Need. More. Details.

On The Third Day of Christmas...

2012-12-30T13:14:00.001-08:00

Wooahhh. It's been five days since Christmas. Tough to wait for our third blog post? Lots happening here in Montana with family, friends, eating, more eating, church, gifts, more food, appetizers, cookies, dinners, breakfasts and brunch, snowboarding... Hopefully you all enjoyed our savior's birthday!

My True love gave to me:

A Wonderful Household of Three

You can stop the cute "aww's" ....now. But here is the reality: I LOVE our little family, Andy, myself and...... FRANK!

The most important thing to know about our family unit is that at least 70 percent of all communication between Andy and I, is medium'ed through Frank. Let me give you an example:

Andy and I are sitting on the couch and I'm hungry. Instead of saying, "Hey dear, I'm hungry do you want to get something to eat?" the conversation plays out more like the following: (It is important to note that I have a "Frank" voice that blends the tone of Eeyor and with the conversation skills of Debbie Downer. All of my text below should be read in said voice):

Mimi: I'm gonna bite ya
Andy: Oh no, Franky, what's wrong?
Mimi: Well daddy, I don't like you.
Andy: Franky Boy, don't say that. How 'bout we get you a little treat?
Mimi: Oh ya that would be good but I'm pretty mad and I still wanna bite ya.
Andy: Why don't you ask the mommy what she would like to have?
Mimi: I'll bite her too. I"m so mad, but she worked so hard today and doesn't want to cook so lets go to Noodles.

Boom! We've figured out my "need" and then the conversation progresses until we have a solution. Anyways, just a little insight to our horribly anti-social, ridiculously unstable antics. I pray for our future children.

Hope all of you had a Merry Christmas!

A & M

On the Second Day of Christmas...

2012-12-20T07:04:00.000-08:00

We are on a roll here in the Salonen household, and are thankful you are reading our version of a Christmas newsletter. God has blessed us in so many ways this year and taught us so many things. Follow us in the upcoming days and read The Twelve Days of Christmas!

On the Second Day of Christmas, my true love gave two me: Two married siblings!

I think people heard we got married, saw how wonderful it could be and decided to tie the knot too. Okay, maybe Liz and Tom had different reasons.

Andy, Mimi, Tom, Diane, Liz, Ryan at Fort Hamilton

Mimi's sister, Liz was the first and married Ryan in July. They couldn't have chosen a better venue: Vegas! Between the stretch Hummer limo, drive through ceremony, delicious steak dinner at Gallagher's Steakhouse and Fremont Street experience, the weekend celebration was a lot of fun. Ryan and Liz are an amazing couple and we are very excited for both of them.

Tom and Diane were married over Labor Day weekend in September, Big Apple Style. That's right, Diane grew up in Queens, and the couple decided Fort Hamilton in Brooklyn would be a perfect wedding location. Fort Hamilton is the only active military base in metropolitan New York City, and I recommend visiting if you're ever in the area. The original fort was a perfect place for dinner, dancing, cigars and lots of fun. Mimi and I both visited New York previously, but this trip was really special, and we enjoyed time with family, friends celebrating this great occasion.

Congratulations Ryan & Liz and Tom & Diane! Married life is sweet.

Tom & Diane Allen - September 1, 2012

Ryan & Liz Gage - July 25, 2012

12 Days of Christmas! ...

2012-12-19T10:00:00.000-08:00

Well we said we'd do it-- in fact you may even get a Christmas card telling you so-- but here is a a look at the 12 days of Christmas Salonen style. A wrap up, if you will, on the year from our perspective! Did you know the 12 days of Christmas actually begins on Christmas day? ABC Family has been lying to us all for years! Our 12 Days will start right now.

So with out further ado....

On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me.... 1 NEW HOUSE!

HOME OWNERS!

In march we purchased our first home! An "A" frame as I like to call it. We have had a blast and some nightmares fixing it up. Things I thought we'd fix right away have taken the back burner to things I thought we wouldn't have to do--- you know the story :) But-- we have had a great time turning Snowmass place into our first little home! We removed somewhere around sixteen trees from the backyard and Andy still had 50+ bags of leaves come fall (notice how I said Andy). We still have much to do but feel extremely blessed to be homeowners!

Someday I plan to get a garden going and some flowers planted. This year I was able to kill everything in sight... except the weeds.

Our cozy little living room scene... ahhh

MERRY CHRISTMAS

& check back tomorrow for another post :)

All My Eggs Was Right There...

2012-10-05T15:12:00.002-07:00

Yes, because I'm a feelings blogger I'll go ahead and say some things today. I was watching a recap of the XFactor recently (like today since I'm allowing myself a grieving period- I'm somewhere between bitterness and big dreams) and a contestant who blew his audition was caught saying "All my eggs was right there, all my eggs was right there." It gave me an immense amount of hope, oddly enough, because I've not put "all my eggs" in an earthly basket.

Yesterday, was my last day at a job I had big dreams for, it was not my last day by choice. I was laid off, last man on the totem pole type thing I assume, I guess.

It was funny, as I sat in the mini office with frosted doors at the circular table that I'm sure someone put much thought in to (laying people off should be done in the most pleasant of ways, with eye contact at a coffee table that lets people know, we're not presumptuous we're friends discussing matters that are ever so dreadful) I was caught up in the surrealism of it all. As cliche as it is, I couldn't help thinking the whole time "did I wake up this morning or am I dreaming?"
While listening, or at least trying to listen, I watched the tears well up in the eyes of the girl next to me and vaguely heard her questions as they laid both of us off. I remember her asking if we needed to be escorted out and my brain snapped back down for a moment. Yes, out, I need to leave immediately; it was hot and uncomfortable in that room. Friends would tell you that my immediate reaction to tears is to run as far and as fast away as possible, I don't know how to console them and I probably have an even greater fear of being seen with them. Whatever it is, it's a flaw.
I stood up as soon as they stopped talking looked across the small round desk and said, "I wish I could say it was nice meeting you or thanks but I'm afraid I can't," packed my bag as quickly as possible and got in my car.

