Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

My best friends came for a weekend in Milwaukee! 

It was kind of a spontaneous weekend get-together when a few weeks ago one of my friends asked if she could visit for a weekend. So we asked the whole group and everyone was able to come! Then, of course, the planning had to start between days off and traveling, food, and what we were actually doing...and of course no one would actually commit to a decision!   

Let me take some time to introduce my friends and tell you about our amazing weekend ♡

Bekah, Sam & Emma

I explained in a previous post about how I met Bekah, but I met Sam and Emma a little earlier. My freshman year I went to school not knowing anyone so I really tried to embrace the orientation activities. I went to a service event where we basically spent the afternoon weeding at a local nature preserve, but I ended up sitting next to a couple of wonderful people on the bus. I like to say that we got stuck with each other by sitting together. These people ended up becoming some of my best friends and we decided to eat dinner together every night until we felt more comfortable with school and classes. [I remember my freshmen RA telling me that after a couple weeks I would meet my "real friends" once I got more involved with my major and classes....like no way, I had already met my real friends!] Eventually, Bekah started joining us for meals too and the rest is history...We started spending all of our time together and roomed together for the next few years of college. 

I love them all so dearly and I could not be more proud of them as Bekah goes into her first year of teaching, Sam & I finish student teaching together, and Emma finishes up her last year in pharmacy school. They will always be in my prayers and my hearts. 

 

Friday Sam and Bekah came in the afternoon so we spent some time walking around the neighborhood. But don't let me forget to mention that Emma stopped by at 7:30 in the morning to drop off a dessert that needed to be refrigerated...on my day off no less! Eventually, we put the pizzas in the oven because Emma got off work and the evening was set. Our dinner consisted of pizzas, chips, Emma's dessert, watermelon, grapes, lemonade, a little wine...because calories don't count on girls weekend right? We talked a whole lot and it felt just like old times - except this time we ate at a real dining room table rather than the floor at college. Then we finished the evening watching White Chicks and laughed hysterically through it all. 

Saturday we made a plan to go get lunch and then spend the day walking around Milwaukee. But first, we spent lunch at Bayshore and then spent an unplanned hour in the book store [I found several more I need to add to my list]. We made our way down to the North Point Lighthouse and then the beach - it was an absolutely gorgeous day for the 6 weddings we saw and for a lovely walk. We were always nervous to go down to Milwaukee since we didn't know the area, but since I've been living here I finally feel more comfortable and it was wonderful doing a little exploring together. The Riverwalk was also beautiful (especially sexy according to the drunk guy that hit on Emma). Once we went home we ate another million calories that didn't count while cuddling on the couch. I think we racked up several miles which balanced our calorie intake! If you haven't seen Sydney White I highly recommend doing it - because as our go to movie it is still hilarious. The friends you make in college are for life as the movie says ♥ 

Living on my own has been a huge adjustment and moving into the next phase of my life has been a little trying at times. Spending a weekend with my best friends gave me encouragement as I was able to see how much we've grown in the last few years. I miss them already and look forward to our next trips (especially London 2K28). This girls weekend meant so much to me as I got to play hostess, catch up, laugh about silly anxieties, get advice, and more. Thank you girls and thank you God for putting these girls in my life ♡

My Life as a Summer Nanny

I have the privilege of working for two wonderful families this summer. 

I spend my Mondays with one and Tuesday-Thursday with the other. It's a wonderful setup and I couldn't have asked for a better schedule, but mostly I could not be more grateful for the kids I get to be with four days a week.

Mondays are spent with a family I have been working with for the last two years. The girl I nanny is 17 and has cerebral palsy, so mostly I am there to be a friend and thankfully I gained a wonderful friend in return. During the school year, I would go to their house once a week to be a scribe for her homework and over the summer we practice for the "dreaded" ACT as well as go for walks, play board games, read, and more.

My Mondays have been spent at their house since the spring semester of my junior year and if I am ever not there on a Monday it feels strange! I love spending my time there and the family cat has
finally gotten used to me. This family has taught me so much about advocating for disabilities, disability resources, communicating with families, how to ask questions when I'm unsure, and more.

I've gained a network of friends more than anything. They encourage and pray for me, send me ideas for recipes or homework assignments, are always eager to answer questions, and more. The girl I work with has taught me to constantly be positive and how it's okay to turn to someone when you need help - especially God. I have always had a strong faith and it helps to have such strong encouragers along side you. They have become such a part of my life that it was a "big step" when my friends came over to have a game night and when Josh met them too! I could not be more grateful for the time we have had together and the lessons I have learned - this next school year will be strange when I'm no longer there every Monday afternoon!  
(Please pray for me and the family as we make this adjustment and they find a new caregiver!) 

