Day 4 & 5- Dedication

11/4/13-11/5/13

After the Hot Chocolate race on Sunday, we got home at about noon, and were ready to leave for Tommy's actuarial awards ceremony at about 1:00 p.m. It was in Minneapolis Minnesota, and about a 6 hour drive in his dad's car....which didn't seem like the best idea from the start but, yea.

So his dad pulls up with his mom in the front seat and his sister, Anna, in the back seat and we loaded everything in and took off! We gave Kittypants some extra food and new water, but it was not easy leaving that furry baby of mine. Is this what it's like to have kids?

So the car ride there was not too bad- I slept a little bit, we talked, etc. etc. Mostly it was cramped and my body was pretty peeved that it went for a run and then sat in a car for 6 hours without stretching...duley noted body.

We got there in the evening, brought our stuff up to the room, and crashed. Anna, Tommy, and I shared a room on the 16th floor and Tommy's parents were on the 10th floor. The hotel wasn't too bad...smaller beds, but clean. There was no wireless internet, however, and if you wanted it you had to pay $15.00 for it. Also, there was no continental breakfast in the morning...which was confusing because it was a super nice looking Hilton. We ended up waking up early (thinking there was a free breakfast...) and ended up eating in the restaurant in the lobby. I had a cracked egg sandwich, which is really just a fried egg sandwich (yum) on a croissant with ham and cheese. Still delicious though!

Then we got starbucks in the lobby and went up to the 3rd floor banquet hall for the ceremony! The president of the CAS (Casualty Actuary Society) spoke a little, the new certified Actuaries were introduced, and then he called each new Fellow's name and they walked across the stage and received a DIPLOMA from him! (See my fb page for the full awfully filmed video of Tommy's turn!) It was cool. Then Tommy went to take pictures in some secret back room while we waited and finished our starbucks. We met him in the hotel room, changed, and went to the Mall of America to visit it and kill some time until the evening's festivities.

At the MOA, Tommy's dad and sister went and sat somewhere to hang out, while Tommy's mom, Tommy and I all walked around and looked at cool stores. I bought Laura a shot glass at her behest, rode the swing ride with Tommy (big mistake-bleh), and then we ate a cookie from the Nestle Tollhouse store! After, we met Tommy's dad at the food court and decided on Bubba Gump's for lunch. It was soooooo good. Yum.

{HUGE Lego Man}

{Swing Ride- UGH. After}

Then we met up with Anna and drove back to the hotel where people took naps, and read books while Tommy and I went down to the lobby to use the computers. I looked up stuff for grad school because I had a big paper due the next day (procrastinate much? yes, yes I do) and then we sat on a couch in the lobby and just hung out. It was so nice. We talked, people watched, and just overall enjoyed each other's company. It was nice to just be together for a half hour in the midst of all that travel and schedule. We even learned a new word from his seminar schedule- tranched- look it up. (It sounds dirty, but I promise it's not!) Then we preceded to use it in silly sentences- i.e. "I go so TRANCHED last night" and "Go TRANCH yourself" heh.

When we felt like maybe we were being a little antisocial, we went back upstairs and everyone started getting ready for the cocktail hour in honor of new Fellows! When we went, we first got a picture with the CAS president and he handed Tommy and fake diploma. Then he called for me to get in because he said that I probably earned it too with all of the love and support I gave him! YEP.

We got drinks, and ate black olives and cheese and I met Tommy's co-worker from Allstate. He was also a new Fellow since his just pasted his last test at the same time as Tommy. Then we went back up to the hotel room, changed for the car ride home, and packed everything up.

{Beached FELLOW Whales}

We said goodbye to Tommy, and his fam and I got back in the car and started the trip back to IL. Tommy stayed until Wednesday for the rest of the seminar.

{Bye Minnesota}

The car ride sucked- but mostly because I had to start and finish a research paper for grad school with a booklight. Then my computer died and we had to pull over to get Anna's from the trunk so I could finish on her computer! What a ride. I got home at 1:00 in the morning, and with a crazy cat running around and a rogue spidey to kill on the ceiling ABOVE MY BED, I didn't get to bed until about 1:30...and then I don't think I fell asleep until a little after that...

