campsite and coors field Day 4

so this is going to be our campsite this summer. hopefully the snow will be gone by the end of june!




wow...why do i live in minnesota again?







and yes, that is barry bonds and yes, we did see him hit his first home run of the season!

the drive...day 3

this was our drive from Provo to Estes Park...it was amazing beautiful.

Orem and Provo Day 2

This is the lot that we might be building on. Or they also own a cul-de-sac. I have the most interesting job ever.

This is the church that we will be staying in. And yes, there is a homeless man who lives on the outside stairs. So that should be interesting with sheltered high school girls. I'm hoping that they handle it well, but it could go either way!

Here I am at Bridal Veil Falls. Pretty, but that is snow and ice in the background. BRRR!














And then we made it to Sundance! Pretty sure we didn't really drive far enough to see the town, but I was tired and now I can say I have been to Sundance!
Thus ends day 2 of our adventure.

Salt Lake City Day 1

Yes, I know this trip was over a month ago. Sorry. Life is crazy. So now that I have a million other things to do, I'm uploading some photos. And I am drinking the biggest glass of lemonade ever.



So first we went to downtown Salt Lake to check out the Mormon stuff...very pretty. The Tabernacle was not open and we could not really go in any buildings, but it was nice to be warm and outside with blooming flowers!
Then we went to the great Salt Lake. It was pretty cool...smelled like the ocean. I would like to bring the kids there this summer. We went to Antelope Island and saw buffalo. Random.

American Idol

I'm chilling on the couch, watching American Idol. We haven't really watched it consistently this season. But it is kind of fun to watch the last one. I think my vote is for Taylor Hicks....a little variety in the music industry would be good. I can't believe how many big stars come out for it. I guess Meatloaf isn't a big star anymore, but Mary J Blige is pretty cool.

On that note, DO NOT go see American Dreamz. Not worth the money. She's the Man was a great movie though, and Just My Luck was just okay. I definetely like Amanda Bynes the best, I think she is a quality actress.

Okay, time for some pork and tator tots! Yum.

frustration

So I always think, ohhh, I'll have to write that up in my blog. Then I'm either at work and don't want to cross that line, or I just have too many other things to do and think blogging is at the end of the list (where it probably should be). But then I just get frustrated.

I am frustrated tonight and I'm not really sure why. I have this crazy insane busy weekend planned and i'm super excited for it. but then I realized just how far away new ulm is. And maybe I don't want to drive down there just for a couple of hours. but then what do I want to do instead. And am i still a good friend if i'm not willing to make the drive?

see, frustration. grrrr.

on a better note, I am now officially CPR and AED trained and certified for two years.

catching up on life...

So I started this blog partly because I simply felt overwhelmed with life. I was having trouble keeping up with everything...work, family, friends, household stuff. I still behind, but not as much so. I'm not sure if that is a seasonal thing, or simply that my state of mind wasn't great. I spent some time today in our office at home, just trying to clean up and catch up on filing stuff. We finally have our tax stuff put away till next year. Mike still has stuff out, golf club stuff and lifetimes stuff. We still need to look over life insurance policies. There is still so much to do! But, I am learning from my wonderful husband that life does not end if it is not done. I'm learning to take time off and relax. I spent a whole hour today, lying on the couch and not doing anything. Not sleeping or reading, which is how I usually relax, but just being still. Of course, having a migraine conrtibuted to that, but I'm not feeling awful that the laundry did not get done.

There is stuff that I would like to get done. I'm thinking about taking some time off to catch up on stuff. Just as a reminder to myself, here is some stuff that should get done:

catch up on photos
wedding scrapbook
update address book
fix the paint in the basement

We also want to have so many people over for dinner...bjorkes, jacob and jackie, ann and brandt, burnsy and brian, isaac and marit, andy and leslie, gerbs, matt and jessica. good thing we love brats and beer!

life is good, i need to live more in the moment.

