i'll eat you up i love you so

a quote from the film 'where the wild things are'.
it sums up my feelings towards chris to a t.
please don't go large print as seen on the design crush blog.

dawgs

march madness took on a special meaning this past year.
my butler bulldogs went all the way.
in april chris & i {& almost all of our friends} went to the final 4 &
the national championship game {THE national championship game}
to cheer on our dawgs.
i think that chris & i each bought 3 new butler shirts/apparel for the occasion.
there was pregaming. for both games.

lucas oil stadium came alive with chants of "bu!"
there was lots of nail biting.
there was a night full of celebration after advancing to the championship.
there was even more nail biting.
there was desperation. hope. more nail biting.
the realization that the bulldogs could be national champions.
the excitement was palpable. & i will never forget it.

and then, in the final seconds. we couldn't make the last shot.
there was an incredible sense of loss. literally. shock was present too.
to be so close to the national championship &
lose it in such a heartbreaking way....
was devastating.

we still cheered for our bulldogs that night. for their incredible season.
and we went out to the bars to celebrate the end of the incredible season.
naturally.

and we're ready for next year. go dawgs.

when the sun sets

as a child growing up on lake wawasee,
i always looked forward to the fourth of july fireworks.

i always brought my fireworks notepad.
before the fireworks started i would make a list of all of the possible colors.
during the fireworks i kept a tally of how many times each color appeared.
{it seems i was destined to be an accountant, doesn't it?}

in case you were wondering, red and blue were always the most popular.
and the "weeping willow" fireworks have and will always be my favorite.
there is always a furry of excitement & anticipation for the fireworks
as the sun begins to set on the lake.
after the fireworks, as the sky returns to it's dark blue hue,
there's a sense of sadness in the air. that summer is half over.

we start to look forward to labor day & sending summer off with a bang.
and then to memorial day to welcome summer with open arms.
and then, once again, to the fourth of july. waiting for the sun to set.
so the fireworks can glow.

i'm alive & i'm free

there's no other way to see the 4th of july fireworks at the lake...
than being in a boat on the lake yourself. with friends. & some cold beverages.

we had a spectacular fourth of july. and it wasn't just because of the fireworks.
we went to the frog tavern & the sandbar, channel tubed, ate too much,
applied sunscreen liberally, played skip-bo, wakeboarded, laughed too much,
watched a corsica attempt to trailer a pontoon out of the water at 1:30 am,
& rode a jet-ski from the 1980's. not to mention my mom was the perfect host.

i'd say we celebrated america's birthday quite perfectly.
"i'm alive & i'm free. who wouldn't want to be me?" - keith urban

ahoy, chicago!

in may 2008 we went to chicago for my bachelorette party.
in may 2010 we returned for debbie's.
nautical attire was preferred.
the bachelorette wore a captain's hat. we passed around the white sailor hat.
we ate at bubba gumps & took pictures on the anchor at navy pier.
we sang karaoke {madonna's "like a virgin," naturally} & visited a few bars.
we ended the night at mcdonalds at 2am. just like the good old days.

ahoy, chicago! thanks for the memories.

ice up that old igloo

the weekend is here little ones.
and per the advice of brad paisley we're going to
grab our swimming trunks, ice up that old igloo and drive until the map turns blue.
because all you need this time of year is a pair of shades and an ice cold beer
and a place to sit somewhere near the water.
it should be fabulous as chris and i & 4 of our friends are making the trip up to the lake.

86 degrees and sunny all weekend? yes, please.

i see lots of boating, sunning and cans of beer in our future. {just being honest}

and if we're really adventurous, we'll hit up the frog tavern. the people watching can't be beat.

whatever you're doing this weekend i hope that it at least includes enjoying a few rays of sun.

photo by nicole green the summer of 2008.

july 1

can someone tell me why and how it's already july 1st?
for some reason, the july 4th weekend always marked the beginning of the end of summer.
perhaps because august always brought the rush of back to school shopping {which i loved}
and then, before you knew it, school was back in session.

so the july 4th weekend has always necessitated an extra dash of tequila in our margaritas.
an extra boat ride around the lake, even if the sun has already gone down.
one last dive off the end of the pier.
and hoping that the fireworks show over the lake lasts just a little longer.

so here it goes. tomorrow starts a 4 day 4th of july weekend for me.
and i intend to make every second of it last as long as i can.
because if this is the beginning of the end of the summer, i'm going to milk it as long as i can.

p.s. speaking of july...my birthday is coming up. july 16th, if you wanted to know.

photo by nicole green. taken the summer of 2008 at lake wawasee.