Tony Tony Chopper

I officially apologize about my whining the other day...because about 20 minutes after I posted that, I found a pair of Border Collie puppies! I didn't want to mention anything on here until it was set in stone.... I'd say bringing our puppy home is pretty much set in stone!

Meet Tony Tony Chopper! (If you get the reference, points to you!) We drove 2 hours each way for him, and it was soooo worth it! When we met him, we were instantly in love! Even Daniel admitted that he was way cuter than he expected. I'll make a dog lover out of him yet!

Chopper's such a cuddle bug! He loves chewing on his squeaky duck, his big Angry Bird, leaves, and towels. He totes around a microfiber dish towel, but trips over it constantly! He initially was pretty scared about coming in and out of the house (and pretty much anywhere new for that matter), but after going in and out for bathroom breaks, he's gotten the hang of it. Speaking of bathroom breaks, he's doing flawlessly for now! I have puppy pads just in case he has an accident tonight, but I think he'll get the hang of it really soon, because he's only ever done his business outside.

I gave him a bath, which he...tolerated at best. He is very very vocal about what displeases him: long car rides, walking through doorways, being shut in the laundry room while we're away, something while chewing up his toys(?), staring at me(??), and me talking on the phone when he's trying to nap. What a goober!! But seriously. Guys. Look at that face!!

Love Story Part 1: Becoming Friends

It was my Junior year, and I was at a football game with some friends. The game was starting to get a bit stale, so a guy friend and I were walking around the stands, talking to people we knew. We came across a boy from my neighborhood, and his friend, Dan Coley. Now, I'd heard of him before. Dan Coley is a big name on campus. But I never had a face to stick to it until now. He didn't say much, but he seemed really nice.

A few weeks later, after a church service project, we were all eating lunch.  And there he was: Dan Coley. I sat nearby, because I overheard a conversation between him and our mutual friends about Lord of the Rings. *Spoiler Alert* I'm a huge nerd. So we started talking. Turns out, we have a bunch in common. He got my number.

We started texting and would see each other quite a bit. He invited me on a day trip into Phoenix, shortly after the light rail opened (Pictured above). We hung out at our friend's eagle project. We were just friends. But I knew he liked me a little more than that.

Stay tuned for more! 

Railroad Wives

I'm terrible at making new friends. Terrible. Which why I was so happy when Katherin and her husband, Lee, introduced themselves to us. Lee works for the railroad, too, so he and Dan have a lot in common. That same link connects Katherin and I as "railroad wives".

"Railroad wives" survive lonely days while their husbands are on the road. They often feel like a lone parent, and meeting new people is hard when your family moves again and again. Such fate brought us together. Lee was transferred to Sterling about a month before Daniel started. Therefore, both Katherin and I are the new girls in town. That means instant bonding!

We exchanged numbers and have texted a bit. We sit together during church, especially when our husbands are working. The other day, we had lunch together, and talked for hours. She's so fun, and actually takes an interest in who I am and how I am. She invited me and Daniel to dinner that night, as well, and we had such a great time with them. We left feeling so excited about this new friendship and its opportunities.

I had a little bit of a hard time at first, letting go of my insecurities and opening up, but this was just meant to be. It's such a blessing to me that Katherin has been so kind and welcoming, and I think she's really happy to have someone to relate to. The Lord really does take care of all of our needs. If we open up to the possibilities, He will bless us in ways we couldn't have imagined. And for that, I'm truly grateful.

The Puppy Struggle

I'm pretty much obsessed with animals. If I see one, I have this need to hug it or something! (Hence, the frogs.) Daniel isn't much of an animal person, but he agrees that we need a dog for protection's sake. Wheee!!

And so the Craigslist search began. It started out as just a curious venture, but then I became very much emotionally involved.
"Honey! Honey! Golden Retriever puppies in Akron!!! Where's Akron??"
"DANIEL! Look at these Australian Shepards!!!"
"I've never really liked Blue Healers....but look how adorable!!!"
This went on for a good solid hour, until...I found it. The perfect litter of puppies. Pure-bred Saint Bernards! And very close, too!! I was so excited, Daniel told me to text them! So I did! And I waited.

