Someone got a new bag/bed this weekend

Spoiled. I know.

Yes, it is that hot.

She's a homeowner!

Kendra and Gary just closed on their home yesterday! Let the mortgage payments begin!

Now comes all of the fun stuff--planning, creating, and decorating. Well, except for the part where I have to help.

Santa clause took a little vaca

A little vaca to La Jolla!

Ready for desert season

Got my new helmet.....let's hope this thing protects my noggin!

Craigslist ad of the day.....

ANYWAY.........I'm at the breaking point where I am now, I want to find
someone with room on their property for me, my 2 buses, my car, my quad,
my motorcycle, and my 2 seat 3 wheel touring bicycle. It's a FUN LIFE.

 You have to click here to read more.....http://sandiego.craigslist.org/esd/sbw/1892420900.html
 

Dinner on the cove with great long lost friends from Texas!

Playing with the new 4G

Sean's helping me test out my new phone.

Begging for treaties!

This boy is always begging for treats!

New Orleans skyline at night.

Burbon street!

Burbon street!

Made it to New Orleans!

Just now entering the city. Check out the cemetary on the side of the
freeway!

New toy!

I love new toys! We just got new nooks from barnes and noble! We are
all travelling a lot this next year and decided it was time. While we
thought about getting one last year, we opted to wait until the ipad
came out to really make a choice. We went with the nook. Mostly
because it had all the features we need and you can do quite a bit
with it within the barnes and noble stores. Plus! They have coupons
on there for free stuff like coffee and you can read books for free in
the store for an hour. So fun!

I learned my lesson last year on our honeymoon in my quest to pack
lite (which I traditionally do, but in the chaos that was the wedding,
I kind of forgot a few things). I forgot to bring some books. So
there we were on the beautiful beaches of Mexico with nothing to do
but lay around. And those of you that know me know that this is not
usually possible for me. I can't just *sit still* for hours on end
with nothing to do. Sean is perfectly capable; me--not so much. So
every 10 minutes I was suggesting that we move from the beach to the
pool to the other pool to the lazy river to the beach to the pool to
eat to the pool to the.....you get the idea. I think Sean was about to
kill me after about a day. Maybe that's why it was so easy to convice
him that we needed to go on some tours....

Needless to say, I needed one of these so that I can compactly bring
some entertainment along with me. Sean was thrilled with the idea. And
he is excited we will have it for our trip this fall so that I can,
you know, light someplace for a while.

One of the first books I downloaded was a book called "Sh*t my dad
says." And. Oh. My. Gosh. This is by far the funniest and most
entertaining book I have ever read. You MUST read it. And not just
cause the dude grew up in San Diego. It is just that funny. Super fast
read, but one that I could read over and over again if I ever need a
good laugh.

Sean and I were in hysterics last night.

Go buy it. And a nook. You'll be glad you did.

Found treasures

Looking through pictures this weekend, I found these photos of my dad
that I had never seen before. I absolutely love these!

Photos for me are little treasures. Little moments in time that have
captured life as it happens.... Life that happens in the blink of an
eye.

I love that no matter how much time goes by, photos are inherently the
same. While I love the photos that exhibit more artistry, I so love
the simplcity of these photos--it's amazing how they stand the test of
time.

Miss you dad.

It's morning already??

Coming up for his morning snuggle. This is a big deal for him. He used
to be so afraid of heights that he wouldn't come up here, even with me
holding him.

Now, not only does he come up on his own, he totally relaxes and just
chills out!

Love this little guy!

A weekend of reflection

This weekend is being spent sifting through photos, composing a
memorial video, and reflecting on a life.

Remembering Jimpa....

Relaxing day at the wild animal park.

Loooook at meeeeeee

Relaxing day today.

Parking lot at mealtime.

Good morning!

Meetings are cool.

Well, at least I'm learning something.

Who's ready for homemade beer?

Sean's new brew stad that he just built. Firing it up this week!

Be jealous boys, be very jealous......

First crop of the season!

Everything is getting bigger!!!! Can't wait for fresh tomatoes....yum!

Wait. What?? Already??

rainy days

so spring is officially here, Easter is over, and summer is just around the corner. i find myself taking a little time to relax before the busy summer season hits and begin to think about how life is flowing by in the blink of an eye.

i don't have kids yet, but i can't even imagine how crazy life will become when we do. as i read blogs that i follow, specifically my cousin's, it amazes me how old her kids are getting and i wonder how hard it is to stop, slow down and just enjoy the little fleeting moments. i know how hard it is in my life right now....

i have a hard time sitting still, always so many things to do and projects to complete. we are all running in a zillion different directions. how in the world do people do it all and work full time and keep up with their kids AND take time to enjoy all of the little moments in life without worrying about all of the stuff they have to do?

so, over the last few weeks, i have started taking time for myself again. to just sit, meditate, look around, watch, listen, and really try to enjoy the small moments in my life. starting in the morning with 30 minutes of quiet time for myself, recapturing my hobbies, and just being. it has done wonders for my frame of mind when i do and makes my days at work and my dealings with people more palatable.

i encourage you to stop, look around, be thankful for what you have, and really live in the moment.

Sad.

Waiting in the staging area to bury my grandfather

Sad. Surreal.

Meeting just ended. What's for lunch??

An exciting evening at the Roeder household

Spring is here!

So, spring is here and it's time to plant my latest crops. This year I
opted for fewer veggies, hoping for a larger harvest.

This year's crops are only tomatoes, strawberries, and cucumbers. I
also planted an assortment of herbs as well-basil, thyme, dill,
parsley, cilantro, chives, and oregano. I LOVE making food with fresh
herbs! So excited to see how everything turns out.

Last year, I got about 5 green beans, 10 cucs, and 0 zuchinni. I
think the zuchinni needed a deeper pot, and I had a giant worm attack
that ate ALL of the leaves on my bean plants. The cucs did the best.
I'm banking on that again this year and hoping for a large crop of
strawberries. Yum!

If Sean gets time, he's going to build me another planter box that is
a bit deeper. Hopefully I can grow a few bigger things in that one. I
would like to try a squash again. Beans are out-those are too big for
my little yard, and the amount of beans you get out of one plant
hardly seems worth the work. A plot of land would make that easier.

So this weekend was redoing the yard and getting it ready for spring
and summer. I have missed the beautiful warm weather! I sat outside
most of the day today. Wish i had ONE more day off.

Welcome Spring! Loving this Easter day!

HUGE dog. Teeny car.

I'm sure no one is even reading this anymore

nonetheless, i'm determined to get back into blogging again. not that i was all down and dirty into it anyway, but i am more focused on trying to keep up with it now.

it's interesting how life takes many twists and turns. sometimes it seems that life's richest experiences are not the ones that we plan for, but the ones that come at us sideways when we least expect it.

for me, this happened almost 7 years ago now when i met sean and then again, almost 4 years ago when we started our business. both were unexpected and both have enriched my life tenfold. and, recently another opportunity is staring me in the face. it's amazing what happens when we slow down, look for opportunities, take risks. i would have missed it.

....if it all just happened overnight, we wouldn't know how much it means........ Here's to continuing on my daily journey of taking time to be quiet, slowing down my pace, and enjoying the many blessings that are given to us each day.

what have i been up to....

Almost one year later...

It's hard to believe that we have been married for almost a year already. It has flown by so fast. We spent the year getting settled in, working hard, and reclaiming our lives. This year I have reclaimed my photography hobby. I have had the opportunity and privilege to get to take photos of some pretty neat families over the last year. Here is a snippet of some of my favorites from last year....enjoy!






















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