This last weekend I was able to feel like I was 20 years old again and spend 3 days with some of my very favorite people. These college friends of mine are the types of friends where no explanation is needed, where I can be myself and laugh with my head thrown back. As I get older I realize what a blessing it is to find friends like this. When they are found, you never want to let go. This weekend was so good for my soul!!

We ate our way through Portland, hitting a few major sites, but most of all, just talked, talked talked.

 Top: Marcella, me, Lauren (LG), Rachel

Bottom: Rachel, Natalie, Jessie, Ashton

Amazing girls, amazing weekend, amazing friends. 

Sheri is home.

We arrived back home yesterday from an amazing vacation. I had full intentions of posting about it today, but there are more important things to talk about first. I need to write about someone who has impacted my life in so many ways. Sheri Bird, or "Sheri-mom," passed away late last night from a valiant battle with Glioblastoma (an aggressive form of brain cancer, which ironically took my dear Aunt Lisa last August as well). I am so grateful I was able to visit with Sheri at Lindsay's house a few months ago. That visit to Idaho will always be a special memory to me.

Sheri will be missed. So, so, so much. But her passing is a bit bittersweet since she is reunited with her sweetheart, Keith, who passed away seven years ago. They are together again. Smiling, joking and laughing, just as I will always remember them.

Sheri had the most infections laugh. Her smile could brighten anyone's day. She always thought about others before herself.

One of my favorite memories of Sheri was in middle school when I missed the bus in the morning. Both my parents were working at the time, and I wasn't quite sure how I was going to get to school. Oh wait! Call Sheri-mom. She'll take care of me. Sure enough, 5 minutes later Sheri swings by my house wearing a bath robe and towel on her wet head of hair. That's how selfless she was -- she would take 13 year-old Camille to middle school in a robe and towel on her head.

I will never forget the brilliance with which she lived her life. I hope someday I can be more like Sheri, which includes being able to make that uhhhh-mazing raspberry tart that she would whip up anytime I came home. It's the little things you remember, you know?

But for now, my thoughts and prayers are with the Bird kids. I love you guys, more than you know.

Rachey Pachey

This weekend was fabulous. My family was in town (more on that later), we celebrated Easter, and the weather was fantastic. But one little surprise visit stands out from everything else. One of my oldest and dearest friends, Rachel, came into town. She, her husband and cute little son are living in Pennsylvania (which is really far away!). I haven't seen her in years, so catching up felt really, really, really good.


Rachel and I have been through a lot together. I met her when I was a wee nine year old and we became fast friends. Some of my favorite memories that stand out:

* When she let me cut and highlight her hair. I think we were like 14. She was very trusting.
* Flying to San Diego together in high school. We thought we were cool.
* Surviving elementary, junior high and high school with the help of each other.
* Driving around in her ginormous Suburban blasting the music.
* Her nick-naming me "Happy Meal." It stuck.
* The time she came snowmobiling with my dad and me, and successfully launched her machine into a tree.
* Our Humanities Senior Project -- we danced on the stage as flapper girls. Awesome.
* Tons and tons of piano recitals, competitions and performances together as we were in the same piano studio.
* Doing her hair for her wedding! Again, she is very trusting.
* Russ and I practically running over to her house after we got engaged. She was the first friend we told, and she started crying because she was so happy for us.

... and last but not least...

* Having a dear friend who knows me better than most people I know. I can go years without seeing her (not by preference of course), but when we finally get together we can pick up where we left off.

Love you Rach!

Reminiscing in Idaho

I spent the weekend by making a quick jaunt up to Idaho to see some of my favorite people -- Lindsay and Sheri (who is valiantly fighting an aggressive form of brain cancer -- click on the link for her story). Lucky for me, my mom was there as well. While she took Sheri to her chemo treatment, Lindsay and I spent the day playing with her little baby Sam and being as lazy as humanly possible. It was exactly what we needed.

We reminisced back from days as little dumb tweens, high schoolers, college roommates, and now as married women with husbands and families of our own. We laughed. We ate. We caught up -- on everything.  Life sure is crazy and unpredictable, but you can always count on "those friends" that will never change. Thank goodness for that.

Thanks again for a fun weekend Sheri, Lindsay, Sam and France!

The Monopolizer

Look at that face.

That's the face of a very, very serious Monopoly player makin' a sweet real-estate deal.

