Anniversary Vacation: Colorado-style

Hello, hello!

Hope this finds you all well!

If you don't mind, I'd love to share about our celebratory first anniversary trip to Estes Park, CO.

We'd debated between mountains and beaches for our honeymoon trip, and since we decided on the beach then, we saved mountains for a year later.

As you might remember, I grew up going to Estes Park/Colorado on family vacations (even recently enough for a blog post).  Estes Park is one of my very favorite places, and I was so excited to share it with Bryant!  Since we went in the fall, rather than the summer, it made for some different (and new for me, too) experiences, and we enjoyed every bit!

I could write all about it, of course, but how about I just show you (and tell you a little bit)!

Got an early start on our drive!

Pretty much sums up western Kansas...

...so, we didn't miss much due to the fog.

Though we didn't get in on any far-off mountain views, the sign assured us we were in the right place.

Not our final destination, but sure seems like it should've been, huh?

It was raining...a lot...and it was cold...and windy...but we didn't miss the photo op. 

First true mountain view.
Thank you, Boulder, for the safe scenic pull-off.

First view of snow!
It snowed in Estes the day we arrived.  We couldn't believe our luck!

Always thankful for strangers willing to take our picture.  ☺

I'd never seen a snow-covered Estes Park valley in person!
(Those are mostly snow-covered rooftops.)

The Rose Den - you can kind-of see the name of it on the porch rail - our cabin for a couple days!

The "path" to our cabin.  Steeper than it looks and definitely more treacherous in the snow (this was taken on our last day...not the first).  So very thankful for my strong, capable husband...esp. when he carries heavy things in situations like this.

It was so homey and cozy!
We knew about the fireplace before we got there, but a piano, too?!  That was a surprise.

Again - thankful for my capable, handy husband.
Don't worry...there were s'mores.

The view from our cabin window!
That's Long's Peak in the distance.

We also knew there would be a hot tub, but didn't end up using it - partially because of the distance from it to the cabin door (the hot tub is on the left side of this shot and you can see the cabin roof on the right)...and the outside temperature.

Our first wildlife spotting!  We think they were mule deer.

More wildlife!!
We saw 50+ elk in our first couple hours in Estes...and our first 15 mins. in Rocky Mountain National Park!

A few aspen leaves still hanging on.  Most had already fallen.

This was crazy, to me.  This valley usually has sprawling mountain views, but it was so foggy our first evening in the park.  It was also very quiet - sometimes, it felt like we were the only ones there.  Almost eerie.

See the little guy?!

This is the (larger-than-it-looks) parking lot at some of the most popular trail heads.  I've never seen it when it wasn't completely full (usually, you have to take the shuttle to get to these trail heads), so this was a very strange sight!

There's a rabbit in the middle of this picture.  He was our "local" wildlife at the Rose Den.

This little guy, too.  ☺

This one took our breath away - we came around a curve, and there he was, munching on the yummy green grass in someone's yard.  There was no zooming in on this shot - we were actually that close.  

I just couldn't get over how different the cloudy, snowy, autumn views were!

The park was celebrating an anniversary, too!  ☺

I also couldn't get over how snowy and wet the trails were - thank goodness for waterproof boots!

Three little snowmen sitting on a bridge...
Who wants to write the children's song with me?

More wildlife! (There's a bird in the tree...he was black and blue.)

Alberta Falls!
Again...it looks so different this time of year, but still one of my favorite places.

Had to get a pic in this spot at Bear Lake, of course.

Ducks!

Remember that foggy valley in an earlier pic?  Here it is with somewhat clearer skies.

Hiking earned us a couple treats from downtown...

...and a fancy dinner at the Stanley Hotel!

I'd just recently told Bryant about this style of piano.

We took along a few games, including The Game of Life.

Our year-old cake topper!  It was surprisingly good, still...and much bigger than we remembered.

We were so glad it cleared off our last morning there enough for us to catch glimpses like these along Trail Ridge Road.

