New Blog...

Nate and I got married on June 16th, 2012.  We decided to join blogs and start a new one!  Follow our newlywed adventures here.

Bachelorette Party...

Booze.  Barbeque.  Strippers.  Craziness.  A hangover.  Yes, we had all of these things at my bachelorette party... well, variations of it.

Back in March, my sisters threw me the best bachelorette party a girl could ask for.  It all started when we checked into a hotel in Denver, just the four of us.


Booze: We were just in time for "happy hour" where we loaded up on Shirley Temples, Root Beers, Diet Pepsis, popcorn, apples, and pita chips!  We sat around in the lobby and lost ourselves in each other's company.  No babies or boys, just straight up girl talk.

Barbeque: After "cocktails", my sisters took me to one of my favorite restaurants... Grand Lux Cafe!  We enjoyed appetizers and dessert out on the patio.  I was beyond full, but it was so incredibly good.
  

Strippers: Okay, we didn't have strippers as our entertainment for the night.  We played RUMMY!!!  This card game has 7 different rounds, and we had prizes after each hand; including more fun drinks (Vitamin water, Gatorade, etc.), candy, notebooks, cute organizational clips, and gum.  (Even as I'm typing this, I know exactly what you're thinking... and yes, we're Mormon!).

Craziness: Is it illegal to be the first one asleep at your own party?  Yea, well that's exactly what happened.  After I hit the pillow, it took 2.7 seconds for me to fall deep into a bachelorette coma.

The Hangover: No hangover for the Skidmore girls, actually, the opposite!  We got up early the next morning, and went for a run!  Brook went alone, Maxene and I explored some new trails around the hotel, and Macy waddled around with her 9-month pregnant belly!  It was a gorgeous spring morning, and the perfect way to end the party.



Before we headed home, we had one more stop to get our nails done.  Massage chairs and someone else painting your toes?!?!  It doesn't get any better than that.

I absolutely adore my sisters.  They are my best friends, and I can't imagine what life would have been like without them.  This bachelorette party couldn't have been more perfect for me, and I can't thank them enough.

Sleepy Skidmores...

People are always getting on me about how tired I am, and how I can fall asleep at the drop of a hat.  These people, I won't name any names, *cough... Nate, Brook, Maxi, Macy... cough* need to be informed that my disorder is genetic.  It runs in the family, and I have the pictures to prove it.

Dad and Brock...

Brook...

Me...

Maxi...

Macy...

All four girls in the bed...

I deserve an apology.  I will not be pushed around anymore.

The question...

I'm sure it's a lot of pressure to be the boy in the relationship, especially when it comes time to ask "the question".  


Nate picked me up Monday morning, and we were off for the mountains!  On our drive up, we saw a herd of buffalo (one of my favorite animals!).  I don't think this was part of Nate's plan, but it sure made my day to get up close.

After the buffalo, we continued up Loveland Pass.  Loveland Pass is at an elevation of 11,990 feet above sea level.  This twisty road is described to be especially treacherous during the winter months (yes, including February!).  It was extremely cold; negative one to be exact.  

We got out to take some pictures,  and this picture below is perfect to help the viewer feel what we were feeling.  The many layers of clothing worn in preparation for this chilly weather didn't matter... that wind went right through.  

Nate was cute.  I got back in the truck immediately, because only idiots would take in the breath-taking view out in the cold.  Little did I know, I was ruining Nate's plan for a perfect proposal.  Thinking on his toes, he grabbed his binoculars and "spotted" some deer and elk in the distance.  Luring me back out to into the frigid weather, Nate handed me the binoculars and I searched for the four-legged mammals.  

It didn't take long before I quit my search, only to turn around and find Nate down on one knee, holding a "ring".  Eighteen months ago, Nate asked me to be his girlfriend with a ringpop.  It was only fitting that he asked me to be his wife with the same token!

With tears in his eyes, and snot running down his nose, he said the nicest things which confirmed why I want to marry him.  He pulled out the real ring, and asked me "the question"... "Baby, will you marry me?!"  Before he even finished the question, I said yes!!!!

