Rearick Ramblings

11.27

2011-11-28T01:20:00.001-05:00

11.27.2011 - Finished the bedroom today. Another 4.5 sweaty hours of painting. Painted my dresser yellow (THREE COATS!) which was tricky because the drawers don't come out so I had to carefully paint around them. I also did three coats of yellow paint on the baseboard. I LOVE how they turned out. It really pops. Bedroom went from looking like this....

To looking like this....

Still a work in progress - I haven't found the perfect linens, curtains, and the walls have to set for at least a week before putting up the awesome decal I bought on the wall.

Nothing too exciting on the eating front today. Leftovers for lunch. Turkey bacon and tomato sandwich for dinner. I also had a craving for chocolate - so I had one single kiss. It was tasty and was proud for not going overboard. I definitely didn't drink enough water today - I will have to work harder on that tomorrow.

11.26

2011-11-27T00:01:00.001-05:00

11.26.2011 - Went to Chilis (which is usually an over-indulge place for me!) for lunch with Mike and ordered one of the Guiltless Grill options. Margarita Chicken. Its SO good and only 690 calories, I ended up eating a little less than half for lunch, and brought it home and ate the rest for dinner.

Also, tonight I painted the bedroom a pale gray color (picture is not too accurate - i'm not sure i like it yet!). According to a fitness page online - based on my weight - painting burns 255 calories per hour. I did just over four long sweaty hours of it - so supposedly I burned 1,020 calories. Not sure I believe that number - but with how much I did sweat it cant be too shabby.

11.24 & 11.25

2011-11-25T22:38:00.001-05:00

11.24.2011 - Today was Thanksgiving. We went to Mike's Gram & Pap's house. I know they think low-fat is a curse word so I was prepared and made up a veggie tray to munch on and eat with dinner. Before I went I decided roughly how much I was going to eat. I even used a 9 inch plate instead of the 12in dinner plate.

11.25.2011- Went shopping with the in-laws today and met up with Mike for dinner. They wanted to go to Five Guys Burgers. Greasy burgers are NOT part of the plan so while they were ordering I went next door to Subway and got a sub. I even brought it back over to Five Guys and ate with everyone. The whole time I felt like I was making such a better decision that I was just WAITING for someone to say something to me :0)

One day at a time

2011-11-25T22:13:00.001-05:00

I'm starting a new chapter. Trying to get healthy in a real way in an attempt to take my life where I want it to go. I'm at the heaviest weight I've ever been. The thing is - that number isn't what is getting me down. Its my lack of drive, energy, and general happiness. I need to get those things back, and I need to do it NOW.

My new mantra has become "Take life one day at a time". In conjunction with Facebook I want to post one example of this on a daily (or so) basis. One change every day will add up in a big way. Something that makes me proud. Something I wouldn't normally do. Something I wouldn't normally eat. A temptation I turned down. Anything difficult that just needs to be taken one day at a time. I'm working on a new me, a new outlook. Little things create a snowball effect and I want to be able to document it and look back on it a year from now and be able to say "I did it."

Forever...

2011-05-02T17:04:00.001-04:00

So I know that it has been forever since I last posted on this blog (over a year!), but I'm not going to do a whole long post to get everyone up to speed, cause I know I will never get through it and I want to get back to writing as soon as I can. The answer (as it so often is) BULLETS!!

- Mike and I moved to Pennsylvania last August. He relocated for his job with AT&T. We absolutely love it here!!! This summer should hold all sorts of new things for us and to do and we couldn't be more excited!

- We are renting a cute little duplex. I am in love with it and making it ours, I'm sure I will post more about that in upcoming posts.

- No baby plans yet, things will fall into place eventually and we will know what the timing is right.

- I am getting ready to start a job as an Assistant Teacher at a Pre-K & Childcare facility. I am very hopeful that this will be something that i will enjoy and will bring a great deal of satisfaction into my life.

- I am working my way through a book on organizing your life, one of the things that was on my to-do list is starting up on this blog again. I will do a whole post dedicated to the short and long term goals that I have set for myself soon!!

That's all for now, I'm sure I will think of things as time goes along, and I will be sure to get them posted on here!!!

C25K Update & Easter

2010-04-05T10:34:00.005-04:00

Well I did it! I did Week 1 Day 1 of C25K and lived to tell the tale! It was really hard for me seeing as I have never been a runner. I know my form is horrible and I look like a goof. Also- I am super out of shape and get winded like *that*

Now back onto my analysis of Day One. It wasnt horrible. Haha. I downloaded an app on my iPod Touch that lets you creat a playlist that it will randomly play it- then when its time to switch up your speed it gives you voice prompts. Its actually really nice.

This time I worked out in my companys fitness center (I work for a resort hotel so associates can use the fitness center whenever they please) and ran on the treadmill. I do this because I dont live in the best area- my apartment complex isnt bad- but I can imagine running a half hour around my parking lots. So until its nice enough to go to a park or something- inside it is! Plus the machines are really nice and I can switch from my walking speed (3) to my jogging speed (5) with one touch :)

At first it wasnt bad at all... I had awesome music and everything was flowing. Then I just hit a wall. I pushed through it set by set. Just when I was getting suuuuuuper tired the prompt said "you are halfway done" (yes I was THAT tired at the halway mark) That renewed that rush and i pushed through to the end. I didnt know it gave a halfway announcement and its like they knew people like me would need it to finish!!!