Yes, we were very cold!

We went as far as we could - over two miles above sea level!

Totally didn't expect to see THIS wildlife!  These guys don't come down the mountains very often, so we counted ourselves lucky to see a few of them...and even a baby one!

Last shot of some aspen leaves before heading out.

Denver!

For posterity's sake, we stayed at the Denver Magnolia, since we'd stayed at the one in Omaha before leaving for Cancun the year before. 

Our room even had a mountain view...kind-of.  ☺

I know...the matchy-matchy is a little cheesy, but we decided to continue the tradition we started on our honeymoon and were super excited to find matching (within our personal preferences - haha) RMNP centennial t-shirts.  AND we got a screamin' deal on them!

Last glimpse of the mountains.

Always sad to say goodbye...but we'll be back!

Another wonderful road trip in the books!

Thanks, as usual, for letting us share.  We had such an amazing time, and we can't wait to go back!

In the meantime, any recommendations for other trips we should take?  Especially before our family grows?  (No need to read into that comment...please hear me when I say that's not something that is going to happen super soon. ☺)

No-longer-newlywed-ly,
Kensy

Favorites of the day:

beautiful fall weather

homemade applesauce

this:

Remember that super sweet and thoughtful birthday gift from Bryant?  It was dancing lessons.  ☺
Not the best pic, but surely a great memory.

Life Lessons: Marriage Edition - Part 1

Hello, dear readers!

In honor of our first wedding anniversary (can you believe it?!), we'd like to share with you some of the (many) lessons we've learned during our first year as a married couple.

So, without further ado, here are 12 lessons we've learned (one for each month, of course) about love, marriage, and life in general:

• It's ok to sleep with both the ceiling fan and the electric blanket on....at the same time.
• Patience is a virtue. Not only the waiting kind, but also the "I've already told you this how many times?" kind.
• A kitchen does not need 5 sets of measuring spoons...or a perfectly alphabetized spice cabinet.
• Make friends with the people at the local home improvement store - there may be days when you see them on 6 separate occasions.
• Sometimes, words can get in the way of good communication.
• True love is knowing what a person is saying when they speak while brushing their teeth.
• Owning a pet who requires the toilet to be inaccessible lest he/she take a sip from the porcelain bowl creates good habits for married life.  Lid always down = seat always down = win/win
• There is indeed more than one way to skin a cat...and more than one way to load the dishwasher. (We know only one of these from experience.)
• Adventure can be found in your own backyard...so long as the power lines are loose and a squirrel needs to practice his high-wire routine.
• Car time = talk time. How often do we take time to sit next to each other and just talk without distractions in our daily lives? We've found that taking advantage of this opportunity while driving/riding in the car together (esp. on long road trips) can lead to some really quality and necessary conversations that may not have happened, otherwise.
• Being willing to "go halvsies" can drastically cut down on decision-making time. 
• There is a married version of yourself that you (and your spouse) don't know exists till after you've said "I do."

Perhaps you can relate...perhaps you disagree...perhaps something provoked a new thought for you.   Either way, let us know!  We love learning more...and we love hearing from you!

Like I said, we've learned many more than 12 lessons, but will leave it at that, for now.  Thank you to all who have helped us learn these and many other things during this marriage journey of ours.  We sure have been shown lots of love and support along the way!

Marriage is an adventure, for sure, and I'm so glad to be on it with my sweet husband.  We are loving every minute/experience/new memory and are excited for more to come!

Paperly,

Kensy (and Bryant)

;-)

Favorites of the day:

my husband

our anniversary trip!!!!  (more to come on that one ☺)

frosted animal crackers

28

Hey all, and Happy Fall!!!

As you may know, I turned 28 at the beginning of this week.  (Fun fact: this also meant, as my mom reminded me, my birthday fell on the same day of the week that I was actually born.)

