DEAR FUTURE BABY

We got a couple more months of sharing this body together...I'm sure you've noticed how much I love Mexican food, if you could stop pushing up on my stomach and giving me heartburn, that'd be great....

OUR BIGGEST ADVENTURE YET

And because I can't NOT terrorize our fur-babies...

Yay! This has been a long time coming and I'm happy I don't have to keep it a secret anymore! Just looking like I have a burrito baby so far...hopefully it looks like a baby bump by the time we're on a beach in May!

LOCAL ADVENTURES

This past weekend we went to Carnegie, one of our favorite riding spots, and also luckily our closest. It is absolutely beautiful right now with all the rain we've been getting...

We met up with our buddy, Erik, and another one of their friends just so happened to be there too. So after LOTS of talking and catching up we finally went riding. Whenever more than just Erik joins us, the guys end up doing some crazy hard stuff, so I spent a bit of time waiting, watching, and/or looking at bugs. :)

Downhills were messing with me for some reason, and I ending up walking/bull-dogging a bunch of stuff. but one finally got me after I decided to head back a little early so they could do one more hard run at the end of the day. So dumb, it was like the easiest main trail, and I just ate it, got my palms, and bruised my elbow/hip. Oh, wells....

But all in all it was a great day, hardly any dust, good company and awesome riding.

On Sunday, it was our friends' daughter's 3rd birthday party--with a princess ballerina theme. Lots and lots of pink, with swords for the boys and tutus, tiaras and wands for the girls. And lots of yummy pink sweets, including white chocolate dipped strawberry wafers and super delicious donuts with pink frosting (instead of cake, genius idea, plus I've been CRAVING a donut, so it worked out). 

After the party started to die down, the birthday girl was clinging to Drew and it was pretty adorable, I keep looking back at the pics I took. <3<3<3

And we were sent home with a tutu and tiara for Ninja. It was a struggle to put them on, but I must say he looks very pretty, haha.

Good times.

SNOWY ADVENTURE

The rain has been coming almost nonstop lately which sucks for trying to go riding, but good for the lakes (for the summer) and good for SNOW!

I bought a snowboard back in like 2010 or 2011ish when I was going with my ex, and I had gone maybe a total of 5 times, if that. And I was an expert at the falling leaf, which if you didn't take a lesson or have someone else tell you what it means, basically you go down facing the hill the entire time and just gently go left and right until you make it to the bottom. Which is great and all, but it's hard on your legs and you're pretty much screwed when it's flat, hello face plants!

Any who...after 4 years of being with Drew, we finally made it a point to go snowboarding (mostly because this is the first year of good snow for us as a couple). We invited our friend Ryan to join us and I felt extra happy about it when as we were planning he told me that he used to be an instructor and would give me some pointers. Score!

We went to Northstar and the conditions were perfect, it had snowed almost a foot overnight and just barely coming down throughout the day.

I thankfully never was a complete klutz coming off the lift, it's like one of my fears to eat it getting off the chair and they have to stop the lift so you can figure yourself out, too embarrassing! My ex somehow got caught in some rope that was like fencing off an area to the side of the lift exit area, it was pretty hilarious, being that it happened to someone else...

By the second or third run, I was picking up some of what Ryan was laying down, but he kept telling me to bend my knees more but then was saying I was sticking my butt out too far (twerking on the hillside anyone??)...turns out my bindings weren't set up right and they like wouldn't let me bend my knees more. Good thing he noticed that, it definitely made a big difference on the other runs.  

So I was getting tired of this his little things to try, and I was like let's just do it, how can I make a toe-side turn, what's the secret? And the secret is---like everything else I struggle with sport wise and sometimes life in general, ha---commitment. And starting at a ridiculously slow speed (on a mellow incline) because the second you start down the hill you keep picking up speed and then you're like "OMG, I'M GOING WAY TO FAST TO TURN!" So I just did it and it worked! And then he got me to turn heel side too. It was an awesome feeling to finally be able to snowboard like a normal person, haha. 

Then I was trying to rush things and tried to go heel side too quick and catapulted my ass into the snow, it felt super! We had a little pow-wow on the hill while I figured out if I still had a left butt cheek. He gave me some more pointers and I was able to put multiple turns together and hardly use my falling leaf technique. Just in time for me to get tired and sore, and start crapping out. So I sat out with a hot mocha while the guys went on another run or two. Mmmmmmm mocha. 

