Kim K, a new URL, and volunteering with a fellow blogger!

This fine Saturday evening has found Jesse and I sitting at the kitchen table collectively reading People magazine. I know. It's Saturday night. We're young. We're fun. We're just a barrel of crazy town tonight, aren't we?

So I am perusing through the most recent copy of People mag (Jesse was thumbing through the one from a few weeks back that featured the royal wedding). Kim Kardashian and her new fiance, Kris Humphries are on the cover. I will admit it. I have been known to keep up with a Kardashian or eight. I was slightly obsessed there for a hot minute. However, I think the show jumped the shark this past fall when Kim and Kourtney took on New York. I watched an episode (OK, I watched the same episode like 12 times) and was really mehhh about it. And then I was really over it when the newest Kardashian show about Khloe and Lamar premiered. It's more like Khloe and La-lame. So. Over it. I want to punch Khloe's baby talk voice in the baby face.

Back to the article, though. In their People engagement announcement Kim and Kris gush over their totally cliche proposal. Rose petals, Kris? Is that alls ya got? (Side note: I am totally kidding. Rose petals are very sweet. And I would've gone coo coo for Cocoa Puffs rose petals had Jesse decided to go that route in lieu of his rockin' Rick Astley karaoke proposal) Kim then makes mention of them wanting to get married this summer. Hold up, what? THIS SUMMER? As in OUR SUMMER? Oh no you di'nt, Kim K. I swear if that bimbo tries to get married this summer, and tarnishes our summer of love 2011, I will...I will...well I don't know what I'll do. Clearly I am all talk. I have zero control over when the bootylicious Kim marries her main man. I just feel it's noteworthy that I felt a small twinge of possession over this summer when I learned that Kim was contemplating marriage for the same summer as us. Like it's all mine? Like I bought the rights to the summer of 2011 or something? What the crap, Cooper? Who do you think you are?!?

So my question is this: Were my initial and very now-you-see-them-and-now-you-don't feelings completely over the top and out of control? Was this a bridezilla moment in the making? Have any of my other fellow brides or former brides had a similar and very ridiculous feeling like this before? I haven't until now. But I wanted to share it with you. I hope you laughed at me (I am laughing at me). Perhaps you scoffed at me (what's new, right?). Or maybe you're now googling the crap out of Kim K. That ring is huge, no? Check it out here. And Kris seems like a swell guy. Did you notice he spells his name the same way as Kim's mom, Kris "keeps Bruce's balls in a jar in the kitchen" Jenner? I don't know much more about this pretty boy baller, but I think I like him. I like that he doesn't want to be a main fixture on the Kardashian's empire of E! reality shows. I surely cannot say that for Khloe's husband, La-lame, who also plays for the douchiest basketball team EVER.

Anyways. I am done recapping my alleged bridezilla moment. Here's hoping there won't be many any more. As long as there are no more reality show starring celebutantes yappin' about wedding plans for this summer (Paris, don't you dare!), I think we'll be in the clear. But I am on high alert now, and plan on reigning my b-zilla moments in as much as humanly possible from here on out.

Another wedding related update: We changed our blog URL. It automatically brings you to us if you try the old URL, but we are now officially branded as http://www.jesseandlauren.com/. We are using this blog for people to RSVP to the wedding so we needed something easy to remember. And if you can't remember our names then you probably shouldn't come to our wedding, right? We also figured this whole big fat farm wedding is gonna get pretty old. We plan to ride it through til the wedding day, but we're hoping to come up with some other campy wedded bliss baloney after we tie the ol' knot. So yes, we'll continue to blog post big fat farm wedding. And whatever you do, don't try the address the other way around or you'll be brought to a wedding web page for a couple who got married on New Year's Eve of this past year. We're both in love and share the same names, but the similarities end there. They live in Canada where Lauren is a barrel racer, and Jesse is a professional bull rider. You can't make this stuff up. It's a completely true story.

