Chili for the boys and moving.

Derek and I have been SUPER busy this week packing our apartment for the move tomorrow.  We are for the most part all set to move.  Unfortunately, some of the stuff will be absolutely last minute because we ran out of boxes.  We did manage to get all of this...

Half of our stuff.

into our storage closet.  Then we made it look pretty much the same with the rest of our things.  We are really excited for our new place especially since we going to be able to have a dog (more on that when it happens)!

Well since my folks are not helping us move for the third time, some of Derek's coworkers are amazing enough to come help us out.  Thank you guys!!!  Well you have to feed guys if they help you with something so instead of the typical pizza I made chili!  

Some of the ingredients.  Garlic, lots of peppers, and cilantro.

I recommend checking to see if you have any cuts on your fingers before you start cutting peppers!  I did not and had one.  Well and the fact that I used hotter peppers this time per Derek's request.  As I am typing my left finger tips are BURNING from cutting the peppers.  Next time I am totally investing in some latex gloves and not making that mistake again.  OUCH!

The chili is ready for the guys!

Derek tried it and said it was spicy and delicious!  So I'm hoping the guys tomorrow will enjoy it.  I also decided since it will be Halloween to make a quick (and I mean really quick) cake for dessert.

By no means is it level!  (I was kind of in a hurry)

I did quick little rosettes on the top and nothing fancy for the bottom.  Again I was kind of in a hurry.

For the top I decided sprinkles.  People who really know me know that I pretty much NEVER use sprinkles on a cake because for me it lacks creativity.  And the fact that it took me close to 20 minutes to find the Halloween sprinkles in WalMart (I hate that place) is another reason I don't like to use sprinkles.  Well I found these little orange and green jimmies with black spiders that I thought would look perfect with contrasting the orange frosting.

Edible Spiders!

I guess it turned out alright for me taking only about 20 minutes to do the decorating.  Derek and I have wanted to cut into it SO bad but felt it was only right to wait for the guys that are helping us.  And since we are in the weight loss challenge it will only be small sliver pieces for us and then an hour or two at the gym to burn it off.  TOTALLY worth it though!

On other notes tomorrow is Halloween!  I'm sad that this will be the very first year ever that I will not be carving a pumpkin.  I also can't believe it has been 20 years since the blizzard of '91!  I remember that week well as we were having a birthday party for my brother but had to cancel it.  I wore my mom's prom dress and was a princess for the one and only year I wanted to be a princess.  My brother and I went trick-or-treating pretty much without costumes and just our winter gear.  We were also some of the only kids out because our parents rock!  Tons of candy that year!!!

So with that... Happy Anniversary (tomorrow) Grandma & Grandpa!  Happy Anniversary of your first date (tomorrow) Mom and Dad!  Happy birthday big brother (Monday) hope you got my card!

To everybody else... Happy Halloween!  Be safe and eat a Kit Kat/Smarties/3 Musketeers for me since I can't!

Back to packing since we have to head over to get our new keys in a few!

Free Personal Trainer Session

Last Monday Derek and I joined Gold's Gym.  Much to my apprehension of joining the gym that I had always thought was just for muscle-heads.  I was SO wrong and I so far love that we joined Gold's.  As a part of joining Gold's they offer you a free personal training session as a way to try selling you sessions obviously.  Who wouldn't take a free session with a trainer?!  When setting up my free session the training manager asked me, "Why now?  Why do you want to get into the gym now?"  Uh Hello!  Why not?!  I like living for one!  And I would like to do everything I can to protect myself from getting anything that can shorten my life.

This is too funny and so true!  I also love Google Search and the things you can find.

This morning was my free session and I went in really excited and with little apprehension since I talked to the trainer on the phone yesterday to confirm the appointment.  I think for anybody seeing a trainer for the first time can be a bit intimidating especially since Biggest Loser has been on NBC for twelve seasons now.  For those who are thinking about getting a trainer just know that each trainer trains in their own way. The Gold's Trainer manager assured me that they would find the right trainer for me and if I didn't connect with one we could try another until there is a good match.  Well, he did great for finding me a trainer!


