tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33830266889193415372024-02-07T07:03:19.241-06:00The Animals Know Things.A blog about stuff I think about.Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09027748016578599690noreply@blogger.comBlogger213125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3383026688919341537.post-19425795765733384922013-08-15T21:19:00.000-05:002013-08-15T21:23:11.323-05:00Surprise! I'm 30!I turned 30 while we were in Phoenix. The day after we flew home I couldn't figure out why Adam was so insistent on me going to grandma's to work on a quilt, and I also didn't understand why he wanted to come along. When we showed up at grandma's the house was filled with my friends and family! I was thrown my first ever surprise party! I always wanted a surprise party! :) There was delicious luau themed food and a cute and tasty cake. They also set up a photo booth downstairs and had props to go with it. It was so nice of everyone who made it and everyone who helped pull it off! Thanks friends!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4FDengqhPOgu_3t68E0cjsspCTpj1Ep2Viru_fPhODbDvvP2PYEtm8fwdC7ytqJ3S1s39dGWOqVtx-YENeah-3IWM-E7ArEwmYco18yNPHjW99cOPj7Wka0Qse0P_MxWCFJELzU1YDfI/s1600/-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="119" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4FDengqhPOgu_3t68E0cjsspCTpj1Ep2Viru_fPhODbDvvP2PYEtm8fwdC7ytqJ3S1s39dGWOqVtx-YENeah-3IWM-E7ArEwmYco18yNPHjW99cOPj7Wka0Qse0P_MxWCFJELzU1YDfI/s200/-1.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCrTkIs0x-SY4t5ZJO-GF_T2Ag3yUiN86_12XF6lnmsIIUsP5ZhWgVSY1P20ME4zYv1IEC86gdD1nsfiq4z9Bb_Le23Jh0SY7vWxu9YX9711V5kHBKp8bTk87jPf9OQq4xakOQ4AYUvx0/s1600/-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="119" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCrTkIs0x-SY4t5ZJO-GF_T2Ag3yUiN86_12XF6lnmsIIUsP5ZhWgVSY1P20ME4zYv1IEC86gdD1nsfiq4z9Bb_Le23Jh0SY7vWxu9YX9711V5kHBKp8bTk87jPf9OQq4xakOQ4AYUvx0/s200/-2.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7JBtgB2Ne7RF0SYxMezQ90tGvEe12npJpPcfHyesbyBQ9aWQBvVfvxDeMLo-wK32SBB9FhRtFMF4DfTAUTPaT1dw5suwDVHWePX8X5r9Q46uez2ue_7zppdDUojP-MDITe-_2AXu78u0/s1600/-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="119" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7JBtgB2Ne7RF0SYxMezQ90tGvEe12npJpPcfHyesbyBQ9aWQBvVfvxDeMLo-wK32SBB9FhRtFMF4DfTAUTPaT1dw5suwDVHWePX8X5r9Q46uez2ue_7zppdDUojP-MDITe-_2AXu78u0/s200/-3.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZawWBx3TltOO6Xxc8EuphyuZKPKLfcjTDQyDL-f3C-Z0Qc9OVzEQJHUDIFCVbQrLgPY9X6PDKLJEh0Ygz0GYymAcw0M21U83Cgaa4wPqsySO5C_oNc6H4P5zoDiWA18vNbAkLTJ4Iays/s1600/-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="119" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZawWBx3TltOO6Xxc8EuphyuZKPKLfcjTDQyDL-f3C-Z0Qc9OVzEQJHUDIFCVbQrLgPY9X6PDKLJEh0Ygz0GYymAcw0M21U83Cgaa4wPqsySO5C_oNc6H4P5zoDiWA18vNbAkLTJ4Iays/s200/-5.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrDRo6slh10UP2e3mFy3j7OCW9pQ2KPUcaQPN59BCJs8lixENNbJ0pxNP52insSSHRdXJkmBV3w3vkXx0WPzEt8c7o73G1SOzWsR4u7cBkbLXjLn6FTlXUSCaObOs9fHTedeLf8dq7BK8/s1600/-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="117" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrDRo6slh10UP2e3mFy3j7OCW9pQ2KPUcaQPN59BCJs8lixENNbJ0pxNP52insSSHRdXJkmBV3w3vkXx0WPzEt8c7o73G1SOzWsR4u7cBkbLXjLn6FTlXUSCaObOs9fHTedeLf8dq7BK8/s200/-6.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWGhqvpmBU4kaosL3tefOjFkPzLKk3P4Bv27YwcwrSqxr5ecwxxJdjG7AOEAgVZ8dnLkdG4vmsb6oOr-AHZ5K9iWYk-1cgFr6s25hZQSHNSAwDR7t2wwtl-8_DcEjiyTLLYQr54KRvXYo/s1600/-7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWGhqvpmBU4kaosL3tefOjFkPzLKk3P4Bv27YwcwrSqxr5ecwxxJdjG7AOEAgVZ8dnLkdG4vmsb6oOr-AHZ5K9iWYk-1cgFr6s25hZQSHNSAwDR7t2wwtl-8_DcEjiyTLLYQr54KRvXYo/s200/-7.jpg" width="118" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMVfQECSnRy9FQn5YFthwbp4QDR2_9Pgy9y4Unyg32xbZBZf69wGmC1fEbiF9W36TiTplZq4AU8HXe1uWNoIn9PLmJ8fc9j8fHV3DeNFfFFqosGtpA98ctdzQ6WQa23Mi7BJPwvFEdDoQ/s1600/-8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMVfQECSnRy9FQn5YFthwbp4QDR2_9Pgy9y4Unyg32xbZBZf69wGmC1fEbiF9W36TiTplZq4AU8HXe1uWNoIn9PLmJ8fc9j8fHV3DeNFfFFqosGtpA98ctdzQ6WQa23Mi7BJPwvFEdDoQ/s1600/-8.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC2izdtz5louVxRuPjI0Z1mr6VRyzGkqE0USdVroJaSzbilExxDg1-HWRe1QGvOLY_FPnA06U6jwfDZ7QjYIO0fdXBYgSuS0OGpA_jkrc3gYxsFrM6CZo_UmUQV0E2MULGFw5-pWthtXo/s1600/-9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC2izdtz5louVxRuPjI0Z1mr6VRyzGkqE0USdVroJaSzbilExxDg1-HWRe1QGvOLY_FPnA06U6jwfDZ7QjYIO0fdXBYgSuS0OGpA_jkrc3gYxsFrM6CZo_UmUQV0E2MULGFw5-pWthtXo/s1600/-9.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnwR_zkQ6-HGHdAUYcyU4hkbTRMrWr0-nBhT2r5JzGXrJCViMHYuqGofNqpxga6jZ6tFHPhMcb-G_S4tRMiVNl8AQbZNDic27FvAI6ebM2EwwhgYscxhaA9usqdN9ZHmheHhAIEaE6PKA/s1600/-10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnwR_zkQ6-HGHdAUYcyU4hkbTRMrWr0-nBhT2r5JzGXrJCViMHYuqGofNqpxga6jZ6tFHPhMcb-G_S4tRMiVNl8AQbZNDic27FvAI6ebM2EwwhgYscxhaA9usqdN9ZHmheHhAIEaE6PKA/s1600/-10.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2AoMLC9YQHLmRr5T_rnW7XRNb6JmOoyM0hL0pbKbym-4XsUcHcEDKn7uQeZnQf8mJHzH_ZKmEBsQweW7IrTjkukVsjLdvVXLjnucM9rwZfXb28cI5VrD6Cedj3RK9IcPkyPcjZM7XSS8/s1600/-11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2AoMLC9YQHLmRr5T_rnW7XRNb6JmOoyM0hL0pbKbym-4XsUcHcEDKn7uQeZnQf8mJHzH_ZKmEBsQweW7IrTjkukVsjLdvVXLjnucM9rwZfXb28cI5VrD6Cedj3RK9IcPkyPcjZM7XSS8/s1600/-11.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMC7eqF5ahw9U06SWuPDMR909rq8LHZOs_6n3-2bW9Em8VkDf1sQ_MiLEYXjJavgTFMJ3lBcK20rR-tgVSjeUP5kK0XMmHK504teZ7PqPqFD5hmVda43OIuTnlDJdHYvfdl8DmR1XfGL4/s1600/-12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMC7eqF5ahw9U06SWuPDMR909rq8LHZOs_6n3-2bW9Em8VkDf1sQ_MiLEYXjJavgTFMJ3lBcK20rR-tgVSjeUP5kK0XMmHK504teZ7PqPqFD5hmVda43OIuTnlDJdHYvfdl8DmR1XfGL4/s1600/-12.jpg" /></a></div>
Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09027748016578599690noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3383026688919341537.post-70195491575843891792013-08-12T23:03:00.000-05:002013-08-12T23:07:41.704-05:00After a very full day of travel returning from Phoenix there was still some fun to be had! A friend of some friends from college got married that Saturday at a camp in Black Forrest, CO. That meant that many of the mutual friends were celebrating at that wedding just up the road. Adam and I met Emily S.G. for a late dinner then we went to the camp for a short visit to see some wonderful people. It was so nice to see everyone even though it took crashing a wedding after party for only a few minutes. I love my friends. I met so many special people in college.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMoIprTGw12GIFtKAHHZKmFs4niuvqlxIZQfMLMWnfw9T1H2Ev1JwiuLbKKdIhQhihVQQEoVLUokdeNgIpuQ-U3nzYNE4idg1o5RJMe8wLPm7pWjtxKsIyVsOP4BgKAgPVFeX9XLLOAJY/s1600/IMG_20130706_220257_561.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMoIprTGw12GIFtKAHHZKmFs4niuvqlxIZQfMLMWnfw9T1H2Ev1JwiuLbKKdIhQhihVQQEoVLUokdeNgIpuQ-U3nzYNE4idg1o5RJMe8wLPm7pWjtxKsIyVsOP4BgKAgPVFeX9XLLOAJY/s320/IMG_20130706_220257_561.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Later in that very next week we got to see more friends! Nate Buhr and Rodger Nugent were in town bringing Nate's dog to Joe Schrag sine Nate and Ola were moving to New Zealand the following Monday. We got to grill with them and hang out that evening. Twas fun!Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09027748016578599690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3383026688919341537.post-16942893112940484532013-08-12T22:52:00.001-05:002013-08-12T22:52:48.796-05:00Phoenix '13<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
Still playing catch up here. At least I'm into July. Adam and I got to go with the Legacy youth group to Phoenix for the Mennonite Church USA conference. I got to go to three different conventions as a teenager. I went to Orlando '97, St. Louis '99 and Nashville '01. I have some wonderful memories from those times. Being close to my youth group was a very important part of my life growing up. It was fun to watch the kids in this group grow closer. Convention always includes high energy worship services, inspiring and entertaining speakers, service projects and usually a special event, in this case, Wet and Wild. They also included learning experiences this year. I tried Salsa Dancing! This years theme was Citizens of God's Kingdom: Healed in Hope. There was a lot of focus on immigration. I still need to do research about that I can do in my area to get involved. <br />
<br />
Here are some shots from the week.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKuqXqjRi6LkN0H6N3uIbZPusIHEGdzY8TAUddL1KWO49IJWgT3r2VKJ_pRz3oZRIvKF3obMtQRdYOFl1k-qpQAHvR5AlAvLCHNJIWYmon7xhMLWKE3felajhGoEHs_Fjsz3pjXkbu9lo/s1600/DSC02781.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKuqXqjRi6LkN0H6N3uIbZPusIHEGdzY8TAUddL1KWO49IJWgT3r2VKJ_pRz3oZRIvKF3obMtQRdYOFl1k-qpQAHvR5AlAvLCHNJIWYmon7xhMLWKE3felajhGoEHs_Fjsz3pjXkbu9lo/s320/DSC02781.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cousins!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpk9Elo77zCO5IleLg4z-2e15CO-3sR5SD7pCSzvloX5jmYTutoxZIlzKjZVhOLaoTGan4tOjTWCpH3nTobZCXOdEAUc4lmOkJ_XfZcNN-sXu7UuocYDP3wRSkq0V56eXXGnSJUnh_MC4/s1600/DSC02783.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpk9Elo77zCO5IleLg4z-2e15CO-3sR5SD7pCSzvloX5jmYTutoxZIlzKjZVhOLaoTGan4tOjTWCpH3nTobZCXOdEAUc4lmOkJ_XfZcNN-sXu7UuocYDP3wRSkq0V56eXXGnSJUnh_MC4/s320/DSC02783.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Worship time</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJQDu2ym4aWRp5phpaVx4YDt9XxNkggT79ZVHrAiCqTP7UZIy-y0t9Oq7Orhk_xwGSKmTR1PBshDe47dUMpZnMWxSde09T-uh4BXYUxRUYTG_G0-bTT-wH3MXLuCx58SafC2B02XkHIFk/s1600/DSC02784.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJQDu2ym4aWRp5phpaVx4YDt9XxNkggT79ZVHrAiCqTP7UZIy-y0t9Oq7Orhk_xwGSKmTR1PBshDe47dUMpZnMWxSde09T-uh4BXYUxRUYTG_G0-bTT-wH3MXLuCx58SafC2B02XkHIFk/s320/DSC02784.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waiting for lunch</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwcwyIR7wWOlraarSPbM6tUt13Z9O3kzD4_VnQ-evwQxVn9TXF4kiAPZOxiXhV_pdcEYqsQte-TwvbHPo98Xw5shaCdKIY_TeDWBx4HZT6eUvuJ3HJePsVAisyzIP96QsrFdOGKvNwGXQ/s1600/DSC02785.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwcwyIR7wWOlraarSPbM6tUt13Z9O3kzD4_VnQ-evwQxVn9TXF4kiAPZOxiXhV_pdcEYqsQte-TwvbHPo98Xw5shaCdKIY_TeDWBx4HZT6eUvuJ3HJePsVAisyzIP96QsrFdOGKvNwGXQ/s320/DSC02785.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our bus ride to our service project</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN77wns6rv6Y46wDUTTmubACsk2zw4sMcD9t2OO5EUi2gP6DQSHUDKdb1pJLM-q5X7_6DjBsdkuHKST086_XmQUGJOLZ8q8tTKOFihLjx_rwLDVwHhuFidzFVtgm3WyQSpAp6_98BtzAY/s1600/DSC02787.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN77wns6rv6Y46wDUTTmubACsk2zw4sMcD9t2OO5EUi2gP6DQSHUDKdb1pJLM-q5X7_6DjBsdkuHKST086_XmQUGJOLZ8q8tTKOFihLjx_rwLDVwHhuFidzFVtgm3WyQSpAp6_98BtzAY/s320/DSC02787.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Sb95qjFMLfqN1C-GOJ41qer-2Q_Xu44kbrRXGGX5I91bfa3gFowAUt3UhVh4z3kd_ClwNk9FVfAnbixQys_DzevHeh5PN-JGZ5eRJU0RbOV2soZyFt3Zyc5V8wieCUidP67HFbFJ2fg/s1600/DSC02786.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Sb95qjFMLfqN1C-GOJ41qer-2Q_Xu44kbrRXGGX5I91bfa3gFowAUt3UhVh4z3kd_ClwNk9FVfAnbixQys_DzevHeh5PN-JGZ5eRJU0RbOV2soZyFt3Zyc5V8wieCUidP67HFbFJ2fg/s320/DSC02786.