Books I Want to Read (or re-read) This Year

I have been on a dry spell from reading, but it is one of my favorite pastimes, so I'm ready to jump back in. If I have to make a New Year's Resolution it would be this: read every book on this list. So here we go!

1. The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards

2. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

3. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

4. The Reason for God by Timothy Keller

5. Blue Like Jazz by Don Miller

6. Little Bee by Chris Cleave

7. A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolwick

8. The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton

9. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

10. Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers

*If you are looking for a good book suggestion, please read The Help by Kathryn Stockett...it is one of my favorite books of all time!

**Yes, I mostly read novels. Yes, I am open to "other" varieties. Send me your suggestions!

Snow Day!

Yes, it's true! It started snowing last night and today we woke up to the ground completely covered with the possibility of snowmen and snow angels! I, for one, love the storm that is unleashing upon us; however I was not entirely thrilled that our garage door decided to come off the tracks Monday night, leaving our cars buried in the street. There are worse things, I am sure of it.

So far today, I think we've gotten about 4" with the possibility of 1o more! It's really coming down out there. I was actually out shoveling the sidewalk when a friendly neighbor came by and said "Let me get that, I have a snow-blower." My response? As much as I enjoy shoveling, I mean, who doesn't, (ha!) I quickly blurted out "That would be awesome, thank you so much!" I am in no way the strong, feminist type who has too much pride to let a kindly gentleman remove the snow in front of my house! :) So a big THANK YOU to Anne's father who just made my day!

Jason is on his way home from work, only to go back tonight and run the evening shift. Snow always makes his job more difficult, and it continues to confuse me as to why. I understand being "cautious" when the roads are icy and snowy, but when people completely lose the ability to drive when there is snow on the ground I have to say it makes me lose my mind! That is all I will say about that, if I keep going I will make myself angry for no reason...just breathe, D! haha

If only the garage door repairman would get here, I could then go outside and check things out! And maybe I will just make a snowman.

What I Want to be When I Grow Up

Apparently, I have found a new love in my life. I suppose it would go under the title of "Small Event Planning." A great friend told me this week that I should consider small event planning on the side. I thought I had all of this "grown up" stuff figured out. Untrue. I AM a Registered Massage Therapist and I love it. I also have a passion for kiddos and teaching. And recently, I have started to adore party planning and basket-making and diaper-cake assembling.

So, who out there would like to hire a Massage Therapist, 1st grade teaching, bridal shower planner? :) There's got to be a position out there for someone like me! Right?!

The truth is, I can actually do all of those things, isn't that perfect!? For me it is. You see, I work during the week at the spa, and every other Saturday I get to "teach" 2 year olds in the nursery at church. I am the host in the Tots & Toddlers room and it is awesome! They are hilarious, and no matter how my day goes before I get there, I always leave the room with a huge smile at the end of the night. I will post pictures of the room later...it is amazing!

On top of that, I got to plan a bridal shower this summer, a baby shower in July, and I just made a donation basket for a Susan G. Komen for the Cure silent auction at my spa. Body & Sole is hosting a silent auction on October 10th and all proceeds are going to Komen. We are asking businesses in the area to donate baskets, and well, since we have our own business, Jimmy John's donated to the cause and I made the basket. I decided on a Christmas Decorations Theme, considering that about 90% of the people at the event will be woman, and let's face it, women are suckers for anything decorating-related! ;) I filled it with 2 stockings, stocking holders (snowmen of course), tree ornaments, pinecones, etc. etc.

Overall, my life is grand. I am able to pursue all of the things I love, and I even get paid to do some of it! I am fulfilled when I do "work" for others and I guess it's my way of giving back.

To whom much is given, much is expected.

