Baby H: Baby Shower

It's taken me a while to get this post up about my fabulous baby shower on the 20th because the end of summer seems to be busier than ever but regardless, it was by far one of the best days of the summer. We had a great afternoon chatting about our little bundle of joy, attempting to stay cool in the 95+ degree heat and celebrating our little boy with so many of my favorite ladies all in one place. 

The shower was hosted by the future grandmas and one of the sweet ladies who threw my bridal shower two years ago. We ate delicious Mexican food (at my request, because it seems like the baby is always in the mood for that) and snacked on a candy buffet and cupcakes after lunch. I didn't want things to be too over the top with themes and games and the hostesses did not disappoint. There was plenty of blue decor with touches of yellow and orange in the balloons and the flowers.

The guests signed their names on a calendar to guess the babe's birthday and who ever gets it right will get a sweet surprise in the mail come September (or potentially October but hopefully not). We played a "Price is Right" game where guests had to guess the price of 6 normal baby items like a pack of diapers and a tube of butt paste and the closest to the actual total won a little prize. Everyone filled out little cards with their dreams and wishes for the little man and for us as parents and I can't wait to read what they wrote over the next few weeks.

The best part of the whole day was spending time with everyone who was there and feeling everyone's love for our son. Our little boy's grandmas and other family members, my favorite med school ladies, long-time family friends on both sides of the family, the wives I've grown close to from J's group of guys and my best friend all the way from California even made the trip out. Everyone was so generous to spend not only time with me before I become a momma but also gifted us some seriously awesome items for when he arrives. The nursery is completely ready now, his drawers are filled with adorable mini-clothes, hats and shoes, I have my dream Vera Bradley diaper bag packed and ready for the hospital, and we are all set for cleaning up all the messes this little boy is guaranteed to make.

I couldn't have asked for a better day! I left feeling so blessed, so loved and so ready for his arrival now (and also a bit exhausted too if we're being honest). Thank you from the bottom of my heart to everyone who made the shower as perfect as it was. Now we're just under two months until I can introduce this little boy to everyone who spoils him and loves him already!

Wedding Weekend

Summer time undoubtedly brings with it wedding season and this past Saturday J and I attended our first wedding of the summer together. One of my favorite med school gals tied the knot at a gorgeous golf course tucked in the hills on a perfectly sunny afternoon. It was a perfect day filled with the celebration of love with close friends. She was a beautiful bride, their ceremony brought tears to many, their silly yellow lab (who also happens to be Ollie's girlfriend) even took part and we had a blast celebrating with them. Not to mention it was a fantastic opportunity for our big group to get together and have some fun!

I love going to weddings, especially with my husband as my date. Watching the groom get tears in his eyes as he read his vows to his bride reminds me of the love J expressed to me so perfectly on our big day. Watching smiles erupt from the newlyweds faces as their announced for the first time as Mr & Mrs while the same exit song plays that we picked for that moment brings back the butterflies I felt. Slow dancing to our first dance song for the first time since our own reception made the rest of the room fall away where it felt like it was just J and I on that dance floor again. 

Marriage has been both the toughest and the most rewarding thing I've ever been a part of and I am so thankful I get to go through life with my husband by my side. I was reminded how special a love like this, a marriage like this, a life like this truly is. I can't say enough congratulations to the new bride and groom as they start on this new journey together and I am thankful to have been included in their big day.

Vacation Time: Cozumel Spring Break

One island. 8 days, 7 nights with four fabulous couples. 

 Drinks, memories and sunsets galore. 

One new engagement, a few bumps in the road, and 30 SPF sunscreen. 

Two fancy reservations, one beach shack dinner and too much buffet food.

18 holes of golf and 40 liars dice.

New adventures with old friends. 

Two sea turtles and three rays seen, gallons of salt water drank. 

A few bug bites, scraped knees and books read. 

5 new nicknames and endless new Spanish words.

An absolutely fabulous, relaxing, perfect spring break get-away. 

This trip was exactly what I needed right before I embark on the toughest course of the entire year. A huge thank you to J and our amazing friends for making the trip so special!

(Yes, my spring break was at the end of February. I'm lucky to have great friends who didn't mind. We stayed at Iberostar Cozumel and booked through Apple Vacations for those of you who are curious. We will do things differently next time but it was still a fantastic trip.)

