things that made me happy this week

1. no government shutdown!! yay. this is good for many reasons for many people. for me, they're in the process of doing my background investigation for a job here (finally). and it looks like i'll get to start in a couple of weeks. if this had been delayed i think i would have died... also ian would have had to keep working along with all the other law enforcement rangers and all the border patrol agents around here without getting paid. and that would just blow.


2. ZUMBA. i LOVE it. working out can be difficult when the closest gym is probably two hours away and for much of the year it's about a zillion degrees outside. i've been doing yoga some, but i needed to get some more cardio in. enter the zumba dvd set. holy moly i've never sweated so much but it is so fun. and there's a bunch of different workouts so it doesn't get boring. oh and today i noticed one of the real housewives of miami is in one of the workouts. love it.

3. trader joe's. i had never been to one until we moved out here and now i'm obsessed. they make me want to be lazy and fat, though, because all their pre-made food is amazing. AND they had ranunculus, my favorite flower, this week! i never see them in stores like that! wren likes them too.

4. living in a national park. who gets to do that? not a whole lot of people. it's incredibly beautiful down here. when i'm feeling down, which has been somewhat often since i've been here, i sometimes take for granted this amazing place i live in. well i've vowed to get over that and take it all in. i want to hike more and explore as much of the park as i (safely) can. 

so, things are good these days and i am happy.