Lindsey KRAV-A-ROOCH-KA

I highly recommed:

2012-01-30T06:41:00.000-08:00

Lately I have been really enjoying some new things, one of them is podcasts. With my new "commute" (which is not that far I know) but can take 20 minutes, it's nice to not listen to the radio (sidebar: I find myself getting so angry every time I turn on the radio and that damn Katie Perry is on every.single.channel!--she is terrible, quit playing her pop radio!)

So back to my point--here are some podcasts I have been enjoying:

Jillian Michaels--if you can get past her calling everyone "buddy" I find this to be a very encouraging and well balanced Q&A style 45 minute session. I appreciate anything about fitness and nutrition that isn't trendy but grounded in science and reality, this seems to fit that bill

Freakonomics--why wait for it to be on NPR? thats what I say.

Ravi Zacharias--you know those sermons that apply lots of history and context and totally make the story or text come alive even more? This is what he does, in short 15 minute increments that you end up having to listen to over and over because 1. His accent, and 2 it's deep stuff man!

We got a camera!

2011-12-30T11:25:00.000-08:00

But haven't taken any pictures of the house.....yet. So instead I will share with you 2 pictures that made me laugh today:

We are off to celebrate the new year this weekend with some great friends. Should be a wonderful time. Then I will be back with house, vacation pictures and a reflection on 2011.....if you are even still checking in on this I am not sure. I have been neglecting it lately because of my lack of camera. But that will change now!

Today's Advent Devotional (I had to share!)

2011-12-06T07:07:00.001-08:00

This one was just so simple and good, I hope it blesses you as it did me this morning. (I know it looks long but it's worth the read)

Today’s Truth
"Give and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measure to you." --Luke 6:38

Friend to Friend
Of all the Christmases that Mike Wekall remembers, his seventh stands out from all the rest. Mike was the fifth of six Wekall children. Like every child, Mike met December with the anticipation of new toys, freshly baked goodies, glittering decorations, and school vacation. But one week before Christmas, Mike’s parents called the children into the den."Kids, I’ve have some bad news for you," Mr. Wekall said, barely able to look his children in the eye. "As you know, things have been pretty tight at work this year. In fact, we are going to have to file bankruptcy, so we won’t have Christmas this year. I’m sorry. Maybe we can make it up to you next year." Then he quietly walked out of the room.The children just sat there for a while in silence. Mike thought to himself, "What does he mean 'we won’t have Christmas'? Does that mean I’ve been bad and Santa isn’t going to come? And what is bankruptcy?"It was a confusing time for little Mike, but one thing became perfectly clear on Christmas morning--Christmas had not come to the Wekall house. No presents were under a tree, and the aroma of a roasting turkey did not come from the kitchen.

The family did, however, go off to church that crisp, cold morning. When they arrived at church, all the other children were sporting new clothes and chattering about what they had found under their trees."Hey, Mike, what’d you get?" one asked.“Nothin'. We didn’t have Christmas at our house.
We’re having a bankruptcy.""What's wrong?
Have you been too bad to get anything? Didn’t you even get a few switches?"
Feeling rather blue, the family of eight went home for a lunch of lima beans and hamhocs.

About an hour later, the door bell rang. "Maybe it is Santa after all," Mike thought as he ran to the door.Standing in the doorway wasn’t Santa, but it was the Bosky family, all ten of them. Each of the eight children had smiles on their faces and two gifts in their hands. Mr. and Mrs. Bosky held a turkey dinner with all the trimmings.As it turned out, the eight Bosky children went home from church and told their parents about how the Wekalls weren’t having Christmas this year. Seeing how they had been so richly blessed, the children decided to pick two of their toys and wrap them up for the Wekalls. Mom and Dad joined in and brought gifts for the parents. Even though Mrs. Bosky had Christmas dinner all choreographed for her own dining room, she gathered up the food in boxes and baskets to share with a family who needed it more.

That was over forty years ago, but Mike still gets tears in his eyes when he shares this story. "It was the best Christmas I have ever had," he told me. "The Spirit of God showed me that Christmas wasn’t about getting presents but about giving and caring for others. It is about showing goodness toward other people. Every year, I tell this story to someone, because it exemplifies how Christ gave so freely of Himself for us."

Let's Pray
Dear Lord, I have so much and I am surrounded by people who have so little. Show me someone I can help this Christmas. Open the eyes of my heart to see the needs of others. Make me an extension of Your lavish love. In Jesus' Name, amen.

Now It's Your TurnConsider some ways you can help others less fortunate this Christmas.

Here are some ideas from my book, Celebrating a Christ Centered Christmas:

Help an elderly person decorate his or her home and take the decorations down at the end of the season.

Give an anonymous gift of money to someone who lost their job or someone who you know struggles financially.

Offer to do Christmas shopping for a disabled person.

Purchase and deliver a gift for a child whose parent is in prison

Pack a shoebox for a needy child overseas through Operation Christmas Child.

Process toys for the Salvation Army

Volunteer to ring the bell for the Salvation Army.

Work in a Soup KitchenVisit someone in a nursing home who has few relatives.

Home Sweet Home

2011-12-05T20:43:00.001-08:00

We are officially in our new house! no digital camera but we used the mac to take a couple of shots to share. They are less than great but will do the trick :) You will just have to come visit and see it for yourself!!! (seriously!)

Political Cartoons That Made Me Grin

2011-11-30T06:34:00.000-08:00

On another note: WE MOVE IN THIS WEEKEND!!!!!

Also, I signed up for advent devotionals delivered to my inbox from biblegateway....I recommend it. Just an FYI.

Picture Update!

2011-11-21T06:39:00.001-08:00

We are moving in to our house in less than 2 weeks, so these pictures are from a month ago or so, but you get a little idea of the progress:
This is Chad in the master bedroom

One of my favorite features in our house is the amazing trim on each window, it looks even better in person!

we also have great light and views. I can't believe we are almost in! so exciting. More pictures to come.

Ella turned 5. She had a Wizard of Oz themed birthday party so of course dressed as Dorothy.

She is not camera shy!

Hilarious isn't it!?

In case you are interested.....

2011-11-16T06:34:00.000-08:00

I was honored to give the message last week at Narrate Church. So much fun, I got to talk on exercise & attitude. If you are interested here it is: Exercise & Attitude.

Look at this blog my knitting friends!

2011-11-07T19:44:00.001-08:00

I was given a really cute wool hat by that I never wear because it itches my forehead. So like anyone I googled "how to make a wool hat less itchy" and came upon a blog called Techknitting.

The solution to my itchy hat problem was to soak it for about 5-10 minutes in tepid water that had 2 tablespoons of hair conditioner dissolved in it. I just did it tonight and the hat is drying so I will let you know how it turns out. But the blog looked like something you knitters would enjoy :)

Nothing Catchy Comes to Mind

2011-11-02T11:30:00.000-07:00

We enjoyed one last weekend of fall before winter seemed to hit Helena with force!
Last weekend Chad and I went to Potosi campground and hotsprings. It was a great time and I would recommend this campground about 10 miles from Pony Montana to anyone. There is a hotsprings about 1 mile from the campsite to hike to and it was more of a "warm" spring than hot but it was still fun. We came home and got what was probably our last mountain bike ride of the season in.

We always get to meet such interesting people when we visit these primitive hot springs. One couple from New York, one from Bozeman and another I didn't hear where they were from.

I came home yesterday and Chad said he had a present for me: it was the key to the front door of our house! things are coming along nicely. We will be moved in by December 1st. No Thanksgiving dinner like I had previously hoped but Christmas in the new house will be wonderful I am sure. I seriously can't wait to use my new appliances and washer/dryer......I am getting older you can tell.

I get to speak at Narrate on November 13th. I am so honored and nervous at the same time! This preparation has made me appreciate what pastors do EVERY WEEK.....i mean, seriously how do they do it!? I will post a link to the conversation up here when it is available.

This was a quick one, but I gotta keep this blog alive even with a broken digital camera! (yes I still haven't called about that.....)

Hope you are all doing well and getting some last adventures of fall in too!

Loving these days....

2011-10-12T07:04:00.000-07:00

It's been a little while, and with the seasons changing, here is what I am loving these days: (not in any particular order)

1. Spaghetti squash--all you have to do is pierce it with a fork all over, put about 1/2 an inch of water in the bottom of the crock pot and cook it on low 6 hours, or high 3-4 hrs and you have a delicious side dish. I like to also add butter, salt, pepper and little Parmesan cheese. 2. Our house!--This picture is old and was taken on my phone (broken camera still). But you get a little taste of what we have goin on there. At this point the outside is all sided and the window trim is painted (red). The wood siding is from right here in Helena which I think is kind of cool. Chad and I are hopeful this siding will be good for a while but we will have to see. We will of course be treating it with a sealant as well. The inside of the house is all painted and this week will get cabinets installed. Next is flooring and trim out! We are moving right along!

3. The Chad--Here he is in Seattle where him, Chase and 2 other friends drove last weekend to see John John. He sent me this picture via text saying "just dreaming of my beautiful wife" awwww. He has done so well building this house and keeping a good attitude even when I know he has been under stress he doesn't let it get the best of him. He also brought me flowers last week for no reason.....that's always great!

4. Ms. Ella---her mom Jessica has recently been going to Zumba classes at Crossroads, and Ella has since caught on to the fun of Zumba and can show you her Zumba moves anytime, you just have to play a good song and ask. :)

5. Mickey--still as lovey as ever. We call it kitty cuddle time, and that's pretty much all the time. He will curl up on your lap and snuggle, or just hang out with you while you read or work on the computer. He has been a great addition to our household!

ok, your turn!

Hello Fall!

2011-09-26T07:30:00.000-07:00

It seemed like September can't be almost over......it came and went so fast!

We spent Labor Day in Priest Lake, ID with my family at a lake house and it was so much fun. I learned to wake board, Chad surfed and most of all we just enjoyed time with family on the most beautiful lake I personally have ever been to.

After our time in Idaho, I spent a week in Billings for work at the Montana Public Health Association annual conference. It was nice being in Billings for work because I also got to see friends and family and former co-workers that I miss.

By the time that whirlwind of travel came to an end I got home to a house that was sheet rocked and almost completely sided! I wish I had pictures to prove it but our camera broke conveniently before we left for Idaho...bummer.

So this weekend was spent painting exterior window trim! CK Woodcraft has lots of jobs lined up right now which is a great blessing.....but it also means that our middle of October move in goal may be pushed back. We'll see. So far the building a house process has been fun for us and we haven't had the marriage test that everyone warns about....so far :)

My main hope is to be in the house by Thanksgiving, and to post some pictures. Fall is going to be spend mostly in Helena I think but we have lots of bike rides we can take and hikes to go on.

Backpacking!

2011-08-30T15:22:00.000-07:00

Chad and I just returned from a fun time backpacking in the Great Bear wilderness. We signed up for this trip in May with the Bob Marshall Wilderness Foundation and we signed up to help do trail maintenance in the backcountry for 5 days.

I would HIGHLY recommend this to everyone. Or to people who want to backpack but don't have a group to go with.

All we had to pack was our gear and clothes, there was a team of Backcountry Horsemen that packed in food and tools. We ate like kings in the backcountry, which I am not used to! We got to know some great people (2 of whom I work with), and we got to learn a lot about the wilderness areas in northern Montana that neither of us had been in before.

Other bonuses included:

eating LOTS of huckleberries, wortal berries and thumbleberries

no bear spottings

visiting an old forest service lookout

learning all that goes in to maintaining trails

no mirrors, cell phones, clothing decisions or internet for 5 days

no rain meant sleeping under the stars every night!

Here is the website to check out: Bob Marshall Wildreness Foundation

chop chop!

doesn't Chad look like a lumber jack?!

Stu is the horseman...he is the real deal folks! he even slept on the ground "so he wouldn't get soft"

Baptiste Lookout

The crew

some house updates

2011-08-22T20:45:00.001-07:00

Those boys are working so hard that these are already out of date, but you can see the basic layout of our lovely home in the above picture which is looking at the back of the house

This will be our view from the front porch (above)

Here is a look at the front of the house.

And a view of two of the great builders working in the beginning stages. These boys are not only working hard, but they are loving the process. We are so blessed with a great crew that enjoys what they are doing. More to come!

Picture Update!

