A good second month

Another month has passed quickly and several new items can be checked off the list!

Engagement pictures: Check!
Save the dates: Ordered!
DJ: Got 'em!
Decorations: Started!
Fun had: Sure!
Cool self-inking stamp: Purchased!
Wedding invitation design: Begun!
Invite list: Nearly complete!
Wedding diet? Still donuts and cake. Cheers!

Planning and preparing for a wedding is quite a feat. There are scads upon hoards upon masses of things to be done, gathered, decorated, primped, primed and other words like that.

I have my trusty notebook though.

Let the addressing and stamping begin to alert the masses (who have all already been alerted, but who doesn't love spending a ridiculous amount of money on stamps to do it?) and get everyone in a tizzy!

Nailed it, Engagement Style

For as concerned about the awkwardness that Tanner was, he did a great job and made it through fairly unscathed! We did it! We got some stellar pictures from my good friend, Dahnya. She's cute, bubbly, adorable and just snaps away while we were being us. It was exactly what I wanted. Now what you, reader, want, is just a smorgasbord of pictures, so here you go...

Our little family. Look at handsome Milo!

This will be over soon, I promise. I lied.

Green Acres style. Don't we look so freaking happy? I'm sure I was being called hipster for the 20th time at this point. You'll thank me later is all I kept saying in retort.

We're pwayin! Dis is da best, mommies and da'e!

"Clearly he takes after your side of the family," Tanner commented when seeing these smiling eyes.

Because I'm vain and look real good in this one. And my boys are looking at me.

Hipster for the 50th time?

THE Bench.

Without a doubt, my absolute favorite.

Libraries are good for more than just books!

Isn't he so handsome???

Because the other one is going on the save the date.

Second favorite.

Love is in the air, doo doo doo doooooo.

A good month

Four years later and February 15th now bears a new moniker: Engagement day.

With a sweet spot picked (our first date), and a sweet letter written (all in one go, he said!) and the blessing of my parents Tanner and I are on the path to making it legal. Milo is the most excited because finally his daddy will have his and mommy's last name too! (I can't tell him otherwise, he'd be heartbroken).

One month down, yesterday. A very full month indeed.

Date: Check
Venue: Check
Food: Check
Dress: Check (I should point out I bought it OFF THE RACK. It's IN MY POSSESSION. Nailed it.)
Sundry other planning items: Check
Forgotten ring on day 1 of month 2: Check (FREE WOMAN!)

Things are looking good. We are very excited. And in a few short weeks we will have a sweet and cute photo session with my good friend Dahnya. She's basically the Queen of shot-framing and I love ALL her photos. Should prove excellent.

With love and happiness abounding, Tanner and I embark on the next eight months with a might of trepidation, a modicum of frustration (with others, ha), and a ridiculous amount of excitement for a killer party to celebrate our great day.

Let the games begin and the may the odds be ever in your favor!

Vegas, baby, we love ya!

My fourth time. His sixth time. Our second time. Vegas, we love you. Along with NYC and Washington D.C., we could go here annually and be just fine with that. Now, where are those lotto numbers I was going to play...

I had never been when it was cold so I was EXTRA excited about that. Didn't really consider the fact until partway through that this meant the following: lugging around a jacket inside of every casino and also having to wash said jacket and all scarves upon returning home because they absorb smoke like none other.

Worth it!

Our first night after arriving, we went to an off-strip casino where the in-house restaurant had the most amazing homemade, from scratch, food you could ask for. They have a microbrewery too and it was GOOD! Go to Ellis Island, everybody! It's directly behind Paris off the strip. DO IT!

She's a beaut, she is. Over in Paris, too!

The next morning we went to Hash House a Go Go, a stop I missed the last time, and it was worth the wait. The pancakes were the size of Mt. Rushmore and the serving size of everything else wasn't much smaller. Was I back in Texas? Everything was HUGE!

Worth the wait, hands down. 

We rolled out of there and picked up a Deuce ticket to head down to Stratosphere. Places were never, "just right there". Or really, they were, but Vegas defines that distance in 10's of miles rather than 10's of feet. Just right there = 5 miles away AT LEAST.

