Summer so far

So my sister, Katie, congratulated me on my one month anniversary of not blogging which convinced me that I should probably get back on the blogging train. Thanks for the push, Katie.

Adam and I have been so busy this summer with all our travels and visitors. It's been so much fun!

So here commences the photo dump of our full summer so far.

We went and saw fireworks for the fourth of July on a very foggy night.

This is what our view turned into so we left and got home before all the traffic.

Had Adam's family up for the weekend. His parents even stayed the night and went to church with us the next day. Adam's dad and our pastor did a pastor swap. We got to hear Doug preach and his dad's church got to hear Earl speak for the day. It was really fun.

Adam's grandpa, Wally

 Adam's mom, Michelle, and grandma, Jeanie

We've watched a lot of people work out.  Okay not really but we've been pretty busy so working out has taken the backseat for now. I'm hoping to start that up again

We've tried a lot of new restaurants and had fun exploring our city.

 I went Gluten Free because of stomach/head issues and on a whole am feeling a lot better. I have to stick with it for a while before I can reintroduce gluten to see if that's the problem. So for now, I'm just eating a lot of fresh items like veggies and fruit.

We have loved living near the farmer's market. With harvest season in full swing, it's been fun to get fruit and vegetables from local farmers. We've even gotten eggs and meat too.

Had Leighann, Henry, and kids up for one weekend... more about that on another blog post. Way too many cute pictures to just skim by that.

Took off work on my birthday and hung out at this lakefront beach. So fun.

 and found a gluten free bakery so I could indulge in some yummy cookies!

Hung out at a bar that has really large version of games and normal size too. Had fun with the huge set of cornhole.

 and Jenga

And that's just a snippet of our last month and half. Hope to keep blogging. Sorry about the wait.

Family Visit photo dump

I got to visit my family this past weekend and it was so much fun! It was a crazy four days but I am so glad I got to go. Adam didn't get to go with me so I was a little sad but in reality he would have been sooooooo bored that it ended up being a good thing.

I landed in Washington D.C. and got picked up by Dad. We went to a lovely lunch and had a wonderful time talking. It was really fun. I think I'm at the point in my life that doing things with my parents are pleasant and enjoyable.

My dad dropped me off at home for me to get in Katie's car with Katie, Amy, and Chrissy to head up to NY to see my grandparents. I haven't seen my maternal grandparents for over 3 1/2 years which is pretty sad. They are getting older so I was glad that I got to see them. I think it was pretty overwhelming for them to have four of us up there at the same time but it still was a good visit. We had a load of fun on the way up and back.

We took the back way up and back and went by this old antique store that our mom used to stop at frequently. It was really fun to stop for old time's sake. 

 My sisters are very funny.

 We made it just a day trip so we could get back on Saturday night. Sunday we went to church and then had a relaxing day having lunch, hanging out, picking flowers, and taking a walk. Like I said, very relaxing.

Katie's dog baby, jack

Then I got to meet Liam!!! He is 3 months old today. So cute and look at those thighs! He's definitely doing well in the health department. He is a cutie and he even smiled at me. So cute. I also already completed one of my summer goals ;)

The rest of the weekend was spent playing and talking with everyone. There were so many little kids running around that wanted to be pushed on the tire swing and helped on and off of the trampoline. My mom really does have the best yard for little kids. She had a merry-go round, bouncing horse (like one you would see at the park), trampoline, basketball hoop, and so many trees to climb. It's awesome!

Here are all the kiddos minus J.J (Chrissy and Buck's son) and Liam (John and Jess's son).

I just had to share the rest of these photos because they are cute. Ryan made a friend with Uncle Kenny when Uncle Kenny let him eat his whip cream off his strawberry shortcake. When it was all out, Ryan would say, "We need more of dis" and walk up to Aunt Johanna to ask for more. He might have done that several times before we cut him off but oh boy, did he have fun.

 I played with these two the most this weekend because they were the youngest and didn't always get to play with the big kids. They are cute.

 Ryan

I made a friend with Muriel when she saw that I still had some ice cream left. She is really funny, very outgoing, and has such a cute voice. Little kid voices melt my heart every time.


I had such a good time reconnecting with family that it was hard to leave. I was very sad that we live far apart but this is where we are now. It's hard to remember that I like being here in the Midwest too in the moment when I get sad and think that my family gets to hang out all the time when I'm not with them (this isn't true-- we all live in separate places). I am excited though that I will see some of them before Thanksgiving ;) Whoot Whoot to quality time with people you love.

Kelly's wedding

Jennifer, Kelly, and I

On Saturday, my fellow graphic designer tied the knot. She is a really good designer so all her signs and printed material were really cute and well done. It was cool to finally see everything that she had talked about this summer.

The ceremony was so Kelly. It was funny because  she was such a whoot. She is one person not afraid of attention haha

The ceremony and reception were at a huge mansion. It was fun. I wish I had known more people my age because it would have been a night filled with dancing but it was fun nonetheless.

