Easy Like A Sunday Morning

Sundays are great.

No obligations. No serious plans.

Just a day to relax.

Today, consider...

writing a love note

baking cupcakes

taking a walk (it's good for the soul)

reading a book

doing something artistic

skipping rocks

In our case, we chose skipping rocks.

(yes, that is me hiya'ing in the background)

Have A Happy Sunday!

Shakin', Not Stirred

This is our usual weekend activity.

Olive enjoys it.

I promise it's not torture.

Hidden Little Messages

Falling in love...

You read about it,

You hear of being set up by a friend,

Meeting someone new during a night out on the town,

Running into one another at work,

Maybe sharing a drink and conversation with a new acquaintance at a friends house.

All seem like very natural ways of meeting that special someone. Right?

I thought so too.

I always dreamed of how I would meet that special someone. I often wracked my brain for potential people I had already met that were in my life that might be that special someone. What if it was someone I passed on the freeway in my car one day?

That I would never know but it's cool to think about.

However NONE of these were an accurate guess as to how I would meet my future husband.

I will have to attribute our chance meeting to one of the greatest networking sites of all time, we all have one, and the world loves it...FACEBOOK.

Yes, I said it. We met on Facebook.

It all started with a simple message.

Quickly the messages turned into multiple messages and grew into essays.

We hit our 100th message within 28 days of us talking.

I have been searching for months and months to try to find these old messages but I somehow thought they got deleted.

I was devastated.

Last night I thought I would search one last time for our fabled messages AND I FOUND THEM!

Gosh I was so excited!

Rereading these messages was hysterical.

We even wrote vows for each other 6 days into our conversation.

Somehow we knew we would spend the rest of our lives together.

I think they will make a great addition to our wedding.

How it all began...

Morgan Beck December 22, 2007 at 5:40am

okkkaaayyyy.....soooooo....you know my friends...I know your friends....but we don't know eachother....maybe we should be friends too! Maybe hang out...I don't know.

Awesome!

Matthew Proper December 22, 2007 at 9:45am

good talk... see you out there?

Matthew Proper December 22, 2007 at 9:49am

haha... sorry that was a really funny msg on your part, let me try again... I'm matt. nice to meet you..? I live in italy right now, but I'll be back in cali mayish, I'll consider maaaaybe considering you a new friend. if you meet the minimum requirements.

..The beginning of our Happily Ever After..

Our Vows

Morgan Beck January 2, 2008 at 10:04pm

I take thee Matt Proper to be my ice skating husband forever wearing flowers and sparkles. Until glorious dolphin rides end and crap cars start. I promise to learn the heimlich, practice my running skills and tend his broken pinky.

Matthew Proper January 3, 2008 at 3:26pm

I take thee Morgan Beck to be my headless wife, forever screwing up certain charades clues. I vow to continually snore so that I can revel in endless dutch ovens of my used-to-be-best-potential-friend-of-all-time. Until final words cease to be hilarious and someone tops the most amazing wedding on ice ever... neither of which will ever happen.

I LOVE HIM!

And yes, we still talk this way.

Send me your stories on how your Happily Ever After began!

morganEbeck{at}gmail{dot}com

*.:Kisses:.*

Baking is by far my most favorite thing to do when I have free time.

Yes, frequent baking usually equates to a few extra pounds from time to time but it is just soooo worth it!

Snicker Doodles are by far my favorite cookie.

They have the spice of cinnamon but the sweetness of sugar.

They can be topped with anything whether it be nuts, m&m's, or even (in my case) Hersey's Kisses

Not to mention they are always so soft and they just melt in your mouth.

Anyways, try this recipe at home when you get a chance.

It is FANTASTIC!

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 3/4 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons sugar (topping)
• 3 teaspoons cinnamon (topping)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F.

1. Mix butter, 1 1/2 cups sugar and eggs thoroughly in a large bowl.
2. Combine flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl.
3. Blend dry ingredients into butter mixture.
4. Chill dough, and chill an ungreased cookie sheet for about 10-15 minutes in the fridge.
5. Meanwhile, mix 3 tablespoons sugar, and 3 teaspoons cinnamon in a small bowl.
6. Scoop 1 inch globs of dough into the sugar/ cinnamon mixture.
7. Coat by gently rolling balls of dough in the sugar mixture.
8. Place on chilled ungreased cookie sheet, and bake 10 minutes.
   (I usually bake them for 6 or 7 minutes for extra soft cookies. When they come out they don't look super done but when they cool they are amAzing!)
9. Remove from pan immediately.
   
   
   Unwrap a Hersey's Kiss and stick it right in the middle of the cookie.
   
   
   ENJOY!
   
