Day 20: Photo and a bonus story to go with it!

My Engagement Ring!

Haha I told Derek that I would get engaged and have a huge bruise on my hand (and now a large cut somehow I got yesterday cleaning)!

The Proposal

So Derek and I are not really extravagant people and like to just do things at home and we have been together for over four years so I never really wanted anything BIG.  Valentine's Day I woke up to a beautiful bouquet and big heart balloon (that scared me half to death because I first noticed it when I was not totally awake and it was in the dark).  Derek had to work so I went on my day with going to see my trainer and home to play with Bentley and do some homework.  We had made plans to go see The Vow that night since he owed me for seeing Chronicle (don't go see it unless you want to waste $20).  Once we got home from the movies he asked if I wanted help taking my boots off which I totally did because I rarely wear dress boots.  Then he asked after he helped take off my boots!

I love my proposal because it is mine and done perfectly!  Nothing extravagant and just us (and Bentley of course).

Day 19: A bad decision I've made

So instead of writing about a bad decision that I've made I am going to defend a decision that others generally think to be a bad decision; tattoos.


For as long as I can remember I always knew that I would have tattoos when I grew up.  My grandpa (same one that did "drugs" from my previous post) has three of them and I always loved how artistic they look.  I even have a nickname after one of his tattoo, Little Della Devil (the tattoo is of a baby devil).  My mom had always given lectures about not tattoos and that we would regret it if we got one.

With knowing that I would always have a tattoo I never wanted to just go out and get one, I wanted it to have meaning.  I thought long and hard about what tattoos I would be able to love for the rest of my life.  Being that I am terrified of needles I told myself that if I made it through my back surgery and double lumpectomy surgery I would get a tattoo the following year.  The following year I got my first tattoo and I still love it to this day.  For me it is a gift of rebirth to me because I got my life back the previous year.  It is something that once Derek and I have children I will be able to put their initials or names by each dragonfly or add onto.


The second tattoo is a snowflake.  Now my mom didn't speak to me for a week after I got the snowflake, because it is on my wrist and is visible.  I knew that I wanted a visible tattoo but something that wouldn't offend anybody but would still have meaning to me.  A snowflake it was!


I love winter and snow!  Being out of Minnesota has been difficult at times but during the winter it was always a little bit more like home.  Snow actually fascinates me, perfect conditions are needed in order for snow to be created.  The first snowfall is always the most magical and beautiful to see everything shimmer from the sun.  And then it reminds me of Christmas time which reminds me that if you really believe and have faith, miracles are a real thing.  Finally, it is for Derek.  Each and every year including our first date it has snowed, kind of perfect I think.

Dec. 2, 2010

It's kind of funny really because people will see tattoos and judge me for having them.  I get comments like, "You will go to hell for having a tattoo" and "You are going to hate that when you are 60".  When in reality yes in Leviticus I believe there is a verse about marking your body and going to hell or something.  I don't believe this because the majority of people I know with tattoos have religious tattoos.  When it comes to the day I die I would rather be judged by whether or not I have been a good person not what I look like and what is or is not on my body.  I also have the perfect response to the second thing people tell me too!  "Then I will have until I am 60 to LOVE it!".  I don't judge people for not having tattoos and I don't judge people who do.  It reminds me of when Derek and I first started dating and people would always ask me if his tattoos bothered me or offended me at all. They don't, they are tastefully done (He has many tattoos, three of which are pin ups) and done very well.  I don't date him for his tattoos I date him because he is an amazing person.

Day 18: Funny story

So I am really bad at telling stories, I'm not kidding I am one of the worst story tellers.  It takes me forever to get to the point and finish telling stories.  Well, anyway instead of writing a super long funny story I thought it would be nice to just tell two funny things that my mom reminded me about a couple weeks ago.

My folks raised us kids to be honest and that drugs and drinking are bad.  With that said when I was little I would tattle on people who did bad things.  For instance I told on my Grandpa when I was little for doing drugs (he smoked cigarettes) and drugs were bad.  I also told on my dad once for drinking while driving!  He was drinking Mountain Dew though.  Maybe mom and dad should have clarified drugs and "drinking" to me a little better when I was about five years old!

Easy DIY menu/to do board

A while back I had seen a menu board on Craftgawker that I loved and wanted to make my own.  It probably can't get more simple than this...

• Find a frame
• Find fabric or scrapbook paper you love
• Cut fabric or Scrapbook paper to fit the frame
• Use a white board marker to write on the glass
• Don't crack the glass like I did :-/

I have been eyeing this fabric forever and finally caved.

Day 17: Most daring thing I have ever done

This topic I found to be a little hard to answer because I don't really see myself as a daring person.  I actually asked my mom and Derek what they thought was the most daring thing that I have done in my life.  They came up with a list of things (surprising to me since I didn't think I was daring at all):

• Rock climbing - There is danger in this especially if your belayer is not paying attention to you while you climb (I have had that happen before).
• Para-sailing - So incredibly fun!
• White water rafting - also incredibly fun!
• Stopping on the side of a road to drive a guy home when I was in my teen years - okay maybe that wasn't the brightest idea Mom but he was nice.
• Flying and airplane without any lesson.
• Cheerleading (mom's idea) - I guess it is true.  As the base it was my responsibility to ensure that the flyer was caught to prevent them from getting injured.
• Chopped all my hair off short - you may laugh but that is super scary to somebody who has always had medium to long hair!
• Took a weekend trip to meet a friend I had met online - She was a friend of a friend, I'm not that crazy!
• Competing with my brother to see who could get closest to the edge in the badlands without falling to our death - Sorry about freaking you out mom and dad!
• Moving to Illinois with Derek - I knew him and only him.  Neither of us knew anything about IL other than Chicago was located in the state.

The one thing that I really want to do though is go swimming with sharks!

What is the most daring thing that you have done before?

Day 16: Funny photo

So I don't have many of my photos in Illinois with me as they are still in a tub at my folks house.  This is one of the funniest photos on my laptop though.  Mom had sprained her ankle like the week before on a cruise (first night of the cruise too!).  She was stacking rocks or something and Dad came along and I guess tried to put one more on it and they all fell right on her sprained ankle.  We were all cracking up as mom fell to the ground holding her ankle and laughing (even though you can't tell by the photo).  I managed to capture the moment well.

Trip to Duluth