simply better together

2012-01-28T12:07:00.000-08:00

This picture about sums up how I am feeling today. Exhausted.

Thank goodness for the weekend. It's great to have some relaxation time with my boys.

Sometimes it is wonderful to have no plans at all.

I hope you are enjoying your weekend. I will be back soon to post about what is going on in our lives.

projects

2012-01-22T18:26:00.000-08:00

Winter is finally here and I do not consider myself much of a snow bunny, so once it gets cold out I prefer to stay inside. To help prevent ourselves from boredom Nate and I like to come up with new projects. It keeps us busy and is pretty rewarding.

A couple of weeks are we found this beauty cheap on craigslist.

Complete with mismatching handles.

Perfect for Nate's entirely-to-big t.v. in the basement. It had previously been sitting on a metal and glass stand that worked well. However, I was wasn't a huge fan of all the wires in the back and wanted something that would help hide them without have to spend a fortune on a t.v. stand.

So we got to work sanding and painting. Well, actually Nate did all of the painting (love you dear). We purchased some new handles and bam we had ourselves a new improved t.v. stand.

No more messy wires ruining my day.

And my boys are free to relax and enjoy the humongous t.v. in the basement.

Which is really important for such a tired puppy.

(Cute little Cooper yawn.)

I am still trying to decide what I all want on the middle shelf, but there you have it our first winter project. Can't wait to see what we come up with next.

boy was my face red

2012-01-13T13:09:00.000-08:00

As embarrassing as this story is, it has to be told.

Last week was tough. After being spoiled by the holidays I was just not into the work week. We are swamped at work right now with faculty recruiting and graduate student recruiting. Needless to say, by the time Friday came around I was waving the red flag on the work week.

You win work week, you win...

On Friday morning I needed to get one of our recruits on the phone. The university has this whole system of unique phone numbers making it easier to call within the university. So to dial long distance you have to push 9 first. The moment I pushed 9-1 I lost the number I need to call, found it a minute later and then proceeded to dial the rest of the number. Something didn't seem right on the other end, so I hung up and made the call again.

Well, about a minute later I, received a phone call...from the university police. The lady said that someone from this number just dialed 911.

Hand to forehead. That was me.

I assured the nice young lady that everything was fine, and that in an attempt to dial out of the university I lost the number and must have hit 1 two times.

She explained to me that according to policy they still had to send an officer. Sure enough one showed up to check on me. I even had to give them my i.d. so they could report that I was in fact alight.Of course I apologized and promised to be more careful in the future.

I don't think I have ever been that red in my life. But, let me ask this. Why in the heck is 9 the number to dial out of the university?

You won work week, you won.

a successful christmas at my house

2012-01-10T17:38:00.000-08:00

This year I successfully hosted my very first Christmas at my home! It was exciting and stressful, but in the end none of the stress was really worth it. It's family they could care less about every little detail, we were just happy being together.

Please enjoy a few (I cannot believe how many photos I took!) photos from Christmas at our house.

Cooper in his Christmas sweater from his aunt Lisa.

These two clowns did not want me to get a nice picture of them in their matching sweaters.

I think this once might have been a little heavy for him.

Time to snuggle with Grandpa!

The happy family.

With my special boy. Not quite sure where my other boy was...probably avoid me and my stress.

I loved her faces. She really let's you know when she likes something.

I hope you enjoyed some of the pictures from our Christmas!

quick note

2012-01-06T06:26:00.000-08:00

Unfortunately, my internet has been failing me at home (ugh). So haven't been able to post all the good stuff about Christmas and New Years, yet.

Hopefully soon!

In the mean time, I would like to send you guys over to e-tells-tales. I have personally really enjoyed reading her blog, and I hope you will too.

Today she did something pretty amazing. She is allowing everyone to post their 2012 resolutions anomalously. It's a chance for everyone to be real and say want they want to say without feeling judged.

So, if you get a chance go read it and post too if you feel like.

Christmas Back Home

2012-01-03T18:32:00.000-08:00

On Christmas Eve morning Nate and I loaded up the car, and Cooper, and hit the road for home.

Coop spent the ride resting up for his big weekend. We spent most of the weekend at Nate's parent's house. We played lots of games, ate entire to much food and were spoiled once again by his mother with gifts. It was a nice easy going Christmas, and we were reminded how lucky we truly are to have such an amazing family.

This is how the poor puppies spent their time during gift opening.

More coming soon!

opps he did it again & my awesome responses

2011-12-21T20:03:00.000-08:00

My husband has pulled off his second surprise for me. This is actually quite amazing as I usually can figure things out or have a way of guessing what is coming.

This first was his proposal. To which my response when I saw him on one knee was, "SHUT UP!".

The second was this past Thursday night. I was on the phone with a good friend and I had just gotten home and let Cooper outside. I rounded the corner to head upstairs and the next words that left my mouth were, "HOLY SHIT!".
(Not my finest moment. Trust me I am one of those people who cringes when people cuss, but he really surprised me, which called for yet another one of my awesome responses.)

