I'm so content right now. This past weekend was seriously just what the doctor ordered. The only problem is that it went by too quickly!
Last week was rough in my "female" department - yeah TMI I know, but for real, I was super miserable all week long. It finally eased up on me by the weekend so the timing was perfect.
Friday we had a fun double date with my parents, since we didn't have to rush off to a rehearsal or anything like that. It was nice to go to dinner for a change! After that we headed to the movie store and home to watch a movie. So relaxing.
Saturday I got up early and walked to Caribou to meet my parents. From there I went out on a little shopping excursion as several local groups I follow were having vintage sales on Saturday. Even better, they were all within minutes of each other so I made a fun little loop around the south side of Minneapolis. AND I stuck to my budget that I set for myself. I was very proud.
Saturday afternoon Nate and I had a fun treat, we got to go to a Surly Brewing tour! We've been wanting to do that tour for ages and finally got lucky enough to get in. It was awesome. Lots of free beer and it was fun to see where they make their beer. After that we had a nice dinner out and headed home to watch another movie.
Sunday Nate took an all grain brewing class. To put it in the very simplest terms, what he usually does is extract brewing, a simpler way of making a batch of beer, think of it like using a cake mix. All grain brewing is more or less everything from scratch, like doing something completely homemade. So he's ready to do all grain brewing and took a class to learn more about it. Today he is off from work actually making the all grain brew. It's going fairly well from what I've heard, he has learned a lot if nothing else. I'm proud of him.
We've set a date for Oktoberfest already - I know, crazy. But it gets bigger and bigger every year and we even have a couple of out of town friends who wanted to plan to come, so we set a date and are sending it out on Facebook already so hopefully that will help some with planning their schedules!
So I feel good right now. I feel on top of things and in control and rested and happy. And for this moment, that's enough!
7/17/12
7/11/12
Summer lovin'
You know, in my last post, I said we've been busy. And that it's been hot. But I'm sitting here thinking after reading a blog post from Jes - she quoted her husband John as saying "I love this summer" the other night. And as I'm looking at the things we've already been able to do, heat and busy-ness and all, I kind of love this summer too. It's been good so far.
Beach days, patio nights, birthday celebrations for friends and family, pedicures, beer brewing, golfing, shopping sales.
How can you not love a summer that includes those things? And there's more to come. More time with friends, more beer brewing, vacations, making a CD with Praise Project, the State Fair, more golfing, hopefully more pool or beach time, eating out on patios, and yes, hopefully some work in the yard, can't all be super fun I suppose!
Maybe the biggest reason this summer is better so far is that Nate isn't as stressed at work. I'm sure that is helping a lot actually. But actually I think the more helpful thing is I'm not really putting any pressure on ourselves to make this a great summer. We're taking things as they come, taking things one day at a time and are finding a balance even in the crazy busy times.
I don't know, whatever it is, it's working. I love this summer.
7/6/12
Catching my breath
We're just heading out of what was likely one of our busiest weeks of summer. I think. There was something going on just about every day for the last week and even though I had a couple of days off, it was a bit hectic at times. The weekend ahead is still a little full, but then time will slow way down for the next two weeks and I plan to soak that up.
I've been doing pretty good at not getting overwhelmed by the busyness though. And I've enjoyed myself immensely over the last couple of weeks. Beach days, pedicures, time with family, time with friends. That doesn't mean I'm not looking forward to catching my breath for a bit though.
As always when Nate and I have a jammed packed schedule I find myself starting to crave time with just him. We need that couple time too. We won't get much of it this weekend unfortunately, but next weekend we will. I'm looking forward to that.
I'm pretty darn proud of myself for sticking to my "one day at a time" philosophy. I credit much of that to She Reads Truth, though in full disclosure, I've fallen off of that a bit this week. The new plan is good, but isn't gelling with me as much as the last one. And maybe it's because I feel so kind of "good" right now that I don't want to dig into the depths of the trenches that this particular plan is encouraging. I'm not saying it's bad, but it does ask you to look at your fears and your worries and at the moment I just don't want to go there. It doesn't mean I do not have them, but right now they're buried away for a bit and I just want to leave them there and instead enjoy this moment a bit more. So I've put a "pin" in it so to speak. It's there when I need it and that's the important part.
