You've Got A Friend In Me

Where I Belong

2012-02-09T13:20:00.002-06:00

There is this new song by Building 429 that has been on "repeat" inside my head for several weeks now. Every time it gets played on the radio I crank it up and don't hold back while I sing along.

This is a song that I wish I had written. The lyrics move me to tears (joyful tears!) when I am caught up in worship. If you've put your faith is Jesus Christ, I'm sure you'll connect with this song.

Click the link below to listen to the song and view the lyrics:

"Where I Belong" by Building 429

Housewarming Party II

2012-02-07T14:44:00.007-06:00

REWIND! I'm going to take a step back in time and blog about mine and Dan's second housewarming party.

On Saturday, January 28th Dan and I had our second housewarming party. The guest list consisted mostly of camp friends and co-workers.

That morning, Dan and I went to Corner Bakery to enjoy a free breakfast panini. Certainly not a bad way to start the day. After that we made a quick stop at the mall and later went home to set up for our party.

The party got started at 5:00 p.m. that evening. The whole house was clean and the food was ready. Our first guests arrived shortly after 5:30 and after that we had a nice, steady flow of friends joining our party.

Dan and I seem to take turns giving the official house tour this time around - somehow it ended up being mostly my job at our last party. Once again, it was so nice to have so many loved ones in our home at once.

Not sure how this happened (again!), but I completely forgot about photos! Thankfully, Kaylin pulled out her camera so we could get a photo just before her and Sarah left. That was when it hit me... I haven't been taking photos! Gah! Where has my head gone? From that moment on I grabbed Dan's point and shoot camera and started snapping photos like crazy! Not all of our guests were still there, but at least I got some of them. I'll update this post with photos - once I put them on my computer.

Our last six guests left at about 1:00 a.m. It was an evening full of laughs and fantastic memories! Shame it had to end so early. ;)

12 Years Later...

2012-01-30T09:16:00.005-06:00

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

2012-01-26T09:11:00.005-06:00

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

2012-01-24T09:27:00.003-06:00

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!

2012-01-10T09:47:00.060-06:00

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!

Karolyn "Zuzu Bailey" Grimes

2011-12-19T12:58:00.012-06:00

On Saturday, December 17th Dan took me to see It's a Wonderful Life and to meet Karolyn Grimes - who played little Zuzu Bailey in the holiday film. It was certainly a fun Christmas date!

When we first arrived at the Hollywood Palms Cimema we weren't sure what kind of a line to expect. However, we were quite surprised when we found ourselves to be the second couple in line and no Karolyn Grimes in sight. Then, as Dan made a quick run out to his car, he spotted a limo as it pulled up right behind his car. The lovely Karolyn Grimes stepped out and made her way into the theater.

We stood in the little line (that nearly doubled in size about 15 minutes later) and we watched Karolyn get set up and ready to meet her fans. Just before 2:00 p.m. she was all smiles and ready for her meet and greet to begin. By this point there were about 20 people in line to meet her.

Karolyn had a lot of various photo prints to choose from. We found a lovely image that featured a large group of cast members, so we purchased it for her to sign.

I'm a nerd, I know, but I was excited to tell her that my first name was the exact same as hers! She was so cute when I told her too. "You're kidding! With a K?" She went on to say that in all her life she has met very few Karolyn's with a K - I felt special.

Just before 3:00 p.m. we went into our theater to watch the movie. Karolyn came in and introduced the film. She shared some fun stories, a few fun facts, and even took a few questions from the very-packed theater. Here are some things that she shared...

1. Before filming It's a Wonderful Life, snow in Hollywood was made out of corn flakes, painted white. However, the loud crunch of the "snow" caused a lot of audio problems, so the creators of It's a Wonderful Life wanted some new "snow." So they created "snow" out of the foam that was used in fire extinguishers and ivory soap. So if you watch carefully, sometimes you'll see suds on the cars and dripping down lights, clothes, and buildings.

2. In the scene where George Bailey (Jimmy Stewart) guides tipsy Uncle Billy (Thomas Mitchell) towards his home, Uncle Billy stumbles off camera and you hear a loud bang and crash. Shortly after, Uncle Billy calls out, "I'm all right!" Well, it turns out, a crew member dropped a bunch of props and Thomas Mitchell was simply improving the scene. Instead of getting fired, like the crew member expected, he got a "big fat" $10 bonus!

3. Karolyn Grimes' favorite scene is when George Bailey is back on the bridge, praying, begging to live again... and just as he mentions "God" the snow starts to fall. Karolyn believes in faith, love, family, and miracles.

4. When George Bailey goes into Martini's for a drink, there is a young lady with a flower in her hair, sitting behind him, singing. Listen carefully! She was the original Snow White!

5. Jimmy Stewart's favorite scene from the movie was when George Bailey first prays to God in Martini's bar.

6. Jimmy Stewart was a war vet and it was placed in his movie contract that they couldn't use his military experience to promote the movie. Karolyn explains, he was a humble man and didn't want the special attention for his service.

7. Tommy Bailey (Jimmy Hwakins) burped a lot!

8. Karolyn Grimes grew up in California, so she was very excited about seeing "snow" on the set.

9. The film was made in 1946, Karolyn was six. "Save your fingers," Karolyn playfully instructed, "I'm 71."

10. Jimmy the Crow, is the same crow that flies into the scene where Dorothy meets the Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz. Apparently Jimmy the Crow was a high-demand crow actor.

After the movie was over and we made our way to the exit, we noticed that Karolyn's meet and greet line had certainly grown in size. There were at least 50+ guests of all ages waiting in line to meet her and get her autograph.

It was a wonderful experience! Especially with Christmas right around the corner.

Neighborhood Christmas Party

2011-12-16T09:01:00.003-06:00

I just realized that I never wrote about our neighborhood's annual Christmas party! Oops!

On Saturday, December 10th Dan and I have discovered that we have been blessed with some wonderful and festive neighbors! Every year the neighborhood asks 3-4 families to open up their home and be a host house for the Christmas party. Each host family is asked to provide a few h'orderves and desserts. For everyone else it is BYOB (bring your own beverage), however, each house still had a variety of drinks available. Including a creative and elaborate hot chocolate bar - an idea that I plan on using in the future. In the long run, each house had lots of food - including coconut shrimp, large spring rolls, and mini burgers, to name a few. Good thing we skipped dinner that evening. We traveled from house to house (as a group) and certainly got our fill of good food and good company.

Dan and I had a great time getting to know our neighbors during the festive Christmas party. About 30 people were in attendance. You had to be at least 18 to attend the party, but 30 was still a good majority of our neighborhood. There are a lot of new families in the neighborhood this year, so we weren't the only ones who were new to the party.

That evening we discovered that our neighbors...

1. Love to hug!
2. Enjoy a good party.
3. Look out for each other.
4. Are very friendly and easy to talk to.
5. Enjoy bargain shopping.

I think that Dan and I are really going to enjoy our little neighborhood. We are so blessed!

Unfortunately, while a lot of photos were taken that evening, none were taken by me. So here is a photo of our Christmas card wreath. It is really starting to fill up!

Exhausted...

2011-12-13T08:50:00.003-06:00

Ever since the week of Thanksgiving I have been working more hours than usual at Williams-Sonoma - mostly closing hours. Don't get me wrong, before I go any further, I am very grateful for the hours and the extra income. Also, I enjoy working at Williams-Sonoma. I adore the folks that I work with and I've had some lovely chats with with friendly shoppers. I'm just getting to a point where I am physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted.

During the week I usually have about two days in which I work a full day at job numero uno, then travel to Williams-Sonoma to work another 4 or 5+ hours. Plus, I usually have a lengthy shift on Sunday. Once again, I would like to praise God for the hours and the income, but Lord, please give me the strength that I need in order to fully appreciate your blessings.

Thanksgiving Weekend 2011

2011-12-08T11:23:00.021-06:00

I had been looking forward to Thanksgiving for some time! I was guaranteed three days in a row of no work! No obligations! Time to be with family, friends... and time to rest and relax!

Thursday, November 24th was Thanksgiving! Dan and I set an alarm so that we didn't sleep too late that morning. Casually, we got up and got ready for the day. After a light breakfast we gathered our desserts to take over to my parent's house. Dan baked a pumpkin pie and I made some pumpkin ice cream cookies (I made the ice cream and the cookies) and some pumpkin dessert squares (using pumpkin butter from Williams-Sonoma).

We arrived at my parent's house later that morning. Dad had the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade on TV and Mom had the turkey in the roaster. I love the sounds and smells of Thanksgiving!

Dad and Dan worked on some Christmas lights outside while my mom and I watched some specials on TV - and I did a little web surfing. That afternoon we were joined by Dan's parents as well as the rest of the Koval family (minus Kathleen and Brad, who were in Minnesota).

As dinner rapidly approached, things got super busy in the kitchen - just as expected. My dad took on the task of peeling all of the potatoes so that we could have mashed potatoes. He was quite the trooper and did a wonderful job! The Tamie brought some fresh fruit and other goodies for everyone to snack on. It was delightful! I love fruit!

After dinner (which was at 3:00 pm) we gathered for our usual sorting through the Black Friday ads tradition. We sipped coffee and enjoyed dessert and we went through ads and Skyped with Kathleen and Brad - it really felt like they were there! We even managed to take care of our Secret Santa drawing. The whole evening was a blast!

On Friday, November 25th we set an alarm so that we could do some light Black Friday shopping. No, we didn't get up in the middle of the night to begin our Christmas shopping. I think that we set our alarm for 8:00 am. Our main reason for shopping "early" was so Dan could get back at a reasonable hour to work on our outdoor Christmas lights.

We picked up some chairs for our kitchen island at JCPenny and replaced our broken wine decanter with a new one (on sale) at Williams-Sonoma. We also picked up a few sale items from Williams-Sonoma as well.

Later that day, Dan and I started decorating our house for it's first Christmas! While Dan was bringing up the Christmas decorations from the basement he managed to slip in a surprise gift for me - what a sweetheart! Dan had gotten me a new building for my Disney Christmas Village!

The weather wasn't too cold, so Dan spent most of the day hanging up Christmas lights. Me on the other hand, I desperately needed a nap! So I layed in bed and watched a few movies on Dan's laptop. When I woke up it was dark and time for me to start getting ready to go out.

That evening we went out to dinner with my dad's extended family at Hua Ting Restaurant - a new holiday tradition. As usual, the food was delicious and the company was wonderful. Certainly an evening well spent!

My Great Aunt Lorraine and Great Uncle Bill gave us a "little something" for our tree. We opened the gifts when we got home. Since there were two gifts, we each got to open one. Inside the lovely wrapping paper were two "first home" ornaments! A lovely addition for our Christmas tree!

That night, Dan and I finished putting together our island chairs and then put up our Christmas tree. We decorated it while watching The Original Christmas Classics DVD series. It was a beautiful way to end the evening.

Saturday, November 26th we finally slept in - for real! We didn't have any real plans for Saturday, so it was a perfect day for more decorating and relaxing.

Sunday, November 27th I lead the worship music at our church with Tim. That afternoon I went to work at Williams-Sonoma. Honestly, I love helping guests find Christmas presents for their loved ones. You can't go wrong with Williams-Sonoma!

We I got home from work Dan had successfully hidden the pickle ornament on our Christmas tree. This is a fun tradition that we take turns doing each year. This year it was my turn!

After I located the pickle, Dan brought me a little bonus gift for me to open. It was some new figures for my Disney Christmas Village! What a fun surprise!

All in all, Thanksgiving weekend was a wonderful holiday break. In fact, I woke up Monday, well-rested and ready for work!

Working in Sales

2011-11-16T12:18:00.009-06:00

With Holiday shopping already underway (despite the fact that Thanksgiving hasn't even taken place yet), I thought that I would fill you in on some fun facts about working in retail. Through sharing these fun, random facts I hope that you'll show some significant consideration to those sales employees who are truly doing their best to be helpful.

I worked in clothing retail from 2005 - 2006 and I've worked in kitchen-ware retail since 2006. Here is what I have learned...

1. You have a LOT of mechanise to try and memorize. Not just style, type and price. Nope! There are lot of details that shoppers often ask. Questions like, "Where was this made?" "Is it safe in the dishwasher?" "What is the highest temperature I can heat this up to?" Please don't get frustrated if I don't have an exact answer for you right off the top of my head. Trust me, if it is really important for you to know, I will find out. I try to memorize a lot of details but just about every time I work I get asked a new question - the answer will then be memorized for future use, if needed.

2. Looking "in back" can be quite the challenge. There are thousands upon thousands upon thousands of items in the back. Sometimes it even requires climbing a very tall ladder to reach items. Once in a while items can be difficult to find because the space got rearranged when I wasn't there. While I'm looking, please stay where we last spoke. I'll find you that much faster - especially on a crowded day.

3. One thing that can be super fun, when working in retail, is when you've got yummy samples to hand out to shoppers. Who doesn't love a yummy treat - for free! Well, apparently some people don't. If you're offered a sample, please don't look at it with disgust and say, "Yuck! I don't think so. I hate yada-yada!" I know that not everyone likes chocolate or peppermint, but please don't make an issue out of it. This minor feeling of rejection can be a little hurtful. A simple, "No thank you," is perfectly okay.

4. Sometimes samples are a huge hit! That can be both good and bad. If you're in a store that appears to be out of samples on their little display and you notice that every employee is busy with another shopper, please do not go up to the register and call out, "Excuse me! I'd like a sample!" A cashier will likely reply with a gentle, "Yes, one of us will be with you when there is a free moment." Please remain patient and do not proceed to go behind the counter and help yourself.

5. On unexpected busy shopping days things can get a little overwhelming - especially if you are short-staffed. When lines get long, do not call out, "This is taking forever!" It doesn't help and it can be a little hurtful. The cashiers are trying their best to keep the line moving as quickly as possible.

6. Gift wrapping is sometimes offered as a free service. Be sure to ask if it is available the next time you shop this holiday season, but I will warn you, sometimes the wait can be very long. I've worked in retail where we hired folks just to do gift wrapping in the back. On an extra busy day the wait for free wrapping can get up to two hours! Please, don't get mad if the wait is too long for you. It is a free service. If you can't wait that long simply ask for the wrapping supplies yourself. The store will very likely pass them on to you.

7. The greeter at the front of the store is usually not allowed to leave the front of the store - especially on a busy day. If you need an employee to show you something at the back of the store, let the greeter know and he/she can use his/her walkie talkie to have another employee meet you elsewhere and assist you.

8. Another tip about the greeter... he/she is not your personal shopper. He/She is not there to greet you and begin following you around the store while you shop. Again, he/she must stay at the front of the store. If you need further assistance beyond the front of the store refer to the above statement (#7).

9. Smile and say "thank you" to all employees who assist you or ring you up at the register. It'll be a friendly mood booster for the employee!

10. If you ask for a good gift idea, don't reply with an aggressive, "No! Not that. Something else," after I make a suggestion. I don't know your mother/father/brother/sister/cousin personally, so after I ask a few quick questions to get to know them a little, I'll try and make an educated suggestion. An abrupt "No!" can be really discouraging.

I'm not going to defend the actions of all sales employees, but working in retail can be very stressful - especially around the holidays. So this holiday season, please try to remain patient and polite. If you're polite and the sales employee is rude, stay calm and politely locate a manager to share your findings. Use the above information to gain a little compassion for the busy bees of retail. A friendly shopper is greatly appreciated and, who knows, maybe an appreciative employee will have an extra sample with your name on it.

Weekend with Family in Minnesota

2011-11-14T09:02:00.011-06:00

Friday, November 11th (11-11-11) was Veterans Day and I was blessed to have the day off from work. It had been a busy week for me, so I wasn't terribly surprised when I slept in until 10:30 a.m. Once I was up and awake I got right to work on a few projects - cleaning, editing and packing.

This weekend Dan and I were all set to join my parents for a weekend getaway in the twin cities to visit Kathleen and Brad. Unfortunately, Dan did not have the day off from work, but we were all set to go so that once he got home we would be ready to leave.

My parents arrived at our house at about 3:30 that Friday afternoon. Dan got home around 4:30 and we were in the car and on our way by about 4:50. Minnesota, here we come!

The drive wasn't bad. We hit some traffic on I-90, but once we got close to the state line traffic eased up and we were smooth sailing.

We stopped twice. Once for dinner (at Arby's) and once for gas. We got to our Double Tree hotel just before midnight. Kathleen and Brad were already there - sleeping. With some playful teasing, we woke them up once we got to our adjoined rooms. Naturally, we stayed up to visit before going straight to bed.

Saturday, November 12th we were all up by 8:30 a.m. and out the door just after 9:00 a.m. Our destination: The Mall of America! The mall was rather close to our hotel, so it was a nice, easy drive.

Once we arrived at the mall we had a nice, easy-going breakfast at McDonald's. Stores didn't open until 10:00, so we had some time to chill before we got our shop on. At about 10:00 a.m. we devised a minor shopping plan and went on our merry way. While casually riding the escalator down to the 2nd level, Kathleen pointed out, "Isn't that the McKenzies?" I caught a brief glimpse of our family friends and started to call out to them. They heard my calls and turned back to see us. We knew that they were in the area but we had no idea that they were at the Mall of America! Seriously, in such a huge mall, what are the odds that we could run into someone that we know - on accident! It was awesome!

