Alaska Anniversary Photo Shoot

July 12, 2017July 12, 20177 Comments

When Daniel and I took our Alaskan cruise, one of the most exciting parts of the trip was meeting up with one of our wedding photographers in Juneau for a 5-year anniversary shoot. And honestly, the whole day feels like I dreamed it. There were a few mishaps, like the fact that our original location was covered up by clouds and it rained on us a lot. But it really didn’t matter because we had the most incredible time wandering around Mendenhall Lake with Catie, and I will treasure these pictures forever!

Nugget Falls. Aka, the waterfall of my dreeeeeams.

Cool story – see that glacier behind us? The adventure excursion we took later that day included paddling across the lake, hiking up on top of the glacier, and exploring the ice caves underneath!! AH-MAY-ZING. Pictures from that part of our trip are here.

In this next little mini segment, Catie told Daniel to cuddle up close and whisper in my ear. So naturally, he did this: ⇓ ⇓

Catie: “Whisper sweet nothings!”
Daniel (seductively): “I love asparagus…”

Man, I like him.

The pose above has almost become a “signature” for us – we have an engagement picture and a wedding picture posed and positioned exactly like this, so I asked Catie to take one like them to keep the accidental tradition going.

SIGH. I seriously want to take a photographer on all our vacations now. So dreamy! Thanks again, Catie! ♥

30 By 30 Update, June 2017

June 25, 2017June 25, 20171 Comment

Y’all I’m SO FIRED UP right now!! I have checked a bunch of stuff off my list lately, and I’m totally giddy. Something about crossing things off of a checklist gives me a boost of energy to go cross everything else off. Haha! Here’s what I’ve done since my last update in November:

#2 – Take an Alaskan cruise. I cannot appropriately explain how mind-blowingly awesome this trip was. We got to visit Seattle, Juneau, Skagway, Glacier Bay, Ketchikan, and Victoria. Plus, we got to take anniversary pictures in Juneau (SWOON) and hang out with friends on our last day in Seattle! Dreamy, amazing, once-in-a-lifetime experience. I’m still reeling from the beauty of it all.

#6 – Read 10 new books. I really feel like I’m on a roll with this one. I’ve finished a bunch since my last update, and I’m excited about the ones in my ‘queue’. So far, I’ve read Bossypants by Tina Fey, The Energy Bus by Jon Gordon, The Defining Decade by Meg Jay, Adulting: How to Become a Grown-Up in 468 Easy(ish) Steps by Kelly Williams Brown, and Wild and Free by Jess Connolly and Hayley Morgan. Our community group from church is reading The Meaning of Marriage by Tim Keller, and I’m also working my way through Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers again (I’ve read it before, but MAN it’s so good).

#11 – Deliver meals to new parents. So far, we’ve taken food to the Whitley family to celebrate baby Abigail, and the Newton family to celebrate baby Éowyn! And there are lots more babies coming this year (including my first niece, Karis – she’s a doll!!), so I know we’ll get to do this again. :)

#18 – Take anniversary pictures with Daniel. Check check CHECK!! I don’t know if we’ll ever be able to top the experience of one of our wedding photographers, the amazing Catie Bartlett, taking our pictures at a glacial lake in Alaska.

#20 – Update my home décor. Technically this one was already on my last update, but I’ve added new things since! I got a gorgeous wooden ‘Oklahoma’ from my mom for Christmas, I updated our living room bookcases with new decorations, added a gallery wall in our master bedroom, and finally decorated the guest bathroom with an easy DIY craft project that I unfortunately did not take pictures of – bad Laura.

#21 – Make our backyard fun. There’s still lots to do, but adding some globe string lights and a planter of wildflowers definitely improved the back porch!

#26 – Visit 5 new states. Washington, Alaska, and Colorado are new additions – three down, two to go! We technically visited Utah…but we were only in the airport, so it doesn’t really count.

