Up, up and Away

I'm sitting here with a mound of fresh laundry that still has a hint of sea salt to it. We're home and I'm missing Riviera Maya, but there's something to be said about coming back to snow and Christmas trees (sorry Mexico those decorated palm trees don't fool me), nativities, holiday baking and all the other things that seem to whisper "Christmas is coming so very soon".
So Derek and I went to Riviera Maya and we Loved it! Everything from the crystal clear water to the the lush jungle surrounding us was great and it was so warm. I was in shock to be in anything less than the 4 layers of clothing I've been wearing these past few weeks at home. It felt good. We left early in the morning and met up with my cousin Cam in Chicago. He drove us to the airport to drop us off and then kept our car for the week. He actually works as an airplane mechanic at O'hare airport so I quizzed him on the ride over about how well built these planes are. I thought I deserved to know seeing how I was going to be thousands of feet up in the air with only my seat cushion and an air mask for safety. When are they going to put parachutes under the seats anyway? You see I went through this phase where I watched this TV show about airplane crash investigations. I've flown several times, but not since I freaked myself out with this show. Good cousin Cam assured me that they're flyin us around in some nice planes from the 60's and just slap a new coat of paint on them every couple years to keep them going.
Ha Ha. I really hope he was joking... 

Crazy Cousin Cam

Anyway the flights went smoothly except for when we were headed into Cancun and there was a storm which resulted in a good amount of turbulence. And then my darling hubby told me he thought one of the plane tires wasn't coming out for us to land. How he would know that I don't know.....I just held on to my seat and said my last goodbyes in my head. Ok maybe slightly dramatic, but those guys sure do know how to freak me out.

Welcome to O'hare Airport Christmas style

We were picked up and driven to our resort. Mexican style....aka, swerving, speed bumps, only yielding at stop signs and lights and speeding along. We got to our resort in good time though. 

They had an open air lobby

We enjoyed watching the dolphins at the resort

Derek chilling in one of the many pools

Not sure what these creatures are, but they liked to hang around the resort

Our room for the week

Almost 6 months together

 We both loved sitting in the hammocks. One day after sitting in them for awhile I decided to go get a drink for Derek and I. I went up and asked the guy for "two sobrosos" (a fruit smoothie pretty much). He kept saying "what, what?" and talking in spanish. He apparently didn't understand my English very well because finally he went behind his bar and reappeared with two glasses and said "two servesas". I took them and was like umm ok gracias. I knew it wasn't a fruit smoothie, but I was done trying to figure out what the guy was saying so I took the drinks back to Derek who informed me that "servesa" is beer. Yuck. Needless to say I let him go back and get the right drink. In the mean time I'll be working on my spanish skills ;)

One of the restaurants we went to

Towards the end of the trip we found out that our resort was about 70% european and mexican clientele. Therefore we had a hard time finding people who understood us when we asked them to take our picture. We had to use a lot of pointing and hand gestures :) 

Derek enjoyed playing sand volleyball one afternoon while I read my book

Lovely tan lines 

And that's a glimpse into how we spent our week in Riviera Maya. We hope to go back again sometime and would recommend it! :)

Seven in a Van

Derek and I had the pleasure of spending Thanksgiving in northern Indiana with his extended family. We missed our flight out there so we had to drive. Actually, just kidding;)....there was no flight and there is definitely not an airport in Middlebury, IN so we road trip'd it on out Wednesday night. There are 4 Vollmer men boys and they each happen to be over 6 foot. Let me tell you mini vans are mostly meant for Mini moms and their Mini children. Not grown men, especially not 4 of them. Although the trunk is rather spacey, you know how they have all that "stow and go" space in the trunk. Unfortunately you can't transfer some of that space up front into leg room. It was worth it though and there probably won't be that many more times that we'll all fit as a family in a 7 passenger van before Ross gets married or kids come along... (i guess we could always rent a 12 passenger van;). 
But alas to Grandmothers house we went and to Grandmothers house we did arrive around 11pm. We went right to bed and we woke up the next morning and were spoiled with cinnamon rolls and egg casserole. Then we hung out with family and had a delicious Thanksgiving lunch. We were stuffed and probably gained 5 pounds in that one day. Of course we played euchre, a family favorite:) It's nice to see everyone and we can't wait to go back for Derek's cousin's wedding at the end of this month! 
 

