Giving Thanks

I love Thanksgiving, it is by far my favorite holiday! Mainly because we get to spend time with family without the presents or other obligations that come with Christmas. Plus, Thanksgiving involves all my favorite foods like mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, and macaroni and cheese casserole...YUM!

This year I have so much to be thankful for-- my husband and our brand new marriage. We continue to grow and learn from each other daily. My family who supports me in all my life adventures. A puppy that is teaching me about unconditional love. A job that provides for my husband and I as we navigate through school. An education that is equipping me with the essentials to be the best I can be. Friends that push me to get out of my comfort zone. And last, a life that is just pretty darn amazing to live. Some days I get so overwhelmed with all the I have been blessed with in my life I could start crying! It's my goal to stop worrying about the little things and start being appreciative for all the wonderful things I have in my life.

On a lighter note...Kane surprised me with an early Christmas present..a tablet I have been lusting over for a year now!

Asus Tablet via Best Buy

I'm still learning how to use it and all the features its offer but so far I love it! It will come in so handy for school. Also, a couple weeks ago I splurged and bought myself a new camera. 

Fujifilm FinePix S4300 via Best Buy

It is so much better than my last camera (which was over 5 years old!) and the quality of photos is amazing. Below are some of the photos I've taken with it so far...

 Trying to be artsy 

 Miss Lola

 Not quite sure about her Holiday sweater

 My little nephew is so dang cute!

He also loves ripping wrapping paper and bows :)

Hope everyone had a lovely Holiday with their families and loved ones!

GBR

Ah last weekend at the game was so much fun! After I graduated in undergrad I kind of gave up going out and tailgating before the games. I'm not going to lie-- I was exhausted tired when I got home Saturday night, but it was worth it to go see friends and family before the game. Here are a couple photos I took....

 Playing with the new iPhone panoramic photo

 My husband and his BFF just hanging

There is no place like Memorial Stadium....GBR

Is anyone else loving Daylight Savings??? I have been so productive today!

Goals for the Week

Every Sunday I try to write down a list of goals I want to accomplish for the week. Maybe writing them down and putting them out there for the world to see will help hold me more accountable.

1.) Get my house clean
2.) Not complain about work when i get home
3.) Cook supper every night this week and not eat out
4.) Complete 2 weeks worth of homework for my online class
5.) Get up at 6 a.m. to walk Lola at least 3 times this week
6.) Finish my Christmas want list for my parents and Kane
7.) Complete my 'to get' list for my Christmas shopping
8.) Finish my write up
9.) Complete my monthly budget for November
10.) Call and get auto insurance set up
11.) Finish and mail out all my wedding thank your

Hopefully I can cross each of these items of my list during the week!

Lazy Nights

Yep...this makes my heart smile.

My husband is on fall break so I took the day off to spend with him and catch up on errands. I must have worn both of them out :)


Oh P.S.- There is a pretty amazing giveaway going on over at Shades of Gray and a Pinch of Pink. Go check it out!

Does that make me crazy ?!?!

I am linking up with Michelle over at The Vintage Apple for a fun little thing called Does That Make Me Crazy? I know there are plenty of things I do that I think are completely normal but others might think I am a little crazy when I do them. Kind of like....

- Does it make me crazy if ... sometimes when I don't feel like making supper I'll just eat a can of black olives or mashed potatoes.

- Does it make me crazy if ... In the shower I have a very strict routine= Shampoo hair, rinse, conditioner, wash face, rinse conditioner, wash body. And I never stray from this routine.

- Does it make me crazy if ... I like to sing in the car only if my windows are up.

- Does it make me crazy if ... I hardly ever blow dry my hair, I hate using a blow dryer.

- Does it make me crazy if ... I don't like to go to the movie theater if the movies require a lot of thinking (I'd much rather people watch)

- Does it make me crazy if ... I hate using public bathrooms. And I hate using public bathrooms when anyone else is in there.

- Does it make me crazy if ... I don't eat popcorn with my hands. I have specific 'popcorn' bowls that are really shallow so I can just eat it out of the bowl (Weird I know, my husband hates it)

- Does it make me crazy if ... I never order meat at a restaurant and would prefer not eating meat I didn't cook myself.

These don't make me too crazy, right ? Can't wait to read what everyone else has!

