Thankfulness

I have been reflecting a lot lately on what it means to be thankful...I ran across this on another blog, and thought I would share. Definitely some good food for thought! Learning today to be thankful for even the smallest of things that He gives through those in my life...

"I think thankfulness is like a flower. It needs care and cherishing if it to live and grow. Perhaps thankfulness, even more than some other qualities that seem to come naturally to us, is in need of cherishing, because of the withering winds of life. The best way to cause it to grow strong in our hearts is to be careful never to let ourselves be unthankful. Has anyone done anything to help me and I have said nothing about it? (It is not enough to thank God; we should thank the one to whom He gave the loving thought that caused the loving deed.) Has anyone prepared a surprise for me and I have been blind to it? or if I noticed it, have I been dumb? If we have been careless about this, let us put it right. I often think we must disappoint our kind Father by not noticing the little things (as well as the countless great things) that He does to give us pleasure. Perhaps we should begin by thinking more of what His children do for love of Him and for love of us too." - Amy Carmichael

A Weekend with The Fowlers

Hello, All! :) Here I am, back once again. Who knows, maybe once I will become good at this blogging thing...any who... This past weekend Erik and I had the privilege of sharing some time with my brother, sister in-law, and sweet nephew, Caleb! They flew in from Phoenix on Saturday, and left this morning.  We had such a great time catching up with them, and we especially enjoyed getting to watch the joy that this sweet boy radiates. Truly, the joy he carries through out each moment is contagious, and reminded us to find joy in the simplest things of this life! Such a sweet reminder in this season of life. He is getting SO big...it's hard to believe that he is almost two! We love you Caleb Joseph! Thanks for sharing a weekend with us! 

Time Flies..I'm Always Saying That

Happy July! I cannot believe that it is already July 01. I let time slip away so easily, and just like that its been a month since I last blogged. Sorry! I do have sort of an excuse though...we recently gave up both our internet AND our cable. The cable was not as hard as internet, but indeed, we gave up both.  Mostly because we were locked into a contract that we did not like and were able to transfer it to Brittany and Beau, but also to change our lifestyle a little.  We found that it was easy to come home, hop on the computer, and like that, most of our night was gone.  It's been really nice to not have the distraction of either the TV or the internet, but thus has kept me from being able to blog more :)
A lot is going on in our busy little life on Cedar St. We recently gutted and re-did our entire backyard, and it is SO nice to have that project done. We decided it'd be best to hire someone to clean out the junk that was back there, and then we would replace the empty space with mulch and rock.  The clearing only took a day, but I am so glad we did not have to do it ourselves. We discovered slightly before deciding to tackle the project that there were some 30 trees (small and tangled, of course) growing back there. We had no idea! It was ridiculous to say the least.  We had almost 2.5 tons of rock, mulch, sand, and bolders delieverd and two weekends later (thanks to the help of many!) it was done! I will put pictures up when I get the chance. It is so much nicer back there now, and we can finally say we enjoy spending time in our backyard (minus the nosey neighbors :))!
In other news, Erik got to spend three weeks of June at a colloquium with 30 other PhD students from around the world learning about the extreme effects of climate change.  He really enjoyed it, learned A TON, and got to meet some really interesting people along the way.  He did not realize this before being attending, but he was one of 150 applicants, and only 30 people were accepted! I'm a proud wife and continually grateful at his desire and passion to learn and pursue something he really enjoys!
Hope you all enjoy this 4th of July weekend! Should be a hot one here in the big CO!

One Year as a Wife

(I borrowed this quote from another blog, but I love it and thought how fitting to share during such a time as this :))

"We need a witness to our lives. There's a billion people on the planet... I mean, what does one life really mean? But in a marriage, you're promising to care about everything.  The good things, the bad things, the terrible things, the mundane things... all of it, all of the time, every day.  You're saying 'Your life will not go unnoticed because I will notice it.  Your life will not go unwitnessed because I will be your witness'." - - - Shall We Dance

