Another Day. Another Year Older.

In conversation with Adam, I was talking about how great birthdays were as a kid. You got out of doing your jobs- like unloading the dishwasher or setting the table.... at school you got to be the spotlight; complete with a poster displaying how awesome you were. Plus you got to bring a delicious homemade treat to share. Then there were the birthday parties; Everything was perfect.  Birthdays really were awesome. 

Although I am getting up in my years... 28 to be exact, I must say that this years birthday was really just as fabulous as the childhood days. Nothing fancy. Pretty ordinary day really; Awesome all the same. 

7 am: Waffles... my fave... even better in bed.

8 am:  Off to the gym.... with the cake and ice cream coming later, there was no way of getting out of this today.

10 am: New birthday shirt. Thanks jojo. I look good.

11 am:  Is there anything wrong with wanting to make your own birthday cake?  Lemon-Raspberry it is.

Noon: PB and Jelly sandy, cookie, Easter chocolates, and raisins for lunch. Not quite what I call balanced... I can get away with it today.

12:15:  Grocery stop- Raspberries for the cake.  Fresh-$4.99 for a small carton.... guess frozen will have to do for a cake topper.

12:30-5:45: Work; No tears- tantrums- or too much drama. Bonus!

6:00: Big brown package at the door. Dad and Mom you guys are the best.

6:30: Husband busy in the kitchen....  I love to see my man cook; especially when it is for me.

7:30: Pineapple chicken, Rice, Spinach Salad, Roasted Pineapple. Thanks Babe.

8:00: Giddy about opening presents that I have no idea what are- loved it all.  

8:30: I still wanted a cake; but with only 2 of us a whole cake makes a pretty good expansion on the waist line...  So I made a half a cake. Perfect size (thank you thrift store $2 mini cake pan find). Half the cake = Half the calories I have to burn off later.

we made a pretty good dent in it... 

9:30:  Cuddled on the couch. Adam and one of my all time fave movies- The Parent Trap.... the original. No Lindsay Lohan... All Hayley Mills. Classic. The perfect movie to fall asleep to on my 28th birthday... 

Thanks to everyone for the outpouring of birthday wishes via email, text, phone, facebook, cards, and in person.  I felt so loved! I really am surrounded by so many amazing individuals.

(man these pics really give it away that I live in Iowa.... I need sun ASAP. Good thing it is supposed to be 70+ degrees tomorrow. I'll start working on my tan. :))

it doesn't have me.

Last Sunday in Relief Society we talked about the creation.... both of the world and our bodies. It made me think a bit deeper of the intricacies of our bodies and how they work so perfectly. I know there is no way that all of this just happened by chance.  He knew what he was doing.

Every day I give thanks to my Heavenly Father for my ability to wake up in the morning and run, do lunges, do curls, drive, cook, and even just walk.  It is something I don't want to take for granted.  Living with MS means that tomorrow I could wake up and not be able to feel or move my leg- arm- or see clearly.  This week I had one of those days.... It was nothing too serious but my right arm decided to get a bit weak on me. You forget all the daily tasks that you do that take basic arm strength --washing hair, putting make-up on, unloading the dishwasher, driving. It def makes things a little more challenging and ya it may be a little scary to not know what the next day brings, but more than anything 'MS' has made me appreciate more than ever this amazing body that our Heavenly Father has created. I can't fear the future but instead I need to live every day to the fullest. I really think this is what gets me up and out of bed and to the gym on many days. Just realizing what a blessing it is that our bodies are able to do such amazing things-- imperfections and all.

I have a new motto.... thanks to JoAnna, one of my best friends in the whole world. She called me the other night; you see, she is a Physical Therapy Assistant(the best PTA in all of Cali) working in San Diego. Occasionally she gets a patient that lives with MS- which was the case the other day.  Well the MS patient she had, had some great wisdom that he wanted her to pass on to me.

Instead of telling people that 'I have MS,' tell people that I am 'Living with MS.' I love it.   MS doesn't have me.  I am living life to the fullest and doing all that I can to enjoy this body that I was blessed with. 

   This pic reminds me of what amazing things are bodies can do.  This was right after the Big Lake Half Marathon in Maine---  I am pretty sure neither Jo, Trisha, or myself would have imagined that our bodies were capable of running this like we did.  

Now on to more important things... One more plug for supporting me in my MS Walk.... Click here for the details. Really $5 dollars would be awesome. We will find a cure....  Thanks to everyone that has already helped out by donating or signing up to Walk with me or even started their own team. 

Iowa.... in the Summertime.

It is official.

We are staying in Iowa for the summer.  

Oh how I hoped that we could go off on a fun adventure in a new exciting place.  

I'm okay with it though.

It really is for the better. 

So for those of you who don't know our situation.... Adam is getting his MBA... and for the summer his program requires that he get an internship for the summer. The internship can be anywhere, really doing anything 'MBA' worthy.  We've been looking all over the U.S.- but with construction pretty much in the toilet all over the nation, not a lot of construction companies are hiring MBA students as interns. Lame. 

I don't want to sound too negative though because I feel very blessed that Adam was offered a position here at the University of Iowa's Planning, Design, and Construction Department as a Construction Manager.  It's not his dream job by any means but he will get some great experiences and hopefully be able to help them along with learning a thing or two. 
Another bonus is that I will be able to keep my job (versus if we moved somewhere just for the summer, it would be hard to find a job for 2-3 months).... and I will start working full time(I hope I survive all day with the 3 kids).  I guess only time will tell.