#30 – Take a road trip. The Simma clan family vacation to Colorado helped me knock this one out. Wayyy too many hours spent in the car, but lots of music, pretty views, snacks, and inside jokes with my siblings made it better.

Can’t wait to keep checking more off of this list – almost a third of the way through, and I still have 2½ years to finish the rest! To check out what else is on my list, go here.

Alaska: Part III

June 7, 2017June 7, 2017Leave a comment

PART III // Ketchikan, Victoria, & Seattle

The last three days of our trip were spent wandering around Ketchikan (a tiny Alaska fishing town), Victoria (a gorgeous British-like Canadian city), and Seattle again! We had shorter port times in Ketchikan and Victoria, so we didn’t get to explore much, but we still enjoyed walking around town. And it was fun to be shown Seattle by friends who actually live there, rather than running around aimlessly on our own.

Ketchikan:
–Breakfast at Sweet Mermaids
–Creek Street

It rained on us in Ketchikan, so we didn’t spend too much time walking around. But we found a cute little coffee shop near the waterfront called Sweet Mermaids, and Daniel got the best cheese danish either of us had ever tasted. We also walked through the historic Creek Street area and stopped in a few of the shops along the way.

VICTORIA:
–Empress Hotel
–British Columbia Parliament Building

I was heartbroken that we didn’t have more time here – it was absolutely charming! The only place I knew I wanted to go was the the corner of Belleville and Government to see the Empress Hotel and the British Columbia Legislature, and both were stunning. I would have loved to have visit the Butchart Gardens or go whale watching, but I’m glad we didn’t book an excursion, because it took FOREVER to get off the ship and we would have missed it.

SEATTLE, Take 2:
–Pike Place Market
–Kerry Park / Gas Works Park
–Elliot Bay for lunch

I LOVED this day!! We got to visit some beautiful places AND hang out with some old friends from Oklahoma. I wasn’t sure what we were going to do between getting off the cruise ship at 8:00 am and our flight at 5:00 pm, and Stephen and Jimi Hightower totally saved the day. They picked us up at the cruise terminal, drove us and our suitcases around all day, and basically gave us a personalized tour of Seattle. We got to see Pike Place Market (a bucket list place for me), lots of parks, and their new apartment – isn’t their mug holder cute?? Jimi is ultra crafty, and you can check out some of her other projects here!

Thanks again, Stephen and Jimi, for showing us your city! :)

The only dark cloud on our entire trip was trying to go home. Our flight was supposed to leave at 5:00 pm, so the Hightowers dropped us off at the airport at 3:00. We went to a self-service kiosk to check in, and the screen told us that it was too late to check our bags. Confused, we went to the desk to check in there instead. When we handed the lady our tickets, she got a weird look on her face and started typing on her computer.

“What time is your flight?” she asked.

“5:00,” I said nervously.

More typing.

“Hmm….that flight was actually moved to 3:20.”

My heart raced. “Um…what???”

Immediately, Daniel asked, “Well, can we make it??”

Without a shred of sympathy, the lady said, “No, I’m sorry.”

I was speechless.

Daniel: “Okay…what time is the next available flight?”

Lady: “Let me check….(longest pause ever)….it looks like the next earliest flight is at 11:15 pm.”

Cue me dissolving into tears.

Long story short, we had to transfer from American to Alaska Airlines and sit in the airport for 8 extra hours. We checked and double-checked our emails, and neither of us had received any communication from American at all that day – not even a regular check-in email for our original flight time. We should have gotten home around midnight or 1:00 am, and instead, we pulled in our driveway around 7:00 am. NOT IDEAL. But besides that nightmare, we had a wonderful trip! And here is a picture of my Starbucks, because when you’re stuck in an airport for that long, what else is there to do than be a basic white girl?

In case you missed them, here’s Part I and Part II of this trip.

If you’re not ready for the vacation pictures to end, don’t worry – I’m going to Colorado with my family this month, and I’ll have lots of more gorgeous goodness to share soon!

