Happily Ever Heckmann- The Proposal

4/11/15

Anyone who knows my now fiance, Jon, knows that he has a sense of humor and likes to tease me a little bit- it's a good thing I can handle it since I'll now be putting up with him for the rest of my life!
; )

We'd been talking about marriage for a few months and recently completed our church's premarital ministry class (which we cannot recommend enough- Merge), but I was not sure when Jon would propose. He liked to joke that it would be at least five years before he proposed, that he was going to buy his dream bass boat first, or, in all seriousness, that we wouldn't get engaged until he was close to finishing his MBA program in December.

We went on a weekend getaway to Fort Worth a few weeks ago and decided to come back when the weather was a little warmer, so I didn't think too much of it when Jon said we should go back the Saturday after Easter- April 11.

The day started out with a 1st birthday party for our friends' precious son. Our friends knew all along that the proposal was happening, but played along innocently asking about our plans for the rest of the day.

After the birthday party, we went to Grapevine and walked around the grounds of the Gaylord Texan Hotel and enjoyed lunch in downtown Grapevine, browsing through the shops and booths at a festival. We then headed to Fort Worth, which is such a special place for me because I went to college there, and explored the Stockyards before venturing to the Fort Worth Botanic Garden.  We walked through the gardens enjoying the springtime blooms and watching the preparations for a wedding, as I took pictures of the flowers not knowing what was about to happen!

We walked to the Japanese Water Garden and fed the colorful coy fish. While I fed the fish, Jon "went to go get more fish food", getting the ring ready in his pocket. He'd been carrying it around in a satchel in his pocket all day and kept walking away from me (I noticed nothing) to make sure it hadn't fallen out.

As we continued walking through the garden, Jon gestured toward a concrete circle area that overlooked the water, so we went up the stairs to see the view, and then down a few steps to a hidden area, underneath a tree by the water.  As I'm looking for fish, Jon starts asking me if I had fun on our date that day, and I answered, of course! He later said he'd begun to feel nervous as we walked to the garden, but it wasn't until this moment that I noticed he seemed nervous.

He asked if I had enjoyed dating for the past year and a half, and I started thinking "why is he asking this? are we breaking up?!" (kidding), and proceeded to ask me if I loved him, if I wanted to keep him around forever, to all of which I said, "of course!"  Then he said he had a question to ask me, and I realized what was happening.  My heart was pounding as he got down on one knee.

I tried to focus on what he was saying because you always hear brides say they can't remember what their groom asked them, but all I can recall is him saying how much he loves me, how our relationship has been better than he ever thought possible, using my full name and then asking me to marry him! I made sure to give a loud and clear YES.  In his nervousness, he tried to put the ring on my right hand (in his defense, facing me it was his left), but fortunately I made sure it went on the correct finger!

It was just the two of us together for that moment, and I wouldn't have had it any other way as he stood back up and we excitedly, shaking, shared our first kiss as an ENGAGED couple.  And, obviously, we had to take a selfie.

We found other garden-goers to take a few pictures of us and explored a bit more before Jon said we had to head to my parents' house to go to dinner with our families.  The whole drive back I asked him a million questions about how long he'd been planning this, how long he'd had the ring, when he talked to my parents, who all knew this was happening, etc.

Jon designed the ring himself, and it was perfect.  I told him I wanted it to be simple, classic, and elegant, and it's exactly that. And yes, I've been the bride-to-be that can't stop staring at her left hand!

We arrived at my parents' house and headed inside for me to find that the surprises were not over- our families and many close friends were waiting inside for a surprise engagement party!!

I didn't cry when Jon proposed, but I teared up seeing all of the smiling familiar faces there to celebrate with us as we prepare for this adventure called marriage.  We are beyond blessed with incredible family and friends who have encouraged us, prayed for us, and loved us well both as individuals and as a couple.  The engagement party was perfect and a total blur, but it was without a doubt one of the best nights of my life.

Turns out that my fiance is quite the planner and secret keeper! Jon is so thoughtful and made our engagement day feel like a dream.  God has blessed us beyond what we deserve by bringing us together, and I pray that we glorify Him through our marriage.

To all our family and friends- THANK YOU for being there for us in this season! We love you and cannot wait to spend our wedding day with you!

Here's to Happily Ever Heckmann!