We don't have a Christmas tree for our presents yet :(

In the mean time we've finished our Christmas shopping and gotten started on wrapping and baking. We didn't send out a Christmas card picture this year because I feel like we look slightly boring without having kids/pets/cool tropical background etc to include in said picture. But...speaking of tropical backgrounds Derek and I will be heading to Mexico soon for a little vacation (This may or may not be why we are so on top of Christmas shopping). I am Sooo excited to go! Everyday that I have been freezing my tail off outside I just think about that 84 degree and sunny weather that is waiting for me;) 
 

$5 nativity that I scored at goodwill!

Have a great rest of the week! Be on the lookout for a vacation post soon!

On a Sunday

Tomorrow marks one week since the Tornado that swept through central Illinois. Derek and I were at 5 points in Washington when the Tornado came through and we'll be there again tomorrow. I remember being ushered out of the auditorium right before our church service was about to begin and crowding into the hallways. The hallway I was in had sturdy block walls on either side of me and I felt secure, somehow safe even though the winds howled mercilessly outside. It wasn't the block walls that gave me peace though, for I know they could crumble in a moment. No it is the might and the power of my God that made me feel safe in His hand no matter what the outcome. The lights flickered...once, twice and then all was dark. We began to sing softly and then louder the words of Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God Almighty and I remember Derek's voice lifted in praise to our Heavenly father. The rumble outside grew louder and then it seemed to slowly dissipate into the distance. After awhile we were allowed to leave and even then the enormity of what had happened hadn't hit us. We left 5 points and noted some debris, a few missing shingles, a powerline tipped over but nothing seemed too out of place. Perhaps we had overreacted. We drove home on highway 150 completely oblivious to what had truly happened. It wasn't until later that we started seeing footage of what had been soo close to us.

Finally on Thursday night Holly and I got to go help serve food to the people of Washington and sort food. The outpooring of love and giving is truly incredible!

Bread! (Excuse the fact that I'm in scrubs, I came from work:)

Food Galore!

 On a different note Derek and I celebrated 5 months of wedded bliss yesterday, although I haven't been keeping track very well I guess :) Here's our conversation from yesterday:
Me: Happy 6 month anniversary honey! Can you believe it!?
Derek: Ummm....well not really because actually it's our 5 month anniversary.
Me: Oh...opps.

  We went out to Granite City with some good friends and then afterwards Derek and I went shopping for our Operation Christmas Child boxes. We did it together last year when we were engaged, we enjoyed it this year too and wish we could be there when the kids get to open their box...

Derek did the boy box and I did the girl box:)

Have a great rest of the weekend!
I will leave you with the scripture Derek and I read the next day after the tornado....

²³ Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. ²⁴ Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. ²⁵ The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”
²⁶ He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.
²⁷ The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!” Matthew 8:23-27

Monday thru Friday

Monday started off in a flurry of...flurries:) and ended with Sister's Night at the Blend. I drove Holly and Tiffany there and they screamed the whole way. Apparently they think I needed a little more class time in "Snowy Driving 101". Anyway we made it to the Blend and met up with Teri for some delicious hot drinks and a game of Phase 10. (We missed you Marti and Allison).

  I worked four days at my nursing job this week {which seems to be just the right amount to keep me coming back happy and non sleep deprived}. I drove Derek to school one day and dropped him off, I may have waved obnoxiously and pretended to be an over excited parent;) Then I ran errands and figured out that I do Not like getting groceries when it's cold and then when you're at Aldi's and have to return the cart to the store to get your quarter back....well I never really cared about the quarter in the first place and now that my hands and face were about to freeze off and I was parked a half mile from the store...well I especially didn't care about getting a quarter back at that point. I did return the cart though {and now I will wear a snowsuit, glove, ski mask on future similar excursions}. 

