A farmgirl and a cityboy

It's been a long time baby

2011-07-26T07:48:00.009-06:00

I could go on and on about how busy I've been since September 27, 2010 and that's why I haven't written on here, but that wouldn't really be true. Let's just say I needed a hiatus. A 10 month hiatus. Maybe I went on a writer's strike like Hollywood did a few years ago. Anyway, lots of things have happened since that fateful September day. Let's recap.

Friends came to visit over Veteran's Day. We rocked Rock Band. I should also mention that we were forced to move in October to a new place. Hence the lack of things on the wall in this picture.

We went to Nebraska for Thanksgiving, but apparently I have no pictures. We went to Montana for Christmas. Eric got some snowshoes so he went snowshoeing at my parents. It was absolutely frigid in Montana this winter.

We got this little bundle of joy on Valentine's Day weekend. Isn't she precious??
We've named her Sydney and while it hasn't always been rainbows and butterfly's, I can't imagine not having her.

We went to DC over Memorial Day to visit Eric's brother Kevin and his wife Becca. It was sooo hot and humid!

We went to Virginia Beach for a few days at the beginning of the trip. (note to self: never take pictures in just a swimsuit again.)

I'm sure there are many more things that happened that were blog worthy, but alas I have reached my word limit for the day. I promise to keep this up Michelle!!

An autumn weekend in three parts...part 1

2010-09-27T17:05:00.006-06:00

Twin Lakes, CO.

On our way to Independence Pass. Picture taken through the windshield.

Shooting through my sunglass, through the windshield. I get bored in the car.

Could this picture get any more autumny? Windmill, check. Old barn, check. Fall colors, check.

Up at Independence Pass. It was like 35 degrees up there.

Going to the scenic overlook. Always toeing the line, this one. (I'd show you a picture of the two of us at the overlook but I look pregnant and those are rumors I don't need going around.)

Doesn't this picture make you want to wear sweaters and quote Robert Frost and drink apple cider? Maybe it's just me then...

Our campsite.

Tomorrow, our foray into Aspen, aka the Poole's trying to jump 4 tax brackets.

Whole Lotta Love

2010-09-22T08:32:00.000-06:00

10 years ago this weekend, my brother brought home Michelle Hultgrien and my life has not been the same. It has definitely improved my life to claim Michelle as my sister-in-law. Not only does she back me up when I give grief to my brother, but she also gave me my first niece who is pretty darn adorable.

The beautiful family.

In Oregon for my wedding. They drove the entire way from Nebraska. It must be love.

One big happy family.

Don't mess with her. She's tough as nails. Unless there's a bat in the garage. Or a kitten in a window well.

Glamour shot.

Here's to Michelle, a great sister-in-law who has enriched my life in so many ways. Thanks for being a part of this family. I hope the next 10 years will be as fun as the past 10 have been. Love you!

Looking back...

2010-09-21T13:00:00.000-06:00

I have struggled this month with the fact that it has been 5 years since I went on my study abroad trip. 5 years!! I am so thankful I had the opportunity to go on this trip and miss everyone I traveled with. Looking back at my journal, on this day in 2005 we visited Mulan Mountain. Yes, this Mulan.

It's a true story! Well, Disney embellished it. Probably a lot. But Mulan was a real woman who did join an all male army. You can read about it on Wikipedia.

Hello adulthood, goodbye Goodwill

2010-09-20T16:47:00.003-06:00

As I mentioned, we bought a new table and chairs. I have been wanting a counter height table for ages, but our $10 table from Goodwill was serving it's purpose. And then we found this beauty at a garage sale for $20!!! Then came the wait for chairs. Thanks to Grandma Poole, we recently received the funds to purchase chairs. Aren't they gorgeous?

The best part about the table? There is a leaf underneath so the table expands into a square which you can fit 8 people around. Hello dinner party! Also, I now have a craft table in the basement. Score one for me.

The opposite of word vomit

2010-09-14T18:15:00.003-06:00

Would that be dry mouth? Since I have been chastized, not once, not twice, but three times by family in the past three days about the blog I am back. To be honest, I haven't felt like blogging. We've had a lot of good things happen in the past two months. But I didn't feel like writing about it. A quick synopsis of two months.

~The in-laws came for a visit.

~We celebrated me turning 25 in style. We ate at the The Broadmoor.

~We celebrated our anniversary. Two years and we're still kicking!

~We went to the Mile High Music Festival.

Best.

Weekend.

Ever.

Jack Johnson. Amos Lee. Steve Miller Band. Train. Weezer. Dave Matthews. Keller Williams. Keane. I have pictures on Facebook but they don't even come close to capturing the awesomeness that was the weekend.

~Kevin and Becca came for a visit last weekend for Labor Day.

~We have a grownup table and chairs. After two years of using our Goodwill table and mismatched chairs, we are using a gorgeous counter height table with our beautiful cream Parson style chairs. Be still my heart.

And because a blog post is boring without pictures, here's one of us to show our families that we are in fact still alive.

And so begins birthday month!

