Quick Update

We finally took pictures of the puppies!!  It's been a while since I've blogged (or uploaded pictures from my camera)... oops!

Rockie's puppies are doing fabulous! They're all healthy and growing like crazy. I can't believe how chunky they are!!  Since they're staying at Jim's house we only get to see them once in a while but Rockie is doing a great job of taking care of them and their dog house is nice and cozy.  Last time we were home they still couldn't walk -- pretty much just layed in a ball looking cute. There are two boys and one girl pup! We're excited to see them again next weekend! :)

Again, please help us find homes for these cute little guys! They look just like Rockie did when she was a pup (only healthier) so I'm sure they'll grow up to be wonderful pets.  Rockie is a GREAT dog, we really wouldn't change anything about her.  She's the perfect size, very friendly, easy to train and she loves her owners. So yeah.... please give us a call if you think you or someone you know might be interested.  We just want to be sure they're all in a loving household. 

  Awww, Rockie! What a good mama.

Hmmm other than the puppy update we haven't had much going on lately (except juggling a million wedding projects).  We've pretty much been huddling inside away from the cold winter weather...just dreaming about spring!  We did manage to catch a couple movies lately... in case you're wondering here are our reviews:

No Strings Attached - 4.5 stars
This is a good date movie!  I'm a sucker for anything romantic and this had a great comedy element so Kurt liked it too. Plus, Ashton Kutcher is fun to look at.

Country Strong - 5 stars!
We both really liked this movie.  It was not what we were expecting based on the previews (which is nice for a change).  We loved the music in it and characters were great.  Overall it was definitely a movie we'd see again or buy for at home.  Go see it. :)

Ta Ta for Now!

Oh what a week...

This week has been an adventure of it's own!! 

As some of you already know, we had a serious scare this week.  Kurt spent a night in the hospital with severe carbon monoxide poisoning (which he was exposed to at work).  He was finishing a floor in a sealed basement with one other guy -- he called around 9:30pm on Wednesday complaining that he was feeling really sick so I went to pick him up from the job site.  His symptoms (severe headache, chest pain, vomiting, drowsiness) were scaring me so I called my dad (who is an EMT) and asked for some advice... after that we were off to the ER!  Rather be safe than sorry, right?  Turned out to be a good decision.

It didn't take long before they had him on 100% oxygen to speed up the de-tox process.  They did blood work and found that his CO level was at 24 (normally it would be 2.5 or less).  They also administered an EKG and found some abnormalities in his heart including a strained enzyme.  They kept a close eye on him until the CO in his bloostream was finally down to a safe level (after 6 hours on pure oxygen) and consulted with a cardiologist before they let me take him home at 5:30am.  It was a long night for both of us!

We had a follow-up appointment the next morning and the workman's comp doctor said he could return to work already (hmmm a little odd if you ask me).  He's working with his boss to make sure this type of thing doesn't happen again, to anyone!  And we know one thing... he won't be finishing any floors this winter!  Plain and simple... risking your well-being is not worth the extra hours.  :)

On a very different note...

We kicked off this last week by heading to Chicago!  I was being sent to the windy city for some meetings at the Alzheimer's Association national office and Kurt decided to tag along because (get this...) he's never been to Chicago! (GASP, I know it's hard to believe.)  Anyways we had a nice 5 hour drive on Sunday morning and then, of course, got lost and frustrated when our Garmen went bonkers downtown Chicago.  After some U-turns, honking and a little bit of screaming we successfully found the hotel, gave the valet our keys and didn't even think about driving until it was time to leave.  Ha! :)

Since I had a jam-packed schedule on Monday/Tuesday we tried to cram most of the fun stuff into Sunday afternoon --- we grabbed lunch with some old classmates, hit the Sears Tower, wandered down Michigan Ave (right as all the stores closed...just our luck), and had some over-priced cocktails at the hotel bar.  It was a good time!   While I brainstormed ways to expand rural reach Kurt got to relax and roam around the city... he visited the Navy Pier and the Field Museum!  Plus, my cousin Christy and her fiance Wayne brought us to a delicious Chicago-style pizza joint -- yum!!

By the time we hit the road for Iowa we were pretty much "over" the city.  It's fun to visit... but we were anxious to be back home! 

Lets hope next week isn't such a roller coaster ride...

Wedding Progress

We are now less than six months away from our wedding day!  Whoa. Time has flown by and we still have a lot of details to hash out and plans to be made.  It'll be here before we know it!  I thought it was about time for a wedding update since we haven't mentioned it on here in a while...

We recently finalized and lauched our official wedding website and we hope you'll check it out!!  Don't forget to sign the guest book.. we really love reading the messages from everyone!

  Click here to visit our wedding website. :)

We've been doing really good with the wedding plans lately.  We've got the photographer, the cake, the flowers, the gown, the bridesmaid dresses, the caterer, the vows, the DJ and the wedding party all ready to go!  But if you've planned a wedding before you know this is just the tip of the iceberg.... the big stuff is crossed off the list but all the little decisions that follow the big ones are actually the most time consuming and overwhelming.  Luckily, I thrive when I'm "overwhelmed" so this is just my kind of task.

I'm beginning to wonder what the heck I'll do with myself when I no longer have a wedding to plan.  It's become quite the hobby these days!  Since Kurt is usually working on upholstery in the evenings I spend at least a couple nights a week working on centerpieces or invitations (I've taken on a lot of DIY projects because I just couldn't resist the change to be crafty)... I've been working on the guest list for what feels like forever... we pretty much always have a tab in our browser open on some sort of wedding website and Hobby Lobby has officially become a routine stop on my drive home from work. 

Kurt has actually been setting aside some time to help tackle the decisions and tasks that require his help and opinion, too!  Although he's not too worried about the little details he's been pretty good about brainstorming ideas and agreeing with the decisions that I make. :)  Of course, my mom has been very helpful and active in the planning process as well.  She's really organized too and it's so nice that we are one the same page about things.  We're just really blessed that our families are so great!  It's fun to have people to share our excitement with.

I can't believe how fast things are going.  This is the year we get married!  In fact, I picked up the save-the-dates today.

I'd post some pictures but we want everything to be a surprise! Muhahahaha (yep, evil laugh). Stay tuned for more updates...

TGIF!

What a year!

As we celebrated the New Year last weekend I couldn't help but to feel blessed and so hopeful for what 2011 has in store.   Kurt & I have grown immensely in the last few years but I think 2010 in particular sparked some big changes in both of us.  We've grown up in many ways and have grown closer in even more ways... it was a great year!

2010 marked the first full year that we were not students.  It came with new responsibilities and new possibilties all the same.  It was full of excitement, opportunities, successes and yes, some challenges too.  We tackled some really big tasks this past year and it's hard to imagine a year with more significant happenings... we made our first apartment a place we'll never forget, we got more involved in our church, we made the decision to spend forever together, Kurt became an entreprenuer, we committed to the Cedar Valley by buying our first house, welcomed a new nephew, became pet parents when we took Rockie home, fell in love with Pita and had to adopt him too, started a retirement fund, and we began planning our wedding... whew!  What a year!!!! 

Since 2011 is the year of our wedding we're pretty sure it's in the running to top 2010... but boy, it might be tough!  =D  With that being said... so far, 2011 is the best year yet.  We had a really fun NYE with our friends Lauren & Kevin... they took us out in Cedar Rapids. We learned the next morning that we're not as young as we used to be. lol! 

Thanks to everyone who helped make 2010 a special year for us!  We can't wait to see what 2011 has in store...

"May all your troubles last as long as your New Year's resolutions."  ~Joey Adams