Happily Ever After

As a young single adult, not all weddings are treated equal. Now this just may be me but it's the truth. When I hear that the girl I babysat is getting married...well I don't exactly jump for joy. Call me bitter/selfish/realistic-whatever. I mean doesn't she know there's a line? ;)

But tell me one of my dear friends is getting married? One who has fought the good fight of single life and has found her Eternal Companion- honey I'd cross mountains to witness it. There is a bond us single ladies share and each of these weddings gives me hope- and who can't use more of that?

On the 11th of September (yes I was in the air-my own tribute to those whose lives were lost 8 years ago- we will not bend to fear) I flew to Salt Lake City to celebrate the wedding of Ms. Melanie Beal, an old roommate in Arizona who convinced me to follow her to DC and to whom I owe so very much.

Jen and I were roommates with Melanie in Arizona and made the trek to Salt Lake to share in Melanie's special day.

Jane (who just got engaged!! Another story that fills my heart with joy) came out from DC too for the big day. Such a good friend.

With the blushing bride. She radiated pure happiness. She deserved every moment of this perfect day.

Mr. and Mrs. Dan Eastman. Who would have thought a chat in the hallway at church would lead to eternity? Dan doesn't even live in DC, he was in town visiting from Ohio. They met in February and were married in September. When you know; you know.

I couldn't stop smiling at Melanie's wedding. She was so happy, I knew how much she had waited and prayed for this day.
It came.
Here's to Happily Ever After, thanks for giving me hope Mrs. Eastman.

Fighting the Man and Saving a little $$

Alright, I just have to share because..well that's what blogs are for and I am just dang proud of myself. I've got to give a shout out to my BFF Tiffany who really pushed me to fight Bank of America, she is my inspiration :).

So.. I was balancing my checkbook yesterday and looking at my account online and they once again charged me the $12.00 Monthly Maintenance Fee...and I just snapped! I mean seriously, why am I paying them to "maintain" my money when they aren't doing anything for me?! I called USAA and asked them about their no fees and told them to sell me on their Banking (I always hear great things about them- thanks Kristen).

Well I called Bank of America and threw the smack down. Told them I was done paying fees and then the girl tells me that if I switch from a "regular checking account" to a "Myaccess checking account" AND have Direct Deposit (which mind you I've had since January) then the fee would be voided.

WHAT THE FREAK? So there is some magical way to not have fees? That no one ever tells you about. And there is absolutely no difference between the two types of accounts one just has the option to void your fees. AH! Then I ask for a Manager, I'm over this. I tell him everything and say that if they don't reimburse me for the months I've paid fees then I'm done with BOA and headed to USAA.

Well... it worked. They reimbursed me for the last 90 days (apparently that's as far back as they go and believe you me, I fought for more) which equals $36 bucks back in my pocket and the fact that I will now no longer be shelling out $12 a month = money saved.

After I got off the phone, I was on a high...it's empowering to fight the Man for what you want and get it! So I called Sprint. Ya I've been with them forever and I'm tired of paying a truckload more than everyone else...

An hour later, I'm paying $10 bucks less a month for a plan that is entitled "Any Mobile" which basically allows me to call everyone with a cell phone as much as I want, plus unlimited texting, pictures, internet, GPS, etc. Incredible.

Oh and did I mention that I got a free phone too? It'll be here in 3 days.

Booyah.

Bring on the Health Care Plan I think I can work that one over too...

American Midwest

In the last month I've been all over the Midwest for work (or at least what I think people consider the Midwest, if not..well these are places in the middle of America). And all I can say is what beautiful country it is! It really felt like Americana to me...the stuff Normal Rockwell paintings are made of. So many times I wanted to snap pictures of people..high school football practice, little girls on a swingset, kids riding their bikes in the street, families sitting on their porches...but I didn't want to freak anyone out, so I settled on other images of life in the Midwest.

Fargo, North Dakota. This lil beauty was right in front of our hotel..and yes people, it is fake :).

Main Street USA aka Fargo, ND.

