#2017inReview

We (@netty1001 and @realbigtweezy) still have the same cars and the same jobs but otherwise it has been an eventful year with big changes! Here are a few highlights of the year …

#NewEnglandBlizzard – Chris’s granny, Eva Walsh, passed away in February of this year and we travelled to Newton Centre, MA for her funeral. There was a blizzard in progress, so our flight from Philadelphia to Manchester, NH was cancelled and we rented a car and drove the rest of the way. What should have been an almost 6 hour drive took us about 10. We arrived safely and in time for the celebration of Granny’s long life. I only got to meet her once, during our birthdayversary road trip last October, but it was fun to be with family and hear stories of her life. The cemetery where she is buried was incredible – so much history out there in New England. I also experienced Candlepin bowling for the first time with Chris’s family – that was a fun night – and we got to meet Chris’s first grand-niece, Aurora!!

#BrandLoyal – Chris and I both celebrated 5 years of employment at our respective employers in 2017! Chris started at Land O’Lakes in October 2012 and I started at Mayo in January 2012. I completed a 40 hour group supervision training for social workers so I can now lead small groups of social workers towards clinical licensure and may try my hand at that in 2018. Chris continues to be one of four people who dry the cheese powder for Cheetos!

#MermaidInLove and #CincoDeWedding – Marissa and Adam were married in Cancun on Cinco de Mayo! There were three showers, some great parties, and about 30 mother-of- the-bride dresses tried on prior to getting to Mexico. The bachelorette party was an all-day multigenerational affair with a mermaid theme! What a blast. Before we walked down the “aisle” to the beach, Marissa and Icried and she said this was the wedding of her dreams. She was a beautiful bride and it was fun to be with everyone in Mexico for one week. Lots of time to relax and enjoy each other’s company. Mom and Dad even went parasailing!

#TeamGrandpaDanTough – Right before we went to Mexico my dad was diagnosed with laryngeal small cell carcinoma. He began treatments the day after we returned from Mexico (all the more reason why it was meaningful to be together down there), and it was a grueling course of 7 rounds of chemotherapy and 35 daily doses of radiation to his throat. In September his PET scan was all clear and he is getting stronger and is back out in the woods hunting this autumn. So glad to have them in Rochester!

#OnlyInMinnesota – We have enjoyed the many things life in Minnesota has to offer. We enjoyed outdoor festivals and outdoor music, my 30th class reunion was in July, we hosted and attended outdoor campfires, we spent time at our cabin at the Lake (which we now are part-owners of!), we went to the Great Minnesota Get-Together (State Fair) twice and I went to a Minnesota Twins game. Chris is ready for the Minnesota winter with his supreme snow blower and we have been enjoying watching the Minnesota Vikings play football and all the hype that is leading up the the Super Bowl being held in Minneapolis in early 2018.

#Birthdayversary2017 – For our 3rd anniversary, we took a train to Chicago for a few days with the main event seeing “Hamilton.” It is as amazing as everyone says it is, truly. We also ate good food, walked a lot, and went on a double decker bus tour. The weather was beautiful After Chicago we spent a few days at the Dells celebrating August’s birthday with family, and spent one night in a lovely hotel in LaCrosse. Chris thinks train travel is the way to go!

#49isDivine – 2018 means a big birthday is coming up for me, so I will be finding cause for lots of celebration leading up to it! Marissa has a big birthday coming up as well, turning 30 in February. In 2017 Tyler turned 25, Sierra turned 21, and Kevin turned 19. We have been enjoying time with the grandchildren; Kaydee just turned 6 in December, Emma will be 3 in January, and August turned 2 in September. Lots of chitter-chatter and laughter with them! Also lots of quality time with the nieces and nephews, much of it courtside.

#2SellOrNot2Sell – Last winter into spring we started thinking about whether we should remodel the townhouse or look for our “forever house.” We really wanted a gas stove, which is what started all of the looking. We spent many weekends going to open houses, wandering around tile and kitchen stores, and talking with realtors and contractors. We wrote lists and dreamed big dreams. Ultimately, we found and bought a new home, moving in right before Chris’s birthday in June, so it’s time to update your address books! Message me for the new address! We gained no square footage but we now have a one level home with a big garage, a little shed, and a huge driveway (the reason Chris needed a supreme snow blower!).

I knew I missed having a sunny spot to sit outside and read, but I didn’t know how much I would LOVE having a fireplace! We didn’t sell the townhouse, so Chris is now a landlord – so far so good. We love our new house and it’s fun to get back to hosting again! We hosted Thanksgiving here (22 people!) as well as book club, Cosmo Girls, a housewarming / birthday party, a catch-up night with the girls, marshmallow roasting sessions over the new firepit, and hopefully we will be hosting you sometime soon! Just call and let us know when you’re coming!