After I was done I stretched. I drank a little more water even though I was drinking the whole time on the treadmill. Then the funniest thing happened. I was walking through the hallway going to the car and I felt like I was walking on air. I dont know if its because my muscles were pissed or if I just had a fitness high. Either way it was awesome. I was sweaty, red and probably smelled, yet I felt like a million bucks! I was so proud of myself.

So yes, I will be continuing on this journey as far as it can take me.

I was quite worried about waking up the next morning sore- which was going to suck because I was working a 10+ hour day on Easter doing extremely physical work. It wasnt bad however. Really the only muscles that hurt were my abs, not sure why but its true. I was excited not to be sore.

Then I worked the Easter Buffet.

Oh... my... dear... I am so unbelievably sore today (well it was MUCH worse last night). 10.5 hours of flipping tables, lifting chaffers, hauling linens, bending over, carrying trays of silverware. I mean I have done my fair share of holiday buffets- but its been nearly a year since I did it on the Banquets side of things. It made me realize that my office job was a physical step down. I decided that I would really like to start helping out more. Ill probably lose a good amount of weight!! Hahah.

I have to go into work today for a whopping 5 hours today... then the Carpenter side of my family will be here. I am quite excited :)

C25K

2010-03-31T13:48:00.005-04:00

I hate that I havent updated in forever. Life happens, and then we move on!

So you may ask, whats the reason for the update now? Wellllll friends I have decided to embark on the C25K program! It stands for "Couch to 5K". Its a 9-week walking/jogging/running program. While I dont see myself running a 5K right away- hopefully its something I can work up to.

I have been reading all sorts of weight-loss and fitness blogs, and have been waiting for a good opportunity to get on. I feel like this is something that I can achieve. No one is going to be perfect the first time out, its a learning process. I just have to make it work. Working full time while doing this will make it challenging- but its not like I do anything else physical- not even at work. I am sick and tired of living a sedentary life all the time. I need to get up and do something about it.

I talked a lot yesterday to my best friend Kristi while she was visiting about the fact that I KNOW how to eat healthy and work exercise in, but I just dont DO it. So tomorrow that is going to change. It will give me something to update about, and hopefully share my experience and maybe one day inspire others like I have been inspired by the blogs I read.

Right now I want to thank some of my bloggy people I couldn't live without-

Jenn @ ExHotGirl- This girl has inspired me to get off my butt and make MYSELF move instead of waiting for someone ELSE to come along and move me. Oh and shes a freaking FANTASTIC photographer- make sure you check out her pictures!

Julia @ JewliaGoulia- This girl is AMAZING! Her posts are hilarious. She has an great outlook on things, and her concrete progress drives home the fact that changing little things can make a huge difference. LOVE this girl!

Sheri & John @ YoungHouseLove- They are the cutest couple in the world. I could spend hours (and I have) on their site. Their wedding was cute, DIY, and frugal! They have amazing design ideas, budget suggestions, and are just all around adorable. Plus they are about to welcome their first human baby (to add to their oh-so-cute chihuahua) to the family!!!

Abby Sunderland- This girl is 16 and she is solo circumnavigating the globe. Amazing, I think so! Check out her blog for he cute updates and background.

Thats all for now- if you want more information check out this website for more information or check out this post from Jewlia Goulia which is jampacked with amazingness!

**side note- I use the word "amazing" far too much ;) **

Grrr....

2010-02-27T13:17:00.003-05:00

Im at work right now and I feel the overwhelming urge to write about something that drives me up a wall.... I hate when someone asks me for directions then when I start to tell them they start walking away. Drives me nuts. If you are so confident that you don't want to listen to all of my directions then don't ask me in the first place. Its a huge resort- get lost and walk around for an hour- I could care less. Awesome. :) I hate weekends.

Real post to come soon- Ive been putting it off like its my job.

Happy day of Love

2010-02-14T12:54:00.003-05:00

Happy Valentines to all of you. Even if you may not have a significant other today know that someone loves you, and thats all that matters!

Nothing too new here. We got our couch delivered- and I love it. I was really nervous before it arrived because its a celery green color and I wasn't sure how it would fit in, but it works really well. Pictures can be found on my PhotoBlog. I update in there considerably more than here. Its just easier for me to SHOW whats going on in my life as opposed to putting it into words.

Scott can down with his new girlfriend, Debbie. I like her a lot. She is really pretty and bubbly but not stuck up. She's totally down to earth and hilarious. Everytime we spend time with Scott it makes me want to move to PA. I see how happy Mike is when he has a "friend" around and it hurts me to take him away from that. Oh well. I guess we will never get to have EVERYTHING we want geographically so compromise is where its at :)

For Valentines Day we dont have much planned. I think its become so commercialized and focused on spending money- which is totally not the point. I think most people have lost sight of whats its really supposed to mean and companies get so greedy and just see it as another dollar sign. (Could I sound more like a hippie!!) We are going to stop at the store on the way home from work and get something to make a yummy dinner and just have a chill night at home.