Ooh and look, it took me up to five paragraphs before I mentioned the weather - now THAT is shocking. It's kind of another one of those things I've just kind of let go though. I can't control it. If it's going to be hot, it's going to be hot. Without getting crazy political I do believe we're starting to gradually see the effects of global warming and I guess instead of crabbing about it, I'm trying to adapt. No I don't love hot weather. I never will. I just do my best to dress for it, stay hydrated and stay in the A/C if I need to. And the good summer days I try to do my best to actually get outside and take advantage of. It's the best we can do. This too shall pass.
So that's me in a nutshell. Now you're all caught up.
I've been doing pretty good at not getting overwhelmed by the busyness though. And I've enjoyed myself immensely over the last couple of weeks. Beach days, pedicures, time with family, time with friends. That doesn't mean I'm not looking forward to catching my breath for a bit though.
As always when Nate and I have a jammed packed schedule I find myself starting to crave time with just him. We need that couple time too. We won't get much of it this weekend unfortunately, but next weekend we will. I'm looking forward to that.
I'm pretty darn proud of myself for sticking to my "one day at a time" philosophy. I credit much of that to She Reads Truth, though in full disclosure, I've fallen off of that a bit this week. The new plan is good, but isn't gelling with me as much as the last one. And maybe it's because I feel so kind of "good" right now that I don't want to dig into the depths of the trenches that this particular plan is encouraging. I'm not saying it's bad, but it does ask you to look at your fears and your worries and at the moment I just don't want to go there. It doesn't mean I do not have them, but right now they're buried away for a bit and I just want to leave them there and instead enjoy this moment a bit more. So I've put a "pin" in it so to speak. It's there when I need it and that's the important part.
Ooh and look, it took me up to five paragraphs before I mentioned the weather - now THAT is shocking. It's kind of another one of those things I've just kind of let go though. I can't control it. If it's going to be hot, it's going to be hot. Without getting crazy political I do believe we're starting to gradually see the effects of global warming and I guess instead of crabbing about it, I'm trying to adapt. No I don't love hot weather. I never will. I just do my best to dress for it, stay hydrated and stay in the A/C if I need to. And the good summer days I try to do my best to actually get outside and take advantage of. It's the best we can do. This too shall pass.
So that's me in a nutshell. Now you're all caught up.
7/4/12
Happy 4th of July!
I don't recall a July 4th holiday being THIS hot in quite some time.
Thank God for AC!!!
Stay cool and hydrated my friends! And have a wonderful celebration!
Thank God for AC!!!
Stay cool and hydrated my friends! And have a wonderful celebration!
6/22/12
Summer memories
Ah, summer. I have a love/hate relationship with summer and always have, but right now I'm focusing on the good things summer has to offer and have been reflecting/remember past summers. At 30, I can say that my summer memories can be divided into almost five groupings - childhood, pre-teen years, high school years, college years and adulthood. In each phase, summer was about different things and spent in different ways, which makes sense given they're five different stages of my life thus far. It's fun to remember though. Let's take a brief walk down memory lane. I'm in a good, but nostalgic mood today!
