7 Months

7 months / 213 days until the big day!!
I still haven't found THE dress, chosen a color for the wedding, figured out what the guys are going to be wearing, selected flowers, finished my vows, determined our song, and the list goes on and on and on.  

Luckily I have my big sister, Kelly, to keep me in line.  We're going to meet up with our other sister, Jazmin, to hunt down that perfect dress and determine colors the second week of May, in Albuquerque! :)  Then, the pieces should all start falling into place... or at least that is what I will continue to tell myself.

In the meantime, Kory's mama, Marilyn, is coming to see us this weekend!  We're soooo excited to see her! And I'm guessing she will be the last visitor we have as Colorado residents.  This move is seeming more and more surreal, the more I process it...

By the time we get married (7 months), we will have moved back across the country to PA, purchased a house, and Kory will have started his PhD.  Who knows what else is going to happen by then (maybe I'll run for senate and we'll finally get Sam that puppy she's been asking for! hehe)... Life is becoming one wild adventure... : )

Baby Bonding

Baby Chelsea and I have gotten along just amazingly!  We  successfully made it through our first work week together. Our days were full of sweet giggles, lots of cuddling and highlighted by learning how to roll over.  I never would have imagined that a tiny tot could make such good company... she listened so well! :)  We thoroughly enjoyed our first phase of priceless Aunt/Niece bonding time! :)

Already, I've managed to take hundreds of photos of this little one.  She hasn't seemed to have figured out where I go when I disappear behind my camera, but she always greets me with the sweetest smile when I reappear... which makes taking pics of her an absolute joy.  Nothing brightens your day more than that welcoming ear to ear, gummy baby smile, followed by a heart melting "coooo". 

 I never would have imagined how special and fulfilling it would be to be an aunt to 2 perfect little girls!

Sam's Road to Recovery

Tomorrow, it will have been 3 1/2 months since Sam's unfortunate injury and 3 months since her surgery. I have to say, the recovery has been a cinch compared to what Kory and I had prepared ourselves for. Somehow I expected her to rebel against us, destroy everything we own and worst of all, be in agonizing pain or never fully recover. To our relief and surprise, she is healing like a champ and has embraced the extra love (by demanding constant belly rubbin'), enjoyed us all being in a small confined area together (Sam sandwiches are her favorite), kept her destruction to a only a few 'not-so-special' items (socks, socks, and more socks), and had wonderful pain meds to keep her comfortable and sleepy in order for her leg to heal thoroughly.

Realistically, it has probably been harder on us than her. The worry that she will over do it and never be back to her old crazy self, or just simply be bored, kept us on our toes.  Though when not worrying, we'd find humor in personifying her new "needs" as she is surely coming the most spoiled dog-kid ever known to man!  If you have a free hand and you're not using it to massage or scratch her, she'd let you know with a nudge from a paw or her cold puppy nose!

Kory took Sam to get her final set of x-rays this week. Good news - she is healing wonderfully! (Thank God!) She will have to go back in 4 weeks to get her final checkup. At that time, we will expect to be given the "All Clear!" and for her to be released back into normal 'dogdom'... where she's welcome to go on long, exhausting walks and maybe even the occasional trip to the off-leash dog park (if Kory and I can put our fear of another accident aside long enough to get her through the gate).

This experience has made me realize how crazy in love we really are with our little fur-baby and that the sky is the limit when it comes to making sure she has the best life possible! 

There's nothing more adorable than a big, "tough" guy all cuddled up with his big, "tough" dog - and we've seen a whole lot of this thanks to this horrific event!  If we didn't know better, we might think that Sam wouldn't change things if she could... she's certainly become the center of our universe through this whole thing, if she wasn't already! :)

 

(Left) January, 2008  Baby Samantha all snuggled in Kory's lap while he studies for grad school exams

(Right) April, 2010  Big Baby Samantha resting her recovering limb, all snuggled under Kory's legs, just days before he received the news that he had been accepted into Pitt's PhD program. 

Pittsburgh, Here We Come!

After waiting and waiting and waiting and being teased here and there, we finally got the news: Kory has been accepted to the BioEngineering department at the University of Pittsburgh to get his PhD!  Repeat after me: "Dr. Kory Blose"  Pretty exciting stuff! 

If you're dying to hear more, here's a few links to the stuff groups in the department are working on ....

Medicine's Cutting Edge: Re-growing Organs

Growing Body Parts

This recent development means there is going to be a whole lot of change and adjustments in the very near future.  Obviously, the biggest - moving back across the country to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania!  Even though we've talked about it, again and again, it's hard to believe that it is really going to happen.  The program is set to start in late summer / early fall... so we only have a couple of months to get our final fill of Denver and all that Colorado has to offer... I don't even know where to begin!

