crawling under it. Then we usually cover her up the rest of the way when we get into bed. Ridiculous right?! She curls up into the tiniest ball you have ever seen and stays that way all night. She is a silly girl... And that bed is not that big, I swear...