Feelin’ hot, hot, hot!

I think I can say that this summer will officially go down in my history books as the hottest summer of my memory.  I don’t really remembering sweating this much in my entire life and as a kid I grew up on a farm that didn’t have air conditioning and still didn’t sweat as much as I have now.  I am really looking forward to some relief and the possibility of getting outside and enjoying the summer.  I know it must still be possible – right?

So much has happened since my last post – friends having babies, getting married, and getting new jobs.  It’s crazy to be on the other side of all of that now thinking of all of the anticipation that was leading up to those events.  But all good things and it’s encouraging to see the people around me having such great successes.  I am sure there is more of that to go around.  There have also been some tough times as well and it is never easy to say goodbye to more loved ones – losing family and friends never gets easier that is for sure.  But I am thankful that they were in my world for a while and their memories will be with me always – although I miss them terribly.

What is on the horizon for the second half of 2011?  I am really unsure at this point but am working on changing things up in my world and hope to be working towards some new and wonderful adventures for myself.

Some fun highlights from this summer.  Experiencing a local Chinese food restaurant in my neighborhood.  The woman who runs the joint is adorable!  You can tell she loves what she does and appreciates all of her customers whether they are old or new.  She said “you come back now…” in her fun accent and she grabbed my arm like we were already old friends.  It was really sweet.

Other good memories, the few times I actually got to play softball with the one and only Southside Slammas.  I had such a fun time but my darn foot kept giving me trouble this season.  But there were a few moments of greatness for me where I ACTUALLY hit the ball and made it home a few times.  I LOVE moments like those for myself and any of our teammates.  There is such camaraderie even though we’re not that good – we are the team with heart.  Our night of grilling out when it was 100 degrees out – we won the game that night.  It was an insanely late night and the field lights turned off on us as we were finishing up our “good game handshake” at the end of the night.  Plus our insane ump- what a character.

My 20 mile bike ride with H – even though I found out later I was riding with a fever – we had such a great girls day together.  That adventure really meant a lot of me and it felt sooo great to ride and succeed.  Plus gotta love our girl talk.  It’s been a long time and it was just such an encouraging and uplifting time – I really needed that.  Plus our night out at the local theater where the town had a live radio show and the delicious brownie sundae while listening to live music on the outdoor patio – what a great night!  Plus I actually got to go camping.  It was so much fun.

The photos above are from another favorite adventure where we took Jihyun around the city in honor of her graduation.  I like to call her Doctor J now – cause she’s got her doctorate – I am so proud.  I had so much fun with the ladies – it was a wonderful day of celebration.  I will miss my Korean friend when she moves back home – MN was lucky to have her around for a while.  She is one of the nicest people I know.  Enjoy the photos.

Spring has arrived… finally!!!

So spring is finally here and we are quickly moving into summer heat.  It’s been hard to get outside with the allergens and the volume of rain from April to May.  But I did manage to have a few adventures in there.  I was able to see my Little in a play at the Pillsbury House.  She worked with professional writers and actors from the Minneapolis area and put on a play with a professional actor.  She was a detective and solved the crime.  It was great to see her in action – she’s got the pizazz and flare and I can’t wait to see what she does next.

Next I threw a baby shower for my coworker and friend, Sandra.  She’s due in mid-June and I am so excited for her and her new family.  We had a great turn out despite the gloom and rain that came that day.  We played a couple silly games.  With one of them we broke up into 3 teams and set a 10 minute time limit to come up with as many songs or titles with the word “baby” in them.  The team with the most wins but if anyone disputes the legitimacy of the song your group has to sing a couple of lines of the song to prove that it’s legit.  The next game was done by Liz and she wrapped 10 different items in tube socks and it was all with a baby theme.  You passed around the numbered item and had to feel the items and guess what was inside.  Whoever had the most correct answers wins. All of the items were give to the mom to be at the end.  It was a great idea and there were some really tough items in there.   A couple other highlights was the cute little baby sock flower corsage that we made for the mom to be and I was really excited about the mini cupcakes.  The peanut butter and chocolate ones were just so adorable!  It was a great success and I was glad we could all celebrate together.