Tuesdays-Thursdays are spent with a wonderful family that I was able to find before the school year ended. The company I work through set up an interview with a family that was looking for the hours I was looking for and it seemed like a great fit! They have two kids - a 10 year-old girl and a 13 year-old boy. They needed someone who could drive the kids to practices, make lunch, keep them busy with activities and some summer academic things. I was up for the challenge and the girl absolutely loved me at the interview and that was that!

Since I am there three days a week we get to play around a lot and I feel like I am an older sibling (but don't worry I'm not mean!). We goof around while eating lunch and I could not be more thankful that I get to work with older kids rather than chasing 4 year-olds around all day! Both kids are pretty active between gymnastics, baseball, golf, and softball practices throughout the summer and the girl and I have done several craft projects *stay tuned for a future post about those*. Sometimes we go shopping for a new recipe (the boy loves being our official taste tester!) or craft supplies, get ice cream, play in the sprinkler, play outside with scooters, make a fort, run to the library, jump at the trampoline park, and go play putt-putt golf.

It has been so much fun being a kid again! I get to use my strengths to make sure our days run smoothly and planned, but also count on them for wonderful ideas and comedy during my days.

But it hasn't always been perfect because Day 2 working with the family I had a nanny's worst nightmare... The boy broke his arm at the trampoline park!!!
I was called to the front desk at the facility thinking "Oh boy something is wrong with our waiver forms and I'm going to have to get the kids to go home early" but I ended up finding out the boy had a bad fall on one of the trampolines and thought his arm must be broken - like what?!

Luckily, the mom of the family didn't work too far away and we were able to visit her during this crisis and have everything taken care of. It definitely became a team effort and I was welcomed into the family through some extreme circumstances - but fortunately now the cast is off just in time for us to enjoy the rest of the summer! I was so nervous I would get fired or there would be awkward tension for the rest of the summer but we were all thankfully able to laugh after the initial situation had passed. Nothing like a broken arm and emergency situation to bring a family together right?

Both families have been more than good to me. 

I love that I can come into these family's homes and feel right at home. I have seen how good families work and I only hope that I can emulate some of what I have seen in my own family one day. And hopefully my kids are also just as wonderful ❤  

This has been an amazing summer so far and I cannot wait for the last few weeks and what we have planned - Thank you God for placing me with such wonderful families who I can learn so much from! Hopefully I can hold back my tears during the last week ♡

Typical Monday Date Nights

Josh and I have been together almost a year and a half!

This summer has been amazing for us! 

When we started dating it was close to the end of the school year which means I went home to Michigan for three months! We made time to visit, call, and FaceTime which was wonderful of course. Then school started up and I was in Wisconsin once again... 

Now if you've read my last post about how I'm a planner then you get a glimpse of how stressed and organized my schedule is. My planner is ultra color-coded and I always had to "pencil in" time for the beau. It felt a little ridiculous, but I loved that we had an understanding when we would visit each other during the week - I would do homework until a certain point and then make sure we had some time without me doing homework. When I knew summer was getting close and I would be in Wisconsin and able to see Josh multiple nights a week, I started to get nervous. I was worried that once we started spending so much time together we wouldn't know how to handle it! Homework was always an obstacle for us and I'm so impressed that he was able to handle me through all of it - Josh was always an amazing supporter and encourager. When I was utterly stressed out he would pray for me and help me get through the rough spot. He would also do a wonderful thing and make sure we had a special date night about once a month. He is wonderful and I am so lucky but that didn't stop me from getting nervous that we would be together so much all of a sudden! 

But boy was I silly for worrying 

After a couple weeks, our Monday nights became special. I usually make a big dinner, we go for a walk, play a quick board game, and then watch the Bachelorette. One night we had ice cream for dessert it was so cute because we had a little flow. I grabbed the bowls and spoons and Josh immediately grabbed the ice cream - it was like we were dancing and I couldn't keep from smiling. Some nights we walk really far and then we both get really hot and need to sit in the direct line of the fan, but it's fun. We like to look at the houses and find all of the neighborhood dogs. Some of the lawn ornaments spark up some funny conversations! Our board games get really competitive (Josh has a million board games so we always have a fun time playing something new) and our show is full of hilarious commentary. Josh can be pretty quiet sometimes so it's funny when he gets into a game and starts talking about his favorite guys on the Bachelorette and telling me how excited he is to watch. Thank you, God for pairing me with someone who can be my friend and partner.