My trainer is around the same age as me and is also a student which makes it easy to relate to her.  She knows about my back surgery and has assured me that she will be able to work around that for workouts. As with most trainers she had me start out with some cardio just to get my heart rate going before we get to the workout.  The first thing I did was with a kettlebell and I must say I might fall in love with kettlebell workouts, it was just fun and challenging.  She did a nice mixture switching between weights and cardio to keep my heart rate up throughout the workout.  This is something I have never experienced in workouts before but I welcomed the change.  I could definitely tell the my body isn't used to the type of workout she had me do as I had some difficulty and ended up getting light headed.  To be honest I had to cut it short by one final exercise because my leg muscles were spasming so much I could barely stand.  That was new.

Derek was working out with a coworker and watching me while I was with my trainer just to see how I was doing.  He told me that initially he thought that she was going really easy on me and then he saw the sweat going down my face!  Working out is not pretty!  In fact I learned that lifting gloves might be beneficial from possibly dropping weights out of your sweaty hands!  Anyway, she definitely did not go easy on me but I'm glad that she didn't.  I have a challenging workout set for this week before I see her again on Monday for a follow up!

The Kettlebell!

  That is all I have for today!

Thinking of a future home

Ever tired of packing?  I am!  Derek and I are packing for a third time as we are preparing to move just down the street to a smaller apartment.  I just got the call today from the landlord that she received our deposit and will be all set to move in at the end of the month after they shampoo the carpets and make everything all pretty for us.

Yes, moving again but we will be saving money.  It was a mutual decision as right now we see all our money going towards rent and utilities and have little to spare.  I was surprised that by moving to the new place will save us just over $3,500 a year in rent, holy cow!  It will totally help us in saving for an eventual wedding, dog, and a house once we can move back to MN!

So as I'm in my first week of school and trying to pack and trying to have the motivation to get my butt to the gym I have been a bit stressed this week.  And I'm talking stressed to the point where you have no appetite whatsoever!  Today I took it easy by doing some homework in the morning, skipped the gym, and packed three more boxes all while watching an apparent marathon of "My First Home".  Of course that has got me thinking of when Derek and I buy our first house.

I have been lucky enough to grow up around construction and design.  Since I grew up in a very much Do It Yourself family I feel blessed that I know how to do a lot of things around the house and how to fix basic things as well.  This has also given me an upper hand as to what I will look for in a home for me and Derek.  What we do want and what we don't want is going to be interesting as we have kind of different taste, but I feel that he will lean more than I will due to my stubborn German-Swede-mutt mix that I am.  Plus I'm not so sure that he cares all that much as long as the furniture is comfortable and that there is a game room/man cave for him.  And he is pretty much awesome and just wants me to be happy!

Some of the things I am looking forward to in a house with Derek:

PAINTING!  I absolutely hate the bland boring beige that apartments are painted.  It lacks life and is generally a pukey looking color.

Buying new and getting rid of the old!  I am very appreciative of the second hand stuff that we have received in furnishing our apartment; however, it really isn't our style.  Something I have ALWAYS wanted is to have RED couches in my living room.  Yes, red!  Maybe something like these...

Lighting!  No more brass fixtures that are standard and hideous!  I love the really pretty, light, flowy look of these...

Something that Derek and I have actually agreed upon is that in our home we would love to have a built in breakfast nook.  I can just imagine me making breakfast, lunch, or dinner and our kids doing homework at the nook.  These are some ideas...

Haha notice the light!

I absolutely LOVE that this nook is round and offers more seating!

I am kind of digging having a couch as seating in a dining room.  It offers a lot of play with pillows.

Hardwood floors are of course a must for the kitchen and dining area!  My first choice is this...

Hickory floors!  My Aunt Connie has them and I fell in LOVE with the rustic beauty and variety in color.

Something my dad introduced our family to were wood panels for all the appliances.  And I absolutely cannot stand to look at appliances.  So panels are a must!

Cabinet or Dishwasher?!  I LOVE wood panels!

I'm not a big fan of granite (I know the jaws are dropping and saying, "How on earth can you not like GRANITE?!") but Corian and marble I do love.  I'm not sure if marble should go in the kitchen or the bathroom.  But how cool would a bathroom look for a spa like atmosphere with marble as the walls or floors or counters?!

