Thankful Thurday

Special time I have gotten to spend with my closest friend and her sweet new baby girl. 

We found a townhouse.  It's in the same neighborhood/complex P already lives in.  We haven't actually seen it or signed a lease, but they say it has new flooring and appliances.

P still wants me to come to NY, even though a big chunk of the time I will be there he will be in the field.  At least I will get him all packed up, apartment deep cleaned for move out, and moved into the townhouse (finger double criss-crossed)!!

People who love me and want to be at our wedding celebrating our new love and the start of out new life.

Decisions

My blog....

I started this blog last summer right after P and I met.  I thought it would be a great way to journal through our long distance relationship.

Since our engagement it has changed a lot.  For one I am barely posting.  There is a lot of change, both exciting a scary ahead of us.  I am purposely avoiding blogging about it because I feel like my blog has become much less anonymous. 

I feel like I either need to just say what the hell and really publish posts that are about what I think and what's really going on, or I need to start a new blog where I can do that.  Not sure what is best.

On a totally other note I hit 65 pounds lost this week!!  I am feeling awesome with doing P90X (so happy P gave me all the DVD's) and with my diet.  I started making a version of a smoothie I saw on Pinterest.

Delish Smoothie

1/4 C Blackberries

1/4 C Blueberries

1/3 C Strawberries

1/3 C Chopped Pineapple

1/2 of a Banana

1 1/2 C Spinach

1 TB Ground Flax Seed

1/4 C Trop 50 OJ

Just blend everything up and enjoy

Just because I am really proud of myself here is a picture from this week 1 year ago (I had already lost about 20lbs)

 

 

Sarasota, FL March 2012

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is one from last weekend

Marissa's Baby Shower March 2012

Skype Stories

So P's ball is tonight.  I am really bummed out that I am not there.  He didn't tell me until shortly before Thanksgiving.  Along with him waiting to tell me about it until there was no possible way to plan to go, it would have also been hard to get time off this time of the year.  I have done pretty well with the distance lately, but today was super duper hard.  I am sure it's because I know he was getting all dressed up and I wasn't going with him.  I am really lucky since he sent a pic of him in his dress uniform and some really sweet text.

My mom and I had planned on making a ton of Christmas cookie dough tonight so we can bake like crazy.  We got 2 types of fudge done and 6 doughs chilling. I also made 12 half pints of body scrub to give as gifts.  I'll post that recipe and photos later.

We haven't seen my sister since July, she lives in Minnesota.  I suggested to my mom that they skype with each other.  So I got my mom, sister, and Steve all set up on skype.  It was really entertaining and awesome to see my sister.

I am grateful to have my mom and Steve around tonight to help keep me busy and not lonely :)

So much to be thankful for

What a great holiday weekend!  P and I had such a great time together with our families over the weekend! I am home sick today with a super nasty cold and almost no voice.

We started of by me picking him up and headed down to Indy.  I loved the car ride down there, so nice to have a few hours alone.  We were able to catch up and just enjoy being close again.  His family was great.  I was able to meet his sister and more extended family from his dads side.  Everyone was really nice and easy to be with.  The food of course was really good.  His aunt made a family bread recipe called Firehouse Bread, it was REALLY yummy.  Of course I ate to many carbs! 

Friday  we went to a great little town in Southern Indiana called Nashville. The drive was so pretty, gorgeous hills and trees.  P's sister rode with us.  It was nice to get time to talk just with her.  We did lots of window shopping with the whole family and took time time on our own.  We went to lunch at a really cute old restaurant.  They served these really yummy fried biscuits with the best apple butter ever!  I could have just had those :).  I picked up a cool Christmas gift for my mom and two handmade clay bowls for myself. 

Saturday we headed back to my mom's for a party she was having.  P and I got some stuff ready for dinner, relaxed from the drive,  and then headed to mass with my mom and Steve.  We both loved the priest, his homily was so good.  I think we were both happy to have gone together.