My Life in a Nutshell [Revisited]

I was thinking about my "random" list and decided I would add a few more things. Only this time, the things listed below are a list of qualities I wish people thought about me. Yes, this is a different approach, but hey! This is my blog, I can do what I want! :)

1. I am unselfish and put others' needs before my own.

2. I am a downright wonderful cook.

3. I have a big heart, and am easy to talk to.

4. I will be an amazing mother someday.

5. I have a giving spirit, and love to accomplish small acts of kindness.

It's difficult to look at myself and wonder if these are qualities that people see in me. Do I really want to know the answer? While there are of course many other things that I strive to be, these 5 were the first to pop into my head. I want my life to have an impact on others not just because I'm fun and outgoing and friendly, but because I served those who needed it the most, because I made a difference in someones life today that might impact their tomorrow. That's what really matters, I think. So I guess I'll just keep trying.

My Life in a Nutshell

Original post: February 5, 2009 on Facebook

I was looking through my Facebook "stuff" and stumbled upon this tonight. Apparently, back in February, it was all the rage to write random facts about yourself. I had completely forgotten about it, until now. Just for fun, enjoy! :)

29 Random Things

1. I think the best decision that Jase and I ever made was to move to Denver. It has been an awesome experience, and I absolutely LOVE living here. What’s not to love?

2. I am a weekend warrior when it comes to exercise. Even though I want to exercise and know I should, I usually don’t do it during the week. I wait for the weekend when I snowboard, and talk myself into the fact that it burns a lot of calories, enough for the whole week!

3. I do not enjoy things that take a lot of patience. Examples: untying knotted stuff, putting crap together, long, tedious cleaning and organizing, and the list goes on.

4. I am a total momma’s girl. When I was little, my dad would try to make me do “boy stuff” like track through the woods for a deer and spend the day fishing. I wasn’t having it…I basically whined and cried until he took me home. Now, I would give up anything for a chance to do those things over again.

5. I honestly think that Taylor Swift read my diary and stole the lyrics for some of her songs right out of it, especially Fifteen.

6. When I was 9, Jenni and I would ride our bikes past Jason’s house, hoping he was playing outside with his brother so we could show off. If we were lucky, they would launch water balloons at us, and it was the best day ever!

7. I try to act tough, but when it comes right down to it, I hate confrontation and conflict.

8. In the early 90’s I would practice “making commercials” in the bathroom mirror, convinced that one day I would be a movie star. The Olsen twins were my idols! How sad! Haha

9. My family constantly reminds me of how bossy I was when I was little, and it is so embarrassing, especially the home video proof!

10. I went to a New Kids on the Block concert when I was 5, with Kylie Callander! I remember picking out a new faded jean skirt, and I was in love with Jordan Knight, obviously.

11. It makes me sad when I talk to my friends in Indiana and they are having a ‘girls night’ and I can’t be there. Like, really sad.

12. I love reading, and when I start a book it totally consumes my life until I’m done.

13. I nearly have a panic attack every time Jason’s phone rings, convinced that something horrible at the store happened and he has to go in.

14. I think it’s awesome that my mom and I are such good friends now. I never thought that could happen when I lived at home, but it really did. I talk to her at least 4 times a week.

15. My sister and I are complete opposites, and secretly I wish I was more like her, especially when it comes to clothes. She is way braver than me, and I admire that.

16. At the risk of sounding cheesy, I am so proud of my not-so-little brother, and he reminds me more of my dad every time I see him.

17. I’m also very proud of my sister in law, Jenae, and I love getting to spend time with her. I especially love watching Jon & Kate plus 8 marathons with her and going shopping!

18. Which reminds me, as long as I don’t go shopping, things stay under control. It’s when I am at the mall that things go downhill fast…

19. I would say that at least 3 or 4 nights a week when I come home from school, my husband has dinner ready. I mean seriously, how awesome is that?! And it’s good, too!

20. I hate cooking, but I love baking. Desserts are totally my thing, probably because I have such a sweet tooth.

21. Warm, tropical vacations are my favorite. Nothing a week on the beach with a good book can’t fix.

22. That cute little blondy that talks in his highchair on the E*Trade commercials is seriously my favorite kid ever! I want him to steal him, so darn cute!

