#Tebowing #2011 #Amazing

Pretty much that's how I feel about 2011. This was just one of the most amazing years ever. I celebrated my first wedding anniversary driving through Germany with my more than amazing Husby. LOVE HIM! Wonderful husby purchased 60 more stores which doubled how many stores we own, in turn, I took a 6 month leave of absence from work and got to spend those months traveling through Kentucky and Indiana, eating soft serve each time I turned around. We have just about the cutest additions in the entire world, added to the family this year when my twin niece and nephew were born and Husb and I started sponsoring a Compassion child, Brenda. After a year and a half of looking, we finally found the perfect house. I ran a marathon AND I ran a PR. I turned 30. I have the most amazing friends and amazing things are happening for my amazing friends. Tim McGraw touched my hand. December 31st is the first time it snowed in MN for the winter. I'm healthy, my husband is  healthy, our furbaby is healthy, our families are alive and kickin', I saw my Uncle Kevin for the first time in 10 years. Just, really the most amazing year ever.

Super hot Tim McGraw

One whole year together, Happy Anniv Beeb!

Marathon #4 and a PR, what up?

Husb ran his first race!

Lil Brendy, my fav Ugandan.

My lil Niece and Nephew!

Uncle Kev!

Workin with Husby on MTD

All of this makes me wanna Tebow and just thank God every day for giving me the most amazing life. I'm awestruck by how much I love my life every single day. It's ridiculous, really.

HAPPY NEW YEAR! 

Just some pics bc I had too much sugar to think of something funny

World's cutest niece



World's cutest nephew



World's best Christmas present to Aunt #1



World's best Christmas present to Aunt #2





Just a lil L'ville before the big game tomorrow night



Christmas present from the husb





My niece touching the back of her head with her feet





My niece and I touching the back of our heads with our feet. We're pretty much twins...





Just a lil’ Death.

How random that two of my FB friends posted things related to death within seconds of each other today.

Oh Jeez is this sad, watch both parts. RIP Ben.

Oh Jeez does this make you think. Go live life now.

To be honest, death actually really scares me and I think I have a mini panic attack when I think about it. I mean, I have to do something immediately to distract myself from thinking about it or I start to kinda freak, kinda freaking out right now. Like, what happens when we’re not here anymore? I know, as a Christian I’m supposed to be comforted knowing the afterlife is amazing and that Heaven is better than Costco, Jesus died for us so I can live on a big puffy white cloud and eat Philly Cream Cheese on my bagels, and fly around on Unicorns. Doesn’t help, still scared to cease existence.

That being said, dealing with mortality is such a crazy thing. I try and eat healthy, run, wear my seatbelt, and use sunscreen but you never really know. One of my childhood best friends was healthy but died suddenly leaving us all with the big “W” question on our minds. Why. Why so young? Why so soon? Why not me? Why him? Them. When is it my turn? What happens. Where do we go?

I try and be a good person, I smile a lot, say please & thank you, and volunteer but I swear too much and sometimes talk mean behind people’s backs. In Part 2 of the YouTube video that was posted,  Ben says he was proud seeing the reflection of himself and his life. My New Year’s resolution is to try and be proud of what I see in the mirror. If you died today, would you be proud? Would you have any regrets?

This post isn’t really about death, but about life and knowing that each day you wake up is a gift. I guess the most fitting quote for this situation is; Drive it like you stole it. Live life like you never know when you’ll have to give it back.

Some cultures would probably consider this a delicacy...

I eat a lot of salad. I'm not talking about a little salad here or there. I'm talking; I will eat a bag of lettuce for supper. I do not discriminate; I will eat iceberg, romaine, spinach, swiss chard, endive, and my favorite, arugula. I eat it (obviously) with hot sauce, with salt and pepper, with dressing, with veggies and berries, just berries, just veggies, and sometimes even plain. Want to know what I don't eat it with? Insects. Especially Crickets. Especially, especially, with unicorn crickets that have something sticking out of their head like a unicorn. Oh wait, except that is how I ate it on Tuesday Night. Of course I had eaten 3/4 of my bag of Fresh Express Hearts of Romaine the previous two nights and was just finishing THIS salad (that is ranch and buffalo Frank's Red Hot) when I see a dark spot, probably old lettuce. No, a bug. I ALMOST ATE A BUG. (I didn't almost eat it but I could have). Of course I wasn't hungry after that. Best diet ever? Maybe. It would appear poor lil' Jiminy Cricket had been rinsed and packaged with my farm fresh hearts of romaine.

