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Brad & Kirsten's Wedding Extravaganza

What a great weekend! Brad's wedding was at Luther college in Decorah. We got there about 4:00 on Thursday for rehearsal dinner, hung out all day Friday, then had the wedding yesterday. It was absolutely the best time ever. Me and Ryan got to hang out with all of his and some of my best friends from high school. It was definately a trip down memory lane for the entire weekend. Loved it. It was, at times, an emotional roller coaster, but boy, it was fun. It makes me appreciate the friends we both have and especially this group. Personally, I don't talk to everyone as much as Ryan does, but when we're around each other, it is the best feeling in the world to be able to pick up right where we left off whether it was a week ago, 6 months ago, or a year. You hear that the friendships you develop in high school are the ones that eventually fade off once everyone goes off to college and moves away. Not this group. I've known Jeff and Josh since kindergarten, Michelle since sometime around there, Jeffy since 4th grade, and Brad and Ryan since the 6th grade. That's a lot of years invested amongst a lot of people and I feel soooo lucky.

Being around our old friends always makes me think that we should move back home so we're closer to everyone. It's so sad to leave, so moving closer sounds logical. Ryan and I talked about it today and decided that, more than likely, we'll move back there someday. Once we've all grown up a little more and settled down, there will be a time in our lives when we know it is the right time to be back there. And when we do, we'll all be togehter again. When Michelle and I were little I remember we sat outside on her trampoline and planned out our futures...we decided that this same group of us would all grow up, get married, and live in the same neighborhood. Our kids would grow up together and the cycle would continue. We'll see I guess. Maybe we were right. :)

Weekend

I am soooo excited for Brad and Kirsten's wedding this weekend. We'll be in Decorah from tomorrow until Sunday. I know it will be an absolute blast. I'll definately have pictures!

On a sad note, we have to leave Tytan for 3 whole nights and 4 days. I'm so sad. It's ridiculous actually. If and when we have actual KIDS, I may never be able to leave them if I really feel this horrible about the dog. He's going to Paws & Claws in Hudson and he'll have fun (right?). Usually when we walk him (me feeling all bad), he runs off to play before we can even get in the door. Traitor. We've never BOTH been away from him for this long at the same time. :(

I'll just appreciate him more when we're back home with him on Sunday (not to mention that he will be utterly EXHAUSTED on Sunday after 3 whole days of non-stop playing). That will be nice. :)

Happy Early Weekend! One 1/2 day of work left for this girl.

Connor

What a stud! This was only the second time I've ever met Connor and he looks much better this time since there are no tubes coming out of his nose :) .

Look at that big smile...even after spending 2 nights at a scrapbook retreat with 15 women. He was a real trooper and I think he and I made good roommates...Christy, you're okay too. :)
Connor, get ready for many more scrapbooking occasions to come.

Holy sCrap

Phew. Scrapbook retreat with Christy: hour 32. We've done A LOT of scrapbooking. I feel like I got a lot accomplished, but then when I remember how long we've been here, I feel like I should have done more.

I finished Brad and Kirsten's entire guestbook for their wedding right away. That was about 8 pages. Since then I've been working on random pages here and there of random happenings (Father's Day, family pages, me and Ryan, etc.). I had originally planned on only doing a 2-page spread per year for me and Ryan, but with all the scrapbooking that Christy and I have done in the last year, I think I can increase my goal. So now I'm just scrapbooking as I go and putting in whatever I feel like.

Love this page. It's my favorite I think. It's the pictures really.

Too tired of uploading to go to the work of rotating this one. Sorry.

The dark brown square is getting an easter picture of Anna.

This is for me and Ryan's book. It's our extreme makeover page for the year.

This page was started. I just hadn't finished it until today.

Crash. My car accident page with the blog printed out. Kinda fun.

I basically copied the layout on the left from a magazine and made it my own. Little Ry-Guy.

Another one for me and Ryan's book.

Title page and back page of Brad & Kirsten's guest book for NEXT weekend! :)

We'll see if tomorrow brings me any more motivation. I'll definately be making use of my camera tomorrow and getting some pics of baby Connor before we go home. I'm fresh out of ideas at this point. Time for bed?

You only live once

It all started a few days ago. Ryan said, "Me and the boys are thinking of getting bikes." He was not referring to the kind you pedal. Nope, we already have those. And his car. And my car. And "our" truck (haha). I shot the idea down.

