Full [Blue] Moon Cruise

The whole month of August was a little nuts starting with a big fundraiser I was in charge of at work, and then Nate starting to drive truck for Frito Lay. My family was in town for a bit, and there were a lot of summer events going on.

All that to say, I was thrilled last night when Nate took me to Skaneateles for their Full Moon Cruise on the lake! A whole evening away together with no wedding planning or house project!

 We had planned to go on this cruise last year, but the flood happened a few days before, so we decided not to go. With Nate's unpredictable work schedule now, I wasn't sure if we'd be able to go this year either - it would remain on my list for another year. However, yesterday afternoon we decided we'd go up last night for the cruise! Not only was there a full moon, but this was a blue moon - meaning it was the second full moon in the same month, and that won't happened again until 2015!

It was a perfectly clear and warm night on the water. We enjoyed some dessert together before boarding the boat, and the light of the moon made for a perfect evening together!

While there has been a lot going on with planning the wedding, fixing up the house, and adjusting to Nate's new position at work, we are still making time to enjoy our relationship and encourage and support each other!

21 Leslie Ave

Nate and I are continuing to work at the new house in Conklin. Little by little we keep finding more to do, but we've definitely made some progress! We're typically over at the house three days a week - sometimes together, sometimes on our own or with other friends, sometimes just to eat dinner together. It's a very active neighborhood with people on bikes, taking walks, and walking dogs. Nate and I have gone running and rollerblading around the streets, and I appreciate the flat roads - and many are newly paved!

The major cleaning started in the kitchen - see above for before and after! Now that the mold in the main house is under control, we're focusing on the apartment - cleaning, painting, and hoping to have it move-in ready for this fall. While I have focused on the cleaning, Nate has tackled the plumbing and the more major projects around the house. We make a good team!

 Speaking of major projects..Nate used an excavator the other day to dig by the foundation on the side of the house. Some of the blocks needed to be repaired, and he dug a nice hole to access the problem blocks. While he was at it he ripped out some bushes, a cement pad, and an ugly awning in front of the house - I think he was having a little too much fun with this toy!

 I actually got my turn on the excavator too! Before Nate ripped down the awning, I convinced him to wait a minute so I could save the plants that were in front of it! I dug five holes with this machine and replanted the hostas from the awning area to the front of the house. I think every gardener should dig their holes with one of these!

We've had some friends over helping at the house too! Our friend, Ryan, from church is over quite a bit to give advice, and Nate's cousin, Chad, has been helping with plumbing, Nate's dad has been over painting, and my parents have helped clean and do yard work. Scoty and Katie, two of my friends from college, were over cleaning the apartment recently. And my sisters helped out when they were in town. Kristen and I snapped a picture together after bleaching the apartment bathroom, and if you ever come to help at the house, you can plan on a trip to Nirchi's for pizza or Pop's Sugar Shack for ice cream - one of Sara's favorites - she was a big help painting the apartment kitchen!

We have appreciated so much help from family and friends!

Nate has put his masoney skills to work, and I've tackled mowing the lawn!

 We've definitely been learning a lot as we work on this house together! We are excited to continue making it our own, and look forward to moving in after our wedding in March!

Wedding Plans!

 It was great to have both of my sisters home for a week in August! Between family meals, games, and watching home videos, we did a bit of wedding planning! They were a big help in brainstorming ideas and listening to my thoughts.

Mom, my sisters, and I went to a bridal show together. We had fun getting ideas from the different vendors. We didn't win any prizes that day, but I was later emailed saying I did win a pampering packing that I'll use closer to the wedding!

So fun to Amy and Julie in town!!

 My mom is very organized and enjoys projects. She's a big help with all this wedding stuff! This picture is from the bridal show. It was at Pumpelly Estate in Owego - a place we had considered for our reception, but we have too many friends, so it wasn't big enough!

Later in the week, we all went out to lunch and tea - such a fun afternoon! After teatime we went wedding dress shopping. It was my first time trying on dresses, and while slightly overwhelming, it was nice to have my mom and sisters there for their opinions, help, and picture taking skills.

Wedding plans are coming together. We're in the process of signing a contract for the ceremony and reception locations. There is a caterer that works closely with the event location, and he has some good ideas for our reception. My mom and I are looking into some photographers, and I just may have found THE dress earlier this week!

