Back It Up, Back It Up...

Heyo! So I am backdating all the posts I missed over the last two weeks (see this note). In order to not miss them, go back to around July 30th and read forward (in time) from there! Hopefully that makes sense :) Sorry to mess with the program here!

Woessners, Heaslips, & Steins, Oh My!

For the last weekend of July, we invited Mike and Tanya to join us at the cabin with Mom and Gerry. The main event was our 18-hole golf outing to Tianna. It is a gorgeous course but it was HOT out that day! We also enjoyed some swimming, boating, bonfires, games, and the rest of the usual cabin stuff.

Jax loves riding in the car, he usually sleeps the entire way to the cabin and as the back seat all to himself. I wonder how he's gonna feel about a noisy baby taking up half the space next year?! 

As we started the drive, I glanced back and saw him putting on his "cute face" aka the begging face. What was he looking at? See below! 

Tony's giant roast beef sandwich!

He was trying so hard to be inconspicuous. "No Mom, I'm not beggin, I'm just resting my head here on the seat... in this awkward angle. I'm totally comfy."

Mike and Tanya ready to golf!

Tony looking like a golfing stud ;)

The Preggo Golfing Steins (15 weeks)

Pretty Mama!

The boys getting ready to tee off.

Cute pic of The Heaslips golfing!

Getting into my groove.

Mom was a great sport! She hadn't golfed in probably ten years but she surprised us all with her mad skills!

We were STARVING after 18 holes so we headed over to Lucky Moose and had about a million appetizers. Delicious!



Congrats Girl!

A few weeks ago, we went out to Cheesecake Factory to celebrate Ashley's graduation from college! Not only did she finish in four years, she finished with a high GPA. Woohoo smarty pants!

 I forgot I had my camera with until the very end of the night. As you might be able to tell from the pics, we were stuffed! But happy!!!

Cheesecake Destruction!

The Grad! (and her creeper little sister)

Sistas!



Sistas + BIL! (brother-in-law)

Open your eyes Kitty!

Just one of the many photos from Gerry and Mom's session to get just the right pic captured... we may have annoyed everyone else at Cheesecake Factory...

Hey little baby: Take a good look... these are your goofy parents!



Figured it out :)

Got this fortune cookie the other day. I little reassurance is always nice, even in the form of fortune cookies.

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Baby Stein… ETA January 20th, 2012!

So remember when I posted about Eelpout Festival a few months back? Well after that trip, Tony got this bright idea to start a family… now. We had originally planned to wait until at least our 1st year anniversary. But being the baby-lover that I am, and since no time is the “right time,” we got to work!

On Friday, May 20th, Tony and I went out for a friend’s birthday. Although we had fun, we ended the night with a fight. We rarely have fights and this one wasn’t anything huge. It was more just something that you brushed off and forgot about the next morning. We both headed off to work the next day at 10am. It was a slow day in the office and I was starving. I ran over to Cub Foods and got a lean cuisine… and a pregnancy test. I was a week late.

No big deal… I was ten days late the month before. But I couldn’t just let that test burn a hole in my purse all day until I went home… so after lunch, I did the deed. And much to surprise, yet not surprise, there were two pink lines! (aka, it was positive). Here is was, about 2pm in the afternoon and I was supposed to just wait 3+ hours to tell my hubby??? I couldn’t handle the waiting. So I called up my good friend (and boss) and begged her to finish out the day for me at work. I couldn’t fake being sick because I couldn’t wipe the cheesy grin of my face… so I had to tell her! Then I ran off to Target and picked up a little present for hubby.

Since I was home so early and we had a grad dinner to go to that night, I dressed up and fixed my hair. Then I wrapped the present and waited by the door for Tony to come home. He was a little surprised to see me home so early. But before he could even suspect anything, I handed him his gift. He looked confused and said, “What the heck is this for?” I told him that I was sorry we got in a fight last night and this was a little gift to make up for it. He replied, “All I gotta do is fight with you and I get presents?” I told him to just go ahead and open it.

He peeled back the wrapping paper and pulled out a little onesie that said “I Love My Daddy” on it!

Christmas Pics

Had a wonderful time goofing around with all of our families over Christmas! Just wish I had gotten more pics overall. Here are a few from my broken camera and Ashley's new camera :)

Our Financial Journey... It's Only Just Beginning!

According to Dictionary.com, a resolution can be defined as a formal expression of group opinion, determination, or a solution of a problem. Synonyms include: resolve, determination, perseverance, tenacity, strength, and fortitude.

