Better Together

Yesterday was a rough day. All my frustration and emotions about Andi's new job and our lack of QT together finally came to a head. So, I did the two things that make me feel whole again: wrote my thoughts down and called my Mom to vent. After a two hour conversation (me talking; my Mom listening), I calmed down. And today I feel better.

When Andi came home last night, we talked about my frustration with our lack of time together. He asked me what the solution was. I said I had no clue. I don't expect him to let his company faulter because I need him to be home every night. But I don't want to feel like this forever either. The answer's clear as mud.

This morning we got up and went to breakfast. It was nice to catch up. Nice to spend quality time. We're always better when we're together.

Andi's back to work now. I'm heading to the Gopher football game shortly. What am I going to be on this Halloween night? A Marketing Manager :)  I'm handing out treats to kids dressed up at the stadium tonight so that'll be fun. Here's hoping tonight flies by like a witch on a broom!

Tomorrow I get to spend time with my Husband. We're going to pick up his new car! Ah, Sunday Funday.

Struggling to find a work/life balance

Six days you shall labor, but on the seventh day you shall rest;
even during the plowing season and harvest you must rest.
Exodus 34:21

I'm struggling. Finding it challenging to be the supportive wife I know I should be. It's no secret to Andi, or any of our friends or family for that matter, that I require quality time in my relationships. Remember the book The Five Love Languages? I use that book as an expression of my feelings. I feel my love tank emptying. QT has been a real challenge the last few weeks as Andi's started his new company. I knew this would happen going into it; how could it not when he (and 2 other people) are building a company from the ground up. Doing the work of 10-15 people. Selling business. Schmoozing clients. But I'm selfish in saying I want the best of both worlds. I want my husband to be challenged and driven professionally and I want my husband to be home at 5pm, making dinner and curling up on the couch watching good primetime tv.

I'm not saying my life isn't busy. And I'm definitely not sitting at home, waiting for him to walk in the door. I'm busy with my full-time job and working part-time at Let's Dish. Busy meeting girlfriends for happy hour and busy trying to keep our house clean so when my husband is home we can spend time together. I like my alone time too. But I miss my husband.

I'm just struggling. And getting myself all worked up, which is something I'm good at doing. And I'm pms-ing, which makes everything feel more EXTREME than it probably is in reality.

This week Andi was sick. And I know it was because he's working way too hard and not taking care of himself. I worry about him running himself down. A good work / life is healthy for everyone.

So, I'm prayfully working to support my husband. Asking God to help us balance work and life. Asking God to take care of Andi; to give him strength and wisdom to lead his company. Asking God for strength and patience as he achieves his dream.

Thanks for letting me vent. I needed it.

Nothing Doin'

I have a case of Blogger block. Seriously.

There's nothing interesting happening in my life this week. Nothing worth noting. Super, duper average. And I guess average is good sometimes.

Andi came home sick from work yesterday. We're not sure if it's the pig flu (he says maybe; I say no). I think he's overly exhausted from working non-stop for the last few weeks. He's up and at work before the sun comes up and not home until I'm already in bed most nights. Love his dedication and drive ... but it's gotta be catching up with him. Although, it must be said - I don't have the greatest bedside manner so if he's really sick, sorry for doubting you Husband.

I have tonight free to myself and I'm so darn EXCITED I can barely contain myself. I'm not sure what I'll do with myself. Maybe clean my house (not that I really want to do that). Maybe go to the grocery store. Maybe make Shepard's Pie Casserole or a pot of chili. Hmmm... the opportunities are endless.

It doesn't take much to please me...

Randoms inside my bubble today:

ONE: The street light is FINALLY functional again by our main office at work. I know this sounds like a silly thing to be so darn excited about ... but it was seriously a pain in my neck. For the last 2 months, the construction on Highway 280 has forced the street leading to my office into a four-way stop situation. And apparently there was a secret code of lanes to follow that only people who drove this way every AM and PM knew about. Much honking insued. My feeling were hurt many times. But all is good now.

TWO: I am so totally obsessed with nachos from Zoca, a Mexican concept we oprerate at the U. I think about them day and night. The way the cheese melts; how salty the chips are...I need serious help.

