2011 Review

Of all the years of my life, each one seems to get progressively better. 2011 was an amazing year. I have so many wonderful people in my life, as shown by the tremendous support I've received for my wedding, my blog, and all of life's other activities. I cannot wait to see what 2012 will bring. Here are my top 11 memories of 2011 (in no particular order).

1. Our 2-week fall road trip through Colorado in October. Seeing the beautiful colors that covered the state instilled a sense of awe at Mother Nature and renewed (like it was ever gone) my love for the mountains and fall colors. I got to see Aspen and hike the Maroon Bells, go to Crested Butte for the first time and stay in my first hostel, and visit Palisade and the Colorado National Monument.

2. Experiencing the births of many of our friends' first children. It has been amazing to watch (from afar) the little ones grow and learn.

3. Camping trips with two great groups of people, my coworkers and our annual camping trip friends, and getting to tour Tonto Natural Bridge and enjoy all of Payson's natural beauty, namely tall trees and the Rim.

4. Getting 8 ski days in last winter, with the best snow Colorado had seen for years. I skied Winter Park, Copper, and Steamboat with family and friends.

5. Running in the City Search Challenge in Phoenix, a sort of "Amazing Race" for the locals. It was more work than I anticipated, but a memorable and fun experience. 

6. Getting to go to Chicago not once, but twice, for 2 conferences for work. Common Core left some things to be desired, but NCTE (National Council for Teachers of English) was well worth my time.

7. On that note, getting ENGAGED in Chicago on June 26/27 and feeling more loved than ever before while enjoying each minute of our engagement thus far.

8. Christmas with both families, 3 in 24 hours to be exact, and making it work out so that we could be with everyone and see their faces while they opened all the gifts. 

9. Wedding planning, when it was not too stressful, meeting our photographer and planner and getting excited about the final product (our wedding) with everyone's creative input.

10. Sedona, AZ engagement photo session, from climbing in the freezing cold Oak Creek to get that "perfect shot" to changing outside the Chapel on the Rock to get pictures in my favorite outfit before the sun set altogether.

11. Going to Tucson for Kyle's birthday in January and touring the Mission San Xavier, Colossal Cave, and horseback riding through the desert.

Of course, there were many more memorable nights with friends and family, too many to count, and I have realized how lucky we really are to have the life we have. Aside from the events mentioned, successfully reaching over 5000 views on my blog has made me feel even more blessed and has been more rewarding than I ever imagined. Continue on! See you in 2012.

Maroon Bells October 2011

Kyle lounging with Maroon Bells

Fall Color!

My first family bar outing (the youngest is finally 21) in Denver October 2011

"The Bean"- Chicago, IL

City Search Challenge Starting Line

Christmas #3 in Minnesota

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

To wear or not to wear, the ring that is...

Dear Amateur Bride:

I was recently proposed to with a gorgeous (and expensive) engagement ring. When should I be wearing this ring now, and when it is ok to remove it?

Sincerely,

Worried klutzy bride

Dear Worried klutzy bride:

Well, first of all, is your ring insured? You should try to do that as soon as possible, especially since there is a chance your ring might be worth more than your car. Imagine the devastation of losing it down the drain in a public restroom because you rested it on the counter while washing your hands. For starters, I’d try to keep it on your finger in all public restrooms for that reason. Hopefully the ring is a perfect fit and won’t slide off with the soap.

Now, besides being careful of leaving it or dropping it in a public venue, such as a park, beach, crowded bar, or parking lot, there are a couple of other hazards to taking off your ring. You leave yourself vulnerable to the sketchy old man at the grocery store hitting on you in the melon section again without that ring on (it may not stop that man, but it should hopefully deter some of his type). Another hazard is getting interrogated by your fiancé as to why you took it off. To combat, wear the ring as often as possible when in public where men are abundant. The health club, any bar in Scottsdale, and Best Buy are some examples.

On the other hand, there are definitely times when you’ll benefit by taking off the ring. By benefit, I mean save yourself some bizarre scratches and bruises. For one, although wearing it while sleeping seems romantic, if you sleep anything like I do you will find some scratches in the morning. Another dangerous situation would be WHILE doing some types of workouts. Zumba, for one, involves rapid arm and hand movements. Until you are used to having that ring on your hand, watch out for surprising catches. Another time I’ve had an issue with wearing the ring is while doing my hair, because my hair gets caught in it when I run my fingers through. This includes showering. The final situation where taking off your ring is beneficial is when eating extremely messy finger foods. Tacos, chicken salad sandwiches, ribs, S’mores, all foods that will get caught in your ring. 

What it really comes down to is where you’re comfortable NOT wearing the ring or uncomfortable WEARING the ring. In the heat of AZ, it could get stuck on your finger at times. While camping, if you tie it to the drawstring in your shorts, make sure you remember it is there (you know, while eating S’mores). Just a smattering of examples of situations to consider. To safe adornments!

Sincerely,

Amateur Bride