Here We Are

January was a good month, but January also felt like a very long month. A lot happened in January, especially in terms of growth in my relationship with Kevin (is this the first time I've given him a name?). I've been staying up late(r) and putting more miles on my car. And I've never cleaned my bathroom so often.

I think my faithful blog readers all the know the whole story, so you'll understand when I say we have ours ups and downs. The ups are great, and the downs make us stronger.

I'm 1 week (and counting) without Facebook. Not momentous in the grand scheme of things, but it's been a refreshing change. And it just leaves me more time to navigate Pinterest, which is healthier for me right now. And to scheme... like where to go to dinner on Valentine's Day. (I'm looking forward to celebrating my first "real" Valentine's Day, and you better believe I am going to embrace it in all it's commercialism glory.)

This weekend is Meet the Parents. Kevin and I are road-tripping up to Hibbing tomorrow AM. I'm excited to make this trip with Kevin, nervous to meet his family, and still marveling at how we got "here." It will undoubtedly be hard, given the circumstances, but I'm hoping for the best. I'm packing my Big Girl Pants, going to look to that cute boy when I need some encouragement, and gonna make the best of it.
One of my best friends Pinned a recipe, thinking I would like it. Unbeknownst to her, the actual recipe source had a very timely blog entry:
http://joythebaker.com/2012/01/chocolate-beet-cake-with-beet-cream-cheese-frosting
(Sorry, couldn't hyperlink it for some reason).

Happy Super Bowl weekend!

Change.

I've blogged several times about my 9 month transformation since I've been living in Minnesota. Change: I am living in Minnesota and not "going to school in Minnesota."

Being in Vancouver (which I do still call home) was great, and I was so thankful to have the opportunity to catch up with so many family and friends. I feel like I fit in as much as I could. It was a great week.

I was also excited to come back home to Minnesota. The transition was amazingly smooth.

Change has happened. When I go to Vancouver, I know I am visiting.

When I get back to Minnesota, I know I am home. For now.

Change is coming. I am excited to see what's in store for 2012 (and can't even venture a guess as to what that will look like).

Being in a relationship has taught me so much about myself. I have learned to open myself up to others, to expose my vulnerabilities, and to unleash my true thoughts, which I've had a tendency to let swirl around in my head to the point of driving myself crazy.

I have learned how much I value the insight of my friends and family.

I have learned that there are big things that will always be important and little things that I can let go.

I have learned that you can have layers upon layers of happiness. I was happy before, and am even happier now.

I have been reminded of how very, very fortunate I am. I have a Faith that will get me through anything. I have two homes. I have family (blood and "surrogate") in both of my homes. I have wonderful friends near and far. I have a long list of people who will sit and listen to hours-upon-hours of my gabbing. I have a great apartment and am employed. I have a boyfriend who makes me feel valued, interesting, and has added many layers of happiness.

If only time could just freeze for a minute...

9 Months.

Tomorrow I go home for the first time in almost exactly 9 months.

A lot can happen in 9 months.

Well… a lot besides that can happen in 9 months.

According to my calculations, a 23 to 24-year old (because someone can have a birthday in 9 months) can:

Go through 1 Costco pack of toilet paper

Go through 1 container of shampoo/conditioner (Don’t call me dirty. I promise I bathe regularly)

Go through 1 Costco-sized bottle of vanilla extract (I promise I didn’t eat all the baked goods myself)

Start a job and start to feel slightly more confident at said job

Run two 5Ks and (almost) start to enjoy running (Shh! I didn’t say that aloud)

Master Crow Pose (Bonus: without breaking nose or face planting into floor)

Find a “groove”

Hang pictures up on your apartment walls (This is only noteworthy because, shamefully, it took almost 9 months to do this)

Start dating someone.

Well, that can technically take 24 years.

(I look forward to sharing more details with all 5 of my blog readers when I see you in person in the coming week)

This has been an incredible, exciting, life-changing 9 months. I am so thankful!

Merry Christmas!

The One Where Senia Didn't Know What to Name Her Post

Last night I had 8 girls over (+ a baby!) for visiting and holiday treats. It was so fun to (more or less) have the space and freedom to entertain! I do have ample floor space and even vacuumed the carpet for my guests. What can I say, I go all out. It all went well, even though one of my neighbors chose to cook fish for their Friday lunch and stunk up the hallway.