It will be nice to have these more major decisions taken care of - I think I'll enjoy the creative details we still have to work on!

3.1 Miles for LIFE

I've been running on and off since Jr High and ran my first official race two summers ago! I enjoy running, and when I started working at Life Choices Center, I was excited to help organize the Run/Walk for Life they are involved in. This past weekend was my second year running in the 5K with Life Choices Center, and it's a great opportunity for family and friends to learn more about the work I do at the Center.

I raced along with 153 others running or walking with Life Choices Center - we had a huge turnout this year, and for some, this was their very first 5K! Above is Kim, Kayla, Amanda, and myself before the race - it's a fun race to do with family and friends. Nate ran again this year, and my mom and sister, Julie, walked.

While other family members of mine participated last year, they supported me from far away this year. Many family and friends sponsored me as I ran for Life Choices Center. We use this as a fundraiser to continue offering our services to those facing an unplanned pregnancy. Raising over $11,000 this year, we passed our fundraising goal and were thrilled to see so many people eager to be involved in this 5K and join us for those 3.1 Miles for LIFE!

Bye-Bye July!

Well, July has come and gone with hardly any updates! It's been a whirlwind of activities since Nate and I got engaged at the end of June, and I wanted to take some time to remember back to what we've been up to!

The weekend after we got engaged, Nate and I took a trip down to Washington DC. Nate had never been before, so I acted as our tour guide as we explored the American History Museum, Air and Space Museum, and some monuments along the National Mall. Like many of my previous DC experiences, we took the metro into the city and then did a lot of walking as we explored!

We stayed with my friend, Heather's, family and experienced the hottest days of summer that weekend! We stayed cool at the pool and the National Firearms Museum - the guys loved that one! Heather also introduced us to Sweet Frog, and now Nate is a big fan of serve-yourself frozen yogurt! On our way home, Nate and I stopped in Maryland for lunch with my grandma and some extended family. It was fun to spend some time catching up and eating crab cakes. Nate continues to be my favorite travel buddy!

The week after our DC trip, Nate closed on a house! That opened a whole new door of projects and activities to do together! It's a bit of a fixer-upper, but we're looking forward to working on it together. Our families have been over to help clean, repair, and offer some TLC to our future home, and little by little it's looking better!

The house is in Conklin (just outside Binghamton and about 20 minutes from my parent's house) and has an apartment we can eventually rent out. We went running in the neighborhood tonight, and we believe it will be a pleasant place to live once we're married. You'll have to stay posted for some before and after pictures!

Between wedding planning and working on this new house, I did spend a weekend away with Nate's cousin, Julie. She is working on conquering all 46 high peaks in the Adirondacks and invited me to join her for a hiking trip! We headed up on a Friday night and spent the night in her car and heading out hiking in the morning. We actually knocked two peaks off her list since we made it to the tops of both Colvin and Blake that day! We hiked 16 miles and were out just before dark.

This ADK hiking was definitely a new experience for me! We're talking hiking sticks, climbing boulders, tricky footing, restrooms up close and personal with nature, achy knees, and spectacular views! It was quite an accomplishment, and I was only sore until the middle of the next week...

It was fun to spend time with Julie and get to know her a bit more. I've enjoyed being part of Nate's extended family and look forward to more opportunities to get together in the future!

I flipped my calendar to August yesterday and realized that most of the summer is behind us. It has been full of adventure so far, and this new month is looking pretty great too!

Grandpa's Family

This picture is 4 years old, but it's our most recent family picture with my mom's whole side of the family. Actually, this family wouldn't be possible without the love and commitment from one family member not pictured here.

Grandpa Lyttle passed away 11 years ago today. I was 12 years old. It was July, and my family had just been down to visit around the 4th of July.

Within weeks after returning home after a great week at Grandma and Grandpa's house, I remember my mom listening to a message on our answering machine that explained Grandpa was in the hospital. I wasn't sure what a brain aneurysm was, but noticing my mom's tears, I knew it wasn't good. He passed away in the hospital, and our family traveled back down to Maryland to celebrate the life God gave my grandpa.