We are also trying something new this year that hopefully will become a yearly tradition. We got the idea from my favorite blog of all time- Young House Love and the article is here. Check them out and bask in their awesomeness and hilarity. I can not say enough how much I love that blog- but that's a whole post in and of itself!! Anywho- basically we write love letters to each other this year and don't open them til NEXT Valentines Day. Sort of like a Love Time Capsule. I think the idea is awesome and I cant wait to see how much our love has grown and changed a year from now :)

Well thats all for now. I hope everyone has a fantastic Valentines Day. Spend it with the people you love and who love you- and that doesn't always mean a significant other :)

1.23.10

2010-01-23T09:36:00.004-05:00

So its out and open for the most part- and she has blogged about it- So I guess I can now. My best friend Kristi is pregnant! I am beyond excited for them. I found out January 4th when we went home to Michigan. I have been dying to talk about it with someone other than Mike.

They just decided that they wanted to try, and BAM on their first time trying they get pregnant. Its awesome, she deserves amazing things like that all the time :) She just had her first appointment yesterday and things are looking good. And, the funniest part is that her due date is the day before my birthday. So if she is a little late I get to share my birthday time with a new niece or nephew. I think she shares her birthday with one of her Mom's friends?? Funny how history repeats itself ;) Ive never gone through this whole (planned) pregnancy thing with someone so close to me. My sisters don't count because I was younger and not in the baby-ready mindset I am in now! Although I learned a LOT from my sisters!! Of course it makes me jealous, but I know right now is the totally wrong time to have a baby. Kristi & Kyle have their stuff together. We are not financially stable at the moment to even think of taking that on! Its a nice thought, but the more and more we think about it the sillier it becomes for us.

Its funny cause that's the most exciting thing that's going on in my life and she is 3.5 hours away! I cant wait for her to come down in the beginning of Feb. for a little visit. We are going to scrapbook, relax, and watch Princess Diaries 1&2 :) Oooh, now I have to make a change to my photo-a-day website. The 4th of January is a picture of Kristi with the caption read "I Hung out with my BFF Kristi- it was a good day" but it will now read "My best friend Kristi on the day I found out she was pregnant!!!" Hehehe.

Mike went to the doctors yesterday as well. His doctor declared him MMI, which means he has reached his maximum recovery. He still has a 5lb weight limit and limited use of his left arm/wrist. Which means that Workmans Comp needs to find him a job that fits all of his special requirements. Its all a bunch of crap, but whatcha gonna do. We are both scared they are going to just stop paying him. We have a lawyer ready to go if that happens. I mean who is going to hire someone with a 5 lb weight limit in an economy like this. Oh well. We will get through it.

Its a little stressful being the main source of income. I don't show it much but its scary to think that everything hinges on me and my job. Yes Mike brings in 250/week from WC, but if you average that out to 40hrs he makes below min. wage- which I think is a little nuts, but oh well. I really stress myself out when it comes to money, my future, and wanting to be happy. I know its always going to get harder before it gets easier and you have to put in your time- but man this blows. I know its all my fault too. I should have pushed harder in High school, I should have went to college, yada yada yada. But I know that wouldnt have made me any happier. And in the end I met Mike, and thats what was meant to be.

Ugh. Enough of my depressing talk, I am going to go. Lots to do and not enough time to do it. Story of my life. ;)

Update of sorts...

2010-01-10T09:35:00.002-05:00

Sorry its been so long between posts. Had the holidays in PA & in MI. Those are always good times- got a lot of fun stuff and got to see lots of family and friends. Still miss my family like crazy, but I know I'm doing the right thing right now being in Ohio. I would love to move back- but there are no jobs, and that is NOT okay.

I started Project 365 this year. Basically you take a photo every day. Doesn't have to be of the most exciting part of your day- just something to remember. At the end of the year you have a 365 synopsis of your year :) I really like the idea seeing as there are a lot of changes (hopefully) in the coming year, and I don't want to miss or forget a single mundane detail. Here is the link to the new blog... check it out. I hope to post once a week or more with recaps!!

Other than that not a whole lot that I can report going on... Mike should be finding out within the month where/what he is going to be doing job-wise. So from there we can start figuring out things a little more and making some concrete-ish plans.... we will see where things go.

I will probably be writing in here less often and letting my photo-blog tell the story. Unless something major happens- or I just feel like writing. Till then....

Starting Point

2009-12-22T21:02:00.003-05:00

Survey says..............189lbs

So that means that I have 44 pounds to goal weight of 145. This is the heaviest I've ever been. I have a pretty small frame, so thats a lot of weight for me. I know some people will laugh that I think thats not heavy, but for me it is, and I can tell a difference in my health. I will get to where I want to be. I know it. I have to. But for today- it sucks.

Truth Day

2009-12-21T11:18:00.002-05:00

Sooo... I havent weighed myself since before our wedding in July (and for the life of me I have no idea what it even said- ive never been a huge scale person). Of course I am scared of what it will say. But I decided that tonight I am ready for it. I am going to re-start my Wii-Fit program and finally find out how much I weigh. I am so excited to start tracking my progress.

Ive been doing really well drinking my water everyday. Like I said my 32oz water bottle is a life saver. I drank a little over 2 yesterday and THREE the day before. I think its mostly because my body was so dehydrated and was so excited to be given loads of water.

