Wedding Win: Wedding Bands and Wedding Day Gift

Well, I guess there's no turning back now. We've purchased wedding bands! I chose a really thin diamond band that matches my ring. I'm angling to get a second band as a first anniversary gift. As for S, he opted for something a little sturdier...obviously his workplace isn't too conducive to jewelry. I was really pleased with our experience, the employees at the store we dealt with were very helpful and they had champagne!

I've been brainstorming ideas for a wedding day gift for S for a while now. In addition to that, I've been convincing him that its tradition to give each other a small little something the morning of the wedding...a concept that baffles him (not unlike the groom's cake). Thankfully, the powers that be in the Green Bay Packers front office made my life a little easier. The 13-0 Green Bay Packers are the only community owned major league professional sports team in the US. That means, rather than having several super wealthy owners, Packers fans own the team. They've sold shares of the team a few times throughout the team's existence in an effort to raise necessary funds for the team's operation - meaning that any renovations to the stadium are paid through sold shares, not tax dollars! The shareholders (who aren't allowed to own more than 200 shares each) elect a board of directors to run the team. Recently, the Packers decided to sell shares of the team to hep fund planned renovations. This is only the fifth time they've done this. I was lucky enough to get my hands on a share of the team for S. I think it'll be a great gift for him. And the best part? We're NFL owners!

Wedding Woes: Wedding Website

Recently two of my dearest Marine girlfriends got engaged. I am beyond excited because they're both so special to me and their significant others are just wonderful. Last week, Ally and I were discussing wedding websites. I told her that we had set one up through The Knot. When I went to the Knot's website to get the link to send her, it was GONE. Nonexistent, missing, unavailable. GONE! Oh crap! I kept hitting reload, tried to search through Google, and attempted to gain access in various ways, but that was all in vain. I've sent more than a few emails and made a few phone calls to the Knot to try and solve the problem, so hopefully it will shake out soon. I honestly wouldn't mind making another one, seeing as I have quite a bit of time on my hands. I just hope I can get my domain name back....ya know, since I sent it out on my Save the Dates and all.

Keep your fingers crossed that it is up and running again soon, so I can pass along hotel information to all our out of town guests!

WANTED: Motivation!

Back when we first moved here I did a really good job of working out at least 3-4 times a week. I know that doesn't really seem like a lot, but for someone that HATES working out its a huge deal. I actually lost a few pounds and in April was able to fit into a size 4 Max and Cleo dress (pray it runs small since my BCBG 4 still fits)! Even as recently as August/early September, I was still in smaller sizes. I even bought a wedding dress in a size 2 because it fit perfectly (I'm not 100% convinced it isn't just sized big). This brings me to my issue...

Today I tried on said dress to wear to the NSF Christmas party tomorrow and it doesn't fit. Oh crap! Houston, we have a waistline problem. I've fallen off the exercise wagon and I need help getting back on. There are only 2 women in my neighborhood I'm really good friends with, one is 6 months pregnant and the other is a workout fiend, so neither of them are good choices for a workout buddy. Since I don't have a buddy, I need some motivation. If you have a free second, send me a text, call me, or email me and tell me to get off my butt so it'll fit in my wedding dress!

A Belated Thank You & Birthday Message

So I am long overdue for a post about Veterans' Day and the 236th birthday for the United States Marine Corps, so here goes. I believe that Cynthia Ozick said it best, "We often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude." I wholeheartedly agree with this statement. Before meeting Steve, I was thankful for our military but once I met him I truly understood the magnitude of their service to this nation. Not only to they risk their lives for the very freedoms we sometimes take for granted, they also sacrifice a lot while in the states too. They miss numerous holidays and important events due to deployments, training, and duty. We can start saying thank you now, every hour on the hour, and it will never be enough. So to my own sweet fiance, my uncle, all of my military friends (both past and present), my neighbors, and all of our Marines, soldiers, airmen, and sailors THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart!

Now on to the Marine Corps Birthday. This year, the few and the proud turned 236...and might I say they're better than ever (okay...maybe I'm a little partial). We had the opportunity to attend two birthday balls in celebration of the USMC and we had a blast at each one. I think my favorite (and the truest) quote about the Marines came from First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt in 1945, "The Marines I have seen around the world have the cleanest bodies, the filthiest minds, the highest morale, and the lowest morals of any group of animals I have ever seen. Thank God for the United States Marine Corps." Happy belated Birthday Marines! Here's to 236 more!