The first of the year brings many hopeful promises. Every year, without fail, someone asks me if I have a New Year’s Resolution. In the past, I have chosen things like working out, getting organized, getting good grades, etc. Although these are great goals to have, they can get a little lofty when there is no purpose or specification. Someone once told me (or perhaps I actually retained something from college) that goals need to be SMART. This stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Timely. I think this is the first time in my 25 years where I have actually applied this theory for a goal of mine! Let me explain…

Way back in March of 2010, Tony and I were about halfway through our Marriage Prep class. By this point, we were realizing the true value of this class (not just the discount on our marriage license). Some of the topics were easy for us, and others were big eye openers. Our class leaders were a little quirky and almost too “lovey” but in the end, they ended up being a great fit to lead this class. While they were teaching our class, they were also students themselves… in Financial Peace University (FPU). During the marriage prep class, we briefly covered the importance of joint finances and being on the same page with your spouse, but our instructors were raving about the even more valuable and in depth lessons they were learning each week in FPU. Tony and I knew that FPU would probably be a good idea for us. Although we had good intentions, neither of us were great at managing money and we had a lot to learn about debt, investing, and retirement.

Our marriage class ended in April and the rest of the summer was swamped with wedding planning, vacations, and the big weekend of fun! Needless to say, managing our finances was not really on the top of the list. But for some reason, one of my first days back at work, I wondered over the Dave Ramsey’s website. Next thing you know, we were signed up for an FPU course just blocks from our home starting the very next Monday night!

A Case of the Mondays? Not Me!

“Welcome every morning with a smile. Look on the new day as another special gift from your Creator, another golden opportunity to complete what you were unable to finish yesterday. Be a self-starter. Let your first hour set the theme of success and positive action that is certain to echo through your entire day. Today will never happen again. Don’t waste it with a false start or no start at all. You were not born to fail.”
- Og Mandino

I knew this morning was going to be a good one. As I was driving home last night, the fog was rolling in. As night settled in, the fog gently came to rest on every branch of every tree. Slowly the sun came up, fighting through the leftover clouds. And nature left us a wonderful surprise: hoarfrost! …also known as a frosty coating of white on tree branches. I love it! It makes the ugly, brown, bare trees beautiful and glittery!

Passive Aggressive Notes

The other day I went to the lobby to grab my mail and found this beauty:

Some days...

You wake up late. And end up with shitty hair.

Some days...

Snow Day Craziness

As you might have heard... we had a blizzard here! It started snowing later Friday night and snowed hard core for about 24 hours. We received about 17-21 inches of snow (depending where you live) and have gigantic snowdrifts from all the harsh winds.

Normal people would have taken shelter in the cozy homes to make cookies and watch movies. Nope, not us.

It started with me driving down to AV Friday night to take care of my parent's dogs (Drake and Bella). They are on cruise, lucky them. Then I drove back up to St. Paul on Saturday morning around 9am. It took an hour. And visibility kinda sucked but wasn't too horrible yet. Somehow Tony and I got a grand idea to go out to lunch. I think it was mostly to cheer him up because he was really bummed about not being able to go ice fishing. We bundled up, took the car out of the garage, and headed to Roseville!

Trying so hard not to smile...

Coming Soon...

...another post! I have some great ideas brewing... but have been spending the majority of internet time putting together a budget plan for me and Tony. We started a new class about two weeks ago about managing our money. We really want to start our marriage out on the right path and since money seems to be the leading cause for divorce, we want to get a handle on it right from the get go.

So stayed tuned... hopefully tomorrow! My free Saturday of having nothing planned suddenly turned into 1) Picking up my car 2) Picking up the dog 3) Grocery shopping 4) Working out with Kel 5) Driving my parents to the airport 6) Hanging some decor 7) Hanging with three big black dogs. Hmm.

Fishies

Goldfish. You know, those little yellow cheesy crackers shaped like fishies? Have you had them since elementary school? If not… give them a whirl again! But buyer beware! They are super yummy but addicting.

How did I get back into Goldfish? I had originally wanted to include two real goldfish per centerpiece at our wedding. Logistically, it did not work out. Plus I did not want people to be grossed out if the fish went belly up halfway through dinner. To keep with the up north “fish” type theme, we decided to have Goldfish as a snack during our cocktail hour.

Lakes Area Photography

Quick side note: I loved everything about our wedding. Nothing was really missed, majorly screwed up, or overly dramatic. It was more than I thought it would turn out to be (as you maybe could have seen from my constant happy tears during the ceremony that continued well into the next day opening gifts). I am soooo grateful for all of the fabulous people that helped pull everything together.

(Note the ugly cry face... it stayed there pretty much the whole ceremony!) Photo by Tom Hall

One thing that I personally kind of screwed up on was communication. I slightly blame my parents… they are not the greatest communicators and I learn from my elders, right? I had all these awesome visions and I did my part to make these things come to fruition. However… I forgot about telling key people what I envisioned. I don’t know if I assumed they knew, if I thought I already told them, or if I simply was so busy I forgot. Either way… it happened with a few things over the course of the weekend.

Back to the Goldfish. I calculated enough to fill the vases at least once and then possibly a refill or two. Yes, I asked people to fill them up for me during set up, but I forgot to communicate the role of refilling. I also forgot to communicate the fact that “a full bar” during the reception means to me: beer, wine, hard liquor the entire time (7pm-midnight)… but more on that another time.

