Another race...done!!!

This past weekend, Tate and I raced for The Salv.ation A.rmy in 'T.he Mos.t Ama.zing Rac.e' and it was so fun to do.  I posted about this in early June (read post).
In order to even be able to participate at all, a team had to raise more than $200.  We did this and are very thankful for our family and friends that donated.  Step 1...check!!

Early on Saturday morning, they had a 'qualifying event'.  Meaning, the top 20 teams to finish in the qualifying event got to go on to the final race.  There would be a total of 30 teams in the final race.  The other 10 teams were the top 10 fundraising teams who automatically were put in the final race.  Since we were not in the top 10, to the qualifying event we went.  There was a rain delay, but eventually we got on our way.

Here we are waiting for the qualifying event to start.

There was supposed to be 5 challenges for the qualifying event, but due to the rain delay...they eliminated 2 events so we only had to do 3.  The 3 events consisted of:
-Eating a bag of mini powder donuts and drinking 2 cups of coffee.
-Performing basketball drills and making a 3 point shot @ Will.iams Arena.
-Describing 4 shape magnets to your partner and the partner having to run through a slip n slide tunnel type thing and find these 4 magnets that the other partner just described on a tower full of them.

Tate and I finished 6th in the qualifying race...so we were good to go for the final race.  Step #2...check!!!

We reported for the final event and it all started at 2 pm that same Saturday.  Everything starts and finishes @ the Ston.e A.rch Brid.ge.

Some facts:
- Top 3 fundraising teams get a 'fast forward'.  Meaning, they get to skip a challenge.
- Only ways of transportation for this race was Met.ro Tr.ansit and Nice Ri.de bikes.

I will try to remember the challenges as best I can...so here we go!

1st Challenge: Making a fishing pole out of a steel rod.  Tying the fishing line to the pole and attaching a magnet to the other end.  We had a list of fish in our envelopes that we had to pick out of an enclosed are.

2nd Challenge: Heading over the Guth.rie Theat.er and memorizing 7+ lines each that we had to perform in front of judges.

Here we are trying to remember our lines...


















3rd Challenge: Going over to Aquatic Center on campus.  We had to split up for the this challenge.  On person had to jump off the top diving platform and the other person had to swim to the bottom of the deep end and find a blue rubber band on some fish's that were down there.

Here is Tate jumping off the platform.

















4th Challenge: Heading over to BWW on campus and find a local celebrity that was inside and get their autograph.  It turned out to me T.im Mahone.y from 'The V.oice'.

5th Challenge: We had to take the bus over to St. Pa.ul.  Go to Landmar.k C.enter and break an ice block with 2 tickets inside.

Here we are running to get the clue before breaking the ice block...


















6th Challenge: Go over to the Sci.ence Mu.seum (SM).  We had to find certain items on the walls in the visitor center and answer questions.

7th Challenge: Go upstairs of the SM to the first floor.  Tate had to go around the gardens and find little red kettles and grab a card out of each kettle.  Then hand all 5 to me and I had to go find the answers.

8th Challenge: Head over to a S.alvation A.rmy station, still in St. Pau.l, and put together 5 bell ringer kettles correctly.  After the judges said we put them together correctly, we had to take them apart and put the pieces back.

9th Challenge: Answer 5 questions about Dava.nni's Pizza and then call in with the answers and order 2 pizzas with 3 toppings on each pizza.

10th Challenge: Go to Dava.nni's (back to DT Minneapolis) and eat the 2 pizzas we ordered while on the way there.

11th Challenge: Head to another Salva.tion Ar.my location and answer questions about the new 'Fia.t' Car.  We had to examine the car, go inside and answer any questions.  If we didn't know the answer, go back out, examine again, go back in and try to answer more.

12th Challenge: Head back to the finish line.  Before we could finish, we had to do the same type of 'magent' thing we did in the pre qualifying event, but instead of shapes, it was items dressed on a skeleton.  I had to describe to Tate items that the skeleton was dressed in and he had to go find the items.