San Fran with My Man

Jon and I traveled to San Francisco, California, last weekend to celebrate his aunt's life. 

Even though I never had the opportunity to meet Aunt Phyllis, hearing anecdotes from her family about her sense of humor, passions for cooking, gardening, and reading, and always providing a "safe haven" in her home for her daughters' many friends gave me a great understanding of the special lady she was, and I'm grateful to have been there. 

Her family put together such a sweet tribute and the whole day was very meaningful. It was great to spend time with Jon's extended family that I had heard so much about, too, and I hope I get to see them again very soon.

Aunt Phyllis' husband and daughters brought many of her favorite books to her memorial and encouraged everyone to choose a book to take with them. Having a love for books myself, I chose a mystery to begin reading on the plane ride home- such a unique way for her memory to live on.  

We made the most of our free time in San Fran, working our way from Sausalito all the way down to Carmel! San Francisco is very crowded and there was so.much.traffic everywhere we went, but the weather was perfect and I loved sightseeing and exploring a new city with my man.

Crossing the Golden Gate Bridge is now checked off my bucket list, and we enjoyed a delicious and romantic Valentine's Day sushi dinner in Sausalito. 

Everyone else took advantage of the gorgeous weather the day we drove to Monterey and explored the aquarium... children everywhere! But we loved the sea otters and sea lions. : )

We had forgotten about the Pebble Beach golf tournament and 17 Mile Drive was closed to tourist traffic, but fortunately Jon is good with navigation and managed to get us to a beach in Carmel anyway. 

Driving along the coast with the sun shining over the beach, windows down with cool sea breeze and the sound of waves crashing holding hands with my favorite person... perfection.

You already know the beach is my happy place, and Carmel's views did not disappoint. I'd like to go back already. 

They aren't kidding about the hills in San Francisco, and Jon and I found ourselves giggling as we drove up steep grade hills near downtown, not really being able to see if there was more road in front of us- very different than being in flat Texas in his truck!

At lunch on our last day, Jon ordered queso, and when they brought this out, Jon had no idea what it was.  I couldn't stop laughing and finally explained to him that this was the California version of queso, or "fundido," to which he said, "I'm ready to go home now."

So, back to the land of "real" queso and frozen margaritas we went. There really is no place like home. Though if someone can figure out how to bring a beach to Dallas, I'd love you forever... seriously.

Turn-ons & Turn-offs

In the spirit of Valentine's Day, I've been thinking about what is attractive in a man, as well as the things that are deal-breakers.

[This post might as well be called- what I'm looking for, while also avoiding, in my search for Mr. Right]

Turn-ONs:

• Strong faith and firm morals.  This is first and foremost for me, and what really defines a person. 
• Family oriented.  After my faith, family is the most important thing in the world to me. 
• Intelligence. It's important for a man to be able to carry on intelligent conversations and keep up with what's going on in the world.   
• Good sense of humor.  It's refreshing for someone to be able to see the fun in life and not always take everything so seriously. 
• Sense of purpose and direction in life.  You never have it all figured out, but I am so much more intrigued, and confident in, a guy who knows what he wants to do with his life and is striving to achieve his goals. 
• Ryan Gosling looks.  Just kidding.  But really, if you resemble my favorite celeb, you might score some extra points...

Source: http://www.gq.com

Turn-OFFs:

• Smoking.  Sorry, but it's just a terribly unhealthy habit.  And don't even get me started on dipping...
• Heavy drinking- frequently. I promise I like to have fun, but any man that parties hard night after night is just not for me.
• Lack of ambition.  Don't really know what you want to do with your life? Aren't willing to work hard to get there?  I'm gonna have a hard time with you.  
• Disrespectful to others. I pay close attention to how a guy talks about/to his family, friends, and even total strangers.  
• Bad attitude.  I think of myself as a generally happy, positive person who appreciates the little things in life, so I'm drawn to someone who has a similar outlook. 

What have I left off of the list?

Just Me

You'll see a lot of other faces in my posts here- my family, friends, co-workers.  All people I dearly love and with whom I spent my time.

What you don't see are mentions of children, a husband, a significant man in my life.

Just me.

If you look back a year or so at my posts, you'll find plenty of mention of a significant someone who was once a part of my life.  I haven't deleted those posts because they are a chronicle of my past, and I wouldn't be who I am today without that person.

We dated for almost 8 years.

