Day 11: Something Blue

As you may know, I really love fish.

Growing up, my mom had several different aquariums and I've loved them ever since.

When I was pregnant with Lilie, I got our first fish tank. We just had a few fish that I'd picked up at Walmart. Nels thought I was silly.

"Fish are the stupidest pet ever." He told me. I tried to explain to him that fish aren't really a "pet" like a dog. They're not meant to be. He stuck by his opinion.

A few years later, he bought me a bigger aquarium for our anniversary. :) He loves me.

Last year, as he was watching my fish and their newly hatched fry, he told me, "You know, I'd never own them myself, but I can see why you like them so much. It's like you are creating your own little world in there."

Ahhhhh . . . sweet validation. :)

When we moved last year, I sold all my fish. It was a sad day and to say that I "sold" them is really not true. I gave them all away to a person that I'm not even sure he knew how to take care of them well enough to have them last a week . . . I was a little bit heartbroken. However, I'd had a baby two days before and we were moving in about a week.

Nearly eight months later, I finally got my tank set up again and I've been so happy with it. I went with some beautiful fish called discus and I'm loving it. I'm still working on getting it fully stocked, but so far, so good. These fish are a bit more high maintenance than anything I've had before, but with some work and some prayers, they seem to be doing really well. :)

So. Photo Challenge.

My most recent BLUE crush.

Oh, Glory Be!

It's March. Glory, glory.

It's Friday. Glory BE!

We made it, people!

We made it through February. Sorry to all those who have February birthdays, but I do not like that month. Every year, I think, this year is going to be different . . . But you know what? Every once in a while, it is. Mostly, I just don't like February.

February in Idaho . . . . it's when you know that winter will never release its grip. Everything starts to look dirty and icy and yucky. It's overcast and grey. Ick. Some people are masterful at motivating themselves right through February, projects and painting. For me, this February has felt sick and tired and messy. I'm so glad it's March.

So. No more complaining. The crocuses will be up in a few weeks and the days are getting longer. Everyone is feeling pretty good most days - finally! So let's share a few little fabulous things that have been on my mind.

#1: The conversation I had with Elsie last night.
Being LDS, we follow what we call the Word of Wisdom. Among other things, we do not drink coffee or tea.

E: Mommy. Coffee is not good for our bodies.

Me: No, it's not.

E: Is it good for Bad Guys?

Me: (smiling) No. It's not good for any bodies.

E: Oh. What coffee is good for?

Me: Uh . . . I don't know.

E: Is it good for fire?

Me: Yeah. It's probably good for fire.

This kid makes me laugh every day. She has an obsession with Bad Guys. Here is another conversation I had recently with my Princess.

Elsie: Mom. I'm gonna kill Bad Guys. Who are you gonna kill?

Me: What?! Um. I'm not going to kill anyone.

Elsie: But we kill bad guys.

Me: Umm . . . Elsie, we're not going to kill anyone, okay? :)

She is an awesome, firey kid. I love her.


#2: I received a beautiful dress in the mail this week!

With Genny's upcoming wedding next month, I needed a new dress. I finally broke down and bought a dress from a website I shared with you nearly a year ago (www.eShakti.com).

I LOVE it. They have a lot of really wonderful dresses and the best part, you can customize the dress to fit YOU! Many dresses have the option of changing the neckline, sleeve, or length and all of them you can have customized to fit your body exactly - with your measurements. If you search online, you can find many places with codes for 20% off --- and all first orders with eShakti get free customization. Awesome.

I'm very, very happy with it and will have to post some pictures soon. This is the dress I ordered.


#3: I just booked myself a trip!

My sweet cousin, Amber, lives in Washington. Nels and I have gone to visit them twice in the years they've lived there. Once, our first summer after getting married - when I was very pregnant with Hazel, and again two summers ago - with all the kiddos. It was so much fun and I have been craving to go again.

Amber and I are three months apart and lived across the street from one another until second grade. It was a truly tragic day in my young life when they moved. I cannot remember one trip to visit her, all growing up --- or into adulthood actually, that didn't end in tears at departure. To this day she remains one of my very, very best friends in the whole world. And if there were a way to arrange for us to be next door neighbors, I'd do it in a heartbeat.

Today I booked the plane tickets to go see her later this month! I'm SO excited!