And last but not least....Jesse and I are meeting up with a local blogger friend of ours tomorrow. Well she is more my friend than Jesse's. Jesse knows about her because I talk about her to him, but they have never officially corresponded before. I have mentioned Carla a few times before on our blog too. She writes Hammers and High Heels. It's a great blog, but sadly her and her family were also victims of the recent tornado that hit North Minneapolis. Their damages were minor in comparison to others, but it was still a very traumatic experience for them. We're all getting together at the bum crack of dawn (OK, it's actually 8am so not that early) to volunteer at the Farview Rec Center. I am looking forward to having an opportunity to help out my community, and also for the opportunity to meet Carla. Let's hope it's not super weird and awkward, right? For those of you who know me, you know I do awkward well. But again, the last person I met from the internet asked me to marry him....soooo....

I will leave you all in suspense as to how it all turns out. More to come soon! ◦

Kim K, a new URL, and volunteering with a fellow blogger!

Tornado Aftermath-volunteer opportunties and donation requests

I was able to do some research this evening regarding disaster relief efforts for the tornado that hit North Minneapolis today. Below is the drop off location and the items needed. I was able to find this information on the NE Minneapolis Crime Watch & Information Facebook page. Feel free to check out that page to learn of any further details. I plan on dropping off some items within the next day or so. Get in contact with me if you'd like me to collect the items from you, and I will make sure to get them to the right place as it's only a mile or so from our home.

Drop Off Location:

1823 Emerson Ave North Minneapolis, MN

Items Needed:

• chain saws, replacement chains, rakes, work gloves, etc.
• Diapers of all sizes, adult and infant, and wet wipes
• Bottled and Gallon Drinking Water
• Tarps of all sizes
• Sunscreen
• Rubbermaid containers of all sizes
• Coolers
• Batteries
• Personal care products (soap, wipes, deodorant, toothpaste, combs, brushes, etc)
• Feminine care products
• Cleaning supplies (convenience items like Lysol wipes, presoaped sponges, shop towels, etc.)
• First-aid items
• Bug spray
• Trash bags and ziploc storage bags of all sizes
• New unopened medicines such as Children's Tylenol/Advil, adult versions, etc.
• Work gloves
• Packing tape, duct tape, etc

I was also able to find this information on the Minneapolis Firefighters Local 82 Facebook page:


"As most of you know the residents of the north side were hit hard today by a tornado and the damage is severe. These are the people we work for and they need our help. If you are willing to volunteer in the next few days with clearing debris, or whatever else is needed please contact me by phone or e-mail. Mark LaKosky L82 952 567 1258 or Joe Mattison at 612-807-3267." ◦

Tornado Aftermath-volunteer opportunties and donation requests

Tornado

Just a few short hours ago a tornado ripped through some northern neighborhoods of Minneapolis. I don't know a lot of the details, but as with any tornado, it is so unbelievably heartbreaking to see the damages it has left behind, and the many people it leaves homeless. We didn't find out about the storms until we got in the car to head home from my parent's place, which is roughly an hour and a half south of Minneapolis on I-35. We nervously followed the coverage as best as possible on the radio, but still didn't know what we would come home to, given the mixed reports we were hearing. It was a very unsettling car ride home. We are thankful to say that our home, and all of the homes within a few blocks of us are in fine shape. There are no visible damages, and no reported injuries (that we know of thus far). Sadly, I cannot say that for our neighbors fifteen to twenty  blocks northeast of us. My heart breaks for them as they are now left to pick up the pieces of this terrible natural disaster.

Since getting home Jesse and I have been watching the news coverage as everything unfolds. I am so amazed. Even in the midst of this tragedy, it warms my broken heart to see the camaraderie of these neighbors. Emergency vehicles are still having difficulties getting into the neighborhoods due to the amount of debris and trees down, but that didn't stop the residents from joining together and doing what they needed to do restore a bit of sanity around them. I saw people clearing branches, and moving heavy trees and debris. My heart swells with pride as I see this happening. If the local police weren't encouraging outside residents to stay away, Jesse and I would be there in a heartbeat to help. And I know that we're not the only ones either. But that's just how we roll in Minnesota. I know Minneapolis can get a bit of a bad rap, but this makes me so proud to call this place home.

Below are a few pictures I grabbed from the Kare 11 website. Take a moment to look at them. And then send happy thoughts to the victims. Or say a little prayer. And if you find yourself in this area, please consider doing what you can to pitch in and help out once we are given the all clear. I am not sure if that's something that will be allowed at any point, but be on the lookout for the opportunity. This particular neighborhood, along with the Harrison neighborhood that borders us are desperately trying to make changes for the positive. Crime rates are higher in these areas, and it doesn't always have a family friendly appeal. This tornado is definitely a major set back for them, but I do believe that even in the midst of tragedy, something good can come of this. That is my hope.