   

Zip Lining and Monkeys!

I just booked our honeymoon last night. I am beyond excited.

We were debating between the French Polynesian Islands or Costa Rica....

...Romantic and relaxing or Adventure along with a spa day or two?....

DUH! ADVENTURE! SO COSTA RICA IT IS!

We are staying at the Los Suenos Marriot Ocean & Golf Resort. It looks amazing. We also created this site with possible adventures we can go on.

Check it out here

Imagine zip lining through the canopies of the forests, white water rafting, great surfing (for Matt of course), bungee jumping, swimming with dolphins, and not to mention spa days!! Plus we will get to see the most active volcano in the Americas!

Is it obvious I am excited?

*images via Marriott

Once Upon A Dream

My friend Shannan and I used to think up these wild ideas.

My favorite crazy idea and one that I wish we carried out was moving to Hawaii after college for at least six months. We said that no man or profession would stop us from doing this.
Boy were we wrong.
We dreamed of cruising the beaches and working in resorts. We even started looking at apartments.
(Keep in mind we were in high school when this whole thing started)

This whole dream started with a trip to Maui where we fell in love with the island, the resort, and of course the pool boys.

We thought, "MAN! This is the LIFE!"

I wonder if all of this was an omen for what was to come.
Who would have thought I would have found a man who has the same passion for the island as me and now I have future family who live there!

Even though this may not have been what my dream originally consisted of, this is so much better!

What are some crazy high school dreams you and your friends had?

That Was Easy...

Yeah, easily one of the hardest things I have had to do to plan this wedding.

Who would have known that picking a bridesmaid dress would be nearly IMPOSSIBLE!

Not to mention the hate mail and the feelings of contempt from my bridesmaids for making them take multiple trips to the bridal salon to try on five new dresses every week.

Its not my fault they are all so gorgeous and look fabulous in all of these dresses. It would be hard for anyone to decide given the circumstances.

After requesting more and more trips to the bridal salon via email (because they all just looked ridiculously fabulous in all of the dresses) I started to feel so bad that I began to conclude each email XO BRIDEZILLA

So after three months of endless dresses, I think we finally have the dress picked out.

Not to mention one of my bridesmaids scored a hot date while trying on dresses.

Needless to say she isn't so frustrated with me anymore.

Thanks to my Maid of Honor, Camilla, I have this awesome mashup to get an idea for colors and dresses and such. Isn't it cool?

SO RELIEVED THIS PART IS ALMOST DONE!

Dear Sunshine,

Where have you gone? I miss you.

Yes, rain you were fun and a nice change of pace.

I appreciate you washing the cat pee off of the sidewalks.

You make mornings smell wonderful.

Winter coat, I always love wearing you.

Big rain boots, you make me feel invincible.

Big cozy comforter, I love snuggling up in you.

But Sunshine...

I love waking up to you in the morning.

I appreciate you letting me wear rainbows and shorts.

I love hearing the birds chirp because you brighten our days.

I love the warmth you provide and when you shine your beams on my skin.

You even make the sky pretty colors when you leave us for the night.

You make me happy!

Please come back.

OMG I've Got Life Envy

For some reason lately, I have really been focused on this "be grateful for what you have" mentality. Especially considering some events that have happened recently (which will not be disclosed).

I don't know how many times in the past I have been talking to someone or hearing about their lives and thinking to myself, "I wish I had that" or "I wish I was as good as them at something" etc.

So as I was sitting in the hair salon in Cyprus, I came across this article which totally made me think of this!

I have finally made the decision (with a little self therapy) to tell myself,

"Why continue to make yourself miserable over things you don't have? You control the way you feel."

"Why want more when what you have is more than enough?"

"Morgan, there is always going to be someone smarter, prettier, more successful, funnier than you. GET OVER IT!"

"BE GRATEFUL YOU SELFISH LITTLE BRAT!"

Have you ever noticed yourself having Life Envy?

This is something I really want to work hard at and change.

Pretty Pretty

My neighbor has the prettiest roses.

I sometimes just can't help myself and I go down concealing my scissors in my purse and snip a few off.

Aren't they stunning?

Something so simple makes my home so much prettier.

Christmas Never Ends In This Home...

How AMAZING are my future in-laws?

A large box arrived at my flat and I opened it to find....PRESENTS!!!

Christmas lasts for a month or two while you are overseas.

Thank youuuu crappy mail system.

Look at all the neat things we got!!

Thank you Sherry and Wendell!

We shall no longer be bored.

Chicken With A Side of Eyeballs

I had the most horrifying experience today.

Matt and I decided to finally go grocery shopping. Our little day trip across the street was going great!

