Winds of Change

We had a really rough storm a few weeks back - it brought with it much needed rain, but also very high winds. This is the part of storms that makes me sad! I *LOVE* weather, the more exciting the better, but when it comes to damage...especially on your property, then it's no fun.

This was a limb approx. 15 feet long that was resting halfway on the top of our house! Thankfully, it didn't fall too far and thus didn't result in any damage.

There were several smaller, healthy limbs that were also knocked down in the backyard. With every storm that comes through, we tend to get tiny branches knocked down, but they're typically dead!

This guy was smack dab in front of our garage door!!! It spanned the entire width of our driveway. Thankfully, this one DIDN'T land on the house!

Matt and I headed out the door to one of my cousin's weddings in Wichita on 8/27. Aren't we cute? :o)

And in the most exciting news of the year: Matt has a new job! As bittersweet as it is to leave the animal shelter, I think he realized that it was 'temporary' and not a career position. He'll be starting with Southern Cross in a few weeks. It's a company that contracts with local gas companies to check for leaks & corrosion. We really think this will be a good fit for him and it will definitely be something different than he's ever done! Sometimes we just need a change of scenery.

Learning to Ride

I learned the fine skill of bike riding when I was little – training wheels and all. I distinctly remember the day when those little angels of stabilization came off and my dad was the one steadying the bike.

He was a great substitute for those little wheels...but then he let go, as tends to happen when you’re being forced to learn something. The bike was suddenly wobbly and I was scared and all by myself! How do I stop this thing? Where are the brakes? Am I still alive?

Even though I was full of fear, I did fine. I didn’t die, I didn’t crash.

I kept my balance because my dad had faith that I was ready. He wouldn’t have put me through all of that if I hadn’t of been.

Cue present day.

I’ve been biking a handful of times with my husband and it’s like I’m learning to ride all over again! I have no faith in my bike. I have no faith in MYSELF on the bike. I hate turning, even around a small bend. I despise hedgeballs, walnuts, and any other round object that’s in my path. I don’t like deep ruts. I don’t like when there’s a gap between the sidewalk and the grass, because I just know that my tire is bound to go in there. I don’t like bugs flying at my head. I don’t like my super squeaky brakes.

But I love the freedom. I love the feeling of the wind on my face. I love how quickly I can get from point A to point B. I love how strong & powerful my legs feel when I up the gear tension.

Bike riding is FUN! I've even been 'off roading' a few times (very tame trails, trust me...I hate rocks, roots, anything that sticks up out of the ground...) and even went down a ditch once. I'll have to say that I've really surprised myself (and Matt, too!).

Yay for new adventures that make exercising exciting!

Oh and make sure you 'ooh' and 'ahh' over the pretty new blog header graphic! :o) Oooh...ahhh!!!

In other news, before summer is over make sure you treat yourself to some lovely, fresh, Caprese Salad! I'm going to send you over to Ree Drummond's (The Pioneer Woman) site for a unbelievably delectable version of it. If you haven't visited her little Ranch on the Web yet, make sure to poke around at a few of her other pages. She is simply lovely!

The Importance of Children

It's something that each and every one of us has in common - we were all once children. But as we get older, we grow more jaded and cynical -- our rose colored glasses are promptly taken away from us. We are forced to see the harsh reality of the world we live in...we get the 'pleasure' of meeting the 'Great Oz' behind the curtain and it's not pretty.

That's why children are so refreshing to be around. Everything is new and interesting to them. They discover exciting things around every corner! It has been SUCH a blessing to watch these two little guys grow over the past year. Milo (light blue shirt) is my nephew and Jonas is our good friends little boy - both are just a hair over 1 year. They got to meet each other for the first time at our annual BBQ and I don't think we could've asked for better entertainment!