England Memoirs

Baby Lohse

2012-02-05T12:25:00.000-08:00

Great News I am Pregnant and due July 9, 2012! Morgan and I are so excited and cant wait to find out if we are having a girl or a boy. We are just so excited to have a little one all our own to love and adore. And I am so excited to have a little one to cuddle with all the time haha. We recently moved to Vegas- which is why I am so late in getting this news out but we found out in November and have had so much fun telling all our friends and families. When we told my Mom Mary and Morgan's Mom Phyllis we got tons of screams out of both of them- which made having to tell them the phone so much more fun. Morgan's Dad Bruce was also so excited but didnt scream as much as the ladies haha. When we told Morgan's Neice Gabby she got this silly impatient look on her face and said "babies take like 2 years to get here" which definelty made us all laugh.

When we found out the due date I was so excited my dads Birthday was July 28th and so it is perfect that we will have a baby during his birth month. It is so neat to see the way God planned that out perfectly- since my dad is no longer with us- it will be the perfect way to honor and remember him.

Gods timing as always is perfect and we are over the moon about our new little love on the way. Here are just a few pictures we took a few months ago I was about 7 weeks pregnant at the time and the ultrasound was from 9 weeks. I promise I will take more soon.

St Louis Trip (again YAY)

2011-11-04T04:51:00.000-07:00

Morgan and I got to go to St Louis again in August- Morgan had a work trip there and of course I had to join him. YAY we had such a great time hanging out with Anne, Derek, Gabby, Emmy and of course MOLLY! We hung out, shopped, and went to apple picking it was so fun! Here are some FUN pictures from our time together...

6 Years!!!

2011-10-01T12:11:00.000-07:00

Morgan and I recently celebrated our 6 Year anniversary!!! I love being married to Morgan I am truly the luckiest girl on earth!!! Here are just a few pictures from our anniversary

DC- Labor Day Weekend

2011-09-27T14:05:00.000-07:00

Over Labor Day weekend we went to DC to visit our good friends Kurt and Tabitha. It was such a great weekend- we had such a blast catching up with them- and seeing DC. While in DC we went to Georgetown and had some of the super yummy, famous Georgetown Cupcakes. They were phenomenal- my favorite ones were the Chocolate-Coconut- umm makes my mouth water just thinking of them. Here are a few pictures of our fun time together...

Meeting Molly

2011-09-12T20:34:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I flew to St. Louis to meet our newest Neice Molly- and it was so much fun. I loved getting to see Emmy and Gabby being big sisters. Molly is such a sweet girl- and she is very loved. I cant wait to see what kind of personality she will have when she gets bigger. We took some family photos while I was there and my sister in laws mom Nancy took a few quick pictures of me with the girls. They are hilarous and of course we didnt get a perfect picture of all 4 of us- but that makes it even better.

Here's Gabby doing my hair- and Anne coming to save Molly from the madness
Here's a great one of gabby, molly and me- with a sliver of Emmy in the shot- so fun

Here's the best one that we got- not bad- haha I just love these guys!

Our Newest Neice

2011-08-17T11:57:00.000-07:00

Derek and Anne had their 3 little girl this past week.
Molly Elizabeth

was born on August 8th, 2011

Kristi Visits

2011-08-16T11:49:00.000-07:00

last weekend Kristi came all the way over to NC from Cali- to visit Jill and Justin and Me and Morgan. We had such a great time with her- it was awesome getting to hang out with her so much.

Emily, Julie and Alyssa's Baby Shower

2011-08-15T11:28:00.000-07:00

I have done a ton of blog updates today so make sure to scroll down to see more posts that I have updated.

Last week we had a great time showering Emily, Alyssa and Julie on the upcoming additions to their families. We decided to go with a fun Hot Mama's Theme- and we had a great time honoring these amazing women.

Kentucky Mission Trip

2011-08-15T11:20:00.000-07:00

At the end of July Morgan and I went with our church to Lynch, Kentucky on an amazing Mission Trip. Morgan spent the week doing amazing work on homes their roofing, flooring etc. I spent the week loving on amazing kids in the community there. It was an amazing trip for both Morgan and I. I cant put into words the things that God taught us during our time there. It was an amazing life changing trip overall. I will never forget the people that we meet in Kentucky.

Mom Visits North Carolina and Dad's 60th Bday

2011-08-15T11:01:00.000-07:00

It was so great having my mom visit us in North Carolina. She came for a whole week and it was so great getting to spend so much time with us. We headed to Asheville to visit the Biltmore which was awesome. The weather was perfect- and we had a great time getting to spend so much time hanging out. She went to Bible study with me and got to just hang out with me doing my normal stuff- hanging out with friends etc.
While she was here we also celebrated what would have been my dad's 60th Bday- it was a sad time for me and my mom- but I was so happy to get to spend it with her. We had a little bday party for him, including red velvet cupcakes his favorite. We decorated with a ton of fun pictures and talked about all the happy memories of him. That night we went to see the Last Harry Potter Movie- which I know he would have loved to see with us. It was a nice tribute to him. There's not a day that goes by that we dont miss him terribly.

Backpacking Trip

2011-08-15T10:52:00.000-07:00

Over 4th of July weekend Morgan and I decided to rough it out in the wilderness and hike a portion of the Appalachian Trail. It was awesome and the hardest thing I have ever don't all at the same time. It was awesome getting to do this with Morgan- we learned a ton and it was fabulous getting to do something new. Here is a few pictures we took when we were about 20 minutes from being done- we were so ready to get to the car hahaha.

May- June Recap

2011-08-15T07:54:00.000-07:00

I have been seriously lacking on my blogging lately so I will be doing a little recap of the last few months- I will just hit the highlights of our super fun summer so far...
In may I spent a week visiting my mom in Florida- we had a great time celebrating her bday, shopping, going to the beach, and of course eating at all of my favorite Pensacola spots.

In May while Morgan headed to Vegas for a work trip I headed to Houston to spend the weekend with Elizabeth and Matt- of course we had such an amazing time. I loved getting to see their house and their church. Matt even lead worship the Sunday I was there which was so awesome. I just love them both so so much!

For Memorial day Morgan and I took a super fun trip to St. Augustine Florida. We stopped by Savannah on our way there and stopped by Hilton Head on our way back. All three of those places were amazing and I would love to spend more time in any one of those places.

In June our friends Ric and Mhari came to visit so we had a great time hanging out with them. We also did a little shower/ sip n see for Mhari on the newest addition of their family Aly. It was so much fun.

Air Show- Great Visit with Family

2011-05-03T12:29:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago we had some great family come out for our base's air show. Morgan's Parents Bruce and Phyllis came out and later that night his older sister Kristin and her hubby Don came out to see our little world here in North Carolina. We had a great time hanging out and seeing some fun North Carolina sights. Our first big adventure was the air show- and we had a great time- it was awesome seeing Morgan talking so passionately about his jet- and all the other air craft at the show. We had such a great time- and couldnt have asked for a better day. We also got to see some great friends at the air show- our buddy Dave was even out at the air show- in from where he is stationed in Pensacola. We got to sit with the Watson's and walked around with our great friend April whose Hubby was in the air show. We also took some great day trips- we went to New Bern, Wilmington and to Ashville to see the Biltmore which was amazing. Here are some pictures from our visit together. We loved having our family here and just getting to show them our little side of the world here in North Carolina.

Watercolor March 2011 Trip

2011-04-25T05:23:00.000-07:00

This post is way overdue- Morgan and I got to spend a week in watercolor last month with Anne and Derek and their precious little ones Emmy and Gabby. We had a great time relaxing and catching up- it was perfect. We even tried out Paddleboarding- which was a blast. Here are a few of my favs from our time together. Man I am so blessed to have family this great!!!

Crud Tournament 2011

2011-04-04T11:34:00.000-07:00

We had a blast at this years crud tournament it was awesome- we didnt do that well this year- but we still had a great time. When you have friends like these you know you will always have fun. Here are just a few pictures from our fun night at the tournament.

Here's the best action shot I got the rest are just fun posed pictures- haha-

Mad Photo Skills

2011-02-07T15:36:00.000-08:00

back this summer my fabulous sister in law anne- took a few pictures of morgan and i for our christmas card this year. As most of you saw- we used one of them for our card this year- but i totally forgot to put some on here- so here you go just a few of my favs from our fun session together- thanks anne!

Christmas in Oregon

2011-01-04T07:58:00.000-08:00

Wow we had such an amazing time in Oregon for Christmas this year. We flew out on December 19th and left on the 28th so it was 10 fun filled days of spending great time with our family. My mom came out to spend time christmas with us- and it was so fun to show her where Morgan grew up. Morgans family is great and totally treats my mom like she is just part of the clan. I think we had 17 people there for Christmas it was just so fun. We really loved spending time with our cute neices and nephews- i just love them all.

The Whole Clan on Christmas Eve Eve-
All of us Girls in our fun Christmas Pj's

Brandon, Morgan, Kristin and Bruce went Skiing up at Mt Hood one day- we joined (just to watch)

One of the top things on my list for Presents this year was a greys anatomy t-shirt- Kristin hooked me up with not just one t-shirt but two- She addressed the present to Tara- from McDreamy and McSteamy- I loved it.

My mom, Morgan and I before Christmas Eve Service

Me, Emmy and Gabby dressed up for Christmas Eve Service-

Gabby in these fun hats I made for all the girls

Madilyn in a hat my mom got her for Christmas- did I mention she is just a gorgeous baby.

Morgan Cuddiling with Madilyn- she is such a cutie

My mom got us matching sweaters- for Christmas- the funny thing is she got me this same shirt last year- so my sister in law Sara now owns one too-

These are some outfits my mom and I got each other for Chirstmas- I love this Red Tunic- is so cute- the picture really doesnt do it justice.

Christmas Decorations

2010-12-17T13:33:00.000-08:00

I had such a blast decorating for Christmas this year. We are spending Christmas in Oregon this year (I cant wait) so we just put up our smaller artificial tree. For the past few years I have been looking for some garland- I bought some silver garland for last year- but still wasnt totally in love with it- this year I saw this great idea in a magazine to use ribbon tied onto yarn to make garland- and I love it- it is kinda crafty chic- excatly what i wanted. I also found some fun candle sticks (that are now on our mantle) they were a really bad gold color- but I liked the shape of them so I spray painted them this fabulous red. I couldnt be happier with my $3 find. This is are Christmas tags for 2010- every year I try my best to come up with a fun tag for all of our Christmas presents- I love the ones for this year- by far my favorite ever.

I hope you guys all have a marvelous christmas- i am so excited to spend it with my favorite people. Merry Christmas to all...

I love my mom

2010-12-14T11:46:00.000-08:00

This past week my mom was able to come for a few days for a super short trip- it was so fun- I will get to see her again in Oregon in less than a week- but it was awesome to get to see her.

I am so thankful for my mom she is amazing- cant wait to see you soon MOM I LOVE YOU!

Thanksgiving in St Louis

2010-12-06T07:25:00.000-08:00

We had such an amazing thanksgiving with Anne and Derek and company in St. Louis. The food was amazing- the decorations were beautiful and it even started snowing just a few minutes before we set down to eat. It was perfect. Here are just a few of my favorite pictures from our fun few days with them....

Visiting Nana

2010-12-03T16:53:00.000-08:00

After leaving Nashville we drove up to Chicago to see my Nana and Uncle Jack- it was so great to see them both- I miss them a ton.