I asked Nate to recreate the moment so that I could have a picture.  It was honestly a priceless moment.

The rest of the day was perfect.  We drove down into Breckenridge, an adorable mountain town.  We found a unique hole in the wall, and ate lunch.

We called our families, and shared the news with our friends.  I thought it was appropriate to let my family know with personalized "Talking Tom" messages.  To give you an idea, here is Brook's special announcement below...

We spent the rest of the day exploring the town, shopping, and enjoying hot drinks.  

The smile on my face as I've been writing this post is not only a reflection of the number of times I've glanced down at my ring finger as I've been typing.  The smile on my face represents how excited I am to spend not only the rest of my life, but all of eternity with Nate.  

I'm getting married.  Nate is no longer my boyfriend, he is my fiance!  

A family full of girls...

My poor dad.  Out of the five children he has, four of them are girls.  If you're feeling sorry for my dad right now, you should also show some sympathy for my brother, Brock.  A family full of girls brings drama, excessive amounts of clothes, make-up, boys, and stress.  A family full of girls is not an easy task, but my dad sure knows how to treat us.

On Christmas morning, all the girls opened up a special gift from dad... an old pair of shoes!  After we all looked at each other in pure confusion, my dad revealed the real Christmas gift.  A Girls' Day Out!!!!

This special day included shoe shopping, lunch, and a day free of boys and children (sorry, Nate!).  Nordstrom was waiting for us, but I don't think they were prepared for five Skidmore girls who were given the freedom of picking ANY pair of shoes in the place.  It was a good thing we had the whole day, because it took some people (I won't name any names) the whole day to make a decision!

My decision was easy.  I walked out of Nordstrom with a beautiful pair of Steve Madden boots.  Macy thinks they'll be perfect to do construction in, but she just doesn't understand fashion :)

Trying on shoes is exhausting!  So after we tried on all the shoes in the store, my dad treated us to Yaya's Euro Bistro.  The food was amazing, but it was mostly nice to just be with my mom and sisters to visit.  We are together all the time (a couple times a week), but there is something different about having a "girls day" where nothing else is on your agenda other than being with each other.    

This was such a special Christmas present.  Not just because I now own a pair of boots that I never would have boughten for myself, but because of the memories made while spending a priceless day with my best friends.  Thank you, dad.  I love you!!!!!

Yee-Haw...

This month's adventure included a petting zoo, the smell of manure, and men flying off the saddle.  That's right, the National Western Stock Show was in town, so we put on our boots for the rodeo!

My favorite event was the "Calf Wrestling" (I don't know the official name, but it's when the cowboys chase down a calf, jump off their horse, and tie up the calf).  

Nate's favorite was the bull riding.

Nate's secret favorite part was petting the farm animals...

Maxwell's favorite part was watching the clown hide in the barrel while the bull knocked him over!

And Zailah's favorite part was when we left the petting zoo, so that she could finally relax.

We had a blast (as usual), and we were tired cowboys as we walked out of the arena.  We didn't get to do half the activities that were available (which is pretty typical) but the rodeo was more than perfect for the two little ones.  Field trips are my favorite... 

Happy holidays...

I love the holiday season, and this year couldn't have been more perfect.  Here is a picture post of some of our holiday happenings...

Christmas was spent with a few family members missing.  Maxi, Jeff, and Lauren went to Utah; Brock, Samona, Maxwell, and Zailah were in north Denver; and Nate was in Arizona.

Maxwell, Ciara, and Zailah came over and we went sledding.  Maxwell and I made a movie of our sledding adventures!

 

New Year's Eve was a low-key night for us.  We had a "modified progressive dinner" which means appetizers in the basement, main course on the main floor, and dessert upstairs on the top floor.  We played games, and said goodbye to 2011 in the safety of our home!

The best part of living in Colorado, is being so close to my family.  It was awesome to have so much time this break to be with them.

Each one of my family members are my best friend.  I'm loving every minute of my life... even the busy, stressful parts.