When you can't beat them...write a bitchy post about them...

So I'm having one of those days....well one of those weeks to be honest....but I feel the need to have a little moment and this seemed to be the perfect forum....strap on your bitch goggles....this one's going to be a doozy...

Sometimes...when you live in a place that is so different from everything you've ever known....you have days where you just miss home. period. And on those special days EVERYTHING about the place you're in....especially the people...make you want to punch something cute and furry right smack dab in the face.  Today was no exception for me. Let me start at the very beginning....

From the moment I work up this morning I wanted to slap someone....we're talking about sooo raging the term "waking up on the wrong side of the bed" doesn't even begin to touch it. (but that's for a different post, a different day...and probably a different blog all together) So I decided to do what I do best...put my big girl panties on...and get over it all by myself...with the help of my two friends Target and Starbucks. I feel the need to let the world know that I have two loves in this life....and they are Target and Starbucks....they are the simple pleasures in my life that can right any wrong....I can spend hours in Target and spend endless amounts of money I don't have any day of the week....until today. Today....this friendship may be over. (Or at least put on hold until I return to a land of people with manners). The people of Iowa have NO manners....and no this is not an exaggeration....I am in fact holding them fully accountable for the end of a perfectly happy love affair.  Let me list it out for you: Please read this list carefully....because if you are indeed one of these people...you need to check yourself and all that you consider sacred. It's time for a come to Jesus moment. 

• First and foremost...your mother should have taught you long before now....to look both ways. NO ONE here looks both ways....HELL they hardly even look ONE way when crossing traffic. And every single time I have to fight that little devil on my shoulder not to come dangerously close to almost running them over and ending their ignorant life. I used to get mad at people for the lack of a courtesy wave....but I'm pretty sure looking both ways trumps courtesy waves in the book of pedestrian etiquette every time.  
• Second.....and this goes hand in hand with point #1....outside of your own little bubble...is called the world. Open your eyes...and welcome to it. If I have said it once...I have said it a million times...people here do.not.care. We're talking beyond DGF. The traffic light is green....the Iowan says: I'm going to sit here till it turns yellow what?!.....Oh and don't even get me started on who's supposed to yield to who at a 4 way stop....IT'S CALLED DRIVERS ED PEOPLE!!! And as I sit here and stew over the lack of knowledge when it comes to the rules of the road here...point #3 that I'm about to make...is now becoming painfully clear to me....
• When in Target...there are "sides" to an isle...especially the major ones. Find yours and get in it...we are in America! Sure there's no painted yellow line down the middle...but hell here...maybe their should be! There is no rhyme or reason to ANY flow of traffic when it comes to isles in Target. It's how I imagine mine fields in a war zone. People are coming at you from every angle and every direction....and you best try your hardest not to bitch slap the lady that side swipes you with her buggy because you guessed it...there is no "oh my goodness I'm so sorry's" in this part of the country only DGF's! And oh you see somebody you know....just stop in the middle of the isle so people have to maneuver around you in the maddness. Never should that ever be allowed...simply pull your cart out of the way of traffic and catch up with your friend....it's.not.that.hard.
• Oh you were changing lanes in the check out line.....please...go ahead of me as I was clearly here before you. By all means...don't worry about the person behind you with 2 items! In people's obvious lack of awareness of the world around them...it is not uncommon to get cut off when choosing your checkout lane....but don't you think for one little second that ANYONE will give up being first in line. If you do let someone go ahead of you with fewer items...I kid you not people look at you funny. It's called home training...obviously lacking in Iowa households for generations. 

As I stew and stew over all the miserable-ness that was my last ever weekend Target makes me happy run...I realize the list could go on...for bullets and bullets....but even all the rants my sweet southern heart could muster would never change the minds of these hardened Iowans. And that my friends is the saddest point of this whole post. Say your prayers for this sad state....they are leading the way to hell in their lazily woven hand basket. 

Even on the rainy days the sun will shine again....here's to hoping for a better tomorrow....for the sake of all things cute and furry....until we're home again...may the bitchy days be fewer and farther between.....Amen.

Wedding Recaps

This summer has been full of weddings for us...and when I say full...I really only mean two. But those two were weddings of some VIP's in our lives so they made this wedding season feel a little extra "full".