This morning, I couldn't wait anymore, so I called. She answered. The puppies were all gone.... Such heartbreak.... Why is finding a good guard puppy so hard?? We need a good-sized dog, no terriers or pit bulls. Something smart, and preferably a female. That's a pretty wide scope, but it's yielded nothing nonetheless.

I implore you: if you know of any good puppies in need of a loving home within 200 miles of Sterling, CO, please pass along their information! 

10 Ways How NOT to Unpack After Moving

Unpacking is the worst.

In the last year, I've moved about 6 times. Out of those 6 times, how many times have I completely unpacked? That's right. ZERO.

Each time, I've moved into what's felt like a temporary space. Leases, college, and sudden life changes will do that to you. Even the house we're in now may very well only last a few months. But I'm putting my foot down! I'm saying "No!" to not unpacking!

I searched Pinterest for some unpacking tips, and they all told me I've done a terrible job so far. Don't worry, I already knew that. So while these tips are helpful for people who haven't started yet (or haven't started packing, even), what about those of us who are struggling to finish? Maybe a To-Don't list is better suited to our needs. Since I haven't yet found one, here you are:

10 Ways How NOT to Unpack After Moving

10. If you packed a couple of suitcases to make the transition easier, do NOT leave them in the middle of your bedroom. Get rid of that clutter ASAP!

9. While it's good to divide the boxes into categories in their respective rooms, do NOT put a majority of those boxes in the spare room. You're just lulling yourself into a sense of false accomplishment.

8. Do NOT procrastinate setting up major pieces of furniture. Those books will never see the light of day unless you get your bookcase squared away!

7. Do NOT make do with a third of your wardrobe. You'll be surprised at how many outfit combos you've been missing out on by neglecting all those boxes of clothes.

6. On that note, do NOT familiarize yourself with your clothing boxes too well. You'll be digging out certain items piece by piece for months if you know exactly where everything in hiding.

5. Do NOT allow clutter to settle before you've finished unpacking. It's easier to unpack immediately, than have to clear out a space for something that should've been there a month ago.

4. Do NOT buy paper plates and plastic utensils.

3. Do NOT hang on to duplicates. You're never going to need that third toaster. Just unpack it, and donate it!

2. Do NOT start using unpacked boxes as tables, nightstands, chairs, etc. If there's something on top of it, it'll never get opened or unpacked.

1. Finally, and most important, do NOT unpack your computer, TV, etc before everything else is done. Don't say I didn't warn you.

To those of you who, like me, are struggling to rid their house of cardboard. Don't give up! Know there are people just like you, fighting the same battle. We shall prevail!

I Am Good Enough

Al Carraway got me. Seriously. I'll let this article and video speak for themselves, but if you've ever wondered if you're good enough, if you're worth it, if you matter, you'll find your answer.

The Secret to Have Your Best Life

An Overdose of Green

Our favorite park is, by far, Pioneer Park. It is filled with green grass, green trees, and an abundance of wildlife...not to be confused with the one in AZ, which is filled with scary people. We visited a couple days ago, and found a bunch of random, awesome, things. Behold:

A frog.

A much bigger frog. 

An epic staff.

 Ants.

And a bunch of failed outfit pics, the best of which is this one. 

JK, the best is probably the one with the ants. :P 

Moral of the story: parks are fun, frogs are fairly easy to catch (no warts yet, knock on wood), and I need to work on poses if this whole outfit thing is going to work. What do you think? Would outfit posts be totally hokey cheesy, or should I try to make it work? Comment below, friends!

Shirt: Kohl's // Shorts: Gap // Purse: Forever 21 // Shoes: Payless

10 Things I Love about Country Life

1. People are so nice! Here I am, just walking through the park, and everyone says "Good morning!" as they pass by. At church, everyone is so welcoming and kind. My neighbor brought us peaches! Seriously. Sooo nice!