The party was fun.  There was so much yummy food, talking, and laughing.  P's parents sent us back with a cheesecake they had made, it was a big hit. 

Sunday of course had to come.  I always hate the last day.  It didn't help I woke up with the starts of a nasty cold.  We relaxed and slept in a little.  P had to back his stuff.  Violet sat with him watching him pack and demanding he take breaks to pet her.  We had bunch at my favorite place.  Then went and saw the Muppet's.  It was nice because the theater had movable armrests.  We were able to sit nice and close to enjoy some time being near before he left.  The airport goodbye always sucks.  We only have about 3 weeks until he's back again.

Sassy Tassie

I can't believe it's only Tuesday Monday (I first posted Tuesday opps!!!).  I feel like I'm running 5,000 miles a minute.  Work is insanely busy, which I love.  Plus I've already gotten so much done for the holiday.  I got to talk with P for the first time in 6 days last night....it was great!  Tonight I made Pecan Tassies.  They are cute bite size versions of pecan pie.

Pecan Tassies

Crust:

1/2 C room temp. margarine

3oz room temp cream cheese

1C Flour

Mix all three ingredients in a food processor until a ball forms.  Place dough in a ball in a freezer while you make the filling.

Filling:

1 egg slightly beaten

1t melted margarine

3/4C brown sugar

Dash of salt

1/2C chopped pecans

1/2t vanilla

Mix filling ingredients together.  Make 24 balls from the dough and press into mini-muffin pan.  Fill each "cup" with a scant tablespoon of filling.  Bake at 350 for 20-24 min.  Cool and store in a tin.  Makes 24

I love the book this recipe is in.  Right before my mom married my dad in 1978 (they are divorced now) she filled a spiral notebook with hand written recipes. I love that they are all in her hand writing.  There are a few recipes in her mom's writing also.  There is even a post card from a trip she took me and my sister on to Boston, it's was in 1988.  The pages are stained and worn from many years of cooking.  I love love this book.

Chex

I am definitely back in the swing of normal non-P life.  Work is of course crazy as usual.  Next week will be the busiest of the year.

I only work until 4 on Wednesdays so after work I tried to take advantage of the free afternoon.  For Thanksgiving P is flying in early that morning and we are headed to his Aunt's house in Indiana to meet up with his family.  I of course always have to bring something with. I am going to make a pumpkin cheesecake since I think it will travel well.  And homemade Chex mix.  I went to Wal-Mart to pick up some random stuff and the chex indigents.  Although homemade Chex Mix is WAY yummier, it's also WAY more expensive.  But I guess it's the holidays and what better time to splurge.  I'll post both recipes later this week

P is in the field and we won't be able to talk until maybe Sunday.  It's funny that it's possible to miss him more when he's already gone.  At least I am working everyday except this Saturday until he comes home.

Birthday Season

I feel like I haven't been posting much lately.  Work has gone from crazy to extremely insane.  We had a girl quit on Sunday so we are even more short staffed....by about 1/2!  I feel so busy when I am there, then all I can think about is getting home and in my PJ's to curl into bed.  Therefor very little posting.  Hopefully more exciting stuff is ahead for me to share with everyone. 

Today is my little sister's birthday!  I am so happy she got her birthday box on time.  I sent a cute knitted (not by me due to being so busy) ear warmer, her favorite toffee from See's, and a gift card so she can choose perfume she wants. 

I hope she can come home at Christmas time! 

Best Weekend Ever Recap

I'm home from Milwaukee...going back to reality this afternoon!  P and I had the best weekend ever.  Both of us felt like we couldn't have ask for anything more! 

 I was able to pull off my first surprise on Friday.  I picked him up at the airport!  I knew since Wednesday last week that I was going to be able to leave work early to get him rather than my mom's boyfriend.  It was so funny to see his face when I pulled up.  He just stared at the car confused until I got out and was waving.  I was so happy.  Even better we got a jump start on heading north.

Our hotel was beyond amazing.  It's on the list of historical hotels in the US.  The room was huge and the bed was like a big cloud.

