Another Wild Week...

This last week ended up being an emotional roller coaster.  Knowing that it would be my last week of "baby duty" made it particularly tough.  It's been awe inspiring watching my sweet little niece, Chelsea, grow and change.  In the past 5 months I have watched her change from an eat/sleep infant who never opened her eyes to a crazy little critter with endless personality and a smile that lights up a room!  Without a planned visit in sight, I can only imagine what she will be doing or what she will look like the next time I get to see her.  I've concluded that there is nothing harder than living so far away from a baby you love so much...  thank goodness for skype!


 To celebrate the holiday weekend, Kory met me in New Mexico for a final visit before we move.  As I'd anticipated, our time with my sister and her sweet little family was amazing.  You'd think Kory had been around as long as I have - they love him and enjoy his company more than I could have ever dreamed.  Brooklyn and Chelsea loved having another person around to play with and pick on and seem to love the idea of him becoming a permanent fixture in their lives.  That boy is going to make a great daddy one day after having had so much practice with all of our nieces and nephews! :)

Saturday afternoon we slipped away from my family for the wedding of my longest time friend, Mika.  I was thrilled that Kory could be there with me and I could introduce him to some of the people have seen me through every single phase of life - from birth on.  As expected, Mika was a gorgeous bride and the Catholic ceremony (a first for both Kory and me) was wonderful!  It was hard not to imagine Mika and I as little rebellious girls spending our days playing barbies, swimming, and dreaming about going to Jr. High or even driving and it was even harder not to get all choked up with nostalgia.  Mika is a staple in some of the fondest memories I have of my childhood.   I am blessed to have gotten to be there on one of the biggest days of her life!
No photos from the wedding!  :(  Unfortunately my camera is still out of commission... so here's an oldie but a goodie from our days spent at Lake Powell... oh to be young again!  

We had scheduled an appointment for my parents to visit Pittsburgh on Sunday to look at a home that Kory and I spotted online and fell in love with.  The willing and helpful souls that they are, they agreed to meet with the selling agent and tour the house that looked like exactly what we've been hoping to find in our first home.  Despite some work that needs done and the cozy size, their verdict - Perfect home for us!!!   (If you know my dad, you know that he is possibly one of the world's pickiest when it comes to quality of homes... so this was a big deal for us to hear this from his lips! )  Kory and I will see the house in person later this month and decide what to do next... with my parents' seal of approval, we're very hopeful! 
While my mom and dad were acting as a second set of eyes for us, we were bidding my sister and her family farewell and heading back to Denver.

What a week... and what a year this could end up being for Kory and I!

177 Days until Brooklyn's  aunt is getting married! :)  I'm glad Kory and I aren't the only ones excited - see photo below (Brook's 1st Grade daily journal)

6 Months!

Today is May 24, 2010.  At this very moment 6 months from now, I will officially be Mrs. Blose!  : )
An awesome reminder showed up on the doorstep this afternoon... my wedding dress.  What a pleasant surprise and perfect timing!

...6 months
     ...or 26.285 weeks
           ...or 184 days

Soul Sisters

I was gone for 1 short week and baby Chelsea's Aunt Jazzie seemed to have fast forwarded time several months and sent her to baby boot camp. I left a cuddly angel that was barely rolling over and loved to be cuddled close and came back to a wild tot that wants nothing more than to scoot independently across the floor, suck on her tastey toes and crackle loud baby sounds all day long! I was shocked and saddened by the changes that occurred in my seven day absence! : / Unfortunately there is nothing I can do to slow time... and even more obviously saddening is the fact that the gaps in my visits will inevitably grow after I move farther away... only forcing me to miss out more of my sweet nieces' lives. The optimist that is inside begging to get out is trying remind me that this time I have is a blessing that I need to keep in perspective.

That being said, I am so thankful I got a little bit of time in with my sisters before Jazzie had to return to PA, though no matter how much we get, it is never enough. I was able to fly in the night before Jazzie's had to depart out of Albuquerque. While it was only a few extra hours, it was a pure delight to get to spend a little bit of time with both of my sisters, a priceless rarity these days. The thoughtful gal Kelly is, she planned a sweet little 'girls only' dinner in Durango... an amazing town set in the Rockies. Taste testing each others’ food and thinking nothing of our blatant honest... our time together was refreshing and enlightening. (see photo below) As always, we laughed the evening away - all 5 of us girls: Kelly, Jazzie, Brooklyn, Chelsea, and me.