I don't think I've admitted this super-publicly, but recently, I've been forgetting how old I am.  For real.  I felt so silly when I had to do the math a couple times over one night when I was explaining to Bryant about forgetting my age earlier in the day.  I don't know what the deal is...and while trying to figure it out, it has occurred to me that the ages between 25 and 30 (or maybe 29) seem to get smushed together.  They're just kind-of there...as placeholders after the 25 milestone...while you wait to turn 29 so you can prepare to enter into your 30's.  Can anyone relate?  Maybe this is just a way for me to justify the fact that I legitimately thought I was 28 for a time during my 27th year.  Ha.

Anyway, I thought I'd share a bit about how I rang in Year 28:

As you also may know, I've signed up for approx. 52,873 birthday/rewards clubs...which means I receive approx. 52,873 e-mails with special birthday offers in the weeks surrounding my birthday.  You'd better believe I capitalize on as many of those as possible...esp. the "no purchase required" ones!  (And you should, too!)  So, birthday festivities began well in advance of the actual day with this gem:

The night before my birthday, my sweet husband organized a surprise birthday dinner!  I was under the impression just he and I would be enjoying supper "out," but when we got to the restaurant, I was greeted by these sweet people!

There was even a complimentary birthday dessert!
They used cocoa for the stencil...we were wondering, too.  ;-)

My hubby got to spend nearly the whole day with me the next day!

We got an early start on the birthday festivities with Scooter's and a new donut shop.

The donuts were enjoyed at a new-to-us park and were followed by some exploring.

Those are locks on the bridge!

We didn't come prepared to leave our own...but maybe someday.  ☺

Also found some railroad tracks...

...and there was a train coming!
(Don't worry...it wasn't actually coming right then.)

Our next stop was the beautiful Overland Park Arboretum.

I think idyllic is the word.  ☺

(Not pictured: a bench by a babbling brook where we stopped to read for a bit, as well as a bird-watching cottage.)

These were little tiny wooden houses placed in an old tree's trunk!

Lunch: self-explanatory. ☺

There just happened to be a cupcake shop next to Chick-fil-a, so we decided we'd better try it.
As luck would have it, they give free birthday cupcakes!
Pumpkin Spice Latte and Choc. Chip Cookie Dough were our flavors of choice.

Bryant had a dentist appt. in the afternoon, then came home with flowers and made me a delicious steak dinner...

...and cake!
This is an aerial view of it with candles (2 and 8 for 28) - it's called Earthquake Cake...and it was so yummy!

I felt so celebrated by so many people!  Calls, cards, gifts, and wishes came rolling in all day!  I'll admit that a good percentage of the cards I received had cats on them...

Pretty sure if there was a literal key to my heart, it would be a cat-shaped Target gift card...or a tiny red vase...or a childhood-favorite snack mix with mini Doritos in it...

Received this pretty package in the mail...complete with a baby whisk!

This is what was inside!  Can't wait to put it to good use!  ☺

Not pictured: the gift of in-tune music in the form of piano tuning!  Hooray!!

Also not pictured: a sweet, thoughtful, precious gift from my husband.  Maybe I'll tell you more about it, someday.  ☺

I really can't put into words how thankful I am for yesterday and all it brought.  I never expect much (if anything) for my birthday, but I always receive beyond my wildest dreams...and not just in the form of tangible gifts.  The friendship, thoughtfulness, and love shown to me are more than I could ever ask for...and it all means so very much.

A great big "THANK YOU!" to all who helped make the day so special.  And an even bigger thank you to my husband.  He made me feel so celebrated and cherished all day.  I'm so very thankful for him and all he does!  I won't gush anymore, right now, but gosh, I love him!

Thanks for letting me share with you all!  I hope you are well and enjoying the last few days of September - can you believe it's almost over?!

28-ly,
Kensy

Favorites of the day:

surprises

Post-it notes

the opportunity to attend a great piano teachers' workshop and win this door prize:

Pretty fitting, huh?

Life is grand!

Hi.  ☺

We're going to skip the small talk today, if you don't mind.

