Fun Activities Needed

What can I say. Sometimes life throws us curve balls and we all have to deal with the ups and downs. Today, Joe and I put up at small, and I mean small, 3ft christmas tree. Nothing big, but something to hopefully get both of us in the christmas spirit we're having a hard time finding. Other than that, things have been better.

So a question to everyone:

What are easy, fun ways to spend time together with friends and family that are inexpensive? Better yet, free! So if you have any easy, fun ideas, please pass them our way. It'd be greatly appreciated.

Happy Holidays to everyone!

The 1st Day of December

Last week was nice. I got to go to my parents for thanksgiving, although Joe was unable to come with. He had to work at Starbucks. But, it was still nice to see my parents. Emily was unable to come up but she was there in spirits. She had to work as well, but was able to share Thanksgiving with Kyle and her other friends. Thursday was spent at my parents and my grandparents and aunt came over. My uncle Jim called about 11:30 saying he wasn't going to be able to come over. He said he wasn't feeling very well. He then followed it with, "My jaw is swollen, too." At that point, I told him to go to the ER to be checked out. With his recent hospitalization, he couldn't afford another infection. He, unfortunately, he didn't make it over, and I ended up leaving around 3pm. When I got back, I stopped at Starbucks to see Joe and got a call from my parents, "Uncle Jim in an ambulance, on his way up to St. Mary's." My jaw dropped. Somehow I knew that was going to happen. But it's a good thing I told myself. It meant the doctors in Ashland knew enough to send him back to the doctors that were already involved with this massive infection. So, he was readmitted to St. Mary's again, for medical care.

Friday, I got up nice and early and started shopping with Donna (Joe's mom) and her friend Betsy, her two daughters and daughter-in-law. We started at Younkers, headed to Kohl's then Target. We also hit Sam's Club, and a couple of other small shops. After shopping, Joe picked me up, we hung out with my parents for a few minutes, and then went down to Ski Hut. I've been looking for ski boots for about four years now, but just haven't found a pair that actually fit. Well, Joe had a surprise for me. Upon trying on a pair of boots I've found that fit fairly well, he told me they were mine. He bought me a pair of ski boots!!! I couldn't believe it! He said he was sick of me finding a pair and not buying them, so he just bought them. It was going to be a surprise, but he couldn't wait. So, yeah, I got a new pair of boots!!!

All weekend I worked, which was a busy, and I mean BUSY weekend. But good. Our co-worker had her baby! Congrats, Kristi and Thomas on baby Abigail. She is so adorable. It was werid. I got to hold her and for some reason it felt good. And almost natural. I'm sure those of you who have children may have an idea of what I mean. But it just felt good. I didn't want to give her back. It's a werid feeling to describe. Just good. After visiting them, I found out another co-worker had her baby. Baby Taryn Jane. She was adorable too!! It was a baby filled weekend!

As of today, well, I called in sick to work. I didn't feel well and not feeling well and being around other people who don't feel well doesn't go good together. So I stayed home and relaxed, slept and worked on my case study that is due on Friday for my class. Tonight I talked to my parents and they had good news for me. Uncle Jim was on his way home. Although this infection is still present, the doctors placed a PICC line in him and will be receiving home antibiotics for several weeks now, in hope of getting rid of this anaerobic infection that just won't budge. So it's good to know he's on his way home and hopefully on his way to recovery.

So, I hope all of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Just think: only 24 more days until Christmas. Happy holidays.

Rehashing Memories

This morning I work up and had a memory from college. I was thinking about the night a bunch of us, I think it was Kelly, Amy and April and then myself and Destinie, were in our apartment on campus. And Kelly said, "I'm eating peach ice cream and I don't care what you think," directing that comment to me. As you all remember I can't stand peaches and to this day, still haven 't had one since kindergarten!

I remember the day I got my first pound puppy, it was the day my sister, Emily was born and his name is Sparky! Yes, I still have this little guy too!!

Barbies. I use to have a suit case full of them, outfits to dress them in and accessories to accessorize them accordingly. And don't forget Ken, too. But I never had a car for them. Then, I start thinking about my grandmother. She use to play with me and my barbies all the time. I really do miss her. A good memory I have of my grandmother is her playing with me in the jungle gym by her house at the age of 75. Oh, and her dumplings she use to make. And her little smile and way she even smelled. It's almost as if she is still here.

Growing up, I spent a lot of time with the Boys, more for the fact that I got a long with them better than females. But that's besides the point. Anyways, we use to play flashlight tag in our yard and also up in cemetery that's by my parent's house. If we weren't playing there, we'd be playing tennis-baseball at the park a block from my house. And then there were the times we'd have a little festival at our house of fireworks. Everyone in the neighborhood would come over and it'd be a great show. Even when the cops came up. Ahhh, memories.

College, memories both clear and hazy and don't forget those you'd like to forget. Let's see, Freshman year:

1. The best roommate, Kelly Pieters. Need I say more!?
2. Kelly's alarm clock that was so annoying, but I loved it!
3. Getting my nickname, TwoCan. I earned that name, that's for sure.
4. Kelly's mom getting sick and not being able to do anything to help her out.
5. Kelly walking in on Chad K. and I laying on our bunk bed. Honestly, Nothing was going on between us! I was just hiding him from the RA's that were walking around, I PROMISE!!!!
6. Oh, Halloween and dressing up as a doctor with Jess, then drinking a bottle of Bacardi Lemon....Oh, that wasn't the best idea.
7. Decorating the dorm hall ways. Ours looked like a fish bowl, it was great!
8. Falling asleep in Amber and Lori's room with Screech, or Aaron. No, nothing happened that night. I just didn't want to go back to my dormroom drunk, so Amber offered me a place to sleep. Does anyone remember his last name?
9. Oh, how about hanging out with Sarah L. And being infatuated with Russ.
10. Going to Canada with everyone. And then going there with Sarah and Russ.

Sophmore year:

1. The Chemical free floor. Don't need to add any more on to this one.
2. Celebrating my 21st birthday.
3. Drinking at Stargate.
4. Drinking at Grandma's.
5. Meeting boys.
6. Going to the Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra with Suzanne.

Junior year:

1. Applying for PT school
2. Getting into PT school.
3. Hmm, I'm sure there was something else that happened.

Senior year and grad school:

1. Living with Amy, April and Kelly in Maple.
2. Experiencing the terrible attacks on Septembe 11. Although I do remember and will never forget the birthday dinner everyone put together for me. And the great dinner that was made. Bad event, but it turned out good in the end.
3. Drinking to help me get through PT school.
4. Ok, Brad wasn't the best choice, but hey, we've all made them before.
5. Graduating with everyone with a bachelors degree.
6. Living with Mariah down on 1st street in Duluth.
7. Living out in Las Vegas for my first internship at an acute care hospital. What happened in Vegas, had to stay out there. *grin*
8. Andy and Suzanne getting married, and walking down the aisle with Joe as bridesmaid and groomsman. (Been with him ever since.)
9. Traveling out to Seattle with my sister for my third internship and then traveling back with my mom. Man, that's a long car ride.
10. Attending my last internship down in Rochester, MN at the Mayo.
11. Experiencing the loss of my first patient.
12. Graduating from PT school with a master's degree.
13. Moving in with Joe in our first apartment in Duluth.

The rest is history.

I know there are other memories, but these seem to be the ones most prominent today. I often think about things and wonder how they may be different. But the thing is, I'm glad they're not. If these things haven't happened like they did, I probably wouldn't be where I am today, or, for that matter who I am.

An Eventful Weekend

This past weekend I attended another continuing education class focusing on the management and treatments relating to patients who've experienced a stroke. The class started on Friday afternoon and continued all day on Saturday. A great way to take care of my CE credits needed to renew my PT license. Friday after the class I went up to see my uncle, still in the hospital, to see how he was doing. He informed me he'd be going home probably on Monday. After talking for awhile, I decided I should get going, and stop to say HI to Joe down at Starbucks before I made it home. Upon leaving the parking ramp, I started down 3rd Ave toward Superior Street, although I never made it there. I was stopped at the 1st Street stoplight because it was red, and some little old lady rear ended me, lifting my vehicle's back end right off the ground!!! I couldn't believe it! I put my car in park, got out to see if she was ok, and found her to be a bit confused, but nothing wrong. Her car still under mine, she started reviving up her engine, but not going anywhere because she had put her car in park! I told her she needed to put it into reverse, and that then we'd pull the cars over to the street so we'd be out of the way of other vehicles.

I told her I was going to call the police, to let them know what had happened, and so we could report this to our insurance company. Norma Jean, 84 years old, kept telling me that wasn't necessary and that she would just give me her insurance information; however, Norma Jean wasn't able to find her cards in her purse, "I just changed insurance agents and I can't find my cards!" Well, after standing out in the rain for 15 minutes dealing with this, the police finally showed up, as did my husband. I needed to get a my insurance information from my car, although I was I was looking for my cards, I remembered that they were stolen out of my car with my owners manual a couple of months back. Luckily, the police officer was able to use an older card of mine, and the reports were being written up.

Upon completion of the all the paper work, I read what Norma said had happened: "My foot must have slipped off the brake." Now, going down a hill in Duluth, that is not the best time for your foot to slip off the brake, don't you think! Oh well, there wasn't much damage done to my car this time, but I'm still concerned since my car is a lease, it has to go back in the same condition it was bought at. So it is something that needs to be looked at.

Yesterday I worked hard. (Ok, I worked, but not necessarily hard.) I called my mom and found out she was coming up to pick my uncle and bring him home. He was discharged to home and home health was going to help out with the dressing changes that need to be done daily, if not twice a day. He still has two OPEN incisions on his neck, but is taking antibiotics. He still has an infection and they will not close the incisions. They want them to heal from the inside out because of how severe the infections truly were. I'm worried things may change and he ends up sick again, but he's a fighter and things should fall into place. My parents will be able to help out if something is needed. Other than that, I'm glad things turned around for him. He's been through a lot this year. So lets pray things keep heading down this positive road for awhile.

As for today, I was able to have the day off from work because we are currently over staffed at work and our census is low. As a result, there were three of us who were able to relax and take care of things that need to be done. As for me, I ran to the gym and worked out for awhile, ran to Target to pick up another baby shower gift, and then headed to take care of an extra charge found on my credit card. A nice, relaxing day.

The Good with the Bad

• Last weekend I attended a course down in St. Paul addressing vestibular rehabiliation. It was amazing and I learned so much. Much more than I ever did during school, that's for sure. Joe and I also got to spend a few minutes with my sister, as well as seeing her boyfiend Kyle whom we do not see too often. Anyways, it's amazing how time flies when your're enjoying yourself and the company you have.

Emily and I at the Town Brewery in Minneapolis, MN.

• Unfortunately, the good weekend ended sooner than expected. On Monday, I ended up injurying myself again at work. If I didn't have to do lifting, I'd love my job but that isn't the case. Since most of the patients I work with have injuries that leave them debiliated, I'm the person who helps them move. A very rewarding job, but physical. So, Tuesday I was nursing an injury but dealing with the problem.

• Wednesday I had off. So I scheduled a massage to relax a little more, and then planned on taking care of some other things around the house and then cooking something for dinner. Little did I know, none of that was going to happen. I was heading out of the house to grab my breakfast when I got a call from my mom who was down in the cities visiting my sister. She said she had a big, huge favor to ask of me. She had gotten a call from my uncle's dentist saying he needed to be admitted to the hospital because the abscessed tooth he had pulled last week on Friday was not healing and he required medical attention. He still had significant swelling on the right side of his face and in fact, he looked just like the Nutty Professor (except he isn't black). That is how bad the swelling was. It was freaky looking!!

• So, instead of a relaxing day, I drove out to Ashland to pick up my uncle to bring him back to Duluth to St. Mary's to be admitted for the infection he has in his mouth. Upon arriving at his house in Ashland, I realized this was the first time since 1991 I had been in this house. That was when my grandmother had passed away. 17 years is a long time, let me tell you. As I walked into the house, I realized everything look the exact same. Nothing had changed. The flooring, the walls, the bathroom. It was freaky. And of course, I started to get a little emotional. It was so weird. I expected to see my grandma walk around the corner to start cooking or something. Just weird and unexpected emotions to have. I didn't expect to have any, but I did.

• Well, upon arriving at the hospital, the registration nurse told me and Uncle Jim that he was MRSA + and required to be in a private room. I looked at her and asked how she had gotten that information. She said she didn't know but they would look into it to see where this came about. I explained to her no one had completed blood work or even a nasal swab to test for this, so he shouldn't have been marked/flagged as MRSA+. This was disturbing and boggling to me, but I just let it be. We walked up to his room, and my parents soon showed up before we knew it. We sat around for about five hours before any doctor showed up. Upon his arrival, I decided to I needed to get going home to relax. It had been a busy, and emotional day. My mom said she'd call and give me an update when they knew something.

