Merry Christmas Week!

From our family to yours...

Love

I have the best husband. He was out of town this week and got home Thursday afternoon. I had class until 7 pm, so I didn't see him until I got home.

So, after a long day I pulled in the driveway, our pretty Christmas tree was lit up in the window, and Michael had a candle lit dinner and wine waiting.

Isn't that awesome?! It was exactly what I needed. Just seeing him would've been enough but he made the night extra special and I appreciate gestures like that so much.

We had a perfect Thanksgiving, which I plan to post about soon, but between work and school things have been extra hectic lately. I'm in the middle of finals and big holiday projects at work so coming home to my best friend is so helpful.

I am very blessed.

Simple Things

Sometimes life can get so busy and overwhelming. So, because of that I'm going to share some of the simple things that make me happy and remind me of how blessed I really am.

• A good cup of coffee to start the day.
• Getting a text message from my husband when he's out of town that says something like, "Good morning baby! You are my sunshine. Have a great day!"
• Knowing I have the absolute best friends in the world that I could call on for anything.
• Mountain Dew.
• Coming home to two dogs that could absolutely not be more excited to see me.
• Christmas music.
• Clean sheets.
• Wine.
• Getting cards from friends or family just because.
• Being able to go to spin class and yoga to center myself more.
• Jeremiah 29:11.
• Black squirrels.
• Glee.
• Laughing until I cry.
• And living here...

Here's to a day full of enjoying the simple things!

Tis the Season

I believe we've established that Christmas is my favorite time of year. This Christmas is going to be special though. The Richardson's are sending out our first-ever family Christmas cards!

I couldn't be more excited about it. Getting cards from friends and family is a definite holiday highlight for me, so I'm ready to get in the game.

Shutterfly is one of the reasons I'm so anxious. Their Christmas cards are adorable, and affordable, and unique, and fun... I could go on and on. And the best part is it's simple. They make it so easy to create your cards and get on with the busyness of the season.

Here are some of my favorites...

Aren't they great? I'm a big fan of the square designs. In fact, I've even created Christmas cards for my work through Shutterfly. I'll share my little family's card and my work card after I send them out. I don't want to ruin the surprise for anyone.

So, go get started on yours and you'll probably find a million gift ideas while you're browsing around.

Shutterfly is giving me 50 free cards. (The beauty is that I already had our cards picked out when I heard about this great opportunity!) If you're a blogger, check out how it works here.

Snow

Well, it's November and up until this week we haven't had snow yet in Colorado. I've only lived here through one winter but even I know that's pretty crazy. Last year, it snowed the first week of October. I was SO excited about it, and I'm ready for it this year big time! On Tuesday evening I got my wish. I came out of my house to head to class and it was snowing. So beautiful and fun, especially for this Oklahoma girl. It didn't last long and was gone the next day but it was still great. Here are two pictures (terrible because they're from my phone) at our house. One was taken about a month ago and the other on Tuesday. It's crazy how quickly things can change!

So, in honor of the first snow I am officially counting down the days until Christmas, my absolute favorite time of the year. It's only 44 days away! I'm not just a normal lover of Christmas, I'm over the top and one hundred percent in love with it.

Here are a few of the reasons why:

1. Because it's the celebration of my Savior's birth.

2. Because buying gifts for people is my favorite thing to do.

3. Because being with family brightens my days.

4. Because Christmas decorations -- trees and stockings and lights make everyone's home a little warmer.

5. Because it's a time when people come together and cherish the relationships that matter most in their lives. And hopefully a time when we all give back a little to those who aren't as fortunate as we are.

This is my little family from our first Christmas together last year. We celebrated in Colorado with my family and it was wonderful. This time around we have an addition to our family (Paisley Ann) and so much to be thankful for!

Hope everyone is getting in the holiday spirit!

Love Like Crazy

I love the lyrics to the song "Love Like Crazy" by Lee Brice.

Be a best friend, tell the truth, and overuse I Love You

Go to work, do your best, don't outsmart your common sense

Never let your prayin' knees get lazy

And love like crazy

They're pretty simple, but I wish I lived my life more this way.



