days gone by...

sorry I have been MIA lately. life has been spinning out of control and I am lucky if I remember to pee most days. don't get me wrong- life has been really good! it has been filled with all sorts of bliss and be warned, this is kind of a long one!

Shed Painting 

Background on how the shed came to be in an upcoming post.

This is what the shed looked like before getting a much-needed makeover.

Becca and Anna doing their first large scale painting job. 

The happy couple working together. How cute are we? Sporting our matching red shirts! So festive!

Rich and Becca starting the white trim.

Renaissance Festival 

As a reward for helping with the shed, we took the girls to the Minnesota Renaissance Festival. They had never been to it so it was a treat for us all. We went with Rich's brother, his wife and two kids along with Rich's mom, Chris. The weather was perfect to spend the day in a dry, dusty field going back in time to the 16th century where King Henry and Lady Elizabeth reigned. 

One good thing about this Festival is the number and variety of free shows. We caught- haha! - The Danger Committee, a knife throwing show shortly after we arrived. These guys have been seen on America's Got Talent! Seriously, this guy caught a knife that had a super sharp blade and a flaming handle. I hope he has a reasonable co-pay for all of his ER visits!

Of course there were castles... a couple of them actually. 

Elephants? Really? In medieval England? Not quite, but it is certainly a draw . Grandma Chris took the three youngest kids on a ride- well, she paid for them to go on but had to ride because Frank (2 years old) couldn't ride without an adult. She said she didn't know her legs could stretch like that! 

Jousting in a full suit of armor is common place in these parts- and I am guessing, dang toasty in the sun!

Frank gets a closer look at a tortoise from the Minnesota Herp Society.

Becca and Anna helped make merry music in a street band... with pretty good rhythm skills on the drums, if I do say so myself!

The Robin Hood show explained other points of view on how the Merry Men got their start.  

Puke and Snot (I am not making this up!) is the most famous and longest running show at the Fest.  They've been performing since 1974. If you ever get to Minnesota in September, you have to hit the Fest just to see them! Hilariously funny, crude and raunchy at times, they are legendary!

What would a day in medieval England be without royalty? At the end of our day we came upon the King's court. Commoners (like us) could come and present a joke to the King. Anna told one to the lady-in-waiting who repeated for the court and Becca told her own (with a rousing round of laughter from them all).

NCMPR District 5 Conference- Wichita, KS

They let me out of the office at long last! Well, I asked to go. Why Wichita? I met some of the most incredibly talented, outrageously funny and downright the nicest folks ever while I was there! This is a conference of marketing and PR professionals from two-year colleges from the Midwest. It was a nice break from the office day-to-day, to learn best practices, engage in conversation to problem solve and network with some of the most creative, resourceful people this side of the Mississippi in community college marketing. Throw in a rooftop bar, kareoke and beautiful weather and it made for a rather nice getaway. (Sorry- no photos.)

Homecoming Game 2012

We took the girls to the high school homecoming game. Jess is a freshman actually ASKED if we could go together as a FAMILY! (For those of you who don't know, Jess is Rich's daughter from his first marriage. She's had a hard time accepting me as a part of their lives but it is definitely getting better!) So, we donned our black and orange apparel and got our Tiger pride on! I hadn't been to a high school football game since 1991- when I was in high school. It was crazy but so fun too, especially since the Tigers kicked some tail. Go Tigers!

Bike riding on the Cannon Valley Trail

Rich came up with this family activity to utilize what just might be the last nice weekend of the year before winter comes calling. We loaded up the bikes, packed ourselves a picnic lunch and made our way to Cannon Falls. The weather was delightful: low 70's, sunny, breezy.

Our first rest stop... 3 miles into the ride.

Group shot at the rest stop.

We took a walk down by the stream to explore before getting back on the bikes. Anna found a shell and a pretty rock in the water and decided that her "treasures" had to come home with us.

