I've been completely avoiding the blogging world lately.. and mainly, because I've been waiting to announce:

We're having a baby!!!

Chase and I are both soooo excited.

It's been crazy few months.. After I got home from Park City and had my appointment with my Orthopedic surgeon, he scheduled me a CT scan for better imaging of the injury.  Before they started the CT scan, they asked if there was any chance I could be pregnant..
Jokingly, I said "I don't think so, but you never know, right?!? haha."  They didn't think it was funny.  They sent me to the lab to go and take a test to be sure, even though I insisted that I couldn't be..
After we took the test, they had us wait in a special room for a phone call from the surgeon who ordered the tests.. and when he called, he told us the test was positive.

So that's where we found out.  I was a little bit bummed, because I always thought I'd find out and find a really cute or funny way to tell Chase..  but, life just doesn't always go as planned, am I right?!?

It'll still be a funny story to tell our baby one day!

It's unfortunate that I had to undergo a serious surgery and start this pregnancy off with pain meds, blood clots, and a broken knee, but it's good that it was all so early.  I should be all healed soon, and then I'll be able to start walking, working out again and gain my muscle back so I can carry this little person growing inside of me!

I'm almost out of my first trimester and we're due at the end of September.

I'M SO EXCITED!!!!!

I was just browsing through my Trash the Dress album on facebook..
I'm not trying to toot my own horn or anything, but they did turn out pretty awesome!  We sort of went fo ra garage/junk yard type of theme..









My dear friend Ashley Nichole took these, as she's also a local Minneapolis start up photographer!
I'm so glad that we did these.. it's was tons of fun, and I think it's great that we were able to spend more time taking some pictures of me in the dress without all of the stress of the Wedding day.

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!  We'll be working on getting our house more put together..  Pictures to come soon!

Cheers!

I must say, I haven't had the inspiration, time or energy to post any blogs!  Nor have I been doing any thing too cool to share..  But I thought i'd check in and update on some things going on!

Chase and I have our inspection today during my lunch hour!  I can't wait.  I'm obsessed and can't stop thinking about where i'm going to put things, what i'm going to paint the walls, how we're going to remodel the kitchen, my organic veggie garden this summer, my housewarming party guest list..  and BLAH BLAH BLAH!!!!  I'm full of ideas and anxious to get going on them!  We'll be closing NEXT WEEK!  We are hoping to start remodeling our kitchen before we move in.

BUT...

We are insanely busy without the house!

Chase's Grandpa owns a chalet in the Upper Peninsula, MI, so 9 of us are going up this weekend for a fun ski weekend for my birthday!
We'll be home Sunday...
Monday is my birthday!
We should be starting to pack up the house next week as well.
Then we close on Thursday!
That Saturday we have to cruise out to Madison for my sister-in-law's baby shower!
The following week we'll [hopefully] start remodeling the kitchen.
After that, we'll really have to start moving in!
Because then, we're off to Mexico on Feb. 21st!!!
Plus, i'm working two jobs at the moment.. so i'm already busy!

Crazy, crazy month ahead!  Wish me luck!  It's a good thing that I love being busy!!!

I'll update after our fun winter getaway to Michigan!  Let's hope no one gets hurt! :-/

Exciting News!

We bought a HOUSE!!!  I am beyond thrilled.. I can't wait to sign the papers!

It's basically in my home town, which I really wanted to steer away from.  But, the price was right, it's close to many places, move in ready, has a nice fenced in yard, and a big deck!  I'm very excited.  It's the perfect size for our first home.  I keep reminding myself that this doesn't mean it's permanent..  someday we will move to a different area.  But right now, this is just so great for us.  It's close to Chase's work too, so that's a huge plus.

We might be closing as soon as February 1st!  Ahhhh I can't wait to start moving!

Check out some pics:

2012 has really been an incredible year for me!  Chase and I have been so blessed and fortunate to have each other, and the families and opportunities that we've had this past year.  We spent a weekend in Utah, got hitched, traveled through parts of Europe, had a wonderful Minnesota summer, and Chase had a great race season!   The best part of it all is that we've been able to do it all with some amazing people in our lives!    I just can't stress enough how lucky I feel, even though sometimes I feel like "life is so unfair!" It's important to count your blessings!

Instead of Monthly Goals for January, i'm going to list out my goals for 2013.  They will probably be pretty simple, but like i always say, it's good to set goals!

