Scenes from the weekend

Some snapshots from the weekend!

Bobby and I have started watching Arrested Development.  Have you seen it?  It's pretty funny. 

I'm excited about peach season and have stocked up my fridge.  They are my all time favorite fruit.  

Afternoon storms in south Florida

Saturday night found us completely bored, so we brought out the board games that my sister had given us for Christmas last year.  Tri-ominos + Beach Boys Pandora station = good times!

Our neighborhood is full of baby ducks right now.  They are so precious.

It was my friend Juan's 31st birthday last week so we took him out for a movie today.  World War Z, while not my typical pick, was pretty good.  If you like action packed movies (or Brad Pitt)  this one's for you!

Happy Weekend!


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Yay me!

 I am really proud of myself.  When it comes to overcoming my vices, lets just stay that I struggle...a lot.  But here is proof that I have kicked a habit that has consumed me for 23 years

My teeth will thank me and I will no longer look like a 5 year old chewing my nails down to a stub.  They still aren't the healthiest of nails, but week by week I can tell they are getting stronger and healthier.  I am no longer embarrassed to point to things at work and I can wear nail polish without it looking weird.  Kinda of feel like a real lady.

Yay me!

Frog!

Look who was trying to get into the conservation lab the other day!

Peering through the glass doors, just wanting to hang out with the ladies in the lab

The Lovers, the Dreamers, and Me

Bobby and I first went out on a date on a Friday evening.  Saturday I sat in my apartment with butterflies in my stomach and phone in my hand.  I think I dialed his number 100 times before actually letting it ring through.  Who really waits 3 days to for a guy you like to call them after a first date?  Not me!  I think this was foreshadowing things to come

:)

I practiced what I should say to my mirror.

"Hi this is Kate"

I smiled to myself. Proud that I had come up with something so inspiring and perfect! 

When we finally spoke, he quickly let me know he had had a wonderful time the night before.  

"Me too"

I asked him if he would like to come over the next day to hang out and of course he said yes!  He got to my apartment sometime in the early afternoon, and for some reason that I can't remember now, he had his guitar with him.  We talked for a long time about everything.  We realized at some point we were starving and headed out to Noodles and Company (best mac and cheese ever). We brought back our food and decided to watch a movie, the Incredibles to be exact (I think this was the only non chick flick I owned) on the uncomfortable pre-furnished apartment couch.  We talked until 2am before I realized I had to get up in six hours for class.

 Sometime during the late afternoon, as we sat on my bedroom floor chatting about this and that, I  asked him if he would play me something on his guitar.  He had a bunch of sheet music in the case and I rifled through it all, looking for something I might recognize.  

Then I found it.

The Rainbow Connection.

Oh how I loved that song and remembered it fondly from the Muppet Movie. I asked him to play it for me. He obliged and told me he would not only play it for me, but also sing the lyrics.  I smiled, but secretly I was worried that maybe he was one of those people who thought he could sing but really couldn't.  I started to get embarrassed, wondering what I would say at the end if he actually sounded like Kermit the Frog.  He began to play and my worries quickly dissolved as I listened to my husband's wonderful voice. I sat there on my sun speckled carpet, leaning against my bed and soaked in the lovely lyrics.

   

Boy serenades Girl.  Girl falls in Love.

Driving down A1A in the Keys

Rainbow Connection
Why are there so many songs about rainbows
and what's on the other side?
Rainbows are visions, but only illusions,
and rainbows have nothing to hide.
So we've been told and some choose to believe it.
I know they're wrong, wait and see.
Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection.
The lovers, the dreamers and me.

Who said that every wish would be heard
and answered when wished on the morning star?
Somebody thought of that and someone believed it.
Look what it's done so far.
What's so amazing that keeps us star gazing
and what do we think we might see?
Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection.
The lovers, the dreamers and me.

All of us under its spell. We know that it's probably magic.

Have you been half asleep and have you heard voices?
I've heard them calling my name.
Is this the sweet sound that called the young sailors.
The voice might be one and the same.
I've heard it too many times to ignore it.
It's something that I'm supposed to be.
Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection.
The lovers, the dreamers and me. 

