Happy Birthday to the most amazing mother! I am so blessed to be your daughter. I look up to you in so many ways, and am grateful for what you have taught me, and continue to teach me every day. I cherish our friendship and feel so lucky to know I can call you up any time day or night -- just to talk. I wish I could be there to celebrate with you, Mom, but I know we will see each other soon and will party like it's 1999. I hope you have the best day and I love you so very much!!

2 Years Later

I'm playing a little catch-up here... it's not like me to get behind on blog posts! But lately I have just needed to take a step back from blogs, the internet, and technology in general. I felt that I was getting too wrapped up in the lives of other people, you know, the lives that look so perfect from the internet but are really only 10% of what goes on? My life is really good, and sadly, sometimes I need to consciously stop what I'm doing and remind myself of that.

Anywho, as mentioned earlier, my little brother came home from serving a mission for our church in Japan for two years. It's crazy to not see and only write letters to a family member for that long. Jace is the youngest of only three kids and the only son/brother. So just imagine two older, very protective sisters and two loving parents who counted down for two long years. Shouts of joy were exclaimed and happy tears were shed, all in the little Spokane airport.

As you can see, we were all a bit elated to see that big grin come back to America. Quite honestly, I couldn't stop looking at the kid! He's exactly the same, but at the same time so much older... and dare I say wiser!! My "little" goofy brother turned into a man over there in Japan. (hey that rhymes!) But don't worry, he's still goofy. :)

And a trip to Spokane in the summer isn't a trip unless you spend some time on the lake! The water was a bit chilly due to such a cool spring, but that didn't get in the way of another perfect day on the lake. I loved being with my family, and especially that we were all there together. I can't wait till next time!

We Are the Harry Potter Generation

... which explains why the moment the last scene ended and the credits started rolling on Saturday night I started crying, and I mean literally crying. Not just teary eyes or a "little choked up," I mean I had tears streaming down my face. This sudden onslaught of emotion was a little unexpected, but maybe not so much. These amazing books have literally been with me since I was an awkward adolescent little girl (ok, I know I'm still a bit awkward). I've read and re-read the entire series 5 or 6 times, always knowing there was one more coming, or at least there will still be a movie. It hit me so hard on Saturday night that it's over, it's really over... which means maybe it's time to grow up?

Never! I will continue to re-read these amazing stories and share with my children the places a little imagination can take you. Who knows, maybe we'll even go back to Hogsmeade someday to really re-live the magic. I sure would love that.

Anyway, if you can't tell, I absolutely loved everything about HP 7.2. It was fantastic and I can't wait to see it again. What did you guys think? Did it live up to your expectations?

My Thoughts Exactly.

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Our week on the lake

We've had such a fantastic Fourth of July weekend in the beautiful lake town of McCall, Idaho with Russell's family. Have you ever been? If not, you should really try to make it through sometime. My family has been in the winter for our yearly snowmobiling excursion, but being here in the summer is a whole different experience. Being on the lake is probably one of my most favorite things in the world.

It's been a lazy type of week where we pretty much have done whatever we want (my favorite kinds), yet we are still super sore from water skiing, wakeboarding, tubing, morning runs, biking, and more.

I'm not sure if McCall counts as "the northwest," but anytime you bring me near a mass amount of pine trees, lakes, and cool mountain air, I feel like I'm at home. 

Speaking of home,we are actually leaving this lovely cabin on the lake in a few hours to head for Spokane. The day we have all been waiting for is here! My little brother Jace is coming home from Japan where he has been serving his mission for our church tomorrow. I can hardly believe it. Ok, just kidding, I can. These two years have actually gone by really slowly for some reason. But no matter, the day is almost here. I haven't seen this face in way too long.

So this my official goodbye to McCall, and a big hello to my Japanese-speaking brother!