April is now not only my Birth Month (aka: a national holiday in this household) but now includes the wedding anniversary of one of my closest friends. Stacy and Steven got hitched the weekend after my B-day (April 14th) in Raleigh. Let me start by saying it was an honor and a privilege to get to stand with my bestie on her big day as a b-maid and I can't wait to watch their lives unfold together as husband and wife. Although I attended this wedding sans David, my trip to Raleigh was still a super special one. There's something about spending the few days leading up to your best friends big day with your fav girls that pulls at the heart strings just a little bit! Getting to see all the details (esp. the ones I got to help with a little here and there along the way) come together for her was probably one of my fav parts. There's also something about standing with a best friend and watching the love of her life pledge his love and devotion to her that's also super special and is a moment I will hold near and dear to my heart forever.
By the end of the night there were def a few happy tears shed for my bestie. I must say bmaid duties are tough....it's almost like giving away your best friend to the man of her dreams....something that should be so easy...but still deserving of a few heartfelt tears. I love these girls with all my heart...married or not we'll be besties forever!!!



The second wedding this year was last weekend in Orlando. I should probably preface this whole paragraph (however long it might get) with how much we were both looking forward to this trip. David's brother Eric and his ever so faithful and patient bride Kim had been dating for 10 YEARS!!!!  I'm not sure if ya'll know this or not...but 10 years is like a whole entire decade of dating. For that reason (and many others of course) I could not think of two more deserving people in this world to FINALLY tie the knot. As a joke David and I say we're on the "Kim and Eric plan" --- and I'm sure they get a lot of jokes about waiting forever to finally take the plunge...but their wedding proved....good things do come to those who wait.Their wedding week extravaganza was beyond perfect. If I said it was the wedding of the decade....I would not be lying.  
I should also start by saying how much I LOVE David's family. (All 765843967894357 of them...ok just 10 but still sometimes it feels gigantic) All of his siblings...from the oldest to the youngest and everyone in between....brothers and sisters alike will go out of their way to make every moment of every occasion the best...and this wedding was no exception. Although it took 2 days for everyone to finally arrive (with a fam of 10 siblings + kids + spouses/significant others....that's pretty darn good)....it was non stop love, laughs, and amazing times. 
While majority of down time was spent at the pool...there were a few days with specific plans. Friday the brothers and other groomsmen/friends played golf while some of us had a Disney day.

I had made dresses for the girls...and they were absolutely adorable in them!! We all got split up once in the park but I would have LOVED to experience the Magic Kingdom through the eyes of a little princess!! Turns out everyone had an awesome awesome day!







After Disney was the Rehearsal Dinner...aka another fabulous night with the Domis fam. Kim decorated their neighborhood club house esp. for Eric (in all Clemson orange and poker theme...his two fav things) and it was awesome.

This photo quality kinda sucks but who knows when the next time all siblings (+ their significant others) will ever be in the same place at the same time and in the same picture no less....so sometimes you just gotta take what you can get!

There was a "southern style" dinner and their friends and fam took the time to get up and say a few heart felt words of congrats to the happy couple. It was awesome to hear stories and to hear all the love in the room for two people was pretty awesome as well. It reaffirmed my suspicions that the Domis fam is a wonderful one to marry into and this may be in bad form to say....but since everyone else was already saying it anyway....I can't wait till its our turn! ;)

After tons of fam time the big day finally arrived and the Domis family gained another!! I cried 3 times in the ceremony...first seeing the look on Eric's face when he first saw his bride (the church was very open so there was really no hiding her)...when they both got choked up during their vows (it was amazing the love that was between those two in that blessed place...amazing)...and when they were presented to their friends and fam as Mr. and Mrs. and her dad was crying (I'm pretty sure I would have carried my dad back down the isle with us if I saw him in tears...but it was such a sweet moment). So lots of things were official...me being a crier at weddings was one of them.