MSC Birthday Ball

New Recipe: Asian Marinated Tuna Steaks

Asian Marinated Tuna Steaks
(Recipe adapted from Gourmet, September 1996)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup teriyaki sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon Sherry or white wine
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely diced
2 scallions, chopped fine
a pinch dried hot red pepper flakes, or to taste
2-4 tuna steaks, depending on how many you’re feeding

Directions:

Combine everything except for fish in a baking dish. Whisk to combine. Place fish in marinade and let sit at room temp if you’re marinating for less than an hour, in the fridge if you’re marinating over one hour and bring to room temp when you have about an hour left. The reason for this is so your fish won’t be cold in the center when seared. Marinate fish for up to 2 hours total.

Remove fish from marinade and pat dry. Place marinade in a small saucepan and bring to a boil and let cook for a few minutes. Heat a couple tablespoons of oil in a saute pan over medium high heat. Sear fish about 1 minute per side for rare tuna.

Spoon a bit of boiled marinade over tuna before serving.

Yield: 2-4 servings, depending how many steaks you cook

Serve With: I served mine with a raman (lame and easy...I know) and some stir fry veggies (I promise I ate more veggies than are on my plate in the photo).

Becoming Betty Crocker

Two weekends ago I got together with Steve's boss's wife. She had never baked a homemade pie and (rightfully) assumed I hadn't either, so Sunday afternoon we set out to learn. Armed with all my ingredients, my yellow Calling All Cooks cookbook, a few helpful hints from Dad, and of course a bottle of wine, I traveled down the mountain to tackle another domestic challenge. Amie and I both made several pies and surprisingly nothing was burnt and the kitchen is still standing. I made an apple pie and 2 pecan pies. I'm a bad southerner and don't like pecan pies, so I let Steve take those to work (although that isn't a good judge of how they taste...Marines will eat anything). However, I kept the apple at our house and it is delicious! I must say I'm quite proud. Enjoy a few pictures of my baking accomplishments!

Apple Pie (before) - I tried to cut a pretty leaf out of the top crust

Apple Pie (after) - the leaf didn't work out so well

Finished Pecan Pies

Recipe Help

Last night I made crispy yogurt chicken. I took some chicken breasts, dipped them in plain yogurt (doctored up with garlic, lemon juice and parsley), then rolled them in panko. They turned out pretty well, just a little on the plain side. Any suggestions on how to spice them up a little?

As for the rest of our week, here's our menu:

Tuesday: Asian Marinated Tuna Steaks with Stir-Fry Veggies and Raman

Wednesday: Chili-Lime Tilapia with Chili Lime Butter served over Rice

Thursday: Lasagna (I'm testing out a new recipe...cross your fingers)

Meal Planning

With me not working and our upcoming wedding, we're always looking for a way to save money. One of the easiest ways we've found is menu planning. These days I never go to the grocery store without a plan. Each Sunday after church Steve and I sit down and plan out the week's meals (sometimes 2 weeks). I take his work schedule into account and try to make something the night prior that has good leftovers, so he isn't forced to eat in the chow hall. This week's meal planning is a little light, as Steve is working one weekday and all weekend - we didn't plan for next week because we'll be heading down to Alabama for Halloween weekend to celebrate my friend Whitney's wedding. Here is what's on the menu our house:

Monday: Grilled Basil and Garlic Pork Chops with Okra Tomato Sauce and White Rice

Tuesday: Quick Turkey Chili
Thursday: Meatloaf and Horseradish Potatoes (a big hit with both Steve and his cousin)

*Both Monday and Tuesday's recipes are from the Southern Living cookbook my future MIL sent me for Christmas last year. Also, I've discovered that using a heaping teaspoon of horseradish in my mashed potatoes keeps me from adding cheese, butter, or salt, so it's a little healthier!

