Herbs

My herbs have really been enjoying all of this rain. They are all looking so green and smelling so good!

Moons and sunsets

Last night was beautiful. I went to Herring Cove with Aaron's family to watch the full moon rise over the ocean. We stayed for hours, watching both the moon rise and the reflections dance across the sea. The moon was so bright, it was hard to believe it was nighttime. Nova Scotia was such an incredibly beautiful place to watch such an amazing moonrise.

Findlay Fridays

I'm so happy to be back in Halifax with this little guy, and he's very happy that it's summer. He hardly ever leaves his favourite spot by the window.

Our DIY engagement-ish photos in Albuquerque

Aaron and I got engaged on May 25. We proposed to each other after a breakfast of homemade banana muffins with Aaron's home roasted coffee. It was lovely. Shortly after, we were in Albuquerque. We are not getting married in my hometown, but I thought it would be nice to get some engagement photos done there, as it is such an important place to me. However, seeing as we are poor students, once we started looking at what the actual cost of the wedding is going to be, engagement photos were not going to make it into our budget. So, with the help of my parents, they took some for us at some of my favourite places around Albuquerque! I really love how they turned out. I think they have a lot of character, and they are a great memento from our trip, and from this season in our lives. I hope that one day, when we are not poor students, we will be able to get some proper photos taken, but I will always treasure these DIY photos that perfectly capture where we are in our lives at this moment. Most of these photos have been edited with A Beautiful Mess Actions.

The above photos were all taken at Casa RondeñaWinery. I LOVE Casa Rondeña. I went twice while I was home, once on my birthday with my mom, and once with Aaron and my parents. It is pretty much my dream wedding venue if we were getting married in New Mexico.  The grounds are  stunning, and it was the perfect backdrop to snap a couple of photos! Casa Rondeña would be one of my top recommendations for visitors to Albuquerque.

Our next location was down by the Rio Grande. I think that you can get some of the best views of the beautiful Sandia Mountains down by the river, and gives you such a good sense of the beauty of this city.

Our final location was Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument. Tent Rocks is one of my favourite places in New Mexico. It is just so beautiful and unusual and it's a wonderful place to hike. Tent Rocks is another place that I would strongly urge everyone to see. I have written about Tent Rocks here and here.

Thanks for taking a look at our DIY engagement photos! 

Rafting down the Rio Grande

On our last Sunday in New Mexico, my parents took me, Aaron, my brother, and his girlfriend rafting in the Rio Grande. It was SO much fun! As a family, we had gone rafting through the Taos Box a few years back, but this time, we went through the Racecourse. The company we went with was Big River Raft Trips, and we had a wonderful experience. Our guide was hilarious, extremely competent, and knowledgeable about the area. He even let us float down the river outside of the raft at a few points! I would highly recommend either a half day or full day rafting trip if you are ever in New Mexico. After our trip, we had a quick picnic, then Aaron, Ethan, and Megan all jumped off this bridge into the river. Because they are ridiculous. The drive home was beautiful. Northern New Mexico is one of the most picturesque places in the world.