Happy Thursday! Can you believe it's already the middle of November?! Where have the last two months gone? Life with two dogs has been VERY busy, but we are loving it. We have been spending more time at home with the pups which has been wonderful. The start of fall was so busy so we are soaking up every second of quiet we can before the holiday craziness begins. Anyway, let's jump into this weeks thinking out loud!
1. I wanted to have some photos taken for our Christmas card, so I enlisted the help of my coworkers wives. She does photography on the side, her prices are insanely reasonable, and her work is beautiful. We took some photos with our pups then she snagged some with just the two of us. OH MY GOODNESS! The photos came out so beautiful and not even five hours after we took photos she had them back to us- we got over 500 photos! I already ordered our Christmas cards and we have gotten a few photos printed and hung in our apartment because they're too beautiful not to share! If anyone is looking for a photographer in the NE/MO/IA area Designs by Samantha Jo did our photos and we will definitely be using her for future photos! I'll share our Christmas card photo closer to Christmas 🎅
2. Brent and I celebrated five months of marriage on November 8th. Most people wouldn't celebrate the little milestones, but we're not most people and it keeps things fun. We didn't do anything fancy and we actually celebrated with a chill night at home the day before because we were babysitting for a friend on the 8th. We try to be intentional about spending time with one another because it's very easy to get caught up in the hecticness of life and not spend quality time together.
3. Christmas is my absolute FAVORITE time of year. It's such a happy and joyful season and every year I get way too excited about it. Growing up my family always got a real tree and put it up the first weekend in December. We can't have a real tree where we live now, so we have a mini fake tree and this past weekend we put it up. I realize it's not even Thanksgiving yet, but something about coming home to a Christmas tree and festive home is very relaxing. This will be Ginger and Zeke's first Christmas so we are pretty excited for that as well.
4. We've officially had Zeke for over a month now. Some days it feels like a year other times it feels like we just brought him home. It's definitely been an adjustment for everyone. Seeing as he just turned five months old, we still have to take him out potty several times a night. Thankfully he has stopped screaming like a banshee at night (we were waiting for our neighbors to call the cops because it sounded like something was dying). He's had a tough month with kennel cough the first week and a half we brought him home and recently he contracted a parasite that had him super sick. Thankfully he's better now which we hope he stays that way because #vetbills. Ginger and Zeke are getting along better and arguing over toys and wrestling one another just like normal siblings.
5. The pups recently celebrated their first Halloween. I was a little too excited to dress them up. Ginger was a lion, we got the costume from Amazon and sadly it was delivered missing the tail, and Zeke was a monkey. Ginger had no problems in her costume but Zeke was not a fan.
6. The sunrises and sunsets have been absolutely stunning recently. I never imagined liking living in Nebraska and while I hate the snow and cold, the other part of the year isn't terrible (except when it's an inferno in the summer 🔥) While I hate how early it gets dark now, the beautiful sunrises and sunsets make up for it.
If you have any suggestions of places to check out for affordable Christmas decor please let me know- I've already hit up Home Goods and didn't find anything. I hope you have a great Thursday and a terrific weekend!
When do you decorate for Christmas?
What is your favorite holiday tradition and why?
Happy Thursday! It's been a hot minute since I've done a post but life has been a little hectic. Between work, traveling, and a new family member we've hardly had a minute to breathe. October has thankfully slowed down for us and we are savoring every single day we get without plans because every day in September we had something going. Anyway, let's jump into this weeks thinking out loud.
1. We added a new furry family member! We had always wanted a second pup so Ginger had a buddy while we were gone at work, but we said we wanted to wait until we had our own backyard so they could have space to run. Despite saying we would wait we looked online at pups, we went to shelter a ton even though we were "just looking," and lo and behold I came across Zeke. The little fella was a bundle of cuddles and energy and we knew right away he was meant to be our pup. Zeke is a 4-month-old mutt (we have no clue what he is) who loves toys, cuddling, and falling asleep on our chests. Ginger is still trying to figure out if she likes her baby brother or not. I know it will take time and they will soon be inseparable.
