Ahhhh....SWEET STRAWBERRIES

leaving me with a taste of Spring Fever!!!

The end of a season

This weekend marked the end of the season for my girls' traveling basketball teams. It was sad to see it end, yet it will be nice to have our weekends back. These girls practiced 3-4 nights a week, so we'll be adjusting back to a slower routine in the evenings, which will also be kind of nice.

I do love to see my #12 and #2 play ball though!!! I have two girls with a LOT of intensity.

This was the last year for Cassidy to play on this team, as she'll technically be in high school next year (sniff sniff), although the 9th graders are still in the jr. high building. For Paityn, it's only the beginning. In fact, technically, she wasn't old enough for the team, but she and another 4th grader played, and thank goodness they did. They needed players, and, especially for 4th graders, they added a LOT to the team. They didn't win a lot of games, but it was a great learning experience for them. They were often playing against girls older and much bigger than them, so they did good.

So for now, it's over, but we'll be back again next year for those weekend road trips!! :)

My cup

I have this ONE cup. Somehow the coffee just tastes different in this cup. If I'm forced to drink my coffee from a different cup, I'd just almost rather not drink it at all, and that's saying a lot.

I was brought up to put others first, be kind at any cost, etc. You know...the whole southern hospitality thing. But when it comes to this cup.... If a guest inadvertently chooses MY cup, I have to say, "um....that's my cup." I know it's strange, and it's so insignificant, but still. I'm not really sure why anyone else would want MY cup anyway. The glass is etched from too many stirrings, and milky from too many trips through the dishwasher. But it's my cup. It's a huge part of my morning routine.

Of all the things to be selfish about....

Missing my girl

It's been a quiet week around our house. We haven't heard Paityn's voice since Monday morning about 7:45 a.m. when we left her on the bus in the school parking lot, headed for an amazing experience. Her 4th grade class, along with the other 4th grade class from her school (about 40 10-yr-olds), along with a handful of teachers, headed for Jackson, Wyoming for 4 nights and 3 days at the Teton Science School, where they would snow shoe and cross-country ski with real scientists to do fieldwork and observe wildlife like nowhere else in the world.

The roads were closed on Sunday, so we really had our doubts that they'd actually get to leave. But...the roads opened up, and the trip was on. Monday was a difficult day. There's the distance thing...the weather thing...the road thing...the "she's only 10" thing. But there was also the "once in a lifetime opportunity" thing. And I couldn't take that away from her. We finally go the call in the late afternoon that they'd arrived, safe and sound, and I started to breath again.

To put things in perspective, the dog refused to even go outside to potty for the first 24 hours. (what a bladder this guy has!!) I guess he was waiting for her to come home.

I miss my silly, sweet, quirky kid. I miss her bringing her box of conversation starters to the dinner table. I miss waking her up in the morning and putting her to bed at night. And I can't WAIT to hear the tales she has to tell about this incredible trip she just experienced.

She's on her way home...I'm counting the hours. Only about 4 1/2 hours before they arrive. Then I'll breath again...again.

It's the weather lady here...

I'm starting to feel like I'm a walking weather report. Every conversation, newsletter, post, thread, etc., begins with a report on the weather. As if people want to hear that. As if it's any different than the last time you heard from me. It's cold today. It was cold yesterday. It will be cold tomorrow. Let's face it though...when you live in a place like this in the winter, there's not much to talk about BUT the weather. I long to step out and enjoy the sun, and I DO enjoy the sun...we have GREAT sun. It's just that the -5 wind chill temperature IS a bit nippy....despite our great sun. So...as much as I'd love to give a photo presentation of my lovely walk in the park this morning, showing you pictures of squirrels climbing trees, children playing on the merry-go-round, leaves blowing around in the breeze (a.k.a. 40 mph gusts)...it didn't happen. Instead, I'll grace you with a list of things that have made me happy this week.

- A good book
- Starbucks Vanilla Lattes (I've lost count)
- Friends who make me laugh
- Listening to my daughter sing in the tub when she didn't know I was listening
- An unexpected day off (due to a power outage)
- Bubble Baths
- Snow
- The smell of my new candles
- A Rice Krispy treat with caramel in the middle (for breakfast)
- A HUGE compliment from a favorite friend
- Music that makes me want to dance
- Customers who are wonderful
- A tax return with a positive amount in the refund box
- A dog who snores
- Watching my girls use their talents
- A husband who tells me I'm beautiful

and the winner is........

REGENA!!!!! Congratulations Regena!!! :) I will email you and let you know your choices. Thanks for playing ladies!!!!!