the bronsons

kid room

2012-02-08T10:16:00.000-08:00

when you first walk in the door


turning to your left: photo frame- old frame from thrift store painted white and ribbon with paper clips, red dog butt hooks-ikea, dresser-ikea

book case-ikea, elephant and lion-target, blue bins holding lots of books and toys-target, random toys from Casey's childhood, plant- ikea and home depot

frames-fabric and an old alphabet book page, pear pillow- yours truely and Tay, toy bin- target

frames- a house is a house for me book pages, letters-Joann's

we stole this valence idea off of Project Nursery and it is so easy to do. the fabric is a twin sheet from Walmart.

chair-ikea, rugs-ikea, pillows- Tay and target. we wanted to create a reading nook where kids could lay on the ground and read too.

bookshelf-estate sale painted white, lamp-target, fox-ikea(thanks Tay), large pillow-Tay, small pillow-Costco

the wall art- fabric hoops, canvas covered with fabric, green frames from target, white frames I had, pages from old books, plastic animals glued, and kids art-by Lola with changeable art clip.

crib skirt-Tay, pennants- Tay, crib sheet target, mobile- donated by Renate

personal art- Tay and it is amazing!!! modern fox and squirrels

mirror for dress ups- ikea and there are red dog butt hooks for dress ups that go next to it

Max thinks its his room

my next project-organize the closet full of toys and clothes donated by Renate and Tay- I'm spoiled

Tay comes to decorate

2012-02-08T09:50:00.000-08:00

the entrance way with two new and two old art pieces. lamp, table, vase and candle holder I had.

new /old painting in the hallway thanks to a little ORB spray paint

the guest room got a much needed face-lift. old chair new pillow and blanket, old art, new frame, old curtains finally hung!

tree print from Hobby Lobby on clearance and the teal/blue inspiration for the room

moved the mirror and put this old painting up in it's place to take up more space.

During Tay's two week stay, she decided I had lived in my house long enough and need to put some art on the walls. We used most of what I had to save the budget for the kid's room. It turned out great and I no longer walk my house thinking how empty it all looks.

Wild Cat Rescue

2012-02-08T09:37:00.000-08:00

White Lion

this jaguar loved this pizza box covered in cinnamon

pretty excited to see all the cats

exhausted

We traveled 30 minutes East to see a cat rescue center. They had over 60 lions, tigers, jaguars, lynx's, bobcats, white tigers, white lions and cheetahs. Some with very sad rescue stories:( We got within 3 feet of the cage. The adults loved it as much as Lola!

Christmas

2011-12-27T12:54:00.000-08:00

Our new peach ornament for our time in Georgia

The mantle this year. Last year was better, but I did have Tay's help.

We decorated cookies on Christmas day. I realized too late that I didn't have any red dye hence all the blue and green frosting.

Casey's new major award

This adventure of getting the Christmas tree home in our tiny civic

We spent Christmas at our house again this year. We went to the neighbor's- the Pertson's- for dinner on Christmas eve. We slept in, opened presents, went to church, decorated cookies and made fondue. It was very relaxing.

the House

2011-12-19T14:48:00.000-08:00

Once we moved in at the end of September until my family came for Thanksgiving we spent every evening and all day Saturday-EVERY Saturday- working on the house. I wouldn't say the house was in bad shape by any means but most of it hadn't been updated since 1998 when it was built. The decade of Gold and Brass- if you know what I mean. We decided to switch everything over to oil rubbed bronze. There was also no grass in the front yard so we had to hard rake and seed the WHOLE front yard- which on a corner lot is much bigger than I thought. I have blister scars on both thumbs to prove it. Other things we did:

painted the front and back door, living room, dining room, kitchen, master bedroom, trim in the dining room, kitchen, living room and bathroom, and the second bathroom (twice:(

cleaned the gutters

dug up plants and cleared the front flower beds

fixed the garage door

changed out a ceiling fan, and chandelier, the front and back outside lights and 7 other lights

changed the light switches and outlet plugs in the kitchen, living room, dining room, bedroom, and bathroom- still have many more to go

changed every door knob

gutted the second bathroom and replaced everything but the tub and vanity cabinet

and all the decorating things like hanging curtain rods and picture frames, etc.

We still have painting, outlet plugs and light switches, a ceiling fan and a chandelier to go, but were getting there.

Thanksgiving

2011-12-12T17:22:00.000-08:00

Taylor and Renate and their families came to visit for Thanksgiving. It was a VERY full house, but lots of fun.

Tay got here before Renate's family. The second night we went to the city of lights in downtown Dallas sponsored by Casey's work. There were fireworks, lights all up and down main street and a marching band (my favorite). Unfortunately it was 80 degrees and full humidity. We were all sweatin' by the end of the night. Not very christmas-y. But the weather cooled down for the rest of the week.

Lola giving money. Aren't those little jeans too cute?!

The boys xboxing. We thought it would be fun but everyone was good at different games so they only played once. Haha.

Dallas zoo carousel

Elephant exhibit. This zoo far exceeded my expectations. I've been to quite a few zoos and aquariums and I would for sure go again. Plus I can take the train from our house down so no traffic!

On one of the last nights Tay and Marty were here we went to a festival in the neighboring town called Dickens of a Christmas. They had carriage rides, frosty train ride and different food booths. Lola was one happy girl to see the horsies. Excuse my deer-in-headlights look:(

The reno of a life time- or 2 months

2011-12-12T17:09:00.000-08:00

After we moved in we quickly got to work on many of the projects we wanted to do- updated all outlets and light switches, changing all lights and fans, painting every room, planting grass and landscaping, cleaning gutters, changing all door knobs, and the list goes on and on. Most of these items are done with the exception of some light switches and outlet covers and some painting. But the most extensive project we under took was the spare bathroom...

It all started because we wanted to simply change the bath faucet from chrome to oil rubbed bronze. Well, apparently you can't do that without removing all the tile, so we just decided while we were at it we should replace the yellowing counter top, the ugly linoleum floors and the Hollywood light fixture (oh and the toilet had to replaced when it broke while Casey's parents were here. Good thing Casey's dad is handy).

Here are some before photos, during photos and after photos. We- mostly Casey- did it all with the exception of the plumbing for the shower. We did have some minor set backs- like a 14 hour snafu with the sink faucet that led us to Walmart at 3 am for a hack saw- but we finished on time. Right- and I mean right- before my family arrived for Thanksgiving.

Life's not always what you expect

2011-12-12T16:52:00.001-08:00

One night in August at about 6:25 pm, I got a very distressed call from Casey. The one you hope never to get. He had been in an accident and could I come downtown immediately. I was terrified. When I got there police had closed the intersection and Casey was sitting on the curb talking to a policeman. Our beloved Altima- the one who has seen us from dating years, through graduate school and onto to two more states- was totaled. And Casey appeared to be for the most part unscathed. We said goodbye to the Altima- the one we had paid off and planned to drive 5 more years:( And I took Casey to the emergency room where we waited three hours to be seen. Just for them to send us home. He has some residual lower back and hip pain and was walking with a cane for 2 weeks at work. It was pretty pimp. Of course the insurance company gave us next to nothing for our Altima and finding a replacement car when you are trying to close on a house was anything but fun. We did find another Altima- nothing like the first. I just feel very blessed to have Casey in good working order-for the most part- and know he was protected from above.

Another unexpected event: all summer we had been working hard for some big changes we hoped for in 2011. Things were progressing nicely until the dreaded fire inspection. FAIL. What?! But we rent and aren't all rentals up to fire code? Apparently NOT. Now what? We quickly had to decide to rent again or buy a house. The decision was made and we were on a mad hunt to find a house in 30 days and close in less than a month. After looking at a lot of dumpy places, we finally found the one. Although she needed some TLC, she was going to be ours IF she passed inspection. we had the sellers fix somethings, but we were able to make our close deadline. So after some threatening on our part, we got all our deposits back and set our move out date for September.

Here she is in all her glory:

Happy Anniversary Love

2011-07-13T07:39:00.000-07:00

4 years and nothing I would have expected, or could have imagined, our life would be! Here's to 4 x 44 more:)

Max turns 3!

2011-06-27T09:19:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Max's 3rd birthday with some cupcakes. And he got a chew. I wanted to give him one of the doggie treats from the dog bakery around the corner but the last time he wouldn't touch it:( We have loved every minute of having him as a part of our family and feel so lucky to have found him. he is the perfect dog for us. Here are some pics from the last year showing the many sides of Max (there aren't that many-just 4;) Haha. Why am I so funny?)

the first day we got him

yesterday

We moved to Dallas

2011-06-27T08:45:00.000-07:00

view from our front door

Did I forget to tell you that we now live in Dallas?! Well it was quite the adventure getting here. Our Movers SUCKED!!!! Never use Armstrong or United. We lived out of a suitcase for two weeks (+1 week for Mags wedding) and half our stuff arrived while I was here, the other half while I was California-including my wedding outfit. But we are here now. We have moved in and are mostly settled except for the spare bedroom.We made lots of trips to IKEA for storage- our place is lacking in that department compared to where we lived in Atlanta. And I am happy to be more settled. Although I have actually received a few job offers, I haven't taken anything yet. Nothing seems to fit our time line quite right. But if I am meant to work before Fall, it will happen. Otherwise, I'll just hang out and hopefully find some place to volunteer.

