The Night Before NYE

Last night we attended a wedding of one of Joe's childhood friends, Jesse. Here is a picture from the evening:

Me, being the detail freak that I am, LOVED seeing the wedding selections on colors and decor choices. I wish I'd win the lottery so I could start up my own wedding planning business. That is something I've always wanted to do. It would be something I would love doing every day and have a strong passion for. Plus, I'd be damn good at it.

 Ahhh...a girl can dream. Maybe some day :)

Love/Hate Relationship

I now have a love/hate relationship with the holidays. Although, they are my favorite time of year, I am now also hating them. Why? Well, because my pants are feeling a little snug these days. Instead of blaming it on me getting lazy, I will blame it on the holidays.

Only 47 days until Joe and I are sitting here...

And only 6 days until my 30 day bootcamp starts. I'm asking for miracle here but this bikini bod can't be too far off... haha. I am going to attempt to keep a daily log starting on 1/2. Maybe that will make me more motivated.

Goodbye, 2012!

2012... it was a good year but also a year with many challenges.

Last New Years Eve, Joe told me a little after midnight, for the very first time, that he loved me. I should have realized then that 2012 would be a great year. This last year I've experienced what being 'head over heels' in love feels like. I've experienced the joy of getting to know a wonderful family that one day I may officially be a part of. I am lucky enough to have gained some pretty great new friends, friends that may be forever friends. And I've also made so many new memories with my family and old friends.

I also learned the panic of the unexpected in my health scare this year. I learned what pneumonia feels like and that I should take better care of myself when I start to feel sick...before it develops into something worse. And I've even learned that at the old age of 31, a person is still learning who their true friends are.

All in all, this years good outweighed the bad, by far. It may be in the running for best year...so far ;) But I am very much looking forward to seeing what is in store for 2013... who knows, maybe 2012 can be topped.

My new motto to use for 2013:

Life is too short to worry about stupid things.

Have fun.

Fall in love.

Regret nothing, and don't let people bring you down.

Christmas '12

This Christmas I spent with Joe's family. It was my first time experiencing a holiday with his family since we spent Thanksgiving with mine. I must say, I was a little nervous about it. And also sad that I wasn't going to be with my family. I was so grateful for how they welcomed me into their family holiday traditions and made me feel at home.

Christmas Eve was spent at Joe's parents house. We did the gift opening and dinner. It was so much fun to watch his niece and nephew open gifts. They were so excited and it was neat to watch their little faces light up. Easily the best part of this holiday.

Christmas Day we did breakfast/brunch at our house and then all went to the movie This is 40. It was hilarious and the perfect choice for a movie on Christmas.

This Christmas although I received numerous gifts, the best was feeling like I gained a second family.

1st Annual Ugly Sweater Party

Saturday we had some friends over for an Ugly Sweater Party. The bar we generally go to was having their annual sweater party that evening so Joe and I decided to have a 'Pre-Party'. It was a lot of fun. We whipped up a few appetizers, some jello shots and enjoyed spending time with some of our favorite people.

 

Such a fun night but paid for it the next day. I will some day learn I'm not 21 anymore.

Cookies & Wine

Cookie baking, wine, and girl talk... does it get much better?!

Gina, Jen, Orrie, and myself got together Friday night for what we decided would be a new annual tradition for the holidays. We each picked a cookie to bake and then once all was said and done, we split them all up between the four of us. It was a quick way to get a little variety of holiday cookies. Plus, it was a blast doing.

I opted for probably the easiest choice. I made some pretzels with a rolo and pecan on top. It was basically idiot proof. My kind of recipe! The best part of it all... I didn't screw it up :) Shocking.

Jen made some delicious carmel, cashew, chocolate chip cookies. DELICIOUS! Orrie made some Russian Tea Cookies that turned out amazing! And Gina made some adorable gingerbread tree cookies. Which I might add, turned out GREAT and definitely looked the most festive.

Can't wait until next year!

9 months today!

Today, Gordie is 9 months!  Woah.  Time has been flying by.  Which I am sure is the response from all 'parents' as their 'child' grows up. 

