Counting down the days 'till Christmas...

It's been a while since I've written, but be honest nothing too exciting has been going on.  We're just enjoying the Holiday season (our first together) out here in Colorado.  We've been trying to get into the Holiday spirit by lighting up our Christmas trees at night, laying by the fire and watching Christmas movies.  The snow on the ground definitely helps put us in the Christmas mood!  In just a few days my Mom and I will be heading back to Iowa for Christmas and Scott will be flying to California to visit his family.  It will be hard spending this holiday apart from each other...our first Christmas together will be spent in two different states.  I guess that just goes to show how fast life can change.  I don't think either of us thought, when we were planning our holiday trips, that we'd actually be engaged to each other this Christmas!  Our engagement was a surprise to many people and some might even say it happened too fast, but when I look at Scott or laugh at another one of his silly jokes, I just couldn't imagine being with anyone else!  I am so in love with Scott and I feel so blessed that we finally figured out that we were meant to be together (it took us long enough)!  It makes this Christmas even more special!  2008 has been a year for the record books...and it's not even over yet.  I'm looking forward to these last few weeks of the year, it's my favorite time of the year!

I can't wait to head back to Iowa and see my family.  I have a new baby cousin, Hunter, to meet and lots of hugs to give.  I hope you and your families have a wonderful Christmas!  Please remember to enjoy this time of year and not get all caught up in the craziness of the season. Remember that you all are blessed and loved!  We wish we could spend the holidays with every one, but just know that we will be thinking of all of you!!!  

With Love,

H&S

A Colorado Thanksgiving

I apologize for not writing lately.  The days and weeks have just flown by...it would be nice if life could slow down a bit for the rest of the year!!!  We've had a lot of fun and memorable moments these last few weeks, everything from a surprise birthday party to Thanksgiving in Fort Collins...

Friday, November 21: SURPRISE!!!!  After a pretty crummy week, I was ready to celebrate my 25th birthday (a little early) with Scott.  He told me that he had a whole night out planned for us. Of course, I took that as a great excuse to buy a new dress! :-) When we got to the restaurant in Denver I was shocked to see a group of my friends sitting at our table....I was even more shocked to see my best friend Krista sitting in the chair next to mine (reminder: she lives in Kansas City)!  I was so happy and so surprised that I almost started crying...almost!  I couldn't believe that Scott and Krista had been planning a surprise birthday party for me for months!  After having bad luck at work this week, having my closest friends gather for my birthday was one of the greatest things that could have happened to me.  I was reminded of what really matters in life!  Thank you all for coming out and helping me celebrate!!!  I love you all!

Thursday, November 27: THANKSGIVING!  This year we spent Thanksgiving in Fort Collins, Colorado!  It was Scott's and my first Thanksgiving together and our first one spent in Colorado.  The day couldn't have been better.  Scott and I drove up to my Mom's house in the morning and helped her prepare dinner.  We had all the traditional Thanksgiving goodies....turkey, masked potatoes, pickle-wraps, green bean casserole and Mom's fresh apple pie!  My cousin Jason and his friend Tucker joined us for dinner as well.  It was a quite day filled with laughter and full tummies!  Though this year wasn't at all like what we are use to, it was nice to start our own family tradition.  Of course we missed those family members who were not here with us!  Maybe in the future we can have more visitors for our Colorado Thanksgiving!  

Friday, November 28: Black Friday!!!  6:00 AM...we were out the door and on our way to Target!  (My Mom found out first hand just how much of a morning person Scott is!)  $3.99 movies were what we were after!  Nothing says "Happy Holidays" like pushing through the crowds on the Friday after Thanksgiving.  :-)  After Target we headed down the street to Best Buy...for more great deals!  By 7:30 we were all shopped out!  My Mom headed to work and Scott and I headed back to bed!  By noon we were ready to go again!  Scott, Mom and I headed up the canyon to Estes Park.  That evening we stood on Main Street, in the snow, and watched the Estes Park Holiday Lighted Parade!  What a sight to see!  There were more people lining the streets than there are at Boone's Pufferbilly Days!!!  Little kids waited patiently to see Santa at the end of the parade!  We had a great time!  I think it put all of us in the Christmas mood!!!   By the end of the night, we were all exhausted...a full day of Holiday fun!  

Saturday, November 29: HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!  I turned 25 years old at 8:10 am!  My Mom and I celebrated my birthday by going to the Nutcracker in Denver.  It was wonderful and I am so happy that my Mom was here to share the experience with me.  We decided that we would like to continue this tradition every year!  That evening Scott and I went to dinner and enjoyed the rest of the night alone.  We built a fire and put up my Christmas tree!  What a perfect way to end a wonderful weekend!

This is my favorite time of year!  I love the lights, the trees, the snow, the music and the stillness of the air that always seems to fill the room when only the Christmas tree lights are shinning.  I look forward to the weeks to come as we count down to the new year!  They will be filled with holiday parades and dinners, cookie baking and decorating, family and friends.  I hope this finds you all well and enjoying the holiday season.  We miss you all!!!!

