March 31, 2011

Easter Swap!

Sam at Life is Better Blonde is hosting an Easter Swap! I'm so excited! This is the first swap that I'm taking part it. I think it will be fun to pick something out for someone else and to get something cool in return. What would you want to get in an Easter swap? Or what are you hoping the Easter bunny leaves in your basket this year? Growing up we always just got candy in our baskets. I had a friend that got real presents. I remember one year so got rollerblades! I was so jealous! But since we didn't get big gifts it made us focus more on why we were celebrating the holiday and the real reason for the holiday.

But if I could get ANYTHING in my basket this year I would want things for the wedding (a dress, a photographer, shoes, drinks, etc. :)), I would also like tickets to go see the new Easter movie, I think it's called Hop. The one with the Easter bunny that can talk and poops jelly beans. It looks funny and cute. Maybe I can talk the future Mr. into taking me to see it. Although I don't know when we would go since both of our lives are so busy right now!

This afternoon I'm headed down to Castaway on Pelican Lake, it's a beautiful Young Life property that isn't too far from my parents house. I'm going there for the NW MN Synod Sr. Hi Youth gathering. I don't have any kids from my church going but I'm on the LYO board that plans these events so I get to go anyway. It should be a good time. The LYO board for our synod is such a great group of people/kids, I really enjoy the time I spend with them.

Hopefully the weather gets better. It's cloudy here and we had a few flurries this morning. My mood is so dependant on the weather. All I want to do is go back to bed and read a book or watch a movie. Hopefully the sun will peek out for a bit...

Hope you're having a great day!
Peace.

giveaway!

No- I'm not doing a giveaway but The vVintage Pearl is! Check it out: TVP

March 30, 2011

So What Wednesday

Life After I
Here's what I'm saying So What to this week:

*if I made grilled cheese for lunch on Saturday and I took the one that was the least burnt and let the future Mr. have the others

*if I can't make up my mind about what dress I want to be MY dress

*if I had a whole SWW list in my head on Sunday and I can't remember any of it today

*if I want to go on vacation already again- work is overwhelming right now,
Easter season mean busy season at church

*if I really, really, really want a cute puppy. I want the kind that stay cute and little, the kind that doesn't shed, and the kind that is trained to go on a potty pad. I might have to talk my landlord into letting me get one. I have been a great tenant for almost 2 years now and I don't plan on moving anytime soon.

*if I'm listening to the Twins baseball game at work. I love the twins and I don't care that it's only preseason.

*if I'm super excited that UND (Grand Forks) and UMD (Duluth) are in the frozen four. I hope they beat Michigan and Notre Dame (respectivly) so that they get to play each other. That would be such an intense game especially since they're playing at the Excle Center in St. Paul.

*if I woke up this morning and really wanted a reset button-
I would love to go back to pre-school for a while

What are you saying "So What..." to this week?
Head on over to Life After I "Dew" to see what everyone
else is saying "So What..." to this week.

birthdays!

Yesterday my baby sister turned 21! AHHHHH! I feel old! ... Moving on.

I went to mom & dad's Monday night (I got to have dinner with my future Mr. :)) then Tuesday morning mom and I went to Fargo. We went to Spencer's to get some 21st b-day stuff for my sister, then to OfficeMax so mom could get some work stuff then to the Hobby Lobby (love love love!!!!). I had to get some black scrapbook paper for my confirmation bulletin board and I found a black ottoman for my living room that has a black and white floral print top for $8!! I had been looking at one at Target that was $20 so that $8 one was a steal!! I'm so excited. After the HL mom and I went to DB to try on my dress that came in already and it isn't the one that I'll wear when I become Mrs. K. It's pretty but it's just not MY dress. I told the sales lady that there was another dress at a different store and I described it to her and she picked some that were similar and a couple that were way different but I kept comparing them to the dress at Alan Evans. Which to me says something. So mom put me back into the think about it category. So I have to think for a few days then I can order one. I'm 98% sure that it will be the one at Alan Evans. We also got to pick up my sister's dress at DB. It's so pretty!!

After we left DB we went to visit my sister at college. We took her out for lunch where she had her first legal drink (a rum and coke) then we picked up her BF Eric and went to a bakery in town to have cupcakes (red velvet with cream cheese frosting- yummie!!) then we ran a couple errands and went back to her dorm. We did make her try on her dress to make sure that it fit- and it does perfectly!! If I have my b-maids wear heels her dress will be the right length but if they wear flats she'll need to have it hemmed up (they'll probably wear flats, I think we all will). And the royal blue dress looks soooo good with the lime green sash! I'm so excited! But only 1 of the sashes came in! What the heck! The 3 b-maid dresses that we ordered and the dress the I ordered came in, but only 1 of the sashes. What the heck?!? But the sales gal that was helping us told us that all of the sashes have been ordered so they're comming.

Back to b-day celebrations- So we hung out in Kt's dorm for a while then we went and picked up one of her girlfriends and the 4 of us went to dinner (her BF wasn't feeling well and he had to work later so he went back to his dorm to nap). We went to dinner at a yummie resturante that is in a beautiful old building. I had a cup of beer cheese soup and a chicken ceaser salad. So good! They make these wonderful pop-over bread things and they make their crutons in house from the day old break. If I lived in my sister's town I would eat there ALL.THE.TIME. But I don't, I live almost 4 hours away. Yes, you read that right. I drove 4 hours, one way, for my sister's b-day. My car has gotten lots of miles already this week, I've already driven 7 hours this week and I'm not done yet, I'll have another 2 tomorrow and 2 back home on Sunday. Good thing the focus gets good gas mileage!!! I just wish gas was cheaper!

