Happy Birthday...

To our 3 year old puppy, Beasley!

It seems like yesterday we brought you home and you were all sleepy and cuddly and looked so calm and easy.

now you are much bigger, and less calm but still as cute and cuddly as ever

You make us laugh and smile daily and we don't know what life would be like without you.

You are crazy but we love you and your chaos :)

Faith and Fate...

Jim and I celebrated our 4 year anniversary last night, and we have been together for just over 6. We kept with our tradition of eating dinner at the Wolf Lodge in CDA (YUMMMM!) and then on our way back stopped at old navy so I could pick up a few things. All in all a great night, and so far a great life together (if I do say so myself)!

When we first started dating we always said that fate brought us together but we would have to have faith in each other to stay together. I actually wanted faith and fate engraved on our rings but they couldn't do it with the ones we ended up getting. Anyway we still say it to each other every once in a while and its kinda just become this mantra of ours. I found this letter I wrote to Jim awhile ago and thought I would share it with you for our anniversary.

***********************

Thank you for working as hard as you do.

I know it is not easy on you but I also know it is not in your DNA to sit back and relax.
It's one of the many reasons I love you, and one of the things that drive me crazy; but that is why we are so good for each other. Your drive and passion and my easy-going way of life help balance each other out.

Thank you for your friendship.

You are the most amazing friend I have ever had. I have never known someone so selfless and loyal and your love is the best gift I have ever been given. Fate may has brought us together but our faith in each other is what will keep us together.

Thank you for not giving up on me, and us.

I made it easy for you to walk away, and I am so grateful you didn't.
I don't know what I would do without you, your support and your love to help me through everything. I never want to know what its like to be without you.

No one ever said love and marriage was easy and they were right its not. But you are definitely worth every single struggle and hardship. I promise to never give up on you and to always work at what we have. Being your wife is worth all of the work it takes for us to build a lifetime together.

I love you!

makin matches...

A blog I read is hosting a "show us your life" link up party and this week its show us the single men you know. So immediately I thought of my brother, Terry. He really is one of the greatest guys I have ever known and one of my best friends; and I am not just saying that because he is my older brother.

Terry is 33 and a great catch ;)He has a very quick wit and the best sense of humor out of anyone I have ever met. He loves the outdoors, sports, travel, music, movies, books, kids, and I could go on and on. Basically he is an all around great guy!

He is 5 years older than me and has ALWAYS been my real life hero. Growing up he would always take the time to hang out with me or teach me things, and has always been there if and when I've needed him. A girl would be lucky to find someone so loyal and committed as he is to his family and friends.

So if you know any single ladies in the NW area or if you yourself are single drop me a line and lets see if we can make a little love connection :)

ps> Sorry about the pics, they were all I could find off his facebook that show his face...he is so going to kill me for this-ha!

Dad's Days...

I have been working on this post for quite some time, and was not quite sure if I was going to post it or not, but I figured if you are reading this, you already know me pretty well so why the heck wouldn't I share it:)

June is pretty much my Dad's month as it is the month of father's day and then the next week is his birthday. This year we decided not to do a big thing for either, as dad was not really up for it. So instead of presents or a party Jim and I went and visited him. As his present I decided to write him a letter telling him all the things I have ever wanted to say. Here just a few of the things I included that I am most grateful for:

Thank you for sending me to St. Thomas More. Some of my oldest and closest friends (and their families) are still a HUGE part of my life and I have known them for over 24 years now(I am only 29!). That formative education also made me eager to learn and has led to every success I have ever had, of this I am sure!

Thank your for being such a strong catholic role model for me. You never flaunt your religious background but you have always been a proud Irish Catholic and that is something I will always admire.

Thank for you for providing me with everything and anything I ever wanted or needed including: my education, my faith, unconditional love, a shoulder to cry on, a lap to sit in, a cheering section in the stands at all of my games, new cars when I broke mine, a wedding I will always cherish, a down payment on mine and Jim's house and so many other tangible and intangible things.

Thank you for showing me what a real marriage and commitment is. One that is based on faith, love, respect and hard work. I know that Jim and I will be ok because we have 4 of the best role models to base our own marriage on.