And I had to teach the next day. Kindergarteners. And proofread my paper on the go at red lights. And sit in a grad school class. And go grocery shopping after that. So that sucked. But so worth it!!!!

Days 4 & 5 made me so thankful for Tommy's dedication and perseverance through his 9 tests. They are qualities that I admire very much in my husband. I am so proud of him!!

Day 3- Running & Friends

 So Day 3 of 30 days of thankfulness was 11/3/13...

Tommy and I woke up at the crack of dawn on Sunday. We met up with Kyle and Kelsey at the train station, and caught the 6:01 train....but not before Tommy had to run back to the house and get his bib....stressful much?

So we took a nice train ride, got into Union Station and walked to the start line at Grant Park downtown. We found a corral to start in, took some pics, avoided a music emergency, and then started running!

Kyle and Kelsey ran ahead of Tommy and I (though I'm pretty convinced that Tommy could have run it much faster than me...) and we ended up finishing and finding each other later. Overall the race was good....a lot of it was underground this year, and it finished on the hill that we ran up at the end of the Rock and Roll Half Marathon, which is a killer...but I DID IT! Stupid hill.

Anyway, then we got out chocolate fondue and hot chocolate in our finishers mug (which is a semi-waster of money if you ask me...everyone just ends up throwing it out...) and met up with Laura. We chatted for a little bit, and then went over to see the bean because KELSEY LIVES NEAR CHICAGO AND HADN'T BEEN TO THE BEAN!!!! So we fixed that for her. Then we got Kyle some gluten free hot chocolate at a starbucks and started our chilly walk to the train.

All in all it was a nice morning, and I am super glad that I have run the Hot Chocolate 5k for the past four years in a row because even though it is expensive, it is a good race to kick off my running season!

I don't know if I told you, but November starts my goal to run 1 race a month for the next year. It started with this race- the Hot Chocolate 5K- and will end with this race next November! Woot. Anyone know of some good races or wanna run one with me?


So on 11/3/13, I was thankful for the ability to run and my healthy body (as weak as it may be after that big hill, oye!) and my friends Kyle and Kelsey who made the running and day in Chicago that much more fun!

{Kyle & Kelsey}

                                                        

                                                                           {Beached Whales}

Day 2- My friend Laura

Day 2- 11/2/13

The day isn't even over yet and I already know what I am thankful for today! Her name is Laura.

Laura and I met in college at ISU freshman year in Hewett. We lived right next door to each other, and were probably Facebook friends before we even met. Mainly because I FB stalked everyone on my floor and friended them....that's normal right?

We roomed together Sophomore year and learned that she loves John Mayer and I hate his music, I am a night owl and she is not, I signed up for late classes and she liked them earlier, I sleep laying down and she sleeps sitting up (ha, jk on that last one kind of). We were pretty different people, but we did have mid-day napping, Gilmore Girls, and a love of black olives in common, which is all you really need in a college roommate bff situation.

Junior year we lived on the same floor in our apartment building across the hall from each other. That year totally sucked for me, so I won't get into that but I will say that after a shitty Junior year and a Senior year student teaching at home, Laura still managed to want to be my friend (and now she's stuck with me...)

I rarely call (who does these days?), I forget to text back, and I have never made you a sweet ass checkered cake for your birthday like this one, but I think you're great and I enjoy you immensely Laura!

Today I am thankful for my friend Laura!

Day 1- Halloween Decorations

Day 1- 11/1/13

Everyday this month I would like to really think about something I am thankful for. I have seen people on Facebook take part in this 30 Days of Thanksgiving process, but I will probably have more to say than just a short status update (surprise, surprise) so here it goes: Day 1.

