Happy Birthday Dad!

Yesterday was my dad's birthday! I love that guy! He's truly one of my best friends. He's taught me many invaluable lessons. He's helped me with so many projects. He's supported me through hundreds of softball games, years of school, crazy boyfriends. He and I know what the other is thinking with just a glance. Just today, he spent one of his days off from work helping me clean the garage, repairing my screen door (that Kevin literally ran through like a high school football player busting through a banner at half time), and meeting a plumber with me so I wouldn't have to be home alone with a male stranger. :) He loves me! :)


He loves Brian too, and that's really important to me. I have such a huge respect for my dad (and you too, mom!) and I deeply value their opinion about anything I do. So when Brian asked me to marry him and told me that he had already asked my dad's permission, I knew everything would be perfect.


I not only got to spend this whole morning-into-the-afternoon with my dad, I also got to spend the whole day with him yesterday! And not just him, the entire family!...

We spent the afternoon as the original four Rodners. We got some lunch and then headed over to the Petersen Automotive Museum. Dad really likes cars. Like, really, really  likes them.

We haven't been there as a family since the first year it opened. I just googled it, and that was back in 1994. *Fun fact: the website says it was founded on June 11, 1994 which was exactly 17 years before Brian and I would end up getting married! :) Good date!

Here's dad teaching Jeff some stuff. :)

We saw a lot of cool cars. In fact, we were looking at the sport car section (at like, Bugatti's and Ferrari's that were worth several million dollars) and I commented that they wouldn't be very practical, as there were no back seats, so where would Kevin go...

Then we stumbled upon this little beaut...

 Perfect size for our family. In fact, if I squint a little, I can see it now...

 It works, no?

Anyway, after we left the museum, we met up with Brian and Jeff's girlfriend Jennifer, then headed to Buca di Beppo for some Italian eats. Delicious!

They even gave my dad a cute little sign to sit with, so we did an impromptu photo shoot...

 After dinner, we headed back to my parents house for some cake and ice cream...

Now, about that... I made a cake the night before, but didn't frost it. I just stuck it in the fridge until I could get to it. At the gym yesterday morning, I told my mom I made the cake and she says she did too... wtf?? I thought I always made the cakes? But then when I got home after the gym and went to frost it, I couldn't get the damn thing out of the pans. This has never happened to me before! The cake finally came crumbling out and as hard as I tried to salvage it, the end result was this:

Suck! So I sent my mom the text:

"Your cake wins. Mine is falling apart. Can't ice it."

That's a big deal- I admitted defeat. Hummph.


Anyway, just goes to show that everything happens for a reason. Two cakes = better than one!

Mom also had another win last night- trick candles! My poor dad had to blow them out about 18 times. That's right mom, make him work for it! :)



I think everyone had a good time yesterday! I know I did. I love spending time with my family. Sometimes we get loud and we don't always agree, but we do always love each other. And we always have fun!



Dad, I love you and I hope you had a very happy birthday. 

And you look great for your age!!! (Hooray for good genes!)

Sorry Dad: Kitchen Light Edition

like the latest Sorry Dad!


I was deep cleaning the kitchen last week and I was just looking around, daydreaming as usual. If I had it my way and money was no object I would tear down the wall where the fridge is, rip out the peninsula, add more cabinets to the red wall, put an island in the middle, get a farmhouse sink, granite countertops, glass tile back splash, recessed lights (except for the hanging lanterns over the island)... I could probably go on all day.


But Brian and I decided we aren't going to spend significant amounts of money in this house because A) we would like to move in the next couple of years and B) we have a lot of other things we would rather do for now, like travel or spoil the dog or prepare for our future family. So we will maintain the house, but not go overboard.


When I looked up that day though, I noticed something that bothered me, and would be an easy fix...

That hideous kitchen light! With the help of my brother and dad, we painted all of the cabinets last winter. They were really old, crappy dark brown wood and the kitchen was all dark and depressing. So now the cabinets were looking pretty sweet, but that light sticks out like a sore thumb.


