The art of growing old....er

Although I am slowly recovering from what turns out to just be a crazy sinus infection, I decided to obviously attend Brand new!

Who's brand new?
If you don't know already fightoffyourdemons.com
For me it's nostalgic. it represents nearly HALF my lifetime ago.

I've posted about it before but it's amazing how a song, an album, or a band can take you back in time.

It was AMAZING to sing along but at the end of the day you realize how much older you've become and not that the time you spent was wasted but some of me wishes I could live it all over again. Part of me reads my old live journals and doesn't want to live it all over again because I was way more embarrassing then I thought. Am I going to look back again 10 years from now and think the same thing? If so...HELLO SELF! i HOPE I'M EMBARRASSING THE S&*% OUT OF YOU! :)

I'm also feeling most comfortable with my self and appearance now and I just hit 29. I hope I keep feeling this way.

Thank you awkward young self for coming out to play this week!

Also... older self if you're reading this...

you were once weird

and...

we still are weird.

I need the smell of summer, I need its noises in my ears.

Anyone else have the winter blues?

I need hiking, running, playing with my dog in the backyard in his little pool. I need BBQ'ing, kayaking, and farmers markets!

I need drinking green monster smoothies sitting in a lawn chair in my yard. I need beach time and sun soaking time.

I just need summer!

This summer is going to be a lot of house work. I want to repaint my shutters, rip out the evergreens from the front of my house and do some landscaping and then there is the tearing down of the pool. Yes its going folks. Its too expensive and time consuming to upkeep I'd rather go to a beach anyways. So how i'll keep my dog from running in the mud under where the pool will have been is going to be a task.

4 months from now it'll be gorgeous out <3...maybe even 3 months from now?

Wishful thinking! Stay positive!

be the person your dog thinks you are

Social media has allowed people to be friends with the people they hate in a passive way. Look through your facebook friends list. How many of them could you say you are truely friends with, and how many can you say you added to keep tabs on or "just because".

I will not add people anymore just because. If you're still on my list its because we are friends or I would like to make a consciencious effort to work on our friendship. If you find yourself gone this morning...you probably don't even notice.


I read something that struck a chord

The Awakened

 

How joyful to look upon the awakened

and to keep company with the wise.

Follow then the shining ones,

the wise the awakended, the loving,

For they know how to work and forbear.

but if you cannot find

Friend or master to go with you,

Travel on alone--

Like a king who has given away his kingdom

Like an elephant in the forest.

If the traveler can find a virtuous and wise companion

Let him go with him joyfully

and overcome the dangers of the way.

follow them,

As the moon follows the path of the stars.

 

 

Deleting someone from your facebook or life because its someone you would rather be alone then surround yourself with is not mean, its liberating. You'll be amazed how much less drama and complications there will be in your life.

 

 

Liberate yourself. You truely are who you surround yourself with. Remember that.

 

BE THE PERSON YOUR DOG THINKS YOU ARE!

Not so old dog, new tricks - boxer update

Update on the dog training! I definitley still practice dexter's tricks all the time to keep his brain stimulated and today we were sitting on the couch and he was just staring at me so I held up my hand and thought maybe he'll high 5 me (he's never done this). I started saying "high 5 dexter" and just as I was telling my husband that dexter probably thought I was telling him to stay (thats the same hand gesture) dexter actually gave me a high 5!! I freaked out and he freaked out he got SOOOOO excited. So I sat him on the ground and said "high 5" and he went for it again right away! He picked it up after doing it ONCE!

Seriously, it blows my mind how quickly a dog learns after he/she learns the signs of reward or praise from their owner. He didn't even need a treat to do it he just loved getting the attention.

He's much better in the crate still these days except for today. Brandon came home to find some of the stuffing tore out of the blanket in his crate. I know they reccomend giving him more to chew on in the crate if they do this but I'm afraid that with an agressive chewer it could just lead to unfortunate incidents like him eating a part of toy and choking on it or having it get stuck in his intestines.

I'd rather play safe than sorry and have him in their with just his kong.

I really wish we stuck with ignoring him more when people come over because he goes CRAZY when the doorbell rings or someone knocks. I think I'm going to try and get brandon to practice this with me. I think maybe when I come home from work I'll ring the bell and brandon won't open the door until dexter calms down and retreats from the door.   Maybe it'll work.

Living offline

facebook....best friend...or frenemy?

I have a REAL love hate relationship with facebook scratch that. It has become pretty much just hate at this point.

