A Plan Without A Plan...

This past week marked our 2 year Wedding Anniversary.  It's so cliche, but this has truly been the best two years of my life.  I always tell people that I LOVE being married...and it's really true. 

Ethan and I decided to get away for the weekend and we landed on Nashville as our destination.  Don't get me wrong, Nashville itself was very fun, but the car ride was better and the random stops along the way were the icing on the cake.  Here is a glimpse at what we did!!

This is what 4a.m. looks like! Guess who the morning person is in this relationship :-)

First stop was in Indy for some Breakfast.  Second stop, LOUISVILLE SLUGGER FACTORY!!!

 Stopped at Hog Heaven as soon as we got into Nashville. Total shack of a place but AWESOME BBQ!!

After lunch it was time to drive around.  Looky what we found!  Titan's Stadium!

Standing outside the gates.  We tried to sneak in but that place was on lockdown! 

After a nap at the hotel and a shower, it was time for a night out on Broadway!!  We had dinner at a hole in the wall burger place and then went to some random bar and watched Rachael Johnson and her CRAZY band go to work at Big Shotz.  After a little bit of time there, we decided to walk Music Row and see what else there was.  Clearly there is no shortage of live music in Nashville.

Sunday we woke up and went to Pucketts for some breakfast.  Good is an understatement.  No, GREAT AMAZING UNREAL is an understatement.  This place was the perfect ending to a great Nashville "tour".

On the road back we made an unplanned stop at the Jim Beam Distillery....A-Mazing...

Also, notice that the tree is black.  Around all distilleries, there is a fungus that moves in and creates this black bark on all the trees.  The fungus is not harmful but it looks like all of the trees around the Jim Beam Distillery have been burned.  

Standing in the Barrel House.  They call the portion of Bourbon that evaporates during aging "Angel Share".  They call the portion of Bourbon that gets soaked into the wood of the barrel "Devils Cut"...appropriately named we think! (also, it was hot this day...like...HOT - please disregard my tired looking self and focus on how amazingly small Ethan looks!)

That's a lot of Bourbon! 

Standing under 9 stories of aging Bourbon.  There are 1.8 million barrels of aging Bourbon on this property...

This is what 9 stories of Bourbon looks like from the outside.  They have way too many of these "sheds" to count. You can also SMELL the Bourbon all around the Jim Beam complex.  Sweet, sweet smells.... 

This was the original house that used to be the sleeping quarters for people who worked at the original distillery.  The statue is Booker Noe - one of the Master Distillers.

The Jim Beam Distillery is situated in rolling hills and beautiful scenery.  I bet this place is magical in the fall.

We left the Distillery at about 2pm and made it a ways into Indiana.  This is by far my favorite part of the drive.  Wind farms are pretty.  Get on board people.

Final stop along the way.  I ALWAYS tell Ethan that there is no way we can stop for Fireworks.  Fireworks are not legal in Illinois and we just shouldn't break the law.  I caved this time.

(Please note: I regret this decision because on Monday he took out one of them and tried it in our parking lot.  It was loud...like a gun shot and I'm shocked no one called "shots fired" on us...it made me very embarrassed)

We got home at about 9pm on Sunday night.  A total of 16+ hours in the car and about 24 hours total in Nashville.  It was a quick trip for sure, but one of the best I've ever been on. The company was pretty great too ;-)

As I reflected on our 2 years as a married couple, I realized that I could not....no I WOULD NOT have done this if it weren't for Ethan.  We didn't have a plan.  We just drove to Nashville and stopped when we felt like it.  There wasn't an itinerary or a map or a time limit.  We drove.  We stopped.  We ate (a lot).  We walked.  We talked. We drank (a little). We sight saw. And we drove some more.  The conversation was never dull and the scenery and car music to accompany it was something out of a movie.  It was the perfect weekend and a great reflection of what our life together is (and will always be) like. 

Down Update

Sometimes, you're sitting at work and you get a text message from your husband and you just start crying. 


