Today, we began TCAP testing at my school. It's the transitional state standardized test for Colorado, and it was a long day. The poor kids had to take THREE tests today, and the proctors (aka teachers aka me) were not allowed to sit down all day. I don't usually sit much anyhow, but not being able to was weird. I thought I'd be tired when I got home, but I decided to go for a run anyway. I stayed on the treadmill, but I ran a 5K! I am so excited about finishing that, and I can't wait to train even more and dominate the 5K in a few weeks. I am feeling good!
I also just finished making Chex Funfetti Cake Buddies to send with Dan and his Flying Team for their get-away to Lake Havasu, Arizona from Thursday through Monday. Last time they went out of town, I packed them my fun Autumn Trail Mix, so I couldn't send them with nothing. I used THIS RECIPE that I found on Pinterest. It does not look as pretty as the picture, but it does taste delicious.
Otherwise, today was rather uneventful. I am catching up on the first two episodes of season six of Army Wives that I missed last night. That show always get me, and I love it. I was so mad I didn't get to see it last night, but watching it now is just fine. :)
Until tomorrow,
Janelle
Monday, March 5, 2012
Sunday, March 4, 2012
I Am My Father's Daughter
As I mentioned on Facebook today, it has been exactly six years since my father was taken from me too soon. I was only 18 and a senior in high school when he had a massive heart attack and passed away suddenly on March 4th, 2006 when he was only 44 years old. I will always remember to call I got to come home close to 11:00 on a Saturday night. I got there and met my brother, who was getting dropped off by a friend's parent. We knew something was wrong, but we didn't know what yet. We pieced it together before my mom even got home to deliver the news, however, based on the seriousness of her voice on the phone. We didn't want to be right, but of course we were, and that moment was the worst feeling anyone could ever experience in their lives. It was horrendous, torturous, and just plain not fair. I still hate every thought of that entire night knowing how it ended. My entire world shattered. I was in shambles. To this day, I still feel lost thinking about the moment I found out that my father had passed away.
Instead of dwelling on the sad stuff, though, I want to focus on the POSITIVE memories I had with my dad... and there sure are a lot! I was a daddy's girl through and through growing up, and nothing will ever be able to rob me of that. Although he did not get to see me go to my senior prom, graduate from high school, go through and graduate from college with honors, meet the man I'm going to marry and get to give his blessing, move to Colorado all on my own, or begin my career as a teacher, I know he has been there anyway. I may not have him by my side, but he is in my memory forever. Having lost someone SO important in my life at such a vulnerable age really taught me to cherish EVERY memory, and that is why I take so many pictures. Some people think it's weird. I think it's a good way to capture EVERYTHING that I want to remember.
My dad's favorite song was Freebird by Lynyrd Skynyrd, and he had always joked with me that he wanted it played at his funeral. Although we had been just messing around talking about it, I made sure that came true by making a C to be played that featured Freebird as every other song. You can listen to it on Youtube by CLICKING HERE. Every time I hear the song on the radio, I stop focusing on everything else around me and just listen. That song gets me every time, and it's a nice, comforting way to remember him.
Instead of dwelling on the sad stuff, though, I want to focus on the POSITIVE memories I had with my dad... and there sure are a lot! I was a daddy's girl through and through growing up, and nothing will ever be able to rob me of that. Although he did not get to see me go to my senior prom, graduate from high school, go through and graduate from college with honors, meet the man I'm going to marry and get to give his blessing, move to Colorado all on my own, or begin my career as a teacher, I know he has been there anyway. I may not have him by my side, but he is in my memory forever. Having lost someone SO important in my life at such a vulnerable age really taught me to cherish EVERY memory, and that is why I take so many pictures. Some people think it's weird. I think it's a good way to capture EVERYTHING that I want to remember.
My dad's favorite song was Freebird by Lynyrd Skynyrd, and he had always joked with me that he wanted it played at his funeral. Although we had been just messing around talking about it, I made sure that came true by making a C to be played that featured Freebird as every other song. You can listen to it on Youtube by CLICKING HERE. Every time I hear the song on the radio, I stop focusing on everything else around me and just listen. That song gets me every time, and it's a nice, comforting way to remember him.
I think of my dad every single day, and it still feels weird when I hear something that I know he will find just as hilarious as me but then realize that I can't actually tell him. I hate that feeling more than anything, but I don't think it will ever go away. But that's okay with me... I don't want the memory of him to ever fade, so I am happy being able to think about him each day.