I tweeted and emailed the company Tuesday night around 10 and haven't heard anything yet but their website says they would like to respond within two business days, and it is the holidays so, we'll see what happens. I don't want free stuff but am very curious what this response might look like. I have a feeling this happens to vegetable/fruit companies all the time.

Will I stop eating salad? Don't be ridiculous.

Will I stop eating Fresh Express? Probably.

I was going to bury Jiminy but Fern got to him before I had a chance.

I'll surely update upon their response.

Oh I bet there were mice stirring the night before Christmas!

‘Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.

Well, I generally try and stand behind my literary brethren but this guy was just a liar. Liar I say! I want to know how many of you out there are sound asleep the night before Christmas? If I remember correctly from my childhood, we’d get home at about midnight from 10 o’clock midnight mass, then we had to brush and get ready for bed. By the time we fell asleep, I bet it was close to 1 am. That’s when Mom and Dad had to fill the stockings, wrap presents, eat Santa’s milk & cookies, deliver presents under the tree, and get ready for Christmas Day at the Carlson’s. Estimated bedtime for a busy Mom and Dad? 3am.

As every good kid should, I’ve learned from my past, I started wrapping last week. It’s like the 12 days or wrapping because that’s how long it’s taken. It looks as though someone delivered a Christmas bomb to my house that was set to go off every day. I have wrapping paper, ribbons and presents in one area; I have cookie ingredients, pans, and flour all over the kitchen. Unplaced decorations fill up yet another section of the house. This perfect storm of Christmas excess sets me up to fall into succession in a long line of 3am bedtimes before Christmas.

If I were to rewrite this Christmas tradition, I’d probably say;

‘Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house, Mom and Dad were tiptoeing around filling stockings, trying to be as quiet as a mouse.

PS-Quick tip that I started doing last year after getting married; I wrap each families presents in different paper, and then on top of that I write, To: Mom and Dad and depending upon which family they go to, that kid's name goes first in the “From”field. No, I don’t consider myself a genius, just a gal who likes to be organized.  

30 Day challenge, First 10 songs on my iPod

Classic-Buble, Me and Mrs. Jones
Put it in a love song Alicia Keys
Lose yourself, Eminem
Sad, Rehab, Amy Winehouse
I need a Dr, Dre and Em
Boondocks, Little Big Town. No matter which designer I wear, car I drive, or places I travel will take away the figurative boondocks I'm from up on the Iron Range. 
Everybody, BSB. Don't judge me.
F*ck You, Ce elo, yeah, it's the dirty version, I'm a rebel. (for Blogging purposes, I inserted the clean version.)
I'm a Slave for you, Brit Brit
Just can't get enough, BEP

As I already mentioned, I love music, and I like all of these songs. Well, except BSB, I don't listen to that one much but can't figure out how to get it off my ipod and to be fair to the challenge, I used ALL my songs and not just the ones I listen to. 

30 Day challenge, Day 11 Letter to someone who has hurt you recently

Is it ridiculous I'm sitting here and can't think of someone who has hurt me recently? I mean, ridiculously awesome, but ridiculous nonetheless.

I guess Candi Spelling hurt me today when I got suckered into watching Selling Spelling Manor. She said she can't believe she's losing everything to auction and has to live in a million + penthouse. It hurt me that someone could be that blind to the needs of other people and she's complaining that she has to downsize from her 56,000 sqft home, er, Manor. Seriously, Boo Hoo. The best part, it was sold to a 22 yr old heiress. Know where I was living when I was 22? A sketchy apartment in a sketchy neighborhood with an uber sketchy landlord. Sketchy. (PS, her plastic surgery makes my face hurt...)

Well I guess the kids at Jcrew kinda hurt me when we went in there. They just rubbed me the wrong way. We were at Miromar Outlets in Estero (on the way to Ft. Myers Airport). Right when I got in there were 4 kids sitting ON the front table talking about which of their Harry Potter Halloween costumers was best. They didn't help me at all, which fine, I don't need help but what REALLY got me was that, as I was walking away from checking out (I later returned the clothes because I was so annoyed. I returned them out of spite, just like Seinfeld...) and the kid at the register said something and the consumer behind me said good, how is your day? And the kid has the gall to respond with, I said next, I didn't ask how your day was. Boom, worst service ever!

Luckily I have been amazingly blessed with wonderful people in my life.

I may update this post in the future pending extreme hurt. Oh wow, good thing I'm not Taylor Swift or my albums would be horrible/non-existent!

30 Day Challenge, this day was stupid so I made up my own

I'm feeling super overwhelmed about the holidays this year. Do you guys follow First World Pains on Twitter? Well, look them up because that is how I feel about the holidays. The holidays are so overwhelming because there is so much excess. I have the means to make 100 different Christmas cookies, how can I choose just a few? My living room? Looks like Santa ate a bunch of bows, wrapping paper, ribbon, and presents and then got sick. Speaking of presents, I love shopping for people because I love finding the perfect thing. But that's exhausting. Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler) said it best, "Giving Christmas gifts is like a sport to me, finding, making the perfect something. It's also like a sport to me because I always win."

I totally messed up Divinity tonight, looks like a snowman puddle and tasted like taffy. Not a huge fail. Think I'm gonna spritz tomorrow on my, wait for it, day off!

Divinity Fail.

I love Christmas and my life and am so thankful I'm overwhelmed instead of having things the other way around. Just need to remember the reason for the season. (Well and what his favorite cookies are;))

30 Day Challenge, Day 10 more pictures of your friends

Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art... It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things that give value to survival.
C. S. Lewis

Bestie Comee's

GRHS Girls track team

College friends

GRHS CC

Now Friends

30 Day Challenge, Day 10-Songs you listen to

Songs you listen to when you're;
Happy, Sad, Bored, Hyped, Mad

I'm not sure if I've made it 100% clear but, I totes love music. Growing up I lived 20 miles out of town so I listened to a lot of music driving in and out of town, went to college 4.5 hrs away so had about 9 hours of music every other weekend. I'm obviously a runner so listen to about 6 hours of music a week and then I usually have my headphones on at work for at least part of the day.


Happy/bored
Head over feet-Alanis
Again-Lenny Kravitz
I'm only Jesus-Tim McGraw
Boondocks-Little Big Town
Walk of Life-Dire Straits (top 5 favorite songs of all time)
Build me up buttercup-Foundations

Mad(I don't feel like I get mad all that often, more hyped I think):
Vicarious-Tool


I mean, don't get me wrong, I get sad but I think melancholy really describes it better.
Songs I listen to then are:
Needed you tonight by Ben Harper and Innocent Criminals
Lifeline by Ben Harper
SOS by ABBA
Someone like you- Adele
Never is a promise-Fiona Apple
Without You-Dixie Chicks
I know-Jude
Samson-Regina Spektor
Where I stood-Miss Higgins


Hyped/Running:
Hi Hater-Maino
Gimme Gimme Gimme-ABBA
Thunderstruck-ACDC
You shook me all night long
Fat bottom girl-Queen (because no matter how much I run I got some junk in the trunk
Dirrty-Christina
You're never over-Eminem
Lookin at me-Mase/PDiddy
Hard knock life-Jay-z
Stronger-Kanye
Feel so good-Mase
I was made to love her-Stevie Wonder

I mean, there are just a ridiculous amount of songs I LOVE and listen to all the time. This is just a random collection. It's like the tide, always ebbing and flowing :)

30 Day Challenge Day 09 Something you're proud of

I think one of the things I'm most proud of is my ability not to laugh when someone gets hurt. Not, like, horrific hurt but you know, when they stub their toe, hurt. Case in point, we were walking in from the car the other night and husby slipped on some ice and whacked his hand on the truck and he did the ahh, heeeeesshhh, ahhh, heeessshhhh thing for a little bit. Luckily I had already made it into the house but those 13-14 seconds I was in earshot were a little touch and go.

The sensation of wanting to laugh always makes me feel bad but there must be some scientific reason as to why that happens? I know I'm not the only one who does it and have had it happen to me.

If anyone wants to explain this to me, I'd appreciate it.

I’m veering off the “30 day challenge” beaten path.

Something happened last night that I just have to get out there.

