south bound

Less than 24 hours from now we will be on the road and headed to Hilton Head, SC for a week of riding bikes, walking to the beach and sleeping in. The simple things in life get me excited really. I think I will take a break from technology to soak in the sunshine and hang out. Of course, checking updates on my phone from time to time doesn't count, right?

See you on the other side!

in honor of my hubby...Happy 27th B-day Ryan!

all I can say after spending 9 days straight with this guy is that I like him more than ever. He is probably going to be a little embarrassed about the pic but I just couldn't resist.

I could make the most sincere list of the top 27 things I love most about him on his 27th birthday but the things about the past year that shine through are his ever increasing passion for God & the way that he loves me. That's it, 2 things, but to me they make me so thankful to celebrate another year with him and look forward to what being 27 brings.

Lake Geneva, WI part 2, the adventures

Amazing how a week of vacation can enough space for relaxation and exploring new places. I loved the town of Lake Geneva and we drove in a couple of times to just walk around and soak up the historic beach town. Here we are goofing around one night on the pier:

One of the highlights of our day trip into Milwaukee was Lakefront Brewery which some friends had highly recommended and it did not let us down. It was so laid back and fun that the hour tour flew by with a hilarious guide who is one of the original founders of the place. If you ever have a chance, for $6 you get multiple beer tastings and an awesome pint glass as a souvenir. It stood out as a favorite of everyone in the group as we sat on our last night and discussed the highlights of the week


We also took the chance to visit the "CHEESE MART", part of this little German district with a cheese store that ships internationally and has cheeses I have never even heard of. My poor family, a few of them asked me if I was going to buy a hat...am I that embarrassing?!

We tried to stretch our last 24 hours by waking up on Friday & kayaking down a river, just the 2 of us, which was a must-do on Ryan's short list. And I happily obliged, so relaxing and fun to just paddle side-by-side. Or more like Ryan was usually way ahead of me and I was dodging bushes and trees but I got the hang of it. For our last night we dressed up for dinner at a beautiful little Bistro on the top floor of an old manor with yummy appetizers like baked brie, bruschetta, and spinach dip followed by deep dishes of pasta and later the last pieces of the Lake Geneva Pie Company strawberry/rhubarb & apple pies ala mode. perfection.

Lake Geneva Wisconsin, part 1...the retreat

A big part of what made vacation so relaxing was just that, relaxing. We completely took on the life of vacationers from the moment we arrived and started the first day out by breaking in the porch and exploring the place. this picture totally captures the week:


I was surprised to find out that the Grand Geneva Resort that we were staying at was not actually on the lake itself but 2 miles away, in its own little haven with a golf course and rolling hills and pools with umbrella drinks and an awesome fitness center in which I partook daily in spin, yoga, or pilates to my hearts delight.

The week quickly found a rhythm of days of waking up, choosing a pool, going into town for a few hours or just reading on the deck. It was so new yet natural at the same time to have my hubby be able to completely relax without the responsibilities of a company waiting in his inbox. He amazes me with his ability to disconnect and I tried to emulate that as often as possible. This was his perch for many of the afternoons of the week:


My favorite part of each day was the nightly dinners that we all enjoyed together. We were allowed to do whatever we wanted during the day but each night, a different couple was in charge of dinner. It was really good to have that time, to get to know Evon's kids better since we haven't spent any time with some of them since meeting them 2 years ago and get to know the ones we do know better. The menus for our dinners were awesome including grilled pizzas, stuffed shells, enchiladas, grilled roast & potatoes. And there was no shortage of Leinenkugel's sunset wheat and 2 buck chuck to accompany the feasts.
the girls in the kitchen

open air cafe ala family cafe

awww...

Stacey, Kara & baby Iris (8 weeks old)


part 2 of our adventures tomorrow...I have to go deliver the thank you that Toby made for the neighbors for taking such good care of him while we were gone:

back to blogging

I am allowing myself until tomorrow morning to end my vacation, regardless of the fact that we got home last night. I decided that it goes on and until Monday morning I am allowed to do whatever I want. So there.