#4: Nels is cleaning the garage and the van for me.

A miracle! Nels is home on a Saturday and isn't sick! Glory, glory!


#5: My fish tank got an upgrade.

We were in Salt Lake this last weekend and while there, I picked up some new fish. Upon returning home, I rearranged all the rocks and plants. I know it sounds trivial to most of you, but it is so wonderful to once again feel excited about my fish.

As I was spending hours and hours watching my fish this week, Nels said, "You know, I'd never have a fish tank all on my own, but I can understand why you like it. In essence, you're creating your own little ecosystem. Something to control and change life."

Ah. Success. This from the man who said that he hated fish six years ago. They'll grow on him yet. I just know it.


#6: My Violet is growing up.

Sometimes this doesn't feel fabulous -- she's such a good baby -- but it really is. She is so much fun and I so love to see all the new things that she's learning. Her birthday is coming up this week! Hooray for being ONE!

Oregon Part 2 - The Aquarium

Friday morning we checked out of our hotel and headed over to Newport, on the coast. When I first learned that we were going to be going through Newport, I told the girls that we could go to the aquarium there! I was really excited and the girls kept reminding me about it. It wasn't until later that I realized we'd have to sell our children to pay the entrance fee - :) - but we wanted to go so bad that it was worth the price!

I LOVED these fish! They had the coolest shape and the brightest silver scales I have ever seen on a fish! This is me and Hazel in their little viewing area.

Sting ray and shark petting area. The rays would come right up and stick their soft little noses right up out of the water for you to pet! Heaven! :)

My sweet, happy girl and her daddy watch the puffins!

Petting the anemones, starfish, sea cucumbers, and other little creatures! :)

Beautiful girls!

Poor Nels. I think I ended up being a bit like a kid in a candy store this entire weekend. I was at least as excited as the girls at the aquarium and could have stayed for MANY more hours watching the fish.

New Babies!

Sorry to subject you all to my craziness - but I'm a biology lover at heart and I just can't contain myself. ----- What am I saying??? This is MY blog. I get to do what I want - you don't have to read it, if you don't want. I just wanted to post a little something that makes me SO happy! I'm so excited about this!



Aren't my babies cute!? I have to post these pictures because who knows how long they're going to last. They may or may not be gone in the next few days - as everyone else in the tank seems to think that they look like a tasty little snack, but maybe! :)


I know that the babies are pretty hard to see, as they are the EXACT color of the sand, but I think they are so fun! There are probably about 25 of them right now.


Also, I just want to say that one of my favorite things about living in Idaho is that we get some REALLY beautiful birds coming through our yard every once in a while. There have been a particularly beautiful pair that have been flitting through out backyard all day today. Here's a picture of what they look like. They are called Western Tanagers. I think they are SO pretty! (By the way, this is not a picture that I took. My batteries got all used up while taking pictures of my new babies! :)

I think the beauty of the world and animals around us is just SO amazing!!! I can't believe how perfect it all is. Birds are incredible to me! I LOVE the patterns that their feathers make! That fish can know how to instinctually know how to take care of their babies. It is amazing to me! --- Just reemphasizes to me that there is a God. --- And he has interest even in these small little animals! The order and perfection is INCREDIBLE.

Get Ready, Get Set . . .

GO!!! Great Gogoly, Mogoly!

It has been oh, so L O N G! So before I get to all the good stuff, I'll have to show you the MAIN thing that has been occupying all my blogging time!

**shrug** it's okay.

CLEAN!!! Getting better . . .

Clean, New Sand, New Filter . . . (cute girl!!!)

TA DA!!!! Hooray!!! All set up and all fish added!!!
(Looks bare, doesn't it?
I'll have to get some more fish!)

Holy Smokes!!! You would not believe how much time I have spent getting this to this state!!! Between reading and researching, shopping, bartering, and finally setting up . . . *sigh* I love it! I love it even more now that it's done!!!

These are my new fish that I picked up whilst in Utah.
I love them!

The first day home, one of the females (pictured above)
laid eggs in one of the shells in my tank! You can
kind of see them in this picture.
Which she (or someone else) promptly ate! :)
Hopefully they learn to be better parents with a little practice! :) LOL!

This is the male. Isn't he BEAUTIFUL!!???
In my humble opinion, it's easy to see why I was excited to get them!