Until tomorrow,
Janelle
Saturday, March 3, 2012
A Trip to the Vet
Today I took both of my cats to the vet for the first time in a long time (since moving to Colorado -- oops!). They are strictly indoor cats, though, so I never worried about them catching anything from the outside world. However, it was time, so they are now up to date (minus the booster they need in three weeks for one of the shots). It feels good to have that all over with, and they were both champs!
Gilligan is now 4 years and 11 months old, and he weighs 13 pounds. He's my big boy, but he's all love. Stormy is now 5 years and 1 month old, and she weighs just 7.1 pounds. While she's tiny, she is feisty!
Stormy tried her very hardest to claw and bite the veterinarian, but she (the vet) must be a ninja because she somehow survived unscathed. I was impressed to say the least, especially after what happened to my arm the last time I tried trimming her nails. Gilligan was a love-bug, like always, and he sat there patiently without moving a muscle the entire time he was being poked and prodded.
I know I probably sound crazy, but these are my babies. I am so happy to have them in my life, and when they behaved so well for our outing today, I was amazed. They were rewarded with a nice a nice (yummy) treat, along with a couple new toys, when we got home. They gobbled up their tuna, shrimp, and chicken, and they're now lounging around like always.
Gilligan is now 4 years and 11 months old, and he weighs 13 pounds. He's my big boy, but he's all love. Stormy is now 5 years and 1 month old, and she weighs just 7.1 pounds. While she's tiny, she is feisty!
Stormy tried her very hardest to claw and bite the veterinarian, but she (the vet) must be a ninja because she somehow survived unscathed. I was impressed to say the least, especially after what happened to my arm the last time I tried trimming her nails. Gilligan was a love-bug, like always, and he sat there patiently without moving a muscle the entire time he was being poked and prodded.
I know I probably sound crazy, but these are my babies. I am so happy to have them in my life, and when they behaved so well for our outing today, I was amazed. They were rewarded with a nice a nice (yummy) treat, along with a couple new toys, when we got home. They gobbled up their tuna, shrimp, and chicken, and they're now lounging around like always.
Tonight, I am heading to Cripple Creek with Dan. We bought a few deals from The Gazette last fall, so we have a free night with a voucher for dinner and another one for breakfast. We love that little town, and I'm sure tonight will be a blast! I will update tomorrow...
Janelle
Friday, March 2, 2012
Flying High on Date #2
As I shared about a week ago, I want to share random memories through my blog posts. They won't always be in order, but I did compile a list of things I would love to remember since February of 2009, when Dan and I began dating. Some of the memories will be dates we've been on or things that we've done together, while other posts will be about my own memories within that timeframe. I don't care if people read these posts or not; you all may make that decision, as I'm not posting these memories for "views" on my page. I want to document these things so that I will always have them written out. If I ever lose my memory, I will have these posts to look back on. :)
What I am going to recall in this post is my second official date with Dan. It took place in early March of 2009. We had hung out several times casually in between our first and second dates, but he told me one day that he had something special planned. Skeptical, I agreed. Then, he told me not to wear a dress or skirt OR sandals. I was thoroughly confused, but it doesn't take long to figure out that you're going to be flying somewhere when you're dating a pilot. It turns out that I was right!
Many of you know how nervous I am in and around airplanes, so I grew extremely nervous. I didn't want Dan to know, though, because he told me that he could "never date a girl who didn't love flying"... so I faked it. (Yes, he does know this now. I am not incriminating myself). I dressed appropriately (jeans, tennis shoes, and a nice top) and climbed into a small Cessna airplane for the first time in my life. (I had only flown on airline planes before). We started our short journey in Warrensburg, Missouri at the University of Central Missouri's Skyhaven Airport, where Dan had rented a plane for a few hours.
He showed me all kinds of nerdy things about the plane (I think he was just showing off at the time, but it turns out he does know a lot! He placed FIRST in the entire region at a Flying Team competition in the Pre-Flight event in October of 2011.) before we took off, and then he surprised me again by letting me wear a set of headphones while he flew us to dinner. That meant that I got to listen to him making all of his weird calls and whatnot, and it was really cool. He flew me over Raytown, the city I grew up in, and then over downtown Kansas City, which was really cool.