Eating has been okay but not stellar. We are getting ready to go on vacation for 12 days with a 2 day break inbetween so we are refusing to go to the grocery store. We need to eat all the food in our house first. We have so much stuff that just piles up because everytime we go grocery shopping we get new things and forget about the old. We like to do this every 3-4 months- its a good way to save money and it cleans out your cupboards and fridge!

Im thinking today I am going to order a grilled chicken from our cafe downstairs. Ive been eating a lot of chicken lately- but thats good because I always seem to have problems hitting my protein mark on SparkPeople! I usually end up eating a spoonful of PB depending on where my fat count is at. SparkPeople is what makes me accountable and I love it. in the end though I want to be accountable to myself. Baby steps, Jennifer, baby steps.

So tonight the truth comes out... how much do I actually weigh? Its not going to make me feel bad about myself- if anything I know it will drive me and put things into perspective. I want to have more energy, and feel "cute" again!!!!

White Christmas???

2009-12-19T09:34:00.006-05:00

Its snowing in North Carolina but not in Ohio, WTH! Not fair. I guess I will just have to get my snow when we go visit Mike's family Christmas night. At Kalahari we have our Holiday buffet Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, Mothers Day, and Easter. So after I get off work (around 8) we are making the 3 hour trek to Pittsburgh.

Im excited, its always fun seeing the in-laws. I think I got very lucky in the in-law category. Everyone always has horror stories- but Mikes parents are amazing. They have always welcomed me and treated me like I was one of their own. I think they always knew that I was the right one for their son! Mike has one brother so I think it also has something to do with Mike's mom wanting to spoil me and buy girlie things that she never could before. Its hilarious the things she gets me. :) I love that woman to pieces.

So I DID take some picture of the apartment and didnt like how they turned out with my camera phone- so I am going to wait til after the new year when we get our Cannon G11 and take them then. I cant wait for that camera- im semi-obsessed with it.

I will post a few random pictures that I took that night because a post without pictures is just sad.

Our fur baby- Bubbi!! (He is a Chinchilla)

Our Christmas tree :)

So I am kickstarting my fitness ambitions again. Its not a diet, its not a strict excersise regimen. Its me getting healthy (or at least healthier). Im going to list my goals, even if no one reads them at least they are posted so I am accountable. I have these goals and a motivational picture of me at my goal weight (taken back in 2006) on a laminated card about the size of a business card that I keep in my purse.

The motivation picture. This is me circa 140lbs

Eat Breakfast

This one I tend to skip out on because I am too rushed in the morning, or Im tired, or I just dont wake up (on my days off). Sometimes Im just plain lazy. On my days off Im trying to get up earlier as well to help out with this situation. I notice a difference in the way I eat on the days I eat breakfast, and I know its good for me. Mmmm bran.

Drink at least 64oz. of water

Duh. I have a 32oz pink water bottle that if I take to work full never ceases to come home empty of refilled and started to be drank again. This is key. If I have water in front of me I drink it- if its not I dont even think about being thirsty. Its nuts. Plus I love water, its the only thing I get when we go out to eat. Its not because Im cheap its because I just like it.

Track my food daily

Oye, I suck at this. I belong to a website called SparkPeople and I love it....... when I use it. You see I have all the tools I need to so what I need to do and I know WHAT I need to do.... I just need the drive to keep going. Maybe Im hoping that I will get a little blogger support to keep me in it.

Pack lunch 3 times a week

I work at a resort. Its all about pizza, mini corn dogs and crap, crap, and more crap. The salads are always icky and wilty looking, and everything else takes too long. I love cooking, but I have gotten really good and portioning so there is only enough for Mike and I. I used to make way to much and never ate any of it so I learned to scale down. Now I am trying to do the exact opposite. Make more so I have leftovers and take them to work with me. Also when we get home from shopping I like to prepackage and pre-baggy fruits and veggies, so that's a strength I already have.

Oh, and on a side not grocery shopping is difficult. Mike doesnt like fruits or veggies (hes getting better) so I have to buy those separate for me and also things he will eat. I stick to chicken because its something he likes that doesnt break the calorie bank. I still make separate things for myself. For instance if im making spaghetti I will take a smaller portion and make a salad as well. I also add veggies to everything I can to my own plate. With stir fry I do a separate pan of veggies to put in my rice as opposed to Mike's chicken. And being on a budget sucks. Its all about money when it comes to eating healthy. And we dont have a huge amount of that. We have enough, we are comfortable, but not enough to do 2 completely different menus each night.

At least 10 minutes of "exercise" a day

This one is the hardest. I want to get my heartbeat going. I am going to start Wii-fitting again. Laugh all you want but if you do all the exercises the right way you really feel it the next day. Plus I hate my bathroom scale, and this weighs me and tracks it. Simple. Easy. Doable. I also have some Dvd's I like doing. I'm a pilates girl. I also have some 5lbs weights and a resistance band. So WHY am I not working out again?????

So those are my goals. Sorry this post was a little long. But once I started writing I couldn't stop. Could it be that I actually like to blog??? Yayy! So here's to hoping I get some followers, some support and maybe even a little motivation ;)

Horrible Blogger

2009-12-07T14:57:00.001-05:00

Okay, I am a horrible blogger and I haven't posted anything new in quite sometime, but I just felt I haven't had anything to write about.

