Weekend Learnings

Good day and happy June! 

This is going to be a crazy month and I don’t even know what to be the most excited about. If I had to choose right now what’s the best it’s being one month closer to Melissa’s mid-July visit (ahhhhh!!!). Blogger date to the max! 

If this weekend is an indicator of the good things to come then I’m pretty dang excited about it. I continue to fill my heart’s lil’ love tank with all of the things that matter most - like family, friends and time well spent on myself. 

Since school's almost out for all the kiddo's I must share what I learned this weekend with Katie!

+ Saturday I went for a run (less than a mile) to the park to see if I could do pull-ups. What I learned was that I can jump up then do one additional - but after that I’m spent.

+ The park is a great place on a sunny day to do a circuit workout because when you’re taking selfie breaks you can people watch.

+ Road trips to weddings are great sister bonding opportunities.

+ My favorite weekend activity has quickly become sitting out in the driveway with a book, music and a smoothie.

+ Writing the week’s posts on the weekend is also my new jam - this weekend the flow happened while driving south to my beautiful cousin’s wedding.

+ When in doubt, always instagram a puppy photo.

+ Always always always take allergy medication June through August. No exceptions.

 I’m one week older and one week smarter - what about you guys?

Wedding Weekend

Thank you for sticking with me this week. It's been a long one. #TWSS

From the start of the work week where Dan and I didn't arrive into PDX until 2:30am Monday, to going cross-eyed over spreadsheets Monday and Tuesday, confidently delivering my beautiful work on Wednesday and some defending of my numbers today - I'm so thrilled that it's Friday.

Let's talk about how my weekend was where I finally got to Meet the Parents and a few other special members of Dan's family!

Friday was a wild and crazy day at work and I did everything possible to get out of the building before noon so that I'd be able to connect with mom and make my flight. With a lightly packed gym bag and fully charged electronics I stepped onto the plane and took a nap instantly. Before I knew it I was in Texas for my layover and had already sat down to enjoy the sweet taste of victory for my successful Quarter.

I made it into Nashville just before midnight on Friday where Dan escorted me back to our hotel in Kentucky to a King size bed that has us wanting to make a purchase soon. We made a pit stop for a quick snack and since we were somewhere foreign Dan insisted that White Castle was the only place we could go.., so obviously there's no photo evidence of what we actually ordered and consumed. #Faturday

The very next morning came early as we were woken with an invite to breakfast, at which I immediately jumped out of bed and into get-ready-to-impress mode for the first meeting in person. Holding Dan's hand as we approached the restaurant, I instantly felt a calm aura when I saw Dan's mom, dad and sister in the hotel lobby. Before I knew it I was meeting aunts and uncles from Chicago and Switzerland, bridesmaids and former neighbors. I hadn't even finished my first cup of coffee yet!

After passing through the first round of interviews, Dan and I went on an errand run to find him razors and the finishing touches on the gift we got for the bride and groom.  Exhausted and a little taken aback by the humidity, Dan and I both took the afternoon calm to catch a quick nap.

Like magic, I was soon dressed, in the chapel and witnessing this beautiful lady walking down the aisle. Her parents gave her away in front of family and friends while shutter clicks could be heard from all around the chapel.

These are not my photos. I was too busy admiring her dress and dreaming about my own aisle moment.

Following the wedding, we took our time to get back to the reception hall for a wonderful meal and a night full of dancing. Once I dined and was ready to get my man out on the floor, we danced the night away and had everyone in the room thinking that we'd taken lessons together. From there we laughed, I made new facebook friends, I even grabbed the microphone when the timing was right and had family members asking Dan "Where did she come from?"

Sunday morning came too soon and we said our goodbyes at the Louisville airport. Once we were through security we treated ourselves to "two means four" whiskey orders to celebrate a successful first meeting of hopefully many. Other airport antics included planks, walking around, delay after delay and finally coming home to my amazing parents who picked us up at 2:30 in the morning with the golden sisters - and with a special made lunch in hand.

Such a wonderful weekend, thank you for a wonderful time Dan and family! Congrats, Emily!

Throwback Thursday: Meeting the Parents

I can't believe that it happened so quickly, but it's May 30th and in two days I get to finally meet Dan's family.

Dan's already been in Chicago for a week and has been doing everything from meals with family members to golfing daily with friends (big surprise!). Originally the master scheme was to leave Portland together over Memorial Day weekend and get the grand tour, but the timing wasn't in my favor with the end of our fiscal year this week. The trip to Chicago is postponed and rather I head to Bowling Green, Kentucky tomorrow - the location of Dan's little sister's wedding.

Yikes - meeting the family at a wedding! I know, I'm a little nervous too! 

I joke, I'm probably not as nervous as the normal girlfriend should be for the occasion. I've had the pleasure of loyal readership and email correspondence with Dan's mom, while I've overheard the jovial voice of Dan's dad when they're on the phone together bantering about everything sports, cars, motorcycles and action movies. 

It's a little crazy for me to think of all the time Dan's spent with my family and how often I've had to sit back and read mom and dad's facial expressions depending on what was coming out of Dan's mouth. Remember the flower incident, Dan? Now it will be fun to witness him with that feeling. He will have to make sure that I'm keeping in line, not doing my infamous nervous jabber and most importantly that I don't drink too much and take over the microphone at the reception in front of the guests. Kidding, but seriously.

An extremely rewarding part about the trip will be leaving work in the middle of the day tomorrow to catch my flight - the perfect way to wrap up the past three months of the most demanding and exhilarating work of my life.

Today's Throwback Thursday is brought to you by a girl who knew the importance of packing light, dressing for the destination and posing with confidence:

See you soon, baby!