POTD - Yoga

Meet... my yoga mat! I tried to snap some of my feet on the mat but my toes are winter gnarly so I won't subject you to that. Yoga is my escape. I found power yoga about a year ago and fell in love with it. It has now become a stress relief that I couldn't live without. One of the reasons I love it is that it's always a challenge... they heat the room up to around 85 degrees and you're constantly moving for the entire 1½hr class. It's intense. It's taught me balance, focus, and perseverance... I've learned that I can keep going long after my body thinks it can't. You leave there feeling so calm, fulfilled, energized and but yet exhausted in the best way possible.

I don't think either of these are uber creative, but couldn't think of another way to take them when the toes on the mat shot that I envisioned fell through. CC is always welcome!

And a photo of me in one of my favorite yoga poses (side crow, if you're curious)... taken by the amazing Regeti's Photography

POTD - TiVo

What did I do before TiVo came into my life? It has to be my favorite convenience. It's been getting a break recently since most shows are done until fall. The break is well-deserved after the overdrive that I put it into by TiVoing any wedding related show for the past year. But without it, I'd never get to see LOST... by 10pm my eyes are drooping and even the vision of Matthew Fox on a desert island can't keep them open!

This has been my most challenging POTD so far. I know, I just started last week, but still. =) Besides the fact that our bedroom is small, the lighting in there is the worst. It's like a dungeon. There's only 1 window, which doesn't even lead outside... it opens to a screened-in porch. And all our lamps are those asian-style paper lamps. I had to use ISO 800 & the SS was still a struggle. CC and advice are always welcome!!

POTD - Wine...

Red wine. Particularly of the Spanish variety. Granted, I probably could live without it... but would I want to? Good thing my husband rarely looks at my blog or he may be offended that there's way more photos of wine than there were of him, hehe...

POTD - Things you couldn't live without...

It only seems appropriate that I start out this week with the thing that I couldn't imagine living without... my sweet husband. ::: collective awwww ::: I'm not thrilled about either of these but we took them quick at the park yesterday while being distracted by the Chloemonster. I wanted to capture his smile, which I adore, but he wasn't too cooperative. CC is always welcome. And I tried some dodging on his eyes, please let me know if it looks freakishly abnormal as I obviously don't know what I'm doing yet!

Boston Terrier Meetup

Since we're on the topic of pets, I thought I'd post some photos from our play date last weekend. The photos are more snapshotty than anything but who doesn't love to see these adorable dogs? Chloe went to her first Boston Terrier meetup. If you've never seen the website, check it out here. There are meetup groups for pretty much every interest you can think of. We thought it would be fun to get together with a bunch of other boston owners... there were around 15 other bostons there. Chloe was not as psyched about it. Even though she has always been around my parent's pugs, she gets so anxious around other dogs. We've started taking her to the bark park but the one that's closest to us doesn't have a separate area for big and small dogs so she ends up getting trampled. One time she got ran over by a huge golden retriever and then she tried to attack his face. It wasn't a good scene. Last weekend went considerably better, but she was still nervous. I think we'll try to keep taking her to the meetups in hope that she eventually starts playing with the others like a normal dog. I don't want my dog to be a social reject!

POTD

My Chloe. She's adorable and has the funniest personality. I love her to pieces. She has converted my hubby from a cat person. And unfortunately for her, since we have no babies she is forced to be my model, hehe. The first one is my take on the infamous Pier One blanket. I know it's cliché, but I couldn't resist. CC is always welcome...

POTD - Pets

This is my very first Photo of the Day post! I'm excited about it. I got my first DSLR about a month ago so I'm still really green. This is my parent's cat, Oreo. He is soooo lazy, always loungin'. Since I'm just starting out, I'd love any cc. Don't be shy, anything is helpful... I'm trying to learn!

The day my world shattered...

