More of the cottage...

While we were at the cottage we got to see my Uncle and his wife and their two young-ish children (they are 10 and 8).  It was nice to see them and now that we have this cottage, I think we'll see more of each other.  Here are some photos of the family throughout the weekend:

Mete -- a cute kid (when he wants to be...).  At this point he was telling us the size of the TV we should have and where it should go.

 Me with Ece.  She was my shadow all weekend.

What Ross did the whole time -- cut wood, then creating a HUGE wood pile, and the using said wood to build a fire in the gorgeous fireplace.

Anyway -- that was out fun weekend.  It made me so excited for vacations there.  I am hoping to spend sometime there in late June with the family.  We'll see if it happens!

Michigan

I know I am crazy. I'll leave Friday afternoon from work, drive through the night to get to Michigan on Saturday and watch a football game... only to drive home on Sunday. But it is important to remember a couple of things:



1. I have been doing this since I was a kid. I don't think it is weird and I am very used to it.



2. I recognize this is crazy.



3. I love seeing people I care about and will do crazy things to make it happen.



So, in conclusion, I love going to Michigan to see my friends. I hope that this travel is something I can keep up for a long time to come. Do you think whoever I marry (if I marry) will be willing to drive to Michigan for football games?



Anyway, here is a recap from the weekend.



I went with my brother:

He is crazy enough to drive all that way with me. We had a good time in the car -- music, discussions about Real World/Road Rules Challenges, Cherry Coke, and lots of food keeps us quite happy.


We got to Jenn and Josh's around 3am, slept for a couple hours, got up and hung out with friends. For lunch these fun ladies:

plus Keli (who left before the photo) came and hung out. I love catching up with them, laughing with them and just being around them. The best thing about true friendships? That even if you only talk when you see them you still feel comfortable around them and that you just enjoy being in their presence. It is true with the ladies pictured above.


Afterwards, Jenn, Josh, Ross and I all headed to the game. As per my normal (remember last year's game?), it was cold and rainy. I didn't blog about it, but this also happened the year before... I don't get it. ANYWAY, cold and rainy, and we lost. Oh Michigan Football, why do you have to hurt my heart so much sometimes? I still enjoyed being in the Big House. I mean how could you not love this:

I look forward to going up for the Ohio State game in November. Blog world, do you think we'll win or lose? I am not holding my breath, but rivalry games bring out the best... from both teams!


Go BLUE!

5k

Remember how I mentioned my mom wants us to walk a 5k with her? Remember how I said I wanted to try and run it?

Well, I didn't run it. Maybe now that I am working out regularly I can feasibly consider training for a 5k... but that will have to be another day.

BUT, I did walk it with the family. Two weekends ago my brother came down and I went up to see the rents. We had a fun time walking the race together; it was rainy and cold, but we know how to entertain ourselves... make fun of the man in the all red suit (see pictures below)... talk about the cottage and how it is coming along... talk about school and the GRE...

See, we have a good time.

We also celebrated my parents 37th Anniversary! They have been married for 37 years and Ross and I took them out for a nice dinner. I however failed and did not get a picture of all of us when we were clean and a little bit more well rested.

Oh well! Here are the photos from the weekend:

My mom's co-workers who also ran/walked the 5k.

The family. We were bundled up, trying to stay warm.

Man in the red suit I mentioned earlier... yes it is just plain wrong.

The mom and I entertaining ourselves on the walk...

The Rest of the Weekend

You already heard about U2. You already know that was probably the highlight of my year. :-)

However, this weekend was awesome for other reasons, too.


Friday night I went line dancing at church. You know you can't go wrong with that (or at least that is true in my book).


My "little" (ok, younger) brother, Ross, came to visit me. Now, this kid is awesome. And I am so glad he was able to join me for the concert. It also happened that Va Tech (he school) was playing Duke in football at Duke. So, before the concert we went and watched the game with my friend Laurie. (Thanks Laurie for letting us use your season tickets!). Duke tried to put up a fight, but Va Tech was victorious. It was an interesting game for many reasons, but one of the main reasons? Because the stadium (about the size of a glorified high school stadium) was pretty full... with mainly Hokie fans. C'mon Duke, get behind your team!


Here are a couple of photos from the rest of the weekend:

Maybe it is hard to tell -- but there is more maroon and orange in this photo than blue.

Me with my game day buddies - Ross and I on the left; Laurie and I on the right. Excuse the bad angles on me... makes my chin look ginormous and adds about 10 of them.

Couch Potato to 5k?

My mom has always tried getting me to exercise/work out more. I think that may be on her Top 5 things to do list.

Her most recent attempt?

To get me to run a 5K.

If you know me, you know I don't like to run. Hate it. Abhor it. Think that Satan invented it to torture me.

Yep, that sums it up.

But there has always been a small (albeit, very small) part of me that want to be a runner. Nope, not even kidding. What would it be like to run non stop for a whole mile? I can't even imagine as I have NEVER been able to!

