Oh where oh where have the days gone?

It's been quite a while since I've posted, well anything. I'm still living...scrapping occasionally, participating in taintilating poker tournaments with my family, shooting paintballs at Mr. Dowell, racing, or meandering, down mountains on my snowboard, putting far too many hours in at the office, trying to hold my eyeballs open while I study....but more than anything else, enjoying this holiday season with my family. Below are some pages that pretty much sum up the last two months... please excuse the poor photos, my days are usually packed from sun up to sun down so lighting is always a bit of an issue.

The hard life, 10.26.09: Oh Poop, how you make me so happy. I’m counting down the days until I start work and dread not being able to lay cheek to cheek all day long with you! You let me kiss you to death, pet you to death, play with you to death and love you to death. I don’t think there are very many creatures in this world who could handle so much affection. It breaks my heart to think of you here alone all day while I work - life would just be better if you could always be propped up in my lap! Kisses and hugs Poopers.

Boo, 10.31.09: Sean and I had a pretty eventful Halloween. We went to Padilla Bay with Penelope for a gusty walk, making scary faces with the looming clouds in the background. Then we went home and attempted to make ourselves mustache cookies but ended up with mole sticks and pointy gotes. Hehe. Lastly, we went to our very first showing of the Rocky Horror Picture Show. Hmm, bizarre, amusing, shocking…I think those are the most fitting terms. Dad, Amy, Marcus, Sean, I & some of dad’s friends all went to the Lincoln Theater in downtown Mount Vernon, venturing with fanatics and ‘virgins’ alike. We through rice, used squirt guns on each other, yelled out profanity and even stood up for a little dance. Though it’s not quite like anything I’ve ever seen or done before it was most definitely enjoyable and would recommend it at least once for everyone. Page inspired by Studio Calico blog, I wish I remember which contributer, but I can't seem to place the name.

You make me laugh, 10.31.09: The fruits of our labor, a mole stick. There is a certain someone who we often laugh about, not necessarily in a mean way but laugh nonetheless. This someone has a mole on their arm with rather long hair growing from it…and Sean pretends to twirl the hair when we talk about this someone. It sounds cruel, I realize this, but it is just so funny – and here is Sean making another funny out of it.

Baby it’s cold, 11.22.09 & 12.06.09: So RV life can be a bit challenging to say the least. When it’s cold outside, it’s cold inside. When it’s freezing outside, there is no water inside. When it is gusty outside, our inside gets smaller. Hmm, what else…I’m sure I could think of some more but those one just rolled off my tongue. We’re making do though, laundry and weekends with mother, showers at night with father and lots of cuddling with our fur ball to share the warmth. It also makes the outside not seem so bad, so when we are home for daylight we try and go for walks. Hence, these bundled up photographs. The picture at the bottom of the page cracks me up, it is like Penelope becoming her werewolf self. Yes, I am a Twilight fan, thus the sci-fi, ridiculous comment. Nevertheless, look at her badass self, well again, as bad as a twenty pound rat terrier can be. And check out my Volturi like hood, hmm, enough with my madness. Let’s end on a happy note, I love you Sean and Poop! And I love our chilly walks! Layout inspired by 'ck sketch' in January 2010 issue of Creating Keepsakes.

Don’t mind if I do…, 11.26.09: Sean prefers the leg, I prefer the breast but Penelope, she prefers the WHOLE carcass! Hehe We went over to ma’s as always for Thanksgiving and after devouring our supper and commencing clean up Sean had the clever idea to feed Plop a bit of goodness. As he lowered the carcass for her she slowly approached, wondering if this was truly happening or merely a dream? With each timid step the delicious smell grew stronger, it couldn’t be a dream, and her eyes began to widen. So wide, in fact, she kind of looked like Justin Timberlake in that Sony commercial. Ahh, heaven, and she ravished the carcass. Yes, that was probably Penelope’s best Thanksgiving yet…and it made ours pretty darn good just laughing at her cartoon eyes.