The Templar Legacy

I loved this book by Steve Berry. A little slow in the begining, but well written and thought provoking. Truly it makes you wonder what we read is true and what is made up by the church. This section is towards the end, and fascinated me. If you are planning on reading this book, don't read this.
"All doubt left me. Grief vanished. Confusion became clarity. The man Jesus was not dead. He was alive. Resurrected within me was the risen Lord. I feld his presence as clearly as wehn he once stood beside me. I recalled what he said to me many times. "Simon, if you love me you will find my sheep." I finally knew that loving as he loved will allow anyone to know the Lord. Doing as he did will allow us all to know the Lord. Living as he lived is that way to salvation. God has come from heaven to dwell within the man Jesus and through his ees and words that Lord became known. The message was clear. Care for the needy, comfort the distressed, befriend the rejected. Do those things and the Lord will be pleased. God took the man Jesus's life so that we could see. I was merely the first to accept that truth. The task became clear. The message must live through me and others who lifewise believe."

good stuff...

beer! and funny road signs

So my mom and I are on our adventure in Utah and Colorado. We drove all the way from Orem, Utah to Estes Park, Colorado today. We left Orem at about 6:30 am and arrived in Estes Park around 4:30. It was a long drive...but a beautiful drive. We started out on 6 in Utah, beautiful. Then on to I-70, which was absolutely stunning. We drove past Vail and Breckenridge and Copper Mt. We ranged in temperature from 24 to 75. We saw people skiing and at the bottom of the same mountain saw a golf course and people playing tennis. It was a good day. Of course, we noticed some interesting road signs. My favorite from today were:

( I didn't take this pic, just found it, but we actually saw this sign today!)







and

In case of Flood
climb higher.

Similar to this sign, but without the instructive drawing.













And of course, the one from salt lake city on Wednesday:

Tornadoes
2 for
$159.


but I still love "avoid broken windshields" from Wyoming 2 summers ago.

And, I tried a new beer tonight that I think I might actually like better than Fat Tire (gasp!). It is called Avalanche, brewed by the Breckenridge Brewing Co. And it appears you can buy it in MN! Fat Tire will always hold a special place in my heart, mainly because of Patrick's. I always love to try the local brew though...I might have to try something else tomorrow night at the game. I'm pumped to go to a Rockies game...I love outdoor baseball!

Anyway, the trip has been great so far and very productive. I feel like I am getting lots of work done for the summer trip. I'll put pictures up when I get home on Sunday, I totally forgot to bring my charger/cable with me for the camera.

Miss you Mike!

cookies - Yum-O!

I got a cookie bouquet from one of the kids last night. It is too cute! And yummy, I must admit I had a cookie at lunch today and it was way better than I expected!

AIM, Finally!

I was commissioned last night as an Associate In Ministry, I was also installed at church. It was a pretty amazing night for me. So cool to have family, friends, coworkers, kids, all together for a night. Thanks to all that were there!

















I am somewhere in the middle of all that! Even Taylor was touching me, it was very cool.

I miss Saturdays

I have to work. again. on a saturday. I miss having weekends, like actually two whole days off in a row. Although, I never really worked a job where I didn't have to work nights and weekends. But, man would it be nice to have a weekend!
Don't get me wrong, I love my job. I love that I was able to be outside most of the day yesterday, meet with lots of youth, and visit caribou twice in one day. But I have a lot to do today (and before I leave for Utah). So i'm going to be at the post office when it opens at 9, then run to target, then at the library when it opens at 10, then at work by 10:15.
So I should probably get ready now.
I hope that you enjoy your saturdays off!

Not so bright construction dude!

Afternoon rush hour commuters should avoid eastbound Interstate-494 in Bloomington. MnDOT says a piece of heavy equipment, an excavator, got stuck underneath the bridge at 494 and Xerxes Avenue around 1 p.m. The surface of the overpass was clearly damaged, and the bridge was closed to traffic and could remain so for some time. Eastbound 494 was reduced to one lane for much of the afternoon as crews worked to remove the stuck excavator and then evaluate the damage. By 3:30, the excavator was moved to the shoulder, just past the bridge and by 4:15 a large truck was able to haul the equipment off the freeway. Westbound traffic is also snarled as drivers slowed down to look at the incident.

Beautiful Weather!

Today was the most perfect day outside. 70 plus degrees out, light wind, and sunny. I wish that I could have spent the whole day outside. I went for an early (for me) morning walk and it was warm out! Then off to work for the whole day, except for a 30 minute break at home on the deck. But tonight, oh tonight was beautiful. We had a bonfire outside. Some played ultimate, some played volleyball, some hung out and chatted, some roasted marshmellows. It was perfect.
I think one of the reasons I love Minnesota so much is because the seasons change. Could you really appreciate the perfect spring day if you hadn't been through the snow and the cold? Could you really appreciate that first super hot day of summer if spring hadn't prepared you for it? Ditto for fall and winter. I love the variety, I love the reawakening of the sense that it brings. I guess I am a Minnesota girl forever.