Lola

Lola has been a member of our family for about a month now. I can't believe what a big difference she has made in our house. 

1.)We are always in a good mood---who wouldn't be in a good mood when someone is so dang excited to see you!

2.) We exercise. This is huge for us as we are those people who set their alarm clocks at 5:30 a.m. in hopes of getting up to run (Newsflash- we always end up getting up at 6:45 a.m.- exactly 45 minutes before we have to leave everyday) But now that we have Lola nightly walks have become a staple in our household. Also, we take a lot more naps after said walks.

3.) Our house is clean. If we don't pick things up she eats them. Plain and simple.

4.) We have a valid excuse when we don't want to go out. We are homebodies and I like to stay in sometimes instead of going out and getting crazy.

5.) She has helped reinforce the ideas we are not ready to have children. She will be the only living thing that depends on us to survive for at least the next 5 or so years.

6.) She's pretty darn awesome. 

 Don't judge me for the bad photo

Welcome to Nebraska, Wisconsin

Yesterday was a day Nebraska football fans had been waiting to arrive for 365 days. You see last year we played our first Big 10 conference game against Wisconsin. And they beat us. And their fans were really really mean to ours. Don't believe me? Check out Taylor 's (from the Daily Tay) post from Thursday about some of the unsportsman like behavior she witnessed. Yeah pretty unbelievable--and I heard it from every single person that I knew that traveled up there. So this year we had to show them exactly what the 'greatest fans in college football' act like. I mean they don't brand us that just because...

I went tailgating yesterday with friends and family and every Wisconsin football fan we saw we made sure to say, "Hi, Welcome to Nebraska! Hope you have a good day!" Why? Because that's what we do every single time we have an opponent, its just what Nebraska fans do. Anyways, long story short- we ended up winning 30-27 and Nebraska was pumped! We were down for most of the game and it turned out to be the 2nd largest comeback in school history! A few of the photos I took yesterday...

Ha, I only remembered my camera at one of the tailgates we were at :)

Today I have a full agenda-- grocery shopping, cleaning, cooking, writing a paper, and getting a presentation ready for class on Tuesday! The joys of Sunday :)

Fan 4 Life

So I was going to post a new recipe but something else happened that I had to share. On Wednesday night Kane told me that on Thursday he was going to take me out for supper since I had done so much the past week (cook, clean, etc.). I thought, "What a nice man I have, everyone should be jealous".

Thursday night comes and Kane is insistent that we go to Applebee's. We walk up to Applebee's and I notice everyone in Packer's jersey/clothing-then it hits me....he wanted to eat out so he could watch the Packer game at the bar (wasn't being shown on t.v. only the NFL network). What a little sneak-- oh to be married to a football fanatic :)

In other news the Huskers won this weekend!!!

Procrastination

Holy Cow! I swear almost every morning when I get up I think, “I need to update this blog today”, and then almost every night when I get home real life takes over and I have about 20 things to get done on my to-do list. However, I plan on making a conscious effort to blog about 2-3 times a week (like we haven’t heard that one before J )

First things first, I have an awesome recipe I am going to share with you tomorrow. It was super easy to make and the husband loved it—so pretty much a win win in my book. It is one that will be making an appearance in my weekly recipe rotation! I’ll give you a small sneak peak….tell me your mouth is not watering!

School is back in full swing for both my husband and I and it has been keeping us so busy! Most of our nights are spent either in class or studying (more for my husband than me). Only 1 ½ more years till we are done! I don’t know if I have mentioned this before but if all goes according to plan my husband will graduate from law school on a Saturday in May 2014 and I will graduate from my graduate program the next day—pretty cool!

Other than that I have just been keeping up with my newest form of procrastination...Lola

She's precious!

Updates

Wow...life got the best of me this past summer. Grad school, full time job, and planning a wedding take up a lot of time (Just in case you didn't know). Well I come back to you all as a MRS.!! (Still so weird!)

Kane and I were married August 11, 2012...and it was an absolutely, amazing, wonderful, perfect day! I hope to share more on this when I get my professional photos back :)

We spent a week in Estes Park and it was exactly the relaxing laid back trip we had in mind.

And in other unrelated news....our tiny family of two has grown and we adopted a new puppy Friday!