Titans Flyover

2010-12-02T16:32:00.000-08:00

Right before thanksgiving we got to go to a super fun Tennessee Titans game- it was a great weekend away- and it was super fun to see Nashville. It was military appreciation day at the game which was super fun too- it was an awesome game and we had a great time.

Elizabeth and Matt come visit

2010-10-25T18:14:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago my very best friend Elizabeth and her hubby husband came to visit Morgan and I- and it was amazing. Excatly what this girl needed. We spent the weekend catching up, laughing, playing cards, and of course eating. We also spent a great day checking out wilmington- which was so fun- we walked around the historic downtown, went out to the beach and ate some carmel apples- yum. We also carved pumpkins while they were here which was a first for Matt- and I think he did a great job. I miss getting to spend so much great quality time with elizabeth- but God always blesses us with great time when we get it. While the military still has control on where we live and when- I will just have to be thankful for this time- and our weekly talks on the phone- but I hope one day we can live close to them again. I havent laughed so much in such a long time- it was great to just feel so comfortable- Elizabeth and Matt are family to me- and I love them a ton. Here are just a few fun pictures of our time together.

My 28th Bday

2010-10-08T11:12:00.000-07:00

I had such a great Bday this year. My mom spent my Bday with me which we havent been able to do in soo many years. She came out to visit us which was so much fun- we had a great time shopping going out to lunch, and just sitting around talking. It was excatly what I needed. I miss my mom so much sometimes (living so far away from her) so it was great to have so much time together. On my bday my mom and I went out to the movies during the day, then Morgan suprised me with a super fun cake!!! that night after Morgan got off work we went out to dinner- after I opened all of my fun presents. Here are a few pictures of the fun time we had with my mom during

her visit. I was super sad to see her go on Sunday- but I know it wont be long until we see her again soon.

Michigan Game

2010-10-05T14:45:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago Morgan went on a little weekend getaway to Ann Arbor Michigan. It was a blast- Morgan graduated from Uof M so it was so fun to visit his School again. The game was a blast and we had a great time catching up with Morgans great roomates from college. We havent seen most of them since our wedding so it was a blast catching up with them. The stadium at Michigan is the biggest College stadium and I have never seen so many people in my whole life. They had over 110,000 in attendance at the game!!! It was super cool to experience some Michigan football. I have never seen so much Gold and Blue ever- everyone was wearing UM colors. As you can see in one of the picture below the whole student section wears Gold. I would love to go back anytime. Instead of going to a hotel for the night we decided to drive 3 hours to see our good friends Ric and Mhari who recently moved to Ohio- and it was almost getting to catch up with them. We drived straight back to the airport from their house- and we crashed the whole next day. One thing that has definetly changed since college for us- pulling all nighters are not nearly as easy as they used to be. I have no idea how I would stay up all night in college hanging out with roomates and then go to class all day the next day without falling asleep.

Myrtle Beach

2010-09-17T14:31:00.000-07:00

Last week we got to go on a great vacation to Myrtle Beach. It was so amazing and super relaxing. We went with our good friends Ryan and Emily and their adorable boys. We spent the week swimming in the ocean, swimming in the pool, and playing card games. The Condo that we stayed at was perfect- it had everything we needed- an amazing view, super close to the beach and tons of pools. They also had a lazy river pool- which i spent a ton of time in- i spend one afternoon cruizing around the lazy river while reading- it was heaven. We had a great time spending time with Ryan and Emily- and we all decided we should do this again next year. Enjoy some pictures of our fun times...

5 Year Anniversary!!!

2010-09-15T13:31:00.000-07:00

I cant believe that Morgan and I have been married for FIVE years. Man how times flies- it has been the most amazing 5 years- and I cant wait for many more years being married to the man of my dreams.

On our Anniversary we left for a little Vacation in Mrytle Beach- more on that later. SO on the night before we went out to dinner at the best resturaunt I have ever eaten at. It is called Chef and Farmer- and it is about 30 minutes away from us. It is a progressive dinner and it was so delicious. It was a super romantic night- and Morgan and I spent the night talking about some of our favorite memories since we have been married.As usual we do our number picture- and this year I decided to post the past five years worth of anniversary pictures on here.

As you can see for our Second Anniversary we were apart since Morgan was deployed so he spent the day working and had some Mongolian BBQ in the Chow hall- I spent the day being pampered by my mom and dad. Who treated me to a mani and pedi, pottery, and a yummy dinner at Macroni Grill.

I cant wait to look back over tons of year of these pictures- and I cant wait to spend the rest of my life with you Morgan. Each day I love you more than the day before.

Dear Dad

2010-09-14T13:08:00.000-07:00

Last week was the year anniversay of my dads death. I still cant believe that he is really gone. I cant believe it has been over a year since the last time I have talked to him, since the last time I have heard his voice. A lot has happened in the last year- and not a day goes by that I dont think of my dad a ton. There is so much I want to tell my dad- there is so much I would want his advice on. Now all I can do is be thankful- so thankful for the memories that we shared and the great relationship that we had.

I am so thankful for the amazing healing power of our Lord and Savior. Each day he amazes me with how he provides. This year has been hard, But each day God is enough.
Dad I will never forget you the impact you had on me- and I will never stop missing you.

I love you dad....

Audreys Wedding

2010-09-02T19:29:00.000-07:00

I had such a great time going to Audrey and Jareds wedding- unfortunatly Morgan wasnt able to join me- but I had a blast getting to catch up with great friends. It was a beautiful ceremony- and I am so happy for Audrey and Jared.

Audreys Shower

2010-08-25T07:42:00.000-07:00

While back in Pensacaola- My good friend Audrey got married- so I went to a super fun shower for her. I had a blast catching up with friends- and was so excited for Audrey and her big day.

Chris and Ashley's Wedding

2010-08-03T09:56:00.001-07:00

This past weekend my Favorite cousin Chris got married to his love Ashley. I was so honored to be ask to be a bridesmaid in their wedding. Being an only child I have never been in a wedding because I am family with someone- so I was so touched when Chris and Ashley asked me to be part of there big day. I love Chris he is an amazing Man of God- and Ashley is the sweetest girl and absolutely perfect for him in every way.
I had so much fun getting to know all of there friends and ashleys family- they all are amazing. There wedding was gorgeous- and went perfectly except for a little incident that happened during the ceremony.
During the ceremony I was standing up at the front of the church- they had some bridesmaids and groomsmen on each side of the church- which worked out really well since I was standing on Chris side. It was incrediably hot during the ceremony - the church was completly full. I am sure most of you can see where this is going. Thats right during Chris and Ashleys ceremony I fainted. I have never fainted before so I had no idea that was going to happen- but luckily the groomsmen and bridesmaid behind me gently caught me and set laid me on the floor. I woke up to all these people, including my mom and morgan standing over me. I was super embarassed. I guess though since there were so many people in the church over half the people didnt even notice. I was so worried that Chris and Ashley would be mad at me- but they were just worried for me- and then when they realized that I was totally fine they just laughed. Well I guess if something has to go wrong in a wedding having someone faint- inst that bad. I felt 100% better as soon as they got me to the side room and gave me water and a fan. Guess this Florida girl doesnt do so well in the heat anymore.
we love you guys tons- and had an absolute blast being part of your big day.

Missing Mhari

2010-08-03T09:52:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago we had to say goodbye to our good friends Mhari and Ric. Morgan and I love these two- and will miss them tons. They are great friends, amazing christians- and super parents to their two little boys. I am so glad that the air force is small and hopefully we will live near them again one day soon. Until then phone calls and fun trips to visit them will have to do. Thanks for being such a great friend to me Mhari I will miss you and your family tons....

Happy Birthday DAD!!!!

2010-07-28T15:34:00.000-07:00

Today would have been my dad's 59th Bday- I am so sad that we couldnt celebrate with him. But even more I miss him- i miss his joy, his smile, his laugh. I just miss talking to him and loving him. Happy Bday Dad- we miss you more than you will ever know.

Mhari and I Host a coffee

2010-07-24T14:58:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago Mhari and I hosted a coffee for the ladies here in NC. It was so much fun. We probably had just as much fun planning it as we did at it. We did a "Wish we lived at the beach theme" We made yummy beach summer food. We hung up lanterns, made these fun topiaries out of drink umbrellas, we also had tons of sand and shells everywhere, as well as a ton of lanterns on the fireplace. At the coffee we had a summer gift exchange which was a blast. It was so fun to see all the great summer items people brought. Mhari and I had a great time from start to finish- and I thought I would just post a few pictures of our decorations and stuff...enjoy!

Shower for Aimee

2010-07-23T15:25:00.000-07:00

If you have read my photoblog lately - you will know all about Aimee and her new adopted daughter Tara! A few weeks ago before Aimee left for Ethiopia we had a fun shower for Aimee. I didnt get a ton of pictures- but here are just a few of the table. I hosted the shower with our friend Haidee- and it was awesome she did all the amazing food and I just decorated. It was a perfect team. I made these fun flower balls that I copied off another bloggers site. They were a huge hit and super easy to make a cheap. Aimee loved them and even hung them in Tara's new room. Congrats Aimee we are so excited for you guys

Living Room Updated

2010-07-21T16:18:00.000-07:00

Hello guys okay I think this is my last post on house improvements at least for a little while. Here is the new layout of our living room- i love it. At the beginning of this year we bought a much needed new couch- and I love it so much. It is such a comfy couch and it is great to take a nap on. We recently got some curtains - which was really hard to find some that go well with this room- but I love them. I got them from Lowes for a super great clearance price- which makes them even better. I love hanging out in this room- and we love having people over it is just so fun to finally have a grown up house.

Kitchen Try Two

2010-07-14T07:01:00.000-07:00

The first week we moved in I painted our kitchen- but was never in love with the color- so while Morgan was away on one of his trips I decided to paint it again- and we are so happy with the results- not much has changed with our kitchen other than the paint color but I think it makes everything look so much better- also I put a few pictures of my favorite kitchen accessory. My great sister in law Anne- made me these fabulous Kitchen towels- and I LOVE THEM.

Revamped Front door

2010-07-13T06:48:00.000-07:00

Another project I have been working on is repainting our front door. Our front door was painted an off-white color- but it just came accross as dirty- so I painted it black- and then painted the area around it white. (which was totally free- because I already had both of those paint colors.) So here is the before and afters of our front door...

Over the Stairs

2010-07-12T13:51:00.000-07:00

For the longest time I was trying to figure out what to do with the area above our stairs- you can see it big time from the living room- however I just wasnt for sure what to put there. I love it when people have tons of pictures going up the stairs so I decided to go with that. I got a ton of great frames for super cheap and covered the mats with fabric. I love how these pictures look- and it gives me something fun to look at while carrying stuff upstairs. (especially the vacumn- man i really do not like lugging that thing up stairs). *On another note- I am really trying to convince Morgan that I should restain the stairs and the rail- dont you think that would look so good in a darker Stain- hmmm that would make me so very happy.