Our place is 4 miles from downtown where Casey works. He was going to take the train because we thought that would be better with traffic. But we live so close, driving is faster and cheaper. Our neighborhood is mostly older bungalows that have been updated inside. Ours was built in 1920. The streets are lined with giant oaks and there is a park at the end of our street. We have a little yard we share with our neighbor who is never home and told us he never uses it. They are tearing down some of the older smaller bungalows in our neighborhood and building giant houses that take up the whole lot. Seattle folk know exactly what I mean. Our neighborhood is known as "the M Streets" because almost all the streets start with an "M." We live on Llano, and everyone here pronounces it Lanno-like lollipop. They look at me funny when I say, "Yanno." I can't help it, I grew up in California. We say things that correct way-ouch! Just Kidding:)

Now some photos for my sisters, who I know are curious and can't make it out quite yet...

Maggie's wedding

2011-06-27T08:29:00.000-07:00

Two days after we moved into our place in Dallas, I flew to California to spend time with my fam and see my baby sister get married! The last one of all 6 girls, I can't believe it. She looked beautiful. It was at a place called the French Estate in Southern California, and although there were some tearful moments- my mom not being with us for another wedding- it was a great day.

Ellie, Uncle Bill and Dad

there were peacock feathers throughout the ceremony

the dancing/eating area

the sisters

Jack-Attack

Ellie, R, Jakey and Jack with the funny mustaches

Bestie Cousins Lo and her cake

Mags with all the nieces and nephews

The gift that keeps on giving

2011-03-30T07:27:00.000-07:00

For Christmas Casey gave me a subscription to the Cooking Light magazine. I have been trying at least two recipes a week. Most of them have been awesome. We made pork tacos this last weekend. Casey was proud of how good they looked, hence the photo below;) I had to include a picture of how incredibly adorable our dog is. We love him so much and can't believe we found him. We especially love the no barking. We can't claim any responsibility for that, but we will thoroughly enjoy it none the less.

Georgia Aquarium

2011-03-30T07:15:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago we went to the Georgia Aquarium. I had to make sure we went before we left Atlanta. Some interesting facts about this aquarium: largest in North America, has the largest salt water tank, the only aquarium in North America with whale sharks (they have five of them!) and the only one with manta rays. And not to disappoint they have my favorite, Beluga Whales.

The group we went with. Some of the people in Casey's program were in town for a training and they stayed over the weekend. On the left is Winston from Southern California, then us, Todd from Chicago and Collin and his wife that live here.Taking our picture was another woman from New Jersey.

The magnificent Whale Shark! I put people in the shot to show just how large these creatures are. They are amazing to look at. I have never seen any animal so large in an aquarium.

The Manta Rays were really amazing too. They kept doing flips and swimming right up to the glass.

Winston and Casey. Casey will be doing Winston's current position, only in Dallas instead of Southern California. They moved it this year. Winston got to be a part of the negotiations for various channels like HGTV and Food Network. He said they would last all weekend and were pretty intense. Casey won't be doing that, thank goodness!

Everything's bigger in TX!

2011-03-28T09:00:00.000-07:00

We found out last night, we are headed to Dallas, TX June 1st for Casey's next year in the program. We are excited to be closer to family again! and have Southwest! We will probably live north of the city again, but Casey will be working at the headquarters downtown. Here's to suites everyday! They are very formal at headquarters. We are happy to get a location in Texas because the chances we can stay for the third year of the program are very high. Cheers to hopefully not moving again.

So what will Casey be doing? He is working in U-verse, analyzing fluctuations and reporting. Some of what he did as a CPA. He already knows the mobility side from this year, so it will be really good for him to have more knowledge and experience with the U-verse side.

We know it's hot, but so was Hotlanta, so I think we are more prepared this time. And I can't wait to eat good Mexican food again. It's been along time since my San Diego days of good Mexican.

This is where Dallas is located in texas.

This is where we are located in relationship to other cities in Texas. We are definitely going to make a trip to Austin for their amazing food carts and great music.Average rain and temperatures. Although this past winter was anything but average. I wouldn't mind a week or two of snow though. I've adjusted to that now and I might miss it.

Well, wish us luck on our next move. We are hoping for big changes in this great state of Texas!

2011-02-14T06:14:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day.
I love you.

A day at the small dog park

2011-02-13T10:13:00.000-08:00

starting out very timid, attached to our feet and avoiding other dogs.

gaining a little confidence

frolicking in the leaves

sniffing and playing

total independence (p.s. have you seen a cuter tiny little bum. i love him:)

A little Valentine love

2011-02-01T09:15:00.001-08:00

i made these garlands with felt, yarn and random ribbon scraps i had. less than $5 for both!

this is the second time i forced bulbs. i love these paper whites. i am pretty proud. in the past i have killed every plant i tried to grow. and almost killed Casey's plant he had for 5 years. (and actually did kill one of his plants i took to my classroom and forgot to bring home over xmas break...opps.)

trying to win free food in the "respect the egg" contest. love the robin. (and no, that is not my burger. egg, bacon and burger, is a little much for me. we used casey's twice)

2010 in Review

2011-01-09T18:05:00.000-08:00

January: Froze in Bloomington, In. Nothing too exciting. Casey worked hard on GLOBASE.

February: I was an aunt again. Miss Lola Ann Leigh Akiko Crowell was born. Business Leaders and Peruvian Chamber of Commerce visitors come to Bloomington for GLOBASE. I stay busy doing Zumba with the teachers after school.

March: I went home to California to see Lola and Ellie for the first time. Casey went to Lima, Peru for GLOBASE. We find out att has placed us in Hotlanta for our first rotation and we are thrilled it is somewhere warm! As I am writing this, there is an ice storm looming outside. Ha!

April: The weather starts to warm-up. We are trunky and very ready to get out of B-town. I started job and house hunting.

May: Casey graduates! That's Master to you! Raymond comes to celebrate with us. We fly to California for Maggie's graduation and Casey sees my family for the second time since our open house. From there we fly straight to Atlanta to house hunt. We find a great townhouse, sign and are relieved to have a place to live that allows dogs.

June: We move to Atlanta in a Budget truck that has no A/C and Casey gets really sunburned on one arm. We swore we would never drive another truck again. We have since made the same promise and are likely to move in 5 months. We'll see. We get real furniture for the first time. All grown-up. I find and start a tutoring and nannying job. Casey starts with att and quickly makes friends with all the older ladies in his office. haha. WE GET MAX- after much disappointment of trying to adopt dogs, we ended up with an amazing dog and we love him too much.

July: We celebrated our 3rd anniversary. Got another car- so we can celebrate at least 3 more;) Dyed my hair back to blond for good (hopefully). Went to see the US Open with Casey's coworker.

August: Had wisdom teeth (and surprise sinus) surgery. Survived the heat and humidity of Atlanta.

September: Casey turned 31 and I turned 27. After a lot of testing, doctor's meetings and questions, we found out some difficult medical news.

October: Anna visits. Casey wins best male costume at our ward Halloween party. And Max looks the cutest in his scarecrow outfit.

November: We get our first Thanksgiving visitors. Tay and Lo come to visit for a week. We decorate every square inch of our house for Christmas.

December: After spending my whole life not being able to breath out of my left nostril, I get septum and sinus surgery. The surgery is great. The recovery is horrendous. Hopeful for the future. Had a great, relaxing Christmas with Casey in Atlanta. Hit the outlets for post-Christmas sales and packed up our decorations on New Year's Eve.

Looking forward to 2011. Hopefully for the positive changes, improved health and new places it will bring!

This is the Season, beloved of the year...

2011-01-07T07:14:00.001-08:00

unsuccessful begging

steamers-yummm!

the after-math

Christmas PJ's and stocking opening

reading his new book from his auntie about dogs in sweaters

his new warmer camo jacket-he tolerates it

checking out the goodies Santa brought

kinda-creepy, kinda-cute

proof of our white x-mas

feeling the love!

And that best expresses how i feel. i wasn't sad Christmas was over this year because it was such a great one. i would have loved to see family on the day but seeing family so close was great and we had a nice relaxing time. Casey had a week and half around Christmas off. we did a lot of napping and watched all the 30 rock's and lie to me's. looking forward to next year.

Thanksgiving with Lola and Tay

2011-01-07T06:59:00.000-08:00

We (even Max) were so excited Tay and Lo came to stay with us for a week at Thanksgiving. It was a great way to start the Christmas Season. Tay came and left like the Holiday fairy and our house was magical with decorations all December -long. Thanks!

the handsome chef himself

feeling hot and sweaty from being in the kitchen. notice the hair-do.

uncle-time

our little Cindy-loo-who

carriage rides to see the lights

cookie mischief

September and October

2010-11-05T19:23:00.001-07:00

we found this great bagel place near our house. real authentic new york bagels. this was the french toast bagel. one of the last bagels i ever had. a few days after enjoying every last crumb of this bagel, i found out i have insulin resistance. i have to take a medication everyday for the rest of my life that makes me throw up if i have too much insulin, i.e. carbs or sugar at one time:( me, the sweet tooth! it was quite a shock and i have had a few regretful relapses but for the most part it's not too bad. i would rather know and prevent type II diabetes then later find out i have diabetes.

for at&t's give-a-day, casey went and volunteered to clean and fix-up a house where foster and birth parents have regular meetings. this is his sweet shirt he got for all his hard work;)

september brought casey's and my birthday only three days apart. we were lucky to have a guest, casey's dad, here to celebrate with us. growing up we always hung balloons and streamers for the birthday girl. i have carried on the tradition every year since getting married.

opening presents. and very happy i am once again taking a picture of him.

max has definitely warmed up to us. he knows we are his people and runs to us when we get home from work. we also recently got him a soft dog bed for the kitchen at night and he is much happier- thank you marth stewart.