After the ceremony the party got started in the most massive of hotels I have ever seen in my life. The Gaylord Palms was a resort and convention center and I kid you not...there was everything from a ship (that was a restaurant) in that hotel...to alligators....to a water park (ok it was just like 3 huge water slides and 2 pools...but that might as well be a water park). Cocktail hour was in a castle like "fortress" for cryin out loud! It was amazing...and their homemade Sangria was pretty good too! ;) After cocktails we hiked the 3.5 miles (not really but it was a pretty far haul across the massive hotel) to the reception ballroom...which was HUGE and so beautifully decorated.
After the bride and groom were introduced they wasted no time...they danced a very short first dance...thanked everyone for coming and immediately told everyone that the party started NOW....and from that point on....people were either on the dance floor or at the bar....oh yea and they probably hit up the 758643968493 food stations in between. Their reception was anything but traditional....and it was everything that was "them". And I think that made it AWESOME.

The food was amazing (I had fish tacos)  the drinks were amazing, the cake was DELISH, the photo booth was hilarious, the music was spot on, even the bathrooms had sursy's for the guests. Kim seriously thought of anything and everything and wrapped it all up in one sweet sweet package of a wedding.  I don't think anyone could have had a horrible time if they TRIED!!!! And I'm pretty sure that is one of the perks of waiting a lifetime to marry the perfect man for you....you get a wedding full of love....from all of your friends (who they both acquired together along the way), to your families who know that you are the perfect couple...perfect for each other in every way...with 10 years of a life together to prove it!
So while "the Kim and Eric plan" may include a lifetime of waiting for that bling....their wedding proves that it is definitely worth the wait...for so many reasons.

I don't know how many times "your next" was said to us over the course of our trip (or how much its said to us in our everyday lives in general)....but if we can end up as happy as all of the married Domis' then I don't care how long it takes to be next....I would be happy waiting a lifetime. Returning to Iowa was bitter sweet....the bitter part being that we had to leave sunny Florida and return to Iowa...the sweet part being we got to return a little happier couple than we may have left. That's the thing about seeing those you love declare their love for each other on such special occasions...it sparks something in you that may have sort of flickered in the crazy business of life. It makes you realize that the love a couple shares with each other is something to be treasured....something to be polished up and set out there for the world to see....a wonderful example that in a harsh reality...true love wins and real couples who are in it for better or for worse....really do get their happily ever after.

A heart full of joy when I say congrats to the Cash's and the Domis'....two very deserving couples....may their marriages be blessed with a lifetime of happiness....and may they have many years of marriage advice to offer David and I when we cash in our Kim and Eric plan.

We're back!

Were you wondering where the heck we've been??? Have missed reading all of our oh so exciting posts?? Did you think we quit life?

{Have no fear...we're out of hibernation! }

That's right...winter appears to be over......and we couldn't BE any more excitied!!!  We're having 70 degree days and sunshine all week long and so far our screen door has been open to let all that wonderful fresh air in ...and it feels FABULOUS!
There will probably be another freeze or two...and who knows with the way the weather is here probably another snow....but all in all the "worst" of winter is behind us. I use quotes around "worst" because this winter really hasn't been all that bad. We've had snow here and there, and freezing cold weather and that whole winter thing for sure...but it definately hasn't been as bad as it could have been and for that we are definately thankful!
 Spring time means we're back in the game folks....

Good bye winter blues...hello sunshine!

David turns the Big 2-9!

We celebrated a big bday this week!!!

Happy Birthday to David!!!!!

He turned the Big 2-9 on Tuesday and since we didn't get to celebrate on the actual date last year....so this year just getting to be together...AND celebrate....it was a pretty big deal. (Also me not having to work def was the icing on the chocolate bday cake....but I'm getting ahead of myself)


Since we didn't get to spend his bday together last year (because I was already here...and he was still back home) I decided to make everything about the day extra special.  So I got up extra early and decorated the apt. (I've decorated our house every year we've been together...and was super sad I didn't get to last year....it's one of my fav things about bdays!)

Since there's absolutely no where to hide (or keep secret) anywhere in this apt....I then made a trip to Target to get some party supplies. Balloons, plates, streamers, the works.....

We had already planned to have dinner and celebrate with my parents (b/c that's a Domis tradition....dinner and gift opening festivities with the parents...however this celebration proved to be a great deal more low key than any Domis bash) and he had already decided he wanted BBQ and chocolate cake....

So after my Target party supply run...my mom and I went to Jimmy Jacks for the bbq--- let me just say their bbq is the most like home that we've had here....however they were lacking in the carb heavy side department (but that's par for the course in this neck of the woods!)

