Two Days in Paradise.

The day after Valentine's I had off for a comp day (parent-teacher conferences). We were excited to actually get to spend two full days, uniterrupted, together. Because it has been a year since we have been bowling together (I would say a year and leave it at that, but I think I might have been bowling this summer, like once, maybe?) We ventured our way to Sterling for a fabulous meal of Taco Bell, and then we went to the bowling alley. We were only about 6 frames in, when the lady working at the alley made us leave. I was really upset. She gave us a gift certificate to come back another time, but I don't think she realized what a rarity it was for us to be able to be there and go to begin with! It took a lot from me not to cry. I know it wasn't a big deal, and it really wasn't her fault, but it's something we don't get to do very often, and she was kinda raining on my day date.

After I finished my little pitty party, we ventured over to Bomgaars which got their second shipment of chicks in. We bought 9 last week when the kids were visiting, but the green egg layers (Americanas) didn't come in the first shipment.  When we bought 9 we were only planning on 6. This time we were only going to get 1 Americana, but we both felt really awkward asking for just one chicken, so we ended up with 3 and rationalized it that we were making it an even dozen.

Our 2 Americanas and 1 Sicilian Buttercup.

Wal-mart was last on our list, where we were only going to buy sour cream and milk. But they had all the gardening stuff out, and we just bought all our trees and bushes for the garden from Gurney's but didn't get any seeds so I convinced Chris we needed to get our seeds for our garden too! He made so much fun of me because of how excited I got over a packet of seeds. He knew I loved Easter and Springtime, but I guess he didn't realize how much!

Chris also suprised me with a boquet of tulips! I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE tulips. They're probably my second favourite flower (next to Sunflowers of course!). I was so excited, (and of course okay with it because it wasn't valentines day or roses!) Every time I walk into the kitchen I make a comment about them.

But they are so beautiful! And I adore them.

Saturday we went to the hay auction and then kind of sat around the house and dinked around. We took the "window treatments" off of our kitchen windows. We also hung a few frames and pictures that we've been meaning to get to.

Again dummy-me, I forgot to get a before picture, but the "treatments" were just 6 in pieces of wood attached to the front end of the cabinents, so they weren't even true window treatments.

(After I took this picture, I realized we REALLY need to do something with this light fixture. It is UGLY and DIRTY!)

These are the kitchen signs I hung. Totally got them off of pinterest- free printables. Man I love Pinterest! This only cost us $3 for the frames that I found at the dollar store, and they look really nice and just gives it a little something extra.

The more time Chris and I spend together the better it gets. It's so much easier to get stuff done to the house when we're off together than just one of us trying to get stuff done on our own. We are slowly making progress, and making this house a home, and making it our own.

Lovely Days

So I don't believe in celebrating Valentines Day.never have. People just thought it was because I was always single, but even in a committed relationship, still not a fan. Mostly because I don't like how it's turned out (so much like Christmas, where people ask for certain things) and because I don't believe in having a specific day to celebrate your love. I tell Chris that I would prefer the unexpected gift on any other day, where there is no expectations and everyone and their mother isn't celebrating as well.

Either way, both V-Days Chris and I have been together have passed by rather uneventfully. Last year, I told Chris I would break up with him if he got me anything, but wasn't sure how well he'd listen, so I got him a card and a gift just in case. Lucky for me, my Christopher is a listener, so I was prepared for naught, so I kept the gift for his birthday and gave him the card. It was a super snarky one anyway, so it really did fit the non-lovey-dovey-ness we were going for. Something along the lines of how I know I can be difficult and mean etc. and then you open it up and it says how totally worth it I am.

This year, we were in our fiscal fast for Valentine's (coincidence? I think not.) so I used some sticky notes to make this little number for when he got home from work:

 

 

The Yellow and Blue (because those are "our" colors) say 'I <3 YOU BECAUSE...' and the pink ones shaped in a heart are all the reasons why I love my Christopher.

Yes, I purposely put the one sticky note by itself off to the side.  There is a purpose behind it, and it also kinda worked as an end point! Double plus!

Chirs might get a little upset I shared this one with you, but it makes me laugh, and it is something he says almost daily.  And because this is my blog, for me, I'm putting it here.

We started watching "Next Great Baker" because of my weird fascination with Cake Boss.  On the season finale, Chris told me what is on the right in this picture.  Oh that boy :)

This is the one that is an "end mark".  It says "I can!" It is often a phrase uttered from my mouth when he asks why I love him :D We're so silly sometimes. Just looking at this makes me giddy.

I think little things like this are what Valentine's Day are supposed to be about!  Not about roses (which are "eh" anyway) and Candy and gifts and. and. and.  It's about expressing your love for one another, and Chris and I can do that without spending money.

Hibernation

I had started a post several times in the past two months. It is a very dark and difficult piece for me to write, and I kept getting stuck at the same place. I noticed the post is becoming easier for me to write, but that's because I'm getting further away from the subject. Maybe one day I will post it, but today is not that day. I just have been struggling with trying to get the words out to describe what I've been going through, that I haven't been able to do much else, and haven't been able to write anything. Today I woke up happy. I felt like I woke up out of a deep, horrible sleep much like a "hibernation" from my old self, that takes place through the winter for many animals.

This week (all but Monday because I was at school until 8 o'clock because of parent teacher conferences) I have gotten home and either gone for a walk or a jog. Yesterday was not a great day, and I got home a little later than I planned. I debated about what I should do when I walked In the door, because I wouldn't have enough time to go for a run. I decided to just go for a short walk to the end of our property line and back (about a mile and a half). Even though the wind was biting on the way back home, it was quite refreshing.

The dogs came with me and ran ahead in front of me and I feel like they too felt quite refreshed. I feel like we were coming out of hibernation. This morning I woke up and played "squeaky" with Pippin for half an hour, and he seemed a lot happier too. I think we are all starting to peek out from our winter's sleep and adjusting to our new lives and starting to embrace it. Things haven't been weighing as heavy on me lately and I am so happy with my life. I am happy with how our house is coming along and we are able to do a little Something every day. I am happy with our "baby chickens" and excited we will have fresh eggs at the end of the summer. I am happy that we ordered our garden supplies and we will have fresh raspberries, and strawberries, and apples, and corn and squash, and peas, and beans. I am happy with our lives.

I am so at peace right now, and I am so happy.