There was the worst feeling of shame about the whole thing. It was the feeling of being replaceable in my own story. I hadn't made myself or my work invaluable, my daily life and tasks had not only been completely meaningless to someone, I myself had been counter productive to the entire company's vision. Alright, that's probably reading into the whole thing a bit too much, but I have big feelings for such a small girl. The reality of the matter was probably closer to budget cuts and last in first out, but emotion escapes reality. I was ashamed, I was emotional, I felt vulnerable. But alas, as you all can guess, I am not defeated. :)

Since I was a baby, or at least that's where I like to start this story, I've known I was created to do big things. And so, it starts...again. I truly have appreciated all of the support so far, so thank you everyone. I'm great, the company is still great, and the world hasn't stopped, mine has merely shifted paradigms.

Heat, House, Mood

2012-07-01T16:50:00.001-07:00

Life is swell. The summer's hot, my husbands hot and I've got a job! Yay!
Things that aren't as swell--

No AC
House Projects
Bad Tudes.

I'll begin with number one. This doesn't really need an explanation does it? 100 degree heat that bakes in your house is pretty ridiculous. Recently, the Husband and I were Face-Timing with my brother Tom, and he was showing us his new house with dual climate control ... to which I said "No Brother Bear, this is dual climate control," and gave him the panoramic view from one window to the next so he could see our fan set up. Legit.

Two fans-- and the long hallways that sits between... it's like AC only... worse.

So this brings us up to numba two! House Projects--- holy moly do they ever end? I think not. Andy and I have been super blessed with the amount of help from friends and family. It's a little ridiculous actually, so a HUGE thank you to all of you-- you know who you are I've probably baked you cookies or tried to feed you dinner as my way of saying "You are amazing, I love you and I don't know what I would do without your help and you in my life :)" ...in so many words or less. We've had a lot of fun so far though, knocking down walls (Steve), painting (Bill/Sue), furnishing (mike/kris/ann), and working on that lawn(Andy).....oh that lawn. Hmmm... seems like I personally haven't done much on that list though :/ Shoot! I'll get right on that after this diet coke and episode of American Pickers....
But seriously, working on your house is a lot of work on your marriage. From different project priorities to everyday household cleaning; sometimes the one you love the most is just on a totally different page. Many times Andy and I have wrestled with figuring out how to be respectful grown-ups with each other.. and sometimes the best option is to just actually wrestle ;)

Number three on the list directly ties into number one and two. Have you ever been sticky sweaty and your husband wants you to get up off the couch (from watching American Pickers) and pull weeds? It makes for a bad tude. As my BFF, Laura Guay, would always say "We've got two options here; you can change your tude or you can go home!" Unfortunately, I am home when the tude hits. Our household at times is just an awful collaboration of feelings, snarky remarks, a couple screams and low self-confidence. You know those moments when you just lose you mind at a simple harmless remark that someone makes ... and then you lash out irrationally.... and then five minutes later you are apologizing and saying I don't even know where that came from? Please tell me I'm not the only one who suffers from this-- but if I am-- lucky Andy.

At the end of the day though, for all my irrational moodiness, I know I've got my guy that loves me. He's tenderhearted and patient and because of this I will work on my tude. Until we see each other in Heaven (where we will all be perfect) he'll have to take my unkind words with a grain of salt and an eye roll... but from the other room because if I saw him roll his eyes at me..... oh boy.

With love and mercy,

Mimi

Catch Up

2012-04-18T11:54:00.001-07:00

Well it's day two of working out - how do I like it? I"m not in love with it yet- but it does create a sense of accomplishment, accomplishment that quickly turns to embarrassment when you feel the sweat pour down your face from 10 minutes of brisk walking. It's been a crazy couple of weeks here in the Salonen household so it's time to catch everyone up.

This month started with a loss so big that I haven't been able to even get close to the hole that it's left in my heart- my grandpa Paul passed away in March from lung cancer. His decline was swift and his deathbed peaceful. I'm not sure when it will sink in that I won't ever get to see him again, but it's definitely not real yet. I can still hear his voice in my head asking me if I'd like a cup of coffee, or how I'm doing or his favorite topic- "How's that dog?" For now, I'll just listen to his voice and delight in my false vision.

I'm still unemployed and the job market has become increasingly frustrating. In fact so much that we are just going to skip this topic

Andy and I officially close on a new house in Longmont on April 27th!! We are soooo excited to be homeowners and DIY'ers!!! (well at least I'm super excited about being a DIY'er and Andy would like me to get a small reality check) Sample conversations between us

Me: I think we should just knock down that wall
Andy: I think we should paint
Me: Ok so we're knocking down the wall

Andy: We need a ladder
Me: OH, I can go find one at goodwill or craigslist
Andy: It's important that you don't buy a broken ladder, maybe we should just get a new one
Me: na, Goodwill has quality materials

Me: Where are you going to put your clothes?
Andy: It's a 4 bedroom house, there will be plenty of space
Me: I think we should build a closet, in the first week. Do we know how to do that?
Andy: No.

And don't even get me started with paint samples..... oh boy. That's just nonsense. Let's just say Andy enjoys beige more than any person I have ever met. Anyways, it's something to look forward too and I can't wait for next week to be over so that I can have something to focus on-- besides finding a job.

I've been sick lately, actually hospitalized on Easter for a few days and have been doing at home IV's for this past week. All done on Sunday- whoo hoo. I had to go to a different (non CFer) hospital this time and it was like a tragic dream replaying all over again- the doctor actually handed me a form that said Cystic Fibrosis on the top and then had some symptoms to watch out for. My patience was definitely tried as I negotiated medicines with doctors and pleaded for someone to just let me write my own orders. But that nightmare is over, things are worked out; I'm working out, starting to feel much much better and life goes on. Did I mention I also gained 12 pounds in a week. A little ridiculous if you ask me but that's what the prednisone will do to someone. So I've set a goal to lose the 12lb's by May! Yay! Starvation? Motivation? One of the two will do.

Well this post is about as random as my day. What do people do all day? I'd like to say I'm taking this "unemployment opportunity time" to re evaluate my goals, read more, write, and plan out my life but it's really hard to plan life when you just keep wondering what you're supposed to be doing. I'm sure I'll get it figured out though and will keep posting more. Maybe I'll find my voice here and you people will make me millions. Let's make it happen people.

With love,
Mimi

How bout that job market?

2012-03-07T11:42:00.000-08:00

I need to get better at writing. More documentation of my life must be done!!