And to all of our friends who have called or sent Facebook and text messages to us asking if we're OK: Thank you for caring. We're so blessed to have such amazing, thoughtful friends and family.

Edit (Sunday night): Jesse and I went on a grocery run this evening. I was hoping we'd avoid the catastrophe all together by heading west for our errands, instead of east where all the damage took place. We didn't realize until we drove by Theodore Wirth Parkway that the tornado missed us by less than a half of a mile. It was nothing short of surreal seeing trees that were decades old completely uprooted. One was ripped completely from the ground and landed in the middle of the lake, and their were several still in the middle of the road. After seeing all of that damage so close to our home made us so thankful that we weren't home when it happened, and also thankful that we weren't in the storm's direct path. Others were not nearly as fortunate. Our thoughts especially go out to my bloggy friend, Carla (of Hammers and High Heels) and her husband, Alex who live in the area that was hit. She was able to access her blog on her phone and give her readers a quick update. That's dedicated blogging right there.

Source: Kare 11

Source: Kare 11

Source: Kare 11

Source: Kare 11

Source: Kare 11

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Tornado

Wedding Inspiration

In celebration of our wedding being less than 100 days away (um, when did that happen??), I wanted to share with you an inspiration board that my wedding coordinator created for us. Yes. I just said wedding coordinator. I plan on sharing a fun Q&A with her in a few weeks, but for now let it be known that this woman is an event coordinating genius. She takes every thought we have had for our special day, corrals them all together with a few of her expert ideas, and creates this:



Links clockwise from top right: lanterns and lighting amber glass vases wishing tree
 window panes table runners mason jar cocktails

 I know some might say that hiring a wedding coordinator is a bit a lot indulgent. Heck, even I thought that. I wasn't necessarily on board at first. Naura, if you're reading this, please don't be offended by me admitting that. Everything I thought of a wedding coordinator was everything I wanted no part in. However, after I realized what we were getting ourselves into with Our Big Fat Farm Wedding, I realized how crucial it was to have someone there to help us through the planning, especially while we're in the final stages of everything. Since we are getting married on my parent's farm, we don't have that traditional venue contact that comes with the rental. That person is there to make sure everything goes smoothly. Well I guess we technically have two venue contacts, but they are my parents. They are both a wealth of knowledge when it comes to their breathtaking "venue", but I want to avoid them being the go-to people on the day of the weding at all costs. That's where Naura comes in. I don't see hiring her as us falling victim of this ridiculous, money sucking wedding industry; but rather us making a wise financial investment. I am cheap frugal. Naura was a splurge. But a very smart splurge. To be completely candid, besides our photographer and the rentals (chairs, tables, etc), she is one of our largest expenses for this wedding. But we are AOK with that. She is worth every penny (and then some). Having Naura on board will make our special day go oodles smoother. With all of the blood, sweat, and occasional tears we are putting into this wedding, handing the reigns over completely to Naura a few days before the wedding is going to feel so good. OK. I won't be handing them completely over. No self professed control freak is ever capable of doing something that crazy. I will hand them mostly over. And it will feel soooo dang good.

Keep checking back. Very soon I will be telling the world (or at least my modest number of blog readers) a bit more about the amazing talents of Naura Anderson of above + beyond design.

Also, we're heading down to the big fat farm this weekend to start some more wedding projects. I hope to get my poop in a group so I can share some of the progress with you all this next week. ◦

Wedding Inspiration

When the cats away, the mice will...

The mice will spray. Spray paint that is. And I suppose she will play a little too.

It's a Tuesday night and I find myself void of a domestic partner. Don't tell him I told you this but I am kinda happy that he is no where in sight. You see, Jesse likes to make fun of me when I do "farts and crafts" (his words, not mine) at home. I know it's all in good fun, but it always proves harder for me to get my DIY on when he is nosing around me. It's a bit unnerving to be completely honest. The same goes for when I am out treasure hunting and looking for deals and steals. I think he does it on purpose just to be a fun goalie. Fun goalie? It's someone who likes to block all the fun. Get it? Jesse called me one once, like the ONE TIME I was being a no fun ninny. Well I am going to turn the tables on him. When it comes to my "farts and crafts" he tends to be a total fun goalie. For shame!