We ended the first leg of our flight at Red Robin in Olathe, Kansas, where we stopped for dinner. It was Dan's first time at a Red Robin, but I had been there several times before. He thought it was amazing that they had a burger with a fried egg on it, and he excitedly told the waitress, "I'll have the burger with the egg on it!" I laughed so hard, and I will always remember that moment. :) After eating, we flew back to Warrensburg, and on the way, Dan did a "Zero G" in the plane (which I still don't understand), and it felt like we were falling from the sky. He did it on purpose to scare me (which is why I will never be able to fully trust him! Kidding...), but he later regretted it when I shrieked (horror movie style) into the headphones that he had on. Joke's on you, buddy. ;)
The fact that Dan rented a plane to fly me to dinner when we had been dating for just a couple weeks will always amaze me. Unfortunately, I did not take any pictures that night (I know, you're as shocked as I am)... but I do have a few pictures of him from around the same time, so I put them together to show.
What I am going to recall in this post is my second official date with Dan. It took place in early March of 2009. We had hung out several times casually in between our first and second dates, but he told me one day that he had something special planned. Skeptical, I agreed. Then, he told me not to wear a dress or skirt OR sandals. I was thoroughly confused, but it doesn't take long to figure out that you're going to be flying somewhere when you're dating a pilot. It turns out that I was right!
Many of you know how nervous I am in and around airplanes, so I grew extremely nervous. I didn't want Dan to know, though, because he told me that he could "never date a girl who didn't love flying"... so I faked it. (Yes, he does know this now. I am not incriminating myself). I dressed appropriately (jeans, tennis shoes, and a nice top) and climbed into a small Cessna airplane for the first time in my life. (I had only flown on airline planes before). We started our short journey in Warrensburg, Missouri at the University of Central Missouri's Skyhaven Airport, where Dan had rented a plane for a few hours.
He showed me all kinds of nerdy things about the plane (I think he was just showing off at the time, but it turns out he does know a lot! He placed FIRST in the entire region at a Flying Team competition in the Pre-Flight event in October of 2011.) before we took off, and then he surprised me again by letting me wear a set of headphones while he flew us to dinner. That meant that I got to listen to him making all of his weird calls and whatnot, and it was really cool. He flew me over Raytown, the city I grew up in, and then over downtown Kansas City, which was really cool.
We ended the first leg of our flight at Red Robin in Olathe, Kansas, where we stopped for dinner. It was Dan's first time at a Red Robin, but I had been there several times before. He thought it was amazing that they had a burger with a fried egg on it, and he excitedly told the waitress, "I'll have the burger with the egg on it!" I laughed so hard, and I will always remember that moment. :) After eating, we flew back to Warrensburg, and on the way, Dan did a "Zero G" in the plane (which I still don't understand), and it felt like we were falling from the sky. He did it on purpose to scare me (which is why I will never be able to fully trust him! Kidding...), but he later regretted it when I shrieked (horror movie style) into the headphones that he had on. Joke's on you, buddy. ;)
The fact that Dan rented a plane to fly me to dinner when we had been dating for just a couple weeks will always amaze me. Unfortunately, I did not take any pictures that night (I know, you're as shocked as I am)... but I do have a few pictures of him from around the same time, so I put them together to show.
I'll write more tomorrow,
Janelle
Thursday, March 1, 2012
A Healthy Influence
It's Thursday, and you know what that means-- it's time for another writing prompt! This week's prompt says:
What is the most influential thing in your life right now?
My one word answer to that question is health. That answer is threefold, though, as I am talking about my physical health, mental health, and emotional health.
1. As for my physical health, it is consuming me. The anniversary of my father's sudden death from a heart attack is this weekend. It has been six years. I want to protect myself from that happening to me. In order to do so, I am trying my hardest to create a healthy lifestyle for myself. I have started running again, and this time I have major goals to work toward so that I don't give up. I'm starting small with a 5K later this month, but Dan has agreed to run a half marathon with me before our wedding. I ran one in 2008, but it's been a while. I would LOVE to feel that way again, and I'm looking forward to running at least one with him before May of 2014. Who knows -- maybe we'll be able to do more than that! We also hope to run a full marathon someday, so that is my overall goal I am working toward. I am nowhere near that now, as I'm running 2.5 miles a day. Someday. In addition to workout out regularly, I am trying to establish a healthier eating plan. I am a vegetarian; I have been for nearly four years now. However, I still love cheese, and that is full of fat. It's definitely my favorite food, and I'm not going to stop eating it. Rather, I need to cut back on it. I need to try to only eat cheese in one meal a day and focus on eating whole foods (fresh vegetables and fruits, along with with nuts) for the rest of the day. Each morning for breakfast, I make a green smoothie. I include two HUGE handfuls of fresh spinach and a big handful of frozen mango (combined with rice milk and vanilla protein powder), and that starts my day off well! I eat those five days a week for breakfast, and I have been since November. They're delicious, and I feel GREAT after eating/drinking them.
