From the prairie, to the mountains (and back again)

Last month, we traveled to Estes Park, CO to celebrate the marriage of my cousin and her new husband.  They had a beautiful private ceremony in RMNP, and we got to help them celebrate at a reception afterward.  We were able to stop in Denver on the way to (to visit a cousin from the other side of my family) and from (to visit a friend from college), which made the trip extra-worth-it.

The Airbnb we rented (something we had not really done before) housed us, my parents, my brother and sister-in-law and kids, my aunt and uncle and cousin, and my grandpa!  It was such a great location and came fully furnished - everyone had a bed and (mostly) their own room.  The kids got to have a big sleepover, and they did really well.  There were games and books and movies on location, a huge deck with a fire pit, and a hot tub, which the kids enjoyed in the mornings and adults took advantage of in the evening!  We took enough food to feed an army for a week, but also ordered some local pizza for one meal.  The space felt luxurious and truly could not have been better.

While there was fresh snow in the highlands, the weather where we were was perfect - we really lucked out!  During our short time there, we were able to get in a visit to RMNP, go on a couple hikes, and do a bit of shopping in downtown Estes.  I have such fond memories of several different family vacations to Estes, and it was fun to relive those a bit with my parents and brother and share it all with our kids, as well!  Bryant and I had also traveled there for our first anniversary (his first time), so it was doubly special to revisit some places we had visited on that trip with our kids on this trip.  I'll start the photo montage with some then-and-now shots. ;)

As mentioned in a recent IG/FB post, we saw a herd of elk (50+) in our backyard the first morning we were there.  We'd heard them bugling in the distance, and about a half hour after Lydia asked if they would "come out from hiding," they did.  It was truly amazing and definitely provided some early-morning entertainment for those still on CST.  ;)

One of my very favorite hikes. ♥

Uncle Quinton relived his childhood by making all the kids' off-the-trail dreams come true.

♥

If you build it (a mountain stream through a downtown district) they (kids throwing golden aspen leaves in the water) will come.

Jacob found a Junie B. Jones book on one of the bookshelves and polished it off in about an hour.

The kids had spent part of the afternoon prior to the reception practicing (and planning) their dance moves.  It was precious to watch them all together - they literally danced the night away.

Speaking of precious...this is my 89-year-old grandpa with all of his great-grandchildren.  It was wonderful to have him there and even more wonderful to get to witness this:

This trip felt different than past vacations with kids, and in a good way.  It was refreshing to travel without a lot of the baby gear we had in the past and with so many hands on deck to help with kiddos (food, entertainment, etc.).  We were blessed with good health, great travelers, and (mostly) willing hikers.

Looking forward to future trips,

Kensy  

Favorites of the day:

fall party with our sweet homeschool group

having that same group (20+ kids and 8+ adults) over to play in the leaves
(This is the before and after, but hardly does it justice - it was magical (the perfect weather didn't hurt).  A "during" picture would have shown the gigantic pile of leaves they made at the bottom of the slide, the line of kids waiting to climb the ladder to slide into it, and everyone working together to help fill the ten bags you can see in the bottom picture.)

Jacob initiating cleaning his room

(This is probably something I could write a whole other post about.  It was something I had wanted to work on together for a long time, but did not really want to force it...and was waiting till we had some solid time during a holiday break, or something.  After taking the diaper changing station off his dresser for the first time in his life, however (hooray for Lydia's potty-training really taking off), he asked if we could make some other changes.  Initially, I said we would need to wait till we had a full day, but I realized I would be silly not to capitalize on his willingness and enthusiasm, so we skipped school in favor of doing this (literally) all day.  He did not complain once and is still telling people about and wanting to show off his clean room - a huge win, all around.)

This is the "before" - the seeming-pile of cardboard is a "camper" he's been working on (and collecting pieces for) for a while.

This is "during" - we cleared out everything but the Lego table, including what was in the drawers under his bed, and he chose what to keep, throw away, and give away.  While the predominant decision was "keep" (that pile landed on our bed), he made some good decisions about things to throw away, and we put logical systems in place for when he put everything back.

"After!"
The cardboard camper is still there, but before we moved it back in, he had a taste of how much more floor space he could have, so we'll see how long it lasts.  The new orientation of Lego City (not only creating access to more of it, but also creating a "cozy corner" with easy access to all his Lego books) blew his mind most.  This reorganization has also led to him playing with toys he had likely forgotten about, because they are no longer shoved at the back of a drawer.

