On spending a month alone

Don't do it. Tomorrow Daniel comes home after spending the last 4 weeks in China. It has been hard. The longer it's gone on, the harder it has gotten. Thank goodness for family and friends. I've had meals at each parents as well as my grandparents a couple of times. I've had friends help entertain me. Last Saturday I went with some good friends to go shopping, do a session in the Oquirrh Mountain temple, and dinner at Johnny Rocket's in Farmington. Very yummy, I may say. My back door neighbors even sent over some soup. (Thank you Craig & Melissa!)

You never know how much you depend on just having another person present, until that person is gone. I was only able to talk to Daniel once a day, at the end of my day, because of the time difference. This meant that by the time we talked I was worn out, tired, fed up, finished and exhausted. Making for a few whiny conversations on my part.

I've learned a few things about myself during the process. Some things I didn't want to learn. But don't we all have those kinds of lessens? Unfortunately the journeying isn't over yet. He'll have a few more trips to China before this is over. And even then he'll take regular maintenance trips once a quarter or so. Can I just say that, often, being a grown up sucks? Yup.

Another blogger, Kenna, wrote about being safe under her boulder. I must say, she put it well. I can sympathize. I've been hiding on my wingback chair in the TV room escaping into the world of Psych for the last month. I'm on episode 67 or something - in just a month. I think I have a crush on Shawn Spencer. Besides work, and the times I've come out to get fed, I have holed up in my house with my sometimes wonderful, sometimes obnoxious, dogs. I have retreated. But tomorrow I have to get up and come out and be a grown up.

Fortunately I'll have my wonderful, patient, hard working husband back to stand by my side while we battle the foes and challenges that come at us. I'll recharge and we'll be able to deal with the stuff that keeps getting in the way of our progressing to our goals.

I'm glad Daniel has a good job, but I'm also glad that we have been promised there will be no more 4 week trips. Hallelujah.

Animals on our journey

This little guy was totally Winston's Chinese cousin. What do you think?

 We miss our puppies. 

Winston the Rat Dog

My little Winston dog is a bonafide rat killer. A couple of weeks ago we went to Idaho to visit my aunt and uncle and in their woodpile the morning we left their dog found a rat. So Winston and their dog (Sadie, the crazy white one) kept going for it and once we had dug out deep enough for Winston to get at it - he did. This is what happens when a natural born killing dog gets a hold of what he's supposed to kill. It was crazy. He was so proud of himself.

Walking the puppies

A couple weeks ago we went for a walk with Daniel's dad and the puppies. It was fun. We walked up in Uinta between the railroad tracks and the road that goes up the mountain. The doggies loved it. We let them off the leashes for bit and let them run. They did pretty well.

They love to put their heads out the window. I snapped some pictures while we were going slow.
Just after we got going a train passed us. It was cool. You could feel the rumbling as it went by.
There was a tunnel we walked through to get to the trail.
We are trying to take as many pictures of the two of us for our Adoption Profile as possible. Here's one proving that we do things other than sit and watch TV!

Dog Park!

There has been a dog park open in South Ogden, just behind Shopko on
Riverdale Road, this whole summer. Unfortunately we just decided it was worth visiting. We had a blast. We took the dogs for a romp a couple of times.

Lacy
loved to run with the other dogs. She'd pretend to fetch the other dog's toys and then she
wouldn't let them retrieve them. It was like she was playing defense. It was good for her.
Winston played a little but he mostly stayed by us. He gets a little timid with lots of other
big dogs around. I can't wait til it opens again in April.

Trying to Leave Town

My poor dogs know something not good for them is going on. They are pouting
and won't let me out of their sight. Winston even went this far:Can you
see the end of his bones just under my pants at the top center? He likes to hide bones and it
made me laugh when he did this.

My next post will be
when he have officially left town! I'll try to post from the East Coast. SO EXCITED!!! Flying
over the Blue Ridge Mountains....Landing
in Washington D.C. to spend a few days...Then to
Charlottesville where I will see these two amazing girls who have been checking my blog every
time they visit grandma to see how long till I come. I'm so excited to see these
two!

(girls - I have birthday gifts for
you!!!)Happy
Travels to come!!!

