Showing posts with label Memories. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Memories. Show all posts

Monday, June 27, 2022

weddings + changes

H E L L O   A G A I N

I am back from vacation and, well folks, we did it. We got my brother all hitched up to Brynna and they're the cutest ever! Our trip to South Dakota for their wedding had it's ups and downs, with Chancy getting sick three days before the wedding, and all the emotions of weddings and goodbyes, but I will always look back on it fondly. The beautiful sunsets. All the hugs and "I love you"s. The drives with my SD girls. 

The day before the wedding is when it all started to become real - my brother was getting married! That morning we met at the church, and the chaos began. The flowers were getting done, we were setting up the reception, we ran out of stars for the tables and people were scrambling to make more, wrapping the tables in paper, and you know, all the wedding things! And later that day, Natasha came!! I am so happy that she made that four hour drive (ALONE!) to come see me!! Even if she did spend most her time just watching me run around, and watching rehearsal and all that jazz. And the next thing we knew it was wedding day!

(Still don't have any pictures with Chancy or Brynna because the photographer took those)


Can you believe that it wasn't even that long ago that I didn't even know these girls and now they're like sisters (and one IS my sister!)!? It still blows me away how amazing God is. He brought these girls into my life right when I needed them, and it turns out that they needed me too. And it was so hard to leave them. We cried and hugged and cried and hugged and cried and hugged some more. 

But boy does it feel good to be home now! You should have heard us squealing when we got the first glimpse of mountains on the way home, like AHHHH!!! 

And now that we're home - summer has hit the PNW (finally) and it hit HARD (100* F!?) annndddd our house sold. *nods* yes, you read that right. After 6.5 years in this house, we are moving! It's crazy because back when I first started this blog we moved into this house. Back then I didn't even know Natasha. Felicity wasn't even married. So much has happened in the years in this house. So much has changed. But I'm excited to move on to the farmhouse in "the flats"! This is a new adventure, and I can't wait to get started! 

Another change in life, is Liberty has a boyfriend (LIKE WHAT?). And before you ask - I am still single as single can be, lol. It's not at all what I had wanted for my life, but I am learning to trust that God knows what He's doing. (trying my best)





WHAT ARE SOME CHANGES HAPPENING IN YOUR LIFE?
SHOULD I DOCUMENT THE MOVE ECT AND SHARE IT HERE??



Sunday, October 31, 2021

h a p p y

 "Sometimes you meet a person and you 

just click -- you're comfortable with 

them, like you've known them your 

whole life, and you don't have to 

pretend to be anyone 

or anything."








South Dakota. Oct. 2021.

Tuesday, May 25, 2021

5.25.2021


     Wow, it's been a while! When was even the last time I did a life update? Last October!? Crazy. Not that it really matters, since I don't actually think people read this blog anymore. (haha) But, it's been a while and I thought it was about time for a quick little life update. For me to read later, even if nobody else reads it. Also, I put on Instagram (@walkinginthesonshine) a poll, asking if I should do a moments post about my recent trip on there or on here, as I've done in the past. And on the blog won! So I guess, soooomeee people still read this! 

     So, yeah. I recently went on a trip! I will be doing a "moments" post on here soon-ish, ok? But till then, this is just another life update. One where I go on rabbit trails about random things that happened in my life. (haha) 

     Well.

     I cut ten and a half inches off my hair! You probably can't even tell, because it's been so long since I've posted, you probably didn't even know it had grown that long. I decided in the beginning of 2020 that I would try grow my hair as long as possible and see how I feel about that before deciding if I wanted to cut it. So, for over a year I didn't cut it, besides a few teeny-tiny trims because my hair actually grows uneven (one side grows faster than the other). And long before deciding to grow it out I had decided to cut out heat tools completely. So heat didn't touch my hair for over two years! (I have now given in and used it in "emergencies", though each time I do I am reminded why I cut it out - I hate the way it makes my hair feel) But, after a year, my hair had grown a lot, but not as healthy I had wanted. The ends were so bad nobody even knew my hair had grown that long! I started keeping my hair up most days because it kinda drove me crazy. I would've cut it sooner, but my dear friend and cousin, Kirsten (please tell me you remember her!!) was getting married in April and I was standing. The hairstyle I picked for the wedding needed long hair. But, we were back from Montana only a daaayyy when I went and chopped it!! I loooove it! Though, sometimes I forget how bad the ends were when looking at pics and my heart kinda goes "awwww" when I see my long hair (xP) Cutting it isn't the only thing I've done to my hair recently! My aunt put some blonde into it, and, wow, I hope this giddy feeling I get whenever I see the blonde bits never goes away! (haha)

