warby parker

today i have some spectacle matters to discuss with you. meet the fabulous warby parker. tada! i have been wanting a new pair of glasses since i stepped on the last pair i owned about 3 months ago now & since then have been forced into wearing an old pair from about the 10th grade. i love knowing that when i purchase a pair of glasses from WP not only am i helping my own eyes, but a pair of eyes less fortunate than mine, too. the program is called buy a pair, give a pair & you can watch all sorts of videos of people they have helped here! they also offer sunglasses (with or without prescription). 

the box pictured above is what i received tuesday shortly after placing my home try-on order monday afternoon - they were speedy quick!  basically, you can try up to 5 different frames (with non-prescription lenses) for 5 days in the comfort of your own home through their home try-on program absolutely free! i have used the virtual glasses try-on by uploading a picture of myself to the site and so on through different sites before, but nothing compares to testing them out in person. it has been fabulous & hilarious to model each pair for my family. 

thanks warby parker, keep up the good work! 
p.s. i have not yet decided, but #1 & #2 are my favorites.

First Walleye of 2013

i am most definitely this boy's good luck charm/fishing partner from h-e- double hockey sticks ha. he had fished 
at least 3 times for these bad boys prior to our excursion and caught nothing but little unmentionable fish. now 
we know for certain that as soon as i touch the ice it turns magical. onto the nightmarish fishing partner part... 
so on the way out i forced lee to pull over as i balled like a little baby having the worst temper tantrum ever over driving
 on top of the ice.  i have gone out on the ice with him many times before, but very rarely do we have to drive. there was some 
crazy anxiety going on inside my body that day. i repeatedly said shouted to him "i do not want to die drowning lee." 
"stop this car, i do not like this" and one mean one in the form of "i do not like you lee" when he wanted me to 
face my fears as he kept on driving to which i then replied with louder more hysterical cries and finally he pulled over. 
i'm not kidding about the temper tantrum thing, lee wished he had been filming. we'd be rich! it's a new phase i'm 
going through. we fished away my fear for 3 hours as i prayed to God for time to pass quickly and obese people to stay 
away, then drove back off of the ice and i lived. seriously i am a freak. lee was very sweet about the whole ordeal once 
i calmed down and even let me use one of his fishing poles.

 *the ice was 16 inches thick which was plenty to be driving on (lee whipped out the measuring tape just for me). 
if the ice were not safe we would not have been anywhere near it and my tantrum would have been worthwhile. 

Vegas Vacation

[excalibur]

[ny ny - we rode that coaster!]

[after the rollercoaster hair excitement]

[where the show Pawn Stars is filmed]

[we love us some Kardashian sisters]

[Bellagio fountains]

[Shimmery McDonald's, Volcano at Mirage, Paris]

[View from our condo]

[check out our ride!]

[animal remains in the desert]

[piggy back children]

[a favorite photo of my mama and i]

[cactus land]

[mr. hoover dam himself]

[can you spot the eagle shape in the rock?]

[sisters]

[about to fall off]

[Christmas day in Mesquite]

[this is how we would find the girls after we were in the only 21 year old areas of the hotels ;) poor things]

 Picture overload today. Phew. What a fabulous vacation. One of the best parts was the fact that jackets were not 

needed (except for up on top of the Grand Canyon), which felt pretty darn good coming from below zero bundled

 up eskimo like temperatures. Seeing palm trees & mountains together at the same time out the window

 each morning was beautifully wonderful. We were also able to view & touch our first cactus without

 injury. Andie even bought a miniature one to take home with her. On a final note, the Las Vegas airport at this

 point in my travels holds the # 1 ranking for fun and excitement while waiting for your plane. They have slot 

machines galore people! Heck, I wouldn't even mind a 6 hour delay. Can you say addicted? ;) 

