Merry Christmas!

It has been a whirlwind of a couple of weeks, but I am happy to say that I am officially back in MN!  Tom and I have been here almost a week and it is so nice to be together almost all the time.  I always felt bad that he wasn't in Chicago to see my belly grow each day, and that he would just have to get a weekly update whenever we were together.  Now he can be present for everything, like it or not! 

Before we left I had one more Doctor appointment for my Glucose Screening and my ultrasound.  Thank heavens that Glucose test is done- that liquid was NASTY!!  You have a drink a liter of ultra-sugary "fruit punch" in 5 minutes and then wait for an hour to have your blood taken.  They test for gestational diabetes- which is guess is a good thing to test for- but man do they make it brutal on the mom!  I am thrilled to say that I passed, so not only is baby not at risk for diabetes, but I also do not have to take that test again! 

The ultrasound was quite the experience!  I didn't really know what to expect since our last one was at 12 weeks and the baby was just a little blob.  But this time we got to watch the baby move around, and put its hands up to its face, and swallow, and see the heart beating.  So cool.  We even got "mooned" by the baby so Tom is happy to have some Rooney genetics running through its blood- its the simple things, right?

Butt is on the left, and legs are on the right

The baby is measuring perfectly (with long legs- I guess it was destined to have them between Tom and me) and weighs just over a pound.  Crazy!  The Doctor also said that my due date might be closer to March 26th now so I guess we will just have to wait and see!

Tom and I are headed to Iowa today to celebrate Christmas with his family.  It is still a little strange to be away from my own family for my favorite Holiday of the year, but I am thrilled to be able to spend some time with my in-laws and Tom.  The most important thing to me is to be surrounded by people you love and love you during such a wonderful time of the year.  And, I definately have that with Tom's family, so there is so much to be thankful for.  Let's just hope we can get there before the snow rolls into Iowa this afternoon!

I hope you all have a very, Merry Christmas surrounded by family and friends that love you dearly!



We're Done!!

This has been a looooong time coming!  Tom is on his way down to Chicago for our LAST trip of long-distance married life!  I. Am. So. Happy.  He will be here for an entire week- to help me pack and then to a meeting downtown for work.  And, while he will be gone a couple nights next week, we are done living 6 hours away from each other.  9 months was far too long, and I vow to never do this again! 

Happy, happy day!!!

Bittersweet

Thanksgiving has come and gone...  We had a wonderful time up at the cabin with the family eating, playing games, and conversing.  Tom and I have so much to be thankful for and it was the perfect setting to reflect on all the blessings in our life.  We are bursting with happiness, we are expecting our first baby, we have our health, and stability in our crazy life (if that is even possible).  A million "thanks" to my parents for allowing us to crash at their cabin, eat their food, and take in each and every moment while we are up there.  It really is the most amazing place. 

I came back to Chicago to face the harsh reality that I am leaving my job- my dream job.  My boss took it very well today and was very complimentary of me which was a nice way to end this phase of my life.  Patterson has been a wonderful company to work for and I am so thankful to have 3 years under my belt in a fantastic industry.  I have made great friends within Patterson, and in my offices that I have called on for the last 3 years- I will miss everyone tremendously. 

On a lighter note, I am excited to be back with Tom.  When we started this crazy situation we thought it would only be for 6 months- we are now at 9 months.  It has been a long time coming, and we looking forward to being a "normal" couple once again.  I think we both learned a lot about each other through all of this, and we won't have to worry about taking each other for granted in the future.  We have experienced first hand what it is like to not be together- to not have dinners to talk about our days, to not have someone to pour you a glass of wine after a horrible day, to not enjoy the simple things like looking through the Sunday Ads together in our PJ's.  Some people never learn this, so we are happy to have this lesson over at the age of 25 so that we can truly enjoy each other for the next 70 years. 

Two weeks from tomorrow I will be unemployed and moving back to Minnesota!  So scary and wonderful at the same time!

Friends and a Vikings Game

I know that I don't update this as often as I should, but our lives are REALLY boring right now!  However, this weekend we finally had some excitement in our neck of the woods.  Kyle and Kat (his Girlfriend) visited Tom and I for the weekend, which was so nice of them!  We always love having company, but find that it doesn't happen nearly enough.  We spent some time downtown on Saturday so that we could meet up with Tom's Dad and Ruth for lunch (they were in town for a wedding), complete with a car tour of the city compliments of Tom.  We ended the day with dinner, games, and movies- the perfect night!

