sunday day of fun day

And a random photo+story for kicks:

Last sunday mom and I kinda sluffed sunday school for a bit. Okay fine, for the whole time. But it was for a good cause. If we wouldn't have, dinner would not have been made at a decent time, and the kids would have been real hungry. Am i right? Okay, we're working on getting better.  

Anyways, i tried to snap a photo for the sibs. She obviously didn't want people to know. So here i am blogging it. 

LOVE YOU MOM!

Happy Sunday. 

going beachy:

If you know me at all, you would know that i absolutely love the beach! There's something about that relaxing beachy lifestyle that i have always loved. There's nothing better than the sun on your face, sand between your toes, and listening to the waves crash on the beach in front of you.

My older brother, Brandon moved to California to attend college at the Art Institute. There he met his wife, Robyn and has raised his children Navi and Rome. And of course, my older siblings Tanner and Courtney have had their share of time living in California too. It's definitely a place us Winnie's love!

Because half of my family is currently living in California, we've had more opportunities than we'd normally have to visit! And every time we do, i grow more and more in love with this place i hope to soon be living!

A little bit about my California living family:

This is my niece Navi. She is the smartest, most creative four year old i have ever met. She remembers anything and everything you tell her! She is also so creative, always drawing the most amazing pictures! She surprises me every day. And just look how pretty this little girl is! 

This is my nephew Rome. He is the funniest little boy ever, and can always make you laugh! His happy laugh is so contagious, you just can't be in a bad mood around this boy! Plus his little voice just always puts a smile on my face. And do you see this blonde curly hair of his? Oh my!!

This is my brother Brandon and his wife Robyn. I can't tell you how much i look up to my older brother. He is always giving me the greatest advice and life lessons. If i ever have any questions i know i can always turn to him and he'll give me the most insightful answers. And don't even get me started on this pretty sis of mine. Robyn is seriously the greatest mom ever. You can just see how much love she has for these amazing kids of hers. I've learned so much from these two, and i miss them dearly!

A little about our California trips:

We always stay together at Brandon and Robyn's apartment. Look how cute their new place in Laguna Hills is!

Every day we pack our things and head down to the beach! 

And what's a Winnie trip without taking loads of pictures? I'm glad i do though, because not a week goes by that i don't look back through these pictures and imagine myself in the warm weather loving life.

This cute little boy stopped me on the beach one day to show me what he had found. Collecting sea shells, beach glass and drift wood along with looking through the rocks for the crabs are some of my favorite things to do! 

I love all of the things we do as a family when we visit. One of my favorite things to do is go out to the pier after the beach is closed. We'll pick up some good drinks and then head out to watch the waves. One time we went during what is called red tide. All of the seaweed coming in actually glows in the moonlight! It's amazing. 

Last trip we got to the pier just in time to see a seal in the water below. It was so cute, and Navi loved it too!

Its safe to say that i love California and all its beauty. I could drive around looking at the cute homes and apartments that line the beach all day long. I love the humid air. I love the laid back surfer style. I love seeing surf boards attached to the top of people's cars. I love riding my bike along the boardwalk. I love the smell of the ocean. I love the palm trees. I love it all! 

But i especially love this family of mine. I love when we all get to be together. Especially when it's next to the ocean. 

we venture:

Maybe i should have said something sooner, but want to hear something cool? 

I'm a twin.

That's right. A twin.

 And to the most awesome twin of a brother i could ever ask for!

(thats him)

If you don't know Austin, you are seriously missing out. Not a day goes by that this kid can't make me laugh. He is the funniest person EVER. 

One of my favorite things about Austin is his love for adventure. Let me tell you, not too long ago i hated hiking. But the number of hikes i've been on within the past 5 months is astonishing. Every hike is an "adventure." Together we like to explore new places, find new things, and take pictures of them, really. I think i can now consider myself a tree hugging, complete nature loving kind of gal. 

All thanks to my loving brother.

  

Here are some recents from our venturing in the snow:

we found the most amazing wall with the biggest icicles i've ever seen. Just look how small they make me look! I just wish we could have gotten the whole thing in, that is without the chance of us falling down the hill behind.