Positivity

I saw this the other day on Pinterest and thought...

Yes. These are things I need to do every day.

Its not always easy to stay positive, especially  with all the negativity surrounded by us 24/7.  I often have a hard time with this, and can easily find myself complaining and whining about silly things.  Here are 7 steps we can all work into our daily lives for a happier us:


1. Listen to what you are saying and how you are saying it. Most of the time, you’re not even aware of how much negativity you can be thinking and saying. When you catch yourself about to complain, stop and ask who it’s serving to make that statement. What could you say instead? When you are talking to other people be positive and feel good while you are saying what you are.

2. Be grateful. The more grateful you are, the less negativity will come from you. An easy exercise is to think of 3 things every morning you can be grateful for. This could be as simple as being thankful for the existence of coffee and the electricity that makes your coffee machine run. This helps to shift your mindset to seeing how much there is to be happy about. Added bonus, the universe loves when you are grateful and will provide more things to be grateful for.

3. Consider the company you keep. Other people’s energy can affect you greatly. After being with someone, do you feel drained? If so, limit your time with them and aim to surround yourself with people who are fun, uplifting and grateful.

4. Take care of yourself. If you are run down, losing sleep and eating poorly it can be that much harder to have a positive outlook. I know when I’m tired, I tend to be much more full of complaints. If you are worn down, do things that will make you de-stress and relax such as meditation, deep breathing techniques, taking a personal day or getting a massage. Engaging in things that you like to do that are beneficial for yourself, will uplift your spirits.

5. Be the change you want to see. If you are feeling unappreciated, give appreciation. If you want to attract love, be in love with yourself first. If you are being in the state of that which you want to attract, you will create more of what you are giving out to the world.

6. Change what you focus on & take action. If you shift to thinking about the solution to your problem, rather then the problem itself, and you put an action plan in place, you’d feel a sense of relief immediately. It can be small steps, but take them for the next 7 days and then see how you feel. Back to the example of financial woes, if you saved x amount of money every day for the next week or made your breakfast at home instead of buying it, you could realize how much less you could spend.

7. Try it. Stop complaining for 1 day, then 1 week. Do you have nothing to say? How does it feel? You’ll most likely notice how much other people complain. Do not wallow in their misery with them, this takes you down to a negative state. Instead, try lifting them out of it with a simple statement “I’m sorry you feel that way, maybe try this…” And leave it at that.

Source Refinery 29

Friday

Its always a bit of a relief after a long and hectic week when Friday comes around.  As I sat at my desk at 4:50pm, organizing papers and files and trying to make it presentable for Monday morning, I smiled as I heard the office come to life.  It reminded me of Friday afternoons during my school years where the "inside voice" rule was completely disregarded, groups huddled together talking about weekend plans, and everyone was suddenly in a terrific mood!

I guess no matter how old we get, the anticipation of 48 hours of freedom and relaxation stirs up something deep down inside all of us, sending extra endorphins to our brains, and making us all act like eager grade school kids.

Scenes from my Friday

 A favorite pair of shoes and jeans on Friday

 Vlad enjoying the view

 Where I can be found

 No one likes "reminder notes" but if I make them cute, maybe they won't mind?

 Now our multi purpose room.  Always makes me a little sad of the lost art of film

 Leftover exhibition sign

A hot, but sunny day in the Everglades!

Some Things

Well its only one more day till the official start of summer and it has us all wishing it was the winter solstice instead.  The days have been oppressive with boiling heat and thick humidity.  yucky.  

Can't I just spend the days lounging on the beach, with the sea breeze tousling my salt laden hair?

past weekend trip to The Keys

I wish summers were like they used to be.  No real commitments, family vacations, relaxation for 3 whole months! But instead I guess I will trek off to work on these blistering hot days.

On my way to work this morning I got to thinking about my commute and all the things and people I see.  Being a commuter, you begin to quickly recognize the routines of others, seeing the same people at the same place every day.  For some reason this gives me great satisfaction, knowing that others have stuck to their daily routines as well.  It also lets me know if I am running late :)

I have two commutes every morning and every evening.  One to my carpool spot where my co-workers and I pick up the company truck and the second one starts as we drive for another hour to the reservation.  With so much time spent in the car, it lets me see a lot of things and a lot of people.