Roller Coaster in the Mall of America, Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Mall of America. Incredible. Tons and tons of stores. It has its own zip code it's so big and how about the fact that they don't have sales tax on clothing in Minnesota?! Bless them!! (Maybe that's why they built the Mall there...)

Baraboo, WI. Birthplace of the Ringley Brothers Circus. The school we visited was on the same street, it was in a building that circus workers use to stay in.

Baraboo, WI.

Still Baraboo...saying that name never gets old! Isn't it just gorgeous?

Wisconsin. Talk about Main Street USA. (And ya everything in the town has the Ringley name on it)

Wisconsin. There were wildflowers everywhere. I literally had to pull over and take pictures. So pretty!

I have a little crush on Wisconsin. I never thought it would be this beautiful. Surprise surprise.

More of Wisconsin, I'm telling you it was enchanting.

Taking Wisconsin in. I was a bit overwhelmed with its beauty ;)

WI.

The entrance of the Gerald Ford Presidential Museum in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Powerful quote.

Michigan.

Lincoln's home. Springfield, Illinois.

Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library.

Illinois sunsets (ya this is my shot, I posted an earlier shot that I found on the internet, but this is my attempt at photography).

So despite that my brother calls them the "flyover states", I was charmed by Middle America. Definitely a great snapshot of American culture and just gorgeous land; it's easy to see why people live there...I think they must all move in the summer and then when winter hits..they're stuck. :)

Clyde James DeLeon

Clyde James DeLeon. Born July 15, 2009. Nearly two weeks early! Which is why he was a month old by the time I got to finally meet him! Isn't he just beautiful?!

He has blue eyes...and how we pray they'll stay (and that he'll grow into that DeLeon nose..). But I just couldn't get enough of this little guy.

I think being an Aunt may just be the greatest thing that has happened to me. Honestly. I'll let Melissa do all the hard work and I'll just show up to hold, snuggle, love, adore, spoil and basically cherish the babies. Whatya think sister? Deal? :)

Oh and let's not forget Vince the Prince, who makes my heart so happy, I just want to cry every time I think about my little man. I mean, look how big he is? And we just had a blast, playing and swimming and being a 3 year old.

Gosh, can you tell who Vince takes after?

Baby Clyde (that is what we are calling him at the moment since that's what Vince calls him...Melissa and I laughed about the thought of the name sticking and him being this huge football playing teenager and us shouting "Play hard Baby Clyde!") sleeping, something he does sorta well, he's still perfecting the art of sleeping through the night. Hey, he's still young!

Grandma and Aunt Mimi kicking it (ya you read that right, I am Aunt Mimi, Vince said it and it stuck, so take that Mariah Carey, I'm the real Mimi!)

And the beautiful woman we have to thank for these two precious babies. My amazingly strong, nurturing, hilarious sister. She is such a great Mom. So patient and loving. It's a pretty surreal thing to watch your sibling turn into a parent...and a good one at that, but then again we did have great examples. And we pretty much have the greatest family. How I love them all.

(there was a cute picture of Melissa and Clyde right here...but alas I accidentally deleted it..dang it!)

NC Funhouse

Just a few ingredients to ensure an out-of-control-totally-amazing-once-in-a-lifetime Girls Weekend.
-Arrested Development

-Sugar & Caffeine. Lots and lots of sugar. Even for breakfast.

-The Beach. Sand. Sun. Ocean.

-More Beach. It is a crucial ingredient.

-And of course these 4 hilariously beautiful ladies. Oh and plain white shirts, permanent markers, cameras and no inhibitions ;)

Mix in a little sass and Pink (her new CD rocks my world, never been a fan before, but she IS a rockstar) and you get an unforgettable 3 days in North Carolina.

We ladies haven't all been together since New Years of 2007. Insanity! We were inseparable in Arizona, laughing every moment we were together...and nearly 3 years later; we didn't miss a beat.

What a blessing it is to have friends like that. To know that no matter where life takes you, you can meet up in the middle of nowhere, hide away and forget about life's mishaps. It was so therapeutic to just let loose and laugh my heart out.

Sitting around watching Arrested Development, dancing the night away at Alexander's, getting checked out by an entire restaurant of Marines...I mean what more does a girl need, besides of course, truckloads of sugar..to make a perfect weekend?