Fall painted all around the Cannon River. 

that was my September in a nutshell (or a photo essay). time is passing at break-neck speed and shows no signs of slowing down. appropriately, the sermon series at church for the last month was entitled, "The Time of Your Life." This past Sunday's message was called, "Is There More to Life Than This?" and it really hit home. We as humans are wired for eternity, for something everlasting and this is what Christ offers to each one who opens their heart to Him. Forever starts today and God wants me, wants me to have a full and abundant life. A life that is filled with those things that are truly important, to not be weighed down by worry but rather to give my burdens to Him, that through faith He will give me all that I need in this earthly life. In looking at these photos, I see moments that He meant life to be about- time spent enjoying His creation with the people I love the most. Who wouldn't want a life filled with that kind of bliss?

a wichita sunday morning

Good mornin', y'all! Yep, you read right- I am in wichita, ks. I'm here for a work conference. We're staying in Old Town, a cool part of the city with cobblestone streets, quirky bars and good local eats all around. I'm looking forward to exploring more of it as we head back out on the town tonight after the awards dinner.

Last night our KS host, DP, and his lovely bride took us to a fabulous BBQ hole-in-the-wall called Bite Me BBQ. Kinda of dive-bar-y from the outside but dang, the food is literally finger lickin' fantastic! you could smell it before we even walked through the door. I think heaven will serve lots of BBQ.

i had the chopped brisket- good thing I was famished because I polished it all off. i think it is a crime in KS to leave BBQ on your plate! they also make some mean cooked carrots and homemade mashed potatoes in- get this- COUNTRY gravy! Yes, the white, creamy stuff! Not the brown gravy you get back home. Delish! Top that all off with a locally brewed beer and I was think that Wichita isn't so bad.

DP's better half had a friend who was performing at Bite Me BBQ too so we had some good guitar-playin' and singin' to go with our chow. At one point, our table of seven did our own acoustic version of Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody"! Lots of laughs and good times with some really good people.

I think I'm going to get up, get ready and head out for a little exploring. There has to be a coffee shop around here somewhere. A girl needs good latte to get her day started.

at this moment, i'm...

listening Cities 97 Sampler volume 14

drinking french roast coffee with sugar free french vanilla creamer

thinking guacamole should be it's own food group (yum-o!)

wishing i could rewind yesterday and do things differently

feeling overwhelmed

reading fifty shades freed (don't judge!)

missing my personal trainer (it's one of those Mondays)

wanting  another day to my weekend so i could accomplish some of the things on my to-do list

planning what to serve at my soiree tomorrow evening (besides wine!)

how 'bout you? 

If you really knew me...

i was reading a blog post written by Casey Leigh- she's got some wonderful thoughts, images and beliefs on her blog. the one i am referring to here was titled "if you really knew me." it got me to thinking on that same line...

If you really knew me...

You would know that i love the smell of sheets dried on a clothesline-they smell like sunshine to me.

You would know that i would rather be cold than hot because you can always put on more layers.

If you really knew me, you would know that i struggle with my weight and don't see myself as beautiful. It's a daily struggle for me and i am learning to be happier with the person i am inside and out.

You would know that i often cry in church- sometimes it is because i am overwhelmed by how sinful i am, sometimes it's tears of gratitude that Christ died for my sins, and sometimes it's feeling His presence right there next to me in the sanctuary, knowing that i am never alone.

You would know that new crayons and a coloring book make me happy and the color orange makes me smile.

You would know that i like vanilla more than chocolate, coffee more than tea and quiet more than noise.

If you really knew me, you would know that i am more relaxed in a clean, organized space and that clutter equals chaos to me.

You would know that i am fascinated by this world we live in and want to collect as many stamps in my passport before the Lord calls me home, so I can tell Him how much i enjoyed His creation.

You would know that family and friends are more valuable to me than any material possession, that it is easier for me to give than it is for me to receive and I love so hard and so deep that often times i get hurt.