Speaking of turning tables. I have got two of them and a microphone. Wait. This isn't a Beck song. But I have decided to do a little transformation project with a table of mine. I bought this particular piece of furniture at Goodwill last fall. The price tag on it was $9.99. She was very sturdy, but a lot dirty. As in lots of grime and heaven knows what else embedded into the wood. It reeked of a men's college dorm room. Guh-ross. My intent when purchasing it was to sand it down, paint it up, and use it as our coffee table. Fast forward six months and a new living room later, and this project had yet to be completed. Oops. Great expectations? Story of my life. But tonight! Tonight I tackled it. Kind of. Jesse is off doing dudely things with Jungle, and I have been left home alone with a can of spray paint. Hold up, hey! This is starting to sound like an episode of Intervention. I promise I didn't huff any of the paint. That concept has scared the bejesus out of me ever since I read an article in Seventeen magazine in middle school about a girl dying after huffing just once. Thanks to Seventeen, that has kept me on the straight and narrow ever since. Although, I do like to occasionally smell a magic marker. Shhh. Don't tell.

So. Here she is. The table I scored for $9. That's right. I got 10% off. The Goodwill I go to gives you a whoppin' 10% off your purchases if you haul it to your car without the assistance of their staff. Not one to admit that I am a wimp, or let a discount go unused, I accepted their offer and took off with it like I stole it. (Insert mental picture of Lauren running with this table out of Goodwill....bahahahaha!)

I know she is rather hard to see as she practically blends right into our purdy wood floors. I decided that needed to change. Pronto! Or six months after purchasing it.

I invested in a 3M Pro Grade Dual Angle Sanding Sponge, and got right down to business. Super handy dandy. I know you need to sand something to get paint to adhere to it properly, but I have always hated the sanding process. But not with this sanding sponge. Super easy.



Here I am mid-sand. Don't I look like such a professional?? Yeah. That's what I thought too. Seriously though, it was such an easy step. After I lightly sanded down the surface of the table I wiped it off with a damp cloth and let the table dry off in the sun. Oh. Did I forget to mention that it was sunny this evening. It most certainly is. B-e-a-u-tiful evening we got here in Minneapolis, Minnesota. No complaints from this girl.

As I was waiting for the table to dry off from it's damp cloth wipe down, I went downstairs to feed my starving children. Bobo impressed me with his cat-like reflexes when he completely cleared his puppy gate. What the crap? This further confirms my theory that the little turd jumps over the gate as soon as we leave everyday, and returns to his quarters only when he hears the key in the door each evening. Who am I kidding? He probably leaves the house while we're gone too. After all, he was rescued from the mean streets of St. Paul prior to coming to live with us. I am sure Minneapolis is a walk in the dog park for him. Of course after catching him in the naughty act I placed his food on the other side of the gate to see if he'd do it again. And he did. But like any good mother, this time I got a picture (for his baby book of course).

Sorry. I got off track. Back to the project. The table has been sanded and wiped down. There is no residue and it feels very soft to the touch. You know what this means? It's spray paintin' time.

Jack, my ever so friendly sales associate at Home Depot introduced me to this stuff. He said it's the best around. It was more expensive than most of the other cans of paint, but I decided to go with his suggestion. Rust-Oleum Universal Advanced Formula Satin All-Surface Paint in Espresso Brown. I especially liked the shape of the bottle. So fancy. I guess the spray cans have changed since my graffiti days in DC. Only kidding. My only experience with spray paint prior to tonight was the Paint software on my computer. Raise your hand if you spent hours upon hours creating masterpieces on that when you were a kid? I totally did. I guess my fiance never grew up because he just recently made me this on Paint. He is so romantic. And quite the arteest, no?

Yeah, I am not sure why this post keeps getting diverted back to Bobo. We clearly have issues when it comes to our dogs. Slightly obsessed much? Maybe a bit. But we like to play fair, so here is a picture of our Apple girl as well.