Friday night we got a little dressed up and met his parents for dinner.  It was the first time I had met them and they were both so kind and welcoming.  After dinner we went back to the hotel and had some drinks, or rather WAY too many for me, talked and laughed.  Needless to say I felt like a big poop on Saturday.  We went to one of the places P really wanted to take me to for breakfast.  All I could manage to eat was dry toast and sprite...yeah like I said WAY to many drinks on Friday....

I was so lucky that P was so understanding that we scratched our plans for the afternoon and went back to the hotel so I could nap and feel better.  I am much a lucky girl :)!!  Saturday evening we went to a family birthday party with for one of P's cousins.  It was so funny when we pulled up I was getting out of the car taking my jacket off ( it was denim and I was wearing jean so I couldn't wear it together other than to keep warm in the car lol) and I saw through the picture window that nearly his WHOLE family was watching us!!!  I was instantly super duper nervous, P laughed it off and said they weren't watching( but later admitted they were lol) and I'd be fine.  I was fine because of course his family was awesome.  All the aunts, uncles, little cousins, and again his parents we all so friendly and welcoming.  It was also really amazing to see such a close family all together since I don't have much of one.  I really loved being there.

After the party we met 2 of this friends at a bar.  The funny thing everyone from his family and friends kept asking me was if I was a Bears or Packers fan and if I was from where P is currently living.  The team thing was really funny because I don't follow sports at all.

Out to Drinks with P's Friends

Sunday was amazing.  I was feeling 100% again!!  P really wanted to watch the Packer game Sunday night.  We had originally planned for that to be our "date night"  but I was totally open to just spending time during the day together and watching the game at night.  So we decided to get lunch and a movie.  The place we went to it now one of my new favorite restaurants.  It is a Dutch style place.  The one we went to is in a really cool hipster neighborhood.  The weather all weekend was AMAZING, nothing like normal October.  We were able to sit outside.  The best thing about lunch was we tried curry ketchup....it was soooooo good!!  Afterwords we went to P's favorite movie theater.  A 1920's movie place.  It is insanely cool and huge.  I loved it. 

That afternoon we took advantage of the nice weather and walked along the lake front.  We talked about how nice it is to be able to do normal couple stuff together all weekend.  Dinners, riding in the car, lazy afternoons, walking and holding hands.  I have a hard time relaxing at home and the whole weekend I was calm, relaxed, and incredibly happy.

Milwaukee's Lakefront

Monday was really nice to, but we both woke up knowing he was leaving and wishing he wasn't.  We first headed to my favorite coffee place in Milwaukee and had the best pumpkin spice lattes I have ever had, the Batista even made heart designs with the milk in them!  Then we had another relaxing afternoon of lunch (same place different location...yes the curry ketchup was THAT good) walking around and driving through a neighborhood we both love and pointing out houses to each other. 

On the drive back to Chicago my anxiety kicked in...  I hate having to leave him at the airport.  This time I cried as we hugged, I wanted to leave my car and jump on the plane with him.  I made it home ok, but once I got here I was hit with a huge case of I miss him.  The great thing is though 1 month from TODAY I will be visiting him :) YAY!!

This post is getting really really long....  We had a great trip and I am sure I'll add more as the week goes on.  I am looking forward to staying really busy at work this week, a busy mind is better. 

Thankful Thursday

Several blogs I read do a Thankful Thursday post.  I really like the idea of this, to remind ourselves how  incredibly blessed our lives are.  I feel like a turned a corner yesterday, I don't want to waste so much time being upset and freaking out.  Life is great and I want to enjoy all it brings!

• My crazy family.  Although it might be crazy, love abounds.
• P's patience with my whirlwind of emotions (and horrible spelling)
• My great job.  I am so lucky I get to do what I love in a busy (mostly) salon with girls that (mostly) get along.
• When Violet wakes up and is such a snuggle bug in bed, so sweet and loving.
• Cool weather.  I'll miss summer and being tan. But, I'm excited for jeans, boots, and sweaters.