30 Before 30 Update

I realize now how crazy I was to make some of these goals. I clearly didn't realize how much having a baby changes your life. But, one of my main goals for the goals (ha!), was to ensure that I didn't lose my sense of self when I became a mom. I, of course, have goals for motherhood and for my baby, but that's not what this list is about. :)

Now, before we get to it. I have to say that I'm honestly not sure I will keep this list or not. I don't like a lot of the goals because they are not specific. I'm not sure why I did that--it's one of my pet peeves! "Become a better blocker, setter, and hitter in volleyball." How the heck am I going to measure that?! Man, I must've really had pregnancy brain when I wrote these goals. ha! That's what I'm blaming anyway. And, some of the things I just don't think I plain want to do anymore. Dye my hair blonde. Meh. I don't think so.

1.      Run half marathon  (yeah!)

2.      Finish 90 days of P90X or complete a round of Insanity (I haven't decided which yet)

3.      Learn to knit

4.      Learn to sew well enough to hem pants

5.      Become a better blocker, hitter and setter in volleyball

6.      Buy a piano and start playing more

7.      Learn to give myself a proper manicure

8.      Find a fish recipe I can stand to eat regularly (Still liking the Thai Coconut Curry Tilapia!)

9.      Read 6 non-fiction/business related books

10.  Learn and master Adobe Photoshop

11.  Ride in a hot air balloon (This one may not get done. Does a helicopter ride count?)

12.  Take a weekend trip alone with my hubby

13.  Take up crafting/painting/drawing again

14.  Finish decorating all rooms in upstairs of home

15.  Have family photos taken

16.  Read the entire Bible

17.  Learn to make angel food cake from scratch

18.  Prepare, plant, and maintain a fruitful vegetable and herb garden (I only kind of did this. My mom actually planted the garden for me as I had just had a baby.  We harvested a lot of green beans, rosemary, and basil.)

19.  Do our taxes myself

20.  Decide once and for all which church our family will attend and be members of

21.  Build wooden planters for our house

22.  Re-paint our front door the perfect shade of yellow (I found the color! Just need to do it/hire someone to get it painted!)

23.  Figure out landscaping for our backyard (I had a landscaper come and give us estimates. We just need to have it done in the spring now. $$!)

24.  Find an organization where I can volunteer on a regular basis

25.  Dye my hair blonde

26.  Make Bolo Bau from scratch

27.  Learn basic, conversational Mandarin 

28.  Update my marketing portfolio (Did this when I officially quit my job!)

29.  Learn how to use my hot rollers

30.  Research my family history on my dad’s side

So clearly I am not one of those people who accomplishes things when they publicly put them out there. Lesson learned. (Insert my blushing face here.) At least I got a few things accomplished that I may not have had I not made this list at all. I'm going with that. Someone hold me and tell me its okay. 

Halloween 2011

Gemma's first Halloween was pretty uneventful.  I knew we would just stay home and hand out candy since she is too young to eat candy and it would most likely be to cold to take her around the neighborhood anyway.

Even though we weren't planning to go out trick or treating, I wanted Gemma be in costume when we answered the door for our trick or treaters.  I originally had intended to make her costume out of a long-sleeved onesie I had dyed. (I was going for mustard yellow, but it turned out bright yellow instead.) I was going to hand stitch some black fabric of some sort into stripes, put some black leggings on her, add some wings we had on hand, and call her a bumble bee.

Enter my sister and her ebay shopping. She sent me a link to the cutest baby Halloween costume. A koi fish.  My father-in-law loves koi ponds, so I couldn't resist. (He and Jeff even bought about 100 gold fish a few summers ago and put them in the pond behind our house to see if they would survive. We saw some pretty big buggers out there this fall!!)  I decided to put in the minimum bid on the outfit and figured if I won, great, and if I didn't, we would have a bumblebee! (Might I add that Jeff was "disgusted" to find that I had bid completely wrong because I didn't wait until the last minute.)  Well, I won the auction. Guess I showed him!

We don't get many trick or treaters since we live in a newish, small development, but we had a great time anyway.  Our new neighbors and friends, Sarah and Adelyn, came trick or treating and Gemma and I decided to walk around to a few houses with them, too. Next year, we'll probably go around the entire neighborhood with them!

