Baby Goose: the story behind the wily, sly little guy

After tying the knot I had accepted the fact that pets were simply out of the question. Off the table. Strictly forbidden. The closest thing j ever had to a pet was "Snowball" - a tiny, white, fluffy pup that he had for all of maybe two weeks, that then mysteriously "ran away" (recently the truth was finally revealed; dear Snowball had chewed up Scott's sprinklers. Enough said).

However, the unexpected Fred incident had a magical effect. Somehow, someway, one look at me with a darling little critter, and j's heart melted. Just a little. Don't tell him that I know though. Our little secret.

For my birthday, I headed down to St George with j's family (I often vaca with them and without him because he's so immersed in that stupid thing call law school). During the week's leading up to my birthday, with the whole Fred fiasco still close in view, we talked a bit about getting a puppy, but in all honesty I didn't think there was a snowball's chance in hell (pardon the expression) that we would actually get one. To my complete surprise, upon returning home and walking through the door, there sat upon our slate floor a white banker's box, all gussied up with vibrant ribbons which were carefully curled. I raised a suspecting eyebrow, unsure whether or not to get my hopes up on what might be inside that box. And then the box moved. Just a little. And the cutest little whimper came pouring out. I rushed over, scooped up the tiniest little puppy into my arms, and was absolutely smitten (probably an understatement).

j may say that was the worst decision he has ever made, but I love him for it and in my heart of hearts I know he secretly loves the little guy too.

A few things that make you so adorable:

+ You will bravely chase down a four-point buck, even after near-death encounters, but are afraid of even the smallest dog
+ You love socks and will run around with one in a frenzy, tossing it to yourself, playing keep away should we even attempt to retrieve it. You can be incredibly evasive when you try.
+ You cleverly try to hunt squirrels, patiently stalking the same hole every time I let you out of the house
+ Even if you are dead asleep, if I get out a toy, you immediately jump up, ready to play
+ You are as excited to go to Grandma + Grandpa's as any adoring grandchild would be
+ When I get out your leash, you are too keyed up to stay still. After scurrying around forever, you finally curl your little body around, tail wagging rapidly, and let me pick you up.
+ Your personality changes when your fur is shaved
+ Barking is not really your thing (unless Beckham is around or you see your own reflection)
+ You tilt your head in the cutest way when you hear something unfamiliar
+ I'm pretty sure you think you’re a people and not a dog
+ You hate the rain, but love the snow; you zip around like crazy, frequently burying your face in the powdery stuff, which is deeper than you are tall
+ You are distinctly different when j comes home - assumedly trying to exert your male dominance
+ Though a small dog, you will run as far as I will take you - three, four, five miles and your still pumped
+ You are a real cuddler and need lots of attention. You know nothing of personal boundaries.
+ Whether we are gone for five hours or five minutes, you light up just the same when we walk through the door
+ I may as well never put lotion on again, because you attempt to lick me to death the minute its applied
+ You set out to destroy every single toy we have ever bought you, successfully I might add, though the now legless yellow dog is still keeping you at bay
+ You smile and even laugh

Wild Goose. Silly Goose. Our baby Goose.

Fred The Bunny

One Friday evening, j and I sat talking in his office for a brief moment - chats are always brief lately as he's always studying… wonder what it will be like to have normal, lengthy conversations again? Hopefully someday. A girl can dream.

Anyhow, as I looked out the sliding glass doors, I noticed a deer looking befuddled by something moving in the garden. A snake perhaps? Clearly it was a critter that the deer was unaccustomed to seeing. As I open the door to check things out, to my surprise the most adorable little bunny comes hopping up the steps! Of course I am now giddy with excitement and j is trying to tell me that rabbits are hard to catch, but I mosey on over, bend down, and pick him right up (clearly he's someone's house pet).

Well, it's now starting to get dark and stormy. I bat my eyes and smile, which is quickly met with rolling eyes. How could I possibly leave such a cute, vulnerable little thing outside to endure a surely fearsome rainstorm?

Obviously I couldn't. So I brought the little fella inside. He made himself right at home, hopping all around the place. Melted my heart. And as a HUGE bonus, he was potty trained! Would use a little box I set up for him in the laundry room.

Jeremy decided we should call him Fred. And so we did.

Now, the j let this go on for a bit until he coerced me into putting up a "found bunny" sign. I knew it was the right thing to do because I would surely be missing him if he was my pet, but secretly I was hoping that no one would claim him (come on, I never thought I would be allowed to have a pet, so this was just pure dumb luck).

To my dismay, a girl called me that very day and said he was hers. She was so grateful that I had put up the sign (brilliant idea). And although I only had little Fred for maybe 24 hours, I still got a little teary-eyed when I had to give him back.

Little did I know that Fred had paved the way for a much better opportunity. Details to come.

j's last first day

Oh the days fly by so fast. Jeremy was trying to rush out the door, but I begged him to wait so I could snap a photo of his last first day of school... ever. I was so excited to take this photo, but I must admit that I felt a tinge of sadness creep up as I realized that an end to some of the most challenging days, but wonderful days were drawing near. I don’t know why it hit me, but where does the time go? I thought these three years would feel like an eternity, and at times they did, but now that it's almost over, I find myself already missing the adventure. Crazy I know.

Who knows what lies in the road ahead - but if we can get through this, we can surely get through anything. You and me against the world babe.

