Feeling Good!

Well, I'm DEFINITELY feeling good tonight! I finished Day 22 of the 30 Day Shred (ONLY 8 DAYS LEFT!!), made 2 trial runs of different coffee cake (#2 is in the oven), and finished painting at least the top railings of our lower deck. Now I'm all showered up and ready to cozy up in bed and wait for the hubs to get home from softball!

Here's the winner *ding ding ding* for the coffee cake "contest":

It's an Apple Coffee Cake with Pecans that I picked up off a website for a cute little B&B somewhere while looking for coffee cake recipes.  It has layers of cinnamon apples between the layers of cake (or, okay, all mixed in, really).  It.smells.wonderful!! 

Here, also, is our finished deck project from the upstairs/kitchen deck:

I just need to get some new flowers for the deck box, since the ones I tried planting were murdered with the hail the other night :(

Life is about to get insanely busy for a bit!  It's a good thing I'll have Friday afternoon off due to our summer hours at work, because Friday night we'll be heading down to Iowa for a big, crazy, fun Ropte family GTG!  That's right - we're talking 6 kids under the age of 4, and 12 wild and unruly adults all together out at the Ropte farm for a weekend! 

Mark and I will have to leave Sunday earlier in the afternoon to give me time to get home and pack for my trip Monday morning with my boss to Beatrice, Nebraska to visit one of the Toro facilities there.  We'll travel there on Monday, check out their plant on Tuesday, then drive home Tuesday evening.

Either Wednesday or Thursday, Mark's brother, Daniel, and his girlfriend, Iryna will be arriving all the way from Virginia Beach with a few possessions in tow (i.e. Daniel's entire house worth of stuff, plus anywhere from 2-5 cars) to stay for a few days on their way out to Seattle to get Daniel moved out there.  (He's in the Navy, for those who don't know, and this is where he's being stationed next). 

In the madness, we plan to have our deck finished and ready to go for a big backyard barbecue with family and friends for the 4th of July (or somewhere around then - we're not really sure yet).

Am I crazy?  I think so.  But do I love it?  I think so :)

The weekend after all the craziness subsides, we're looking forward to a wedding in the cities!  We haven't been to many weddings lately where we've had to get a hotel room, but we're excited to be staying at a really nice place in downtown Minneapolis for Mark's cousin's wedding (Jared and Skyler - we love you guys!!).  So who knows what all the weekend will bring, but we're excited to be able to get away for a couple days :)

And then....THEN...I'm pretty sure it will only get CRAZY up in here!!  That's right - I'm gonna be meeting up with a whole bunch of crazy women in Chicago for the weekend - including one of my besties - Coley - for a really fun day touring a winery, a picnic, yummy supper out (possibly sushi?), and fun girl time back at the hotel into the wee hours of the morning :)  I.Can't.Wait!! :)

::sigh::

Yes, all this within the next 3 weeks.  And yes, I will make it.  It's just how God wired me, apparently lol  They say that the more you have TO do, the more you DO do, and it's true!

But for now, I'd better go save my coffee cake from certain doom in the oven, should it stay in there much longer.  And then...to bed :)

Amy

Deck Project

Here are some pics of our deck project we started this past weekend.  Mark had some repairs he had to make on our current upstairs deck, and after he finished, we stained it, and it looks fantastic! 

Before:





After:





And our next project - the lower deck (with a huge spot where a hot tub used to be - such an eyesore!):

The Deck, Strawberry Patch and other Weekend Adventures

Mark and I found ourselves inn a strage predicament yesterday afternoon:  We were both off work early with very minimal plans for the weekend.  The next time we will have a weekend like this is at the end of July, and then again in early August.  But then?  Not until after Labor Day!

Mark actually was off at noon, and he was able to finish up some repairs to our upper deck off the kitchen by the time I got home (early) at 2:45pm.  Out of the blue, we decided it'd be a good idea to go ahead and stain the deck, and so we did!  Or rather, I stained the deck while Mark washed and waxed the Grand Prix (GREAT job, honey!), and Mark gave me a little hand at the beginning and end.  It.looks.amazing! 

