.heart to heart.

this girl is just so cool.

2012-02-10T12:57:00.000-07:00

color me katie.

you're awesome.

that's all.

(thanks kara!)

oh studentz...

2012-02-09T20:25:00.001-07:00

thanks for the laugh.

maybe one day you'll realize that these "haterz" sacrifice a lot of things, most importantly their sanity, to teach you during the most awkward point in your lives.

even if you never get it, we know.

and yes, we forgive you...

for calling us "haterz," but mostly for overusing the "z".

pom pom party!

2012-02-07T06:00:00.001-07:00

mr. lesley's aunt carol e. sent me these pictures today.

even though they are on vacation, his mom, aunts, cousin, and grandpa's wife jackie are all hard at work for our wedding.

they are the best.

snow boot shenanigans.

2012-02-06T10:19:00.000-07:00

mr. lesley picked me up bright and early saturday morning for the most important event of the season.

the downtown denver rei garage sale.

the falling snow couldn't stop us from getting a good deal, so we got some starbucks, waited in line, got our tickets, and found out, unfortunately, our tickets were picked to go into the sale second to last:(

(yes, there are so many people who come that you have to wait outside, to pick a colored ticket, to have them draw and put the colors in order, then they let the first group into the sale room. it's a little intense:)

since we had a good amount of time before our group was allowed in, we drove to goodwill to get some records i had been eyeing for a week.

it was half off day after all.

about 10 minutes later we walked out of the store with 200 records that we're planning to use like this.

i'm pretty pumped to have decided on at least one piece of the reception decor.

we headed back to rei post goodwill, waited in line a little more, and then took off like crazies through the doors to rummage and plunder.

i scored a pair of snow pants and these amazing new snow boots!

with all the snow we got the past few days, they were awesome.

how did i ever survive without snow boots?

i have now seen the light and may never wear flats in the winter again.

after rei, we had to go to the mall to get mr. lesley some new jeans.

i'm so thankful for my sister and her job as ruler of the world at silver jeans.

if you don't have a pair, we probably shouldn't be friends. just sayin'.

we also did a little browsing of vests and ties for the menfolk to wear for the wedding.

please tell me why every vest has some obnoxious colored silk on the back?

so, so ugly.

needless to say, we didn't have much luck.

(sidenote: if anyone out there has a good suggestion of where to get mr. lesley and his boys' wedding clothes...grey suits...let me know:)

that night two of my favorite people in the whole world, heather and jason, came down from fort collins for dinner and a sleep over.

we joined my sister and her fiance for some great eats at karma asian fusion and delicious drinks (including their famous sangria) at sketch wine bar.

have i mentioned that i love my neighborhood?

because i really, really do.

i spent the whole walk there and the whole walk home demonstrating the awesomeness of my snow boots by jumping in every snow pile in sight.

apparently, mr. lesley thought jumping in them wasn't enough, and he decided to pick me up and throw me into the snowbank.

awwww, middle school love.

after church on sunday, heather, jason, mr. lesley, sir winston, and i went to wash park to get a little cardio in before stuffing ourselves silly while watching the super bowl.
the sun was shining; the snow was deep; it was great.

sir winston was especially happy, as he got more time to run through the snow and chase the geese.

he was extra pumped when mr. lesley let him off his leash and told me to call him.

i definitely had a panic attack and tackled sir winston when he got close enough.

apparently, mr. lesley has no fear of him running into the road.

i, on the other hand, got a glimpse of my motherly instincts and was just seconds away from needing to breath into a paper bag.

good thing mr. lesley can keep his cool.

after the park, we went back to my place, made a lot of delicious food, hung out with our friends ben and clint, and watched the superbowl, which up until the last couple of minutes was kind of a snooze fest.

well, minus the m&m commercial. oh, and madonna's ridiculousness.

those were the highlights for me.

hope your weekend was as fun as jumping into snow drifts with new kicks!

snow day.

2012-02-04T06:00:00.001-07:00

yesterday, it snowed.

a lot.

so much so that...

-your dog pees the second he walks out the door

-your car is unrecognizable

-your uniform for the day includes sweatpants, a sweatshirt, stocking cap, moon boots, and a parka

-and every school in the city closes it's doors.

(unless, you're like me and you already had the day off, but whatever.)

even though i was a bit of a grouch after talking with the caterer that morning,

(sidenote: how does anyone afford to have a nice wedding these days?)

meeting up with some friends at sugar bake shop in our neighborhood gave me reason to smile again.

they even had typewriters set up where you could write little love notes.

of course, i had to write a little something for mr. lesley.

we sat around enjoying our coffee, little baked treats, and each other's company.

then it was time to hit the road again...

our afternoon consisted of...

-cleaning out princess louise's habitat

-a couple episodes of how i met your mother

-a delicious little egg scramble courtesy of mr. lesley's roomie benjamin

-a good old fashioned nap

-running through the snow with sir winston

-and spending time with one of our favorite couples, kjaer and monica.

(kjaer and mr. lesley played video games while monica and i talked blogs, weddings, cooking, etc.

she recently started a blog. it's fabulous. and you should check it out).

we ended the day with a spaghetti squash recipe i found on pinterest.

and it was delicious.

i think i will spend the next two days begging and pleading God for the snow to continue until spring break.

a girl can dream, right?

for the love of the blog.

2012-02-03T06:00:00.001-07:00

yesterday, kari and lindsey came over for a little blogging 101.

i am by no means an expert, but i do find myself getting really excited about formats, editing, writing, etc. and kinda love talking blogs.

before we hung out, i started thinking about why i love blogging so much.

why it's a hobby that has somehow stuck with me over the past three years or so...

why i feel so good when someone says they enjoy reading or have been inspired to start a blog of their own...

why i look forward to reading my favorite blogs every morning...

why i think about my days in terms of blog updates...

and i guess writing a blog reminds me that life is precious.

meant to be shared.

meant to be remembered.

and there is such value in knowing that we are not alone.

this post and this post remind me of the impact of sharing pain.

and how powerful it is.

how freeing it is to know that especially in our sadness, there are so many who have walked the same roads as those we find ourselves on.

so even though this is just a little blog...

and i'm not famous...

and i don't have 14,000 followers like some amazing ladies out there.

i blog to remember, to cherish, to soak it all in, the good and the bad.

to feel the wonder, the magic, and the depth of this crazy thing called life.

any advice?

2012-02-02T08:31:00.000-07:00

tonight mr. lesley and i have our first pre-marital counseling sesh with our life gurus, the wilsons (aka our pastors).

i thought, in the light of getting this show on the road, i would ask if any of you have any marriage advice you'd like to throw our way.

i'm sure this book we're reading will be chalk-full of wisdom, but i'm sure you've got some nuggets of goodness.

so, whatcha got?

you've got mail...and other happy things.

2012-02-01T12:18:00.000-07:00

when i saw this post a few weeks ago, i knew i had to make my own for mr. lesley and myself.

i mean, how can you resist such adorableness from the target dollar spot?

but i didn't want it to be only for valentine's day.

i need cuteness like this around me the entire year.

i have this on my bookshelf, and whenever we put a little something for the other person in it, we just stick their magnet on the front and put up the flag.
instant happiness.
you should probably go get one at target asap.

last night was jammed packed with other happiness...
like...
the skinny enchiladas and

tex-mex couscous mr. lesley and i made for date night

(i don't know what's happening to me. i think i may actually like cooking.)

my chinese slippers i still wear just about every day

this song by kari jobe that i've been listening to over and over

the flowers from mr. lesley that made my hard day so much better

and, of course, sir winston

his butt shake and underbite always make me smile.

here's to hoping your days are full of happy things.

snowshoes, save the dates, and senior pictures.

2012-01-29T22:15:00.001-07:00

this weekend, i learned...

-a friday night in with mr. lesley is always the best option.

-sir winston loves the bath mat. what a strange animal.

-early morning starbucks and an rei garage sale are a delightful way to start a saturday. and my new $40 snowshoes were the icing on the cake.

-i like thrifting for treasures with ally jones.

-addressing save the dates is not the most fun activity, but checking something off my ever growing wedding to do list felt pretty dang good.

-even when i am upset with mr. lesley and i deem us in a fight, he goes and does something adorable and i can't stay angry no matter how hard i try.

-the mexican chili chocolate beer at the copper kettle brewing company is also pretty dang good.

-skinny jeans look awesome with hiking boots.

-dogs and crotches just go together. it's pretty much a fact.

-nancy and justin keith know that a delicious lunch, some photoshoot action, and a little hike make for a great sunday afternoon.

-sunday night fro yo with new friend kim really hit the spot.

cuddles and huddles.

2012-01-26T21:48:00.000-07:00

i am so thankful for my church small group (a.k.a. missional community) .

we eat.

we laugh.

we pray.

we talk.

and we laugh some more.

they are great.

all of them.

salt of the earth type.

and i love 'em.

(and, in case you were wondering, i like made that fancy asparagus pictured above. yep. i'm fancy. and i cook. no bigs.)

