L'Shana Tova

I was once told the significance of holidays was to acknowledge that an entire year had passed. And for some reason I can't type that sentence without getting a little teary-eyed. When I think of the past year, be it the Hebrew calendar or the Gregorian calendar, I am overwhelmed by the fact that nothing in my life is the same.

This time last year, I had recently been promoted from freelance assistant, to full time, self titled, operations manager. Brian had been moved to another team within his company and given a different, more prestigious title (both of which, we would later realize, were pivotal in our move to Austin). We were a few months away from becoming Aunt Kim and Uncle Brian and were overall enjoying life as D.I.N.K.s in our one-bedroom, Santa Monica apartment. A month later we would begin discussions of moving away from California and what that would mean for us both professionally and for our family. A month later Brian would interview for his current job and receive an offer we couldn't refuse. We would then take a celebratory trip to Hawaii and move to Austin.

In the subsequent six months we would buy a second car, adopt a puppy, celebrate Brian's 30th birthday, reach our third year of marriage and buy our first home. We would experience joy, loss, triumph, frustration, and through it all - love.

Which brings me to today, Erev Rosh Hashana, the start of my new year, and all I feel is thankful. Thankful for the changes that have brought me to today, thankful to my family who have never wavered in their support, thankful to my husband for leading me down this next chapter of our lives and for remaining the one true constant in my life for the past nine years.

May this year be our best yet and may all your dreams come true, too.

Dear Fall,

Please get here as soon as you can. According to the Old Farmer's Almanac, you are set to make your appearance on September 23, and that's totally cool if you can't rearrange your schedule, but if you could get here a tick earlier this year, that would be great. Summer's been such a bitch lately. Honestly, who does she think she is?! Look at what her dry temperament has done to my poor, sweet Texas. I'm so over her...

Everyone is so excited for you to get here! Even the stores are having sales in anticipation of your arrival. Damn, girl, you got it goin' on. Let me know if you need anything!

Tootles,

Let Your Conscience Be Your Guide

About a week ago, during lunch with a dear friend, we got on the topic of sabotage. No, not the early '90's smash hit by the Beastie Boys, but rather the unfortunate human condition of deliberately weakening another entity. The specific type of sabotage we were lamenting was the age old woman's woe of eating a buttery grilled panini sandwich minutes after an intense hour-long workout with an overpriced physical trainer. Why do we do it? Is it because we honestly believe we can consume more (and worse) calories after a sweat-session due to the fact/hope that our bodies will continue to burn said calories long after? Is it because we somehow, subconsciously think we - dare I say - don't deserve to enjoy the fruits of our labor? Long after our conversation transitioned and we said our goodbyes, I was still thinking of my own personal sabotage and what I might be subconsciously telling myself.

Then early this week, Brian and I had dinner with a different friend and we got to talking about... brace yourself... mediums. He confessed to not only seeking guidance from a medium, but also having some clairvoyant tendencies himself. He explained that the first step in being able to really hear your spirit guides (stay with me) is to quiet your own voices that swirl around your mind. Is it a coincidence that these two conversations happened within a week of each other during a time in my life where I spend my days trying to concoct a grand plan of what I'll be when I grow up? Those who believe in this sort of stuff would say no. So, if I were to quiet my own "voices" (a) how would I do that and (b) what would they have been saying? What might I be telling myself that I am not even aware I'm saying?! Do I subconsciously think I don't deserve success? Obviously, the conscious me thinks I deserve the world and more, but is there a voice, my voice, telling me otherwise?

Instead of trying to crack the code of what my subconscious voices are doing to my psyche behind my back, I decided on a more proactive approach. I have come up with three, short sentences that I'll repeat to myself whenever I find my mind racing. With all due respect to my conscious voice, I'll only say that my three part mantra sounds something like this: "I deserve _____, I deserve _____, and I am worthy of _____." It is my hope that in repeating my newly coined canticle, I will convince myself that I do in fact deserve and am worthy of the things I want most in life.

And while I wait for this theory to take hold, I did what any normal, well-adjusted girl would do. I hopped on yelp to find a medium in Austin! I am still awaiting a response from one intermediary so that I can schedule my first session. But for now I'll watch Eat.Pray.Love. and marvel at the timing of our Netflix hiatus ending and this movie being next on our queue.