Office Try two-

2010-07-04T04:18:00.000-07:00

Over the last few months I have been working really hard to get some of my house projects finished. Morgan and I have lived in this house now for over a year! We have done a ton of work and I am so happy with the results. I am so in love with our house. Since the last time I posted pictures of our house- I have basically completely re-decorated our office-
A while back (while morgan was away on one of his business trips) I decided to paint our office- the space is really long and it just needed some color to make the room feel more cozy. I painted it this fabulous Yellow/Gold color- I am not for sure how it is going to look in pictures- but I LOVE IT. The cheery color really helps me when I spend long days in here editing pictures. My sister in Law Sara- gave me this fabulous antique frame for Christmas and I love it. It is super easy to change the pictures out- so it it always changing

also made a chalkboard wall hanging for the room- which I put some of my favorite photography quotes on. A girl has got to stay inspired.
So here are pictures of the new and improved office- it has been this way for a while- but I just put the finishing touches on it with the new bench (which I found while Morgan was on one of his business trips- I got it at TJMAXX for $15.00 thats right - what a deal- I did recover it which I love the fabric- but the before wasnt that bad- just wasnt me) - so here is a personal tour of our office for all to enjoy.

Not so sure what is going on with the color in this one- I think I took this picture at night- oh well you get the idea.

Fun night out

2010-06-14T14:44:00.000-07:00

Friday night Morgan had a fun work function that we got to attend- you know I love getting all dressed up. We had a great time celebrating and got to spend the whole night with our good friends the Turners. Mhari and Ric are moving soon- so this is probably our last dressy event together. So sad. I am really going to miss these two. But at least we have a few more months with them. Anyways here are a few pictures from Friday night.
I have been working on tons of house projects- so I promise I will post some shots of my projects soon...

Another great time in Watercolor

2010-04-08T05:31:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I spent another great week in Watercolor with Anne and her girls. My mom came down for a few days too- it was a blast. Here are a few pictures from our super fun time together....

Crud Tournament

2010-03-26T18:51:00.000-07:00

In Morgan's work community it is a tradition to play a game called crud. It is played on a pool table and is super fun. We just had a Ladies Crud Tournament last weekend and it was a blast. I played with our squadrons team- and it was so much fun. I played on the Bteam for our squadron- which was awesome because I got to play with a few ladies from England Kim and Moe. We did pretty well- but the A-team for our squadron ended up winning the tournament- which was so fun.
I had a blast and definetly want to play again in the future!!!
Here are just a few pictures from our fun evening!!!

Warrior Banquet

2010-03-13T15:43:00.000-08:00

A Few weekends ago Morgan took me to this fabulous night out! We got all dressed up for an evening where all the base gets together to celebrate all the "warriors". It was so fun. We are all supposed to sport something with our squadron color in our attire. We are in the blue squadron- so Morgan gets to wear a blue bowtie now- and I sported a blue scarf. We had such a fun evening with our good friends. It was an awesome party to attend! Here are some of my fav pictures from that night.... (in hindsight i tried a new makeup that night- and it totally washed out my face- oh well- lesson learned)

Seattle

2010-03-10T13:42:00.000-08:00

We arrived to Seattle on Saturday and spent that evening visiting with Morgan family. Sunday we went to church, then headed downtown to the Market- it was so fun. We even got some starbucks at the first starbucks- so yummy! Monday we woke up early and headed out to the San Juan islands which was incrediably beautiful to see. Tuesday we just hung out- went to REI and did some rock climbing and finished the evening going to Kristins Volleyball game- man that girl is good at volleyball.

Wednesday we all (except brandon- he had to work for a few days) headed to Portland. We visited family, shopped and squeezed in a few days of skiing. It was so perfect. Kristin had only skiied one other time- just like me. So we were definetly the beginners of the crew- we had a blast laughing at each other and slowly making it down the mountain- while Morgan, Anne and Derek zoomed by.

It was an amazing trip and a great time getting to really spend so much quality time with all of fabulous family. It was definetly perfect.

Here are some pictures from our fun trip....

6 months

2010-03-04T05:28:00.001-08:00

last week was 6 months since my dad has been gone- i cant believe it. it was a hard day for me (and my mom). but we are getting through it- with the help of amazing family and friends. i know this may sound weird- but i feel as though grief has changed my sense of time. I feel as if yesterday seemed like there is no way my dad has been gone 6 months- and at the same time i feel as if it seems way longer than 6 months. I know that doesnt make much sense but that is definetly how i am feeling now.

all of our computers have been acting up a bit lately- which is not really that big of a deal- however my dad was such a computer guru so i defintely missing having him around to give me advice. I miss my dad- he was always great at fixing things.

God has continued to bless us and take care of the whole left inside of me from loosing my dad.

i know you may all be sick of hearing me talk about my dad- but he was one of my best friends- and he has always been there for me- so it is soo hard loosing a relationship like that. plus i decided from the beginning that i wanted to be honest on my blog while i am grieving and i am sticking to my guns on that one.

one thing that has really helped lately is just having people to talk to- not fix my problem but just listen or sit with me. i have been meaning to put this on here for a while too- but soon after my dad passed away my good friend emily's mom gave me this great book. it is called tear soup and it is a great book to discribe grieveing. i would recommend it to anyone who has just had a friend lose a loved one- it helps describe grief- how it is different for everyone and how to help friends going through a loss.

HAWAII!!!

2010-02-24T13:34:00.000-08:00

We just got back from a whirlwind two weeks of vacation the first week we spent in HAWAII!!! and the next week we spent with Morgan's Family in Portland and Seattle- hanging out, shopping and skiing. We had an absolute blast. I am going to focus this first post on Hawaii- and then later this week check back and I should have more on our other adventures.

Morgan treated me with the most amazing trip to Hawaii- we had some extra airline miles and decided to spoil ourselves. It was so needed and I definitely returned back to NC rejuvenated because of our amazing trip. We had the best hotel in Hawaii- it had an amazing view, a great (super convenient) location, yummy food, and great weather.
We spent the week laying out on the beach, snorkeling, and taking amazing walks on the beach. We also spent one day at Pearl Harbor, one day at Kahilua Beach, and one day at the North Shore- it was just amazing to see all the sides of Oahu. It was my first time in Hawaii and I already want to go back- it was the perfect vacation. It was exactly what I needed to chill out relax and catch up on some much needed sleep (I think I took a nap every day we were there).
I love being at the beach with Morgan- we just both love the beach so much- and it was a dream spending so much time swimming, and listening to the waves crash with him- I loved it. Anyways enough talk here are just a few pictures of our great trip to Hawaii....

Anne, Derek, Gabby and Emmy come to NC

2010-01-31T07:26:00.000-08:00

Oh my gosh we had such a great time with Anne and Derek- when they came to visit us a few weeks ago!!! I love having them as family. Derek and Morgan spent most of their time installing new faucets and shower fixtures in all of our bathrooms. Thanks Derek- you are so awesome!!! The new faucets are a huge improvement from our Gold/Silver combo that looked like it took some inspiration from the space age- (our house was built in 2001- but to be honest i dont think these faucets were ever really in style.) I will post pictures of our bathrooms soon.

While the boys were working Anne and I just played with the girls and talked during their nap times it was just what I needed. Emmy and Gabby are at such a fun age-Gabby really gets stuff now- and it is so neat to have a full conversation with a 3 year old- she is just so smart. At dinner one night she just looked over at us and announced to the table "I am so exhausted". Where does she get this stuff from? Emmy is pretty chill- and is starting to talk a ton more. She sings all the time- which is just so sweet.

While Anne and Derek were visiting we went to watch the jets take off- which was so fun. Gabby loved it and talked about how the jets took off and landed all day.

It was great getting to show Anne and Derek our little world here in North Carolina!!! I just love Anne and Derek so much having them as family really is the best.

The Day my family Started

2010-01-12T15:24:00.000-08:00

Today would have been my parents 37th wedding anniversary. I cant imagine how hard of a day it is going to be for my mom- but God will get her through it just like he has gotten us through all of this.

I thought that I would dedicate a blog post to my parents marriage. I wanted to start by talking about the day they got married. My parents got married in my grand parents living room (my moms parents) then they headed to a reception at a hotel in downtown Pensacola that my dad's parents owned at the time. My mom wore a beautiful lace gown- and my dad wore a lavender tuxedo shirt and purple crushed velvet bell bottom pants.
My dad at the time had really long hair. To say they were hippies is an understatement. But I love looking at pictures from their big day- the day that our family started. When I was little I asked my mom who that "lady" she was kissing in her wedding pictures was?- and she told me that "lady" is your daddy!!!

A few years later my parents built their first house (which was the home I was born into). They stained all their cabinets and base boards themselves and my dad did all the electrical work. That house was built with love.

10 years after they had tried and tried to get pregnant- I came along.
My mom and dad loved being parents. They took me everywhere with them- and it wasnt until I was away at college that I missed my first anniversary dinner with them. They always took me with them to celebrate with them growing up.
I can remember being pretty little and going to Steak and Ale with my parents for their anniversary and getting a shirley temple- and feeling so special sitting their with them.
Over the years my parents have had many special anniversaries- a few years ago they even renewed their vows in Las Vegas.

I was so lucky to grow up in a house so full of love. Thank you so much Mom and Dad for being the parents I needed. Thank you for keeping your love for each other important. And thank you for teaching me how to love.
Today I am so thankful for the love that they shared 37 years ago.

New Years 2010

2010-01-11T15:15:00.000-08:00

We had a great New Years Eve Celebration with great friends!!! We rained in the new year at our friends Mhari and Ric's house. It was so fun. We had some yummy fondue and played games. It was such a fun night.

Christmas in our home!!!

2010-01-11T14:56:00.000-08:00

This year Christmas was hard- but God blessed us with a great day. The day before Christmas eve my mom flew into North Carolina to spend the holidays with us. On Christmas Eve we went to church and had a yummy dinner. Then on Christmas morning we woke up opened presents and just enjoyed our time together. That night we had a fun dinner party at our house with some good friends of ours here in North Carolina and their families. It was so much fun and such a great distraction. My mom and I both had our moments where it was a hard day- but overall we really enjoyed Christmas- and I know that is the way my dad would have wanted it. We got spoiled by so many great presents this year- my neice Gabby painted me a beautiful canvas- which was so cute- she also painted a wooden airplane for Morgan- it made our day!!!

4 months

2010-01-03T14:46:00.000-08:00

today marks the 4 month mark of my dad being gone. I still cant believe that I havent talked to him for that long. the longest I have ever went without talking to my dad was a week- and that was while I was on my honeymoon- so that part has definetly been hard. To just lose a relationship that fast and to lose that support system is not fun. I definetly miss my dad a ton when our computers arent working (he was a wiz at that stuff), and when I am driving around town- I would always call to catch up with him while doing errands.
Overall i do feel like my wounds are healing each and every day. but of course I have my moments. I do feel like the shock of loosing my dad is dying down- i guess my mom and i are getting settled in our new reality.
The other day while working out on the treadmill i just lost it- for no reason whatsoever- i just cried real hard for like 15 minutes (while working out) and then I was fine. I still have no idea what tipped me off. but that is okay crying is away of dealing and i do welcome it for this time in my life.
I just wanted to vent on my blog for a few minutes- God is so good and so sufficient for me. Christmas was a ton easier than thanksgiving I will post pictures of our festivities in a few days.
Happy New Years to all!

Lohse Christmas Decorations

2010-01-03T14:10:00.001-08:00

Okay I know I promised this a week ago- but I am just now getting to it- sorry guys. Here are pictures of our Chirstmas decorations this year. I had such a blast decorating for Christmas this year! It was so much fun having our first Christmas in our first "real" home. Morgan did such a great job hanging some really fun Christmas lights outside (unfortunately i forgot to take pictures of them bummer- maybe next year). We also got a real tree for the first time in my life this year- it was so fun.