On Wednesday I watched little Miss Everly, my ever adorable 1 year old niece. She pooped in my bathtub and it was gross. Alas my husband was home and saved the day. Other than that she crawls laps around our duplex and likes to push buttons and eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. She makes a lot of happy noises too and says "puppppy".
I've been making a lot of pumpkin chocolate chip bread lately. It seems to be our breakfast of choice around here lately. That and hot chocolate:)
My wonderful friend Katy Knapp got engaged this week! (eek!) I can't even say how excited I am for her and Jake, they are a great couple! And I'm even more excited that it's her turn to make all those decisions and do the planning;)     

The future Mr and Mrs. Devine

That was the short version of my week. Have a fabulous weekend:)                                                 
                         

Winter Denial & November Thankful's

It would seem that winter is closing in on Illinois and I'm in a slight state of denial. Don't get me wrong I love Thanksgiving, Christmas and New years, but I wish Winter would leave when they ended. At breakfast I watched through our back window as an elderly couple mowed their lawn (yes it is a joint effort between the two of them, they take turns pushing the mower so the other one can rest). Anyway I started to daydream that maybe it was springtime and people were starting to get their mowers out after a long winter. A winter that I had conveniently slept through. Alas I went out for a run and was rudely awakened by cold sleet like rain, grey skies and wind that seemed to whisper "Novemmmbeeerrrr". I double checked my calender and it seems that Winter is indeed quickly approaching and in an act of rebellion I've started to browse Caribbean all inclusive resort sights. Trust me pictures of pearly white beaches and crystal clear oceans are enough to boast anyone's winter moral;)

Lest you think I only complain;), Ill share with you something that I'm loving right now. The "30 Thankful Days" of November. Some people have been doing it on Facebook, Instagram or wherever, all you have to do is share something that you're thankful for each day of November. Derek and I have a notebook that we've been writing down something in each day that we're thankful for. We're hoping to continue this long after November ends as a testament of God's faithfulness and blessings in our life.

In no specific order here are a few we've come up with so far:
1. Wiener roasts and smores with good friends and family.
2. For Emily because you're always here for me.
3. Sunday afternoons together
4. Good health
5. For my husband Derek who loves me and is kind and considerate
6. For our church family who are supportive and challenge us to grow spiritually everyday
7. Family, who are constantly there for us no matter what.
8. Seasonal change b/c it makes us appreciate each season
9. God's grace and Christ's Death on the cross for our sins.
10. "Sick days", so I can stay home and spend time with my wife 

In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. 1 Thes. 5:18

Weekend Edition

Hooray for the weekend and all the fun and memories that come with it! Not that memories can't happen during the week, but I don't necessarily consider catching two mice a fond memory that I want to keep....or 4 loads of laundry in various states of completion. Nope I'd prefer the fun things (don't think I live in denial, just sometimes;) Derek and I had pizza in on Friday night and then he worked steadily on homework while trying not to lose his mind. He has several group projects that are coming to a close this week so it's crunch time. I was feeling a little pity for myself because I didn't have much to do and here he was working away on homework on a Friday night so I went to see my sister Tiffany. *Sigh* she also was doing homework....soo I annoyed her for a bit (she's easier to distract from her studying than my husband I've found haha) Eventually I returned home to my husband who was still doing homework. Anyone not in school anymore that wants to celebrate our freedom together?!:)
Saturday Katie Wag was in town so we went out to eat with our high school friends group and then back to Haley's adorable new home. It was great to see everyone and catch up:) Sunday was such a refreshing day. Physically because we got an extra hour of sleep (hooray!), spiritually we were fed by God's word and blessed by our family at church and then for lunch Derek's family always spoils us with a great meal and it's so nice to catch up. For supper we went to Holly and Pete's for a weiner roast, possibly the last one of the season although Derek insists that you can have a weiner roast anytime of the year as long as you have wood and matches. I felt especially blessed with our time with family that night. We enjoyed our time together, played games, and talked around the fire. I wish I'd taken some pictures, but alas I'm sure you've realized by now that I'm not a photographer and I'm not quick to whip out my iphone to take a picture like I should be. Nevertheless it was a successful memorable weekend:) Have a great week!

