Birthday Recap!

EEEKKKKKKKK...I'm not the best updater in the world!  I also am not good at calling people, getting laundry done, cleaning up, and pretty much doing anything that I truly need to get done.  {I actually have work work I need to do before an a.m. meeting...and STILL have not done it..its almost 11p.m....aarrrgghh} It seems that lately I just like to sit, read, hang with Dave and forget that the rest of the world exists outside our little apartment. We move in one month, have traveling trips coming up, work, and hey we leave the country for 6 months in only 1 1/2 months....we probably should get things done..but nope...i just sit and pretend nothing is going on. I know this will kick me in the butt shortly, probably tomorrow, but I still can't get myself to care to much!

ANNYYYYY ways, I had a birthday!  I have officially entered my late twenties..oh my..I'm almost 30 (in 3 years!).  Dave doesn't let me forget it, he thinks he finally has some ammo on me since I make fun of him for being 30 and old! Here are some pictures of the day we spent together celebrating my entering adulthood and getting to spend another year on this wonderful, crazy place we call Earth.  I slept in, Dave made me pancakes, I watched the latest 16 and pregnant (it's filmed where I lived for 6 years), watched glee, went thrifting in Leesburg, took a random trip to West Virginia, took a nap, ate delicious Mexican food, and ate ice cream cake. It was all in all a pretty pretty good day!

Birthday Outfit

Thrifting in Leesburg

ALL the thrifty goodness purchases! I have a weakness for 80s romance novel colors and old books

MN goodness in West Virginia

Birthday Cake Ice Cream - my WV bday treat

Who doesn't love birthday naps?

Favorite Mexican Restaurant in NOVA: Tolteca

My Birthday Bomb. Throughout the day I got to reach in and pick out a present.

Birthday Bomb Gifts: 2 bath sets, Chelsea Handler, Benjamin Button, Trilogy Set of Girl with Dragon Tattoo, Kings Speech, Schindler's List.

It's F'ing Weezer

Yesterday Dave and I went to DC 101 Chili Cookoff (all proceeds go to Kidney Foundation..yay!) at RFK Stadium. They had a chili cookoff where Dave got to try lots and lots of amazing chili..soo I hear! We started the day listening to Middle Class Rut (please go check them out...they will be HUGE!) and then headed off to taste the free chili samples and get away from the band Paper Tongues (eewww). After Paper Tongues we danced to Neon Trees, took shade with Panic! At the Disco, and then tried to rock out to Papa Roach and Seether (surprisingly not as bad as one would expect). 

THEN  it was time for what we waited all day for...WEEZER! Oh my! I have waited years to see these guys...and the wait paid off! It was A-mazing...they sounded better than their studio recordings (is that even possible!?!?!)! Even the moshing circle ( I slapped one of them in the forehead), crowd surfers, and stupid idots couldn't ruin the experience. After one of them kicked me in the head and I slapped or pinched them for being rude, I went right back to singing along and dancing. It has been a few years since I have been in the crowd this far.....but I had to..it was F'ing WEEZER. It was SOOOO worth it...I would do it over and over again. 

It totally beat the weekend we had planned in Williamsburg. But Williamsburg will always be there...but Weezer you have to get them when you can! Hopefully this won't be my only Weezer concert..but if it is I would be okay with it...because it was truly amazing!  

Peace

I have finally discovered, or should I say realize where I find my inner peace. I came to this realization this past Mothers Day. I took a trip to Target, and seeing all the mothers with their families celebrating and happy, made me feel sad and angry. It sucks not having my mom around....and days that celebrate moms...make it harder. So instead of taking my bad attitude out on Dave and I decided I need to run away..thus I went for a run at the Manassas Battlefield. When jogging/ taking breaks to cry...I began to feel better. Being in the open, with nothing but woods and fields, is exactly what I need to feel at peace with everything. Nature is where I am able to enjoy the beauty of our world, escape the crazy, hetic world, and just be.

How/where do you find your inner peace?

Happy Mothers Day!

Happy Mothers Day to...

All the women who came before us

the ones who watch over us from above

To the ones that believe in us and love us unconditionally

Have a HAPPY HAPPY MOTHERS DAY and don't forget to tell the mothers in your life ( related or not) that you think they are pretty neat!

happiness

I just got done reading the book, The Happiness Project, by Gretchen Rubin and truly enjoyed it! It made me self-reflect on my own happiness, the actions I take, and little things I can do that can increase my own happiness while spreading it to others. I strongly encourage you to check out her book or her website!

