Back to blogging

2010 had a lot of ups and downs. Highlights include our amazing wedding, Maui, New York City, getting my port taken out, our fantastic cats that make me laugh all the time, and getting through our first full year in our wonderful house. I think I'll just focus on the positives for now.

Even though 2010 was great, I hope 2011 will be awesome. I want to focus on being healthy, being more active, making sure to prioritize time with Andy, and keeping up with the house more. So many times this year I have let this house get the best of me. When it is cluttered and messy it really messes with my mind. It overwhelms me. I want to simplify things. Donate things we don't use or need. I want to come up with an organizational system to help keep things neat so that I can focus on more important things.

Tomorrow I am going to start taking more pictures (Project 365), reading more books (with my new Kindle!), and being more active. Being more active can be interpreted a lot of different ways and that is how I want to leave it. I don't want to say I will go to the gym 5 days a week. That's not going to happen every week. The gym will be part of my being active, but I also want to look at it as participating in more things. Maybe it means volunteering, maybe it means being more active and present at work, maybe it means attending different events with Andy. We need to get off our butts and go do more things. It's so easy to fall into a routine and we need to mix some things up!

I am still working through my MBA. I hope that by this time next year I will be finished or very close to being done. I have a plan to try taking two courses at a time just for one six-week session. I am not sure if this is a smart plan...I am not sure I can do it. I will try though. I planned it during a time of the year that is pretty slow. I also chose two elective courses to take that should not be as intense as some of the other courses. I just want to be done!

Anyways, I am looking forward to 2011. Now I have to finish my final paper so that I can put this course and year behind me! Cheers!

Thankful

Happy Thanksgiving! I know I have neglected this blog, but it happens. I am thankful for so many things! My hubby! My cats! My home! Being fairly healthy. My job. My friends!! I have awesome friends.

Anyways just wanted to post. Maybe I'll get back into this blog thing soon!

Nook vs. Kindle

I can't decide!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

can't take my eyes off of you

*sigh* so many things have happened, so many things that are going to happen. I am overwhelmed with everything right now. I am trying to just take one thing at a time. It will feel so great when this statistics class is over so that I can devote more time to wedding details and to Andy. We have not had much time for each other in the past month or so. It is hard, but we are both super busy with work, I have this class, not to mention that we have his brother and mom living with us right now. It is a lot, but we are dealing.

I had a great vacation to New York City with two great friends. We had a fabulous girls trip. It was a blast. I am excited to start traveling more. Maui is just around the corner and I am so excited for it! I want to plan another trip soon too! I am inspired by other people's adventures and I want Andy and I to experience our own. The wedding is in less then a month! I am so excited to marry the man that I love and to officially be a family. I am excited for our future but it is scary too.

I am listening to the wedding playlist that I have made (hence the title of this post). We are not having a DJ so the music is all up to us and our iPod! I have realized that I am a bit of a control freak...is that so bad? I don't think so. Hopefully all of our friends and family will like our music selections. I have to say that most of the music will be mine...Andy has a few songs that he wants to play though. I am doing my best incorporate his wants and needs into the wedding.

Anyways, we had some crazy storms tonight. I hope the morning will be clear so that we can have a nice weekend. We hope to head up to a friend's cabin in the morning so that we can get away from the cities and the houseguests and just relax. I just finished my homework so I won't have to worry about that much until Monday. Just a few discussion responses to post by Sunday night...shouldn't be a problem.

Well, this is getting long. I better get some sleep!

something original

Once again my life is crazy and busy. Here is the rundown.

Health - I had another blood test and it was good. So good that I was able to have my port removed! This was a huge relief. I was so anxious before the test and waiting for the results. I don't have to go back to the doctor for six months so that is pretty awesome. The incision is healing well and I think that the scar will be better then it was before. My doctor was able to cut out the original scar so that I wouldn't have multiple scars or one huge scar.

Exercise - I have also been trying to get back into my exercise routine. I had a good week this week so hopefully I can keep it up!

School - I have completed three MBA courses now and am starting my fourth on Monday. I am taking yucky statistics but it will be good to get it over with. I am taking six weeks off of school after this course so that will be extra nice!

Wedding - Things are coming together with the wedding. We are figuring out the ceremony details and finalizing reception things. I have also had two bridal showers and they were both awesome! I have great family and friends!

Well, that is all for now. I will post some pictures soon! Oh yeah, I am not wearing my wig anymore! It is weird but good.

Hi, my name is Milo

Meowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww. I have a whiny meow, but I can't help it.