23. I never understood those “weirdo dog people” that love their dogs so much, and now I’m one of them.

24. I have more than 1 best friend. And I think it’s awesome. If you’re lucky enough to have more than one person that you can totally spill your heart out to, that’s something special.

25. I could play Sorry! for hours…seriously! I love that game.

26. As sad as it is, I get excited when I have new notifications pop up in the bottom right hand corner of my screen.

27. I am almost a Registered Massage Therapist in the State of Colorado.

28. I cannot wait to be a mom and do cutesy little “mom” things like crafts, and birthday parties, and helping in their class at school.

29. I am truly blessed in this thing called life. I have an amazing family, friends, and of course the cutest hubs ever. ;)

Summer of Love

Once again, it's been so long since my last post that I actually forgot my password. I spent a good 5 minutes trying to figure it out, typing in every last combination until my head was dizzy. That's when I saw the light: the CAPS lock was on. Disaster averted!

May/June/July extra-fast recap:

The highlight for May was white-water rafting at the Royal Gorge in Canon City with Jamie and Jordan. We went on the full-day trip and it was amazing! We all stayed in the raft and dominated Class IV and V rapids and only suffered one injury: a black, bloody eye. Not bad for such a rowdy trip!

In June we were home for Jenae's graduation from Bethany for the first weekend of the month. It was great to see everyone and enjoy time in Indiana. We celebrated our 3 year anniversary on the 17th, hard to believe how fast time flies. The last week of June I flew home for Kara and Andre's wedding, and Jason opened Store #2 on June 23rd. The opening was much easier this time around, for many reasons. Unexpectedly, Jason flew to Indiana on June 29 because of the passing of his Grandma Riegsecker. We spent a few days in Ohio with the family and shared many memories of Grandma who was such a lovely, sweet woman of God.

July brought my family to Colorado over the 4th; we spent four days in Breckenridge shopping, hiking, horseback riding, eating, and more shopping. Jamie and Jordan spent the day with us in Breck, and the guys (Jason, Mike, Dustin, Jordan) went mountain biking, which seemed to be a highlight of their week! We came back to Denver for the end of the week and went hiking in El Dorado and drove to Colorado Springs to see Garden of the Gods and Pikes Peak. Fun stuff!

We've had a really fun and exciting Summer overall. However, I've had a pesky little friend visit me many times over the past few months and his name is Migraine. Normally, I would not give him the credit and allow him to be part of my post, but I feel like he demands my respect and believe me, at this point I will do whatever he wants so he will LEAVE me ALONE! I have to admit that the typically beautiful Colorado weather has been less than glamorous this summer season....let me explain.

Many afternoons in the months of June and July (around 20 in a row in June to be exact) a gray, cloudy sky rolls in about 2 or 3 p.m. and unleases its fury on the Front Range. Why would this be a problem? you might ask... This is about the time of day that my face, and by face I mean sinuses, feel like they are going to explode. The pressure mounts in my head, and if I'm lucky to catch it in time and take the proper precautions, I'm usually fine. But for the 10 or so days in the past 2 months that I have not been so lucky, Mr. Migraine comes and makes my day pretty miserable. I have never had the frequency of migraines that I am experiencing now, and I really do think the weather is to blame. The worst part is that (as all sufferers of these headaches know) they wipe out every last plan that you have for the day, fun or not. But enough complaining, many many people in this city are going through the same pain I am, and I'm learning how to deal with it better. Let's just hope Mother Nature decides to like us again soon! Otherwise I might have to buy stock in Advil Cold & Sinus.

*A life without love is like a year without Summer*

*Swedish Proverb*

April

is a promise

that May

is bound to keep.

*H. Borland

In Honor of Earth Day...