Holiday Tradition, 11.27.09: Mom, Amy and I. Black Friday shopping. A true holiday tradition. I love getting Starbucks with mother, meeting up with Amy and heading out on a mission. Even if it is a mission for socks, it is a mission shared with all the other Black Friday shoppers. The crowds, the deals, the holiday spirit in the air…finishing most of your Christmas shopping in one day. Who couldn’t love Black Friday? And to put the icing on the cake; the hearty breakfast (or lunch depending on your list) to finish the event. Mmm, life is good. Journaling reads "I love that we always do holiday shopping together the day after Thanksgiving. Even if our Christmas lists aren't that large or we only started making them Thanksgiving day as we browsed the newspaper - it is so much fun to get into the Christmas spirit!" Layout inspired by Mandi.

War Games, 12.12.09: This year, instead of a rowdy party with his peers, Andrew decided turning eleven would be better spent shooting paintballs with his family. You didn’t have to ask Sean and I twice! The whole group was dad, Sean & I, Molly & Jim (Marcus’ folks), Amy, Marcus & Andrew. We came prepared with layers and adrenaline, both were very useful! The first bell chimes and I dart to the edge of the playing field awaiting my opponent, who in this instance was Sean himself. A shooting match began and of course the best man won, that would be me in case you are slow on the uptake. I shot him in the mask, I have a tendency to hit heads; cough, cough senior Dowell can attest to that. Moving on, Sean later got his revenge when I was being surrounded by his team as the lone survivor, knowing better than to shoot me in the back he offered a surrender and I gladly accepted. We all had a bit of a grudge against a pudgy kid in a blue jumpsuit, stemming off of Sean offering him surrender, as well, and being greeted with three hard hits to the chest. Amy let loose on him first, Rambo style, I shot his protruding belly at another point and I’m quite certain there were a few other successful hits made by our group as well. Side note: Andrew didn’t have an ounce of paint on him, yet he frequently emptied his hopper. Interesting. It was a really fun morning, I know all of us enjoyed it, most of us more than we expected, and hashing over it afterwards just sealed the deal. We’ll have another match soon enough, it’s just a matter of when. Layout inspired by Keri Babbitt's layout featured in January 2010 issue of Creating Keepsakes.

Well that is about it...I have another layout drying at the moment. But maybe holding back on a layout will tempt me to blog again before two months fly by. For now, Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

Real quick.

I did this page as a little breather before my big test tomorrow. After a month of studying and acting like I studied I'm ready to just let it all out and hope for the best!

Our own autumn bliss..., 10.24.09: What a delightful day we shared together - and it wasn't even planned! You felt like exploring so off to Anacortes we went. First stop...a cinnamon roll at Calico Cupboard. Mm! Then we headed by foot to explore the rest of town - used books, antiques and a peculiar old hardware store. Lots of laughs and loves, just the way I like it! Buttons were actually picked up that day! I have a little more about our day in the previous post as well. Also, I'm dying to learn how to sew...hence my measly stitches on the page.

Only one weekend left.

Sean and I had a lovely day yesterday! We spent a lazy morning eating pancakes and then headed out to Anacortes to peruse the downtown area. We went to several antique stores, an old hardware store that could pretty much be considered antique as well and some used book stores. Un feliz viaje! Or something like that. I ended up with a jar of buttons, an old Oprah's book club book and an lampshade pencil sharpener for my papa's birthday. I must admit I was most thrilled with the last one, he has a collection of random pencil sharpeners in odd shapes and his birthday is a little over a month away so the timing was perfect! Then we headed back into town and got MORE goodies. Sean got some Bath & Body Works air fresheners for the cars and I started my work shopping with a 40% off wool coat and 25% off watch from Macy's. Ahh, it was a heavenly day..and made even more heavenly with the delectable cinnamon roll from Calico Cupboard. Then we came home and cuddled up with some movies...it's been a while since we've gone out and spent the day doing randomness so it was a really nice change of pace.

Today I get to study...my first exam is on Thursday! ekk. I'm still scared which means I still need to study. And since this is exam week it also means this is my last week before work. ekk, again. I feel like I've been waiting forever while at the same time it snuck up so soon!

Well, I have many more 06' layouts to share...

Enjoy the fleeting moments, 08.10.06: I can't get enough photos of Sean and Penelope together. This one just touches me in a special place, I don't know if it's Sean's shirt..the way Penelope is so interested in her surroundings...how peaceful they both look with the water in the background...whatever it is, it melts my heart. I love them!