This post is titled birthdayS which implies more then one! My friend Kris who I went to Missouri with in January had her b-day Monday and today is Molly's birthday! Yay! I love celebrating b-days!

Hope you're all having a great day!
Peace.

March 28, 2011

9th graders

I spent all of yesterday afternoon (yes all- noon to 4:30) with 13 9th graders. We were at our confirmation retreat to help prepare them for May 1st when they will stand in front of the congregation and affirm their faith. This was not my ideal activity for a Sunday afternoon. I understand that it is my job but it is not my favorite part of my job.

9th graders are rude, snotty, they think they know everything, and they think they are too good to do anything that we might be doing at church. I shouldn't generalize like that, there were a few of the 13 that were willing to do things and that paid attention like good children. But there were only a few. There was one girl that was being so snotty and rude that I finally looked at her and said, "If you would just stop your whining this whole day would go a lot quicker and easier for both of us." I really don't know how their parents deal with them!! I don't ever want to have a 9th grader! I know that I will have one eventually because I really want to have kids and they have to grow up but ugh.... I am so NOT looking forward to that.

Yesterday afternoon was even worse because it meant that I didn't get to hang out with my future Mr. :( I feel like I haven't got to spend very much time with him lately and it isn't going to get better any time soon. This coming weekend he's going snowmobiling out west and I'm going to a synod gathering because I'm on the Lutheran Youth Organization board. Then the next weekend he has to leave early because they're working in Grand Maris and the weekend after that is Prom and Psalm Sunday so I have to work the WHOLE weekend. Then it's Easter and I have to work again, then confirmation, then synod assembly, then we'll finally get to spend the weekend together but we'll drive to St. Joe MO for my cousin's high school graduation, then it's graduation here so we'll have parties to go to. I'm so excited for summer so my life can slow down a little bit. And I know that someday I will charish the weekends where one of us has something else going on because it will mean that I will get "me" time again but right now I want more "us" time!!

I'll get some more "us" time tonight because I'm going to my mom and dad's :) Then tomorrow it's off to Fargo to try on the dress from DB since it came in already then I'll have to make the decision about which dress I really want. Then it's on to my sister's college town to celebrate her 21st b-day! Yay!!!!

It's a week filled with birthday's for me (well just 2 days filled with them but still) tomorrow is my sister's b-day and Wednesday is Molly's! But I'm taking Molly out for lunch today since Wednesdays are so busy in both of our lives- thats what you get when you're both youth directors!!

I better get going on my to-do list since I'm only going to be in my office for 2 1/2 days this week!!
Peace.

March 25, 2011

Can't Focus!

I know I already posted today and it wasn't that long ago but I can't focus on anything work related!!

This is why I normally take Friday's off.

I have spend way to much time today looking at wedding stuff online (save the date magnets, and invites), monkey-ing around with our website on theknot.com, looking at wedding favors for our guests (i'm thiking of going with a sweet bouncy ball idea), playing around on facebook, eating lunch and chatting with the ladies that were at the church to cook (we had another funeral today). Basically I have done everything but the things on my to do list.

I have a few things that I really HAVE to get done today (April newsletter, info sheet for my parent meeting on Sunday morning, info sheet for our confirmation retreat on Sun., Easter info for parents) but I can't make myself do it! I don't know what's wrong with me!

FOCUS!!!

Ok- here we go, I'm going to try and do some work now.
Peace.

TGIF!

I'm sooooooo glad that Friday is here! It has been a long week! But that always seems to happen after a vacation- you get so behind when you're gone that the whole first week back you're just trying to play catch up!

But I'm not just exctied that I don't have to work tomorrow, I'm excited because my fiancee is coming to visit tonight!! A woo hoo! I feel like I haven't seen him in forever! I saw him for 1 day right before we left for vaca and like an hour the day that we got home cuz I had to come back to my northern town. So I am very excited for a whole weekend with him! Yay!

I realized yesterday that I never shared the rest of my vacation pictures with you! So without further ado, here they are:
This is what we got to look at everyday :)
Well almost, this is a picture coming into Breckenridge and we got to look at Pike's Peak everday
but they're both pretty mountains
We were out there for St. Patty's day and my sister and I had matching shirts
They say "Lucky Luth-r n"
We got them from Oldlutheran.com

Also on St. Patty's day we took this train up Pike's Peak!
We couldn't go all the way to the top because it was too windy-
there were 125 mph winds at the peak!!
But we did get to go to 12,000 feet (the peak is 14,110) and take pictures

This house is called Wind Point and it's at about 11,000 feet.
An explorer and his wife lived here. I could not imagin living here! You're above the tree line, so trees don't grow up there, it's windy, it's cold, and there aren't any other people! God Bless her!!
The doors and window aren't real- they boarded up but they're painted to look real so the windows have curtains and the door has a handle painted on it. It was pretty cool!

