Happy Birthday to ME!

I love my boyfriend :) He left work early to come home and have a romantic dinner ready for me on my birthday. So sweet! Then he got me this! I am soooo very excited about my brand new road bike! Thanks babe!

my legs are killin me! I went for a 20 mile bike ride today with some girls from work on a borrowed bike in side winds that almost blew me over! pretty sure I need to get back into the gym :) Since I've moved to WA, I've been a little lazy...

In other news, my wine rack arrived and Ben hung it up for me yesterday. I love it! It was my bday present to myself. Tomorrow's the big 27....

It is most definitely spring here in Washington. Today it was a sunny 60-something :) My sister and her boyfriend came to visit us this past week and we made sure to get them out in the sun. They both live in Bozeman, where it continues to snow this time of year. Anyway, we went golfing, hiking, and wine tasting to keep them entertained. They are the first visitors we've had since we moved here, and we really enjoyed the company of familiar faces. (hint hint...)

It's been too long since I've posted anything! (note the halloween background still - I will fix it soon!) As most of you know, I'm moving... My last day of work at St. Luke's will be December 22, and my first day of work at the new job (Kadlec Medical Center - Emergency Dept) will be January 18th. Ben and I are getting soooo excited! Thought I should post this picture of us from Thanksgiving. Ben had to hold Ponch's head because he would not look at the camera. ha. :)

paint story

Today I attempted to do something I've never done before: paint! After many hours of research online and on the phone with my sister, and a few hours spent at Lowe's picking out the perfect colors and supplies, I set out to paint the living room. I had absolutely no idea what I was getting myself into. Pretty sure I hate painting. Yup, HATE it. I figured that out within the first 5 minutes. The roller is the most annoying tool, sucking up all the paint and producing nothing on the walls. Then I broke the roller handle. I must have been pushing too hard, trying to get the paint to show up! Had to go back to Lowe's for another handle, and another gallon of paint (I could tell the paint I had would not last for 4 walls and the ceiling of this seemingly huge room). Back to business... I diligently painted primer on all 4 walls, then I stopped to check on my kitten who was locked in a bedroom away from the paint... or so I thought. I found Sami, wheezing away, fullblown asthma attack to the paint fumes (crap!) Off we went to find a afterhours vet. Success! There happens to be one just 10 minutes from the house! Dropped her off at the vet for some O2, etc. She was in good hands recovering, so I left her there to recover and went back home to continue painting. Painting my life away! THEN someone knocks on the door. Clumsy (and startled!) me, I step backwards into the tray of paint... (Seriously?!?) then answer the door to a nosey meat salesman... wtf is going on around here?! Decided to stop painting at this point. will finish tomorrow.... sore all over! abs even! I can't believe this is only the first room. How will I ever survive painting all the others? How will the cat survive? (she has to spend the night at the vet's on O2) Then, get this: Ben comes home, says "wow, babe. the color is great! how did you get so much on you?" (it literally is everywhere! my hair, face, arms, shirt, shorts, bare feet and halfway my calf) then proceeds to ask why I didn't rent a paint sprayer from sherwin-williams. hmmmm, honey - maybe because in my hours of research you failed to mention that such an invention even exists!!! I think we will definitely be renting this so called paint sprayer for the rest of the house...

my very favorite part - watching every sunset from the deck :)

~the backyard~ deck (with hot tub!) and patio, great for BBQ's

~front of the house~ it's so pretty out in the country!