30 Truths - Day 8

Day 08 → Someone who made your life hell or treated you badly in the past.

This is a tough one. I can't say there has been anyone in my life that has made my life hell & I usually don't allow someone to treat me like shit for long. I just don't have time for those kind of people in my life so they end up being removed from my "friend-list" pretty quickly. I guess you can say I kind of have an "F You" policy & will put it to use whenever I see fit.

Treat me like shit once = shame on you

Treat me like shit twice = shame on me

Treat me like shit three times = "F You - we are done - game over"

30 Truths - Day 7

Day 07 → Someone who has made your life worth living for.

*I can't narrow it down to just one person...

- my husband. For without me in his life, he wouldn't be able to find his car keys, or his wallet, or his ball cap, or the black t-shirt with the UPS logo on it, or the flashlight, or the cold medicine, or the.....well, you get the picture! He is forever lost when it comes to finding stuff. When he asks me where things are it makes me feel needed, it makes me feel loved & it validates the fact he couldn't live without me :) So for those things alone, it makes life worth living!

- my family. Oh how awesome my family is. Families are the compass that guide us. They are the inspiration to reach great heights & our comfort when we occasionally falter. I am so lucky to have such a close-knit family. These people have watched out for me, helped me when times were bad, shared in my good times, have challenged me & have inspired me to be better. They are always there when you need to lean on them & have never judged. And being an Aunt to 2 nieces & 3 nephews is the best job in the world!

- my friends. Without them my life would boring & my social calendar would be empty :) The best thing about my girlfriends is that I know they always have my back. They laugh with me during happy times & provide a shoulder to cry on during bad times. They understand when I have been silent & respect me when I have been out of touch. They make my life fun, meaningful & definitely interesting. They provide me with advice when I need it & even when I don't think I need it. They accept me as I am & never try to change me but will correct me in a skinny minute when I am at fault. I am so very lucky to have such a great group of friends in my life & have been blessed by each one's relationship with me.

30 Truths - Day 6

Day 06 → Something you hope you never have to do.

Experience life without a child of our own.

Shane & I have been struggling with infertility for almost 4 years now. Most of you reading this blog don't know much about this part of our lives because I don't like to share it with too many people. Over a year ago, we started seeing a Reproductive Endocrinologist (fertility specialist) & haven't had any success. It is very frustrating because we have been diagnosed with "unexplained infertility" which means there is no medical reason why we can't get pregnant. It has been mentally, physically & financially draining & after all the appointments & injections & blood work & procedures we are not exactly sure where to go from here. We are weighing our options & hope that whatever we decide will provide us with a child to call our own. Please keep us in your prayers as we continue on this journey...

Top 2

This weeks top 2 is - Dream Kitchens

I would love to be able to design the kichen of my dreams. If I was ever given the chance, these would be my top 2:

I like the clean, crisp look of this kitchen. Love the white cabinets with the black granite counter tops & pewter accents/appliances.

This next kitchen is total opposite from above. I love the warmth & Tuscan-style this kitchen portrays. I would love to curl up at the island with a cup of coffee & just take it all in.

30 Truths - Day 5

Day 05 → Something you hope to do in your life.

There are many things that I am hoping to do in life & it has always been a dream of mine to one day go on a hot air balloon ride. Shane thinks I am crazy & isn't excited about going with me so I will either be going solo or with anybody who wants to join me.

It is on my list of "things to do" before I die so I'm hoping to one day get this dream of mine accomplished!

30 Truths - Day 4

Day 04 → Something you should forgive someone else for.

I like to think of myself as a forgiving person. I usually don't hold a grudge. I get mad, deal with it & then it’s over. However, there is one person that used to be in my life that I have had a hard time forgiving for the things they have done. It takes a lot for me to reach a point where I write someone off, but once they’ve crossed a line, I am done.

Lucky for me, day 4 of truths doesn’t insist that I forgive someone – just that I write about something I should forgive them for. I can do that. I can write about why I wrote this person off. I can talk about how they crossed that line & I can discuss why I have never forgotten what they did - even though I turned out far better without this person in my life.

The person I am referring to is my biological father. When I was a baby, he up & left me & my mom for another woman. I can't even get past that first sentence without feeling a twinge of anger. What kind of man does that to his wife & daughter?? I can't even imagine what my mom went through at that time & that is the one thing I have been unable to forgive him for - abandonment.

