Keeping up with Nicolie

Happy, Happy New Year!

2011-01-13T12:15:00.014-06:00

I had great intentions of posting this in January when I started, however, I was waiting on pictures... so here we are in April and I am just now wishing you all a Happy New Year and still picture-less... those will come soon. I tend to be a part time blogger but that is soon to change, hopefully starting today! A friend of mine found a website that prints blog pages into a book with each post, comment and picture. It is such a neat idea and is the perfect way to document our life on a yearly basis. A way for us to look back and reflect year to year and one day share with our children. In the next few weeks I am going to 'catch up' and post pictures of the bachelorette party, wedding, honeymoon ect and then continue to post our current events so I can print my first book at the end of 2011! I will put a link on my page so you can check out the website if you are interested in having a book made as well. So here goes my January post, about 3 months delayed. OOPS!

Happy New Year! I can't believe we are already half way into the first month of the year and I'm going on two months of being a new wife! Things sure have slowed down since the wedding... something Aaron and I had been looking forward to. I spent my entire day off yesterday snuggled up with the dogs reading a book on the couch by a cozy fire. I can't remember the last day I was able to completely relax at home, it was wonderful! December was truly a magical month for us filled with love, joy, family and friends. During the beginning stages of planning the wedding I was nervous choosing a date so close to the holidays but it ended working out perfectly. I am a girl who loves her holidays so having our wedding so close to Thanksgiving and Christmas made the holidays that much more special for us. The wedding was everything I ever dreamed it would be. One of the most special parts of our wedding was all of the family and friends who came to Texas to celebrate with us. Aaron's Uncle Tommy and Aunt Kathi came all the way from Belize, Doug and Rita and about 25 other family members flew in from my home state in Washington - I'll always be so thankful and appreciative of our family for doing that, it was the icing on the cake so to speak! We honeymooned in Cabo San Lucas. Perfect weather and so much fun. We spent a stress free week relaxing by the pool, boating, meeting people (mostly from Canada which I loved) and of course eating! Oh and I can't forget the jelly fish sting on my face while snorkeling. Aaron said it looked like someone stamped my forehead with a bright red question mark, attractive! After Cabo it was Christmastime and then on to the New Year. We spent Christmas sharing time with both of our families and New Year's Eve with a group of our best friends. It was a perfect ending to an amazing year and a really special month. Throughout December I remember feeling an overwhelming sense of love, blessings and thankfulness, it was more than I could have expected or asked for. I have to end this post with a special thank you to my mom who put so much of her love and heart into making everything perfect for Aaron and I. We were both a little nervous that we would butt heads during the planning process because we are so much alike but we got by with very few disagreements at all. Tears were another story... and yes, we are so much alike in that way too. We could barely get through putting our wedding music together without tissues and tears, every time we talked about how blessed we are to have Aaron in our lives ended in tears as well. We cried picturing what the day would be like and again when our family arrived but strangely enough we got through the ceremony and reception dry eyed. I think we were all cried out! I talked to my mom today and she said when she plays our wedding CD it still makes her cry. Mom, you have always been my rock and I love and look up to you so much. Thank you for everything you do and for your unconditional love. Nicolie

Meet Kaiser

2010-06-15T15:11:00.012-05:00

Our new 'guard' dog. Pretty scary...

Marlie has had this concerned look on her face

since Kaiser moved in. When he isn't napping

she is parked on one of us a safety precaution.

They are already so bonded. Pretty sure Kai

could take or leave me but he follows Aaron

everywhere.

Dinner time.

Kaiser and one of the girls whizzing by...

And our family keeps growing... Last Wednesday Aaron and I brought home 'little' Kaiser. He is an 8 week old German Shepherd puppy. He is little for him but huge compared to Mia and Marlie. Marlie is 7 month old and 5lbs... Kai is already 16lbs!

When Aaron brought up the idea of getting another dog I must have looked at him like he had lost his mind but after a week of working on me and doing all of the chores around the house I finally caved. Aaron wanted a big dog that he could train and that would 'look after the house'. I am pretty sure he was feeling out numbered between Mia, Marlie and me. So far Kaiser has been nearly a perfect puppy. He is easy going and has been a breeze to train. As for Mia and Marlie's opinion of him, I am not sure they have warmed up to him just yet. Mia (queen bee) pays no attention to him and Marlie is terrified of him until dinner time and then she growls at him any time he gets near her food OR his. Marlie is in for a BIG surprise in the coming months :)

2010-05-28T23:31:00.020-05:00

Bougainvillea

How cute are these lil guys?

