That's Amore

This week one of my best friends is getting married....in Italy....and I will not be there (I couldn't get the time off because last week I was off for spring break). I am sad. I would never had thought I would miss such an event. She is one of the people who knows me best and who I can always count on even though we spend most of our time on separate contintents. She is the only person who has a doll of me that she brings with her on various occasions for fun photo ops, and the only person that i have a doll of that I take on adventures with me as well.

So this blog entry is for Kristin and Piergiorgio. I wish I could be there to celebrate with you guys. Since you (Kristin) are a big fan of "Roses are Red" poems I thought it would only be appropriate to write one for your special day. (Sorry there will be no strange dough person to accompany this one.)

Roses are Red
Violets are Blue
You guys are super
Happy wedding to you!

I am looking forward to celebrating with you in June, and even more excited for when we get to come visit you in Italy. Congratulations you guys, I love you!

Job Perks

So I have decided that my favorite perk about my new job is that whenever District 287 (the district I work the most in) is out of school...I have the day off (except in the summer when I am part-time). This past week they were on spring break, so I was too. It was great. Mark took a few days off of work and we went to Red Wing and stayed at the historic St. James Hotel, and enjoyed the cute novelty stores, the fun art scene, and the antique shops. It was so fun just relaxing and doing nothing. Then today I was able to just go out for coffee with a friend, and discuss how the arts, social justice, and the Chistian community can blend together to form something beautiful, and life impacting. I love spring break.

Me, Melanie, God, and Snow

It all started in 2001 when Melanie and I were working as Resident Counselors at a group home in California. When you live at the group home with your clients it is difficult to get time off...because even on the holidays someone needs to be at the house with your clients. So when I got to fly to MN just after Thanksgiving, I was excited. I was only going to be there for a long weekend though, and that just didn't seem like a long enough time. So Melanie and I decided that we would pray for a snow storm so I could be with my family longer. I told my family about our plan, and they agreed it would be great...but I don't think they actually believed it would happen. Then the day before I was scheduled to fly back to California it started to snow....and snow....and snow....in fact it snowed 29.9 inches over night! The crazy thing was it was only in Willmar. If you went 10-20 miles out of Willmar they got about 12 inches. I remember watching the "Today Show" and hearing them mention Willmar by name. It was crazy! Needless to say, I got was stranded for a couple of more days. It was fantastic.

Next it was Melanie's turn to go home to Michigan. She was going to get to be home for Christmas but would only be there for a few days. Once again we prayed that there would be a snow storm which would allow her to have more time with her family. I know it seems crazy...but it worked! On the day of her return flight all planes were grounded due to snow and ice, so she got to stay an extra day.

After these occasions we would often joke with others about how if they have a weather related issue they would like prayer about they should come to us. So when Mark and I decided on an outdoor wedding in the middle of August we prayed for no rain, and for cooler than average temperatures....and once again it worked!

Now some people would could say that we could have just been lucky those three times, but I don't think so because just last weekend I had yet another prayer answered in the form of a snow storm. You see, last week Melanie was in Michigan for her job and she purposefully got a 2 hour lay over in Minneapolis so that we could see each other (it is worth it even if I we can only hang out at the airport). So when the storm came in I was sad because I knew that there wasbe a chance I wouldn't get to see her. Then the night before she was suppose to come Melanie found out her flight was cancelled. They found her another flight but the lay over in Minneapolis was only going to be 40 minutes so I wouldn't get to see her. I was bummed. So I prayed. Then the next morning she called me and told me she just landed in Minneapolis and they informed her that her next flight was cancelled and she would now have a 7 hour layover. This not only meant that i would get to see her, but it gave us enough time so she could hang out at our house (which she hadn't seen yet). Granted it was difficult getting out of our parking lot to pick her up from the airport, and we got stuck multiple times in our parking lot after we dropped her off...but it was all worth it. It was so fun to see her again. So once again I find myself saying....Thank You, God!

Welcome to my Subconscious

At the beginning of February Mark and I joined a fitness club. We have known for sometime that we need to be more proactive in living a healthy lifestyle (get more exercise, eat smaller portions, eat less processed foods, etc.) and so we have slowly been making some changes. I've been feeling pretty good about how we have been doing so far but I have noticed a strange thing happening ever since we started going to the gym to work out.

You see, after the first night we worked out I came home and went to sleep and dreamt that I (along with members of Bluer's all-star band) was going all around the twin cities in the search for the perfect donut. During the course of the dream we would go to different bakeries and I (and I alone) would take a bite or two out of random donuts.Then after discovering it was not all I had hoped it would be I would get in the car and go to the next place. Through out the dream the task at hand (finding the perfect donut) was of the utmost importance. Every one involved in the search understood the seriousness of the matter.

Now, if that dream was not strange enough for you...the story gets better. Last night Mark and I went and worked out again. Then when I went to sleep I found myself having a very similar dream. This time it involved Mark and I on a search for the greatest chocolate malt in the metro-area. Once again we would go place to place, sampling their chocolate malt. Then we would move on, when it didn't meet our standards of excellence.

