My birthday is not until the end of October, but here is what is on my wish list as of now.
A new gram scale for measuring food (mine is about 10 years old). Revenge Season 2 on DVD (although I'll probably buy it before my birthday). North Face apparel, I especially looove their hoodies! Running out of my favorite perfume Dolce and Gabbana The One. New sunglasses.
I have tentative birthday plans of going up to Madison with the hubby for a weekend. Being there last weekend, I remembered how much there is to do there and how wonderful it is in the fall! Nikki is going to help us plan things to do on our weekend.
Also, since I'm turning the big 3-0 (UGH), my family always throws a surprise party. NOT looking forward to it.
This weekend was fun-filled and spend with wonderful people. I went to PKU Camp in Madison from Thursday-Sunday. PKU is the genetic disorder I have and it basically means my body can't metabolize protein correctly, so I can't eat 90% of all foods and I have to drink a supplement everyday. I went to camp from 1996-2003, but haven't been back since due to work, school, and/or traveling.
I got to spend the weekend with other girls/women (age range 14-31) with PKU. We stay on the University of Wisconsin Madison campus and do tons of fun things. This year we did a ropes course, went to a butterfly garden, went to the Farmer's Market at the Capitol, had a grill out, and did a ton of cooking. I was so so happy to see my best friend from camp, Barby, for the first time in 10 years. She is now married and has 3 daughters (6 months ago she had twins!) There were also a few other girls there that I knew from the old days. My nurse practitioner, Susan, (whom I've known through the camp since 1996) and my dietician, Nikki, were both also there. I met Nikki last year when I went back to my clinic and she is just amazing. She has helped me so much with getting 100% back on my diet and is always there for me if I have any questions. It was awesome getting to hang out with her.
I brought my schoolwork along and fully intended to study, however, not much got done. But I wouldn't have traded this weekend for anything! So happy I went back and definitely will for many years to come :)
All of us girls in our huge amazing kitchen we cooked in.
Barby and me. First picture since 2003! Love her!
My dietician, Nikki, and me. I am so thankful for her!
ONE. Hello, CLASSICS! It just finally hit me a few days ago that this is my first chance to obsess over my #1 love since March! At least, as far as US gymnastics goes. I did kind of freak out over Aliya Mustafina's domination at Euros and Universiade earlier this year. So, yes. SUPER DUPER EXCITED. I can't even name all the things I'm most excited about, there's far too much. First off, definitely Kyla Ross. She is still my favorite senior gymnast right now, and she's going to be a serious AA contender this year with upgrades on BB, UB, and FX. I'm also excited to see McKayla, mainly to hear if she's working on the TTY. I'm so hyped to see Simone, especially since I just saw a vid of her throwing a triple double on FX. Just, like are you kidding?! Also excited for the first year seniors and the tons of juniors that are going to compete! Clearly, lets stop, I could go on forever! Just go HERE!
TWO. Selena Gomez's new album is fabulous! I already like it better than When the Sun Goes Down. Debatable if it could surpass A Year Without Rain for me, but it's definitely possible!! I've been jamming out to it since it came out on Tuesday! Favorite tracks so far: Birthday (omg on repeat like all day), Stars Dance, LIKE A CHAMPION, Save the Day, B.E.A.T, Love Will Remember. Go get it people!
THREE. My mom and I are starting to plan a cruise! My mom said she wanted to take me on a cruise after graduation because I've never been on one and she loves them. However, since we're planning to start trying to get pregnant at the beginning of the year, we are going to go during my winter break. We've just begun looking around but I'm excited!
FOUR. I've loved Lea Michele for years now, but I honestly have a whole new appreciation and love for her the past couple weeks. I've been reading all kinds of articles since Cory Monteith died, and you can really tell how strong of a person she is. She planned his entire memorial service and also the Glee producers totally let her decide how she wanted to handle her return to the show, even to the point of telling her they understood if she decided not to return at all. But she is so strong, and made the decision that returning and that being around their Glee family would be the best thing for all of them. I'm still so sad for her and I hope reuniting with the cast will give her the time she needs to grieve. I found this on Pinterest awhile ago, just love it!
FIVE. I found this the other day ...
I think I found it on Facebook. But I just love it, so I wanted to share!
I've been re-watching Glee the last week or so. I'm in the middle of season 2, and I decided to look back on my 10 favorite performances by Cory on Glee. They're not all Cory on his own, some are with Lea, and some with the guys from Glee, and the entire New Directions.
Hope you enjoy!
10. Don't Stop Believing - Season 4
This is really more featuring Lea's character, Rachel Berry, but it was the last performance Cory ever did on Glee. He was written out of the last several episodes of season 4 when he checked into rehab earlier this year.
