friday letters

dear spring break, thanks for showing up finally!  i wish you could stick around longer (long enough to actually warm up) but i guess i should get this semester over with, huh?
speaking of the semester...
dear school, i'm so tired of you and your shenanigans.
dear family, i love you. i'm so thankful for the time we had together this week. playing on the beach, and our annual easter egg hunt were the highlights of the trip. oh, and taco night.  it's always a highlight. the next time we'll be all together is for my wedding!!! eek!
dear derriere, sorry about the road tripping that happened this week.  i wish you would stop falling asleep though.  thats just weird.
dear Pop's resturant, your fried pickles. are. da. bomb. which brings me to...
dear working out, it's just you and me now, pal.  no exceptions.   i've got a wedding dress to wear this summer!
dear exam.... i'm going to kick your little tush this next week. just wait and see!

soaking up the sun

well.... i've been a little behind the 8 ball with wedding plans lately... thank you, nursing school.  

finally, we found a weekend to meet up with our wedding photographer to do a little engagement session :)  it was a gorgeous winter day in annapolis, and the only day with sun in about a week.  we were so blessed with the weather!  here are some of my favorites: 

photo dump anyone??

 (the 16 is because our wedding is on the 16th. har har)

thank you, Kyle for capturing these photos :) 

happy weekend, lovelies! 

friday letters.

hey guys!  so i've been in a major blogging funk (have i ever not been in one, is the real question , i think) and i'm gonna try some link-ups through out the week, maybe to hold me accountable?  and to hang out with some other lovely blogging ladies :)
so... here goes nothin!

dear fiance: yesterday we sat together in silence doing work in starbucks, yet somehow i loved the time we had together.  stealing glances at your handsome self intently writing e-mails made my heart flutter and made studying cardiac disorders not so terrifying.  dear weather: please, please warm up!!  or at least stop being windy.  I really hate the wind.  (but you already know that)  dear  mom:  have a great weekend away with your crazy girlfriends!  so glad you can get away and stop working every once in a while.  dear wedding:  I CANT WAIT FOR YOU!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm linking up with ashley over at the sweet season  she's so sweet, and preganant, and has the cutest little pup.

4 years of lovin you.

i was on campus heading to a final lab practical when the cute boy from bible study passed me in the hall way.  we chatted for a minute, sharing awkward smiles, and agreeing that we were "SO ready" for our first semester of college to be over.  he told me good luck, and that he would be in the library all day, and that i could join him ( he offered to help me study for my math final).  so obviously i met him in the library later that day... (cute boy+math help = uh, yes please!) 

well we never actually studied.  we just *silently* laughed all day, and avoided our studies (i don't know how either of us actually passed those exams!)  eventually he got me to agree to getting sushi with him.  kinda as a celebratory dinner after the semester.  i said sure. he said when. i suggested that night, after my math exam.  

i wouldn't let him pick me up (he should thank me. it bypassed my dad's interrogation)

so we met at school, and i let him drive from there.  let me tell you there was so much awkward that night!  you want an example? oh, ok.. um... here's part of our conversation--- 

me: "so what's your favorite movie?" *stuff a huge sushi roll into mouth* him: "oh, Dark Night. no question!  it's the best" *finish chewing* her: "oh, cool!  So what's your favorite movie?"  

yeah. that happened on our first date. and he still asked me on  a second date. probably just so he could be entertained by my awkwardness...  

all of that to say-- 4 years later i am still just as awkward. and just as blessed to have that cute guy in my life.  this year we're engaged. but we decided to always celebrate our "december 9th" because we want to date each other for the rest of our lives. 

i love you trev, thanks for asking me out in that smelly library, and for making me laugh better than anyone else can.

--here's to us, babe--

xoxo

{2009}

{2010}

{2011}

{2012}

flies and fishing.

Fly Fishing: Contemplative Recreation from Brian Wilcox on Vimeo.

this video makes my heart melt into a puddle.
let me tell you, nothing makes trevin happier than a perfect fall day spent on a river with a fly rod in his hands, and a cigar in his mouth.  this video, sans cigar, completely captures trevin in his element. plus it was shot in the peak of our maryland fall explosion.
so i may be a tiny bit biased since the main character is my soon to be hubby, and the creator, brian, is a dear friend of ours. but really, the video. wowzers.
and getting that furry thing growing on trevin's face in real time action? priceless. if you didn't get the hint boat load of sarcasm. go back and re read that. 
brian is a.maaazing behind the camera, illustrating, video-ing, and animating.
seriously. he's genius, people.
brian also took our engagement photos, annnd is creating our save-the-dates for our wedding.  i can't wait to see how they turn out!
i guess what i'm trying to say is...
we are so blessed to have such talented friends.
and i hope you enjoyed the video :)

currently, brian's website is under construction. but when it's finished, if you're a betting person, you can bet it will be right *here*. for now you can click the link on the video to see his other vimeo videos.

i mustache you a question.

ok, not really, but i couldn't think of a better title for this post because--- 

it's about mustaches!  

i was reading over at tippee canoe and stumbled across a post of hers about movember.  now, i've always heard about (and experienced) no shave november.  but movember?! never.  

i like it a lot more than no shave november, because rather than men just having excuses of growing things on their faces all for the sake of the month of the year, or just to keep their faces warm, they are raising awareness for mens health.  