Here is our Mantal- Anne put my moms name on a fancy new stocking for her this year- she loved it!

Our Tree!

Our Dining room centerpiece

Kitchen Table

Entry way Tree- this what our tree our first year together- so I love finding a fun place for it- in our house everytime we move!

This is my favorite ornament this year- my friend Mhari gave it to us for Christmas- isnt it so cute!

These lanterns and little trees were on each side of our porch

Wreath for our front door

Hope you enjoyed a little holiday tour of our house- Merry "late" Christmas to all.

Christmas Party.... GREAT NEWS

2009-12-22T16:25:00.000-08:00

On Friday Morgan and I got to go to his work Cmas party it was so much fun. The food was delicous and the company was fabulous. (we got to spend the evening sitting next to our good friends Ric and Mhari!!!) I didnt take any pictures at the party- totally forgot- but I did make Morgan take a few before we left the house

Onto really exciting news I got a call today from the Heater Company and our new heater came in today!!! The guy is coming to install it in the morning- and then in the afternoon I am off to pick up my mom from the airport!!! I am so thankful that our new heater came in on time- we get to have open presents in a warm living room (hopefully) and we are having a little party on Christmas day too! Please continue to pray for us over the next week- Christmas was a holiday that my dad LOVED so this will be a hard holiday to not have him for. I am sure that there will be some tears shed- but hopefully we will enjoy the day too- it is what my dad would have wanted.

Merry Christmas to ALL!!!

ps. i will post pictures of our house all decorated tomorrow- i just didnt want my mom to see them on the blog before she saw them in person.

...bad heater

2009-12-17T15:52:00.001-08:00

Morgan and I have had a very eventful few days!
Or rather our house has had a very eventful few days!
Last night I woke up to a funny smell- I thought it was the heater and then went back to sleep. Than a little bit later- I wake up again- to the same funny smell- but this time I was trying to figure out why it looked smokey in our bedroom- Morgan was sound asleep next to me.
So for the next 10 minutes I was trying to figure out if this was real or if I was just dreaming. Than I finally decided to get up went into the living room and turned on the light to find that our whole house was covered in smoke.
I woke Morgan up and we started airing the house out- and decided to go spend the night at a hotel on base for the night.
Today we had someone come out to look at our heater- and aparently it caught on fire- so it is officially trashed.
We were so lucky that the fire was contained in the heater cabinet- and that our whole house didnt catch on fire.
God is so good. I am so thankful to him that he protected us and our home.
The technician that came by today said that this could have been tragic.
Luckily our upstairs is heated by a seperate heater that is still working- but for the next week or so we will be without a heater downstairs.
If you guys could please pray that the heater comes in soon- we have my mom coming on Wednesday to spend Christmas with us- and I would love to not have to live only upstairs for Christmas. Plus I love our Christmas decorations and I want to sit and enjoy them downstairs.
I am so thankful though either way that God took care of us!!!
If we have to we can open Christmas presents in front of the tree- drinking hot chocolate and dressed in peacoats it will still be special- it could be our newest tradition!

Thanksgiving

2009-12-17T15:38:00.000-08:00

This thanksgiving was so hard for me and my mom.

It was the first real holiday since my dad died.

But we were able to laugh in admist of our sorrows. It is always amazing to me that God is always looking after every detail of our lives.

And he does give us joy even in the valleys.

Here are just a few pictures from our thanksgiving dinner- my mom and I wore these fun aprons that Anne Embroidered for us- arent they cute?

It is a fun new tradition that we are starting...

Emily's Shower

2009-12-17T15:28:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago Mhari and I threw a little shower for Emily for the arrival of her second boy!!!

Emily just moved to NC with us so we are so excited about that- and cant wait to meet the newest addition of her family. She is due any day now so please be praying that she goes into labor soon- she is ready!

Mhari and I decided to do a green apple themed shower- which was so fun! We had a blast coming up with yummy apple flavored food- and of course decorating.

St. Louis Fun

2009-12-05T06:26:00.000-08:00

While in St. Louis I had a blast getting to catch up with Anne and her girls. (Derek was very busy studying for a big test- so we had a ton of girl time.) Anne picked me up from the airport with Emmy in tow. When we arrived at Anne's mom house where Gabby was- we opened the door- and here came Gabby running- AUNT TARA!!!! I loved it. It totally made my day- heck who am I kidding I have been telling everyone about her warm welcome- it made my so happy that she was so excited to see me.

Here I am holding Gabby like a baby!

Emmy liked me a lot too- and decided to call me "TACKY" instead of Tara. She is just a ball of fun- and cracked me up the whole time I was there. I love the age that both Emmy and Gabby are at. Emmy is just so happy and go with the flow. She just sings and smiles all the time. Emmy was pretty close to walking while I was there- and wouldnt you know the little sneaker started walking a week after I left. Oh well.

Emmy is a girl after my own heart- here she is getting into the Dr. peppers in the pantry. LOVE IT!

Gabby is just about to turn three and is just such a sweet girl. She is so fun to talk to now- and I love seeing her interact with other kids. She is going to be outgoing I know it.

I Gabby her Bday present a few days early- and it was so fun to see her open presents. Morgan and I got her this Tree tent that she can play in- and oh my I had no idea how big it was- sorry Anne and Derek. It was so cute to see the girls play in it- even if it does take up a good chunk of their living room.

I always have a blast in St. Louis- I just love spending time with our amazing family.

Meeting Madilyn

2009-12-05T06:19:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago while Morgan was on a work trip to Vegas I went to St. Louis to visit Anne, Derek and Gabby and Emmy. We were so excited when a week or two before Sara called and said that Brandon had to do some training in St. Louis and would be there the same time I would- of course Brandon brought along Sara and new baby Madilyn. It was precious getting to meet her- she is just so tiny and so content. I already love her a ton.

It was AWESOME getting to catch up with Brandon and Sara too.

The Outer Banks

2009-12-03T18:48:00.000-08:00

About a month ago Morgan's Parents came out to visit us here in North Carolina- we had such a great visit. We spent time just catching up watching planes land and take off, and we even headed out to the Outer banks for a few days to see what the carolina coast had to offer. It was perfect. We drove out and made it to the Wrights museum in Kill Devil Hills- just as the sun was coming out- it was super neat to see the place where first flight took off. Then we headed to the beach to hang out before the sun went down. We had planned on going for a swim- but settled for the hot tub- the water was just too cold!
The next day we headed to Cape Hatteras to see the Hatteras lifehouse- which was so fun.
We had such a great time showing Bruce and Phyllis our home in NC! The last day they were here Phyllis showed me how to make her homemade jam- it was so fun! We have been chowing down on it ever since.

Carving Pumpkins

2009-11-22T19:05:00.001-08:00

I know this is much overdue- about a month ago we carved pumpkins with Mike and Susan! This was a tradition of ours when we lived here before- so we were so excited to renew this tradition. I didnt take many pictures- but Mike took a few with my camera- and I thought they were funny so decided to post them just for laughs.

My 27th Bday

2009-11-04T10:19:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago I celebrated my 27th bday- it was a hard day- but because of all my AMAZING friends and family- the day was much easier than I thought it would be. Now as most of you guys know I love to celebrate Birthdays and especially dont mind people spoiling me for one day every year. This year was a little different though- not talking to my dad on my bday was hard- but I kept thinking that he would want me to enjoy my day. So I did. Meredith and some of the ladies from bible study had a great birthday lunch for me. It was such a fun get together. Then I came home took a nap and then got ready for my birthday night with my hubby. We went to dinner and a movie and it was so fun. Here are just a few pics from my bday.....

SUCH JOY!!!

2009-10-21T05:57:00.001-07:00

On Friday October 16th Brandon and Sara welcomed the newest addition to their family. I would like to introduce our newest precious neice:
Madilyn Elizabeth
We can't wait to meet her soon!!!

4th Anniversary

2009-10-09T19:42:00.000-07:00

Morgan and I got to celebrate our 4th anniversary this year a day early. (which ended up being a huge blessing). I was suppose to fly out the next morning to go to NY for a wedding. So Thursday night Morgan and I headed to Raleigh to grab some dinner and Ice Cream it was so fun.

It was so great getting to just do some normal things- go out to dinner and just hang out- I love my hubby and it was great getting to celebrate another year of marriage with him.

This night was a night I will never forget. That night on our way home from Raleigh was the night that my dad died. A day before our anniversary.
I am so thankful though that God knew his plans and let Morgan and I celebrate another year of marriage before finding out that life changing news.

I am so thankful that when I recieved the news I was with Morgan- and not alone- again God knew what he was doing.

I will never forget the day Morgan and I got married- now it holds so much more weight- I am so thankful that God provided the perfect person for me to share my life with. I am so thankful for the four amazing years of marriage we have shared. And I am so thankful that my dad was there that day to walk me down the aisle.

I think (after shooting many weddings) that the father walking the bride down the aisle is symbolic in so many ways. Not only is it to symbolize her being given away. A new family beginning. But I always thought it is one of the biggest moments of your life- your dad starts off the walk with you- to support you to get you down the aisle- until you get to your new support (your husband) then he gently hands you over to your husband, and watches from afar.

I miss my dad- but I will never forget the moments we shared on my wedding day- he was a great dad.

God is so good.

Dancing

2009-10-07T19:59:00.000-07:00

So I think I am finally ready to tell the story of how my dad died. My dad died excatly the way he wanted to- how do I know this? Well he told me- and this gives me great peace. One day I am sure it will even make me smile.

As I mentioned before my dad and I were very close I talked to both of my parents almost everyday. So this is how it all began.

About two months before my dad died- we got some really sad news that an F-15 had crashed in Afghanstan. This really hit home to Morgan and I and we were devasted by the news- we didnt know the two men that lost their lives fighting for our freedom- but it was such a huge loss- I couldnt stop thinking of them or crying.
Morgan was outside mowing the lawn- and I just lost it- I was crying so hard- I dont think my dad even understood what I was saying when I called him. I always called my dad when I was really upset about something- I knew he would settle me down. I told him of the crash- and he talked to me with such patience. I told him I just didnt understand why this had to happen? He responded by telling me that they died doing what they loved- and that there is peace in that. I instantly felt better. He always knew what to say to calm me down.

Then he said that if he could pick right now how he would want to die he would want to die dancing. (now remember that my dad was obsessed with dancing and had definetly made it his passion the past few years.)

I remember telling Morgan what my dad said- and we both laughed who would think of someone dying while ballroom dancing.

Fast forward a few months and my dad got excatly what he wanted. Now I am not saying that my dad was ready to die- I am sure he would have much rather lived and kept on dancing- but since he had to go this is really the way he wanted to go.

Thursday nights were my dads favorite dance night- he had group lessons- then they had a dance party where they just played a ton of fun music and danced. My dad loved Thursday nights- he looked forward to it all week- he usually got all dressed up for it and just had a blast. Thursday nights after the dancing was over he would go out with a few dance obsessed friends (as my mom would call them) and they would go to TGIF for a few hours after dance ended. He just loved Thursday nights.

September 3rd was a Thursday night- he probably went out to dinner before heading up to the studio for lessons and then the dance party- then mid way through the dance party my dad had a massive heartattack and died instantly. He was dancing with one of his favorite dance friends when it happened doing one of his favorite dances.