2010-07-02T10:05:00.002-06:00

On July 28, 1985 this world became a much better place. You can't argue that when I enter a room it becomes instantly brighter. I'm kind of joking. Kind of. Anyway, I've been a big proponent of celebrating birthday's all month long. Eric thinks it's ridiculous. He's just jealous because his birthday is at the beginning of the month. I've been reminding him that my birthday month has been coming up. He usually shakes his head and silently mumbles under his breath. Probably thanking his lucky stars he married me. At least that's what I tell myself. Last night when I got home from work, I found this hanging in our garage.

Yes, that is a gift bag with happy birthday tissue.

This was inside. I have the best husband! Maybe someday he'll become like my friend Summer's husband. One can hope.

My fabulous sis-in-law Michelle got this for me for my birthday. Isn't it awesome? Her friend, Designs by Diva, created it.

Day 1 of birthday month was pretty good. We'll see how the other 27 turn out.

Guns and driving and knives, oh my!

2010-06-24T07:34:00.014-06:00

This past weekend Eric and I went to Montana to visit my parents. My brother and his family were also able to come. It was a great trip and quite eventful. The weekend started off with a bang. My dad recently bought a pistol and created a target for shooting practice. So naturally that was the first thing we did on Saturday.

Dad showing us how it's done.

Mike trying to show us how it's done.

Eric trying his hand at hitting the targets.

Now it's the girls' turn to show the boys how it's done. Ignore the terrified look on Michelle's face.

My turn. I don't think Annie Oakley has anything to worry about.

When shooting guns turned boring, we broke out my dad's motorcycle.

Telling Eric he can't pop a wheelie.

Mom and Shelby enjoying the show.

Until Eric broke the motorcycle. Maybe if they look at it long enough they'll know how to fix it.

That's when someone got the bright idea that they should fix the mini van and let my 9 year old niece learn to drive.

Mike instructing Shelby on how to drive.

Driving around in Grandpa's pasture. Notice the look on my brother's face. I think that's how we all looked. My 9 year old niece can drive.

And she's good at it.

Grandma and Grandpa sitting back and watching their only grandchild drive off into the wild blue yonder. Side note: I would never have been allowed to drive at the age of 9.

That afternoon we went driving around looking for things that would look in pictures. Michelle recently bought a Canon Rebel (yes, that is a note of jealousy in my typing) and was wanting to test its powers of photography.

Northeastern Montana has gotten quite a bit of rain this month and it was so green! I don't know that I've ever seen it this green. This picture is in an area called Three Buttes. The Missouri River is somewhere down there.

A cool little butterfly I found on some flowers.

Now, I must warn you, the following pictures are gruesome. Eric and I were supposed to leave on Monday. We didn't leave until Tuesday. Why, you ask? Because Eric had a momentary lapse in judgement. On Sunday evening we were loading up the car with some furniture from my parent's old house. I was cleaning out a night stand that had shot gun shells and various other bullets as well as two very sharp knives. One was a fillet knife for fish. The other was one my dad used when he went hunting. It's Montana, these things are found in a night stand. I mentioned to Eric that I found some knives. He claims he didn't hear me, and his curiousity got the best of him.

The knife. If you look you can still see the blood on the blade.

The result of Eric's curiousity.

6 stiches later, it's almost as good as new. We decided to postpone our departure for a day since it turned out to be a late night on Sunday. It was a great trip and one we won't soon forget.

War Paint

2010-06-15T09:25:00.002-06:00

I'm two days into VBS and have two days left. It's probably for the best that there are only two days left. Sunday night they had face painting for all the kids. I didn't want to be left out. Hence the green blob that is supposed to be a tree frog on my face.

I jokingly referred to it as my "war paint". Little did I know I should have kept it on my face. I'm in charge of pre-school games. Last night's game involved me being a shepherdess, something that comes quite naturally, looking for my lost sheep. After awhile, the kids wanted me to be lost sheep, so I obliged. That was my downfall.

I was hidden and the kids found me. One boy in particular was so excited he found me, he decided I needed to be punished for being lost and caught me with a right hook to the kisser. That's right, he punched me. It didn't hurt, I mean the boy was 4, he didn't have anything behind his punch. It mostly surpised me. I told him "no, thank you" and made him apologize.

Thinking that was the end, I told the teachers. Who then went and got the VBS director. Who then went and got the church's children's minister. Who then got the little boy and gave him a stern talking to and made him apologize to me again. Then all of them told the parents, who then were talking to the preacher about how their little boy hit a teacher who just happened to be standing right there.

I guess it could have been worse. I could have lost a child. Oh wait....I've already done that.

So it's June...who knew?

2010-06-08T09:54:00.003-06:00

Well, I guess to say we've been busy is an understatement. I can't believe it's already June! Lots of things have happened so here's a brief recap.

We bought a car. It's a 2002 Subaru Outback. No, we are not starting family. Yes, we plan on getting a dog. Yes, we know it's a "family" car. We got rid of the Grand Am so we are still a one car family.

My brother-in-law Kevin got married! We took a quick trip to Oregon for the blessed event. We're all glad Becca is a part of the family. Loved her dress!

My Poole sister-in-laws. Becca's smiling because she doesn't have the slightest clue what she's gotten herself into. It's the one in the middle you have to look out for.