In the spirit of not spending a lot of money, I went down to my garage and grabbed some of the old cabinet paint (Valspar Chef White in case you were wondering). Side note, there are about 873 different colors of white paint out there. Picking one is stressful. For real. I decided that painting the box around the hideous florescent light would help it blend in and give the room the quick little make over that I so badly desired.

I primed it and did a first coat yesterday. When Brian came home from work and saw little specks of paint on me, he looked at me kinda sideways and said, "What did you paint today??" I told him he had to find it. :)


He figured it out pretty quickly, approved (too bad if he didn't, I guess!) and so I did a second coat today.

Better, no? I mean, it still wouldn't be my first choice, but I can live with it. Here's where the sorry dad comes in- I didn't put down a drop cloth, I got some paint on the dog, I skipped forgot (?) to sand the wood first, and since I am kinda short, I pretty much teeter-tottered on the edge of the counter because it made it easier to reach than the step stool...

I knew that Kinesiology degree would come in handy someday. And to think I once questioned why I had to do a balance beam routine complete with cartwheel dismount... real life application right here, folks. ;-)

30 Day Challenge: Day 12

Before we get onto the 30 Day Challenge prompt, a sneak preview of things to come...

Paint on the hands... you know what that means... (Sorry Dad!)




Now, how you found out about Blogger and why you made one...


Okay, so this is pretty lame, but it's the truth... Back in the days of Myspace, there was a blogging tool that you could use on your profile. I wrote on it maybe a total of 15 times in the 4-ish years that I used Myspace. My friends seemed to enjoy what I would write, but I would only write when I had something witty or important to write about. I never did it as a daily thing.


Well at some point I noticed this girl that kept writing on my boyfriend-at-the-time's profile and I was kind of like, who the ef is this? So I checked out her profile and noticed that she not only also kept a Myspace blog, but she also had a link to her own private blog. This was the first time I realized that blogging was something that anyone could do for any reason they want. Instant intrigue.


So I started to read what she was writing and I discovered that she was writing all kinds of things about my at-the-time-boyfriend. Like about how she drove down here (from Northern California) to see him and try to hook up with him, like the day before he asked me to "be his boyfriend" and about how much she loved him. She never used his name, but it was very obvious through nicknames and his friends. More intrigue.


Now this is the lame part- for some reason, I couldn't stop reading what she was writing. Eventually, she even ended up writing about me and some of my friends. This was all so weird because 1- her and I had never met, only had very limited contact over Myspace and 2-she didn't know that I was reading her blog. Or maybe she did. This was back in the days where no one kept profiles or pictures private, so who knows. It was just weird to know that someone was writing pretty much everything they were thinking, and once I knew there was stuff about me and the BF-at-the-time, I was pretty much addicted. I told the BF-at-the-time and he didn't really care. He said they went on about 2 dates but he wasn't really interested. He said she was crazy. Typical guy stuff. But being a typical girl, I was hooked on what this chick was writing.


So that's the sad but true way I found out about Blogger. Once she started linking to other blogs and I noticed how many other ladies there were who were very similar to me in age, interests, lifestyles, and how these girls all gave each other advice and helped each other through rough spots and it just seemed like a cool community to be a part of.

Plus, it's fun to look back at what I was thinking 6 months ago, and sometimes it's nice to vent and reflect. And that's that.

Onto more important things...

P.S. Insanity-Day 2! This is a tough workout! I'm more sore today than I have been since I ran the LA marathon a year and a half ago! But it's good to be back. My muscles hurt so good!

30 Day Challenge: Day 11

Another picture of you and your friends...

 Of course it's a wedding shot! But it's fitting because it has a good chunk of the people who are most important to me. From left to right, you have my brother Jeff, best college bud Brigitte, best man Kevin, bff and MOH Alexis, new sister Melissa, new brother Wes, new best bud Rachael, and homeslice/NFC founder Mike. And of course, my best friend and man lover Brian down in front with me. ♥

Aren't they all so cute? And they're just as much fun as they look- more even!