I just cant believe that a few months ago my dad told me that he wanted to die dancing and this is what happened. One day I am sure this will put a smile on my face- right now it still hurts my heart- but I know that there is definetly peace in knowing that he was in no pain.

I am so thankful that I had this conversation with my dad before hand- it was something I got to share with him.

I am just sad that he isnt here now for me to call when I am sad.
Jesus has my back though- he has calmed me down- and I have my Mom and Morgan to calm me down when I get too sad.

I am just so thankful that God had my dad's best interest in mind- he knew my dad's desires and let him leave this world peacefully.
I am so glad that my mom wasnt there that night (she often works late on Thursday nights). I am just not sure she would have recovered from that.
But instead my dad died with tons of friends around- all his dancing buddys.

God is good- he does have our hearts desire in mind when he is taking care of us- and I am so thankful that he took care of my dad.

This weekend I have my first wedding since my dad died- please be praying for me that I will be able to stay focused and not get to sad during the father daughter dance.
(I always cry during the father daughter dance anyways- now it holds even more meaning.)
Morgan is coming with me- so if I have to he can shot this part- but please keep us in your prayers- each day is slowly getting better.

One Month

2009-10-03T19:27:00.000-07:00

Today has been one month since my dad died. I really cant believe it- it feels like it has been ages since it happened- my days have all seemed so long. God has really blessed me with a few really great days this week- I think I went three days in a row without crying.
My birthday was thursday- it was a hard day- but I knew my dad would want me to spend it being happy- so I tried to think of that when it was hard.
My friend Meredith had me over for lunch along with a ton of ladies from our bible study group- they all spoiled me, and we had some great laughs which kept my mind off of things.
Then that evening Morgan and I went out to dinner and a movie- which was so fun. Morgan has been more than amazing support for me recently. On my Birthday I talked to my mom like a million times- which helped too. Thank you all so much for the great birthday wishes, cards, and phone calls. It really helped make my day special to feel so supported.

Today my mom sent a box with some paperwork for Morgan in it was my dad's death certificate- it was so hard to see this- but at the same time- I needed to see this. Sometimes I feel like since I didnt see my dad dead, and I dont live in Pensacola anymore that maybe this is all just a hoax and it didnt really happen. But seeing the death certificate today definetly gave me closure- in a way I know that God is enabling some of these things to happen when they do- so that I can heal in the best way. I am so thankful that God is taking time to meet all my needs.

I will post some pictures of my bday and our anniversary last month in a few weeks- I am just not ready to post normal stuff on here yet- this blog for now is my therapy. Therapy is now in session.

Day by day

2009-09-28T16:17:00.001-07:00

Recently I have just been trying to keep myself busy- while still being able to be flexiable if I do have a meltdown. But it seems like even the easiest of tasks take a ton longer than they have ever before. I just find my mind wandering and then I am off of my task. I am sure that this will get easier- with time- but I was a very efficient girl before so now I am getting a little frustrated with this.

The moments that I am just so sad I cant take it are getting less and less. But now I have this feeling when I realize that my dad is really gone- when my stomache just drops (kinda like when riding a rollar coaster) and it just takes my breathe away for a second. I am ready for these feelings to go away- but at the same time I am not- I do not ever want to forget my dad and all that he meant to me- and these feelings are the last thing that I can relate to him now.

Each day is getting a little bit easier- but everyday I go to bed thinking that this is one more day my dad will never live. and that is a hard pill to swallow.

God is continuing to bless me and my mom every single day- with a call from an encouraging friend, or a sweet card in the mail. I definetly am so thankful for the amazing friends and family we have. I haven't went out to the mailbox one time without a card being in there from someone. And that makes me smile everytime.

I am keeping all these cards and putting them in a box to look at when I am feeling discouraged. I have got so many encouraging emails and phone calls- thank you all so much for taking time out of your day to make my day. Thanks for letting me know you care.

I went to the doctor on Monday and just talked to them about Cardiovascular stuff- I had a ton of questions about what happened to my dad and if this could possibly happen to me one day.
God blessed me with a nurse whose dad had a massive heartattack and lived through it and is now living with severe brain damage. She was so caring and so encouraging to me. She told me that she wished her dad would have just died like my dad did- I am not for sure if she really means this or not. But one thing I really have been struggling with is the fact that I didnt get a chance to say goodbye at all- and I wish more than anything that my dad could have held on for just a second for me to say goodbye. But this wouldnt have been what my dad wanted- I am sure that he was glad it happened so fast- and I am sure he felt no pain. There is definelty huge peace in that. God knew what he was doing- he is the master and the creator and he took my dad in the way my dad wanted to die (more on this later- like I said before I am just not ready yet to tell his whole story- but soon- I am almost strong enough.)
God also blessed me with a great Flight Doctor the other day who sat with me and answered all of my questions about my dad and about my lifestyle and diet choices- it was such a blessing.
Some of the questions I had for the doctor where did my dad eat too much peanut butter? He had like a big jar a week. My dad had lost 100 pounds in the last few years did this extend his life or cause him to go sooner? Is there a chance that I will have heart problems as well?
This doctor was so informative and really eased my heart. He told me no peanut butter won't kill a person, the 100 pounds probably bought him time, and the odds are (especially since I am a girl) my heart is fine- but I am going to go in for some tests next week- just to check on some things.
So it has been another week but God is still so good. He heals all my wounds.

20 days

2009-09-23T07:57:00.001-07:00

I still cant believe I am sitting down to type these words out- but on September 3rd- my dad had a massive heart attack and died instantly. I have always been a daddy’s girl and my mom and I are completely devastated.
But God is good. He is so good.

God is so loving and comes to me in my weakest hours. It is amazing to see how he has taken care of the littlest needs that we have. Not to mention the big ones.
It amazes me how well the God of all creation knows me and cares for me in the way I need him. In the days following my dads death I was never alone- as soon as I had a sad moment I would get a call or Morgan would smile and the peace of my eternal father would calm my nerves.
Now this is not to say that I haven’t cried- I have cried more than I ever had in my life- but I always had someone’s arms around me. He so abundantly provides for my needs.
I have been really trying to decide if I wanted to even blog about this or not- but I decided I had to- not so much for all of you out there- but more for me. I needed to get his story out- I needed to mourn and to be real with the life that is now mine.
I will preface this by saying that this blog is going to be a place for me to vent of my healing in this tragedy and it may be boring for some of you to read but I need to get it out. I think this will help me heal- and hopefully to encourage some of you in the process.
I am not quite for sure if I am ready to type the exact story of how my dad yet. Every time I come to type it I cant come up with the words- so that will have to wait.

I grew up as an only child- and loved every minute of it.
But growing up I knew that we were just a family of three- my dad, my mom and me. Than when I got married I loved being a family of four- for the past four years I have loved having Morgan be part of Christmas and holidays with my parents.
Now I can’t believe that we are back to a family of three again. It hurts my heart so much.
I miss my dad.

He will always be part of me and I will never forget the amazing father he was to me. Now I wish more than anything I could just hear his voice and tell him that I love him. I wish more than anything that I could just see him smile one more time- or hear him tell me all about his day at dance (my dad in the last few years had become an avid ballroom dancer- it was his passion).
I have always had such a close relationship with my dad. And I know without a shadow of a doubt that my dad knows that I love him, and I know that he loved me- and there is definitely peace in that.
It is just so hard to live in a world my dad doesn’t- that part is so unreal to me- that part is the hardest. I was born into this world with my dad always being there for me- now at age 26 I am without him. Today has been 20 days since the day I lost my dad- I feel like the whole inside of me now is huge.
God is good, he heals my wounds.

Now I am starting to heal- I am starting to understand my new reality. Instead of being in such shock I am starting to process what has happened. But everyday I wake up thinking these four words “I miss you dad” and then I follow it by thinking “I love you Jesus- please take care of me today.” Everyday the Lord of all creation is carrying me through my day- and that is how I am making it.

Day by day I just give my burdens over to the lord- and hang on the great memories I have with my dad- the 26 years I had with him were great years- and for that I am so thankful.

House Pictures (finally)- Part One

2009-09-03T14:37:00.000-07:00

Hello to all- I hope you all are having a great week! I am leaving in the morning for to shot a wedding- and when I return I will have some of my favorite people in my new home. Anne, Derek, Gabby and Emmy arrive in NC on Saturday- so I spent all day today cleaning and getting the house ready for our visitors. So I finally took pictures of our house. We have changed out all light fixtures, door knobs, towel racks, and re painted the whole downstairs- so we have been really busy. Derek is going to help Morgan install new faucets in all the bathrooms this week- so I am not posting any pictures of our bathrooms those will be in the next installment of pics. I am also going to wait and post pictures of the exterior of our house- I spent all week painting our shutters and Morgan is going to put those up tomorrow so I will post those with the bathroom pics. We have had a blast giving our house a makeover- and making it ours. Now I am excited to have tons of visitors (you are all invited) and tons of get togethers.

Our Bedroom- I love our new bedroom furniture- I think this might be my fav room-love the paint color tooView from our bedroom into bathroom- I love this white frames on the wall- so fun!!!

Living room- (kitchen behind)
We painted our living room a brownish green color- it definetly warmed up the space- it was painted white before- I have some grand plans for some trays to set on the coffee table- my mom is going to get some for me for my bday!
tv and bookshelf

New ladder shelf- thanks bruce and phyllis for the gift card that helped buy this!!!
Fireplace
Kitchen- I love the way this turned out too- however this is the first room i painted so I am going to have to go back in and touch it up sometime. We painted our old "desk" black and now we are using as a kitchen table I love it!We have so much Cabinet space- I love it and this fridge seems huge compared to the one we had in England.
Dining room- you can see the new light fixture that Morgan installed above the table- I love it!!!

Enty Way

The Office- this room is huge and very long- I love it and have had a blast working in here. I have a feeling this room is going to change a ton as we live here- when I get tired of working I like to move stuff around-

Guest Bedroom One- I love the way this room turned out-
Guest Bedroom 2 (ie Gabby and Emmys room when they come stay with me- I have hot pink sheets for when they are here!)

Emerald Isle

2009-09-01T06:43:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we headed out to Emerald Isle to spend the weekend with our friends Marie and Mark. Marie's parents have an amazing beach house- and we spent the weekend water skiing, eating yummy food, and playing in the ocean. It was my first time water skiing- so lets just say it was definetly amuzing watching me try to get up. But I finally did and it was so much fun.

I'm a beach girl!!!

2009-08-18T05:59:00.000-07:00

Here in North Carolina we live about an hour an a half from the beach- WHICH IS AWESOME. For the past few weekends Morgan has really wanted to go to the beach- but the weather hasnt been that great and we have just had so much work we needed to get done on the house (by the way I promise I am close to posting pictures of our new aboad soon) so I gently let him down and told him we would have to wait until another weekend. Well this weekend we decided was that weekend- as soon as we got close to the ocean i could just feel a smile creeping up my face it definetly was excatly what I needed. I forget how much I love the beach- maybe even need the beach sometimes. We spent all day laying out and swimming in the ocean- which was a great temperature. Being from Pensacola I get a little scared of waves sometimes because we dont get that big of waves there. So Morgan and I had just entered the water and I looked at him and said "hey can you let me know when I should dive through a wave" (you know when it is too big to jump over). About 15 seconds later Morgan looks over at me and says "that one you should dive through" so I do and come back up to see Morgan no where to be seen. Apparently the wave was too big for him too and he got knocked around by it a bit. After seeing that he was okay I just started laughing and he did too.
Morgan and I made a promise that we would come back to the beach a few more times before the summer is over- wee just have to take advantage of living close to the beach again.
Oh yeah Morgan also treated me this weekend we went to see the new movie "Time Travelers Wife". Morgan doesnt like to see Romantic Comedies, and this movie really wasnt even a Comedy- but I loved it and Morgan said "it wasnt completely terrible." Ahh he is such a great hubby!!!