The Abbey Road Show

Last Friday night was the closest I would come to seeing the Abbey Road album played just like the Beatles did in 1969 -- from the rooftop. I was practically giddy all day long in anticipation of this event. Provo has started doing rooftop concerts the first week of the month, put on by C. Jane. Stuart and a few other guys from Fictionist played, as well as some other local musicians. What can be better than listening to some of the best music ever written performed on a roof with family, friends, pizza, perfect summer weather, Chinese lanterns, and my favorite Y Mountain in the background? Not a lot, I say. Not a lot.

I love summer evenings, so much. {Almost as much as I love the Beatles}. So you Utahns out there, try to catch the next one in August. It's sure to be a great time.

Around the House

Confession: I'm scared of commitment. Not in the way you are probably thinking, but I'm totally having commitment issues with where everything should go in our house! It's like hanging a frame is the scariest thing I have done. I have a bajillion inspirational ideas running through my head (thanks to the lovely pinterest), but I can't seem to narrow anything down. I know nothing is permanent, but maybe the thought that this is a brand new house with walls free of nail holes makes it feel like it's such a big deal! Sigh. Tough life, right? So if any of you Utahns have a strong desire to come tell me what colors to paint the walls and where to put things, that would be much appreciated. :)

Without further ado, I decided to appease those people who have asked for pictures of our unsettled house with some areas that have gotten a little set up. Disclaimer: things seem to be changing almost daily over here.

 These wonderful yellow flowers (from World Market) bring a smile to my face, even when I'm doing dishes. And that beautiful white vase? That was given to me for my birthday by Megan, one of my best friends from Texas. There's actually a funny story behind it.

 Now isn't that sign just the truth?? Also, have you ever heard of Voluspa candles? Mmmm they are my favorite. And they are just so darn pretty. 

If I were looking at this picture I'd say to myself "man, she's got a lot of green apples!" And it's true.  I'm making my favorite Caramel Apple Crisp this weekend. Yum. (Please ignore the bruised apple. I just noticed it and am too lazy to take another picture).

See that beauty of a bookshelf in the background? I scored that bookshelf (with a matching shorter shelf) for cheap using the lovely KSL Classifieds. Within a few weeks I will be painting it, using this lovely cupboard as my inspiration:

Pretty right?

And now to the outside. This wreath might look a bit familiar, no?

And let's talk about another score from the classifieds. I found these two porch chairs for a whopping total of $40. I was one happy chica! Now I just need to give them a little TLC, and the mister and I can spend some lovely summer evenings rocking on our porch. Just give me some strawberry lemonade and we'll call it good!

And last, but not least, the largest and sadly the least exciting project we have done thus far, our garage. We painted the walls and sealed the floor. And by we, I mean mostly me. :) I guess that's what happens when I don't have a job and Russ does. It went from this:

... to this!

That's it for the Lewis home tour... for now! I hope you enjoyed the ride!

{And before you call me completely lazy, let me just share my exciting news! I did get a job! It will be doing accounting functions (plus other miscellaneous tasks) for about 30 hours a week. I can't explain how excited I am to have a little flexibility. I don't start for a few weeks, so I must take advantage of the few weeks of freedom I have ahead of me!}

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?

The Longest Day of the Year

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Who here is as excited as I am that summer is here?! I'm seeing trips to the lake, hikes, swimsuits, barbeques, hot dogs, family, and lots o' fun in our near future. There is something so exciting about the summer solstice and making the most of the longest day of the year. Here are a few ways we have welcomed summer into our lives:

We closed on our house! It's quite a scary feeling being in charge of getting the biggest check of our life to the title company. This also means we signed our life away. But, looking on the bright side, once the funds go through tomorrow, that little blue house is ours!!

I bought Russ a new swimsuit for $5 at Old Navy in anticipation for our many family trips to the lake in the upcoming weeks.

Made a delicious meal to celebrate summer. This Ravioli with Apples and Walnuts recipe from Real Simple is a must-try meal... trust me. It's quick and tasty, and always brings a smile to our face.

And last, but not least, we took advantage of the cool evening and walked up to Rock Canyon and watched the sun set on this longest day of the year. What a beautiful sight to behold.

And how about you, my friends? How did you say goodbye to spring and hello to summer? Anyone have exciting plans for this lovely season??