Ok, so I know what you're thinking: "Danielle moved to Denver and is now a tree-hugging hippie due to too much time spent in Boulder." Haha! Not entirely true, but I have changed/opened my outlook on many things since moving here. Or maybe that's just part of growing up. Either way, I thought I would pay respect to our planet today, considering it is Earth Day after all. My family did not recycle growing up, and to be honest, ad campaigns weren't "in your face" about going green like they are now. Now its all we hear about. But back in the old days of the early 90's recycling wasn't a priority for many families. Ours was no different.

But now that I have my own house, I try my best to recycle as much as I can. And I have even abolished paper plates (in reality, I ran out and decided it may be better not to use them anymore). I can feel myself getting "crazier" as I try to come up with more green ways to live. We have changed almost every light bulb in the house, and I'm thinking about switching over to environmentally friendly cleaning supplies. I will admit one big guilty pleasure though: my aerosol hairspray. Not sure I will ever be able to give that up! ;) So now, for your reading pleasure, I have included a few facts about recycling. Part of the reason for the listing of these facts is the "teacher within" coming out in me; but the truth is they really are important.

Props to those of you that already recycle! If I could, I'd put a cheesy ol' smiley face sticker on your shirt! :) Job Well Done.

Every little bit helps, do your part!

Enjoy & Happy Earth Day!

Did you know...

• Recycling 1 aluminum can saves enough energy to run your TV for 3 hours

• If every American home replaced just one light bulb with an ENERGY STAR qualified bulb, we would save enough energy to light more than 3 million homes for a year

• ENERGY STAR qualified bulbs use about 75 percent less energy than standard incandescent bulbs and last up to 10 times longer

• Recycling just 1 ton of aluminum cans rather than throwing them away conserves more than the equivalent of 36 barrels of oil

** For more information about Going Green, click HERE.

*Source: http://www.resourcefulschools.org/facts.html

Life = Beautiful!

This is by far the most exciting time of year! And by this I mean the hope of Summer is just around the corner. Summer is my favorite season of all, and the warm days of Spring get my mind so ready for those smoldering hot days of Summer! If you ignore the fact that our weekend weather was terrible (a good ten inches of snowy, slushy, get your jeans wet and your hair ruined rain) you will see that Denver is known for its sunshiny days like today. Days where I wake up to sun coming through the slats of the shades, and looking forward to taking Sadie outside just to see how warm it is. Days when I think and think all day to decide what to make for dinner that we could eat outside on our cute little green umbrella-ed table. These are the best days. Especially if you consider my great morning which included a cardio class at the gym followed by lunch and shopping for hair products with a great friend at an exclusive place shop-able only by those who have a coveted cosmetologist license in the State of Colorado (or those with a friend who does). :)

So as I sit here, my chicken is broiling for some yummy chicken enchiladas for a "picnic" dinner outside with Jamie and Jordan tonight (and I would be mistaken if I forgot to add our adorable little dogs to the mix, who happen to be best friends and completely obsessed with each other). The weather is a wonderful 66* and our landscape lights hung on the fence ready for many a meal in the backyard. Life is beautiful!

I am making 2 new goals as of last week. Here they are:

1. Work out at LEAST 3 times a week

2. Come up with new ideas for dinner, so I can continue to enjoy cooking more and more (those of you who know me well probably realize that I'm not the biggest fan...Rachel Ray is trying to help me!

Feel free to bug me and ask me how these things are going...I need the accountability. But, so far so good.

I have uploaded some recent pictures of activities at the Rupp house...

Enjoy your week! I know I will :)

Welcome Spring, Bring it On!

Today I am graduating from the Denver School of Massage Therapy. I'm really excited to be done, and I spent a few days this week training at a new job. I feel very lucky to have gotten a job at such a nice spa, especially considering I don't have much experience. Most spas won't hire you unless you've worked at another spa for at least a year..."how did I land this??" is what I've been thinking all week!