Derek trying to focus on homework and escape all my chattering :)

Raindrops on roses

Raindrops on roses and warm fuzzy kittens......these are {not} some of my favorite things. *Sigh* Mary Poppins would be so much more cheerful about this weather than I am I'd have to say. Really though, I haven't seen a warm fuzzy kitten in awhile......mainly because the kittens at Derek's parents barn are far from friendly. There mom is wild and they decided to follow suite....leaving me with scratches on my arms and hissing fur balls whenever I go near them. Rainy days aren't all bad though. Well actually that's not completely true. Yesterday I babysat my niece for awhile in the afternoon. I drove her home around supper time and it had been steadily raining for most of the day. When I got to my sisters house her gravel drive resembled a muddy lake. I decided right away to get inside as quickly as possible so I slung her diaper bag over my shoulder and held the carseat in the other hand. Maybe I was going too fast I don't know, but I lost my balance and landed in the mud. Of course my niece wasn't terribly thrilled about the turn of events and started crying. We made it up the rest of the drive to my sisters doorstep and there I stood wet, covered in mud with a wet little baby in tow. It wasn't exactly the most picturesque rainy day.   

This little girly was mesmerized by the rain

Today made up for it though:) It was one of those days where I had nowhere specific to be and could do whatever I chose. I made some chocolate chip pumpkin bread...I think it's delicious, Derek wonders why everything I make comes out of the oven with chocolate in it;) Then I watched Downton Abbey....it's addicting and I'm afraid I'm going to start talking in an English accent soon:) Besides all that I've been enjoying warm blankets and hot cocoa and all things fall-ish
Happy October 31st, if you ring our doorbell we have free candy for you;)  

Choc chip pumpkin bread:) Yumm

A Running post

It's really a love hate relationship. It all started freshman year when my friend Joy and I decided to do cross country. More accurately I decided that we were going to do cross country. See it was at that point in your life where you can't do anything without your friends, so after using a little peer pressure I made her sign up with me. I'm not sure she's recovered yet... (just kidding). Anyway so off we went to our first cross country practice where we huffed and puffed along through the hot July sun. A typical cross country race was 3 miles long. Joy and I were fairly certain we couldn't run that far so we asked our team captain if we could take walking breaks during our race......our poor team captain probably didn't think there was much hope for our team winning when two of the "runners" were asking if it was ok to be "walkers". She encouraged us on though and the rest of the summer passed in countless hours of running, running and running. Oh our coach would call it different things and say things like, "today we're going to do an Indian run!", but no matter what he called it we knew if would end in our shoes pounding the pavement. To our great surprise we actually ran our first race without stopping and went on to run at the state cross country meet at the end of the season. I thanked God for the ability to run, but eventually said good-bye to the competitive aspect and choose to do it for fun. No more practices, meets and crack of dawn workouts. No now it is just me and the outdoors. It's a time to think, find a rhythm and just enjoy. The good thing about running is that it doesn't take a whole lot of skill. You don't have to be good at catching a ball or hitting a target.

We Care 10K...enjoying running for a cause together :)

Enter Marissa. We became running buds probably a year ago and I'm fairly certain we've worn down the streets of Goodfield and Congerville (although I do not take responsibility for all the cracks in their sidewalks). I was just thinking maybe we need to move to a bigger town. Or at least a town that we don't lap twice in less than 30 minutes. Anyway this poor girl has probably heard far too much complaining from me while running...."it's too hot, I'm so cold my lungs are freezing, are we done yet? my side hurts, my legs hurt, I think i just want to go eat ice cream".....you get the picture. Nevertheless she puts up with me and we get along pretty swell I'd say. It especially helps that we both went through nursing school/are nurses:) That always leaves plenty to talk about on our runs:)
Now that I've completely rambled on about running for two paragraphs (kudos to you if you read this whole post) I have to say that no matter how nice it feels to finish a 3 mile, 6 mile, 13 mile.....dare I say 26 mile marathon...it means little to be in the utmost of shape if your soul is weak and frail in the faith....

 For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto ALL things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. 1 Timothy 4:8

Have a great week:)

In Love?

