CHRISTMAS MUSIC

Last night Kraig and I were on our way up to Cedar Rapids (about an hour away) and we decided to listen to Christmas music. Kraig LOVES Christmas music and insists that after Thanksgiving we can ONLY listen to Christmas music until the New Year. Thanksgiving is next week and my collection of Christmas music is ... lets just say I wouldn't call it a collection. So, I guess I need a collection! Any one have any ideas about which CDs I should be purchasing??

I GOT TAGGED!

My SIL Jenny tagged my to do 6 habits/facts about myself that you may not know. Enjoy!!

1) I play the trumpet and have been playing for about 11-10 years... I haven't played in a year!!

2) I am addicted to reading... once I start a book everything else goes out the window until I finish.

3) I am in LOVE with cosmetology... you don't ever want to go into a beauty supply store with me... you may never get out! :)

4) I am addicted to Michael Buble's voice

5) My new addiction is cooking... Tuesday are my baking day with Rochelle

6) Lastly... Kraig and I have just recently become addicted to Naked Juice! If you haven't tried it ... you MUST!!!

I tag Rochelle, Erica and Jamie

MY NEW CHALLENGE

You would think working at a gym would cause one to actually work out!? Since moving to Iowa I have had the hardest time making time to actually work out. And I LOVE to work out and have always prided myself on being in pretty good shape. We have lived in Iowa for about 6 months now and I have still not fallen into a routine. So... I have had it!! My good friend Mallory, who is also a personal trainer at my work is making me her special project. Last week I started an eight week program with her. 3 days a week she will train me to death and then 2 days a week I will hit the cardio hard. My own personal boot camp! I am very excited and can't wait to see the results in 7 more weeks. We took before pictures... but I only want to see the after pictures. So, every muscle in my body hurts, but I keep telling my self "HOT BODY, HOT BODY" as I am lifting my little heart out. Mallory is amazing at what she does and I am so happy that she is giving me a body make over!

4 YEARS SINCE THE MAGIC BEGAN...

As I writing the date today on a piece of paper at work, I was quickly drawn back to high school. I had total flash backs of when I frist started dating Kraig. We started dating 4 years ago and I can't believe it. It feels like just yeasterday we were holding hands for the first time and I got thoes butterflies which made a 17 year old feel like they were on top of the word. Then I thought back to how when you went to bed a night you couldn't wait to go to school to see your boyfriend. All of the memories and girly giggles came rushing back to me. The cafe free days of high school when all you had to worry about was home work and what you were going to do that weekend. All of the wrestling matchs, football and basketball games. Rushing home to make curfew, speding countless hours on the phone in which your mother had to ask you over and over to get off. Sleepovers with all the girlfriends, in which you stayed up talking for hours and hours about boys and make up. Speding hours getting ready for school dances with 5 other girlfreinds all cramed into my room so I could do their hair. The excitement in the school halls when there was a pep assembly that afternoon. Rushing from one class to another while tring to get caught up on the latest gossip from last period. Oh how so much had changed in the last 4 years. I am so grateful that I met Kraig!! He is my best friend, love of my life, and someone who I can't live with out. And right now as I am writing this my husband has just walked in with a dozen roses!! What an amazing guy. I have a winner!!

RELAXATION

Yesterday afternoon I had my first massage! Let me tell you it was AMAZING!!! In march I got Kraig a massage for his birthday and he loved it. He kept telling me that I would love it and should go and get one myself. I must admit I was a little nervous about it. You know the stripping down to have a total stranger who was going to be touching your bare skin thing. Not so comfortable for me. Well, I took him up on it and I am so glad that I did. I had a sweetish 1 1/2 relaxing massage. I felt so good afterwords and best of all a lot less stressed. As many know my job and life right now is very stressful and sometimes it feels like I am in a downward spiral as Alice in Alice and Wonderland. But, yesterday as I sank into the heated, pillow soft bed I decided to just let it all go. To not think about anything and just let my mind be free was way over do. As I sank deeper in the bed with soft music playing and candles lit, I let my self breath in the calming aroma and exhale the stress. I am so grateful to have had this experience. For anyone who has not had a massage before... trust me on this, it is way worth it!!!

I LOVE OLD LADIES AND TUESDAYS!!

Okay so every Tuesday my friend Rochelle and I get together and cook or do a craft. I guess it is our excuse for the two of us to gab away the afternoon. About a week ago we were watching an episode of Oprah. It was about Jessica Sienfeld's cook book called "Deceptively Delicious". The story behind it is getting her childeren to eat better by puting pureed veggies in everyday foods. We both HAD to have a copy and so Rochelle buzzed around town and got us the last 2 copies!! Today was the Tuesday set aside to get our veggies pureed. Upon heading to Rochelle's I stopped by the grocery store to pick up a few items. First on my list was butternut squash. Okay so I have never purchased one before let alone know what one looks like! As I entered the produce section of the store I saw a display saying "Assorted Squash". I think to myslef okay now all I have to do is figure out which one is butternut! After looking at the display for a coulpe of minutes I decied I have no idea. I see an older lady and say: "I am sorry Mrs. but can you please show me which one of these squashes is butternut?" Now lets just think about how tall I am and the fact that I don't look 21 I actually probably look more like 16. So she lets me know which one it is and then second quesses her self. As another older lady approaches us, she grabs her to make sure I get the right squach! Then they continued to both educate me on all of the different kinds squash, from which on tastes the best to how to cook it. I thank them both for their time and help and stroll over to the spinach. This is where the first lady touches me on the shoulder and lets me know all about spinach and the expiration date. I just love these two ladies, they were so cute and very helpful. There are not many people who will be so kind to help you when you are at the grocery store. Well, I finally made it to my friends house and we began the road down pureed veggies. We had so much fun doing this and we are so excited to try out our new recipies! I can't tell my husband which recipies have a puree in them though or else he probably won't eat it!

Sick of Car Trouble

My husband and have had our fair share of car trouble this year. 3 months after moving to Iowa we were in a car accident on our way to church. For about a month we had to deal with the insurance company going back and forth on wether our car was totaled or not. That is enough alone to give me a headache! Now this was our only car, which made matters worse. Luckly for us we have great friends who very kindly lent us a car. After using their car for about 2 weeks we only felt that it would be right to get a rental until futher notice. While using the rental car the check engine light came on, thus causing more problems we didn't have time to deal with. 2 weeks after this we then bought a new car from our friends. Finally we were done with the car problems... NOT. The car then started making this squealing noise when it was either really hot or cold out side. My husband no offence had no clue as to the first thing about cars, didn't know what was going on. We found out it was just that a belt needed to be fixed. Okay not that big of a deal. Quickly it was taken care of. As I said before we only have one car. On a daily basis it is a constant trade off of who is picking up who for day. While picking up Kriag tonight from work our car starts shutting down. It won't read the speed that I am driving and is saying that a half full tank of gas is now empty. Also the air bag light is flashing, the lights are growing dimmer and dimmer as continue to drive. I quickly say a prayer of please let me make it to work. Thankfully I do but just as I pull up the car dies. Honestly now... I am so sick of car problems. Cars are just this never ending drain that keeps taking more money out of our bank account.