I am a little sad as his puppy face is slowly disappearing and he's beginning to look more and more like a grown dog.  However, those floppy ears remain in tact and are what saves his puppy face for a little longer :)

He is starting to become quite the independent little guy.  He's not needing Joe and I as much to entertain him.  He is pretty content just entertaining himself as long as Joe and I are IN the same room with him.  Should we be in a different room... then he's more focused on where we are. 

He also has developed an obsession with wanting to snuggle UNDER the blankets.  He seems to only want to go to sleep under the blankets and he needs to be BETWEEN Joe and I.  Although I love my little snuggle monster, this has become annoying at times.  I find myself sleeping in the most awkward positions just so Gordie doesn't get disturbed. 

Slowly but surely he is starting to listen more on the first command rather than 7 repeats later.  Haha.  He's getting the hint that we're the boss...not him.  I'm pretty sure if he could speak he'd tell you otherwise.  The little bugger sure has us wrapped around his cute little paws.  Love this little guy.

1st 'Second'

Saturday night Joe and I headed over to Kristen and Todd's for their annual Ugly Sweater Party.  This year we were prepared.  We ordered our sweaters and were both determined to be the 'best' at the party.  Sadly, neither of us took 1st place for the ugliest sweater.  Ha! 

This party also was a 1st 'Second' for us as last year we attended the party together on one of our dates when we first started dating.

Here is a picture with last years party on the left and this years party on the right.  Funny how much of a difference one year makes.

Winter is here!

Winter is definitely here... ugh.

Over the weekend we were 'lucky' enough to receive nearly a foot and a half of snow.  About the only good things to come out of this: Joe got to use his snowblower and Gordie got wore out running in the snow.

Winter does make for pretty scenery but I'd rather just view pictures of someone else experiencing the wicked weather.  Especially when this white mess creates such a wonderful rush hour traffic experience...

Game Nights!

Quite a few weeks ago we came up with a new Friday night 'tradion' of sorts.  Game Night!  We get together with Nick and Jen, make dinner and play games.  Generally it's always been various party board games.  This Friday night, however, they brought over the Just Dance for Xbox.  One word to describe this...HILARIOUS.

With all four of us having competitive natures we really got into it.  Finally at 3:30AM we called it quits once we were all too exhausted to keep dancing.

Here's a little taste of the hilarity of the evening.

Boot Camp

Joe and I started a bootcamp this week.  A 5:30 AM bootcamp to be exact.  (what the heck was I thinking?!)  Although I've generally always been a morning person this whoel waking up at 5AM with an alarm is for the birds.  NOT a fan.

The first two days of bootcamp made me want to cry.  I hurt in places I didn't even know had muscle.  I suppose that is a good thing.  We signed up for a 14 day bootcamp just to get a feel of what it was like and if it were something we'd want to continue.  Since then we've also signed up for a month long one that will start in January...

I'm very thankful Joe decided to join me so I wasn't doing it alone.  It definitely makes it easier to have someone to participate with you. 

Here's a little taste of what we look like by 7:00AM....

Hoping to start seeing some results by the end of the month.  Hey...miracles can happen! :)

Thanksgiving Weekend!

Thanksgiving was different this year for a number of reasons... 1. the weather was 60 degrees! and 2. this was mine and Joe's first year officially celebrating a holiday together.

Joe, Gordie, and I headed up to my parents house Wednesday after I got off of work.  When we left Minnetonka it was around 60 degrees so out of character for a MN Thanksgiving!  I will admit I LOVED it.  There was definitely no complaining on that matter from me. 

Thursday we did the normal turkey dinner with my family and then hung out on the couch in food comas.  Friday we hit up some Black Friday deals and were able to get all our Christmas shopping done!  Joe deserves a little credit for actually going shopping with my mom and I on a day like that.  He's quite the trooper.  In fact, I actually think he scored some better deals than I did!

The time spent at my parents was so relaxing and nice.  It's always nice to go home and get away for a little while.  And what makes it even better is that Joe enjoys his time up there as well.  I think he likes it more than I do even!

First official Thanksgiving together was a success.  Now...on to Christmas coming up.

It's beginning to look a lot like...Christmas!

I was soooo excited to get back home from my parents house from Thanksgiving for one reason...Christmas decorating.  I absolutely love this time of year.  Last year mine and Joe's 5th date was decorating his house for Christmas.  This year, we get to decorate the house together again but this time it's 'our' house.  Kind of makes it more fun.