2011-07-19T20:43:00.000-07:00

Chad is a wonderful furniture maker in case I haven't mentioned it yet! And here is his latest masterpiece:
Over the 4th of July weekend we went to Columbus, MT to stay with Chad's family and float the Stillwater River. We usually camp at a piece of land they have on the Yellowstone River but it was completely flooded so we ended up "camping" in his aunt's front yard! Their family ranches and farms so we were out of town and it was great but it was anything but roughing it.

Here is Chad showing off his talents of brushing teeth and hula hooping all at the same time!

Chad and I on Rock Creek--safety first!
Getting ready for a day on the river. It was the highest it's been since 1996 so we were a little nervous but we had the most experienced river guide I know, Tyler Warne, so we were safe and had a great adventure.
The Stillwater at 8900 CFS (that's a lot of water--usually runs at 1200)
Sarah Shade was married in this beautiful setting in Red Lodge, ( I am thinking this is a potential Christmas card?)
The boys after a good day on the river:

And just how is Mickey you ask? He is great. He is definitely old and mellow. Still just a sweetheart and sits right by my side as I type.

The whole hole is there!

2011-07-19T06:50:00.001-07:00

That's right, we drove out to our lot last night and sure enough the hole for the foundation is in! So is the well and the approach (driveway over the little ditch). I just kept telling Chad, I can't believe that is going to be our house?!
Next steps: foundation poured and then framing! I will try to get some pictures up as I know I will regret not chronicling this.

In other news, we live by a lake and it's hot so you should come visit us and play in the water! Our new house is a mere 15 miles from Hauser lake....we will have guest rooms :)

Summer Weekends are like Gold in Montana

2011-07-11T08:30:00.000-07:00

Don't you think? I feel like I want to do as much as I can with this beautiful warm weather because I know it will be gone before we know it!

So here are a couple of things we have been up to, with more to come!
1) Fishing. I went fly fishing a couple of weeks ago on the Missouri and caught myself this beautymy friend's husband is a guide and offered to take Wendy and I out for the day, what a guy!

2) I did my first triathlon. Here is the story. Last year, I helped work this race and the whole time thought to myslef "I could do this!" but I tend to fear failure so as it approached this year I didn't really even consider doing it. Then Wednesday before the race I went swimming at the lake where the event is held and I swam the course just fine. So, I decided that fear of failing was a lame reason to not try and do this, after all what was the worst that would happen? I take breaks and finish slower than other--I still tried right?

Well, to my delight I did really good! I was in the top finishers for the swim and took 4th in my age group(25-29) only 10 minutes behind the winners!! Now I caught the bug and I want to take that 10 minutes off my time and see if I can actually compete in these things! And the lesson learned is this: fear, and anxiety are lousy excuses for not trying something new.

Another fun thing was that Chad, Chase and Mara were all in the help boats out on the lake for the swim so I got cheers the whole way, so fun!

Dirt Divas & Mickey

2011-06-20T21:08:00.001-07:00

Helena is made for mountain biking. That is why every year there is an event called Dirt Divas that turns 100+ women loose on our trail system to master their mountain bikes. This year Mara and I went and Tara and Liz joined us from Billings. All of us are at different levels of experience and skill and all of us thoroughly enjoyed the whole day. The morning was spent doing basic skills on a bike in a big open field, then lunch and an afternoon on the trails in groups of 8 with 2 instructors. I can't say enough how great it was. I highly recommend it!

After a long day of riding, we were given free beer. Then we did what anyone would do and had more beer at the local Blackfoot brewery. (I swear I took off my helmet at some point).

When we got back to the house, I had a little surprise waiting for me from Chad. His name is Mickey!
The story is, I went to look at cats at the local shelter last week after realizing it's just nice having a furry friend around. When I was there the only cat I liked at all was a 12 year old male named Mickey, but I was there to just look so I didn't get him. Plus I wondered if I really should get a 12 year old cat!

Mickey is a love. This is all he wants to do, sit on your lap and be loved. He is mellow, and sweet and doesn't want to go outside, which is good because we decided no outside cats while we are in this apartment on the busy street.

And let's face it, if he is going to die soon it might as well be with us instead of a shelter! I guess his owner went in to a nursing home and couldn't have him so he had to go to the shelter after 12 years with the same people. We like our new little furry friend. So far he is getting more used to us too.

And the last news of the day: We signed on our lot tonight! We then went out to the land and got everything plotted out. Whew, it's been a busy last couple of days!

A Sad Day

2011-06-12T16:59:00.000-07:00

We came home today from a great weekend at Big Sky with the Lapitos to find out that Lops had been hit by a car. He did not survive. We will miss the little guy!

The Bair Family Museum

2011-06-07T06:21:00.000-07:00

My dad has been working on the new Bair Family Museum in Martinsdale for this last winter and spring. Because of this I have found myself more interested in the articles about the Bair family and their amazing collection of Montana history! Here is a link to the remodel and some other information about the museum, which Chad and I plan to visit really soon, it opens tomorrow!

We close on the lot and construction loan this week.....a little later than we had originally planned but still exciting. We have the plans done and they are great. It is a modest 1,500 square foot home with 3 bedrooms 2 bathrooms, but it has a front porch, and a deck off the kitchen made for gathering with friends.

I turned 29 on Saturday. I feel like 30 is the new 20, so this age really doesn't "scare" me or make me sad.....unless my metabolism changes or my body decides my hips and butt need to get even more storage area.....then I might freak out, but so far so good.

My favorite birthday card:

"I don't know how you stay so bright and perky all the time......."
(inside) "Sometimes I just want to slap you, but then I remember you know all my secrets"

May days

2011-05-23T20:29:00.000-07:00

May started out with snow....as you all are fully aware. But we tried to make the most out of it and went hiking but were not able to make it to the top due to snow, hence my pouty face.

We did however learn that we live only a short distance from:
Exciting!

This is the same hike, it is a neat little canyon
A couple of weeks ago we were out climbing and I did my first lead climb (bolts not a top rope). This is really not that big of an accomplishment considering I have been climbing for years now.....but I finally did it and it was on a really easy climb, but fun none the less and I hope to challenge myself with more this summer.
I did fall before the first bolt which hurt a little, but I got back on and finished so that was good.
Chad found a new fun outdoor pass time: shed-horn hunting. I call it traipsing around the woods, but either way it is really fun. You just meander through the woods looking for horns that deer and elk have shed, then you can sell them. We went last Sunday and found only ticks but it was fun. We did see one cow elk too. Here is Chad surveying the land:

Here's hoping for a sunny and mostly warm June!

Spring pictures...

2011-04-28T18:28:00.000-07:00

Oklahoma City memorial
This is Jackson Square in the French quarter of New Orleans....it was 80 and sunny there, I want to go back!
Ella knows how to strike a pose!
Chad dressed the girls up as "adventurers"!!
This is Ella as a cowgirl....note the boots
And I wouldn't want to leave out Lops...here he is in his ass groove:
Can you spot the kitty?? How did he get there??

Lot 13 is Lucky

2011-04-21T06:30:00.000-07:00

That's because we are building a house on it!
Did you like that? Life keeps us on our toes, I still have pictures to post from the French Quarter, and the Oklahoma City bombing memorial....but I will get to those later.
Our big news is that we are scheduled to close on a construction loan and 1.2 acres of property May 15th. We have been wanting to build since we moved here, which will be 2 years in May (wow!). And we have been looking for property and paying off other debt in preparation.

The plan is to build a modest 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom, single level home. We hope to be in by September and then you can all come visit. Bring your swim suits and boats too because we are about halfway between Helena and Hauser Lake/ Canyon Ferry. The area is already about halfway developed as a subdivision and judging from the looks of it the people who live there are a lot like us....very cool and down to earth (wink).

I will post pictures of the land soon, although if you went and looked at any old field you would get the idea, but our view is excellent. Chad is excited, but I know has way more to stress about than I do in this process, so if you think to pray for him I would be grateful. I have been learning more about God's concern with our character lately. And with that perspective in mind, it is so clear how the enemy of our souls gets us to make the little things matter and neglect the things that really do.

Next.
Facebook: I am so glad for the blog, because I was beginning to love people less by being on Facebook(none of you of course, duh!) So I took it off of my ITouch and have only been checking it here and there and, voila, people aren't as annoying to me! All that to say, I will be using my blog much more. Especially with the house process.

I have survived (almost) my first legislative session as a state employee. Wow. My co-workers who have been around a while all say this is by far the worst. I guess that is good for me because they will all only get better from here, right? Let's hope! I have decided this session makes a good case for voting for independents!

Back soon with photographic proof I exist.

Only 6 states left

2011-03-23T06:49:00.000-07:00

...until I have visited all 50 states. I made this realization on my 2 recent trips to Oklahoma City and New Orleans. I have been traveling a lot for work lately and marked 2 states off my list with the two previously mentioned trips, which got me to look at a map and make note of the states I have been able to visit from my time in Master's Commission and work travel. Which states have I not been to you ask? Well here they are:

Arkansas
Alabama
Hawaii
Mississippi
South Carolina
West Virginia

Chad and I have plans to mark Hawaii off the list sometime next year (hopefully) but I can't say I have plans for any others anytime soon.

We got a big tax bill this week. This is good and bad. The good is that Chad's business made money, and in a down economic environment this is a big deal right? This also qualifies us to build a house! The bad news is......it's a really big tax bill. I'm talking we have to make payments....for the next couple of years.......ugh. BUT the bright side really is that we are very close to buying some land and building!!!!

Here are the things I can finally let myself think about, just a little:

my very own washer and dryer
a kitchen table to eat dinner at, possibly with chairs too
no sharing walls
a doggie for Chad to take on walks in the morning
neighbors that don't have turrets or watch episodes of the Beverly Hillbillies constantly.....I mean constantly
Chad's lifelong dream of building his own house coming much sooner than we ever expected.

Rhett Samuel

2011-02-28T13:43:00.000-08:00

We went to Billings on Friday to meet the newest Lapito.....I know you want some pictures so here they are:

Brandi and I with the little mister

My mom

And of course we took time to visit Esther's and the wonderful people that are her customers

We had Friday through Monday off. We spent Friday and Saturday in Billings and then went to Showdown for some wonderful snow and weather conditions on Sunday. One of our new favorite things to do lately is to ski Showdown and then swing through White Sulpher hot springs on our way back, It really makes for a lovely day.

And last but not least: The parting Lops shot

"don't disturb me I'm sleeping"

2 product reviews

2011-02-15T06:46:00.000-08:00

I appreciate good recommendations, so here are 2 recent products I have used that I thought I would share:
1. Mission Skincare max strength muscle rub--$10 at the drugstore. I love it. If you have muscle aches it is a good compliment to some long stretching. It truly is not greasy and smells good. Even Chad likes to use it now. I have been using the foam roller and then putting some of this on and it is helping my hamstrings and IT band.

2. If I were someone famous and they did an interview about me and asked "what is the one thing you have to have in your beauty routine?" (not likely to happen but you know what I mean), I would say dry shampoo. Love the stuff. So I tried this new $5 Tresemme brand and it is not bad! It smells good, and works well and it is only $5! So if you are thinking of trying to wash your hair less it is worth trying for sure.

Try on some hair!

2011-02-09T20:05:00.000-08:00

I have recently been thinking about dying my hair dark. So I did what any modern woman would do and uploaded my picture for a virtual makeover. In the mean time I tried on some "celeb styles" as well.

Here are a few of my favorite, as in i-always-wondered-what-that-would-look-like, favorite. Feel free to add your own caption. And if you are so inclined go to instyle.com and click around for their hair virtual makeover and have yourself some fun

Needless to say, I am not going dark :)

Things I wish I could put as my facebook status

2011-02-07T19:43:00.001-08:00

"If Facebook is the only thing in your life that asks you what's on your mind, maybe you need to do something about that"

"Skinny Jeans: Not for everyone"

"If I read one more complaint on here I am going to delete my account"

"I went down a bra size, and I haven't even had kids!"

"Grammar, get some"

I told you mine, now tell me yours. Please?

A fall day in January

2011-02-03T15:19:00.000-08:00

One of the reasons I like to keep this blog is that it helps me to not only stay in touch with people I care about that live too far away, but also it is a fun way for me to remember the fun adventures Chad and I get to have. We were able to do a lot of skiing/snowboarding during January, including Showdown, Moonlight, Maverick, Bridger and Discovery. I am terrible at taking pictures when we are out, but take me word, it was fun any are welcome to join in the future.

