our 1 year anniversary was perfect.

It was a great one year...man, I love marriage! I promise I'm not that controlling of a person, but in this picture I do look like I'm telling Scott how to hold his "one." Anyways, that was actually on our one year anniversary. We had too many other things going on that day, so we celebrated a few days later. Back in February I bought a deal for a one night stay at the winery in Aviston, IL. It was awesome! A perfect one night getaway. They had small, individual cabins to stay in. Basically it was one big room. It had a huge jacuzzi in the middle of the room with a fireplace (yes we used it even though it was 90 degrees out). We ate dinner there first. It was super num. We got all-you-can-eat crab legs. At first we were kind of annoyed because we were both soooo hungry and it takes forever to crack it and get a good sized piece of crab. By the end of our first batch of crab, we were pros at cracking it perfectly to pull out a huge chunk of crab. We were too full to get more:( Dern! We totally didn't take advantage of the all-you-can-eat crab legs. Oh well. It also came with delicious green beans and mashed potatoes. We ate while overlooking a beautiful lake. That night we watched our wedding DVD my brother made us and both cried AGAIN! Yep, we cried when we watched it after our wedding and still a year later. Scott was really cute and buried his face in my arm because he didn't want me to know he was crying. I was happy he was crying happy tears, probably because he is so in lub with me! I mean, he better not have been crying sad tears...kidding, I know he wasn't. We both relived that amazing day of our lives and felt so blessed to be married to one another. Well, the next day we hung out ALL day in St. Louis. It was ree fun. We ate at our favorite restaurant, Olive Garden (thanks to Trina and Alan Schneider's anniversary gift card), we went to the zoo, Scott watched me get my hair did (what a patient man), we ate dinner in the loop and of course got ice cream, and we hung out with Zach and Marsha Friedrich...who just had gotten married a week ago:) It was a perfect celebration. I love that man, Scott Schneider.

husband and his motorcycle.

Scott finally got a motorcycle.  He's been wanting one for a really long time now.  He diligently searched on craigslist for 2 weeks until he found "the one."  At first he was looking for one that didn't run. He knew it would be cheap and he enjoys fixing things. I like the cheap idea too and I am good at watching him fix things. It's a 1989 Yamaha Radian 600...sure, sounds great to me!  He got a pretty amazing deal...it was cheap AND it runs! The corroborator needs to be fixed (do I sound smart?)....I think that's the main problem. Thankfully his dad is a mechanic and can help him fix it.  One more thing he needs to do that is slightly important is get his motorcycle license. I asked him if he could teach me to drive it and he hesitantly said "uh...maybe!"  I guess I'll have to teach myself. Joke. I would die. The first thing everyone asks me when I tell them Scott bought a motorcycle is, "Are you scared!?!?!"  I just tell them there is a lot of things in life that are dangerous and I'm not really scared. That may change when I am actually riding on the back of it and only have Scott to hold onto.  I trust him though.  I'm pretty pumped to become a motorcycle wife. My mom gave me a 15 minute lecture on how dangerous they are and how safe Scott needs to be. Thanks mom for caring...I do appreciate your worries and your reservations.

Another bonus: Scott got a FREE helmet!! It's a nice one too. We are now on the lookout for a helmet for me. I'm thinking about bedazzling it when I get one. Scott may be embarrassed to ride with me if I do that...I guess it's not worth me not being able to ride with him. The bike had these hideous, bright green, tribal stickers on it when he first got it. Thankfully they peeled off. My friend, Jen Manning, suggested we get a tattoo to match it. Do you have an awesome picture of us on the bike with matching bright green, tribal tattoos on our arms and my bedazzled helmet?  Man, that sounds pretty.  Before Scott had his interview this past Wednesday, I made sure to take one last pic of his awesome/nasty mustache IN his new helmet.

He's such a charmer!  I already miss his nasty mustache. When we get that baby running, don't be surprised if you read in the newspaper about the new "Schneid Dog Gang" in town. Pictures to come...

a great week

This week was a great week for both Scott and I.  Work went well, Scott and I stayed up late having fun conversation a few nights in a row, God blessed Scott with the opportunity for an interview, and Scott may be bringing home a motorcycle tonight he found on craigslist....mm yeah, the motorcycle and the interview are probably tied on his list of excitement.  I'm really excited about most of that list and will be more excited when I actually get to go on a motorcycle ride. I trust when he sees it he will make a wise decision about buying it, right Scott?  Please be praying for Scott's interview on Wednesday!  Now we get to see Chrissy and Elijah for the weekend along with enjoying Amie's baby shower for Blake Douglas (I like to call him Blakey D) in Chicago on Sunday!  Lots of babies in my life right now to hold me over until I'm ready someday.  Have a great weekend!

couldn't resist

the Schneid's road trip to TX.

