Memories by the Mile

It Came and Went

2011-12-31T20:12:00.075-06:00

WHOOSH!!!

Did you hear that? That was the sound of December whipping by faster than a gust of wind on a blustery Fall day. I must be getting older because never before has Christmas come and gone as quickly as it did this year. I wish I could have taken a few moments to blog here and there, but I couldn't possibly lend a single finger to a keyboard because I needed both hands to hold onto the reins of my life as it galloped full speed ahead. Ok, I know that was a slightly dramatic description, but that is honestly how I felt!

But as crazy as this season has been, it has been really good too. And now that I am sitting here on December 31st, the final hours of both December and the year of 2011 slipping away, I think it's time to reflect on the rich blessings and fun memories that this month has brought us. Here's a quick recap, in poem form :)

My favorite season came in a flash,
and the festivities started off with an ugly sweater bash!
The competition was fierce, but we ended up with the grand prize;
after all that hot gluing, that Santa trophy was like treasure in our eyes!
The babies were sweet and the company a delight,
reminding me that the people I work with make my life bright.

Up went the tree and out came the lights,
the house was aglow and looked simply magical at night.
Ornaments and Christmas carols filled the streets of our city,
What a splendid sight, indeed, how pretty!
Friends came to call and so did my mother,
our weekends were full and fun like none other!

At work the holidays were certainly in full swing,
and students from around the world experienced Christmas activity.
Gingerbread houses and sugar cookies galore,
I don't think I could possibly love my job any more!

Being home for the holidays is always a treat,
and what better to do than go out and eat!
Once with my sister on a sisters night out,
and then again with my parents; we had fun - no doubt!

Not busy enough? Here come's Christmas time!
Boy, it's hard to keep making this poem rhyme!
Laughter, kids, grandma's chex mix, and growing girths,
but most importantly, a joyous celebration of our Savior's birth!
Clap your hands and let your voices raise,
for He deserves all our adoration and praise!

Miles away more family gathered 'round,
and thus began Christmas Part 2, where presents and Starbucks abound.
Then came the 27th and memories were plentiful,
as Bryant and I looked back on our wedding day two years ago...ah, so wonderful!
He is still my partner, my love, my best friend
and I know he'll stand beside me as we venture around all of life's bends.
We celebrated in Portland and gallivanted in the rain,
a perfect way to enjoy each others company and walk down memory lane.

That was December, like I said, it was gone in a flash!
Oh how many times I wished I could make it last!
But that is the beauty of this time of year,
it will come yet again, and with it bring great cheer!

Time Flies When You're Having Fun

2011-11-20T19:25:00.056-06:00

Winter has arrived. Ok, maybe winter isn't officially here yet, but the snow has certainly come and made it's appearance. In fact, this is pretty much how it has looked out our front window for the past few days:

And you know what? I don't mind one bit! Because even though it's cold and snowy out there, this is what it looks like inside my home:

Cozy. Starbucks. Togetherness.

With Thanksgiving just days away and the snow making it's debut, I'm reminded that my favorite season is ending. Autumn - such an appropriately beautiful word for an equally beautiful time of year. The changing colors, the cold evenings, the festive pumpkins, the candles, the football games, the crisp Washington apples, the time spent with family...these are the things that make Fall so special. I enjoyed these past few months so much that I really didn't get a chance to reflect on all of our autumn adventures on here, in the place where I store so many of life's meaningful moments. For my sake, let's take a look back, shall we?

In October, my siblings and I got together for our annual sibling date. No parents, just brothers and sisters, spouses and kiddos. It's become a tradition to visit Greenbluff (our beloved farming community) and enjoy the corn mazes, pumpkin cannon, and tasty pumpkin doughnuts. And we do it together...as a family.

Eating yummy pumpkin doughnuts

There was lots of frolicking through the corn maze...and the adults got involved too!

The day was capped off with a VERY special treat...an adult-only dinner date at Twigs (the best martini bar in the world). There was lots of good conversation and no interruption from kiddos...it was a rare treat!

Also in October, I drove 7 hours across the state to return to the town where I attended middle school and high school, waaaayyyy up in northwestern Washington just minutes from the Canadian border. That little rural town had a huge impact on my life and provided me with friendships that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. It had been over two years since my last visit, and it felt so good to be back! Most of my high school friends can often be found gallivanting around the world on any given day, but I was lucky enough to come over when a few of them were around (you know, resting from their worldly adventures).

Hillary, Lauren, and myself at the Carter's annual cider pressing event

I even got to press a few apples!

We pretty much had fun everywhere we went :)

I know that these girls will always have my back

Mt. Baker...stunning, isn't it? I don't know where this mountain was during the 6 years I lived there, because I don't ever remember it being this beautiful!!

Pumpkin patch fun

I also got to see some special ladies that mean the world to me. We cheered together in high school and have been friends ever since. Oh the experiences we have had together!!

Amanda, Mandie, and myself

This might be a more accurate representation of what we're like when we're together :)

It was a perfect Fall getaway and a wonderful reminder of how many extraordinary people I have in my life. As I get older, I become more and more aware of how important friendships are and how challenging it is to find (and keep!) good friends. If you have good ones in your life, invest in them! It's worth it.

If you couldn't tell, October was a full month. And it just kept getting fuller! Two weeks prior to Halloween, Bryant and I went to the infamous Haunted Palouse with our friends from China. It was scary and yet comical at the same time.

Bryant, myself, and Shasha with a few of the creatures that roamed the streets (and scared me multiple times)

And then there was Halloween. My sister has a Halloween party at her house every year and this time, we made it a costume party! We had so much fun that I think dressing up will become an annual requirement!

Hmmm...is there a theme here? My brother-in-law was a priest, my sister was a nun, and my grandparents were members of the choir :)

Apparently I didn't get the religious memo, so I came as a bumble bee :)

The siblings (my brother was a tourist)

Any guesses as to who is standing next to me? Please don't judge...we know the costume isn't PC. But props for creativity, right?

My mom in her wedding dress surrounded by her grandbabies. That's right, I said her wedding dress!! 35 years later and she still looks good in it...way to go, Mama!

This picture just makes me laugh

I think it is safe to say that our family knows how to enjoy Halloween. What's not to love when pumpkin chili, pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, orange punch, costumes, candy, and family are involved?

Earlier that day, before the party, my mom and I tried on our wedding dresses together. What a special memory to be standing next to my mom, both of us wearing the most important white dress of our lives! It was the first time I had tried my gown on since my wedding day almost two years ago and I definitely got emotional. Even Bryant got teary when he saw me in it again :)

Ok, that's it folks! That was my whirlwind Autumn recap! If you are reading this, I am pleased to tell you that you made it to the end...woot woot!! If you were sitting next to me right now, I would give you a gold star for perseverance :)

So as the snow falls and the Christmas season draws nearer, I am content with saying goodbye to my favorite season. Fall was rich with memories, and I have no doubt that more will be made as we round the corner towards winter.

Friendship Defined

2011-11-11T11:56:00.044-06:00

Real.

The Merriam-Webster encyclopedia defines real as:

not artificial, fraudulent, or illusory (see also genuine)

relating to practical or everyday concerns or activities

That word sums up my trip to Colorado. It was authentic, it was raw, it was everyday life, it was transparent, and mostly, it was real. No secrets, no disguises, no delusional statements like "this is my perfect life." Just two sets of sisters being ourselves and walking alongside one another during the ups and downs of life. It was chaotic, but it was also beautiful.

Do you want to know why I am certain this friendship is real? Let me tell you...

Real friends still hug you at the airport when you smell like vomit because your 1.5 year old niece threw up ALL OVER YOU at the very beginning of the 2 hour flight. We're talking orange chunks in every nook and cranny possible, including my sister's necklace and wedding ring. I will never look at goldfish crackers the same.

Real friends let you fall asleep in the car because getting up at 4:30am really sucks the life out of you.

Do they look like mom and daughter or what?!

Real friends can sit around all day and talk about anything...no subject is off limits.

Real friends do everyday, mundane tasks together...like grocery shopping.

Real friends introduce you to their most prized possession: their family. They let you see inside the intimate relationships that have shaped them throughout their lives.

Courtney and her husband Jeremy (who is awesome, by the way)

Courtney and her sister Christine (and her nephew Ethan who is hiding behind Courtney's fur-child, Willow)

Lounging at Courtney and Jenn's parents' house with their sister Allison

Real friends retreat to Starbucks with their nieces when they need a quiet escape.

Courtney and Ashlynn

Me and Hollyn

Real friends encourage healthy drinking habits...diet cherry coke and vodka, to be exact :)

Real friends have sleep overs in matching twin beds and pretend like they are kids again.

Real friends take you up into the Colorado mountains and show you the beauty of their state.

The whole group (Allison, Reagan, Jenn, Ashlynn, Amy, Hollyn, Christine, Ethan, Courtney, myself, and Elliana)

Kissing Santa in the Christmas shop :)

Happy girl!

Sisters

Elk!

Real friends play dress up, even when they're in their 20s and 30s :)

Saloon girls in Estes Park...this picture makes me laugh every time I look at it!

Real friends make you try new things for the first time...like Chick-fil-A.

It's delicious and now I'm hooked!! Unfortunately, we don't have Chick-fil-A in Washington :(

Real friends understand your dangerous obsession with sweets and indulge with you.

Real friends accept you for who you are and encourage you on this journey called life.

We may have met on the internet, but we've all decided that we are no longer "blogging friends." We're just friends now, and that's the way I like it. Thank you Courtney and Jenn for letting us come visit...I can't wait for our next one! I love you both so very much :)

P.S. Courtney wrote a great post about our weekend over on her blog...maybe you should read it :)

Colorado Bound

2011-11-04T14:29:00.014-05:00

Tomorrow, at the crack of dawn (actually, before dawn even makes it's appearance), my sister and I (+ my 1.5 year old niece) are leaving on a jet plane. The destination? None other than the great state of Colorado to see two of our favorite girlfriends! I am soooooooo excited!!

I've already told the story of how we all met via the internet, so I won't dive into that again. But I will say that my friendship with Courtney is nothing short of a miracle, both in how our lives came together and how she turned out to be exactly the friend I needed at a time in my life when I needed it the most.

The last time we got together, Courtney and Jenn flew up to Washington and we had the most amazing girls weekend ever. This time, my sister and I are the ones traveling and I cannot wait to give both of them a giant hug when we land in the Mile-High city. I seriously have been waiting for this moment since the day we said goodbye at the Spokane airport last May. The day is finally here and all I can say is...WOOHOOOOO!!!!

May 2011 (Washington)

Stuck in a Rut

2011-10-23T19:47:00.005-05:00

I am sooooooo anti-blogging right now. Seriously people, the thought of blogging sends me into complete panic mode. I still haven't finished that 10 Day Challenge, I am way behind on posting things that have happened in my life recently, AND I just plain don't have the energy to write a quality post. What to do?! I think spending 7+ hours of my work day in front of the computer has a little something to do with it. The last thing I want to do when I get home is get back on the computer and stare at a screen for another hour. In fact, most days when I get home, I don't even check my email or go on facebook...at all. Yep, I'm definitely in an anti-blogging rut right now. But please don't abandon me...I feel like a comeback is just around the corner!

But life is good and I am thoroughly enjoying everything that this lovely season called autumn has to offer. The trees around here are gorgeous shades of yellow and red, my house is decorated with pumpkins, and I'm enjoying the relationships and friendships that I so deeply treasure. Plus, I just got my Halloween costume...yes, life is oh so good :)

Picture perfect fall day in Washington

Ten Days: Foods

2011-10-04T23:25:00.016-05:00

This challenge is like a swinging pendulum. One moment I'm revealing some of my most personal thoughts, fears, and dreams. And the next moment I'm talking about...food?! Hmmm. Talk about polar opposites!!