The view from atop Stratosphere, my first place I ever gambled!

After here we gambled. Best part about that was being introduced to the only privately owned casino on the strip, Casino Royale. Tanner played there the last time he had come and had a great time at Craps. I found an excellent Black Jack table and proceeded to NOT LOSE ANY MONEY. Legit! I played for hours on end both Thursday AND Friday and never lost a dollar. Big thumbs up to Casino Royale. Then we did the usual touristy thingy at night before our Blue Man Group show...

Where's there's fire...

I've seen fire and I've seen rain....

Blue Man Group has got to be one of the funniest shows. Tanner had never been so it made it even better. Don't stay at Luxor though because those elevators are TRIPPY! They move SIDEWAYS.

The next morning was our last full day so we planned to gamble, play in a poker tournament (him not me!) indulge in a 24 hour buffet pass (belly full!) and then see another show. Vegas is fantastic. Three hours can pass and you don't even realize it until your boyfriend calls and throws off your luck and then you have to wait around until he finishes HIS lucky play. That's ok...he actually WON money. Take that, Vegas!

Randomly, this weekend was 1) the international rodeo championships, cool. and 2) coincidentally (I think not) a NASCAR weekend where the cars go up and down the strip and do spinouts and burnouts and other outs that I don't know about.

I don't know much about NASCAR but stereotypes exist for a reason.

Later that day...

Tanner got picked on for being a tall, white male for a street performance. 

Then we saw the Jabbawockeez. Honestly, this did not thrill me as much as expected. Gotta quit it with those expectations, ha.

Vegas had treated us well with weather, luck, food and relaxation. Too bad our last morning was marred by a Security filled hallway courtesy of our neighbors.

Hello 3:30AM, haven't seen you in awhile.

Thankfully security did arrive before any (more, supposedly) blows occurred and eventually the man and woman were quieted and we eventually fell back asleep for a few hours before our flight home. Oh Vegas...you always leave us with at least one story.

Hail to the Chief

I told you Universal was a bonus trip and that's because 3 days after I returned, I hopped on a flight to Washington D.C.!

Let me start by saying how much I love Washington D.C. Everything about it. And above all of that is my love for this country and how I tear up every time I hear the National Anthem. And always will, I hope. To visit the seat of our country, and see the history therein, is a trip I could take a thousand times before I ever tire of it.

Thankfully Tanner is also into history and our country. WIN!

I had wanted to visit D.C. the prior year but didn't make it a priority so instead it became number uno for this year's travel! Yes, it was preceded by Mexico and Napa Valley but...whatever, it's an important trip for me so...you get the point!

With a little research, I found a cute walk up apartment in an historic home in Dupont Circle. Perfect! Within walking distance of Foggy Bottom Metro, a Whole Foods and a Starbucks, and just off of Pennsylvania Ave (you know...THAT street), we couldn't have planned better. We being me, let's be honest.

We arrived midday, dropped off our luggage and hit the streets for some walking. About ten minutes in I realized that my initial layering to prepare for the cold weather was now detrimental to my enjoyment of said walking. It was much warmer than anticipated!

Sunshine and blue skies, couldn't have asked for better!

Washington Monument had finished it's repair work from the last time I visited so you could see it in all its...glory. It really is quite a feat but also seems so strange. One more earthquake and it might come tumbling down, right onto the WWII memorial.

One of my favorite memorials, definitely. 

Every time I visit!

We kept walking down this part of the mile, enjoying the walk past the reflecting pool of Lincoln Memorial. I am always struck with the beauty of this memorial. Not only for the man being revered, but also the view from the steps back towards the monument and capitol hill. It is breathtaking and not just from taking said steps.

The sun was beginning to set so we decided to make our way back to our apartment, stopping at Whole Foods to pick up food for the weekend along the way. I opened the balcony doors to let in the fresh fall air and we settled in to watch some Netflix. Never forget, my friends, that vacations should BE a vacation and relaxing should be on the agenda!

The next morning was perfect. It was sunny, crisp, and we were headed for our day of capitol tours and memorial visiting. Museums were for the weekend, yo.

The Eisenhower building is truly one of the more beautiful in the capital.