Alaska: Part II

June 3, 2017November 10, 20183 Comments

PART II // JUNEAU, SKAGWAY, & GLACIER BAY

Juneau, Skagway, and Glacier Bay: the three loveliest days of our trip! I’m so glad I took pictures, but I’m also glad that I had the strength to put down the iPhone and just look around every once in awhile, and believe me – I drank in every detail. The strongest memory I have from the trip is how many times I felt so incredibly small, staring up at the towering mountains and trees around us and losing all my words. I’ve never been anywhere so beautiful in my life. It’s hard to believe that the locals actually get used to such breathtaking views and forget how wonderful their ‘backyard’ really is! I could ramble on for way too long about how gorgeous everything was – but I think I’ll just show you instead. ;)

JUNEAU:
–took anniversary pictures at a glacial lake
–went on an ice caves excursion
–ate the best seafood I’ve ever had

So many words, and yet so few at the same time. AMAZING day. Shout-out to Catie Bartlett for taking what I know will be the most incredible pictures (separate post to come later!), to our glacier adventure crew for taking us on the most baller excursion EVER, and to Tracy’s King Crab Shack for the most ridonkulous crab bisque – possibly the best soup, period, that I’ve ever had in my life. During our excursion, we paddled across the lake, explored the ice caves, and hiked up on top of the Mendenhall Glacier. Not for the faint of heart, but wayyyy worth the tired arms and legs!

SKAGWAY:
–rode the White Pass Scenic Railway
–EXPLORED the idyllic downtown area
–LUNCH at skagway brewing company

Another amazing day! We booked the train ride because it was the #1-rated excursion for Skagway, and it did not disappoint – the views were unreal. We went all the way up into Canada and turned around on the track, so we got to see both sides of the track during the trip. I loved the guide’s narration about the railroad and the route hundreds of people traveled during the gold rush. Afterward, we walked around town (very picturesque!), got some fudge and truffles from a candy shop, and ate lunch at Skagway Brewing Company.

GLACIER BAY:
–perfect sightseeing spot on the boat
–Margerie Glacier and Lamplugh Glacier
–roughly one billion sea otters

Honestly? I don’t even know where to start with how pretty this place was. The glaciers were enormous. The Margerie Glacier is 250 feet high and over a mile long! We had a completely unobstructed view of the bay for the entire day, aside from an obnoxious 20 minutes when a huge group of very rude people stood directly in front of our chairs to take about 700 pictures together. Literally, they were maybe a foot in front of us. *eye roll* But besides that, we had a great day on the ship! We spent a lot of time watching the mountains and the water for signs of wildlife, and I’m not kidding – we probably saw at least 200 otters float by the ship within a 30-minute period. They were so cute!

One of my favorite things we did all week was watch the sunset from the back of the ship as we sailed back out of Glacier Bay. Funny enough, it was 10:00 pm when I took this picture! We were the only people on deck, and it was such a sweet, peaceful moment.

The third and final piece of the Alaska trip series is coming soon – stay tuned for photos from Ketchikan, Victoria, and our one-day tour of Seattle with the Hightowers!

Alaska: Part I

May 31, 2017June 7, 20172 Comments

Y’all. Y’ALL.

I don’t have enough adjectives for this trip. “Amazing,” “incredible,” “unbelievable” – nothing comes close enough. I am so, so thankful that we were able to take this trip, and it’ll be hard to top it in the future (although we’re definitely up for the challenge!).

During this trip, we visited Seattle, Juneau, Skagway, Glacier Bay, Ketchikan, and Victoria. Each place had its own unique charm, but my favorite moments were sailing through Glacier Bay, hanging out with the Hightowers in Seattle, and pretty much the entire day we spent in Juneau!