Through the years, he tried to be present in my life by sending me birthday/Christmas presents & making a few phone calls during the year. When I was in high school I went to visit a couple of times & again when I was in college. He never once attempted to come visit me or make it to any of my graduations or important events in my life.

During my visits to their beach house, I spent the majority of my time with his wife while he was out golfing or playing with her 2 kids. It was fun back then because I didn't really understand the "what" or the "why" of the visits but I later figured it out for myself. And that is one more thing I have been unable to forgive him for - neglect.

Without going into too much detail, when I was 26 years old I cut him completely out of my life & haven't looked back. I wrote a very long letter to him that expressed all my frustration & anger at him through the years & it felt good to get all that pent up anger out. I never heard back from him.

I often wonder if he feels regret for what he did to us....to me. I wonder if he feels it was worth it all these years to have given up having a relationship with his only child. I fear what I will feel (if anything) when he is gone & I never forgave him. Will I regret not speaking to him all these years!? Or even worse, how will I feel having forgiven him but never letting him know!?

Baptism & Shopping

This morning we all met at my brother-in-law Ben's grandparents church for the baptism of my nephew Cael. It was a gorgeous Lutheran church with huge tall ceilings, beautiful stained glass & elaborate woodwork throughout.The baptism was held at the beginning of the service which we were all thankful for because we were unsure how long the little ones would last. There were four babies being baptized during that ceremony & surprisingly, they all behaved very well.

My sister & Ben chose my brothers' Chris & Steve to be the godfathers of Cael & they joined them up at the altar for the baptismal ceremony.

After the baptism, we had to say goodbye to our family as they were all headed back home. I made sure to get one last hug from my adorable nephew Tanner before they left :)

Steve, Meghan, Caleb & I headed back to the hotel, quickly changed & were off to the Mall of America. We had decided that we were going to stay an extra day so we could take in this massive mall & I was super excited since I have never been before. With 4 levels & over 520 stores to shop in - who wouldn't be excited?!?I always get Shane a little souvenir when I take trips without him & today I ended up getting him a Minneapolis Harley Davidson t-shirts. Got a pink one for myself also :)

After shopping, we all headed over to Nickelodeon Universe so that Caleb could have fun on some rides. It was a great afternoon & I am so glad we stayed the extra day. By 7pm we were all shopped out so we headed back to the hotel for dinner, hot tubbing, a glass of wine & then early to bed.

Such a fun weekend but unfortunately it went by way too quickly! We are back on the road tomorrow (Monday) to KC & back to work on Tuesday! Hoping everyone has safe travels!

30 Truths - Day 3

Day 03 → Something you have to forgive yourself for.

Hmmmmm - this has required some thinking.

Off the top of my head, I can't think of anything I need to forgive myself for. I have never cheated or done intentional harm to anyone. I don't have a drinking or drug problem. I have never stole anything or done anything that requires forgiving & if I have, I forgave myself a long time ago & moved on.

Now don't get me wrong...I am in no way perfect either. I have done things I have regretted in the past but I chose to deal with it at that time & move forward. In doing so, I try to remember these 5 things listed below to help me get over my mistakes, make amends with myself & the situation & move on in life:

1. Forgive yourself. Be straight with yourself & admit that you have made a mistake & did not value whatever you lost. By doing this you give yourself a chance to make amends for the future.

2. Tough times do not last but tough people do. Remember that tomorrow is a new day & it will be a better one.

3. Seek forgiveness from those you have disappointed even if they have no interest in giving you another chance. This takes courage. You may be rejected, dismissed, dishonored...or hopefully forgiven. It's worth the risk.

4. Make amends where necessary: Return money, stay late, work weekends, go the extra mile. Whatever it is & if required, just do it!

5. Learn from your mistakes. Spiritual growth cannot be learned without "messing up" along our way. Once you have done everything you can do, you will be back on track to the path of happiness.

"To forgive & not to forget is like burying the hatchet with the handle sticking out."
~ Author Unknown

Minnesota, here we come!

I met by brother Steve & his family early this morning for a road-trip up to Minneapolis for the weekend. My nephew Cael is getting baptized tomorrow so my family all made their way to MN for the weekend festivities.

My sister Jen & her husband Ben held a picnic at the park for all the family that came from out of town. They grilled burgers & hot dogs & had yummy sides for all. After everyone ate, we enjoyed some cake & spent a couple hours mingling with family.