Fat Pictures

Last Sunday, the 17th, Daniel's family gathered for pictures. We had our
little family photographed. Some turned out cute. But what it revealed to us is that we are
fat(er than we'd like to be, at least).
Daniel went jogging tonight. We are
now on a mission to change our diet and become more active. So hear are some of the pictures.
Here's one of the better ones.
When
looking at this picture, all of the sudden I don't feel skinny anymore. I realize the 25 lbs
I've gained since meetings Daniel should all go away again.
This
one's the worst. This pose really only works with a wedding dress on.
Does
anyone have ways to motivate that have worked for them? We may try to cut out sugar
completely. Who knows. Now I'm just rambling.

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

THE GOOD -
The Museum that I work for broke ground this
week for our new building. It's going to be an awesome building. For the Ground Breaking
Ceremony they had copper shovels. When a copper mining company gives you $15 mil. you tend to
do stuff like that for them. It was cool. A lot of the big whigs from the State were there.
Gov., Mayors, rich people, and University Representatives. I hope they enjoy it, since I'm not
planning on being there past a year. (My boss won't be happy when I quit this fall!)
This is
the view out over the Salt Lake Valley from the new museum site. It's going to be a great view
on three sides.
This is
Mr. Bones. He's a man from Colorado who had this dinosaur skeleton cast from original bones.
They are life size and made of foam and paper mache. It was great. Everyone loved
him.
This is
me and my boss. Everyone took their turn trying to dig into the hard ground with spray painted
shovels. There was like 2-3 inches of dust, then rock hard ground. The big shovels will begin
this week. Come see when it's open in January 2011.

THE
BAD or Sad.
One of my best friends moved this week to Kansas City, Missouri
so her husband could start D.O. school on Monday morning. It was sad to see her go but they
are beginning a new chapter where they will grow and learn a lot. Good luck Marcie and
Scott!!
SueZan's son Caleb, SueZan, Me with SueZan's baby Ella, Marcie and
her boy Eli (who wanted to go home) and CarriAnn. We'll miss you Marcie.

THE UGLY - Yesterday we put the dogs out because they had way to
much energy to be in the house. When Winston wanted back in Daniel looked down at him and saw
he was covered in mud. Daniel just laughed and said we needed to get a towel. He was so proud
of himself. We had the sprinklers on and he likes water. These pictures weren't taken
yesterday but he did get a bath before he was allowed anywhere and this is about what he
looked like. He likes water, but hates baths. I'm just glad he's small. Lacy wouldn't fit in
the sink. Isn't
he too cute? I love the little stink pot.

A Busy Week

After only two days of work I began my holiday weekend.
First was the Museum Trip. The Leonardo da Vinci Exhibit was good. The painting
reproductions were only giclee prints, but it was cool to see some of the paintings life
size.
The exhibit at the UMFA was fantastic. There were some amazing
paintings. I loved The Poplars at Saint-Remy by Van Gogh.You
just can't beat seeing Van Gogh's in real life. The three dimensions of the oil paintings add
so much character. I love it.

Then on Thursday and
Friday morning we went to my mother-in-laws family reunion. It was beautiful. We camped up
Payson Canyon by a small lake. Thursday evening was pretty. The water was high enough that the
trees were coming out of the water.
We had
the dogs sleep in the tent with us. It worked out okay until there was noise outside. Then the
dogs went ballistic. Once they calmed down they were fine. Then at 6:30am they decided they
were done sleeping and needed to play and go to the bathroom. After breakfast we took the dogs
canoing. I was in a boat with Crystal, Daniel's sister, and her kids Amelia and Eli. Daniel
went with his dad and the dogs.I said
hi to Lacy and she just jumped out and didn't quite realize that the boat was on water. She
hates water. She panicked when she jumped out. She
tried to swim to me and then decided that land looked batter. She kind of looked like a seal.
Then it was time to get Winston to swim. He struggled for a second. Then he went straight for
shore. He got
covered in mud. Funny little man. They were very tired at the end of the Day.

Then yesterday was Daniel's Birthday. We went bowling and then to
dinner with friends. It was a fun day. We are going to lounge and sleep today. Much rest is
needed!

I have been bored today

So this is my second post today. I took a
picture of the three dogs. I was proud of myself for getting all three dogs to sit down
together for a minute. Such cute mutts.

I saw this list
on Becky's
blog. I saw some things that I had done and decided to do it myself. The things I have done
are in red.