Wedding Win: Welcome Bags

Not long ago I posted a wedding woe concerning welcome bags. While I still haven't figured out what to put in my welcome bags, I have settled on what to put said stuff in. Last week I found some super cute bags on the Wedding Chicks' website, but they were a bit out of my price range. Yesterday, while feeding my Facebook addiction, I saw a link they posted to their shop, along with a coupon code for 40% off anything in the shop! I was able to get all my welcome bags for almost half price! Below is the design we chose [photo from Wedding Chicks] - the bags will feature the GREAT state of Alabama, in purple...obviously! Now I just need to figure out what to put inside...

Pink Ribbon 5K

Well, I did it. I actually ran a 5K, with no training. On Thursday my friend Melanie asked me if I was interested in running Frederick's Pink Ribbon 5K...since I had just finished working out I was feeling pretty good about my athletic ability, so I said yes. But, as Thursday and yesterday progressed I began to regret that decision. Who am I kidding? I'm not an athlete, and certainly not a runner - I haven't even trained for this. However, after a little soul searching (and a bribe from Steve) I decided to do it. So, bright and early this morning, decked out in my ZTA jersey and AU baseball cap, Melanie and I hit the pavement. I certainly didn't finish anywhere near the top, but I did finish 243. I'm not exactly sure how many people ran, but considering my bib was 576, and there were still plenty of runners and walkers left to go when we crossed the finish line
I feel pretty good about it. So good, I'm contemplating running another one...maybe the upcoming Turkey Trot. But that's today, ask me tomorrow when I have to limp into church.

Wedding Win: Honeymoon

Yesterday I posted a wedding woe, my welcome bag conundrum. Today, I have a wedding win! We have finally booked our honeymoon - Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic. When we first started our honeymoon brainstorming, we knew we wanted to leave the country, because I never have. I asked around and got some ideas from friends and began to narrow it down. One of my good friends went to the Excellence resort in Mexico. I didn't want to copy her honeymoon, so I looked at their other resorts and found the one in DR. I shared it with Steve and he was immediately on board. I cannot wait until we're relaxing on the beach as husband and wife. It'll be a much needed break between the last few weeks of wedding planning and the stress of our PCS, which could be coming as early as May.

Wedding Woes: Welcome Bags

I attended a wedding back in April with the cutest little welcome bags. My friend, Kerri, is from Sacramento so she put together bags with California-made goodies: a small bottle of Sutter Home wine, water bottled in CA, Jelly Belly jelly beans, other types of candies and cute Sacramento postcards. This immediately got me thinking about cute ideas for my welcome bags. However, once I started researching, it proved to be a little out of reach. While there are many products made in the great state of Alabama, most don't come in sample sizes and I certainly don't want to spend $5/bottle of Big Bob Gibson's BBQ sauce for each of my guests, in addition to everything else that I planned to put into them. So, that's the problem and here's what I'd like to hear from you: Do you know of any places that sell sample sizes of Alabama-made products? If not, what are some other ideas for cute Welcome Bags (or boxes) for our out of town guests?

Super Exciting September

I cannot believe it's already September. I didn't think it would, but this year has managed to fly by. The good news is that we have a lot happening this month, so I'll have plenty to blog about. Here's a look at what the almost Reiff family has going on throughout the month of September:

• Trip to Alabama - I bought a wedding dress back in February but now I'm not so sure about it. It is ivory and I think I want white. I also think I want a completely different style. I'm going to try it on with my shoes and next to a pair of white trousers to see what it'll look like. If I still don't love it, then I'll be hitting the stores with my Mom and Nana to find another one.
• Wedding in Wisconsin - I'll be leaving from Alabama and flying to northern Wisconsin to join Steve at his brother's wedding. I hope it isn't too cold. The last time I went to a September wedding in Wisconsin, it was 55 degrees. I hope there's service since the wedding is during the AU vs. Mississippi State game (I'll be wearing an orange wrap).
• Virginia Wine Trip - We're taking a trip to tour the Virginia wineries near Charlottesville. We're going with 2 other couples and staying in a beautiful, new house. It's also close to my friends, Leanne and Kelly. Hopefully we can meet up with them.
• Navy 5-Miler - Steve and I will be running the Navy 5-miler on September 24. I may die.

I'll be sure to update the blog (assuming I live through the race). Have a great weekend!