We walked the mall, attempting to do some early Christmas shopping, and took a break for lunch at about 2:00 pm. We enjoyed a lovely lunch at Twin Cities Grill in the Mall of America. It was delicious!

Just after 5:00 pm we ventured to another nearby mall to stop at Pottery Barn and Pottery Barn Kids. We ventured back to the hotel at about 6:45 so that we could meet up with Lauren, Kathleen's former college and post-college roommate. Once Lauren arrived at our hotel we all got back on the road and made our way to The Old Spaghetti Factory for dinner.

The Old Spaghetti Factory was extremely packed and our wait was expected to be about 45 minutes to an hour. Fortunately, we were able to snag a table in the spacious bar area. While we waited for our group to be called we enjoyed some drinks and appetizers. We also watched as the newly engaged, Lauren, opened a gift from my parents. Below is a typical Lauren-style smile - she's a blast!

Once our name was called (about an hour later) we sat down for a delicious dinner filled with good food, good friends and lots of good laughs! Everyone got a kick out of Dad's spot at the table. We all agreed that he looked like The Godfather sitting at the head of the table with the light shinning down on him. Even our waiter suggested it when he took our group photo - and he made that call without any help from us. Super funny!

And here is a photo of the Godfather, himself - looking rather tough.

After dinner we went back to the hotel and said our good byes to Lauren. The rest of us stayed up a while longer looking at various photos that others had brought to share. At around midnight, we all made our way to our beds and called it a night.

On Sunday, November 13th we got up and got ready to leave the hotel. Brad snuck out to pick up some Starbucks coffee (for me, Kathleen, Mom and himself) and some orange juice for the non-coffee drinkers (Dan and Dad). What a great surprise!

Once we were all packed and ready to go, we made our way to Keys Cafe and Bakery. Breakfast at Keys is almost always on our schedule when visiting Minnesota. There was a pretty lengthy wait for a table but Dad and Brad made the most of our wait by stepping out to fill the cars with gas. They made it back with plenty of time to spare so they stepped into a nearby Ace Hardware with Dan. When our group was finally called we sat in a cozy booth and enjoyed a yummy breakfast!

After breakfast we went to Stillwater, Minnesota to do some light shopping in this beautiful, historic city - which is certainly not short on delightful antique shops. No one was hungry for lunch so we all just sorta skipped it.

We stayed much later than we originally planned, but we still managed to drag out our good byes by venturing up to the Stillwater scenic outlook before leaving. After taking in the view and a number of hugs, we parted ways and headed home in opposite directions.

The drive home was fine - Dad did all of the driving, just like the drive up. Dan and I both offered to take the wheel but Dad politely declined and drove all of us home safely. We stopped once in the Wisconsin Dells to eat dinner at Culver's and gas up our vehicle. During our drive home Dan and I even managed to catch a few Z's in the back seat.

We pulled into mine and Dan's driveway at about 10:15 p.m. After we got our items unloaded from my parent's car we said some more good byes and my parents went on to finish their remaining venture home.

Dan and I got ready for bed almost immediately. We laid in bed and watched two episodes of The Wonder Years on Netflix before we fell asleep.

The weekend came and went too fast - as usual. Thankfully, we'll be seeing Brad and Kathleen in about a month for Christmas! Can't wait!

Freshly Baked Carmel Apple Pie

2011-11-08T10:19:00.013-06:00

Yesterday, Dan decided he wanted to (finally) make an apple pie. This is a plan he has had for quite a while and yesterday he felt the calling to bake. So, with the Bears game in full view from our kitchen, we worked on his apple pie. We used apples that we had personally picked while in Michigan and our apple pie recipe came from our dear friend (and fellow blogger), Jessica. On her blog we snagged her yummy Carmel Apple Pie recipe.

This was mainly Dan's special project, but I did help by slicing up the apples to his liking - he did the pealing.

We diced up more than enough apples, but that's okay, they made a great evening snack!

Here is Dan's Carmel Apple Pie before it was baked...

Here is Dan's Carmel Apple Pie fresh out of the oven...

Once the pie was all finished we enjoyed it ala mode with some vanilla ice cream. The pie was still warm and it was very delicious! A little time consuming but certainly worth the effort!

Oh, by the way, Bears beat the Eagles! Go Bears!

Easy Going Weekend

2011-11-07T11:54:00.006-06:00

This weekend was a fun and relaxing weekend - so wonderful!

Friday, November 4th we had Thai with friends, Jeff and Jen, followed by Scrabble Fireside Spice wine (warmed) and my banana-flavored Sprinkles cupcakes at mine and Dan's house. It was a delightful evening.

Saturday, November 5th Dan went the Men's Breakfast at our church and then took my car to get the oil changed - how sweet! He found out that a belt needed to be replaced, so he bought the part and took to Jason's house so that he could install it. The kind gesture saved us mucho dollars, so Dan picked up a special treat for our friend, the handyman, to say thank you.

I woke up around 8:30 am and stayed in bed catching up on Grey's Anatomy and other shows/movies until Dan came home - which was about 1:00 pm. Not gonna lie... it was awesome staying in bed and doing "nothing" virtually all morning.

That afternoon we joined everyone and their mother at the mall. Did I miss something? Is tomorrow Christmas? Nope. Apparently nice weather in November means go to the mall in the Chicagoland area. Anyway, we are really in need of some curtains, so this free Saturday was a great opportunity to take care of this special project. We managed to get a few items scratched of our list, but some of those items are being mailed, so we'll have to wait a bit longer for some of our curtains to go up.

That evening I made yummy taco salads and we watched Silence of the Lambs on TV - there wasn't really anything else good on.

After Silence of the Lambs, we put in Iron Man. During the majority of the movie I organized my childhood cedar chest. I thought I was going to end up making room in the cedar chest once I was done, but in the end I still don't have much room inside. Oh well, at least it is organized and items are much easier to find!

Sunday, November 6th we enjoyed an extra hour of sleep before heading to church for worship practice - it was mine and Dan's turn to volunteer on A/V. Unfortunately, I didn't get to stay for the whole service since I had to go to work at Williams-Sonoma. Thankfully another A/V team member was able to step up and cover for me. Thanks Derek!

Work at Williams-Sonoma was very busy! The tech class had a lot of people in attendance and the phones just seem to be ringing off the hook! It was still a pretty good day. I got to have some delicious white meat turkey and pumpkin ice cream cookies that leftover from the tech class.

That afternoon Dan went to volleyball and I made an attempt to do some editing for my dad. However, some of the files were not working out (long story) so my dad came over so that we could recapture some footage as well as his remaining footage. We got done just after 10:00 pm.

Now its back to work! It'll be a four-day week for me. Thanks to our country's Veterans! Thank you, Veterans, for your service and dedication! God Bless!

Our First Halloween (In Our New House)

2011-11-01T09:10:00.009-05:00

I got home from work just before 4:30 pm - and by then trick-or-treating was half over. No matter, Dan and I had a bunch of candy to hand out and I was ready to do so. Dan came home not too long after I did and I had yet to experience one trick-or-treater.

Dan noticed that a few houses had a similar "BOO" sign on their front door and we became worried that we missed some sort of neighborhood memo. Where the kids skipping our house because we didn't have the sign? Ding, Dong! I guess not. Dan went to the door and handed out candy to a little boy and his even littler sister - they were so cute!

Trick-or-Treating went until 6:00 pm, but of course we had a few steady trick-or-treaters well up to 6:30. We didn't mind. We still had a lot of candy to give away. Our last trick-or-treaters surprised us when our doorbell rang well after 7:00 pm - I'll admit that I jumped when the doorbell rang. Dan went to the door and still gave them candy.

The rest of the evening was spent watching the latest episode of House and then watching Scream - which we both didn't finish and fell asleep.

Our first Halloween in our new house was sweet and simple. Now it is time to remove what little Halloween decorations we have - only leaving up anything that looks "harvesty."

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T08:24:00.004-05:00

Saw this on Facebook and thought it would be fun to post:

Have a fun and safe Halloween, everyone!

Be Encouraged

2011-10-28T09:04:00.012-05:00

Do you need something encouraging to listen to while you're surfing the web? I've got three online radio stations that I rotate between and they really help keep my mind fixed on things above.

Here are direct links to their online players. Just click on the image and you will be directed to their online music player:

These stations also have smart phone apps! So if you have a smart phone or iPod Touch you can download their music player and listen to positive, encouraging music anywhere you have WiFi.

I hope that these stations bring a lot of joy into your day/life! Enjoy!

Kind of Interesting...

2011-10-27T09:20:00.008-05:00

I was reading some various articles online when I saw this article about celebrities who have visited Disney. Apparently there was a Comedy Central celebrity at Disneyland/California Adventure the same day Dan and I were there for my golden birthday. I noticed the date under the photo of Stephen Colbert with Goofy, but had to Google the actor's name to find out who he is. Stephen Colbert is on Comedy Central's The Colbert Report. I don't have cable, so I guess I have an excuse for not knowing who he is. Anyway, it's still cool that someone who is well-know (by others) was there the same day as Dan and I were. Honestly, I think that I would've been disappointed if I there was someone there I actually knew and didn't ever run into him/her. Ha ha!

Stephen Colbert poses with Goofy outside the Soarin Over California attraction at Disney California Adventure park in on August 28, 2010 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Paul Hiffmeyer/Disney via Getty Images)

Stephen Colbert, wife Evelyn Colbert and sons Peter Colbert and John Colbert pose with Goofy outside the Soarin Over California attraction at Disney California Adventure park in on August 28, 2010 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Paul Hiffmeyer/Disney via Getty Images)

Shopping at Whole Foods Market

2011-10-25T08:13:00.005-05:00

Back in September LivingSocial was offering a deal: $10 for $20 to spend at Whole Foods Market, limit one per person. So Dan and I each purchased one with our own account. We weren't the only ones who were jumping on this deal - my Facebook news feed had several others who shared about their recent LivingSocial purchase.

We decided to wait until we were in the new house to splurge on our mini Whole Foods shopping spree - and last night we finally went. I'll admit, I was a bit lost in that store. I've never seriously shopped there - well, for more than one random thing at a time. Dan and I kept splitting up, each trying to decide what we should buy. Our ultimate goal was to each spend our gift certificate ($20/each) without going over.

Once we were finished choosing our items, we divided our cart into two piles - hoping they were about $20 each. Some items were on sale, some items had coupons... some items were on sale and had coupons! Score!

I went first. After my sale items and coupons I was at $17.36. Oops! So I snagged two packs of gum and my total came to $20.13. After my gift certificate I spent $0.13. I looked at Dan and playfully said, "Let's see if you can beat that."

Dan went next. After his sale items and coupons he was at $19.80, so he purchased a different pack of gum. His final total was $20.85. After his gift certificate he spent $0.85. The female cashier smiled at Dan and said, "Looks like she beat you."

Here are our final numbers...

Total spent on LinvingSocial deal: $20
Total spent at Whole Foods Market (before LS and coupons): $44.79

TOTAL SPENT (including LS): $20.98
TOTAL SAVINGS: $23.81+

I put the "+" next to Total Savings because some of the items were on sale but I can't remember how much the items were originally priced and it doesn't show how much we saved on our receipts. I know the total is a couple of dollars, but I'm not sure exactly.

In the long run, we saved over 53% on our grocery bill at Whole Foods Market - which is awesome! I can say this much, I love the selection of fresh, organic whole foods, but the prices are definitely too steep for me and my budget. This was a nice way to pick up a few healthy items (i.e. soy milk, Greek yogurt, frozen fruit, cottage cheese, etc.) and not break the bank.

Fall Harvest Weekend

2011-10-24T09:51:00.004-05:00

Friday, October 21st Dan and I drove up to Wisconsin after work. Our first destination was Chili's restaurant to have dinner with our dear friends, Rose and James. We met at 8:00 p.m. and stayed until almost 11:00 - good times, good times.

We strolled into Dan's parent's house just after 11:00 p.m. and as Dan turned the corner to enter the family room I heard his high-pitched, excited voice exclaim, "Stefanie!" Sure enough, when I turned the corner and entered the room, there she was on the couch - with Dan hugging her close. Stefanie now lives in California with her husband, Thomas, so this was a very unexpected surprise.

Saturday, October 22nd Dan and I slept in until about 8:15 a.m. doesn't sound like much but I was actually ready to get up long before that.

The morning and early afternoon was spent baking, cooking and shopping for last minute items. That evening we were joined by Dan's other sister, Mandy, and her fiance, Cale. As the evening progressed we were also joined by Dan's Uncle Ralph and Aunt Diane. Before dinner we enjoyed appetizers like carmel apple dip and apples as well as baked brie with a cranberry sauce with tasty crackers. Dan's father started a bonfire outside and the guys played beans bags.

For dinner we had our choice of homemade potato soup or chili in a sour dough bread bowl from Panera Bread. Everything was delicious!

After dinner, most of us (well, everyone except Dan's mom, Carol) went to Wisconsin Feargrounds in Waukesha. We did the same thing last year - except there were three haunted houses and a maze. This year we opted to save a few bucks and just do the main haunted house - Morgan Manor. Our wait was rather long this year. Last year we waited about 10-20 minutes to enter the first haunted house, but this year there was quite the line and our wait extended to over 1 and 1/2 hours! No matter, we made the most of the situation and enjoyed each other's company - as well as the company of the occasional ghoul who walked among the winding line.

It felt like it took us about 15 minutes to walk through the haunted manor. It was really crowded so our group of eight ran into other groups along the way. Dan took the front and I stood closely behind him. Whenever we started to run into another group Dan would slow down so that we could get some distance and give the monsters a chance to "reset" for our own personal scare. However, that usually resulted in the group behind us running into us. Oh well, it was still a good time! Each monster put a lot of effort into his/her character and it was rather entertaining - one sad little girl/ghoul really wanted me to be her mommy.

After we survived our venture through Morgan Manor we continued home. Back at the house Carol had a large cupcake waiting for Cale in honor of his upcoming birthday. She also had chocolate dishes filled with frozen pumpkin concrete - from Culvers. We sat around the table and laughed about the events that took place within the haunted house. It was a great way to end the evening!

Sunday, October 23rd Dan and I got ready to go home so that I could get home in time for work. Stefanie joined us. Since their parents were heading to Las Vegas later that day (a business trip for their dad, mini vacation for their mom) Stefanie took their mom's car and came down with us. I rode down with Stefanie and drove by himself. Stefanie and I had a great talk the whole way home.

After a quick lunch at home I departed for my shift at Williams-Sonoma. Aside from one annoying customer - whom I had to be pulled from - it was a rather easy shift. Dan and Stefanie hung out all afternoon and even stopped by the mall to visit me.

After work I met up with Dan and Stefanie and we had dinner at La Mex - yum! That evening Stefanie suggested that we rent Justin Bieber: Never Say Never - and we did. Heads up! Watch with caution... you will get Bieber Fever! Seriously though, what a sweetheart! He has a great story and this documentary-style film, filled with personal home videos of Justin and his family, really gave me a lot more respect for this little heartthrob pop singer.

All in all, it was a great weekend and I really didn't want it to end. Stefanie will be going back up to Wisconsin this morning but we'll get to see her again this weekend when when her and I go bridesmaid dress shopping with Mandy. Can't wait!

I'm Pro-Life

2011-10-20T09:28:00.005-05:00

I saw this on Facebook this morning and thought that it was worth sharing...

A worried woman went to her gynecologist and said, "Doctor, I have a serious problem and desperately need your help! My baby is not even 1 year old and I'm pregnant again. I don't want kids so close together."

So the doctor said, "Ok and what do you want me to do?"

She said, "I want you to end my pregnancy, and I'm counting on your help with this."

The doctor thought for a little, and after some silence he said to the lady, "I think I have a better solution for your problem. It's less dangerous for you too."

She smiled, thinking that the doctor was going to accept her request.

Then he continued, "You see, in order for you not to have to take care of 2 babies at the same time, let's kill the one in your arms. This way, you could rest some before the other one is born. If we're going to kill one of them, it doesn't matter which one it is. There would be no risk for your body if you chose the one in your arms."

The lady was horrified and said, "No doctor! How terrible! It's a crime to kill a child!''

"I agree," the doctor replied. "But you seemed to be OK with it, so I thought maybe that was the best solution."

The doctor smiled, realizing that he had made his point.

He convinced the mom that there is no difference in killing a child that's already been born and one that's still in the womb. The crime is the same!

If you agree, please SHARE. Together we can help save precious lives!

Love says, "I sacrifice myself for the good of the other person." Abortion says, "I sacrifice the other person for the good of myself."

By: Life is Dangerous: Let's Ban It

You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb.
Psalm 139:13 New Living Translation (NLT)

Upcoming Bridesmaid Dress Shopping

2011-10-19T13:26:00.007-05:00

Sometime within the next couple of months I am going to go bridesmaid dress shopping with my sister-in-law, Mandy. That means I am on a time crunch to drop a few pounds/inches so I can look fabulous in this amazing dress...

