Thursday, April 24, 2008

It's a tough week

Yesterday we went to the funeral home to see Pete's Dad one final time. His aunt Daisy was there from down south. She is the most wonderfully sweet lady. Daniela said that I got the sign of approval from all the relatives. I didn't want to see his Dad like this. I have this mental image of him sitting on the couch with his legs folded under him. White t-shirt and jeans. Watching Allie 'read' to me from her book and having me help her color. He ws so proud of how well she was staying in the lines. That's how I want to remember him. Pete went in to see him. He said that he looked much better than the night that he died. Along the way, I ended up catching a profile of him while walking past the room.

Tomorrow we are taking Pete's relatives to the Mall of America. I'm so excited to see his aunt again and speak with her. Pete speaks so highly of her that I am anxious to talk to her. Secretly I want her to tell me, teach me how to make her southern biscuits and gravy. I'm jealous of the ability to do that.

On a happier note - Pete received his conceal license in the mail last night. I kept telling him it was his 'thing' and he didn't know what I meant until he looked at the envelope. I made him open it in the car and man...I want to see that smile on his face forever. It lighted up his eyes and I'd guess that his face hurt from smiling so much. I think it's wonderful that it came when it did and I am so happy for him to have it. Od course we had to go to Cabellas to look at holsters for his guns so that he had something to carry them in.

Tomorrow I am turning my application in. I don't know that I would always carry a weapon, athought I like the idea that I could if I felt the need. I also like knowing that I am licensed to have it since Pete has his too. So cross your fingers for me.

Monday, April 21, 2008

He will be missed

Pete's dad developed pneumonia again last week. He wasn't quite himself and even called Pete just to chat. Pete doesn't remember the last time he did that. Friday morning he went to the doctor who really could do nothing for him. He was scared they were going to keep him in the hospital and he would die there. The doctors sent him home. The nurse came later that night and did the usual check. She specifically asked Daniela if he wanted her to call 911 if something happened and he said no.

Friday night he wasn't feeling good and was really tired. Pete talked to him and he said that he didn't want to go to the hospital. He told Pete he was tired and was going to sleep. Daniela checked him at midnight and his blood sugars were off so she tried to get him to eat. But he was kind of out of it and had trouble with that. She let him go back to sleep and went to rest herself.

When she woke up shortly before 4 am she went to check on him and he wasn't breathing. He went the way he wanted to...at home and on his own terms.

I didn't know him long. I know that Pete and he had their issues. But he will be greatly missed.

Friday, April 18, 2008

He loved it, really loved it.

On Wednesday I surprised Pete.

We went to dinner at Granite City Brewery. The whole time he was trying to guess what we were doing next. It was cute and although he says that it doesn't bother him not to know surprises, I think it does. We had a wonderful dinner there and talked.

After dinner we got back in the truck and I started driving. We held hands, listened to the music and talked. He thought we were going to Centennial Lakes to walk around. When I passed it he was surprised. Then he guessed that we were going to the Mall of America or walking the lakes. When I pulled into the Fort Snelling National Cemetary I told him he'd have to help me get to his mom's grave. He did and commented that we should have done this on her birthday. I gently reminded him that it was her birthday.

We got out of the truck and he said that he should have brought flowers. I reached in the truck and got the orange & pink carnations out. He smiled and told me how good I was. They're her favorite flower in our wedding colors. We walked up to the grave and he cleaned the area around it. He was picking the stems so they'd fit in the cup and ended up tying the ribbon around the flowers so they wouldn't blow away.

After he was done with that I handed him the card I wrote for him. It told him how happy I was to have found him and that I couldn't wait to marry him and be his wife. He got teary and told me how much he loved me. Then I told him to put out his hand and close his eyes. I dropped the ring in his hand and he opened his eyes. He got a grin from ear to ear and asked me how I got it. He put it on and stared at it. He rubbed it and held it up to my ring. It's a wonderful match.

Then I told him that I had written his mom a card. To tell her how sad I am that we never met. How much I would have loved to spend time with her. And that I hoped she would have approved of me. I hope that she is present in our lives as we plan and marry. I told him he could read it if he wanted to and he did. Then he really cried. He got done and just held me while he cried. Then he whispered that his mom would have loved me. And that made me smile. We tied the card to the flowers and we walked away.

It was a beautiful evening and one that I won't soon forget.
Oh, and he wears the ring at home. He wonre it last night to sleep and when he called to today he told me he wore it to work. LOL

Monday, April 14, 2008

Yummy!

I am in love! In love with Lush !

They have wonderful handmade items. I've been using the coalface bar on my face for the last week and I've noticed that it's less oily throughout the day. I've also been using tea tree water toner. I'm really hoping that the products continue to do a great job on my skin.

Yesterday we went back to the store and I picked up the Karma bar . I used it this morning and I have a wonderful smell that lifts up when I walk. It's so yummy and not overpowering. So I feel like I need to get back to that store again for a lotion/creme in the same scent.