I'm on the job hunt, and let me just say that it is truly a hunt. Although a new career and a change up from my day to day work here as mail girl is exactly what I need there seems to be a shortage of jobs out there- has anyone heard of this? Are we in a recession? Someone tell me what's going on!! :) Ah, well at least for the moment I get to sit snug as a bug in my office cubicle sipping on a Diet Coke( -side note here, there is a community case of DC in the fridge at work here, amazing-) listening to the hot jams of a progressive indi-chick Pandora station and mindlessly searching the classifieds. :) Life is good, even with the looming deadline of losing my job in two weeks.

God works in the craziest of ways and more than ever he has shown me, in this job, how to be a witness for him where ever I am. Kelsey, who shares my office space with me has become a great friend in these past couple months and the more chatting we do the more we realize how much in common we have; from The Last Unicorn and crazy hospital stories to struggling with loved ones battling cancer; we've been able to connect. I've been asking God to show me how I am supposed to connect with people and show his love to them and this week He really gave me that opportunity.

Kelsey's aunt passed away on Friday leaving her son heartbroken and penniless. When the opportunity arose to help him out I told Kelsey that Andy and I would love to give him some support to which she replied, "that's really sweet of YOU," at which point I blurted out "No Kelsey, that's what Christianity is. In it's purest form it is taking care of the widows and orphans- no matter what age". BAM holy moly, I think I just evangelised! It felt like the words were spoken from Him and not from me.

So, that is why I am ok job hunting until my eyes go blurry and I start attaching Dr. Seuss's "Oh the places you will go" book to every single application. That's why I'm ok not knowing what I'm supposed to be doing,because God knows what my purpose is. The more I've sat and pondered my days as mail girl, the more I've come to realize that God put me here to show me that my identity needed to be in Him, not in MY career, MY goals, MY accomplishments, MY life.

If the choice was open mail for the rest of my life but have amazing coworker experiences or be very very very important but minimize Christ-- I know I'd choose mail girl.

That being said, I have a resume and references for anyone that would like to take a look :)

Happy Wednesday!

Christmas Letter 2011... I know.

2012-01-15T18:29:00.001-08:00

Christmas Greetings!... In late January!

We finally took our tree down which means we thought we should send out Christmas cards as well! Better late than never, right?! 2011 was a fantastic and very busy year! Here are some of the highlights:

We started 2011 with a big move; well, Andy had a big move down to Colorado so he could be closer to his lovely fiance. The journey was somewhat arduous as we tested the lifetime waters and what family vacations might look like with an 800 mile drive while towing a U-Haul; let me tell you, it wasn't pretty. Little did we know the real journey hadn't even begun...

Career Moves
Andy struggled the first couple months with the job market. After applying for over 120 jobs, one position in particular really tickled his fancy and his nerves. It was a "dream job" for him so to speak, and he had gone through all the applications and interviews and was waiting and waiting to hear back. Weeks passed from when they told him he should know, and every time he called they'd have another random excuse. They encouraged him to wait and told him he was still in the pool. Finally, he got the call; he was hired at the University of Colorado Boulder as an Admission Counselor Intern! The reason for the long wait? They had to get approvals from all types of boards to hire him because the position was generally held for a CU alumni and obviously Andy didn't make that qualification. They literally created a position for him because he is so great (okay, at least that's my opinion). This opinion was validated when only a few months after he signed his one year contract with CU-Boulder they promoted him, creating a permanent spot for Andy on the admissions team as a counselor. He loves working in admissions and currently works with the on campus programs team while advising the Student Ambassadors Program; a team of 100 CU students who lead campus tours for prospective students and their families. He also represents undergraduate admissions and recruits students in Vermont, Maine, New Hampshire, western Colorado, and the central coast of California. Not only does he read their applications, but he was able to travel to all three areas this fall. I especially enjoyed his California recruitment but we'll get to that later :)

Mimi could find a job if she knew what she wanted to do. Before November, she successfully planned and executed the Rocky Mountain Cigar Festival. It was a job for someone with ten years of work experience, but Mimi was able to pull it off two years in a row right out of college. Anyone who attended the festival remembered it, and will most likely return for round three. Mimi is gifted in so many areas; she has an eye for detail, is personable, creative and hard working. Working for her family at Smoker Friendly and planning the event was a wonderful experience, but she knows God is calling her to do more. What that may be? She doesn't know! For now, she has been hired on with the International Admissions team at CU-Boulder (in a different building than myself) as a temporary assistant. This job description is nice and short: she opens mail all day. If a prospective international student applying to CU-Boulder sends transcripts, financial statements, test scores or letters of recommendation, Mimi opens it up and processes it. It's an essential piece of the admissions process, and Mimi loves it. She has an office partner, and as Mimi puts it, they are best friends. Although this is a temporary, five-month position, Mimi is excited about the future opportunities God has in store for her and is enjoying this time to truly discover what she should be doing.

Some Scripture for this Season
Jeremiah 29:11  For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Romans 12:12  Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.

Wedding Bells
As most of you know, something big happened this year... we got MARRIED!  Thank you once again to our families and friends who helped make that special day take place. We still dream about the food prepared that day, drool over the cake and reminisce when looking at our wedding pictures. After an amazing wedding on June 18 we hopped on a plane and spent ten days in St. Lucia located in the Caribbean.  What a wonderful way to start a marriage, but as they say life isn't always a honeymoon...or something like that. Marriage is such an amazing gift, and we continue to learn and grow each day. Some of the more practical, sweet and humorous things we've learned:

Don't leave the butter on the counter; Frank will eat it.

Surprising each other with even the little things can make any day better.

The Mazdaratti (Mimi's Mazda) absolutely requires snow tires to function in the winter.

Boulder isn't as crazy as people make it out to be; it's unique, but we know God has a plan for everyone there.

God always provides!

If you have an iPhone, check out the app, Voxer. Seriously, we have too much fun with it. Thanks for the introduction, Mr. Bridges.

Finding a church and friends can take time, but well worth the wait.

"Go to bed mad" - great marriage advice from my good friend Janelle. The same principle "think before you speak" applies here.

Although Mimi is the actual diabetic, Andy gets very cranky when he's hungry.