Meow, meow, meow. Hiss, snarl, rawr. Better run away now, my owners look angry. That darn Finola just gets in my way sometimes and I need to protect my mom! Lick, lick, lick, sleep, sleep, sleep. Stretch! Purr. Run, play, jump. Ooh, is that water running? Better go check it out. Drat, Finola is already here! Hiss. Ooh I think I see my BFF in the backyard. His name is "fat squirrel buddy". He was around a lot in the fall but then he abandoned me when all that white stuff was outside. He has lost some weight but so have I. I run up and down the stairs a lot in our new house. It's great to have so much space. Time to go hide under the bed. I like to watch for unsuspecting feet and then BAM! I also like to try and climb the curtains. That usually gets me sprayed with water. Don't tell anyone, but I like being sprayed. It's a free drink! Oh look, here is a comfy spot to sleep. I can sleep anywhere, even on the hard floor. My favorite spot is on my mom though.

Time to go chase Finny! Hopefully I'll get a cat treat later. I love those!

Hi, my name is Finny.

Sleep, sleep, sleep. Play, play, play. Snuggle, cuddle, snuggle. Knead, knead, knead.

Eat, sleep, play, cuddle, and look cute. That is on my agenda for today. Ooh, I hear water running. Must find faucet. Ooh, a bug is on the window. Must play with bug. Ooh, my owner is trying to work. Must sit on her chest and lick her. Purr, purr, purr. Hmmm, this looks like a comfy spot. Lick, lick, lick. Sleep, sleep, sleep. Ooh, my owner is heading towards the bathroom. Must get there before she does and look cute so she will let me drink water from the bathtub faucet. Slurp, slurp, slurp. Uh oh, here comes Milo. He likes to hiss at me sometimes, but I don't mind. I am cute! Time to chase Milo! We'll cuddle later. Must follow owners everywhere they go. Purr, purr, purr. Knead, knead, knead. I love squishy stomachs! Zzzzz......

Getting organized

I am not in a class this week so I am taking advantage of it and getting caught up on some things that I have let slide. I have been furiously going through paperwork, mail, and magazines so that I can recycle things and get them out of the house. It feels great. Sometimes I feel like I am being buried in paper. I thought we were heading towards a paperless society?! Oh well.

Other then that a big highlight of the past week was seeing an exhibition Twins game at Target Field! OMG, the field is just gorgeous! I was positively giddy when I walked in and saw the field. The weather ended up being okay and even though the Twins lost it was still amazing! I am looking forward to this season!


I had another good appointment and I get to have my port removed in early May! I am so excited but also anxious. I need to pass one more blood test before I can have it removed so cross your fingers that it is clear!

I think that is all for now!

Sunday morning

I love Sunday mornings! Today is especially good (even though I forgot about daylight savings time and slept until noon). I've got the newspaper, coffee, a yogurt parfait, the sun is shining, it feels warm out, and we are going to grill tonight! Andy and I also got engaged one year ago today. I kind of forgot about it...but my mom reminded me!

Of course the day will go downhill later after dinner when I will be doing homework and stupid Monday morning will be too close for comfort...but for now, I will just enjoy the sunny day!

Oh and...

got this months blood test results today and they are good! Woot. Hopefully when I see the doctor next month he will let us schedule my port removal surgery.

Also, I am super proud to be the mayor of the cancer center on 4square. haha!

I've got the fever...

Olympic fever that is! I should be sleeping or doing homework, but instead I am watching the Olympics! Love it! I hope to be a live spectator at an Olympics before I die. Put that one on "the Buried List".

Love it! Go USA!

30!

I turned 30 over the weekend. Crazy. It was a good birthday and a fun weekend. I have today off from work which is nice. Definitely a good plan on my part. Unfortunately it is snowing and that has thrown a wrench in my plans. Not the end of the world though. I have plenty of good food to eat and some good movies to watch. Not to mention the fact that both cats seem to be extra cuddly today. They are probably in shock from all the excitement around here lately.

I did go out and shovel for an hour this morning. Gross! I'll have to go out again soon since it won't stop snowing! Here is a crazy icicle on the back of our house!

Friday night I went to The Local with some co-workers for happy hour. I had many, many, drinks and they were all so good! The Big Ginger was a highlight (Jameson and ginger ale). I highly recommend it. My mom picked me up from happy hour and when I got home I promptly fell asleep on the couch. Andy said that I was talking in my sleep while he and Brant were playing video games. At one point I sat up and said, "bang, bang, bang, bang, bang!" They were playing a shooting game so I guess that makes sense. It sounds so funny to me!

Saturday was my actual birthday. Andy and I went out to lunch and I got my free Caribou drink! Once we got home, Michelle stopped by to bring me some presents and to take pictures of the cats with her new camera. The cats loved it! They think they are supermodels now. (that picture is just from my phone)

After the photoshoot, my college friends came over for dinner and games. It was a lot of fun!

Sunday was a lot of lounging, homework, cooking, and watching the Super Bowl. I think we had 18 people over. It was fun. We had so much food!!!!!!