I checked weather.com last night and it looks like the next 3 days in Denver are going to be sunny (obviously) and 70*. Did I mention I love living here?!? No big plans for the weekend, probably spending alot of time outside playing our new CORNHOLE that Jason and Jordan made on Tuesday! It is awesome. However, due to a "document fire" in the backyard, (ask Jason for details, he was the mastermind behind this one) our playing field is somewhat limited, if you consider black ashes and charred grass to be dificult gaming conditions. *Note to self: do not let Jase become bored...crazy things happen!

That's all I have for now! Enjoy the weekend :)

Recently

It's been awhile. A long while. Here are some updates:

*Jase and I spent 2 weeks in Indiana for Christmas and a wedding, both of which were wonderful. It was absolutely awesome to spend time with family and friends. Sad to say goodbye, that never gets easy.

*I am almost done with my massage therapy program, only 7 weeks left. I really enjoy giving massage, seeing the positive benefits that it gives people makes it really worth it. I like knowing I am helping making a difference for someone through therapeutic touch. I have made some really great friends in my program, and know that lifelong relationships have been made possible because of it.

*Like usual, Jason is busy working on Jimmy John's "stuff," most recently the development of our second store. He is in the process of working out the lease, something that takes much longer than you might think. He does a great job of juggling all of his responsibilities without much stress; maybe he's just learned how to hide it from me so I don't wOrRy... as we all know I like to do so much.

*We've heard some amazing news that our friends Jordan & Jamie are moving less than 10 minutes from us at the beginning of March. We couldn't be more excited for them to get here so we have some friends from "home" to spend time with! Jamie and I spent alot of time together when we were very young, our dad's hunted together and we were born just 10 days apart. We have a friendship that has no trouble picking up where it was left off everytime we get together. Those friendships are the best, I think.

*We are very proud and encouraged by our best friends Jeremy & Nicole as they left a week ago to spend 9 months in Kenya doing missions at an orphanage. We were able to spend a good amount of time with them in December while we were in IN, and although sad that we won't see them for awhile, we couldn't be more sure that they have faitfully decided to follow God's amazing plan to take them halfway around the world. We love you guys!

It seems like everyday I am given new blessings and opportunities, and I couldn't be more thankful. God shows his grace in crazy ways, through things like the beautiful mountains and warm sun, to healing broken relationships that I wasn't sure could even be mended. I am encouraged because of these things, and know that there is more to come!

5 Months since my last post! Dang, I'm on fire! I barely remembered my login name for this blog.

Sorry so long, things have been kinda crazy so here we go! We recently made the long drive to Indiana for Dustin's graduation and open house weekend. It was so awesome to see friends and family and spend 5 whole days away from everything. We had a blast with our friends from Indy, and it definitely made coming back to Colorado very tough. The time went too fast, and it was sad to leave everyone again.

When we got back to Denver, we found out that things at our store weren't going as well as we would have liked. To make a long story short, we ended up having to let our General Manager go, so we have spent the last two weeks working quite a bit to make sure that things are going well and our store is set up for success. We have rearranged some people who have stepped up when we needed them the most, and they are doing wonderful as our new managers, exceeding our expectations. So while things were crazy for a week or so, things are falling into place. We are having our Grand Opening next weekend (seems strange after being open for 7 months, but that's how it's done). From 11-3 next Saturday, you can get a yummy sub for only a $1!! We are having flyers sent out to our area and have posted it in the paper, and are expecting a big turnout. We'll see.

We just celebrated our 2 year anniversary this week! However, with the craziness at the store, I worked all day and Jason worked all evening, so we barely saw each other. We did get to go to dinner and a movie later in the week, so that was fun. Tonight we are actually both home for a change, and we're excited to be able to just hang out. Jason's trying to talk me into going to a scary movie, but that's not going to happen!

I am so happy that my mom and Mike, Delanie and Mackenzie are coming out for the 4th of July! I am really looking forward to it. Even though we were just home to visit, it seems like much longer ago because of the crazy couple of weeks that we've had. So that should be really fun and give us a reason to work really hard now so we can have a few days off to spend with them.