while casey's dad was here, we went to the cnn world headquarters downtown. we took a tour and got to see many of the rooms where they film. and a life-size cutout of anderson cooper- lucky us;) they also had some really neat artifacts from different coverages of wars in the middle east and some of the natural disasters in the past several years.

not far away is the world of coca-cola. we took a tour there also.

studying up

they had old ads and paraphernalia from different countries. this was my favorite part.

casey's favorite drink in peru- inca kola. it tastes kind of like bubblegum but a little better. very sweet though.

waiting in line for the 4-d experience (really we just wanted to sit for a while).

at the end of the tour, everyone goes to a room with soda stations from the different continents. you can try as many and as much as you want. some were good. some were not and one from england was super disgusting. the asian drinks were my favorite of all the continents. they tasted like liquid gummies. very fruity and sweet. the fanta apple was the best of these.

whose that tall white guy drinking at the latin america station?

anna came to visit the weekend before halloween. we crafted, shopped and went up to helen, the bavarian town about an hour away. unfortunately it was oktoberfest and there were tons of people. we didn't stay too long but made sure to get a brat.

another thing we had going on while anna was here- ward trunk or treat. anna helped me put together a swamp themed trunk. at night we had strobes and glowing eyes. it looked pretty awesome.

this year i decided to make our costumes. we found max's scarecrow outfit at petco first, then i made our outfits. casey won best male costume of the night. i know mom would be proud.

we are still working and relaxing. casey is learning a lot and networking a ton. the past two months were still filled with lots of doctor's visits but they are finally slowing down. i don't feel much better but i have a lot more knowledge now. i am getting a nose surgery to fix my septum at the beginning of december. i am nervous- i've never had surgery in the o.r. before. but the doctor said i am basically not breathing through left nostril and haven't been for most of my life. hopefully this will help with running and sleeping. maybe even my headaches-who knows? he seemed pretty positive and guaranteed me significant improvement.

it has finally cooled down- 60's to 70's. so much better than bloomington's freezing weather. there are beautiful fall colors everywhere. this next month tay and lola are coming for thanksgiving. should be more fun and crazy times.

2010-09-10T09:06:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday Babe! 31 looks good on you:)

August is already over?

2010-08-28T14:26:00.000-07:00

Can't believe August is almost over. We only have 10 more months in Atlanta and then we will probably be gone. And the next few months are going to go really fast. Our birthdays in two weeks, Casey's dad comes to visit, my sister comes to visit, more sisters come to visit, Utah for Christmas and then soon after we fine out our next location. Then I start researching obsessively to find us a place and a job. Then we will pack and be gone. Crazy!!!

We really like Atlanta. This weekend has been pretty dry which is a relief. Although, they say that this summer has been much hotter than previous summers. We have had some great Indian, Thai, Mexican, American food and look forward to much more delicious food we have heard about. We also can't wait for this Fall to do some hiking when the weather isn't so brutal and now that we are pretty settled. Our jobs are still going well. Casey has been doing a lot 6 Sigma trainings and meeting with and talking to execs about his future plans and which path would be best for him. They have provided some great insight, and I am so thankful he is in this program to have these opportunities.

I have spent a lot of time in doctors' offices lately. I had a toe fixed, dental work, oral surgery, possibly nose surgery by the end of the year and several other things. It's a lot and I am glad Casey is such a trooper, really helping me out.

My current work schedule is great, but I am not sure I like having time off on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. I think I am better when I have stuff I have to do. So currently I am looking for something part-time on those three days in the morning. I have had a couple of leads but nothing panned out yet. I might end up volunteering somewhere if I don't find something,; it would just be hard to decide what.

I have heard some stories lately of deaths and divorce and it just makes me reflect on how thankful I am to have great people surrounding me everyday. I hope I show that appreciation to them as much as I should. It's good to have that reminder every once in a while.

And two pics to leave you with:

U is for Update

2010-07-28T13:39:00.000-07:00

We have been having a good time in Atlanta so far. We both really like our jobs and schedules. We are able to get up three to four times a week and run together on the trail near our house. It is pretty much the only time it is cool enough. Max is great and has taken to the nickname "Tiny Dog." We love him so much. He loves rubs, runs to us with his ears down (airplane ears) when we come home and is completely potty trained. He does sometimes like to find little hair pins or tissues on the floor and try to steal them, so we have moved him out of his crate but have to keep him in the kitchen with a baby gate when we are gone and at night. He seems to be doing A LOT better with the freedom to roam around the kitchen.

Casey really likes his co-workers. They are mostly older women who love to share their dating and teenage kid drama. I really like the family and kids I work with, although this past week the kids have been sick and it has been non-stop trying to comfort them.

We finally got insurance cards and have taken advantage. Casey finally got new glasses after 4 years! I got new glasses and contacts and we both got prescription sunglasses because our astigmatisms have increased from squinting:( We both saw the dentist this morning and of course Casey left with only a teeth cleaning while I had three fillings and was told I need an implant but can't get it until I get braces and I need to have two of my wisdom teeth removed because they finally broke gum and are impacted and have a cavity. AWESOME! We also have more doctors appointments this month and I really feel grateful for access to good insurance. It would be terrible not to have it and it is definitely a blessing I do not take for granted.

R, my sis, sent us "welcome to Atlanta" packs including a magazine just about ATL. The last issues was all about BBQ joints and we are going to try a place recommend this Friday! She also sent Max a gift to welcome him to the family. A little jersey and some tiny-sized tennis balls. He is getting better at playing and I'm sure he'll be using the toys soon. Here are some pictures of him in his little jersey...

My two boys love to chill in front of the TV.

So before Casey went to school, I dyed my hair brown because I knew it would be really expensive to keep it blonde on one teacher income. He promised me that when he graduated, I could dye my hair blonde again and I couldn't wait for the day. When we got here, I suddenly got nervous. I have had my hair stripped before and the results were...let's just say less than desirable. So I did my research, asked the mom I work for (she is a stylist downtown), and went for a consultation. I left with confidence except he said it would take 2.5 hours. I knew there was no way because previously it had taken 6 hours, but I tried to trust him. After 4.5 hours and a bleached shirt (yes, I went back and asked them to cover the cost of getting a new one), I emerged with, I think, some pretty great hair. I was very pleased. If you know me, a rare event after having my hair done. So without further ado (sorry for the funky pic, Casey wasn't home), back to blonde...

Oh, and these are my new glasses. Bonus- they don't fall down my nose like my old ones:)

US Open in Atlanta

2010-07-28T13:19:00.000-07:00

Casey's boss Sandy had extra tickets to the US Open Series in Atlanta (actually the town over from us in North Atlanta). We had a great time, aside from the times when I would quiz Casey on his tennis knowledge during important parts of the game;) Being an athlete, I understand most sports when I watch them, however tennis is one of the few I have no idea about. Casey has tried to teach me but for the sake of our marriage, we gave up. But I do know the important things, like Andy Roddick is in US Weekly all the time and use to date Mandy Moore, so it was pretty exciting seeing him play doubles with Marty Fish. We also saw a singles match with James Blake and Taylor Dent- yeah those names didn't mean much to me. But Casey told James Blake broke his neck a few years ago, so I was really impressed to see how well he plays tennis. Oh and don't worry- I definitely was still sweating at 10 pm when the sun had gone down and it was 85 degrees out with 3000 % humidity.

Yay for marriage

2010-07-14T12:54:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was our 3 year anniversary. Wow how the time flies. In three years we have seen and done a lot. Can't wait to see what we accomplish in the next 3 years!

Happy 3 years!!!!

2010-07-14T12:38:00.000-07:00

For our anniversary, Casey surprised me with a weekend get-away to Asheville, NC, about 3 hours away. We decided to take Max instead of board him; we thought it might be too traumatic. We had heard of this really cool mansion, the Biltmore, and wanted to see it. We got there Friday night, exhausted, and slept-in the next day. Casey had planned hour couples massages and they were awesome! We have decided this has to be our new tradition. The spa was an old two story building completely remodeled inside. That pretty much described the adorable town. There were little tree-lined streets with boutiques and shops. We walked around, had dinner at Bouchon, a french bistro, and did some shopping. The town really reminded me of Santa Cruz with "Buy Local" bumper stickers and a smell of incense and herbal enjoyment;) We got to see a lot of the Smokey Mountains/ Blue ridge Mountains which are a very different scenery then anything I've really seen. Lots of wooded hills with wildflowers everywhere. We can't wait to go back.

A little about life right now...

2010-07-01T19:46:00.000-07:00

These pics are for Marty... It's true after searching, and testing driving, and negotiating, and calling Marty- best car B-I-L EVER!- we finally found an amazing deal on a car! It's a Honda pilot, low miles, great shape, and yes it does have the third row for all those children we have...or not:) We are very happy with the purchase, but more importantly for the purchase we didn't make. And it is SOOOOOO nice not to have to drop Casey off or pick him up anymore. Some people say certain things have saved their marriage, the extra car and double vanities in the bathroom are ours;)

And some more pics of our baby:

Getting a bath

shaking it out after the bath

lounging on his blanket

tiny, curly bod.

We took Max to the dog park for small dogs (and yes, there were Labs in there. HELLO people, SMALL dogs!!!!), and true to a Bronson, he hung out by the bench with us and surveyed the scene. Even our dog is an introvert. But today he did play with a little Pomeranian on his walk. Maybe there is hope for him.

Casey has been enjoying his job. I have been enjoying the hours. He gets home by 6 every night at the latest. Way better than 11 pm when he was an auditor. And he is so close that the days that I work all day, he can come home and eat lunch with Max.

