Quick New York Sneak Peek

It was wonderful.

I can't wait to go back.

I will write the entire story soon.

I promise. 

Making An Appearance

Some little person decided this morning that today (or tomorrow) is the day they are going to come join the family! I am now camped out by my phone awaiting updates as my sister becomes a momma once again! SO SO excited for this chapter of my life and to meet this little one! I'll keep you all posted as soon as I hear something more! Prayers for a healthy baby and mom!

The Waiting Game

There are a lot of statistics out there on how much the average person spends waiting. Waiting for the elevator, the bus, their computer to start up, to cross the street, for their latte, at the airport, for a proposal, for a baby, for a promotion, for a phone call...and you get the picture here. I have read everything from you spend 45 minutes a day waiting to 3 hours depending on how you define "waiting". Normally I don't notice the daily "waiting" that occurs. I tend to simply budget in the time into the activity and just accept it as part of the deal. Lately, I have been an Impatient Ingrid and am antsy about some of those things I mentioned in my post about making a paperchain.

My sister's due date was yesterday, and while I am sure she is becoming much more impatient than I can even imagine, I am ready for that baby!! I have been waking up in the morning and the first thought is "Did I sleep through my phone ringing?!? Did she go into labor?! Is the baby here?!". When my nephew was born, I remember sitting at work and not being able to focus on anything. I finally just had to put my head in my hands and wait for a text/phone call/email to let me know that another member of the clan had entered the world. I am fairly certain I am going to have to go take a walk this time when I get the phone call that says that this baby is on the way. I am excited. Thrilled! To have TWO little people who I get to be an Aunt to. It is a huge honor. It also makes me so excited to get home soon to see my family. I know that my sister is going to need some rest and probably some "me time" so hopefully I can entertain Wyatt for part of the days so she can have a few days without both bebes (and hopefully not bring anymore stress to the adjustment period). I am already planning popsicle making, arts & crafts projects, walks, bike rides, and anything else that kid wants to do with his Auntie. I am also excited to hold a little baby, take in the sweet smell, tiny hands and feet, precious nose and cheeks. Sigh.

Waiting. It is torturous sometimes.

Luckily I have NEW YORK to look forward to and that alone has my excited to no end. It is daunting trying to narrow down how to spend my few days up there. Where to eat, what to see, what to do! This trip seems to be a long time in the making and I am so excited the bf is taking me (and not just bringing me a card like what happened on a notorious valentine's day weekend in a past life) and he gets to be who I experience my first NEW YORK experience with.

Five other (pleasant) things (since waiting isn't always a bad thing) I am waiting for:

1. The last Twilight movie
2. Kate Middleton to be pregnant
3. Boise to get a PaperSource so I can move and work there (just kidding! Or not.)
4. This dress to go on sale at Nordstrom
5. To go see this art installation at the Hirshhorn some evening

What are you all waiting for these days? How much time do you think we spend waiting?

Never to Early to Start Thinking About 26

Or maybe it is.

26 is right around the corner for me. Gulp. Seeing these numbers tick away each year is certainly a bit terrifying but thrilling at the same time. To start off this years thoughts on being another year older, I will share some of my (extravagant) and (not expecting) mixed with the more practical birthday gifts! (Always fun for a girl to dream!)

So me and Kate. We are tight. She designs. I lust. It is a good relationship. This bag is no exception.

here

Kelle Hampton is one of my favorite bloggers and I can't wait to get my hands on this book she just published.

And for something to read this new book on. And to blog with. To fly with. To entertain myself with on lazy Saturdays. I will say this... I still really really really want an iPad.

In CO this winter I skied on the Volkl Kenjas one day. Ask the bf...I would hardly take them off at the end of the day. They were a really fun ski and I would love to have a new pair of skis (particularly if getting off this coast happens in the next year!)

I would love a mico lens for my camera that I got last year. My lens purchase/gift for Turkey was the best thing I could have spent money on and I would love to keep building  the number of lenses I have over the years.

Martha Stewart Glitter Paint. I have a lot of projects I want to do with this stuff! Did you know you can put it on glass, dishwasher and drinking safe?! I would be making every one's Christmas gifts this year with this!

For now...I think that will do. Now to go panic that I don't own any metaphorical big girl pants for the big 2-6!

Some thoughts on Love.

Being an adult is confusing. Perplexing. Thrilling and terrifying at the same time. There are days where I wonder what ever happened in my life that granted me the authority to make a string of biggirldecisions in a day based upon my "experience" and "desires". I constantly struggle to feel that I have any clue about what I am doing in my life.

But even bigger than that right now the thought weighing on my heart and mind has been this concept of loving someone. Family. Friends. Siblings. Significant Others.


You have to really trust these people. While I am sure no one really knows what they are doing and what direction they are going in, it forces you to rely even more in the thought that the people you share your heart with are going to do everything in their power to treat it with the best of intentions. Certainly people are going to mess up, make wrong turns. Without a doubt this is going to happen- and forgiving and understanding is necessary in love and any relationship. But how do you know that someone who is holding your heart will attempt to act with the best of intentions?


Simple answer: You don't.


So you rely on patterns of behavior that demonstrate that their bumbling and fumbling through life is happening with the best of intentions not only for themselves, but in relation to you and the part of your life you have entrusted in them. In return, you have to be aware that your actions and patterns of behavior are also demonstrating your level of care and concern for their well-being.


It's scary and crazy daunting to think about.

