Anna's Blog

That's right folks.....I'm Getting Married

2012-02-11T18:19:00.001-08:00

Rhen & Anna Story: part I

This has been an interesting and long journey, but well worth it in the end! I have known my fiancée, Rhen, for about 7 1/2 years. So, that means we met at the awkward age of 14. I must say, I admit that I thought he was cute, but never in a million years would I have believed that I was going to marry him! We became good friends almost instantly and then the story really begins. He was always there for me, whether I needed to vent to him about teenage drama outside Starbucks at midnight or walking with me through the death of a loved one. He really is the most faithful and loyal person I know (I'm sure anyone who knows him would immediately agree with me). He is also the most selfless person I know. He's always looking for some way to serve someone else. He really does inspire me everyday. I'll stop gushing and get back to the story at hand. Now, Rhen and I's friendship was not at all drama-free and we definitely had our ups and downs. We liked each other, but hardly admitted it. It's the classic "I have a crush on him, but I can't tell him because I'm too scared and we're just friends. We're just friends." I can't tell you how many times I had to tell my girlfriends that. Every time there was a sleepover, his name would come up. Skipping ahead a couple years (we were probably 17 or so), Rhen finally got up the courage to ask me out on Valentine's Day (that's a pretty big first date, if you ask me). I said I would go, but I didn't know precisely how awkward it would be. We were not at all in the place in our personal lives that we could start a relationship, and there was all this tension of "I like you-I don't like you" that had built up over the years. He didn't have a car at the time, so we were going to take mine. I insisted on driving since it was my car (I will later find out that insisting on driving with my date in the passenger seat is a control issue-who knew?), and he was trying his hardest to make it a surprise. So, he was giving me turn-by-turn directions like a GPS and we ended up at J. Alexander's. We awkwardly split a dessert and attempted to compliment each other's outfits, but it just was NOT working. We came back to my house and watched a movie. I made sure that there was something between us on the couch so that he wouldn't try and hold my hand or anything (that would have freaked the heck out of me at the time!). I know I'm going into great detail, but I just have to share all of this so that you fully understand how amazing our God is for forming a perfect puzzle out of such misshaped pieces. I think this is a good place to leave off for part I. I tried to fit the whole story in, but it's just too long! I will leave you with how my darling Rhen proposed:

Ok, so I had seen this coming for a while.I knew he had gotten my dad's blessing (we have very good communication), and I had a feeling that he had the ring. I have been in love with my great grandmother, Nanny's, ring since I was probably 13. It is the most gorgeous thing and talk about an incredible legacy attached to it! Now, I was positive that Nanny would still be with us when I got married, so I wanted a ring just like it, but God decided he wanted Nanny with Him (I can absolutely see why!) a couple of years ago. Rhen was actually close to Nanny as well, which makes this even more special. I was convinced he was going to propose last Thursday. It didn't happen. Friday? Nope. Saturday? Still no. SUNDAY????? Sorry, no. This is exactly how I was feeling. I can usually read Rhen like a book, but he really stumped me this time. I knew he had a plan and I wasn't going to mess with it. So, on Friday (2/3), Rhen sent me to get a manicure & pedicure for "no reason". Yeah, right. I knew why, I just decided to go along with it. He also sent me to get a massage that afternoon (I know, ladies, I got a good one). That day passed......no proposal. On Saturday, he took my car and filled it with gas (that is a lot more expensive than it sounds). I actually didn't think much about this. I just thought "Wow, my boyfriend is the best". On Sunday, we were at the mall looking at wedding bands for him (we do things kind of backwards) and he wanted to take me to Forever 21. He bought me a couple of things there and then took me to Target to finish out the shopping spree. I don't like people buying things for me, so this was very hard. I thought "Surely tonight"....no proposal. By Monday, I had given up trying to figure it all out. I knew that night we were going to dinner and to our friend's house like we do every Monday night, so until then, I was cleaning my room. Rhen was over fixing my mom's phone (he's like a Mac Whisperer) and he asks if I'm ready to leave. The conversation went something like this:

R: Hey, you ready to go?

A: I thought you said I had time to finish cleaning my room. I haven't even vacuumed yet!

R: No, you do. That's fine.

Shortly after, my sister, Emily, and my mom say something about going to Whole Foods. Not unusual. So, I'm upstairs cleaning my room and Rhen sticks his head in, somewhat frantic.