I know it's not quite our anniversary yet, but this weekend a best friend of mine is getting married and I won't have time to blog again before the date actually hits.  With that said...
I remember this time a year ago. I was frantically trying to pull loose ends together and make sure that everything was prepared for the "Big Day" to arrive.  What I didn't know was that by the end of it all, most of those loose ends didn't really matter, and probably went unnoticed by most anyways.  The day I had dreamed about for so long was absolutely perfect, and my childhood dream of being a bride became true! I remember standing before our friends and family as Erik and I became husband and wife feeling so amazingly blessed and overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and support as we walked back up the aisle to begin our new life together. I am more grateful for that day more than ever.  I can't believe it's been a year... time surely is flying.  So, as I sit here now, I can only think of how grateful I was for that night as we were surrounded by a cloud of witnesses; our very best friends and family, who promised, together with us, to encourage us and walk with us down this road of marriage, and oh how blessed we have been.
To my love on this anniversary weekend...
You, Erik, have been my rock and support. From serving me daily and continuously encouraging me in my walk, you have been my constant.  Thank you for your belief in me, for your sacrifice in this marriage, and for your unconditional love; even when it's least deserved.  Thank you for your patience, for your honesty, and for the faith you have instilled in this marriage and for the sacrifice you so freely give.  For the way you challenge me because you only want what is best for me and for us, and for working so hard to make our dreams become a reality.  Thank you for not settling for less and for always striving for more.  I am so grateful and inspired by your passion to love others deeply and well, and for making our home one that extends to anyone.  You truly are the greatest gift and I feel beyond blessed to be able to call you my husband.  In all that you do, I continue to fall more in love with you.  361 days after becoming your wife I can honestly say that I have fallen more in love with you each and every day.  You are greater than my dreams ever imagined, and I can't wait to celebrate in this love with you forever.

Sunny San Diego!

Well, I know it's only been a week since I last blogged, but I feel like we've had plenty of activity and much to write about! First things first. We spent this last week/weekend in San Diego with our great friends Matt and Steph Waller, and Steve and Lindsey Miller. Shout out to Steve and Lindsey for being incredible hosts of a fun-filled weekend. Truly, we saw more of San Diego this trip than we saw in the past two trips combined! If you are ever in the area..all I'm saying is you might want to hook up with these two :) We learned a new game called "Lawn Bowling", and I must say, we all found it to be quite fun! Look it up if you are interested! Amazing. And of course, what trip would be complete without a brewery tour? We made our way out to Stone Brewery for some delicious brews, and one of the worst tours we have ever been on. That aside, it was a really sweet brewery with really delicious beer :)  Anyways, here are some pics to help recap the trip:

Mother's Day 2011

My mom and I had the chance to be in Phoenix for the weekend. It was a quick trip, but just perfect nonetheless. This was the first Mother's Day that all four of us "kids" have been together in 10 years so it was extra special and so fun to all be back in the same place, even if it was just for 48 hours!
Much of the weekend was spent hanging out with Caleb, too! I can't believe how quickly he has grown up; 14 months have certainly flown by!
Erik got the chance to go fishing/camping with Ralph, and spend all of yesterday with Ryan brewing beer and cooking. They are nuts in and about the kitchen, so I am grateful they got to enjoy the time together doing what they love doing! Here are some pictures to recap the weekend.
Things we are looking forward to in the NEAR future:
a) Heading to the Rockies game on Wednesday for Emily's 21st birthday!
b) Flying to San Diego for a long weekend with Matt and Steph to see Steve and Lindsey
c) Christina's and Brent's wedding in 3 WEEKS!
d) Our FIRST anniversary!!

Just Some Practice

I love taking pictures, but realize that I really don't know how to use a camera. Really. So, I had the joy of snapping some pictures of the two and only, Chris and Courtney, and learning the different functions of the camera. Here is a sneak peak of some of the action from the shoot :) Thank you to Chris and Courtney for being my guinea pigs! Enjoy!

Erik's First Beer = Success!

Erik was quick to purchase the Groupon for a home brewing starter kit.  It has always been something he wanted to try, and what better opportunity to do so with a "half-off" Groupon! So, the process began about 8 weeks ago with the purchasing of some hops and malts, and as of Tuesday, Erik has his first completed, ready to drink, beer!

It began in a bucket.  From the bucket it went into a bottle.

And from bottle, to delicious and fully brewed beer in a glass! 

And after the first taste,

he was more than satisfied!