It was a pretty nice day! Harper was a pumpkin for about 10 minutes. Her costume from 2 years ago doesn't quite fit anymore!

Handing out candy put this baby right to sleep!

Half Marathon Completed!

One of my goals on my 30 before 30 list was to complete a half marathon.  I knew if I didn't run in the Mankato Marathon on October 22, I probably wouldn't be able to complete that goal before I turn 30 in March.  So, I began training at the beginning of August, and man, it was a little rough!  The furthest I had ever run was a 10k, so it was pretty crazy to me that about midway in, my "short" runs were 5 miles.

One of the benefits of my hubby working from home while I stay at home, is that I could go out for my shorter runs when the baby was asleep either for her morning nap or her afternoon nap.  It mostly worked out; however, there were a couple of times when I'd get home and Jeff would say, "She woke up as soon as you left and didn't stop crying the entire time!" But, he was so supportive and would give it a try the next time with no hesitation.

I've always used the Nike+ ipod device when training for my 10k runs, but this time, I didn't start using it until about mid-September.  I didn't want to get too caught up (and thence, discouraged) in my times, especially at the beginning. Plus, I knew that it can be difficult to get it calibrated EXACTLY.  So, I tried not to be too hard on myself when I discovered I was running only about 11 minute miles on my long runs (the 8+ milers).  I told myself "Hey. I just had a baby not that long ago! Just run so that you can finish!" I'm pretty sure my body is still moving back into place as I would have a sore hip after many of my long runs. I was starting to feel like an 80-year-old woman.

So, the day of the race, I was super nervous. I had one main goal and a sub-goal. :)  My main goal was to finish the run without walking, and my sub-goal was to run 10 minute miles.  I knew the sub-goal would be kind of hard to accomplish since I hadn't been running that during my training. But, I held out a little hope that my adrenaline would carry me a little faster.

It was super cold the morning of the race (maybe in high 40s?), and there were so many people there.  They all seemed like they were running with someone, so I felt a little out of place.  Jeff and Gemma dropped me off, and I lined up with the 9:55 pacer, only to see one of my friends from book club!  We decided to run together, but agreed that if either one of us need to drop behind or move ahead, we would just do what we needed to do.  I was so thankful to have her!

The run was AWESOME.  The weather was perfect for a run. The course was gorgeous. The "fans" were fabulous!  I was SO grateful to see friendly faces in Christy, Angie, and Katie. (Not to mention Jeff, Gemma and my mom!) And, it turns out my Nike+ipod device hadn't been calibrated very well at all! I had most likely been running 10 minute miles and better all throughout my training. I ended up finishing the race in 2 hours and 7 minutes, which was a pace of 9:43.  I'm pretty proud of myself, but honestly, a little disappointed because at the end, it felt just a little too easy.  Maybe I'll run another one some day and shoot for under 2 hours, but right now, my body needs a break! :)

Mile 12ish.

Finishers medal

Family photo time!

The running was a little exhausting for Gemma!

So, I can cross off another thing on my goal list. (One of the few, I'm afraid.) I'll post an update soon on the things I have accomplished on my list.  Maybe that will give me some motivation to get a few more things done in the meantime!

My latest addiction

If we're friends in real life, you already know that I'm addicted to Pinterest.  It's a site where you have pin boards to virtually pin your ideas that you find online. I have found so many great ideas for decorating, dressing Gemma, and for baking and cooking among other things.I have pinned so many things that I love but will probably never make or do, but I'm okay with that. Even if it inspires me to do or make a few things, I am happy.

I recently made the yummiest chocolate chip cookies I found on Pinterest (and, subsequently, gave some to the neighbors to make up for my bad doggie, Harper's behavior). I rarely bake. It's not because I don't like sweets. It's quite the opposite. It's that I have no self-control. These cookies definitely proved that point once again. My mom says if I bake more often, it won't seem like such a treat and I won't eat as much. Do you think this is a theory I should test? Hmmmm.

Anyway. Here is the recipe.  You can follow all of my boards on pinterest here.