     Montana. Kirsten got married!! LaKaysha and I both stood in the wedding, along with another cousin. And Janeya was the photographer, so the weekend was an enjoyable one of running wedding errands with our friends we hadn't seen in too long! Also, the house my parents rented for us to stay in in Montana was a-dor-able! I loooved it so much I alost just wanted to hang out there the entire time! (xP) But there was no time for that. It was a buuusyyyy weekend. Let. Me. Tell. You. But in the end the wedding all came together, and Kirsten is now Mrs. Dan Goodrick! And after the wedding we got to hang out with family at Auntie A and Uncle T's rental house. That was soooo nice, even though I was dead tired and extremely burnt from the outdoor weddding. Get this: they planned for a winter wedding and we all got BURNT (bahahahaha)


(I didn't get any pictures on the wedding day, so I stole these from... my mom?? Liberty?? I don't know *laughs*

     We were only back from our Montana trip two or three days when LaKaysha and I did a crazy thing: we booked tickets to New Hampshire! Felicity and Josiah were going, and we decided to last minute get tickets on the same flights. And it felt like the craziest thing I've ever done. Especially since I'm used to a month or two to prepare for a NH trip. We booked the tickets and were at Grandpa and Grandma's house only three weeks later. I was not prepared, and more than a little scared with all the rules for flying these days. More than once I questioned why we were even going. Flying 3,000 miles, just for the two friends we have there. But you know what? I'd consider it my favorite trip there. It was just so blessed. So relaxing. And so amazing. But enough about that, gotta save stuff to tell you in the "moments" post (*winks*)

     Another big thing in my life: I'm an auntie again!! Little one is due in December, and I just can't wait to see sweet little Kate be a big sister!  For some reason I keep thinking this baby is a boy. (hehe)

     This weekend is Memorial Day Weekend, and LaKaysha and I are once again being crazy - we're going to the Campout! Only for one night, but hey, it's still crazy because nobody we know will be camping. Nobody we know our ages is even going! Liberty is coming with us, and it will be her first time since being a kid, so it'll be fun to show her what it's like. Also, I will be driving us for the first time, so that should be an adventure. 

     As far as work, I'm still cleaning houses with LaKaysha, though we just lost two clients. That's been a blow - especially coming after a two week vacation. But I guess God knows what He's doing. Still driving "Lassie", and he's been amazing. Despite quite a few nails in his tires. (where are those even coming from!?) If you're wondering how much I love my car, just ask my NH cousins - I think I made it clear that I missed my car while on vacation (bahahaha)

     Oh, if you couldn't tell from the cover picture, I have a longboard, and have been trying to master that. It was sent to me by a friend, and this same friend took me and LaKaysha longboarding while we were in NH. I haven't taken it out much since getting home, but I would like to. I'm just not sure of anywhere to take it. Not many paved paths around here that I know of. 

     Still listening to music 24/7. Still enjoying tv shows with the siblings. Also been reading a lot more in the past couple years. (I think I've ruined my eyes). I've been thinking that I should pick up some of my old hobbies again (crocheting? knitting? piano?). Or maybe learn a new one (guitar? longboard?). I've been realizing lately that I do nothing for fun. I work. I read. I go to church. I sleep. That's it. I've been hating the "what do you do for fun?" question because I don't have an answer. So, that's why I'm thinking about doing hobbies more often. Have any other ideas? 


And well, I guess that's about all I've got to update you about for now! 

Hope your year has been going great!