• At about 9PM, she finally called me to say Uncle Jim was going down for a CT scan, and we'd know a little from that. Well, about fifteen minutes later, she called again and said they were taking him directly to surgery because of how bad the infection and that this was life threatening. So, I stayed at home, while they waited at the hospital to find out the results. Around 11:30 that night, my dad called to give me an update: Surgery went well. They were able to intubate him through his mouth, meaning the swelling was not affecting his trachea. They had to surgically open the side of his face, one incision under his jaw, and another just caudal to his right clavicle. They had to do two incisions, secondary to how severe the infection was and how far it had spread down the right side of the neck. They had cleaned out the infection as much as they were able to, but may still need to go back to surgery to clean it again. After surgery, they admitted him to the ICU for close monitoring.

• Thursday morning, he was still intubated, but doing well. He was then exbutated on Friday, but still in the ICU for continued care. Yesterday, after I talked to Dr. Eyer, a critical care doctor I work with at my facility, we were informed he was going to be transferred our to a general medical floor because Uncle Jim was considered to be medically stable. After hearing the good news, my parents decided to head home. Well, this morning I talked to my mom again, and she had informed me the Uncle Jim was transferred out, but then was readmitted to the ICU because they had found bleeding in his abdomen and required to have a couple units of blood. I was informed this evening they are attributing the bleeding to diverticulitis, something that is actually stemming back to his achilles tendon repair back in May. Partially because of all the NSAIDs and Tylenol he's been taking for pain, along with his diabetes medications. At this juncture, he is still in the ICU, but should be transferred back to a medical floor soon; however, it is dependent on how things go.

• Honestly, this has all been a very trying time. I've seen infections before, but this is something I have personally not had to deal with and it is just nerve recking.So, in a nut shell, that's what has been happening. Hopefully things will start heading back to the good, but in the mean time, it's just a waiting game to see how things will pan out. Wish us luck and pray for Uncle Jim.

A Beautiful View

The first week in October is Apple Fest, something I love attending every year. It was great weather, and Joe, my dad and his dad along with our friend Seth, went golfing down in Hayward. My mom, Donna and myself ventured up to Bayfield. It was wonderful and we had a great time together. After our time in Bayfield we headed up to Mt. Ashwabay to check out the colors and of course, the views. Since my parents are on the board of the hill, we have the advantage of trucking up the hill, or basically doing anything we want! So, us in my little Mercury Mariner followed the back run up to the top of the hill, and here is what we saw:

Beautiful views looking out over Lake Superior, Bayfield to the left, and Madeline Island straight forward. It is great! It was also neat because I got to show Donna and my mom the exact spot Joe proposed to me on top of the hill. Ah, memories. So, please enjoy these two pics. If you're ever looking at going on a vacation, I highly recommend taking a trip up north in Wisconsin. May seem weird, but it is beautiful!

Good Friends Over A Drink

This past weekend was good, even though I had to spend it working. I had great patients to work with at work, which made the weekend go so much smoother. I actually got to say "I enjoyed working this weekend!" To add to this, I got a call from my good friend, Zack (one of our ushers in our wedding), who informed me a friend of ours was going to be up visiting this weekend. I hadn't seen Mike since 2003. He was unable to make it to our wedding because he was over in Iraq, and during his tour over there, he ended up in a near explosion of their base. During this incident he actually ended up injured and has required multiple surgeries on his arm and hand. Things are better now, of course, but it has been a long road for him and will still require a couple more surgeries here in the near future.

Anyways, Saturday night I got to the boys! It was great. I walked from our house down to the Anchor Bar and grill, about two miles from our house. Upon my arrival to the bar Zack, Abe (his younger brother), and Mike were there. You know that feeling you get when you're excited to see someone and then you finally see them? Elated? Excited? Nervous? Everything! It was great. I got a huge hug and we talked, had a beer and ate great burgers. (Even though they were a little tipsie, it was still worth while.) The only thing that would have made this better would have been having Amy there with us. Then it really would have been just like old times!*Memories* After finishing our burgers, Joe and I headed home, and the three of them worked there way down Tower Ave to Frankies for a bloody mary. Great memories. Seriously! I wish I could have gone with them, but it is more important to earn money these days, oh, and being able to work not hung over is a bonus!

Other than this past weekend, this coming weekend will be filled with learned and a relaxing. I get to attend a Vestibular Rehabiliation course down in St. Paul. During this venture, I also get to see my sister for a few hours. Maybe a couple of other friends too, we'll have to see how much time we have. The fun thing for Joe is he'll be able to attend the 5th Annual Miller Bowl. A bunch of his friends have been getting together for the past couple of years and play flag/touch football and drink. Unfortunately, I have never been able to attend, but at least this year he'll be able to be a part of the game. After that, we have plans to go to The Cheesecake Factory for dinner, and well, cheesecake!! I can't wait! Sometimes breaking the diet for a good piece of cake is worth it. Rules are meant to be broken, right?!

Enlightened Perspective

This was an email I got from my mom and mother-in-law. After reading it, I wanted to share it with all of you. It's nothing special but makes you think of things and remember each other. Please enjoy!

Thoughts written by Andy Rooney , a man who has the gift of saying so much with so few words.

I've learned.... That the best classroom in the world is at the feet of an elderly person.
I've learned.... That when you're in love, it shows.
I've learned.... That just one person saying to me, 'You've made my day!' makes my day.
I've learned.... That having a child fall asleep in your arms is one of the most peaceful feelings in the world.
I've learned.... That being kind is more important than being right.
I've learned.... That you should never say no to a gift from a child.
I've learned.... That I can always pray for someone when I don't have the strength to help him in some other way.
I've learned.... That no matter how serious your life requires you to be, everyone needs a friend to act goofy with.
I've learned.... That sometimes all a person needs is a hand to hold and a heart to understand.
I've learned.... That simple walks with my father around the block on summer nights when I was a child did wonders for me as an adult.
I've learned.... That life is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer it gets to the end, the faster it goes.
I've learned.... That we should be glad God doesn't give us everything we ask for.
I've learned.... That money doesn't buy class.
I've learned.... That it's those small daily happenings that make life so spectacular.
I've learned... That under everyone's hard shell is someone who wants to be appreciated and loved.
I've learned.... That to ignore the facts does not change the facts.
I 've learned.... That when you plan to get even with someone, you are only letting that person continue to hurt you.
I've learned.... That love, not time, heals all wounds.
I've learned.... That the easiest way for me to grow as a person is to surround myself with people smarter than I am.
I've learned... That everyone you meet deserves to be greeted with a smile.
I've learned..... That no one is perfect until you fall in love with them.
I've learned... That life is tough, but I'm tougher.
I've learned.... That opportunities are never lost, someone will take the ones you miss.
I've learned.... That when you harbor bitterness, happiness will dock elsewhere.
I've learned.... That I wish I could have told my Mom that I love her one more time before she passed away.
I've learned.... That one should keep his words both soft and tender, because tomorrow he may have to eat them.
I've learned.... That a smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks.
I've learned.... That when your newly born grandchild holds your little finger in his little fist, that you're hooked for life.
I've learned.... That everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness and growth occurs while you're climbing it.
I've learned.... That the less time I have to work with, the more things I get done.