1. Touched
an iceberg.
2. Slept
under the stars
3. Been a part of a hockey
fight
4. Changed a baby’s
diaper
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford
to charity
7. Swam with wild dolphins
8. Climbed a
mountain
9. Held a tarantula
10. Said “I love you” and meant it
11. Bungee
jumped
12. Visited Paris (Can't to go again with my love!)
13. Watched a lightning storm
at sea
14. Stayed up all night long and watched the sun
rise
15.
Seen the Northern
Lights
16. Gone to a huge sports game
17. Walked the
stairs to the top of the Statue of Liberty (Been there, but no
steps)
18. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
19. Looked up at the night sky through a
telescope
20. Had
an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible
moment
21. Had
a pillow fight
22. Bet on a winning
horse
23.
Taken a sick day when
you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a
lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Taken an ice cold bath
28.
Had a meaningful conversation with a beggar
29. Seen a total eclipse
30.
Ridden a roller
coaster
31.
Hit a home run
32. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
33.
Adopted an accent for
fun
34.
Visited the birthplace
of your ancestors (town, not the house - if it
exists)
35.
Felt very happy about
your life, even for just a moment
36. Loved your job 90% of the time
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied (when I was single and working full
time)
38. Watched wild whales
39. Gone rock
climbing
40.
Gone on a midnight walk on the beach (not
romantic though)
41. Gone skydiving
42. Visited
Ireland
43. Ever bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited
India
45. Bench-pressed your own weight
46. Milked a
cow
47.
Alphabetized your personal
files
48. Ever
worn a superhero costume
49. Sung
karaoke
50.
Lounged around in bed
all day
51. Gone scuba diving
52. Kissed in the rain (Thanks
Daniel!)
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Done something you should regret, but
don’t
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a
business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Been in a
movie
60. Gone without food for 3 days
61. Made cookies from scratch
62. Won first prize in a
costume contest
63.
Got flowers for no
reason
64. Been in a combat zone
65. Spoken more than one language fluently (for a brief time after I
finished the classes)
66. Gotten into a fight while attempting to defend
someone
67. Bounced a check
68. Read - and understood - your credit
report
69. Recently bought and played with a favorite childhood toy (Disney park
Candyland!)
70.
Found out something
significant that your ancestors did
71. Called or written your Congress person
72. Picked up and moved to
another city to just start over
73. Walked the Golden Gate
Bridge
74. Helped an animal give birth
75.
Been fired or laid off from a job (twice,
sadly enough)
76. Won
money
77. Broken a bone
78. Ridden a motorcycle
79. Driven any land vehicle at a speed of greater
than 100 mph (no, but very close once)
80. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand
Canyon
81. Slept through an entire flight: takeoff, flight, and
landing
82. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
83. Eaten
sushi
84.
Had your picture in
the newspaper
85.
Read The Bible cover to cover
86. Changed someone’s mind about something you care
deeply about
87. Gotten someone fired for their actions
88. Gone back to school
(seriously thinking about a graduate degree though)
89.
Changed your
name
(my last name!)
90. Caught a fly in the air with your bare
hands
91. Eaten fried green tomatoes
92.
Read The Iliad (good
book)
93. Taught yourself an art from scratch
94.
Killed and prepared an animal for
eating
95. Apologized to someone years after inflicting the
hurt
96. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language

97. Been elected to public office
98. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream (Weddings have a tendency to do
that)
99. Had to put someone you love into hospice
care
100. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know
you
101. Had a booth at a street fair (well it wasn't in the
street)
102.
Dyed your
hair
103. Been a DJ
104. Rocked a baby to sleep (not mine,
obviously)
105. Ever dropped a cat from a high place to see if it really lands on all
four (on my brother)
106. Raked your carpet (I swept my friend's carpet the other day to get rid of
footprints - does that count?)
107. Brought out the best in people
108.
Brought out the worst in
people
109. Worn a mood ring
110. Ridden a horse
111. Carved an animal from a
piece of wood or bar of soap
112. Cooked a dish where four people asked for the
recipe
113. Buried a child
114. Gone to a Broadway play
115. Been inside the
pyramids
116. Shot a basketball into a basket

117. Danced at a disco
118. Played in a band
119. Shot a bird (shot at one)
120. Gone to an arboretum
121. Tutored someone
122. Ridden a train
123. Brought an old fad back
into style
124. Eaten caviar
125. Let a salesman talk you into something you
didn’t need
126. Ridden a giraffe or elephant
127. Published a book

128.
Pieced a
quilt
129. Lived in an historic place
130. Acted in a play or performed on a
stage
131. Asked
for a raise (twice, got it once)
132. Made a hole-in-one (mini-golf)
133. Gone deep sea
fishing
134. Gone roller skating
135. Run a
marathon
136. Learned to surf
137. Invented
something
138. Flown first class
139. Spent the night in a 5-star luxury suite (Grand America,
Honeymoon!)
140. Flown in a
helicopter
141. Visited Africa
142. Sang a solo
143. Gone
spelunking
144.
Learned how to take a
compliment (but not all the time)
145. Written a love-story
146. Seen Michelangelo’s David
147. Had your portrait painted