There are these huge rocks all the way up and down the canyon that the train goes up. They're called Pike's Peak granite and it has zero commercial value because water can get into the crevases then freeze and expand which causes cracks in the rock. Well over time those cracks can break the rocks and make them smaller and into different shapes.
The top rock on this one looks like Santa's sleigh for those of you who still believe ;)

This is my uncle's beautiful house that we got to stay in.
I want a house that is this beautiful some day

While I was outside taking that picture of my uncle's house these two deer came running around the side of the house.
I froze!
Deer never get that close to you in MN. They just stared at me for a minute then took off across the street.
I know they're kind of hard to see but they're inbetween the road and the trees,
they kind of blend in so you have to look close.
I wish I had a better camera because this could have been an awesome picture,
but my cheap-o digital camera will just have to do for now!

Well, there are the rest of my pictures from vacation. Sorry I didn't take as many during the second half of the week! The one thing that I wish I would've taken a picture of was BeirWorkz. It's a brewery that we went to by my uncle's house. The brew like 6 different kinds of beer, rootbeer, and orange soda. The rootbeer was really good! (I'm not a beer girl so I stuck to the root beer but Dad was impressed so it must have been good!) Next time we make it out there I'll take a picture for you!

Other random things that I have rolling around in my head:

-I want to re-do the lay out of my blog but I'm not sure what I want. As I have gotten more into blogging and checking out other blogs mine just feels kind of boring.

-I really want to go get a pedi and a message. I don't know if I've just been sleeping funny or what but my back hurts sooooo bad!

-I think I'm going to start tanning again. There is a place in my nothern town where you can get a month of unlimited tanning for $30!! That's only a dollar a day!!

-I hope my future Mr. wants to go out for dinner tonight because I don't really want to cook.

-I started checking out save the date magnets and they are way more affordable then I thought! If we get 200 of them they're like 75 cents a piece! I'm really thinking that we'll be sending those out (even if my future in-laws think it's a waste of money)

Alright, enough rambling, I should get back to work...
Hope you're having a great day!
Peace.

March 24, 2011

Tuesday

I know, I know! It's Thursday not Tuesday but I have to talk about Tuesday!

On Tuesday morning I woke up to a text from my b-maid Lacey, she wanted to let me know that she had gotten an e-mail from DB that her b-maid dress was in already! What?!? We just ordered them on March 5th! So then I came to work and checked my e-mail. I had the same e-mail that she did, telling my that not only were the 3 b-maid dresses we ordered in, but my dress is in as well! Holy Crap!!

Now if I can take you back in time for a minute and remind you of what dress shopping day was like. I cried the whole way home. I don't think the dress I ordered is the dress for me.

So now I have to call DB and see if I can schedule a mini appointment for NEXT Tuesday, just to try the dress on now that it's mine and not the sample off the floor. I also have to double check and make sure that they will give me store credit for that dress should I choose not to wear it. Then mom and I will have to decide if we want to go back to Alan Evans to try on the other dress again or if we're just going to order it. I really wish I wouldn't have ordered the dress from DB and I would have made myself think about it for a few days. But we can't go back in time and do that, so I just have to find my way through the situation that I'm in now.

Something else fun that's happening NEXT Tuesday is my little sister's birthday! Not just any birthday but her 21st Birthday! Woo-Hoo!! So after mom and I go try on that dress and try to make a decision we're heading off to see my sister at college and take her out for lunch and for a few drinks. She's having her party on Friday but I have work stuff all weekend so I can't go. That's why I'm driving like 175 miles ONE WAY to have lunch with her. I think I should get some kind of good sister award for that.

Even more fun news- I had 14 jr. hi'ers show up for jr. hi youth group yesterday after school and 11 sr. hi'ers!! I never have 11 sr. hi'ers! I'm lucky if 3 show up!! But 11! WOO-HOO!!!!!! Now hopefully, they'll keep coming back.

Hope you're having a great day!
Peace.

March 23, 2011

So What Wednesday

www.lifeafteridew.com
Here's what I'm saying So What to this week

*if I made a spread sheet of our guest list for the wedding. You laugh now but it'll be super helpful when I have to write thank yous! My spread sheet has names, addresses, room for RSVP #'s, room for what they gave us and room to check off weather or not a sent them a thank you.

*if all of this wedding planning kind of makes me want to switch jobs. I think I'd be a damn good wedding planner

*if I LOVE 100 calorie packs of cheese nips. They fulfill my craving for something salty and I don't sit here and eat the whole box!

*if I love Wednesdays in Lent becuase it means that I get something real for dinner.
Thank you church ladies!

*if I still haven't made a decision about my wedding dress. I got an e-mail from DB yesterday telling me that my dress is in. I'm going to go try it on next Tues with my momma and then make a decision about what I'm going to wear on Dec. 10th when I become a Mrs.!!!!

*if I don't want to go on vacation again for a while. I like being back at my house, I like having my whole closet, I like having my own bathroom, I like just about everything in my house.

*if I center my SWW post every week. I like the way it looks!

*if I get a little jealous when I read other blogs because I want cuter/more creative things in my house, or I want a cute baby, or I wish I could take beautiful pictures, or ... you get the jist

What are you saying So What to this week?
Head on over to Life After I "Dew" to see what everyone else is
saying So What to this week.
Peace.