Who here loves Monopoly? I have a love-hate relationship with this game. When we were newlyweds of maybe a month or two and had just moved to Texas, we bought the game with a gift card from our wedding. I was so excited to find a game that we could play together. Ha! Wasn't I surprised when we sat down to play one Sunday evening and I saw a side of Russ I had never seen. The sweet, loving and light-hearted Russ turned into a super intense, deal-making, dominating Monopoly player. I admit that the fact I was getting dominated every. single. time made me not love the game so much, but let's just say the air would get a teensy bit tense and Monopoly soon became a game I hated.

But Russ loves it.

Like a lot.

So sometimes we still play. He usually dominates me, except like on Sunday when we sat down with our friends to play. You would have thought it was Christmas morning for Russ and Dave. Too bad Danielle and I totally dominated their Monoploy-playing lives. It felt good.

Have I mentioned we've had some house guests lately? One of my best friends/former roommate Danielle, her husband Dave, and their adorable son Cameron just moved to Utah from New York City and have been camping out at Casa de Lewis while they get things settled. We've had some good times. I mean, how could you not with an 8-month old who smiles and waves the moment you walk in the room??

Help Heal Hela

It has been a whirlwind of a weekend, I tell ya. We are all moved into our house! Well, I guess "moved in" is a loose term, considering there are boxes and random items strewn about. But we are here, and we are so happy. We absolutely love the house, and even more, we love that we are together. Those 5 hard months we spent apart were worth it.

But honestly, amidst all of the craziness of moving, only one thing has been on my mind. It's not the decorating, paint colors, blinds (or lack of them at this point), or the mass amount of landscaping we have ahead of us. No, it is my dear friend Hela who had a brain tumor and is now recovering from massive brain surgery. I've known Hela since the age of 9. We played on soccer teams, served in ASB, went to concerts, dances, and many more fun events together. You know, one of those kind of friends. The ones you will never forget. She is an amazing girl with a heart of gold and is much too young to be dealing with a trial this large if you ask me. So could you do something for me? Just keep her and her family in your thoughts and prayers. I know they work.

I love this picture. It is me with some of my best friends. Hela is to the right of me in the back row. Isn't she beautiful?

My Partner In Crime

It's Wednesday. But unlike every other Wednesday for the last few years here in Texas I did not get up and go to work. And let me tell you, it was weird! Yesterday was my last day at my job. I am a tax accountant, which means I show up to the same desk and sit there for at least 8 hours of the day... preparing tax returns... every day. To most of the world that sounds like forced torture. But really, it's not so bad, especially when you have a best friend and partner in crime like I was lucky enough to have.

Most of you who have read my blog for a while have read about Sada. We both started working at that office within a few weeks of each other, and I knew it was friends-at-first-sight. We're practically the same person, so the fact that when she got married and her new last name was Lewis, just like me, it wasn't really a surprise. (I mean, come on, our husbands Russell and Reagan are both R. John Lewis's. Same middle and last name. Coincidence? We'll never know).

We spent hours and hours talking about everything under the sun, going to lunch, envisioning all sorts of crafts we can do together, running, cross-fitting, planning our futures, planning her wedding, shopping, talking, talking, and more talking, oh, and working of course. :) I honestly don't think I could have gotten through my time here in Texas without this girl. I mean, who else is willing to do an impromptu photo shoot in our "tax pit" on my last day? Sada. (PS. I highly recommend checking out her blog, seeing as she's an amazing photographer. Remember this photo shoot? Yup, Sada took those).

This picture is absolutely ridiculous, incredibly dorky, and slightly embarrassing. But I post it to give those people I have told about my "corner" at work a visual. I literally looked at a corner every day in a room with no windows and only fluorescent lights. It was fabulous. But as I walked out of that room for the last time yesterday, I was surprised to find myself rather emotional. I closed another chapter of my life, and said goodbye to another amazing friend. Luckily, she's a friend for life and this goodbye was more of a "see-you-later."

Life on Turbo

I'm missing this guy today.

After a crazy, crazy week of working, packing, and goodbyes, Russ pulled out of our little red brick house and drove away from San Antonio. His last day at Ernst & Young was on Friday, he is driving to Utah all day Saturday and Sunday, and he starts his new job on Monday. Talk about fast-paced living. As Russ says, "we live our life on turbo." We seem to be pros at packing huge life changes into short periods of time. Like when we got married, for example. We got engaged, both graduated from college, got married, moved to a new state, and both started our first careers within a period of 4 months. Whew! I'm feeling very much the same these days.

