Our Week in PA... One Chapter at a Time

Chapter 1 - Her own worst Enemy - Samantha

It is just one thing after another with Sam.  If something can go wrong with her, it generally does.  Keeping consistent, our terror of a dog destroyed the pads on her paws within hours of arriving to my parents house.  The pads on her feet were literally pealing away from her paws.  After brainstorming with the entire family, we came to a consensus that with her unlimited freedom, she must have run so hard for so long that she created a massive blister on the bottom of each paw.  With her recent leg issues, her paws haven't had the opportunity to or a need to form the protective  calluses she had before previous visits.  

These blisters resulted in Sam's inability to run and only walk short distances before needing to lay down.  She spent the majority of her time in Pennsylvania with bandages on her paws and in an unusually calm state. 

Chapter 2 - My Muscle Men - Kory & Mikey

While Sam was ruining her feet, Kory and my helpful brother were unpacking everything we own into a local storage unit.  All I can say is that those are some strong boys.  I helped where I could, but for the most part I just tried to stay out of their way. Within 45 minutes, those muscle men had the entire truck unpacked and we were headed to Pittsburgh to return the truck and sign another stack of papers related to our potential home. 

Chapter 3 - Those who Run for Fun - Kelly, Kelly, Kory, & Mikey

We found ourselves racing home from Pittsburgh in an attempt to make it in time for the 5K registration.  It was one of the hottest and most humid days of the summer... but as planned months ago, Kory and his sister Kelly met up at the annual Punxsy 5K.  At the last minute, my little brother and big sister decided they wanted to participate... so it was a true family affair.

While they started out together....

In the end, Kory's sister, Kelly, crossed the finish line first... winning their long standing bet! 

Chapter 4 - Honk the Musical - Lexi

Kory's adorable niece, Lexi, was a part of the cutest play - Honk!  Luckily, the production just happened to be showing the week we were home and we were so thrilled to get to see it!  It was basically a theatrical tale of the ugly duckling... the best version I've ever seen.  Lexi played a duck sibling named Billy.  Her singing and acting were awesome!   To top off our amazing evening, Kory surprised me with a trip to Buff's Ice Cream parlor!  Yum!

Chapter 5 - Early Risers - Kassy, Kory, & Trevin

On our way to pick up my little sister, Jazzie at the Pittsburgh airport, Kory and I arranged to squeeze in a little bit of quality time and food with his sister Kassy and her little cutie, Trevin.  Kas and Trevin agreed to get up extra early and meet us at Eat 'n Park.  As always, the time went way too quickly.  Trevin is growing up faster than I could have ever imagined....  Kory and I were both shocked by the progress this little man has made since the last time we saw him and especially impressed by his very distinctive sense of humor! :)  The food was fabulous but as always, the company was even better! :) 

Chapter 6 - Friday Fun

We picked up my adventurous little sister from the Pittsburgh airport following her week of aimlessly exploring Arizona and California with her equally adventurous friends.  Kory and I were so excited to get to see her and hear all about her recent experiences.... and as usual, she did not disappoint!  I only wish I could have the "guts" to do 1/2 the things she does...

Immediately following our trip to Pittsburgh, we had planned to meet our dearest Marc and Angela for lunch.  I was dying to see Angela - as she is pregnant!  We didn't expect to get to see each other until after the baby is born (January)... but due to an unexpected family emergency, Marc and Angela just so happened to be in town the same time we were!  What luck!  It was awesome to see them and get to talk face to face about the changes that their lives are about to take!  Angela is the most beautiful pregnant gal and I suspect that she will only get cuter with every little bit their little tike grows.  I cannot wait to meet him or her!  

Our heart wrenching lunch date was interrupted by a call from our real estate agent, Inga.  She had some unfortunate news that the seller refused to fix a fundamental issue with the house which Kory and I agreed was a deal breaker.  Completely disappointed, Kory and I headed to my parents house to tell my family that the deal had fallen through...  Hours later she called back to reveal the seller's change of heart - he was now willing to pay for the modification.  What a roller coaster this attempted home purchase has been!

The rest of the evening was spent helping my sisters, mom, and family friend (Pam) prepare for the following day's festivities.