Anniversary Dinner

For our first 'Anniversary' we decided to recreate our first date. 

I got home from work and walked upstairs to find some flowers and the most thoughtful card sitting on the kitchen counter waiting for me.  GREAT start to the night!  This was actually the first 'occassion' that Joe has done flowers.  Usually they are for no special reason and are fairly random.

We went to Champps, ate dinner, had some beers, and shared some dessert.  The dessert ended up lasting us three days, no lie.  The thing was GIGANTIC!  The should probably put on the menu that it's a dessert for a group of ten, not one or even two people.

One Year!

"I fell in love with the most unexpected person on the most unexpected time."

One year ago today, I went on what hopefully was my last first date.  One year ago today, I met the love of my life.

I still remember how nervous I was to meet Joe.  He told me going into the date that when I see him I was to give him the thumbs up or thumbs down... meaning for me to tell him if the date should even continue or if we should just turn around and leave.  WHO says that?!  Talk about a nerve racking experience.  Although it did make sense, no point in wasting either of our time if we both weren't initially interested.  Being the confident girl that I usually am, I will say I was mortified at the time.  What if he gave me the thumbs down?!  I am pretty sure I spent an extra twenty minutes getting ready just to make sure I looked perfect even though I wasn't even sure if he was my "type" from what I already knew of him.  The guy made me nervous before I even met him! 

I remember leaving the house 15 minutes early just to be sure I got there before him so I could watch HIM walk up, not the other way around.  That plan failed miserably.  As I was pulling in the parking lot of Champps (classy, I know) I got a text message saying he was already there.  Darn it.  (I later found out he had the same plan as I did)

It's now showtime... I walk in and see Joe.  I think the only thing I noticed right away was his smile.  I have never seen a better smile than the one I received that night.  After a quick hug, I figured I might as well get the awkwardness out of the way so I asked, "thumbs up or thumbs down?!"  He gave me a big smile, the thumbs up sign, and told me I was beautiful.  So far, 30 seconds into the date and this was by far the best one I've been on.  Ha!  Who doesn't like to hear something like that?!

The rest of the night we spent talking and learning more about each other.  It wasn't long into the date before Joe asked when he could see me again.  Although it was our first time meeting it felt like I had known him for a long time.  That night was clearly the start of something great.

In this last year, I have learned so much from him and our relationship.  I now know what true love should feel like. 

Our relationship has a special dynamic, one I feel a lot of people may never be lucky enough to experience some day, but hope it for everyone.  We have taught each other the true value and importance of communication and how it really makes a world of a difference in a relationship.  After a year, I still look forward to our date nights.  I still look forward to seeing him each day I get home from work.  And most certainly look forward to his face being the first one I see when I wake up every morning.  This last year has been one of my best yet. Although it has presented some major life challenges, I am so thankful that Joe was by my side through it all.  I am so thankful to have such a great boyfriend who has also become my best friend.

With him, I now also have the second love of my life...Gordie.



I'm definitely looking forward to all the new adventures this coming year has in store for us.

A few of my favorite things...

One thing is for certain, Joe knows me well.

Saturday morning he ran out and came home with some beautiful pearl earrings from Tiffanys, coffee from Caribou, and a bagel from Bruegger's.  Three of my favorite places :)  The earrings are a pre-anniversary gift.  On the 19th, we will have been dating for a year.  While normally I'm not one to celebrate anniversaries or anything of the sort... with him, it's all different.  I am very much looking forward to celebrating the small stuff.

Leaves are GONE!

A few weeks ago I posted about our yard work that was needing to be done.  A project we started but didn't finish thanks to Joe's brilliant idea to hire someone to do it for us.

As much as I love Fall and the beauty of fallen leaves, I'm happy to say our yard is leaf free!!

The yard looks beautiful and we were able to spare a few blisters from raking ourselves.

Halloween!

Last night we celebrated Halloween, since the actual day happens on a Wednesday this year.  Joe and I were a Bee and a Beekeeper.  We had some friends over for a little 'happy hour' prior to heading out to the bars.  We made some various appetizers, had some beers, and played some card games.  Then headed out to the bar.

I will say I was quite disappointed that not as many people were dressed up when we went out.  Regardless, it was a fun night.  Next year though, my costume preparation will begin early... I'm going for creativity next year, not what costumes were the cheapest.  Ha!