After errands were all run...and supplies were gathered....time was running out before David was due home from work. (I'm pretty sure time is the #1 reason people don't wait till the last minute to plan a party...but hey that's how we roll) We threw together more decorations....

 (Of course we had to do a sports theme...it is David after all)

....then a quick wrap job on a fun gift from my parents.....

(we didn't have a box or enough gift wrap for the massive box...so we wrapped it in fabric...BRILLIANT! I'm totally requesting all my gifts from here on our be wrapped in fabric...it's like two gifts in one! ....but I digress....)

....next up was the cake....and of course while it was baking there was a split second for craft time....

Then FINALLY the Bday boy was home!!!! Let the party Begin!

Dinner was DELISH!

After dinner it was time for gift opening!! My parents ended up getting him a "drive up" ramp system (for when he works on our cars) and I got him some shelves to organize the garage (per his request and also not pictured here...) 

Also a big thank you to Renee and Matt for their delish Buffalo Wild Wing gift card they sent (that we used last night!) and also to Laurie and Brian for the generous gift card to Outback! (which we can't wait to use!) And a big thanks to everyone for all the Bday love....I know all the texts and phone calls really made his day extra special!

After gifts it was time for that delish chocolate cake.....

    It was to.die.for.

The party ended with some fun board games and a little Amazing Race action on the Wii...

Happy Birthday Pookie Bear!!!

Another year for the memory books!

Happy Bday David Part Deux:

Weekend Edition

Because I'm an awesome girlfriend (and I too often feel cheated when my bday falls on a week day) .... AND because I had this weekend off....I decided to continue the bday celebrations and give David full control over our weekend plans. While I would have had a hayday with that kind of free range....David would have probably sat on the couch all day .... but again....awesome girlfriend....researched gun ranges on the trusty ole google and found one about 45 min away...pack your range bag bday boy....adventure calls! 

As a side note....I'm pretty sure I've conquered my crazy uncomfortable-ness/extreme anxiety when it comes to visiting places that looks like that pictured to the left.....thanks Iowa for all things DGF that you have instilled in me...how liberating!

So as we pull up to this otherwise terrifying gun range (that I'm pretty sure we may not have been able to get to if there had been snow on the ground without a 4 wheel drive super huge redneck  truck)...we walk through the "front door" and let me just say.... I was absolutely amazed. The people there were SO nice....they greeted us (which doesn't happen here very often...which you already know if you have ever read any post in this blog)... and welcomed us! They also chatted it up as we filled out paper work (also never happens)...we joked around... and as we're talking to the friendly redneck gun range owners (aka good ole wholesome down home boys)...we find that they have outdoor ranges...which I've been telling David we should try...and also since it warmed up (to a balmy 35 degrees)...we decided to skip the indoor (claustrophobic anxiety attack waiting to happen on my part) range and head straight outside. So the guys walked out with us...showed us around...and set us up..and we were ready to go!

 The guy set up our range which was super nice... and David set up the "gun stuff" and it was time to shoot!!

David of course popped off some rounds top shot style....and I sat back and took some photos (which btw these were taken with my phone...because DAVID was too embarrassed for me to bring my camera along....I told him I'd tell the range people that I'd be sure to advertise for them on our oh so popular blog...but he still wouldn't let me....good thing my awesome photography skills got us some good photos inspite of the crappy camera phone!)

 <~~~~~ Check out that top shot photography shot I got...awesome!


Then it was my turn!!!  P.s. this photo was staged for everyone's safety... I did however shoot some pretty awesome rounds after I learned how to aim!!! I shot AND hit the target twice!!!

<~~~ See PROOF! It was loads of fun after I got the hang of it!!! (at the risk of sounding like a redneck)



So the range was a success...and thus Happy Bday David Part Deux was a success! We had a great day and can't wait for summer to do some more out door shooting!!! We also found a "popular" pizza joint in the next town over that we'll be sure to try next time we venture out to the country!!!!

Next year...it's the big 3-0 .... I better start planning now!!!!

We're in the thick of it here in Iowa.....Winter is here to stay!

You know that feeling of dodging a bullet and escaping your worst night mare come true??? Well that has been our feeling so far this winter. With a few snow "flurries" and no "real" (read significant) accumulation we've totally lucked out in the whole "winter weather" department so far (think South Carolina snow/winter weather and that's what our winter has equated to)....until yesterday.