The BEST Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

(original recipe) 

2 c. plus 2 tbsp flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
12 tbs. butter, melted, then cooled till warm
1 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. sugar
1 egg, plus 1 egg yolk
2 tsp vanilla
1 c. - 1 1/2 c. chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Melt butter in a large bowl in the microwave just until it melts, don't scorch it! Add sugars, vanilla, and salt to butter mixture. Add egg and egg yolk, blend. Add flour and baking soda, mix until blended. Stir in chocolate chips. Scoop tablespoon sized cookies onto an ungreased, light colored baking sheet. Cook for 14 minutes, or until edges are lightly golden...do not over bake.

August

August was a pretty busy month. (Aren't they all?!) So,  I guess I left off with Gemma's baptism.

Twins Game
The following week, as a member of the Bethany Lutheran College Alumni Board, I helped host at a reception prior to the Twins' game in Minneapolis.  This was the first time I had left Gemma for more than a couple of hours. So my trusty pump came with me.  Luckily, our reception was in the downtown Wells Fargo building and I had a nice curtained room for nursing mothers to use. The reception was pretty well attended and I even won a pretty sweet Bethany sweatshirt.

I met up with a few friends at the game and we spent most of the time walking around, checking out the different views. Target Field is quite the site! I don't follow baseball, but I enjoyed my visit anyway.  We ended up losing in the ninth inning, which was a little disappointing. Hey, even if I don't follow baseball, I still like the home team to pull off a win! I had a great time catching up with my college friends, too. It's unbelievable how time flies and lives change!

Evan
Two days after the Twins game, my good friend (and Gemma's godmother) Katie, had her second child. Evan is such a cute little baby. He has a dark complexion like his mama, but looks mostly like his dad. He makes the funniest little "horsey" noises in his sleep and is just a sweetie.  I'm really enjoying having some adult company a couple of times during the week now that Katie is on maternity leave. She lives about five blocks away and we sometimes meet up to take our babies and dogs for a walk.  We've also been meeting for coffee about once a week, which is usually much needed! I'll miss our time together when she goes back to work in about three weeks.

Gemma's first road trip/family reunion/ cousin's wedding
The end of August brought Gemma's first road trip.  We headed up to the Superior, Wisconsin area for a family reunion on my mom's side of the family.  We do this every year since my mom has such a large family (She had 14 kids in her family, giving us more than 30 first cousins. Add in cousin spouses and kids and you get total chaos for a weekend!)  We have always stayed here and usually go the weekend prior to the weekend we went this year.  My mom, the main organizer, picked that specific weekend because it fell closest to the date my (now deceased) grandparents were married.  Anyway, we changed the weekend to a week later this time because my cousin was getting married about 45 minutes away.

Gemma's first road trip. Can you spot her?! She's pretty excited.

The drive to the retreat center is about four hours.  Jeff took half a day off work so we could get up there by dinner time and enjoy some family time before we needed to head to bed.  I was a little nervous for the drive with Gemma, but she was a star! She slept so long that I got nervous, and we decided to stop for some water and woke her up to feed her. (I didn't want to get to a place on the road where she'd wake up and we wouldn't be able to feed her right away.)

We arrived right after most people had eaten, but everyone was eager to take Gemma off of our hands so that Jeff and I could have dinner.  Most of my aunts and uncles had not yet met her, and I think she might be the new favorite. :)  My uncle, "Paco," even told me that she is his new buddy for T-wolves games. :( (Meaning she is my replacement!)  The mosquitos were AWFUL and as much as we tried to shield Gemma from them and cover her up, she didn't come away unscathed.  My aunt gave Gemma a little tumble (let's not talk about it), which wore her out quite a bit, so we put her to bed and enjoyed a bonfire the rest of the evening.

Saturday was a whirlwind.  My little family had to leave for the wedding early because my cousin had asked me to play piano for the ceremony.  My two nieces wanted to join us, so we had a car full. Those two girls made the drive fun!  The ceremony was beautiful and we couldn't be happier for my cousin, Shaila.  We headed out to Barker's Island for the reception, and the scenery was absolutely gorgeous.  The dinner and dance were both lovely, and Gemma adored all of the attention she received. An added bonus to the wonderful time we had was that my "favorite Uncle Paco" purchased a helicopter ride for my niece, Kaitlin, my cousin, Tarina, and me.  It was a short, but awesome ride.  We headed back to the retreat center and I managed to spot a coyote on the way back.  Again, such beautiful scenery "up north!"