Next year I'd also like to actually get creative with some decorating of the house and food ideas.  This was about the extent of our creativity on that end...

Arboretum

Saturday morning we got up and headed to breakfast.  We tried out Maggie's Family Restaurant in Wayzata.  Very cozy, little diner with an awesome breakfast.  It's the type of family diner that makes you forget you're in the Twin Cities and more like you're in a tiny little country town.

After breakfast we decided to check out the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum.  I was a little hesitant about going since it didn't exactly look like it would be all that exciting but I am so glad we decided to check it out. The trails and the way nature was displayed was absolutely gorgeous.  I just wish we would have checked it out a little earlier in the fall when the colors were in their peak.  Next year... it is a must.  As will be spring and summer when all of the different flower exhibits will be in full bloom.

We're also now considering buying a yearly membership so we can go use the trails for walks and runs.  If you haven't ever checked this place out and enjoy experiencing the MN seasons, go check it out.

Pumpkin Carving Date Night

Friday night Joe and I decided to stay in, make dinner, have some beers, and carve pumpkins.  After spending what seemed like an hour at the pumpkin patch looking for the perfect pumpkins...we were all set.

I found an awesome idea for a pumpkin carving on Pinterest.  It was of a German Shorthair, so naturally I thought it would be fun and funny to give it a try.  To my surprise, it actually turned out looking like a dog.  It was a lot more difficult than I anticipated.  I will definitely be carving a generic idea next Halloween!
Here are mine and Joe's pumpkins:

I should mention that I also made us dinner.  Yes, that's right, I cooked.  AND it turned out pretty good for the most part.  I made Chicken Pot Pie from a recipe I found on Pinterest.  It was quick and most importantly, easy.  I will definitely be making this again in the future.

Ingredients

1  3 1/2- to 4-pound rotisserie chicken, meat shredded

1  10-ounce package  frozen mixed vegetables

1  10.75-ounce can  condensed cream-of-mushroom soup

1/4  teaspoon  kosher salt

1/4  teaspoon  black pepper

1  10-count tube  refrigerated biscuits

Directions

Heat oven to 400° F. Combine the chicken, vegetables, soup, salt, pepper, and 3/4 cup water in a large bowl.  Transfer the mixture to an oven-safe casserole, cover with foil, and bake for 15 minutes.  Remove the foil, cover the filling with the biscuits, and bake until the biscuits are golden brown and cooked through, about 15 minutes.

Yardwork...blah.

Our yard is covered with leaves and while I normally don't mind yard work, this task was too big of a beast to tackle.  Joe tried to tell me it was easier to hire someone to do the fall clean-up in the yard but I argued.  I told him it was pointless to hire anyone and that we were fully capable of doing it on our own, together.  About an hour into the yard work, I quickly changed my mind.  Raking, leaf blowing, mowing... it was all too much to tackle on our yard.  It literally would have took 100-200 bags of leaves and who knows how many hours of work.  No thanks.

Instead, someone will be doing it for us.  Next year, I won't even attempt to argue when Joe wants to hire someone.  

Month by Month

Today marks the big 11 month Date-a-versary with Joe.  Yes, I have turned into THAT girl who pays attention to these things.  On that note, today I am extra thankful for having such a wonderful guy in my life.  A guy who tells me morning, noon, and night how in love with me he is.  A guy who checks the house for "scary things" when I hear random noises in the middle of the night.  A guy who has captured my heart in more ways than he'll ever know.

Also, my other favorite guy turned 7 months two days ago :)

 

Love them both to pieces.

Smiles

As I've mentioned many times before, Joe is great at knowing how to make me smile.  After running to get us dinner last night he came home with these...

For no other reason than to make me smile :) 

Love him to pieces.

Gordie's First Hunt!

As we all know, I am not an avid hunter, nor do I even pretend to like it.  So for this post, I went to Joe to ask if he'd write it for me :)

So here we have it... my very first blog with a "ghost writer"!

Joe and Gordie drove up to Deer River, MN to Campbell’s Lodge on Sand Lake this weekend to introduce Gordie to the hunting lifestyle.

Gordie is only a 7 month old German Shorthair puppy, so the expectations of what he would be able to do in the field at this time were fairly minimal with Joe.  The trip was more about just getting his feet (paws) wet and to begin the process of absorbing the smells, sights, and associations of what hunting is.

