The little things: weekend edition

Dear Stevie,
After the worst winter in the history of Minnesota (okay, I don't know if that's completely accurate, but it sure felt like it!), it seems like summer is finally here. To celebrate, I thought I'd resurrect the old 'little things' idea, where I attempt to appreciate the little things in my life that make me smile.

Here goes nothing.

1. My dogs. Sure, I might be a bit biased, but I'm confident that I have the two cutest, most awesome dogs in the world. Whenever I tell people I have two 5-pound poodles, I feel like I have to follow it up with something like, "but they're not like most little dogs! They're not yippy or mean or annoying! They're super fun!" It's true, they are just great little dogs. Super happy. Super goofy and playful. Incredibly good with people (even little children who like to pick them up and pull on their tails). They're also really smart, which can be both good and bad. The good: Jackie's signal for being thirsty is to jump into the empty bath tub and whine--she's associated that the same stuff that comes out of the shower is the same stuff that she drinks in her bowl! The bad: they will usually only listen when treats are involved. You say 'sit' or 'come' with a piece of cheese in your hand, and they will instantly comply. Try it without a bribe, and they're like, 'meh, I don't really feel like it.' Can you really blame them?

2. Lemonade. There's just nothing better than a glass of ice cold lemonade to cool you down on lazy summer days. And thanks to Whole Foods having it on sale for 5 for $5 this weekend, we totally stocked up!

3. Girlfriends. I got to see all my college roomies last weekend at a wedding in Illinois. Even though we're all spread out now and don't see each other as often as we'd like, it's always like nothing's changed whenever we're together. This picture below makes me smile because it's so awkward and so us.

4. New sunglasses. Funny story: I was at the mall with my friend Marcus a couple weeks ago, and found my dream sunglasses. White Oakleys with these sick purple lenses. I went back and forth about whether or not I should buy them, but in the end, Marcus convinced me I deserved them as a 'celebration present' for Faces of Loss getting our 501(c)(3) status (it's so easy to rationalize, isn't it??). So anyway, I caved and bought them for myself. When I got home, I was nervous to tell Dad, thinking he might be mad that I spent money on sunglasses I really didn't need. But as soon as I took them out, he said, "are you kidding?? Those are the EXACT sunglasses I'VE been wanting for like 2 years now!" So we decided to share them. They were meant to be, I guess!

5. Quinoa. I totally feel like a hippie eating this stuff, but it's so good! And so good for you! We had a little BBQ/potluck the other night with our townhouse association neighbors and we brought this Quinoa, blackbean and agave nectar salad. Everyone kept calling it 'the crazy salad.' Like, 'have you tried the crazy salad yet? It's actually pretty good!' :)

6. Tattoos. I just love seeing our reminders of you every day. I'm so glad I chose what I chose (the tree on my wrist), and I'm so glad Dad got what he got (one of your footprints on each of his feet). They're just perfect. 

7. Rainy days. It seems like they always come right when they should, when I need the weather to match my mood.

8. Humid hair. Otherwise known as 'friz head.' Once summer rolls around, I can leave the house without drying my hair and it ends up being quite curly! 

9. Peach-O rings. Pretty self-explanatory. We're on a major kick lately!

10. Long walks. This one is pretty closely related to the one about my dogs, but I felt like I needed a 10th thing to finish off the list, so whatev :)

Really missin' you today, Stevie.

Love,

Mom