Did I age this year?

Happy Saturday folks!

I’m cleaning the house today, and Mr. Gaunt is watching the Broncos game. We are obviously in full on BRONCO MANIA here in this house. I pretend to care about the Broncos, but the truth is, I don’t. I don’t understand the game, and I find it boring. I also have a lot of negative opinions about the NFL and pro sports in general, but that aside. I have a Broncos shirt, I buy Mr. Gaunt Broncos stuff, and I claim the Denver Broncos as “My Team”, but seriously, I don’t care at all.  I decided a few years ago to support my husbands sports love, and I think it was a really good relationship decision. Its one of the more mature things I have done in our relationship. I could hate it, bitch about, and let it be a wedge between us, but instead I have accepted it. Honestly, it give us something to bond over (kind of), it makes Mr. Gaunt (and his friends) immensely happy, and it has taken the sports resentment out of our relationship. Not that I don’t occasionally want to scream SHUT THAT GAME OFF, or get pissed that we cant do something becasue the Broncos are playing, but in general, pretending to love the Broncos has been one of the best ways for me to ACTUALLY love my husband. Sad that they lost tonight.

Which brings me to today’s post, growing up. I’m not talking about age (well, maybe I am) but maturity. I feel like in the last two weeks, since 2013 started, I have suddenly decided to think a little more before I speak. I have also decided to eliminate some of the “drama” that I watched on FB (not involved in, just voyeurism) because although it can be entertaining in the moment, I realized I was taking some of those feelings with me all day, and that is unhealthy. I am also trying really hard to not get involved in family judgement, be more respectful to Mr. Gaunt, and be overall happier with myself. Say what?

I read this list the other day:  15 Things That Will Guaranteed Happen to you in Your Twenties.

And while I don’t agree with all of them, numbers 1, 3, 4, 12/13, 14, and 15 ring pretty true. It made me realize, that YES I do really genuinely like myself, and instead of doing things that make me dis like myself, I really want to do things that make me pleased with myself. I also do not need the internet to hurt me! I am almost glad that my blog has remained some-what un-famous, as I couldn’t take negative comments. The internet is not worth ANY tears! From friends or strangers. I also have been thinking about deleting my Facebook should I get pregnant. I cant handle the judgement and commentary that comes with being a “social media mommy” it’s not for me.

Lastly I love my friends so much, and I honestly want to continue to better my relationships with them. It is so easy to not get together with people, and I have been really lazy about not traveling to see them. This year, I plan to really work on this. Starting with a trip to Portland at the end of the month!!! I just feel like my friends are so similar to me, and when I have children, I want them to be raised around people like Mr. Gaunt and I. I want my friends to be their extended family.

So yeah, I feel like I’m growing into maturity. Growing into happiness, and feeling more and more self assured. Plus I love the shit out of my husband, so that’s nice.

Mothers Day 2012

Happy Mothers Day!

It seems everyone I know is pregnant right now, which is not true, I really only know like 5 pregnant people right now, but still, it’s a lot of moms-to-be! Also three of the bloggers I read daily are also pregnant, so I think it’s just in the air.

We had such a lovely mothers day this year! It was actually the first time Mr. Gaunt and I hosted a dinner that wasn’t just my mom and siblings. My grandparents came up for the afternoon too, which was really cool. My grandparents are really awesome people with lots of really great skills. They can cook better than anyone I know (my grandpa is a professional BBQ and they owned restaurants for years) so getting the opportunity to make a meal for them was kind of exciting. The house and yard also look really awesome right now (if I do say so myself) and with prefect weather and a perfect cat, the day was splendid! I felt like such a grown up. I can’t wait until we have kids and can have birthday parties and other fun holiday celebrations at our house.

Mr. Gaunt did all the grilling today, while mom and I made salad, potato salad, asparagus, sangria, chocolate cover strawberries, and garlic bread. Yum. We really know how to eat.

This first photo is really awesome. It’s me and my mom and my grandma, I think it’s the only three generation photo I have, all we need now is a baby (I know I’m starting to sound baby crazy!). We all look so similar, and blonde…lol!

Mr. Gaunt cooked his first Salmon, and we also did steak kabobs and Asparagus on the grill.

My mom bought me that cute cherry tablecloth at a thrift store in Portland, and today she made a quick stop at Kmart where they had flat sheets on clearance for $5, so that’s what that green one is. Who knew a flat twin sheet fit a 6′ card table so well?

My Fur Baby was extra sweet all day too!

Tomorrow its back to work. My back is a bit sore tonight from cleaning, gardening, moving the lawns and cooking all day. Lordy. It’s also back to the gym this week. We took all of last week off from the gym and worked out outside in the nice weather.  This coming week is supposed to be pretty darn nice too, but we paid for the membership so we rally should use it. It’s just so much nicer, and we work out so much longer outside. Oh well. I’m a little sun burnt too.

