Survival Mode

Husband and I have been fighting off colds the past couple weeks and this week 

my body decided it just couldn't take it anymore,

and I got sick.

Its been awhile since I've been sick and I had forgotten how exhausted my 

body and mind becomes when I'm sick.

So this past week has been full on survival mode.

Get up. Eat. Take vitamins. Bike to work. Love Miss E.

Drink water. Bike home.

Go to bed.

This weekend however has been full of sleeping under warm blankets, 

cuddling with Husband, 

cups of tea and watching this.

I am feeling much better now,

good thing too because the to do list is unforgiving.

xoxo,

lyss

P.S. Can you believe its the last day of September?

sheesh.

Conversations with Husband

Me "Josh, when are you going to put your clean clothes away?"
Husband "um. I don't know. Sometime before my next birthday"
Me "?!?"
Husband (with a big grin) "Thank you for that reaction. I love you"
and the clothes are still not put away.....



Husband "Your feet are inhumanly cold!!"

2 weeks later......

Husband "I ordered a temperature gage on Amazon"
Me "Oh? What for?"
Husband "Your feet. To prove to you that they are as cold as ice!"

Life with this man is rarely boring,

and he was right about my feet.

xoxo,

lyss

Today...

I miss dinner time at the Beagle house.

Where laughter, stories of funny moments long ago, and yummy food are in abundance 

and silence is rare.

Stupid 905 miles....

(pic from last year)

Happy First Day of Fall!

xoxo,

lyss

Little Letters

Dear Girl Who Offered To Give Me Your Seat Because I Was Wearing Heels,
Thanks, but I'm a Chicagoan. I can walk MILES in these shoes before I start to acknowledge pain.

Dear Kinfolk Magazine,
I have read you 4 times and I still can't get enough.

Dear Singing Voice,
I really wish you were better than you are.

Dear Cool Fall Breeze,
You make cuddling even more delightful! Please don't give in to winter winds too soon.

Dear Closet,
HELLOOO! I'm so happy to wear you again!

Dear Yoga,
You make my achey body feel so good.

Dear Godfather Trilogy,
Husband and I are sooooo excited to watch you! I'm thinking popcorn, favorite quilt, and you every Wednesday night for little while (:

Dear Pregnant Women Seemingly Everywhere,
Um, did I miss the pregnancy train here?

Hope you have a wonderful weekend!

xoxo,

lyss

In which I blow the comfort zone wide open

So I had the incredible opportunity to assist a world renown photographer on a photo shoot last night

(What! Is this real life?!)

and I walked away feeling like I presented myself badly and realizing I know ZILCHO about lighting.

Well, I learned some other things too.

Like don't piss off a model, they know more curse words 

and how to accurately use them than a sailor.

Boudoir inspired shoots make me blush,

and after 7 hours of solid blushing I don't think I'll need blush for a couple months.

I like natural light and illuminating dark alley ways in the middle of downtown

with a scantily clad model is not my forte.

Once you hit hour 3 of holding a light over your head your neck gets a lovely kink

(which FYI has still not gone away. Ouch.)

Once I go into awkward mode,

 there is no going back.

Moral of the story?

I'm not sure yet.

Maybe after that kink goes away I'll know.....

xoxo,

lyss

The Boys

For as long as I can remember we've called these two "the boys".

I'm not sure if it came out of them being twins or always in mischief together (;

but it makes my heart a little heavy to watch them grow up.

These boys who I held when they were scary small, ran to keep them from crawling 

out of the barricade we'd make for them to keep them in the living room so we could get 

a little school done, and promised years and years from now I'd teach them how to drive.

Well, the time to teach has come and gone (so sorry I wasn't there Eric!) and "the boys" are a breath

away from becoming men.

I'm so grateful we got to have a picnic together and I can't 

wait to spend more time with them when they come in just 21 days!

Don't grow any taller before you get here, 'k?

xoxo,

lyss

Dear Mom, I know you're reading this but somehow I find courage in pretending I'm writing about you instead of to you.... Silly, I know (:

I cannot believe the privilege I get to have of being a "Burkhardt".

This family I get to call mine is INCREDIBLY creative and skilled. One example of this is that my Mom makes beautiful weddings cakes (she made ours!) and her skills and eye for detail 

know no bounds!

She recruited Husband to help in decorating the said cake and I as watched them work I think

I fell in love with Husband and this dear family in a new, deeper way.

Too bad I can't keep up with their crazy skills (;

And these two spent the whole evening in a corner by themselves flirting and dreaming....

ahhh, the days of being boyfriend and girlfriend (:

xoxo,

lyss

love

 it was everywhere on this sweet day.

 It was found on the the open admiration found on the two people's faces who's 

beautiful friendship has now turned them into lover's. 

It was found with soft nostalgia on every couple's face who have made that declaration 

and commitment themselves on a day long ago. 

It was stamped on the fingerprints of helping hands found here and there and everywhere. 

It was in the tears of the mothers who watched their little ones run off to the adventure 

of truly learning how to love. It was in the joy of everyone as we lifted little tubes of bubbles

 up to our lips and blew them with our hopes and dreams for their happiness. 

It was so openly displayed on the groom as he openly adored his beloved and with every glance declared his adoration and want for her for the world to look on and sigh with joy.

 It was seen quietly on the sweet bride's face as she ran to see to every little detail and then would turn and beam with love and want at her beloved.

 Oh, it was all too lovely to portray.

Just a few more hours...

Our time here is almost done and I feel like we've hardly been here!

Every possible moment has been filled with loved ones.

Whether laughing with family over fat baby pictures, reminiscing with old friends, 

being hugged and kissed on by Church family, or cheering as dear friends kiss for the first time

to seal their commitment forever,

it has been such an overwhelmingly joyful visit.

I am so tired and so not ready to leave........

xoxo,

lyss

Surprise!!

We're here!!

Not sure how we did it, thought for sure the surprise would be blown.

We're so happy to spend time with family, celebrate with dear friends and meet significant other's (;

xoxo,

lyss

p.s. I do realize this means you guys are NEVER going to believe us when we say we can't come again ....

Summer Memories... (WARNING long post)

As we were picnicking at our spot yesterday Husband turns to me and says

"well, fall has definitely rolled in"

and goodness has it ever!

Almost cold mornings and evenings and a constant cool breeze, air conditioning unit gone (yay!!) 

blazers pulled out, and pumpkin spice candle burning.

Fall came quite suddenly this year.

Thursday was scorching hot and I was wondering if I would ever NOT sweat through everything I own again, then Saturday rolled around all cool and the wafting breeze smelling of fall. 

Voila! It's fall (:

As I was updating our photo wall I was getting all nostalgic about this summer.

Sometimes I think we're so boring and don't do anything and yet when I look back over our pictures

there is an overwhelming sense of love and joy.

Some of our favorite memories are: 

the light streaming through our alley each time we came home

 Teaching this one how to ride her bike

(she zooms everywhere now!)

Little gifts from little friends

our many, MANY trips to the zoo

Taco Tuesdays

 friend's weddings

Quiet moments at our spot

walks with E

giggles and high fives with this one

little anniversaries and celebrations

 dates with E

(don't worry, we only walked with her in the back)

Sunday evenings with friends

the boulevard

 our many little road trips 

meeting this precious girl

beginning to see our world as though through a camera lens

these shoes and the many miles we've walked (over 300!)

our little camping trips

our first cubs game

getting our jeepster

swimming in our local pool, many little picnics at the lake,

and sun kissed cheeks.

This has been such a precious season.

I'm excited to see what God brings with this next season!

xoxo,

lyss

P.S. Told ya it was long (: