Morgans Birthday...

It's this girls 4th Birthday today!

She has no idea we even remembered.... here is 2J's sneaking up behind her with her gift.

She was so surprised... we aren't totally weird and go all out with doggie cake and singing (well maybe I did sing the happy birthday song to her... but definitely no cake).

I think someone likes their new doggie blanket.

It would only be called a doggie bed at our house if this is where it was kept... you know in the bed where she sleeps.

Well it is definitely an upgrade from the dingy old small one she used to have to curl up on.

This one fits much better... how nice she gave Rudy her old one....

Rudy doesn't seem too impressed....

She loves her new blanket, all fuzzy and soft and BIG and new and all hers.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MORGAN!!

My main Man packing up to go off on his first hunting trip. There is a late Archery hunt here and a friend told him he would take him up and teach him everything he knows. He figured it was a skill he should add to his repertoire, in case we needed to hunt for our food one day (you never know with the economy these days). I am worried, but I hope he has a good time and learns allot.... RUN BAMBI, RUN!!

Progress Complete...

Yesterday the fence construction crew finally made there way back to our end of the fence....

Morgan was going crazy with these guys in our backyard...

All her barking and growling didn't seem to phase them at all...

She sure was freaked out when they finished... she could hear them over the fence, but couldn't see them.

Now the work is ready for my Man to get out there and fix our side fence up to the new one.

It looks nice, and they did a very good job... but when the sun shines on it, it reflects into the back of the house, and it is like living on the surface of the sun... you can read under the bed now! I suppose I will get used to it.

This was our view last winter... so you can see why I am slow to love the new vinyl fencing. There is nothing like having live animals serenade you in the mornings, and not having to pay for their feed.

Balance...

This is what I mean by Balance... or in my case not being very balanced.

For instance when I am focused and dedicated on something... say taking care of myself and doing good things to get in shape, like walking, or working out, I can't seem to give the proper amount of attention to anything else. This is just an example... forgetting to water the plant. It is really a small piece of the puzzle of ways things fall apart around me. I just wasn't brave enough to take a picture of any of my other dissasters.

I really have to work on this... BALANCE!

Service...

This week I had a moment of selfishness about giving a service ~ it seems the entire circumstance that came about was caused by a series of mis-understandings. I wasn't sure how to clear them up without hurting feelings or causing a bigger problem, so I performed the service in hopes that just doing it would help me get over my selfishness... it just didn't feel as good as it could have, because I didn't do it with my heart entirely in the right place.

I wish I would have found these posts earlier this week, but better late than never ~ I found some other blogs that helped me get things into perspective about Service and Giving of Ourselves, and I appreciated their thoughts so much, it really helped me have a better spirit about it this week (if you click on the underlined words it will take you to those blog posts).

I have become very selfish with my time this past year... partly because I struggle with Balance in my life. My SIL posted about Balance being her word for the year, and she even got a necklace that says Balance! I love this concept!! I used to really pride myself on being able to juggle many balls in the air at one time. But I guess as I get older and hopefully wiser, I am either not as good at it, or it isn't as important to me to keep all those balls in the air. I find I am much more content to focus on just a few things that I really LOVE, instead of trying to do it all, and not really loving any of it.

So at some point in the transition, I have become very selfish with my time... I don't give at as freely, just when it works for me. So as usual I am on that darn pendulum and it has swung the other way... so for today, I will work on finding my way somewhere back to the middle. To give service, but don't neglect my family (or the important things to me in my life) to accomplish it (but then isn't that sacrifice? See I can get my self waaaaayyyyy out of balance, it's a vicious circle).

Oh yeah... I forgot!

Another little tidbit about my birthday yesterday...

I had 4 people call and sing me "Happy Birthday"!
(along with the gifts, and cards in the mail, phone calls and messages on my answer machine.... I loved all of those too)

Thanks to Royce, Wilma, Pyper, and My Dad (yep, one for the record books, my Dad SANG me the "Happy Birthday Song", well he did have a "senior moment" and forgot my name at that part of the song... but it was the most special gift he has probably ever given me.... see I told you some of those things that make you feel special were free).

The rest of my Special Day...

My Strong Silent Mysterious Man got off of work early and came home to be with me for my birthday... it was a great surprise because he doesn't ever do things like that, unless he is taking me fishing or something that is in his best interest.

We took a ride over to Costco, and walked around browsing... he told me after we left, he was hoping I would find something I couldn't live without and he could buy it and count it as my birthday gift. I said if I would have known that, I would have picked out something really cool, like the $700 piano/keyboard with weighted keys and programming. He was glad to have scrapped by without having to buy that for me.

So by this time, 2J's was out of school, so we picked him up and drove to town. We went to the mall and held all the puppies in the pet shop, then went to the massage chair store and tried them out and got personal demo's from the salesman there. Then we stopped into See's Candies and we got a sample coconut cream and milk chocolate... and we each picked out two pieces of candy to take with us. (it was better than a whole birthday cake right?)

