Happy Birthday* Indy!

My little Indy pup turned one on Sunday. Or, so we think. Of course, we're not absolutely certain as to the exact date of her birth, but that was the guess the Humane Society gave us and we ran with it.



So, baby Indy is one. In her first year of life she went through a lot. We don't know much about her life before we got her, but we imagine she was a stray and/or abused. She got moved around a lot before coming into our home. After she came to us, she learned to swim. She learned to run and jump of the pier. She became attached to her best bud Nellie. She took a trip to Kansas. And then to Colorado. She learned that she loves Lamb flavored food. We found out she was born blind in her right eye. She jumped out of windows. She learned that she loves to play in the snow. She became a cuddler and a lover. She survived an entire week without Mama and Papa.



I think I speak for all of us (Matt and myself and Indy if she could speak) when I say that life is much better for everyone with Indy in our home. I can't imagine life without her and, really, fell in love with her on day one. I miss her when I'm at work. I snuggle her when I come home. I spoil her. I love our trips to the dog park. Heck, I love the dog park so much that I go even in single digit temperatures and even risk injury. I've caved and let her sleep in my bed. I love to take her picture.



*plus a few days

Um, seriously?

Global Warming? What?

not made to walk on ice

For Christmas, my aunt gave my dad a pair of treads for walking in snow. Similar to Yaktrax. You need things like that in Telluride. My mom keeps a running tally of her falls during the winter season. It's just a way of life.

Here in Wisconsin, on the other hand, I never thought I needed something like that. I just don't fall. Ever.

Or, until yesterday, that is.

The dog park that we frequent is completely iced over. There is no definition between the grassy field and the gravelly path--it's just ice. Until yesterday, it really wasn't that bad. It was icy, but I was still able to walk on it. But then, Saturday night, we got rain and the ice got all rejuvenated and slippery again.

And, so, after braving the park and surviving the walk THE ENTIRE WAY around the path, I had the fall of all falls. I guess it was to make up for all of the years past in which I haven't fallen on the ice.

At least Indy had fun.

I felt fine and went home. When I told Matt, his response was "you know you can break your wrist that way". Wow, really? Thanks.

Now, today, a full 24+ hours later, my arm hurts, my leg hurts, my butt hurts and, for some strange reason, my hip on the other side hurts too. I'm sore, I'm bruised and I've already placed an order for a size small set of Yaktrax.

Twenty Oh Nine

I am sorry, but I'm still having a hard time believing it's actually 2009 already. I mean, wasn't it just 1999 and we were all commenting to ourselves Gosh, next year will be 2000 and that's like soooooo in the future!? No, that was just me? Huh.

But really, this past year seemed to just fly right by. It was a good one, but it seriously seems like I just said goodbye to '07. And then I blinked. And here I am an entire year later.

I don't normally make formal resolutions for the new year ahead of me. I just make a promise to myself that this new year will be better than the last. Which, I guess, is kind of the point of a resolution--to be better--but I feel that there is a difference between a formal list of resolutions and just a promise to have a better year. Tomato, tomahto.

Anyway, this year, I do have a few goals that I've set for myself. Or, if not goals, at least hopes to change something after making a realization about myself. By the end of this year, I have a pretty good idea of where I'd like to be in life, so the majority of my goals are, really, smaller goals that will help me get there. Stepping-stones if you will. I think that reminding myself what I want this year will help me keep on track. I think, for the most part, they're fairly generic and I would imagine most people have resolutions that are the same or similar on their lists. Yet, this being the first year I've really ever done this, I'm still excited about mine.

I went back and forth with myself about sharing them on my blog (what if I don't meet them?) and finally reached a compromise. There are some worth sharing and some that are more personal and that I'll keep with me. So, here goes.