The huge mansion

Complete with pool, huge deck, outdoor fireplace, and pillar canopy thing.

oh and a putting green.

First Dance.

Their cute cake and the bike topper (it's a little hard to see)

And now the countdown to my wedding starts but I don't know the number of days so don't tell me ;)

oh and p.s. Happy Birthday to Leighann! I wish I could share a piece of cake or whatever paleo form of dessert you are indulging in today ;)

New Friends

I got an awful stomach bug yesterday and woke up to find these.

My new roommate may or may not have stole them from our neighbor's yard.

So the last month has been crazy.

Here's a quick recap:

Beginning of August, I got to go down to Georgia to visit some friends and see one of our other friends get married. The wedding was fun and then we made a long weekend out of it and chilled at the pool and tried on wedding dresses. Well actually I tried

on wedding dresses but my friends helped me and we just had a really fun time.

Then I went home for two nights, one to work and one to pack and then I left for

Chicago/Milwaukee/South Dakota trip with Adam and his family. We had a blast. He showed me where he would live, go to class, and other random/awesome things about Milwaukee. For real, really cool city that I wouldn't mind living in. It has so much to do but still feels like a small city that doesn't have that much traffic. We went to Marquette and looked around, stopped someone from stealing a bike outside the library (real life), ate lunch, walked around Third Ward (an older district of town that has been renovated into public markets, restaurants, and shops), went to the beach, played golf, ate dinner, saw his now house (he's living with a family) and then went home. It was fun

( street on the Third Ward)

Then we got up very early and drove for 12 hours. Played a lot of travel scrabble, talked, read, and ate almost half a box of fig newton's and tried to blame that on Adam but he wouldn't let me get away with that haha We all stayed in a hotel and then got up and drove a tiny bit and stopped at the Badlands. His dad knew I had never been out west and seen anything like it so he was always pointing out interesting things which was nice because I don't always pay attention haha

The badlands-- apparently a lot of space-based movies have been filmed here because of the crazy terrain.

Then we headed to the ranch were Adam's sister, Sarah, was working for the summer. Then on to Mount Rushmore where I took more pictures of the presidents than I'll ever want. The next day, we went on a trail ride and Sarah was our wrangler which is what she had been doing all summer and just chilled around the ranch an small town. The next day, we hiked Hurney Peak, which is the highest peak east of the Rockies and west of the Pyrennes. It was beautiful but very tiring. We also saw a lot of wildlife around Custer State Park which is right there. It was a super fun day!

Reverse Drive-thru at Custer State Park-- Is it bad that I kind of want a burro? I mean look at the baby one--- so cute!!

The next day, we literally drove all day long. I read 1.5 Harry Potter books and played more travel scrabble. I even one a round of it.

Then I left the next day. Since then I've been freelancing for different clients (more on that later), nannying, waitressing, and opening a gym in the wee hours of the morning to help a friend cover a shift.

Pray for me, I had an interview this morning. There are many pros/cons to getting or not getting the job so....

Crazy Hair and Work

This is what my hair looks like right now.

Crazy right? It was inspired by this blog post. I wanted to do it because I knew it wouldn't last long and I don't have a big kid job yet so I don't have to worry about it ;)

I'm making my donation today to Invisible Children. God has provided so much this week. I'm happy to take the next step in obedience :)

For those of you who were wondering

this is what my baller ring looks like. It's sooo pretty.

trying to get you all different angles.

Anyways, Adam and I had so much fun in Louisville yesterday for my birthday. We hung out all day at the waterfront park, which was sooo legit. This summer has been the summer to learn of all the cool things that I could have been doing all throughout college but never got around to it. This was one of those things. We got there ten minutes after they closed the bike shop because it was so hot and no one was renting bikes but ideally you could rent bikes/buggies to ride along the river and all over the park. There are at least two huge playgrounds and a splash area (which is quite refreshing on a scorching day), lots of paths, lots of porch-swings and just random cool things in a huge park along the Ohio River right in the city. It was so fun and Adam was hilarious yesterday so I was laughing a lot haha. Love my birthday and all the free food you can get at all the various restaurants. We went to the Cheesecake Factory and told the waiter it was my birthday so he wrote "Happy Birthday to You" in chocolate sauce around the cheesecake plate. It was awesome. He even put in a candle and threw some confetti sprinkles on the plate. Loved it!! Wish I had a camera on my phone to capture it and show you guys.

I told you, Adam was being hilarious yesterday, right? This is him jump/dancing up every single stair to the car. Haha there had to be 10 or so stairs that he did this on. So funny.

Beware-- very long post---

Um seriously the last few days.. really week have been such a learning experience, I can't even begin to tell you but I will try.

