We are having a blast in New Zealand and wanted to share a few of the memories with you; there are still many more days to come of our Kiwi Holiday.
...Cathedral Cove in Hahei on the Coromandel Peninsula of the north island
...wine tasting in Marlborough, south island
...stopped for a stretch along the Canterbury Plains and this was the scenery
...ice-climbing in the Franz-Josef Glacier of the Southern Alps
...the sunset along the Okarita Lagoon Beach on the west coast
First of all, sorry I've been absent from the blog for so long. Please don't stop checking in for updates! ;)
So, I'm officially famous... I'm on Lauren Clark's blog! On my way home to Texas for Christmas, I drove through Lubbock for my Brainwash session that I won at the Love Affair Photography workshop I went to this past July in Atlanta. Not only is Lauren a fabulous photographer, but a great person as well. We hung out all day and talked about photography things...it was wonderful. You can check out her website here, and the direct link to her blog post about my Brainwash Session here.
I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas, and Happy 2010!
I met Christy Stickley at the Love Affair Photography Workshop I attended in Atlanta at the end of July. She and her adorable family are from the Denver area. Christy is an awesome photographer, a great wife to her hubby, and most importantly, a fantastic mother to four kiddos. You might be saying..."but wait Ali, there are only three kids in the pictures below..." She actually had her fourth this last week!
Congratulations Stickley Family, and welcome baby Colleen!
This past weekend I went to Texas for my best friend's wedding. There are actually four of us that are best friends, and have been since kindergarden (or before) (check out this post). Corrie asked all of us to be bridesmaids along with Corrie's sister, Cathie and James' sister, Katie. This was the cutest little back yard wedding you've ever seen.
You can see James and Corrie's engagement photos here.
Everything came together perfectly for their big day - the weather was perfect, the ceremony was beautiful, the house and yard looked great, the food and drinks were wonderful, and the dancing kept us warm when the sun went down. :) Corrie is a beautiful person, inside and out, but I have NEVER seen her look so beautiful as she did this past Saturday. She was glowing all night long. I am so thankful that Corrie and James found each other. They are perfect together. I wish them years, and years of happiness.
The wedding photography was done by the very talented girls of Anne Marie Photography. They were our wedding photographers nearly three and a half years ago now. How time flies...
If you are ever in need of some great photos in the south-central Texas area (or wherever...they travel), Kellie and Traci of Anne Marie Photography are your gals.
Corrie and James, I am so happy for you guys. Congratulations. I can't wait to see you both when you get back from the 'moon.
I took Corrie's bridals on a beautiful day in September in Colorado Springs (thanks Libby for assisting). Here are some of my personal favorites.
So, since my last post, a lot has happened....Please pray for our soldiers and for the eight families of those who gave their lives.
Last week I was in DC for an AUSA (Association of the United States Army) Conference. A group of FRG (family readiness group) leaders from Fort Carson went to learn about new programs for our families and to share how our families are being supported or how they can be supported.
The most memorable part of our trip was the tour of Walter Reed. The soldiers we visited were just kids. They fought for you and I. Please remember all of our Soldiers daily in your prayers. They are out there defending our country for us. We can never thank them enough.
Our days were jam-packed with various meetings and sessions, but we usually had a little down time in the evenings. One evening we decided to see the sites of DC. I love this city.
I love you and I miss you so much. I wish you a very happy birthday.
Love, love, love,
Ali
This past weekend my three best friends (since kindergarden!) came into Colorado Springs for the weekend. This was our annual get together that I talked about in the post below. After a couple flight delays, I picked Amy and Annie up from the Denver Airport and we met Corrie in downtown Denver at Osteria Marco. I highly recommend this restaurant, by the way.
We had such a great time this weekend catching up, eating great food, shopping....
On friday afternoon we got dressed up (Annie was our stylist), did our hair (thank you Amy) and makeup (Annie rocked out our makeup too), and then went to downtown Colorado Springs for a photo shoot. I got some great shots of my bff's and they got some of me too....yay! We ended our weekend with a delicious meal of bruschetta with heirloom tomatoes, roasted veggies from the farmers market, and mushroom lasagna . For desert we had peanut butter chocolate chip cookies with ice cream. While everything was in the oven, the girls were dying my hair. Yup...they decided I needed to go a little darker. I have gotten my hair dyed before, but it was IN A SALON! I was pretty nervous, but it went OK except for the part where Amy almost broke my neck rinsing my hair out. (All of the photos of me below are pre-darker hair...I'll have to get a post-darker hair photo up soon.)
I love these girls so much. Words can't describe how much it means to me to have such wonderful girlfriends; knowing that we will always there for each other...it's priceless. 
So the last couple of days here in the Springs has been very Fall-like. I LOVE it! I love when you can feel the seasons changing. There's a different feel in the air, different smells, different sounds, and if you look closely, you can see those few leaves starting to change colors.
I love fall.
I love when I get to start wearing my fuzzy moccasin slippers again.
I love that feeling when you first get into your bed at night and the sheets are cold.
I love getting to wear cozy sweatshirts.
I love going to the farmers market on saturdays and seeing all the fall squash.
I love when Starbucks begins selling their Pumpkin Spice Lattes.
I love knowing that the holidays are right around the corner (and therefore, so is Stoney's R&R!).
I love seeing all the mums for sale at the store.
I love that fall brings back so many great memories.
I miss Kentucky and our time there. Stoney and I had a fantastic Fall in Kentucky...
going to Octoberfest in Louisville,
picking out a pumpkin at Hueber Farms,
walks in Otter Creek Park,
handing out candy at Fort Knox on Halloween,
Thanksgiving with our great friends the Dolan's and the Whitten's...
I will always cherish our memories there.
Last Fall I also took a trip to DC to be with my girls. Annie, Corrie, Amy and I have been best friends since kindergarden (or before). We all know each other better than we might know ourselves. So, since we have all gone our separate ways since college, we have made a silent agreement to get together every year...no matter what. Last year we met in DC where Annie was at the time. This year, we're meeting here in Colorado Springs this coming weekend! I'm really looking forward to a great time.
These are a few photos from last years trip to DC, and our outing to my favorite farmers market - Eastern Market. I LOVE that place! If you've never been there...GO! There's always so much going on; so many great local artists, farmers, and other vendors to see. And, if your ever do go, you must check out Bread and Chocolate. It's a restaurant on the corner by Eastern Market. How could a restaurant with my two favorite items in the name not be amazing?! 
And one more.... Stoney and I at Octoberfest drinking Pumpkin Ale. Yum!
HAPPY FALL!
Look what showed up at my door today. I've never gotten anything for Edible Arrangements.
My husband is the best.
So far, I've had one chocolate covered strawberry and it was SO yummy.
I love you, Stoney. Thank you.