You would know that, deep down, i really want to be a mom–adoptive or biological, whichever way God would chose to give me a child. I think kids are so amazing.

If you really knew me, you would know that I miss my grandparents and am sad that none of them will get to see me walk down the aisle one day.

You would know that i need quiet creative time alone to recharge my internal batteries.

If you really knew me, you would know that i yearn to find the place God wants me to be in this life, that my ideal job wouldn't be work at all and that i dream big and love even bigger.

get this party started!

this week has been a blur and i'm realizing that i need to schedule time to write blog posts. i will get better- i promise!

this past weekend we celebrated rich's mom, chris. she turned 60 on sunday and we threw her a surprise party! she kept trying to plan her own party: have everyone she holds dear at the house, food, wine (with this group- it's a given!), a bonfire and a campout with brunch in the morning. sounds like fun, right? but a girl cannot- i repeat- cannot plan her own monumental birthday party!!  the family took over and planned exactly what she wanted... without her knowing!

between her three kids (rich, laura and bob) and the significant others (can't say spouses yet because rich and i aren't married... yet... i'm working on that!) split up the duties and away we went! our list: shredded chicken, baked beans, salsa and chips and of course, cupcakes and decorations!) i already have a reputation in this family for baking and cooking- love it!

friday night was a mad kitchen frenzy at our house! the girls (rich has three) helped too. we got enough done so that we could all flop down to watch "The Hunger Games" before we crashed.

saturday morning it was cupcake decorating central! the girls love to help when it comes to this so i let them loose with the sprinkles! 

chris was off for the day with her sisters, shopping and touring a winery in hastings (and had NO clue what we were up too!). by saturday afternoon, the kids had decorated chris' house and the gazebo in the yard. we had enough food for a small army and guests were arriving! by 4:30 she arrived home and was taken by complete surprise! the kids met her on the driveway with the signs they had made just for her.

the party had begun and didn't end until late Sunday afternoon! 

With all of her grandchildren

Her granddaughters made her a video about what they love about her.... tears of joy are what you are seeing in this one!

The whole family- including Lady (the dog)

the perfect end to a perfect evening!

Sunday morning hike up "the mountain" behind the house

The Wine Sisters!

before i go, i thought i would share my recipe for homemade salsa (which was a hit at the party, thanks to laura's homegrown peppers and tomatoes!) this time of the year provides so much homegrown goodness! making this involves a little work (chopping) but is so worth it once you get a chipful in your mouth! yumm-ee!

Garden fresh salsa

1 red bell pepper

1 yellow (or orange) bell pepper

4 large tomatoes

1 medium red onion

1/2 bunch fresh cilantro

1 small jalapeno

1 small pkg fresh tarragon

4 cloves fresh garlic

3 T balsamic vinegar

• Chop up everything! Peppers, tomatoes, onion and fresh herbs can be roughly chopped but be sure to mince the jalapeno and garlic.

• Put it in all in a bowl and spoon in the balsamic vinegar. Mix until balsamic vinegar is blended. Let sit for 30 minutes before serving to give the flavors a chance to meld together. 

• Serve with your favorite tortilla chips

• Refrigerate any leftovers to eat the next day- chances are, you won't get to this step!

procrastination be gone

the idea of a personal and creative blog has been percolating steadily in my pretty little head since i attended the Creative Connection conference in St. Paul last September.  oh, the inspiration, the information and the creativity that was at that conference.  not to mention all of the people i got to meet- bloggers that i have followed, famous scrapbookers, photographers, party planners, DIYers... that is a post for another day! 

it's time to get this thing started. so, here it is...  a place:

to put my thoughts– random as they might be

to share my creativity– in my art studio, in my kitchen, in my photography and the antics of my DIY projects

to document my crazy life adventures (of which, there are many) 

to unleash an occasional rant

welcome to my silly, crazy, beautiful, wonderful world!