Well time for a movie and then more shoveling. Fun, fun, fun!

Bowling tonight!

We have started a new bowling league and it is made up entirely of our friends! Woot! My team is called "The Rick Astley All-Stars". We are totally going to make an awesome shirt...we might not hae them until near the end of the league, but that is okay.

My class is going well. Yay.

My hair is growing...I might be within a month or two (or less) of not having to wear a wig...we'll see though. It just depends on when I feel comfortable enough I guess. I never wear it when I am at home or if we have friends over, but it's different in public...

Anyways, I think I am going to get a grilled cheese sandwich at the alley! Yum!

2010

Wow, it has been crazy busy lately and I have been having so much fun! I think I am starting to wake up from my hazy year and I am really trying not to stress and worry about stupid little things as much. Right now I am pretty caught up in the Vikings, friends, trying to exercise more, wedding plans, and I am also taking a class right now to begin my MBA.

Vikings - we had friends over last weekend for the game and it was so exciting! I am hoping tonight's game goes just as well. I am super nervous for the team. Ahhh! It would be so cool if they make it to the Superbowl!!!

Friends - I have awesome friends. I love hanging out with them! Lately we have had some game parties and bowling has started up again. I saw some good movies (Up in the Air, It's Complicated, and Avatar), saw Dreamgirls (the musical), and had some good meals (like 3 Squares the other night!).

Exercise - as with most brides-to-be, I would like to look a bit better then I do now by the time the wedding rolls around in July. I have actually decided to cancel my gym membership though! haha. It's just too cold out to trek over to the gym and it's not convenient. I used to live just down the road from the gym, but now it is at least a 15 minute drive each way to go. We have an elliptical machine in the basement which is my favorite machine and it just seemed silly to pay to use the machine at the gym when I basically have the same stuff at home. I am excited to not have that money taken out each month and I have been having great workouts at home! There are always deals so if I feel like joining again in the future I am sure I can find a similar package that I have right now.

Wedding - things are getting done! I got my dress and the bridesmaid dresses ordered last week! That is a huge weight off of my shoulders and I am very excited that I found something I like and I also think the bridesmaid dresses will be super cute! Next up will be invitation designs, food tastings, and tons of other things...I feel like I am on top of it though and am not stressing about it. I think the things that are coming up will be really fun to work on!

MBA - I work for a school and have always thought about taking classes and working towards a new degree. I tried a class a couple of years ago and that particular specialization was not for me. I decided last spring to try again but this time work towards an MBA. I can't say that business is a passion of mine, but it is very practical and so far I am really enjoying it. I think that I do have a business mind and hopefully it will all pay off when I graduate sometime in 2012! Woot.

Well, I've got some homework to work on! I need to finish it before the game starts! Go Vikings!!

p.s. I am over the "all in lowercaps" typing. : )

busy, busy, busy

this week has been crazy. so much for my relaxing vacation! oh well. it is partly my own fault because i didn't finish my shopping and wrapping as early as i could have. here is what i did today: woke up, started laundry, wrapped presents, more laundry, vacuumed basement and stairs, had some coffee, made the bed, checked my email, watched some tv, had lunch, back to laundry, went to the gym, went to Target, dropped some donations off at the goodwill, came home, started dinner (turkey tacos), steve came over, continued to cook dinner, michelle and brett came over, ate dinner, made cocktails, conversation, played warioware smooth moves, played guitar hero, watched andy play ddr, said goodbye to everyone, cleaned up, finished wrapping presents, more laundry, tv, and blogging. whew!

i still have a lot of housework to do, but i guess it can wait until the weekend. hopefully the roads will be okay tomorrow and we will be able to get to my parent's house...i can't wait for everyone to open their gifts!

so bad at this...

i am not good at updating this blog...or any other blog i have ever had. i wish i had more to write about! thankfully i have twitter and facebook to remind me of what i have done.

cancer update - i had my 3 month checkup with the doctor last week and everything is still looking good. the doc wants me to keep my port in until may or june which is sort of a bummer. i was hoping to have it out by february or march. i guess it's not that much of a difference. he said that if the disease were to reappear it usually happens 6 to 9 months after the last chemo treatment. i definitely don't want to have another port put back in so i guess it's better to be cautious. my hair is also growing back. i wish it would grow faster, but at least i have something there now.

i have been very busy with holiday parties and activities. this is probably one of my most favorite times of the year and i am definitely making the most of it. we have lots of fluffy, white snow on the ground and it is cold, but not so cold that you want to die when you step outside. we did have one week of that stuff but thankfully it has warmed up to the 20's. i will enjoy it while it lasts.

