Best of 2011

So we are well into 2012 and I finally decided to update my blog.  I was having a hard time coming back because I realized the last two posts were about two very important and special people in my life and I just didn't want to move on without them. I know that probably sounds a little silly (and it kind of is) because I know they are always in my heart and in my memories. I have finally come to terms with this and know I need to move forward and embrace all that is possible in 2012.  But first, I want to reflect on The Best of 2011!!

January - My Birthday Month where the hubby and I took a day trip up the North Shore to Grand Marais, stopping for some cross country skiing and ending the evening eating some amazing pizza at Sven and Ole's

February - I skied my first Prince Haakon in Hayward, WI!  It's part of the American Birkebeiner (more info here ) It's a cross country ski race.  I had so much fun and can't wait to do it again, unfortunately it won't be this year, but hopefully again next year!!

March - The hubby's b-day month!  We spent many hours driving to and from the cities from Duluth to find the perfect place to call home for the next couple years!

April - I started working in the cities a couple days every other week and we threw a surprise anniversary party for my parents in Lancaster! We finished April with the Med School Farewell Banquet-fun night!!!

May - I moved to the cities full time while the hubby was in Duluth - lots of travel back and forth again

June - Trip to Lancaster to celebrate Heritage Days!

July - 4th of July Wknd spent at the cabin!  Official 4th of July we had a BBQ with friends and walked on Summit Ave in St Paul to see the fireworks :)  Looking back, I saw lots of friends in July!! Celebrated weddings and babies!  Twins Game with the Uncle too, lucky girl! I also started my new (and current) job!

August - 12th Street Campout!  A time where my hubby's roomies and all our closest friends from undergrad get together and reminisce! My softball team also won the championship for summer league!

September - Got to see my godson over Labor Day :) Did a TON of canning with a close friend (yay for Xmas Presents completed!) My beautiful sister Sierra was crowned homecoming queen! We celebrated another wonderful couple's nuptials!

October - We celebrated my cousin Lea's wedding :)  Sierra turned 18! We had a great Halloween Party in Bemidji!!

November - My favorite time of the year - Deer Season!  (I'm sticking to highlights, so we won't discuss the sad stuff that happened as well)

December - Christmas, of course! Cookie bakings, presents, family, fun :)

Sayonara 2011 - Bring it on 2012!!

Gasthof Zur Gemutlichkeit

Last night I had the wonderful opportunity to accompany a med school friend to a presentation about Global Health.  Not only was the information that was presented very informative, inspiring and motivational - but the food was awesome!!  I've never really eaten 'real' German food before.  We went to a place called Gasthof Zur Gemutlichkeit in NE Minneapolis.  It was phenomenal - everything from the various types of German beer, to the cheers (Ziggy Zaggy, Ziggy, Zaggy, Oi Oi Oi!), to the waitresses in German Uniform, to the Rouladen and Weinerschnitzel to the checkered tablecloths - it was all fabulous!

I'll give you a run down of what I tried.

Rouladen - Marinated beef rolled with mushrooms, onions and bacon - DELICIOUS!  This one was my favorite!  I'm normally not a mushroom kind of girl, but I may just start trying more mushrooms because it was sooooo good!

Weinerschnitzel - Breaded Veal Cutlet - Now I'm glad that I tried this BEFORE I knew what it was because I'm one of those name people, where if it's something that I think sound gross (baby cow :( ) I will not eat it.  However, it was very tasty!

Jagerschnitzel - Pan fried pork loin in mushroom sauce - I ate a bite of my friend's and wasn't terribly impressed.  It reminded me of country fried steak and I'm not a huge fan of that either.  I'm glad I got to try it though!

Mash potatoes and gravy - Now this is something I'm very familiar with - yummy!

Spatzle - homemade pasta - which were HUGE noodles - and awesome!  We covered them with the gravy from the potatoes

Red Sauerkraut - I did not try this but it was available in the buffet. 

They also had Caesar salad and some delicious bread and this awesome dessert that I still can't figure out what was in it - sometimes it tasted like apple and other times I thought I was eating chocolate - perhaps it had both...hmm..

Spatzle and Rouladen

You should check this place out and if you are in the area you should REALLY go there!  I brought some food home for the husband and he loved it just as much. My hubby and I have definitely decided it's a destination for our parents some visit!  http://www.gasthofzg.com/

M is for Motivate, right?

"Don't be pushed by your problems, instead, be led by your dreams!"

Isn't it beautiful?!  The "Disney" Castle in Germany.  This is definitely on my list of place to go.  MCAT trip, maybe?!?!  In fact, I'm going to update my Dream Board with it tonight! =) However, first, I'm going to put in two hours of MCAT study time.  I mentioned how I was planning on studying on Tuesday and Wednesday (which is still the original plan) but this week I know I have a commitment on Wednesday so I'm going to "get it out of the way" tonight.  Well, one night of it anyway. Then, I will play with my Dream Board and do some scrapbooking and enjoy my evening!! I'll probably read a little more of The Help, too.  I'm 50% done and it is awesome!! I highly recommend it!  Oh, and I'm going to make more ice tea for my mornings.  Enjoy your Monday!!

Goal Update

I'm trying very hard to make sure I keep documenting my goals and stay on track with it.  It's how you get results :)  Last night, the hubby and I talked more about my MCAT test goals and decided on a reward for when I take the test. If I get the score I'm aiming for - a 35, we will go on a trip with money from a side job the hubby is going to take up this winter.  So - I have something to work towards - crazy!  I really want to travel, badly!!  Hopefully this will give me the kick in the butt I need.  Since I'm not taking the test until January now, I am making a less rigid study schedule.  I will study every Tuesday and Wednesday for 2 hours.  I will take one practice test a month until Dec. 1st and then I take one each week. Also when it gets closer I will start studying more frequently.  I feel this schedule will give me the flexibility I crave to do things that are fun that I currently feel guilty for - scrapbooking, sewing, crocheting and reading.

