Girls Weekend

Tate was gone coaching @ state wrestling this weekend.  It was the perfect weekend for girl time.  One of my bridesmaids was coming home from California to visit.  I decided since she was home that I would have all the bridesmaids order their dresses.  Here are the BM dresses that I decided upon that all the girls loved.  This is the color I picked also.

I had most of my BM's over on Friday night.  My bestie brought her daughter, my godchild, with so it was fun to hang out and play with her.

Here Mya is getting to know Rylee.

Here are all the girls on Friday night.  I was laughing because Rylee kept making noises while we were waiting for the timer to go off on the camera.  I couldn't hold it in because she was being so funny.

On Saturday we went and ordered the dresses.  The weather wasn't the greatest and parking near the bridal shop was horrible...but we eventually got in and ordered the dresses.  Some of us girls then went to lunch @ the Wild Onion.  They had the best bloody mary bar. 

That Saturday night, we had a get together at a friends home since our friend Molly (one of my bridesmaids) was home from California.  I miss her so much and I can't wait to go visit her sometime soon.

It was a really fun weekend and so great to be able to see all my fabulous friends in one weekend.  Mya and I really did miss Tate though.  One of his wrestlers got 6th and the other one did not place.  He had a great weekend also.  I now look forward to spending more time with him now that he is done coaching for the season.

Now time to melt this snow and bring on spring :)

Life Adventures

Tate and I have many dreams and goals that we would like to do and accomplish in our lifetime.  I thought by posting about one of them...TRAVEL...then it's documented and we can come and look at it to remind us.

Tate and I love to travel.  There is this huge world out there for us to see and we are so excited to be able to travel throughout our lives.  We recently became a part of a travel club that allows discounted travel.  This was a perfect fit for us since we love to travel and now can do it at a discount.  I am a person that loves to save money and will go out of my way to be able to find ways to do it.  There are many ways to save money out there...you just have to find them :)

We are going on our first cruise this spring and are very excited.  The cruise is making a stop in Cozumel, Mexico.  Neither of us has ever been to Cozumel so we are excited that it's stopping somewhere new for us.  I really hope I like it because I would like to be able to go on more cruises throughout our life together.  Here is a picture of our ship...SO HUGE!!!

Some places that we have traveled together are:

Florida Keys

Miami

Montana ski trip

Las Vegas

I've realized after looking at my pictures that I really need to take more when I do go on vacation and take better pictures. 



We know that having kids can really put a damper on traveling, but we hope to make our children a part of the adventure also.  Being a part of this travel club, we hope to vacation at least twice a year.  Whether it be a small weekend getaway or a week long trip to another country...we want our kids a part of it.  Yes there will be some trips we will want to be adult only...that is what our kids grandparents are for :) 

Some places that Tate and I would love to travel are:
Nashville, TN
New York City, NY
Los Angeles, CA - where I hope to attend a taping of the Ellen show (love her)!
Napa Valley
Seattle, WA
Colorado
Orlando, FL - Disney World (I've never been)!
San Diego, CA - going to the zoo would be a must!
New Orleans, LA
Hawaii
Alaska
St. Lucia
Australia
New Zealand
Fiji
Paris
South Africa
London
Amsterdam

There are more places but I can't think of every place right now.  I can't wait to post about all the different vacations that we take.  Coming up...cruise to Cozumel :)

Melanoma

It all began in September 2006. I had gone in for my routine 'girl physical' and asked the nurse practitioner to just take a look @ my moles for any that look concerning.  This is something that I periodically had done because my mom had asked me to.  I always thought it was just a routine thing but nothing would come of it.  The nurse was checking my breathing with the stethoscope on my back and noticed a small mole that she thought I should have removed.  She just happened to 'glance' at it at that moment.  I said ok.  I set up an appt with my family doctor after my appt.  I was going back in about a 1.5 months to have it removed.

Early November 2006 came and I went in with my mom to have the mole removed.  I wasn't worried about anything.  I just thought that it was precaution so that it wouldn't become anything in the future.  I wasn't worried about the results.  I didn't worry about anything.  My parents called me a week after my appt and told me that they received a call from my family doctor.  The results came back.  I had skin cancer.  I was so scared.  I just started crying.  I was told that I was going to have to have surgery to remove some skin where the mole was to see if it had spread at all.  They talked about having a skin graft taken from my thigh to use as skin on back, depending on how much they had to take.

Surgery was set up for late December 2006.  I graduated from college that month and then headed home for Christmas and now...surgery.  I had surgery before Christmas.  I was told they would not have to do a skin graft at all which made me feel so much better.  I had surgery and was told that the cancer had NOT spread and that they got it all off!!!!  I was elated.  I was going to have this big, ugly scar on my back...but I didn't care because I no longer had skin cancer.

