Latest Adventure

My latest adventure happened this past weekend.  Back in October my wonderful boyfriend said he wanted to take me somewhere for my birthday.  Me being the adventurous traveler that I am was excited....I love going anywhere!  So he tried to keep it a secret but that lasted for maybe 1-2 days :)  But that's ok....knowing where we were going gave me something exciting to look forward to during the hectic and chaotic fall season.

Fast forward a month or so and we finally were ready for our adventure.  We flew on Spirit, which has a lot of mixed reviews.  I'd say it was decent.  Not horrible.  When we boarded the plane, the flight attendant that was on there began to get upset that they had let us on the plane.  She started saying "we're not ready!"  Well what were we supposed to do about that?  They told us to get on the plane so we did what we were told.  I think she was just having a rough morning.  Despite the rudeness from the flight attendant we made it in one piece and on time to Chicago to spend the day.

It was a packed day and I thoroughly enjoyed the entire adventure.  We started at The Bongo Room.  We attempted to find it by walking but quickly realized that it might be better to catch a cab.  Good thing we did because it was farther away than we thought.  It just so happens that there were multiple locations.  We were told later by our very friendly Smart Home tour guide at the Science museum that we went to the best location.  When we pulled up, there was a wait.  I knew that since there was a wait it must mean that it is a good place to go.  We probably waited 30 minutes but the weather was decently nice so it wasn't too cold to wait outside.  Once seated, we made our choices and ordered.  Then we started seeing all these dessert like pancakes that people had ordered.  I had to second guess my choice but when mine came out and I started eating it, I was very pleased with my choice.

Our next stop was the Science Museum.  It's a big place that you could easily spend all day in.  They had a bunch of add on exhibits.  We went for the Smart Home and one of the IMAX movies about flying.  The smart home exhibit was pretty cool.  I'm ready to start building mine.  I'm also ready to get a mirror with a internet access so I can get ready in the morning and check my Facebook and the latest news all in one.  The movie was interesting but I could have easily fallen asleep!  The chairs were comfy and laid back a little.  They were just what my neck needed.  I guess I didn't mention the extreme neck pain I was experiencing.  It started Friday morning and it continues today (even though it does feel better).  We had some extra time after our smart home exhibit and our IMAX movie so we went across the street to Lake Michigan.  It was beautiful!  I've never seen any of the great lakes in person.  It was so peaceful!  We stopped for some photos and then walked on a little long to sit and rest some before heading back.

Lake Michigan

Cedric the Gnome...there is a story that goes with this little gnome.  

After the museum, we went downtown to see the Chicago Bean in Millennium Park.  Of course me being the picture person I am had to take a few pictures.  

The Bean

We had to get the skyline in the picture.  I think we did pretty good.

After the Bean, we did a little bit of window shopping and went inside the enormous Macy's.  It reminded me of the one in NYC.  We went up to the coats section and I'm pretty sure they had any coat you could think of that you might possibly want or need.  We looked around for a little while  before heading to an early dinner.  

We saved the best for last.....the pizza!  I had never had any Chicago style pizza, but I love deep dish pizza so I knew it would not disappoint.  We went to Giordano's.....they told us the wait was going to be about 1-1.5 hours.  We patiently waited and were pleasantly surprised when we were called after about 20 minutes.  We had already preordered our pizza because it takes about 45 minutes for them to cook.  My first experience with Chicago style pizza was a positive one.  I enjoyed every last bite :)  We even saved room for dessert.  Well, I don't know that I saved room for it....I would say I made room for it and thought I might need to be rolled out of the restaurant later.  

After our pizza it was about time to start making our way back to the airport to get through security and get back on our flight to head home.  

Overall, I had a GREAT adventure, even though I was in a lot of pain and I'm glad I got to spend it in great company and was well taken care of! :)  

AND THE WINNER IS.........

Kara

There were 6 comments that were entered into the giveaway sponsored by Shutterfly.  I used the random number generator to find the winner.  Kara, I'll send your information to the Shutterfly social media director and you should get your code soon.  Enjoy and I can't wait to see your cards!

I hope to host more giveaways in the future...keep watching!     

Christmas Cards....and a GIVEAWAY!