Markley's Medical Maladies

So our sweet puppy, Markley - who, yes, is now a whopping 40 pounds at 6 months of age even though they told us she would be 30 pounds full grown - has finally reached the light at the end of the tunnel as far as her health is concerned. And no, I don't mean that light, I mean the good light where she came back to the healthy side. For about a month she was touch and go, in and out of the hospital, on and off IV fluids, antibiotics, steroids and probiotics. (All fancy terms for no one could figure out what the heck was wrong with the poor girl so they kept throwing money at the problem trying new treatments until she was better.)

I'll spare you the gruesome details of her ailments - among other things she was suffering from "anorexia" (I nearly jumped across the examination table when I saw the vet scribble that horrendous accusation on her measly little notepad), diarrhea (ie: liquid stool), complete loss of interest in playtime and severe dehydration. She wasn't herself, she felt awful and I couldn't do anything to help her... it was the worst. Luckily, my girl bounced back with the help of one night in the hospital, several subcutaneous fluid injections and an impressive list of take-home pills, powders and liquids. Throughout the whole traumatic ordeal (still figuring out if it was more stressful for me or her) Markley never lost her ability to create some ever-so-hilarious and emotion-inducing pictures. What can I say, she was born to be a star!

I. LOVE. THIS. FACE.

All buckled in and ready to go back to the vet!

So she wouldn't take her IV out in the hospital...

Poor, sweet Markley.

Paws. All I see is paws in this picture.

Just... can't... take... one... more... step...

Coming inside from going potty.

Passing out before I could get the leash off.

Spilling out of her crate...

She honestly sleeps like this.

See!

Being coy in the car on the way to Houston.

Feeling much better. Digging with her best gal, Penny!

So what was wrong with her, you might ask? Oh, we still don't know. All we know is that we changed her food to Science Diet Sensitive Stomach and she's a new dog! Hmm...

15 lb bag of Science Diet Sensitive Stomach... $25

Markley's Medical Bills (pre-pet insurance*)... $2000.00

And next we have a game called Creepy or Cool?! First question: I have 4 of Markley's baby teeth on bedside table. Creepy or Cool? You decide!

*If you have a pet, get pet insurance. If you think your pet won't get sick, you're wrong. That is all!

Blogoversary

Can you ever find it in your heart to forgive me?! My sincerest apologies for being MIA for - dare I say - over a month! I have so much to fill you in on and in true Kimberly fashion I find it only necessary and appropriate to list what I plan to write about in the coming days:

1. Brian's 30th Birthday Weekend in Vegas

2. Brian's Surprise Party (Oh, yes, I'm good.)

3. Markley's Health (Don't worry, she's okay... now.)

4. Leah's Baby Naming

5. Life in Austin (including house and job hunting)

6. Launching my Esty store!

Well, that's just a little sneak peak of things to come! I do hope you'll stop by over the next week or so while I frantically try to catch you up on life for the Austin Luskeys.

Oh, and this weekend marked one year of blogging. Happy 1st Blogoversary to us!

Thank you!!

Thank you for supporting me during my BABY BOARDS GIVEAWAY! Only one week left to take advantage of this awesome deal! Check out some of the BABY BOARDS* in the works this month:

*Each BABY BOARD comes with #'s 1-12 to velcro onto that little white square you see pictured.

She thinks I'm wonderful.

There is nothing like watching a dog watch you. Markley is so precocious and investigative yet, so credulous and uncomplicated. Everything is new and everything is great. This morning, while Markley watched me get ready from her favorite off-limits* carpet locale, I thought to myself, she thinks I'm wonderful. She sat, poised and ready as if I might ask her to curl the back of my hair or help me decide which t-shirt to wear. She watched me open each cabinet and slide each drawer closed, eagerly waiting to see which product was next to be unveiled. Like a flower girl watching a bride, I saw her memorizing my movements. She could have chewed her bone or chased her tail (two of her favorite pastimes) but she didn't. She wanted to be with me. There is nothing like loving a dog who loves you in return. She thinks I'm wonderful. And I think she's pretty great, too.

*That's right, folks, Markley's also extremely rebellious and although she's been told over one million times that her presence has not been requested in either of the carpeted bedrooms, she is just so darn cute I sometimes cave and allow her to defy me.