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL7V50_AJ0uRXn_iUtwA8fhaKKGaVJvFfuNh8ABkzgE_v10OHHguevXNztDJEptN-tDItO3BXYYYWgVkR7ZhAzYS0jSEJKRc3bAawFi7QNu2LmXIbW0sadHBLiN6Bn-0XuMmZvg2y_Ook/s1600/DSC02788.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL7V50_AJ0uRXn_iUtwA8fhaKKGaVJvFfuNh8ABkzgE_v10OHHguevXNztDJEptN-tDItO3BXYYYWgVkR7ZhAzYS0jSEJKRc3bAawFi7QNu2LmXIbW0sadHBLiN6Bn-0XuMmZvg2y_Ook/s320/DSC02788.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My favorite Legacy leaders</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDnwf-Plk1FHjYpjxzVAerap8nLns-LrIRUlPHcRXbWNqeqZUPQ5i6tQOUgQJypMlx4lEO0h6imy46CgtjhivjGz3Vrtfc8bVX2DONtWFNvQ02uEcSfvWYCU2U7FGCV-zyHU1x31N1ryg/s1600/DSC02789.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDnwf-Plk1FHjYpjxzVAerap8nLns-LrIRUlPHcRXbWNqeqZUPQ5i6tQOUgQJypMlx4lEO0h6imy46CgtjhivjGz3Vrtfc8bVX2DONtWFNvQ02uEcSfvWYCU2U7FGCV-zyHU1x31N1ryg/s320/DSC02789.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ice pops after our service project</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxRuWsOtSXiRCDKMW3xw5941NceMiwCOp1WykQ16wtagdkk6nKRTuyj3eXRa65SaYWpvDtsm-LLo6QBEyxAnJ8i26E7A1dGo0QnVJsAvmf3qj22loD1MMNgnObOSu3l_lUPlhws_eOUgs/s1600/DSC02795.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxRuWsOtSXiRCDKMW3xw5941NceMiwCOp1WykQ16wtagdkk6nKRTuyj3eXRa65SaYWpvDtsm-LLo6QBEyxAnJ8i26E7A1dGo0QnVJsAvmf3qj22loD1MMNgnObOSu3l_lUPlhws_eOUgs/s320/DSC02795.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRv5KkMyMNsNlzs_6shKRf5utUQC60BrVfgDiSyMG1gUJ0cT5qbQLrRVTVN_AfCzd4i8MgJBRiJm8tEq2ZTtBuYiWMbTK1BuCKBV82ZJuqpNKht5XQ3qIBBQ_hsAJU9YplahBVYdtEmYc/s1600/DSC02796.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRv5KkMyMNsNlzs_6shKRf5utUQC60BrVfgDiSyMG1gUJ0cT5qbQLrRVTVN_AfCzd4i8MgJBRiJm8tEq2ZTtBuYiWMbTK1BuCKBV82ZJuqpNKht5XQ3qIBBQ_hsAJU9YplahBVYdtEmYc/s320/DSC02796.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Corn-hole competition</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiZst3NM2aMog2imogy1S9VahMIZuxg8vt7wmiuAUpfHV81V70Z_2zA8e6OVEEDrw2bBrqQBsz2moIJQBynwlM2jEdiV0DolUQ0AWMrvnqY-2Aqu1BLhzMM3vksKlrE1uguD7wNgC9mgk/s1600/DSC02797.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiZst3NM2aMog2imogy1S9VahMIZuxg8vt7wmiuAUpfHV81V70Z_2zA8e6OVEEDrw2bBrqQBsz2moIJQBynwlM2jEdiV0DolUQ0AWMrvnqY-2Aqu1BLhzMM3vksKlrE1uguD7wNgC9mgk/s320/DSC02797.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQrbPIv7fuH1__pN_CZOIaRan16IDnmDM0K2K-zUcd2zZ8VTnxAw0jgiu_JuNwgo9XOzaClWe8vFfgC3gl-vsAPdGPl9HF5T5RMFTXObyyknAYxv3fqpF_CTWiyZHHGmbGpqmnPgC5NO4/s1600/DSC02798.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQrbPIv7fuH1__pN_CZOIaRan16IDnmDM0K2K-zUcd2zZ8VTnxAw0jgiu_JuNwgo9XOzaClWe8vFfgC3gl-vsAPdGPl9HF5T5RMFTXObyyknAYxv3fqpF_CTWiyZHHGmbGpqmnPgC5NO4/s320/DSC02798.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXNiGWktgrjLrnvF3pF06_p435w7GH1FEjuW71SP_JVCeiaNbyOGNOpjDPpuCSQXpuKfYXesIBwqVwn3ScKYPefUKKo22Y86Ym5Ltp8BmviI6VCCvwP5edZcSLzUFmemgVTASCl82F6JQ/s1600/DSC02800.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXNiGWktgrjLrnvF3pF06_p435w7GH1FEjuW71SP_JVCeiaNbyOGNOpjDPpuCSQXpuKfYXesIBwqVwn3ScKYPefUKKo22Y86Ym5Ltp8BmviI6VCCvwP5edZcSLzUFmemgVTASCl82F6JQ/s320/DSC02800.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFU8s3fRYiOTIBK2T49bhcw0pTqBEd0HHA35rQkEVyvzg2kXmCGOUZlIPo0jH-1cuj3RXXA7CgCKEpM7MH4spYpVHfIA-FJyLQmsBuXUb8H-mFlwMQmKm2HqUSqS3C7H99Jkf7IASgIsE/s1600/DSC02801.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFU8s3fRYiOTIBK2T49bhcw0pTqBEd0HHA35rQkEVyvzg2kXmCGOUZlIPo0jH-1cuj3RXXA7CgCKEpM7MH4spYpVHfIA-FJyLQmsBuXUb8H-mFlwMQmKm2HqUSqS3C7H99Jkf7IASgIsE/s320/DSC02801.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghXMsPf6bWU8rs14jMIdBpxCtGSUny46BMTCcenNBJMJ7qr6myRdNX6o5J_UNsSj91PrMUQVYSyOlqTP0NlVAti4AJNpPbyr0QK828QRRNiE0tc84y-I-ACYvXQXSygZGgBYxwhaXBU7w/s1600/DSC02804.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghXMsPf6bWU8rs14jMIdBpxCtGSUny46BMTCcenNBJMJ7qr6myRdNX6o5J_UNsSj91PrMUQVYSyOlqTP0NlVAti4AJNpPbyr0QK828QRRNiE0tc84y-I-ACYvXQXSygZGgBYxwhaXBU7w/s320/DSC02804.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI1zDbpoDgNXfjWJuRjHCPqFYdW5E0SNdUmbzpbvSPWIDxSj5wrPJdSSfNUtF_mKwkS9_Kszryp-yGOtw9j9kvMY2WPMwyVaNw8A65_V3PblRQ9BMhuI__WCuBNF3BZmGha6I3ociOi_w/s1600/IMG_20130701_205227.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI1zDbpoDgNXfjWJuRjHCPqFYdW5E0SNdUmbzpbvSPWIDxSj5wrPJdSSfNUtF_mKwkS9_Kszryp-yGOtw9j9kvMY2WPMwyVaNw8A65_V3PblRQ9BMhuI__WCuBNF3BZmGha6I3ociOi_w/s320/IMG_20130701_205227.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Neen Bean</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBTvlR0FRvPpA0dpgbhwyEdDfWCtQyK1OtjdqGsb31nlm_5bne9IIhWyswFFzqxsZwCOoOXfJOdLFKHWVtj2miEdF9QYQfc17ZGIFhMr0KZMAwFPQbuPbsiwaTuriKew3WOyg1WtV5aEs/s1600/IMG_20130701_214009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBTvlR0FRvPpA0dpgbhwyEdDfWCtQyK1OtjdqGsb31nlm_5bne9IIhWyswFFzqxsZwCOoOXfJOdLFKHWVtj2miEdF9QYQfc17ZGIFhMr0KZMAwFPQbuPbsiwaTuriKew3WOyg1WtV5aEs/s320/IMG_20130701_214009.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZBCEcDOHhj7AGkqP3zCqLA6BkzE55Srk6SlmuryWot2Alio8yDcmWRvktlcZnu53P5UlIl0zE2dZop1PGolD3NnTir28y_9uOw1MogAFDrmDVFOhTS6bVvJrx4qRUb0spCC0HcF0ZFSk/s1600/IMG_20130702_134904.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZBCEcDOHhj7AGkqP3zCqLA6BkzE55Srk6SlmuryWot2Alio8yDcmWRvktlcZnu53P5UlIl0zE2dZop1PGolD3NnTir28y_9uOw1MogAFDrmDVFOhTS6bVvJrx4qRUb0spCC0HcF0ZFSk/s320/IMG_20130702_134904.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5N_Y5_kvEHhWCRohxqjXOigZmMDTES7kdLGNXQz4SqYc79ZcXr4nxEvYublPpX6YvoPCtRC1_8dLMoJtfudrMdIlqfAKJSDkrKsfUqZ0tvjXv9yP67UHU79pGgrQzAf_t5JyG0KQjoQw/s1600/IMG_20130702_160110.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5N_Y5_kvEHhWCRohxqjXOigZmMDTES7kdLGNXQz4SqYc79ZcXr4nxEvYublPpX6YvoPCtRC1_8dLMoJtfudrMdIlqfAKJSDkrKsfUqZ0tvjXv9yP67UHU79pGgrQzAf_t5JyG0KQjoQw/s320/IMG_20130702_160110.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Service Project</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFt_MmKYhK5bhffb8fkyUKrPuGeuBrWpsmVDgpwXX3HYPMR9w9zGTZ1oNr2V_ANpFVO3T7X9bq62M0pc6rSqfWhsdUY2nST_6n3FMHjFwHnLR9UMO4h4rO8uPKkisVTgDOEd5qrUIenl8/s1600/IMG_20130704_162042_887.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFt_MmKYhK5bhffb8fkyUKrPuGeuBrWpsmVDgpwXX3HYPMR9w9zGTZ1oNr2V_ANpFVO3T7X9bq62M0pc6rSqfWhsdUY2nST_6n3FMHjFwHnLR9UMO4h4rO8uPKkisVTgDOEd5qrUIenl8/s320/IMG_20130704_162042_887.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge8M7F5f4uBHQ5pVSUYSP3AGqAbRQjNneEVSfC546egn4eJAPg-gXgPkoN979OLHhHeBRKS6I8Z8hAP8UyiXgLwBP5Tg6JWH__V_S9fa15TXWWfkIj51oF4fqLXVAMQIVPFhGRB9yE9aU/s1600/IMG_20130704_162052_131.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge8M7F5f4uBHQ5pVSUYSP3AGqAbRQjNneEVSfC546egn4eJAPg-gXgPkoN979OLHhHeBRKS6I8Z8hAP8UyiXgLwBP5Tg6JWH__V_S9fa15TXWWfkIj51oF4fqLXVAMQIVPFhGRB9yE9aU/s320/IMG_20130704_162052_131.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvRGI5HI8K7s45scLAH5o-tXYRVE2XC-SIxXIzcBLYzQCDVvfJdagK1duclLD2GWmIUMpYYtx1UaRCnbdRjTkrOPmQPTzjaqxsm93Vg-PIGMt0lAPcxw4XkxWzd8KEcbzPsjxhbb-H2UU/s1600/IMG_20130704_162057_987.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvRGI5HI8K7s45scLAH5o-tXYRVE2XC-SIxXIzcBLYzQCDVvfJdagK1duclLD2GWmIUMpYYtx1UaRCnbdRjTkrOPmQPTzjaqxsm93Vg-PIGMt0lAPcxw4XkxWzd8KEcbzPsjxhbb-H2UU/s320/IMG_20130704_162057_987.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjBy5hg0jzvxg4qqfpQ6iGEgWy7lUQG-KYuh70cWl3kH8X4VneDNwH3tKESn1nt0qGneTGyxsv4ffwx5LfvJhRoLE9C35xc3dtrrJ3cTLD4u3-Ge2SL73IIml_oeS_34FSMrn17NEddDs/s1600/IMG_20130704_162114_058.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjBy5hg0jzvxg4qqfpQ6iGEgWy7lUQG-KYuh70cWl3kH8X4VneDNwH3tKESn1nt0qGneTGyxsv4ffwx5LfvJhRoLE9C35xc3dtrrJ3cTLD4u3-Ge2SL73IIml_oeS_34FSMrn17NEddDs/s320/IMG_20130704_162114_058.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc5K-E0-fII3eovURy8-mfC1sLjgepLq190ZQU4seAhPqL0LNmHrhRlB8_5mAV7IhGJ-0FXjmNsFSHS3OJKRtL2MFS91nT2q1-uB6pbFgjkJ_fTDeqrvEUasG9JpcKUB3Yo1Kn0KgaDLo/s1600/IMG_20130704_212939_655.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc5K-E0-fII3eovURy8-mfC1sLjgepLq190ZQU4seAhPqL0LNmHrhRlB8_5mAV7IhGJ-0FXjmNsFSHS3OJKRtL2MFS91nT2q1-uB6pbFgjkJ_fTDeqrvEUasG9JpcKUB3Yo1Kn0KgaDLo/s320/IMG_20130704_212939_655.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUvVxP0lhpqhTIXBD2IgWRggwlkQEH7-wWHlSjd0ddY5kVWLune-Wt_a0IGE_HZiS8GOhTB3kbyeZiR-pnIAOeFN5kqXS3-U2SzE9JuN4C-XwobkdqqvierEQBrvzOP0WDoUlN9ETVq_Q/s1600/IMG_20130704_225824.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUvVxP0lhpqhTIXBD2IgWRggwlkQEH7-wWHlSjd0ddY5kVWLune-Wt_a0IGE_HZiS8GOhTB3kbyeZiR-pnIAOeFN5kqXS3-U2SzE9JuN4C-XwobkdqqvierEQBrvzOP0WDoUlN9ETVq_Q/s320/IMG_20130704_225824.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb6PlM7TxiBI1de-cNtsN60MvjjX5XBGyQXK4Srgnl_vY_EHDyc8SHMkktD1yqm1_d6OgvhKlZ-57-mWiObQTDMoX1Ksmz5KtbxVllOPXN0GUALsa6hw1sUpuyweVHM3TjqNECzRQzR6s/s1600/IMG_20130704_222304.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb6PlM7TxiBI1de-cNtsN60MvjjX5XBGyQXK4Srgnl_vY_EHDyc8SHMkktD1yqm1_d6OgvhKlZ-57-mWiObQTDMoX1Ksmz5KtbxVllOPXN0GUALsa6hw1sUpuyweVHM3TjqNECzRQzR6s/s320/IMG_20130704_222304.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNibhk6OMENeQ1OkysdhKrKX9zn9SiMCSFnqkjaHq1rRJ5aNiz7uwMZ9fbykZhLmd4miRjKR85jMuJ5iAolwxzQO_FHuK0Rl3pLE5oGKjKQCsU4WPHgz09_OVj7I3viRJak-tqwE_YP1c/s1600/IMG_20130705_112805_320.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNibhk6OMENeQ1OkysdhKrKX9zn9SiMCSFnqkjaHq1rRJ5aNiz7uwMZ9fbykZhLmd4miRjKR85jMuJ5iAolwxzQO_FHuK0Rl3pLE5oGKjKQCsU4WPHgz09_OVj7I3viRJak-tqwE_YP1c/s320/IMG_20130705_112805_320.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR0m_hyc5rWKh3jmt8-95BrT3o6wMaH7QImqueIqfSVSTFUemPfclA9cCBsLDzK0xOARkye1TY2u_9-zFw5l-k8RvWJflTJ_Uydmn4Q5voIeiyA63016KuBQrlGqV-ageGn6k9iYamc3k/s1600/IMG_20130705_111721_218.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR0m_hyc5rWKh3jmt8-95BrT3o6wMaH7QImqueIqfSVSTFUemPfclA9cCBsLDzK0xOARkye1TY2u_9-zFw5l-k8RvWJflTJ_Uydmn4Q5voIeiyA63016KuBQrlGqV-ageGn6k9iYamc3k/s320/IMG_20130705_111721_218.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<br />Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09027748016578599690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3383026688919341537.post-88781884616933703342013-08-01T22:31:00.000-05:002013-08-20T22:34:22.855-05:00Happy 1st birthday Juliana!<div style="text-align: center;">