Sheep Creek Camp Out

All summer I have relentlessly petitioned Jeremy to go camping. I love getting outdoors and getting dirty, though we really haven’t camped together much. We were lucky enough to get to go camping at Sheep Creek (just past Logan) with dear friends. We had a great time roughing it as we slept on the ground, tinkled in the trees, got dirt beneath our fingernails, and ended up smelling like campfire. 

Jer doesn’t get to ride nearly enough… what a cutie.

There was this little lake turned out to be loads of fun – especially as all of the guys piled into one canoe. It was hilarious – I laughed so hard it hurt. We kicked up a lot of fun - swimming, four wheeling, and staying up laughing well into the wee-hours of the night. We devoured delicious Dutch oven meals, smore’s, banana boats, and roasted hot dogs. It most certainly felt like summer and the great outdoors are always greater with dear friends circling the campfire.

Independence Day

As a celebration of our independence we ventured up to Pineview with Jeremy’s dear family. This fourth was a particular adventure as we bounced from one campground to the next. The water was busy, boats were crowded, and everyone was pining for a patch of smooth water. The weather was a bit ho-hum, but we still ventured out on the boat and wake-surfed through the sea-like white caps.

We made it over to the Huntsville breakfast and parade, wandering through the elaborate booths offering everything from tiny jumping frogs to quaint home decor. Then the parade for the kiddos began, and I marveled as little Kaden learned what a parade is all about. At first he seemed a little unsure of himself, but it wasn’t long before the little guy figured out that the more attention he brought to himself, the more tasty treats would come his way. He soon flailed his arms above his head, as instructed, and made a mad dash for every single piece of candy he spotted.


Later in the evening, the Mr. ingeniously created what I have now coined as the “Shmookie”, which consists of two giant chocolate chip cookies (compliments of Costco), a slightly melted Reese’s peanut butter cup, and of course a roasted marshmallow.  We devoured this lovely variation of the traditional s’more while enjoying the stellar firework display over the lake.

I am deeply grateful for all the people who paved the way for the freedom I am blessed with. Hope you too had a wonderful fourth of July weekend.

My 1st Half Marathon

13.1 miles is a long, long distance in my world. For those who are unfamiliar, the Salt Lake Half Marathon takes you all over Salt Lake - starting at the Legacy Bridge up at the U, then along Foothill to Sugarhouse Park, then clear over to 2700 S., then it winds back going through Liberty Park, along State st., down South Temple, finishing at the Gateway. It didn't really dawn on me how far it really is until race day and seeing all these different places. I can't even imagine running a full!
   
It was a beautiful day, cool, but full of sunshine. I finished in 2 hours 13 minutes. I kind of let off the gas when I knew I wasn't going to make it under 2 hours even though now I know that I can - so I may need to do another one. I was amazed at how great I felt along the way - mile 7 no prob, 8, 9 no problems, then it kind of caught up with me at mile ten, but I kept pushing. Things kept me going like the guy I was running behind for awhile who was wearing a shirt that read "Anyone who thinks winning isn't everything has never fought cancer" or another girl in a brilliant pink top that seemed to keep a steady pace with ease, and the people cheering along the street sides from beginning to end, which is more invigorating than I realized it would be and I deeply appreciated those cheers even if they weren't meant for me. All in all it was definitely worth it. I was so grateful that Jeremy was there at the finish line, capturing the moment. He's always so supportive and I can't thank him enough for that. 

For Those About to Rock...

Now depending on how well you know me, you can imagine my elation when I found out AC/DC was doing a world tour. Oh yes. That's right - AC/DC. I am fully aware that my taste for old, hard rock is seemingly odd (mostly considering my age), but I think that maybe I was just born in the wrong generation. I mean, honestly, who doesn't like to rock out to a little "Shoot to Thrill" or "You Shook Me All Night Long"? If you hesitated to agree with me, I definitely recommend that you try it on a regular basis. There's just something wonderfully exhilarating about the raw energy and power-driven chords. Also, just to prove I'm not crazy - their Back In Black album is the highest-selling album by any band ever, selling more than artists like Madonna, Mariah Carey, and Michael Jackson. 

Tickets were a good $200 - thank goodness because I had a much higher threshold, though Jer thought they were outrageously overpriced. And let me just say, it was worth every penny (and it was also worth the added deafening I sustained as a result). I soaked in every minute of an event that someone my age shouldn't be privileged enough to attend, with Brian Johnson up there screaming at the top of his lungs and gallivanting around the stage with the kind of swagger that only comes from 30 years worth of performances. Then Angus, one of the greatest guitarist of all time, stalking the stage with his wild, ridiculously high-energy, and of course his schoolboy-uniform and duck walk (you have to see it to know what I'm talking about). His solos were amazing, and I loved how he taunted the crowd to beg for more, raising one hand to his ear like "I can't hear you". And then the next thing you know he throws himself to the ground, kicking and spinning around in circles, while playing the guitar. What's there not to love? I thought it was surreal. They played every good song and then to top it off, you couldn't get a better encore - Highway to Hell & For Those About To Rock. Priceless.

Here we are, giddy with anticipation...

Robert Plant & Jimmy Page. Metallica. Guns N' Roses. AC/DC. My life is complete...

Go Jazz!

I won a pair of sweet tickets at my office, so Jer and I had a fun date night. We went to CPK because I was absolutely craving their BBQ chicken salad. Yum! The game was against the Bobcats and of course, we won. It was a great night, and even better, a cheap date.