Derek and I get asked quite a bit how married life is going. We typically say "good" and then smile (then there's an awkward silence where we're not really sure if we should elaborate or not) but it is going good and that's probably the response people are expecting. Plus how weird would it be if we said "oh just Awwwfulll"? Don't worry there haven't been any major breakdowns and it's not awful;) It goes especially well when Derek knows And remembers to do his husband-ly duties which include taking out the trash, getting my hair out of the shower drain, keeping his office clean, helping with dishes after meals and doing outside stuff. Oh, and not wearing more than 3 shirts in a day. I decided that laundry was getting a bit excessive so I had to put a limit on it. Who knew guys needed a different shirt for work, school, home and lounging around? 
In reality though sometimes I feel like when people ask us how married life is going they're really asking "are you still in love?". It's like they're trying to look deep into our souls and gauge whether it was worth it to bridge the gap between dating and marriage. Maybe they're scared the butterflies will go away. Maybe they've seen too many marriages go stale. To that I would answer that staying in love isn't the first task of marriage, it's the happy (maybe sappy) overflow of covenant keeping for the glory of God. In John Piper's book This Momentary Marriage he says keeping first things first makes second things better. If the main goal in marriage for the next 50 years was to stay perfectly, over the top, butterflies in love it would probably get very emotionally tiring very quick. But oh the joy of representing Christ's commited relationship with the church through our marriage! And the joy of glorifying Christ through our actions toward each other. When you keep first things first, I truly believe there is an overflow of sweet love. 

Fall hayrack ride with this great guy:-)

Somebody call a Nurse

 I stayed up past midnight way too many times. I popped M&M's in my mouth, drank diet coke (did I mention i can't stand coffee?) and typed while the rest of the world seemed very quiet. I flipped through powerpoint slides and reviewed chapters upon chapters of disease signs, symptoms and processes. I did good on tests...I did horrible on some tests. I remember early mornings going to clinical at the hospital. I could probably drive to Methodist hospital with my eyes closed. How can you ever know what it will be like to bridge the gap between student and nurse? You can't really. Some days I feel like I was prepared well and other days I'm one minute from a very emotional breakdown....thankfully I haven't had one of those.....yet. Although there was a pharmacist who about sent me over the edge. Really he was interesting (just give me the stinkin meds my patient needs already) what don't they understand about Dr's orders? Anyways I've come to learn a lot. I try to use my critical thinking skills and when those fail me....thank goodness for all the smart nurses I'm surrounded by.

Where most of Derek's "injuries" occur

Derek does a pretty good job at getting cuts, bruises, burns, you name it. You'd think he'd be relieved to be married to a nurse. Well the problem is I'm not a huge fan of blood. *ohmy*. There's something weird about being at work and cleaning a wound and being at home and cleaning a wound. At work I'm in this zone and I know what's expected of me. Then at home I'm like yuck that is gross. Don't worry though, I still hound him about infections etc etc etc. The other night he wasn't feeling good so like a good little nurse I offered him every medication we had in the house. It sounds nice of me until you realize we only have benadryl, dramamine and some ibprofen. Needless to say he said those weren't going to cut it so I thought I'd move on to some non-medication interventions. Including guided imagery, massage, redirection, breathing techniques....*hehe* at that point he gave me a look and told me to go back to bed and that he would be just Fine. I tried though right?! ;) Such is life at the Vollmer household. One nurse. One finance Man.

Have a safe and lovely Winds-day!

What I know now about my Mother

After our wedding was over, flowers dried and all traces of leftover cake gone......Yes Derek and I ate our cake top *gasp* yes, the one that you are supposed to save for your one year anniversary. Yep it's gone. We didn't get any cake at our wedding reception besides the little piece that we fed each other and I would say that technically doesn't count. I mean you're in front of a couple hundred people that are staring as you ceremoniously feed each other...I chewed and swallowed quickly and wiped the frosting off my lip and prayed that everyone would stop looking. I'm a middle child, not one for being the center of attention. Anyway we got back from the honeymoon and I love cake so with no further ado we cut into our 1 year cake and thoroughly enjoyed it and toasted to being married 1 week. If you're into traditions don't freak out yet...we might buy a little cake on our 1 year and cut into that one. If for no other reason than to have a fresh moist, non-petrified cake;)

Anyway back to the topic at hand. After all traces of the wedding were replaced by pictures and as life continued on I started realizing a thing or two. One my mother did a whole lot for us kids at home....I always knew that, but I now I really know it. I do laundry for two people and she did if for 11. She helped with homework, cleaned, dusted, swept the house, made time to talk to each of us and so much more. She taught us that prayer was important. I remember so many times when the door to my parents room was almost shut so I'd tip toe to the door and peak in and see my mom kneeling beside her bed praying. I'd tip toe away (probably one of the only times I was quiet at our house.)