R: Angie (Rhen lives with her and her husband) is locked out of the house and she needs my house hey. She's waiting at Barnes & Noble.

A: Can you just go and you can come back and pick me up?

R: Can't you just finish your room later?

A: *huffy breath* fine. We're just going to the Yordy's after, right?

R: Right.

A: Good, I'm just going to dress in sweats.

R: Why don't you wear something that I got you yesterday?

Ok, I'm a little suspicious. Why would he want me to wear a cute shirt to go hang out and watch a show? He eventually got me out of the house, dressed up and everything. We head to Barnes & Noble. This place has been a HUGE part of our relationship. We're in the cafe almost everyday and I live with my nose in books, so I LOVE it there. Also, some of our best friends work there (because we go there so much). So, we meet Angie in the cafe, and she's in a big hurry, so she runs out.

R: There's this devotional that someone said we should get. It's supposed to be really good and I want to buy it for you. (A new book??? Yes, please!!)

So, we head back to the "Christian Inspiration" section and he hands me the book "Love Dare". I open it and find not just devotionals, but a very sparkly something that resembles a....... a ring!!!! It's a ring!!!! Not just a ring, but my Nanny's ring.
I shut the book really fast, because I don't want to let myself believe it if it's really not true. But, when I look up, Rhen is on one knee, professing his undying love for me and then I hear these four words: will you marry me? I, of course, said yes! Then, all of a sudden, I hear claps and cheers. I look to my left and see my whole family, Barnes & Noble friends and Angie popping out from behind book cases like little elves and running toward me (with all of their iPhones out of course). I was overwhelmed! I was so happy that Rhen had included them all. After all the excitement sort of died down and I had hugged everyone in the store (including some I didn't know), Rhen said we had to hurry because we had reservations. He took me to Stoney River and we had a romantic dinner. After that, he brought me back home and surprised me (AGAIN!!!) with about 40 of my friends and family for a surprise Engagement Party! I have never felt so loved as I looked around at all the people surrounding us.
So, this gives you a small taste of how unbelievably incredible and amazing the man I am marrying actually is. I could write about him in a hundred blogs and I wouldn't come close to describing how wonderful he is. I will continue our love story in my next blog (part II). I'll leave you with this: No matter what we go through, God always knows and is forming the path ahead with the desires of our hearts in full knowledge and will almost ALWAYS work in ways we don't understand. Let Him. It always works out better that way.

Anna Smith (soon to be Anna Bovi!)

My Thoughts On...Tea

2012-01-17T16:16:00.000-08:00

Ok, so first of all, let me make this extremely clear. I love coffee. Just in case you didn't catch that, I'll say it again. I LOVE COFFEE. I mean seriously. Coffee & Me = Best Friends. Now, do I actually need coffee? Eh, probably not (you could probably just ask anyone who knows me). So, I got a coffee yesterday and I can't lie to you, I wasn't really feeling it. It might be because I'm sick or it might be because I've had too much of it, but I just didn't like it that much. Then it dawns on me. I don't need coffee. I could save $4 a day by not drinking coffee. Coffee doesn't own me. Talk about freedom of bondage. Then another fact dawns on me. I'm addicted. That's right, folks, I'm addicted. Now I've gotta go through the pain of withdrawals (night sweats, tremors, you name it--not really, but you get the point). I do get these horrible headaches after about 8 hours of being apart from the stuff. Geez, it's more like an ex-boyfriend than a stimulant. So, I'm not feeling well yesterday, I have that aha moment with the coffee and then I come home. I'm thinking,"Man, I could really use a hot beverage right now." But, not coffee (I know better than to turn back to that controlling liquid). I go through the list of non-coffee drinks in my head: hot chocolate (incredible, but a little too heavy), cider (we are currently out of cider. Besides, way too sweet), tea----hold up. Yes, that sounds perfect. It's as light as water, I can control the sweetness so I don't fall over dead and there's so many flavors to choose from. So, I have tea. And it is MARVELOUS. I don't know what clicked yesterday, but I've had probably 12 cups of tea in about a day and a half. I guess my mom always tried to get me to drink it and I just assumed when she said it was the "healthier drink", that it was disgusting. Well, I was wrong (Mother, I am sorry). I've also noticed that I LOVE fruit teas. Pomegranate, blueberry, peach, pineapple (who knew, right?). I mean, this stuff's amazing. So, I leave you with this: Don't turn something away because it's healthy. It might just save you from over-caffeinating yourself, bouncing off the walls and having to be hooked up to a coffee IV. I'm telling you, you won't regret it. Drinking tea doesn't mean you have to take yoga or meditate out in a field at 5am (something that my brother actually planned to do when he was 18...didn't happen). Drink tea and think happy thoughts.