2. Millions of stars in my very own backyard. No need to drive really far and camp out just to see some constellations; they're all right here!

3. SQUIRRELS!

4. The chirruping of crickets is oh so relaxing at night!

5. Never before have I seen a Mail Jeep. That's right. Our mail man drives a Wrangler...and the steering wheel is on the wrong side. Awesome? You bet!

6. Every other radio station is Christian Rock. I still haven't found a rap station. >:)

7. A brother at church had his entire truck bed full of free potatoes! Gotta love an abundance of fresh produce!

8. Our neighbor has a young rooster, who crows at every time of day. He sounds like a dog's squeaky toy!! (Every time I hear him, I want to give him a hug!)

9. The parks are beautifully maintained and absolutely gorgeous! We're talking statues, bridges over a stream, pavilions, trees... We've found Perfect Park 2.0!

10. The house. I'm in love with the house. The yard, the corn field across the street, the paneled walls, the well...everything. I love having our own little place under the big blue sky!

Do you live in the country? What do you love about it?? :)

DIY: Cheap, Fast Autumn Wreath

Autumn colors are my favorite! The leaves outside aren't even yellow yet, but I couldn't resist adding some to my home. And what better way than with a homemade wreath, right?? This whole project took me about 20 minutes and cost under $5. The hardest part was picking out the foliage at the dollar store! 

Step 1: Gather supplies.

Step 2: Cut stems from the base of the bouquet.

Step 3: Weave stems into the wreath base. 

Step 4: Gaze at your wreath's beauty and give yourself a high five.

Step 5: Hang it up for all to see. 

Was that quick, or what?? 

A couple tips:

1) Make sure all your stems are going the same direction, or it'll look kinda funky.

2) For a more secure wreath, I'd suggest using a hot glue gun. But, as you can see, you can still do just fine without it.

3) My wreath is about the size of an average pie pan. For the front door, I'd suggest a larger base, but this size works perfectly for inside the house.

What I would do differently:

I'd get some sparkly gold ribbon, weave it in, and tie a big bow!

I killed Jerry

Our house is full of fun little critters, including but not limited to flies, Daddy Long Legs, "Mormon Crickets", and mice. I've made friends with the spiders, as they've taken the fly population down considerably, and so far only one cricket has crossed my path directly (where it met a mercifully swift demise). The battle with mice, however, rages on. 

All mice reading this, take note: The front entry way is a terribly obvious spot to make your home. Try a closet or something.

Daniel set a trap next to their hole a few nights ago, and the very next day, I heard a SNAP! I'm terribly squeamish, so I didn't dare look at it right away. But when I finally did, there were two mice there! And the next night, Daniel stepped on another one! I'd wager that we're winning our battle. If only we had a cat to help us out a bit. I would name him Tom.

Peek Into Our Life

It's always exciting, beginning a new venture. You don't quite know if you're truly going to love it or if you'll give it up the first chance you get. New jobs, new homes, even a new blog. My husband got a job on the railroad, so we packed up our life and moved about 700 miles from the place we've both called 'home' our entire lives. In situations like this, there are only two choices: prepare for the worst and anticipate the end, or hope for the best and savor each moment. With this blog, I hope to capture every bit of this new adventure, and maybe do a few crafty projects.

I'm Sara. My husband is Dan the Man. He won't be writing here, though he graciously gave me his permission to expose our life on the internet. :)

I have a few goals for this blog, just to keep some direction and purpose here. Also, I'm incredibly forgetful, so maybe these will remind me to write every so often!

1. Post at least once a week, pictures and all.

2. Do a craft at least once a month, and post about it with pictures.

3. Keep a camera on hand for unexpected moments of beauty. (And save up for a quality camera)

4. Post outfits every week to force me to dress up more often.

5. Post home improvement/decor ideas and execution. Unfortunately, our home is a rental, so I don't have free reign to paint or anything, but I can still be creative with our space. :)

If you're reading this, that's super cool! Let's be friends! Feel free to comment or just say hi. I don't bite!