Summer Fun

Yesterday I made some absolutely delicious cupcakes and then today I frosted them and added some red sparklies to them-all in honor of the 4th of July of course! It is my 2nd favorite holiday and I just love to be festive and decorate and go all out! If you know me at all, you KNOW I just love holidays. This picture was taken on my kitchen table with my candy dish (red white and blue stars). I am slowly turning my kitchen and living room into Americana decor-I am all about the red, white, and blue. :)

Hope you have a great 4th of July everyone!!! God bless America.

Quotes

"To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment."

~Ralph Waldo Emerson~

"A garden left to itself is soon nothing but weeds, stickers, and dry, parched ground. Like a lovely, abundant garden, your relationship with God requires constant care and attention if it is to flourish and prosper."

~Unknown~

Happy Flag Day!

The red and white stripes of our flag represent the original thirteen colonies with the blue as a background for the stars representing those colonies. As new states were added so were more stars. Fly the flag proudly. It is the valiant symbol of our freedom.

Random Facts About Fort Wayne, IN

Recently, I attended a social function for seminary wives, since that is now my label, here in Fort Wayne at Concordia University. We played a game about the history of Fort Wayne and I learned a ton and found out some interesting facts! So, I thought I would share some with you.

-Fort Wayne was named after General "Mad Anthony" Wayne.

-The population of Fort Wayne today is approximately 252,000.

-Fort Wayne was the home of the FIRST woman's professional baseball team, the Daisies. The 1992 movie "A League of Their Own" was based upon this team.

-Vera Bradley holds an annual shopping event that attracts over 30,000 people. Items are available for 40-70% off of retail. Next year's sale will be April 28-May 1, 2010. Mark your calendars ladies! :)

-John Chapman known as "Johnny Appleseed" is buried in Ft. Wayne. There is a Johnny Appleseed Festival every September, this year it will celebrate its 35th anniversary.

-There are 327 recognized organized congregations (churches) in Fort Wayne.

-DeBrands is a famous chocolate company located in Ft. Wayne. Donald Trump orders his chocolates from there.

-The city motto of Ft. Wayne is "Room for Dreams."

Love Quote

Brian and I at Wrigley Field in Chicago

"People need love the most when they deserve it the least."


I encourage you to truly love one another each and every day.

Be Open

This statement was on my daily flip calendar for May 11 and I think it is fantastic so I wanted to share it with you --

"Be open to new possibilities, new ideas, new friends, new horizons."

This picture was taken over Brian's graduation weekend. He graduated Sunday from IUPUI with highest distinction, he's worked SO hard for this. :)

Family Visits Indy!

Hi! It's been awhile since I have posted news on the Flamme's. We really haven't had anything newsworthy happen until recently. My parents came to visit Brian and I here in Indianapolis. They arrived on Thursday afternoon. Brian and I met them in baggage claim and it was so exciting to see them. I hadn't seen them since just after our honeymoon at the end of December-about 4 months! After getting their luggage, we drove to the hotel where they would be staying, the Country Inn and Suites. It was close to our apartment which was nice. Brian had a night class so he left and I just hung out alone with my parents. We went to Uno's which has excellent pizza and they liked it. We then made a Target run for some needed items. We finished the night with Survivor in the hotel room.

On Friday, we started the day with Starbucks. It was right by the hotel so who would pass that up?! :) After Starbucks, we headed to our apartment to show my parents where our first home has been made. :) They liked it, how it was decorated, the area, etc. Then we headed to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway where we toured and spent some time. Brian and my dad took a van ride around the entire track while my mom and I stayed in the museum/gift shop area. We looked around the museum and hall of fame then took off to get some lunch downtown! After grabbing a bite to eat, we walked the canal that Indy has downtown. It is just a man made water canal that runs through the city and people often walk, run, bike it during the day. We love it and my parents did as well. We walked a little of downtown, took them to the Circle Center Mall downtown which is HUGE, and saw some wonderful sights! After touring downtown a bit, we went to Texas Roadhouse for some drinks and appetizers. We then attempted to go back downtown to The Rathskeller, a German restaurant. The Biergarten was opening that night and we thought it would be a great experience on a warm evening. Unfortunately, it was packed. There were so many people and it just was not an enjoyable experience so we decided on a different course of action. We were all pretty bummed out that it had to be like that. Brian decided it would be great to take them to the Oaken Barrel, a local brewery here in Indiana. The men had a few beers and the ladies drank some Coke. :)

On Saturday, we started our day again with Starbucks! :) Then we decided to head down to Nashville, IN. It was a last minute thing. We really weren't sure what to do that day, and I thought my mom would like it down there. It is about an hour south of Indianapolis. It just has a lot of unique shops. It is a cute little town! My mom and I did the shopping while my dad and Brian just hung out waiting for us. :) We spent a little time there then headed back to Indianapolis to Margaritas, a Mexican restaurant that Brian and I like. After dinner, we just went back to our apartment to relax and chat.

On Sunday morning we went to church. We went to the church that Brian's dad is a pastor of. There they saw Beverly Ann, John, Paul, and Faith (Brian's family). They talked a little bit before the service started. After the service, we went out for lunch to Stir Crazy, a new restaurant none of us had been to or heard of. It was good Asian food. We enjoyed it. After eating, we took them to the airport where we said some tearful goodbyes. It was hard to see them go, but I am so happy that they came to see us here in Indy. It meant a lot to me to have them here.

Overall, it was a great weekend. I wish it would've lasted longer, time always goes by so fast! It was good to see them and spend a few days together. Hopefully, I can make a trip home to Colorado soon. :) I will try to post some pictures soon. We didn't take many at all, but I will share what we have. Have a blessed day!!!

Love,
Jen