I am so, so sick.
I am ending week 5 of being sick. And yes, I saw a doctor, who told me there was nothing she could do about it. She tested me for whooping cough and even gave me antibiotics for whooping cough "just in case", but those tests came back negative yesterday. She said I just have to live with the cough until it decides to leave.
Being sick isn't the hard part, though. In the process of coughing for 5 weeks straight, I have severely torn muscles in my rib cage. I have never, ever in my life experienced such pain. I thought I had broken a rib, but my doctor said I only tore muscles and ligaments around the rib cage. She said it can happen in extreme cases of cough such as mine.
I am basically immobile. I can't bend over. I can't breathe without pain. Coughing brings me to tears (and I'm doing that every minute). When I sneeze, I just want to die. And sadly, when I laugh, it makes me cough, which makes me crumble over in extreme pain.
Like I said, I have never been in such pain, even after surgery. I sympathize with anyone who has ever broken a rib or had rib problems.
The doctor said it will probably take weeks for me to feel normal again after tearing these muscles. So right abut the time I'm headed back to school in January......
Thursday, December 20, 2012
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Ornament Exchange
Shannon and I hosted our 5th Annual Ornament Exchange. It was another huge success with 20 ladies, our largest yet! My friend, Tiffany, who moved to New Jersey this past summer, even participated from afar. She mailed me an ornament, and I mailed her new ornament back to her. She loves it so much that she wanted to join in on the fun even though she isn't here. We missed you, Tiffany.
All 20 of us, and we all ended up with a beautiful, new ornament.
It was a night filled with food, wine, laughter, and fellowship. What a great group of friends we have!
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Sully Love
As most of you know, I'm not a huge fan of dogs. But they sure do like me! This past weekend, Josh dog-sat for my friend's dog, Sully. Sully came to my house, along with his bed and toys. I was gone for the day/night with my girlfriends from Nebraska, so it was just the boys hanging out in my apartment.
When I got home around 1 a.m., luckily Sully was not in my bed. He also didn't bark at me as I came in the door, as I feared, but he was quick to try to snuggle up with me as I laid down to bed. I slept on the futon, and Sully slept right beside me all night (I wouldn't allow him to crawl up with me, so he laid on the floor). The next morning, I couldn't keep him off me.
Josh and I took him to the baseball field to run around.
Once we got back home, this is where Sully sat for the rest of the day. On my lap. Yup, he wouldn't move, and he refused to lay anywhere else. I wasn't feeling well, so the two of us were lazy and slept the day away, him on my lap, me not too amused, Josh laughing that Sully loves me so much.
Monday, December 17, 2012
Girls' Christmas
Every year, my Nebraska girls (Katie, April, Irish, and Michelle) get together to celebrate Christmas. We draw names and then get together for a fun night of laughs, drinks, and games.
This year was our 10 year anniversary together. We had originally decided to celebrate in Kearney because the girls came to Denver last year. But it just so happened that Katie turned 30 last week, and turning 30 wouldn't be as fabulous without a fun party. It worked out just so that we planned Katie's 30th birthday party for the same weekend as our girls' Christmas. The girls packed up and headed to Denver this past weekend.
Katie also had a fun, new idea. Rather than draw names for one girl, each girl had a limit of $6 per girl, and the gift was "My Favorite Things." So rather than drawing names, each girl got a $6 gift from everyone! I think we all went over our budget by a few dollars, but look at all the girls' favorite things:
Snickers, PB Cups, Beta fish food (the other girls got dog treats, but I don't have a dog), a handmade coaster with my initial, lip gloss/lipstick in one, a hand-held mirror (because Michelle said, "I'm always looking at myself"), orange nail polish, lavender nail polish, a burned CD (I don't remember what band, but April said it's one of her favorites), a candy cane pen, a purple Sharpie, a very nice black ink pen, Christmas napkins, bubble bath, five different martini flavors, a nail file, a Christmas tin, a bottle of wine, Bobbie pins (with a fancy jewel on the tips), and shimmer lip gloss. April also printed off some wedding pictures for us, and I got a Christmas card and picture from Irish and Katie.
It was so much fun to get all these fun gifts, and I think this may be our new tradition.
Here's what I got for my girls:
A Cranberry Pear candle from Bath and Body Works (my favorite smell!), a pair of feather earrings (my new favorite accessory), homemade Puppy Chow (all of our favorites), homemade Pumpkin Spice Coffee Creamer with the recipe, and I made each girl a picture frame earring holder.
