The Goal: to take and post at least one picture each day for the entire year that I'm 27.

I find that I rush through the day, to rush through the week, to get to the weekend...just to find that an entire year goes by in the blink of an eye. So, on the eve of my last day as a 26 year old I decided to make a change. I challenged myself to take the time each day and find at least one moment worth remembering, hoping that in this way I will learn to live each day for what it is. For regardless of how uniform the days may feel at a glace each one is truly unique and worth cherishing.

Friday, December 31, 2010

Day 160 - Happy New Year!!!


I'm still a little pale...but so happy to get out of the house!!!
After a week stuck inside being sick, I was allowed a small pass to have dinner out with Friends



Ending the year with some of my favorite girls: Ace (Adrienne), Kayla, Jax (Jacque), and me

Any now we are going to ring in New York's New Years and go to bed
(There is no way I am going to make it to Arizona's New Years)

See you all next year!!!

Thursday, December 30, 2010

Day 159 - Look'n rough


Our house is a major disaster!!!
Every room down stairs has been torn apart - including the pretty Christmas decorations

But all of the disarray will be worth it...because tomorrow morning we get our new sofas!!!
But the best will be when we get rid of the old sofa and chair so we don't have to over crowd the living room
Dining room, and bonus room any more...because wow do all of these room look bad right now!!!

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Day 158 - I get by with a little help from my friends (family)


So my husband is the best man on earth!!! And my mom is the best mom ever!!!

I am still sick and my mom has been coming over every day to watch me while Steve works
Last night was a pretty rough night and Steve found me huddled on the bathroom floor some time between
5:00-5:30 am trying to find some type of medicine that would give me relief so I could sleep more
I told him not to worry about me and went back to bed, but my wonderful Steve texted my mom to come
Check on me...and so she did...and then spent a couple hours with me in the urgent care so I could finally
Get some real medicine - So the official diagnosis is: bronchitis with a sinus infection
Now I am popping 4 Advil every 4-6 hours, 1 Wal-phed every 12 hours, and 1 antibiotic every 12 hours
Oh and good news, the antibiotic is going to give me a metallic taste in my moth for the next 10 days!!!
Anyway, after getting back from urgent care my mom was still looking after me
And my dad dropped by to see me, and then Steve come home with two wonderful surprises

1) He did my blog yesterday!!! I was so depressed about forgetting it yesterday that I didn't even get on
Today to see that he had done it! So when he got home, Steve told me to check it -
Seriously, that was so amazing and made me so happy I teared up when I saw it...
 I still get some warm and fuzzy while thinking of it : )

2) I had mentioned that I wanted (another) hand steamer a few days ago (our old one broke forever ago)
And Steve got a special recognition at work and was allowed to pick out a free gift and that is what
He picked for me! A new steamer!!! Just in time to disinfect our furniture that has all of my sick germs on it

Oh and you should know by "watching me" my mom has cleaned my kitchen, taken out my trash,
Got my groceries, cooked me soup, held me, played with my dogs and kept me company
Pretty awesome huh! Yeah I have a pretty great family : )

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Day 157 - Guest Blog

When Summer's feeling particularly unmotivated and is lacking inspiration for her blog, she'll turn to me and just say, "Guest blog?".  Well tonight is the night, not because she couldn't find anything to blog (she actually had me take a picture earlier in the evening), but because she is still infected (INFECTED? INFECTED WIF WHAT!?!?). So I figured I'd fulfill my husbandly duties and take it upon myself to complete one measly blog out of 365. Now that I've highjacked her blog completely, here's the actual post...



This is Summer's mom, Barbara, rubbing Summer's head. Then Ashby (Jealous cat, Jeali cat, or just Jeal cat) decided that she needed in on the action as well. 

-Steve

Monday, December 27, 2010

Day 156 - Sick day


I got the flu for Christmas and now feel like death
So I will be staying home with my mim this week
Wish me a quick recovery!

Sunday, December 26, 2010

Day 155 - My pickle


Well Myk isn't going to like this...
But my little pickle winner is at the airport right now getting ready to fly back to her new home in Cali
So now I think it is time for Steve and I to start planning our next trim out to see her! 

Saturday, December 25, 2010

Day 154 - Merry Christmas!!!


Wishing Everyone A Very Merry Christmas from The Riehle - Cowley Clan
(Christmas present bags made my Mykaela Riehle)



Barabara & Bob Riehle


Summer & Steve Cowley


Nickee Witt & Kipp Riehle

Friday, December 24, 2010

Day 153 - It's begining to look at lot like Christmas...



It's Christmas Eve and it is starting to actually feel like it
Not because of the weather (it's sooo hot today)
But because I have all of the family presents wrapped and all bagged up ready to go
And for me, that is when it really feels like Christmas...just like the movies
Tomorrow we will pack up the car and make the drive out to mom and dad's for a big family to do
And that's Christmas!

Thursday, December 23, 2010

Day 152 - Cornered

This is my desk corner...and out of the corner of my eye I saw something run up my corner wall
I cringed as I thought it was a very large cockroach...but to my relief I saw a tiny hand and then a tiny head
That belonged to a tiny lizard! He came out of hiding for a bit and watched me work
I felt bad he was trapped inside, but figured it was probably good he got out of the rain and away from birds
I left him a tiny piece of apple as a Christmas treat...(do lizards eat apple?)
He was a happy little surprise for a long day at work on an almost holiday




Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Day 151 - Santa Paws









Tonight was our puppy party
Corey came with his new English White Golden Retriever Chester
Amanda came with her new Rhodesian Ridge Back Reese
And of course Steve and I had our crazy dogs Ash and Wes (Pembroke Corgi)

The puppies played pretty well together...Wes tried to get into the action but it mostly made him nervous
Ash on the other hand was not a gracious host at all! She was jealous, angry, and mean
We were shocked! She is so amazing with people and babies (and I mean 9 month old babies!)
But apparently she only likes babies of the human variety...she has no interest or patients for the pups
Hopefully she will learn some manners over time because there is no way I can resist having another
Puppy party in the near future!