March 21, 2011

Home

I finally made it back to MY house just before 8 o'clock last night.

It's such a wondering feeling to be home. I can't pinpoint the moment when my house in my northern town became home instead of my parents house. I think it was the first time I went back to mom and dad's for a long weekend, or maybe it was when I went there for Christmast last year. But when I came back to my northern town, it felt like home. For the first time, my house is mine. Granted, I'm just renting it but still. It isn't my parents house, it isn't a college dorm, and it isn't a college rental house. It's a big girl rental house. And I get to make decisions about how to decorate, what to put on the wall, what kind of kitchen tools I want/need, I'm only limited by my checkbook.

I love having my own place but don't get me wrong, it has it's downfalls too. I had to go to the grocery store on my way home last night which cost me $74. When I got home I had 4 bills waiting in my mailbox for me and I know I have at least 3 more on their way. It was quiet in my house last night. I love having my personal time, time to decompress, but it was sooo quiet and lonely after spending the whole week prior with my family.

But I would say that the good out weighs the bad. I love my house, and most days I love being a grown up.

Unlike my house, I can pinpoint the exact moment when my parents church felt like home, and it still does. It was my freshman year of college. I was really struggling with what I believed. I was trying to decern if I was just blindly following my parents beliefs or if it really was what I believed in too. I went home for Christmas and I went to the candle light Christmas eve service with my family. When we walked into the church our pastor was there greeting people at the door. He shook my hand and said "Welcome home". He had no idea the internal struggle I was going through, or where I was in my faith, he was meerly welcoming me back from college. But it was at that moment that I felt at home, and I knew that this is what I believed. And I still love going to my parents church. Since I work at a church, going with them is a treat. I get to worship instead of work. At my church I'm looking around, seeing who is there, making sure the acolytes are doing their jobs, worrying about what I need to do during Sunday school, giving children's sermons, just about any BUT paying attention to worship and actually worshiping. So it's really nice to go with them.

I didn't plan on writing about church and faith today, but I guess it was meant to be becuase it just came spilling out.

Hope you're having a great day!
Peace.

March 18, 2011

Last day in Colorado

Well friends it is our lasst day in Colorado :( And I'm having mixed feelings about it. I'm excited to go home. I'm excited to sleep in my own bed, I'm excited to not live out of my suitcase, I'm excited to have quiet time by myself. But I'm also sad. I love Colorado- it's so beautiful here, it's nice to see family that we don't get to see very often, it's fun to do touristy things. So I'm very mixed.

Overall it's been a really great trip! My sister and I got along for the most part, I got to see and try new things (Mt. Rushmore and Crazy Horse, and I ate Corned beef and cabbage for dinner last night!), I got to spend a day shopping with my mom, I got to drive all the way across Nebraska (yes, I drove the whole time- but it was the shortest way across NE!!), I got 2 gifts for my future Mr., I got to have lunch at Sonic, I got to ride the train up to 12,000 feet on Pike's Peak, and I got to gamble in Cripple Creek!!! Sorry I know that was a major run on but I did lots of cool things this week!

But now we have to drive ALL THE WAY BACK TO MINNESOTA. Boo. It's such a long drive. I hate driving. That's not true. I like driving, I hate riding, and I really hate riding in the back seat, which is where I seem to end up. It sucks.

So now you won't hear from me until I'm back in my northen town, back at work (not really excited for that). But I'll let you know how the drive went, and how long it takes us to go back the other way. And how much better it feels to be back down at a normal elevation where I can breathe normal again!!

Peace.

March 16, 2011

So What Wednesday

So What Wednesday
Here's what I'm saying So What to this week:

*if I've only checked my work e-mail once on this vacation
BUT I've checked my facebook and blogs everyday

*if I was a little bummed that I didn't ski today. I had fun with my mom and I know that I would be in pain if I had skiied but I'm still a little bummed

*if I'm excited to go back to my nothern town because I want to sleep in my own bed again

*if my sister hasn't guest blogged yet. She just hasn't been in the mood.
It's ok.

*if I really really really really don't want to drive all the way back to MN

*if I love my family A LOT but I miss my alone time. I normally spend all day every day alone. We're almost done with day 6... of constantly being together.

*if we're already talking about coming back to Colorado next year

What are you saying So What to this week?
Head on over to Life After I "Dew" to see what everyone else is
saying So What to this week!
Peace.

Breckenridge

Today was our Breckenridge day. We got up super early (well for me 6:15 is super early) and left my uncle's house at 7. We got to breck, got parked, Dad and Katie got ready, got lift tickets and then we rode the gondola up the the base of Peak 8. It was so cold and windy up at the base. So Mom and I decided to head back down to Main St to do some shopping. We walked the length of Main St, and looked in some stores but we weren't really in the mood to shop. So we went into a little resturante to have a pop and an appetizer (chips and salsa). We got to watch skiers come down the mountain from the resturante. Then we headed back down Main St, stopped in the store where I had found a sweatshirt that I liked and then met Dad and Katie at the truck for lunch. Dad and Katie decided that they were ready to be done skiing. Then all 4 of us walked back down Main St so Dad and Katie could look for helmets. I really think that if he's (Dads) willing to spend the money for a lift ticket that they only used for the morning, and they're talking about getting her a helmet when she only skis a couple times a year that he should get me the Emu boots (like Uggs) that I found at the ski shop where we rented Katie's skis yesterday. The boots cost less then their 2 lift tickets combined and I would definatly get more then 6 hours of use out of them!! Don't you think that sounds fair? I thought so. He didn't. He told me that since my Sorels (winter boots) are still in good condition I don't really need new boots. Boo!!