Aaron's Grandad made this swing for our house.
It's so beautiful and means so much to us!

Planning our wedding has been tons of fun and one of the best parts has been spending so much time with mom. She took the day off today and we had a great time. We started out looking for invitations, then had a yummy lunch at Mijo's and ended at Greens and Lowes. I've never taken much interest in yard work beyond riding Dad's mower when I was a kid, I think pulling weeds topped the list of my least favorite chores. We shopped for flowers, garden tools, garden gloves, mulch ect (needed all the basics.) Today was likely the hottest day we've had in Texas this year but it was well worth the sweat. I think I saw the thermometer hit 96! I still have a ways to go but our yard is really starting to come to life and my tan isn't too shabby for May :)

Thanks Mom for all of your help and thanks Grandad Thomas for our new swing!

Vist to Puerto Rico

2010-05-25T15:34:00.021-05:00

Here are pictures of our vacation last week in Puerto Rico with Lee, Lana & Maya. We had a wonderful visit. Our trip was totally relaxing and the first time for Aaron and I to go to the beach together. Aaron was loving being a beach bum and I fell in love with the Puerto Rican rice & beans, oh and the plantains too! YUMMY!

Thank you Lee and Lana for being such great hosts!

Lana's backyard & view from her balcony.

Maya's 1st birthday is right around the corner!

Maya and Lana.

Aaron adores this little love bug!

Such happy campers!

XOXO

Soon to be married :)

Lana & Keycole (Maya's name for me)

Sushi on our last night, Puerto Rican style.

Aaron and I at El San Juan Hotel. Beautiful hotel!

We played Roulette and cleaned up! Pretty good

for two non gamblers :)

Forever and Ever, Amen

2010-04-25T15:25:00.010-05:00

You've all probably heard Randy Travis' song Forever and Ever, Amen (if not turn your volume up). I have always liked this song but it has special meaning to me lately. Shortly after Aaron & I said I love you for the first time he sent a text that read, "I love you... forever and ever, amen." Having a 'song' may be a little cheesey but what the heck! Everytime I hear it it puts me in a great mood. Now we say this to each other often and it is going to be sprinkled throughout our wedding. I have a feeling that the saying/song will stick with us for a long, long time. Hopefully forever :)

Who needs Happily Ever After when you have Forever and Ever, Amen?!

Thankful

2010-03-24T10:32:00.008-05:00

Lately I have had an overwhelming feeling of thanfulness. I look around at all of the amazing and wonderful things going on in my life and lives of those I love and can't help but feel blessed beyond words. As our wedding gets closer I realize just how lucky I am to have met and fell in love with Aaron, he is more than I could have ever asked for and I am so grateful to soon be a part of his family. Pretty soon I will have the sisters I always wanted growing up. If you know Andrea and Ali you know I got pretty lucky in the sister-in-law department. Same goes for Aaron's parents and grandparents. Aaron has all 4 of his grandparents close by, he feels very fortunate for this and so do I. I miss all of my family in Washington very much, so being surrounded by new family sure is a blessing! I can't wait to have everyone altogether for our wedding!!

2010 has brought many new blessings to our closest friends as well... Tracy had great news after meeting her Oncologist and is heading off to Hawaii where her and Eric were married to celebrate their anniversary. Roy & Krystal found out that they are pregnant with their first little angel and are due the day after my birthday (October 12th). I am hoping she delivers one day early ;) Last but not least, Dustin and Kacey are pregnant! After 3 years of trying for a baby they conceived after their first round of IVF. It was a long journey but ultimately strengthened their faith and proved that nothing is too hard for God! Please pray for healthy pregnancys for both Krystal and Kacey. In the next few weeks we found out if they are having boys/girls and Kacey will find out if she is having one or two!

Marlie and Mia

2010-03-02T15:26:00.014-06:00

The girls playing in the snow...

Mean Marlie :)

Car ride - check out those ears!