Friday, December 14, 2012
No Words
For the very first time in my life, I was victim to a crime. I wasn't even present when the crime happened, and I guess technically you could say the crime didn't even happen to me, but I felt so violated and robbed. This crime consumed my mind for three straight days, and I was filled with anger every time it popped into my head.
My bike was stolen. From Josh.
You see, I am blessed to have two bikes. I have a mountain bike my parents got me 10 years ago, and then I have my road bike that I got 5 years ago. My road bike is my primary bike and the one I ride in the MS150. Josh has taken over possession of my mountain bike, and we make a pretty good team with our respective bikes.
Josh rides my bike to and from school. He dutiful locks my bike up every morning, and he makes sure to take very good care of this possession, my possession.
And then one day when he came out of class, my bike wasn't there.
Taken. Stolen. Robbed.
Josh called the police. He called me. He was not happy. I was not happy.
Someone took what was not his to take.
(To make a long story short, a week later, Josh was walking to school when he found my bike. The thief, dumb as he was, rode his stolen prize to school, and Josh found it. The police were called, and I/we have my bike back).
Today, someone took that which was not his to take. A man...no, a selfish, self-center, repulsive, hideous, nauseating creature walked into a school and took the lives of at least 27 children and adults. As an educator, as an aunt, as a future mother (God willing), I am filled with hatred. Complete and utter disgust. Rage. Sorrow. Sadness. Grief.
Why must people take what doesn't belong to them? There are just no words.
I rely on God's peace right now. I got my bike back, but these people, these parents, will never get their children back. And for that, I cry, I pray, I lift up those hurting.
There are just no words.
My bike was stolen. From Josh.
You see, I am blessed to have two bikes. I have a mountain bike my parents got me 10 years ago, and then I have my road bike that I got 5 years ago. My road bike is my primary bike and the one I ride in the MS150. Josh has taken over possession of my mountain bike, and we make a pretty good team with our respective bikes.
Josh rides my bike to and from school. He dutiful locks my bike up every morning, and he makes sure to take very good care of this possession, my possession.
And then one day when he came out of class, my bike wasn't there.
Taken. Stolen. Robbed.
Josh called the police. He called me. He was not happy. I was not happy.
Someone took what was not his to take.
(To make a long story short, a week later, Josh was walking to school when he found my bike. The thief, dumb as he was, rode his stolen prize to school, and Josh found it. The police were called, and I/we have my bike back).
Today, someone took that which was not his to take. A man...no, a selfish, self-center, repulsive, hideous, nauseating creature walked into a school and took the lives of at least 27 children and adults. As an educator, as an aunt, as a future mother (God willing), I am filled with hatred. Complete and utter disgust. Rage. Sorrow. Sadness. Grief.
Why must people take what doesn't belong to them? There are just no words.
I rely on God's peace right now. I got my bike back, but these people, these parents, will never get their children back. And for that, I cry, I pray, I lift up those hurting.
There are just no words.
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Our Love Story
Josh and I started dating two years ago today. Two years of long-distance dating. It has been hard, but we have made it work and we are happier now than ever before. Things are going well, and we are both anxious for him to finish school so we can finally live in the same town.
Josh told me today, "Yes, I am happy, and yes you make me happy. Two years ago today I falled in love with you." (Rather than editing his words, I want to point out that Josh is very aware that FALLED in love is not the correct way to speak. He does that to make me laugh (and it does!). He's always being silly like that).
Last night, we were remembering how we met. His version is a bit different than mine.
My version: I was at The Grizzley Rose with Kari and a few other friends. I had noticed Josh all night, partly because I thought he was cute and partly because he was one of the few young men out on the dance floor. I could see he knew how to dance, which caught my attention. We made eye contact a few times, but nothing came of it. Near the end of the night, he came up to me and said, "You should go out there and dance. You look like you want to dance." I said, "Ok," and grabbed his hand so he could lead me to the floor. We danced a few times, I tried to get him to line dance, we talked, he asked for my number, I gave him my number, I told him I had to leave. We said good night. The very next day, Josh called and left me a message. I still have it saved. It said, "Hey there, young lady, this is Josh, the gentleman who tried wooing you on the dance floor last night." I didn't call him back until the next evening, and he was surprised to hear from me. We set up our first official date for the following Saturday.