Items were getting checked off the list.

My tummy was starting to grumble from seeing all the yummy food.

And Matt had the genius idea of a taco bar for lunch! Gosh he's so smart!

Okay, so this is where it gets good...

I was walking over to the meat section to get the necessary ingredients and some chicken for our taco bar.

Ground Beef. Check.

Chicken. Not so much.

I walk into the chicken section and there, next to the chicken breasts, lay PACKAGED SHEEP HEADS neatly wrapped in cellophane. Their skulls were skinned and their tongues were sticking out of their mouths and they still had their EYEBALLS in tact!

BARF!

I reached down to grab some chicken but I couldn't muster the strength as this lifeless sheep dome stared me down.

Ahhh I get chills just thinking about it!

Never again will I go into the meat section of that grocery store.

Note to Europeans: Figure it out. That is really gross and yes I am partially judging all of you Europeans who eat those sheep eyeballs.

I don't even want to post pictures.

Decade To Come

I know this is a little late, but I suggest everyone whip out their cameras for a little homemade fun.

Matt and I decided to have a comical conversation about where we think we will find ourselves in a decade and catch it all on tape so we can go back in 2020 and watch it. Maybe even someday show our children.

Some of the things we predicted were:

Kids (couldn't agree on the number)

A house

A dog and Olive

Volley? Not sure

Go watch it here!

Berkeley Is Such A Colorful Place

At times I miss it.

It's a love hate relationship. What can I say?

Conquering the World One Spike at A Time

My job consists of long hours, balls, gyms, small spandex, crazy coaches and lots and lots of travel time.

Confused?
I play volleyball.

Side Note: I feel like a total loser for using the term spike. I don't think I have heard that term since the 80's when I was in diapers.

Right now I am currently living in Cyprus which is a small island off of Greece. It is a concrete jungle here.
The local Cypriots explained to me that they made their buildings out of concrete so they would not be blown away by tornadoes like the buildings do in America.
There is dirt everywhere you look and they drive on the right side of the car down the left side of the road!
Imagine trying to adapt to that.

The food consists of Souvlaki, Sheftalia, and incredibly fresh fruits and vegetables. However McDonalds right down the street is still my go to. Plus they still fry the apple pies instead of bake them! Genius.

The streets are all lined with orange and lemon trees.

Most everyone speaks English and drives a very expensive car even if they can't afford it.

There are some of the most incredible beaches not far from where I live.

Perfect! Check out Nissi Beach!
Unfortunately the island is divided. In 1974, the Turkish invaded the island and now there is a division between the Greek Cypriots and the Turkish Cypriots. The Turkish side has a flag on the side of the mountain that faces the Greek side that is about two football fields long. They go so far as to light it up at night as if it was Christmas to get their point across. Day or night, this flag can be seen almost all throughout Nicosia which is the capital.
This hatred causes a great deal of tension and they want nothing to do with each other. They even go so far as to have different colored license plates.

This may all seem like fun and games. Most of it is. However, a majority of my time is FREE from distraction, work, traveling, and almost everything else in the world that keeps a person sane. If you are not normally a napper, you will quickly become one. If you are not a blogger, you will quickly become one. If you don't talk to your parents that much, you will quickly be engaged in hour long conversations with the people who used to make your life hell as a teenager. Anything to help pass the time.

(Just kidding Mom and Dad)

So now for all of you who went from envious to sympathetic, I must say it really isn't that bad. Yes you hear horror stories of playing sports abroad with disastrous coaches and payment problems but I was lucky enough to find a job with my best friend/fiance in a place that doesn't snow 6 months of of the 8 or 9 we will be abroad.

We do not get to live together but at least we are still in the same country. The distance we faced the past couple years while he was in Italy and Turkey and I still at Berkeley was miserable.

I must say, I do feel incredibly lucky to have a job and to be playing the sport I have loved for so many years as my profession.

~My Day Job~

Our Creative Kitchen

Matteo and I have been getting very creative in the kitchen. We love to go to the grocery store and get lots of great ingredients to make fantastic food and make a couple of mouth watering meals, but mouth watering meals are not so difficult with all the right ingredients.

The secret to a fantastic and fun meal is making deliciousness out of nothing. So our creativity has come with taking what we have left in the house and making meals. This way all of the food is gone before we go to the grocery store again.

Tonight I am left with rice, a little ham, a can of tuna, baked beans, edamame, and two slices of bread.

For dinner the chef is preparing baked beans with rice and chunks of ham and a tuna sammich and edamame for the appetizer. I think I get an A for effort but a F for main course.

I might have to take the rest of my hunger to McDonalds tonight.