Our Wedding

Happy New Year!

Hope your 2015 is off to a great start - ours is!

I really can't wait to tell you all about life in KC!  But...we should probably start at the beginning...  So, as promised, I'd like to share a bit about my our wedding.  (Yes, I intentionally left that "mistake" there. One thing I'm getting used to in married life is using new pronouns:

I = We

Mine = Ours

Me = Us

Be watching for those from here on out...since this blog is now about my life that includes my husband, so therefore, it's about OUR life!   Here ends the grammar exposition.)

I'd love to share every detail and every picture and every memory from our "Big Day," but I'll save all that for the visits we get to have in person (wink, wink...the guest room is open...ahem, cough, wink)!  For now, I'll share some highlights from my perspective (and maybe get my hubby to chime in, too!).

Highlights from wedding weekend:

• lovely bachelorette party/sleepover hosted by my amazing personal attendant - complete with fuzzy socks, hot chocolate, and cozy blankets on a super cute Christmas-light-strung deck!
• seriously perfect weather (74 and sunny...at the end of October...in Nebraska...!!!)
• morning of pampering with some of my very favorite ladies
• the music - especially the a cappella verse of "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing" featuring the beautiful voices of our wedding party and guests
• dancing! - our DJ, Craig Estudillo, did a great job of making everyone feel at home on and off the dance floor.
• my dad's speech - I can't really articulate what his words (and singing) meant to me...but it was very heartfelt and meant a lot. 
• the people - family and friends traveled from near and far to help us celebrate...we couldn't have asked for more! 

AND, of course:

• marrying the amazing man God so graciously picked out to be MY husband!

Bryant's highlights:

• getting to spend time with old and new family
• spending time with "the guys" the night before the wedding (Kensy, here - They were at the coop! ☺ )
• the wonderful ceremony my then-fiancée worked so hard to set up so she could become my wife
• the music - especially the a cappella verse of "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing" featuring the beautiful voices of our wedding party and guests (Kensy, again - He said, "You can copy that one." ☺ )
• getting to marry Kensy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  (He asked for that many !'s ☺)

I know nothing and no one on this earth is perfect, but our wedding day sure seemed to come as close as it gets!

A special thanks to all who helped make it so meaningful, smooth, and wonderful!  Would especially like to thank:

• Harris Academy of the Arts - These musicians happen to be friends and former coworkers of mine...or maybe it's the other way around... ☺ Anyway, they're ultra-talented and nice and experienced and we are STILL getting compliments on their lovely playing.
• My mother-in-law (owner of GreatStitch) who not only traveled hours to be there and helped to make sure everyone was happy and healthy, but who also made this beautiful ring bearer's pillow:

The doily came from one of Bryant's grandmothers, the charms and pendants came from my two grandmothers, and his other grandmother did some hand-stitching to finish the pillow...AND his mom embroidered the back for us.  What a special piece of our day and keepsake for years to come!

• Le Cupcake - I spent some time with the owner of this lovely shop during my student teaching (before she opened the store).  We teachers always got to be her guinea pigs for all the test recipes and she even made cupcakes for my last day!  What they put together for our wedding day was so beautiful...and delicious! 
  

  

  So many yummy flavors!

  

  "The Princess Bride" themed groom's cake!

  
  
  
  
• Allison Garrett Photography - Allison is my godparents' daughter and was the flower girl in my parents' wedding...and happens to be a professional photographer!  She captured our day beautifully (check out the link to our pics - password is "berggren")!  AND I had the privilege of being a musician in HER wedding a couple weeks ago!  ☺  Here's a little taste of her work:
  
  

I could go on and on about this day.  It was truly a dream come true...and for so many reasons.  Thank you for letting me share a bit about it.  ☺  WE are so thankful for all of it...and for all of you.

Wedded blissfully,
Kensy (& Bryant)

Favorites of the day:

maple-glazed salmon and Brussels sprouts

board games

coupons

Squeaky clean!

That's me - squeaky clean, because I've had so many showers, lately!

My uncle asked my cousin if she took soap to one of my showers.

A different cousin brought a shower curtain as a gift to another.

Ha. Ha.

☺

I won't be offended if you didn't laugh at any of the puns.  And for those of you who missed it - I've been fortunate enough to be the "guest of honor" at a few wedding/bridal showers in the last couple of weeks.  I realize I've posted about these on Facebook, but I'd like to include them in this blog, as well, because it seems to have become a sort of "life book" for me, and these are an important entry in that book...and memories I want to keep fresh for a long time to come.

