Deerfield Beach Florida

Went to Deerfield Beach Florida on Wednesday with some co-workers of mine to tour some junir high school and get some new and fresh ideas on 'the how to' to make our school a better school. Deerfield is about 30-40 minutes outside of FortLauder Dale. Wednesday we got in very very late- and pretty much hit the pillows when we arrived. Thursday morning we headed to Miami to tour a school and was blown away at how well mannered their students are! nothing like the view!!!! that evening we had a chance to relax around the beach and play in the sand. I, of course, took advantage of the lounge chair and ocean side view and took in some sun rays. i worked up enough guts to enter the water- waves were big and no one else was swimming so i assumed it was tough waves and waters. but- when you travel from MN to FL you have to venture into the water- right!!! when i got in a older man (florida native) came into the water with me and first thing he said was "you've got some guts" and i said "why?" his response was laughter....again, "why are you laughing." old man said..."well you must not be from around here". me- "nope ...MN". old man- "oh i see, than you think these clear white rubber things floating around you are old condoms". me- "WHAT?" old man- "yeah - dont ya see all the jelly fish?' me- "um, what are you talking about?" old man- "all the jelly fish around you...look!" (him pointing at about 30 tiny clear jelly fish right around me) me- running out of the water as fast as i can.....i did not get stung and the old man was laughing at me as i exited the water quick like. good times!!!!!
today- Friday, we toured another school and than has some down time here at the airport...nothing like spending prime tanning time sitting in a stupid aiport watiting for your flight. but lucky enough-i have my computer and my blog to entertain me. i am flying to Orlanda to kick it 1993 style with my friend Kara. (for those of you that dont understand 1993 style- it's just the year Kara and I graduated from high school) I will be taking in as much sun and as much fun with her and her family as i can. i was all excited to rub in my tan to all my MN friends upon my return- but i have heard that it's suppose to be in the 80's...sucky time to leave MN> oh well. later.

Jeremy's Wedding.

so katie k and i headed south to Rochester on Saturday for a wedding of an old high school friend that we have recently reconnected with; Jeremy! he decided that we'd wear our 'fancy' dresses since we never get to wear them...it was a hoot. kaite looked great and she is so much fun. we thought maybe we'd work the reception and find some hotties to hang with...but- no single hotties. i feel like we checked out every dudes ring finger that passed us bye and much to our despair...no ring finger that were ringless....bummer! we still had fun. we laughed and giggled and chatted and eat lots and lots of cake. the people we were seating with, i think thought we were pigs! oh well. it was a good day. i highly enjoyed my katie and Jeremy looked like he was in heaven- very happy! anyway...fun times.

ode to linda

i did my last duty as assistant basketball coach Friday night, we had the banquet. it was very well done. Linda like always pulls everything together like a pro and makes everyone on the team feel special. this time around she made me feel extra special....she honored me with some very nice words, some flowers and some memories that i will hold tight to for a very long time. Linda is one of those people that you are just drawn too...there is something about her that makes you want to be more like her. i have been influenced by her for the past 7 years working with as a coach, i was influenced by her for 4 years as a players- she was my coach, and i am sure that i will continue to be influenced by her for many more years to come! I kinda want to be like Linda- she is a great coach and is very hard to live up to her standards...which is a good thing. i have learned so much from her- i cant even begin to list them. she is a great athlete- sometimes intimidating, but again- has influenced me in my athletic life. she got me addicted to tri-athlons. she is a great mom, a great wife, does relationships with lots of heart and effort...well to make a long story short she is super cool and i admire her tons- and i love her tons. it has been hard for me to adjust to the 'not coaching thing'. i find myself jealous of not being apart of the next years process and i am sure i will continue to fill that as the season gets closer. but i know that this is where God has me and i still feel really good about my choice, i just know that being around Linda daily will be missed a ton!!!!!! hey Linda...you rock. LOL< LOJ< ST< PK, WC< NW. (great memories). you've been a great 'big dog'....love that about you. call me whenever you want too.

won bye 2 pins

WENT BOWLING SATURDAY AFTER CHURCH - AND IT GOT COMPETITIVE. WE MADE UP TWO TEAMS OF FIVE EACH AND DECIDED THE LOSING TEAM WOULD BUY THE WINNING TEAM SOME SORT OF DESERT / TREAT. GAME ON! THE FRIST GAME WAS A PRACTICE RUN, WHICH WAS NOT A GOOD SIGN FOR MY TEAM. WE LOST BY LIKE 50 PINS....

THE 2ND GAME; THANK GOODNESS...TURNED OUT GOOD FOR MY TEAM. EVEN THOUGH WE ONLY BYE 2 PINS AND IT CAME DOWN THE THE LAST BALL THAT NEEDED TO BE BOWLED, WHICH WAS MINE BALL. THE OTHER TEAM WAS UP BY FIVE PINS AND I HAD 7 REMAINING TO KNOCK DOWN...AND LIKE I SAID BEFORE- IT TURNED OUT GOOD FOR ME TEAM. IT WAS GREAT TO WIN! FUN TIMES. NOTHING LIKE COMPETITIVE BOWLING.