This picture brings me back to the reason I posted this blog in the first place. The coffee table. See it there in the corner in all it's grodiness? Stay on task, Lauren. You have a project to finish!

And here is the table after she met the spray paint can. All painted up. Well kind of. I think know I ran out of spray paint. Oopsies. Oh well. I will finish it. Eventually. Let's just hope it doesn't take me six more months to do so.

There ya have it, folks. The almost completed project. I have done several DIY projects over the years. However, it wasn't until tonight that I had the confidence to post something about one on our blog. I know it's nothing special, but I am always pleased when I can do something on the cheap. And a bonus if it turns out half way decent. And yes, I know that the legs need a little more paint (what part of "almost" do you not understand, hmm?). I would have waited until I was completely done but I wanted to post this so I could enter it in The Thrifty Decor Chick's Spray Paint Link Party. And in true Lauren fashion, of course when they asked me to write the name I wrote MY name, instead of the name of my project. So everyone else who linked up in this party has fancy titles, and mine just says my name. Durrrr. Who invited that girl to the party? Such a rookie DIYer I am. But if you want to see it linked up I think I am #378. As in, I was the 378th person to show up to the party. Fashionably late per usual. I hope they didn't drink all the wine before I got there!!

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When the cats away, the mice will...

Two Weeks Notice

Editors note: Hey you! Yeah. You. Liking this blog? Leave a comment and tell us! We love comments. Well mostly just Lauren loves them, but she reads all of them to Jesse so he kinda loves them by association. It also strokes Lauren blogger ego and makes all this writing worth it. Sort of. Also, if you aren't following us already, you should click the follow link at the top left of this page. Follow us as we adjust to life in the big ol' Minneapolis city. And as we plan our wedding. Follow, follow, follow, follow...follow the yellow brick road. Follow us! YAY!

If it were up to Jesse we'd probably be packing our bags and high tailing it out of the big city before you could say, "Bob's your uncle" (PS-Bob really IS my uncle). Sure, we've only been here for two weeks, but the poor guy hasn't had a very good go of it thus far. Less than ten days into Minneapolis dwellage he got the passenger side window of his car smashed. Thankfully nothing was stolen and no one was injured and the only injury was me cutting my hand after running it across the edge of his freshly broken window. What? Broken glass is sharp?

For the four of you faithful OBFFW blog readers who read this blog in it's entirity and wait with baited breath until the arrival of next entry: I am sure you're shaking your head right now (and maybe laughing a little too). Surely Jesse had this coming and deserves what he got, right? Don't you dare say that to his face by the way. But you can think it. Especially after the most recent blog post where he said (and I quote), "So it is good to be fully moved and fully comfortable at the new spot. And it's a double bonus that I haven't been shanked or had my tires slashed yet" (aaaaand end quote). Oops.

This all happened on Thursday. Since then he has been driving around with semi-transparent contact paper taped to the outside of the window. That was my genius DIY idea, and it's been working quite marvelously, thankyouverymuch. I think I am going to submit it to the DIY Show Off. Booya! I told him it was a hot look, but he is insisting on getting it fixed first thing tomorrow. Again, nothing was stolen, and only minor, albeit dumb self inflicted injuries, but still not the howdy do/welcome to the neighborhood we were hoping to get. But if anything was somewhat comforting about the whole sitcheroo, it was that when we talked about it with our neighrbors and landlord they were all surprised that it happened in our neighborhood. Now. We're not stupid. We're fully aware of the fact that we are not living in the creme de la creme of Minneapolis neighborhoods, but unless our neighbors are just trying to cover up the fact that they broke into our car (my theory--just kidding), I tend to believe that this was a bit of a random occurance. Here's hoping anyway. But for good measure, and from here on out, Jesse will be pulling his car into the garage at night. Yes. We have a garage. Probably should've been using it, eh? Rookie mistake. Doh.

Oh and for those of you who are thinking, "But Lauren, I thought the neighborhood you moved into was a nice one!" Well. It is. For the most part. We're right on the border of Bryn Mawr (the award winning nice neighborhood) and Harrison (the struggling, less-than-nice neighborhood). We're where the good meets the bad, and the bad meets the good. You've heard the old saying, "The wrong side of the tracks"? I think there is some truth to the saying. We have railroad tracks two blocks from us. And we're two blocks north of the good side. Get what I am sayin'?