Anna

My Thoughts On...Christmas

2010-12-26T18:59:00.000-08:00

This was written on Christmas Eve:

Christmas is a strange thing. When you're a kid, every day in December is the longest day in the world. When you're older, it's like,"Where the heck did December come from? I swear it was July yesterday." So, here we are on Christmas Eve. I've got everything ready for Christmas and now I get to relax. Oh, how I wish those words were true. Truth is, I have a small habit of committing to way more than I have time for. This is when super powers would come in handy. Well, Christmas is here, ready or not, and I have some serious wrapping to do. Or perhaps I could start throwing my unwrapped gifts at their recipients. That would be a fun tradition to begin...

My Thoughts On...Snow

2010-12-13T08:03:00.000-08:00

Ok...I have decided. I am not a huge fan of Snow. Let me rephrase that. I am not a huge fan of Snow unless I can stay inside next to a fire and play hooky from life until it clears. I have learned over the past couple of years that Snow brings its friend. He's called Ice. I despise Ice. I truly do. Nothing good comes from Ice. Right now, I can't get home. Why? Because of ICE! Ice belongs in the Arctic. Not Tennessee. I think this rant might be the product of my car doing a 180 on the ice a few years ago. Granted, it was funny at the time for strange reasons, but I don't much like the feeling of being out of control. But, I have noticed that men LOVE it. It's a challenge to them. "Make it home alive. Then I win." They try to be heroes. NEWSFLASH: MODERN DAY HEROES SAVE PEOPLE FROM FIRES. THEY AREN'T CONSIDERED HEROES FOR DRIVING ON THE ICE. THEY ARE CONSIDERED STUPID. It's not worth risking your life to prove that you're awesome. Men are STUBBORN. "Don't worry, honey. I have four-wheel drive!""I don't care. It's ice.""But we'll be fine! I have this under control.""Like you had the bathroom remodel 'under control'?-----that's what I thought." I don't mean to hate on men. I don't hate men. Just Ice.

On the Road Again...with Earl.

2010-05-15T17:36:00.000-07:00

Ok...so we're back on tour after 2 weeks in Canada. We have stopped in South Carolina for a women's conference tonight. Tomorrow, we are off to South Africa...a wonderful 16 hours of flying. Since I'm not terribly fond of flying, you can have a sense of how excited I am. After Africa, we are headed to Zambia, Brazil, Costa Rica and Guatemala. I'm pretty stoked. I'm hoping to keep up this blog as I go, so you can feel like you're with us. Oh, and I brought my friend, Earl, to accompany me. He's not afraid of flying, so I've asked him to hold my hand throughout the flight. He's very supportive. He will most likely be showing up in my pictures throughout this trip. Hope that's all right.

Are You Mad At Me? Are You Sure? Really? Ok

2009-12-28T08:38:00.000-08:00

Ok, so this post is about the sad "relationships" that surround us. I was in a store yesterday trying on some clothes and had to listen to the most unbelievable conversation I have probably heard in my life. This girl (we'll just call her Susan) was talking to her boyfriend about the Christmas parties she went to and how they weren't even good because there wasn't much dancing and a couple guys had asked her to slow dance (why she would tell this to her boyfriend that is out of town, I have no idea. STUPID MOVE #1). Then, Susan asks him, "Are you mad at me? Are you sure? Well, ok." (STUPID MOVE #2) Doesn't it make you mad when someone asks if you're mad? Well, it does for me. Then Susan starts getting onto him about not liking to dance. She literally said this, "You never dance with me. I swear, you won't even dance at our wedding. I'm gonna be out there dancing all by my lonesome." (STUPID MOVE #3) Seriously? Ok, why this girl thinks that she is even close to the maturity level of getting married is beyond me. Then comes this line again, "Are you sure you're not mad at me? Really? You just sound like you are. Ok." At this point, he's probably getting a little mad. If he puts up with her, he must be a very patient guy. I would have hung up already. She talks a little bit about what she ate last night (SUSHI!!!) and that she was so hungry the other night that she had to stop at a gas station and pick up a Hot Pocket (Oh, God forbid). Next, Susan talks about how she misses him. "I want you to come home. I was just telling Sarah the other day that I haven't missed you this much in a really long time." (Oh good, at least she missed him a little bit. STUPID MOVE #4. I get what she was trying to say. She just said it wrong.) Ok, you're out of town. Your girlfriend (or boyfriend) is at home. They go to parties. They get mad at you for not wanting to dance (what did I do? I was just spending Christmas with my family). They talk about your future wedding (our future what?). They haven't missed you this much in a REALLY long time (what is that supposed to mean, exactly?). So, to sum it up.....this is a REALLY sad relationship. To make it better, after a very sweet goodbye and asking ONE LAST TIME if he was sure he wasn't mad at her (he definitely is by now), she hangs up the phone and says to her friend, "I can't stand him!" Boy, the honesty in today's relationships blow my mind. I'm not gonna lie, it's pretty entertaining, but it's sad. Now, when's that wedding?

