Happy Birthday to me!

I am the only one who posts here so I am posting one to myself. I have already had a great birthday with lots of wishes from friends and pizza & game night at Cara's. They made me a delicious chocolate cake with peanut butter icing!

This past week has been fun with Hana experiencing her real first snow fall. Sunday night we walked out for her last outing to about 1/2 in. of snow- she immediately started darting back and forth trying to get them in her mouth and chase them with her paws. G has video that we will post as soon as we get to it. She makes dealing with the unbelievable cold a lot more fun.

I also taught my first yoga class on Monday night- OK so only one person showed up but any experience is good experience. I was just subbing for a regular teacher but hopefully they will ask me back. I have been taking yoga classes at the YMCA and though they are nice, it is nothing like the workout I am used to...so I continue to search for a yoga studio here that is similar to my home at Bird Rock Yoga in San Diego. I miss them all so much and I am excited that my fellow teacher trainees are teaching classes- I look forward to taking one from them some day.

Tonight we are going to see the musical "Wicked". I have been wanting to see it forever so I am super excited and can't wait. G already took me out to breakfast and we will probably go get lunch before my parents arrive to celebrate my birthday with me.

We are also wishing Mark safe travels to Colombia and can only imagine how exciting the reunion will be. We are praying for sentencia every day so we can meet Miss Elena. Thinking of the Rath 3!

Happy New Year from the Cardiac Cards!

I try to keep this blog neutral on some topics but since it is my blog let me just say- WHOOHOO!
We had so much fun watching the Cards beat UK yesterday!!!! The best part was being in KY with family and friends instead of G and I in our tiny CA apt. where the neighbors wonder what in the world has gotten into us. Julianne brought her cheerleader spirit and of course Bob made it without a road rage incident. It was great fun but mostly because we won when it counted and that isn't the way it usually goes for the Cardinals. Ahhh sighs of contentment all around. Now if they can just not lose to any more non-ranked opponents, it will be the season it first promised to be.

Even better than that if you can believe it was being able to talk to Jessica in Colombia yesterday- I got to wish her an early Happy Birthday and hear first hand all about the Colombian adventures with Miss Elena- we cannot wait to have them safely back here for us to hug on! Praying for those courts to get a move on it starting Jan. 13!!

Happy New Year everyone! Our year already promises to be filled with lots of travel for G (and maybe some for me too), training to walk the mini-marathon in the spring and continuing to search for a yoga home for me. Wishing everyone health, happiness and peace!

Happy Holidays!!!

We hope everyone has had a wonderful holiday and is looking forward to 2009! Although I have been under the weather for the past week (I blame CO for being too cold), it has been great to spend time with our families.

Christmas morning was cold but the three of us went on a long walk and opened gifts to each other. Then we went to G. Paul's parents to have lunch and open presents with his family. Julianne was very into her books and of course her new reading chair. Then we came home to meet my parents, have dinner and open presents with them. It was a wonderful extended day with lots of food, lots of gifts and lots to be thankful for. Hana was so worn out that she slept most of the second half of the day. We just missed Brett and his family but we were able to see them on Skype today and hear about their gifts.

Today the weather was unseasonably warm (70 degrees) so I put on my flip flops and sat with Hana out on the deck. The sun wasn't out but it was nice to feel a warm breeze for a change- then we met Ginger, Cara, Julianne and Linda for walk. Once again Hana was worn out and has been sleeping all evening! We are trying to gear up for our annual New Years Eve party so I am sure we will have more to blog about then.

Cold in Colorado

Life is still a whirlwind. We have been attempting to unpack our boxes and settle in while getting ready for the holidays, but first we headed to Colorado to scope out our next possible move.
Unfortunately, December is not the time to come to Colorado and then add to that it happens to be the week for record setting low temperatures. It makes envisioning living here, after 3 plus years in temperate San Diego, very difficult. This morning it was 30 degrees below zero with the wind chill- this is the point at which any skin exposed to the elements can experience frost bite within ten minutes. It is a shock to the system to say the least.

We did enjoy having dinner with our good friends Brooke & Dave and their beautiful daughter Kate this weekend in KY. Tonight we are having dinner with old neighborhood friends that I have not seen in many years and hopefully can tell me how they adjusted to this very different climate! Visiting with friends is the one bright spot in the cold dreary days of December.

December in KY

We made it to KY without incident and most of our senses in tact. Hana experienced the house much differently than we anticipated- we thought she would love having so much room but it turns out the hardwood floors are slippery and feel funny. Watching her try to navigate was at first hilarious and then became absurd as she would bark from being left in a room and afraid to move to the next one with us. Each day she seems to get a little more secure though so we are hopeful this won't last long.
It has already been 3 days since I have seen the sun and it is hard on me. G is happy to have so many projects at the house and there seems to be more of a mess as soon as I try to clean another one up.
We are so happy to be near friends and family again especially for the holiday which was filled with food and warmth. Hopefully many game nights and watching the Cards play basketball with friends are on the horizon. Happy December!