"did you cut those carrots all by yourself?"

2012-01-25T08:32:00.000-07:00

last night i made dinner.

like start to finish (we won't count the onion i couldn't cut without sobbing. i had to call in reinforcement for that one).

i think i've emphasized how much i struggle in the cooking department, but last night my stir fry hit it out of the park.

now for most of you, stir fry is no bigs.

but for me, it's a milestone in my journey to become a wifey.

and i think i can officially add it to the 4 things i can now make as a meal.

(pasta with red sauce and turkey, chicken salad, tacos, and the ever faithful breakfast for dinner).

baby steps, right?

mr. lesley and i enjoyed the rest of our date night with some hot chocolate and a couple episodes of dawson's creek.

and i stayed awake for most of it:)

watch out world....this girl is well on her way to making a meal and staying awake for a whole movie.

i just think we have a really strong connection...

2012-01-24T11:49:00.000-07:00

yes. it's true.

i watch the bachelor.

and i love it.

(mostly because i get to watch it every monday night at new friend kim's house and she cooks me dinner.)

don't judge me.

i found this little gem while perusing the bachelor site on abc.com during my lunch.

you just can't find such quality television anywhere else.

enjoy the utter ridiculousness.

a simple weekend.

2012-01-22T18:15:00.001-07:00

the quality time with family...

our walk to a local coffee shop....

delicious meals out on the town...

sampling reception eats for my sister's wedding...

walks with sir winston in the sunshine...

crate and barrel registering...

a straight to the heart message at church...

sharing a meal with an awesome blog friend turned real life friend kendra and her hubs...

and dancing with mr. lesley in my apartment....

make me happy and thankful for those simple moments that make life so great.

is it hot in here? or is it just ryan gossling talkin' dirty?

2012-01-19T20:33:00.000-07:00

http://heygirlteacher.tumblr.com is definitely my new favorite website.

in other exciting news...it's almost the weekend!

hooray!

whatever.

2012-01-18T11:37:00.001-07:00

via

life can be cluttered.

and messy.

and sometimes just plain blah.

but God reminds us that we have have to clear out all the junk and choose to focus only on what is good.

today my true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praise worthy thought is just one word.

grace.

if i really focus on the reality of that, i could be good for days.

WE WENT ON A WALK AT WASH PARK!

2012-01-16T13:43:00.000-07:00

yes, sir winston is home from prison.

and yes, we went on a walk at wash park (actually two walks!)

now, if you're not from denver, you may not know how big of a deal that is for a dog that could barely make it around the neighborhood without having a panic attack and lunging at everything in sight.

wash park is big.

it's busy.

there are people and dogs everywhere.

and sir winston was one of those dogs!

(he walks like a CHAMP. seriously.)

he's definitely not perfect, and there are still things we need to work on.

but i am so thankful for the prisoner that trained sir winston and gave us the confidence to work with him too.

and i am thankful to learn the true meaning of patience.

it's easy to give up.

it's easy to lose hope.

but sir winston is teaching me to believe in him.

even if he's just a silly dog.

and, for that, i am very thankful.

the winston chronicles...part II.

2012-01-12T18:04:00.000-07:00

So one day you fall asleep with visions of chewing on someone's journal, the next you wake up and you're in a prison van bound for the clink. Apparently, this is my life. Pee on one too many carpets, chew on one too many Bibles, bark viciously at one too many elderly folks and young children, and you get sent to do a stretch of time at Four Mile Correctional Center.

For the last... I don't know how long, I’ve been rotting away with my cellmates Ray Ray and Lil Boi, (Ray Ray and Lil Boi are a couple of streetwise bulldogs. Yes, they are twins.)

apparently learning our lesson. I attempted to keep track of my time served in the traditional prison way,

but then realized that I have absolutely no concept of time. That was a bust.

This hasn't been a total waste of time though. The boys and I did learn how to make a shiv out of a toothbrush, make toilet wine,

and give/get a prison tattoo (however it turns out if you ask for a unicorn tattoo you get called a sissy).

In between the important lessons, we were also taught to “sit” (really?), “stay” (make me), “heel” (still don't know what that means), and “do my duty” (no one tells winston when to go potty!). The jailers call this “training," but our handler (offender) calls it “rehabilitation," so I can go out and be a “productive member of society." Life on the inside is tough.

During our down time the “man” lets us write letters home. I’ve written a few to mom and dad,

but the guards screen our mail pretty heavily, so i’m not sure if they’ve gotten through. Sometimes I lay awake at night thinking of my penguin, gingerbread squeak toy, urine mark on the carpet, and the ‘ole staring window.

Don't cry for me though. Yesterday I stole a spork from the cafeteria and am currently working on a tunnel to China. I’ll be out of here in no-time. If that doesn't work, our handler (offender) said my time is up in a couple days and I’ll be sprung... however long away that is.

reppin' in the clink,

sir winston

(aka mr. lesley:)

hot off the press.

2012-01-12T07:24:00.001-07:00

look what came in the mail yesterday!

they are so, so perfect.

can't wait to get these puppies in the mail.

this is the goodness that happens when on one side of the family you have an extremely talented graphic designer (mr. lesley's cousin colleen) and the other side you have a bindery manager at a printing company (my dad).

very blessed to have such great families.

of course we need a kayak.

2012-01-08T22:10:00.000-07:00

on saturday afternoon, mr. lesley and i did one of the best parts of planning a wedding...

we registered at REI.

that little clicker was pretty addicting.
i wanted to scan everything in sight.
including a $600 bike.
some say why?
i say, why not?

it was definitely the most enjoyable part of the wedding planning process thus far for mr. lesley.

and i liked picking things out for sir winston.

1 down.

2 more to go.

don't worry, we will also be registering for more practical things like plates, knives, kitchen aid mixers, etc.

but for now, i really want that two person kayak.

which is also practical if we were, let's say, on a river or lake.

there are fewer things in life better than...

2012-01-07T06:53:00.000-07:00

just because flowers.

happy saturday.

i hope your weekend is full of little surprises to remind you that you are loved.

home is wherever i'm with you.

2012-01-05T20:55:00.001-07:00

mr. lesley and i spent a fabulous time back in illinois seeing a lot of people that make my heart so very happy.

as soon as we got off the train in chicago, kristin (one of my favorite people on the planet) met us for a generous ride back to rocktown and a lunch stop at portillos.

the italian beef is life changing.

mr. lesley just had to have a hot dog.

if he had it his way, we would be eating hot dogs smothered in ketchup for the rest of our lives.

we spent that evening with the fam (minus my broskie who had to work),
even meeting up with my step-broskie for drinks.
my parents are becoming quite the party animals in their old age.

for new years eve, lele, chrissy, and i decided to take the boys out.
they don't get out much, obviously.
(and maybe we ate in a construction zone, but the food was definitely tasty.)

we pretty much had the perfect new year's group.

after dinner, we went to matt and chrissy's house for some perfectly cut cheese, jello shots in strawberries (chrissy is definitely the hostess with the most-ess)...

rock band (lele and i dominated "don't stop believing", but i guess you could have assumed that, given my history with journey).

and texas hold 'em.
i pretty much won, or they just stopped the game after an hour and a half because i just kept folding.
you choose.
and in case you were wondering, crackers and m&ms are perfectly reasonable chip substitutes.

then it was time to ring in the new year...

we kissed our honies...

and then lele attacked everyone on the couch.

oh leels...

we passed out soon after the ball dropped and woke up ready to bring in the new year with a side of swedish pancakes at johnny pamcakes.

one of rockford's finest.

on monday, mr. lesley, my dear friend christina, and i drove to the little gem that is galena, il. to meet up with some of my favorite college girlies, char and mandy.

lunch at dirty gurts has become something of a tradition for us.

the burgers are good.

there are good photo opps.

and the decor is somewhat nontraditional.

after mr. lesley retreated to a book store and coffee shop, we strolled the cute little streets, window shopped, drank coffee, and caught up on life.

moments like these make me wish i lived back in the dorms.

you know these girls must be pretty amazing if they make me miss those dorms.

after getting back to rockford, mr. lesley and i joined lele, zack, chrissy, matt, jenelle, and joe to celebrate our engagement over sushi.

i am so lucky to have friends from both college and high school (well, elementary school for most of them) that i am still so close with.

i love these girlies. a lot.

speaking of high school friends, tuesday morning i got to meet the amazing marci for coffee and good conversation.

it was so good to catch up on life and laugh a lot.

and marci said she loves my blog (hi marci!!!!)

finally, we just had to spend more time with our niece and nephew, fiona and jayden.

and, if you can't tell from the pics, mr. lesley is pretty popular with the kiddos (and dogs if you look closely).

jayden taught us to shoot deer...

(he is such a pro, and i definitely struggled).

then it was time to meet his gecko roger.

yes, jayden named his gecko roger.

gosh, i love that kid.

and we finished the night off with a little tea party with princess fiona.

(the picture of mr. lesley fixing fiona's crown makes me melt.seriously. so, so adorable).

once again rocktown did not disappoint.

thank you to everyone who made this trip so great for us.

until next time...

check. check. check.

