April

You guys! It is April already!

This month looks jam packed!

I am currently home in Green Bay for Easter. I head back to Saint Paul Monday. I am already quite excited to head back. I cannot wait to move there in August!

Anywho, here's what is in store for the month!

April 11th I will be interviewing for the Education Program at Concordia. I am beyond nervous for this-it decides my future. What could be more nerve-wracking than that? I have yet to find out about what time I will be doing the interview process, but I am eagerly awaiting the email that will tell me my fate.
April 17th & 18th I am babysitting my cousins overnight. I am super excited about this! My aunt and uncle proposed this idea when Trevor and I visited when we got back from Spring Break. I'm loving the idea of spending more time with my cousins, and I'm hoping we watch their favorite movie: The Sound of Music.
April 18th is Trevor's 21st birthday! We don't really have plans figured out yet-but I'm hoping we celebrate at a restaurant so I can be a part of the festivities as well. I'm still in the process of buying his gift-he's so picky!

In addition to the above dates, Trevor and I need to tour apartments and find one we will be living in next year. Trevor will also be shooting for a new client, and I may be second shooting with him.

April will certainly be a busy month, but I'm excited for the adventures it will hold! I think it will be a fantastic time of preparation for the wedding as well.

Spring Break 2015

I realized I never gave the full scoop on what went down Spring Break 2015.

Honestly, most people would probably consider what I did for break boring. I didn't go anywhere cool or exciting. I went home to Green Bay.
This was really nice for me. I had not been home since December 29th, so it was almost three full months since I had last been there. It's crazy realizing next year I'll probably only be back for Christmas during the school year.
Anywho, here's what happened Spring Break 2015:

Friday: March 6
Trevor and I left Saint Paul around 4 pm. I drove for part of the way, but my knees get irritated from long drives, so it was only for about an hour and a half. That gave Trevor time to finish typing up a paper he had to finish for that night.
When we arrived in Green Bay we stopped at Smart Cow. While we're in Saint Paul, we discuss how we need to find a new froyo place to go to. But it always go back to how nothing will ever beat Smart Cow. So we made sure to stop first thing back in town. Then we brought Trevor's things to his place and watched an episode of Bob's Burgers. By the time I got dropped off it was about 10:45.

Saturday: March 7
Originally I was going to see Kammerchor, a choir from CUW, at Pilgrim. But I decided against it. I headed down to CUW around 4 pm and made it down at 5:30. It was so great being greeted by my friends there! We walked to the bluff and went all the way down the stairs and back up.

Then we headed to the Nest for dinner. After dinner we went back to their room and played Quelf and Cards Against Humanity. It was probably one of the weirder groups I have played CAH with..they took out a lot of the really funny cards due to inappropriateness. But we made it fun nonetheless. After games we watched Baby Mama, which is like my all time favorite movie. After that we all went to bed, clocks had to spring forward an hour and I already knew I wasn't going to get enough sleep!

Sunday: March 8
Karlee and I woke up early to go to church. I have missed that beautiful chapel. If you are ever on campus, be sure to visit the chapel because it is breathtaking. The others met us for brunch afterward at the cafeteria. I forgot how delicious CUW's food is. And now they have a waffle maker and iced coffee machine! Why did I leave that place?! After stuffing our bellies full we headed to Lion's Den Nature Preserve. We went there last year and it was fun to take my camera along and get shots now that my photography has improved.

After some fresh air, we went to Goodwill. I got some good deals! I purchased two new books, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, and a Hillsong CD for right around $8! Emma then suggested that we go get shamrock shakes, which I am always game for! After MickeyD's, I headed back to Green Bay.

Monday: March 9

Monday was the day of appointments. I had a dentist appointment and an eye appointment. I hate the dentist. But I love my hygenist. Claudia is the best. And she knows Trevor's family really well, so she was asking me all about the wedding. My eye appointment is enjoyable as well. My eye doctor really cares about his patients and takes time to get to know them well. After finally making it home, my family and I went to Pizza Ranch! We walked in the doors, and Trevor came out from in back and very bluntly asked, "What are you doing here?" Not the sweetest welcoming. At least Alexis was excited to see me!

Tuesday: March 10

Trevor and I treated ourselves to our favorite Mexican place: Margarita's! We then had our first session of pre-marital counseling! It went quite well, at least I would say it did. After leaving Pilgrim, we visited Lambeau field. We explored the newly renovated pro shop. And dang. The Lombardi Trophy statue is quite impressive.

Wednesday: March 11

Wednesday was my free day. I left it open in case I needed to just sit and do homework, which never happened. In the morning, Trevor and I went and shot photos for a band playing at Washington Middle School.

Later in the day I had another dentist appointment.. I tell ya, I hate the dentist.