I have decided to go back to school in August, just not exactly the "school" that I thought I might being going back for. I have applied to the Denver School of Massage Therapy and I start classes August 4th. I'm excited to try something new, and am really looking forward to it. I will graduate in March, and then hopefully find a job in a fabulous day spa! That is my goal, so we'll see what happens!

In All Your Ways Acknowledge Him

I can't believe January is almost over! The days have been flying by. Jason and I have been very busy at Jimmy John's lately. We sent 2 of our employees, Brent and Andrea, to manager training in Illinois. They have been gone for 2 weeks, so we have been working 7 days a week, sometimes 12-14 hours a day. Usually we have our nights off, but twice or three times a week we have to do doubles. It will be so nice when they get back...they will run the majority of the lunch shifts, and we will have regular work hours. I can't wait!!

We are looking forward to going home in a few weeks. My cousin Lexi is getting married and it is also my brother's basketball Senior night, so we are happy to get away from the store and spend a weekend with friends and family. I am really excited to spend time with Jason away from the store.

So there aren't too many updates to tell you about. I am really learning what it means to give my anxieties/worries to God and not take them back. This has forever been a struggle for me, and all I can say is that God is really showing me that He is in control, even of the little details in my life. For too long I have thought that He needed my help to work out the little things....WRONG! He doesn't need me to help, He just wants me to trust in Him. (Proverbs 3:5 has been my verse alot lately!) So that's what I am trying to do on a daily basis. Opening and running a restaurant has been really stressful for me, but as I look back on all that I've learned so far, I know it will be worth all the hard work in the future.

yes, indeed I am still alive!

Wow I am horrible at keeping this updated! Sorry!

Sadie was a ladybug for Halloween!

Ok so let's talk about what has been happening around here. Last week I was so happy to go on a last-minute cruise with Nicole, her mom Kellie, and her friend Gale. It was so fun! Originally when Nicole asked me about it a few months ago, it looked impossible. Then, because of yet another delay in our store opening, I was able to go. It was the most relaxing 5 days I have had in a long time, and it was so great to spend some much needed "girl" time with my friends!! :)

I am very excited for this weekend. Russ and Rita, Landon, and Jenae are coming out here for Thanksgiving! They will only be here for a few short days, but I am sure we will have lots of fun. They will be meeting Sadie for the first time and even though Landon acts tough, I'm sure he will love her so much!! haha Russ met her a few weeks ago, and now when I talk to them he asks how is "Grand-doggy" is doing! I'm gonna have to watch Jenae, she will probably try to take her home. I'm going to be on the lookout!! ;)

In other news, (I know, I'm a dork) we are FINALLY opening our store next week! Can I get an amen?! We are having our Friends & Family Night on Monday, and then opening for business on Tuesday. I'm excited that we can stop talking about when we're going to open and actually be open. I am just anxious to get the first few weeks over and done with so I can stop worrying. I know, you're shocked.

So if you think I've done a bad job so far at keeping my blog updated so far, its only gonna get worse! Unless of course I sneak online at work and tell you all of the wonderful things happening in my life at Jimmy John's...a.k.a. "The Slavehouse" as Jason and I have already named it.

I would love to hear from you! I will still check my email everyday, and I would love to hear about what's going on....I will need the break I'm sure!!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Fall is Here!

The weather is gloomy and cold today, something that I'm not familiar with anymore after moving to Colorado. ;) I love the weather here, but today I feel like cuddling up with a good book and logging in for a quick blog.

This coming weekend my mom and grandparents, along with two of my favorite aunts are making the long road trip out to Denver! They are renting a minivan and driving across the country to stay with us for a few days. Needless to say, I am so very excited!! We are going to relax and go out to eat, probably make the trip up to Estes Park to see the beautiful mountains, and laugh our heads off at the many stupid comments that will be made during the week! We have stashed our fridge with diet coke (yuck) for the Troyer sisters, and trying to think of some fun things we could do.

