2012: Year in Review

2012 was a year full of newness and adventure for this Ray Clan. It was a year of hard work and even harder play. We lived in 3 different cities in 2 different states in 2012. We traveled for vacations and weddings, met new life-long friends, decided we were ready to become parents, and thanked God when He blessed us with this tiny miracle growing inside me. We bought our first home in 2012.

2012 was a year of great reflection for me. I learned that I Am Enough and I discovered how to fight my Sunday Blues. I realized that the best thing you can do for your marriage is to make time for each other and I vowed to never stop acting like newlyweds. 2012 taught me that it's not my job to fix everything. More than anything, 2012 further instilled in me the idea that life is so damn short and if you aren't doing what you love, you are wasting your precious time and energy.

2012 allowed me the time to tap into my creative side. I did my fair share of thrifting and sewing. I brought back the Mom Jeans, did some serious work on styles from the 80s and 90s, and went dumpster diving.

Keane and I danced in parks in 2012. We escaped from civilization nearly every weekend to connect with nature. We celebrated his golden birthday in the most perfect way.

2012 was met with wonder and excitement– we expected great things and we got them. This year, I am aiming for the same. I can't wait to cradle our babe and navigate parenthood with my best friend. I look forward to new experiences and abundant growth. I feel hopeful for what the future holds and will continue to strive to make the most of each day I am given on this earth.

Here's to 2013. We are so blessed.

Hump Day Updates

It's my last week of work here in Casper and senioritis has reached an all-time high. Next week we head to Portland for our friends' wedding and then it's packing time. We still don't have an exact move date as it depends on when hubbin's project wraps up, but the end of our Wyoming era is quickly approaching. 

Our plan is to stay with family back in Boulder until we can find a house of our own. As much as I appreciate having a place to stay between moves, I have never wanted a stable living environment more in my entire life. I have said it before, but I have moved nearly every year since I was 17. Boxes of my belongings are stored in basements all across the front range. I don't know where my wedding photos are or the pearl necklace my brother and sister gave me for graduation. Tables are scratched and boxes are crushed from the wear and tear of moving trucks. And I can tell you with certainty that switching renters insurance and hunting for new jobs have gotten really, really old. 

So! House hunting is priority number one when we get back to Colorado. For the sake of all involved, let's hope we find a place quickly lest I have a mental breakdown of epic proportions. Amen? Amen. 

I hope everyone is having a fantastic week!

afternoon hike with my mister// rocks// channeling her inner Audrey Hepburn// sidewalk chalk art

 

Red, white and baseball

The fourth of July was a good one in our neck of the woods. My hubby went to work for a few hours in the morning (he works hard for the money. so hard for it, honey) while I relaxed by the pool. Rough life, I know. Later, we headed to our friend's house for a bbq, and then cheered on our local collegiate baseball team while consuming large quantities of peanuts and crackerjacks popcorn and nachos. What better way to celebrate independence day than with America's favorite pastime?  

There's a certain charm to small town life that I'm really going to miss after we move. Like when you pull up to your ATM and find a deer munching on some grass ten feet away. Nothing to see here. Just eating dinner. Or when baseball players spend an hour after their game to sign balls and form a high-five tunnel for all the kids in the stands to run through. Or how a "traffic jam" means adding an extra 10 minutes to your 5 minute commute.

We ended our night like every other red-blooded American–with fireworks–and then headed home to bed. It was a pretty sweet day. 

My days are all thrown off because of the wednesday holiday, but I just confirmed, it is in fact friday. Thank the sweet Lord!

xo

Golden Birthday Camping

I'm officially in need of a weekend from my weekend. Who's with me?! Camping was wonderful and a welcomed escape from this blistering heat. Hubs' birthday is this Wednesday, so to celebrate we headed north to the Bighorn National Forest to spend a couple days in nature. We hiked and hammocked, cooked and campfired, and I finally got to see my moose! That was the only animal we didn't see during our trip to Yellowstone last year so you can bet there was a fair amount of high-fiving when we spotted a mama, papa and baby moose on our hike. Then, as icing on my moose cake, a whole group of them called to each other all night right outside our campsite. Excuse me while I put one big CHECK next to "moose encounter" on the bucket list.

Oh, and here's some fun trivia for you on this Monday afternoon. If a couple embarks on a four hour hike through the woods, how long will it take their white Husky to locate a pile of fresh animal poo and roll in it? 

3 minutes. The answer is 3 minutes. 

Seriously, what is wrong with that dog? Later that afternoon, we gave him a bath in the river with baby wipes and bar soap because... eww.

Here are some pictures from our weekend away. Happy Monday!

And....we're off!

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We're headed up to the Bighorn Mountains to celebrate the hubs' golden birthday! I'm ready to cook my food over a fire, sleep under the stars and explore some untouched beauty. Food for my soul, this camping stuff is. I hope you all do something to feed your soul this weekend!