THREE: We bought a new down comforter, duvet cover and sheets with some of our wedding gift cards. I am in absolute heaven! Last night Andi said, "Man, our bed is so comfortable." And strangely, I was thinking the exact same thing at the same time. THAT'S how wonderful it is.

FOUR: It's been a few days since I got my Jetta back from the auto body shop. At first, I was a little gun-shy driving it since I hadn't in over 3 weeks. But now we're in our groove...and I'm so, so happy to have my car back! One of the best things? Having satellite radio again. I'm such a creature of habit and LOVE listening to Headline News on my way home from work. Welcome back Jane Velez-Mitchell, Nancy Grace and Prime News!

FIVE: TV trays. When's the last time you used one? We got two for a shower gift and might I just say they are AMAZING. Who knew? We often eat dinner with our butts planted in the sofa, watching tv (I know, some great quality time together right?) and tv trays make this experience so much better. They're great for writing notes or as a computer desk for my laptop. Best gift of the year. You may all be getting them as Christmas presents.

SIX: Speaking of, I'm ready to bypass Thanksgiving and move onto Christmas. Ready for Christmas music. Ready to decorate my house. Ready to spend a week in Nebraska at my parent's house. Ready, ready, ready.

SEVEN: Facebook protocol...do you every friend someone you don't know? A friend of a friend who I've never met "friended" me today. I felt bad by not accepting this person, but I've seriously never met them. Does this happen to you? And what's the rule of thumb? Accept and then block? Deny all the way? Accept and roll with it? I'm all on-the-fence.

EIGHT: I have to work the Gopher football game on Halloween night. And I'm really not that upset about it (other than the working part, that stinks). Halloween is my least favorite holiday. I'm looking forward to watching all the drunk jackasses at the stadium stumble all over themselves and then go home, get up on Sunday and feel good (when everyone else will be all hungover and feeling like garbage).

NINE: Still loving Starbucks VIA. Have y'all tried it yet?! We just bought these new reusable coffee cups that look like trendy coffee shop cups ... aren't they cute? It makes drinking my VIA even better!

TEN: I'm happy. No particular reason...just, life is good. Gotta love it.

Oh where in the world should we go?

I remember when Andi and I first started "talking." I lived in Sioux Falls; he lived in Minneapolis (in his grandma's basement, ha!). We weren't officially 'dating' but we talked on the phone for hours every night.  One night we talked about our "things I absolutely love" list. I said celebrity gossip; Andi said traveling. Neither of which the other was very familiar with! But we both vowed to teach the other all about our obsessions.

Cut to four years later ...

I'm not sure Andi can recite every celebrity couple, their kids names and favorite hang outs ... but I did develop a LOVE for traveling. Thank you Husband for blessing me with the travel bug.  We try to take a couple trips a year, even if they're just little weekend ones. So far, we've been to ...

Nassau, Bahamas (December 2005)

Mazatlan, Mexico (March 2006)

San Francisco, California (September 2006)

Kauai, Hawaii (December 2006)

Denver, Colorado (July 2007)

Sanibel Island, Florida (December 2007)

Caribbean Cruise - Honduras, Belize, Cozumel, Bahamas (February 2008)

Anna Maria Island, Florida (December 2008)

Panama (January 2009)

Thailand (August 2009)

Still on our travel bucket list:?

• Seattle, Washington
• San Diego, California
• Key West, Florida
• Montana
• Yellowstone National Park / Wyoming
• The Grand Canyon
• The Black Hills / Mount Rushmore (dumb, I know...we should have visited when I lived there)!
• The Boundry Water - Ely, Minnesota
• New York City, New York
• Charlston, South Carolina
• Europe
• Puerto Rico
• Australia

Andi told me last night he won't be able to take a big trip in 2010 (gasp!) ... with him starting his own business this year we'll probably have to take smaller weekend trips. So, my question to you friends: any great destinations we just HAVE to check out next year? Gotta squeeze some fun trips in before the babies come!

You win some, you lose some (but we prefer winning)

In 1977, my parents got married.  Also that year: the last time the Nebraska Cornhuskers lost to the Iowa State Cyclones. Saturday's game (the one we drove down to Lincoln to see) was the other. [insert sad face here].

