Life Lately {vol. 27}

I made some really fabulous fresh fish a few weeks ago! It was the walleye my grandpa and I caught, and it was delicious!

I also made two kinds of shrimp won tons, which I could have kept eating for days (if there had been nearly enough).

Between packing up my clothes, I watched X-Files and drank hot tea! After working hard all week and working out a lot, it was nice to relax.

I worked out at Power Life Yoga a ton during my last two weeks in Iowa. It's one of the things I'm going to really miss about Des Moines, because there's no substitute in Concord...

My friend Mallory got married!! So a few days before, we celebrated her bachelorette party at Jasper Winery!

It was such a great night! I loved meeting Mallory's friends, and I hadn't seen my friend Shelby in a really long time.

I lived with my mom for about two weeks, but after she left for South Carolina again, my life was mostly... packing, haha.

My last Farmer's Market was a huge success! Saloo's Indian is my favorite part every weekend. Veggie cutlets are one of my favorite foods ever!

How beautiful is this city?!

I tried wheat grass lemonade for the first time that weekend, and it was a REVELATION. So delicious!

I also met this tiny Boston Terrier puppy named Millie! She was ridiculously cute!

I got a chance to visit Hill Vintage before I left! I didn't buy anything, but it was still fun.

I also checked out Raygun and got some SWEET loot!

Saturday night, I hung out with my friends Maddy and Erin! We went to Hessan Haus and Up Down, which are two of my favorite bars in downtown Des Moines.

We tried to get Tacopacalypse on Saturday night, but they closed early... so naturally, I went there for lunch on Sunday. AMAZING!!

I got a bunch of fresh veggies at the Farmer's Market, and it was really fun to be able to cook with them. I hadn't cooked while my parents were in town, and I really missed it!

My last week in Iowa, I was really busy at work and was exhausted. I told J that I wasn't going to work out the rest of the week, and he told me that, while he supported my decision, he was pretty sure working out would actually be the best thing for me. And you know what? He was right!

My friend Macy hosted book club on Wednesday, and boy does that girl know how to host!

Thursday evening, my friend Veronica brought me to a Mary Kay event and I got all dolled up there! I usually don't wear this much makeup, but I did like the overall effect!

I was up super late on Thursday, cleaning up and packing!

I got bagels for my going-away treat at the Fiedler Law Firm! How adorable is that sign?!

By the time I left after work on Friday to drive to Iowa City, I was STARVING! J worked until 8PM at HyVee, so I got delicious, brown meal from the Chinese department!

I had missed my kitties (and J) so bad! :)

Leif wasn't totally sure about me right away, but I think he's gotten used to me again!

Everyone thought that this coffee table wouldn't fit in my car... BUT I DID IT. With pure strength of will, haha.

For breakfast on Saturday morning, I made fried eggs with goat cheese and tomatoes! They were sooo good! Goat cheese is already amazing, but the combination of runny yolks and the goat cheese is to-die for!

I let the dogs out while J was at work, and it was a delight to see lil' Winston again! Just look at that face!

Look at these cute babies!

On Saturday evening, J and I headed to Oyama sushi for a "goodbye" dinner to my favorite restaurant!

Ever since I wrote my review of Oyama, they've given us this free appetizer of tempura white tuna with a crazy-delicious sauce!

We both paid for ourselves, so both of us splurged! How amazing does this looks?!

My sushi was PERFECT. I've never had this good of sushi for this great of a price!

While J was at work, James decided to burrow in his pants... XD

J and I spent my last night in Iowa at Peking Buffet, and I got this fortune in my cookie! :)

We left for New Hampshire on Monday! I knew James would be fine (he loves driving), but I was really worried that Leif would cry the whole time... Lucky for us, he only cried for about 10 minutes, and then he was quiet and miserable the rest of the trip!

Beautiful Vermont! The last few hours of the trip are especially hard because EVERYTHING looks like the area around Concord, haha! It's makes you think you're closer than you really are.

We finally got to the apartment and took the cats inside while we tried to sleep for a few more hours. The trip was exhausting, and I didn't sleep very well. I didn't really sleep well once we got back, either, because I was still so anxious! Thankfully, James knew exactly where he was and felt perfectly at home. Leif was nervous, but James kept snuggling him and grooming him!

I love seeing Leif get more comfortable around the apartment! Look at this cutie!

It's been chaotic trying to move my stuff in and reorganize, but it's coming together well!

My parents got me this light-up arrow, and I finally got to put it together! I love it so much! :D

I brought out James' Spider-man chair to the living room, and he's barely left it! Adorable!

It's bizzare (in a good way) to be back in Concord! I think what I love is that I know exactly where I am and where my stuff is. I'm no longer living out a suitcase or worrying from afar. It's also really nice to be able to "settle down" again with J and the cats!

I have about a week and a half before school starts up again, so it's nice to have some free time to get organized and enjoy my time with J before he has to fly back. I'm definitely not prepared for him to leave, but I'll be back in Iowa in late September! My cousin Brandee is getting married, so I'll be able to see my family and J again. :)

Are you excited for school to start back up?