But doctors-- they take that Hippocratic Oath where they pledge to do as little harm as possible in the treatment of patients (drastically paraphrased). What do the people you share your heart with sign on to? What oath or promises do they make that demonstrates their good faith effort to keep your heart as safe as possible and treated with only the best intentions?

You throw in marriage and a wedding as symbols of this dedication and promise, and at its face value this is a giant proclaimation from both parties. But I feel like this idea of trusting someone to include you in their stumbling towards their future and dreams-- is much more important and a foundation that has to be there before a wedding. I am sure all you married people out there can speak much more eloquently to this as I am strictly observing this from someone who is in a relationship but not married.

So building this foundation- It's a two fold effort. You seek these patterns in people to see how they could act, and then you seek a verbal affirmation of what you observe (or what you hope to observe).

Love. It is entrusting someone with everything that makes you you. It is being trusted. Proving you are worth that trust and in return asking them to prove it back.
 __________________

I promise I will now resume back to the Turkey Trip recap and be done with the self-analyzing post. Thanks for hanging in there....if you made it to the end!

Happy Easter Weekend

Well this is a bit belated but...Happy Easter Weekend everyone! I hope that you all got to enjoy treasured moments with friends and family and to share in the joy of such a special day.

Holidays, as I have learned in being far away from the people who I love to celebrate with, are all about creating what you want out of them.Growing up my mom made every holiday completely special and memorable. From decorations, to meals, to gifts, to photos--she really went out of her way to make sure holidays always were special. My family is also big on certain traditions. We always dyed Easter eggs as a family and I always enjoyed seeing the different kits we would get each year. Living on my own, and clear on the wrong side of the country I have tried my best to keep up with the egg dying. Last year I missed the eggs. But the year before Ben and I did some pretty awesome eggs. My first year in DC was another good egg dying year as well. Complete with using natural ingredients like wine as dye!

This year, I decided to take a solo Saturday night to make some eggcelent creations! I only did a dozen eggs this year (6 for me and 6 for my protein needing bf) and my level of Martha Stewartness caused this process to take over 2.5 hours to do just 12 eggs! I even ditched my complicated idea to make some eggs based on some things I found on Pintrest!

Sunday morning I woke up, met the bf and we walked down to meet Ben to head to a Methodist church near my old apartment. The scene at church was crazy! Straight up Royal Wedding style with women rocking fascinators, men in an array of pastels and little kids decked to the nines. The service was pretty good. Now let me tell you what really rocked our worlds....iPads in the church. Yes. iPADS!! The pastor had to swipe and enter a password to read his sermon. We were all a little taken back by 1) the thought that church money was spent on iPads and 2) Isn't the Bible what you should read scripture from? We were laughing and couldn't help but talk about it for the rest of the day.

After church we headed to Starbucks and enjoyed some sunshine and coffee before walking home. Before heading over to Ben's for an Easter linner the bf and I exchanged Easter Bags. I got spoiled with my favorite candy in the entire world (Nerds Ropes), lots of candy, cute cupcake/muffin holders, cupcake liners AND being the best bf ever....he got me the third book to the Hunger Games. (But I can't read it until I am caught up on my studying for my PHR class...he is making sure of that!)

The rest of the evening was spent hanging out, watching Mad Men and making chocolate mouse from scratch!

Hope you all had wonderful a wonderful Easter and a great start to your week!

Paper Chains

via

I am counting down the days to a few major events. Which is probably one of the things keeping me moving forward right now. DC life is proving to still be rather tough and challenging these days and I am in much  need of a break from the city, my job, and my shoe box of an apartment (that I love- but sometimes just reminds me of a lot of my frustrations of living here).

I may need to attempt to make a really pretty paper chain like the one above! Not sure my paper punch I have is that talented, but it would be cool to have something that pretty to count down the days to some milestones, deadlines, travel plans and exciting things coming up.

Here are some of the upcoming life happenings I am anxiously anticipating:

• April 11- Due Date of my newest Niece or Nephew! (I can't wait to be an Aunt again and to see Wyatt become a big brother)
• April 20- Heading to New York for my first time ever with the bf! I can't wait to experience this city for the first time!
• April 26- Last day of PHR prep class. Scary because that means my studying then becomes my responsibility and the test isn't far away. But will be nice to have my Thursday evenings back and to have gone through the biggest part of the test prep process.
• May 3- Leaving for Seattle for Brooke and Keene's Wedding. I can not wait to share this day with them and also have a few days in Seattle (I can realllllly use them right now) with my friends. AND the bf is going to come with me, so I am going to get to show him Seattle how I remember it.
• May 5- Flying to Boise from Seattle to see my family and meet the latest addition. BF is already joking how I may need a tracking device and shocker collar to ensure I get back on the plane to come to DC (the odd are not ever in DC's favor right now (some hunger games for you)).
• May 31- My Birthday. Eek! Not sure how I feel about this one. 25 was supposed to be a big year. Or always seemed like it would be a big year when I was growing up and thinking about 25. If anything- I feel like it slipped away while I struggled to really enjoy yet another year here in DC. Hopefully with the acquisition of my PHR and some big girl decisions I will have a better year as 26.

I am really fortunate to have all these great things to look forward to! I can not even start to describe how excited I am for my family and my sister to have her second baby. Wyatt has been such a blessing and has revealed to me a love I had not experienced before. I know he is going to be a great big brother and my sister will continue to be an amazing mom.

If anyone has any suggestions for my much anticipated trip to NY I would love to hear them! Today I have been pouring through the travel book I was given and I am just so overwhelmed with all the things to do and see.