*cue daunting suspenseful music*

All that snow and cold we have been escaping from late October/November until now was dropped on us like an ice cold atomic bomb yesterday in the form of blizzard/blowing snow, zero visability, and freezing temps (we're talking negative double digit windchill).  The worst part about it all....the towns down shut down like they do back home in dreadful  winter weather. You don't stay home and watch tv/play in the snow here.....no.....you put on that huge heavy coat over your hoodie, mittens, hats, scarves and every pair of pants you own and brave it girlfriend! You go to work (in spite of the panic attack you have trying to drive there), and you carry on your day to day activities as if it were a bright and sunny day at the beach! I'm going to tell you all right now there is nothing like the feeling of getting your breath taken away from you as you get blasted with icy wind/snow in your face when you step out the door to try and brave the roadways! Yesterday was the most terrifying day we've had to date. So now that it's done and over with and put behind us....I decided to take some photos of the day after our snowy doomsday.....put on your coats SC friends...you may get cold even looking at these photos!!

If this view alone doesn't make you want to stay inside curled up on the couch under a huge heavy blanket in your warmest pj's I don't know what does! While you may see all that snow out of our hallway window....you don't feel the wind....and that's what gets ya every time!!!!!!!

This is the view from our building down our "courtyard" area looking towards the bike trail....I'm going to take a little "photo" walk with you down (and back up) that side walk and I want you to notice how right in front of me it looks like just a dusting of snow on the ground.....

.....look at how the snow was blown between the buildings....almost covering the AC units and the bushes....it's crazy to see how some places look completely bare...and then right beside you there's this huge pile of snow that's up over your knees! (the parking lot and sidewalks were scraped by the landscaping crew...but in between the buildings was done by pure wind....that's crazy!)

My fav thing about when it snows alot...is when they scrape the sidewalks and they make these little "tunnels" .... when we had the real blizzard last year (when there were snow drifts over your head and a couple of feet of snow) the tunnels really were crazy...like almost up to your waist crazy! Needless to say it makes taking winter walks fun!

P.S. Have you ever seen snow that's covered the bottom of a door before??? Now you have!!! Now that's what us southerners call "snowed in"!!!

Here are more snow drifts around the buildings looking back up the sidewalk...you can see how some of them are totally covering the bushes!

This is the view of where you drive into our parking lot from our "driveway" into our complex...see those HUGE drifts that are almost up to our road sign???? yea all that was covering the parking lot when I came in from work last night at midnight....let me just say it was a challenge just trying to park...but I managed like a pro! My car may be old.....but Charlie Cavalier was a champ on the road way yesterday and took great care of me in my snow panic stupor!

And I can't leave out the view of our porch!!! Our mat (that is atleast a couple of inches thick) is all covered up in there somewhere....who wants to enjoy a nice sunny sit on the porch in our snow covered chairs?!!!!!

Joke of the day: Last night at work (when the overnight nurses were coming in) the staffing office called to make sure everyone made it in ok....I loudly stated that if I could make it in...no one else could even have an excuse....and let me just say...the humor is in the truth of that statement!

It is still snowing out there right now (and while I was taking these photos...take your moment...feel special) with flurries in the forecast for the rest of the day ...and after braving the apocalypse yesterday...I'm not even scared of the roadways today (mostly because I can actually see the actual road....and I don't have to guess where I'm driving)!  So Winter is finally among us...and I think it's safe to say....she's going to stick around awhile! We're hoping to get to break in the snow toys Santa brought this weekend....stay tuned for the snow filled fun to come!

Quick Snipit BoozeDay Tuesday

I don't know about ya'll...but I'm pretty sure if I had to take some psych evaluation where they ask me the date, day, time, year and/or who was president....they'd probably determine I'm all kinds of crazy. It seems like ever since Christmas I don't know what day it is....what year it is...if it's a weekday, a work day, or a vacay....I'm all kinds of confused. Fortunately I have a few more weeks of "winter break" to work out all the kinks before classes start back....and then I'll have to come up with new excuses for my crazyness. In my crazy mix up of what day it is...I thought: "I'm pretty sure I haven't given yall an update/snipit of what's going on with us in a while...I should probably do that"...and who knows....maybe it will help me get my days straight!