Part I // Seattle & Exploring the Ship

Seattle has always been a “bucket list” city for me, what with all the parks, markets, food, and good views, and luckily we had some time to see the place! We flew into SeaTac in the early afternoon on Friday, took an Uber to our hotel, unpacked a little, and then went for a walk. I picked a perfectly-located hotel completely by accident – less than a mile walk from Pike Place Market and the waterfront! We ate at an urban chic seafood place called Etta’s (delish fried cod and shrimp!), got dessert from Piroshky Piroshky, and rode the Great Wheel.

The next morning, we explored the area around our hotel to find a coffee shop for breakfast, and I quickly discovered my favorite thing about the city – all the nature! Everywhere we looked, there were gorgeous gardens and parks, even in the middle of the city. I especially loved the juxtaposition of trees on the rooftops of buildings.

We took another Uber to the Seattle cruise port after checking out of our hotel. We had only been on one cruise before this trip – Honduras, Belize, and Cozumel with Royal Caribbean – so we weren’t completely sure what to expect, but Princess was pretty similar! Here’s our comparison:

WHO DID IT BETTER?

Cruise ship in general: Royal Caribbean.
Staterooms (interior): Princess. The bed was soooo comfy!
Food: Equal, but the waiters/service were better on Royal Caribbean.
Evening entertainment (shows): Royal Caribbean.
Port excursions: Princess. But we were also in Alaska, so…
Atmosphere: both were very chill and laid-back!
Drinks: packages were cheaper on Royal Caribbean.
Daytime activities:Royal Caribbean.
Hangout spots: Princess.

This was our gorgeous view while sailing out of Seattle!

One HUGE advantage to a Princess Alaska cruise – no crowds on the decks! It was chilly and frequently rainy, so most of the…ahem, *older* cruise passengers spent the whole time inside. We were plenty happy as long as we stayed wrapped up in our jackets and beanies, and we never struggled to find a good view of the scenery.

The second night on the ship was the first formal night, and we got to watch a Princess tradition before dinner – the champagne glass waterfall! The boat was crazy rocky that night, and we spent half of our watching time wondering if the champagne tower was going to fall over. I loved the fact that this cruise had so many company-specific traditions, though, like the balloon drop and the final night’s dessert parade at dinner!

Coming up in Part II – Juneau, Skagway, and Glacier Bay!

Vacation Reveal: We’re Traveling To…!!

February 16, 20174 Comments

…..ALASKA!!

WE’RE CRUISING TO ALASKA!! I can barely breathe every time I think about it! Both of us have wanted to do this for years, and it still hasn’t sunk in yet that we’re actually going. We’ll be cruising with Princess, a first for us – our only other cruise was with Royal Caribbean, and we visited Honduras, Belize, and Cozumel. For this cruise, we have four ports of call in Alaska and British Columbia, and we’ll be doing some scenic cruising through Glacier Bay. We even get to explore Seattle for a day or two to bookend the trip!

We’ll be stopping in:

I’ve been doing so much Googling and Pinteresting and TripAdvisor-ing, and my WORD, the photos!! My heart has skipped so many beats it’s unhealthy. My dream location is almost always a big body of water next to awe-inspiring mountains, so this is basically heaven. And being the organizer that I am, I’ve already been planning everything down to the tiniest detail – even mapping out the route from our cabin to different locations on the ship, making lists of “must-see’s” and good eats at each port, and figuring out how much time we’ll need to walk everywhere. There’s only one thing that I’m unsure of, and that’s what to do with our bags on the last day of the trip.

Here’s our problem: We arrive back in Seattle on a Saturday around 7:00 am. Our flight isn’t until around 5:00 pm that night. We’ll need a few hours to depart the ship, pick up our bags, and go through customs, but we have a big chunk of time to kill, and I’m not sure what we should do in the meantime. I figured it would be nice to try another local restaurant, but do we just drag our bags around with us? I’m stumped. Any ideas?