 The first day out was quite the adventure for little Gordie.  Though he had no idea what the hell he was doing, he was happy to get out and run around on the trails.  He did an incredible job of following commands of whoa, come, & run.  He also impressed with his natural instincts of using his nose to take everything in rather than his sight.  We were able to get some birds in the air and fire some shots over him early in the morning.  He was not aware of what was happening but it was good to see he wasn’t scared or apprehensive about the actions and noises going on around him.

 Day 2 brought new light to the trip.  Gordie headed out on the trails advancing his range into the wooded areas and gaining more confidence with what his abilities could produce.  About mid-morning Joe and his father were walking down the trail with Gordie about 15 yards in front of them when all of a sudden Gordie got a whiff of a smell he had just learned the day before.  He took a 90 degree turn and ran deeper into the wooded terrain and flushed out two grouse side by side.  Joe’s dad got both shots off hitting one of the birds.  A milestone for our little guy! His first bird flush.  He was very excited and it really got his adrenaline pumping.

This weekend marked Gordie introduction into the world of game hunting.  He has a long way to go, but it was a joy to see he how well he could adapt, and how well he learned.

Here's a picture of Gordie in his hunting gear....which I later found out is on backwards.  Oops, shows how much I know about hunting :)

Oh well, he still looks adorable, even if his "mom" put his clothes on him backwards!

Girls Night!

"A bottle of wine contains more philosophy than all the books in the world."

With the boys (Joe & Gordie) away, it was definitely the perfect time to have some of the girls over for a wine night.  As much as I love and enjoy my time with Joe, I also love time away with just the girls!

Kristen, Jen, and Gina came over last night and the only plan on the agenda... drive wine, eat, and gossip.  We decided we'd each bring an appetizer of sorts to snack on.  And snack we did... pretty sure we polished off almost all of the goodies.

I am learning today that I can no longer function off of a short amount of sleep.  Going to bed at 4:00am and getting up at 7:30am is not exactly ideal.  Joe and Gordie were home bright and early this morning and it's safe to say we'll all be in bed early tonight...

Here's what made it to the table...

Crockpot Hawaiian Chicken

Ingredients:
4-5 Boneless Chicken Breasts
1 Bottle Archer Farms Hawaiian Style Barbecue Sauce (from Target)
1 20oz. can Pineapple Chunks, drained

Directions:

Spray the inside of your crockpot with cooking spray for an easy cleanup!  Place frozen chicken breasts in the crock pot and cover with sauce.  Empty can of drained pineapple chunks on top.  Cook on High for 2-3 hours or Low for 4-6 hours.  Shred chicken with two forks while still in the crock pot so the chicken will be well coated with sauce. 


Prosciutto, Goat Cheese & Asparagus Phyllo Bundles

Ingredients:
12 asparagus spears, blanched

4 large sheets of phyllo pastry, thawed

12 thin slices prosciutto
1 small round of goat cheese (I used stuff with herbs, but you can use plain.  Or used any other cheese you like: old cheddar, Swiss, etc.)

4 tbsp. melted butter

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375*F

To blanch the asparagus, heat a pot of boiling water.  Drop the asparagus in and cook one minute.  Have a bowl of ice water beside, and drop the hot asparagus into cold water.  When completely chilled, remove and drain on paper towels.

Lay first sheet of phyllo down on cutting board.  Brush with  butter.  Repeat for next 3 layers.  Cut into 12 squares.  Lay one piece of prosciutto on each square, then the cheese, then the asparagus.  Roll up tightly.  Place on a  parchment lined bake sheet, and brush with more butter.  Bake for about 15-20 minutes until golden brown.  Serve warm.

Caprese Kabobs

Ingredients:
20 baby tomatoes, sliced in 1/2
1 fresh mozzarella sliced into cubes
Fresh basil
Sea salt and cracked black pepper
EVOO
Balsamic vinegar

Directions:
Using a skewer, put 1/2 tomato, cut side up, followed by a piece of mozzarella, basil, second piece of mozzarella and finish with another tomato half.  Season skewers with salt, pepper, oil and vinegar.