I so completely disconnected that I am having a hard time plugging back into reality, so I am trying to do it with caution, knowing that that complete disconnect was so healthy and much needed. I was starting to think that the internal calendar always running through my mind and chaos and sayings like "blessed and stressed" were good mantras to carry around. I needed to step away from blogging and facebooking and phone calls and schedules only to realize that the cadence of my life is mine to determine.

So for a week, it was nothing but days that flowed freely into one another, full of adventure and laziness and laughter and GOOD FOOD. lots of that. I will share more about it this week but wanted to share a few pics of the pit stop we made on the way to Lake Geneva. I saw a sign for the Jelly Belly factory & Erich, Al & Ryan were kind enough to humor me and follow it. We were all pleasantly surprised to find sugar heaven, with every flavor of Jelly Belly and candy you could think of. Almost like Willy Wonka goes Jelly Belly. Here are a few pics before we drifted into sugar induced comas:

the wonder of a week

not just writing about vacationing, getting ready to do it. And anticipating with high expectations the wonder of a week. A whole week away from computers and noise and my own structured and planny everyday self. A whole week with Ryan where he has no client situations to solve and sleep to lose. The thought of a week without his blackberry which graduated into an Iphone mystifies me and I can't wait. I have to give him so much credit though becaue even in those times, he always gave me his time and attention when we went away together.

looking forward to renting bikes and lots of long walks on trails, the simple life. the wonder of a week is about to begin. Now if only my laundry would do itself and my house clean itself tonight. goodbye computer until August, goodbye.

he is a darling

and I quote, the words from my husband's mouth about our dog as the three of us lay side by side on the bed. and while I type, he is checking the weather for next week's vacation. what a little trio we are. days are full this week but knowing I will be sitting poolside and taking daily walks on wooded trails validate the chaos of the next few days.

Wanted to share a few of the Florida pics in honor of the wonderful 3 days marking our 2009 reunion! I had such a great time spending with them, whether it be on Kel's couch discussing everything from the past year to the latest Jon & Kate updates...these are my girls. There is just something about being known. these are my friends. aren't they gorgeous?! And the best part is that they are beautiful inside and out.

Here are our host and hostess, Kelli & Jared whose invited us into their beautiful home for the weekend. I am so proud of Kel for the wife she is to Jared & not to mention her intense cooking and baking abilities. I have never seen a baker's rack so full of cookbooks in my life!

my dear city dwelling friend Emily who assured my sweaty palms during turbulence among other blessings

And then there is our little momma, Bethany, the first of the group to venture into the next chapter, motherhood. Thanks for paving the way B! You are going to be an awesome mom!



love you girlies and am feeling more refreshed than I have in months. God was so good to me, knowing the first week of June would be a perfect time for me to have a deep breath of fresh air. One other thing that was a really big blessing to me on the trip was that my early riser tendencies created a sacred window each morning for me to be in the word, studying Esther which is affirming my heart in personal and deep ways.

bursting at the seams

life just continues to feel like it is exploding with fullness. and 2 days post vacation it makes me ever the more glad for that time away. to breathe deep and laugh, sleep in (which for me is quite a celebration), enjoy easy conversation and not needing conversation at all.

I feel like I haven't had a minute since today began to just be. gearing up for tomorrow's garage sale, Beth Moore study tonight and staying late because I just love those women so much already, looking forward to stealing some time over dinner tomorrow night with friends who are back in town for a few days before leaving for the summer, the list goes on.

And then there is my cute husband who is so endearing and has his own fullness of life going on as he finishes out his last full week of work before moving into 2-3 days a week, and then down to being finished as of July 1st. How am I supposed to find time to process that transition and hear about his process, and find a part time job? Deep breath. Let's just remember the vacation that we just got home from. and choose joy in each of these days. for these are the days.

a few lyrics from Jamie Cullum's "These are the Days" ala 2004. if life had a soundtrack this would be playing right now:

These are the days that I've been missing
Give me the taste give me the joy of summer wine
These are the days that bring new meaning
I feel the stillness of the sun and I feel fine



the weekend began on a great foot..running along the bay in the Bayshore 10k...then off to a full day of the Leelanau Penninsula, sunshine, good tunes and relaxation. Cheers to good friends and an awesome trip!

today we leave for Traverse City with them:

to complete this 10K:

and spend 2 days exploring and visiting wineries including 2 of my favorites:


Leelanau Cellars: for their clean and big tasting room & excellent customer service, plus they have flavors that Ryan and I can happily agree on


and the creme de la creme...MAWBY's! where everything has a little bubble to it. We heard of Mawby's through Ryan's uncle Bob and had to find it for ourselves as part of last year's adventure in Northern Michigan. Looking forward to 3 glorious days of sunshine with our friends and each other!

just when I thought I wouldn't be vacationing

Remember my stay-cation post a few days ago? Well it wasn't more than 24 hours after typing that when I recieved an email from one of my TU girls about our annual reunion! Our first year out of college, we went to Bethany and Peter's condo when they lived in Muncie. The next year, we invaded Emily's city life in Chicago. Year 3 it was my house! And officially, 4 years post graduation we are Florida bound to soak up a LONG weekend of sunshine, conversation, good food I am sure and just time with the girls. Can't wait!!

st-ay-ca-tion: noun. the act of vacationing in one's hometown

On a visit to the bank Tuesday afternoon, the teller I usually work with (Darlene-she does have an identity more than my teller) said something that made me smile. Being that it is Spring Break and half of my office is somewhere sunny & warm, we were talking about vacation. And Darlene asked me if I had any trips planned this year and I couldn't think of anything at all. She said she was surprised because in the first year she met me (2008) it seemed like I was always going somewhere. And then I remembered, we are going to Wisconsin this summer! We laughed at the enthusiasm I said it with I think, at least that is why I was laughing.

It got me to thinking about how this year in fact will have a lot more "stay-cationing" taking place than any other year. A day here, a long weekend there, but nothing that includes getting on a plane, what I consider an sign of true vacation. As I think back, it may very different from the almost 4 first years of our marriage. To put it into perspective, these are the places we have lugged our suitcase since tying the knot:

2005
Pigeon Forge, TN (together) Honeymoon!
Biloxi, MS (Ryan) Hurricane Katrina relief trip
2006
St. Joseph, MI (together) 1st annual wine tour
Traverse City, MI (together) 1st anniversary weekend up north
2007
Kenya (Ryan) 3 week mission trip
Orlando (Rebekah) long weekend with Emily
St. Joseph, MI (together) 2nd annual wine tour
Boston, MA (together) 2 year anniversary
Biloxi, MS (Rebekah) youth group service trip
2008
India (Rebekah) 2 week business outreach mission trip
Arizona (together) Spring Break long weekend with Em
Union Pier, MI (together) 3rd annual wine tour with Justin & Jamie
Traverse City, MI (together) celebrating 3 years
Jacksonville, FL (Rebekah) youth group service trip

Makes me happy just thinking about it. Being as that I don't have anything on the calendar for 2009, let me live vicariously through you-- any travels near or far for 2009?! I can take it! My joy for you outweighs the green eyed monster that lurks so travel away!

Think Spring

This morning I saw one of those flashing signs that they have at banks displaying the time & temperature and it read the following:
THINK SPRING...19 degrees.
Does anyone else think that is funny?! That doesn't sound too springy to me. But I will tell you what does:

-Training for Riverbank Run; I have done the 5k multiple times since I was 15 and this is my first attempt at the big guy. This is the biggest race in the area for West Michiganders so you are guaranteed a training partner or 2.
-changing a few decorations around the house (including this little bowl in my picture with the new eggs) which is always my internal indicator that I am ready for a new season
-friends fake & baking for Spring Break, I haven't given in yet out but not because of my conviction, more because of cost. Interesting emotions on the vacation front for me this year because I am self-defined vacationaholic. Meaning that I LOVE to think about, talk about, research, plan, go on, take pictures of and reminisce about vacations. In fact, this time last year Ryan and I were here with Emily!
However, I am really loving all of the mini weekend getaways coming up. This weekend we are headed to Chicago for Mandii's baby shower & some QT with Dennis & Em.
Next weekend it is up north with our great friends Justin & Jamie from church to the CABIN. Ah. the Cabin. Think Northern Michigan, the woods, windows lining the side of the house facing the lake, pancake breakfasts, euchre. What could be better.

So even if 19 degrees is what I get today, I'm thinking Spring.