Happy Birthday Aspen and me!

Things have been very busy as I was getting ready to fly to Florida for a celebration of events.  With Jamie's 21st and Baby Roo's announcement, it should be a great time with family.  But before I left, we celebrated a couple of birthdays of our own.  Aspen turned one on August 7th, and sticking with tradition, she had her first Guiness.  We decided not to give her a whole one as she isn't quite as big as Kodi was, so Kodi was able to celebrate the festivities as well.  It is amazing that we have had her for almost a year now, I miss the puppy stage when she was too small to eat everything in sight.  Maybe it is a yellow lab thing, but this dog canliterally eat anything you put in front of her.  She has gone through an ipod shuffle, 10 pairs of shoes, cd's, a cable cord, drywall, and an iron cord.  The list continues to grow, but hopefully will end soon.  Maybe she just has separation anxiety and will grow out of it.  

Then, Casey took off for my birthday and we had a wonderful hike and golf round.  Even though I wasn't that good, we had a great time and I hit some really good shots.  We went out to Granite City for dinner, which was absolutely delicious!  Casey had an unbelievable filet, which I of course stole bites of, and I had salmon with crab meat.  It was one of the very best meals that we have ever ha

d! Casey joined the Mug Club, which was an interesting debate as to what we thought the price was.  All in all, it was just a great time to

 spend together, and it made my 24th birthday very special.

A year went by...

It is hard to believe, but a whole year has passed since Casey and I made the big move to Minnesota. Time flies! Over the past year, we have experienced so many new and exciting things. We had a special person come with us for a brief time, which made it a little easier on weekends, but even harder to say goodbye in December. Then, winter came and we thought it would never end. I don't think it is possible for anyone to understand what negative 50 feels like until they experience it, but I tried to explain it to anyone who would listen. (A funny new bumper sticker for Minnesotans regarding global warming after this winter: "We are trying to make it warmer in Minnesota!") It was an awesome experience, many times frustrating, and new excitement living where it snows. We purchased our first home and continue to make it our own. I would say that summer came, but I don't really think that it ever did, especially since it is still only 70 degrees, but we did get many visitors which made it worthwhile. Seeing everyone makes us miss Florida, but then we have so many new stories and friends to share things with. Casey is working hard and doing well with MarineMax. He has so many ideas and I know that he will be doing great things in the near future! As for me, I am still with Target, loving it a little more everyday, and currently seeking the Pharmacy Team Lead position. While I would relocate to a different store, I have faith that the friends I have made will continue to be there for me. There are also so many exciting things coming up ahead and while I would say we can't wait, we can, because we are enjoying the moment we are living in. We look forward to having Thanksgiving at our home, the little niece or nephew in December, the wedding in February, hopefully a little one of our own in the Spring, and of course Beach Week at Crescent. This next year is going to be full of adventure!