I did get a couple of jobs. I am nannying for a family a few miles away, two days a week. They have a little 10 week old boy named Issac and 2 year-old girly girl named Presley. So sweet. They are great kids and a very easy-going family. I also tutor a couple of hours a week in math. I am really glad I still get to teach. I do miss it. I am really thankful to find work so quickly and I really like what I do.

We really like our place here, all the shops and restaurants, our ward and the area. It has been unusually hot apparently, but nothing more than Indiana. While I know we probably will only be here a year, I am trying not to think about it and live in the moment, make friends, and establish ourselves here. Oh- and it looks like we will most likely be back in the primary, teaching together. We are excited about that.

Mag's Graduation and Family Visit

2010-06-30T06:07:00.001-07:00

Three new posts. Scroll down to see them All!

vacation with family in California:

Casey and I went to the Bay Area for my little sister's graduation and for Casey to meet the newest members of the family. He hadn't been back home since our wedding three years ago, so it was time. We had a blast. Over the weekend we stayed in Monterey, went to the aquarium and celebrated (or tried to) in the crazy windstorm. We went shopping, had delicious food, and hung out. Very relaxing and a nice vacation before Casey started work.

My camera died half way through this trip. Such a bummer. But I did get some good shots to remember the vacation.

New House, new furniture!

2010-06-30T06:00:00.000-07:00

For my sisters, here are some pics of the new furniture/decorations in our place. Thanks to Macy's and HomeGoods for having such great deals!

Meet Max

2010-06-30T05:51:00.001-07:00

After searching for the perfect dog, we adopted Max. He is a one year-old, 7 pound Yorkie from Atlanta Pet Rescue. With some obvious abuse in his past, he was VERY afraid of people at first, but has since started to warm-up to us. He is such a lover. He is staring to learn how to play again. In the two weeks we have had him, he is now potty trained and goes to the door if he needs to go out! He loves treats, especially peanut butter flavored chews, and going on walks. I took him to the dog park for little dogs and he mostly just sniffed and hung out. But we have seen him be kind-of playful, so we know he has spunk in him just waiting to come out. We love him so much!

P.S. I think he looks like a cross between a fox, pony and lion. And we are going to get him groomed but we wanted to wait a little so it wasn't so traumatic. He did meet the groomer and vet and did very well.

That's Master Bronson to you!

2010-05-09T18:13:00.000-07:00

Casey graduated on Friday! Can't believe we are done and will be moving in 3 weeks. Casey's dad Raymond came in town for the graduation and we were sad to see him leave this morning.

Pictures:

Casey's graduation present was a leather messenger bag. He was mad at me for making him take pictures so he decided to do sad body.

I got some festive streamers for decoration.

I like this statue. It says, "Knowledge speaks, wisdom listens."

In front of his school one last time. Every time we tried to take a picture the sun would come out and make us all squint.

Jim Walen, accounting professor and previous MBA program director. Also a strong GLOBASE supporter.

Walking across the stage shaking hands with the dean.

A congratulatory embrace with Phil Powell, Director of the MBA program, professor of economics, and worked closely with Casey to get funding for GLOBASE. He was often the only voice of sanity among the many administrators and Casey will miss working with him.

Our friend Dan Newton. Off to Dow chemicals in a few short weeks.

Luke Coltrin and Tom Reese. They too are leaving very soon. Luke is going to Sears Holding and Tom is going to Bosch.

Rashid, Casey's friend and group memeber for the GLOBASE leadership team. Also a voice of sanity and a great person to know. He is off to Exxon.

And that's it. One more full week of teaching, then off to Hotlanta to looking for housing and for me to interview for jobs. Then to California for Mag's graduation. Back to Bloomington for three more days of work and then we leave June 2nd. I wouldn't go as far as to say I will miss Bloomington, but there are some people I have enjoyed getting to know. We are very excited to be on to our next location and look forward to moving the next three years and seeing differetn parts of the country before we settle in one location. Not going to lie we are a little nervous about living in the South. I am mostly afraid of the bugs. I've heard there are LOTS of bugs.

Mac Madness!

2010-04-25T19:52:00.000-07:00

Warning: Guy grillin'

2010-04-25T19:43:00.000-07:00

Before we moved to Indiana, Anna and James gave us their old grill and we fixed it. We were so excited because it was a nice grill and we had wanted one for a while. As we were unpacking our stuff into our Bloomington townhouse, dreaming of grilled sweet corn, we realized we had left the ceramic plates out our apartment in Washington. We were so sad. New plates were not in our budget for a while and then it was winter and then we went to a high rise apartment for the summer and then it was winter, and finally we ordered the plates. They came and we (Casey I'm sure more than me) have been loving it! Some evidence of the grilling going-ons at our house:

Indian Night at Kelley

2010-04-25T19:36:00.001-07:00

Students at Casey's school put on different nights to educate the students and their families about different cultures. We have attended a Korea night, Japan night and now an India night. This was definitely my favorite. They had delicious Indian food (yes you read that correctly- trust Indians to find good Indian food in Indiana), singers and dancers. Great food, great dancing, and great company as always.

Feeling Trunky

2010-04-14T17:20:00.000-07:00

Sun is shining, grill is going and I am READY to move.

Just for Fun!!!!

Well, folks, it's time...

2010-03-26T20:54:00.000-07:00

Due to recent international interest in Casey's work with GLOBASE and the recent additions of lovely littles in my life,

We are going private.

So, please leave your email address in the comments box so you can maintain access to our blog. Even if we don't talk everyday, please leave a comment and, if you're not creepy, I'll be happy to add you. I always moderate all comments and I will not publish your email.

spring break in California

2010-03-23T18:39:00.000-07:00

My trip home was sunny, relaxing, comfortable and exactly that...home. Quality time with fam and meeting my two new nieces. Caution: Picture Overload.

Drum roll.......

2010-03-23T17:28:00.000-07:00

We are headed to Hotlanta, GA next year!

We move at the beginning of June. So excited. Can't wait.

GLOBASE

2010-02-28T16:36:00.000-08:00

Casey has been a part of the leadership team for GLOBASE since May 2009 and a member of the GLOBASE program since September 2008. He has really enjoyed this experience, most importantly the people with whom he has built new friendships. As he has said many times, the people of Peru, and Latin-American people in general, are very freindly and welcoming from the moment they meet you. This has lead to great memories. The most valuable gift this program has given Casey from my point of view has a been the new found confidence he has in his abilities as a leader and his understanding of how to lead people. For that alone, Kelley and the MBA program have been worth it. I am excited to see how he uses these skills in the future to do much more good (and hopefully other international experiences) and hope that his opportunities to provide non-profit service to others will continue.

This is a press release IU did. Casey was interviewed about his experiences with GLOBASE. Shortly after, the Fox news chanel in Indianapolis contacted his advisor and wants to pursue a news piece on the program. This is great publicity for the program and increases the chance of it's continued success in the future.

IU Kelley School M.B.A. students returning to Peru with social entrepreneurship initiative

GLOBASE provides students with opportunities to gain international business experience through social enterprise projects

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Feb. 25, 2010

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Last spring, Casey Bronson experienced his "highlight" as an M.B.A. student at Indiana University's Kelley School of Business when he helped a small Peruvian apparel maker with its big exporting ambitions.

About 30 M.B.A. students at IU's Kelley School of Business are returning to Peru as part of the school's Global Business and Social Enterprise initiative, a social entrepreneurship consulting program.

"For this company, what we brought to the table was our understanding of the U.S. market," said Bronson, a second-year student from Clinton, Utah. "There's a lot of value in bringing fresh ideas from M.B.A. students. You could tell that it breathed a lot of life and excitement into the companies that we consulted with."

In early March, Bronson will return to Peru with about 30 Master of Business Administration students at Kelley as part of the school's Global Business and Social Enterprise (GLOBASE) initiative, a social entrepreneurship consulting program that also combines international experience with leadership development.

Now in its second year, GLOBASE will enable students to complete a consulting project for four small companies and a not-for-profit enterprise in Peru. Completed as a 1.5 credit hour course, the students use class time to prepare for the experience.

Earlier this month, the companies sent their top managers to Bloomington along with representatives from the Lima Chamber of Commerce's business training program.

"What GLOBASE does for our program is not just provide an experience that furthers their education in international business, but it also is an experience that furthers their education in leadership," said Philip Powell, chair of the Kelley School's Full-time Master of Business Administration program.

Casey Bronson

"Typically in a top M.B.A. program, you'd separate the leadership education from the global education. We're going to fuse that together. That's what makes this really innovative," Powell said, adding that the M.B.A. program is taking steps to expand GLOBASE to Ghana and India next spring.

Roberto Garcia, clinical associate professor of international business and co-director of the Supply Chain and Global Management Academy, added, "Last year's GLOBASE was so successful that even before we left Lima, our Peruvian partners were asking us to plan the dates for the 2010 version. We are very pleased to be going back to continue this worthwhile effort once again."

The students, Powell, Garcia and two other Kelley faculty members will leave for two weeks in Peru on March 7. Nearly half of them speak Spanish -- the Center for International Business Education and Research in Kelley provided beginning Spanish and advanced Spanish translation at no cost. They also have worked closely with the American Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM) in Lima.

Also going are Carl Briggs, clinical assistant professor of operations and decision technologies; and John Becker, an adjunct lecturer in management and entrepreneurship who also has been director of international business development at Cummins Inc.

