What we're all about.

I just realized that I don't have an "About Us" section on this here space. And though many of you probably know us personally, I thought it would be a good idea to fill everyone else in.
*Plus, then it's here for future reference as well and I'll update it as needed.

This is me. From almost 5 years ago. 

It's one of my favorite pictures.

This is Kyle. On his birthday.

He hates pictures.

We are both Midwest born and raised who met at college and became friends. Seriously. 

Two and a half years later, we decided to try this dating thing. 

13 months after our first date, we got engaged. 

Less than four months later we were married. 

And now, five and half years after we met, almost three years after our first date, and 18 months after our wedding--we are in a home with a dog and real grown-up jobs.

We love Jesus, family, friends, our home, and the challenges life throws our way.

*I'm fairly confident that I can speak for Kyle when I say these things. 

I love to read, crochet, quilt, bake, and cook, and be busy almost all day long. 

Kyle loves music, reading, projects, and alone time.

We get along real well. :)

We plan out our meals based on silly names like "Taco Tuesday" or "Weftover Wednesday". Every Friday is our homemade pizza and a movie (or T.V. show...depends on the week) night.

We drink coffee like it's going out of style.

There's a Husky tool cart in our dining room...as our kitchen cart. The entire top drawer is filled with loose leaf and bags of tea.

I love my iPhone. Kyle forgets he has a mobile phone.

Butter and cream are staples in our home. *Thank you, Kyle*

We have so many cookbooks that they get their own bookshelf.

This is just a short snippet into our lives. Get to know us. We'd love to get to know you.

On that note, if you want to know more about us or have questions, feel free to leave comments below or contact me through this here blog. 

So this is happening.

Here's what's going down. I've decided that I'm going to read more this year.

However, I may have bitten off more than I can chew for January. I'm currently reading these two books:

and

And in case you've forgotten...book club starts up this month! Wahoo!! We've already got a few people joining in. Please join us too!

That being said--our book this month is:

At this rate, I'm going to be more well-read than I've been in years! Here's the thing. I love to read--I always have. And I attribute that love of reading to my dad. Sure, my mom liked to read too--but it was my dad who I saw sitting in his chair in the living room reading as many Tom Clancy novels and Louis L'Amour books as he could get his hands on.

If you feel so inclined, take a look at my Goodreads profile. It'll show you what I'm reading currently, what I've already read, what I hope to read, and where I'm at in my yearly reading goal. *It's 24 books, by the way.*

Now off you go...read some Night.

Year Goals {By the Numbers}

I don't usually do resolutions for each new year. I've seen monthly goals and I've seen year long goals. I've been thinking about what my goal(s) should be for this year.

Do I want to lose weight?
Do I want to read (school books, self-help, my Bible, etc) more?
Do I want to foster better relationships?
Do I want to pay off lots of my loans?
Do I want to grow more as a teacher?

There are so many things that I want to achieve. But I've decided that I want to have just one goal.

Be the best that I can be.

That's my one goal for 2015. I want to be the best:

*wife, teacher, writer, friend, daughter, sister, cousin, aunt, sister-in-law, daughter-in-law, person*

that I can be.

The hardest part about this goal is trying to find ways to achieve it. So what's happening this year, is I'm setting small goals to help me achieve my ultimate goal.

One day a week, I'm going to send a message to a friend or family member letting them know how much they mean to me.
Two days a week, I'm going to sit down and have some me time. No distractions. For 30 minutes.
Three days a week, I'm going to the gym. It can be for 20 min or 120 minutes (hah!).
Four days a week, I'm going to bring my own coffee to work. No more buying coffees regularly.
Five days a week, I'm going to cook homemade suppers (seven if we're really ambitious).
Five days a week, we're going to bed earlier for school.
Six days a week, I'm going to read out of an actual book before I go to bed.
Seven days a week, I'm going to show my husband how much I love him (I'm sure there'll be a series of posts of how that's going...)

I know there are more things I'm going to do...if I want to be a better writer and teacher, maybe I'll commit to reading 4 teaching books this year and writing in this space a few times a week. If I don't write here, I'll have to write somewhere else too.

Stay tuned. 

I'm sure I'll have more updating to do on this goal. 

Goodbye 2014, Hello 2015!

As good as my intentions were over Christmas and most of school break, they did not come to fruition. Yikes! It's already NYE 2014! Where did time go?!

So today is the day where I finally post for the last time in 2014. It's been a fun year and a growing year. I'm sure most of you didn't start reading until May-ish...or after. And as much as I write for others, I write for myself too.

See, I've never been good a writing in a journal. Sure...I've kept one off and on since I was probably 10. But it wasn't until Freshmen year of college, that I had a strong desire to write. Some of my sweet friend bought me a journal...it was a small journal and it lasted my entire college career and single life. I started my second journal right before (or was it after...no matter) Kyle and I got married. It was a good time to transition from my college journal to my grown-up wife journal. Since we've been married, we've moved twice and I've lost misplaced my journal.

