30 Day Blog Challenge – Day 30 (FINALLY!!!!)

Day 30- A picture of yourself and 3 good things that happened in the past 30 days.

And here we are folks! We’ve made it through this ridiculous blog challenge. Where at first I thought this was going to be easy and would go by quickly. A lot can happen in 30 days and writing a blog daily gets annoying and difficult to do. Especially on those days you want to do a whole lot of nothing!

At any rate – Here is a picture of me recently (still a bit sleepy in the eyes!)

And now of course 3 GOOD things that happened in the past 30 days:

1. I got 2 packages this month from my momma! This may seem like nothing but the fact that normally I have to wait almost 2 months to get a package is ridiculous! Anything from home makes my day. You wouldn’t even believe. You could send me rotten tomatoes and I would love them. It’s sad really. But the second package arrived the day after my birthday and I was SO excited about that!!!

2. Toblerone had a major surgery, survived and conquered! Couldn’t have done it without the support of family and friends near and far. Crazy amounts of people come in and out of the woodwork which is a good feeling when you feel so alone most of the time. But I’m most happy that he’s better and we’ve got our life almost back to 100%! Amazing how it used to be compared to now.

3. I finished this ridiculous 30 day blog challenge! As I said before, it seems easy but when you have a life it’s difficult. I’m usually a person that will finish what I start for the most part and this really bothered me when I would realize that it’s late at night and I haven’t had time to write my blog! Plus, I was writing it on my vacation! LAME!  On top of that though, I have two new subscribers!!! THANK YOU!! :-)) The more the merrier!  One thing is for sure though, I won’t be doing this challenge, EVER again. You have my word!! It feels good to start something and finish it though, that’s for sure!

So now it’s time to get back into the swing of things. It won’t be every day exactly but you’ll get your fill! I hate that, when people have blog accounts and do something with them once a month, if that. Why bother?? I have SO many things to share with you guys and will be doing that shortly. Vacations, recipes, Garden Before and After pics! 🙂 They are finishing up with our yard  tomorrow, I believe, so it’s been a long few weeks of loud machines first thing in the morning. I’m looking forward to sleeping in one day!

Until next time, Readers!!!!! xoxoxoxoxo

30 Day Blog Challenge – Day 29

Day 29- In this past month, what have you learned

That’s a loaded topic. But I’ll give it a shot in numbered format.

1. To Relax – The Europeans have this down to a science. I was never able to really sit outside and enjoy it. I always had to make sure I had water, sunscreen, towels, a book, music and other such distractions. Now, I throw on my sun screen and just sit there. Taking in the silence and the fact that I don’t have to do ANYTHING for that moment.

2. Stop Stressing – It’s no laughing matter that every time I vacuum and mop the floors, which takes me a good 2 hours, it’s dirty within 5 minutes again. This happens with a dog who sheds and loves to play outside. I used to tell Harley and Toblerone that if they didn’t fly through the house then I would have their heads. One little crumb, hair, or spec of dirt used to boil my blood. Now, I’ve learned that there isn’t so much I can do about it. Just have to keep to a cleaning schedule and let it be.

3. Be Patient – It was never my virtue however after these past 30 days I had hospital duty and care-taker duty, and dog-sitting duty, among all the other things I do. So, I was taking it day by day and trying to help Toblerone heal as quickly as possible (so he could get back to doing some chores…ha, jk!) but patiently. I didn’t get upset easily when I had to take the dog out in pouring rain 8,000 times that day as I felt a cold coming on. I didn’t get upset that every time I went to sit down, I needed to get something else situated. So for 30 days, I’ve been exhausted beyond recognition. But patience served me well and now I have some moments to relax and Toblerone is back on his feet and helping out here and there as much as he can. It’s great!

4. Just Do It – Whenever Harley is around Toblerone’s parents…if he needs to go out, his Opi comes right to the rescue. He gets right up without thinking and takes Harley outside. He doesn’t get upset, doesn’t say, “Yeah maybe later.” He just does it. So, before I used to be too caught up with everything else and the thought of having to take the dog out was difficult for me. Then I realized. It’s not that big of a deal, it just needs to be done! So, I made a game out of it and would watch to see how far we could walk and count the steps. I started to lose weight from this and realized that not only was I just doing what I needed to do, I was doing something for me too!

5. Family Ties  – I learned that not only is my family far away, I feel like they are with me every step of the way. When Toblerone was in surgery I must have emailed my mom a million times just updating. Even though on her side of the world, she wasn’t awake yet, I just felt a sense of calm when I would hit the “Send” button. Eventually I would get an email back and it was with overwhelming delight that I would almost hear the words she wrote as if she was saying them right next to me. The homesickness I feel sometimes isn’t too intense, nothing I can’t handle. I think once in this type of situation, you learn that it isn’t easy but your family doesn’t change. Your life may have been uprooted and twisted 180 degrees but your family remains the same. Crazy and there for you no matter what the circumstance. This is exactly the type of family I want to raise as well.

