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!

Introducing Cheyenne Michelle

This is the light of my life. :) Isn't she cute? Meet Cheyenne Michelle Richardson, my sweet little dog who really brightens our days. 

Here are a few important things to know about Chey...

1. She LOVES her tennis ball. More than anything. 

2. She is four years old but looks just like a puppy.

3. She is a hiking machine. She loves it and has even done the Incline in the Springs!

4. Michael is by far her favorite to play with, but she definitely likes cuddling 

with me best.

5. She really is the smartest dog, and she always impresses us with her 

awesome personality. 

Chey is an important part of our little family, and we're very blessed to have her! 

Summer Time

Well, this blogging business has been a little on the back burner lately. I want to blog more often but man things are busy right now! Summer is a crazy time at my job and we have a huge event on Saturday that we've been working really hard on for the past few weeks.

But, no excuses here! Life is good. Santa Fe was wonderful. Michael and I needed a break away from the daily grind and we had a lot of fun.

The weather was great the whole weekend and it was a fun little city to explore. 

And there was yummy sangria everywhere! And I loved it. 

We of course went on a hike while we were there. It was really pretty and we met a neat couple along the way. It was a great way to spend a morning. 

And Cheyenne hiked like a little champion, as usual!

My beautiful friend Kari Ann, who I used to work with in Tulsa, and her husband were there for the weekend, too, so we all met up for dinner and had a fabulous time. 

So, I just wanted to share a little about our lovely trip to Santa Fe!