My nieces, Gemma and me before the wedding.

The wedding reception right on the marina. Gorgeous!

The beautiful bride!

Our ride!

Gorgeous views over Lake Superior.

Sunday morning we enjoyed a big, family breakfast. Again, chaos, but a lot of fun!  Jeff and I were even able to get out on the kayaks for a little bit while my mom watched Gemma on the dock and took in a little bit of sun. (No sunburn this time, though! Gemma wore her hat.) A great end to a great weekend.



My Sister Visits!
My older (and only) sister lives near Detroit with her pastor husband and three young boys.  We usually only see them about twice a year because it is difficult for her husband to get time away from his work.  The drive is long (about 12 hours) and the flights are expensive (usually $300+ per person), so we usually only go to see them once a year and they come to visit us in MN once a year.  I was so happy I could spend the entire four and a half days with them this time! And, man, did we pack it full!

The first day we just hung out at my mom's house. They all met Gemma for the first time, which was so fun. The boys were all really good with her, and the youngest, Milo (age 2), really loved her. He was always asking to hold "baby Gemma."  Ahh. Her boys are so sweet and adorable. We grilled and had a picnic outside for dinner and Jeff was able to join us then.

Milo loving on Gemma at the Yellow Mushroom.

The next day my sister's family, my mom, and Gemma and I, headed to Minnepoa to see the falls.  I hadn't been there in years, so I didn't remember that the falls area was not the most stroller friendly place. Duh. We managed though and hung back in a few places so the boys could explore.  After that we picked up a pizza and headed to Sibley Park.  It was super hot (90+ degrees with a lot of humidity), but we had fun anyway.

The falls were kind of small because we didn't get much rain this summer.

The boys exploring.

Friday, Gemma and I decided to take a bit of a break and stayed home. :) We met up with my sister's family, my parents, my brother and his oldest son at one of my sister's favorite local restaurants, the Yellow Mushroom.  They have the best pizza!

On Saturday morning, we headed to mom's house for a pool party.  The weather was pretty overcast, but the kids had a great time. My little niece, Malanie, hung onto me pretty much the whole time in the pool. I taught her how to play "Motor Boat," and we did that a few times in between trying to hit her brothers with  noodles, balls, etc.  Gemma hung out with Grandpa Paul on the side of the pool and was quite content watching the kids play.

Having a blast at the pool!

Grandpa Paul and Gemma hanging out poolside.

We met up again on Sunday for church and had lunch with the family before my sister headed out. The trip was so short, but we had so much fun.  Jeff, Gemma and I will catch up with the Nelsons again in early February when we meet up with them for vacation in Florida! We can't wait!

One last photo after church before the Nelsons head back to Michigan.

I'm Back!

Not that I really went anywhere. But, I've finally got access to all of my pictures.  I haven't blogged because who likes posts without pictures? Not this lady! Okay, they're all right--but a blog without pictures for two months would not be fun.  I'll try to do my best to remember the last two months in my next posts.

Baptism

Gemma was baptized on Sunday, and we couldn't have asked for a more perfect day.  The weather was absolutely gorgeous, which was important as she was baptized at an outdoor service.  Each year, my home church has a Mission Festival.  The services are held in a shady grove not far from the church and a missions preacher comes and gives the message.  Members of the congregation who are musically inclined play instruments in a band for the hymns and our choir sings.  There is a potluck lunch  in between services and a question and answer period so that we can learn more about the countries and experiences of the missionary.

Gemma was baptized at the beginning of the first service.  She didn't fuss at all and even smiled at our pastor right after he baptized her "in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."  My brother, Jesse, is a godfather and my friends Katie and Eric are godparents.  Katie ended up not making it to the service because she had been up all night the previous night because of false labor.  We missed her, but that mama needed her rest!

Gemma is lucky she was so good during the actual baptism, because right after, Jeff's mom was holding her and she pooped directly onto her baptism blanket, dress, AND shoes.  Man!  :)  At least we will have a funny memory of the day!

Here are a couple of photos of probably the most important day in my little girl's life. A lot of our photos turned out kind of dark because of all of the shade.  I may be able to post more once I get through the hundreds and hundreds Jeff's dad took. :)

The godfathers

My parents, Gemma, Jeff and I