Love,

H&S

All good things must come to an end.....

It's funny how unpredictable life can be sometimes.  Take this past year for example.  I could never have predicted that my Mom would be living in Fort Collins, that Scott would be living in Denver, that I'd be engaged, that I would be back in school working on my masters....and I definitely would not have predicted that I would no longer be working at The Neenan Company!  :-(  The "recession" has finally hit home.  Being an architect in today's world is much like being a fisherman in the desert.  All over the country construction jobs are being shut down and architecture jobs are being put on hold.  For these reasons, and others I'm sure, architects are losing their jobs.  I lost mine Monday morning.  I was pretty down this past weekend, knowing that this was a possiblity, and truly scared to face the reality of unemployment.  All I could think about was why it was happening to me and what I was going to do!  Luckily, I have an amazing fiance and parents.  They all helped me talk through my pending situation and realize it could be worse.  Things could be worse and I had to keep reminding myself of that yesterday after I got my "news".  I sat on my patio in the afternoon, enjoying the 70-degree weather, and thought about the things that are blessing my life right now.  I've decided to share them with you...

- Scott, my best friend and fiance

- My Mom and Dad....for being the best parents a girl could ask for

- My family...I miss them everyday, but their pictures around my apartment light up my heart

- My amazing friends...far and near

- The Gergte family....for always treating me like the little sister

- 70 degree weather in November

- Joey (my cat)

- My health

- My parent's health

- Music...it's what fills the silence of my room while I write this

- Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough icecream

During these hard times, I think it is important for everyone to remember what matters to them most and that they are blessed everyday.  I hope as you are reading this blog, you are able to think about those things that bring joy to your life.  If you are having a hard time finding them, look into your child's eyes, give someone a hug, step outside and breath in the fresh air or take a walk with someone you love.  Things will get better, even when they seem like they can only get worse.  For me, the next step is to finish my degree and start looking for my next adventure.  Life is full of surprises, so embrace them!

LUVS!

Incase you missed it......

So I thought I would take a minute or two to get all of you caught up on what's been going on in my life...besides getting engaged and all! :-) I decided to go to grad school last spring to get my Masters of Architecture degree. I am about to complete my second semester at the University of Colorado, Denver. I am planning on graduating a year from now in December 2009. I really like school! I enjoy being challenged and learning more about architecture....however, with that being said, I'm ready to be done! Besides school, I am still working in Fort Collins at The Neenan Company as an architectural intern. I have been with them for the past 2 1/2 years and honestly, I could not ask for a better company to work for! Neenan has supported my decision to go back to school and has worked with me on my crazy work schedules! I enjoy working there and am looking forward to taking on more responsibility once I graduate! Upon graduation I will begin taking the Architectural Registration Exams. I need to pass all 7 exams in order to become a licensed architect. Who knew becoming an architect would be so hard!?!?!? Along with school and work, I was recently elected the 2009 state Associate Director for the AIA (American Institute of Architects) Colorado state board. This is a great opportunity for me as a young professional!!!

Probably one of the biggest changes in my life...besides getting engaged...is that my Mom moved to Colorado this past July! She is living in Fort Collins and LOVING life! I spend every Sunday night at her house...I work in FC on Mondays so it works out well! We have dinner (Mom cooks!) and have good mother-daughter bonding time. As I have gotten older..and wiser...I have realized just how important my Mom is to me. I hated having to say good-bye to her every time I went home or she came to visit. I am so thankful that she choose to pack up her life and start new to be closer to me. And now, as I am planning a wedding, I couldn't imagine her being back in Iowa. The timing has just seemed to work on a lot of things recently. I just pray that things continue to work out as well has they have so far. I know my Mom is thrilled that she gets to be apart of the wedding planning process! She is full of good ideas and always seems to have an answer for all my questions. She was even the one who picked out my wedding dress. Without her there, I may not have found the perfect dress and may have just had to go naked at the wedding (okay, probably not...but you get what I mean!). I'm looking forward to the future and am so excited that my Mom can be apart of it!

Well, that's just a quick update on my life. I'll get Scott to give you an update as well....


Till then, Hugs & Kisses!!!!

