MALL OF AMERICA!!!

This weekend I took Ryan to the MALL OF AMERICA!!! It was a brand new experience for him. It can be a little overwhelming, if you don't know what to expect. I was definitely more excited than he was to go shopping. We have learned that it is not a good idea for us to go shopping together. Ryan doesn't really understand why I have to try on everything in the store......twice, before I can make a decision. So to avoid a meltdown, he went to a movie, while I went shopping. There is no possible way you could go in every store. There are over 500 stores, including two American Eagle stores! The first one I went to didn't have a shirt in my size, so I walked to the other store and bought it. My only regret it that we didn't get to go on the big rollercoaster. Maybe next time? (If there ever is a next time.)

This weekend was a busy one! We ran the Woodbury Half Marathon. It was a beautiful course. It was a cool morning, only 60 degrees when we started the race. Perfect running weather! We ran around three different lakes and through some neighborhoods. Most of the course was shaded. One of the residents that Ryan works with lives in Woodbury with his family. They were our fan club. They rode their bikes along the course and cheered us on when we ran by. After the race they invited us over to their house for waffles!! We both did well and of course Ryan beat me again. His time was 1:34 and mine was 1:45. Both of us ran faster than our times two weeks ago. We have two more races before the Marathon in October.

Gopher to Badger

Time is flying by here in Minneapolis. It is hard to believe another week has gone by. I guess that's what happens when you are staying busy. Ryan and I ran a half marathon yesterday. We are trying to run a race every other week to prepare for the Chicago Marathon in October. Neither of us have run more than 10 miles in a long time. It was called the Gopher to Badger half marathon because it started in Minnesota and finished in Wisconsin. (For all of you non-sports fans: The University of Minnesota's mascot is the Gopher and University of Wisconsin's is the Badger.) It was a gorgeous day, except it got really warm toward the end!! The sun was out and the humidity was high. We both finished and did well. Of course Ryan beat me, as usual. After the race Ryan decided to take a dip in the freezing waters of the St. Croix River. I chickened out!

In other news, I finally got a calling in my new ward. I am teaching the 8-11 year of girls in primary, and also in charge of activity days. I am team-teaching with another sister. Today was our first day. We have a small class of 3-4 girls. I am excited! I have never been in the primary before. It makes me feel old. I can barely remember when I was in primary. They sing new songs that I have never heard before. What happened to the classics like: 'Book of Mormon Stories', and 'I am trying to be like Jesus." Now they have songs for every article of faith. I have a lot to learn about primary. If anyone has fabulous tips for activity days, I am open for suggestions.

Working FULL time

I am trying to Blog every week. I want to have something exciting to write about, but our lives are pretty simple. We go to work, run, sleep, and eat. I am still getting used to working five days a week. It is tough!! I have a lot more respect for all of you that work five days a week. I am used to having at least one day off during the week to go grocery shopping, run errands, and clean up. So needless to day, the house work is falling a little behind. But it has definitely made us appreciate the weekends a lot more!

The most exciting thing this week was the falling gas prices. I filled up for $3.49 a gallon!! That is still higher than I would like, but I was pleasantly surprised when I pulled up to the gas pump.

Lumberjack Days

This week has gone by fast. It feels really good to be working again. It was a little adjustment to go from not working at all, to working five days a week. But, I think I will really enjoy my new job. The people I work with are wonderful and I am learning a lot!

If any of you know me very well, then you know that I am NOT a morning person. I usually struggle to get out of bed in the morning. And I have been know to sleep through my alarm and over use the snooze button. However, this past week I have gotten up early everyday to run before I go to work. And I love it!!! The mornings are so nice. It is cool and calm. the best part is that when I get home from work I have the whole evening to do whatever I want. I am not sure how long this will last, but I think I am converting into a morning person.

On Saturday, Ryan and I got up extra early and drove to Stillwater, Minnesota to run a 10 mile race. Stillwater is about 40 minutes east of us, on the border of Wisconsin. They had lots of activies going on for Lumberjack Days. It was a beautiful run along the St. Croix river. We both did very well, but Ryan is always faster than me. Sometimes I wish I would have married someone that was not so athletic, so I could beat him. Ryan is fast! He finished in one hour and nine minutes, and I finished in one hour and nineteen minutes. We are a little sore today. We are training for the Chicago marathon in October. We have a few more races coming up in the next couple months to help us get ready for Chicago.