Oh Baby!

If this image doesn't melt your heart, I don't know what would.   This is my three-month-old niece, Chelsea Rose.  I have not seen her since she was 3 weeks old... and Oh Baby, has she turned into quite the little ball of baby love.  She is the most wonderfully plump babe I've ever laid eyes on and the most pleasant little person I've ever met. 

During the weeks that I get to work from home, I am working from my sister's casa (aka. my second home) in New Mexico, so I can care for this sweet little thing while my sis ventures off to work.  We've only had one day together, but already, I am totally in love with this sweet little doll and feel like the luckiest gal alive to call her mine!  Who wouldn't love a baby that rarely cries and smiles every single time you look at her...

Home Sweet Home

I am thankful to have a job.  I am thankful that I have not fallen victim to the economy's  rollercoaster of changes as so many others have.  Ironically, when I started this job, I thought the travel would be exciting and glamorous.  I can't help but laugh when I think back to this naive idea!  While it's been a reliable gig (and as I've said, I'm thankful for  that), the sleeping in different hotels and eating restaurant food every single day gets old and quickly! 

I've never been one to get homesick... but these days, as soon as I'm leaving home for the airport, I'm looking forward to getting home to Kory and Sam.  What have they done to me?  I guess you could say, I am ready to have a job that allows me see my two fur balls everyday.   Until I am lucky enough to have a "normal" job, I suppose I'll have to take it one week at a time...

Home is the one place in all this world where hearts are sure of each other.

It is the place of confidence. It is the place where we tear off that mask of guarded
and suspicious coldness which the world forces us to wear in self-defense, and
where we pour out the unreserved communications of full and confiding
hearts. It is the spot where expressions of tenderness gush out without
 any sensation of awkwardness and without any dread of ridicule.

~F.W. Robertson

"Dream" Dress Success?

Have I found my dream dress?  That is the question I keep asking myself. 

After Heidi and I went dress shopping on Thursday, I think I may have found the dress that I will wear on my wedding day.  I had been eyeing up the white gown online and on the storefront mannequin for months.  When we got to the dress shop, I was devastated to hear that the dress had not only been discontinued, but the only one left was in a size smaller than I needed.  Though it is a bit more formal and traditional than I'd envisioned for our casual beach wedding, I've been convinced by my friends, family, and wedding consultants, that it would be better to wear a dress I am in love with than one that just fits the beach theme.  "You're the bride!  You want to look like a bride and feel like a bride, no matter how fancy or casual! "  In taking this advice, I let myself fall in love with this dress. So it goes without saying that after hearing the news about this "perfect" dresses'  limited availability, I was totally disappointed.

After trying on several flowing chiffon gowns and failing to LOVE any of them, the bridal consultant decided that we should just try the dress on, even though it was too small.  With no luck finding the right dress, I was willing to try anything.  She assured me that the seams could be let out if I were to decide that it is THE dress.  To my surprise and delight, the dress not only fit, but fit like it was made for me.  The twinkle in my consultant's eye said it all - she knew this was the dress I'd been searching for.  When I turned around and saw my reflection in the mirror, it was like deja vu - it was the dress I'd dreamed about and by some crazy  miracle, it actually fit!

Realizing she may have just matched a bride with her dream dress, the bridal consultant guided me to a pedestal in front of walls and walls of mirrors where she adorned me with a veil and necklace.  Immediately I felt the pressure - this is probably my only opportunity to get this dress.

The only thing that made me question whether or not it is THE dress, is the level of formality and the fact that my mom and sisters were not there to confirm/deny if it should be THE dress.  So with this in mind, I did the only thing that made sense.  I couldn't just hang the dress up and think about it for a couple of days, as this was the very last one in the entire United States and I just couldn't risk it.  So instead of buying the dress on a whim, I put it on layaway.  I have 60 days to decide if it is indeed the dress of my dreams... and to pay the remaining balance.  In the meantime, I will have to return to the the shop with a camera in hand in order to document and share the dress with the ladies in my life.

So have I found the dress of my dreams?  Maybe. Hopefully.
One thing is for sure, I will have to continue to eat healthily and work out if I plan to fit into it in November.  Otherwise I'll have the perfect wedding dress that only looks great on a mannequin and a hanger....

233 days to go...

Easter Weekend: Replacing & Embracing the Old

Happy Easter!!!

