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.

Summer To-Do List

I am thrilled that I get 6 weeks off for summer break this year between semesters and hope to make the best of it. This summer is the "last one" in more ways than one, my last official summer break before medicine and a real job take over and our last summer before we become parents. There's a lot of things we need to get done with my extra time off and I sure hope to fill the in between moments with adventures and fun.

Summer 2014 To-Do

[+] Get out on a lake at least a few times (not to be confused with getting IN the lake, doctor's orders), potentially for the 4th of July but not necessarily.

[+] Read something that isn't a textbook. I'm thinking the newest Jodi Picolut novel, maybe Bread & Wine and even thinking about throwing in some baby books like Baby Wise and/or Moms On Call.

 [+] Go to evening and afternoon Rockies games. Baseball screams summer and I love going downtown for them.

[+] Have the upstairs carpet installed which means moving lots of furniture but it'll be worth it.

[+] Finish the little man's nursery which includes making a boy-version of this quilt and a solar system mobile, buying the rest of his furniture and plenty of other projects.

[+] Make and drink this lemonade as a substitute for the margaritas I won't be enjoying (bitterness included free of charge).

[+] Have a sweet shower for our little man and celebrate his soon arrival with anyone and everyone that loves him.

[+] Enjoy more than one fire in the evenings on our patio. We barely got to use it last summer even after all the work we did in the backyard and I love s'mores so this is a must.

[+] Register for baby classes, possibly take said baby classes (if not before school starts then after) and take a hospital tour.

[+] Celebrate milestone events with our friends, especially their showers, bachelorette parties and weddings most of all. Bring on the wedding cake!

[+] Maybe get away with my hubs even for just a quick weekend while it's just the two of us still. I can only imagine how different our lives will soon be and would love for some one-on-one time with my favorite man.

What am I forgetting? Bring it on summer, I'm ready for you! (well after my test on Monday, of course)

Thankful v9

Lately I've been thankful...

[+] for bright blooms on the front step & a new, fancy door to let in the breeze

 [+] for husband sized clothes to borrow when waistbands & tight clothes are too much

[+] for a happy pup who will always go on rides with me even if he doesn't get out of the car

[+] for the little boy dancing in my belly that makes the aches & pains just disappear

[+] for mini versions of clothes I can't seem to pass up & loving collared shirts more than ruffles

[+] for ten more days & one more exam until the end of my first year 

[+] for summer time, green grass, upcoming backyard BBQs & s'mores by the fire

[+] for husband's sleeping next to you after a whole lot of travel & lonely nights this month

[+] for motivation to get moving & enjoying it again even with all the side-eyes at my belly

[+]  for thunder & lightening shows as I fall asleep with rain to water our lawn 

[+] for a sweet pup who follows me everywhere & is becoming such a 'real dog'

[+] for summer weddings, adventures, projects & free time soon to come

[+] for the journey through life with fantastic friends & our future sons

Happy Friday friends!

Five on Friday v5

Today I'm linking up with Christina from Carolina Charm for "Five on Friday" 

Check out the link up below.

[one] It's only two weeks and two days away until we find out the gender of the little babe growing in my belly and I can't believe how time is passing so quickly. It seemed like forever ago that we originally scheduled our anatomy scan and now the day is fast approaching. J and I both have our opinions about who this little one is going to be and we've gotten guesses from a handful of our friends too and as it stands right now, we're basically split equally for team pink and team blue. Anyone else want to take a guess?

[two] Spring weather has definitely made it's presence known the last week or so and even though the evenings still get quite cool, I'm happy the seasons are starting to change. We've been working in the yard prepping for the summer and I hope that our efforts will pay off. Last year the previous homeowners stopped taking care of the yard once the house went under contract so we were left scrambling trying to revive brown grass with basically no landscaping. We made some major improvements last year putting in lots of new shrubs and perennials as well as a flag stone patio so this year is already off to a better start. Now if only we can get the grass growing so we have a beautiful, lush lawn then we'll be all set!