Yes...a really long time. The reaction I would get from most people was "WHAT?! EIGHT YEARS?", and then almost inevitably, "why aren't you married yet?"

I'll spare the full story, but basically, we were high school sweethearts who spent the last two years of our relationship several states apart.  We had a plan that involved us winding up back in the same state and getting engaged, then living happily ever after... the perfect ending.

Fast forward to last spring, and he decided to stay 1,400 miles away in California, not ready to get married, not ready to progress in our relationship.

Bottom line, I felt we had reached a no-win situation and that he was giving up on us.  So, I made the incredibly difficult decision to end our relationship.

After nearly a decade of investing time, memories, feelings, into a relationship, I was back at square one, on my own for the first time since I was 16.  It was without a doubt the hardest thing I've been through in my life.

But here I am, seven months later, doing just fine.  I love my life and the people in it, and I have learned more about myself and what I'm looking for than I ever thought possible.  Instead of dwelling on the past, I focus on moving forward.

Too often I see friends, and even people I barely know, staying in a relationship with a person they know isn't right for them, because they are terrified of the unknown, scared to be labeled the dreaded "single."  

I would rather be single, just me, with an open heart ready and waiting for someone who will love me fiercely and fight to be with me, than be in a relationship that isn't fulfilling.

I hope one day my posts will include pictures of a boyfriend, fiance, then husband, in addition to all these other wonderful faces, but until the Lord finishes writing the next chapter in my love story, it's just me.  And that's okay.

In This World You Will Have Trouble

This week, so close to Christmas, I've heard so much sad news. 

A sorority sister's grandfather died, after her family has already faced great lost the past year.

A friend's mother passed away after her year-long battle with brain cancer.

Someone else I know lost their beautiful, young cousin in a tragic car accident.

Then, today, I learned of the shooting at an elementary school, with dozens of people killed, including innocent little children.  Words cannot even describe such a tragedy. 

With all of this heartache and despair in the midst of a season that's supposed to be filled with love and hope, you just want to ask "why?" 

I can't answer why terrible things happen to good and innocent people.  It doesn't make sense. Some people say "Everything happens for a reason."  I have a hard time saying that, because I believe in a God of love, compassion, and mercy, and it's hard to believe that a God of Love would choose to let awful things happen.   

What I do know, though, is that God has a hand in turning tragedy into good for those that love Him, and that He is here to comfort those that suffer.  It is often in our times of greatest sorrow that we realize how fragile and precious life is, and that we are here to comfort and support one another.

Verses I have looked to today:
"God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble." -Psalm 46:1

“I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” -- John 16:33

Hug someone today and tell your family and friends that you love them.

  

What Is Love? According to Kids...

I thought this was too sweet.  I love children and the way they view the world...and I'm pretty sure a few of these kids might have a better idea of what love is than grown-ups do!

Which one is your favorite?

"Love is that first feeling you feel before all the bad stuff gets in the way."

"When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and paint her toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That's love."

"When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You know that your name is safe in their mouth."

"Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other."

"Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs."

"Love is when someone hurts you. And you get so mad but you don't yell at them because you know it would hurt their feelings."

"Love is what makes you smile when you're tired."

"Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK."

"Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen."

"When you tell someone something bad about yourself and you're scared they won't love you anymore. But then you get surprised because not only do they still love you, they love you even more."

"Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it every day."

"Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each other so well."

"During my piano recital, I was on a stage and scared. I looked at all the people watching me and saw my daddy waving and smiling. He was the only one doing that. I wasn't scared anymore."

"My mommy loves me more than anybody. You don't see anyone else kissing me to sleep at night."

"Love is when mommy gives daddy the best piece of chicken."

"Love is when mommy sees daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer than Robert Redford."

"Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day."

"You really shouldn't say 'I love you' unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget."

Going the Distance: How to Survive a Long-Distance Relationship

A friend recently asked me if I had any tips for surviving a long-distance relationship, and it made me think-- how do Alex and I do it? 


I would be lying if I said it was easy. It's hard to be away from someone you love for weeks, or even months, at a time.  Little things that wouldn't be an issue if you lived in the same place wear on you after a while, and it's hard to keep things in perspective when your friends are going out on dates or coming home to their significant other every day and not thinking twice about their good fortune.