Delicious Dish: Bacon and Goat Cheese Stuffed Chicken

Let me be the first to admit that I've never been a great cook. However, in order to assure my future mother-in-law that her little boy won't starve to death, I decided to teach myself how to cook. Now, I'm still not the best, but I'm slowly learning my way around the kitchen and adding more and more recipes to my repertoire. Here's one of my latest adventures - bacon and goat cheese stuffed chicken. You had my attention at bacon...you sealed the deal with goat cheese. This recipe is from the January/February 2011 issue of Cooking Light.

Bacon and Goat Cheese Stuffed Chicken (serves 4)

• 2 tablespoons green onions, diced
• 3 ounces goat cheese
• 1 slice bacon, cooked & crumbled
• 4 (6-oz) skinless, boneless, chicken breast halves
• salt & black pepper
• 1 tablespoon canola oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine onions, cheese, and bacon in a small bowl. Cut a 1-inch-wide slit into the thick end of each chicken breast, and carefully cut down to center of chicken to form a pocket. Divide cheese mixture evenly among pockets. Secure with wooden picks. Sprinkle chicken with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

Heat a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil. Add chicken to pan; saute 4 minutes. Turn chicken over and place skillet in oven and bake for 12 minutes; let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Thoughts: This 5-ingredient dish was super easy to make and went over very well with my hungry, Midwestern boy. I paired it with horseradish, mashed potatoes and broccoli. We didn't have an oven proof skillet, so while I preheated the oven, I popped an aluminum foil pan in there. When I was finished searing the chicken on one side, I pulled the pan out, flipped the chicken into it, and poured the contents of the skillet over the top. We had to add about 7 minutes of cook time onto what the recipe says. I'll be enjoying the leftovers tonight! Can't wait to make this again soon.

What's In A Name?

I realize I don't blog that much and I'm vowing to get better about that. While I don't have a very interesting life, I have a very blessed one. I have a wonderful fiancé that works very hard and has been very understanding of my inability to find a job in this area doing anything other than waiting tables at Red Robin. I have very nice neighbors. I don't have much in common with them, seeing as they all have children and have been married for a while (and most are Navy families), but they're all very good people. I don't have any friends in the area outside of the neighborhood so the little things get me through. The little boy next door told his mom I was the coolest neighbor he's ever had and the little girl down the street told her mom she thought I was sweet and cool. And to be honest...that made my day.

To that point, this is not quite the life I had imagined. But when it gets down to it, its the life that God had planned for me. I may not understand it, but He has His reasons. I may not know where I'm going, but I believe in a God that does.

Now finally to the title of this post, "What's in a name?" My life in between just wasn't jumping off the page at me, so I've settled on a new name "Life as a Reiff...almost." (Obviously, I'll be dropping the almost in April). I'm going to continue blogging about trips and wedding planning, but I'm going to start blogging about my adjusting to military life, my adventures in the kitchen, and other goings on in our household. Hope you enjoy!

DJ Turn It Up!

After being unable to book my top two band choices, we settled on a DJ. When we met with him he mentioned knowing what Central people like, which made me nervous. I remember the music from my prom and it alternated between country music and rap...NOT HAPPENING! Thankfully he was on board with my providing a playlist of specific songs and genres to play, and a list of songs that he cannot, under any circumstances, play. This list basically includes ANY song that has its own dance. Now the tricky part...I had started a list, but my sweet, innocent, little puppy decided to snack on my flash drive containing all of my wedding stuff, including my playlist. Any suggestions on songs to play?

Down in Kokomo

While the Beach Boys song Kokomo offers up a lot of suggestions for great honeymoon destinations, we're still searching. We have a few requirements: not in the US or any of its territories, not Mexico or Canada, and definitely at the beach. We'd also like to stay away from a resort that puts its brand everywhere - the pool, umbrellas, floor, etc. I think one of the things holding us back is not knowing whether or not we'll even be able to take a honeymoon after the wedding; our move date could be as early as May 2012. We've been kicking around the idea of putting the honeymoon on hold and take it when we're moving to his new station. I'm open to any and all suggestions on locations and advice for how to plan a honeymoon with a move looming overhead. I feel like I'm just winging it on all this wedding stuff...so I'll be fishing for more advice soon, I'm sure.

NKOTBSB...Happy Belated Birthday to Me!