148. Written a fan letter
149. Spent the night in something
haunted
150. Owned a St. Bernard or Great Dane (the next big dog we get will be a
Dane)
151. Ran away
152. Learned to juggle
153. Been a
boss
154. Sat on a jury
155. Lied about your weight
156. Gone on a diet
157. Found an arrowhead or a
gold nugget
158.
Written a
poem
159.
Carried your lunch in
a lunchbox
160. Gotten food poisoning
161. Gone on a service,
humanitarian or religious mission
162. Hiked the Grand
Canyon
163. Sat on a park bench
and fed the ducks (pigeons in Florence?)
164. Gone to the opera
165. Gotten a letter from
someone famous
166. Worn knickers
167. Ridden in a
limousine
168. Attended the Olympics (Curling Baby!)
169.
Can hula or waltz
170. Read a half dozen Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys
books
171. Been stuck in an elevator (with an installation crew at
work)
172. Had
a revelatory dream (recently actually)
173. Thought you might crash in an airplane (Can anyone say
TWA?)
174. Had a song dedicated to you on the radio or at a
concert
175. Saved someone’s life
176. Eaten raw whale
177. Know how to tat, smock or
do needlepoint (cross stitch?)
178. Laughed till your side hurt
179. Straddled the
equator
180.
Taken a photograph of something other than
people that is worth framing
181. Gone to a Shakespeare Festival
182. Sent a message in a
bottle
183. Spent the night in a hostel
184. Been a cashier
185. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
186. Joined a
union
187. Donated blood or
plasma
188. Built a campfire
189. Kept a blog
190. Had
hives
191. Worn custom made shoes or
boots
192. Made a PowerPoint presentation
193. Taken a Hunter’s Safety Course
194.
Served at a soup kitchen
195. Conquered the Rubik’s cube
196. Know
CPR
197.
Ridden in or owned a convertible (does my dad's
count?)
198. Found a long lost
friend
199. Helped solve a crime
200. Responded to a Neighbor Jane Payne
newsletter

So Much to Share!

First thing - My mean little puppy boy graduated from puppy school last
night. He did pretty well. He won a really big treat for staying seated the longest of all the
dogs in the class during the contest.
It was so cute, the instructor gave each puppy
the treat attached to the diploma. He was so excited to get a huge bone. Each of the puppies
after they took it, ran back to their owner and under the bench to hide and eat it. He's
improved much in the last 8 weeks.#2 Have
you ever driven past the Jimmy's Floral in Layton and wanted your name to be up so you could
get a flower? Well my sister called me yesterday because my name was up. I never thought it
would be because Ashley is such a popular name.
This is the rose. I love it. It made me so
happy. A bright spot in my day.
The third thing - we have a third dog at our
house all week. My parents went up to Bear Lake and couldn't take the dogs. So we have Sophie
for the week. She's funny - she's 11 and sleepy. I call her the curmudgeon. She mostly sleeps
and growls at the other two. It should be a fun week.

Blah

Do you ever have one of those days where you can't seem to get moving? I
only got two hours of work done today before I came home. Maybe it's the heat. I'm just
feeling particularly lazy. Generally I have some energy. Anyone else have the problem
recently? Me and
the dogs, being lazy. Winston loves this giant stuffed bunny. It's like his bed now. It's
funny.

I Love Ikea

We went to Ikea on Saturday and we finally have enough book shelf room for
all our books!
I'm finally feeling like this is the house how
I want it. They were cheap and easy to put together! I love Ikea.

Spring has sprung. Last fall I planted a few hundred bulbs of
different sorts and they are starting to come up. The crocus were first.














The
puppies are going stir crazy. They are driving me crazy. Lacy started to lick her wound and
now she has to wear the cone for another week or two until it heals properly. Winston thinks
he's just the cleverest thing since sliced bread and
acts like it too. Fortunately they get along pretty well.

Newest Member of the Family!!

This is my sweet little Winston! We picked him
up on Thursday. He's an 8 week old Cairn Terrier, like the dog Toto in Wizard of Oz. He's
great. Everything he does is so cute. We're crazy. We now have two dogs. But it's fun. Our
poor Lacy girl had a bump removed off her left hind leg last night and she's not happy about
it. But she's doing well.