I have this insanely busy lfe until May 11. I am thinking about taking some time off then, maybe traveling a little. I would love to go somewhere fun, but really would prefer to travel with my hubby and not sure he can take the time off. I don't mind traveling alone, but I hate to spend the money on it. Something to start thinking about I guess!

girls night

Tonight I am hosting a girls night for the senior high girls that I work with. I'm excited, yet apprehensive. Last year's night was a fun time for all, but this year I think there will be more girls. Will it still go well or will that cattiness that comes from having 10 or more girls together be out in full force? I sure hope not! I guess I am just not that much of a girly girl. Oh, don't get me wrong, I love dressing up, I love buying new shoes, I love being a woman and all that comes with it. But I am not that into drama, or makeup, or being super pretty to impress someone. I would rather be a strong, healthy, and happy young woman.
I just finished reading a great book about inner beauty and strength. The book is The Goddesses of Kitchen Avenue, by Barbara Samuel (recommend by Brooke in her blog Odious Women). I am very blessed that I have never had a rough life or a major trauma, but I would like to think that I am still a strong individual. I guess I just hope that I never have to find out!
Have a lovely weekend...get out there and enjoy the sunshine!

Religion

From The Last Templar by Raymond Khoury:
"Polls consistently confirm that most Christians, Jews, and Muslims today are unaware of their religions' shared roots in Abraham, the patriarch of all three religions and the founder of monotheism," Vance explained. "Ironically, according to the book of Genesis, God had sent Abraham on a mission to heal the divisions between men. His messager was that regardless of different languages or cultures, all of mankind was to be part of one human family, before one God who sustains the whole creation. Somehow, this lofty message got perverted," Vance said mockingly, "like something out of a bad episode of Dallas. Abraham's wife, Sarah, couldn't have children, so he took on a second wife, his Arab maidservant Hagar, who gave him a son they called Ishmael. Thirteen years later, Sarah manages to have a son, Isaac. Abraham dies, sarah banished Hagar and Ishmael, and the Semitic race is split between Arab and Jew."
Vance shook his head, laughing to himself. "The galling thin is that all three religions claim to believe in the same God, the God of Abraham. Things only got screwed up once people started squabbling over whose words were the truest representation of God's tradition...(p 295).

Never quite thought about it that way. I definetely do not believe the story of the book, but he brings up some good nuggets to think about. The writing style was okay, but these books are getting to be a little too predictable. Of course, I love a good romance, so it was nice to see some of that in the book as well.

Went for a nice walk today. I am sooo out of shape! Glad that the snow is finally gone and I can start walking again on a regular basis. Of course, it is supposed to rain tomorrow, but oh well!

a few random thoughts...

1. West Wing was phenomenal last night. I don't want it to end! I'm sure that I will cry next week when Leo dies, but I am so glad that they are doing it tastefully. What a hard thing to go through. And I'm pumped that Donna and Josh finally hooked up...way too long in coming if you ask me. Sad but true that I think of them as real people...I want to name our dog toby ziegler.
2. I'm about to start reading The Last Templar by Raymound Khoury. It got great reviews and I really like that kind of book (i've been reading too much chick lit lately, need a change) but I'm worried I wont' like it. I'm pretty loyal to Steve Berry and I know he has a similar book out, so I'm torn. I'll try and get through it by the end of the week and let you know what I think. I'm always looking for good book recommendations, so let me know if you read a good one!
3. Work was fun tonight. I work with such great kids. I just wish one night they could all be there at the same time. It would be awesome so see 80-100 all at the same time. maybe for my commissioning?? I only hope that it goes smoothly and that people show up!
4. I think my new favorite game might just be Apples to Apples. Fun to play with a variety of ages...it is interesting to see what people know and what they don't know. Could be very education I would think.
5. In the fight of Starbucks vs Caribou...although I do not drink coffee, Caribou wins hands down. That is the final answer!

Have a great night...I'm off to climb into bed and read!

interesting thoughts...