Coincidence...I think not. If I had to guess, I would think that the next time we work out in the evening I will be having a dream about the quest for the perfect piece of cake...no, I take the back the perfect french silk pie....no, no, no the perfect chai ...or maybe creme brulee...mmmm cheese cake...

Turtle Time

The public libraries in the twin cities have started to do a really cool thing and have passes to local museums and/places of interest that you can "check out". My friend Anne made the most of this opportunity and got tickets to the Minnesota Zoo. So this morning I got to go with her and her daughter to look at all the different animals. I haven't been to the Minnesota Zoo since I was in grade school, so I wasn't quite sure what to expect. One would think that it wouldn't be too impressive since it is winter (which means many closed outdoor exhibits) but I was very impressed by the indoor exhibits (the Tropic Trail & Discovery Bay) . They had tons of beautiful fish, cool monkeys, and a bunch really strange animals that I had never even heard of. I am definitely going back again in the summer to check out the whole zoo.

The picture you see above is of Anne's daughter, Emma, next to a turtle statue (which she loved). I told her to smile and at first she just did a fake smile with no teeth, so Anne told her to show her teeth and this was the result. I think it is hilarious.

Celebrations & Traditions

Last week, marked the two year anniversary of the first date Mark and I ever had. To celebrate, Mark got us tickets to the Ordway where we saw a production of Chicago. It was fantastic. I may even go as far as to say it was S'marvelous. Last year on our anniversary Mark surprised me with tickets to my favorite musical of all time Les Miserables when it was at the Ordway. He said it was not intentional that we went to the same place to celebrate...but it just worked out that way. Now however we have decided that it is a great tradition for us to carry on. So now we just have to hope they continue to have good shows at the Ordway every January 21st!

Good Stuff

These are two things I recently experienced for myself and enjoyed thoroughly. I knew I would like them both, but was surprised by how much. So if you get the chance I highly recommend that you check them out for yourself.

Tradition!

As some of you know, every Christmas my mom puts up an elaborate nativity scene that sits over their fireplace. Sometime either at the end of my high school career or during my early Dordt years a tradition began where my brother, Cam, and I would put something in the nativity scene. The first year it was a rather obnoxious teddy bear that was wearing a Hawaiian shirt, sunglasses, and a straw hat. We put it on top of the stable, my mom was clueless. We took family photos in front of the fireplace and it wasn't until much later when she got the photos developed that she saw the bear. Since that time Cam and I have put something different in the nativity each year, and every year everyone but mom sees it right away. So I thought I would share with you what we have put in there over the last three years...starting with Christmas 2006.


Yes that is a Jar-Jar Koosh.


That is a pig I made in my 8th grade art class. Impressive I know.



Last, but not least the Arby's oven mitt.

Wishing you a Merry Christmas!

My friend Cristina made me aware of way I could really bless my friends and family this holiday season.

Rather then explain to you how I am going to do this. I thought I would just let you see for yourself. Click here to see my gift to all my friends.

I just can't hide it

How sad, even the computer can tell I am Minnesotan!

What American accent do you have? Your Result: North Central "North Central" is what professional linguists call the Minnesota accent. If you saw "Fargo" you probably didn't think the characters sounded very out of the ordinary. Outsiders probably mistake you for a Canadian a lot.
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Nick & Amy Ciske

This weekend, we attended the last of our summer/fall weddings. Nick and Amy got married saturday. The ceremony was beautiful, and the reception was relaxed and fun. Every part of the day reflected their personalities. It was such a great day.

Presenting Mr. & Mrs. Don Groen

Well, last weekend Mark and I took our first road trip together to Allendale, MI for the wedding of Don and Melanie Groen. It was a lot of fun. Shortly after we got there I was off to Melanie's parents house to throw her bachelorette party. Here are a couple pictures of the festivities.


Friday was spent hanging out with the bride, helping her get things ready for the main event. Here is a picture of her and Don at the Groom's Dinner.

Saturday was the wedding. She looked so beautiful. I, however, was kinda weirded out by being called the Matron of Honor. Matron is such a strange word, that sounds so old...I don't feel that I should be a matron...not that Maid of Honor sounds cool or anything...but still it just felt weird. Thankfully I was able to rise above it, and the wedding was a great celebration of Melanie and Don. Yeah to best friends, and celebrations!

Stay tuned for next week, when this blog will feature the wedding of Nick and Amy.

They are Here!

The much anticipated official wedding photos are now complete! I am so excited about how they turned out. Shelley, in her generosity, went above and beyond any expectations and put together a slideshow of some of the photos so that my friends & family could see them. So if you want to check them out click here.

Photographer Friends

So I have been having people ask about pictures of the wedding. The professional ones are still being worked on, but I do have lots of friends who like photography and they took pictures of the wedding so you can check out their different photo's at each of their respective Flickr accounts Bryan, Jen, Kandi, Melody, and Anna.

