It's Official!

It is official!

 I am going back to Alaska in November!!

 I cannot wait! My older sister and brother in law live there and I am going to meet my new little niece that is due any day now! I cannot wait! I love the day after you book airline tickets somewhere... it is just a countdown until you get to go on a mini adventure. So Happy! Now only if i could convince Erik to skip school and join me....

Just breathe...

Its the weekend in a few short hours. Its a great feeling to know that for two days, you can do whatever you want, be whoever you want and put your worries behind you. I am going to try this weekend to do just that, breathe a little more, enjoy a little more, and just... relax.

Turn your face up toward the sunshine and just be.

Dreaming...

As some of you know, Erik is in chiropractic school. It is no joke.. one of the hardest things we have gone through. He ALWAYS has to study and has an hour commute both ways to school everyday. But, it is also an amazing experience. To be able to see someone you love doing something that challenges them and enlivens them is one of God's greatest gifts. I get to hear all about his studies and it is amazing to see how his smile lights his face when he is talking about work he loves.

BUT... at the same time.. I am SUPER ready for him to graduate and get to go back to normal living hours. :) It will be nice to get my husband back from his constant study schedule and long commutes. One way we have been getting through all this is by DREAMING... dreaming of the amazing vacation we are going to go on as soon as he graduates. So today, I thought I would show you some of the contenders...

Maine

Source: uslhs.org via Shannon on Pinterest

Capri, Italy

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St. Lucia

Source: slcoffee.com via Shannon on Pinterest

Skye, Scotland

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9/11



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I cannot believe it has been 11 years. This day is something that will never be forgotten. I remember getting to school, second week of freshman year of high school. We all walked around the halls talking about what had happened, until we were all asked to find a classroom to go into. We watched the news coverage with our friends we just newly made. To this day, I think that this experience is something that cemented us together, it is something that changed us all. Made us all realize how precious life is. My heart goes out to all the families affected by this tragedy. This is a day of remembrance, hug your loved ones.

Projects!

So I think I told you guys before, but to refresh, Erik and I moved into a new condo a few months ago. With work and school being so busy, we just started on some projects for the house last weekend. I thought I would give you a sneak peek from cell phone pictures of our progress!

We are re-staining an old dining room tables and painting its chairs a cheery color. We also re-did the bottom half of a China cabinet... we painted it white and got new hardware.

When they are all finished.. I will write up tutorials and give you before and after pictures!

This is what happens when you are not an expert spray painter and its so hot outside you have to be barefoot... 



Fill in the Blank Friday

Play Along Here

1.  My favorite grade in school was     I think a toss up between senior year of high school and junior year of college. I think that senior year of high school was so fun because it was "our last year together" so we did so much more fun stuff and didn't worry so much about impressing anyone and jsut got along with our friends. But junior year of college was so fun because it was when i really fell in love. I fell in love with my husband and wanted to spend as much time with him as I could and one of my best friends fell in love with her husband the same year.. and they were friends.. so pretty much amazing. :)

2.  My favorite teacher was  Prof. Goble    because,  he was just so passionate about what he was teaching and it was contagious plus he made me laugh really hard all the time    .

3.  The highest level of education I have completed is    a Bachelor's of science degree in political science with minors in english and history... then a certificate in accouting .

4. School lunches for me were usually    hot lunch line... I think my mom packed us lunches in grade school sometimes but  I cannot really remember... I always really like cafeteria food. :) .

5. The amount of money you'd have to pay me to go back to high school would be  It would have to be a TON of money... I didn't hate high school.. but I would not want to go back to where there was so much drama and so much emotion on a weekly basis. .

6. A few things that will always remind me of going back to school are:  School supplies: new binders, planners, notebooks, and the smell of books. AH I loved school supply shopping and getting super organized. .

7.  The first day of school was always   so fun! I loved syllabus day.. where you got an idea of everything you would be doing that term. it was always exciting to see people you had not seen in a long time too!  .

It has been 2 years!?

I cannot believe it has already been 2 years since I married sucha supa hottie. SO much has happened in our lives, but our realtionship has always been our constant, our rock. It is crazy how so much can change in such a short time, but it still feels like day one with my love, laughing and enjoying still getting to know each other. I love you, Erik! Here is to our forever!


*shout out to Sara Gray for taking beautiful photos!

That's Life

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Today is a day of thinking, a day of observing, a day of contemplation. My life has turned upside down in a matter of days. I have a feeling so deep down inside me that I cannot shake, a feeling of hurt, grief, actually somewhat of loss. While no one I know has died, in a way they have. I have lost a friend. My life is pretty great, I have a Job, a great family, a great husband and a collection of amazing friends. But it is funny how you can have no idea how someone thinks of you and your life until they decide to voice it to you. You can usually get an idea, a comment there, a look here. But, really you cannot be sure until they voice it to you. 

This weekend, a friend of mine voiced how much they dislike me and my relationship with my husband and family. They voiced that I am "not perfect" and that they do not like the person I am. While, I have never said I was perfect, actually I have voiced that I am far from it, they must feel as if I am putting it out there that I am, or at least more perfect than they are. But that is not how I feel. I feel as if I live my life for me and for the people I care about, I am not choosey with my words and usually say whatever comes to mind if I think I am in a safe place. But, as I contemplate on the situation, I realize that I am too trusting, I am too open with people before they have truly earned my trust and the right to know my inner workings. I am not trying to say that I need to be more guarded or put up more walls, but more I am saying that I need to be careful who i talk to and who really loves me for who I am. 

I am 25 years old and I cannot say that I don't make mistakes, because I do, a lot. But I can say that I try to be the most caring and loving person I can be. I give up a lot of myself to people in my life and work hard to make their lives happier. So, when I hear some things, i realize, while it was an attack on me, it is also a lesson learned. Not everyone sees the world the same way that I do and not everyone interprets my openness and need to help as a positive. Life is hard, I am just really ready for people to stop trying to make it harder. Realize who you are thankful for and even if it is really hard, maybe let go of those that do not work well in your life. And for those people who don't contribute to joy in my life, I hope you find what you are looking for.