Grateful

I am really grateful for the people in my life.  Especially Mike, my family, and a few of my great girlfriends.  I really love weekends.  Like a lot.  I absolutely love being home all day with Mike and Lola.  In our home.  I also love going out and trying new things with friends.  I love trying new restaurants and occasionally getting my dance on.  I am hoping to be seeing a lot of my friends in the next few weeks.  Let's deck the halls with MEMORIES!!

On Friday, one of my bestest friends and bridesmaids came through Minneapolis.  She moved to South Carolina in October to live with her aunt, get experience in the dietetics program there, and follow her heart to try something new on the east coast!  I have been so excited to see her, and it was all I expected!  Of course, she has to come back to snow...which will make her never want to come back again, ugh!  We met for dinner at Black Sheep Pizza and caught up with gossip, each others lives, and what comes next. She has been such a great friend to me over the past...4 years now I suppose.  She is someone who always lets me be me.  My sarcasm, my honesty...and she truly appreciates me for the way I am.  Even though she is completely different than me in style, friends, etc, we fit perfectly as each others friends.  You mean a lot to me, Lex!!

Friday Night

2010

And now for my Mikey.  He truly treats me like a princess.  I am so lucky to have found someone to put up with my whining and impatience (and my good qualities, of course, haha!).  If it weren't for my brother having a short stint at NDSU, I wonder if Mike and I would have ever met...but I'm so thankful we did.   I was completely content with my 5-year-plan that began my junior year of high school.  4 years of college, move back to Litchfield, get married, a house and start popping out babies...all with a certain twin I was dating at the time.  It sounds bad when I say I had a boyfriend when I met Mike, but clearly my persistence (just to clarify, Mike did not persue me, I went after him) toward Mike was a good choice on my part!  I will never forget being at our first LDS/TKE exchange and proclaiming myself single for the first time and all the guys gave a good laugh, knowing my heart was already taken up by Mike :)  I am so glad he drug me out of my rut and opened me up to a "new world".

October 14, 2007...the 2nd time we saw each other

June 2012, Costa Rica on our Honeymoon

                       
We have now officially known each other for a bit over 5 years and have been dating a tad over 4.5 years.  And it has been fantastic!  We have lived together in Moorhead, Downtown Minneapolis, Golden Valley, Bloomington, Burnsville, and now Apple Valley :)  Lola has bee along for the ride for over 2.5 years as well.  There have been LOTS of ups and downs, but with Mike's patience and my persistence, we have made it through.  And again, I feel so lucky!

Saturday we had Mike's Holiday Party for work.  We ate family style at the Ginger Hop (wow, delicious) and headed back to their office for dessert and three new home brews from their kegerator.  Yes, they have one in their office.  And beer in the fridge...and can indulge any time they want.  Lucky, I know.  And they have a rooftop deck on their building they can use during the summer.  SPOILED.

Mexico work trip 2011, Cancun

Anywho, it was a great time to catch up with the spouses and his coworkers and prime up for their "Strategic Planning Retreat" in January...AKA our work trip to MEXICO!  We are going to Puerta Vallarta this year for 5 days, yippee!  This is also only 2 weeks before I go to Maryland for 4 days to see my cousin Aria.  I have a very exciting new year ahead of me :) !

I am a lucky, lucky girl, and although things don't always go my way, at least I've got great company along the way.  I love you all who make my life fantastic  :)