Sunday Funday in the Park

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Happy Sunday evening!

Today we met up with Andrew's best friend and his dog to enjoy some of the sunshine! One of the best things about where we live is there's a huge park right across the street. Living in downtown Minneapolis, we are very fortunate to have such open spaces for the pups to run around!

{{Here's some photos of our puppy play date! :)}}

hanging out in the park :)

it was a little bright for zo zo haha

Bella being her "crazy rabid squirrel" self haha

Dave and his big boy Mavrik :)

running up the hill with daddy :)

the view from the top of the park {our home is the grey and red building :)}

Dave rides his long board and Mav just runs after him {necessary exercise for a husky!}

{{Enjoy the rest of the evening}}

Gaga for Zara Shoes

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{{Happy Sunday friends!}}

My latest fashion obsession are {Zara Shoes!} I Seriously need every pair.

 Here are some of my favorite looks right now!

{{A girl can never have too many shoes, right?? :)}

Birthday Wishes to my Father

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Happy birthday to my hilarious, crazy, and amazing father!! :)

my papa and me :)

I couldn't be more grateful for the father I have! He has taught me perseverance, strength, and the ability to never give up no matter what...and of course my very non-lady-like mouth of mine {sorry mom!} 

It's Okay Thursdays

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Today I'm joining up again to It's Okay Thursdays from {Brunch With Amber.}

It's okay...
...to feel stuck in a rut {just know it's time to get out of it!}
...that when your dog drops her bone continually off the couch and looks up at you to pick it up....you always pick it up! {these dogs have me so whipped...let's be honest}
...to have major writer's block {anyone have any blog inspiration for me??}
...to check your email, facebook, twitter, instagram, and blog incessantly {it's the 21st century...i don't think it's going anywhere}
...but it's also okay to put down your computer, ipad, phone etc., and be electronic free {i do this from time to time and it feels soooo good}
...to be addicted to reality shows {hello alllll real housewives's shows}
...to wash laundry and then leave it in the dryer for a couple of days {you can always re-dry it, right??}
...to realize life isn't as easy as you thought i'd be as an adult {but it sure as hell beats being a kid again}

{{Well that's all I have for today...like I said...I have major writer's block!}}

7 Questions {Linky Party}

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I'm linking up again to Gentri Lee's {7 Questions}. 

Here's my funny photo of the week :)

zo zo and I were having fun with 'photo booth'. okay let's be honest..it was just me enjoying it haha {notice my dark hair too?? this was about 2 years ago}

1. You are stuck somewhere you really don't want to be, do you- walk home, call a friend, or stick it out?

It really depends on the situation I guess...what I was doing there in the first place etc. But generally I'd stick it out or call a friend {friends make everything better, right? :)}

2. Do you like to PLAY sports?

I love playing sports!!

3. Everyone has that one "different" song that they secretly love- what's yours?

I love the song called Good Times by Edie Brickell and Diamonds on the Soles of her Shoes by Paul Simon.

4. What is one thing you feel you are really good at?

Being a caregiver...especially to my doggy children. I was born to take care of others.

5. A dog is running in your direction and barking loudly- what do you do?

Although I'm obviously a dog lover, I'm very aware that some dogs were never trained properly and could possibly be dangerous. So I always err on the side of caution when it comes to strange dogs {especially when Bell and Zo are around too.}

6. Star gazing or cloud watching?

Star gazing. Growing up in the middle of no where, the stars were always shining bright. I took them for granted until I moved to the cities. Now anytime I see the stars, I always stop for a minute and take in the incredible universe {I also always look for Orion's Belt for some reason.}

7. What time of the day do you feel the most productive?

I used to feel the most productive later in the day and evening, but now I like to wake up and get stuff done right away. It makes me feel less anxious that I took care of what I needed to earlier in the day, rather than leave it until later. 

{{Well there you have it! Join in on 7 Questions if you want! :)}}

Wisdom Wednesday

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Hello friends...welcome back :) 

One of my favorite saying is "semper ad meliora", which means "always towards better things" in Latin. I believe this to be true...we're all leaving things behind to move towards better things.