Made my day

2009-08-11T13:00:00.000-07:00

On friday Morgan and I were at Lowe's (recently we spend a lot of time here) and I get a call on my cell phone- it says Derek on there so I answer it thinking that it could be Derek or Anne calling from his phone. To my suprise it is Gabby- I answer and she says "Hi Aunt Tara" (my heart skips a beat) and we have 1o minute conversation about her day what Emmy and her are playing and what she had for dinner. It totally made my day- I just wanted to leave Lowe's and fly out there to see her- but I guess I will just have to wait.
I was thinking that Anne and Derek just had her call me because they knew how much I would love that- but come to find out she was playing and talking to me on her play phone- so Anne just thought "hey why dont you actually call her" so she did. I cant believe Gabby is a few months shy of 3 and you can have complete conversations with her- I am convinced she is a genius.

Emmy's Baptism

2009-08-09T12:36:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago we headed to St Louis for a very special occasion Emmy was being Baptized- I was so excited because getting to see Emmy and Gabby is always such a treat- plus I love spending time with family, and I love St. Louis. We got there mid day on Saturday (after too many hours in the car) and it was great just getting to hang out with Anne, Derek and Bruce and Phyllis- we had great conversation and really yummy dinner. Sunday morning we got up to get stuff ready for Emmy's Post Baptisim party (so fun) then we headed to church.

I was so thrilled Anne and Derek asked me to be Emmy's God mother which is such a honor for me. Since I am an only child I never thought I would be a God Mother to anyone so I was honored beyond words. When Emmy was getting baptized I even got a little teary (dont know if that is a word- but you get the idea.)

On Monday we just hung out and had dinner at Anne's Parents house- they are amazing cooks so I always leave there with a very full belly.

We get to see Anne and Derek and girls in a few weeks when they come out to visit which I am so excited about- I just cant wait.

I am so excited to be Emmy's Godmother- and I cant wait for the day when Gabby and Emmy accept Jesus as their Savior- what a day of rejoicing that will be.

(on a side note the church that Anne and Derek go to is amazing and that sunday they had really great music- one of the songs they sang was OH HAPPY DAY- which I run around singing all of the time- you know it is my shower song, my walking out to the mailbox song, whatever- I sing it all the time sometimes not even realizing it- well when the song started to play- Morgan looks over to me and just smiles and starts laughing- and I said whats up- well apparently Morgan thought I made this song up- and was very amuzed to see it being played in church)

Anyways here are just a few pictures from our trip

Sneak Peak of our new home!!!

2009-07-21T17:05:00.000-07:00

As most of you know- Morgan and I recently purchased our VERY FIRST HOME!!!
We have been unpacking and settling in for the last few weeks- and it has been an absolute blast. I haven't made this many decisions in such a short time since planning our wedding. Our weekends have been consisting of tons of trips to Lowe's and furniture stores- trying to pick out the best new accessories for our home. I just love it- I have been looking at home decor magazines for the past few years and it is awesome to finally get to put together our rooms in our first "real" home. Can you tell I love it. I also love having so many closets and storage galore- it is crazy to now have closets that are basically empty upstairs. In England you had to be a wiz at thrifty storage- now I don't know what to do with myself.
We are having our first "real" bedroom set delivered tomorrow- and I am so excited about getting to have my clothes in Drawers and to have a night stand to put books on. I feel like such a grown up.
I am not quite ready to unveil our house pictures yet- since we are still working on them- but here is just a few sneak peaks at our new home....

I have wanted an Apothecary for years now- so when we were moving this was a must have for me. I looked everywhere and found this beauty- it totally made my day. I have wanted one ever since college and watching episodes of friends- it is currently in our bedroom but tonight we are going to move it to the dinning room where it will hold napkins, placemats etc. I LOVE IT!

I found these placemats at TJ Maxx today- I love that place- these are going to go on our newly painted kitchen table.
This is our new Dining Room Rug- it is so soft.
Our new Washer and Dryer- in England it took me over 8 hours to do a load of laundry- it is amazing how much time these two save me- I love them!
These are our new door handles we are installing in our house- they are a little challenging to install but they look awesome and make me so happy.

Morgan on his new lawn mower- our yard is huge this was his must have!I planted some Zinnas this week and I love them- apparently they are very easy to take care of- so I cant wait to plant more in the next few weeks.

4th of July in Watercolor

2009-07-16T15:56:00.000-07:00

About a year and a half ago Anne and Derek invited us to come to Watercolor (aka heaven on earth) for the week of 4th of July this year. I have been looking forward to it ever since- seriously it was my haven to think of when times got tough while getting through 6 months in Vegas (in a hotel room).
Then about 6 months ago we found out that Morgans whole family would be joining us- yeah.
We had the best week ever hanging out with Anne, Derek, Emmy and Gabby, as well as Kristin and Don, Sara, Brandon, Kaden, Mckenna and Karsten, and Morgans Parents Bruce and Phyllis. It was perfect. The weather was awesome while we were there- we spent all of our time relaxing at the beach or the pool or riding bikes along the coast. It was great to spend so much time with all of our precious neices and nephews. Karsten turned two while we were there- which was such a blessing to be there to celebrate with him.
For the fourth of July my parents came down to celebrate with us. We started the day off by going to a parade, then had some lunch, went to the beach, went to the pool, and then finished the day off by watching fireworks. I love living in the U.S.A.
I lost my camera (point and shot not my big one) for most of the time we were there so I didnt take as many candid pictures as I would like- but of course I did a few photo shoots of everyone so I will be posting some of those soon on my photoblog.
We are now getting more settled into our new home and I will post pictures asap.

Morgan's Graduation

2009-06-17T14:54:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we celebrated Morgans Graduation in Las Vegas. It was so much fun- and we had a ton of family come out for his celebration which was awesome. Morgan's Parents, my Parents, Anne and Derek and Krisitin and Don all came out for the fun and we had an absolute blast. We went to see the Hoover Dam, spent a day at the strip and spent every afternoon at the pool. Then on Saturday night we got all dressed up and went to the Flamingo for Morgans Graduation- I have never been more proud of him. On Sunday we just recovered from the weekend and spent the afternoon taking everyone back to the airport- and then packed up our car to travel accross the country. We left Monday morning for North Carolina- we drove all day Monday and Tuesday until we arrived in St Louis where we spent two nights- and then on Thursday we are making our last leg to North Carolina I cant wait.

Double Date

2009-06-08T13:08:00.000-07:00

While Elizabeth and Matt were here we got to go on a really fun double date with them. I love doing this since we dont live close and get to do it often- it really is a treat when we get to hang out with them. We got all dressed up and went to see LA REVE at the Wynn hotel and it was amazing. We also went to dinner at PF Changs- and ended the evening by watching the fountain at the Bellagio. It was such a fun double date I cant wait to have fun again with them soon.

Elizabeth and Matt visit us in VEGAS

2009-06-03T22:04:00.000-07:00

Wow we had such an amazing week with Matt and Elizabeth here in Vegas. We had such a blast catching up, hanging out by the pool, seeing the Vegas sites and laughing together. The first day we went to the strip and walked around, then we headed to the pool to cool down from the heat outside. The next day we went to see the Hoover Dam and went to the pool to cool down afterwards. (there was a lot of relaxing at the pool.) We just had such a great time with Elizabeth and Matt- I pray that one day we will live closer to them- I just love having them around. We had a few really fun date nights too- (I will post pictures of that in another post), and we also went to Red Rock to do a little light hiking.
AHH Man I miss them both so much already- I just love Elizabeth she is like a sister to me!!!
Anyways here are some pictures of our adventures together-

(Probably my new favorite picture of Morgan and Me- thanks Matt for capturing this)

Me and Elizabeth at the Hoover Dam

Morgan and Matt- being candidOur Izuzu- I thought it looked like a car ad!!!

Coronado Island

2009-05-27T16:34:00.000-07:00

For Memorial day weekend Morgan and I took a little vacation to Coronado Island and San Diego. We had such a great time. Our friends Kurt and Tab have been telling us that Coronado Island is such a neat place to visit- so before we left Las Vegas we wanted to make a trip out there. I didn't think Morgan would really have a whole weekend with no work- but he did so last minute on Thursday night we called to see if we could get a reservation and we did for two nights so the next morning we drove to San Diego!!! The first day we spent just laying out at the beach and went to dinner in the neat town of Coronado. Coronado is a very posh area to live- and Morgan and I were amazed at looking at all of these multi million dollar homes.

On Saturday we woke up got some breakfast at Panera Bread (which I love) and headed to the San Diego Zoo. I use to have an interactive computer game when I was little all about the San Diego Zoo- so this was a lifetime dream of mine- and it was awesome. We got to see Polar Bears (my favorite), zebras, lions, elephants, giraffes and tons of animals that I didn't even know existed- it was awesome. That afternoon we came back to the beach and layed out- and then grabbed dinner at a fun pizza place in Coronado. It was such yummy pizza.

The next day we went for a mid morning walk on the beach before heading home- it was the perfect vacation- and much needed for both of us.

Selma Alabama

2009-05-27T14:18:00.000-07:00

When I was growing up my mom and I use to go visit my Aunt and Uncle and Cousin in Selma Alabama every few months. Unfortunately over the last few years I have been unable to go visit- so luckily a few weeks ago my mom and I got to fit in a visit. It was so much fun- My cousin Chris is the only close to my age cousin I have- so it was awesome to catch up with him again.
My mom and I drove up the country roads from Pensacola to Selma and had a blast listening to country music and enjoying the beautiful scenary. We entered into Selma over the famous Selma Bridge. Being in Selma just brings back so many memories from my child hood- my Aunt Cindy drives down the main street- and people just honk and wave at her- everyone knows her.

I love it- it makes me laugh everytime.

Selma is such a historic town and stands for so much in our countries history- I am glad to be from the south but so proud that there is now equality for all.

Mother's DAY

2009-05-27T14:06:00.000-07:00

This year I got to actually spend mother's day with my mom!!!

It was such a great day- we started off by going to church- then headed out to see a movie. The we ended the day with a yummy dinner at Cabarras. It was such a great day- and I loved getting to spend it with my mom. She is just so great!!!

God Provides

2009-05-12T08:33:00.000-07:00

Wherever the air force takes us- we are always abudently provided for when it comes to friends. When we first made it out to Vegas God blessed us yet again- with having some good friends of ours Kurt and Tabitha living out there. Kurt and Tab had us over every weekend- (which was a huge getaway from our hotel room) and Tabitha single handingly fed us the first few months we were here. They are now away from Vegas for a few months- and have graciously allowed us to live at their house- which is a huge blessing on the weekends.

I am just always in awe of how every detail of our lives is taken care of by our heavenly father. We are so thankful for having Kurt and Tab in our lives.