As far as general Alaskan cruise advice goes, here’s what others have told us so far:

Bring your own binoculars for wildlife sightings on the cruise because the ship will charge you an arm and a leg for a pair
Pack clothing pieces that you can easily layer for more warmth or remove to cool off, depending on what the weather does
Explore the ship fully as soon as possible so you can find your favorite place to enjoy the view for the rest of the trip
Visit the Mendenhall Glacier ice caves in Juneau
Don’t spend the extra money on a room with a balcony – there are lots of places to take in the scenery on the ship, and you’ll hardly spend any time in your room anyway
Remember to pack a few things you don’t normally need for a Caribbean cruise (rain gear, warmer jackets, gloves, hats)

As the trip gets closer, I’ll share my packing list, travel checklist, and maybe even a peek in my suitcase…!

Oh, who am I kidding; you’ll definitely see the inside of my suitcase.

Have you been on an Alaskan cruise before? I welcome any advice or suggestions!

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New Year’s Resolutions + My ‘Word’ for 2017

January 4, 2017January 9, 20191 Comment

There’s something so cleansing about the new beginning that accompanies each new year! I’ve never been big on making resolutions (mostly because I’m so bad at keeping them..!), but my prayer is that, at the end of 2017, I can come back to this list and be able to see obvious growth and progress from where I’m at now.

• 2017 •

Each night (or as often as I can), write down something that made me happy that day. CHECK!
If I could go back in time and thank past Laura for coming up with this idea, I would. Of all the yuck that 2017 brought, this journal is a tangible, continual reminder of all the good things that happened. Even tiny, seemingly unimportant things.

Take a week-long vacation with Daniel to celebrate and refresh our marriage. CHECK!
May 2017: Alaskan cruise during which we visited Seattle, Juneau, Skagway, Glacier Bay, Ketchikan, and Victoria

Permanently integrate healthier eating and exercise into my lifestyle. CHECK!
Doing Keto was honestly life-changing. I had no idea I could exercise that much self control for that long.

Cut down on screen time (TV, computer, phone) and spend more time reading and nurturing relationships.
I didn’t do as well with the screen time part as I could have, but I definitely read more books and spent time nurturing new friendships.

Intentionally learn something new (like hand lettering or a different language). CHECK!
1. How to have self control with food
2. How to lead a group of newly-married couples
3. How to trust the Lord in the lowest of valleys

Have at least one date night a month that’s NOT dinner and a movie. CHECK!
January: half-price wings at BWW, Starbucks, and flirting our way through Target
February: double date with Brandon & Ashley to Olive Garden and Moo-Yah
March: low-key couch date at home with popcorn and Megamind
April: Sherman date night, shopping for Daniel’s trip to NYC and DC
May: a week’s worth of amazing dates on our Alaskan vacation
June: sweet night binge-watching Big Bang Theory
July: murder mystery dinner party for Sheridan’s birthday
August: roadtripping to Lufkin and reading marriage books aloud
September: cuddle party / watching The Office
October: David Copperfield and Italian food in Vegas
November: group date with our foundation group in Sherman
December: Harry Potter marathon the week after Christmas

By the end of the year, consistently earn $1500 (or more) per month from MONAT.
I may not have earned this amount every month, but I did earn enough in bonuses in one month to pay for our Alaska anniversary photo shoot, including a plane ticket for our photographer, I more than doubled my number of team members, and I earned a free trip to Vegas with Daniel in October. I still consider that a win. ♥

View food as a gift to enjoy with wisdom, not as an indulgence I deserve. CHECK!
Again – Keto was life-changing. I’ll be forever thankful that God helped me do it successfully.

I decided to keep my list short and sweet, mostly because I already have another long-term list to work on (and you best believe I’m going to kill multiple birds with one stone!), but also because I know myself. Granted: I have been working on being kinder to myself and not holding onto my failure like an obnoxious self-deprecating security blanket. But just in case I get thrown a curve ball this year, having fewer things on my list means fewer things to feel guilty about if I don’t do them.

