exciting new things.

there's something about my upcoming graduation (24 days to be exact) that has sparked a need for lots of new things in my life, and i couldn't be more excited about them.

remember a few posts back i told you about my new project, Curvy Moi. well i'm happy to say the website is all built, and now it's just waiting for my content. i am absolutely ecstatic about this little project, that has so much potential to be something bigger. we've got posts planned for months and ideas out the wazoo.
i seriously walk around with a spiral notebook where i keep jotting down ideas. To refresh your memory, Curvy Moi is going to be a happy little place on the interweb for curvy girls. Too often, us curvy girls leave stores and websites a little frustrated and discouraged. we're creating a place for refreshment, encouragement and fashion for the curvy girl.

once i get that up and running, there is going to be a serious overhaul on the old blog here. it's getting a major facelift and content update. my absence here hasn't been for nothing - it's been a time of dreaming and determining how i can have the most impact. God and i have been doing a lot of talking lately, and it seems as if some of my dreams that have been hidden in the deepest part of my heart are getting a little light shed on them. i'm not quite ready to divulge everything just yet, but i do know, very clearly, that God wants me to be an advocate of hope. now, exactly what that looks like, i'm not sure. but i'm excited even for just the glimmers of direction.

i'm really working with God these days to tap into my dreams. for far too long, i've thought of dreams as just, well, dreams. but recently i have realized that sometimes God places those dreams in our hearts for a reason. so...i'm praying for dreams. for the courage to follow them. for the heart to embrace them. and for a spirit that's willing to dream them.

and most importantly, the beach vacay has been booked for may.
graduation on saturday, then the beach on sunday. yes, yes, i do believe that panned out very well.

annnnnd lastly, my newest nephew Gunnar is making his grand entrance into the world today!!!! i'm eagerly awaiting the call that he is officially here!

now have yourself a happy wednesday!

a big day!

HAPPY 125th BIRTHDAY TO THE EIFFEL TOWER!!!!!!

Your beauty, oh tower, has brought me great joy!

So I couldn't resist a reason to celebrate you!

wish list.

i've officially made it two full weeks in a life with no social media.
i have to admit, it's been a little difficult.
seriously, there have been so many fantastic "statuses" in the past 14 days!

and then we throw in the fact that chris has been beaten up with what i'm convinced is the worst case of strep throat ever known to man.
i've never seen anything like it.
so we've been a bit bored....well because he can't talk.
and since i refuse to be in the same room as him (i don't want to breathe his air), well there's only so much you can do to entertain yourself.

in the midst of boredom (which i really have no excuse for because there is homework, work, and jesus that could use my attention), i have decided to make a wish list of places i want to visit in my lifetime.
because you know, traveling makes my heart skip a beat! ANNNND chris and i have been thinking a lot about reality lately. and the harsh reality is that we are not promised a happy ending with our infertility issues. God has not promised us a child. and so, we've decided that if it turns out that children will not be part of our future, then we shall spend a life traveling the world. not just for our own satisfaction, but to do good things. i'm not sure what those things are, but we'll definitely do some good!

(source)

here it goes!

let's start with the states:

• seattle, washington
• go skiing in colorado. i've been to colorado several times, but i've never been skiing there...or ever.
• california - want to drive up the west coast from san fran to seattle.
• portland, oregon. just because.
• montana
• lake tahoe
• maine
• a drive through new england in the fall
• chicago
• the great lakes

now let's go international!

• Vancouver
• scotland (hubby's family is from here)
• england
• french countryside (provence)
• italy: rome, venice, naples
• i basically want to go on a culinary tour of europe. party in my mouth!

ok so who wants to donate to my travel fund?

no? no one?

fine.

just kidding!

where have you always wanted to visit?