Yesterday it was, "I think I'm going to get a motorcycle license." I asked "why" and restated that there was no way he was getting a "crotch rocket".

Tonight, he calls me from work spouting off all the financial benefits of having a bike compared to driving the car or truck. The gas would be cheaper. Insurance would be nearly the same and he would only insure it during the summer months. Etc. Etc. I said no. He then turned on the guilt trip and said that I wanted my camera and I got that (That was my Ah-hah! moment: THAT is why I got the camera obviously. His "generosity" was pre-meditated with the fact that he could use the big purchase against me for eternity!!!) I replied that he got his truck and that had been what he wanted. See, if he gets a bike, we are still keeping both cars and the truck. There are only 2 of us, that seems so silly. End of conversation.

Then, somewhere between that conversation and the end of story and then me calling his cousin and complaining about it and her telling me how dangerous they were and agreeing with me that it was a stupid idea...I had my second "Ah-hah!" moment of the day..... It's profound. ;)

You only live once.

Really. We're both 25 years old, we have good jobs, we live rent free in a really nice place, we have no kids. We're living life. I'm not the kind of person who lives dangerously by any means (that's funny), but I do want to "live it up" in some sense while we still can. And really, when I first told Ryan no, it was more my mom talking than me. I could really care less in all actuality...if he really wants it, then he should get it. Maybe I'm a sucker, maybe I'm just a really good wife (maybe?!), but why not? Why not have fun while we can and enjoy the things we really want? It's a somewhat selfish point of view, I'll admit it, but why not? We have plenty of years ahead of us of putting the needs of others' in front of us as we become parents someday. For now, we CAN do it, so maybe we SHOULD?

OK, so back to Ryan.

I called him back and still tried to play the "no" card. I told him they're dangerous. I told him I don't want an extra vehicle in the garage. When he had answers for both of those, I gave him (in my best "mom" voice) the "well....you might as well look into it a little more than and find out what it would really cost" dramatic sigh. He agreed.

He almost forgot to tell me he loved me at the end of that conversation. I paused. He said "I love you" and laughed the laugh of a guy who knew he almost pushed his luck, the laugh of a guy who knew he was darn lucky to be married to me.)

I replied, "Yeah...you better."

Darn him.... ;)

Packed

I'm ready for the weekend! Phew!

Christy and I are going to a scrapbooking "retreat" weekend in Hutchinson, MN. Super excited!!!

I got all my scrapbooking stuff together tonight and had to do a lot of rearranging and downsizing so I didn't bring TOO much. I think I did well. Here it is. This is IT! 4 BINS and a tote. Not bad!

See? And this is the stuff I'm leaving behind! :(

I "think" that between me and Christy we just might have enough stuff. :)

Now, I guess I better start thinking of packing an actual suitcase. What a thought.

Fathers Day Weekend

It turned out to be a beautiful weekend! Saturday my best friend from HS got married and Sunday we went to my grandpa's house, as always, to celebrate Father's Day. Here's some pictures that I think turned out pretty good. Some were from me, some were from Ryan. We're finding out that it is something he really enjoys too, so while we were at my grandpa's, Ryan was wandering the woods taking photos. I still haven't read much of my dummies book, but I'm learning slowly. Can't wait to learn more! Again, I realize how this photography stuff is hard! I took hundreds of pictures in order to come out with these that I especially like. Thank goodness for digital!

He loves me. Really. My grandpa with Linse, Anna, and Ryan
Lil' Ryan



A smile just for Anna

A ride from his daddy

Cousins

Playing with the gutters. :)

Anna

New scooter

Ryan's

Daddy Daughter Dance

Girly Girl Time


I like the shadow.

Luckily, Linse is quite the poser and LOVES getting her picture taken. Obviously.

Stay tuned

I'm sure to have pics of real people after this weekend. Promise!

PS- Tytan is yawning, not gagging. ;)

Can you blame him? Being a top model is exhausting.

Pics with the new camera

Here's a few of the 500+ (seriously!) pics I've taken today and yesterday and YES, I did go to work today AND slept last night. I got lots of pictures of my guys too, but can't post those.... :(

I'm just having fun exploring the camera and taking pics of absolutely everything I can. Right now, I see a picture that I liked that I took, but I don't know WHY I like it or WHY it turned out the way it did. I'll learn. I know. AND I'm serious about the book I mentioned yesterday. Canon Digital Rebel Xti for Dummies is on its way.

Enjoy.