Tag: Sawyer June

Oregon, Photography

New Christmas Traditions

Amanda

I’m circling back to the end of 2019 when I was home for Christmas. Earlier in the year during Thanksgiving my family shot clay pigeons and had so much fun that they decided to do it again on Christmas morning when I was home.

We had a great time doing something new all together, and after I spent a few minutes in the pen with the cows, I kept my camera out to get some fun candid shots of my family.









We decided after this pictures that this particular gun was a little to big for me…. I could barely hold it up correctly. But it does make a funny family photo with my sister and dad behind me 🙂



My sister and her boyfriend, and the best (funniest) photo of the day!




But Sawyer and Grammy had the most fun.

Family

Sawyer June is 1!

Amanda

Today Miss Sawyer June turns one years old!

If you’ve been following along at in the past year, chances are you’ve heard me talk about this sweet little girl or at least seen her picture.

Sawyer is actually my cousin, though age-wise she’s obviously more like a niece. My own sister and I waited 23 years for a cousin on this side of our family and we love her to pieces!

The first word that I’d use to describe Sawyer is sassy. She has such a big personality already! So I laugh, because on this particular day that I took these pictures of her when I was home in Oregon a few weeks ago, I was watching her while her mama napped and Sawyer was about 20 minutes or so away from going down for a nap of her own. So she kind of looks a bit more shy in these photos than she actually is 🙂

She is ALMOST walking and says “danke,” which is “thank you” in German since that’s where her mama’s family is from.

I know its cliche, but its amazing to think that she’s been a part of our family for only year, especially since I don’t actually get to see her that often. But she’s been the highlight of my Snapchat reel and is my favorite scene-stealer when I’m FaceTiming with my family.

Happy Birthday Sawyer June! We all love you so much!

So There's That Series

So There’s That Vol. 32

Amanda

{Sort of like  a “Friday Five”  or a “Life Lately” except it’s probably not Friday, and I gave up on the idea of a catchy alliteration. These are some bits and pieces of my not-so-glam 20-something life. See past posts HERE}

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I mentioned in my last post that I’ve been a little MIA lately because that’s just the season I am in. I have a huge project going on at work and especially now that we are finally having a spring, that all sort of zaps any desire I have to be in front a screen of any kind outside of working hours. Plus, even though I’ve still had some fun things going with friends and a few quick visitors in town, I haven’t been all the great lately at getting any pictures snapped. But I have some more fun travel coming up and then later this summer I should be back to blogging a little bit more again.

In Case You Missed It On the Blog in April

  1. Friday Jam Session: British Artists
  2. Mom and Dad Visit DC
  3. So There’s That Vol. 31
  4. Travel Journal: London – Part One
  5. Travel Journal: London – Part Two
  6. Friday Jam Session: Rainy Days
  7. Travel Journal: London – Part Three

Sawyer June

Baby girl just turned 10 months old a week ago! I am so excited to see her in a few weeks!

Pure Barre

Back in March, I completed the March Madness Challenge at my Pure Barre studio (taking 20 classes in the month) and was pretty pumped that I earned this coffee mug! I tried Pure Barre out on a whim a few months ago and was completely surprised by how much I fell in love with it. I am actually pretty close to hitting my 100 class mark (which is celebrated at the studio) so I’ll probably do a little blog post about it soon!

Hobbies

THIS. IS. IMPORTANT. Especially as a Type-A, work-driven, millennial (which should NOT be a dirty word) I’ve always found the lines between my work life and personal life pretty grey. I love what I do and the industry that I am in, but I also have experienced serious burnout more than once. Everything this article speaks to, I can definitely relate to, and more so, see it in the lives of many friends and colleagues. Just some important food for thought.

Roses and Thorns

Last week I wrote a short blog post on “Roses and Thorns,” my new, quick way to jot down my highs and lows for the week, which has turned out to be a good way to keep my attitude in check. I had a few people respond that they loved this idea and were going to try it for themselves!

Changing Definitions

Mari Andrew is a writer and illustrator that I love to follow on Instagram.

Source.

Cody Johnson

A few weeks ago, I headed to the Fillmore in Silver Springs (Maryland, just north of DC) with a crew of old friends and new friends to see Cody Johnson play. Even though it was a mid-week concert, I usually try to not miss a good red dirt/Texas country concert if I can help it.

Out and About

A few snippets (and Snapchats) of life lately.

My Life in Memes

Memes that are speaking to me right now… both thought provoking and just plain funny.

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So, There’s That.