Erik and his boys have started brewing more beer, and Chris has had the genius idea to home brew all the beer for he and Courtney's wedding in August.  On Saturday afternoon's it is not uncommon to find our quaint little kitchen turned into a full blown brewery...and it is so awesome! I love that Erik has found a hobby that he really enjoys, and gets to share in that with his best friends! Come on over and join us for one of the most tasty home brews around :)

A Little Saturday DIY Project...

Erik and I have made it our goal for this Spring/Summer to fix up the yard and do some landscaping to really enjoy the greatness that is our backyard.  It feels like a little bit of a daunting project because we have so much to work with, but we know in the end it will be worth and can only add some value to the house.  

Well, I didn't exactly get started on the backyard today, but I did take care of refinishing a chair that was severely worn by this past winter! It was simply, and really gave the chair back some life.  I just refinished one for today, but will get started on the second some time soon.  All it took was a quick sanding, some taping off of the fabric, and a couple coats of left over grayish-white paint from the house! Follow the fun DIY project below :)

Ralph really enjoyed the project as well.  He managed to step on the paint lid, not once, but twice! Awesome. Hope you are enjoying this beautiful weekend! Oh, and a quick shout out to my wonderful brother-in-law, Ryan...he turned 21 today! Happy Birthday!

And So It Begins!

Wedding season is finally upon us. I LOVE wedding season and couldn't have been more excited to kick it off with a sweet, intimate wedding of a dear friend, and a fun-filled bridal shower for my oldest friend (Oldest not in years, but in length of time being a friend :)).
First, a couple of pictures from the sweet wedding of Rebecca and Sean. This sweet family was surrounded by their closest friends and family as they started their forever together, and the weather could not have been more perfect for the outdoor ceremony!

Today, my mom and I had the chance to throw a bridal shower for my dear, beautiful Christina. She is getting married May 29, and today marked the beginning of wedding festivities! She was showered by some great women and close friends at the Dushanbe Tea House in Boulder. Amazing food, amazing setting, and amazing people!

Love This

Place me like a seal over your heart,
like a seal on your arm.
For love is as strong as death,
its jealousy as enduring as the grave.
Love flashes like fire,
the brightest kind of flame.
Many waters cannot quench love,
nor can rivers drown it.

---Song of Songs 8:6-7

Engagements, and Conferences, and Sickness...Oh My!

So much has been going on in the past three weeks, I can't even believe it!
Engagements:
First, we had four of our best friends get engaged! Chris and Courtney got engaged March 27, and six short days later, Kyle asked Abby for his forever.  Erik and I got to be a big part of Chris and Court's magical day, and it was magical to say the least.  Courtney's parents had been visiting for the weekend, and somehow Chris was able to convince Courtney to take a morning away from them to go on a hike up to Chasm Lake on the trail to Long's Peak.  Erik was there to capture the moment as Chris asked Courtney to marry him! She said "Yes"!

Six days later Kyle and Abby got engaged! We are so excited for both of these perfect couples and it has been fun to watch both of their love grow and mature. What an amazing thing love is and is so evident through the love that we have seen in both Chris and Courtney, and Kyle and Abby. Congratulations you four :)

Conferences:

Erik had the chance to attend and present at the NOAA Climate Change and Water Demand conference in Washington DC through his research at CU.  The conference was literally one day, and total travel time (including driving to and from the airport) was a short 28 hours.  Erik presented to a group of about 30 fellow field professionals on water and climate change.  I found out afterwards that he was presenting to the best of the best in the field, including one man who had his PhD in two different fields.  Erik said that it was intimidating to say the least, and that in some sense he felt unprepared to be presenting to these well educated professionals, however, felt as though it was one of the greatest learning experiences he has had.  He was constantly grilled on his presenting ideas, but was encouraged afterwards when he was approached by the man with two PhD's who told him that he did a great job and that the questions and grilling he received during his presentation were sure to prepare him well for his thesis defense.  In fact, the man told him that his thesis defense would be much easier.  Phew! 

Sickness:

Both Erik and I have been catching spouts of sickness here and there, but nothing too debilitating...until this most recent episode.  I first got sick about a month ago, and it seems that every other week Erik or I will feel under the weather.  This past weekend, the sickness finally took its toll and my body couldn't fight it any longer.  I got the flu, and suffered with it for nearly 5 days.  Cross your fingers that it's over for both of us and we can begin to enjoy the beautiful spring weather that has begun to grace itself here in Colorado! 