Friday, April 11, 2008

Old country music, short track racing and 70's music

Old Country Music
Tonight we're going to see John Conlee perform. We regularly listen to The Roadhouse on Sirius and happened to see a month or so ago that he would be in town. We had forgotten all about it until I grabbed a paper yeaterday and it was there. So we plan on meeting a friend there tonight. I'm anxious to see who the croud includes. Is it going to be older people who listened to him when he was popular? Younger people like us?

Short Track Racing
Tomorrow is the kick off for racing at Elko Speedway ! Yay! I'm excited. Although it showed here last night and is still snowing in places today so I'm not sure that they will actually race. But the kick off is tomorrow and I can't wait to have the racing season start. I think the other track opens in the next few weeks also. I better bundle up, huh?

70's Music
The bar at the track has a free concert by Casablanca Orchestra after racing is done. We're meeting another friend there to listen to them and dance the night away.

Sounds like a fun weekend to me, what do you thing?

Thursday, April 10, 2008

Dreary Days

It's april 10th and we're headed for another snow storm. Doesn't mother nature understand it's spring? I so want those days spring sun and warmth.

My Mom called the other day. She has called a couple of times in the last couple of months. The thing is that she won't call me at home, she calls me on her day off when I am at work. She never directly asks about the wedding, but if I bring it up she asks questions and seems interested. I'm confused right now. I'm not quite sure how to incorporate them into the wedding so that my needs are met and Pete doesn't feel uncomfortable. It's sticky and yucky and I'm not quite sure how to handle it.

Wednesday, April 09, 2008

2 workouts - 1 day...

What do you get when you:
1. Get up at 5 am and run for 2 miles on the treadmill.
2. Work all day, running around in the office.
3. Come home and leave for the gym where you do 3 miles on the elliptical and weightlift for your arms.

Any ideas? Tired. You get majorly tired. Pete work me up before he left a littl eafter 5 this morning and I just could not get out of bed. When he called at 6 he told me that I needed to get up. Yet he says that he knew I was going to fall back asleep. But dang, I worked out for 2+ hours yeaterday and we didn't get to sleep until midnight. I was T I R E D.

So today no running before work. But I walked at morning break with some girls in the office and when I get home I'll doa few miles on the treadmill. I think that I could do the 2 workouts every other day IF I had a major amount of protien right before the second one. Maybe next time I'll try a shake before we leave for the gym.

The thing is that my BMI is steadily going down. I am grateful for that. Though my weight isn't - at all. It's staying about the same. Which means that I am losing fat and gaining muscle at almost the same rate. It's good, but I'd prefer the weight leaving all together *grin*.

Monday, April 07, 2008

shhhhhhh....it's a surprise.

So Friday I took off half a day and went to get 'the ring'. You know, the one that Pete wanted badly. The dress ring. A woman at work put it this way - he is wearing it and should love it. SoI took off at noon and drove to Burnsville. Why there? Well that is where the salesman quoted me the lower price and if I was going to get it I wanted him to get the commission. After I bought it I stopped in to LB to get myself some new jeans and a cute shirt. I tried on several shirts and found one that looked good on me and then grabbed jeans in the size that I had at home and took off. Only I then found a DSW and stopped there to look for wedding shoes. I found some cute ones that I think would look different, yet dressy. I got Kim the same ones and we'll see what she thinks.

So I'm on my way home and Pete calls. Luckily it's about 3pm and I told him that I conned the part-timer at work to stay for me so I could leave early. I asked him where he was and when he told me I realized that he was about 10 minutes bhind me on the same freeway! So I hurried my SUV through traffic so that I could get home and hide the ring. It's in my bra drawer in the back.

Have I told you what I'm going to do with it? 4/16 would be his mom's birthday. It's a hard day for him that is filled with emotion and memories. I want to easr some of the hard times for him by giving him some good memories from the day. So I'm going to tell him that morning that I have a surprize for him. Then I'm going to take him out to eat after work some place good. After that we're going to place flowers on his mom's grave and I'm going to give him the ring as I ask him to marry me. I want him to know that this is as importatnt to me as it is to him. If that makes sense? I also want him to know how much I would have liked to meet his mom. That I'd hope we would have gotten along wonderfully and that I'm letting her know that I'll always love him and take care of him.

I can't wait to see his face. See his smile. Hear his voice.

Wednesday, April 02, 2008

Bridal Brain?

So I sent the check off for the reception & ceremony site. But forgot to sign it. LOL Is this bridal brain? I pointed this out to Pete that this is why I needed lists, so I could remember all the important things. He smiled, knowing my affection for lists and told me it was all right.

I'm also obsessed with details of the wedding. I think about it while running on the treadmill, in the shower, at night while falling asleep, in the car. It's everywhere. That's normal, right?

My goals for the week are to contact the beverage person and get some quotes from caterers. I need to get Pete's ring this week also. I think we are going to ask my cousin Angie to help my niece Alison and Pete's nephew Matthew hand out programs at the ceremony. My nephew Grant and his niece Allie are too young to participate and I don't want it to be a hassle for their parents to have to see that they are doing something. I'm also thinking that I should ask Pam at work to be a "helper". She is so task oriented and good with planning and I would love to have her help me out because I was in her wedding. We'll see.

I'm also thinking big picture and trying to figure out how the day will go so that I have a plan of attack! LOL

See wedding on the brain!