Today we headed to Soldier Field to watch the Bears/Vikings game- something that Tom has wanted to do ever since we moved here.  It was a little chilly, but the company was fantastic.  The only thing that would have been better is if the Vikings won.... nothing new, right?  Another thing that we can check off our list before we officially move out of Chicago and back to MN. 

I can't believe that Thanksgiving is just around the corner.  I feel like Labor Day was just yesterday and now we are approaching December.  My Dad has always said that life moves fast and that it is only accelerated once you have kids.  That you blink your eyes and they are all of a sudden grown up.  If life is flying by me right now, I am worried about how fast the next 20 years will go.  I feel like Tom and I try to slow down and take in each moment, but I'm not sure how well we are doing at that since I don't know where the time is going!  I hope to make this Holiday season extra special for the two of us, since next year will be an all-new experience tailored around making traditions that our kids will talk about someday when we are gone. 

Change in Vote?

I had my 4 month Doctor appointment today.  All is well, and I was told that I am a boring patient.  I have no health issues, no pregnancy concerns, I am fit and healthy.  My Doctor was sure to let me know that at the OB/GYN it is the best to be the "boring" patient- he said that you never want to be the most interesting pregnant patient.  So, I feel pretty dang good about my boring self. 

I got to hear the heartbeat again, and the Doctor said that is sounded strong and healthy.  The heartbeat was fluctuating between 150-160 beats per minute.  So, with old wives tales floating around, does this change your gender vote? 

St. Paul, Here We Come!

Tom just called and gave me the BEST news in the entire world.... he was selected for the position in St. Paul!!!!  His company asked him to start on November 1... so he will be packing up his things at the cabin and moving down to the cities in the next couple of weeks.  I could not be more proud of him and all of his accomplishments with Cars.com in the short amount of time that he has worked there.  I have no doubt that he will continue to climb the corporate ladder and that someday he will have a fancy acronym on his business cards. 

We have decided that good things happen in groups of three (we realize that it is really bad things, but we don't like that outlook...).  So, since he got the job, I am going to be finding a job and our house is going to sell.  Keep your fingers crossed for us that it actually happens! 

We had discussed when I will be moving to the Cities, since I don't want to be in Chicago, alone, when I have the baby.  We had originally said that I would move back some time around Christmas, but with this job it will be much easier for me to move earlier.  There are so many more opportunities for Tom now so being without my income won't be as much of an issue for us.  Thank heavens! 

I am absolutely elated at this news!  This is something that we have wanted for a very long time and now it is actually happening! 

I Hate Saying Goodbye

There are not many things in this world that I hate.  But, saying goodbye to Tom every weekend is certainly one of them.  We have done this crazy situation for almost a full 8 months now- yuck.  And, even more depressing, is that we thought we would be done with this and living together by August.  Apparently our lives have a different plan for us...  Keep your fingers crossed that this ends soon because both of us are really sick of this now. 

On a lighter note (sorry for getting all depressed on you), Tom and I had a great weekend together.  We did a little shopping, saw a movie, went out to eat- all things that a "normal" married couple would do.  It was perfect.  Tom also spoiled me like crazy, which I could get used to!  He may have started a trend here that he didn't mean to, but I'm not going to let him forget it! 

Tom will be back again next weekend which means that I am off the hook for driving two weekends in a row!  I feel like October is my lucky month!  Perhaps it will be! 

Heartbeat

Today I had a Doctor's appointment and got to hear the baby's heartbeat- pretty cool!  The Doctor also said that she heard the baby moving around, although I didn't pick up on those noises.  I guess this is really happening!  Tom says that he thinks the baby is a girl... he doesn't know why he thinks that, but he does.  I guess we will see.

Tom was in town over the weekend and it was such a nice change of pace for me.  I have been doing so much driving lately that I really needed a break.  Not to mention that I haven't been feeling well.  To be able to stay put and have him come this direction was exactly what I needed.  It was also nice to have it be just the two of us.  So often we are surrounded by friends and family (not that I am complaining!  I love you all dearly!) that we need time for just the two of us to curl up on the couch, put in a movie, and pretend that we aren't living a crazy life right now. 

Homecooked meals, a trip to an apple orchard, lazy days- all part of a perfect weekend.  Up next- a trip to the cabin to go on a canoe trip down the Namekagon.  Something my Dad has always wanted to do with all of us.  It should be a great time!