I know you might think I'm crazy for already thinking about Christmas but in reality it will be here before we know it.  One of my favorite parts of Christmas besides celebrating the birth of our King, is designing Christmas cards and sending them out to family and friends to update them on the past year.  In the past I have used Shutterfly and I have loved the way they turned out and I have received so many compliments from my cards as well.

Shutterfly has some new Christmas Card designs this year.  That is going to make it even harder to choose the perfect card.  I typically like to choose a design that has space for more than one picture because I like to include pictures from trips that I have taken during the past year.  I usually like folded cards as well because I like to include a little blurb about my year.  I have browsed their site and come up with a few of my favorites.  Here they are!


1.  Surrounded With Love:  I love the different fonts on this card and the fact that there is room for quite a few pictures on the front.  I need to be able to share my adventures with everyone.

2.  Charming and Lovely:  The title describes this card.  It's simple yet charming.  Just my style!

5.  Blessed Family Religious:  I love the simplicity of this card with plenty of photo spots.  I also love the completely accurate word at the top of the card that describes my life and so many other lives.  We forget how blessed we truly are.  

I really do like the new collection of cards.  Check it out!  They have something for everyone!  Shutterfly also always has some great offers so check out their special offers page before purchasing as well.

Now for the fun and exciting part...THE GIVEAWAY!  Who doesn't want $50 off their Christmas Card purchase???  That's a pretty great deal if you ask me!  I'll choose 1 lucky winner at random to receive a special coupon code from Shutterfly (expires 12/31/2012).  Here's how you enter for your chance to win:

1.  Follow my blog by clicking the "Join this Site" button on the right side column.  Comment below and let me know that you did so (or if you already follow me!)  This counts as 1 entry.  

2.  Go to Shutterfly's site and browse their Christmas cards, then pick out a card you would choose if you won.  Comment below telling me what card you would choose.  This counts as 1 entry.  

The giveaway ends at midnight on October 29th.  The winner will be announced on October 30th.  Good luck to everyone!


***Disclaimer, this is a sponsored post.  All opinions are my own.  

Kaylan

Let me preface this blog entry by saying it has nothing to do with traveling or any trips of any sort but instead it is about a very dear friend of mine.  Today I'm linking up to Kelly's Korner and it's her Singles Linkup day.  I know it sounds crazy but God works in ways we never imagine He will...you never know until you try.  His plan might be something completely different than we expected that it would be so that's why I asked Kaylan's permission to blog about how wonderful she is!

 Kaylan has been a dear friend for 10 years now.  We met at OBU in Arkadelphia and I'm so incredibly blessed that God has allowed me to be part of her life.  Here are some things that I (and the other "golden girls") love about Kaylan.  

First and foremost, Kaylan is a believer and follower of Christ.  She loves Jesus with her whole heart.  I have seen her follow Him even when the going got tough for her.  She is a Texan at heart but she currently lives in the Nashville area.  She is also one of the funniest people I know.  Whenever I am around her, she makes me laugh constantly.  Kaylan is also a world traveler and takes every opportunity to travel.  She has been overseas on several mission trips and continues to serve the Lord and go where He leads her.  She loves her family and would do anything for them!  Kaylan is also one of the most compassionate people I know.  She has a heart for people.  She is passionate about everything she puts her mind to, whether it be her work, her family, her friends or her life in general.  Kaylan is also very down to earth, sincere, creative, and a great cook (I need some lessons in this area for sure).  Lastly, Kaylan is country girl and diva all rolled into one!  She is one stylish girl but that doesn't take over her life.  

Kaylan is the kind of girl that every single guys mother would love for her son to bring home and introduce as his future wife.

If you think you might know someone that would be a great match for Kaylan, leave a comment and email address so she can get in contact with you.

GYR 2012

This is a long overdue post about one of the best parts about each summer and also happened to be the very last exciting thing that happened this summer, so I had to wait ALL SUMMER for this goodness.....GYR 2012!  For those of you who are not familiar with those acronyms, it stands for Golden Years Reunion.  College were the Golden Years that none of us will ever forget.  We bonded, became special sisters that some of us never had.  Now we try to reunite at least once a year.  Last year we didn't because of scheduling conflicts but I'm determined to see all my girls at least once a year from now on.  It's tough because we don't live in the same city but I am making it my goal from now on!

