The New Pup

There's a new puppy around here.

His name is Jasper and he tries his best to be a good pup. 

He's a pretty good model when he's a little sleepy but the rest of the time he's a blur.

I'm more than a little obsessed with this tiny baby. Except he's not so tiny because he weighs 17 pounds at 10 weeks. He's a German Shepherd/Border Collie mix and he's perfectly fuzzy, as you can see. He feels like the softest stuffed animal.

Jasper enjoys his daily carrots and apples in the mornings while we juice our breakfast and practice his sitting skills. He's not especially fond of rain, but does enjoy a good mud patch to dig around in. And he likes to eat fir branches (is that bad?).

We've (and by we, I mean my parents) only had him for about a week and a half, but he's probably the smartest puppy I've ever met. He's almost completely potty-trained and he figured out how to get out of his kennel. Have I mentioned he's only 10 weeks old?

I just want to cuddle him all the time.

The Grand Canyon

So, we left England two months ago and I kiiind of feel like it was actually last week. Not much has happened except for Christmas and my sister's engagement and our road trip and an extra lot of sitting around the house waiting for people to call me back and offer me a job.

I had plans to go back to school this month, but I think we all know how well my plans have been working out lately.

So we put that part on hold, and now we live with my parents.

We keep telling anybody who asks that we're staying here forever. I don't know why people keep chuckling when I say that. No rent, free wifi. We've got it made.

Living here has made me really lazy about editing photos. I don't know what it is (no responsibility maybe?) but I've had absolutely no desire to edit anything and, if we're being honest, I probably wouldn't have even edited Megan's engagement photos except that she begged and pleaded with me and who says no to a newly engaged little sister? I still really have a ton of pictures from last year left to sort through (an overwhelming amount) and I'm trying to make an effort to get them up on here so that at least I can go back and look at them. I do this fairly often, really, and it's mostly the reason I even post these silly blogs (also for you, Mom). 

Any time I ask my mom if she wants to look at some of my pictures, she says, oh, that's okay, I'll just look at them when you post them on your blog. Thanks, Mom.

Here are some pictures from last month when we went to the Grand Canyon.

We saw some elk!

Forrest had to pretend to lose his balance.

 

We really loved coming here in the winter. I had been to the North Rim a looong time ago in the summer when I was 13. All I remember was that it was boiling hot and there were too many people around and it was really dusty. 

This could not have been a more opposite experience. We came up the South Rim this time and there was snow everywhere and people almost nowhere. It was Forrest's first time at the Grand Canyon and basically my first time because who appreciates natural wonders when you're 13? I had forgotten how colorful it is.

We stopped and listened,  you know, really listened to hear the Colorado raging down below. We spent all day there and it was such a beautiful day. Not in it's a beautiful day because the sun is shining type of day. I mean it was, but it was more beautiful because of who I was with. 

Do you ever just have moments in your life when you think to yourself this moment right here, it's beautiful and I want to keep this in my mind forever. I have those moments quite often. It makes my heart swell and it makes me stop and remember how magical my life really is. I mean, it's not perfect, but when I take a minute to reflect, it sometimes seems like it is.

And we saw an angry deer. He had unfortunate eyebrows and he was shaking his antlers at us.

 

This one's my favorite.

Megan + Brandan

My sister is engaged!

And you better believe I took pictures.

Brandan casually asked me about a week before if I would take pictures of Megan and him in Seattle. He wanted to propose on the waterfront, you see.

So we all packed up and drove to Seattle. I swear Megan knew something was about to go down. Especially when she wore the pretty new dress Brandan had just bought her "for no reason." It was 30 degrees that day. She claims she did not.

We all ate lunch together downtown and I casually remarked that the sun was getting pretty low and I really wanted some pictures of the sunset along the water. I'm smooth.

Forrest and I lagged behind as we walked closer to the pier and then once we were in position, I gave Brandan a cool thumbs up. Or maybe a nod. I'm not sure which, but it was cool and it was casual.

Then the man of the hour sank down onto one knee and pulled out the perfect ring for Megan. Seriously, theeeee ring.

The picture above is one of my favorites. She was completely shocked (in a good way). Everybody knew?

Aaaand here's the ring

  

  

Cutest couple, right?

I've only met Brandan twice due to living across an ocean for his entire relationship with my dear sister, but he's hands down the best man for Megan. They're both kind of weirdos, you see. The only thing that I have against him is that he doesn't appreciate a cute hedgehog like Pendleton; but I guess that's Megan's problem.

Forrest and Brandan bonded this past week over their mutual love of food and making fun of me and I guess that's okay as long as I can make fun of him back (and always win). I always really hoped that the men Megan and I married would like each other and unless one (or both) of them is a really good actor, it looks like we did it, Meg! We both picked us some winners. 

Despite, or perhaps because of, their mutual weirdness and in spite of his aversion to tiny pets, Megan and Brandan are a perfect match. They're both tall, have curly hair, and are freakishly smart. Brandan's hair is only curly when he grows it out.

Welcome to the family, Brandan!

Waving Goodbye

2013 has been a great year. We traveled our little hearts out, went on a cruise for the first time, moved countries, left loved ones, and were reunited with others. 

I think that 2013 has been a grand year of transition.

We had the time of our lives this year--despite all of the moments of frustration and unease. 

I look at Forrest and I see the man who has stood beside me and made this passage so easy. I don't even want to imagine it without him, so I won't. 

2014, I'm excited for you. You hold so much promise.

Here's to another magnificent year!

Last Month

Driving across the country is time consuming business.

In the last month we have driven over 3,500 miles, looked at 15 or more trucks (still no luck), attended the SEC championship football game (and won!), met our nephew for the first time, and celebrated two major holidays! Well, three, if you count my birthday. Somehow no one ever does.

We also visited the Grand Canyon!

So we're in Washington State now. Finally.

If you're wondering how in the world we made it across the country without purchasing a vehicle, I'll tell you.

I happen to have the very best grandparents in the entire universe, that's how. 

My Papa lent us his beloved F150 and even kissed it goodbye. He kissed me goodbye too, but there were probably more tears for the truck. 

So we packed that sucker up to the brim. It took several hours, a lot of cargo straps, and one of us almost died at one point trying to load a lawn mower. Related: never try to drive a lawn mower up ramps into a pickup truck. You will probably get stuck and flip over. I'll just let you guess who tried that one but his name sounds a lot like a large group of trees and he's only alive today because his pretty wife caught him and saved him from becoming a pancake. 

We had a lot of Forrest's old possessions to move plus our Black Friday deals and all of our luggage. We are still living out of the same luggage on account of our new room at my parents' has only one small dresser and I have three drawers and Forrest has one. Funny how that works out, but I guess I'm just a quicker draw and that Forrest is lucky I saved him a drawer at all. It's just the nice type of person I am is all. But there is still an awful lot of clothing in the suitcases (and in my case on the floor because I got sick of walking around four suitcases) And I am way off subject.

Maybe I should have kept up with blogging more this past month and then I wouldn't talk Forrest's ear off every night when he's trying to sleep. 

Anyway, one month later and all I really wanted to do was post some really cute pictures I took yesterday of Pendleton the hedgehog. 

His Christmas photos!

Photogenic, no? He doesn't smile very much, however. 

But we do!

Merry Christmas from us a day late!