The first of the showers was in Lincoln and thrown by a couple dear friends from college and one of my aunts.  The theme was "All You Need Is Love," and it was such a cute, lovely, well-put-together event!  Unfortunately, I didn't get many pictures of my own of this one, but here's a taste:

No pictured: delicious snacks, cute table decorations, "date night" popsicle sticks, "Favorite Kensy Memories" cards, and a fun (and funny) "Who Said It?" game!

I got to keep the Scrabble tile sign!  My former coopmate (the creator of the sign and one of the hostesses) and I used to play Scrabble together all the time. ☺

The second shower was a pizza party couple's shower hosted by Bryant's family in Oklahoma.  We had so much fun spending time with family and friends, sampling pizza, and sharing recipes!  The decor, favors, food, etc. was all amazing.  Check it all out here!

The third was a dream come true, for me: a Pampered Chef bridal shower!  My mom has been hosting/attending Pampered Chef parties for most of my life, and I've grown up using and loving the tools.  So, it was very exciting for me when my matron of honor asked if she could throw me a Pampered Chef shower.  Again - not a lot of pictures, but be assured we had a wonderful time!

After we had some snacks and played a fun game, I got to be the demonstrator!

I'm just overwhelmed and humbled by the outpouring of love, creativity, and generosity of the host/hostesses and guests of these showers.  It all definitely filled my bucket and made me/us even more excited for our big day!

In other news, I moved almost all of my belongings to Kansas City this weekend, so...I guess that's a pretty big deal.  ; )  Big thanks to my family for helping us start to get settled!

Here we go!
P.S. The guest bed is up and ready for visitors!

I think this will be my last post as Miss Berggren.  Still working on the tie-in for bringing "The Scoop from the Coop" to you from a home that has never housed chickens, but fear not - I will continue posting as often as married life allows.

Thank you all for your shared excitement, love, and support!  It sure means a lot.

Until next time...

With much anticipation,
Miss Kensy Berggren

Favorites of the day:

Bacon Cheddar Potato Soup

wedding details & excitement

This going away/thank you gift from a family I teach:

I often reference the song "Scales & Arpeggios" from this movie, but rarely does a student actually know what I'm referring to.  There's one 3rd grade boy who was/is obsessed with this movie, though, so he picked up on the reference right away...and thought we needed a copy of our own in KC. ☺

The hard part...

Hi all,

Happy fall!  Hope this finds you all well!

My engagement post quickly climbed to the top of the page view leaderboard.  Thanks for sharing in our excitement and joy!  There are days that I think it's kinda crazy (had you told my single self a year ago that in less than twelve months I'd be nearing the end of planning my wedding, I probably wouldn't have believed it)...but more often than not, it feels totally normal and right and sensible to think about getting married in a few weeks.  Pretty sure that's how it's supposed to be.  ☺

So...with that super exciting life event comes a fairly sad and very bittersweet one: I'll be moving to Kansas City after we're married.

I can count on one hand (actually, one finger) the number of times I've relocated in my lifetime.  Yes, there was some back-and-forth from home and school and various residences during college, but nothing outside of Lincoln or Topeka.

Change, in general, is (and always has been) very hard for me.  Good change, bad change; big change, small change - it all comes with quite a bit of questioning, evaluating, and adjustment in my head and heart, no matter what.

Needless to say, the fact that I'm leaving Lincoln (and Nebraska) doesn't come without quite a bit of heartache...

God has done a big work in my heart in the months leading up to this change.  If you don't mind, I'd like to walk you through the various stages of thought I went through:

1. (digging in my heels)  No.  I'm not leaving Lincoln.  No way, no how.
2. (sad face) What if I do need to leave...?
3. Nope - not going to leave.  There are plenty of jobs for him here.
3-1/2. That's selfish of me...I shouldn't expect him to move here just because I don't want to leave.
4. We made a pro's and con's list for each place (Lincoln and KC).
5. The pro's and con's were similar, but when we put numerical values to each based on the weight they bore for each of us, we were fairly equally split.
6. Is this something we should even be considering?  How are we ever going to come to a decision?
7. KC might not be so bad...
8. No. Lincoln is better.
9. But in KC, it would be easier to put "being a wife" at the top of my list of priorities (rather than the relationships and jobs I've made a priority for the last 5 or so years post-college).
10. Nah - I could easily switch my priorities here if he moved here.  No need to leave.
11. I REALLY love this guy...nothing should and nothing will trump that.
12. Kansas City, here I come! ☺

My very wise brother told me, once, that if the people I'm saddest to leave feel the same way about me as I do them, they'll be sad for me to leave, too, but will also be supportive of and happy for me.  This is a thought I've clung to, and it has rung true as I've broken the news to the various circles I'm part of.  I can't tell you how thankful I am to have that love and support.  Even though it doesn't alleviate the sadness, it truly makes the transition much more bearable.

