goodbye omaha.

Oh Omaha, you were so good to us. 

I've been wanting to do a big fat blog post, just looking back at our two years there.

So many memories and friendships made.

The best thing that has happened to Zak and I, hands down.
And the best thing for our marriage, as well.

Going through all of our photos makes me feel overwhelmed with happiness and it makes me seriously count our blessings.

We are so lucky.

And I would be lying if I said I didn't cry looking at all these photos..

and I would be an even bigger liar if I said I wasn't listening to my fav playlist that reminds me of Nebraska and lighting candles that remind me of our old home.

So yes, I'm missing Omaha in a big way right now. 

I could go on and on and on all day about our time in the midwest, but instead I'm going to just jot down our memories that go with each photo.

Because, I want to remember the big and small moments that made up our life in the Heartland. 

Warning: there are lots of photos in this post!

So without further adieu these are all of our memories from Omaha and Iowa.. 

- Oh first year!
- Discovered the Old Market Farmers Market

- I cut seven inches off of my hair

- We both turned 23

- Zak surprised me with a new Mac Book!

- I went to my first "wives night" and met some of the best ladies in the world

- We did some bowling 

- Romie and I walked around the historic neighborhoods looking at the gigantic Christmas trees

- I attended my first Alpha Phi Alumni event

- I got lots of sweet notes from my hubby

- We found an "AZ style Mexican restaurant," thank goodness!

- We went in our first corn maze, you know to try and fit in. ;)

- We had our first Greek take-out date in the living room

- I started at FOX42 News!!

- We walked around Creighton's campus, admiring the gorgeous chapel

- We had one fancy seafood meal, then realized we were broke haha.

- We went apple picking.

- We experienced a real fall- crunchy leaves and all!

- We went to Kansas City for the first time, and fell in love with the KC rose garden

- Romie came to live with us- best day ever!

- We went to Miracle on Farman street and looked at all the window fronts, pretending like we were in NYC. :)

- We had our first snow!

- We took a wonderful trip to Lincoln, see that post here

- I worked in my first snow storm

- My mom came and visited and we turned into total tourists

- We had lots of little date nights to fav restaurants like Ingrediant, Roja and El Basha

- Zak surprised me on Valentines Morning with a bathtub filled with balloons and goodes- read that post here.

- We attended a Married to Medicine talk, which was very insightful!

- My best friend got married (okay in AZ, but it's still a memory from the last 2 years)!

- I took a swing on the anchor desk

- We celebrated our first Thanksgiving, and attempted making stuffing and mashed pots for breakfast.. haha! Read that post here. 

- I baked tons of Valentines Day treats and surprised Zak with a fancy whole cooked chicken at home. :) Read about it here. 

- We bought our first Christmas tree, and was it wayyyy too big for our apartment 

- We made it to the Omaha Zoo for the first time

- My dad came and visited in the dead of winter!

- We finished all 7 Harry Potter books, and celebrated with popcorn, pink lemonade and a movie marathon- big accomplishment for me!

- We went on an insane diet and tried CrossFit..

- We to our first Ugly Sweater Christmas party!

- Attended the FOX42 News holiday party

- Read through almost a 1,000 notes we wrote to each other in 2013.. read that post here.

- Zak surprised on Easter Sunday night {after I worked all day} with a Easter basket full of gifts and a scavenger hunt around the apartment. He's the sweetest!

- Chips and salsa at Roja

- We bought a new car!!

- We went on a little date to Cold Stone Creamery {where we also had our first kiss back in 2008}!

- We took an anniversary trip to Chicago and did about everything two tourists could do!

- From the Chicago theatre, Lake Michigan and a Cubs Stadium tour- we did it all!

- We visited the Des Moines capitol building

- Our family's came and visited!

- We took another fun trip to Kansas City and went to Worlds of Fun!

- We hosted our first 4th of July BBQ party!

- I started cooking.. 

- Zak and I found some pretty cool hidden gems around Omaha

- We picked up a little game of tennis

- I reported on the College World Series- such a cool night!

- We celebrated our 1 year wedding anniversary!

- We went on a trip to Minnesota for our friend's wedding

- And took Romie down to the Missouri River!

- We moved to Iowa

- I had a bunch more girls nights

- Zak and I ordered Chinese Take-Out {more than once} & ate it on the living room floor

- I covered my first tornado!

- And did lots of live shots

- Zak and I turned 24

- We hosted our first Murder Mystery Party

- And carved some pumpkins 

- We also went to a Valla's Pumpkin Patch on Halloween, and it was my favorite Halloween to date!

- We dressed up as Mary Poppins and Burt

- And turned our apartment into a spook-tacular space!

- I baked pumpkin bread all by myself! It's a family recipe that my mom always makes

- I went to a few Anthro craft nights

- We made {and completed} an awesome fall bucket list!

