Bay Party of Two

*Catch up post from September 21, 2014

In second grade, I met a peculiar brown-haired girl.
She wore big glasses and loved to read.
She could use sign language fluently.
And her family had Texas roots as deep as mine.
Her name was Abbi Clark.

As Conifer is a small town, Abbi and I grew up together.
We moved from elementary school to middle school to high school with each other, 
even ending up at the same college.
Where, of course, we became roommates.

We experienced a lot with each other over the years.
From birthday parties to sleepovers to school dances to our grand acting debuts
at Stagedoor Theater to the first time each of us began dating. 
She was, in essence, the third sister I was never given. 

In high school, Abbi began dating a boy named Nick.
I had known Nick since middle school.
Like I mentioned, Conifer is tiny. 
From what I saw in high school, they would date for a bit and
then break up for a bit. 
It was a fleeting love, or so we all assumed.

My opinion changed, however, junior year of college.
Abbi had begun to date Nick again.
I remember, as she sat with a gleam in her eye, and told us roommates
that she had started seeing him again.
She talked about how full her heart was and the happiness in her life
and even spoke about how this was "a different type of love."

Well.....

Here we are - September 21, 2014 - their wedding day!! 
(yes, I realize I am posting this in December)

After years of trials and tribulations, Abbi and Nick 
FINALLY tied the knot. 

The beautiful couple! 

They had a beautiful ceremony at the Highlands Ranch Mansion.
It was the perfect setting.
The exterior looked like a castle and the intricate interior details only
added to the magical illusion. 
In lamest terms, they pretty much were married at Hogwarts.

They were surrounded by a small group of family and friends,
and the couple was married by Abbi's step-father.
The ceremony was breathtakingly beautiful.
And yes, I shed a few (or a lot) tears of joy for them.

I was honored to be a part of their wonderful day.
I was in charge of their guest book and handing out programs.
It was the perfect job, and one I more than gladly accepted.
And I even got a corsage.....
Sadly, it was the very first one I've ever received.....

The whole evening was a wonderful mixture of old and new.
I was able to catch up and see many friends I had grown up with,
while also sharing the evening with my new college buddies.

My gang for the evening! 

We spent the evening dancing and laughing and 
taking way too many pictures in their handmade photo booth.
The evening was magical. 

Photo booth fun

Greeley Gang

Remake of our college graduation photo with the bride! 

Abbi and Nick are two of the most amazing people I have met in my life.
Both of them are filled with so much passion and life and love.
I can't wait to see what the future holds for them.
However, I do know, whatever it is, they will charge at it head first....
and in great style! 

Here's to the happy couple, love you both! 




ps - a few extra pictures...because you can never have too many! 

Group shot from the bridal shower

Group shot from the bachelorette party

Family Reunion.

*Catch up post from July 4, 2014

As a young girl, I spent a lot of time in Texas.
My family is from Texas, it's where I was born, and despite growing up in Colorado,
 my heart belongs to that wonderful state. 

Although I have spent a great deal of time traveling around and seeing Texas,
my fondest memory of the state is the time I've spent at our family's lake house. 
It's located in Palo Pinto, small town West Texas.
It's surrounded by cactus and rattle snakes and a huge man-made lake.
In essence, it's heaven on earth. 

For as long as I can remember, I have been going to that lake house. 
It's been a part of my family for over 30 years.
My dad spent college summers laying the stone stairs, 
and my grandfather built the dock. 

Placard from our lake house

As a family, we spent just about every 4th of July out there.
Spending days on the lake - learning how to water ski or fishing for 
giant catfish or simply enjoying the rays. 
However, once I began college and business picked up at the store,
we slowly stopped attending Independence Day at the lake house....

Until this year.

After close to eight years of missed attendance, I finally returned to 
my beloved lake house.
As a birthday gift, my eldest sister bought me a ticket to Texas. 
A one week vacation, meant to be spent at our lake house of the 4th of July.
It was like my childhood was rushing right back towards me.

I spent my days soaking up the Texas heat (it averaged 110 degrees most day),
I enjoyed taking walks with my Grandmother and watching the fireworks
and attending the annual catfish fry! 