Mandy gave us bridesmaids 14 dress styles and 2 colors to chose from. My favorite color, between the two, is called amethyst. Depending on your computer monitor, you may not see it for what it really is - dark purple. Not black.

So put the two together and that it the dress that I am shooting for. I am so excited! I have been wanting a dress this style for some time. Even Dan said, "Hey, that dress looks like something you've been trying to find, isn't it?" For someone who doesn't have the best memory, I was certainly impressed when he said that.

Moving Weekend

2011-10-17T08:05:00.011-05:00

Thursday, October 13, 2011, was the BIG day! A rainy day as well. I don't know why I thought it would be a good idea to go in to work that morning. I was so antsy all morning! Ha ha! Once it was time for me to hit the road I quickly stopped at the apartment to change my clothes and then head over to the house for our final, final walk through with Kevin. At the house I met up with Dan and Myk - who flew in on Wednesday just for this special occasion!

Once the final, final walk through was done, Dan, Myk and myself piled into one car and headed to Downer's Grove to begin the extensive paper work that comes with purchasing a home. Once we got to the office, Dan and I went inside while Myk took Dan's car to a nearby Starbuck's where he would do some light reading and job research.

From 12:00 to 3:30 p.m. Dan and I did not move from our seats. Honestly, half the time spent at the closing was spent waiting for the package of papers to arrive. Dan played on his smart phone and I played on my iPod to pass the time. Once the paper work went through and everything was accepted, we opened our hands and accepted our very first set of house keys!

Once the closing was officially over, Myk came to pick us up and we went straight to the house. There, Myk snapped multiple photos of us as we opened our front door for the first time and Dan carried me over the threshold!

Inside, Dan and I were overwhelmed with awe as we found a very generous gift basket waiting for us on our kitchen island. It was loaded with all sorts of goodies including chocolates, biscotti, coasters, crackers and a bottle of Chardonnay.

We popped a bottle of Champagne and Dan toasted to our new house. Myk was kind enough to capture this on video. Before departing the house, Myk filmed Dan and I as we walked through the house to give a tour of our new home.

That evening we were hoping to go to our favorite corn maze (the Richardson Corn Maze in Spring Grove, Illinois), but the constant rain all day was enough for us to make other plans. So, instead, we went to Steak 'n Shake for dinner and then to the budget theatre to see Captain America: The First Avenger. We all confessed to dozing off during the movie - all at different times. It was a long day.

That night we slept at the apartment - it was where all our stuff was.

Friday, October 14th the three of us went back to the house with two car loads of stuff. My parents came by with food to feed our family and friends who would be helping us move on Saturday. It was their first time seeing the house all done.

Together we got some small things done around the house. My mom and I got the kitchen up and running - at least for Saturday. The guys brought in heavy stuff and made an attempt to install the garage door openers - but they were missing a few items to complete the process.

Our brand new, king size bed showed up that morning and so did Comcast [Internet]. Slowly but surely, our house was coming together.

That afternoon I went back to the house while Dan and Myk worked on installing the TV above the fireplace. We were expecting a few packages so I went home to wait for the UPS guy. Once the packages were delivered (including Dan's new iPhone 4S) I resumed watching Grey's Anatomy on Hulu. When Dan and Myk got back to the apartment we all napped and relaxed. It was fabulous!

Later the evening we met up with Cori - one of Dan and Myk's former college classmates. We had dinner and got caught up with each others lives. It was a fun evening!

Saturday, October 15th was our official moving day! Once again we slept at the apartment - it just made sense. Dan and Myk got up at about 7:00 a.m. to go and pick up the moving truck. I ran to the house to pick up Dan's tools and then I stopped at Dunkin' Donuts to pick up a dozen donuts for our happy helpers.

At 9:00 a.m. family and friends started showing up at the apartment. Together, we ate donuts and sipped fresh coffee (Dunkin' Donuts coffee, of course) before we got down to business.

We finished loading up the truck and cars at about 11:30 a.m. and then we all headed over to the house. We got there at 12:00 p.m. and were pleased to find two more helpers ready to help us unpack! In just under an hour everything was in the house! What an amazing team we had!

For lunch my mom had made chili (complete with two kinds of shredded cheese and oyster crackers), a garden salad, fruit salad and various kinds of bread. Carol (Dan's mother) brought some deliciously festive cupcakes. Dan and I also ordered three large pizzas from Pizza Hut. Needless to say, our team ate very well.

Once lunch was over, and every had gotten a full tour of the house, folks started going on their merry ways. Dan's mom, dad and sister (Mandy) stuck around and so did my mom. By mid afternoon my mom and I had the kitchen pretty much all unpacked - I have a lot of kicthen stuff!

Once it was back to the three of us (me, Dan and Myk) I continued working on the remaining odds and ends in the kitchen while Dan and Myk went to go return the truck.

My mom returned later that evening with my dad - who had a cross country meet that day. After my dad got the full, finished tour we went out for lunch at Pop's and then to get some rainbow cones - Dan and Myk's first rainbow cone experience! After dinner and dessert my parents went home to get some much-needed sleep - it has been a long day for everyone.

Back at the house, Dan and Myk finished putting the TV up on the wall and Dan got everything up and running with our new receiver. It took a while to get the audio to work but once we were up and running we played a little Rock Band on the Wii to celebrate. Our gaming didn't last too long - we really needed some serious sleep.

Sunday, October 16th we got to sleep in a little bit. We all got up at about 9:30 a.m. to get ready for church. Our house almost cuts our drive time to church in half! We went from a 25 minute commute to about 15 minutes. Nice!

After church (and lunch at Noodles and Company) I went to work at Williams-Sonoma. Dan and Myk went back to the house. Later that afternoon another college buddy, Nick, showed up at the house. Myk and Nick went out while Dan went to volleyball.

I came home to an empty house and got right to work. I unpacked a few more things, took empty boxes to the basement and condensed full boxes into a more organized fashion. During this process I was greeted by our new neighbors (who live on the north side of our house). They came over to welcome us to the neighborhood and brought us a bottle of Champagne and some plastic Champagne cups. How sweet!

Myk and Nick showed up at the house with Buffalo Wild Wings for dinner - yum! Once Dan was home we had dinner and started watching Bridesmaids. We had a blast hanging out!

As a last minute decision, Nick stayed the night and took Myk with him - since Myk had an early flight out of Midway and that is exactly where Nick works. They left at 3:45 a.m. Yikes!

Monday, October 17th Dan and I woke up not feeling very well. We had a long and busy weekend and we were certainly feeling it. No matter, we both made it to work and shook off whatever was bothering us.

After work I stopped by the apartment to pick up a few items that were left behind. Once I got home I unpacked those items and crawled in to bed and napped. It was fabulous!

That evening, Dan and I went out to Red Lobster for dinner since it was our dating anniversary - we have been together non-stop for seven years! I had a coupon and we both got the endless shrimp. Our waitress was awesome! She just kept bringing us shrimp - even if we didn't ask. Even after we paid the bill and packed up three, virtually full-sized different shrimp portions , she said, "Oh wait! I've got some more shrimp for you guys to take home." Sure enough, she brought out another full portion more shrimp! We walked out with four servings of our favorite shrimp! Needless to say, we got a lot of bang for our buck.

After dinner we went to the apartment to finish collecting a few remaining items in our apartment. Dan snagged a few items out of our garage, but the rest will have to wait for another day.

That night we slept good! I can hardly remember hitting the pillow. I think it'll be a while before I really catch up on my sleep, but a couple of early bedtimes this week will help.

I'll admit, I'm still getting used to being in a house. Maybe once we're all unpacked it'll feel more like home.

Closing Time

2011-10-13T07:57:00.003-05:00

Today is the BIG day! Today, Dan and I are going to close on our house and become official home owners! "WOW!" is a definite understatement. In fact, I am sure that there is not a single word that will justify exactly what I am feeling right now. So here are my top five words to describe how I feel this morning:

Today I am feeling...
1. Blessed!
2. Excited
3. Joyful
4. Happy
5. Anxious

Not gonna lie, I cried yesterday, literally, for the first time since the whole house process started. I suddenly felt nervous and scared. I'm usually a big worrier, but through lots of prayer and quality time with God, I have felt ultimate peace throughout this whole process. That is... until yesterday. What happened? Well, I have one guess: Satan!

Years ago I had a talk with my mom about God and Satan. I wondered, How can I tell the difference between when God speaking to me and when Satan speaks? My mom instantly replied, "God will never make you feel bad about yourself. That is how you tell the difference."

So, how did I feel last night? Basically, I felt stupid. I found myself wondering, How on earth am I going to pay for this house? Was this really a good idea? Does this sound like God speaking to me? Nope! Dan wanted me to fell good about our upcoming closing day, so he prayed over me and within the words "Amen" I felt like a whole new person! I guess that is even more proof that Satan was wispering words of doubt and fear into my mind, not God.

The truth is, I have no real doubt that this is what God wants for me and Dan. We have spent the last seven months or so in constant communication with God, regarding our house. Even on big days, like when we signed off on the paper work to begin construction on the house, I felt absolute peace. Coming from a obsessive worrier, it is a big deal that I didn't worry for one second on such a life-changing day. Where else can such peace come from? Only the Holy Spirit can fill my mind, body and soul with such soothing peace.

Not only have I felt absolute peace throughout the entire house-building process, but God's hand has been evident with multiples stories that feature His perfect timing. He has given me no reason to feel nervous or scared. Until last night, I never second-guessed mine and Dan's decision. So I can only conclude that Satan was trying to spoil a joyous occassion. Satan: FAIL.

My work day is short today. Once I am done for the day I will be joining Dan and his best friend, Myk (who flew in from Colorado last night just for this special occassion), and together we will go to the house, start a final, final walk through and then go to Downers Grove to sign the paper work. Myk is going to find a coffee shop during the closing process - and I don't blame him.

The process will begin at noon, so if you're reading this by then, please pray for us. I don't want to hear Satan's lies anymore today. Today, I want to feel the presence of my Heavenly Father - the one who made this day possible.

All Packed

2011-10-12T08:06:00.004-05:00

Once I got home from work yesterday, I went straight to check on Dan - he was sent home sick. I found him sleeping peacefully in our bed. He woke up when I opened the door and I offered to make him some soup. Soup sounded good to his stuffy nose and sore throat, so I heated up some chunky chicken noodle soup and brought it to him in bed.

After making Dan's soup I got right to work packing up the remaining items in our apartment. Dan joined me once he was done with his dinner. We packed for over four hours and it was towards the end that I realized that I didn't have any dinner and I had packed up the majority of our food! Oops! I ended up snacking on some kettle corn and made a hot dog for Dan and myself.

We have two piles of boxes/bags. One smaller pile needs to be moved first (Friday) and the much larger pile will be moved later (Saturday) - when we have a fabulous crew of helpers.

We also have boxed items in our master bedroom closets, so there are more Saturday boxes than are pictured above. Still, you get the idea.

I still can't believe tomorrow is the BIG day! Tomorrow we officially close on our house and become home owners! How on earth am I going to sleep tonight?

Final Walk Through

2011-10-11T08:12:00.003-05:00

On Monday, October 10th Dan and I met up with Ed, our construction manager, to do a final walk through of our new house. We met up with Ed at the house just before 3:00 p.m. This was my first time seeing the house all "done" and I was in absolute awe!

We started in the kitchen and slowly went from room to room discussing the details of the specific space. All along the way we tested lights, doors, windows, the hot/cold water and other room features to make sure that everything was working properly and met our standards and personal requests. We found a few bums and bruises along the way but nothing dramatic. We were told that most of the items are rather easy fixes for the builders.

When we stepped out of the house to discuss the exterior, I heard a car honk and someone yelling, "Hey! I know you!" My first thought was "Who in this neighborhood knows us and is that excited to see us?" Ha ha! Turns out it was Linda and her daughter Jessica - friends from our church. They pulled into our driveway and we started chatting. What excellent timing!

Once Dan and I finished our final walk through we went over the list of items that Ed was going to have fixed/adjusted/replaced. We signed off on the walk through and called it a day.

Our apartment is pretty much all packed up and we were both way too tired to cook, so we made a quick stop at Taco Bell just down the street from our house. A trip to T-Bell seems to be our rather unusual tradition after anything major takes place with our house. Ha ha!

We were still quite tired from the youth group lock-in and then a full day of work, so we both zonked out while watching TV in the family room. We both woke up to watch the latest episode of House but as soon as it was over we both got ready for bed.

While my Michigan cold has come and gone, it appears that it didn't go too far. Poor Dan is now dealing with my cold. He seems to be dealing with a full-blown cold, so hopefully that means that it will pass within the next day or so.

When Did My Weekend... End?

2011-10-10T08:25:00.008-05:00

Dan and I just had a long and busy weekend! It was a weekend that included of a bonfire with friends, some pre-move shopping, volunteer work and an all-nighter with a bunch of teens. Oh... and very little sleep.

Friday, October 7th Dan and I went over to Jason and Rachel's house for a nice bonfire. The weather has been pleasantly (and unusually warm) so we took advantage of the nice weather to enjoy a cozy bonfire. Rachel had raked up some small twigs and branches in her backyard and placed them into the bonfire pit. Everything was very dry, so our fire was burning brilliantly for a nice, long time!

Saturday, October 8th Dan and I slept in a little before we got ready to do some shopping. There are still a few items that we need to pick up for our new home before we have our big move. We spet the whole afternoon shopping around and doing lots of math to make sure we were get the best deals possible everywhere we went. In the end, we were quite successful in getting a lot of our new bedding - for our brand new, king-size bed!

My parents were kind enough to stop by our apartment and bring us some more boxes and materials for packing - such a huge help! Our apartment isn't really in the right shape for hosting guests, so we went out to Chili's for dinner - yum! Then, after a little light shopping at Home Goods, we called it a night.

Sunday, October 9th Dan and I woke up at 3:15 a.m. so we could go downtown to volunteer at the Chicago Marathon. We met up with my dad and some of his boys cross country team at LTHS before loading up on a traditional, yellow school bus and heading downtown. By Buckingham Fountain we set up the start hydration for runners. Our friends, Michele and Jeremy, joined us. It was a blast, as usual. I have been volunteering at the Chicago Marathon with my dad's cross country team since 1997.

At 11:15 a.m. we all met at the bus and began the drive home. Dan and I started getting sleepy during the bus ride - we were both very anxious to get home and take nice, long naps.

We napped from about 1:00 p.m. to about 6:45 p.m. It was fabulous! At 7:30 p.m. we started making dinner as we mentally prepared for our next event - an all-night lock-in with over 250 teenagers at Hidden Cove Sportsplex. Oh boy!

Despite the fact that Monday was Columbus Day, Dan and I still had work in the morning, so we packed our Monday lunches and work clothes and drove our own cars to the church - instead of carpooling with a nearby youth group teen.

At 9:00 p.m. we met up with the youth pastor (Will) and 15 of our church's youth group junior and senior high students. Will, Dan and I each drove a vehicle filled with students - each were very excited about the upcoming lock-in.

After a brief devotional and run down of the rules, we enjoyed pizza, pop and endless games until 6:00 a.m. The outdoor activities (i.e. go karts, mini golf and batting cages) were available until 3:00 a.m. due to noise pollution regulations. Once everyone was officially locked in the sportsplex the students and adults enjoyed various indoor activities arcade games, bumper cars, basketball, volleyball and some intense rounds of dodge ball.

Not gonna lie, I snuck into a dark area and took a 1-hour cat nap in a large restaurant booth. It wasn't exactly a good night's sleep, but it was enough to make me feel less exhausted.

After a massive group picture of everyone who attended this fun-filled event, we packed up our vehicles and departed the sportsplex. After dropping off our students at church, Dan and I stepped inside to get ready for work.

With an encouraging hug and kiss good bye, we parted ways and left for work. I made it right on time and haven't felt too tired... yet. We'll see how the day goes. It's a pretty quiet Monday and I am hoping that it stays that way so I can ease through the day.

Later today, Dan and I leaving work early and are meeting up at our soon-to-be home to do a final walk-through with the construction manager. We are very excited! As of right now we are still on schedule to close on our house this Thursday. Woohoo!

Even if we're tired, stepping foot in our "finished" house will be sure to perk us right up!

No Sleep Last Night

2011-10-07T09:07:00.008-05:00

Yesterday Dan and I received our free monthly Redbox codes via text message - plus I had another random free code that was about to expire. So we decided to use them to rent a few movies. We agreed to go with Halloween-themed and thriller choices. We got Scream 4, Red Riding Hood and Hocus Pocus.

Scream 4 was exactly what I expected. It's just like the other three - if you've seen them. Once you get used to horror/thriller-like movies, like us, you become more relaxed while watching them. Instead of being in constant suspense, wondering when and where the killer(s) are going to strike, we chuckled at the stupidity of the victims (Why do they always run upstairs??) and the fact that the newly blood-splattered wall didn't smear when junior scream queen, Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell), ran her hand down the wall in distress. Still, these kind of movies are fun to watch as Halloween approaches.

Red Riding Hood was a unique take on the classic tale of Little Red Riding Hood. It is a story that gives viewers more details about the the big, bad wolf, how the leading lady got her precious, red hood and why grandma lives alone, in the middle of the woods. While I spent a portion of the movie baking some delicious muffins, I found this movie to be quite interesting. I don't think I'll run out and buy it on Blu-ray, but if I found it in the $5 bin at Walmart I would consider picking it up.

