2.16.11

Feeding the birds with Grandpa Curt...missing you a lot today and everyday.

Well, another Christmas come and gone...and it was another fun and memorable holidays spent traveling, traveling and oh, traveling. luke and i celebrated with payton a few days early in our home in washington..no snow, but it rained a lot (ha!). i flew out to florida on the 24th in time to celebrate christmas eve with the kiggins side (extended family), then spent christmas day at gram & gramps. luke made it in that evening and we spent christmas night visiting with family, eating leftovers, opening massive amounts of gifts and playing farkle! it was a great time and something i hadn't done in close to 10 years. we also got a chance to visit with my grandma and she even let us pick yummy satsumas from her backyard! it was a great visit and good time to catch up (in person)! my parents had spent christmas up in virginia with our good friends, the cummings (since my dad had a layover) and ryan and sarah spent it up in indiana with her family. jason, anna and noah had to suffer through spending the holidays with a view of the snowy alps in their backyard. we missed them dearly and are quite jealous.

so, where was i...oh yeah, traveling. so my parents flew in after christmas and we drove up to lakeland, georgia (not sure it's even on a map, but it's near valdosta :)..we spent a late christmas with ryan and sarah and of course, the pups. we had a fabulous time touring their town, riding ryan's new motorcycle, playing games, eating too much food and laughing.

we even made a special trip down to tallahassee, florida so i could take luke (and sarah) to see FSU. i was super excited to show him where i spent 6 years of college and remembered most of it (ha!)..we got to meet up with my good friends lorie and jonathon and reminisce on college days.

we miraculously made it back to seattle on the 31st..oh right, i forgot to mention that we decided to save money and just fly on guest passes this year. worked great getting to florida, but due to the insane weather up north and just end-of-holiday travel, all flights were oversold until well into january. yikes. but it just goes to show that if you stand at the gate, bug the gate agent even after they've already closed the jetway door, sometimes it works out...

all in all, it was a fabulous holiday season and i wish all of you health and happiness in this new year..

happy first...

 just wanted to send a big HAPPY FIRST ANNIVERSARY to my little brother, ryan and his wife, sarah... time has flown by and i hope this year has been unforgettable...

summer trip to florida..

hi all! i know this is long overdue..not quite sure where the last 3 months have gone! obviously we've been a little busy..i'm just not exactly sure what we've been doing! i'm going to attempt to catch up now and hopefully keep on top of my blog! enjoy some photos from our summer vacation to florida...

happy birthday stacey!

two words: dirty thirty. summer vacation started off with a bang, celebrating stacey's 30th birthday in orlando with the girls! as usual, we were slightly out of control on the dance floor. just goes to show that you're never too old to shake it. stacey is the first of the five of us to turn the big 3-0 (thank goodness! haha). we're getting so old, in fact, that photos from the start of our friendship are in a box in the garage because they are prints. digital cameras were not all that popular back in 1999. yep, friends for 11 years now. hard to believe we met freshman year at FSU when we both ended up pledging the same sorority. we lived in the prestigious kellum hall dormitory. aka the biggest craphole ever. made for many good memories though and that is where our friendship bloomed. we spent the next 4 years living it up at college.. we attended graduate school in different states. the five of us continued to have our girl's weekends despite distance. eventually she moved to south carolina and me to the other side of the world (aka, seattle). since then, we've met up in vegas, orlando, tallahassee, largo...next stop..who knows?! it was a fabulous weekend spent with good friends, yummy drinks and belly-aching laughs. per stacey's request, i chose the following photos with care (in other words, no braces, bathing suits or booze..well, the first two, at least)...hope you enjoy and stace--happy dirty thirty. love you!!

happy father's day...

i just wanted to wish all those daddies out there a very happy father's day! to my grandpa tony, grandpa curt (know you're looking down on your kids today!), uncles (tom, tim, alan, scott, mike), cousins (adam, doug), my dear friends who are daddies, my brother who is celebrating his very first father's day, my hubby who is a wonderful father to my stepson and will be to our children as well, and especially to my own daddy..there's a special place in my heart for him where no one else may enter.

had to post this pic from a few years ago because this is one of hubby's favorite shirts (always gets a lot of laughs and a lot of questions...he's a funny guy!)

jason and baby noah...

one year ago...5/23/10

one year ago today, i did something crazy. one year ago today, i had my hair done up like a flower. one year ago today, my friend made my eyes sparkle. one year ago today, i put on a long, white dress. one year ago today, my mother attached a veil into my hair. one year ago today, my father told me i looked beautiful. one year ago today, my friends gave a toast and we drank champagne out of plastic cups. one year ago today, my mother slipped her engagement ring on my right finger..my something "old". one year ago today, i pinned my grandfather's wedding band into my dress..my something "borrowed". one year ago today, i slipped on a pair of white flip flops..with flowers. one year ago today, i stepped off the elevator to find him. one year ago today, we ran across the street again and again to take photos next to old buildings, fences and palm trees. one year ago today, my daddy walked me down the beach to canon d (steel drums). one year ago today, i said vows i had written weeks prior. one year ago today, i listened to vows spoken about me and "us". one year ago today, we said words that changed our lives. one year ago today, family and friends blessed us with 'congrats' and 'best wishes' and cheers. one year ago today, i kissed a boy who i now call husband. one year ago today, we walked down the beach, each wearing a new band on our fingers. one year ago today, we danced the night away with family, friends and good music. one year ago today, he told me he'd love me forever..and i told him i'd love him forever. one year ago today, i married the love of my life...