Yosemite Adventure!

I loved the I also really enjoyed Mariposa Grove which is where all the talk sequoias are. We saw the We went to Yosemite national park!!

It was the most beautiful and peaceful experience of our lives. We went to mirror lake which was Kenny's favorite because you could see the reflection of the mountains and trees in the lake. During the warmer months when the lake is dry it's known as Mirror Meadow. 

We hiked up to Taft Point which was on the Glacier Point trail. 

The first days hike was a bit hard. :) but the views were worth it. 

We hiked to Yosemite Falls which was beautiful 

The hike to Mirror Lake was gorgeous. We crossed the shallow part of the lake and just took in the beauty. You can see the reflection next to Ken. 

We also hiked the Mariposa Groce Trail which is where the tall sequoia trees are. 

On our last day we walked the Wawona Meadow trail.

On our way to the airport we saw a fire. Turns out a woman was lost and scared so she started the fire to get help.

Overall it was a super fun trip. Very peaceful very relaxing and a lot of fun. :) we are lucky we got see one of Americas Most Beautiful Places.

Quaint visit to Swiss Village USA

For Memorial Day weekend we went to New Glarus WI. My parents always wanted to go and we have heard great things about this tourist town. In college, my best friend introduced me to Spotted Cow beer which is brewed in this adorable little town. My parents were interested in seeing th Swiss Heritage and Ken wanted to go and see the New Glarus Brewery as he is interested in brewing his own. The brewery tour was self guided and we were able to do a tasting of beers. Our favorites were Moon Man, Spotted Cow and Two Women. Ken asked a lot of questions and I saw a lot of equipment that was familiar to me as I work in a manufacturing plant.

We stayed at Chalet Landhaus which is mountain style hotel that matched perfectly with the town's theme. It looks exactly like the places I stayed in when I went to camp in the mountain town of Zakopane, Poland. The Chalet had a hot tub, pool, steam room and sauna.

We went to town and checked out the Music Fest that was going on. We loved all the cute shops especially the blumgarten which was a garden shop with the most beautiful and expensive pots!

On Sunday we went to the Swiss church that had been there since the 1800s. We went to brewery, on a nature hike and out to dinner a few times. We will definitely go back again. Everyone had a good time and we couldn't believe how close it was and how easy of a drive it was to get there.

Buddy Ted

Whoever said that diamonds are a girls best friend never owned a dog. My heart is so full of love for my rescue dog, Buddy Ted that it could explode. About two weeks ago we looked at petfinder just to see what was out there. Ken fell in love with a 95 lb yellow lab named Buddy. 

There are two yellow labs in our neighborhood that Kenny admired and always referred to them as Ted (since we didn't know their names and per Kenny they both looked they should be named Ted). We decided to learn more about Buddy and liked everything we heard. He's good with other dogs and cats, his previous owners moved to California and couldn't take him with. Buddy was being fostered by a really nice family in Bloomington. On Wednesday we went up to meet him, by 9pm that night he was home with us. ❤️

Buddy was supposed to be Ken's dog but he took to me and I took to him. we go on two walks a day, we play tug of war and I brush him. He loves getting scratched and brushed. Kenny will wrestle with him. I feel extremely lucky and blessed. In the last few days Buddy has brought me so much joy and that joy is pouring out into other aspects of my life.

We changed his name from Buddy to Buddy Ted as Kenny wanted a lab named Ted. The man that fostered him was also named Ted so it was fate. 

I love this text message thread because well... He misses mom. 

We walked across the blacktop to sawgrass kennels. Earlier that morning we met Bub, a four year old yellow lab at the park. His owners own the kennel so we went to visit the other doggies and kitties. When we go on our summer trips we will kennel him there. We plan to take him on walks there so he can get used to it. 

He loves to play tug of war and is extremely strong. I want to get him a harness so I can have a better handle on him when we walk. He is also older so I don't want to strain his neck. He is sweet, fairly obedient, kind, he doesn't jump, knows to stay in his area and doesn't bark. 

He loves to sit in the yard, he's got such an inviting smile and he loves us to pieces. We love him too.

❤️home is where the dog is❤️

Countdown to Yosemite

In June we are heading out west to Yosemite National Park. We have been doing our research and getting ourselves prepared for the long hikes. Ken says I am treating this trip like we are going on a safari, I think it's better to be safe than sorry.

We have been doing on walks in our neighborhood breaking in our hiking shoes.

We went off the beaten path and found this little crossing. I tried to convince Ken to cross the stream, but it was a no go! 

After our walks we like to inventory our yard and see how all the flowers are doing that we bought last weekend are doing. Our peonies have not bloomed but our sunflowers are doing good.

We are looking forward to what else 2915 has in store for us. I have to say so far I think 2015 has been the best year yet!

Five questions to ask yourself

It has been a long time since we have blogged. Over the weekend I watched a movie where a girl starts her own blog and I thought now is a good time to start back into it again... So here we go!

I was reading this month's Shape Magazine and there was an article about the five key questions to ask yourself. 

1. How would I want people to describe me?

Upbeat, loving, empathetic and kind. 

2. What legacy do I hope to leave?

This is an easy question! Ken and I always joke about the kind of grandparents we will be. We always say we want to be grandparents which is so funny but if you knew Kenny you would know he is a grandpa trapped in a younger man's body. I would love to leave a legacy of many children and even more grandchildren. As an only child I don't have much history or family. I would love to leave a legacy as a great matriarch for the family. 

3. What makes me feel happiest or the most fulfilled?

This is a tougher question. I like when Ken and I are "in the moment" enjoying the exact present moment. This weekend we did a lot of yard work beautifying and personalizing our space. 

 The weekend ended with us just being "in the moment" enjoying the view. I would say that is when I feel the happiest and most fulfilled.

4. Why do these things matter?

They matter because it is what I choose to do with myself, the impact (hopefully as positive as possible) I make on this earth. These things are always mine. Things no one else can duplicate or take. They are what I love the most.

5. How do I define success?

Immediately when I think of success I think of work. My mom is such a great example of hard work and providing for your family. As much as I hate to admit it, she passed that to me. I take a lot of pride in what I do at work as it impacts anyone who takes our medicines. Success in the workplace is defined by the company reaching its goals as a whole more so than the success of one individual.

However, I realize there is a lot more to life than work. Success in life is the "little moments", that is something my husband has taught me. Those are the things I don't have pictures of, or souvenirs from, they are the things heap happiness in my heart and make my soul sing. 

xx💋💋! 

Wedding season

Busy day today getting exciting for Kevin and Sarah's wedding. We have three weddings this summer and that is the one we are most looking forward to (by far!!). We also are excited to go to sea world this summer in San Diego! I can't believe that the wedding is in two months. Time flies :)

Ken got an iPhone

Let the excitement begin!!! He has been downloading apps and getting himself situated.