Cough Cough Cough...Don't Fall!

This past week, I (and Kim and Jeanne from the Strom Center) went to Badlands Ministries and became certified to be a facilitator on the high ropes course. The high ropes course is comprised of 6 elements (obstacles) that 2 people go through at a time to help build trust and a stronger team. The elements are 30 feet in the air and are very physical. I was beat, after the first day I thought I might not make it and began verbalizing my will to Daniel.

I also visited to the Dickinson ER, not because of the high ropes training, but because the city does not have an after hours clinic! I had a sore throat on Tuesday and I think I stressed my body out and on Sunday I couldn’t take anymore so I went to the Dr. I had bronchitis and an upper respiratory infection. What a YUCK! The first long weekend I’ve had in a long time and I’m sucking down chicken noodle soup on the couch for 4 days! GRRRR. I even had to cancel the first barbeque of the season…RATS!!

Dan has been avoiding me-he thinks that we share a lot, and he doesn’t want to share my cold! He actually spent most of Saturday at Kim and Jack’s New House putting up sheet rock. He’s been spending time at the gym working out again. We both have fallen “off the wagon” and he’s getting in the good habit again.

We watched the movie “Seven Pounds” this week. It is the new Will Smith movie and was hardly advertised at all. To give you a briefing, it is about a IRS Tax Collector who decides who needs a tax extension and who does not based on whether they are a “good person”. Dan thought it was pretty good and a great thought-provoking movie, I thought it was ok. So on the DanandAmanda Movie Scale we rate it a ***(3 star).

Some things are good in thought, but in reality...

I’ve been sick for the past week—mostly a cold and sore throat. However, on Friday—my body protested and said…ENOUGH…you will sleep! Between the napping and the coughing, I watched a Jon&Kate+8 Marathon. The show is about a couple that had 2 sets of multiples, first twins then sextuplets…WOW! SO I got to thinking how cute their kids are and about the new parents that we know—who are expecting or are having babies…and all the cuteness and little things and I got to thinking about Dan and I planning, AND THEN... the cat puked. a lot. EWWWW!
Thanks for the reality check TonyDanza.
Back to the real world!

Are we THERE YET?

When is it going to be summer...shoot, I'd be happy if we'd even get spring! It might actually be warming up!! I’m scared to put away my winter jacket and tube socks!! This week I have seen rain, snow, frost, wind, and sunshine, and it’s a wonder that I’ve haven’t put my garden in yet!! Also a shout-out thanks goes to Uncle Eugene for the runts of the tomato plants...I hope to have a great harvest..As of right now...nothing yet!

Dan has acquired two things this past week that have made his life much easier! A mini-fridge for the basement and a Lawn Mower, only a man can appreciate these purchases. I wanted to talk about yard beautification and he wanted me to stare at the Yard Monitor 9000, or whatever brand model it was. It was nice to come home and have a nicely mowed lawn this past week. We have been putting off buying it because of the cost but we were close to calling Dad to have him come do a first cutting for hay!

I drove to Williston on Wednesday with Katie from work and saw Jason Dorsey speak. He is called “the Gen Y Guy” and spoke about generational differences in the workplace. I thought that so many of his points were great. Baby Boomers have great skills that need to so many don’t have anymore, such as long division, the love of meetings, and they know their state capitals! Right now there are 4 generations in the workplace that each has different values and ideas when it comes to the concept of work. I am interested to see how things will change as the workplace becomes further dominated by gen y and the next to come!

The greatest relationship between the generations is between the traditional generation and the gen y’ers, which I thought about on my way to see Grandma and Grandpa Moser. These two amaze me…they have been married 59 years this August and don’t see how this can be monumental. They move together without thinking, talk without speaking, and their love is obvious when looking at these unintentional actions—these are all things that I didn’t notice growing up. I am blessed that both sets of my grandparent raised my parents in such a tenacious love that can’t be described. I know that this love did not come easy…it was time and trust that created that bond. In a world where these things are taken for granted and short cuts are planned, I appreciate the roots of my family tree and how they have created a solid base for me to lean on.

Happy Mother's Day!

Hooray For Mothers!!
I want to thank all of the Mother figures in Dan and mine life. Some of you are easily identified, others...you know who you are. We owe who and where we are at to you.

This was the first Mother’s Day that I spent away from my mother…and I didn’t like it! So I thought about the things that my Mother has taught me.
1. Perception is E-ver-y-thing!
2. There is no such thing as girl toys or boy toys…just toys.
3. When you have a house of your own, you can________(fill in the blank, which explains why I have two cats and four televisions)
4. To write thank you’s.
5. Sometimes you have to do things you don’t want to, because it means more to other people.
6. Somewhere, someone else has things a LOT tougher than I do.
7. The only thing you have besides yourself is family. The best and worst part is…you can’t get rid of them!
8. Have patience, God is trying to tell you things.
9. Stand up for things that are important to you.
10. Persistence will pay off…someday!
11. Spend time alone with yourself.
12. Sometimes you have to kiss a lot of toads before you find your frog.
I got to thinking about phrases that have been passed down from my grandmother as well:
1. A little lipstick never hurts.
2. You can marry a rich man, just as well as a poor man.

But the one that I hold on to the most…no matter if things are good or very bad…
My mother loves me, and will always be there for me.

Cows, Calves, and Moos!

This week has been BUS—SY!
I’ve been so busy with my grant review. My program is 100% supported by grant funding from the Bush Foundation. I’ve been up to my ears in budget, community progress, strategic planning, and Year-3 events…I think I’ve been correcting grammar in my dreams even!

I participated in a straight up Dickinson activity…Kim and I went to the St. Anthony’s Club for an RSVP event. They had a food sampling that celebrated their recipes from their new cookbook and a silent auction with baskets of selected items. Kim and I both donated a basket of items to be bid on!

Dan had his root canal and was really happy with the dentist that did it. The whole procedure took less than two hours! He feels so much better and will have a permanent crown put on in the near future!

We went to Bismarck this past weekend and Daniel wrestled some cattle!! We branded calves at my parent’s house! He did pretty well and only got stomped on my one of the babies! I think we are turning him into a regular cowboy….maybe for Christmas he should get a hat, a belt buckle, and a bandana to go around his neck!!

I left my mark on all the calves..I was in charge of branding! Hopefully not all of them are crooked!!