Last month I finally got to take advantage of the gift my parents gave me for my 25th birthday - concert tickets to see New Kids on the Block and Backstreet Boys. To be honest, I could not have been more excited. Even though I was a bit young with NKOTB hit the scene (their first album came out the year I was born), I still loved them. I had a sleeping bag, posters, Barbies, and a stylish sweatsuit and stretchy belt. However, I was just the right age with the Backstreet Boys were popular. I even had the chance, thanks to my best friend Haley, to see Brian perform when I was younger at the country club with a songwriter and hit a few golf balls with Stewart Cink, both from my hometown. When I found out both bands were back together and going on tour, I had to go. I added the tickets to my Christmas/Birthday list and thankfully my parents gave in to my request - the only bad thing was that I had to wait until June to use them.

By some crazy coincidence, the boy just happened to have duty that weekend (imagine his luck). But that gave me the chance to invite my friend Maddie to attend the concert (and also spend the weekend up on the mountain with me). After dinner and drinks downtown, Maddie and I headed to the Verizon Center. The concert opened with a Lindsay Lohan look alike that couldn't sing or dance. Thankfully after a few painful songs, she left and let Jordin Sparks take the stage. I had no idea I knew the words to so many of her songs. All through her set and continuing into the main event, I never sat down. I was on my feet singing every word to every song. It was truly one of the best shows I've ever been to. Thanks Mom and Dad!

My I Do Shoe!

Image from Kate Spade

There they are...my wedding shoes. The moment the engagement ring is placed on the finger, most girls start thinking about the dress. My thoughts, however, went right to the shoes. I saw these beautiful shoes on the website of my newest obsession, Kate Spade. The were $298 and came in 4 colors - white, colbalt blue, pink, and purple. Now I knew I wanted colored shoes, so white was imediately out. I wasn't sure what colors I wanted to use for my wedding, but I knew the colors I didn't want - blue (with the Mister's uniform, it'd be way too America-y), yellow (the future SIL is using it), and pink (mainly because pink would be a hard sell with the boy). With all but one of the shoe colors eliminated, that left me with purple...so purple it is. I bought the shoes and have them safely tucked away in my closet, hidden from view so I won't be tempted to wear them. I think I may end up having to take them home to my parents' house so I don't give in and take them for a test drive before the big day!

Update on Life

I apologize that its been so long since my last post. But, when you live on a mountain in the middle of nowhere, life's exciting moments are few and far between. Just wanted to update y'all (the few of you who read this) on what's been happening lately.

I was lucky enough to have my dear friends, Louise and Kerri, come up for a visit. We kicked off the evening with dinner at a delicious local tapas restaurant called Isabellas. We followed up the next day with shopping in the cute little downtown area. I am very lucky to have such wonderful friends, that will leave their lives in the city to trek out to the country to spend time with me. Girls, I can't thank you enough for your friendship.

On April 27th, Alabama was hit pretty hard by several devastating tornadoes. The destruction caused by these powerful storms is unbelievable. Many lost everything they owned and over 300 people lost their lives. Thankfully, the next day Auburn alums sprung into action, creating Toomers for Tuscaloosa. As many of you know, Toomers Corner is very important to Auburn fans. When a crazy Alabama fan poisoned our sacred tree which stands on the corner, Alabama alums and fans from across the country stepped up to raise money to help us save them through the organization Tide for Toomers. Creating Toomers for Tuscaloosa was the least of what we, as alums and fans, could do to repay the favor. Alumni from across the country began coordinating pick ups in their various areas and hauling it down to Alabama. If you're interested in helping the people of my beautiful home state, please visit Toomers for Tuscaloosa's website at toomersfortuscaloosa.com. Our state was blessed to have so many people from across the nation willing to help. Several notable individuals visited our state, including President Obama and Condoleezza Rice. Lance Bass of NSYNC also aided in the cleanup. Even Charlie Sheen took time to visit the state and even set up a website to aid in collecting donations. Say what you will about him, but he showed real compassion for the people of Alabama.