I am also excited to see what Iowa has to offer other than snow, cold, and more snow.  I really am thinking that my likeness towards this place is going to way up now that it is warming up.  We can't wait to find great places to camp, fish, hike??? So ya I am actually excited. 

a WHOLE decade.

My 10 year high school reunion is this summer. 

Wow. A whole decade. For those of you not-so-savy math minds; that means I graduated in the year 2000--- remember Y2K, that was us.  Anyway this reunion has made me reminisce on high school days. It's funny how at the time everything seems like such a BIG deal. Looking back you realize how care-free, stress-free, worry-free high schoolers are. The most important things were what you were going to wear, if you have a date to the dance, if you have someone to hang out with etc. Oh if only those were my only worries today.  

So what was I like as a high school kid? I feel like I kind of just lied low and did my thing. I had a group of great friends that kept things exciting(Becky, Sheila, Shayla, Emily, Natalie, Joy, Candice.. to name just a few)- we had good times regardless of what everyone else was doing. I kept myself involved in sports (basketball and softball). I did my homework when I was supposed to. I was a good kid. Average. Normal. I couldn't ask for better high school memories---- so Thank You Snow Canyon Class of 2000 or making my high school memories good ones.  We really were the best class Snow Canyon has ever had.... or will ever have. :)

Here are a few pics for all your viewing pleasure. I can laugh at them... so go right ahead.

I believe (not 100% sure) this was at the very 1st, 'First Night.' New Years Eve 2000 - Me, Becky, and Sheila. 

Sexy Huh? Gotta love the pose.  

Natalie, Me, Sheila, Emily, & Shayla... Graduation. 

It has been fun to hear about what some of my other classmates have been up to the past 10 years from our class blog. For you fellow Class of 2000 warriors... I hope to hear from you as well.

Spring Break at 27....

I never thought that I would still be enjoying Spring Break at the ripe old age of 27.  Ten years ago I am sure I was thinking that I would be way out of school-- doing grown-up things (like work or taking care of my kids)... but nope- I guess I am still a kid at heart. You could say that my

Life is just slightly different than I would have ever imagined!  

Most days the life of a student are far from glamorous but when this week in March comes around-- all is worth it.  It helps that the lady I nanny for is a Professor at the University so she gets the same Spring Break as Adam... which results in her going on vacation with her kids... which then in turn results in me getting days off work! Wahoo..  So Adam and I have taken full advantage of sleeping in, making and eating delicious food, visiting family, watching TV and movies, and just chilling together. I even got around to doing some Spring cleaning.  I love it. 

What is even better is that the weather hear in Iowa finally started cooperating with me.  We have had SUNNY days... and even got to 60 degrees.  IT WAS AWESOME. I haven't been so happy since last October when we last saw those type of temperatures.  This place is weird.....  two weeks ago negative weather... now fifties. I'll take it.  The snow has all melted and the grass is already greening up. 

I can't tell you how happy Spring makes me. Green grass, flowers, sun, and just being able to hang out outside.  

A few highlights of the week so far:

1. got to wear flipflops and capris for one day (I am mostly happy that I don't have to wear 4 layers just to walk to my car).

2. washed and vacuumed my car out-- outside with the shining.. My little car can finally thank me for being clean from all that snow, dirt, salt, and sand that built up from the winter months. 

3. made my first Irish authentic dinner for St. Patty's Day- corned beef, cabbage, potatoes, carrots-- actually pretty tasty. We have recently  found out that Adam's direct family line(see#4) is from Ireland so we wanted to celebrate.

4. being able to do Family History work.  I have fallen in love with Family History. We have been doing Adam's Biological Dad's family line. (I want to put a plug in for the New Family Search website... click here to check out your family line).  I have learned so much and have already fallen in love with many of his family member's that I have never met.  

5. had a bonfire with friends..... sitting around a campfire, roasting marshmallows and chatting reminds me of so many good times from the past. 

6. met some of Adam's living cousins and aunts that we hadn't seen since we have moved here....  we visited them in Anamosa(the town Adam was born in). 

7. realized that Iowa isn't so bad.... with a little sunshine. 

Wedding... Friends... Getaway.

I love having excuses to go on vacay..... and if the reason is a wedding for one of my Best Friend's Melissa then the vacay is even better.  Last weekend I was able to fly out to SLC and see the happy day for  

Melissa & Clint Berry... 

(I love that we now both have 'food' last names-- although she def. gets the better end of the deal.... being a berry versus being butter-- Don't ya think?)

One of the reasons why I love weddings is that I get to see so many of my amazing girlfriends from my college days.  Weddings seem to be the only time that we can all get together; so thanks Mis for making it happen.  Friday night we all got together and had a little bachelorette party; although it was more chatting and catching up with everyone than anything. It reminded me of the good ole college days staying up so late just chatting. 

 Kacey, Me, Jenni, Joanna, Melissa, and Buffy-- Go Aggies

Sat. was the big day.  They got married in the Bountiful temple. The ceremony was beautiful and the bride was even more beautiful--- Plus she had that Bride Glow about her.

Next up was the dinner reception. Everything was awesome.... I loved it all, especially being able to see everyone and wish Melissa and Clint a happy life together.

We def. missed Kim and Whitney-- but thanks Joanna, Kacey (and Casey too), Buffy, Sabrina, and Jenni (and Brent) for making my weekend awesome. (thanks Jo for taking all the pics)
--- I also got to stay the night and hang out with Erica and Nick. They are both so fabulous and can't wait to hang out with you guys again- hopefully sooner than later.
One last thanks..... which is most important is to ADAM... cause he encouraged and let me take the girl's trip without him. So while I was having a blast in much warmer Iowa he was busy studying for finals in Iowa.  Love him!