Taco Dip - Skinny Style

Ingredients:
8 oz 1/3 less fat Philadelphia cream cheese
8 oz reduced fat sour cream
16 oz jar mild salsa
1 packet taco seasoning
2 cups lettuce, shredded
2 large tomatoes, diced
1 cup reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese


Directions:
In a large bowl combine cream cheese, sour cream, salsa, and taco seasoning.  Mix well with an
electric mixer. Spread on the bottom of a large dish.  Top with lettuce, tomatoes, and shredded cheese.  Serve with tortilla chips.

Brie Cups

Ingredients:
1 package (1.9 oz) frozen miniature phyllo tarts shells
2 ounces Brie cheese, chopped
1/3 cup orange marmalade

Directions:
Fill each tart shell with cheese.  Place on an ungreased baking sheet.  Top with orange marmalade.   Bake at 350 degrees for 6-8 minutes or until golden brown.  Serve warm.

Autumn Clean-up

Autumn is definitely here to stay and by the feel of things, it may not last long.  It already seems colder than normal.  This is a sign there isn't a whole lot of time to accomplish fall clean up around the house.  The leaves are quickly covering the grass, the shrubs have been trimmed, the sprinkler system is being shut off, and the patio furniture is seeing it's last days on the patio.  I'm hoping over the next few weeks we'll be able to get out and enjoy some fall like activities.

The garage project is ALMOST complete.  All that is left is to get the walls painted and finish moving things back in and on the shelves.

Gifts...who doesn't love them?!

Joe's parents recently got back from a trip traveling Europe and to my surprise, came home with a few gifts for me.  And even better... I LOVE them!

They picked up a beautiful scarf and some perfume for me while in Paris.  I'm pretty impressed with their choices!!  I actually may have found a new favorite perfume thanks to Joe's mom!

Looking Forward to Normal

It's been over a month and I'm still not feeling back to normal.  I went back in to the hospital late last week and found out I also now have pleural effusion.  I guess the saying of, "it has to get worse before it gets better" runs true in this case.  Eek!!

It's not often that I let my guard down and admit defeat but this pneumonia has kicked my butt.  For the first time in a very long time I actually admitted I couldn't handle this much longer.  I asked Joe to take care of me while I'm sick.  I'm not sure that I've ever uttered those words or wanted anyone to take care of me.  So after being a little reluctant to give up his weekend to stay home with sick me, he did.  Needless to say, staying home all weekend sick is not exactly all that thrilling.  I'm definitely looking forward to feeling better and enjoying having a life again.

Smiles

When I'm having a crappy day or maybe just not a cheery one, there is always one thing that can make my day better...Joe.  He always has a way to make me smile or laugh. 

How can you not smile at a face this cute?!  :)

This post was more or less a reminder to myself to start today off with a smile, the stresses of the day can come after.

Sick Days...

This pneumonia is kicking my ass to say the least.  Last week I was out of work for three days.  If you knew my job, you'd know being sick couldn't have came at a worse time.  Back-to-School campaigns are in full swing which means my work life is beyond chaotic.  Add some pneumonia to the mix and this makes for one insanely stressed out Krystle.  Eek! 

Thankfully, last Thursday Joe stayed home from work with me to take care of me and keep me company.  Mainly to babysit me to make sure I got the rest the doctor ordered me to get.  Ha!

The worst part of it all is that while I would think I'd be feeling better by now, I actually woke up feeling the worst I have yet over all these weeks.  Nothing like taking 7 steps backwards.  I'm about to turn into a hippie and home remedy the crap out of the sickness. 

Any suggestions are greatly appreciated at this point! :)

Garage Project

Although this isn't the most exciting remodel project, it is a much needed one.  As I type, the garage is currently getting re-done.  Since Joe bought the house the garage has always had some water issues.  In the spring or after heavy rain-fall, some water puddles would form on the garage floor.  After trying numerous different approaches of repositioning gutters, drains, and designing landscaping around water run-off...we're hoping this is the fix all problem.

Here are some pictures of the progress...

Perfect Day for a Ball Game

Besides being sick, I couldn't have asked for a better day for a ball game!  The weather was perfect and I was with a few of my favorite people.  My friend, Andy, was in town visiting from Alaska so we met up with him and his girlfriend, Leigh Ann, and a few others for a few beers and the game.  Lindsay also made the trip down which made it pretty comical to have me, her, and Andy all in the same room together.  I'm not sure that's happened since high school! 