Lastly, Steve and I took a trip to Milwaukee and Chicago. With his job, we rarely get to take a vacation, so it was a welcomed break from the mountain. We drove out to Milwaukee for a few days to visit David (his brother), Pam (Dave's fiancee), and Raji (their new German short-haired pointer). While we were there we visit Marquette's campus, the Milwaukee Art Museum, and took in a Brewers game. After a few days there, we left for Chicago to visit Steve's best friend, Kenny, and his wife Liz. We were so glad to be able to visit with them and help celebrate Kenny's graduation from law school. Steve and Kenny have been really close since they were roommates back in college. I consider it a privilege to know him, his wife, and his family. They're all wonderful people who are a huge part of Steve's life. While we were in Chicago we visit the Sears Tower - I actually fought back my panic and walked into the Sky Ledge, which is a glass box hanging off the side of the 103 floor. You can see down through the bottom. I didn't last long on the ledge, but at least I walked out there.

More updates coming very soon...

Pets 2 Vets

This past Thursday, I had the opportunity to join some of my girlfriends from the Barracks at the Pets 2 Vets Spring Soiree. Please take a few moments to read the story of the founding of this great organization here. Their focus is on pairing shelter animals with our war hereos in an effort to help ease the stress and suffering many deal with once they return to the states. Though we can never thank them enough, this program is a good start.

Dana Perino was the special guest

Sweet ladies from the Barracks: Louise, Kerri, and Alexandra

Nice Weekend for a White Wedding!

Sorry it's been a hot minute since my last post. But I'm back and armed with wonderful tales from our weekend in California. Steve and I recently traveled to Sacramento to celebrate the wedding of our dear friends, Nute and Kerri. It was a much needed break from the chilly weather and the mountain. We didn't arrive until late Friday night so our vacay didn't officially kick off until Saturday morning. After hitting the town early to explore Old Sacramento, we joined our friends for a bottomless mimosa breakfast. It was delicious and cheap...tell me where in DC can you get breakfast and unlimited mimosas for under $12 a person? Steve had to get back to the hotel to practice for the sword arch, which meant I got to spend a little girl time with Steph and her sweet baby girl! The 5pm wedding and reception were held at the charming Citizen Hotel in downtown Sacramento. The hotel had a great political theme and a gorgeous view of the Capitol. The wedding was as perfect as possible. Kerri, of course, was a beautiful little bride! At the reception, we brought a little bit of Centerhouse to Cali, which was a ton of fun. Sunday was an early one...Phil the limo driver was waiting outside at 10am to drive several of us out to Napa to tour 3 wineries. We tasted a lot of wine...some good, some bad, and some amazing! Its safe to say the group favorites were the Gamay Rouge from V. Sattui and the white wine (I forget the name) paired with the yummy sea salt chocolate from Castello di Amorosa. We wrapped up the tour with a trip to Beringer Winery (the oldest in North America). After arriving back in Sacramento we capped the evening off with a delicious dinner at Grange. Sadly, we had to fly back to the East Coast on Monday, where we encountered several delays, including a major one in Salt Lake. With the time changes, we didn't walk in our front door until almost 2:30am - killer. All in all, it was a great weekend spent with great friends, celebrating two wonderful people. I can only hope my wedding turns out half as good as Kerri's. I've included some pictures below for your enjoyment!

The California State Captiol

The Newlyweds!!

Girls rocking out to RESPECT

Castello di Amorosa

MBW Crew touring Napa Valley wineries

Last one...I promise!

I promise this will be the last post about our engagement pictures. I got the disc with all the photos in the mail today and had to share just this one picture with our beautiful Capitol in the background. Thank you again Michelle for the amazing photos!

**Back to cleaning, the little brother comes to visit tomorrow!

Our Newest Family Member

Introducing the newest member of our household Archie! We adopted him through a rescue in Pennsylvania last week. When we got him, his name was Howie and we quickly changed it to Archie. He is named after two famous Marines: Archibald Henderson (longest serving Commandant in history; 1820-1859) and John Archer Lejeune (the 13th Commandant).

When the rescue got him, and his brothers and sisters, they were only a day away from being put down. After jumping through all the puppy adoption hoops, we were so thankful to finally bring him home. He's such a sweet little guy and is adjusting really well to life in our home.

