Love

Love is the reassurance that someone who understands you will be there at the end of the day.
Love is the security of knowing your good qualities are appreciated and your faults forgiven.
Love is the joy of giving your best to another person and receiving much more in return.
When I think of all the happiness I've known in my life, I realize that without you and your love, so many wonderful things might never have come to me.
Knowing how lucky I am to be sharing life with you makes me love you even more.

That's the card Pete gave to me for our Anniversary/Valentine's Day. It's perfect and I feel so friggin lucky to be married to the most perfect man on the planet, for me.

Spokaine (Get it honey?)

We went to Spokane to see my favorite comedian and snapped these pictures on our way home. I'm going to try to make it out there on a Sunday next time, so I can see the inside of this AMAZING church.

Lentil Barley soup

It is nothing short of a Christmas miracle when I find a recipe that is healthy, easy, inexpensive *and* tastes delicious to all 4 members of the Wyatt clan... and yet I've done it... again.
My beautiful and most patient audience, I bring to you... (drum roll) Lentil Barley Soup!!

1 onion, chopped
1/2 cup green pepper, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 TBS butter
1 can (49 oz) veggie broth
3 carrots, chopped
1/2 cup dried lentils
1 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 cup fake chicken (or any fake meat)
1/2 cup quick cooking barley
2 mushrooms, chopped
1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes

In large pot, saute onion, green pepper, and garlic in butter until tender. Add broth, carrots, lentils, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 25 minutes. Add fake meat, barley and mushrooms; return to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Add tomatoes; heat through. Enjoy!

You're welcome.

Who is in charge?

On a walk I noticed mail box homes. You know...the little structures built around mailboxes to protect them from the weather.

They are all very different from the next on the very same street. I guess I just never noticed before.

Some were built with care to match the home closest to them while others were constructed with pipes and looked as though they might leak.

Made me wonder.....who is in charge of these? Is it someones job to design and build mail box homes? Sign me up!! I would LOVE that job!

Christmas Project 2010

I am getting pretty burned out with commercialized holiday's.

People have forgotten what it's all about.

Get out your glitter, glue, and imagination and let your love for someone inspire a real gift. Something from your heart transends time and actually means something to the recipient.

Of course if you don't give a shit.....Walmart is open 24/7....

Participant

Why we work.....

I woke him up a little after 5am. It was snowing outside. For some reason when it snows my inner child comes out to play and I get a rush of excitement and it cannot be dimmed. I woke him up because I HAD to!!! It was snowing and I wanted to giggle and watch it come down.

He does NOT like to be woken up.....but he got up with me anyways.

My next idea was to take two chairs outside under our small front porch and have our coffee outside....all bundled up....watching the snow. He was more than happy to join me. Five in the morning....freezing outside...sipping coffee and falling more deeply in love.

I think that's why our marriage and love is so strong. He joins me. If I have a stupid idea....want an adventure....or need change in my life....he doesn't hesitate....he joins me.

I love him with every ounce of myself!

Frozen

Everyday is different.....but sometimes it is hard to notice subtle changes in our world.

I stopped taking pictures a while ago because I realized that all the pictures that I wanted to take were already taken. There are millions of pictures of flowers and people and animals....why would mine be any different? And how would they ever be better than what is already out there??

It's the subtle changes......once a moment passes....everything changes. Yes, there might be millions of pictures of snow and winter.....but none of those pictures where taken from my seat at my moment.

There are probably millions of pictures that are better than mine.....but these are mine. Unique to my eye and my experience and that is why I started to snap a couple of pictures again.

Don't point at rainbows!

There was a beautiful rainbow outside our office window yesterday and I yelled over to my co-worker to check it out. It was directly out her window and huge....so when she turned to me and said, "Where?"...I thought....hmmmm......why doesn't she see it?? So.....I pointed at it. I pointed directly at the rainbow and said, "It's right there silly!" That's when she started laughing.

Turns out that her whole life her Mom and Auntie told her that if you point at a rainbow then you have to stick your finger in your butthole and then smell it. Nice.

Bath time fun!!

One of my favorite things is taking a bath. Whenever I have one of those days where I just can't seem to get warm.....and I'm cold all the way to my bones....there is nothing like jumping in the tub. I am a sucker for fancy bath bombs, fragarent oils, and bubbles galore! My most favorite bath addition is probably the least expensive and has no smell at all......Epsom Salt!!! It has some magical healing powers and my body loves a good soaking in it!

This bath bomb had little hearts.....as if to tell me it loves me back.

Camping

Here are some old pictures from a very fun camping/4x4 trip!

Camping is such a great lesson in patience, respect, appreciation, and beauty. I wish that more people would go out and camp.....take their kids....explore the world. I wish I went camping more too!

There just isn't anything quite like the air in the morning, the taste of fire cooked food, or quality time that you get with people minus all the distractions of everyday life.

GUNS!

Brayden shooting our new 22.
Pete helping Aspyn shoot our new 22.
Pete shooting an SKS Japanese Assault Rifle.... whew, is it getting hot in here??
Me shooting a 12 gauge... MAN, that was *FUN*! I'm totally hooked, now!
Yay! A new post!! Are ya happy Sara??? ; )

Sensitive

I wonder what makes a person more sensitive?

People seem to admire someone that is more sensitive, but I almost consider it a curse. I have spent a lot of time trying to figure out a way to feel a little less.....care a little less.....but it just seems like an impossible task for someone like me. It is hard to live this way.....to have your heart ache nearly everyday for something or someone. It is one of the main reasons that I don't eat animals.....I care too much.