On The Market

Well, its official.  Our journey here in Chicago is one step closer to coming to an end.  We met with our Realtor yesterday and signed all of the paperwork to have our house be actively listed starting tomorrow.  While this is what we want- Chicago never felt like "home"- it will be a bit bittersweet to see the sign go in.  We have devoted so much time and effort and money (every extra penny we had, to be exact) into this little house that it will be sad to walk away from it so soon.  This house was our honeymoon!  I just hope that some nice young family will love it, and adore it, and appreciate the fact that there are countertops in the kitchen, and functioning windows (looking back, the windows should probably have been addressed before we moved in... what if we had a fire?!  We would have been stuck inside!). 

And, thank heavens we are moving from here to MN because the market here took a bit of a dip recently and we aren't listing it for what we originally thought that we would.  It was a bit disappointing to hear our Realtor drop the bombshell, but we appreciate the fact that she was honest and was ultimately looking out for our best interest.  Listing it at what we thought we could 6 months ago would mean that we would get no traffic in the door and would sit on it for months.  We are looking to the bright side and reminding ourselves that we are not in an upside-down situation- unlike 90% of sellers right now, we will make money.  Just keep your fingers crossed that it is enough for us to put 20% down on our next house that we so desperately want to buy (no offense Mom and Dad, but moving in with you both isn't the top of our list... Although, the food would certainly be better at your house than it would be at mine!). 

Wish us luck!

A Weekend Away!

Thank you to my cousin, Tommy for marrying his love, Tari this weekend so that I can get out of Chicago and spend some time not working on the house!  As much as I love our cute little house now, I am ready to get away from the smell of paint and the reminder that we are so close to being done- even if it is just for 2 days.  Oh, and lets not even get into discussing how excited I am to get out of the heat!  I have never been more ready for Fall in my life.  Staying at a hotel and cranking up the AC has never sounded so good! 

Not much has happened in our lives since we wrapped up the whirlwind of the bathroom re-do.  Tom is coming back down to Chicago next weekend to help me fininsh up the house and meet with the Realtor.  I have to finish painting some trim but I can't do that until he is here to help me move furniture... I threatened to do it myself, but my family strongly encouraged me to wait until he gets here so that I don't tip the china cabinet over onto myself- I guess it makes sense.  It is crazy to think that our house might be on the market in a week... didn't we just move in?!  I am really looking forward to hearing our Realtor's thoughts on all the work we did.  She was very impressed before the kitchen was 100% completed and before we even had walls back up in the bathroom.  So, keep your fingers crossed that she still loves it and that she thinks we should list it at $1,000,000,000.

Stay cool this weekend!!

New Bathroom

Oh. My. Goodness.  What a crazy 10 days it was!  I am happy to report that all major projects on the house have been completed!  All that I have left is to paint in the bathroom and our bedroom.  I can't even believe it.  We had our fair share of problems that kept popping up- the vanities didn't fit, the drywall had to be ripped down after mudding to fix a leak, the walls wouldn't dry because of our high humidity...  But, somehow it all came together for a completed house!  Even the kitchen is 100% done. 

I might have the best family in the entire world.  No lie.  My parents willingly spent their vacation helping Tom and I on our house.  Mike Rooney spent two of his weekends pitching in.  Then, Emily came down and spent a few days caulking and priming the walls.  And, Carrie and Jason will be down here this weekend and have offered to help me finish painting. Who else in the world has such an awesome family?! 

Oh ugly yellow and blue bathroom... how I will not miss you...

Tom wanted a blue bathroom, and blue he got!

There was tile on the wall before?  Could have fooled me!

All that is missing next to that vase is my coffee maker and a wall clock

We had some vanity troubles... but I think it all worked out great in the end!

I am going to LOVE getting ready for work in the mornings now!

Tom is staying put this weekend to celebrate Kyle Walker's Birthday, so I am a bachelorette...  Pretty convenient that there is tons of painting to do and he is gone, don't ya think?   ;)

So Sorry!!

I'm sorry that I haven't posted lately... We are deep in the rebuilding process of a bathroom remodel.  I will try to put up picture and the recent happenings of our life tomorrow!