We went to this lady's baby shower. (I forgot my camera so no pictures from that) Neice #4 should be making an appearance any day now! Ok, so any day now might not be a correct descriptor, but the due date is July 2 and I just now realized it was June so I feel any day is justified.

Lots of other things have happened too, but I don't have pictures of them. I got a raise at work. We went camping with some friends from church. We had people over for Memorial Day. Eric has climbed a few mountains. I've done some shopping. We bought a new mattress that is fantastic!

This summer is shaping up to be a busy one. Next week is VBS at church and I'm in charge of pre-school games. Say a little prayer for me. Then it's off to Montana!! My fabulous sister-in-law Michelle and neice Shelby are coming too. So is my brother but he's not that fabulous. Maybe ghetto fabulous.

Found it!

2010-03-17T16:24:00.002-06:00

I finally found a dress to wear to the wedding! Isn't it beautiful?? You can see it better at Target's website. Thank you Target and Liberty of London for creating this dress. Now I just have to find the shoes to go with it.

March Madness!!

2010-03-11T07:59:00.002-07:00

It's that time of year again when college basketball consumes the lives of fans...even those who are not fans. Growing up with a fanatical basketball fan for a brother, I of course was forced to watch hours and hours of March Madness. I am now a willing participant.

The past couple of years Eric and I have each filled out a bracket and have placed a bet on the results. The person who has more correct picks wins. I dominated him last year. And the year before that. And the year before that. I'm not cocky, those are just the facts. I'll keep you updated as to this years quest. Selection Sunday is only 3 days away! Let the games begin!

He's going the distance....

2010-03-03T17:19:00.003-07:00

For some reason, this Cake song came into my head as I looked at the picture below. It's hard to believe that it's been two years since Indoor Track Nationals. While I probably will never go back to Johnson City, TN, it was a great trip. The picture below is the awards ceremony for the 4x8 relay. The boys placed 3rd!

Cole and London!! I would have gone crazy had it not been for London.

Oh, long hair, how I miss thee! I can't believe how fast the time has gone. While I don't miss spending my weekends at track meets, I do miss our friends! Nothing brings people together like sitting for 6 hours to watch a 2 minute race.

Butter Bomb

2010-02-24T21:27:00.002-07:00

The other night I was melting butter for a recipe when I heard a small explosion in the microwave. This is what I found when I opened the door.

I have never seen anything like this happen before. The hole was all the way through the cube!

Note to self: melt butter in smaller chunks.

Domestic challenge #7

2010-02-24T21:21:00.003-07:00

My mom has recently gotten me a subscription to the Taste of Home magazine. It is quite possibly the best gift ever. I have found so many great recipes in these magazines. Eric is definitely appreciative of my new cooking endeavors. This challenge was an herb bread.

Mixing the dough with my KitchenAid.

Letting the dough rest after man handling it.

The tricky part. Rolling out three ropes and then braiding the dough.

The finished product! It's delicious! Thanks Mom!

Belated Valentine's Day post

2010-02-24T21:13:00.002-07:00

Valentine's Day 2010. Well actually, it was February 20, 2010. Eric and I learned our lesson after two disastrous Valentine's Day dates. We no longer do anything on February 14. It's for the best, trust me. This year Eric took me to a German restaurant in town, Edelweiss. The food was fantastic as was the live music. It made me want to watch Lawrence Welk. Accordion music always does.

It wouldn't be a German restaurant if it didn't have a blond carrying huge steins of beer.

The cute couple.

The Lasko Miracle: Part Deux

2010-02-10T13:50:00.003-07:00

Since I know my readers, all 4 of you, have been on pins and needles waiting to know what our utility bill was, I'm here to put you at ease. This little baby saved us $20 this month on our bill. It's practically paid for itself! I believe everyone should get one these little guys.

Once again, I am saddened by the excitement a utility bill has brought to my life.

On a more blog worthy note, we found out last night that another niece is coming this summer! That brings the total to 2 nephews and 4 nieces. Let the estrogen fest begin.

We didn't start the fire

2010-01-28T13:42:00.003-07:00

So we had an exciting evening last night. I had just put the salmon in the oven to broil and was about to cut the bread, when I noticed something orange in the oven. A flash of flame. Now the picture below is not one that I took, but one that Google images provided after searching for "oven fire". However, it did look a little something like this. Not as much flame, a little more smoke.

Note to self: invest in an extinguisher.

Coming May 1!

2010-01-27T14:28:00.003-07:00

And it's not a baby. Sorry, mom. No new grandbaby for you. Just a new sister-in-law for me.

Aren't they so cute? Welcome to the family Becca!

The Lasko Miracle

2010-01-20T16:38:00.003-07:00

Where has the time gone?? I can't believe it's already the end of January. It seems like just last week was Christmas. Life hasn't been too exciting around here. Our computer had a major virus on it and we just got it back. That's probably the most exciting thing. That and our space heater.