The book got me thinking, " What makes me happy? What things in my life truly bring my joy and happiness?" I thought I would share with you all some of the things in my life that make me truly happy, through pictures. Since photography makes me happy and is a hobby that I like to pursue, I thought this would be the best way to display things that make me happy and my soul smile (in no particular order).

Carol Jean

This is one of my favorite pictures of my mom. It was taken at a local bar in Mankato, MN after my oldest sister Jen's surprise 30th birthday party. My whole family continued the celebration downtown at Blue Bricks, one of my favorite bars. Everyone had a smile on their faces and embraced the festivities. In the photo my moms spirit and energy, shine through, and I love her coyness. I look at this picture and see the traits in which I inherited from her. This photo was taken in May and my mother then passed away in November. I keep this photo on my desktop and smile whenever I look at it, she may not be here in the physical form but I know she is always with me. My family

When I graduated with my masters, my whole family flew/drove from MN to VA to support me. I felt soooo loved and appreciated during this time. My family can sometimes be a crazy one, we all get busy with our own lives, but during times when it matters most we come together.

Clouds & The Countryside

This picture is perfect because it represents two things that make me happy all at once.  First, I LOVE clouds! Whenever I look up at the clouds, I smile. They are sooo beautiful, ever changing, and represent so much.  I also love driving in the country side, I grew up in the country, so it always reminds me of my childhood. The above picture is of a bean field on a wonderful summer day, I took it on my drive home to Fairmont, MN. 
Trees

Trees, are by far the part of nature that I love the most. I find trees so fascinating, they are strong, solitaire, beautiful creations. Not one tree is the same! I am in such awe of trees, they hold a deep meaning to me. This photo is one of my first favorite trees ( I now have at least 3). Growing up, we lived 5 miles to town, where my grandma lived. On the drive to town we would pass this tree, it is placed on a bend in the road, where you can pick up a small gravel road from the main road. I always looked at it in awe, taken back by its beauty and strength.

GRANDma

This lady is my everything! I LOVE her SOOOOOO SOOOO much, at times my heart bursts! Growing up, I spent A LOT of time at her house, I basically lived with her for 1/4 of the year, because she lived in town where I went to school and had friends. She imparted many things that now make me who I am. She is the one person in my family, who I feel truly understands me and accepts me for who I am. I love it when she states, "I wouldn't expect anything else." when I tell her silly stories of my life.  Plus, isn't she just the cutest!

Travel

This photo is of Kathmandu, Nepal, where Dave and I attended a wedding of a friend. There is so much of this world to see and so many adventures to be had. I get excited every time Dave and I talk about the countries we want to visit and things we want to do. There is so much this world has to offer, and I for sure am one that will take it up on its offer. Like Nas says, " Who's World Is This? The World Is Mine, It's Mine."

Friendship

To me my friends are my family. They are the ones that were there when I transformed into the woman I am now. They get me, the whole me! They have been there for the fun times and have supported me through the worst. My friends are irreplaceable and hard to beat! This photo is of my graduation, when two of my friends traveled the country to celebrate this accomplishment with me.

Cuddling with the AVE- to my SHOAVE

The feeling of his arms around me, holding me tight is one that I cannot explain. In his arms, I am safe, I am loved, and I am cherished. There is no place I would rather be than with his arms around me.

Now that I have shared a little, I would love to hear your thoughts on what makes you happy! 

 

Spring is in the Air!

Spring is one of my favorite seasons. I love how when the sun starts shining and the temp. begins to rise how everything slowing begins awakening.  People start taking walks outside and neighborhood children pick up playing right where they left off in the fall.  The earthy slowly moves from a rustic brown to being full of color. Green grass pops up, tulips, daffodils, and other flowers start blooming a petal at a time. The whole atmosphere and spirit changes, you feel a buzz everywhere you go.  This is the moment we wait for the whole winter...and when it finally arrives, I welcome it with open arms!

What is your favorite things about spring?

Cherry Blossom Festival

These are a few of the many pictures we took the evening we went into DC to see the blossoms. It was a beautiful Monday evening we went....not really a better way to spend a Monday evening!

What is an activity you like to do on Monday evenings?