COLLEGE STORY #4
This story has nothing to do with college, but I've already titled the others with "COLLEGE STORY #_", and I like uniformity. My family and I were on a plane getting ready to go to back home after a beautiful wedding in Virginia. Tyler (brother) and I were sharing funny stories about weird things that have happened to us. There was a bit of confusion. This is how the conversation went down:

ANNA: Oh my gosh, Tyler, have I ever told you about the West End Starbucks story?
TYLER: Wait, the what?
ANNA: The West End Starbucks story.
TYLER: Are you saying Weston or West End?
ANNA: Westend..no..wait, West End.
TYLER: Oh! The West End Starbucks?
ANNA: YES!
...5 second pause...
ANNA: So have you heard it?
Tyler: Oh! No.
At this point, the story doesn't really matter. That conversation was incredible enough. I'll tell you anyway though. The story consists of me getting the first Pumpkin Spice latte of the season at Starbucks. I was walking out about to take a sip. A car honked at someone and scared me to death. Well, let's just say that the Pumpkin Spice latte didn't end up in my mouth. Oh well...

"Weigh Yourself Everyday for Better Health"....if only more people knew.

2009-11-08T15:01:00.000-08:00

Ok, so it's been a while....I apologize for that. Once again, my life has decided to take the bumpy, off-road trail without warning me. School has gotten to be insane. I now know why college students are so crazy...they're sleep deprived, malnourished and over-worked. Alright, it's not that bad, but it's still bad. Today, I'd like to discuss the difference of college from high school. First, the freshman 15. Oh dear...touchy subject. I don't quite understand it, because when I got here, I lost 15 pounds. A little confusing. Then, I got stressed and gained 6...then the stress dialed down and I lost 3. Who knows where I am now. So, if someone asks me how much I weigh, I would honestly say, "I couldn't tell ya." It's a funny thing.
Also, something else that comes with college is the thought that comes with every morning: "Wow, I really don't want to get up. You know...I don't really have to get up. It is my decision. Mom's not here." That's when you get in trouble. But, surprisingly, students seem to come to class. Although, some of them are still in pajamas. Great effort, folks.
So, I'm taking the class "Introduction to Mathmatecal Reasoning". I can truthfully say that I will never use this in my life. Unless, of course, I run into a problem like this: "Hmmm...I have 52 cards in a deck...golly I wonder...just what would happen if I drew a 7 of hearts? What percentage of hearts are left? I must find out." Probability of a question like that making it's way into my brain: probably close to zero, unless college really does make me go crazy. Scary thought. Well, more comparison between college and high school in the next post and when I'm more awake and don't have to write 2 papers.

COLLEGE STORY #3
Ok, so this wasn't AT college, but I still count it because I was doing homework. I left my house one day to go to Startbucks to watch a movie for school. As I was going down the driveway I looked down and realized that there was a tear in my really nice jeans in the inner left thigh. I thought "Well, darn, my favorite pair of jeans. Oh well, nobody will notice." I got to Starbucks and sat on one of the "comfy chairs" (the ones that are squishy and nice). I was having a difficult time trying to balance the computer on my knees, while trying to eat and drink my Caramel Macchiato. I spotted an open table. "Awesome". So, I sat down on one of the hard wood chairs and I just felt the cold of the wood...I mean REALLY felt it. "Oh no". The one tear I saw unfortunately was not the only one. There was another hole that stretched across the back of about half my thigh. All I kept thinking was "How the heck do I get out of here?". So, I tried to pull my sweater down and walk strangely. I finally got out hoping no one saw me. I walked quickly to my car and of course, someone I knew was sitting right out front. At this point I didn't really care. True story.