This little baby can crank out the heat! After receiving what we thought was an outrageous utility bill (seriously! i'm going to start refining my own oil) we decided to invest in a space heater. It is fantastic! We are looking forward to getting our utility bill. At least we're hoping we'll be excited. I just realized I said I was excited to get an utility bill. I need to get out more often.

The Christmas Can-Can

2010-01-04T07:50:00.006-07:00

How do you recap a week filled with family, friends, fun and food? (how's that for alliteration?) With lots of pictures of course! If you didn't know, we spent Christmas in Portland. The following is a sampling of our activities.

Christmas Eve. The Christmas cactus Eric got for me. It actually bloomed the day before Christmas Eve. It will probably be the only time it has a bloom around Christmas.

Be jealous. I have the best husband.

Our nephew Reuben playing with his ship.

Our niece Robyn playing with her teacup set. Before the others discovered it.

Our nephew Isaiah, unhappy about having to wait his turn.

Kevin, getting very up close and personal.

Our niece Imani. Isn't she a cutie?

Eric with his friend from high school Benjamin.

Us skiing on Mt. Hood. This was Eric's first time. He did alright for his first time. But you should ask him about the ski lift. :)

Well, that doesn't cover everything we did but it comes close. I, of course had intentions of taking more pictures than I did. Oh well. It was a great Christmas and we're glad we got to spend it with Eric's family, especially considering the frigid conditions all of my family was under.

My grandpa

2010-01-01T20:53:00.002-07:00

This is my grandpa. He passed away last night. He was a great grandpa. He loved to bake. He loved to garden and always had the prettiest flowers. He worked at a hometown grocery store for over 50 years. I remember going to sit on his counter while my mom shopped and him telling everyone who came through I was his grand daughter. He also helped direct plays in town and he worked at local heritage center as well. He was a good man.

We'll miss you grandpa.

A fun time was had by all

2009-12-22T21:14:00.003-07:00

Our trip to Oklahoma was a very quick trip. It seemed to fly by. I didn't get pictures of everything, but here are a few. Isn't the quality so much better??

Eric playing indoor soccer. He's still sore.

The three amigos.

(sidenote: the whole purpose for this trip was for the wedding. what did Eric forget to pack? dress shirt and tie. what did Eric remember to pack? shin guards.)

Not really sure. I was just practicing with the zoom.

A nice picture of us.

So during this trip I got a phone call from the company I interviewed with and I am now employed! My first day was today and boy am I tired! It'll just be a part time job right now, but it's a job! As my dad and Eric have both said, I can now make money instead of spending it. Even though I'm pretty sure it said in our vows Eric would make the money and I would spend it.....

Oklahoma!

2009-12-17T11:27:00.003-07:00

(to the tune of Oklahoma)

Oklahoma, where our friends all work and live and play,

where we don't live and we don't work anymore because we moved away!

Oklahoma, we don't really miss you much at all,

We miss our friends, and Sonic runs,

but we don't miss your annoying football!

Even though we moved to a new state,

and the new state we live in is great,

We want to say, Hey!

We're coming your way!

Today Oklahoma we're coming, yes we're coming your way!

T minus 10 hours!

Meet Black Beauty

2009-12-15T21:32:00.003-07:00

The newest addition to the Poole family.

I promise to take good care of you Black Beauty. I promise to only use you for good pictures and not bad. I promise to stick with you through the triumphs and the frustrations. I promise to do my best to not drop you or ding you.

This blog just got a lot better. Or at least the quality of the pictures did. Thanks mom and dad!!!

Casa Bonita...the experience of a lifetime

2009-12-12T19:00:00.004-07:00

Where to begin? If you've never been to Casa Bonita, there are no words. The food is borderline torture. The entertainment is hilarious. We went to celebrate our niece's 1st birthday. The following pictures are from our adventure.

The outside of Casa Bonita. It's in a strip mall in a shady part of Denver. I'm not entirely sure who the statue is at the top.

The puppet show. Kind of scary.

Rocky the Rock. The original rock star. So ingenious. Or should I say igneous?

Still confused as to why there was a Minute Man throwing candy at a Mexican restaurant.

Our niece Robyn, raptly listening to the mariachi band singing Happy Birthday.

The Mariachi Band. No words.

Robyn destroying her cupcake. She liked getting her hands chocolaty.

Uncle Eric and Robyn. (he's up for the undisputed title of favorite uncle)

Aunt Jeana and Robyn. (also up for undisputed title of favorite aunt)

A Christmas Party to Remember

2009-12-09T10:56:00.003-07:00

On Saturday, Eric and I went to his company's Christmas party in Denver. His company has several offices across the country as well as in London and Dubai, but only the Colorado Springs and Denver offices were there. And a few people from the London office. But I thought I would share a few things I learned at this party.

1. Apparently it is now acceptable to only wear a cardigan in public. We saw a young woman wearing a boyfriend cardigan with pantyhose and knee high boots. It looked kind of like this.

Keep in mind, the temperature during the party was 15 degrees. This only reinforced what we had heard about people bringing "Julia Roberts wannabes" a la Pretty Woman.

2. It is not a good idea to have a cocktail hour before you feed people. It is not a good idea to take advantage of said cocktail hour when the people who own the company are in attendance and they have a penchant for remembering every person they meet. To say we saw people make fools of themselves would be an understatement.