*Continue to be a NON SMOKER!  I can't say I've been flawless on this continual goal, but I'm still pretty proud of myself.  It's a constant struggle, but I just can't quit quitting!
*Get in SHAPE.  Lose LBS and then stay stable.  This holiday season has really taken a toll on me!  Time to kick it into gear!
*Buy a house.  (hopefully sooner than later!)
*Get a promotion.  I've been in my current position for two years, and I'm feeling ready to move forward.
*My two trips: Mexico in February, and one more which is currently undecided..  either India or Morocco next November.
*Volunteer.  I meant to find an opportunity to do this over the holiday season, but time got away from me.  So my goal is to find some time to give back a little.  It doesn't need to be crazy, but something would be good.

I hope everyone has a safe and happy New Year!  HAPPY 2013!!!!

Cheers!

It's been a while since I've been able to find a moment to write!  I hope that everyone had a wonderful Christmas and holiday weekend!  I've had a very busy past few weeks cleaning the house and seeing different families.  Chase's mom stayed with us last weekend and then of course we had my family stuff going on all week.  It's really neat when you join families with someone else.  Chase has been a part of my family practically since we started dating.  We don't see his as often, but now I'm starting to feel that from his side more, as well.

I was going to post this after Halloween, but didn't get around to it.  In light of election season, Chase and I decided to go for an American theme for our costumes.. so we were the Statue of Liberty and Uncle Sam!  It was pretty fun!



Chase and I do not agree on every aspect of politics, by any means.  He comes from a very republican family, and I come from a very democratic family.  I think we have both brought each other a little closer to the middle on certain issues though.  He has definitely shed some light on certain issues, and I know I've molded the way that he thinks on certain things as well.  Most importantly, we respect each other's opinions. Needless to say, election night was interesting.  Since it was on our Tuesday night date night, we chose to make the best of it!  We made some pizza, played cards, and just camped out in our living room for the evening.  It was fun.. for the most part.  But once they declared Obama for re-election, it brought us into some debating.  Like I said before though, at the end of the night, we respect each other's opinions and won't let that interfere with our relationship.

One more note about politics...  Facebook is SO ANNOYING!   I've really realized what IDIOTS some people that i'm simply acquainted with are... and not because they think differently politically than I do, but because some comments are so ignorant and disrespectful!   Whether you voted for our President or not, he is our PRESIDENT. Come on-Show some respect!

Moving on..

Our date nights haven't been going as planned..  We haven't been drawing an option out of our jar.  The truth is, we're trying to catch up financially and buy a house, and because it's getting cold out and it's in between seasons, a lot of the options are out of the question.  That leaves spendy dinners, bowling, museums, the zoo..  everything turns out to be so expensive!  We will still draw some sometimes.. and soon, hopefully.  We will still spend every Tuesday night together (unless we have to rearrange it for another night for some reason), but our evenings might just consist more of cooking dinner together and going on walks..  which is completely fine with me!

So, after a few weeks of slacking, we drew a date night for this week..  We actually drew live music, which is so much fun!  But I have to be honest, we totally cheated it.  I was planning on going to Uptown to some dive bar and check out a fun jam band or something..  But, we had a meeting with someone after work, and by the time we were done with that, we just weren't up for it..  So instead, we went to a nice little wine and coffee bar near our house, where they had a couple of guys in a blues band!  It was SO much fun.  Good food, good wine, fun atmosphere, and great music!  These guys were jammin' out!

 And it's a cozy little place..  it was nice for us to just sit and talk about random things that came to our minds.  Sometimes, it seems like we don't do that as much anymore.  We're talking about money a lot, or future plans..  things that we need to do, obligations, and struggles.  It was nice to just sit one on one in the corner of a cozy bar with some wine and just be with each other.  It's so important to find times to recognize that..  I'm sure most couples do, but it's easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of life and let those times pass..

I was just going through some things and came across my wedding video..  I just love it.  The videographer did such an amazing job and I seriously will treasure this forever.  So, I wanted to share it with all of you!

Yikes!  It's almost been a week since our date night already!  So, it's time to catch up!

Our date night last week was a blast!  We were able to bring Rocko along too which always is nice.  We went to Minnehaha Falls in Minneapolis!  Minnehaha Creek is a creek that runs from Lake Minnetonka in the western suburbs through more suburbs in Minneapolis, and then through South Minneapolis. That is where the creek joins with the Mississippi, and near there is the 53 foot Minnehaha Falls.  It was very beautiful to check out!  Sadly though, we haven't been getting any rain, and the falls were practially bone dry.