There sat a dining room table with a wonderful Christmas note from my husband. No, this wasn't just any table it was my dining room table. I have been telling Nate how much I want a table since we started living together three years ago. We had been dining at a two person table my Dad built since we first moved in together, and then after that at our kitchen bar in the new house. I always felt embarrassed having friends and family over to eat and not having a proper place to sit.

My family always sat at a table to eat supper and I want it to be the same for my family. I have often told Nate this, along with the fact that I refuse to start a family until we have a dining room table. Which he so kindly reminded of the night I found the table. Does this mean we are ready to start a family? Who knows, but I finally feel like our home is complete.

holy night...

2011-12-19T05:34:00.000-08:00

My mother let me have the nativity scene that she had all while I was growing up. I was thrilled, and so excited to put it up in our first home. Hopefully some day I can pass it down to one of my children.

he made us do it...

2011-12-17T04:56:00.000-08:00

This Christmas has proved to me that Nate and I lack patience. For the first time, since our first Christmas together, we bought presents for each other. Saving up for school and our wedding took precedence in the years following that first year.

We have already opened two of our presents this year.

The first unwrapping was rationalized by beer. We are holding my families' Christmas at our house this year on New Year's Eve, and Nate has been dying to brew his own beer. So after a few hours researching my boys felt ready to brew their own beer, and I let Nate open the 5 gallon pot I had gotten for him to begin.

Then before I knew it my kitchen became barely visible under the mess and my house smelt terrible. Nate will never again be allowed to brew while I am home. I thought I was going to have a panic attack just looking at the state of distress my kitchen was in. I am sure I will soon forget all about that when we enjoy his beer on New Year's Eve.

The next present Cooper pretty much forced us to open. Cooper had gotten both Nate and I a present and we got one for him. Last Sunday night I was talking to my sister when I heard a scratching noise from under our tree. There was Coop scratching away at his present, trying to dig and bite away at the paper. It must of smelt like the pet store and boy did he want to know what was inside.

So, you see we had to let him open it. And how fair would it be for Coop to open his present from us and leave us out on all of the fun? So we all took turns opening our gifts. Cooper got me new socks and a shirt, and for his papa a new pair of Hawkeye slippers with an apology for having an accident once when he was really sick in his old pair.

And from us Cooper got a new bachelor pad. He has had the same small kennel since we fist got him and it was time for an upgrade. He seems to be comfortably enjoying his new space in our absence.

Now, to make it until Christmas without opening another. I make no promises.

'tis the season

2011-12-10T05:57:00.000-08:00

Nate insisted that we put the tree up the week before Thanksgiving this year. And by insisted I mean he carried the tree upstairs, set it in the middle of the living room and then walked away. Fully aware that I could just leave that there for a week.

This was the earliest I have ever put up a Christmas tree. I have to admit it was nice to have it done already when we returned from Thanksgiving.

The boys also enjoyed an afternoon of a nook/nap fest in front of our first fire in our home. It may or may not have taken a call to my dad to make sure we had done everything right, and that were weren't about to blow up.

So far this is shaping up to be a very wonderful second married Christmas.

december 6th

2011-12-09T03:47:00.000-08:00

Good ol' St. Nicholas sent us a package with some goodies.

candy...

peanuts...

and somebody even got a couple dingos.
(he has been busy moving it from hiding spot to hiding spot everyday since)

My personal favorite was the Hawkeye snowman and tree ornament.

Now I should mention that this package a few days early, and neither of us were able to wait until Tuesday to open it. However, St. Nic was still kind enough to visit us on December 6th.

thanksgiving travels

2011-11-27T18:28:00.000-08:00

thanksgiving replay

Wednesday

I took the day off and got some Christmas shopping done.

When Nate got off of work we sent Cooper on his way to my parents house with my older brother, and Nate and I headed to Des Moines to see Wicked. We went with my sister, Lisa, brother, Andrew, and Mom. I LOVED it. I have been ~~dying~~ wanting to see Wicked since freshman year of college. I think Nate will enjoy all the music more now when I play it, because yes he LOVED it too. Maybe not as much as me (my eyes may have welled up a few times) but he still enjoyed it.

Thursday

Woke up to the smell of a turkey in the oven and watched the Thanksgiving day parade. We had dinner at my parents and then made our way to Nate's aunt's house for a few hours. We went back to my parents that evening and played cards. We even introduced Nate to the game Pay Day.

Friday

We woke up and put our game faces on for the Iowa vs. Nebraska game. We watched the game at my parent's house until half time and then drove to Nate's parents house. Unfortunately, the game didn't fair so well for our beloved Hawkeyes, but I still love them regardless. We spent the afternoon playing games.

Saturday

Was a very relaxing day. Nate's mom cooked up a turkey and his grandparents came over to help us enjoy. We spent the rest of the day enjoying everyone's company and playing different games. The night ended perfectly falling asleep to the movie Elf.

Sunday

We woke up early and hit the pavement. We wanted to try and get home early. Which bring us to now. We have spent the day getting little odds and ends finished up before the start of a new week.

And Cooper has spent his afternoon enjoying the heck out of our fire place.