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY TO ALL, especially my awesome mom.

2012 Goals & Christmas

Oh god I feel so gross and OVER CHRISTMAS.

But I always feel this way after Christmas. It’s just too much, of everything. Mostly food and laziness, but “materialism, decorations, music, money” they all have been tapped out over here. You too?

I wasn’t really planning on blogging until the new year, but its my blog, so I can pretty much do whatever I want. (: And today I felt like blogging.

So I’m up 30 pounds, in general. I gained 30 pounds because I sit in an office all day, don’t go to the gym, and eat whatever I like. Funny how that works. I pretty much hate all pictures of myself these days, and I wear way too many of Mr. Gaunt sweaters, becasue all my clothes are tight, and his clothes are baggy.

This is quite the predicament. It’s not the end of the world, but damn near close. Mr. Gaunt and I did join the gym last week, and went all week, but not this weekend as the gym was closed. We are also trying to eat healthy, but Christmas threw us off track a bit. Duh. So we are back on track today.  I have some pretty huge goals for 2012. The number 12 has always sort of been “my number” mostly as I was born on September 12th, but I just like its evenness. So 2012 is the year I make some major changes.  Lets make a list shall we!

1. Lose 30 pounds and keep them off. (I’m hoping to lose 30 pounds in 90 days, so I can feel good this summer!)

2. Get my new business off the ground so I can quit my job by May (although I may work somewhere else part time)

3. Reduce my consumption. Recycle more.

4. Make friends (I need some, and Mr. Gaunt needs some too)

5. Gym, 5 days a week, every week.

6. Buy a Cannon Rebel t2i

7. Get a passport

8. Manage my finances so money we make in the summer can support us in the winter

9. Visit Portland, Olympia, Seattle

10. Get a “new to us” reliable minivan (for business and above trips)

11. Send Mr. Gaunt back to Colorado at least twice this year

12. Cook more

13. Landscape the front yard, and lay some new grass in the back yard.

14. Go on new Hikes around the area

15. Sell 50 more paintings on Etsy

16. Go away somewhere for our 1 year anniversary

17. Avoid Sugar (more on this later)

18. Make more handmade things (gifts, household items, etc)

19. Take more photos of my life

20. Paint and organize my laundry room

I leave with some photos from our Christmas morning breakfast (including Hula’s first can of fancy feast!)

 

 

 

From the Fourth

For the 4th of July we did a friends and family BBQ at the Mead Bar my moms runs. My mom made Ribs, Salmon, and BBQ Chicken and everyone else brought sides and I brought dessert…duh.

The previous tenants in or house had planted strawberries, and I was smart enough to leaved them mixed in with all the weeds this spring when I was clearing out some of the yucky beds. They have no produced TONS of strawberries. In an attempt to use what we grow I made a Strawberries, Angel Food Cake, and Whip Cream Trifle. This is the easiest yummiest dessert known to man. Of course you HAVE to use home made whip cream. I only add the tiniest bit of sugar to my home made whip cream, as I like it more natural.

My sister and I also made Patriotic Cake Pops (here you can see that they outer decorative icing is melting…ooops) they were definitely a challenge, but I want to perfect them for the wedding. I’ll do a later post on these.

Uhh…do you see that AWESOME fire pit? Yeah THAT is Mr. Gaunt and my early wedding gift from my mom! Isnt it cool! They used it for the fourth, but now it lives on our patio! If I only I had an evening off to enjoy it. Marshmallow roasting! We are too lucky!

Shockingly no one bought any fireworks (my brother usually buys a ton) but luckily my moms neighbor gave us a few boxes of cheapy sparklers. We were also really pleased to be able to see the big Bellingham Fireworks Show over the water from the bars patio!

gracious Mildly Drunk Bathroom Pic

So it was a really good fourth. It’s awesome that my family is so on board with all hanging out on Holidays! Oh and in case you didn’t know the girl with the short Platinum hair is my sister Taylor and the blonde boy is my brother Forrest.  Oh and of course the adorable woman with the nose ring in the picture with me is my mom!

Hope everyone else had a great 4th!

 

Happy Easter!

Family Meals and The Quarter Pig

This meal was made by my mom last Sunday after we all worked on the yard. One of things I missed the MOST in Colorado was my mom’s cooking, and eating with my family. I really like that I’m the one now with the house that people gather at, it’s really nice. It makes me look forward to holidays coming up!

-Ceasar Salad

-Quinoa Pasta and Pesto

-BBQ Chicken and Sausage and Ham

-Asparagus

Normally I don’t eat Pork products. Mostly I have never really been a fan of pork, and partly because it’s just a weird meat. My mom’s friend raises pigs and my mom bought a 1/4 of a pig a few weeks ago. Since then we have had some amazing Bacon, and now really good Ham! I don’t even like Ham, but this was really good. I don’t know, I guess I like when I know where my meat is coming from, plus I swear it tastes way better.