Scotty and I just got back from our nice, long road trip to TX on Saturday. Surprisingly, the drive was a lot of fun. I didn't think I would not enjoy it, but there is only so much you can do for 15 hours in a car. Not for Scott and I!  We made each other laugh a lot, danced, sang, at a lot, talked, listened to a book on tape, etc. Yeah, I love him. We got to Josh and Chrissy's apt on Saturday night and of course, right away, I took video of Elijah. He's the cutest ever. Our video basically consists of Elijah, Scott and I being dumb, and the awesome food we ate. So here's an overview of the Schneid's trip:

We played with Elijah...a lot.

We got to see the church where Joshie works.
We at at an awesome places like, Chewey's, Rudy's, and Round Rock Doughnuts.
We went to the pool twice...it was 90 degrees there.
We slept on an air mattress for a week.
We saw one of Scott's campers from Kanakuk.
We explored downtown Austin: the capitol, UT's massive campus, and 6th street.
We experienced Mount Banal. and $3 million homes.
We stayed with Ashley and John Barret for a few days in Dallas.
We sat 8 rows behind home plate at the TX Rangers game.
We celebrated Ashley's 24th bday with Uncle Julios and frozen custard.
We saw Troy Aikman at the frozen custard place (I didn't know who he was:))
We experienced Dallas traffic.
We experienced the love Texians have for their "country."
Scott grew a nice mustache for the week.
I cried when Lucy, the pigeon, had to have her baby eggs taken from her on Ashley's porch.
We walked around SMU's campus and Highland Park (one of the richest areas in TX)
I got to eat at a Chick Fil A.
Whataburger is not tasty like every Texan thinks.
And the cherry on top was getting to see the Kirchner's new baby Zeke!

awaiting our roadtrip to TX.

In one week Scott and I will be in Austin, TX visiting Josh, Chrissy, Elijah, and baby #2! We are pretty pumped about this road trip. We've taken a few road trips, but not this long and far of one. We are leaving on Friday, staying in a hotel in Tulsa, OK till Saturday, then driving the rest of the way to Austin, TX. We'll be there a few days then we'll go visit with my great friend Ashley and her husband, John, for a few days. Woo...lots and lots of driving! I'm glad hub and I get along because it's a good 15 hour drive to Austin. So excited to see this face:

This is the face I can' wait to kiss all over....

Baby K weekend.

This past weekend, Scott, Leann, and I road tripped to Springfield, MO for Kate's baby shower. She 's due next month and it is extremely obvious. She's a tiny gal as it is, but she has a massive basketball looking belly. Adorable, of course. I think that's what every woman dreams to look like when they are preggo. Right now we call her baby, Baby K. Kate and Kevin don't want people to know his name yet. I have a feeling I won't be able to get out of the habit of just calling him Baby K the rest of his life. Sorry Kate! It was a beautiful weekend so we were able to take a lovely walk in park (I think it's a requirement to have a little dog if you live in Springfield, MO) and be outside quite a bit.

it was sunny and kevin is funny

look at that belly!!!

The shower was on Sunday and it was an eco-friendly shower. Kate is my hippy all-natural friend. In the invitation it said to be creative with wrapping the presents in an eco-friendly way, SO I did just that.

I went straight to my recycling bin (see, I try to be eco-friendly too) and grabbed a granola bar box, a lean cuisine box and some newspaper. I went outside and picked up leaves, sticks and maybe tore a few pine needle branches off of our bushes (maybe not the most environmental friendly thing to do...sorry kate). I taped a little bit of each on the presents. PERFECT! I will say, Leann made a joke to wrap a present in just leaves, so I somewhat stole that idea from her. She was creative too, but hers was a lot cuter. She bought a basket and clothes pinned several onsies together and put them in there. It was really cute...Leann's just cute like that though. Anyways, the baby shower was great and Kate and Kevin got lots of goodies for when Baby K arrives on April 11th (I think that's the correct date).
p.s. Scott had to come to the shower because we were leaving straight from there, and he was the only guy there besides Kevin (who is the baby daddy). He promised he would never go to one again (unless it was his own...hopefully) because "there was way too much estrogen and emotional women in the room."

adventures in STL.

This morning before I decided to start working, I checked my email and saw that I had an email from livingsocial.com.  It's a great website, first of all, and second, it's sort of like groupon.com.  I found at the bottom of my email they post, for example, #145 The Best Thai Food in St. Louis.  I clicked on it and then looked at all of the number of posts they made.  I mean, I am from St. Louis, but I still don't know a lot of cool things to do.  I probably know the same popular things that everyone else knows. I know, sad.  I went through every number and typed out everything that I wanted to do someday in St. Louis. It made me super excited to try new things and have adventures to go on...which totally would check off #14 for one of my New Year's resolutions.  Here are some of my favorites on that list:
1. The Black Thorn (chicago style pizza in Tower Grove)
2. sledding at Art Hill
3. a movie at the Tivoli
4. Farotto's (best toasted ravioli)
5. Flamingo Bowl
6. Budweiser Tour
7. McGurk's Irish Pub
8. Crown Candy Kitchen
9. Sweet Art Bakery
10. Chase Park Plaza Cinemas

I have a list of 38, but that's just some.  Yes, a lot of it has to do with food, but what's more fun than eating and socializing over food? If you are interested, check out the website, subscribe for STL and then you will get email updates. I love me some adventures!