Greatest Desire

We heard an amazing message at church on Sunday. I’m often touched and inspired by sermons but after going to church for so long I rarely leave a service feeling like I really learned something I never knew before. That’s the way Sunday felt to me.

If you have time, you may want to watch it. It is here if you’re interested.

We had a guest pastor, Robert Morris, who discussed God’s Greatest Desire. Before he got into God’s Greatest Desire, he wanted to touch on Satan’s Greatest Desire. In a series of awesome illustrations he explained that Satan wants us to worship anything other than God. i.e. houses, cars, clothes, people.

I won’t go into too many details but encourage you to watch the sermon for yourself.

I just want to highlight the overall point – God’s greatest desire is us. He didn’t create us because he needed to but because he wanted to.

The pastor used a powerful illustration to demonstrate the love Jesus had for us.

When Satan tempted Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, imagine if only Eve would’ve eaten the fruit. God would’ve come to Adam and said, “Adam, I have some terrible news to share with you. Eve has sinned and now she must die.” Adam would plead with the Lord to spare her because he loved her so much. And maybe God would offer to give Adam another woman to take Eve’s place, but Adam wouldn’t want anyone else, just Eve because that’s who he loved. Now, imagine Jesus in Heaven and God telling him, “Son, I have some terrible news. Mankind has sinned and now they must die.” And Jesus said, “No Father, I don’t want them to die because I love them so much.” And the Lord said, “Well, somebody has to die.” So, Jesus took the sins of the world upon him and died specifically for you and me so that we may have eternal life.

We all know the story, but somehow it felt more real to me that day. And the magnitude of why we were created and by whom has never felt more significant.

Costume Cuties

Just wanted to share a picture to brighten everyone's day. Here are my sweet pups on Halloween. They greeted trick-or-treaters like champs and showed off their awesome costumes.

Paisley Ann was a bumble bee and Cheyenne Michelle was a turtle. :)

I'm Alive

I am alive, but barely. I've been away for quite a while! I have a couple of good excuses.

One - I was busy having an amazing girls weekend with my best friends in Texas. I will recap that weekend as soon as I decide to move the pictures from my camera to my computer.

Two - This is my real excuse. I've been sick for over a week. I never get sick. Seriously, I can't remember the last time I went to the doctor because I didn't feel well...maybe high school? I did have an ear infection once in college and went to the Health Center to get some medicine but doesn't count.

I got home from my awesome weekend with friends and started feeling bad right away. Sore throat, couldn't swallow, fever, coughing like a crazy person, etc, etc. So, I stayed home from work one day, took over the counter meds and tried to get better on my own.

And it didn't happen. For over a week, I've been a mess and I just kept going to work and going to school and trying to have fun with Michael. Until yesterday. I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired. :) The weekend is coming and I want to acutally enjoy it, so I sucked it up and went to the doctor. Well, I don't have a doctor (because I never get sick, remember) so I went to an Urgent Care.

Overall, it wasn't a bad experience but it took forever. Paperwork, waiting room, saw the doctor, went for a chest X-ray, back to the waiting room, back to the doctor to get prescriptions. Aahh! Long morning. But, I got antiobibiotics because I have bronchitis and a sinus infection. Awesome, huh?

So, I'm hoping since I am now taking the right medications that I will be good as new in no time.

Stay healthy, friends! And have a fun and spooky Halloween weekend!

Vitamins

I don't exactly know why I'm blogging about this, except that it's funny to me. I can't take vitamins. No one believes me, but it's true. They make me sick. Ask my roommates from college or my mom or my husband.

They think I make myself sick or something, which is just ridiculous. Vitamins make me throw up. I get hot and nauseous, and that's just a terrible way to start the day.

And don't start recommending brands to me or something like that. I've tried them all! So, my hubs seemed to think I needed to take some vitamins. I'm not really much of a milk drinker -- at all --so I need a little help keeping my bones strong or something, but multi-vitamins are my enemy.

Then, I started reading people's blogs that said prenatal vitamins made them sick and they had to start taking Flintstone vitamins. And that made me smile because Flintstone vitamins are awesome and fun and not gross. I mean, if pregnant women can substitue prenatal stuff with Flintstones then surely they were good enough for me.