Thursday: March 12

Thursday was ladies' night! I got to see some old friends from high school again! It's crazy how time flies by. I had a wonderful time with some lovely ladies. If you want more of the details, go to Rae's blog. She's got the inside scoop. But I will add in that I drank two full size Arizona Raspberry Iced Teas and have probably never peed so much in my entire life.

Friday: March 13

Friday was an exciting day! Ana and I went on a photoshoot! We first headed to Josten Park. I wasn't sure what type of shots we'd get, but I was satisfied.

Our photos downtown, however, were even better. These photos are honestly my best work thus far. I love working with Ana. She is so easy to direct and she makes my job so much easier!

After we were done shooting, she dropped me off at Fonferek to help Trevor and his friend Eddi shoot a music video. We were there forever. I was cold and hungry. You can sure bet I complained a lot. 

Once they finally finished, Trevor and I met Bekah at Cup O Joy to see Loftland! It was one crazy dance party. They're super good live. Trevor is there newest fan girl ;)

Saturday: March 14

We left Green Bay at a decent time and made it back to Saint Paul with enough time to hit up Mall of America. I have never been so disappointed in my life with Charley's Subs. They let me down. I wanted a chicken california sub, but their grill was broken! However, I did get an adorable top and the comfiest sweatpants in the world from CottonOn.

Sunday: March 15

The final day of Spring Break. Always a sad day. We went to church and then headed to my aunt and uncle's for lunch. We had burgers and good conversation! I love their insight on life and wedding planning. My uncle is hilarious. And Trevor loves their dog Wrigley! I'm so excited to babysit for them April 17&18! The evening concluded with me working a shift at Noodles & Company.

All in all, I had a lovely break. I got to see so many friends and have a lot of laughs.

Invitations, Catering, and the Guest List...Oh My!

Folks, it's about to get crazy here.
We're quickly approaching the 6 months mark until the wedding. That means things begin to get finalized!

So scary!

Yesterday, Trevor and I finished designing our invitations. They look pretty dang snazzy. We also ordered them! We got 40% off for Vistaprint! Plus 50 free envelopes! Win-Win! I am so excited/nervous/scared/impatient to get them.

Along with invitations came finalizing the guest list. What an incredibly tough task.
Some people will receive a special edition digital invitation which will link them directly to our wedding website, rather than a paper invite. While I certainly hope this does not offend anyone, I know it will help save on costs in a lot of ways: stamp purchases, invitation purchases, envelope purchases, etc. The main missing component of our guest list now is people's address (both physical & e-mails). So don't be surprised if you get a text or Facebook message from me soon asking for either!

One large cost that is scary to think about lately is food. Catering is so damn expensive! We've had two people from my church congregation say they may consider making the food for us if we discuss details with them sometime. So hopefully my dad and I can set up a Skype conference soon to get things figured out.

Through all of the stress planning a wedding has caused me, I still am sure I am less stressed than most brides.
I have an amazingly wonderful fiance who has been so supportive when I am in the midst of a freak out (which happens regularly).
All in all, I know the most important thing about the upcoming day is that I will be married. If the food runs out, or is burnt, or no one shows up, or too many people show up, none of that matters--I'll me married to my best friend.

Only 188 days!

Why I Want to Get Married Young

There are a million or two articles out there today about why certain people are glad they got married young. And there are just as many articles giving reasons as to why you shouldn't.

So why am I engaged at 19?

Here is my take on young marriage.

Trevor and I will be getting married on August 2, 2015.
He will be 21 and I will be 20.
He will have finished three years in college and I will have finished two.
Many people have suggested we push the wedding off until we are done with school. Even family members have told us to do so. They claim we will have more money to live off of then.
I beg to differ. At that time we will be paying off student loans and will never have any time when there is not a payment due.

Another thing.
Many people have asked if I know that Trevor is actually "the one".
Personally I do not believe that there is one single person out there for every person.
I do not think it is predestined who you will fall in love with and spend your days with.
God has given us the ability to love. And I think you can love anyone.
I am in love with Trevor and he is my best friend. So yes, I know he is the one I want to marry. No part of me doubts that in any way.
He is the one I want to spend my life with and to wake up next to every morning.
I am certainly not getting married purely for the reason of wanting to have sex (as was suggested by a lady cutting my hair when she found out I am 19 and engaged).

Am I worried that we'll ever get divorced?
NO.
We are both God-loving people. We have a healthy relationship now. And I do not doubt that if our relationship were ever to fall apart we would seek help from a pastor or counselor.
We are also doing pre-marital counseling with the pastor that will be marrying us. We took this awesome questionnaire and will be using it to guide conversation during our sessions. Personally, I am quite excited!

If my thoughts on getting married young aren't enough for you--that's okay.
I know marriage isn't for everyone. And certainly not for some people that are younger.
But I do urge you to not be afraid of it.

