things i love thursday

It goes without saying, our new house. Still getting all settled in & nesting, but everyday it feels more like home & we love it!

Our new pup! I meant to do a post about this, but I haven’t had the time. So everyone, meet Frank, our 4 month old black Lab mix. He’s a rescue, both he and his brother were abandoned roadside before they were weened, meaning they were both bottle babies when rescued by Kitten Rescue. He’s now happily adjusted in our home, completely devoted to Julian, and very curious about our cats (who aren’t completely warmed up to him just yet, but getting there). He’s extremely loving, very playful, and sleeps on his back with all four legs in the air. We LOVE him!

Also, getting to spend a week with my littlest brother & sister. They are such smart, funny kids – I hate not getting to see them but a few times a year, so this week of non-stop hanging out was much, much needed! We galavanted all over town, went to Disneyland, the beach, Hollywood, Warner Bros studios, but spent a whooole lot of time swimming in the pool and doing this:

Even with so many big, awesome things to be thankful for, you can’t ignore the little things. Like:

having a dishwasher (omg) • late night painting of my husband’s office with said husband while watching Dumb and Dumber (we painted a wall chalkboard paint and it looks so neat) • successfully completing my first morning run in the hills… NOT as easy as I thought it’d be – I have clearly been taking the easy way out with my prior flat routes – but I’m getting used to it  • our new neighbors, so friendly • Julian teaching Frank how to speak within 3 days of having him – he is so smart! He also mostly knows how to ‘stay’ • hanging a bird feeder outside • getting a box of housewarming goodies from my in-laws • buying all new towels (believe it or not – these are the first towels I ever bought for myself as an adult… I’ve been using the same ones my Mom bought me years & years ago!) • listening to sprinklers through open windows/doors • parking lots and (mostly) traffic-free streets • our vintage oven – it is so amazing. Things were made better in the old days, I’m tellin’ ya. • having a guest house for Julian to retreat to and do his work/man things • seeing all the new ‘spots’ the girls pick for their naps – I love this about cats • making orange juice from oranges growing in the backyard • going to see Cirque du Soleil IRIS tonight!

And finally… tomorrow will be exactly one month until my first day of school. Commence excitement/anxiety/panic… ah!!