Love Love, 04.14.06: This photograph was taken of Sean & I in Portland, Oregon the night we went to see Larry the Cable guy live. The Blue Collar Comedy dvd was watched many times by Mr. Dowell and as a birthday gift I thought tickets would be nice, who doesn't enjoy a good laugh? Well, at least we had a good laugh when we got there because getting there was no laughing matter. Portland is about a three hour drive from Seattle, at least it is supposed to be. Instead, a dump truck decided to get in an accident somewhere between Seattle and Portland on south bound I-5 during the same time period we were travelling which meant the journey was extended by another 2.5-3 hours. We got to our hotel after much moaning and groaning, Sean is the WORST person to be stuck in traffic with - he gets all stressed which makes him annoyed which makes him not want to speak or even sing, so needless to say we both had a huge sigh of relief when the cars started moving. We didn't have much time before the show because of all the traffic so we parked our car near the venue and headed towards the bright yellow 'M' we noticed on our way in to grab a bite. While eating my nuggets I decided I better take a quick peek at the tickets just to verify the time. Whoops! The show started 15 minutes ago and we're in a big grease hole eating piles of grease, not cool. So we rushed over to the theatre to see the opening act leaving the stage and Larry coming on stage. We enjoyed him a lot - redneck jokes from a redneck are always amusing, just a little bummed we missed the opening act. But anything that could go wrong that night did, so it was fitting. hehe Overall it was a good trip and left us wanting to explore Portland a little more in the future on a more pleasant note. This is also where we purchased our first Starbuck's mug. A city mug...a souvenir we've continued to pick up in places, literally, all over the world! The title is from the song by Parachute VA - She is Love...an 2009 song but a fitting title for what we have for each other.

M.A.M.A.S. house, 11.26.06: M.A.M.A.S. aka: Mark, Andrea, Mark, Amina, Sean. Those were the original roommates of Mamas house. Sitting on the floors of our furniture-less new home we came up with that and it stuck, even as the roommates changed. Here is a revised version; Mark, Mark, Sean, Penelope, Andrea & Jos. We were all ecstatic at the sight of snow; we pulled each other in clothes baskets behind the car, slide down the hill a few times, then crossed our fingers super tight hoping there wouldn't be school in the morning! ha, like that would happen. UW hasn't closed down for ANYTHING in over thirty years. But we can hope, right?

Study, 12.12.06: A tribute to my great study habits in college. Me sitting on Sean's bed with my computer and notes, instead, watching tv with head phones on so I don't disturb him while he studies. Oh the days of finals...I will miss you.

Our first day together, 04.29.06: Yes, the BEST birthday present ever, Penelope. Sean told me to close my eyes because he was going to give me my birthday present a week early - I complied eagerly. Then he placed a warm bundle of joy in my fingers and the tears started rolling. I was overjoyed! Every time I saw a dog I always exclaimed, "ohhh, look at the cute little puppy dog." (That may or may not have been in a baby voice?) So, to have my own little puppy dog, I don't think anything could have made me happier at that moment. She immediately started giving me her tiny little kisses and love happened. It's like we were meant to be mother and dog. hehe It didn't take long to choose a name, because as soon as she cocked her head when I said Penelope the deal was done. And she didn't waste time making herself feel at home either! We found an old 'Lucy' ball for her to play with and she wasn't shy about playfully nipping with her sharp baby teeth - all of it was just lovely. Just a taste of the years to come with our playful third wheel, not the third wheel you want to toss, but the third wheel you need because your a trike. Yes, she belonged with us and always will!

Last but not least, I created this little note book to keep handy for things I want to remember. Like my dad telling me the other day that as a third grader he punched a kid's face, knocking out three teeth, because he called him Watermelon! hahahah I hope to fill it with lots of goodness like that.

2006, don't mind if I do.

A little recap of last week... I did lots of CPA studying while taking perhaps a few too many breaks putting together our wedding book, Sean worked too much and we were both thankful for Friday. We enjoyed a full day on Saturday, beginning with watching our nephew play flag football - almost winning! - and then ending with games of our own at ma's house. We had a few hours of ping pong competition with Amy & Marcus and ended it with a high stakes poker game. And guess what, I won! Whoop, whoop - $60! At one point I was down to five chips, but low and behold I ended up winning the game with an all or nothing bet and four of a kind..Sean calculated the chance of that particular hand being dealt and I'm quite certain it was in the billions. So, I guess I can't take too much credit for winning. Nevertheless, the entire day was filled with lots of laughing and taunting and really broke up the monotony of the previous week. On Sunday, pure relaxation. Pure in the liberal sense, I did do a little studying and Sean did do a little car cleaning but moreover relaxing.