I worked an event for my company in Cleveland called the Fabulous Food Show. Its a huge statewide show at the IX Center the shows off everything culinary in the state of Ohio. Kalahari is one of the featured vendors there. We had three booths this year. It was a pretty fun experience. There were a lot of TV chefs putting on shows throughout the 3 days there. Bobby Flay, Guy Fieri, Sandra Lee, Chef Simon from Iron Chef and Tyler Florence. I didnt want to stand in line for 45 minutes to get an autograph, but I did manage to snap some photos from the side.

Guy Fieri- he is my FAVORITE

Sandra Lee- I'm obsessed with her "Semi-Homemade" show

Side view of the booth I decorated :) It was one of the best there for sure

We went home for Thanksgiving in MI, which is always fun- my family is a blast. I love them so much. We had tacos at Missys house on Thanksgiving because some of my family was at the Lions game watching them LOSE again. Big surprise right!

MIke with his tacos and wine

Missy and my awesome spinach artichoke dip

My love <3

We have to have our Christmas tree shot

Mike with my youngest niece Kiley

We decided not to go Black Friday shopping afterall. There was nothing really worthy of getting up that early for this year, so we decided to sleep in and enjoy vacation! Then that day we did "real" Thanksgiving at my sister Lisa's new house. It was sooooo good (as always) and my best friend Kristi and her husband Kyle decided to join us- making it perfect! I miss them so much when we are back in Ohio, they are the coolest couple friends :)

BFF's since 6th grade!!

My sister with the bird (my moms stuffing is the BEST!)

There was a feather on the turkey, i was freaked out! Haha

Other than that not a whole lot has been going on, I was quite sick for a little while, but Im all better now. I was keeping an eye on my temperature and hoping not to start vomiting, because the Swine Flu is the last thing I need right now! Thankfully it didnt get that far. Mike started to feel a little sick- but he got over his sore throat pretty which quick which was a good thing.

Nothing makes me feel better than homemade Chicken Tortilla Soup... mmmm

except maybe for Aloe Kleenex, cough drops, meds, and Gatorade...

Our apartment is all decorated for Christmas so I will go snap some pictures with my phone and post them later :) I might even post some general apartment ones, but I cant promise too much. :)

Merry Christma..... I mean November 7th!!

2009-11-07T12:04:00.001-05:00

Okay, I know its not Christmas- over even Thanksgiving (in fact we are only a week over Halloween)- but I am totally listening to Christmas music in my office on my iPod. I know some people absolutely despise Christmas music this early (My husband is one of them!) but I cant help it. It puts me in a super happy mood. So back off haters... ;)

I cant wait for the holidays this year. Unfortunately one of the drawbacks to being in the Hospitality industry is that holidays are mandatory. Which sucks seeing as my family and in the in-laws are both 3.5 hours in opposite directions. You are able to get one of the major holidays off- Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Years Eve. I chose Thanksgiving. Some may call that a weird choice- but this is how I justify it. Mike and I dont really do anything for New Years- and its not a huge family holiday to me- so that was ruled out easily.

As for Christmas- its not really fair to choose one family over the other. For the first 2 years we traded off. Last year we spent it at home (I had to work) which wasn't bad at all! We got to do our little opening, lay around- then I went off to work- and we took off right after for one family or another. Then we do the other family right after the new year. It stretches out the holiday season for sure. Next year we may be working on our own family- who knows?!

When it comes to Thanksgiving I feel very strongly. To me its deeply rooted in family. Last year I cooked a turkey for Me, Mike, Kirby and Chris. It just wasn't the same. I love the food, family, and sitting around the dinner table talking three hours after everything has already gone cold.

My family is crazy and I love it. Some of my best Holiday memories are from Thanksgiving- Like my sister drinking a box of wine and then laying across the dining room table (which still had some side dishes and glasses on it) drinking from a jug of milk singing "Santa Baby"- but only the Eartha Kitt version not the Betty Boop version- cause that sucks.

Black Friday (day after Thanksgiving) shopping is also near and dear to my heart. I am all about getting up at 3am and putting on warpaint and elbowing bitches to get to the last 4.99 DVD of Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. Seriously, I will run someone over. This year I get to do it with my sister like old times :) Mike was fun last year but he is too timid. I'm not scared to steal something right out of someones cart. Okay, not really that kinda nuts, but I am vicious I swear. You have been warned..........

So this year we are going back to my family in Michigan. I have FOUR glorious days off so I am actually going to get to enjoy it as opposed to cramming all my visiting into one or two days! It will be NICE! I think we are trying to get tickets to the Lions game- so that should be fun. Im counting down the days- 16 days til Michigan!!!!

Same Time, New Location

2009-11-04T11:41:00.000-05:00

Well, we made it. We are officially moved in. But in no way does that mean we are settled. We are in a sea of boxes from which there is no escape. Well, there WILL hopefully be an escape when they cut off a lock to an empty storage unit and it becomes mine. Then random stuffed animals, holiday decorations and air conditioner units can all find a home that is NOT in the middle of my living room. I cant wait.

Up until last night- when we brought everything into the apartment from the storage in the garage- I was keeping up really well on putting everything away. My kitchen is almost completely put together. With the exception of one box that is MIA. Apparently it has the vegetable oil in it because my husband called my whining for it today. Although he IS baking me some Funfetti cake while I am at work- so I guess I cant complain too much :)

Im going to make this post short and sweet as I am STARVING and I think its about time for lunch!