Andy gets scared easily and the closet is a great place to hide :)

Above all, let God be the center of your life and it will be reflected in the way you speak to each other and the strength of your marriage

Some Scripture for this Season

Matthew 19:4-6  Haven't you read," he replied, "that at the beginning the Creator 'made them male and female,' and said, 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh'? So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.

1 Peter 4:8  Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.
Around the World
We've had so many opportunities this year to see great places and more importantly to unite with old and new friends. Our love for Montana and the people who live there is never ceasing and we enjoyed ringing in 2011 with the Bischoffs and some Salonens in Helena. Mimi's job got really tough in March when she was asked to attend a conference in Mexico, but she hiked up her socks, packed the sunscreen and headed South. Andy headed to Vegas for a whirlwind bachelor party with some of his best buds, where rest assured they were all very "good". After the June 18th union, we were amazingly blessed to receive an incredible gift from Mimi's family; a dream honeymoon in beautiful St. Lucia! We stayed at an all inclusive Sandals resort and let us tell you it is just like the commercials; seriously. Pristine beaches, more food than you can imagine and people in love EVERYWHERE. It was amazing and a special time we will cherish forever! We're just wondering who would like to pick up the bill for our one year anniversary vacation!:) Any takers??? After the honeymoon we hung low, sneaking in a couple trips to Montana before our schedules started getting crazy! We also enjoyed a visit from Ryan & Liz when we saw Jurassic Park on the big screen at Red Rocks Amphitheater! Andy traveled in the fall to the east coast spending two weeks visiting schools in Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine and also being a solo tourist which included checking out the Ben & Jerry's factory along the way. He came back to Colorado only to head into the mountains for another two weeks this time making stops at all the major resorts like Vail and Aspen. He has assured me we can move as soon as we make our millions! His last trip was out to California, and at the last minute it was decided that I got to tag along! A fantastic way to end his travels as we spent a week along the coast driving from city to city visiting family and reuniting with old friends! Thank you Gridley's, Bridges & Ryan! November & December were marked with hosting friends and family at our house something we both truly enjoy! Andy's folks made it down for Thanksgiving which was a gift that made us truly thankful. Mimi's brother Tom came west from North Carolina to celebrate Christmas and ring in the New Year.

We both have a love of traveling but more importantly a love of people and so we hope in 2012 we will be listening to God's voice in our life and going where we are called; be that across the seas, to new places, to old friends homes or to our neighbors next door we are ready to be used!

Some Scripture for this Season
Isaiah 6:8  And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me."

Matthew 25:14-30 His master replied, "Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!"

Into the Future

2012 has already proven to be a season of learning and love. From football (Tebow) to house hunting we are leaning on God to guide us. We are currently on the house hunt and will keep you updated with that. So far no new home, but we know it's out there! We wish you and yours all the joy in this New Year; may the Lord bless you and keep you close. To all our loved ones near and far we hope to see you this year; but if it happens that we don't cross paths know that we think of you often and love you deeply! Lastly, since this card was so promptly delivered I want to take this opportunity to wish you a few more things ...

Happy Valentines Day, Pleasant Presidents' Day!, Happy Easter, We Love you Mom on Mother's Day, We honor you on Memorial Day, We Love you too Dad- Happy Father's Day, Happy Fourth of July!, & the Spookiest of Halloweens to you!!

Okay, we should be good for awhile now! Check back for more blog entries this year.

Love,

Andy + Mimi + Frank

How Shamu Ruined my Day

2012-01-05T13:21:00.000-08:00

I bet you're thinking this title is an analogy. Well, you're wrong. Shamu has literally wreaked havoc on my day and I'll tell you how: this morning my wonderful husband woke me up and I groggily lifted my arm from under the cover to check the top of his head to see whether or not he was seriously waking me up or just fake waking me up ( if his head is wet he's serious; he's showered which means he believes I should shower- puh). Anyways it was the real deal which meant I promptly told him I was awake and then rolled over to catch a few more moments of glorious sleep; I firmly believe I would be an amazing full time sleeper- just saying. However, in this particular instance my dreams were rocked with a serious case of lively dreaming. I was instantly thrown into the ocean, I think I was about 300 meters from the wall where Free Willy had to make his jump to safety and I was swimming along side Shamu. I'm not sure what I was doing there but I do know this; I was swimming. Front stroke, back stroke, butterfly stroke, catipillar stroke, wolf stroke you name it (I'm POSITIVE those are all swimming strokes by the way). Needless to say, when I woke I had somehow thrown out my neck and so all day I've been cursing Shamu under my breath. Next time I dream of Shamu I'm refusing to swim with him....

Good Day All!

Thanksgiving to Christmas

2011-12-18T15:57:00.000-08:00

Well it's been quite sometime since I've given the world a dose of my feelings- I'm a bad blogger. Shoot! But I've already begun my New Year's list and being better about updating this is on it... ok I can't lie I haven't started a list-- that would be thinking ahead and I'm incapable of that; instead come 11:58pm on New Years Eve I'll have a moment of panic write down two quick thoughts and then wake up the next morning and not even remember where I put that piece of paper. Anyways that's just me. Onto what's been happening; CHRISTMAS. What a wonderful season! Andy and I are having a wonderful time celebrating our first christmas together.
He surprised me with no Charlie Brown tree...

And I've been playing the 12 days of Christmas with him - in my book today is the 7th day of Christmas (although I've been told I am incorrect and it's the 6th/ - whatever) so I got him something truly special and straight from the heart. .... I ironed a weeks worth of work shirts for him. Yes, I know technically this shouldn't be a present or a treat but in our house it is! Here is my work in all its glory hanging on the mantel....

On the 7th day of Christmas my true love gave to me....

Anywhoozles, there are only so many Christmas concerts each year and I'm convinced I need to see them all -- so off I go to another singing festivity! Be ready for our Christmas letter coming soon to our blog!

-Mimi

She Awakes & Give Thanks!

2011-11-16T14:17:00.001-08:00

Well I am so sorry folks that it's been so long. I think about blogging daily, but as go most things in my life; actually doing the task takes more follow through than I'm willing to put forth in a single day. I'm not sure what that is but I think Ali Brosh does an amazing job explaining the type of depression that dictates around 60% of my life check it out here. The other 40% of my life is split between snacks and productivity.

