Catching up with Us- Part 2- Me & the Mr.

So yesterday I shared some about me and today I thought I'd share a little about me and the Mr in my life. As I shared yesterday, we met in his hometown of David City Ne. Like 2,500 people small. For a girl whose lived in big cities almost all of her life, that is tiny. But my maternal grandmother lives about two blocks from the home his family has always lived in. My mother also grew up in David City. We met late one warm summer night. It was July 1998. My sisters and I had just arrived in DC from Idaho. After we moved away to Idaho, us girls would travel back and spend each summer with all of the family we had, grandparents, aunts, cousins etc.. We had gone on a vacation to the Yellowstone and the Black Hills on our way to NE that year. We arrived and needed to get out and stretch our legs, so even though it was around 10:00 at night, my younger sister Hannah and I decided to walk my grandma's dog to the convenience store up town to get our favorite  DC treat, lemon ice.

Oh dear, this will defiantly date my age, but here goes. Before cell phones were in the possession of most teens in America, in DC the youth would drive around up town to hang out, and gather to talk and find out about parties. Craig was with his friends doing just that, hanging out. We walked by to head back to my grandma's enjoying our lemon ice and some of his friends started to yell at us. We went over and talked to the group of about 8-10 guys. We chatted for a while, then it began to rain. On of the guys in the group offered my sister and I, as well as Nana's dog a ride back to her house.

We went inside and I didn't think much more about it. I didn't get any of their phone numbers, but it was just nice to talk to kids my age, and cute boys at that. After being with your family for almost 2 weeks, in the car, it was much needed!!

So unbeknownst to me, Craig went to that friend and asked him where he had dropped me off at. He had then driven by, gotten the address, and looked int he DC phone book on each page until he had found the address. This was before the days of hopping on Google here people, and looking on Google Earth to get the exact location and picture. And let's remember this is small town, so the phone book was maybe 50 or so pages. Anyhow, he had the number and dialed, only to call my Nana's next door neighbor Phoebe (LOL). My Nana's phone number was unlisted, Phoebe answered and he asked if her granddaughter Megan was there, she said, uh, no, I don't have a grand daughter Megan. But, my next door neighbor does, Vanessa. And she gave him her number. I never did get he exact specifics about his call, but it went something like that. He called and we talked. Although I was not sure initially who he was as he was part of a large group of guys I met that night. And anyone who knows my husband, knows how shy he is. We started to talk often, on the phone or through the window of the back bedroom where my sisters and I slept. And finally my grandma agreed to let us go out on a date. Our first date he picked me up wearing a plaid yellow shirt front he Buckle and bright yellow Nike tennis shoes. I can remember that evening like it was yesterday. We dated all that summer as well as the next. During the school year, we were just friends, but never saw anyone else. Talked and wrote letters constantly. He told me he knew we'd be together forever. I was freaked out, and thought he was crazy! My soul mate at 16, yeah right. But in the end, he really did know, he was right.

We dated, even long distance as I went back to Idaho at the end of the summer. And wrote snail mail. That's right. I have a whole box of hand written love letters. Back before email and text, ya know the old fashion way. And before you go thinking I was born in the 50's, I was born in 1982, so this was RIGHT before the whole, everyone had email, all the kids had cell phones. I actually got a cell phone the next year as a senior in high school. But let me tell you, it didn't have unlimited minutes! We wrote letters and I would save babysitting money to buy calling cards. I would sit in the corner of our bathroom in our house in Idaho and we would just talk and talk for hours.

Halloween- 1999

 

 

My Senior Prom- May 2000

I moved to NE to go to college to be near him. We dated 9 years, and in 2006, we took a trip to Notre Dame to see his beloved Irish play, and we stopped in Chicago for a couple of nights. On October 1st 2006 in front of Buckingham Fountain, with fireworks in the background, he got down on one knee and asked me to be his wife. One of the happiest days for my life



Engaged at Buckingham Fountain- Chicago- October 2006

Engagement Photos- May 2007 -Pioneers Park

On July 7th 2007 we were married here in Lincoln at an old church downtown with a reception at a local golf course. It was an amazing day, and again one of the best days of my life.