My mom wants the whole family to come home on Oct 17th to run/walk a 5k together (for Race for the Cure). And I have been tossing around the idea of actually running it.

Am I crazy?

Here is the program I would use.

And... didn't I set one of my 26 goals before 26 to run a mile non stop? and wasn't another one to work out regularly?

Should I go for it?

Daddy's Girl

My Dad is a teacher and I have many memories of him taking care of my brother and I. Because he had summers off (and we lived at the beach), we didn't got to summer camp. Dad took care of us. Our schedule was pretty much the same everyday:

- get up (around 8am)

- go to swim practice/Vacation Bible School/whatever activity was booked

- run errands (the stores opened at 10)

- come home

- eat lunch

- go to beach (at 1:30, after the WGN news was done)

- come home (normally around 4)

- eat dinner

- play outside

- go to bed

- repeat

Many great memories- and I am so thankful that I got to spend that time with my dad. Not everyone can say they truly spent everyday possible on the beach when they were kids... with their dad who would take them out into the Ocean up to his neck (It was way over our heads! My dad is 6 feet, 6 inches tall), who would bring snacks with him, who would lather us up with sunscreen because mom told him to, who would let us fish and crab, who enjoyed the beach as much as we did.

Well, this post here and this post here reminded me of some other stories about time spent with the dad.

My dad loves music. He probably has a better music collection than me and he is always adding to it. Well my mom loves to remind him that when she would come home from work she would find me in my crib watching MTV while he was grading papers. Yep, sounds about right. MTV was never off limits in my house (but in their defense, at the time it was more music videos than they crap they play today).

My dad also loved my long curly hair growing up. Check out these photos of me with the long dirty blonde/honey brown, curly hair:

(Sorry these are so blurry)

It made him sad when I got older and started cutting it. ANYWAY, in the summers I would get up and need someone to do my hair. Dad, doing his best, would brush it and then put barrettes in my hair. EXCEPT, they wouldn't actually hold any hair back, they would just clip in my hair that was already in my face. Come on girls, you know what I am talking about. Too bad we don't have any pictures of that... at least that I have in my possession.

What memories do you have of your dad? I am blessed with an amazing father! Love you, Dad!

Vegas Update

I noticed that I haven't posted any pictures in a couple of days... so, why not revisit a post that I made in the days before I knew how to post pictures (yea, I know... sad... but sometimes it takes me a little bit of time to figure it all out.

In the Summer of 2007, I went to Las Vegas with my family. The original post is here. Here are a couple of pictures from that trip:

My dad had to get a family picture with the Vegas sign. One our last night, we braved traffic and made sure to get one snapped. It turned out pretty well, what do you think?

We went to the Grand Canyon one day. It is one magnificent sight... I would love to spend more time there, walking the trails and just marveling in God's creation. Here is just one stunning view we were able to witness.

And, finally, this is where we stayed. The pools there were pretty awesome. All the hotels in Vegas are mini-resorts. Definitely worth the money you shell out to stay there. If you want to have nice long afternoons enjoying the sun, this one has a great lazy river, wave pool, etc.

I'll update on more life happenings soon. Have a great day!

PS. More cute childhood pictures of Josh Wilson today at his advent calendar. Check it out!

Happy Thanksgiving, a little late!

Hello, Friends! Happy Thanksgiving!! I hope you all had fun on this past turkey day, eating you hearts out and enjoying your family or whatever Thanksgiving traditions hold for you.

Growing up, we NEVER, and I repeat, never, traveled for Thanksgiving. It just wasn't what we did. We stayed home and enjoyed a nice quiet meals together (with plenty of leftovers... yummy!).

Well, this year, for the third year in a row (whoa), we went out of town. This year we went to Michigan to visit my Nana (dad's mother). She has been lonely since the death of my grandfather this past February. It was a nice weekend, but I have to admit a little boring. No offense to my Nana's house, but there isn't much to do. There is no Internet (hence why I am posting now that I am back), and the TV can only entertain for so long. I did a lot of reading, which is nice... and even more sleeping, which was even nicer. Now, let's just hope I can re-learn how to function with the normal eight hours.

On a fun note, we went to my favorite place on earth while we were up there... Little Sable Point in Shelby, Michigan. We own land there and my parents are talking of finally building a cottage on the land. We used to vacation up there every summer and I can't wait to start that tradition up again, but this time in our own place! :-). Here are a couple pics of the land... love it!

Enjoy the Christmas season, friends! It will be over before we know it.

What happens in Vegas...

... does not stay in Vegas when you go with your family... or you are me and nothing would happen anyway.

BUT, I just got back yesterday (well, middle of the night Tue/Wed) from Vegas. I went with the family, and I must say that was pretty fun.

Vegas pretty much is sketchy and seedy and yea... but if you stay away from the "trading cards" (ummm... don't ask) and ignore all billboards/ advertisements. But, other than that, I had a great time.