Their business clients will be Fabricaciones Industriales Metalic, a furniture maker; PeruVerde, a food processing and trade company; Laban Inversiones, a silver jewelry business; and Inkasign, a knit garments maker. They also will do two projects for a non-profit, APOMIPE.

Workers produce knitted garments outside of Lima, Peru's capitol.

Bronson -- who previously lived in Peru for two years while serving as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints -- said students value gaining international business experience while helping to make the world a better place. Last year and again this year, he will work with Inkasign, which has placed some of its weaving operations within homes in small villages.

"When we went to the outskirts of Lima last year, they drove us out to one of these shops. The neighborhood where we drove to didn't have paved streets. The house where these machines were located was just bare brick with no roof," Bronson recalled. "There were six machines sitting in a room in a man's house and he would have people come and work on those machines when Inkasign provided him with orders to fulfill.

"From talking to him, seeing the conditions that he was living in, and knowing from my previous experience -- when I lived in those same areas and I walked and talked with those same people -- I understand what a struggle it can be just to put food on the table," he added. "I can see the connection of improving Inkasign's competitiveness in the marketplace, which will allow all of those machines to run and allow six people to earn enough each day to put food on the table and even save a little bit extra. I really see building sustainable businesses as key to improving the standard of living in the area.

"I definitely plan to work internationally in the future, whether that's a rotation or a permanent foreign assignment," he added. "I think that the skills that I'm gaining with GLOBASE are very applicable -- working in teams, problem solving, adapting to new cultures and working with the difficulties of communicating in different languages ... These are skills that I've developed that I can apply in any workplace."

Because of the program's success a year ago, the Kelley School also was invited by the American Chamber of Commerce in Peru to host a one-day conference in Lima on March 11 on how to do business in the United States. Powell said he also will use the trip to recruit future M.B.A. students to Kelley as part of the school's Latin American strategy.

Others can be part of the GLOBASE experience through a blog already available online at http://iuglobaseperu.blogspot.com/ and at the GLOBASE Facebook page. A film crew followed students last year and a video is available at the program's site at http://www.kelley.iu.edu/mba/academics/globase.cfm#.

Showing our love

2010-02-17T18:30:00.000-08:00

I love this man. He invited me to breakfast at Runcible Spoon for chocolate chip pancakes with whip cream. The best.

The Runcible is a little, um..., quirky which is why I love it. Had to include this pic, a box of potatoes cleverly stored under the booth next to us. Gotta love it. Reminds me of something I would see in Boulder Creek.

Last year, I heard Casey's fav pizza place made heart shaped pizzas but I didn't end up ordering one, so I had to make sure to get one this year. Loved it and Casey LOVES pizza, so it was a hit. That and the car issue of Consumer Report magazine scored me some major points this year:)

My new niece!

2010-02-10T10:28:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the world Baby Lola! Congrats Marty and Tay. We love you all.

A couple of crazy weeks

2010-02-07T14:26:00.000-08:00

Over the last two weeks we have welcomed 8 Peruvian guests to Bloomington as part of the GLOBASE program. Since I (Casey) am on the leadership team, I have spent a lot of time chauffeuring them around town and making sure that they have a great experience. For more information about GLOBASE, check out http://iuglobaseperu.blogspot.com.

Sofie and I haven't been able to see each other much over these weeks because I usually get up at 6:00 a.m., leave soon thereafter and don't return home until 11:30 p.m. It's been tough, but we are both breathing a collective sigh of relief this weekend because the craziness is over.

The first night our guests were in town, we had a dinner with all of our class and the Chair of the MBA program. Class participants that are performing free consulting work for small Peruvian businesses got to sit down at the same table with the business owners and everyone enjoyed some ceviche and other delicious South American cuisine.

Our guests also held a forum in the Kelley School of Business about indigenous rights in Peru. At the end of the trip we got to celebrate a bit. The Peruvians got to know their MBA counterparts really well and enjoyed the great state of Indiana (even though the temps were well below freezing most of the time).

Although she's not in the picture, since she was very kindly taking it for us, Sofie got to know everyone at a tasty meal at the local Afghan restaurant.

Finally, I was able to bring out the truth and prove that Sofie does speak Spanish.

P.S. Why is everyone crouching in this picture? As if I'm not already towering over my latino friends.

Baby Henry Atwood

2010-01-19T19:20:00.000-08:00

On Sunday we got to go over to see Solveig and Brady's new baby boy. He was so tiny and skinny. Only 5 lbs. 14 oz. at birth and 20 inches long. Coming from a family with babies typically over 9 lbs and being 22 inches long when I was born, it was so precious to see such a tiny little bod. Everyone is doing so well and Brady and Solveig look SOOOO happy! Congrats to the happy little family!

Horray!

2010-01-08T18:13:00.000-08:00

100

This is actually our 101 post but close enough. Sometimes I like blogging, sometimes I feel it is another opportunity for me to procrastinate (and we know I don't need more of those, I capitalize on the ones I have). But, alas, I am glad I have made a record of our lives with more than just photos. Here's to another 100. Hopefully a little more informative and interesting... who am I kidding:)

My thoughts are with...

2010-01-08T18:11:00.000-08:00

Solveig who is welcoming Baby Henry into the world. May the womanly forces be with you.

My Hero

2010-01-08T12:56:00.000-08:00

Still snowing. Still NO SCHOOL. Winter storm warning was only suppose to be in effect until 7 am but they just extended it 10 pm. Oh joy. I hate snow. On the other hand, MTV played CRIBS reruns all day, so I guess life's not that bad;)

Baby, It's cold outside

2010-01-07T09:34:00.000-08:00

Aside from having daily temperatures in the teens, today we woke-up to plenty of snow and still falling. School was canceled and I got to spend the day HOME with Casey. Oh and did I mention I am SOOOOOO ready to live somewhere warmer! At least in the 30's.

2010-01-04T18:56:00.000-08:00

Some pics of break. We had a very relaxing time. Ate great food, saw the Blind Side and loved it, scoured for good sales, got Casey a good jacket finally so he doesn't freeze in our 20 and below daily weather. Today was my last day of vacation (Casey still has one more week) and so Casey asked me what I wanted to do. We went to the Runcible Spoon for delicious chocolate chip and blueberry pancakes.

Then I requested that we go over to the pet store in the mall. They let you hold the dogs they have for sale. Last time we went the puggles were being held but this time we got to play with them. They were a little too hyper and bite-y for our taste but sooooo CUTE none the less. I ended the day with a nap and Zumba class at my school. Now back to work tomorrow. Hope those rugrats don't give me too hard a time.

Oh- and Casey and I were moved from the nursery teachers at church for ages 2 and half to three year-olds to the sunbeams teachers (Ages 3-4). We got to stay with our class and be in primary with the other young kids. They are super cute.

As of Late

2009-12-19T12:15:00.000-08:00

First, thanks to all who have sent us Christmas cards. We feel VERY loved even though some of you are so far away.

I love Christmas time. It was fairly warm until about a week ago and the dreaded ice and windchill is back. Gotta love that Monday and Friday mornings when I have bus duty outside. But really that's about the only bad thing about my job lately.

I got a complaint that I don't blog enough from a certain someone who likes to know what I am up to all the way in California. The reason I don't blog more is because honestly we are kind of boring. I guess that's what happens when you are both introverts with no kids to do all the cute stuff for you;)

We have been up to a few things in between school, GA, GLOBASE and work for me:) Here are some of the things we have done:

Every year our church volunteers to ring bells for the salvation army. I volunteered this year and was fortunate enough to get one of the only indoor spots inside the mall. Here is my bucket. Yes I wore the apron and everything. But we had to ring the bell kind of quietly or the mall cop would come confiscate our bells. Kind of funny.

One of the women from our ward taught everyone how to make these Christmas banners. I love it! As some of you may know, (Anna) I am slightly obsessed with garlands/banners. Thanks mom!

I have been baking quite a bit for different events at church and school. These beauties were a fav from everyone who tried them and they are super easy. Thanks to Rachel at work for the recipe. Put a rolo in the center of a small pretzel, pop in the oven for 3 minutes at 200 and push a pecan in the center. Sweet and salty and everything DELICIOUS. Just don't let any sit around the house or you will eat them all.

More baking.

Tree Trimming.

Casey prepping the lights to put up outside our house in the freezing cold after maybe some scrooge remarks on my part;)

And all to find out the plug doesn't work outside. So we can't put the lights up anyway.

Our cute tree. Barely fit in the trunk. Went to a store this time and not to a farm. Too cold last year.

This is a pic of a chain I made. At the beginning of November, Ashleigh put up a challenge for anyone who wanted to run 100 miles before 2010. I had already reached my 50 mile goal since getting the Nike Plus so I decided to take the challenge and make a chain to keep track and motivated. I have 12 more runs to go to reach my goal. I am not sure if I'll reach it by January 1st, 2010 but very soon after.

and that's what we have been doing.

Can you believe it??!!

2009-12-02T08:19:00.000-08:00

Casey told me this morning before work, "We only have 5 months til graduation!" Wow. Crazy it's gone that fast and at the same time I felt like it would never come last year. Not gonna lie, excited to be leaving the great state of Indiana.

celebration dinner

2009-11-23T17:40:00.001-08:00

we went to dinner at BJ's! I have been telling Casey forever that he has to try a pizookie when we go to California next time. Well, they opened a BJ's in Greenwood about 45 minutes from us this past summer. We decided to celebrate Casey's offer and the food was delicious. I have hooked my man on pizookie's. Maybe we'll get a pizookie pan for Christmas.

The past few weeks:

2009-11-19T14:52:00.000-08:00

Still loving my job. The kids say the funniest things and I am learning a lot. This is a picture of my table in the Title I Literacy room.