Thursday, March 18, 2021

memory lane || stuff and fluff

 

here's a random picture of me, Felicity, and LaKaysha at the beach in 2014

   Once upon a time, my sister and I made a video to give to my cousins as a gift. A video of us, just... being us. We didn't want them to know what the video was about until they watched it, so we called it "Stuff and Fluff". Little did we know that that video start what I now will call a six part series: Stuff and Fluff.

   I have recently started sharing these videos on my MeWe account. Then I thought, you know what? those would go good in my "Memory Lane" blog series I never followed up on. *laughs* So here we are. Sharing all six videos of me and my childhood friends goofy off and playing around in all our childhood places. Little did we know that we'd all grow apart, people would move away, and everything would change. But enough about that.

Hope you enjoy see us in our growing up years!

*note: I made the last five on my own, and am the most proud to number four*

Stuff and Fluff One:

Stuff and Fluff Two:

Stuff and Fluff Three:

Stuff and Fluff Four:

Stuff and Fluff Five:

Stuff and Fluff Six:


Friday, August 28, 2020

memory lane || slippery stairs


Let's go back in time, shall we?


April 2012. 

Family had flown out and surprised us from New Hampshire. And so more family drove down from the other side of the state, and life was busy. Family gatherings every night. Sleepovers. Potlucks. As well as "cousin pictures", like the one above. I am the one with her foot on Liberty's shoulder. Why, you ask? Well. Today I am going to tell you that story. 

The story of how I broke my left foot:

With all the boys staying at my house for the night, us girls decided to go stay at my aunt and uncle's for the night. It was me, LaKaysha, Kirsten, and of course Emily since it was her house *winks* we stayed in the boy's room because there were more beds in there. I remember that Colten had a clock on the wall that ticked. And I couldn't sleep. So I started to make up stories in my head.
This may sound weird, but I was always mean to myself in the stories in my head *laughs* I remember that I made up a story about all us cousins playing in the woods behind our house, and somehow I broke my foot. But I just could not figure out which boy cousin would be more likely to carry me back to the house - Tyrel or Colten. (you ponder the weirdest things in the middle of the night *laughs*) I asked Kirsten and Emily in the morning who they thought would be more likely to step up if I was ever to break my foot.
I still think it's weird that I was pondering this that night xP 

It snowed that morning. We decided to run barefoot in the snow, which of course made us squeal and yell. haha xP It's so weird that it snowed in April though! *shrugs* 
We went back to my house where the rest of the family was gathered. Oh the wonderful busi-ness of this time in life (I miss it). 

By that afternoon the sun was shining and it was really beautiful outside. So it was decided that we would roast hotdogs over a fire for supper. 
Like we always did, we begged our Uncle to drive us to the local Trading Post so we could buy some Arizona's because we had a problem *laughs* He agreed, and we were going to get things for the hotdog roast. I was so excited to go I went running up the stairs to my big wonderful room to grab my shoes. The boys were playing video games up in the lounge. I do believe Colten was sitting in my blue chair... random detail that I remember for no reason xP
I grabbed my shoes, and took off back down the stairs. 

That's when it happened. I slipped on my way down the stairs and my foot got caught in the railings. I landed with a bump at bottom. 
My aunt seen it and I heard her gasp. She yelled from the living room, "Are you ok!?" I guess I told her I was even though my foot was really hurting. That's when I realized I had grabbed only one of my shoes and the other one was actually LaKaysha's. So back up the stairs I went, limping and trying not to cry. Colten glanced away from the video game he was playing long enough to ask me if I was okay. Once again I said I was. 
Then I went in my closet to get my shoe and the pain really started to come. I sat down on the floor, holding my foot and rocking back and forth, telling myself I wouldn't cry and that the pain would pass. It always does.
Kirsten seen me coming back down the stairs after that little episode in my closet. I was still limping and I then realized I had cut my foot in the fall. It was bleeding bad (my step-grandma later said I had cut an artery - good thing I hadn't known about that or I would've been panicking). I asked Kirsten to get me paper towel and a band-aide. I cleaned it up and we went to the store. 

They were playing "Friend of Sinners" by Laura Story in the Trading Post. Another random detail I remember.