My Life as a Troll- As I said, sometimes life just gets the better of me.

So that being said-- I'm back and I promise to keep you up to date on my wonderful world more frequently. Two things worth mentioning today-

New Job & Thanksgiving

Friday is officially my last day as the planner for the Rocky Mountain Cigar Festival and I couldn't be more excited! Don't get me wrong; I love the people I work with, I love the job but it was just time for change. For health reasons both physical and spiritual, I knew it was time to find something new. Well, I haven't exactly found a new position yet but I'll be temping at CU in International Admissions for 4-6 months or till my dream job comes through :) Lucky for them I'm fluent in Chinese, Japanese, Russian and Zulu-- this should get interesting.

And now the most important subject...TURKEY DAY!! oh how i love thee! So this Thanksgiving, Andy and I are super excited because the In-Laws are coming! This is both a highly exciting event as it will be their first time down to see us and I just love them and a highly stressful time leading up to it because if I thought Andy was crazy anal about cleaning before I was only seeing the surface of what he could be. Our cleaning prep started last week as Andy had a friend coming into town and he informed me that this would be a great time to get a "pre-clean" cleaning of the house in before his parents showed up. Little did I know he was serious. After a few little bickering's about what actually needed to be done we ended up with him vacuuming and myself mopping, he actually was beaming as he watched me with the mop and said "honey, wow your really putting some muscle behind that," oh Andy. Anyways, I decide the easy way around this whole situation is to "woman" up and make a cleaning list of things that MUST be double scrubbed before the family gets here (note to audience: Andy and I's house is almost always picked up and clean these are above and beyond measures) On said list is: outside landscaping, fridge and freezer cleanouts, coat closet cleaning and mopping, baseboards windows and blinds (that's a gimmy) and so forth. I fully plan on taking Tuesday off though and by taking Tuesday off I mean not being in the house so that Andy can fully prepare for their arrival and I won't grubby anything up:) Can't wait to see you Sue and Bill!!

Well hopefully I'll add some pictures soon- Andy and I have been very busy with friends and trips and jobs and so on! But for now I'll leave you with this quote- since I haven't been writing I've been reading lots of blogs - so many good things out there :)

"Giving thanks is only this: making the canyon of pain into a megaphone to proclaim the ultimate goodness of God. But this is not easy: That which I refuse to thank Christ for, I refuse to believe Christ can redeem." - Thank you Ann Voskamp and your truly touching blog. Click Here for more of her Thanksgiving advice

Another thing to Thank God for: Take me back to Manhattan Beach please!

California Love....

2011-11-01T10:57:00.000-07:00

Well, I figured I'd better get a few things out here before too much time has elapsed. I'm out of the hospital and officially sick :) But seriously, getting out of the hospital is always weird because its like your body has been guarded and preserved against all types of germies while in the joint and as soon as your released your body feels a little like it's under attack! AHH! But, all that being said I'm fighting through it and I'm sure I'll feel just fine in a couple of days! So, what's happened since pants day? Halloween and California are the two big ones!
Saturday night we went to our friends house for a Halloween party, Andy and I had talked up being "rage faces" for Halloween for a solid month so it was no surprise that that costume fell through! However, Bunny to the rescue, we discovered these foam pumpkin looking name tags in the Halloween goodies she had sent us so I wrote our names on them and we dressed nicely, baked cookies and brought a house gift to the party and went as "respectable guests" -- yes we are lame but still.... pretty awesome?

:
Look at those Respectable Party Guests.

Pumpkin shaped sugar cookies. These were not very good and probably the longest cookie process of our lives. First time back in the kitchen = something less than successful.

Sunday morning we got up and headed off to California! Andy and I are getting pretty good at this traveling thing together and played the always fun "How many things did you forget?" game all the way to the airport - I won forgetting 3 things while Andy only forgot 1 thing! Hahaha oh boy- luckily nothing was super crucial i.e. we had our ID's and so we boarded the plane! I'm teaching Andy how to play Sudoku right now so he rightfully slept through the whole lesson on the plane while I pointed at number strategies and "ah hah'd" my genius all the way to San Jose!

We checked into the ever lovely Hilton and walked around downtown San Jose the rest of the afternoon. Andy does this thing that drives me crazy where I'll ask him if he wants to eat at a certain place and then he gets his phone out and goes "well it only got 3 1/2 stars" and then I proceed to pull out my hair and walk to the next restaurant and say "how bout here?" and then we repeat the pattern till I get a low blood sugar and we are forced to stop so I can get a coke. I have had the worst luck with my blood sugars and stomach out here so literally I've been living off of coke. Gotta have something to keep the sugar up! We hit happy hour at PF Chang's where Andy informed me that "we should try places we can only eat at in San Jose" to which I responded by evilly glaring at him since I had asked if we could eat at 25 local spots along the way (all of which didn't have enough stars for my darling) before having to settle at PF Chang's out of sheer hunger and possible hypoglycemia.
Then it was off again, this time we ventured to a new area of town called Santana Row (I kept calling it Santa Row and every time Andy corrected me and said "No it's Santana!", I'd start singing, "Maria maria.. you remind me of a Westside story - growing up in Spanish Harlem...") - anyways- we walked around that area for awhile entertained the entire time by an "Mini Asian American Idol." Those kids got talent~ We decided we'd better find somewhere to eat after stopping to check my blood sugar and the dang thing had dropped to 46. Boo ( normal is 80-120 fyi) Which brings us to Maggiano's Italian Delight! A wonderful place where I could slurp down 4 cokes, eat half a loaf of bread and then order dinner. Since we'd already had Happy Hour we thought we should go light for dinner so we ordered the special; appetizers, 2 main courses, dessert and then wait BONUS.. Maggianos also sends you home with 2 MORE main dishes at the end of your meal. My eyes being just a tad bit bigger than my stomach immediately said "Awesome idea" but by the middle of the appetizer I was starting to scheme what in the heck to do with our extra meals. Andy and I were all set on giving them to one of the many homeless people downtown when they brought the bags out to us and to our dismay the dishes were cold! Well we couldn't give cold food to someone with no way of heating it up right? So we gave it to the hotel bellman and front desk attendant - and they were very happy that our eyes were bigger than our tummys.

almost an excessive amount of food to go home with right?