This year the reunion was in Austin.  Unfortunately one of our members of our little group was not able to join us.  It's hard to get away when you have 2 small children, but hopefully she will be able to make the next reunion.  We started the reunion on Wednesday evening when everyone finally arrived via plane to Austin.  Sweet Kara made 3 trips to the airport that day.  The first trip was to take her husband so he could get out of time for some guy time.  Then she picked Elise up midday and then the rest of us flew in around the same time so she got all of us at once.

Our first big surprise was that Kara was expecting!  Poor thing was sick while we were there but she was such a trooper.  She is expecting her first little Langley baby in March.  I can't wait to have another GYR baby in the mix.  One day I know that all the little GYR babies will be in the same room playing together while their mommas are in the kitchen and their daddies are all outside.

Next on our agenda was eating.  That's one of the things we do best.  I have a special bond with other foodies.  Maybe that's why we all became such good friends:)  I don't remember all the details of the weekend but I know that it involved lots of girl time, discussions, relaxation, food, and sleeping.  I had told a friend before I went on my trip that the girls like to stay up late.  Well as we have gotten older and older our bedtimes have become earlier and earlier.  I'd say we were in bed by midnight most nights and the reason we weren't in bed earlier the other night is because we took a random impromptu trip to San Antonio.

The trip was the perfect way to end the summer!  It was such a treat to spend 5ish days with the best friends a girl could ask for.  They don't judge and love me just the way I am.  We always pick up right where we left off.  I love them more than they know!

fredericksburg

This summer instead of my traditional vacation I've stayed close to home. This might be the first summer I haven't been out of Texas that I can remember. Because I'm taking a big trip in December, I've decided (sort of) that I should probably just save my money and wait for the big Australia and New Zealand trip. So my second summer trip I took in Texas was south again. I went with 5 other girls to Fredericksburg. I've only been there once and I would really call it taking a trip o Fredericksburg to explore the cute little town and surrounding areas. I went for a pedicure the day before my brothers wedding. That was the closest place so that's where we went. We were there strictly for me to get my toes done and eat lunch. So my first real trip to Fredericksburg was a lot of fun. We stayed in a cute little cottage called the Abble House. It was perfectly located and within walking distance to everything except the wineries and nothing is within walking distance to the wineries. The food we ate was great! The wine was delicious! The atmosphere was just lovely! I came back a little heavier than I was when I left so I'd say the trip was a success :)

Here are a few pictures from our adventure.

Now to prepare for 5 glorious days in Austin with my gg's!  Can't wait! :)

baby k

Monday, July 16, 2012 my life was forever changed.  I became an aunt to the most precious chubby cheeked little girl :)  She's beautiful and I'm blessed that she is my first niece (assuming there will be more nieces or nephews along the way).  I knew her mommy (my sister in law) was going in Sunday night and being induced Monday morning.  I woke up to a string of texts and my mom asking if I was at the hospital.  Nope, I was still in bed.  I knew that I had time even after she was born because they would have to clean her up and such.  I didn't rush to get ready and actually took extra time because if I was going to be taking a picture with her, my hair needed to be fixed and I needed to have makeup on. She arrived a little before 1pm but we didn't get to hold her until around 5:30pm.  That was the longest wait ever.  They were able to reserve the only suite in the maternity area at the hospital and it's a good thing they did because there were a lot of us around and a normal sized room would have been packed otherwise.  After we got to meet baby K, we headed home to let the new parents get some rest.  I was back the next day though with my camera in my hand.  I took some pictures of the sweet girl and her parents.  I think hospital pictures are a must if you can get someone who knows what they are doing to come in.  I was honored that they let me intrude and get some pictures.  I am going over tomorrow to see that sweet chunky monkey and take her newborn photos.  I sure hope they turn out as good and actually even better than her hospital pictures.  I hope the lighting cooperates with me and the outdoor lighting will shine right in all their windows.  I'll post some of them in a few weeks but here are a few that I took at the hospital.

Love those cheeks!

Isn't she sweet?!?!

Aunt K with Baby K :)

Daddy's Little Girl