Since I was offered a dance teaching position for next year, I decided it was time to get back into shape. I haven't danced seriously since high school and although I kept dancing in college, I have lost a lot of flexibility. I stopped dancing last January to have more time to work on wedding stuff, so it has been over a year since I've taken any sort of classes. Feeling more motivated than ever, I decided to step it up.
My first step was buying myself some new workout clothes and a pair of bright pink pumas. I have always been a freak about what I wear when I work out -- if it has sleeves, it just isn't going to cut it. I've been getting back into shape by attending a "Y Dance" (aka Zumba) class at the Y. Unfortunately, it's scheduled at a rediculous time of the day so I am usually working, but I try to make it to one or two classes/week. I LOVE it and it's so great just to be "dancing" again. If I can't make it to Y Dance, I get my cardio by playing tennis on the one day it doesn't rain each week, rocking out to Just Dance on the WII (which Benny enjoys with me!), or spending a little time on the elliptical. I've also spent a lot of time in our basement working on short combinations for my classes and practicing barre work. We're looking for a piece of flooring I can put down so I can work on turning, but for now I've been practicing in the utility room.
I've been stretching every day, but recently purchased a yoga mat and started doing yoga videos in the morning. I'm extremely proud to say that I am SO close to being able to do the splits all the way down on my right side .. something I haven't been able to do since I injured my hamstring several years ago. Not that doing the splits is something that is beneficial to me at this point in my life, but it just feels good knowing that I'm not "too old" to still regain some flexibility.
I'm beyond excited to start teaching dance again. It's my true passion and I've realized I'll always be able to help people, but I may not always be able to dance. I'm a little nervous to be teaching the older girls, but I am goin to really prepare over the summer so I'm on top of my game. I am also looking for some workshops/classes I can take this summer just to work on my technique. Most importantly, I feel great. I'm still working on the eating healthy part, but my body doesn't hurt and I just have so much more energy.
Just for the record - outside of dance, I'm the most anti-workout person alive .. I lack serious motivation. That means if I can do it, you can do it .. and trust me, you'll feel great! :)
Monday, April 25, 2011
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
I'm too Pretty to Do Math!
I know I have blogged about Lauren several times, but I am so overwhelmed at how all of us have made the best of the worst of circumstances. Losing Lauren was a tragedy, but life can and will go on...and we'll all be wearing a little memory of Lauren along the way...
If there's one thing I've learned through this grieving process, it's that Lauren was friends with some of the greatest girls I've ever met and I couldn't be luckier to have them in my life. I was not in Lauren's class. In fact, she is two years younger than me. I was friends with a couple of her good friends through dance or cheerleading, but some of them I never got to know very well until now. Sometimes I get sad thinking about how I know Lauren would have been my friend forever - all the memories we would have made - but then I feel grateful that now I've got a great group of girls who know exactly how I feel and when we all need a little laughter in our lives. I got to spend Sunday with those girls .. and it was exactly what I needed.
Some people might find it a little strange that we went through Lauren's closet and called dibs on tanks, t-shirts, workout pants, jeans, dresses, purses, shoes, sunglasses, socks (yes, very colorful socks), nail polish, jewelry, etc. But if you really think about it, what's the point in having it sit in her closet collecting dust (I know, Lisa is quite the duster, but let's be real). It was such a fun day. Going through Lauren's stuff brought up all sorts of memories -- what kind of trouble she got into wearing a certain shirt, why there was nail polish all over the bottom of a purse, how she could pull off the craziest shirt and look fabulous in it, which articles of clothing in her closet actually belonged to someone else in the room, and how if she loved a shoe it didn't matter what size it was - she would squeeze her foot in it. We also came up with a very special idea that will help each of us have Lauren with us at the biggest events in our lives (but I won't tell you about that..it's a secret).
I'll leave you with my best finds of the day -- A deck of Barbie cards in a Barbie tin AND the "I'm too pretty to do math" socks that I bought her a few years ago and she wore ALL the time (but we hadn't been able to find them since the accident).