Here are some of the more interesting things I see on my commute that consequently have become part of my very own routine:

1.  A man in a GIANT truck with wheels at least 10 feet in diameter (only a slight exaggeration...) likes to avoid going through his neighborhood streets to get to the main road.  Instead he enjoys plowing through a common lawn space to get to the road.  I usually pass him as he patiently waits on the grass to merge with traffic.  Lets just hope some pedestrian doesn't think they have the right of way on the sidewalk.  I mean, thats what sidewalks were made for: lazy truck drivers.

2.  An elderly lady taking her early morning walk with her matching exercise outfit.

3.   Now that school is out, the bus stops stand empty.  But during the school year the middle school kids huddled in their clicks, waiting for the big giant school bus.  Without fail, there was always one kid running down the sidewalk so he wouldn't miss the bus.  This particular school bus became my enemy if I was running 5 minutes late.  Red blinking lights and stop sign...I despise you.

4.  On my way home I pass a kid who holds (term used loosely) an "Electronic Cigarette" sign for a nearby business.  He has a folding chair and sits on the median, usually with his phone in one hand and the other hand limply holding the sign.  Is this really the best advertisement tactic?  I think not.  But maybe he has the right idea because the people dressed up as the Statue of Liberty waving energetically at you is super uncomfortable.  "heeeey..." (insert awkward wave if you accidentally make eye contact)

5.  The grey hyundai on I-75 that has yet to fix the rubber lining on their driver's side window.  Its been half way detached for almost 8 months now and It flaps violently in the wind as the car zips down the highway.  My co-workers and I are planning on staging an intervention where one of us leans out the passenger side window as we pass the hyundai at 75 mi/hr, grabbing onto the rubber strip, and ripping it off the window.  Problem fixed.  Your welcome.

I wonder whose routine I have become a part of?

:)

A Servant

Linking up again this week with From One Year and Beyond:

What Have You Learned from the Unexpected and How Have You Grown as a Couple?

I've been mulling this topic over in my head for a few days and I've realized that there wasn't much "unexpected" when it came to our first year of marriage.  There have been challenging times-- merging our new expectations and roles-- and of course wonderful, blissful times--but being together for 8 years prepared us for a lot.  

Although not quite unexpected (thanks to bible school and exemplary parents), the greatest thing I have learned this first year is that when we serve each other we are the happiest.

We tend to be selfish by nature, and I am no exception.  Serving your spouse, or loved ones, neighbors, or complete strangers for that matter, usually requires a little sacrifice and commitment.  But seriously, it is one of the best natural highs!  When we argue or have rough days I look back and can usually pin point it to a single selfish act.  

This is something that has been engrained in my little brain since I can remember and still, its something that I work on daily.  

There is nothing better than a look of pure appreciation from your husband when you did something special for him, or tackled the laundry or picked up dirty dishes without being asked (yay me!), or made a life changing sacrifice because you knew it would make them happy. 

2005

While I tend to struggle with this, my husband leads me by example. He is the kind of guy who will drop everything for a friend, who would give his shirt off his back to a stranger and who will scratch my legs even when I haven't shaved in 4 whole days.  He's the kind of guy who left everything behind to move 2,000 miles just to be with me.  

Being a servant to each other has made us grow.  With growth and sacrifice comes adjustments and change, but oh how the rewards outweigh any slight discomfort.

My parents celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary last weekend while they were here visiting.  During their anniversary lunch at the Pub I asked them what advice they had.  The one thing they both said that stuck with me was

"Put each other first"

 I think they may be onto something.

2011

Post I: Introduction

Post II: Funny Moments

Post III: Hard Moments

Sea of Grass

I went on a site visit the other day at work.  While most of my time is spent in the cool indoors and safety of our collection storage room, there are a few occasions where I get to step foot outside and be immersed into a much different world.

