Catching up

Here's everything I missed updating in 2011 ;)

After three job changes (one for me, two for John), I work for Rserving now as marketing coordinator, and John is a sous chef at the Brownstone in Brookings.

I got through another semester of the Information Systems Master's program at DSU even though the dogs liked to make things difficult...



We had a great trip to Ohio for Thanksgiving, visiting family, visiting friends, taking the dogs with us, and buying a snowblower (which meant the 18 hr drive home involved a dog riding on our laps - no space anywhere else!)


(Amanda, me and Krista at Tony's)

With the snowblower, we're ready for the winter weather...but this is all the snow we've gotten (and it was melted by the end of that day)



Even without the usual snow, we enjoyed decorating and getting ready for Christmas



Cooper liked to fluff the Christmas tree skirt and only chewed on the corner of one present



The Christmas tree



John made hand-lettered tags with one of his fountain pens.

We celebrated Christmas at my parents' house with lots of presents, food, and dogs causing trouble (but not lots of pictures taken)

Pumpkins!

My mom, dad, Erin, and I carved pumpkins yesterday night (and ate pizza, listened to Halloween music on Pandora, and drank Pumpkin Bog - good times!) We used all the pumpkins to decorate my parents' front porch.

Erin's were the VERY cutest, but I think they all ended up looking pretty good.




Dad's pumpkin



Erin's pumpkins



My pumpkin (front) with Mom's pumpkin and Erin's



Whole pumpkin family

4th of July

My grandparents were here for the weekend. We grilled out and shot off fireworks (while getting eaten alive by mosquitoes). Good times!

Jersey Shore

The shore was really beautiful - and even warm (when the sun was out and the wind wasn't blowing too hard). I enjoyed watching the waves, dipping the very bottom of my feet in the water (once, for a second - it was COLD) and eating beach snacks (combos, double stuff oreos, and goldfish).

NJ/NYC

From Central Park



At The Cloisters

So far, I've had Greek food (heaven!), Thai food (double heaven!), a Papaya King hot dog, a knish, gelato (Bren said it was as close to Italy's as she'd ever eaten in the states), and some fancy tea.

Yesterday, we saw Times Square, The Cloisters, Columbus Circle, Lincoln Center, part of Central Park, and a very busy part of 5th avenue.

Not sure what the plan is for today - it's raining, so I think NYC is out (and honestly, I'm not sure I'm up for that much walking two days in a row! ;) ) Maybe Princeton?

Otherwise, I'm enjoying visiting Bren and hanging out with Rogue (who remembered me, or at least acted like she did).



Cool stuff on Brenna's ceiling

O, Christmas Tree! O, Christmas Tree!

We put the tree up on Sunday, outdoor lights up over Thanksgiving (when it was warm - SOO much better than last year), and still need to put Frosty the snowman out (today? Maybe if I bundle up enough to brave the cold and the snow).



John's braver than I am ;)

20k

Whew, my writing has been a slog fest for the last several days, but there is good news...

I'm 1/3 of the way done (when it comes to days) and I hit 20,000 words this morning (and I have my words in for the day).

Parts of my novel are okay and other parts are a complete mess. I'm not sure I'll end up with anything worth reading or even editing, but I'm telling myself that's okay (sometimes I believe it and sometimes I don't).

So I tell myself that Nanowrimo is my Fourteener - completing something I didn't think I could do is the goal.

Could anything be more different--hauling my butt up the highest mountain in Colorado and sitting in my pajamas typing away at my desk? Somehow it seems the same.

The adventure continues...

(P.S. I went looking for a picture of me hiking Mt. Elbert. No luck, and wow, do I really need to organize my pictures. Here's one of me and my Dad at Schaefer's Pass, Philmont from August 1999 instead)

Catching up

We had an incredible time in Ohio at Jimmie and Erin's wedding - such a beautiful wedding and an awesome reception (what can I say, my family throws awesome weddings ;) )



and visiting friends in Athens (I LOVE Athens and my Ohio friends!!!!)



Nancy, me and Yvonne



Jin and me



Steph's knitting that's named after me! (abbie-grey)



Jackie O's...Yep, I tried Bacon beer...and now I never have to drink it again ;)

I'm not posting a picture of the dead fish, but I'm going to leave this reference in here just so I don't forget.



Beer awesomeness in Downtown Columbus



I am totally in love with my lunch

I came home and took some pictures out on the bike path...



It's kind of pretty here...

and I started my Fall List (to be posted soon)

Cross another one off the list...

because yesterday we went to the Palisades!! We took the backroad/scenic route, but once we got there, WOW! It was beautiful, pink cliffs rising up from the river - totally not what you'd expect for Southeastern South Dakota.



Yes, that's John...

Does this make anyone else a little nervous? Just me? (At the time, I was also thinking, "not enough life insurance not enough life insurance not enough...")



John and his friend Peter on more solid ground



Wildflowers growing up through the pink rocks

Definitely going back--I'm thinking a picnic or a camping trip would be perfect!

John's 27th birthday

We celebrated with dinner at Rumors Bar (John, me, Mom, Dad, and Erin). They have a new cook and the "best chinese in the area" so we tried the Chicken Lo Mein (not bad!)