Now why would I say '2006, don't mind if I do.'? Because I started our 2006 album last night. I didn't start scrapbooking until 2006 but I started out with a vacation project rather than a yearly album. Then I took a six month hiatus while I was studying abroad in Tilburg, Netherlands and simply picked up in 2007 never having the opportunity to go back to 2006. I'm giving my self a lot of leeway with this album, inspired by the infamous Ali Edwards. I'll be doing 12x12, 8x8, 8.5x11, 6x12...digital & traditional. It's kind of a taster album to see if I'd like to incorporate that into my 2010 album. So far, my likey. The only bizarre part is the lack of journaling I'll be able to do because I have more 'big picture' memories than detailed in the moment memories. Oh well, I guess that will just keep me on my game from here on out. So without further ado, my progress.

little.cheeky., 06.25.06: Cute little Braeden on his first birthday. I took so many pictures but I have to say that this grin says it all. He had a hay day with all the new gifts; some kids are timid with too many toys, but this little guy had no problem breaking them in. Credits: Digital template from Week 157 on Pencil Lines, papers are all SP promise, and 'cheeky' is in the Ali Edwards font.

Destin, 12.20.03: I've heard about Florida ever since I met Sean but I'd never actually been. Sean and his parents flew me out during our Christmas break for about a week since I'd been leaving for Tilburg shortly after. Aside from spending time with his family we did take a solo trip out to Destin. He showed me the touristy little town, we stopped for lunch at Fudrucker's where I timidly watched the alligators below and on our way back we made a pit stop at a beach. I'd heard of white sand before, but honestly I could barely believe my eyes! It was so white it looked like snow and because of hurricanes during the past few years some fences were almost completely covered by sand. It was my favorite stop of the day. We squished our toes between the sand, had races with each other, enjoyed the setting sun and just took in some of our last days together for a while. Journaling reads:'Sean took me out to witness the notorious white sands and eat at Fudruckers. Remember the 'sprinkly things on top'? hehe An afternoon with my babe, perfect. December 20.'

Navy Ball, 11.03.06: I love how we look so happy in this photograph; I think that reflects how we feel 99% of the time when we do things together and I am thankful for that! Journaling reads:'One of the perks of Sean doing the NROTC program at the UW is the annual ball. It's fun to get dressed up, and who can resist a man in uniform? hehe This year I purchased my first 'little black dress' for the big event...but honestly, the dates truly do look second to the men in their dress blues. Here is to being cheeky in uniform. Nov. 3, 2006'

Kiss my...popcorn belly, 05.05.06: Looking back at this photograph of Penelope my heart melts! She was such a rolley polley as a pup and so kissable. When she sleeps she smells like popcorn, hence the title. I always thought that was a unique trait of hers, until I read Edgar Sawtelle this past summer, 2009 - he references the aroma of popcorn as well. Either way, I always stick my head in her belly and take a big whiff before I devour her with kisses.

Winter Playland, 11.28.06: Journaling reads:'Snow is always an exciting event and thus must be taken advantage of. Jos, Sean, Penelope & I headed over to the park to play some football and watch Penelope prance around in the white stuff.' Credits: Digital template from week 154 at Pencillines and paper is Krystal Hartley.

So yes, I was a busy little bee last night and I played around with the digital templates today during my lunch break. Now it is back to studying for my exam, whoopee.

New goodies!

I don't really buy new scrapbooking goodies unless I have a project in mind, however I splurged a little while shopping for my advent calendars the other day. I purchased a clearance paper pack from American Crafts and a border punch from Fiskars with a 50% coupon - I still like a deal even when I'm splurging. :) Last night I got to play with my goodies and boy was it fun, it is like a whole new burst of inspiration! I also tried my hand at making paper roses based on a wonderful tutorial. Since I was on a trend of doing all things new, I also did a page that had no time frame correlation except 'the present' and that was completely about me. I journal a lot about feelings, people, places in my normal layouts but this particular layout was more of a reflection of the past year and where I am in my life. Good stuff.