"Why is she telling us all of this??"

All of this to say, that this journal blog has been a great outlet for me over the last 14 months-ish. I love words, reading, and writing. And for me to have a place to write and have a creative outlet has been phenomenal. So, a big "Thank you!" is reserved for each and every one of you who reads in this little space.

Now, on to the good stuff. No, I'm not going to do a recap of this last year. I think I will save that for sometime in January when I'm just itching to recap.

But today...today is the final day in 2014 where I put in a plug for you to join Aubrey and myself on our book club journey! The Second Chance Book Club officially begins tomorrow! Wahoo!

It doesn't matter where you're at, if you have a blog or not, if you've read it before...we want you to join us! Follow the link above to see the list for the year. But to kick us off...we're starting with:

Night by Elie Wiesel 

Please join us in reading and come back on the last Thursday of the month (Jan. 29) for our discussion! I'm hosting Night this month, so come back here to get your discussion questions sometime the week before. (I hope to have the questions up by Jan. 22....please hold me to that!)

Now, go and enjoy your NYE2014 and we'll see you all in 2015!

A house, you say?

You may recall reading this post and possibly this too. Well, I can officially say that we

OWN A HOUSE!

I know, I know...Kyle is shaking his head right now saying, "Well, technically the bank owns it because of our mortgage and we'll be making payments on that." That's true. BUT! We do have a house, we have the keys and we have a place to call our own.

One day I'll write the whole saga of our house hunting horrors (alliteration, anyone?). And in reality, it wasn't that bad. We didn't start out on the right foot, so that was a bit of a let down for us. Once we found the realtor, the house, and the lender, everything fell into place and happened extremely fast. Praise the Lord for some fabulous people to work with.

*More on our realtor and our banker later. But if you need someone...seriously...look them up.*
*Read about our awesome realtor here*

We put in an offer at the beginning of November and we closed December 15. Everything was super condensed and we wouldn't have been able to do it without support. Our parents play a huge role in our lives and we are so thankful for them. 

*Again, more about that later*

All of this to say, again, that we own a house. Our very own house that we hope to soon call a home. So, if you're in our neck of the woods this Saturday (from 11-2ish)...please stop by and say "Hi!" and maybe carry in a box or two. 

Twin Cities Favorites!

Kyle and I just returned from a conference in Bloomington, MN. While we were there, we spent time with family, met some new friends, and ate some good food. We had a good time and we look forward to returning to the MSP area soon.

We always say that--but we really do mean it!

While we were in the Twin Cities (and 'burbs), I kept thinking back to my time at NWC UNWSP. I spent one year of my college career in St. Paul and I fell in love with some places in the area. Granted...I wasn't there quite long enough to find all of the hidden gems in the bustling metro, I did quickly find my favorites. It also feels like I find a new favorite almost every time we venture back. So here are my:

5 Places You Should Visit When in MSP:

Brit's Pub
Do you like: Lawn bowling? Great food? A fun atmosphere?
If you answered yes to any of these three questions, check out Brit's Pub in the Nicollet Mall.

Tea Gardens
I fell in love with this place during college. My beverage of choice: their signature Iced Royal Tea with Pearls

Target Field
Any Twins fans in the house? Even if you're not a Twins fan...maybe you're rooting for their opponents. Even still...check out the brand new stadium. It's an experience all ages can enjoy.

Minneapolis Institute of Art
One of my favorite locations in Minneapolis is MIA. This museum is FREE every day and the pieces are phenomenal! They've got exhibits which rotate and certain exhibits I count on seeing every time I'm there. Plus...it's one of the best date places! *Did I mention it's free??

Walker Art Center & Sculpture Gardens
During the winter months this location might not be at the top of your list...but during any of the warmer months (basically not late Nov-early March), you'll have a fun time!

Book Club starts soon!

How in the world can it be December already?! It feels like this school year was just beginning. And not long after Kyle and I spent time in Duluth.

Just this last weekend we celebrated Thanksgiving with family. Now we've got both feet into December and there's no looking back. Before we know it, we will be ringing in the new year in a new house, hopefully!

I know you've been waiting for a house update. I don't want anything to fall through, so once it's finalized, you'll be the first to hear. Honest!

You may've noticed that I added a new tab to the top of my blog last week. Aubrey and I are teaming up to bring .... "The Second Chance Book Club"  to a computer/phone/tablet screen near you!

Take a look at it. We are really excited to have a "second chance" to read books that weren't taught in high school or we read but didn't fully appreciate the first time around. We'd love to have you join us. We've even created a button for you to put on your blog when you join up with us!

The plan is to take turns leading the discussion every month. Hopefully you won't get sick of either one of us by then!

Stay tuned, because we'll be posting more about it in the next month leading up to 2015!!! Crazy!