Things we are looking forward to in the near future:

- Erik heading to Bozeman, MT to fish the Smith River with some great friends over Easter weekend!

- San Diego in May with our besties Matt and Steph Waller to visit Steve and Lindsey Miller!

- Erik finishing his second to last semester of Graduate School!

Sunday Night

Sitting here enjoying a glass of wine as I wind down from the weekend. Grateful for a husband who works so hard to provide for us as we both go through school and even more grateful for a God who has made this possible for both of us.  I have been so challenged by a dear friend of mine to look for the greatness in each day, and today I am so grateful feeling so grateful to be in the position we are, and resting in the beauty of this time in our lives...enough of looking forward for now; learning to appreciate and enjoythis time.

Trash the Dress

Britt and I had some fun playing with her wedding dress! It had been over a year since she had it on, so we decided to have some fun one sunny winter afternoon.  So grateful to have gotten to practice my photography skills, even if the pictures are nothing special! Thanks, Britt, for being so willing to let me photograph you :)

Long Days Bring Silly Laughs

Weekends with school seem to drag on! You might wonder why this would be a bad thing, BUT...being in school for 21 hours in three days can feel SO long. So, here we are, on a Saturday night, getting ready to call it a night, but having a few laughs before we do! We were looking through Christmas pictures and couldn't help but laugh about a few of them.  Here is one to bring a smile to your face for the night! Enjoy!

4 Months in a Nutshell

Geeze...It has really been a long time since I have blogged. I am sorry! Forgive me, truly, there is not a lot of excuse.  So much has happened in the past, oh, 4 months!
Thanksgiving was one of the best we've had.  We got to spend a week traveling in both Boston and New York City with Matt Fisher, and with Drew and Laurel.  Neither Erik of I had ever been to Boston, and Erik had never been to NYC.  It was great to expand our travels to the East and especially great that we had the chance to do it with such great friends. We even got to experience a Broadway show together (thanks Drew and Laurel)!!

The beginning of December we had our sweet friends Matt and Steph Waller out for a long weekend. It's so refreshing to see them and we had a blast as usual.  There is never a lack of adventure with those two and it proved to be true again with this trip! Not only did we get to hit up our favorite place, the Rio, but we also go to go on a private tour of New Belgium Brewery!

Christmas was also wonderful as most of the fam was together! We had the best time spending a few days just hanging out with each other and enjoying being in the same place. It made me wish we all lived closer, but I was grateful to have those few days with them and know that it is because we live far apart that those times are that much sweeter :) (Just a little picture to brag about the CUTEST nephew ever)

My job at CU ended the beginning of December, and I began a new job just two short weeks later at Hudson Companies.  They are a property management company in Boulder that manages about 30 properties.  I am so grateful to be there and love the people.  It's so nice to have an office that has windows in it, and I am so thankful to have the position that I do! I especially love that Erik and I can still drive together in the mornings as this new place is just one block from CU! 

I started Graduate school in January, pursuing my Master's in both Clinical Counseling and School Counseling at the University of Northern Colorado. I continue to go back and forth on deciding on just one major, so for now, I am happy to say that I am a double major.  I am sure that come praticuum and internship time, I will not be so happy! Its a challenge doing a weekend only program, but so far has proven to not be impossible.  I miss my weekends and knowing that I may be missing out on something, but also feel so confirmed that I am doing what I need to be doing and am in the right place.

Erik continues to work hard at Grad school and at Sushi Zanmai...he is such a stud and I am so thankful to have a husband who is as hard working as he is. 

Speaking of a studly husband...for my birthday he went over and beyond my greatest expectations.  Thursday we both had the day off so we were able to get up to the mountains and hit the slopes. It was the MOST beautiful day of skiing I have had in long time, with 40 degree temperatures. For those of you who don't know, I hate the cold, so this was the best scenario possible.  We got to have delicious sushi for dinner with some great friends, and I thought my birthday was done. However, on Friday, he threw me a HUGE surprise party full of tons of friends, and, I really was surprised! I had suspected he might be doing something, but as time went on, shrugged off the idea.. He did AMAZING! 

Well, there is our life in a nutshell the last 4 months. I promise to be better about keeping this up!