Childhood
Summers of my childhood were clearly about being out of school. Running through the sprinkler with my friend J from next door. Playing at the park by my house with my cousins. Visiting the wading pool by my dad's work. Rolling down the hill at my grandma's old apartment with my cousins. Riding my bike around the block. Playing Red Light, Green Light in my driveway after dinner with just about every kid from age 5-10 on my block (this happened like one time I'm certain, it wasn't a frequent occurrence but I remember it vividly the one time it did.) Spending hours at Jes's house playing with Barbies, dolls, or swinging on her swingset. Taking a family vacation with my parents almost every year or a staycation doing things around town at least one week out of the summer. Visiting my aunt's cabin near Nisswa. Playing with friends in my backyard playhouse. Feeling like the days went on and on and would never end
Pre-teen years
As I started "coming of age" so to speak - we'll say from around 11 to 14, summers changed a bit. There were still plenty of days I hung out with friends. Jes and I traded Barbies for hunky men on the TV soap General Hospital that we'd often watch together on lazy afternoons. I started babysitting a lot and spent two to three days a week over at my cousin's house watching their three kids. I spent hours on the phone with friends who didn't live in the neighborhood so I didn't see them as often. I had sleepovers with some of them. My parents started running the Fun Fest at church so I was drug along to help with a lot of set up for that each year. I'd stay awake late and read teenage fluff and angst style books. I started being allowed to wander the mall with friends. I still did a fair amount of bike riding. We still took a family vacation. A couple of years I played on a summer soccer team. The days still felt long but started passing in more of a blur.
High school years
Summer changed in a big way by high school. Sure it was still about being out of school. But now I was old enough to work. Old enough to date. Old enough to drive. Time with friends was abandoned for time with Nate, save for the first summer we were dating and he was away at scout camp. That was one of the longest summers of my life. My bike was passed over for my first car. Free time was becoming more precious as I worked various jobs. We still took family vacations, but now I was starting to travel with Nate's family as well. My family still had a large role with Fun Fest. I began volunteering at Vacation Bible School. I attended Music Ministry Alive. The State Fair became an annual tradition with Nate. Summer started flying by faster and faster each passing year.
College years
Summer suddenly wasn't much of anything anymore. I was a diligent girl who took classes in the summer and worked a pretty steady job. I got my generals more or less done through summer session. The only vacation I took the entire time I was in college wasn't with my family or really even with Nate's - it was a trip that just he and I took to St. Louis. I didn't even move home one summer as I took on the role of Orientation Coordinator and was busy every single day, especially the closer it got to September. These are the summers I actually remember the least, just because of how much they weren't really like a true summer. It's not to say they were bad summers, but they weren't memorable.
Adult years
Summer now is better than it was in college, but definitely not the carefree summer of my youth. It still flies by. But I have had some really awesome times during the summer in my adulthood too. Even though I didn't love the job, working at Immaculate and taking the kids places like the wave pool or Valleyfair and getting paid for it, spending hours in Gina's office "working" and going on Caribou runs. Planning my wedding, being a newlywed and buying our house. Starting a new job at Fairview. Pool parties with friends. Barley Johns and other outdoor patio nights. Trips to Itasca with Nate. Brewing beer. Outdoor concerts. Golfing. Obviously no more Fun Fest or VBS, but many fun times with Praise Project. Family reunions. Another trip to St. Louis. Becoming a runner. Re-discovering my bike. Realizing the time does go by so, so fast, and trying to appreciate every single moment as it comes.
If I look at mostly the good, I do find many reasons to love summer. We just won't factor in the weather, right? Ha. Thanks for indulging me on a trip down memory lane.
Childhood
Summers of my childhood were clearly about being out of school. Running through the sprinkler with my friend J from next door. Playing at the park by my house with my cousins. Visiting the wading pool by my dad's work. Rolling down the hill at my grandma's old apartment with my cousins. Riding my bike around the block. Playing Red Light, Green Light in my driveway after dinner with just about every kid from age 5-10 on my block (this happened like one time I'm certain, it wasn't a frequent occurrence but I remember it vividly the one time it did.) Spending hours at Jes's house playing with Barbies, dolls, or swinging on her swingset. Taking a family vacation with my parents almost every year or a staycation doing things around town at least one week out of the summer. Visiting my aunt's cabin near Nisswa. Playing with friends in my backyard playhouse. Feeling like the days went on and on and would never end
Pre-teen years
As I started "coming of age" so to speak - we'll say from around 11 to 14, summers changed a bit. There were still plenty of days I hung out with friends. Jes and I traded Barbies for hunky men on the TV soap General Hospital that we'd often watch together on lazy afternoons. I started babysitting a lot and spent two to three days a week over at my cousin's house watching their three kids. I spent hours on the phone with friends who didn't live in the neighborhood so I didn't see them as often. I had sleepovers with some of them. My parents started running the Fun Fest at church so I was drug along to help with a lot of set up for that each year. I'd stay awake late and read teenage fluff and angst style books. I started being allowed to wander the mall with friends. I still did a fair amount of bike riding. We still took a family vacation. A couple of years I played on a summer soccer team. The days still felt long but started passing in more of a blur.