Next as I started to get spring fever Katy, Sarah, Mom and I ventured to the annual flower sale at the MN State Fair grounds in the Grand Stand.  It was quite an organized event.  You went into the building in selected groups.  I think our number was 11 and we just waited for them to call our group and they herded us into the grand stand and we took our carts in and had at it.  They have a wonderful selection and wider variety of plants – some were unique and things you wouldn’t find at a typical garden center.  We made our lists of what we were looking for and picked through the cream of the crop.  I am trying a couple different varieties of tomatoes, 6 different kinds of peppers, mojito mint, rosemary, thyme, sweet basil and parsley.  It’ll be exciting to see what makes it through the growing season.  Hopefully I will have a good crop of patio plants.

The same weekend my mom and I visited Denise for Mother’s day in Mankato.  We saw her new apartment and had a nice lunch together.  It was great to spend some time together.  It’s definitely been too long.  When I got home from our visit I came home to a wonderful surprise.  My landlord (and friend), Dan, installed the most beautiful faucet in the sink of my kitchen.  I love it and it just makes the kitchen look and feel more complete after my recent painting of the kitchen cabinets.  I was so excited it brought tears of joy to my eyes!

Next I was able to have a wonderful visit to Frazee, MN.  I was able to visit Katy and her family:  John, Carl and Abe.  We had such a great time!  I drove through an insane amount of rain but then about 10 miles from arriving the rain stopped and it didn’t rain the rest of my visit and was just beautiful out there.  We had some great talks and I had a great meal at the Italian restaurant in town.  Plus Katy showed me around and I played with the kids – I had so much fun!!  She is my Millennium Laura Ingalls Wilder – in the present day Little House on the Prairie!  They have a beautiful family and a great home.  Words cannot express how grateful I am for her friendship and the time we were able to spend together.  I am so blessed and just had such a nice getaway.  When I got home Katy texted me to check for ticks so yeah – I did and found my first woodtick of the season – so that was yucky!  But thankfully I checked when I did.

Through the winter…

What do you do to get through the winter months? Getting out and about with all of the snow this year seemed to make getting through the winter months a bit more of a challenge this year. It was easier just to stay in and ride it out. Thankfully, I was able to get out a little and still have some adventures. I had a lovely crafting sort of weekend with my mom and her best friend. We had an appetizer theme and made our own projects. I cranked out a couple clutch bags and I think I even did some knitting. We even played a game. It was a lot of fun girl time. Hanging out, talking, crafting, watching tv…

Next it was Jihyun’s b-day and Katy found this great b-day cake I think it was from a Korean restaurant and it was so light and beautifully and intricately decorated. We’ve gotta enjoy the time we have left with Jihyun – she is almost finished with school and will be going back home. So crazy how time flies!

I also did some baking for the bake sale fundraiser at work. I may have gone a bit overboard on the baking but it was fun – it was almost like I was having a baking exorcism and getting all of the baking out of my system.

Then there was my step mom’s b-day. I brought over a key lime pie. My dad had made a couple of great soups from his soup cookbook. It was a fun afternoon with family.

Heather and I went with a couple other ladies to the Fine Line to the Carnivale. That was quite a night. Lots of dancing – shimmying and shaking and they were not wearing a whole lotta clothes. It was one of those once in a lifetime experiences and now that I’ve gone I don’t think I need to do it again but man, those guys can move! It all left me quite speechless.