It went by way too fast of course, but the pictures and memories will keep me laughing for months to come. I love you Merrilyn, Annie, Krista and Ashley!

A few of my favorite things...in Utah

Back in July work sent me to Utah.. Ya Utah! Hahaha...I jumped at the chance, surprisingly no one else was eager for the Utah trip. They don't know what they are missing! Well I of course flew out the weekend before and packed in some of my favorite people and things into my mini vacation. It was so blissful, I decided to go back. Yup I'll be in Utah again on the 11th of September for a wedding. Zion here I come!

So here I am (top picture) with Tiff's adorable kids...I can't get over how big they all are! I mean both the girls are in school now..I tell you what, by the time I have kids, Tiff's will be babysitting mine. How convenient :)

Oh just hanging out with my bestest friends. Aren't they just two of the prettiest moms you've ever seen? I tell you what :)

Mr. Graham Gideon Oakeson! What a few months can do! I mean I just saw him back in February and now he's a little man. So stinking adorable.

Cafe Rio. A love affair. 4 trips in 3 days. I don't care what anyone says, Moe's, Chipotle and any other burrito making place just don't compare. What I wouldn't give for one in DC...

Elementary Education buddies! And neither of us are teaching anymore! Hahaha.. I wouldn't have made it through those first few El Ed semesters without Callie. You are a rock.

Didn't get pictures of my brother, cousins, aunts and uncles...but we definitely partied it up. I do love my family. We have such a blast together. Work can send me to Utah anytime ;)

Land of Lincoln

Life has been a bit of a whirlwind lately and there is tons to blog about..the weekend in North Carolina with my Arizona girls (one word: AMAZING) and the week in Florida with my new nephew (Adorable) and family and friends. Yet, I can't upload those pictures yet..so I will jump to this week of my life of travel.

For work this week I was in Missouri, Illinois and Michigan and all I can say is I heart Illinois. It was an adventure and made me nostalgic for my childhood (we lived in Illinois before Hawaii, I was 7 when we moved).

These are photos I uploaded from the internet, so don't start thinking I'm some incredible photographer, but they give you a taste of the day I spent in the Land of Lincoln.

We stopped by Lincoln's Presidential Library and house and walked the streets of Old Springfield.
Yet in the middle of the day, while evaluating a school in Jacksonville...a siren went off and we heard the rain pounding outside... The owner ran in and told us there was a Tornado warning and we had to move into the center of the building! We hurried over and sat with all the Cosmetology students for about a half hour until the warning passed. Apparently the storm did some damage we found out later, but luckily we were spared.

Before sirens and storms though, we cruised Main Street for some lunch and pulled into a local dive..Grandma Rudi's, whose parking lot was crammed with trucks and SUVs. We figured a full lot was a good sign. Well good ole Grandma did not disappoint. We ate a full buffet, complete with fried chicken, ribs, pork, mashed potatoes and all that is delicious for a whopping $7.50!?! Oh and you better believe I got my money's worth ;).

As we sat there devouring our incredible find, I became aware that beside my colleague and the waitresses, I was just about the only woman in the place...and certainly the one with the most trips to the buffet. What can I say, I'm a Shurtleff, and we don't play :). It was such a great snapshot of the heart of America, farmers and construction workers just enjoying the company, no discussion of healthcare or global warming...just laughter and good times...though I couldn't help but notice a hat on the way out.."Don't blame me, I didn't vote for Hope".. Hahaha. What a great nation we live in, where we don't have to all think the same way. To each his own.
And maybe I'm the last one to know...but the sunsets in Illinois are gorgeous! I was driving to the store and saw the sky and literally starting chasing the sun to catch a good shot (this isn't my shot-but I think I got a pretty good one). Enchanting.

And now, even as I rock in my rocking chair here in the Grand Rapids Gerald R. Ford (ya I caught his Presidential Library too) International Airport, with my 7 am flight cancelled for a noon one...I can't help watching the clouds float by and realize how my love affair with this great nation just continues to unfold. Can't wait to see what Wisconsin, Minnesota and North Dakota have in store for me.