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving! Christmas will be here before we know it.

thankful for

2011-11-23T07:29:00.001-08:00

nate's patience with me

cooper's cuddles

phone calls with my sister

a good night out with friends

having a job and coworkers who are willing help one another

each one of our nieces and nephews

night time w's (walks) with n & c

our first holiday season in our home

old friends that will always be there no matter the distance

a good home cooked meal tomorrow

family humor that is best shared between siblings

just to name a very few...

Wishing you all a wonderful Thanksgiving with the ones you love!

Family Photos

2011-11-20T12:54:00.000-08:00

My friend Carrie was kind enough to let me take her family photos. Lauren and Lexi are adorable and a ton of fun to be around. Just as sweet as their mom.

free help

2011-11-16T16:48:00.000-08:00

Coop is always happy to lend a helping ~~hand~~ paw.

I think we may be witnessing the makings of Cooper Lueth, DC (Dog-tor of Chiropractic).

happy birthday, coop

2011-10-30T17:08:00.001-07:00

Happy 2nd Birthday to our puppy-dog, Cooper!

Don't know what we would do with out you around.

carving pumpkins

2011-10-27T16:57:00.000-07:00

After our visit to the pumpkin patch we were both excited to carve pumpkins.

Neither of us had carved a pumpkin in years.

We always talked about it, but just never did.

Coop was very interested in what we were up too.

A nice action shot of Nate.

Nate took a not so great picture of me carving that I have opted not to share.

Also, we didn't have any candles the night we carved so we planned to take pictures later.

Well... we still haven't gotten candles and Nate's pumpkin took a turn for the worse, but carving them was a step in the right direction. Maybe next year we will get a picture of the carved pumpkins.

Nate did a tigerhawk (duh!), and I carved a ghost.

the pumpkin patch

2011-10-25T16:19:00.000-07:00

The weekend before last my mom and sister visited my brother, and before they headed back we stopped at a nearby pumpkin patch for the kids to have a little fun.

Does anyone else put hedge apples in their basement to keep the spiders away?

Meagen had to plug her nose while we walked passed the cows.

She clearly is not a farm girl.

Zander loved the the corn and hay maze.

They took turns picking which way to go next.

Lisa had to get a picture next to "Jake's" grave (her husband's name).

Meagen and Zander took a minute to see how tall they are this Halloween.

A little fun with my sweetheart.

Nate needed a little extra help with his wagon.

We had a blast at the pumpkin patch with our family.

happy birthday, nate

2011-10-23T11:45:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to the best hubby I could ever ask for.

Wishing you many many more, old man.

Also, congrats on one year since you graduated from chiropractic school.

You make Coopie and I so proud.

Love,

Wifey & Coop

born a model...

2011-10-18T15:28:00.000-07:00

Trying to get a nice picture of your three-year-old nephew

And you may both end up feeling something like this...

But in the end it will be worth it to have this...

going to the chapel

2011-10-17T18:51:00.000-07:00

Sam's wedding day has come and gone [ :( ], and I can hardly believe it.

Seems just like yesterday we were at her wedding shower.

I happened to get a few pictures while we were getting ready.

The bride's mother using cold Budlight to help with puffy eyes.

Works every time.

Sam getting the finishing touches on her hair.

Beautiful fall colors.

Yum.

The hubs and I after the ceremony.

He told me I was pretty.

I blushed.

Okay, so it didn't go just like that. More like this...

Me: Do I look pretty?

Him: Yes.

We had a great time at Kevin and Sam's wedding.

My legs were sore for a week I danced so much.

May you have many MANY years of happiness... and many MANY babies!

special day

2011-10-13T17:18:00.000-07:00

Happy 4 year anniversary to my sister and her hubby!

Wishing you many many more!

And a very Happy 1st Birthday to our niece Tessa!
Cannot believe you are a year old already!

cooper gets a fence

2011-10-12T18:55:00.000-07:00

Our first home project is finished. It was probably the most important too.

A fence for Cooper.

Our poor dog had no idea what life without a leash could be like.

Some before pictures.

The boys hard at work.

Cooper was all about helping the boys work...or more so he was all about playing with his Mama in the grass.

Okay, unfortunately I just realized I haven't taken any good pictures of the fence yet.

However, here is one I snapped the other day of Coop enjoying the nice weather leash free.

This little family is loving our new fence.

Although, I am now making Nate check for hawks before he lets Coopie outside.

I have this crazy fear a hawk might swoop him up.

Irrational? Maybe.

wilson's orchard

2011-10-07T06:10:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday we took a little trip to Wilson's Apple Orchard outside of town.

They had hundreds of different kinds of apple trees.

All of the tress were dwarf varieties so that people can easily pick them.

Unfortunately, the apple supply was a little low.

They told us that the next bunch would be ready in mid October, and that if we picked them we wouldn't be to happy with what we got when we got home.

So we spent the time hand holding walking the rows.

It was very little house on the prairie.

Next year, I think we will go a little earlier in the season.

Some of the first apples are ready in August.

This was Nate's very first time at an apple orchard.

I was hard at work searching for all of the apples.

Our favorite part was the hay rack ride, thanks to "Bessie", out to the orchard.

I have an obsession with weeping willow trees.

I always tell Nate I want to live under one, although I would just settle for one on my property.