Then we drove back to my uncles, went out for a drink, and now we're hanging out waiting for dinner. We got Papa Murphy's... too bad I gave up pizza for Lent. I guess it looks like a sandwich for me tonight.

Hope you're having a great day!
Peace.

March 15, 2011

Vacation Pictures!!!


I finally had some time to put vacation pictures on my computer so I thought I'd share them with you! So here they are with a little commentary :)
Mom, Me, and Katie getting ready to leave Minnesota


This is what the back of a Ford Expedition looks like when we go on vacation!

Our first tourist stop: Mt. Rushmore
I had never been there!

There it is!

The sign says "Warning: Climbing prohibited beyond this point"
My sister can't really read...

Or walk! Haha!

Our next tourist stop:
Crazy Horse
I'd never been there either it was cool but I thought Mt. Rushmore was more interesting
The white statue in the foreground is 1/34 the size of the real thing that you can kind of see behing it

We're in a tee-pee at the Native American Museum at Crazy Horse

Our third and final tourist stop on Sunday: Carhenge!
Located in Allience, NE

Yes, those are cars painted a flat gray, welded together, and positioned to look like Stonehenge
SSSOOOOO COOOOLL!!

And they have benches made out of old tail gates from pick up trucks!

We finally  made it to Colorado! We went to Old Colorado City for lunch and we got to go to The Rocky Mt. Chocolate factory!

The ORIGINAL Rocky Mt. Choco Factory!
Hey future Mr- I got you a present here :)

While we were walking around Manitou Springs we found a street called Lovers Lane.
We made Mom and Dad take a picture there.
Aren't they cute?

Today we went to Garden of the Gods
I had to take the obligatory picture of the balancing rock

Beautiful view of Pikes Peak while we were hiking

Katie had a little captain in her :)
We were actually taking pictures showing that we had conqured the mountain and hers came out looking a little like an ad for Captian Morgan

Sisters while hiking

We saw this building while we were driving back. You can really read the signs but there is a Village Inn on the right and the yellow sign says "Breakfast served all day". The white sign over on the right says TATTOO. I thought it was a funny combination, ya know- someone went to get breakfast and loved the pancakes so much that they got them tattooed on their leg. Katie said they should get the tattoo on their butt because that's where the pancakes would end up.
I'm from such a witty family :)

Well, that's our vacation so far!
Hope you enjoyed!
Peace.

March 14, 2011

We made it!!

Well folks- we made it to our destination in Colorado around 10 pm (local time) last night! Our drive was loooooong!!! And the first two hours we drove on Saturday were on glare ice!! Yuck! Good thing Dad was driving :) We stayed in Rapid City, SD (where we had a very chatty waiter at the Olive Garden) then yesterday we went to see Mt. Rushmore, Crazy Horse, and Carhenge (like Stonehenge but with cars!). Then we drove and drove and drove and drove. About the time we came through Denver I was serisously kicking myself for not buying a plane ticket and just flying out here.

I'll have pictures for you later (and my sister is going to guest blog!!) but now we're getting ready to head out for lunch and to do some touristy things down here by Colorado Springs.

Peace.

March 12, 2011

Vacation Update

Well mother nature apparently did NOT want my family to go on vacation. Last night a blizzard rolled through North Dakota and Northwestern MN (where I live). We got a little bit of snow (really, just a little) but then it got windy. I'm talking upwards of 40 mph gusts of wind. It sounded like there was a freight train in our front yard. All of the highways in Eastern ND are shut down. That's where we were going to drive. Our plan was to go across most of ND then head south towards CO. Well that's not happening. Plus there are lots of roads closed in NW MN so we're not even really sure how to leave my parents northern town. Grrr...

Onto happier news!! Yesterday my mom and I went to Moorhead to go back to Alan Evan (AE) to try on the dress that I can't stop thinking about. I'm 99% sure that this AE dress is MY wedding dress. But my mom wouldn't let me make a decision or order it yet. She told me that I have to think about it for a few days. Understandable after the snap decision that I made last weekend and the emotional distress that it left me in. When we walked into AE we ran into a girl that I graduated from high school with that is getting married this summer. She was there to pick up her dress. You might be thinking- why is she picking up her dress when her wedding isn't until this summer? Well, there is this river that seperates Fargo and Moorhead (ND and MN for that matter) that floods almost every year. AE is only a block from said river. And they store dresses in the basement. I think I'd go pick my dress up.

Mom is packing the cooler and putting things in the car. This is a positive sign!! It probably means I should do the same thing. I'll let you know when we finally make it to CO!!

Peace.

March 10, 2011

To.Much.Stuff!