See you Monday!

xoxo

Just the two of us

Sunday night, as we were lying in bed recounting the events of our weekend, Keane mentioned that our carefree days as a married couple in Wyoming were almost over. In fact, it happened to be the last weekend we'd have to ourselves before returning to a much faster-paced life. I ran through the upcoming weekends in my head: camping trip next week, visitors the following, back to Colorado for the Fourth of July, then finishing up our jobs and packing to move.

That's when it hit me. For the past 14 months of my life, I haven't had to share my husband with anyone. Our nights and weekends have belonged to us, reserved for exploring unknown territories and creating memories only the two of us would keep. I've grown accustomed to being selfish with the time I have with him– time free of any distractions or outside obligations to attend to. Our little life up here in the Cowboy State has been beautifully uncomplicated.

But soon that will all change. While we are so looking forward to being close to our loved ones again, with that comes added complexity. There will be more things to do, more people to see, more commitments to fulfill. I will no longer have my other half all to myself. Living in a larger city means commutes will be longer and traffic will be worse. Days will speed up and weeks will fly by. In a month, our lives will undoubtably become more complicated and the refreshing simplicity of small-town living will be a sweet but distant memory.

Although I'm looking forward to our next chapter and all that it will bring, I will forever cherish our time in Wyoming because it signifies the two of us. Keane and I have grown leaps and bounds together in marriage and in friendship throughout this experience and for that, I am eternally grateful.

As it turns out, life is pretty sweet when you're willing to take risks and open yourself up to exciting new opportunities.

Weekend Wrap Up

Well, well, well. So we meet again, Monday. Can't say that I'm thrilled. 

How was your weekend? Ours was pretty low key and perfect. Keane has been working his tail off recently trying to finish up this job before we move home next month (that's right! next month!). On Thursday, he worked 15 hours, came home, collapsed into bed, and did it all over again the next day. I appreciate him so much for how hard he works and I wanted to do something nice to show him. So on Friday, I rushed home from work shortly after 4:00 and hurried to get all the housework done before he got home. We usually spend a good portion of our Sunday afternoons picking up, cleaning and doing laundry before the coming week, so my plan was to get as much done as I could so he didn't have to worry about anything and could simply relax this weekend. I cranked up some music and in two hours all the dishes were done, the carpet was vacuumed, the clothes were washed and folded, the bathroom and kitchen were cleaned, and the dogs were brushed. He was a very happy mister!

Later that night, we went out for a nice dinner and watched Thor from the comfort of our own couch. Maybe I'm an old lady but that's really the only way I like watching movies anymore. If I can't sprawl out in my pjs with a bowl of java chip ice cream in hand, I'm not into it. 

Saturday and Sunday were spent lounging by the pool, walking the dogs, grocery shopping, and cutting Keane's hair (here's a glimpse into how that's gone in the past. Lucky for him, I've since bought a cape and the appropriate scissors). 

I'm pretty sure my allergies will be the death of me within the coming months. The wind in Casper has picked up again and now every dust, mold and pollen on God's green earth are blowing into my sinuses. Most days I want to scratch my eyes straight out of my head, but I refrain. Barely.

On a lighter note, we met with a lender last week and got pre-qualified to buy our first home! When we move back to Colorado, the hunt is on. Our list of must-haves includes a fenced in yard, garage, lots of windows, and natural light. We are open to a little DIY renovation so fugly kitchens and bathrooms don't scare us.

Happy Monday, people. And here's a friendly reminder.

via

Chasing Waterfalls

Last week was quite possibly the fastest week of all time. It's like I went to bed Monday night and woke up to my weekend, which sounds nice but in reality it just means my life is passing by at warp speed. We reminisced about how summer vacation felt like an eternity when we were little, and now three months is over in the blink of an eye. 

Pump the breaks, life. Pump the breaks. 

How was your weekend? We saw The Avengers on Friday night and hiked Casper Mountain Saturday after brunch. The weather was gorgeous! We also convinced Keane's grandma to come visit us from Denver. She is retired so she drove up Sunday morning and is staying with us all week. 

We love having g-ma in town!

Here are some pictures from the weekend. 

Happy Monday, friends! 

Escape

The mountains have always provided respite for my soul. 

It's one of the few places I can go to escape from chaos and just be quiet.

 No cell service means a break from the constant tug of technology, which makes it easier to remain present for the experience. 

There's no place for makeup or fashion statements amidst the swaying Aspens. 

It's where I'm most in my element.

Spending time in nature is something the mister and I love doing together. We were both raised in Colorado so the mountains were our playground of sorts from an early age. As adults, hiking, mountain biking and camping have become activities crucial to our sanity. Any chance we get to venture into the unknown, away from people, traffic and concrete, we take it!