There is something about my sisters that I just cannot get enough of. They are funny and witty and most of all unconditionally understanding and accepting. When the whole world seems to be turning upside down and inside out, Jazzie and Kelly know exactly what to say (or not to say) to make me feel like everything is going to be just fine. Conversely, the stars have aligned and everything is perfect, sharing our joys only makes life that much more amazing. I genuinely could not ask for more amazing women to be my sisters. They're awe inspiring individuals that I admire and deeply respect... and adore with all of my heart.

It is true that we are about as different as we could possibly get which we have managed to perceive as an invaluable asset. The unexpected perspectives, life experiences, and approaches to everyday tasks only make our relationships with one another more meaningful and robust. ..... I love my sisters and all the zest they add to my life, can you tell? We keep telling Brooklyn how blessed she is to have gotten the gift of a sister for herself in little Chelsea ... but of course it took seeing it and feeling it as young adults fo us to believe it, so her skepticism is to be expected! : )

Photo - (Left) Big sister, Kelly, and my oldest niece, Brooklyn. (Right) Little sister, Jazzie, and me holding Brooklyn's baby sister, Chelsea

"To have a loving relationship with a sister is not simply to have a buddy or a confident -- it is to have a soul mate for life."
               -V. Secunda

Hear Ye, Hear Ye!

Come one, come all...

Tonight I had the privelage of previewing our invitations for our wedding!  They were more "us" than I could have ever dreamt.  I love them and cannot wait to get my paws on them and start stuffing envelopes!  :)  My incredbily talented friend, Aaron, who is also going to be our wedding photographer is to blame for my enthusiasm!  She runs an awesome little design  business called Sweet Love Shop... and you're sure to be impressed with the versatile and chic custom art this gal creates!

Sweet Love (Facebook)
Sweet Love (Blog)

I'm dying to see the finished invitations... and even more excited to see how lovely she can make me look in our wedding photos!  Really... she works magic.  Just wait and see! :)

Your presence is requested in 188 days and counting...

Love Linguist

My big sister first introduced me to the concept of a "love language."  She explained to me that this abstract concept is simply pin pointing how we show love and what expression optimizes our feeling of being loved. 
There are 5 basic languages of love -
1. Words of Affirmation
2. Quality Times
3. Giving/Receiving Gifts
4. Acts of Service
5. Physical Touch

My sister recognized mine right away - #3 giving and receiving gifts.  And after some soul searching and attention to my outward expressions, I realized this is right on, most of the time.   When I feel the need to show my love or appreciation, my immediate response is to give the other person something tangible, whether that be a flower, note, giftcard, email... any token of my love.  And I feel most loved when I receive any token of love.  Interesting and enlightening. 

In hopes  of getting to know my future hubby a little better, I insisted that he take a few love language quizzes so we might have a better understanding of one another's needs and expressions of love.  It was quite eye opening, refreshing... and accurate.  

I highly recommend doing it for fun... it gives a very interesting insight into how you and the people you're surrounded by outwardly show their love and best receive it.   To my surprise, when I shared this concept with one of our favorite couples, they revealed that "love languages" were a key topic in their premarital counseling.  Good to know we're on the right track! :)

Love Language Quizzes
(Try the 30 Second Love Language Quiz as a starting point)

Update: Sam's Recovery (The Final Chapter)

Kory gets the "Dog Dad of the Year" Award for taking such good care of our little Sammie Sunshine.  I've been out of town for most of the last two months, which has been a big portion of our pup's recovery.  Yesterday was her final checkup and as usual, I'm out of town.  Luckily Kory is willing to relay all of the details in addition to answering my 200 questions about the 20 minute visit. :)

After her 12 week post surgical exam and a final set of x-rays,
The Diagnosis: Fully healed!

While we're still hesistant to take her back to the dog park (where she injured her leg) and let her run wild, we're excited to take her on long, exhausting walks/runs - for both her sake and ours!  With all of her hair grown back, you would never suspect that she had major surgery on her rear right leg. And four months ago when we started this journey, we never imagined our 'psycho' Sam would be such a good little patient and heal right on schedule.  It is truly an answered prayer and we're thankful to have our 'old' Samantha back. :)

Dog Dad of the Year... and the girl who has stolen his heart, Sammie Sunshine

Dress Success - Finally!

It's official, I finally found THE dress!  On Saturday, after trying on around 30 dresses, I slipped into the one that I'll walk down the sandy aisle in.  Completely overwhelmed by the pressure to "buy now," I walked out of the store empty handed.  While my sisters claim they knew right away, it took a little longer for me to share in their certainty.  After 2 days of consideration and one final trip to yet another bridal boutique, I realized that the search was over and my perfect dress was waiting for me back in Albuquerque!   I feel like a massive weight has been lifted off my shoulders... and while I thoroughly enjoyed the experience with my sisters, I am so glad it's over and I can move on with the rest of the details around our big day! : )

197 days until "Dum Dum da Dum..."

