hello monday

i'm linking up with lisa, who i adore, for a hello monday post!

hello to pumpkins and the month of thanksgiving.

hello to a week of work that matches my husbands schedule exactly!!

hello to a new week with a new health plan, started out right this morning with yoga and fresh green juice.

 

hello to planning thanksgiving and a weekend with my family visiting, i can hardly wait!

hello to beautiful things

hello to i am thankful cards from emily.  we are writing one for each day this month and i love the way they look all hanging together strung on some hemp twine.

 

hello to more time spent in puppy training, we finally feel like fi is learning something new.

 

hello to rogers garden today, i love walking around the nursery. it is a very happy place and i'm thankful for the time to go.

instafriday

 

 

 

 

 i’m linking up my phone pics from the last two weeks with jeannett. 

 

 Doodle love! They were so cute when we first met up in Santa Barbara, beside themselves with excitement. Thank goodness for dad's to take care of them while mom and I checked all of the adorable shops in Montecito.

 

The guys all rode in the Santa Barbara Century. I was super proud of my Dad, he got his bike Sat morning, the day of ride, and rode 34 miles! Matt rode as well. Hendra rode 100 miles, so proud of my Hubby, it's fun to watch him ride over the finish line, safe and sound!!

 

Mom and I hit a couple estate sales, walked the dogs, and had a great day together!

 

We celebrated our Anniversary a little late! We ended up at a restaurant  that we went to for Mr Sitompul's Birthday while we were dating. It was super yummy!

 Ridiculously yummy mocha Monday morning on our way home. I spotted a movie star, my first, and I was really proud of myself!

 

My adorable baby! Every time I say walk, she tilts her head and I just die with love!

 

Pretending she forgot how to jump in the car. Her face made us laugh so hard we cried!

I swoon for this china. It is adorable and I plan to collect some. Wouldn't it be adorable for little girl birthday's and tea parties, and baby showers, and and and?! I love!

I attended a very sweet friend's baby shower this week. Ayme and I made these favor bags and tags and she filled them with whoopie pies from corner bakery. The pic is horrible, but they turned out just perfect! I love doing fun projects with Ayme!

I've had a perfect morning today! Went to yoga, had a great class, stopped at sb on the way home and picked up my first peppermint mocha in a holiday red cup, LOVE. Missing my hubby at work today, but loving this day to get things done before a weekend of work! I'm so thankful it's November, the month of gratefulness!!!

We've had a tough week. Mr Sitompul woke up Sat morning with an extremely stiff neck. We ignored it for a couple days, until it got worse after massage, hot and cold tx, muscle relaxers. We went to urgent care, i got a little nervous it was something more. Kind of freaked out, but it's finally getting a little better. I'm not used to my hubby not feeling good. He's my rock and the roles changed this week. I love him so much and prayed over him all week. I'm so thankful he's feeling better and it wasn't anything that I feared. I love you baby! Happy weekend and November!

 

instafriday

 i’m linking up my phone pics from this last week with jeannett.

this week has come and gone so quickly. it was a whirlwind of fun and planning. we had a baby shower at work for a friend who is having her first girl! and then also getting ready for our weekend away in santa barbara, which we have been planning for a couple of months. i am sitting in our little rental house listening to the peaceful sounds of the ocean the freeway traffic and so thankful for this mini vacation. my parents are here with their doodle and i am waiting for my brother to show up with his adorable pup. it's going to be a full house and i couldn't be happier. mr sitompul is riding in a century tomorrow, which deserves it's own post, and my brother and dad are riding a shorter version. we are all excited! mom and i have been getting our shopping on!

 after a long day of work we made yummy hot drinks and lit a candle. i really should do that more often, it is so good for your soul!

a very fun package in the mail, just in time for our trip. fi's first matching collar and leash, and i absolutely love!

 

 

every girl deserves a pair of red shoes!

 

excuse the lighting, a bunting patti helped me make for the shower, i think it turned out pretty cute

 

 

my sweetheart

 

 the trendiest kleenex that i found at the $ store, too pretty not to get

 

started up the home made lattes this week and can't get enough. sitting after yoga with a latte and my computer is my most favorite time of my day.

 

 

on our way this morning to santa barbara. have loved every minute of today! mr sitompul made this trip possible. he is so amazing! he's helpful and organized and treats me like a queen. i'm so lucky!!

 

 

my friend made these and gave them out as party favors. adorable. haven't eaten one yet, they are too cute, but i heard they are delicious!

happy friday friends!

Gratitude

I'm having a hard time today and can't seem to make it off the couch, when I do get up I find myself back on our bed. I need to get inspired! So of course I re open the computer to visit my favorite place - blog land! I have so many things to be thankful for. I really do try to focus on them. I have posted quotes all over our tiny house and put a gratitude banner on our front door and yet I still find myself focusing on the negative ie. no energy, long list of things to do, pain, messy house. Why do I let myself go there. It's pathetic, and I don't want to be that person. It's been a while since I posted a list of thanks. So today, I'm hoping this turns my day around. I want to be a positive, christian woman that focuses on the good in everyone and everyday!

*I am thankful for a friend that lives next door always up for a walk.
*I am thankful for a husband that understands and tries to help me every chance he gets.
*I am thankful for a certain pup who makes me laugh at least 10 times a day and seems to understand my every mood.
*I am thankful for a weekend away with my family.
*I am thankful that fall is coming, I love this season.
*I am thankful for coffee.
*I am thankful for blogs that inspire me to be a better person.
*I am thankful that everyday is a new day to start over.
*I am thankful that my husband loves biking and I get to go to Santa Barbara to support his hobby!
*I am thankful for baby showers.
*I am thankful for pumpkins.