My five favorite foods:

1) Ice cream - I could eat it all. day. long.
2) Spanish tortilla - egg and potato deliciousness
3) Strawn's peach pie (only in Louisiana!) - fresh peaches covered in two inches of thick whipped cream...oh my!
4) Macaroni bacon casserole, courtesy of my mama - what could taste better than pasta and bacon?!
5) Old Spaghetti Factory's creamy pesto salad dressing - oh baby, I could eat that dressing with a spoon...no salad needed!

And now I am hungry...

Ten Days: Places

2011-10-03T22:49:00.029-05:00

Sigh. I was doing so well with this challenge and then bam!...four days go by and I write nothing. I tried to blog on Friday night, but I was so tired that I stared at the screen with glossy eyes and finally shut the laptop after Bryant reminded me that I blog for myself, not for others. And then my weekend was just so darn fun that blogging wasn't on the top of my priority list. But now I'm back and instead of trying to play catch up, I'm just going to pick up where I left off.

Here we go...

Six places. You would think this would be one of the easiest posts for me to write because I love traveling more than most human beings. You would think that I could come up with lists upon lists of places I want to visit and explore. You would think, and you would be right…that’s the problem!! My first thought when I saw today’s topic was “Only 6?!! How in the world can I choose just six places?!” And from there, I began contemplating how I would address the open-endedness of “places.” Does that mean favorite places? Does it mean places I want to travel to? Does it mean places with special memories attached to them? Does it mean a city or a country or someone’s house? You can imagine that my mind was nearly exploding with questions and possibilities.

In the end, I chose to split up my six places into two categories: 1) favorite places and 2) places that either shaped me as a person or have special memories attached to them. I figure that you hear all about my travel dreams and places I want to go on a regular basis, but you don't always hear about places that mean something to me. Come travel with me for a moment, will you?

Favorite Places:

1) My parents' house - It's probably not surprising that the place where so many memories are made is one of my favorites. That home is the very definition of love.

2) Cadiz, Spain - When I studied abroad in this quaint coastal city, I left a piece of my heart there. As a young college student, I always claimed I was an independent woman. Spain made that bold declaration a reality.

3) Gimmelwald, Switzerland - There is no other place on earth that takes my breath away like Gimmelwald does. It is pleasantly out of touch with the modern world and there is something utterly charming about that.

Places that shaped me/places with special memories:

4) Wildhorse Canyon YoungLife Camp (Antelope, Oregon) - Sitting on a bench alone overlooking the canyon, I told God I wanted Him to not just be the God my parents believed in, but my Savior. That was a moment I'll remember forever.

5) Santiago, Dominican Republic - I saw poverty like I've never experienced before. I saw God in a Haitian refugee village. I learned more than I taught. I realized that living simply is a gift.

(The photo on the left was my room)

6) Vernazza, Italy - The boy I married told me he loved me for the very first time on the fortress atop this village.

I hope you enjoyed the little journey I just took you on, because all six of those places are truly special to me. My life is fuller and more joy-filled because of them.

Ten Days: Fears and Wants

2011-09-29T20:58:00.017-05:00

Shoot. I only made it two days before I couldn't keep up with this whole posting everyday thing. I didn't get home from work until 9pm last night, and by 10:30pm I was half passed out on the couch unable to get a single coherent sentence out of my mouth, so it was off to bed without blogging for me. Oh well, I'll make up for it by doing days 3 and 4 together...two for the price of one! :)

I feel like this whole challenge is personal and exposes things about me that some people probably didn't know. But today takes on a whole new level of vulnerability...today, I'm revealing what I fear most.

My 8 fears:

1) My number one fear is not being able to have children. I have wanted to be a mom for as long as I can remember. I know that God would not put that desire in my heart if he didn't plan to fulfill it in some way, but until that dream becomes a reality, I think I'll always hold my breath in anxious anticipation.

2) I am fearful that my children won't have the chance to know their great grandparents in a meaningful way. My grandparents are such special people and it would break my heart if my children didn't get to create lasting memories with them.

3) I am scared that my children won't be close to their cousins. In fact, in high school I lost sleep worrying that I would have kids waaayyyy behind my siblings and that they wouldn't be friends with their cousins. I think it matters so much to me because friendship with my cousins was something I never had growing up.

4) I fear that I'll never be fully happy where I'm at. My heart longs for distant places and my soul craves wild adventures. No matter what town I'm in, I'm always dreaming about somewhere else.

5) I worry that I don't do enough to show my faith to others. I am not the evangelizing type and I am not into making others (or myself) uncomfortable. But I am passionate about my God and I want others to know the joy and freedom that comes from living a life with Him.

6) I fear that I'll never get the community that I so desperately want. To be honest, last year I was in a very dark and lonely place. It won't go into detail, but there were times I became a person that I didn't recognize. Feeling isolated and alone is not a fun place to be.

7) I am fearful of telling the world my goals and then failing while everybody watches. I have a pretty intimidating goal right now that I want to share with all of you, but fear is keeping me from putting it on my blog. Sharing my goals means that I really have to follow through, and that terrifies me.

8) I am scared of heights. I've heard that fear of heights is often associated with people who like to be in control, and that fits me to a T. I had a full-on breakdown while hiking in the Swiss Alps due to my fear of heights...it wasn't pretty!

Now that I've fully exposed myself to you, let's just dig a little deeper, shall we? Let me enlighten you with my 7 wants. Warning: the first three are heavy and the last four are materialistic/playful...don't judge.

I want...

1) To have friends in my town that I can invest in and that will invest in me. I don't want shallow, mediocre relationships. I want friendships with substance. I want community. I want authenticity.

2) To be rid of my sinful nature and my selfishness. My inability to do things right and act in the way God intended is so frustrating.

3) To live a life of purpose. I want people to know who I am and what I believe.

4) A house. I want to build a home with Bryant (preferably with carpet!) that we can make our own.

5) Someone to pay me to travel without asking for anything in return. I want someone to see my passion for cultures and people and then fund my travel dreams for the next 5 years :)

6) To enjoy cooking. I really hope one day I wake up and magically like it so that Bryant doesn't have to cook forever :)

7) A yacht...I know it's a long shot, but I can dream!

Ten Days: Loves

2011-09-27T23:25:00.012-05:00

Here we are, day 2 of the 10 day challenge, and the topic is "loves." I could go on and on about all of the things that I love...people, moments, things, places, feelings. But for the sake of the challenge, here are just 9 of my loves:

I love...

1) Bryant Daniel :)

2) Six little human beings that bring me so much joy...Parker David (6), Audrey Mae (6), Griffin Jacob (4), Elliot Jacob (4), Hollyn Joy (1), and Rylan Earl (3 months).

3) Standing at a window inside a cozy house watching snow fall...simply mesmerizing.

4) Mornings at my parents' house drinking coffee and talking with two of my favorite people.

5) Tall caramel macchiatos with whipped cream from Starbucks.

6) Dreaming of all of the adventures I have no doubt I'll go on someday and planning exotic trips...currently my heart is set on going to Europe this summer and an incredible 17 day cruise from Hawaii to Australia next fall.

7) Listening to different languages and learning about different cultures.

8) Looking up at the night sky and seeing Orion, my favorite constellation, surrounded by thousands of bright stars.

9) Road trips...scenic views, music playlists, fast food, random car games, long talks, inside jokes, and countless memories.

Now that I've started, I want to keep going!! You really should try making a list of all the things you love...but I'm warning you, it's addicting :)

Ten Days: Secrets

2011-09-26T21:44:00.006-05:00

I saw this 10 day self challenge on a friend's blog and I thought it might be fun to give it a try myself. Plus, that means you will hear from me everyday for TEN days...lucky you :)

Here we go...my ten "secrets":

1) I loved high school and sometimes I wish I could go back (with the exception of freshman year...so traumatic).

2) I don't cook...at all. Bryant does 100% of the cooking in our household. And he usually does the dishes too. But I clean the kitchen counters! :)

3) I love my planner. I've had a planner for ten years and I don't plan on changing my ways anytime soon. Did I mention it's the exact same planner every year?

4) Bryant and I ordered pizza on our wedding night because we didn't get to eat very much food at our wedding and we were starving!

5) When I was 16, I was hit on by an Italian man in a swimming pool in Italy, which led to a police report the next day. Interesting, and yet very true story.

6) I've accidentally washed my clothes with fabric softener more times than I can count. Somebody needs to make the font bigger on those bottles!!

7) I kept my maiden name when I got married because I love it so much. It is now my second middle name (no hyphen, thank you very much).

8) I absolutely hate talking on phones. I literally get sweaty and start shaking when I have to call someone...that probably explains why I am really bad at returning phone calls. It's a miracle that Bryant and I survived long distance dating for a year.

9) I've never missed an episode of Survivor. Pathetic or impressive?

10) Bryant and I picked out all of the music for our wedding just two nights before our big day. Talk about last minute!

One day down, nine more to go! You all are going to learn more about me than you ever wanted to know :)

End of Summer Shenanigans

2011-09-15T23:19:00.001-05:00

It looks like our weather is just about to turn the corner towards autumn, which means my favorite season is almost here!! I've been daydreaming about crunchy leaves, cozy sweaters, and scrumptious candles for weeks now. I seriously cannot wait! However, summer is my second favorite season and we've spent the past few weekends soaking up every ounce of sunshine and relaxation that this glorious season has to offer. I like to refer to our recent end of summer activities as 'shenanigans,' although I'm sure I'm not using that word correctly. But that is the beauty of this being MY blog. Shenanigans it is.

Lately we...

...attended the National Lentil Festival, which just happens to take place in our tiny town. I've spent five years of my life in Pullman and never made it to the Lentil Festival until now. The lentil chili and beer garden on Friday night were fantastic, and the Saturday morning parade exemplified small town charm.

...spent a weekend at my parents' house, beginning with a date with my grandparents who are oh so adorable.

Can I just say I love them? These two people are some of the most special, incredible, and loving grandparents on the planet and I thoroughly enjoy spending time with them.

The next day my mom and I went to the Buggy Barn and looked at the amazing display of quilts. Yes, we live in the country and we are proud of it :)

Bryant was supposed to fly to D.C. for a conference that weekend, but Hurricane Irene had other plans. Although it was a frustrating situation for Bryant, it allowed the two of us to spend some quality time with some very special people: my parents and my friend for 18 years, Kelsy B. We went to a local farming community called Greenbluff and enjoyed some tasty treats. Then, it was off to Target for some retail therapy :)

Fresh peaches...yum!!

Trying on hats in Target

Sunday consisted of church, followed by a nap and a lovely dip in the pool while the men-folk practiced their golf swing (and took aim at me).

Only those who have been friends for 18+ years can hold hands in the church parking lot, pretending to be little girls again :)

...spent another weekend at Piney Wood (the name of my parents' propery), this time fitting in some quality time with my siblings and extended family. We also celebrated my grandpa's 78th birthday!

Hollyn's ponytail cracks me up!

Some of my cousins

To celebrate Grandpa's birthday, six of us played golf. It was my first time ever playing golf and I actually really enjoyed it!

Can you tell I've never played before (the fact that I wore flip flops is a dead giveaway!)?

Watching my man...he's a natural :)

The whole group

What could be better than topping off our golf game with coffee and pie on my grandparents' deck

That weekend was also when we bought our new car. The day after we got her, I literally got out of bed the next morning and ran to the window to look at her. I'm slightly obsessed.