We ended our trip to the orchard by stopping into the little store full of goods.

Jalapeno Pepper Jelly, anyone?

I think I will pass.

We shared the most amazing apple turnover under the shade of a tree.

Ah-maz-ing.

It was a new fun way to spend our Saturday.

campfires and beaches

2011-10-04T19:25:00.000-07:00

The weekend before last my brother and the kids headed to a campsite about 15 minutes from where Nate and I live.

Steve recently purchased a camper and we were excited to get to see it. And the kids were equally excited to show me around.

Shortly after we arrived to the campsite it began to pour. Normally Cooper will run inside to escape the rain, but he was having such a good time at the campsite he wouldn't join us in the camper.

So of course Mama had to warm him back up afterwards. Spoiled?!

We were pretty bummed with how hard it was raining, but all of that rain eventually stopped and out came the most beautiful rainbow I have seen in quite a while.

The campground was gorgeous, definitely a lot different than the ones back home. I was blown away by the beauty.

We even made a special little trip to the beach.

And practiced writing our names in the sand.

Monkey see monkey do. Zander grabbed a stick and started drawing in the sand.

I am sure this little family will make some of the best memories camping.

Now, I am just bummed the campgrounds are all closing down for the winter.

Come on Spring!

lucky duck

2011-09-28T17:58:00.000-07:00

I have never considered myself to be lucky. I rarely win, and I am not big on gambling.

Last week, my hubby proved once again that I hit the jackpot when he decided to marry me.

As if is wasn't a great enough afternoon coming home to two pairs of new shoes I ordered online, when I rounded the corner I caught a glimpse of these little beauties.

Still looking and smelling great today.

Then I headed to get something out of the freezer to only stumble upon...

my favorite ice cream from Cold Stone. Don't mind if I do.

To top it off he even made me supper.

This little lady is feeling pretty darn lucky.

the benefit

2011-09-26T18:07:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday was the benefit for Nate's brother Cory. Everything went great and we were overwhelmed with the number of people who showed up.

Thank you to everyone who helped put the benefit together.

And thank you to everyone who came out.

ON IOWA!

2011-09-25T12:35:00.000-07:00

It's that wonderful time of the year, football season. We love cheering on our beloved Hawks, especially since Iowa is where we met.

Last weekend it was Iowa vs. Pittsburgh, and Iowa came out on top with a fourth quarter win! We had our nephew, Jase, along with us for the day.

Twins?

Only 6 short years after we met.

What's tailgating without bags?

And of course some photos from the game...

It was a great game to be at, and we had a ton of fun taking Jase to his very first Hawkeye football game.

Go Hawks!

where i would rather be...

2011-09-16T11:03:00.000-07:00

please excuse me...

i get that working is necessary, but i cannot help but to think of all the things i miss while at work.

cooper's cuddles

spending time with my hubby

general hospital

staying ontop of househeld chores

cooper's kisses

working out
naps

going for extra walks
reading good books
taking time for myself

just to name a few.
the list really could go on and on...

maybe it's the particulary gloomy day, but i cannot stop my mind from taking me elsewhere.
come on 4:30 pm!

on a side note, i brought my first plant back to life.
the plant was a gift.
the plant did not love apartment life.
nate jokes that i have a black thumb, but below is my proof that i can keep something alive.

pretty darn proud of myself.

weekend recap

2011-09-12T17:43:00.000-07:00

Nate and I were lucky enough to have couple of super cute visitors this past weekend. My niece and nephew, Meagen and Zander, spent two nights with us.

We spent a lot of time at the park and playing around the house. However, I knew eventually we would need something new to mix it up. Luckily, I had thought to grab these large pieces of scrap paper from work for the kids to draw on.

They LOVED it, and it kept them entertained long enough for Aunt Julie to reclaim her sanity.

Meagen took time to draw a picture of all us, including Cooper. I helped her spell the names by each of our pictures. It was amazing to watch her get excited when she knew how to write some of the letters.

Please quit growing up so fast baby girl.

Showing us her artwork.

The paper also made an excellent telescope.

As always, we enjoyed having the kids come to stay.

Cooper was ready for a nap in his Papa's elbow by the time the kids left. He definitely loves being our only "child".

We hope you all had a great weekend as well!

the windy city

2011-09-07T17:50:00.000-07:00

August 22, 2011.

We took a little trip to Chicago.

After a little GPS breakdown, thanks to Nate's ever faithful Droid, we made it to Navy Pier.

This was my second visit, and Nate's first.

After we grabbed a bite to eat.

I stole some smooches on the ferris wheel.

And Nate laughed at my fear of heights.

And then Nate got fulfill a dream.

We went to our very first game at Wrigley.

And had the best experience.

The game?

Cubs vs. Braves.

And the Braves even won for us.

Another first for us, was making it early enough to watch warm-up.

Nate was as giddy as could be.

Ahhh.... this is the life.

I loved our little stolen vacation before summer's end.

just a small town girl...

2011-08-31T15:50:00.000-07:00

This random post, and awkward senior picture of me, is brought to you by 'walking beans'...

Have you ever had someone look at you like you are completely nuts when you pull out the phrase 'walking beans'? I have.