The last weekend in January we got a little spell of sunny weather and when Saturday came we didn't think there would be much fun snow anywhere so we decided to look for a place to visit in our Hot Springs of Montana book.

We decided on a hot springs that is "very primitive"--as the book would say, and is in the Jefferson River. So we packed layers and lunch and headed out to find Renova Hot Springs!

Little did we know that we would have 45 degree weather, sunshine and a hot spring pool that was perfect for soaking.

When we arrived we had the pool all to ourselves and it was right off the road.

After a while a couple showed up. At first we were kind of bummed out, but they turned out to be really great company. They had their Golden retriever Henry with them, and he loved the water too. Then a local man from Butte joined us and added to the fun for sure.

You can see in this picture that the Jefferson river flows right through....
So, in all it was a great January weekend! We spent 4 hours there and were prunes. When we were done, we drove to Butte to eat dinner at a restaurant we recently discovered after skiing at Discovery called the Uptown Cafe. I know Butte isn't exactly known for their food but this place is great and a fun place to eat when we are out and about.

This next picture is just a fun one of me and my friend Jessica, we went to dinner and got all dolled up so had to take a photo, and I had room so I thought I would share.
February is here already, and I am most happy about more sunlight. Lots of things in the works, can't wait to share them!

Time needed!

2011-02-01T10:43:00.000-08:00

I have been on the road and short on time lately. I like to think I don't need routine, but the truth is I DO! I spent Friday night cleaning the house because it was out of control messy.

We have not been without adventures though, and lots of snowboarding. Chad and I went to a hot springs and enjoyed what felt like a fall day in the middle of the Jefferson river.

Why am I saying this? Well to let my readers (all 4 of you) know that I will be posting pictures soon with fun anecdotes....I promise. Stay tuned.

How to have an inexpensive and fun winter weekend in Montana

2011-01-17T13:52:00.000-08:00

First, you grab some close friends and head toward Jackson Hot Springs (near Dillon, MT....beer with church logo coozie optional)

You rent a tent space at Jackson for a whopping $20 per night. This gives you access to the hot springs, unlimited towels, a lodge with a fireplace and shuffleboard and full bar, a changing room, a bathroom and a campsite.
Be sure to hit the grocery store and buy all the food and beverages you would like. There is a restaurant there, but if inexpensive is your goal bring your food and a stove to make it on the tailgate of your truck, and use the water there.
Also pack some warm sleeping bags to sleep in the back of the truck. No mater what people say as they walk by, you will be warm and sleep well if you have the right equipment! (note the foam mattress AND feather bed....comfy and warm!)
After your night's stay, get up and soak in the hot springs one last time before you hit the road. Then make breakfast at your camp site and head to Maverick Mountain for $30 lift tickets on a single lift mountain. Also note, that in this case you will have amazing powder to ride in when the rest of the state has ice.
Now pack up the family and enjoy all this for the cost of grocery store trip+$20 camp site+# of $30 lift tickets and gas. Also please call us because we want to come!

New Years Extravaganza

2011-01-05T11:03:00.001-08:00

We have a tradition for New Years. We spend it with close friends in Moonlight and rent a condo and see how many people we can pack in the place to make costs cheap and lots of fun. This year was extra-great because Dan and Lucinda were in Montana from Boston and joined us!
We arrived Thursday night and had a mellow evening catching up with everyone. On Friday we skied, which was fun but cold (-15). It took the energy right out of you, but there was no wind so it was still a good day. Friday night we were all pooped, so I tried to get the party going with some Zumba...you can see it was a great success
To recover from all of the cold we spent a good amount of time in the hot tub, these girls are hard not to have a good time with, let me tell ya!

On New Years day, there was some wind on the mountain and the wind combined with the negative temps made all of us less than enthused to ride the chair lifts, SO we went snowshoeing!!
This was such an unexpected and wonderful day. We got to spend time together, keep our hearts pumping and ourselves warm, and enjoy the tasty snow, i mean beautiful scenery.
And after 4 miles we are tired and ready for lunch and another soak in the hot tub!
Happy New Year to you!

The Winter of 2010

2010-12-28T19:44:00.000-08:00

Is just beginning....but we have had a good time so far!
Unfortunately our Thanksgiving plans to go to Portland were canceled due to weather and bad roads, but we stayed in Helena and had a great time with Chase, Mara and some of their friends.

We decided a while ago, that we were going to stay in Helena for Christmas his year as well. We felt like it was time to make some Krywaruchka memories in Helena. So we got our first real Christmas tree since we have been married and got to put it up! (we have only put a Christmas tree up twice since we have been married, either apartment too small or we were going to be gone).
The weekend before Christmas my mom and dad came to visit and spent a delightful weekend with us. I promise we got pictures but they are on their camera.....all we got was this picture of Lops "opening up" the present they got him:
There are few things in my world right now that are cuter than the following 2: Lops and my friend Ella.
Ella's mom Jessica came to visit one morning last week and Lops kept Ella occupied for 2 hours just letting her push him around chariot style:

I can't express how much I love this picture, it was just a very enjoyable thing to watch!!
Then they posed for this picture too, isn't she a doll.
Lops never batted at any of the ornaments or anything, I would just find this scene under the Christmas tree many mornings:
My friend Lynell and I also went skiing last Wednesday at Showdown ad had a great time.
It was a great Christmas and the celebrations aren't over yet!

This makes me laugh

2010-12-03T07:02:00.000-08:00

Is this as funny to everyone else?? Because I can't stop laughing about it!

Loving right now....

2010-11-29T09:23:00.000-08:00

It has been a while since I have done one of these and I have a couple of things I am really loving so here you go:

1. Snowboarding: We went up to Bridger on Black Friday and it was so fun. While riding the lift up I thought to myself, "I am so glad I am not learning again this year....that really sucked" It's true. Learning to snowboard really was painful, and while I am still getting better, I am glad I am not starting from scratch this year! Bridger had great conditions and we got a full day in with Chase, Mara and two other friends.

2. Bumble and Bumble Sumo Tech: I am kind of a sucker as it is for Bumble and Bumble stuff, but I really like this product because I am not one to spend time on my hair. You can put this in when hair is damp, and at the roots it gives volume and texture, or you can apply a little to dry hair at the ends and it gives a good texture too. I like it a lot right now while my hair can look really drab with the change in weather!

3. Green Science Firming Face Cream from Aveda: Let me just say that had Mara not been working at an Aveda salon I NEVER would have tried this lotion, at $55 a pop it would have been WAY too much to spend on something that may or may not work well. But I tried it and will now actually pay that amount for it because it works so well. First of all it has lasted me almost a year which I feel evens out you know? Second I get little patches of eczema on my arms and if I apply this once they go away....seriously! Third, I tend to have dry but greasy skin and this hydrates but doesn't make my face greasy.

4. my counselor: I have been meeting with an awesome counselor for almost a year now and I am so thankful. I have learned so much that maybe I would have eventuallly.....but when I was way further down the road with even more garbage to deal with! Last year at this time I was just not feeling good, and couldn't seem to find what was going on in me. I have seen a lot of good things as a result of meeting with someone who loves the Lord, and mental health. I only share this to encourage my friends that sometimes you just need that outside influence to nudge you into truth.

A cooking win

2010-11-09T06:44:00.001-08:00

I felt like Betty Crocker last week. So thought I would share. First I made a really excellent turkey breast from Costco, it is Butterball and in the freezer section. A boneless turkey breast with gravy included. I put the thawed hunk of meat in the crockpot for 8 hours with some water and made mashed potatoes and gravy when I came home. I was delicious and I think I would highly recommend it for Thanksgiving even!

Then I had a ton left over that I cut up and added to this recipe which took all of about 20 minutes from start to finish:

Zesty Corn Chowder:

1 1/2 cups milk
1 (10.75 oz)can condensed cream of potato soup undiluted
1 (10.75 oz) can condensed cream of chicken soup undiluted
1 cup chicken broth
2 cups cubed cooked chicken (or leftover turkey!)
1 (11oz) can Mexican-style corn (undrained)
1 (4oz)can chopped green chilies
1/2 cup sliced, fresh mushrooms
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Combine milk, soups and broth, mix well. Add remaining ingredients except cheese. Heat through, stirring occasionally. top with cheese when ready.

Then we had soup for dinner and leftover soup for lunches. Enjoy!

Lops: in still life

2010-11-01T17:55:00.000-07:00

We take too many pictures of our cat, and I know that secretly you all think I am over the edge and need to have a child before I go any further over that edge and become THAT girl with her cat. But lately we have some good photos of Lops and I wish I was more creative with the captions, but I gave it a shot. Would you wittier friends please make funnier captions in the comments? Thanks.

"This is nice, I think I will fall asleep here"
"Damn bird, get down here......so I can kill you and leave your dead body in the middle of the kitchen floor!"

"I ate waaaaay too much"

"Have you seen my red shirt? I've looked for it everywhere and can't find it"

"This seemed like a good place to hang out and wait for you to feed me"

"I hate you, I hate you, I hate you"
"I'm hungover"

Post 104

2010-10-21T07:25:00.000-07:00

I appreciate that blogger tells me what number post this is, so I thought I would share since I have no catchy title. I don't have Lops's post prepared for you yet but it will come. I thought I would drop a quick life/random thoughts update instead.

Life is plugging right along for Chad and I, he has plenty of work through the winter and most of it involves high-end condos that make me want to live in them. I am thankful for this. We are looking at land here in Helena. Not that we are going to build soon, but we know where we want to build eventually and feel like it can't hurt to get a jump start on paying off land....right?

I have been Internet shopping lately due to the absolute lack of shopping in Helena. This new adventure has me regularly looking on the following websites:

What I have learned from Internet shopping: Patience is key. I ordered some really great boots in a size too big and after waiting 9 days for them to arrive (also a trait of Helena), I had to send them back and probably wait another 9 days to see if the new pair is right.

Speaking of boots, I have man sized calves--in fact they are bigger than my husband's and so I have always worn boots a size bigger thinking this helps them fit over my calves......is that even true?

Kids and babies are everywhere these days! I know 3 people who are pregnant, 4 with new babies, and oh so many more than I can count with toddlers. I am loving getting to be around these sweet little people. I took one of my friends, Ella, out to dinner for her 4th birthday on Monday. Here is a piece of our conversation:

"Ella, what is your favorite memory?"

"Having a birthday and a vacuum"

"But I thought you were afraid of vacuums?" a truthful statement the girl is terrified

"I LOOOVE vacuums!"

maybe you have to know this little darling but it was pretty funny to me.

For those of you in Bozeman, we will be going to the football game this weekend. If you are going to be around you should let me know. I am not sure our exact plans but we have things for church the next morning so we will be coming back Saturday night. I can't even remember the last football game I went to so I am very excited.

Fall has been good to us

2010-10-07T21:04:00.000-07:00

I was fortunate to get to go spend a weekend in Bozeman with my dear friend Reese and her boys in late September. It was soooo refreshing. I know she won't believe me saying that as the mother of 3 boys under 3, but it was. I also got to see Naomi for a limited but good amount of time and I, of course, took lots of pictures of the kids: Check out these cute boys

Joel with traces of dirt

Mason and Smith making dinosaur faces....we played a lot of "dinosaur" which involved me chasing them around or running from them depending on who was the dinosaur (duh!)

Sawyer.....smiles all around all the time

We took our annual Lapito/ Krywaruchka Forest Service getaway a few weekends ago. We went to Calf Creek cabin near White Sulphur Springs (I highly recommend it!). It was clean and secluded and not that far from Helena really. We always enjoy our time together. Unfortunately Gabe had to go to the ER Saturday night though, for a broken ankle!! So 5 month pregnant Brandi drove 3 hours, while Gabe was in pain, back to Billings. It was quite a bummer! But none-the-less we had a good time up to that point! Here is the view from the cabin:

The men, they love each other

Another year of Ales For Trails is also on the books. We went to the 10th annual event in Billings and this year rode in a group of 78 bicycles. I never have enough time to talk to all the people I want to see when I am there. Especially now that I live in Helena, but we made the rounds and enjoyed every minute of seeing old friends.

Some of my dearest friends: this picture makes me happy and sad at the same time because I miss these women!
Fall was good to us. I am thankful. Now stayed tuned for a post completely dedicated to Lops, because he has lots of stories to tell and I have pictures to prove them.

Unexpected Company!