3. Company Christmas parties are a lot more fun when you sit with people you know. Since this was Eric's Christmas party, I of course knew no one. I have only met a few of Eric's coworkers and have only met one spouse. Luckily, we sat next to the couple I know. They are expecting a baby in a couple of months, and let me just say there is nothing more fun than a pregnant woman who isn't afraid to speak her mind.

Unfortunately, we didn't get a picture at the party, but I looked great. And so did Eric. We are staying busy trying to finish Christmas presents. Next week we are headed to Oklahoma for a friends wedding. I am SO EXCITED!! I have missed all our friends in Oklahoma and you better believe I will have tons of pictures to post!

It's been awhile....

2009-12-03T11:18:00.003-07:00

So yes, it's been over a month since I've posted anything. No, we're not dead or hurt or any other horrible thing. I've just been lazy. We haven't done much, but boy is December busy! Here's a quick recap of the past month and a half.

1. I went to Oregon for a girls weekend with Abby. It was fantastic! We went to the beach, went shopping and went to the Roloff farm. Little People, Big World anyone? It was a lot of fun and I am very impressed by the Roloff family. They are very accomodating and friendly.

2. Halloween. We had about 15 people show up. And one mother dressed up walking around with a cocktail. I'm still not sure if that was a part of the costume or not.

3. It has snowed about 5 times in the past month a half. We are enjoying it.

4. Christmas gift making. That's all I'm allowed to write since some people who read this blog are getting some of those said homemade Christmas gifts.

5. Thanksgiving! It was wonderful. We went to Longmont to spend it with some of my family. It was so good to be with family and friends. And to eat entirely way too much food.

6. I became a Mary Kay consultant. Still not sure what I'm doing, but beauty products for wholesale? Yes, please.

7. Decorating for Christmas. This is my first time ever with a real tree. I am still undecided. A part of me thinks it looks a little like the Charlie Brown tree. Eric disagrees and thinks I'm being a scrooge.

So there's what we've been up to. Not very exciting, but December will hopefully turn that around. A quick note: I have a job interview this afternoon!! Hopefully I'll have good news to post soon on that front. And it wouldn't be an exciting post if I didn't include a picture.

This is Eric's most favorite picture of me as a child. I mean, I am pretty adorable. Aside from the daggers coming out of my eyes. Eric likes to say I've perfected that look and use it today. I disagree.

It's the Great Pumpkin Carving of 2009

2009-10-13T10:08:00.002-06:00

Since the weather was not conducive to outdoor activity on Saturday, Eric and I decided to carve the pumpkins we had picked up the day before. I must say, these pumpkins turned out better than last year's. I won't even post pictures of last year's because honestly, they were awful.

The before shot of the pumpkins. We picked some good ones.

Hopefully this is what they'll look like when we're done carving them. Eric's pumpkin had the motherload of seeds and insides.

Done carving and all lit up! I have to say, I'm pretty impressed with our carving skills.

Posing with our masterpieces.

Old McDonald had a farm......

2009-10-10T20:44:00.004-06:00

Eric and I really enjoying carving pumpkins this time of year. While this year we didn't get the sweet hookup we did last year, where we got paid to take pumpkins, by my boss, we still had fun. We went to Wishing Star Farm and it was nothing sort of amazing. Hay rides, animals, a man made shoot down a ravine, tractor tires, pumpkins and animals.

I found the perfect carving pumpkin!

So proud of our pumpkin find.

The first animal we saw as we drove up. Pretty sure that it's a yak. Or an EMO cow.

There was a barn full of animals that you could go pet. The sheep really brought back some memories. The funny thing was the lady in charge had named all of the animals. All of them. That is something the Schow Farm never did.

The Icelandic Ram. He would butt and charge the fence if you didn't scratch his head.

Not sure of this little guy's name, but he was friendly and cute. And yes, the goat in the background is standing on a table.

The very freaky llama who as soon as I brought out the camera laid his ears back. I was afraid he would spit on me.

The goose and his harem of ducks. Notice his beady little eye following me.

Emma the very large pig. Who after this picture was taken, was forced to move because she was getting sunburned. Once again, something that would never have happened on the Schow farm.

And the crowning jewel of Wishing Star Farm was the camel. That's right, camel. Unfortunately you couldn't ride the camel.

Eric and I carved our pumpkins, but I'll post pictures of that fun escapade tomorrow.

Jeana Van Winkle

2009-10-10T20:36:00.003-06:00

Thursday night, fall decided leave for parts unknown and Old Man Winter came sneaking in. There were a few snow flurries during the day, but nothing like what we woke up to Friday morning. It felt like I had skipped 3 months when I woke up on Friday.

Embracing my first snow of the season. I missed the very first time it snowed because I was in hot Boise!

This is what we woke up to on Friday morning. I ended up driving Eric to work since the roads were a little slick. What happened to fall??