Here's to Us!

Well, if you can all imagine, two years had past and Joe and I celebrated out 2nd anniversary on September 23 this year. It was wonderful. Even though we spent a good chunk of the day at the tattoo place, we got to spend quality time with each other in the end. We spent the afternoon just "being" and then head over to Blackwoods for our dinner. We were given a free bottle of champagne to celebrate and had a great dinner. The funny and ironic thing was in the middle of dinner, it started to down pour and the winds picked up out of no where. The ironic thing was, on the day of our wedding, it was the same type of weather! It really brought back great memories of that special day.

Here's a picture of us during our anniversary dinner. Even though we didn't spend tons of money on each other, we still thought of the canoe we got for us, and thought of how nice it was just to spend time with each other, something we haven't been able to do too much of lately. So here's to two years and to many more!

I love you, Joe, with all of my heart.

Friends and More

This past weekend was great! Not only did I have a good birthday, but a great friend came to visit. It's been awhile since we've seen each other, but it felt like we hadn't even been apart. It's great when you can reconnect and things didn't even seem like they changed. Anyways, Amy came up from Sheboygen, WI where she had just finished an assignment for her traveling PT job.

She arrived on Saturday afternoon, we talked a little and then headed out to Aces on 29th for dinner, and Joe's parents showed up. It was great. Good food and great company always makes things worth while. After dinner, we headed back to our house and got to look at all of Amy's pictures of her travels. She got to take an Alaskan cruise this year and the pictures were absolutely amazing. Not only was she there, but she was also in Seattle on assignment. Looking at her pictures really brought back memories of when I was out there on internship. Seriously, Seattle is one of my options if we ever think of moving. Definitely on the top of a short list. Anyways, great pictures. The glaciers and landscaping was amazing. Something I'd like to visit. I've heard of nothing but great things.


Well, to go along with Amy's travels, she bought herself a new vehicle. Yes, as you can tell, it is a Hummer! This thing is absolutely enormous! But it is great to drive! Here is a picture of its size in comparison to my vehicle and our garage! It made my car look small, as it did our garage! I could fit my car in hers without problems!!!






Since no one in our families have such a large vehicle or something so rare, Donna was very excited when she got do drive it! There is always a first time for everything and I don't think she will ever forget about this one. It was cute, she looked so small driving this huge car!!! Let's just say the wheels came up to her waist line!

Since we are spontaneous at times, we both decided this would be our time to get something done again. I've often thought, yes, tattoo's are permanent, but honestly, why not do it now while you can. And don't regret your actions. I've wanted to get another tat for awhile now, but hadn't been able to find something I wanted. Until I saw a flower a co-worker of Joe's had drawn. it looked perfect, so I asked Casey to draw me something that would look nice on a foot. Once he got the picture to Joe, Joe said I was going to love it, but it was alittle bigger than what I had wanted. Upon looking at it, I knew then what he meant, but the picture was beautiful. So deciding on a location for the flowers was a little harder than previously thought. Originially it was going to go on my foot. Well, things changed as did the picture. So, the location had to be big enough were it wouldn't lose it's detail, yet somewhere it could be covered up if needed. Deep thought went into this, as did much debate with Amy and Joe.

So, on Tuesday we ventured over to Anchors End Tattoo and both got new tattoos done. Amy had four Asian symbols down the middle of her back. I believe they meant strength, love and faith. They looked amazing, very nice. For those of you that would like to see mine, here it is. I never thought I'd have something done this big, but honestly, it looks nice. I was worried if it were too small it would lose detail.

I am very pleased with the way it had turned out. The colors look great and it isn't too large. Jay, the tattoo artist colored it accordingly. I told him I wanted pinks and purples, and it turned out beautiful. I was able to show Casey the final result yesterday and he loved it. It was great, he was a little surprised that it was as big as he had drawn the picture, but it still turned out wonderfully. Today it is still a little painful, I should say sore, but not too bad. All in all it was a good, two hour experience. As the was the weekend. It is always nice to see friends you haven't seen for while. It brings back good memories as well as making more memories. It was nice to see you Amy!

The Summers Recap!

This summer has been a trip, needless to say!
A quick recap of the wonderful, yet over summer:

1. Emily graduated from college, and started a "real job" in the "real world".
2. We experienced the Wii in a whole different light: Wii Fit rocks, whoever came up with the idea of exercise and fun together is a genius!!
3. Wii experience number 2: Mario Cart over took us ......it is an addicting game!!
4. Joe took a second job at Starbucks.
5. I got the position that was well deserved as the Neuro/trauma physical therapist at the hopsital. Well worth waiting for!! I can actually say I love what I am doing and enjoy my job very much.
6. Joe and I got to see a Neil Diamond concert in St. Paul.
7. We got to spend time acting like little kids at the MN Zoo and Como Zoo.
8. We both attended out 10 year High School Reunions. Wow, how time flies and people change.
9. Got food poisioning. (That was something we don't want to talk about.)
10. Joe won a case of steaks through playing in a golf tournament.
11. My mom and I dug out my garden and planted some pretty flowers. It's still looking good!
12. The biggest of all events and most expensive was reroofing our house. It looks great now!! The first day I drove around the corner and saw the roof, it looked great! The color matches the house perfectly, and the house actually LOOKS nice now. Next year we will paint, or possibly side. As of now we aren't too sure, but something else will be done. Owning your own home is nice, but the upkeep sometimes out weighs everything.
13. We bought ourselves a canoe and ventured down the Brule River with two good friends. Communication is extremely important when it comes to directions when traveling down the river.....bad communication just lead to funny moments though!
14. Played alittle mini golf with Seth and Traci, and Andy and Suzanne and then had a great dinner Joe cooked those wonderful steaks as I defrosted desert.
15. Painted our kitchen. No more "pink" color, hello sandy tan and a marshmellow white!
16. I experienced another birthday. Number 29, still under 30! As Joe called this my 4th 25th birthday. He's afraid of being older than 25 these days. Not too sure why though. It was a good b-day. Nothing too exciting happened, other than work, dinner and spending some quality time with my husband.
17. And tomorrow we will have my best friend up to visit for a couple of days!