Remember when pokes....were POKES and comments were actual conversations held in person or on the phone...hell even text messages were prevalent. Now it's comments and instragram photos.

Have you talked to so and so lately?
No but I saw their instagram post.

I miss real conversations, coffee dates, wine nights, game nights, dancing, laughing, having fun and not worrying about whether or not someone I don't like on facebook saw pictures of me having fun.

Let's all chuckle because we've ALL done it! You've added someone you didn't care for because of some stupid reason. Maybe you wanted to see where they are now? You've checked in on an ex to see how horrible you hoped their life was? It's seriously just bad. Well, I'm done with it. If we're not friends you're deleted. If you are on there let's BE friends. REAL LIFE friends. The kind that don't need a phone or computer to talk. Let's go back to the wonder years. I have done a little dabbling here and there on facebook but it's pretty much come to a standstill because it made me realize how much I sometimes hate the things we all do.


I hate the feeling pictures or posts can give you when people try to show how much fun they're having without your or at least how much fun their pictures portray them to supposedly be having without you or what not. It's DEPRESSING people. So why do we do it? Why do we check our facebook accounts multiple times a day? Why do we check our instagram feed to see what someone's eating, drinking, or who they are with or where they are or how great they look today?

Seriously, think back to when none of this existed. You were probably a lot less depressed and maybe a lot more free.

I'm on a move to be free again. Free from "social networking" and into the REAL networking.

My husband is an idol to me. He could care less about what's going on with people on a day to day basis. And those that HE does care what's going on; He calls them!
I want to be more like him in this sense.

I'm not saying facebook or social network is bad. So PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE no hate comments.
This is a personal revelation and pursuit of living. I think blogging is a great outlet to get your ideas, memories and thoughts out so I think I'm going to spend more time here and less time elsewhere online.

This is just a personal pursuit of getting back to basics. Or you might think I'm crazy, dumb, or being ridiculous. That's fine too. I'm sure at some point I have been all of these things or perceived that way at one time or another to someone via facebook and I very well may be.

Let's get back to REALity.

<3
and so this is not just text here is a real life moment I LOVED! Getting to spend time with one of those closest to my heart. My sister Jenny (COME BACK ALREADY!!)

 

back from my hiatus

hello Internet world!
I've decided to come back to you after a long hiatus. A lot has happened. My lovely husband and I had our first anniversary :) The first of many many more to come!

Then there was the union of two amazing, kind, beautiful people (inside & out) :)

LOVE YOU TWO!

And of course the marriage of Mr & Mrs Monroe.

LOVE YOU TWO!!



I know I may sound redundant but I really love these people! They make my life an even better place so thank you to you all! AND TAKE CARE OF EACH OTHER or I will hunt down the one who's doing wrong haha

So I really just wanted to start off simple and slow with a post congratulation those who have made their relationships "official". Thank you for letting me be a part of your lives.

Lastly, I'll just say on a quick note that I have a new job and I am enjoying coming home each night with NO calls to home and no panic attacks about whats happening at work!

Work should be important to you and you should always want to give your best. but it is STILL a job. Remind yourself to enjoy your time with your loved ones and be present.

Back on the saddle again.

Sheryl

Keepin the tradition or not?

Weddings wedding everywhere! Lately there's been a lot of great people in my life getting married or soon to be getting married! I'm just happy to see the people I love being in love!

There's a lot of traditions that come along with a wedding and everything after. I realized last night that brandon and my anniversary is coming up in less than 2 months and I do not feel even the slightest need to exchange gifts on ANY of our anniversaries. I think it's silly. (personal opinion, so DO NOT be offended if you do).

The day of our wedding and days up to it, I thought about how many couples exchange gifts the day of their wedding. What could Brandon possibly get me the day of our wedding that could even compare to the special day and the gift that he was going to be my husband? Nothing! I'm glad he felt the same way. We didn't exchange gifts the day of our wedding, just vows that meant the world.

So anniversaries... What's your plan?

Well for our one year anniversay we get a whole new cake top from our cake vendor. I plan on spending it drinking champagne or wine and eating cake with my husband of one year. Maybe dinner but no monetary gifts.  I don't care if it's the paper year, the gold year or the diamond year. Every year gets better and better because of love.

I think for as long as our cake place is open, we'll go every year on our anniversary to share a slice of our wedding cake and remember that night over and over again.

But a toast to all my newly wed or soon to be newly wed loved ones! Bre and Zev! and of course my lovely sister Jenny & Ej!