Friday, June 27, 2014

concert in the park and walking with mom.


1. Go to the beach (more than once, preferably.)
2. Take a trip to Brookfield Zoo.
3. Lose 15 pounds. (Lose 20 pounds.)
4. Read 13 books. (I'm already on #8.)
5. Finally stain the deck.
6.Go on a picnic in the park with Ty.
7. Visit the Farmer's Market and get some fresh flowers.
8. Go to a free concert.
9. Get a pedicure. And a manicure.
10. Go for a hike. (I might regret this one.)
11. Write and send some snail-mail.
12. Go to the driving range. (Might regret that one too.)
13. Do some crafty stuff.
14. Take a walk in the rain.
15. Ride a ferris wheel.

Last night we went to a free concert in the park with my parents. 






It was a good time, and another thing to cross off my summer list. 

Also, my mom and I have gone walking a few mornings this week, in an effort to get a little workout in before starting our day. Thanks to the RunKeeper app on my phone, we're able to log our walks.

Day 1: Around my neighborhood with Abby along for the walk.


Day 2: Around Mom's neighborhood without Abby.


I normally do any type of workout in the evening, so switching it up this week and doing stuff in the mornings is refreshing. I still chose to workout this morning, even though my mom and I didn't walk today, and it feels good to be done for the day at an early hour. OR even to know that I can still get in another workout this evening IF I want to!

xoxo, wife.

Tuesday, June 24, 2014

summer to do list: one down

1. Go to the beach (more than once, preferably.)
2. Take a trip to Brookfield Zoo.
3. Lose 15 pounds. (Lose 20 pounds.)
4. Read 13 books. (I'm already on #6.)
5. Finally stain the deck.
6.Go on a picnic in the park with Ty.
7. Visit the Farmer's Market and get some fresh flowers.
8. Go to a free concert.
9. Get a pedicure. And a manicure.
10. Go for a hike. (I might regret this one.)
11. Write and send some snail-mail.
12. Go to the driving range. (Might regret that one too.)
13. Do some crafty stuff.
14. Take a walk in the rain.
15. Ride a ferris wheel.

It seems like it's been raining for two weeks. Oh wait, it has. After we ate dinner last night, I asked Ty if he'd go for a walk with me in the rain.

"Why?" he asked.
"Because it's on my list." I said.
"Uh...I guess."

He complained for the first few minutes, but I secretly think he had a good time. It was really peaceful and calming, and who doesn't need some peace and calm in their lives, right?


So we did the loop in the neighborhood behind our house while we held hands and talked and laughed. I kept asking him if he wanted to jump in this puddle...or THIS puddle...or THAT puddle. The answer was always "no!" followed by an eye roll and a laugh. I love this guy, and I'm so happy I get to "do life" with him. How many other guys will go for a walk in the rain when they don't particularly want to, because it will make their wife smile?

xoxo, wife.

Friday, June 20, 2014

random stuff and progress.


Is it weird to be jealous of your cat? Because sometimes I am.
He has a good life, I tell ya!


Yesterday was my dad's birthday so we went over there for some dinner and gifts. My mom got him this awesome Notre Dame desk chair that we watched him put together for about 30 minutes. But it sure turned out good!

Then my dad introduced us to a couple new apps that he probably shouldn't have.
Because they're addicting.

And in other news, I am officially down 15 pounds. I see absolutely NO difference, but I'm assuming the numbers on the scale don't lie. Now that I've hit a "milestone" I feel like I need to be super careful not to mess up and gain it all back. Also, I set goals and "rewards" for each goal. 15 pounds was my first goal and now I get to go get myself a new workout outfit!

So there's a bunch of stuff you didn't really need or want to know about!

xoxo, wife.

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

blood.

\
OMG I got my blood drawn today. I hate loooooathe getting my blood drawn. And I had to fast for 12 hours on top of it...which didn't turn out to be quite as bad as I thought, because I went as soon as the doctor's office opened. It's just routine blood work, so I didn't need an appointment. I figured if I got there right away, I'd be the first one and could get on with my day. Of course, that's when everyone else thought they'd go too, so I had to wait. And the anticipation of a needle going in my arm and sucking out some of my insides makes me nervous. That and the whole wait-5-MORE-minutes-while-they-try-to-find-a-vein-thing. But alas, I did it...and I didn't cry OR pass out! So I count that as success. I promptly texted Ty this picture. And he replied, "Congrats?" With a question mark. Very condescending-like.