We also found out this week that Jason's parents and his brother and sister our going to come out and spend Thanksgiving here with us! We are looking forward to seeing them again, and we're glad it worked out. :)

Also, right after my family leaves my BFF Kara is going to spend the first weekend in October with us! She is using her Fall break from Purdue to fly out and visit Denver for the first time. I am so happy that she is coming!! She has been with me since Kindergarten, and I am truly blessed by her friendship. So we have a busy yet exciting few months ahead of us! And hopefully our restaurant gets open pretty soon, we are getting restless; however, we are using the time well! I am so excited about all of our "visitors" in the next few weeks!

Recently

Our trip to Indiana was a successful one! We drove a few extra hours on our way out, and stopped in Wichita to visit the Hesston guys. The extra time spent driving was well worth it! We are looking forward to seeing them again this fall when the store opens.

On our way home through Nebraska, we picked up our new Sadie girl, and oh boy is she a cutie! Her adorableness makes it hard to get mad at her, but we are trying to be tough. :) She slept through the night her first night here, but last night she cried for hours and hours, and we got little sleep (gosh, I already feel like a mom). She plays hard and sleeps hard...Jason says her battery runs out fast. Obviously, like most puppies, she is NOT a fan of being left alone, and she's a big whiner when we leave her in her room when we're home. But, she is alot of fun, and so far, no regrets!

Last night we had a couples event at our church and I'm happy to announce that we have plans tomorrow night with some new friends!!! This may not seem like a big deal to those of you back home, but we are desperate to make friends! So last night was really encouraging, and hopefully through them we can meet more couples from our church.

That's all I have for now, I'd love to hear from you guys, email me anytime!

Sadie

Big news! Jason finally caved and let me get a puppy!! :) She's not here yet, but Sadie is coming in 2 weeks. She is a 7 week old Maltese/Shih tzu mix, and she is adorable! She will only be 7 pounds full grown....perfect for us. I found her from a breeder in Nebraska, and we are picking her up on our way home from Indiana. Since this is my first puppy that I have to train, we think it would be cool to train her to use a litter box since she is so small. If you have done this, or know anyone who has, I would love advice!

So other than trying to get our house and lives ready for Sadie, nothing else new is going on with us. Jason's birthday is Wednesday and he wants to go to Dave & Busters.....which means we'll probably be there for HOURS Wednesday night! We are excited to go back to Indiana next week, and I have a busy week of work ahead of me. Should make the time go fast!

So I haven't kept up on my blog as much as I thought I would...so here goes! Jason and I are planning on going home to Indiana for a week before Labor Day and I'm really excited about that. It's kind of our replacement for Thanksgiving, since we are pretty sure we won't make it home in November. Hopefully by then we'll have the store up and successful, and we'll be way too busy! :) Our goal is to work super hard so that we can definitely come home for Christmas.

The Cubs' games last weekend were very fun, even though they got killed in the 3rd game. We decided not to go to the 4th game because it was so hot on Sunday. At least half of the fans were dressed in Cubs' stuff, so I had nothing to worry about! We did get harassed though by random ignorant and drunk people. Jason was pretty proud of himself for getting "free" parking every night, which consisted of us walking 5 miles through the hood, but overall, it was an awesome weekend! :)

Our excitement this week revolved around planting three trees in the backyard, and watching our grass finally start filling in (sounds fun, right?!) But as new homeowners, even the littlest things are exciting! We have pressure to make it look good....Grandma and Grandpa Troyer are coming in a few weeks, and everyone in my family knows how much they like nice yards! I told Jase, "the clock is ticking....they'll be here in 4 weeks!" haha

Oh, and we found a new church last Sunday that we really liked. It's called Flatirons Community Church, about 20 minutes from our house. It seems like they have a lot of ways to get involved with other couples our age, and it would be so great to finally meet some quality friends! We are definitely going back this weekend, and we're really excited to get involved.