I'm ready for life to slow down a bit, to relax, and to have a Saturday to myself (which I haven't had since February). Yes, life has been crazy, but we've managed to have a little bit of fun here and there. Last weekend we spent the afternoon with some of our friends in a park near our house. For the first time in a while, I felt carefree and so relaxed. There's nothing like spending some time on swings to make you feel like a kid again...

... or playing with little puppies helps, too. Brittany and Dallin got a dog, and I'm pretty sure Russ is obsessed.

... oh, and those little babies are bound to bring a smile to your face. Morgan and Karen's little baby Carter is such a beautiful baby who falls asleep in your arms. It's priceless.

So we have one more turbo-charged week ahead where I'll finish off busy season (HALLELUJAH!), Russ will start his new job (no big deal), and then we will be reunited for a short time. Until then, you might just find me on the swings trying to feel like a kid again.

Soaking It All In

Well my goodness! Talk about Russ coming out of blogging hibernation with a bang! I know this little announcement Russ made this weekend may have come out of left field for some of you, but the truth is it's been a long time coming. We moved to Texas knowing it would be a starting grounds for our life together as newlyweds. We've been here for just short of 2 years and it has been quite the experience! We both started new jobs where we learned a ton and worked like crazy, we made amazing life-long friends who we are so sad to leave, and we have learned to rely on each other when life gets tough (as it inevitably does). Picking up and leaving is so bittersweet, but when this offer came along it was too good to pass up. So why Utah? Let me tell you:

All of our family lives there besides my parents... for now :)

Great job opportunity

Amazing friends from college who we miss like crazy

NATURE. 

 Big mountains. Mountain biking. Snowboarding. Camping. Etc.

So in anticipation of leaving, we have been trying to soak in every last minute here in Texas. Russ is moving this upcoming weekend, so we spent this last weekend with some of our favorite people experiencing true Texas life. Like meeting with Brandon and Megan at Rudy's, for example.  I've never been a big barbeque fan, but I have to say, Rudy's is pretty gosh-darn good. You get the whole barbeque experience with the red and white picnic tablecloths, food served in a plastic crate and barbeque sauce by the liter. Mmm mmm good.

After dinner Russ and Brandon left us for some "man time." Fine by us! Megan and I completed the night with pedicures, a trip to Target (or as Brandon says, the Mothership), and some good old-fashioned girl talk. There's nothing like a much needed night with your friend.

We love all of our Texas friends. And dang, we are sure going to miss them.

A Wicked Date

Russ told me we were just going to spend the night "in" for Valentine's with a homemade meal and a movie from Netflix. Well, silly me, Russ always has something up his sleeve. At the end of the night he pulled out a poem he had written with a few other goodies...

I had sent Russ a not so subtle hint a while ago with some earrings from this shop that I had been eyeing. He then actually went shopping and found a dress that matched the earrings, a cute trench to wear for the cooler evening, and with some help from his sister, some shoes that tied it all together. I was FLOORED. The best part? He had a secret date planned for this Saturday to wear my new outfit to. Let's just say, it was a pretty "wicked date."

First we met our friends Scott and Andrea at La Focaccia, a really great Italian place downtown. Believe me, the wheels were spinning at this point. "...we're downtown... we're all dressed up... it might just be what I'm hoping it is." And sure enough...

...We saw Wicked! I felt like a giddy child sitting in those seats up in the back of the theater. I've been wanting to see this play for EVER, and it was finally happening. (Was that dramatic enough?) I have been listening to the soundtrack for a few years, but seeing the real thing blew the CD out of the water. Or should I say it defied gravity? {ha!} 

Thanks again husband. It was a fantastic night out on the town.

Newborns

There is something quite magical about holding a newborn. To think of where their little spirits were just hours before is breath-taking. They have such pure, precious little bodies, and one can only imagine what is in store for them on this earth. As far as I can remember, little Carter is probably the "newest" of newborns I've ever held. Our friends Morgan and Karen (mentioned in this post) had their baby, Carter Morgan Allen, on Wednesday afternoon. I went to visit them at the hospital last night. He's just about 24 hours old in this picture, and he's perfect.

I went with my other child-less friends, Brittany and her husband Dallin, and she told me we had to put our "baby-fever-guards up." But those darn babies really are pretty cute, aren't they??

{Please excuse the I-left-the-house-with-wet-hair-and-worked-all-day look. It's so charming.}

The Holiday of Love

It is February 15th, and I am thinking about the last few days feeling incredibly loved. Not just by my wonderful husband, but by friends and family around the world. Words really cannot express how grateful I am for my husband, friends in Texas and elsewhere, for my family, and for the amazing family I married in to. I definitely felt the love this year!