I couldn't have been more excited to go where we went next...my first time visiting the White House!

She's a beaut, she is!

The tour is brief, really just wandering room to room, but still amazing. I was there! IN the building where our President works and lives. I saw the red carpet and the seal! LIVE!

I can say I've been here!

Funny aside, there is a Red room, a Green room, and a Blue room so Tanner asked, "I wonder if they called them that because red, blue and green make white?" FOR THE WHITE HOUSE!

Just one more pic...

I really do love the White House.

After wrapping up our tour, we headed to the House of Representatives' building in hopes of sitting in on a Senate or House hearing but alas, they were not in session by the time we made it into the Capitol. No matter, we had sights to see before said tour, so let's get to steppin'!

We hoofed it all the way back down the mile and then went off roading to see the Jefferson Memorial across the Tidal Basin. While the Washington and Lincoln memorials are great and all, Jefferson's be stills my heart every time. It is grand. The words they have chosen to engrave on the walls will move and inspire you. The view is undeniably beautiful.

Amen!

With a few silent moments to absorb the words and the atmosphere, we decided to swing back to the mile via the FDR and MLK memorials. FDR's is tucked away from the water and you don't realize you've entered the area until after a few stone walls have passed.

I often forget he was elected a third term.

"Out of the mountain of despair, a stone of hope."

The MLK memorial is only a few years old and it is quite powerful. Now on to the capitol!

Tanner's favorite picture style to take. Sigh, I guess it's better than nothing?

Getting our tour on. We had a great docent! I always love learning about the building and hearing new snippets from each docent each time I go.

After our tour ended it was late in the day and the museums were closing soon, so we stopped at the closest one to walk through, the Native American museum. I can tell you, this one is hard to go through no matter how many times you do. It is quiet and calming but when you think of the turmoil and loss of native Americans it becomes less so. I admit I struggled more than I anticipated to see what displays were up and how empty the place was and how old and forgotten it felt as we walked through.

We left as the place was closing and made our way back home, stopping for pizza at Whole Foods along the way. You see a pattern emerging?

Our first stop the next morning was...wait for it...Starbucks. Daily on the daily, yo. Then off to the American History Museum! I was very excited about this because I had never been in any of my visits before. I'd get to see THE flag. Oh, and the first lady dresses! Spoiler alert: both were amazing and blew my mind!

Sadly, no photos allowed of the actual flag but they have created a beautiful resting area for it and even placed seats in front of it for those who would like to sit awhile and reflect.

They had an incredible exhibit of America through all its wars, starting with the Revolution and ending with the Iraqi war. It is incredible, filled with artifacts and tidbits of information never learned before. After wandering through there much faster than Tanner, who considers this area his favorite to learn about, I promptly took a nap on a bench. It was pretty stellar. Once he had caught up with me, we went to see the first lady dresses. I went through it three times. The dresses are stunning. Mary Todd Lincoln was ABSURDLY tiny. Michelle Obama's dress in person was jaw-dropping. The style arcs from beginning to end were incredible and I fell in LOVE with Eleanor Roosevelt's dress.

There's just something about it...

Three times back and forth, y'all...couldn't get enough.

Fun fact: the title of First Lady is not by writ or law, it wasn't even used until this past century. Therefore, if a female is elected president then they would just come up with a new name for the husband/partner (covering for the future). Another fun fact: the office of First Lady can be held by any family member of the President, not just the wife. There have been more First Ladies than Presidents!! ...The more you know!...

Got our 3-D viewing of D-Day as narrated by Tom Brokaw.

Five hours under our belt we moseyed over to my FAVORITE museum, National Air & Space. Don't worry folks, with only a few hours to indulge we had the full intention of returning the next day for a proper visit.

With a visit by my aunt scrapped due to a marathon occurring all along the mile, we forged ahead with our plan to visit the museum early the next day. We may or may not have jogged across the marathon on both sides of the esplanade...sacrifices must be made! But we did try to time it to where we wouldn't ruin anyone's run time. I may or may not have been nervous the guy in fatigues would arrest me. Tanner said I was silly for thinking that.