Hocus Pocus is an old favorite of mine. Whenever I watch it, it just feels like Fall. I'm not sure what it is, but watching movies like Hocus Pocus, Casper and The Nightmare Before Christmas, during the Fall, are rather comforting. I think it is because I used to watch these movies as a kid during the same time. I guess it is just one of those feelings that "really takes me back..."

That same evening, neither of us felt sleepy. My mind was swirling and I couldn't seem to wind down for the day. So I resumed my editing (and even completed a smaller project). When I was done editing, I resumed packing up the apartment. Dan relaxed in the family room and played around on his laptop. He wasn't getting sleepy either.

11:30... 12:00... 12:30... 1:00... 1:30... time just kept ticking away. All the while, we just kept going on with our own projects.

At 2:00 a.m. Dan pre-ordered the iPhone 4S through Verizon - it may not be the iPhone 5 that everyone was expecting, but he was still excited to order his first-ever iPhone. Considering the recent passing of Steve Jobs (former CEO and founder of Apple), it was rather strange to think that with such a loss, business went on as usual. I'm sure that is what Steve would have wanted - for the business built and developed to continue to thrive even after he was passed.

By 2:15 a.m. I decided it was time to go to bed. Dan joined me at about 2:30 a.m. and we still watched an episode or two of Full House before we officially fell asleep.

When my alarm went off the next morning I keep snoozing my alarm like it was an early, unexpected text message. My thought: "Not now... I'm too tired. I'll check it later." I was completely unaware that my alarm was going off, that is, until Dan woke up to his alarm and told me it was time to get up. Oops!

I'm a little sleepy this morning but I'm actually functioning quite well, considering the lack of sleep I got. No matter. I will press on and give this day all I've got. It may not be much, but hey, I'm doing what I can.

Side Note:
Steve Jobs passed away on Wednesday, October 5, 2011 - exactly one year after mine and Dan's dear friend, Dan Johnson, was killed while fighting the war in Afghanistan. What a day! A day that already had a "rain cloud" hovering over our heads managed to feel a little darker. Dan Johnson was only 23 when he killed and Steve Jobs was only 56 when he lost his life to cancer.

Steve Jobs once said, "Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn't matter to me... Going to bed at night saying we've done something wonderful... that's what matters to me."
[Wall Street Journal, May 25, 1993]

You can't take anything with you. You leave everything behind. Both Steve Jobs and Dan Johnson left so much behind - possessions, loved ones - each in his own way. Both had made a positive impact on so many lives. Both will be deeply missed.

I'd like to encourage you to live every day of your life to the fullest. Don't live a life determined to collect many possessions and material objects - because, like I said before, you can't take any of it with you. Instead, strive to be an encourager... not a discourager. Offer love... not hatred. Give generously... expect nothing in return. You're writing your own legacy right now... you get to determine how you will be remembered. So make your life one that others will want to celebrate!

Those of us who know Jesus Chirst, as our personal Lord and Savior, know that our treasures are in heaven... not on earth.

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where theives do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Matthew 16:19-21

Free Artisan Pizza(s)

2011-10-06T08:41:00.005-05:00

Yesterday, while I was at work, I decided to take a quick mental break to scroll the news feed on my Facebook page. At that exact moment, at the top of my news feed, I saw something amazing! Hunt4Freebies had posted "FREE Artisan at Domino's is Working Again!! Hurry!! :)" So I did just that.

I clicked on the link and entered to receive a FREE Artisan pizza from Domino's Pizza via their Facebook page. In the end, I had successfully order a Tuscan Salami & Roasted Veggie pizza - no onions - and requested that my pizza be available for pick-up at a 5:30 p.m. at my local Domino's. Woohoo!

This deal got even better when Dan managed to get the same deal! That's right, Domino's was offering one free pizza per person! So I called Dan at work and he managed to get the same deal - only this time he order the Spinach & Feta pizza, and again, no onions.

In the end, Domino's never advertised the free pizza giveaway. Nope. This special promo is like a game. They want you to keep checking their Facebook page for the Artisan Pizza tab to start showing a free pizza link - which is set to occur at random points during the day. Hunt4Freebies was how I found out. They do all the research and post freebies when they find them. So "liking" Hunt4Freebies on Facebook is a huge time saver when it comes to snagging great deals. They find a deal, they post it on their Facebook wall and I see it on my news feed. Super easy!

That evening we enjoyed delicious, free pizza for dinner! We even had leftovers! Yep, each pizza was only half eaten, so we had plenty of leftovers for lunches.

If you want your chance to win a free Artisan Pizza from Domino's be sure to "like" Domino's on Facebook and be on alert! This special promo is for a little time, so act fast. Now, if you want to find other awesome freebies and deals be sure to "like" Hunt4Freebies and Hunt4Freebies Coupons/Deals on Facebook and watch your news feed for fabulous freebies - like free pizza!

After dinner (and The X Factor) we resumed the necessary chore of packing. We managed to get a lot done! Last night we took on the guest room/office and the rest of the family room. The boxes and bags are really starting to pile up. We've got everything labeled and neatly placed in our dining area.

The only room that hasn't officially been packed is our bedroom. That will be last.

Pure Michigan

2011-10-05T08:30:00.015-05:00

If you live in the Chicagoland area, I'm sure you've see or heard a commercial that features the talented Tim Allen. There is just something so enchanting about his voice in those television and radio commercials that give me this strong desire to visit Michigan. So we did! Along with our friends, Jason and Rachel, we hit the the road for a little time away in Michigan.

Saturday, October 1st Jason and Rachel picked us up at our apartment just after 9:00 a.m. We loaded up our overnight essentials into their Xterra and we were on our way.

Our first stop on our mini vacation was the St. Julian Winery - a winery that we have done together in the past. There we did some light tasting and purchased a few of our favorites. After St. Julian we walked practically next door to Warner Vineyards. Again, some more light tasting and a we picked out a few bottles to take home.

At this point it was getting to be lunch time, so we walked across the street to Subway. Yum! We arrived just in time for Subway's ANYtober! Any regular foot long sub for $5! Score! And yes... I ate my very own foot long.

Once we were done enjoying our lunch we got back on the road and went to Jollay Orchards to try some unique apple cider. I think that Jason tried the strangest tasting apple cider ever... peppermint cider! Yeah, not the best. Ha ha!

After sampling some cider we went to the Jollay Orchard down the road to pick some apples! This was mine and Dan's first time picking apples. The orchard was crowded but we managed to find a spot where there were LOTS of delicious apples to be picked and no one else was around. We had a blast and our baskets were full in no time!

After apple picking we went to Contessa Wine Cellars and Tabor Hill Winery to enjoy a little more wine tasting.

At this point it was starting to get close to dinner time, so we went to go check in to our hotel and search for a place to have dinner. In the room, Jason and I fell asleep while Dan played around on his laptop and Rachel played on her iPod Touch.

After a quick cat nap I was refreshed and ready to get some dinner. We all agreed on a BBQ joint called Charlie's Piggin' N' Grillin' in Benton Harbor. It had fabulous reviews on Yelp! and the prices were great. It was delicious! Apparently, the food gets smoked for hours and they let you sample side dishes before you even pick! You'd think you were down south with this fabulous food!

Next, we drove to St. Joseph to catch a lovely sunset off of Lake Michigan and then grabbed some specialty coffee at a nearby cafe, The South Bend Chocolate Company. There we listened to two guys preform some music while we sipped at our Halloween-themed coffee and got warmed up. It was a nice way to wrap up a fun and eventful day.

On Sunday, October 2nd we got up around 9:00 a.m. and packed up our stuff to leave our hotel. Once we were all packed we went to IHOP to enjoy a late breakfast of coffee, eggs, bacon and specialty pancakes - minus pumpkin pancakes, since they were fresh out. Boo!

After "brunch" we went back to the cider mill so that Rachel could get some carmel apple cider - can't go wrong with a classic flavor.

Next, we went to two more wineries Domaine Berrien Cellars and The Round Barn. At The Round Barn we discovered that they were charging for tastings (every other place was free). We figured that since we had already gotten a number of bottles at past wineries we decided to skip this one. Instead, Dan and Jason went to The Round Barn's brewery were they each got a glass of beer that tasted a lot like a chocolatey version of Guiness - plus, they got to keep the glasses. There was a local guy singing some accustic tunes in the outside patio area, so we took advatage of the nice weather and sat outside to enjoy the music.

Now it was time to head home. We got back later that afternoon, just in time for Dan to get ready to go to his volleyball game. I stayed home and rested because I came home with something that I didn't intend to... a cold! Oh well, cold or no cold... it was an excellent weekend!

Think Pink

2011-10-04T08:58:00.010-05:00

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. So don't be surprised when you start noticing lots of pink everywhere you go. Even NFL players are getting in on the action and wearing pink during football games! It's unavoidable... you will notice extra traces of pink throughout the entire month of October. Fabulous!

Taken from NBCAM.ORG:
"Breast Cancer is the most common cancer in women in the United States, aside from skin cancer. According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), an estimated 192,370 cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed among women in the United States this year. An estimated 40,170 [were] expected to die in 2009 alone. Today there are about 2.5 million breast cancer survivors living in the United States."

How can you make a difference? Personally, I don't have breast cancer but I still feel driven to support those who are and those who are diligently working to find a cure. One of my favorite ways to help contribute is to purchase yogurt. Sounds silly but Yoplait and Dannon both have their own campaigns that are raising funds to support breast cancer research. I love yogurt and helping others, so for me this is an easy way to show my support.

Looking ahead, you can also consider walking in the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer or financially support someone who is participating. The Chicago walk takes place June 2 -3, 2012.

So this month I'll be eating lots of yogurt and wearing pink to show my support for those courageous women (and men!) who are battling breast cancer.

Now, for those who are in need of some hope, in any way, shape or form, here is some encouraging scripture from our loving Heavenly Father that I hope fills you peace and comfort...

Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Isaiah 41:10

Seek the LORD and his strength; seek his presence continually!
1 Chronicles 16:11

I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
Philippians 4:13

Savy Shopper Savings

2011-10-03T19:27:00.018-05:00

On Friday, September 30th Dan and I made a quick trip to CVS to purchase some random items that were on sale. Rating myself an "intermediate" coupon queen, I managed to spot a few deals and match them up with some helpful coupons. These are our results:

Dan's Items Purchased:

REGULAR PRICE
1 Snickers Bar $1.19
1 Vick's NyQuil (12 fluid oz) $8.99
1 Vick's DayQuil (12 fluid oz) $8.99
1-4 Pack Schick Quattro Women's Replacement Blades $11.99

SALE PRICE
NyQuil and DayQuil (12 fluid oz) 2/$12
plus $3 in ExtraBucks Rewards
1-4 Pack Schick Quattro Women's Replacements Blades $8.99
plus $4.00 in ExtraBucks Rewards

COUPONS USED
1 Free Candy Bar
$3.00 off two bottles of NyQuil
$4.00 off one Schick Quattro Women's Razor Blades
$2.00 ExtraBucks Rewards via Facebook

FINAL COST: $12.92
(after tax)

According to Dan's receipt, he saved $19.17.

My Items Purchased:

REGULAR PRICE
1 Oil Of Olay Age Defying Cleanser (6.78 fluid oz) $6.49
1 CVS Ibuprofen Liquid Filled Softgels (80 count) $7.99

SALE PRICE
Oil of Olay Age Defying Cleanser (6.78 fluid oz) $3.99
CVS Ibuprofen Liquid Filled Softgels (80 count) $6.49

COUPONS USED
$1.00 off one Oil of Olay Cleanser
$3.00 ExtraBucks Rewards
$4.00 ExtraBucks Rewards

Final Cost: $2.98
(after tax)

According to my receipt, I saved $12.00.

GRAND TOTAL SPENT: $15.90

GRAND TOTAL SAVED: $31.17

Did you follow all of that? It can be confusing at first, I know. Basically, we ended up saving more than twice as much as we spent! About 66% off in total savings. Plus, we got some popular, name-brand items.

Sure, I'll be the first to admit that coupon clipping and bargain shopping can be very time consuming, but in the long run, it is quite thrilling! The less I spend and the more I save, the bigger the thrill! It's a game. A time consuming, mathematically challenging game. The more you practice, the better you get. I've been getting better but I think that I've got a lot to learn before I go all pro.

The Packing Has Officially Begun

2011-09-30T08:18:00.004-05:00

Dan and I officially started packing last night. I got a nice jump start while he was out running errands and picking up more boxes from my parent's house.

I've found that sometimes in order to get super organized you have to get super messy. Our family room looked like a war zone once we started packing, but things started looking really nice when we wrapped up for the evening. Below is a "before" photo. I don't have one that features our finished work for the night... I was just too tired.

While I was packing, I started capturing footage from a recent wedding. I managed to capture and organize all of the footage by the time I went to bed. I also managed to clip and organize lots of coupons! Needless to say, it was a very productive evening.

We're Moving... Again

2011-09-29T08:33:00.002-05:00

Two weeks from today Dan and I will be moving into our very own, custom house! The feeling is still so surreal. Well, for starters, we were planning on purchasing a house/building a house sometime in spring 2012, but I guess God had a different plan. Instead, He paved the way for us to get an incredible deal on a house that went above and beyond anything we could have ever planned for! Now, in two weeks, we will be closing on an amazing house that I am so excited to turn into a home.

While I can't say that I have officially started packing, I can say that I have started organizing and putting a few items in boxes. However, tonight I am going to do some serious multi-tasking as I capture footage for editing and start filling up the many, many, many boxes that consume our family room.

Ready! Set! PACK! October 13th will be here before we know it.

Freebies!

2011-09-28T09:32:00.004-05:00

It has been a long time since I've posted. Well, almost a year since I've written an update, to be exact. A lot has happened in the last year but I don't intend on playing catch up. That would be a really long post. Instead, I am simply going to start fresh with the latest and greatest. So here we go!

If you didn't know already, I am always on the hunt for a fun and fabulous freebie! Back in August I discovered hunt4freebies.com. What a wonderful website for someone like me! It basically does all the research for me and all I have to do is click on the links in attempt to get some hot freebies.

Yesterday I was very pleasantly surprised when I came home from work and found a full-sized bottle of Pantene Pro-V Split Hair Repair waiting in my mailbox! Thanks to hunt4freebies.com (via Facebook) I was reminded of Patene's "Freebie Friday" Facebook contest. I entered and I won a full-sized bottle of this special, leave-in conditioner! My hair can really use an item like this.

Over the years I have collected several hundreds of dollars worth of freebies. These various freebies are great for sampling/testing new products but they're also helpful items that can easily be packed for vacations and overnight trips. I also use these freebies as emergency items for guests who stay at my home and forget to pack shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, toothpaste, lotion, etc.

It can be timing consuming, but it's worth it when the items add up and you don't have to rush out for shampoo because you suddenly ran out.

UPDATE: I used this product last night. After I took a shower and wrapped my hair in a special towel to soak up some excess moisture from my hair, I applied one and a half pumps of Pantene's Split Hair Repair to my damp locks. After combing the product evenly among my hair strands, I got my blow dryer (which I hardly use these days) and dried my hair. The next morning I took my flat iron and smoothed out my hair. Let me tell you... my hair feels wonderful! Very soft. Yeah, I really need to stop touching it. Ha ha!

My GOLDEN Birthday!

2010-11-20T21:47:00.016-06:00

To quote Wikipedia, "A person's Golden or Grand Birthday, also referred to as their "Lucky Birthday", "Champagne Birthday" or "Star Birthday", occurs when they turn the age of their birth day (e.g., when someone born on the 25th of the month turns 25)." This year was my GOLDEN Birthday! I had been looking forward to this special birthday for quite some time and I knew that I wanted to make it extra special. How? Not sure.

Dan had earned various rewards from a some business trips to Iowa, so we decided to cash them in and put them towards a vacation. We had two ideas in mind: Vegas and LA. We weighed the pros and cons of each trip, calculated the cost and basically tried to figure out which location would give us the most bang for our buck. The result: Los Angeles, California!

On Friday, August 27th we got up super early to catch our flight to LA. We landed at LAX and went straight to Avis to pick up our rental car. I played the "birthday card" and got the guy to upgrade our basic, little car to a red, 2010 Mustang Convertible! We had to pay a little bit extra but not nearly as much as anyone else. It was worth it!

Once we loaded up our car I drove us to Huntington Beach. We were a little disappointed by the chilly overcast, but we still had a good time. We did a little shopping, had lunch, and stopped by the ocean to snap a few pictures.

When we drove to our hotel the sun came out and got a lot warmer. We checked in to our hotel and then drove to the nearest Best Buy that had some miniDV HD tapes. Seriously, back in Illinois and in California we had the hardest time finding them. Finally, Dan managed to call a Best Buy that had some and we went to pick them up.

Later that afternoon we walked to Downtown Disney from our hotel. We were curious how long the walk was - since we picked our hotel based on Dan's rewards and it's closeness to Disney. It was about a 15 minute walk. Not bad at all. Good exercise and we didn't have to pay for parking!