2012-01-02T22:54:00.000-07:00

last thursday, mr. lesley and i joined his mom, aunt, and sister to meet with some wedding caterers and explore south haven, mi where we will be getting married this june.

after meeting with the first caterer, it was hard for me not to agree to whatever she said and just scrap the budget altogether.

she was just that amazing.

but alas, we knew we had some thinking and number crunching to do, so we fought the urge to sell our souls too quickly.

she did recommend crane's in the city that not only had incredible sandwiches, but also sold some delicious pies.

since neither mr. lesley or myself are too found of wedding cake, we were thinking pies would be the perfect dessert for us to serve on our big day. and we wanted to do some taste testing.

after one bite i was sold.

and so was everyone else.
it felt good to check something off the ever growing wedding to-do list.

next, we headed to the lake to pick the spot for the ceremony and decided on a nice, more secluded beach.

i think it will be absolutely perfect.

(please start praying now for good weather:)

before meeting with the second caterer of the day, we went and saw our reception venue for the first time (planning a wedding from 1,000 miles away means you don't always get to see first hand what you pick. thank the lord for the internet and family members that will scope things out for you).

we both agreed foundry hall fits us perfectly.

it's a music venue which we love, i can't get enough of the black and white checkered entrance, and the ceiling holds endless decor options.

although, i must admit the space did intimidate me a bit.

i mean, i'm supposed to figure out how i want to decorate it ALL?

phew.

pinterst.com will become my best friend in the next few months. i can feel it.

after parting ways with mr. lesley's mom, aunt, and sister, we drove to kalamazoo to visit bell's brewery and have dinner with mr. lesley's old college pals.

bell's definitely did not disappoint.

the rest of the night was spent catching up with old friends, playing foosball, and finalizing our save the dates!

slowly but surely, we are picking away at our ginormous to-do list.

and if i can plan this wedding and still maintain some semblance of sanity, i will feel pretty darn good about it.

what a year.

2012-01-01T12:11:00.000-07:00

i think 2011 is my favorite year to date.

now, of course, it wasn't always unicorns, cupcakes, and roses, but the good definitely outweighed the bad.

and looking back i feel incredibly blessed and thankful.

in january, i got my first new year's kiss (it's totally normal to have your first new year's kiss at 25, right?), rescued sir winston from the shelter (his underbite won me over), and became the proudest momma you've ever seen.

in february i lost my wisdom teeth with the biggest tub of greek yogurt you've ever seen by my side and thoroughly enjoyed a couple days off of school due to the frigid temps. we lounged, crafted, played with sir winston, and refined our pallets at village inn. did you know they have free pie on wednesdays?

changed. my. life.

in march, i extreme snow shoe-d for the first time with only a few expletives on my tongue, celebrated mr. lesley's and my first anniversary, and spring breaked it up in costa rica. in costa rica we learned to rappel from water falls, use our limited spanish to order delicioso meals, and most importantly, that it's NEVER a good idea to drive a rental car in that country unless you like your blood pressure to rise to unimaginable heights.

in april, sir winston graduated from doggie training classes with flying colors (or something like that), i decided to finally get up the nerve to sign up and start training for my first marathon, and mr. lesley and i started our relational discipleship groups at church, which really helped us connect and find a community we absolutely LOVE.

in may, i finished my second year of teaching middle school (that is quite an accomplishment in and of itself if you ask me), celebrated my 26th birthday and mr. lesley's 30th, and went to the greatest concert of my life, ADELE, with my big sis.

in june, heather and i dominated the steamboat half marathon (well, heather definitely dominated. i finished without passing out), mr. lesley summited mt. kilimanjaro (he is my hero), my step-sis lele came to visit us in denver (we pretty much had the best time ever), and my big sis got engaged, which is definitely one of the year's top highlights.

in july, mr. lesley and i spent a great week with my family in illinois. then we took the train to michigan, where i had an amazing tour of the state and met his extended family for the first time. we even took a trip up to the UP, and it was beautiful. never underestimate michigan. it's pretty awesome.
after we returned to denver from pure michigan, mr. lesley's cousin came to visit. i met one of my favorite bands and rode in the moonlight classic through the streets of downtown denver. and, to top it all off, i went to my very first rodeo, cheyenne frontier days, with my favorite new friend of the summer, new friend kim:).

in august, mr. lesley and i had such a great time on our church camping trip, my dad came out to denver to help move my brother back to illinois, and we went rafting with mr. lesley's family and only lost one person on the way (sorry again kristin). we finished off the month by completing the warrior dash with poynter-lauschs. we just like jumped over fire, no bigs.

in september, i had the privledge of being in my friend bethany's wedding in oregon.i partied it up at her bachelorette party, reunited with my favorite college girlies (and got to introduce them to mr. lesley), and celebrated the couple while dancing to our hearts' content at the reception.
it. was. epic.

in october, well, we got ENGAGED (hands down, the best event of the year...possibly the decade!), celebrated with all of our favorite denver peeps, and ran a marathon (my step-sis even flew in for the day to cheer me on!) all in the same weekend (probably the greatest weekend of my life thus far). at the end of the month we ran the gorilla run with mr. lesley's family in honor of his cousin emma, and i went to my first football game as a lion's fan (or something like that:).

in november, mr. lesley and i spent a fabulous weekend in the mountains with our friends nancy and justin and krista and luke where they taught me to shoot a gun for the first time, and nancy and justin even let me do a wedding photo shoot for them! we were also able to spend thanksgiving with mr. lesley's family, and i was honored to help with my sister's engagement photo shoot (and got some good shots of my own).

and last but certainly not least, in december, we bid a found adieu to sir winston as he left for his prison training program (yes, he is at the real, actual prison), celebrated my first christmas with mr. lesley and his fam, and just rang in the new year with my family and friends in illinois.

even though 2011 was pretty incredible, i know the best is yet to come.
and i am so, so thankful.

our first christmas.

2011-12-27T18:07:00.003-07:00

mr. lesley and i spent our first christmas together in michigan this year.

it was so great being together watching christmas movies, eating way too many cookies, going to church on christmas eve, opening presents on christmas morning, and spending the day like a regular ole member of his family.

it felt normal and yet very special, which to me is pretty much perfect.

on christmas eve we ate an amazing meal of beef welligton (doesn't that just sound so fancy?) with all the fixings, put on our fancy church clothes, and away we went to sing christmas carols and remember the true reason for all the festivities.

we woke up early on christmas morning to open our presents with mr. lesley's uncle bruce who was visiting from virginia...

(mr. lesley's parents are so thoughtful and bought me too many presents)

we sat down to another delicious meal...

and then it was time to get ready and hit the road to plymouth to join the rest of the family.

mr. lesley and his cousins always play football on christmas day, and, as usual, mr. lesley's team dominated.

sorry sean, mitch, and roy!

aren't they the most adorable group of cousins you've ever seen?

and that guy with the pants under his shorts...what a hottie!

a football game is never complete without some tebow action.

before sitting down to dinner, we opened more presents.

sir winston was even included in the fun.

that little bust is going on my bookshelf asap.

and yes, i am getting sir winston a spectacle as soon as he gets back from prison:)

i was blessed too with even more gifts from his amazing family.

everyone loved watching little jaxon open his presents, and mr. lesley's cousin sean was the life of the party with his picture frame gifts.

let's just say the picture included with the note he gave me wasn't exactly the most flattering of mr. lesley.

we may be revoking his best man status, just sayin'.

after we opened some of the presents, all the ladies filed into the kitchen to put the final touches on the meal.

(and try to get that dang gravy just right.)

even though i was just the photographer, they let me put on an apron and look domestic with the rest of them.

after yet another amazing meal, it was time for the white elephant exchange.

this family really knows how to have a good time.

the ridiculousness knew no bounds this year.

to close the night, we had to toast to their grandpa george...

share memories of those who have passed this last year...

and finish it off with some group shots.

2011 was full of extreme difficulty for this family, and yet they were still able to celebrate.

i'm just honored they let me join in on the fun.

i hope you were able to feel the same kind of love wherever you spent your christmas this year.

happy birthday new friend kim!

2011-12-24T09:35:00.001-07:00

today is new friend kim's birthday, but since she is living it up in new mexico for the holidays, we celebrated her a couple weeks ago.

she had the brilliant idea of having a fro yo buffet of sorts with a great spread of topping choices.

since we are both OBSESSED with fro yo, we were both in heaven, which is a pretty good state of mind to be in when celebrating your birthday.

we loaded up our bowls...

and played an amazing game of "the free game" or "poop-tionary"

(or whatever other name you call it).

and you know whenever tim tebow=jesus, your game is a success.

i am so thankful to have met new friend kim this year and be able to celebrate her over fro yo.

i love her because...

we can share stories of just how ridiculous it can be teaching middle school, discuss theology, and pound down fro yo with the best of them, all in the same hangout sesh.

she's awesome, and i'm so glad she was born.

feliz cumpleanos, new friend kim!

i love my sister. i love christmas. winning.