Our docent did not disappoint. He was lively, knowledgeable, energetic and had a voice I didn't mind listening to for nearly three hours. We began with the Wright Brothers in the early 1900's and ended with our exploration in space and its ongoing adventure. So much information in that span of time, so much enjoyment hearing all of it.

Kite!

Jet to space! Doesn't orbit though...but space!

Broke the sound barrier!

MOON! THIS WENT TO THE MOON AND BACK!

I definitely geeked out for the entirety of this. Who knew I loved space that much? Not this kid!

Though our dogs were barking (feetsies!), we decided to stop in to see the Constitution of the United States, Bill of Rights and the Declaration of Independence. There is NO WAY Nic Cage would have been able to steal this because even just leaning too closely got you a sharp retort from one of the THREE police officers in there.

The room they were in was high ceilinged, chilled and dimly lit. The Declaration has nearly faded entirely away and it was amazing to see the increased level of preservation taken just a few decades later with the Constitution and Bill of Rights. I couldn't believe that I was standing near these documents, let alone attempting to read them. These documents represent this country in its fledgling state, its infancy, and I am moved beyond words to see how far we have come and what we went through to get here. Yes, we have issues. Yes, we aren't perfect (WHO SAID THAT? LEMME AT 'EM!). Yes, we will continue to change and progress. But by golly, I believe we live in the best country on this planet. Bonus for me: I live in the best STATE in the union. ;-)

Our last day filled me to the brim with love of our country, our history, our perseverance and preservation. We left the Archives and headed slowly back to our apartment to enjoy one last evening soaking up the east coast air. With the balcony doors open, I could see the fading sunlight through the red-leafed trees and the chilled air that blew in was refreshing from the ocean, rather than drenching from the Gulf.

We had an incredible trip and it met my expectations and then some. I believe if I could go here once a year every year I'd be quite the happy camper. So who's up for funding that? Until next time, D.C.!

Bonus rainbow!

30 should be celebrated over and over and apparently over again...with a trip to Orlando!

Bonus trip!!!!!!!!!

Unexpectedly, flights were booked, hotels confirmed, tickets held at will call.

It was finally happening.

We were finally going!

HARRY POTTER WORLD, EAT YOUR HEART OUT!

I don't even know where to begin this adventure. Is it when I finally caved my junior year of high school and decided to try out the extraordinarily popular series that everyone was talking about? Should I take a step back and talk about my constant love of fantasy and young adult books? Or a step forward when I tore through books one through three in a matter of minutes and then forced book one on my best friend, Silva?

Too many options. Too many possibilities so let's just start.

Silva and I were going to Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure to celebrate our ever-present, never fading love of Harry Potter and everything about it. And we were pumped. Add in her friend, Eileen, a fellow lover of HP lore, and we couldn't be more ready. With cooler temps propelling us forward (lucky!) we arrived early Friday morning in Orlando ready to rock. Sadly, while Silva and I explored Universal all day, Eileen was spending the day, literally, flying across the entire continental United States (coast to coast!) but sacrifices must be made for the greater good.

Friends for twenty years. Thirty and thriving!

Her first stop for her first trip to Universal! Formerly known as the Back to the Future ride, this one's a doozy. I may have forgotten how MUCH of a doozy beforehand to where Silva screamed, "I HATE YOU SO MUCH!" in the middle of the ride. Sorry, Silv!

Best. Picture. Ever. Immortalized forever.

We've loved The Simpsons longer than HP.

It was ringing! (Crazy white girl...)

We made it through the park, riding nearly everything before calling it a day and heading back to the hotel to meet up with Eileen. A few hour's of chatting about how excited we were for the next day, our full Harry Potter day (because Silva and I refused to cheat in any way, shape or form, and avoided nearly all things HP!), and we were asleep. It truly felt like the night before Christmas, but when we were like eight years old and you could barely sleep at all you were so thrilled!

IHOP. Coffee. Walk.

Gasp. Cry. Giddy-fy.