I am now happily taking my vitamins every morning, and I have yet to feel like I'm going to loose my cookies. So, if anyone needs some vitamins in their life but doesn't really want to go with anything hard core, i.e. One a Day Women's or something crazy like that, then I highly suggest going back to your roots and taking some Flintstones. I feel stronger every day.  

Who I Am

"I have never seen this place before, but everything I learn of it tells me who I am." - Wallace Stegner.

One of my professor's shared this quote with my class a few weeks ago and it really stuck with me. I think it's so simple but so powerful.

Immediately when I heard it I saw myself in Africa. When I went there in 2006, I had absolutely no idea what to expect. I thought I did, but I quickly discovered that I had a lot to learn.

But, more importantly, there was an indescribable feeling involved that not only changed my life for the better but also taught me who I wanted to be.

I hope to have more experiences that teach me who I am.

Graduate School

I am in grad school right now. I also work full time right now. And I'm the wife to one husband and the mom to two pups right now. It is a bit of a stressful time.

Graduate school is hard. Undergrad seemed very black and white to me. But this is all about the gray areas. They want you to think about intangible things and form your own opinions. Sounds easy enough, right? Well, everyone is from difference backgrounds and are at different stages in their lives. It's not a bunch of 18 year olds ready to make friends and get through school. It's definitely a different dynamic than I've experienced before, and it can be a little intimidating.

Going back to school while working isn't the easiest thing to do. It requires discipline and focus and patience.

Discipline because all I want to do after working all day and going to class is sit down and watch TV. And maybe drink a glass of wine. Specifically, I want to watch the new season of Glee, which I have yet to see. My DVR is maxed out and I'm at a loss as to what shows to cut. But someone's getting the axe.

Discipline to make myself read over 100 pages a week of books I'd rather toss aside for something more my style.

Focus. I need to focus on what's important right now. This time will pass, but for now I need to get down to business. But the trick is I need to focus on school, work and my family. This is kind of difficult to do. Something or someone always seems to get the short end of the stick. I'm working on doing a better job at this - trying to get in a routine, focusing on time management...you know the drill.

Patience. Oh, this is a big one. Not only do I need to have patience in getting through this extraordinarily busy time, but I also need my sweet husband and even my dogs to do the same. I just can't avoid school work because I'd rather go to the dog park or watch football with my love. Patience is going to be a pretty big theme in my life over the next two years, I think.

But, I'm ready for all this. I feel like now is the perfect time, and although it's not always easy I know I can make it through. And it's because of the support from my very favorite people -- and animals -- that I'll be able to do it.

So, wish me luck as I try to do it all! Only for a little while though.

And, I'm going to try and remember this...

Welcome to Fall

Fall is my favorite season, and I am so happy that it's finally here! I'm ready for the cool weather, yummy drinks, Halloween, fun decorations...I could go on and on. I'm ready to buy my pups Halloween costumes and wear long sleeves and watch a lot of football. OK, I'm sorry, I'll stop.

When Michael and I first visited Colorado together to see if it would be the right fit for us, it was the first weekend in October. The aspen trees were bright yellow, the weather was perfection and we fell in love. Because of that trip, fall in Colorado has a special place in my heart.

And another reason this fall is extra exciting is because I get to see my very best friends. At lease once a year, my college buddies and I meet up somewhere and have the most amazing time together. In October, we're headed to Texas and I couldn't be more ready. I value these relationships in my life, and I am so lucky to have a group of people I can count on no matter what. Regardless of how much time passes, we always pick up right where we left off and I know how rare that is.

I hope your fall is filled with lots of wonderful moments, too!

GLEE!

Tonight is the night...Glee is back. Man, I have missed this show! I can't wait to see what this season has in store.

In honor if this momontous occasion, I'm going to share some quotes from Sue Sylvester. Surely this will get you excited about what's to come!

Sue: One girl ate a pigeon. That's how badly they wanna be Cheerios.

Sue: Your hair looks like a briar patch. I keep expecting racist, animated Disney characters to pop up and start singing about living on the bayou.