To which my co-worker replied, "there is a brand of beans called walking beans?".

No, there isn't. At least as far as I know. What I referring to was walking the bean fields. Ya know, in the days before all those terrible nasty pesticides and stuff were sprayed all over the crop that would someday become our over preserved food. Back then, weeds were pulled by hand and every summer we dreaded walking beans.

I actually got fired from this job as a kid. I have thing with plants. They scare the heck out of me. So instead of pulling them I would kick them over, this method works great until the next day when all of weeds are standing tall again, and then someone has to walk my rows again. (oops!)

Just a little lesson to a city girl from a farm girl at work today. It was one of those moments that reminded how lucky I was to grow up on the family farm. I wouldn't have had it any other way.

sleepy boys...

2011-08-28T12:36:00.000-07:00

Nate and Cooper are just a tad worn out from all of our weekend excitement.

My sister, Lisa, cousin, Krista, and her husband, Nick, came to visit us this weekend. I LOVE having our family visit. Creating memories with the people you love and care about can help make a house feel more like a home.

Although we didn't do too much, aka the boys went to the Hall of Fame while us girls got our shop on, it was just perfect. I loved having time to catch up and laugh.

little man...

2011-08-24T17:47:00.000-07:00

What a crazy busy fun weekend. And it all started with pictures of this handsome little man.

Meet my youngest cousin, Oliver.

And what a handsome little fellow he is.

My heart melts for that smile.

And he just kept getting more and more cute. (Didn't think that was possible.)

Future football player.

I wish I could share them all...

but I want to keep some a surprise for his Mommy and Daddy.

almost normal. whatever that is.

2011-08-18T06:42:00.000-07:00

I swear I will be back to post again soon.

As I am positive you all need a fresh dose of Coopie pictures to brighten your days. And you would probably like to know what we've been up too.

The last few weeks have been crazy busy, but after a few nights of sleeping in my own bed I am finally starting to feel somewhat normal.

Cory, Nate's brother, is doing well. We are all so amazed by the progress he is making.

On a side note, my little brother, Andrew, moves into his dorm today. I paused this morning and thought, wow I did that six years ago. Then I paused again and thought, SIX YEARS AGO! Where does time go?!

thank you

2011-08-11T19:36:00.000-07:00

Nate and I would like to take a minute and say thank you.

Thank you for all of your thoughts and prayers.

It truly means the world to us.

Please continue to keep Cory in your thoughts as his journey to recovery begins.

our guard dog...

2011-08-06T15:58:00.000-07:00

When we first got our 5 lb bound of joy I never expected him to be a guard dog extraordinaire. But that he is. Even more so when Nate is not home.

This is what my dear Coop did this morning while I took care of some house work.

He discovered this lovely perch his first night at the house, and loves to watch anything and everything go by.

Oh, and bark like crazy at anything and everything.

This is Coopzilla cutting me with his eyes, although you can't see them through his bangs, for even daring to ask him to stop.

But I won and he gave me the silence I asked for.

He then proceeded to check the back window. It's always important to keep an eye out from every angle.

And after all of that...he was pretty tired.

coop goes swimming

2011-08-01T17:24:00.000-07:00

Two weekends ago Coop went swimming for his first time. He did much better than we thought and even came back for more a couple more laps.

We enjoyed our time at our friend's, Scott and Theresa's, house and hope we can get back up there again sometime soon.

Getting some good splashes in.

Go, Cooper, go!

Drying off.

I wish I would have gotten more photos but I was too busy enjoying the pool.

1st Annual Birthdayversary: Part III

2011-07-28T18:34:00.000-07:00

Early Sunday morning we took off for Minneapolis. My sister, Lisa, and her husband, Jake, went with us.

We grabbed a quick lunch as soon as we got to town and then headed to the Twins vs. Brewers game.

We had a great time at the game and having a few drinks that evening.

Sorry this post is so short, but I have lots of pictures. Surprise.

This is me apologizing in advance for the photo overload.

Best 1st Birthdayversary EVER.

1st Annual Birthdayversary: Part II

2011-07-21T18:43:00.000-07:00

July 2, 2011. One year came and went. Just like that.

We had a wedding to attend on our special day. The wedding was absolutely beautiful, and we wish Luke and Kenzie all the happiness in the world.

What a way to spend your 1st anniversary, though. It really took me back. Just sitting there I couldn't believe that we were doing the same thing just a short year earlier.

We shared a few slow dances, stole a couple kisses and lived in all the glory of being married for a whole entire year.

I wanted to freeze that moment and remember it forever. I kept thinking about how it will be 30 or 40 years from now. Hopefully it will feel the same if not even better.

God has blessed us in so many ways.

The bride and her dad.

On her way to her groom.

Mr. & Mrs.

With my cousin Krista.

With my hunny.

Just having fun with my camera on the ride to the reception.

And thus concludes Birthdayversary part II.

1st Annual Birthdayversary: Part I

2011-07-20T18:09:00.000-07:00

Forgive me. I know this is just a tad late.

The Friday before my birthday and our anniversary we headed home to hang out with some good friends and family.