I don't remember much about the funeral, but I do remember my aunt trying to put her eye contact back in after it fell out from her crying! I also remember a woman singing "His Eye is on the Sparrow" and I remember some men carrying the casket down the aisle of the church past our family.

I also remember being told that each of us grandkids could pick one flower from the many arrangements to take with us. I chose an orange gerber daisy - it seemed so cheerful, and now I always think of Grandpa when I see orange gerber daisies.

I'm planning to pick up an orange gerber daisy on my way to work today. As a simple reminder of Grandpa Lyttle and the wonderful part he had in my family.

• I remember making homemade ice cream at his house and having ice cream eating contests with my cousins, aunts, and uncles - no hands allowed!
• I remember playing house in his camper with my cousins and sisters.
• I remember him teaching me to water ski behind his boat and going to Blue Knob to downhill ski in the winter.
• I remember him coming to visit at our house - and always bringing donuts..or maybe that was more Grandma's idea!
• I can remember his deep laugh and his gentle, loving voice.
• I remember how he used the words "Thee" and "Thy" in his prayers before meals, and it always made me realize the importance God had in his life.
• I remember his sense of adventure and all his cool cars.
• I remember being at his house for his birthday one year when he got a music CD as a gift. He took me out to his car in the garage, and he opened the car sunroof as we sat and listened to the songs together.
• I remember his generosity and love for people.
• I remember his nicknames for me and my sisters - Cuter than Me, Prettier than Me, and Sweeter than Me. I'm pretty sure I was "Sweeter than Me" and can remember him using those from time to time.
• I can remember the last words he said to me as my family headed home after a week at his house, "Laura, there's so much we didn't get to do this time, but there's always next time!"

There never was a "next time" with Grandpa, but that's okay. He made the most of his time here, so we made plenty of memories in those 12 years together. And because of his love and commitment to God and his family, his 12 grandkids and their families continue to love and support each other, and I will thank God for that as I glance at my cheerful orange gerber daisy!

A Tricky Oil Change!

You're looking at a future Mr. & Mrs. right there! That's right! Nate proposed, and we're engaged!! 

It has been a whirlwind since last Friday, but I do want to share our story here so I can look back and remember what a special day it truly was!

Nate and I had been talking "wedding" for a while, and I was anticipating a ring sometime this summer. However, after some false alarms, I was beginning to wonder if he'd even bought the ring yet...

We both have Fridays off right now, and Nate had plans to take my car to his house Thursday night, change my oil Friday morning, and come back to pick me up in the afternoon to do something fun he had planned. (I liked the sounds of this!) The thing was, I didn't need an oil change for another 400 miles, but Nate convinced me he would be busy the next few weekends, so Friday morning really was the best time.

Stuck at home without a car, I slept in on Friday and eventually got ready for Nate to pick me up around 1:30 for our fun day together. Around 12:30, Nate calls to say there is something wrong with my oil cap and other things - this oil change had quickly become more complicated and he needed to go to the auto store for some parts. Apparently my car was in pieces on his driveway, and it would take all day to fix it all. Great. So much for our special afternoon! He said he could probably be at my house around 8:00 that evening.

Well, what was I supposed to do? My parents were working, and all I had was Nate's motorcycle! Nate suggested I call my friend, Hannah, who was in town from Texas. I told Nate he should drive his truck down here to get me and figure out my car later! Or I could at least hang out with him at his house while he tinkered around with my car. He claimed he needed some "man time" and really just had to take care of this today. Great. Nate's little project was more important than me. He asked me to stay positive and that he would make it up to me. Trying to show him I was being positive, I sent him a text later to thank him for taking care of my car. But really I was bummed because I had thought our special afternoon would involve a diamond ring, but yet again, it was a false alarm since he so easily canceled these plans!

I eventually got in touch with Hannah who said she was going to a craft store her grandma suggested for some wedding decorations (since Hannah just got engaged!). I had all the time in the world now, so Hannah picked me up, and we headed out to Kathy's Country Crafts. Hannah warned me the place was a bit of a drive, but she was told it had really nice stuff. I was up for whatever, and we talked in the car about how I've really been trying to trust Nate and the plan he says he has for proposing. Gosh I was beginning to hate the words patient and hang in there!