So There's That Series

So There’s That Vol. 31

Amanda

{Sort of like  a “Friday Five”  or a “Life Lately” except it’s probably not Friday, and I gave up on the idea of a catchy alliteration. These are some bits and pieces of my not-so-glam 20-something life. See past posts HERE}

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London

I just returned from a long girls weekend in London with one of my best friends Brandi! Stay tuned later this week or next for a few blog posts all about our adventures!

In Case You Missed It On the Blog in March

  1. Favorite Things I Need to Tell You About Right Now – Vol. 2
  2. Friday Jam Session: Post Break Up
  3. Third Work Anniversary and 10 Things I’ve Learned
  4. So There’s That Vol. 30
  5. Friday Jam Session: 90’s Country
  6. Guest Feature on Whimsical September’s Saturday Sit-Down

Mom and Dad Visit DC

My parents visited me in DC at the end of March. We had a wonderful time and I wrote all about it on the blog here.

Sawyer June

This sassy girl just turned 9 months a few days ago and her personality is really starting to show. Snapchat videos and FaceTiming with her is my favorite! This particular round of pictures is EXTRA ADORABLE.

I mean SERIOUSLY!!!

Guest Blogger Saturday Sit-Down

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to be a guest blogger for Whimsical September. Since I discovered her last summer, Erica has become one of my favorite bloggers to regularly keep up with, so I was thrilled to be featured in her Saturday Sit-Down series. She did a fabulous job at doing her research and personalizing questions for me to really showcase what my blog and I are all about. You can read it here (and check out the rest of her blog while you are there)!

Wild Love

Having been a dancer growing up, I could watch dance routine and choreography videos ALL DAY LONG. Kyle Hanagami has become one of my favorites to follow on Instagram. This is video is one of his most recent choreographed routines, which also features one of my favorite dancers, Julianne Hough, and music by another favorite, James Bay.

Winter Sunrise

Mark Alan Andre Photography

I can never get enough of beautiful DC photography. And even though I am hating this eternal winter we seem to be having, I was practically drooling over this photo and the full series.  The photographer is a fellow K-State grad too 🙂 Great work Mark!

Life is Too Short for Fake Cheese and Fake Friends

This article was technically written for moms, but even though I am not at that stage of life yet, I can still relate on many levels. More and more, I am seeing and experiencing the equal difficulty, stages and crucial importance of adult friendships.

“I want friendships that fill me up, because no one is ever satisfied after eating fake cheese.”

Amen, girl. Read the full article here.

National Ag Day

National Ag Day was March 20, and in DC that means a series of special events and guests in town. I spent one evening speaking with college students attending the Agriculture Future of America (AFA) Policy Institute, and shared a bit about my job and path to living and working in DC. AFA also invited me to join them for an event at USDA, where Vice President Pence spoke and signed an official proclamation for National Ag Day. I had never heard Pence formally speak before, and was happy to hear most of his comments. There continues to be a lot of uncertainty right now regarding trade, so personally I think that part of his speech was a bit sugar coated.

Out and About

A few snippets (and Instagram stories) of life lately.

Going on my resume: Winning the office March Madness bracket 2 of the 3 years I’ve been working here.

My Life in Memes

Memes that are speaking to me right now… both thought provoking and just plain funny.

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So, There’s That.

So There's That Series

So There’s That Vol. 30

Amanda

{Sort of like  a “Friday Five”  or a “Life Lately” except it’s probably not Friday, and I gave up on the idea of a catchy alliteration. These are some bits and pieces of my not-so-glam 20-something life. See past posts HERE}

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In Case You Missed It On the Blog in February

  1. Friday Jam Session: Favorite Albums in 2017
  2. The Road I Traveled: Meet Tim
  3. So There’s That Vol. 29
  4. The Road I Traveled: Meet Jade
  5. A Day in the Life – February 14, 2018
  6. Friday Jam Session: Motivation
  7. My Office Space + New Standing Desk
  8. Love Letter: Golden Anniversary
  9. Emotional Courage
  10. The Road I Traveled: Meet Anna
  11. Book Review: February 2018

I Wander the World

i wander the world
not because i am lost
but because i know
who i am

a lover of movement
walking, running, spinning
hair to the wind
doesn’t matter where, when

here or there or home
look & see adventure, novel
new flower splitting earth in a yard
or foot in front of boot to 17,000 feet

touched by your hands to forehead
honored by my dust, while your path
teaches my heart to expand the
world is as big as the people I meet

new faces, new smiles greet
me with mother tongues, kisses,
invited to your spaces, tea with graces
& I’m grateful

i wander the world

By, Shannon Boettcher

This was written by my friend Shannon, from my hometown, who is also a wonderful photographer. Check her work out here! I loved her poem so much I just had to share! Thanks Shannon!

