Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Top Ten Tuesday: Favorite 2012 Moments

As the year is coming to an end- I have to reflect about my favorite moments of the year!  
And again in no specific order....

#1 Ben & Becca's Wedding!
Ryan's brother got married in April and we got a new sister!  Ben and Becca started dating shortly after Ryan and I started dating so we've spent quite a bit of time with these two!  It was such a fun celebration and really special day!


#2 Hosting 4 Showers!
February- Couples Shower for Ben & Becca
March- Baby Shower for Allison
July- Couples Shower for Mike & Kathryn
(picture obviously from their wedding with the diving friends!)
October- Baby Shower for Jon & Lauren

#3 Ryan's Surprise 29th Birthday Party!
I loved that Ryan had absolutely no idea- that everyone kept it a secret and that it was a beautiful day!  I started planning this back in April and it was fun to finally have the grand event in July!  

#4 Summer Birthday Bash!
With 8 birthdays in 4 weeks in my family, we have one BIG celebration!  Lots of outdoor yard fun, lots of presents, and lots of food!  It's wonderful!  What a celebration of family!

#5 Europe!  Need I say more?!

#6 Leasing & Management Progress, Events, and Such!
I know it's not really one specific event but we have worked hard this year to grow and build Leasing & Management and to be really honest, I'm very proud of my husband and all is hard work!  And I can't say how thankful I am that he sold my grandparent's house as well as helped my parents sell their lake home and buy a new home (post to come!).
My grandparents for the last time in front of their house in Lakeville!  

#7 Kathryn's Wedding Weekend!
Check out the amazing time we had here!  It was a spectacular weekend and I think what made it so special- was the incredible diving family that we have all created.  I have life long friends that although we are all over the country- we get together, pick up right where we left off and have an outstanding weekend!

#8 Grandpa and Grandma's New Home!
It sounds silly but I think with all the health challenges my grandpa faced last year and at the beginning of this year- I am beyond thankful that my grandparents live so close now!  I can pop over anytime and spend as much time with them as I want!  Their new home is perfect for them and I think they are pretty happy!

#9 Landscaping in the Spring!
This is going to sound so dumb but this last spring Ryan and I did a lot of work in our yard.  We laid all new mulch, trimmed up some out of control plants, and had beautiful flowers on the front porch.  And the reason this is a top ten moment is that I remember being in the yard- watching Ryan haul mulch around and I realized this is the married bliss I had wanted for so long in my life!  I love doing the every day life with my husband- it doesn't matter what we are doing, I love being with him and doing life with him!
Here was the end of the day- relaxing with Dupree, reading Health magazine and drinking a glass of wine!

#10 Summertime on the Lake!
Like I've mentioned, with my parents moving it was the last summer at the lake house for our family!  I think because I knew it was the last, I cherished these days more than I have before.  Kayaking, swimming, wave-running, and snorkeling!  I loved it!
2012 has been a great year- full of awesome memories.  I remember at the end of 2011 thinking 2012 would be a full year.  I didn't know exactly how but my intuition was right on!  It was busy at work, family like was very busy, and the weekend shenanigans for Ryan and I are full of friends and plans!  I love it!

What are your top ten moments of 2012?!
Two weeks from today is Christmas- crazy!!











Monday, December 10, 2012

Weekend Shenanigans: Holidazzle and a Snow Day!

Friday night started off a perfect weekend!  My favorite high school girlfriends- minus Syd!- went downtown for the Holidazzle parade and dinner at Zelo!  It was so fun!  We started at the Local for apps and drinks- stepped outside to watch the parade and then off to dinner.  We all noticed that as children, the parade seemed much longer but in our adult years, the parade only lasted about 25 minutes and so many of the same floats from years ago!  

At Zelo we had the BEST waiter ever!  His name was Tony!  He joined us for a drink after his shift was done!  If you ever go to Zelo- request a table in Tony's section!  He was so nice, really attentive and super fun!  Needless to say we loved him!

On Saturday I got up early to coach at the U for a little bit and then I went to pick up Annie for a day of fun!  Annie and I went to watch my old high school diver Zoe dive at a college meet at St. Thomas!  It was really fun to watch her dive again but a whole lot less stressful being in the stands instead of on deck coaching :)
Then Annie and I headed to Mall of America for a little Xmas shopping!  Worst idea ever!  It was beyond busy- more like a zoo!  It was so hard to navigate around, we didn't stay long.  Saturday ended with Ryan and I getting dinner at Champps and a movie on the couch!  We were lazy and we loved it!