Back in June Juliana turned one! I love that sweet girl. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5XlqfP4iL-KqY7LojH7D5BwamgnVGgTmfaY3UUS97mN2JDRpc4V9SLX4_OU27sazCltGR5_T72p6GnyP2oekjNGIiRgYRMr_Rx32kQbOO1WcbMO8JLXCwnIsMyk1VtJK32TBWk2YoX1w/s1600/IMG_20130630_162126_478.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5XlqfP4iL-KqY7LojH7D5BwamgnVGgTmfaY3UUS97mN2JDRpc4V9SLX4_OU27sazCltGR5_T72p6GnyP2oekjNGIiRgYRMr_Rx32kQbOO1WcbMO8JLXCwnIsMyk1VtJK32TBWk2YoX1w/s320/IMG_20130630_162126_478.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO3lJAU2A4k3dlg2Ygwx2VaPeg3MupMf9_LpLC2MpCzbGf48Yrnl_05p5N187_Wt198NzCV7-7lmBkktngq_di0n6Ggdb5AogbjwyDBoZeQmlPZMlxPGXwYldRZMJdQDCXQqAIjExi76o/s1600/IMG_20130630_162254_918.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO3lJAU2A4k3dlg2Ygwx2VaPeg3MupMf9_LpLC2MpCzbGf48Yrnl_05p5N187_Wt198NzCV7-7lmBkktngq_di0n6Ggdb5AogbjwyDBoZeQmlPZMlxPGXwYldRZMJdQDCXQqAIjExi76o/s320/IMG_20130630_162254_918.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjewylHcxm2GlN2GaiFtCvAp2VAqCO4e98gqZam9vMhjZNb_E4XrAWo8fbpcIt2clfBCt71q2sSTRI8_9pMjws7wyWs3A0JSi3_zIbWTx5fr7plDruGw_gEgA6iBYSGAZYP9MLlgLsxwp8/s1600/IMG_20130630_162500_739.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjewylHcxm2GlN2GaiFtCvAp2VAqCO4e98gqZam9vMhjZNb_E4XrAWo8fbpcIt2clfBCt71q2sSTRI8_9pMjws7wyWs3A0JSi3_zIbWTx5fr7plDruGw_gEgA6iBYSGAZYP9MLlgLsxwp8/s320/IMG_20130630_162500_739.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuwyZjEKStLCg2oaSCS4Wd752QkXbAtCYL1MyKRnw1ELTaVbyFUQPewHog3HifuVpYu7r9ZomP8KccIcqYd1tcePLNQ_xJq0VmE3CJiEuGEAp6kiNlMGdEFHgS_TGN7WmNNaWzVbKrfP8/s1600/IMG_20130630_164614_278.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuwyZjEKStLCg2oaSCS4Wd752QkXbAtCYL1MyKRnw1ELTaVbyFUQPewHog3HifuVpYu7r9ZomP8KccIcqYd1tcePLNQ_xJq0VmE3CJiEuGEAp6kiNlMGdEFHgS_TGN7WmNNaWzVbKrfP8/s320/IMG_20130630_164614_278.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZJpJsrfhHXnPgg6EC5Ofrpj0bupY9UiBkvIfT2hZbbt1tzslHHsyokHc5Bwb70NdCUq5INujiJ4Jw9kih_4N_KVsFlUnVfQAtLoTfrX_vhUA82SHha3RoykTE3lQ0hATwFpcKOAwuDSA/s1600/IMG_20130630_174125_977.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZJpJsrfhHXnPgg6EC5Ofrpj0bupY9UiBkvIfT2hZbbt1tzslHHsyokHc5Bwb70NdCUq5INujiJ4Jw9kih_4N_KVsFlUnVfQAtLoTfrX_vhUA82SHha3RoykTE3lQ0hATwFpcKOAwuDSA/s320/IMG_20130630_174125_977.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTjN2meZi22dg8UyIViYJ1HYpMyL3aT2cjtmdNXvopgiSUvh-XeU5SOarzEpzvZzw8Wfbg6jULIZE8TObO6Hli81BgzxaGXQbM1JXysGX_6fLdabhnA9W8EumM9p9rC1LCexL5Bjgf4tU/s1600/IMG_20130630_174459_997.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTjN2meZi22dg8UyIViYJ1HYpMyL3aT2cjtmdNXvopgiSUvh-XeU5SOarzEpzvZzw8Wfbg6jULIZE8TObO6Hli81BgzxaGXQbM1JXysGX_6fLdabhnA9W8EumM9p9rC1LCexL5Bjgf4tU/s320/IMG_20130630_174459_997.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<br />Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09027748016578599690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3383026688919341537.post-33769880160736200902013-07-31T22:54:00.004-05:002013-07-31T22:54:47.272-05:00You guys! I got to meet baby Iris!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I have a lot of catching up to do! I can't believe it's the last day of Jule and I never even finished posting everything I intended to post in June. I got to take a quick weekend trip to Minneapolis to meet baby Iris and see Rachel, Shawn and Emily! Here are some pictures from that trip. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSfybftV4tdgQT92LYUw09tjGgQY0Cv4LjeXodTTxZLjm1rAV2kSKHDsJCaWj5Bx-8uENGiISujQL4mnqHUCIOQsd8ZrDqqhH-E6qr_qxF5ek5bNIC9tWCDRFlaTGQqwRg4XnaRKGx-wA/s1600/IMG_20130614_155553_609.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSfybftV4tdgQT92LYUw09tjGgQY0Cv4LjeXodTTxZLjm1rAV2kSKHDsJCaWj5Bx-8uENGiISujQL4mnqHUCIOQsd8ZrDqqhH-E6qr_qxF5ek5bNIC9tWCDRFlaTGQqwRg4XnaRKGx-wA/s320/IMG_20130614_155553_609.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT1GBkAe2gaoWa3iY580djdRZYT6jP6XesM54ydl5lPdxbYuXtmaELXlwNqplsyvJSig1j2WBxkyzRhdlXdRqNSJspeD5sAnGUxYoDy72lXd6kvUJ3tqAPAXQivp3wVAAt3m2ulm4xyN0/s1600/IMG_20130614_202828_550.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT1GBkAe2gaoWa3iY580djdRZYT6jP6XesM54ydl5lPdxbYuXtmaELXlwNqplsyvJSig1j2WBxkyzRhdlXdRqNSJspeD5sAnGUxYoDy72lXd6kvUJ3tqAPAXQivp3wVAAt3m2ulm4xyN0/s320/IMG_20130614_202828_550.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBgVH1S3PsVEs_FSsLyz4wgGMDksm8V-qrNRBr9FG_nRPZphznLtbe0B303x6nUwZQB7jUxD7U26yJwIADuEHT7THiYUT0NtPeJToTYD7ddsW1ASC8Ud_GcBQYh6lxLLaaDK_JWKj5LfY/s1600/IMG_20130614_203123_926.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBgVH1S3PsVEs_FSsLyz4wgGMDksm8V-qrNRBr9FG_nRPZphznLtbe0B303x6nUwZQB7jUxD7U26yJwIADuEHT7THiYUT0NtPeJToTYD7ddsW1ASC8Ud_GcBQYh6lxLLaaDK_JWKj5LfY/s320/IMG_20130614_203123_926.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg04U0CkQ5RxzkYVdexuURSalNrdZetGtPthTuVv5lI2TrQ3TR-C4gyJZwHnNcqy3zBD05gLiTvcWhQDQ9P9Uuxy9UEQ-0py-kVkohRcrC9-ksyoIfYu6nJnBDpwyEhMmbWLUrT0dk1Dc4/s1600/IMG_20130615_111238_776.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg04U0CkQ5RxzkYVdexuURSalNrdZetGtPthTuVv5lI2TrQ3TR-C4gyJZwHnNcqy3zBD05gLiTvcWhQDQ9P9Uuxy9UEQ-0py-kVkohRcrC9-ksyoIfYu6nJnBDpwyEhMmbWLUrT0dk1Dc4/s320/IMG_20130615_111238_776.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj72-Q9tuF6drYPzRODF7GThBaFSeg2RhI7FqeLJXMjgymw8GEoNA4LFrMmE-f7I6rHUt_HkO52gfvzbwriVF54SuuN3WGfnCXQz5uJ3_yzMK6FpVRicMyfPR-GozmYCzS_IJTui7WnGGE/s1600/IMG_20130615_121913_381.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj72-Q9tuF6drYPzRODF7GThBaFSeg2RhI7FqeLJXMjgymw8GEoNA4LFrMmE-f7I6rHUt_HkO52gfvzbwriVF54SuuN3WGfnCXQz5uJ3_yzMK6FpVRicMyfPR-GozmYCzS_IJTui7WnGGE/s320/IMG_20130615_121913_381.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq9QCx6UXfZ20A4qHWtPOg81JmM88j7OAXuijpSqSvTYeQrm4qqzgf3JTZOZyp-sFPWJOJiIvuyHR7MpeUjaXXEv3nrU2m45r-nyejI3G60sddbGy1Y6IMOFAXAknxjfO9iM3KQAE7Vd8/s1600/IMG_20130615_133206_264.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq9QCx6UXfZ20A4qHWtPOg81JmM88j7OAXuijpSqSvTYeQrm4qqzgf3JTZOZyp-sFPWJOJiIvuyHR7MpeUjaXXEv3nrU2m45r-nyejI3G60sddbGy1Y6IMOFAXAknxjfO9iM3KQAE7Vd8/s320/IMG_20130615_133206_264.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlrgRO6jVsxy4j3aL_vwRpLopuLQozHoRgjkORFAwXANmmRa8YjhCOnNerYGJdcyRV4ZlWU9vuXlvJ9QkilIbv-PLSmHwdhP2hjPVBzpPiwPa8nBvefiKn7NocBhEZOS5b9nFdWlQmPyo/s1600/IMG_20130615_160621_870.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlrgRO6jVsxy4j3aL_vwRpLopuLQozHoRgjkORFAwXANmmRa8YjhCOnNerYGJdcyRV4ZlWU9vuXlvJ9QkilIbv-PLSmHwdhP2hjPVBzpPiwPa8nBvefiKn7NocBhEZOS5b9nFdWlQmPyo/s320/IMG_20130615_160621_870.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC6POSkgnoZMLqjd3IVZvoPt3Pb4eenJeYyMn2s3nZqmJQxfYitMrYe9oyoaxz2fJa1K40YWaQJUs72aANtnG9qT2lBxg8jV94Tlciu1_h_AgAIII_omqwPXG13UkIHe0fpIH4VlNuRNY/s1600/IMG_20130615_164354_185.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC6POSkgnoZMLqjd3IVZvoPt3Pb4eenJeYyMn2s3nZqmJQxfYitMrYe9oyoaxz2fJa1K40YWaQJUs72aANtnG9qT2lBxg8jV94Tlciu1_h_AgAIII_omqwPXG13UkIHe0fpIH4VlNuRNY/s320/IMG_20130615_164354_185.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIqvnyTELZAkcCbd0QBvqUJydBDxYDQ4UTUdnWbQRHsGwv2gi7Rnp2S5U3XNR9BV6Blmcmy_A9kaTvwOGzSKeawdQb2amLMSseQ5bL7hRubw9rQRNVrkyxqsgbcLVhUB9QFcn-MbG0erk/s1600/IMG_20130615_173809_006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIqvnyTELZAkcCbd0QBvqUJydBDxYDQ4UTUdnWbQRHsGwv2gi7Rnp2S5U3XNR9BV6Blmcmy_A9kaTvwOGzSKeawdQb2amLMSseQ5bL7hRubw9rQRNVrkyxqsgbcLVhUB9QFcn-MbG0erk/s320/IMG_20130615_173809_006.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaoychpn1ZdgVMyWP_04SYbJRq3ocEWwbExWG48777OftBpzgN625TfpbbbkcIObDLsSDiZf0-qufo4JuW12x5CJvl6IcKs6EdgCqVZWBNUGrhkzcRtUVaRWUYu5IrevDw-sWTTq0jqgU/s1600/IMG_20130615_202704_266.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaoychpn1ZdgVMyWP_04SYbJRq3ocEWwbExWG48777OftBpzgN625TfpbbbkcIObDLsSDiZf0-qufo4JuW12x5CJvl6IcKs6EdgCqVZWBNUGrhkzcRtUVaRWUYu5IrevDw-sWTTq0jqgU/s320/IMG_20130615_202704_266.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8z4FO9bwSGMfpczKHKX5_xjPWWTR5VAD41KIKlSFQvJAzZLxcbDPZ3cJUB_q0g0BgDQoxLHQQIXnuY2SCCukb790KZAxunwZptC8eYZSha3lMXsHngNDYDiOlnDLJePemY1_kRp__YiI/s1600/IMG_20130616_095143_462.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8z4FO9bwSGMfpczKHKX5_xjPWWTR5VAD41KIKlSFQvJAzZLxcbDPZ3cJUB_q0g0BgDQoxLHQQIXnuY2SCCukb790KZAxunwZptC8eYZSha3lMXsHngNDYDiOlnDLJePemY1_kRp__YiI/s320/IMG_20130616_095143_462.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQRfOcHNrAwQENBh2xNfawgjj7xSkWy4nwbLlEK7a7KO-neapsbYtl-fdiYLV5pZfVLzmFGL8PWsGxVuSOytRzJpcJGu2pTFhTilZfNR8POl9cT3o6S46wumeW07ZUlCC_xKAgGqUIv5A/s1600/IMG_20130616_101258_119.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQRfOcHNrAwQENBh2xNfawgjj7xSkWy4nwbLlEK7a7KO-neapsbYtl-fdiYLV5pZfVLzmFGL8PWsGxVuSOytRzJpcJGu2pTFhTilZfNR8POl9cT3o6S46wumeW07ZUlCC_xKAgGqUIv5A/s320/IMG_20130616_101258_119.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09027748016578599690noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3383026688919341537.post-49162637549595022532013-06-18T23:06:00.003-05:002013-06-18T23:06:58.347-05:00More than half way through June and I've only craved a hamburger onceThis no red meat challenge has really expanded my horizons on food, especially dinner prep. I thought I'd share a few of my favorite recipes so far...<br />
<a href="http://pinchofyum.com/veggie-alfredo-lasagna">Veggie Alfredo Lasagna</a><br />
<a href="http://www.skinnytaste.com/2013/06/quinoa-and-spinach-patties.html">Quinoa and Spinach Patties</a><br />
<a href="http://www.tipsonhealthyliving.com/diet-and-fitness/chloes-kitchen-recipe-avocado-pesto-pasta">Avacado Pesto Pasta</a><br />
I recommend you try each of them! <br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">I couldn't have done it without the Kanagy's food processor! (Did Fay even tell you I borrowed it, Judy?) </span>Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09027748016578599690noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3383026688919341537.post-71787815179126322442013-06-02T21:20:00.001-05:002013-06-02T21:20:48.492-05:00May Oh MayMay was a long month, but it flew by. The new thing I tried in May was working late every week night available. Ok, so it wasn't every night, but darn near. That also wasn't my new thing for May.<br />
There were a few things I did that I hadn't done before. One thing was visit Adam's mom and step-dad's "weekender" in Westcliffe, CO. We drove with his brothers and nephew to spend the day there. They have 12 achers and a small building they have converted into a very usable cabin. It's quite nice. We were surrounded by beautiful mountains. We ate, hiked and talked. The boys played bocce ball from one end of the property to the other and back. We've been invited to use the weekender when ever we need to get away. We can also bring a few guests. Anyone interested? <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TIcHRPcN9PA/Uav5XhuamNI/AAAAAAAAR4o/88TnnAe7zNM/s1600/IMG_20130519_144117_781.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TIcHRPcN9PA/Uav5XhuamNI/AAAAAAAAR4o/88TnnAe7zNM/s320/IMG_20130519_144117_781.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RwrFBHW9cU0/Uav5Xj6BhTI/AAAAAAAAR4o/mxv3kWhf89M/s1600/IMG_20130519_143411_778.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RwrFBHW9cU0/Uav5Xj6BhTI/AAAAAAAAR4o/mxv3kWhf89M/s320/IMG_20130519_143411_778.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0zS7oBxQOsg/Uav5Xgt_GLI/AAAAAAAAR4o/5-lW9CM_uL4/s1600/IMG_20130519_143354_155.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0zS7oBxQOsg/Uav5Xgt_GLI/AAAAAAAAR4o/5-lW9CM_uL4/s320/IMG_20130519_143354_155.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NBVMKljxbcc/Uav5XqUkpXI/AAAAAAAAR4o/vzipgOJHG0I/s1600/IMG_20130519_143347_847.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NBVMKljxbcc/Uav5XqUkpXI/AAAAAAAAR4o/vzipgOJHG0I/s320/IMG_20130519_143347_847.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Another thing I did that I have never done before was scrape paint. It sounded like it could be really fun (I know, I'm crazy) but it wasn't nearly as productive as I expected it to be. I thought the paint on my brother-in-law's window frames would fall off with ease. I have a couple bloody knuckles that prove otherwise. I was glad to have that job over the striping of old shingles and laying new like everyone else had. I was lucky enough to stand in the shade. <br />
<br />