Beautiful Boise and my brush with infamy

2009-09-25T08:05:00.002-06:00

I returned from Boise on Wednesday night but I'm just now finding time to write about it. It was so great getting to spend time with Trish and Mike in Boise. So great that I didn't even take any pictures. Boise is a much cooler town than I thought it was. There were all kinds of things going on that I was never bored. I even went with Trish to school a couple of days and got to see her teach. She's a great teacher! It made me miss the classroom.

While my trip was great it was very uneventful compared to how it began. I normally try to check into my flights online so that I don't have to wait in line at the airport. So last Friday I checked my e-mail and clicked on the link to check into my flight. Everything seemed ok, until the end when it said that I couldn't check in and had to see a rep at the counter at the airport. No big deal, but I hate dealing with airport personnel.

Saturday rolls around and I'm at the airport. I get into line at the checkin point and wait patiently. I get up to the kiosk, do everything I'm supposed to and it still says that I need to see a rep. I get a workers attention and am told I have to go to the customer service counter. I walk over to that counter and find an available rep. I tell her I've tried checking in online and here at the airport but that I was told I needed to see a rep. I give her my i.d. and think that this is all because I finally have i.d. that has my married name. How wrong I was.

I notice that the rep looks at my i.d. and picks up the phone. She turns her back to me and talks very quietly into the phone. She hangs up and then walks over to a co-worker and talks to him for awhile. She comes back and says to me, "Your birthday is July 28, 1985?"

I'm thinking "that's what it says on my driver's license!" but politely reply "Yes."

She then proceeds to tell me that I have been placed on the FBI's watch list. What?? I ask for clarification and she repeats that I have been placed on the FBI's watch list, but not to worry and she just has to call this in. The whole time I'm thinking, Call what in? Call who? The FBI? The police? You don't just tell someone the FBI is watching for them and not clarify why!

The rep picks up the phone and I can hear her telling whoever is on the other end, someone in Langley, Virginia for all I know, all of my information. Apparently I passed whatever test they had because she gave me back my license and gave me my boarding pass. I'm now thinking that security is going to be a nightmare. I'm envisioning a little room with some TSA official, a wand, and the contents of my bag being thrown around. (I think this because it has happened to me before in Oklahoma, but that's another story for another time) I blow through security so apparently TSA isn't worried about people on the watch list. Comforting, I know.

I mean after that, Boise was wonderful! Eric and I are camping this weekend and hope to see some beautiful fall color in the mountains. I should have pictures unless something goes terribly wrong.

You say goodbye, and I say hello

2009-09-18T08:07:00.006-06:00

Since I will be gone during the autumnal equinox, I'm writing my welcome to autumn today. Living in Oklahoma for 6 years has made me miss the changing of the seasons, something I love. If pressed to give my favorite season I would have to say summer. I am a child of summer.

I love my birthday.

I love the 4th of July.

I love swimming.

I love BBQ's.

I love wearing tank tops and flip flops.

While I love summer, I absolutely adore autumn.

(it started at an early age)

I adore wearing sweaters.

I adore college football.

I adore the changing colors of nature.

I adore the cool, crisp mornings.

I adore autumn decorations.

I adore pumpkins and hay bales and scarecrows and hot apple cider.

I adore harvest moons.

So autumn, I welcome you. Bring the cool mornings that make the leaves change and make me wear my sweaters. Bring the harvest moons and the football games. Bring on the Hobby Lobby shopping trips to stock up on decorations. I'm ready.

I'm off to Idaho for 5 days to visit my best friend from high school, Tricia. Enter embarassing high school picture.

Who needs a stairmaster?

2009-09-09T13:01:00.003-06:00

I will take a break from embarrassing my brother this week. It's only fair, right?

4 years ago today, I was climbing the Great Wall of China. I can't believe it has been that long!

Here's a picture of me in a stairwell on the Great Wall. There was a group of us who climbed as far as we could before we had to turn back around to leave. One person in the group counted the stairs on the way down and according to him it was 1,660 stairs one way. By the time I got back down to our bus, my legs were shaking so bad I could hardly walk. Luckily I had a package of Skittles in my bag to bring my blood sugar back up.

Here's a picture of the Great Wall from where we stopped. If you look close enough you can almost make out the parking lot. We met some interesting people on the wall. There were two men and their families from somewhere in the Middle East. One of the men, when learning where we were from, began to break out in song. To this day I have no idea what he was singing. We also saw one lady climbing the wall in 3 inch heels.

This is my cousin Abby. We climbed together and this is how we felt after awhile. Thank goodness they had a handrail, although I'm pretty sure that isn't original to the wall. The sponsors from my year, Len and Caren (Papa Len and Momma C) are leading the group again this year. I am incredibly jealous of the group that is with them. The fall semester of 2005 is hands down my favorite memory from college. Probably because I lost 15 pounds in China, 7 of which I'm sure I left on the Great Wall.

