Happy New Year!

I know I have said it before but this is my favorite time of year!  December is a great month – all the things Christmas!  Now the holidays are over and it is just about time to ring in the New Year – time to look back on 2013.

It certainly has been a year of ups and downs for me: in May I got the most amazing and cutest grandson in the world; in July I lost my Dad after a 6 month struggle; in September I traveled to Springfield, IL, to compete at the NADAC Championships and won the Double Digit division with Kant and got 3^rd place in the 12” division with Echo; and in November I found out that Kant has cancer!

I have spent a lot of wonderful times with the greatest friends and family and I have spent a lot of time doing things I wish I did not have to do!  I have cried a lot and I have laughed more!  I created a list of 47 things to do before my 48^th birthday and I have accomplished a ton like getting a tattoo, that I love, and doing 2 5k runs!  I am almost 2 years in to my five year plan – I will retire from the Treasury in 3 years and 3 months and start a new chapter of my life.  I am looking forward to all that 2014 can bring!

Happy New Year Friends and Family – may 2014 be the greatest year filled with love and happiness!

Echo and Piper puppies turn 2!!!!!

I cannot believe it has already been 2 years since Echo had puppies!

It seems like just yesterday when they were little blobs of fur! And look at them now!

This picture was taken last month in California! It is Scout, Sassy, Jet, Eris, True, and Echo in front of her puppies! It was awesome to see all the puppies and how happy they are in their incredible homes!

The biggest and littlest - Scout and True!!

We had a GREAT time at the Sheltie only herding trial in Pleasant Grove, CA. There were 2 trials in the same day. In the first trial Sassy, Echo's daughter, got High in Trial and Echo got Reserved Hight in Trial and her Started Course A Sheep title; True got a Pre-Trial leg. In the second trial Echo got HIT and True got her PT title and Scout had a beautiful HT run! It was an awesome day for Echo and her puppies!! Already looking forward to next year!

Calvin James Dietlein

On May 10, 2013, I became a Grandma or GT (Grandma Traci) when my beautiful daughter, Jordana, gave birth to the most perfect baby boy!

Calvin James was born at 4:08pm.

He weighed 6 pounds 13 ounces and was 19 1/4 inches long,

He is now 4 months old and is a wonderful baby!

I get the pleasure of watching him on any Saturday I am available and he goes to agility with us almost every Sunday!

Congratulations Stephen and Jordana!

Birthday Bucket List

Earlier this year I was inspired by a friend from high school, which we reconnected through Facebook, after she created a list of 47 things to do before her 48th birthday. It has been 6 months since I started my list and I cannot say I am half way done but I am having a blast doing the things on my list and I have checked a bunch off. If there are any of the items on my list that you want to help me with please get in touch with me.

47 things to do before I turn 48…

1) Run a 5k – June 8, Three Sisters Marathon - DONE

2) Post on my blog more frequently

3) Get a passport

4) Visit another country

5) Hike to the top of Multnomah Falls

6) Get a tattoo – July 13th! - DONE

7) Visit an old friend that I haven’t seen in at least 2 years

8) Forgive someone

9) Go to 2013 NADAC Champs in Illinois

10) Get all my scrapbooks current

11) Clean out the garage

12) Get NATCH 5 with Kant – 4 Jumpers away

13) Get NATCH 1 with Echo – 8 Regular, 2 Jumpers, and 8 Chances away

14) Spend at least one weekend a month in Redmond – May to November (May, June, July, August, September)

15) See a movie at the movie theater

16) Do at least 6 volkswalks

17) Go to California to see Echo’s puppies

18) Spend Christmas in Redmond

19) Go whitewater rafting, kayaking, and/or paddle boarding

20) Go visit Gail – April @ Sheltie National in Albany and June 1st in Spokane - DONE

21) See a glacier in Alaska – 4/26/13 - DONE

22) Go on a date

23) Get a laptop – got my dad’s - DONE

24) Get a 4 generation picture taken

25) Get a new van – 8/13/13 - DONE

26) Have dinner once a month with a friend – (April Lynda; May Carol; June Michelle, Lee, and Lydia; July Lee; August Carol)

27) Volunteer at least once

28) Go camping

29) Teach the dogs a new behavior/trick each month – April shake

30) Visit a new park each month – (April – Independence Dog Park; May – Starvation Creek; Redmond – dog park; July – Riverbend park)

31) Get a massage

32) Make Christmas cookies and candy

33) Try a new recipe every month – April breakfast casserole; May potato salad

34) Ride my bike at Eagle Crest

35) Have $2000 in savings

36) Compete in at least 1 herding trial

37) Get rid of all the clutter in the house

38) Update pictures in frames

39) Spend L.L. Bean gift card

40) Spend Amazon gift card

41) Have lunch with a friend each month – April; May; June; July; August

42) Complete a cross stich

43) Make a digital scrapbook for me of 2013

44) Take dogs to the beach and make a sandman for 2013 Christmas cards

45) Read at least 2 books

46) Take a class

47) Celebrate my 48th Birthday on 4/3/2014