This particular visit was the closing of a large project involving many years of work.  The project has and will be an example for those all across Indian Country and although it came about because of unfortunate circumstances, it ended in a major win for the protection and preservation of the tribe's cultural resources.

The day was not ideal for a field trip.  It had been raining for 4 straight days and did not stop even once on our excursion.  I tied up my snake boots and headed out into the Glades with my co-workers.

Beautiful and unexpectedly silent.  Prehistoric alligators lined the banks and those drifting along sank slowly under the dark water.  The white birds were endless and dissolved into the veil of grey mist, interrupted only by a small, vibrant, pink cluster of roseate spoonbills.  A sea of green and gold grass, infinite with it's steady reflection across the water. 

One of the sites we visited was only accessible by airboat.  Airboat rides in the rain are...interesting! And just in case you can't see me, I'm the one who looks like Gorton's Fisherman. Fish sticks anyone?

I know that whenever my time comes to move on to other adventures, I will always look back at this time in my career as anything but ordinary!

Sunset

Nothing shouts summer more than a glorious pink and orange filled sky.

Hard Moments

Hard times.  Its not always easy to write about the difficulties or the times that made you cry or argue.  But it's a reality, in any type of relationship.  

Blending two lives together can be challenging.  Put the strains of daily life on top of that and there are days that are just plain hard.

We've dealt with financial strains, loss of family pets, missing our family back in Colorado on a daily basis, and moving to a new place to live.  But the hardest moments during our first year have come about due to our polar opposite schedules .  We are lucky most days to see each other for 30 minutes.  We pass each other as I am getting home from work and my husband scoots off to work.  30 minutes isn't a long time to talk about our days, to reconnect, or to just enjoy an extra long hug.  There have been some unpleasant moments (mostly from me) of wondering why we can't have "normal" schedules like other husbands and wives.  Getting home at 5:00, eating dinner together, catching up on our favorite TV shows all snuggly on the couch.  I've even wondered how you can even have a relationship when you never see each other.  

We've worked hard to overcome this.  We still have the same work schedules but are constantly coming up with ways to make those 30 minutes count the most.  We e-mail and talk throughout the day and when those "important" conversations need to happen I do my best try my very hardest to wait until we have more time to seriously devote to the topic.  The days we have together I cherish more than anything.  We are still learning how to be creative and to make those few minutes count the most.  I know that it won't always be like this, but I also know that Bobby's work in the music industry will probably always create unusual work hours.  Something that will hopefully get easier as we learn to grow and support each other.

Its true that the hard times make you appreciate the good times even more.

The words we try to live by everyday:

I Kate take you Bobby,

Knowing that you’ll be my constant friend, faithful partner in life and my one true love

I affirm to you in the presence of these witnesses to stay beside you as your wife

I promise to love you without reservation and to comfort you in times of distress

I promise to encourage you to achieve all of your goals.  To laugh with you, to cry with you, to grow with you mind and spirit

I promise to always be open and honest with you

To be true to you in good times and in bad, in sickness and health, I will love you and honor you all the days of my life.

Linking up with Kaitlyn

Post I: An Introduction
Post II: Funny Moments

Until Next Time...

We had a lovely time in the Keys!  It was wonderful to just relax and do a little exploring.

Here's a little video I made to give you a glimpse!

Key Largo, Montego, Baby Why Don't We Go Down to Kokomo

I'm off to the Keys with the parents!  I am so excited to relax and enjoy the beautiful islands with my family.  See you in a few days!

via

Couldn't resist (:

Growing up so fast

Everdeen is growing up so quickly!  She loves to look at books all by her wee little self and is a waving master!

Some snapshots from one of my weekly Skype sessions:

Funny Moments

With our recent celebration of our one year anniversary, it has got me thinking of all the ups and downs we've been through.  They're not kidding when they say the first year is the hardest.  I didn't quite expect it, seeing we had been together for almost 8 years, but adjusting to a new way of life can be challenging!  Thank goodness for those moments of comic relief, the ones where you laugh until you cry.  And also for those moments that weren't so funny then, but make you giggle really hard thinking about them now. 