Thermometer on our porch....that's in the shade too! 

Real Texas-style catfish fry

And I would've enjoyed swimming in the lake; however, Palo Pinto
was experiencing their worst drought when I visited.
It became somewhat of a joke that we had to "mow the lake" rather
than go out and fish in it. 

Dried up Lake Palo Pinto

The true surprise came when my parents - whom claimed to be working
the family business - showed up on the 4th of July.
It was, after eight long years, one big family reunion at the lake house.
We spent the day eating hot dogs, playing on the lake, 
smashing a piñata (family tradition), and simply
soaking in each others presence.

It was, hands-down, the best 4th of July to date! 

My family!

The Thompson Clan! 

View from the dock - Flags representing all of our colleges

To Infinity and Beyond.

*Catch up post from June 28, 2014

The state of Colorado has exactly 53 mountains with peaks that
exceed 14,000ft in elevation.
They are most commonly referred to as "14ers."
In my life, I have climbed exactly one.

Mount Quandary.
14,271 feet in elevation.
Located in beautiful Breckenridge, CO.

Aerial view of Mt. Quandary

As I grew up in Colorado, I developed an appreciation for 
the great outdoors. 
 I love to spend time outside.
And by that, I mean watching squirrels play or counting the stars in the sky.
I don't do a ton of hiking, or at least not in recent years.

During the summer, my best friend, Sara, was planning a move to North Carolina.
As a result of this move, she made a list of things to do prior to
leaving the beautiful 303.
On her list, like any Coloradan, was to climb a 14er.

Neither Sara nor I have ever climbed a 14er, so we enlisted the 
aid of our dear friend, Paige.
Paige has climbed multiple 14ers, and plans to climb
all 53 of them some day! 

The three amigos at the trail head!

Our group consisted of five people - the three of us and two of Paige's friends. 
On a beautiful late-June morning, at 7o'clock,
we left the trail head and began our adventure up Mt. Quandary.

I am active, partaking in about four crossfit classes a week, 
so I didn't think this mountain had anything on me.....
Boy was I wrong!
While I could handle the physical challenge of climbing over the loose 
rocks and gaining a few thousand feet in altitude, 
what killed me was the thin air.
I have lived with asthma for 20+ years, but this breathlessness 
was like nothing I'd ever experienced. 

Despite my inability to breath most of the hike, I had
a great time climbing Mt. Quandary.
The views were like nothing I'd ever seen.
You could see forever.
Any way you turned, you just saw miles and miles of beauty.
It was hard to stand on that mountain and not believe in a higher power. 

View right at tree line

Our real adventure started once we got out of tree line. 
Since we were no longer protected by the trees, we suddenly added 
extreme winds to our hike. 
Like hurricane-speed winds.
Despite the wind and the sun glaring off of the snow (yes, snow in June),
we persevered up the side of that mountain.

It took us four hours, multiple chewy bars, four false summits, and tons of water,
BUT we made it to the top.
However, as it was so frigidly cold, we spent less than five minutes 
on the summit of the mountain! 
Just enough time to celebrate our achievement and to get some pictures.

The breathtaking view from the summit! 

Mountain goats we saw along the way.

The three amigos on top of the summit. 

Making it to the summit was one of my proudest moments. 
The hike was challenging - both mentally and physically.
You have to believe in your ability to make it to the summit, and 
keep pushing yourself past your limits. 
Yes, I was tired. And yes, I wanted to quit. Multiple times.
But I kept putting one foot in front of the other and made it to the top. 

I made it to the summit! 

This adventure helped me realize that I am capable of accomplishing
anything I set my mind to.
Nothing can stop me.

To celebrate our achievement, once we safely made it off the mountain,
we enjoyed a large lunch of hamburgers and beer. 
Although I was tired and couldn't feel my feet,
climbing Mt. Quandary, with my best friends, was one of the best days of my life.




Side note - if you ever decide to climb a 14er, make absolute sure
you wear sunscreen. And lots of it.
I wore capris with no sunscreen, and I paid dearly with second
and third degree burns along my lower legs. 
Complete with swelling and blisters and sun poisoning.