My defender. My playmate. My taunter. My hilarious dancer. My teacher of all 'boy' things. My emergency oil changer. My competition for parent's attention. My 'standing in the corner' buddy. My strength. My favorite one to torment. My fellow schemer. My closest friend. My greatest adversary. My money-lender during college. My always reliable taxi driver to the airport. My constant troublemaker. My first roommate. My partner in crime. My comic relief. My little brother...

2001. I was living my dream... studying a semester in Granada, Spain. I had been living there for almost 5 months... learning so much about the culture, the language, and myself. My life was virtually perfect. Which seems to be the time that life comes crashing down on you. My little sister tore her ACL. Again. I was crushed to hear this... I knew how devastated she was after the first time she tore it and how invasive the surgery was and how painful the recovery. It hurt that I was thousands of miles away during this oh so difficult time for her. To say that I was anxious on the day of her surgery would be an understatement. I couldn't sleep, I couldn't eat... much to the dismay of my señora. I waited and waited for the phone call to say that everything was ok. It never came...

Shortly before noon the next day my phone rang and I answered it with apprehension. It was my Dad. Immediately, I knew something was wrong. My Dad never calls me when I'm away... it's always my Mom. What's going on? Is Christine ok? I can still hear his voice in my head as clearly as if he were calling me at this very moment. Donny was in an accident last night, and he didn't make it. The words echoed in my mind a few times before I was able to grasp them. I screamed. I was in shock. I tried to make myself believe that it was all a dream and I'd wake up like it never happened. I was confused and distraught and scared and disoriented. And this was just the beginning of the onslaught of emotions to come.

The next few days are a complete blur. I remember bits and pieces, kind of like I was drunk through them all though I was not, but by some miracle I was able to make it home. On my flight home I sat next to a friendly elderly woman who tried to make pleasant conversation despite the fact that I was clearly not up for small talk. Do you have any brothers or sisters, she asked. I was stumped. A few days ago, I had a brother and a sister. What do I say now? In an effort to avoid awkwardness, I said, "I have a little sister." But you have a brother too... my subconscious protested. Even if he's not with you now... you have a brother too.

It's been six years since my brother's life was taken far too soon. He was 19. This loss has changed my life in a way that I could never explain. It still feels very surreal. Very fresh. Very painful. I wish I could say that the pain lessens with time but it truly doesn't. I think you just get used to the feeling. Shortly after we lost my brother, I remember talking to someone who stated, "When you experience this type of loss in your life, normal will never be normal again." So true. Every day I wish that my family could go back to the way it was before. Every holiday is marked with a twinge of sadness that comes from knowing that there is and always will be one piece missing. Every day I wonder how different my life would be. Every day I pray that my family never has to face this type of suffering again. Every day I think about what I would give to have my brother meet and get to know my husband. Every day I smile when I recall the past. Every day I encounter something that reminds me of him. Every day I'm enraged about the future memories that were robbed from my family. Every day I miss him. God, I miss him.

“Life is not the way it is supposed to be. It’s the way it is. The way you cope with it is what makes the difference.” Virginia Satir

Reminiscing of Spain...

At this very time 2 years ago we were having churros con chocolate and sangría in Spain. Pure heaven. In my mind, things could not get better... and I made a comment to Rose that they shouldn't expect to see a bigger smile on my face than at that moment. She slyly mentioned that she thinks she'll see a bigger smile that week. Later that night, Kev got down on one knee and asked me to be his wife in a beautiful, quiet plaza in Granada. She was right. And she was sneaky. You can read the detailed proposal story here.

And for your viewing enjoyment... ok, mostly for mine... here's a slideshow of my favorite images from our trip. Spain will always hold a special, unique piece of my heart. The memories from my semester there are some of the best of my life. And I could say no less about this trip. I'm pretty sure I was glowing the entire week. Oh, how I adore Spain...

Happy Mother's Day!

