cougar mountain wildland park

for those of us involved in baseball we know that having an off-day, an actual day off, is rare. they come around maybe once a month. when the guys have a day off it's a big deal & most of us take full advantage! 

yesterday, we packed up a lunch & the pup & went hiking in cougar mountain wildland park. we spent 6 hours hiking about 8 miles of trails. we saw a few waterfalls, lots of snails, crossed a few beautiful bridges, gazed up at the tree canopies & worked our booty off hiking through the mountain. we walked through some of the most gorgeous trees i have ever seen. the trees here, in washington, are green & huge!!

 {these little legs lasted all 6 hours!}

 {if fairies exist they have to live here.}

 {he was the trail guide}

 {my boys}

{pretty little berries}

{thank goodness they let us know that there are bears following us!! i was nervous.}

{waterfall} 

{crystal clear, freezing cold water} 

 {crossing bridges}

 {a great big green & quiet place}

happy birthday, rowdy!

happy 1st birthday to the most handsome little guy i know!

rowdy came to us on october 2, 2013- the second best day of my life (first: wedding day).

i seriously cannot imagine life without him. 

this little pup has changed our lives in more ways than one. 

he has the best little personality & is constantly making us laugh. he is so smart which unfortunately keeps us on our toes. 

he loves to play with his toys, all of them, especially the ones that squeak. tennis balls are his absolute favorite. he really enjoys playing soccer but he has to have one toy in his mouth in order to be able to dribble a ball- so weird, but true!! 

he doesn't love his baths but he's learned to cooperate. 

he knows when he hears the row-dy, row-dy, row-dy chant that it's time to eat and he gets super excited!  

he's an athlete and will conquer any walk you take him on. 

 he's a beach-bum at heart. 

he loves running around with any dog that will chase & play with him. 

he always has to take a toy to bed with him and usually spoons it while he sleeps. he sleeps in his own bed most of the time but prefers to sleep in ours. 

i literally tuck him into bed every night & i'm not ashamed to admit that. 

rowdy, mama never knew she could love a puppy as much as she loves you!!

happy birthday, boy!

{the rowdy house- first christmas prezzy from his grandparents}

{rowdy's favorite hangout spot during the holiday's}

{it was his first christmas... i had to!}

{he's always ready for a treat}

{puppy face}

{are you kidding me with that tongue}

{my little snuggle bug}

{o. m. g.}

{rowdy's favorite sunbathing spot in our florida house}

{he's got the biggest stick on the beach!}

{beach days with him are the best days}

{loves his toys}

{likes to spoon}

{my boys.}

{they melt my heart}

{tennis balls make his world go 'round... he loves them!!}

a few of my favorite things

{currently daydreaming about beach days in jupiter, fl} 

 {my best friend, my girl, my favorite chick, my sister}

 {love this paw print}

{always a nordy girl at heart- i was so excited to visit the store in seattle!}

found one!

{lady bug}

since we've been here in washington we keep hearing about these "bikini coffee shops" & i have been keeping my eyes peeled ever since! depending on which bikini coffee shop you find the girls can be dressed in anything from a bikini to a bra & undies to pasties. 

when we pulled up to the drive-thru at lady bug, i'll admit, i was really hoping that our barista had on pasties. 

she didn't...

 she was wearing a leopard bra & thong. 

slightly disappointed at her amount of coverage, we ordered coffee anyway. 

i ordered the dirty chai & it was delicious! 

mango salsa chicken salad

have you guys seen this deliciousness is the grocery store?!

you need to try to locate it.

it's great as a salsa with tort chips but it's amazing as a marinade for chicken!

it's kinda spicy which i love and the mango flavor is subtle and just enough.

i mixed the salsa with EVOO and let it marinade for a couple of hours. i sauteed the chicken on the stove & added it to a salad. 

it's delish & you need to try!!, 

LK

a message from rowdy

hey dad, i just wanted to wish you a happy father's day!

i know you're on the road working hard for mom & i, we really appreciate everything you do for us. hurry home, please. i've been kind of naughty this road trip. not sure why?? ... just chewin' a lot of stuff & pooped in the house once. mom spanked me & made me sit in my bed alone for a while. i said sorry to her. i asked her to let me type this up real quick before her laptop dies, she can't charge it cause i ate her charger. 

