things I forgot to blog about

as I was cleaning out the pictures on my phone I discovered a list of things I thought I might blog about but never did.

in no particular order... certainly not chronological... they are as follows:

when Drew and Maclane wore almost the same outfit

when I hand-tied Katie's quilt (with a bunch of help from Moo and Matt)

when Matt built this out of the blocks his mom gave him for his birthday (cutest)

when I finished Katie's quilt

when we had another great breakfast at Over The Counter (and Sergio was there too)

when we got our nails done before Ashley's wedding

when Matt told me he was going to make his own seat cover for his motorcycle and made his own pattern... and I thought the idea was adorable... and then came home to find the best seat cover ever made and was almost angry that it was so pro and he really is good at everything he tries.

when Matt fit my Mom for a mattress

 

when I had lunch on a Friday with Jonce

when this happened

when Matt was showing me what it would be like when he feeds our kids someday.

when my nieces were the cutest at my nephew's spectacular Junior High performance of Aladdin

(also, it dawned on me while they were singing "never had a friend like me" that the kids performing weren't even alive when Aladdin was in theaters.  and I felt sad and old.)

 

this might be my new favorite blog post.

point B

today I said goodbye to my little Civic.

I really feel like I'm grieving a little bit. 

this car was extremely reliable, gas efficient, and brought me safely from A to B, blah blah, blah.

but

I think that if you'll bear with me for a moment, I can explain why it in fact took me from a much larger, metaphorical Point A to a much larger, metaphorical Point B.   

Point A: 2004 - I was 21. I was living in Greeley, CO. I was in college, I was bar tending, I was out with my friends every. single. night. and I didn't have cable so I watched FRIENDS DVDs CONSTANTLY. I missed my family. And I thought I was in love with someone who we'll call DB#1. My 96 Saturn that I had driven since senior year in high school basically died while driving one day - and this is when I learned that changing the oil in one's car is a priority whether you are a starving college student or not.  (looking back, I probably could have held off on season whatever of FRIENDS for a couple more months to pay for the oil change - ugh).  Anyway... I needed a new car.  The world's greatest parents drove from Utah to "visit" (save their dumb daughter)... and after some shopping around, we found exactly what I wanted -a Civic... but not just any Civic... it HAD to be manual transmission, which meant Honda had to bring it in from Nebraska... I just wouldn't have it any other way.  I knew that this car was a long-term investment and I would drive it lovingly for years to come. 

so I drove off the lot, and then little Civic saw me through 92,000 miles worth of stuff:

DB#1 broke my heart, I traveled everywhere opening restaurants, I made lots of news friends, went on lots of adventures, made LOTS of mistakes -( we'll call one of them DB#2),  visited old friends, moved, then moved again, missed my family, quit the restaurant finally, moved to Utah, moved back to CO, worked for a plastic surgeon, got arrested (yep for realz), traveled some more, road trips, moved back to Utah, got a great job, mended some friendships, got engaged, moved back to CO, got a terrible job, was very lonely, missed my family, heart broken again, said goodbye to DB#2 and returned the ring, got great job back so I could move back to UT, tried to remember how I ever lived so far from my family, went on bad first dates, was sure that prince charming was not a real person and that was just fine with me.

Point B: Two years ago, I met a very charming stranger who also drove a Civic.  Eventually, I went on a very charming first date with him. He asked me about my car on the date (I liked that he drove a Honda... and rumor had it, he knew a thing or two about cars).  He asked if it was automatic or a manual... I said manual.  And then said "I wouldn't have it any other way.  I had the dealership bring one in from Nebraska because I needed a 5-speed".  And then he smiled the biggest smile.  Prince charming was real. 

8 years later and safely at Point B, it is time to move on. 

I will always be grateful to that little Civic for helping me find my way.

probably the last to know about this but

i am dying dying dying for this today

thanks, Julianna.

i am so inspired. 

one hundred

haha

M.M.M.M.M.M.M.

my dad watches my nieces every Monday night... and so Monday has always been called "pepaw day".  Pepaw always makes mac&cheese for the girls, so they have started calling it "macaroni monday".

when I invited them all to come to our house instead last Monday to meet Dori (the girls LOVE puppies), I changed the name of the evening to "McDowell macaroni madness meet my mutt monday"

it went something like this:

after macaroni they ran around A LOT but they did sort of stop for one second:

pepaw kept an eye on Callie's scarf:

then we came inside to play:

and snuggle:

then we played Princess memory (with Princess Old Maid cards)

and then we had creamies (remember creamies??? mmmmmmm)

kid emails

okay.  I have been given permission to share these emails with you.  I think they are pure gold.

If you like them, tell me.  If you think this is dumb, tell me.  I'll spare you, and continue to enjoy them on my own.

a little context:
kid 1 is 7 years old.  She used to live near her very best friend, kid 2.  They don't live near each other anymore.  sad.  when I was a kid and your best friend moved away, you never heard of them again until you were 25 and they found you on Facebook.  In 2012, it's no big deal, because they email, Skype, etc..  kid 2 received an iPod touch for Christmas, and her parents let her set up an email account (which they monitor).  kid 1's parents aren't quite ready to let kid 1 have an iPod or an email account, but they do let kid 2 email kid 1 at her mom's email address.  kid 1's mom lets her read and respond to emails on mom's iPhone.

On Tue, Jan 31, 2012 at 4:49 PM, kid 1 wrote:
What's your favorite animal?
Mine is a flamingo!

On Tue, Jan 31, 2012 at 6:18 PM, kid 2 wrote:
mine is a cat. my 2nd is a flamingo! at leaset now. please say your 2nd is a cat!