2011-12-22T04:32:00.000-07:00

monday night my sister, aaron, mr. lesley, and i got together to celebrate christmas (since mr. lesley and i will be in michigan for christmas this year).

we ate a delicious dinner...

baked cupcakes...

and opened PRESENTS!

(you may wonder why there are envelopes under the tree. well, it's a funny (or not so funny) story.

apparently, if you order christmas gifts online, you have to put the correct shipping address because if you don't, you don't get your gifts.

epic fail.

so instead of being able to open her actual presents, calley got to open envelopes with pictures of her presents.

note to self, learn your new address.)

even though i dropped the ball, there wasn't a lack of christmas cheer as we opened our gifts.

fortunately, i got calley some other things that she could actually open:)

hooray.

although i'm sad we won't be together on christmas day, i am so thankful that we had a christmas celebration of our very own.

i love my family so much.

charcoal...fancy without being intimidating.

2011-12-21T09:21:00.000-07:00

guess what?

mr. lesley officially finished his first semester of grad school!

woooohooooo!

in honor of his accomplishment, we decided to try out a new restaurant (charcoal) in our neighborhood (yes, we live about 2.5 minutes away from each other:)

it surely did not disappoint.

the bacon rapped figs blew mr. lesley away (seriously, i don't think he stopped talking about them all night), our main dishes of chicken and duck were delicious...

and the mini desserts were both adorable and mind blowing.

and most importantly, when this guy is happy with smaller portions and doesn't ask to stop at wendy's afterwards, you know the place is good.

i'm so proud of you, mr. lesley.

you are smart.

you are brave.

and i love you.

scared straight.

2011-12-20T09:11:00.000-07:00

sir winston has some issues.

i know, i'm sure you're shocked.

i bet the posts about training class, private trainers, destroyed journals, etc. didn't give you any hints, but alas, it's true.

when mr. lesley and i started talking about plans for the holidays and what we were going to do with sir winston, we decided it was time to follow through with an idea we've had for a few months now.

it was time to send sir winston to prison.

i first heard about the prison dog training program from my vet, then from a friend of a friend, then from another friend, and each time it got glowing reviews.

the way it works is you send your dog for a month, they are trained by a prisoner, go everywhere with them, work on problem behaviors, become socialized with other dogs, and (fingers crossed) come back new and improved.

friday morning was game time.

there was no looking back.

so we hopped in the car, drove down to canon city...

all the while i was snapping pictures like a crazy mother taking her kids to summer camp

(or boot camp).

(that tongue kills me every time!)

then we pulled up to the prison where we would drop him off.

and after a sad goodbye, they loaded him into a van and away they went.

and as you could probably guess, i started crying.

mr. lesley assured me he was going to be fine, he would come back so much better, and we were doing the right thing.

but i still cried.

and i still felt sad.

it is truly amazing how much a dog can mean to a person.

how much love you can feel in your heart for an animal.

and on the bright side, i am happy that when sir winston comes back to us, our family will feel complete again.

and people won't take their dogs to the other side of the street when they see us walking by.

that may just be the greatest christmas present of all.

"Time to go to teach the class."

2011-12-17T15:06:00.001-07:00

one of my students wrote this for a dialogue assignment in another class.

i love how my students interpret our daily conversations.

one day, they will understand that reading is more important than going to the bathroom.

until then, it is my job to constantly remind them.

cutie patootie love birds.

2011-12-15T07:13:00.000-07:00

a couple of weeks ago, i had the privileged of tagging along during my sister's engagement photo session.

i held coats, scoped out locations, navigated a huge poster board to deflect the light, and snapped a couple photos of my own.

i dream of the day when i can take pictures as a full time job.

for now, i'll just get really excited to pretend.

sidenote: aren't they just so adorable?

love them.

cry baby.

2011-12-14T12:20:00.002-07:00

(via)

my dear friend ally once told me about a theory she has, and it goes a little something like this...

once you get into a serious relationship, you become a lot more emotional.

before you may have held yourself together well, but once you find someone you feel safe being vulnerable with, you let you guard down and sometimes that means that you cry more than you did when you were single.

and i totally agree.

since dating mr. lesley seriously, i have become more of a crier than i thought possible.

i used to cry once, maybe twice, a year, and now, well, it's a little ridiculous.

last night i even told him, "it doesn't even matter when i cry anymore. it doesn't even pack a punch like it used to. now, you just think, 'oh, she's crying again..."

(oh, and i did i mention i was crying as i said this?)

now, don't worry, i am not on the verge of a life crisis or anything, i think i'm just realizing it's ok to not always have your shiz together.

and if you're sad or upset or just in a bad mood, you can cry it out.

now, i have to know, is there anyone else who has become more of a crier after getting into a serious relationship?

please, if so, tell me, so i know i'm not alone in the S.S. basket case.

we can start a group. and make t-shirts. and cry.

it will be AWESOME.

this weekend, i...

2011-12-12T10:58:00.001-07:00

enjoyed some much needed qt with my sis over pizza, wine, apple pie, and unpacking, passed out baskets of joy with mr. lesley and some other church folk to some amazing elderly people in our neighborhood, dined on moe's bbq for the first time and am now an official fan...

hung out with sir winston (i mean, obviously), went to the laundromat for the first time (where else is a girl supposed to wash her comforter these days?), ate fro yo with new friend kim (i mean, obviously part II)...

enjoyed a delightful girls only christmas party, overdosed on sugar, and reveled in the holiday spirit (thanks sarah!)...

and finished it all off with an adorable christmas play (nothing makes the season bright like littles dressed up and singing their hearts out to a crowd of proud parents), braved ikea with my faithful partner in crime becca, lost my keys (and had a minor freak out), found my keys in my sister's boot (yeah, i don't know either), and finished the night arranging my new ikea purchases (have i mentioned i have my very own apartment, because i do! i'm officially a grownup:)

this weekend was full to the brim of goodness.

and finishing it off with a little breakdown just made sense.

(keep your friends close, and your keys closer!)

hope your weekend was equally as fun, but not quite as dramatic.

"embrace the weirdness."

2011-12-09T07:36:00.000-07:00

"we need more pics like this in the pregnancy photography world.

I really wish people would stop trying to make

awkward pictures cute and just embrace the weirdness that is

a pregnant belly. because, seriously."

my friend kara gives me hope for my someday (far, far in the future) pregnant self.

she is hilarious and amazing and is going to make such a great mother.

and this picture pretty much made my whole year.

happy friday!

pho...you complete me.

2011-12-07T11:08:00.000-07:00

last night mr. lesley and i tried out pho for the first time.

and let me tell you, it certainly did not disappoint.

the delicious spring rolls, bowl of noodles bigger than my head, and shake bubble tea were out of this world.

if you live in denver, you should definitely give pho duy a try.

they really know their pho.

happy wednesday.

to love mr. lesley...

2011-12-06T15:09:00.000-07:00

is to love...

the outdoors, fig newtons, ancient rome, and hockey...

after attending not one, but two hockey games this weekend, i think i am slowly but surely becoming a fan.

first of all, a fan of the detroit red wings.

and second of all, a fan of hockey.

mr. lesley, i promise i will be the epitome of a super fan next time.

i will scream and cheer and paint my chest...or something:)

thanks for being patient with me.

keep calm, teach on, and be nice.

2011-11-30T10:53:00.000-07:00

thanks alejandro for the little pick me up.

when 6th graders want to be, they can be pretty dang adorable.

happy wednesday.

"i felt so fancy, i even held in my gas."

2011-11-28T08:51:00.000-07:00

don't mean to brag or anything, but mr. lesley, his sister leighann, and i scored first class seats on our flight back from mighigan (sorry matt!)

we drank out of fancy glass glasses (no plastic for us folks)...

ate as many snacks as we wanted (those goldfish were dominated, let me tell you)...

sat next to celebrities (ever heard of grand theft auto? yeah, leighann chatted with the creator, no bigs)...

had more leg room than you could even fathom (no restless leg syndrome here)...

drank alcohol for free (ever heard of heineken? it's the epitome of fancy!)

and referred to everyone in coach as mere "commoners."

i think i've been ruined forever.

in everything, give thanks.

2011-11-27T16:12:00.000-07:00

if you are looking for a family who has endured more tragedy than anyone should ever have to, look no further than mr. lesley's family.

and if you are also searching for a family who has responded with strength, grace, and more love than humanly possible, look no further than his family as well.

our thanksgiving plans changed when we received the call that his grandpa had passed away.

we got on a flight to michigan as soon as possible to both grieve and celebrate his grandfather's life.

with this being the third death in the last six months, the family was all to familiar with the process.

but in the midst of it all, they still found the strength to celebrate being together, especially for thanksgiving.

the day was filled with...

