12 Years Later...

Has it really been 12 years? I don't feel 12 years older. Really, it has been 12 years since my BFF, Jessica Troyer, went home to be with the Lord? Wow.

January 30th never comes easy. There is always heartache and a lot of questions racing through my mind. What went wrong? Why was there snow on the ground so Jessie could go snowmobiling? Why did Jessie have to go snowmobiling that night? Why didn't she properly secure her helmet? Why did she hit that tree? Why? Why? WHY?!

I was 17 years old and I felt like my life was pulled out from underneath me. My heart was shattered and I felt empty and alone. Nothing made sense anymore. I could always count on God to do the "right" thing... but how was taking Jessie the right thing to do? I needed her! He knew that. So why did He take her from me?

While my life has forever changed since the day Jessie left earth to be with our Lord and Savior, I feel blessed to still have her family as such an important part of my life. Each year many of us gather at her mother's house to celebrate Jessie's life. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else on January 30th.

I don't always understand God's plan, but I can tell you this much... my relationship with Him has never been better! With His blessing, He has given me a testimony that has provided comfort to others who grieving the loss of loved ones. As a camp counselor, my testimony has led dozens of my campers to Christ. Then there is the Something from Jessie Memorial Scholarship, which has given Chicago inner city students an opportunity to attend the same camp Jessie and I attended as children - which also gives them the opportunity to hear the gospel and accept Christ as their Lord and Savior.

While I still miss my BFF, I know that with each passing day we are apart, that bring us one day closer to being reunited in heaven. Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior! He has given me strength each and every day since Jessie died and I couldn't imagine my life without Him.

If you haven't already, now is the perfect time to turn your life over to God and accept Christ as your Lord as Savior! While God makes no promise that our lives will be easy, He certainly brings a lot of joy and hope in our darkest, most uncertain moments. I promise... it will be the best decision you will ever make.

12 years later... God is still using Jessie for His glory and I will continue to do the same.

UPDATE:
Later that evening Dan surprised me by bringing home some flowers. He had stargazer lilies for me and green daisies (?) for Jessie. I was in total awe!

We left the house shortly after Dan got home in attempt to stop by Pleasant Hill Cemetery to visit Jessie. Unfortunately the sun had set and the gates were closed. I'll admit, a few tears escaped my eyes as we sat in our car starring at the locked gates.

"Do you want to stay and just sit here for a while," Dan asked as he displayed a disappointed puppy lip. He felt bad that we didn't make it in time.

We sat silently as I kept starring at the gates, trying to accept the fact that they were really closed and locked for the night.

I brushed away a few lingering tears and told Dan I was ready to leave.

We had some time before we were due at Melanie's house, so we went to Home Depot and Target. We had nothing to get, but Dan did treat me to 10 Things I Hate About You on Blu-ray - it was on sale.

Later that evening we got to Melanie's house and were joined by my parents and our friends, Michele and Jeremy. Together we ate pizza, spaghetti casserole (?), gingerbread cookies (of course!), fruit salad, as well as some amazing chip and dip! I wouldn't want to be anywhere else on January 30th.

The next day, Tuesday, January 31st, I used my break to go back to Pleasant Hill to drop off Dan's flowers for Jessie and to pay her a visit. The ground was very soggy from all the melted snow and it was super windy, but I still managed to spend some quality time visiting Jessie.

12 years is a long time... but it's amazing how it can still feel like it happened yesterday.

The "Side-Effects" of Working in Retail

I've been working in retail since 2005 and when I'm the shopper I tend to do things that most shoppers don't. Some of theses "strange" behaviors are all, what I call, "side-effects" from working in retail... and based on conversations I've had with fellow co-workers, I'm not the only one who does these things.

1. I fold clothes and rotate items on shelves so that everything is displayed nicely. So unless I'm in Hollister and the clearance clothes are all in a tangled pile, I tend to "fluff" the clothes and display items.

2. I always share my zip code, email, and phone number when asked. I have a "junk" mail account for online freebies and that is what I share when a store asks for my email - unless it is a store that I shop at often, those stores get my real email.

I know that the information is collected for statistics (zip codes help show where shoppers come from) and your phone number/email is for coupons and merchandise updates. It is very likely that the store is keeping track of how many emails a single cashier is collecting. I just want to help him/her get at least one email captured that day.

3. I stay put when an employee goes in the back to check on something. I want him/her to have an easy time finding me. If I plan on moving to another part of the store I make a point to let the employee where he/she can find me. This will save both of us some time.