2010-09-13T09:55:00.000-07:00

We had some fun and unexpected company this weekend. I need to preface the story though. Over Labor Day weekend Chad and I went to Glacier National Park to celebrate our 5th Anniversary. We took our truck and had purchased a topper in Big Fork (Craigslist) with the goal of having an easy car camping set-up for fall and winter. Labor Day weekend weather was horrible and we were snowed on and hailed on and rained on. But we actually managed to still have a great time. During our drive through the park we saw a lot of cyclists touring, and said to each other many times how much that would suck in this weather.

On our way home (Monday) around the Swan Lake area, we saw a cyclist with a trailer hitch-hiking. We had a big, covered, empty truck and decided we wanted to give this guy a ride. So Graham jumped in the truck and told us how he was riding the continental divide trail and meeting up with friends in Seeley Lake (50 miles or so). We start to chat and he is a great guy from Oakland, California who does Solar Engineering.

We take him to Seeley and tell him that the Continental Divide Trail goes through Helena and to call us if he and his friends want a shower and a place to stay.

Thursday night I pull up to our house around 8:00pm and see Chad sitting on the tailgate of his truck. I get out of my vehicle and he tells me "Our friends are coming to stay with us!" What he meant by that was, that our hitch-hiking friend Graham and his other 2 touring buddies were taking us up on our offer and coming to stay the night. Turns out they had been riding in nothing but rain from Seeley Lake to Helena and a dry place to sleep and a warm shower were inviting.

We stayed up until 12:00am that night talking with our new friends and learning about these late-20, early 30 somethings. Very fun.

We talked them in to staying in Helena one more night and spending Friday on the mountain-biking trails here. So they mountain-biked with Chad on Friday and were then able to join us on a "booze cruise" to celebrate our anniversary and our friend Steve's birthday.

The booze cruise involved a trailer of PBR hooked up to one of the bikes and about 15 people riding around town until we stopped at a local bar to dance to a friend's band. You can see from the pictures, we had a wonderful time.

Left to right: Graham (the original hitch-hiker), Erik, Erin, Me and Chad.
Erik and Erin are from Seattle. Erin was one of the coolest chicks ever. She is a sailor and does celestial navigation so she knew every star in the sky.....I know because I kept pointing all night and asking "what one is that?"

We went to Chad's shop and took the elevator up to the roof, a scary freight elevator that works just fine and is perfectly safe.....it just doesn't look that way initially.

We will stay in touch for sure.

In case you are ever in a group of 15 or more bikes and find that none of you have a bike lock, this is the solution we came up with: just make a big gnarly pile that resembles Jenga and assume no one is going put the effort in to taking one. Then ask Mara to hold it up with her butt.

Road Trip 2010

2010-09-01T20:18:00.000-07:00

Summer vacation road trip was a success. We drove from Helena to the Coeur d'Alene area the first night, after leaving around 9pm due to truck troubles. We camped every night except the last and saw lots along the way! On our first full day we rode our bikes on a little bit of the Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes, then proceeded on to the Deschutes river after stopping at a winery for a tasting.
We camped at the take out on the Deschutes and woke up the next morning to hit the river. This was some of the biggest water we have been on and we had a great time despite taking a swim on the second rapid.

From the Deschutes, we drove south to Smith Rock where we played around and climbed on the rocks you see above. It was my first time climbing all summer and I did both my routes clean and smoothly, which I accredit to the millions of push-ups I do every week. It was an unexpected surprise and was one of my favorite parts of the trip. We will go back here for sure. This day (Tuesday) also marked our first shower of thr trip which was heavenly!!

From Smith Rock we headed to the Bend, where we neglected to get a campsight reserved and ended up sleeping in a reserved site, hoping no one would come, and leaving at 6am in order to not get caught. But, it meant we got an early start to head to the coast where we were greeted with wind and more wind, but managed to have a good time none-the-less. We stayed at our favorite camping spot and rode our bikes to the beach. (the sand was warm on my cold legs)

Here you can see our awesome campsite. I was chopping wood and just had to share this picture because I think the look on my face is hilarious.... :)

Our second night on the beach we ate at a great seafood restaurant in Newport. It was such good food!!! We had a crappy campsite thought, that really resembled a trailer park and we happened to sleep next to the loudest, drunkest people there. I could hear them playing Kings Cup and they had to be at least 30. Annoying. But the following morning I got up early and took a beautiful run along the beach in dense fog.....another highlight of the trip for me. It was peaceful and I was on night 5 of camping so I needed to get my muscles warm and stretched!

Our last night we got to stay at the best place in Portland.....my sister's! We got to shower (#2), go out for a great dinner and enjoy seeing my sister and her family. It was a great way to end the trip.

Here is half of the gang. We ate at McMiniman's at Edgefield. Then tried to get in to a Crowded House concert (remember them?!) but were not successful. So we went back and enjoyed good conversation, and sleeping on a mattress.

So now it's back to the real world, which for us is a good thing because we both love what we are doing. I have some neat opportunities coming my way with work, and Chad is staying busy. We are refreshed and thankful!

When you don't have kids

2010-08-19T15:14:00.000-07:00

It has been over a month, and while Chad and I have been thoroughly enjoying ourselves, I have neglected to update this!
I think when you don't have kids the update options dwindle to cat or vacations. Unless you want to hear my rants and raves about public health which I could write way too much on.
So here is a little of what we have been up to.

Lindsey:

I am now certified to teach Zumba--don't knock it til you've tried it and if you want me to come teach for you I totally will. This is getting me closer to my sometime goal of full time private training and group fitness
I really like my job. I got to write the better part of a $5million grant last week and if we get it, that means good things for my position. It was a feeling of accomplishment either way I think.
We moved in to a larger apartment. This means we now have a guest bathroom and bedroom (so come visit!!!) The move couldn't have been at a better time. We had survived the one bedroom little place for over a year and it was so nice to be able to spread out
Went to San Francisco for work last week. I got to network and meet public health leaders from all 50 states, plus Guam and Samoa. It was a dream for a nerd like me

Chad:

While I was in San Fran, Chad was on a 5 day float trip down the main Salmon river in Idaho with some friends. I was jealous but so happy that he got to go.
Chad and his team at CK Woodcraft has now completed 2 amazing and beautiful projects in Helena that are in historic buildings. One is a coffee shop and the other is a high end Market and Bakery. Now he is working on condos in an old renovated Distillery. He loves it
Vacation. We head out on our vacation this Friday (that's tomorrow and I haven't even started packing). Along with chase and Mara, we will enjoy biking on the trail of the Coeur d'Alenes, mountain biking, rock climbing at Smith National Park, floating the Lower Deschutes, surf lessons, seeing Bonnie (Fifield) and her hubby Chris, seeing my sister and her family in Portland and hiking in the Red Wood forest.......that's the plan anyway. Sounds fun and exhausting huh? We'll see if it happens!

This N That

2010-07-06T20:37:00.000-07:00

The month of June just came and went! I had a wonderful birthday, probably the best I have had in a while. It was just the thoughtfulness of friends and family bringing me coffee at work, taking me out to lunch and generally wishing me a good day. Chad and Chase and Mara got me a new mountain bike too and now I realize why people think it is fun...because when you have gears it is!

Chad also has been riding his bike as you can see, in spite of the rainy weather.

When I was at Master's Commission we learned how to tear phone books in half, so every year when the new phone books come I get to refresh my skills and tear them up (who uses phone books anymore??). So after I tore it, Lops had a hay day with the left overs. The picture really sums it up.

We hiked to crow creek falls a few weeks ago. It was a nice day hike and a pretty destination. If you look close, you can see that I have bear spray on my hip, while Chad has a hand gun.

The sad news that the month of June brought, was the loss of my niece Deana on June 26, she was 24. It is a shock and a tragedy for sure. She is the daughter of my sister Jeri who lives in Illinois. She left a 4 year old daughter Riley. It has been hard to say the least, and living in Montana removes me from so much. Yet my sister is facing the biggest tragedy of her life, the loss of a child and that I just can't shake. Jeri also has a son Dan who is serving in Afghanistan and came home for the funeral. His flight was next to the coffin of a fallen soldier. His pain and loss I also can't shake. I guess I share this to get it out there because that seems to help, but also just to ask for a couple of prayers if you think of it. Deana was a really witty, humorous and caring woman. I always told her she should be a comedian or at least a writer. She just had amazing timing coupled with the balls to say what everyone else was thinking but was too afraid to say. So many people are hurting right now in her absence. Thank you for remembering my family!

In spite of the loss of Deana, the month of June was a good one. And we spent the 4th of July floating the Stillwater with many dear friends. It was a wonderful weekend just simply because of the people, let alone the boating! I can't wait to hear how all of your holidays were.

2010 goals update

2010-06-17T07:08:00.000-07:00

At the beginning of the year I set some goals for myself. They were simple but things I really wanted to do.So far I have 2 out of 5.
1. I learned to snowboard
2. I read a fiction book. Not only did I read it, I devoured it and finished it up in less than a week at 2:00 am Tuesday night. It is one I know most of you have read called "Redeeming Love" by Francine Rivers (I would love to gush about this book with you if you have read it!). What a wonderful story and reminder of the love of God. I already ordered it on Amazon and sent it away to some people I love.

My enjoyment of this fiction book has lead me to ask for other recommendations from you for good summer reading. So bring them on! (please)

Spring 2010 recap..we made the most out of 2 nice days

2010-06-05T08:26:00.000-07:00

What would a post be without Lops right? Chad got this bag for his birthday and Lops made it his "kitty condo" as we call it. He has an affinity to bags.

A few weekends ago I went to Portland to visit my sister and her family:

We went to the Rogue Brewery and here is Laura and Emily enjoying their meal of $12.00 hamburgers that weren't that awesome, but oh well!

A sampling of beer, I liked the brutal IPA and I am not an IPA fan....usually.

One reason for the trip out there was to get to watch Emily in her first play (she is the dessert chef in red!)

The other reason was to get to see Nicholas in action playing baseball (he is the pitcher!)

On one of the 2 sunny days we have had this spring, (ugh sigh) we got a group of people together to take Chase and Mara's new boat out to Canyon Ferry and make its maiden voyage. We had champaigne and all!

On the second of 2 sunny days we had this spring, we got another group of folks together and took a fun filled bike ride around Helena.

All in all it has been a good spring and my hopes are high for more sunshine and time on that boat!! My birthday was yesterday and it was one of the best I have had as an adult. I had a friend bring me a surprise white mocha at work, another friend take me out to lunch, then Chad, Chase and Mara got me a new mountain bike!! Chad also had my favorite flowers waiting for me when I got home. Then we went out and shot clay pigeons with a group from Narrate where Mara brought a birthday cake. It was just a day that filled my heart.

Portland!

2010-05-25T07:14:00.001-07:00

I got to spend the weekend in Portland with my sister Cheree, her hubby Andy, their 2 kids Emily and Nick, my other sister Laura and my dad. It was awesome. The weekend was strategically planned due to Emily being in her first play and Nick having a baseball game.
So, we got to see both of these great events and all go together as a family, something I didn't know I valued so much until I was there. Any aunt knows, there is something about the phrase "aunt (insert your name), that is heart warming. I could listen to it all day. In the mix of activities we also managed to sit in Cheree and Andy's boat and drink beer while planning summer boating trips, non-profit foundations and world peace among other things. Then we took a trip to the Rogue Distillery in downtown. It was less than we expected but still a good time. I think we will try something else next time we are there.

Now I am back in Helena and trying to convince my brain that it is sunny outside in an attempt to WAKE UP.......am I the only one who feels extra tired when it is rainy and dreary???

Vet visit

2010-05-14T06:54:00.000-07:00

We took Lops to the vet on Tuesday for his rabies vaccine booster. The doc also did an exam to check his overall health. When she did this, she found that he has a heart murmur. This is troubling to her because when he had his surgery less than a year ago, he did not have the heart murmur. So it is advancing. Its the same things that marathon runners get where the left ventricle becomes hard. However, it is a genetic thing in cats and really can't be prevented or treated. We take him back in on June 11 to find out for sure, but this most likely means that kitty kitty has heart failure and will not be with us for more than another year. Sad huh!

Poor Lops. he is oblivious at this point though, so that's good. I will let you know what we find out from the vet in June.

We were going to get him a haircut, but the vet said we shouldn't because it could send him in to cardiac arrest....seriously!! So he will continue to be a hairy monster.