Monday was a whirlwind of fun! Andy and I got to take a very nice young man out for lunch and fill his head with dreams of being a CU - Buff (in all reality this guy was a champ and will most likely overcome all odds to become a Buff) pretty sweet. And then, BAM, off to San Fransisco! I GPS'd us there and then immediately took a quick lunch nap while my trusty chauffeur guided us along the busy free ways of California! I awoke in time to see the welcome to San Fran sign and immediately GPS'd us over the Golden Gate Bridge to the Vista look out point. Here are a couple photos... mind you Andy is screaming at me in the car "take more pictures, wake up and take some pictures" so I got two....

The mysterious "FOG'

Husband being oh so photogenic.

We then headed downtown and due to some serious construction, awesome detour signs and Andy and I's innate sense of direction we managed to successfully locate the mysterious Fisherman's Wharf and Pier 39 only 2 hours after getting in the car! Mind you, we got a little off course about 10 seconds after coming back across the bridge and ended up in a neighborhood when Andy began to sing ...

"When you're lost out there and your all alone
A light is waiting to carry you home
Everywhere you look."

As most of you know, this is the worst thing he could have said because then I was absolutely useless upon realizing our trip had a theme song and just sang this verse over and over and over until Andy's ears bled. (I couldn't seem to remember the rest of the Full House theme song- Arienanna?) We found Fisherman's Wharf though and walked along the streets, I of course had another low blood sugar, so we got me a coke and nutella crepe and settled in to watch the Sea Lions. That too didn't last because I believed I could communicate with them so I started sort of honking at them and that's when Andy said it was time to go! We went and drove the crazy streets of downtown San Fran (look honey I'm a local) and walked through China town. It's so much fun being a tourist. :) Our night was capped off by the infamous In N Out Burger where I discovered they had a "secret" menu and immediately ordered the animal fries... fries, cheese, thousand island and onions.. did I mention I'm feeling sick lately?

Life continues to fly by and I cannot believe we are in NOVEMBER now?!! What happened to October?! So here's to you November, California and the time of our lives!

Us. Being us in public. scary.

Pants Day!!

2011-10-28T10:20:00.000-07:00

Pants Day you say? What is Pants Day? Well It's the last day in the hospital!! Which means, I'm going to have to put pants back on. Yay and sad?! Yes, you might think it crazy but I've adapted quite nicely to my hospital home and here are the creature comforts I'll be missing most:

The first is pants- mostly having to wear them. Obviously, I wish there was no need for such silly things and we could all go around with our behinds flapping in the wind but apparently there is social protocol to maintain. Thus, here I am. Pants on the ground.

Lookin like a fool.

Nurses bringing in my pills. Do you know how nice it is to have someone get your pills ready for you in the morning? I'm lying in bed all toasty warm and asleep and someone comes and sets my pills out for me and then someone else comes in and starts my treatments. Sometimes this is obnoxious because you just want to be left alone but most of the time they are nice and its such a breath of fresh air (figuratively speaking because the hospital pumps toxic sickness through its walls) to have another person take on my medical responsibilities....

cute little pills all encased and cupped and prepped- ahh the life of not having to do my own meds.

Reading. Oh how I will miss thee! From magazines & Harry Potter to 8,000 pages of Game of Thrones (yes, I've taken it on..but slowly) I love having the time to read.To couple that, I will also say that USA today plays hours upon hours of Law & Order SVU and though I've seen every episode I just can't stop watching. It's just sooo good.

Thank you to all who have provided me with ample reading material. You will be getting it back....someday.

My favorite couple! Luckily, he has left officially and it's rumored that she will be leaving next season. Maybe I'll get a life and stop watching? the husband is really hoping for this!

Ok, so those are the big things. Pants, pills, reading & SVU. But, it's been a great hospital stay in that I'm much healthier now than when I started and I have a whole week of California to look forward too! Overall, today is just another great day! Thank you Jesus! Whoop! Better get back to work- and finish packing up the room the husband arrives in a little less than 3 hours.... whoa!

One more picture- I'm soooo excited to get this dang wristband off... they scan you in the hospital; like a bag of chips.

thumbs up I'm outta here.

Thankful Thursday! Hospital, California, Husband & More

2011-10-27T11:11:00.000-07:00

I totally stole this post idea from Ronnie Sharp and his Blog. So Thanks! Anyways, so many things to be thankful for today that I'm gonna do another steal and just bullet them....

Hospital stay is almost over! That's right - I'm outta this joint tomorrow! Whoo hoo, I've prepped the doctors all week to be ready for discharge EARLY on Friday so this means hopefully I'll get be outta here by 1 or 2pm. Not bad. I've spent a large part of the day on the phone with insurance companies and am oh sooo excited to deal with their junk when I leave here.
California knows how to Party! Oh! Well I find myself singing any California song I know because I just booked my ticket for NEXT WEEK. Ok, it's gonna be a little crazy getting out of the hospital and then bam on a plane Sunday to California, but Andy was heading out there for work anyways and after talking with him last night we both decided I should go to. "Why Not," is my big feeling on the matter. I work from my computer anyways and the hotels are paid for. I'm soo soo excited and we get to see my new brother-in -law over the weekend. It's just going to be fabulous -and as always one of those last minute decisions I make. How am I an event planner? :)
Husband, can't forget him on this list because well he just makes it all happen. Last night he braved the snowy roads to see me and it really did make me feel better. The whole afternoon I had had a cursing headache and from the moment I saw him it was lifted. I dunno what it is about him I just love him.
Work- like I said I work from my computer mostly these days and feel super blessed to work for family and in a flexible environment. Even though I'm leaving this job in a couple weeks I know God has something in mind for me (just a quick reminder God: I'm still waiting for you to reveal your plan to me) and I'm trying to be active and prayerful in the finding work realm.
BFF's- you guys are just great. Thanks for all the chats, group mms's, and pictures. Check out my BFF arieanna's blog here and check out gay gay's blog ..... well when she stops working on her masters and saving children in need. :)
Brother Bear & Sister Goose & Family-- you guys are an amazing support team! My brother bear apparently is a super hero and has built his own computer (literally built it), speaks Persian & jumps out of airplanes. My SG has tackled a new job working as a CNA, is remodeling her house, and just got engaged and is letting me plan her wedding...wait. maybe not that last part but I'm trying! As for the rest of em? My Mom and Steve watch the Frankerdoodle while I'm in here (and in California?) and bring me treats and presents, Ronzilla (aka Dad) calls me daily to humor me with his latest golf wit or why he believes I'm such a twirp, The InLaws (sue & bill) send texts, care packages and make late night phone calls, and grandparents, cousins, aunts & uncles from all over have been nothing but giant blessings these past two weeks

So that's it for my Thankful Thursday! There are obviously many more things to be thankful for but those are just a few on my plate today! What are you thankful for??

