12.31.2010

2010 is saying goodbye...


















Well, this wonderful year of 2010 has been amazing!  I am actually sad to see it go because so many awesome things happened...

We moved to Indianapolis for Landon's job and had such a fun year living in our little love nest.

My sister and I went on an epic East Coast Spring Break trip with our friend Ballard.

Landon and I had so many wonderful coffee dates, talking and learning more about each other.

Hannah and Jon hosted the most amazing lakeside Sushi Party ever.

Two words: Blitzen Trapper

We celebrated our two year anniversary of The Most Perfect Story.

We celebrated our first year wedding anniversary!!  I'm the luckiest girl ever.

We got to spend an amazing week in Jamaica with my sister and her husband.

Our first real Christmas tree was pretty cool.

I have so much to be thankful for!!

I am so looking forward to 2011 now.  We have some exciting things planned....a possible move, some fun trips, a new job for me, and some new changes within our home and life that will give us more time with each other.

I hope you all have a wonderful New Year's celebration with friends and family.
See you next Year!

Love,

Leah

12.28.2010

Sweet sister of mine

I drove up to Goshen last night to start training for the photo job, but plans changed at the last minute.  So I got a pleasant surprise of getting to spend the day with my sister!  We haven't gotten a lot of quality one on one time with each other for awhile so this was a super sweet treat.
We bummed around her house today watching reruns of My Fair Wedding and eating yummy soup, then we headed out for some good coffee and talk.  I love Hannah so much.  We are pretty much best buds and have been since we were little.



















I'll be traveling around these next few days, so I won't be able to post until later this week!  Hope you all are having a good one and recovering from the Christmas festivities while gearing up for New Years!

xo

ps. I got my hair cut before Christmas and LOVE it!!!  Short hair is so much fun.

12.27.2010

Holiday blast!




















What an amazing Christmas weekend!!  We were able to spend time with both my entire family and Landon's entire family.
Here are some highlights:

*Leading the Christmas Eve service with my brother-in-law Daniel for our home church.  We played songs inspired by Sufjan Stevens, Alexi Murdoch, and Mumford & Sons with piano, violin, mandolin, tambourine, accordion, melodica, guitar, and an egg shaker.  We couldn't have done it without the help of my mom, Landon, Landon's older brother Benjamin, and Landon's parents.  It was such a blessing to do the service and play and sing in praise for Christ's birth.

*Eating amazing and tasty morsels.  My favorites were Mom Rife's crescent rolls, my mom's tapioca pudding, pecan pie, extra sharp cheddar cheese, my family's traditional orange danish rolls on Christmas Eve morning, and oh my goodness I loved everything!

*Getting to see all of my family and joking and cracking up about crazy things.

*Playing charades with my family on Thursday night.

*Participating in our Christmas Talent show....I was laughing so hard.  We had four skits, two songs, two funny readings, one funny video, and tons of laughter and fun.
I love this (2nd year running) tradition.

*Getting snow on Christmas!  It was so pretty outside.

*Being given some wonderful gifts by my family and Landon's...we are so blessed.

*Being reminded again that Christmas is more than gifts, music, and food, and being thankful for what Christ has done in our lives.

I hope you all had an amazing holiday weekend with your family and friends!!

Love,
Leah

12.23.2010

A Very Thankful Christmas, Day 4















Well we are heading out of town today, and I'm not sure if I'll be able to post anymore...so Merry Christmas from Landon and I!!  We sent these out to our friends for the holidays this year.  It was so fun designing them and taking the photos.  I just love Christmas cards.  We've gotten quite a bit this year, and it's so wonderful to see our friends' photos with a holiday cheer attached.

I hope you all have a wonderful and blessed Christmas this Saturday.  Enjoy your time with family, friends, and take a moment to relax from the busy stuff and just take everything in.  I am so happy today, and thankful for all my real blessings, like my brother's kind heart, my sister's genuine spirit, my brother-in-law's calmness and generosity, and my whole circle of amazing family and friends.

Have a Merry Christmas!

Love,
Leah

12.22.2010

A Very Thankful Christmas, Day 3



















We decorated gingerbread houses with our small group last night and had a ton of fun!!  I love decorating, and Landon is so good at it too!  We had good conversation with amazing friends while we made our little Christmas cabins.
Later when we got home, Landon and I ate some of ours.

Tonight I am thankful for genuine friends who are so meaningful.

xo

12.21.2010

A Very Thankful Christmas, Day 2























Well, I have made through one whole day without complaining....a whole lot.  I was trying to keep this on my mind so I wouldn't complain, but here and there little slip ups happened....wow, I didn't realize how much I complain!  I was folding the laundry last night, and I started to say (in my high-pitched little kid whiny voice), "I don't like to fol..." and quickly cut myself off.  It's been fine not complaining about big things, but it's the little things that are so easy to whine about.  I am excited to be trying this challenge out though.

So, on day two of this thankful/no complain week, I am super thankful for my health.  I take it for granted so often and don't realize what a blessing a healthy body is.  Landon and I worked out last night and it felt so good to be able to work up a sweat and strengthen my muscles.
I am so thankful to be able to walk to my car, stand up to do the dishes, run with the kids I nanny, and be active every day.

What are you thankful for this Christmas?

It snowed a lot yesterday and it's beautiful outside today....like a Christmas card!

Love,
Leah

p.s. we had peppermint hot chocolate last night and it was delish!

12.20.2010

frightened rabbit

if you've never heard of Frightened Rabbit, you need to watch this.
amazing scottish band that Landon has loved for a long time and got me hooked on a couple of years ago.
i love real, genuine music, and this is just that.