Pre Cruise Game Plan - Where to stay in Miami

The cruise bookings for the wedding are coming right along.  One question that we have been asked several times is, "Where should we stay the night before the cruise departure?"  After doing a little research of our own and talking with our trusty travel advisor, Kristi, we have decided to stay at the affordable, yet charming Colony Hotel, located in Miami's art deco district.  We've made Kristi aware of our selection, so when you book your cruise with her she will likely suggest this as the preferred hotel.  If you had another hotel in mind, please do not feel obligated  to change your plans on our behalf.  We've simply made this selection for the ease of our guests' travel booking. 

Colony Hotel Miami South Beach
The Colony Hotel Miami South Beach, recognized internationally for its style and design, sits in the heart of Miami’s Art Deco District across from beautiful South Beach on Ocean Drive. This hotel is the perfect spot for romance, excitement and fun in the sun. The Colony is close to fine and casual dining, clubs and shops, and is just 10 minutes from the Port of Miami, 15 minutes from Miami International Airport and within walking distance to the Miami Beach Convention Center.

Clilck Here to be redirected to The Colony's website

And if you would like a refresher on the cruise details: Wedding Logistics

Bridal Shop Hop

Sunday: Fly from Denver to Columbus
Thursday: Fly from Columbus to Denver
Friday: Fly from Denver to Durango
Saturday: Drive from Farmington to Albuquerque

                                    Can you say, frequent flier miles?

This is just a little taste of the pace my life has been on for the past couple of months... Go go go go go! And when I am not on my way to my next destination or planning for or booking the next trip, I'm squeezing in a few wedding details.

Tomorrow (Saturday) my sisters and I will set forth on our mission to finally locate and purchase the perfect wedding dress! I am driving to Albuquerque with my big sister (Matron of honor), Kelly, to pick up my little sister (Maid of honor), Jazmin. After we retrieve Jazzie from the airport, we'll head to several bridal boutiques in search of one white dress and two non-white dresses (color yet to be determined). We have had this mini "sisters getaway" planned for a few weeks - following our many failed attempts to find that 'perfect' wedding dress.

The fact that I have a "backup" dress on layaway in Denver takes a little bit of the pressure off, though somewhere inside of me, I think it would make for an especially wonderful day if we all came home with our dresses in tow at the end of our 'sister's only' adventure. My future mother in law gave me some words of wisdom that I am going to try to remind myself while hopping in and out of gowns - "You know it when you see it. You'll love everything about it ... you just won't want to take it off." So that is the goal - finding a dress for me that I cannot live without and one for each of my sisters that they feel comfortable and beautiful in (which inadvertently determines the color theme for the wedding).  If we can achieve that goal, I will be back on track with all of the wedding magazine/website planning schedules... at least temporarily. : )

200 Days until 'I Do'...

First Wedding Shoot

In hopes of getting a little more experience and doing a favor for a dear friend,  I shot my first wedding last weekend.  It was nerve wracking and exciting, all in one fowl swoop of emotions.  Here are a few of my favorites from the special day... Heidi and Ryan certainly do make an adorable couple!

My Other Mother

After being away from home for nearly 4 weeks (taking care of my niece and working in Columbus, Ohio), I was more than ready to get back to Denver.  In addition to being out of clean clothes and home sick, Kory's mom was in town for a visit - so I had even more to look forward to than usual.  As our only regular visitor, we always enjoy our time with mama Mare, and this was no exception. 

For those who know Marilyn and have been lucky enough to sample her kitchen creations, you know her cooking is legendary... and let me tell ya, I haven't eaten food so pleasing to my tastebuds in a long long time! (I'm salivating just thinking about it.)  In the meantime, when we weren't eating or talking about what we may get to eat, the four of us just relaxed and enjoyed our time together.

Sam was certainly not neglected in her Grammy's presence.  She never had to nudge twice - Mama Mare was a tug playin' queen and I'm certain little Sammie was just as sad as we were to see her leave.

But before her departure, I had one item on the agenda that had to be checked off - I was dying to show her my "potential" dress and get a mother's opinion.  When we walked into the bridal store, the women immediately assumed she was my own mother.  I thought it was adorable and fun to play along...   and felt no need to correct them.   And after trying on the dress and getting Marilyn's seal of approval, I was far more confident in my selection than before. 

Needless to say, it was an awesome weekend... and I cannot wait to move to Pennsylvania and schedule my first cooking lesson from my "other mother!" 


Kory's mama brings out the silly little boy in him...