Cliché as it may be, Lincoln will always hold a very, very special place in my heart.  The relationships I've built, connections I've made, and opportunities I've taken advantage of while living here are invaluable.  Not to mention being able to say I've lived in a chicken coop!  ☺

(By the way - Charlie hasn't fully digested the move, yet, but I'm sure in good time he'll feel as good about it as I do (though you should know we'll be gaining two roommates - a boy and his dog!).)

Don't worry - I plan to visit a whole lot!  Who knows - maybe life will bring us back to "the good life" at some point.  ☺  (That's Nebraska slogan, by the way - "the good life.")

In the meantime, it's time to get ready to see what life in Kansas City will bring (after we take part in a wedding and head to Cancun for a week, of course).  Suggestions of things to do/see/hear/eat in KC, advice, and prayers are welcomed and appreciated!  I'm so very excited to be there...with my husband(!!!!)...starting a new chapter in life.  Wohoo!

As usual, thanks for reading.  ☺

Until next time,
Kensy

P.S. I'd also welcome suggestions/ideas as to how to tie in the "coop" part of this blog in a non-coop location.  Unfortunately, we won't be airlifting the coop to KC (ha), so I can seamlessly keep the blog title, though it's been suggested by some.  ; )

Favorites of the day:

fall

tapioca fluff pudding

my fiancé

Good tears

Hey, all!


This past weekend, I got to witness the marriage of one of my good college friends to the man of her dreams!  It was a beautiful ceremony (as were all the festivities!) - such a testament to God's faithfulness.  I was reminded of the perfect plan He has for each of us and how intently we need to trust His timing in our lives.


For me, weddings pretty much always mean tears (of joy and happiness).  This was definitely not an exception.  I hadn't had a "good cry" in awhile, so once I started, I wasn't to be stopped...for the whole weekend, it seems!  Here are most of the instances that evoked tears for me this past weekend:

• hymn/song selections before the wedding ceremony even began
• two grandsons kissing their grandmother's check after escorting her to her seat at her grandaughter's wedding
• groom seeing his stunning bride for the first time
• hymn/song selections during the ceremony
• beautifully choreographed first dance
• Maid of Honor's speech
• Best Man's speech
• various points during a Dave-Matthews-Band-centered worship service (esp. the song "He Loves Us")
• the song "I Won't Give Up" by Jason Mraz (video with a beautiful explanation of why he wrote it and a live performance - click here)
• this proposal video: click here (please watch this - soooo cool)

Such a wonderful celebration of life and love happening amongst the various tragedies/illnesses/unfortunate circumstances that have hit close to home, lately, leaves me with many more thoughts on all these situations.  We won't delve into all that, for now, though.  All I know is I am so very thankful to be so very blessed.


I haven't posted much about Charlie, recently, so for those of you who have been missing this segment of the "scoop," here you go!  (Those who could care less can skip past the pictures.)

I had just washed this (his cat carrier/time-out spot) out and was still washing the blanket that goes inside before putting the lid and door back on.

He felt the need to make use of it right at that moment, though.

Also - it was his 2nd birthday yesterday!

Typical.

Better.

No, I didn't throw him a party.  FYI - pictures in a hat was the extent of the festivities...and a "special" can of food. There were no balloons, candles, singing, etc.


Speaking of balloons - did you know the supply of helium on the earth is quickly disappearing?!  Look it up...


Tearfully (not really - it just fit the bulk of the body of this post),
Kensy

Favorites of the day:

birthday celebration staff meetings

flexibility (in scheduling, etc.)

sugar snap peas from Mom's garden

Beautiful Life

Hi there!  Hope this finds you well, staying cool, and enjoying what's left of summertime.  As promised, I'd like to share about the weekend before last, last week, and this past weekend.