I love the little hint of color and the luxuriousness of marble.

One thing I can't stand about apartment bathrooms are the tub/shower combo and I'm not a fan of shower curtains.  So one thing I really look forward to in a house is an enclosed stand up shower!  Maybe at first it won't look like the photo below but still enclosed...

It is only missing a bench!

Something else Derek and I have agreed upon is that we want a nice big yard.  Eventually, we would love to live on a lakeshore property.  My biggest thing is that TREES are a must!

Because trees are beautiful!

I could honestly go on for hours about a future house!  It is a journey that I cannot wait to make with Derek.

Goodbye Facebook (well at least for now)

Ever feel disconnected from the world around you?  Even with all of the technology in our generation.  I have lived away from my family for close to 2-1/2 years now.  In the last few months I have felt that the longer I am away from my family, the less I feel that I am a part of my family.  Now, I am partially to blame because I probably don’t call as much as I should but I do try to visit every few months.

I am connected to the majority of my family and parts of Derek’s family through Facebook.  And as much as Derek hates Facebook I have started to agree with him.  It is though people rely on Facebook as their primary information source.  Yes, it is a nice place to connect with long lost friends, old neighbors, and out-of-state family; however, I miss connecting with people on a personal level.

While the advancements in technology have made life easier in some aspects, I think it has also made people cold.  People have become incredibly impatient when they don’t have an answer right away.  People are a lot less inclined to have a conversation with somebody because they can text them or message them on Facebook (I have fallen to love the ease and speed of texting especially when my mom has trouble hearing at times).  People no longer use “snail” mail and have almost stopped using e-mails.  I mean come on who doesn’t love getting something in the mail that is not a bill!

I have had a reoccurring dream that sadly includes Facebook.  In this dream while I am searching Facebook I discover that a family member had died and it was announced on Facebook instead of by phone.  And instead of being sad I get livid as to not being personally notified and find myself unable to forgive this act.  I also have a similar dream of getting engaged to Derek and having others spoil the announcement before I have been able to call family members.  And then I get livid again and literally go crazy and tell people that if they spoil anything they would not be invited and make my bridal party sign a No Facebook Agreement for anything and all things wedding related.

So for the last few months I have been thinking of avoiding Facebook and deleting it from my phone as a challenge to become more connected with people personally.  I have decided that it is time to do this challenge and I challenge others to do this too!

Beginning Monday October 10, I will no longer be logging onto Facebook (I’m hoping to do this until the end of the year)!  For those of you who read my blog through Facebook, I am able to post my blog on Facebook from Blogger.  If you comment on my blog please do so through the Blogger website (NOT Facebook) as I will not be reading anything that is posted on Facebook.  You do not need to be a member of Blogger to comment on my writings as you can comment anonymously but just sign your name so I know who is saying what.  For any reason you need to get a hold of me please call, e-mail, or even text me and I’d love snail mail too!  And if you do not have my information just let me know!  

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Two posts in one night, oh my!

Some people are aware that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and for me it is nothing to joke about.  I first learned about breast cancer when I was in elementary school and my Aunt who I refer to as Grandma (long story) was diagnosed with if I remember correctly Stage III.  She is now a 12+ year survivor!  I also have another Aunt who is a now 2 year survivor!  (I think its two and feel bad that I'm not sure).

Growing up I never considered the risk of ever getting breast cancer.  I have had a cousin who has had a scare and my mom has had a scare.  It wasn't until my moms scare that I learned more about breast cancer or even self-checks.  The doctor had given her cards to hang in the shower of how to do a proper self exam.

I never really paid much attention until one day it clicked that, "Hey this could potentially save my life".  Since that day I performed self exams and had found a lump right around the time of my 20th birthday.  Yes, that is right my 20th birthday.

Mom, me, Jamie, and Melissa (my sisters friend) crewing 2009. 