All that being said, here are my tips for toughing out the time apart and coming out in love, and TOGETHER, on the other side:


1. Be a team. People will throw you all kinds of statistics or reasons why long-distance relationships don't work out, and it can be easy to get discouraged.  The two of you have to be united in how you fee about each other and what you want the relationship to become long-term.  Try to have a plan in mind of when the separation will be over so that there's light at the end of the tunnel.  You can stand up to all of the questions and challenges if you both know where the other person stands.  Remember, it's your relationship, not everyone else's.


2. Visit each other. This makes all the difference for me. When Alex first moved to California, I was anxious mainly because I did not know what to expect or what his brand-new life would look like. When I went to visit, I saw everything firsthand and experienced daily life with him.  When you're in an LDR (hopefully you understand my abbreviation by now!), you live very independent lives and it's important to be comfortable with what the other person is up to during all their time away from you.  If finances and schedules allow, you should each make an equal effort to visit the other.  You can think of your visits as mini-vacations, and it's so fun to have a countdown until your next visit! 


3. Trust each other. If you don't enter into your LDR with full trust in each other, you might as well prepare to join the ranks of those whose relationships have failed.  Long distance means so little time together and so much time with other people and opportunities for things to happen.  But if you know that you are serious about each other and want to wind up with them long-term, other people you encounter while apart won't be an issue. Being paranoid and constantly wondering "what if?" will not only get very old  for your significant other, but will also make you crazy!


4. Communicate. You shouldn't be in contact 24/7 by any means, but communication via some kind of technology is the only way you can maintain your bond when you're not in each other's physical presence.  It can be hard with time differences and packed schedules, but talk somehow every day, whether by Skype, a quick phone call to tell each other goodnight, or even a flirtatious text conversation to keep the spark alive.  And, speaking from personal experience, Skype and FaceTime (if you have iPhones) are an LDR must-have!


5. Keep yourself busy and stay true to your own identity. While I emphasize the importance of communication, I have to encourage you to stay busy and pursue your own hobbies while in an LDR. I find that I get the most mopey about being in a long-distance relationship when I have too much free time to sit and think about what we could be doing together. Allow plenty of time to talk to your boyfriend or girlfriend, but make weekend plans with friends and keep busy with school/work and whatever your hobbies or interests are so that you don't dwell on the present separation. 


6. Don't lose sight of the bigger picture. Remember why you are with the other person and focus on that--if they weren't worth it, you wouldn't be with them. Not everyone can handle long distance, so just the fact that you are enduring it and still head over heels for the other person says something about your relationship and your strength as individuals.  Your time apart is only a short chapter in what will hopefully be your long love story. 

Going the Distance: My First Full Week in California!

Several weeks ago I took an entire week off of work for the very first time and went to visit Alex. This was the best decision I made in a LONG time! Normally my visits go by way too quickly and we are rushed to fit everything in, but having a whole week allowed to just relax and spend time together while also doing all sorts of fun things! Here are the highlights from my trip:


Saturday
I arrived in Los Angeles bright and early Saturday morning. Alex had training for the outreach program he's involved in, so I took a nice long nap and relaxed until he was done. Later that afternoon, we went to a barbecue with Erik and Alaina, Alex's roommates. I learned to play ladder ball...has anyone else ever heard of this game? Apparently people play it at tailgates, but this was my first time playing. Basically, you have two ladder-like contraptions and small ropes with golf balls on the ends of them. You stand at opposite ends of an open area facing one of the ladders, then throw each rope and try to hook it onto one of the rungs of the ladder. The top rung is worth one point, the second one is two, and the bottom one is worth three. Once you've made your three attempts, one of your opponents next to you has their chance and tries to sling theirs onto the rungs for points, while also trying to knock yours off and reduce your points. You have another teammate and opponent on the other side who try to do the same thing with the ladder on your side of the "court." Hopefully that explaination wasn't too confusing, because it was really fun!
We also had some delicious food, and it was really nice to meet Erik and Alaina's friends. From there, we went to the LA Dodgers game....my first one! The tickets were cheap, it was a nice night, the fans did the wave about 10 times in a row, and the Dodgers won! All in all, an excellent start to my trip.