That night we went to Red Lobster for dinner. We had gotten some gift cards for our birthdays, so we used them on our trip. I also had a coupon, so needless to say, we ate good! Our waiter was awesome! He knew it was almost my birthday and that Dan had recently celebrated his birthday, so he kept treating us to all sorts of goodies - including an extra pound of crab legs for Dan!

Saturday, August 28th we got up nice and early to make our way to Disneyland! I was so excited to be spending my actual birthday at Disneyland!

We get a kick out of their specialty buttons (which are free). So once we got into the park we picked up my birthday button and Dan even got a button to share in the fun!

We spent the morning hitting our favorite rides at Disneyland: Peter Pan, Indiana Jones, Space Mountain, Mr. Toad's Wild Ride... needless to say, we were having a great day! Cast members and even other guests were wishing me a happy birthday! "Hey! Happy Birthday!" "Happy Birthday, Karolyn!" It was like having a big birthday party! I felt so special.

In honor of Dan's recent birthday, I let him choose where we should have lunch. After using his phone to find a few options, he decided to go with Wine Country Trattoria at the Golden Vine Winery in the Disneyland California Park. This the same restaurant that we dined at with Dan's parents back when we celebrated his 21st birthday, in 2008.

I ordered Lasagna Rustica served with house-made bolognese and Dan enjoed a delicious Grilled Chicken Sandwich featuring herbed chicken breast, arugula, provolone and walnut-porcini aioli on toasted ciabatta with a green salad.

During our lunch we were pleasantly surprised when we got to watch a Toy Story parade pass by - Dan's favorite Disney movie!

Once lunch was over it was time for more rides and attractions.

That evening, Dan surprised me with dinner at Blue Bayou in Disneyland. Located inside the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction, at the Blue Bayou you sit "outside" in perpetual twilight, surrounded by winking fireflies and the soothing sounds of the bayou's crickets and frogs, while boats filled with guests heading into pirate-filled Caribbean waters drift past.

For dinner I enjoyed a delicious Filet Mignon broiled to perfection (medium rare) and topped with bearnaise sauce with Blue Bayou potatoes and seasoned vegetables - complete with a thirst-quenching Diet Coke. Dan cheerfully ordered and enjoyed the Bayou Surf & Turf. Sweet petite lobster tail from the Pacific Northwest, paired with an expertly broiled filet mignon (medium rare, of course), bearnaise sauce with Blue Bayou potatoes and seasoned vegetables.

I was surprised with a chocolate mousse dessert from our waiter - complete with birthday candle and birthday wishes. A sweet, delicious way to complete our meal.

After dinner we went on more rides and gazed upon some magical Disney fireworks.

On Sunday, August 29th we met up with Kimmy in Beverly Hills. There we enjoyed a nice lunch at Panini Cafe followed by a walk to the Sprinkles Cupcakes bakery for dessert. I've been selling Sprinkles Cupcake mix at Williams-Sonoma for years, but this was my first time ever visiting an actual Sprinkles Cupcakes bakery. We each ordered a single cupcake and enjoyed it while sitting outside in the warm sunshine.

Sprinkles Cupcakes is like Garrett Popcorn in Chicago. People line up for blocks to buy Sprinkles Cupcakes. The line wasn't very long when we got there, but it was out the door - not that the bakery is very big to begin with. Still, it was a fun experience.

Together we cruised and explored Beverly Hills. The weather was perfect for driving around with the top down! We had a blast until it was time for Kimmy to get picked up by her friends at a nearby mall.

After we parted ways with Kimmy, Dan and I went to Hollywood! We went strolling down Hollywood Boulevard and checked out the Hollywood Walk of Fame, found our favorite celebrities' hand prints in front of the Grauman's Chinese Theater and shopped at the Hollywood and Highland Shopping Center.

After hanging out in Hollywood we made our way to the Universal City Walk, located just outside the Universal Studios Hollywood Theme Park. There we shopped and enjoyed a nice, casual dinner at Johnny Rockets. We were both craving a simple burger and Johnny Rockets hit the spot!

For dessert we tried out Yogurtland for the first time. There we got to customize everything we wanted in our ice cream and in the end they charged us by how much our dessert weighed. It was fun and very yummy!

We spent the majority of our last day in California at Downtown Disney. It was nice to just spend the day walking around and enjoying the scenery. We also enjoyed one final lunch at Storytellers Cafe.

Leaving is never as fun as going, but when it was time to go home we left knowing that we just shared a very memorable vacation.

So it was "good bye" California! Until next time...

Summer Weddings and More

2010-09-23T09:45:00.026-05:00

Ok, I know that I am falling behind on my posts, so I'll try and get somewhat caught up with this post. Ok, and here we go...

Friday, August 7th I went to the wedding rehearsal for my friends, Saj and Lisa. I was hired as their videographer, so I like to attend the rehearsal (whenever possible) to get an idea of how the ceremony will take place. It was a fun evening! Lots of guests... and lots of friends I haven't seen in a long time!

Saturday, August 8th was the BIG day! Oh man, was there a crowd! There is absolutely NO doubt in my mind, this was the LARGEST wedding ceremony I have ever been to!

As the ceremony was about to get started the sanctuary (which is probably set to seat about 300 people, give or take) was packed! In fact, they started bringing in extra seating before the ceremony started. Even once the ceremony got rolling, there were still guests arriving!

Just before the ceremony started my friend, and fellow videographer, Eric, asked if he could help me film the wedding - since he really had nowhere to sit. I'm glad that I took him up on his offer and had him control a camera that I had set up on a tripod... because as the ceremony progressed and guests continued to flow in (and were now subject to just standing), I could no longer reach my camera on the tripod that Eric was at! Dan had the camera up in the balcony, so that was a guaranteed, clean shot and I floated with my camera on a mono pod. It was a hectic ceremony, but it was a good one!

I didn't get a chance to snag any photos at this wedding, but Dan managed to snap a few with his phone.

After the ceremony and the cake and coffee reception. Dan and I went with the wedding party to the park as they took some more photos. After the photos were done we went down the street to a nice Italian restaurant for some amazing pizza! There we got to know the photographers, who were also friends of the bride and groom. All together, it was a fabulously busy day!

On August 12th Dan had all four of his wisdom teeth removed. He was knocked out for about 2 hours. Everything went smoothly. Aside from the fact that he was swollen, Dan was a trooper and took the pain with no problem.

On Monday, August 16th we celebrated Dan's birthday! Dan had to work on his birthday, so I got up early to fix him a lovely breakfast! Once he was home from work, we went over to my parents' house for dinner and dessert. Dan had the honor of eating off of our family birthday plate - it is a long-time family tradition.

My parents had gotten Dan a bike earlier that month, but they still had some treats for Dan to open and enjoy. One of his favorites was his interactive Toy Story Birthday card. You can see in the photo below... sometimes it's the little things that can excite us the most. Ha ha, ok, I will admit that Dan is playing up his excitement for the camera. What a goof!

After spending some quality time with my folks we went to go see Dinner with Schmucks starring Steve Carell and Paul Rudd. Aside from a few "crude" jokes, we found the movie to be quite enjoyable. We were expecting it to be a bit more funny, but all in all, we still had a fun time watching it.

Our next wedding was in Minnesota for Dan's cousin Jonathan. Dan and I drove up on Wednesday, August 18th so that Dan could attend Jonathan's bachelor party - a Twins vs Sox game! The guys had a blast and Dan wore a Sox jersey - which he barrowed from Kathleen. You can see in some of these photos that Dan was still pretty swollen from his surgery. Poor guy!

On the 19th was the rehearsal and the guys' Fantasy Football Draft. They make a pretty deal out of it... the draft, not the rehearsal. Go figure. Ha ha!

Meanwhile, I wasn't even around. Nope. On the 18th I dropped off Dan and continued up to Moorhead to visit Kathleen and Brad. It was nice to spend some quality time with my sister and my new brother-in-law.

I made my way back down in time for the wedding - it so happened, Kathleen and Brad had a wedding to attend that same day. So timing was perfect!

Friday, August 20th was Jonathan and Emily's wedding! They had a beautiful wedding! Their wedding was the first and only wedding that I simply attended this summer. I wasn't working it and I wasn't in it. It was so nice to just be a guest for a change. So much more relaxing.

I had a great time at the reception with Dan's family. We hardly get to see his extended family, so it was nice to spend some quality time catching up with them!

Saturday, August 21st Dan's former cousin-in-law hired me to take some photos of her and her two daughters. Seriously, they were a blast! Mallory is quite the model and Marissa was always smiling - especially when Dan dropped wood chips on my head to get her to look at the camera. Here are a few images from that fun-filled morning at the park!

After my photo shoot, Dan and I stuck around until pretty late Saturday night. We did some shopping with his mom and sister [Stefanie] and had a relaxing dinner at Stefanie and Thomas' place. Dan and I decided to leave Saturday night because we had plans on Sunday.

Sunday, August 22nd we attended an Aerosmith concert with our good friends, Jason and Rachel. Dan caught lawn seats on sale for $10 - and that included a $6 parking fee! The concert was at the First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre (but I still call it The World, because that is what it was when I was younger and attended a lot more concerts there).

Before the concert got started I noticed a woman sitting about 15 feet to my right... she looked very familiar! I tried not to stare, but really who can't when they think they know someone. I was 99.9% sure that it was Geri, my sister's former cross country and track coach - and still friend to her and our family. Eventually I decided that it must be her and I went over to check. Sure enough, I was right! She was there with her sister... and she was wondering the same thing when she saw me - "Is that really Karolyn?" Dan snapped a photo with his camera phone so that we could send it to Kathleen. Wow, out of thousands of people there, how did we find each other? Wild!

The warm-up band, Buckcherry, was kinda blah. I don't know... I wasn't too crazy about their performance. It was rather crude and lacked creativeness. I guess they thought running around with their shirts off, swearing, and talking about drugs would be entertaining. Eh, not so much.

Aerosmith was amazing - as usual! Great presentation... excellent play list... and so much energy for these "old" guys!

We were all glad I thought to pack some ear plugs. Seriously, they were fantastic! We could hear the band perfectly without all the extra noise. Then, once we left we didn't have that annoying buzzing sound! Fabulous!

I don't have any photos from my camera on me right now, so here are two from Dan's camera phone.

Mr. & Mrs. Vesta Tie the Knot

2010-08-31T12:42:00.019-05:00

On Tuesday, July 27, 2010, members of the wedding party started arriving. Lauren was first to arrive. Lauren and I did some shopping for Kathleen's Personal Shower shortly after she got in. Later, on Wednesday, July 28th Lindsay came in. Both girls flew in from Minnesota and are college friends of Kathleen.

Wednesday evening, Kathleen, Lauren, Lindsay, and I spent the evening swimming at Jason and Rachel's pool. Their pool has certainly come in handy this summer... I have done so much swimming this summer! Great exercise, by the way. After swimming it was back to my apartment for some wine, waxing, and the watching of Friends on DVD. Girls really do know how to have fun!

Thursday, July 29th, the groom and his brother [Brent] made it into town. That night a bunch of us went to the Bolingbrook Promenade to hang out. No surprises here, we had a great time! It really made me wish that we all lived closer together. That night Dan spent the night at the hotel with the boys while I joined the girls at my parents' house.

Friday, July 30th, we began wedding activities for Kathleen and Brad. That morning all us girls got together for Kathleen's Personal Shower. With help from the other bridesmaids, I managed to assemble a fun and relaxing morning/afternoon for the bride-to-be while the guys spent the morning golfing - which Dan was kind enough to arrange.

We started the morning at the Pickwick Society Tearoom in Frankfort. There we enjoyed a Pickwick Society Breakfast. We learned a lot about tea and had a fabulous meal! While we ate, Jess and Michelle led us in a fun game called "Things" (i.e. "Things Brad will say to Kathleen when he sees Kathleen in her wedding dress..."). After we were done eating Kathleen opened her gifts. She got a lovely variety of gifts!

After the tea room, we made our way to Zaza Nail Spa in Romeoville. There I handed out goodies bags filled with treats for each of the girls to snack on while we got Pedicures and Deluxe Manicures! We also sipped on sparkling white grape juice while we got pampered. Again, girls really know how to have fun!

Later that evening we had the wedding rehearsal at Lincoln Landing in Lockport. Things went very smoothly and the weather wasn't too hot. In fact, we were hopping for an overcast day for the day of the wedding as well. After the rehearsal we went to White Fence Farm in Lemont for dinner.

Once again, I spent the night at my parents' house... along with several other girls! That night we popped open some pink champagne and celebrated Kathleen's last night as a single lady!

On Saturday, July 31st, we woke up nice and early to rain... lots and lots of rain. Kathleen was handling it very well. She, along with the rest of us, got up and started getting ready. I turned on some music and it got everybody up and moving.

Carrie and Jenny showed up and did Kathleen's hair and make-up (at the same time). Before they were done... rain had stopped and the sun was starting to break through! Right then, I found "Here Comes the Sun" by The Beatles and everyone started cheering when the song started. It was great!

The wedding from start to finish worked out nicely! Aside from some technical difficulties with the audio equipment and a working power source (which got fixed), everything else seem to come together beautifully! Kathleen was a stunning bride and Brad was a handsome groom!

During the reception, I had a special treat for Kathleen [and Brad]. For about a month, Dan, Jess, Andrew, and my parents worked on recreating the "Sisters" scene from White Christmas... a song and scene that Kathleen and I both very much enjoy! Dan and Andrew (who were both Ushers) did a FABULOUS job surprising the bride and groom with their special song and dance, which took place right after my Matron of Honor speech. Kathleen and Brad were successfully surprised... and aside from a minor audio glitch, Kathleen was stunned at how Dan and Andrew "matched the movie perfectly!" It wasn't easy keeping our special treat a secret, but it was totally worth it!

Below is the clip from White Christmas that was recreated at the wedding!

Note: I am behind on my photo editing, so many of the photos that I used for this post came from friends' photos. Thank God for Facebook!

Jamie and Chris' Wedding

2010-08-09T12:31:00.019-05:00

On Saturday, July 3, 2010, Dan and I filmed Jamie and Chris' wedding. Jamie is a long-time camp friend, so I was excited to capture her special day... and let me tell you, she was as cool as a cucumber all day and filming her wedding was easy, breezy and a total blast! The ceremony was lovely, the reception was fun, and the food was delicious!

While filming was my number one priority, I also took the time to snap a few photos - mainly for DVD menu purposes. Here are a few images:

This photo was captured by Dan.

Dan snapped this photo of me hard at work, capturing the cake cutting.

Dan captured this photo of me with the lovely bride and groom.

Once Dan and I were done filming, we hit the dance floor and joined our friends.

One-Year Anniversary at the Grand Geneva

2010-08-05T10:35:00.013-05:00

On Monday, June 28th, Dan and I finally got away to Lake Geneva for our anniversary! There we stayed at the lovely Grand Geneva! It was a first time stay for both of us. For our one night stay, we added a spa package - which was a great deal!

Upon our arrival, Dan and I hit the spa with an hour couples massage! I haven't had many professional massages (only this one and the one on our honeymoon, really), but I must say, this massage was amazing and really set the bar high for future massages! This guy really listened to me and took very good care of my troubled areas - mainly my neck and shoulders. Dan and I felt great after our massages!

When it was time to check into our room, we did just that. There was some sort of Career Builders conference going on, so there were a lot of people in the lobby waiting to check in. Right away, a Grand Geneva employee noticed that we weren't with the conference, so he pulled us aside and let us check in ahead of the group.

When we got to our room we were surprised at how large our room was! Turns out, we were upgraded for free in honor of our anniversary! What a treat!

We had some time before our dinner reservation, so we went to the lounge to enjoy some live music played by a delightful pianist and sipped on discounted mini cosmopolitan martinis.

I took my time getting ready for dinner. I even watched TV in the bathroom mirror as I did my hair! Seriously, it was awesome!

We had dinner at the Geneva ChopHouse. In honor of our anniversary, we were given a private booth with a rose and rose petals sprinkled on the table. How romantic!

At dinner Dan got a steak, of course, and I got some tasty shrimp! We had a bottle of wine with dinner, one that Dan's father highly recommended. Dan's father knows quite a bit about wine, so we always go along with his suggestions. Once again, he suggested a good one!

For dessert our waitress surprised us with free desserts! Each dessert was oh so delicious! What a delightful treat!

As dinner came to an end our waitress told us that we were free to take our wine with us, there was no need to sit at our table and "chug" it - not that we were planning to. So we took her advise. With our wine in hand we moved to the Embers Terrace, an outdoor fire experience at Geneva ChopHouse.

Dan and I were very relaxed at this outdoor fire pit. We spent about three hours there! The whole time we just sat, talked, and occasionally just watched the fire. Very relaxing! I want one of these at home!

On our way back to our room we stopped by the front desk to let them know that our bathtub wasn't draining properly - something that we didn't need fixed right away since we would be leaving in the morning. However, we still thought it would be good for them to know.

Shortly after we got back to our room a man knocked on our door. He had come to fix the bathtub! Such fast service! After he was done he gave us some coupons to use at the hotel, to apologize for the inconvenience. Wow, how nice!