Probably 4 or maybe even 5 months ago, the invisible children group came and spoke at our college. If you haven't heard about them, the Invisible children are all the children in Uganda and the surrounding area that are being kidnapped and stolen from their homes by rebel soldiers and forced to be soldiers or even prostitutes to the captains of the army. There are children as young as 5 that are made to do awful, awful things that I hope my future five year old never,ever even knows about. I think about 6 years ago, a group of twenty-somethings decided to do something about it. They decided to leave their comfort, homes, and families in the United States and go to Uganda and film that story and show it all across America. Since then they have been fighting hard for the cause by different programs, lobbying in D.C and awareness films. When they came to our school, they talked specifically about education and if you give money to someone it will eventually disappear but if you give them knowledge that you can change their situation for life. Since then (I know, 4 or 5 months...so bad) I have felt convicted to give half a year's worth of tuition for one child. I felt convicted that day but I didn't do it and that week I got that amount from my dad. I still didn't give it. Even when I was totally surprised by that check in the mail from my dad. I instead spent it, I'm sure on unimportant things. I have felt guilty for the last few months, yet I still didn't give. I told God I didn't have enough money. I told him I would instead be responsible with my money and pay off debt and give tithe and all of that but I didn't have enough to give a lump sum to the Invisible Children.

Well, this week I decided enough is enough. I had heard an amazingly convicting sermon two Sundays ago about sacrificial giving. I had given all that was in my wallet that day and since then kind of regretted it. I know the Lord loves a cheerful giver but I was struggling with that idea when I saw how much debt I owed. (In respect to debt or anyone who makes way more money than I do, I didn't give that much at all but I felt like the widow who gave all she had, ya know?) Anyways, the last week I've been wrestling with God over my addiction to materialism, college debt I've accrued, and my upcoming wedding (which is still undecided on when it will be but those things can cost a pretty penny) and praying about being a cheerful, sacrificial giver and asking for Him to help me trust him with the next year and my finances.

Tonight, He blew my expectations out of the water. I work the next three nights and then I basically go on vacation for 2 weeks (a friend's wedding and vacation with Adam and his family). So I decided I had enough money for those trips and that the next three days, I could try to make that special amount of money for the Invisible Children and just make the difference up out of my savings. I decided I would trust God for the money I needed for myself and for the Invisible Children fund. I got to work and WE WERE DEAD TONIGHT. Absolutely dead. No one wanted to eat at Ramsey's but somehow I got one of the best sections tonight even though I'm pretty sure it was my turn to have the patio section where no one sits while the sun is up because it was so darn hot, and then I managed to get double and triple sat ALL night long. No one had tables but somehow my section was full the whole night! And I got the guy that everyone lovingly calls "moneybags" because he tips you for anything you bring to his table even if you're not his server. Seriously, he tipped me alone 30 on maybe a $45 dollar bill. Then I got a table full of army "people", for lack of a better word, and had 2 random people from the restaurant offer to pay for their bill (so one paid for dinner and the other dessert) and they tipped me super well. The one server was like my guy tipped you over 20% for the army bill and barely tipped me, his own server, 10%. Then the people who paid for dessert tipped me too. Then the army people tipped me also. So I got $65 dollars off that table alone. Which in reality, the whole situation was such a blessing to me that the money amount was just a bonus on top of a really cool situation.

Anyways to make a very long story short, I made $135 on one of the slowest nights I've ever worked and I know it was God. It was so slow that the manager, that is infamous for closing the floor late because he is afraid that we'll get slammed with people, closed the floor at 8:15 (closing the floor means that all the servers except the closing server and the bartender don't get anymore tables and can just clean up and get out of there). He usually waits until at least 9, if not 9:30. I know girls who were making anywhere from 5-35 dollars tonight. Seriously... that dead. And I had figured out that I had to make at least $70 the next three nights to be able to give to the fund and knew that for a Tuesday that would be a huge stretch. I essentially made double of that tonight. Seriously incredible. I talked to my sister, Katie, afterwards and she reminded me that, "God has a sense of humor. You know you could have made that much on a busy night but it makes it so much more dramatic and apparent when you make that much on a slow night." Which is sooo true. There is no way that I can say that it was coincidence. God really wants some kid somewhere in Uganda to have education. Some kid I don't even know is going to get money from me because God sees and knows them and is using someone halfway across the world to fulfill his plan. It's such a lesson to be taught especially since I've been so worried about money the last week. Gosh, sometimes we are retarded when it comes to God. It's crazy that it took a situation like this to teach me that I should trust God a lot more. I know that he can take care of me but tonight I felt it.

It's official

I'm marrying my best friend :) We got engaged this past Monday the 25th but I waited to post anything because I wanted to make sure my siblings and close friends knew before I put it online. We have no idea the wedding date yet but that's okay, right?

Mustache Mug

Look what I made. I'm so excited. I made it as a gift but I'm going to make one for myself because it's so stinking cute.

I found the tutorial here. It's sooo easy and so fun. I'm thinking I need to have a mug decorating party because I also saw this cute gift idea here. It's definitely an easy and fun gift to make. And who doesn't want a fun, homemade mug to drink their morning coffee from?

headbands

Last night some friends and I got together to make headbands and it was way more fun than I thought it was going to be. I made 3 new ones ;)

this one I could wear like a normal headband but I'm thinking about starting this as my style ;)

And it was way cheaper which is always the best thing ;)