A few weeks ago, the Indiana Pacers had an exhibition game at IU against the San Antonio Spurs. Ya I know the Pacers suck but we really wanted to see Parker and Duncan. We had awesome seats for only $10 thanks to the business school. We got to sit with a bunch of other students and their families. I will probably never be that close to NBA players again. Casey was mad at me for taking a picture so I am posting this to teach him that even if he makes a bad face it is going on the blog...and the Pacers won. We were stunned and confused but their record is 5 and 3 right now so maybe they are finally getting better.

Last year we went to see a black and white silent film at the IU auditorium with live organ music. They do it every year right before Halloween. We went again this year and it was Hitchcock's 1912's movie Blackmail. It was great. I wish they did this in more places. I liked this film better than last year's.

Last year when Anna visited we went to a little town close to Bloomington called Nashville. It has lots of cute craft shops and tourist things. Fall is the best time to go because you get to see all the beautiful leaves and they have Fall decorations in the shops which is my favorite. Alright Christmas is pretty great too...maybe I'll have to go back. I had Fall break from work so I went over for the afternoon. Casey came this year. We window shopped , got some fudge and delicious hot cocoa and enjoyed the cool bite in the air.

Solveig is preggers and I am super excited! She is having a little boy in January. Some friends of hers, her sister and I threw her a shower. The theme was harvest and I had some cute games to play. It was a lot of fun and I can't wait to meet her precious little Henry.

Casey went to Dallas last week for a final round interview and presentation with at&t. He did a great job and got the offer Tuesday! We are pretty sure it's a done deal. He is in the leadership development program for Finance so he will rotate departments every year for the first three years. We will have to move at least once and hopefully not more so we won't be buying a house yet. We are not sure where we would head first. Could be San Antonio, Dallas, Atlanta or somewhere in New Jersey (I forget). Then after a year or two we would move most likely to Dallas. We are so relieved and Casey is really excited to work with a great company in the leadership program. Dallas has all the shopping and attractions we like, warm weather, a temple and affordable housing! We feel very blessed and hope the other MBA families hear good news soon too. It is great knowing we are graduating with a job. I also think it will be funny to tell people he works for at&t and have them think he sells phones...Casey doesn't think it's that funny.

sorry...

2009-10-12T15:32:00.000-07:00

no pictures.

What we have been up to:

1) LOVING my new job. Today was the first official full day of work and it went great. The kids are cute and I enjoy the ladies I work with. But I did forget how much little kids love to tell stories about EVERYTHING. Lots of telling them, "I will give you time at the end of the lesson to tell me about the time you and your sister got a new cat."

2) Casey is SUPER busy preparing for and doing interviews. Oh, and accounting GA and GLOBASE and school work. everyone said the first year is the busiest, but we rarely have time to hang out anymore.

3) Spent ALL day at the temple on Saturday with the primary kids. Made some new best friends. It was pretty great.

4) Yesterday was the first day with frost on the car window. Fall has hit in full effect. It's beautiful. But I am not looking forward to scraping the windshield all winter. Anywhere we live next year will have a garage.

5) We have less than 7 months until Casey graduates. It really seems pretty short. I am excited but also anxious to know where we are headed and hoping Casey will get one of these jobs he is interviewing for. We definitely have our preferences, but we would be happy with a good fit. Unfortunately we won't know until probably January, maybe February.

And after reading this post I REALLY like SUPERLATIVES!

Finally...

2009-10-06T16:25:00.000-07:00

I got a job as a literacy coach at Summit Elementary. I get to work with small groups of kindergarten, first and second graders who need extra support learning to read and write. I am excited to learn all about teaching reading so I can help my own kids and I still get to work with students. Still can't believe I am working in this district again, but I guess I eat my words. Oh- and the best part, no grading, no observations and no parent meetings! Happy the job search is over.

Running in Memory of...

2009-09-30T11:19:00.000-07:00

My Mom.

Hoosiers Outrun Cancer 5K. The second run I have done to raise money for cancer. It was great and even though Casey was sick, he stayed with me the whole time. Definitely beat by kids half our age and my body could have used a few more training runs in the gym, but we made it and sprinted the last 100 yards.

Although it has been 3 years since mom passed away, the day was still a little more emotional than I expected. I guess it's not a truth anyone ever fully accepts. I think a shirt some people were wearing sums it up best..."CANCER SUCKS!" Still want to run more. I Figure it is good to raise money and stay healthy since cancer runs in both my family and Casey's.

The Nike Plus still has me motivated and half way to my goal.

In other news...Casey's GLOBASE program has received all their funding thanks to my genius (pardon the bragging) husband's prospectus. And the US Embassy caught wind of the program and wants to expand it to other universities.

Post-B-day photos

2009-09-30T11:12:00.000-07:00

The cake I made- half German chocolate for Casey and half funfetti and rainbow chip for me. Didn't look as good as I had hoped.

Just what I needed...

2009-09-14T17:17:00.001-07:00

So for my birthday Casey got me the Nike Plus. And tonight I finished my first run with it and I am in love. It fits in the sole of my shoe. No more wondering how far I have run, how long I've run, how fast I've run, how many calories I've burned...it tells me everything. And it is just what I needed to give me a kick in the bum to like running again. It definitely has brought out the competitive side of me (with myself of course.) And I can log on and upload all my runs and compare them.

I love Fall!!!

2009-09-11T10:54:00.000-07:00

I wish I could make my blog smell like pumpkin spice every time I log on or anyone else. Wouldn't that be great?

Reasons I love Fall:

1. the fashion- all those beautiful colors

2. my birthday (and now Casey's too!)

3. the decorations- my mom always loved this time of year and would decorate the house from head to toe. Specifically I remember the acorn garlands in the window.

4. new school year (not this year, but I can't help it...I love school)

5. the chill in the air

6. the baking and cookie decorating

7. soccer season- someday I'll be coaching my little tikes and they can enjoy it just as much as I did

8. pumpkin carving

9. Halloween costumes and parties

10. Mostly (especially here- the one good thing about Indiana) the leaves changing and anticipation of the Christmas season

The big 3-0!!!

2009-09-10T01:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Love.

Hope you have a great first day of teaching the undergrads.

Taylor and Marty's Wedding

2009-09-09T13:57:00.001-07:00

My big sis Tay got married last Thursday at the San Francisco Court House. It was beautiful and intimate with family and a few friends. We are SOOOO excited for Marty to be a part of our family, he makes Tay so happy. I got to see my fam while I was there too which was great. We were all sad my mom couldn't share in the day with us, but I know she was smiling down on Tay the whole day.

Sis Anna decorating the car.

The beuatiful and handsome couple.

My VERY prego big sis Renate making a toast.

Inside the court house.

My dad and Tay.

Getting ready.My dad and me.

Utah...

2009-09-09T13:25:00.001-07:00

We went to Utah for a week and half to visit Casey's mom in St. George and dad in Salt Lake. We also saw friends, went to fav food spots and went back to BYU. It was fantastic!!! LOVED the dry heat, no more humidity. Hopefully someday we will be back in the West.

Snow Canyon near Casey's Mom's house.

Zion's National Park. Amazing!!!

Snow Canyon again.

More of the beautiful red rocks at Zion's.

We had to eat here twice. Pork Barbacoa salads for life.

Connie and Casey.

Creamery in Beaver, UT. First time I had cheese curds. Good but VERY squeaky.

Did a session at Salt Lake Temple. We saw LOTS of brides taking pictures on the grounds.

Casey and the beloved Grandma Grace. What an inspiring woman. Raised three boys on her own.

Casey's always smiling Dad. Hopefully someday he can prove to our kids he really is the World's Greatest Grandpa.

Casey's best friends growing up, Jeremy and Damon.

Casey took me to BYU and on a little journey down memory lane. It was really fun.

Back in the Marriott's School Business. Just like the good ol' days.

Me and Ash at Guru's in Provo.

Another must eat.

Thoroughly enjoying myself. I got to order all the secret stuff for Casey.

Our Love. I scored shoes for $5 and Casey got a shirt for $3.99.

LONG airplane ride. But it was a DIRECT flight! Woohoo!!!

S.O.S.

2009-08-14T12:33:00.000-07:00

I am about to go turn in our internet but I wanted to write one more post before I don't have internet for two weeks (hopefully not more. I have never had an experience where the internet was actually hooked up on time).

S.O.S. or Summer of Sofie as Casey likes to call it (but in a good way) has been awesome, fantastic, everything I never thought it would be. A BIG thanks to my husband for working 12-14 hours days and single handedly supporting my many adventures. I slept, I worked out, I shopped, I slept, I went to the temple, I ate delicious food, I saw adorable Baby Belugas...basically it was perfect. I am not trying to brag- I just want to remember when I am feeling sorry for myself that I do have a good life.

Casey presented yesterday and did a fantastic job. We got to go to the temple one last time and had yummy Red Robbin and tomorrow we head back to B-Town, as Casey likes to call it- although I told him he can't give Bloomington a nick name because that is a term of endearment and I have no feelings of endearment for Bloomington. This year should be much better. I think I found a job. More details to come if it pans out.

Monday we head to Utah for some much needed R and R...for my husband of course. Looking forward to seeing friends and eating Cafe Rio AND In and Out. Pictures to come when we get back and get our internet.

2009-07-31T11:51:00.000-07:00

the view I see every time I wait for the train. Pretty I think.

On our way out to dinner last night I heard running water and ran into the kitchen to find water pouring from under the sink. The hose that drains the dishwasher was disconnected and our trash can was FULL of water.