First bath

Marlie is doing great and adusting really well to her new home... cute as can be too! Her first month home I was convinced she was Dachshund/Chiuaua mix because of her size (she is still teeney tiny) and her funny ears (they stick straight up in the air). The vet swears she is all Dachshund but said he has never seen one with ears like her's. Either way we love her the same! Aaron calls her his dog, carries her all over and kisses her non stop! (SHH! I am not supposed to tell anyone that) She has been a breeze to potty train and doesn't bark at all, keeping my fingers crossed! Marlie gets along great with Mia and Mia is happy to have a playmate. I just love my girls!

Let the Wedding Planning Begin!

2010-02-06T01:37:00.002-06:00

http://www.piazzainthevillage.com/

Mark your calendars... our official date has been set for December 3, 2010. I suppose this is the unofficial 'save the date'. We chose to have our wedding at the Piazza in Colleyville. The venue is exactly what I was looking for. Simple, beautiful, neutral colors and all inclusive. I toured the Piazza this past summer and immediately fell in love with the chapel, it is gorgeous! Mom suggested I look around once we were engaged to make sure I wasn't missing anything and have regrets later. We checked out several other venues in January and none compared to the Piazza. This past Friday Aaron and I took our mom's to book our date... we are so excited! Sweet Aaron took all of us ladies to lunch afterward, it was a great day! I thought planning a wedding would be more stressful but in a month's time I have already found my dress and chosen the venue. I hope to get most of the planning done early so that I am not in wedding planning mode all year.

Supper Sisters

2010-01-12T17:25:00.016-06:00

Last night the Supper Sisters celebrated Tracy's birthday at Yucatan Taco Stand in Fort Worth. Happy birthday Tracy! Great atmosphere and fantastic food. I highly recommend it if you haven't been... the only two things missing were our Sisters Erika and Ashley. Erika recently moved to Wichita, KS to be with her fiance Thomas. We couldn't be happier for those too but of course missed having her with us! Our very accident prone Ashley, was on a walk and was knocked down by one of her dogs. Our poor girl suffered a concussion from her fall! Her CAT scan came back normal but she has a "killer headache" and is home resting. Get well Ash!

So what is Supper Sisters all about? Our dear friend Tracy is a Breast Cancer survivor and had been in remission for four years. Last September she found out her Cancer spread to her bones, in the areas of her lower back and upper spine. Shortly after this news a group of her close friends decided to take her to dinner to cheer her up and get her mind off of everything that was going on. We took her to Cantina Laredo in Fort Worth and had such a fabulous time that we decided to make our dinners a regular outing. As we were leaving I jokingly suggested we give our new dinner dates a name. Sarah, the comedian of the group, threw out Supper Sisters making us all crack up. Needless to say the name stuck. The Supper Sisters now meet for dinner regularly, always Mexican food and a different place each time.

Back to Tracy. Immediately after finding out the Cancer returned she started treatment to fight back. She completed 30 days of Radiation and continues to have monthly bone strengthening treatments. Fortunately this helped with the pain she was experiencing in her lower back almost immediately. In February she will have another bone scan. Our hopes and prayers are that the Radiation did it's job and she will not need more treatments or Chemotherapy anytime soon. Tracy will live with Cancer for the rest of her life. Tracy is THE strongest person I know. Amazingly the only work that she missed was doctor ordered so that she could heal and recover after having her ovaries removed. The purpose of this surgery was to help stop Cancer from spreading to other areas of her body. In the midst of surgery and treatments Tracy finished #1 in sales for that quarter! (Tracy works with me at History Maker Homes) and finished among the top 3 in sales for 2009, AMAZING! Tracy tried really hard to convince me not to share her accomplishments because it was "embarrassing". I apologized to her but told her I had to brag on her a little bit! Those are things I love about her, she is so humble and also very stubborn, and yes, I love that too. Tracy is not only one of my very best friends but she is also my hero. Tracy and Eric are blessed with great friends and wonderful family to love and support them through the tough times. Please continue to pray for them as they fight this battle.

Meet Marlie

2010-01-05T16:57:00.017-06:00

Miss Marlie

These lil fatties were born a week later and they
are more than twice her size!
(pics were taken same day)

Eric loved this funny little guy.

Eric & Tracy came to see the puppies too!