Here's a picture of my centerpiece/party favors: Cupcakes in a jar! They were fun to make and if I had made 100, they would have started lookin' really good! I caught myself making awkward facial grimaces (Think: applying mascara) as I packed the layers.



More Christmas festivities and time with friends today and tomorrow, hooray!

Look for one more update later this week... "A Lot Can Happen in 9 Months." You will just have to wait and see whether or not I have conceived and grown a baby since I was last home in Vancouver, almost exactly 9 months ago. I know, what a cliff-hanger.

There's Nothing Simple About a Gingerbread House

Last night two of my good friends came over to decorate Gingerbread houses (From Ikea, to make your home cozy like the Swedes'). We laughed a lot. We ate a lot of candy. It was super fun and a perfect mid-week diversion!

Unfortunately, there were a few casualties:






I can only proudly post these pictures of my (still standing, knock-on-wood) house because I had many-a-humbling moments during construction, including a cracked piece right out of the box (which I'd like to blame all subsequent structural problems on), a collapsed roof (x 2), and a broken roof shingle.






Oh, and note the absence of a chimney? Mine is going to be one of those houses where Santa just needs to come in the front door. At least I can report that the gingerbread is quite tasty!

So Thankful

Happy Thanksgiving, all!

I certainly have a great deal to be thankful for. As I've mentioned before, I am thankful for the struggles and hard times I've gone through because they make me even more thankful for where I am today - geographically, emotionally, mentally, physically, socially...

Here's just a sampling, in no particular order:
-My Faith (well, this is in order)
-The 58 degree forecast today: one of the top 5 warmest Thanksgivings in the Twin Cities. I will thoroughly enjoy my Thanksgiving walk today!
-A job: to challenge me, keep me out of trouble, work with wonderful people, pay the bills, and pay for FUN.
-No homework
-Less stress
-Family: especially those that will listen to me ramble on and on about things (Mom, Heather, Mary...)
-Friends that are willing to take me in on Thanksgiving and treat me like a part of their own families
-Old friends
-New friends :-)
-A fully-functioning body that can do just about anything

And random things I'm thankful for:
-Chocolate. Let's be honest.
-Delicious food
-Days off from work
-Coffee, Starbucks
-Wonderful stores like Trader Joes and Whole Foods
-Amazing restaurants serving healthful foods like Birchwood Cafe
-Hot Yoga
-My parking garage
-An apartment that I love
-The internet

This is by no means a comprehensive list, but just a few things that come to mind. It would be wonderful to be home with my family, but I look forward to trip home in less than a month!

There's this brief moment when I leave hot yoga, dripping with sweat, happy to know that I've strengthened and stretched my body til I quivered (and am done with the hard work), inspired by a thought-provoking intention, and feel that everything is right in the world.

Ahhh.

And then life happens.

But that one moment is awfully nice.

I try not to get too spiritual about yoga, as I certainly believe in "surrendering" to something greater than the sun and earth. During each class, the instructor sets an intention - some profound thought that they share in a soothing, poetic voice, one that might ordinarily make you roll your eyes, but somehow gets you all emotional. Maybe it's the heat and a mild case of dehydraton.

Lately I've felt like the instructors have been setting intentions just for me. At first I thought maybe they were interpreting the way I held my butt a certain way in down dog or the fact that no matter how much I do yoga, high to low plank still makes my arms quiver. But then I decided that maybe it's just the way I connect the intention to my own life.

Tonight the intention was centered around, "Who am I?" (Don't smirk. I know it sounds cliche.) and how we like to be in control and know what we're doing and where we're headed, but that we're always evolving. Another time it was about "doing" less and "being" more. It all makes perfect sense when you're on the mat, but somehow gets harder to integrate into your own lfe once you step out the door.

In other news...

Work Snapshot of the Week: In a bathroom stall with a pre-adolescent (all parties fully clothed), discussing the intricacies of wiping and completing a mock-run- including a graphic discussion of how to know when you're done. One of those "I have such a weird job" moments.

I'm in a continuing education course today-Saturday. I had one last weekend, too, and it's kind of fun to be a "sponge" again. I find that I'm a much more porous sponge when I'm fascinated by what I'm learning and have clients to apply it to. If you ever want to have a geek-out session, look me up - I am currently fascinated by the auditory system and it's affect on the entire body and pediatric feeding.