To finish out the weekend, we spent some one-on-one time with my siblings and their kiddos. First, Bryant and I rescued my brother-in-law who was at the amusement park with Parker and Griffin. He couldn't handle going on the rides with the boys because they made him nauseous, so Auntie and Uncle Bryant gladly took over. You're welcome, Joel :) After that, we headed to my siblings' homes for some more fun.

Tilt-a-Whirl time!

Audrey Bug coloring with some of the new art supplies we got her for her birthday. My sweet Audrey Mae turns 6 on Saturday!

Mr. driving his truck

My sister-in-law makes the best cookies in the world.

...attended our first Cougar football game of the season and almost melted in the 95 degree heat. I'm an avid fan, but it was so hot on those metal bleachers with thousands of people surrounding us that we had to leave midway through the third quarter. I draw the line when sweat starts dripping down every inch of my body. It brought back very vivid memories of living in Louisiana...I'm glad those days are over!

I think it's safe to say that we've been pretty busy around these parts lately. I love knowing that we've really taken advantage of what these last few weeks of summer have to offer. As one season slowly comes to a close and another one anxiously awaits it's debut, I am certain that many more great memories are about to be made.

Our New Baby

2011-09-07T23:37:00.019-05:00

Bryant and I have officially become grown ups. No, we aren't having a child. No, we didn't adopt a puppy. And no, we didn't buy a house. But we did do something this past weekend that made us feel like real adults...we bought a car!!!

We are now the proud owners of a 2010 Volkswagen Jetta and I am in love. Bryant and I will shamelessly tell you that she's our "baby" :)

Isn't she purdy? :)

Bryant and I had been in desperate need of a new car for a long time. And let me tell you, when I say DESPERATE NEED, I am absolutely not exaggerating!! Prior to buying our little Jetta, we had only one functioning car and another one that was a safety hazard that sat in front of our house for "decoration" (the brakes no longer function and all the tires need replacing, all of which would cost more than the value of the car). The car that we use on a daily basis is the vehicle that I have driven since I was 15 years old and it was passed down to me for free from my grandfather. While it was a luxury car in it's day (boy did I feel cool as a little girl cruising with my Papa), my 1994 Buick Regal is no longer working as it should. It's 17 years old...who could blame her?!! Bui (as I affectionately call her) now has to be turned on with a switch underneath the hood every time we need to start the car. Let me say that again...EVERY TIME!!! The whole process goes something like this: unlock the car, pop the hood, flip the switch underneath the hood, close the hood, get in the car, put the key in the ignition and start the car. The ghetto switch has grown on us this past year, but Bryant and I are a little tired of cutting our fingers on the switch almost every day. Not to mention that people think we are super cool when they see us popping our hood all around our itty, bitty college town.

So, now you can see why we were waaayyy past due for a reliable vehicle. Since we already had plans to be in Spokane for the Labor Day weekend, we decided it was the perfect time to squeeze in some car shopping. We had been talking about it for months and it was about time we bit the bullet!

We went to only one dealership and then...voila, we found our car! Ok, ok. It really wasn't that simple. We did indeed go to only one dealership, but we spent 4.5 hrs there looking at cars, doing a test drive, negotiating prices, calling my parents, feeling nauseous because of the amount of money we were about to spend, and feeling overall panicked at the thought that we were really going to do this. I'm sure some of you are thinking, "What's the big deal? It's just a car!" Well, Bryant and I are very intentional about how we spend our money. We prioritize family and travel...those are the two things that matter most to us. We don't own a house, we don't have fancy things, and half of the furniture in our home doesn't even belong to us! But we've traveled and the memories that we've made on those trips are some of my absolute favorites.

Together in Venice...one year after we started dating :)

Anyway, I've digressed...back to buying the car. It truly was an arduous process, but in the end, we are really proud that we bought a car all by ourselves. No parents. No siblings. Just me and Bryant making a decision together. I was terrified that I would have 'buyer's remorse' after making such a big purchase, but I didn't (and still don't!). In fact, Bryant and I were like giddy five year olds who couldn't stop smiling and giggling as we drove our little Jetta off the lot. And I know that I'm not going to regret the purchase at all when I slip into those leather heated seats come winter time :)

Bryant and I with our baby the night we got her

Yep, we're officially growing up. Sometimes that thought makes me cringe, but most of the time I find joy in the fact that I am maturing and navigating through life. And I feel pretty darn lucky that I get to do all of this growing up with my favorite person by my side :)

P.S. If you see a silver Jetta cruising down the street with the sun roof open, the windows rolled down, and a blonde girl inside smiling from ear to ear, you should wave...because chances are it's me :)

The Definition of Cute

2011-08-30T23:46:00.002-05:00

I think Hollyn Joy and her adorable cuteness is about all this blog post can handle. No other words necessary!

I've Got Some Explaining To Do

2011-08-18T22:31:00.013-05:00

Well hello again! For those of you who don't remember me, my name is Kelsey.

Who??

KEL - SEY

Oh that's right, the girl who has neglected her blog for the past month (eek!!). Has it really been that long? Unfortunately yes. I suppose I should tell you why I dropped off the face of the planet for ages and am just now resurfacing. Let me explain...

In the past month, I have been in:

7 different states (plus the District of Columbia)
2 different time zones
1 bus
8 planes
4 hotels
1 tent
3 trolleys
5 taxis
1 boat
1 jet ski

Now can you see why I haven't been around these parts lately?!

This summer has been really good, really fun, and REALLY busy! Part of me has felt guilty that I haven't been recording all of these fun adventures on my blog, but the other part of me is really proud of myself for soaking in each and every experience without being distracted by the blogging world. The hiatus has been nice, but now I'm back and ready to face the challenge of playing catch up! I'm not sure where to start or how to adequately express how wonderful these past few weeks have been, but I'm going to try...slowly but surely :) I can't wait to tell you about what I've been up to!!

It's good to be back :)

Voila!

2011-07-15T19:49:00.015-05:00

A looong time ago, my friend Courtney gave me the gift of a new blog design...and when I say a long time ago, I mean FEBRUARY!!! Apparently Courtney thought my blog needed a facelift and a new name. Geesh, Courtney is bossy! ;) Anyway, after months of trying to figure out what to call my blog, Jenn swooped in and rescued me during our girls weekend in Ma y. After throwing out a few ideas, she suggested "Memories by the Mile" and I was sold. I love alliteration, I am an avid traveler and constantly daydream of places to go (hence the mile part), and I am extremely sentimental and deeply treasure the memories of my life. Plus, it still ties in with the original tagline of my blog, which happens to be one of my all-time favorite quotes and personal mottos. The title is perfection and now it's all mine :)

So, let me introduce you to...drum roll please...my brand new, super fantastic blog design! I am slightly biased, but I think it is pretty darn spectacular! It's both classy and playful and it represents the real Kelsey. Yep, I'm in love with it :)

Thank you Courtney for giving me this wonderful gift! Are you happy now? :) And Jenn, thank you for doing such a wonderful job on the design and being soooo patient with me. I've told you before, but you certainly have an incredible talent. All you bloggers out there, if you ever want a blog makeover, visit Jenn's website, Munchkin Land Designs. She's the best!

Have you gotten the memo that I LOVE the new look?? Well, I do. But regardless of the design, I love that I have this little corner of the internet to call my own and reflect on my life and my memories...the good and the bad, the interesting and the mundane, the profound and the silly. I look forward to the many miles ahead that will be recorded in this special space I call mine.

Country Roads

2011-07-10T16:41:00.012-05:00

Yesterday, Bryant and I took a drive...and it was beautiful! We live in an area of southeastern Washington called the Palouse. The Palouse consists of a bunch of small rural farming towns and is known for it's rolling hills of wheat fields. During certain parts of year, the wheat fields are a piercing green color that contrast perfectly with the blue sky and leave you breathless.

Bryant and I have lived on the Palouse for a total of 5 years and yet we have never gone exploring. We are always so busy going to Spokane for family events or going on bigger trips around the U.S. that we often forget the fun adventures that await us right out our backdoor. Yesterday, we packed a picnic lunch and hit the country roads to discover the hidden treasures of the Palouse!

Just 20 minutes from our house, we discovered this cute little county park right along the banks of the Snake River

Not more than 2 minutes down the road from the park, we encountered "The Cliffs." I had heard about this infamous spot many times during my college career, but never found it until this weekend. "The Cliffs" are the place where college students go to drink insane amounts of alcohol and then jump off the cliffs into the freezing Snake River...that sounds like a really safe combination if you ask me. We caught plenty of people doing exactly that during our visit.
Bryant and I skipped the jumping and instead hiked to the top for a nice view and a photo op :)

We drove around some more and found another charming park. Deciding it was the perfect spot for our picnic, we spread out our blanket and enjoyed views of the river.

Heading home, I was mesmerized by this stunning image surrounding me on both sides.

We only scratched the surface on our mini road trip and I know there is so much more to see. I can't wait to find out what other secrets are out there! So, what adventures and hidden gems are awaiting you in your neighborhood? Start exploring and you'll find out!

4th of July Recipe

2011-07-05T23:10:00.024-05:00

I have a really good recipe for you. And I know for a fact it's good because I just tried it out this past weekend. Are you ready?

4th of July Recipe

1) On 5 acres of land in Eastern Washington, combine:

21 family members, ranging in age from 2 months to 80 years
9 vehicles
1 house
3 tents
1 hot tub
1 trampoline
A dozen camping chairs
1 fire pit
3 million bags of chips
1 ladder ball game
4 children's bikes
2 mini pools
1 evening of wine tasting
1 game of paintball
3 refrigerators filled with food and beverages
1 rousing game of Balderdash

2) Let all of the ingredients simmer at 80 degrees for a full three-day weekend

3) Sprinkle with a generous amount of delicious food, a dollop of laughter, and hearty serving of love

When finished, this is what you get:

Our "home" for the weekend
Summertime fun
Could we possibly fit another item on this table??
Cousins and second cousins
Just hanging out

Gansta...and ready for paintball
Playing :)
It's hard to believe that my grandparents have 3 more great grandchildren that aren't pictured
I saw this weekend as an opportunity to corrupt Hollyn...this girl now loves diet cherry coke and Starbursts :)
S'more time! I became "Auntie, the s'more queen" :)

The organizers of this great weekend (aka my parents)

Do we look related, or what?

This is what life is all about

And there you have it, the perfect 4th of July recipe. I can assure you that it will provide you with lots of good times and fun memories.

And if you want to top off the recipe with a little dessert, I suggest going to a small town community celebration where you eat American bbq and run into lots of people you know. And don't forget the live bands and fireworks!!

This is my America...let freedom RING!

Not Your Ordinary Monday

2011-06-30T20:49:00.016-05:00

This was our Monday...

5:30am - woken up by an important text message; eventually fall back asleep
9:30am - text Bryant at work and tell him I think we need to drive to Portland
10:30am - on our way to Portland (6 hour drive)
4:30pm - arrive in Portland; spend 5 hours at the hospital
9:30pm - get coffee at Starbucks; drive back home (6 hour drive)
3:30am - home!
4:00am - in bed
6:30am - my alarm goes off for work

Why in the world would we drive 12 hours in one day, across the entire state of Washington and back?! Why in the world would we endure the extreme sleep deprivation or the pain of suffering through work on Tuesday?! Why, you ask? Here is your answer...

Rylan Earl Gatherer

8 lbs, 15 oz -- 21 inches long
June 27, 2011

Yep, another nephew has joined the family!! It was a whirlwind trip, but it was SO worth it. It was beyond special to hold that little guy just three hours after he came into this world. We also managed to not tell anyone that we were coming and the look of surprise on Kallen's face when we walked into the hospital room will stay with me forever. In that moment, I knew how much it meant to her that we were there.