2. My mental health is suffering, as you probably know from my recent posts ranting about my job. I vowed NOT to post negative things about work anymore, so I'll let you search for those posts if you choose. However, I will say this: picking up running again has eased a lot of what I was feeling. No, it's not perfect. Yes, I am still stressed out, and yes, I still have some bad days. BUT some days are better than others, which is more than I could say two weeks ago. My physical health getting better has a DIRECT RELATION with my mental health. I am becoming stronger all over, my motivation is coming back, and I just feel better overall.
3. When I think about my emotional health, I don't have too many issues. I have wonderful friends and family. I have two loving kitty cats who remind me that I am needed. I am marrying the man of my dreams, who just so happens to be tall, dark, and handsome. On an emotional level, I am doing alright! But since overall HEALTH is my focus here, I felt the need to mention it.
Writing that out put all of my thoughts into the words I needed them to become. This is not a short race for me. This is a journey. This is a lifestyle change. Please encourage me along the way, and remind me why I'm doing what I'm doing if I seem to forget!
Until tomorrow,
Janelle
What is the most influential thing in your life right now?
My one word answer to that question is health. That answer is threefold, though, as I am talking about my physical health, mental health, and emotional health.
1. As for my physical health, it is consuming me. The anniversary of my father's sudden death from a heart attack is this weekend. It has been six years. I want to protect myself from that happening to me. In order to do so, I am trying my hardest to create a healthy lifestyle for myself. I have started running again, and this time I have major goals to work toward so that I don't give up. I'm starting small with a 5K later this month, but Dan has agreed to run a half marathon with me before our wedding. I ran one in 2008, but it's been a while. I would LOVE to feel that way again, and I'm looking forward to running at least one with him before May of 2014. Who knows -- maybe we'll be able to do more than that! We also hope to run a full marathon someday, so that is my overall goal I am working toward. I am nowhere near that now, as I'm running 2.5 miles a day. Someday. In addition to workout out regularly, I am trying to establish a healthier eating plan. I am a vegetarian; I have been for nearly four years now. However, I still love cheese, and that is full of fat. It's definitely my favorite food, and I'm not going to stop eating it. Rather, I need to cut back on it. I need to try to only eat cheese in one meal a day and focus on eating whole foods (fresh vegetables and fruits, along with with nuts) for the rest of the day. Each morning for breakfast, I make a green smoothie. I include two HUGE handfuls of fresh spinach and a big handful of frozen mango (combined with rice milk and vanilla protein powder), and that starts my day off well! I eat those five days a week for breakfast, and I have been since November. They're delicious, and I feel GREAT after eating/drinking them.
2. My mental health is suffering, as you probably know from my recent posts ranting about my job. I vowed NOT to post negative things about work anymore, so I'll let you search for those posts if you choose. However, I will say this: picking up running again has eased a lot of what I was feeling. No, it's not perfect. Yes, I am still stressed out, and yes, I still have some bad days. BUT some days are better than others, which is more than I could say two weeks ago. My physical health getting better has a DIRECT RELATION with my mental health. I am becoming stronger all over, my motivation is coming back, and I just feel better overall.
3. When I think about my emotional health, I don't have too many issues. I have wonderful friends and family. I have two loving kitty cats who remind me that I am needed. I am marrying the man of my dreams, who just so happens to be tall, dark, and handsome. On an emotional level, I am doing alright! But since overall HEALTH is my focus here, I felt the need to mention it.
Writing that out put all of my thoughts into the words I needed them to become. This is not a short race for me. This is a journey. This is a lifestyle change. Please encourage me along the way, and remind me why I'm doing what I'm doing if I seem to forget!
Until tomorrow,
Janelle
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