i just finished putting the final stamp on our holiday cards. hopefully everyone will get them before Friday! we put save the date magnets in some of our cards (out of towners and whatnot)...wow, i guess we really are going to get married! exciting! i have been looking at dresses lately. that is the most urgent thing i need to accomplish at the moment.

i have this whole week off of work. awesome. merry christmas!

yay for home improvement

we have an electrician here today to install outdoor garage lights. whoo hoo. i am very excited about this because our house gets so dark at night! and our housewarming party is on saturday so that way the lights will be done by then! i have been keeping busy with lots of house stuff and work. other then that i haven't been doing a whole lot. andy's mom was staying with us for a little while and halloween came and went. handing out candy was super fun, but we skipped out on the parties we were invited too because we had a long day of furniture shopping that day. i was going to be "Nanny" from the Muppet Babies for a Muppet themed party. it would have been awesome, but i was okay with staying home that night. i love being at home right now.

way too busy!

i've been too busy to post! work, casino trips, bowling, 101 dalmations, little house on the prairie, unpacking, painting...it's been crazy!

october? already?!

i can't believe it is october! it feels like i haven't been to the doctor in a long time! it is weird...i have been keep busy with two bowling leagues. my teams have ridiculous names like "three hookers and a straight guy" and "two balls, one pin". it's fun, but two leagues is a bit much for me! i definitely won't be doing two leagues again. i just like having my weeknights free so that i can watch tv!

andy and i are in our new house! we are both loving it, but we will love it more once we are unpacked and have gotten some painting done and stuff. the cats are also adjusting. i think they really like it though!

anyways, it's rainy today and i am working from home. the best part of the day has been drinking coffee while listening to the rain! i love it!

the big "c"

so, i had cancer. i think i can say that it is gone now and that i am cancer-free...but i never really asked my doctor that specifically...guess i should. anyways, what a trip. you hear about it, you probably know someone who has had it, you are told that pretty much anything and everything can give you cancer, but you never think it will happen to you. well, last march, it happened to me. i am not sure how long i had it before i found out about it, but i can guess that it was at least a few months. i started feeling tired and kind of weird maybe in december of last year. i noticed that after working out on the elliptical machine and lying down to do some crunches that it felt like my heart was beating in my abdomen and i could feel a hard lump. i didn't think too much of it at the time, but i guess that was the tumor. i started feeling more tired and i didn't have an appetite. i wasn't sure what was wrong, but i guess i figured it was some sort of winter cold or flu. i also had the chills a lot. i also had a lot going on at the time. i had just gotten engaged, i was going to go back to school, and i was trying to be a good maid of honor for my sister so being tired didn't seem very weird.

i remember joking around with my co-workers about my strange symptoms and comically saying, "what if it's cancer?!".

anyways, my lack of energy was driving my mom crazy so she finally made me go to urgent care. the doctor there told me that it felt like it could be a baby(!) or a tumor (!!). i think my blood test at urgent care was pretty wacky too and they told me to go to the emergency room right away.

the next 48 hours are kind of blurry and stuff. they ran a ton of tests on me and the next thing i know i am scheduled for surgery. because the tumor was attached to one of my ovaries, we had to make some quick decisions. should they try to save my other ovary? should they take everything out so that i won't have to worry about this happening again? well...considering that i was newly engaged and have always wanted to have a family andy, my mom, and i decided that if they discovered that the other ovary was not damaged that they should leave it in. this way we can at least try to have a baby or two and if we are not able too, we know that there are a lot of other options. the doctor did recommend that as soon as we are done having children (or trying to have children) that i should have everything else taken out as soon as possible. i guess we will see what happens in the next few years! the worst thing about the possibility of another surgery is the thought of having to drink that nasty stuff that cleans out your system again! ugh!! maybe they will have a better method by then...

so anyways...i had 6 rounds of chemotherapy and am really glad to be done with that! the first couple rounds were hard because i had gotten an infection from my surgery. i wasn't able to eat much and was very weak. two rounds of anti-biotics later i was better and overall the rest of my treatments were not too bad. i had some nausea and of course lost my hair, but i know that it could have been a lot worse. i can't wait for my hair to grow back because i am very sick of wearing a wig.

anyways, i am generally an optimistic person so here are the top five good things about my chemotherapy:

1. getting time off of work
2. not having to shave my legs all summer
3. having time to just relax and read books
4. spending a lot of quality time with my mom
5. getting over my fear of doctors

and on the flip side, here are the top five bad things that i experienced (there are more then 5, but i'll leave out some of the gory details):

1. losing my hair
2. feeling weak
3. not being able to sleep very well
4. all the needle sticks and shots
5. losing my hair :(

well that is all for now. time to move on with my life! i've already got a lot to look forward too since andy and i just closed on our house and of course the wedding! i am looking forward to making fun decorating decisions and getting into the wedding details! woot, woot!