We got to spend time with lots of friends this weekend. Saturday night we went to the good ol' rodeo down here in Texas. We went with a huge group of friends, most of which were some of the first people we met here in Texas. We don't get to see each other that much since we moved to our new house, but when we do it's always a good time. Unfortunately, I didn't get any pictures with the group, but here we are at dinner with Brandon and Megan.

The next day we threw a little Valentine's shin-dig with a few friends. These are some of our "newest" friends here in Texas, and I am so grateful for them. Karen and Brittney have especially been "there for me" these last few months as Russ has been out of town every week. We've had some good times. You know you've got some good friends when they ditch their husbands to come watch the Bachelor with you... every week.

There was lots of good food, laughing, and extreme game times. (I forgot how fun Catch Phrase is! Holy moly). I think we were all a little enamored by the Valentine-themed Fruit Pizza I made. You guys, this thing was seriously amazing. It's all about the crust. Oh, and the frosting. And heck, it's also about the fruit. The only thing I'm sad about is that it didn't stick around longer. Needless to say, it got eaten. Really fast.

And isn't Karen (on the right) just the cutest? She also happens to be the most pleasant pregnant person I've ever been around. Here she is a week past her due date, and I still have not heard her "complain" once. I hope I can be half as nice as she is when I'm that big. Here's the best part... she's in the hospital delivering that little guy as I type!! Hooray!

{This is my Valentine. I love him}

By the end of the night I think we all got a little slap-happy. I blame it on the sugar rush. Those Valentine hearts I told you about a few days ago turned out to be excellent photo shoot props.

 
 

I hope everyone got a little lovin' this past Valentine's Day. Stay tuned to find out how Russ got clothes lined. Confused? Don't worry, you'll see..

Hue and Hum

You know when you have those friends who are incredibly talented in so many different ways that you kind of want to hate them? But then you can't, because they are some of the nicest, sweetest, most enjoyable people to be around? Yeah, I have a few of those friends, and they happen to be married. Please meet Caitlin and Robbie, otherwise known as Hue and Hum.

(Aren't they so cute? Don't you just want to be their friend? This is them with their adorable dog, Albus, of course)

He is Hum, because he is an amazing musician and the lead guitarist of a very talented band you may have heard me talk about before. 

She is Hue, because she creates some of the most inspiring and original art pieces I've ever seen. Mostly, I just can't wait to own one of her originals someday. This series is one of my personal favorites.

Well Caitlin's art is just what I'm here to talk about today. Caitlin had the fabulous idea of creating a few prints centered around Valentine's Day. Her art is already incredibly reasonably priced, but here's the kicker with these Valentine's prints: you pay what you want. Yes, that's right. You decide how much you would like to donate for the print. Again, you can pay as little or as much as you want. Genious, no? I wish every store had this option.

Both prints are mixed media. I just looooove the colors. They're beautiful, no? She has two prints available: a "lover-tine" and a "friend-tine," if you will. You know, just so you don't leave anyone out that you love for this "Valen-tine's" day :)

So hop on over to their blog and show 'em some love, become a follower, be their friend. Robbie is constantly putting up free music and Caitlin never stops making amazing original art and handmade crafts. Where can you go wrong?

Back to Life, Back to Reality

I’ve been singing the tune “back to life, back to reality” in my head for the last few days. You know the one. Once it gets in there, it’s hard to get out. That’s probably because of how real of a statement it is. It’s a cruel reality how fast vacations fly by. You anticipate them for weeks, months even. And then BAM! The vacation flies by at an unexpectedly fast rate. Back to life. Back to reality.

We’ve spent the last 10 days or so in Utah visiting our families. I’ve already touched on some of what we did, but I’m pretty sure visiting Utah is slightly bittersweet, because it only reminds us of how badly we miss our families. We wish we could always be within a short drive's distance, but I guess at this point in our lives we’ll take what we can get. Take a look at some of our experiences this last Christmas break:

We got to visit with some close friends while in Utah. The top left is with Russ's best childhood friend/former roommate, Stephen, and his cute family. The top right is our new nephew, Brigham! He may be the most well-behaved, calm, perfect baby ever. We've got some competition.

And that little orange cup, my friends, is one reason why I miss Utah so very badly. Mango Chicken Salad, I love you. The bottom right is my random and awesome visit at my old college job, the Money Room. Luckily one of my best friends from Spokane (who I was nice enough to hook him up with the job... you're welcome Sean) was working with my old boss, Karla. You know you have a friend when your old boss still calls you on Christmas Eve. It was good to catch up.