Also in May I learned some new things. I learned some new things about my health. Things that should not be ignored. Because of this, I am revamping my diet. It is going to happen bit by bit, because I intend to make some huge changes, but I am feeling driven and excited. My first challenge is cutting out red meat. Now, my plan is to cut it out entirely in the month of June. I'll probably end up eating red meat intermittently, but can do away with it for the most part. That's a big deal for someone like me who came from a home of meat and potatoes every night. Another thing that I started for health reasons with an invitation from my lovely sister-in-law is 30 minute walks at least 3 times a week. Marika is a teacher and has the summer off, however she is willing to get up at 6:00 three days a week for a quick walk with me. That's dedication. So I figure if she's willing to do it, I better be too. Thanks for the motivation, Marika! From the time that we started to my birthday is about five weeks of walking. I think I will be well on my way to that being a natural part of my routine by the time I'm 30. Not a bad way to start a new decade. Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09027748016578599690noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3383026688919341537.post-82668507665375219922013-05-11T23:54:00.002-05:002013-05-11T23:54:34.104-05:00<div style="text-align: center;">
Every year for several years Beth-El has a mothers day tea. It used to be referred to as the Mother Daughter Tea, but is now called the Women's Tea. I still call it the Mother Daughter Tea. I like that better. Anyhow, each year there is a theme. I love dressing up and I love theme parties! I like to go all out! This year the theme was English Tea Party. We were supposed to wear hats. I immediately knew which dress I would wear to the tea party and envisioned the hat to go with it. After finding a plain white hat I was off to Hobby Lobby for feathers. It turned out just as I had imagined it. We had a lovely evening with delicious tea party snacks, musicians and a guest speaker. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I look forward to this tradition so much every year. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fTlDnk9iD7g/UY8e12FZ3PI/AAAAAAAARc8/2Wxt06f1-iQ/s1600/table1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fTlDnk9iD7g/UY8e12FZ3PI/AAAAAAAARc8/2Wxt06f1-iQ/s320/table1.jpg" width="239" /> </a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IP7rVjFd8Dk/UY8evBnXjUI/AAAAAAAARaU/emAI7UwoWYs/s1600/ba&gg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IP7rVjFd8Dk/UY8evBnXjUI/AAAAAAAARaU/emAI7UwoWYs/s320/ba&gg.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Y2UT4MiRe70/UY8evcWE7tI/AAAAAAAARaY/4qt1NWxmiWA/s1600/baby+cara.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Y2UT4MiRe70/UY8evcWE7tI/AAAAAAAARaY/4qt1NWxmiWA/s320/baby+cara.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HmLlj6rIshQ/UY8ev8rrblI/AAAAAAAARao/m68uMLXpKIU/s1600/hathide2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HmLlj6rIshQ/UY8ev8rrblI/AAAAAAAARao/m68uMLXpKIU/s320/hathide2.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-j_GejtkA0vU/UY8ewd2pbCI/AAAAAAAARa0/pFSeGNwqLDg/s1600/j&gg2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-j_GejtkA0vU/UY8ewd2pbCI/AAAAAAAARa0/pFSeGNwqLDg/s320/j&gg2.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Dc-Pw8E_Cbg/UY8ex7pcHyI/AAAAAAAARbQ/uanGu_LaI54/s1600/jhatpassie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Dc-Pw8E_Cbg/UY8ex7pcHyI/AAAAAAAARbQ/uanGu_LaI54/s320/jhatpassie.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_K5vIoyatoVeUd7Ltgrc6ceW77tEpXoRZEEdLLSpBBbL9Tcaq88BlCIsztNZ3Qtzt_ZMIG5DsL8Pe352KSDXmojnpcoYuSMrGKdmZJl6VbP1RKk0MQFtIGrhcwC_IU9lP8cZ2v8Twt1k/s1600/mJ&ba.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_K5vIoyatoVeUd7Ltgrc6ceW77tEpXoRZEEdLLSpBBbL9Tcaq88BlCIsztNZ3Qtzt_ZMIG5DsL8Pe352KSDXmojnpcoYuSMrGKdmZJl6VbP1RKk0MQFtIGrhcwC_IU9lP8cZ2v8Twt1k/s320/mJ&ba.jpg" width="320" /> </a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-j0RMLOOThhc/UY8eyRzVXBI/AAAAAAAARbg/PzhCSEE5iAY/s1600/l&gg2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-j0RMLOOThhc/UY8eyRzVXBI/AAAAAAAARbg/PzhCSEE5iAY/s320/l&gg2.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7CYfgQ-_LHs/UY8e0xdcb3I/AAAAAAAARcg/N5G5zuzntXE/s1600/mL&j.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7CYfgQ-_LHs/UY8e0xdcb3I/AAAAAAAARcg/N5G5zuzntXE/s320/mL&j.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVvEsxInQ88AAPRvF-pKDl1Ojtz6HS8XNQ0Z9jfkFMt1V2lLREHDEkFGwWJwePeuFwbT1dsPj3RI5IXv-kwc1YkNENwDr1Y9zYLatYEQImGwh1pEf1biCuWIhUElUVSDtigcHrLnomxRo/s1600/mommy&me.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVvEsxInQ88AAPRvF-pKDl1Ojtz6HS8XNQ0Z9jfkFMt1V2lLREHDEkFGwWJwePeuFwbT1dsPj3RI5IXv-kwc1YkNENwDr1Y9zYLatYEQImGwh1pEf1biCuWIhUElUVSDtigcHrLnomxRo/s320/mommy&me.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1-GrpoqXOno/UY8e2dExKkI/AAAAAAAARdQ/pLsjhqgEIew/s1600/tanya.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1-GrpoqXOno/UY8e2dExKkI/AAAAAAAARdQ/pLsjhqgEIew/s320/tanya.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oRv7HE2ilCU/UY8e2q3BWXI/AAAAAAAARdU/LA_1MuYG720/s1600/tea&scone1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oRv7HE2ilCU/UY8e2q3BWXI/AAAAAAAARdU/LA_1MuYG720/s320/tea&scone1.jpg" width="239" /> </a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpu16jrLMw6GGuxRON7rSeoR7KGo2imdMy06hbFcQMV96UKi-mAtB1LriQNTaq1TmM5mH-y9qWAzlfFxSLiKp141vAbJoCU_JZvHJP2MDznM-3vpgjrbOpVlzNsJEQCsmaTsgUgaJK3qQ/s1600/moviestar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpu16jrLMw6GGuxRON7rSeoR7KGo2imdMy06hbFcQMV96UKi-mAtB1LriQNTaq1TmM5mH-y9qWAzlfFxSLiKp141vAbJoCU_JZvHJP2MDznM-3vpgjrbOpVlzNsJEQCsmaTsgUgaJK3qQ/s320/moviestar.jpg" width="262" /></a></div>
<br />Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09027748016578599690noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3383026688919341537.post-12136553245538470382013-04-29T22:01:00.001-05:002013-04-29T22:01:18.659-05:00Sunday morning lessonThis month I went out of my comfort zone and did something new as a favor to my cousin, Fay. She was to be a part of the church service and music team this past Sunday morning. Normally Sunday mornings at 9:00 a.m. she teaches the 3-5 grade Sunday school class. She begged and pleaded with me to fill in. I begrudgingly agreed. She also recruited my mom to be my assistant. <br />
<br />
I had no idea what I was doing. The book tells you exactly what to you, but I still felt lost. The lesson focused mostly on kindness. The class was made up of six boys and one girl. We read the Bible story from Acts and talked about the kind acts the people in the story did for one another. As we were all coloring kindness ribbons to give away to people to acknowledge their kind acts the boys sat at the table talking about "that weird girl at school." I had to remind them several times that our topic was kindness and they were not being very kind saying those things. I was corrected rather quickly when they told me she actually "super weird" so they were being nice by only saying she was weird. <br />
<br />
Oh children...Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09027748016578599690noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3383026688919341537.post-81408515687529557892013-04-22T20:22:00.002-05:002013-04-22T20:22:46.100-05:00Happy 3rd Birthday Busy BoyHappy Birthday to Jack! I can't believe he is all ready three years old! Time flies! I'm so thankful we're close by and got to join in on the ice cream cone party fun! Jack got all kinds of cool stuff yesterday including a play kitchen from his mom and dad. He got hooked up with some play food, pots and pans, a shopping cart and cash register, puzzles and a book! <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fACiqN5PvQI/UXXghWkq3jI/AAAAAAAAPl8/NQjYtl1kVyg/s1600/IMG_20130421_142515_150.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fACiqN5PvQI/UXXghWkq3jI/AAAAAAAAPl8/NQjYtl1kVyg/s320/IMG_20130421_142515_150.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zgA-_A7UFdo/UXXgheKSP9I/AAAAAAAAPl8/CkvlVvxzMy0/s1600/IMG_20130421_142920_684.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zgA-_A7UFdo/UXXgheKSP9I/AAAAAAAAPl8/CkvlVvxzMy0/s320/IMG_20130421_142920_684.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6zaMbLF4AX4/UXXghS7LRvI/AAAAAAAAPl8/aGniS-Bc-Ww/s1600/IMG_20130421_143422_359.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6zaMbLF4AX4/UXXghS7LRvI/AAAAAAAAPl8/aGniS-Bc-Ww/s320/IMG_20130421_143422_359.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_HWBTQcXuLU/UXXgheXKyXI/AAAAAAAAPl8/30uzx4TuXhg/s1600/IMG_20130421_144029_355.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"> </a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_HWBTQcXuLU/UXXgheXKyXI/AAAAAAAAPl8/30uzx4TuXhg/s1600/IMG_20130421_144029_355.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"> </a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PY2W0-aWyao/UXXghaqP4AI/AAAAAAAAPl8/QPXaKy8KhWI/s1600/IMG_20130421_143040_623.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PY2W0-aWyao/UXXghaqP4AI/AAAAAAAAPl8/QPXaKy8KhWI/s320/IMG_20130421_143040_623.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AsHrrcXOX98/UXXhj5L49qI/AAAAAAAAPmc/oxPvGvQ0l98/s1600/IMG_20130422_191824.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AsHrrcXOX98/UXXhj5L49qI/AAAAAAAAPmc/oxPvGvQ0l98/s320/IMG_20130422_191824.jpg" width="219" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was the look on his face when he saw the kitchen! Too cute!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-um9ADZTwQSA/UXXghTmFtJI/AAAAAAAAPl8/dJIjl8UQd7E/s1600/IMG_20130421_144118_685.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-um9ADZTwQSA/UXXghTmFtJI/AAAAAAAAPl8/dJIjl8UQd7E/s320/IMG_20130421_144118_685.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-p3sfAvZo5AA/UXXghTmsmwI/AAAAAAAAPl8/10Aw_zIdgkA/s1600/IMG_20130421_144617_899.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-p3sfAvZo5AA/UXXghTmsmwI/AAAAAAAAPl8/10Aw_zIdgkA/s320/IMG_20130421_144617_899.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mHj1QKIaSSY/UXXghQypFqI/AAAAAAAAPl8/5fysIi216i8/s1600/IMG_20130421_145359_849.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mHj1QKIaSSY/UXXghQypFqI/AAAAAAAAPl8/5fysIi216i8/s320/IMG_20130421_145359_849.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglf31pK8qnMliNvGG3WbZmnf0jQJOmpHLm-qdqZ15qhAYEUMOVv0a3PaXnnO7wSsATLQK6bhRCjziA-zBAbcysi1yJVFaQH4gRvXlwfID0AK1p4oOku3O-lrRm-O10d0sXRZKuNXpYmKw/s1600/IMG_20130421_150655_220.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglf31pK8qnMliNvGG3WbZmnf0jQJOmpHLm-qdqZ15qhAYEUMOVv0a3PaXnnO7wSsATLQK6bhRCjziA-zBAbcysi1yJVFaQH4gRvXlwfID0AK1p4oOku3O-lrRm-O10d0sXRZKuNXpYmKw/s320/IMG_20130421_150655_220.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rVhmSsgZB14/UXXghU1EthI/AAAAAAAAPl8/nEK37TZMr-Y/s1600/IMG_20130421_154825_915.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rVhmSsgZB14/UXXghU1EthI/AAAAAAAAPl8/nEK37TZMr-Y/s320/IMG_20130421_154825_915.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZZRf4iDQ7_Y/UXXghWu8OgI/AAAAAAAAPl8/oQ0rSuJW9nw/s1600/IMG_20130421_143017_106.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09027748016578599690noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3383026688919341537.post-29414063356397493732013-04-10T18:38:00.002-05:002013-04-10T18:40:44.684-05:00Welcome to the World!<div style="text-align: center;">
