Birthday Weekend

Last weekend it was my birthday, and I have to say... it was probably the most "low key" birthday I have had, and I loved it! On Friday afternoon, Tiana and I spent time together. We ate lunch, then Tiana took me to get a pedicure. We also went out to Greenwoods Nursery to check out the crazy days deals, but didn't find anything we were really interested in, so we went to the farm to play with the pup.

Friday evening, Chris and I spent time with Beth on the deck, and then we went to the Kesteloots for a bonfire (this is were the cat came into the conversation). Saturday morning we got Mauser, and my parents came to visit on Saturday. I got a couple gifts that were much need, such as a rain guage and a hose reel. BUT, I also received my new fishing shirt, which I absolutely adore!

The rest of the weekend, Chris and I spent around the farm. Relaxing and admist the neverending unpacking! I was a great weekend that won't soon be forgotten!

Mauser

I would like to introduce Mauser!

The neighbor guys were working on the garage this weekend and noticed that we have some mice, so they thought they should bring us a cat. Personally I think they were looking to get rid of a cat... but the more the merrier!


When I got up on Saturday morning, Mauser was at our house. She's adorable, and in full playful kitten mode! Ruger seems to really like her, she has become her new favorite chew toy! By Sunday night Mauser figured out that if she just lays still, eventually Ruger gets bored with her and moves on.


Ruger is growing fast! She's filled with puppy antics, and thoroughly enjoys chewing on everything and everyone!

The New Farm

At the beginning of the month, Chris and I moved to a nearby farm. It has been quite an adjustment... but a very exciting one at that. We are glad to be back to our roots! On Saturday afternoon, Ruger and I decided to take a stroll around the property and snap a few pictures to share.
This is part of our front yard. We have many fully grown trees and a bunch of new ones that were recently planted. Ruger likes to "play" with these baby ones and is quickly learning the meaning of the words "no" and "naughty puppy."

Here is the house. Quite small compared to what we are used to, but we are making good use of the space. We are learning to downsize and come up with unique ways to use space that we normally wouldn't have. The house just got new shingles and is looking forward to updated windows. The garage is still an eyesore but will be getting an upgrade by the summer's end!

We still have some fixing up to do around the farm, mainly what Chris calls "beautification." Next weekend we are going to put the rest of the lattice on the porch and the deck, put out my bird stuff and plant some flowers. I'm totally excited!

Here is one of our favorite features, the windmill! No longer functioning, but I still think is it neat and is just another one of the things that adds a lot of character to the farm!

And of course... heres Ruger... excited about running around the farm together, extremely hyper! And then showing off her "creepy" smile!

Moving & Additions

Hello once again! Figured it was time for an update! Things have been crazy lately!

Chris and I just moved onto a farm, located about seven miles away from where we used to live. this has been a chaotic, yet exciting, move! I'm beginning to remember all of the things I loved about the farm, and those that I didn't care for...

We have a rather tiny place, but we finally a YARD again!!! We are continuing to get settled in and making it feel like home. In the process we are battling bugs (flies and yellow jackets mainly) and of course Chris enjoys my freak-outs when I see a mouse in the garage!

However, the most exciting part so far is that we got a puppy! Her name is Ruger! Chris chose the name, because apparently it is a kind of gun, and most of us know what a fan he is. I agreed because it sounded "cute." Ruger was supposed to be a boy, but as soon as I laid eyes on her, I knew she was the one and I didn't care that she wasn't a he! She is a cross between a yellow lab and a great pyrenees; she may have been an accidental puppy, but she's our little "love-puppy."

So, everyone meet our little Ruger!

(Please excuse the browning grass!)

Walk MS

The first weekend in May, I was asked to lend a helping had at the MS walk in Willmar. As some of you know, Chris’s sister was diagnosed with MS a little over four years ago. Since the diagnosis, his family as become extremely involved with the Minnesota Chapter of the National MS Society and all of their efforts to raise money towards finding a cure.

As one of their many efforts, Chris’s family was a key driver in running “Walk MS” this past weekend. They had over 100 walkers attend this event, raising over $10,000. One of my favorite groups to watch was “The Blue Crew” (wearing yellow). They were a group of Best Buy employees and their families. The Blue Crew actually had some runners… these runners finished the 5K route before I could even get the finish line set up!

All-in-all we had beautiful weather and a great turnout! A sunny afternoon filled with family, friends and fun!

Chris’s family and I will once again be participating this August in “Ride MS.” Ride MS is a motorcycle tour through Minnesota and Wisconsin; this two-day event provides hope and encouragement for those living with MS across the nation. Because Chris’s mom and I don’t ride, we volunteer and drive the truck/trailer behind Chris’s sister in case she needs to take a break.