Quick (maybe not so quick) update

2009-10-29T11:28:00.000-04:00

Soo.. I know I have been neglencting the blog ever since the wedding recap- but for good reason.

We are moving... TOMORROW!

Its been a whirlwind the past few weeks. Another wedding (Congratulations to the Luskos!), packing, and all sorts of other random things. We get the keys to our new apartment tomorrow, I cant wait! We are also doing a lot of painting in our garage in prep for the move. We painted our coffee table and 2 side chairs a very pretty seaside green. We are painting a computer desk, media shelf, and our bed BLACK. I know I'm more of a brown girl- but it looks reaaaaally good so far. I am a bad DIY-er and I didnt take any before or project pictures- but I will be sure to take some pictures once we get everything set up in the new place.

My mom & my sister got matching tattoos last night. I love them! They both got pink ribbons on their ankles. I thought that was pretty neat, and im quite jealous! Haha.I love that my 59-year old mother just got her first tattoo last night.

Ive been missing the family a lot lately. I think I always do around the fall time. This was my favorite time to go camping and of course that makes me think of the family. What I wouldn't give to be able to pack up and move back to where my family is. I know Mike is my family now and I am more grateful for him than he knows, but its just not the same. And I know it wouldn't be fair to make him move 7 hours away from HIS family- but that means we are stuck in Ohio forever. I don't want that. He doesn't want that. I mean- we are thinking about starting a family soon- I don't want to do that without my family right by my side. They mean the world to me and I would love for my children to grow up in the same loving tight-knit family unit that my nieces and nephews did. Oye, I digress.

Other than that the job front is going well. We have an event in Cleveland called the "Fabulous Food Show" that Kalahari is a part of and I get to go work it. Which is good and bad- it will be a fun experience- but driving 2+ hours everyday for three days is going to be kinda annoying. I will let everyone know a little more about it later.

Mike is still doing well in school. He got his cast off and is now in a brace for a month. Which is fine- because it will extend his Workmans Comp for a little while. So now we are thinking he will be back to normal by February. Police Academy starts in April, so he will have a little time to condition and all of that. He is already running and doing his sit-ups- its just the push-up portion he is going to have to hold out on. Hopefully the physical therapist will give him the okay with enough time. He is a trooper though- if he wants it he will make it work.

Better get back to work- we are meeting with the apartment manager today to check out the carpet and do a quick walk through today :) I'm soooo excited. Only 2.5 more hours until I see the *hopefully* finished apartment!!!!!!!!!

The Honeymoon

2009-10-18T11:56:00.000-04:00

For our honeymoon we decided just to do a quick little 3-day trip to the island where we had our Bachelor/Bachelorette Parties. It was the polar opposite from that day. Thats what I love about Put-in-Bay. Its perfect for crazy parties, family getaways, and even honeymoons. You have to take a ferry over- which is always one of my favorite parts- it goes right by Cedar Point too!

Mike on the boat over :)

Hey look honey- we got married there!

We stayed at a super cute Bed & Breakfast called Bodee's Bungalow. Again- I highly recommend staying there. Every room is themed in a different tropical location complete with tourism books laying around from those places. The beds and complete luxury and the couple than run it are very personal and get to know everyone. A lot of B&B's you feel like you are just staying in an old guest room where you have to share a shower with other guests. Not here. Almost each room has a separate entrance and a patio. Which is awesome for relaxation!

We stayed in the St. Martin room :) This bed was heavenly!

Our patio. We watched storms roll in while drinking champagne from our wedding!

That night after the rain stopped we walked (you can walk ANYWHERE on the island) to get pizza!

There is so much to see and do on the island that you never even get to see when you are just bar hopping. It was nice to get some quiet alone time. A lot of the time we would just hang out in the room in that AWESOME bed and watch movies. It was just nice to be together. We went and explored the underground caves, which literally was COOL compared to be warm weather we were having!

Heading down into the caves

Stalactites

Low ceiling? Its okay- we are both short

I made it out alive!

Then of course there is the winery. Its a really fun place to go. They have tours where you can look around the vineyards and go into where they age and house the wine. Its pretty neat. They also sell the wine they make fairly cheap, and of course you have to get the cheese plate!

Our spread...

love. love. love.

We are just so darn cute

Another thing about the island is that almost everyone walks, rides a bike, or uses a golf cart to get around. You are allowed to have cars on the island but its a HUGE hassle. We rented a golf cart for about 3 hours so we could do all the things that we didnt want to bike or walk to. Our B&B had bikes for the guests to take whenever they wanted- we took advantage of it a few times. :)

My hubby!

Riding up to the monument

Its huge!

Yes, there is an elevator a few flights up- but its still a workout!

Must-have shot!

We went around sunset and it was beautiful!

Our last night on the island we chose to break out the Ice Wine that we got from our friends as a wedding present and then go out to a fancy dinner at a restaurant right on the water (SO PRETTY!). We had a lot of fun seeing as its not something we do that often.

Always with the sunglasses at night

Yay for camera timers and dressers!

So that's it, that was our honeymoon in a nutshell. I hope you have enjoyed it as much as we did. If you are ever in the area and looking for a fun thing to do- check it out- its worth it!!!! Now that we are mostly caught up I can start writing about all the fun things Ive been wanting to write about in the next post!