My sun-brunt legs, which were lovingly referred to as my "Red Socks"

So much swelling, so little time!

A Very Ryan Affair.

*Catch up post from May 24, 2014

I have been to Indiana exactly twice in my life.
The first time was for a college road trip with two of my best friends.
The second time was to attend a breathtakingly beautiful wedding.

Before delving into this story, I should preface that three (yes, THREE) of the main
people in this story are named Ryan.
Including the Bride (Girl Ryan), the Groom (Bohr) and our friend Ryan (Boy Ryan).
So, here we go.....

May 21:
Three of my college roommates, our token guy friend, Boy Ryan, and I
headed to small town Rochester, Indiana.
Our flight was set to leave at 6 or so from Denver.
However, after an afternoon of tornado scares at the airport, we finally
departed a little past midnight.
Yes, we sat and waited at the airport for SIX extra hours.

Selfies at the airport.  

After a somewhat shaky flight, we landed in Indiana at 4 o'clock in the morning.
Funny enough, our delay worked out perfectly.
We were able to find an early morning cup of Starbucks, pick-up our rental car (quite
possibly the coolest minivan EVER), and headed to Rochester.

We arrived around 7 o'clock in the morning, and promptly went to sleep.

May 22:
After two hours of dead sleep, we were off again.
This day was a blur of cleaning up the wedding site, catching up on a year's
worth of life between all of us roommates, and a
bachelorette party.

The bachelorette party was a classy evening filled with pottery painting
and a delicious dinner.
No strippers were invited to our girls night.

The crew for the bachelorette party!

Following the party, we were off to the airport AGAIN to pick up our last roommate.
Let me interject - the airport is a four hour round-trip from Rochester.
By the end of the weekend, I had logged more time on the road
than I did sleeping in a bed.....but it was totally worth it!

May 23:
From sunrise to sunset we were busy.
We did everything from cleaning glass jars to making pies to writing out wedding
favors to setting up the whole wedding site.
It was a busy, yet extremely fun day.
For the first time since our graduation, all of us girls and Boy Ryan
were finally back together again.

This evening was wrapped up by a gorgeous, homestyle rehearsal dinner.
We were surrounded by so many loving friends and family members of the bride
and groom, and we were quickly accepted as honorary family members.
We ate and drank and laughed the night away.

It was a wonderful evening.

The whole college gang back together.

May 24:
WEDDING DAY!!

We spent all morning helping get the bride and the bridesmaids ready.
As I cannot do hair to save my life, I was placed on steaming duty.
And let me tell you, not a single dress had a wrinkle walking down the aisle!
My remaining roommates curled hair and pinned hair and made-up faces.
Needless to say, everyone looked beautiful.

Once we sent the bride and her maids off to the wedding site for pictures,
we quickly got ourselves dolled up for the festivities.

The wedding site was breathtakingly beautiful.
It was outside, in a lush and green field accompanied by a small pond.
They had set up a large tent for eating and dancing.
There were so many handmade and personalized touches.
And their marriage alter was made out of an old door the bride had decorated.

Pinterest had nothing on this wedding!

Their wedding alter. 

The ceremony lasted fewer than 30 minutes, and yet it still managed to make me cry.
Tears of joy, pure tears of joy.

The ceremony was followed by an evening of eating lots of delicious food and
lots of dancing and laughing and memory making.
The weather was perfect. The wedding and people were perfect.
Simply put, it was all perfect.

Introducing Mr. & Mrs. Bohr with the gang! 

The bride and groom sharing their first dance!

Remake of our college graduation picture.

Me with the beautiful bride. I love this girl
to the moon and back! 

This was, perhaps, the best weekend of my life.

So much love was shared and so many new memories were made.

I am thankful to have all of these wonderful people in my life.

And to the newlyweds -

All of the best luck in your future endeavors!

May you both always be surrounded by love and passion.

When you fight, never leave it unresolved. 

When you have children, love them with every ounce of your being.

And never forget to say 'I love you.'

Here's to your next grand adventure together! 

ps - a BIG shout out to our dear, sweet Boy Ryan. Whom willingly

spent a long weekend with six girls, and never once complained. 

