synergy

ugh.  i've been so uninspired lately.  and not to mention busy.  very very busy. when the semester started, i thought i was going to have plenty of free-time and really not be that busy.

i was wrong.

i think the busyness comes from all of the different things i have to do.  field experience.  research assistantship.  travel to and from different campuses. STUDYING. homework.  reading.  lots of reading.  meetings.

it's funny to think about how life kind of builds on itself.  one experience, however different it may be, prepares you for another type of experience.  i find grad school is drawing from all of the different pieces of my history.  i learned from ilead, not only about leadership, but about being really busy!  i wasn't always great at this.  i didn't sleep a lot in college.  but i have learned since college how much better i feel when i sleep 9 hours a night.  i learned about people skills and a different kind of hard work in the hospital.  as well as a lot about healthcare.  even being married has helped prepare me for this phase.  i can handle more.  i have learned to live differently because it's not just me... i have someone else to consider.  laundry has to get done when it needs to get done... not whenever i feel like it. 

maybe this sounds too obvious, but i've just been thinking about how thankful i am for all of my past experiences.

in other news... i turn 25 tomorrow!  woohoo!

new post on the nutrition blog!

go here!

internet=picture post!

Please forgive the random nature of these pictures... I'll try to upload my camera ones soon! Including some of the house!

Susan and Caleb on my way through Kansas

The awesome GIGANTIC sign I saw somewhere in Iowa

The small garden in our backyard

Sunflowers the previous tenants left us

Pretty fence! This is the entrance to our backyard!

Our back yard pre-charlie's work in it

Caption should be, "I love my daddy."

Rufus has become so accustomed to snuggling with charlie on the couch that we found him ON THE COUCH when we came home the other day.  Getting a little too wild there, FruitLoup.

Rufus tries to snuggle with charlie alllllll day long.

punkin is settling in nicely!

i felt the need to keep proof that i paid that stupid ticket imean "welcome to minnesota" present.

Roses and a picture frame he narrated!

My sweet charlie's anniversary present!

this was the only place charlie could catch the game. we set up a pretty sweet bathtub suite including blanket, pillow, and "Tv stand" :)

good ole' JBU!

sorry... i'm proud!

brrr

I hope I'll soon be able to start a "place of the week" post every week... but right now it's just too hard with our internet situation.  but we've been doing some really fun things!

Friday night we went to downtown-ish Saint Paul to a little Thai restaurant... we got Massaman curry and it was AMAZING! the pad sayew wasn't bad, either.

Saturday, we went to the Saint Paul farmer's market.  it was amazing! they had TONS of vendors and every sort of thing you could want to buy.  the growing season is also (obviously) pretty short, so they had every sort of thing all together.  peppers... flowers... okra... corn... flavored dried pastas... eggs... brussel sprouts... tomatoes.  We stocked up on a few little things, but it was just a fun experience!

today, we went to church! yay!  it feels like forever since we've been... and we finally got to check out the church we've been listening to as a pod-cast.  it was very good!  it was their creative arts sunday... so the service was just worship music interspersed with reading the entire book of Colossians.  they also had a painting station set up for someone to paint and journaling materials.  it was just a very good introspective time.  i think we'll keep going back!

and then this afternoon, we took a picnic to Minnehaha Falls... it's kind of like a little offshoot of the Mississippi river... and it was just as beautiful as i remember!  i took some pictures we'll hopefully be able to post soon. 

All the advice people have given me is to do EVERY SINGLE THING OUTSIDE while you still can... and then to explore indoor things like museums when it is too cold to be outside.  i thought that was good advice.  i think charlie and i are also going to attempt cross-country skiing at the park close to our house when it gets that cold because i've also been told that the winter is much more bearable if you have something fun to do outside.  SO. those things plus warm clothes and i think we're set! :)

happy birthday!

Happy Birthday Mr. Chuck! 
I am so thankful to be a part of your family and that my husband grew up with you as an example.  He learned so much about hard work, stewardship, and the the ins-and-outs of everything involved in farm life.  I am continually amazed at all the random things Charlie knows how to do... and I know it's because of you!  I appreciate all of those things you passed down to him (and your other kids, too!) That takes time, patience, and love for your kids to take the time to do that!

I also really value your heritage.  I think it's really exciting that our kids will have access to that wealth of resources and land and culture that come from you.  I can't wait for them to learn from you like Charlie and I have.

I'm sorry we're missing your birthday, but I'm also excited we'll get to see you soon!
We love you!

professional public transporter

i guess i should update this blog, too since i started a new one!
check me out at

nutritionfoodie.blogspot.com 

we are settling into our new home nicely. we have set up bank accounts, direct deposit for my research assistant position (did i tell you i get an office with a desk and chair and computer?!), have an appointment to get our internet put in, and have explored our little part of the neighborhood.

the dogs are falling into routine (aka NOT trying to escape the backyard anymore) and this is the most beautiful weather... ever. i think they may be my first true "fall" ever.

i mentioned earlier that navigating the cities was my biggest fear. but let me tell you about today's accomplishment.

7:30 charlie dropped me off at the St. Paul campus
7:35 a campus connector bus came through and i hopped on to the Minneapolis campus
7:40 we get to the east bank campus
8:05 we finally arrive at the west bank campus... i freak out and try to re-imagine where my bus stop is... and finally decide it's the next one, so i push the "request stop" button and make a squeaking noise when it buzzes back at me.
8:10 i hop off the bus and begin walking to my meeting in the west bank office building. i even cross over the interstate.
8:25 i reach my building.
8:30 right on time... i make it to my meeting.
8:45 my meeting is over and i ask where the division's shuttle picks people up to take them back to campus.
9:00 our shuttle starts back to the other campus.
9:15 we reach the other campus. i then follow a seasoned phd student through a MAZE of connected buildings to my class.
9:30 i reach my building and actually find someone i know!
10:00 class starts.

let's face it. i'm a pro!

hello

so, we still don't have internet, which is why i haven't been posting. but we are getting nice and settled into our house. we love it! it's very cozy and the dogs have a nice-sized backyard to play in. i'm sitting here waiting on my very first class of grad-school to start. i'm nervous. but i made it here! which was a big accomplishment to navigate parking and then getting on the shuttle and then working my way through the minneapolis campus to my class. i'm pretty proud.