Successful surprise!

(You can see the mountains from their upstairs window)

After my last visit to see Bryan didn't go quite as planned, I decided that I was going to surprise him and have a "do-over" week! As soon as I had left Kansas almost two weeks ago I was looking for cheap flights to go see him in Colorado. I've really been making my way around the U.S. lately hehe.

I plotted and schemed with our friend's wife, Kathy, in order to make sure that he wouldn't find out before she had picked me up from the airport. I walked in the door after her and found my husband sitting in the livingroom watching a movie looking very bored. It took him a bit to see me but when he did he just looked at me as if he was haulucinating. He was in disbelief for about two minutes but when he finally came to he pulled me onto his lap and just held onto me tightly. Kathy and her husband Shain noted an immediate mood change in him and was excited to see him happy again. He hates surprises but he didn't hold it against me and was just glad to have me within arms reach again.

We spent almost the entire week together. It was great to feel like one big family again being with Shain, Kathy, their 2 kids, our friend Busta, and us two. Kathy and I cooked for the whole crew and we all ate together as if we'd been doing it for the last 5 years. Monday night Bryan and I played around in the pool/ hot tub at the hotel with the kids and hung out with Shain and Kathy. It was great to relax and we had so much fun with our new Colorado family. Tuesday Bryan recieved the phone call that we'd been waiting for that his background check came back and all he needed was to do his physical and a few other technicalities before he was offered the job at BJ Services in Brighton, CO!!!!! It's an awesome job that both Shain and Busta are already working for. It is exactly what we've been praying for. From the day that he is offered the job we both have full medical, health, dental, and vision insurance, and he'll be making more in his first year than he ever did in the Marines including his BAH (housing allowance)! I can just breathe easier knowing that we're going to be taken care of and that we're going to be ok. We celebrated with the family that night, but it still hasn't really sunk in yet.

(Rebecca and Robert)

On my last day there we went to The Museum of Nature and Science in Denver. It was absolutely awesome. Bryan and I are both huge nature freaks and he was like a little kid on a playground in the space room. We also watched Underwater in 3D in the Imax theatre. I stopped breathing for a few minutes during the part on sharks. It was waaaaaay too real for my comfort level! We decided not to see absolutely everything there that day so that way we could come back later with the kids and experience even more. They'll love it and of course it'll make us (Uncle Weezy and Auntie Bridget) their favorites for sure ;) hehe.

I can't wait to go back, and in fact I've already booked my next ticket for March 25th-28th. The next time I go back I will be taking my favorite traveling buddy, Megan, with me! It'll be nice having everyone that I love and care about in one place again. Unfortunately when I move out to Colorado in May I'll be leaving all of my family behind, which will be very hard to do, but it'll make visiting home that much more exciting. Another plus is that when any of my family comes to visit me, they'll get to see the beautiful state of Colorado! It definitely beats the heck out of MN. I already miss my husband more than words can say, but I know that we've only got 3 months until we're living under the same roof again.

On a side note, I'm VERY excited for tomorrow night! My oldest cousin Teri, my sister, and I are having a girls night in the cities. The three of us are the only girls on my mom's side of the family and we don't get to see each other very often. We're going out for dinner then coming home for drinks, watching movies, and catching up on our crazy lives. I'll make sure to post pictures soon! Until then, have a great weekend everyone and don't forget to share the love.

Trips, trips, and more trips!

You'd think I'd be exhausted from all of this packing and unpacking, driving back and forth, and flying up and down...but I'm not! I think one of the best parts about living apart from my husband this first year has been that I get to fulfill my love of traveling over and over again. It's one of the best feelings in the world knowing that you get to pack your bags and leave the boring state of MN that I'm currently calling home to travel somewhere new and exciting.

Ok, so Kansas may not be the most thrill seeking state out there, but it's where my hubby was and so it was exactly where I wanted to be. I drove through the night this past week on Wednesday to go visit him for a long weekend. From the moment I walked downstairs at his parents house to wake him up I was on cloud nine. We spent the next 4 days together and although it had its ups and downs, I wouldn't have changed any of it. On Friday we drove down to Witchita to visit one of his high school buddies and go out on the town. I even got Bryan to dance with me, which if you know him he usually refuses to dance. I guess it just goes to show that a little time apart and a couple of drinks can make a man do just about anything his wife asks him to ;)

Saturday was full of surprises for me. It was our nephew's 1st birthday party so I got the chance to meet almost his entire family on his dad's side. It was great to finally put faces to names and to get to know them a little better. I also shot my first gun. It was absolutely terrifying while trying to figure out how to hold it and keeping it steady. That sucker weighed a ton!!! I finally built up enough courage to take a deep breath in and after letting it back out I squeezed the trigger. Amazingly it hardly had any kick to it at all! As soon as I had the safety back on and out of my hands I started to shake from the adrenaline. Bryan's brother then threw an arm around my shoulders and said, "Welcome to Kansas, err better yet, Welcome to the Conwell family!" After that I got to experience a true Kansas tradition, going down to Bullfrogs (a local bar) and watching the KU vs. KSU basketball game. I can't believe how dedicated these people are to a college team!!!! It was a bit overwhelming at times.

Sunday came and unfortunately that meant that I had to leave. It was difficult as always, but he also left for Colorado that same day. It was nice to know that we are one step closer to finally being together for good. It's 101 days til our long distance life is over. But Megan and I are going to visit him and some of our other friends out in Colorado in 37 days. Even better yet, I'm surprising him next week by flying out in 5 days on Sunday and then returning to MN on Thursday!!! He has no idea I'm coming but I can't wait! I love doing things like this. I'll make sure to post more pics after this next trip. Until then, in the words of one of my favorite celebrities, "be kind to one another."