Today, I went to my parent's house with Tommy. My dad is on a business trip, so it was just my mom, her dog (Foxy), Tommy and I. We got there and Tommy put on basketball in the family room while mom and I hung out in the kitchen and watched Undercover Boss (that show is SO GOOD!). Mom was getting chili ready and dad and I were texting...he's super into emoticons right now, so you can imagine how that conversation went. Also, he sometimes texts words without any vowels so that was fun to decipher. lol

Then we all topped our chili bowls and ate dinner in the family room. We watched the newest episode of Shark Tank (I told you we love that show right??). Tommy and I got all comfy cozy on the couch and mom and Foxy got all comfy cozy in dad's chair. Good times.

It sounds silly but every time I go to my parent's house over a holiday, my mom has decked the entire house out with holiday decorations. The outside, the inside, even the bathroom! There were Halloween decorations everywhere. She even put a command hook on the brick outside of front door to hold a halloween sign for goodness sake! I didn't even know you could do that!

Today I am thankful for my mother's holiday spirit and her attention to it's detail.

Lake Geneva Trip 2013

Tommy and I went up to Lake Geneva October 11th-12th. I have been there two times before:
- 6th grade for a trip with my class and I only remember three things from that trip....(1) Making paper, (2) It was during my bday, and (3) HEBERTISME (I still don't know what that means, but I remember the spelling he-bert-is-me, lol)

- A super fun bachelorette party this past summer that made me think, "hm, ok, I have to come up here more often!"

So we booked a cheap hotel at Harbor Shores on the lake for Friday to Saturday. We drove up Friday after work, checked in, and walked around down town a little bit. It was cold, but totally fun Fall weather! Love me some boots and a scarf!

Anyway, then we ate at a restaurant because it was close and had a funny name, Scuttlebutts (HA), and headed back to the hotel where we watched SHARK TANK! Because what Friday night would be complete without it?

Saturday we went to a place called Pearce's Farmstand where I seriously contemplated taking a helicopter ride for the first time, but decided to buy doughnuts, cider, and kettle corn instead...I mean...
We also got some sweet pumpkins and got to put everything in a wagon to pull around while we shopped! So fun. There was a guitar player/singer that we listened to while we ate our doughnuts and then we were off on our way home.

We HAD to stop off at Walmart and get some Spotted Cow, and Two Women, which are beers that I like and were introduced to me by a friend on that super fun bachelorette party I mentioned 200 words ago, and you can only get it in Wisconsin, which makes it all the more coveted.

Then we drove home. Super fun weekend!
The End.

Learning

I am learning something in 2013 that I never anticipated, but that's how it goes right? So here it is...

My life and my job are two different things. 

Believe it or not, it has taken me a long time to learn this lesson. I'm not sure why, it seems pretty clear to me now, but 2013 has been a learning year for me apparently.

It has been a lot easier for me to separate what I do on the weekends, and after school with what I do at school. Some days are easier than others I have found, but mostly, I have been able to separate the two FINALLY.

Maybe it took a change in schools. Maybe it took a change in grades. Maybe it took a change in heart. But above all, it has brought about a change in me and my mood when I leave work. I am a Kindergarten teacher, but I am also a wife, daughter, sister, friend, chef, blogger, reader, and runner.

Mostly I am trying to be a better person and a better wife with the newfound time that I am spending on the other areas of my life. It has made me feel all the more blessed to have this time to spend on being a wife, daughter, sister, friend, etc. I am only sorry that it took me so long to figure this out!

100 or 10 Days of Real Food

{10 Days of Real Food}

There is this blog/Facebook page that I follow called "100 Days of Real Food".
I must say, every time something of hers pops up on my Facebook feed, I am intrigued. Her name is Lisa Leake and she is pretty fabulous when it comes to food.
She does a lot of posts about what she packs her children for lunch and, if we're being honest here, I want to eat it myself, fancy toothpicks and all :)

So anyway, she has these pledges on her website. Lisa and her family are doing a 100 Days of Real Food Pledge (hence the name of the website). She also has a 10 Days of Real Food Pledge. I am considering doing the 10 Day Pledge, or at least trying some of her meals because they look and sound pretty good.

Check her out friends.

Starting after Halloween?