I love you...in case I didn't say it enough today.

I don't remember how I found out about this site.

I think it was through my friend Amanda. (Thanks girl, I owe ya one!)

But you should seriously check it out.

My heart feels weak every time I read it

and I wish so badly I could take this woman's pain away.

It just makes me appreciate,

that for one more day,

I am here with the ones I love.

Or rather the ones I love are here with me.

To all of my family and friends...I love you! Thank you for being in my life!

http://lisajking.blogspot.com/

And for the record, to get the full effect of what this woman is going through,

you're going to need to start back in 2011.

Get ready for a cry-fest.

Cabin times

Are you thinking to yourself, "Wow, how does this woman have so much free time on her hands? She's posted three times this week!!" Yeah, that's what I'm thinking too...and then I remembered....I'm just blowing important homework time on mindless things like blogging.
 Sue me.

I have something to tell you all though.

I got a new job.

and I am SOOO EXCITED!

It is actually in the field that I'm going to school for...imagine that.

So now I will no longer be endlessly helping people find just the right shade of teal, (thank goodness!) but instead will be writing surveys and conducting focus groups and socializing within the community. 

I sound so legit!

On another note, my sweet husband and I went on a small vacation this past weekend (as already somewhat documented in my post about our awesome automobiles!), but I wanted to share with you the happy side of that adventure. The side that wasn't me as an annoyed car owner. 
It went a little something like this:

It first started with my usual. Which consists of taking pictures over and over until my husband is ready to pull the car over and make me walk. 
I like pestering my loved ones sometimes. 

It's an "oldest child" symptom...

There is a method behind my madness though, because in the past, I've caught some really candid moments while doing this. 

Demonstrated through this series, here:

*As you scroll, notice my husband's descent to pure annoyance.

That yawn says it all!

ha. Oops.

Okay. Minor detour. I'm back now.

Once we got to the cabin, we got into all sorts of shenanigans.

 Namely, the time when we played Tripoly with big bucks.

Thanks for the picture, Alfie. I owe ya one.

Or the time when Liv and I got the snowmobile stuck right by these beauties.

Yikes.

But I sure got some pretty pics,
so I guess trudging through waist deep snow was worth it....?

I'm still not sure.

We also hit the slopes. And by we, I do not mean me.

 

Overall, it was a pretty okay time.
Especially since we got this little gem.

Sweet.

How Romantic

Since pretty much EVERY post I've read on fb is about peoples' experiences with Valentine's Day, I started to feel like a loser that I have yet to comment on my experience with the bogus "holiday." 

So here it is.....Valentine's Day, in all of its glory:

Ha ha! And I'll have you know...I love this photo. 

Because after trying four times to get a decent picture together, this is [still] what our faces insisted upon doing. 

WOW!!

How to spend a crap-load of money on your car without even trying!

For all of you out there who have always been wondering, "how do I drop 500+ bones on my car without putting forth hardly any effort?" I have your solution...

1. Lose your set of car keys so that your spouse is now the only one with keys to both cars, the house and the mailbox. This is an easy first step. (Though it's an important one, because it will require both time and money to replace those keys.)

2. Park in an area that is clearly a free parking zone without any signs to tell you otherwise. Make sure to stay inside for 15 minutes (no more, no less) and come out to an obnoxiously orange parking ticket.

3. Make sure to have your spouse park on the snow-free street for roughly 10 hours over-night. This will ensure that he/she too, will come out to an obnoxiously orange ticket. Take note that you must do this exactly one day after receiving your ticket.

4. Get an oil change and minor car-checkup before going on a trip to Island Park to ensure that your car runs smoothly...but make sure your car does not run smoothly, otherwise this money would be well spent!

5. Effortlessly drive four hours with no problems whatsoever, but then try to start your car up after your relaxing trip, once you're all packed up and ready to go home, and make sure that it putt-putts until giving you absolutely no hope that it's going to start. Then have your nearest friend/family member push your car down a steep hill, whereupon they must find some sort of make-shift tow rope that is only five feet long and tow your car at 20 mph to the nearest po-dunk gas station that is approximately five miles away. (This really has nothing to do with blowing cash on your car, but it definitely adds to the experience of it all. You should never omit this step...)
 *Side note. 

Smile like this:

 Even though you feel like this:

 

6. Leave your car at said po-dunk station for the mechanic to look at the next day and stuff yourself like a sardine into the formerly mentioned friend/family members car to venture home just in time for the next day to begin. Don't forget the additional gas money this is costing you...it's a very important step in making it to the $500-$600 range. (Because now, not only will you be paying to get your car home, you'll be paying for the ride home with them, too!)

7. Find out the next day that your fuel pump has been disconnected (though never really get an explanation as to why. That would be too logical.) and also be informed that it will cost you 375 big ones to fix it. This is the most important part in the whole process. Without this step, you'd mostly only be out pocket change.

8. Marry into a family with really generous in-laws who spend an entire day driving up to Idaho and back down, just to pick up your car, and then if you really want to wipe your account clean, make sure that they charge you for gas money. (Ours unfortunately would not let us, so we have found other ways to spend this money on them!)

9. Figure that your car troubles are over and take a deep sigh of relief.

10. Next morning, come out to a car door that looks like this:

 

and think to yourself "I don't even want to know how much it is going to cost to fix this...."

There you have it! 

10 easy steps to having it all 

when it comes to car troubles and an empty wallet.

And remember...

next time your car runs fine, don't tell me I didn't try to help you...

Rock Love Peace

I just got this cute thing in the mail today!!

And I'm so stoked about it!

Check out their website and see what it's all about. 

But I'm warning you, you'll be hooked!

Happy day to you all!

And remember, YOU must be the change you wish to see in the world. ;)

Me + Babies = True Love

What is it about miniatures that just screams "CUTE"?

I don't know why I have such a love for all things small, 
but babies and anything of the likes definitely top the charts.  

Especially when they're as precious as these little angels.

Camryn Christine

Diesel Dean

Today I had such a wonderful time visiting with besties and seeing the adorable offspring that they've created.

Congrats to the new p-rents, you've officially produced BEAUTIFUL BABIES! :) 

(And it's a good thing, too, because we all know that I'm not the best when it comes to telling little white lies, even for the sake of saving face! 

A minor flaw of mine. ha.)

For your viewing pleasure, 

here is a collection of some of the greatest pics from the day:

 

I wonder what they're both pondering...?

 

 

Their miniature appendages may be the best part!

Mother-daughter love! Doesn't she look like Dana?

Chelsey being a cute mama!

And just for kicks, here's my sista from anotha mista. Love this woman!

In case you couldn't tell, I was in awe at every little move these babies made. The slightest grimace or yawn or sneeze seemed to be the cutest thing I'd ever seen. I am here to announce that there will be no hope for me (or my husband) when the stork finally visits our home. I'm positive I will find a blown-out diaper or a little spit-up on my arm to be the most incredible thing a human being has ever done. 

Though I wonder how long it will take for the trance to wear off....? 

Mothers... What say ye?