As we're driving, we came to Berean Bible Church in Greene. There was a red truck in the parking lot with a tool box just like Nate's - and Nate was standing in the back waving his hands! In my head I was thinking we should stop and say hi before we go to the craft store; Nate must be running some errands in between working on my car. I don't even get these words out of my mouth, and Hannah pulls into the parking lot next to Nate with just a huge smile on her face!

Nate has a yellow gerber daisy, opens my door, and says, "Laura! You're coming with me for the rest of the day!" Oh man!! I told Hannah we'd had to go shopping another day, and I hop in Nate's truck.

I asked about my car and the oil change, but Nate just told me to relax and we headed to dinner. He had made reservations at the Silo for 4:00 when they opened. We were a bit early and enjoyed the gardens outside before sitting down for our meal. (I wasn't even all that hungry because I thought we could do a later dinner when Nate came back with my car at 8pm - I had just eaten lunch at 2:30!) We helped ourselves to the salad bar and enjoyed our meals - Nate got a chicken dish, and I had pasta...with lots leftover!

After dinner we got back in Nate's truck and started driving again. I hardly ever go out to Greene so didn't recognize a thing! I had no clue what was next. Miles later, we turn down a path in the woods and right through someone's campsite! We park, surrounded by tall grass and woods. I informed Nate that I was not prepared to go hiking in just my flip flops! He assured me that we just had to walk a little ways - and we came across a lake with a canoe so conveniently sitting there! (Funny because we had just talked the night before about how we should go canoeing some time! Little did I know what Nate already had planned...)

We hop in the canoe and paddle against the current out on the lake. (Actually, Long Pond as Nate clarified.) We floated for a bit and eventually drifted back toward where we started since the wind was so strong. Thinking I'd had enough canoeing for the day, I asked Nate where on shore we had started. He said we'd already past it, and convinced me to keep going a little father! We eventually turn around again to head back, and Nate points out a stump with a flower on it. I didn't see a flower, but we paddled closer. Sure enough, there was a flower on the stump - another yellow gerber daisy!

I picked up the flower and there was fishing line attached to it. I kept pulling, but it kept going! Nate paddled us closer to shore as I collected fishing line. As we reached more plants near the shore, I gave a tug on the fishing line and a ring box pops up!

I turn around to see Nate kneeling down on one knee in the middle of the canoe! He was holding open the real ring box with a beautiful ring inside - beautiful because of what it signifies in our relationship. Nate confirmed his love for me and his desire for a future together. He said something about spending the rest of our lives together, and I asked if he was sure he was up for that! Even after how frustrated I was with his that morning over the oil change and my other not-so-great sides, he said he is definitely up for a lifetime with me!

We were so happy and carefully hugged as we balanced on the canoe in the water! Realizing that I'd said, "Yes!" Nate put the ring on my finger, and it fit perfect!

I was so impressed with the plan he'd come up with and the effort he put into making our engagement such a special day! He'd talked to the people at the campsite early when he brought the canoe, so they celebrated with us and were the first to offer congratulations! 

Nate was proud of the successful day he had conquered, and we went back to my house to celebrate with some family and friends! We called family and texted friends - everyone was thrilled for us, but not the least bit surprised that Nate proposed - I wasn't the only one waiting for it!

When Nate and I had talked about rings, I'd asked him for one with etching on the sides and a princess cut main diamond. He also had two smaller diamonds embedded on either side - one to represent each of us with God as the center and focus of our relationship like the main diamond. It's perfect, and I love that it means Nate has chosen to merge our two lives and continue to build a future together!

Side Details:

• My oil never got changed. In fact, my car never even made it to Nate's house! He met a friend late Thursday night and took the car up to Hannah's house!
• Kathy's Country Crafts does not exist in Greene, NY. Hannah totally made it up to made it believable that she had to drive way out there!
• Nate bought a brand new outfit for this special occasion. Only, he didn't bring a belt, so had to zip-tie his new shorts to hold them up!
• My mom knew about all this two days before and didn't spill the beans to me!
• Nate barely slept the night before all this; I barely slept the night after!
• There are actually 11 diamonds in my ring, and Nate and I met in 2011.
• Nate has been fishing up at Long Pond before, but I think I just got the greatest catch!!