And we've been through think and thin, great loss and great times. Traveled to new places, seen new things, experienced things together for the first time and enjoyed time together.




Notre Dame Stadium



Lake of the Ozarks

 



Skiing in Colorado

 



Our 3rd Annual Holiday Ugly Sweater Party

 



80's Party

So, after 16 years/ 195 months/ 5,931 days, I couldn't imagine anyone else by my side. We have our moments, just like everyone else and not everyday is amazing, we do after all have two kids under the age of three!! But I love this man dearly and there is nothing he wouldn't do for me or his boys. So my story, my love story has spanned most of my life and I truly believe it was meant to be. Life has carried us to here, 7 years in, and two beautiful baby boys later. My everything is in this photo.

Thanks for joining me on this trip down memory lane!! I was so fun to get some of these old photos out, and I could have added about a 100 more!!

Tonight's mission- pies!! Lots and Lots of pies!!
Wish me luck!
xo
Megan

Catching up with Us- Part 1- Me

So I started this blog 4 years ago to document the happenings of our life together. Our family was smaller, some things were simpler and we were still enjoying newly married life together... I thought it would be fun to do a series this week in honor of the Thanksgiving holiday on all thing us- The Palik's. A kind of get-to-know ya if you will.Considering I have nothing more to be thankful for that the three faces I am blessed to see first thing each and every morning.

Today is all about me...

I am Megan, an Aquarius (any other January 27th out there?)  a full time working mama to two sweet boys, married to the love of my life. We met when I was 16, dated 9 years and was married in 2007 when I was 25. I work in corporate finance as a contract employee for a fiscal intermediary company and on site at a large non profit hospital in our city. My commute to work is gloriously no more than 10 minutes, how's that for small city living. We live in Lincoln Nebraska.

LOVES: shopping, scrap booking, crafting, jewelry making, baking, traveling, organizing, fuzzy blankets and socks, fancy coffee drinks, purses, scarves, the color pink, chocolate and desserts. Good movies, staying up late, sweet white wines and summer time.

LOATHES: cooked carrots, beets, bad drivers, liars, slow internet, commercials, and milk.

I am stubborn, a perfectionist at times, can be bossy (hey, I can't help it, I was the oldest!) not great at spelling and the queen of typos.

I grew up in Idaho with my mom, step dad, and two younger sisters, Hannah and Libbie. Along with a menagerie of cats and a few dogs. I was very active growing up in soccer, dance and skiing.

I also had siblings in Nebraska, where my parents were from and I was born at. My dad also re-married and I have a younger sister and brother as well, Shelby and Derek.

So there you have it, a little more about the lady who runs this blog :0)
More tomorrow on how I met the Mr. and our I do's...

Are you getting as excited for Thursday as I am??
xo
Megan

Friday 5

A Friday 5

 

Man this week flew by, I worked a half day Monday because daycare was closed and it feels like in a blink, it is Friday. Don't get me wrong, I love these kinds of weeks, but I still have a mile long to do list for this weekend. Good thing we don't have a lot going on. And I NEED to get prepped for my pie baking for next week!! I am the deliverer of dessert goodness and bake all of the pies for the two Thanksgivings my family attends.

But here is a couple of things that have been on my mind this week..

 

-Mad for Plaid-

I have been on the hunt for a cute plaid shirt to pair with sweaters and vests for layering, think this one is pretty cute from Old Navy and the price point at $22 is just right. Think while I am errand running this weekend, I'll stop at my local Old Navy and check this one out.