 One new thing for me is grocery shopping. I can call her from any Kroger or Walmart in the area and she'll know the exact coordinates of where they stock their yeast or velveeta cheese. It saves me hours of time....I'm a wanderer, what can I say. The other day I was shopping at Aldi and I had to smile because I recognized a lot of things from there that my mother bought for us when she grocery shopped. I can hear her voice in my head "compare the ounces of one box of cereal to the ounces of another and then compare prices". 

I heard on the radio the other day that parents are the bow and their children are the arrows. Parents pull back the string and point their children in the right direction through teaching and then they release the arrow. Thank you for pointing me in the right direction Mom! I love you. 

My Mom was a great sport and put on her wedding dress for a quick "Then and Now" pose

The Snooze button and such

The weekend is over and a new week has begun and with that the birthday festivities have come to an end....that is until Tiffany's birthday Friday :) My family has quite a few fall birthdays and even more birthday cake. It's pretty nice. 

The table all set for my birthday at my parents house

So what does a new wife do all day. Well it probably goes a lot like your day.....or possibly a lot differently and more exciting. Anyway I like to get up and then....actually let's correct that-> I don't like to get up in the morning, but I do get up when my alarm goes off. More accurately when Derek's obnoxiously loud alarm goes off 6 times and he hits the snooze button each time (in his sleep) and goes back into a coma. Thus I get up, turn off his alarm, elbow him a few times, poke multiple times and at this point I am awake and he's in a state of semi-consciousness. Better than the coma. So from there I either go to work which includes a mad dash around the house to get ready, eating while driving and fixing my hair in the rear view mirror while praying that none of my patients die. If I'm home for the day I kinda lounge around in the morning. Read the Bible, drink my orange juice (I hate coffee....sorry all you coffee lovers, but it's true), go for a run and enjoy the lazy hours in the am. If it's a Monday like today I do laundry and fold it as fast as I can so it'll all disappear out of my presence until the next Monday. Then rest of the day is up for whatever, cleaning, projects, visiting grandparents, stopping in to see my sisters, catching up with friends, making supper for my hubby. Today I randomly made grape jam...and I think it was successful although I haven't quite decided if it's worth the time:) Derek was great and picked the grapes for me.

My homeade jam on a PB&J sandwich

 Derek and I really enjoy evenings together. Sometimes we go somewhere, sometimes we stay in. We play speed scrabble or go for a walk or bike ride. It's pretty nice:) Now all you moms with kids probably think I'm quite lazy;) But anyways that's a day around here. Somewhat typical I'd say. 
That's all for now:)

{Feels like 23}

On the 4th I turned 23. I was told by my mother that I was born 2 weeks early. They had just built their house outside of Goodfield and my mom was trying to get as much done as she possibly could before I arrived. Naturally she was disregarding the many rules of pregnancy and in her 9th month of pregnancy was moving things up the stairs, painting, moving boxes from old house to new and chasing around her other 5 children. They say my dad was hoping for a girl...not because he wanted sweet frills and pink though, but because he didn't have the boys room done yet in the new house;) I'm not sure how the labor went, but if you know my mother I'm sure she was as cool as a cucumber.
Now fast forward 23 years and here I am today married, working and such. At my parents house birthdays were kinda a big deal. We got a morning gift to open when we woke up. We got to choose what we had for supper that night and what kind of cake we wanted. We had the candles, the singing, the presents, the special plates and napkins. We didn't have to do chores that day, It was nice let me tell you:)  And then there is Derek who claims he didn't quite grow up the same way so my expectations for my birthday this year were uhhh....let's just say slim to very slim. Of course he came through though and made it special. He had to leave for work before I woke up so he wrote me a letter and left it on the kitchen table along with a plate he set out for my breakfast. He set a grapefruit on the plate (which was funny) and a cinnamon roll beside it. 