I also realized this morning that today is May 14th, which is exactly one year since I left my job at RiverStone Health to move to Helena. Crazy. I couldn't even really say goodbye to my co-workers. I just left the building, went out to my car and cried. I really did cry. It was the first time I cried about us moving, I think it really hit me at that point. I loved that job.......

And I love being in Helena now!

Something to Think About

2010-05-10T09:30:00.000-07:00

I am currently reading the book Bravehearts by Sharon Hirsh. One specific chapter has stood out to me with these 2 simple but deep lessons, so I thought I would share.

Gossip is our attempt to create false intimacy
The difference between jealousy and envy: jealousy does not want to lose what it has, envy is pained at seeing someone else have what it wants

Hope the week was good and all the moms had a good Mother's Day!

In honor of Friday and my love of LOST...a love that is fading fast

2010-05-07T07:39:00.000-07:00

gratitude to distract from my displeasure with the SNOW!

2010-05-05T07:44:00.000-07:00

I was just reading in my book last night how gratitude is the antidote to so many things i.e. envy, gossip, contempt.
So when I saw the snow this morning I was reminded to think on lovely things, so as not to become very angry. After all, we do live in Montana!

On that note, some things I am grateful for right now:
1. My sister-in-law. Our friendship is just a blessing every day and I know this move to Helena would have been misserable were it not for her.
2. My job. Let's face it, right now to have a reliable job where you aren't worried about being let go is just a blessing!
3. Our little apartment. Somedays I feel like I am going to go crazyy in the 500 square feet that it is, but then I remember that we are living so in-expensively and we are saving and paying off debt so we can someday build....sooner than later I hope
4. Chad. You know he really should be first on this list, but he is working hard and has managed to keep busy in a construction business in a town we have only lived in for less than a year. That is cool. And he is very good at separating work and home so while some nights he needs to do work, its the exception not the rule.
5. On a more superficial level: blonde hair (I had it colored and love it), still relying heavily on dry shampoo, and that I can just wear blush to work and no other make-up. Which makes it easy to work out at lunch and zoom back to the office.

So what are you focusing on being grateful for in order to ignore the snow falling?

Help plan our vacation...please!

2010-04-27T08:55:00.000-07:00

Hi blog friends and family!
This summer we are setting out for a week to go on vacation with Chase and Mara. We have decided to drive and camp with maybe one or 2 nights at a hotel for showers. We will bring our mountain bikes and climbing equipment and plan to travel around southern Oregon, northern California and western Idaho. The basic parameters are, we want to see new things, no big cities and good camping.

So, do you have any suggestions for places to see, eat, bike, climb, fish or stay?

Some pics from this winter

2010-04-26T15:12:00.000-07:00

Mara and I taking a rest on Maverick Mountain enjoying the scenery

Chad was already having a beer but I was just getting done for the day

taking another break and enjoying the day!

We all went out for Mara's birthday and got this good picture, besides Chad's hair being a bit discheveled I think its a keeper

Updates coming at ya....

2010-04-12T07:22:00.001-07:00

I have been so delinquent on my blog! It is all because of pictures, or lack thereof. I feel like I need to have fun pictures to grab your attention. Oh well! I have some fun things to share so here I go sans pictures:

Last week was a really great week of work for me. I will spare you boring details but we had federal funders as well as local Health Departments converge on Billings Montana for 3 days and in the end my boss, who spent 2 weeks in Hawaii prior to this big event, was very happy with my work and we had great things accomplished.......BIG YAY
Soccer....I am coaching a soccer team again!! This is a group of 2nd graders and at this point we only have 2 boys on the team.....should be interesting. I am excited about this, although I know my time will become even more "budgeted" but its only for 6 weeks
Truck. Chad got a new truck. I feel very happy for him because he has been driving a 1973 Chevy truck all year and now has a reliable Dodge.
CK Woodcraft is going strong. PRAISE GOD, seriously only God could have brought it to this place. Chad is growing as a leader and business owner and doing such a good job. He is currently working on a bakery and possibly a duplex and work shop.
Ended the snowboarding season at Big Sky this past weekend. It was a beautiful sunny day with great snow and no wind. It was very busy up there but we managed to find a part of the mountain that was not too busy and just played there all day. I am slowly but surely getting the hang of snowboarding and loving it.
Sewing machine: When I was in Billings last week I went out to dinner with my mom, dad and Marilyn (my parents next door neighbor who is like family). Marilyn is a seamstress and garage sale extraordinaire. I was telling her how I would love to learn a little more about sewing and asked her to look for a machine for me this summer while she was out. We went to dinner and then on our way home drove by a sewing machine sitting on the corner in the neighborhood. So, Marilyn and I walked over to it and decided to take it back to her house and see how it worked. Turns out I now have a free 1970 Bernina sewing machine that works like a charm! How cool is that? Yesterday I made some funky t-shirts out of my book, and a cat toy for Lops.

Now, I must get back to the real world after being gone for a week, wish me luck!

Big Plans To Do Nothing

2010-03-19T07:18:00.000-07:00

This weekend will be the first weekend in about 2 months that we will be home. Yay!!! I have big plans to finally read and try this new book:

crafty I am not, but really I am hoping that I can handle cutting up old t-shirts and making them into something cool. I will post the finished products (maybe).

I moved into my new "office"--I say that because it is a cubicle and I don't want to send the wrong impression. But the point really is, I am no longer by the bathroom. Before I left the old space I was in, my boss and another co-worker were in talking to me and while we were all standing there the sounds of the bathroom were in full effect.....and we all just stood there trying to act like nothing happened, trying not to laugh, trying to be professional.

In other news, life in Helena is good. My work is picking up and I am missing those 30-hour weeks. Man that was nice while it lasted!

A great getaway....with pictures!

2010-03-08T09:16:00.000-08:00

Dear Blogger: it really pisses me off when I type a huge time-consuming post with pictures, only to have it be deleted when I hit the button "publish post". Now I am out of time to write about the great weekend we had with Gabe and Brandi, as well as why I am wearing a hat with ears and red sunglasses.
Signed,
Annoyed

Crazy Cat Lady Strikes Again

2010-03-03T07:45:00.000-08:00

We have had an absolutely fun-filled winter. We have been able to go skiing/snowboarding at Maverick Mountain, Lost Trail, Bridger, Big Sky, Moonlight and Showdown.

And do you think I have one picture of all this fun on my camera? No, not one. Though Mara and Chase have some good ones on theirs that maybe I will get my hands on to post someday. But here is what I DO have on my camera:

yep.....thats it. The cat is just so funny, and does the craziest things that we snap pictures of him being cute, and apparently thats all we snap pictures of!

Food for thought.............

2010-02-11T12:59:00.001-08:00

I Just Have to Tell Someone....

2010-02-10T07:53:00.000-08:00

I am every woman’s public restroom worst nightmare. My office shares a wall with the women’s bathroom (you know where this is going don’t you?) And I can hear everything……everything I am pretty sure—I hope—people think no one can hear. Not kidding. I sit at my desk and snicker like a 7th grader half the time, and the other half I spend thinking that people need to change their diet!!! I mean really?!

Speaking of food, our friends made us sushi last night. The only kind I am brave enough to eat at this point, the kind with only avocado and cucumber in it, I woke up thinking about it, it was so good.

Lost Trail Hot Springs: DON’T EVER STAY THERE. First of all, it should be called “Lost Trail luke-warm springs with a hot tub that has 10 people crammed in it who were also expecting hot water”. After spending a full day on the mountain all we could talk about was how good sitting in the hot springs was going to feel. When we arrived we checked into our room, Chase and Mara signed a contract to stay for 2 nights, and we put on our suits. Only to walk in to the water and find that it was MAYBE 70 degrees…..maybe! What???
Long story short we tried to leave and get our money back and they said no because they had a signed contract. Of course they did! They have to do that because I bet everybody leaves disappointed. So I vowed to spread the word not to ever go there….and this is only the beginning! Next stop, Travelocity.com review!

Here Comes the Weekend!

2010-02-05T07:57:00.000-08:00

I am especially excited about the weekend in front of me. You see, my usual weekend consists of teaching 2 classes on Saturday mornings, Body ATTACK and Spinning, which I love. But they start at 7:45am. Then Sundays we are at the church by 7 until 1:00. Both of these things I love and enjoy.
This weekend though, we are off to Lost Trail with Chase and Mara and I have subs to teach my classes and the church knows we won't be there either. So I will get to sleep in AND use my new snowboard, boots and bindings (a gift from my hubby).
We are staying at Lost Trail Hot Springs, so I will be sure to take pictures and give my travel rating of this new place!
I hope all of you have a great weekend too, any fun plans?

Race Day Recap

2010-02-01T11:52:00.000-08:00

About a month ago my froend Priscilla asked me if I wanted to team up on a winter triathlon in Butte, it was a 5k run, 10k bike and 5k cross country ski......sounds good I will do the bike leg. So we signed up and I trained to ride my bike through snow for 10 Killometers. Yesterday was race day and we showed up not really knowing what to expect.
The race was held at Homestake pass (7000 ft elevation) and it was about 20 degrees with beautiful sunshine. As we were setting up our transition area and getting ready we noticed we were among serious triathletes......we are NOT serious we just wanted to have a good time.
So the race got going and Priscilla ran the first part. Upon completion of the run here are some comments heard:
"I thought those trails were supposed to be groomed"
"That felt more like a 10k"
So I took off on my bike down a snowpacked road with a big grin on my face, because it was SO FUN....at first. Then the bike route took off onto XC ski trails that had about 3 feet of power on them. It was a fruitless effort to try and ride. You would be walking close behind someone, and get on your bike just to fall off and watch the person walking be way ahead of you!
I had worn my bike shoes to clip in, and beefed up my bike to make it better for riding on snow. Both worked against me. Because as I walked/jogged my bike ice built up on my metal SPD's, and the weight of my bike was noticable. I felt like I ran through 6 miles of sand.
I would estimate I was able to actually ride only about 1K of the entire thing.
I am not complaining though, because the biggest victory came, when at the start of the second lap, I wanted to quit so bad....but I didn't. And the second lap was worse because EVERYONE was walking their bike so the trail was just crap.
I couldnt feel my toes because I was wearing biking shoes, and I was already pretty tired with no hope of really getting to ride my bike. But I didn't quit. When I finished, I learned that there were a couple of people, triathletes, who did so that added to my personal victory as well. During the awards ceremony (our team somehow took 3rd....but out of 4 teams) they said they will definitely NOT make the bike leg as long next year.
All in all I am so happy we did it, and it was, as someone put it, a character building experience. Here are some photos for you:

This is a weary Lindsey trying to jog up the hill to the finish line. Let me just say the snow you see here is not representative of what the course actually looked like....this is the stuff that was fun to ride on!

The husbands (and Jenny our skier's baby girl) were all on hand to encourage, and drink beer.

The toast to finishing! I love this picture. It just sums up our time and note that we finished that bottle!

And this is a picture I had to share from Chad's boys' weekend with Gabe... Blast and Cast as they called it. I feel like the pic explains it all. They had fun and they love eachother, which is a big deal to Brandi and I!

A good week

2010-01-09T11:20:00.000-08:00

This last week was good. I started my new job, and I feel like I am where I belong for the first time since leaving RiverStone Health. I know my job situation has been confusing but all yoiu need to know at this point is that I permanently work for the Montana Department of Health and Human Services. And I love it.
I got back on a snowboard over New Years for the first time since 2006. And I liked it! So my very sweet and amazing hubby bought me a whole set-up this week and I guess that means I will be snowboarding from now on. I will feel like a big poser at first because of my nice board and all....but I am very thanksful and excited!
New Years was just a blast. We were at Moonlight Basin with dear friends and it was so much fun. We were sitting in a hot tub at midnight watching fireworks over Lone Mountain, it was awesome. And the snow was great.
I will post pictures soon, when I remember to take some :)

Lindsey's Decade in Review

2009-12-30T09:42:00.000-08:00

This was really fun to think about. I am inserting facts as well as personal asides that stand out. I would highly recommend you all post one of your own!!
2000

Graduated from Billing Senior High not one C all 4 years, did not attend senior keg, was driving the 1993 Grand Am and smoked my first cigarette (got sick)
Began freshman year of college at Montana State University in Bozeman-drove belongings up early in Ray Womack's truck with Reese and Joy, that was when we knew we were grown-ups :)

2001

First big break-up in my life, continued school at Bozeman and sang in a band that would lead me to my first real heartbreak
Got my first cell phone-it was blue
Spent the summer in Bozeman. This was when Bozeman got smaller in the summer and things slowed down and the rivers weren't bursting at the seams with people....it was amazing!