Bar Gelato?! Yes Please.

Maybe it's the fact that our little temporary one bedroom apartment does not have A/C and a cold treat sounds so refreshing, summer is in full force, or the fact that I just have a major sweet tooth... but these little bars of goodness look ahh-mazing. Can someone please convince bar gelato to be sold in other states than California? I will buy them. I can promise you that.

We Did It!!

I am so happy to say that Half-Marathon #3 is over and done with!

Natalie, me, and Marcella (from left to right) literally cheering for joy  

This was such a great weekend. I loved spending time with my husband and our family. I loved creating new memories. I loved pushing myself to the limit. And most of all, I loved accomplishing another goal.

At the beginning of the year I had made a goal to run another half marathon, and by golly, I did it! I started my training in Texas, and quite honestly, was feeling great about my progress. I felt faster and stronger than I have ever felt in my life. And then we moved to Utah, and added about 4,000 feet to the elevation. Ouch! Talk about feeling like wheezy McGee! Just about the point where I felt like my lungs were no longer burning during every run, it was time for the big event. We drove the 3 hours north to Bear Lake, adding another 1,000 feet to the elevation. Let me just say this race was HARD. Then again, I'm not sure when running 13.1 miles will ever be easy. That will be a good day. Long story short, I didn't quite hit my "goal time." But considering the circumstances, I feel I did really well. I knocked about 5 minutes off of my last half marathon time, which in and of itself, is something to be happy about.

I am also extremely proud of my two sister in-laws. We all accomplished something that we each struggled in our own individual ways to achieve. I am especially impressed with Marcella, a mother of 3 kids (her youngest is 6 months), and before yesterday had never run longer than 6 miles. But she did it, and even crossed the finish line with a smile. 

Each time I finish a race I think "What next?" Now that we are in Utah where there are multiple half or full marathons almost every weekend, I hope to run another by the end of the summer. Committing this goal to the blog-o-sphere will make it hard to back out. :)

And that my friends, is why runners are insane. We finish one painful experience (I mean literally painful -- it hurts to walk today), and think "when can I do this again?"

PS. Thanks for waving at the camera, Nat. Practicing for Miss Utah??

The {Mountain} Biker is Back

Before Russ and I met he used to do weekly mountain bike races. We then got married and moved to Texas where a mountain could not be found. Russ often talked about these races so nostalgically. I was sad I never got to see him in "his element."

Wednesday night was another affirmation of how much we love being back in the mountains. Russ was like a little kid on his new bike. You see, for the last few years Russ has often mentioned how much he would like a new mountain bike. I told him that if we ever lived in a location where the bike could actually be used, he could buy whatever bike he wanted. Hmm... maybe that was one reason he took this job in Utah?

Either way, it was worth it. Seeing Russ ride and compete, doing something he completely loves, made me so happy. And plus, how can I complain when I get to read a book on the grasses of Sundance with this as my view while I wait for him to cross the finish line?

Oooo! Speaking of races, tonight we are off for a weekend at Bear Lake where I will finally get to run my half marathon I signed up for a few months ago. I am filled with one part excitement, one part dread, and one part nerves. Welp, wish me luck!

Ruffled Flower Onesie Tutorial

Is it just me, or is everyone having babies right now?! It's probably just me. One of my best friends from college, Elyse, had a beautiful little girl a few months ago. I figured it's better late than never to make Isla a little gift!

Looking at my blog it might seem as though I only make yellow crafts. This may be half true, but I swear I like other colors and do in fact incorporate them into my craft projects! I guess the only ones I actually blog about are yellow. Anyway, not important. You can customize to whatever your heart desires!

It has been a while since I made a tutorial. But this was a fun and easy little project that I just had to share with y'all! You can use any fabric you have laying around. I used a jersey material that I had found at Hancock Fabrics for sale. So really, all you need is fabric, thread, onesies, and of course a sewing machine might help :)

First you're going to make the ruffles. Ruffles are fun. I promise.