Thankful v4

Lately I've been thankful....

 [+] for these two goof-balls who fill my evenings with smiles, tug-of-wars and kisses.

[+] for home cooked meals that I don't have to make

[+] for a fabulous group of girls who fill up my friend-tank on a daily basis & make this journey more bearable. 

[+] for actually enjoying every single topic I'm learning about in school for once. 

[+] for the opportunity to learn, despite the stress, lack of sleep and funny lab smells.

[+] for new fall colored nail polish and my Sunday afternoon ritual of using it.

[+] for fleece-lined leggings when getting dressed is too much work and it's cold outside. 

 [+] for my mom and how amazing it is to have her less than 5 miles away after so many miles before.

[+] for the first signs of festivities and my upcoming favorite holiday.

[+] for sore muscles after finally getting back into the gym this month. 

[+] for over 300+ days of married life and a quickly approaching anniversary. 

What are you thankful for lately?

Fall Sangria

It's no secret that I'm a big fan of Sangria so when it was decided that my med school friends and I were going to have an early Halloween party this past weekend I knew I wanted to create a delicious beverage for us to enjoy as we let off some steam. 

While the summer Sangria was a huge hit, the fruit for it isn't in season anymore so I needed to change things up. Enter this Fall Honeycrisp Sangria!

It would have been wonderful for me to have taken a picture of the final product but that was just asking too much. I'm just happy I was able to pull something tasty together as well as a DIY costume after a morning full of exams. Trust me when I say the drink looks very festive with all the fruit as the final product.
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Honeycrisp Apple Sangria
Recipe from here (with a few changes)
Prep Time: 15 min || Cook Time: 4 hours (or overnight)

• 5 honeycrips apples, cored and cubed
• 1 orange, quartered 
• 2 lemons, sliced into rounds
• 1 lime, sliced into rounds
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 1/3 cup orange blossom honey
• a pinch of ground nutmeg & ginger
• 1 cup peach schnapps
• 2 750 ml bottles of Chardonnay 
• 2 L club soda
• Ice

Cut up fruit and place in large container with wine, peach schnapps, honey, spices and cinnamon sticks. Stir and refrigerate overnight or for at least 4 hours. Add in club soda right before you're ready to start drinking. Serve in sugar rimmed glasses over ice. 

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In keeping with my drink of choice, it seems like I'm going to have to find a winter Sangria for the holidays now. I'm thinking something with cranberries and pomegranate? Maybe using champagne to give it a bit of bubbly? 

Labor Day 2013

It was basically a miracle this past weekend that I had almost 4 entire days free from school! I'm not sure if or when that will happen again before Christmas time so we were sure to take full advantage. I did have an 8am exam on Friday morning but spent the rest of the weekend having as much stress-free fun as I could.

Friday afternoon was spent relaxing, watching a movie and finishing my HIPPA training followed by a few errands and a lovely dinner at my new favorite restaurant. I was greeted by this big guy right outside my mom's house the next morning and sometimes still can't believe we're back in CO.

Saturday we headed to Taste Of Colorado downtown and although we made the mistake of going during the hottest hours of the day I think we both enjoyed trying some new food and going out for an adventure together. The afternoon and into the evening was spent with J's sister at some sports bars for a few drinks and college football.

Two of our great friends, who we celebrated with this summer, came and stayed with us Sunday night and I am so thankful for friends like them. We spent hours upon hours just catching up with them late into the night. J and I have always gotten along so well with them as a couple and it was great to spent some time with them.

Breakfast the next morning followed by a gorgeous (and super hot) walk with our pups filled most of Monday for us. Thankfully we brought plenty of water for the pups and even dipped our toes in the stream to cool off before our friends headed home for the day.

This weekend was exactly what J and I needed. Med school is living up to my expectations but unfortunately that means stressful, busy, and often times over-worked, leaving J and I feeling quite distant sometimes. It's weekends like this that make me realize this is just a season of life and to truly embrace the moments of fun, spontaneity and time with my husband that much more.

Here's to the start of another (thankfully, short) week and plenty more opportunities for fun in the future.