1. football (i mean, of course)

2. more delicious food than i thought possible

3. gorging ourselves to our heart's content

4. feeling the weight of such gorging

5. and ending it all off with a slice of pumpkin pie (it's not thanksgiving without pumpkin pie after all)

thanksgiving is such a powerful holiday on it's own,

but it's even more powerful in the midst of tragedy and loss.

as one new to the family, i am thankful for their example.

yes, in everything, give thanks.

oh mr. lesley...

2011-11-15T20:04:00.000-07:00

even when i escape to target because i'm mad and you think i just went to the bathroom....

even when i buy a mustard color sweater at target because i know you hate that color...

even when i come back only to have you have no idea why i'm upset or where i went...

even when you make me laugh immediately and i forget what i was even mad about...

you still love me.

and i still love you.

and you make a pretty mean meatloaf.

and life is happy once again.

teachers conference, dawson's creek, and fort collins goodness.

2011-11-14T11:52:00.000-07:00

i hope your weekend was just as lovely.

bump, set, spike (with a side of celebrity jeopardy)

2011-11-09T16:56:00.001-07:00

it's official. i know everything there is to know about concussions.

now, i can officially start the volleyball season with a good conscious.

assistant coaching volleyball for year 2 is feeling really good so far.

the main reason is because i get to say "get on the line" in practice and make them run.

it makes all those years of puking after basketball practice in middle school kinda worth it.

oh, and it's fun to see my students in a new light.
they are pretty amazing.
and hilarious.

although, today's game of jeapody in class felt strangely similar to this...

happy wednesday.

shotgun wedding weekend.

2011-11-07T16:00:00.001-07:00

church of the advent is pretty much the best church in the UNIVERSE.

it's full of super nice, fun, hilarious, generous, and sincere people.

we love 'em.

a few of our favorites are definitely nancy, justin, krista, and luke.

so, when nancy invited us up to a cabin for the weekend for a surprise celebration of justin's recent graduation, we were all about it.

we drove up on friday night just in time for a delicious dinner featuring nancy's out of this world cooking skills.

i specifically requested a "wife weekend" as i called it, so she could teach me all of her amazing skills.

fortunately, she accepted my offer and soon enough i will be like domesticated or something.

i'll keep you posted.

krista and luke came in late friday night, so saturday morning we spent cooking, reading, and eating.

mr. lesley made pancrepes/palachinkas and i made an egg casserole that actually turned out pretty tasty.

then at the men's request, we left the comfort of the cabin and went for a little hike in the snow and cold.

but since i'm a freak and have a fear of ledges (especially ledges packed with ice and snow), the ladies (including zoey the wonder dog) turned around and headed back with me while the men charged on.

and even though the picture suggests mr. lesley is choking me, he wasn't that disappointed that his fiancee is a scaredy cat.

the little hike was perfect to get me cold enough to sufficiently enjoy a nice cup of hot chocolate upon our return

and that was good enough for me.

the afternoon agenda included one word: GUNS.

yes. i shot a gun for the first time in my life.

and, although i was terrified for the first couple minutes, i pretty much couldn't get enough by the end.

me with a gun.

be afraid.

be very afraid.

the good news is that no one got hurt (hooray!) and it was time for the second greatest event of the day.

wedding reenactment time!

you see, nancy and justin didn't get many good shots on their wedding day a few years ago (i know, isn't that so sad!), so nancy asked me if i would snap a few photos of them in their wedding attire at the cabin.

since i like to think i'm a professional photographer anyway, i was ALL about it.

nancy got her hair all did, we had some beverages,

i donned my professional attire, they rolled all the dog hair off and laced up their hiking boots, and we were ready.

now, i am fully aware that i am no professional and really the extent of my photography knowledge is based on choosing a setting and pushing the button, but they were happy with what we came up with and so was i.

i don't know why more photographers don't include guns in their wedding pictures.

these were definitely my favorites.

after all that hard work, it was time to relax.

the rest of the night was spent in random shenanigans.

including (but not limited to) stretching it out, me killing everyone in texas hold 'em, and enjoying krista's out of this world chili.

we woke up sunday morning to another delicious meal, packed up our things, and headed home.

i am so thankful for friends who love jesus and love to have a good time.

it's the best combination ever.

eminem would be so proud.

2011-11-04T15:43:00.000-06:00

ok, let's just lay all our cards out on the table.

i'm not really a football fan.

now i'm sure that comes as quite a shock to you considering all my sports apparel and avid support of all things espn, but it's true.

BUT, i was super pumped to go to the lions/broncos game last weekend with mr. lesley's family.

they lured me with good food at the tailgating and i couldn't resist.

and their michigan spirit was also quite contagious.

i became a die hard lions fan in a matter of seconds.

i am also quite a newbie to tailgating, but i must say, this family sure knows how to have a little party.

there was chatting....

delicious drinks and eats...

(including a box o' dogs and the biggest bottle of ketchup this side of the mississippi)

a little bags competition...

a birthday celebration for aunt carol...

prime people watching...

plenty of photo opps...

and maybe even a little beer pong thrown in for good measure.

(this was my inaugural game of beer pong and i was kinda amazing.

don't mean to brag, but those years of middle school b-ball game me a mean jump shot.

and yes, my college experience wasn't what most would call "normal."

hence the first time i'd played beer pong:)

we left the parking lot full and in complete anticipation of a lions victory....

with a beautiful day and...

more tebow fans than i could count...

we were ready!

mile high (or whatever they call it these days) sure knows how to put on a good show.

there were parachutes...

and balloons...

and smoke and jets and pride to be an amer-i-CAN!

thanks to his aunt and uncle's generosity, we had incredible seats...

and we all had a great time together, watching the lions dominate (sorry kari!).

we cheered, we high fived, we fist pumped,

and felt some pride returning for the city of detroit.

i still don't know if i can say i'm a football fan.

but i might be on my way to a conversion.

oh, and in case you were wondering...

santa clause is definitely a lions' fan.

gooooooo sports!

running for emma lu.

2011-11-02T17:08:00.000-06:00

mr. lesley's cousin, emma, passed away last may.

although i never had the opportunity to meet her, i know she was an amazing person with a huge heart.

she loved animals, especially gorillas, and was passionate about the mountain gorilla conservation fund.

in order to honor emma, some of mr. lesley's family came into denver, specifically for the denver gorilla run.

what in the world is the denver gorilla run you ask?

well, it's a 5k where everyone running/walking/biking/roller skating dresses up in gorilla costumes and takes over the streets of denver.

it. is. awesome.

and not only does everyone wear their gorilla costumes, but you HAVE to wear a costume on top of your costume.

we decided to be sunflowers (they were emma's favorite) and farmers.

oh, and there was a cow thrown into the mix.

saturday morning we all took the light rail downtown and made our way to the starting line.

it was pretty awesome to see how people looked at us...

we made some pretty cute gorillas, don't ya think?

we had some time before the race, so the boys grabbed a beer and watched the michigan st. game.

you know, just some gorillas hangin' at the bar.

no bigs.

finally, it was the moment we'd been waiting for...the costume contest.

we knew we were up against some stiff competition, but we thought the sheer size of our group might be enough:)

while we were waiting, we admired some of the other costumes...

finally it was our turn, and i have to say the cow was a bit hit.

the crowd loved him.

we had time for a quick group pic...

we tied up our laces, and we were off!

led, of course, by a group of bananas.

(good motivation for us gorillas)

you wouldn't believe how hot it gets in that suit...

and the three weeks i took off from running didn't help much either.

fortunately, there was a lot of entertaining sites during the run.

just like our marathon, we made sure to finish hand in hand.

after we finished, i made my way back to admire all the finishers in their amazing costumes.

(loved this moment...the gorilla finally caught the banana!)

even the doggies got into the spirit.

i was so happy to be there as everyone crossed the finish line...

then it was time to indulge in the free food and beverages at the post race block party...

and just when we thought the day couldn't get much better,

we found out our team raised the most money and won the "bahati award."

i can't think of a better way we could have honored emma.

we will definitely be running again next year.

and if you live in denver, you should join us.

you know you want your very own gorilla costume.

who doesn't?

best. race. ever.

nothing like fresh mountain air.

2011-11-01T07:37:00.000-06:00

fall break...it's the most wonderful time of the year.

mostly because it comes at the perfect time.

you know, that part of the school year when things like "you're driving me crazy!", "what part of be quiet don't you understand?", and "i didn't go to college to be a babysitter." come out of my mouth more often than i would like.

it's a little rough to say the least.

so... when some of mr. lesley's family came into town this past weekend from michigan, i was pumped for a little trip to boulder for some hiking and meandering.

we decided to hike at chautauqua. it does boast a pretty great view of the city after all.

the snow was a bit slick, but it definitely provided a beautiful backdrop for the hike.

as we were walking, we found these little buddies in the forest.

we were like becoming one with nature.

no bigs.

when we came to this rock/boulder combo, mr.lesley's uncle marty insisted everyone take advantage of the perfect photo opp.

unfortunately for me, mr. lesley had class all day and couldn't join us, so i decided to just be the photographer instead.

isn't his family (and mine soon) adorable?

love that his aunt and uncle are sharing my obsession with hearts.

after the photo sesh, we made it through some tough terrain...

and finished at the top of the world (at least it felt like that).

now presenting boulder in all it's glory.

we took a few minutes up at the top...

and came down together posing for an rei ad the whole way down.

after spending quality time with nature and getting our blood pumping,

it was time to reward ourselves with a stroll around pearl street, lunch, and beers (obviously).

oh, and a stop at cu for some new digs.

and this was just the beginning of our non-stop weekend of fun and goodness.

get ready for the thunder.

and so it begins...