I couldn't walk on my own so Kirsten was helping me. Someone else may have been too, but I can't remember who it was - either Emily or LaKaysha. After a limping around in there for a while I realized that the band-aide was doing nothing. My Uncle went to the Deli and asked for some napkins, cleaned up the blood, and then carried me back to the car and told me to just wait in there. I was still fighting back tears at this point. 
My Uncle came back with a bag of Hugs for me <3 also Kirsten bought me an Arizona and some pixie sticks. also some bought me a pie I felt a little better after that. *hugs them*

After getting back from the store my Uncle carried me back in the house and up into my room where he set me on my bed. There were people all around me as they wrapped my foot up tight trying to stop the bleeding. I think the adults knew it was bleeding more than it should've been, but I don't remember them saying anything. I guess they didn't want to scare me. 

We never did roast hotdogs because it started down-pouring outside.

Cousins gathered around in my room and we chatted for a while. I remember the little kids running in every once in a while and trying to jump on the bed, but Tyrel would yell at them that I had a hurt foot. 
Eventually we decided to go downstairs and play Judge and Jury and I'd be the judge since I couldn't do anything. 
Remember how I was pondering who would carry me around if I ever broke my foot? Well, it was Tyrel. That poor boy put up with so much. 

All the adults went out together later that evening and it was just us kids there (everyone who was in the header picture). Kirsten, LaKaysha and Emily all had two good feet. They were up and down the stairs so often Tyrel finally told them to pick and place and stay there because he was tired of carrying me up and down and all around. 

The next morning I woke up to an empty room (curse of being someone who sleeps later than everyone else xP). I could hear everyone downstairs getting breakfast. There was a total of nine extra people staying at our house that week so the noise downstairs was plenty loud *winks*. And there I sat in bed, unable to walk on my own. I sat there for a while pondering if I should just yell "help" and hope someone heard me over their noise or just wait and see if they remembered I was helpless up there and decided to check and see if I was awake. 
It was my Uncle who decided to check on me. He chuckled when he found me sitting up in bed, wondering what to do.

Later that day Marissa and Marita came over and my mom asked them to bring the crutches from years before when my uncle had hurt his foot. They did and that was the end of me limping around or begging someone to carry me. Felt good to get around on my own. Though I did cry about needing them later.

Soon everyone went home to either New Hampshire or the other side of the state and life calmed down. But my foot didn't get any better. I still couldn't walk on it. 
My mom would tell me to walk on it because she figured it was a sprain. Can't really blame her. I never complained about being in pain, so everyone just assumed it wasn't that bad. 
It wasn't till nine or ten days later that I went to my mom and told her I thought it was more than a sprain. She took me in for x-rays that day. And sure enough. It was broken. 

They gave me a boot to wear until I could go get a cast on it. 

I could go on and on about the adventures I had while wearing the boot or cast, but "that's another song". *winks* 
a couple weeks into having the cast - another time when family came to visit

only a couple days after getting the cast off - back in the boot

If you'd like, I could do a part two all about those adventures. But until next time, 
Thanks for coming on this rather lengthy walk down memory lane with me!
This post is slightly different than the other posts I have planned for this series. Just a heads up *winks*

Did you make it through the entire story? Ever break a bone? Looking forward to more in this series?

Tuesday, September 10, 2019

all about autumn || tag


yay! I've been tagged by the biggest sis, Felicity, for the All About Autumn tag!

so here it is *winks*


 - What are your plans for this fall?

hm. well. turn twenty. hang out with my pen pal. meet my niece or nephew. buy a car. *nods*
also drink lots of tea and coffee and eat some caramel apples. maybe have some cider. read some good books. And Christmas shop. Yes. Christmas shop. *winks*

- Which two things tell you that the Autumn season has begun?

rain. and pumpkin latte's at every coffee shop in town.

- What are three things you love about the season?

the rain. the pumpkin latte's. the colors.

- What is your best memory from fall?

