It's Beginning to Look a lot like...

Fall.

Yep, Fall in Minnesota, followed by a brief stint of summer only to be thrust back into fall.   I can't take credit for the above picture.  Unfortunately, I didn't have enough forethought to take a picture of around our house prior to the sun going down.  The above picture was acquired from Google Images...  I do love me some Google Images. 

 Now that the school season is back in full swing, you can all expect more frequent updates from me over the next few months. :)  It's amazing how much more I'm inclined to write in my blog during the school season than I am in the summer. Maybe it has something to do with all that pesky homework I have...

Since we last spoke...

June 9th
        My beautiful baby nephew was born!!

June 11th
         I spent an amazing day with my best friend - reminding me how awesome we both really are and WHO we really are:

June 14th
         I celebrated my 29th birthday with some really amazing friends. :)

June 15th

        My little brother turned 24!

Did I mention that my nephew was born?

A few other things happened as well (i finished another book, planted some more fruits and veggies, got some encouraging news about my back progress and bunches more) but these are the highlights.

Education Continued

I had a great meeting last Thursday with my academic adviser regarding my educational progress and goals over the next couple years.  We went over the remaining requirements for the Meeting and Event Management Certificate (Bucket List Item #6)  that I am working towards right now (2 courses left!) and my plans to eventually obtain my Bachelors degree in the same field.

We concluded the meeting by submitting an application for the AAS in Meeting and Event Management - a 60 credit degree that takes into account my previous Gen Eds from Madison and the certification that I will have completed by this fall.  All that's left to do is forward over my Madisonian transcripts and await the confirmation of admission.  Going for an AAS would extend my education only an additional semester from what I had originally planned - not too shabby.

Once the AAS is completed, there will be an additional year at the University to obtain my Bachelors.  So... when all's said and done, I will have a Certification, 2 AA degrees (1 Liberal Studies, 1 Arts and Sciences) and 1 Bachelors degree.  I'm excited for the next couple years and for my educational and industry experience that I have to look forward to.

To my Friends and Family:  Please except this advance apology if I occasionally fall off the face of the planet.  I've got a very full but exciting couple of years ahead of me. :)

Another one bites the dust

A bucket list item that is:

#21: Plant a garden outside my house - DONE!

I haven't been able to plant anything IN THE GROUND outside my house however, I do have a few outdoor container gardens going.

What you see before you are Tomatoes, Mini Carrots, and Broccoli - all started from seeds - and down in front, Strawberries! These will all live outside on our deck and count as my completed outdoor garden.

As for the indoor garden, I'm at Sweet Bell Peppers, Jalapenos, Basil, Cilantro, Rosemary, Catnip, Mint, Spearmint, and Green Onions.

 

Everyone got to play outside yesterday.  It was a good day to be plant.

It's funny to think that my gardens have already grown this much since March 9th - the day that this project all began: March 9th Blog Post: #20 Plant Indoor Herb Garden.

My Mama Llama's Birthday

This past Wednesday, May 30th, was a very important lady's birthday.  No kids, I didn't miss her birthday, I just didn't get a chance to post on it. 

Wednesday was my Mama Llama's birthday. 

If you haven't already done so, tell her Happy Birthday.  She deserves all the happiness a year of birthdays could muster... and then some. 

Happy Birthday Mama Llama.

 

Did you Miss me?

It's been about 2 weeks since my last post - something wanted to avoid.  Don't worry, I'm back now and I'll have more project and bucket list updates coming at you soon.  For now, here's a random picture:

Garden Family Update - We've Adopted!

Our indoor garden continues to grow (pun completely intended).  We've added a few new members to our family recently.

Here's the most current head count:

Mint, Cilantro, Rosemary, Spearmint, Catnip, Jalapeno, Bell Pepper, Tomato and Basil

Along with Wildflowers (not yet blooming), some pink Dahlias (my favorite) and the purple mystery flower. 

So far, everyone is living harmoniously together and I've already gotten my first harvest out of the catnip and mint!

Day of Fun and Adventure

Yesterday Chris and I went to Fur Ever Wild, an outdoor education center featuring an array of different types of animals - from goats to their featured Wolves.

It was an amazing experience and I can guarantee that we will be going back there.  If you have a few minutes, check out their site.  They do amazing things from educating the community about these animals to preserving and taking in those animals who have lost their homes. http://www.fureverwild.org/

Below are some of the pictures that we took during our visit. And yes, that IS me holding and playing with 6 -7 week old wolf pups :)