Sunny Skies and Dog Drama

Dear New England...

Thank you for teaching me to appreciate nice weather so much!

I seriously feel like I've spent more time outside these past two weeks than I have in my entire 10 years of living in Southern California!

I think after being cooped up inside all winter long and turning into a winter hermit had me going a little stir crazy.

So when the first ray of sunshine came out, I wanted to soak up as much of it as possible!

I've never just wanted to sit around outside in the sun with no agenda in my life until now!

I grew up in a pretty hot and humid climate with mild winters (TEXAS, BABY!), and then spending 10 years in southern California where the weather is mild ALL year long made me take nice weather for granted.

We spent one of the afternoons playing some mini golf :-)

Even daddy rushed home from work a little early to meet us for a round.

I love a fresh and crisp salad with all my favorite veggies when the weather gets warm.

Also, I am a huge fan of ranch dressing (What Texan doesn't like ranch?!), but it's so high in fat and calories that I rarely buy it. However, I found an organic ranch dressing made out of yogurt that tastes SOOOOO good with hardly any unhealthy fats or calories.

Almost 23 weeks, and I'm feeling great! (minus the occasional nagging back pain)

We had some crazy "Dozer drama" this weekend. 

We normally keep him off his leash when we are out front playing with him, and for the most part we're pretty good about controlling him when joggers and other dog walkers stroll by. 

Dozer has a hard time controlling himself when people walk by our house. 

A little boy came skateboarding down our street yesterday being pulled by his little dog, and before we knew it, Dozer had darted out onto the street, scared the crap out of the poor little dog, and the little boy came flying off his skateboard.

Nick came to the rescue, calmed the boy down, and drove him and his dog down the road to his parent's house.

It just so happened that his dad was a doctor, and he knew right away his wrist was broken!

I FELT HORRIBLE!

The family was SO sweet though (hallelujah!).

They texted us a picture of their smiling son in his cast from the ER last night, and told us he would be ok.

They also kept thanking Nick for acting so quickly and bringing him home!

I was SO mad at Dozer!

He's beginning to be such a handful a lot more than I can handle at times on my own.

This dog is driving me crazy!!!!!

Pic of the happy couple enjoying the weather (pre Dozer drama)

I am STILL loving my pinterest project...the chalkboard painted pantry door! 

This week, I put a memory verse on it for Nick and I to memorize by the end of the week!

Kisses from mama :-)

I made the hubby take a pic of me this morning before church because...

Today was the first time since moving here that I've worn open toe shoes!!!!!!!!!

Oh...the little things we appreciate with nice weather....

For those who don't know, I was honorably discharged from the Marine Corps 5 months earlier than my original EAS (end of active service).

I spent the last 2 years of my career in the Marine Corps being treated for osteoarthritis, osteochondral knee defects, severe cartilage damage, meniscus tears, PCL tears, and a myriad of other things wrong with my knee and hip joints. 

Finally, after surgery, it was determined that continued service in the Corps was too great of a risk of further damage, and a bunch of important people in Washington D.C. decided it was best to medically discharge me.

The majority of my injuries came from years and years of long distance running.

I used to run an average of 6-10 miles, 6 days a week......that is no bueno!

My days of running ridiculously are over, but you can't tell a runner to stop running cold turkey.

While I've found other fun ways to stay fit (crossfit and cycling), I still like to throw on my running shoes every once in a while and go for a long run.

My body hates it, but it makes my mind feel so good!

Today, I ran a little over 3 miles...5 1/2 months prego...and yes...it felt great mentally.

However, my knees and my hips are now in pain!! 

 It'll take a few days for my body to recover, hence the reason why my days of running everyday are long gone!

Excuse the blurred out face. I didn't get permission from our neighbor to put her daughter on my blog!

Nick pulled his crotch rocket out of the garage for the first time since moving here and cleaned it up!

He's really excited to get on it now that the weather is nice!

And a beautiful weekend would not be complete without a picnic day at the park!

I hope y'all had an amazing weekend!