little sprouts

My blog has over 2,000 page views! I'm not quite sure how that happened, but hey, it's still cool! (To me, at least.) It makes me a little more motivated to post regularly.

Here's a basic update on me, what I've been doing, and what is on the horizon:

*I have been reading A TON! Which makes me really happy, because I always seem to drift away from books and reading, for whatever reason. Lately I've been reading books back to back. I've read a couple of Kingsolver books, and I just picked up my second Gaiman novel, among other things. I usually take a few days (or weeks sometimes) to digest and ponder whatever I finished, but lately I just feel a pull to move on to the next story. I've been taking full advantage of my library card and Goodreads.com. It's been so much fun!

*Packing is once again in the works for me. It seems like I'm always packing. It's not daunting or overwhelming anymore; it's exciting. It's a part of my life that I know will keep popping up, so why let it stress me out and bother me? Besides, it's a good excuse to go through my things and decide what stays and what goes on a regular basis.

*Preparing for school in the Fall. You read it right- I'm going back to college! It's been a struggle, between establishing residency in Idaho and financial issues, but now everything is resolved and I'm registered as a full-time student at a community college. I'm beside myself with excitement! Also a little nervous, but deep down I'm confident I won't have too much trouble adjusting to my new schedule and workload.

*Carson and I have a few day trips planned, since he starts working more days soon and will have 2 days off a week again! We want to go visit some local waterfalls and go swimming. We're lucky we have Lava Hot Springs, Heise Hot Springs, and Green Canyon close to us. Oh, and the museum has a Guitars exhibit that he's really interested in. I just plain love the museum so we're going to go there, too.

*4th of July. It's right around the corner, three of my loved ones' birthdays are right around there, it's big in Carson's family. It's going to be a big, busy deal this year! But I'm excited, nonetheless. Maybe I'll make some treats for the occasion and make a post about it ;)

*My little garden is doing pretty well. Some plants are happier than others. I should re-pot a few into larger containers soon... but for the most part they're pretty and green and make me happy. I'm growing a majority of herbs this year. The plan is to dry out the leaves to use in my own loose-leaf tea. I'm growing peppermint, lavender, sage, and holy basil. Oh, and I'm happy and proud to say that it's all organic. I also found out that there is a gardening club/community in my city which I plan to join next summer. I get 30 square feet to plant what I want and engage with other gardeners!

That's probably enough for today. Thanks for reading and have a great day!

Thoughtful Thursday [wk.12]

This quote is inspired by the birthdays of two people very dear to me: my father and my only niece. This weekend I'll be driving [almost] the entire width of Idaho celebrating with my loved ones. It's going to be crammed, it's going to be a little hectic, my bum might get a little sore, but I'm so happy I can be with my family! Einstein said it best:

"Rejoice with your family in the beautiful land of life!"

~Albert Einstein

And rejoice I will! My family definitely lifts my spirits and makes me so grateful, every single day. I have to give them credit for keeping me as happy as I am!


My niece is the sweetest thing in the world. I'll come home from work to find pictures she drew and colored just for me! Drawings of tigers, lions, and jaguars; drawings of honey bees and butterflies; drawings of owls, and even dinosaurs with babies! I started putting them up on my wall and she was so happy and proud when she saw them up there! Her smile instantly makes me happy.

My niece and one of her quick drawings of the Count from Sesame Street.
(I showed her the censored Count video, hence the "beeep")

And where would I be without my dad?! I've been a daddy's girl for as long as I can remember. It's been hard these past few years being so far away from him and having to share our lives through phone calls and email. But this year I get to spend his birthday weekend with him! Maybe we'll go back out to Shoshone Falls and I can get some nice shots with my DSLR. Or maybe we'll just sit around chatting, eating veggie chips and watching movies. I don't really care what we do as long as I can share his birthday with him.

hurry spring! i want to plant flowers for my niece's birthday!

Every morning that I've woken up this winter, the sky outside at 6 a.m. has been pitch black. I would drive to work in the dark and at 6:30 a.m. I would flip my neon "OPEN" sign on; it would illuminate the cold ground in front of it and the reflection would bounce off the window into the dusky cafe. It would be at least an hour before the sun peeked over the mountains in the distance. I waited so anxiously for that every morning. 

This morning I was met with quite the surprise when I opened the door at 6 a.m. The air was lighter, not like the density that comes with the dark night. There was a hint of twilight; a faint peachy glow on the horizon. The sun! I could see hints of the sun at 6:15 a.m. this morning! Hallelujah!

[This morning was especially beautiful because of the moon. The dusty peach overtook the eastern horizon, and on the western edge the moon sat just above the horizon. Big, fat, and glowing orange against the navy sky. It was magical, I tell you!]

When the sun comes up, the rest of the world wakes with it. I no longer feel so alone in my corner coffee shop at that moment. And I can't describe my happiness over the fact that the days are getting longer! It means spring will be here soon and I can get my hands dirty with my brother, his wife and the kids. My niece has requested California poppies for her 8th birthday. And a Minecraft cake, haha.