2002

Finished my second year of college only to decide I needed a break from college.
Went on a week long road trip from Bozeman to Vegas to LA to San Fran and back to Bozeman with 2 of my best friends
Decided to attend Rockford Master's Commission in Rockford, IL

2003

Attended my 2nd year at RMC
Worked Construction in Chicago with my "biological" dad for the summer
Had Dave Matthews Band concert tickets that I gave up because I worked from 3:30 in the morning to 3:00 in the afternoon and thought I would be too tired....this is one regret from the decade :)
Did disaster relief work in Tecoman, Mexico after their earthquake
Did disaster relief work in Newfoundland, Canada after they experienced some freezing and flash flooding--this involved a roadtrip from Chicago to Newfoundland and meant that I got to visit Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Quebec

2004

Went to Argentina
Moved from Illinois to Bozeman to finish school
Started teaching aerobics
October 5th kissed Chad for the first time

2005

I live with the best roomate ever (Brandi) and it seems like we have a slumber party every day
July 4th engaged on backpacking trip to Chad
Go on Alaskan cruise with Family 2 weeks before wedding
September 10 Married--the wedding where would I even begin?
Move in to a basement apartment and meet Amber

2006

Graduate from college!
First "real job" at CareNet of Billings
Chad and I buy our first (of many) vehicle together-the Volkswagen GTI

2007

Begin working at Yellowstone City-County Health Department
Go to Sonoma County on vacation
Buy our first house on December 22

2008

Chad breaks his ankle playing Rugby with no health insurance(not a highlight)
Chad works for Myers Custom Homes
Chase and Mara are married

2009

Sell our house
Move to Helena
Begin working for the State Health Department
Get Lops

2010-2020-

Run for office?
Learn to snowboard?
Build a house?
Have kids?

I tried!

2009-12-24T06:22:00.000-08:00

I tried 2 times yesterday to post things, once was pictures and once was a long typed out post and both times they didn't work.....what's up with that?! So annoying.
So today is Christmas Eve, and I have to work. But only until noon and then I am singing tonight in the Christmas Eve Service, and then we are off to Billings! I am especially excited to be in Billings for Christmas not sure why exactly but I am.
So Narrate is going well and we are having 2 Christmas Eve Services which will be held at a really cool local theatre in downtown (beautiful). Chad is working away and loving what he id doing, and I am still very grateful for my temporary position here at DLI which will wrap up next week!!
We are going to Big Sky for New Years (you can be jealous, it's ok) and I am really trying to psych myself out for snowboarding...but don't worry I will wear a helmet AND bring my cross country skis with me, for good measure.
I have some ridiculously cute pictures of Lops that I tried to post yesterday and will try again....that cat got a little scratching post from Chase and Mara for Christmas and we sprinkle cat nip on it and he goes crazy, it is so entertaining. Or maybe we are just crazy cat people who knows?
Merry Christmas everyone, I pray you have the peace of Christ this, and every day.

Lindsey

If ever I felt like Martha Stewart, it was today!

2009-12-15T10:21:00.001-08:00

This week should be called the Calorie Fest at my office. We have had bring your favorite Christmas treat day, bring a candy cane day, bring your favorite cookie day and today is Potluck day! So with a lack of time and a desire to be remotely healthy I bought cherry tomatoes and mozzarella pearls from Costco and skewered them on toothpicks then slapped them on a plate and drizzled olive oil and balsamic over them......brilliant I thought! So I felt I should share it with you all in case you find yourself in a similar predicament :)
L

Job Job Job

2009-12-13T15:00:00.000-08:00

I got a job offer on Friday!! And I accepted it. I am so dang excited about it, I could potentially bore you with the fine details, but I will resist. I will be working for the State Department of Public Health and Human Services on a program that is helping the Local and State Health Departments become accredited. Here are the most exciting things to me about this position:
1. It is working in Public Health
2. It is working to make Public Health better (the accreditation process is similar to JACHO for hospitals and is like a big quality improvement initiative)
3. It is in ALL areas of Public Health not just one, so I won't JUST work on cancer prevention I will get to learn about environmental health and community health centers too
4. Are you ready for this? It is only 30 hours a week. Which means I can teach more classes at the Health Club and maybe even begin working on my personal trainers certification.
5. State benefits are pretty good

So, needless to say God is good and I am grateful.
I have pictures to add but it won't let me, so I will try again later. Thanks for your prayers a support!!

Chad does Chicago

2009-12-05T09:12:00.000-08:00

Ok, these are out of order but I just don't care......do you? Didn't think so.

This is the Christmas around the world exhibit at the Museum of Science and Industry (the BEST museum in Chicago if you go, go here!)

Chad at the helm (sp?)

This is a really cool exhibit, it is the actual U-505 German submarine that was captured by the US in WWI, and probably provided our allied forces with the German intelligence that won the war. It is one of 4 that exist above the sea (the rest were destroyed in battles)

Chicago skyline on Wabash Ave.

On our first day in the city, we went to the Field Museum and came out of there around 5:00pm and saw this beautiful scene. That is Grant Park between the museum steps and the skyline, the park that Obama celebrated his presidential win in (kinda cool)

Chad at the Field Museum, looking at cool animals.....

This is us at the Field Museum again, my cousin Rachel was with us but we didn't get any pictures together :(

Chad in front of the Field Museum

We walked through Grant Park.

We had a great time, saw a lot of things and the family all got my grandma moved into her new house. It was a good trip for sure!!

2009-12-02T20:39:00.001-08:00

I am so out of the blog loop! I have lots of Chicago pics to post, will get that done soon. I can't wait to share them!

Provision

2009-11-19T09:17:00.001-08:00

In this season of Thanksgiving I sure have a lot to be thankful for! And the job situation is looking good.

I have been offered the job at the State with the Department of Labor and Industry(the one I learned about while having a beer). And here is the sweet part, it is classified as temporary because that way I can be hired right away and don't have to go through the process of hiring stuff. then it will be classified and if I like what I am doing I can apply and if not, I can keep looking for other work and not look like a job-hopper. And they are matching what I was paid when I left the Health Department!
(can someone tell the lady behind me to QUIT CLEARING HER THROAT!!)continuing......

Also I have an interview this afternoon at the Chamber of Commerce and who knows how that will go. I have this feeling that since I am not at all banking on the Chamber job or worried about doing well in the interview, my nerves will be absent and I will do well in the interview...you know how that works?

So all that to say thank you for your prayers.....even if it was just a second thought as you read my blog, they are heard. And for reasons I don't understand, God needs us to be involved in life here on earth and he listens when we pray.
Prayer (and the fact that God loves me lots) is all I can credit for this unemployment thing going so smoothly and quickly.

In other news, I got my blackberry back so I am connected again and loving it......Chad also got a smartphone and that is a whole other post!

Watch out world.....I'm unemployed!

2009-11-14T10:27:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was my bittersweet last day as the office manager at Narrate. It is bitter because I really love the staff and leadership of my church and I will miss them, not to mention I had a sweet Mac computer that I fell in love with. It is sweet because I am confident that leaving was the right thing and the new office manager is already going to blow me out of the water with her mad skills.

I left on a great note, I forgot to run an errand that was asked of me and we realized it literally as I was leaving on Friday after work. Case in point I am not meant to manage an office!

So here are my current job prospects:

Last night while having a beer at one of the local breweries I ran into a man that I worked with at the State when I was at the health department who asked what I was doing in Helena. When I told him I was unemployed he promptly gave me his card and said to come see him on Monday and he would hire me......sweet! Let's hope it was the good impression I left and not the beer talking!
I am working (today actually) on a grant proposal for restoring a building downtown using Reinvestment Act funding. Getting grants always makes for a good resume addition!
I have applied to several jobs in town--no word on any of them yet.
I still have my aerobics job!

So there you have it. I am also open to working at Macy's or a coffee shop for a while if need be. I will keep you posted!

3WMT (three wolf moon t-shirt)

2009-11-12T09:57:00.000-08:00

Is this old news?? Not sure but it is funny none-the-less.
If you go to Amazon.com and search for the three wolf moon t-shirt, you will have hours of funny reading in front of you. No I have not read them all........
The reviews (there are 1,550 of them) of this "amazing" t-shirt all sound something like this:

"This item has wolves on it which makes it intrinsically sweet and worth 5 stars by itself, but once I tried it on, that's when the magic happened. After checking to ensure that the shirt would properly cover my girth, I walked from my trailer to Wal-mart with the shirt on and was immediately approached by women. The women knew from the wolves on my shirt that I, like a wolf, am a mysterious loner who knows how to 'howl at the moon' from time to time (if you catch my drift!). The women that approached me wanted to know if I would be their boyfriend and/or give them money for something they called mehth. I told them no, because they didn't have enough teeth, and frankly a man with a wolf-shirt shouldn't settle for the first thing that comes to him.

I arrived at Wal-mart, mounted my courtesy-scooter (walking is such a drag!) sitting side saddle so that my wolves would show. While I was browsing tube socks, I could hear aroused asthmatic breathing behind me. I turned around to see a slightly sweaty dream in sweatpants and flip-flops standing there. She told me she liked the wolves on my shirt, I told her I wanted to howl at her moon. She offered me a swig from her mountain dew, and I drove my scooter, with her shuffling along side out the door and into the rest of our lives. Thank you wolf shirt.

Pros: Fits my girthy frame, has wolves on it, attracts women
Cons: Only 3 wolves (could probably use a few more on the 'guns'), cannot see wolves when sitting with arms crossed, wolves would have been better if they glowed in the dark."

Funny.....I think

2009-11-05T15:24:00.000-08:00

Chad and I do the weekly announcements at our church, since we meet in a movie theater, they are pre-recorded and shown on the big screen. So, if you are bored or just want to laugh at Chad's antics....check out the link below :)

Narrate News
If you want to see others, click here

Some beautiful things to look at

2009-11-05T10:39:00.000-08:00

Want to look at pretty stuff you can't afford? Then here are some fun sites to get ideas from at least!
garance do're
Remodelista: Sourcebook for the considered home
Lonny Magaize
Refinery 29 Independent Style Defined and Refined
this is a great food one: food52
Enjoy!

Updates

2009-10-30T11:51:00.000-07:00

As of October 30, 2009:

I will have my last day at Narrate Church as office manager on November 15. I will miss the people I work around but God has been good to me and given me much peace about what may be ahead.
I have applied for 5 jobs in Helena, all of which I think I would enjoy
I have not heard from any of the said jobs.....yet!
Chad and I are going to Chicago for Thanksgiving!!! My wonderful grandma is flying us out there for 8 days. Also joining us are my only 2 cousins (on that side of the fam) and Chad has not even met one of them, I can not express how exciting this is
While in Chicago close to Christmas time, I just may have the chance to go to Michigan Ave. and see the one-of-a-kind Christmas displays
Today is Chad's last day at 406, the retail shop he has been working at. This is good news because it means he has enough woodworking work to keep us afloat.
I lost a dear friend last week. He was my parents (and mine) next door neighbor. Jim was the grandpa I never had. He fought an 11-year battle with lymphoma so I am glad he is not in pain anymore but I have never lost anyone this close before. And I am learning a new level of grieving . It may seem weird that he was my neighbor and I am so sad, but he was so amazing I don't have the space even begin to tell the stories. But I find myself wanting to cry at the store out of nowhere. I guess that is part of growing up.
I am looking forward to meeting baby Joel and hopefully Sawyer too, not to mention spending some much needed girl time with priceless friends.
I leave you with a fun group picture:

I totally chickened out....

2009-10-26T12:44:00.001-07:00

Ok, first things first. Lops demanded that I show you how cute he is before anything else....so here you have it, the cat that sleeps in the most awkward positions:

Chad bought me this hat and it matches Lops, not to mention makes me look like I am 15,

Ok, here are two really cheesy before and after haircut pictures, notice the terrible roots in the first one, man I needed a color!
So I decided I like my long hair, and that just because I wasn't cutting it off didn't mean I was that woman who is afraid to change her hair and therefore was destined to have the same haircut for the next 20 years.....it just meant for now I like my hair long :) And I got bangs with a caramel color. I am very satisfied. Thanks for all of your help in processing this life altering decision ha ha.

A few more details...

