what a week!

We've had a busy seven days.

• We drove to Colorado. It took a really long time.
• We stayed in Littleton, south of Denver.
• We drove to a wedding rehearsal in Loveland, north of Denver. It took about 1.5 hours.
• We drove to Littleton.
• We drove to Loveland for a wedding.
• We drove back to Littleton.
• We drove to Denver for dinner.
• We drove back to Littleton.
• The next day, we drove to Tulsa. By the way, Kansas is boring. Windmills and silos. Fields and barns. That's pretty much it.
• The day after that, I drove to Mountain Home.
• Then, I drove to Calico Rock.
• The next day, I drove back to Tulsa.
• Today, I refused to drive anywhere. Except to the Honda service garage for my little Accord's 90,000 mile tune-up. 
• I hope I can see my car hit 290,000 miles. I love the Accord.
• When it finally dies, I think I will replace my Accord with another Accord.
• Or maybe a different Honda.
• But definitely a Honda.

I digress.

Kirstie & Nathan are coming to Tulsa this weekend. It will be so great to see them! We don't get to enough. I'll try to remember to tote my camera around and post some pictures early next week.

Leah

seven things and seven blogs

I can't tell for sure, but I think Sara, my cousin-in-law, may have nominated me for something. I don't really know what it means, but I've been commissioned to tell you seven things about me and nominate seven blogs for awards. Do I make up these awards? Can it be anything I want?

I don't really know the rules, so I've decided to make up my own. First, I'll tell you seven (arguably) interesting things about myself that you may or may not know. Second, I'll tell you about seven blogs or websites I read regularly.

Here are seven things about me that you may not know:

1. I've been in college for nine years. I'm currently working on my JD, which will be my third degree.
2. My ears are not currently pierced, but they have been before -- twice.
3. I love to cook, and I especially love to bake. I usually bake once a week on Tuesday or Wednesday nights, then I take the goodies to school the next day. Law school readers: come by the law review office on Wednesdays or Thursdays to claim some delicious loot. This Thursday I'm bring peach crunch cake. Except I'm leaving out the crunch.
4. My husband and I don't remember when we met each other. When people ask us how we met, we really don't know what to say.
5. I was a cheerleader in ninth and tenth grades. Those were years during which I lied to myself about who I was. 
6. In eleventh grade, I joined a robotics team. That was the year I discovered my true nerdy personality. I love being a nerd.
7. I plan meals every week. Am I a little type A? Yes. But I love knowing a full week in advance what we'll be eating for lunch and dinner. And it makes grocery shopping a lot less of a stressor. 

Now, for these "awards." I read a lot of blogs regularly, but here are seven blogs I think you should be following:

The Pioneer Woman @ http://www.thepioneerwoman.com. If you haven't heard of PW, I don't know what cave you've been living in, but you could turn it into a serene web detox resort for the tech addicted. I especially love PW's recipes and photo tutorials.

The Simple Dollar @ http://www.thesimpledollar.com. I started following this blog when I got interested in making my own laundry detergent. I don't use his recipe because it requires a 5-gallon bucket, and really, where am I going to store that?

The Resurgence Blog @ http://www.theresurgence.com/blog. This is a new one for me, but so far, I am enamored with the sensible, not-over-my-head theology posted here. This is an excellent "thinker" blog for those of you who like to use your brains.

musings of Mother Hood @ http://www.sarahmcow.com. My old friend Sarah blogs here, and boy is she a witty observationist and a talented writer. I love reading about her life adventures, and I often find myself nodding in agreement at the end of every post.

The Pilot's Wife @ http://www.thepilotswife.org. My old friend Emily blogs here, and boy is she a witty observationist and a talented writer. Wait, did I say that already? I have some talented friends! Emily's posts about raising her boy and being married to a daredevil pilot are hilarious and heartwarming. And she hosts a lot of giveaways, too!

Joy the Baker @ http://www.joythebaker.com. I recently discovered this blog, written by a young baker in Los Angeles. Oh my gosh, do I envy her life! How great would it be to bake all day long, taking pictures all the while, then write about your baking?! My dream realized.

Cake Wrecks @ http://www.cakewrecks.com. Like the Pioneer Woman, if you haven't heard about Cake Wrecks, then I don't know where you've been. This blog is devoted to finding cakes made by professional bakers that are, well...a few eggs shy of a dozen. My favorite wreck? This one. But they're all pretty funny.

Hope you learned something new today. Sara, thanks for the shout-out.

Married Life

Angie left a comment and demanded an update on married life, so...I'll tell you! Married life is great. Ross thinks so, too. We both made lists: the top five things about being married. (Don't worry; it's rated PG. And it's in no particular order.)

Ross's Top Five Things About Married Life

1) Yummy dinner all the time.

2) I get to see Leah all the time.

3) More time for Wii.

4) More time for reading.

5) She's willing to let me buy gear. Hooray!

Leah's Top Five Things About Married Life

1) The "husband taxi," which frequently drops me off at and picks me up from school. It's way better than the bus. (Ross calls himself "Ross the Butler." He calls me "Master Bruce.")

2) Making a "honey do" list in the morning and coming home to find that it's been completed. (Also part of Ross the Butler's duties.)

3) Not having to go to separate houses when it's time to go to bed.

4) Not eating dinner by myself.

5) Being told I'm pretty even though I wear yoga pants 65% of the time.

And topping both of our lists of challenging things about marriage: learning first-hand how different boys and girls really are!

More posts to come. We have wedding pictures. Photo stories will be told.