Our Engagement Story

Life doesn't always work out according to your plans...even when it comes to proposing to your girlfriend. Friday Oct. 17, 2008 - Scott and I headed up to Estes Park for the AIA Colorado North Awards gala. We had a wonderful evening at the Stanley Hotel...I even won an award for Associate of the Year! We left the gala around 9:30 pm and headed to our hotel. Saturday Oct. 18, 2008 - Around 3:30 am I woke up not feeling good. As I laid in bed, I thought to myself "I think I'm going to get sick." I was right. I spent the next hour throwing up in the bathroom. I went back to bed and woke up again around 5:00 am only to spend the next hour again in the bathroom. I fell back asleep only to be woken up by Scott's alarm at 6:30 am! 6:30!!! Scott woke me up and asked "Do you want some coffee?" I looked at him as if he was crazy. "Scott, I'm sick...I can't drink coffee right now." He looked disappointed, which I thought as a bit odd....but at that moment I really didn't care about anything besides trying not to get sick again. Scott decided that we should just head out early since I wasn't feeling well...duh! As we got into the car Scott asked another dumb question, "Do you mind if we drive through Rocky Mountain National Park?" Again, I looked at him as if he was crazy! "Really?" was all I could say. I was thinking to myself..."How selfish of a guy is he?" I'm sure he knew what I was thinking, but still insisted on driving through the park. I finally gave in, against my stomach's best interest. As we were driving through the park I kept asking if we could turn around and just go home. He continued to tell me that he wanted to take a few pictures of Bear Lake and that it would just take 5 minutes. By the time we got to Bear Lake I was so mad at him that I almost didn't get out of the car...but I did. We walked to the Lake and I sat down on the first bench I could find. Scott reached into his pocket...to grab his camera I figured....and got down on one knee. My heart started racing. He pulled out the ring (which is beautiful) and told me that the reason he wanted to take me to Bear Lake this morning to ask me to marry him. He barely finished asking me when I said YES! I was so surprised, so happy and excited that I almost forgot that I had spend the past 4 hours throwing up. Because of this, Scott now knows that when I get sick...all I need are diamonds to make me feel better! :-) Even though the morning didn't work out just the way Scott had planned, it's still our story and I wouldn't have had it happen any other way.

Welcome!

I never saw myself as a "blogger" however, I realized this morning that Scott and I have started a journey together that not many of our loved ones will be able to experience with us. Our families are sprinkled throughout Iowa, California and Colorado. Our friends spread from Portland, to Des Moines, to LA, to Kansas City and Denver. We are so fortunate to have so many wonderful people in our lives who love us and who we love...it's a shame that they can't all be here in Colorado with us during this exciting time in our lives. So....we will just "blog" about it!

For our friends, new and old, here is our story (it's a long one....so you might want to grab a snack and something to drink):

Scott and I meet in 7th grade (no, I'm not joking) at Boone Middle School. Scott had glasses and braces and was so adorable with his blond hair and blue eyes. I remember meeting him that fall and having an instant connection with him. We "went out" for like 2 weeks that year but even after we "broke up" we stayed friends and soon became best friends. He was ALWAYS there for me...and still is to this day. As we entered high school we experienced all Boone High School had to offer us. We played in band together, went to homecoming and winter dance together and hung out in Jenny Licata's basement. Through those years our friendship grew and it wasn't long before we fell in love. It was the summer before Junior year. I knew that summer that we were going to last forever. However, forever got interrupted when Scott's dad decided to move to California. I still remember saying good-bye to him in the little gazebo behind his house. That day, not only did I lose my boyfriend, but I lost my best friend too. Scott and I tried to "date" long distance that year. I went out to Riverside during Christmas break and he came back from prom. However, like most teenage long distance relationships, our didn't work out. But even though we broke up for the second time (remember 7th grade) we stayed friends. For the next 6 years we lived separate lives. Scott moved back to Iowa, I moved to Colorado, we went to college and graduated...all while seeing each other every holiday and talking to each other here and there throughout the years. Now, lets fast forward to March 2008. I went back to Iowa to spend Easter with my family. I hadn't seen Scott in almost a year. We went to Old Chicago in Ames to have a drink and get caught up and even though he spilt his drink all over the table (he clams it's because he was so nervous to see me) and I knew at that point there was a reason he was still in my life. At the end of the night, he walked me to the door of my Mom's house...like he had done a hundred times before...and he gave me a hug good-bye. That is when I realized I was still in love with Scott Greenfield. Fast forward again to July 2008. I went back to Iowa once again for the 4th of July....and this is when Scott and I decided that we were meant to be together. He kissed me for the first time since we were 17 years old and it was as if the last 6 years hadn't happened. After that trip back home, Scott and I talked on the phone every night before bed and he began looking for jobs in Colorado. Fast forward one more last time to September 2008. Scott got a job in Denver with ING, the same company he has been working with for the last 3 years. He packed up his belongings and moved his whole life out to Colorado to be with me. It was a big step and a little risky...he and I hadn't spent more than a few hours together in years and here he is now packing up his life and moving 800 miles for a chance. The moment I saw him get out of the moving van, I knew this was going to be forever. Scott asked me to marry him on Oct. 18, 2008 (I'll blog about that later). It's been a long journey to get to where we are today. We both have experienced life, lived hundreds of miles away and still managed to end up in each others arms. I have to think that God had his hands in our live therefore I can't question why we took such longs paths to get to where we are today. We are both very excited about the journey we have ahead of us. We will become Mr and Mrs Greenfield on May 30, 2010! Until then.....we will keep you all up to date on our wedding planning and lives out here in Colorado!

We love you all!!!