I wish I had some profound words to write, or some catchy thing to say...but my hands are trembling and my head is racing.  7-8 months ago, Ethan said to me "I'll be happy if I just get down to 300 pounds."  It seemed like a daunting task. 

But then, today, he sent me this...

Ethan has lost 101 pounds as of today.  Take that in. Soak it up.  101 pounds.  How do you even begin to THINK about losing that much?  I guess you don't.  I guess you start with your small goals and build on them.  I guess you start by seeing small changes and progress.  I guess you let those things build your confidence so much so that you just keep going.  I guess you learn that you have more will power, fight, and perseverance than you ever thought.

Newlyweds

This past weekend was one of the most amazing weekends I have had in a while.  My birthday weekend was filled with amazing surprises from Ethan: New running shoes, a great lunch date, an afternoon at the spa, and even a surprise birthday party at the Dueling Pianos bar.  But, amid all of this, there was one thing that made me smile, giggle, and just feel so blessed. 

Ethan took me to the running store to try on new shoes.  After trying on a couple pairs, a few walks around the store, and even some jogging on the treadmill, I landed on a pair of Brooks.  Ahhh, sweet relief for my feet. 

As we were checking out, Ethan and I were giggling with each other and just being overly excited for this new pair of shoes.  The man that was helping us stopped what he was doing, looked up, and goes "Are you two newlyweds?"  After an awkward glance at Ethan, I replied with "Well, we've been married about 2 years and together for a while."  The man just stood there smiling at us.  I couldn't figure it out and my go to reaction was to be kind of put off that he would think we were so immature! Ethan quickly came to the rescue and said "Thanks, man.  That's such a great compliment." 

And it was.

Too often, Ethan and I get caught up in moments of stress, work, life, adult choices, ect.  It is the times that we are carefree and joyous that we get so caught up in each other that we don't even realize what others may see in us.  THOSE are the moments that make the stressors in life totally worth it.  Those are the moments when we are ourselves.  Those are the moments when our love shines.

So, thank you, to my husband for seeing this as a compliment, changing my go to defensiveness, and the man at The Runners Soul for just saying it.  Such a little comment with such big implications.  Thank you.

These Shoes Are Made For Running

Ethan and I have a long tradition of not getting each other anything for birthdays, anniversaries, or Christmas.  This started back in college when it just got to be too much.  February 4th = Dating Anniversary, February 6th = Ethan's birthday, February 14th = Valentine's Day, and March 16th = Jenna's Birthday.  It was just too much celebration in such a short amount of time...and our bank accounts just weren't big enough.  Also, if we weren't going to get each other anything for those days, then we might as well throw Christmas in there, right? 

For whatever reason, this year I got an itch to get Ethan something for his birthday.  I see how hard he works in the gym (and outside of the gym) and noticed that this shoes were in sad shape.  I honestly couldn't remember the last time that Ethan bought a pair of BRAND NEW shoes.  He often received shoes from Evan through the Iowa Sports Teams that he worked for, or more recently, the Indianapolis Colts.  These shoes were in good condition, but they were not BRAND NEW.  I had the perfect idea!

On the Saturday before Ethan's birthday we went to the gym as usual.  I had a big surprise for him after the gym though. I took Ethan to a running store to get fitted for the proper shoe and learn a bit more about running.   What an experience!  They took pictures of his feet, studied his arch (or lack of) and had him walk on a treadmill so that they could pick a shoe that would give him back everything he puts into a workout.

Taking a look at all the shoes!

Ethan ended up with a pair of Brooks and some insoles...and a whole new motivation for working out and running.  A brand new pair of shoes...the first in over 2 years I had been told.  Well deserved!

The next weekend, Jan and Mark came into town and surprised Ethan by bringing Evan with!  What a treat!!!  We decided on a Piano Bar/Bowling Alley in Elmhurst for dinner on Saturday night and it was a BLAST!  We both agreed that we would be going back for more dueling pianos and shuffleboard :-)

 At Fitz - Enjoying the Dueling Pianos!

I am not sure if this will continue, I still enjoy getting him random gifts "just cuz" rather than because of a particular day.  But, I must say, giving Ethan gifts on his birthday was a joy.  I loved watching the surprise in his face and the graciousness in his voice for the gifts he received.  What a great birthday and many more to come! 