I think our funniest moments of being a newlywed couple seem to center around food (mostly because, ahem, I am a non domestic goddess in the kitchen and my lovely husband knows how to make eggs, cereal, and stir fry) and constantly figuring out how to be grown-ups.

In the past year we have broken 2 of our new, beautiful, and fancy Crate and Barrel plates, at least 4 of our glasses, and one of the cheap-o Target plates I bought as a here use this one instead of our nice plates plate.  Not to mention the countless times we've set off the smoke detector and that one time I surprised Bobby with his favorite breakfast and he immediately spit the eggs out onto his plate with a look of horror on his face (I may have cried out of pure embarrassment and failure). We're kind of a hot mess in the kitchen.  

Exhibit A:

Don't be fooled.  Although it may seem like a simple task, putting the groceries away is kinda hard. 

 Ironic = your husband talking about his crazy ninja skills 5 seconds earlier!

But through all of the silliness and small kitchen fires, I am reminded daily of his love for me.  

Exhibit B: 

I woke up to this just the other day!  At first I thought there was a giant black beetle crawling on his forehead as my eyes adjusted to the morning light (I was only milliseconds away to overreacting and slapping it off his face), but at a second glance, saw my husband's love note :) No hand written letters left on the pillowcase here.  Label-maker all the way!

I was talking to one of my close friends back in Colorado a few weeks ago and we somehow got on the conversation of marriage.  I asked her what her biggest piece of advice is, being married for 5 years now.  She said, "Play and laugh".  

I think this is some of the best advice I've received. 

 Remember when you used to play and have tickle fights?  And you would think everything the other person said was the most hilarious thing?  You would always answer "He makes me laugh" when asked what your favorite quality was about him. But then we get into a routine, get drained from long work days, and somewhere along the way we forget to laugh and just have fun together. This is something I will always make a priority in our marriage because there is nothing better than having a side-cramp, nose snorting, eye watering laugh attack with your best friend!

Linking up with Kaitlyn:
Post 1: An Introduction

Florida

Every time, every year

The travelers come and go

You see them landing with their pale wings

And flying back to the snow

And the summer comes marching in

Patty Griffin

Flamingo Gardens, 2013

Enjoy a beautiful song by one of my favorite artists:

Fub-leh-che-chobee

The Seminoles call it the season of fub-le-che-chobee, or Big Wind.  

Today marks the official opening of hurricane season, which always leaves a nice anxious feeling in the pit of my stomach.  We have been extremely fortunate these past 3 1/2 years to only experience a few tropical storms (knock on wood).  There have been some close encounters where a day or so out the hurricane is heading straight for our coast, but each time it has taken a detour.  Everyone says that Florida is bound for a major hurricane soon, that it has been too long and that we may have run out of luck.  It makes the knots tie tighter in my stomach.  I've seen the devastation and the loss that can occur.  The screaming wind and angry rain.  

The good news is that hurricane season only lasts 6 months out of the year!

I will begin my daily checks of the national hurricane center's website, keeping a close eye on those storms building off the coast of Africa and out in the Gulf.

This weekend I think I will work on my hurricane kit, getting it back into tip top shape.  It appears rather empty and I suspect that someone, who shall remain nameless, has been secretly eating all of the food...

They recommend having provisions for two weeks!  Its important to keep in mind that there is usually no water, no electricity, and no gas.

Our kit usually contains the following:

a lot of canned goods (which can be eaten cold or hot)
dried fruit
peanut butter
canned tuna/chicken
protein/granola bars
   a mini charcoal grill
flashlights
candles and matches
duct tape
plastic cups
Gallon jugs of water
hand sanitizer
can opener
copy of car and renters insurance policies
list of phone numbers
cash (no electricity=no debit or credit cards)

Our new place has hurricane shutters so it helps ease some of my concerns.

They're not the prettiest ones, but they will do.

 Being 10 miles from the beach means we are not in a mandatory evacuation area, but Bobby and I have agreed that anything higher than a Category 3 and we will be taking a speedy trip up north.

Here's to a quiet season.