9. Don't Go Breaking My Heart - Season 2
Omg, I just watched this episode the other day and it BROKE my heart. This video is a little crazy, the person used the full version of the song and cut to clips of Cory and Lea during the middle (the part of the song they didn't film on Glee), but I actually loved it. They were just so perfect.
8. Don't Dream It's Over - Season 4
Okay ignore the subtitles, but I loved this performance. The snow made it just MAGICAL.
7. Just the Way You Are - Season 2
Oh my gosh. I love this one. He looks so happy and alive in it and his character Finn and Kurt, just love. And him dancing with Lea at the end, I just love how happy he looks in this entire performance.
6. Push It - Season 1
Cory has ALWAYS been my favorite part of this performance. He is HILARIOUS, omg his face at like 1:29-1:30, I DIE EVERY TIME. This always makes me laugh, I love it!
5. We Are The Champions - Season 3
I actually had this a spot lower but decided it needed to be moved up. I will NEVER EVER forget the first time I saw this performance. I COMPLETELY BAWLED MY EYES OUT. In it, they had just won Nationals, and all of the main cast (or most) were graduating. No one knew at that time how everything would play out with them so I felt like everything was ending. Cory's vocals were so powerful in this one. When they bring Matthew Morrison up on stage and all hug him, I JUST BAWL.
4. Don't Stop Believing - Season 1
Honestly, the performance that made me fall in love with Glee. Singing has been a huge part of my life for my whole life and this show is just so close to my heart for so many reasons. I love when Cory smiles at Lea around 2:15ish, and I just love his enthusiasm in this one. Such emotion when he sings.
3. It's My Life/Confessions Part II - Season 1
Okay, so there wasn't many options for videos for this one so just ignore Cory with the boom box on the right side, LOL. This will always be one of my favorite Glee performances ever! I love all the mash ups they do on the show but this one is probably my favorite. If the guys look a little hyper its because they took pseudoephedrine before performing haha. It's hilarious.
2. Faithfully - Season 1
Incredible duet with Cory and Lea on a Journey classic. I believe right before they start the video Finn says "I love you," to Rachel. I just can't get enough of them together.
1. Pretending - Season 2
It clearly just figures that my most favorite performance would have the shittiest options for video. The quality on every single one I opened was awful, but this was the best I could find. This is my favorite song that Glee has done throughout the 4 seasons. It has a personal meaning to me, I can relate to the lyrics a lot. What also makes it special is that it is an original song, not a cover which is usually what Glee does. This was in Season 2 at the Nationals, and that kiss at the end cost the New Directions ... they didn't place, but it was worth it to me. Since the video sucks so much I'm also posting the full song below. It's a beautifully written song, I love it. It is the most played song on my iTunes to this day.
Rest in peace, Cory. I will always think of you whenever I hear your voice or watch you on Glee. You will never ever be forgotten.
The surprise 50/60th birthday party that my siblings and I planned for my dad and stepmom was this past weekend! It was great! I don't know how it was possible that everything went according to plan, but somehow it did!
Friday began with my mom and I going to the store to get all the food that we were going to need. We made everything ourselves except for the cake, so we needed a ton of groceries.
The Menu
For the main dish/meat we did beef sandwiches with pepperoncinis that my mom has made before and that is really good! We had a broccoli and cauliflower salad, an Asian Ramen salad, Veggie Pizza, fruit salad, a cheese tray with french bread, BLT dip, buffalo chicken dip, another salad that my mom makes that's like a pasta salad, and more. There was just SO MUCH delicious food! My mom and I made everything Friday night. I was taking pictures as we went so some of the things shown above weren't done yet.
The Big Day
Saturday we went over to my dad's around 1:30, and we all went out to this restaurant on the lake that has a Tiki bar in the back. It was a pretty big crowd. My dad, stepmom, my siblings and their dates, and my husband and I. Our first surprise came at the restaurant ... we invited my stepmom's dad and aunt and uncle down from up north to spend the day with us. She was so shocked and we had a really great time there!
Carol's surprise!
Me and my Daddy!
Me and my sister and Tamara.
The birthday boy/girl!
My aunt, uncle, and cousins were flying into Chicago on 3 different flights and did not arrive too much before the party was scheduled to begin so we were constantly texting them for updates on how far away they were. Finally, around 4:30, we drove back to the house. We walked in and my mom and her best friend had set everything up for us (they were LIFESAVERS) and they were both surprised. Then my uncle (my dad's brother) walked out and my dad started crying! My dad RARELY sees his family. His brother lives in Texas and his sister in Pennsylvania, so he hadn't seen him in about 2 years. I didn't get a reaction shot of him on my camera, but my sister did.
The rest of the night we all just hung out, ate all the yummy food, drank, laughed, and had the best time. I was so relieved the stress was over of keeping the secret and my sister even said "I feel like I'm going to pass out," and I totally agreed. I look quite rough in some of the pictures towards the end of the night. I only had like 2 and a half solo cups of wine, but I didn't eat all day because I was so nervous, so I ended up feeling it a lot more.