Yes.
Congrats.
It's a big deal.
Next time, you should be a little more excited.
Use exclamation points. (!!!!!!!!) <----- That's what those are.

xoxo, wife.

Tuesday, June 17, 2014

mondays and "hay" days.

Monday was pretty normal around these parts. I went to lunch with a good friend and her baby, and then went shopping...because that's what I do. I got a couple things, but not much. Then I headed to the grocery store and bought more stuff. I was in line putting my groceries up on the...what's that thing called? The conveyor? Well anyway, I was piling my groceries up on that conveyor thingy, and I dropped an entire container of grapes on the floor. I stared in horror as millions hundreds probably 70 green and red grapes rolled all over the aisle. There was no one behind me. So I started to think about what I should do. Should I say something? Pretend it never happened? Then I hear behind me, "Ma'am? You've spilled your grapes all over the floor. Would you like me to get you some new ones?" I turned around and this poor grocery woman was on the floor picking up my dang grapes. I felt bad, so I pulled out the, "Oh my goodness! I didn't even notice! Here, let me help you!" And I got down on the ground and helped. I denied her offer to get me a new container of grapes, paid, and left with my head hung in shame. Like I said, pretty normal day.

When Ty got home, he worked out in the garage a little. I came out to sit on the step and talk with him while he worked, and I noticed that his tire was looking a little low. He went over to check it out, and found a nail in the tire, and had to put on the spare.



And that was the progression of jacking up a truck...in case you were wondering.

The good thing is, he had a handy helper.

Ok...maybe not handy...but definitely cute.

Today (Tuesday) I deemed Laundry Day. Ty had worked outside baling hay with his dad the other day, and had come home and said he was putting his clothes right in the washer so he wouldn't track hay through the house. There were only a few things in the washer, so I filled it up with some of our other stuff and washed it. Lo and behold when I went to put it in the dryer, there was stupid, wet hay stuck to all our clothes! And tons of hay left over in the washing machine. Boy...was I seeing red. Ty received the following messages:


He apologized and admitted to making a mistake, so over the course of the 90 minutes it took for those clothes to dry, I calmed down considerably. But then I went to open the dryer, and this hay-ball shot out at me.


Then I had to shake out each piece of clothing before folding it. Perhaps I should have washed the clothes again. But my brain told me that I washed the hay...so the hay was clean...therefore the clothes are clean. I then had to vacuum the floor, the lint trap, and the inside of the dryer to get rid of the rest of the hay. Stupid hay. From now on, I demand that all hay-clothes are to be washed outside BY HAND. 

And that concludes my rant.
xoxo, wife.

Sunday, June 15, 2014

it was a kind of good, kind of rough day.

On Saturday, we got up early and went fishing with my parents for Father's Day.

It started off okay, until I tried to get into the very unstable boat.
And fell.
And banged myself up pretty badly.
While everyone else laughed at me.
In their defense, I'm sure it was pretty funny.
But dang...it hurt!

After that, things got better.
I caught the first fish of the day. (Yes, I know it's dinky.)







See those matching green people in the boat back there?
Yep, those are my parents.


So you've seen a picture of three of us with fish...
but not my Mom.
Because she didn't catch a dang thing the whole time.
But asked my dad at one point, "Hey, where's my bobber?"
To which he replied, "Under the water! You might wanna reel that in!"
But nothing.

Then we went to a local festival to get some food.

And then, it was time to head to Chicago for a concert with some friends.


Let's just say that Ty was not exceptionally thrilled about driving on the Skyway.
And even less thrilled at the $4 it cost just to drive across!



We got there a few hours early and decided to walk around and be tourists for awhile.



Millenium Park

I begged Ty to take me to The Bean. I've seen so many pictures of people going there and taking selfies, and I HAD to keep up with the rest of them. It was only a 10 minute walk from where we were, so we went!

And I got my selfie!