I was craving an avocado last night (no I’m not pregnant, I just eat/crave weird things) and since I hadn’t been to the grocery store since we got back from FL thought I’d go. I usually go to our local grocer, little bit more expensive but I like to shop local when I can (oh well and I'm lazy and this is easy). Except last night I went to a different store. I don’t know why because 99.9% of the time I’ll shop at Jerry’s but last night I wanted to go to Lunds/Byerlys.

I walk in and am looking at bananas, red bananas to be specific. Sign says they are there and now I want one.  As I’m scouring the bananas a gentleman asks if he can help, he has a thick accent and is probably 55-60. Turns out his name is Ernesto and he grew up on a banana/pineapple plantation in Nicaragua but has been in MN for almost 40 years. We start chatting and all of a sudden he looks at me and says, you're like an angel. I gave a a nervous laugh and said thank you. And he goes no, you are at this grocery store because I asked God for an angel. He told me he had been home all day with his best friend, his wife, who was dying of cancer and hospice had just come to relieve him for a couple hours. He said he came to the grocery store because he didn't know what else to do and on the way there, he prayed and asked God for something to refresh him, a sign that he can, and needs to, keep going. 

He said he knew as soon as he saw my smile. He gave me his business card to verify he was telling the truth and said thanks, shook my hand and left. 

It wasn't until I got in the car that it hit me that something amazing just happened. I started crying, I was crying for Ernesto, for his wife Mary, and because I was so overwhelmed with gratefulness that God put me in that place to be there for that person. 

I don't usually shop there but for some reason, last night, I did. Of course I'm not an angel, but to Ernesto, I was. 

I am in awe of how God used me last night. It's just something I've been thinking about since it happened and the greatness of that moment is inexplicably amazing to me. I'm sure some people might think it's just a coincidence and that, due to my Buddy the Elf -ness, something like this was bound to happen but I really can't help but think this happened for a reason. 

30 Day Challenge, Day 8 short term goal for this month

DANG HOMEY, I’m a heart attack waiting to happen!

Just recently had a physical for life insurance and it would appear I am a prime physical specimen. Or so I thought! I got my results back and my mom was looking at them and she was like, um, what’s with your LDL? Uh, what do you mean what is wrong with my LDL? AND, what is an LDL? Total cholesterol was 172, not too shabby but my BAD cholesterol is 126. 126!! That is near ideal which also happens to be only a couple points from BORDERLINE HIGH. Seeing as how heart disease runs in my family I really need to get that in check.

Maybe I should try getting into shape. Oh wait, I run 5 days a week. I guess that leaves me with eating healthier. Gonna throw out a GD here because I’m like buddy the elf, I pretty much live on Sugar.

So, short term goal, eat healthier.

30 Day Challenge, Day 7

Day 07- A picture of someone/something that has the biggest impact on you

My most prized possession, a picture of my
dad and I after my very first road race.

I guess this is a something but it includes a lot of someones. It's running. Obviously.

I started running track in 6th grade with my first 5k December 31st, 1993. I think I've always been a runner, for as long as I can remember it's something I've always loved to do. It was my parents go spurned my interest so many years ago. My dad was a runner and since it was just my sister and I, I think I kind of took it up as a way for us to bond. He was never going to have a son to watch play football but at least this was something we could do together. For years as a child I went to road races with my mom and dad and I just remember how proud I was after dad finished.

When I told my mom and dad I wanted to run the End of the Year Run they both encouraged me to train but I thought I was probably fine. Sure enough I finished and sure enough I puked. It was the first and only race that happened. Perhaps I've just never pushed my self that hard since?




I have  been a runner since that day. I ran track and CC in high school And CC in college. I ran my first half marathon(Gary Bjorkland, Duluth) as a HS Junior and have never looked back.  During college, I used it as time out of my dorm/apartment, to fight the freshman (sophomore/junior/senior).15, as a time to reflect, to battle depression, and it served (and still does) as my time to thank God for life. Being outside running is my favorite kind of church. Running, quite literally, kept me alive in college.