My Dad's Showcase

2009-05-02T18:43:00.000-07:00

A few days after my arrival in Pensacola my dad had a showcase for his ballroom dancing. It was crazy to see my dad perform- he is just so good at it- but who would have thought that a few years ago I would be sitting in a studio full of people watching my dad perform in front of people. He did two dances a Rumba to one of my favorite songs Bleeding Love and a Tango. After my dads great performance my mom and I took him out to dinner. It was such a fun evening.

My mom had on the cutest red shoes- so I took a picture of them-arent they fun?
I had such a great time with both of my parents during my time in Pensacola. My mom had the week off while I was home- so we did some shopping went out to lunch, and she even came to a few of my photoshoots- she was a great assistant.
My last day in Pensacola I got to meet up with Jill and Justin for a few hours- we did a little photoshoot of Kennedy- it was so fun.

Layover in Houston

2009-05-01T19:23:00.000-07:00

On my way to Pensacola from North Carolina I had a little layover- so Matt and Elizabeth came to the airport to grab a quick dinner with me. It was so great to see them- I just miss them both so much.

House Hunting in NC

2009-04-30T18:16:00.000-07:00

Last week I headed to North Carolina to shoot a wedding, to visit my friend Meredith and do some house hunting. Meredith is such a great friend she went house hunting with me a ton- and helped me sort through the millions of houses that I looked at over the 4 days I was there. For right now we have a few houses that we are torn between- but havent put a offer in on any of the houses. I cant wait though to figure out with house will be our first home. I went to TJMaxx today (which is totally one of my favorite stores) and I found a ton of fun things for our new home. I just cant wait to start thinking of how we are going to decorate- that is totally my happy place right now.

I had such a great time catching up with Meredith and was so excited that Reagan remembered me and warmed up to me right away. She is such a cutie. I cant wait to live closer to them this summer. Meredith and John are expecting their 2nd daughter this summer too- so I am so thrilled to be there for that.

While in NC I also got to hang out with Mike and Suzie- which was so fun- I cant wait to live closer to them soon too.

Phyllis and Bruce Visit

2009-04-09T21:36:00.000-07:00

While Sara was still here we had a few more visitors come in town. It was awesome to see Phyllis and Bruce again (Morgan's Parents). We had dinner with them their first night here at one of our favorite resturaunts Pei Wei. The next night we went out to dinner with Sara, and Bruce and Phyllis (such a treat) to Gordon Beirsch- and I promise you I had the most amazing salad ever.

On Saturday I meet up with them and we went to see a movie, then grabbed some lunch while Morgan did a little bit of work. Then when he was free to hang out with us we went to Red Rock Canyon and went on an AMAZING hike. It was a hike Called Calico Tanks and was considered a "Moderate" Hike- however after we finished the hike we all decided that it was definetly harder than moderate we were at times full up rock climbing. But it was so worth it at the end of the hike we got to the top and the view was amazing over the city and all the Red Rocks below. It was so beautiful to see Gods creation from that high up.

After our hike we got back in the car and drove to PF Changs for some amazing dinner. It was so great to get to have some quality time with Phyllis and Bruce- and we cant wait to see them again in June.

Sara and Karsten Visit

2009-04-06T22:16:00.000-07:00

Last week we had the great pleasure of having Sara (my sister in law) and her youngest Karsten come visit. Sara was here visiting for a girls weekend- so we had a few days with her until she relaxed with her friends and it was great. We spent the first day just hanging out and catching up- and of course watching Karsten- he is such a hoot. On Thursday we went down to the strip and just walked around and had this amazing lunch and yummy gelato- that Sara's mom treated us to. Karsten was such a trooper he just slept in his stroller when he was tired- and loved the lions at the MGM- he kept on yelling ROAR. It was so cute.

Friday Sara and I went shopping and man- i got us so lost in Vegas- one day Morgan and I really need to break down and get a GPS. But Sara was such a great sport. We eventually got to the Outlet mall and had a blast finding bargins.

Karsten will be 2 in July and just is hilarous- Sara and I are convinced that he would love being an only child- but with two older siblings and 1 on the way- he will just have to be okay with sharing the love.

He kept calling me "Friend" which just cracked us up. If I was driving and he want my attention he would just yell "FRIEND" and then point out the window to whatever it was that he wanted to show me- it kept us laughing everytime. Karsten is still Cuddily though and loves to be held- so I definetly got my fix in as his aunt.

It was so great to have family here- and see our "little" world here in Vegas. I love having Sara as a sister in law- she is just such a great friend.

Stuff that has been on my mind...

2009-03-18T22:02:00.000-07:00

A few thoughts that I have had lately and I would love to share with my blogging friends. You can think of it as a little snippet of things I have been thinking of recently: (they are totally random- and I am not a creative writer at all- so read if you wish)

1. I am super jealous of Morgan yesterday (which was st patricks day) I woke up and told Morgan dont forget to wear green today. He just smiled- he wears a green flight suit to work everyday- so no worries he didnt get pinched. For me I had to stand staring at the limited amount of clothes that I have to chose from for the next few months. Wondering why the only green shirts I packed are long sleeves and sweaters- and on a 80 degree day in Vegas this just wasnt going to cut it. Man being a girl sometimes is tough.

2. I am loving doing my photography lately- I am feeling newly inspired. I think that since I have been working at Target these past few months and I havent had a ton of time to do what I love- it makes me appreciate it even more. Dont you guys worry I will be back to a full time photographer soon.

3. A few weeks ago Morgan and I went to see Slum Dog Millionaire- (since it won so many awards.) We went to see Benjamin Button and loved it- I mean loved it. Slum Dog and BB went head to head in so many catagories and Slum Dog won most of them. So we decided to go see it and I have to say it was an amazing movie too. I still think Morgan and I liked Benjamin Button more just because it was a little more a feel good movie- which is our cup of tea- but I would recommend to anyone to see Slum Dog it is truly an artistic movie.

4. Anne totally made my day the other day she called me when driving down to Watercolor (where there beach house is) and was chatting with Gabby. She asked Gabby who went to watercolor with her last time? Gabby answered "two grandmas and two grandpas" (referring to Christmas this year). Then Anne said "What about Morgan" and Gabby answered "and NARA."

This totally made my heart smile this is the closest that Gabby has ever gotten to saying my name- and plus she remembered me! ahh I love all my neices and nephews.

5. I have been really thinking (and dreaming) about the new life that God has for Morgan and I in North Carolina. I cannot wait to get into a new home of our own, find a church and a community there. And I cannot wait to share our new adventure with each of you.

6. I am growing more in love with Morgan each day! I cant believe how amazing he is- he is handling this intensive program he is in so well. It makes me really appreciate what a calming storm he is in my life. He never gets stressed out- even when the circumstances surrounding him are stressful. Then I get stressed out about little things- and he really is leading me to trust God with all the little things in my life. He goes to work and flys in a crazy plane- and does amazing things- then he comes home and listens to me vent about how slow the ladies at the commecary are. He really is the most supportive husband a girl could ask for. I am so blessed to have my best friend also be the love of my life.

6. and last but not least- I am completely amazed at how God never ceases to provide great Christian friends for me each place we go. He provides me with opprotunities to share my faith with unbelievers while at the same time he surrounds me with AMAZING Christian friends to challenge me in living out my faith everyday.

God is Good, God is Great!

Visit to New Mexico

2009-03-15T16:46:00.000-07:00

At the beginning of last week my good friend Kate (from England) invited me to come visit her in Albuquerque New Mexico. Morgan was out of town on a little business trip so it was perfect timing for a girly get together. I flew out to New Mexico on Monday morning and left back for Vegas on Wednesday evening. It was a great trip, I had a blast catching up with Kate, and watching her son John run around everywhere.

While I was there we went on some great walks, ate at some really yummy restaurants and just caught up it was great. I am really hoping that Kate and Daves next assignment is somewhere near us- I miss seeing them everyday.

newest member of our family....

2009-03-03T18:05:00.000-08:00

On Saturday Morgan and I had such a fun day- first we went furniture browsing- just to start get an idea of what furniture costs- so that way when we move to NC this summer we can have a good idea of what we want. Plus it is something fun to do- so we went to a few shops- and then hit up a RC Willey Clearance Center that is located just minutes away from where we are living. As we walked around this store- we found a few items that we really liked- but definetly since we dont have a house here in Vegas- cannot buy. So of course we found a great leather chair- that we just fell in love with- we were bummed knowing that we couldnt take the chair home with us. But then we thought "Hmmm maybe we could take it to our hotel room and just drive the chair accross the country to NC in the summer?" So we took another walk around the store and decided that we just couldnt pass this chair by- so we bought it and put it in our room here in Vegas- and everytime I look at it- it just makes me smile- it is the newest addition of the furniture family- I cant wait to put it in the perfect room in our new house!!!

Red Rock Canyon

2009-03-01T17:29:00.001-08:00

Last weekend Morgan and I took a trip up to Red Rock Canyon here in Vegas. It is a quick 45 minute drive- and it was just splendid. We decided to a little hiking too- which was super fun. I love getting away from the base here- it does my mind good- to remeber that I will not be living in a small hotel room for ever. Plus to see Gods creation like this totally puts me in my place. We had such a great time- plus it counted for my workout for the day- so it made me even more happy!!!Here are just a few fun pictures from our great day out!!!

Valentine's Day!!!

2009-02-19T22:06:00.001-08:00

Morgan and I had an amazing Valentine's day. We spent the whole day just hanging out- no work- which a huge thing for Morgan right now with his very busy training. But it really was excatly what I needed. We woke up late- then hung out just chatting ( i love doing that.) Then we grabbed some quick lunch- and headed up to Mount Charleston to play in the snow. It was simply beautiful and was only like 45 minutes from our place here- it felt like such a retreat like we where in another world. It was an amazing drive up to the mountains and was crazy to see the terrain change from desert to snow. Morgan of course threw a ton of snow my way- and I attempted to defend myself. After a few hours of having fun in the snow we went home- got dressed up for dinner and a show. We went to see Cirque Du Soleil Mystere with a few of our friends out here. It was an amazing show- and by far my favorite Vegas Cirque show I have seen out here. The Trapeze act was absolutely amazing.

We had such a great day- I love hanging out with Morgan and cant wait to finally get to have him all to my self again sometime in June.

My Mom's name is Mary Jane- so I thought this was fun!

Morgan walking through the snow!!!

First Date

2009-02-14T16:11:00.000-08:00

5 Years ago today Morgan and I went on our very first date! That's right Valentine's day was our very first date- I was away for college- and I came home to see if the sparks flew- and man they did. He took me out to a great dinner in Pensacola and then we went and hung out at the beach it was perfect. And that is how ladies and gentleman our life together first begun. I cant believe it has been that long- but at the same time I really cant imagine Morgan not being in my life- so in some ways I feel like we have been together forever. I love that!!!

Anyways here are just a few random pictures of the two of us that I found on my computer-

Hope you all have an great valentine's day- I will post more about our festivities later this week!

One of our Engagement Pictures-

New Adventure- OUCH!

2009-02-09T10:48:00.000-08:00

Wow our new life in the states has started off with a bang- we are having a blast here in Vegas. Besides the fact that Morgans training here is so intense- we have had quite a bit more down time then I thought we would have- now that may change- but until then I am loving spending some good quality time with my hubby.