Her name is Lola! All I got to say is I feel sorry for our future children with the amount of photos Kane has been taking :)

I promise an update soon (and more frequently)!

Be Happy

A good Monday pick me up...Enjoy!

http://thoughtcatalog.com/2012/20-ways-to-make-your-monday-awesome/

Lake Time

This past weekend I spent time at my in-laws cabin. It is always a fun time and it was extra special this time because my family was able to attend!

Me and my lovely brothers (and my nephew!)

Broden and myself...he looked so cute in his little hat!

He also loved playing in the water!!

All in all it was a wonderful weekend, but I am so glad to be home! This week will be another busy one-- I have to present my final project in my class, get caught up on wedding stuff, and then a wedding reception Friday night.

Hey everyone! Thanks for stopping by my little corner of the blog world today. Today I an recovering from the 4th... It was super relaxing and we spent it with friends grilling, swimming, and watching fireworks.

I promise to have a full recap either tonight or tomorrow! Till then make sure you say hi... I love meeting new people and finding new blogs/inspiration!

Life Update

Holy cow... has life been busy as of late or what?!?! Like I've mentioned about a thousand times before but my best friend got married.

She is gorgeous!

I can't believe she is married!

The fiancé and I

Other than that I have been addressing invitations for my own wedding, working, trying to work out, and going to classes.  

Life is busy...sometimes I wish I could just lay on a beach somewhere and sleep in the sun and drink fruity drinks all day.

Sigh...until that happens I will just continue to day dream.

Sometimes life just isn't fair

So in my quick post the other day I mentioned how I had been extremely busy lately...what I failed to mention is that one of the reasons I had been so absent is because I was angry. Angry that sometimes, the kindest, most inspirational, good hearted individuals get taken from this Earth too soon.

Last Friday I was on the way to the lake to celebrate my in-laws anniversary when I got a text from my mom that read, "Anthony was killed in a car accident this afternoon". Anthony--the same Anthony who graduated a year above me in school. The Anthony that made me laugh with his silly antics during high school play practices. The Anthony, who our whole community loved because of his large heart and his uncanny ability to see the best in anyone. Anthony and I weren't friends, but we were acquaintances. We had many mutual friends and found ourselves in the same place throughout high school. I am thankful I was able to experience what a great person he was.

You see Anthony was 24 years old and had just completed his first year of teaching, where he was the FBLA advisor, and head basketball coach. He was bringing his boys basketball team back from a basketball camp when 15 miles from home a pick up crossed the center line and hit the school van head on. Anthony, the assistant coach, and pick up driver were killed, while all 9 students were transported to the hospital.

Life isn't fair. How could someone who had made such an impact in one year of teaching and had the skills and ambition to change the world be taken from us? It makes me so angry that there are people in this world who do drugs/drink, get in a car, drive, and are perfectly ok. They get away with testing the limits. People who do awful things like murder, cheat, and other horrendous crimes--but they are still here. And yet someone who wanted nothing more than to impact the lives of those around him is taken from us. Life just isn't fair.

This whole tragedy has been weighing on my heart lately. And today I woke up and felt an achenes in my heart-wanting to be home with those who I grew up with to say our final goodbyes. Life doesn't always make sense and it doesn't do any good to question it. I guess this event is a reminder to pick up the phone call those closest to me and remind them how much they mean to me. To hug them a little closer and always say I love you.

Don't take a moment of life for granted. And don't forget to live life to the fullest, and to always take the chance and not live in fear. Because you never know what will happen and you no longer have the chance.

Life

I promise I haven't forgotten about this little old blog of mine...life has been crazy lately! My best friend is getting married Saturday so after that I will have some sort of a life back :)

Where Have I Been?

Yikes, it has been awhile since I have posted! I have had a much needed two week break from my grad classes so I have been busily trying to finish up wedding planning. Obviously a wedding is a big deal, but I seriously never realized how much goes into planning this day---its mind blowing! So besides wedding planning I have been busy helping with last minute details for my best friend's wedding which is in 3 weeks! This weekend we will celebrate her last days as a single lady with some wine tasting at my favorite place, which you may recall from here.

I promise to start posting more regularly now that things are returning soon to my normal routine. Also, check out Nebraska Wedding Day Blog later this afternoon to read my thoughts on reception music! And to leave you with a laugh this Wednesday....