Moving Day

While Kory and his loyal companion, Samantha, were transporting everything we own from Denver to Pennsylvania in a 20-foot moving truck, I was helping my sister with the daunting task of flying from Farmington, New Mexico to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania with a 7 year old and a 5 month old so they could be present at their favorite sister/aunt's bridal shower. 

Midway through his trip, Kory discovered that he rented a lemon of moving truck with faulty brake lights and no dash lights.  This limited him to driving during the day only.  So while being confined in small cockpits with 2 anxious little girls was not always easy, I think I probably had the easy end of this deal.

A few photos from my adventure getting to PA...

And Kory after arriving  a day later than originally planned...

Movers... and Shakers...

Kory and I might as well be professional movers.  We have moved to a different home, every year, for the last 6 years.  We are hoping that this move will be the last one for a long long time! 
While I delicately packed our belongings, Kory brought me piles of our things to sort through and decide keep: yes or no?  When we started this process, the plan was to get rid of everything that did not hold sentimental value.  I had no idea how difficult it would be to get rid of things that I had purchased with my own hard earned money or even harder to part with were those items that were so lovingly given to us.  It took about 15 minutes to realize that most things we own have some sort of sentimental value and would be towed across the country in the back of our moving truck.  Kory clearly did not agree with my decision to keep 90% of our belongings, but he managed to accept the fact that I wasn't ready to part with them and helped me stack up the numerous totes and boxes in preparation of loading the truck. 

Kory and his "lap" dog, Sam, pose for a photo while they take a break from packing.

6 days as Juror #6

Jury duty is service as a juror in a legal proceeding. When a person is called for jury duty in the United States, that service is usually not optional: one must attend or face strict penalties. Employers are not allowed to fire an employee simply for being called to jury duty. When attended, potential jurors may be asked to serve as a juror in a trial, or they may be dismissed.

This is what I knew of jury duty.  Never again will it be so simple... or seemingly impersonal.

Unfortunately, I was not one of the lucky few who were dismissed...  I was chosen to sit on a criminal case... which turned out to be 6 of the most overwhelmingly depressing days of my life.

Without warning, I was selected from several hundred people, which was narrowed down to a random unlucky 70, to an unluckier 25 to the unluckiest  13 and ultimately the final 12. 

(Kory and I had jury duty starting on the exact same day.  As expected, he was dismissed before lunch on day 1!)

Believe it or not, I was actually excited to sit on the jury.  Knowing so little about our legal system and the trial process, I was looking forward to learning all about it through a first hand experience.  This enthusiasm was replaced by feelings of nausea as soon as the case started and the first witnesses were called and started revealing the tales of secret torture they endured... all because of one individual, the defendant. 

I'm a firm believer in keeping perspective and counting our blessings... and this experience made me so overcome with both overwhelming gratitude for the blessings I get to experience on a daily basis and all the years of my life and at the same time, the most bone chilling disgust that people can be so awful to one another!  It was an emotional rollercoaster. 

Not only were we forced to listen to days and days of testimony about the horrors so many innocent people had to endure but we were also faced with determining if what we were hearing was factual... and if the person on trial should be held responsible for these actions the witnesses spoke of... without DNA... without physical evidence of any type!

When I left the courtroom on the afternoon of day 6, I felt completely desensitized.  Nothing could surprise me at that point.  All of the naivety was gone... the hope and energy just drained out and left behind on the court house steps.   When I turned the corner to walk around the court house to meet Kory at our arranged meeting spot, I ran into the victim.  Shocking.  Mor shocking was when the victim's family greeted me with a warm smile and a welcoming hug.  Is this normal?  It was confusing and enlightening and even inspiring... and just plain weird.  At that point, I felt like I was a character in a Lifetime movie! 

All I can do is pray for the family of the victim and hope that one day I understand why I was chosen from hundreds to listen to the real life nightmares of so many... For now, I still get sick to my stomach when I think about the vivid details that I was privy to as a juror...

This is the beautiful Denver court house... where all the craziness happens! : / My days of flirting with the idea of going to law school are gone forever, thanks to this experience.

