It's been a pretty full weekend, but I've always got time to spend with some great girlfriends.  The three of us have seen each other through a lot.  We've gone through similar, yet very different situations.  Last year, it seemed like we would all never make it through to the other side.  But here we are, better than ever.  So I'm grateful that there is strength in great friends, and being able to be that rock for friends in need.

I'm not exactly a history buff.  But there's something kinda cool about getting to see old historical houses, preserved so that you can see how the people lived.  It makes it real, so that you can actually imagine what it was like to live back then.  One of the things I thought about it as we viewed the three houses was that the cheapest and smallest house, the log cabin, was the most homey.  It was warm and welcoming.  I'm grateful for the ways we can make our surroundings homey and inviting without needing the most money.

What an awesome experience to see these beautiful creatures flying around, landing on everything around me!  I'm so intrigued by their delicate beauty.  I also love how the blue butterflies are only blue on the inside, and a cool brown pattern on the outside!  It was so fun trying to capture how cool they looked on the camera.

We runners are a quirky bunch.  Especially today where a certain runner was found taking an ice bath while eating lunch.  There is no other bunch that I would rather work with.  Because underneath all our quirks, is a caring, genuine, and fun group of people.

We had an awesome day today taking tons of pictures at the Botanical Gardens.  I love taking pictures of flowers and scenery so I was pretty excited.  My goal for the day was to step out of my comfort zone with my camera, and use all manual mode and try new perspectives.  This meant laying on the ground a few times and not knowing if I could get up (you would understand if you ran 10 miles in the morning), and getting hot and dizzy in the climatarium.  But I think I accomplished my goal and had a great time!  I'm so grateful to be a city resident and have cool places like this so close. It's a relaxing, beautiful oasis in the middle of city life.  And of course, I'm grateful to have a great friend to share the adventure with!

Tuesday night...another late night from work, and I'm just feeling grateful to be relaxing on the couch.  Until my eyes caught the sight of the old step ladder in the corner of my apartment.  It shows its wear with its brassiness covered by paint.  It was gifted to me by my Mom who is always there when I need some support and guidance.  She has given me so much as I rebuild my life, and this ladder is just one reminder of that.  Not everyone is as lucky as me to have that, and I will always grateful for her.

One of my strengths is that I'm very detail-orientated.  Unfortunately, this can be a weakness when I'm stressing about minor details instead of focusing on the big picture.  Today was one of those days where I was trying to make everything perfect and thinking about all kinds of little things that didn't matter.  I was just about ready to enter full-blown crabby mode when two things happened.  My friend that I was texting with reminded me, "People love you for who you are.  Not for being perfect."  Next, when I was outside with Isabelle, I noticed these tiny little purple flowers sprouting out of the grass where we always walk.  They are probably weeds, but I love purple.  It felt like they were meant just for me.  So sometimes you have to forget about the little details that matter.  And focus on the ones that make you happy.

Whenever I came home from work and it's still daylight (which is not often), I just love the way the sun shines down the street, full of cars and trees lining both sides.  It makes me happy to come home to the city, where there is always something going on, whether it's a traffic cone on top of someone's car, a homeless lady barking at Isabelle, or the gas company drilling a hole in the street at midnight.  I'm sure I won't live here forever.  But for the time being, I sure am in the right spot.

On another note, I wasn't happy with this picture.  I haven't been too happy with my pictures in the last week.  Work and life has been busy, and my blog has taken a backseat.  But hearing all the positive reinforcement around me, from my fellow friend in this project and my friends that have told me that I have inspired them to look around the world differently keep me going.  Not every picture will be amazing.  But every picture has a meaning.

It's a sunrise!  I actually saw the sunrise!  I was up before the sun was up!  It's pretty rare, but every now and then I make it up to view the sun rise...usually for a work function or a race.  Today while I was driving to this work function, I couldn't stop staring at the sky.  It looks so different in the wee morning hours.  And even though I got little sleep the night before, and wasn't feeling the greatest (ahem, cramps), and was going to work straight after, I was grateful that I attended and got the amazing view.

Yep, that's right, I'm grateful for leftovers.  Because when you get home an hour later than normal, at 10:30 on a Friday night, leftovers make it possible to have a delicious home cooked meal in minutes.

It's the first day of spring!  While I was taking Isabelle outside for her morning outing, I noticed the telltale sign that spring is finally here...the first tulip sprouts coming up.  I can't wait until they are full bloom.  My neighborhood might not be the prettiest and the most well-kept, but it's got a charm of its own that I love, and spring flowers will just add to it.  I'm grateful for the pretty, simple things that make us happy and take us out of the winter doldrums!

This is what I do on my lazy days off....try a new beer paired with some delicious cheese!  I'm grateful I got the motivation to head to the grocery store to pick up these snacks, as well as all the fixings for dinner (pork tenderloin and Brussel sprouts, yum).

After working 10 hours and being one of the last cars to leave the parking lot tonight, I was just happy and grateful to be home.  I snuggled on the couch, watched a little TV, and off the bed to sleep as many hours as I worked.

It's a little scary taking a close-up picture of yourself on a nice camera!  I was tempted to edit out the wrinkles but it just didn't look like me.  My eyes are my favorite feature, and I don't think the wrinkles and asymmetrical shape take away from their beauty, I think they add to it.  I love to play my eyes up with makeup, and since today is St. Patty's Day, some sparkly green eyeliner was in order!  I'm grateful to rejoice in our quirky features instead of wanting to all look cookie cutter and the same.

The last week has been one of those weeks that just feels like it has gotten away from me.  Busy days, long hours at work, more running miles, achy feet, late nights...it's all adding up to a land of minor chaos in my small apartment.  I feel like pushing life's pause button...except life doesn't have a pause button.  It keeps on going, and we've got to keep on going with it.  I really didn't think I would have a picture for today, but as I looked around my apartment, I decided to show my chaos in all its glory.  Owning our messes can be a beautiful thing and helps me realize that I can take control and reel this crazy life back in.  So I'm grateful for the peace that owning my chaos brings me.

This was just the beautiful start to one of my favorite days of year!  I love going downtown for the St. Patricks Day run and parade.  This year was particularly special because I got to spend it with a great friend, a friendship that pretty much started on this day seven years ago.  She will be moving soon, but I have no doubt that she will always be in my life.  Our friendship has had its ups and downs, periods of closeness and periods of distance, but ultimately we are there for each other and that is what matters.  So today, through 10 miles of running, Jello shots, and green beads, we celebrated being friends.

Ok, so it wasn't the healthiest Friday I've ever had.  But I love shamrock shakes.  And they are only available in March, which is already halfway over!  The highlight of my day was my wonderful friend stopping by work to say hi and drop off this delicious shake.  It was a hectic day so this unexpected surprise was awesome!  I'm so grateful for thoughtful friends.

It's been a long couple of days.  I'm feeling a little guilty about getting behind on my posts but sleep has taken precedence.  So I'm getting caught up....

As we've established, I'm certainly not a morning person.  And there's a big difference in my book between being at work at 9:30 and noon, especially when you were at work until 11pm the night before.  So to make the morning a little easier, I picked up some donuts from a local bakery for myself and my co-workers.  Delicious!  I was grateful for little delectable pleasures that make the day a little easier.