I have been around dachshunds all my life and am crazy about them! Dad and mom still have sweet and (very) old Steffie but when I moved out several years ago they wouldn't let me take her with. I got Mia, 3 years ago and recently decided she needed a playmate. Aaron suggested a lab, I suggested a dachshund. In effort to be fair I agreed to get another breed but after being around Mia Aaron has fallen in love with her so... we are bringing home Marlie in the next couple of weeks! Marlie is a teeney, tiny black & tan short haired mini. When I say tiny I mean TINY! She is half the size of the litter that was born a week after her. They weigh in at 2.5lbs and she is just a little over 1lb! The breeder took her to the vet for a wellness check out of concern that she may have growth or developmental problems. Fortunately she reported back that Marlie checked out just fine, she is just a little bitty girl :)

The Proposal - The Short, Sweet Version

2010-01-03T21:15:00.023-06:00

The morning after the proposal we drove back out to the spot and had coffee. Then I made Aaron do a reinactment :)

New Year's Eve day Aaron and I drove with Dustin and Kacey to West Texas to ring in the New Year at the Eddleman's ranch with a big group of friends. We arrived in the afternoon and started cooking, playing games and visiting with friends. Just before dark Aaron asked me to go with him up to Bob Town, a beautiful spot that overlooks the rest of the ranch. When we got there a fire was burning just at the edge of the cliff. We sat by the fire and talked about what an amazing year we have shared together. I stood up to warm my hands by the fire and when I turned around he was down on one knee and asked me to 'please, please' marry him! The moment couldn't have been more perfect, it was just like I always dreamed it would be. There was a lot of laughing and hugging on the ride back, I think we were both a little bit speechless! All of our friends were in on the secret so by the time we arrived back to the barn they were there waiting to congratulate us. We opened the barn door to tons of cameras flashing, lots of hugs and our song playing... probably the song you are listening to right now if your speakers are turned up (by Keith Whitely).

It was an awesome day and we were so happy to celebrate with our friends while welcoming 2010 as a newly engaged couple! I guess this means it is time to start planning a wedding... YIKES!

What a year!

2009-12-30T14:48:00.037-06:00

Dakota Grace born November 28th

1st Christmas at the new house!

Millennium Park in Chicago with Dustin & KC

Sarah, Nic, Tracy ready to hit the slopes!

Angel Fire, NM

My birthday dinner at Blackfinn

Aaron at Deception Pass - WA

Mom and I at Jef and Sara's Reception

Aaron and I with Maya Nicole Major

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! As most of you know I have very exciting news to share! Aaron proposed on New Year's Eve! It's official, we are ENGAGED! We spent the holiday with a group of great friends at the Eddleman's ranch in West Texas. 'The Ranch' is one of our favorite places to relax and spend time with friends.

Beyond getting engaged 2009 was such an exciting year. Aaron and I started building our first home in June and closed October 15th. It was an awesome experience and we feel very blessed! In January I went skiing in Angel Fire, NM with some of my best friends. While we were there Chadd and Tracy both celebrated their birthdays and I skied BLUES... a big deal if you have ever seen me on any form of skiis! In May, Aaron and I traveled to Chicago with our friends Kacey and Dustin for Aaron's 29th birthday to see the Eagles in concert. While we were there we sat next to Justin Timberlake at a famous pizza joint called Giordanos, pretty cool! In August we flew back home to Washington for my cousin Daryl's wedding to his beautiful wife Danielle. Aaron was able to meet some of my family and see what Washington state is all about. It's no suprise that he loved it. We took a ferry ride to the islands, hung out downtown Seattle, ate tons of seafood, explored Deception Pass and had a great time at Daryl's wedding. The weather was perfect! Our last vaca of the year was to Broken Bow, OK over Labor Day weekend. What a beautiful place! A group of 12 of us rented a cabin and spent much of the time boating on lake Broken Bow Lake. We hope to make it an annual trip.

Some of the best moments the year were shared with our friends during special moments in their lives. Pete & Ashley were married in Vegas and bought their first house this Spring, Ainsley Elise celebrated her very first birthday, Erika & Thomas were engaged on June 20th the same day Lana went into labor and delivered sweet Maya Nicole. Jef & Sara were married in November and are expecting a little girl next year! Chris & Lauren had baby Phoenix in August, Chadd & Sarah had Dakota Grace two days after Thanksgiving, James & Haven delivered Zeypher at the end of November and Dan & Heather were married just two weeks ago. Wow, what a year! I can't wait to see all that 2010 has in store!