The Last Hurrah

So there’s been snow, snow, some snow and some more snow this year. I am amazed that any of us have been able to get out and about during this crazy winter season. Some way, somehow we Minnesotans pull up our bootstraps and venture outside. It’s shovel in one hand, bag of salt in the other bundled up like the kid from Christmas story. The mounds of snow all around are just amazing to me and we’re not even done with this winter business yet. I close my eyes and think of smelling the sweet grasses in the breeze and that there are long blades of green grass around in an open field. Maybe some palm trees on a beach, overlooking an ocean view. My bare feet digging into the fine, smooth sand. I have put on my sunblock, sunglasses, t-shirt and shorts and am chillin like a villain in the wonderful outdoors – sweating because it’s just too hot out. Those days are coming – right??

Well, in the meantime I have some great photos to share of our winter survival. The last couple of months have been more great memories. Spending time with great friends and family. It starts with one of the first bigger snow storms and Sarah & neighbors save the day digging us out of the snow. From there it’s Christmastime at my house with family. And another Christmas celebration at my brother’s house with more family. Both were great days.

Then I had a wonderful day with my Little, Rykiah. Even though it rained on us as we played in the snow – making a snowman & having a snowball fight. We were soaked to the bone that day. We were so excited to come inside and warm up in the house and bake some cookies. Such a fun day!

I snuck in a picture of my sister, Lisa, and nephew, TJ. My parents visited them in Colorado and were able to see my sister in her ceremony with the Airforce as she became Major. I am so proud!

The next set is from Tessa’s New Year’s Eve wedding. What a fun night! I had such a great time with good friends. There is just nothing like it – hanging out, talking, laughing… It was such a unique venue with crazy visuals at every turn and all sorts of nooks and crannies to hideaway. Plus a sweet dance floor with great tunage and such a fun photo booth. What a great way to bring in the new year and celebrate the union of a great couple – rockin’!

A couple more random photos at the end. My sister, Stacy, at her baby shower a week or 2 before she had little Amaya. Then my Great Aunt Lucille’s 101st birthday. She is an amazing woman! She’s been through a lot and is such an inspiration.

We’re just getting started in 2011 – who knows what this year will bring?!?!

WINTER FUN

The story behind the photos above.  It begins with our 3rd annual cookie exchange.  A night of ladies hanging out, sharing stories, sharing appetizers and sharing baked goods.  Sarah and Katy graciously hosted the evening.  A nice night in.  I was sooo thankful when I finally arrived to their house.  After one of our many snows this winter I somehow misjudged the turn that was literally within the same block of their house and managed to get stuck in the street in a huge bank of snow.  I called Katy to tell her I was almost there (literally) but couldn’t get there from here because I was stuck in the snow and the more I tried to get out the deeper I sank into the snow.  Katy came to save the day and just as she got herself fully bundled up to come outside and help me out, finally my car broke loose from the grasp of the snow and I made it to their doorstep.  I think I burned a little rubber off my tires that night.  But I was so glad to have made it out.  I have been on extra alert driving in any poorly plowed area ever since.

The next set of pictures are from the BBBS Metrodome Holiday Party with my Little.  We had a great night and oddly enough it was the night before the Dome came a tumbling down from all of the ice and snow build up.  When we arrived that night we had no idea what to expect, well accept that each Little would be getting a surprise.  Entering the space we were all dressed for winter and as we walked down the stairs we noticed the sweltering heat in the Dome that night.  It was seriously 85-90 degrees in there.  Needless to say, we were baking all dressed in our jeans and sweaters.  We were told the heat was cranked up in order to keep the roof warm and hopefully melt the snow and ice that would build up on the Dome.  Woulda been nice to know that BEFORE we got there.  There were all these fun activities lined up but I got the most excited when I saw 2 ginormous high powered fans that we stood in front of to cool off.  We stood in front of them for at least a half hour – it was pure heaven!  They had all sorts of fun things set up in the field:  bouncy castle/slide/house types of things, super heroes, the Volcons, the Princesses, fake tatoos, a marching band, touch football, etc… It was really great!  Towards the end we sat in the bleachers and they had a speaker talk about bike safety and then they sent everyone upstairs for their surprise.  Each kid received their own bicycle.  It was so wonderful.  I am really looking forward to our bike adventures this spring and summer.

