thanksgiving.

our little family had a great thanksgiving. being away from home on holidays is hard, but we're enjoying this unique time in our lives where it's just the two of us (plus ellie, of course). having a few days off of work and school were so good for my soul and allowed us a chance to refresh after a few crazy weeks.

on thanksgiving eve, we took ellie to see the monuments at night. i think the world war two memorial is best at night with its lit up fountain.

on thanksgiving morning, we watched the macy's day parade and made homemade donuts.

then, we spent the rest of the day making our own little "deconstructed" thanksgiving. we bought some different parts of turkey and made them with all of the traditional sides in our tiny, little kitchen. it was a really fun and special day that was filled with good conversations.

(see our christmas tree?! ha!)

we had a great time, but we are so excited to be with all the people we love most for christmas. only a few more weeks!

-kelsie.

happy *late* birthday!

to my favorite brother-in-law!!

we are so proud of you and cannot wait to make a new belgium trip with you when we're in colorado.

we miss you a ton. thanks for being so great, for always making us laugh, and for not being too awkward when you and i hung out for two hours... the first time we met...

we love you!

-kelsie.

happy, happy birthday to HUGH!

hugh is my father in law, and i don't think there's a better one around! today is his birthday and i am so thankful for him!

thank you for raising ryan to be an amazing man and husband. thank you for welcoming me into your family and for loving me so well. thank you for your encouraging words and for the way you genuinely care for ryan, nathan and i. and finally, thank you for all of the hair that you passed down to ryan :)

we love you! happy birthday!

-kelsie.

family.

we had the best time while my parents were visiting. we are so incredibly blessed to have two sets of parents who love us well.

we spent friday night hanging out in georgetown and my mom had to get some dc cupcakes. i was skeptical. i mean, i love a cupcake from safeway about as much as any other. but the cupcake i had was incredible. the frosting was just buttery goodness. 

saturday we headed to pennsylvania to see the gettysburg battlefields. it was fun to drive around and it was quite educational for me. i don't think i ever learned american history... or if i did, i clearly replaced that part of my brain with something else...

 (my dad and honest abe just hanging out. probably discussing some war strategies...)

ellie got to come which made her oh so happy. can you tell??

sunday we went to church and then headed to the newseum to see the Elvis! exhibit. my mom looooves her some elvis so she was super excited.

we then went and did a quick browse through the american history museum. we visited the national cathedral monday, and managed to fit some shopping in before they left.

we had a wonderful weekend and we're so grateful for them! thanks for everything!!!!

-kelsie.

ps- the top photo is an iphone picture, but i edited some of the others with a trial of photoshop elements. have you ever used it??? it seems fairly user-friendly as i have very little experience with editing software, but i would love some input from someone who has used it! any advice??

labor day.

(pictures from our visit to the national cathedral )

we had a great holiday weekend with my parents. us and ellie loved having them out here. more pictures coming tomorrow.

hope you all had a beautiful, restful weekend.

-kelsie.

mexicoooo.

{two of my favorite boys in some pretty awesome chairs}

{my dad taking advantage of my mom's floppy hat}

{pretty}

{me. excited. pre-sunburn}

{the group.}

we had so so much fun doing handstand competitions in the pool, singing karaoke, practicing our spanish and eating too much.

hope your memorial day was lovely!

-kelsie.

adios!

{image via here}

ryan and i are heading to white, sandy beaches in mexico for the next week.

(i've been using foam self-tanner in order to prevent blinding anyone with my snow white legs)

this past year has been an incredible, beautiful blessing and a hard, messy adventure. we are excited to have a week with some family and friends to relax and reflect - and not have to drive in terrible dc traffic.

can't wait to show you the pictures! have a great week!!

-kelsie.

oh, hello.

 

i've had an amazing past few days and can't wait to tell you about it. here's a brief synopsis:

 

finished this semester

went to colorado

hail

visited with family

watched my brother graduate

hail

looked at his cool bonsai tree

i'll be back to my husband tonight and will return to regular blogging

(it might even be better since i won't have silly school to interrupt!)

hope you're having a great tuesday!

-kelsie.

almost. there.