All in all, the summer was great. No children yet even though most of our friends traveled down that road this summer, but our time isn't now. Even though the summer is over with, as of tomorrow, more great things will happen, bad things will happen, and we'll just have to deal with them too! Life just keeps us wondering what's next. That's why it's always a mystery. Time for fall to come, Apple Fest to attend, then halloween. Soon after that will be Thanksgiving then Christmas. Before that, it'll be 2009. Time flies, doesn't it!?

Just an FYI:

IT'S MY BIRTHDAY MONTH!!
Time to party!
Joe said I could to tell everyone because I get to be special all month long!
YEAH ME!

The Inaugural Voyage of S.S. Callypso!

This past weekend was wonderful. Joe and I got to take our canoe our for "spin" with two good friends, Seth and Traci. It all started off Sunday morning with Joe and I getting a call at 5:45am from a co-worker calling for Joe saying she was sick and needed him to come into work to cover for her. I felt bad for her, but Joe stood up and said No! because he had plans for the day! Way to go Joe for once! After that we really didn't get back to sleep, just tossed and turned for two more hours. Finally we got out of bed, headed down stairs to make a shake for breakfast, and then headed out the door to get the canoe on the car. Let's just say, that's a feet in itself. I can't lift anything straight over my head very well, so it was a difficult task at 8 in the morning for two non-morning people. But, somehow it got done and was there for the trip to Seth and Traci's house. After meeting them there, we headed to the gas station to fill up for the ride out to Lake Nebagamon to their cabin to get their canoe as well! Joe and I talked on the way and decided on our canoe's name: S.S. Callypso the Canoe. From there, we decided to refere to our trip as the Inaugural Voyage of the S.S. Callypso! Catchy phrase isn't it!?

During our drive out to the cabin, we acquired some problems with the canoe on the car, slipping and sliding back and forth, almost to the point of it coming off the car! IT was freaking me out, so we had to stop to tighten everything down. During this process, we lost sight of Seth's truck, thus leaving us out in no where without any sense of direction of where to go! Lucky, they noticed we slipped back and waited for us before they turned a corner! Once we made it to the cabin and got out of the car, I thought I was going to freeze. Traci and I were just shivering as the boys rounded up the canoe. I was hesitant about the voyage, but tried to think positive that it would be warmer up at the river. We decided to take the trailer for the two canoes, although the tires on the trailer were low, and needed air. So, we got the canoes on, the trailer on the truck and headed to the little town of Lake Nebagamon for air. Joe and I followed with my car. Once we got air, turned around and headed to the Winneboujou landing, where we would finish. Joe and I got into the truck with the other two and headed up north to Stones Bridge, our departing spot, 12 miles away.

Once we made it to the landing, we unloaded, got a couple of pictures and jumped into the canoes to start our adventure! It was great, a comfortable temperature outside, with some wind but not too much. It, needless to say, was a perfect day for a trip with friends.

Along our way, we got to see many different things and we even had a little picnic on the side. The scenary was great, fishes, birds, landscaping. It was awesome. Great photo ops throughout the day as well! Traci had a waterproof digital camera and was the one taking most of the pictures. Thanks to her, I was able to put them on here for everyone to see! I, of course, had a little waterproof fun camera, which I have not developed yet, so I'm taking advantage of these! Great pictures Traci!




Along our way, Traci and Seth came across a rock and decided to call it the Nipple Rock! I think the picture explains itself! As you all know, I usually come up with comments like that, but this time it was someone else!*S* But honestly, the rock looked like a nipple, what can I say!


Here's a cute picture of Joe and I lagging behind the other boat! Just relaxing along the way!









Traci was doing great with the camera and taking pictures of all of us together! Usually when I try to get a good angle for a picture, they don't turn out this well!






Like I said there were great photo ops along the way. This was taken near Cedar Island I believe. Cedar Island is a little area along the way were many US Presidents would visit to be secluded from the public. A perfect summer home away from the White House.

On the river, there were two sections of small little "rapids" as one would call. The last time I ventured down them I was in a canoe with my mom, and we ended up tipping the canoe over. Well, this time, that didn't happen, but we also weren't entirely lucky. Seth and Traci went first and made it throughout unscathed. Joe and I went, hoping to make it through, but unfortuntately, we ended up traveling alittle too far to the left of the rapids, and our canoe ended up getting jammed between two rocks, and wouldn't budge!!

Literally, Joe had to get out of the canoe, and try pushing enough to get us unstuck. As he did this, we ended up getting unstuck, then stuck on another rock! Traci and Seth were at the other end, laughing as we were too! Joe was complaining because the water was so cold, but I just kept on laughing. What are the odds that we'd get stuck. Now seriously, it just wouldn't be a trip without something happening, right?!

After the rapids, we had to travel across the "Big Lake". Lets just say, it was more difficult than I remember. We had a little bit of a head wind, not making it any easier. But as we made across, we knew were nearing the landing point. Here's another picture of a neat bridge we saw. As we neared the finish, I was getting tired, especially my upper trap muscles which I have been having problems with since I got hurt at work. Joe told me to just relax and he'd push, but I felt too bad. It was a great trip. A little bit of arguing happened, which happens all the time with us. That's just how we are. If we didn't argue al ittle, it wouldn't be an outing with us!*S* I love you, Joe! At the landing, we had to pull our canoes up over the ledge. Joe and Seth took my car to go and get Seth's truck at Stones Bridge. Traci and I sat and waited. Once we got everything loaded, we headed back to the cabin, unloaded the trailer and their canoe and then back to Superior. Seth helped Joe unload our canoe from my car, we changed clothing, then went back to Seth and Traci's for pizza and some Nintendo Wii. After a couple of hours there, Joe and I headed home for a good nights rest! It was a great weekend with great friends. We can't wait to do it again!

Relaxation and vacationing!

Vacations are wonderful! But the return to reality itsn't. Joe and I were on vacation for 10 days and even though we didn't go too far, it was still a blessing and we actually enjoyed every minute of it! It all started off with us stopping at Cold Fusion in Duluth, a new store for utilizing Herbalife as a weight loss basis. Anyways, the store is fun and you get to try different drinks and mixes and loss weight! Now who wouldn't wante to try that! After that, we decided to head up the North Shore to the Tettegoochie State Park, just north of Silver Bay, MN. I had never been there before so this was fun and great to be outside! We just walked around for awhile, got lost because of bad directions and signs in the park. Who could imagine bad signage in the middle of the woods in a state park. We didn't, that's for sure! So we added about a two-mile hike extra onto our ventures! It was fun, but tiring. Worth while though.
And of course we have to have pictures of us!! It just wouldn't be a vacation without those!