In addition to hoping to read more books and meet more new people, in 2009, I hope to:

• Be more organized. Around the house, with our finances, with everything. I don't know how it happened, but somewhere along the way, I started slacking on my filing of bills and keeping of the books and regular purging of junk mail that I used to do. Stuff started to pile up and when I did get around to tackling the piles, it was too much work and it took hours (or weeks come March when I started doing our taxes). Which resulted in putting it off longer and longer. No more. I promise I am going to keep on top of it. Instead of just thinking about doing it, I'm going to do it.

• Increase our savings and retirement contributions. While we've been saving money and contributing to our retirement, we've also kind of been coasting along and not doing all we could be. This year, we're really going to beef that up. With the economy being down, it's a great time to buy "on sale" investments. Having a job with a 401(k) and employer match doesn't hurt either.

• Get in better shape. Who doesn't have this on their list? I have a very distinct goal in mind relating to this one, but I'm still afraid to share it with the masses. I fear it may be too ambitious and I don't want to be held to it in the event it doesn't happen. I've shared it with a few people and I know that I have their absolute, 110% support in my attempt. So, I'll leave it at that.
  

• Be present. I really feel that 2008 came and went and that I have little to show for it. That is a hard thing to admit, but it is what it is. I don't know what I was so caught up in, but there is honestly little that sticks out in my mind as being great. Sure, we adopted a dog, we traveled, we had fun with our friends and family and it's not that it was a bad year. It just wasn't great. There were many times that I distinctly remember thinking to myself "wow, did another month just go by? How did that happen?". This is a huge problem to me. I feel that the years will only go faster and if I don't stop to take a moment to enjoy them every once in a while, they'll be gone before I know it. Having future goals is great, but I often found myself getting so caught up in living for the future that I was forgetting to live my life in the here and now.

• Be a better wife, friend, daughter and sister. Absolutely and decidedly the hardest realization I came to this year. Going along with the above, I realized I was not as great of a wife/friend/daughter/sister that I could have been. I know I am better than the past year. I promise to really be there. To be better to you. To give you all that you deserve, as you've given me that and more this past year.

After having made these realizations about myself and crafting this list, I almost instantly feel better. I have no doubt that 2009 will bring great things and will be a truly fantastic year.

And, what about you? Do you usually make resolutions? Do you have any good ones to share this year? Are you excited about what 2009 will bring as I am?

Christmas in Telluride

If you went anywhere near a mall this holiday season (or maybe you get the catalog in the mail), you may or may not have noticed the display in the Eddie Bauer stores was Christmas in Telluride. How fitting, I thought to myself, considering we spend Christmas in Telluride every year. And we've been known to shop at EB on occasion.

Our trip out west last week was pretty much straight out of the pages of the Eddie Bauer catalog. I mean, there's really not much more to say about it. We were just living the dream.

Ok, I'm kidding. Except the living the dream part. That really happened.

We had a fabulous time in Telluride. It snowed buttloads. And by snowed buttloads, I mean it DUMPED on us. It was most excellent. We skied knee-deep powder just about every day. In fact, December had a record snowfall for the area. Lucky for us, it wasn't as horridly cold this year as it was last year. My only regret is that the new lift and the terrain it services wasn't open because of the excess snow. I was really looking forward to skiing it this year and that was kind of a letdown. Oh well, there's always next time, I guess.

When we weren't skiing, we had a great time relaxing and enjoying some family time. Christmas Day was, as always, full of lots of presents, laughs and, of course, good food.

The only downside of the trip was that we both missed Indy TERRIBLY. She stayed with Matt's family and it was the longest we'd been away from her. I tried not to be the crazy dog mom, but I really wanted to call every day to check up on her. I resisted and she was fine. In fact, she was spoiled rotten. We are still, a week later, working with her to get her to remember that she sleeps in her bed, not ours. But, at least she was well taken care of!

Coming back turned out to be somewhat of a disaster. We made it eventually, just much, much later than planned and via alternative transportation.

I didn't really take a lot of pictures this time around. And, the ones I did take look just like those from the year before and the year before that. Ah well.

Hope everyone else had a great holiday as well!