I’ve also picked out my word for the year, and it’s…

Hope. The anchor of souls, assurance despite repeated disappointment, and the companion of trust. “Hope” became my theme late last year, and I can’t think of a more appropriate word for 2017!

What is one of your goals for this year? I’d love to know!

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30 By 30 Update

November 4, 2016November 4, 20161 Comment

Hey y’all! I thought you guys might like a mini update on my 30 By 30 project. In case you missed my original post, let me catch up you up! First of all, I’m always more likely to do something if it’s attached to a list because I love crossing stuff off. Second, when it occurred to me that turning 26 meant I was steadily hurtling toward being 30, I freaked out a little bit and then cheered myself up by creating a list of fun things to do or work on during the next few years. Here’s what I’ve crossed off so far!

#6 – Read 10 new books. I’ve started several, but so far I’ve only finished Bossypants by Tina Fey. (And it was just as funny as I hoped it would be – like, laugh out loud funny!) Currently on my nightstand to finish?

Adulting: How to Become a Grown-up in 468 Easy(ish) Steps, by Kelly Williams Brown
Unlearned: Reclaiming the Daring Truth of Biblical Femininity, by Chelsea Mead
The Defining Decade: Why Your Twenties Matter–And How to Make the Most of Them Now, by Meg Jay
Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns), by Mindy Kaling
The Best Yes: Making Wise Decisions in the Midst of Endless Demands, by Lysa TerKeurst

#7 – Learn how to curl my hair. My cousin/soulmate Jennifer gave me curling wand for Christmas last year, and I’ve been learning! I’m no master, but I can f i n a l l y do more to my hair besides straighten it, scrunch it, and wrangle it into a ponytail, YAY. I need someone to give me girl lessons and teach me how to fix my hair for real.

#20 – Update my home decor. I was so happy to finally put something above our couch in the living room! I hated staring at a huge blank wall. And even though I still have more that I’d like to do, like buying some new rugs and tying my living room together with more of a theme, I’m perfectly happy crossing it off after finishing that first project.

#23 – Take a group vacation. We had a blast traveling to Jamaica with Daniel’s family last May, and we already have another trip with my side of the family on the calendar for next summer! We’ve also wanted to go on a cruise or something with a group of couples for a few years, and I really hope we’re able to make that happen.

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As for my plans for the rest of the list:

#2 – Take an Alaskan cruise. This is on both of our bucket lists, and since Daniel passed the CPA (*angelic chorus*) and our 5-year anniversary is next year (uhhh…??), we’re talking seriously about going on one to celebrate both! All fingers and toes are crossed.

#8 – Make a complicated recipe. I can’t pick between these three – homemade croissants, Triple-Chocolate Mousse Cakes, or Potato Rings with Buttermilk Ranch. Which one should I make?? Maybe I’m silly for thinking these recipes are complicated, but I’ve had two of them pinned for almost five years, so…

#28 – Really establish a cooking/cleaning routine. I’m convinced that I am the worst housewife in existence. I like having a clean house, but I suck when it comes to cleaning. And I like to cook sometimes, but most of the time I get caught up in thinking about how long it takes and how I’ll have to clean up afterward and I lose my momentum. I’ve tried multiple methods to stay on top of things and nothing has really stuck so far, but I’m open to suggestions!

*Bonus: Visit a new place every year. I saw a pin on Pinterest once that said this, and I LOVE it. I don’t think we’ve gone anywhere new yet this year, but we’ve still got a few months.

Happy Friday! :)

30 By 30

February 23, 2016June 21, 20176 Comments

Uh…….. I’m turning 26 in two days.

Let it be known, first of all, that I LOVE my birthday. I’ve loved every single one of my birthdays. I love my birthday so much that I kind of maybe irrationally expect everyone else to know when it’s my birthday, and if someone who knows me doesn’t wish me happy birthday, I’m disappointed that they forgot about my birthday.