Sunday
I love Alex's church in California. I blogged about the first Sunday's sermon in my last post, so check it out if you haven't already. I think about it every day and need to keep repeating to myself, "Better than I deserve."
After church, we had a really yummy brunch with our friend Clayton and his girlfriend, Tala. Alex and I went to high school with Clayton and Alex played in a band with him, so it was great to catch up and also meet Tala. The last time I saw Clayton was when we both happened to be in the exact same museum in Paris in 2008...it is crazy how small the world is!
After brunch, we headed up to USC because Alex played in a saxophone quartet for someone's doctoral recital. USC campus is so pretty, and I got to meet some of Alex's saxophone friends and hear him play. His awesome friend Ben took this picture of us that I really like!

Monday
Monday was a lazy day, which was just what I needed! Alex and I did some errands, and while he was in class, I worked out in his apartment gym. That evening we watched School of Rock, one of our favorite movies!

Tuesday
I spent a large portion of Tuesday taking it easy (which I was so thankful to do for a lot of this trip--I needed a break!), worked out again, and then cooked dinner for Alex. I made pork chops, asparagus, new potatoes, and sourdough bread. I still have a lot to learn, but I really enjoy cooking and baking, especially for him! : ) We ended the lovely evening by watching our favorite movie, I Love You Man. I can never watch it without Alex and am pretty sure we quote it daily.

Wednesday

Wednesday was an epic day! Alex and I crossed a major item off of our bucket list and went hiking! We went to Solstice Canyon in Malibu and hiked for several hours before deciding it was time to eat lunch. The weather was gorgeous, the views were incredible (as you can see from the pictures), and it felt like such an adventure. We had never done anything like that together and I loved it!

After meeting our exercise quota for the week, we had lunch at the Malibu Country Mall and saw a horror movie being filmed! We walked in the back of the shot and hung out there for a bit before we were asked to move. It was cool! We then took a stroll along Malibu Beach.
That evening, we went on a fun date--Barnes and Noble, one of our favorite places, and Indian food. It was delicious!


Thursday
I relaxed and read a ton on Thursday. I love reading but hadn't been doing much of it because of "life" getting in the way. My trip allowed me to read again, and I've been making more time for it in the several weeks that I've been back home. Sometimes it just takes a little vacation to rejuvenate you!
Alex cooked for us that night. He made his amazing stir fry, and then we finished the evening with Jersey Shore and smores.

Friday

Alex and I hit up a different beach on this day that is just a few minutes from his apartment. It was gorgeous. I wish I could go to the beach all the time! There are all these homes/apartments right along the beach, and we were wondering just how much it costs to live there. If you're curious, too, we saw a sign that had an apartment (or maybe it was just part of apartment, who knows?) for rent for $3,000 per month...unreal!
We made Tex-mex that night and called it an early night because saturday was going to start bright and early..

Saturday
Saturday was VERY epic! We woke up at 5:45 a.m. and got all dressed up for my childhood friend's wedding, then hit the road for San Diego! We stopped in Irvine at Cars and Coffee, which I've enjoyed attending in Dallas with Alex, and now we've been in California too. I think we should take some serious roadtrips and try to hit up others around the country too! ; )
From there, we drove the rest of the way to San Diego and made it to the naval base for the wedding. The ceremony was beautiful, right on the water, and Rachel looked gorgeous and so happy! It felt surreal to be there. Rachel and I were best friends as little girls, and her family moved to Michigan when we were 7, followed by California. We lost touch for a while, but had reconnected thanks to social media. I literally hadn't seen her in 16 years until her wedding day! Thank you, Rachel (now Mrs. Rosner!) and the Bourne family for including Alex and I in your special day!

After the wedding, we headed to Pasadena for dinner with Alex's community group. They were all so nice, and it was great to see the kind of support system he has there. We finished the day by stopping by a party in Beverly Hills, then finally headed home and crashed after our epic day!

Sunday
My last day : (
We went to church again, and it was another great sermon...I want my next blog to be about it and how it applies to my life these days. I also met a former Horned Frog next to me, which was so cool! After church, it was time for lunch and then Alex dropped me off at the airport. It was so hard to leave him after a wonderful week together, but he will be home in a month and I feel so fortunate to have had all that time with him. An exciting thing happened while I was in the airport...Gerard Butler was on my flight back to Dallas! I was staring at him and was literally five feet away from him at the gate... I could have been a crazy fan and touched him, but I played it cool. Still wish I had gotten an autograph or photo, but oh well...celebrity sighting success!