Brilliant minds at work. The people involved in creating this world were brilliant. Clever in their nuances, capturing such an essence as to make you feel like pages of the book were prancing around in front and around you. A picture will never do justice to the first moment you walk through that brick entrance and look down Diagon Alley. It will never capture that flutter in your heart, the skip in your step, the hearkening back to the first time you read the book and all the magic that came with that. Incredible is one word to describe this experience. Fulfilled, another.

We tried butterbeer...

Not for those with gluten sensitivity/celiac disease!

Nor those with a reduced desire for abundant sugary things. Root beer, really. 

We rode the Gringott's ride and I screamed and caterwauled like a champ throughout. Look, Aragog is scary.

So much joy.

We visited Olivander's and I bought a wand!

This was really difficult! So I just bought Hermione's replica because it had vines on it and it was pretty. I'm probably Hawthorne though if I were to choose from these!

After exhausting ourselves buying goodies, having an eye-ganza, and generally being extra giddy we decided to take the Hogwarts Express to Hogsmeade (located in Islands of Adventure).

We passed through the barrier!

Did I mention they were brilliant?

Magic. Truthfully, this place felt like magic. It didn't matter that I was surrounded by 10,000 other people or that this was a man-made place. It didn't matter that the facade was plastic and not stone nor that the food didn't appear from the floors below, made by house elves (S.P.E.W.). The three of us could not stop these feelings of wonder and amazement. This trip was truly a gift to our younger selves as much as for our 30 year old aging bodies.

Just like Harry!

We walked through the village, marveling at the snow-covered buildings and gasping at the Three Broomsticks. We stopped and ate there and the entire time we couldn't stop the magic. Nothing could spoil the mood.

With one last turn as we wound our way through, we were greeted by the rise of spires and gates...Hogwarts!

The dragon flew through that in the movie! Not in the book, I want to be clear.

The Hogwarts ride was incredible. Creative minds designed the pathway up through Hogwarts as you waited so that you could see Dumbledore's office, the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom and even the Hall of Portraits! And they moved and talked! Even the Fat Lady portrait was waiting to greet you as you passed by. Not to mention the ride itself. We rode it TWICE. Yeah, that's how good it was.

Our hearts and minds were full and we rode the train back to Diagon Alley (a MUST because the images you see going back are different!) and walked back to our hotel; we had date plans with my friend, Carrie! Freshly showered and waiting, Carrie FINALLY arrived...only kidding, Cares, she was desperately trying to survive the ridiculous driving that exists in Florida. The roadways are stupid and people are numskulls.

We had a really fun night eating Tapas and having drinks and meeting a local artist and watching people get their fortunes read at a table near by...this was sooooome kinda restaurant.

She's absolutely one of the best humans I know and she's COMING BACK TO TEXAS! YEEHAW!

Sunday had arrived and our last full day to enjoy the parks. We IHOP'd again...not many options in the ol' F-L, and meandered to the park. SO grateful the weather was on our side because we didn't need cabs at all! Except this night because we were all just hella tired.

Because Silva and I had explored Universal on Friday, we decided to start at Islands of Adventure first. Ooooh boy, if Silva wasn't already excited for HP she was about to go bonkers for Marvel's area!

Just making it up as I go along.

A first for all of us! Guess which one I am? Guess!!

Imagine that, we ended up back in Hogsmeade...to be fair, Islands of Adventure has more kid rides than adult rides!

I hope we never grow out of this. See you in 60, Popeye!

Exhausted, we were. Hungry, we became. Movie watching, we did!

Jamaiican food just before a showing of Crimson Peak.

To round out the weekend, we acted like all 12 year old girls out there and went to the movies! As if our parents had dropped us off at the park for the day, we wandered around the City Walk area, chock FULL of restaurants and shops, and then went to the theater. Crimson Peak was beautifully shot but ended up not being nearly as scary as expected, thank goodness. Also, I wish they had done more with the talented cast but c'est la vie!

I will see you in 2017, Universal, when Hulk reopens and you unveil the incredible looking King Kong ride. It'll be a doozy, I have no doubt.

In conclusion, I would just like to say that this post in no way, shape or form truly brings to life how life-changing this trip was. No pictures, no words, nothing can describe the feelings that have lasted even two months past. I will never forget this trip even without the aid of this post. LOVE YOU, HP!