That said. Turning 26 is weird.

Turning 25 felt exciting, like I became a new kind of grown-up. I felt important in a more sophisticated way. “Oh, me? Yeah…I’m 25.” (Cue the smug smile.) Turning 26 feels a little like waking up the day after you run a marathon: you’re proud of what you’ve accomplished, but also a little bit ready to just die already.

To cheer myself up, I’m taking a leaf out of a fellow blogger’s book! My friend Caitlin Boswell from Absolutely Bositively created a list of 30 things to do before she turns 30, and I’ve decided to do the same! I’m obsessed with list-making, and I like having stuff to look forward to.

30 By 30

1. Have babies.
This one makes me go “…….whaaaaaaaaa!??!?!!?!” a little bit, but it belongs on the list. :)

2. Take an Alaskan cruise.
Daniel and I have had this on our list for awhile! We loved the Caribbean cruise we took last April, but the next one we go on will have to include mountains, snow, and whales.

3. Pay for someone’s dinner anonymously.
Someone did this for us once and it was so neat! I want to make someone else feel the way I did.

4. Go on a big adventure.
I’d love for it to be some crazy awesome vacation, but I left this one vague for a reason because with Daniel as my best friend, who the heck KNOWS what shenanigans we’ll get into in the next 4 years.

5. Throw someone a surprise party.
I. LOVE. SURPRISES. SO. MUCH. And I love throwing parties, so this is pretty much a necessity.

6. Read 10 new books.
First on my list is a gift from Daniel: Bossypants by Tina Fey!!

7. Learn how to curl my hair.
I know…I know. :( I’m stylistically challenged, but my bestie got me a curling wand for Christmas, so I have no more excuses.

8. Make a complicated recipe.
You know what I’m talking about – the one you’ve had pinned for four years but never attempted because you’re daunted by the ingredients list alone? I’m gonna do it.

9. Complete the 52-Week Money Challenge.
Seems easy enough! And it’s enticing to think about getting to the end of a year having saved that much so simply. The hard part will be not dipping into it for spontaneous unnecessary purchases, like a dog sweater that Fitz would destroy before wearing it but it would look so cute OH MY GOSH.

10. Participate in a Color Run.
I hate running with my whole being, but this looks really fun.

11. Deliver meals to new parents.
Because allllllll my friends are having alllllllll the babies. And also because I love to give gifts that they’ll actually appreciate and use!

12. Turn MONAT into an actual job.
This is a biggie, and I kind of scared myself by putting it on here. But this is something I really want.

13. Host a backyard dinner party.
I’ve wanted to do this for years, and now we F I N A L L Y have an awesome backyard to do it in! Come on, summer!

14. Plan a “stay-cation.”
How delicious does it sound to take an entire day off from work, dress up your bedroom like it’s an upscale hotel room, and do nothing but watch movies and EAT? Ahhhhh.

15. Take Fitz on a trip.
I’m not 100% sure that including this one wasn’t a huge mistake, considering he never stops moving right now and is a hyper terror on walks…but after all, he is still a puppy. He’ll grow up eventually and I would love to travel somewhere fun with him as a sidekick!

16. Create a new annual family tradition.
Any suggestions?? What’s one of yours?

17. Make a map of places we’ve visited.
I really like this one, this one, and this one. Can’t wait to make one and put it on the wall!

18. Take anniversary pictures with Daniel.
I told myself “Oh yeah, we’ll take pictures every year after we get married!” and that definitely hasn’t happened. Time to be a woman of my word.

19. Spend a long weekend tucked away in a cabin.
Nothing is for sure yet, but we *might* be able to check this one off in a couple weeks! Eek!

20. Update my home decor.
Since we got married, my decorating style has been a weird combination of re-purposed wedding decor, homemade gifts we’ve been given, and odds and ends I’ve bought on clearance from random stores. I’m ready for everything to go together so I feel happy and comfortable when I walk in a room.