      Plaid Shirt

-Mint Milano Candy Cane Cookies-
These cookies! We picked them up on a run to target this week, and let me tell you, they are sooo good :) The bag is already almost gone #oink

Cookies

-Monogram Mug-
Saw these adorable monogram mugs at Target this week, the M one was red and white striped, but couldn't find it on the Target website. I don't have an monogram mug and she's so adorable and only $6.99!! So I think this one will go on my stocking wish list!



Monogram Mug





-Black and White Ribbon-
I was thinking of changing up my tree decor this year and saw this picture using golds, silvers and black and white ribbon and it just spoke to me!! I would love to incorporate the black and white ribbon element into our tree this year. Now... What to do with all of the gold and cranberry decor that I have piled up in our storage closet {Yikes}



Black and White- From Just Destiny

-Pie Crusts-
Mrs. Smith deep dish pie crusts are simply the best! Yeah... I don"t make my own pie crusts. Sue me. But before you give me the eye roll and "ha, she doesn't make her own pie crusts" comments. I can sometimes end up making 8-10 pies for our Thanksgivings!! That's a whole lotta pie baking!! And nobody has that many pie plates. Or time!! So give a gal a break and give them a try. I also use tin foil or those pie crust shield to cover the edges during baking. That really helps so they don't brown too much or burn. Cause that's not how to make it a pie look pretty. And I do make the filling homemade so that counts for something right?



 

Ms. Smith Deep Dish Pie Crusts



Ms. Anderson's 10 inch Pie Crust Shield

Have a great Friday!!
Its supposed to be near the 50's over here over this weekend!! A much needed warm up!!

xo
Megan





Toddler Advent Calendar??

Do you make a Advent Calendar for you toddler?? My boys are 2 1/2 and 7 months so I am not entirely certain that an Advent Calendar and some of the activities I have seen included on them on searches I have done on Pintrest aren't a little too grown up for my little guys yet? Well I mean for Liam, ha, Oden is a baby and doesn't really know. But if Liam is doing it, Oden wants to be there too!

I like the idea of making my own with small cloth or paper bags, but it's the activities that has me stumped. Are some of these things going to be lost on a toddler who may not know why I am planning all of these fun things for? Liam is independent by nature and often times, he just wants to do his own thing after we get home from school. That, and he is not big into crafts of coloring, I suggest it, but often times, he will for just a little bit, then wants to be done and go play cars or trains. I also thought about doing one just for the weekend days instead, since I am a working mom and our weeknights are often rushed with dinner, baths and bedtime routine to get to bed on time.


 Here are a few idea's I was looking at..



Found at:

Found at:

Found at:

 

So I guess I am still undecided, but I have until next week to make up my mind and whip something up. Do you make your toddler an advent calendar with activities? Does it hold your toddler's interest??

Have a great Thursday!!
xo
Megan

And Then We Paint...

So yesterday I shared how I am working to do some refreshing in our Master Bathroom and the hunt that lead me to purchase this shower curtain. The Pottery Barn Victoria Shower Curtain.



Now onto paint choices. Which can be overwhelming honestly. For a gal whose house is all painted the same color (it was actually freshly painted that way when we moved in) I haven't strayed away from that same color, Sherwin Williams Sands of Time.


Sands of Time

 And here are the choices I am considering after visiting my Sherwin Williams  store this past Saturday.

Alpaca

 

Anew Gray

 

Perfect Greige
  

Versatile Gray

  

Intellectual Gray

  

And the one I have decided to go with is......... Perfect Greige!!! It is darker, but not too dark for the small space. And will go well with the greige/tan color in the curtain which is what I was going for.

 

 

 



Perfect Greige

 

 

 

I hope to shop for towels this weekend and have started looking around online. I thinking either a gray and mustard yellow or a gray/blue and mustard yellow. I'll keep you updated-

 

Have a great day!!

xo

Megan 



Shower Curtain

Brrrrr... It's soooo cold out there!!! Here in the Midwest, we are going on day 8 of some seriously cold temp and the 10 day forecast shows little sign for any warm ups either. Laugh out loud when 40 degree's is a warm up. ha

So this cold weather has forced me to put on hold all of the outside to-do list items I had thought I would have time for in November before the snow came. Yep, not so much. So while it's cold and snowy outside, I'll turn indoors to tackle that list I have been ignoring. I am in the beginning stages of giving many rooms in our home a refresh. We have lived there 7 1/2 years now, and will likely stay a little while longer before saying goodbye and moving on.