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Day 150 - From Steve


         

I got my Christmas gift from Steve a bit early this year
He gave me 50 paper place settings from Anthropology
I fell in love with them and had to have them

I have so many ideas for dinner parties to come!!!

Monday, December 20, 2010

Day 149 - Merry Christmas to me


Guess what we just bought ourselves for Christmas...
New Caesar Stone quartz countertops!!!

Stay tuned for more kitchen up dates to come

Sunday, December 19, 2010

Day 148 - It's a wrap!

 This year I went custom
I knew exactly what I wanted my wrapping paper to look like
So I made my own and although it's a little bit of work, I am really loving the look




Day 147 - Night Owl


I used to be quite the night owl...I would stay up until 12am or later all through childhood and high school
(We think I was insomniac as a young kid) In college it was more of the same...and then came "real life"
I got a full time job with a super long commute, got married (to a man who wakes up at 5 am every morning)
Got two puppies that love getting up and playing at the crack of dawn...and so I slowly started to change

During the week Steve and I shut the house down and get ready for bed at 9:30 and wake up at 5am
On the weekend if we stay home we will still be in bed by 10:30 - 11:00 and get up at 8am
(Well Steve and the dogs still get up around 5am...but I get to sleep in until 8 am)

Yesterday way was like any other day...I got up at 8am, had a super full day, then ended the night at home
What wasn't normal was me falling fast asleep on the couch at 9pm...
Steve woke me up to see if I wanted to go to bed, I said no, and continued to sleep down stairs
While Steve and Corey watch tv...then Corey went home at 10pm (he had to get up at 5am today)
And Steve tried to get me up again...I stumbled up stairs and into bed and was out immediately

When the dogs got up this morning at 6am I gave them to Steve and went back to bed until now...
Wes came up stairs and woke me up again so I brought him back down to Steve and got the news...
I didn't blog last night! I was so  out of it, so tired I totally forgot to blog!
176 consecutive days...and then I forgot...or if not forgot, passed out so completely bloging didn't matter
So I hope this early morning post came make up for the missed one...
But I will forever be a little sad that I didn't go 365 consecutive days with out a miss


Friday, December 17, 2010

Day 146 - Post Spring


Tonight was my company Christmas party and I had nothing to wear...
Well okay, not nothing...but I was proud of how I was able to take a cute little sundress
From the spring and turn it into a festive winter outfit (or at least winter AZ style, outfit)
That's right, this dress was from Ann Taylor Loft's catalog last spring
I got it on super sale this fall...and wore it this winter
What a perfect little deal! Fashion for $30
You just can't beat that!

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Day 145 - (Missing)

Something is missing in this picture...do you know what it is?


Yup, that's a train...and yes the wood, striped rail road crossing arm that is supposed to visually warn cars
And keep them a safe distance away from the track (and impending doom) is not down...
It looked liked the arm had been broken off...and shockingly not fix!

Luckily the train wasn't going too fast because this was close to a track changing station
But I hope they get on this fast because if I had been the first car in my lane and not the second
I don't think I would have noticed the super quite warning dinging, or the super high lights, or the train : )
And that wouldn't have been good...because I love my cute car...and of course my life!

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Day 143 - Wedding Bells Are Ringing...

So today isn't a picture I took, but instead my favorite wedding picture of Steve and I
I am diving head first into wedding mania because one of my very best friends Adrienne just got engaged
And she is getting married in April!!! So the super fast schedule means lots of wedding planning stat!
Next year, I get the honor of hosting the bridal shower...so I have a lot of planning to do myself...
And a lot of work to do on my house so I can host in style! Let the fun begin!!!


Monday, December 13, 2010

Day 142 - Good times


Tonight we shared good food, good stories, and goodbyes...on my grandma's last night in town 
Hopefully we will be able to get out to Indiana for her birthday in April for more good times!

Sunday, December 12, 2010

Day 141 - Look'n Hot!


Christmas finally spread to the outside of our house...even if it was over 80 degrees out

Saturday, December 11, 2010

Day 140 - It's curtains for you!

Remember our living room...and it's super bla windows...


 Well look what a husband and a Saturday afternoon can do...


Much better right?!?! We are slowing making each room look like "home"
And so far in each room the biggest improvement has almost always been adding curtains

Friday, December 10, 2010

Day 139 - Across the universe...

 So I got really busy watching Across The Universe with Steve and forgot I even had a blog!
Crazy I know...but sometimes the normal, always the same ol' thing day turns into
One of those amazing days where Steve and I get lost in talking all night
And it's like we are kids falling in love for the first time again
So, sorry for the lame picture...but a late, boring blog
Post is worth spending extra time with Steve!





Thursday, December 9, 2010

Day 138 - More traffic, more sunsets



I was stuck in traffic tonight on my way home...
(while my mom and grandma where stuck in traffic on her way to Cali and my sister)
And caught another amazing sunset...not exactly news, Arizona always have amazing sunsets
But watching the entire sky melt away into darkness really can be relaxing (even when stuck in traffic)

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Day 137 - Season Greetings



We got our very first Christmas card of the season today
Straight from St. George, Utah and the home of "The Grands" (Steve's paternal grandparents)
It was such a beautiful card...and I love that they are so on top of things (it motivates me)
Oh and how great is it that the card says "for you Grandson and your Wife" 
They honestly make cards for everyone in every situation!