I got to go out for lunch with my mom and Tiffany at Panera and really enjoyed it besides the moment that I spilled a cup of water all over myself (opps). 

Then we went shopping and I found a cute shirt for myself and some decor for our duplex. It seems simple, but it was nice to get some new fun things when you're typically putting most of your budget towards necessities and savings. From there I got home about the time Derek was getting home from work and he surprised me with pink and red roses! I love flowers and I love pink roses! He also made me chocolate covered strawberries (my favorite) and he got me a chocolate chip cookie cake. In the evening we went out with a couple friends and played games at the duplex:) It was great way to spend my 23! Thanks babe for making me feel special!

Camping Vollmer Style

So when your husband is in college and has a rare evening with no homework and you don't have to work the next day you don't pass up the chance to do something "fun" and spontaneous. In this case we decided to go camping spur of the moment:) We realized quickly that we aren't really equipped to go camping because lets face it....camping gear was not something I thought of to register for nor is it something I wanted to register for at the time. Enter our wonderful parents and the many things they have accumulated over the years. Between our parents we got a tent, blow up mattress, camp chairs, lantern, cast iron skillet etc. We took off for Lake evergreen Tuesday late afternoon. They have 13 "primitive 
camping sites so we scouted out each one. I'm not sure if primitive is the correct word though considering we were less than 2 miles from the nearest highway and still got some cell phone reception. Anyway we choose camp site number 7 (it has a great view of the lake if you ever go there). 
 

Our view from our campsite

In retrospect it would have been a better idea to choose camp site number 1 for the obvious reason that it was closest to our parked car and gear. Several trips back and forth  from our car to camp site 7 left us sweaty, hot, sore and a little grouchy. But the beautiful campsite was worth it i think. Derek may have mumbled something about girls and their inability to pack lightly. 

We fished for awhile and hiked. It was nice and peaceful. We roasted hotdogs over the campfire and didn't tell ghost stories (if you know me you know its better to just not go there). Joy joined us to play a card game and roast glazed donuts over the fire (delicious if you haven't tried it before). We talked and played "would you rather":) Around 9 or so Joy left and Derek and I settled in. Our air mattress had a leak though so when it did deflate I quickly found out how hard the ground really is. Let's just say unless you're in a lush meadow with plenty of grassy padding, the dry bare ground feels like you're laying on a wooden plank. Good times. All that aside we did sleep pretty good. 

In the morning we came out of our tent to find the air and sky thick with fog. It really was a beautiful site over the lake. We had eggs and sausage after using our toilet paper as kindling to get our fire started (desperate times call for desperate measures). It was a great breakfast made by my ever talented husband:) 

All in all we had fun and enjoyed being in God's creation and just having that bit of time to enjoy the peace and quiet so rarely granted to us by the world. 
Oh and nothing quite feels as good as a shower right after camping:)
 

Summer reminiscing

As the evenings get crisper and the leaves turn colors I can't help but be a little sad that summer is leaving us. Derek and i have a lot of sweet memories from this summer. Our wedding, honeymoon, graduation, new jobs, friends and cousins weddings, trips and so much more. 

Derek and I had our first garden this Summer and it was a success I'd say! That is if you don't factor weeds into your definition of success. When we moved into our duplex there was already a raspberry bush and grapevine, which I loved because I love fresh fruit. We also planted a lot of veggies in our small garden and yes I will miss them when winter comes. Nothing is easier than stepping out into your backyard to pick a few tomatoes and peppers to add to supper. I will not miss applesauce making though. Let's just say my aunt and uncle bought a house that had a lot of apple trees that produced a lot of apples that we had to make good use out of and it all

ended in countless hours slicing (and getting sliced), boiling, and turning the applesauce. Our freezer is stocked though so I can't complain too much;) 

Here are a few memories from summer '13. I'm gonna miss it!

Derek this past spring getting our garden ready:)

Naomi hard at work!

Headed our to jet ski

Graduation from nursing school last May:) Now my official title is Emily Vollmer RN BSN

 

 

Our house when we got back from our honeymoon

And my all time favorite memory from this past summer....6.22.13 <3