Will: Inside, you're a really good person. I appreciate what you're doing for these kids. I won't forget it.

Sue: I'm seriously gonna puke in your mouth.

Sue: You know, for me trophies are like herpes. You can try to get rid of them but they just keep coming. Sue Sylvester has hourly flair ups of burning itchy highly contagious talent.

Sue: I just lost my train of thought because you have so much margarine in your hair.

Sue: You think this hard. I'm passing a gallstone as we speak. That is hard!

Sue: You have enough product in your hair to season a wok.

Sue: All I want is just one day a year when I'm not visually assaulted by uglies and fatties.

Sue: I empower my Cheerios to be champions. Do they go to college? I don't know. I don't care. Should they learn Spanish? Sure, if they wanna become dishwashers and gardeners.

Sue: I don't trust a man with curly hair. I can't help but picture little birds laying sulfurous eggs in there, and it disgusts me.

Sunday Inspiration

I was at church this morning, and this song really spoke to me. I've sung it a thousand times, but something about today made it special. I needed to hear it and sing it, so maybe you do too.

Everyone needs compassion,
Love that's never failing;
Let mercy fall on me.

Everyone needs forgiveness,
The kindness of a Saviour;
The hope of nations.

Saviour, He can move the mountains,
My God is mighty to save,
He is mighty to save.

Forever, Author of salvation,
He rose and conquered the grave,
Jesus conquered the grave.

So take me as You find me,
All my fears and failures,
Fill my life again.

I give my life to follow
Everything I believe in,
Now I surrender.

My Saviour, He can move the mountains,
My God is mighty to save,
He is mighty to save.
Forever, Author of salvation,
He rose and conquered the grave,
Jesus conquered the grave.

Shine your light and let the whole world see,
We're singing for the glory of the risen King...Jesus 
My Saviour, He can move the mountains,
My God is mighty to save,
He is mighty to save.
Forever, Author of salvation,
He rose and conquered the grave,
Jesus conquered the grave.

My Saviour, you can move the mountains,
You are mighty to save,
You are mighty to save.
Forever, Author of salvation,
You rose and conquered the grave,
Yes you conquered the grave.

 

What a great way to start the week! Enjoy yours. :)

Oklahoma

I've been missing home a little bit lately. Sometimes when I tell people I'm from Oklahoma I get less than nice reactions. They usually say something like, "Wow, I bet your glad to be out of there," or "Well anything is a step up from that."

It takes a lot for me to smile and laugh instead of telling them how I really feel. Oklahoma is wonderful. I loved growing up there and am proud of who I became because of it.

I love this quote...

 "I've spent most of my life living in cities where people are obsessed with looking down on people from everywhere else. You get so used to doing it that you start to believe it's simply what everyone does. It makes for an atmosphere of unwelcome that penetrates much of our modern life. It's a shame really because a couple days in Oklahoma will open your eyes to how much better it would be if the rest of the country was filled with a few more people from Oklahoma." - Adam Duritz (Counting Crows)

                                  

I can't wait to go back and visit. There is so much I miss like...

• People waving when you pass them in your car. You never pass a truck without getting a wave or a nod.
• Chicken fried steak. Mmmm.
• Quik Trip! Holy cow, I love that place.
• Bedlam.
• McAlister's sweet tea. Sweet tea in general, really.
• I know you already know this, but Taco Bueno. I'm sorry, I won't bring it up again.
• Singing Oklahoma at O-State games.
• Being around other people who say "fixin to" and "ya'll".
• Cowboys.
• The fair.
• Tornado sirens. I know, that's a weird one.
• People understanding when I put ranch dressing on everything.
• Route 66.
• Seeing Garth Brooks at church.

I could go on and on. So, today and everyday I am proud to be an Oklahoma girl.

Football

I am a HUGE football fan. Not the kind that just enjoys games every now and then or the fun experience -- the crazy, semi-obsessed, love it more than boys kind of fan.

So, the fact that September is here makes me very happy. I'll be rooting for both my Cowboys -- OSU and Dallas -- all season long and I am so glad it's finally here!