Slow & steady wins the game, 10.03.09: Ma purchased a ping pong table and we came swarming; even with missing parts we made the table work for an impromptu ping pong competition. The players: Ma, Amy, Marcus, Andrew, Sean & Andrea. Penelope was our not so happy cheerleader shaking in the corner because flying objects terrify her. We started out the competition with some hearty pizza while we reviewed the official rules of the game so there would be no weaseling out of winning-losing. Then it was on; singles, doubles, matches, rematches, tennis grunting, egging on, happy feet but I think what we all learned by the end of the evening: playing nice is the best way to win. At first Sean and Amy were the pong masters, but I snuck up with my fair play at the end of the evening turning out to be unbeatable. Ahh, and they say good guys finish last – I think not! To prove my point further; after hearing Sean’s taunting and calls for a rematch that following week I finally complied and met him at ma’s after work for a few rounds. When I say ‘a few’, it means we probably topped out at about 20…poor Sean only managed to pull off one game. He claims it was that he needed his glasses, a prescription that improves his eyes from 20/20 to 15/20 - clearing throat - but really, I think it is because his approach is to slam while mine is to rally…like the title says: slow and steady wins the game. I think this ping pong table will be our rainy day retreat though which means lots of family time. I couldn’t be more thrilled. I love my family and I only hope we remain close as life goes on and becomes busier.

Listen: Listen, and I have a lot to say. Wait, and I’ll say it. Many people who know me only as an acquaintance might think of me as rather shy but those who listen and wait would say otherwise. I am: full of giggles, enthralled by tax, a complete and utter chocoholic, LOVE Penelope’s cuddles and peculiar dog quirks, can spend hours crafting and trying new techniques, fell in love with Bella & Edward’s love, enjoy silent walks in the fresh air, yearn for strong knees and courage to take up soccer again, terrified of the thought of a ‘career’ – afraid of getting ‘stuck’, would rather spend money on traveling than food, long for a quaint little home to decorate and create memories in, laugh & smile with Sean even when I think I am mad at him, love to be cozy, especially if it involves a scarf, can reminisce like none other, cherish my family more than anything in the world, inspired by great photographs and hope to master the art someday, can cry on the drop of a dime if something is too sweet or too heartbreaking, a ping pong goddess, far too competitive for my own good, admire my Papa, I LOVE TO LOVE. This past year I: Witnessed Sean at his lowest, being pushed in a wheelchair and needing help getting into bed – it made our relationship stronger knowing we can depend on each other even in the toughest of times. I graduated from college, I am starting my job with Moss Adams in their Not for Profit Audit department in less than three weeks and taking the first of four CPA exams - doing such adult things astounds me, I feel like I’ve pushed those away for so long it feels odd to begin accepting them. Sean & I married - another adult obstacle that I feared, having parents who’ve divorced multiple times I wasn’t sure how I felt about marriage, but here I am with no regrets, just happiness in my heart. Lost a childhood friend to suicide – made me reflect on what I love about life and let me tell you, I LOVE LIFE. In the future: I might like to go back to law school and study tax law. I want to find a home, a city we love, with jobs we love, in a house we love, surrounded by people we love. I want to continue seeing different parts of the world and experiencing different cultures. I want to start a family, a little destructive tater tot to run around and torture Sean & I. I want to adopt when the time is right and share my good fortune with others. I want to greet the world with arms wide open ready to conquer whatever may come and create cherished memories out of it. I WANT TO LIVE.

I've also been up to a bit of baking and made some delightful, what I would call, banana chocolate chip muffin tops. Mmm. I adapted this recipe from For the Love of Cooking. Adaptations: 2 small bananas & 1/4 cup of soy milk instead of 1 cup of mashed bananas, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp nutmeg, no coconut and no walnuts. Delish, I keep having to tell myself no as I go back to the cookie jar. hehe

Ouhh la la, Christmas.

I know it's not even Halloween yet but I saw this cute idea the other day while I was blog hopping and I couldn't resist..so here is my version!

Isn't that the cutest? You can pop candies, trinkets, little messages, whatever your heart desires in the muffin tin and the magnets are strong enough to keep everything in place! Annd it was so simple to make! All you need is; 24 cup muffin tin, thin magnets cut in to 2.25" squares, a few pieces of coordinating papers cut into 2" squares, then some numbers & embellishments to give the Advent calendar it's finishing touches. The calendar I did above is less traditional, so I am trying a more traditional approach with the colors you see below as well. It's such a versatile idea; you could do circles instead of squares, add some ribbon for it to hang from, make it horizontal instead of vertical, and the embellishment options are endless! I'm just so tickled!