Phoenix & Surprise Party

I had a great month in November for my b-day.  I was able to visit my sister and her family in AZ.  Such a great visit – so picturesque.  My sister’s family made me feel so at home.  The next week my friends threw me a surprise party.  I was COMPLETELY SURPRISED!!!  What a great night.  You guys got me good.  Thank you!  Words cannot express how amazing my family and friends have been to me.  Through the good, the bad and the ugly.  They have been there and I just feel so blessed.  It’s been an amazing journey.  So glad to have some great photos to capture the precious moments.

Birthday Road Trip

We were able to take an early road trip adventure back to Wisconsin for an early bday celebration.  We drove out to the Norske Nook in Osseo, WI and found it to be quite delightful.  Great for a home cooked meal and if you love pie this is the place to be.  They have quite an overwhelming selection.  I tried the Snickers pie – yum!  It took me several days to eat the entire piece – it is very rich but oh so delicious.  We also stopped by the Nelson Creamery and I loaded up on some cheeses.  The good stuff.  We had a wonderful scenic drive and stopped to do some random site seeing and went wherever the winds took us.  On the way home we stopped for dinner at a restaurant in Red Wing and oddly enough (since it was Halloween) our waiter was tastefully dressed as Dogg the Bounty Hunter – check out the gun show – he’s got some pipes there for sure!   Plus the hair – definitely had a party going on in the back – gotta love it.  It was a great way to get my birthday week in full swing.  A beautiful fall day, the sun was shining on us – a great way to spend the day in the Midwest.

More Fall

This year I had a girl’s weekend with Katy and my mom and we were able to go to a nearby apple orchard in Litchfield and picked up more apples and some great squash.  Afterwards we spent the next day and a half working on a purse project.  We each made our own purses after picking up some fun fabrics.  Actually Katy cranked out 2.  We also made some fun headbands with leftover fabrics.  Even got to pick a bunch of veggies from mom’s garden – so many wonderful tomatoes this year.  After we put our purses and headbands together we even got outside and modeled them.  They look fabulous!

The next group of photos we did a road trip and headed to an apple orchard and to a sculpture garden called Franconia.  We had a picnic there and took photos of all of the amazing sculptures.  It was quite a sight.  I had such a fun day with Katy, Sarah and Jihyn – I think this is our 3rd or 4th year doing this together.  We got back to Katy and Sarah’s and they cooked us a nice dinner and apple crisp.

The last set of photos is from our 5th annual caramel apple decorating day.  Sarah, Dylan, Dan, Rykiah and I had another successful year – I think this was our best decorating yet – the caramel actually stayed on the apple.  We had so much fun!

We did a lot of apple baking and picking this year.  It was great!  Even made some homemade apple sauce in the crockpot I would totally do that again.  Good stuff.

MN & WI Staycations, Apple Orchards, Habitat

I have been able to enjoy the Midwest and all of its wonders as the summer ended.  For Kristi’s birthday Kristi, Kelly and I took a day trip into Wisconsin and visited all sorts of small towns.  We went up a bluff and were able to enjoy all it’s beauty.  We really have been spoiled with fabulous weather this year.  I am so thankful I have been able to get out and enjoy it.  We even found The Original Nelson’s Cheese Factory.  It has a lovely deli and wine bar – the ice cream was sooo delicious.  We stopped at a flea market and finally found a place to eat a very late lunch.  It was a great day to ride around the Lake Pepin area on both the WI and MN side.

After that I had a great girls night with Kirsten.  It was a great night to catch up – we had homemade cookies and milk.  Plus Kirsten showed off her new bag – love it!