I absolutely love getting to play with Benny and Lucy, Marcella's other two older children. Benny is obviously in a super-hero phase, and Lucy is just plain adorable. She melts my heart with those big brown eyes and cheesy smile. And speaking of cheesy smile, the Mr. looks pretty happy there with his new multi-function power tool my parents gave him. (I may be stealing that tool for a few projects in the near future.... thanks mom and dad :))

Again, more snow. We loved the snow, even if it meant bearing below 0 temperatures. (YIKES!). We were also so glad we got to attend little Brigham's baby blessing (pictured in the center). 

All in all it was a great vacation and went by way too fast. But like all good things, they must come to an end, and you must get back to real life.

{ ....aaaaand cue the song}

Hot Glue Sundays

This is what happens when two girls get together on a Sunday evening who both have a crafty side they are forced to suppress for 40 hours of the week at their day jobs. We take glue gunning very seriously around these parts. I think Russell and Reagan may have enjoyed the evening just as much, if not more, than Sada and I did. While we created utter mayhem at our dining table, the guys got to build a shelf, watch football for hours on end, and grill hamburgers.


Everyone left the evening a happy camper, which may or may not have been enhanced by this bad boy I made below. I'll call it the Triple Chocolate Torte with homemade Caramel Sauce. Don't lick the screen, it won't taste the same.

New Mexico Part 2: The Wedding!

As we were driving to Sada's wedding I was nervous and giddy, almost like it was me getting married all over again! Sada and I share a room in the back of our office, and during the slow times (and even when it wasn't that slow), we were constantly planning, talking about, and scheming her wedding. I loved being a part of her planning process -- I got to help plan a wedding without the stress! Needless to say, I was perhaps just as excited as Sada to see how everything was going to turn out. I got to the reception center in Old Town Albuquerque early in the day to help set everything up. Thanks to the help of Sada's family and bridesmaids, and the bride herself, everything came together seamlessly. I think it all looked fabulous.

Clockwise from top left -- Sada made these adorable place cards to designate which guest got which plate, accented with Washi Tape, of course. I loved the feel of the tent with the lights... it was so cozy! The roses were the table center-piece. Those roses. Oh, I loved those roses... we even got to take some home! And finally, the cake table was planned with great care. The cake was a Tres Leches cake (yummmm), and that paper banner was made by me!

Do you see those white vases in the top right picture? Do you remember a post from long ago promising they would be used? Ah ha! You thought I would let you down. Do not fear, they reappeared.

And of course I must mention the part that really mattered: THE CEREMONY. It was so beautiful, I may have shed a tear or two. They were both beaming and totally in love. It really was such a happy moment. Sada designed these programs, and carried the theme throughout her wedding. Everything was so well thought-out. As I leave you now, just remember that:  

"Marriage is like a WEDDING CAKE. You need all the right ingredients."

- Sada's late Grandfather

Vase Hunting

So it may or may not be Sada (my partner in crime) and my secret wish to quit our current day jobs as tax accountants and start an Etsy store or something where we make fabulous hand-made creations all day long... oh, and get paid luxuriously for it.

And then we wake up, and resort to eating a Lean Cuisine at our desks real quick so we can fit in going to Goodwill during our lunch break. These pretty little vases (sold to yours truly for just $.99 each) are the first victims of Sada and Camille's crafting shenanigans.















I felt like the ultra nerd as I pulled out my camera at the check out, in none other than Goodwill. We were just so excited to actually be starting a project. I think the cashier wanted to seriously hurt us, especially since she had to wrap up a good dozen or so of these vases.


I'm not going to reveal what we plan to do with these vases just quite yet, but I promise I will show you the final result, assuming it all goes as planned.

It's all in a days work, people. All in a days work.

We're so social these days

Ok, just kidding. But we did throw together a hoppin' impromptu barbecue yesterday that was pretty dang tasty, if I do say so myself. It was an ULTRA rainy week here in San Antonio, so the sunny Saturday was a welcome gift. Thanks to our old and new friends for comin' by the Alamo Ranch pool. We had fun, and we hope you did, too.

No one ever really likes pool-side swimsuit pictures of themselves, but we needed a smidgen of proof that this social gathering really did happen.

Here I am with Holly (left) and Kate (right) at the pool post hamburger time.