The one with the wedding...

2009-10-17T15:07:00.000-04:00

*Warning- lots of pictures- what can I say, I love them :) *

Yay! I finally get to the fun part- and the pictures!!! Mike and I decided that we wanted a warm weather wedding. Well we live in Sandusky, OH so that severely limited the amount of time to choose from. We threw around SO many ideas, and finally decided to pick a date in July that worked for most of our vendors, families, and of course us! July 25th was our final date!

When we started thinking about where we wanted to have it we explored a few options. None of them seemed to fit exactly what we wanted, so we had to think really really really hard. Then Mike one day came up with an idea. Our conversation went something like this...

Mike: Why dont we get marreid at Cedar Point?

Me: Like on a ride? Uh, no thank you- I'm not THAT person

Mike: No, how about on the beach?

Me: *warming up to the idea* Where would we have the reception?

Mike: The Ballroom?

Me: Lets do it!

Seriously, just like that. Well pretty much. It just felt like the perfect fit for us. Its someplace we enjoy together, and its where we met and fell in love. Our whole relationship happened because of CP. Plus we LOVED the idea of getting married on a beach (our original plan was Cocoa Beach, FL). A fun, beachy, intimate wedding was starting to come together.

As you may or not know I am a HUGE scrapbooker. I love it- it makes me happy- so I knew the photographer was going to be a splurge that I wanted to budget in. Mike and I paid for pretty much everything ourselves- so money was a factor. But photography lasts forever and Im glad I went with my gut and just spent the money. I found a photographer before I found almost everything else!

Bachelorette & Bachelor parties were held on an island in Lake Erie about a 30-minute ferry ride from where we live in Sandusky call Put-in-Bay. Bet you didnt know there are islands here?!?! Well its an amazing place and we love it SO much. It was somewhat of a joint party. I mean we rode the ferry over together but separated once we got there and stayed at different hotels. We saw each other a few times throughout the night which was fun. Then the next day we all hung out as one huge group! I didnt drink a whole lot so it was a lot of fun to see my friends making fools out of themselves. Over all it was pretty amazing. :)

At a place called "The Fishbowl" We felt this pose was appropriate

Me and some of my girls!

Mike & I the next day at Perry's Monument on is island

Onto the wedding day! Out colors were Tiffany Blue and Chocolate Brown with accents of orange. And white- no ivory, no eggshell, no cream- WHITE. Very bright & beachy. There isnt a whole lot else to say- the pictures can say more than I ever could. If you have any questions just ask me and I will do my best to answer!

We got a picture of our "son" Bubbi (our Chinchilla) and I while I was getting ready

A collage of our Sand Ceremony

Yayyy! We are married <3

One of my favorite candid shots from the day. My niece Kiley playing in the sand

Best bridal party ever!

Typical jumping shot, I HAD to have one- although I kinda sucked at it :)

My husband the hobbit ;P

What would a Cedar Point wedding be without a shot of Dragster in the background!

Told you we are big hockey fans- so we donned these for our grand entrance!

mmmm, that cake was so delicious, i want some now!

Our AMAZING photographer- Andy!!!!

The bunch that stayed til the end! It was a fun fun fun night <3

***All wedding photos courtesy of Andrew Viana! He is a fantastic person to work with. Check out his website here if you are in the NW Ohio area!!!!***

Honeymoon is next and then I should be allllll caught up. :)

First impressions dont always last...

2009-10-15T13:32:00.000-04:00

"Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end"

Closing Time by Semisonic

Rewind back to just after the new year in 2004. I had just found out that I got hired at an amusement park in Sandusky, OH. Cedar Point (CP) to be exact. I was ecstatic. I never went away to college so this was going to be my first time "leaving the nest". Don't get me wrong- I LOVED my nest, I have the best Mamma Bird around. But it was time to get out on my own and experience new things. Once I finally got the blessing from my mom there was nothing in my way.

Oddly enough there was a boy going through the exact same thing about 6 hours away in Pennsylvania. ;) One day we randomly started talking on an internet chat group dedicated to connecting people who were working at CP for the summer. It was a nice way to get to know people before you go so you aren't as nervous and teaches you a little more about what to expect. One day myself, Mike and my best friend Kristi were in a chat room with other various people. Well Kristi and I got into a fight, she left the chat room and I started venting. It was harmless, but I just needed to get it off my chest. Well, a few days later I find out that Mike had copy and pasted EVERYTHING I said to Kristi! I was furious. I thought he was the sneakiest, meanest, and rudest boy I had ever known! Eventually we talked and I forgave him, and we became alright again.

So the time comes to leave for Cedar Point. I finally get to the dorms (which are teeny tiny- but I don't care- I'm FREE!). Mike and I finally meet face to face and there was a connection there but I don't think either of us knew what to make of it. We started talking and hanging out right away. The park was not open yet for the season so all the ride crews could get to learning their own specific locations. Well when teaching you have to have people to ride the rides for examples, so during training week we have ride nights so the crews can practice on real people. Well one in particular is burned into my memory.