We drove down to Nebraska on Friday night and stopped in Omaha to stay with our friends Ashley and Neal. Destination Omaha is so much nicer than driving another 1.5 hours to my parents house! We got in about 10:30 pm and stayed up for a few hours drinking Blood Thirsty cocktails (Ashley's Halloween recipe) and catching up. 

Saturday, we got up early and headed down to Lincoln to tailgate. You know, I was so excited when I checked the weather on Friday and saw the game-day forecast for 60's and sunny. (So much better than this Minnesota crap weather I'm used to dealing with)! Unfortunately, the ACTUAL game-day weather was 50 (at best), cloudy and rain. How disappointed I was -- I planfully picked out a cute, form-fitting red turtleneck to wear with with my black down vest. And since it was cold, I had to add a black sweatshirt and borrow leapord print gloves from my friend Ash.

At the tailgate ...

Neal (in his happy place)

All the girls (L to R: Ash, Me, Val and Becky)

Neal and his favorite girls

Andi and I
(not the best pic of me ... here's hoping my friends send me a better one if they've got it)

All the best Minnesotans are Nebraska fans!

(from L to R: Andi, Me, Suzanne, Corey)

The game was the less-desireable part of the day. Eight turnovers. Seven points. You do the math. To say we didn't play our best is an understatement. But Andi and I did eat a Runza (and a hot dog, nachos and caramel corn). I guess you could say we found other ways to entertain ourselves!

At the game ...

Memorial Stadium

View from the top (can't see the players? yea, I couldn't either ...)

Tunnel Walk & Huskers running on the field

After the game, we drove back to Ashley & Neal's house in Omaha to watch more football and order pizza. We played our new game, Buzz Word, which we got as a wedding gift. May I just say that I ROCK at this game! It will now become a game-night staple in our household.

Took this photo of Chloe and Kota (Ashley & Neal's pup) snoozing on the couch together. How cute is this?! They act like they hate each other ... but we know the truth. :)

Drove home from Nebraska today. While we didn't have the best game-day experience, we did have a great time tailigating with our besties and eating delicous Nebraska foods. And, we'll always love our Huskers. Here we go Nebraska, here we go!

ps...I wasn't even hungover today (which was a GREAT accomplishment over the last two weekends). Hey, little steps are big ones in my book :)

All my bags are packed ...

Is this not the cutest thing ever?

Whenever we leave for a trip, Chloe knows it. And she wants to make sure we don't leave her behind.  So, she jumps onto our bags (or sometimes in our suitcases) as a last-ditch attempt to say "Hey! Don't forget me!"

Don't worry Chloe, you're headed to Nebraska too ...

Buttery Toffee Cookies

Baked those Buttery Toffee Cookies tonight. Super easy!

Here's the recipe:

1/2 c. (1 stick) sweet cream butter (softened)

1/2 c. sugar1 egg

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1 1/4 c. flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. baking soda

6 oz. pkg. Heath Bar Bits

Cream first 4 ingredients. Beat until light and fluffy (3 or 4 minutes). Add dry ingredients. Mix on low. Stir in toffee. Drop from teaspoon on cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes at 350 degrees on greased sheet.

This is a new recipe I'm trying so I'll have to let you know if they're any good. Actually we'll let Andi be the judge - they're his favorite kind of cookie!

Something's taken ahold of me ...

I'm feeling all domesticated lately. There's something about fall that makes me wanna pull on comfy pants and hoodie sweatshirts and bake goodies that fill my house with yummy aromas like cinammon and pumpkin spice. I've been craving comfort foods like Tator Tot Hot Dish and Homeade Chili. It might be because life slows down a bit when this season rolls around - time to focus more on home and family instead of the crazy, blur summer always is.

Before I go any further, I must pause to include all my non-Minnesotan friends in the secret that is "hot dish." What is hot dish, you ask? (as I did when I first moved to Minnesota). Hot dish is this: a casserole baked in Minnesota. And, every true-blooded Minnesotan has their own version of Tator Tot Hot Dish ... a delicous and tummy-warming blend of cream of [insert your favorite variety here] soup, tator tots, hamburger and your choice vegetable. As I introduced Andi to all things Nebraska wonderful (Husker football, Runzas and Valentino's pizza) so, too, Andi introduced me to Tator Tot Hot Dish. And it's been a winter diet staple ever since.