Yesterday I started packing for our family trip to Colorado. I filled up my suitcase in a hurry. Things that were not included in that suitcase:
  • swimsuit
  • bras and undies
  • socks
  • hair dryer
  • curling iron
  • make up
  • deoderant and body spray
  • any thing from my bathroom (shampoo, conditioner, body wash, face wash, razor, toothbursh, toothpaste, make up remover, tweezers)
  • a sweatshirt
  • pajamas
  • the scarfs that I want to take with
That's a pretty long list.

This morning I made my bras, undies, socks, swimsuit, and pjs fit. I'll be taking a smaller second bag for my bathroom/getting ready things. And a third bag with things to do in the car- so books, magazines, and snacks. And I'm still debating weather or not I will bring my work computer with or any work stuff. If I do that would mean and fourth bag for that stuff. Plus I don't go any where without my own pillow. And since we're going to Colorado I will need to pack my skis, boots, and winter gear too.

And I'm just one person. Whats going to happen when I marry my future Mr.? Then what's going to happen when we have kids. I'm going to have to pack even more crap. I'll have to get a bigger car for sure.

Tonight my mom is grilling steak for dinner :) I'm so excited!! I love going to my parents house and I miss having grilled food! My future Mr. and I had to put our grill away for the winter cuz it don't fit in my garage with my car, so it has been months (like the end of Oct.) since we've had grilled food. I'm so excited!! Hopefully she grills shrimp skewers too!

Peace.

March 9, 2011

So What Wednesday


Here's what I'm saying "So What" to this week:

*if I'm totally on top of wedding stuff but I can't seem to get work stuff done more then a day or two ahead of time (if that!!)

*if the church ladies cooking downstairs are making me hungry... the smell of good food is wafting up the stairs and down the hallway to my office

*if I picked packing for vacation this morning instead of doing my dirty dishes

*if I did a load of laundry this morning that had whites, colors, and darks in it? I only had enough clothes for one load and they're all old enough that they shouldn't bleed

*if I haven't picked a dentist in my new northern town- it's kind of a big decision

*if I had my b-maids picked long before we were engaged and my future Mr. can NOT decide who he wants to pick. I told him he has to pick by June 1st.

*if I'm ready for winter to be over. I want to wear skirts, t-shirts, sandals, shorts, tank tops, my swimsuit. I just want summer...

*if I can't decide how to make the flowers for my ring bearer pillow? Option #1 (tulle flowers) and Option #2 (fabric flowers) both flopped. I still have time to decide what to do

What are you saying "So What" to this week?
Head on over to Life After I "Dew" to see what Shannon and everyone
else is saying "So What" to this week!
Peace.

March 8, 2011

The Bachelor

So last night was "The Women Tell All" episode of the bachelor. It was a let down. I was really expecting fireworks between Michelle and the other girls and Michelle just cried the whole time. And I'm sorry Chris Harrison, normally I like you, but I really don't think that Michelle's snide comments were a defense mechanism. I think she's just a mean person who thinks highly of herself. Sure the other girls didn't need to make comments about Michelle's parenting, we didn't see her parent at all on the show so we don't know anything about that. Michelle said her comments came out of boredom and that you only get to talk to the same people all day long and you have no contact with the outside world, and so on. Well, everyone was in the same boat as you and they didn't make comments like you did. So I don't buy it.

While I was watching the bachelor last night I worked on some wedding crafts. I'm going to make earrings for all of my girls, my mom, my future mom in law, and me to wear on the wedding day. Well I made one pair last night and they look fine but I don't have all of the tools that I need to make them. I still need a small needle nose plyers, and I was not about to go to Wal*Mart just for that. So while I was on the phone with my future Mr. last night I asked if he had a plyers that I could barrow and guess what? He does!! Yay!! So the rest of the earrings will wait until next week or the week after. I can't decide if I want to take everything with to work on the while we're on vaca or not. After I realized how much easier that project would be with the right tools, I decided to work on something else for the wedding. I started on our center pieces. I'm wrapping wine bottles, sauce bottles, basically any clear glass bottle with yarn and then we'll but one flower in each on the tables. I'm thinking we'll have 2 or 3 bottles on each table. And the yarn that I am wrapping them with is the same blue color and the same green color as the b-maid dresses. Each bottle is either blue or green, so they're solid colors not mixed.

Hopefully I can start on the ring bearer pillow tonight. I don't have any more bottles (I have to ask mom to collect some for me since she manages a bar) otherwise I'd keep truckin' on those center pieces. But for the RB pillow I bought tulle in white and royal blue then I bought small green beads and small pearls. So I'm going to cut the tulle into circles and then sew a few circles together with beads in the middle. Hopefully it works out and looks cool. I'll keep you posted.

Off to lunch!
Hope you're having a great day!
Peace.

March 7, 2011

I'm ready for vacation!

There I said it! I'm ready for vacation!! Good thing we're leaving on Saturday!! I just have to make it through 3 1/2 days of work (Fri is my day off) and then I'm free for a whole week! A woo-hoo! Colorado here were come! Sorry for all of the exclaimation points but I'm really excited.

I'm excited for a break from my everyday life. I'm excited for a break from my job. I'm excited for a break from hanging out at home by myself. I get to go to Colorado! I don't have to do anything work related! I get to hang out with my mom, my dad, and my little sister (not to mention my aunt an uncle who we're staying with!!)!!