Also,
Here are some more interesting articles:
5 Good Reasons to Get Married Young--> I only like point number 5.
Hey Young People: Now's the Time to Get Married and Have Kids--> No, we're not going to have kids right away!
Marrying young...And why you need to shut your mouth about it

Christmas 2014

Now that we are almost a week into 2015, I should probably get my act together and fill you in on how my Christmas season went.
Let's just say it was quite interesting.

December 24
Christmas Eve has always been when my family cooks and celebrates our Christmas. It has just fit in well with my dad's schedule with preaching-thus convenience.
This year, Trevor and I went to church at OSLC for the 1:30 service. This left time to get some cooking done afterward. We also went to Celebration for their 7:00 service. After that we headed to his place so he could put on some more comfortable clothes. I'm a stickler for dressing up for Christmas church. This resulted in these adorable photos.

After my dad finished church we all sat around and watched "Elf" while opening gifts. I got my sister fuzzy slippers, lotion, and a huge mug. I got my mom a wine glass and wine rack. I got my dad a bacon bowl mold and beer flavored jelly beans. And I got Trevor two PacSun shirts.

December 25

Trevor's family always opens gifts Christmas morning. I have never had this tradition, so it was kind of cool to take part of and enjoy. It was fun to watch his younger sisters open their gifts-I miss being young. His family even so kindly gave me a Doctor Who puzzle!

December 26

On the 26th we travelled to La Valle to my mom's side of the family. Trevor was unable to come along because he was playing in a show that evening. The entire time at my grandma's was awkward and uncomfortable. With the exception of going exploring on the farm with my cousins, Ahren and Jake, to take photos.

Here are some of the shots I got.

Also a large portion of the time at my grandparents included my grandma throwing random junk at me to take for my "new home". Now realize, the wedding is in August. We are not living together yet, we won't be until we get married. I do not have room for random stuff for my new home. One, I have no idea what the size of our first place will be, but I expect it to be puny. This will leave no room for miscellaneous objects. Two, I do not want a bunch of outdated junk that has been sitting around their house forever. Three, Trevor was not along to see any of this stuff so it was purely up to my discretion to make the decisions of what to take.

The only good thing out of the day was that Trevor and I have cupcake stands to use at the wedding now.

December 29

Rice Lake is so beautiful in the winter. I finally was able to see my grandparents' (on my dad's side) new home. It is beautiful! Not that I expected otherwise. Trevor and I drove together and made a photo stop on the way by the Chippewa River.

It was a good time at my grandparents, like always. We even had competitions at who could get the highest and lowest blood pressure. I think it's going to be a new tradition. For the first time ever, we did not have a sit down Christmas meal. It was so weird! I love grandma's sit down dinners! Grandma and grandpa even sent us away with plenty of soda from their soda fridge (yes, they have a fridge for soda and beer in their garage).

Christmas 2014 was quite a hoot. I cannot wait until next Christmas! It will be my first Christmas as a Rodriguez and I cannot wait to spend it as a married woman. Who knows what type of Christmas traditions Trevor and I will implement in our home, but most likely it will not include taking our blood pressure.

End of Classes

Today was the last of my classes for Fall Semester 2014!
I have exams starting Monday at 8 am. But nonetheless, I am done with all of the instructional material!
Now the fun part-studying.
Ugh.
Such a dread.

But the reward at the end will be worth it! I will be home from December 19th (late at night)-until December 29th! 10 whole days! I have not been home for that long since I left for school in August. It will be weird being home again though. I have become so accustomed to my Saint Paul ways after all.

Also if you haven't checked out my new photo website follow the link below!
www.elisebethannephotography.wordpress.com

Thanksgiving

If there were ever a year to be thankful, it would be this year.
I have so much love in my life right now and I cannot begin to name off those who have been so wonderful to me.

I think this picture sums up pretty well what I am thankful for.

My fiance. Thanks for being here for me no matter what. I appreciate all you have done for me. I am so excited to start our lives together in August. Thank you for being such an understanding person.

My best friend. Thanks for giving me not just any advice--but telling me what I need to hear. You're such an inspiration.

My sister. Thanks for all of our long talks and rants we have had in the kitchen, for the weird photos, for the bike rides, for the jam sessions.

My puppy. Thanks for snuggling with me when no one else is home.

My passion. Thanks for giving me a way to express myself: through photos. 

Aspirations

Goals. Aspirations. Dreams.

Whatever you wish to call them, you should have them.

Have a purpose in life.

A reason to do what you do.

Personally, my ultimate and overlying goal in life is to be a light for Christ and to be a true example of what His servant should look like.

Right now I am not doing so well at that. 

So I am working on changing the necessary things in my life to get back on track. 