New and exciting ideas brings forth new hope. Always let your mind wander...

Most of the time I believe we already know the answers, we are just too scared to trust ourselves. Once we trust ourselves, it's amazing the opportunities that start to appear. 

True love is never-ending. When you meet someone that loves you unconditionally, don't let them go. Because I believe real, true, inexhaustible love is rare...and should never be taken for granted.


{{Thank you for stopping by friends!}}

Nine Lives {Endings and Beginnings}

Pin It When I first decided to start blogging {for about the fifth time} I sat long and hard thinking about what to name my blog. As the creative wheels were spinning in my head, I finally settled on Nuef Vies {Nine Lives} to represent the endings and beginnings of life's journey. 


Although we all live one ultimate life, I believe we are constantly changing and growing throughout it, causing in a sense, us to live multiple lives within our one life. Change is good. Change is needed to create transformations in our journey. Change allows us put to rest some of life's pain and move toward new beginnings. But change and new beginnings comes in all forms and it isn't always easy. In fact, even good change is more likely than not met with challenges {moving, new jobs, etc.} 


Change is necessary to progress in life. I often times think of one of my favorite books when I think about change. Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert said, 

“Ruin is a gift. Ruin is the road to transformation.”

Ruin however good or bad, is truly a gift. There are times in life that we feel helpless and don't know the right answers to our problems. Ruin happens and causes chaos to our life, but it's there to guide us, and even push us if need be, into the direction we were meant to take. 


Are there any changes that need to be made in your life? And remember, never be afraid to ask for some guidance or a helping hand from your significant other, family, or friends. No matter how strong you may be, sometimes the best thing you can do is turned to your loved ones.  We're in this life together, after all....

{source}

Miscellany Monday

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Today I'm linking up again to Miscellany Monday from Carissa Graham's {lowercase letters.} 

1. My sister-in-law informed me last night that my nephew finished his first book all by himself! I couldn't be a prouder auntie!! :)

2. Andrew and I are participating in {Walk for Animals}, along with Andrew's best friend {and his pup Mavrick}, my best friend and her fiance {and their pup Dashel} and Andrew's mom {with her pup Reno}. Because, I'm not an animal lover or anything {insert sarcasm!} :)

3. I'm so happy that we decided to start a softball league...I played up until college and definitely missed it. The unfortunate side is my body is not quite like it used to be. I am banged up and bruised from attempting to slide {can't re-train someone I guess haha}, super sore from my elbow surgery in HS, and even worse shoulder issues from years of sports {ugh!} But boy, did it feel good to be out there on 2nd base again!

4. We signed up for all the movies channels {HBO, Encore, Showtime, etc} because they had an awesome deal for three months. Then Andrew informed me that we also get HBO GO {their online database} and I informed him he would no longer be seeing me for awhile because that means all the True Blood episodes {I'm obsessed with True Blood} Pretty much made my day!

{source}

{{Well that's all for today friends! :)}}

Week Through Photos

Pin It I can't believe it's Sunday already?? Where does the time go? 

{{I hope you all had a wonderful week and weekend!}}

Last Sunday, there was  storms rolling in. I took this off of our balcony....kind of creepy, isn't it?

I've always loved tea, but I've been craving it a lot again lately. My go-to is Jasmine Green Tea with a fresh squeezed lemon. Yum...

My sister-in-law sent this photo of my niece, Isabella, painting...I MISS HER SO MUCH!

The girls enjoying some sun...it's one of their favorite things to do :)

My friend Lou and I went out for Bloodies one day :)

There's always love for my baby :)

:)

We joined a softball league with some friends and had our first game!  You're looking at the 1st baseman {Andrew} and the 2nd baseman {me} :)

Game on!

{{Happy Sunday! Make it a great day!!}}

Five Question Friday {Linky Party}

Pin It Today, I'm linking up again to {Five Crooked Halos} Five Question Friday. 