If there's one thing I've learned through this grieving process, it's that Lauren was friends with some of the greatest girls I've ever met and I couldn't be luckier to have them in my life. I was not in Lauren's class. In fact, she is two years younger than me. I was friends with a couple of her good friends through dance or cheerleading, but some of them I never got to know very well until now. Sometimes I get sad thinking about how I know Lauren would have been my friend forever - all the memories we would have made - but then I feel grateful that now I've got a great group of girls who know exactly how I feel and when we all need a little laughter in our lives. I got to spend Sunday with those girls .. and it was exactly what I needed.
Some people might find it a little strange that we went through Lauren's closet and called dibs on tanks, t-shirts, workout pants, jeans, dresses, purses, shoes, sunglasses, socks (yes, very colorful socks), nail polish, jewelry, etc. But if you really think about it, what's the point in having it sit in her closet collecting dust (I know, Lisa is quite the duster, but let's be real). It was such a fun day. Going through Lauren's stuff brought up all sorts of memories -- what kind of trouble she got into wearing a certain shirt, why there was nail polish all over the bottom of a purse, how she could pull off the craziest shirt and look fabulous in it, which articles of clothing in her closet actually belonged to someone else in the room, and how if she loved a shoe it didn't matter what size it was - she would squeeze her foot in it. We also came up with a very special idea that will help each of us have Lauren with us at the biggest events in our lives (but I won't tell you about that..it's a secret).
I'll leave you with my best finds of the day -- A deck of Barbie cards in a Barbie tin AND the "I'm too pretty to do math" socks that I bought her a few years ago and she wore ALL the time (but we hadn't been able to find them since the accident).
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Lions & Tigers & Dancing Elephants? Oh my!
Donna and Adam came to visit us for the weekend. We have been so excited for them to come since we rarely have visitors and they hadn't been to our house since we moved in so I couldn't wait for Donna to see the changes. Plus, our new furniture came on Thursday .. woohoo!!
They got here Friday night and we hung out at the house. I talked Donna's ear off and showed her the 400 pictures I had finally printed from the last 3 years of my life. Nick convinced me to let him buy Mario Kart ($50 for a game..rediculous!) so him and Adam played that all night.
On Saturday, we woke up bright and early to the sound of Donna fumbling around in the kitchen in search of coffee supplies. We both hate coffee, so although we do have the stuff, it is not easily accessible. We spent the morning crunching on some good old Cap'n Crunch and lazying around. But then it was time for the big event .. The James Cristy Cole Circus. We headed to Spencer for one heck of a show.
After the circus, it was stir fry for supper, a comical game of Apples to Apples (Adam's FAVORITE game .. even though he doesn't know what half the cards mean!), and watching Ghostbusters until we all fell asleep on the new furniture.
They left this morning and even though there was plenty to get done around here, I napped for quite awhile and then kicked Benny's butt in Mario Kart. It was a very good weekend and we look forward to the next time we have company! And since Donna took the pictures this weekend, all I have is one of our new loveseat which includes a shot of Donna in the background. We also got a matching couch and recliner!!
Friday, March 18, 2011
Right where we left off...
There's nothing I love more than a friend who you can go months with only occasional life updates or without hardly speaking to at all, and when you meet up, it's like you never missed a beat.
It's been really hard trying to make friends in a new town where we essentially don't know anybody. Most of my co-workers don't live here and neither do Benny's since he works in Minnesota. It's not like the college days where friends lived in the same building as you and you had a ton of opportunities to meet new people. Although we're starting to get out more and try a little harder at having a social life, I get VERY excited when someone I know is coming to down. A familiar face always makes my day.
My friend, Krista, and one of her friends for college met me for supper tonight and it was wonderful. Krista and I have been friends since high school. We danced together, but it wasn't until we were both at Iowa State that we became really close. It's been fun to watch Krista change .. and she really has changed a lot .. and become such a wonderful young lady (not that she wasn't wonderful before, but you know what I mean). I always get so proud of her accomplishments .. it's like she's my little sister! But I don't worry about telling her anything and everything because I know she won't tell a soul or judge me. We've had some really great conversations (and wine + so you think you can dance nights). She's just one of those girlfriends I love being around!