That guy there...talking to Ty?
Yeah we're pretty sure he was drunk.
He tried to get us to give him money for homeless kids.
It was pretty much baloney.

Outdoor concert area at Millenium Park

The we got hungry and started looking for a place to eat. We found this.

And I made my husband proud and got the Green Bay dog. I wonder why they called it that?
:)

After walking around some more, we found the fanciest cafe I've ever been to.
They served me that large cookie on a class dish, and Ty's coffee on a wooden tray.
Only the very best for us!
And also, I think my husband is pretty handsome!

Then it was time for more walking around.



And then we headed to the House of Blues for the concert.



It was a pretty cool venue.

BUT.
There were lots of people.
And it was packed and unorganized.
And I started to panic.
I made it through the opening act, but sometime during the setup for the main band, I started having a panic attack. I know that when I have a panic attack, I need to get myself away from what's making me panic. So I a place to catch my breath and get some air, and Ty got me some water.
After sitting there a few minutes, the band began to play. I decided to try again.


This is NeedtoBreathe. They were very good, and I tried my very hardest to enjoy them and have a good time.
I lasted approximately 5 songs before I started to have another panic attack, and we had to leave.

I was really upset, and may have cried some.
But as soon as we got outside, I felt better.
Ty was really sweet about it, and made it very clear that he wasn't upset about it at all.
And so we headed home and arrived around 2:00am.


It was a fun day, but between falling in the boat and having a panic attack and having to leave early...my pride took a hit.

But at least I had a good time in between the bad chunks.

xoxo, wife.

Thursday, June 12, 2014

morning refreshment.

Apparently I'm not the only one trying to lose weight around here.
Bubba is OBSESSED with my Special K protein shake.
Every morning I can hardly drink it without him bumping into the bottle and trying to spill it.
He knows that he gets the blow-back at the bottom of the bottle when I'm finished.


Apparently, he's a little self-conscious about his figure right now.
It's ok, Bubba...I think you're super handsome!

xoxo, wife.

Wednesday, June 11, 2014

summer to do list.

Things I'd like to do this summer:

1. Go to the beach (more than once, preferably.)
2. Take a trip to Brookfield Zoo.
3. Lose 15 pounds.
4. Read 13 books. (I'm already on #3.)
5. Finally stain the deck.
6.Go on a picnic in the park with Ty.
7. Visit the Farmer's Market and get some fresh flowers.
8. Go to a free concert.
9. Get a pedicure. And a manicure.
10. Go for a hike. (I might regret this one.)
11. Write and send some snail-mail.
12. Go to the driving range. (Might regret that one too.)
13. Do some crafty stuff.
14. Take a walk in the rain.
15. Ride a ferris wheel.

xoxo, wife.

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

life according to my iphone.

It's officially summer vacation.
Can I get an Amen?
I never thought I'd make it through the year. But I did, and now I'm taking full advantage of 8 glorious weeks off.

I was looking through some pictures on my phone and getting ready to delete them.
I decided to document them here first, and then press delete.

 In my ever-present desire to become more domestic, I planted some flowers. I haven't planted flowers in a few years because I can never seem to keep them alive. Luckily, they're still going strong.



Then I lost all domestic points I had earned by botching some ice cream sandwiches.
Oh well.

Cut some lilacs from the bush in the backyard and put them in a mason jar inside. 
Love the smell.

Way back when we had our patio put in, the builder guys had to level the yard. So they dug up a bunch of dirt, and we've had trouble getting grass to grow there ever since. So Ty tilled the area up and planted more seed.
And we're currently STILL waiting.

Two weeks before school was over, I got pretty sick. This was the sickest I'd been in quite awhile and I *gasp* took 2 days off work. (I hadn't taken a sick day in 2 years.) 
Abby however, was pleased that I stayed home.

I love me some evening patio time.

 And I love love love this guy. He makes my heart melt!

I finished up grading and report cards.
Hallelujah!

Then it was time for Kindergarten graduation, end of the year activities, and packing up my room to be cleaned over the summer.

I also got to work on my photography skills at a recent softball game.

And that's pretty much that.
Now I'm off to continue enjoying my first week of summer.

xoxo, wife.