[three] Believe it or not, there was nothing on my schedule on Tuesday related to school so a few of my favorite med ladies and I took the opportunity along with the gorgeous weather to spend some time outside being "normal people" for a day. We headed west, back towards where I grew up, and went for a hike at Red Rocks. In all the years I've lived here I've actually never hiked there which surprises me. I've been for concerts, it's where we did our engagement pictures and we've taken guests just to look around but I didn't realize there were such great trails throughout too. After our hike (where I only asked for a break for my growing belly once!) we headed into the little town of Morrison and enjoyed Mexican food on the rooftop patio of The Morrison Inn. It was a fabulous day indeed!

[four] J is taking his first business trip back to San Diego since we moved almost a year ago. He's going to be gone for a whole week and I'll definitely miss him like crazy. Thankfully my mom lives so close and has offered to feed me while he's away. Somehow medical school has made everyone think I can't cook anymore and I'll starve without him here but hey, I can't complain. We have a whole slew of meals lined up that J never wants to eat/make and I'm looking forward to spending some time with my momma in the evenings.

[five] I've started brainstorming nursery ideas for a little while now and I think J and I are officially on the same page. We both believe so strongly in education and want the baby's room to be a place that's not only fun but also a place we can teach numbers, sit down to read and enrich our first born's life as much as possible. We're still working on all the details but I'm envisioning a big map on the wall (possibly as the centerpiece behind the crib), shelves and shelves of books that little hands can reach, science themed art prints, an adorable numbers mobile or a big abacus on the wall and lots of bright colors.

Happy Friday!

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. 

Five on Friday v1

Today I'm linking up with Christina from Carolina Charm for "Five on Friday" 

Check out the link up below.

  

[one] Our new carpet got installed today and I looove it! Between ripping out the old stuff and DIYing the hardwood, it's seemed like the downstairs was a constant work in progress since we moved. The flooring adventure deserves a post for itself which I'll be sure to do soon but for now I'll be laying on the super soft floor for the rest of the day making carpet-angels.

 [two] J was out of town on his first business trip since we moved at the beginning of the week and I am a proud wife. We were lucky enough that his job in San Diego has let him work remotely from home so it made the transition much easier around the move. It turns out the trip this week went really well and he's all set up with tons to do over the next few months. I'm thankful for him and his motivation to support me financially as I can't work for the next while.

[three] This weekend I am headed downtown for a bachelorette weekend for a great friend. Jenna was in our wedding this winter and I'm honored to be in her's in two short weeks. We are going to have a blast celebrating her and her soon-to-be marriage and I can't wait for a bit of girl time!

[four] Being back in Colorado has been such a blessing already. Tonight we are headed to J's mom's house for dinner since his step-brother is in town and Sunday we're hosting dinner for my family since my sister is in town from college for the week. I love that we are involved in these types of things now that we're here instead of just hearing about them via Facebook and wishing we could join. 

[five] I start school in 17 short days and I cannot believe how the time this summer has flown by. Whether it's because of our disaster of a move or life just moving too quickly, I'm not sure if I'm ready to jump into school quite yet. I'm sure that a full week of orientation before classes actually start will help me mentally prepare for what's to come but as of right now I want to find a pool to lay by with a cold drink in my hand and a good chick-flick to read instead of thinking about med school yet.  

Happy Friday and happy weekend everyone!

Currently [v6]

Currently I am:

+ excited about heading up to the lake tomorrow morning for some good old 4th of July fun. J and I have been going there for so many summers now and we have great memories of days spent in the sun. 

+ amazed that this will be J and my 7th Fourth of July together! Holy cow where has the time gone! Our dating anniversary was on Monday so this holiday is always special to me because of that. 

+ prepping our food for the weekend away and attempting to not have to use the grill while we're there. I tried a new pasta salad recipe that I modified with some protein to make it a meal and I can't wait to enjoy many a few adult beverages as well. 