Life is a Roller Coaster

Once again, it has been a long time since I posted.  It seems that life continues to get more and more crazy, with moments of highs and intense lows.  I feel as though we are on a roller coaster with no brakes.  Uff-dah.  Two weeks ago I loaded up my car and headed to the cities to be with the family for what we knew was going to happen- the death of my Grandpa.  I decided to spend all day on Wednesday with my Grandma so that my Mom could get to the office and get some work done.  I go back and forth trying to decide if it was a blessing or not, but regardless, I was with my Grandma when my Grandpa took the last breath of his life. It was so emotionally overwhelming to sit in that room and listen to my Grandma sing to him, pray for him, watch him hold his hand, and utter her loving goodbye as she left his side.  That image, I think, is burned into my memory and is one that replays itself often.  Each time is just as heartbreaking as the day it happened.  They spent 67 loving years together.  And their marriage should be what all married couples strive to have.

The funeral was last Monday and the burial was last Tuesday at Fort Snelling.  I have never been to a military funeral before, and it was beautiful- hard, but beautiful.  Complete with a 21-gun salute, "Taps," presenting of the flag to my Grandma, and a final salute to my Grandpa, it was quite emotional.  Now, I need to be happy about the fact that he had a wonderful life, filled with so much love and happiness.  He is indeed in a better place, and I am willing to bet that he is patiently waiting to see his "Marce" again.  I just hope that the pain that my Grandma is now feeling gets a little easier to deal with, with each passing day. 

My Grandma and Grandpa

I was able to head up to the lake for the rest of last week, and it was exactly what I needed to unwind from life.  The weather was perfect, the lake was warm, and my Vitamin D intake has been fulfilled.  Jen came up for a couple of days and we managed to fill the time with plenty of laughs, some friendly competition in yard games, and conversations on life.  Perfect. When she left, the rest of the family showed up, and it was nice to see the entire crew (minus a few) for some 4th of July fun.  Its too bad that every weekend can't be a holiday weekend...

I am back at home now, gearing up for the upcoming Bathroom remodel.  Today was spent picking out the towels and curtain so that I can start planning for paint and tile.  I am going to be so excited to have it all completed.  Only 3 more weeks!!! 

Bathroom Remodel Here We Come!

What a week it has been!  Jen Strom was here visiting me, which was so much fun!  We always have the best time together, no matter what it involves.  To me, that is a true sign of a good friend.  We went shopping, made a home cooked meal, spent some time downtown, caught up on each other's life, and laughed a ton.  It was such a welcome change to the new monotony of my life. 

Tom was in town this weekend, which was the first time in over a month.  I feel like all I have been doing lately is drive (and I will be for the next 5 weekends...) so to be able to enjoy a weekend at home was very nice.  And, in honor of Father's Day (Happy Father's Day, Dad!!!) we spent plenty of time at Home Depot and Lowes. 

I managed to kill the flowers in my planter by the front door, so Tom helped me replace those.  We also added a few more plants to the yard because some of the plants from last year didn't live through the winter.  And, we successfully purchased the vanities, mirrors and faucets for the upcoming Bathroom remodel.  On top of it all, we filled our 5th dumpster bag!  We don't really realize how much we have done to this house, until we put it in dumpster bags.  In reality, other than most of the flooring, the roof and a few of the interior walls, the house is brand new.  What lucky future homeowners! 

In honor of Father's Day - Dad devouring the rest of Tom's lamb at Turks

Our veggie garden: The Eggplant and Zucchini are new.  I refuse to buy produce in the summer!

I am horrible with plant names, but the one in the middle is new

We replaced our dead rose bushes with new Hydrangeas and added a Coleus

No more dead flower planter at this house! Turns out if the drainage hole is plugged, it won't drain...

Lucky #5! There was a ton more in here, but Dumpster Divers took a lot of it

And so it begins...

Our new bathroom vanities! 

A Little Behind...

Wow, a lot of time has passed since I posted last!  Life has seemed to get crazy lately and I just haven't found the time to update, my apologies! 

Memorial weekend was lovely, with great weather and lots of time spent with our good friends.  It was exactly what Tom and I needed!  But, like always, we were exhausted at the end of it all.  We absolutely love seeing all of our friends, but we always try to squeeze so much into our time in MN and forget to spend time together, just the two of us.  Maybe someday we will be able to spend more time together, I guess that is the way that the cookie crumbles for us these days. 

