blog life

so. i need a blog tutorial
my friend kim has graciously accepted this challenge (for some undetermined time in the future...)
this is why i need one...my last post, about our anniversary, took me over an hour!
i couldn't get the pictures in the right order - they didn't upload where my cursor was, they uploaded wherever they wanted to!
in the meantime huge amounts of space was added between each line i had written and each picture i uploaded...
so i erased and began again with smaller pictures - this seemed to do the trick if i uploaded them in reverse order...and then i put cute captions to the side of some of the pictures
then i published it.
and the captions were beside random pictures!
SO FRUSTRATING!
but i just wanted to put up pictures from our fun getaway so i left it like it was.

thank you for reading my vent.
any ideas?!?!

anniversary!!!

Joel and I retreated to Brown County in Becca's cabin from May 7th-May 9th to celebrate our 2nd anniversary!
We spent nearly all the time at the cabin...with a few detours to the local country store (where there was a sign 'register your wild turkey's here...) into Nashville for a fun lunch, over-priced tourist knick-knack browsing, and a stop at a candy store for some yummy caramels
We enjoyed hiking, reading, relaxing, loving, snacking, hot-tubbing, laughing, talking about baby Draper, and watching an entire season of FRIENDS
This weekend away was exactly what we needed!!!!!

crazy love

crazy love - by francis chan
this is a bible study our entire church is going through this month and next
we are split up into small groups to meet each week to discuss the reading and watch short videos and come together on sunday morning for a larger, community message on the topic

joel asked this question in his bible study this morning:
"if Jesus came back right now and asked us to follow Him, leaving your family, home, everything behind...how hard would that be?"

showered and celebrated

This past Saturday I was so blessed to have a baby shower thrown for Joel, baby Draper, and myself! (granted, it was really all about the baby...I didn't really get anything to use that doesn't involve that new little bundle!)

Kim headed this all up (she's amazing!) with Brittany's help (she's amazing too!)

My mother-in-law made a great cake to go along with our polka-dot theme

Baby Draper got to celebrate with Grandma Karen, Grandma Kari, and Great-Grandma Phyllis

Also Aunt Leslie (with baby draper's cousin in there!) and Aunt Roni too

And all the Merkle aunts, Jayna, Dawn, and Jill

Lastly, George and Karen's family of almost 18!!!

We are so blessed!!!

its a beautiful day!

is that a U2 song?

this monday has been joyous so far!
1. made oatmeal for the first time ever - not bad, but not my favorite thing to eat either
2. cleaned and organized around the house
3. got my hair into a ponytail (any girl who has ever had short hair and grown it out, or has a layered haircut knows how exciting this is!)
4. went on a 2 1/2 mile walk and didn't pee my pants! (meaning i made it home just in time...)

now i'm at school working...so...not as joyous as earlier, but the day started off with me NOT having to be here at 7:45am...so i'll take what i can get!

i currently can't fall in love with any of my pandora stations today - anybody have a great one they want to share?!