+ shocked at the size of these marshmallows from Walmart. They are seriously enormous, like the size of 3 regular marshmallows. Hello, s'mores!

+ loving our new canvas prints from Costco in our family room. The quality is absolutely stunning, they are so well made and they give such an impact on our large wall. (we went with the 16x48" size) They were definitely more expensive than just doing prints in a frame but I think they are so worth it. Plus it's an awesome way to relive our honeymoon every once in a while by looking up at these canvases.

+ obsessed with French Press coffee after reading this post about how to make iced coffee with it. While we were waiting for our stuff (and more specifically my espresso maker) from the moving company I got a cheap french press and have been loving using it ever since. Plus it's a joy to have coffee already made when I wake up instead of having to fuss with the machine each morning.

+ thrilled with how our biggest home improvement project to date went over the past weekend! Our entire downstairs is getting new flooring and the first step was the hardwood. I promise to do a more detailed post with before and afters once the entire project is finished (carpet is going in next week) but here's a sneak peak anyways. This flooring is just gorgeous! 

Hope everyone has a fun, warm and safe 4th of July weekend! 

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!

Vacation Time: Fun on the Lake

Our trip to Lake Powell was FULL of activity! I woke up sore every day from doing something physical the day before, was covered in bumps and bruises and even tried a few new things I never thought I'd do. Being in the water with great people definitely made this trip amazing.

 

Take a look at what we were up to!

 Trying not to sink in the knee deep mud while flexing their muscles //
Boy do I love this man // Showers in the lake // Playing with fire

 J slalom skiing // and me skiing on two 

 The Bud Bullet tube // Riding the wake before he smacks his face on the water //
I got owned tubing and yes that's me flying off the back // two great friends

 Four adult men on the alien tube // It spins like a top as you ride //
Which leads to horrible crashes and yes those are J's legs

The brilliant idea of skiing WITH the Bud Bullet // He was so proud of himeself

Destroying friendship-trees with rocks // Starfishing to scare the Shmountain Shlions // 

A couple's wander into the woods // Dressed up for Western Night

Impulse cliff jumping // Spending awesome time with some really amazing people

We all made so many good memories during the five days we spent on the lake. And while I can't say it was my all-time favorite vacation (I prefer real showers and not being attacked by bats) I really enjoyed every minute of this trip. We planned our trip to Lake Powell over 18 months ago and I can't believe it's already done! Until next time Powell!

Vacation Time: Lake Powell Views

We're back from our week on Lake Powell and my camera was full of over 200+ photos from anything and everything I could capture. I had never been there before and didn't know what to expect and I was pleasantly surprised with the whole trip. To start things off, let's take a peak at how absolutely gorgeous this place really is. These pictures seriously don't do it justice. 

Bullfrog Marina: Day 1

 Beached in Rincon

 Iceberg Canyon

Sunset on our last night at the lake

Vacation Time: Lake Powell

It's official that I don't want summer to be over yet. I've always been a summer girl, hence the reason I moved from CO to CA.I know everyone's talking about fall weather, pumpkin spice lattes, scarves and boots but I am NOT. READY.

So to keep summer going, J and I are headed for a vacation.

Picture these views, while endulging on some delicious drinks, and throwing in tubing, water skiing, hiking and ultimately relaxing. I seriously cannot wait!

Source: beautifulplacestovisit.com via Jo on Pinterest

Source: google.com via Ryan on Pinterest

Source: Uploaded by user via David on Pinterest

Source: bing.com via Lindsay on Pinterest

Source: via Taylor on Pinterest

Source: spoonforkbacon.com via Julia on Pinterest

Source: google.com via Janice on Pinterest

We'll be completely cut off from the world, ie no electricity, no cell service, no internet and I think it will be a much needed break for this busy lady! Plus, I get to spend some quality time with some of my future family. J's mom's side of the family is going too as well as two of our greatest friends who are in our wedding. I've never been to Lake Powell before but I hear awesome things and I can't wait to experience my first house boat trip on the lake.