Last weekend we were in Wisconsin Dells with Tom's brother, Jay and his girlfriend Toni and her two girls.  The rain managed to hold of just long enough to get some tanning in by the pool.  It is always nice to see his family and spend time catching up on each others lives.  We wish we could do it more often, but we are literally busy every weekend this summer...  I need a vacation!

This week has been a stressful one, and it is only Tuesday!  I was supposed to have my yearly review with my boss yesterday, and I fully intended on letting him know what has been going on in my life.  But, he had some family issues and had to cancel.  I was pretty bummed because I was mentally prepared, but family certainly comes first.  Then, my computer crashed.  And, to be a sales rep without a computer, is literally crippling.  So, off to Best Buy to get a new one.  Blah.  Today brought a converstaion with my Regional Manager about my possibilities to transfer to Minnesota.  It doesn't look like there is a position for me within Dental, so I have officially applied to be in sales on our Medical side.  Keep your fingers crossed for me because it is the only open position in the state at the moment!

If you have room on your prayer chains, please say a prayer for my Grandpa and little Leo.  Both could really use comforting thoughts right now.

Love to you all!

A Quarter of a Century...

Can I really be that old?  As much as I appreciate the cheaper car insurance, I would much rather pay extra and still have my youth.  People say that age is a state of mind... we will see about that one.  Just kidding, I am not that bent out of shape about it. 

This weekend was an interesting one...  Tom came down to Chicago and brought Emily along with him so that I could have some "girl time."  It was so nice to spend some time with her now that she is out of Medical School and in transition.  She is still pretty exhausted from the 4-year brain-fry that she endured, but she was able to let loose a little and have some fun.  And, she even got to practice her new medical skills!  Mother Nature decided that I should  start off my 25th year of life with an awful cold.  How thoughtful, huh? 

On Saturday, I told myself that I didn't really feel awful so the three of us headed to the Chicago Botanic Gardens.  The garden is huge.  We enjoyed the first nice day walking around, smelling the flowers, and enjoying the company of each other.  We all decided that if working was optional for us, that we would just dedicate all of our time making a wonderful garden.  Unfortunately, gardening loses right now, HA!  Below are some pictures that I took while there...

Sunday I spent the majority of the day in bed.  It turns out that the fun on Saturday, coupled with a lack of sleep caught up with me.  Emily and Tom did an excellent job of taking care of me though, so I was very fortunate.  Thanks, you two, for all the love!

Take some time to smell the flowers this week! 

Doctor In The House!!!

Congratulations, Emily!  Even though you thought (more than once) that you failed out of Medical School, we all knew better.  And, here you are, 4 years later-a Doctor of Medicine!

There you have it folks, Dr. Emily Schafhauser!

The SkyFari at the Omaha Zoo

 It is on paper.. it must be official!

Uff-Dah!

What a weekend!  My Mom and Dad came down (once again, poor parents) to help with the house.  Tom's Dad also made appearance on Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning.  There is absolutely no way that Tom and I would have been able to do the projects this weekend without them.  So, thank you, parents!  We both feel that after this weekend things might actually get completed on our house.  We have always had so many projects going on and none of them completed... until this weekend.  With 90% of the trim up, and all of the windows replaced and framed in, this place is really starting to come together.  What a relief it is to know that the end is in sight and that before we know it, the house problems will be someone else's! 

Enjoying Raclette after a hard days work

Why do I always walk into a room and find a HUGE hole in my house?!

Alison with powertools... scary isn't it?

So, Mr. Rooney literally climbed up this ladder with the huge window in his hands, held it up, and managed to secure it to the house without dropping it... twice.  

This window may not look that large in this picture... but trust me, if it was yours and it was being carried up a ladder, it would make you quite nervous!

So, now my rickety old house has new windows that actually work, including upstairs.  I am pretty excited to have the crank-out windows gone (including the used one that my Dad discovered) and put in a window fan on hot summer days.  It is the simple things that make me happy these days! 

We are all headed to Omaha this week to watch Emily officially become a Doctor.  I am so proud of her and all of her accomplishments!  I can only imagine what it must feel like for my parents, to watch their kid do such great things.  Congratulations, Emily!  Minnesota is getting a good one!

Happy Anniversary!

 I'm sure you all know this song from RENT, but I thought I would share it.  Despite what you may think about the musical, it is a pretty fitting song given our first Anniversary. 

Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes,
Five hundred twenty-five thousand moments so dear.
Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes
How do you measure, measure a year?

In daylights, in sunsets, in midnights
In cups of coffee
In inches, in miles, in laughter, in strife.

