if I only had three wishes...

Kelli was kind enough to email me a listing for a house in which I instantly fell in love. In fact, my day has been spent with the screen still up so I can glance longly at it every now and again. I even imagined the seller offering to leave behind their all to adorable furnishings...a pleasant mix of Ikea and vintage.

Naturally...the open house for it is being held tomorrow...of course it is...I am going to be gone. And due to its beauty and appeal...I can guarantee it will be snatched up by some chump with a down payment far beyond what I can pull.

All the same... I wanted to share it with you all. And send out a little Secret that I would really love for it to be mine.

http://www.utahrealestate.com/808570

Are reindeer real?

Tomorrow morning marks a special day. The Willfords will be heading out on their first camping trip. Ever. Not sure how this has happened...but Jason and I have never been camping together.

We are set to head down to central Utah where we will meet up with The Girls and head to Fish Lake.

Seriously...it's like the nite before Christmas.

and only 4.09 a gallon

Much like fashion, my passions and obsessions come in phases. At times I will be the adventurous "life is what you make of it" kinda gal...and other times I am the girl you want to slap because I ONLY wear serious pants.

One thing I know for sure, I LOVE living in Utah. I am having a blast with it. Now, it has definitely had its moments...like EVERY time I drive and I have to contain the urge to pull up next to the idiot who just ran the red light or thought they could squeeze their bigger than Noah's Ark SUV into a spot that is smaller than a clowns car. Trust me, I drive one of these monster trucks and still manage to be able to not cause any life altering accidents in my wake. (ps...so far I have contained myself...but I can't promise how long that will hold out)

Other than the idiots on the road...Utah is heaven. Honestly...very little could make me happier. Well...I guess if I had some sort of social life...but here that would demand I spend time outside my home or join a religion that has a tendency of being a social event not a church. Neither of which I am quite ready to do just yet.

So last weekend...we outdid ourselves with adventures. I rolled up my sleeves and got to work.

My sister Tracy cruised into town and entertained us all. I was in awe of her brilliance. Here was a woman who could holler at a man as we drive down the street, that his pants are falling down and next thing we know he is shouting his phone number at her and professing his love. Incredible.

The next day, we did a cameo at the In-Laws as Steve-a-roni just flew back in from his adventures in Baghdad. If only I could get my hands on some of that helmet-cam he has...I could make some cash! But for now...I'd settle for a Blackwater t-shirt or bumper sticker.

After that it was a hop skip and jump over to Bear Lake to see more of my family. Luckily Jason loves me cause I have a tendency of monopolizing our spare time and filling it with my family. He's generally a good sport about it all, but I'm sure that flask he carries helps a bit.

I LOVE Bear Lake. It holds a very special place in my heart, as that is where we traveled every single summer as kids to spend time my Mom's side of the family. We would run rampant for days with cousins, andsecond cousins and third cousins and so many other types of cousins I doubt at that point we would really be considered related.

This trip was on a much smaller scale as we spent time with the siblings and parentals. Tracy splurged and rented a jetski for a few hours and I can't even begin to describe how much I love those things. Seriously...the rush of the wind...the goosebumps on your legs cause spraying water and fast winds are COLD!!....and the fear that at any moment you could be flying through the air and hitting water that resembles hard concrete. I love it. I need one. Once again back to that coveting thing...damn...and I thought I was doing so good.

All in all I think we put in almost 10 hours of driving in one weekend...and for what? The family. Which is numero uno reason I love utah.

music lover

Perhaps it's in her genes...but whenever Lola is near the cd or record shelves...she pulls out the best music! I was quite stunned by her selection on this particular day. Jason and I watched a horribly ridiculous movie the other day that reinstilled our desire to go to Ireland as soon as possible and since then, we have not been able to stop listening to the Pogues or any other Irish music we can get our hands on. And my little angel went and jumped right into the obsession. I love this little girl.

peanut

I've been meaning to post this picture for awhile...I just wanted to hold it all to myself for a little bit longer cause I just CAN'T STAND how cute this kid is. And seriously...when she laughs...it's over. It's like this little zero-percentile peanut has some kinda of mojo power over the strongest of hearts. And I love that that our puppy is the protector of all little ones. She just chills with Lola making sure all is ok in Oz.

ps...

Looks like I have found yet ANOTHER damn self help/wellness /how to find your center book that I MUST read. It's the new IT book and I'm a sucker for IT books. Well...I'm a sucker for books. I am sure it dates back to the days when my stepfather built bookshelf after bookshelp to accomodate his ever growing collection.



Alas...I refuse to support the being that is...Barnes and Nobles. I'm a "shop around the corner" kinda girl and I'm sticking to my guns on this one. And I have finally realized I live in a little place on earth that LOVES buying local. I mean...seriously LOVES buying local. We have these cute little signs and everything that go in shop windows. I'm a huge lover of this and am thrilled to support it. (Sorry walmart - you've seen the last of me and my skinny wallet- you evil temptress you!)

So off I go to find a lovely little store in which I can curl up on an oversized chair and not be bothered by some overly-caffeinated "associate" who wants to make sure I find what I am looking for. Note to self - leave credit cards at home...I'm sure there is yet another IT book out there I need.

ok maybe not

Well...so this running at lunch thing might not be the best idea. for starters...it was anywhere between the mild temperatures of 95 and 100 when I went on my run on Tuesday. As I drug myself up one street and down another, I was motivated to keep going by the impending idea of my office mates finding my sun bleached bones and vultures circling. Luckily, I made it back to the office and sent my thanks to the guy who thought a shower in an office was a good idea. (LOVE YOU!)