Alex asked me what my favorite part of the week was, and as far as activities, it was definitely our hiking excursion. I felt so alive and got to marvel at God's beautiful creation. The best part of my visit, though, was just getting to essentially live with Alex for a week and everything that our days encompassed. I hope to never take him for granted, even the little things in our daily routines, because I know what it's like to be apart, and it's hard.

Looking forward to my next California trip!

In Memory of September 11, 2001

"When the planes hit the Twin Towers, as far as I know, none of the phone calls from the people on board were messages of hate or revenge - they were all messages of love." -Love Actually

It was a beautiful day in early September. I remember how gorgeous it was when my mom picked me up from school that day and thinking how the perfect blue sky contrasted with the evil that had taken place.

I remember going to my 2nd period class, where I was an aide to a special needs child, and the teachers showed me briefly on the TV that an airplane had hit one of the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center. Still thinking at this point that it was an accident, I wheeled the student down to the choir room where they listened to the music and informed the choir teacher what had happened. She seemed surprised, but still ignorant of the full situation unfolding, choir class continued as normal.

The details of the rest of my day at school are fuzzy now, ten years later, but I remember slowly learning about multiple planes and coming to the realization that our nation was under attack. If my memory is correct, the school administrators wanted the teachers to keep the televisions off, but we all were still talking about it anyway, wondering what was going on.

When my mom picked me up, I remember her gazing up at that perfect blue sky, completely quiet for once since we live so close to a major airport and they had grounded all air traffic, and saying that things were crazy right now. I sat on my bed, trying to do my math homework and talking to my friend who was worried about a relative at the Pentagon, and realized the world I lived in was suddenly a scary place.

I am actually grateful that I was 13 when these attacks happened, because if I was any younger, I wouldn't have understood or maybe even remembered. And I am thankful that I wasn't any older, because I probably would have been terrified.

The rest of the week, our television was tuned to the news 24/7. I would walk through the living room, my parents sitting on the couch staring at the scenes of destruction as the newscasters talked about body counts, lost loved ones, and the occasional survivor found.

People were afraid to leave their houses, get on an airplane, trust anyone who looked like the terrorists they saw on TV.

Despite this fear, after the attacks, national morale was higher than I have ever seen it in my short life. Patriotism was everywhere. Since we felt we had been blindsided by an evil enemy, we banded together as one strong nation under God who would not be overcome. If we lived in fear, the terrorists had succeeded, and we could not let them get away with it.

Ten years have gone by now, and I am still filled with awe and horror at the images and footage they play from that fateful Tuesday. I just think of the people that got on the subway that morning to go to work who wouldn't be making an evening commute home, the people who boarded a plane not knowing what was about to happen to them, the children whose parents didn't pick them up from school that afternoon, and all the people who lost a loved one or a friend.

We can't change what happened that day. We can pray that those in charge of our national security prevent such horror from happening again, and we can also remember. We should never forget those that lost their lives that day, including those who died trying to save other victims.

There is a reason this country is the land of the free and the home of the brave. The world saw a lot of hate that day, but what stood out more was the sacrifice, compassion, and love that people showed for one another in our darkest hours.

Days Go By

"And days go by...
I can feel 'em flyin'
Like a hand out the window in the wind.
The cars go by...
Yeah it's all we've been given,
So you better start livin' right now,
Cuz days go by." --Keith Urban

It's been a while, hasn't it? The days sure do go by even faster as you get older. Here's a little update about what I've been up to lately:

Working Hard....but my job is fun. : ) After many months of planning, the young professionals group that I coordinate as part of my job, the Think Ahead Group, had its first-ever Kentucky Derby Party to raise awareness and funds for the research taking place at the Center for BrainHealth, where I work. The party was amazing, and we were blessed with perfect weather!





Playing Hard!

Alex is home for the summer, so we've been able to spend so much time together and work on our Bucket List...making great progess so far!






I've also spent some time with great friends. Mica's wedding, shopping with Morgan, girls night with Marissa, and Caroline surprised Jenna and I with a full reunion including Bauza and Jessica. Love my friends!






In other news, I really really want to take a trip somewhere. Maui last summer was amazing, so nothing I do this summer will compare with that, but I would love to take a weekend trip somewhere. Any suggestions?? I'm also hoping that I'll be able to visit my Little in July!

Hopefully my next post will be in the near future ; )