Next my Little and I took a day trip to Buffalo, MN where we went to Deer Lake Apple Orchard.  There was lots to do pony rides, farm animals to feed, face painting, live music and even a wagon ride tour.  We picked up some apples and were able to make 2 homemade apple pies.  On the way home we stopped by Buffalo Lake or was it Lake Pulaski – well, either way – it was beautiful.  I grew up around there and it was fun to go back there.

The next group of photos are celebrating Sarah’s b-day.  I missed her delicious desserts but was able to hang out and catch up with the ladies.  It was great to see everyone again.

Last but not least my office spent a day helping out with Habitat for Humanity’s Brush with Kindness program.  We had a great crew with us.  We did A LOT of scraping paint off of the wood siding of the house that day.  I was not one of the brave ones way up on the ladder but I was able to help with things within my arms reach and on the lower ladders.  We had so much scraping to do we didn’t know if we’d ever get to the primer painting part.  We did get a little started and then the next crew later that week were able to finish it up.  It was such a great day and I think the husband and wife who live there really appreciated what we were able to accomplish.  I think we got a good arm workout that day, too.  I could feel my pipes growing.
There is something about giving and helping others that really lifts the spirits.  If you  have the time to give of your time I highly recommend it.  Whether it’s getting involved at your church, in your neighborhood, giving to your family or friends or getting tapped into organizations like Big Brothers Big Sisters or Habitat for Humanity.  I think of all the times people have helped me through tough times in life and when I can do it I just want to give that back and help wherever I can.  The littlest thing to you could feel like the biggest thing to someone else.  You just never know.

Busy Summer 2010

The summer has flown by.  What a beautiful and lush summer we’ve had in Minnesota.  I’ve been able to grow a lovely garden of patio pots filled with basil, parsley, thyme, rosemary, mint, sweet green peppers and tomatoes.  Even though I cannot seem to get my next tomato crop to turn green it’s been a great summer of growing.  Figuratively and literally of course.  It reminds me how things come and go and how things are constantly changing.  It’s reminding me that now is the time to remember the moments and not to get caught up and what could’ve or should’ve been but be present in life – in the here and now.  Enjoy the people God has put in your life.  It is truly a blessing to be surrounded by people who love and care for you.  Not everyone has that.  If you do have it – treasure it and do not forget to share that with the people around you.  Pass it on.

I feel very blessed to have been a part of Heather’s wedding this summer.  There were so many fun gatherings of celebration in preparation for the big day.  I was able to post some photos in previous posts and I have included a few more where we had a secret covert operation to take photos by Phil’s mom of Phil’s beautiful bride, Heather.  And while it was a bit tricky getting it all to play out we had  a beautiful day at the fountain and it is definitely a fond memory from the summer.  I was also able to include a few from the wedding day.  A few capture our girl day getting our pedicures – so much fun and it was such a treat.  And on the wedding day we got our hair did!  I wish I had more photos of the actual wedding day but I only have a few.  It was such a fun day and again words cannot express how much it meant to me to be a part of the celebration.

Beyond wedding activities I have also spent some time with my Little, Rykiah . One of those days we actually made homemade pizza and waffles for dinner.  I think they turned out pretty well.

Another group of photos also capture my MN State Fair 2010 experience.  This year I entered the Baking Contest that exhibits in the Creative Activities building.  I entered 4 different items and did not place in any of the categories.  But it was a good learning experience.  I have much to learn in the cooking and baking realm.  It was fun to try.  Plus I was able to meet Marjorie Johnson, she is quite an award winner in the competitive baking circuit.  She was very kind and gracious.  I even talked to her for a little bit (or she talked to me – she’s a talker!) and was able to get a photo with her.  My parents and I spent a 15 hour day at the fair this year – it went well and we could not have asked for a better day – the weather was prime!  That evening we even saw Boyz II Men at the bandshell.  It was quite a memorable experience.  Ah summer!  You were a good one.  Here’s to all the bike rides, walks, lakes, vegetables, and wonderful bbq’s with family and friends this year!  Another good one down.  Enjoy the photos!