a garden variety

i think it has all finally caught up with me. lately i have been severely struggling with leaving work at work. as i have mentioned before things have been pretty stressful in the workplace recently and i have found that it is not just affecting my 8 hours at the office, but also my home time, my zach time, my workouts, and my sleep. i think about and worry about my work struggles 24 hours a day. i have always been pretty confident in my ability to get things done, whatever the challenge or problem i have always felt as though i have had the confidence, or pride, to complete it, or figure it out, however, i have been second guessing myself lately, wondering if i have done enough, if i am doing enough or if i should have done things different. i imagine that anyone working in a family business has some difficulty making the distinction between work and home, but i seem to be having an extraordinarily hard time with it these days. with that being said, i woke up this morning with a terrible head and ear ache, and a significant enough lack of energy to take the day off of work. i feel as though the stress of it all finally won the health battle. i hope to soon find a better way to separate my work life and home life more effectively, and to somehow regain my confidence... any tips, or words of advice are welcomed.
but,
for now,
i am going to reflect on some of the positive things i have neglected to blog about here recently.

*i have found needed release at a new (to me) yoga studio. the past three weeks of practice have taught me a successful crow pose, a few different head stands, a held forearm stand, a full wheel (which for some reason took me forever to accomplish), and more effective breathing techniques. during the hour + at padma, my mind is present in the moment, my body is challenged, and i feel accomplished. i am very grateful for that release.


*we planted our garden complete with tomatoes, jalapeno peppers, bell peppers, okra, squash, zucchini, watermelon and cantaloupe. we decided to mix it up this year. i also potted basil, oregano, and citronella plants. my thumbs are by no means 'green' but hopefully with the help of my more gardening prone husband, we will eat the freshest of vegetables in the near future.



*we planted a fruit bearing pear tree in the back yard. i is awfully small now, but i can't wait to watch it grow to become a large, beautiful, white blossoming shade tree.


*my dad and i completed a 100k (65mile) bike ride last weekend. we rode along a bluebonnet trail that was absolutely breath taking. this was our first rally this year and it sure will be hard to top.

picture via

*zach and i confirmed (with ourselves and our boss) that we are taking a long weekend in May to get away. we plan to spend an uninterrupted weekend at my parents lakehouse with nothing to do but lay in the sun and fish off the dock. it may not be a colorado vacation, but it is certainly something to look forward to!

longing to go

i am longing to go to a place where house facades are vibrantly colored,

beautiful photograph from this etsy seller

where windows are open and breezes are warm,

beautiful photograph from this etsy seller

where a bicycle is the main means of travel,

beautiful photograph from this etsy seller

and afternoon naps are taken on over sized hammocks.

beautiful photograph from this etsy seller

momma's girl

bella, our youngest pup, is a momma's girl. her favorite thing to do is get as close to me as possible. it doesn't matter if i am on the couch, in bed, laying down or sitting up, she is usually right by my side. while resting on the couch the other night our oldest dog, dirk, decided to grace me with his presence, and little bella couldn't handle him being closer to me than she, so...she climbed right up...