So, Andi's working on a video shoot for one of his clients tonight. It's just me and my little dog Chloe. Here's my list of to do's for this evening:

• Hit up Target to get some groceries, something cute to wear this weekend and a pumpkin
• Bake Andi some toffee cookies to snack on during the drive home tomorrow
• Give Chloe a bath
• Carve a pumpkin for my front porch
• Watch Grey's Anatomy (sorry Andi ... I'm not waiting)

Back to recipes ... anyone have a tasty, fall/wintertime recipe they wanna share? I'd better grab this domestic wifey cooking vibe by the horns ... who knows how long it'll stick around!

Go Big Red!

Driving down to Nebraska this weekend for the Nebraska / Iowa State football game. I'm super excited this weekend is finally here! The plan is to drive down Friday night after Andi gets off work, stay the night in Omaha at my best friend Ashley's house and go to the game on Saturday in Lincoln. Our friends Val & Brionn are also coming down from the Cities, as well as my friend Suzanne from work and her husband. Plenty of people to tailgate with on Saturday!

Going to a Nebraska game was on my bucket list this fall. It's so important to me to go back to my roots and share in one of the greatest experiences of my state - Nebraska football at Memorial Stadium. Unless you've been there, it's hard to comprehend how cool it is.

Going back this weekend makes me think of the first time Andi came to a Husker game with me. It was October 2007 and we'd been dating for just over a year. He wasn't sure what to expect (he's not the biggest mass sports fan) and while I tried to explain it to him, he just couldn't grasp the concept. I remember buying him a Nebraksa football t-shirt and hoodie sweatshirt to wear and about falling off my chair when he asked me why he had to wear it. "Because you'll be the ONLY ONE not wearing Husker clothes!!!" I said. Once we started to walk toward the stadium and he saw the floods of people all dressed in red rushing to the stadium, he got it. It's hard to describe the feeling that comes over you when you're there. It's a pure rush of excitement and pride for your home team!

Here's a few snapshots from that game in Oct 2007

Fun things to look forward to this weekend:

• Eating a Runza at the game
• Sitting in the "Red Seats" premium section (first time this weekend! whoot!)
• Tailgating outside the stadium and at the Embassy Suites party
• Meeting up with my cousin Tyler at his tailgate
• Stopping by my cousin Jen's house in Lincoln
• Spending time with Ashley & Neal and Val & Brionn
• QT with Andi on the drive to & from Nebraska

Updates to come next week about our fun weekend trip!

Currently in October ...

I love this monthly check-in I found on a blog I follow. And since there's nothing especially interesting about my life the last 2 days ...

-

Current Books: I'm in the middle of Omnivore's Dilemmia by Michael Pollen but truthfully haven't picked it up much in the last few weeks. I am also reading The Bible some as I work on our weekly God & Money class.

-

Current Playlist: John Mayer (always), Owl City, Dixie Chicks
-

Current Guilty Pleasure: Celebrity gossip (People.com, US Weekly), gin & tonics

-

Current Color: Black. It's my solid rock.

-
Current Drink: Starbucks VIA (have you tried it?) Pretty good and super convenient

-
Current Food: Zoca Nachos (a Mexican brand at the U of MN)

-
Current Favorite Show: That's hard to pick one since TV is so good right now ... MadMen, How I Met Your Mother, Grey's Anatomy, Desperate Housewives, John & Kate Plus 8 (I wish I could say I've vetoed this show but I'm still watching ... )

-

Current Wishlist: More QT with my husband. A stronger relationship with the Lord. A 3-day vacation with Andi. A pumpkin to carve :)

-

Current Needs: More time. I feel like my wheels are spinning and there's no time to get anything done.

-
Current Triumphs: Committment to God & Money class, completing all my fall clean-up in my yard, getting coverage in the MN Daily for a good sustainability report card at work.

-
Current Bane Of My Existence: My car ... and the drama of dealing with insurance companies. I just want my car back!!!!!!!!!!

-
Current Celebrity Crush: Hmm ... Jon Hamm from Mad Men. So sexy ...

-
Current Indulgence: Chips and ice cream. Internet.

-
Current Blessing: My husband. Do you ever have a moment where you realize EVERYTHING in your life is perfect? I don't think many people have that ... and I'm living it right now. Happy life.