I just read John C. Mawell's Ethics 101. Here is the one main quote that stuck with m:

"Wrong Decisions Leave Scars: every time people make wrong decisions, there is an impact, even if they don't immediately notice it. My wife, Margaret, says that her grandmother used to tell her about a father who was trying to teach his son the consequences of bad decisions. Each time the boy made a poor decicion, his father asked him to hammer a nail in a post. Each day he made good choices, he was asked to remove a nail. In time, after much hammering and much pulling of nails, there came a day when the wood was nail-free. That's when the boy noticed the post was covered with holes. (p47)"

Interesting, huh?

two weeks already....

Two weeks have gone by already since I last posted. I cannot get over how fast time seems to go by these days. I have some pics from Mike's charity dodgeball tournament from March 5. Took me long enought to get them up, I know. Sorry. But at least they are finally here now.









So what else have I been up to? Well, I finally learned how to put videos on my myspace page. If you have any interest in seeing a milli vanilli impersonation or a donkey pronking with a hula girl, you can check out my myspace. I also got fitted for Lauren's bridesmaid dress, got out invitiations for my sister's baby shower, and relaxed a lot. It was good!

So now I'm just in mouring that The West Wing is ending and Project Runway is over. I'm debating about getting into the new Real World, but I'm actually not sure I can handle that much drama. I think there is enough drama with the youth that I work with. I don't understand why everything now has to be about drinking. I get it on the real world, they supply them with free alcohol to get the story going. But high school wasn't about drinking, at least for me it wasn't. Parts of college were yeah, but not all of it, not even most of it. I can't believe how much it has changed. Or maybe I just got lucky with better friends.

Anyway, have a great day!

slow friday...

I am simply in a state of shock that it is March already. This winter is going by so fast...I can't believe that I have an AWOL trip in like 3 weeks! Oh wow, gotta get going on that for sure!!!
Took the day off today which has been very nice. Had PEO this morning, got home around 1 and have been on the couch reading ever since. I'm almost done with Eldest by Christopher Paolini. He's 18 or something like that and this is the second book in the trilogy. It is good, but not great...takes so much from other sci-fi that sometimes I forget which author I am reading! Kinda just want to finish it so I can move on.
Mike and I are going on a date tonight, we are going to see Chronicles of Narnia finally! I know it has been out for months but we are a little slow and I'm super cheap. Can't beat a $3 show!
okay, back to reading so I can finish it before Mike gets home!

bridesmaid dress for Lauren's wedding...

This is the dress, but in a deep teal color! Should be fun....

Bridger Bowl Rocks!

Okay, that really is me in the picture, I did one run in the extreme cold. It was fun, but way too cold for me. But nylons sure do help! Read about the crazy minnesotans here.

Happy Valentine's Day!

I am a lucky gal. I got two dozen red roses today at work from Mike. He is the best.

am i out of it or what?

Did anyone else totally not know that the postage rates went up? I thought it wasn't happening for awhile, but I got a letter (actually, a valentine) today that had 39 cents worth of stamps. When did this happen? I hope my bills that I mailed today get there...do they give us a get used to it period? I guess I need to go and buy some 2 cent stamps.

sheesh.

blind dates...

I keep trying to post photos from the Extravaganza but my computer crashes everytime. So, not sure what is going on with that!

Tonight is kind of a big night. We are driving to Litchfield to see Matt's band play...Dave is joining them for the night and Cam is playing between sets. But what's super cool is we are setting up Biz and Ben tonight. Mike doesn't think it will work, but why not give it a shot. They are both really good people, so maybe just maybe.

One of them is here! I'll update later...

Should have been Santino...

Please Project Runway people...you are my second favorite show on TV (right after West Wing, and that will be gone soon). But why did you have to get rid of Nick? He has so much more talent than Santino...and a ton more talent than Kara. I'm not totally sure why Kara is still even around...she has been so close so many times. I get that Santino brings drama to the show, but Nick was nice and he had talent. I wish he would design for Target or somewhere that I could afford.
So now I think the final three has to be Chloe, Daniel and Santino. I would be okay with that, but I still can't believe they let Nick go!

never thought I would blog about a tv show.

CHRx Party!

These are from the CHRx Christmas party up at Breezy Point. Fun times!