Here's a cute one of me, too!! Joe, of course, has all of those great ideas for pictures, even in the woods!

After our outdoor adventure in Northern MN, we decided to head on down to the Minnesota State Zoo and the Como Zoo in St. Paul, MN. It was great! I was like a little kid running around seeing different animals and hearing different noises! It was awesome! Here are a couple of picuters from those trips to the zoos. And, as you all remember the Two-Can nickname I acquired during school, Joe thought this would be a good picture to go with the theme of the vacation!

Here are a couple of cute and fun picture throughout our trips at the zoos!

Me having fun on the turtle! And as soon as we entered this facility, the monkeys started making monkey noises!! It was great! I almost got a the best picture, but then they moved! Their arms were around each other like "Hey Buddy!"

This one was perfect too!! If only the moose looked up too!

And don't forget the lions, tigers and bears! Oh my! Okay, there isn't any bears here, and the tigers were actually hiding, but here's a lion!! He was roaring loudly! It was just amazing to hear the noises they produce! It was amazing!

Don't forget Joe likes to play and have fun too! Smile for the camera!

These lilies were at the Como Zoo. The lily pads were seriously HUGE! I had never seen anything quite like them! And the colors were beautiful! Something we don't see up here all too often! And during the vacation, I almost forgot to tell you all! I, missy who hates to garden, decided to make a garden, flower one, in my back yard! It was a lot of work, and my mom came up and helped a lot as well! There is over 800 pounds of extra top soil sitting in the corner of my back yard, but it was worth it! I have lilys, a rose bush in the corner and a couple of other flowers, ones I don't really konw what they are! But it turned out great and looks nice! The true test is to see what happens next year, in pray they will return again! Man, this was a lot of work! I never expected it to be that much but it was worth it. And I got to spend good time with my mom!

And to finish it all off, Joe and I decided to make a purchase for the both of us! We have been talking about getting a canoe for awhile, but just haven't found something in our ranges. Low and behold, our last day turned out great! We called a couple of places and were able to find this Old Towne Canoe, 160 series, about 84 pounds! We got it on sale, and it is brand new! This of course is our birthdays, anniversary, and christmas presents to ourselves. We thought instead of buying multiple gifts, we'd go this route and get something out of a gift we'll both enjoy! Our first outing is going to be this weekend traveling down the Brule River in WI. Wish us luck!! I'll get pictures from there as well!

The Class of '98 Reunion!

Well, it has finally happened, (and I have finally had the time to write about it) and I can say it was pleasant! We had out 10 high school class and out of the 65 classmates we had, these are the ones that were able to make it! Fifteen of us!! Even though we were all not there, it was still a good time. The reunion was held out at a bar called the Pub and Grub, a small little bar about ten minutes out of Washburn. Joe got to meet a some of the friends from H.S. which was nice. I haven't seen several of these people for quite some time, so catching up was nice. Some are married and have children, so just have children, some have jobs and some don't. But honestly, who cares! Life is life and we do what we want to do as long as we like it and are enjoying ourselves. Some people have changed, where some people have stayed the exact same. It's amazing how our personalities keep with us. You would think over time it they may mellow, but they don't. But that's why we are the way we are, right?!

One thing I find funny, ironically funny that is, there were a couple of people I haven't seen in TEN years. What was nice was people were actually excited to see me as I was excited to see them! Even though time has passed, its amazing the bonds you have with people and how they have impacted your life. Seeing these people made me realize that no matter what happened in the past really doesn't matter. I was so worried about seeing some people, and worried about what they would think of me. But it didn't matter. I didn't care nor do I think others really cared about others thought.

These three girls, Rachel, Cary and Hannah were they ones I spent a lot of time with throughout the good ol' days! I often saw Cary at SMMC where I work, but now she's moved down to the Cities for a job. Rachel is in Eau Claire working and Hannah is over in Green Bay for her job. We are all scattered around, but still keeping in touch one way or another.

All in all, it was a good reunion. Who knows where we'll all be in the next ten years, but hopefully more will show up for the next one. If not, I'd be content with the ones who were there this time.

Possibilities and Outcomes

A couple of weekends ago, Joe and I went for a venture in Jay Cooke State Park and walked around there for awhile. Here is a picture from the walk! It was a great day, although we walked along the river for quite some time, he had to hike back up, and it was a hike "Back Up" the trail. Joe was panting at the end, but it was good!

This is day four of my six days off from work, without having to take vacation time! During these past couple of days, I've had the opportunity to think about things and clarify some questions in my mind I haven't been able to answer. And see some people whom I haven't seen in quite awhile.

This past weekend, I got a phone call from my friend Zack. It caught me off gaurd because the number on the phone was his cell phone. I thought to myself, he couldn't be back from Bosnia already, but I was wrong! He was back here in Duluth, at least for the next school year!! So I hurried up, called Joe and told him to meet me at the bar so we could catch up! It was great! I hadn't seen Zack in over a year because he was stationed in Bosnia for some peace keeping trip. Needless to say, it really didn't turn out the best but he made it home safely. It was great to catch up on things. Lots to talk about and just chill. I don't drink as much as I didn't back in the day, so the three drinks I had was enough! Joe finally met up with us at the bar and enjoyed the time as well. The only thing that would have made this a better evening would have been the people signing karaoke, not sign! They were absolutely horrible, but the time was pleasant.

On Monday, I made a new goal for myself. I am hoping this is something I'll be able to reach, but we'll see what happens between now and then: I am hoping to run the 1/2 marathon on Ashland, WI called the Whistle Stop. It is on October 10-11 this year and it is a great run. I follows the corridor along the highway from Iron River to Ashland (that is the full marathon and the 1/2 starts halfway through). It is a fairly flat run, on a paved limestone gravel trail run. I am hoping this is something I'll be able to attain, but we'll see what happens. I may not be able to run it in 2 hours, but i really want to try again. I didn't run Grandma's 1/2 twice during college. I know it can be done and with this course being a fairly "easier" course, I figure I should give it a try! So wish me luck with training. If anyone has any tips or ideas, please send them this way, I'd appreciate them! Here is the link to the website for the marathon/half. http://www.whistlestopmarathon.com/

Something that has also been bothering me, in a good way was thing: Why have I been so positive lately? For some reason, I have been looking at the bright side of things/life, something I am not known for. And you know what, it actually feels kinda good. I don't really know why it is happening, but I am actually happy with where things are in our lives right now. Don't know why, but I think I'll take it while it is here. Hopefully things will keep on traveling down this route, cause I kinda like it!