-
Current Slang: I don't know .. but I'm sure all of you do :)

-
Current Outfit: Jeans, long-sleeve t's, hoodies, vests. Loving fall clothes right now

-
Current Excitement: Husker game this weekend! Woot-Woot!

-
Current Mood: Dreading work at Let's Dish! ... looking forward to being done with that commitment for a while

-
Current Link: USPS Premium Postcard. That's what we used to send our wedding thank you's -- great site!

Closet Time!

I FINALLY cleaned my closet today. Man, what a job! It's been months of digging through a gigantic mass of shoes, overturned piles of work pants and unorganized sections of shirts. Just this morning, I slid half-way across my bedroom wood floor on a pile of plastic hangers and almost broke my neck. (The look on Chloe's face, as she watched from my bed, was priceless).

I'm not usually one to let a mess pile up but with the wedding, then honeymoon, then fall opening at school, then our recent wedding reception, the mess just grew and grew. And, when it's nice outside on the weekend, the last thing you want to be doing is cleaning your closet. So, I simply shut the door and hid the clutter. Until today. Andi's working at his office right now, so I had a few hours by myself to tackle the job.

I wish I would have taken a "before" photo. But truthfully, I was so overwhelmed at the disaster site I didn't even think of it. (Let's pretend this was how my closet appeared - I actually searched Google to find this photo for effect)

And now ...

Ta Dah!

View from closet door front

View down closet cooridor (we live in an old house so I have a small, oddly-shaped closet)

The 30 gallon trash bag FULL of clothes I'm donating to Goodwill (I love the comparison to Chloe in the bottom-right. You can tell how full and large the bag of chothes is compared to her little 5lb body)

Next project: Andi's closet.
Due to our small closet spaces, he keeps his clothes in the spare bedroom closet which is EVEN SMALLER than mine. It needs help too ...

But not today ...

A Simple Thank You

As I'm writing thank you's post-wedding reception, I'm wondering to myself: Is the thank you note becoming extinct? I can count on both hands the number of gifts I've given in the last year to which I have yet to receive a thank you note. And this blows my mind.

I was raised to write thank you's immediately following every birthday, holiday and special event. And, over the years, it's become a natural way for me to express my sincere gratitude and appreciation for a thoughtful gift someone's given me. I love when a thank you note arrives in my mailbox as it tells me how special the gift I researched, planned and presented to someone was received. Is this practice becoming a lost art?

If so, I refuse to jump on the bandwagon. Tonight, I'm sending out thank you's to all those who attending our wedding reception last weekend. Andi and I decided to send them via PremiumPostcards.com -- a fabulous service provided by the United States Postal Service. Check it out! For the price of a stamp, you can upload an image, insert your message and send a postcard to anyone in the world.

To those who attended the reception, check your mailbox for a nice note from us coming your way!

Winter Bucket List

Believe it or not, I'm looking forward to winter. There's something warm and cozy about wearing fuzzy slippers and snuggling under lots of blankets with someone you love. Life also slows down in the wintertime and reminds us to spend time with our family and friends.

I've also been putting off a few things lately. Life's been busy with the wedding, honeymoon, reception and fall opening at work. I finally find myself able to breathe in and out - winter means family, home and relationships.

Bucket List for Winter 2009

• Clean out / build shelving / reorganize basement
• Clean out / reorganize our closets
• Donate unwanted items to reuse centers / sell on CraigsList
• Go on the Summit Brewery Tour in St Paul
• Spend a day at the Afton Alps Ski Resort
• Make baby scrapbooks for our 4 pregnant couple friends
• Finish our wedding / honeymoon scrapbook
• Make Christmas cards
• Take a long 3-day weekend trip with Andi
• Make a turkey dinner
• Host a game night with our friends
• Bake Christmas goodies & give them away
• Volunteer at church
• Visit our friends Derrick & Ellie in Chicago
• Decorate for Christmas

Anything else I can't miss out on this winter?

Best Night Ever

http://www.itwasthebestnightever.com/

Marshall's video on Monday's How I Met Your Mother episode

HIMYM - tv imitating life?

Do you watch the tv show How I Met Your Mother?
OMG. Best show ever!

