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!