HAHA! Photobooth photos from a wedding we attended this weekend.

Happy hump day!

Music

I found these songs while trying to work on a paper for one of my graduate classes. Enjoy!

Slice- Five for Fighting

Chances- Five for Fighting

What I Wore Wednesday

I am linking up with Lindsey from the Pleated Poppy for What I Wore Wednesday. After a massive spending spree a couple weeks ago I made a promise to not spend money on clothes for at least a month. So far I am doing a good job at keeping this, but it is challenging me to find pieces from my closet and reinvent them. For an afternoon of wine tasting I put together this outfit, which you probably recognize from here...

Top: Target (last year)

Jeans: Buckle BKE

Shoes: Target

Watch: Christmas Gift

The button up is something I have never worn before, so I was a little skeptical it looked weird and frumpy on me. However, after spending most of the day in this outfit I felt casual and put together so it is most definitely something I will wear again.

Happy hump day!

Afternoon Delight

Saturday afternoon Kane and I decided to celebrate his last day at his law firm (he accepted a law clerk position with an awesome firm in Lincoln and starts next week!) by relaxing and enjoying some wine at James Arthur Vineyard. It is only a ten minute drive from our house and the vineyard sits on a beautiful plot of land. The weather was perfect for a tasting on the porch!

We spent most of the afternoon there sipping on wine and enjoying each others company.

View from the porch

Trying to be artsy :)

Grapes are starting to appear!!

Each year JAV hosts a Renaissance Festival--it is so much fun! We decided to take a walk around so I could see the vines and ran into a covered wagon they use every year. I am so devastated sad we will miss it this year.

Inside you can view into their storage room--so cool!

If you are ever in the area you should most definitely stop by. They have so many award winning wines and so many different flavors and styles to choose from. All in all, a perfect Saturday afternoon!





Growing Up

Don’t you just hate being a grown up sometimes? Case in point…

Kane and I have always talked about getting a dog for the longest time, like before we ever considered moving in together/marriage. We’ve always wanted a dog to play, run with, and just cuddle.

Kane and I both had full beds before we moved in together. By ones self=not a big deal. With two people=huge deal. Kane likes to sleep in the middle=me freaking out because I hate anything touching me when I sleep. So we have talked about getting a queen sized bed for a year now.

Last night we find the cutest puppy ever (aka Lucy) to adopt from our local shelter. Kane makes plans to go check her out Thursday morning. Thursday morning I find a queen size mattress set on sale in our price range (ughh did I mention we are paying for law school, graduate school, and getting married=tight budget)!

Moral of the story…making grown up decisions stink! Like deciding you probably need the bed more than you want the dog.

On another 'grown up' note, I attended the wedding of my friend Mollie this weekend. Mollie and I lived across the hall from each other freshmen and  sophomore years of college, you could say she was the first friend I made after moving to Lincoln. That 'grown up' feeling hit me during her wedding Saturday, as she was exchanging vows with her husband and made me realize how much I've grown up the past five years!

Wow, time does fly.

Mollie and Dani 2007

Ryan (met him at New Student Orientation!), Mollie, and me at her wedding 2012

What I Wore Wednesday

I can't believe it is already Wednesday! I feel like the days are flying by, but then again it is probably because I have a million things I need to accomplish or do each week. This week I did a little better taking photos-- even though it is not the best quality (Taken on fiance's phone) it is still one more than I took last week :) I am linking up with The Pleated Poppy again this week.

Top: Gap Boat Shirt

Pants: Limited 

Shoes: Target

Necklace: Charlotte Russe

For work I tend to wear a lot of neutral colors, but I am trying to break out of that habit (hence the purple necklace).

Happy hump day everyone!

Weekend Review

This weekend has flown by for so many different reasons! First my mom came into town on Friday night and we spent all afternoon getting pedicures and shopping--its always nice to be able to relax like that. It seems like the only times I let myself do this is when my mom comes to town.