And for my most favorite hike, the christmas star! I'm so grateful for my neighbor Harold Haugen who puts the star up on the mountain above our neighborhood every christmas. We got to go with him on Monday to light it for the first time this season! 

I mean, just look at that view! 

I surely am grateful for this amazing brother of mine! I couldn't ask for anyone better. Thanks for making every day an adventure Aust! And thanks for making me laugh no matter what kind of mood i'm in. (And not just a chuckle, its a laugh until i cry sort of thing..)

#TWINNIES

(also, i found out how to make the pictures bigger when you click on them. Stepping up in the blogging world)

pretty lights.

My favorite thing about christmas is all the lights! I could stare at them all night. Especially the ones at Draper Park! We tried to make it to the ceremony this year, but we were a tad bit late. Hopefully one of these years i'll make it to see what goes down before they light the park!

Anyways, we still went. And although it was oh so very pretty, it was also freeeeezing cold! Our fingers were numb and when we tried walking back to the car, it was difficult without the feeling in our toes. The hot chocolate we got before lasted me about five minutes. (i drink that stuff way too fast)

But enough complaining. Just look how pretty this tree is!

Happy holidays! And when you drive by Draper Park, please don't crash. I know it's hard to keep your eyes on the road when there's a park filled with lights. 

#DCtakesNY

Remember back in October, when Dance Company had the chance to go to 

New York together and dance? Well i do and it was a super great time.

Maybe creating a hashtag for New York wasn't my best idea. I should have known that with twenty-seven girls using the same tag on all of their pictures from the week, we were bound to get made fun of. But hey, don't you think it's fun now that the trip is over and done with to look up #DCtakesNY and have our entire trip already documented for us? i sure do.

And just to clarify, no we did not TAKE New York and bring it back to share with all of you. 

Even though that would have been nice. But we did take it on, and we danced 

until we couldn't dance anymore. 

This is my team in Time Square. I like them lots.
 

Here are some of the things we did when we weren't in the dance room:

 if you don't watch Live with Kelley and Michael (i don't) and didn't see us on t.v. you missed out. I've always wanted to be on the set of a live t.v. show! It was so much fun!

These eight Art Historians jumped at the chance to go the the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It was really cool to be able to see some of the things we've been learning about in Art History this year. 

My favorite part about this picture is the big sign behind us that says "Faking It." We know we're not real statues, okay?

What's a trip to New York without stopping at Serendipity for some lunch? And of course their famous frozen hot chocolate! It's my favorite place and it's way too good to turn down.

Although it's fun to visit the main attractions in New York like the statue of liberty, empire state building, or top of the rock, i enjoy walking the pretty streets and looking at the cute apartments most. I loved this rainy weather too! Besides the part when a taxi rounded a corner, hit a puddle of water, and splashed us. It was just like in the movies i swear.

And a super big thanks to my amazing mom for giving me a chance to go, and coming with me too! I don't know how she took time off from her crazy work life of coordinating weddings, but she did. And she's awesome.

These are just a few of the many things we did while we were there. You can fit a lot in when you leave your hotel early in the morning, don't get back until late at night, and are there for a whole five days. that's like a guesstimated total of 90 hours of fun. All in all, it was an amazing trip! 

Hey New York, thanks for a good time. And i hope to see you soon.

i like:

Hey, i'm Amy but most everybody calls me Ames. 

I think i've had a total of four blogs, but not one of them i've kept up on. Aka, i'm the worst blogger in the history of bloggers. But this one i'm determined. 

Anyways, these are some things i like:

first of all, i love to take pictures! so you're probably going to see a lot of those on here. Heck, you WILL see a lot of those on here. just prepare.

my favorite season is fall. i mean, who doesn't love these amazing trees?

i have a little bit of an obsession with the sky. or a lot a bit. i can't tell you how many pictures of clouds and amazing sunsets have been piling up on my phone. (way too many to count obviously)

i LOVE the beach. it is hands down, my most favorite place to be! Mainly because when i'm at the beach it means i get to see some of my most favorite people! (oldest brother Brandon, sis-in-law Robyn, niece Navi, and nephew Rome) Hopefully, cross your fingers, i'll be moving there soon. 
hello ocean. 

and last but not least, i love my family! here's an awkward family photo my dad took of us on the escalator. what can i say? we are really close. 

pun most definitely intended.