Nate had originally planned for this to be a surprise for me, but when I picked up the phone a few short weeks earlier to start seeing if anyone would be around he spilled the beans.He had already set up day and time for some of our closest friends and family to come grill at my parent's farm.

It was great to see everyone, and I am so thankful that they all took time out of their busy 4th of July weekends to come see us. I only wish I would have taken more pictures.

This is my youngest cousin, Oliver. So cute.

My best friend, Megan, with Cooper.

Oliver with his aunt Jolene.

My sweet hubby with Oliver.

The people we love.

sam g's bridal shower

2011-07-17T18:55:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, before the move, I headed to Westphalia for my friend, Sam's, bridal shower. I met Sam in college when we lived on the same dorm floor.

She has always been really easy to talk to, so we quickly became friends. We discovered we only grew up about 40 minutes or so from each other and our mom and dad graduated from the same high school the same year.

Sam is getting married this October, but leaves for Arizona in the next couple of weeks for a clinical rotation for school and will not get back until a week before her big day!

She is crazy! Rest assured though, I think she has this whole wedding thing under control. Her maid of honor, Krissy, did a great job of putting this shower together for Sam before she leaves.

This cupcakes were ah-maz-ing. Also, they were made by the lady who did our wedding cake.

The maid of honor, Krissy.

One of the games the quests played involved trying to draw the bride and what she will look like on her wedding day on top of their heads. It was a riot to watch.

I am so honored to be a part of her special day, and I cannot wait to see her as a beautiful bride.

homeWHAT?

2011-07-14T07:20:00.000-07:00

WOOHOO! July 12th finally came, and we are officially homeowners. This picture was taken via my phone shortly after leaving the bank.

Notice the bright smiles as we headed to our house to clean and paint. Although they may have faded a little the last few days, in all of our hard work, those smiles are still there.

We didn't eat supper until 9:45 pm last night, but who cares. We are homeowners. (This is one of those instances it would be nice to have family around to feed us.)

My family is coming tomorrow to help us move the big stuff. So excited. We I cannot wait to decorate this house.

On a side note, I think I may invest in one of those stamps that has your signature on it before we buy our next home. Thank goodness I am married to an awesomesauce chiropractor that was able to adjust my poor wrist and elbow.

moving

2011-07-12T04:48:00.000-07:00

I feel like I haven't blogged in FOREVER. I have thought about and wanted to do to it, but then common sense kicks in and says "hey silly you have a whole kitchen to pack to move".

Hopefully this our last move for a little while. Having moved every year since high school I am ready to stay put for a bit.

We close on the house today! We got to get in there last night and do the final walk through. We LOVED it and are so excited.

Coop is doing alright. The poor guy gets pretty worked up while we pack and move boxes around. He was practically glued to my leg last night as to make sure we don't forget him.

Well... I can't stay to long because the list of things that need to be done is calling my name. I suppose I should answer.

around here...

2011-07-07T05:02:00.000-07:00

Around here were are looking and feeling a little bit like this...

Please excuse us while we pack and move. I will try my hardest to keep updating.

P.S. My Birthdayversary was a huge success. More pictures and details on that to come!

Happy Anniversary!

2011-07-02T21:23:00.000-07:00

Happy 1st Anniversary Nate!

I love you more and more everyday.

Thank you for choosing to share your life with me.

oh no you didn't!

2011-06-30T04:11:00.000-07:00

Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop
Describe a memorable first date.

A little while back I wrote about how Nate and I met. If you happened to read that then you know we were "just friends" for a little while until finally realized what even my best friends already knew, that he was actually kind of perfect for me.

In the spirit of our first anniversary, I decided it would be fun to write about our first date. Well one of our first dates. You see, when you are "just friends" you will have many "dates" making hard to clarify exactly what was our VERY first date. So I am going to write about the first time Nate took me to the movies.

We bet on a game of darts, and I can't seem to remember what his stipulation was. Mine however, was that he would take me to see Ice Age 2. Some how I pulled out a win!

I didn't get too fancy because we were just friends. I wore a t-shit and some gym shorts. Nate picked me up from my dorm and drove me to the theatre.

As we were walking to find our seats you will never guess what my hubby decided to do. HE DE PANTS ME! In front of these poor little children who did nothing to deserve that. Nate claims it was too dark and that there wasn't that many people in there, but boy was I embarrassed.

After the embarrassment and anger started to fade I realized I still liked the kid. Even after he humiliated me. Now-a-days if he tried that crap... well let's just say I wouldn't be as patient or laugh it off like I did the first time.

Birthdayversary!

2011-06-29T06:00:00.000-07:00

I am really excited to celebrate my first ever Birthdayversary this Saturday! What exactly is a Birthdayversary one may ask?

Well, it's when you get to celebrate your birthday and anniversary on the same day. And I happen to think it's pretty great too.

When Nate first proposed, on August 13, 2009, we set the date for October 2, 2010. Right away my husband and other devoted Hawkeye fans expressed their concern with this being a game day. Ugh.

That wasn't the only reason we decided to change the date. Nate was also graduating from Palmer School of Chiropractic in October. A wedding, honeymoon, graduation, and a possible move that would require me to search for a new job was just to overwhelming for me.