(image via here)

i'm SO CLOSE! only about 24 more hours of living on regina spektor pandora, diet coke, coffe and a very gracious husband. and then... SUMMER! 

my dad has been up to some very exciting things and i couldn't be happier for him. yesterday i learned one of his favorite quotes that seems so applicable for right now (and probably forever):

it is a quote from a teddy roosevelt speech he gave in paris, france and was later included in his published work Citizenship in a Republic – 

 

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.” – Teddy Roosevelt

thanks dad. i love you, i'm proud of you and i'm so excited about your new adventure. 

-kelsie.

dear mom,

i remember when i told you i didn't want to sleep in my room because i was afraid. you told me to sing a song from church and i would fall asleep. you were right.

i remember when i told you i wanted to shave my legs. you told me i would get sick of it. you were right.

i remember when i told you that i wanted a cat. you said i wouldn't like it. you were SO right.

i remember when i would call you crying because i was homesick. you told me to go for a run and things would be ok. you were right.

i remember when i told you ryan proposed. you told me you were so happy and that i was blessed to have him. you were right.

i remember when i told you i was nervous on our wedding day. you helped me into my dress and told me it would be a great, fun party. you were right.

i remember so many things you were right about and i cannot begin to say thank you enough. 

i love you so much.

have the best happy birthday!!!

-kelsie.

(good) fern friday

{because it's good friday, of course}

happy almost easter! 

the easter bunny and i go way back. at some point in my childhood i imagine i was scarred by a large bunny at a mall. i think there is a picture somewhere of me with the most terrified look on my face on a bunny's lap.

(by the way, i never made the connection between bunnies and easter? and who decided that sending an adult in a bunny costume into a mall to take pictures with kids wasn't creepy? just my thoughts.)

so from that point forward, i required that the easter bunny not enter our house. however, i am a girl who enjoys her candy and i realized the easter bunny often brought candy - so i had to come up with a new idea.

the porch. 

i'm not sure how many easter mornings the pendley's spent on the porch, but i figured we better be safe than sorry by letting a big, creepy bunny into our home.

i was a very normal child.

so today it was quite appropriate when there was a package from the easter bunny (aka the pendley's) sitting on my welcome mat - not in my living room.

thank you pendley easter bunnies for easters on the porch, believing me when i told you i saw huge bunny foot prints in our backyard, and for all the easter goodies!!

-kelsie.

happy late birthday!

tuesday was lynn's birthday.

i have been SO incredibly blessed to have gained such a wonderful mother-in-law this year. 

lynn, thank you for loving me so well and for welcoming me into your amazing family.

happy birthday!!! we love you much!

-kelsie.

texas.

i am back from texas and had so much fun.

we shopped. we ate. we relaxed. we ate.

i love spending time with those texas people. 

here are a few things i learned during my visit:

1. it is skunk mating season.

2. jack in the box tacos are still the best.

3. my family should have a reality show. or a cooking show. we have several ideas.

4. i really need a dog.

5. my grandmama blew up her kitchen pantry when she was 7.

and here a few pictures:

this is nana and her new shades.

this is my mom icing some of heather's amazing cupcakes.

this is a jack-a-lope on top of a car dealership. standard.

this is april cooking brie soup with a martini. standard.

these are my two cute cousins. or grand-cousins. or second cousins. i'm not sure what their title is. they are my cousin's sons....? anyways, they have cute bed head.

 

it was so fun.

-kelsie.

estrogen fest.

this is me and my two cousins. they both live in texas. i don't have any sisters, so they fill my sister desire.

.

this is me and my mom. she lives in colorado but will be in texas this weekend.

this is my nana. she lives in texas.

this is my grandmama and aunt debbie. they live in texas.

as you can see, texas is a place i would really love to be this weekend. so guess what?! i'm going to texas to spend some time with these wonderful women. my cousin heather has declared it "estrogen fest 2010". i think we're going to make t-shirts. with jewels. i'm so stinking excited. 

hope you have a great spring weekend!

-kelsie.

ps- while we're talking about estrogen so much, i thought i would share my favorite dress from the academy awards:

(image via here)

i LOVE it. it makes me want to go to prom.