Based on this post's title, any guesses about what the news I'm soooo excited to share with you might be?

The short story:

WE GOT A GRAND PIANO!!!

The long(er) story, which happened in about 3 days' time:

My sweet husband had been wanting to get a piano for our home since I moved in.  We had the keyboard I'd had growing up, but I hadn't had regular access to a real piano (the one I teach on at the community center is electric) for quite some time.  So, he'd been looking for one on Craigslist for months.  We'd been to look at quite a few in person, but they were mostly duds or over-priced.  We originally planned to find a cheap, smaller "starter" piano for the sake of our budget and our little starter home.   Buuut, then he found one that we both felt really good about - an antique walnut 6-1/2' grand that had recently been re-keyed...and they were only asking $500 for it.  I was trying not to get my hopes up about it, but we both felt better about it than any of the previous "potentials."  

Ultimately, we went to look at it, it was in really great shape, and we said, "Yes!"  AND, after sharing our story and asking what their lowest price might be, we got a hefty "newlywed/piano player & teacher" discount!  They were very nice people.  The piano was a family heirloom, but no one had room for it, anymore.   I think they were just glad to see it going to a good home and to know that it will be played often and loved lots!

Bryant and a coworker did a ton of research about how to go about moving a grand piano, and in an evening's time, we were able to gather the necessary materials to prepare for the process.  I have such an intelligent, handy, helpful husband!  (It's worth mentioning that among all this piano hoopla, he also spent hours and hours working on his car, yet maintained his excitement about our piano!)

Come moving day, we rented a U-Haul, and my awesome husband and ever-helpful dad made the trip to pick up our grand piano!  I stayed back to make final preparations (and keep my slight anxiety about the whole process at home...haha).  We called up some great friends who provided much-needed muscles and help with the truck-to-home transition.

It all went so well - we managed to catch the window between afternoon rain showers, nothing got dropped, everything fit, and it just went so smoothly!  I attribute that to my thoughtful husband's preparedness, my dad's advice and prior experience, and our amazing helpers!

Here are a few moments from the day:

And they're off!
(Unfortunately, we didn't miss the rain in the morning, so we were all soaked after picking up and loading stuff into the truck!)

They gave us a bigger truck than we paid for, so there was plenty of room!

A perfect fit!

I had the privilege of unloading the first piece!
(Just to be clear, it's the lid prop, not a gun!  haha)

Yes, I was the photographer.  The muscly men did a great job!

Debut performance!

So, just to give you a couple before/after glimpses:

Isn't it so beautiful?!?!?!

It's really in amazing shape for being almost 80 years old.  As far as we know, it just needs a good tuning.  Of course, there are probably lots of other things we could do to restore it to it's 1936 glory, but for now, we're going to love it just as it is!

I can't begin to express how thankful I am about this.  I'd say it's a dream come true, but I never dared to dream I'd have my very own grand piano to play whenever I want to - especially at this time in our life!  A huge thank you to my husband for making it happen!

Wanna know the kicker?  I've always loved playing pieces by Jim Brickman (a famous piano composer/performer).  The first piano piece I played for Bryant was "Rocket to the Moon" by Jim Brickman - a piece I've had memorized since the 5th grade.  (This was the piece I played for our piano's debut performance, too - even though it was terribly out-of-tune.)  Anyway, the family we bought the piano from left a couple books in the bench for us.  One was a really interesting Japanese (or perhaps Chinese) version of a beginning John Thompson book they'd gotten for a foreign exchange student once-upon-a-time.  The other?  A Jim Brickman book...that has "Rocket to the Moon" in it.  Just further confirmation that it was meant to be.  ☺

Thanks for reading and for sharing our excitement!  You're welcome to come over to play and/or hear it anytime (after we get it tuned...unless you just can't wait, like us!).  ☺

Grand Piano-ownerly,

Kensy

Favorites of the day:

my sweet, loving, hard-working husband

our new piano...of course

garden-fresh pesto