High school years
Summer changed in a big way by high school. Sure it was still about being out of school. But now I was old enough to work. Old enough to date. Old enough to drive. Time with friends was abandoned for time with Nate, save for the first summer we were dating and he was away at scout camp. That was one of the longest summers of my life. My bike was passed over for my first car. Free time was becoming more precious as I worked various jobs. We still took family vacations, but now I was starting to travel with Nate's family as well. My family still had a large role with Fun Fest. I began volunteering at Vacation Bible School. I attended Music Ministry Alive. The State Fair became an annual tradition with Nate. Summer started flying by faster and faster each passing year.
College years
Summer suddenly wasn't much of anything anymore. I was a diligent girl who took classes in the summer and worked a pretty steady job. I got my generals more or less done through summer session. The only vacation I took the entire time I was in college wasn't with my family or really even with Nate's - it was a trip that just he and I took to St. Louis. I didn't even move home one summer as I took on the role of Orientation Coordinator and was busy every single day, especially the closer it got to September. These are the summers I actually remember the least, just because of how much they weren't really like a true summer. It's not to say they were bad summers, but they weren't memorable.
Adult years
Summer now is better than it was in college, but definitely not the carefree summer of my youth. It still flies by. But I have had some really awesome times during the summer in my adulthood too. Even though I didn't love the job, working at Immaculate and taking the kids places like the wave pool or Valleyfair and getting paid for it, spending hours in Gina's office "working" and going on Caribou runs. Planning my wedding, being a newlywed and buying our house. Starting a new job at Fairview. Pool parties with friends. Barley Johns and other outdoor patio nights. Trips to Itasca with Nate. Brewing beer. Outdoor concerts. Golfing. Obviously no more Fun Fest or VBS, but many fun times with Praise Project. Family reunions. Another trip to St. Louis. Becoming a runner. Re-discovering my bike. Realizing the time does go by so, so fast, and trying to appreciate every single moment as it comes.
If I look at mostly the good, I do find many reasons to love summer. We just won't factor in the weather, right? Ha. Thanks for indulging me on a trip down memory lane.
6/21/12
New plan
I finished the Soul Detox plan yesterday. And I feel good. Refreshed. Spiritually fed. Still far from perfect however. None of us will ever be perfect though, I think that is next to impossible.
I'm staying with the She Reads Truth girls and going on to the new plan they've chosen and again from day one, feel like this is no accident and it's meant for me. They've chosen one called "Living the Surrendered Life." It is such a great follow up to the Soul Detox.
The first line in the daily devotion is about worry. It goes on to talking about learning to trust and not borrowing trouble from tomorrow. Now, this isn't to say I carry the weight of the world in worries - but I do have a nervous personality, I do think too far ahead sometimes and sometimes, I let it consume me. So this plan's gonna be good. I got my feet wet with the last plan, now I'm ready to dive in all the way. Let's do this.
I'm staying with the She Reads Truth girls and going on to the new plan they've chosen and again from day one, feel like this is no accident and it's meant for me. They've chosen one called "Living the Surrendered Life." It is such a great follow up to the Soul Detox.
