Friday Five: Arizona Trip

We took a mini vacation to Arizona for the long Memorial weekend. It was a blast and so nice to get out of Las Vegas for a few days. Here's some of the things we did while we were there:

ONE. We met up with my brother and his cute, little family for dinner at Chili's. It was so great getting to see my baby nephew (6 months already!). I haven't seen him since January and boy, is he getting big. He's such a quiet, happy baby and didn't fuss the entire time we were there. He was all smiles and it was adorable! Miss all three of them already.

TWO. I took KC to Goldfield Ghost Town Sunday morning. I've been there 4 times now and it never gets old. It's such a cool little town and the sights and views are amazing. He loved it! (I knew he would :] ) They sale fresh made fudge at one of the shops, so I got red velvet. So good!

Wouldn't this picture be awesome if that couple was us!?

THREE. After the ghost town, we went to a Diamondbacks (baseball) game in Phoenix. They were playing the Cubs and beat them. It was a lot of fun. I love going to sports events; it's much more entertaining than watching on TV.

FOUR. A couple months ago, I was craving Texas Roadhouse's pulled pork sandwich. I quickly found out that the closest one to us is in Utah! How can there not be one in Las Vegas or at least somewhere in Nevada!? Anyway, I knew there were some in AZ, so after the game I convinced KC to go eat there (he had never been, WHAT?!?). It was so delicious and definitely didn't disappoint. We ordered way too much food and ended up getting our appetizers for free...score! We just finished the leftovers last night for dinner. LOL

FIVE. Monday before heading back to Vegas, we met up with our good friends, Jim and Drea, for lunch at Red Robin. It was so good seeing them and catching up. We hadn't seen them since last September! The time with them flew by, so I can't wait to hang out with them again. Miss them so much and wish we lived closer!

I've come to the conclusion that we eat out A LOT when we're on vacation! Haha I hope you all had a fantastic Memorial Day weekend.
xoxo

Frugal Bride-To-Be

I've always been a saver. For as long as I can remember, I've never blown through my paychecks on silly things. Even as a kid, I would save my allowance and never spend it. Of course I splurge on vacations or things I really want, but if I can get something at a discounted price...I'm there! I rarely pay full price for anything. It's probably gotten a little worse now that I'm a junior accountant and everything...

That being said; when it comes to wedding planning, I've always had the mindset of "why spend a fortune on one day?" I never understood why people wanted to spend tens of thousands of dollars when they could have the same special day with a smaller price tag. (I understand some people want the big, expensive wedding and that's perfectly okay. It's just not my cup of tea). 

Luckily, KC feels the exact same way as I do. We are planning our wedding on a tight budget and hoping to stick to it. After looking into wedding ceremony and reception venues, I quickly realized our entire budget would only pay for the venue (food not included). I sat down and really thought about this. I want the day to be special, but I also don't want to put ourselves in a bad spot financially. This led me to the decision that our wedding will be an outdoor ceremony at my parent's house with a barn reception right after. I ran the idea pass KC and he loved it. Next I had to clear it with my parents and I'm pretty sure it's a go! $3,000 (at least) saved right there! I'm heading to Indiana next month and will check out the yard and barn to confirm these plans will work and then I can really start diving into the decoration ideas, guest list, etc. I can't wait!!

I love this!

I want to use hay bales as seating!

xoxo

Three Years Already!?

Three years ago today (1095 days!), my life was about to be changed forever and I didn't even know it!

God placed KC and I in the right place at the right time that night for a reason and I've been so incredibly thankful for that ever since. (Read the full story of how we met here)

KC is absolutely, hands down, my best friend. I can tell him any and everything without fear of being judged and I know he will always be there for me in my good and bad times. He supports me in everything that I do...even when it's a little crazy. He lets me know that no matter what, he'll be right beside me through thick or thin. He's my soulmate. Being with him makes me feel safe and he makes all my worries fade away. I truly believe I would be lost without him. He makes my heart smile and loves me more than I could ever ask for. I couldn't imagine marrying anyone else but him!

Happy Anniversary, Love!

xoxo

Wedding Wednesday!