4. I am super friendly to employees who help me find something and thank them for their assistance. I say "thank you" and "have a nice day" with plenty of pep and a warm smile to let the employee know I appreciated his/her assistance.

5. I try not to bother the employees who appear to be busy with a project. I avoid people on a ladder, working off a list, checking prices, etc. I scan the store to see if anyone else is available. If no one else is, I often start by saying, "I'm sorry, can you help me?"

Some of these habits find their way into my house as well. For example, food gets stocked with the labels faces the same way (towards the front) and are neatly placed in straight lines, in stylish fashion. I know that sometimes I over do it, but I like to think I'm staying in practice for work.

Housewarming Party I

On Friday, January 20th we got hit with another major snow storm. It got bad rather quickly and everyone at work was sent home at 2:00 p.m. My drive to and from work is about 30 minutes, but on the snowy, slick day it took me well over an hour! Even in my new tires, I crawled the whole way home. Dan was sent home early as well and, just like the last storm, he beat me home.

That evening, Dan and I were super busy getting our house ready for our first housewarming party. My little "sista" (Courtney) came over and helped me get the food cleaned, chopped, baked, and bagged. She also helped by doing dishes and vacuuming the entire first floor! She is such a sweet girl! It was completely her idea to come and help - and a snow storm wasn't going to stop this kind-hearted 18-year-old. We had a great time!

Dan spent the evening organizing and cleaning the garage, hanging pictures, and cleaning. He also made a trip to Walmart for some last minutes items. Good thing Walmart is so close! The snow was really coming down.

It was a long and busy evening, but we got SO much done. I slept very well that night, knowing everything was clean and ready for the party.

Saturday, January 21st Dan and I got up rather early. Dan set his alarm for 7:00 a.m. (so he could shovel) and I sent my alarm for 8:00 a.m. I spent most of my morning getting myself ready for the party. Once I was clean, dressed, and my make-up was complete, I went downstairs to continue getting ready for the party.

My parents arrived at about noon and helped up put the finishing touches on our food and goodies. Shortly after 1:00 p.m. a steady flow of guests arrived and the party was in full swing.

Dan and I were thrilled to have so many loved ones in our home at once. We had a fabulous turn out and I had a great time showing everyone the house.

Dan and I had more than enough food that day. Our last party guests left at about 6:00 p.m. and we were left with a mountain of leftovers. Thankfully, that just means I won't have to do that much cooking (if any) this week. Love it!

Clean up was really easy and after we were done Dan and I sipped some red wine and watched America's Funniest Home Videos on Netflix. It felt so good to just kick back and relax after a rather eventful day.

I'm really disappointed to report that I don't have any photos from the party! I spent so much time visiting with family and friends that I didn't get a chance to snap any photos. Sad. Oh well, it was still a wonderful party. One that I will cherish and remember for the rest of my life. We are so blessed!

Welcome to 2012!

The Christmas and New Year festivities flew by (as usual), but I can certainly say Dan and I had a very special holiday season.

On Thursday, December 22nd Dan and I enjoyed our last full day of work for the year. My work day consisted of wrapping up some minor details on a few projects and enjoying a special Christmas luncheon and Secret Santa gift exchange. My boss even let me leave a few hours early! What a delightful treat!

I got home at about 2:30 that afternoon and shortly after walking through the door I got a text from Dan. He was given permission to leave work early as well! Woohoo!

Every year Dan and I have carried on the tradition of going out on a special Christmas date. Once Dan got home we let the date begin! We started by opening Christmas presents from each other. Since we had planned on buy a large, specialty item for the house, we gave ourselves a small budget to but each other stocking stuffers and gifts. I was up for the challenge! I was determined to buy Dan a bunch of goodies without breaking the bank. Turns out, Dan accepted the same challenge. Since we've both become bargain shoppers, we both managed to get each other a few items for FREE! Including Victoria's Secret cologne, Fannie May chocolates, and AXE body wash!

After our gift exchange we went to Mamma Onesta's Italian Restaurant for dinner. We've both heard excellent things about Mamma Onesta's, so we thought we would give it a try. Boy, the reviews were right! We enjoyed a delicious meal in a lovely decorated dinning room. The prices were great and the service was prompt. We'll be going back again - for sure!

After dinner we drove around looking at Christmas lights while listening to Christmas music - thank you, 93.9! It was fun!

Once we got home we watched some of the Christmas blu-ray movies Dan got me for Christmas. We watched A Charlie Brown Christmas, It's Christmastime Again, Charlie Brown, and a few bonus features as well. It was a great way to wrap up the evening and begin our Christmas break.

