One year ago from yesterday...

I married my best friend! And 26 years prior to yeasterday, my love was born! What a wonderful day!

For the Love of Liz!

Last Saturday, there was a really great event that took place in Minneapolis. A 5k to support widowed families! I could not attend due to a prior engagement, but I was thinking about it all day!

There is a blog that I read, http://www.mattlogelin.com/ . I have read this blog since the spring of my senior year, Spring ’08. It is a blog written by Matt Logelin, and he writes about his experiences and daily happenings since becoming a father and widow all within the span of 24 hours. His wife Liz passed away the day after their daughter was born and since then, he has invited all of us readers into his life. He writes with so much honesty and intensity that one moment you can be bawling your eyes out and the next you are laughing your ass off. Oh, and he loves to use the word fuck…rightfully so as there have been some moments he has experienced that just are summed up great with a good *f* bomb!

After his wife’s passing, he decided to start a 5k around her birthday to help other individuals who have been widowed themselves. And while he lives in LA, he comes back to his home state of MN to host the 5k. Every year it just seems to get bigger and bigger. This year being the third year, second “official” year, I wanted to participate but ended up being busy…that and I have a selfish desire! More about that in a second!

Anyways, the importance here is the donation to widowed families, and we can all donate by visiting http://thelizlogelinfoundation.org/ . I plan to donate this weekend since even though I could not do the race or gala, I still want to support this great cause, and I encourage you to do the same! You will feel great while doing something amazing for someone else!

But now onto my selfish ambitions with this selfless organization. Yes I was busy during the 5k, but I also wanted to run this 5k has a true runner again. I want to train and be prepared and know that I am running for a good cause. But I am sooooooo not in shape and soooooooo would have sucked wind! Last year, before my wedding, I ran the Ovarian Cancer 5k with my sister, but I had not trained, I was winded, and it was not that fun. Yes I was proud of myself for running for a good cause, but I wanted to feel strong and good after the event, not run down and embarrassed. But being a runner in high school, I want to get back into the swing of things and really race with a purpose, in this case, a dual purpose! So I am starting my training for the Liz Logelin Foundation 5k (let’s hope they have one next year!!). Let’s title this adventure; Getting my ass in shape for the Liz Logelin Foundation 5k!

Here are my before pictures:
This is after a workout so please dismiss the sweat stains! Go start though, eh?

And hey, while we're at it, let me know if you want to join me on this journey and race next year! I know you have it in you!

Stats:

Currently run: 1-2 miles, 1 mile in around 12 minutes

Goal for the next month: 2 miles non-stop

10 Reasons I get up in the morning...

• To look into my husbands face
• To scratch my kitty's neck
• To appreciate my family and friends
• To go to work
• To work out
• To be outdoors
• To have a good cup of coffee
• To watch a good tv show
• To ponder the future

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Since it's fall...

It is very common to set goals in January but this creates such a stigma and honestly, generally a set up for failure. I mean, creating a goal, probably something big and unattainable, once a year, doesn't seem like a good idea to me. And once it gets too hard, it is easier to give up because you can't see the end in sight. NOT MY CUP OF TEA! I like to set little goals throughout the year, generally around a transition time. So how great of a transition is fall? It's the start of the school year so why not the start of some new goals! So, without further babble, MY LIST!

• Finish reading Twilight (it has taken me almost the entire summer to read the last book-so good, just takes a back seat to homework
• run a 5 k
• make a scarf and keep it
• make a blanket and donate it
• read 4 nights a week
• go to bed before 11
• work out 4 to 5 days a week
• make more dinners at home
• plan a trip to Colorado
• plan a trip to Nevada
• Start a piggy bank dedicated to a future adventure that will require the use of my passport (have to stamp my new passport with my new name!)
• Play cards with my grandma once a week
• realize I will never be anal about making the bed before Chaz...I will just let him do it and not feel bad!
• BUY SOME NEW CUTE WORK CLOTHES!
• Donate to a charity
• Make some of my Christmas Gifts
• Visit the Mwadini's in Moorhead
• Go to more movies!
• Call my grandma's often

That looks like a pretty hefty list so I better quit while I am ahead!

These are the days of our lives...

When I was younger, and it was summer or we had off school, my parents would get us lunchables. We fricken loved those things. In fact, they would barley make it to the mid way point of the Price is Right. About ten thirty, my sister would go get hers. Being the older more responsible child, I tried to make myself wait till Days of Our Lives, which was on at noon. Rarely did I make it to that point. Those little packages of processed meat and cheese, the wonderful pouch of Capri sun, and of course the delicate portion of Hershey’s candy, my favorite being a Reese’s! I will fill you in on a little secret though. I had one of those marvelous lunchables a few months ago, and really, they are not that good at all…I have no clue why we loved them so much! And yes, I watched Day of Our lives…well before sixth grade. In fact, in sixth grade, my friend Sarah would tape them, on a VHS!, and we would watch after school! I was a cool kid!

@proudlybrewed.blogspot.com

Yep, I have a twitter account. What I fail to have to accompany my twitter account is a mobile device I can use to update my twitter account. I kind of refuse to pay a crap load of money to be connected to the internet 24 hours a day. I am sure someday I will collapse, but for now, I stand my ground. And lucky for you cause I would so update with, “taking a poo” or “about to get it on”. I have no shame.

I do love my twitter account though cause I love Kim Kardashian and Ellen Degeneres and I love knowing what they are doing with every waking moment of their day.

Future...

Someday I want to be sitting in the breakfast nook of my very own cottage, looking at this view out the window!

Photo by Chaz Durgin

life

So Laura’s Bachelorette party was great! It was a busy weekend but we all managed!

Tonya came down Friday afternoon and that night Laura and Kory came over for a girls night. We played games, ate Grandpa Lane’s wonderful spaghetti, and Kory painted everyone’s finger and toe nails in preparation for the party. She has a hidden talent in doing some cute designs!

Laura headed to work Saturday morning for a little over time while Tonya and I got right to work preparing for the event. We made a cake, fruit salad, got all our stuff ready to haul to R-Lo’s (Laura’s mom!), and were out the door by 1! We made it to R-Lo’s, decorated, and soon people were arriving. It was a great mix of food, drinking, and conversing. And these ladies are crazy so you can imagine the conversations that were taking place!

We played a few games, however some of the girls forgot their game props, and others weren’t really feeling the games, so we just continued to talk, drink and eat! Soon it was time to get on the party bus. The driver was a ridiculous, burly old dude who at every stop told me some girl was getting him going as he creeper through his review mirror….SICK! In my head I was like, “Does he think I would try and set him up with someone? Oh hell no!”

We went to a few bars, did some way too crazy shit in the bus, and we were all pretty much ready to pass out at 1am…we are for sure getting old! It was a great night had by all!

Our dresses arrived about two weeks ago and they are beautiful! I can’t wait to wear mine on her wedding day!

And Labor Day is right around the corner. I am looking forward to the additional day off. I am going to Moorhead to visit Mrs. Tonya but it will still be relaxing! Do some reading, knitting, and movie watching! Maybe even squeeze in a few workouts!

Happy Labor Day weekend!