In five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes
How do you measure
A year in the life?

How about love?
How about love?
How about love? Measure in love

Seasons of love. Seasons of love

Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes
Five hundred twenty-five thousand journeys to plan.

Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes
How do you measure the life of a woman or a man?

In truths that she learned,
Or in times that he cried.
In bridges he burned,
Or the way that she died.

It's time now to sing out,
Tho' the story never ends
Let's celebrate
Remember a year in the life of friends
Remember the love!
Remember the love!
Seasons of love!
 
Oh you got to got to
Remember the love!
You know that love is a gift from up above
Share love, give love spread love
Measure measure your life in love.

Despite our crazy, hectic, anything but expected first year, Tom and I have had so much love between us.  We both felt that we had seen and done it all after being together for 7 years, but the love that we have for each other today is so different from what it was before we were married.  I don't fully understand why or how it changes, but it certainly does.  And, I wouldn't have it any other way.  

Our Anniversary celebration was absolutely perfect.  We went to a bunch of places that we often frequented early on in our dating days, including Hudson and the Embassy Suites to hang out with the ducks.  We had a lovely dinner at Pazzaluna and then stayed at Hotel 340 for the night.  I was hoping that a wedding would be going on at the University Club so that we could crash it, but we didn't luck out on that one.  A Prom and a 20 year reunion for a fraternity weren't exactly what I had in mind for party crashing!  We topped it all off with church at Gustavus Adolphus on Sunday with my Mom and even caught up a bit with Pastor Hans (who married us). 

I can only hope that our second year of marriage brings us as much joy and love as the first!

365 Days

It feels like it was yesterday that Tom and I got married.  I know that it is a cliche saying, but it is the honest truth.  It is crazy to think that we have celebrated Holidays, experienced job promotions, fixed up more on our house than most people complete in the entirety of their 30 year mortgage, and are now in the process of moving onward and upward.  Maybe the year went so fast because we have been on-the-go since December of 2007, or maybe it is because we have really enjoyed our first year of marriage and starting our official life together.  Having the type of love that we have is truly rare and I often find myself sitting back and smiling at the fact that we found it.  What a blessing!

Tom was in Chicago last weekend which was a nice treat!  I love having him around and it as much as we hate working on our house right now, it is nice to see it all come together.  He managed to get a lot more sanding done of the drywall, and it looks great!  I see finishing a basement in our future!  I was also able to finally paint the wall that was formerly the doorway to our kitchen-looks awesome!  Its hard to think that everything will come together when your entire house is in shambles, but we are proof that things eventually do turn out! 

As great as the house looks now, this phase was really not that much fun!

The fantastic new wall!  There was a doorway there?  Could have fooled me!

This weekend I am headed up to the Cities for our Anniversary.  Tom has planned out the entire evening and I am excited to see what he has in store for me.  I know that it will involve church at Gustavus Adolphus on Sunday, which I am excited about.  It may be a bit cheesy, but I think it will be so special to go back to the place where it all happened.  Thank you, all, for being a part of our fantastic first year!

Summer is around the corner!

This weekend was my weekend to head up north to be with Tom.  I managed to head out of town on Thursday afternoon and beat the weekend rush.  It was so nice!  Tom and I were able to enjoy a home-cooked meal together, which is rare now that we are both alone all the time.  Chicken Fajitas and a bottle of wine never tasted so good! 

On Friday we headed up to Duluth for Tom to get some work done, and for me to start the hunt for our next house.  While we aren't ready to buy just yet, it was nice to drive around and find some neighborhoods that we could see ourselves living in.  I definitely found a few that we won't be living in!! 

Pattison State Park

Tom enjoying the Little Falls

We were able to get the dock in, along with the boats and the raft this weekend as well.  It is so nice to see things going into the water!!  Maybe summer will come this year!  I absolutely love being up there, and am thrilled that soon the entire family will be able to enjoy it.  Graduation can not come soon enough for Emily, I think.  

Have a wonderful week!!

Drum Roll Please!

Okay, so most of the siding is complete.  There was a minor issue with communication and they need to come back to finish framing in the front window, but other than that it is all done!  These pictures really don't do any justice to how great the house looks now.  Not only were we able to remove the window in the bathroom that went nowhere, but we were able to cover up where the other two windows in the kitchen were so that our house looks complete.  As much as I loved the patched-in-siding look (wink, wink), I am happy that it is gone! We also got all new gutters which really finish off the place.  This place is really starting to look pretty good!!