Then they took me out to dinner to Joe's Crab Shack... my Man ordered coconut shrimp (I know, Mr. Picky eater actually ordered something other than cheese enchiladas), and 2J's and I had combo buckets with crab legs and shrimp, keilbasa, corn and potatoes... but mostly crab legs. They were super yummy, but I think crab once a year will do me... it is too much work to eat them. But the time you get the meat out of the leg, you have worked up a sweat, and juice running down to your elbows. It was a fun place, pretty casual, with a nice river front view... but it probably won't be a regular hang out or anything.

A really fun place to take people who come to visit from out of town... so come visit me! (not like any of you from Seattle would come to Idaho for crab... oh well).

It was a super fun, very special day, and I felt so loved by my family and friends!

Happy Birthday to me!!

Me me me... and more about my special day...

I took this picture last week because... last year when the leaves fell off our little trees, they all fell at one time. Really I was sitting at my desk looking out the window and it was like a cartoon in front of me... all the leaves went pluhhhh to the ground at one time (yes, that is a real word if I want it to be).'

So I knew it was coming soon, and wanted to have a "before shot".

This year the leaves have just fallen one at a time, here and there, and while the yard was covered with leaves, there was still too many on the tree to start raking. Well if you want to do it all in one shot... like me.

Today, my Man took me to get a bite at lunch time, and to go vote (note to self to write about my voting story later)... and on my way home, for some reason, I couldn't stand the leaves in the yard one more day. So even though I have a policy not to cook or clean or rake leaves on my birthday (okay it's not a real policy, I made that up today)... anyway I found myself out raking leaves. It's really good exercise, and the weather is beautiful today, and I was going to get something accomplished on my birthday.

Sometime shortly after I figured out we actually had a rake (the previous owner left some tools in the garden shed... I have NEVER owned a rake) I realized, I wasn't sure if I knew how to rake. I couldn't remember if I had actually ever raked in my life before? See how spoiled I really am... the truth comes out! I did chop and stack my share of wood in my teenage years though... I don't want my parents reading this thinking they had gone too wrong. So do you rake in a circle and bring them to the middle, or in rows like vacuuming? Slowly, some remembrance came to me about blisters from the rake handle, and wet leaves, and the wind blowing them back over what I was raking... so I must have raked at some point, you don't just dream those things.

These leaves were really dry and light and fluffy which made for super easy raking.. they piled up super fast... it did make it difficult to get them into a bag (unlike our neighbor who blows them into the street UGGGGG!!!! I hate that deal). That must be why I don't remember raking, they were probably always too wet to rake in Seattle.

Before long, I had the job done, well until the next batch falls to the ground... I will save those for 2J's, I don't want to rob him of fond childhood memories. I broke a little sweat, got some fresh air, and you can see the semi-green grass underneath now. It's amazing, I still feel special, and I worked on my birthday... it didn't cancel it out. I won't push my luck and over do it... better go put up my feet and get ready for Cake!!

More about me and my day...

Mom, here is my vest... it still doesn't show up well in the picture, but it is so velvety soft and I love the deep purple color... AND it's reversible to black on the other side.

Thank you!

I am off this morning to deliver a meal...

I made one lasagna to go, and another for my boys to have later this week (I'm not cooking my own birthday dinner (stomp of the foot) ... see how spoiled I am...)

Another lady brought by french bread and brownies to go with it... it should help out, so the family doesn't have to fix a meal tonight.

It's My Birthday...

I know I am really spoiled... we always had a rule you couldn't open any presents before your birthday.

But when I was in Seattle, my Sis got me some New Balance shoes... and My Mom got me a new Purple Vest (it's so dark in this picture, I'll take another pic wearing it)... and my MIL was here this weekend and got me a beading book, necklace and earings. And I already got 2 birthday cards from a friend I used to work for, and my investment company (they always remember my birthday... I don't care, it makes me feel special to get birthday cards, and I think they actually hand write mine, it's not printed) I love them all!

See I really am special today! I can't wait to start my day!!!

The Weekend...

Saturday we were out all day until 5pm putting campaign flyers on doors... we must have walked 10 miles or more. It was good exercise, and I suppose a good service, but we were pooped out when we got home.

Sunday after church, we went to visit with Grandma and Grandpa before they left to go home on Monday morning...

My man with his Mom and Harley (the dog)...

Two J's with Aunt Fay...

And of course it doesn't really matter where we are when Sunday nap time comes around, he will be sure to get one in...

I put some of my brother and SIL's soup in the crockpot for dinner when we got home... YUMMM!! Cheddar Cheese and Brocoli... it's the best stuff! I hand carried it home on the plane from Seattle with me to savor and enjoy at home. Thanks Ralph and Panda, it was worth every mile I had to tote it!!!