This is NOT the man I married...

Wow. What a long time since the last post.  There is good reason, I assure you. 

September 27th, 2011

Ethan and I were sitting on the couch, watching Biggest Loser as we do on Tuesday nights. There was a segment where a 27 year old male had to meet with the shows doctor and was told that he was diabetic.  The 27 year old was roughly Ethan's height, roughly Ethan's weight, and was carrying on the same lifestyle.  Ethan sat there quietly, saying nothing about what he was thinking and feeling.

The next day at work, Ethan messaged me asking about the website that I had started using just days earlier that tracks your calories/exercise/weight loss.  From that point on, we haven't looked back.

Our journey is only successful because we are doing this together.  If I had to count calories or measure out my portions without Ethan, I would have failed by now.  He says the same for me (I always blush).  It has brought us together in ways I could not imagine.

Weeks had gone by and we had committed to not telling anyone what we were doing.  We wanted to surprise them when they saw us next.  The first opportunity we had for this was when Ethan's parents came up in October to go to Lambeau Field.  It was a modest weight loss at that time, but the difference in pictures from August to October show pretty well that we were on the right road.

August sometime - 1st Trip to Lambeau Field

October 29, 2011 - Exactly 1 month into it.

After our Lambeau outing, it was time to get back to our daily grind.  I worked out in the morning before work, Ethan went after work.  Day in and day out.  Saturdays we started going to the gym and would spend our time there trying to get as many calories out as possible since we didn't have a time constraint.  The changes kept coming and the weight kept coming off.

I remember one Sunday morning I had to work the Nursery.  Sundays are usually our days off from working out and allow us to recharge for the week.  After church, Ethan and I were sitting down for lunch and he told me that he had gone for a jog that morning while I was gone.  I sat there.  Dumbfounded.  This was NOT the man I had married.  I didn't marry some one who looked forward to getting up early just to workout.  I didn't marry some one who actively counted and measured what they were eating not because they needed to make it last longer but because they knew that it would lead to a better life for us.  And while I did not marry this man, I am so so SOOOO happy that I have him in my life now. 

These past two weekends we were blessed to be able to spend it with our families.  We were able to share with them the joy and excitement we have found in working out, seeing the changes, eating responsibly and being able to say we are here for the long haul of life.  Our journey does not have a finish line.  This is the lifestyle we have and want and need.  So I'll leave you with a little fun fact.  1 pound = 4 sticks of butter.  That means that Ethan has lost a total of 248 sticks of butter and I have lost a total of 140 sticks of butter.  Gross - but it feels GREAT!

BEFORE

January 2012

What a Crock....

So yesterday I woke up early to get the CrockPot Lasagna ready.  Boy were we EXCITED to have this for dinner.  I assembled everything and placed my wonderful looking Lasagna into my CrockPot.  Turned it on low and left for work. 

I dreamt all day about the smells that would fill the house, the taste of the Lasagna, and how perfect it would be to warm us up on a cool day.  On the way home from work, Ethan and I talked about having some garlic bread with our Lasagna or a salad on the side.  As we pulled into the parking lot, I was relieved that our house was still standing (forgot to tell you that I also had minor anxiety all day about whether our house would be burned down). 

I opened the door to the house and the smell was intoxicating.  I started getting really excited and I think I may have even done a little happy dance.  Ethan came in and said "It smells really good!"

I didn't even want to change into my comfy clothes...I just wanted to see what it looked like and dig in for dinner. 

This is what I found:

BURNT....



I looked at Ethan, deflated and so so so embarrassed.  I said "Looks like we have to go out to dinner.  It's ruined."  He was quick to put his arms around me and tell me that it was okay...that this was not the end of the world and that I did everything I could to make this meal amazing.  He then reminded me that we are trying to eat better and that we have plenty of food in the house to make a different dinner. 

I managed to salvage one serving from the very center of the CrockPot disaster.  I put it in a container and placed it in the fridge for a later day.  