We finally finished then.  We finished in 9th place in a time of 5 hours and 14 minutes.  We were very proud of our time because when we had done this 2 years ago...we finished 17th in a time of 6 hours and 5 minutes...so we def improved.

It was a lot of fun.  I wouldn't mind doing it again.  It is fun and for a good cause.  I would highly recommend to anyone to do at least once.  It definitely is an experience.

3 Months!!!

We are exactly 3 months until the big day!  I can't believe how fast the days are just flying by.  I wrote on here @ the 4 month mark with a list of things I would like to have done...I have finished

The invitations
Painted the wagon
Groomsmen/usher gifts
I attended my first dress fitting and I have my second next week :)

Next on the list:
- Decorate cupcake stand
- Do mock up of programs
- Send out invitations right @ 2 month mark
- Order flower girl dress
- Finalize readings and songs for ceremony

That is the list for the wedding...on the home front, there are a few things we would like to get done.
- Spray paint entry foyer light
- Buy new handles for all cabinets
- Fill holes where ugly bar was in kitchen
- New rug for entry way and table
- New kitchen table

MR & MRS Wilson

We attended a wedding last weekend in Doo.r County, WI...and it was BEAUTIFUL.  They had everything at a B&B.  Thank gosh there was no rain.  It was a amazing day.  I'll let the pictures do the rest of the talking :)

Bride & Groom with Tate!!!

These pom cakes...were soooo good.  I loved them!!!

We definately enjoyed ourselves @ their wedding.  From staying in a 'haunted' hotel, hay rides to and from the wedding and mechanical bull riding.  It was great to celebrate with them and to also see friends we haven't seen in awhile.  Congrats to Leslie & Matt.  After 12 years...they are FINALLY married!!!!

Next wedding = MY BESTIE!!!!  I CAN NOT WAIT!!  Well one thing I can wait for is the speech I have to give.  I am soooo not a public speaker so the thought of me getting up in front of 250+ people to give a speech...makes me want to pee my pants!!!  I know I will get through it (with a few cocktails before).  I am so honored to stand beside her on her wedding day and to be able to express to everyone else what she means to me...even if I am nervous :)

Before/After Wedding Wagon

We knew from the day that we got engaged that our godchild would be our flower girl.  Knowing that she would have only turned one a couple months before our wedding, we figured we should have her ride up in a wagon since she will be in the early stages of walking and may refuse to do so.

I had an idea of what I wanted her to ride up in with our ring bearer pulling her, but wasn't sure what I was going to find or where I was going to find it.  I was planning on going to look @ garage sales because I am sure there were people willing to sell an old wagon at a low cost.

After talking with my mom one afternoon about this, she told me that she has our old wagon up north that she uses up there and that I could use it for the wedding but it def needed some TLC.  I was all for this because then it was FREE :)  (when it comes to weddings, if you get something for free that you need or like...take it)!!!

I forgot to take a picture of the whole thing before hand, but I did get a quick picture in while I was painting the base.

It was very weathered, rusty wheels and beat up over the years.  With some black paint for the base, deep red for the sides and white for the wheels...we have a brand new looking wagon that Rylee will look so adorable riding up in!!!

The red matches the bridesmaid dresses to a T.  My mom will be making a pillow for the bottom for Ry to sit on.  I am so excited to have this project done and I am so happy the way it turned out.

On another fabulous note...I have not killed any of my flowers this year :)  Every year I seemed to kill them because I forget to water them.  I only had 2 pots this year and a couple flowers in one of our window beds.  They are all still alive and soaking up the rays in our backyard.  I even sent a picture to my mom so she could be proud of me because she was on my case about not killing plants!!!

Each year I will plan to add more to my collection to keep alive and soon we will have a gorgeous yard full of blooming flowers!!