P.S. If you're wondering about the title of this post, I saw it on one of those scales that are in mall and gas station bathrooms..the ones you have to pay to weigh yourself on...and I thought "Well, that seems ridiculous. So, you're saying that if I simply weigh myself everyday, I'll be healthy? Amazing".

Oh, The Joys of Dating

2009-09-24T09:05:00.000-07:00

Dating is a weird thing. It's sometimes fun, sometimes horrible, and sometimes necessary. I don't know if you've ever been on a blind date. I've been on 2. Some people would say that I'm crazy, gutsy, or desperate. You are free to think what you like. Well, the first one wasn't bad at all. We actually dated for a while. Now, the second one...that's a different story. This date was fairly recent. I've learned the hard way that if I'm totally myself, the guy usually runs away....FAST. It's ok though, because I'll find a guy one day that loves me when I'm myself....right? A girl can only hope. Here's a lesson I learned that I'm going to share with you. 5 Things You DO NOT Do on a Blind Date (or any date now that I think of it): 1) Do not open up the conversation with this line,"I know 25 different ways to kill someone with a dagger." That would scare just about anybody, but it kind of came out in a moment of panic. Don't judge. 2) Don't talk about your ex-boyfriend. Common mistake. Just don't make it again. 3) Don't stare at your date the WHOLE time to the point where they're afraid that you're reading their mind. Maybe you are...still, you should be able to conceal it fairly well. 4) Don't try to fish for compliments...it's annoying and let's just face it...it's sad. Also, guys can sense that in a second. If they want to compliment you, they will...if not, just let it go. 5) Last, but not least, if you're at a Chinese restaurant, don't use chopsticks if you don't know how. You'll be too busy trying to figure out how these darn things work, miss everything your date is trying to tell you, and you'll look like an idiot. Sorry to be so blunt. Life's tough....get a helmet. So, I guess dating teaches you important things, like how to treat a human being, and makes for some entertaining stories. And, if you were wondering how I know all these things...let's just say I've learned from personal experience. Sad, I know.
So, to conclude today's blog, I will leave you will a marvelous quote from a friend's mom instead of a story...because, this blog was kind of a story in itself.

"Men are like buses. You may miss one, but another one comes every 15 minutes." -Lynnette Lynsdey

Just remember that quote the next time you ruin a date..it's going to be ok.

Plans

2009-09-15T21:45:00.000-07:00

Ok...so it really hit me today that I'm in college. College, the golden prize I had always imagined myself getting to in life. That was it. It's like, that's the goal. I realized that now that I'm here, what next? I just assumed that I would have this grand epiphany once I got here and I would know exactly what I was supposed to do with the rest of my life. Well, I'm here, and college hasn't given me the slightest clue what to do next. I'm still waiting for instructions...because, isn't that what we have had our entire lives? INSTRUCTIONS. Ok...instructions...where are they?...ok....wait...so you're telling me that I have to decide what to do ON MY OWN? I just thought it would be like: 1)Go to college 2)Find your career 3)Graduate 4)Do the thing you have studied for for 4 years 5)Get married 6)Have kids 7) Live happily ever after. Yeah, NOT that easy. If I've learned anything from college so far, it's that plans almost ALWAYS fail. LIFE WILL PLAY GAMES WITH YOU. Life: "Oh yeah, you think things are going well, huh? Ok, we'll see how you feel once I keep every guy away from you FOREVER. *evil laugh*". I might be a bit dramatic. That's because I'm tired. I guess I've learned to expect the unexpected. That's the only thing we can really do. And now for the story you've been waiting for.

COLLEGE STORY #2
Ok, so this was about 2 weeks ago. This would happen to me right as I'm starting college. I was trying to find a grocery store because we needed milk for our dorm (cereal is about all we have in here). So, I found this place called The Apple Market. I pulled in (not gonna lie, a little shady). I walked in, found the milk, and walked up to check out. This guy walked up behind me. All the sudden I hear, "Do you go to church?" in a kind of loud voice. I turn around, and the guy is just standing there, a little too close honestly. I'm not going to be mean, so I'll just say that he looked like he hadn't showered in a while. I answered, "Me? Yeah, I go to church." He paused for a couple seconds. "I'm just a Jesus Freak! I can't help it! Man, people just HATE me for loving God!" Keep in mind....VERY LOUD. I seriously didn't know how to respond to that. I mean, I really do love God, but this dude is the kind of person that gives Christians a bad name. I kind of nodded and got the heck out of there. I'm not sure how exactly I get in these situations, but they seem to follow me a lot. But then again, how boring would my life be without these situations? Pretty dull.