Welcome to the World </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Iris Astra Walding</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Born 4/7/13</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
8 lbs 7 oz and 20 inches</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ulvClYYwLb4/UWX3oPBdJxI/AAAAAAAAPXU/MjyOc26K7KU/s1600/Iris.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ulvClYYwLb4/UWX3oPBdJxI/AAAAAAAAPXU/MjyOc26K7KU/s320/Iris.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
It is always exciting to welcome a new life into the world and especially the child of my best friend and her husband! </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Congratulations Shawn and Rachel on the birth of your beautiful daughter! </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I cannot wait to meet her!</div>
Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09027748016578599690noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3383026688919341537.post-90083944720030220712013-04-02T23:09:00.001-05:002013-04-02T23:10:30.605-05:00Easter in CherawThis year for Easter we went to Adam's mom's in Cheraw. We were able to go Saturday afternoon and stay the night. It was so much fun! We ate super yummy food, hung out with Sandy and Mike, saw baby chicks and rode motorcycles! I got to practice on Sandy's 250 driving the four mile square around their place! We went on a family motorcycle ride with Mike, Sandy, Scot, Rob, Gabe, Adam and me. All that motorcycle riding got me jazzed up to schedule the Motorcycle Training Academy class that I have been waiting to take. April seems as good a month any! Adam is going to join me and take it as a refresher. Looking forward to next weekend! Woo hoo!Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09027748016578599690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3383026688919341537.post-12427229774853859732013-04-02T22:59:00.000-05:002013-04-02T22:59:29.925-05:00Dirty 30!My dear sweet husband turned 30 on the 25th of March. It was a low key night at home. I made meatloaf at his request and also attempted my first ever from scratch cake. That was my new thing I tried in March. It was tasty, but could have been a bit more moist. I'm sure I'll have a chance to try again some day. <br />
The Saturday before Adam's birthday we went out to dinner with Nathan, Marika and the kids, Adam's brother Scot and friends, Sarah, Joe and Ryan & Stacey. After dinner some of us stopped by a brewery then finished the night playing games at Nathan and Marika's. We had a great time. It's also nice to get out with friends!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhUb2vk63yinEgdhOkIbx5kwAvPigD17SgXuwGAj3ZKavbhByKb6ETZSyqZELVARrYyO8kYs6EMI029-T_pTODCbNzM5nrc5IlrBpiJSmyuGpyU0KQ7-cYkUlAayWA5oXROHmVLS89R6E/s1600/IMG_20130323_210523_515.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhUb2vk63yinEgdhOkIbx5kwAvPigD17SgXuwGAj3ZKavbhByKb6ETZSyqZELVARrYyO8kYs6EMI029-T_pTODCbNzM5nrc5IlrBpiJSmyuGpyU0KQ7-cYkUlAayWA5oXROHmVLS89R6E/s320/IMG_20130323_210523_515.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MAhqB1Oiymg/UVuok8-H33I/AAAAAAAAPSc/d9f9fcwSlLU/s1600/IMG_20130323_210556_090.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MAhqB1Oiymg/UVuok8-H33I/AAAAAAAAPSc/d9f9fcwSlLU/s320/IMG_20130323_210556_090.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09027748016578599690noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3383026688919341537.post-77388997510141976182013-03-24T20:50:00.004-05:002013-03-24T20:50:52.895-05:00Vacation!The Montoya men have been making an annual trip to Las Vegas together for about the past five years. I joined them in <a href="http://theanimalsknowthings.blogspot.com/2011/03/vegas.html">2011</a> and tagged along again this year. We left in the evening from Denver on the 10th. This year we stayed at Excalibur. We walked up and down the strip, stopped in different places to play a few slots (pops and Scot played the table games) and my favorite, shopping! Scot, Adam and I went and saw the show Jubilee! one evening too. As usual it was a good time. We flew home early on the 13th. Adam and I spent the day being lazy in an effort to recuperate for the rest of the week!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WtAplWBH5hQ/UU-jX2fPuEI/AAAAAAAAOts/M74hxcWNMFE/s1600/adamandelvis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WtAplWBH5hQ/UU-jX2fPuEI/AAAAAAAAOts/M74hxcWNMFE/s320/adamandelvis.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kws1LV-3c6I/UU-jcyAZgxI/AAAAAAAAOt8/4APY-u9VslQ/s1600/boys.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kws1LV-3c6I/UU-jcyAZgxI/AAAAAAAAOt8/4APY-u9VslQ/s320/boys.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8auJCKgGEM0/UU-jeuScJ4I/AAAAAAAAOuE/tdWhqp4oxLA/s1600/doublefisting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8auJCKgGEM0/UU-jeuScJ4I/AAAAAAAAOuE/tdWhqp4oxLA/s320/doublefisting.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjesPDDJkZfn9rRFbRZOkSTUnrCrmQVR_QIL8GRFh5W3WhROMwZPc_ZqZt35i2xSTGwsmCdTCdZmUUOZ0CvFnrPy0gfsNt8Ybj34pe6KFCBzqpBk9S24BxwjdDKRPhU-kSc9FoEz7-XuPo/s1600/meandmyboo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjesPDDJkZfn9rRFbRZOkSTUnrCrmQVR_QIL8GRFh5W3WhROMwZPc_ZqZt35i2xSTGwsmCdTCdZmUUOZ0CvFnrPy0gfsNt8Ybj34pe6KFCBzqpBk9S24BxwjdDKRPhU-kSc9FoEz7-XuPo/s320/meandmyboo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IxuVaOkdemU/UU-jZQxREDI/AAAAAAAAOt4/5UM9vtlPW-0/s1600/brothers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IxuVaOkdemU/UU-jZQxREDI/AAAAAAAAOt4/5UM9vtlPW-0/s320/brothers.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5FbV8cIlN60/UU-jiCadWHI/AAAAAAAAOuU/WYrLgtFbIAQ/s1600/lightcastle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5FbV8cIlN60/UU-jiCadWHI/AAAAAAAAOuU/WYrLgtFbIAQ/s320/lightcastle.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0f8m-nIWuL8/UU-jn1eEbgI/AAAAAAAAOuc/LoVcKv8XnpE/s1600/dancingonthestrip.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0f8m-nIWuL8/UU-jn1eEbgI/AAAAAAAAOuc/LoVcKv8XnpE/s320/dancingonthestrip.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UO_DW4DHmVM/UU-iDhJZBEI/AAAAAAAAOtI/D1fOJhrS4Rs/s1600/drunks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UO_DW4DHmVM/UU-iDhJZBEI/AAAAAAAAOtI/D1fOJhrS4Rs/s320/drunks.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-O0bbm2rhXUc/UU-jpQd2wII/AAAAAAAAOuk/XRb5gX6SZGg/s1600/fremont.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-O0bbm2rhXUc/UU-jpQd2wII/AAAAAAAAOuk/XRb5gX6SZGg/s320/fremont.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
On Thursday morning I went to pick up Emily S.G. from her friend Allison's house here in Colorado Springs. We spent the day busy running errands and preparing to leave for Buena Vista, CO on Friday morning for Snowball 2013! We got to meet up with Joe, Henry and Sophie for dinner at the Hogan. Erin and Jesse arrived at the Colorado Springs airport on Thursday night and even later on Thursday night/Friday morning Amanda, Brandt and Joel flew into Denver and drove to Colorado Springs to sleep at our house.<br />
Friday morning we hit up neighborhood favorite spot The North End Diner for breakfast with the group. Nathan was also able to join us there. After that we loaded the truck and took off for the cabin. We gathered at the cabin with many college friends for Snowball 2013. Snowball is a tradition that began when Joel and Emily were living in Kansas City and hosted a winter formal. They had a few Snowballs at their house and the last was in Woodland Park, CO in 2008, hosted by Jay and Emily. This year twenty of us gathered and had a fun weekend eating, hiking, going to the hot springs, skyping with missing persons Rachel and Shawn and Snowballing!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Sopc3jDsuSo/UU-o4_HIMzI/AAAAAAAAOu0/cAEKhkdplok/s1600/IMG_20130314_120800.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Sopc3jDsuSo/UU-o4_HIMzI/AAAAAAAAOu0/cAEKhkdplok/s320/IMG_20130314_120800.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7vRgRgyC41M/UU-o40eFy-I/AAAAAAAAOu0/KwP3bMoCnXU/s1600/2013-03-15_10-40-15_545.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7vRgRgyC41M/UU-o40eFy-I/AAAAAAAAOu0/KwP3bMoCnXU/s320/2013-03-15_10-40-15_545.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnduGqU44E3BKehhJ6pLTeckXuSHq4qe0bKCuLBWUqffpyOo4Z66wpdzyJq_0ikq8J2GxatmkG4Z9-wDfCIREA6jRg0dJcyLyRStE4tTRimyyHqqB_q4-U6iDhzwyeHBuVp3p-NUWuLiU/s1600/2013-03-15_12-03-35_657.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnduGqU44E3BKehhJ6pLTeckXuSHq4qe0bKCuLBWUqffpyOo4Z66wpdzyJq_0ikq8J2GxatmkG4Z9-wDfCIREA6jRg0dJcyLyRStE4tTRimyyHqqB_q4-U6iDhzwyeHBuVp3p-NUWuLiU/s320/2013-03-15_12-03-35_657.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EEusqLiJAIY/UU-qUyxA2fI/AAAAAAAAOvc/sjQpamRY6PQ/s1600/IMG_20130315_132750.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EEusqLiJAIY/UU-qUyxA2fI/AAAAAAAAOvc/sjQpamRY6PQ/s320/IMG_20130315_132750.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-d0yGdQErgmQ/UU-qeUhFXPI/AAAAAAAAOvs/o42Du2opN5M/s1600/IMG_20130315_142738.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-d0yGdQErgmQ/UU-qeUhFXPI/AAAAAAAAOvs/o42Du2opN5M/s320/IMG_20130315_142738.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hNtJLzc1rI8/UU-qOxR936I/AAAAAAAAOvU/Om-JJqRRcU8/s1600/2013-03-15_17-08-29_202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hNtJLzc1rI8/UU-qOxR936I/AAAAAAAAOvU/Om-JJqRRcU8/s320/2013-03-15_17-08-29_202.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1OayhR736Q_UjJzMnNHvlYVdkDmo4-JLeFIPRvi_5tumxS5_00ozStZKjs8UeSaguXTXYpWZsSeU3xm6FOSOx2qlpT543ThnwCmHI2ttSRSxTpA7MzpucG_8eP-msDpJyrsM-5UvXIx8/s1600/IMG_20130315_182858.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1OayhR736Q_UjJzMnNHvlYVdkDmo4-JLeFIPRvi_5tumxS5_00ozStZKjs8UeSaguXTXYpWZsSeU3xm6FOSOx2qlpT543ThnwCmHI2ttSRSxTpA7MzpucG_8eP-msDpJyrsM-5UvXIx8/s320/IMG_20130315_182858.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwu23VsFdYjATizL1EypCTS8mS9oGwpBCyGMXPNe1Qjp6aG07kuBDr81wjgZOKyieE6c2l7ZtuONzcdYkkN7L0QXidsRgj0JldZ7HUKLY0a4J9Fk4wG30mLBYc9Hr8IWHgdYqkX9hRtqY/s1600/2013-03-16_12-27-56_44.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwu23VsFdYjATizL1EypCTS8mS9oGwpBCyGMXPNe1Qjp6aG07kuBDr81wjgZOKyieE6c2l7ZtuONzcdYkkN7L0QXidsRgj0JldZ7HUKLY0a4J9Fk4wG30mLBYc9Hr8IWHgdYqkX9hRtqY/s320/2013-03-16_12-27-56_44.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-31JVGQLYxq4/UU-q3k3yoqI/AAAAAAAAOwU/4CvtkUFLKU8/s1600/2013-03-16_12-46-35_268.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-31JVGQLYxq4/UU-q3k3yoqI/AAAAAAAAOwU/4CvtkUFLKU8/s320/2013-03-16_12-46-35_268.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-seaERjS-l-4/UU-q8FYdviI/AAAAAAAAOwc/VtVgEp-PHBI/s1600/2013-03-16_14-46-29_411.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-seaERjS-l-4/UU-q8FYdviI/AAAAAAAAOwc/VtVgEp-PHBI/s320/2013-03-16_14-46-29_411.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HX_qF6dQaU0/UU-q_gM9RDI/AAAAAAAAOwk/LI_EYF1AAP4/s1600/2013-03-16_14-46-46_69.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HX_qF6dQaU0/UU-q_gM9RDI/AAAAAAAAOwk/LI_EYF1AAP4/s320/2013-03-16_14-46-46_69.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8Hjt5S8zUFw/UU-rDJieJRI/AAAAAAAAOws/HHNUZfnbdcI/s1600/2013-03-16_19-54-17_575.