Aside from my little calendar adventures, I did manage to finish a few lingering pages for our 2009 album.

Delightful, 03.22.09: Oh my papa, finding the words is hard…so I think I’ll start with some things I don’t want to forget.

1. Every morning when I wake up he greets me with: “Well good morning princess”
2. When Nana’s talking up a storm at the stove top, Papa will stand behind her moving his lips and make funny faces because he can’t get a word in edge wise.
3. He often says, “I wouldn’t pay a penny for her, but I wouldn’t sell her for a million dollars” when referring to my nana. He adores my nana.
4. He loves talking about the civil war.
5. He loves to show you all the goodies in his safe. Growing up in a farm family with no indoor plumbing and ten siblings he has a right to be proud of serving in the Air Force, raising five kids and living comfortably in retirement.
6. His parents eloped across the state border to get married back in the day.
7. Every night before bed he winds the clock his mother bought at age 16 from an auction.
8. Papa looked like Elvis when he was younger; handsome and confident.
9. Papa is a collector, pencil sharpeners, bottles, newspapers…his house is filled with garage sale finds, along with his shed and his attic. But he can tell you a story about each one, or at least a story from each item’s time period. He’s a wonderful story teller.

I love him from his head down to his toes. His shaky hands that make you want to hold him, his tearful eyes as he told me how proud he is of the woman I’ve become, the hop in his step and cheerful whistles as he wanders about the yard trying to be useful. I love how he is always attempting to make you laugh and is so endearing you can’t help but smile. I love you Papa, and I hope we get to spend many more years together. Layout design inspired by Elizabeth Kartchner.

Summer Camping, 07.10-12.09: Camping in a new way. Sleeping on an RV, taking hot showers at night, turning on the heat in the morning…yet able to sit around the campfire with smores, walk in nature soaking up sun and chat with our ‘real’ camping friends day and night. Yep, I think I could get used to that. I didn’t have too many shots around the campsite but I did love these particular ones. Sean and Andrew have the identical stance, too cute. Then Plop and her bonnet; Sean always flips her ears up, but while going through pictures the other day I realized this is the only shot I have of him doing it. I guess I’m usually too quick to remedy her appearance. Lastly, the flowers – we had beautiful weather our whole trip and I think that this encompasses it.

Well life isn't all fun and crafts, I signed up for the first of four tests of the CPA exam today. It feels good to have a date in mind, but also makes me a bit anxious. Many hours listening to lectures, trying my hand at practice questions and hoping I'm on track. Come Oct. 29th we'll find out if I did enough though! Then I can tweak my practices for the following three exams, oh the fun that lies ahead.

This past weekend Sean did have some real fun though, paintballing. Him and a buddy headed out to a local course for a few hours and I am still hearing about his aches and pains. He had a few good welts but apparently all the woes were worth it. Sneaking up on unsuspecting opponents, taking out four at a time...the joys of capture the flag and paint balls. I took a more chill approach playing a round of bingo with my mother. Our game consisted of cheetos, chocolate and dobbing. hehe

That's about it for this evening, just trying to keep warm in our cold little home.

Ahh, progress.

I've finally finished my 2009 Tennessee album...with a lesson learned. Sometimes a two page layout is enough. I spent far too much time on this album when honestly, everything I wanted to remember about this trip I covered in a two page layout I did for our 2009 album. Oh well, the damage is done and lesson learned can only have a sigh of relief it is off my to-do list. I do need to note that I got inspo from Stephanie Howell for the Ruby Falls layout.

This past week we received our photo CD's from Victor for our wedding weekend; and I was quick to scrap these. I mean special photos are always inspiring so I had no trouble getting these out, they were so easy I am almost inspired to do an entire album but I'll wait to see what Victor comes up with before I decide..no reason to learn a lesson twice. (Wink) Pardon the photos, our home is a bit crooked and therefore not conducive to straight proportioned photos.