A Very Thankful Christmas, Day 1



















I can't believe Christmas week is finally here!  I am so excited for the holidays and time spending with family and friends.  The other day, I saw this post on A Cup of Jo, and it really inspired me to try not to complain for a week.  And why not try this week?  I know it will be hectic and busy, and there might be grumpy shoppers, but I think trying to focus on not complaining will make this week fun!

In order to get me in the mood, I did this little cheery santa design inspired by an old record cover.  I also decided that for me to not complain, I need to find things I am thankful for, and think about those instead.

So, while this may be a small thing, the first thing I'm so thankful for is Peppermint Hot Chocolate!  We have had this almost every other night this past week or so, and it's so delicious and good.  We like to take a regular hot chocolate mix and add in a couple of Andes Mints, and it really hits the spot.  Try it out sometime and think about why you are happy for the holidays.

Love,
Leah

12.19.2010

hold on hope

oh how i love mumford & sons...

12.17.2010

Josie & BJ

















I recently did an illustration for friends Josie & BJ who hail from St. Louis.  They are a great couple who love outdoors, old things, and each other, in a nutshell.  But I thought it would be fun to ask them a few questions...


How did you two meet? (in Josie's words)
 
At our church in 2003. It was actually pretty cool. He was a God-send....literally. It was my family's first Sunday at our new church since moving to Illinois from Seattle, and I was devastated. I cried during the whole service. In the foyer after church I ran into an old friend I had met the year before at a homeschool training center in Indianapolis! Small world! Turns out she had gone to that church with her family almost her whole life. Her name was Ericka Beck. While we were talking I noticed a total HOOTTIIIEEEE (...high school lingo) sitting down close by. I remember thinking, "living here might not be so bad after all...." Turns out.....that was Ericka's little brother, BJ! After church during lunch he asked Ericka who I was and told them he thought I had a nice butt, and liked all the band buttons on my purse. The important things in life. Haha....ooooh high school. That next week my parents hired a few guys from our church to tear up the carpet in our new house and lay down hardwood floors. BJ was one of the guys. We talked every day and found out we had a lot in common. Been together ever since! 
 
Was it love at first sight?
 
I would like to think so? Probably not though. Probably lust, most likely...haha. I don't think love happens like that. I definitely saw a future for us though, and hoped it would be love! It definitely was.
 
What is the funniest thing you have done together?
 
Oh gosh....hardest question eveeeeeer. Everything? Ha jk. I just think our life in general is funny actually. Sometimes I feel like little kids playing house. Every day it just hits me....we are adults...and we are MARRIED...and we live on our own. That is funny.
We do ridiculous things every day though. BJ is just a really funny person, without even trying. 
 
What is your favorite quality in each other?
 
I would have to say my favorite quality in BJ is his dependability (is that a quality??) He is so steadfast and gentle and slow to anger. He is also hilarious and always making me smile. I still get butterflies when I see him every day after work, and we've been together for 7 years. I can always depend on him to be stable, loyal, hard-working, and loving. I really appreciate that.
He says his favorite quality about me is my loving....ness? Haha. He says I'm very loving towards him and people in general. That's nice of him to say. 
 
What is your favorite couple activity?
 
Traveling! The two months we spent together in AK, WA, and OR visiting friends and family, and any other time we've traveled together has been SO much fun! We are great travel buddies, and work well together. The more realistic activity though, would be movie watching. We are REALLY good at it. Quite a talent. We are really good at cuddling and watching good movies. It's the best. 
 
What is the key to having a good marriage?
 
I think going into it realizing that you WILL have to work at it sometimes! The feelings of love will not always be there. There are times you will be frustrated, worn out, bored, irritated....and you feel less than loving towards that person. But realizing that is normal, and working at changing your attitude about the situation and towards that person, and loving them regardless, I think that is so important.
Also, spending LOTS of time together. Absence makes the heart grow cold and lonely.
AND HAVE FUN!!!!! We are young and poor and both back in college right now, but we still manage to find ways to have fun, inexpensively! :)

12.16.2010

anniversary photos!

We got our anniversary photos back and they are amazing!  I am so happy with them, and Janie and John from Imagination Photography did such a fantastic job. (I cannot wait to start working for them!)
It was such a memorable anniversary for us and I'm so glad to share some photos with you.  There are some new ones, plus some of the ones from the original post too because I love them so much. :)

















tea time

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i love a good cup of oolong tea.  aren't these teacups and teapot from Anthropologie just the thing?  add some Moroccan Tea Biscuits, and you have yourself a perfect winter afternoon treat.

xo

12.15.2010

Christmas Supper!
















Since Landon and I will be with family for Christmas morning and Day, we decided to have our own Christmas supper celebration on Saturday evening.  We had ham with an amazing honey glaze, carrots, garlic butter mashed potatoes, and cranberry sauce.
Yes, we are still eating the ham.
It was such a treat to spend a quiet evening at home with a delicious supper, just the two of us and our little bitty tree.
Christmas seems extra special this year.

12.14.2010

Piano Bar

We spent a lot of our evenings in the piano bar at the resort.  This was the hot spot for karaoke, piano sing-alongs, and just a fun place to hang out.  It was very classy with great 1950s decor and seating, and  there were pictures lined up along the wall of patrons back in the day when it was the Tower Isle Hotel owned by Abe Issa.  The hotel was a popular spot for the rich and famous such as Walt Disney, Debbie Reynolds, Eva Gabor, Princess Margaret, and Errol Flynn, and we saw their pictures in the piano bar.
I love history, and it was neat to see some of that at our resort.
We tried to take some classy pictures to fit in.





 





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