Plus, on July 20th, Joe and I will be down in the Cities for the Neil Diamond concert at the XCel Energy Center! Joe is a huge fan of Neil and he thinks this is something I'm going to enjoy. So we decided to get tickets and see where it takes us. I am hoping while we are down there, we may be able to see a couple of friend while we are there, but not too sure what'll happen or if we'll have time. But it is always a good idea to have a couple of plans/ideas of what to do. So wish us luck!

What Goes Around...

As you have read before, I was hoping to get the position at our hospital as the primary physical therapist on the Neuro/trauma floor; unfortunately, I was overlooked, and the position was given to a co-worker whom had little experience. At first, yes, I hated it and felt I was not a good therapist. Well, last week my supervisor came to me and asked if I was still interested in being the PT up on 8East because the person who was chosen the first time, wasn't able to handle the position and was often forgetting important things needed in documentation. I told my supervisor I'd have to think about it. I didn't want to be thought of as second-best.

A decision was made, and I said yes. As of thursday, July 10th, I am officially the primary therapist on 8 East!! Yeah! I've had many people say that things happen for a reason, and I truely believe there was a reason for this, however, I am not sure what it was. But, what goes around, comes around, and look where it has gotten me now!? Now starts a whole other world and keeping me more busy than before. I guess this is a good thing. I must say I'm a little nervous but I know I have what it takes. Hopefully everything will work out and I'll be able to do what needs to be done and make sure my patients are receiving the care they deserve. That is the main thing to think about!

Congrats to the Graduate!

Well, for all of you who know my little sister, Emily, she has finally graduated from college!!Friday, June 13th, Emily got to walk down the aisle for her college graduation from Arts Institute International with a bachelors of Science in Advertising! As you can see, she makes a cute graduate!! My parents, Joe and I and his mother Donna, and Em's boyfriend, Kyle were all lucky to attend this magnificent event. It was held at the St. Thomas church on the St. Thomas Minneapolis Campus in downtown Minneapolis. It was a beautiful afternoon for a wondrous day! Here is a cute picture of the new Graduate! Now all we have to do is help here find a job! So if any of you know of anyone in the Twin Cities looking to hire someone with an advertising degree, please let me know so I can share the news with her!

Here is a picture of the two of us together! It's hard to believe the two of us are actually related! But I must say I do love her dearly!

Here is a great family photo since the wedding! We really don't have too many of these so they are precious and worth while.

After the graduation, Emily had the decision on where we would go for dinner. Since we were in downtown Minneapolis and it was just at the start of rush hour, no one really wanted to drive anywhere. So we settled on eating at The News Room, which was only two blocks from the Hilton hotel our parents were staying at. Aren't we all just cute!





One side of the table was Joe, myself, and our dad!








The other side was Donna, Emily, and our mom!

After eating, we headed back to my parents hotel room for cake made by my grandfather. If you can remember, he was the one who made our wedding cake, as well as most of the other ones I may have brought up to school with me. ( Sorry, no picture of the cake! Oops!) After saying our good-byes, Joe, Donna and I headed down to Bloomington toward our hotel. The reason why Donna was with us, she was flying out of Minneapolis to St. Thomas for two weeks!! Lucky her! She asked us to take her car home instead of leaving it down at a Park-and-Fly. Mike, Donna's husband, will be driving down to the cities to fly out on Thursday and the car'll be left at that point! Anyways, she in the sun and having fun, of course!

Over the rest of the weekend, Joe and I stayed down there till Sunday, hung out with the family and the new grad, did some shopping at the Mall of America, traveled over to Golf USA, and just relaxed. It was a nice little get-a-way from Duluth. Sunday, we drove back up to Superior, stopping in North Branch and did a bit more shopping, not that we really needed to buy anything else, but we stopped, as well as my parents. After a brief stop there, we headed up to Hinckley, had lunch at Tobeys, bought two caramel rolls, and made the rest of the trip to our home. Upon getting back, we ran inside, stopped in the bathroom (I really have a tiny bladder!!), and then headed back over the bridge the Miller Hill Mall to Gordons to have my ring checked out. I was informed down at a Gordon's in MOA my diamond was loose and needed to get checked out. So stopping up here made sense! Upon talking to the associate working there, he informed us this wasn't something they could get fixed!! So right now, I am ringless, and not happy about that. But that's another story to talk about another time! I must say I miss that ring. All in all, it really was a great weekend. Congrats again to Emily! The whole world is at your fingertips! I love you!

And of course, I had to add one of Joe and I, just so y'all can see our smiling faces!!

The 10-Year HS Class Reunion

The other day, I received notice about my upcoming high school class reunion. I can't believe it has already been 10 years since I left the little town of Washburn and ventured out into the big unknown. Well, I started looking back at the times I had during high school and realized, yet again, I need not go down that road. I hated almost every moment I had during that time frame. I was teased often, more so because I was better at sports than some of the guys in my class. I wasn't necessarily part of the "in crowd" so I more often than not, got left out of things and was very rarely invited to events or parties. (Hmm, this is sounding more and more like my time in college and post-college times.) I guess I felt school was more important than drinking, drugs, and getting into trouble, something my parents instilled in me, "You have to get a good education to make it far in this world." I'm glad I had a family that pushed me to be the best I could be and to do whatever I wanted to do. (Otherwise, I probably would have given up on being a Physical Therapist after the second time I didn't pass my boards exam and I'd still be working at hell, I mean Sam's Club.) I should say thank you to all of those who have helped me to get to where I am today. If it wasn't for y'all, I'm sure I'd be a whole different person. Our friends are the ones to get us through those hard times and make sure we still have our head above the water to breathe.

As for the reunion, I'm not too sure this is something I really want to do. I feel obligated to attend because of the time Kristen is putting into everything to set it all up. But honestly, I'm not sure if I'm ready to travel down that road again. When I graduated, I wanted to get as far away from some of them that I could. Some people made my life a living hell. There are couple of people I'd like to see though. I have discussed with a fellow classmate, Travis, that we'd drink together, and this time I wouldn't throw up on his shoes like I did the first time we drank together. (The first time I actually drank during HS was a our graduation, so I held out for a long time, all things considered.) There are many things that have always bothered me: many of my classmates never left Washburn, and still live there, either working in the grocery store or not making it is life with many children hanging on their arms. Some have done wonders for them and have their own businesses. To me, I just don't understand why they didn't want to try bigger and better things than little ol' Washburn. But other than these little things, I'm not even sure if many people are going to attend because a fellow HS classmate is getting married that weekend as well. I'm not invited, thank goodness, but I know she is still good friends with a lot of others from our class. So who knows who'll show up either venue.