This was also the first time Joe was able to meet Andy.  Andy is one of my oldest and dearest friends so I was definitely looking forward to seeing what his thoughts were of Joe, considering he's never approved of any other guy in my life before... things were about to get interesting!  Ha!  I was so worried they wouldn't like each other that I hadn't considered they might like each other a little too much.  The meet and greet quickly turned into the start of a bromance.  Here they are perfecting their take on the women's Olympic volleyball handshake.

All in all, it was so much fun to see everyone and have a chance to catch up.  Joe and I are now in the processing of planning our trip to AK to see them on their turf.

October

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month!

 

 

After going through my own scare, I can't help but be more aware of what this actually means.  It honestly takes less than a minute to check yourself out.  Taking a minute out of your day could save you a world of pain, heartache, and possibly your life.  No matter what your age or family history, it is never too early to start your self-exams.

Box-Elder Bugs...ish.

These darn Box Elder bugs are making me hate being outside.

They are AWFUL right now and basically cover the house.  They are some how crawling into the sunroom and I swear every time I kill 5, 10 more find their way in.  Thankfully they are not getting in anywhere else in the house...just the sunroom.  Here's a picture of how thick they are on the outside of the house.  I focused in on one area so it was easier to see.  You'd think we had a black speckled painted house.

Adventures in Babysitting

I usually try and take on more than I can handle, this is nothing new.  On Friday afternoon, however, I met my match.  Joe had told his sister that we'd watch his niece and nephew for an hour or so while her and her husband had some errands to finish.  An hour... how hard could it be?  We've done it before...

Well, let me tell you... after babysitting a four year old, two year old, and 6 month old puppy...Joe and I are definitely content on skipping the parenting in the future.  We will more than likely be sticking to dogs.  We were amazed at how much work it took and it was only for an HOUR!  If Gordie wouldn't have been at home it would have been a breeze but that little devil made it quite difficult to pay attention to anyone but him.  If only he would behave like the calm, sweet little guy that he is in this picture....

Bump in the road...

There is nothing I hate more than being sick.  I have been battling a cough for a good three weeks and finally went in to the doctor on Monday...damn cough has turned into pneumonia.  Lovely, just lovely.  Talk about a bump in an already bumpy road lately.

I hate being sick for the simple fact that I feel weak.  It's a time when all I want is for someone to take care of me but yet I'm so stubborn that I don't like to ask for help.  It's basically a no win situation, ha!  I can honestly say that this pneumonia is kicking my butt.  I don't know if I've ever felt so at a loss for energy.  What is the most frustrating is the pain I feel every time I breathe.  Definitely not something I can avoid doing, haha... so I just have to deal with the pain and hope it goes away, SOON!

The doctor told me to stay home from work for at least a week to make sure I get adequate rest and don't wind up in the hospital.  However, I am finding this order nearly impossible.  It's "busy" season at work for my campaigns and there is almost no way for me to figure out how to "rest".

If I'm home resting this week... I just may need to come up with some blog topics to keep me occupied.

Gordie's home!

Although the last week and a half has had it's up sides, it definitely had it's down sides without my favorite little buddy.  It was nice not having to worry about where he was and what he was doing but I actually started to miss having to chase him around.  I missed him hogging the bed and I even missed having to yell at him for whatever naughty thing he got into.  He may add stress to my life at times but he definitely knows how to take the stress away too.  I am so happy to have my favorite little snuggler back :)

When we went out to pick Gordie up, Mike made sure to show us (mainly Joe) what Gordie has been learning.  It was actually fun to watch Gordie so excited in the field with the bird.  Plus, it was nice to hear about how well he did while he was away from us.  I like to think we have the Albert Einstein of dogs.  He's going to be a good little hunter.  And if he's not... that's okay too, just means he'll be home with me instead of hunting with Joe!  Ha!  I also think he added a good 5-10lbs on and grew a few inches while gone.  I was amazed by his new found strength when I grabbed his leash and quickly realized I was no match for him anymore.  Sad...our puppy is growing up.

He'll be going back for FOUR long weeks in January/February... it may be the longest four weeks of my life.  Although, one of the weeks Joe and I will be in the Bahamas so maybe it won't be SO bad.