So I called the venue to see what Fridays would be open in the summer, and believe it or not July 2nd, my birthday, was the only one.

I struggled with deciding on this date at first. People told me I would regret it and advised me not to do so. One lady even told me that if we get divorced I would always hate my birthday. To which I replied, "Oh yeah true, but I am not really going to this whole marriage thing thinking about how I will feel when I get divorced". I guess I just don't think that is a great way to start a marriage.

Anyhow, when it came down to it I was actually excited about getting married on my birthday. For a couple of reasons:

It is my most favorite day of the year. Why wouldn't I want to share it with Nate?
Having been born two days before the country's birthday I have a kind of love/hate relationship with the 4th of July. This stems from a lot of patriotic gifts that where presented during my childhood. American flag t-shirts, coins, and teddy bears holding flags.

I LOVE the fireworks and the celebrations, but there is a sense of all this partying going on but absolutely none of it is for me. I like my attention. Everyone always has something going on that weekend. No one is free for a day all about Julie (it sounds awful but I am being honest here).

A wedding would surely fix this. I would invite everyone to the biggest birthday bash ever!
Also, I am following the footsteps of my very sweet godmother, Brenda. She too was married on her birthday, in July and even on a Friday. How unique is that? I was supposed to be born right on/around her wedding day, but mom scheduled me a little bit early so that she and I could both be sure to attend.

(Brenda and a new born Julie-Sorry the picture looks all scratched up and that jazz)

When I was told that my birthday was the only day open it just kind of seemed like it was meant to be. So we went with it. Now, my lucky hubby only has to remember one very special day of the year. Let's just hope he doesn't ever forget.

mom's birthday!

2011-06-27T06:24:00.000-07:00

Today is one very special ladies Birthday, my Mom! We celebrated the event this past weekend.

She probably doesn't want me to say this on the blog, but is turning 50. A very young 50 might I add.

We wanted to throw her a party and all the jazz, but she just wouldn't have it. She insisted that time with us was what she wanted.

We spent the weekend in a hotel doing some pretty fun things. As per usual cue the pictures...

Growing up we played a lot of scrabble with Mom, so we decided to do a scrabble themed party.

I made special stickers to fit starbursts.

Specially made Scrabble Birthday banner, made by muah.

I also made a cookie for everyone with the first letter of their name.

Meagen at the pool.

Getting in some snuggle time with Grandpa.

Emeriss trying out a ponytail.

My younger brother Andrew just being Andrew.

Cheese!

Those poor puppies.

Time for cake!

She needed some help blowing out 50 candles.

Zander wanted to blow out his own.

What a cute little family.

"Swimming" in the hot tub.

Good morning!

Our time with the family flew by! We had a great time, and I am glad we got to get away for a night with the ones we love.

Happy Birthday, Mom. I hope you have a wonderful day. I love you.

ice cream stache

2011-06-23T06:47:00.000-07:00

Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop

Write a poem inspired by a picture you took last week. Share both!

An ice cream mustache

That brings the joy of laughter to my face

It is the simple things

lesson learned

2011-06-22T09:10:00.000-07:00

I accidentally deleted all of my comments on my blog. Bummer.

With our BIG move quickly approaching, our place has gotten a little cramped. For my taste that is.

I keep feeling like it looks like one of those shows with people who hoard. In reality it doesn't (it's not even close), but I just have a hard time with everything not being put away in its special spot. Does that make me so crazy? My hubby sure thinks so.

We have acquired a couple new items around the ol' apartment that we are restoring, to our taste, for the new home. Problem is that they don't fit all that well in our two bedroom apartment.

It's a good thing Cooper is so little or else I don't know where we would put him! And yes, I am totally exaggerating.

When I can't clean up everything at home I start looking elsewhere. Which brings up to how I deleted all the beautiful comments from those of you who have kindly remarked on my blog.

There is a 'comments' section in my blog home page where I can see all comments. I thought this was sort of like an inbox. I was wrong.

So, if I deleted your comment(s) I apologize that you fell victim to the great move of 2011. Please forgive my OCD.

father's day...

2011-06-19T16:36:00.000-07:00

My dad.

I loved to follow him everywhere when I little.

Whatever he was doing, I wanted to be right there helping him.

When I worked at Hy-Vee in high school someone once told me that I looked like him. That made me happy.

Nate teases me about being a daddy's girl, and I secretly love it.

Fun fact. He is still listed as 'daddy' in my phone.

Happy Father's day, Dad!

Also, a very Happy Father's Day to my big brother, Steven. I hope Meagen found the special dandelion she picked for you.

Cooper also wanted to send a special bark out to his Papa! I know he loves and appreciates you very much dear.

anything you can do...

2011-06-16T06:33:00.000-07:00

A little friendly competition in a marriage is healthy, right? In our marriage the competition tends to be more one sided. Nate, being more athletic oriented than I, is the more competitive half. So it comes to no surprise to me that Nate usually wins everything. He just simply cares more about winning.

Last Saturday, after we finished working on the dressers, we sat down to roast a few s'mores. It was clear from the get-go that we have different methods of roasting marshmallows.