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8Hjt5S8zUFw/UU-rDJieJRI/AAAAAAAAOws/HHNUZfnbdcI/s320/2013-03-16_19-54-17_575.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-l7n-Mi4QZeA/UU-rQemdr6I/AAAAAAAAOxE/Z9r2mcIS5ik/s1600/2013-03-16_19-55-41_190.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-l7n-Mi4QZeA/UU-rQemdr6I/AAAAAAAAOxE/Z9r2mcIS5ik/s320/2013-03-16_19-55-41_190.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Sy-MVafz2pQ/UU-ram_L-gI/AAAAAAAAOxU/qcsjdwNBShk/s1600/IMG_20130316_200752.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Sy-MVafz2pQ/UU-ram_L-gI/AAAAAAAAOxU/qcsjdwNBShk/s320/IMG_20130316_200752.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipO2ysFZ0LBbTkVWfnPQw5XkFl3w9_2nnlKJXeFjVXdCvtWC5v9IT4Aw8KKzqMYjJfDAwRfgGjtFVQ4zHeLQCLLcSEJyzVHC0KRfSVNEkw9iE3-lUlZ0Mkc5gdim5JlntxlrXzfqsCZi8/s1600/IMG_20130316_211000.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipO2ysFZ0LBbTkVWfnPQw5XkFl3w9_2nnlKJXeFjVXdCvtWC5v9IT4Aw8KKzqMYjJfDAwRfgGjtFVQ4zHeLQCLLcSEJyzVHC0KRfSVNEkw9iE3-lUlZ0Mkc5gdim5JlntxlrXzfqsCZi8/s320/IMG_20130316_211000.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1ydzn0sVgV3YF57qpvlGv0twZ4AM9g-3QAiofq-u7awNJXWUgKYCJusOioSnMQkzoAS7GxE6OuUQundzrF4kGApgyKu761rcoGHbDaONksAvEZ17DXeBsnidmKRzAcSeVjpjD3oo6Bag/s1600/IMG_20130316_211045.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1ydzn0sVgV3YF57qpvlGv0twZ4AM9g-3QAiofq-u7awNJXWUgKYCJusOioSnMQkzoAS7GxE6OuUQundzrF4kGApgyKu761rcoGHbDaONksAvEZ17DXeBsnidmKRzAcSeVjpjD3oo6Bag/s320/IMG_20130316_211045.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Q8IQ3mFQ0Cs/UU-roHKsUKI/AAAAAAAAOxs/zPElPqWPjFU/s1600/IMG_20130316_212201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Q8IQ3mFQ0Cs/UU-roHKsUKI/AAAAAAAAOxs/zPElPqWPjFU/s320/IMG_20130316_212201.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4Mj6XJ2Rj0Y/UU-sG3s8SEI/AAAAAAAAOyc/blfDo3s_zK8/s1600/2013-03-16_21-27-44_863.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4Mj6XJ2Rj0Y/UU-sG3s8SEI/AAAAAAAAOyc/blfDo3s_zK8/s320/2013-03-16_21-27-44_863.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pKGXq_D16Mw/UU-sNd318FI/AAAAAAAAOyk/csm2C5I_j3k/s1600/IMG_20130316_215130.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pKGXq_D16Mw/UU-sNd318FI/AAAAAAAAOyk/csm2C5I_j3k/s320/IMG_20130316_215130.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XH-FvT7Bq8I/UU-sWJ-zGAI/AAAAAAAAOys/QmXSyrmHDYI/s1600/IMG_20130316_220841.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XH-FvT7Bq8I/UU-sWJ-zGAI/AAAAAAAAOys/QmXSyrmHDYI/s320/IMG_20130316_220841.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XV9cSIOn7c0/UU-sYpAlG7I/AAAAAAAAOy0/o8G3Ueik_Cc/s1600/IMG_20130317_021117.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XV9cSIOn7c0/UU-sYpAlG7I/AAAAAAAAOy0/o8G3Ueik_Cc/s320/IMG_20130317_021117.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UWGxS4j4iVE/UU-ss4rsoiI/AAAAAAAAOy8/crOcVHxDyRo/s1600/group.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UWGxS4j4iVE/UU-ss4rsoiI/AAAAAAAAOy8/crOcVHxDyRo/s320/group.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFe9N1rE4BqNV5i8Dv5WwsnhRnLfwRdcqCINfFSFFCS4quWBrWWEVrmxezNR4HJ4GqTT-CR288cfZVhe0dsG0TYX1ophztl9b-4H212Vx_MLTEDvHRG0DbzYq20ukDO1hGEeyW4vwAbw0/s1600/IMG_20130315_142738.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09027748016578599690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3383026688919341537.post-26614356228627420232013-03-21T16:03:00.002-05:002013-03-21T16:04:14.962-05:00Special Guest Appearance<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YaYf2j1yb1A/UUt079FUT4I/AAAAAAAAOY0/HYCrqLGHC9o/s1600/andy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YaYf2j1yb1A/UUt079FUT4I/AAAAAAAAOY0/HYCrqLGHC9o/s320/andy.jpg" width="320" /></a>About three hours before arriving in Colorado Springs I got a call from Bethel College friend Andy Gingerich. He was headed our direction and needed a place to crash a couple nights. We didn't have anything in particular going on so we welcomed him to come and stay. He was coming to Colorado Springs for a conference starting on Saturday, but was able to get a ride Thursday evening so he took advantage of that. I took him over to band camp and he stayed behind when the guys were done to play some music with Nathan and Adam. The next evening after Adam and I were off work he joined us at Nathan and Marika's for our weekly Friday tradition, pizza night. Come Saturday morning Andy was supposed to go to the conference he was in town for. Due to bad weather North of us the conference was cancelled all together. So Andy and I spent the day together on Saturday. He helped me run some errands in preparation for Adam and my vacation in the coming days. He also joined us for church on Sunday. Andy and I have never spent too much time one on one, but have been friends for many years. (He was actually in the same cabin at camp with Adam so many years ago when Adam and I met.) Having the opportunity to spend time talking with Andy was a pretty cool thing. He is a smart, interesting guy and kind hearted guy. I was reminded once again of what a unique and special college experience I had and how many lifelong friends I made during that time. It was a pleasure to have you in our home, Andy. You're welcome any time!Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09027748016578599690noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3383026688919341537.post-88648119689797858562013-02-26T23:37:00.000-06:002013-02-26T23:37:34.733-06:00Snow big deal<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
Wait, yeah it is! Snow day! I went to bed last Wednesday night feeling satisfied knowing we had a delay and was pleased to wake up to the wonderful surprise of having the whole day off! I'm so thankful that Nathan and Marika live so close by so I could spend the day playing in the snow with them and the kids! By the time I got there Jack had spent some time outside and wasn't too interested in going back out even through he kept talking about making a smiling snowman. When Nathan and I decided to go get a sled I asked Jack if he would please try the sled, just once. He begrudgingly agreed saying, "Otay, Nanu." I think he ended up loving it! Juliana got a ride too! Nathan and I built a small snowman and Jack came back out to help us put his fruit loop facial features in place and top him off with a hat!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JJPx8FP558A/US2bDuwpMvI/AAAAAAAAOBM/419mjx9yHpI/s1600/022113115440.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="259" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JJPx8FP558A/US2bDuwpMvI/AAAAAAAAOBM/419mjx9yHpI/s320/022113115440.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-r0zllN336m4/US2XCYEwWII/AAAAAAAAOAc/1QFnk1xNhas/s1600/m%2526jules.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-r0zllN336m4/US2XCYEwWII/AAAAAAAAOAc/1QFnk1xNhas/s320/m%2526jules.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-58f911OnHO4/US2XEO6KliI/AAAAAAAAOAk/wGmB_U5Wmu4/s1600/NJ%2526Lsnowman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-58f911OnHO4/US2XEO6KliI/AAAAAAAAOAk/wGmB_U5Wmu4/s320/NJ%2526Lsnowman.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_IKYvmPP-Wk/US2XJASS8RI/AAAAAAAAOAs/QDyRzUIOkv8/s1600/hat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_IKYvmPP-Wk/US2XJASS8RI/AAAAAAAAOAs/QDyRzUIOkv8/s320/hat.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09027748016578599690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3383026688919341537.post-24554609397355258932013-02-13T00:21:00.000-06:002013-02-13T00:33:37.260-06:00Cuttin' a rugI love to dance! I have really needed a dance fix recently. I have always thought taking a couples dance class sounded like fun. To do that, I needed a willing partner. Adam being the easygoing guy he is, said he would <i>probably</i> consider doing that sometime. There are free swing dance lessons at our favorite neighborhood bar, the <a href="http://www.johnnyshogan.com/">Hogan,</a> on Sunday nights. We have both mentioned going, but every time Sunday night rolls around we're too tired and lazy. Mid week last week I was wondering what I could do in the month of February that was something new to me. I decided it was time to take swing dance lessons! Even though it was snowy and cold Sunday night, we got out of the house and headed to the Hogan. I could not have been more delighted! It was a small crowd and we got really good one on one attention from the instructors <a href="http://www.facebook.com/ColoradoHotRodsAndHootenannies?fref=ts">Val and Bill</a>! It was so much fun! We had stupid, huge grins plastered on our faces the whole time. My excitement carried me all through the next day! I loved it! I love dancing! I can't wait til next Sunday! It starts at 7:00 and there will be a live band. Come dance with us...you know you want to! Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09027748016578599690noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3383026688919341537.post-61699047170211072802013-02-03T16:58:00.001-06:002013-02-03T16:58:53.538-06:00Denver Aquarium<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RrTNRuFU4Zo/UQ7rXJSV6TI/AAAAAAAAN6o/DKKP8T5JXZk/s1600/Our+wedding.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RrTNRuFU4Zo/UQ7rXJSV6TI/AAAAAAAAN6o/DKKP8T5JXZk/s320/Our+wedding.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
I just wanted to share some pretty fishy shots I got when we visited the Denver Aquarium a few weekends ago when Beutke's were in town.<br /><br />Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09027748016578599690noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3383026688919341537.post-88580307172103917992013-01-15T18:28:00.001-06:002013-02-13T00:21:29.247-06:00Trying new things!It's a new year and I have committed to trying new things. I am going to try something new every month. This month I'm going to try blogging for the first time in 9 months. Just kidding. I have been thinking about reviving my blog and decided it was time to try.<br />
The new thing I tried this month was learning to ride a motorcycle. Adam bought a Honda CM400E from the pawn shop and we had a deal that he would only have one bike at a time. When he came home with a Harley a month later, that presented a problem for our little deal. He decided the best way to work around it would be to call the Honda mine. So why not own it, right? I have a motorcycle!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8TSHl_AbyN8/UPXzgy2qLJI/AAAAAAAAMso/inY7ujhr9P8/s1600/motome.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8TSHl_AbyN8/UPXzgy2qLJI/AAAAAAAAMso/inY7ujhr9P8/s320/motome.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