Laughter. Life. Love., 08.13.09: Sean and I held our wedding at the Alderbrook Resort & Spa in Union, WA and invited all of our guests to join us the evening before the ceremony for a bit of a rehearsal dinner. I say a bit because we didn’t actually rehearse anything, it was just a chance for all of our family to meet and get to know each other. Sean and I were both very nervous, but it was all needless, our families got along wonderfully and the evening went as smoothly as one could hope. We enjoyed our outside bbq food indoors; ribs, hot dogs, corn on the cob, mixed fruit and finished off the meal with a delicious fruit cobbler. My father gave a beautiful speech, getting himself and the rest of us choked up in the process; while Gene gave a comical story of Sean as a boy that had us all laughing following our sentimental tears. After some eating and mingling Sean whipped out the last minute slide show we worked on the two previous evenings to showcase some of the thousands of photos we have taken together over the last eight years. Sean & I giggled, ouuhhed and ahhed over it during ‘production’ but I didn’t expect such a large response from our family who was cracking up. Hence, all the smiles and shocked faces on the page. After our trip down memory lane it was back to more mingling with hot tea and coffee in hand. Yes, it was a lovely way to prepare ourselves for our wedding: with life, love and laughter surrounding us. Photos taking by Victor & Max Saidov. Design inspired by an Ali Edwards layout.

I do., 08.14.09: Our special day, the day we became a new family of Dowell’s: Sean, Andrea & Penelope. I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect wedding day. Sean and I enjoyed breakfast in bed together wrapped in our cozy robes. Then Amy graced me with her presence, helping me do my hair, giving her opinion on my make up skills, zipping me up in my dress and ma lent her anxious presence to make the scene complete. After a few photos with Victor we were headed downstairs for Sean and me to see each other in all our get-up. Hehe His was so handsome in his tux and looked completely at ease. After some shots with the family on the lawn it was time for our vows – mind you we never practiced so we kind of just went with the flow. Sean and our officiate, Terry, walked down the small row of chairs first, then Andrew, who looked studly as well, came with our mildly well behaved Penelope, as ring bearer, lastly my father and I made our way down the aisle where he handed me off to Sean. We had the most beautiful scene; being right on the Hood Canal, looking onto the water and mountains while having a beautifully sunny day to say that we wanted to spend the rest of our lives together. I was proud of myself for not shedding any tears; I think I was concentrating too hard to repeat after Terry correctly to cry. Our family had lots of tears though, and as we greeted each of them after our first walk as Mr. & Mrs. Sean & Andrea Dowell, we were able to feel all the love with their hugs and kind words. Then it was on to the outdoor reception; we enjoyed a fancy meal of caesar salad and halibut while mingling with our family yet again. Amy gave a heartfelt speech that again brought tears to our eyes, while David was chipper recalling his younger years with Sean and amazement at the man he has become. If you can’t tell, I have the family full of saps and Sean has the family full of jokers. Although, I did get a nice one on Sean during the cake cutting. J I told him, ‘be nice hunny’ as he gave me a forkful of our tasty red velvet cake, then I took mine with my hands and shoved it into his mouth…or around his mouth. Another crowd shocker. I mean, I’m sure he knew it was coming when I grabbed the cake with my hands but at least he let me have my fun! After we sat down and actually enjoyed a slice of cake with some tea we did the traditional bouquet toss, which Mary my father’s girlfriend caught, and garter fling, which hilariously my three year old nephew grabbed. We had background music playing but Sean and I included a special song on there for everyone to share a first dance; our excuse was that for every couple on the floor we had 10 years of blissful marriage. We had few guests so I had to up the ante in fear of having to dance by ourselves; so there we all were, dancing to Amazed by Lonestar. And that pretty much concluded our wedding, we had a few more family shots, said our goodbyes to those that were leaving and then headed out with Victor and Max to take some photographs by ourselves. These two were spectacular, they even offered to stay all evening and keep shooting photos before leaving for the airport for our honeymoon. We were exhausted though and decided to spend the evening with Sean’s folks for a nice dinner. So yes, a beautiful day with our beautiful family. Guests: Susan Waterman, David Waterman, Mary Chernoff, Stephanie, Adam, Ashlee & Landen Ballard, Kim, Ryan, Braeden & Liam Pardo, Amy & Andrew Day, Marcus Wickstrom, Gene, Carol, David & Colin Dowell. The blue, white & vellum paper were all part of our wedding invitation leftovers, the ribbon and jewel were what were on the ring bearer pillow, the pearl pins were part of my bouquet decorations and the brown paper is reminiscent of the last color of our wedding invitations. Photo taken by Victor & Max Saidov.

Well that is it for now, hoping to have a fun filled weekend along with everyone else!