No, there is not a window there... that is the hole that the old window left!  If you haven't seen our house yet, please know that this is literally half of the first floor...  Needless to say, I was a little concerned with such a large hole in my wall!  

Ignore the fact that there is a little missing siding around the new front window because that will be fixed this week.  Looks pretty good, right?  I LOVE that all of the windows are functioning and properly sealed up!

Our new gutters!  And, to the left of the window on the side of the house was once another window in the kitchen.  Today you would never know!  

The back.  A pretty big difference here!  I can't help but sit in our patio furniture and stare at our "new" house!

The inside of our living room with the new window.  It is incredible how much bigger our room seems now with this new window! 

It was so nice to have my parents here for the weekend.  My Dad and Tom were able to get a TON of stuff done around the house!  This place is really starting to come together and I feel like the end really might be in sight!  We enjoyed a couple of good meals out and a good meal cooked on the grill.  We even managed to find the time for a walk to Dairy Queen.  Considering all the madness... it was a perfect weekend! 

Changes

As I write this, my house is under a complete transformation.  On Monday we had all of the windows on the first floor replaced in order to get the house ready for today- new siding.  The new windows alone made this place look like an entirely different house.  And, we have windows that actually open, imagine that!  I woke up this morning to a group of men ripping off the old siding and in a matter of 45 minutes, my house was completely bare.  It was quite impressive! 

I am really excited to finally have the siding done right.  The house has been completely wrapped in foam insulation, and then wrapped again in a plastic barrier.  Its too bad that we won't get to see the fruits of our labor next year when the heating bill comes, but at least it will be done for the next owners.  I look at it as "paying it forward" since I just saved them all sorts of money in plastic for the windows!  I just hope that the next owners appreciate all of the hard work we have put into this place so that they can move right in and enjoy this house.

Tom is on his way home right now, and will be here this afternoon.  I am so thankful that I won't have to do this siding inspection all on my own, since I know nothing about it.  Two sets of eyes are always better than one.  Once the project is complete, I will upload a picture of the house with the new windows and siding.  But, to refresh everyone's memory...  This is what the front and the back looked like when we moved in.

Stay tuned for the finished product!  From when I left this morning to when I got home, the house looked completely different.  And, if I do say so myself, it looks pretty darn good!

Time Flies...

I just got back from dropping Tom off at the airport... it is all very bittersweet.  It was SO nice to have him home and to enjoy his company.  And, as much as I hate the fact that he is gone,  I am excited for him to start in his territory tomorrow and get his feet wet in the world of sales.  I have no doubt that he will be great in his new position and that the commission checks will be rolling in before we know it (or at least I hope, haha)! 

We have a pretty big week coming up.  I have meetings and seminars every day this week, as well as a presentation that I have to give at my Company's monthly sales meeting.  Needless to say, I am not excited.  Tom has two days of co-traveling with his fellow MN sales reps to start of his week.  And, to top it all off, our new windows are going in tomorrow and our siding is getting replaced on Friday.  Wouldn't it be nice if we tackled one thing at a time?  But, I guess our lives would be boring if we didn't have a million things on our plates all the time. 

I hope that everyone is having a wonderful Easter!  Pick a pretty colored egg and eat it for me! 

Interesting...

Tom recently wrote this and I thought I would share.  I don't have as much courage as he does, so it will not appear on my Facebook Wall, but kudos to him!  These are facts and as much as people want to argue them, they are true...

Interesting: we've passed a health care plan written by a committee whose chairman says he doesn't understand it, passed by a Congress that hasn't read it but exempts themselves from it, signed by a president that also hasn't read it and who smokes, with funding administered by a treasury chief who didn't pay his taxes..., all to be overseen by a surgeon general who is obese, and financed by a country that's broke...

 

 

Spring Has Arrived

What a perfect night!  The temps were in the mid 70's today and it was absolutely beautiful outside!  Tom managed to get home a little early from training today and we enjoyed the weather with a glass of wine and brats and asparagus on the grill.  We sat outside on our freshly repainted patio furniture and enjoyed each others company.  In my opinion, these are the most perfect nights.  Don't get me wrong, I like to get dressed up and go to a nice restaurant... But, nothing compares to enjoying each other in your life's most simplest forms.  Despite how crazy our life is at the moment, tonight made me so content with it all. 