WINNING TEAM

LOSING TEAM

Back Street Boy! brian littrell

not sure if you know who the back street boys are....a pop band that was popular when i was in high school, i guess they are still popular. anyways- on a whim on Friday night i went to a concert at Northwestern with some friends and on stage was Mac Powell from Third Day (for those of you (Bonnie) that don't know, Third Day is a major Christian band....that sings some pretty cool tunes), Brian Littrell, Shane & Shane, Cindy Pearson and a bunch of other dudes. They put on a pretty cool show. They just keep taking turns playing songs and a doing renditions of old hymns. I had no idea that the back street boy (Brian Littrell- pictured) was a solid Jesus follower. Super cool. I guess he even has a Christian CD out - who knew????. Along with the music there was a guest speaker...i have no idea what his name is but you can see part of his face in the picture...he is in the brown. he talked about how we need to spend more time in the word of God...being the bible and how we need to let the words He spoke be revealed - to become a practice. To soak ourselves in it daily; not just cuz we have to read it to be 'good Christians', but cuz we should want to let God reveal himself to us every day! Mac Powell...in the green...has the best voice! i love listening to him sing. He is rock solid. And than Brian Littrell (in the yellow) of course was a major surprise! It was a good night with friends and a good night singing tunes.

Shane & Shane (not pictured) also have great voices. they didn't sing very much and i was sort of bummed out about that...but they did sing my all time favorite.

"Yearn"

Holy design

This place in time

That I might seek and find my God

(chorus)

Lord, I want to yearn for you

I want to burn with passion over you

And only you

Lord, I want to yearn for you

I want to burn with passion over you

And only you

Lord I want to yearn

Your joy is mine

Yet why am I fine

With all my singing and bringing grain

In light of Him

Oh your give life and breath

In you we live and move

That's why I sing...

(chorus)

crazy girls.

we ate at Maggiano's @ Southdale Mall

Monday my good good friends and old college roommates met up to celebrate Heathers 32nd birthday. we of course shot the breeze about general life stuff, tired to plan our 'girls weekend', and took a stroll down memory lane and had ourselves some laughs. it is always fun to hang with them. i don't have much to say verbally about our night out so will let the pictures do the talking this time around.

Heather has the pepped and Tammy has the Salt ( i think)

me feeding Heather some Parmesan cheeseTammy Sue and i trying to drink our H2O

take 2 on the H2O

October 31st, 2003

On October 31st of 2003 I made a very large purchase....a brand new car. I needed one badly. The ford torus i had been driving was causing me to much stress...and maybe my parents even more stress since they always had to come to my aid and rescue. It was always breaking down, or having some sort of issue- like the power steering always going out- even if there was power steering fluid in it (yes i checked it!). so....i went car shopping that fine sunny October afternoon and bought myself a new Chevy cavalier; a silver one with only 7 miles on it. I got a super good deal. My parents had a $2000 coupon from buying something (i don't remember what) and it was going to expire if not used within a month or so...and they were not going to use it on a new car so I got it. Plus, i got another $2000 off for my trade in- my car dealer goes to my parents church so i think he gave me a really good deal-NICE! . and that day Chevy dealers just happened to be running a sale on the brand new 2004 cavalier model...so another $1500 came off the top. So i got a good deal!!!! thus purchasing a brand new car that only had 7 miles on it. 7 MILES!!!!! Today i had to take a picture of the 'silver bullet's' odometer. History was made.
Yes, 50,000 miles. a mile stone - get it!!!! i cant believe i have put that many miles on the 'silver bullet' in 3 years and 6 months. today i tried to remember all the places i have gone. of course, i have gone back and forth from Brooklyn Park to Rosville for coaching every day and visiting my friends, and the little to and from places with in the cities- which never really seems like your going far, but really you are! yes, many trip north to Mora and back again. I think i have made a couple trips to Kansas to visit my cousin Clint, and uncle Jim and aunt Joyce. maybe a trip or two to friends' cabins in random places. i think i made a trip to Farimont to visit Scott. and i might have gone to South Dakota for a wedding. (did i drive or did Joni) gosh...does that really add up to 50,000 miles. guess so. wonder what the next 50,000 are going to hold for me and the silver bullet. good times!!! i feel very blessed to own a car that has given me no hassels the past 3 years and am hoping for the same in the next 3 years to come. I feel blessed to have purchased a brand new car- that doesn't happen to most people; at least that's what my dad tells me. huh?

girl friends

girl friends and their kids are always fun to hang with on a nice sunny spring day. darla (far left) wanted to hang at the MN Zoo today, so we did. it was a good time checking out some animals and tyring to have conversation with Emma (in my arms). She is soooo funny, and has the craziest things to say. Allison (middle) and her daughter of one year old also joined the party at the zoo. although in very different stages of life (them with their kids and me with out kids), i highly enjoy our relationship(s). there is something special about doing life with a girl friend that knows you really well. darla and i have been friends since high school- 1991 i think is when our friendship started. good times...and since it has grown and changed alot. i have learned alot from darla in the past, (like how to hold it together like she does under the most stressful and insane situations every) and hope to continue to learn from her forever. Allison and i become friends due to a boy....yes, she had a crush, that turned to a boyfriend that than become her husband of a very close friend of mine from college; and since than she and i have developed a close and fun relationship. i remember in the beginning stages of our friendship we memorized verses together, i love having that kind of connection with her. wish we had time to do that again. the zoo was good...we hit the best day out of the week! thank goodness. the kids seemed to enjoy the animals. the highlight for me was touching the baby sharks...their skin is soft and even had kind of a slimy feeling. and than the tigers....man, they were on the move and one of them tried to pounce on a duck that was swimming in their little pond. it was fun to see the tigers actually do something. so there ya have it...an afternoon at the zoo with cool girlfriends! life doesn't get much better than this.