It's hard, but it's possible.

I have other goals, all of which support this overlying goal.

Some of my others are:

• marry the man of my dreams
• graduate college
• become a Lutheran classroom teacher (hopefully a preschool or kindergarten classroom!)
• gain better control over my anxiety and handle my stress better
• start a family
• find a church that fits my family's needs in the best way possible.

Obviously some of these goals are quite a ways off yet. Some have more flexibility in when they may occur.

Regardless of what I have in mind for timing, I need to keep in mind that God has the timing worked out already. It isn't going to always go how I have planned.

Matthew 6 offers a reminder about how to handle these unplanned events and timings:

25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Inspirational Video

All of us struggle in some aspect of our life. Some it's money, some it's relationships, some infinite other reasons.
Miss Kay from Duck Dynasty talks about her struggles from earlier in life..
I invite you to take a look at this video.
Miss Kay

My Wonderful Fiance

E: What is your first memory of us?

T: Lol

T: Us, going to the ranch

T: For lunch

T: Or dinner

T: Whatever it was

E: What is your favorite memory of us?

T: I think seeing Hillsong with you

E: Wow, going way back to the beginning..

T: What??

E: What is your biggest dream you hope to accomplish?

T: Me?

T: Or us?

E: You.

T: Hmmm
T: I don't know, just be successful in something I love
T: Photography...Music

E: What do you look forward to most in the next year?
T: Um
T: Getting ready to live life together daily I think
E: Aww

E: What do you expect to happen in the next 10 years? Be detailed.
T: Ughhhh
T: Hm. Well... I'd like to finish school and move somewhere with more opportunity for us to do stuff! California preferably. I'd like to continue doing photography together since we both enjoy that. I'd like in a few years to grow our family as well and grow together in faith.

E: Do you have any last comments you would like to say for my blog? T: No comments. Yolo. Idk lol

My Wonderful Sister

E: What's your first memory of us?

K: Uh it's a toss up between when I showed the neighbors your bra once or you showing me that you could do a tummy roll thing and I couldn't so we were arguing over whether or not you were fat or I was.

K: lol. good times.
E: I don't remember either of those times!

E: What's your favorite memory of us?
K: Idk. Just talking in the kitchen when mom and dad are asleep.
E: Why?
K: Idk. cause it was bonding time.

E: Do you miss me when I'm at college?
K: Sometimes but sometimes I forget you are away
E; Ouch
K: Well you were gone a lot right before you left so

E: What is your favorite thing about having an older sister?
K: Same clothing size
K: Like having two closets

E: What's your least favorite thing about having an older sister?
K: You're crabby a lot so I guess that's a thing and you dance rape me sometimes(you can word that however you want)
E: Uh lol

E:What's your biggest dream you hope to accomplish?
K: Idk ummm I haven't thought that far ahead I'm just focused on school and crap like that right now

E: Do you have any idea where you want to go to college?
K: Idk. Probably a Concordia. Maybe Bethany.

E: Do you have any last comments for my blog?
K: School is hard. Don't do it.


Well there ya have it! My baby sister! Love her, even though sometimes she forgets about me... <3

Nikon Adventures: KAT

I just realized I never shared photos from my photoshoot at Fonferek with my sister, Kat..
She was a bit more of a challenge than when I shot with Ana. Ana is a natural, of course. Anyone who knows her, knows that. So it was nice to have the opportunity to go out with someone who didn't know what to do. I learned a lot in the short shoot I did with Kat.
Here are some of my favorites!
To check out more, visit the album on my Flickr: Kat

As I am now living in Saint Paul, I would love to take your pictures if you live in the area or are even just visiting! Let me know! 

Minnesota State Fair

Yesterday I was fortunate enough to go to the Minnesota State Fair with my family!
We used to go quite frequently, but having been living in Wisconsin the past five years...it's been a while.
This was also the first time we went with my aunt and her family!

Fun was certainly had by all.
We ate until we were full..and then ate more!

Lucy and Owen in the DNR building

Drinking our "All You Can Drink Milk" for $1

Lucy and Owen after going down the giant slide with Katherine and me

Two fisting it!

Always have to get Ostrich-On-A-Stick to support Camp Omega

Selfie--photobomb by mom

Dad and Katherine enjoying their milk

Fair crowds are amazing to me

Owen, Lucy, and Katherine enjoying fresh baked cookies (Katherine is also holding onto my mom's turkey leg)

Mom got a huge turkey leg

Selfie with some milk

Relations

My aunt and uncle are officially getting a divorce.
They both already have significant others too.

Post by Marsha Mueller-Holt.




It must be so strange to be divorcing your second husband. Especially the husband you have two children with.
I can't even imagine what it must be like.

At least she's moved on to a "new" Tim..