You are a very special friend Ryan, and we all sincerely appreciate you!

Pass the Kool-Aid , Please.

For the last few months, I've been attempting to compose a blog post

about my experience as a crossfitter.

It seemed that every time I sat down to work, the words just never come out right.

They never adequately expressed the passion and love I feel for crossfit.

I've written, erased, and rewritten this post at least four times.

BUT......I think I've finally found the perfect words.....

I love crossfit. Simple as that.

I love walking into the box nervous, and leaving completely satisfied with myself.

I love seeing my personal growth from week to week, 

month to month, and year to year.

I love going into the box, lifting something heavy, and realizing two weeks

prior to that moment, my body wouldn't have been capable of doing it.

I love that I've grown both mentally and physically since starting - I can lift any weight, 

jump any box, throw any ball, and pull myself over any bar.

I have learned so much about myself and my abilities - both inside 

and outside of the gym.

I come face-to-face with my limits, and I push past them.

I am comformable with being uncomfortable, because I see the results.

I've gained confidence and know I can do anything.

I am strong.

I have drive, determination, and courage.

I am not afraid to sweat,

I am not afraid to tear, nor am I afraid to bleed.

I am only afraid to quit or to give less than my best.

Oldie but goodie from Battle Ready Crossfit
(photo credit to Mr. Ryan Dee)

I love the community of athletes I workout with everyday.

I love the warm and welcoming spirit at my box.

I love being encouraged, especially when I feel like I can't give anymore.

I love listening to hard-core music and having people yelling at me.

I love cheering on my fellow workout buddies.

And I love that I've met some of the most caring, giving, 

and dedicated people EVER through crossfit.

I became a crossfitter four years ago.

I drank the Kool-Aid. 

I joined the cult.

And I have never looked back.

ps - I hope this post encourages a few of you to try crossfit. I promise you

won't regret giving it a try. And who knows, maybe someday

you'll become as passionate (and addicted) as me!

Dancin' Away With My Heart.

I have the heart of a country girl.

I was born in Texas. I love sweet tea. I'm all about high school football.

And I love my country music.

A LOT. 

I have a list of top music artists I absolutely adore, and about nine of the top ten

are country artists - including Taylor Swift, Tim McGraw, Rascal Flatts, 
Keith Urban, George Straight, and of course,

LADY ANTEBELLUM. 

This past week, I was lucky enough to attend my second

Lady Antebellum concert with one of my very best friends!! 

Words cannot describe how amazing this concert was.

.....okay, maybe a few.......

PERFECT. WONDERFUL. PHENOMENAL. MAGICAL.

Showing off my ticket to the big show!!

Kristi and me - We literally cannot take a normal picture together! 

The last time I attended a Lady A concert, I only knew about 2/3 

of the songs they performed. 

I spent the next two years dedicating my free time to learning 

every single one of their songs. 

I own all their albums and I jam out to them daily. 

And you know what??
I sang and danced and wooed to every number they performed!! 
It was fantastic; the most fun I've had in months!! 

(my apologies to the people forced to listen to my singing all evening)

Lady Antebellum really knows how to put on a concert. 

They will forever be my favorite group to see (closely followed by Mumford & Sons).

I love how interactive they are with the audience.

They understand that without us, as fans, they wouldn't be where they are today.

You can see and feel that they love their fans as much as we love them! 

They always have fantastic sets and amazing light displays.

Plus, they don't suck in real life. In fact, they are phenomenal in real life. 

Their CDs almost don't do them justice. 

Confetti canon going off during their last song!
(photo credit to Ms. Jenn Schultz)

If you've never listened to a Lady A song, I'm so sorry for your life.

These three songs only begin to scratch the surface with Lady Antebellum.

It's way too hard for me to pick "my favorite," as I love just about every song.

BUT as my readers, I highly recommend looking up more of their music.

Although it's country, it's beautiful and from the heart

and just about perfect in every way. 

Enjoy!!

ps - Thank you so much Kristi for getting tickets and taking me along.
Concert buddies for life! 

The Year of Me.

Happy New Year, Everyone!! 