Thanksgiving Day in 2013. It was the only Thanksgiving that I got to celebrate with both sides of the family, including both sets of Grandparents. That was the day my Grandpa Stenersen walked up behind me, gave me a hug, and whispered, "you're beautiful, Daminika." I've always treasured the memory, but I especially treasure it now, since Grandpa's stroke. <3

also, it was a good time with alllll the cousins *winks*

 LaKaysha, Kimberly, Emily, (me) and Kirsten. thanksgivng 2013

- What is your favorite scent from Autumn?

pumpkin. or apple cider. orrrrrr pumpkin apple cider *winks*

- What is your favorite Autumn color?

burnt orange.

- What is your favorite fall inspired drink?

oh boy. probably pumpkin flavored coffee. mocha. latte. or just a normal coffee with pumpkin creamer.

- What is your favorite food from Autumn?

Pumpkin pie for sure.

- Which place would you love to visit in the fall?

New Hampshire. But what else is new? *laughs*


I tag:

Natasha @ Simple Things

LaKaysha @ Calico and Lace


Hope y'all enjoyed this tag! Also, who else is excited for Fall??? 


Friday, August 31, 2018

Photo Dump || August '18


Wow. Just wow.
August was full. Did this all happen in just one month? I don't even know how that's possible.
Family Reunion. Movie nights at the aunts'. County Fair. Two weddings - one I didn't get any pictures of, but it was a good time, trust me *winks*. "Dates" with Natasha. Talk of getting another job. Road trip. Benton-Franklin Fair & Rodeo. Second Ferris Wheel ride ever. Adventures with Kirsty. Two birthdays in the family (my baby sister turned 14! And my "little" bro turned 17!).

It's been a full month, that's for sure. I could probably do a bunch of posts on all the "little
 adventures I had in August, but just dumping you with photos is easier - and faster. xP
I already did a post on the Family Reunion and the fun things we did with Felicity and Josiah, so this photo dump starts after that was all done and over with.

T H E   P H O T O   D U M P: 

 playing Phase Ten with the fam

 Watermelon Italian soda before heading to the fair - just cause. 

 At the fair! (I got another Watermelon Italian soda. *giggles*) 

 watching Tuff Trucks. Seriously the most fun I've had in years. *giggles* 

 it was a big, loud crowd. *grins*

 Skip-Bo

 when Natasha buys you a milkshake - you know you can be friends for life *winks* 

 names of characters. from stories I used to make up at night, and tell LaKaysha. I'll never forget these "people". <3
me and Natasha at her uncle's wedding 

 and heading to the other wedding (a cousin). *winks* 

 this wedding really was a lot of fun. I "made" the people who rode in my vehicle stay late. And I don't think they hated me like they thought they would. *evil chuckle* 

 so much smoke. like *gag* 

 heading up to Auntie and Uncle's for the weekend. four hour drive- and me and LaKaysha danced pretty much the whole way. *winks* (LaKaysha got some pretty good "vlogs" on this trip. too bad we have no way of posting them anywhere. Of maybe I should be glad, since I'm in them *laughs*)

 the next day - heading to the fair/rodeo. 

 we ate so. much. junk. at the fair *laughs*

 view from the top of the Ferris Wheel

 Marita down below us. You can'r see Marissa, but she was with her *winks* 

 Big pickles <3

 watching the little cousins go on rides. 

nachos, while saving our seats for the rodeo. 

 Kaaren, looking too cute, as always <3333


it was a wonderful day! I do believe I'll be back next year *winks* 

the next day was Sunday, but we were so worn put from the fun day at the fair we, uh, *whispers* skipped church. 

before heading home, though, we went out to eat Kirsten, and ended up walking around town. Not really looking forward to the four-hour drive we had ahead of us. 

my people. Sista LaKaysha, Auntie Marita, Cuzzy Kirsten, and Auntie Marissa. 

Kirsten is pretty much our sister. <333 

 browsing the record shop, before finally heading home. 

 it was an amazing trip, but I was certainly exhausted after. *winks* 

 picking fruit at Grandpa's <3


and that was my full August!

I hope you had an amazing summer, like I did. 
But who else is looking forward to cooler, wetter (yes, wetter) weather