When they were finished I was looking forward to taking the gondola down to the very bottom, but Ryan called me out saying only girls do that...so down the hill on boards we went. And I should have just been a girl, because I am one, plus that last run was pretty flat and my legs were still done. Sooooo many falls, smashed my ass again, and if I had fake boobs, I probably would have popped one with one my other falls, haha, not the best way to end the day.

But, all in all, it was a great day. I'm so happy we went, and that Ryan came along because Drew would have been bored as hell with a falling leaf the whole day and because he taught me tons. Fun times!!

HEALTHY LITTLE YUMS

So adventurous....

iced mocha, berries & avocado on toast

This is one of my all time favorite breakfasts. When I was dating my ex his aunt tried to get me to eat avocado on toast, and I was like "what...really?" but that woman makes magical food---I was once shown a can of corned mutton (lamb) and I said something to the extent of there was no way in hell I'd eat that...and she had already fed it to me several times and it was absolutely delicious---so I tried it. And it was awesome.

On sourdough is my fav, but you can do bagels or little sandwich thins too. The yummy secret is a little butter then salt and pepper, LOTS. :)

Aside from being delicious, it's a pretty healthy breakfast that will keep you full. Avocados have lots of fiber, all kinds of vitamins, and even though they are a lot of calories/a "high-fat food" it's the good-for-your-heart monounsaturated fat kind.

Happy eatings!

Note: I use half an avocado for my "serving" so this is good to have with a friend, or to make two days in a row so your other half doesn't get all gross. Also, sometimes I use this little tool for SMASHING, especially when I want this NOW but my avocado isn't really ripe yet (otherwise I use a fork because I'm lazy and a fork's easier to clean, ha).

WEEKEND ADVENTURES

This past Saturday we rode up at Ragdump, an awesome riding place up past Oroville a smidge that one of our friends introduced us to. The only downside is that is calls for a very early morning, and I'm not a morning person.

But one of the nice things is how pretty it is that early...there was a lot of fog around the Delta and in a few places you could see it pouring over.

We staged at our friend's house, met a couple other people that we'd be riding with, and up the hill he went! Our friend took us on a new trail and told us an interesting story about this bridge.

Previously, a group of guys just spent a day cutting down a couple trees and finding logs and quickly (and for free) made a bridge they could ride over to connect the trail. But back in 08 there was a big fire that burned down their bridge. And a while later, they stumbled upon this very extravagant and expensive bridge built "by our OHV funds" (green sticker money). Way to use it wisely government!

Anywho...after a short trail ride, we stopped to hang out with the "Mayor of Ragdump" and meet up with a couple more guys. Howard (the Mayor) is this awesome older guy that lives up there full time, like totally off the grid. His house and shop log cabin that he's built is super impressive, along with solar panels and all other kinds of goodies. 

(this is his house, there is a old trailer like directly behind him,
then he built a room off to the left, and his huge shop is in the back)

And I finally got to meet Raggity Kitty! This cat found Howard up here and they've been buddies ever since! 

After hanging out for a bit, we finally went riding. I really need to remember to pull my phone out for pics more often because I have NONE! :( After some riding with the group, we decided to split off and try a new trail our friend suggested, and it's my new favorite for up there.  

On Sunday we just hung around the house and took Ninja for a skateboard ride. 

All in all, a pretty successful weekend if I do say so myself. We're planning on racing motocross next weekend, but I think the rain has other plans for us... 

FLASH BACK FRIDAY

This was exactly one year ago as we made our way down to King of the Hammers. I just finished (and started) reading "i'm a good dog" by Ken Foster and near the end he says:

"Because pit bulls live their life so intensely, so fully, with such great appreciation for every moment they are alive, the void they leave behind is made that much harder to fill....I wasn't prepared for the hole that was created in her wake (his dog)...losing her was like losing a limb."

And while I wouldn't say Gir lived his life intensely (unless you call his sleeping intense, which it was), the rest is totally true, he definitely appreciated life, like his final moments were spent out in the backyard just enjoying the sunshine, happy as could be. But he's right, there is still a gaping hole in my heart from losing him. I've lost other dogs before, but none have effected me as much as Gir has. He was the best. 

It's weird being here, this annual thing, where Gir has been with me the past couple times, and to now have a new, different dog. Instead of worrying if my dog is comfortable or warm enough, I'm making sure he's getting enough exercise and isn't being a spaz running after other dogs. 

I miss what I had with Gir, like you could see the emotion in his eyes or know what he was thinking. I don't have that yet with Ninja and I'm thinking it won't ever happen. I'm convinced it's because he's more lab than pit, he just has a blank stare and usually a wagging tail. Hopefully I'm wrong and Ninja will come around...

i miss you sweet, old man.