Thank you for your sense of humor-You have always been able to lighten the mood with your quick wit, and while I did not inherit it, I certainly appreciate it

Thank you for passing on your love of sports-I have impressed many people in my life with my knowledge of where people played college ball. And I believe my strong competitive side has helped me be successful in anything I have set my mind to or have a passion for.

Thank you for always believing in me and for teaching me to believe in myself. The excuse of "I'm a girl, so I can't do it" was never a reason for me to attempt something.

Thank your for listening to me and showing me that I have a voice and an important one, and when I choose to use it, that voice can have an impact.

For those of you who know my dad, you know all of these to be true and so much more. This list could go on and on, but some I want to keep between the two of us. So with that I will leave you with this cute little quote I found the other day:

The greatest gift I ever had
Came from God; I call him Dad!
~Author Unknown

Its never iffey...

...if its Griffey!

Ken Griffey, Jr. Has long been my hero, idol all around role model growing up. Not only because he is the greatest player to have ever graced the fields of Seattle (and one of the greatest ever in the game of baseball) but because of his class, humility, and attitude about the game of baseball. He grew up around the game and started as "The Kid" and will forever be known as one. Not just because he was his father's son but because when he was playing he did it with a pure joy and a youthfulness that can never be matched. When he walked onto the field with that million dollar smile, he was able to turn everyone watching him into a kid again as well. Watching him brought us back to a time in our childhood when we played for the bragging rights at the local sandlot, or in our backyards with our siblings and ghost runners. We all became the 12 yr old version of ourselves whenever he was up to bat or making a diving play in center field and he made us giddy with what he would do next. He transcended the game and the game will NEVER be the same without him.

Griffey played in an era of baseball which is now being tainted by steroids and money, but those two words can never and will never be linked to him. He did not play for greed, or to have his name in the record books, he played for love of the game. He left Seattle to be closer to his family, he came back to Seattle to say goodbye to his adopted family and the city that raised him. He did it the right way. He did not succumb to the temptations of the other superstars of his era. He wanted to play it clean and see where it could take him, and he wanted to be able to tell his children (and our children) you don't have to cheat to be good. All you need is god given talent and ability-and lord knows he had both.

I have had the unique chance to meet Griffey once. It is a day I will always remember. My brother, Terry, used to work in the clubhouse for the Mariners and after a game he got me a pass to come meet some of the players. As I made my way down I was a little worried that the players would be upset because they just got blown out and had not played well, at all. A lot of the players walked past us, some stayed in the locker room, but eventually out came Junior. I was too nervous to talk to him...I think I was worried he would blow me off and I did not want to shatter my image of him. My brother knew how much I wanted to meet him and get his autograph so he kinda walked up with us to his car (an awesome tricked out hummer) and said "hey Junior, my sister is here, would you mind signing a ball for her?" his response, "Sure!" I walked up to the window, shaking, and did not say a word until he spoke.
Griffey: "Hey-nice to meet you"
Me: "Ummm hi...can you sign my baseball?"
Griffey: "of course"-he then looks at the other players I had on it and says, "looks like you got quite a few people on here, make sure your brother gets the guys in the clubhouse for you"
Me: "ummm yeah ok, ill try" "thanks...good game!" and he kinda laughed and smiled and drove away.

This was all of a two minute exchange and one I'm sure had zero effect on him, as he had done the same thing a million times. But to me, a young girl, standing in front of her hero, it is something I will never forget. Sure the ball is probably worth something as it has Edgar, and Wilson, and a few others on it but for me its worth so much more than money. By him taking that two minutes I have a story and a ball I can pass down to the next generations. He easily could have said hey you know not today it was a bad game, but he didn't and for the that I will always have the greatest respect and appreciation for him.

I'm not ashamed to admit I shed a few tears yesterday watching his old highlights, and hearing past teammates talk about him. I know some of you may not understand my admiration of this person, and that's ok, but for me-it really is the end of an era...the kid is gone, the game will never be the same, and its time to grow up.

Thanks for everything Junior, we'll see ya in Cooperstown!

My bucket list...