 In other news:

• I have a 2 1/2 day workweek this week, and I couldn't be more excited about it. We take off for our European adventure Wednesday afternoon. I'm super excited, but mostly just thinking about how much we still have to do before we leave. This trip-planning experience has been somewhat exhausting! I kind of miss the days when my mom planned every nuance of the trip, or better yet, you give BYU money and then they plan your whole study abroad and tell you where to be and when. That sure was nice.
•  Have I mentioned to anyone that I have been drinking CAFFEINE-FREE Diet Coke?? Well I am, and I'm still alive. The weening process has begun.
• I know we are late jumping on the bandwagon, but after hearing so much about it we are now obsessed with the show "Modern Family." This was our date on Friday. Holy shmoly people, I haven't laughed that hard in so long. I thought Russell was going to pass out he was laughing so hard. This was his favorite episode (for obvious reasons.. eh hmm.. the mustache), but they are all hilarious. 

...and last but not least...

• Found out last night that my dear Aunt Lisa Forsey, literally the sweetest woman on the planet and mother of four, has a tumor on her brain. She and her family are all in my prayers, and if you happen to remember, keep them in yours as well. 

Sorry to leave you on such an un-happy note, but that's what's on my mind. Not quite sure why things like that have to happen to such good people (like I said, nicest, most gentle and kind woman ever), but everything happens for a reason, and better yet, everything will work out in the end just like it should.

D + D's Wedding

Let me introduce the new Mrs. Danielle Doty:

I flew to Utah last weekend for the quickest get-away ever, but it was so worth it. I got to watch as one of my best friends in the whole world married David Doty, whom I had only met the morning of the wedding. But he is perfect for her. How do I know? I know by the way he looked at her. It was completely endearing, and I know he will take care of her forever. They got sealed in the Draper Temple and had a reception at the new Sleepy Ridge golf course in Orem. The whole day was beautiful, and she looked completely stunning.

One of my favorite parts of the day was being back in the Draper temple, the beautiful temple Russell and I were married in. This was my first time back since that amazing day in July. I arrived a little early and had some time to ponder. Russ and I are married for time AND all ETERNITY. Not just "till death do us part." How lucky are we??? I am so grateful for the temple and the blessings it provides. It was a great day for celebration and reflection.


Danielle had nine bridesmaids, and I was lucky enough to be one of them. Besides being reunited with my long lost friend Danielle, my favorite part of this whole event were these fantastic flower balls:


After the wedding I got to spend some time with Brittney! The night included a little gander at the cutest craft show ever (Brittney and her friend had a booth), dinner at Bajio's, and another random bonus with a Fictionist concert I didn't know was happening the very weekend I was in town. I have been really lucky with the timing of being in Utah and the Fictionist shows... it's like fate or something. It was probably one of the best shows I have seen in a lonnnnng time. They did some awesome covers, including Tom Petty's "Honey Bee," and the always epic "Helter Skelter" by the one and only Beatles.

Brittney, her rock star of a husband, and their child -- the Deusenberg guitar.

Should I quit my day job? Yeah, I agree. Probably not.

I also got to spend some time with the Lewis's and be with my mother-in-law on Mother's Day! We had a fun time. It was such a quick trip, but like all trips back home to Utah, was so great. Let's just hope that next time I can stay a little longer.

All in a (Satur)day's Work

We have had quite the Saturday so far, and it's not even 7:00 pm yet. After a few months of doing some shopping around, researching, and going back and forth on what we want, we finally made a decision today. We are proud to announce that...

WE ARE NEW COUCH OWNERS!

Thanks to Lori at Bassett Furniture (and the 30% off sale going on this weekend), we purchased this couch in brown leather. Please ignore the goofy couple actually sitting on the couch in the middle of the showroom. We were pretty dang excited, as this is definitely the biggest purchase we have made since we got married, and we really feel like we got a good deal. Unfortunately, we won't be getting the actual couch for a few more months (brown does not come in stock), but we are excited to add this lovely addition to our family.

What do we do to celebrate? Lunch at Costco, of course.

Oh yeah, and then we went shooting! A few months ago we told you about our friends Brent and Holly. Well Brent loves hunting. They have been meaning to take us out shooting for a while, so we found a range today and gave it a "shot." Ha... get it?

 This is Russ's "Man shot." He was excited to use Brent's AR-15. Russ was like a kid in a candy shop with Brent's gun collection.

This is Holly. She's going to have another baby! Please take note of Brent showing little Avery the ropes in the background. So cute.

Whew. What an exhausting Saturday. I guess it's all in a day's work, right?