Tonight was a great reminder that no matter how far away I may travel in life, those old friends will always be the best of friends and will always brighten my day!!
Oh, and the pizza wasn't bad either...
It's been really hard trying to make friends in a new town where we essentially don't know anybody. Most of my co-workers don't live here and neither do Benny's since he works in Minnesota. It's not like the college days where friends lived in the same building as you and you had a ton of opportunities to meet new people. Although we're starting to get out more and try a little harder at having a social life, I get VERY excited when someone I know is coming to down. A familiar face always makes my day.
My friend, Krista, and one of her friends for college met me for supper tonight and it was wonderful. Krista and I have been friends since high school. We danced together, but it wasn't until we were both at Iowa State that we became really close. It's been fun to watch Krista change .. and she really has changed a lot .. and become such a wonderful young lady (not that she wasn't wonderful before, but you know what I mean). I always get so proud of her accomplishments .. it's like she's my little sister! But I don't worry about telling her anything and everything because I know she won't tell a soul or judge me. We've had some really great conversations (and wine + so you think you can dance nights). She's just one of those girlfriends I love being around!
Tonight was a great reminder that no matter how far away I may travel in life, those old friends will always be the best of friends and will always brighten my day!!
Oh, and the pizza wasn't bad either...
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Breaking the Facebook Addiction: Week One
I logged onto Facebook for the last time last Wednesday to tell Robyn "Happy Birthday" ... it was tough walking away knowing it'd be a month before I logged back in. When I got home from work, I instantly came to my computer, just like I do every day, only to realize I wouldn't get to waste the next half an hour on Facebook. I think it's going to take a week just to remember I can't let myself go to it.
My morning ritual is to get a bowl of cereal and plop down next to my computer. I always check Facebook "real quick" while I'm eating, which turns into a 1/2 hour of sitting there staring at the computer and causes me to be late for work. One morning last week, I got up and got my bowl of cereal. I sat down in front of my computer out of habit .. I even went to Facebook and started typing in my login information and then realized what I was doing just in time. I'm so glad I realized it because I'd hate to fail without it being intentional.
We went back home for the weekend to visit family & friends so it was easy not to be tempted since I was so busy .. except when Robyn was sitting on the other end of the couch facebooking on her phone. My relatives kept asking if I was having withdrawals and said they missed seeing my updates every 20 minutes, but other than that I made it my first weekend without even going to the website!
I've officially made it ONE week! I'm actually handling it pretty well. Other than the first couple days being rough, I don't even really think about it as much now unless someone says something about it. I have SO much more time on my hands. I've been working out and getting to work on time and going to bed earlier! I feel pretty wonderful. I haven't really been using that extra time to keep my house clean, but oh well. I do miss getting to "communicate" with everyone and see what everyone is up to, but like I said, I don't really think about it that much.
I didn't know if I'd make it, but now I'm positive I will!! Especially if Benny gives in and buys me the Birthday gift I want as an incentive! :)
My morning ritual is to get a bowl of cereal and plop down next to my computer. I always check Facebook "real quick" while I'm eating, which turns into a 1/2 hour of sitting there staring at the computer and causes me to be late for work. One morning last week, I got up and got my bowl of cereal. I sat down in front of my computer out of habit .. I even went to Facebook and started typing in my login information and then realized what I was doing just in time. I'm so glad I realized it because I'd hate to fail without it being intentional.
We went back home for the weekend to visit family & friends so it was easy not to be tempted since I was so busy .. except when Robyn was sitting on the other end of the couch facebooking on her phone. My relatives kept asking if I was having withdrawals and said they missed seeing my updates every 20 minutes, but other than that I made it my first weekend without even going to the website!
I've officially made it ONE week! I'm actually handling it pretty well. Other than the first couple days being rough, I don't even really think about it as much now unless someone says something about it. I have SO much more time on my hands. I've been working out and getting to work on time and going to bed earlier! I feel pretty wonderful. I haven't really been using that extra time to keep my house clean, but oh well. I do miss getting to "communicate" with everyone and see what everyone is up to, but like I said, I don't really think about it that much.