On Friday, December 23rd Dan and I slept in, showered, and cleaned the house before we left for my parent's house.

That afternoon we got to my parent's house and awaited the arrival of Kathleen and Brad. Since Kathleen had to work, Brad drove and Kathleen flew. A poor, sick Brad got off to a delayed start, so Kathleen beat him in by about an hour or so.

That evening Dan and I made the ultimate decision to go to Pottery Barn and purchase a lovely dinning room table. Some chairs were on sale and with my discount on top of the deal, we decided to make that our Christmas present to each other.

To save on shipping, my dad took it upon his new Santa Fe to get our new table to mine and Dan's house. It took two trips in the Santa Fe to deliver the table and two chairs - I took two chairs in Dan's car back to my parent's house. It was a long and exciting evening!

On Saturday, December 24th we all got up rather early to catch the 9:00 a.m. train to Chicago. Once we got downtown we went to Macy's to see the Christmas Tree in the Walnut Room. Our cousin, Kevin, met up with us while we were there.

At 11:00 a.m. Chriskindlmarket opened up and we met up with some more of our family! Upon arrival we saw Jessica and her husband, Andrew, Michelle and her friend, Marissa. We spent the later morning and early afternoon enjoying some delicious German foods and shopping the market. Dan and I finally purchased a lovely 3-D white, light-up star. We've been eyeing them for years and we finally have a place to hang one.

After parting ways with our beloved family, we made our way back to the LaSalle train station. On our way we stopped at Argo Tea to get warmed up. Around this time of year they sell a delicious drink called White FrosTea Chocolate. To describe this drink I must use the words of Ryan Reynolds' character in The Proposal... "It tastes like Christmas in a cup."

We took the 2:30 train back home and continued the Christmas festivities at my parent's house! We got to the train station with plenty of time, so the train-lovers took a photo with a solo Metra car.

Later that afternoon we gathered in my parent's back room, placed Christmas presents under the tree, and turned on some wonderful Christmas music. After snapping a few photos in front of the tree, we let the gift exchange begin.

I have to say, I don't think I ever laughed so hard opening presents! Everyone was so excited and so thankful for each and every gift - including silly gifts played off of our family's inside jokes. We had a blast and we managed to capture a lot of those special moments with my camera.

After all the gifts were opened we cleaned up and got ready for dinner. Per our request, Dad made on of his specialties - Egg McMuffins! De-lish! Brad even broke out his new bread maker to give it a whirl! Together, Brad and Dan worked on making some Italian bread in Brad's new bread maker.

Together, we sat in the dining room and enjoyed a wonderful dinner/breakfast!

After a couple of hours, the homemade bread was ready! Brad couldn't have been more excited to serve up the fresh Italian bread!

Later that evening, Melanie and Floyd stopped by. We had annual Christmas Eve visit (which has taken place every year since Jessie passed) and exchanged some gingerbread-themed gifts. Jessie was such a fan of my mom's gingerbread cookies that on multiple occasions she asked for some for Christmas. As a result, we enjoy finding special gingerbread gifts for her family - as well as some homemade gingerbread cookies as well.

After Melanie and Floyd left, Dan and I got ready to hit the road as well. That night we drove up to Wisconsin to stay with his parents and celebrate Christmas.

On Sunday, December 25th Dan and I woke up to a warm, delicious smell of breakfast in the making!

I took my time getting ready and even spent some quality time with God before I made my way down the stairs to join the others. While kneeling at the foot of the bed, I praised God for this blessed Christmas morning and the reason for the season! While I knew I would enjoy the continuing celebration of Christmas, I wanted to make sure I gave God all the credit for this beautiful day and the reason why we celebrate. I'll tell you this much, I felt so good spending time with God that morning. It was really special.

While A Christmas Story wrapped up on the television, we enjoyed a wonderful Christmas breakfast. It was the second best way to start my day! The rest of the morning was spent relaxing and watching Christmas movies.

Mandy and Cale showed up later that afternoon. Once they arrived we enjoyed some yummy h'orderves to tide us over until dinner.

That afternoon we exchanged gifts and opened our stockings. In the Nelson home they take their time and open each gift at a time - and one by one we watch what everyone opens. It's a lengthy process but a great way to take notice as each other's gifts.

After gifts were done we got ready for dinner. Dan's parents prepared a lovely spread of home-cooked foods - including filet mignon and chicken (for Mandy). Everything was delicious!