Sawyer June

As of March 13, this sassy babe is 8 months old!! Sadly, I won’t be home to see my cousin again until she’s almost a year old… so for now she’s still on my phone background, which recently got an update with one of these. Right now she’s currently trying to crawl. Until she succeeds, I’ll continue to be amused by the videos I get of her frustration and impatience 🙂

Havana

This song is one of my current favorites to jam out to in the car, but I am LOVING this version of it with the violin!

3 Years in DC

Last week marked my third year in DC and I wrote this blog post reflecting on my career and 10 things I’ve learned so far.

You’re Going to Be Okay

Photo property of The Girl Who Loved to Write Blog

I’ve shared this blogger before, but if you don’t already follow her, you should! I love her style of writing and so many of her posts ring so true for me, like this one did.

Out and About

A few snippets (and Snapchats) of life lately.

Took a salsa dancing lesson!

At the new Wharf with some small group friends for an Irish festival.

Note: This weather did NOT last very long.

FINALLY replaced a few of my pans and utensils. My old ones were hand-me downs when I received them 7 years ago. #adulting

My Life in Memes

Memes that are speaking to me right now… both thought provoking and just plain funny.

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So, There’s That.

Family, Oregon

Home for the Holidays 2017

Amanda

Originally, I had every intention of spending my holiday vacation time getting ahead on some blogging for the new year. But I ended up sort of naturally taking somewhat of a break from all things technology-related, and I am not one bit mad about it. Obviously my subconscious knew I needed it. But I am back to the regular grind, and now that I spent my first week in the new year getting myself organized for 2018, I want to jump back into a few posts to wrap up 2017.

This year I was able to go home to Oregon for Christmas for 9 days (plus 2 travel days) and overall I’d say it was a great, relaxing time with my family and friends. I saw the new Star Wars movie with my Uncle Josh (our yearly holiday tradition), as well as The Greatest Showman with my mom, sister and Grammy. Both were great movies and, as expected, I loved Hugh Jackman! Its just fun when you can tell that an actor put so much into a role. So yes, if you were to check my Spotify lately, the movie’s soundtrack is what is playing. I caught up with a few old friends, including Richole, who had just welcomed her new daughter Callie, earlier in the month on December 13. As usual, I spent some time at my family’s flower shop, helping out a little bit here and there, but mostly just distracting everyone from doing their work. I also traveled to Portland for a long day trip with my Grampy to watch my Uncle Jay coach his high school girl’s basketball team in a tournament and then over to the Moda Center to watch the Blazers beat the 76ers. I also spent time with dad feeding cows (a separate post on that later this week!) and shopping with my mom and sister. But most of our evenings were spent just the four of us by the fireplace watching a movie.

Of course, the main highlight was spending as much time as I could with my cousin Sawyer. She is just such a fun, sweet baby and definitely has the spotlight in my family right now.

Here’s just a few snapshots of my break.

On this particular day, I had Sawyer ALL DAY while her parents spent a day in Portland. All things considered we had a pretty good day together, except that I contributed to the demise of her napping schedule and she wouldn’t let me put her down for one second to put on my makeup. #parentingcrashcourse

It’s amazing what an adorable 5 month old baby will convince you to do.

Ego cousins!

Christmas morning with this babe.

Our Grampy is crazy, I’ve tried to warn her 🙂

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday!

So There's That Series

So There’s That Vol. 27

Amanda

{Sort of like  a “Friday Five”  or a “Life Lately” except it’s probably not Friday, and I gave up on the idea of a catchy alliteration. These are some bits and pieces of my not-so-glam 20-something life. See past posts HERE}

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27 Years Young

My last “So There’s That” post was right before my birthday in October so we are backtracking a bit. It was a pretty low key day because it was a busy work week but those near and far made me feel pretty special… although my sister did try to make me a year older than I actually was.

In Case You Missed It On the Blog in October

  1. The Road I Traveled: Meet Caroline
  2. So There’s That Vol. 26
  3. The Road I Traveled: Meet Wyatt
  4. My Favorite Traveling Duo Visit D.C.
  5. The Road I Traveled: Meet Brian

Sawyer June

What happened to this wee baby?!? Suddenly she is looking so much bigger to me! I’ve been getting lots of adorable pictures lately so trust me this is the already culled lot.