21. Make our backyard fun.
I am bursting with ideas, and first on my list is globe lights!

22. Grow the blog.
To be completely honest, I’m not really sure what I mean by “grow” yet. Maybe it’s monetizing, or extending my reach, or writing content that goes viral. Or maybe it’s none of those, and it’s simply learning to create without apologizing for it. We’ll see!

23. Take a group vacation.
When Daniel and I took our Caribbean cruise, we kept thinking the whole time how fun it would be to go back with some of our friends. Fingers crossed that this one happens soon!

24. Give away a few blessing bags.
I discovered these via Pinterest and they are SUCH a neat idea. I hate driving by homeless people with nothing to give them. My goal is to make a couple and always keep one or two in my car.

How To Host A Favorite Things Party! | Twin Cities Moms Blog

25. Have a “Favorite Things” party.
This sounds like so much fun! I think the most complicated part will be deciding what my “favorite things” are – I have wayyyy too many favorites.

26. Visit 5 new states.
It’s really sad how few I’ve visited. The west coast is completed untouched, so this one will be really easy. Especially if we make that Alaskan cruise happen!

27. Go on a fancy dress-up date.
There’s something about a dress that really fits, scarlet red lips, and a good pair of heels that makes a girl feel sassy. We went on one in Dallas about a year and a half ago as part of a marriage retreat weekend. We were the most dressed up we’ve ever been (besides wedding clothes, duh), and we STILL didn’t feel quite fancy enough to be there. We had a blast!

28. Really establish a cooking/cleaning routine.
I’m convinced I’m the worst wanna-be housewife in the entire world. I really really want to be good at things like cooking and cleaning and scheduling, and SOMEtimes…I am! I do like to cook, and I love organization. But somehow I just haven’t mastered the art of housewife-ing. And I want to. So bad. My poor husband.

29. Publish my book.
O M G.
Those three words together are terrifying. But it’s honestly long overdue. I need to quit kicking the idea around and actually do it.

30. Take a road trip.
I love the idea of having an ultimate destination in mind but just hopping in the car and driving without too much of a plan, stopping whenever we want, and finding funny little things to take pictures of along the way!

What do you think of my list?? Any suggestions?

To find out how I’m doing at crossing things off, visit my 30 By 30 page.

PART III // Ketchikan, Victoria, & Seattle

Ketchikan: –Breakfast at Sweet Mermaids –Creek Street

VICTORIA: –Empress Hotel –British Columbia Parliament Building

SEATTLE, Take 2: –Pike Place Market –Kerry Park / Gas Works Park –Elliot Bay for lunch

PART II // JUNEAU, SKAGWAY, & GLACIER BAY

JUNEAU: –took anniversary pictures at a glacial lake –went on an ice caves excursion –ate the best seafood I’ve ever had

SKAGWAY: –rode the White Pass Scenic Railway –EXPLORED the idyllic downtown area –LUNCH at skagway brewing company

GLACIER BAY: –perfect sightseeing spot on the boat –Margerie Glacier and Lamplugh Glacier –roughly one billion sea otters

Part I // Seattle & Exploring the Ship

WHO DID IT BETTER?

…..ALASKA!!

• 2017 •

30 By 30

Ketchikan:
–Breakfast at Sweet Mermaids
–Creek Street

VICTORIA:
–Empress Hotel
–British Columbia Parliament Building

SEATTLE, Take 2:
–Pike Place Market
–Kerry Park / Gas Works Park
–Elliot Bay for lunch

JUNEAU:
–took anniversary pictures at a glacial lake
–went on an ice caves excursion
–ate the best seafood I’ve ever had

SKAGWAY:
–rode the White Pass Scenic Railway
–EXPLORED the idyllic downtown area
–LUNCH at skagway brewing company

GLACIER BAY:
–perfect sightseeing spot on the boat
–Margerie Glacier and Lamplugh Glacier
–roughly one billion sea otters