UPDATE TIME: So my birthday was pretty great! Minus the SLIGHT problem with the “condensed milk” portion of my recipe for my cheesecake! That was almost a disaster. Toblerone told me I was having a party at our house but didn’t tell me who would be coming. He only invited a few which was good. It was hectic! And so so so very hot! 86 and humid. Did I mention that these people don’t have air conditioning???? We had one dinky fan trying to cool us all down. I was still sweating as I went to bed!

Anywho, I had a great time and was so happy to have some people over to eat my chocolate chip cheesecake! Recipe will be up soon! 🙂  We played loads of foosball table games and unfortunately the jacuzzi isn’t up and running just yet. Some electrical stuff needs to be properly set up.

On Facebook I had so many “Happy Birthday” comments. I told myself I would reply to ALL of them. That was crazy. This morning I was still replying back! I would still love more subscribers (as my birthday wish of course) so please subscribe in the upper left hand side under “Sweet Tooth”!! THANKS!!!

Today is a cleaning up day, landscapers are still here and should be done this week! I can’t WAIT to show you people. ANNNNDDDDD….I have GRASS!!!! It’s slowly growing but it’s there! Yesterday Harley went outside and smelled around in his new “pee place” and just laid down. Splat! It’s still mud but the little grass that was there was nice and cool for him. So sweet! Anywho, thanks for reading! Last day of this blog challenge TOMORROW! We’ve made it!!! This post happens to be my 100th post! Whoa….I need to get a life, right?

Until next time, Readers!!! xoxoxoxoxoxo

30 Day Blog Challenge – Day 28 (A SPICE BIRTHDAY!!!)

Day 28- A picture of you last year and now, how have you changed since then?

Ha… Perfect topic for today!! Just another reminder, if somehow you forgot, but today is my BIRTHDAY! I could barely sleep. You know that anxious feeling you get the night before your first day of school or a big game? Yeah… That’s me before my birthday. I’m always excited to see how it turns out!

So… As a birthday gift I would LOVE it if you would be sure to subscribe! The option is in the top right under “Sweet Tooth.” All you do is enter in your email, hit the button, confirm the subscription confirmation in your email and voila! You’ll get tasty little bits to your email when I post a new blog! After all, you wouldn’t want to make me cry on my birthday would you?!

So I’ve made it to 5,500 views since starting this beast of a blog in January! Very happy about my small contribution to the blogging world!

Here’s a pic of me this time last year:

Me in Cape Cod for my birthday! This year we couldn’t go so that’s already different!

What has changed? Everything! I was living in the US still, didn’t really think about going to Germany at this point. Was doing well in my job and started a new treatment for my chronic back pain which we think is caused by Endometriosis. Look it up if you don’t know what it is. So the treatment was putting me through menopause basically for 6 months. HELL in other words. I packed on a bunch of pounds that were out of my control, endured heaps of hot flashes, and serious mood swings. lol, I was a peach! At any rate…that was what I was dealing with then and my life was pretty simple!

Now, I’ve moved my whole life to Germany – all my things are here but it still feels empty. I do miss the life I had but I also like the challenge of living here brings. It’s not easy, never is but I get by. I don’t work now which is strange since I’ve been doing that since I was Sfull time. I just have to be. I’m soul searching to figure out where I stand in this new life and where my place is in our small family. It’s struggle but it wouldn’t be fun if it was too easy, right?

What have I learned in the process so far? That living away from your family is NEVER easy…and life goes on for them just as it does for you. You will miss birthdays and anniversaries but it’s not the end of the world. Also that taking life by the horns and testing out the waters across the pond is scary but how many people can say they’ve been able to do this? Not many. I’m so lucky to have this opportunity (again!) and these memories.

I’m wishing you all a great day! This birthday girl is off to start her day. And to find that GIANT spider that found it’s way into our house. I’m sure it’s just waiting to surprise me on my birthday. (I’m talking it’s the size of my palm!)

Update: After I wrote that about the spider…I got up to clean and lo and behold, the beast was hanging out in my sink after I lifted up a pan to wash it! Psycho girl went into effect and gasps for air and loud screams could be heard outside. The landscaping guys were slightly concerned.

Anywho you know how the story goes!

Until next time, Readers!!! xoxoxoxoxoxoxo

30 Day Blog Challenge – Day 27

Day 27- Why are you doing this 30 day challenge

Good question. I’m not doing this for fun. I’m doing it to keep motivated in the blog world. For the past 30 days I have been engulfed in a medical situation that did not allow me to think outside my own box. So, to have daily topics already planned for me was the best.