The next morning Dan and I got up to go have breakfast at a nice restaurant in the lodge. The food was delicious - as usual. We were among the only people, so setting and service were great! Ha ha!

Later, Dan and I went back to the spa to use up our remaining spa credit. Together we got mini manicures - Dan's first manicure! Again, it was a relaxing treat and I always feel pretty when I have French-tip nails! Dan enjoyed his first manicure, but he had to choose between a manicure and golf... golf would always win. Ha ha!

As we prepared to leave the Grand Geneva, we stopped in a coffee shop at the lodge and decided to use our coupons to get some fruit smoothies for the drive home. As we handed over our coupons to the lady behind the counter a gentleman who worked at the lodge stepped in.

"Can I see those?" he asked the lady who took our order. She smiled and handed them over. He then took a brief look at them and then handed them back to me and Dan. "Hold on to these and use them later," he instructed us. He then looked back at the other lady. "These guys had dinner and breakfast here... these are on me."

Dan and I were in total awe of his kind gesture. I mean, all of our dinning and spa treatments were already included in the cost of the room - which is what made the whole experience such a good deal. Yet, he still insisted that we were due an additional treat for our efforts.

So, can you tell that Dan and I enjoyed our stay at the Grand Geneva?! I would recommend this place to anyone! If you can go during the week, do it! It is significantly cheaper! Plus, I think that it would also make for a great couples getaway or a girls only vaca! No matter how you made decide to give the Grand Geneva a try... I hope that you have a pleasant experience, just as we did.

"A Perfect Manhattan" Wrap Party

2010-08-05T09:51:00.017-05:00

On Sunday, June 27th, I returned to The Long Room in Chicago for a wrap party. In August 2009 we filmed "A Perfect Manhattan", a short, independent film that took place in The Long Room. So, naturally, that was where we had our wrap party.

Dan came with as we spent some quality time with the cast, crew and their families. There were two viewings of the short film. Just before the first viewing we got the exciting news that our film was accepted into the LA Shorts Fest! Very exciting! The actual viewing took place on Wednesday, July 28, 2010.

I brought my camera along to snap a few photos. While I was really there to have fun and mingle with friends and fellow film makers, I managed to take a few photos to help capture the evening.

Back Row: Laura Szymber (Producer), Dean Berdusis (Director), Bradley J. Taylor (Writer), Brian Kallies (DP/Editor), Danny Goldring (Actor), and Sitting: James Anthony Zoccoli (Actor)

Producer, Laura Szymber, and Director, Dean Berdusis, take a moment to thank everyone who had a part in making this film so successful.

Here is a nice photo of Dan and I at the party. We had a few people offer to take our photo. Brian took this one and he made sure he got the movie screen in the background.

Actors, Lawrence Grimm as Jimmy, the bartender and Danny Goldring as William, the patron.

Some of the cast and crew that was still at the party. I think that this photo only contains about half of us.

Below is a trailer from the movie. There is some strong language, so please don't watch with small children or at work where people might wonder what you're watching. Otherwise, enjoy!

"A Perfect Manhattan" Teaser Trailer from Laura Szymber on Vimeo.

One-Year Anniversary Spent at a Wedding

2010-07-28T09:53:00.015-05:00

On Saturday, June 26th Dan and I celebrated our first anniversary! Wow! Where has the time gone? Has it really been a year? Time sure flies when you're having fun! Really though, it has been an amazing year and I was kinda sad to see the "first year" to be over so quickly. Of course I know that with each year that passes we'll share more special "firsts" and make even more special memories along the way!

Saturday morning we were surprised to find a lovely package waiting for us at our apartment! Turns out it was a super awesome package of chocolate covered strawberries and chocolate covered chocolate chip cookies from Melanie and the rest of the Troyer family! Yikes, that's a lot of chocolate... yep, I think I can handle it. Truth be told, I am a difficult person to surprise, but Melanie managed to surprise both of us! What an amazing treat for your one-year anniversary... and yes, Melanie, everything was delicious!

Later that day we drove up to Harvard for our friend, Rose's wedding. It was a lovely outdoor wedding and they were blessed with plenty of sunshine and a soft summer breeze. The ceremony was sweet and simple. The reception had a lot of delicious food... and of course, since it was Rose's wedding, there was dancing! It got pretty hot, but no one seemed to really mind. There were still lots of guests out on the dance floor bustin' some moves!

Cutting the cake got a little messy for the bride and groom. Rose seemed to get most of the cake on her face, but of course the groom took his time carefully cleaning up the frosting off his wife's face.

Rose and I met at Phantom Ranch and grew up attending camp together as campers. While working on staff we grew really close. So it's pretty cool that we now share the same anniversary... only one year apart!

Of course, no meeting would be complete for Dan and Erik if it didn't conclude with a couple of rounds of "The Rock Game". If you can't tell by the title or by what's going on in the photo... ask Dan. He can explain this crazy game! I've got to admit though, they're pretty silly to watch. Kinda entertaining.

Yes, Dan and I did go out to celebrate our wedding anniversary... but I will post that one at a later date. Stay tuned!

Kathleen & Brad's Shower in Moorhead, MN

2010-07-13T10:22:00.019-05:00

On Friday, June 18th Dan and I got up early to begin our long drive to Moorhead, Minnesota. I started out as our driver. Apparently we left at just the right time, because we made it to the Saint Paul/Minneapolis area [to pick up Kathleen] with no traffic issues. My parents on the other hand... well, they left a bit later then us and did not have the best luck. They hit quite a bit of random traffic along the way, including delay from an accident. I told them, just be grateful that the accident wasn't because of me and Dan.

Kathleen, Dan, and I grabbed some lunch and hit up an outlet mall while we waited... and waited... and waited for my parents to catch up. Once they did catch up we took some time to let my parents stretch their legs, but then it was back into our cars for another 3 hours! Dan took the wheel from there.

When we finally made it to Brad's house, his family had dinner all ready for us! It was amazing! Oh, and their new home is gorgeous! I'm talking, "Bus driver, move that bus" gorgeous! Seriously, I know who I'm calling when I need help designing a home. Brad's dad did a beautiful job creating such a lovely home.

Saturday, June 19th Kathleen and I took our parents out for breakfast in honor of Father's Day. It was nice to spend time together, just the 4 of us. The boys were out golfing, so they didn't mind missing breakfast.

Later that afternoon we had a second shower for Kathleen, hosted by some family friends - and soon to be real family for Kathleen. Laneil and Jenna (mother and daughter) put together a lovely shower for Kathleen at their home. The shower was sweet and personal... the food was delicious... and the weather was amazing!

One of our hosts, Jenna (who is also Kathleen's former college roommate and former Moorhead roommate and is also Brad's second cousin), read from the book of Psalm. To count down their wedding, Kathleen and Brad have been reading a Psalm each day, starting with book 150. So that day Jenna read Psalm 42.

The mother of the groom, Esther, shared a lovely devotional with the group. She shared some warm and witty words with Kathleen and her guests. Kathleen is very lucky to have such a fun-loving soon-to-be mother-in-law.

After the devotional was complete, we placed our hands on Kathleen as both mothers led us in prayer over Kathleen and Brad's upcoming marriage. It was a very special time.

You can't tell from the photos, but Kathleen had hardly any voice all weekend. Thankfully it didn't hurt her when she attempted to talk, or whisper. When it was time to open presents Brad arrived and was able to do some of the talking on her behalf. What a guy!

In the end, it was a wonderful day! Kathleen and Brad were blessed with so many wonderful gifts to help them start their lives together.

Since Brad was there, we used him to take a group photo of all of us. I did notice that there is one girl missing (oops!), but it is still a nice way to show who made it to the shower to show their support for the happy couple.

Here is also a nice photo of Kathleen and I with our mom... and no, Kathleen and I did not coordinate our outfits. Ha ha!

While Kathleen and Brad were looking so nice, I took the opportunity to take their photo so that Brad's mom could use it for their engagement announcement. They're so cute together!

Later that evening, a bunch of us went to downtown Fargo, North Dakota to hang out. It was a blast and a nice opportunity to get to know some of Kathleen's friends better as well as Brad's brother, Brent. Below is a portion of our group from that night.

Sunday, June 20th Dan and I left Moorhead in the morning so that we could stop and visit with his sister, Stefanie, and her husband, Thomas. We got to their place just in time for lunch. We ate out at Granite City and then did a little bit of shopping. We left Minnesota around 6:00 p.m. and started our drive home. I drove home since Dan had work in the morning.

Well, Moorhead may be quite the hike, but it was worth the drive! Hopefully Dan and I will be making some trips back up north in the not-so-distant future. It'll be hard with Dan going to school full-time, but it'll be worth it if we can find the time.

Michigan Double Date

2010-06-22T13:34:00.012-05:00

Friday, May 28th Dan and I went to Michigan with our friends, Jason and Rachel, for a mini vacation. The drive was only about 3 hours, so it was an easy trip.

After we checked into our hotel, the four of us drove to Holland. There we went shopping and had lunch. There was a darling chocolate and ice cream shop close by called Kilwin's, so of course we saved room for dessert.

Later that evening we went for a walk on the beach just before sunset. It was a gorgeous evening. It was cool, but not cold. Rachel had the unfortunate luck of stepping on a bee, which stung her foot. Dan was kind enough to help her get the stinger out. Once Rachel recovered from her little sting, we walked on the sand and on a nearby pier.

Before the sun set, Rachel and I made a stop for some coffee. We found a cute coffee shop and decided to give it a try. Oh boy, were we in for a delicious treat! I can't remember what all was in the coffee, but I know that it was something like mocha and white chocolate. Then, it was topped off with homemade whipped cream and white chocolate and we were given spoons that were dipped in white chocolate! Worth every calorie!

With our amazing coffee in hand, we found a lovely spot to watch the sun set. There were a lot of locals in the area who came out to sit and watch the sun go down. One was kind enough to take our photo.

Seriously, we couldn't have asked for a better first day for our trip. Well, maybe minus the bee sting. Sorry Rachel.

Saturday, May 29th we went checked out some local wineries. We tasted a few wines and came home with a few of our favorites. One of my favorite stops wasn't for wine... it was for fancy chocolate at Tabor Hill! These candies were very pricey, so we each only got one. Oh man, they were worth it! My chocolate was called "cupcake batter" and boy did it taste like it! It was kind of like Cold Stone, but with chocolate.
That evening we had dinner at Schu's in St. Joseph. After dinner we walked down to a different beach to watch the sun set. Once again, it was a great way to end the day!

Sunday, May 30th we packed up and started our drive home. On our way home we stopped at the Warren Dunes. The crowd wasn't too bad. We had no trouble finding a nice spot on the beach to lay our things. The water was cold, but we manged to get used to it and play some catch with a squishy frisbee.

Our mini getaway was another great way to get our summer off to a fabulous start!

Colorado Trip

2010-06-14T20:44:00.017-05:00

This post (as well as other upcoming posts) are way overdue, I know. Well, I finally have some spare time, so I am going to attempt to start sharing some posts.

On Saturday, May 22nd Dan and I got up at 4:00 a.m. and flew to Denver, Colorado to spend a couple of days with Dan's best friend, Myk, and Myk's girlfriend, Kristy.

As soon as we arrived in Denver we got into Kristy's CRV and drove up to Steamboat, Colorado. There we attempted to go rafting and hiking. Our timing wasn't the best. We soon found out that most of the major attractions were due to open up next weekend [Memorial Day Weekend]. No matter, we still did some shopping.

While we were shopping we got word from a local who suggested a sweet, little baby hike that was nearby called Fish Creek Falls. It was a 1/4 of a mile hike to a beautiful waterfall. Sadly, this was the most hiking that we got in during our trip, but I was pleased with the waterfall. There was even some snow on the ground! Even though it was quite warm, Myk and Dan still managed to have a mini snowball fight! They were so funny.

After our hike we had did at an Italian restaurant. The atmosphere wasn't all that great but the food was delicious! Everybody got something different... and everything was amazing.

Later that evening, just before it got dark, we went up to the Strawberry Park Hot Springs. Wow, let me tell you... it was one of the most amazing and relaxing experiences of my life! We went from spring to spring until we managed to snag a sweet little spring that was big enough to fit the four of us! We sat together in the hot spring for a couple of hours, not doing much of anything... except taking pictures, chatting, and laughing. Soon it was dark and our only source of light was the moon. Too bad it was cloudy, it would have been nice to see some stars.

Sunday, May 23rd we drove back to Myk and Kristy's home. That evening we went over to Myk's parents' home and had dinner with them. That evening we also played Cranium. The game was new to me, but I had a blast! We played guys vs. girls... and sadly, the guys won. Oh well, it was a close game and I had a great time playing. The game has made it on to my shopping list. One of these days I'll have to pick it up.

Monday, May 24th Myk took Dan and I to the Denver Zoo. Myk managed to score us some free passes, so of course we didn't hesitate to go. It has been about 4 years since I have been to a zoo, so I was happy to go! We had a blast on this busy zoo day. I had a feeling we'd run into some school field trips... and sure enough, we did! The kids didn't get in our way too much, but they did seem to run into Myk a lot. Myk says its because he is so tall... they just don't see him.

Monday evening we had a BBQ at Myk's place. There was more then enough food for us and all of Myk's roommates. Myk was so anxious to grill, I think he went a little overboard with the food, ha ha.

Later that night Myk drove Dan and I out to Mary and Dan's house for dessert. Mary and I grew up together at church and since she got married and moved out to Colorado we don't see each other all that often. Anyway, we had a nice time over at Mary's house. We got the grand tour of their home and I got to play with her daughter, Emily, and read to her before she went to bed. Once Emily was all tucked in Mary broke out the Baker's Square Key Lime pie! It was wonderful!

After our visit with Mary, Dan, and Emily, we went back to Myk's house for a bon fire. We had all the s'more fixings and I taught everyone how to make banana boats (so good!). It was another fun, relaxing evening. One of the funniest moments was when Myk's dog rolled in some melted marshmallow!

Tuesday, May 25th was our last day in Colorado. We drove up to Estes Park where we did some shopping and had lunch. It was rather chilly on that day, but I guess we actually came on a good day because one guy said that the other day a blast of snow came through and all the shoppers ran into stores for shelter. Wild.

We made an attempt to check out some trails in Rocky Mountain National Park, but of course found out that what we wanted to do wasn't open yet. Plus, we'd have to pay, like, $22 to park and we didn't have that much time to spend there, so we left. We ended up finding this super cheap mini golf spot. It was a joke of a place and 4 holes were under construction, so the old man working there charged us $2 per person instead of $3. What a guy! Well, we actually had a great time playing mini golf! Each hole was messed up, but we made the most of the situation and laughed pretty hard the whole time. Dan and Myk both won a free game on the 19th hole... and they got to sign some sort of wall of fame for their win. Our mini golf experience just goes to show that it doesn't matter what you're doing... if you have good company, you can have fun doing just about anything.

Later that evening, Dan and I flew back to Illinois. I already miss the mountains. I hope that we get to go back sometime when there are more trails open... and maybe sometime when we take stay out there for at least a week. There is just so much to do!

Biker Chick

2010-05-20T11:33:00.006-05:00

On Sunday, May 16th I went for my first motorcycle ride! Finally!

Dan and I were spending Sunday afternoon with our friends, Jason and Rachel [and their dog, Barney]. Jason has a motorcycle and was nice enough to take me for a ride. I'll admit I was nervous for a moment or two before I hopped on, but then I realized... I've gone skydiving before! This should be easier. That it was!

We went cruising around the neighborhood and then out onto the highway. There was one moment when we went over train tracks and I bounced up off my seat. A wild experience when you don't have a roof over your head.

As time went by I enjoyed the ride more and more. We got going pretty fast when we were in the boonies and no one was really around... but by then I had a need for speed!

The experience was a lot like doubling up on a horse... which I have done several times and love it! Basically, you just have to trust the person in front of you, who is in control. Once you relax and do just that, the experience is a lot of fun.

Jason wants Dan to buy a motorcycle... and after my ride with Jason I feel a little more willing to let that happen. That is... after Dan is done with school ($$$) and after I get a new car ($$$) and after Dan gets a new job ($$$) and after... well, we'll see how it goes. Dan and I are on the same page though, so that's a plus. We both agree that other things must come first before he purchases his own motorcycle.

We've Moved

2010-05-17T16:15:00.006-05:00

On Saturday, May 8, 2010, we officially moved. We were blessed with lots of terrific helpers. We had breakfast ready for them when they arrived between 8:30 and 9:00 a.m. Dan's mom [Carol] brought down some yummy chocolate Kringle from Wisconsin.

All of our prep work really paid off! With our amazing help, we got moved out of our old place and into our new place in 3 hours! Seriously, it was insane how quick and easy the whole move was. The week of packing and prepping was, by far, the worst part. The move itself was not bad.

Dan's parents were very helpful... after all, they are the most experienced movers that I know. Dan's dad helped organize the truck while his mom knew when to take down each item.

Once we had everything in our new place we treated our friends and family to some pizza and other goodies that my mom brought. It was fun visiting with everyone... and it helped that everyone got chatty with each other, even if it was their first time officially meeting.