Blogs

2009-09-08T14:37:00.001-07:00

Ok...so I was so motivated to write at least every few days, and what happened? I went off to college and got busy...a likely story. This is what happens to me-I get this great idea or story to write a blog about, but it's always when I'm the farthest away from the computer-but when I'm sitting in front of a computer....NOTHING. It really is the strangest thing. So, I thought today-why not just get on blogspot and write about whatever pops into my head? This could go one of two ways-my thoughts and happenings of the day could be just about the dullest thing you have ever read, and then you will stop reading my blog altogether-OR-you could find my thoughts interesting and one of those things where "it shouldn't be entertaining, but it is". Well, decide for yourself. Being the busy bee that I am, I need a place to let it all out. I really do have hilarious things happen to me almost daily. I'll leave you with an appetizer for today.

COLLEGE STORY #1
So, this was about 2 or 3 days after I moved into college...well, after I was supposed to move in. I stayed at my house for a few days before actually living at school because I had some health issues. Ok, back to the story. I couldn't find a parking space, so I had to park in the parking garage, which is a pretty long walk to my dorm. I had a bunch of stuff that I brought from home with me. I was carrying a big suitcase, a gym bag, and a Whole Foods bag filled with stuff. It was VERY heavy (and I'm weak). So, I was struggling to my dorm, but of course I didn't want it to seem that way, so I was trying to look like " don't worry, I do this everyday". I was walking across this turn-around thing in the road. I passed a guy talking on the phone, probably talking to his girlfriend. I get to the center of the road, which is perfectly lit (of course), and the Whole Foods bag breaks open and ALL of the stuff I crammed in there goes EVERYWHERE. I seriously almost made it to my dorm. It was horrible. So, the guy with the cell phone comes over and helps me and a group of people run over as well. I just hear the guy on the cell phone say "Yeah, sorry this girl dropped her stuff everywhere". I was mortified. Everyone helped me get everything back into bags and this guy actually helped me carry everything up to my room. So, it turns out, there are a few gentlemen left out there ladies. Thank God.

Preview for next blog: Apple Market/Jesus Freak.

Oh the Joys of Vacation

2009-07-04T08:43:00.000-07:00

Colorado-Pt. 1

So, we went to Colorado (well, I'm actually still here, but you get the point). We have come here every summer since as long as I can remember. We have all these traditions that we try to keep every time we come, but there are so many, it's hard to cram it all in. Here are some pictures of us chillin in good ole Beaver Creek.

Cordillera. The classic bear statues. The board room. It is still incredible after all these years. Audrey loved the yellow flowers and decided to pick some (um...was she supposed to do that? Sorry. Even so, she's too cute to scold).

We ate at Blue Moose pizza. So good. Audrey and Tyler found a cool fountain and decided to play in it. Audrey ended up getting sprayed in the face. She didn't like it so much after that.

I played in this park every summer when I was little. I still like to play in it, even though I'm not a kid anymore. Kids want to speed up time to adulthood, adults want to turn back time and be kids again. Life's weird, eh?

Yes...I do have the cutest niece and nephew ever to walk (or crawl) this planet...my poor kids don't stand a chance.

Well, part II will come soon...if I'm not trying frantically to finish Harry Potter by the time the movie comes out (come to think of it...You might not be getting Part II until after July 15th) . Sorry. Priorities people.

I've given in ladies and gentlemen...

2009-02-25T17:18:00.000-08:00

Bonfires are fun :)

2008-09-16T14:35:00.001-07:00

Sisters

2008-06-18T20:34:00.000-07:00

I love this girl.

Annalizabeth's First Show!

2008-04-29T08:54:00.000-07:00

Washington DC: Part 1

2008-03-03T14:53:00.000-08:00

Well, we had a very fun trip to DC. We saw all the famous sites....
This castle was really cool. We didn't get to go in it...maybe next time...
We also went to the Holocaust Museum. It was completely life changing. Everyone should go.
The architecture of the building made it seem cold and kind of eerie...
We stayed in the most amazing brownstone I think I have ever seen in my life.