Is "ruffle-ness" a word? Well it is now. Anyway, now you've got your ruffle and all you have to do is sew it to the onesie in a rotating pattern to make your flower! Easy as pie, I tell ya.

And there you have it! A fun little ruffled flower onesie to give as a baby shower gift or keep for your own little ones (if you have them). I tied a little string of my oh-so-favorite divine twine around the onesie for the finishing touch.

When Isla's a bit older I'm sure she'll tell me how pretty she felt in her onesie. Now I wish I had one in my size. I guess I could just sew this ruffled flower to a pillow? A shirt of my own? A tote? Oh goodness, the possibilities are endless!

Happy crafting my friends!

Turkey Pesto Panini

Yesterday was one of those make-something-for-lunch-based-on-the-few-ingredients-you-have-in-your-fridge type of days. The finished product was so good that it was no longer a "scavenger-type" meal, but may be one of my new favorite sandwiches. I loved it so much I couldn't wait till noon to make it again today. I thought to take a picture mid-scarf mode, so I apologize for the half-eaten sandwich. But if your looking for something tasty (and quick!) to make, I highly suggest throwing this little guy together!
 

The Lewis Home Tour

Welcome to the Lewis Home Tour! I have received requests to see some pictures of our new house. Since we're not in it yet, I thought I would meet you in the middle by showing pictures of the inside of the model home (which is exactly the same floorplan as our house)! One reason we were so excited about our house was the original builder had included about $30,000 worth of upgrades, that I'm sure we wouldn't have been able to afford, but we received at a huge discount. Some upgrades he did include:

Solid surface countertops (the model home had laminate)

Upgraded cabinets, carpet, tile, and 2 sinks in the master bath

Increased insulation throughout house, including insulated garage doors

 The lovely 3rd garage... oh, bless that man.

All walls in the house are white right now, which honestly, I am stoked about. I love the idea of starting with a fresh canvas. I also fell in love with the thick baseboards and doorframes, oversized windows, and craftsman style doors. Okey dokey, let's get this tour on the road!

In the picture below you will see the kitchen--he extended that right side out by 4 feet making it a bit more open.

So that's prety much it for the inside. Congrats to you if you made it through all those pictures! Another big selling point to us was the size of the yard and the view of the river, mountains, and horses, not to mention direct access to a huge trail that goes along the river. The big downside? None of the landscape is done. But, as my dad used to sing to me often as a kid, "you don't always get what you want." :) And plus, it'll do me some good to get down and dirty. Hello summer project!

3 Things

There are 3 things that have made me a happy girl lately.

#1: Pinterest. I have a lot of free time (aka: still job hunting), but for some reason I do not have a lot of creative juices flowing. So frustrating. So imagine my excitement when I finally received my invitation to join Pinterest, the most addicting and inspiring online collaboration I've ever been a part of. You can browse oodles of inspiring pictures other people have "pinned" to their boards, including decorating ideas, crafts, foods, styles, vacation destinations, art, etc. I must warn you: it is highly addicting! But believe me, my creative wheels are spinning now.

This is a view into some of my "boards" I have created. I am still learning the ropes, but I like how it will help me remember all the cute ideas I see online that I usually forget about 10 seconds after I see them. You have to request an invitation, but I have some invitations I can send out, so let me know if you want one!

 #2: Reading. I absolutely love getting sucked into a book to the point where you want to squeeze in a few pages whenever you get a chance. I recently read The Help, and by golly, I could not put it down. It is based in Jackson, Mississippi during the height of the civil rights movement, when for some reason a woman's skin color defined how she was treated. It is such an eye-opening novel that allows you to fall head-first into the nitty gritty of the character's lives. When I finished the book I truly missed these women! I can't wait for the movie this summer.




#3: And last, but definitely not least, Adele. This girl has got some soul and I think it is safe to say she is somewhat of a modern-day Aretha. This CD is played on repeat in my car, and the melodies and lyrics run throughout my head for the rest of the day. If you're feeling rather uninspired in the music genre these days, I highly recommend picking up this album, 21, or any of her others. You won't be sorry!