That evening we played a new game that Dan and I got for Christmas - Quelf. It was an interesting game that produced a lot of big laughs! I'll warn you... this game is only for those who are outgoing and/or willing to be silly. If you're up for the challenge, it's a lot of fun!

The whole day was wonderful. The only thing missing was Dan's other sister and brother-in-law, Stefanie and Thomas. They spent their Christmas out in California - their new home. While they were deeply missed, Dan and I sent them some Christmas goodies to let them know we were thinking of them.

That night, Dan and I drove home. Even though we got in rather late, Dan put together our new dinning room table and I put away our new Christmas gifts. We got to bed rather late, but it was totally worth it!

On Monday, December 26th we had my immediate and extended family over for a another Christmas celebration! It was so exciting to host our very first Christmas party in our new home!

That day we exchange Secret Santa gifts, enjoyed pizza from Aurelio's Pizza, and played some Christmas Bingo (with prizes!) and Apples to Apples. Throughout the whole day we had Christmas movies playing in the family room - for anyone who wished to watch. As expected, the whole day was a blast and our new dining room table really came in handy!

Dan baked and decorated a yummy pumpkin pie (using a secret Nelson ingredient). He has become quite the baker, so my parent's got him a lovely Emile Henry citron pie dish (pictured below). Altogether, I think our house was overflowing with awesome Christmas goodies that day!

On Tuesday, December 27th Dan and I slept in and stayed in bed until it was time for us to get ready to go out for lunch. We joined some of Dan's work buddies at Merichka's that afternoon. An old work buddy was in town, so everyone wanted to get together so that they could get caught up and visit. It was nice.

That night we went out to dinner with my family at Public Landing Restaurant. As usual, we enjoyed a hearty meal complete with dessert! You can't go wrong with Public Landing. I highly recommend it!

On Wednesday, December 28th Kathleen and Brad rested up for their journey home. Dan and I swung by my parent's house that afternoon so we could spend a little more time with Kathleen and Brad before they left for Minnesota. When we got there we joined my family in an entertaining game of Farkle - a friendly dice game that is a lot of luck.

I didn't get to stay too long, because I had to go work at Williams-Sonoma that evening. Dan dropped me off and picked me up when my shift was over - at 10:00 p.m.

Thursday, December 29th Kathleen and Brad drove home, together. I'm pretty sure Dan and I slept in and watched movies all day. Honestly, it was a day well spent!

Friday, December 30th was another day for resting. We did some house stuff and got odds and ends reorganized - which felt good.

Saturday, December 31st was New Year's Eve! Dan and I made sure we got a lot of rest and kept our eating to a minimal as we prepared for the evening ahead of us!

That night we met up with our friends, Jason, Rachel, Raleen and her boyfriend, Bryce, at the Embassy Suites Chicago - Lombard/Oak Brook - where we would be staying the night.

Most of us got ready at the hotel and then made our way to the hotel shuttle that would take us to the Abbington Banquet Hall for a New Year's Eve celebration! Our evening included...

- Hot & Cold Hors d’ Oeuvres
- 5 Hour Premium Open Bar
- 5 Course Gourmet Dinner Prepared by Executive Chef Robert Fabbri
- Party Favors, Balloon Drop & Midnight Champagne Toast
- Late Night Buffet & Sweet Table
- Complimentary Coat Check & Valet Parking
- The Hiline Band
- Spin Productions D.J.
This was our second time ringing in the new year at Abbington. It is a lot like attending a fancy wedding, without a bride and groom. Plus, our hotel had a deal with the Abbington, so our accommodations were discounted and our transportation was free. As usual, it was a wonderful, fun-filled way to ring in the new year! And... eat way too much food before the new year's resoultion diet kicks in. Ha ha!

Sunday, January 1, 2012, we got up at 9:00 a.m. with plenty of time to go down to the lobby and enjoy a complimentary hot breakfast at the hotel. We eased into the day and savor our time in the hotel by hanging out.

That afternoon is was back to resting and relaxing.

Monday, January 2nd was our last day of break. What was originally going to be a day of "whatever" rapidly turned into fixing issues with my car. Long story short, we ended up trading cars with my parents so that my dad could take my car to a local repair shop.

That evening, Dan and I went out for a freebie dinner (and leftovers) at T.G.I. Friday's - thanks to a Christmas gift from my parents to Dan. It was a great way to wrap up our Christmas break.



Tuesday, January 3rd we both went back to work and, honestly, we both felt ready to go back. I didn't have a hard time waking up and getting ready that morning. I think all the rest really paid off!