Mama's don't let your babies grow up to be cowboys

2009-09-08T09:26:00.003-06:00

This Labor Day weekend, Eric and I made a quick trip to Montana to visit my parents. It had been over a year since I had been home so I decided it was time. It was a weekend of firsts for Eric. He saw a couple of animals he had never seen alive in the wild and it was his first time to drive a farm machine. My parents still live on the farm I grew up on and it has been a dream of Eric's to one day drive a tractor. (this is where the title of the blog really comes into play)

For those of you who know nothing about farming, usually by this time of year, my dad is done harvesting his crops. But it has been a really cool summer, so it's taken longer for the wheat to be ready to combine. My dad had just started to combine his wheat the day before we arrived. I had not realized how deep Eric's desire was to drive a farm machine until I told him he would probably get to drive the combine and his eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. The following pictures are the documentation of Eric's first time driving a combine. (i might be so bold as to say it's probably his last)

This is where Eric took over driving the combine. My dad did the first round of the field to show Eric how to drive the combine and what it takes to drive it.

This is the aftermath of Eric driving the combine. I think he missed a spot. Or few.

Here's Eric coming back towards the end of the field.

Unloading the grain he combined.

There's Eric in all his cityboy glory. All that's missing is his cowboy hat and you could almost mistake him for a real farmer. Maybe not.

So proud of his accomplishment.

I've been shot!

2009-09-02T13:22:00.003-06:00

It's that time again! Memory Wednesday! Today's memory is a good one.

Check out the sweet acid wash pleated jeans my brother is wearing!

I was not much older than this picture when today's memory occurs. There are quite a few trees back behind the house we grew up in. My grandpa had planted them all in rows so it looked like a very organized forest. Lots of animals lived in these trees, especially birds. Which my brother liked to try and shoot with his BB gun. One day, he was out trying to shoot the birds when I came out to see what he was doing. I watched him for awhile, but then was soon getting bored. The next thing I knew, my brother was asking me to help him! Me?

I of course said yes, since I looked up to my big brother. He wanted me to run into the trees to try and find the birds he had shot. I was a little hesitant at finding dead birds, but after a couple minutes of begging me, I told my brother yes. I began to run into the trees looking out for signs of dead birds when all of a sudden I felt a sensation I had never felt before. It felt like my butt was on fire! Like some wild animal had just jumped up and bit me! Like someone had just shot me with a BB gun.

Being scared, I immediately started crying. My brother came running to me, laughing of course. Excited that he had successfully shot me in the butt with his BB gun. It took me awhile to realize what had happened because the thought of my brother shooting me his BB gun had never entered my mind. I was not seriously hurt, but to this day I swear I can feel where the bullet hit me.

Things I miss about Oklahoma

2009-08-31T11:40:00.003-06:00

Last night I threw myself one rockin' pity party. It was spectacular. Eric and I were on our way back from the small group we've been attending for a couple of weeks and I just broke down. It is exhausting trying to get to know new people. It is exhausting trying to "sell" yourself to new people and hope they like you enough to want to be your friend. I miss my friends. A lot. And in the midst of this lovely party, I started to reflect on the other things I miss.

I miss you Sonic. There is actually one very close to our house, but it's not the same. There are not Sonics on every corner here. In fact, the one by our house is the only one I've seen here so far.

I miss you, Chick-fil-A. I miss the long line of cars during lunch time. I miss the workers in bright orange vests taking my order. Once again, there are Chick-fil-A's here and but not close to where we live. And it's still not the same.

I miss you Dr. Pepper. I miss having you at every restaurant I go to. I miss your sweet deliciousness that could make the day better. I know you are here, but you are not served everywhere I go.

I miss you McAlister's Deli. Your sweet tea could brighten any day. Especially with free refills.

Ahhh....Ted's. I miss you the most. Your homemade tortillas. Your salsa. Your queso. I could live on them forever. Please consider opening a branch here in the Springs. I would forever be loyal to you and go to no other Mexican restaurant.

The party eventually ended and I am now back to my normal self, content and happy to be in Colorado. But, if you are from Oklahoma and plan on visiting us, I would love you forever should you bring any of the above with you. Ok, I would be happy if you just brought yourself, but seriously. You bring me tortillas from Ted's and a Vanilla Dr. Pepper, you will not be sorry.

Precious memories, how they linger

2009-08-26T11:45:00.003-06:00

I have decided to make Wednesday's "Memory Day". I must thank my friend Summer for inspiring me. While I'm sure Memory Day won't be quite as exciting as Random Thought Thursday, the idea of making one day a week devoted to something was agreeable to me. Plus, it allows me to embarrass my brother. Often. Let's meet my wonderful, much older brother.

I believe I was 5 when this picture was taken, making my brother 13 or so. Look how....cute he is. While this picture has nothing to do with today's memory, I love it solely for the fact that my brother hates it.

Today's memory is meant to paint a picture of who my brother is. What he is made of. How he tortured me as we grew up. At some point when I was little, my brother told me that I had been born in the backseat of a car. Being the trusting little sister I was, I told him to prove it. And prove it he did. He broke out my birth certificate and began pointing out the "inconsistencies" that were there. By the end he had me convinced I was born in the backseat of a car.

Years went by and I continued to believe his version of my birth. Until one day, when I was in high school a conversation was started about where we were born. Of course I chimed in. It's not everyday you meet someone who was born in the back seat of a car. When I got home, I began to tell my mom about this conversation and how everyone was shocked about my birth. During this time, my mom began to have this puzzled look upon her face. When I finished she said to me "You weren't born in the back seat of a car. Where would you get an idea like that?"