Since December 2006, I go to a dermatologist every 6 months for skin check.  I check my lymph nodes every so often for lumps. (I found one lump and had surgery in May 2009, but it came back negative.)  I NEVER lay out in the sun.  I wear 50+ SPF sunscreen anytime I will be out in the sun.  I have pale color skin and am very happy about it.

The interesting thing about me getting skin cancer was that I was the one girl in my group of friends that wore sunscreen when out in the sun (only SPF 15..but it was something).  I hadn't been in a tanning bed since my first semester of college.  I feel like I took precautions...but the damage was already done. 

You may wonder why I am blogging about this today.  Well I went in for a routine skin check yesterday @ my dermatologist.  I have a few moles that concern me and the dermatologist will always look at those more closely with a device he has.  There was one on my pinkie finger that just appeared in the last 6 months.  He looked at and decided we should remove it.  I, once again, was not worried and still am not.  It worries me that I am not worried about it.  I get the results on Monday when I go back in to get my one stitch out.  I pray that it comes back negative.  I pray that the disease will never cross paths with me again.  I pray for all those out there currently battling the ugly disease. 

But when the multitudes knew it, they followed Him; and He received them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who had need of healing.
Luke 9:11

DIY Pocketfold Invitations

After having a beautiful week of warmer weather...we were hit with a snow blizzard today.  I was so disappointed because I really just want spring to get here.  I would like to just run outside in the nice weather, grill and drink a beer on the deck :)

Since the snow decided to come today, Tate and I stayed inside and tackled the pocketfold for our invitations.  Items we used were paper, paper scoring device and zips (glue strips).

This is what kept us inside all day...

Here is the paper before we started.  The place we bought it from cut it for us down to size.

And then after we used the paper scoring device.

We then used zip strips to make the pocket folds.

We have about 150 of them made.  We ran out of the zip glue strips so we need to go get more.  Only 25 more to make and that part will be done. 

Oh yeah....tomorrow is the 8 month mark until our wedding :)  CAN'T WAIT!!!!!

DIY Wedding Projects

So when I started planning the wedding, I started to get overwhelmed with how much everything costs.  I had no idea where to start and what order to do things in.  I then found the website, theknot.  I first started by making a website for our guests and searching vendors, pictures and getting ideas.  After about 5 months of planning, I stumbled upon the message boards on theknot.  They have so many message boards for different topics, locations, certain wedding months, etc.  It is amazing.  The girls are so helpful and have given me many ideas and helpful information.

I have started many DIY projects because of these girls.  I never thought I was the DIY type, but I came to realize that I do have a crafty bone. (Even if I didn't have a crafty bone, I would find one...do you  know how much $$ I am saving from all of my DIY projects?!?!?  Soooo much...and we know how much I LOVE saving money)

I found myself starting a project and then got an idea for another and would start that one right away.  I haven't been able to really finish any of them because I started 5 at one time.  I have finally finished 2 of my DIY projects.  I made the jewerly for my BM's to wear on the wedding day.  With some help from a great knottie named Danielle, I was able to make them. 

Pearl earrings and necklace - made 7 of each.

Close up of the earrings.

I love them so much I plan to make some for myself.

Snowshoeing

Tate and I decided to try something new this past Sunday.  We went snowshoeing.  I've always wanted to do this, but wasn't sure if I ever would.  I decided to look up some parks in MN that may offer snowshoe rental and found some that we could go to.  I then found a 'nature preserve center' near our house (approx 1 mile), on accident while reading the news online, that is 250 acres and rents show shoes on the weekends during the winter months.  I was soooo excited that we would be able to do it so close to home.  We brought Mya with for the adventure.

I felt like we were traveling across Alaska...(I know it's probably far from what Alaska is really like).

We had such a good time exploring something new together.  Mya really enjoyed herself too.  I am excited about where we went because it has many paths, playground, tennis court, discovery center, etc.  I can't believe it took us over 2 years to find this place when it within in a mile of the apartment we lived in before we had bought our house.



PS - I know this is my 2nd posting of today...but I am just so excited about this blog (which I am sure will wear off).  I was looking forward to coming home from work to post this blog since my pictures were on my home computer...I know, I'm a nerd :)

New blog

I decided to start my own blog because I read many others and have found them to be very interesting.  I decided it is a great way to record this great life that I have been blessed with and share it with family and friends (or whoever wants to read it).  I look forward to when I can look back at posts from years ago.

To start...a picture of my current family!!!

This is our favorite engagement picture...Bridget, Tate & Mya!!!

I am in the middle of planning the wedding to the man of my dreams.  I can not wait for 10/21/11 to arrive so I can call myself Mrs. Wheeler :)  I love it.  Many things are already planned and in order, but there are the little things that I get stressed about.  I have a 'checklist' that I can't wait until more is crossed of than more that is not.

Tate is just finishing up coaching wrestling for his second year.  He really loves it.  He has a big tournament this weekend that will decide who will be going to state.  I really hope that some of the boys make it.  My fingers are crossed for them.

Happy reading for those that have found this blog and for those I invited.