Our cake! It was soooo yummy.
Just one of the 3 tables of food!
Some of the decor, we had a 50 balloon like that on another table.
Me, my sister, Tamara, and my cousin Corey.
My mom was amazing to help us!
Me and my stepmom Carol.
Me and Corey.
Me, my dad, my uncle, and my cousin Matthew.
There's tons more pictures but most of you are friends with me on Facebook so I'm not going to post them all. I'm so happy after 9 months of planning it all turned out well! No more surprises for awhile though, haha.
I really want to do my weekend recap of the party shenanigans, however, it must wait.
I have a CHA exam in less than 24 hours that I need to study for all day!
I also have a tribute-ish kind of post in the works to Cory Monteith. I will try and have both posts up before I leave for PKU camp on Thursday, but we will see how much time I have.
Oh wow, there were a lot. I loved Full House and still do. We watched PBS shows like Ghostwriter and Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego. And then there was the game shows on the Family Channel ... I'm Telling, Masters of the Maze, Maximum Drive. Blossom, Unsolved Mysteries, Small Wonder, Saved by the Bell.
2. What is your current favorite TV show?
On the air right now Revenge. Of all time Everwood, The OC, and 7th Heaven.
3. Which reality show would you NEVER do?
Hmm, probably like Fear Factor where they have to do all that crazy stuff.
4. Which reality show would you LOVE to do?
Survivor or the Amazing Race.
5. What is the TV personality/character that you feel is most like you?
Umm. I think Amy (Emily VanCamp's character) in Everwood is like me. I seriously like sometimes feel like I connect with her. My friends say Charlotte in Sex and the City too.
6. Which TV character would you want to date?
Ephram in Everwood :) Or Simon from 7th Heaven (before seasons 9-11).
Next Weeks Questions:
1. If you could only eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be? 2. What’s your guilty pleasure/comfort food? 3. What’s the weirdest/craziest thing you’ve ever eaten? 4. What foods do you avoid at all costs? 5. What meal reminds you of your childhood? 6. Share one of your favorite recipes and the story behind it.
It's Friday again! I have to say I've had a pretty amazing week.
1. I was so freaked out about my CHA exam this week. I only got to study really Monday and Tuesday because of my brother coming home from AZ and spending time with him, my family, and working. I honestly thought I'd fail. It ended up being the EASIEST exam of the semester; my friend Josh and I literally got done in less than 10 minutes. I got a 96%!!! I was so so excited and it's been a few weeks since I've had a score like that to be proud of. This week is going to be just as insane but I'm using that grade as motivation to make sure I get in my study time wherever possible.
2. So if you refer back to my last Five On Friday, my number two was about one of my favorite gymnasts, Elise Ray. Well, Monday I just about died. I was studying honestly for like 11 hours that day, and in the middle of the afternoon I heard my email alert go off on my phone. Didn't think anything of it, and left it alone until I took a break from studying. I almost screamed when I saw the email in my inbox was from ELISE. As I said, she has emailed me two times in the past, always in responses to my emails. This time she just emailed me out of the blue!!! & LOOK AT THIS.
I could not even believe it. She is amazing. If I ever met her (which I plan to), I think I'd pass out. NO LIE. She is just perfect.
3. The Secret Classic is next Saturday!!! I'm so so so so super excited for the main events of 2013 to begin! I can't wait to see Kyla (& McKayla) for the first time since London, but most of all I'm SO EXCITED for all of the first year seniors! I can't wait to see what they have planned for routines! Mainly Lexie, Maddie, MyKayla, and Simone!!! And omg the JUNIORS! I'm too excited for too many of them. (Jordan, Norah, Amelia, Bailie, Lauren, Sydney!) Can't wait to freak out and obsess.
Oh and to add to my gymnastics love for the week, rumors that my princess Aliya is working on a TRIPLE TWISTING YURCHENKO!!! If she does it before McKayla/Simone ... just DEAD. Love that girl!
4. PKU Camp is less than a week away!! I went to PKU camp from the age of 12 to the age of 19. It was the highlight of my summer every year. I counted down the days as soon as school got out. It's not actually "camping". It's on the UW Madison campus and we stay in dorms (which was so cool when I was 12, lol), and we get to spend a weekend with other women who have PKU (many of whom I know and are friends with from the past.) We go out to dinner, go shopping on State Street, and always do some kind of activity like kickboxing, some like fitness thing. This year I think we're doing yoga. It is so much fun and I have the best time! This year will be especially beneficial for me because there will be friends there who already have children and have gone through PKU pregnancies and I'll be able to get advice from them. I was looking through old pictures and I found this. :)
5. I've decided to rewatch the entire series of Glee in remembrance of Cory Monteith. I'm 2 discs into season one. I decided that I really think the first season is my FAVORITE, mainly because of Lea Michele (Rachel) in the first season. She is just incredible, and she's so much more naive and innocent in season one. I love her in all seasons, but in the first she's just perfect. I really think sometimes this show was made for me/people like me who have such a huge passion for singing and performing.