 I also finally tackled L3 of the 30 Day Shred, and it royally kicked my bootay! 

Saturday morning we decided to check out a local strawberry farm - Schumaker's - and picked ourselves almost 25lbs of Strawberries!  It was a beautiful morning to be out, just around 70 degrees with a faint breeze and no bugs! 

When we got home, I ran to Ace to pick up some planters for a large, overgrown spider plant that needed to be repotted.  Instead of one, large, overgrown spider plant, we now have 5 small spider plants!   What we will do with all those plants, I don't know, but we'll see. lol

I then whipped up a nice, big batch of Millionaire Macaroni Salad for the week ahead (and all the grilling we intend to do!!), then started in on the strawberries.  We filled a large gallon pail of whole berries for smoothies, and made some freezer strawberries for ice cream toppings as well.  I'm planning on making a strawberry pie this afternoon still, and then?  Who knows!  But it's an absolutely GORGEOUS day, and I think we're gonna head out for a walk :) 

Weekend Activities and What's to Come

Friday afternoon we got a call from some friends of ours we seldom see due to differing busy schedules.  We met up for supper and had a GREAT time, then went to my boss's house for fireworks afterwards.  Finally got the recipe from my boss's wife for her yummy Texas Caviar salsa - can't WAIT to try it at home :) 

Saturday I attended a bridal shower for Mark's cousin's fiance, Skyler in Storden, then had an unexpected completely FREE afternoon.  I got SO much cleaning/dusting/vacuuming done, about 8 pages of digital scrapbooking completed, took a LONG bubble bath, did my nails:  All, of course, while blaring Christmas music all.day.long lol 

Mark got home around 7pm after day 1 of the softball tournament (4 long games in 1 day = sore boy!), and then we had some friends over for a late supper, after which we sat around watching old videos and had some really great laughs!  After they left, Mark and I started watching Shutter Island, which we finished the next morning.


Sunday morning, Mark had another softball game for the Riverfest tournament, and I helped out in the church nursery - with SEVEN kids under the age of 3!  They were all pretty good, but I have to say - I'm glad I didn't have to take any of them home lol  Thank goodness there were 3 of us older folks in there or we might have all lost our sanity lol :) 

Mark was home by the time I got home from church.  After lunch, I had a long nap, then we just bummed around the rest of the afternoon and evening.  It was nice to be able to just spend some time together and relax.

Today marks 3 years since my Dad passed away.  It certainly hasn't been the same, but we're all continuing to adjust the best we know how.  So many memories come flooding back thinking about this day 3 years ago, but I know that through it all, the Lord has a plan, and while I still might not know fully what that plan is, I trust in Him.

We're looking forward to spending some time with my family in 2 weeks as we will all be together at the farm!  It's always such a fun (and crazy) time with everyone together!

 Well, that's about all for now.  Hopefully I can keep this updated a little more frequently :)

Amy

Greetings from Windom!

I know its been ages since I've done a blog post - guess I haven't exactly been "feeling" it lately.  Always so much going on, never enough hours in the day to rest, but I'm thankful for the time and days where I do!

After our big trip to Hawaii at the end of February, Mark went under the knife to finally get his Achilles tendon repaired.  It's healing nicely now, but boy is that a nasty injury!  He's finally back to playing softball a couple nights a week after getting clearance from his doctor - HALLELUJAH!

We spent a weekend down in Humboldt celebrating Josh's birthday - can't believe my little brother is already 26 years old! 

We spent Good Friday and part of the day Saturday in Minnesota - at the Good Friday service, then celebrating Jed's birthday with him at the Ground Round - I think everyone is getting old, eh? lol  We spent Saturday night and all day Sunday down in Humboldt with the Roptes, taking a break from home before the craziness to ensue the weekend after!

Mark's sister, Sarah, and her boyfriend, Johannes were out to visit for a few days the weekend after Easter.  It was nice to meet Johannes and to see Sarah again - it had been since our trip to take the MMC to San Diego last June since we saw her last.  We had 2 big parties to celebrate the occasion (and for the extended family to meet Johannes) - first with Mark's Dad's extended family on Saturday, then with Mark's Mom's extended family the day after on Sunday.  We had a wonderful time celebrating!