Right now I am in the process of raising money for this event by organizing events near my hometown and receiving donations for the silent auction. If anyone would like to help, please let me know. Any monetary donations can be submitted by clicking on the webpage below.

UPDATES!!!

So after six months or so, I figured it was about time for an update!

November
November kicked off with a trip to Duluth (as seen in my last post). The month continued to be full with working both Schwan’s and Movie Gallery. I attended a Vikings game with my family, and was happy to have witnessed the Vikes beating the Packers at a home game! November ended with a wedding, a weekend with just DaShawn and myself, and of course Thanksgiving with the family.

December
The crazy holidays continued… making December full of family! Lots happening no matter where I was, and as always the Toys-For-Tots drive. Chris also moved in during December making my townhouse seem smaller and far more cluttered, but it typically seems just about right! Sad Note – December also marked the graduation of one of my best girls, Kim. We all knew it was coming, but it was sad to see her go. She headed down to Kentucky to pursue a new career along with her daughter, Theran. (We offered to keep Theran, but for some reason Kim wasn’t understanding…)

January
The year started off extremely busy. It seemed as though both jobs were taking their toll. The girls made sure to get me out at least once a week, and there was a shopping day with Mom and Tiana. With all the chaos a break was needed, so we ended the month with a trip to the Toughest Man’s Rodeo with family members.

February & March
The months are supposed to be filled with Love and Luck, but for me it was filled with travel. There were numerous trips to the cities for various events, including working in the MS booth at the International Motorcycle Convention and SIFE Regionals. Chris, his dad and myself volunteered one weekend to work at the convention in the MS booth registering riders for the charitable motorcycle tour this summer. And I made sure to head down to the cities for SIFE Regionals to watch my little brother present for the DSU SIFE team, in addition to cheering on my former SMSU SIFE team. March also marked my last days at Movie Gallery, deciding to leave so that I had more time to spend with family and friends, not to mention housework… boo…

That brings us to April, while the month is nearly over, I thought I would mention some of the highlights. The month started with a trip to Fargo and last weekend we attended a bridal shower. Sunday night, Schwan’s was a star on the hit TV show The Celebrity Apprentice! Be sure to check out the new products at http://www.schwans.com/. (I so deserve a raise!)

Spring has come, and with that it was time to put out my bird feeders! As of right now, my selection of birds has been limited to purple finches, but given that I live in a newer development with very few trees (none of which as full grown) and no water, I am happy that I have attracted birds at all. Chris is not a fan, as they love to hang out on his grill…

This month I have also attempted to start up a few new hobbies, like there isn’t enough going on already. I’ve tried my hand at knitting, and have to admit, I am not very impressive… I guess I need to start taking lessons from my cousin! But, last weekend I also gave quilting a shot, and I am proud to say I have completed my first quilt!


I made it out of old jeans and flannel shirts, leaving all the seams exposed so that they would fray. I also used my handy-dandy embroidery machine to embroider one of the corner squares. I plan on giving the quilt to a silent auction later this summer for the MS River Road Run.

Last Tuesday, I was able to go see my favorite little man in the world! The little guy celebrated his third birthday today! It’s hard to believe that he is getting to be so big!

Last, but certainly not least... this weekend I worked on my mom's birthday gift... I embroidered her a brown sweatshirt that had "Fish Whisperer" in pink writing on it. She loved it! Happy Birthday Mom!!!

Minnesota Oddities!!!

I am only as strong as the coffee I drink, the hairspray I use and the friends I have.

On November 1st my best girl (Beth) and I set out on a road trip. We decided a week earlier that we just needed a weekend away... so we decided to go to Duluth! A three day trip that would not be about the destination, but about the journey! There will be a few posts on this trip (or at least that is the plan), so I thought I would start out with the oddities! We recalculated our route so that we may see more of what Minnesota has to offer! Enjoy!

This is one of my favorite photos, yes it is simply us in the car, BUT we are in Wisconson! We crossed the bridge, but once we got there... we were scared to get out of the car, so I guess this is as good as it gets for the cheesehead state!

Here are some of the roadside attractions we saw during the weekend. Some of our favorites including the world's largest ball of twine, the grasshopper church in cold springs, a pantsless man, and our most favorite... a random guy chillin' in his trunk!

This is my favorite picture of the whole trip, and the very first picture taken! It makes me think of that tune... "which one of these is not like the other ones, which one of these just doesn't belong"... do you see which one doesn't belong?!