Monday Mayday!

2011-10-24T18:09:00.000-07:00

I took the weekend off just so everyone would be pandering a little more. Did it work? Probably not but I'm back and ready to talk - I mean blog.
Life in the hospital is typically pretty dull and diluted over the weekends- you get weekend doctors, weekend cafeteria, even weekend cleaning crew, and let me just say all of them fail compared to their weekday companions. Andy stayed Friday night and ALL DAY/NIGHT Saturday. He was going to leave and then visitors showed up so he got distracted and ended up spending the day with me. It's nice to have down time with him and just get to relax and watch movies in a small twin bed being interrupted every 20 or so minutes with new nurse requests..i.e. "Oh hi guys I see your watching a movie, I was just wondering if you could stand on this scale real quick. Oh, this is a good part of the movie- oh what did you eat today? uh huh and have you pooped? Oh Great! Are you coughing? What color is it? and what's the consistency? etc etc" All logical nurse questions but make for really impractical movie watching. In any case the movies we rented were absolutely horrible and by Sunday morning I told Andy he needed to go home so he could at least be productive. I hear he got the cars cleaned! Whoop!

Sunday afternoon my mom showed up with the boys... aka the yorkies!

My mom used the sketch app on her iPhone to really capture the essence of these beasts. From Left to right Frank, Augie & Bentley aka Benny boy

I played with them outside downstairs but Bentley managed to getaway and took off inside the hospital. I, in sheer panic, raced after him tripped on the welcome mat and went full face down onto the floor. One of my more embarrassing moments. The people in wheelchairs gasped, the security guard went for his stick,and I jumped up as quickly as I went down to prove that I was just fine and that my fall wasn't as big as it looked. But I share with you now my war wound....

That was my face when I fell.... also I skinned my knees. Yes, I'm 12.

A little boy grabbed Bently right inside the door and no harm came to the pup in this process. The rest of the afternoon was spent with visitors (love me some hospital visitors!-thanks terry, keith & ginger!) and licking my war wound in bed.Ok, actually I downloaded a Suduko app and was up till 3 am trying to unlock "expert". Lame, I know.

So, that brings us to today -MONDAY! oh what a great day! :) Well, it was somewhat productive at least. I've been applying to jobs all across the board and have been praying that God will just gift me something that I totally don't deserve that has all the material "yes's" I want (health insurance, pay, hours) & satisfy the soul inside of me. I want to use my tools or sharpen my tools to make a difference! Oh, the prayers I say. Anyways if YOU wanted to start praying for it too that would be excellent..so thanks~! :) I also did some actual work today and then started the process of filing insurance claims and switching to Andy's insurance. YIKES, YUCK, BLEH. But again, super blessed to even have all this stuff so I'm sure we will get through it just fine!

Alright so one last thing, my beautiful pumpkin is living proof that the hospital is no place to stay healthy....I noticed this spot from my bedside... BLACK MOLD!!! SICK. So I said goodbye and tossed it down the nuclear waste tube. :/ I guess I'll get another pumpkin when I get home.....

What's in your pumpkin?

Till next time... toodles!

A Day in Pictures!

2011-10-20T19:44:00.000-07:00

So many things to write about today and I'm sure the whole world is just waiting to hear what I have to say! Actually, today was pretty fun, the husband stayed the night last night and took the day off of work to hang with me. It was just a great day and since a picture says more than I can I'm going to relive it that way for you!!

So I'll start with the best picture of the day ...90% LUNG FUNCTION...HECK YA. (it seriously hasn't been this good since high school...whooo hooo antibiotics.)


This is me doing a Pulmonary Function Test or as my Grandma Bunny would call it "peak flow" because she sorda knows the terminology but mixes it up and I just let her go with it-her names Bunny after all why would you argue with her.

And then I got a package from Grandma Bunny.....


I love the random assortment of things and can just imagine her at the dollar store or kmart or some random place picking all this stuff out!

So Obviously the Hubby and I had a coloring competition.... Mines on the right his is on the left. You be the judge but pick the "right" one. oh haha I'm so clever sometimes

AND then another present showed up, Steve, came bearing this sweet pumpkin that my Grandpa Terry had picked out for me and Steve carved. Its a bat and a moon and then you can kinda see my name carved in BROADWAY font on the right hand side!

BUT THEN THIS HAPPENED......

BEST. HUSBAND. EVER.

Andy + My Toes= Greatest Husband Moment Ever.

To be fair I can't paint my own nails partly because of total beauty incompetence and largely due to the shakiness brought on by multiple treatments and steroids. Still, super fun experience and really funny to watch him do. I would be worried but its winter time and my feet should be seeing nothing but the insides of wool socks for the next few months anyways.....

Andy had to leave shortly after and night time came with him. I feel sooo blessed to have healthcare and great nurses and doctors. Plus, not a lot of hospitals where you get a sweet view like this.....

A view from the 9th floor.

Goodnight All...

Sick Hubby & Blogging

2011-10-19T11:53:00.000-07:00

So I'm kinda liking this blogging thing, I can communicate with all of you out there and Lord knows my thoughts need to be heard! :) On the docket today sick husband/sleeping pills, iphones, & exercise. So let me begin;

Poor Andy (the husband) has been super sweet to me and keeping me company while I stay tuned up- however late Monday night after I had taken a hard dose of sleeping pills, Andy awoke in the hospital with an awful stomach flu. I stumbled into something a little bit less than consciousness around 4am to discover his cot empty and started looking under my bed and out the door for him. Finally, the nurse came in and with a quizical look and exclaimed to my not so coherent mind, "As you've probably realized your husband left- he was really sick, but he just kept smiling. What a great guy." At this point my mind wandered into some other realm- I laid back down, sent a text to him that looked something like "lkdjove yuoud dkkdo ok?>D?D" and lolled off into lala land for another 3 hours. When I finally did make it out of my sleep coma, I was sure I had fixed the tax problem, cured CF and bought a pony; unfortunately those all just seemed to be hallucinations from the sleeping pills. Andy, however, spent all of Tuesday wrapped in bed with saltines and his computer. So Tuesday was quite the treat for us, me in the hospital him in the sick bed at home. I know that he is truly sick because #1 he called in sick from work and #2 he stayed home ALL day and only did ONE load of laundry! For those of you that don't know he's a workaholic cleanaholic and I provide the balance! :) So appreciate any prayers from you prayers out there for speedy health for us two!

