Write Me Away From Here

wedding planning is slightly overwhelming. between booking a venue, a photographer, a dj, picking a wedding party and colors and flower types and then deciding on the most important dress of your life.  my goodness. so instead of dealing with all these decisions, ben and i took the easy way out and booked a destination wedding so the resort does most of the planning for us! okay, maybe we really booked a destination wedding because an intimate ceremony on the beach in the middle of the  caribbean surrounded by our closest friends and family sounds like our idea of perfection. but the lack of planning is definitely a bonus. unfortunately, they don't pick my wedding dress out for me... apparently i have to do that myself... and i think this is probably the most overwhelming part of planning a wedding. i mean, there will be pictures hanging up of you in this dress for the rest of your life... better pick a good one.  since we're getting married in the dominican republic an

happy autumn! my favorite season has finally arrived (although it is 85 degrees today which feels a whole lot more like summer) and we have been busy busy busy. so many years have passed when autumn comes, the leaves fall, and i missed the foliage. since i started realizing this was happening, i always remind myself to watch the trees as they turn to fire red and orange... to watch as the world ironically turns more colorful before the gray of winter arrives.  so let's catch up on what we've been up to lately... first of all... thank goodness i have this little man around to get my baby fix until it's our turn. uncle ben and auntie jess got to babysit and i'm pretty sure we had more fun than mr. colton.   i'm convinced colton was whispering to uncle ben about a girl he met at daycare... he didn't want me or his mom to know !  the pups have been loving this weather... with those heavy coats, they can't stand the heat but would prefer t

happy wednesday! two more days until friday... thank the lord.  i had the day off today... kind of... and it was filled with all sorts of random things... and lots of eating... which is just like every other day in my life! most of my days off include the gym, errands, chores and puppy time...  here's a snap shot of today in pictures. 0600: my day started at 0600 when riley jumped on the bed to tell me she was ready to go outside... mind you, this is actually late for her (usually she's waking me up at 0430) but last night we went to bed late. so, i got up, walked into the hallway and stepped in dog poop. fantastic. someone (i think riley) was sick last night... and of course they needed to poop on rugs... two of them. what a present to wake up to.  0700:  so after cleaning up dog poop, i headed out for a 3 mile run.  0800: quick rinse off in the shower, changed and ate a fuel for fire.  0900: crag's 9am class which consisted of lots of shoulder pres

September 11, 2001... a day which will live in infamy. franklin d. roosevelt said these words in 1941 when we were attacked on pearl harbor... today they ring true for nine eleven. i was a twelve year old junior high kid... sure i heard the stories, watched tv, and read the newspaper... but looking back, there was no way my little brain could process how significant this tragedy truly was. i was one of the lucky ones... i didn't lose a family member or friend that day. but my goodness, it completely changed my life. this day was the one that influenced these men... my little brothers... to become marines. to make the sacrifice so many of us shy away from. i am more proud than they'll ever know. in 2001, our country vowed to never forget. but now, lots of days, it seems as though we have sadly forgotten. this freedom we take for granted everyday...  remember... that freedom comes at a cost... and maybe not a cost you or i have to pay... but that freedom is not free.

"The best love is the kind that awakens the soul; that makes us reach for more; that plants a fire in our hearts and brings peace to our minds. That's what I hope to give to you forever."  one year from today i get to marry my best friend! how did i ever get so lucky? Stay tuned for lots of upcoming wedding plans! 

September 1st came and went and I am officially 28 years old... holy cow. Hard to believe another year is over... time has a funny way of passing by all too fast. As I get older, I've slowly come to learn what is truly important in my life... those things that make me look back and smile... and it's crazy because they are so very simple. As I begin another year of my life, I have so much to look forward to... so much change happening... and I love every second of it. For the first time, I can whole heartedly say I'm in love with my life, our life. This feeling is something I wish for everyone... everyone should get to experience this happiness. I've made a lot of mistakes in my life... made a lot of impulsive decisions... looked back and wondered what the hell I was thinking. But, now I realized they were necessary evils to get where I am today. Please remember, it is never too late to change what you're doing in order to find complete happiness.  It exis

this week the love of my life turned 30 years old. it's hard to believe another year has come and gone and i still often have a hard time believing i get to call him mine. let me tell you, the best decision i ever made was agreeing to marry him... not like it was a decision at all... he has had my heart for a very long time. and not because he is so incredibly handsome (although that is definitely a huge bonus). but because he is good. he loves me unconditionally, even when i least deserve it. he is always kind, even when i haven't been kind back. he is the most level headed person i know and has helped calm my soul and keep me sane. he is the best friend a girl could ask for. he listens to me and knows when to offer advice or just listen. he is selfless and honest and i have never felt more safe than i do when i'm next to him.  throughout the years, we've laughed so hard tears stream down our cheeks. we've also cried together in difficult times, and then, h