Uncle Bryant getting to hold Rylan

Kallen, the proud mama :) She had the worst pregnancy (she had appendicitis and emergency surgery about a month ago), so it was an answer to prayer that she had a smooth and easy delivery.

Witnessing Rylan's first bath :)
As soon as I got my hands on him, I didn't want to let him go
The five hours we were at the hospital consisted of a lot of this...just staring at the sweet little guy.
Bryant and his sister
The whole sibling posse :)
Mama Sherry (my mother-in-law) is in love with her first grandchild

The new family of three :)
Rylan's pretty cute, isn't he?

I still can't believe I am 24 years old and I am an auntie for the 6th time!! I never get tired of wrapping my arms around those itty bitty people, or smelling their sweet baby scent, or looking into their precious eyes. I am so happy to have one more Little Love to love on...welcome to the family, Rylan!

My Little Loves

2011-06-20T22:40:00.017-05:00

So you hear about my Little Loves all the time on this blog, but would you like to know what my nieces and nephews are really like? Well, without further adieu, I give them to you in all their cute glory...

Hollyn Joy has a new affinity for the word "yeah"...if you ask the right questions, she will boost your confidence in .01 seconds :)

Do you think these kids are camera shy? Um, that would be a no :) P.S. The end of this video is my favorite :)

Have you ever seen this Youtube video? I think Park and Griff could give them a run for their money ;)

And there you have it, an inside glimpse into my life. Now you know just some of the many reasons why I love all five of those scrumptious, sassy, smart, adorable kiddos to pieces :)

Birthday Madness

2011-06-18T13:33:00.027-05:00

June is the month that chaos ensues in my family...but in a good way :) We have A LOT of big events to celebrate in June, including four birthdays - mine is on the 12th, my brother's is on the 14th, my nephew's is on the 16th, and my grandma's is on the 19th. Woah, that's a lot of birthdays within one week!!

Last weekend, we decided to have a big birthday bash and celebrate all four birthdays at the same time. And this was an extra special birthday celebration because my grandma is reaching a HUGE milestone...on Sunday she will be 80 years old!! Doesn't she look fabulous?

All of us got to open presents (in order from youngest to oldest), and then it was time to take an updated family photo. We even staged it so it would look just like the one from summer 2009, with the addition of Hollyn, of course :)

Summer 2009

Summer 2011

And then we did what our family does best...play, eat, and laugh! All family get-togethers include those three key ingredients :)

This sweet girl decided to strutt her stuff for us...with her tongue out and everything.

Hollyn knows she is cute and she works it every time she sees a camera
I truly can't get enough of her :)

Bryant and Grandpa setting up ladder ball while the kiddos "helped"...more like they spread the pieces all over the lawn in different directions :)
Dad cooking up a storm on the grill

Dinner was DELICIOUS!!! Grandma requested pasta, Erik requested burgers, and I requested creamy pesto salad dressing from The Old Spaghetti Factory...the fruit was a tasty bonus! I also requested my dad's famous sangria :)

Cake time! My mom made us all individual desserts.

The birthday gang
One of the special surprises of the night was a slideshow for grandma to commemorate her 80 years of life. She loved it!
Saying goodnight to two of my favorite people.

The next day, my parents and Bryant and I celebrated my actual birthday and it was everything I wanted it to be. We spent all morning sitting outside on the deck drinking coffee and talking. Later, we had lunch and mom made me my favorite dish...macaroni bacon casserole :)

Mom and dad during lunch

The food...my mom is seriously the best cook ever.After that, my dad taught Bryant how to use the riding lawn mower and I took a lovely birthday nap on the couch listening to the gentle humming sound of the grass being cut.

It might sound like a boring day to some, but it was perfect for me. I got to spend lots of time enjoying the sunny weather outside with the people I love most. Yes, it was bliss :)

And if you thought four birthdays in one week wasn't crazy enough, Bryant's sister is due TODAY with her first baby!! Boy oh boy, June just keeps getting busier by the minute!

I Could Live Here

2011-06-13T20:58:00.026-05:00

Two weekends ago (I know, I'm a little behind in my blogging) Bryant and I headed over to Seattle to celebrate our friends' wedding. We decided to make a full weekend of it and we had so much fun! I cannot even tell you how many times I said, "I could live here." Let me tell you, there are few places that are better than Seattle on a sunny day. Key word: sunny :)

Driving across the state...the mountains are in sight!

On Friday, we went to the wedding and it was beautiful. Bill and Claire were very instrumental in developing mine and Bryant's faith throughout college, so it was truly an honor to witness their love story and be there as they made a life-long commitment to each other.

The reception was in Ballard and the views from the venue were stunning! It was right on the beach and all of the doors opened up to the water. The night was filled with eating, drinking, dancing, and catching up with old friends. Oh, and a few party crashers who tried to steal beer, spiked the punch, and asked us for money. Seattle when the sun goes down = sketch.

Bryant and Bryan (Bryan was the one who drove us away from our wedding!)

Gorgeous sunset over the mountains

Sending off the bride and groom, sparklers and all!

On Saturday, Bryant and I spent the entire morning reconnecting with my dear friend Sydel and her sweet family. Sydel was my YoungLife leader in middle school and I can say without a doubt that she was the single most influential person in my Christian faith outside my family. I hadn't seen her in over 6 years, so it was really good to catch up! Sydel made us a scrumptious brunch and then we played outside with the kids for hours. Such a refreshing visit!

Me and Sydel

Bailey, Hunter, and Sam...some of the sweetest, most well-behaved kids you will ever meet

After that, we ate lunch at a deli in West Seattle and headed to Alki beach to take in the views. Who knew that we would end up cruising the coastline for hours?!

Alki Beach with Mt. Rainier in the background

The Olympic mountains were in full snow-capped glory and I couldn't take my eyes off of them! I spent 6 years living less than two hours north of Seattle, making many trips on the weekends to visit my siblings in the Emerald City. Oddly enough, not once did I ever notice this majestic mountain range!!! It must have been raining every time I drove through :)

Downtown

We made it back to the deli hours later to eat some delicious ice cream

To cap off our lovely Saturday, we returned to my friend Lauren's house (where we had been staying all weekend) to have a BBQ!

I couldn't believe this was the view from Lauren's yard!!

Hanging out with Lauren and her fiance Matt (they just got engaged two days ago!!)

On Sunday, our last day in Seattle, we headed to Green Lake in north Seattle so I could meet up with my girls. Amanda (Manda May) and Kelsey (Twinny) are some of my bestest friends and it had been far too long since I had seen them. We walked the 3 mile loop around the lake and then sat at a cafe to eat and talk. Then, we ended our spectacular weekend with a visit to the iconic Pike Place Market.

Green Lake

The girls :)

Looking out over Green Lake. Every time we get together on a lake, we take this kind of photo (pic courtesy of Manda May)

Summer 2008 & 2009...see, I told you! It's a tradition! :)

Bryant and I at Green Lake

Pike Place Market...I love these girls!
(Manda May's photo)

Pike Place is known for it's fish market :)

The original, very first Starbucks ever. I am proud to be from Washington :)

Yep, I could live in Seattle. Especially West Seattle (which I never knew existed until I went to visit Lauren and Sydel) because it reminds me so much of Bellingham, close to where I grew up. What do you say, Courtney? Should we both move here in a few years? :)

It was a whirlwind weekend of visiting old friends and exploring new places, and I loved every minute of it! We'll be back soon!

via Manda May

Together At Last

2011-06-01T22:06:00.016-05:00

There are absolutely no words that can adequately describe this past weekend. Honestly, I have been procrastinating on writing this particular post because no matter how hard I try, I won't be able to describe it in all of its beauty. Let me just start by saying that it was good. And I don't mean the generic good that we throw around in everyday conversation. I mean good in the most pure and deep sense of the word.

Shoot. I'm crying already.

Basically, we had the best girls weekend EVER! Jenn and C o urtn e y flew in for the long weekend and my sister and I spent the next three days living life with them. And when I say "living life," that is exactly what I mean. There was no trying to impress one another or entertain one another, it was merely four sisters talking and laughing like we had known each other our entire lives. It was pajamas and coffee. It was tears and real problems. It was sister fights and inside jokes. It was church and girl talk. It was relational and real and honest and exactly what my soul needed.

Of course, we did the fun girly stuff too...like getting pedicures and going shopping.

And going out to dinner and drinking the best key lime martinis in the entire world. Seriously, these martinis made Jenn and Courtney want to move to Washington (I guess the gorgeous Washington scenery might have helped as well).

But honestly, some of my favorite memories were ones that didn't involve fancy restaurants or nail salons. Like when I stood next to Courtney in church and listened to her sing "Come Thou Fount" and giggled with her throughout the sermon. It just felt right to be next to her and discussing the word of God. Or when Jenn brought me to tears during a deep conversation because she said something only a real friend could say. Or the time that I laughed so hard I cried (hmmm...reoccuring theme?) because Courtney and I epicly failed trying to make pomegranate martinis and spilled vodka all over my sister's counter. The martinis were excellent...our execution, not so much :)

By the way, did I mention that Courtney and I are pretty much the exact same person?! Aside from a major height difference and different colored hair, she and I are twins. Not only do we both have husbands who will eternally be in school, but we also love to make lists, we like to watch the Miss USA pageant, we hate talking on phones, we adore our families, we have almost identical wedding rings...the list goes on and on...and on and on! At one point during the weekend, we even said the exact same thing at the exact same time! Yep, God knew what He was doing when he orchestrated this whole friendship years ago :)

I cannot tell you how grateful I am to have a friend who knows me and can relate to where I am in life. Thanks for walking alongside me, Courtney!

On Sunday night, I literally did everything I could to not go to sleep because I didn't want the weekend to end. I wish so badly that we lived closer, to share the everyday stuff with one another. But I delight in knowing that we have a friendship that isn't defined by what state we live in or how often we get to see each other. Plus, it won't be too long before the sisters reunite because another girls weekend is already in the works! :)

P.S Check out Courtney's post about this weekend here. She puts it into words perfectly!

A Tale of Four Sisters

2011-05-26T21:42:00.017-05:00

Once upon a time, in a land called Washington, a girl named Amy started blogging. Little did she know that 1,000 miles away in the state of Colorado, another woman named Jenn was publishing her life on the internet as well. Somehow, their paths crossed and a friendship was formed. Comments were exchanged on one another's blogs, texts began to go back and forth, and eventually they got up the nerve to talk on the phone. They could relate on so many levels...they were both wives to incredible men, they both shared a deep love for the Lord, and they both gave birth to their 2nd babies around the same time. It was evident that this friendship had a future. Five years after meeting through the internet, the two girls have now visited each other multiple times and opened up their homes, their families, and their hearts to one another. If you want to read the story from their own perspectives as it all unfolded, you can check it out here, here, here, here, here, and here!

Amy and Jenn on their second visit in 2009

That was a good story, wasn't it? Well, it doesn't end there...

It just so happened that both Amy and Jenn had little sisters who were around the same age with similar interests and personalities. One day, after much encouragement from their bossy older sisters, the little sisters became friends on facebook and cautiously began to get to know one another. It wasn't long before they hit it off. It helped that they both had Christmas weddings within a year of each other and bonded over all of the fun wedding planning details. Guess what? A few years later, those little sisters also began blogging and they realized that they had more in common then they ever could've imagined. The began commenting on each other's blogs, then emailing, and then texting. This sounds so familiar, doesn't it? :) Eventually, after years of being friends online, the two little sisters finally had the chance to meet in person. In a Starbucks in Colorado, an internet friendship became real. All of the nerves were gone (and believe me, there were a lot of them!) when I walked in the door and gave Courtney a hug. I had never heard her voice before, yet I knew her. The two hours we spent talking flew by and it felt like mere minutes before we had to part ways again. She was beautiful, and funny, and everything I thought she would be! I called my sister in the car after I left and told her she and Jenn were right...we sisters, all four of us, were meant to be friends :)

Courtney and I meeting for the first time, August 2010

The story gets even better...