My convertible Fillet-O-Fish

Clearly a grocery store run is on the list of to-do's for tomorrow.

See how creative you can be and share your pictures and ideas!

McDonalds Going Greek?

Bon Voyage BeBe!

Today is a sad day.

Matt just left for Italy and will not be back until Thursday.
The next couple of days are going to be lonely without him.

Little Notes to Whom It May Concern:

Airplane- Fly safe and bring my stud muffin back to me
Italy- enjoy my fiance. He is great.
Hotel Arte- help him sleep well so he doesn't turn into a giant Fuss Pot!
Perugia- play your best so when Anorthosis comes out victorious it will be because we are better.
Italian Women- eat your hearts out but keep your hands to yourself. Oh, and do not give him your number. He won't call.
Merchandise on the streets of Italy- Look very appealing so Matt comes back with a little surprise for me :)
Mario's- Feed that man well. He has been looking forward to this reunion for a longggg time.

Thank you

I LOVE YOU MATTHEW! HAVE FUN, PLAY WELL, AND DON'T MISS ME TOO MUCH ;)

I'm Getting Married!

This is truly one of the most exciting times in my life. Every passing second is spent thinking and dreaming up new ideas to make this wedding amazing.

I already know it is going to be spectacular because I am marrying the man of my dreams, but how wonderful would it be to have all of your guests leave at the end of the night wishing that the night would never end?

Thankfully Matt and I have had a long engagement so I have had ample time to plan. But trust me it has not been without many ups and downs such as living in Europe, not being able to decide on a wedding gown or bridesmaid dress, not getting to try very many gowns on before making my decision, and the typical tight budget.

Yes, this may cause a small damper on some of my days but when the pieces of this intricate puzzle start falling together it is so rewarding.


We have TONS of ideas and I love the way the final image is forming in my head. I want to tell you EVERYTHING! But I should probably keep some a secret so there is still an element of surprise for our guests.

If you want to know more about what I am doing, email me because I would love to share with you.
Maybe brainstorm and get some more ideas.
MorganEBeck {at} gmail {dot} com

I can't wait until some of my friends start getting engaged (cough cough- you know who you are) so I can help them plan!!

Make sure to check out our wedding website at MatthewandMorgan.com

Sleepless In Cyprus

The past 24 hours have been the most inconvenient 24 hours of my life.

For some reason I can never sleep when Matt and I sleep at our separate apartments.
I stayed up until 5:00 a.m. without a wink of sleep. Around 4:30 I even got a Skype message from Matt asking me to wake up because he couldn't sleep either. (It's a sign!)

We talked for 30 minutes then decide to give sleeping a shot. We both fell asleep but I woke up three hours later! The Nerve!

I didn't move from my bed for another three hours with the hopes of falling back asleep.
No such luck.

I decided to solve my dilemma with the aid of Tylenol PM.

OH! I forgot to tell you that I was freaking out because I had a game tonight! And knowing me I would have crashed at 8:00 P.M. during warm ups with the three hours of sleep I got.

Back on track: I managed to sleep for another hour and a half (thanks to Tylenol PM) and got up around 4:00.

Long story short, my sleeping cycle and my body is so beyond whacked out right now. Plus, I just got home and went to take a shower but I have ZERO water coming out of any of my faucets. I am so peeved.
However, we did win our match tonight and I managed not to fall asleep on the court. Go Me!

I Love Lunch Dates...

Yes, I will take a side of backgammon with my hot fudge brownie, double ice cream sundae.

Today Matt and I went to Bennigan's in Limassol for a little lunch date.

It was great. We sat and shared stories, held hands, and told each other how much we loved one another.

Gosh we are so corny but it only makes me LOVE us more!

We decided to celebrate our health and our happiness with a great big, fatty, greasy FEAST!

*Please refrain from vomitting after reading the following

My lunch consisted of:

An Oreo milkshake with whipped cream and a cherry

Fried mozzarella sticks, potato skins with bacon and cheese, and chicken fingers for our appetizer

A big cheeseburger with fries

Coffee and a brownie sundae with two scoops of ice cream, hot fudge, whipped cream, and a cherry for dessert

I stopped at the cardiologist on my way home.

Needless to say my lunch will be my only meal for today. But man, was it completely and totally worth it.

We knew we would not want to move after our massive feast so we brought games! We set up our backgammon board and played for about an hour and then pulled out the cards and played for another 20 minutes or so.

Yes we got awkward stares and hints to leave the restaurant so they could seat other people even though the restaurant was half empty.

Side Note: Do you hate it as much as we do when your waiters stand at the side of the table and loiter until you decide what you want to eat? Gew! Drives me BONKERS!

Anyways, it was a fantastic lunch date!