So. Now for some good news. There's a whole lot more of it. I, and Jesse too (minus the breaking and entering garbage), have really enjoyed our new place. We spent our second full weekend here, and have entertained our fair share of friends and family the last two weekends. We're kind of goofy and ga ga about it. I know it's probably no big thang to most people, but it's home to us. Up until now we really haven't had a place where we felt comfortable enough, nor had enough space to entertain in. And it only took Jesse's best friend, Jungle (quite the name, I know--you'll have to ask Jesse about how he got that one) until last night to christen our couch as an overnight guest. That's a record because the last two places we lived in had him on our couch the first nights we moved in. I blame him (and our naughty puppies) for making my once pristine, white, steal of a deal, Craigslist couch take on a dingy grey hue. Let the following picture be the proof of that. And I promise you this: I will never be one of those bloggers who doesn't share with my readers how it truly is. Ok. I might try. But I will fail miserably. I tried to take a "pretty picture" of my couch to impress my readers with my sweet digs. Big hardy har har there. Sorry. Probably not going to impress you. Unless, of course feet up on the coffee table, dogs bouncing everywhere, bag of chips, pop and/or adult beverages galore, and unfolded blankets tickle your fancy. But it is what it is. Love it. Or leave it. But I think you should love it because it's pretty sweet sizzle, no?

Here are a few more pictures of our new borrowed abode. I keep using that term, but admittedly I am borrowing it from my favorite renter friendly blog.

 This was the first picture I took of the place. I only got to see the place once before we moved in. And of course the guy who lived there prior to us was home at the time, therefore I felt super awkward, and didn't want to nose around too much. Plus, I was also getting vibes from Jesse at the time that he would not want to live there, so I just figured we'd roll through, and roll on out. Imagine my surprise when Jesse said he wanted to live there. And imagine my surprise even more when I turned the key on move in day and saw those beautiful floors, and spacious living area. Love. Love. LOVE.

Our MY kitchen is perfect. It's teeny tiny, but it's perfect for me. Jesse doesn't spend a whole lot of time in there except for when he is doing dishes. Oh, I didn't tell you he does dishes? I cook. He does the dishes. I know, I completely hit the jackpot. This picture was also taken on the day of move in. So of course it looks pretty bare. I have added a few of my own touches to it. Jesse has added a few of his. The cupboard space is phenomenal.

The first weekend in our new neighborhood also coincided with the annual Bryn Mawr garage sales. I scored some fun finds, and my very favorite was this shelf. Ten bucks. Perfect for displaying the Fiestaware that I have gotten from my mom and grandma over the years. There is a memory behind each and every piece here, and while I am not a huge fan of the new stuff (no, I did not register for it), I will forever cherish these pieces. If you ever come across an old piece at a garage sale or thrift store, pick it up for me, and I will pay you back. With hugs. No, just kidding. I will hug you and reimburse you fully.



This would be Apple doing what she does best. Loungin' around. Have I ever told you that puppy butts drive me nuts? They sure do. Especially this puppy butt. Love that little brown butt. Side note: In high school there was this girl who wore a shirt that proudly proclaimed, "Wrangler Butts Drive Me Nuts." I laugh every time I think of it. So naturally I am always looking for ways to alter that phrase so it better fits me, because Wrangler's have never done much for me. All I think of is a man with a mom butt. Sorry to offend those who rock out in Wranglers, but your butts just don't drive me nuts. Well they do, but not in a good way.

Now. This is precious, no? Bobo Butts, Bo-bers, Buh-Bo. He has many names. That's probably why he is such a hot freakin' mess. Poor guy doesn't even know what his name is. Did I ever tell you that his full given name is David Bowie? Sure is. You can't tell from this picture but he sports one blue eye and one brown eye. Apparently so does Mr. Bowie himself. 

More proof that my couch will never be white. Ever. Again. Oh well. I'll trade a white couch for those happy smiles any day. We hosted a couple's baby shower for our friends this weekend. I didn't know how many peeps our place would comfortably fit, so I kept the numbers on the lower side. We were all pretty cozy, but I think it was fun for everyone who came. I truly love to entertain, and felt so good having a place that I was proud to show off.