My newest favorite thing about my iphone is the the group messaging. I have two bff's who live too far apart from me and we started this group message about a month ago that just keeps going. It's great I no longer have to text them both the same thing (that always made me feel like I was cheating them or they were cheating me somehow. In college, Arieanna and I would both hear our phone buzz in class, I'd look down and there would be a message from Gay Gay saying "I love you, you're great" and then I'd look at Arie's phone and it would be the same message and I would just feel this, "Dang" inside of me like I wasn't special.) That story aside, with group messaging I no longer have that not special feeling and since we live so far away from each other I feel like we get to have conversations again! I can be a bystander while they talk about something and then chime in if I need to. Moral of this is that I'm now trying to encourage them to be fellow bloggers with me and maybe someday, just maybe, It'll get big :)

And for the last words of the day- I'm exercising! Whoop! I ran six flights of stairs yesterday, huffed the last 3 till I wanted to die and made it back to my room safely with a heartrate of 180. :) They've brought an exercise bike into my room and I managed a full 20 minutes of my very busy day on that. Gonna keep this up- Don't want to be a sick CF kid :) I'm leaving you with this sweet photo of myself... the prednisone has kicked in and the puffy cheeks are back. Chubby Bunny.

This is me-- doing the Vest and enjoying the full face...

Tune Up

2011-10-17T14:06:00.000-07:00

Well it's day 5 of my tune up- for those of you that don't know I have Cystic Fibrosis, a disease that requires I get oiled up and greased down like a car. Ok not really, a "tune up" is typically a 14 day stay in the hospital where you're pumped full of antibiotics, patted down by multiple respiratory machines and worked on by a team of skilled nurses and doctors all in hopes that when you leave your lungs might be just a little bit better then when you came in.

The IV pole in all its glory

I've always looked at these "tune ups" as time to unwind a little, breathe better and get some rest but after getting in the CF community a little more I've approached this one with a little more pizazz! I know that sitting in that bed does nothing productive for me so I"m working hard to feel better in here which includes running/walking the 9 flights of stairs to my floor, daily stretching and really trying to cough. Ok this last one might seem funny but it's true. A huge part of the CF problem is not getting mucus out of the lungs. You can do the exercises and take the treatments but if you don't set aside time to cough it out then there really was no benefit. It seems simple but it's huge! Anyways, that's it for me today. I'm working from the hospital, trying to find a new job, trying to do the job I have, and challenging every norm I know.

Andy (the husband) has been great so far. Poor guy this is his first hospital experience with the sickly wife but he has been such a support and motivator to me. He stays with me (the first night was spent in Express Admissions aka a slower emergency room where nothing gets done but they leave all the lights on) walks with me, talks with me and plays cards with me- he is currently beating me at gin rummy a result I'm less than thrilled to report. But so far, 4 months into marriage he is my rock and I'm so thankful for it. He asks funny questions to the nurses and is learning CF in a way that you can't understand unless you're living life with a CF'er. All my thanks dear.

I'm gonna keep working at this blog thing though because although no one is currently reading it I'm sure one day I'll get a follower and I don't want to let that person down. With that....

Toodles.

Book series

2011-10-08T00:44:00.001-07:00

So I'm kinda being an insomniac tonight so I thought I'd share this story...

A couple weeks ago my husbands buddy sent us a nice gift- a book! Attached was a note that just said " you guys gotta read this- they've even picked it up as an hbo series" the book was Game of Thrones and as I had absolutely NOTHING going on I'm my life I picked it up.

Ok flash forward to me a week later : I've become the type of reader that makes me hate the person I've become. All "free" moments are spent reading said book- Aka time when I should be making dinner, conversation with my husband or other things... You get the drift. Anyways, so I start telling myself the lies that every bad book reader says: I'll pray more often, I'll cook dinner AND bake dessert, I'll do some craft from Pinterest, I'll become stable JUST as soon as this book is through....

Ok now super flash forward: it's roughly midnight, my husband is idly snoring while my spot light of a night light interrogates the room because I'm positive I'll go blind reading without 50,000 watts to back me up. I'm about 100 pages from finishing Game of Thrones and moving on with my life but something is just not right... The author has gone to major lengths in the first 700 pages laying out new worlds, building character depth and truly weaving a suspenseful novel. Here is the problem- nothing is getting wrapped up. I mean I'm down to 20 pages and I'm thinking man kinda a crappy job ending this mr big shot author - I mean if your gonna be this obtuse with the ending you shouldn't have dedicated all that time in building in the beginning! And then it hits me - like running into bedpost in the dark of night trying to get to the toily ***may or may not have happened*** this book is not ending. With ten pages to go the realization is blackens my future and I quickly flash to the front of the book and there it is in all it's glittery bedazzlement mocking my personal agenda that was ten pages away from being carried out: "enjoy reading these other fabulous and most definitely long, very long books in this most fantastic series that spans out over six more books! And guess what we're still writing!!!!"

Needless to day I've been immobile for the past week trying to decide what to do.- buy second book or move on with life and wait 6 years for hbo to finish the series..... I'm still debating here in wonderland.

My Office Chair

2011-09-14T11:33:00.000-07:00

My office chair is great. It's big, it's comfy, it twirls; it's also accompanied by my nine pound companion Frank.

Frank - take no offense at him sticking his tongue out; his over bite can't contain his tongue.

This is Frank in a shopping cart....


Frank goes everywhere with me. This trip in particular he helped me pick out frames from Hobby Lobby for the wedding

But really this our everyday....


Notice how much room a 9lb dog can actually take up....