It's been so much fun continuing to date Josh this summer. Even though we have been together for over a year, it feels like we have finally found a rhythm and I love it. I am still often surprised and I can honestly say I am never bored of him or of being with him. Even the nights that I'm tired and a little annoyed, I look over and can't imagine spending my evenings with anyone else. It's fun when we have movie nights, go to museums, walk around Goodwill, spend time with family, go to Brewer's games, and all that! Thanks for always planning our date nights Josh and making me feel special!

I cannot wait for the rest of our dates this summer and as we head into the school year. Hopefully, I don't worry about "our time" as the school year starts ❤

Weekend Snapshot

My weekends normally have a typical routine about them - sleep in, grocery shop, laundry, church, and visiting with my boyfriend's family...This weekend was a little more special!

My best friend, Bekah, came to town and we got to spend the whole weekend together!! 

I had been counting down the days and getting antsy for the last couple weeks leading up to my best friend coming to town...

Flashback: Bekah and I met freshmen year of college about a week or so into school. She lived across the hall from me and we were both education majors. We had a class together, so one day she came over and asked me if we had any homework (which I later learned was just an excuse to find someone to talk to). I told her that we didn't and then she sat right down in my little make-shift living room.....and then never left! We became fast friends eventually sitting next to each other every day in classes, setting up similar schedules so we could have more classes together, going to eat together every day, spending nights in my room and then later roommate all the way through senior year, and more. We even started working in the same office at school together - she's one person I could spend 24/7 with and never get sick of. She is seriously my best friend soulmate - we have similar interests and values, but not to the point where we get bored with each other. We have similar strengths, but we compliment each other in different ways too, so our projects were always the bomb-dot-com!

Bekah graduated in May and already has a teaching job lined up for this next year - I get to encourage her and she gets to help me through student teaching! It is weird that I no longer live with her since we did for so long and it makes our weekends together so much more special.

I saw her pull up into the driveway and I ran outside because I was so excited! We spent the whole first night talking - who knows what about but it was great. Then Saturday we went to Target and found quite a few awesome teaching supplies. (You should go look at the current dollar section because it is amazing!) I took Bekah for a walk around the little neighborhood and showed her some cute little shops which then gave us just enough time to cool off before heading to the Brewer's game. We had some cramped, sweaty seats but it was so much fun! I know the Brewer's won, but I was having way more fun talking and laughing! **It was an added bonus that Bekah and my boyfriend were able to spend more time together! He is the third-wheel whenever we go out together** Sunday we went to church and Bible study together and it felt like old times. If you typically go to church alone you understand how great it feels to have a friend with you (and thanks for always praying for me). After that, we went home, ate lunch, and watched a little TV.

I was already missing her and she hadn't even left yet! Talking about church, Bible studies, future weddings, teaching, goals, plans, family, and more - I could not get enough. Bekah and I text every day and we do our best to get in a few FaceTime calls but that isn't the same as being together. When we get together all we do is talk because we can finally fill in all the little details about what is going on in every aspect of our lives. I love her dearly and I cannot wait to see what more God has in store for her life - you are so strong and I am so proud of you! Thank you for always sticking by me and encouraging me along too.

Thanks for the amazing weekend and cheers to when we and the rest of the roommates can be together soon! ❤

Check our her blog at http://stepsthroughlife.blogspot.com/  ❤

Meal Planner: I have become one of those people

I have become a meal planner and I absolutely love it! 

Now that I'm in my own apartment and buying groceries every few weeks, I decided I needed to start meal planning to keep my grocery budget in check as well as make it easier to make meals quicker! Once student teaching starts, I will only have so much extra money to spend on groceries and so much time for things like cooking. Meal planning is basically my only option but I have found a lot of fun in it so far! 

The best tip I can give you as you start meal planning is to start small. I have big goals for meal planning, but I knew I needed to start small or else I would simply quit! I did a lot of Pinteresting to find recipes I knew I would like which was, of course, the most fun part 😊  I found some ways to make easy breakfasts and quick dinners. I love cooking so I knew I could take up more challenging recipes and save all the leftovers for lunches or the freezer. A friend helped create a weekly meal planning sheet, similar to the one on the left, and it has helped tremendously. It makes it easy to plan what I have for lunches, snacks, breakfasts, and dinners. It helps me to know what I can make with what I already have and if I need to grocery shop for more. 

I wanted to tell you all about my endeavors so far and how Wildtree has been furthering my journey! 