Last night's episode was especially funny; in running order:

- The Sexless Inkeeper (going home with someone, then faking to be asleep only to stay at someone's house closer than your own)
- Full of poems and songs by Marshall (awesome - reminds me of the movie Forgetting Sarah Marshall)
- Marshall and Lily's couples date nights
- the end of the episode - standing in the rain all "long lost lover-ish"

If you saw the episode, you know that Lily and Marshall invited Barney and Robin over for a couples date night. And they had a miserable time because M & L completely over-processed the date night with food offerings, games and a creepy friend video to follow. Andi and I were wondering if we're more like M&L or B&R?

We think Marshall & Lily.

We, too, make creepy videos of our life and force our friends to watch them. (sorry all)

Your vote? Who are we more alike: Lily & Marshall or Barney & Robin?

Reception Photos: First Cut

Hot off the press! Just received a few wedding reception photos from our photographer, Scott Haraldson Photography. I think they turned out fantastic! Take a look:

Wedding Reception Quick Takes

Only three words come to mind: CRAZY, FUN TIMES.

I said this about a hundred times over the weekend ... and I'll say it again: It is sooooo much fun to have a party with ALL the people you love in one room! Why don't people do that more often?

We hosted our wedding reception on Saturday night and it was so, so, so much fun! There are too many awesome memories to count - here's a few quick takes:

ONE: Big Shout Out!
... to my Mom & Dad, Ash & Neal, Cheri & Norm, Jen & Zach and Marcy & Mat who traveled from Nebraska to celebrate with us! Also Derrick & Ellie who came in from Chicago and Mel & Brent who drove in from Sioux Falls. It truly meant so much to me (us!) they came all the way to Saint Paul to celebrate our marriage!

TWO: Old Friends

Andi said it ... and it's true. I am truly happier when Nebraska comes to visit. There's just nothing like your best friend of 23 years spending time in your 'hood. If I could, I would put those moments in a glass jar and keep them forever. We went to Tiff's Bar on Friday night to grab a few drinks with Ashley, Neal, Val & Brionn. It's those moments that make me miss living back home.

Ashley & I

THREE: Farmer's Market Find
Some people spend hundreds of dollars on flowers for their wedding / reception. We spent $10 on two huge bouquets. Stopped by the Farmer's Market on Saturday morning and picked up these beautiful flowers - what a find!

My parents LOVED the Saint Paul Farmer's Market. It was great to share one of Andi & I's favorite weekend activities with them.

FOUR: The wedding reception itself was everything that Andi and I imagined it to be. We loved how the photos showcased in the gallery, loved the way everyone mingled around (lots of smiles and laughter) and loved how warm and energetic the party felt all night long. I loved seeing everyone I care about so much and only wish there would have been more time to chat with everyone who came. We are so truly blessed to have a wonderful family and group of friends.

FIVE: Cut to the after party .... We walked down the street to The Happy Gnome to celebrate with some of our closest friends following the reception. That's when things got a little out of hand ... but so, so much fun! Take a look a few photos from the night:

Our friend Adam (and wedding singer!) & I

Andi & Derrick

Marcy & I

Andi & I

From L to R: Andi, Val and Lindsay

SIX: Our cab driver might have been wanted.
We all hopped in a cab and drove the few blocks home after bar close. As we were approaching our house, the cab driver started to freak out because he noticed a car following him closely. The cab whipped into the Walgreens parking lot and dumped us out in the parking lot! Little did we know, it was our friend Adam following us to our house.

So, we capitalized on the opportunity and bought a few frozen pizzas from Walgreens then hopped in with Adam for the drive 2 blocks down to our house.

At some point during this time, Andi found a women's belt and fastened it around his head. We still aren't sure where this belt came from ... or who it belongs to ... so ladies: if you're missing a belt it's at the Dickson Lost & Found.

SEVEN: The trees puked on me"
In a drunken stupor, Andi ran to the corner of the yard at 4AM to yak, only to somersault over the big, blue planter and land face-first into the evergreen trees. As he got back up, the bush flung back all the yak yak he'd just unloaded. Andi shows back up 20 minutes later saying, "the trees puked on me."

Needless to say, Andi and I woke up on Sunday morning in bad shape. But it was worth it, so worth it. We had the most amazing time at our wedding reception. It was one for the record books! Thanks to all of you who shared in the memories.