A lighthouse visit

I spent the day in Jupiter on Friday at the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse and Museum for our annual Strategic Planning meeting.  It was great to get out of the office and have a change of scenery--nothing beats an ocean view and sea breeze!

 The site played a pivotal role during WWII --soldiers and their wives taking a swim

 The museum has restored many of the buildings used during WWII and kept most of the original flooring like this black and white tile

 Not the easiest of climbs!  Got a little bit of vertigo and hugged the wall most of the way up and down.  It was also quite a windy day, but the view was worth it!

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100 Days of Happy | 1-7

I've just completed my first 7 days of my photo journal of 100 days of happy. 

 Its been a nice reminder of the pure and simple moments of true happiness that surrounds me.



1.

my Aurelia

2.

A favorite pair of earrings {Charming Charlie} that went perfectly with a "new" shirt sent from my sister

3.

All gone! A dirt cake made for my staff for the completion of a project involving 600 soil bags.  When staff is happy, I'm happy!

4.

Spending some quiet time in the lab and sorting 2,000 year old animal bones from a site

5.

Thursday was premier night! Miami Boheme was officially on PBS. So proud of my husband!

6.

The view from the Jupiter Lighthouse.  Spent Friday in Jupiter for our annual Strategic Planning meeting.  A productive and beautiful day!

7.

Our new rug which I adore!  After ruining the last one with a Rug Doctor...finally found something that  we both agreed on and fit our style.

What made you happy this week?

The other side

Before I moved to Florida I thought the state consisted of two areas.  The beach and Disney World.  And although my dad had brought me to the Everglades for a day trip once when visiting my Grandma, it rarely entered my mind as a significant part of Florida.  

I've been able to travel a lot in and around the state and I have discovered, like most states I think, that there is a whole other world that out-of-towners don't know about.  

{Photo credit}

I drive through the "country" often when going from one reservation to the next; where sugar cane and cattle are abundant, small towns and mobile home communities dot the landscape, and of course where all the state penitentiaries are.  Its an entirely different atmosphere and vibe from busy Fort Lauderdale and Miami and a much slower pace of life.  You have everything from rednecks, to South American immigrants, to Crackers (native Floridians), to just good old sweet country folk.  

And while I don't think I could ever call this quiet neck of the woods home, I enjoy its sense of static existence and its silent yearning of days past.   

100 Happy Days!

I recently came across a challenge

100 Happy Days!

The goal is to post a photo one one thing that makes you happy for 100 days straight.  71% of people failed in the challenge because they just didn't have time.  

I think I can make time to be happy, how about you?

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So for the next 100 days I will be seeking out those moments that make me happy and then every Sunday I will post my weekly moments here!

Happy "Happy" Hunting!

Learning to be 30

I'm excited about turning 30.

Don't get me wrong, I'm glad to be 29 and am enjoying this year, but there is something about being 30 that has always intrigued me.  I'm pretty sure I'll still feel like I'm 18 {when do you actually feel your age?} come November, but I am excited about knowing myself next year.

Side note:
I've seen a lot of lists out there of "30 things to accomplish before turning 30".  And while I don't have 30 goals, I do have a few that I wanted to accomplish by the eve of such a milestone birth year.

1.  Complete my family history project.

2.  Lose 30 24 pounds.

3.  Learn how to really cook.

4.  Get a tattoo.

5.  Start a small business.

6.  Go to the Bahamas.

7. Learn Yoga.

Since moving away from my beautiful home state of Colorado, I have learned so much about myself.  I know it sounds cliche, but its the most true statement I can make.  

And while most days I do feel like I'm still trying to figure out my life--who I am, what I want to be when I grow up, and what my own expectations are-- these past 4 1/2 years having pushed me closer to knowing the real me {the good, the bad, the ugly, and pretty}. I look back over the years, through the different stages of my life, and can see the real me shinning through.  I've never been one to hide amongst my family and closest of friends, but there were so many times in my life where I wasn't myself out of fear, uncertainty, lack of confidence, or whatever influences I held onto.  

Sometimes I get disappointed for allowing myself to hide away.  But then again, this is all part of growing up and learning.  If things had been different I would have missed out on some pretty amazing experiences in my life.  

And thats why I'm looking forward to my 30th birthday.  I have this strong feeling that it will be some of the greatest years of my life.  What better way to live your life then to live truly as yourself --- I think I'm finally getting the hang of it.

Smile

//niece LOVE//

A favorite moment from my trip home a few weeks ago!

This too shall pass.

I've had a tough week at work.  I won't go into details because we all know we aren't supposed to talk about work being bad on the internet...am I right?

Anyways, lets just leave it at that.  Its been tough.

This past week has taught me not only a lot about myself as an individual, but as a professional. It has also taught me a lot about others--good and bad.

Wednesday was the hardest day of all.  I plopped in my headphones and started listening to my music.  A song I rarely listen to came on and one of the lyrics was, "And this too shall pass".  What fitting words.  

Life brings us challenges, whether in our personal or work life.  How we respond to those situations is essential.  It can make or break us.  And I think the most important thing we can remember is that it will pass.  There are better moments ahead, always.  There are better days ahead, weeks, years-- always.

That's a very comforting thought.

Sometimes You Gotta Cry

My poor little Aurelia.

She had a teeth cleaning today which isn't so bad but she also had to have 4 teeth pulled.  We just brought her home a little bit ago and slowly let her out of her cat carrier.  She wobbled across the floor and my heart broke.  Poor thing.  She has no idea that she will feel better soon.  Her usual talkative self is completely silent except for a low, rough meow now and again.  Her back leg has a big fat bandaid on it and she won't let me take it off.  Bobby and I sat on the floor with her, trying to calm her and whispering that it would be ok.  I started crying and she started crying.  We cried together with Bobby sweetly comforting us both.  

Its been a pretty stressful and stupid week at work (hence the lack of blogging) and the stress of seeing our little kitty in pain knocked me over the edge.  Sometimes you just need to cry it out.  

Sometimes I wish you could just hit the pause button on life, pull yourself together, maybe fast forward a little bit and begin again.  But we all know it doesn't work like that.  

So in the words of Scarlett O'Hara, "Tomorrow is another day!"

For Now...

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I am enjoying every minute.

Work Life

Excavating an alligator that was buried last year {we conveniently use roadkill for our comparative collections!}  +  Spring = Baby alligators  +  A little raccoon decided to take a nice long nap at the very top of the palm tree  +  Another sunset for the books  +  My favorite spot on the boardwalk

spring

It is March.  How did that happen?

This weekend has gone too fast, but I am excited that my work week only consists of one whole day.  Then I am off to meet my brand new nephew, Oliver.  :)

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The sun is shining today on this lazy Sunday and spring is floating through the air.  I snuck out of my office for a quick break on Friday afternoon and stood on the porch that overlooks the Cypress hammock.  The trees were flowering  a bright yellow, bumble bees were lazily buzzing and a raccoon scurried under the boardwalk.  The sky was a brilliant blue and there was a perfect breeze that only comes at the end of winter.  

Today I've opened the windows and doors to let in this fresh, flowery air.  It won't last long and I'm trying to enjoy it for as long as I can before the heavy and suffocating humidity comes rolling in for a long 7 months.  

I've never liked spring much.  I've always preferred Autumn.  But this year I am seeing the purpose of these months of rebirth.  This year I am needing it in my own life so I will enjoy these warm Spring days, watching everything come back to life --showing off their colorful fruits and flowers.  

Maybe the New Year should actually start in spring when everyone gets a new burst of energy after the long cold days of winter.