It wasn't until 2007 when, bored with work and my love life, I let my RBFF (running best friend forever) talk me into my first marathon. She sent me a link to the race route with the subject line, "it's like a walk in the park". We trained like nothing else mattered and I finished Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon, my first full, in 4:50. (allegedly times were 30 minutes slower due to the heat and humidity. Allegedly.) like every running milestone before this. I was hooked. I ran Grandma's June, 2008 (4:39), San Francisco August, 2008 (4:48) and had signed up for Whistlestop that fall but had to pull out due to a pulled hip flexor. I took a break after that and stuck to halves. I've traveled with RBFF (whose name also happens to be Beth, we're Beth squared when we run races!) to Indy half, San Fran, Wisconsin Uff Da half, and Grandma's. I ran the inaugural brained half in 2008 during a blizzard on April 26th with birdie, mom and I have gone together to AZ for R'n'R where it reached 90 degrees. One of my favorite races was Governor's cup in Helena while there on vacation with the fam.

There really isn't any way I could have continued to be a runner without my family. Dad got me started and coached me, mom is my biggest cheerleader, driving behind me in the car with the headlights so I could run in the dark, she would drop me off so I could see new terrain, she checks on me with water and sunscreen during long runs and is always positive. Mom and dad showed up to every race, I couldn't have asked for better cheerleaders. My sissy has always been there and she has been blessed with my two newest fans who were born just in time to watch auntie run this October.

I have a newfound fan in my faithful Husby after I ran a marathon this fall with only one 20. I pr'd by 16 minutes and ran a 4:13. I think he believes me now when I say running is a sport. As most runners know, it takes a patient husband or wife to put up with race training and mine has been the best.

I also need to send a shout out to MAPMYRUN, I have used that site/app for 90% of my runs over the last 6 years. They have created an invaluable service to me and just wanted to say thanks!

Running teaches me focus and dedication, persistence and patience. It provides camaraderie across continents, states, cities, and neighborhoods. There is no failing in running, every day is a new day. I believe that in running and in life, you just need to keep putting one foot in from of the other.

I love running and I love the person it has made me.



TC 10 mile

I love being a runner.

PS, I also love my purple running shorts. In case you hadn't noticed. (Present from mom and dad at my first half)



Crossing the finish @my first



Gary Bjorkland

Grandma's



Uff Da half in Wisconsin




Feeling fine @mile 17 of TC





Save your butt colon cancer run.



Indy Half, on Indy Motor Speedway!

Brainerd Half

Indy with Mom

San Fran Marathon

Little Sister's first race



Brainerd Blizzard with Mom and Dad!



PF Chang Half





 2011 PR!

White Bear Lake 30K



Darling Husby





John, The Penguin, Bingham!



Labor Day 5k&10k, Did both!



Newest Fan, Niece Elyse






















Gesundheit

I need to explain when I say "I'm blessed" because I think it can sound pretty self righteous at times.

I'm a Christian, I believe God is my Father and His son Jesus Christ, bless his heart, died on the cross for me and my sins so that after my earthly days are gone, I will get to live on in Heaven (which I assume is like Hawaii). That is what I believe. Now, by no means do I consider myself an exemplary Christian, heck, most days I'm sure God is embarrassed by me and my thoughts, words, and deeds. But through it all, He continues to love me. No, He didn't tweet or text me, I didn't read His blog(although the Bible would appear to be the first blog...), nor Facebook stalk Him, all I really do is believe. God is something to give me hope when I'm hopeless and to give meaning to my actions and the actions of those around me.

I would never force my beliefs on anyone and I'm not trying to. I respect free will and the ability to choose what each of us wants to believe in, or not. Life is an amazing thing and I choose to live mine in Christ. So, I guess what I'm saying is, when I say I'm blessed, it is my tiny way of saying thanks to God. For the good times AND bad. And everything in between.

Amen.

Too much?

30 Day Challenge, Day 6

Day 06- Favorite super hero and why

Besides my mom and dad, I always wanted to be She-Ra, Princess of Power and the most powerful woman on Earth. 

She ha it all, a horse that turned into a unicorn, she was a princess, her brother was the most powerful man on earth and he got to fight evil. Plus I thought her outfit was pretty badass and I always wanted to be blonde. I guess chicken/egg, did I always want to be blond or did I want to be blind to be like Adora?

Now that I'm an adult, I think a superhero is a mom or a dad, grandma or grandpa who works hard all day To make money to pay the bill then comes home to a family and keeps that family together.

Funny how things change. Thank you to all the moms and dads out there, you guy are my superheroes.