This is what they typically look like

This is what it is today.

 We walked around and checked them out from different angles.  There was some live blues music in the park, so that the atmosphere just perfect!  We continued to hike down the creek, all the way until it meets with the River.  It was just so nice and relaxing.  We let Rocko run aorund for a while, chasing squirrels.  I tried ot get a few pictures, but of course times like that they just never seem to capture what you want.  We walked back up and to the car. 

Then Chase took me out for sushi!  We looooove sushi.  We went to a place called Midori's Floating World Cafe!  I love the name.  The sushi was pretty good..  a little bit overpriced though. 

Tonight is actually our date night..  and given my last post that I jotted down while emotional at work today, I wasn't feeling like doing much.  But, the card we drew was craft night..  I am at the shop right now during an intermission, and I CAN'T WAIT to show it off when it's complete, because it will be awesome!

Our date last night was FUN and FREE!  Those are the best!  We drove out to the Sculpture Garden and Conservatory.  Parking and admission are free.  The Sculpture Garden is probably most known for it's Spoonbridge and Cherry (built in 1985).  But there are many really neat spots and sights here!  First, we walked through Cowles Conservatory.   That was just so pretty and smelt amazing with all of the fresh and beautiful flowers.  Then we walked around the Spoonbridge & Cherry and scoped out some other spots.  There was one section that had a bunch of different wind chimes hung all around the trees and a woman was meditating in between a few sculptures.  I think what I loved the most about this date was how peaceful it was, even though it's in the heart of the city!   People come by after work or between classes and find a corner they can claim as theirs and sleep, study, practice yoga, meditate, or just hang out.  Anyways, we walked around a bit more and scoped out some other abstract pieces.  It was fun and different. 
Then we had to get home, because we had some steaks just waiting to be grilled!  So, while Chase was grilling, I was buying us tickets to Zihuatanejo, Mexico!  Zihua is a city on the Pacific side, pretty southern, near Ixtapa.  His family owns a condo there, so we try to go whenever we are able!  That is where we became engaged!  We aren't going for about 5 months.. but I can't wait. 
Overall, this weeks date night was fun, relaxing, and cheap!  Can't get better than that!

Look at me go!  Haha!

Well, it's already Friday and I'm just blogging about last weekend!  It was Labor Day weekend, and although I didn't do anything spectacular, or get out of town, it was a nice three day weekend to say the least.  I spent some time on the lake with some good friends, and even tried wake surfing!  It took me a few tries to get up, and when I did I was only up for a second, but I did it!  I think I prefer wake boarding instead.  Still, it was very fun!  It was perfect weather.  Labor day weekend is always bittersweet, because it sort of represents the end of summer.  Kids go back to school, the air gets a little more brisk, and you change white pants for tall brown boots!  Summer in Minnesota always flys by, but because it's only about 4 months of hot weather, we take advantage of every second of it!  So, although I feel like I didn't get enough of it, I am ready for a change of pace.  Fall is so beautiful here..  The air gets crisp, the leaves change beautiful colors, and of course, I love fall wardrobes! It's probably my second favorite season..  but it means that winter is right around the corner.  Although I dislike the cold, winter in Minnesota has it's own character.  In a way, it's fun finding ways to stay warm!  And during the holidays, it's just perfect.  Once those are over, we try to manage a winter vacation of some sort, just to break up the season!  Then it seems that right when you think you just can't stand winter any longer, you start seeing the snow melt and people are wearing shorts in 50* weather!  (yes, they really do!) I love living in a place where the seasons change so much.  It keeps activities different and makes things interesting! 
Unfortunately, with the change of seasons came my allergies!  So Chase and I skipped our date night this week, and opted to stay in, talk about finances (boring, but needs to happen), and went on a walk.  This weekend, we are going to go see his mom in small town Wisconsin.  Chase and I are going to camp on his Grandpa's lake where we will fish and just relax.  It'll be perfectly chill camping weather, and a nice little getaway with just the two of us.

I hope everyone had a fabulous Labor Day weekend as well, and a good weekend ahead, too! 
Ciao!