2009-10-23T08:28:00.000-07:00

Here is what my hair looks like now(this picture is from Ales for Trails)...it is getting pretty long and I like it but I put it in a pony tail A LOT. Here is the cut I am considering :

Can I just say how fun it is that even though you guys are miles away we can still talk about my haircut?! gotta love blogging :)

Question

2009-10-22T10:59:00.001-07:00

My hair is the longest it has ever been....and I am thinking it is time to chop chop it off. Any thoughts or suggestions??

Bozeman ladies

2009-10-20T14:03:00.000-07:00

While I was at the Ridge this past weekend I asked if I could get some week passes for my friends (this is not a hint in any way, I just thought that while I was there I would try ya know?) So they said that anyone who goes there and wears a pink shirt will get a free week pass! That is anyone in Bozeman or surrounding areas. I am sure you have heard this on the radio or something but just in case!

The weekend was very good. (I was at an instructor training at the Ridge in Bozeman). It was one of the most physically challenging things I have ever done. There were marathon runners and triathletes there who were challenged.....but I made it and I passed(not everyone did). We were seriously doing aerobics from 8am-9pm on Saturday and then 7am-3pm on Sunday. I have never done that many push ups and plyometric lunges in my life. But that stuff is always a good feeling when you finish.

What I am loving right now

2009-10-15T09:10:00.000-07:00

Whenever my friends do this on their blog I think to myself, "I have such cool friends!" I also really like it. So in an effort to make you think I am cool (wink wink) here is what I am loving right now:

Helena, Montana: it is small enough to walk everywhere(almost) but big enough to have culture and things like an independent film movie theater, art museums and an amazing trail system that is right out my back door. You really need to visit us!
www.steepandcheap.com: I got a pair of $120 sunglasses for $30 on here, they have REALLY good deals on outdoor gear from bikes, to mittens to down sleeping bags. They put a new "deal" up every 20 minutes so it can get kind of addicting to check the site because you really don't know what will be next but that's also what makes it fun. Can you say Christmas shopping??
Dry Shampoo: Don't judge me, but I maybe wash my hair once every 4 days or so because of this amazing product. And I am at the gym on a regular basis too, so I DO shower, I just don't wash my hair. Instead I spray this in it and am good to go, I think that is why I have been able to grow my hair out, not to mention get ready in 20 minutes in the morning. Try it, you'll like it. (the one below is the 4th kind I have tried and is by far my fave)

Body ATTACK: I always tell people that me teaching group fitness is like my hobby, it is the same way some people enjoy running marathons-or ultra-marathons if you are Joy! So I have started a new adventure in this part of my life and am getting certified to teach this fun class. It is like sports conditioning meets 80's aerobics, and I love it!! I will say it again, you should come visit me :)
Comments have been a little sparse here people....just saying you are welcome to leave feedback, as it makes it fun for all!

Friday laughs....

2009-10-09T15:26:00.001-07:00

Messy

2009-10-06T08:33:00.000-07:00

Thank you so much for your prayers and well wishes for the weekend. It is hard in to measure "success" in the world of starting a new church. Everyone wants numbers, which is so hard because does that really equal success? I think not. But this weekend went amazingly well. Adam's message was on Absolutism vs. Mystery and how Christianity does not mean we have to know all of the answers. This was a pretty bold message for a Grand Opening service. So when I say this weekend was a success, I mean that people gave us feedback along the lines of the message was "life filled" and "freeing". So thanks!!

Also, here are some fun pictures from a project we have been doing in Helena.

There is a huge problem with pine beetle infestation in the Helena National Forest, so they are logging all of these dead trees to reduce the fire hazard. Problem is, what do they do with the trees? This winter they will be giving out free loads of wood to families that need it, so we have spent 2 Saturdays cutting the wood and getting it ready for distribution:

Here is what we started with:

And here is the end result! not too shabby...

If you think about it...

2009-10-01T08:33:00.000-07:00

Would you pray for this weekend? It is the official "Grand Opening" for Narrate Church.
What that means is that to this point, we have not advertised our church at all. But this week, we did some substantial advertising. We sent a post card (with the image you see at the top of this post)to 21,000 homes and put up a billboard.

Right now what I find myself praying is this: "God, we came here and started this thing because we believed that there was a need to be met. I pray that the people you want us to serve and reach would come and check us out, and give us a chance. And that when they give us a chance we would represent your heart well."

Thanks friends and family!!!

Simplicity and 4 years of Marriage

2009-09-17T13:27:00.000-07:00

I will start with simplicity... We (thank God) were able to sell our Vibe and got this beauty for me to drive this week. The car payment and full coverage insurance was managable, but we decided that money would be better going to pay off school (you know, the huge loans Chad has from being a fraternity boy for 2 years and getting no degree.....another post I suppose).
So now I am driving this fabulous car that is as old as I am and I love it. There is no radio, power steering or cup holders but it is in immaculate condition and has only had one owner! This change has been nice and I am excited to put our money to something else!
4 years of marriage....September 10th was our anniversary and we made our celebratory trip to Dillion area. This year we rented a Forest Service cabin that was only 38 miles from Dillon, but was a 3 hour drive because the roads we took only allow you to go 5-15 mph. It was such a good time!!
We saw a Mountain Lion, Mountain Goats and a Coyote.....

some flowers at work, always a sweet gesture!

This one is for Aubyn to make you smile :) .... Lops is showing off that he got his staples out like a champ and still has 2 big awkward lumps on his stomach that look like his balls were kicked up into his guts....the vet assures us they are just the remnants of his hernia and should go away :)

This and That..

2009-09-01T10:11:00.000-07:00

Here are a few day-in-the-life pics...not to assume you are that interested in my life here in Helena, but I am more so excited to share with you :)
This is the new sign we have outside of my office...we are very legit If I can use a straw, I will. I just prefer it that's all. So after seeing me constantly use a straw in my Nalgene my sweet husband made me this little invention of his own. :) It is great!
Ok, these next few pictures are of our weekend services. We meet at a movie theater here in Helena and it is a great place to have a service! we put out info cards etc. in the coke cups in case you wondered what those are about....another bonus is that we don't have to set up chairs or screens!
The lobby
And the outside theater...

$600 for a cat...

2009-08-26T10:51:00.000-07:00

We noticed a large bulge on Lops last night so we took him to the vet this morning to have it looked at. They called today and he has a hernia. It is going to be anywhere from $600-750 to fix and I have no idea what to do. I love the little guy.....but $750 could pay off Chad's truck you know?? So any words of advice or budding vet surgeons who want to practice??

I like learning....

2009-08-18T14:50:00.000-07:00

"Think of what could happen in the next few years if too many good conservative people sit back and do nothing ... while less scrupulous and more desperate conservative people whip their followers into a frenzy through fear and inaccurate information." Edmund Burke

Health Care Reform.....I encourage you to read this open letter if you are like me and want some help on how to center your thoughts and ideas on this issue pressing our country, and want to resist the urge to stay uneducated. Some great links at the bottom of the letter as well!

one other thing, would you give me your thoughts on the letter if you read it?? Even if you just skim it I am interested!

Lops's adventures in Helena

2009-08-13T09:40:00.000-07:00

Months ago when Aubyn started telling us about this cat that found them, that was really sweet I was jealous because I love cats (even though Snookums, my childhood cat was mean and crabby) So when Aubyn needed someone to tak this cat off her hands because she was moving I said I wanted him.

Being the honest person I am I felt I should call and ask my landlord if I could have him.....he said no. So I had to call Aubyn and say I couldn't have Lops. She ended up having to take him to the shelter in Billings. In the mean time the other 2 people that live in our "no pets allowed" apartment got a lab puppy and a cat! So when Mara went to Billings she went to the shelter and got Lops for me!

I am so glad she did because he is the sweetest thing. And now for the pictures:

I will do my best to avoid this....

But this little kitty is so fun!

Chad loves him as much as I do

cute pic of both

Here is how Lops spends his days: this tree is right outside our door and on the morning he goes outside and climbs this tree, his own personal perch, then he sits there all day until we come home! He likes to act like he is stuck and try to get you to let him down, but he can make it just fine on his own!

10 minute Summer dinner

2009-08-11T13:50:00.000-07:00

Avocado & Crab(or Salmon) With Marie Rose Sauce

Serves: 4

Time: 10 minutes

This was a yummy, healthy, quick no-cook summer meal I thought I would share!

Ingredients:

8 ounces fresh jumbo lump crab meat--or you can also use Salmon that is leftover or canned

1 lemon, cut in half

coarse salt

freshly ground black pepper

1/3 cup Veganaise or your favorite mayonnaise

1 tablespoon ketchup

1 small shallot, finely grated

2 avocados, cut in half, pits discarded

In a medium bowl, squeeze the juice from one half of the lemon over the crab and stir to combine with a large pinch of salt and a few
grinds of black pepper. Whisk the Veganaise, ketchup and shallot together in a large bowl and fold in the crab, being sure not to break
it up too much. Fill each avocado half with a quarter of the crab salad. Cut the remaining lemon into wedges and serve alongside the
stuffed avocados.

Summer in Helena...

2009-08-03T08:04:00.001-07:00

We have been busy exploring and experiencing the outdoors around Helena this summer. It has been so much fun to go to new places and see new things.

We have especially enjoyed an area really close to Helena called Blue Cloud that is a group of spires about 20-minutes away that have amazingly fun climbing routes. This is a really fun 2-pitch route that Chad is on. I had never climbed on anything besides sandstone, and this is all granite...I feel invincible!!

We went on a 2-day backpacking trip in the Helena National Forest with Adam and Theresa. This is the only picture I took, but Chad caught a lot of fish that day (these are just what we kept to eat) which means he had a great day!

This picture is really terrible...but it could sum up so much of this summer: Chad, me, Chase and Mara sitting around a campfire talking and camping....

We also went to Canyon Ferry with my family and I neglected to take pictures!

This last weekend we joined the Balguas and the Hollys at their annual Seeley Lake vacation...

We all water skied

I have to note, that this was Chad's first time EVER on water skis, and he got up on the first try, then proceeded to tear it up on the water....dare devil that he is he kept telling Jenny to go faster but she couldn't go any faster and feel good about his safety should he crash.

Tyler, Jenny's hubby, on one ski:

And this is just a beautiful shot, we didn't get off the water until 9:30 or so.....we were just having too much fun.

I also had to share 3 other exciting things....

1) I start teaching cycling this week on a regular basis at a health club here....this will be very good for my sanity!

2) Chad got a remodel job (to supplement his 30 hr/week other job) that he is excited about as retail for Chad is not the easiest thing for an active guy!

3) We got Aubyn's kitty Lops after much fiasco. More on that to come!

Words to Live By

2009-07-14T17:41:00.000-07:00

I am in one of those seasons where I feel like every day I am learning something new...I'm sure no one is surprised by this :)

#1 "The quickest way to reach the sun and the light of day is not to run west chasinng after it, but to head east into the darkness until you finally reach the sunrise" Gerald Sittser

#2 " By failing to let others be themselves before God and move at their own pace, we inevitably project onto them our own discomfort with their choice to live life differently than we do. We end up eliminating them in our minds, trying to make others like us, abandoning them altogether or falling into a 'who cares?' indifference toward them." Pete Scazzero

#3 "In Him and through faith in Him, we can approach God with freedom and confidence." ~Ephesians 3:12 this is a great antidote for insecurity

#4 The Lord is faithful to all his promises, and loving toward all he has made. the Lord upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down." Psalms 145:13 & 14

~As I write this Chad is cooking dinnner, as he recently has decided that he really likes cooking! He is a great cook and I am enjoying this new passion. We have been busy lately but bad at taking pictures of it. We found a fun climbing spot about 20 minutes from our house that has been a good and has gotten us back on the rocks. This last weekend we also did our first backpacking trip in the Helena National Forest with Adam and Theresa, this was a great trip and we enjoyed good weather.

Chad also got a job!! He is going to be working at a local shop called 406. They are a skateboard/ski/clothing shop. I know it sounds like a weird fit at first, but he is so excited to take a break from construction--mostly the bidding and financial stress of construction! He loves Helena too and we are getting to experience a neat part of marriage that we hadn't yet in Billings because we knew so many people and had such deep roots. Here it has become easier and more necessary to rely on eachother and just be together more.
This is getting long, I will wrap it up and bring pictures next time!
Thanks for your prayers!!!

photos.....

2009-06-21T16:36:00.000-07:00

This weekend we went to the Crazy Mountains and stayed in a Forest Service Cabin with Brando and Gabe.....more refreshing than any of us expected!