As I briefly spoke about why I was proud of Toblerone, this was the reason for the 30 day blog challenge. Not only did I need a distraction, but I needed something to keep me going and focused.

So Toblerone had a crazy rare GIANT cyst type situation growing and stretching out his duodenum. For those of you who are not up on your medical terminology – google it. Basically for ten years Toblerone had been limited to certain foods, over time it got worse and eventually it was down to eating only soup. If he ate anything else, he would puke it up. Then it started with the fevers of 104 degrees which would last for about 24 hours or so. Chills would set in and there we went. Up at odd hours of the night trying to warm him up. There I was with my hormones, hot as can be and trying to warm up our room. This could go on no longer. He missed out on soccer games and work functions due to this. It was not a life to live.

We decided it was time to check him into a stay at the hospital and do the necessary tests to figure out what was wrong with him. And so we did. He had this rare cysts nonsense and would require major surgery. Most of his organs were weakened and stretched out. It’s way more complicated than all of that but the whole thing took a toll on both of us and our families. For one, I traveled the many miles every day to the hospital. Some stays were longer than others but during the first week or so, he slept most of the time. Secondly, I was in a hospital with people who barely spoke English, if at all. So confusing, I didn’t even know what they were doing to him half of the time. It took me several hours after his surgery to really find out what they did! I mean I was staring at him with 8,000 tubes coming out of him and I couldn’t do a thing. I hadn’t heard his laugh in so long I almost forgot what it sounded like. More than anything I needed my mommy.

So, the surgeon told us to prepare for a recovery of 6-8 weeks. He was a jerk. I hated him. I won’t get into it but he’s good at what he does in the operating room…he’s crap with socialization. We were left thinking that Tobi would be in the hospital for 6-8 weeks…not the case. It was at this time that I knew I wanted to continue with my blog but didn’t have time to focus on anything other than him. I knew I wouldn’t be seeing anything but the stark hospital so there wasn’t much to blog about anywho.

There you have it…we’re home now, and he’s doing fantastic. He’s got a big old battle scar on his belly but it’s healing rather fast and can finally move around and he eats EVERYTHING (without puking.) His whole life has changed around and he can finally taste and see the world without fear of being sick all the time.

And that is why I chose do to the 30 day blog challenge. It’s not ideal but it’s something!!!

Until next time, Readers!! xoxoxoxoxoxo

P.S. In case you didn’t remember….my birthday is tomorrow. WOOT WOOT!!

 

30 Day Blog Challenge – Day 26

Day 26- What you think about your friends

They are all clinically insane, super aggressive, and are bad for your health.

Clearly they aren’t but I say this so you won’t want to be friends with them and will leave them for me.

I think now that I’ve gotten older I’m able to see which friends will be in my life for the long haul. You have those that come in and out and were close at one point but they fade. That’s life. You grow out of each other. I’ve moved all over the place and those that I have kept in my life along the way are those that I plan on having around until they wish to no longer be there.

I have the friends that will hold my hair back for a good puke, stalk previous boyfriends with, drink until dawn, eat loads of candy and watch girly movies, laugh with me when I pee my pants from laughing and then let me borrow their pants…(ha, kidding) but most of all, they are there when I’ve lost my marbles. When I cry or when I’m angry and need a moment to vent…they are the people I love to have around.

I was thinking about writing a little snipped about all of them but that would take me forever. I have so many good things to say about them all. They know who they are, I don’t need to say anymore about that.

I will say however, that my birthday is in two days. I hope you people didn’t forget it! AND I have so much to blog about. Can’t wait to show you everything I’ve been up to the past 30 days. I know this blog challenge has gotten way off topic and annoying but I have a good reason! Hope you guys will still continue to follow me! 🙂

Until next time, Readers!! xoxoxoxoxoxo

30 Day Blog Challenge – Day 25

Day 25- What I would find in your bag

Five more days!!! Holy father!

Ok so to find in my bag let’s see:

Tempo – tissues. Every girl in this country is supposed to keep these packs of tissues in your bag at all times. If you don’t… You’re shunned.

Lip gloss – who doesn’t want sparkly glittery lips?!

Wallet – with all sorts of old receipts and old IDs. I look like a ex-con with drivers licenses from 3 different states!

Antibacterial hand gel – a must! This world is nasty!

Phone- no matter how small the purse… I still manage to always lose my phone inside! It’s like the Mary Poppins bag! Never-ending and full of unnecessary house furniture!

Gum – you never know!

Until next time, Readers!!!! Xoxoxo

30 Day Blog Challenge – Day 24

Day 24- A letter to your parents

Dear Mom & Tom, Dear Dad & Helen,

I was going to write to you a very heart-felt letter however, I’m saving that for another special day – and I would prefer that you get to read it without the public reading it first!

