Fall Color Tour

This weekend James and I went on a fall color tour.

We drove through canon city

through phantom canyon

then to cripple creek

and back down through woodland park.

Here's the pics.

Gotta love timed pics :)

Beautiful fall colors of the aspens

It was such a nice day to just relax with James.

We laughed and just caught up

and had a great weekend.

We ended up seeing inception that night(which that movie was so crazy and good!)

and dinner at carrabbas.

It was such a fun weekend with my honey!

I truly feel so blessed to be in love with my best friend

and that we spend most of our time together laughing.

Girls Trip to Breckenridge

These girls are some of my very best friends.

As friends we like to do things together

So we went to breckenridge for a girls' weekend

Aren't we so pretty?

We arrived here at the chalet

thanks to carey

for the hook up!

It was so quaint and perfect inside.

This is the view from the back porch and

yes there was a stream flowing

right behind us.

So at night when we had the bonfire

we heard the babbling of the brook!

Then we headed out for lunch,

Carey and I

cute!

After lunch

we went downtown to shop.

this weekend also happened to be Octoberfest, which made

for lots of drunk people on the streets.

It kept us entertained to say the least.

So we snuck off to a side street

and took a break.

Here are carey and I

In front the bright yellow wall.

All photos are thanks to mel

still in front of the yellow wall.

black and white version

whattya think of the hat?

Girls who I love!

Then we took the gondola up to the top

and got these following fabulous photos.

The leaves are in full color up there.

you better appreciate this photo,

cause on the way down I hit my back

and that was not awesome :(

I told carey to stick it out,

this is her laughing and

attempting to stick it out

so we could capture a preggo pic for stevo!

3 preggers chicks holding each others babies :)

Waiting for breakfast the next day.

Moon rising.

above the mountains

(james told me what this peak is called, but I can't remember now )

Glamor shots the morning we leave.

hat day for us

captured from the car window

that's why the sign looks funky

all in all the weekend was wonderful!

We laughed a lot.

Some of us drank beers.

Had new experiences, thank you mel and cathy :o)

We ate, sat around a bonfire and shared secrets

and did I mention laughed alot.

For mel and cathy it was the first time leaving their little darlings.

They did great, I was so proud of them.

That had to be a little rough for them.

All in all. I am thankful for these girls,

(although some of us were missing).

They make my

life better.

Today.....

I wore a polka dotted dress and looked cute

I talked to a three year old who was precious

I emailed a friend

I texted a friend

I chatted with not one friend, but two online

I talked to my mum on the phone

I talked to my honey on the phone

I got a kiss from my honey

I ate healthy and not so healthy

I thought about politics, economics, what I need to do tomorrow and all I need to do in the next year

I thought about babies.

I thought about alice and hudson and how I miss them and can't wait to hold them the next

time I see them.

I thought about unborn babies that are growing in my friends' tummies and can't wait to

meet them and hold them and kiss their faces

I got back on a horse I had recently fallen off of

I made people laugh

I took a walk to an office and made someone smile

I got off work and went for a walk

I strolled down a beautiful old street

I looked around at people who were out in their front yards

those people were laughing, sitting, talking, holding babies, holding hands and holding each other.

I saw the moon cresting, it peaked from behind a cloud and was bright and beautiful

I took the time to appreciate life today. the small things that are easier to miss

I notice flowers and wondered how much longer they will be beautiful with the impending fall

season around the corner

I bought a piece of jewelry that commemorates my love

I listened to my rainbow sandals on the pavement

I strolled along alone tonight.

It was intentional to be quiet and just take a walk with only me tonight. It got me contemplative. As you can read.

You see I have become stupidly busy as of last week. I started working til 7 pm everyday except for wed, so wed I can be at an internship all day. I then was in school two hours away from my home all weekend and got home and was pooped and exhausted.

Woke up monday and felt like I got hit by a bus. My eyelids were swollen and didn't even hear my alarm when it was going off. Not like me. I then spent some quiet time with God.