Imagine my shock upon hearing this! I wasn't born in the back seat of a car? But what about those "inconsistencies" on my birth certificate? It was then I remembered who had told me this wonderful story. Of course my brother had lied to me. I told my mom how Mike had told me for years where I was born. She began to laugh and I began to want strangle my brother. Later that evening, I called up big brother to have it out with him. Except I didn't get very far because as soon as I told him why I was calling, he began to laugh and congratulate himself on a prank well done. He was amazed I had believed his story all these years and had actually forgotten he had told me that. And so is the story of how I believed I was born in the back seat of a car.

Elevation - 1, Jeana - 0.5

2009-08-24T12:38:00.004-06:00

So this past weekend Eric and I went hiking with a friend from college, Eric. Let's just say that I have not fully acclimated to the elevation. That's putting it kindly. This hike kicked my backside from here to Montana and back. But, I did make it to the top where the view was, hence the .5 instead of a big fat zero.

View from the top. Pike's Peak is off to the right, not in the picture.

Down on the floor of the canyon looking at the walls. This was near Cave of the Winds. Tons of caves everywhere.

The boys found a cave they could climb up to. They named it the Eric Cave, naturally. They are climbing Pike's Peak this coming weekend, which is 13 miles one way. That's right, 26 miles in total. I will be staying at home preserving the brain cells I have left that weren't oxygen deprived from this last weekend.

Domestic challenge #1: Homemade French bread

2009-08-19T20:30:00.004-06:00

I should preface this post by saying I love to cook/bake. However, when it comes to baking the only thing I've ever made from scratch are cookies. I one day hope to make bread like my Grandma Schow. She made the best bread. And sour cream cookies.

The first time I've used my Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer. Isn't is beautiful?? I finally have counter space for it!

The dough! I was pleasantly surprised that I was able to knead it and shape it. The last time I tried to make dough from scratch was for homemade chicken noodle soup. It did not look like this. In fact most of it was on my hands.

After hours of letting it rise, it's finally in the oven!

The final product. It looks like a loaf of French bread. And it tastes like a loaf of french bread! Success! Good to know should something ever happen, I can make bread.

Garden of the Gods

2009-08-19T20:07:00.008-06:00

This past weekend Eric and I went to the Garden of the Gods. We had a good friend who was coming through town with his dad and we met up with them there. Eric's office is actually on the same street as the Garden, but he's a few miles from it.

This is the view from the observatory deck at the visitor's center.

The Kissing Camels. Can you see them?

No idea what these are called. But they are cool looking.

Eric trying to imitate Waldo.

This weekend we are going hiking with another friend from college who is working in Pueblo for the next month. Hopefully I'll be able to make it and not pass out. I'm still not quite used to the elevation yet.

Colorado State Population: 4,939,456 + 2

2009-08-14T22:59:00.002-06:00

Eric and I are now officially residents of Colorado. It only took 3 hours waiting in line at DMV to accomplish this task. Lest you think that time was wasted, I will share with you the tidbits of information I learned while waiting. Thank you, Colorado Organ and Tissue Donor Association for providing this information.

1. A mosquito can nourish 300 eggs with one drop of human blood.

2. Morology is the study of foolish and nonsensical talking.

3. Maine is the only state in the lower 48 that only borders one state, New Hampshire.

4. The Vatican City and San Marino are the two countries that are completely surrounded by Italy.

5. All major religions support organ donation.

6. Hebdomad is a term referring to any number of 7 consecutive days.

7. A giraffe's tongue is approximately 20 inches long and is black and blue in color.

8. A porcupine has approximately 30,000 quills on it's body.

Now you are as educated as I am and it only took you 2 minutes. On a different note, I would just like to take this time to say thank you to the great state of Montana. You have been a great state of residence for the past 24 years. You provided vast, open skies, gently rolling hills, towering mountains, large forests and no sales tax. I will always be proud to say I grew up in Montana and will always consider myself a Montanan.

On your mark, get set, go!

2009-08-13T14:49:00.000-06:00

Here it is, my very first blog. I feel like this deserves a celebration of some sort...perhaps a stop at Dairy Queen later. I guess I should explain who I am. I am farmgirl from Montana who married a cityboy from Oregon. We met at college in Oklahoma and just moved to Colorado. Got that? There are more details than that, but for now it works. We also just celebrated our first anniversary. Here's a picture of us.

Because my mom will ask later, here are the reason I have decided to join the blogging world.

1. This is an attempt to keep our families updated on our life.

2. We want to make our friends who are unfortunate enough to live in ugly places jealous of our beautiful new state of residence. OK, not really. We want to keep them updated too. If jealousy is a by-product and makes them move closer to us, so be it. (by the way, this is the view from our bedroom window)

3. I want to chronicle our life together with this new beginning. I'm not a good journal keeper like my Grandma Zadow was and I'm not as fastidious about taking pictures like my mom. I'm hoping that a blog will make me a little better at both.

There it is in a nutshell. I think that deserves a GirlScout Thin Mint Blizzard, don't you?