So here ya'll go:

Your BoozeDay Tuesday Quick Snipit Update

{1}

I've decided to kick off our "healthy whole food" eating goal by incorporating atleast 3 new "healthy" recipes a week (this way it's actually an easier transition and we can still use some of the "junk" we have in our cabinets without being wasteful...and by this I really mean hopefully when it's all said and done David won't even realize we don't have junk in the cabinets anymore...he doesn't do well cold turkey) So here's my 3 things to try this week:

• Granola bars/cereal (that I am going to use as a trail mixy/snack food)
• Pumpkin Muffins (which I may also try with sweet potatoes...since they are uber cheap right now)
• Pizza Pockets (I hear from my wwbfftwomom these are really good after they're frozen and reheated so I'm also going to try to make a bunch for my frozen dinners I have to eat when I work evenings)

{2}

We've also added a "new to do" on our 2012 list of things to do....call home more. David's sister Renee called David this weekend (and she does a really great job of calling us often...which we LOVE) and I think it really helps morale around here. I also talked to Bff Ashley last night and just getting to actually talk (instead of texting) can really make a difference in a mood let me tell ya. Bff Jamie said we only actually talked twice on the phone last year (we text like everyday multiple times a day) .... and that my friends is just unacceptable. So don't be surprised if you get lots of phone calls from us randomly....we  need to hear your voices!!!!!!!

{3}

This week I will be celebrating my 1 year anniversary of being in Iowa!!!! (January 5th) It's crazy to think how fast a year flies by. David and I were discussing anniversaries (since we NEVER celebrate ours) and realized that lots has happened this year!!!! I know I say this more and more...but this crazy town is actually starting to feel more and more like home. I've decided there were 3 "benchmarks" that occurred along the way as this place started more and more to feel like home:

• The first time was when we returned after our first trip away. (This was after the Domis Fam Kentucky Maraton weekend) We had already been here awhile and to get on the interstate heading south was the most amazing feeling there ever was. Getting to spend time with fam and being away....and then to return and unpack and resettle really helped with the needing of this place to feel like our "home." 
• The second "benchmark" of this place feeling like home was the first time I saw someone in public that I knew. I know this sounds weird...but every time I go out (whether it's to the grocery store, or to Target, or the mall or where ever) I never expect to see anybody I know (because obviously outside of my parents, and people we work with we really don't know anybody here...and up until this benchmark we really didn't even know the people at our jobs that well) But we've finally reached the point here to where we go out and see someone we know .... and that means we have friends!!!  Which is a milestone in and of itself (and is sort of the 3rd benchmark too)
• Having friends....knowing people (even if they are just the people we work with)...doing things outside of ourselves as a couple again is benchmark #3...it's really nice to have atleast one person you can call a "friend". Daivd and I are finally developing our circle here...and it's kind of nice...our "friends" here (and I'm using air quotes because who knows if they really consider US friends ...so I'm using the term loosely) are really teaching us about ourselves, this place, and what it is to be from this neck of the woods!  And it's def making this a little more "homey"

{4}

As I'm running out of time...I realized....big news that I can't forget...David has a B-day coming up this month...I'm trying to start my brainstorming process early so I can make this year super special (since last year we didn't get to celebrate together on the actual day!!)



{5}

Hope you've enjoyed this quick snipit installment on this lovely BoozeDay Tuesday .... I never lie when I say they're going to be quick....there's never enough time in the day!!! Hi Ho Hi Ho it's off to work we go!!!

Happy {almost} New Year and our "2012 Things to Do"

Let's face it...the whole "new years resolution thing" is a tad over rated...mostly because nothing anyone ever resolves to do ever lasts the whole entire year....and for this reason alone we feel like would be fooling ourselves if we made "resolutions" this year. Instead (because we're different)....David and I are making our 2012 "To Do List"--- It includes projects we want to complete, places we want to go, and changes we'd like to attempt to make.....there will be things added throughout the year....and there will be things checked off....and most importantly there will be things we never get to because as with any to do list....there will always be tomorrow......

