Got Ink?

Yes, it's true. I'm ink'd. I am the last person I'd ever think would get a tattoo. I was always anti-tattoo. I thought they were ridiculous, and people only got them because they are "in". I thought they looked good on other people, but not something I would do in a million years! On a cold day this past March, everything changed. I was innocently looking at Irish jewelry online, when I came across a Celtic Cross. I suddenly had this overwhelming feeling that I just had to have that as a tattoo. I just can't explain it. I shook it off and told myself I'm crazy. I don't like tattoos. Over the next few days I could not get it out of my mind. I decided to give myself a few months to think it over, and I really thought I would get over it. Didn't happen. So I did some research and decided to go ahead with it since I was also thinking of ways I could honor my pops. I decided to get it sometime during the week between my dad's birthday and father's day. That day was yesterday!

It hurt. And by hurt, I mean really hurt. It is on my right ribcage, about 3.5 inches long. The first thing the tatto artist said to me was, "This is your first tattoo? You know this is the most painful spot on the entire body don't you?" I indeed did know this, but didn't care. This is the only place I wanted it, so I knew I had to endure the pain.

When he first started, I didn't think I would be able to handle it. Noah was there by my side, but I found more comfort just closing my eyes and thinking of all the fun times I had with my dad. I mostly thought about playing catch with him in the road, which we did 1 or 2 times. More like 1 or 2 million times! As he continued, the pain subsided quite a bit. I thought I was sailing through, but towards the end it got bad again. I thought it'd never end! But alas, an hour and a half later...he was finally done! And it looked AWESOME! He rocks. I survived my ribcage tattoo! Yay me! Big props to Gabe and Cloud 9 Tattoo in Elk River. I highly recommend it. He was great in all aspects of my tattoo. I had a picture with me and he drew it up a few different times. I am now sporting a custom celtic cross tattoo in memory of my awesome dad. I know he is looking down on me smiling, while also shaking his head because I was crazy to get this tatoo :)

I am now diligently taking care of my new addition, and loving every mintue of it! Here is a picture from this morning...it takes 2 weeks to heal, so the final product will look even better than it looks now.

1 YEAR!!

It's official! We made it through one whole year of marriage! I've heard the first year is the toughest, and if you can make it through the first year, you're set. Well I don't know who said that, but they're crazy. If the first year is the hardest, Noah and I will be together for the next million. We had a great long weekend, which I will quickly summarize...

Friday: We decided to get a little crazy Friday night and head to the bar in Maple Lake to celebrate the Pens winning the Stanley Cup. Oh boy was the bar hoppin!! We could barely find a place to park! Oh, wait. We were the only ones there! We played a game of Big Buck Hunter, and headed home. We weren't ready to call it a night yet so we played some darts and ended up staying up til 3 in the morning!

Saturday: I woke up bright-eyed and bushy-tailed after only 4.5 hours of sleep and was ready for another fun-filled day. Noah headed on a mystery trip to town, and returned with beautiful red roses for me! An early anniversary present since they weren't open on Sunday.

After I was done admiring my roses, we headed down to the lake. It was a gorgeous day! We spent the day on the dock, doing some fishing, and getting some sun.

Once the boys got the boat lift fixed (long story) we finally were able to head out on the boat so do some major fishing. We caught tons of fish, but only kept about 20. There is such a variety of fish in our lake that I caught sunnies, crappies, a bass, and a northern, all on one bait! It was a perfect night for fishing, and a great way to end the day.

Sunday: The official anniversary day!! Noah and I enjoyed breakfast on the deck...and we could already tell it was gonna be a scortcher! After breakfast, I was informed that there was a letter in the mail for me. When I opened it I discovered a love letter from Noah, along with instruction for a scavenger hunt. It was much like when he proposed. I solved the puzzles and found the gifts. It was a lot of fun, and I'm impressed that he actually can be a little creative and romantic!

Noah had a baseball game that afternoon, so Marty and I headed there to cheer on the Clippers. It was Noah's best game of the season! He got on base 3 of his 4 at-bats, and played awesome in the field. They beat St. Augusta 9-1.

After his game (and a shower for Noah) we went out for dinner at the Waterfront, on Clearwater Lake. It was delicious!! I would definitely recommend it to anyone, and we want to go back ASAP! We were so full after dinner that we didn't want dessert right away, so we waited until right before bed to have our cake. A year old cake doesn't sound that appealing, but it was actually pretty good! I thought it would be dry, but it was as moist as our wedding day! It was a great 1st anniverary, and I'm already excited for the next one!

(the reason we were laughing so hard is because right before the picture snapped, the piece of cake that I was gonna eat fell off the fork, off my shirt, and onto the floor!)

Monday: We woke up Monday morning and headed right to Valleyfair! It was another hot day, but luckily there were some clouds, and a nice breeze. We arrived just after it opened, and there were no lines! It was so nice to be able to go on any ride we wanted, and didn't have to wait an hour to get on. We spent the whole afternoon there, and got back home around 4. We were so tuckered out from the fun day that we just relaxed the rest of the evening.