Tomorrow, five years after this story began, my sister and I will be picking up Jenn and Courtney at the airport for a girls' weekend in Spokane!! This has been a long time coming and I can't wait to spend hours talking and sharing life with one another. Bring on the pedicures, chic flicks, and laughter...this is going to be a fantastic weekend!!

Recovering

2011-05-21T20:24:00.018-05:00

I have been sick...really sick. On Tuesday night I got a sore throat and I was foolish enough to believe that I was just tired and needed sleep. Oh was I wrong. Sooooooooo wrong. I made it until Thursday before I had to leave work early and then proceeded to have a complete emotional and physical breakdown. It felt like I had glass in my throat every time I swallowed. And I had extreme pain in my neck. Oh, and then there was the back and forth of being freezing and then really hot, which was also accompanied by an achy feeling all over my body. I finally went to the doctor (which I never do...they kind of freak me out). I was tested for strep, but it came back negative. Then they told me I might have mono. Not what I wanted to hear!! It especially freaked me out because all I've ever heard about mono is that it is nicknamed "the kissing disease" and that it is spread by saliva. Believe it or not, I'm not really in the habit of swapping saliva with random people and I can assure you that the only person I've been kissing lately is my husband, thank you very much! I am currently choosing to ignore the piece of paper they gave me to bring to the hospital for a blood test. You know, that whole aversion to doctors thing. I am pleased to say that I have regained some energy today and I even did a load of laundry! :) Thankfully, most of my symptoms are gone, with the exception of the constant pain in my throat and a headache. Don't worry, if I'm still sick on Monday I will have the blood work done. However, I can't promise it won't cause me to panic and sweat profusely. Just saying...

Anyway, there were two things I meant to blog about earlier in the week, but I just couldn't work up the energy (yeah, pretty pathetic when the thought of moving your fingers on a keyboard sounds too hard).

First of all, last weekend we celebrated my sister's 30th birthday. And we didn't just have any old party, it was a surprise party! Me and my mom, along with one of my sister's friends, schemed, plotted, and planned for over a month to pull the surprise off. Invitations were sent out, decoys were set up, and lots of secret emails went back and forth between the three culprits. On the day of the party, everything went according to plan and Amy was absolutely shocked when she walked into the restaurant! The look on her face said it all...we had accomplished our mission! I'm pretty sure she was shaking for a good 10 minutes after that and could barely focus enough to order her meal! It made me so happy to see her surrounded by her friends and enjoying every minute of it. One of my favorite things in the whole world is surprising people...I think it's because seeing someone I adore feel special and loved brings me so much joy. As long as I can pull it off, I plan to keep on surprising people! :)

The birthday girl and the party planners :)

The next day the whole family came together (this time the boys were invited) to celebrate Amy's birthday. Really it was just an excuse to eat "Amy Cake," a dessert my grandma has made for my sister on her birthday since she was a little girl. I haven't met anyone yet who doesn't love the strawberry shortcake with whipped cream yummyness. Oh, except Hollyn. She and I shared my cake and she spit out every single strawberry I gave her. Apparently she is not a fruit person.

Amy and Grandma with the famed "Amy Cake"

Auntie and Hollyn trying to take a picture and eat cake at the same time

After the birthday festivities, I returned to work on Monday and signed my official employment papers! That's right, I finally got a full time job!! Since September, I had been an hourly employee and was only allowed to work about 35 hours a week until I reached 1,050 hours (at which point I would no longer have a job). I have been on pins and needles the past few months waiting to find out if they would make me a real staff member or if I would have to start looking for other employment options. With only about a week to spare before I reached my 1,050 hour cap, I can now rest easy because I am a full time, salaried employee with benefits!! Yay!! I still have the exact same job (which I love), in the exact same office, working with the exact same people, but now I just have the luxury of knowing that my job is (relatively) secure. God is good!

So that's my life in a nutshell right now. I'm slowly recovering from my nasty illness and I'm hoping I'm 100% by next weekend because someone really special is coming to visit!!! More on that coming soon :)

Pint Size Sassypants Turns ONE!

2011-05-09T21:41:00.025-05:00

I know what you are thinking right now. You are thinking that the title of this post is a) a tongue twister and b) doesn't make any sense. Well, it might very well be difficult to say, but I can assure you that it makes perfect sense. Many years back, I nicknamed my sister "Sassypants." I personally thought it was a very appropriate name to give her (that would be the younger sister in me talking) and I have called her that ever since. Recently, my mom took it one step further and decided that my niece Hollyn was a miniature version of Amy and has now been given the nickname "Pint Size Sassypants." I can totally envision that showing up in her high school yearbook 15 years from now...

Anyway, now that I have divulged family history, let's move on to the real point of this post...Hollyn Joy's first birthday!! Can she possibly be one already?! It seems like just yesterday that Bryant and I flew home from Louisiana to meet that sweet baby girl and welcome her into the world. The whole family got together on Saturday to celebrate Hollyn and bask in her cuteness. I'll let the pictures share the story...

This is how we found Hollyn when we walked in the door...she was ready for her party! She definitely knew it was her special day!

Pink, pink, pink!

Hollyn requested spaghetti for her birthday...it's one of her favorites :)

Meanwhile, my sister was in the corner drinking vodka. Totally kidding :)

The troublemakers

Present time!

Don't you just want to squeeze that polka dot cutie pie?
Hollyn took a break from presents for a while...no worries, her cousins filled in for her :)

Hollyn fell in love with the birthday card she got from Oma and Opa. She "read" it over and over again :)

She even took the time to go through her presents a second time, just so she didn't miss anything.

The birthday girl and her daddy :)

Hollyn really is one of the cutest, funniest, smartest, and happiest little girls on the planet. I'm her Auntie and I say so :) I can't wait to celebrate many more birthdays with my little princess!

And since we were already in town for the birthday, Bryant and I stayed an extra day to celebrate Mother's Day with my mama. It was really special. I woke up on Sunday morning and found my mom in her bedroom, reading her Bible in her rocking chair with her cup of coffee in hand and the sunshine coming in the window behind her...everything about that image makes me smile. I crawled into her bed and we just talked about life. Moments like those make life rich and joyous.

I love her. I really, really love her. She's everything a mom should be and more. I want to be just like her when I grow up :)

A Wedding and a Baby Shower

2011-05-04T21:46:00.012-05:00

This past weekend was full of celebration. First, it started out with a lovely wedding. The bride looked stunning, every detail was planned out perfectly, and you could certainly tell that no expense was spared on this momentous event. Come to think of it, you just might recognize the happy couple...

Not only did I stay up until the wee hours of the morning on Friday to watch the wedding, I also convinced Bryant to keep me company (I'm still not sure how I managed to do that!). By the time Kate finally revealed her much anticipated dress and walked down the aisle, Bryant had long since climbed in to bed and my sleepy eyes were telling me to do the same. Have no fear though, I did get to watch the wedding in it's entirety. I know, you were seriously concerned, weren't you :) Bryant and I made the six hour drive to the "West Side" (that is what us Eastern Washingtoners call the other side of the state) to visit Bryant's family. Upon our arrival, the whole family sat down to watch the wedding (again!) and spent hours "ooing" and "ahhing" over the lavish affair. Everyone in the room was obsessed with the fancy hats and the oh so British fascinators. In fact, while us women were absorbed with the fashion, Bryant and his dad sneaked away unnoticed into the garage, only to reappear looking like this...

There are no words.

I personally think they were jealous of all the attention the ladies on tv were getting and decided to create their own trend-setting fascinators. I am no expert, but I think the famed designer Philip Treacy would have given them a standing ovation. Yes, the man with a paper plate and ribbon tied to his head is the one I've chosen to spend my life with :)

The weekend festivities continued with a baby shower for Bryant's sister, which was equally fun and exciting. Kallen is having a baby boy and I am thrilled to become an auntie for the 6th time next month! The shower was wonderful and the cupcakes were de-lic-ious!! It was a good thing I was never left alone with the cupcakes, or else they might have disappeared in 0.5 seconds and my in-laws would have finally discovered my weakness for cream cheese frosting.

The mom-to-be

Me, my mother-in-law (or Mama Sherry, as I lovingly named her while living in Louisiana), and Kallen

Bryant and his sister...he is still slightly creeped out by pregnant women, but I think my sister provided good therapy for him last year when she was pregnant with Hollyn, so we are making progress :)

I ate a lot, laughed a lot, and thoroughly enjoyed the weekend. And the next time we go back to visit, we'll get to meet our newest little nephew!

Repetition

2011-04-29T01:53:00.010-05:00

(via)

I am packing...again. Bryant and I are gone most weekends and this one is no exception. We are off to the other side of the state today to visit family and attend his sister's baby shower. It should be a fun visit and I am really excited to see his sister's growing baby bump :) I will say, however, that I am getting tired of being gone all the time! I never knew how fortunate Bryant and I were to spend the first few months of our marriage 2,000 miles away from our family and friends. I look back on that time now and really treasure it because we got to spend every weekend focused on each other. Don't get me wrong, I adore my family, but sometimes I just long for those hot Louisiana weekends strolling down the sidewalk with an icee in my hand and my man by my side :)

Anyway, back to loading up my toiletries and remembering to grab my phone charger :)

Now if only my suitcases were as cute and quirky as the ones above...

P.S. Did anyone else stay up until 3:30 am to watch the royal wedding?? :)

Chills

2011-04-23T16:47:00.007-05:00

I have a thing for celebrities. As I mentioned in my post about seeing Jennifer Garner last year, I am obsessed with people.com and I always tune in to the big award shows like the Oscars and the Golden Globes. I also have a special place in my heart for country music celebrities and you better believe I'll dvr any show that comes on that has to do with country music. I love country music and I especially love it when I am driving down the dirt roads by my parents' house with the windows down, singing at the top of my lungs with my sunglasses on and a diet cherry coke in my hand.

I digress...

Anyway, do you know what I love more than celebrities and more than country music? I love celebrities who use their fame to bring glory to God! This afternoon I was watching a country music show I had dvr'd last night (see, I told you...anything country, I record) called "ACM Girls' Night Out." The show was honoring some of the most incredible female stars in country music like Reba McEntire, Jennifer Nettles of Sugarland, Carrie Underwood, Martina McBride, etc. The whole show was fantastic, but it was the final performance of the night that made chills run down my body. Carrie Underwood did a duet with Vince Gill of "How Great Thou Art". They could have sung any song in the world, and yet they chose to sing a song that praises our Savior, the Light of the World, the Prince of Peace, our Messiah! I literally had tears in my eyes at the end of the performance. Please, please, PLEASE watch this video...it is incredible!

I thank God that he loans us special talents while we are here on this earth. I pray that every single one us uses them to show the world the love and hope of Jesus Christ.

Full Circle

2011-04-21T17:00:00.023-05:00

Ok folks, this is officially the last blog post about the cruise! Hurray! Apparently it takes a month in Kelseyland to recap a 9 day cruise :) Hold on, this is going to be a long one!