First up, to refresh our master bath. Which could be confused with the master closest as it is roughly the same size, ha! But I am thankful to have one at all and this tiny space needs a face lift. I haven’t changed things since we moved in and I spent the first year in our home decorating. So, it’s been a while.

I originally had my eye on this shower curtain


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But the bright colors, while cheery, did not flow as well with the adjoining master bedroom and the tan/khaki's in there. So I moved on and kept looking.

Then about a month ago, I stumbled upon this one on sale from Pottery Barn. The Pottery Barn Victoria Shower Curtain. I liked the more cohesive colors and the browns and greys, and it was on sale for $44.95. I had seen it online, then it came unavailable before I made the official decision to buy, so I called PB, and they located it in Arkansas. I called the store myself and purchased over the phone. I had just received a 20% email coupon so crossed my fingers and took the plunge. It ended up a little cheaper in the store but I did have to pay the shipping of $8. It came in right around at $39.99, so not much different than ones say at Target or Bed Bath and Beyond that I had looked at. When it arrived and the colors were defiantly not as sharp or bright in person as they appear in the photos, so that was disappointing but I am still happy with it. All the colors were more muted, especially the greens and grays.


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So here it is hanging in our tiny closet bathroom


























Rug from Home Goods

The colors of the green's and yellows defiantly look a lot brighter in the photos than they do in real life. Darn flash.

Now I am pondering paint samples so we can move on to painting. Our home is all painted one color right now, Sherwin Williams Sands of Time with Bright White for the trim and doors. I am ready to break the "all the one color" streak and try something new.



Sherwin Williams- Sands of Time

 

I will be back tomorrow to share the color choices I am considering!!

xo
Megan

 

HOLIDAY CARDS

We had our holiday photos taken almost two weeks ago.. A blustery Sunday November morning. The morning after the time change, yeah great timing mom!! #momfail However, at least we squeezed it in right before the polar vortex forced temps to plummet. I don't know about where you live, but here in NE, it is freezing out!! Much more like mid-December temps then the beginning of November.

The boys did pretty good, except my 2 1/2 year old Liam. Not surprising though, he would rather do ANYTHING but sit and smile for photos! And bribes, no matter how great, usually don't work. Even food!! I did come prepared with mini M&M's in my back pocket, and did break them out. It really didn't help. He wanted the candy and still didn't really sit or smile! Maybe once, but that one time, you guessed it, the baby isn't looking or the Mr. has his eyed closed!!! I'm like every mom, I want the impossible, a perfect family photo, with adorable color coordinating clothes, a beautiful backdrop and lovely smiles for all.. yeah, I know, get real!

So on this cool November morning, we met a photographer, outdoors for something different for us, and set out to find a confined space where it wouldn't look like a scene for the Wizard of Oz tornado. Wind blown hair in photos= not a great look.
We found a spot, defiantly not my first choice, but it was a secluded bike path with pretty green and fall leaves as a backdrop, tried to snap a few and in the end we did get some good ones of us all #win So there will be a card after all!

Now to shop for holiday cards. I am suuuppper picky. In the past, I usually have done cards using photos from throughout our year to highlight birthdays, vacations, or momentous occasions, but this year will be a change. I will just use the holiday photos we took on the cards. I have always wrote a letter to include in the card so I plan to do that again this year. Shopping for cards can be fun and frustrating.. I'm a -the more the pictures spots, the more I like it- kind of gal..

Here are some of the cards I've been eyeing. There is a front runner. Think you know which card I'm leaning towards?



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Happy Friday Friends!!

xo
Megan