On Jan 31, 2012, at 5:22 PM, kid 2 wrote:
by please I mean really REALLY RREEAALLLLYY please say so.

On Wed, Feb 1, 2012 at 4:42 PM, kid 1 wrote:
I already told you.
Sent from my iPhone

On Feb 1, 2012, at 5:01 PM, kid 2 wrote:
from just then?!

On Wed, Feb 1, 2012 at 7:09 PM, kid 1 wrote:
My 2nd is a cat.
Sent from my iPhone

On Wed, Feb 1, 2012 at 8:41 PM, kid 2wrote:
oh good! Phew!

On Feb 1, 2012, at 7:44 PM, kid 2wrote:
by the way we have to have a the most here: fav color, B-day, food, and much more. what is your fav food?

On Thu, Feb 2, 2012 at 4:36 PM, kid 1 wrote:
My fav color is orange.
My b-day is ________.And my fav food is ribs.
Sent from my iPhone

On Thu, Feb 2, 2012 at 6:23 PM, kid 2 wrote:
my 2nd is orange. and your 2nd fav favorite food is pizza. by the way I don't like ribs though a lot of peple in my family like ribs.

On Feb 2, 2012, at 6:00 PM, kid 2 wrote:
at least we both have long hair. did you get my last one?

On Thu, Feb 2, 2012 at 7:33 PM, kid 1 wrote:
Yes.
Sent from my iPhone

Date: Fri, Feb 3, 2012 at 8:18 AM
Subject: Re: Animal        kid 2 wrote:
good.


   

permission

new favorite blog (i mean website)

it sort of reminds me of my other blog idea.  I'd like to add a tab dedicated to kid emails.  If SOMEONE would just give me permission to publish her daughter's emails here.  I promise to keep it all anonymous.

please??????

rock chalk

I love college basketball.

it’s up there with whales.

I love so many things about it.  I love the pace of the games.  I love the ever-changing nature of the score, the lead, even the rankings, and the always evolving teams.  I love the fans.  I love the commitment / devotion / passion / absolute madness of the fans, coaches, players, etc…

I am lucky to have been raised in a family by a man who loves sports, one of them being basketball.  I am especially lucky to have been raised by a KU fan who was raised by KU fans.  I believe KU has the greatest college basketball program ever ever ever ever ever.  I could bore you with the history of the program to explain why, but if you're reading this you already know or don't care... I can remember college basketball being on T.V. throughout my entire childhood.  Long before I paid any attention, I remember playing on the floor while my dad or dad and grandfather watched  - and listening to the fans, the commentators, and the shoes squeak on the floor.  Those sounds are still comforting to me.  I still love watching basketball - any basketball - with my dad. 

I spent portions of every summer of my childhood visiting my grandparents in Lawrence, Kansas where basketball was like religion.  It was rarely ever basketball season while I was there, but I still knew how important it was.  There is something magical in the air in Lawrence.  Some would argue that it’s the crazy-thick humidity mixed with my own fairy-tale memories of summers with Pup & Gram and my siblings… Okay, so that’s partially true.  But I would argue that there is some kind of mysterious basketball energy mixed in there somewhere.  Perhaps it radiates from the pretty little cemetery where Dr. Naismith and my grandparents rest. 

back to college basketball - I even love the heartbreak.  When it comes to tournament season, it is likely that your heart will be broken.  Winning the national championship is an incredibly momentous achievement that many times could have gone to a dozen different teams if any number of games had ended one second earlier, or one second later.  I love it because there is always next year.  I also love love… and loving a team like the Jayhawks through every heartbreak is about as unconditional a love as any. 

k so… I told this story because March Madness begins this week.  There is nothing in the world like this tournament.  These athletes all over the country who work their whole lives to play even one minute on this stage have to be admired.  The window of time that any of them have a shot at this victory is so small. 

I simply cannot wait. 

here’s to this year (fingers crossed)… and to next year too. 

i am so geeked out on this stuff:

crazy dog lady

sorry that this is now a dog blog.

it's impossible to not take pictures of her.

when I got home from work yesterday, we celebrated beautiful Friday afternoon weather by playing fetch in the sunshine and rolling around in the grass.

and this is what her face looks like when we have to go back inside:

baby dori

Dori was adopted from the Idaho Falls Humane Society, but she was being fostered by a family that took her pregnant mommy in and raised the 11 puppies along with their own 4 dogs.  (=16 dogs!)

They were great people who loved all of the puppies, and wanted to keep in touch with us.  Yesterday they sent some pictures of Dori when she was a baby.

I know, right?  cutest puppy. 

how to have a puppy

easy peasy.

welcome, Dori.  we love you.

a 2nd guest room

the boys.

Sergio is posing with his farewell gift (chocolate Hostess Donettes - his favorite) after our farewell dinner.

hb, d

today is Drew's birthday. 

today is Dr. Suess's birthday.

to celebrate the birthdays of these great Americans, I thought I would list some of my favorite Dr. Suess quotes that also remind me of Drew... especially because Drew recently followed his dream, and is kicking so much ass... and if you ask me, that's really what Dr. Suess is all about.

"Think and wonder.  Wonder and think."

"Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting.  So... get on your way!"

"You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes.  You can steer yourself any direction you choose."

"It's opener, out there, in the wide, open air."

"Will you succeed?  Yes you will indeed.  Ninety-eight and three-quarters percent guaranteed."

"You're on your own, and you know what you know.  And YOU are the one who'll decide where you go..."

"From there to here, and here to there, funny things are everywhere."

happy birthday, stubee

(whos created here)