2. Occasionally we can get fancied up. My work helped sponsor a gala for a charity I've become incredibly passionate about called Chariots4Hope which is based in Omaha and Lincoln. It would take me way too long to explain about them so if you want to know more about them click here. I had to take photos and videos for work, but I also got to enjoy the night. I feel incredibly blessed to work for a company that values community over their bottom line.
3. Before we got Zeke, Brent, Ginger, and I travelled down to Kansas City, MO to see the Jonas Brothers in concert. We decided to make a weekend trip of it (which was a mild disaster but that's another story). The concert was AMAZING!! They were even better than they were at their last concert I went to 10 years ago 🤯We sang, dance, and it was just a blast!
4. The past month has held some major disappointments for us. Something that was a "sure thing" was ripped away from me and I was left stunned, confused, and very hurt. I started reading It's Not Supposed To Be This Way by Lysa Terkurst and it's like the book was written for me. The words spoke to my heart and gave voice to the hurt and disappointment we have been working through. I cannot recommend this book enough!
5. It's finally starting to feel like fall around here. I think the 90 degree temps are finally gone <insert happy dance>. The mornings have been cooler and it tastes like fall is in the air. The leaves don't change until late here but I found this beautiful red one and it was too pretty to pass up. One of the things I do miss about living in Michigan is the fall colors. Fall in Michigan is unbelievable! Not to mention I miss going to the cider mill, but we did find a really good cider place in Lincoln.
6. It's in the heart of downtown near 17th and N in Lincoln. This tucked away bar is a GEM 💎 I walked inside and was stunned. It's bright, airy, and so relaxing. Jazz was playing softly out of the speakers, the owner served us and she was FANTASTIC! We did a flight of ciders and they give you a flight ticket that you get punched as you try the different ciders. They were all really good but our favorite was the Milestone Road cider. It tasted like good ole apple cider. Everything from the service to the cider to the atmosphere was top notch so if you're ever in Lincoln, NE definitely check it out!
I will stop rambling on now, but have a terrific Thursday and an even better weekend 🥳
Happy Thursday! This week has been FLYING by! We are looking forward to the weekend because it's been a hectic week. This month is super busy for us with traveling, friends moving, charity events, and a million other things. Literally every weekend this month we have something going on. We're savoring all the quiet moments as they're far and few between and we are both very much home bodies. Anyway, let's jump into this weeks thinking out loud!
1. THIS is how we've felt all week 😂 Ginger likes to lay on her back and her paws on the air and wag her tag telling us to pet her, but every once in awhile she has this shook look on her face 🐶 It kills us because it just embodies how we feel about Monday. Anyone else feel like this after the weekend 🙋♀️
2. Running. Sigh. It's been a love/hate relationship for me over the past year. Since I got hurt about two years ago there's been a lot of pain for me while I run so I stopped for a long time then moved to a slow trot, like turtle pace 🐢 This week I've been ramping up my efforts and running outside. But holy smokes it is still HOT outside 🔥Nebraska in the summer is not a runners friend. Case in point...
3. My husband is super supportive as you can tell 😂 I love the challenge of running outside but it's been so hot it's been horrible to do. The past few days have been over 100 with heat index, so not a chance I've been running outside. The treadmill is super boring to me but I didn't want heat stroke so I've been hitting it every day. Otherwise my husband would be scrapping me off the pavement.
4. I cannot handle this dog 😂 She laid like this for over an hour sandwiched between the hubs and I on our bed while we read. She's such a drama queen, but when she lays like this all I can think of is a yogi pup.
5. We are heading to Kansas City in a few weeks so if you've been send us recommendations! Where should we go? What should we do? Where should we eat? We went for a few days last year for a Taylor Swift concert, but we'd love to try out some new places. We have a super cute AirBnB and Ginger is coming with us, so bonus if you can give us a few dog friendly places!
6. This quote has been on my mind since I stumbled across it earlier this week. The world has such a skewed perception of what beauty is. Beauty is about so much more than people. Beauty is in every single thing. Look around you at the magnificent sights, the sounds, the tastes, the people, the animals. EVERYTHING IS BEAUTIFUL. In Ecclesiastes 3:11 it says, "He has made everything beautiful in its time." I pray those words speak light and love into your life. No matter what anyone says you are beautiful and you are loved.
Have a wonderful Thursday and a terrific weekend 🎉 🎉