He and I came to the decision that I need to choose joy.

Everyday.

Every moment. I need to be allowed to be tired but not make excuses. I am busy. Sure. Probably more busy then I was in college, but that's ok. This season will pass and in the meantime I am trying my hardest to not be a grump. Fortunately I have a lot of wonderful people surrounding me, that love me. I got emails, texts and notes saying that people were thinking and praying for me. Unfortunately my mom caught my grumpiness yesterday along with a few tears, but she loves me and can handle my tears and moodiness.

So today I went for a walk and was thankful as I strolled along that I have someone to stroll with nowadays. I have someone's hand to hold that I will hopefully be holding for the rest of my life :) I feel thankful for that. It also humbles me, because I need to remember to reach out to those who have no one to stroll with. It wasn't too long ago that I was in a different boat.

So tonight kiss those your love and if you have no one to kiss, pray for that someone to come along.

I hope that when you have a moment to stroll by yourself, that you take it!

That you don't sit back because sometimes life is uncomfortable or awkward.

But that you get up and move.

These are my thoughts tonight......

My Vacation back to the Mitten

James and I went back to the mitten for a vacation.

When he came home with me at christmas time, he was only there for a few days,

in the winter when michigan is a frozen tundra.

So this time he really got to experience michigan at its finest.

Summer!

These pics are from our vacation.

This is the pic of the sunset on the way to the airport.

Yes we saw the sun come up.

We had to drop his dogs off at his brother's house

which is an hour north of denver

and then still head to the airport.

Sweet brandy (one of james' dogs) curled up in my backseat on the way up.

yeah as you can see she is laying on a blanket,

I may like my car clean and have issues with my stuff

getting dirty :o)

James up north,

holding a fresh water 'jellyfish' and that is

according to my dad.
So I don't know about that.

I couldn't touch the thing, it way

grossed me out!

James is in true michigander style here!

Relaxing up north

while driving the pontoon boat.

Looks like he grew up doing that!

My dad's odd dog, maggie!

As we were riding in the back of the rhino

which is like a souped up golf cart.

Riding around in the woods,

maggie would try and bite the branches as were passing the trees.

She is such an odd dog.

I will try and post my video later, but she

absolutely loved doing this!

so funny :)

James attempting to find more freshwater jellyfish as

he was snorkeling in the lake.

He had so much fun doing this,

it was like he was a little boy!

Courtesy of James

taking a pic of me putting my

sundress over my suit.

Don't worry I was not starring at my boobs ;)

James and I on the boat

No make up baby!

Just blue eyes :)

Oh Lake michigan sunsets,

how I miss you!

James and I on the pier

out at holland.

katie and sunset

Sweet kendall with her curls and an odd smile

She is the sweetest little girl ever.

She also fell in love with James.

and was attached to him more then she was attached to me I think.

At one point while I was trying to take a nap,

kendall crawled into bed with me

and looked at me so sweet with her little doe eyes

and says katie,

me: yes kendall

kendall: I am so happy that...... ( I am thinking she is going to tell me that I am home, oh no)

...james is home.

me: what? what about me, your aunt katie?

kendall: I just missed him so much.

That little stinker!

Well I guess she does have good taste, just like her auntie.

James is one of a kind.

A great man, with a heart of gold.

A soft teddy bear under it all.

Here they are watching tv.

neither of them knew I took this pic with my phone.

Got to see my sweet friend kellie,

who is preggers and at about 18 weeks.

Although she wasn't really showing,

but it is always good to see her.

She is one of my friends that no matter how much time has

passed since the last time I saw her

we always connect and laugh so hard.

Kellie also has one of the best laughs known to man too.

She laughs like an old grandpa,

if you know her you know exactly what I am talking about :)

She is the best and I will always be close with her!

Aubrey with my cute headband on.

She looked adorable in it.

Wish I could say the same about james' face in the background!

showed you a michigan sunset,

well this is a colorado sunset on the way home!

beautiful with the sun setting over the mountains.

oh how I love my colorado!