We had been talking about me trying to ride for some time and I just decided a couple weekends ago that I felt like trying. We mentioned it to Kanagy's and Chuck and Claire decided to join us with their dirt bike. Chuck worked with Claire and Adam worked with me. We started in the alley behind the house then went to a school parking lot close by. I think we got the hang of it pretty quickly and it was a lot of fun! I have a long way to go and a lot to learn, but I am pretty pleased that I didn't even kill the bike on my very first try. Adam and I plan to take a motorcycle safety course sometime this year and that will help me be road ready. Looking forward to the adventures this may lead to! <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3UmzS7AzjCU/UPXz9jgca4I/AAAAAAAAMsw/bzcP4uGg2wQ/s1600/motoc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3UmzS7AzjCU/UPXz9jgca4I/AAAAAAAAMsw/bzcP4uGg2wQ/s320/motoc.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09027748016578599690noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3383026688919341537.post-84210225765002353942012-04-24T23:49:00.001-05:002012-04-25T00:58:54.397-05:00Jack's 2nd birthday partyNathan and Marika hosted a family birthday party for Jack on Sunday which was his 2nd birthday. The time together was complete with a baked potato bar, cake and ice cream! It was a nice gathering and as always Jack was very entertaining! Emily and Rob made the trip for the party so we got to meet little Austin! He was born in March (on Adam's birthday). What a little pumpikn! He looks so much like Rob They were good sports and let us pass their child around and almost everyone got to hold him, except Nathan. I held him twice. I was a baby hog. :)<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0OUYpwZRoFs/T5eEJxCr9-I/AAAAAAAADws/5Qi6TXqmEzc/s1600/DSC01241.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0OUYpwZRoFs/T5eEJxCr9-I/AAAAAAAADws/5Qi6TXqmEzc/s320/DSC01241.JPG" width="275" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Jack being silly while waiting for his guests to arrive</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-loPV8ELyl-o/T5eE3v2IJdI/AAAAAAAADxU/zVMp8rde6fE/s1600/DSC01247.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="313" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-loPV8ELyl-o/T5eE3v2IJdI/AAAAAAAADxU/zVMp8rde6fE/s320/DSC01247.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_CR6_4Ct8Cg/T5eFsVgVJQI/AAAAAAAADx0/3TNZWWjLlb0/s1600/DSC01251.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_CR6_4Ct8Cg/T5eFsVgVJQI/AAAAAAAADx0/3TNZWWjLlb0/s320/DSC01251.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Jack playing with his new truck from Austin</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vbvpVsBDCf8/T5eF5DokOZI/AAAAAAAADx8/Ouq-h3PtquU/s1600/DSC01252.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vbvpVsBDCf8/T5eF5DokOZI/AAAAAAAADx8/Ouq-h3PtquU/s320/DSC01252.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-b_Psfu8Jh0I/T5eGA0Ez-1I/AAAAAAAADyE/SEN_N6oCdkk/s1600/DSC01254.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-b_Psfu8Jh0I/T5eGA0Ez-1I/AAAAAAAADyE/SEN_N6oCdkk/s320/DSC01254.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TzXBWtYefss/T5eGK1vYzLI/AAAAAAAADyM/eRqvZhBd3-E/s1600/DSC01255.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TzXBWtYefss/T5eGK1vYzLI/AAAAAAAADyM/eRqvZhBd3-E/s320/DSC01255.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Austin making his debut</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SgDxqMI8arw/T5eGTyBIhFI/AAAAAAAADyU/_3MTqYyZgpw/s1600/DSC01257.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SgDxqMI8arw/T5eGTyBIhFI/AAAAAAAADyU/_3MTqYyZgpw/s320/DSC01257.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-i7xahM1QS6E/T5eG5mkNrVI/AAAAAAAADys/FeC8zByJogU/s1600/DSC01260.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-i7xahM1QS6E/T5eG5mkNrVI/AAAAAAAADys/FeC8zByJogU/s320/DSC01260.JPG" width="320" /> </a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QqOFy1fZ-NQ/T5eH4w8rrvI/AAAAAAAADzU/BC7BBEG4oMU/s1600/DSC01266.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QqOFy1fZ-NQ/T5eH4w8rrvI/AAAAAAAADzU/BC7BBEG4oMU/s320/DSC01266.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
He got a workbench with tools from Ba and Pa </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iYNzwyNGBKQ/T5eIaoYlXvI/AAAAAAAADzs/6AQQSuYjCCA/s1600/DSC01269.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iYNzwyNGBKQ/T5eIaoYlXvI/AAAAAAAADzs/6AQQSuYjCCA/s320/DSC01269.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_70OwFwulGM/T5eJ6JSKoQI/AAAAAAAAD0k/3m7mfjpQ2vA/s1600/DSC01276.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_70OwFwulGM/T5eJ6JSKoQI/AAAAAAAAD0k/3m7mfjpQ2vA/s320/DSC01276.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Nanoo and A'am gave him a wheelbarrow full of toys...</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-D2u94ruXdAI/T5eMAOgtgeI/AAAAAAAAD10/8G9hPz2TibQ/s1600/DSC01287.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="306" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-D2u94ruXdAI/T5eMAOgtgeI/AAAAAAAAD10/8G9hPz2TibQ/s320/DSC01287.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
...toys that were perfect for his new sandbox from his mommy and daddy!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPWgqzAY67hVCOJgP44w-uCwyIRydUVWTgZIeNxlcSyfemxMiPzkxdfOMsURrfEfsez3OHwi7tAbMbfym361o3zA1t1GfEtskBDCXv11ie_vDTQZEny5pJjoTI8rw2N_CVXw7uDco4Qyk/s1600/DSC01291.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPWgqzAY67hVCOJgP44w-uCwyIRydUVWTgZIeNxlcSyfemxMiPzkxdfOMsURrfEfsez3OHwi7tAbMbfym361o3zA1t1GfEtskBDCXv11ie_vDTQZEny5pJjoTI8rw2N_CVXw7uDco4Qyk/s320/DSC01291.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JR6db2a64i0/T5eNuRlUIXI/AAAAAAAAD2s/GV85e20ci-c/s1600/DSC01294.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JR6db2a64i0/T5eNuRlUIXI/AAAAAAAAD2s/GV85e20ci-c/s320/DSC01294.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vBJtmrS_BXE/T5eN6Rf0zoI/AAAAAAAAD20/pLLX8GZSI_o/s1600/DSC01295.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vBJtmrS_BXE/T5eN6Rf0zoI/AAAAAAAAD20/pLLX8GZSI_o/s320/DSC01295.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT35deqtzQgfrlu5YAc8wCQBBzb3ewshMxekPmvQW5MttVIGa80uA5p7PuJLel7G4IZzzrm54AxK0Z9ob3CMtlg82RChrToHBSjU1RxldpT1sDqrN5kKM7eS6s8JriByjl1ZFM1IQBS5o/s1600/DSC01297.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT35deqtzQgfrlu5YAc8wCQBBzb3ewshMxekPmvQW5MttVIGa80uA5p7PuJLel7G4IZzzrm54AxK0Z9ob3CMtlg82RChrToHBSjU1RxldpT1sDqrN5kKM7eS6s8JriByjl1ZFM1IQBS5o/s320/DSC01297.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
I missed getting any clear shots to show the Curious George DVD from GG or the watering can, shovel, and gloves from Kanagy's. Turns out it can be difficult to catch an excited 2 year old holding still. <br />
<br />
What an amazing little guy he is! I feel so lucky to be his aunt! Looking forward to all the new memories we'll make in the year to come!Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09027748016578599690noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3383026688919341537.post-67492219428085303202012-04-22T13:16:00.001-05:002012-04-22T13:16:17.776-05:00Happy 2nd birthday Jack!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yQmgOW907JU/T5Oci4uBTJI/AAAAAAAADnk/bcquB3eURj0/s1600/Apr+21%252C+2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yQmgOW907JU/T5Oci4uBTJI/AAAAAAAADnk/bcquB3eURj0/s320/Apr+21%252C+2012.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Today is Jack's 2nd birthday! I'm so happy to live so close and get to be a part of his life! I just wanted to share some images that I have from the past year!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Happy birthday buddy! I love you!</div>Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09027748016578599690noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3383026688919341537.post-90676085996243207312011-11-24T21:33:00.000-06:002012-04-22T13:11:48.056-05:00Thanksgiving Montoya StyleIt was such a beautiful, warm day! Adam and I hosted Pops, Rob, Scot and Gabe at our house! I felt like we really got to enjoy our home today. We got up to fix food and clean a little before our company arrived. Adam hung some towel rods and a cabinet in our freshly painted bathroom and raked the back yard in preparation for bocce ball. <br />
<br />
The menu wasn't quite what <i>my </i>idea of traditional menu would be but it was what Adam requested and it was their tradition. I think the oven was on for most of the day full of green bean casserole, cheesy potatoes, ham and pies! I'm not much for cooking, but I prepared everything and enjoyed using my kitchen. The weather was so perfect so we decided to eat outside and use our great little deck space and patio furniture. <br />
<br />
The rest of the afternoon was spent in a combination of napping, playing bocce ball and/or cuplonk. There was a couple of good quotes from 9 year old nephew Gabe. He's a pretty funny kid! Before they left to get Pops and Scot back to Pueblo, Gabe back to Fowler and Rob back to Cheraw, Adam and Scot raced Gabe to the park. I think they wanted to help wear off some of the caffeine energy Gabe acquired from the 3-4 Coca Cola's he consumed! Ha!<br />
<br />
This evening Adam and I busted out the Kool-Aid Kid's Trivia Game circa 1985 for a little entertainment. It was quite entertaining!<br />
<br />
Tomorrow we'll have a Stutzman side family gathering at Grandma's house. Looking forward to <i>my</i> idea of a traditional thanks giving. :)<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LNyDO_iBdew/Ts8ME4cVRFI/AAAAAAAACZ0/iUgcq3f81F4/s1600/mail.google.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LNyDO_iBdew/Ts8ME4cVRFI/AAAAAAAACZ0/iUgcq3f81F4/s400/mail.google.com.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sBicP35Oasg/Ts8MFQp6FDI/AAAAAAAACZ8/zrWznmdIbJY/s1600/5mail.google.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sBicP35Oasg/Ts8MFQp6FDI/AAAAAAAACZ8/zrWznmdIbJY/s400/5mail.google.com.jpg" width="238" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GGI3-igCgFs/Ts8MF2cWw5I/AAAAAAAACaE/xRn0KtaYhmA/s1600/6mail.google.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GGI3-igCgFs/Ts8MF2cWw5I/AAAAAAAACaE/xRn0KtaYhmA/s400/6mail.google.com.jpg" width="238" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AEWAPS69JL8/Ts8MGV9CiqI/AAAAAAAACaM/UGBDjvnqNRc/s1600/7mail.google.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AEWAPS69JL8/Ts8MGV9CiqI/AAAAAAAACaM/UGBDjvnqNRc/s400/7mail.google.com.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7LZVKzlwy0mQqgJSXRJ5mX3h981TYLK7KBVoej87bzIhgtEViEoMpvcMbQEPbHFkSOOCnsGKHEX1sh5HLyX70ifhW9xHE1b3S3ZMrHt_VQ3S_bvlHxBrtzzMaZ6JrEWcD5NzH9LMEP3c/s1600/11mail.google.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7LZVKzlwy0mQqgJSXRJ5mX3h981TYLK7KBVoej87bzIhgtEViEoMpvcMbQEPbHFkSOOCnsGKHEX1sh5HLyX70ifhW9xHE1b3S3ZMrHt_VQ3S_bvlHxBrtzzMaZ6JrEWcD5NzH9LMEP3c/s400/11mail.google.com.jpg" width="238" /> </a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR0REsBlqWKqUGSrohkUJ_IXdedPfhnkqTUkcYOyr5dr-I2p5kReq9BjyzS_2hLwIX4khiYYqkYDjXEzGGVL4ZxPAJ7LtrAeVtV0bN64duc5rx2lKHrKMMT7Alxox6hV5jU9xSb1dlB1I/s1600/9mail.google.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR0REsBlqWKqUGSrohkUJ_IXdedPfhnkqTUkcYOyr5dr-I2p5kReq9BjyzS_2hLwIX4khiYYqkYDjXEzGGVL4ZxPAJ7LtrAeVtV0bN64duc5rx2lKHrKMMT7Alxox6hV5jU9xSb1dlB1I/s400/9mail.google.com.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UYOO66A5prc/Ts8MGt1g8bI/AAAAAAAACaU/_uR5EKo9yYU/s1600/8mail.google.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UYOO66A5prc/Ts8MGt1g8bI/AAAAAAAACaU/_uR5EKo9yYU/s400/8mail.google.com.