Wedding Weekend

This past weekend was filled to the brim with wedding festivities and it was such a blast! J and I feel so blessed to know Jenna and Jordan and to have taken part in their big day. Between the rehearsal on Thursday night, a girls salon day Friday and the fabulous wedding day itself, this past weekend was filled to the brim with love and good wishes for the new couple. 

All these pictures were taken either by me or by other people in the wedding and make me so excited to see the professional ones. This was the first wedding J and I have been to since our own and we both definitely had tears in our eyes throughout the night remembering just how wonderful marriage truly is!

nails day with the girls // the only picture of me & my hubs from the whole night // the gorgeous bride

 married in Pine, CO // such a stunning venue

To quote Jenna's amazing maid of honor....

You should never lie, cheat, steal or drink. But if you must lie, lie together. If you must cheat, cheat death. If you must steal, steal kisses. And if you must drink, drink with the friends and family that love you most. 

Bachelorette & Dancing Filled Weekend

This past weekend I joined a dozen other ladies to celebrate in a bachelorette weekend for my great friend Jenna. It seems so long ago that her and I first met when we had just started dating our husbands (or husbands-to-be) and now her wedding weekend is upon us!

We spent the weekend sipping adult beverages, hanging out by the pool, making new friends and enjoying two fantastic suites in a hotel downtown. We stuffed ourselves at dinner, danced the night away at a country bar and were thankful Jenna didn't make us wear tu-tus like the other bridal party we saw! It was such a fun weekend even if we were all feeling it the next morning. All these ladies are so awesome and now I cannot wait for the festivities to continue.

Happy bachelorette Jenna, thank you for letting me be a part of your celebration and big day!

Summer Sangria

This past weekend, J and I attended a Surprise Birthday Party (which also turned out to be a surprise engagement party!) for one of our friends. Her now fiancé planned the whole thing & provided the basics and asked that everyone who came bring something for the party. 

Instead of going the typical chips & dip or potato salad route I decided to make Sangria! And it was a huge hit!

This drink totally screams summer to me! An outdoor BBQ wouldn't be complete without a super refreshing, ice cold drink like this. I ended up throwing a ladle into the top at one point during the party and people started munching on those watermelon cubes like hot cakes but I will warn you, the fruit and the drink itself and be quite dangerous if you're not careful. ;-) 

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Cherry Lime Watermelon Sangria

Recipe from here (with a few changes)

Prep Time: 10 min || Cook Time: 4 hours || Makes about 2.5 gallons

• 6 cups of watermelon
• 4 cups of bing cherries
• 6 limes, sliced
• 2 750ml bottles of white wine (Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay work best)
• 1 1/2 cup white rum (we used Bacardi)
• 2 liters of lemon-lime soda (we used Sprite Zero)

Cut up fruit and place in large pitcher or drink dispenser. Carefully pour the wine and rum over the top. Cover and place in the fridge for 4-5 hours. Add the soda right before you're ready to start drinking. Pour over ice and enjoy!

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This drink will most likely be my go-to summer drink for the rest of the season!

Goodbye San Diego

As our time in San Diego is coming to an end I'm experiencing so many more emotions that I ever thought I would. Moving home to Colorado is exactly what J and I have been dreaming of for the last few years and is our dream come true. But I would be lying if I said the process was easy. 

San Diego (or more vaguely back then, Southern California) was where I dreamt of being as a young, naive, 18 year-old and it was a dream come true 6 years ago. I was headed to the west coast on my own to start something for myself. San Diego has been my home for so many years and I hold so many incredible memories from this place. So much so, that it's almost hard to let it go. 

Life has taken me on quite the journey since my beach-dreaming days. Living here by myself for a year, developing a strong relationship and eventual marriage with J here, hosting so many visitors, accomplishing so many of my goals and basically growing up here. It's so strange to think that I've spent my entire adulthood here.... and now I'm leaving. 

These past few weeks have come with so much excitement about the move and the new adventures in store for us but they've also come with too many "lasts", our last time at the beach, last time downtown, last time having dinner with our best friends here, that it's made me pretty reflective over the time I've spent in California. I cherish these years, the memories and the friends they've given me and will always have a special place in my heart for San Diego because its where.....