Egg Muffins                                 

These are super easy and delicious! Eggs, cheese, ham and a little bit of bread. They are an easy way to use up your eggs, lunch meat, and stale bread. They are healthy, keep me full (one does the trick!), quick to make, and easy to grab-and-go! They can be kept in the fridge and in the freezer if you make a big batch. Only 30 seconds in the microwave and you're good to go. 

I haven't done anything too special yet, but you can easily add veggies or breakfast meat to make them more special! 

Why & How I Wildtree 

I recently became aware of what Wildtree has to offer. My consultant, Kylie, invited me to join her group and I started learning about what Wildtree is. If you don't know, Wildtree is a great business that allows independent consultants to sell the product. They sell seasonings, mixes, oils, and more. There are a lot of products that allow you to plan large meals with much better nutrition facts than you normally see! One of my favorite things about their website is that you can search for recipes based on the Wildtree product or key ingredient. I have loved looking up new recipes and the food so far has been absolutely amazing - give it a try! 

So far I have purchased Wildtree's basil pesto, taco seasoning, lasagna, stroganoff, pot pie, and beef stew skillet meals. Each set is enough to make for a few meals and the skillet meals already came with two recipes each. Each one has better nutrition facts than mixes you might buy in the store and it's nice to know that I can prepare so much at a time for leftovers! So far I have tried the stroganoff and basil pesto and loved it. I made basil pesto salmon and pasta and a ton of stroganoff. It made enough stroganoff for a dinner for two, two meals, and extra sauce to put in the freezer! 

**If you are interested in learning more about Wildtree products, recipes, and more then here is the link Wildtree with Kylie Lynn! 

When I went grocery shopping, I made sure I got extra ground beef to make the Wildtree lasagna skillet meal and some tacos! I am also planning on trying Overnight Oats. If you have any good recipes please share them with me and stay tuned about how this next venture goes! 

Was Summerfest everything I was told it would be?

Yes and no. 

Let me explain. You know that I am not originally from Wisconsin, so when I started college I constantly heard stories about Summerfest from friends who you native Wisconsinites. I had never been able to go since I was always working and there was no possible way to miss work and drive back to Wisconsin when I would be in about another month for school anyway. I thought it was so cool that this town hosted such a large festival with amazing artists! 

So this summer when I knew I would be able to go I was pretty excited. I had heard funny stories of the people of the bus or on the grounds, how beautiful it was by the lake, and how cool it was to see some of your favorite bands for cheap. Then, I  heard about getting free tickets and that I could get a corndog while walking by the lake-I was sold! My trip home ended up coinciding with most of the Summerfest days, but I could at least go Friday and Saturday night to see Huey Lewis & the News as well as Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness. 

I was ready...or at least I thought. 

Round 1 - You can just tell the ominous clouds were about to roll in! 

Friday came around and I could tell that I was still absolutely exhausted from all of the recent traveling and full work days. I kept pushing through, but then BAM it took me an hour to drive home because traffic was absolutely terrible (and I may have gotten a little lost). I freshened up my makeup while angry and my boyfriend and I got down to Summerfest. I was amazed at how nice everything was - the weather, the grounds, the smells of good food! And then there was smoke everywhere and I got pushed around a few times in some of the busier spots. We were walking around and then it starts to downpour. We got to the BMO Harris stage where Huey Lewis would play later that night and we thought we were in the clear. A ton of people crowded in under the roof and the band sounded amazing. But then the slats in the roof and the blustering wind starting pushing some of the rain inside, so we were still getting wet! By this point I was cold and wet, not to mention the tiredness I had already been feeling all day, and I was not ready to wait another three hours. I was angry for how I was feeling because I wanted to enjoy this "Summerfest experience" everyone seemed to be talking about. At that point, I did not see what was so great about the music festival that was in its 50th year. The corndog was amazing and the lake was pretty until the cold rain came, but I had had enough. My boyfriend and I finally decided to go home because there was no way I could wait much longer with how cold I felt. Luckily a slice of cheesecake cheered us both up before heading home on the bus. At least the guys that were riding the bus at that time were pretty funny! 

Round 2 ❤

Saturday came along and I wasn't so sure about giving the festival another go-round. I checked the weather all day and there was no rain in the forecast so I decided to embrace Summerfest once again - after all, I had heard so many great stories so I knew what I had experienced the night before had to just be a fluke. The weather was beautiful and then I got to meet some of my boyfriend's friends while chowing down on yet another corndog! The evening was going to take a turn and I was very grateful. I knew that I had been in a foul mood the night before and I wanted to make it up to my boyfriend as well as actually enjoy myself. The bands on the Uline stage were great and I was ready for Andrew McMahon (even though I only knew two songs). With a full stomach, warm weather, and much better sleep, I was in a great mood. Andrew put on an amazing show and I am so glad I went! The energy in the crowd was amazing and I loved every part of it! We were in a sweet spot section - far enough away from the speakers so they didn't hurt the ears, close enough to the main action, and high enough up that I could do some serious people watching. Hopefully, I burned off a few of the calories by dancing from some of that amaaazing food! 