2013.
What to say about 2013??
It was, without a single doubt, the hardest year of my life.
It was filled with so many ups and downs, so much happiness and 
immeasurable amounts of sadness. 
I learned lessons. I overcame challenges.
But most importantly, I grew.

When I think about this past year, there are so many experiences I 
am beyond excited and proud of....
I graduated college with a biology degree.
I got a new brother-in-law.
 I became a nationally and state certified Advanced EMT. 
I coached my first team and lead them to a winning season. 
I got to be in Coors Field for Todd Helton's final baseball game. 
And I decided to write a book.
(just to name a few things)

A lot of huge and exciting events took place in my life during this year.
However, with every happy moment I experienced this past year, it seemed like five 
miserable moments were lurking around the corner to quickly overshadow them.
I had to pack up and leave Greeley, my home for the last four years. 
I had my heart broken. 
I watched friends get their hearts broken.
I battled severe depression and lost all hope.
I got rejected from my dream job with the American Cancer Society.
So much darkness, where there should have been nothing but sunshine and daisies.

I've never really been one to wish away time, but this past year 
could not end quickly enough.
I was handed challenge after challenge. 
As quickly as I was figuring out one issue, another was popping up.
With every challenge I faced, the more I learned about myself.
Life's messy, but it's beautiful and rewarding and I'm willing
to fight to have the best one possible. 

BUT that was last year AND this is this year.
Welcome 2014!
 I'm so thankful you've finally arrived.
The door has officially been shut on 2013, and the only direction now is forward.

I've decided that 2014 is going to be my year.
The year I finally gain the self-confidence I so desperately lack.
The year I get strong, fit, and healthy.
The year I figure out where I want to go and what I want to do with my future.
The year I start to believe in myself.
And most importantly, the year I become uncontrollably and infectiously happy again.

To ensure I get the most out of this year, I've come up with four goals for myself....
1.) Work out more (I'm 22 and I want to look 22)
2.) Drink less Starbucks
3.) Say yes to more opportunities
4.) Just be happier 

Here's to 2014.

The year of change. The year of happiness.

The year of me!

ps - I made sure to eat my black-eyed peas for good luck this year

Feliz Navidad.

Tis the Season!!
Christmas is one of my most favorite times of the year.
I love houses decorated with elaborate lights and trees in the front windows.
I love the colder weather and spending afternoons making delicious treats. 
 And I even love the hustle and bustle of trying to find the perfect gift.

However, the two things I absolutely love the most about Christmas time are:
1.) Having our house bursting at the seams with family 
AND 
2.) Christmas Eve. 

Within the last year, my family has grown from five to seven(ish) members.
Jessica, my middle sister, got married last July.
And with her marriage came my new brother-in-law, Noah.
Jennifer, my oldest sister, had her beau Dave around for the festivities too.
One big, happy family home for the holidays!!

Our house all dressed up for Christmas!

A while back (maybe 7 or 8 years ago), my dad took my mom, my sisters, 
and me to see The Nutcracker at the Denver Ballet.
Over the years, it sort of became a family tradition. 
Any year we're in Colorado (rather than Texas, Maryland, or Florida), we attend the ballet. 
This year was no exception! 

We started our Christmas Eve off by attending a matinée of The Nutcracker. 
Although we see the ballet every year, I enjoy comparing
and contrasting the differences in performances from year to year. 
I don't know a whole lot about dance, but I do know that every performance we
see is just as beautiful as the last!

An afternoon at the Denver Ballet

After the ballet, we went to the Warwick Hotel where we had drinks.
I'm not a huge connoisseur of wine, but I tried a delicious
 sparkling wine (something called prosecco).
After drinks, we moved into the dinning room for Dinner.
Randolph's, the restaurant at the Warwick, had delicious food.
We ate and drank and laughed and had a wonderful meal together.

Our evening was wrapped up perfectly by attending the Christmas Eve 
service at St. John's Cathedral.

Christmas Day was spent relaxing around the house, opening
 presents, and spending copious amounts of time
playing Settlers of Catan and Farkle. 
It was the perfect day.

I had a very blessed and wonderful Christmas with my family!