The Cape and Canada

Hey Friends!! I'm finally on the Cape finishing up wedding plans and getting excited for the big day. Less than a month away! AND I get to see Matt again in 18 days! I tell ya, those days can't go by fast enough.

I got to the Cape about a week ago after an incredible trip to Canada! I just had the best time up there. Our family is so blessed to have the cottage available to visit as a vacation spot. It is hard to describe how special that place is. I got to spend some time swimming and kayaking in the river, plus I was able to fish, didn't catch much, just a small bass one night, which was let go. I took walks along the railroad tracks (the train wasn't running this year, though I guess a bear was out and about somewhere, found that one out at the end of the week...), I went on some really great runs up in Gatineau Park, oh! and played some fun games of tennis with my Aunt! I love that the atmosphere up there lends itself to being able to do a lot of fun, active things, but also do a lot of restful things (reading, playing cards, and sunbathing were my favorites). Of all the places I've been able to visit in the world, that little place up in Canada is pretty high on my list of favorites!

After Canada was the drive down Boston, I stayed with my Nana and Papa, and took the test for my personal training certification. I'm happy to report that I passed with no problem and now am a NASM certified personal trainer! Yay! I now have a nationally recognized certification. Before I just had a certification for the facility I was training in. It feels good to be done with all the studying and anxiety of the big test.

After the test I drove down to the Cape and have been here for the past week. I have definitely gotten a lot of wedding related stuff done, and just have the small stuff to finish up. I've been been able to join the local gym for the month and have been having fun doing strength training, working on the cardio machines, and going to classes, plus I joined the women's tennis league. Today was my first day to play with the ladies, and man oh man was I nervous. I'm am not terribly skilled at the game, I've only just started to play and have had no formal lessons. I feel really bad because I actually look like I should be good... you know long arms, long legs, sort of athletic... then I play... and reality hits. Anyways, playing today was actually pretty fun, I played doubles and I was really afraid of making people mad, but the ladies I ended up with were so kind and patient, and I actually was able to make some pretty good shots. Of course I made some pretty terrible ones too (I'm still cringing about the ball that hit the lamp at the top of the dome, higher up than I care to elaborate on!). Alright, enough tennis antics, I am now inspired to go out and practice my serve.

Sorry for such a long update, hope I didn't bore you too much! Til next time!

I also meant...

to mention the Olympics in the last post. I have had so much fun watching them so far, I'm becoming a little addicted, at least in that I like to have the TV tuned in to the games, even if I'm not sitting down watching them!

Last night's Men's 4 X 100m Freestyle Relay was pretty incredible, I feel priviledged to have been able to witness it! I feel like a dork because it put me in tears watching it. I don't really cry all that often over regular things, but when it invloves sports the tears seem to well up quite a bit! Even movies, I've seen some sad movies in my time that probably SHOULD have made me cry, one movie though I remember watching that really did make me cry a ton was the Prefontane movie...hmmm. A little odd I know.

Just been hanging out

The time is winding down for me here in MO. I have had a wonderful time hanging out with my parents and getting to visit with my sister and the kiddo's often. I'm going to miss them a ton after I leave at the end of this week.

What's coming up over this next month and a half you might ask? Tomorrow I'm heading down to Arkansas to visit with Matt's Mom and Grandmother. I figured I was just a state away I couldn't pass up the opportunity to get down there, Matt will definitely be missed, but that is ok, our time apart is only another month and and two weeks, we can do it!

After Arkansas I'll be back here in MO for a day to celebrate my dad's birthday, then, off to Canada for a week! I'm SO EXCITED about spending some time there. My grandparents have a cottage up there and usually family comes up all summer long to visit the beautiful area. I will try to take some pictures so I can share about the trip, even though that is not my speciality, I will try.

Then...it's off to the Cape! I will spend four weeks there before the wedding, just getting ready. I don't have a ton to do. It's been nice that I've been able to do a lot of stuff online and on the phone, but there are just some things I do need to be there for. Besides it's a great excuse to spend some extended time on the Cape before the wedding! It brings me back to my college years when I spent every summer out there and had a fabulous time! I can't wait to see everyone when they come out for the wedding!