Tuesday: This was the last day in our anniversary celebration since Noah had to go back to work Wednesday. The forecast did not look good, so we wanted to get outside before the rains came. We drove down to the trails to do a little run/rollerblade. It was nice to finally get on my blades again! By the time we were done, we realized the forecast didn't seem too accurate. They said a High of 66...but it was already 75! The rain did come though, so we spent the rest of the day hunkered in. Well, except for our DQ trip! We put together the puzzle Noah got me, which took us about 4 hours! It was lots of fun!

So that wrapped up our big celebration. It was the perfect weekend, and I couldn't have asked for anything more! I can't wait to see what's in store for us during year #2!

Date Night on the Lake!

Noah and I finally had a date night last night, and it was great! We headed out on the boat about 7:30 and started by fishing for some crappies. We caught a few but they were all small, so we decided to go for some walleye. I had never fished for walleye so this was a new experience for me! Noah got a nice one right away, so we tried to stay in that same area. I had a bite, but missed it, and that was that. Oh, I did get a little sunfish! We stopped fishing around 9:3o and snuggled under the blanket and looked at the stars. It was a perfect night on the lake. Clear and calm. We headed in an hour later and were snoozing in bed at 11. We're trying to get all the lake time we can in, and enjoying every minute of it!

2-4-1

Today is so special that is deserves 2 blogs! No, actually the weather is so gorgeous today that I decided to take some updated pictures around the outside of our house. The flowers in the front are HUGE and are ready to bloom at any time! They will be so pretty, but I wish they would last the entire summer! The bushes and trees in the back have gone crazy over the last few weeks. Our view to the lake has diminished, but it's still beautiful! I love love love living on the lake and am so glad we have this opportunity!

How I've Missed Thee!

It has been a crazy few weeks, but I'm back and ready to blog!! Not that I have all that much to say, but oh well. I spent all last week in GR at my mom's, and we got a lot done! Washed and waxed our cars, mowed and fertilized the lawn, and made some mean homemade potato chips! Mmmm. I had fun up there but it's always nice to get back home. We did some fishing on Saturday, and we snagged Ma & Pa Czech's boat for the week. It looks like it should be a nice week, so I'm excited to get lots of fishing in! Noah had a game yesterday in Cold Spring. They won 5-2. Noah played really well in the field, playing both 2nd and 1st base. It was a really hot day, 85 degrees! Luckily the clouds rolled in about halfway through the game so it wasn't too bad.

Bri, Josh and Ben are coming over tomorrow for some dinner and a boat ride. Hopefully the weather will be like they say, sunny and 70. We have a wedding in LF on Saturday, and another baseball game Sunday. I can't believe how quickly the weeks go by! We are really enjoying living on the lake, and making the most of it since we know it might be for only one summer. Here are some pics from the past few weeks. Enjoy :)

Here Comes the Sun...

Summer is on it's way! Or is it? I cannot even step outside today without the fear of getting blown over by 40 mph winds! I think it's warm out, but how would I know? Harry and I are staying hunkered in today, except the 2 walks, I mean quick dashes out to pee.

We all had a good weekend, I went up to GR with the Solems, while Noah stayed back and held down the fort in Annandale. His game was postponed Friday night, so he spent the evening fishing off the dock. Caught 40 crappie, fried some up and ate every bite. He headed to LF Saturday morning to see his parents and help haul some wood. Harry got to tag along and spend sometime in the woods too. The Czech's came here Sunday morning and did some fishing and grilling before the baseball game. The Clippers came away with another win beating St. Augusta 10-2. Ma Czech got a puppy last night, and Harry is so excited to meet his cousin Pepper!!

I am excited for the weekend...Marty is moving in on Saturday, and I'll be meeting up with Nicole and heading to Kayla's baby shower! She will then stay here Saturday night, so I'm hoping the weather will be nice so we can have a little bonfire on the deck. As far as the rest of the week, I am finally starting to feel better so I will be able to get a lot more done around the house. Hopefully these winds will die down so I can get outside!

Game On!!

The amateur baseball season has officially begun! Noah is playing for a new team this year, the Watkins Clippers. They played a home game yesterday vs. Kimball. They won 6-5, and Noah played a great game. He scored 2 runs and got an RBI at his first at-bat. He played 2nd base, and did a great job. I was feeling a bit under the weather with a terrible sore throat and minor fever, but I made it to the game and got to chat with Ma and Pa Czech. The Clippers came away with a win, and I came away with a sunburned face! If you want to keep track of the team, click HERE!

I am feeling a little better today, no fever, but still a bad throat. Ick. I hope Noah doesn't catch it! It's a beautiful day outside today, I have sheets in the washer and will throw them on the line outside. Can't wait for Noah's next game, Friday!