engaged in ireland

So I've ignored this blog for close to 3 years but figured I'd share this news. Chance and I went to Ireland last week and I finally got to share the country that stole my heart with him. We had a great trip and he surprised me by proposing in one of my favorite spots - Slieve League up in Donegal.

So glad he thought to do this here and all of the thought and planning he put into the proposal. I am such a lucky girl and excited for the future! 

Yay for a great self timer & tripod. So glad he thought to get a photo of this moment! 

#wrongcliffs but I didn't think to get a photo of the ring along Slieve League 

2014

So 2014 became the year where I didn't blog. So here are some of my favorite pictures from the year as a highlight to what I've been up to!

Celebrated  one year with this wonderful guy in January.

A very cold, but awesome winter camping weekend in February!

 

Visiting Mt. Vernon for George Washington's Birthday

Cartwheels in our new house the night we closed!

   

Moving day!

A fun weekend in Kentucky (State #35) with Chance and going to get his Ambassador bottle at Makers

Me dipping a bottle at Makers

A new ATV for the house

 

A fun afternoon shooting 

 

A visit to a national park nearby in Virginia - Cedar Creek & Belle Grove

                                      

With some crew ladies celebrating 40 years of women's rowing

                                       

The 150th anniversary of the Battle of the Wilderness in May

 

A fun weekend in Delaware with friends, including some deep water fishing

   

 

One of my many busy summer weeks traveling for work at a Nature Center in PA. I was all over PA, NJ, VA & NC.

For my 29th birthday Chance surprised me with a gorgeous .22 rifle

 

A little road trip out to western PA & Ohio with a stop at some National Park sites in August

 

Going to one of Jeter's last games in Baltimore with Amy in September

A fun afternoon frolicking in Shenandoah with Amy 

Probably my favorite picture of 2014 - with some of my coworkers in my backyard before a country concert

  

A visit home to NJ to go see my JETS with my parents

  

Pictures from my midwest adventure to go to Laura's wedding -- made it to 4 states!

Completely upgraded my camping gear -- I love my hammock

Chance and I backpacking in the Shenandoah's 

An awesome weekend backpacking! 

Another favorite picture from 2014 - Chance and I in the Shenandoah's

  

A road trip to Kentucky in October with the boys for another Maker's trip!

We are hosting some African animals in the house -- I kinda love the taxidermy. 

 

A December hiking trip

Our first Christmas tree! 

Christmas in Paris, TX. 

Visited 6 new states in 2014 - Kentucky, Minnesota, Iowa, South Dakota, Wisconsin & Oklahoma. I'm now up to 40 states! 

               
  

So 2014 was a fun year, lots of adventures. I hope 2015 has as much fun!

recently

So I've really been neglecting my blog - it is sad that I'm just not up for writing as much as I used to. I've been doing this for over a decade and have made so many friends but it just seems as we are getting older posts are coming less and less frequently. I'm not saying goodbye yet - but once a month posts are most likely my new reality...  

So what have I been up to...              

                                                               

Back in March - Chance and I went to Kentucky! It was a new state #35 for me! We had a fun weekend around Lousiville and going to National Parks & drinking bourbon!

We went to Abraham Lincoln Birthplace NHP and Mammoth Cave National Park! National Parks 91 and 92 for me!

 The real reason for our trip was to Maker's Mark though.  We got to pick up his bottles and got to dip them and a special label! I signed up and so in 7 years my bottles will be ready!

 We had a great long weekend away and it was a fun trip! We were pretty quiet for a few weekends as well - just working around the house and enjoying lazy weekends. The last weekend in March was Zeta Day - I went down to Norfolk area to celebrate with all the Virginia ZTAs! And since there were two National Parks sites - I had to go visit them! And 5 of the 9 ZTA founders are buried near the Norfolk area. So I went to visit 3 of them. That was a really cool experience.

Visiting 3 of my ZTA founder's graves in Virginia!

National Parks 93 & 94! Fort Monroe and Colonial NHP - which is Jamestown & Yorktown! 

fun with some of my NOVA ZTA sisters! 

And now that it is getting warm out - we are going to the range! Which makes me happy! A few weeks ago we had a great day out at the range!

some fun with a shotgun! 

Last weekend I took advantage of the 70 degree weather and went to National Park #95 - Cedar Creek & Belle Grove NHP! It was a gorgeous day! 

 And this weekend was quiet - just enjoyed a relaxing weekend. We finally started to hang up some pictures on the walls! And Saturday night had a fun night grilling out at a friend's house! I'm excited for the Spring weather to finally hopefully be here.

How are things with you?

new house!

So the last few weeks have been super busy! I can't believe it has been over  a month since I last wrote. But the big news is we closed on the house February 28th! The day they told us we'd close  - which we were shocked by. We were told 90 days from when they broke ground and it was 91 days. Pretty impressive especially since we've had a crazy winter - and we didn't know we were having closing until about 2 hours prior to heading there! 

And I didn't have internet in my apartment since mid February and it took us until Monday to get internet at the house - so that explains most of my absence. 

So here are a few pictures from the last month. There aren't too many of the house right now since it is still kinda crazy. It is looking pretty good - but still SO many boxes! 

the house! - ignore the ladder and once spring comes we'll get grass!

front door 

most of the main floor - family room, sunroom, edge of kitchen

All I wanted to do the night we closed was a cartwheel    

kitchen - most complete area in the house! 

the living room - we installed the surround sound last weekend! 

they let me cut holes in the wall to help with the install! 

keys! 

yay backpacking! 

 So besides the house - life is good. My new commute kinda stinks but the house is worth it. I'm now about an hour away from work with the fun traffic in the area. The weekend of Jan 22 we went backpacking & camped. It was a super nice day - 60s and sunny!! and it was a little chilly at night - right above freezing. But it was still fun and I was excited to get to use my hammock and a few other pieces of winter gear. It was the first time in 5 years since I left Ireland I used my heavy duty hiking boots and they were needed for the 8+ inches of snow we hiked in and the mud in the places were the snow had melted!

my hammock - SO much better than a tent

<3 td="">

And on President's Day we went to Mt. Vernon to say hi to George! 

 

 So lots going on - but so many awesome things! I'll try to be better with posting. We are off to Kentucky this weekend for an adventure. I've never been - so yay for state #35!