 I dreamt of going to college // J would visit when I was away // visitors from home came to see us // I made new friends in the dorms // my relationship with J grew leaps and bounds // we tried lots of new things

 we celebrated accomplishments // grew our family with Ollie // graduated from SDSU // went on weekend get-aways // had celebrations with more friends from home // owned our first house

celebrated 6 years worth of birthdays // went on constant adventures together // hosted our first Thanksgiving // decorated for Christmas // watched Ollie grow up // grew up ourselves

Its gets a little easier when I realize that San Diego will always be a short plane ride away whenever we need a beach fix and it will someday be a place we bring our future-family to so we can share all these memories with them. Moving away doesn't mean we can't ever come back, even just for a visit, but I still might shed a tear or two hundred as we drive away in 10 short days.

Tying the Knot: Into the Evening

As the night continued, so did the party. Being surrounded by such amazing people made the night so incredible. We laughed, cried, danced, sang, and celebrated until late into the evening. I was, and still am, shocked with how quickly the whole night (and day) went. Suddenly our ceremony was over, then we were sitting to eat dinner, then all the festivities (toasts, cake, bouquet, etc) were finished, then the time ticked by until it would all be finished. 

As tradition with this group of guys continued, they all joined together towards the end of the evening in their ceremonial singing of Under the Bridge by Red Hot Chili Peppers. It's been going on since the first wedding of the group and it's so great to see such great friends as these guys. There was also an appearance of Gangnam Style and of course the great dance moves that come with it. My bridesmaids had some serious moves! We danced as husband and wife and enjoyed the whole night with all of our family and friends until it was suddenly time to go. 

We ended the night with one last slow song, Then by Brad Paisley and as I found my new husband I couldn't help but be overwhelmed with emotions. The entire day had been perfect, everything I had ever dreamt of and I was officially J's Mrs! The love in the room at that moment was so special. 

I looked around to our supportive families and amazing friends surrounding us and felt so immensely blessed. 

Our wedding was over and our marriage had just begun. J and I headed to our hotel in a lovely town car after many hugs and well wishes from our guests feeling like we were on cloud nine. I still find myself wishing we could go back and do it all over again!

All photos courtesy of Ignite Images.

Need to catch up?

First we got ready

Then it was time for The Dress

Lovely bridesmaid photos

Our sweet Ollie pup

Handsome groomsmen photos

The Bride & Groom portraits

Our First Touch before the ceremony

Small wedding details

The start of our Ceremony (Readings & Ring Warming)

We're finally Husband & Wife

Formal family & wedding party photos

How we remembered missing family

Our pictures as Mr & Mrs

Our First Dance

Reception Dinner & Toasts

Dancing with our Moms

The partying begins

Cutting the Cake

The Bouquet & Garter Toss

The Photo Booth Take 1

Photo Booth Take 2

Tying the Knot: Photo Booth Take 1

I know I've mentioned it a thousand times already but we absolutely LOVED our photographer, Josh, of Ignite Images. He did some seriously amazing work with our wedding photographs and our package with him included so much. Our engagement session, a ton of hours on our actually wedding day, and one of my favorite parts, the Photo Booth. 

So it wasn't a Photo Booth in the sense of going inside one of those little awkward booth/rooms and waiting anxiously for the camera to snap a series of pictures. It was a Photo Booth where Josh's wife stood in front of a colored background taking pictures with her actual camera of anyone interested. I loved that it was a way for our guests to get in some pictures that night since most of the wedding was focused on J & I, our wedding party, and our families and it'll be a great way to look back at who was there years down the road. 

We decided against using any sort of props, feather boas, mustaches, the likes because we didn't want the pictures to be overwhelmed with "stuff" plus this way people's personalities were able to come out. Maybe it was spurred by some adult beverages but I think these pictures bring out the best in everyone!

All photos courtesy of Ignite Images.

Next up: The Bride & Groom hit the photo booth

Need to catch up?

First we got ready

Then it was time for The Dress

Lovely bridesmaid photos

Our sweet Ollie pup

Handsome groomsmen photos

The Bride & Groom portraits

Our First Touch before the ceremony

Small wedding details

The start of our Ceremony (Readings & Ring Warming)

We're finally Husband & Wife

Formal family & wedding party photos

How we remembered missing family

Our pictures as Mr & Mrs

Our First Dance

Reception Dinner & Toasts

Dancing with our Moms

The partying begins

Cutting the Cake

The Bouquet & Garter Toss