Lazy but productive, just like I wanted.

Except for that part where the Packers lost a playoff game in OT.  We won't talk about that.

ANYWAY.

I was feelin' the camera today, so the beginning of my day was documented in pictures...

I started the day early because I woke up to change positions and felt the baby kicking/punching both sides of my belly at the same time...which was making me laugh...which brought  me beyond the point of being able to fall back asleep.  Plus coffee was sounding delicious.  I made a small pot and curled up on the couch in my cozy robe with the kitteh.

And look!  I have a crappy self-portrait to prove it!

Isn't my butt-chin awesome? Blah.

So then I decided I'd finally get off my butt and get on the sweet photo project I am making as a gift for a friend (who might read this so I won't say any more about it).  As I left the house I noticed that our Christmas tree will probably never get recycled or be seen again until around May since it has been completely covered in snow from the plow and shoveling.

While on my little photography project scavenger hunt, I came across this sign for The Chancery...

Dude.  That is a BASKET OF BACON!  For 99 CENTS!  It was like they were begging me to come in - except it was past breakfast hours.  Bummer.  I love The Chancery.  I need to go there more.  And I need to go there for breakfast.  The baby needs bacon, yo.

I wasn't having a lot of luck finding what I was looking for in that area, but I sure as hell was cold.  See the red nose?  See the frozen eyeballs?  See the super awesome hat with ear flaps?  I love that hat.  It is falling apart.  Time for a new hat with ear flaps.

On I went with my hunt for cool...umm...stuff to take pictures of...and found myself across the street from my favorite local movie theater.  This is the place we like to go that serves full meals and has a full bar and will deliver these things to you DURING a movie!  There are also cozy (and likely germ filled!) couches and tables to hang out in.  Love this place.

I've never been to this next place, but I've heard it is delicious.  I just took a picture because I love the name of the place...perfect for a place that opens early and serves coffee.

Finding myself fairly satisfied with what I'd found at this point, I decided to head back home.  The church a few doors down from me was looking particularly nice under the sky, so I wandered over there and too this one, which I really like for some reason...

I was really cold again so I started walking back toward my house and I saw this...

I don't know about you (or if I am just an idiot), but I feel like this sign is telling me that if I don't/can't have kids or my Christmas was lacking...it's Jesus' fault.  Now...I have a feeling what they meant to get at was that "Jesus is the reason for the season" but that sure isn't what it says, no? What do you think?

Then I found myself back home, curled up on the couch right where I started...but with a different kitteh this time.  A sinister, angry looking kitteh.

Doesn't she look like she should be tenting her fingers and saying "Exxxxcellent" like Mr. Burns?  I mean really...do you see the resemblance?

Or maybe The Brain...

Or is it Sonic the Hedgehog?

The rest of the day is not in pictures, but it involved that awful Packers game, laundry, and finally writing out some long overdue thank you cards.  Hope you all had a great weekend!

One Year.

One year ago today, July 26th, Corey and I were married in his mom and step-dad's backyard in Monona, Wisconsin.  It was a gorgeous and unforgettable day!

Cheers to our first fabulous year together!  Here's to many, many more!

(Photo by CaseyBower Photography)

Apparently I graduated...

...and forgot to tell you all about it.

Well, I started to.  I just never hit "publish" on the blog post and didn't realize it.  Whoops!  So here is my do-over.

On May 16th I was awarded an MS in Rehabilitation Science from the school whose logo is pictured below.  I'm not naming it because I want to brag about my accomplishments while attempting to lessen the chances of someone I know from school that I've talked crap about from stumbling upon this blog.

Man am I glad that is over.  For whatever reason, you don't graduate with honors at this particular school.  If they did factor it in though, I guess my 3.81 would have gotten me a cute little "magna cum laude" after my name in the program.  Oh well.  C'est la vie.

Anyway.  After the graduation ceremony we headed back to our house where we held a small bbq to celebrate.  Corey's brother Matt also graduated with his MA in English from UW Milwaukee that day so the party was for both of us.  Unfortunately he was sick, but that didn't stop him from playing flippy-cup later in the night.

Brecken, my best friend from the army, came to town for the weekend too.  I hadn't seen her since she flew to California for my LAST graduation, so it was awesome to spend time with her.  Over the last 7 years we've gradually started moving closer and closer together.  Right now she lives in Iowa, but eventually she'll live in Wisconsin.  For now I'm happy that our states at least share a border!

Anyway, here are some pics from the day (and well into the night).  Yes, we busted out the cornhole, learned the magical joys of flippy-cup, and then came SingStar...

4th and 1

Sorry for the not-so-clever football reference. 

I'm talking about 4 semesters down, 1 to go!  I finished my final assignment last night and can forget about school for a solid 6 or so weeks.  I'm one 6 credit semester away from my masters degree and can. not. wait.  As much as I'd like to say that I will be able to forget about school forever, I can't shake the feeling that I may end up back there somehow to learn a new trade that fits in a little better with the family-friendly work schedule I would like to have.  But, then again...if I go back to school that would probably mean we'd have to put off the family thing even longer.  So we'll see I guess.

There I go jumping back on the Debbie Downer train again.  I can't seem to stop doing that. No matter how many things I am happy or excited about, I manage find twice as many things to bring me down.  I don't know what my problem is.

Tonight we are going to Corey's company Christmas party.  We had a lot of fun last year and are doing the same thing this time.  It was a dinner/booze cruise on Lake Michigan and the Milwaukee River.  The food was good and the view was amazing.  I'm hoping that the boat will make fewer attempts to break through the frozen over parts of the water.  I'm not in the mood for any Titanic moments.  After the dinner cruise last year we ended up bar hopping on Water Street, but the people we were with live closer to Madison and still had to drive home.  This year we live closer to downtown and have invited people to stay over if they need to.  Anyway, I'm off to clean the house a little more just in case. 

Life begins at 30?

I guess we'll find out!

I spent my birthday at work at girl's basketball and just got home at about 10pm and now I'm home working on homework for my class in the morning. Happy birthday to me!

I got some great cards, a gift certificate for LobsterGram (mmm!) and Melissa sent me a beautiful bouquet of tulips. I will take a picture of them tomorrow when they've had some time to drink and open up. Corey and I will go out to dinner this weekend for a belated celebration since we both have a bunch of busy days this week.

Sorry for my extended absences - I've got a couple things to finish up this semester and then I'm all yours. I've got some fun things coming my way in the next couple weeks...going to San Diego for Christmas, a new camera coming soon, new blog address, and a few other random things. I've also got some pictures to show off from the last couple months because I've been such a huge slacker.
Before I go, here is a little "me" throughout the first 30 years. I have been a lot of places, done a lot of things, and met some AWESOME people along the way!

(Sorry I look extra weird in some of them...I had a hard time resizing them to the right proportions!)



















With grandma in Astoria, OR:



Many years of volleyball:



Senior beach day with Melissa:



Senior photos:



With my little sisters when they were VERY little:



At the top of the Space Needle - Seattle, WA:



Yakima, Washington:



Fort Lewis, Washington:



Hanging with the German army:



On the beaches of Normandy, France:



Neuschwanstein Castle, Germany:





Costa Brava, Spain:



Monaco:





Vilseck, Germany:





Paris, France:



Reno, Nevada with April:



Rockin' out with Guitar Hero and April:



Graduation from Fresno State:



First Wisconsin Winter:





Our wedding - The Best Day Ever:



And some great new friends, courtesy of the interwebz!











I've even stood under srpro's magical veil (long story, for those of you who don't know it - don't ask)

Cheers to the next 30!