On Raptor ride night Mike and I decided we were going to go and ride for a little bit. There was another friend of ours that was telling me some really horrible (and completely untrue) things about him- trying to get me to stop hanging out with him. Fortunately it worked. You may ask why I would say fortunately seeing as he is now my husband. Its because I think we both has a lot of growing up to do. We each had to have a couple failed relationships to be able to recognize a good one. And that's exactly what happened. I ditched him at ride night, and we spent that year and the next being friends but dating other people.

The first time he met my family. We got into a whipped cream fight at my nieces birthday party, after that they liked him more than they liked me!

Preseason 2006 was the first time we were both single and around each other. We had both gotten out of pretty significant relationships when we started spending a lot of time together. Everything after that happened really fast. We were a couple soon after. We became "official" on an amazing trip to Hershey, PA & New Jersey. It is still one of our favorite trips that we've ever taken.

Us on our trip to NJ

Six months later once CP was done for the season we made the decision to move to Sandusky together, we didn't want to be apart and Sandusky is right in the middle of our two hometowns. Three months after moving in together we were engaged. He proposed Christmas morning with all of my family around. It was so perfect- and everyone was in on it except for me- NOT FAIR! This is where it slows down a little bit.

The Christmas we got engaged!

So after 9 months of dating we were engaged, and made the decision to have a little bit longer of an engagement. We both had a lot going on and we wanted to make sure everything was wonderful. After that we had some ups and downs, as does EVERY relationship. But we knew we wanted to be with each other and no one else- so we made it work. I know a lot of people criticize us for that- but they don't know what is in our hearts. We are happy. We love each other. In all seriousness the end DID justify the means.

One of my favorite pictures of us right after we started dating :)

Next post will be about our beautiful wedding!!!

The backstory

2009-10-14T11:50:00.000-04:00

“A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.”

Lao Tzu

I decided to start my post today with this quote today because I truly believe that this whole blog thing will be a journey for Mike and I if we actually keep up with it. Back in the day I know we both used to write in "LiveJournals" and it was always so fun to look back and read about what I was thinking and feeling at certain times of my life. I'm hoping that this will do the same. We will be able to look back on it and remember all about those little mundane details that our memories so often leave out. So now for the hard part- getting up to date.

Starting with some history (what a great place to begin- the beginning!). Mike grew up right around Pittsburgh, PA. He is very close to his mother and father- he calls them almost everyday even if its only for a few minutes. Its actually rather cute because its not in a Mommas-boy kinda way. Its endearing. He has one younger brother who is a senior this year and works near-full time as an EMT. He is a pretty cool kid if I do say do myself. Mike LOVES hockey. Well we both do, but he is a tried and true Pittsburgh Penguins fan (which was a huge sacrifice to marry a WINGS fan!). Most people dont know it- but he is also a huge history buff- mostly WWII but he knows a great deal about all things war.

Mike & I with his parents

He is currently attending Bowling Green State University going into Political Science. He is also attending the Police Academy in April. He hopes to one day work for border patrol or the NSA. Thats where the degree and police force training combine. Im so proud of him <3 Well backstory is boring- so thats about all you are getting for now.

Onto me... whoo hoo. I was born and raised in Saginaw, MI. I have two older sisters who are like second mothers to me. It was annoying when I was growing up because I always got yelled at three times over, but now its worth it. I got 5 nieces and a nephew out of the deal. I love them all so much and I miss them everyday. I love my mother with all of my heart. She is my role model, my best friend and so much more. I know I should call more often but that just makes me miss her more. We keep up on Facebook (that's right- my mom has a facebook, and she ROCKS at it) but I know it would mean a lot to her if I called more often. That's one of my goals I'm setting for myself.

I love to scrapbook- it calms me down and relaxes me completely. I love to eat. Im a HUGE Red Wings fan. Hockey is amazing. I am warming up to football though. GO STEELERS! I love fall- its my favorite time of the year. Its a lot easier just to write a bunch of random things about myself in here- but Im sure that will come later.

Mike & I with the whole gang on my side

I work at Kalahari Resorts in Sandusky, Ohio. If you've never heard of it check it out- its pretty amazing, and its really fun that I work here. I am the Meeting Concierge here. I do a lot of shipping & receiving. I also handle all the business center things (copying, printing, faxing, ordering supplies). Of course when people ask what I really do I tell them whatever filters down through that no one else wants or cares to do- that's what I do. Haha. I like it though. I really want to stay in Administration and this looks awesome to perspective employers. I make pretty decent money as well- so its a no-brainer for me. What I really want is to be the best wife that I can be- and hopefully the best mother someday! With a side-job to keep me sane. Wishful thinking in today's economy- but hey that's what goals are meant for.

My next post will be all about the beginning of our relationship and how we got to the wedding day :)

Puzzle Pieces

2009-10-08T13:47:00.000-04:00

I have been putting off writing the first post in here thinking that I needed to sit down and tell our whole story all at once. That just seemed like such a daunting task that I did not want to undertake lightly. Then after reading some entries by one of my favorite blogs to stalk- That Wife- I decided it would be fine to do it piece by piece, day by day, post by post. So those of you who already know our whole story- feel free to tune in later (although you might learn some things you never knew- or wanted to know!). To those friends and family new to the Saga de Rearick- I hope you enjoy a glimpse into what made us the couple we are today! I am going to start with a little bit about both of our childhoods and where we came from either tonight or tomorrow! Stay tuuuuuuuned (I will probably say that I lot.)