Sunday we woke up to a whole lot of snow!  We ran to the gym to get a quick workout in and when we got home, my sweet husband shoveled the end of the driveway really quickly so we could get in the garage!
 This was the first year we have a snowblower and I know Ryan is pretty happy not to be shoveling all that snow again!  It was heavy and wet!  He went out twice to snowblow and I shoveled the sidewalk and yard- yes yard so Dupree has a spot to do his business!  He can't walk in the snow when there is more than 2 inches!  
 Isn't he adorable?!
The rest of Sunday was spent on the couch either watching football or napping.  I haven't been that lazy in I can't say how long and we loved it!

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend too!


Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Top Ten Tuesday: Favorite Winter Time Things

To be really honest, I don't love the winter.  I would much prefer summer and all things warm :)
But as I will likely live in Minnesota my whole life, I have learned to deal with the cold and embrace the good things that come along with this season.
So again in no particular order...

#1 Mittens
I LOVE mittens!  I love how adorable they look, I love how warm they feel, and I love all the fun designs and styles!  It's dumb I know, but it certainly makes me feel better to wear mittens.

#2 Heeled Boots
Oh my goodness!  If I'm not wearing heeled boots during the winter- well then I don't know what I'm wearing on my feet!  I love my heeled boots- especially my carmel-colored ones!  I basically wear them with everything!!

#3 Sledding
I think I'm biased about sledding because it was one of my favorite dates with Ryan when we started dating! We went sledding with his roommate, Dan and Dan's girlfriend Stacey.  I couldn't have possibly had a better time.  So great!  And I will always love sledding!

#4 Hot Chocolate
Who doesn't love hot chocolate?!  I love it so much it was our favor for our wedding!  Ryan and I packed hot chocolate packets and people thought they were professionally made- that's how awesome we are!  They were delicious and we actually still have some packets.  I can't say that the marshmellows are still good in there but they are delicious little treats after a cold day outside!

#5 Moose Pajama Pants
I love these pajama pants but the husband is less than impressed by these beauties!  I have some dark red, flannel pajama pants with moose all over them.  They are the comfiest pants on the planet but I guess they aren't very sexy.  But they are so warm and wonderful- waking up wearing these pants is the best feeling while snuggled in our bed.

#6 Christmas lights outside
I absolutely love the two little trees in our front yard that have colored lights on them!  Every year Husband puts the lights up around Thanksgiving and it is the official start of the holidays!!  I love that almost every house on our street has some sort of lights outside.  And to be honest, if you don't have lights, you are sort of a dud!

#7 Scarves
If you know anything at all about me, you know I LOVE my scarves!  I have a million and one and I can't hardly go one day with a scarf.  I actually feel naked without one on.  They dress everything up, keep me warm, and give me a great accessory!  I'm obsessed   If you ever don't know what to get me for a gift- get me a scarf and you're golden!

#8 Snow days
I secretly love when it snows so much that we can't get out of our driveway.  Not because we don't go to the office- remember we can work from home any day- but because it's cozy!  I love when the plows come through the street and we have to go shovel our driveway.  I love the snow glistening in the sun!  And I love hunkering down at home as a true snow day!

#9 Crock-pot recipes
I LOVE when Ryan and I decide to cook in the crock-pot and the smells fill the whole house all day long!  It's the real best, when you cook all day and come home from being out and you open the door and the smell overwhelms your senses!  It's like tasting the food without gaining the calories!  Yummy!!

#10 Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, and Valentine's Day
Seriously all my favorite holidays- except 4th of July!  It's all about family and blessings- which I have so many of!  It's about celebrating my faith, the birth of Jesus and again more family!  It's about celebrating what the last year was about and excitement for what the next year holds- surprises!  And it's all about my love for my husband- which I have a lot of!  Seriously the best!!


Weekend Shenanigans: Diving Meets & Company Party

I don't even know where the weekend went?  It seriously flew by!
Friday Ryan and I had dinner at his mom's house- Papa Murphy's pizza!  Dawn and I did a little Christmas decorating while the boys just watched :)  

Saturday, I worked at the U of MN pool all day- learning the computer system so that I can be the Big Ten Diving Coordinator in February.  While I was at the pool all day, Ryan was working- doing showings and running all over town.  Not much of a relaxing Saturday!

And Sunday was the fun day of the weekend!  Our companies, Leasing & Management and Creative Housing Solutions, had our holiday party!  What a blast!  We rented a trolley for the day and went out to a winery for some wine tasting and then off to a holiday lights tour!  We packed 22 people in the trolley and it couldn't possibly have been more fun!  

Brother from another mother!
The whole crew!
Angie and Andy joined us too!  Angie went to college with Ryan and we are hoping to have her join the crew some day!
And this is why I LOVE my husband!
Mama kissing Santa Clause!
 Driving the sleigh- duh!
 Just relaxing...
 Look at how happy Austin was that Ryan was helping him!

Absolutely no doubt we had a blast last night!  Happy Holidays from Leasing & Management and Creative Housing Solutions!  
Cheers!