Summerfest was not exactly what I expected. There were functioning toilets with paper, thousands of people, awesome food and more. All the bands I had the pleasure of hearing were great - who knew so many sounds existed! I'm grateful I decided it was probably worth it to try again the second night. Summerfest was no fun in the rain, but now I have a story I can laugh at about how awful I thought it was at first thinking the only redeemable quality was the food. The first night was a disaster, but I got hooked anyhow and now I am ready for next year! 

What's so great about Northern Lower Michigan?

Let me tell you...

I grew up in the Traverse City area, so I am more than just a little biased 😉 

Just look at the view - what's not to love?! ❤

Northern Lower Michigan has always held a special place in my heart. There was always a beach about 30 minutes from my house in every direction. But the Traverse City area has more than just the most wonderful beaches - there are festivals, you-pick orchards, putt-putt golf, farmer's markets, cute downtown districts, [and now that I'm 21] amazing wineries and breweries! If you read my last blog post, you'll know that I just spent a long extended weekend at home for the 4th and I'd say it was the perfect weekend. 

My parents had some time off which made it possible for us to all sleep in and take each day at a time. I was able to feel like a tourist or fudgie because I got to take my boyfriend to all of the local hotspots and annual National Cherry Festival events. We spent time visiting with other family and friends, playing board games, getting way too hot and sunburnt, and more. It was a blessing to spend so much time in the place that will always and forever be home. 

I decided to compile a list of some of the trip highlights and convince you of the Northern Lower Michigan charm. 

1. The National Cherry Festival - where we visited the Air Show twice! We went once with my grandparents and another time with a close family friend while also walking through the amazing craft show. Even if it wasn't the year of the Blue Angels show, the Thunderbirds did some amazing tricks! The trip was even more complete with a Gibby's Elephant Ear, Fries, and lemonade. We spent about three afternoons down at the festival and could have found even more to do between pie eating contests, pit spit contests, and the Ultimate Air Dog shows. Next year we'll just have to stay longer! 

2. Fireworks - down on Long Lake and West Bay Bryant Park! I was lucky enough to get to 2 fireworks shows this past weekend. It was amazing to see the "new ones" this year and enjoy the show with my parents, boyfriend, nephews/brother, and many people from my church. Each beach had its own positives between the "ooo's and aah's" and the echoing of the booms! 

3. Hopscotch Brick Oven Taproom & Monkey Fist Brewery - boy was the food great and ciders were even better! There were a couple times my boyfriend and I slipped away to get around town and do some of our favorite things - new restaurants, putt putt golf, and the movies. Before I won at golf and we saw Despicable Me 3, we managed to find two completely new places to eat and boy the pizza was amazing! I also managed to find a few ciders and beers (courtesy of flights) that I would love to have again. These restaurants/breweries had amazing atmospheres between great service, food, and the Northern Lower Michigan feel. I highly recommend you try these newest places! 

4. Cherry picking at Cherry Connection/Edmondson Orchard! Some day I think it would be amazing to have a few fruit trees in my backyard and homemake pies and jellies, but for now I will settle for hand picking my fruit and enjoying the spoils! 14 pounds later, it was so much fun to get outside and try some different varieties of cherries alongside family. Store bought cherries are just fine but there is nothing better than hand picking cherries! Not to mention we held our own cherry pit spit contest while sitting on the beach and waiting for the fireworks - and yes I did manage to spit some pits at my unsuspecting nephews! 

5. Family. Need I say more? Living a state away leads to a lot of homesickness. Being home for one of my favorite times of year made it seem like I hadn't missed anything. I was able to see my nephews/brother, sister/fiance, grandparents, church, and more. We went downtown, shared meals, got really competitive over games, gardened, and sat together over morning coffee. I am so thankful God gave me such a wonderful family who will always love and encourage me. Without them, the trip wouldn't have nearly as fun since we all shared in the adventures. 

Many people ask me, "What's so great about Michigan?" I'm here to tell you that you just have to go and experience it for yourself. Northern Lower Michigan is wonderful for all the things I discussed and more. You can't help but stand in awe of God's beautiful creation when you look out over the water. And even though I am tired today and got way more sun than I needed to, I would do it all over again.