Me, my brother Chris, my sister-in-law Meghan & my brother Steve

After the picnic, we all headed back to the hotel where we enjoyed some adult beverages as we watched all the little ones play in the pool. It is always good times hanging with my family!

30 Truths - Day 2

Day 02 → Something you love about yourself.

Believe it or not, there are several things I love about myself. The first one would be I love that I am a super organized individual. I can't stand clutter or things that are messy in my home. My closet is organized by color & by types of clothing. I cook with a washcloth in my hand to clean up spills & splatters right when they occur. I keep my husband sane by always knowing where things are located when he asks me - which is ALL the time. Everything in my life has a place & if things get out of place they are quickly moved back just so that I can feel like all is right in my little world once again :)

I love that I have a passive personality. Those that know me knows it takes a lot to get me worked up or excited about something. It is also a very calming trait to have when you are married to someone who is the exact opposite. As I have gotten older, I have become much more "passive" about things & this drives Shane crazy. He can't understand how I can be so calm all the time about stuff & then thinks I don't care when I don't show a reaction. In my line of work, I have come to realize that life is too short, you can't change the inevitable & you shouldn't sweat the small stuff because most of the time, it is all small stuff.


I love that I am tenderhearted & sensitive & that I allow myself to feel. I am touched & inspired by other peoples struggles - especially health related. I shed a tear (or two) watching the Biggest Loser or Army Wives or even that Peta commercial with Sarah McLachlan & the abandoned dogs. I get teary eyed when people tell me about their sad situations or about losing a pet. I get all weepy when loved ones give hugs & kisses to my patient right before their procedure - especially the elderly. Some might be embarrassed by this kind of sensitivity but not me. To feel moved or touched by something & to feel compassion is to feel alive & I welcome the feeling.

30 Truths - Day 1

The 30 Day Truth Challenge...

I saw this done on another blog that I follow & thought it might be kind of fun to jump on the bandwagon & join in. Plus I have been slacking on things to blog about lately so this will give me something to write about & hopefully not bore my readers :)

This blog challenge lasts for 30 days where each day you answer a question that coincides with a master list for the 30 Days Of Truth. Some of these "truths" are pretty deep & personal so it will be interesting to see how I respond.

It doesn't matter what date you start so when you are ready, come play along & learn a little something about yourself in the process. Since it's the 1st of October, might as well start the first "truth" today!

Day 01 → Something you hate about yourself.

Wow - nothing like starting out on a positive note!? Unfortunately, too many of us would be quick to list all the things they hate about themselves & when given a minute to think about it one thing quickly comes to mind.

I hate that I am a HUGE procrastinator. I have a mental calendar in my head (as well as the physical one in my purse) that I keep track of all that needs to be done with life, with work, with the house, with friends. I always think I have a few days left or a few hours left & then I panic when I realize I have run out of time or days.

I am forever cutting it close when it comes to being on time to work, to outings with friends/family, to the airport, to wherever. God forbid I get out of bed 15 minutes sooner or jump in the shower 30 minutes earlier. I am never late to work (which is actually a huge pet peeve of mine) but would create alot less stress on my morning drive if I would just leave the house 10 minutes earlier!

I have a list of projects around the house that needs to be done & every weekend goes by without doing any of them. I have craft projects that I buy with every intention of starting & finishing & they will sit in the bag for months untouched. It is a bad trait I have & am trying to work on it.

Now if we wanted to talk about the physical "hates" I could go on & on but then you would get bored so I will make it short. I hate my naturally curly hair - most days - & spend a lot of money trying to straighten it! I hate my feet but at least my toes always look good so they are a good distraction from my ugly, bony feet. I hate the fat roll that has appeared in my middle section as well as the pooch I am sporting. Took me awhile to figure out that is wasn't there because I was bloated ;) I know I could do something about it that required me going to the gym that I pay every month for but incase you weren't paying attention earlier - I am a procrastinator!

So those are a few things about myself that I hate. I am very well aware of them all & know I have the power to change most of them. I just need to take that first step. Maybe I will start next week?!? :)

Top 2

This weeks Top 2 is Favorite songs. This is tough for me as I listen to many different genres of music & have lots of favorite songs. There are a few though off the top of my head that I absolutely LOVE & give me goosebumps whenever I hear them. I could listen to these songs over & over & never tire of them:

1) Old Blue Chair - Kenny Chesney

2) I Can Only Imagine - Mercy Me

And my most favorite song & artist at this very moment:
3) Just The Way You Are - Bruno Mars

What are your 2 most favorite songs?