Poor Nels

So Nels has finally realized after nearly 6 years of marriage that he is married to a crazy woman! I have spent much of the past month researching some new fish that I'd like to get and looking for a good deal on a bigger tank (even though he told me that I couldn't have another one). Today I found some really awesome websites and some cool stores to check out in Salt Lake next week where I think I can find them - these are pictures of the fish I want. (I know that pretty much no one who reads my blog gives a hoot nor holler about fish, but I can't control myself!)

Aren't they cute?! Also, while I was at it, I decided to check out ksl.com's classifieds and found several tanks for AWESOME prices! And guess what??? Nels wants to pull his brains out, but he said that I can get one!!! As long as I don't spend a dollar over $150, this can be my birthday present!!! HOORAY! I'm so excited that I can hardly wait!

Poor boy. The one animal that he holds pretty much no feelings for (fish) I am totally addicted to. But hey, you know what? They don't poop on the floor or the grass. You don't have to find a sitter for them ever time you leave town. They don't lick your face (or your baby's) and they don't whine at the door! They can also double as a beautiful piece of art! :) 

***sigh***

I'm so happy!

...These Are a Few of My Favorite Things...

Nels pointed out to me yesterday that they play this song a lot at Christmas time (My Favorite Things...from the Sound of Music), however, it is not a Christmas song . . . What a quandary. Anyway. I gave this post that title because I wanted to post a few of my very favorite things that I've been thinking about and enjoying the past couple of days.

#1: Christmas Trees and Lights


Putting up the Christmas tree is, of course, my favorite thing to do the day after Thanksgiving. I love my beautiful, live tree and I'm determined not to kill it before Christmas this year. The past three years the needles have gotten all dry on my tree, even though I water it religiously. I believe I have determined the cause of my black thumb. If any of you know me well, you will know that I'm a bit of a perfectionist . . . to the point of going overboard most of the time. Well, when I put lights on my tree, I compulsively need to wrap them meticulously around nearly every branch on the tree! Epiphany!!! SO! I think I've been essentially burning up my tree by overheating it!!! Aren't I smart??? So this year, I still put on all my lights, but I didn't wrap them around all the branches. I'll keep you posted as the month progresses on my theory!
Anyway, I love my lovely tree and I can hardly keep myself out of my front room in the evening because I love to sit and soak up the Season. I also love the beautiful little angel ornaments that represent each of my sweet little girls. I've been able to find an angel for each of them that is holding a little chickie, which I also LOVE!

Hazel

Lilie

Elsie

#2: My Fish

I LOVE my fish! Everyone, with the exception of my sweet mother, starts to think that I am obsessive when I start on one of my lengthy monologues about the nitrate levels in our water or the specialized needs of my Bolivian Rams or Clown Loaches, but I cannot help myself. --- As I mentioned in the above section, I tend to get psychotic about most things I decide do.
I cleaned my tank yesterday and added some really beautiful coral that my parents picked up for me in Cancun. I am so pleased with the result! (Yet another thing that's been drawing me into my living room.)

This is Bo and Olivia, my beautiful Bolivian Rams.
I made countless trips to pet stores throughout Eastern Idaho
to find two that would make a happy pair.
Hopefully someday they will produce some little bebes for me!


Bo, Olivia, and my happy, little Clowns!

#3: My New Vacuum Cleaner!!!

I'm super happy today about, my new vacuum! How quaint, right? But I truly LOVE it! A good vacuum makes all the difference in the world! Now, I'm not the type that needs to have vacuum marks in the carpet, but I sure to like it!

As an added bonus, look at how beautiful it is!!!
What could be better about having a vacuum cleaner
than having a RED vacuum???

I LOVE it, LOVE it, LOVE it!!!

#4: My FAVORITES!!!

My sweet girls!!! They are the joy of my life!

My poor Lilie has been sick and hasn't slept well all week.
I think these pictures illustrate her tired state very well!

I'm just SO thankful for all that we have and I really wanted to share a few of my favorite things with you all today --- while my husband was sweet enough to share the computer with me for one night! Hee hee! He's been working every spare second for the past month on a side project!

My husband, my best friend, my FAVORITE!!!
(Dreamy, isn't he? Ha ha! I love photoshop!)