the leinie lodge.

After A + A's wedding, Micah and I drove to Chicago with Kristen. We had decided that it would be fun to sneak in a few days of anniversary celebration in a new city. But, before I get ahead of myself and start talking about the amazing river cruise we went on and all the good food we ate, I need to mention Leinenkugel's. When I was in Birmingham, my friend MK introduced me to a beer called sunset wheat made by leinenkugel's. I'm not usually a beer kinda girl (I'd rather have wine), but this beer was pretty delicious and it has not so subtle hints of blueberry. Yes, I'm not ashamed to say I like fruity beers. So, anyway, proud of my recent foray into the beer drinking world, I told Kristen about my new discovery (which of course she already knew about). But, she mentioned that she had passed the Leinenkugel's brewery on her drive from Chicago to Minneapolis (so, of course, we would pass it on the way back). Brilliant! We would just have to stop in for a tour.

We had a little bit of difficulty getting there, but it was well worth the extra travel after happening upon the discovery that the simplest directions to get to the brewery failed to take into account a road that no longer exists. Anyway, we arrived and signed up for a FREE tour and we were given 3 FREE samples.

first round: Classic Amber, Berry Weiss, and Summer Shandy

I highly recommend the berry weiss if you like fruity beers, but do keep in mind that the summer shandy (half beer/half lemonade) is only around in the summer!

After our second sample, the tour embarked.

Leinenkugel's has been around since 1867, which according to their website makes it the 70th oldest brewery in the U.S.

Unfortunately, you can't take photographs inside the brewery, so all I have are the buildings from the outside.

The oldest "building" on site.

Micah paying close attention to what our knowledgeable tour guide was saying.

One impressive factoid we learned was that the huge containers that are used during the fermentation process are so big that in order for a person to drink all of just one's contents, he/she would have to drink a 6-pack a day for 55 years. Micah's response: "challenge accepted."

Once the tour was complete, we headed back into the lodge for our third and final sample. All of us decided to mix it up a bit and try the combination drinks. I had half berry weiss and half honey weiss which was appropriately named "the honey bear."

And here's a picture for the Christmas card this year.

So, go visit Leinenkugel's, the pride of Chippewa Falls, WI.

Alison + Aaron.

A week ago tomorrow my cousin got married and, in consistent Alison fashion, she looked gorgeous. The wedding was a beautiful reflection of the love they share for each other. Over the years, Alison and I have become closer. We climbed (I'm talking ice picks, helmets, and crampons) Mt. Shasta together, which according to her is a simple hike in the woods. Oh no, it's 14,179 ft tall! As I cultivated my love for San Francisco, Alison was already there to share in my discoveries. And it was around the same time that we both fell in love with the people we ended up marrying. Personality wise, Al and I are really similar. If you know what INFP means, we're both that and will proudly brag about it till the day we die. (: But she is much more laid back than I am, much more go with the flow, and has a much deeper ability to enjoy life regardless of any negative experiences. She's amazing and I love her. And these are just a few pictures from her wedding weekend.

Let's begin with the "Stash n' the Dash" Bachelorette Party...we all wore mustaches and quite honestly, I couldn't believe the amount of complements we got on them.

This is a terrible picture of me, but sadly, I think it's the only one I took of the two of us. I'm wearing the "Grandfather" stash, which apparently means grey caterpillar.

The first stop was to go riding on those 4-person bikes you can rent in a lot of big parks. However, we got there 30 minutes before they were closing and they don't rent bikes out that late. The guy must of felt rather sorry for us, since he allowed us to bike around a little loop close by.

The sexy bride-to-be.

The whole group.

The second stop was burritos and margaritas, and after that just should not be talked about...(:

Saturday, Alison hosted a bridal tea, complete with three different tea tastings. My favorite was the pear green tea. Yum! After which, we did flowers and later headed out to Aaron's family's farm for the rehearsal. In between flowers and the rehearsal, I hung out with my sister and one of my aunts. We were all pretty tired and hungry, so naturally, we hit up their hotel restaurant, ordering coffee and nachos. I'm not going to lie though, it was tasty, and I was rather impressed by the fact that they had fresh jalapenos and not canned ones.

And then came the wedding day.

She's so pretty.

I think it's good luck to spot the oscar meyer truck on your wedding day.

Alison's grandmother.

Alison's mom (my aunt) and aunt.

I just loved the lighting in the bridal suite. The windows were flooded with light, but it didn't overpower the room.

Again, I don't have any photos of the ceremony, since I was a wedding model. But, here's a picture my aunt took of Micah and I afterwards. Happy 1-yr anniversary!