Reflecting.

This past weekend was bittersweet. On Saturday my old high school hosted a memorial for the friend that past away. Sean, my mother & I all attended, along with about 600 other people. The service beautifully showcased her wonderful life and personality...an uplifting yet sorrowful experience. I was quite distraught afterwards but am lucky enough to have a great family to help my spirits with a ping pong competition. I think we topped nearly five hours of playing and the competition was intense. There were initial matches, rematches, more rematches until we each thought we finally figured the other out. It was a fun way to pass the time away laughing, huffing and chiding.

Lake 22: Last week Amy & I did our usual hike, this time to the beautiful Lake 22. It wasn't a very long hike and it was fairly level compared to our past hikes which made it just delightful. We passed by waterfalls, huge cedars, we saw a snake slithering in the rocks, a mouse scamper in front of our feet, played on the many boulders littered throughout the trail, shivered next to the ice cave and ate our lunch looking out on the large lake. We started out at our usual time which is pretty early, apparently, allowing us to enjoy the entire lake and trail to ourselves. But on our way back we passed quite a few hikers making us curious how many had signed the log since we began, 20 people! Not only did we luck out on the people aspect, the afternoon turned cloudy and overcast, quite a contrast to the sun shiny morning we soaked in.

I also had the chance to FINALLY work on our graduation pages. I wrote about it earlier in these two entries: Andrea, Sean. It was fitting to reflect on our college experience and what we gained, earned and will take with us as we move on in our lives.

Being pretty much up to date with our current album, I'm left with time to work on albums I have set aside, particularly my Europe 07' album. The two middle layouts were both inspired by this week's sketch at Sketchy Thursdays. It feels good to be a few pages closer to finishing another album and fun to remember all the adventures I had overseas. It is amazing to me that it has almost been three years since I left for my studies in Tilburg, Netherlands. How time flies!

A new car, what?

Please continue reading to hear more...

I am lion hear me roar: That's right folks, Sean & I have purchased our own vehicle - a Nissan Xterra. Sean has been spending endless evenings online comparing vehicle stats, we've spent a few afternoons walking around lots, test driving and FINALLY Mr. Indecisive decided on the Xterra. We'll now have the opportunity to tow up to 5,000 lbs, load 'stuff' into the back of the car and not worry about it dirtying up carpet because it's all rubber and, with 4x4, the ability to get around in snow which means not only snowboarding this winter but the impossibility of being snowed in as I was last year. Yes, the vehicle serves many purposes and we are very pleased with our purchase. We took it out this weekend, to break it in, only to find a slew of other Xterra drivers. Every one we passed, Sean gave a jolly wave - like he's part of some secret club now. hehe But it was fun, so I took this rugged photo of him on top of the roof in appreciation of all our new possibilities. Hoo-rah. Layout for Sketchy Thursdays 9.24.

Mt. Baker: Dad has been telling me about Artist Point up by Mt. Baker for quite a while now, and with a beautiful September day and an afternoon to kill we decided it was the perfect time to head up. So did the rest of Washington. Little did we know it was National Park day or something to that effect, so no permits were required and parking was scarce. It was still fun though, we ate our packed picnic lunch out of the way of the crowds and then headed towards the main trails to explore a little. Penelope enjoyed bounding around, the fresh air was just what I needed and Sean couldn't be more thrilled because he was able to take his new vehicle out so we were one big happy family. Layouts inspired by Feast on Scraps.

Aside from our vehicle adventures we were able to meet up with some of Sean's old unit members back in town. Matt, Kristen, Ryan, Sean & I all went out for some lunch at the Keg today and ate entirely too much. It was nice to hear about their Navy adventures, or lack there of, and just relax over some good food. Relax being key. I picked up my CPA study books from my mom's house Sunday morning as well, which mean's Monday will be fun day (hikes with Amy) but the rest of the week will be like school from now on so I can hopefully get those tests over with soon! Ah, fun times lie ahead.

Last week I didn't scrap too much but I did some much needed organizing and journaling to past travel albums. The result...

I posted little phrases in the front of my 2007 German Rail album and 2008 Africa album to 'spark the memory' as we go through the albums in years to come.

I also did small journaling inserts like these throughout our 2009 Jamaica album.

And a quick layout inspired by Laurink at scrapbook.com. The journaling to accompany this page can be found here.