This weekend was the perfect Easter weekend and welcome to spring! Somehow, we managed to have something planned for the entire weekend...  and we thoroughly enjoyed every second. :)

Chapter 1 - Old Truck / New Car

On Friday we decided to go to a Toyota dealership and take a look at some cars, not to buy, but to lease.  Toyota has had some amazing lease deals in response to the whole 'Sticking Accelerator' issue.  With all of his commuting, our plans to relocate, and my inablitiy to drive a standard (pathetic, I agree) - we thought we might just look into it - we never planned to say adios to Kory's faithful truck and welcome a brand new, fuel efficient sedan into our lives... but that is exactly what happened.  The fuel savings alone was undeniably appealing!  In addition to having a new set of wheels, this is also the first "official" legally binding contract that Kory and I signed together.  We were hoping to wait until we were married to take the plunge, but the deal was too good to pass up.  And I have to say, it was kind of exciting to hop on the 'Togetherness' bandwagon. :)  

Photo:  Kory's final farewell glimpse of his 'dream' truck  (that served as his transportation not only to and from work but also home to Pennsylvania countless times) before he steps into the machine that is going to save him bookoo bucks for the next 36 months!  

After spending 5 hours with the Toyota salesman, we headed to church for an amazing Easter weekend service followed by dinner with our favorite double dating couple - Heidi and Ryan. :)  As usual, we were the last ones to leave the restaurant... a trend that we love!

Chapter 2 - Old Friend / Best Friend

Saturday, while Kory had a guys' night planned with our friend, Ryan, I had a sleepover planned with one of my oldest and dearest friends, Carrie, in Colorado Springs.  Carrie and I have been close friends since we were in 8th grade.  Though we don't get to see each other as often as we'd like, when we do, it is as if not a moment had passed since our last meeting. She is certainly a one of a kind, kind of friend.  I am so blessed to still, after all these years and all the miles between us, to call her one of my very best friends.  I can say without a doubt, she is one of those forever friends.

It was an emotional and enlightening reunion.  I'm amazed at how, even as maturing adults, we still have a magical chemistry and a comfort that is so rare to find in a person. After our sleepover at Carrie's sister's house in Colorado Springs, I returned to Denver with Carrie in tow. She had a flight out of Denver back to Albuquerque where she is going to medical school. The extra hour I got to spend catching up with my dearest Carrie was priceless. There is nothing more rejuvenating than spending hours with someone that just gets you and loves you unconditionally - for no apparent reason at all. That is a true friend. :) 

I cannot wait for Carrie and Kory to really get to know one another.  One of the coolest parts of being with Kory has been getting to know and appreciate his closest friends and I am certain that he will adore many of my friends in the same way.  :) 

Chapter 3 - Old Tradition / New Memories (Yum!)

When I got home from my visit with Carrie, Kory had a cute little surprise for me.  Since it was Easter Sunday, and he knew that my family traditionally hid baskets full of goodies for us, he surprised be by upholding the tradition and hid an Easter basket for me!  I have to admit, I thought this was absolutely adorable and quite comical.  "Find your Easter basket!"  He commanded, And without hesitation the search was on!  After just a few minutes of hunting, I discovered the cutest little basket full of all my favorite candies hiding in the oven.  I was floored by the variety - Kory even found my all time favorite - Cadbury Carmel Eggs!  (I fell in love with these while I studied abroad in England and have searched for them in the US ever since I returned.) 

We put our diets on the backburner and thoroughly enjoyed my sweet Easter treats! :)

We finished out the weekend by getting together, again, with the fabulous Ryan and Heidi for pizza, and of course, hours of chit chat - the perfect ending to an awesome Easter weekend!

A Dog's Life

Our Sam is definitely getting back to her old rambunctious self.  Her energy levels are back to the point where she could really use an hour walk, twice a day to wear her out.  Unfortunately she is still limited to 2 or 3 15 minute, slow-paced walks per day.  The only way we can keep her occupied and out of trouble is to rotate her resting area from the bedroom to the living room to the guest bedroom and occasionally we even allow her to play "Neighborhood watch."  Unfortunately several pairs of socks, Kory's brand new watch, and several other clothing articles have fallen victim to her boredom!  I never would have imagined how restless a dog could be!  We still have 2 weeks of rehabilitation before we get the verdict - fully recovered or not.  In the meantime we will continue to spoil her rotten and try to keep her happy and preoccupied! 

 

Between chewing socks and destroying expensive watch bands, Sam has been training us to rub her belly on demand.  Kory is still in training... I think I passed. :)

Do you think she might be sick of all the photos?  It must be hard being so loved!

When all else fails, we open the front door and let her relieve her crazy guard dog instincts while getting some fresh air.  Fortunately we have very understanding neighbors.  No one even flinches when they hear her deep irritated grumble of a bark.  How dare they walk in front of Sam's house?! haha  Luckily for us, when the front door is open, she is focussed on and tantalized by the action outside and we can rest assured that our socks are safe!