Other than that, nothing else is new. Keep me updated with emails! I love hearing from you guys :)

Thankful

Today was another beautiful day in Denver! I am so excited for the weekend! The one and only Chicago Cubs are coming to the mile high city for a 4 game series with the Rockies!! We have tickets for Thursday and Friday..oh yah!! We tried to get Russell to come out and join us, but he is a busy man! :) Maybe next year!

The only little concern I have is the fact that we are all-out supporting the Cubbies; I'm wearing my Kerry Wood jersey and Cubs hat, and Jason's supporting Prior. I do have faith in my Cubs, but they absolutely CANNOT get toasted!!! If so, we will be harassed the entire way out of Coors Field to our car, many many blocks away! To some of our friends that love to give us a hard time about our team (Danielle A.-supporter of the evil Cardinals & Nathanael-who has no reason to hate) this may seem like I have doubt about the turnout. Believe what you want, I know the truth! :)

Onto more important subjects, I just want to mention how blessed I feel to have the close group of friends that I do. I spent some time on the phone today with a friend I haven't talked to in awhile, and I can't help but give God the glory for the way He has remained with us all. Only through Him could we continue to strengthen our friendships, even though there are many miles between us. I love talking to my friends and realizing that no matter how long we go between visits and conversations, we always catch up right where we left off. While we may feel occasionally that our future plans are unknown, God is busy protecting and providing for us exactly what we need, and in some cases, what we need is each other. For this, I am truly thankful.

Greetings from Colorado!

So I woke up this morning, and as usual, headed for the computer. Now that I've moved so far away, in addition to phone calls to Indiana, I check my email and Facebook daily to stay updated on my friends and siblings. I came across Kindra's blog, and I thought to myself, wow, I should blog too. That way (if anyone cares) I can keep my friends up-to-date on my life too!

Anyway, we have lived in Colorado for two months now, and I am thoroughly enjoying it! Of course, I miss my family and friends SO much, but I really do believe that this is going to be a wonderful experience for Jason and I. Already, we are getting closer to each other. I guess having no friends in a new town will do that for you! Before we moved, I talked to others about relocating, and always they would tell me, "oh it was so wonderful for my husband and I...we had to rely on each other so much that it strengthened our marriage." And I would agree and roll my eyes secretly, but they were right....

So to update everyone on my status...last week I started a new job as a hostess at this cute little restaurant, nine75. I'm working here for a few months until we get our Jimmy John's opened. Which leads me into that subject-our original goal was to have the store opened by the end of August. Obviously that is not happening. Jason is working very hard from home everyday to get it going, but when you constantly have to rely on other people, things don't always happen as quickly or smoothly as we wish they would. So, our new goal is to have it opened by the beginning of October. Ugh. Lots of work starting a business!! So in the meantime, I am working at nine75, and we are enjoying our time together exploring Denver and the beautiful mountains!

Speaking of the mountains...we went camping on Sunday (much to my disappointment). I was really and completely dreading the experience, and now that I look back on it, I can't help but laugh. Even though we had to hike 8 miles (and to those of you in IN, that may not seem like a lot...but 8 miles in the mountains will leave your legs shaky and your butt begging you to stop!) it was overall an OK time! Of course, Jason was determined to hike to the VERY top of Mount Evans, and my complaining did not change his mind. I eventually shut up, and once my attitude changed, we had fun. When we reached the top (about 12,000 ft) it immediately started raining. Of course. So it rained the whole night and I thought our tent was going to blow away. I was determined that a bear would find us and attack Jason, leaving me on top of a mountain to defend myself. Needless to say, that didn't happen, and we made it home safely yesterday. Jase kept telling me that I was going to feel a huge sense of accomplishment when we reached the bottom, and as much as I hate to say this, he was right! It felt good to conquer so many fears in 2 days! The whole way down I was singing Matt Redman songs to keep my mind off of moutain lions and bears, but in the end it was a good experience!!

I'll try to stay current with my blogs, and if you're reading this, I'd love to hear from you!