Engagement Pictures

As I mentioned in my previous post, Steve and I had our engagement pictures taken a few weeks ago. Let me start by saying that our photographer was amazing. I first saw Michelle Cross's work on one of the many wedding blogs I check regularly. She had photographed a Marine proposing to his girlfriend in front of the Lincoln. She drew me in with photos near the monuments...she sealed the deal with Marines. I contacted her and she agreed to shoot our engagement pictures in the city where Steve and I met, Washington DC.

If you've ever lived in DC you know that mid-March is when the masses in jean shorts, socks with sandals, and fanny packs start to flock to the city. If you haven't lived in DC, let me assure you its a mad house. There are people everywhere and none of them know how to use a crosswalk or the metro (especially the escalators). Since it had started warming up we decided to start our session at 7:30am (and thanks to Daylight Savings Time, it felt like 6:30am). The up side of an early morning shoot, the light was great and there were only a few DC residents milling about.

You can see a few of our engagement shots on Michelle's blog. And if you're in need of a photographer, I'd highly recommend her - she's wonderful (Michelle's website)!

I Love DC!

It hasn't been that long since we were last in DC, but I was really starting to miss it terribly. Thankfully, Uncle Sam sent Steve to class so we had an excuse to spend a few days in the city. It was SO wonderful to see our friends again. Here's a recap of the weekend (I apologize for the length...we had a great time):

• Thursday: I started my day out with lunch at Old Ebbit with my friend Nick. After a great lunch, I headed over to the Hill. I spent time visiting with the members of Team Bonner and my friend Robert. Roaming those halls made me both happy and sad all at the same time. I know I may never have the opportunity to work in DC again, but I truly cherish my time spent there.


• Friday: After spending time with our good friends, Nat and Adam, Steve and I went our separate ways to different events. I was able to spend some much needed girls' time with some of the most amazing women...the women of MBW. After a lot of good food and great conversation at Belga, we headed out to Molly Malone's to toast Dolly Madison! Things got a little crazy, but it certainly was a lot of fun!


• Saturday: Steve and I kicked off the morning with brunch with the Popelkas (SO great to see them and spend time with them)! After a 2 hour chat-fest, I kicked it into high gear in preparation for a surprise bridal shower. Louise, Steph, and I threw a surprise shower for our sweet friend, Kerri. She is an amazing person and friend and I was more than happy to help celebrate her and spend more time with the MBW ladies. I simply cannot wait to continue celebrating her and her future husband in California! (I also got to meet sweet Ada...Steph, she's too precious). Steve and I met Adam, Nat, Vickie, and Nat's friend Kacie at RT's for dinner (if you're ever in the DC area and love Cajun food, do yourself a favor and eat at RTs). It was wonderful to spend time with them, especially Vickie and Nat. Had it not been for them, I might not have stayed in DC; and for that I am eternally grateful.


• Sunday: Sunday morning started EARLY but felt even earlier due to DST. Although I was very tired, I was happy to get into the city and meet with Michelle, of Michelle Cross Photography! I saw some of Michelle's work on a wedding blog and I fell in love with her work. Thankfully, she was willing to come up from NC to take some engagement shots of me and Steve in DC. I can't wait to see how they turn out (stay tuned)!

All in all it was a wonderful weekend, spent with wonderful friends. I was bummed to make the drive back to our house, but I know I'll be back in the city soon!

Sweet Boy

As most of you know, I have not found a job since we moved to the sticks. Most of my days include cleaning, laundry, pre-wedding workout, and job hunting. I am slowly but surely losing my mind. In an effort to keep me sane, sweet Steve thought it'd be nice to send me to the spa. I had a wonderful massage, facial, and haircut thanks to my generous fiancee and the wonderful people at Thomas Scott in Frederick. I am so lucky to have such a thoughtful, caring, and giving person like Steve in my life.

We're spending the weekend in the city, so I'll have an update of our fun adventures on Monday!

Unseasoned Blogger

Welcome to my blog, My Life In Between! Since Steve is in the military we recently moved to rural Maryland, which is a huge switch from the fast paced life of DC. With that move came many changes...I went from being at the center of everything going on in Congress to job hunting in a small town.

I'm very new to the blogging world, so bear with me. I hope to share new hobbies, ambitious undertakings, fun finds, and occasionally, wedding planning. I can't promise my life will always (or ever) be interesting, but it's my life and I am extremely thankful for each new day!