July - Our month of travel

My hubby and I have a crazy month of travel this July...

Tomorrow we're heading to Oshkosh for the Fourth of July and a Lenz family reunion. John's dad comes from a family of eight boys...and all but one of them are married with kids...so there will be a ton of people there. Fun!

Then, we're going to Costa Rica with my mom to visit my "sister" Laura. Laura was an exchange student with my family when I was a senior in high school and we've remained really close. This will be my fourth trip to Costa Rica...and John's second. I'm very excited! So far our plans are to visit two volcanoes, a beautiful church, the beach, and a nature reserve. I would love to do this hanging bridge tour too!

After Costa Rica, we'll be spending a week and a half in my hometown with my parents. My dad is turning 60 on July 5th and we're having a surprise birthday party for him. Happy (early) birthday, Dad!

Later in July we're getting together with my Mom's side of the family for Christmas in July. We haven't all been able to get together for Christmas in a long time, so my mom and one of her sister-in-laws decided to have Christmas in July instead. I think it's going to be the start of a wonderful tradition...and I can't wait to see all my cousins and their kids again!

Then, on July 26th, we're road-tripping out to Montana with John's parents and sister(s). I say "sister(s)" because Annie is not sure if she'll be able to make it yet or not. She has to defend her master's thesis at Purdue the week before we leave so she might still be busy with finishing that up. John's family has a farm in Chester, Montana which we will be spending a few days at...but John, his dad, his sister Natalie, and I are also going on a three night backpacking trip in Glacier National Park. I just got my backpack, sleeping mat, and other gear yesterday and am getting very excited for this trip too!

After we get back from Montana, we'll be coming back to Champaign...and I'm sure we'll be very ready to be back! We just might try to fit in a Brewer game first though! Be back in August!

Rollercoaster day

I graduated with my master's degree as a family nurse practitioner in May. This week, my professor sent out an email stating that she had just mailed out the forms we need to apply for our certification exams...and then I started hearing from my classmates that they had received their forms and were mailing in their applications...but I still hadn't received mine. This wouldn't really be a huge problem except that my husband and I will be gone from Champaign for the next 5+ weeks...so this would put me really far behind everyone else in the certification process. Ugh.

This morning I got an email from my professor saying that she had mailed the form to my old apartment...the apartment my husband and I lived in when we first moved to Champaign almost 4 years ago. I was so mad at myself for not making sure my correct address was in the database...but I calmly emailed my professor back and asked if she could send a new form to my parents' house in Wisconsin so that I could get it in a couple of weeks instead of 5+ weeks. She kindly agreed. And I went to YogaLates!

I also had to return some library books this morning...and the library just happens to be across the street from our old apartment. I decided to try to see if the people who lived there had received the envelope and, by some small chance, actually kept it instead of throwing it away. The gate was locked when I got there and there weren't any residents around...but, the mailman was there. When I told him the story, he asked which apartment it was and then opened up their mailbox...and my letter was there! Yay! Today must have been my lucky day...and that mailman definitely made my day!

As soon as I got home, I completed the application, wrote the $390 check, and took the application to the post office. It is now out of my hands...all I can do is study and wait for my test date range...and enjoy our upcoming vacations! Whew!

Post-road trip

We had a great time visiting Annie in Virginia! The drive was a little long but not too bad...we split it up into two days on the way out there but drove straight through on the way back. It was fun to see new scenery...and hills!

So, what did we do while we were there? We saw Hubble 3D at an IMAX theater and Toy Story 3 in 3D...took a naval cruise out of Norfolk (and saw the USS Wisconsin up close)...went to the beach...walked around Colonial Williamsburg...and ate lots of yummy food! It was SO hot there though...upper 90s and low 100s and humid.

We had a great weekend though...thanks, Annie! :)

Annie with the USS Wisconsin:

John and I on the naval cruise:


Buckroe Beach in Hampton:

Road trip!

Tomorrow my husband and I are off to Hampton, VA to visit his sister. She has an internship at NASA Langley this summer. I've only been to Florida and NYC on the east coast so I'm super excited to see a new part of the country. We're also making a pit stop in Charleston, WV tomorrow night to break up the drive. Exciting!

Charleston, WV:


Hampton, VA:

me & mine

Well, I finally did it...I created a blog. I thoroughly enjoy reading others' blogs...so, I decided to start my own.

me&mine...because it will be just that. The main subjects of this blog will be my thoughts, my feelings, my interests, and my frustrations (me) as well as my husband, my family, and my friends (mine)...because that's what I know!

Here we go!!!