OMG! I finally get to participate in #WeddingWednesday! I'm so excited!! I guess technically, I could have joined the fun last week, but I was still trying to wrap my mind around the fact that I'm engaged and this is really happening! :)

So far, we've picked the date, the colors and the location (not the EXACT location yet though).

We decided on a date!

Our colors are going to be red and gray. Red because it's KC's favorite color and gray because I didn't want red, black and white (my high school graduation colors). Red and gray work so well together, so I'm pumped about using them. Look at some of the ideas I've found already:

I will definitely be wearing red heels!

See more fun ideas on my Pinterest board Let's Tie The Knot.

Our location will be in Indiana; my home state. I figured most of my family/friends live in Indiana, so it made the most sense. KC's family is all over the Midwest, so it would be easier for them to travel to IN rather than NV. KC wasn't thrilled with the idea at first (because he's been to my extremely small hometown), but I've buttered him up to the idea. This is another reason our colors include red; I got to pick the location, if he could pick the colors. Win, win. It's all about compromise!

xoxo

Our Love Story: The Proposal

April 25, 2015...

We had a great day leading up to the proposal and never once did I suspect something big was about to happen. We woke up early to take Katie and Travis to see the Hoover Dam. It was so windy, but we still got some great pictures. Then we headed to the Pawn Stars shop and the Eiffel Tower at Paris. We took in the incredible views until it got a little too chilly and we all were starving. After looking at two restaurants menus, we decided a buffet was the way to go! We went to an off-the-strip casino and ate like kings! :)

                    

After eating we all decided we needed to go back to the house to rest and digest because we were way too full to do anything else for a while. We relaxed around the house until our 10:30pm helicopter ride. (Katie scheduled this ride for us a few months prior because she loves helicopters and I'd never been in one) When we got there, we had to check in and they offered us champagne. Katie, Travis and I said no thanks, but KC insisted that we have some (sneaky, sneaky). So we did and cheers-ed to the night and best friends.

The ride, the helicopter, everything was amazing! The pilot put KC and I up front with another girl because it was our first time. Katie and Travis were in the back with another girl, but we had headsets so we could still talk to each other. I just enjoyed the ride, the pilot's jokes, and soaked in the strip lit up in all it's glory. The ride only lasted between 8-12 minutes (maybe), but we loved it. Once we landed and the engine cooled down, the pilot let us out. I was the last one out of the helicopter, then we all started walking towards the building. I heard KC (who was behind me) tell Travis to wait and then I heard, "Molly. Molly." I turned around and KC was on one knee. My first thought was that he had fallen down, but then he pulled out a gray ring box!

*Side note -- This gray ring box is NOT new. For Christmas 2014, KC wrapped a present and placed it under the tree. There was no doubt it was a jewelry box. When I opened it Christmas day, the following is what was inside:

What a brat! But it was funny. I then kept this gray box in my bathroom and every so often I'd look inside at the little note because it was just so cute. So, when this same gray box was making an appearance again, I first thought maybe he's joking again.*

As he opens the box, I'm pretty sure I said "Are you serious?!" at least twice. He takes the piece of paper out and hands it to me saying, "Last year I gave you this." Then he pulls the padding part out and underneath is the ring. It was in the bottom of the box the entire time (since December)!! He takes it out and asked, "Will you marry me?" My heart was pounding so fast, my eyes were welling up with tears of joy, I couldn't decide if this was really happening or not, and I replied, "Yes, of course!" Everyone around us, Kate, Travis, the pilot, and the two other girls, were just as surprised as I was because KC kept it a secret from everyone (and he did a great job)! They were all ewwing and awwing, then someone (not sure who) shouted, "What was your answer? We didn't hear!" So I shouted, "I WILL!"

KC put the ring on my finger and we hugged and kissed and hugged Kate and Travis. It was perfect! I was so happy and surprised (and probably a little shocked) that my hands were shaking like a leaf! It was crazy. I can't even describe how happy and excited I was in that moment. It was by far the best surprise ever! He definitely blindsided us all.

Afterward, we had to go celebrate, so we went to a casino, had a round of Tom Collins' and did a little gambling. Best night ever! And I'm so happy KC did it while my best friend was here to be apart of everything. WE'RE ENGAGED!!

xoxo