I didn't know if I'd make it, but now I'm positive I will!! Especially if Benny gives in and buys me the Birthday gift I want as an incentive! :)
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Breaking the Facebook Addiction: Preparation Stages
I'm officially breaking the Facebook addiction. Although I'd like to think that being addicted to Facebook officially makes me a loser, I truly believe there are far too many people who are dealing with the same problem. You log on just to see if anyone "wrote on your wall" or "commented on your photo" or "liked your status" and the next thing you know, it's 3 hours later and you're looking at pictures of a baby who belongs to a friend of a friend's mom's sister's aunt .. yep, I'm a loser. They say that it's possible to be addicted to sugar (another problem of mine..ha!) and I think that not being able to go a day without checking Facebook constitutes a problem. So while I won't be on Facebook again (after tomorrow) until April 9th (hated to miss all my "Happy Birthday" posts), you can keep up with my progress through my blog.
The reasons I love Facebook:
1. I get to keep in touch with family members I could call every now & then, but let's face it, I don't .. and this is a great way for us to keep in contact!
2. I get to see pictures of everyone's big life events -- engagements, weddings, babies, birthday parties, etc.
3. I can share my photos with family members and friends I don't get to see very often.
4. If I ever need sympathy, advice on what car to buy, recommendations for supper, etc. all I have to do is post it as my status and the notifications will be popping up right and left.
5. I can create an event and invite all my guests or send a message to several people at one time (turns out, there used to be a thing called email .. and mail .. that could accomplish the same thing..who knew?)
Here are the reasons I've decided to break my Facebook addiction:
1. I need to get to work on time or I might get fired.
2. No one believes I can do it .. which goes to show how addicted I really am.
3. I really don't need to know what some person I met 7 years ago at summer camp is doing today nor do they need to know what I'm doing.
What I hope to accomplish:
1. A cleaner house (Instead of immediately getting on Facebook after work, I hope to spend 20 minutes picking up around the house/doing laundry)
2. An enjoyment of reading -- I can't remember the last time I read a book for enjoyment. I keep buying them, but now I've got one I REALLY want to read so I'm going to.
3. I'm FINALLY going to print pictures and start scrapbooking.
4. Working out. We paid for a February membership at the Y and went once. With all this extra time I'll have on my hands, I'll be in shape in no time. ;)
5. When I rejoin the Facebook world, I will spend much less time on it because I will realize how big of a time waster it really is.
6. PROVE EVERYONE WRONG!
So, what does one have to do to give up Facebook for a month? I wouldn't dare delete my account after all the hours I've spent uploading photos.
The steps I'm taking to avoid all temptations:
1. Telling everyone via my facebook status that I'll be MIA for a month ... so that all 346 of my "friends" will know if I fail.
2. Changing my homepage
3. Benny will be changing my password tomorrow
4. Benny will be changing HIS password tomorrow
5. I will be cancelling email notifications from Facebook (really, that would be cheating, but I considered it!)
6. Since I haven't joined the smart phone era, I don't need to worry about anything coming to my phone.
Wish me luck. Text me (please...). Enjoy my progress. Join me?
Signing Out.
The reasons I love Facebook:
1. I get to keep in touch with family members I could call every now & then, but let's face it, I don't .. and this is a great way for us to keep in contact!
2. I get to see pictures of everyone's big life events -- engagements, weddings, babies, birthday parties, etc.
3. I can share my photos with family members and friends I don't get to see very often.
4. If I ever need sympathy, advice on what car to buy, recommendations for supper, etc. all I have to do is post it as my status and the notifications will be popping up right and left.
5. I can create an event and invite all my guests or send a message to several people at one time (turns out, there used to be a thing called email .. and mail .. that could accomplish the same thing..who knew?)
Here are the reasons I've decided to break my Facebook addiction:
1. I need to get to work on time or I might get fired.
2. No one believes I can do it .. which goes to show how addicted I really am.
3. I really don't need to know what some person I met 7 years ago at summer camp is doing today nor do they need to know what I'm doing.