I'm ready for fall weather, going to games, watching them, arguing with my husband about why my teams are better than his, eating lots of game day food...it's going to be a great time.

Hope everyone is ready for some football!

13 Months

People often talk about making it through the first year of marriage. When we did that, on August 1, I thought I'd make sure not to jinx anything and discuss our first year after 13 months. :) (I'm one day late because I meant to post this yesterday. Oops!) So, here we are. It is officially the Richardson's 13 month anniversary, and it feels pretty dang good.

It was both the easiest and hardest thing I've ever done. In our first two months of marriage we moved to a different state where we knew no one, got new jobs, bought a car and many other stressful things. It was not always easy, but I always knew I was exactly where I was supposed to be.

Michael is the most wonderful person I've ever known. He makes me a better version of myself. His patience, smile, heart, laugh and stubborness are all things I adore about him. We really are the best of friends and that helps us appreciate both the peaks and the valleys. I can't imagine not being his wife and feel so blessed.

During the past year we have bought our first home, made new friends, gone back to school, got job promotions, traveled as often as possible, adopted a new dog, gone on countless hikes, runs, bike rides and ski trips, and loved abundantly. We've also yelled, cried, fought, been selfish and learned a lot about what it takes to make a marriage work. And I wouldn't change a thing.

Here are some pictures of our first year together...

Red Rocks

I love Colorado. It is beautiful. There's always something going on and new places to see. One of the places I was most looking forward to visiting when we moved here was the Red Rocks Amphitheater.

We got to go in July and it didn't disappoint. It is an awesome venue and such a fun place to see a concert. Michael and I went to see Citizen Cope and OAR. We love CC and OAR put on a really good show.

I can't wait to go back.

Happy Birthday Dad!

I'm late. My dad's birthday was a couple of days ago, but I couldn't post about it because he was here visiting and we were having way too much fun.

So, in honor of his birthday week I want to share a little about him.

• He's the most sincere person I know. What you see is what you get. All the time, no matter what.
• He is strong and hardworking. I love that he taught me to get dirty and get things done. 
• Steak and potatoes are his kind of foods, but he loves to try new things. And he could eat seafood any day of the week. 
• He is a real cowboy. That's pretty cool in my eyes. 
• He puts aside his own feelings, likes, dislikes and opinions to make other people have fun or be more comfortable. 
• He loves his family unconditionally. And he welcomed Michael into the family with open arms.
• He's always makes me laugh...usually when he's not trying. 

Today and every day I'm proud of my dad and blessed to have him in my life. 

What I Miss...

I'm an Oklahoma girl transplanted to Colorado, and do you know what I miss the most about home?

It's true, friends. I LOVE Taco Bueno, and there is not one anywhere near me anymore. Sad day, I know. I literally crave this stuff multiple times a week, and I think it's becoming a problem. If I don't get some Taco Bueno soon I seriously don't know if I'll make it.

If I was there right now I would order a mexi dip & chips, a party taco and a coke. Then I would rejoice, eat it all and maybe order it again. Do you want to hear the worst part?! My dear husband travels all over this great country, and one of his frequent stops is in Kansas City. He stays in the same hotel every time he's there and guess what is directly across the street from him? I'm sure you guessed correctly. A dang Taco Bueno. He sends me photos, eats there all the time and breaks my heart. It's now a rule in our house that he not speak of it when he's there.

I know this may be a difficult love for some to understand. But I am not ashamed. And I will eat at my absolute favorite fast food restaurant again someday, hopefully sooner rather than later.

Footprints

No matter how many times I hear or read this, it remains one of my all time favorites...

Footprints in the Sand

One night I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord.

Many scenes from my life flashed across the sky.

In each scene I noticed footprints in the sand.

Sometimes there were two sets of footprints,

other times there were one set of footprints.

This bothered me because I noticed

that during the low periods of my life,

when I was suffering from

anguish, sorrow or defeat,

I could see only one set of footprints.

So I said to the Lord,

"You promised me Lord,

that if I followed you,

you would walk with me always.

But I have noticed that during

the most trying periods of my life

there have only been one

set of footprints in the sand.