The hubby takes his SHELF exam in Pediatric Surgery today - which signifies the end of period two (rotation 1 for him)!!! Whoohoo!!  We are celebrating with a trip to the cabin to see his grandma and get in some good ole fashion Minnesota summer air, clear lake water and smokey campfire :) oh, and hopefully a pontoon ride or two and possibly some water skiing, maybe a visit with friends - Oh the possibilities =) Enjoy your weekend - I will!!

Home Sweet Home

This past weekend I was fortunate enough to travel to God's Country (yes, a nickname I stole from another blogger, but I really like the sound of the name for the area I'm from) to visit family, friends and do some job shadowing.  I spent Friday in the clinic - very interesting, as always - and the rest of the weekend was spent on call - and somehow, I never once got called in - crazy to me!  The weekend also happened to be the infamous "International Woodcarver's Festival and Lake Bronson Days" so I spent most of my day on Saturday driving back and forth to make sure I got to take in all the festivities.  That evening was a street dance, which is always fun in small towns and then I headed back to the big city to start my new job on Monday.  Yesterday brought a full, long day of hospital orientation, which I honestly don't mind.  I have, however, been to 3 hospital orientations now and they are all the same, but what do you do....today, I had MORE orientation and Thursday - still more.  Other than that we have had a new roommate move in, the hubby will be taking his surgery SHELF exam on Friday (which signifies the end of one rotation) and he will start a new one on Monday!!  We may venture to the family cabin this weekend but plans aren't in stone yet. Tonight I am focusing on my goal to clean out a cupboard - I think it's due soon?! 

Concentrating on 1-3 Goals

Having a clear focus on 1-3 goals is much easier than having a ton (which I always do)....so I will focus on 1-3 main goals and 2 mini goals at a time.  I will write them down (for the whole world to see - yikes!) in hopes that it helps me achieve my goals faster and more productively.  It is suggested that your goals should be in order of prioritization and allow for change if your goals shift.

Goal One - Study and take the MCAT.  I am struggling with a timeline on this one and that is something you are suppose to have.  The thing is, I need to get a great score.  The last test date in 2011 is September 10th.....exactly a month and a week away.  It's doable, but I need to make sure I get a great score, so if my practice tests aren't showing a good score I need to wait until spring. 

Goal Two - Lose 25lbs by my cousin Lea's wedding.  Totally doable.  Her wedding is October 1, 2011.  It's a little over 2lbs a week. 

Okay, that's it - those are my main goals for now.  I have so many more to add to the list, but I really want to accomplish them so I'm going to devote my time to these for now (and my mini goals).

Mini Goals (Doll definition - goals that can be completed in a a day or a couple of hours)

Mini Goal 1 - clean cupboards and make room for roommate's stuff.  This shouldn't be that bad, I've just been procrastinating and not doing it yet.  Due Date - Wednesdy August 10th.

Mini Goal 2 - Organize my scrapbooking stuff. Needs to be done!!  Real bad.  It's all over our room and I love it, but i can't find anything anyway.  Due Date - Tuesday August 16.

Mini Goal 3 - Clean and organize our closets.  Enough said ;) Due Date - Monday August 22nd.

Okay, scary enough to write them down.  Tomorrow - a schedule, but I've already started....have you??

Toes In the Water

I love summer - most of the time...most of the heat I could do without! What I love are evenings filled with friends, family, bbqs...you get the idea.  So that's why I am super excited about my upcoming weekend because college friends are coming to town and we are going tubing and out to the bar for some much needed girl time and catching up :)  Can't wait! 


Now, onto my ne-blog-ect.  Basically, I haven't been writing because I don't know what to write about.  I felt stuck, lost..what have you.  Don't get me wrong, I love my life but not so much my current job, which has led me on a chase of what my true passion is.  I read a lot of blogs and one of my favorites is cassieland.me.  It's written by an acquaintance from H.S. and I'm so inspired by all her ideas.  Today she had a link about how to write a dream board.  It led me to Oprah Winfrey's website which led to an hour or so of reading all about pursuing what you love to do..etc. I think it gave me the boost of motivation I need to rejuvenate myself for studying and working towards some goals I have. So, thank you, Cassie, for inspiring me. 


My hubby is smack dab in the middle of a pediatric surgery rotation.  He loves it. He said the work is so incredible because you meet these tiny babies and their families who feel as if their baby is "broken" and can't live a very good life and he gets to help "fix" them.  Then they get to go back to the family and tell them how their little angel will live a full and healthy life and the feeling is just incredible. Of course, not every story has a fairytale ending, but so far his team has been lucky.  He definitely stays busy, though.  He gets up at 3:30am to be to work at 4:30 and comes home around 6, but Monday night he didn't get home until 11!  So it really varies.  I try to be helpful and have dinner ready, clothes done, clean house..etc.  I actually really enjoy helping like that.  Thanks to his parents we have a coffee maker that I can preset to have coffee ready for when he leaves in the morning.  I LOVE it.  I know he can make his own coffee, but I feel involved and helpful when I can have it ready for him the night before (and I don't have to get out of bed in the morning!)


I can't wait to share with you the inspiring ideas that I got from Oprah.com/spirit, but I want something to write about tomorrow ;)