- We walked around the farmers market taking in the fall air

- I threw Zak a b-day party with all our friends- complete with a homemade cake!

- Zak treated me to a fancy birthday dinner and surprised me with all kinds of goodies!

- Watched my bestie cousin get married!

- We had the nicest Thanksgiving dinner with all of our friends during a blustery winter storm

- We collected leaves of all different colors- they're so pretty!

- We took family Christmas pictures

- Zak rescued me after I lost my phone and car keys at the park while walking Romie

- I finally got used to the cold/bundling up Romie and I on our morning walks

- We had Domino's for Christmas Eve Dinner, we're so classy!

- We had the ultimate Target date where we picked out all of our Christmas decorations- best night ever!

- We saw like 7 movies over the course of like 3 weeks! One night we decided to watch 2 back to back!

- We took lots of chilly walks around historic neighborhoods

- And attended our 2nd ugly Christmas sweater party with friends

- We sent our cute little Christmas cards to loved ones

- And wrote snow love notes on each others cars

- We celebrated NYE in Galesburg with family

- And I hosted my first Alpha Phi alumni holiday event

- I covered crazy election night!

- And I had "gift wrapping party" with the girls

- We had lots of cuddle sessions with Romie

- And a couple more take-out slumber parties in the living room

- We binge watched hmm lets see The Wire, Sons of Anarchy, Lost & The Office.

- We decked the halls with all kinds of Christmas cheer!

- I worked on Thanksgiving, giving lots of live reports throughout the night!

- And we attended our first Husker football game, which was an AMAZING DAY!

- We had a wonderful {early} Christmas morning together, and then I took off for work!

-Haha we ate Christmas dinner at Hardee's aka Carl's Junior.. classy yet again!

- I advised the wonderful Alpha Phi's at Creighton

- And covered LOTS of snow storms!

- I braved the 7 degree weather to make it to 7:00 AM spin classes- this is now my motivation to get my butt up in the mornings!

- Zak and I took a spontaneous and wonderful snowboarding trip

- We had a couple smoothie date nights.

- And a couple more themed dinner nights with friends- like Around the World night and Fiesta night! Mmm!

- I did one of my all time favorite stories about a vet and his stolen car.. and because of the coverage someone gave him a new car!
- We had an Oscar's Award Prediction party! 

- I did lots of antiquing at my fav Omaha boutiques

- Woke up to sweet notes from the hubs

- Hosted a Galentines Day girls night!

- Visited Galesburg IL for a week, and it was the best thing ever.

- And took a tour around Zak's family's farm

- Had some more slumber parties

- And covered the walls in pink and red to celebrate Valentines Day!

- Found out we were moving to ARIZONA!

- And did a few more fun stories at FOX!

- Found the cutest holiday mat for our front door

- Had lots of cuddly mornings with Rom

- Produced an investigative report about puppy mills in Nebraska, one of the proudest times in my career thus far!

- Worked with a national TV network in Lincoln

- Had THE BEST VALENTINES DAY EVER!

- Complete with flowers, gifts, snow, a day at the museum, eating gourmet pizza in the car and getting dressed up for a play that night

- Making New Years Resolutions aka working out more and being healthier.. and they've stuck 7 months later!

- Made some exciting plans with the hubs

- Celebrated St. Patricks Day with green smoothies

- And had all the sweets in the world at work.. including donuts, pizza and ice cream! 

- Make lots of salads and smoothies to get our butts in shape

- Celebrated Easter, and decorated our apartment for the pretty spring season!

- Covered lots of breaking news

- Got all dressed up for Easter Sunday

- Built forts in the living room

- Had some celebratory date nights

- And laughed we were blue in the faces some nights- being married to someone funny is the best

- And hosted some more girls nights:)

- Watched the Spring happen over night
- Was featured in a magazine!

- Visited Galesburg a couple more times- our favorite place!

- Took a wonderful girls trip to Kansas City!
- Celebrated Earth Day!

- Had one last and very sad dinner with our best friends:(

- Soaked up as much of Omaha as we could!

- Said goodbye to my wonderful job at FOX42 News in Omaha-
ps look forward to a goodbye FOX post soon!

- Went to a few baby showers- all the wives in Omaha are preggers and it's so cute!

- Took a quick trip to AZ to find a new home

- Helped Zak's grandma pick asparagus on the farm

- Ate Indian food for the first time ever!

- Said goodbye to the historic neighborhoods in Dundee

- Met some wonderful people helping animals in Nepal

- My dad also visited in the spring

- We rode bikes around the river

- Played tennis one last time and ate lots of Skinny Cows

- Took a couple trips to get froyo

- Did a story with a really cool gorilla

- Worked in the crazy rain storms

-  And thanked The Lord for blessing us with two amazing years in the midwest

We already miss all our friends so much, and were so blessed with the time we had in Omaha.

It will always have such a special special place in our hearts.

xoxo