DAY 8: Cabo San Lucas (again!)
For our last port of call, we returned to the bustling city of Cabo. Bryant and I were bound and determined to see a whale on this trip, so we took it upon ourselves to make it our number one goal while in Cabo. The first time we visited Cabo we toured the land, this time we decided to tour the sea. Sidenote: I think I have an unhealthy addiction to boats. I love being on the water (or in it...I'll take either one!). That is made very clear by the fact that I can be on a ship for 9 days and still choose to go on another boat during our last port day.

After being offered to go out in a teeny tiny dinky boat to see HUGE, GIGANTIC, MONSTROUS whales and consequently suffering a slight panic attack, Bryant and I decided to go on a more "reliable" whale watching/snorkeling tour. Without going into too much detail, it was a completely sketch arrangement. It turned out that the boat tour we signed up for wouldn't return in time for us to get back on our cruise ship before it left for the U.S. so the manager of the company said he would come pick us up in a van at the snorkeling beach in a few hours instead of having us return on the boat. We agreed to still go on the tour and hope that the man was telling the truth and would get us back to our ship in time. Um, hello? What were we thinking?! We didn't have our passports, a credit card, ID...nothing! We totally could have gotten stuck in Mexico with absolutely no way to get home! This is what happens when two risk takers marry each other :)

Looking out the front of our boat...we sought comfort in the fact that other people were on board and therefor we had less chance of getting kidnapped or something :)

Our tour included another visit to the beautiful arch and this time we enjoyed a much closer view

About an hour into our ride, we saw what we came for...a real, live whale! This picture only captures a small part of it's tail, but I promise you it was cool!

Approaching the snorkeling cove

Unlimited alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages were included in the price :)

When we got to the snorkeling beach, we started to panic just a little bit when we asked out boat captain if the manager was here to pick us up yet and his response was "What are you talking about?" Awesome. After much confusion, we were finally told that we had a ride back to the pier...praise the Lord!! Getting to the beach, however, was no easy task. We didn't have swimsuits and our boat was a significant distance from the beach. Let's just say that the whole process involved getting really wet and wrapping my camera up in a black garbage bag...such is the life of an adventure enthusiast! :)

Looking out at our boat once we finally made it ashore

We only saw one whale and we didn't have time to go snorkeling or eat the food we paid for, but at least we accomplished our mission of whale watching. And not only did we make it back to the pier on time and not get stuck in Mexico for all eternity, we also had a lovely conversation with the van driver on the ride back...I'd call it a success! We capped of our day in Cabo with some chips and guacamole and returned to our ship quite satisfied with the day's events.

Back on the ship, we were ready for more fun. So, we put our suits on and hit up the water slide! I cannot even describe how cool it was to be up on the top of the water slide, the highest point on the ship, and looking out at Cabo in the distance with the ocean all around you. It was by far the most exciting and memorable way to sail away from a port!

There I go!

Can you take one guess as to who made this big splash? I'll give you a hint: I'm married to him :)

As the day came to a close, we dressed up one more time for the last formal night of the cruise.

DAY 9: Fun Day at Sea #3
Today was our last day on the ship and we took full advantage of all of the on board activities. We attended a cruise ship Q&A with the cruise director where we got to hear the inside scoop on where the crew lives, the scariest emergency situation they've encountered (man overboard in the middle of the night...super scary!), and all sorts of other interesting tid bits about life on a ship. Later in the day we met up with our friends (you know, the ones I mentioned from our first day on the boat) and totally creamed our competitors at trivia. So much so that our team was named the trivia champions and we were all awarded certificates and medals. It just doesn't get any better than that :)

Us and our friends - the winning team!

After that, it was time for live interactive trivia on the TV with the cruise director, Jen (so much cooler than it sounds, by the way). Our friends invited us over to their room and we made it a party with champagne and everything! Cruising is truly a great way to make friends from around the country, regardless of age! I find it really special that two people in their twenties can get along so well with couples that are our parents' age and older...ah, the power of cruising :)

Enjoying each others company while waiting for the trivia to start

Bryant calling in to answer trivia questions (you can see the cruise director and her friends on the TV)

And we won!! I had no idea that Jen, the cruise director, would come and hand deliver the prize to us!

Seriously people, you have no idea how famous Jen was on the ship. This was a moment to remember! P.S. Do you notice how much champagne is in that bucket?!

After I got over being star struck and the party ended, Bryant and I headed to dinner for the last time and soaked up every last bite of our delicious chocolate melting cake :)

Saying goodbye to our waitress, Maria

DAY 10: Back in San Diego
We woke up bright and early and bid farewell to the Carnival Spirit. What a great trip we had! As soon as we got off the ship, my parents were there to pick us up and give us a whirlwind tour of San Diego before dropping us off at the airport to catch our flight home. And of course, we couldn't help but stop for lunch at In-N-Out Burger before we left...yum!

We got to fly over San Francisco at sunset and it was beautiful! In the center of the picture is Alcatraz and behind it is the Golden Gate Bridge.

And there you have it! That was our fun-filled, unforgettable, just-what-we-needed vacation aboard the Carnival Spirit! It took forever to write it all down on here, but I'm so glad I have it to look back on for years to come!

I'm already scheming and trying to figure out what our next vacation will be! :)

La Paaaaz!

2011-04-16T14:10:00.008-05:00

DAY 7: La Paz

After a leisurely morning waking up slowly and enjoying our breakfast, we got off the ship to explore our second-to-last port of call: La Paaaaaz! I can't help but write it like that because our cruise director (who was famous on the ship, by the way) would always say it that way...long and drawn out and overly dramatic! I don't think I'll ever forget hearing her say it over the ship's intercom in her strong British accent...it is engrained in my memory forever :)

The port in La Paz was nothing special. In fact, it was downright ugly. It was so brown and industrial and just blah that I didn't take a single picture. Thankfully, there was more to La Paz than the port. The ship provided buses both to downtown and the beach. After one minute of debate, Bryant and I hopped on the bus to the beach! We thought we would just spend an hour or two there and then get on the other bus to see downtown, but we ended up spending the entire day by the water! La Paz didn't have as beautiful beaches as Cabo, but it was still lovely. And the water was super calm with no boat traffic, which meant it was perfect conditions for jet skiing!!

The beach

See what I mean? How could I resist hopping on one of those babies?!

Off we go!! We made some great friends during our time on the beach and they were nice enough to not only watch our stuff while we were out on the water, but they also took some fun pictures of us on their really nice camera! Thanks Brandi and Jimmy! :)

I love this picture because it was totally not posed...were were laughing, not looking a the camera, AND a jet ski just happened to go buy in the background!

At the end of the day, we were sunburnt and salty, but we had such a great time! That was my first experience going jet skiing and I am so ready to go again! I even tried driving it for a few minutes but then let Bryant take the reigns again...I like going fast, but only when someone else is in control!

Back on the boat, we showered and relaxed a bit before sitting out on our balcony to watch us leave La Paz. We capped off the day with a Broadway-like performance called "The Big Easy." We actually saw this exact same show on our last cruise on the Carnival Triumph, but it was even better the second time around. We even caught some Mardi Gras beads! It totally gave me flashbacks of our Mardi Gras experience in Shreveport :)

Out on our balcony (don't mind my crazy hair)

All happy and giddy after a day of jet skiing and a night of Mardi Gras :)

One more port of call and then it's homeward bound!

Sand and Sun

2011-04-11T23:45:00.011-05:00

Here we go! The cruise recap continues...

DAY 6: Cabo San Lucas
As I mentioned before, Cabo was my favorite port of call. It was the epitome of "Spring Break" as seen in American movies (lots of alcohol, lots of women in itsy bitsy bikinis, and lots of sun) yet for some reason I really enjoyed it. I think that had to have been because I got to observe it from a distance and return to my lovely ship when I was tired of the madness. And believe me, it was madness. There were 5 cruise ships in port that day, plus all of the college students...there were easily 10,000 Americans packing the streets of Cabo!

The day began with a short boat ride from our ship to the dock since Cabo doesn't have a pier and we had to anchor our boat out at sea. We had booked a little boat and beach resort package for the day, so we hopped on our third boat of the day and took a little trip out to the stunning rock formations at the very tip of the Baja Peninsula known as "Land's End." It was stunning!

Cruise ships in the background on the way to Land's End

Cabo has tons of sea lions roaming around

Lover's Beach

The famous arch

After our boat ride, we were driven to an exclusive beach resort where we got to indulge in a delicious Mexican buffet and soak up the sun. I also caved and bought a pretty turquoise necklace from a local :)

Isn't the water gorgeous?!

Frolicking in the water :)

No day in Cabo is complete without a Corona :)

I could have stayed on that beach all day, but sadly our time was up and we had to go. On the way back to the cruise ship I experienced three things that made me deliriously happy:

1) I got a caramel macchiatto at Starbucks. I think that pretty much speaks for itself :)

2) A little girl (who probably wasn't much older than 3 years old) was begging me to buy some chiclets from her. I responded to her in Spanish and she looked at me with the cutest expression of surprise and utter confusion. I am pretty sure no one had ever responded to her in Spanish before. She stopped begging and just followed us around for a few minutes, never uttering another word. I wish I could've gotten a picture of that sweet chica.

3) During our visit to the local flea market, I had a conversation with the most wonderful elderly lady. I was bargaining to buy a hat from her and yet it was more than that. Those five minutes of speaking Spanish to this lady was probably one of the most special memories of my trip. I really can't explain it except to say that I felt at home with her, like she could be my Mexican grandmother or something :) Meeting her allowed me to see that a city as touristy as Cabo could still maintain an element of authenticity and humble charm.

Making our way back to the pier

Like I said, Spring Break was in full force!

The flea market where I bought my hat...and a bracelet, and another bracelet, and some pottery. We left there with $0 left!

We made it back to our ship at the end of the day and bid farewell to Cabo as the sun went down behind the rock formations.

It was a good day, a really good day. And the best part was that it wouldn't be the last time we would step foot in the over-Americanized, yet endearing city of Cabo...

Well Hello Again

2011-04-10T20:59:00.008-05:00

Woah! I was on a role posting pictures from the cruise and then all of the sudden almost two weeks have gone by without me blogging at all. Well, I'm back. And I promise I have two really good reasons as to why I disappeared. First of all, Bryant and I went away to Sandpoint, Idaho last weekend to meet up with my family for a getaway at a resort. There were 13 of us staying in a two bedroom house and it was crazy. Being woken up at the wee hours of the morning by our 5 nieces and nephews made us realize that we don't want kids for a while (seriously, best birth control ever). But, admist all the chaos, we really did have a blast. And you won't believe how us adults entertained ourselves for the entire weekend. Take a look...

Yes, we got addicted to the Wii game "Just Dance". We could be found dancing and looking like fools morning, afternoon, and night. Brace yourself because you are about to get a rare glimpse into my stellar dance skills. I might not show my face on here again from extreme embarrassment, but it was just too fun to keep all to myself. I have so many other hilarious videos to show you all, but the rest of my family (aside from my sister) requested not to be subjected to the torture of having their dance skills exposed to the world. So, without further adue...

Hot, I know. Especially with my wet hair up in a bun. Oh, and don't forget my dad wrestling in the background with my nephew. Yep, that pretty much sums up last weekend :)

And if reason # 1 for not blogging wasn't good enough, here's reason # 2. I spent the last few days hosting my in-laws and my mother at our house (at the same time, non the less!). One of the highlights was going to Winefest with my mom, which was a two hour wine sampling event. Not only was the food and wine fantastic, but I got to share the experience with my mama :)

Please excuse the blurry phone pic

So there you have it. It has been a good two weeks of spending time away from the computer and instead focusing on the people I love most.