At first I kind of ignored it because it would come and go and wasn't painful at all.  I kept it to myself as my family had enough stress knowing that I was going to be having major back reconstructive surgery.  It wasn't until the lump became painful that I thought anything of it which was about a year after I first discovered it.  I spent most nights researching anything and everything I could online trying to calm my nerves.  And on most nights I would cry myself to sleep in fear that something was in fact wrong.

I image that finding a lump at any age is scary.  After I had my back surgery I decided to tell my parents; and, I can't imagine the fear my parents encountered once I had told them I had found a lump.  My brother, sister, and I have put our parents through a lot in our years and I felt bad adding more to the list even though I knew how they would react.

Once I scheduled my initial exam with my doctor I was referred to get an ultra sound.  For younger women who are scared to get a mammogram just know what I learn.  I learned that the younger a woman the more dense the tissue and ultrasounds are a preferred method as a mammogram doesn't pick up some things with the dense tissue.  Let me tell you this an ultrasound is SO cool!  I've had a couple for random things and love the technology and being able to see the blood flow through your veins.

Back to the story!  The ultrasound had revealed that I of course had a lump.  It also showed a second lump that was playing hide and go seek behind the larger lump.  So off to the specialist I went.  The specialist gave me a few options for treatment as he was fairly certain it was not cancerous.  His suggestions: leave it alone and just monitor it, conduct a needle biopsy, or have a lumpectomy to remove the lumps.  I opted for the double lumpectomy as I did NOT want them in me at all!  What is funny is that he was worried that I didn't know there would a scar.  After my back surgery leaving a 12" scar and two smaller scars, the least of my worries was going to be a 1" scar.  He kept asking, "Are you sure?  There will be a scar."  I feel bad of how I reacted in saying, "Get the damn things out of me!" but he thought it was humorous which was good.

Just shortly after my 22nd birthday I went in for my 2nd surgery of that year to get a double lumpectomy.  It was an outpatient surgery so I got to leave about an hour after surgery and just await the results of the biopsies.  Turns out both were benign but the diagnosis of one could have eventually turned cancerous but there was no way of knowing if it would have.  Yes, I have a scar that sometimes gives a little pain to remind me of where I have come from but I would have the same procedure again if I had to.

I will leave you with this: Age has nothing to do with breast cancer.  Check yourself, not yearly but every few months to really know your body.  Early detection really is the key to saving your life, I sure as heck wasn't going to wait around to see if my lumps turned cancerous or not.

Me, my Mom, and my sister Jamie after crewing our first Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer 3-Day event in 2008.  1 year after my scare.

Walk to end Alzheimer's

This morning after waking up with a migraine I headed down to the Riverfront to walk a 5k in my efforts of finding a cure for Alzheimer's.  Now mind you I NEVER go anywhere by myself especially to a city but none the less I'm trying to expand my horizons a little bit.

Sign at the beginning of the walk.

I wasn't sure what to expect as I have normally participated in Breast Cancer Events but I thought that there was a pretty good turn out for the event.  Not sure of what to expect I headed down early just in case I wasn't sure of where to go.  Note to self for next time: Remember to bring headphones!  Being by myself for over an hour before the actual opening ceremony began I was a bit bored.

Ready to get started.

I was surprised at how many kids were participating.  Then again most people that participated were families.  They handed out garden flowers that we were to write why we participated on the petals or leaves.  Each color represented something different.  Blue was for those who have been diagnosed with dementia or Alzheimer's.  Yellow was for family members of those currently living with dementia or Alzheimer's.  Orange is you are just there to support the good cause.  Lastly purple was for those who lost somebody that had dementia or Alzheimer's.

 I walked in memory of my Great Aunt Margaret Harmon.

They didn't do much for an opening ceremony but had live music to entertain people while waiting to start the walk.  The walk was nice, no hills which surprised me.  We walked right along the river down to a park and then turned around to go back to the start.   At the end of the walk the volunteer workers "planted" our flowers for us to pick.

I love bridges and this was only about an eighth of the way into the walk.

While I was really bored being by myself and forgetting my headphones, I still had fun and am glad I did this today!  For future walks I will definitely remember my headphones and try to plan better and see if more people want to join me!

Almost done with the 5K and I just thought this made for a cool photo.  I have a thing for taking pictures of the American Flag.