Our weekends here normally consist of morgan working 6-8 hours on Saturday and Sunday- but at night we have had time to do something together or hanging out with friends here.

We have been really blessed to have some of our friends from England living out here now- Kurt and Tabitha- and we have hung out with them a ton recently- it has been such a blast.

On friday we went over to their house for dinner (tabitha is an amazing cook- and has been feeding us amazing dinners over the last month) and a movie. We watched the movie Expelled which is a documentary by Ben Stein (the science guy) on Creation vs Evolution- and it was such an eye opening movie- I thought it was great. And totally recommend that any Christian watch this movie- it will totally open your eyes.

So this is a little snipet into what our life has been like out here in Vegas so far-

but now onto the reason for this blog- CAUTION- if you dont like seeing yucky pictures of stiches you may not want to scroll down.

For my time out here in Vegas I decided to get a job- just to keep myself busy on a somewhat regular basis (dont you guys worry I am totally still doing my photography gig and have a ton of weddings to shoot in 2009)

So I had a hard time finding a job since the economy is so out of sorts- but luckily they are opening a new Target here in Vegas- and I got hired to head up the Photo lab in that store. I am super excited about it and hopefully it will keep me busy and I can meet a few new friends in the mean time too!

So last tuesday I was working at the new target (which is not open yet) and they had me go over to Target Cafe for a few hours- and needless to say I was over there for an hour and in that short period of time I managed to cut my self pretty bad while slicing some bread. A lot of blood and 9 stiches later- my left hand is recovering.

I have pretty limited use of my hand (so if you get any emails from me in all caps you will know why) but hopefully in a few weeks these stiches will be out and I will be back to normal.

I am just so thankful that I didnt lose any range of motion in my thumb- and that after a few days of being layed out in the bed I am otherwise back to life as normal.

I am just one accident prone girl- and dont you worry they will not be putting me in Target Cafe anymore!!!

(I tried to make an ouch- face but i am not that great of an actress- so thats why my facial expression looks so funny!!! )

Proud to be an American

2009-01-28T21:52:00.000-08:00

I am thankful beyond words for the time we spent in England- it will always hold a special place in my heart. We moved to England as newlyweds, I had no clue about the military and had only a few military friends. After three years of living there- Morgan and I grew so much in our relationship, meet some of the most amazing people (whom I know I will be friends with forever), and were able to visit so much of Gods amazing world.
I am so thankful for the time we spent in England because it made me appreciate the American lifestyle that I love so much. It makes me appreciate what our Military members do for us everyday- that I took so much for granted before.
It is funny how when you are taken away from home- how much you appreciate it on the other side- and for this I am so grateful for the time we spent in England. It helped me to fall in love with the United States all over again.
Our time in England at times went by so slowly but now as I look back on it- I can’t believe we do not live there anymore.
I am posting a few pictures from some of our favorite parts of England.

Here are a few things that I love about living in the Grand US of A
1. Watching Grey’s Anatomy live and not having to buy it on ITunes
2. Washer’s and Dryers that only take a half an hour each load (in England it took me 8 hours to do one load- now I had a crazy W&D most of my friends who lived in England did not have this problem)
3. Getting to listen to Country and Christian Radio Stations (growing up in the south- I never liked country music- then after living in England for a few years I was driving and a country song- that Morgan added came on the radio- and I just started belting it out-ever since I have loved Country music- it just feels like home.)
4. Getting to call my friends and family whenever I want- I missed this so much
5. Having people actually call us- In England we always had to call people so it is so nice to have my phone ring now.
6. Watching episodes of TV I missed online- Technology is awesome.
7. Going to see Movies- (I love to see movies and it was just so expensive to see movies in England-) some of my favorite movies I have seen recently is Benjamin Button, Twilight (was so much better the second time for me), and Definance.
8. Shopping!!! – Which you can do in England I just couldn’t afford it
9. Interstates
10. Beautiful weather- Las Vegas has been very nice to us so far- it has been in the 60s for the past few weeks and has just been gorgeous
These are just a few reasons why we are loving being home- the US has never felt more like home to us.

We just love these two....

2009-01-21T22:15:00.000-08:00

Anne just emailed me some pictures she took of Morgan and I with Emmy and Gabby this Christmas- and I just love all of the pictures she sent me.

I love being around Gabby and Emmy so much- and I am so thankful that we get to see them so often- we are so blessed to have these two little rays of joy in our lives.

Of course here is just another proof that Gabby is obsessed with her Uncle Morgan- I love it.

I love the pictures of me and Emmy because I have a few of me with Gabby doing the same thing- when she was around the same age- so fun.

Anyways I am off to bed- I will try to post more soon about our Vegas adventures!

Vegas Baby!!!

2009-01-11T21:27:00.000-08:00

Morgan and I are now officially in Vegas- we had a great few weeks with our family and friends- and are excited about our next little adventure in Las Vegas.
Here’s a picture of me in a shirt Anne gave me for Christmas- Thanks Anne!!!

(I put two of the pictures on here- because one of the pictures you really couldnt see my shirt- but the other one Morgans head got cut off- so you get two for the price of one)

Tom Cruise Wannabes

2009-01-11T21:13:00.000-08:00

I was going to email this out to everyone- but I hardly ever read forwards- and thought that I would just post it on here instead. (please do not take this personally if you like forwards I am just not a huge fan of them in general.)
This story makes me proud to be an American and super embarrased for the poor guy who was so ignorant. This story made me laugh and made me cry- so believe me read the whole thing- it is worth it. I would also like to thank Carrie who is the one who sent this email to me- It is hands down the best forward I have ever read....

"Noise Complaint at Luke AFB, AZ
Luke AFB is west of Phoenix and is rapidly being surrounded bycivilization that complains about the noise from the base and itsplanes, forgetting that it was there long before they were.
A certain lieutenant colonel at Luke AFB deserves a big pat on the back.Apparently, an individual who lives somewhere near Luke AFB wrote thelocal paper complaining about a group of F-16s that disturbed their dayat the mall. When that individual read the response from a Luke AFBofficer, it must have stung quite a bit.
The complaint:
Question of the day for Luke Air Force Base: Whom do we thank for the morning air show? Last Wednesday, at precisely 9:11 a.m, a tightformation of four F-16 jets made a low pass over Arrowhead Mall,continuing west over Bell Road at approximately 500 feet.
Imagine our good fortune! Do the 'Tom Cruise-wannabes' feel we need thiswake-up call, or were they trying to impress the cashiers at Mervyn'searly bird special? Any response would be appreciated.'
The response:
Regarding 'A wake-up call from Luke's jets' (Letters, Thursday):
On June 15, at precisely 9:12 a.m., a perfectly timed four-ship fly-byof F-16s from the 63rd Fighter Squadron at Luke Air Force Base flew overthe grave of Capt. Jeremy Fresques. Capt. Fresques was an Air Forceofficer who was previously stationed at Luke Air Force Base and waskilled in Iraq on May 30, Memorial Day.
At 9 a.m. on June 15, his family and friends gathered at SunlandMemorial Park in Sun City to mourn the loss of a husband, son andfriend. Based on the letter writer's recount of the fly-by, and becauseof the jet noise, I'm sure you didn't hear the 21-gun salute, theplaying of Taps, or my words to the widow and parents of Capt. Fresquesas I gave them their son's flag on behalf of the President of the UnitedStates and all those veterans and servicemen and women who understandthe sacrifices they have endured.
A four-ship fly-by is a display of respect the Air Force gives to thosewho give their lives in defense of freedom. We are professionalaviators and take our jobs seriously, and on June 15 what the letterwriter witnessed was four officers lining up to pay their ultimaterespects.
The letter writer asks, 'Whom do we thank for the morning air show?' The56th Fighter Wing will make the call for you, and forward your thanks tothe widow and parents of Capt. Fresques, and thank them for you, for itwas in their honor that my pilots flew the most honorable formation oftheir lives.
Only 2 defining forces have ever offered to die for you..... JesusChrist and the American Soldier. One died for your soul and liberty; theother for your natural freedom.
signed) Lt. Col. Grant L. Rosensteel, Jr. USAF"

New Years In Seattle

2009-01-06T08:40:00.000-08:00

We got the great pleasure to spend New Years this year with the West Coast side of our family this year. We flew up to Portland spend one night with Phyllis and Bruce- then all 4 of us drove the next day to Seattle to spend a few days with Kristin and Don, and Brandon and Sara- and their three little ones. We had such a great time hanging out with them- and seeing all of our nieces and nephews- they have just grown so much in the last year it is just so fun to see. On New Year’s Eve we headed up north to go sledding for the day and it was so much fun. Kaden, McKenna and Karsten were just so cute in their snow gear- and they were so courageous down the hill. That night we had a great Christmas dinner that Krisitn and Sara cooked- which was so yummy. After dinner we opened our Christmas Presents all together and it was so fun with the kids. Then we reigned in the new year by just hanging out and talking. It was great to get to spend some quality time with Morgan’s Brother and Sister and their families. I am just so blessed that all of Morgan’s family is great and so easy to get along with. I love them all and cherish their friendships a ton.
On New Year’s Day we did a little photo shoot with Brandon and Sara and their kids and then did a little retail therapy and then that afternoon we drove back to Portland for the night- before our big drive out to Vegas!!!!

Our Nephew Kaden All of us Girls- Sara, McKenna, Phyllis, Me and Kristin

Mckenna and Me

Morgan, Kristin and Brandon

Christmas in Watercolor

2009-01-01T10:54:00.000-08:00

Morgan and I got to spend Christmas in Watercolor this year. It was just perfect. Anne’s Mom and Dad own a beach house out there so we celbrated with them, Anne’s sister Mary, Anne, Derek and Gabby and Emmy. We also got to spend it with both of our parents too. It was just so fun. We played tons of games- rode bikes down the streets of Watercolor, and Seaside, hung out at the beach, and just enjoyed talking to each other and enjoying the warm weather.
On Christmas Eve we all got dressed up and went to Christmas Eve service at the Seaside Chapel. Then we had a great dinner, and played Dirty Santa (or White Elephant- whichever you may call it)- and it was absolutely hilarious.
The next morning we woke up had some great Crepes that Mary made and then opened our stockings and then presents. The Stockings were so fun- we had everyone bring everyone something- so it was so fun to see all the neat and funny things people brought. I got some of the coolest stocking gifts!!! It was so fun to watch Gabby open presents too- she is very appreciative of any gift she gets- even clothes- which is so fun. Emmy unfortunately was asleep during the whole time we opened presents- but I am sure next year she will be so much fun.
Unfortunately we all got some kind of 24 hour bug that took out a few people each day and by the end of the week 6 out of the 11 of us had been sick one of the days.
But we knew from the previous people that had it that by the next day you would feel better- which was nice to know.
Gabby just like last time loves her Uncle Morgan- she just kept on pointing at him and telling him to come sit next to her- it was precious. Emmy is getting so big- and is so happy most of the time. She is such a smiley baby- and continually made us all laugh.
I already cannot wait until the next time we are with them all again.

All of us on Christmas morning

Gabby trying to make everyone smile!!!

Me and My mom in our matching PJs
Everyone's fun stockings
My Parents all dressed up on Christmas day!
Me, Anne and Emmy
Me and My silly Hubby!
Matt, Liz and I on Christmas Eve- Eve ( notice I am trying to be tall like them!)