Lee's Graduation

[Lee proudly walked around the dome in his graduation gear/ crappy iphone pic]

this post is basically a month late, but i now have a graduate on my hands folks. he started his big boy job today with the family construction company. the night of his graduation our football team had their semi-final playoff game & soo directly following the ceremony we headed to the dome for a WIN by the bison. i assumed they won because of Lee's smashing outfit - he wore his graduation cap & gown to the game ha. anyways the Bison ended up winning their second straight national championship this past Saturday as a D1 school at the FCS level (basically we don't do bowl games, it's tournament style play). i start my internship with Boulay (an accounting firm in the cities) on Monday the 21st. i will be working one full "busy" season with them preparing all sorts of tax returns. prayers as we both enter this new realm of adult life would be greatly appreciated. 

Viva Las Vegas

my family + lee ventured to Nevada for Christmas this year. we were fortunate enough
to see the Grand Canyon, Hoover Dam, & many Elvis Presley's. here is a short video of
our time there (for some reason the quality has been decreased quite drastically after
the upload to vimeo from imovie). pictures to come! hope everyone had a blessed 
christmas season & new year.  

a college grad

Our first Bison game together [2009]

In just one short week (wow, where does the time go?)  Lee will be graduating with a construction management degree, business administration minor, AND don't forget his most prized major in "hunter gathering."

In all seriousness, I am so proud of you leland!  Thank you for putting the time and effort into getting a degree that will help to feed a family of our own someday. I cannot wait to get all emotional and paparazzi-esque as you march up on to that stage to receive your diploma.  I'm crying right now writing this, go figure.

Some of my most favorite memories of our time together at NDSU:

• Papa John's pizza nights (2 butter dipping sauces please)
• Living a parking lot away from each other
• Taking classes together (a whopping 4!)
• Bison games- you making us get in line 18 hours early 
• Finding a church that is so genuine and passionate about us 
• Ice cream @ the union 
• Bowling & trying not to make the bowling manager man mad 
• RedBox promo codes
• Parking tickets (none for me this year - i WIN)
• Peeking out the sun roof off the beaten path near the runway watching airplanes take off and land
• Trying all of the different meats you cook up (without ketchup)
• Intramural Vball
• Playing basketball and "lifting" together 
• Going for walks around campus (walks that do burn calories might i add ;))
• Catching up on The Office because we always missed it for Chi Alpha
• The long drive back to Fargo where i usually slept and so graciously let you do the driving
• Catfishing adventures 
• Vikings games and chips & salsa
• The pumpkin patch that you begged me to go to  :) 
• Missing & skyping you while on my Europe trip 
• Killing my first turkey and deer near Fargo both times!
• The many movies we've seen and popcorn we've eaten at Marcus Theatres (I'm so glad you enjoy going to movies as much as me)
• Listening to all of your hunting/fishing stories 
• Meeting new friends and becoming better friends with you 

I am so stinkin glad i decided to transfer up here to spend our college years together! You have cheered me up during so many stressful weeks. It's going to be hard not having you up here next year, but we have so many good life happenings to look forward to.

Enjoy your last week as a "student," the real world awaits ;) 

Love, 
Your Ali

Walking on Water

[image]

So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus.  But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink.  "Save me, Lord!" he shouted. Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him.  "You have so little faith," Jesus said.  "Why did you doubt me?" Matthew 15: 29-31

This verse struck the depths of my being last night.  So many times do I let my feelings rule my circumstances.  So many times I am fearful.  So many times I am insecure and let my insecurities get the best of me.  So many times do I try to plan my own days.  So many times do I catch myself worrying.  So many times I am anxious.  Especially in this season of graduation and career/life planning all too often my thoughts are future thinking. So many times I have asked to be saved instead of just walking on the water to begin with.  

How could I doubt the creator of the Earth's plan for me and have so little faith?  
Because it's so much easier to doubt than to defeat.
It takes time and conscious effort to think heavenly.

It is my own decision to choose worry over trust & future thoughts over here and now thoughts.

Those decisions only cause me to sink more.  

I want to walk on the water.

Will you join me?