The first line in the daily devotion is about worry. It goes on to talking about learning to trust and not borrowing trouble from tomorrow. Now, this isn't to say I carry the weight of the world in worries - but I do have a nervous personality, I do think too far ahead sometimes and sometimes, I let it consume me. So this plan's gonna be good. I got my feet wet with the last plan, now I'm ready to dive in all the way. Let's do this.
6/18/12
Shake it out
Some jumbles of thoughts for today.
We had an up and down weekend. In the end we sold our Rock the Garden tickets. I'm glad to have gotten my money for it but bummed we didn't go especially when the weather cleared up. In all honestly I should have sold our tickets right away, Nate was never excited about going. And I'm not trying to make him out to be the bad guy, the lineup just wasn't his cup of tea this year. Had we gone, I am sure he would not have had all that much fun which would have led to me not having that much fun. So, we made the decision and stuck with it and what's done is done. Maybe we'll try again next year, maybe not.
We did have a good Father's Day, celebrating with both of our dads and it was quite lovely. It was nice to do something nice for them since they do so much for us!
My fashion blog turned one year old on Saturday. I can't believe I've been at it for a year. I know I do tend to favor that one over this one, but I'm trying hard to be balance both again.
Speaking of blogs, Nate has stepped into the world of blogging! I'm quite proud of him, he has started a homebrewing blog, right now he's attempting to update it weekly. You can find him at www.pantsmonkeybrewing.com - he really tries to explain the brewing process in layman's terms and it's quite interesting. Show him some love, it's really pretty good. (I made the awesome banner that is at the top of his blog).
Still been making my way through the Soul Detox, almost finished with it. I got a little off path from it late last week and into the weekend, letting little things get to me and kind of let myself wallow for a little bit, but I pulled myself out and I'm back on track and feeling better. I've been thinking a lot about the Florence and the Machine song "Shake It Out" and the line "It's hard to dance with a devil on your back, so shake it off." So I'm choosing to shake it all off - the weekend, the little things, the storm clouds, I'm shaking it off because I'd rather be dancing. The summer is young yet and there is still time for other fun things to happen. And I'm human and I'm going to have bad days sometimes, but I'm going to try hard not to let that devil climb back up there.
And that's what I got today. On we go.
We had an up and down weekend. In the end we sold our Rock the Garden tickets. I'm glad to have gotten my money for it but bummed we didn't go especially when the weather cleared up. In all honestly I should have sold our tickets right away, Nate was never excited about going. And I'm not trying to make him out to be the bad guy, the lineup just wasn't his cup of tea this year. Had we gone, I am sure he would not have had all that much fun which would have led to me not having that much fun. So, we made the decision and stuck with it and what's done is done. Maybe we'll try again next year, maybe not.
We did have a good Father's Day, celebrating with both of our dads and it was quite lovely. It was nice to do something nice for them since they do so much for us!
My fashion blog turned one year old on Saturday. I can't believe I've been at it for a year. I know I do tend to favor that one over this one, but I'm trying hard to be balance both again.
Speaking of blogs, Nate has stepped into the world of blogging! I'm quite proud of him, he has started a homebrewing blog, right now he's attempting to update it weekly. You can find him at www.pantsmonkeybrewing.com - he really tries to explain the brewing process in layman's terms and it's quite interesting. Show him some love, it's really pretty good. (I made the awesome banner that is at the top of his blog).
Still been making my way through the Soul Detox, almost finished with it. I got a little off path from it late last week and into the weekend, letting little things get to me and kind of let myself wallow for a little bit, but I pulled myself out and I'm back on track and feeling better. I've been thinking a lot about the Florence and the Machine song "Shake It Out" and the line "It's hard to dance with a devil on your back, so shake it off." So I'm choosing to shake it all off - the weekend, the little things, the storm clouds, I'm shaking it off because I'd rather be dancing. The summer is young yet and there is still time for other fun things to happen. And I'm human and I'm going to have bad days sometimes, but I'm going to try hard not to let that devil climb back up there.
And that's what I got today. On we go.
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