Our anniversary plans!!

Happy Friday. I knew this was going to be a great day from the moment my mom surprised us this morning with a heaping box of Holtman's Donuts. I love that woman! ;)

I mentioned very briefly yesterday that Caleb and I made the spontaneous decision to get away for our anniversary at the end of the month. Before I dive into that, HOW in the world is it almost my SECOND WEDDING ANNIVERSARY?! I feel like I was just wrapping jute around all the centerpieces, planning the introduction songs and ordering the cutest yellow flats I'd ever seen. But alas, here we are... preparing to celebrate our second anniversary. I'm so lucky I get to do life with that husband of mine.

Anyway... we were initially planning on staying local for our anniversary, as there's so much of our city that we still have yet to explore, but we ended up deciding we wanted to see a new city together. Somewhere within driving distance...nothing TOO expensive... so what did we come up with?

Two days in Pittsburgh!

via

I know, you might be thinking how can we even  GO to the Bengals rival city? ;) Well, I'm looking past their one flaw (the Steelers) to explore the beauty that they have to offer. We've heard amazing things about the city and there seems to be SO much to do and we won't be able to fit in everything, obviously...so this is where you come in!! If you've ever been, or are local, where should we eat? What should we do? We want your help!

In other news, I shot one of the best engagement shoots I think I've ever done last night, more on that to come next week, hopefully! I hope you guys have a great weekend!!!

Travel spots in our country! Help!

Ahh dreaming about travel. I could literally do it all day. Remember my post on our top destination spots around the globe? I always seem get so caught up in all the gorgeous places all over the world I want to see, start making lists and pinning crazy spots that probably don't even exist. That's when I remind myself that our country has TONS of beautiful, unknown places, we just have to explore them for ourselves!! So where do we want to travel within our very own country?

Boston. This was Caleb's first answer. He really wants to see Fenway Park. He says he wants us to go to a game (eat a ton of food), and see Boston's stadium. Sounds like the perfect weekend to me!

Disney World. As obsessive as Caleb and I are about Disney (we pretty much buy every new DVD/Blu Ray movie the day it comes out), its crazy we've never been. Well, I've been once...but for about 4 hours in the 99 degree heat at an insanely busy time of year, so to say we missed out on a lot is a complete understatement. I can't wait to go with Caleb one day and experience it all!!

Hollywood. Seeing the sign, the sites, etc. It just seems like a foreign land to us, and it would be a blast to spend a few days riding California's coast with my husband! I'm talking like a REAL road trip. Not having a real plan, booking hotels as we go, eating cheez-its for breakfast in the car with the windows down, and stopping at every beach we can possibly find to dip our toes in!!

Nantucket. Caleb and I are suckers for a small beach, harbor, lighthouse (maybe that's why we love Hilton Head so much?!). I could look at Google images of this little "island" all day!

Hamilton Pool. It says its in Austin, TX. Seriously this place looks INCREDIBLE! I know a few of my readers are from Texas...ladies, PLEASE tell me you've been before??!

Wonder Tower, Colorado. We had some friends visit there a couple years ago...and sadly, the man who owned it passed away in 2013, and it looks closed down now. Although its still standing! So, to me, that means its still able to be visited, or at least seen! They said you could see 5 states from the top of that tower. It was filled with random jars, odds and ends, and essentially anything awesome you'd ever find in an antique shop...and it was filled by an adorable old couple.

Also on our list?
Chicago, Washington DC, Maine (they have pretty lighthouses), Napa Valley, San Fransisco, and really any National Park in the West!

So this is where I need your help! Please tell me - is there a spot you've been to in the US that was just an awesome experience?! If so, I seriously want to hear about it (Caleb and I are building our USA travel list, that yes, will take a lifetime to complete)! We have such a beautiful country, and I just want to explore it! Oh debt, why do you exist?! ;)

Around the globe.

A few things Caleb and I are passionate about? Vacation, time off work and food. Naturally, its a wonder we have only left the country twice. It got me thinking...if we didn't work full time jobs, and had unlimited cash at our fingertips...what would be our top travel goals?

Australia. This is one place we've always said we'll visit! It just sounds incredible. Hello, if the local's accents aren't enough to make you want to visit, maybe the baby koalas, kangaroos, amazing beaches, opera houses, bridges and coral reefs are? Sidenote; a recent episode of Modern Family just re-confirmed my love for this country I've never visited -- any Modern Family fans out there? ;)

The Maldives. Ever since I showed Caleb this little patch of islands, we've decided it needs to be on our bucket list. I mean, I feel like even a few days here would detox an entire year of stress. Just look at that water!!!  They even have an underwater dining experience. SAY WHAT?!