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09027748016578599690noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3383026688919341537.post-73499867834195588682011-09-27T20:54:00.000-05:002011-09-27T20:54:25.700-05:00Home!In the middle of wedding planning/prep we decided it was a good time to start looking for a house. On day one of the search we fell for a little place about 4 blocks from Nathan and Marika's. I can't believe how fast these things can move. We played the offer/counter offer game and are now buying a house! We will be closing on October 7th! That's next freakin Friday! I can't believe it! Who wants to pack and move us? I feel like we just did this...oh wait...we did.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iGZ7ea9pM9U/ToJ93Pf0pbI/AAAAAAAAB3A/EFiw1Zxc870/s1600/picture-uh%253Ddad870a568687dc2a030a9aeaa8fd57b-ps%253D20d476c29ed2168d72de49e2633f472.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iGZ7ea9pM9U/ToJ93Pf0pbI/AAAAAAAAB3A/EFiw1Zxc870/s320/picture-uh%253Ddad870a568687dc2a030a9aeaa8fd57b-ps%253D20d476c29ed2168d72de49e2633f472.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RecDgxlos1Y/ToJ95Hkdq0I/AAAAAAAAB3E/M_cZ0XTsYoU/s1600/picture-uh%253D48277bb83fa33e93d2d29f2be7c1bc34-ps%253Da118694e37e5fd9d2de6d781677f959.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RecDgxlos1Y/ToJ95Hkdq0I/AAAAAAAAB3E/M_cZ0XTsYoU/s320/picture-uh%253D48277bb83fa33e93d2d29f2be7c1bc34-ps%253Da118694e37e5fd9d2de6d781677f959.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjVnuXBZqZZYos37Dxg_I1eMb_F7b2GOiOYjL5_BcdUMaqxRcsrB5Yu7Of_uDKa60z1yK_H4XseaGyp5HpbiUL1XefQ7ktJhyXecBT0bBG4xuBFMwHfmbzz3FpP1GK9ECW_HaF1oQJuc8/s1600/picture-uh%253D68d362581448ac3b488684a839a84e-ps%253Dfb6d87b91770a4c72343bfba82a28a3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjVnuXBZqZZYos37Dxg_I1eMb_F7b2GOiOYjL5_BcdUMaqxRcsrB5Yu7Of_uDKa60z1yK_H4XseaGyp5HpbiUL1XefQ7ktJhyXecBT0bBG4xuBFMwHfmbzz3FpP1GK9ECW_HaF1oQJuc8/s320/picture-uh%253D68d362581448ac3b488684a839a84e-ps%253Dfb6d87b91770a4c72343bfba82a28a3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-35sTNBXL-5k/ToJ986DNDgI/AAAAAAAAB3M/K7BZWOAMC84/s1600/picture-uh%253D2f4ebb75b653d54f7ac5f54d2d96b11-ps%253D7866fcd86bccc75dd34ec174dc5f98.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-35sTNBXL-5k/ToJ986DNDgI/AAAAAAAAB3M/K7BZWOAMC84/s320/picture-uh%253D2f4ebb75b653d54f7ac5f54d2d96b11-ps%253D7866fcd86bccc75dd34ec174dc5f98.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggM4DVPXsFb0IioJnttp-byPFf_gY7YbvtmDaa93x-da8KEmqY8LQMEPflkdSjD5nSux0Q4RKgYqLQae7_qOOwePO7TI0Xz62hfUEdAJm2HtAwqYlHX0DJug5FV2GNu_vtge41MkjkR7o/s1600/picture-uh%253D93efaf41a237959c9f8ddebee4a3c80-ps%253D6a157cb7ab8ffc6cc6cafd5ff602e88.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggM4DVPXsFb0IioJnttp-byPFf_gY7YbvtmDaa93x-da8KEmqY8LQMEPflkdSjD5nSux0Q4RKgYqLQae7_qOOwePO7TI0Xz62hfUEdAJm2HtAwqYlHX0DJug5FV2GNu_vtge41MkjkR7o/s320/picture-uh%253D93efaf41a237959c9f8ddebee4a3c80-ps%253D6a157cb7ab8ffc6cc6cafd5ff602e88.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09027748016578599690noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3383026688919341537.post-64626644561853678192011-08-29T00:30:00.000-05:002011-08-29T00:30:58.825-05:0055 daysOnly 55 days until I marry Adam Montoya!<br />
<br />
Last night I had my 10 year high school reunion. We got together with some old friends John Bell and Irena Murphy for dinner before the reunion. It was nice to get to see them again and to have a little one on one time. John and I had seen about a year ago when he was in town, but I hadn't seen Irena since 2003. We had the normal catch up conversation, and they each asked how long Adam and I have been together and how we met. <br />
<br />
This led me into my most favorite, cutest love story ever! Adam and I met for the first time at Rocky Mountain Mennonite Camp the summer before 5th grade. It was towards the end of the week, and while we might have noticed each other we hadn't talked. My friend Cristina and I were standing in line at the Trading Post (the little hut where you can buy snacks and shirts, etc.) in front of two cute boys. We started talking and flirting in our 5th grade way and learned the boys were named Adam and Steve. Adam was from Cheraw, CO and Steve was from La Junta, CO. Like I said it was the end of the week so we didn't have much time to build on the friendship at that point. Just like every other weeks end at camp all the campers exchanged addresses so we could write letters. Email wasn't an option back in those days.<br />
<br />
Adam and I wrote back and forth. We were each pretty quick to respond. I loved him in my child like way. I have one picture of him from camp. On the back is written Adam and Steve. Around Adam's name is a big heart! We got to see each other occasionally. He had orthodontist appointments in Colorado Springs sometimes and we also met up at the Relief Sale in Rocky Ford one year. Sometime in Middle School we stopped writing and lost track of one another. Neither one of us remember why we stopped writing but for some reason I had the feeling I had made him mad. I would think about him from time to time and wonder if I should write him again, but didn't know if he wanted to hear from me. <br />
<br />
Life went on. We each graduated high school on 2001 and went on to college. My first year of college I went to Hesston College in Hesston Kansas. I learned years later that Adam was very close to also going to Hesston on a basketball scholarship, but he decided to stay in Colorado. We had different college experiences and different relationships. I got married in 2005. In 2008 I divorced and decided it was time to leave Kansas and move home again.<br />
<br />
I was a very broken person when I moved back to Colorado. I needed my family and my friends. After a difficult time of closing people off when I needed them most I was able to begin healing and reconnecting with some of the most important people in my life. It was the best decision I could make moving home. It was a new beginning! Just a matter of weeks after I settled into my C. Springs apartment I was online and decided to check my old email that I hadn't looked at for quite some time. There was a notice for a message sent by Adam to my "MySpace" account. At first I was slightly irritated not knowing which Adam it was from. I opened the email and there was a picture and the name Adam Montoya. <br />
<br />
I wrote back immediately. He had just written the message earlier that day. He had recently began a job in Colorado Springs and was commuting from Pueblo. He said on his drive to work he wondered what ever happened to his old friend Lauren Gillis. He found me! I was so excited about the possibility of getting together with him and re-meeting him and starting our friendship over again! I needed friends! We met after work one day and it was very natural and comfortable hanging out together. I began going to Pueblo to hang out with Adam and his brother Scot and sometimes their brother Rob and his son. I was having the best time! I remember telling those boys how important they were to me and how perfect the timing was that they came into my life. It kept feeling like there was an important reason things happened as they did. <br />
<br />
Hardly a day went by that we didn't text or talk. We saw each other weekly if not more often. I tried to resist my feeling for a while but it was worthless. I was falling hard for him. Eventually we admitted it to each other and our friendship became an official relationship.<br />
<br />
I have never been so happy. Adam Montoya is my best friend. We have such honest conversations about what we want in life. We have so much fun together. We communicate so well. We don't agree on everything but we're able to talk through it. He is kindhearted and loves my friends and family. He is patient with me and supportive of me. Not to mention is he sooooo good looking! :) I love him. My heart is happy knowing the love we have for each other. <br />
<br />
While marriage is a formality and the rest of our lives has already begun I am so thrilled for the formality of it all and the party we get to throw. I can't wait for the next 55 days to pass! I love you Adam! Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09027748016578599690noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3383026688919341537.post-47937248913956041312011-08-15T23:09:00.000-05:002011-08-15T23:09:13.017-05:00Engagement Photos<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtLjNpa9i9391rBnNhQFpGgyGmiTnVk9DIoHwjTYanWGLlk20HmlBz2J3-uVpTfEzrnKxIzG7iFdazih6PSgQo_sxTvckzddRniYqtjQd7QKNC5cA5r3f-DHnCyd4GUrClJ0-NQskc6EQ/s1600/_DSC5252.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtLjNpa9i9391rBnNhQFpGgyGmiTnVk9DIoHwjTYanWGLlk20HmlBz2J3-uVpTfEzrnKxIzG7iFdazih6PSgQo_sxTvckzddRniYqtjQd7QKNC5cA5r3f-DHnCyd4GUrClJ0-NQskc6EQ/s320/_DSC5252.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikoXHwrPKbo1c2qemXNt5N6nXSPoRMCE_u9XMxZaPzJCmZL2vagdM1Mo02XUzkstAMlfObnUN1UMKq-OWAQeoY8O3vgxmrKvbswU2LXMIrH4SwckDk8GRByf-UOuF6HdRqBmHirzLoAZQ/s1600/_DSC5255.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikoXHwrPKbo1c2qemXNt5N6nXSPoRMCE_u9XMxZaPzJCmZL2vagdM1Mo02XUzkstAMlfObnUN1UMKq-OWAQeoY8O3vgxmrKvbswU2LXMIrH4SwckDk8GRByf-UOuF6HdRqBmHirzLoAZQ/s320/_DSC5255.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ytSFGjV9IaE/TknsZm0txwI/AAAAAAAABws/lDYLSVeUpPo/s1600/_DSC5290.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ytSFGjV9IaE/TknsZm0txwI/AAAAAAAABws/lDYLSVeUpPo/s320/_DSC5290.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNxSrNccn_l3Y1J2pKkSDuH9mgibXRQ6Ir7HHB7WQ-gvYLdnPxbXYov-8MYe5eqZnpuoLrGdziZ7gQLYONJOPoxVbN7MfGsunnSz_U6heCre-uwvtcEgxTNBrAYvRIzq9qt6fYSYIuVnU/s1600/_DSC5304.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="107" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNxSrNccn_l3Y1J2pKkSDuH9mgibXRQ6Ir7HHB7WQ-gvYLdnPxbXYov-8MYe5eqZnpuoLrGdziZ7gQLYONJOPoxVbN7MfGsunnSz_U6heCre-uwvtcEgxTNBrAYvRIzq9qt6fYSYIuVnU/s320/_DSC5304.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3nUuUhh0lIw/Tknsn8a6eLI/AAAAAAAABw0/i8P1QbaUnbs/s1600/_DSC5315.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3nUuUhh0lIw/Tknsn8a6eLI/AAAAAAAABw0/i8P1QbaUnbs/s320/_DSC5315.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4xcfWT_nUrfBxoylaeAM0K4R_TPE3yzEBR2uV00uOpluG-ikB8MVysnH0R5e4IDcAcqxbDwnty3tMZGiWzRGdztp6yqxooZ8pHvSILq_4IQoHvb-SAy-dWGJM2zax38GjTOH6ffN-qts/s1600/_DSC5326.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4xcfWT_nUrfBxoylaeAM0K4R_TPE3yzEBR2uV00uOpluG-ikB8MVysnH0R5e4IDcAcqxbDwnty3tMZGiWzRGdztp6yqxooZ8pHvSILq_4IQoHvb-SAy-dWGJM2zax38GjTOH6ffN-qts/s320/_DSC5326.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EkQPaxmLchc/Tkns29-mbsI/AAAAAAAABw8/PiBNJA0iomY/s1600/_DSC5460.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EkQPaxmLchc/Tkns29-mbsI/AAAAAAAABw8/PiBNJA0iomY/s320/_DSC5460.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Orv5wCzT4GQ/Tkns8dtPNnI/AAAAAAAABxA/OwvsU5U4rPs/s1600/_DSC5396.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Orv5wCzT4GQ/Tkns8dtPNnI/AAAAAAAABxA/OwvsU5U4rPs/s320/_DSC5396.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kEsK_Na69W0/TkntFEuVPoI/AAAAAAAABxE/Vudvv_OOyS0/s1600/_DSC5386.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kEsK_Na69W0/TkntFEuVPoI/AAAAAAAABxE/Vudvv_OOyS0/s320/_DSC5386.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gsrJZWwz6ak/TkntOJrnS2I/AAAAAAAABxI/EXaJQH_ntsc/s1600/_DSC5365.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gsrJZWwz6ak/TkntOJrnS2I/AAAAAAAABxI/EXaJQH_ntsc/s320/_DSC5365.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09027748016578599690noreply@blogger.com5