After dinner, we came back to our house for presents, cake, and chocolate ice cream (homemade by me!). John got coffee-related gifts (and Scheel's gift cards).



Cake and ice cream--you guys can forget about my first ice cream success--this is it! I've learned my lesson-when in doubt, use an Alton Brown recipe...

Corn Palace

We were going to Mitchell to go to Cabela's, so I dragged John to the Corn Palace. It was kind of neat to see a building decorated with corn (though I think John is allergic to the whole deal), but the atmosphere was the best. There were cars in the parking lot from all over (New York, Missouri, Ohio) and big-time vacation feeling in the air. And they were playing "There's a Tear in my Beer" from one of the casinos on Main Street.



I offered to take pictures for a couple guys, and then they took one of us...somehow, acting like tourists made it feel like we were on vacation (instead of just an hour from our house)



After Cabela's, I was starving. John had heard good things about Chef Louie's Steakhouse, so we went there. I was expecting steak fries and maybe a pulled-pork sandwich...then I saw all the white tablecloths, the chandelier, the wine lists...waaaay nicer than we were expecting (thank goodness nice restaurants here aren't all that expensive). John decided it was an impromptu date and we had the best meal we've had so far (barring the meals John cooks). Definitely going back!

On the way home, John saw an SUV with Ohio plates and a buckeye sticker in the back window (Ohio State). He had me grab a piece of paper and wrote "O - H" on it (it's an Ohio State thing). I held it up in the window as we passed the Ohio car. I was too embarrassed to look, but John said the people in the car just looked a little confused.

We were talking about something else when a car pulled up next to us--the Ohio car with "I - O" written on a piece of paper held up to the window! We laughed and clapped and John gave them a thumbs up.

It was so cool to make that connection with another car driving down the road--makes the world seem small instead of so big.

4th of July

We spent the 4th at my parents' house--they grilled out (burgers and brats), and John made strawberry and cherry pie (the cherry was his BEST pie ever--incredible).



I documented the crazy pie action...



The dogs were also paying very close attention

For the party, I made David Lebovitz's Chocolate Banana Ice Cream (I also crossed it off my summer list - yay!). Easy to put together but didn't freeze as quickly as I hoped (recipes says "at least 4 hours" and I had 4 hours and 15 minutes--not enough time). We ended up putting it in our ice cream maker to speed the process along, and by dinner it was fine. It tasted a LOT like the generic Bailey's irish cream (not necessarily a bad thing), but I'm not sure I'd make it again. I've marked it off my list, but I'd like to try a couple more recipes before the summer is up (mint chocolate...candied bacon...avocado coconut...etc)

After dinner, John and I (and Callie and Cooper) went out to the lake to watch the fireworks. Despite the smelly lake and swarming mosquitoes (thank goodness for bug spray!!), I'm glad we went out.



When the firework pictures weren't working out, I gave up and took pictures of the tree we were sitting by instead.

Take me out to the ball game!

Last night, we went to the Sioux Falls Pheasants game. We had seats in section S (upper level behind home plate). It was a great night for a ballgame--not too hot, not raining (and just a little windy). The Pheasants beat the Sioux City Explorers by one run--and we had a great time sitting outside, eating peanuts and a hot dog, and taking pictures.



While we were there, John bought raffle tickets to win one of the player's jerseys from the Disabled American Veterans, and he WON! After the game, he went out on the field and got a jersey from #9 - Brian Flores. So cool! There were also fireworks after the game.



Me on the ride home--after an awesome evening. Now I can scratch Pheasants game and fireworks off my summer list (but we're still going to watch the fireworks at Lake Herman on Sunday).

Plans for the rest of the weekend--making ice cream (!!!), grilling out at my parents' house, fireworks, and sparklers (a must). John's going to make a cherry pie (I'll just be supervising--my last pie adventure was a disaster)

The newest addition

Cooper, asleep on the couch this morning

We got him last Sunday in Mitchell. He's eight weeks old and the same breed as Callie (American Brittany).



How cute are they?!?

Thanksgiving Pics

John carves the turkey...



...while Callie begs for scraps (she was very interested in the whole process).

We had Thanksgiving at my parents house, and John did the cooking. He went over early to get started, and then I walked over about an hour later. It was so surreal to be walking to my parents' house for Thanksgiving. Every now and then it hits me that we actually live here, and I live blocks from my parents and Erin--something I never thought would happen. Thanksgiving morning was one of those times.

(and it's REALLY been hitting me the last couple days as I try to shovel the snow from the driveway--BRRR!)



The table set and ready to go! We had turkey, cranberry jello salad, homemade rolls, mashed potatoes, stuffing, green bean casserole, pumpkin pie and cranberry apple pie (I FINALLY got some of John's famous cranberry apple pie). I know my mom appreciated having John around to cook because she bragged about it to her sisters (and now he's been lined up to cook for Christmas, too--good thing he enjoys it!)



Mmm...mashed potatoes!



Rugby, one of my parents' dogs, making a very Rugby face. Rugby is my parents' youngest dog (just a little over a year old) and he and Callie play and play and play. I'm not sure what either of them will do when we move to our actual rental house and she comes back to live with us (puppy play dates!)