Busyness

Today I started a new season of my life....a busy one.

I am starting my internship this week. Which means in order to fit that in I have to starts working 10 hour shifts at work so I can fit in 12-15 hours at my internship each week.

So I am working 8-7. And taking on extra responsibility at work because we don't see families from 5-7 so I will be doing extra duties for those extra two hours. Plus taking grad school classes on top of all of that. Phew just typing it makes me tired.

Tomorrow I start at my internship. I am nervous. It is a lot of change this week. I awoke early before the sun rose because I am anxious. I am not excited to be spread so thin for the next year of my life. I don't do well when I am that busy.

So I awoke early and was praying. I needed some good face to face time with God anyways :) I was praying for a lot of things,

patience

mercy

strength

focus

determination

perseverance

health

and sleep!

God told me to be still. Be present in each moment. Be aware. Be focused. Choose joy!

I needed to hear this. I needed to be calmed by my creator. The only one who really calms me in that way. I just got back from vacation and it was wonderful. I will post pics of that soon!

Today I am remaining calm and enjoying some quietness before my world gets turned upside down for the next while. I keep telling myself to take deep breaths and take it one day at a time. Which is hard for me. I worry, too much. It comes naturally though :) But I can't go much forward more then one day or I think I will melt.

So here today, I will put one foot in front of the other and move forward. It will be a busy season of my life, but a good one. I am going to try my hardest to be present, to love James well in all of this busyness, to get good grades in school, to do well at my internship and learn a lot, to be able to learn how to do therapy with kids, to work with offenders, do well at my job, sleep somewhere in there, and most importantly spend time with the one who created me!

Think I will go crazy? :)

Photo Scavenger Hunt

Have I mentioned before that I have the best friends?

well if you have not heard me say this....I do!!!

For my birthday, my sweet friends put together a

photo scavenger hunt for me.

It started out when James bought lunch for all us, which just happened to be boriello brothers pizza, yum!

and from there we set out.

Girls vs. boys of course!!! We gathered points for how many things on the list we got pictures of. And the girls won!

Now I would post all the pics, but my wonderful dear friend jennifer, did a great job. To see, click here

Thank again guys for making me feel so special on my day. It was truly one of the best!

My birthday

So I know this post is a little late,

but cut me some slack

I am a busy woman :)

For my actual birthday I was actually at a training in Alabama, (which I do not recommend being away from everyone you know and love on your bday)

where it was so hot you started sweating as soon as you walked outside.

Seriously people that live in the south, I don't know how you do it.

I was soooo ready to come back to Colorado by the end of the week.

My sis in law and bro and avary and stella send me a sweet wine stopper with a k in the top.

James sent me these pretty daisies, unfortunately they got to me a day late and I had to leave the next day, but aren't they so pretty?

Then came home and James and I set out on a scavenger hunt of sort. These pics are a little backwards.

So I will tell you in order.

I have been bugging james to teach me how to cook for awhile, so one clue had to do with the fact that I was ill prepared to cook and

thus we walked into my apartment

and J had gotten me all this fancy cooking stuff from

a store that only chefs can buy stuff at.

I got 2 nice pans, 3 great knives, cutting board, cooking sheet, whisk and lots of other really great goodies.

Below you'll see me holding one of my new knives.

From there he gave me a card that said it is your favorite place.

which you are also not good at preparing for.

So I knew my favorite place to be was on the back of James' motorcycle.

So he got me sweet leather riding jacket

and a sweet awesome pink helmet!!!

I loved them :) especially the helmet.

here I am in the jacket

with the knife

Me in the awesome new pink helmet.

At the very end of the night James brought me to a park where I first taught him to dance (and I use that word loosely :o), the boy has white boy rhythm)

and he gave me a card that had dancing lessons for us in it!!!

How fun!

From there I opened a box

and......

there was a ring!!!!

just kidding :)

It really was a locket he picked out for me, which I also love.

The boy did good!

I felt so loved and appreciated.

It was great.