So, here is the update I promised yesterday about David's Bridal. They have already ordered my dress. I was on the verge of tears while I was on the phone with the poor customer service woman. But then she told me that if I do decide to go with the other dress they will keep the dress I ordered and give me store credit instead. So my mom could get her dress there, or we could order the other bridesmaid dresses, or the flower girl dress, or the guest book, or whatever. So now on Friday my mom and I (and JUST my mom and I) are going back to Fargo to go try both dresses on again. Hopefully with less chaos and fewer people I'll be able to make a more sound decision.

Last night both my sister and my bestie from high school txt me and asked me how I was feeing about my dress decision. I told them both how I felt and what my plan was with mom on Friday and it was like neither of them were listening to me! They both tried to tell me how beautiful I looked in the DB dress and how they don't think that I made the wrong choice. Whatever. I know that they are entitled to their own opinon but at least pretend like you hear me!! Thank you for telling me that you thought I looked beautiful in the DB dress but hear me out about the other dress. And while we were at the first appointment at Alan Evans they both loved the dress! But now they're talking about it like they never even liked it! Wtf?!?

I'll let you know what I pick on Friday.

In an unrelated note. Molly is prom dress shopping with both of her daughters today. Only one is old enough to go to prom but apparently they both needed to go along on this shopping trip. On a school day! And they don't have school this Friday. Don't you think that would have been a good time to go? I asked Molly why they didn't wait for Friday and she told me that Friday didn't fit into their schedules. Well, I'm sorry but I'm not ok with taking an 8th grader and a senior out of school to go prom dress shopping. What are you teaching your kids about committment? What are you teaching them about what you have to do in life (even if you don't want to or it isn't fun)?

Molly and I have different opinons on how to parent. And I know that since I don't have kids I'm not really qualified to have an opinon but I know how I was raised and what my parents did and I took teaching and youth psychology classes in college so I have an opinon. And she knows that we have different opinons.

I hope you're having a great day!
Peace.

March 6, 2011

Wedding Dress Update!

Yesterday I had two appointments at wedding dress salons. The first was at Alan Evans in Moorhead. I only tried on 3 dresses and I fell in LOVE with the second dress. (Sorry, I'm not putting pictures of the dress up because my future Mr. reads the blog sometimes. And they wouldn't let me take a picture in the bridal salon.) I'm wearing my mother's veil and it's like the dress and the veil were made for each other. My mom, sister, and best friend from high school came with to that appointment. And they all loved the dress too.

The second appointment was a Daivd's Bridal in Fargo. It was very overwhelming. The salon was full of girls and dresses were flying all over the place. I tried on 5 or 6 dresses there. I fell in LOVE with another dress. Then we found bridesmaid dresses. Thankfully we found a dress that looks good on the 4 bridesmaids that were there and they all like it. The dress is royal blue with a lime green sash and you can see it here. My mom, sister, best friend from high school, another good friend, my mother in law to be, and my sister in law to be all came to this appointment. And they all loved this dress too.

I don't know if I was just overwhelmed, if I felt like I had to pick a dress, or what it was, but I picked the David's Bridal dress. Then my mom, best friend from high school and I went to Applebee's for celebration drinks. Then I had to drive the 2 hours back to my northern town. The whole drive back all I could think about was the dress from my first appointment. I called my mom in tears. I cried on the phone to my future Mr. I was a hot mess.

This morning while I was at work (well, in church, but it's work because I'm the youth director) my mom txt me and asked me to call her right away. So I did and she suggested that I call David's Bridal and ask them to hold my order. Since we ordered so late yesterday and it was a Saturday maybe the order hasn't been placed yet. Then just my mom and I will go back to both places on Friday morning before we leave for vacation. That way I won't be overwhelmed with so many of my friends there, and I won't be overwhelmed with a busy salon, and I'll be able to look at both dresses again and make a decision that I feel better about. Hopefully.

David's Briday doesn't open til noon on Sunday so I have to wait 15 minutes and then I can call to see if this plan will all work out. Hopefully it will.

I hope you're having a great Sunday that is less stressful then mine!
Peace.

March 5, 2011

Wedding Dress Day!!

Today is the day! Today is Wedding Dress Day! I couldn't hardly sleep last night and my tummy feels silly this morning so something must be up!! I'm excited but I'm also super nervous! What if I don't find one that I like? What if all of the ones that I've picked out don't look good on me? What if my "posse" doesn't agree with me and they like a dress that I don't or vice versa? (Yes- I am following the "Say Yes to the Dress" rules: I'm only taking 3 people to my first appointment. But there will be 6 at my second because I'm hoping to find bridesmaid dresses as well.)

I'll let you know how it goes! Wish me luck!
Peace.