2011-10-31T16:02:00.000-06:00

after shopping at only two stores, i found THE ONE.

and by THE ONE i mean my wedding dress.

which according to pretty much everyone is apparently a big deal.

i have to thank my big sis and my future sis for all their help and encouragement.

they were the best shopping companions a girl could ask for.

and yes, it is definitely 80's prom inspired.

get excited.

(i would let that stand alone as a joke, but i'm nervous some of you may get worried).

it's definitely not 80's prom; it's totally goth.

obviously.

he's done it again folks.

2011-10-29T16:17:00.000-06:00

once again, mr. lesley's uncle has outdone himself in documenting one of the best days of my life.

now presenting, our engagement video...

and in case you were wondering, i am fully aware that i am marrying into the best family on the planet.

marathon video recap

2011-10-25T12:04:00.001-06:00

mr. lesley's uncle, mr. lesley, made this amazing video recap of our marathon for us and of course, for your viewing pleasure.

enjoy.

a lovely weekend in "estes ark"

2011-10-24T11:37:00.000-06:00

this past weekend, mr. lesley and i were invited up to estes park to celebrate our dear friend ally's birthday.

with the cooler temps, beautiful views, ridiculous games, delicious eats, nap times, and belly laughs, it was the perfect way to start my fall break.

after we arrived at the cabin and settled in on friday night, it was time for an intense game of bible brainstorm.

what is bible brainstorm you ask?

well, it's like cranium for kids who grew up in the christian sub-culture.

it was awesome.

(special shout out to the owners of the cabin. although i have to ask, where did you find such a game?)

the best moment of the night was definitely ally trying to pantomime "ride to galilee".

45 minutes later and we sill couldn't get it.

another highlight?

gina fasciani (a friend from ORU) was there.

she just got back from afganistan.

yeah, she's pretty much my hero.

seriously.

saturday morning started off with a pancake breakfast around the table.

followed many cups of coffee (i wanted to steal that love mug so bad, but i refrained) and relaxed reading time.

in the afternoon we took a little jaunt to rocky mountain national park to do some hiking per ally's birthday request.

she is quite the outdoors lady.

we tried to do a few different hikes but the parking lots were full (you try to go into nature to "get away from it all" only to realize "it all" followed you...go figure:), so we snagged a spot and started a short hike to bierstadt lake.

the hike was short and the views were breathtaking.

i was a big fan.

we arrived at the lake...

ally tried to show us some of her acrobatic moves...

we found some tree chairs...

took in the glorious views...

posed for some classic engagement shots...

(notice the strategic hand placement.)

and made some friends in the animal kingdom.

the chipmunk and birds did not mess around when it came to snagging treats.

(even when it meant taking them off of jake's head.)

we took one group shot and then made our way down the trail.

and on the way back to the cabin, we couldn't resist stopping at possibly the best named attraction in all of colorado, "estes ark."

although i never saw the famous "talking teddy" i dud see more stuffed animals than i was comfortable with.

one word: wow.

our day post- hike consisted of...

trying to fix gina's amazing new record player, baking cookies, taking naps, and reading.

it was perfect.

for dinner that night ally and jake made us spaghetti, and ally even found a heart shaped noodle!

even pasta feels the love.

after dinner we played the picture pass word game.

i have no idea how to describe the game in any way that would make sense, but it was definitely hilarious.

then it was time to celebrate ally's birthday with some ice cream cake...

and banana grams while the boys watched a ridiculous 80's movie entitled "rad."

sunday morning our mountain weekend came to a close.

all in all, it was the perfect storm of awesomeness.

happy birthday ally.

i am so glad you were born!

thanks for planning such a lovely weekend.

pumpkins of the rainbow.

2011-10-17T15:29:00.000-06:00

i saw this on one of my favorite blogs, whatever, today and was in love.

aren't these the happiest pumpkin you've ever seen?

i guess i know what my next craft will be.

i've never been too good with a knife anyway:)

happy monday.

weekend goodness.

2011-10-16T21:41:00.000-06:00

fall weekends are perfect for...

afternoon walks, fro yo and belly laughs, saturday morning football (go msu!), college mascots...

quality cuddle time with sir winston, birthday celebrations country style,
post church lunch with my FIANCEE, writing thank you cards...

crafting, finding hearts in a cereal box (!), quality time with a "long haul" friend, and cookies (but that just goes without saying).

all in all, one lovely weekend.

26.2 dominated.

2011-10-15T18:03:00.001-06:00

i woke up sunday morning nervous, excited, and ready.

after suiting up in my race gear (never thought i would wear spandex in public, but there i was, squeezing my legs into my spandex capris:) and stuffing down a bagel, i was out the door with the perfect combination of a scared out of my mind stomachache and adrenaline pumping through my veins.

the day i had been training for for months had finally arrived.

either i would dominate or die.

fortunately, i've come out on the other side and lived to tell about it.

sarah graciously dropped brandon, mr. lesley, and i off and we made our way to the start area.

after a short fight with mr. lesley about whose fault it was that we forgot the gels, we all calmed down, checked our bags, and got into our corral.

with a corral in no man's land, it took us awhile to cross the start line, but 30 minutes after the race started, we were on our way.

the first 5 miles went through downtown and went off without a hitch.

my personal highlight had to be when "one moment in time" came on my playlist.

whitney knows how to shoot straight to the heart.

i was like, "yes, i am running with destiny."

races seem to bring out the cheesiest side of me, and i welcome it with open arms.

once we made it to city park, we were greeted by mr. lesley's aunt and uncle, his sister leighann, and brandon's girlfriend sarah.

i couldn't keep my arms down any time we saw one of our loyal fans.

they were some of the best cheerleaders you've ever seen.

and it seemed like every time i looked up, mr. lesley's uncle was there with his flip cam recording it all.

(sidenote: the signs on our backs were for his cousin emma and grandma who both passed away in the last 6 months [his grandma only a few days before the race.. we wanted to do something to honor their memory.)

once we split off from the half marathoners around mile 11, i have to admit, i felt pretty amazing.

i never thought i would ever be able to run a marathon and then to be included in the marathon group and hear everyone cheering, felt so, so good.

i felt even better when i saw new friend kim standing along the course with this amazing sign.

again, i started waiving my arms and fist pumping the moment i saw her.

she is such a good friend to wait for so long just to see us run by for a couple seconds.

then less than a mile down the road, we saw kari, brian, and baxter:)

such good friends and faithful fans.

they came out early in the cold before going to see the BRONCS! just to support us.

i was smiling from ear to ear when i saw them.

(oh, and waving my arms like a crazy person yet again).

we ran through wash park (one of my favorite spots in denver) for miles 16-19...

and once again our cheerleaders were there to support us.

and leighann's in-laws even joined in the fun (fun=cheering in the cold.)

and to our surprise, our friends kjaer and monica were also there to cheer us on.

let me just say, the support of our friends and family during this race was incredible.

it definitely made all the difference.

when we were tired, they gave us high fives.

when our nipples started bleeding, they gave us band-aids (ok, maybe only mr. lesley's nipples didn't cooperate, but whatever:)

when we were thirsty, they gave us water.

and we were so thankful.

the last 7 or so miles were definitely not a cake walk.

maybe i yelled at mr. lesley a couple times (while running backwards), but sometimes you've got to do whatever necessary to get 'er done.

then comes the definite highlight of the race...

mr. lesley and i were running towards the finish line when i see my sister and friend rachel (who surprised me and came to the race) on the sidelines.

i was super excited to see them and kept on running.

all of the sudden, i feel a tap on my shoulder and turn around to see my step sister lele running right beside me.

i definitely screamed and looked at her in a complete state of shock.

for weeks we had been talking about how great it would be if she could come to the race, and lo and behold there she was.

she flew into denver just for the day to be there to see me finish the race.

i was blown away at her thoughtfulness.

mr. lesley and i finished holding hands (yes, we know we are so adorable) with lele right at our side.