Not sure why but lately I have been thinking about things I want to accomplish/do before I die. Morbid I know but still, its something that's been on my mind recently. Some I've partially done, others will take a lot of effort (and money) to complete, some are superficial, some are simple and easy, some are silly and some are ambiguous but I figured it best to start somewhere and to start writing them down before I forget. I did notice some themes to my list; most consist of sports or travel. Hmmm, I wonder where that came from :)


swim with dolphins
whale watch
take a cruise
visit every state
see a baseball game at every mlb park
see at least one game of every pro sport in person (mlb,nhl,nba,nfl,golf,mls,tennis)
go to a European soccer game
go to a world cup
go to an all star game
catch a foul ball or a HR ball
go to a movie premiere
travel Australia/New Zealand
sky dive (still not 100% on this one)
visit every country in Europe
make a significant difference in someones life
find something I am truly passionate about and do it to the best of my ability
do something to better some one else's life
do something to impact or help the world/or a large group of people
have a child
have a successful,healthy, long-lasting marriage
see the cougs win a national title in person
see the national landmarks in the USA
write "something" that gets published
fly in a hot air balloon
see the northern lights
get my masters degree
go snorkeling
fly first class
fly in a helicopter
learn to golf
take a cooking class
take a dance class
live completely debt free
live in another country for at least 6 months
St. Patrick's day in Butte Montana
St. Patrick's day in Ireland
retire to Pullman, WA
visit every continent
try surfing at least once
visit the zoo/aquarium in the cities i visit (Jim hates this goal)
go to the San Diego zoo
go to sea world
be a godparent
be someones confirmation sponsor
go whitewater rafting
Be a chaperon on one of Jim's school trips
coach a child's sport
volunteer
win at least $500 on something.
go para sailing
see Garth Brooks in concert again
sit front row at a concert
do one random act of kindness a month
go to Mardi Gras in New Orleans
Go to an Olympic event(s)
sit in a suite at an event
go to a world series

Whew! I've got to get my butt in gear; but compiling the above list got me thinking about all of the great things I have already completed on my life list thus far:

toured the Vatican
backpacked through Europe
been to mass with the Pope
tour the Louvre
traveled Ireland
seen O'Donovans castle in Ireland
seen the Eiffel Tower
bungee jumped (actually it was a canyon jump but I'm counting it!)
seen the Swiss Alps
swam in the Mediterranean
graduated college
hiked the 5 trails of Cinque Terre, Italy
got married
travel cross country by car (twice)
watched ken Griffy Jr hit a home run in person, met him, and got an autograph
toured the sistine chaple
seen a game played at Notre Dame Stadium (Cougs vs ND)
seen the cougs play in a rose bowl
gone to a March Madness game (times 8)
watched the changing of the guard in London
Got a tattoo (two actually)
got a piercing (ears and eyebrow)
traveled by car,plane,train and bus
bought a house
seen Niagara Falls
lived in Alaska for a summer
lived in Virginia for a summer
climb a Mt (Mt. Vesuvius-part of it anyway)
horse back ride in Ireland
seen a baseball spring training game
camped in Yellowstone
visited Washington D.C and all its monuments
swam in both the Atlantic and the Pacific oceans
visited 27 out of the 50 states so far

I am quite the lucky girl at the age of 28 to have already done and seen so much! So who wants to help knock some of these out before my 30th birthday?!?

Mother's Day...

I am not a mom but hopefully someday I will be and my hope when that day comes is that I can be half of the mom to my kids as my mom has been to me and the rest of my siblings. I tried to look up the definition of a mother today and I got a lot of non sense. It is one of those words where you cant describe it you have to witness it first hand. I have had the pleasure of having the most remarkable role model on what it is to be a mother for the past 28 years and gotten some close up lessons the past few months from her. So for mothers day here is my definition of what a mother should be and what my mom has always been!



Selfless

loving

strict

patient

kind

tough

loyal

protective

supportive

forgiving

strong

fun

imaginative

extraordinary

motivating

understanding

wise

powerful

religious

trusting

open minded

compassionate

educated

safe

driven

hard working

energized

competitive

heartfelt

amazing

unconditional




Thank you mom for always being there for me and for showing me all of these traits on a daily basis. You are an amazing woman and I am lucky to be able to call you mom. I love you!