The reception was held at the Bedlam Theatre (shout out to their roasted red pepper dip!). They have a roof top deck with a great view of Minneapolis.

And, although this picture looks like A + A are having a serious conversation, it is the only picture of the two of them that I took. Tragic, I know.

And that is my version of Alison and Aaron's wedding. Congratulations you two!

one - year.

Time flies. It's the expression we use when birthdays pass, accomplishments are made, and new years sneak up on us. It's an expression that bemoans the fleeting moments of life's days. And, it's an expression that remains eager for more time to come. a warning and a celebration.

A year ago today I married my best friend. It was perfect. A celebration of our love and a promise of a future of shared experiences. While I understand a tad bit more the gravity that's associated with the day, I'm so glad that our wedding was a party. I wanted eating, and dancing, and drinking, and dancing. And, although I can't speak for others, it succeeded and surpassed my expectations. It was joyous and rowdy and I loved it.

In our first year of marriage, there has been what at times seemed like a revolving door of change surrounding us. new city. new people. new school. new job. But there was safety in our relationship. Our worlds changed, but the outside labels of wife and husband and student and Coloradan didn't change who we are. The growth we experienced wasn't because of identities placed on us, but was a compilation of new knowledge and new memories. Life with another person isn't always easy, but life with Micah is never dull! And I don't doubt that he loves me. This anniversary is a celebration, and it is also a reminder that life deserves to be lived to the fullest.

Time flies.

i miss her and her crazy whiskers.

It's been 8 days since I last saw Nora...

When I left San Francisco, I flew to Alabama to visit my parents. My dad is having his third round of chemo and it's been good to be here with him and my mom. I haven't really talked about his cancer here, since it's something I don't think I have processed fully myself. However, spending time at the hospital, with all its IVs, ice chips, nurses, gloominess, and monotony, has made it feel a bit more realistic. And that helps, not to make it easier, but to make me more honest with my emotions.

well.

Well, May came and went. It came and went without a blog post. In fact, I think it's been almost a two month leave of absence for me.

Really, I don't know where to start in updating. It feels like it's been an eternity, but I suppose it's better late than never. So, here's a quick recap to catch you up to speed.

My sister got married, remember that?

She looked beautiful and the happiest I think I've ever seen her. She ran a half-marathon the morning OF the wedding, breaking a personal record, yah, she's competitive like that. Then, she put on a elegant white dress and amazing gold shoes and got married. It was a perfect day, and a wedding that was so fitting to their style and personalities. Classy is the word I would use to describe it. Oh, and I was a wedding model...remember the aqua dress?

Well, I wore it and modeled to my heart's content! The location was gorgeous, decorated with fabric draping and bright red Chinese lanterns. It had plenty of space for all the tables and a nice, big dance floor. And, boy did we dance.

My dad did the ceremony, but I caught one little kiss before it all began.

Kristen, you're awesome. I'm so glad I got to celebrate with you. Here we are being fierce!

I finished my first year of grad school.

Eleanor even got up from her favorite chair to congratulate me.

It makes me overjoyed with happiness that I am half way done with my program. In fact, given that I am getting a dual degree in two years, it's almost like I have one finished, and one more to go. So, in light of that, you can just go ahead and start calling me an MA.

I can't believe Micah and I have been in Denver for a year now. Overall, it seemed to have gone so fast, even if at times I felt it was dragging along.

I went back to THE city.

You read that right. I went back to San Francisco. I pretended I had never left. I ate way too much food and rode the bus like a pro. I reminisced, at times fighting back tears. And, I dreamed. Dreamed of moving back, of being a local again. And, I wasn't alone in it all. Micah was right there with me, eating too much, riding the bus, reminiscing, and dreaming. And, it felt right to be doing all those things with my best friend.

If I recounted all the places we went and all the people we got to see, well, it would look much like an hour by hour itinerary, bouncing from one place to the next. And, it was well worth the delayed fight from denver, the lack of sleep, and the 5+ pounds I gained! Micah and I were worried that after a year of building up the city in our heads, that it might not be able to compete, that it might disappoint. But, it did not. It felt like old times, like this pass year had never come and gone.

Our last morning there, Micah had an all-day work training, so I enjoyed a quiet moment at the Ferry Building all by myself. Being the introvert that I am, it was the perfect ending to an amazing, action-packed long weekend. I grabbed a latte and a caramelized belgian waffle from blue bottle and gazed out at the San Francisco Bay. Perfection.