What I hope to accomplish:
1. A cleaner house (Instead of immediately getting on Facebook after work, I hope to spend 20 minutes picking up around the house/doing laundry)
2. An enjoyment of reading -- I can't remember the last time I read a book for enjoyment. I keep buying them, but now I've got one I REALLY want to read so I'm going to.
3. I'm FINALLY going to print pictures and start scrapbooking.
4. Working out. We paid for a February membership at the Y and went once. With all this extra time I'll have on my hands, I'll be in shape in no time. ;)
5. When I rejoin the Facebook world, I will spend much less time on it because I will realize how big of a time waster it really is.
6. PROVE EVERYONE WRONG!
So, what does one have to do to give up Facebook for a month? I wouldn't dare delete my account after all the hours I've spent uploading photos.
The steps I'm taking to avoid all temptations:
1. Telling everyone via my facebook status that I'll be MIA for a month ... so that all 346 of my "friends" will know if I fail.
2. Changing my homepage
3. Benny will be changing my password tomorrow
4. Benny will be changing HIS password tomorrow
5. I will be cancelling email notifications from Facebook (really, that would be cheating, but I considered it!)
6. Since I haven't joined the smart phone era, I don't need to worry about anything coming to my phone.
Wish me luck. Text me (please...). Enjoy my progress. Join me?
Signing Out.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Dancing Backwards in High Heels
Today it occurred to me that on any given day I might be one, several, or even all of the following:
So this is why:
Today I told Benny all of this and then I said, "What are you when you go to work?" ... His reply, "An engineer." Huh.
preschool teacher
marriage counselor
copy machine repair (wo)man
delivery girl
family therapist
paperwork specialist
school nurse
dentist
grocery shopper
clothes shopper
cook
author of social stories
shoulder to cry on
parent
secretary
diaper changer
middle-of-the night crisis interventionist
preschool teacher's personal therapist
team problem solver
bus driver
oh, and my actual job of being a "home visitor" (whatever that is)
...while everyday I'm also a wonderful wife (ha!) and a pretty awesome friend (at least I try to be). And no, I am not exaggerating. This list should probably be longer.
a) I don't have a clue what to tell people when they ask what I do for a job
b) I can't remember the last time I wasn't tired
c) I live for snow days & summer
..and most importantly,
d) I get teary eyed when a parent says, "Thanks for how much you have helped our family."
Today I told Benny all of this and then I said, "What are you when you go to work?" ... His reply, "An engineer." Huh.
Kinda reminds me of this song -- Woman With You
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Raise A Glass for Lauren!
It didn't hit me until this morning that tomorrow I'll be celebrating Lauren's 21st Birthday .. without her. While I know that Lauren will be celebrating in Heaven and laughing with us, somehow that just doesn't make it hurt any less. I know how excited Lauren had been to turn 21 and I know we would've made sure her Birthday was the best -- which we still will -- but I do wish she was here.
It's been almost 8 months since Lauren got her wings .. sometimes it feels like it's been forever. Other times, I feel like it was just yesterday. That horrific night plays over and over in my mind sometimes, but I'm so thankful for the nights I get to hang out with Lauren in my dreams and we're laughing or doing something stupid.
I can't even count the number of times I pick up my phone to text her ... or think "I have to tell Lauren that" ... or the times I would give anything to be able to talk to her. Lauren was one of the few people who has never left my side during the many years we've been friends and would have still been making me laugh at 98, so the thought of her being away from her for so long is .. well, terrifying.
I know that tomorrow will come and go. We will all have a great time celebrating and soon it will be February 5th (and time to celebrate my mother-in-laws Birthday .. not her 21st, though), and there will be many days, weeks, and months in the future that I will miss Lauren, but with the support of my husband, family, and super awesome friends, I know that I will continue to live my life the way I should.
"So don't wait for someone to tell you, 'It's too late' cuz these are the best days. There's always something tomorrow, so I say let's make the best of tonight...."
It's been almost 8 months since Lauren got her wings .. sometimes it feels like it's been forever. Other times, I feel like it was just yesterday. That horrific night plays over and over in my mind sometimes, but I'm so thankful for the nights I get to hang out with Lauren in my dreams and we're laughing or doing something stupid.