Matt has been doing pretty good, though it remains tough to be apart. I just miss him too much, sometimes it feels overwhelming how much I miss him! Anyways, he has been working (doing a great job I might add) on the house (painting and fixing things) and on the Porsche, he been keeping it maintained and in good working order... there have been a few hiccups, but that is all part of the learning process! I think he's also been enjoying the Wii he got for his birthday last month, so between that and work, he is keeping busy. I feel bad that I've been able to keep myself busy this summer planning trips and visiting people, and he has just been going to work day in and day out. The summer time has flown by for me, but I don't think it's gone as fast for him. I'm glad it's almost over though. Finally!

Alright, I've got quite a bit of stuff I have to get started on here for my day! Sorry about no pictures in this one! I'll try, to take some for the next post!

California Bridal Shower

Yea, Yea, Yea, long time, no post. I know. Sorry. Things have been busy!

I am back in the states after the most wonderful trip to Germany. I absolutely can't wait to get back there!

Right after I got back from Germany I was off to Southern California (Redlands, to be exact) with my Mom and Sister. Some friends of Matt's mom were throwing a bridal shower for me. It was really a wonderful time and I was just so blown away and grateful for everything, it was amazing and my Mom, Sister, and I loved it! Here are some fun pics to share from the shower!



My sister (Erica) and sister to be (Katie)!!



Yummy food and drink!




My good friend Julie got to join us!!


Opening Gifts!!

Opening a very special gift from future Mom (Susanne), she put together a wedding chest that included everything a bride needs (something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue, and a sixpence for my shoe!).

What a fun and special memory. Made even better with my Mom and Sister, it meant so much to me that they were able to be there!

A great visit!

Well, Matt and I's time together is winding down, I'm flying back to the states tomorrow. We have had a wonderful time and I hate to be leaving, but it helps to know that the next time we see each other will be close to the wedding. Both of us are SO READY for that time to get here!

We've been able to get a lot of stuff done over the last couple of weeks. We did some work outside, bought a couple of things for the house, and basically organized stuff. I absolutely love the house! Matt did a wonderful job finding this place, we get to live in a nice spacious place, in an incredibly beautiful town and I am SO HAPPY with it!

The first day I got to Germany, we decided to take a picnic lunch out to the farm lands. It was great we just walked around the corner, down a walking path, and then we were at this cute little picnic spot, and the scenery was beautiful!

We were able to squeeze in a little getaway as well, we drove down to the Black Forest and stayed at a really sweet little hotel right on a beautiful lake, we really only spent one day away but boy did we fill up that day with fun stuff. After a yummy German breakfast we started the morning walking into town and rented a little row boat, then we walked around the town for a little bit, after that we walked back out to our hotel, grabbed our swim suits and spent a couple of hours sitting out in the sun and swimming (the lake was a little to cold for my taste, but there was a pool there as well).

After swimming we jumped into the Porsche and had an awesome drive all through the Black Forest, just imagine winding roads, not to many cars, and beautiful scenery. It was a blast.

Here are some pics from the trip!

Oh yeah!

I meant to share some fun pics from the end of the year banquet for the rowers.

They decided to decorate my car for the trip to MO! Obviously they went with the "wedding" theme!

I had to laugh when they chose black and white to write with. Last year when they "decorated" my car they used blue and red, and you can still see little specks of blue and red on parts of my roof (if you look really hard)! I gave them a hard time about it a lot! But, it is a lovely reminder of my darling girls!

Can you believe it!!

I get to go to Germany.... on Sunday!! Matt saw an opportunity yesterday, so we decided to take it! I CAN'T WAIT!! I honestly was not expecting to be able to see Matt until the week before the wedding, this is just an awesome treat. We will definitely check in with everyone while I'm there. It looks like I'll be there for just over two weeks.

In other news...

Everything went great getting out to Missouri. Total time was 17 hours, and I decided to push it and do it all in one day, I couldn't believe I was able to do it, I was completely awake the ENTIRE drive, no sleepiness at all. Which, if you ask Matt is nothing short of a miracle, since I tend to be a pretty sleepy person in general!

So far Missouri has been great! I've made it out to the golf course twice this week, I had a sleep over with my sister, nephew, and niece once (so much fun!), and I've been able to scope out some good runs in the area. There is one 2 mi loop, one 4.5 mi loop, and one 13 mi loop. I probably won't get to the 13 mi one for a couple more weeks (I still need to get a little more comfortable at higher mileage again); BUT my goal is to get in some of those long loops while I'm out here; I'll let you know how it goes when I run the first long one!

Now I'm off to pack and get ready to head over to beautiful Germany! So excited.