Fun fact of the day. The Maldives has a beach called the "Sea of stars". What appears as a mirror of the stars above, the water looking like that is actually from something called "phytoplankton" - and holy crap I sound like a geek! Anyway, this is absolutely on my bucket list. I can't wait to check this one off.

Venice. SO many of our college friends studied abroad here, and it always made me so jealous! Hearing them tell their stories about how different life is over there, just sounded so beautiful. I just want to ride a gondola under a bridge, eat macaroons, and go to their markets!

Ireland. Well hello, P.S. I Love You was filmed there, but besides that? It just looks insanely gorgeous. I think it would be fun to kiss the Blarney Stone, hike the green mountains, see the castles, and talk to the locals. I could sit and listen to people with accents for hours. It would just be an added bonus if they had some awesome stories!

Now...back to reality. It's cool to know that when Caleb and I get out of debt, trips like this won't be too far out of reach. Obviously children will come (with time), but we're looking forward to the days where we can take a romantic getaway to one of our dream spots.

So tell me, where would you go if you could?!

The time we drove 9 hours

...that is commitment! Some of our good friends were having a small wedding in Pennsylvania last May, and we just couldn't let ourselves miss it. It was going to be much too beautiful of a day not too. So, we started to drive and got a surprise call on the way from one of the groomsmen who said that they wanted us to stay in the Bed & Breakfast with them overnight instead of paying for a hotel.

SCORE.

I would stay with the bride and her friends, and Caleb would stay with the groom and their friends. It was a blast. Little did I know this was in Elizabethtown (yes, where the movie was filmed) and was the most GORGEOUS bed and breakfast EVER!

The Bride, Erin, is now pregnant and is seriously going to be the cutest momma in the world. Did I mention yet how FLAWLESS she was on her wedding day?! I mean, LOOK at that dress!

It was so cool traveling around town the night before the wedding...and also the day of. It was also great to have an appetizer hour before the reception started, and to spend it with friends!

Their wedding was so beautiful, and the reception was an absolute blast. The groom surprised everyone by singing a song to his new wife. Made us all cry happy tears.

Then it was dancing time! You know Caleb and the groom won the contest ;)

The drive there and back both within two days was tiring, but being a part of their amazing day was so worth it! Hoping they can all make it for our big day and celebrate with us!! :)

Happy Travel Tuesday, friends ;)

Praying for all who were affected by the tragedy yesterday. No words can describe how sad it is.  The world may not always be good, but God always is.

Best vacation of my life {Travel Tuesdays}

I have yet to link up with the amazing Helene yet for her new(ish) link-up...but I've been LOVING seeing everyone elses so far. So I figured why not talk about the best vacation of my entire life today?

Which vacation is that, you ask? Oh just the one where I got proposed toooo ;)

Want to know something sad, though? Since I had NO idea he was going to propose...I didn't set my camera out to get used to the lovely Hilton Head humidity on our first night...so my lens fogged up for like 3 hours, but needless to say Caleb was relentless and wanted to take a bike ride down to the beach together. We filled our bike baskets with my camera, flip flops, and a towel... and we were on our marry way.

All the pictures we took that evening from my camera turned out blurry cause the ONLY dude on the beach besides us that we asked to snap it put it on "manual" so it would NOT focus, so we couldn't tell when we started taking a million selfies... but that couldn't take away my happy.

As you can see...

The next day, I woke up and couldn't stop staring at my ring. I know a lot of women like to go ring shopping with their men when things start to get serious (not me!). Caleb and I had obviously talked about our futures together, and we both knew we'd get married, eventually. I had NO idea he was going to do this that night! I am probably the most simple girl on Earth, I'm not picky, I'm not too complicated, yeah I've got some baggage (but who doesn't!?). Caleb honestly couldn't have done better with my ring. It is so me!

After the initial shock of being a "fiance' " now...we spent the entire week celebrating.

I think its mandatory that the next few months after you get engaged, every picture has to show your ring!

I took WAY too many pictures, of everything... as usual. We spent so much time on the beach, shopping, and most of all...eating.

It truly was the best vacation ever... Hilton Head has always been special to me, but now its REALLY dear to me since there on that tiny, vacant beach, Caleb asked me to spend the rest of my days with him.

& if the past 3 and a half years is any indication of how fun our future will be together...then I think I'll keep him ;)

Happy traveling!