So as another year comes to a close....and we say good bye to 2011....we bring to you...this one time only....special edition post:

{David and Jessica's 2012 To Do list}

{Oh The Places We Will Go!}

     So as you all know we LOVE to travel...weather its in our own back yard....to see our family and friends who are now far away....or to some place crazy...we want to see it and we will travel! Our big trips this year will probably be the two big weddings of the year-- My friend Stacy's wedding (in Raleigh NC) in April and David's brother Eric's wedding (in Orlando FL) in June. (Super stoked for both but they will def be our budget busters!) With that being said we will probably be doing lots of small day trips around the good ole state of Iowa to soothe that travel itch. Here's our list:

• First and foremost on the top of our list (as per David's request) we want to have a "skiing" trip this winter to Winterset Iowa (I'm only a little skeptical because I'm pretty sure Iowa isn't known for their ski resorts) -- The rec center does an over night ski trip (like you literally ski in the middle of the night) and we may sign up....
• Iowa Speedway (we've driven by it...but we're hoping to actually catch a race there next year!)
• The Herbert Hoover Museum (which isn't far at all from us and is a National Historic Site...and since David is a little nerd when it comes to history I think he'd really like to see it...I'll just have to take one for the team....or find a fabric/antique store near by for an even travel trade)
• Believe it or not there were atleast two classic movies filmed in Iowa (probably more) and we're thinking of doing a whole "movie themed day trip extravaganza" to see where The Bridges of Madison County was filmed and also the infamous Field of Dreams 
• Decorah Iowa also has a Billy Clock museum that looks pretty fun....and also a pretty big deal called "The Whippy Dip" (a small town ice cream shop) that I've been dying to go to purely for the name...however I've heard they have some pretty good ice cream too (We'll be sure to report back)

{Changin things up to keep things interesting}

     Needless to say as things become a little more routine around here, we're becoming a little more lazy in the healthy eating/physical activity department. I've always been a stickler for eating healthy and working out...and I don't want to fall into bad habits now!!!! (It's sooo easy to do when you're as busy as we are!) So on our list of changes to make this year:

• I want to do one whole year of whole foods (now this may sound a little out there...but with all the farmers markets and small town farms around here...I don't think it's going to be that difficult) Here is a link to my inspiration...we decided if we can make it through the winter....it's all down hill from there.....
• We also want to get back into running...with hopes of training for a few races by the end of 2012

**These 2 "To Do's" alone will be our years biggest challenges....let's hope they don't get scratched off early! We're counting on you friends and fam to keep us motivated!!!!**

{The Crafting/Project List}

     If you don't know my obsession with crafting...I don't know how you found this blog because you OBVIOUSLY don't know me. My mom and I pretty much find something to craft/make every spare second we're not working,eating, or sleeping....and this year I decided to have one ongoing project that will last the whole entire year. The inspiration started with this blog and her 365 project.....I'm not even going to pretend like I have time every single day to do any one particular thing (because sometimes my days are so jam packed I have to put breathing on my list of things to do) so as long as I keep at it with some sort of regularity I will be pleased with myself at the end of the year....

• The project: Grannies Gone Wild----one whole year of Granny Squares

I'm already so excited that I have my first color scheme picked out (pink, peacock, purple with black sparkles between the squares) and have been goin' granny wild ever since! The basic square is super simple and will probably be my first afghan....after I get the hang of it I'm going to graduate myself to the super intricate squares for my "Summer flower garden" afghan (I'm thinking a spring/summer color scheme with light cotton yarn) with lots of flower squares (they are probably the most tacky but alas my fav). As the project develops I hope to have more plans...but as of now that's all I've got (And as far as David is concerned that's far enough)

I don't know why I love Granny Squares (because everyone else seems to think they're uber tacky, David and my mom included) but ever since I was little my grandad always had one of my great grandma's Granny Square afghans on the bed in "my room" (i.e. the guest bed room that I stayed in as a child) and there was always something "magical" about it to me...it was so colorful and cheery looking...I was always drawn to it....and there began my Granny Square obsession. Don't ask questions...don't hate...those are the rules.

• Hopefully David will pick up a few hobbies/projects/activities as the year progresses (as golf his #1 go to activity can only be played a couple months out of the year here)....I can tell he misses soccer and other fun things he used to get into back home..but again will be added to the list as the year progresses.....

We hope the new year brings all of our friends and fam good health, happiness, and all the luck in the world! 2012 is going to be OUR year!