Who can be ungrateful and sad with that face around. I am so lucky and thankful for my life, my family and friends, and my adorable pup! Off the couch I go to get a long list of to do's checked off. Perhaps another cup of coffee will help!

instafriday

 i’m linking up my phone pics with jeannett. it has been over a month since i posted an instafriday, so i just went through all my phone pics and tried to limit them to the best memories. there is a definite theme in these photos, but in my defense, she kind of runs our life now and anywhere we can take a dog is now our favorite place to go!

 

a sweet little birthday gift to a special friend. i thought it turned out cute

 

 

we took our favorite little people to the lazy river, it was a really fun day

 

 

 our trip down from wa after picking up our baby, the sparkle brick was outside voodoo doughnuts, i loved it!

 

trying to take a pick of fi and i to send to mr sitompul at work. her head is really too big to fit in the phone screen

 

 

the first of our fall decor, and miss confused over anything new

 

 

a trip to roger's garden, one of my favorite places

 

 

a lazy day spent on the couch, trying to regain some energy

 

 

we did a 10k, just walked, but had so much fun

 

celebrated our 3rd anniversary, i made a special dinner and can't help but decorate the table

happy friday! 

Fiona's 1st Post

 Hello, my name is Fiona and i now run this new home. 

This is a picture of me in my kitchen. I like to lay right at my Mom's feet so that she can practice hurdling over me while carrying hot dishes or coffee or anything that she doesn't want to spill. I like to watch her jump. She doesn't seem to like it and yells at me, but I just think she's yelling for joy!

I love to lay on anyone that will sit on my floor with me. Daddy spends a lot of time with me and I LOVE him!!

Sometimes I get very lucky and he holds me. He thinks I'm a little big for his lap but I think I fit just fine. And yes, my tongue does detach itself so that I can let it fall so far out of my mouth. I only do that when I'm really tired or really happy!

This picture is very embarrassing, but my mom insisted. We were getting ready for a photo shoot and she thought the flower would be cute. I didn't like it, but I'm sure you can tell by the look on my face. And yes, mom did decide to use the orange scissors to trim my face. It looks more like I got my face caught in the lawn mower. Maybe she should leave the dog grooming to the professionals!

 

Mom wanted a picture with me, but I wasn't happy about the flower in my hair. Dog's shouldn't wear clothes and accessories. My dad agrees with me!

These are my shoes, I'm still not used to them, but I'm learning to live with them. My friend Patti thinks my mom is crazy to make me wear them, and I agree!

I am a professional cricket hunter. It is my job in life. I love to pretend I need to go outside to use the bathroom and then go look for crickets. I know they only come out at night, but I am still always on the lookout for them during the day.

Meet Fiona

WE ADOPTED A PUPPY!!!

A couple of weeks ago my brother told us there was a golden doodle up in Wa in need of a home. I immediately wanted all of the information, and freaked out that someone else was going to get to her before I even had a chance to talk to her owner. Things always work out the way they should and I am still working on my patience! We finally got the phone number to the wonderful woman looking for a home for her pup. I called her as soon as I got home from work on Aug 21. I spent at least an hour talking to Kerrie about Fiona. I knew that she was supposed to come home with us. When I had been thinking about her before I talked to anyone I was secretly hoping her name was Fiona or at least I could change it to that. At the end of our conversation when I had decided she was most definitely meant for us I asked Kerrie what her name was, and when she said, "Fiona", I almost cried! She was ours!!! Kerrie agreed that she would give her to us and I was ecstatic! Everything just worked out perfectly. To make a really long story short, we bought our plane tickets and rental car the next day and flew up to Wa on Thurs.

 The flight was so beautiful! We saw all the mountains (Shasta, Lassen, Hood) and it was gorgeous. We were so excited. When we went to pick up our rental car we had a major problem and ended up spending a good 2 hours at the rental car counters and after a couple kidneys sold, we had a very tiny and uncomfortable car. We stopped at our hotel, ran to Home Goods to collect a few things for Fiona and then went to Portland to explore and find a place for dinner. It wasn't very successful but we had a great time. We had dinner at Whole Foods and then stood in line at VOODOO doughnuts for dessert. A wonderful evening spent with my Love!

We woke up early to go pick her up. She was at the Hospital where Kerrie dropped her off on Wed to get spayed and chipped and updated on all of her shots.

This Vet Hospital was amazing. We couldn't have loved them more! They didn't charge us for boarding her for two nights. They were all so helpful and so friendly. It made me want to move up there just so we have a safe place to take Fiona!!!

 We settled into the car for the long drive to my parents. She was adorable. Her hair was really long and you couldn't see her eyes very well. She looked like a teddy bear! We stopped at a rest stop and when I came out of the restroom Hendra was sitting on the ground and Fiona was sitting on top of him. She is such a little love bug!! She was really scared of men and definitely gravitated towards me easier but it was like she knew she was ours and we were going home! She was smiling the whole way!!!

Saturday we spent with my parents in their yard with the dogs! Brinkley had a hard time adjusting to someone new that got a lot of his deserved attention! Hopefully next time they will be better friends! Mom cut her hair on her face after she ran into the table leg!! We sat outside all afternoon with them! They are both so cute!

So adorable!!! We are in love with her and her sweet timid personality! She seems to catch on quickly and has a very cute demeanor!
 

Brinkley being a ham!!!

Mom teaching Fiona how to sit and lay down! She caught on right away! They were so cute!!

We drove home on Sunday and she knew as soon as we walked into our house that it was her new home! She has made our life so fun these last couple weeks! You can't help but smile when you watch her! She is coming out of her shell and I think we are going to have our work cut out for us! She certainly brings life to our tiny little family and home! Doggie School here we come!!