Tomorrow begins the home stretch of the cruise pics and the best port of call is yet to come...CABO!!

Horsin' Around

2011-03-29T21:29:00.010-05:00

If you missed part one or two, read it here and here.

DAY 5: Puerto Vallarta

After experiencing Manzanillo, I was really hoping that Puerto Vallarta would be a better port of call. It certainly delivered! When we woke up that morning the first thing we did was open the blinds to our balcony and this is what we saw...

Look at how green the grass is! Look at those gorgeous mountains! I hadn't even left my room yet and I knew I liked this place.

We were up way earlier than I would normally prefer, but that is because we had a big day ahead of us. What was on the agenda? Horseback riding!! Bryant and I booked this particular excursion through the ship and it was a great way to spend our day in Puerto Vallarta. We took a bus out to a ranch and then got acquainted with our horses. My horse's name was Flora (which means "flower" in Spanish) and she and I bonded quite quickly :)

Bryant and his horse (we were required to wear helmets)

Me and Flora with the whole group behind us...Flora liked to be in front

The Mexican countryside

You must enlarge this picture...I cannot look at it without laughing!

After riding for a while, we did something that is one of my absolute favorite memories from the whole trip. We swam, that's right SWAM, on a horse!!! How cool is that?!

I was just so glad the horse didn't sink...I know how to swim but I wasn't sure she did at first!

Bryant's turn!

Our "we just swam on a horse" picture with our guide :)

After our little swimming activity, we rode back to the ranch and were treated to some tequila. One shot and I was done with the taste test...so nasty!

When our awesome horseback riding adventure was over, we got back on the ship and waved goodbye to Puerto Vallarta. Adios!

Every time we sailed away from a port they would have a specialty drink. We never bought one because they were expensive, but I thought the display was pretty!

To cap off our already amazing day, we attended a late night dance party on the Lido deck with the cruise director. This too was one of my favorite memories from the trip! We danced for almost an hour and the deck was packed with people.

The video doesn't last more than 2 seconds because my camera died, but it gives you an itty bitty snapshot of what the dance party was like. It is REALLY short...don't say I didn't warn you :)

It was a GREAT day!! And the fun doesn't stop there...

Bienvenidos a Mexico!

2011-03-27T17:23:00.003-05:00

If you missed part one, read it here!

DAY 3: Fun Day at Sea #2
You know it's going to be a good day when you have breakfast delivered to your door and you get to eat all of that tasty food in bed :) That is exactly how our second day at sea started.

We then got our smarts on and participated in more trivia, this time with a group. Remember those friends we met standing in line to get on the boat? Well it turns out that they and some of their other friends have been on approximately 30 cruises and are well versed in trivia. So we joined their team and were VERY successful :) This is not the last time they'll come up in this blog...

We also watched "The Game of Love" (the cruise's version of The Newlywed Game) and it was hysterical. One of the couples who participated have been married for 58 years!!! Now that is something to strive for!

Bryant played dodge ball again and this time I went to go watch. Bryant was totally in his element :)

Dodge ball isn't my thing (probably because it reminds me of elementary school dodge ball which forever traumatized me), so I was the cheerleader :)

Before dinner, we attended a private reception for past Carnival guests. We even got special invitations delivered to our door! They had a big party for past cruisers with music and dancers and there was even all-you-could-drink alcohol...on the house! I might have enjoyed a very powerful rum punch (or two).

Our invitations

After the reception, we enjoyed some time on our balcony and then took a walk around the ship.

Most other cruisers had the early dining option (we had the late one), so our favorite time to walk around the ship was 6pm when everyone was at dinner and the ship was deserted. Very romantic :)

DAY 4: Manzanillo
Today was the first day we got to step foot in Mexico! Let me just preface this by saying that Manzanillo was not on the original itinerary for the cruise, but because of violence towards Americans in Mazatlan, we were unable to go there and had to find a different port. I can now understand why Manzanillo isn't a normal stop. To be polite, it leaves a lot to be desired. From the boat it looked lovely...
...but we soon realized that we were in Mexico, the real Mexico. I am a culture enthusiast and I have experienced Mexico (the good and the bad) many times. I don't have a problem with outhouses or shabby homes...heck, I voluntarily have subjected myself to those conditions more than once! However, on this type of vacation, I was in the mood for something a little more touristy (rarely ever do I say that!!). Manzanillo was a lovely Mexican town but it was soooo not designed for cruisers. Even the cruise director, who's job it is to "sell" every port, had a hard time getting excited about this one. So, Bryant and I spent maybe an hour or two looking around and then we happily jumped back on the boat.

Posing in front of the boat Once back on board, Bryant and I decided to take in the town from the ship while enjoying the ice cream I so desperately love :) We watched a great sunset (no shortage of those on this cruise!) and finished another wonderful day.

One of my favorite towel animals from the cruise :)

Next up...Puerto Vallarta!!

Sailing Over the Ocean Blue

2011-03-26T00:36:00.010-05:00

I can't believe it has already been two weeks since Bryant and I first boarded the Carnival Spirit in San Diego. We had an incredible vacation!! Bryant and I decided that out of all three cruises we've been on so far, this one was by far our favorite! Don't get me wrong, the first two were very special and we really enjoyed ourselves, but this time we were super involved with all of the cruise activities and got to meet so many wonderful people. Note to all you future cruisers out there: Participate in the on board entertainment!

DAY 1
After spending the morning touring around San Diego, we arrived at the port to board. Little did we know that the earthquake in Japan caused tsunami warnings in California which closed down the port of San Diego for a few hours. So, everything was super delayed and we ended up standing in line for 3 hours before we were able to get on the ship. The only plus side of the long line was that we met some friends who ended up being our buddies for the rest of the cruise (more on them later).

Mom and I in San Diego

In front of our ship

Once on board, we dropped our stuff off in our room and immediately went to get some food. We sat next to a couple who literally live just down the road from my parents...how crazy is that?! Then it was time to explore the ship!

Looking up from the atrium at the different floors and the fancy elevators

I just thought this light fixture was fun! Carnival's ships are always really vibrant.

The Lido deckPart of the lido deck with the water slide and San Diego in the background

Beautiful sunset

All bundled up to say goodbye to San Diego and watch us sail away

My parents took this picture from the Navy base as we sailed away (sorry for the blurriness). We were standing on the back deck and talking to my parents on my cell phone when this was taken :)

DAY 2: Fun Day at Sea #1

I love sea days! Those are the days that you really just get to relax and not worry about anything...and we did just that!

We spent our morning/early afternoon unpacking, enjoying the ocean views from our balcony, and eating yummy food.

Looking out toward our balcony

Lunch...tasty!

In the afternoon we played mini golf, attended an international trivia game (I didn't do as well as I should have considering I work with 1,600 international students), a country line dance class (soooo fun!), and another round of trivia in which Bryant and I were the last two people standing (he won). Bryant also got to play dodge ball while I ate candy and relaxed in bed playing live trivia via the TV :)

Bryant with his trivia medal. I didn't mind that he beat me considering he looked so cute :)

Just hanging out in our room

Mini golf

Later in the evening we watched the sunset and the clouds change colors from our balcony.

Then it was time to dress up for formal night! We put on our fancy clothes, ate a great meal, watched an awesome Broadway-like show called "Jazz Hot" (with wine in hand), and then proceeded to create photo ops around the ship before finally snuggling into bed.

Ready for formal night!

In Pharaoh's Palace right before "Jazz Hot" started

Random photos in the elevator

One of my favorite parts of each day was going back to our room and seeing our bed turned down with a cute towel animal on top and the next day's schedule of events waiting for us.

Stayed tuned to hear about the rest of the cruise...there is LOTS more to come!!

And We're Off!

2011-03-11T11:52:00.003-06:00

I am sitting on my parents bed in San Diego (they spend a lot of time here...it's practically their second home!) looking out their open bedroom window at the beautiful bay that is just a few hundred yards away. I now understand why my parents love it here so much! Bryant and I are soaking up the sunshine and eagerly awaiting stepping foot aboard our ship in just a few hours. It is going to be a great nine days and I'll certainly be posting pictures when I return! Buen viaje! :)

We're Going on a Boat

2011-03-03T21:29:00.012-06:00

The sun is warm against my skin. Bryant is sitting by my side. We are looking out at an endless ocean. And I have a fruity adult beverage in my hand.

I am happy to say that the above vision will be true in just over a week as Bryant and I go on a much needed vacation! Any guesses as to where we will be going?

Let me give you a hint...

We are going on a NINE DAY cruise to Mexico!!! To say I am excited would be the understatement of the century! I've been having a hard time concentrating at work because I start daydreaming about sunshine and mimosas and endless ice cream from the ship's 24 hour ice cream machine! The cruise itinerary is jam packed full of fantastic ports of call, including Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan, Cabo San Lucas, La Paz, and Ensenada. I'm drooling over these pictures right now...

Beyond eating amazing food, enjoying warm weather, taking in stunning views, and relaxing on our private balcony, we are looking forward to this cruise for another reason. You see, Bryant and I have a very special relationship with cruising. We have gone on two cruises prior to this one and each one was related to a major life event.

The first cruise was in March 2009 and I will remember those four days for the rest of my life! On March 15th, right after our formal dinner, Bryant proposed to me in the middle of the Pacific Ocean! I promise I will share this story in greater detail sometime soon (it's a good one, believe me!), but suffice it to say that after that moment, me and cruising were bonded forever :)

Minutes after getting engaged

Mexico, 2009

The second cruise was in January 2010 and was equally special. Bryant and I spent our honeymoon cruising around the Caribbean Sea, enjoying our first few days as a newly married couple. We had midnight runs to the pizza bar and aforementioned ice cream machine. We sat on our balcony and saw dolphins swimming alongside the boat. We swung in hammocks in Cozumel. It was bliss.

Ringing in the new year the first night on the ship

Yes, I am officially and irrevocably in love with cruising.

I cannot wait to board that (big) boat next Friday and let the fun begin!!!

Randomness in the Form of Bullets

2011-02-25T01:06:00.000-06:00

Bryant and I went night skiing this past weekend and it was lovely. Snow-covered mountains + a pink sunset = breathtaking. The whole experience was even better because I got to eat jelly beans on the drive to and from the mountain...it's the small things in life that make me happy :)

My sweet, sweet friend Courtney surprised me with the gift of a new blog design via her very talented sister Jenn! How cool is that?! Jenn told me that Courtney decided I need to change my blog because I don't live in Louisiana anymore...maybe that is just code for "I don't like your blog design so let me help you out" :) Anyway, I am super thrilled, but there is just one problem. I have NO idea what to rename my blog! It seems like such a big decision to make! If you have any suggestions, feel free to send them my way! I have decided that blog titles involving my state of residence are probably out, considering I never seem to stay in the same place for too long :)

Speaking of states, I find myself wanting to live in a new one. I LOVE Washington and I thoroughly enjoy my job, but I am seriously antsy right now. Most kids grow up in one town, or at the very least one state. Not me. I've lived in 2 countries, 4 states, and more cities and homes than I could ever count on all 20 fingers and toes. I think that wanderlust is in my blood to stay, for better or for worse. Curently, I find that Washington D.C. is calling my name. A city with great restaurants, lots of culture, and tons of history just sounds so darn appealing! Side note: I'm pretty sure my sister will want to slap me after reading this...she is not a fan of my adventurous side that takes me far, far away.

In D.C. last summer

I have so many blogging ideas to write about, but never enough time to do it. I literally have a handwritten list of topics that I am just chomping at the bit to post on here. Where oh where does the time in my day go???