(and lets face it girlies, who needs an excuse not to shave in the winter?!)

with my experience in nursing school, some of men's health issues are silent in the body, until it's too late.  so, movember raises awareness for those health issues.  

here's my main man sporting his mustachio in ghana this summer...
(he didn't need much encouragement to do it again for movember!)

stay healthy and hairy, men! 

(and go get your prostate checked)

and happy saturday :)

because it's thursday.

here's an oldie but goodie.  

this is one of my favorite pictures of me and the boyfriend fiance ;)  

I still need to get used to saying it! 

hope you have a great thursday!  the weekend is almost here! hang in there :) 

he+she

he told her to be ready at 5.
she curled her hair, and slipped into her red dress.
she was so looking forward to this date with him.
(he just came home from africa 2 days earlier)

at 5 pm, a knock on her door.  not his car, but a town car was parked in her driveway.  she got very nervous and her mom had to convince her that it was ok...
the driver handed her an envelope that said "Number One."  the envelope contained a note that explained how sorry he was for being gone for 6 weeks in africa, again, and served as the first clue in her scavenger hunt.
number one sent her to the park where she first heard him say "i love you." in the exact spot was a red balloon waiting for her with "Number Two."  there was yet another heartfelt note recalling specific moments of that perfect spring day two years ago, and another clue.
number two sent her to the top of the parking garage, where they had their very awkward first kiss.  there she found two red balloons and "Number Three" attached.
so far, each note has made her heart race, and eyes well up.  she keeps hoping he will come out from his hiding spot because she just wants to be with him.
by now, she is thinking "this is the best apology. i don't know how he will top this when he proposes"
 "Number Three" sent her to the school campus where they met, and their relationship grew from friends to best friends, to soul mates.  three red balloons were in the spot where he first saw her during their first semester. (she didn't see him)
she still thinks it is the best apology to date, and is getting very anxious to see him and kiss him.
"Number Four" made her burst into tears.  the emotions, details, and love that he put into these letters is overwhelming, and she just. can't. handle. it.
she got instructions to call him, and go to the place where they had their first date (also their favorite resturant.)
he stood waiting as the car pulled up.  they hugged, kissed, and grinned until their faces hurt.  he asked her to go on a walk because "they were early for their reservation."
they walked, and talked, she just chattered mostly, because he was nervous and had a dry mouth.

she had to pee and was getting restless sitting on a bench for so long "talking." she was relieved when he finally said it was time for their dinner reservations.
but before she could get very far, he stopped her. 

he told her how much he loved her and reiterated the things he said in the notes from her scavenger hunt. Then he started talking about how ready he was to marry her. Her heart starting beating louder and louder to the point where she couldn't hear him anymore. 

he was on one knee. saying something. Is this it? Did she just hear "clancy, will you marry me?"

she cried. and replied with "of course!"  and cried some more. (she should have worn waterproof mascara!!)

They embraced and walked up the hill. at the top, she saw the photographers that had been following her the whole evening. And she cried more. 

since that wasn't already more than she could handle in one day, he asked her to turn around. And there were their parents, walking with huge grins and glistening eyes. She ran with arms open to her mom, kissed her daddy, and excitedly greeted her future mother and father-in-law the whole time fighting more tears, and showing off that new ring of hers.

The six of them walked into their favorite restaurant for a celebratory dinner.

And so started a lifetime of celebration for her and her lover. They now anxiously plan their wedding day as they dream about what the rest of their lives will look like together. 

he's home. he's home. he's hoooommmmeeeeee!

“He's more myself than I am. Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same.” ― Emily Brontë

NYC with this guy.

Trevin and I found it hard to think of Christmas gifts to each other this year, so we decided to have a combined gift and go to New York.  I might venture to say it was the best idea ever... 

love this guy :) 

I love this city in the winter.  The coooold city, bundling up, grabbing a hot cup of something every other block, and if you time it right, the Christmas decorations!  Unfortunately this year, because of our school schedule, we didn't make it for the Christmas stuff, but regardless, it was a great 2 days with my guy :) and boy did we cover a lot of ground! 

We saw a wedding at Grand Central Station

We strolled through Central Park

Got suckered into buying tickets to a comedy show...
Something neither of us would usually do.

He pretended to be a super hero in the Subway Station (also a first for both of us!)

Stumbled upon Argo tea, which I've read so much about on Elm Street Life.   

yeah.

Loved Greenwich Village and it's charm.  Oh, it was just so wonderful.   I wish we had more time to explore, and visit SoHo!  Thankfully we had great advice from Trevin's Uncle who is practically a local and gave us the must see spots.
I say that's enough reason for a trip back, huh? yes :)

Ate THE BEST PIZZA ever at Joe's. Seriously, so good!
After pizza, we also went to the Blind Tiger just a few blocks away... the coziest little tavern
with a fire place and some delicious beers on tap. And by some I mean 37.  

Almost froze waiting for the bus. 

Ate a street vendor dog. (I did not participate in this part of the trip)

There were so many other great things we did but it was so darn cold we kept our hands in our pockets most of the time and didn't take as many pictures as usual.
NYC, we will be back very soon.