The evening we went to see Martina McBride... and I thought it was awesome. I don't think my brother shared my views ("If she says for the girls one more time..."). But, I had a great time... Martina is one talented singer, that is for sure. And, I love her music, as well, not all women, but most women do. Fun times...

Saturday must have been the longest walk of my life. Just so you know, the strip seems pretty close together when you are on the 21st floor of your hotel and looking out at it... but when you go to walk it, much longer. We walked four miles in the hottest time of the day. YIKES! In the evening we went to the Stratosphere and rode the Big Shot... on top of the hotel... which was 112 stories into the air. Ummm.. pretty much scary, but AWESOME.

Sunday we drove to the Grand Canyon, which I had never seen before. I LOVED it... you want to talk about beautiful! Stunning, in fact.

Ummm, what else? The hotel we stayed at was the Mandalay Bay, and it was absolutely amazing. It had a wave pool and a lazy river, and I had a great time catching some rays.

Also cool... Ross taught us all how to play Craps. And, he won be $80, so I came back a little bit richer. I am ok with that, I must say. After learning and "playing" for a while, I can see how gambling can get a bit addictive. When you are winning, you just want to keep going. It is definately important to make sure that you set limits.

Oh, and just another thought about Vegas. It is noisy. There is really no such thing as peace and quiet in the Vegas.

and in the Vegas, they don't seem to card. Not once, did I get carded. They certainly know where they make their money... gambling and drinks.

So, there you have it. My trip to the Vegas with the Family. Fun times!

Friday in VaBeach

I came home this weekend.

Originally it was for a family portrait to be taken tonight. However, it has been cancelled. It is a little bit ugly outside... think cold and gray and windy. Not exactly good for a family portrait on the beach, huh?

But it has still been nice to have the day off. I relaxed (think lazy). I went to lunch with the bro. And that has been about it. I am considering a nap in a bit... why not?

I do like being at home. It is nice to be around the family. I miss them lots... but at the same time... it isn't the same at home anymore. And not just because I don't have a room...

It is home... but at the same time it isn't. I don't know where everything is... and it just changes. I don't know.... guess it is just part of growing up. We all have to do it... my time is now.

Well, tomorrow is trip to Busch Gardens... yea! Hopefully it is a little but nicer than today.

Later!

Home and Stuff

Hey! So, I went home this weekend. It was really nice. I like going home. I don't always have much to do, but I just enjoy being around my mom and dad. And around our animals. Going home is just so nice sometimes.

This trip was good. Mom and I went shopping. I found this GREAT new jacket for work... originally $150. I got it for $44! Love it! Also got a great new pair of shorts. Sometimes I really hate shopping. I hate trying on the clothes, realizing nothing fits, etc. But, this time it wasn't too bad. The shorts were really encouraging to try on, if I am to be honest. I normally hate how i look in shorts, but these looked pretty nice. So, that was good.

What else... oh, the dog is in trouble. My parents have this dog... named Pansey... who I love. She is cute, and a sweetheart. But, she is also one of the worst behaved dogs I have ever met. This time was no different. This time around... she hate my retainer. No, I am not kidding. She ate my retainer. It was in its container... in my bag... and she decided to eat it! AHHH!! Stupid mutt. She's luck she is cute... that is all I have to say.

Other than that... the weekend was really low key. Nothing too thought provoking. I do have a LOT of stuff though. I am so ruled by all my crap. I have so many clothes... so many things that I just don't need. I wouldn't consider myself materialistic... but why do I keep all this crap? And why do I feel the need to buy more crap? I am too tied to my belongings. I also have this thing... I am a pack rat. Now, I am not too bad. I can throw things away... however, compared to the rest of my family.. i am a pack rat. And well, if I deem something important, even if it is a scrap of paper, then I can't get rid of it. I have to keep it... man... I need to stop that. I brought home so much stuff! I have no room for it. Sounds like I am ready for a spring cleaning. That will begin tonight. Someone ask me how it is going... otherwise I may not actually do it. I am just tired of being ruled by my stuff. So... spring cleaning here I come!

Thankful

You know on of the scariest things to hear when you pick up the phone?

"I just wanted to let you know I am ok."

Thank God my brother is ok! Today, as I am sure you all know by now, there was a mass shooting at VaTech. VaTech is where he goes to school. At first it was nice to know he was ok... but as more news pours in, I feel more and more relief... as well as more fear.

My brother was in class when it happened! Not only that... but he is an engineer. It was an engineering building! For clarification, I am not saying he was in that building. I have yet to confirm that with him. BUT, still. It is scary.

Thank you, Jesus, for protecting my brother, for protecting my family today. Lord, I pray for all those who have lost someone today. May you be with them, comforting them, guiding them, and showing them your love. I feel for them, but not truly knowing how they must feel. Just thank you for sparing me that pain. I know that is selfish, but it is how I feel. I am so thankful my brother is hear to call me. Thank you.