March 4, 2011

Wedding Budget

Since my future Mr. and I have been engaged I've been pestering my mother for a budget. I just really wanted to know what we were working with to help with planning. Well last night she gave me the low down (kind of...) she told me that she had talked to my dad about a budget. He told her that they would pay for the reception. He also said that the future Mr. and I didn't need to go with the cheepest option for dinner but we also didn't need to go with the most expensive (sorry, no steak and shrimp for you wedding guests!). Then mom and I talked about the cake which a friend of the family will be making. So far, this budget thing isn't sounding so bad. Well then today I had lunch with a girlfriend from high school and my parents. We were talking about wedding dresses because we have 2 appointments to go dress shopping tomorrow and my girlfriend wanted to hear about them. Then dad wanted to know prices. All he knows about wedding dress prices in this day and age is the little snippets he sees of "Say Yes to the Dress" when my sister and I watch it. So he was expecting me to say something like $5,000. Well I had picked 10 different dress on DavidsBridal.com to prep for our appointment tomorrow. The cheapest is $350 and the most expensive is $1,000. He was blown away by how cheap they were, so I think I'm in good shape for him to be buying me a dress :) I'm not going to post any of the pictures of the dresses that I picked because I don't know which one will be mine yet and I don't want to take any chances of my future Mr. seeing it before our wedding day. We still havn't talked about who will pay for the photographer or the DJ yet but I think mom and dad will end up paying for those too. I mean, so far this really isn't turning out to be too terribly expensive (famous last words... I know!)

Today I went to Ben Franklin and bougth the supplies to make earrings for all of my bridesmaids and the supplies to make a pillow for my ring bearer. Hopefully they'll all turn out. I'll post pictures once I start and of the finished project. It's killing me not to start right now but I'm at mom and dads and we're going out to dinner tonight and then we're going dress shopping in the morning so I really don't have time to do it now. Which is fine. But I'm so proud of myself- I got everything I need to make earrings and almost everything I need to make the pillow (I already have the rest at home) at Ben Franklin for $29.10!! That's less then I would pay for a ring bearer pillow! Or it's like 2 pairs of earrings! And I have the supplies to make the pillow and 12 pairs of earrings!!! I love being thrifty!

Hope you're all having a great day!!
Have a great weekend!
Peace.

March 2, 2011

So What Wednesday

www.lifeafteridew.com
Here's what I'm saying "So What" to this week:

*if all I want to talk about is wedding stuff

*if I can already feel myself sliding down the slippery slope of "I'm only goign to get married once so we better do it big..."

*if I want a pair of wedding shoes that cost $140

*if I had popcorn for dinner last night

*if my living room is a mess with crafting supplies

*if I did laundry on Friday and I still havn't put my clean clothes away

*if I have to go pick the jr. hi kids up in an hour for youth group and I still don't know what we're going to do

*if I want a cute little girl for my flower girl instead of my future Mr.s cousin who will be 8 1/2 when we get married and she's really tall

*if I love that no one from the church that I work at knows about my blog. I don't get to have a social life and everyone knows my business in this northern town so it's nice to have a "safe" space thats just mine

*if I'm really really happy when I get a new follower or I see that lots of people looked at my blog

What are you saying "So What" to this week?
Head on over to Life After I "Dew" to see what everyone else is saying "So What" to this week!
Peace.

March 1, 2011

What does it take to make a marriage work?

This morning at coffee, (we have a thing at my church called coffee with the staff where we'll hang out with whomever shows up and have a cup of coffee) we were talking about marriage. This topic seems to find its way into most of the conversations that I have these days. It all started because last night my future Mr. told me that his mom sew up a hole in his snowpants. He told me just so that I would know what I was getting myself into. My senior pastor found this very funny. Then, at coffee, we talked about my wedding shoes and how I had tried to convince my future Mr. that I NEED these $140 wedding shoes. And they're only $140 because they're from this website instead of the real thing. But I LOOOOVEE them. And how perfect would it be to get married wearing Carrie Bradshaw's shoes?

Anyway- this whole post started because of coffee this morning. So I was telling everyone how we've already started bartering (I compared those shoes to the Thompson Center Semi-Automatic hunting rifle that my future Mr. wants. It did not help my argument). My senior pastor said that it sounds like we're already married. Then he was telling us that a marriage counselor who works with couples before they get married once told him that he always asked couples if they had ever fought. Because if they didn't- how did they know that they could handle it? Well my future Mr. and I have fought. We drive each other crazy! But we keep coming back to one another. We love each other. I heard one time that you're not suppose to marry the one that you think is perfect or the one that you always get along with. You're suppose to marry the one that pushes all of your buttons but you can't imagine life without them.

My future Mr. and I are sharing our wedding year with some pretty BIG name couples (aren't we nice?).

Prince William and Kate Middleton are getting married in April and
Hugh Hefner and Crystal Harris are getting married in June.

I have no problems with the Prince and Kate. They've been together for YEARS, and they're about the same age. And I think they're really cute. Hef and Crystal on the other hand. Gross. They haven't been together that long and she's young enough to be his granddaughter! I was flipping throught the channels on Sunday night and I came across Pierce Morgan doing and interview with Hef and Crystal. It was like a car crash- I couldn't look away! All she kept saying was that they have fun together. How can you make a marriage off of fun? And they make me feel bad for Holly Madison. She's so cute and they were together for a while and he kept saying that he didn't want to get married. Now here he is like a year later, engaged to someone that looks eerily similar to Holly, just younger.

Hollywood couples like this make me glad that I have my future Mr. I'm also glad to have him when I see commercials for dating sites, when I see tearful goodbyes on The Bachelor, when I see shows like "Is she really going out with him?" or "Tool Acedemy", basically I'm always glad that I have my future Mr. and that we have pretty normal lives (a.k.a- the paparazi doesn't follow us around!). I'm excited to marry him. I think we have what it takes to make our marriage work.

Peace.