Memorization

I often have 'panic' moments when thinking of our wedding day.  I panic because I do not do well when all the attention is on me in a room full of people.  It wouldn't matter if there was only 20 people vs 200 people...I just don't feel comfortable.  Some people find that strange considering I often do very embarrassing things in public to draw attention to myself...to me it's different though because when I am in public doing something weird or crazy (which is often)...strangers look @ me...probably think I am a crazy lady and then forget about me.  When I am going to be doing some sort of public speaking or I know the attention is on myself before it happens...I freak out.  That brings to me why I panic thinking of the wedding day.

I worry about walking down the aisle with EVERYONE looking @ me.  What if I fall...what if I don't smile...what if I have an 'ugly' cry moment.  On top of feeling nervous about walking down the aisle, we have to memorize our vows and the words for exchanging of the rings.  WHAT?!?!  I am going to be so nervous that day and then our priest wants us to memorize these very important words.  My biggest fear is forgetting them or saying them wrong.  That is why 3+ months out...we have posted them to our mirror in our bathrom to see everyday and memorize for the big day.  I pretty much already have it memorized...but I will still read them everday.  Tate and I quiz eachother to see if we know what to say.  I do not want to mess up or forget these very important words.  I am a bit of a 'planner' so starting to memorize these 3+ months out is not out of the norm...I am actually surprised I did not do this sooner :)

June Wedding Fun

We had 2 weddings this June and it was just the start of the numerous weddings we are attending this year.

My cousin got married on June 11.  Tate was not able to attend because it was the same day as his good friends bachelor party.  I didn't stay very long.  I drove home after so I could be home with Mya and not have to find a babysitter or put her @ the doggy hotel!

The only picture I got from that wedding...only 1...lame I know.

My uncle Jimmy became my date :)

The other wedding we went to was our good friends, Mike & Natalie.  We were very excited to go to this wedding because we had good friends flying in from Vegas to stay with us so they could go also and we were going to see many other friends that we don't see very often.

My really cute date :)

Our good friend Sierra! 



We are so glad that Derek and Sierra decided to come visit and attend the wedding.  We can't wait to see them again in October for our wedding.

Now here is a plethora of pictures from Mike & Nat's wedding.  It was a bit of a football reunion with the guys getting a lil' crazy.  It was very comical.





Our next fun wedding weekend is in a couple weeks.  We look forward to celebrating Leslie and Matt become husband and wife!!!

I did it!!!!

This past Saturday, Tate and I took part in our first sprint triathlon.  I was nervous and excited at the same time.  I am happy to say that not only did I finish, but I beat my goal by 9+ minutes.  How cool is that?!?!  I couldn't believe when I crossed the finish line and saw the time was 1:20:57. 

This was a race called 'My Fir.st Tr.i' which meant that this had to be the first triathlon for all racers.  I liked that so I didn't feel intimated or out of place.  This race consisted of a 1/4 mile swim, 10 mile bike and a 2 mile run. 

How did the race go??!  Let see...the swim was horrible for 2 reasons.  I don't like swimming in lakes...they gross me out and there is seaweed...and if you even prepare for the swim like I did...it is still so hard.  I couldn't wait to end the swim part and the whole time I was thinking 'I am so far from shore...will I ever make it back'.  The bike was so hilly I couldn't believe it.  I will def be getting a nice bike if I ever do one again.  I used one that Tate got for free from a client of his...I can see why he wanted to get rid of.  I couldn't change gears a couple times so I had to walk up 2 hills because I couldn't pedal on the gear it was on.  The run was so easy compared to the rest, even after doing the other 2 parts. 

I had a great time and it was something really fun for Tate and I to do together.  Tate finished 4th overall and I finished 21st overall (100 racers total).  I actually got first in my age group for women's. :)  This is something that we would definitely do again.  We really don't have a desire to do a full triathlon...we liked that sprint distances. 

Here are a few pictures of us with one of Tate's co-workers that did the race also.

Before the race started...all geared up in a swim attire!!!  We look so good with those caps on...haha

Tate finishing the 10 mile bike!

I just finished and feel so relieved!!!!


















All three of use after the race....so glad it was over :)