Lately

Man do I suck at posting while school is in session.  Not that I really am doing all too much school work this semester but I feel guilty if I open my computer and don't do school work.  So I just don't open my laptop.  Good denial skills, right?

Anyway...since my last post, things have been a little crazy, so I'm thinking instagram would be the best way to update .

1. My parents got a new puppy.  She is a St. Bernard named

 Koda. In the last month she has doubled in size.

2. I bought my brother this Crested Gecko for his 14th birthday.  

If you are a reptile lover, I suggest taking a look at one of these cool

 things.  His name is Widget!

3.4.5. My martial arts school had it's black belt test this weekend.  This year

I got to be one of the judges...next year, I'll be a tester! Now our school has

two new first degrees (white & blue) and a new second degree (white & black).

I'm that super short person way to the left.

6. My babe and I at the pumpkin patch.  It took us 45 minutes to get through that darn corn maze. 

 1.2. Work Halloween Party!

3. My favorite little child and myself 

4. Jake's totally awesome pumpkin!

5. My pumpkin....did not turn out the way I planned :(

6. My dad rocked it as Speedy Gonzalez for Halloween!

Also, in the middle of all of this, my grandpa passed away.  Of course my heart was in pieces but for him, it was a good thing and that is what matters.  I will be dedicating an entire post to this wonderful man sometime this week.

Sorry to end on what seems like a sad note, but really, I am consoled and content in the fact that he was truly ready to be with his wife again.

☮♡Nicole

        Louise☮♡

21st Birthday in Napa Valley

This post is going to be SO picture heavy, so prepare yourselves.  My 21st birthday was a week ago and for it, my mom took me to Napa Valley along with 3 of my aunts and my best friend.  It was amazing and my love for wine just grew and grew! 

First though, here is the beautiful necklace that my Jacob got me for my birthday.  I am so lucky!

 Now...Napa Time!

Our first stop...the Winery "Castello Di Amorosa"

So much wine!

My first legal drink came straight from here

Wine and Chocolate.
Does it get any better?

The end of our Castello tour

Another Winery.. Del Dotto

My beautiful mommy

Inside of Del Dotto

The Best Friend!

Anna and I got to try on wedding dresses
(just for fun)
But I fell in absolute love with this one.

Ol' Faithful Geyser
(before it's eruption)

Ol' Faithful Geyser

My favorite Winery..Sterling.
The view was amazing, you had to ride a gondola
to get to the winery.

Anna, Auntie, and I relaxing at Sterling

Napa Valley

☮♡Nicole 

     Louise☮

A Night in the Country

This past weekend, my mom, sister, some friends, and I drove out to the boondocks for a huge country music festival called Night in the Country.  This was my first year going and I will be going every year from now on.   

This year I didn't realize how much of a giant party the thing is so I just brought the camping basics and some concert clothes but next year I'll be prepared with a redneck swimming pool (truck bed covered in tarp and filled with water) and every other hilbilly item that you could imagine.  

Anyway, here are some of the pictures from my first Night in the Country.  

Tent Construction.  
My dad and boyfriend swore we would never get it.
We did.  

Night One

Night one included Brett Eldredge, Lee Brice, and Neal McCoy.

Momma & Baby Sissy

One of my bestests since highschool.

The morning after.
My face explains the previous night's party.

My mom,  the woman who I've never even witnessed 
eat a single french fri,
ordered TWO desserts for breakfast.  
To her credit, they were 100%
homemade.

Night 2 included Curtis & Luckey, Lonestar, and Joe Nichols.

My brother, his friend, and our visiting cousin from Kansas decided to
come for the second night.

Night 2.
My beautiful mommy and I.

 ☮♡Nicole 

     Louise☮

Family Reunion (picture heavy)

I have a huggge family.  First, my parents were never married so I've got my mom's side and dad's side...pretty normal, right? Then my mom moved us across the country and married a guy when I was 3 and I also called him my dad (so I have 2 dads..how lucky am I?).  My (step) dad's family is divorced and so there are also 2 halves to that family...I am adopted into both.  
So yeah...I have a big huge family and it gets even more complicated but I won't bore you.
Anyway, last weekend my (sted) dad's paternal side of the family had a reunion.  I met people that live in my city that I didn't even know I was related to.  It's always weird when that happens.  
So, anyway, here are some pictures from last weekend's family reunion!
(Oh, you'll also probably notice that I absolutely missed the memo on wearing white)

Me, my mom, my sister, my aunt

My dad 

Mommy, Me, Baby Sis

Grandpa, Sister, Great Grandma, Me, Aunt

Bentley is preparing for a double kiss

All of the Great Grandchildren & Abuelita

  ☮♡Nicole 

     Louise☮♡

I'm Back!

Most people get to do these 'I'm Back' posts after they return from somewhere out of country but until I actually get the chance to go somewhere really neat-o, Kansas will have to suffice!

No matter how many times I visit...I'll never stop being weirded
out that there are no mountains.

My Bestest Friend Anna

Make your own Cupcake Factory
Red Velvet Cake and Cream Cheese Frosting!

Aaron at my absolute most favorite Coffee Shop.  Henrys.

They took me to my first bar!

I miss living in a college town where this is normal.
(Nothing else was going on this day...just a random pirate float)

More Flat.

My Daddy

Rock Chalk Jayhawk!!
We are going to the Championships!!!!

  ☮♡Nicole 

     Louise☮♡

To Kansas!

For any of you pretty little peeps that know me, I consider myself to have 2 homes...one in Kansas and one in Nevada.  Today, I am going to Kansas to visit my friends and family for a week and I am super excited. So excited, in fact, that I decided to post a random and pointless blog about it. 

Kansas

~Born

~Daddy

~2 little sister

~Entire Biological Family

~Summers

~Spring Breaks

~Best Friend

~College

Nevada

~Childhood

~Momma

~Little Brother and Sister

~Family by Heart

~High School

~Teenage Crises

~Boyfriend

~College

So what makes somewhere home?  

Do you have two homes?

I won't be posting much over the next week except maybe stuff about the awful awful airports that I always seem to have the most weird experiences in and maybe some overloaded photo filled posts about my Kansas life.  

Enjoy your spring break!! ( I still have 2 papers to write on the plane today..ick)

  ☮♡Nicole 

     Louise☮♡

Sib Pics!

For Christmas, my brother, sister, and I decided to get some pictures done to give to our parents, grandparents, etc. Luckily, none of those people read this because I want to share them but I can't put them on facebook until after Christmas.   Here are some of my favorites!  Can you believe that my brother is the youngest?!?!  He is so freaking big!

 ☮♡Nicole