Mrs. Miron, That's Me!

At my first bridal shower, my friend Cristina presented me with a necklace that she had made. On the back it said "Mrs. Miron, that's me!" I loved the necklace too much to wait until after August 12th to wear it so, I wore it in anticipation of our wedding. Now, I can proudly wear it, knowing that it is true. The wedding day was perfect. There was nothing I would change. Mark and I just enjoyed celebrating with our friends and family. Here are a few pictures to enjoy.

Let the Wedding's Begin!

So I haven't posted in a while, because I have been so busy with wedding planning.
Yesterday however, it was time for me to celebrate the wedding of dear friend Laura (Beckman)Boche, who I have been friends with since fourth grade. I was honored to be her personal attendent, and in less then two weeks she will be mine!

The Hook Up

So there have been a few sites that I have been enjoying/visiting lately that I thought I would pass on to anyone who is interested.

The first is the blog for my friend (and wedding photographer) Shelley. On it you will see a few of the photo's she took for our engagement photo's. You should also check out the website for Summerset studio's photography. She is really good at what she does. I love to look at her photo's and see how she captures the personality of the people she is photographing as well as the scenery around them.

The second is a blog of a person I only met once. His name is Derek. He and I sang at a wedding together in Idaho for our mutual friends Bryan and Judy. Although I didn't get to know him or his wife, Shannon, very well I remember being impressed with how kind and authentic they both seemed to be. A few months back Bryan e-mailed his friends to pray for Derek and his family (he and his wife have two young girls) as he has been diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma, and gave us the link to Derek's Blog where he chronicles his journey with the cancer. As many of you know my dad was diagnosed with a similar form of Lymphoma a few of years ago, he has now been cancer free for a couple of years. I feel like much of this blog captures the thoughts and feelings my dad, and my other family members experienced during the time he had cancer. It is a powerful testimony of the emotional, spiritual, and physical ups and downs experienced by people with cancer. So I encourage you to read about his experience, and to lift Derek and Shannon up in prayer as he continues to fight off the cancer.

The last link is to a humorous wedding related blog. My friend Nick told me about it. It is called "You may Kiss the blog". This woman is a great writer, and she blogs about her experiences in planning her wedding. I found her entries to be hilarious, and think that even if I wasn't currently planning my own wedding that I would get a kick out of her blog.

Unforgettable

So another year of my life has passed, and so far being 27 has been fun.

On Saturday Mark surprised me by taking me to Duluth for the day. I hadn't been there since I was about 4 years old, so it was really fun to see it again. Sadly the 70, 80, and 90 degree weather we had been enjoying last week had left and it was a chilling 55ish degrees out, so instead of playing track ball on the boardwalk we went to the Duluth aquarium.



We had a lot of fun there despite the fact that they really did not have many fish to look at...and those that they did have were things like lake trout. I did however get to pet a fresh water sting ray...which was a first for me.

Then the big surprise was that Mark had booked us on a dinner cruise. It was so fun. The food was delicious and the scenery was amazing. I am not a huge lover of swimming, and being in the water...but I am a big fan of being near the water. In California Melanie, Tanja and I would frequent Santa Cruz, and Carmel just so we could relax on the beach. And in Michigan I lived minutes from a beautiful beach on Lake Michigan so it felt good to just be by a large body of water and enjoy the calm and peaceful impact it has on me.

Then last night some of my friends from Bluer gathered to celebrate. I had so much fun eating delicious cake, and laughing (very hard I must add) with this wonderful group of people. I just can't help but feel the need to let them know how very thankful I am to have them in my life.

oh...and for all you non-bluer friends...I am thankful for you too.

Bliss & Joy

Well I am officially done with graduate school. I went to my last class on Friday and handed in my final paper. A great weight has been lifted off of my being. It was a great feeling to have an entire Sunday to myself...with no homework looming over my head. I was able to just enjoy being with friends, and not worrying about the list of things that need to be done.
Now granted I still have lots of things to do, as I need to find a job and finish planning the wedding. But for some reason those things don't come with as much stress attached to them as my schooling did.
At the same time I do take Twin Cities, Social Work, Youth related job leads...so if you have any of those feel free to send them my way.

It's been a while

Well when tomorrow comes, Mark and I will have been engaged for a month! And what a month it has been, not only have we got lots of wedding plans taken care of but last week my best friend Melanie got engaged. Then a few days later my room mate Amy and Mark's room mate Nick got engaged! So this summer/fall will be jammed packed full of holy matrimony!

So as you may imagine, the past month things have gotten really busy with school, my internship, and planning a wedding. Today however there is reason to celebrate because I successfully passed my Licensed Graduate Social Worker (LGSW) Exam. That means that once I graduate I will be fully licensed. Yippee!

Now I just have three more papers to write so that I can graduate. Then once that is done I just need to find a job, plan our wedding, figure out where we are going to live post-August 12th, and then get married.

Okay so I have a few stressful things to do yet...but at least I no longer have to factor test anxiety into the picture.