His version: He noticed me standing with my friends because I was wearing a green dress, and he thought I was very pretty. As he danced that night, he couldn't help but notice me every time he went around the floor. He said I looked eager to dance. He finally got enough courage to come talk to me. He said, "You should go out there and dance. You look like you want to dance." He was not asking me to dance, he later told me. He thought I would say NO, so his intention was not to ask me to dance but to tell me to go dance with someone. (I still give him a hard time about this). He was shocked when I grabbed his hand and said OK. While we danced, I asked him two questions he said a girl should never ask on a first meeting. I asked him if he was a Republican or a Democrat (why? I don't know) and I asked him if he had a DUI (again, why? I don't know). It must have flowed with the conversation! He said he never lined danced, but since I asked him to try, he decided to do it so he could be by my side. After we said our goodbyes, he said he came looking for me (I had already left with my friends, as I told him I was). He said he searched the bar for over 10 minutes trying to find me, and much to his disappointment, he figured out I really had left. He told me last night, "I fell in love with you that first night we met. And the fact that you disappeared with your friends made you even more appealing to me." After he called me on Sunday and I never called back, he figured I wasn't going to call. He was excited and shocked when I called him back the following night.
That's how our love story began. We talked every day that week, and we went out the following Saturday for our first official date. He brought me a rose (his mom picked it out for him), and he dressed like Zac Brown so I would think he was cute. He watched the Husker game with me that night, and then we danced at the Grizzley Rose to end the night.
Two years later, here we are :)
Josh told me today, "Yes, I am happy, and yes you make me happy. Two years ago today I falled in love with you." (Rather than editing his words, I want to point out that Josh is very aware that FALLED in love is not the correct way to speak. He does that to make me laugh (and it does!). He's always being silly like that).
Last night, we were remembering how we met. His version is a bit different than mine.
My version: I was at The Grizzley Rose with Kari and a few other friends. I had noticed Josh all night, partly because I thought he was cute and partly because he was one of the few young men out on the dance floor. I could see he knew how to dance, which caught my attention. We made eye contact a few times, but nothing came of it. Near the end of the night, he came up to me and said, "You should go out there and dance. You look like you want to dance." I said, "Ok," and grabbed his hand so he could lead me to the floor. We danced a few times, I tried to get him to line dance, we talked, he asked for my number, I gave him my number, I told him I had to leave. We said good night. The very next day, Josh called and left me a message. I still have it saved. It said, "Hey there, young lady, this is Josh, the gentleman who tried wooing you on the dance floor last night." I didn't call him back until the next evening, and he was surprised to hear from me. We set up our first official date for the following Saturday.
His version: He noticed me standing with my friends because I was wearing a green dress, and he thought I was very pretty. As he danced that night, he couldn't help but notice me every time he went around the floor. He said I looked eager to dance. He finally got enough courage to come talk to me. He said, "You should go out there and dance. You look like you want to dance." He was not asking me to dance, he later told me. He thought I would say NO, so his intention was not to ask me to dance but to tell me to go dance with someone. (I still give him a hard time about this). He was shocked when I grabbed his hand and said OK. While we danced, I asked him two questions he said a girl should never ask on a first meeting. I asked him if he was a Republican or a Democrat (why? I don't know) and I asked him if he had a DUI (again, why? I don't know). It must have flowed with the conversation! He said he never lined danced, but since I asked him to try, he decided to do it so he could be by my side. After we said our goodbyes, he said he came looking for me (I had already left with my friends, as I told him I was). He said he searched the bar for over 10 minutes trying to find me, and much to his disappointment, he figured out I really had left. He told me last night, "I fell in love with you that first night we met. And the fact that you disappeared with your friends made you even more appealing to me." After he called me on Sunday and I never called back, he figured I wasn't going to call. He was excited and shocked when I called him back the following night.
That's how our love story began. We talked every day that week, and we went out the following Saturday for our first official date. He brought me a rose (his mom picked it out for him), and he dressed like Zac Brown so I would think he was cute. He watched the Husker game with me that night, and then we danced at the Grizzley Rose to end the night.
Two years later, here we are :)
Monday, November 19, 2012
Love Birds
My grandparents, Van and Bill Kloepping, are the two coolest people I know. Hands down.
If you have not met them, I hope you have the opportunity to meet them soon. They will greet you with open arms and love and create interesting dialogue to keep you entertained.
What is even greater is their love for one another. Their love story is amazing, and this is them on their wedding day.
A few weeks ago, they celebrated their 68th wedding anniversary. 68 years! They are even more in love today than they were 68 years ago and what a great example of an incredible marriage.
At their Anniversary party, my Aunt Jan gave them a bottle of Hot Sex. Grandpa said, "I'm a bit tired for this tonight." Grandma didn't quite know what to say. The family got a good laugh out of it (especially if you know anything about my grandma and alcohol).
I love you, grandma and grandpa.
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