(oh, and i have to add, the girl in pink in front of us fully kneeled down at the finish and we almost crashed into her...i was like "get out of our way!"...don't mess with a girl who has been running for almost 5 hours.)

after i got my medal (gosh, that felt good), i chatted with rachel and tried to wrap my mind around seeing lele right next to me.

i was so thankful to have both sisters there to celebrate.

and in case you were wondering, i couldn't feel my legs and was struggling to walk. no bigs.

after grabbing my metalic cape (i basically ran the whole race for that cape, my medal, and the 26.2 sticker i will proudly be putting on my car), mr. lesley and i soaked in the moment of 1. being engaged and 2. finishing a marathon.

what an incredible 72 hours.

after we semi regained the use of our legs, we took a group shot...

made some new friends...

showered all the nastiness off, assessed our wounds (my feet were NASTY...blister city for sure...i considered posting pictures, but i wanted to spare you from tossing your cookies), and made a b-line for some delicious pasta at maggiano's.

after lunch we had to get our things together and drive straight to the airport to catch a flight back to michigan for mr. lesley's grandma's funeral.

and even under such sad circumstances his AMAZING mom and aunts made these signs to greet us at the airport.

they are so great.

one weekend with two dreams coming true.

getting engaged to the love of my life and accomplishing a dream i once thought was impossible.

it doesn't get much better than that folks.

marathon eve.

2011-10-13T19:41:00.002-06:00

so, i woke up saturday morning to...

snow.

and a big, fat ring on my finger.

(of course i slept with it on. i mean, duh.)

yes. it snowed the day before the marathon.

i was like...awesome. i am going to freeze my arse off tomorrow. perfect.

fortunately for me, two of my favorites, heather and jason drove down from fort collins the night before and crashed at my pad so we could all hang out on saturday.

a perfect distraction from breathing in my paper bag.

we geared up for the cold and made our way to breakie.

where heather and i talked weddings and the boys rolled their eyes.

yes, we are stereotypical.

accept us.

then heather insisted we stop at the store, so she could buy me my first bridal magazines.

she's pretty much the best.

that afternoon we said goodbye to h & j and traveled through the rain downtown for the marathon expo.

a.k.a. a frugal healthy snack hoarders paradise.

we walked the red carpet...

picked up our race packets...

reviewed the course...

(fyi: 26.2 miles is FAR)

admired the goods and wares...

(while channeling our inner kenyan:)

tried our best to stay positive...

reminded ourselves that it's what's inside that counts...

and managed not to toss our cookies in the process.

pre-marathon jitters are no joke.

the rest of the night was spent trying to figure out the best way to run a marathon without actually running a marathon.

needless to say, we weren't too successful.

all the bloody details of the next day coming soon.

get pumped.

wanna get married? yeah me too.

2011-10-12T21:17:00.003-06:00

mr. lesley and i got engaged!

yep.

i am the soon-to-be mrs. lesley (!).

and i couldn't be happier.

october 7, 2011 was one of the happiest days of my life, and it went a little something like this...

i heard a little knock on my classroom door friday afternoon and opened it only to see mr. lesley standing there, pumpkin spiced latte in hand.

i was lucky enough to get his company for lunch, when he informed me (quite specifically i might add) that we would be going to dinner with some of his friends that night but he wanted to pick me up early to go "see the fall leaves."

although we have been known to do such things, he was acting quite suspicious.

(it didn't help that every time he was on the computer the past week he would never let me see what he was doing and made sure i knew not to hack into his facebook. i mean, who does he think i am? i may be nosy, but i'm not THAT bad:)

he arrived at my apartment a little before six, roughed up sir winston for a bit, and then we were off to admire the changing foliage.

after a stop off at starbucks for some hot chocolate, we made our way to a nice little park in denver just in time for sunset.

we found a little bench where (as i found out later) mr. lesley planned on proposing except instead of being alone at the little park, we were surrounded by 7 year olds, kicking soccer balls as hard as they possibly could.

i was thoroughly entertained, but mr. lesley was less than ecstatic to have the company, so we decided to take a stroll around the park instead.

all of the sudden, he stopped near some flowers and asked me a little question..

"do you remember what i asked you the night before your first half marathon?"

(now at this point i really thought something was up)

to which i responded, "you asked if i would be your girlfriend"

apparently that wasn't the answer he was looking for...

"no, what did i ask you specifically?"

then it really clicked...

"you asked if you could come to my race as my boyfriend."

before i knew it, he was on his knee and said,

"now i want to know if i can go to this race as your fiancee. will you marry me?"

i think i reached for the ring first (it was so pretty...i couldn't help it), but then i said "YES!"

and gave him the biggest hug and kiss of my life!

(and yes, in case you were wondering, i'm sure the little kids were staring at us by this point completely grossed out, but of course we didn't care.)

then he said a bunch of other wonderful things.
words i will hold in my heart forever.

it was only appropriate then that we celebrate with champagne, which mr. lesley poured all over himself before it made its way into our glasses.

yeah, we're pretty classy.

once our little celebration was over, mr. lesley told me that we were still going to meet his friends for dinner, but they were running late so we needed to kill some time.

we decided to stop at our favorite record shop, twist and shout, to pick up a record for this special occasion.

(we kinda have a thing with buying records.)

we picked a band of horses album, since it was the first concert we went to together:)

at this point, it was still "too early" to go to the restuarant, so mr. lesley suggested we go to the atomic cowboy to get a drink before dinner...

but when i walked in, i was greeted by 25+ of some of my favorite denver friends,

cheering and clapping, and i was in shock (to say the least)...

and REALLY happy with mr. lesley.

apparently, he had invited all my friends to a "surprise marathon pump up party."

and even though they thought it was strange (have you ever heard of a marathon party?) they came anyway and were just as surprised as me when they found out we were engaged:)

so, first things first, i had to show off my new bling, bling...

call my sister and shed a few (or a lot) of tears that the timing of the night didn't work out and she was with her fiancee (yes, we are now engaged at the same time:) and at a rehearsal dinner for a wedding the next day.

she sent flowers in her absence, and they were BEAUTIFUL!

and take as many photos with all the amazing people who came to celebrate with us!

after saying hello to everyone, mr. lesley's uncle (who came into town to watch his son, mr. lesley's cousin, run the marathon with us) grabbed the mic and gave the sweetest speech as a way to welcome me into the family.

then of course, there were a lot of hugs...

a lot of eating atomic cowboy's gigantic pizza slices...

a lot more photo opps (thanks matt,!)...

a lot of family quality time...

a lot of friends who filled my heart...

and a lot of l.o.v.e.

it was perfect.

so, so perfect.

i was overwhelmed by the love of so many people that night.

i don't know if i've ever felt so celebrated in all my life.

God has truly blessed both of us.

and now i just can't wait to start our life together.

we are kinda the power couple of the century, after all.

(move over mr. and mrs. obama).

let the wedding planning commence!

(fyi: if any of you would like to just go ahead and plan our wedding that would be great. thanks:)

i like guest post now. no bigs.

2011-10-07T10:14:00.000-06:00

now i just need some sponsors and maybe an etsy shop, and i'll have definitely arrived in the blogosphere:)

check out my guest post over at welcome to the laundromat.

and have a happy friday while you're at it.

journey: the fifth best american rock band in history

2011-10-02T18:41:00.003-06:00

it all began on wednesday night during small group...

mr. lesley brought up journey (pretty normal topic of discussion:) and the next thing i knew, nancy was inviting me to go with her and krista to the journey concert.

in the back of my head, i just thought she was being nice and that would be the end of it.

but when she emailed me the next day telling me she was going to buy me a ticket and i was going, case closed, i knew she meant business.

and to top it all off, last night's agenda included even more than the concert.

in krista's words "i went to a dinner party, then a house party, and then to a concert! this is the best night ever!"

this is how it all went down...

we started at justin and nancy's for a little dinner and drinks action.

nancy's "campers' cocktail" and i hit it off right from the start.

the food and company were lovely too.

next, we went to a friend's house for a little socializing then it was TIME.

we grabbed some beverages, and hit the road with our trusty chauffeurs for the evening (thanks luke and justin!)

the venue was PACKED!

so after finding us a prime spot on the grass, i did what any normal girl would do...

put my hair in a side ponytail STAT.

now why didn't anyone remind me to bring my scrunchie?

all i have to say is that when journey took the stage, i couldn't stop fist pumping.

or admiring arnel pineda's white skinny jeans.

or his split jumping skills for that matter.

our fist pumps morphed into outstretched arms and finally to head banging.

it just made sense.

they rocked, and rocked, and rocked.

well, until the 11 o'clock sound cap.

greenwood village is no new york city, barcelona, or tel aviv that's for sure.

we don't joke around about our sleep.

and before we knew it, it was time for the stage to explode with confetti and everyone to go home:(

this night will definitely go down in the record books.

thank you ladies for welcoming me with open arms, reminding me that i shouldn't stop believing, and giving me a night that was just the way i wanted it.

you two are the best.

journey, you're not too bad either.

marathon countdown: 11 days

2011-09-28T11:30:00.001-06:00

(thanks steph!)

so, i'm like running a marathon in 11 days, and maybe (just maybe) i'm kinda freaking out.

what if i can't find the perfect race outfit (the most important thing after all)?

what if my blisters take over my feet and i'm forced to have mr. lesley push me in a wheelchair through the course?

what if i trip and fall into the fans?

what if i poop my pants because i don't want to stop for a bathroom break (it's been known to happen folks!)?

what if i get 3 miles in and forget how to run?

what if my ipod dies (oh the horror!)?

and the million dollar question...

what if i die right before crossing the finish line?

until all these questions and more are answered, i will just keep breathing into my paper bag and try to remain calm.

everything will be just fine, right?

oh lord, i hope so.

and my mind is blown...