How Y’all, Youse and You Guys Talk

I’ve seen this pop up on Facebook before, but never took the quiz. It anchors around large cities in the area that you most identify with and considering how broad and ambiguous I thought some of the questions were, this is basically SPOT ON for both of the main two places I have lived. The full results give you a breakout based on all of your responses.

Link: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/upshot/dialect-quiz-map.html

Jam Session

I really do want to get back to blogging about what I am listening to someday, but my old “Friday Jam Session” posts just take too much to put together. Until I figure out something different, you know I am over here always obsessing over Ed Sheeran. Recently stumbled across this acoustic version of “Hearts Don’t Break Around Here” off his “Divide” album that I am currently loving.

30 Years

Last week I blogged about celebrating the 30th anniversary of my family’s flower shop by writing this love letter and reminiscing a bit on why its such a special place.

An Ode To the Women Who are “Too Much”

This article was recently passed around Facebook  about being “too much” as a woman and I really wanted to share it here too. I appreciate that it was written by a man and I thought that its was sweet, short and effectively direct. There are parts that I can certainly relate to, and other parts that remind me that my home team is pretty great.

Link: https://www.stevewiens.com/2017/11/11/an-ode-to-the-women-who-are-too-much/

Out and About

A few snippets (and Snapchats) of life lately.

Crossing my fingers this sweet girl makes K-State her final choice!

My Life in Memes

Memes that are speaking to me right now… both thought provoking and just plain funny.


Sorry for the language, kind of…

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So, There’s That.

Cheers!

So There's That Series

So There’s That Vol. 26

Amanda

{Sort of like  a “Friday Five”  or a “Life Lately” except it’s probably not Friday, and I gave up on the idea of a catchy alliteration. These are some bits and pieces of my not-so-glam 20-something life. See past posts HERE}

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Hey friends, October’s has come at me full force, so away went my recent goal of getting two blogs up a week. That’s OK though, because I make the rules here 🙂 I’m jumping out of order of the posts I had planned, but my next volume of So There’s That was pretty full so I decided to go ahead with a little life lately.

Grandparents Visit

The best of being busy the last couple of weeks was that my grandparents came to visit me for four days here in DC! My Grammy and Grampy are two of my favorite people to go on adventures with and after they were BRIEFLY here when they helped me move in February 2015, it was about time I showed them my new home. We had a wonderful time and I will be doing a full post on their visit by next week so stay tuned!

A Kind Word Goes a Long Way

Saved a screenshot of this message because it really brightened my day so much! It made me think of the amount of times that I have a positive or kind thought about someone else or their work, and never actually shared it out loud. Going to work a bit more on that.

In Case You Missed It On the Blog in September

  1. The Road I Traveled: Series Renewed
  2. The Road I Traveled: Meet Logan
  3. The Road I Traveled: Meet Nicole
  4. So There’s That Vol. 25
  5. My Favorite Phone Apps
  6. The Road I Traveled: Meet Megan
  7. Reverse Bucket List
  8. The Road I Traveled: Meet Alison

Aaron Watson

Late in September I saw Aaron Watson at the 9:30 Club here in DC with two Kansas friends. Of all of the red dirt and country concerts I went to in college I never had the chance to see Aaron Watson live. That was my loss. He puts on such a genuine show and made sure fans had the opportunity to hang out with after the show. If he comes your way definitely check him out!

Sawyer June

Let’s be honest, this blog really should have just been an update of sweet Sawyer June. And if you think this is too many many pictures… I culled more than twice as many from this blog post before I was finished. She turned three months old last week and is starting to show off her personality. Christmas vacation feels way to far away for me!

SNL Papyrus Skit

I can’t get over this skit from a few weeks ago. It gives me life.

Clumsy

Mid-September or so I was walking and talking on the phone  (when I was actually supposed to be jogging) and step off a curb funny and sprained my ankle. I’ve been there before, but man how easily I forget what that feels like. That first two days I was pretty helpless but Sam brought over Bella to give me all the puppy cuddles. #notcomplaining

Out and About

A few snippets (and Snapchats) of life lately.

Work field trip and goodies to take home.

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My Grammy made these cute pumpkins from wooden rounds that we used for centerpieces at my uncle’s wedding last summer… and then hauled a set for me in her carry on bag from Oregon 🙂


PSA: You need these candle from Trader Joe’s!

…and you need this lunch organizer. Why it has taken almost 27 years for me to get something like this is a mystery. I got mine at Target from Sistema brand.

My Life in Memes

Memes that are speaking to me right now… both thought provoking and just plain funny.

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So, There’s That.

Cheers!