Colorado.

Although I grew up in Texas, went to school in Maine, and now live in Virginia, there is something about Colorado that will always feel like home. I do not know if it is the serenity I gain from the mountains, the animals all around or the people that make it such a special place for me. It is probably a combination of all of these things in addition to the fond childhood memories I have vacationing there. I have lived in various parts of the state for the past seven years and never thought I would leave. As I have mentioned before here and here, I have been having a blast on this new adventure but I would be lying through my teeth if I said I did not miss my western paradise.

It has been almost nine months and finally I am returning this weekend. I can not wait to visit all of my friends and my family!! My sister and brother are still there. Sometimes I feel as though they are a limb that was amputated when I moved, they are both so special to me as are so many other friends in Colorado.

I am beyond excited for a long weekend filled with laughter, happiness, adventure, and whiskey. There will probably be whiskey. 

What are you up to this weekend?

Home.

We have officially been east coasters for 6 months now. Although I am no stranger to change or spontaneous decisions, this was a big one for me. Moving to Richmond, after only visiting for two short trips might seem like a crazy idea but I figured "hey, why not?" I'm not sure I am quite prepared to say it has been the BEST decision of my life but I do think it was a pretty good one. 

I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss the mountains or my friends and family back in Colorado but exploring this new area has been a grand adventure. Tyler & I have loved the different environment here and have been able to experience the beautiful seasons. (excited for spring!) We are so close to the mountains  hills to the west of us, we have even got a decent amount of ski days in and we are equally close to the beach on the other side. 

I have loved being closer to his sisters and family, being a part of his niece's growth is so special and I cant wait to welcome the new little one in March!

After 6 short months, I am really feeling settled here. This adventure has drawn us closer as a couple and a family but at the end of the day, all that really matters is that we are together!

beaches.

tales from a recent trip to OBX:

 

Instalately.

1. I love exploring new towns with my favorite boys, Cash & Tyler!! We recently took a trip to Moab, UT, check it out here. 

2. There has been incredibly too much snow here recently!! Is it spring yet!?!?!?

3. Here is a taste of some a amazing shots I took while in Moab, and this was one was just with my phone!!! Refer to number one for the real deal!!

4. I LOVE OYSTERS! I had so much fun forcing my sister to eat them for the first time!! Load it up on crackers and hot sauce, yummmmmmm!!!

5. The other day my friend stopped by with his brand new puppy, Snickers!! What a cutie!!! The Cash Man loved playing with him!!!

6. This weekend Tyler and I participated in an awesome highway clean up! We picked up trash for three hours and then were treated to this amazing mountainside barbecue with live music and incredibly delicious food, not your average grill out people!! I had beet and kale salad, tabbouleh, sweet potatoes and a world class veggie burger! Oh and Bonus: we won a $25 gift card in the raffle! what what!!!

7. My little Mogelsby loves to climb on top of my bed frame. (I think she just wants away from Cash)

8. This picture cracks me up!!! I cant tell if his expression is "Im so excited I dont know what to do!?!?!" or "You better start running because Im coming after you with my chainsaw" 

9. A bunch of my friends and I got a little tipsy on closing day and ended up at Hibachi!! needless to stay, we were definitely the rowdiest table there!!!

Thats all for now folks!

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Sister.

I am the proud product of a blended family. Like many people this day and age, my parents divorced when I was very young. However, my story is not a sad one. Through divorce and remarriage, I have gained the best family in the world. I feel so lucky and fortunate. I am very close with my stepmom and my stepdad as well as all five of my step siblings. But this post is not about all of those bananas.

It is about one banana in particular, my step sister, Jourdan.

Jourdan is my best friend, my sister, my everything. Although technically we are "step" sisters, there is actually no "step" about it. We fight like sisters, we play like sisters, and we love like sisters. I met Jourdan when I was eight, she was seven. We shared a room that we painted purple and green, with cherries on the door. I have so many fond memories of that room and the time we spent playing with her overhead projector (yea, that's right, be jealous ), choreographing dances to Lou Bega's Mambo No. 5, and arguing so intensely so that she would be in our room on AIM and I would be in the kitchen. Oh the glorious days of AIM!

Since the time of our adolescent misadventures, Jourdan and I have been through so much together. We are as close as they come. When I think about the best times of my life, she is a part of almost every one. We have road-tripped across the country (multiple times). We have had some of the best dance parties in the world. We have laughed and cried for hours and then some. We have been to NOLA, Vegas, and moved to Vail together. Pretty much think of any cliche "best friends" activities and we've been there,done that, trust me!

Long story short, I can not express to you just how much Jourdan and mys relationship truly means to me. She is such a beautiful soul and I am blessed to have her in my life.She has the heart of Mother Teresa, the mind of Andy Warhol, and the looks of Scarlett Johansen. 

Here is a glimpse at just some of the fun times we have had together!

1. Graduation Day 2. Franti Kisses 3. I just love you, Man! 4. Salt 'n' Pepa 5. That's whats up! 6. Mardi Gras boobies!! 7. Big Bird & Oscar the Grouch 8. Cant get enough 9. Closing day festivities

Also, as I mentioned before, Jourdan and I are kind of Dance Party Queens. I mean we once were called Abba. And we partied with Britney Spears!! So if you don't get the picture already, just know that we are pretty widely known as "fun machines"!! Here are some of our go to songs when we want to get the party started!!