Last weekend Chad and Chase were in a wedding....so we took the photo op.

The apartment:

Here is looking into the bedroom and attached bathroom.....

Do you like the bikes in the middle of the room?? Me too...

And we still do not have internet at our apartment, not until my hubby gets a job :) So until next time!

Helena.....what I like and what I am learning to like

2009-06-18T07:10:00.000-07:00

What I like:

Walking....you can seriously walk everywhere here, well mostly everywhere. But my morning walk to work has proven to be very good for the mind.

Bumble and Bumble....this is my favorite hair care brand and in Billings the store that carried it picked up different brands, so I could not find it and it is hard to order off the internet. But there is a cute salon here that carries most of their products!

Apartment Life....I thought that parting with our first house together would be way harder than it was. In fact I am so happy to be back to the simplicity of living in a rented apartment I didn't cry or anything about our old house. We drove past it last weekend when we were in Billings and the lawn was all overgrown and unkept, but we were like "not our problem!" Our little apartment is just right for us and in a really great location.

Job....there are so many things that are different about working a government job vs. a church. I mean, does it get more opposite?? I feel like now all of a sudden I live life with a Jesus fish on my back, and I won't even put one on my car! That is exaggerating a touch, but it is a huge adjustment. I really like that I sit by a nice big window instead of in a corner cubicle, and that I am a part of this new church in Helena (more on that to come). At the moment it is just me and the lead pastor here every day the other 2 staffers will start in July and that will be good.

Marriage....owning a business and selling a house and trying to move was taking it's toll for sure. Not that we were fighting, we just were managing things and not giving our marriage its deserved attention. Now that we are both here and Chad doesn't even have a job yet we have had a lot of time to hang out and go to lunch or for walks after work etc. it has been very nice.

What I am learning to like:

Crossroads....this is the name of the gym I will be teaching cycling and group fitness at here. It seems like a really nice place but it is going to be hard to replace my YMCA friends. The morning crew of ladies at the Y taught me more about "the church" than I could have ever expected. And my cycling class was a conglomerate of people from all walks of life that just loved when new people came and they could encourage them and get them to enjoy the sport of cycling. You just don't find groups like that!! And I have gone to a number of classes at this new club and not one instructor has introduced themselves to me as a new person in their class. A big no no in my book! I always welcome new people before class and try to catch them afterward to invite them back, I think intimidating environments at gyms are the reason people don't go! I digress....

MAC....my whole work life now is done in Mac, this is a change but a good one I am sure.

Leadership and spirituality....my spirituality and personal walk with God has not been linked to my "job" for a long time, and I guess I am in the process of figuring out with God how to strike a healthy balance.

Changing gears, I have so much to say about church but I feel like this is a much longer post than I intended so I will leave you with this: we have our first "preview service" on June 28th!!

Narrate church:

Our first

some pictures

2009-06-06T11:14:00.000-07:00

My dear friend Amber was married on May 23 and we got some fun pictures: I really like this picture of Chad and Chase just kickin it before the reception dinner....

This picture captures this couple well!

Photo op!!

Also a picture I love...

My first week in Helena has gone well. I love my job, in fact it has not felt like a job at all, but rather a really great place to go during the day and do things I love. I get to do a little bit of everything--finances--talking with people--go to the post office etc. And I like that. It would be hard for me to do the same things all day everyday.

I also picked up the book Emotionally Healthy Spirituality at the prompting of my mentor and I am really learning a lot from it. (I feel like this is not a new book, and I am sure others have read it, but it is my first discovery of it). I would highly recommend it to anyone who has grown up loving God and in the church. It just sheds some freeing light on common lies we believe such as "if I am feeling angry I should just pray about it until it goes away"..... I always appreciate books that offer a solid biblical perspective on bringing holistic approaches to our walks with Jesus.

I am hoping to post pictures of our appartment and my office soon....but at the moment they are not a "put together" as I want to broadcast :)

moving.....Helena or bust!

2009-05-28T15:03:00.000-07:00

.....I have not felt this level of stress for a long time. Maybe even ever. I really don't want to complain because at the end of the day I know I am richly blessed but these last couple of days have been crazy.

It began at the beginning of the week when my husband (bless his heart--as they say in the south) was still working on a project for his job out of our garage. I began to panic that he was not going to finish the job and not to mention we have to have the entire house cleared of everything by Friday. That includes the many many tools that are housed in our garage. So he continued to work long hours to finish the project and I got a load moved up with ,y mom on Monday and Tuesday.

Then yesterday (2 days before closing) we get a call from our realtor that the buyers want to RENEGOTIATE THE SALE PRICE WITH US!!! are you kidding me?? Up went the blood pressure....long stroy short, the radon came back slightly high and though they were way outside their negotiating time they wanted us to lower the price. Let me add that the house already appraised for much more than they are paying. We decided that we were done working with these people and to say no, we wouldn't lower the price and if that meant them backing out them so be it.
Today our realtor (who by the way is the best ever--should you be looking for one let me know) called and said that we were still on to close tomorrow. YAY!!!

All that stress for nothing. Isn't that usually the case though? So we will be going this weekend for the final time. No more transition, no more house selling, and no more naughty home buyers to deal with!!
Next time I will post pictures of our cute new place!! thanks

Cha-Cha-Cha-Changes.....

2009-05-19T15:23:00.000-07:00

We took a huge load of our things to Helena last weekend and are mostly moved. In the mean time we are finishing the final details of selling the house and Chad is finishing up work.

I had my last day of work on Wednesday of last week. It was bittersweet for sure. I left with a sense of gratitude for all I was able to learn and do in that job and at the same time I am so excited for what lies ahead and ready to get going on this next chapter.

I will begin work on June 1st. I am not sure when I will officially move up to Helena between now and then, since we have lots to wrap up and Chad will continue to be in Billings for a month or so working on a few jobs.

My parents are letting us stay with them while we are in this transition and here are a few pictures of their growing puppies for your enjoyment.

This last picture was taken one morning when about 7 of us ended up at Esther's coffee shop with all of our dogs...Budsey was there but he is like an old man around puppies he just growl es and acts annoyed so we stuck him in the truck!

I'm just sayin'

2009-05-08T16:29:00.001-07:00

Let me preface by saying that I have only good intentions with this post. Working at a health department I have had the opportunity to get training and education that not everyone does. One area is in the recent influenza outbreak. There are 2 things I wish more people realized:

1. If something does not happen or get as big as it could have--it does not mean that people over reacted....it means that Public Health did their job. This is always the case!! Why don't you get disease when you drink the water in the U.S., or go to eat at a restaurant?? Public Health did their job! Why don't you contract tuberculosis from the homeless man, it is also because Public Health did their job. So in this case with H1N1, if it doesn't get any bigger and peaks and dies off....it isn't because people over reacted it is because Public Health took necessary measures and did our job.

2. 1918 influenza epidemic. Please take a second to read this exerpt from www.archives.gov:
World War I claimed an estimated 16 million lives. The influenza epidemic that swept the world in 1918 killed an estimated 50 million people. One fifth of the world's population was attacked by this deadly virus. Within months, it had killed more people than any other illness in recorded history.
The plague emerged in two phases. In late spring of 1918, the first phase, known as the "three-day fever," appeared without warning. Few deaths were reported. Victims recovered after a few days. When the disease surfaced again that fall, it was far more severe. Scientists, doctors, and health officials could not identify this disease which was striking so fast and so viciously, eluding treatment and defying control. Some victims died within hours of their first symptoms. Others succumbed after a few days; their lungs filled with fluid and they suffocated to death.
The plague did not discriminate. It was rampant in urban and rural areas, from the densely populated East coast to the remotest parts of Alaska. Young adults, usually unaffected by these types of infectious diseases, were among the hardest hit groups along with the elderly and young children. The flu afflicted over 25 percent of the U.S. population. In one year, the average life expectancy in the United States dropped by 12 years.
It is an oddity of history that the influenza epidemic of 1918 has been overlooked in the teaching of American history. Documentation of the disease is ample, as shown in the records selected from the holdings of the National Archives regional archives. Exhibiting these documents helps the epidemic take its rightful place as a major disaster in world history.

Ignorance is bliss but knowledge is powerful.....I'm just sayin'

2009-05-04T10:33:00.000-07:00

First things first, we found a 1-bedroom apartment in Helena this weekend and the home inspection is today(for the sale of our house), so we should have the concrete things on our move solidified by the end of this week which will be a huge relief but also it will make this thing a reality, which I don't think has happened for me yet!

For laughs, please check out the following short commercials courtesy of my mom:

is it an afro or a mullet?

2009-04-30T15:44:00.000-07:00

She obviously wasn't trying to stand out or anything......but the lady in the back with the hair, can we talk about that??

Chicago, Family and more of the puppies

2009-04-28T15:41:00.000-07:00

Recently I road tripped with my mom (yes we drove and no we won't probably do it again) to Chicago land.
We had a lot of fun on the road trip and when we got there is was kind of a mad rush to see my family, and friends all of whom I had not seen in 4 years. So here are some of the stops we made: i was able to spend one evening with the Tonon family. Some of you met them at our wedding but this family was my sanity during a hard 2 years away from home figuring out who I was. they were there through it all and are like family to me. The Tonon's are renowned for their entertaining and they did not disappoint when I was there. We had a great meal and then Tim busted out the guitar and we sang and danced....I have missed them so much.....

I also got to see my dear friend Lyndie who drove with me from Illinois to Montana when I moved back and that was the last time I have seen her, since then she has gotten married and had 2 kids!! plus managed to stay one hot mama...

I also got to spend some quality time with my sister Jeri--who's wonderful-ness could take up it's own post altogether but I will just say we don't get to see each other enough. She is the only family member from my biological dad's side of the family who came to our wedding....and we kinda look alike I think.

And last but not least here are the puppies (my mom and dad's) on their first trip to Esther's, our local coffee shop.

Inspiration

2009-04-21T15:07:00.000-07:00

On Thursday I got a phone call from our Realtor with the bad news that the buyer of our house had backed out--which was possible because the papers had been signed pending a home inspection. So needless to say I was tempted to be discouraged and had that conversation with God of "Don't know what you are doing, but I know you are trustworthy".

I had to make a drive for work so I listened to a podcast of Rob Bell called "Shine Like Stars". The cool story that lifted my spirits that was the main part of this talk goes something like:

There is an ancient Rabbinical story about 2 Hebrew slaves who, while crossing the parted sea, were too busy looking down and complaining about the mud on their feet and in between their toes to look up and notice the walls of water being held back for their safe passage.

Perspective.

So, Monday night I am driving home from work and noticed 3 missed calls from Chad. I called him back and learned that a new couple had signed papers and turned in earnest money to purchase our house!! The even better part is that the first person made an offer WAY lower than we were asking, but for the sake of headache we accepted it. And this offer is exactly what we asked. We are taken care of and protected. I just had to share.

I still need to write about my trip to Illinois with my mom but have not had time! more to come soon!

A Big Week!!!

2009-04-15T10:42:00.000-07:00

Here is a quick update on the life of the Krywaruchka's:

I was in Illinois visiting family and friends all last week. This was a great time but I scheduled myself WAY. TO. MUCH! And honestly feel like I need the weekend to come fast so I can recover.
While I was in Illinois, we signed a buy/sell on our house!!! It all depends now on the inspection--but seeing as how we just had one 2 years ago, this should go just fine. If that is the case, we will close on May 8th....wow that is coming fast.
I gave my 30-day notice at work yesterday. This was sad-releiving-and exciting all at the same time. My last day will be May 13th, then I will have 2 1/2 weeks off to move.
We are going to go to Moab for a vacation (Joy I am counting on your recommendations!) during those 2 weeks, because we realize it will be a while until we are able to do that again!
Bozeman friends and family: I am going to be in Bozeman tomorrow (Thursday) night, I will try and call but we should hang, since I had to miss Addie's wedding :(

What would a Birthday be without.....

2009-03-31T19:24:00.000-07:00

A bike ride with a group of good friends.......and beer,

Mud pie................

good friends around a bonfire.......................

a domestic dispute across the street that brought a fire truck into the neighborhood........

bikes hanging from the tree.......

a moo-moo and helicopter hat......

and a brother ............?

It would be no fun! Luckily Chad had it all! And as a result was one pooped pup at the end of the night. Happy 28th birthday Chady-Mike