wedding stuff

Alright, so we have begun searching for our favorite venue to host our wedding. We are scheduled to visit seven more places tomorrow, I know it may seem crazy, but I would rather see as many as we possibly can now... and then be comfortable picking our place soon. Places are already filling up! It's nice because Matt and I have very similar tastes on what we are looking for and what is not a necessity at all. It is such an involved process choosing a menu, flowers, linens (things I would never normally care about) now take some real consideration but it really is and will continue to be a fun journey. However, these dreams about the wedding are already starting... I don't know if I can take another 8 or 9 months of this. I was rocking my nephew to sleep earlier today and all I could think about was seeing all our loved ones gathered at the same place, and walking down the isle with my dad... seeing Matt's reaction to how hot I look :) But really, it makes me smile so wide every time I think about it. Tomorrow night we are having Matt's nephew, soon to be mine too over for dinner, out for some games, and a sleep over. We are trying this new thing of having one of the boys over for their own special night on their own. So far so good. Hope everyone has a good weekend, stay warm!

spirit driven life

hi there. weekly blogging is a process, people. and if more people are reading this than my fiance, sister, and friend jamee, then i will try harder each week. the weeks seem to be going by faster, and that makes me sound old just typing that. Saturday we did our first round of visits to possible venue places for our wedding. it is a bit overwhelming because the options are plenty, not necessarily realistic options but many many places to look at. we saw anything from the low end all the way up to $25,000 to rent. and i know that even if we had that much money to spend, there is no way i could bring myself to do it. we will continue to look for that place that speaks to us, has some character, and is near the realm of what we would feel comfortable paying.
i have had a few interviews this past week, and one went really well. i look forward to working back in a school, however having so many friends working in schools i know the germs and sickness side to it will be something i'll try to avoid. i have several friends and loved ones in my life that are currently looking for a new job or at least to revamp the one they've got. i think we are all becoming more aware of what we want to do with our lives and what truly makes us happy. i have always believe that you are not your job, your job does not define you, in fact i've never thought of careers as anything more than jobs. but i realize that if you have a desire to do something (help kids, paint, teach, take photos) than to be able to transcend that into your every day working life is key. the more that i feel i am working with a purpose, the more fulfilled i feel. i think it is vital that we become aware of what those things are, and steer clear of the things that pull us away from our "spirit".
on another note, last monday i watched my nephew by himself all day long and we had the best day together. we have never laughed so much. he was cracking me up all day long. he would dance a bit, then laugh, he would crawl away and i'd chase after him, the whole time he was laughing up a storm. he also really enjoys when i attempt to juggle some blocks. what a gift that little guy is, i am so very grateful to be around him.

iowa

This past weekend Matthew and I drove to a tiny town in Iowa. The weather there was rainy and cold and icy in spots (my least favorite road trip weather). We stopped in Cameron, MO. and stumbled upon an old Victorian home that was turned into a very cute bakery/cafe and apparently they had a winery upstairs (didn't have time to see it). We had the best breakfast out that we have ever had... fresh, healthy and delicious... oh yea and we got a ton of food and it was only eight bucks which just makes it more fun. It was such a nice way to start the drive and set a fun tone for the rest of the trip. We ate lunch and hung out with Matt's extended family, learned how to play cribbage, and just relaxed the rest of the evening. Sunday we woke up to fresh air and sunshine. We decided to drive to Nauvoo, Il. they are famous for their fudge (the shop was closed) winery (very cute and located deep in the woods past a gorgeous campground) and a historical Mormon site. We spent the morning exploring, got really close to 4 huge golden eagles (beautiful!) and eventually made our way back home. The dogs were very excited to see us and it feels good to be home. But, wow!! What a fun weekend!

christmas time

christmas has lasted for about two weeks for us... which has been amazing! we started last saturday, the 20th at matt's mom's house for her famous dinner... um, i call it jambalaya only because i like saying that word. she cooks a big pot of corn, potatoes, sausage (i think?) and the largest shrimp i have ever eaten. she lays out a table cloth, and then pours it all out in the middle of the table. it is a messy, delicious family style of a meal. wednesday we spent christmas eve at church, then to my sister's house for a lovely meal, and a few gifts. thursday was a perfect christmas day because i was in my pj's the entire day. played a few intense games of ping pong, ate even more good food and opened the rest of our gifts. it's fun having a baby (kestan) around crawling over all the bows and boxes.. which he loved way more than any of his actual gifts. friday night we had dinner at my sister's again but this time we celebrated with my dad and his wife. and a new game called "imaginiff". imagine if my dad was a kind of car, which would he be? (multiple choice answers) imagine if matt was a character from winnie the pooh.... cute game, and even more fun seeing everybody's guesses. i love this time of year and it seems to just be getting better.... hope you all had a wonderful christmas too!

megan's wedding!

My good friend Megan married a great guy named Sleiman on December 19th. It was one of the best weddings I have been to. Lots of good people, plenty of food, my sister and her family were there too, plus tons of dancing. Matt and I had a really great time, and it felt like a mini-vacation since we stayed the night in Lawrence. The happy couple is only two hours away from us so we hope to plan many trips visiting them and our new friends who happen to live near by. And of course it got me even more excited in my journey planning for our big day!

game night!

matthew and i hosted our 2nd annual christmas game night. we had some good old friends, new game night attendants, and a couple that we haven't seen for three years. it was cozy with christmas lights, delicious snacks, warm pizza, and frosted sugar cookies. it was great to catch up with great friends and to get to know some even better. we knew it would be fun.. but i did not know we would laugh as hard as we did. and i have now decided it's time to start a monthly game night with a group of friends to share new games (we also took full advantage of our double shot basketball game situated in the guest bedroom) different food, and sweet memories. the next day matthew and i slept in, hung out with the dogs, and picked up one of our favorite restaurants (just down the street from our house) for dinner. it was what i call an ideal weekend.

steady as she goes...

i am learning more and more about this blogging thing every day. i would have guessed that i am computer person, but the more i am on a computer, the more i realize how little i have taken the time to understand. thankfully and (has made me a little lazy in learning) my man knows all about computers which means if i can't upload a photo, matthew tries to help me. when he is not around i stumble online for a few minutes and soon give up, start playing music or quickly move on to another hobby i enjoy and fully understand. i was laughing earlier today thinking about this engagement thing leading to marriage.... don't worry, i am all for it. however, comparing the differences between men and women still makes me laugh. weird quirks. and completely different styles on almost everything. like when dale took the trash out (sorry jamee) and he left the trashcan without refilling it with a new bag... matt does the same thing (sometimes). and all of these things that if you add up on paper are crazy and if you think about too much could drive ya nuts. but none of it matters. and none of it is even an issue when you think of your relationship, where you have been, and definitely where you are going, but more importantly where you are at today. i love this picture. that is all....