Salt N Pepa - "Aint None of Your Business

Sophie Ellis Bextor - "Murder on the Dancefloor"

Willow Smith - "Whip my Hair"

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros - "Home"

Elizabeth Cook - "El Camino"

Kanye - "The New Workout Plan"

Nicki Minaj - "Super Bass"

Grace Potter - "Paris"

Scarlett Johanssen & Pete Yorn - "Relator"

Cupid - "Cupid Shuffle"

Grits - "Ooh Aah"

Florence and the Machine - "Dog Days are Over"

I hope all of you have a relationship in your life that is as special to me as mine and Jourdan's is! 

I love you Jourdie!

phun.

{just a random fun photo strip for your saturday pleasure}

All Dogs Go To Heaven.

So I have known since starting this blog that in order to let my readers get to know me a bit more, I am going to have to do a post about my late dog, Koda. I have not known however, when the appropriate time would come. Well this morning, I received some sad news that led me to believe today is the day.

Let me digress, my next door neighbor's dog's name is Mr. Briggsy. Mr. Briggsy was the sweetest, most well behaved gentle sole. He went everywhere with Greg. I loved having the opportunity to dog sit him and walk him as often as possible while mourning the loss of my dear friend Koda Bear. He really helped me through that difficult time. This morning I ran into my neighbor and he gave me some heart wrenching news. Last week, out of the blue, Mr. Briggsy got cancer and passed away. I instantly started crying. (I am one of those people that almost gets more sad when animals die than people) I know from recent experience, just how difficult it is to lose your four legged best friend!! Here is a picture of Mr. Briggsy cuddling with my kitten, Moglie.



{Briggsy & Moglie}



{Koda Bear}

Okay, so without further ado, Koda.
Almost nine years ago, I was driving down the street in Denver and happen to see this nappy wolf looking thing wandering on the side of the road. I pulled over and approached him and I noticed he had a collar on. I called the number on the tag only to find a disconnected line. He seemed so scared and sweet and helpless. He hopped in my car without any hesitation and we drove straight to the nearest vet. They found that he had been microchipped and tried to contact Koda's registered owners. He was about three years old. They told me that if I wanted to keep him I could and if they could still not contact his "owners" after three weeks, I could officially adopt Koda and register my information to the microchip.
I guess I just had a gut feeling that this poor soul had been abandoned. It seemed as though he had been on his own for quite some time. I took him to the groomer, who shaved him in order to rectify the disgusting situation which was his dreddy, matted fur. And then we went to the pet store and stocked up on supplies. I spent what seemed like a small fortune on him. My roommate and friends thought I must be out of my gourd to do all this for a dog, I didn't even know if I could keep. But I knew. I just somehow knew that Koda would be my mine forever.
The first few months with Koda were difficult. I had never known a dog like him. He was terrified, unaffectionate, and distant. Not at all like the silly labs I had always grown up with. He spent most of the time hiding in my closet. There was a part of me that feared we would never be connected but still I knew I could never abandon him like his previous owners.
Slowly, with persistent love and care, Koda started to come around. Within a year, we were inseparable. Koda came everywhere with me. He was my sidekick. He became the mascot for the store I was working in at the time. He always rode shotgun as we ran errands. We spent countless hours playing at the dog park. No matter what we were doing, he was always by my side.
Despite his size and intimidating looks, Koda couldn't have hurt a fly. He would let children and small dogs alike tug on his fur and play with his bushy tail until their hearts content. He was without a doubt the most mellow dog I have ever met.
Over the past year or so, he had really started to slow down. He wasn't bolting through the trees quite as quickly on our hikes or diving into the rivers with the same bounce. I took him to the vet as a precautionary measure, they said he was in good shape and overall physical health for his age. About a month later, I went out of town for a friends wedding. The day after I returned, June 7, 2012, was one of the worst days of my life. I had gone to bed around 10pm and Tyler stayed up. He was outside talking to the neighbor when Koda stumbled outside. Tyler came rushing in and woke me up telling me "there is something wrong with Koda" At first I thought he was joking, and as he persisted, I realized that i should probably get out of bed. When I did, Koda was still laying outside, he couldn't move and his eyes were black. I had never seen anything like it and I knew something was really wrong. We carried him inside where he just laid in my arms, gave me a kiss and then stopped breathing. It all happened so fast. I was hysterical. I had never experienced a loss quite like this.
I still mourn Koda's death every day. I miss him so much, more than anyone will ever truly know. He meant the world to me and always will. Looking back, I am grateful for how it happened. I am grateful for not having to put him down, but for the fact the died in my arms, and peacefully. I take comfort in knowing that he is now frolicking in doggie heaven alongside Mr. Briggsy, Buster, Samy, Artie, and all of our other dear pets that have passed. I am confident that he is smiling, and running, and chasing squirrels until his hearts content.
Koda Bear, I love you and I miss You.

 Tell me about all of your pets, past and present! I love love love to hear about what four legged friends mean the most to you!!



Fam Bam Thank you Ma'am!

***Skiing w/ Jay, Christy, & Kenny***

***Lila Ann***

***Uncle Tyler***

Ty's Fam is IN the Mountains!! 

I had a blast this weekend spending time with my fabulous boyfriend's Parents, Sister, Brother in Law & of course lovely little Lila lady!! We got to ski a little bit, chill a little bit and just hang out spending some quality bonding time!

I feel so lucky actually enjoy my better half's family!! I can't wait to see them all again at little sis Kelley's wedding this summer in Virginia!!

Thanks Krazy Kraft's for a fun few days!!