So! I’m currently here on vacation with Toblerone in the middle of the alps! It’s super nice and for once the weather has kept it’s promise of sun and no rain! It’s been in the 90’s here! Nothing compared to what you guys are getting I’m sure!

I’m sitting here with an overly stuffed belly on my balcony looking straight into the mountains. They look almost pink colored due to the sunset. In these moments I am homesick. Its in these moments I want to share the memory with you! It makes it difficult, but at the same time… I’m happier now than I have been in years before so it’s bittersweet!

I can’t wait to show you all the pictures and fun things we’ve been up to here! Busy busy bee! I’ve been swimming like crazy and have a hard time being told I should get out. The raisin fingers don’t scare me. Some things never change, huh? There’s just something about the water!

Toblerone is ready to head to a bar for an hour or so then it’s to bed early! Big day tomorrow full of massages, swimming(again), famous castle, and musicals on ice. It’s my birthday celebration day tomorrow – a girl’s dream! Castles and musical icecapades!!!

Can’t believe I’m going to be 27 on Monday! Finally catching up to you guys!! 😉

Love you and miss you more than words can say!!!!

Xoxoxoxo

To the readers…. You should write letters to your parents.. An email or a snail mail letter is good too. Everyone likes to get mail other than junk mail!!

Until next time, Readers!!! Xoxoxoxo

30 Day Blog Challenge – Day 23

Day 23- Something you crave for a lot

Aside from the obvious creamy peanut butter and anything pumpkin flavored…honestly, I crave attention. I think every does to some degree.

We all want to be loved and feel loved, right? My whole family can probably remember the “cat phase” I went through as my parents were splitting up. I was somewhere between the ages of 5-8 and had proclaimed that I from that day forward would be a cat. I would meow, pretend to claw my aunt, pounce on my grandma, and hiss when I didn’t like something. This would go on for hours but only when family was around. I wanted attention, it was simply that.

As I got older I started to do all the school plays and after getting the lead in the 8th grade play I very quickly found that I LOVED the attention.

Now I’m older and I still need attention but in a less narcissistic way. I’m alone most days lately so it’s nice to be thought of and reminded that someone loves me.

Love saves lives!

By the way, vacation is going swimmingly! I decided to “try out” the spa experience and boy, I can’t wait to tell you all about it! It’s been pretty intense!!

Until next time, Readers!!! Xoxoxoxo

30 Day Blog Challenge – Day 22

Day 22- What makes you different from everyone else

Absolutely NOTHING!

I breathe, I eat, I make mistakes, I love, I cry, I laugh, and I will die.

There isn’t one thing that I do that someone else in the world also does. I have my own mind and my own thoughts. But that’s it!

I’m on vacation now and having a great time! It’s beautiful here and I have a view of the Alps. I can’t wait to show you the play by play blog of all that’s happening and they fun things I’m eating!

My birthday is in leas than one week and this stupid 30 day blog challenge will come to a close next week! Didn’t think it would be that hard but it’s getting on my nerves!

Until next time, Readers!! Xoxoxoxo

30 Day Blog Challenge – Day 21

Day 21- A picture of something that makes you happy

Easy enough….my baby!! Harley Jones!!!

We got him when he was 6 weeks old from a breeder and he was the sweetest little thing. Then we got him home and the terror began. He was a crazy little man and didn’t let us sleep and continuously convinced us he was a Vampire. I used to go to work looking like a murder victim. Blood coming from every space of my skin. He had such sharp little teeth and used to bite us.

Then as he got older, he decided he wanted to run the house and wouldn’t listen to us at all. He held us hostage in our own house. The barking started and the numerous dead things he swallowed whole because he wouldn’t “drop it.” Seriously, what did we get ourselves into?

But then….Now, he’s 17 months old and he’s starting to listen really well…he handles guests much better and doesn’t jump on them nearly as much. He’s become the sweetest little guy and is increasingly sweeter with each day. When I see his face and look at these pictures of him I just get all overwhelmed inside with love. He’s my own little baby!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

UPDATE: So Tobes and I are off to a cute little hotel in the mountains a few hours away. We will be there until Saturday. Looking forward to the massages, champagne and breakfast in bed, and getting away from having to clean. I’m beyond exhausted at the moment. I cleaned until my face turned purple today so I could come home to a clean house. I’m such a house wife. Anywho, I’ll have lots to tell you about after our adventure. And no worries…I’ll post the blog posts! Can’t wait for this crap to be over with.

In other news, my 27th birthday is exactly in 7 days…one week. I feel so old. And so unaccomplished. I need to work on that!

Until next time, readers! xoxoxoxo