Why, when I needed you most,

you have not been there for me?"

The Lord replied,

"The times when you have

seen only one set of footprints in the sand,

is when I carried you."

Very Important News...

1. I despise wearing socks. Always have. They get all twisted up in my shoes and give me minor panic attacks.
2. My new dog, Paisley Ann, is wonderful. BUT she barks at people periodically and I can't figure out how to make her stop. If that's our worst problem, I feel pretty good about things but it seriously has to stop.
3. When my husband is out of town (ALL THE TIME) I miss him so, so much. While I constantly wish he didn't have to go, it really does make me appreciate him so much more. Can't wait for him to come home tomorrow!
4. The weather here has been a little rainy this week. It's great because we really need the rain but it's not great at all because I've had to leave the dogs in the house, which means I haven't been able to go to spin class this week. I love it and don't like missing it at all.
5. I've been craving Chinese buffet food. I want some right now.
6. I'm pretty certain my house smells like dog pee. I think Paisley has had one accident since we got her, which is great, but I just can't get the carpet clean! Michael says I'm crazy and it smells fine but I'm not so sure.
7. The reason I don't blog as often as I should isn't for a lack of things to say. It's because I hate uploading pictures from my camera to my computer so I never do it, but I think blog posts without pictures (like this one!) are kind of boring.
8. My car's check engine light is on so I'm driving Michael's car. It needs new tires very badly and I'm afraid they're gonna blow out while I'm driving.
9. I tried to rescue a cat today when I was driving back to work from a meeting. He was running in the street so I pulled into a parking lot and tried to catch him. It didn't work and people were honking at me. I hope he's OK.
10. I wish Real Housewives of New Jersey was on tonight. Man, I love that trashy show!

Wow!

Well, sorry for the lack of posts of lately. I have so much to say, just no time to say it!

I don't want to be boring with updates, but so much has been going on I feel like I need to get it all out there.

First, we had our big summer event at work which took a lot of time and effort. Then, a week after that I took the GRE because I'm planning to start grad school this fall. I did not have the time I'd hoped for to prepare but it all worked out OK I guess. Not what I was hoping for but better than it could've been most definitely. =)

Oh there's more! The day I took the GRE, Michael and I started discussing our little pup and how she really needs a buddy. Michael travels so much for work, and with me starting school in the fall things are about to get pretty hectic around the Richardson home.

We've been wanting to get a puppy for awhile now, but time just flew by and getting a pup now seemed a little overwhelming. SO, we decided to adopt. Those dang Pedigree commercials make me cry every time! You know, the ones about shelter dogs? Anyway, we were both so excited to start looking for an addition to the familia while giving a deserving doggy a second chance.

Sunday was Father's Day and we headed to the Humane Society to start our search. Little did we know the search would end that day! We walked around looking at all the precious animals, I cried a few times, then we saw her...the cutest little black and white australian shepeherd ever. Her name was Daisy and we wanted to see her right away. Long story short, we hung out with her for a while and felt like she was perfect for us. A couple of hours later we walked out with a new Richardson.

(Not the greatest picture - this was at the first visit to the vet. I will take more when she's better!)

Her name is Paisley Ann and she is a sweetheart. Her and Chey hit it off but then Paisley started sneezing. So, we took her to the vet the next day. After a few more visits to the vet that week, she was diagnosed with pneumonia. What a mess! We've haven't even had her two weeks and she's had to be quarantined in our bathroom and taken countless medications. So sad.

Cheyenne just wants to play with her. We've gone through two cans of Lysol trying to keep every sanitized. She didn't eat for four days. It's been challenging to say the least. But I think we're on the downhill slide of this mess and she's starting to act like a whole new dog. She'll be quarantined until Saturday but then, hopefully, things will start getting back to normal!

Just some of things we're ready to do:
 - Let Cheyenne actually play with her new sister.
 - Get Paisley groomed! Oh for heaven's sake, she needs it badly.
 - Take the girls to the dog park.
 - Go on hikes.
 - Stop using Lysol on every inch of the house every. single. day.
 - And just enjoy our little family all together!

FIngers crossed for a speedy recovery!