1. Groceries are high right now what is easiest way you have found to cut back?

Our biggest problem is we eat out way too much and we also buy groceries at Lunds {for those who don't have a Lunds...it's a very nice, but over-priced grocery store.} We try buy a lot of groceries at Target now, but when it comes to fresh produce etc., I have to go to Lunds still. So, moral of this story...I obviously haven't found a good way to cut back yet haha.

2. What are the top 3 things on your "bucket list"?

My top 3 "realistic" things on my bucket list are...

1. Be a wife

2. Become a mother

3. Travel through Europe 

3. Would you rather give up AC or heat?

That's a tough one considering I live in Minnesota. Even though we have really cold winters, we also have really hot summers...and I HATE being hot. But ultimately I could live without AC {I did it for 18 years at my parents} but I literally couldn't survive without heat. 

4. What's your favorite cocktail??

My favorite easy go-to cocktail is Vodka/Soda with a fresh lime.

5. What was your first job & how old were you?

My first job was helping a local resort clean their cabins during turnover. I did it with my mom because I was only 13...and it was all cash. My first real taxed job was at this amazing candy shop in Hayward, Wisconsin called Tremblay's when I was 15. We got to eat as much fudge and candy as we wanted while we were working...thank god for my fast metabolism when I was younger!!

Well there you have it! Join in on Five Question Friday if you want! :)

Humor Me Friday

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{{Happy Friday!!}

true story

hahaha cracks me up every time

Ted Mosby, I want to marry him {sorry Andrew}

hahaha enough said

The Five Year Plan

Pin It It's one of the most common questions people ask... 

"Where do you see yourself in five years?" 

Common responses usually are something along the lines of a buying a new home, a job promotion, or perhaps just overall better financial security. Questions in this regard are always met with external factors that affect your life. 

I found an interesting take the other day from {Tiny Buddha}, where she presented an interesting spin to this common question. Instead of asking "Where do you see yourself in five years?" rather ask...

 "Who do you want to be in five years?"

I had one of those "ah ha" moments! So often we're consumed with our materialistic and external factors in our life that we can't entirely control. Yes, we all want a nicer house, a nicer car, our "dream" job...and although these goals are important to have, they aren't as important as who we are. 

This got me thinking about my own life and who I really want to be in five years...not just what I see myself doing in five years. Putting the question about myself makes all my goals internal, allowing me to have complete control over who I become.

Now, thinking about who I want to ultimately be in five years is a lot of pressure in my eyes. Of course I want to be the best version of myself, loving, caring, understanding, loyal and the a like. But who do I want to be? Here's what I've come up with so far...

I want to be the kind of wife that my husband is excited and proud to come home to. I want to make him feel loved and respected and let him know he's the best thing to ever happen to me.

I want to be the best mother I can possibly be. I want to be the kind of mother who breast-feeds, who's children sleep in the middle of "mommy and daddy", who will live selflessly and put my children before myself, and to make sure that no matter what goes on in life...my children can come to me for absolutely anything.

I want to be the family member that is open to having my family pick up the phone to talk with...laugh with...or cry with. I want to be the best daughter, sister, aunt, and cousin to all of my wonderful family.

I want to grow my friendships even more than they already are. And always remember to put time aside to enjoy each and every person that's in my life. I want to be a forever friend.

I want to also treat myself as I would a friend. I want to heal from my battered scars and wounds and find peace and happiness within myself. I want to be content in the person I am each and every day.

Now, who do you want to be in five years?

{source}

Wisdom Wednesday

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Happy Wednesday friends! 

{{Here's some wisdom to add to your life!}}

How I view marriage. It really is something you do each and everyday.

YOU are allowed to take hold of your own life!!

Such a simple phrase, but it really makes you think. You have no real understanding as to what is going on "behind-the-scenes" of someone else's life...remember that.

I would do anything...anything for my family and true friends. If I could, I would take everyone's burden and hardship just to make them happy.