So because I did not communicate the need to refill the vases and I also probably overestimated how much people would eat... we are left with quite the abundance of Goldfish! I put one of the large bags in my desk at work. My thinking was "better this than something from the vending machine." But maybe I was off track... these things are addicting! Especially when you have a never-ending super huge bag of them :) Oh well. Either I will get my fill and won't buy them again until I have kiddos or I will buy a much, much smaller bag once this one runs out. I'll be sure to let you know if they become a staple in my lunch bag.

Pics from Date Night!

Last night was AWESOME! And much needed :)

I got stuck at work a little late, then had to get gas on my way home. So by the time I got home, it was almost 6pm. I had wanted to stop at Target and pick up a new sundress. And I had wanted to take the time to do my hair and get "prettied up" for my man. Needless to say... my plans flew out the window. My hair was a mess, my dress wasn't my fav, and it was hot and humid out.

But... every little stress seemed to flow out of the car as we eased down the hill into old downtown Stillwater. The closer we got to the water, the better we felt. I love how water eases my troubles! I've had a love affair with water since I can remember.

Our first stop was at Northern Vineyards for a little wine tasting. We tried four whites, one blush, four reds, and a dessert wine. Some were fabulous and some were almost gross. We agreed on three bottles to purchase: Yellow Moccasin, Old Vines, and "Red". Then we each got a glass of our favorite taste of the evening and headed upstairs to their shaded deck overlooking the river. I chose Mainstreet Red and Tony chose "Red"... they were huge portions for only $4 each. Yum! We were feeling pretty good and definitely very hungry by the end of our wine excursion.

We walked down the street to a place called Charlie's looking for a good app and a cold drink. Unfortunately their kitchen was super backed up because of a wedding (about 30-45 minute wait on any food order). We were starving so we kept walking. We came up to the Freight House next and sat on their ginormous patio for some artichoke dip and drinks. After a little more walking and the sun setting, we were ready for some dinner.

We picked the Dock Cafe and it was absolutely delicious! I highly recommend it! I had the halibut with mango pineapple salsa, asparagus, and herb baby reds. Tony had the twin tenderloins with green beans and mashed potatoes. It was melt in your mouth wonderfulness! See his excitement below:

After dinner we walked along shore back to our car, listening to the waves, faint music in the background, small lights flickering here and there. Date Night was a SUCCESS!

Date Night

Tony and I are having a wedding-free date night tonight! We are venturing out to Stillwater for some yummy wine tasting at Northern Vineyards. After that, we are planning to do some window shopping around town and grab a bite to eat. Hopefully this rain will stop! Any good recommendations on places to eat in Stillwater?

Time's A-Tickin!

BREATHE. DON'T WORRY. I'M IN LOVE AND THAT'S ALL THAT MATTERS!

(Fall 2005)

So much to do, so little time! I just have to learn to let the little things go. Everyone will have a wonderful time no matter what centerpieces I have or how cramped the tables are. Or how long or short the ceremony is. Speaking of ceremony... I have a rough draft of the order! Just need our pastor's input and we should be set. Happy to check something off the list in a time when it feels like nothing is getting checked off, things keep being added, and time is running out.

P.S. The ceremony will make you cry! It is very sweet :0)

Marriage Mentor

We met with our marriage mentors for the first time about a week and a half ago. They are a great couple that hosted our table at our marriage prep class earlier this spring at Hosanna. Earlier in the year, Tony and I each took an inventory about personalities, family stuff, and future ideals. Now we get to meet with our mentor couple a few times before the wedding to go over what our answers meant. Our first topic was communication... which is a BIG one for any couple!

We got to go back and forth talking about our strengths and weaknesses when it comes to communicating with each other. We also learned how to be more assertive and to actively listen to our spouse's needs and requests. One of our topics was about how I get worked up and talk really loud when I'm excited about something, whether that is good excited or mad excited. I go "dino" on Tony (like Dino on The Flintstones, I start talking super fast and get louder and louder). Tony is definitely much more of a quiet volume guy and I like it loud.

So when I was shopping at Target the other day, I thought this little sign was a very relevant little reminder for me to put up somewhere in our new place:

B-E-A-Utiful

So I have been noticing lately that I am starting to get some nasty crow's feet around my eyes! Check it out:

I figured I better start to freshen up my look since we are close to one month away! Here are my new essentials:

Got my hair, tan, teeth, feet, fitness, skin, and eyes all covered hopefully :)

Hillbilly Bone

Ever heard of the country song "Hillbilly Bone"? Well my hubby-to-be definitely has that bone! Check out this thing Tony put together for our surround sound speaker:

Yup, you saw it right... gauze, twine, and dangling from our curtain rods. I'm glad he is so handy & savvy ;)

P.S. If you see speaker mounts/stands on sale anywhere, please let me know.

Painting

I've been busy unpacking & cleaning... Tony's been a painting fool... and Jax... he's just soakin it all in! I will take some pics of our progress tonight and post soon :)