One of my cousins on my dad's side got married in Denver at the end of July, and I had the privilege of playing piano for the ceremony!  It was an absolutely beautiful wedding for an even more beautiful couple!  The ceremony was in the morning and outdoors on the patio of a country club in the mountains.  The weather was gorgeous, and everything went off without a hitch!  I feel so blessed to know and be related to such an amazing couple.  They are so very much in love, and their love is Christ-centered, as was reflected in the wedding ceremony.  I'm so excited to see where God takes them in their new life together!  (I'm also excited to have a girl cousin around!)  Here are some pictures of the festivities:

Saw this guy driving across western Kansas.  Sure do wonder where he was headed...

Don't worry - this is not how I slept.

The rehearsal dinner was at one of their favorite local restaurants (that doesn't usually do large group events...but they made an exception for a couple of their favorite customers)!

They had these cool seats by the pool at the hotel.

Didn't sleep like this, either.

Wedding musicians!

Remember my post about growing up with boys?  These are some of them.  : )

: )

Told you it was beautiful!

Delicious cupcakes!

The bride and groom!

They choreographed their first dance - so cute!

Saw these rain showers across western Kansas on the way home.  We never got a sprinkle.

I had to book it back to Lincoln, because our "term" at the studio where I teach lessons began on August 1st.  So, last week was a little crazy, because I have 30+ students this year - many of which are new, but coming from previous teachers.  These first few weeks are going to be spent getting to know how each other work, and for me, getting used to the new schedule.  Yes, I'm still working my other jobs, which is proving to be a little stressful while I still have extra, time-sensitive librarian responsibilities due to the summer municipal band concerts, but it's all under control.  : )  Needless to say, though, I was ready for the weekend, because...

...this past weekend was the first I'd had at home with little to no obligations for a very long time, and it was glorious!  My new roomie was around all weekend, too, so we had a very productive couple of days!  

In no particular order, here are some of the things we accomplished:

-made a batch of pesto (after picking nearly 4 cups of basil and getting a food processor)

-trip to the farmers' market

-found a new pot for my plant and re-potted it

-helped a friend pick out decorations for his new house

-lots of loads of laundry

-watched two movies

-organized pictures and old receipts/financial things while watching the movies

-made frozen strawberry lemonade (instead of buying it from McDonald's after seeing the billboard)

-she spent a lot of time unpacking and moving in  

-trip to Sam's Club for the no-membership-required shopping weekend...and sample day : )

Like I said - these are some of the things we checked off our to-do lists.  We did lots of other little things...and definitely slept well afterward!

THEN, Sunday afternoon was spent with college friends from out-of-town.  We had a Mary Kay facial party, then went to the Municipal Band concert with a picnic supper.  It was so great!

That pretty much sums it up.  This week is the same song, second verse...except with more trips to the Y, because I kinda fell off the work-out boat...  :-/

I'll leave you with the question I've been asking my students, "What's the most exciting thing you've done this summer?"  Comment away!

Productively,

Kensy

Favorites of the day:

my young adult Bible study group

technology allowing for long chats with loved ones

Rainier cherries

My weekend:

Happy Monday, everyone!  I hope you all had a wonderful weekend!  Here are a couple highlights from mine:

I went to a second (or third...or second, once removed...?) cousin's wedding.  It was beautiful and great to see family!

This was the ceiling at the reception.  Can you tell the white stuff is that plastic table cloth that comes on rolls?  Pretty impressive, huh?!

I just thought this cake was very classy, and could appreciate the amount of time and skill it took to decorate it so intricately.  It tasted good, too!  : )

While this wedding was beautiful, special, etc., it was a little strange for me, because the couple was 1-2 years younger than me.  I know plenty of younger engaged couples, but this was the first wedding I'd actually attended where I was older than those getting married.  I kept thinking, "They're just babies - they can't be getting married!"  Just a weird feeling...that will only continue to arise, I'm sure.

Those of you living in Lincoln (or the surrounding areas) know that we had some crazy, intense storms last night...and we drove home in them.  Thankfully, I wasn't the one driving, but I was the one receiving texts from friends telling us to turn on the radio and be safe just as we were embarking on the edge of the storm.  As soon as we turned on the radio, they were talking about how the worst of it was right where we were headed, and that you should pull over if you're on I-80...which we were.  We did end up pulling off for a bit, because visibility was at 2 feet...or less.  Obviously, we made it home safely, but it took awhile.  

Don't know if you can tell, but it was a double rainbow.  We could see them both in full, but of course, couldn't capture them in a picture from the car.

These clouds were on the edge of the storm.  I'd never seen anything like them.

That's all, for now!  Enjoy the rest of the week!

Until next time,

Kensy

Favorites of the day:

seeing family so much lately!

cuddly Charlie