Rants, Recipes, and Running

I'm sure the title of the blog post could raise a few eyebrows to those who know me well. Ryan and I will be celebrating our 7th (!!!) Anniversary in about 2 weeks. Which is really hard to believe. Over the past few months, I have been asked about "The 7 year itch". To be honest, I wasn't really familiar with that. So I did a little googling. What is the 7 year itch? Well, besides a movie from 1955. It is a phenomenon that occurs in many marriages. Scenario #1: The couple has raised 1-2 children through the sleepless and stressful infancy years. They reach 7 years of marriage, and they have lost touch with their bond. And they get the itch to seek other things, lifestyles, or in some cases, relationships. Scenario #2: The couple have spent enough time together that they realize they are not excited about their partner anymore. A philosopher once said that the human develops in "7 year cycles". These changes/cycles can be mental, emotion, and physical...

It has been almost 2 months, and I'm finally getting to my review post. Better late than never right? I must say the Hawaii trip was the best vacation to date Ryan and I have taken. We started in Kaui, and then hopped over to Oahu. Let's start with Kauai! One of the perks of how much Ryan travels, is he gets some SUPER perks from National. So we got this little hot-rod to escort us around Kauai!     We stayed at a hotel on the East side of the Island our 1st night. We headed straight for a walk on the beach. Actually...Ryan spent the 1st half hour in a 90 degree hotel room (AC wasn't turned on!), logging into work and school. I was not loving that...   But then we headed to the beach!!   Pictured below was a sacred area of the island. After much exploring, we realized those rocks "tombstones".   Here is a panoramic view of the Kauai from the east view! Gorgeous! Our 1st night was pretty low key, as we had a BIG HIKE ...

No matter how busy life gets, I whole-heartedly believe that every relationship needs "date night". And "date night" should be a routine. "Date night" doesn't have to be a fancy night out over a plate of surf-and-turf. It doesn't have to be a night out at the movies. "Date night" is about breaking the routine, and spending time together as a couple. I think a routine "date night" is especially important once you start to have children. Not saying it's easy by any means...but every relationship needs 1:1 time away from the day-to-day stressors! Here are my favorite "date nights": 1. Happy Hour, Gelato, and a walk . One of my favorites is going to North, an Italian restaurant in the foothills of Tucson with a gorgeous patio. They have half-priced wine for HH. We share a few appetizers (marghertia pizza...caprese salad...) And then we go for a walk, and finish off the evening with a small gelato. Lots of vari...

All I'm going to preface this post with, is that living on opposite shifts has been difficult for Ryan and I lately. Ryan working from 3 pm-1 am, me waking up at 4 am and working until 6 causes us to not see each other multiple days. "Living among each other" - has been way harder than merely living in opposite states. I know that sounds crazy, but it's true. My reflections have come up with a conclusion for why this has been so challenging. When we lived in different state, we each were kind of doing our own thing. We'd talk in the evenings a few nights a week, and catch up. When we did see each other, we dedicated that time 100% to each other. We had a "rhythm" to our relationship. Lately we live in the same house, but we "live" in opposite worlds. Much of the week, the only contact we have, is me being too loud when he's trying to sleep, and vice versa. Add sleep deprivation to the whole equation? And you have what I like to call ...

Somehow, 5 years have managed to fly by since I married Ryan. They say time flies when you're having fun  - and that statement is very true! It almost scares me when I reflect on how fast these 5 years have gone. As cliché as this sounds, I just don't know where the time went! I seriously feel like we were planning our wedding a few months ago. But I am preaching to the choir, here. So I'll move on from my moment of awe.... We spent our anniversary in the place where we got married - Battle Lake, MN . Which is the happiest place on earth, in my opinion! Being in that area always brings back such strong memories of growing up. And now having the memory of our wedding makes it even more of a special place in my heart. Here are my favorite moments of the 1st 5 years: Our honeymoon . We stayed a the Playa del Mujeres Excellence Resort outside of Cancun - and it ranks as my favorite vacation. That place is seriously paradise.....sailing, all-inclusive indulgence, beautifu...

On our second day of hiking, I was feeling very exhilarated and happy from how much fun we were having. And my naïve, silly self said to Ryan, "I think any couple that is having a tough time in their relationship should take a trip like this!!!" Ryan had to stop walking so he could laugh, and assure me not to suggest this to any couple in trouble. Bad relationship + survival challenges + wilderness = feed significant other the bear He had a good point. A relationship should probably be thriving before roughing it out in the wilderness. Why do I say this? Because you really have to function as a team. Our tent was so tiny, it literally only fit our bodies. We had to squeeze in and out one person at a time . But as I frolicked through the forest and reflected, there were many analogies between backpacking and healthy relationships.   (or life, in general!) To have a successful backpacking trip, you must be okay with "nothing to do". There aren no TV...