Saturday morning we woke up and the weather was acting so crazy-- I literally could not see across my street when I woke up because of all the fog. The weathermen had been warning all week that the Midwest would be hit hard with storms this weekend and I knew Saturday would be the day. Unfortunately, I had my first bridal shower Saturday afternoon and the closer it got to 2 p.m. the worse the weather got. It was so bad that the University of Nebraska cancelled it's spring game and sent 50,000 people home (football is a big deal here and this have never happened before!) A couple people weren't able to make my shower because of the weather, but for the most part it didn't stop us. I had such a fun times--it was one of those afternoons where you stop and look around and think how you ever got to be so blessed in life.

Jessica, Me, Desirae, Katrina--my beautiful bridesmaids

With the flowergirl

I am so lucky to have such strong, kind, and inspirational women in my life!!

Saturday night Kane and I just hung around and watched movies. We went to bed around 11:30, we got upstairs, and then 5 minutes later the tornado sirens started going off. We ended up in the basement for about 45 minutes, thankfully everything passed right over Lincoln. However, this morning I talked to my best friend (the blond in the photos) and a tornado went right through their property, taking out one of their small sheds. The house across the road from them was completely leveled...thankfully no one was hurt!

Today I spent the time organizing my closet and putting gifts away....exciting I know :) However, I do not believe my closet has ever been as clean as it is now!

Just one side--but trust me this is organized for me!

I am definitely not ready to start a new week--can't the weekend just be a little longer ??

What I Wore Wednesday

My first time linking up for What I Wore Wednesday with Lindsey fromThe Pleated Poppy! So since I am so new doing this I keep on forgetting to take actual pictures of my outfits (even though I have wanted to link up for almost a year now!) So to get the ball rolling I am sharing an outfit from this weekend...even if you can't see it the best :)

Capris: Buckle (bought with a gift card from Christmas 2 summers ago)

White Shirt: SO shirt from Kohls

Blue Cardigan: TJMaxx

Tan Striped Shoes (unseen): New York and Company

Cute Baby: Courtesy of my brother and lovely sister in law :)

Can't wait to become a regular (hopefully) participant in WIWW to help me become more accountable with my outfits!

Who gets sick in April ?!?!

So today I am home sick...seriously who gets sick in April? I'm crossing my fingers, hoping, and wishing that it is just my allergies getting the best of me and this day of rest will get me back up to speed. I knew something was wrong yesterday around 2 p.m. when I started to get a headache at the back of my head right above my neck (never a good sign with me)! All afternoon I started to feel worse and worse and when I get home yesterday night I got into bed at 5 p.m. and slept for about 3 hours! I woke up tried eating a little supper and went straight back to bed. Waking up this morning I still was not feeling the best so I decided to rest up.

I am spending the day sleeping (which I hardly ever do, which oddly makes me feel guilty for some reason), trying to catch up on some reading for classes, and sleeping some more. It is so hard because it looks so beautiful outside, but my head is continuing to pound!

Don't forget to check out Nebraska Wedding Day to see my post for this afternoon! I am off to try to find something to eat and take a quick nap. Happy Hump Day :)

Ten Random Things

Not that I have anyone special that reads my blog but I saw this on a couple other blogs and thought it was fun (and because I haven't blogged for two weeks and can't think of anything fun or interesting to write about:) )

Here are ten earth shattering facts that people are dying to know about me ...

1) I am the only girl...like in my whole family. Obviously I have my mom and aunts....but I was the first girl born 'into' my family in almost six generations. Needless to say, it was a big deal in my family.

2) I am getting married in a mere four and half months!!! EEEKKKKKK it seems like it was only yesterday Kane was proposing (one of the happiest days of my life)

                                                  Our first photo as an engaged couple!

3) I graduated with my B.A. in Communication Studies (I also have minors in political science and agricultural economics)

4) Along with #3, I am currently working toward my Master of Arts in Management...best decision I have ever made.

5) I am addicted to Lost. I don't have cable so I have been getting into Hulu which is allowing me to watch it from the beginning.

6) I love the lake and summer. There is nothing better than driving around the lake with the windows down and the air blowing your hair.

                                            Summer 2011

                                             Summer 2010- Friend's cabin

7) I will always be a Husker fan. I bleed Husker red through and through.

8) I daydream about all the places I want to travel. And I will someday.

9) I love making bucket lists!

                                             Fall 2010--Meet Nicholas Sparks (on my bucket list for so long!!!)

10) I have been trying to live my life to the fullest and try not to get so caught up in the small things.