We had a Mother's Day weekend so we could spend a day with each Mom. No schedule, no rushing around or being pressed for time... it was wonderful. Yesterday, we spent the day with Rose and Mark. We stopped at Whole Foods and picked up some sandwiches and snacks for a picnic lunch. And Rose took us to one of her favorite escapes...Chanticleer Garden. Wow. Who knew these type of places existed almost in our own backyards? It's a sprawling estate that was opened to the public after the owners passed 14 years ago. There are flower gardens everywhere, vegetable gardens, ruins, ponds, little bridges, and endless trees. There's a path that runs through the grounds or you can just stroll the grounds wherever you'd like. It's just stunning. The part that I loved is that every so often you'll come upon some chairs, usually a pair, in an ideal location to enjoy a new aspect of the garden. Each set of chairs is different in design and color. Kind of gives it an 'Alice in Wonderland' type feel. We had the best time and I would definately recommend this place to anyone in the area. Hopefully we'll be able to go again, as Rose mentioned that each time you go it's a different experience since there's always other flowers are in bloom.

After the garden, we visited another arboretum. It was not as large as the gardens but we enjoyed a walk through the bushes blooming in vibrant colors and around a small lake. Although the weather was gorgeous, sunny and 80, when we were out... it got cloudy and the rain arrived shortly after we got home. Perfect timing. Rose mixed up some homemade guacamole that we had with chips & salsa and watched the storm from their sunroom. It was a fun, relaxing day. Thank you Rose, for sharing your favorite escapes with us!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY TO ALL THE MOMS!

Peace Valley Park...

The weather has been so warm recently and I love how late it stays light. Wednesday we went to Peace Valley Park after work with the Chloemonster. She loves walks. Loves them. And it's such a stress relief after a long day at the office. The park is so beautiful as the sun sets over the lake...

A new level of stupidity...

Yesterday, I witnessed stupidity taken to a whole new level. After work I stopped at my usual WaWa, right off the highway, to get gas before I headed home. There are loads of business complexes in the area so you're almost always guaranteed to have to wait for a pump. I was able to sneak into the last open pump with no wait.

I get out of my car and start pumping my gas as the lady at my same pump, on the other side, gets done. She starts her car, pulls away, and I hear a loud BANG. I look over, only to see the lady driving away with the gas pump nozzle STILL IN HER CAR and the hose dragging along behind it. I've never seen such a thing. It tore clean off the tank. She stops quickly and her jaw drops when she realizes what a moronic thing she's just done. You're at a gas station... how do you forget that you're pumping gas?!?

She gets out of her car, releases the nozzle from her car and proceeds to hang it back in it's place on the tank, the hose still swinging freely. Oh. My. God. I thought she might just drive away but she did go into the WaWa to fess up, head hanging. Though it would have been far more entertaining to see her carry the severed nozzle with her into the store and hand it over to the cashier with a shoulder shrug and an "Oops"...

Fine Art, Indeed...

For fellow fans of 'The Office', in anticipation on tonight's episode... my new favorite piece of cubicle art...

Find your favorite cast member here.

Lo's Birth Announcement...

I saw this idea on a photography board and it was too adorable to pass up. After Krista and my little 'photo shoot' on Saturday I played around with the photo and this is what I came up with. She loved it so we ordered it up and are anxiously waiting to see what how it turns out...

Snips & Snails and Puppy Dog Tails...

On the flip side of my last post... My college roomie Krista had a little boy 3 weeks ago. Lorenz. I posted about it here, a ways down. I got to meet him this weekend. It's hard to believe they make toes and fingers that tiny! I adore him. And am astounded at how holding something so small and precious in your arms just seems to put everything into perspective. Oh my... stay away baby fever. We're not ready yet!

Krista's and my parents have been friends since high school. Our moms were pregnant together so we've been friends for as long as I remember. It's wild to see her chasing around two little ones. You can tell just by watching her interact with them that she's a natural to this whole mommy business. She and Erich are blessed to have two perfectly darling boys.