I am beyond proud of my husband. He is in graduate school for Mechanical Engineering, as well as a T.A. for an upper-level undergraduate engineering course (which means grading 100 homework assignments three times a week AND doing recitations twice a week), and yet he still finds time to devote to me. Don't get me wrong, this semester has been and will continue to be a rough one as far as the amount of time he has to put into school and I am not always as understanding as I should be, but overall he is balancing things really well. Yes, PROUD is the right word! He is incredible, and I thought you all should know :)

A portion of Bryant's latest exam...waaaay over my head!

When Bryant and I were in college, we were both very involved in a Christian ministry on campus. That ministry (co-led by a girl named Claire and boy named Bill) provided us with amazing friendships, wonderful experiences, and incredible mentors that were influential in both of our faith journeys. Claire was my small group leader for three years and Bill was a friend and leader to Bryant. I am thrilled to say that these two wonderful people are getting married this summer (to each other...just to clarify)!!! So you can imagine how touched and flattered I was the other day when I got a message from Claire, someone who I deeply respect and admire, saying that she really liked our wedding vows and could she please have a copy. Wow! Whether or not she and Bill decide to use them, I am just honored that the words Bryant and I said to one another on our wedding day had a lasting impact not only on us, but on our friends as well.

Bill and Claire at our wedding...I like to claim that our wedding helped jump start their relationship :)

I love the snow. I love skiing in it, I love staring out at it from my warm house, and I love playing in it. Even though it was a chilly 14 degrees this evening, Bryant and I went sledding in our backyard. I screamed so loud on one of our sledding runs that our neighbor's dogs started barking. Needless to say, it was FUN!

And...I'm done now. Hopefully I won't go two weeks before posting again :)

Four, Five, and Six

2011-02-10T21:37:00.013-06:00

Those were the numbers that summed up last weekend. And what a fantastic weekend it was!

I'm going to go out of order here (I know, totally unheard of for someone who is border-line OCD like me), so bear with me...

FIVE...that is the age of my superstar nephew Parker. We got to watch him play in a basketball game last Friday and it was the cutest darn thing I have ever seen! We didn't tell him we were coming, so he was completely surprised when he saw Auntie and Uncle Bryant show up. His reaction was priceless...his eyes lit up and he waved profusely from the basketball court, all the while jumping up and down with excitement. I will never forget that moment...ever. Beyond special!!

All of the players got to run through a fog machine at the start of the game

Can someone say super cheesy sisters? And before you even ask, no we did not call each other and coordinate our flower print shirts that day.

Hollyn wasn't feeling well, but that didn't stop her from seriously rockin' that bow with style!

Park's cheering section

There he is, number 4!! Unfortunately, I couldn't snap a good photo of him facing my direction.

You should check out a five year old's basketball game someday...it will make you smile :)

Moving on to the next number...

FOUR...that is how old my nephew Griffin turned on Monday. Don't even ask me how four years have gone by already, because I have absolutely no idea. One day he was a handsome newborn, and the next day he was an even more handsome little boy...blows my mind. To celebrate the big occasion, he had a party last Saturday at the jumpy place (no idea if that is what it is really called) and everyone had such a great time!

A birthday sign just for him :)

The calm before the storm (and by storm, I don't mean the kids, I am talking about the adults -- see below!)

Mom and II cannot even tell you how many times we raced through this thing. For the record, my brother and dad creamed me, but I totally beat my sister...three times :)

While this picture is completely unflattering of pretty much everyone, I love it because it totally captures the day...people were breathing hard and sweating and most everyone got injured or suffered "blow up toy burn," but everyone was still smiling. And genuine smiles are always the sign of a good day :)

The birthday festivities continued with Toy Story 3 cake...Griff's favorite!

The adorable birthday boy :)

Present time!

And that brings me to the last number...

SIX...that is the number of years between my sister Amy and I (although it seems like we are the same age most days). On Saturday night, Amy (or Sassypants as I lovingly call her) and I got to escape for a rare evening out, just the two of us. While the dinner was delicious and the key lime pie martinis were heavenly, the best part was the company. It was the most incredible sister date I think we've ever been on...we laughed, we cried, we talked about really deep stuff, and then we laughed some more. The only way I can describe it is that it was good. Plain and simple. I am so VERY lucky to call her my sister and my best friend :)

So that's it, my weekend by the numbers. It was joyful, refreshing, and fun...just the way I like it :)

Because It's Fun

2011-01-30T11:48:00.007-06:00

A few weeks ago, I was reading a post my blogging friend Jamie wrote that included a fun little A - Z questionnaire. I have a weakness for random little questionnaires, so I knew it would only be a matter of time before I would give in and fill it out. Well, today is the day! Here is your chance to get to know me a little better...or at least just find out some quirky facts about me :)

A is for Age: 23 – Is it weird that sometimes I have a hard time remembering how old I am? Luckily one of my best friends was born 10 days after me, so whenever I get confused, I ask her :) The early 20s just kind of blur together.

B is for Beer of choice: I don’t have a favorite, per se. I usually enjoy a few sips of whatever Bryant is drinking (even though this annoys him).

C is for Career: I love what I do right now, which is working with international students at a university. I also still have dreams of being a high school Spanish teacher, but I would have to go back and get my Masters degree in teaching first. Anything I do must have an international theme to it…it is such a big part of my life! Oh, and I really want to be a mom (which certainly counts as a career!)

D is for favorite Drink: Diet Coke with a lemon wedge, thank you very much.

E is for Essential item you use every day: Gum. I’m pretty sure the janitor who empties the garbage can in my office thinks I have a problem. The other day, I counted almost 20 gum wads stuck to the trash liner. TMI?

F is for Favorite song at the moment: Washed by the Water by NeedtoBreathe.

G is for favorite Game: Scategories…probably because I am a competitive person and I often win that game :)

H is for Hometown: Hmmm…born in Moscow, ID…lived in Washington since I was three, but in 6 different towns and 12 different homes…I have an identity crisis! Maybe Spokane???

I is for Instruments you play: I used to play the flute and the piano. However, if you asked me to play something for you now, you might regret making that request.

J is for favorite Juice: CranRaspberry or my grandma’s fresh squeezed lemonade

K is for Kids: Definitely! We would like three kids, but we aren’t headed that direction for a few more years.

L is for Last kiss: With Bryant (of course!) when I was trying to get him out of bed this morning (he is soooooo not a morning person!).

M is for Marriage: Yep! I married Bryant on December 27, 2009. I don’t think anyone can prepare you for how difficult marriage can be a times, but they also can’t prepare you for how wonderful it is :)

N is for Nick-Names: Kels, Kelsafiremorganite, Khawth, and Spike :)

O is for Overnight hospital stays: Never!

P is for Phobias: Lizards (remember my traumatic Louisiana experience?!), snakes, spiders, rodents, and having wet socks (and yes, that last one is a phobia).

Q is for Quote: This is an easy one, as it was already featured on my blog when I started it over a year and a half ago…

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” – Mark Twain

R is for Ring tone: A very boring, generic one that came with my phone.

S is for Sports: I love watching football, but only when I am at the game where I can feel the energy filling the stadium. I was a competitive swimmer in high school and I would say that, hands down, it is still my favorite sport to participate in.

T is for Time you wake up: When I have to be at work at 8am, I am up by 6am. When I have to be at work at 10am, I am up at 8am. There is a pattern here…I like two hours to leisurely get ready for the day.

U is for color of Underwear: No comment :)

V is for Vegetable you love: Zucchini!

W is for Worst habit: I can’t go to bed until my kitchen looks perfect, which means that even if it is way past my bedtime and all I want to do is shut my eyes, you’ll find me wiping down the kitchen counters until they sparkle.

X is for X-rays you’ve had: None, I’ve never broken a bone.

Y is for Yummy food you make: I make a mean tortellini stew and that is about it. Bryant is the cook in this household! Yes ladies, men like that really do exist!

Z is for zodiac sign: A few weeks ago it would have been Gemini. Now, I have no idea. I do not care enough to find out.

Wasn't that fun? I thought so :) Happy Sunday everyone!

Laissez Les Bons Temps Rouler!

2011-01-25T23:57:00.007-06:00

So you might think I just randomly typed in gibberish for the title of this post...not so, my friends! I can assure you that it is French and I can also assure you that it actually translates into something cool. "Laissez les bons temps rouler" is the key phrase associated with Mardi Gras and it means "let the good times roll!" Why am I telling you this? Read on...

After a not so good day at work, Bryant and I arrived home to find a huge box waiting for us outside our door. As soon as we saw the box, my bad day went out the window because I knew exactly what was inside and could not wait to open it!

Our wonderful friends from Louisiana shipped us a Mardi Gras king cake all the way from Shreveport!!! Can you believe it?! It was a complete surprise and such a generous gift.

When Bryant and I lived in Louisiana, we experienced Southern hospitality that defied the definition of that term. My friend Sarah's parents-in-law (that's a mouthful!) practically adopted Bryant and I while we lived in Shreveport and took us into their family. They introduced us to true Louisiana culture and made sure we were well taken care of while we were away from our home. And even though we are now 2,000 miles away, they're still extending that same incredible warmth and hospitality.

Not only did we get a fresh baked southern cake (it was made just yesterday and shipped overnight!), we also got cups and beads, both of which are associated with Mardi Gras parades. Watch out everyone, Mardi Gras just hit Washington! Maybe I'll pull my beads out from last year and really get the party started :)

While king cake may not look like much, it is beyond delicious! Don't we look pretty darn elated?

41 days until Mardi Gras is officially here! Go ahead and celebrate...throw a mask on, listen to some Cajun music, and above all, let the good times roll! :)

Just What We Needed

2011-01-22T12:36:00.014-06:00

If you live in a state that has cold winters, I think it is inevitable that at one point or another during the frigid season, your body will tell you that it is time to take a vacation to a land filled with sunshine and warmth. We decided that our bodies had a very valid point, so this past weekend we jetted off to the stunning state of Arizona!

Before you say, "Wow, that's random," let me explain a little further. My grandparents just happen to be "snowbirds," which means that they are residents of Washington during the lovely parts of the year, but then live in Arizona when the temperatures start to drop. Not a bad way to live if you ask me! I have visited my grandparents many times down in AZ, but never with Bryant so we thought it was about time that he too experienced their cute 55+ living community in the desert :)

This little weekend getaway was truly just what we needed. Not only did we experience perfect weather (70+ degrees the entire time!!), but we also got to spend some really special time with my wonderful grandparents. We spent our days...

...playing bocce ball, one of my grandparents' favorite pastimes

...watching radiant desert sunsets

...going hot tubbing and swimming every night beneath the stars, just me and Bryant :)

Can you believe that this is the hot tub? It's huge!

...enjoying a picnic lunch with incredible views and tasty food

...hiking in the desert with my grandpa and seeing Arizona's beauty up close

Does it shock you at all that we had to pick cactus spikes out of Bryant's hand because he just couldn't help touching the prickly plants? :)

...standing in awe of God's creation (I know I already mentioned sunsets, but seriously, look at this!!)

...eating up every bite of my grandmother's food, including fresh squeezed lemonade...my favorite :)

...going on a random date with Bryant and eating ice cream at Sonic

...riding bikes around the park and praying that I wouldn't die (a bike with only one brake plus old people on golf carts is a scary combination, my friends!)

...playing card games outside on the patio (and drinking the previously mentioned lemonade)

...and spending time with people that I love dearly and mean so much to me!

At the end of the weekend, Bryant was ready to move to Arizona :) I'm not sure that will be happening any time soon, but I will say that we have already reserved our spot in the park (as they call it) for 30 years down the road when we too will become "snowbirds." Anyone want to be our neighbors? :)