2011-09-26T20:37:00.000-06:00

via via

so maybe i'm not hard to impress these days, but i just have to tell you about 2 things that have changed my life.

are you ready?

1. spotify.

i can listen to basically whatever album i want...

make playlists...

find out about new music from my fb peeps...

all without paying a DIME.

if you know what's good for you, you will stop and download it now.

2. salley hansen salon effects
NAIL STICKERS!

i used them for the first time this weekend, and i was amazed.
i was washing my hands, putting on clothes, and going about my normal life only seconds after doing my nails.
and they didn't get screwed up!
i tried to explain to mr. lesley what a big deal this was, but he just...didn't...get...it.
either way, i'm hooked.

all i have to say now is...

you're welcome.

the things we do for the dogs we love.

2011-09-20T21:06:00.001-06:00

(via)

today i pulled poop out of sir winston's booty.

disgusting.

but i guess that's what true love is all about...

taking one for the team.

he'll appreciate it when he's older, right?

a lovely weekend.

2011-09-18T21:44:00.000-06:00

i had a great weekend.

wanna hear about it?

yes?

perfect. i was hoping you'd say that.

friday night: another blessed reunion! my friend chrissy came into town just to see me! (oh and hang out with her family and go to a conference, but those were just secondary...obvi.) we dined on a delicious dinner and dessert and i passed out on the couch.

in case you didn't know, friday nights and teachers don't exactly mix.

and i was having such a good time, i forgot to take any pictures. major fail.

saturday morning: i, along with the rest of america, have drank the pumpkin spice latte cool aid. nothing says "heeeellllooo weekend" like a ridiculously expensive cup of autumn.

after sipping our lattes, mr. lesley and i went to get ourselves some new running shoes.

both of our kicks were really pathetic.

my feet were pretty much touching the ground. yeah, that bad.

so we headed out to boulder running company where we both scored great new shoes and our new favorite item of all time.

chaffing, you've met your match!

but...i couldn't justify spending 100 bones on shoes when i knew i could get something just as good at nordstrom rack.

now presenting...my new asics!

half the price and just as official looking.

score.

post shopping activities consisted of cleaning, nail painting, popcorn eating, and movie watching.

then it was time for a b-day party with the rands, a little photo scavenger hunt action, and most exciting...i finally found an apartment, thanks to the rands and their landlord sam!

PTL!

looks like come november i'll be living it up in a place of my very own. whoot whoot.

unfortunately again, i have no photos to prove such adventures.

you'll just have to take my word on it.

sunday: i finally conquered the 20 miler! and now that i've regained control of my lower limbs, i'm feeling really good about it.

i assure you though, if you saw me running around mile 18, you would have been convinced i was an 85 year old trying to run.

but i finished, and that's all that matters.

and i have blisters from my new shoes to prove it.

in the afternoon, i got to see chrissy again, and we...

a. played a rousing game of peanuts

b. laughed and chatted over coffee and lemon blueberry bars at stella's

c. wanted everything in site at 5 green boxes, but went home with major heart scores

d. all of the above

after saying goodbye to chrissy and wishing so badly that she would just move to colorado already, i ventured out for some grocery shopping and even made dinner when i got home

(i know, i actually cooked...sort of.)/

now i'm resting my barking dogs, mentally preparing for the week ahead,

and

feeling very satisfied.

sidenote: while i was catching up with mrs. tripodi, mr. lesley was dominating the 50 piece chicken nuggets from mc'donalds.

a little too much man vs. food?

possibly.

an addiction to dipping sauces?

likely.

all i have to say is, i couldn't be more proud of him!

back off ladies.

the guy with sweet and sour dripping from his chin is MY man.

my favorite little petroleum geologist.

2011-09-15T22:49:00.000-06:00

tonight i was reunited with one of my favorite college homegirls, rebecca a.k.a. becca a.k.a.smartest girl on the PLANET!

she is getting her master's degree in geology at the colorado school of the mines a.k.a. genius central.

and i am her friend.

winning.

now that's she's here for the next 2 years, we get to be real life friends again.

and i'm pumped.

i can teach her how to talk to 12 year olds, and she can teach me about the layers of the earth's crust.

even exchange, i'd say.

this song is just so cute.

2011-09-13T11:54:00.002-06:00

a waka waka wedding.

2011-09-12T23:10:00.000-06:00

john and bethany's wedding day started off with some major prep work.

of the venue, of course, but mostly of our hot bods.

we loaded up into the 15 passenger (traveling in style) and made our way to the salon to get all dolled up for the event of the century.

hairspray and perfume filled the air...

along with a lot of good yucking, of course.

mr. lesley was kind enough to bring us starbucks (gosh, i love that guy) and i partook of my first pumpkin spiced latte of the season.

so glorious.

and i was fortunate enough to have the one and only mandi cody do my hair.

i was so thankful!

i don't think i've metioned how much i love this girl.

she makes me laugh and feel like a hundred bucks all at the same time.

she's kinda the best.

before we knew it, bethany was putting on her gown and doing the final touches to get ready for pictures.

we all stood around, stared, and sighed at the beauty of the moment.

before we headed off for pictures, i just had to snap a few shots of the mural outside the salon.

i had a tractor beam straight for the heart.

our first photo shoot of the day was on top of a parking garage.

very, very cool.

and i was loving that couch.

the sun was pretty brutal, but we stayed strong.

the truck wasn't originally included in the shoot, but i liked it:)

and that bouquet.

i was dying of its awesomeness.

then we were off to site #2.

that red wagon was GENIUS for carrying all our stuff.

totally brilliant.

this spot was just lovely...

the brick...

and this colorful wall were perfect.

i'm glad i got a chance to take some photos of these two amazing families...

and some glamour shot action with christina.

isn't she beautiful?

some of the bridesmaids had to get in on the wall action too!

then it was TIME, so we got some final pictures...

and made our way to the venue.

the ceremony was perfect.

not too long, and not too short.

with the perfect amount of jesus and sincerity in the mix.

and i didn't fall in my high heels, so i was pretty pumped.

after the ceremony,

i reunited with mr. lesley...

made sure to photograph all the decorations i was drooling over...

listened to the heartfelt speeches...

(great job chels!)

and then it was time for the real party to begin.

(now, just because we went to a college that "frowned upon" dancing, all of us ORU girlies pretty much dominated the dance floor.

and christina dominated the bouquet toss..

jbhlir!

mr. lesley was patient with my left feet and spun me around the dance floor like a pro!

then it was time for the last dance of the night...

waka waka by shakira

it brought out everyone's inner african and got them dancing like fools on the dance floor.

at last, we said farewell to the happy couple...

and they were whisked away in their chariot...

which just happened to be driven by a bird woman of sorts.

to close out the night, we stopped by the can can, one of salem's finest dive bars, for a beverage with chels and co. and then headed back to the homestead.

the next morning, we took off for denver.

and i left the weekend with such a full and grateful heart.

until the next wedding ladies...

jbhlir.

Aloha Au Ia 'Oe

2011-09-10T11:26:00.000-06:00

saturday morning started off with a long run around salem with my new favorite marathon buddy adri...

we recently realized we were both running our marathons on october 9th

(hers in long beach and mine in denver).

what a kawinkydink:)

it's so nice to chat with another girl about the highs and lows of marathon training.

you know, asking, "have you ever chaffed (insert mystery spot here)?"

it feels good to know i'm not alone in my misery.

we also shared our favorite running tunes, motivation for doing this ridiculously long race, and how good it feels to accomplish something we never dreamed possible.

it was lovely.

the afternoon time was spent picking up all the dresses from the bridal shop, welcoming mr. lesley to salem, and venturing out to find some hawaiian shirts for the rehearsal dinner luau that evening.

the shindig was hosted by bethany's aunt and uncle at their amazing home right on the willamette river.

rachel, christina, and i insisted on a little photo shoot action before the dinner started.
mr. lesley graciously agreed to be our photographer.
and i have to say, rachel earns the title of best hawaiian shirt of ALL TIME.
yes, the entire bottom of the shirt is lined with corona bottles.
such a jem of a find.

shortly after getting there, i was reunited with one of my favorites, the one and only char!
she is one hot california lady now.
and still as hilarious as ever.
(sidenote: mr. lesley now refers to her as, "my best friend char", so i think she really won him over:)

after our delicious meal, john and bethany took the stage with shout outs and special gifts for all of the bridal party...

then we took a walk down to the lake to take in the beautiful sunset...

and, of course, ended the evening with a group photo.

ORU girls are pretty good lookin' if i do say so myself.

in preparation for the wedding the next day, we got home, put on our pjs, and watched "never say never."
you know, the justin beiber movie (at adri's request of course).
and i fell asleep.

in my defense, i had to get ready to cut a serious rug at the wedding festivities the next day.
adequate sleep is essential to give my limbs a full range of motion.