I take my time turning the marshmallow slow and steady at the right distance from the fire to get a perfectly toasted marshmallow. A nice golden marshmallow with a gooey inside. Yum!

Nate, attempts this method for...oh about a minute. He quickly runs out of patience and proceeds to shove the marshmallow into the fire, blow the fire out and enjoy.

This is were it all started. He tried to tell me that his roasting skills were better than mine. What?! Is the man crazy? Challenge accepted.

It was clear, after Nate enjoyed the first of my perfectly roasted marshmallows, that I was the winner. This truly made me happy. I happen to think my hubs is a pretty amazing man, but it was nice for once to feel like I could do something better than him.

shaggy coop...

2011-06-14T04:47:00.000-07:00

The hubs has been bugging me for a couple weeks now about giving our little fur child a buzz cut. We did this last summer and it worked great for Coop. He just gets so stinkin' hot this time of the year.

I have been putting it off because he is so soft and cuddly with his hair a little long. Let's face it, when I buzz his hair half of my 5 lb dog disappears. My mother was clear to let me know last summer that she is/was not a fan of the buzz cut. So I was trying to hold off as long as I could when...I found a tick in his hair.

Yuck! Disgusting. Cooper's very first tick, and I just about passed out trying to get awful creature off my baby. It seems we not only brought our dog home from the weekend at my brother's, but also an unwanted guest. The tick is taken care of, but I now have two conclusions.

1. We need to remember to give him garlic more regularly; as garlic is a natural repellent for fleas and ticks.

2. Baby boy is getting a hair cut.

That is how Cooper went from this...

To this...

And boy does a hair cut make for one tired pup...

A few touch ups need to be made to Coop's 'do', as puppy-dog had decided towards the end he would just lay down and admit defeat.

paparazzi

2011-06-12T18:37:00.000-07:00

It's official. We are one month away from being homeowners. We made the offer on our soon to be home March 22nd, so this one month thing is feeling like a breeze.

In preparation of moving, we headed to my brother's house yesterday afternoon when Nate got off of work. Some friends of ours were kind enough to give us two dressers they no longer wanted, and we are working towards making them move in ready for our bedroom (I will post the before and afters).

So while the ~~boys~~ men worked hard to clean and sand the furniture; I followed the little munchkins around like paparazzi. Get ready for photo overload.

Megan showing me her scary face, and Zander trying to "hide" from Coop.

Sibling love.

Such a diva.

A work break for the boys.

Campfire. It made for some awesome s'mores later in the evening.

Silly faces.

Contemplating taking a potato.

I swear this little one will be a heart breaker.

Strike a pose!

My pretty little niece.

Sparklers!

As always, we had a great time with Steven, Meagen and Zander. The kids are growing faster than I could ever have imagined, so it is nice to take a day and get it all on my camera. That way I can freeze them in time and keep them little forever.

memorial day

2011-06-10T04:50:00.000-07:00

This is coming a little late, but better late than never...right? We had a great memorial weekend, from what I remember (my memory is going with my age). Where does the time go?

We decided it would be best if we got off of our behinds and used the time off to take the pup for a much need adventure. Coopzilla loves his daily walks, but sometimes a pup needs something new to sniff around. Que trees, dirt and river now...

hot dog

coops looks all "i'm gonna need a hair cut for summer ma" in this picture

new smells!

tree down

so the hubby had to see if it was study...thankfully it was

I hope you enjoyed the pictures, but more importantly I hope that you had a great little memorial weekend yourself!

hawkeye wallet

2011-06-08T17:05:00.000-07:00

My new wallet...

After a long day of work I was jonesing for a diy project. This hawkeye wallet has been on my to-do list for a quite awhile now.

It was super simple. I cut the fabric from an old t-shit to fit the size of my wallet, used the foam brush to apply the glue, and then simply waited for it to dry! Make sure you glue the larger areas first and finish with the edges, pulling and tucking as needed. And the best part is it didn't cost me a penny to make.

Now all I need is a Hawkeye football game!

say cheese!

2011-06-02T06:06:00.000-07:00

Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop
What are you passionate about?

Once upon a time, many years ago now, I believed that someday I would be a photographer. So I set out one day with a cheap film camera and snapped a couple rolls of film of the clouds. I remember it clearly. I just laid on our trampoline and snapped away.

A few days later my mom had the film developed. Let's just say that she was less than impressed at my artistic take on the clouds. I became discouraged and moved onto my next dream, which at the time was probably to marry Justin Timberlake or J.C. Chazez because NSYNC was just all that, and I was sure they would somehow find me on my farm...in Iowa...in the middle of nowhere.

That was until recently. Although I am not a professional photographer, I have found my love for taking pictures again. I love capturing those special moments.

My little brother kindly let me take his senior photos.

Some friends let me take their engagement pictures...

And pictures of our niece and a friend's sweet little twin girls...

Then there is my little pup, Cooper...

Who I am sure feels like this about my camera...

I am just beginning to tap into the world of photography, and I have a lot left to learn. However, doing something that you enjoy makes it much more fun to learn.

a typical morning for my boys...

2011-05-29T13:04:00.001-07:00