Being Grateful For The Hard Times

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"I have sometimes been wildly, despairingly, acutely miserable, but through it all I still know quite certainly that just to be alive is a grand thing." 

I found this quote by Agatha Christie and fell in love with it. We all have them...those painstakingly, heartbreaking moments that stay with us for a lifetime. While going through these hard times, we ask ourselves, "Why me? Why does this have to happen now? What did I ever do to deserve this?" There are moments in life that are simply unexplainable. In a blink of an eye, life can take a turn for the worse....and there seems to be no rime or reason.


Throughout life, while encountering these hard times {some tragic and some not so tragic} it seems that there's nothing that will or can make it any better...and certainly there can't be any good that will come from it. I've been guilty of this {as I'm sure many of us are} in only seeing the negative during these trying times.


I have some concrete and precise hard times that seem to stay with me nearly every day {mostly subconsciously} and have affected my life forever. I've spent years trying to process these hard times I've endured and try understand what good {if any} had come from them? 


One of the hardest experiences I've ever had to go through was my mother having two brain tumors. I was five and twelve when she had the two surgeries {it's still hard to this day to talk about.} Although the brain tumors were removed after the surgeries, my mother is still affected by them on a daily basis. I spent years of my life trying to cope with the pain I felt for my mother, along with the pain it caused my family. 


For most of my life, I never really dealt with the whole experience {a sense of coping mechanism I suppose} I knew it happened and I knew what it did to my mother, but I never really allowed myself to heal from it. 


Throughout the past seven years or so, I've slowly began to learn to cope with the tragedy of my mother's brain tumors {along with other difficult times.} I stopped allowing myself to ignore them, and started allowing myself to process them. 


Although, specifically with my mother, I still to this day can't say I'm grateful for the experience....I am grateful for the beautiful relationship I have with her and how blessed I am to have her as my mother. I appreciate my family more than I could ever express, because I know how fragile life truly is. 


What hard times really teach us, regardless of how traumatic they have been, is to have gratitude. It's taken me years to reflect upon this....that no matter how bad something is, something good really does come from it. It may take months, years, or even decades to begin to recognize the good, but it will come...you just have to be open to it. 

{source}

Liebster Blog Award

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I was absolutely delighted when I found out that I was was chosen for the Liebster Blog Award from Robin at {Sunshine State of Mind.} Stop by her blog, you'll love it!

The Liebster Blog Award is for up and coming blogs with fewer than 200 followers. My little blog is slowly growing, and I am honored for anyone who stops by! :)

Rules:

1. Choose five up and coming blogs to give the award to. Must have less than 200 followers. 

2. Show your thanks to the blogger who gave you the award by linking back to them. 

3. Post the award on your blog. 

4. List the blogs you gave the award to with links to their sites. Leave a comment on their blog to let them know they have received the award. 

5. Share five random facts about yourself.

The blogs I give this award to are:

Shauna Wyrick from {Life Captured, a blog by Shauna Wyrick}

Cinthya from {Sniffles and Giggles}

Anastasia from {The Daily Digest}

Louise from {Loula's Corner}

Jennifer from {I Wanna Feel That Fire}

Random Facts About Myself

1. Ever since being a Gymnast, I find myself pointing my toes subconsciously. For example, when I'm doing my hair or brushing my teeth, I'll randomly notice that I'm standing as if I'm ready to start a gymnastics move. I only started realizing I did this about a year or so ago.

2. You know the lids of fountain drinks that originally were used to push in which kind of drink you wanted? Well, ever since I can remember, I always have to push all of them in. And if I don't, it'll bug me until I do. Weird, I know.

3. My middle name is Leigh. I'm named after my mom's midwife. I already told the story on here once...but I was born at home with only my five and seven year old brother. I came earlier than planned so my dad was traveling and my mom's midwife didn't get there in time for my delivery. 

4. I don't like watching sports on tv, but I love going to live games {except hockey...not a fan.}

5. Both Andrew and my ancestor's changed their last names when they moved to the United States.