Later that night I put the Lasagna in a plastic bag to be taken out to the trash.  It was a brick of hardened cheese, noodles, and italian sausage and about 50% lighter than when I put it all together...Some day we will try this dish again...maybe not while we are away at work though....

The "No Good, Very Bad Day"

Ethan and I have been having a GREAT summer.  In late July we were able to be a part of Ethan's cousins wedding.  What a great day that was.  I think one of my favorite parts of that day was the video that Lori put together for her groom.  I hope some day she shares that with everyone.  I know that we were not the only people in that room that thought it was spectacular. 

I surprised Ethan with a trip to Lambeau Field as well.  I did not know what I was in for when we embarked on our weekend trip with Sean.  I learned a lot about football that weekend, I became more of a Packers fan, and I am ready to go back.  We were one weekend shy of being up in Green Bay with the players....if only we had known.  

August was a busy work month for us.  We were preparing for the start of the Fall semester and it all commenced this week.  For as slow and mellow my first 3 months were at Concordia, this week was just the opposite.  Busy and overwhelmed with emails and phone calls from students who you would think never attended college before.  Luckily, Everest College prepared me well to deal with moronic behavior....

I have had a sight visit every night this week.  This has made my days seem short but the week seem intensely long.  Today was the worst day I have had since May 6th.

I woke up every day this week and went to the gym.  I love going to the gym before work.  It puts me in a great mood and I feel like I have accomplished something before stepping foot in the office.  Well, this morning I went to the gym as normal.  I had a great workout, showered up, and got dressed.  While getting dressed, I managed to rip apart the zipper on my pants.  Now, the irony is that I'm at the gym working my fat @$$ off, yet I'm busting open my pants.  As you can imagine, I panicked.  I managed to get them on, zipped up, and finished getting ready.  Before I left, I decided to use the bathroom one last time before heading to work.  B.a.d. i.d.e.a.....

This time, the unzipping would be permanent.  I frantically removed my pants and tried to fix the zipper.  I was  sweating (which doesn't take a lot for me to do) and I was starting to panic more because of this.  I had to be at work in 10 minutes and I needed these pants because driving 30 minutes home to get another pair was not an option today.  NOT DURING THE FIRST WEEK OF CLASSES!!!  I managed to get the zipper fixed again and resolved that today I would not use the bathroom until I got home...I knew I had a tough day ahead of me with that promise in mind. 

I quickly wiped the sweat from my head, neck, and arms and walked out to my car.  Just as I turned on to Harlem there it was.......a mother freakin' freight train.  Great.  8 minutes until I have to be at work and the worlds longest and slowest freight train has to go through.  I put my car in park and wait it out.  It felt like an eternity.

I got to work, parked my car and walked the 1/4 mile to the office.  I jacked up the A/C and sat there.  I collected my thoughts and was sure that the worst part was over.  I severely underestimated the effect my students can have.  By 10:00am I was ready for a beer.  By 10:30am I knew that the beer was not going to be strong enough.

I ended up making it through the day without having to use the bathroom.  Not drinking coffee and only drinking 1/2 of a can of diet coke seemed to work out just fine.  Luckily, today my site visit was 5 minutes from our house so I was able to stop home fast before returning to work.

I came home after my site visit and noticed that the air was still on from my "quick trip" home before the site visit.  That's an hour...a straight hour that the air was running.  Something was not right.  Sure enough, our air conditioner stopped forcing cool air.  This was not the first time, but this was definitely the most inconvenient time.  I ran downstairs and unplugged the condensation tank that pumps the water into the sink...sometimes this gets too full and "forgets" to run.  This did not work.  Ethan was not coming home before hockey tonight. By this time I am sweating like a running faucet and getting really aggravated that my already terrible day just won't end.  I tried the unplug method again and let it sit for a while.  When I plugged it back in it started working normally again.

I changed my clothes, made some 'dinner' (if you call Spaghetti-O's dinner) and just sat here.  I need that beer.  I will have that beer....or something else.  Cheers to the No Good, Very Bad Day...may I not see you for quite some time...