I'm thinking the appropriate thing to do is attend. I do have things to hang in front of others and of course that include: my great and wonderful husband; my good health after losing 36 pounds and a breast reduction; a great job working as physical therapist; and the ability to say I've made something of myself and have moved on from the small town and ventured out in life to try something new. No matter what happens or what people may think, I can honestly say I am finally happy with myself and am glad as to where I am in life. Granted, we haven't taken the "baby" road yet, but that's to come shortly. So I guess going in with a positive attitude is what will have to be done, and be happy for others choices as to where they are in their lives as well. So if any of you gal's have any hints of making it through the night sober, please feel free to chime in any time! Otherwise, it's looking like my parents are going to be picking us up again at the bar. Its a good thing they'll be around, cause I think I won't be sober enough to drive. Oh well!

Wonderful "US" Day!

Last Friday, Joe took the day off to spend with me. We both had a horrible week at work, and he felt this was a good opportunity for us to have an "Us" day that we've so badly needed. Ever since Joe started his second job, we haven't had too much "Us" time lately and when we can find it, it is golden. Since he surprised me taking the day off, it meant a lot to know he's been thinking of us. To start the day off, we slep until 8 A.M.! A late day for us! We then decided to get some coffee at Starbucks and then make our way up the North Shore. Along our way, we had a great talk, granted it was mainly me bitchin' about my job and new supervisor, but it was pleasant. After passing Two Harbors, we still hadnt decided where we were going. As we passed Gooseberry, we decided to head up to Split Rock Light House. As we stopped at the front gate, we decided to by a Yearly Pass to MN State Parks, that way we have to get out more, hicking and what-not to get our money's worth. Plus, then, we have to spend time together!

Pulling up to the visitors center, we came across this vehicle, which just added to our day. Definately made me and Joe smile! How could you not when you see a sign like that!?

Arriving at the visitor center, we looked around to notice hardly any one else enjoying the day. We thought the two of us were the only ones there, until another couple showed up about twenty minutes later! Upon rounding the visitors center, we literally had to follow the signs to the lighthouse. How appropriate! It's amazing how much fun you can have when you don't have a care in the world and you are just out to have a good time together!

Another photo-op! Aren't we just cute together!?! Smile for the camera! Lovely!

Since we were really the only two around for awhile, we decided to have a little fun, and started taking pictures and poses to remember the moments!

After spending some time around the actual lighthouse, (we couldn't go into any of the buildings at that time because we were there early in the season and there were renovations still going on), we thought we'd walk around and take the trail down to the lake. It was a pleasant, yet long walk through the woods. We spent some time looking at the vegetation and trees that were eaten by rabbits! As we grew closer to the lake, we stopped and found the stairs we'd be taking back up to the top. Hmmm, I was planning on counting them during our venture back up, but then I changed my mind when I saw really how many were there!! Alittle too many for me!

As you can tell, it was a beautiful day outside. You couldn't have asked for more, I must say! While we were walking around on the rocks, we stopped and sat for a bit to enjoy the atmosphere and the company. Before long, another couple showed up. It was interesting listening to them because you could tell they were from another country. Foreign languages are always fun to listen to. They were taking pictures as Joe and I were, so we offered to take their picture, as they did for us!

After leaving the lighthouse, we headed home and stopped at Ski Hut to look for new bikes for the both of us. Once we were done there we headed to the movie theater and watched a great, funny, yet stupid movie: Forgetting Sarah Marshall. It just put a great twist to a wonderful day. Spending this quality time with each other meant the world to the both of us.

Mother's Day and Breast Cancer Walk

Since it is Mother's Day weekend, I decided to sign up for the Mother's Day and Breast Cancer Walk here in Duluth at the DECC. I had asked my mom and sister if they'd be willing to join me in the little venture, but they were unable to make it up for the early morning walk. So, I asked my mother-in-law to join me! It was a good morning. We only did the 2-mile walk, but it was so worth it. It was only about 40 degrees out or so, but there were so many participants! Made me feel good to know there are so many people out in our communities that are willing to share and be a part in saving lives and raising money for such a great cause! I couldn't tell you how many people were exactly there, but I know I saw numbers higher than 1200 for bibs! That's over $30,000 from one little walk! I just think its a great way to get everyone moving and raising funds for a good cause! Anyways, Donna and I had a good talk and finished the 2-miles in just under 29 minutes. For us, that's good!! So, yeah for those who work for others and share ways of changing peoples lives.

Fine As Wine!

As most of you know when Joe and I got married, we decided to have a toast with wine instead of the traditional champagne most weddings tend to have. Instead of having any ordinary wine, we went to Wine Creations here in Duluth and made our own. We chose a sweeter wine, a white Merlot, with a soft taste. It is absolutely wonderful and has only gotten better as it aged. This was our final product. I fell in love with the cobalt blue bottles, which went perfectly with our wedding colors and the rose theme. How can you resist such a beautiful color?!

Since we've been running low on our reserves, I think we have four bottles left out of 60 bottles, we decided to venture back up to Wine Creations and make another batch. This time, we decided on a trying a Riesling, something I am not too sure about, but was willing to try. We chose a Washington Riesling, obviously, based from Washington state. At first when we were making it, I thought it was going to be a little too sweet. But today, we were a little surprised: It tasted absolutely wonderful! Tonight we weren't the only couple up there bottling and making wine, but the Fox 21 News station was also there doing a segment on "A Day in The Life" story of the owners of the facility! They recorded us cleaning and bottling our wine, as well as taping us answering questions about how we got started in "the wine business". It was great and she loved our story, which made me feel even better. So not only did we get our wine, but we are now TV stars! The segment is going to be aired tomorrow night on Fox 21 at 9pm here in Duluth/Superior!

Anyways, we'll be having a wine and cheese party as well! Since our cheese board isn't here yet (I got it from my Pampered Chef party two weeks ago!) we'll be planning it soon. Anyone who is around, even though I know y'all live far away, but you're all welcome to join us! It's great wine, and of course, wonderful company! *S* But if not, you really need to try making your own wine, not only is if fun, but its something you can enjoy with your significant other, and they don't mind it much at all! Plus you get to try different types of wine, to find out what you like and don't. In the end, it is all worth the time and effort. The end result is pleasant and tastefull.

Vacation Ideas Needed

I need some help. Joe and I are trying to plan a trip for the second week in August and are looking at going to Milwaukee for a Brewer's game (I really want to see my man, JJ Hardy!). While we are there, we are hoping to go to Chicago to spend some time as well. If anyone has any good ideas, I'd really appreciate them! Where are not too sure what to do or where to go, so ideas are greatly needed! Please feel free to point them out! The more the merrier! Thanks everyone!