#MerryandBright – We hope that your Christmas season is filled with all things good and wonderful – family, friends, peace and love. Merry Christmas to you and a very happy 2018!

After the funeral at Granny’s home – Chris’s sister, Jen, and dad, Rob and his friend Carol.

The last Radiation Treatment! A milestone worth celebrating!

#OnlyinMN – The Great Minnesota Get-together!

It’s May!

It’s IMPOSSIBLE to land on May 1 and not think of the song from Camelot – the Lusty Month of May (as evidenced by two blog posts in my history referencing the song!). So go ahead, take a minute and have Alexa play it for you or find it on YouTube…

Ok. So I’ll forever think of that and sing it often – in my head and aloud – throughout the month.

Since it’s May, that means it’s TIME FOR A WEDDING! Last March (2016) Marissa got engaged and dreamed of a destination wedding – so here we go! She and Adam are celebrating their marriage on Cinco de Mayo in Cancun! How fun. We are all looking forward to warm weather (upper 80s during the day! 70s at night!), family time (every Grimsrud child and grandchild will be there!), and fiestas galore! I’m hoping I’m not a blubbering fool because it’s going to be a joyous day – so I will do my best not to blubber! I worry about finding words of wisdom or having an eloquent speech, but actually there is lots of life ahead to share wisdom, so I’ll try not to stress about that.

More about the wedding when we get back… it will be a memorable time!

Haven’t done a post in a while, so I’ll just blather on here a bit about what’s been making me happy in these last few months. So much to be thankful for (always!).

We have been searching – first casually and then more seriously – for a new home. It all started with wanting a gas stove. We tried to see if it would be possible to update the kitchen in our townhome. And then we started dreaming about aspects of our dream homes. Me, I wanted big windows, lots of light, an open floor plan, not too big but big enough to be able to host gatherings. Chris wanted a fabulous bathroom with tile shower and a glass door and granite countertops. We both wanted that elusive gas stove. Well, we found it. It’s just big enough for us but with that open floor plan that will make it fun and possible to host Christmas and Thanksgiving and singalongs and game nights and backyard BBQs. But it’s small enough that we won’t have to spend all our free time taking care of it. It’s just perfect. More on that later, as well! We will close in June, so this summer will be filled with changes!
Movies – not as many of those lately, but we did get to one movie during the International Film Festival. We saw a Romanian film called Two Lottery Tickets. It was a funny little film. So glad the festival is here in Rochester and so glad that I got to at least one movie.
Books – I’m on a bit of a reading streak, so that is fun! Book Club is meeting MONTHLY so that helps! Recently we read “The Light Between Oceans,” “Euphoria,” “Big Little Lies” and “Thirty Rooms to Hide In.” Next is “The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat.” I’m also reading “When Breath Becomes Air” for a book club at work. Looking forward to beach book time in Mexico!
Food – We haven’t been going to as many restaurants because we are cooking at home! We have now tried Marley Spoon, Hello Fresh, and Blue Apron in the past few months. We are going to stick with Marley Spoon, because all the meals were so very tasty, although the most challenging to make, and you have control over the meals you get (unlike Blue Apron) and have an option for 2 meals in a week rather than 3 (unlike either of the other two). We find it hard to cook at home 3 days out of a week and most need to be eaten within that time frame. So we have had some really good food at home recently – today we had a spicy rigatoni with lemon ricotta. Looking forward to cooking on our gas stove in the new house! I do love having the house smell like good food!
Wedding Wedding Wedding! – There have been showers, bachelorette parties, a USA wedding, too-many-to-count Mother of the Bride dresses tried on and returned, and the various ablutions that come with a fancy to-do. So that has taken up quite a bit of time recently! The day-long mermaid themed bachelorette was an incredible time on a beautiful April day (April 1!). We had mimosas in the morning with a Beyonce drag show, failed an Escape Room in the afternoon, had a patio party at Betty Danger’s in the evening and then went clubbing into the wee hours. Oh my. So fun! Looking forward to more such shenanigans in Mexico!

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Be of love (a little) more careful than of anything.
— E. E. Cummings

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May you find many things to be happy about in this Lusty Month of May!

August 1

September 1

October 1

In 60 days I will be married.

Amazing, eh?

It has been a whirlwind, my mind is always a little preoccupied, and (slowly but surely) decisions are being made. Trying to keep it simple and yet throw a fun party, trying to plan a distance wedding and honeymoon week with a small wedding party contingent in tow.

The dress has arrived. The invitations have arrived. More decisions to come – like dessert options!

Ah… life is so good.

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