I had quite an eventful weekend, to say the least. Friday I worked 7-3:30 and I didn't know, but it was my first day taking patients by myself! They only gave me three though, normally techs have 4 or 5, and they also gave me really easy ones. So I spent the day basically helping the other 3 techs because the floor was very busy.
Saturday my brother flew in from Arizona! I haven't seen him since Christmas. Originally he wasn't supposed to get here until the 19th, but he is beginning a new job and it doesn't start until the 30th, so he changed his ticket. He wanted to surprise my sister, so we made up a whole plan with one of her friends. Saturday night my mom, brother, cousin, and I all drove up to her friend Jason's house, where she was meeting him. She walked in and first saw me, and was really confused, then she saw my brother and she was SO SHOCKED! It was a fun surprise.
After that, we all went out to a restaurant/bar in Milwaukee called the Horny Goat. It was right on the river, very pretty. It was super busy, so we went out to these tables by the river and had drinks and then eventually just ordered appetizers from the bar. It was really a fun night.
Sunday we then surprised my dad with my brother's return, hung out by the pool for awhile, and then went to my grandparents' for dinner. It was a great weekend. Today I'm back to studying. The busiest two weeks of the summer for me are coming up. I honestly don't know how I'm going to pass my next 2 exams, because I'm going to have next to no study time.
Here's my schedule for the next two weeks -- insanity.
Tomorrow I work 7-3:30, then have a study group at 5, and last minute studying tomorrow night. Wednesday I have class, then I'm going to have to try and get in some study time afterwards, because I'm sure we will be going out at night for dinner. Thursday I work 7-3:30 and then need to do shopping at night and shop for party decorations. Friday my mom and I are cooking ALL DAY making food for the party and getting everything ready, and finishing up anything we miss Saturday morning.
Saturday is THE day! At 1:30 we're going to take my dad and stepmom out (to get them out of the house) for drinks downtown. Around 4:30 we will arrive back home. My mom and her best friend are going to bring over all the food and set up while we're gone. My dad's brother and his wife are coming from Texas and also two of his nephews from Idaho. My stepmom's dad and his girlfriend and her aunt and uncle are coming down from up north. They're going to be sooo surprised! It's going to be great!
Then Sunday I work 7-3:30 (PS that is going to be AWFUL), then I'll have to study that night. Next Monday I work again, and then immediately after I get off we are going up to Milwaukee for dinner and a cruise on the river. It's my brother's birthday celebration since we didn't see him in May. Tuesday I will have to study all day for Wednesday's exam. Wednesday after class I will have to study for next week's exam because Thursday-Sunday I will be in Madison at PKU camp. I am just praying I get in enough study time to pass my exams. I'm bring my books and laptop with me to camp and plan to study at night.
I'm supposed to be studying but I'm listening to Glee and I keep crying about Cory and Lea and so I decided to do a post that was a little more fun to take my mind off of it. I'm linking up with A Complete Waste of Makeup for Sunday Social. It's questions about one of my favorite things -- MUSIC.
1. What is your all-time favorite song? I don't think this is possible for me to answer. I honestly don't. I have far too many. A few: Defying Gravity from Wicked, Believe - Justin Bieber, Two Worlds Collide - Demi Lovato, More - Matthew West, One Day More from Les Mis, Crown Him [Majesty] - Chris Tomlin, Live to Love - Diana DeGarmo, From Loving You - Mandy Moore, I Believe - Chris August, Triumphant (Get 'Em) - Mariah Carey, Get Back Up - Tobymac, Stronger - Kelly Clarkson, One Sweet Day - Mariah Carey & Boyz II Men. & like that's not counting Glee albums, and I own 21 of those so, LOL.
2. What is your favorite singer/band? Again, can't name just one. I can narrow it to around 5 though. Mariah Carey, Britney Spears, Kelly Clarkson, Katharine McPhee, and Lea Michele.
3. What song reminds you of your childhood? Cherish by Madonna. It's the first radio song that I remember completely memorizing and singing.
4. What songs put you in a good mood? Any Christian music or Glee :)
5. What is your music to rock out to in your car? Usually my former Disney people like Selena, Demi, and Miley. Haha.
6. What is the most embarassing song or album you own? Hmm, not sure. Either O-Town or BBMak probably lol.
Next Weeks Questions:
1. What is your favorite TV as a kid? 2. What is your current favorite TV show? 3. Which reality show would you NEVER do? 4. Which reality show would you LOVE to do? 5. What is the TV personality/character that you feel is most like you? 6. Which TV character would you want to date?