Casey to the rescue.

Random picture of what Casey's wears until he gets to work everyday. He walks about four miles a day and I guess its more comfortable wearing these than dress shoes. I think I would sacrifice looks for comfort. I am such a sucker. We tried to go to Frontera Grill owned by a Top Chef from Top Chef Master's on Bravo but the wait was an hour and half so we wondered around the wet streets of Downtown(all the humidity made my hair nice a nd frizzy for the pic) and found a French Thai fusion restuarant that turned out to be delicious. Loved the crab and shrimp pad thai and panang curry with snap peas. We are still LOVING Chicago. Only two more weeks. Then we are off to Utah for one week and back to the grind for one more year.

Costco my love...

2009-07-31T11:42:00.000-07:00

We will miss you and your delicious fruit snacks so much when we return to Bloomington and are forced to accept your SUB-par counter part Sam's Club. In the meantime I vow to eat as many frozen yogurts from your delicious soft serve machine as I can get my paws on.

I LOVE YOLK

2009-07-19T00:09:00.000-07:00

ME + Cinnamon ROLL French Toast = ...

HAPPINESS!
Oh...and me + Casey also = happiness... of course.

2 years later...

2009-07-13T08:28:00.001-07:00

We're still going strong. Happy 2nd Anniversary Casey, my love, my best friend! Love you so much.

Missing this guy...

2009-07-11T11:15:00.000-07:00

Saturday just isn't as fun without him. Casey has to work on this B-E-A-Utiful Saturday in July. Poor guy.

Things to do in Chicago:

2009-07-05T18:20:00.000-07:00

Taste of Chicago (known as "taste" by the locals). Lots of food booths from local restaurants in Millennium Park.

The official chicago style hotdog. Pretty good, but I like my hotdog covered with toppings. While we were there the police came to arrest a guy who wanted his Popeye's chicken. If you don't know what Popeye's is, it make KFC look pretty darn good tasty.

The Great Lake (view from Licoln Park. Definitely where I would want to live if we moved to Chicago). This is also where the zoo is. A FREE ZOO. It was great. Definitely loved the tiny-sized monkeys.

For our anniversary, we re-created one of our days from our honeymoon and went to the Chicago Botanic Gardens. Then out to a steak dinner. I love me some good meat. I am known to have said to a vegetarian a time or two that I don't consider it dinner without meat. Great Fourth of July.

The English Garden. So quaint. This garden also had bright blue wooden benches to sit on. If I owned a castle, I would create an English Garden.

Sorry it's sideways. These are the Japanese Gardens. I remember going to the San Francisco Japanese Gardens when I was a little kid and loved climbing over the bridges. This one did not disappoint.

I loved this baby pear. Soooo cute and only about an inch big.

As said in the last post, we've really been enjoying our time here. It's a great city with lots to do. I will be VERY sad to go back to Bloomington in 6 short weeks.

We Love Chicago!

2009-06-30T16:06:00.000-07:00

We are half way through Casey's internship and loving it. The food, the activities, public transportation, shopping. It's great.

Picture update

2009-06-22T13:31:00.000-07:00

Picture from a temple trip.

Me and my babies- the belugas. We've become good friends thanks to the membership.

Love Birds.

Casey's fav. These lil guys are so flirty.

A new Friday "Funday" tradition- after the temple, a trip to Ben and Jerry's.

Casey's surprise for "Future Father's Day". G R E A T breakfast! we tried the cinnamon roll french toast.

Another of Casey's Father Day surprises- Coldstone Creamery Ice cream cupcakes. A marriage made in heaven! They are only here for a short time, so go get some today...no I don't work for Coldstone.

On another note: I have really enjoyed the benefits of running lately. I have forgotten how great running feels after you do it...Now if I could just enjoying running WHILE doing it, things would be great. Hopefully these new beauties will inspire me.

the going ons

2009-06-10T10:57:00.001-07:00

What we've been up to:

Raspberries and frozen yogurt...love all the fresh fruit.

The awesome 7 story public library. We finally got a library card. The L-train makes a loop between our building and the library.

Waiting at the L-train, something that we do a lot. Best way to travel around the city. Traffic sucks.

Casey's friend Margret from KPMG, back in Seattle, was in town for training and met us for dinner last night. We had to take her to our fav pizza place, Pizzeria UNO. It was great again. I also got my hair done at the Aveda institute yesterday but it's just the same brown so no pics.

busy times

2009-06-02T09:01:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted for a while because it took two different modems and two guys 3 hours in our apartment yesterday to finally get internet. Yes, it has taken two weeks to get internet, but we finally have it back! We also got cable yesterday so I am in heaven. Two weeks without cable was two weeks too long and to think I didn't have cable all last year. Anyway, it has been a couple of busy weeks. I have been driving back and forth from Bloomington to Chicago (about 4 hours each way) for the last two weeks of school and I am finally done!!!!! The freedom doesn't quite feel real yet, but I am loving sleeping in. Now Casey is the one who has to get up at 6. I moved to Chicago for good on Friday and found this waiting for me. I get a pedicure and manicure at the salon right next to our building! Thanks babe. We also had a great dinner from Sushi Wabi- delicious sushi. I also got some awesome congrats from family and friends. Thanks all for your continued support through this "interesting" year. Here's to no more Batchelor and no more head aches.

Some things we have been up to since in Chicago:

1) Bought Shedd Aquarium memberships. Very cool exhibits and of course my favorite...Beluga Whales (even a baby)

2) Had some great food

3) Taken the L train all over- love public transportation in the city

4) Went shopping at the magnificent mile- scored some sweet shox for Casey at Nike Town, still searching for mine :(

5) Slept ALOT

here are some other pics of the beautiful sunsets we get every night from our balcony and Millennium Park and the Great Lake- the colors are not photo shopped, it is really that green and blue.

Moving to Chi-Town

2009-05-17T16:45:00.001-07:00

We moved this guy into our apartment this past weekend. Casey starts work on Monday in Evansville, IN for two days and then flies to Chicago on Wednesday to start the real work. I can't wait to be done with work and get to move and stay. I drove Casey to the airport today and then drove the four hours home. Only 2 weeks left before I will be on vacation and not driving back and forth to Chicago on the weekends.We loved being in the city and having all the people, restaurants, and even our grocery store is owned by our beloved Safeway. We got to go to our favorites Trader Joe's and California Pizza Kitchen and explore the infamous traffic of a big city. Great weekend!

The view from our bedroom.

Our little kitchen.

The living area. We have since rearranged the furniture so we could give the room, as Casey said it, more room definition.

Reunited with one of our regular spots in Seattle, CPK.

The view from the roof top deck.

Casey chilling on the roof top deck after our work out. The gym is on the same level and over looks the city.

We took the train up to where Casey will be working. Mead Johnson just opened their headquarters in Glenview, Il and they are staring with the finance department. We are a little worried Casey will have a chair to sit on. the building looked completing empty and he is suppose to start working Wednesday. Glenview is absolutely beautiful and a 45 minute train ride from the city.

Happy Mothers' Day!!!!

2009-05-10T14:20:00.001-07:00

Happy Mother's day to my beautiful sisters Anna and Renate!!! You do a tiresome, endless and sometimes thankless job so well. Love you both so much. Mom- we miss and love you so much. Hope you are having the restful day you deserve...

He is Done!!!!

2009-05-09T12:40:00.000-07:00

Casey finished his first year of business school and the craziest, busiest quarter of the year yesterday. I am so proud of how hard he has worked and how much he has accomplished this year. Last night we celebrated with dinner at the Olive Garden and some quality time watching our fav sport, the NBA playoffs.

What did my husband do on his first day off? After sleeping in, in true Casey style, he got up and cleaned the house. I felt guilty so I pitched in. Can't say I would spend my first free Saturday cleaning, but I'm glad I married someone who would. I only have 2 and half weeks left! Next weekend we move into our Chicago apartment and Casey starts his internship on Monday, May 18th. Very excited for our summer and all the adventures we will have exploring the city. Can't believe we are half way done! Congrats to our second-year friends who have graduated and moved on. Good luck in your next adventures.

What's that you say?

2009-04-30T06:06:00.000-07:00

How can I be blogging right now? Aren't I at work? And the answer is yes. My kids are taking the state test right now. I just wanted to say 19 days left!!!

Where, O where, is my husband?

2009-04-24T08:34:00.000-07:00

Where, O where could he be...o- that's right slaving away at school. Since I first met Casey 3 (almost 4) years ago, he has never been so busy. even during busy season! The other day we went grocery shopping and he had to sit in the car and study because he had so much to do. And sleeping seems to be last on his list. So, needless to say, we haven't been up to much. He has never looked forward to work so much before in his life. Only 3 more weeks to go. As for me, I am counting down the days- that's 23 to be exact- I have left of teaching before I can go to Chicago and far, far away from Batchelor Middle School. This weekend is suppose to be 80 degrees. WooHoo! Happy Weekend!

Chicago in a day.

2009-04-19T14:51:00.000-07:00

We woke up at 4 am and headed to Indianapolis to catch the 5 hour train ride to Chicago Union Station. We found a furnished apartment for the summer in downtown Chicago and needed to go sign for it. The link to the complex is here: www.180njefferson.com. We decided we will probably never have the opportunity to live downtown of a big city again and now we will have everything so close to us. Casey is a ten minute walk from the Union Station where he will take the train to and from work each day. We had a great day and are super excited for the summer. The storm and it's navigation system was our life saver for getting around. I am most looking forward to the sundeck on the 28th floor.

