railroad park

The last few Sunday evenings have been spent at the McCormick Railroad Park in Scottsdale with Dave's family for their free concert series. At first I didn't know what to expect - but this park is seriously the coolest park I've ever been to. Lots and lots of families showed up for the concert and there are all kinds of activities for kids to take part in - train ride, carousel, playground, various exhibits, a snack shop that operates out of a caboose and Hartley's General Store with souvenirs and food. The music was great too!

Dave and I treated ourselves to some mint chocolate chip ice cream on a sugar cone this last time around.

perfect saturday evening

A few Saturdays ago, Dave and I decided to spend the evening driving neighborhoods. Checking out other areas we might like to live other than where we each live now. We had so much fun picturing our future and imagining where we might end up. After our little house/neighborhood hunt, we dined at Spinatos - one of my favorite pizza restaurants ever. His first time! And he loved it. We will be back for more soon. Our fave combo is sausage and pineapple, yum.

all-american fourth of july

We spent our July Fourth evening at the Dbacks game with my future in-laws. Baseball, hot dogs, nachos and fireworks...doesn't get much better!

Here's Dave with his niece, so cute! 

afternoon coffee date

Coffee dates (well, actually ice tea dates) are a regular occurrence with my bestie. These days they're even sweeter since they now include baby Camdyn. What's better than two hours of gabbing on a lazy Saturday afternoon and holding the cutest little newborn ever?

This last time we met up, Sarah gave me a beautiful engagement gift too! So sweet! A homemade decorative "S" for Schmitt, champagne and a frame with a picture of my fiance and I that says "Fairy Tales Do Come True." So thoughtful and perfect.

spontaneous baking

The other night, I was scrolling through Facebook when I came across a three-ingredient peanut butter cookie recipe. I hadn't planned on baking that night (after going to spin class) but when I peeked at the recipe and I had all the ingredients, curiosity got the best of me (just three ingredients?!). 

In no time at all, I whipped these up:

Jan D'Atri posted the recipe on her website here. It's just peanut butter, sugar and an egg. And you know what? They're almost as good as the real thing. They don't have the same density and old-fashioned taste my mom's recipe has. These are a bit chewy, but for a quick little snack, definitely worth it! 

cabin getaway

Usually Memorial Day weekend is filled with poolside fun, bbqs and sun. But my fiance (I completely intend to overuse the word 'fiance' throughout our engagement) and I decided to get out of the heat and head to my parents cabin in Forest Lakes for the long-weekend.


Friday after work, we went grocery shopping, packed a cooler and headed up north. In just a few hours, we were in the pines and away from nearly all technology. It was an unexpectedly cold weekend, but we welcomed it. At night, it was forty degrees and during the day - the low fifties!
Saturday morning, Dave made our fave - cinnamon rolls (even better up north because they get really fluffy!), over-easy eggs and bacon. Then we drove up to some shops in Heber, stopped by a few antique stores on the way and went sight-seeing through a few neighborhoods. We got home, made lunch and relaxed. Next up - foosball and gin. After flipping through some bridal magazines, we sipped on wine while he grilled us some great steaks and corn on the cob. Later that evening, it was cold enough for a fire and the perfect excuse to roast marshmallows and make smores. Mmmmm!


Sunday morning was another great breakfast (love that my fiance cooks so much). Then an afternoon of practicing our shooting skills ensued. We did some more sight-seeing, had some lunch then played Arizona Trivia (you never know what games you'll find lying around in a cabin) and made a draft of our wedding guest list.


A wonderful, yet nontraditional Memorial Day weekend. Wouldn't trade it for anything.

~ It may not look amazing, but it was a delish breakfast ~

 ~ This store had some great finds. We will be returning! ~

~ Bison Ranch in Heber ~ 

~ Grill Master! ~ 

~ His ~

~ And hers ~

~ Yes, it was that cold! Gotta love roasting marshmallows. ~

~ Shooting practice! ~

~ <3 ~

future mrs. schmitt

These past few weeks have been so busy and fun that I'm just now getting to this blog post. But yes - soon I'll be Mrs. Schmitt! 

The love of my life proposed to me on May 19 - where we had our first date one year ago. I had absolutely no idea it was coming - it was the biggest, yet sweetest surprise of my life. 

As far as I knew, that Saturday evening, we would celebrate our one year. I knew it would be special, I just didn't know how special! It's funny how everything works out though. I woke up that morning and had great kids at the gym. Everything went quite smoothly. That doesn't usually happen when you're teaching 3, 4 and 5 year-olds gymnastics. I went to my parents' house for lunch afterwards and nothing seemed out of the ordinary there. Had a nice visit and then ran to the mall to see if I could find something to wear for our one-year. Tried on a few things, but decided I didn't like anything more than what I already had. I finally got home and got ready and nothing was going wrong. Usually by the time Saturday evenings roll around, I'm stressed and frustrated from sorting through a closet of clothes and feeling like I have nothing to wear, dealing with my hair that never wants to do what it's supposed to and more or less feeling rushed and tired by the time my lovely date shows up. This Saturday was different - everything just fell into place perfectly.

Dave picked me up that evening for our anniversary bringing me two dozen roses - red and white. Then it was off to Coup de Tartes (if you haven't been, you NEED to go). He gave me a special little gift when we first got there, plus brought a great bottle of red for the evening. Then we ordered a few appetizers and an entree. It was delish as always and I ate pretty much every bit. Dave had seemed a little anxious when our entrees took awhile to be brought out, but I didn't think anything of it. Then, just before dessert came, he read the card I got him, and then, through some tears, started telling me all his thoughts and feelings. Not knowing it was leading to a proposal and seeing him so emotional, I interrupted telling him about how I felt about us. Then he continued and next think I knew, he said "that's why I have a question to ask you." And that's when complete shock took over for me. I finally realized what was happening, but I couldn't quite believe it. He got on one knee, held out the ring and asked me to marry him. Such an amazing and unforgettable moment. I was pretty much speechless after saying "yes" - so basically I just kept kissing him afterwards. People probably thought we were crazy.

~ at coup de tartes after the proposal ~

~ outside the restaurant. ~

We left around 9pm and called his mom and mine (although she already knew since he had asked my dad for permission) on our way back to his house - where I thought we were going. But next thing I knew, were were in front of the Montalucia. He had said he got a room for the weekend and that we should go get a drink at the bar. I was soooo happy and surprised - again! As we're walking towards the bar, I see my mom and good friend Michelle standing out front! Then more and more people start coming up to us - my friends, his friends, both our families! It was the sweetest, most amazing moment to see 25 of our closest friends and family and having them there to celebrate with us. A little champagne and being around those that love us most was the perfect nightcap for a day that will never be forgotten. 

Sunday was full of relaxation and pure bliss. A perfect breakfast on our patio and then a sun-filled day at the resort pool with great food, drinks and complete happiness. Definitely a weekend I never expected and never wanted to end.