I can't even count the number of times I pick up my phone to text her ... or think "I have to tell Lauren that" ... or the times I would give anything to be able to talk to her. Lauren was one of the few people who has never left my side during the many years we've been friends and would have still been making me laugh at 98, so the thought of her being away from her for so long is .. well, terrifying.
I know that tomorrow will come and go. We will all have a great time celebrating and soon it will be February 5th (and time to celebrate my mother-in-laws Birthday .. not her 21st, though), and there will be many days, weeks, and months in the future that I will miss Lauren, but with the support of my husband, family, and super awesome friends, I know that I will continue to live my life the way I should.
I keep telling myself -- life is not over now that Lauren's gone, it's just different. I'm learning to live this "different" life the best I can because I've only got one shot and we never know when our own story will be over.
In 45 minutes, Lauren will be 21 in Heaven. Raise your glass & celebrate an amazing person who left us far too soon.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Ich Liebe Deutschland!
As most of you know, we just returned from our trip to Switzerland, Germany, and the Netherlands. To sum it up in one word --- AMAZING! Benny did an awesome job of planning out our 9 days traveling around the 3 countries & seeing as many spectacular things as possible. (I realized my adjectives got much more exciting when talking about the trip!!)
My top 3 things we did/visited:
1) The Koln Cathedral: MUST SEE!! It wa so awesome it brought tears to my eyes. I told Benny I could only hope that's what I'd see when I walked through the gates of Heaven.
2) Neuschwanstein Castle: This castle was never lived in because the King died while it was being built. I was totally "wowed" when we walked in. The detail is so amazing & I would LOVE to live in a castle .. Benny keeps telling me to buy him one. Yeah, likely. ;)
3) Anne Frank House: Okay, so we did a lot of REALLY cool things -- but this was just a really neat place to go since I've read the diary and was always interested in it. It just made it seem more "real" and I honestly felt like I was experiencing what it would be like to hide in that space...definitely check it out if you're ever in Amsterdam.
Mostly, I'm glad that Benny and I proved we can be adults and travel to another country .. I had my doubts before! Ha. I can't believe I flew by myself .. 9 hours on one flight .. and layovers at 2 airports. Impressive, I know. We had the time of our lives .. like a second honeymoon and we are very excited to return in a few years. We want to take our parents and Adam as well .. but maybe not all at the same time. Some day we will definitely be taking our own children there.
A general update on life: WONDERFUL. I cannot believe how much I love being married -- I mean, I knew it'd be fun, but we are just having the best time together. It's so much fun to spend every day with your best friend. The longer we're married, the more I realize how God really did pick us for each other.
My top 3 things we did/visited:
1) The Koln Cathedral: MUST SEE!! It wa so awesome it brought tears to my eyes. I told Benny I could only hope that's what I'd see when I walked through the gates of Heaven.
2) Neuschwanstein Castle: This castle was never lived in because the King died while it was being built. I was totally "wowed" when we walked in. The detail is so amazing & I would LOVE to live in a castle .. Benny keeps telling me to buy him one. Yeah, likely. ;)
3) Anne Frank House: Okay, so we did a lot of REALLY cool things -- but this was just a really neat place to go since I've read the diary and was always interested in it. It just made it seem more "real" and I honestly felt like I was experiencing what it would be like to hide in that space...definitely check it out if you're ever in Amsterdam.
Mostly, I'm glad that Benny and I proved we can be adults and travel to another country .. I had my doubts before! Ha. I can't believe I flew by myself .. 9 hours on one flight .. and layovers at 2 airports. Impressive, I know. We had the time of our lives .. like a second honeymoon and we are very excited to return in a few years. We want to take our parents and Adam as well .. but maybe not all at the same time. Some day we will definitely be taking our own children there.
A general update on life: WONDERFUL. I cannot believe how much I love being married -- I mean, I knew it'd be fun, but we are just having the best time together. It's so much fun to spend every day with your best friend. The longer we're married, the more I realize how God really did pick us for each other.
I am in charge of planning our anniversary since Benny planned the Germany trip. (I've already got it planned) but I can't wait to share it with you! :) Until next time, Guten Tag!
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