Waiting in the train station at 6 am.

Eating at Pizzeria Uno, the original Chicago-style deep dish pizza place.

Sear's tower.

Our place.

Easter

2009-04-19T14:47:00.001-07:00

last year the Easter bunny skipped our house, but this year we scored! Thanks Easter bunny for my awesome earrings and Casey's new tie. How did you know I really needed new white earrings?

Scored these beauties at the Goodwill for $0.99.

Like a kid again.

We have a new addition to the family...

2009-04-06T17:16:00.000-07:00

Meet Casey's new baby. He hasn't stopped playing with it for two hours and he is being real bad about doing his homework. It is pretty awesome. But I fear he will be truly addicted to the crackberry goodness. Will my husband be less attentive now?

Two years ago...

2009-04-05T15:40:00.001-07:00

I got these Saturday night in memory of the nice Spring day at Matthew's Beach in Seattle when Casey proposed to me in the same spot we first met. I can't believe it has been two years already! In other news... we went to TGIFriday's to taste the mac and cheese that was on the Ultimate Recipe Showdown show on Food Network Friday night. It was pretty good. But not what we expected.

Also, Casey recently got a Graduate Assistantship for this quarter and next year, and I have seen a LOT less of him this last week. He likes it though. He gets to help grade Accounting quizzes and in the Fall he will be in charge of a lab for the class as well as creating quiz and practice problems. It will definitely help him keep up his accounting skills. I only have 8 weeks of work left and the temperatures have been warmer, but the rain has definitely started pouring.

Change of plans...

2009-03-24T17:08:00.000-07:00

Casey just found out that we are headed to CHICAGO for the summer instead of Evansville, IN. Mead Johnson has moved their finance department to Glenview, IL just north of Chicago so instead of Evansville, IN we are leaving Indiana and headed to Chicago. I am so excited. I have never been to Chicago and we will have so many places to visit and see this summer. Yay!!!

the Peru trip's over

2009-03-20T15:24:00.000-07:00

The trip to Peru was awesome. I'm missing the sunny 80 degree weather already. After a lot of work on the Globase project, I was able to meet with several people from my mission. It was great to see Richard and his family (picture below). The old neighborhood hasn't changed much. Although Peru has seen dramatic growth in GDP, the money has not trickled down to the lower class. It's a difficult problem to solve, but I still believe that free trade will lead to job creation, which will ultimately help those at the poverty line. Here's a little video to give you a taste of what it's like to ride in a cab going into the areas where I worked. I know there's a lot of moving around, so try not to get car-sick as you watch. Pay attention to the houses up on the hills.

On our last day in Peru we made our presentation to our client, Inkasign. The company liked our presentation, and now has some steps to take in order to get into the US fashion market. We basically gave them a lot of research and ideas on how they can sell their cotton and alpaca knitted clothing to designers and boutiques in the US. They were so kind that they even gave me a sweater as a gift for Sofie. After the presentation we took them out to lunch at a great restaurant in Lima. I had some excellent sushi.

It's nice to be back home now. I can't wait to see Sofie. We've never been apart so long since we've been married. She's flying in tonight after visiting her family in California and Seattle.

cusco and macchu picchu

2009-03-16T21:07:00.001-07:00

My turn!!!

2009-03-12T18:49:00.000-07:00

I am out of here!!! Tomorrow I leave to see my fam. I am so excited to see them, sleep in, NOT see my 6th period for an entire week and eat some good food. Not to mention the way warmer weather, especially since our return of winter days. Now I just have to endure an entire day of traveling and two time changes.

visited real Lima today

2009-03-12T18:14:00.001-07:00

Today we left the friendly confines of Miraflores (rich part of town) for San Martin de Porres, which is very similar to the parts where I lived when I was here on my mission.

Here's how they get electricity. Amazing there aren't more accidents.

The owner of a small shop where they knit sweaters.

Here's the shop, these guys don't earn much, but at least it's work. I asked if the Ninja Turtle on the wall helps them keep up their spirits when the work gets tough.

Here's a larger shop that has more modern equipment.

Me working in the internet cafe this morning. This is a great spot to get some work done.

site visit

2009-03-11T16:23:00.000-07:00

We went out to the site where Inkasign makes some of its sweaters. This location was out in a lower-middle class part of town called Brena. At the site they make samples for their subcontractors to copy. They also perform quality checks on the finished sweaters that come in from the subcontractors there. It was cool to see how sweaters are made. I even saw a sweater exactly like a couple that I have bought from Target (although it wasn't the same brand).

great day for food

2009-03-10T21:58:00.001-07:00

We visited the company we are consulting for the first time today. The company is called Inkasign, and they make some great sweaters that they are looking to export to the U.S. Their website is www.inkasign.com if you want to take a look at some of their designs. We spoke with them all morning regarding their plans and goals for the future. We gained some great insights into their business and I think we will be able to give them some great suggestions for entering the U.S. market.

After speaking with our company in the morning, they invited us to lunch. It was a tasty lunch. I had what is called lomo saltado, which is a dish of beef cooked with tomatoes and red onions served with rice and french fries. Don't knock it until you try it. This was the best lomo saltado that I've ever had.

Tonight we had a dinner with some alumni that work in Lima and some prospective students. The restaurant was truely unique. It was actually built right next to some old Inkan ruins made of mud bricks. The food was excellent, and the view was spectacular. My teammates seemed to really enjoy the Pisco sours as well. I stuck with Inka cola, which is a soft drink that looks like Mountain Dew, but has a slight bubble gum flavor.

Sofie skyping

2009-03-10T16:41:00.000-07:00

at the beach

2009-03-09T20:17:00.000-07:00

Here's the beautiful coastline. We ate at a restaurant overlooking the ocean today.

arrived in Peru

2009-03-09T09:13:00.000-07:00

After 9 hours of flying time, I made it to Peru. We went from Indianapolis to Houston, where we had a layover of 3 hours, then it was on to Lima. Our flights were perfect and I even got to trade up to the exit row with plenty of leg room. The Lima airport is much more updated than the last time I came. Now they actually have jetways instead of stairs going down to the runway.

There was a bus waiting to take us to the hotel. By the time we got to the room it was 12:30 a.m. I was exhausted, but continued working on a presentation that I had to email to our Peruvian client today. By the time I finished I could barely keep my eyes open. Luckily we do not have anything planned until this afternoon, when we will go to the Chamber of Commerce.

Just being here brings back so many memories of my mission. The air is humid and the smell is unlike any of the other places I've lived. It is great to see all of the Peruvian people and speak to them in Spanish. They are so warm and friendly. I'm hoping to be able to contact some of my friends from my mission.

Me on the bus just after arrival.

Our hotel is really nice.

The view from my hotel room.

2009-03-08T18:14:00.000-07:00

Broadway's show Mama Mia came to the IU Auditorium. A woman in the Kelley School of Business Partner's club (wow that's a mouth full) was able to get really cheap tickets so a bunch of us went together. It was really fun and brought back so many memories of going 8 years ago in San Francisco with my sisters Renate, Maggie and Tay and my brother-in-law Bill. Gotta love ABBA and fantastic choreography. Made me want to take up dance again. Great times and a distraction from missing my husband who is now officially in Peru.

Casey, the Jet-setter

2009-02-28T09:50:00.000-08:00

At the end of the week Casey is headed to California for a few days with his Finance Academy to check out different companies. So jealous he gets to escape the never-ending winter in Bloomington.

Where Casey will be in a week.

Then he comes home for 12 hours and is off to Lima, Peru to do some business consulting. They make really cute sweaters to sell in boutiques in the United States, and he totally scored me a free sweater. So excited! It has been fun helping Casey put together his presentation and share, finally, some knowledge that can actually help him. And I actually know what he's talking about. He's excited he gets to use his Spanish and see Lima again after ten years. I can't wait to go back with him one of these days.

What do these have in common...

2009-02-21T15:33:00.001-08:00

And...

They were both a part of Solveig's and my trip to civilization. We drove an hour and half up to Indianapolis so she could spend her birthday money and went to H&M and Trader Joe's. Definitely could have bought the whole store at H&M, but ended up with this cute shirt. And had some amazing Thai chicken wraps at Trader Joe's and took some of my favs home with me. I also bought some goodies for the women who interprets for one of my students. She moved here from Seattle about a year ago. It was a great day and made me realize how much I took for granted pretty much everywhere else I have lived. It also made me REALLY excited for my trips to California and Seattle coming up. Yay for normal stores again!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2009-02-15T15:23:00.000-08:00

To get in the mood, last week we made heart cookies. Casey was particularly proud of his artistic ability on this one.

On Saturday we went to the temple in Louisville and out to Red Robbin for lunch. It was of course delicious. When we got home I made Ghiradelli Turtle Brownie sundaes, of course in heart shape.

We had a great day Valentine's Day and I was lucky enough to get Casey's undivided attention the whole day. We hope you had a day full of love and fun too.

I had to post this picture. There are four Fords in a row and just as the minivan was pulling out a Pontiac pulled in. They love their American cars out here. I can't wait for this summer. Here in Bloomington we are still not quite in the South, but in Evansville we will be. I am sure the accents and American cars will be exponential.

And the winner is...

2009-02-13T18:38:00.000-08:00

Casey accepted his offer from Mead Johnson today for his summer internship and we are ironically going...No where. They are located in Southern Indiana in a city called Evansville. It has about 130,000 people. They are most commonly known for their

They also make infant, toddler and prenatal supplements. They just recently became a public company and Casey is excited to be a part of the IPO. I am just excited for summer to come.