Art Hill Sledding

— hon·ey·moon·er noun

I would like to be a honeymooner for life. My definition of honeymooner: one who goes on a trip with their spouse at least once a year for the rest of their lives. The correct definition of a honeymooner: a trip or vacation taken by a newly married couple. So technically we have to be newlyweds. We will fit into this correct category for a few years, but that's no fun.  Going on a honeymoon after you get married is so great, but for some people, that may be the only trip they take with one another for an extensive amount of time. Ideally, to go on a large, expensive trip more than once a year or maybe even once every few years isn't likely (unless you are blessed with a little extra mula to spare).  It's funny, because a lot of people will tell Scott and I that right now is the best time to travel. "You are young and you don't have kids yet, so go travel!" Yeah, that would be great if we could afford it. That is more practical years down the road, after the kids have their kids and we are retired. I do look forward to that someday, but that's a long way away.  So for now, we are going to try and save some money when possible and take some sort of trip at least once a year. I'm not talking about a trip that will cost thousands of dollars. I'm talking about any type of fun, creative trip that will allow us to get away and enjoy each others company without the mundane routine of everyday life interfering for a short time.  Maybe that trip will end up being Branson, MO at one point. I'm ok with that. Maybe that will be a weekend getaway at a bed and breakfast. Of course I would like to go to Europe someday, but for now, small trips will be perfect.

I was looking at pictures from when Scott and I went to Playa Del Carmen, Mexico for our honeymoon this summer.  One or our favorite adventures included driving ATV's through the jungle, caving, and zip lining into a beautiful sinkhole.  It was by far our favorite part of the honeymoon.

I felt claustrophobic. 

yes, we went on that zip line together.

Honeymooner for life baby!

our first Christmas tree!

Yesterday, Scott and I went to the tree farm in Greenville and picked out our first, real Christmas tree!  It was a lot of fun.  We didn't realize how expensive they would be, but we found the perfect tree for us that was reasonable:)

We thought about how awesome it would be to get this fat buddy, but realized it was about as big as our apartment.

We baked cookies, drank hot coco, watched Christmas Vacation, and decorated our tree's lovely branches.  It met all my expectations of putting up our first Christmas tree together:) The first year of marriage is so much fun! I just bought the star for the top today, so the tree in these pictures doesn't have a tree topper yet.

We decided every year until we begin having kids, we will buy each other an ornament for each other. Scott began that tradition two years ago with an "Our First Christmas" ornament.  I actually laughed a little when he gave it to me because I thought that was what you get for your first Christmas being married.  It's on our tree now! He says he knew he was going to  marry me, so he wanted to give it early...haha...whatever.  I look forward to having kids someday and beginning fun traditions with them.  Merry Christmas is in 26 days!!!

big dreams. maybe someday...

So these past two days I have been itching for an adventure more than I think I ever have in my life. I don't really know what my deal is. I'm probably being discontent in life right now. It's hard to take an adventure when you live in a small town with the same few restaurants that close early and where there is just not much to do. We bought material to make curtains in our room, but I don't know how to sew. I have a sewing machine, but it doesn't work at the moment. My job is the same routine everyday and sometimes it gets old. But that is probably every job. I need to be thankful I have a job. I long to move somewhere awesome, like CO, where there are big, beautiful mountains and activities to do!

We need to find jobs there first. I would love to backpack around Europe someday before we begin having kids. How awesome would that be? When I went to Europe with the soccer team, I wished Scott was there experiencing all of the amazing site-seeing. I told him I wanted to begin saving for a trip to do this. Europe has such amazing architecture that you can't compare to the U.S. Check out the city of prague:

How beautiful is that. love it.
Another thing I think I am ready for is beauty school. I've always enjoyed doing peoples hair. Mom says I have an eye for it. We'll see. I would love going to work everyday, making people feel beautiful with a new do, wearing non-business casual clothes, and just be able to have some good conversations with my customers. It would be a flexible job too. Maybe someday when the time is right I will go to beauty school.

And then there have been plenty of times when I want to leave the U.S. and do missions work with Scott. I have always dreamed of doing missions alongside my husband. We both have talked about it, but a lot of work goes into planning that. It would just be so amazing to be directly involved in missions. Maybe we will go on a short term missions trip for a summer.

So many dreams.

I know God is in control. I know He has Scott and I in Greenville for a reason. I know He has a plan. Right now I will continue to dream, but try to be content and trust that God has better plans for my life than I do. If we stay in Greenville for awhile, I'll be just fine. We have good friends here and jobs...God is always faithful.