Since January 25 of last year, it  seems Ryan and I have lived in different states more than we lived in the same state. He was in Alabama from January 25-March 6. Home for 1 week. Then in Colorado from March until May. And now he's in New Mexico for a 4 month school. The nice thing is this is his last school. I also have no place to complain. My husband is not deployed. He's in the US in safe places. We don't have any kids. I have a job to keep me busy, running trails to enjoy, and a group of supportive girlfriends to keep me laughing! But it will be nice to live under the same roof again. To be honest, I'm getting a little irritated when people tell me this separation is "good for me" and "good for us" and "will teach me how to be independent" . Well, let me tell you....I've learned how to be independent by this point. I know how to take care of myself. We've learned to value each other and our time. We're ready to...

I am a few weeks late, but to be honest, I'm not really sure what happened to those few weeks that passed! I really didn't want this trip to go missed on this blog. It was probably one of my favorite vacations we've taken! It was kind of funny how it developed.... Ryan was supposed to be moving out to Riverside, California for his last 5 month school. We decided I would accompany him on the trip out there (he wasn't going to need a car). But Riverside, CA isn't exactly the romance/travel capital of the world ;) So we were going to make a detour and spend a few days in San Diego (probably one of our favorite cities ever) Instead.....we discovered Big Bear. It's a mountain town located in the San Bernadino Forest, about 7000 ft above LA, and 30 degrees cooler. We found a cabin to rent on turnkey.com, and the plans were in the making! Well, Ryan's CA school got moved. So we adjusted with the plans -- and it worked out perfectly! Instead of a "goodbye...

So we've been home for a week, and boy, what a week it has been! Got the house cleaned and in order Helped Ryan assemble a 350 lb smoker - and trial run it before our party Returned to work after my leave and got to read about 300 emails. (I think 5 were worth reading) Had a mini dinner party Friday night - made grilled filet mignon, asparagus, & butternut squash risotto Ran 10 miles to resume my marathon training Prepped and threw a party Saturday night with approximately 45 guests Sunday after cleaning up, scrubbing the floors, and getting the house back in order - I will admit I fell asleep with my feet danging in the pool. When I set up this party, I wanted to do something easy. "Let's grill some burgers, have a big salad, and call it a day!" Somehow that transformed into a menu of...... Smoke Pulled pork Pulled pork flatbreads 4-cheese bacon Mac'N'Cheese North Carolina-style Slaw Smoked Beer Can Chickens So Saturday morning Rya...

"Man in Blues" ? Does Ryan have the blues? No. I'm referring to him as "a man in blues" meaning Air Force. As most of you know, in January he "took the plunge" in taking a more active role in the Air Force by taking a pilot spot. Although he's been in for 8 years, this past year our lives have changed drastically. I've never considered myself a 'military spouse', as before his only activity in the military was 1 weekend/month and 14 days/year. So when he was commissioned back in March, and I sat in a "Spouses Forum"...I felt clueless. All the wives were dropping terms like "TLF", "TDY", "enlisted vs officer". "IFS" "UPT" "Tincker AFB" "March AFB" "Nellis"....the list went on. Whaaaat? Then we were separated for a few months. Then I moved to San Antonio. There was I was the base library, trying to get a card. The librarian asked me for ...

Happy Anniversary to Us!!!! 4 Years! That's a picture of us having FUN at Canyon Lake last weekend. Hair is down, big smiles, sun-tanned.....having a good time! This school that Ryan has been in has been a little on the intense side, and this is the first time in about a month that we've really gone out and "let our hair down". We went with another couple, rented canoes, brought a cooler of beer, tied our canoes together, and wasted the afternoon away. It was glorious. Actually, we didn't "tie" the canoes together. Our men, being the manly men they are, fashioned ropes out of the life jackets and McGuever'ed a way to strap the 2 canoes together. It actually worked out well, because the force of the 2 made it impossible for them to tip over! Anyways, back to Anniversary. Instead of making this into a post where I profess my unconditional, heart-filled love for Ryan (which does persist strong...

After several days of hotel living, I think I've found a rhythm. We've made it work, to say the very least! After going through this transition, there are several things I've learned. I know the chances of ever having to make a hotel a home are very slim in most people's lifestyles. However, you never know! What if your house floods, and you have to house up in the Candlewood Suites for a month? For Ryan and I, there is a good chance that this won't be the last time we live in these types of quarters. I am now confident that I'll have it down by the next time we do this! (For those of you just joining in, if there are any.......this is for a temporary 3 month move) Here are a few tips I've found so far...... Pack what you need. Seriously .  Again, I state, Really analyze the items you use in your day-to-day life and decide what do you really need . (For example, if there's a dress that has been worn once in the past 2 years. Don't bring it...