This is one of those things that we've always talked about doing, but have never really had the time, energy, or effort to do it. Well it's a good thing we drew that one out of our date night jar! We try to have our date nights on Tuesdays; because typically it's the night we are both free to dedicate to each other. So, I searched on the city pages, and found Hit or Miss Tuesdays at the Comedy Club at the Mall of America. It was so much fun! We had dinner, and watched about 10 amateur comics tell their jokes. Some of them were hilarious, and some terrible. The crowd was pretty female dominated, so lots of "guy jokes" didn't go over very well. But regardless, it was such a blast! And at only $7.00/person (not including drinks and food) it's a very cheap date! Afterwards we stopped at a place closer to our house for a glass of wine and just chatted. Chase was tired though, so I did most of the chatting! Typical! Have you ever been to a comedy club? Have one in your city? Have any new ideas for us to try for our date nights? I'd love to hear!

That's my hubs!  I'll try to share each of our future dates!

I can't believe it!  30 days until I am MARRIED!  Honestly, I can't tell if i'm excited, nervous, anxious, or just completely over it..  It has been a very stressful year putting this all together, and I didn't get nearly as much help from my "other half" as I thought I would..  Don't get me wrong, he's been great..  He just doesn't know what he's supposed to do!  So it has been a lot on my shoulders.  But, either way, I know I just need to relax, and enjoy the day..  It'll all come together and be wonderful!

On top of planning the initial wedding, we are going on an AMAZING honeymoon!  We are flying in to Amsterdam, spending two nights there..  Then we are flying to Barcelona for 4 nights, and then to Italy where we will stay in Florence for a night. From there, we will take a train up to Levanto, which is in the Cinque Terre.  We will stay there for 6 nights, then fly back to Amsterdam for one more night, then head home.  It's going to be such a great adventure!  But we still have a lot of planning for that to do that we haven't had time for! 
We are leaving just two days after the wedding, and I can't wait!  I'm so excited for it to just be the two of us on this trip for two whole weeks.. Traveling, drinking wine, visiting museums, going to the beach, and some Moto GP races in Barcelona (that's his thing).. It will be incredible.
Ahhhh I'm just overwhelmed with all that I have ahead of me.  This is going to be a crazy-busy month!

My Three Biggest Fears:
1.  SNAKES!
They freak me out more than ANYTHING.  I actually thought about posting a picture, but the thought of googling pictures of them freaks me out in itself..  When I see them on tv (animal planet or discovery) it's guarenteed i'll have nightmares about them.  I'm not sure what it is..  I've tried to overcome this.  Last year, I was fishing with Chase down by the river..  He said "Look!  A snake!"  it was slithering across one of the streams over to him..  so he picked it up with a stick and was trying to show me..  I went HYSTERICAL.  I truly disapointed myself, to me honest..  It probably would have been a pretty funny scene for anyone else to see me freak out like that at a tiny, slithery creature that was probably 20 feet away from me.  But I just couldn't help myself.  This isn't just a fear, this is a phobia. 
2.  DIVORCE.
I am getting married in 5 weeks.  Ever since I became engaged, all that I hear about is divorce!  People would actually say to me "Oh.. good luck" in a sarcastic tone, or comments like "Don't waste all your money on a wedding.. it never lasts.."  First of all, I can't believe these rude and bitter people who had the audacity to say those things to my face, when I am thrilled about being engaged to a man who I love.  Second, I believe in marriage.  I believe that it is something that you need to work very, very hard at.  I feel like Chase and I have already had to go through many rocky moments, and we haven't even had children yet.  However, we do very well at communicating to each other.  Maybe not right away, maybe it takes a while.. a few tries.. a few weeks until we are on the same page again.  But we don't give up, because we know that is the person that we want to share our lives with.  I do believe that people give up on marriage much easier than they used to.  And I think it's sad.  The day my Grandma passed away and I saw my Grandpa touching the casket, I knew that was real.  They were with each other straight out of high school and started having children.  Of course, they went through some very tough times.  I'm sure at times they didn't like each other at all, but at the end, that is your life partner.  And you shouldn't give up on that.
So, Divorce.  I'm afraid of it. 
*To anyone who reads this who is divorced, I'm sorry.  I don't mean anything personal.  I have never walked in those shoes before, and I know that every situation is unique. 

3.  CAR CRASHES
I have been in one..  and it was the scariest moment ever!  I was cruisin along the road, on my way to work.  I was 19 at the time.  I just completely rammed into the car in front of me!  And it happend SO FAST.  One moment, I was jammin to my radio, and the next, it took me a while to realize that it was the air bag that pounded me in the face.  Thankfully, I was ok.  But it sure makes you think and realize how quickly it can happen... what scares me more is other people.  My little brother, who is a fairly new driver.  My future children..  I still can't believe how calm my dad was when I was learning how to drive.. because I was never a good driver when I was 16!