We had a great time in mid-April celebrating my nephew, Caleb's 1st birthday!  It was fun to see most of the family for the occasion, although we missed our Indiana Ropte's :( 

We also had a nice dinner at Grandma's to celebrate her 85th birthday! 

May was a busy month, starting out with our friends' wedding the second weekend.  Of course, leading up to the big day was a bridal shower and bachelor/bachelorette parties in April - fun and memorable times with the soon-to-be marrieds! Mark stood up as a groomsman, and I was the bride's personal attendant.  We had a wonderful time, and wish all the best for Jamie and Heather Graber!

The weekend after the wedding, I went to meet up with my friend, Coley, in Wisconsin for the weekend, and the weekend after, Mark and I got some GREAT free tickets to a Twins' game at the new Target Field!  The highlights of the game:  GREAT seats, Mark got his Morneau jersey signed, and the TWINS WON!

We spent our Memorial Day weekend at home in Minnesota - between time at the lake on the jet ski, fishing, and celebrating with Mark's step-sister, Jessica at her HS graduation open house, we kept super busy!

The first weekend in June, I also traveled to Albert Lea to meet up with one of my best college buddies, Steff, for lunch and to see SATC2.  Was so great to catch up, since it only truly happens a couple times a year :) 

::sigh::

Ahhhh - and then there's what's going on in general in our lives:

Well, jobs are going great - finally got a raise after the recession leveled out a bit, so that's great!  We're both doing well!  Mark has been working on a deck project, and we're gearing up to get the lower and upper decks re-stained sometime soon.  Mark is slowly regaining the strength in his right leg, and it's getting stronger every day!  He is playing softball 2 nights a week, and I have been playing one night a week.  I have also been killing myself for the past 11 days while doing Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred DVD - but seeing results! 

We're looking forward to a big family gathering at the farm in Iowa at the end of June, and then seeing Daniel and meeting his girlfriend at the beginning of July before Mark's cousin, Jared and his fiancee, Skyler tie the knot in mid-July!

God bless you all and keep you safe and healthy :)  I've got to get to bed lol

Amy

May Recap (2010)

Bike Rodeo

In February, I joined a women's community organization in town - Windom Women of Today. As part of the group, I helped out with the Bike Rodeo. It is basically a little competition to teach kids about bike safety, which was really cute :) I spent a Saturday morning judging the competition - those little guys are SO CUTE with their little helmets on, and they all did so great!

Jamie and Heather's Wedding

Our good friends, Jamie and Heather were married on May 7 in Sioux Falls, SD. Mark stood up for Jamie in the wedding and I was Heather's Personal Attendant for the day. It was a beautiful day! Congrats, Jamie and Heather!!

Madison Trip

I was able to meet up with my good friend, Nicole in Madison, WI for the weekend in mid-May, and we had such a great time! We did a lot of resting inbetween visiting Olbrich Botanical Gardens, the Henry Dooley Zoo, and catching up on a little bit of shopping. I wrote more about the trip in my travel blog.

Best Twins' Game EVER!

We scored some seriously awesome tickets a few rows up behind the Twins' dugout. It was our first game at the new Target Field, Mark was able to get Justin Morneau to sign his jersey, the Twins won, and we were on the kiss cam!

Memorial Day Weekend at Clear Lake

We spent most of Memorial Day Weekend out at Clear Lake with friends on the water. It was nice to have some downtime. Jamie and Heather introduced their new little puppy, Jersey, and we enjoyed food on the grill, s'mores, a great campfire, and some beautiful weather!

Jessica's HS Graduation

Congratulations to Mark's step-sis, Jessica on her high school graduation! We visited with her and other extended family at her graduation open house.




Jessica with her Grandmas.




We finished out the weekend with a fun day of fishing at Clear Lake once again. I've been fishing before, but have never in my life actually held a fish that was still alive! This was my first time! haha!





Although the pictures make it look like it was no big deal, as you'll see from the videos below, it took me a bit to get them out of the bucket lol