Chocolate Covered Chaos

In the midst of planning a wedding, buying a house, preparing to move across the country and managing a demanding project at work, I got called for jury duty in a criminal case!  While most of the tasks listed are exciting and ultimately joyful, they still require hours and hours of time... which I am lacking more than ever.  If there were ever a phase in my life when I need to add an extra 12 hours to each day, now is that time.

Kory and I spent our weekend going through and packing up everything we own, putting the finishing touches on our invitations and stuffing envelopes, communicating with our real estate agent about the house we still haven't heard definitively whether or not it will be ours, sneaking in time to do necessary tasks for the upcoming week of work and jury duty, and caring for our excessively needy dog, Samantha.

The house is a disaster, I am behind on everything, and still, life is wonderful.  I've never been so overwhelmed by the number of "things" I have to complete related to the very short number of days left to do so, and somehow, I've never been more excited to do them (with the exception of those related to work) and so completely content with where my life is going!  I suppose that is a good sign.  : )

High 5 ... Months!!!

2 days ago marked the 5 month milestone...
Weird to think that 5 months from today it will all be over.  We will have returned to Miami and will likely be heading home.

In the last month, we've managed to:
Request Kory's groomsmen presence - Jay & Slim
Request that 3 lovely little girls be flower girls - Lexi, Brooklyn & Emma
Visit the venue for our hometown reception
Find a cake maker/baker for the reception (thanks to the help of Kory's mom)
Received our formal invitations (thanks to Sweet Love Shop)

While we've had a pretty productive month... we still have LOTS to do in the next 151 days!

Booking Deadline: July 19th...

... if you plan to join us on our wedding cruise adventure, you should book your cruise by July 19 (less than a month away) which requires a deposit.  We have reserved a "chunk" of cabins and on July 19th, the remaining cabins will be released and all bookings after this date will be scattered over the ship.  This is not a terribly big deal. but booking before July 19th is  only way to guarantee your cruise price.  As always, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us (email: koryandsara@gmail.com)

For booking information, click here

Hope on the Pittsburgh Housing Market?

We recently discovered that the house we wanted so badly could be ours...
We gave up due to the simple fact that we were told that the home could not be purchased (other than with cash) for 90 days, and the owner, an investor, wanted to sell the house within 30 days.
Recently we discovered that there are ways to get a mortgage for this home... so now we have another offer on the table.  We should find out within 24 hours whether or not our offer has been accepted - so we are hoping and praying that the owner likes it enough to sign it and move forward with the process of selling us this house!    I would LOVE to start my life with the man of my dreams in this particular house!  It's the only house we've seen that I can imagine calling "home."
If our house hunting endeavors cross your mind, please pray for us!  :)

Birthday Bliss

Most people who know me really well know that I really hate my birthday.  I thoroughly enjoy celebrating others' birthdays but when it comes to mine, I'd rather just sleep through it - for no real rhyme or reason. Other than the fact that for as long as I can remember, I had a bizarre awareness of what it means to get older - and with that awareness came little enthusiasm around the day that marks another year gone... and another year older.

I'm convinced that Kory made it his top priority to force me to enjoy this birthday...  no matter what it would take. 

He started the fun on the 19th - the eve of my birthday.  Knowing how much I love anything related to fun in the water, he planned for us to rent a pedal boat before we went out for an awesome dinner.  Pedalling against the wind, our efforts to cross the lake resulted in burning muscles and very little progress.  Regardless of our modest results, we had so much fun!   We "sailed" around our local lake for just under an hour, when we decided to return home to get ready in order to avoid being late for our dinner reservations at the White Chocolate Grill.
Dinner was delicious!  We shared Parmesan fillet and the best mahi mahi I've ever had.  We finished up with the an incredible dessert - banana cream pie, with, you guessed it, white chocolate.  The food was delicious and the company was perfect... of course!

When I woke up Sunday morning, my birthday, I was greeted with a dog that demanded a belly rub and a boy full of little surprises.  The first surprise was the cup in which Kory served my morning coffee.  I'd found the cutest Colorado moose mugs that I desperately wanted to buy before we moved... to take with us as a souvenir and a reminder of our failed attempts to find a moose!  So he does listen to my nonchalant passing comments.  Next, he handed me the funniest card, which contained the sweetest little note, and... drum roll...  tickets to the Mile High Music Fest!  This is one of the coolest events imaginable... and some of my favorite music groups ever will be playing this year!  