A day at the Beach

This week I was enjoying my last few days of freedom before starting my job on Friday. I really wanted to go to the pool and catch some rays. I tried to find a public pool, but there are very few outdoor pools in Minneapolis. Obviously because the summer is only two months out of every year. So all the pools and water parks are indoors. However, Minnesota is the state of 10,000 lakes. So I drove fifteen minutes to Lake Calhoun to lay out on the beach. It was definitely not white sand and crystal blue water of the caribbean. It was more like small pebbles and murky freezing cold water. It was a very humid day in the 90's. I was sweating, but the water was still way too cold!! I should have brought a wet suit.


I started my job on Friday. It felt great to be back in a hospital and using my brain cells again. Most of the day was orientation and paperwork. I really think I will like my new job. It is going to be challenging. I will be working with sick, complex patients. But I am excited to learn and gain more experience.

Our Cozy Condo

I have finally unpacked the last box and put away the last dish. However, I am still hanging pictures on the walls. During my time off I have tried my best to make our house feel like a home. I am amazed at how fast we are adjusting. It feels like we have lived here longer than three weeks. I am going to take you on a virtual tour of our cozy condo. It shouldn't take too long, because it is only 1000 square feet. But it is the perfect size for us.

Let's start outside...This is the front of the building we live in. We live in the warehouse district of downtown Minneapolis. We are only a few blocks away from skyscrapers. The other picture is the bridge where we like to run over the Mississippi River. This picture is taken about a half mile from where we live.

This is the kitchen. I love our kitchen! It has double the cabinet space of our last apartment. And all brand new appliances. I have been spending more time in the kitchen lately. Since moving here we do not eat out as often as we did in Salt Lake. So I have been cooking dinners and making Ryan lunches to take to school.

This is our master bedroom. Every morning at five A.M. the sun rises and shines right into our bedroom window. While my parents were in town we bought some thick drapes. Since then we have been able to sleep in past five o'clock.

Here is the master bathroom. The only problem is the lack of towel rods. There is one small towel rod next to the shower. (Definitely not big enough for two towels.) So, I hung some decorative towels on it and put our towels on hooks behind the door. Ryan does not approve. He is very confused about the decorative towels and why he cannot use them. He also is confused why his towel is far away from the shower when we have a towel rack next to the shower. Let's just say we are going to have to make some changes in order to keep both of us happy.

This is the office/den. I wanted to make it into a spare bedroom so we could have some visitors. But we have decided that it is too small for a bed and a desk. However, my parents slept on a blow-up bed in this room and said it was very comfortable. Also, we live directly across the street from a Marriott hotel. So if any of you would like to come and visit, I am sure we can find adequate accommodations for you.

Here is the spare bathroom. Ryan has claimed it as his bathroom. I think men and women need separate bathrooms. He complains about my blow dryer and all the cords. And I have definitely taken over the master bath with all my "stuff."

This is the room where we spend most of our time, the living room. As you might notice from the pictures, our couch is in front of the fireplace. We had a very difficult time arranging the furniture. We have tried moving the couch in every possible position, and this is really the best way. If anyone has any other suggestions please let me know.

This is our balcony. Unfortunately, we are not allowed to have a barbecue, against fire code. We enjoy sitting outside to read or just enjoy the view. The other picture is our view from the balcony. We are facing the Mississippi River. If that building wasn't in the way then we would have a spectacular view of the river.

Well, that's it! It is small, but perfect for a newly married couple. Most of all we love the location. It is only 2 miles from the University of Minnesota. Ryan is able to come home if he has a break. My favorite part is the underground garage. When it is 100 below zero, I will definately be glad that I don't have to scrape ice off of my car.

Good News! I start my job on Friday. Yipee! I am starting to get very bored. And it will be nice to have some income as well. Ryan is busy, busy, busy! He has been studying all weekend. He has a big test in his anatomy class on Tuesday. I am sure he will ace it!!!

Star Spangled Minnesota

Ryan stared school on July first. He is alreday very busy! He has an anatomy class from 6-9 at night, three days a week. He is gone most of the day. I am getting a little bored. I have been sleeping in, grocery shopping, and watching The View. I am glad that I will be working soon because I am going a little crazy. I do not want to be a stay at home wife! Needless to say, we were both ready for the long holiday weekend.

We survived our first holiday in Minnesota. I think it was a little bittersweet for both of us. We are excited to be in a new city, but we are used to spending the fourth of July with our families. I think it was harder for Ryan knowing that his brothers were in Provo and he was stuck in Minnesota. However, we made the best of it. The city had a celebration called Red, White, and BOOM. It was within walking distance of our apartment along the Mississippi River. They had music from several bands, fried food on a stick, and fireworks. Ryan had the biggest corndog I have ever seen! My favorite part was the people watching. There are some strange people in this city! I bet there was close to 40,000 people there. (double the entire population of Sevier county) We live in a huge city. We stayed to watch the fireworks and then walked home.