So now I have to resort to the idea of getting my ass out of bed in the morning and making it happen then. Cause that seems more pleasant than heat stroke.

thoughts for the day

At lunch today I decided it would be a good idea to get my run in...that's three days!!!...and prevent the panic stricken moments at home when I am guilt ridden for leaving my baby and obsessed with doing IT ALL.

It was a good move on my part. Not only did it kick my ass, but now I am motivated and full of energy. AND, I have the entire night to now freak out over having a crappy messy house. It's perfect. It's given me the clarity that I needed to obsess about something else. Like I need help with that...ask my husband.

I am trying to work on the side of me that is happy for other people. My frustrations over living in a crap apartment and not seeing a future of getting into something better is overwhelming. I'm done being a kid. I'll be 30 in March and my internal list of "Things that adults do and have" is taking over my sanity. I see people my age...years younger...or just enough older that I consider them my age with things I should have. Mortgages. Cars that don't have duct tape holding them together. Books with their name as the author. I REALLY want to be happy for them...but a bit of my bad girl side comes out and I can't help but wonder...would they notice if that went missing?

Now don't go off on that whole "thou shalt not covet" tangent...it won't work for me. I'm trying. I really am. I'm a work in progress in this whole good person thing. I just find sometimes I just can't help myself. So don't be surprised if that speed boat in your garage goes missing.

who doesn't dig free stuff?

soo...check out this incredible page of fun fun fun vinyl wall hangings...these are WAY better than those stickers I bought for Lola's room that I had to frame so I can take them with me when I move. So here ya go...try it out...and if you blog about it...you can get something for free. but only today.

www.vinylwallart.com

it's a good time.

walking may seem harder than appears

Yesterday I decided it would be fun to go for a job/run/walk up to the high school. It's exactly one mile from my house. My intention was to run there...run the stairs once or twice and then home. Yeah. Who was I KIDDING?!

So I made it most of the way there...then had to walk a chunch back and then run and walk and run the rest of the way. No Stairs.

But hell...I did go 2 miles my first shot. Maybe that's why my legs feel so good today...err...I mean why I can barely walk.

apparently babies are tougher than I thought

So it's been quite a topic of conversation on how to get Lola to eat "table food". I am getting it from every direction that it's time.

Ok ok...so I have been putting this off for a gazillion reasons. Mostly due to the fact that I am SURE that once she tries to eat some of this grown up food...she is going to choke and die. AND THEN WE ARE ALL GOING TO DIE!!!

But...the little peanut is starting to give me the look as I sit in front of her chowing down on my black bean burrito and she looks down to another bowl of indistinguishable mush. I am pretty sure she even gave me the bird this morning as I tried feeding her more applesauce.

So off I march to the store to buy some food I can deem appropriate. All Natural. Organic. Blah Blah Blah. and still mushable...just in case I go into coronary arrest as I attempt our evening feeding.

it will be, what it will be

I now live in a place where driving past the local grocery store isFAR. And yet...I made the trek to the "just below the avenues" to see the fam. I have a brother, sister in law and niece in town I have been DYING to visit with. They are those kind of people. You know, the kind where they make life fun and enjoyable. I was dying to see them...dying to get a chance to convince them they wanted to spend some of their hardearned vacation time on ME>/

Ok...so I have to admit...I also had other intentions for going that far north. I wanted to go to a book signing...a brand new thing for me...to see a writer, a fellow blogger, if you will. And it so happened to be in the same neighborhood.

My plan...Have some fabulous food. Show off a fabulous baby, son and Husband. Do some..."I KNOW you want to hang out with me soon talk". And then run off to the local bookstore to a book signing.

Jason took Kindred and headed off for their own adventure, full of meeting the mom of my son and all that goes with that. I leave the peanut with the grandparents and jet to see this writer and hopefully discover that, with God's blessing, I am not her ONLY stalker in Salt Lake City.

This lady is a local celebrity. Of course she is. She's nuts. She writes (and I can only imagine SAYS) things people don't dare THINK. I was intrigued. KNEW I had to meet her. And what happens...I get stumped. Here I was trying to come up with the perfect clever line and I am blown away by the lady who had been standing in line in front of me. She had me so floored...when I finally did get to the coveted front of the line...the coolest thing I could come up with to say was "eerr...hi...i'm rachel." Classic move.

But here's what got me. Of the ENTIRE experience...was this lady who stumped me. So yes...I admit I should have expected some sort of drama or shocker...I did go to see a writer who is known for her jokes pointed in the direction of any mormon within ear distance. A lady who, dunt dunt duuuhhhnnntt...."tells it like it is". And here I am stumped. aggitated. annoyed. IRRITATED....by a woman who felt she needed to outshock them all and ask my writer to SIGN A PAGE IN HER SCRIPTURES.

i took a faaarrrrr step back. Ok...I looked up...heavenward...looking for the lightening of God's wrath to come down in this little "buy local" bookstore. I was scared shitless. And this girl. Well...it was obvious she had an agenda...an agenda that meant business. It's really got me wondering about agendas in life and what kind of agenda I have. Or do I have one, cause God help me, I hope not.

one for the books

it could be that there is fish cooking (creating the oddest of smells) or that kindred has a freshly shorn head...but something is lurking in our house.

perhaps it's the looming new moon. hmm..new moons ARE supposed to bring new adventures...new challenges. or perhaps it's the fact that as parents we are facing a world we never had imagined.

all you parents of young children or going to become parents or people who think that having kids is sooo 90's...take note. if you think a mere semi swear word uttered on the playground is the end of it...you have got something coming. not even kidding. the things these kids can throw at you are like....WHOA...WHAT WAS THAT???!!!! Who AM I to handle this?

and it's with love and hope for intilling morals and values that we send Kindred to Kansas a new man. A man with the look of a boot camp pee-on. And hopefully a man with the fear of, I better NEVER do that again!!!