anyway, you're the best dad a pup could ever ask for. seriously, you are! you feed me good food, buy me cool toys, play fetch with me. you take me on really nice walks, not as long as mom's walks, but they're still nice. you pick up my poop which i really appreciate cause i know it's the law here. you're always cool about letting me ride with the window down in the car- mom can be annoying about that. for some reason mom puts me in that crate thing that i absolutely hate, you never put me in it & i love you for that. you're not the one that kicks me out of your bed (...mom) & you're the best cuddler. i love being here in tacoma with you, life just wasn't the same without my dad around. mom is really happy here too. 

dad, thank you for choosing me when you bought a puppy. i promise to be you're best friend for my entire life & i will always love you unconditionally. 

you're dog-son (get it?! dachshund... dog-son. yea, mom thought that was hilarious),

rowdy

{first time playin' baseball with my dad}

happy father's day!

happy father's day to the most incredible man!

 you must be superman to be able to put up with three, yes three, gemini's (mom, sister & i). 

every since i can remember you have always supported me no matter what i wanted to do. 

i told you i wanted to be rich- you asked me how i was going to do that? then... you made me read a book called 'rich dad, poor dad' and taught me all about 'financial freedom'.

i told you i wanted to be a lawyer- you suggested that i become an entertainment lawyer and taught me what that was. 

i told you i wanted to be a fashion designer- you helped me create names for my 'labels'. don't worry, i still have the draft of the active wear you drew for me, the one with the killer name, XLR8.

i told you i wanted to be successful- you taught me all about 'tools' for my 'toolbox'. the tools that i would one day need in order to be successful.

growing up, i didn't always know exactly what i wanted to do, but i knew the kind of woman i wanted to be. you raised me to be that woman & that is irreplaceable. 

you have always been a great example of what a real man, father & husband is. 

you have always shown dainya & i how a man should treat a woman. 

thank you for being the first great man in my life. 

i love you to the moon & back.

xoxo,

liege' 

happy friday the 13th!

{great read if you like a thriller- i can't wait for the movie to be made!}

happy friday the 13th!!

i've always loved celebrating friday the 13th & i get really excited when these occasional fridays come around. maybe it's weird?! ... but it's what i do. 

when i was younger, in lieu of the special occasion, i'd have sleepovers with my sister & friends to have scary movie marathons. we'd rent anything from the original 'jason movies' to 'leprachaun' to 'scream'. our friday night always included pizza, snacks & a ton of candy. we'd pile up the blankets on the living room floor, turn out all of the lights & watch movie after movie, trying to stay up as late as possible. 

over the years, i've kept the tradition of watching horror movies on friday the 13th. nowadays, the sleepovers are usually with my husband or sister. tonight, it's rowdy & i, i'll be spooning my most handsome pup as i watch a thriller. 

i have seen my fair share of horror movies & have compiled a list of my favorites to share with y'all:

paranormal activity

 friday the 13th

nightmare on elm street

halloween

 signs

the omen

saw

seven

the ring

texas chainsaw massacre

no country for old men

the silence of the lambs

the exorcist

michael meyers movies

tacoma, wa: chambers bay golf course

a couple of days ago we went for a hike/walk around chambers bay golf course. if you're ever in the area you need to walk this loop, it's beautiful! it's an uphill, downhill walk that will take you all around & through the golf course. 

 chambers bay is where the 2015 us open will be held. 

fast food

hi, can we talk about fast food for a minute?

i don't care what fast-food restaurant you're ordering from, it's gross & it's bad for you!

i know, i know, chick-fil-a chicken nuggets are delish. and every once in a while, meaning not very often at all, a couple of times a year, it's probably okay to indulge.

too many people in america compromise health for convenience. fast-food restaurants are known for being high in saturated fat & extremely high in sodium. have you ever seen the "super-size me" documentary?!

-fast food is thought to be a major contributor to childhood obesity.
-studies have indicated that damage to arteries occurs almost immediately after consuming a junk-food-type meal. clogged arteries can lead to soooo many health issues.

and don't even get me started on the soft-drinks. terrible.

a lot of fast-food restaurants offer nutrition info on their food packaging or calories on the menu in the restaurant, don't be fooled- restaurants use food that has a lot of preservatives & it just isn't clean eating no matter how you look at it.

bottom line? cook at home as often as possible, this way you know exactly what you are eating.

tacoma, wa: kayaking at point defiance park

a few days ago we went kayaking at point defiance park.

 the environment is completely different here, in washington... obviously. 

in florida, the water is warm & full of sharks. here, the water temp feels close to freezing & full of seals. yes, seals!! they pop their heads up out of the water, look around for a few minutes & then slither back under. i haven't been close enough to pet one yet and i'm not giving up 'til i do. 

{the view of mt. rainier is breathtaking}

{rowdy- my most handsome wingman}