Here is the cooler side of group. Obviously. I wasn't able to capture everyone who came, but here are a few of us ladies. I met all of these people when I started dating Jesse. I am sure everyone thinks their fiance is super awesome and cool, but how many of them can also say their finace's friends are super awesome and cool as well? And this is just some of them. I am super lucky lady to have them all in my life.

Jesse woke up this morning and the first words out of his mouth were, "Want to go to a Twins game today?" Definitely a question you don't have to ask me twice. We haven't been to Target Field yet this year so I was super pumped to get over there and mosey around with my man. And it is especially sweet that we live a mile and a half from it. We hitched a ride from Jungle (who was still sleeping on our couch at 11:30am) and after the game decided to walk home. Here I am with the bag of cotton candy that I just HAD to pay $7.50 for (but could barely put a dent in). The walk home did us well, as we both indulged in lots and lots of unhealthy goodies this weekend.

And finally. My boys. I ran into them on our walk home. Ok. So it's not actually the boys in the flesh. I bet I fooled you, though, didn't I? It's just a picture of my Twinkies from last year. I almost didn't recognize these Twinner winners, as I haven't seen much of them this year (insert sad face here). Suffice it to say, while we were getting dominated by the Blue Jays this afternoon (it was bad), I wallowed in my sorrows by dominating a heaping pile of nachos. I almost went for one of their walking tacos, but showed a little bit of restraint. But I will definitely be getting one when I head back there next Monday. Holla!

Wedding update: We're spending the next two weekends down in SE Minnesota. Hoping for good weather as we prepare the barn for the festivities. My mom has been sending me teaser pics every day or so. I am definitely loving what I am seeing, and can't wait to get back down there to chip away at more projects. I will keep you posted on all the progress.

Editor note again: Are you following us yet?

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Two Weeks Notice

111

Jesse here.

According to Lauren, we are currently 111 days away from our wedding. I mean, I knew that. Errr....

Also now, we can begin to re-devote the majority of our attention towards August 27th. You see, we've been stuck in moving purgatory for the last three weeks or so. We've been consumed by cleaning, packing, reserving, unpacking, organizing, physically moving, setting up internet, setting up Xcel, setting up gas and last, but not least, setting up our new cable package. That last step finally took place today around 2 PM Central Standard Time.

"Hi Xcel. Do you folks take hot checks?"

And exhale.

Every day had seemed pert near the same for that whole time span. I was waiting for Ned Ryerson to appear from around the corner at any minute.




Yes, even you would be annoyed to see this guy for 80 consecutive days


Speaking for myself I feel like that finally came to an end today once cable was installed. Although Lauren is currently working on house projects with the help of her new staple gun and hammer (a Mother's Day gift from Apple and Bobo); I just consider them "post-move" arts and crafts.

Back to cable. We actually did last one full American week without cable. I thought that was pretty impressive and was trying to figure out the last point in my life when that would have been the case. I came up with early 1986. I could remember that because we got both cable and a Nintendo in the same year (the old man must have gotten a raise that year).

So it had been 25 years since I was deprived of the sweet nectar that is cable television. The hot shows back then were Mr. Belvadere and Charles in Charge. I couldn't even tell you what the hot shows are now. If I were to venture a guess, I would say that they are CSI: Billings, Montana, and Law and Order: Meter Maid Unit.

Wipe that smug look off your face Baio,
the next quarter century ain't gonna be too kind to ya.

So it is good to be fully moved and fully comfortable at the new spot. And it's a double bonus that I haven't been shanked or had my tires slashed yet.

Of course I'm only kidding, Minneapolis. All of the cats we have met have been nothing if not pleasant and cordial.  And Lauren has already taken up a temporary residence at the local coffee shop. I'm sure she already has us on the mailing list.




"Can I borrow some sugar?"


So that last thing for me is finding the fastest route to work. I've tried about 3 different ways thus far, but I'm convinced that there has to be a faster way. I know it's out there. And if I have to drive through some construction cones and non-existent off ramps, I think I'll be more than equipped to do so. Isn't that right Nissan?

Highway 169 here I come!

That's about it for now. Oh, and Twins, you can start playing like a real team any time now. The season started in April.

On the bright side, at least he made contact with the ball.

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Honey! I'm Home!

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Honey! I'm Home!