It had an awesome reading area...I spent a lot of time there...There was a Bechstein piano...I spent the rest of my time here...
This dining room was shipped from a castle in Europe and the rest of the house was built around it. The dining room itself was made in the 1600s. It was unbelievable...
Tyler slept in a Princess bed...I will definitely hold onto this picture...just in case it becomes something of value...or just something to use against him....
And just on a side-note....I have the cutest niece in the entire world...

Well, that's about half of the trip...I'll continue in my next post. Thanks for reading!

The Fountain

2008-02-12T09:44:00.000-08:00

I have started to make a list of movies that everyone should see. The Fountain is not number one, but it's definitely up there. This is an excellent movie. I would say that everybody should see it, but there have been a few people that I have talked to that were very confused at the end; so confused that they ended up disliking the movie. If you can't understand it, at least keep watching for the cinematography. The movie has three story lines that intertwine. The different stories are from the past, present, and future. Some people say that it has to do with reincarnation, which I would have to disagree with. I don't think I could explain it very well to someone who hasn't actually seen it. I would say it's definitely a movie that you have to keep up with. So, if you don't like have to think during movies, you probably will find it hard to follow. I still recommend giving it a try though. Darren Aronofsky, the director, along with Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz, playing Tommy and Izzy, did an amazing job in making this a very believable, yet unbelievable film.

LOST

2008-01-29T16:18:00.000-08:00

We have waited long enough...

Christmas Day

2008-01-05T12:13:00.001-08:00

Hey Everyone-
Well, I had a fabulous Christmas. I got a MacBook, which I am very excited about, and lots of books! My library is continually expanding. Here are some pictures of the day:

Tyler with little Audrey
Ryan got an iPhone.

We all gathered around for the annual reading of the Christmas Story (the real one)

Think we had enough presents?

Audrey got a little red wagon

Audrey had fun playing in all the wrapping paper!

This was our Christmas dinner set up.

Audrey gets the stares sometimes...

Sorry these were so random. I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and a happy new year!

-Anna

Merry Christmas!

2007-12-27T16:34:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas everyone.

Strasbourg, France

2007-10-07T09:37:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone!
Well, I have just completed a very interesting day of traveling and ended up in Norway! I'll add pictures tomorrow. Right now, I would like to show you some pictures of Strasbourg, France. It is a beautiful town and we had a lot of fun walking around.

We walked through narrow streets...

I got a painting of the view...see any resemblance?

This cathedral is amazing...

This is inside the amazing cathedral...

I'm a little behind with the pictures. I'll post some from Norway and Ireland soon.

-Anna

Europe-Ettlingen, Germany & Strasbourg, France-Days 1,2,&3

2007-10-05T15:21:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone!
I am in Ettlingen, Germany right now and it is amazing! I just wanted to give you an update and some pictures. I will hopefully update in every country. We arrived in Ettlingen on Wednesday. We drove to Strasbourg today to spend a few hours. Here are some pictures to give you a visual:

ETTLINGEN, GERMANY

Sorry, I didn't have time to put pictures of Strasbourg. I will hopefully post those tomorrow. Well, I hope everyone is doing well!

-Anna

The Zoo

2007-07-29T07:21:00.000-07:00

Tyler, Christa, Luke, Emily and I decided to spend a day at the zoo.

Tyler was very excited to say the least.
Unfortunately, his excitement consumed him at times, which led him to break the rules.We met some amazing characters. For example, we met:

Emperor Kuzco. Aside from kissing a pole, he seemed to still have his groove.

Mowgli found us wandering through the jungle.

We met a few crocodiles. Apparently, one of these is from Neverland. I wonder if Captain Hook is still in there somewhere.
We saw animals that dwell in the Lion King's kingdom.
We also met Timon. Sadly, Pumbaa was nowhere to be found.
And last, but not least, we met Kaa. We couldn't stare at him too long, or he would've put us under a spell. Mowgli made sure to stay away.

Aside from Disney characters, we got to play with some pretty awesome birds.

Well, that pretty much sums up our trip to the zoo. Adventures of Tyler in Beaver Creek and some amazing Alaska cruise pictures are coming soon!

Pictures by Anna

2007-06-24T16:11:00.001-07:00

These are a few of my favorite pictures that I have taken.

I'll add more later. I hope you enjoyed my post. Leave comments if you would like.