After the move we went up to Wisconsin to visit with Dan's parents, sister [Mandy], and her boyfriend [Cale]. Mandy made homemade pizza and even though we already had pizza earlier that day, Mandy's homemade pizza was so delicious!

We spent the evening playing a mystery game on PS3 and chatting. It is always a good time with the Nelsons!

As of today, we are pretty much all settled into our new apartment. It is actually starting to feel more and more like home. I especially love our private entrance! Makes our place feel more like a town home.

Now, below is a preview of our new apartment. This is our living room. We still have to hang photos and curtain, but you get an idea of what our new place looks like.

My Time in Iowa with Dan

2010-05-04T12:13:00.002-05:00

So last week (Sunday - Tuesday) I got to go with Dan to Iowa for a couple of days. Not exactly a second honeymoon sort of trip, but definitely worth taking.

Dan had to go to Iowa for work and I was able to arrange my work schedule so that I could join him. It was a decent area with enough stuff to keep me busy while Dan was at work.

I got to have breakfast, lunch, and dinner with him each day and I didn't have to cook! What a deal! One of Dan's co-workers, Jeff, joined us for lunch and dinner each day. We had a blast together!

Not sure when Dan will have to go back, but when/if he does, I wouldn't mind tagging along again.

Dan Travels Back to Iowa

2010-04-20T10:06:00.002-05:00

We just found out yesterday that Dan is going back to Iowa for a couple of days for work. It has been a while since he has gone out to the Iowa plant. I miss him terribly when he is gone but there are some benefits to his traveling: (1) he makes a little extra money, (2) he is earning hotel points, (3) his meals are covered, and (4) I get to drive his nice, new car while he takes mine!

Dan will be gone Wedneday evening through Friday afternoon. So that's only two nights apart, I think I can manage.

Something from Jessie is on Facebook

2010-04-19T21:26:00.004-05:00

As you can see from today's title, Something from Jessie can now be found on Facebook! Log on or join Facebook so that you can become a fan and a supporter of the Something from Jessie Memorial Scholarship - sending inner city students to Phantom Ranch Bible Camp in Mukwonago, Wisconsin.

This fan page was created on April 13, 2010, and already it has over 120 fans! So come join us! There are photos, discussions, links to helpful websites, event information, and so much more!

Click on the links below to become a fan and to RSVP for the annual spaghetti dinner at Jessie's home church, Parker Road Bible Church.

Something from Jessie Fan Page
Something from Jessie Spaghetti Dinner

Colorado, Here We Come

2010-04-15T14:31:00.003-05:00

Dan and I are going to Colorado in May! We've been trying to plan a time to visit his best friend (and best man), Myk. So, finally, we managed to plan a perfect time to visit! We'll be out there Saturday, May 22nd - Tuesday, May 25th.

While we are out there we are also hoping to visit other friends and family. After all, its not often we get out to Colorado.

I haven't been there since I was a little. Maybe four? My family used to go to Colorado to visit my dad's brother, my Uncle Ed. I remember bits and pieces from our trips out there. I remember my family placing me on giant rocks and taking my picture. I also remember eating Cheerios and feeding them to chipmunks! Those cute little critters would come right up to me.

Now it is time to experience Colorado as an adult! I'm very excited!

We're Moving

2010-04-13T10:13:00.006-05:00

After much discussion and a whole lot of praying, Dan and I have decided to move. I'm not crazy about moving, but it is really for the best.

Dan and I are not happy with the management staff at our current apartment and with him going back to school in September we really need a place that is a bit cheaper. Thankfully, we were blessed with options! Again, after much discussion, a couple of pro and con lists, and whole lot of praying, we made the decision to move into a lovely apartment just down the road from where we live now.

I'll admit, I'm pretty bummed about leaving the first place Dan and I called "home" before we even hit our one-year anniversary, but once again, I know that it is for the best. Now I feel like a real Nelson - I'm moving! Ha ha!

Our new home will be bigger, better, and cheaper! Only 8+ years old, this apartment will have fresh paint and brand new carpet. Plus, it'll be close to Jason and Rachel - we've already made summer plans with them and might even be able to carpool to certain church events.

All this apartment junk has really given me a passion for owning a home some day. Unfortunately, until Dan is done with school and knows where he will be working, apartment living is what we need to do for now.

I don't know if I posted this before, but I am job hunting for a full-time job right now. I have been for a couple of months. Nothing yet, but I'm still searching and still applying. Sometimes I get nervous, the closer and closer it gets to summer... but I know that God will provide all that we need.

We're not big spenders and I am constantly clipping coupons and watching sales, so I know that we will find a way to get by if I don't find a job.

Kathleen and Brad's Shower

2010-04-12T16:38:00.013-05:00

On Saturday, April 3, 2010, we celebrated the upcoming wedding of Kathleen and Brad by hosting a lovely shower for the happy couple! Since the downstairs room of my parent's house is nearly empty (after generously donating some of their furniture to their daughters), it was the perfect spot for a cozy shower. My dad borrowed some tables and chairs from his school and my mom and I decorated - with a little help from Kathleen.

Since Kathleen and Brad both share a love for coffee, we made Mocha's and had heart-shaped coffee scoops for party favors! The party favors were put together by our cousin, Cindy. She did an amazing job!

My dad and Dan were close by throughout the shower. They were most helpful with many little odds and ends that kept the party flowing.

Below are some photos from the shower. Brad showed up just in time for presents. The bride and groom were a blast and made the whole experience very delightful.

Mine and my mom's Coco-Latte machines for making Mocha's!

The downstairs is all set for the party!

Lots of gifts for the bride and groom!

The fabulous party favors! Thank you Cindy!

Guests enjoying a delicious lunch!

Kathleen with her beautiful cake!

Kathleen, Esther (Brad's mom), our mom, and me.

"I Love My Wife" & "I Love My Husband" Mugs

Always making each other laugh.

Katleen gets a Fossil purse... life is good.

My soon-to-be brother-in-law... I couldn't be more excited!

Looking Ahead

2010-03-09T11:52:00.006-06:00

Recently, I got surprised by my hubby, sister, and future brother-in-law! Turns out these guys were secretly "plotting" behind my back and planning a mini vaca for us in the Dells! As an added bonus, my parents will be joining us. Seriously, with my dad's lame track schedule my mom would never think a trip with all of her children would be possible this time of year. My weekend is going to be full of fun activities... and I can't wait!

First, Rachel and I are having a sleepover with our "little sisters", Courtney and Jessica. Jason will be spending the night with Dan at our apartment while us girls take over his and Rachel's home. It'll be a night of sweatpants, junk food, pizza, baking, movies, and games. What a great way to start my weekend!

Saturday morning I will be traveling up to the Dells with Dan and my parents. Kathleen and Brad will be meeting us there. We are staying in a two bedroom condo at the Wilderness Hotel and Resort. We will be staying there until Monday. I'm looking forward to seeing my family, playing at the water parks, relaxing on the lazy river, doing some shopping, and not having anything to worry about!

Workin' It

2010-03-03T13:13:00.003-06:00

Lately, Dan and I have been on a bigger health-kick then usual. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is so much easier when you have a partner... especially someone that you live with.

I'm trying to keep my body from hitting a "wall" while I lose weight, so I've been changing things up pretty regularly. My reason for steady weight-loss? 1. Kathleen's wedding, 2. Summer is around the corner and 3. I'm going on a short vaca at an indoor water park in the Dells next weekend. Plus, I feel better from the inside out when I'm eating right, exercising, and drinking lots of water!

So what's my plan right now? This week I am NOT eating bread, rice, pasta, or potatoes. Instead, I'm eating chicken breast, fish, lots of veggies, and citrus fruits. I'm also cutting back on coffee and drinking lots of green tea in its place.

On top of my healthy eating I am also exercising more frequently. I don't have much time during the day, so I usually do some stepping on my Wii Fit while I watch TV and/or my basic Pilate's DVD.

My body is rapidly shaping up and I'm already getting my slender figure back! Dan is working on his six-pack and its certainly starting to come through!

If you really know me, then you know that I have a serious sweet tooth! So how am I surviving this lifestyle change? Easy! One day a week I can eat whatever I want... however much I want! I call it My Splurge Day. Usually it is on Saturday. Having a splurge day is important because it shocks your system. If your body gets used to you eating nothing but "diet" food, then it'll adjust to that lifestyle... but if you give your body a good shock and eat some junk food (or in my case, a lot of junk food), then your body will reset to accommodate the sudden change.

I'll admit, sometimes I can over do it when it comes to splurging... but I still manage to drop weight each and every week. Plus, if you cut back on your junk food that Oreo cookie will taste so much better when you haven't had one in a long time! I know it does to me.

World Vision's 30 Hour Famine

2010-03-02T11:55:00.006-06:00

Saturday, February 27th to Sunday, February 28th, 2010, Dan and I helped with the 30 Hour Famine at our church. Both the junior and senior high participated in this special event. From 8:00 a.m. on Saturday to 2:00 p.m. on Sunday we went without food and without caffeine!

To get the day going we went over to MorningStar Mission to sort food for a couple of hours. I thought that I would be hungry working with food but it wasn't too bad. We had a nice juice break once we got back to church.

The students played some really fun Tribe games and had some great discussions. Oh... and of course there were the hyped up games of spoons! Dan didn't lose a single game!

Will [the youth pastor] ended up getting sick, so Dan and I were left to run the show. Everything went well and I actually got some sleep! The students weren't hard to wake up in the morning and they got the church all clean before others started arriving.

In between running A/V, Dan and I also taught Sunday School for the youth and got them ready for their Missions Moment presentation during the worship service. I studied the final two Tribe games while I ran A/V and had everything ready to go, on time!

I had to work at 2:00 p.m. so I had a quick bite to eat before I left the church... it was amazing! I was really ready to eat too. I had developed a bad headache and tried to drink lots and lots of water to make up for not eating. It helped, but once I ate I felt a lot better.

Work was very busy, so time went by fast! I was grateful.

It was a long and busy weekend, but it was a good one!

Free Date Night

2010-02-23T13:43:00.003-06:00

As Dan and I prepare for his return to school in the fall, we have been careful about what we spend our money on. We also know that this summer is going to be busy with weddings, parties, and maybe even a little traveling, so we are trying to save our pennies now... while we still can.

Friday is typically our "Date Night" and this past Friday we were able to have a fun, full weekend without breaking the bank!

Thanks to my parents and their Valentine's Day gift, we used a gift card to Applebee's to have a nice dinner. Applebee's 2 for $20 deal made for the perfect meal. Afterwords, we went to Walmart to rent some Redbox movies. Thanks to the application on Dan's new phone (the Droid) we got coupon codes that made all of our movies free!

Want to get some FREE Redbox movies? Try these codes:

DVDONME
THEBREAKROOM

They're only good once, per account and over time they no longer work... so act fast!

I'm always on the hunt for a good coupon or special discount. If I come across any other date-friendly deals I will be sure to pass them along. Every couple needs a night out once in a while - if not, every week!

A/V Booth Construction

2010-02-18T11:10:00.008-06:00

On Monday, February 15, 2010, Gordon and Floyd started construction on our brand new, custom-made Audio/Visual Booth! I couldn't be more excited! This booth will house our A/V equipment in a more safe, secure, and organized fashion.They are scheduled to have the outside done by tomorrow (Friday). We'll be up and running on the inside as we temporarily set up shop on tables as we wait for our upcoming counter and cabinets

Below are some photos that I've taken during construction.

As I type, the construction continues! I am anxious to get everything up and running in there. This booth is going to be extremely helpful.

A special thank you goes out to Gordon and Floyd for taking the time to build this fabulous booth... and to my parents for donating a significant amount of funds to this special project! May God continue to bless the ministries of Parker Road!

Earthquake!

2010-02-10T12:46:00.002-06:00

At 4:00 a.m. this morning I woke up to the startling sound of our bedroom door rattling rather loudly. Instantly I started to pat Dan on his back to wake him up. Finally, he did.

"What?" he moaned, in a weak and tired voice.

"The door!" I exclaimed. "It's rattling!"

"It's probably just the wind," he replied.

"No, it's too loud."

At last, once Dan got a good listen at the loud noise he got up and checked the door. By then it had stopped rattling. He went out into the living room and looked around. He peeked outside and saw nothing that would explain our bedroom door's strange behavior.

Dan got back into bed and assured me that it was probably just the wind. He then fell back to sleep. I laid there for a little while longer... a bit creeped out by what had happened. I didn't believe that it was the wind but I had no other exclamiation at the time.

At 6:00 a.m. Dan got up to go to the gym and then on to work.

Just after 7:00 a.m. Dan called me and woke me up. He heard on the radio that there was an earthquake at 4:00 a.m. I was surprised by the news, but at the same time I was pleased to learn that the door's rattling wasn't just the wind - just as I had thought.

I've slept through a couple of minor earthquakes before. This was the first time I was awake for one. Truthfully, I don't remember actually feeling the earthquake... I just remember the loud rattling. We live on the third floor of our apartment, so I wonder what it was like on the first floor.

It has been reported to be a 3.8-magnitude quake and it was felt from Wisconsin to Tennessee. Thankfully, there are no reports of serious damage or injuries.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

2010-01-26T12:50:00.002-06:00

I know that this update is long overdue, but better late then never... right?

First and foremost, Kathleen got engaged to her boyfriend [Brad] on Wednesday, December 23rd in the Signature Lounge in Chicago! At last, I will finally have a brother! Their engagement along with mine and Dan's first Christmas as a married couple made this holiday season extra special! We have a lot of blessings this Christmas... God has been so good to our family!

Since the hustle and bustle of the busy holiday season gave me a lot of work hours, it felt like Dan and I weren't seeing much of each other throughout the months of November and December. Plus, Dan started going out to Iowa for work in December. So by the time Christmas Eve rolled around the corner we were both ready to relax and visit with our families.

The night before Christmas Eve we drove up to Wisconsin to be with Dan's family. We had a long and productive Christmas Eve with Dan's family. We got to visit his grandmother in her assisted living home and even though her Alzheimer's prevented her from knowing who everyone was, she still played nice and was a super friendly host. We even braved the mall that day... which wasn't so bad.

That evening we gathered at Mandy's house for a full-spread dinner with a variety of red wines and amazing desserts! That evening we opened presents - which takes about 4 hours! It was a beautiful day... we had a very special time with Dan's family.

VERY late Christmas Eve night, Dan and I made our trip to my parents' house. When we got there we went downstairs and crawled right into bed.

Christmas morning the house was all a buzz! First we opened presents and then my dad made his breakfast specialty, Egg McMuffins! Yum! Later that afternoon we went over to the other Koval home to celebrate with Uncle Ron, Aunt Tamie, and our cousins - including our newest cousin-in-law, Andrew (Jessica's husband).

We drew names for Secret Santa over Thanksgiving (well, actually during our Early Bird Special) so today was the day to reveal who had who. It was a blast! Actually, I think that it was my first time ever doing a Secret Santa gift exchange.

Christmas day was a wonderful and special day. It felt good to relax and be with my family. I only wish the day hadn't gone by so soon.

For New Year's Eve, Dan and I went to The Abbington for a fabulous party! We went with Jason, Rachel, and Rachel's college friend, Neelar. It was a blast! The night included:

- 5 Course Gourmet Dinner Prepared by Executive Chef Robert Fabbri
- Hot and Cold Hors d' Oeuvres
- 5 Hour Premium Open Bar
- Unlimited California Merlot and Chardonnay Wine
- Party Favors, Balloon Drop, and Midnight Champagne Toast
- Late Night Buffet and Sweet Table
-Complimentary Coat Check and Valet Parking
- The Hiline Band
- Spin Productions D.J.
- Special Hotel Suite Accommodations and Transportation with: Embassy Suites Hotel Oak Brook/Lombard and Lisle/Naperville Hilton

We took advantage of the hotel specials and free transportation - which made the night even more easy-going and carefree.

The food was delicious and we all ate way too much! We didn't have much room left for the sweet table - which really bummed us out because everything looked amazing. The band was a blast and the D.J. played a ton of dance-friendly songs. We also made sure that we stood right under the balloons for the balloon drop at midnight! It was one wild and crazy-fun New Year's Eve!

Welcome 2010... I love the feeling of a new year!

All-Clad LTD2

2009-12-16T22:24:00.008-06:00

I'm so excited! On December 9th I finally got my new pots and pans from Williams-Sonoma - with many thanks to our wedding and shower gift cards! I've had my eyes on these beautiful pots and pans since they first came out (about a year ago) and finally they are mine (and Dan's).

I chose the All-Clad LTD2 10-piece set. It was the perfect size for us. This is what we got in our set...

The 10-Piece Set Includes:
10" and 12" fry pans.
2-qt. and 4-qt. saucepans with lids.
4-qt. sauté pan with lid.
8-qt. stockpot with lid.

In case you noticed, there is one extra piece in the photo. I got a free All-Clad 10" Non-Stick Fry Pan a while ago, but since I never used it Dan added it to the other new pots and pans.