Maybe it is a gift. Perhaps I feel love more deeply than others.....maybe I am more sensitive to wonderful feelings as well.

Well....this dreary...foggy morning....I still feel that it is a curse because even if I can love more deeply....won't that only cause me a deeper pain if that love dies?

Embarassed?

Is it wrong to dress your dogs up in costumes? I am pretty sure that the little goat is giving me the evil eye!

Wind/Snow Sculptures...

I snapped these at work today. I wish I had a better camera, so that you could see what I saw. The swirls and sculpting of the snow was beautiful. The power of the wind is amazing...

Arctic Blast of 2010!!!

Aspyn making some snow art for me! She made this right out my bedroom window and then came and woke me up so that it would be the first thing I saw upon waking... AWWWWW!
Then she added a little more to it so I could get some pictures of her amidst her beautiful creations.


I know it's hard to see these but if you look closely you can see Aspyn's snow angel on the left and Brayden's on the right. Experiencing the magic of snow through the eyes of children is the most awesome way, I say!

Grateful

It is absolutely freezing outside tonight. The snow is still coming and I've even heard that there is a chance of "Thunder Snow" which always gets my husband excited!! He likes to say it in a very low powerful voice....like he's announcing something really important. It makes me giggle *every* time!

Tonight I am just so glad to have this home, to have a job, to be able to pay my bills, to have my friends and family, and to recognize that I am the luckiest girl.

I've been trying to become a better person lately...nothing huge...just taking small steps to become a more patient, giving, and kind person. Lately most of my friends have told me in some way or another how much they love me....or how good of a person I am. It made me nervous at first. I even turned to Mark and asked, "Why is everyone being so great to me lately? Am I about to die or something?" He thinks it's because of my recent attempts of being better. Even though I haven't really told anyone about my new personal quest to become better....he thinks that somehow people are picking up on it....noticing small things....recognizing them.

Whatever the reason....here I am....warm, loved, and grateful on a beautiful snowy night.

Studies are USELESS!

http://www.naturalnews.com/030209_placebo_medical_fraud.html

I've never been a fan of listening to the "experts". I'm more of an advocate of listening to ones self. We are all so very different and I've never understood why we try to create and apply sameness to one another. I have always said that studies are irrelevant unless they are 100% and possibly not even then. I can find an exception to any rule and I understand that truth is always relative and based in perception. Therefore, the only voice of authority that can be trusted, and relied upon, is your own.
If you have a question about what is ideal for you, forget the "experts" and ask *THE* expert... YOURSELF!

A passing

One of my good friends dog passed away yesturday. His name was Brin and I would definately say that he was a friend of mine. I'm am stuck in a variety of emotions and of course relate those emotions to my own life. I am terrified of the day when I will lose my best friend. My vision is blurred with just a moment of that thought.

As for Pearl (Brin's best friend)....I hope she can find at least a small amount of comfort in the fact that she provided her best friend such a wonderful life.

I am wiping my nose.

I miss him already.

Where I work

http://www.settlerscountrymarket.com/retailer/store_templates/shell_id_1.asp?storeID=22B18596F5384D3C95294AE06768A6CE

This is where I work, now. If you go to their facebook page you'll see a pic of me and everything!

Kombucha

http://users.bestweb.net/~om/~kombu/PFAQ/homep.htm

I posted the above link because I get asked about kombucha daily and I figured this would be the best way to refer people to the most awesome Q&A website for Kombucha, ever. So, there ya go people!

Aspyn has blue hair!

Silence

Why is it so hard to speak....?

It seems that my whole life has occured in my thoughts and it seems like such a daunting task to get those thoughts to come out and play.

Take today for instance.... I went to the gym on my lunch break and attended my workout class called Zumba (way fun if you've never tried it) and I wanted so badly to let my instructor know what I've been thinking now for the past four weeks. I wanted to tell her that I think her classes are great and I have started to look forward to Wednesday's because of them and her small yet mighty warrior cry she lets out during the routine inspires my body to move faster and try harder.....except I didn't say any that. I left. I left dissappointed in myself....because I let a stupid fear of sounding dumb or corny or cheesy prevent me again from speaking. I probably would have made her day.....

Instead I felt my silence.

It's time to break free.

Ah Ahem...

Attention Ladies and Gentleman….

This is my very first public blog! I find myself squirming slightly in my seat just thinking about posting this. I’ve blogged in some form or another for about 15 years….and never has it been public in any way shape or form. (Well unless you count my nosey sister sneaking peeks at my journals every chance she got) This feels alien to me…..almost wrong to put my thoughts out there for others to read and judge and interpret. Quit judging!! I can’t promise anything about what I write….not that it will make sense or invoke deep thoughts or that I will use big words and sound poetic like my lovely husband….but I do promise one thing…..I will always keep it real. Well….I must like this new extroverted blog because here I am squirming and slightly grinning.

Now….what to talk about….??? Hmmmmm.

How about a confession…?

Sometimes when I am all alone I take pictures of myself. It’s not that I’m a vain person it’s just highly entertaining to me to make squishy faces and pretty faces and angry faces and then do it all again. Maybe it’s a girl thing cause it seems to be everywhere on any social media site you stumble upon. Maybe I’m just a silly girl.

Here’s a few for your viewing pleasure….

No judging. Well maybe just a little…!