After sulking about the fact that it was indeed my birthday, a day I am notorious for hating, Kory talked me into throwing on some comfy clothes and we headed up to the mountains for a amazing afternoon of hiking and laughter.  Somehow we managed to find ourselves on the most difficult hiking paths the park offered.  We definitely got our day's worth of exercise...  and in the midst of our workout saw some beautiful views and even a little wildlife here and there. 

When we got back from our hike, Kory took me out for lunch before we headed to his baseball game.  Sam and I sat in the stands and cheered for our favorite boy... who then took us out for ice cream!  What more could a girl ask for? 

When we got home, Kory baked my favorite cake... funfetti and with the help of Sam, sang "Happy Birthday," which was the perfect way to round out an awesome day... which happened to be my birthday. 

Sam in Full Force

Kory, Sam, and I are attempting to start a new habit - evening family walks.  Besides the obvious benefit of getting some much needed exercise, the area that we are going to live in for only a short while longer is incredible.  With walking paths, lakes, shops, parks, and doggie parks... we are trying to get the most out of it while we still can.  

Venturing out after dusk, we found ourselves at our local dog park, which we discovered conveniently abandoned.  Without hesitation, Kory and I agreed to give Sam a taste of the good life and let her go for a little free run - for the first time since her injury back in January.  The joy that dog gets from running is undeniable!  She ran full force in circles around us - nearly running into the fence several times.  5 minutes after the start of her new freedom, it was over.  In an attempt to gradually reintroduce our Sammie to her powerhouse of strength, we re-leashed her and hopped back on the walking path. 

What a relief it was to see for ourselves that she has regained full use of her once lame leg!

House Hunters: Pittsburgh TAKE 2

With little success finding the "perfect" house in our first attempt, we decided to try again.  We dedicated our last full day in PA to scowering the Pittsburgh area for our future home.  Kory was able to schedule a meeting at the University of Pittsburgh with his potential professor of research. 

As usual, we tried to include as much of our family as possible.  This adventure included Kory's dad and my mom.   The company was wonderful and the combined knowledge, as expected, invaluable. 

We started our day at the McGowan Institute for Kory's meeting.  While Kory familiarized himself with the building and got to know the professor and what kind of research he does, Kory's dad, Joe, along with my mom, and me sat on a beautiful balcony overlooking Pittsburgh.  I imagined Kory sitting out there in the warmer seasons eating his packed, "poor college student" lunch and dreaming up ideas that only his brilliant mind could fathom.

After his introduction to what will soon be, his new life, we headed to Cheesecake Factory across the bridge and then to meet up with Inga, German real estate agent. 

We started our day by putting in an offer for a house that we fell in love with on our first visit.  It was a home that Kory and I agreed would not have ever caught our attention online but after touring it, it definitely seemed like the perfect starter house.  It was in a beautifully well established neighborhood, lined with mature trees, and homes that had clearly been well maintained.  This house was certainly the ugly duckling of the neighborhood.  Unfortunately, this was the home that required a cash purchase if bought within 90 days.  We attempted to appeal to the owner's (an investor) financial mind by offering to pay rent for the 90 days then buy the house.  We would find out later that this was not a deal he would be interested in.

We continued by touring several homes.  Some too small, some needing way too much work, and may just not what we are looking for.  At the end of the day we had toured homes in the most expensive neighborhoods in Pittsburgh and homes in what would be considered the ghetto.  At the end of our very long and exhausting day, one thing was certain, our budget will not get us very far in the booming Pittsburgh market.

Our house hunting team for the day, from right to left - Kory's dad, Joe; Kory, me, and my mom. 