(source)

La Tour Eiffel

i know you have got to be annoyed by now with the ridiculous amount of paris posts.

but honestly, it was just too much to cram into a couple of posts.

now...with this here eiffel tower, i was obnoxious.

i have no less than 150 photos just of it.

don't worry, i'm only sharing 90 with you.

hahaha just kidding! 

i was mesmerized, and honestly, i just couldn't stop snapping photos.

it was beautiful and SO massive.

the pictures don't even attempt to capture how huge it is.

and the carousel! oh, i just loved it.

this picture was from the very first night we were there.

here, i was standing in line to get a nutella crepe!

look at chris trying to be all suave!

the sun was beginning to set here, and it was breathtaking.

in all honesty, this trip was a dream come true.

the city was just so full of so much....and we just barely scratched the surface.

who knows if i'll ever make it back to beautiful paris, but if not, i can die a happy girl!

a little bit of everything.

let me tell you a little story.

the last day in paris was going to be all about the eiffel tower.

being as we had randomly happened upon the tower our first night, we were taking a different direction to walk directly to it this last day.

well.

it was the wrong way. which turned out kind of cool because we got to explore a truly residential side of town.

we finally stopped at a pharmacy to get directions.

the little man was so cute.

at this point, we were about 45 minutes walking distance from the tower.

so he gave us basic directions.

walk 5 minutes to the flower shop, turn left, then walky, walky, walky, walky until you hit the are de'triumphe. then you will see the tower and walk towards it.

so now, our favorite phrase is "walky walky walky."

so, funny story.

this picture right here....this is his "i've just been so violated" look.

here's what i didn't know had happened just moments before.

hubs had to go to the restroom....eh, and um, well he had to go #2.

so he goes downstairs in this cafe to the basement where the bathroom is.

at the bottom of the stairs there is a toilet and urinal.

no stall.

no door.

and he had to go - what's a man to do.

so he's down there doing his business, and this woman comes down the stairs and just stands there waiting for the toilet.

so he says, "bonjour" while sitting right there on the toilet.

and, well, he had to finish.

and he did.

and she waited.

and then he no more got his pants up before she was sitting on the toilet!!

oh my it was so funny!

well, he was actually mortified and didn't talk for a bit! he didn't tell me all that happened until later!

well friends, this tour of france is almost over.

tomorrow i will sum it all up with the marvelous eiffel tower!

beauty.

the louvre was ridiculously massive....and enchanting.

and it's pretty awesome that the eiffel tower is in plain view!

ok, you see the thing that looks like a wire spool at the bottom of this pic?

well it's actually a barrel with fire that's roasting chestnuts.

YES! chestnuts roasting on an open fire!!!

there were guys making these everywhere...and i didn't try one.

shame, shame, i know.

but the people selling them, well, they looked a little shady. and i just didn't know what i was getting into!

between the hedges was my bearded man!

and this was one of my favorites from the whole trip.

we're such touristy tourists.

and it's kind of funny...i had all these adorable outfits on under my jacket, but it was like 40 degrees, so every singly photo only shows my jacket! i literally could have just packed one outfit and no one would have known!

Notre Dame

Notre Dame was amazing.

everyone who entered the door, no matter what walk of life, had reverence in that place.

800 years of church services - i mean my brain can't really comprehend it.

it was stunning.

one of chris's friends had the funniest convo when we got home.

it went a little something like this:

friend: "so did you catch any games while you were there?"

chris: "huh"?

friend: "did you see any games on your trip?"

chris: "huh? games?"

friend: "yes, on your trip to notre dame..."

chris: "dude - we went to paris."

friend: "ooooooh. notre dame! your pictures on facebook make so much more sense now."

yes, it was simply gorgeous.

we saw it both in the evening and the morning.

and it was fabulous both times!

while we went inside and looked around, and even sat for a bit, we didn't venture up the tower.

we're so lame.

when we saw it at night, we thought we knew where we were and started walking...the wrong way.

pretty sure we ventured to the one side of town we weren't supposed to go to.

we managed to find a best western and the nice guy there called a cab for us.

oh, my feet had never felts so much pain in all their 30 years!