Early Bird Special and Thanksgiving 2009

2009-12-07T13:13:00.017-06:00

I just realized that I never wrote about my family's Early Bird Special! Okay, allow me to explain... since Kathleen was planning to spend Thanksgiving in Minnesota with her boyfriend [Brad] and his family, we had an "Early Bird Special" when they came in for a visit two weeks before Thanksgiving (11/14/09). Brad was the one who gave our special turkey day the clever title. The whole day was just like Thanksgiving! Dinner was at my parents house and we had our usual Thanksgiving spread with my dad's side of the family. The only things that were missing were the parades on TV and the Black Friday sale ads - which we replaced with just plain sale ads.
Since it was such a beautiful day outside, the boys played bean bags... a lot! As long as there was daylight they played. By nightfall most of them were pretty sore from throwing bean bags all day.

Once it was too dark to play bean bags we all played What Were You Thinking - a Thanksgiving family tradition. It was a blast! We had a lot of good laughs and, as usual, some unusual answers.

Even though we had a full Thanksgiving spread on the 14th, we still celebrated Thanksgiving at the other Kovals home on Thanksgiving day. We had another glorious meal and afterwords we sat around the table with the real Black Friday ads - another family tradition.

Once Dan and I got home we started decorating our apartment for our first Christmas as husband and wife! It was tricky rearranging our living room to fit the Christmas tree, but we managed. Our apartment looks amazing! Very festive! Thank you to my parents for letting us use their extra tree and a lot of other extra Christmas decorations!

Dan and I didn't do too much Black Friday shopping, but we did get up at 6:30 a.m. to do a little early bird shopping. We got just about everything that we had on our lists. Later that day I did the Gollwitzer family photo shoot and then I had to work at Williams-Sonoma. It was a loooong day for me.

Gollwitzer Family Photo Shoot

2009-11-27T23:29:00.020-06:00

Today, I was honored to take some family portraits for a beautiful family! Jason and Rachel [Gollwitzer] Rose are dear friends of mine and Dan from church, so of course I was delighted when Rachel asked if I would take some photos of her family. The whole family was a blast and the little girls were so adorable! After our shoot I was so excited to start editing... so I did some quick editing this evening after work. Here are a few of my favorites:

Jason and Rachel Rose share a kiss on a beautiful fall day.

Rachel was a gem to photograph!
I don't think she can take a bad photo.

What a happy family!

A sweet Daddy/Daughter moment!

Mother and Daughter keep close to stay warm.

One of the friendliest pugs ever!
No wonder the girls had a blast when this pup was around!

Bella catches her parents as they sneak a kiss!

Another adorable Daddy/Daughter moment!

Rubbing noses with Mommy.

Grandma and Grandpa have their arms full of love with three beautiful grandchildren!

Playing on the swing set was such a blast for the girls!

The Gollwitzer women, what a gorgeous group!

Very much in love!

Such playful parents!

These couples really made my job easy, they were all so easy to pose!

So there you have it... those are just a few of my favorites from the Gollwitzer family photo shoot. I've still got many to edit, but I am looking forward to going through the rest of the photos. There are a lot of beautiful shots!

New Staff Photos 2009

2009-11-12T15:14:00.010-06:00

We just took some new staff photos at Parker Road Bible Church. Last year we started taking staff photos around this time of year for our Chirstmas card for the congregation. It was a quick photo shoot, but here are a few that I took and did some quick editing to today.

Student Ministries Pastor, Will Peycke

Senior Pastor, Scott Newman

This last photo is a total candid photo... Will was being blinded by Scott, but Scott doesn't really seem to know it. We all had a good laugh. I'm still working on the rest of the photos, but I thought that I would share a few. Within the next couple of weeks I'll be posting our Christmas photo.

Halloween in Minnesota

2009-11-03T13:49:00.003-06:00

This past weekend Dan and I ventured up to Minnesota to visit some family and friends. We stayed with Kathleen and her roommate [Lauren] throughout the duration of our trip. It was our first time seeing their new apartment - since they moved in mid-August. Kathleen's boyfriend [Brad] came down from Moorhead, Minnesota to join us.

It was a jammed-packed weekend filled with many rounds of Apples to Apples, shopping at Mall of America, Old Spaghetti Factory, Keys, and Buffalo Wild Wings for the Vikings vs. Green Bay football game.

In honor of Halloween we all got dressed up on Saturday before we went out for dinner. Dan was Dr. House while I was Dr. Cuddy... Kathleen was Miley Cyrus while Lauren was Hannah Montana... and Brad was Joe Dirt. Everyone looked great and we had a blast together!

Dan and I started our journey back pretty late on Sunday, so I did the driving. Dan had work early in the morning, so I wanted to give him a chance to relax and catch a couple of z's on our way home.

Before leaving, Brad couldn't stress enough how bad the deer in Wisconsin are this time of year... we were strongly encouraged to pay extra attention to the road. No doubt I saw why... there were so many dead deer on the side of the road, along with a lot of blood-smeared roads. Very disturbing. Thankfully, we made it home safe and sound.

Commercial Work

2009-10-30T12:35:00.005-05:00

The past couple of weeks I've had some sweet freelance production work. I worked for Citibank and Office Max. All went well at each shoot. As usual the hours are long (up to 15+ each day) but the people are great and I always walk away with a great story or two. For example, I rode in an International truck for the first time (very spacious), almost took a ride in a fancy private jet (we were short on time for the little trip), and got a free, delicious BBQ dinner at Carson's Ribs! Yep, the long hours can be worth it! It looks like I'll have some more commercial work in the next upcoming weeks. Praise God!

Below is a photo of an International, not the one I rode it, but the same thing (I rode in a black one instead of red).

Dan and I are going up to Minnesota this weekend. We leave today and we will return on Sunday, November 1st. We've been planning this little trip for quite sometime now. We'll be staying with Kathleen and Lauren - along with Brad who is also making the trip into the cities. We will also be visiting with Stefanie and Thomas... and we'll be watching football with Jon on Sunday. It is going to be an amazing weekend! This will be our first "trip" since our honeymoon!

5 Years, 1KVF, & Erik and Amy's Wedding

2009-10-21T13:19:00.006-05:00

Saturday, October 17th marks the 5 year anniversary of mine and Dan's relationship! It is also Sweetest Day... so we had a nice love-filled day. After sleeping in, we went to Long Grove to do some shopping and eat some delicious food. We also took part in our first wine tasting experience. It was all local wine so it wasn't anything special. Still fun though.

Later that evening Dan and I went downtown so that I could film a friend's CD release party. My friend, Brian (fellow video Produce, Editor, and DP), plays bass for the band 1000 Vertical Feet. They had their CD release party at Sonotheque. It was a great time and they did a fantastic job! If you attended their release party you got a free copy of their CD. They had a great turnout and everyone had a blast! Congrats 1KVF! Oh, and by the way, my left ear is just starting to recover from that musical-busting night. Good times.

Sunday, October 18th Dan and I were honored to attend our friends, Erik and Amy's wedding. The church was packed and everyone was practically sitting on top of each other. Apparently this wedding was the place to be on Sunday. The ceremony was beautiful and the reception was filled with non-stop excitement - including a special dance performed by the bride and groom. Let's face it, the reception just wouldn't have been complete without Erik busting out some Michael Jackson moves. I managed to film most of it with Dan's digital camera and I plan to put it up on Facebook eventually.

A big CONGRATULATIONS to the newlywed, Mr. and Mrs. Erik and Amy Heavey! May your lives be richly blessed by our Heavenly Father as you strive to live out your marriage in a God-honoring manor.

2009 Chicago Marathon

2009-10-20T12:11:00.004-05:00

Sunday, October 11th Dan and I volunteered at the Chicago Marathon with my dad's cross country team. We were all downtown by 5:30 a.m. to set up the Start Hydration for the runners. It was a chilly day for the spectators, but ideal weather for the runners. One of Dan's groomsmen [Eric] was running in the race and by pure luck we managed to run Eric's parents at the 13-mile mark. We also got to see Eric run past us!

It was a nice full day for us. As usual we had a great time volunteering at the Chicago Marathon!

Congratulations to Eric and Coach Danner on completing the 2009 Chicago Marathon!

Love Happens

2009-09-30T13:01:00.004-05:00

Last week Dan and I went to the movies. He treated me to see Love Happens featuring Jennifer Aniston and Aaron Eckhart. I found this movie to be absolutley delightful! It features a beautiful, well-told story and a nice collection of creditable actors. There was very little language, minimal sexual humor, and no "love scenes" used to "enhance" the storyline... nope, instead it was simply a good story. I always get excited when I find a movie like this one. It just goes to show that true talent can develop a quality story without extra Hollywood junk thrown in. I really enjoyed this movie! I know Dan didn't like it as much as me, but he did enjoy it as well.

So if you want to see a great date movie... be sure to catch Love Happens! Oh, and be sure to pack some tissues... while I didn't full out cry, my eyes certainly watered up.

Double Feature

2009-09-22T11:17:00.004-05:00

This past weekend Dan and I made an impulse decision to see our own double feature at the movies. Thankfully this was a "free" outing since we had coupons and gift cards! We saw Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince and District 9. I wanted to see Harry Potter [more] and Dan wanted to see District 9 [more]. We both seemed to enjoy Harry Potter a little bit more - me, a lot more. This Harry Potter played out as though they are laying down a lot of ground work for the next two movies. District 9 was not what I was expecting. Well, honestly, I never really saw any previews for it... only blips and such. It was pretty gross, but I do gross (i.e. Saw), so that wasn't really the problem. The beginning was weird and it took me some time to get into it. Of course it had it's moments that were very well done and it was certainly a unique movie. It's screaming sequel!

In other news, I'm getting over a nasty cold. I keep coughing and then I have a headache all day. No fun... no fun at all. I just keep telling myself, "Really, it has to be over soon." Yesterday I didn't have work, so I spent much of the afternoon in the darkness of my bedroom. It helped.

Last night Dan and I watched the season premiere of House... so good! Dan and I have been watching all previous 5 seasons so that we could be ready for season 6. It was totally worth it! I never had the time to watch House, but now I will gladly make the time.

Remembering Aunt Vera

2009-09-03T13:31:00.002-05:00

On Wednesday, August 26th I received a phone call from my mom informing me that my Great Aunt Vera had gone home to be with the Lord. Aunt Vera has been in and out of the hospital since December 2008. A couple of months ago she was diagnosed with Lung Cancer. She wasn't a smoker, so it was rather unfortunate that this was how her precious life was cut short.

Aunt Vera loved music, family, friends, and especially the Lord. Even when she was having terrible coughing fits and had no appetite from radiation treatments, she still said "God is good!" She was generous, thoughtful, and always encouraged others.

Her wake was on Sunday, August 30th. Our family gathered together from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. to observe her in private. From 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. the wake was opened to all other guests who wished to pay their respects. Many arrived to show their support and to celebrate Aunt Vera's life.

The funeral was on Monday, August 31st. It was a lovely service and all who spoke gave beautiful testimonies about Aunt Vera. She was very loved and will be deeply missed... but of course we all have faith that we will see her once again in heaven!

Thank you to everyone who has been praying for my aunt. She was ready to go home and we are comforted by our faith that she is no longer suffering in her cancer-ridden body. Instead, I'm sure that she is running and singing as loud as she can, praising her Creator!

Vera Rose Harrington
April 1928 - August 26, 2009

My 27th Birthday

2009-08-30T23:43:00.002-05:00

Not long after Dan's birthday... not long after Kathleen's birthday... my birthday follows! On Friday, August 28th I celebrated my 27th birthday and it was a glorious day!

Dan had to work, but as usual, he woke me up to say good bye - and wish me a happy birthday! I didn't sleep in too late because I wanted to get in the shower and prep myself for a day of looking young and oh-so-fabulous! When I went outside our bedroom and into the living room and dinning area I found a gorgeous bouquet of flowers... pink and white lilies, identical to our wedding flowers! Along with the flowers there was a card from my loving husband. He always manages to find sweet ways to surprise me!

After my shower and some extra grooming time, I went to visit my parents. As usual, my father sang my special birthday song (Donald Duck's 50th Birthday Song, but replacing my name with Donald's) and as usual, my mother sang it like I used to when I was a little girl.

Together we did some grocery shopping and then went out for lunch at Red Robin - yum! After a delicious lunch we went back to my parents house for dessert, a sweet, sweet cookies and cream chocolate cake! After dessert I got to open some gifts and then spend some time with my parents before my dad had to leave for cross country practice.

Not too long after my dad left I made my way back to the apartment. Got delayed in some traffic, but ended up getting a phone call from Kathleen, so that worked out perfectly.

Once I got home I quickly put some items away. Not too long after I got home I heard the front door open and it startled me... Dan was home early! What another nice surprise! Once Dan was settled he gave me my birthday present... all three Pirates of the Caribbean on blue ray! I have been wanting these movies on blue ray long before we even had a blue ray player! Oh... and FYI, they're amazing in blue ray! The details is incredible!

That evening Dan said he was taking me to Bahama Breeze for dinner - we love that place! Ah yes, dinner with my hubby and indulging on coconut shrimp... that is a good day! Now when we arrived at the restaurant I was surprised to find some of our friends were already there, waiting for us! Then, more showed up! There we eight of us for dinner. I had a blast! I think that birthdays are always more fun when they're spent with friends and family... the more the merrier!

Thank you to everyone who made my birthday so special! I certainly had a terrific day!

PS - Happy Birthday Leann Rimes!

NOTE: Will update with photos soon!

My Hubby's Birthday

2009-08-26T23:26:00.002-05:00

We got to spend several days celebrating Dan's birthday this year! I like to drag out birthdays... I don't like to rush them.

First, we started in Wisconsin on Saturday, August 15th. There we went golfing with his mother [Carol] and Uncle Ralph. I wasn't doing too hot, but then again it was only my forth time playing. However, I did get one exceptional hit from the 6th tee. Dan had a not-so-great tee off from the 7th hole. After hitting one ball he wanted to try one more. When he struck the second ball the head of his golf club flew father then the ball! Not the best moment for Dan, but it was still and enjoyable afternoon. Afterwards we went over to his sister's place to have dinner with her, Cale, and Carol. We cooked out on the grill and had cheesecake for dessert!

Even I got birthday gifts! My favorite was my new quilt that Carol made with my old t-shirts and Jessie's old cloud pajamas. It's beautiful and I look forward to snuggling with it this winter and every winter for the rest of my life!

Sunday, August 16th [Dan's actual birthday] we got to sleep in. That morning I gave Dan his birthday presents and then made him a nice, hot breakfast.

Later that day we went to the church picnic, which started at 10:30 a.m. That is why we got to sleep in. Aside from a little bit of rain that came and went, we had a nice day! I bit humid after the rain, but still good!

After the picnic we went over to my parents' house to relax and later cook on the grill. My folks had a nice spread for dinner and for dessert we had some yummy chocolate cake and Oberweis ice cream! Delicious!

Friday, August 21st Jason and Rachel came over and we cooked out on the grill. We had a nice spread which featured steaks in an amazing marinade created by Jason! Dan had tried this marinade over at Jason's not too long ago and absolutely loved it! So Jason and Rachel got him all of the ingredients needed and gave them to him for his birthday. Very nice!

We spent the evening playing games and socializing. It was a great time!

On Monday, August 24th we got together with Jason and Rachel once more to see Inglorious Bastards at Hollywood Boulevard. Dan had eight free passes for his birthday, so we all got in for free. Free is good!

Happy Birthday, Dan! I hope that you had a great time celebrating the many days that made up your birthday this year!

NOTE: Will update soon with links and photos.

A Perfect Manhattan

2009-08-18T12:27:00.006-05:00

On Sunday, August 9th I thought that I was going to have my first quiet Sunday after church - surprisingly, I did not have work that day. However, I got booked at the last minute to work on an Indie short film in Chicago for Sundance. The film is called "A Perfect Manhattan" and it is going to have a quick turnaround so it is ready next month.

I got up at 4:00 a.m. and made it into the city just before 5:30 a.m. Some of the crew was already there setting up. It was great to work on another fun project with so many of my friends! It's been a while since we've all gotten to work together, so it was a good day!

At one point we needed to fill in some crossword puzzles that would be used as a prop. I thought that they wanted it to be pretty legit, so I tried figuring out the puzzle. Nope. They just wanted it filled in with letters... except for one spot that we customized so that it was 10 spaces long. Aside from filling in a few correct answers, I just started filling in the blanks with random words and letters. Then, I got an idea! I looked around the blanks nearest the 10-space blank that was set aside and filled in "Dan" and "Nelson" into two spots. Can you see his name in the photo? A little Easter Egg for the film.

I got to bring my cousin, Kevin, along for the experience as a PA. He's starting film school at Flashpoint Academy in Chicago next month. That day he really got a big kick out of the whole experience. I'd have to say that the high point of this experience for him was the chance to meet Danny. He has been in the acting business for a very long time, but what Kevin will always remember him for is his role in The Dark Knight. Danny has the first line in the movie, spends most of his time with The Joker (Heath Ledger), and then later gets hit by a bus. I used my phone to capture a quick picture of the two of them together. Kevin has certainly gotten off on the right foot.

Our day ended around 7:00 p.m. So it was a productive day. Good luck to Dean, Michael, Laura, Brian, and everyone else who worked on this film! It was my pleasure working with each of you, as usual.