I hope that you all were able to enjoy the beautiful weather and the fresh air today! 

This Looks Like Trouble...

Sometimes I am amazed at how far Tom has made it in life...

Yes, that is Tom ironing his shirt, while wearing it...  You gotta love this guy, don't you?

TOM IS HOME!!!

This is quite possibly the best day EVER!  The last two days have been really long for me because I got roped into going to a 2-day training on CEREC... It made for 2 very long days where all I could think about was how Tom was going to be home.  I think I checked my watch every 5 minutes today in anticipation for when I could get home.  It was SO awesome to pull into the driveway and have his cute face staring at me through the window.  :)  And, I get to see him for an ENTIRE week!!!  Can you tell how happy I am?!

It amazes me that after 7 years of being together, his smile still gets to me and brings so much joy to my life.  I am so blessed to have found someone as wonderful as Tom.  Even the most-ordinary days seem like such a blessing because I get to share them with such a great man.  I am on top of the world right now!

I hope you all are having as wonderful of a weekend as I am!

One week down...

Wohoo!!  We are one week closer to being in the same state!  Last weekend I went up to the cabin to spend some time with the boy, as well as my parents and Carrie and Jason.  It was so nice to get away and spend some time as a family.  As always, the food was aplenty and the company divine. 

Emily also had some VERY exciting news last week- she will be doing her residency at the University of Minnesota.  I was able to stop at a coffee shop and watch her open her envelope, and when the tears filled her eyes, I had a moment of panic-Kansas here we come...  But, seconds later (it felt like hours) she managed to utter the words "University of Minnesota."  I am SO proud of her- 4 years of strenuous work has finally paid off and she will be able to start her "grown-up" life exactly where she wants.  How many Med-Students get to say they completed the residency at their number 1 spot?  I am betting not many.  She blows me away. 

Tom will be back in Chicago starting Saturday for an entire week and I could not be more excited!  I hope that this week goes by fast, and that next week drags on forever!

Our "New" Life

Its official.  We are living in two different states.  As I was driving back to Illinois today, I thought a lot about what the next 6 months will be like.  We will be a 6 hour drive apart for the next 6 months, living out our relationship on the phone, and making the most of the 2 days a week that we will get to see each other.  This stinks. 

It would be so easy for us to get caught up in the fact that this is a less-than-ideal situation.  To forget why we are doing this in the first place.  To forget how amazing our relationship is and how great it is to be with the one person that makes you feel like nothing else in the world matters.  But, in my 6 hours of reflection time, I realized that we are so lucky.  We have an indescribable love for each other, a love that most people never really find in their lifetimes.  An understanding of each other that is so deep and meaningful that you would be hard pressed to find it anywhere else.  We have health, and happiness.  We really do have everything that really matters in life.  6 hours distance doesn't change any of this.

So, as much as it feels sometimes that people want to make us fearful of our situation, or put doubt in our minds that this will drive a wedge in our relationship, Tom and I know different.  We have known for over 7 years that our relationship was different.  We had more love for each other at 17 than most people feel over the course of their lives.  And, this love has done nothing but continue to grow.  So, for the next 6 months, we will focus on all the great things we have in our lives and then August will be here before we know it! 

Thanks for all of the love and support that everyone has given us!  We love you all!

Welcome!

Welcome to our new blog!  With our lives taking a MAJOR turn, we decided to utilize this outlet to keep people informed on what is new with us.  We hope that you will stop by often and take humor in our absolutely crazy life. 

Tomorrow is the big day... Tom moves to Duluth to start his new job on Monday.  While we know that this will be difficult- to be apart for the next few months, we also take comfort in knowing that this will only help us in the long run.  Minnesota is where we want to be and if being apart temporarily will get us there, we will gladly do it. 

The plan as of now is for Tom to live at my parents' cabin in Webb Lake, WI which is only 60 miles from the heart of downtown Duluth.  This will allow us to not throw money away while we finish up on the house, and to be lease-free before we list it this summer.  We are SO grateful to be able to take advantage of the cabin because it will help us immensely in the end.  My parents have already joked that they expect Tom to have food on the table waiting for them every Friday!  I will not lie, I am going to be incredibly jealous of the fact that Tom will get to enjoy the lake all summer long, especially when I am sitting in the awful Chicago traffic! 

Check back often to see what crazy things we have gotten ourselves into!