World of Wheels

Dave entered his car into World of Wheels again this year and was accepted. We spent the first weekend of March at the Rosemont. The show was so busy this year. Dave took 2nd place. We had a really great time!

we have the best backyard

Our house backs up to an open field...its forest preserve that they farm. We get a large variety of animals...coyotes (not my fav b/c they want to eat my dogs), deer, pheasants, hawks, wolves, turtle (there is a creek that runs through too), ducks, ect. Some day I will miss this yard greatly. I always comment to Dave how I dont think Ill ever get used to looking out my back window and seeing a house...I love my scenic back yard!!
Recently there have been a heard of deer that come VERY close to the house. There is a very large buck who only comes out at night and my camera wont register enough light to take his picture, but I did catch some the other day...just not my big guy

Playing in the snow

blizzard 2011

As everyone knows we received a bunch of snow this week. Kinda hard to determine how much we actually got because the wind was so bad. Parts of our yard you can see the grass and other parts are taller than me. It was a pretty awesome storm (which I can say b/c I was home for the whole thing) They cx my second class so I arrived home right as it was starting. It was kinda neat to sit inside and listen to the wind and the thunder. I cant even imagine what a hurrican would be like! Of course Jack wanted to be outside for it so him and I took several trips out through out the night. School was closed for the following two days so I ended up with a 5 day weekend!

101 goals in 1001 days

My friend Amy brought this idea to my attention a few months ago. I loved the idea but never got around to making the list. She created a list and started it today and I thought it would be great to start one the same day to motivate each other. I've been having a difficult time thinking about the future, but when I read her list I felt more optimistic. Since Ive been bored out my mind today, I sat down and spent the last hour creating my list. So by September 25, 2013 these are the things I hope to achieve.

Get my doctorate
Have my LCPC
See 20+ clients a week
Publish an article
Publish a chapter
Teach my own class
Quit SWD
Have a baby
Go to Hawaii
Take James to Cedar Point
Have custody of James
Start writing a book on my dissertation
Buy a new car
Be 90% debt free
Find a home church
Finish the basement
Decorate the basement
Buy a fountain
"Finish" my flowers
Add a row of brick to the landscape
Get new curtains
Decorate the house with a ton of christmas lights
Get a king sized bed
Get a bedroom set
Work out 3x week faithfully
Finish all the trim
Get new carpet in my office
Get new carpet in bedroom
Start a salt water tank
Take lots of pictures
Scrapbook my pictures
Visit my bff
Get a big book shelf
Get an leather office chair
Ride the rock
Take vitamins faithfully
Drink one bottle of water a day
limit pop to only 2x a week
eat more fruits and veggies
cook more, eat out less
Get 82in TV for basement
Get new couch for basement
finish basement bathroom
take a rain shower
take james to the cheesecake factory
go to the sears tower
walk the dogs weekly when warm
go to the kalahari
go ice skating
go skiing
fold laundry as its done, don’t wait
pray more
finish all karen kingsbury books
do something special for 5 year anv
get the additional band for my wedding ring
give myself a pedicure every other week
get new sides for hot tub
put stones around patio instead of mulch
have a backyard with no holes from dogs
get fireplace
wash windows
get new mailbox
finish garage
make "room" in attic
walk along the lake front
take james on the ferris wheel at navy pier
take a boat ride downtown
go to the shedd
carpet james loft
have a garage sale
get rid of all clothes that doesn’t fit in the house
see breaking dawn part I
see breaking dawn part II
get cavities filled
don’t get anymore cavities
go to a bears game
go to the taste of chicago
go horseback riding
take a family picture
have a gpa higher than 3.8
put all energy bulbs in the house
touch up all trim
go to the UP
stay in a log cabin
go to gatlinburg
stretch daily
loose 10lbs
get a massage
have a cookout
go sledding
go snowmobiling
take pictures at the beach
decorate baby's room
plan 10 year high school reunion
go to the oven grinder
go the signature room
have a party in the basement
master a pasta
master a parmasean crust
make lobster/ king crab legs
Finish my box of puzzles

transition to 2011

Another year has come and gone. I feel like I just wrote last years post not that long ago. Some times it is great how fast times goes...like I would really love for time to move rather quickly back into warmer weather. I hate this cold, gray stuff. This year was filled with some pretty amazing things:
1. I graduated with my masters
2. Was accepted and started my doctoral program
3. We went to the Dominican as a family
4. Our basement is 75% finished (dave's goal is to have it done by summer)
5. James hit a few homeruns in baseball
6. We had an awesome summer by not being tied down with school. Spent a great deal of time by the pool and at car shows.
7. Daves car won an award at world of wheels
I wonder what next year will bring. This is the first time I have not really looked forward to a new year. I have very mixed emotions. One second I worry about what this year will bring with the economy still not doing well, but the next I realize there is no sense in worrying about the future. No matter what we plan, hope, or think will happen is no guarentee. I look back on the past 2 years and realize that a lot of what has happened wasnt planned and wasnt that great but good things have come out of it. God's plan is not always what we have in mind, but it is the right thing. It just takes time to realize it. So as I told Dave last night...things may or may not be easy, but it is our attitude that will make the difference. If we look at life as unfair, it will be a misraeable year. But if we stay positive, because even though we may not have all we had or hoped to have we still have more than a lot, we will enjoy life more and not waste of year of life.

christmas 2010

Ive realized that I love the holidays....the pre-holiday....I love christmas shopping, wrapping, baking, music, lights but the actual weekend of christmas isnt so plesant. It is way too busy and way too rushed and in the end everyone is exhausted and the house is a disaster. You can't ever seem to please everyone with what time or day to celebrate. But once again we survived and can say that it was a blessed christmas once again. James was very happy and content with his gifts this year. We had a lot of laughs at the Bruinius side and a more calm and quiet christmas on the Kamp side. The cosentino side was lively with all the small children and the enormous pile of presents.

new camera

My christmas present this year is a very nice SLR camera from Dave. I love to take pictures and the digital one that I have just doesn't take the greatest pictures. He let me have it early so I could use it for christmas. Last week I took some pictures of the dogs in the snow to get some practice.....

one semester down...7 to go....

So I survieved my first semester as a doctoral student. It was a lot of work, but I never felt overwhelmed which I am very grateful for. I had a lot of positive support, and I am sure that helped keep me motivated and strong. I will admit there were times when I was working on homework that I asked myself "what are you doing? You could be done and not having to do this right now" but then I wouldn't have the wonderful things I look forward to in the future. I have been done with classes since the 7th and dont go back til Jan 18, so I am enjoying a nice winter break. Our grades were released a few days ago and I recieved all A's. It is a pretty amazing feeling!

our tree this year

a night in the city

Last night was so much fun! Dave, James, and I went downtown to eat at the melting pot and to see a christmas carol at the Goodman. James has been asking to go to the melting pot since he loves chocolate covered goodies. He didnt care too much for the cheese part. He liked the meat and the salad and LOVED the chocolate part. It was so much fun. After dinner we walked to the Goodman and saw a wonderful performance of the Christmas Carol. James and I are huge fans of the story.