Meet the woman who promises to make our dreams come true by finding us the perfect house - Inga... Affectionately nicknamed "The Inga-nator" by my clever father! :)

Future Family :)

During our trip home we were able to squeeze in a little bit of family time...  It is always such a shock to see how the kids have changed!  Lexi, Aramy, Emma, Ethan, and Trevin are all growing like weeds!  The reminder that we live too far away and do not come home often enough is never more apparent than when the littlest ones don't even remember who you are!  This is just one more reason to look forward to moving closer and getting to visit with them much more frequently.  As we anticipate moving closer to the kiddos, I couldn't help but start planning our regular sleepovers!  I am looking so forward to living so much closer and to officially being their aunt!  Hopefully I don't disappoint!  :P

Little did I know, Kory's thoughtful mama planned a little birthday celebration for me at the family BBQ.  After a yummy dinner, she surprised me with an angel food cake covered in delicious blueberries.  It was even better than it sounds! 

As a part of my birthday celebration, Kory's sister Kassy, inducted me into the family with a blob of butter.  While Kristi, his other sister, was strategically interested in the camera, Kassy snuck up on me only to smear my nose with butter...a Blose family tradition that aims to help you to "slide through to the next year."  Needless to say, I laughed until I cried. 

After dinner, we got together for an all girls photo shoot...

Then of course, Kory wanted in on the action...

Lexi and Emma (2/3 of my flowergirl beauties)

With every encounter I have with my future family, I am more and more excited to call them my own!  I am so blessed to be marrying into such an awesome fam!

Old Friends, New Journey

The original purpose of our quick trip to PA was not to house hunt, but to attend one of our dearest mutual friend's wedding.  Our friend, Kyle married his high school sweetheart, Missy.  The wedding was nothing short of magnificent.  The best part was the genuine, undeniable happiness you could see written across the bride and groom's faces.  The second best part was the best man's toast.  You would guess that he (Adam) was a public speaker... and a great one at that.  I laughed until I cried. (Kory may argue that it was the filet mignon or chocolate covered strawberries... )

If you know anything about birth order, you know that the youngest is typically the family comedian and class clown.  While Kory hates to be coined as "typical," in this case, he fits the role perfectly.  His need to wear a tuxedo t-shirt to the elegant event brought smiles to everyone's face that saw it - including the groom's mom, Barb.  Her response, "I was expecting the Dumb and Dumber suit you wore to prom!" 

As we plan our own wedding, Kory and I have a new appreciation for a great wedding and all the details that other people may overlook.  It's hard to imagine that in just over 5 months we'll be the ones vowing to stick it out through thick and thin!

160 Days!!

Here's a couple of pics of Kory and his old crew from high school. 

House Hunters: Pittsburgh TAKE 1

Having rented for the last 6 years of our lives, the last thing Kory and I want to do is move to Pittsburgh only to rent, again.  When we made this decision, we had hopes of finding a charming little starter home in a quaint neighborhood.  Little did we know that the housing market in Pittsburgh failed to fall victim to the housing crash.  To our dismay, soon after our journey began, we found that the Pittsburgh market is still on the side of the sellers... one of the only US cities to be able to say this, today.

Our first reality check was around the difference of a home's online profile, and the real deal.  Wide angle lenses and brilliant lighting made the most unlivable homes appear closer to our dream homes than not.  Upon visiting these homes, the reality of what our budget will buy set in - not much.

As frustrating as house hunting from afar has been, we have had the utmost support from our families.  Both my parents and Kory's have spent countless hours by our sides giving opinions when asked and moral support when most needed.  Though we are still "homeless," we are hopeful that the "perfect" house awaits us. 

Thursday night, Kory's mom, Marilyn, invited us to stay in Pittsburgh with her, where she was visiting for a work convention.  It was no surprise that we had a great time with Kory's mom and stepdad.  The surprise came with our new acquaintances.  Several of Marilyn and Don's friends are well versed in home building and construction.  Not only did they lend their knowledge but their friendship.  We had the most amazing time getting to know our new friends and joking about what we may end up calling "home."   I couldn't have asked to meet more helpful or considerate people. :)  Al, one of our new favorites that we've promised to "adopt", was even kind enough to join us in our search and offer invaluable information about the homes we visited and their potential issues. 

We spent all of Friday with our team (a couple of ingenious moms, an electricity inclined dad, a home builder, a general contractor, a little brother and Inga - our real estate agent) of house hunters going from one house to another, only to find one that would strike our fancy.  To our horror, this was the one house that we would be unable to finance with a mortgage.  "Cash only," is not an option for these first time home buyers, and with that, we had to scratch that one off our list. 

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...