While we're on the subject of friends and Kevin, I should mention that one year ago yesterday, we brought home this little guy:

He and I got to bond during summer last year and we're going for round two this year!

Then and now

Yes, we're on the same bench on the same patio in both photos, and yes, he is laying pretty much on my face in the first picture. Because he loves me like that.

We've had a lot of good times in the last year and I'm looking forward to a lot more with this goofy pooch!

2010 Christmas card

Hanging at home with the boys

We love you Kevin! Despite your occasional poops in the kitchen, I can't imagine life without you!

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Insanity!

So we didn't start Insanity yesterday like I thought we were going to, but we did start today. The first day is just a fitness test where you basically do a fitness drill for a minute straight, all the while counting how many reps you did in that minute. You're allowed a minute break in between each drill. Sounds easy. Kinda was at first. Until like, the 4th drill. Then it got a little more difficult. You do this fitness test every 2 weeks, to gauge your improvements. I'm looking forward to that.

So I had two workouts today, gym with my mom in the morning and then Insanity with Brian after he got home from work, followed by a dip in the pool. I'm finally starting to feel like me again! ;-)

The plan is to wake up early for Insanity tomorrow, then meet my mom at the gym for our regularly scheduled work out. We'll see how I'm feeling at 5:00am tomorrow! I guess I can always come home and take a nap though! I love summer break!

The Rehearsal

The Friday before I got married probably should have been the most stressful day in my life. In reality, it was one of the best. Despite my usual procrastinating nature, this day was made super enjoyable for 3 reasons...

1. Michele Spring (our day-of coordinator) wanted us to have everything ready for her when we met for the rehearsal. "Everything" included escort cards, programs, menus, favors, center pieces, our decorations (which included a special guest book desk), and pretty much anything that we needed set up.
2. Our rehearsal had to be on Friday morning instead of Friday night because there was a wedding taking place.
3. Everyone seemed relaxed and they were all on time and doing what they were supposed to do and we were just plain having fun all day.

I DIY'd a lot of the wedding stationary and decor, so while I was up pretty late on Thursday night printing out programs, all I had to worry about on Friday was remembering to pack the car up!

(Have I mentioned that bridesmaid Brigitte just had a baby a mere 3 weeks before the wedding??)

So once everyone got to Tierra Rejada and assembled in the parking lot, we made our way over to the ceremony site to meet Michele. She lined us all up at the front first, and taught us how to walk out, which ended up making sense later. Then we all lined up the practice the processional.

The hardest part was trying to get flower girl Brooklyn to walk down the aisle. But I let her borrow my flowers and she ended up walking running down the aisle like a big girl!

We stood up there with my cousin Caitlin (who was marrying us) and discussed who would say what and when they would say it. Ring bearer Seifer knew when to bring up the rings. The moms knew when to come up and do their reading. My dad knew how to hand me off to Brian. ♥

Everything went smooth, we just had to run through one time. Everyone felt comfortable with what they were supposed to do and where they were supposed to stand. We were ready.

And then we practiced the recessional. Nobody tripped on the bricks or anything!

I have such graceful friends. And tall, too! The girls, anyway! :)

Anyway, once we all felt satisfied with our roles in the ceremony and starving from lack of breakfast, we made our way to the Junkyard Cafe for lunch. Brigitte didn't come because she had both of the little ones and wasn't sure how long they would hold out without a fuss. Sean came, but left right after we ate because he had to get back to work.

 While we missed them, we did have a lot of fun, and it was awesome for Brian and I to just relax and enjoy our closest friends and family.

Once everyone was wrapping up their meals, Brian and I got up to thank everyone for all that they've done for this wedding and how special they all are to us.

We gave everyone gifts (more to come on that later!) and thanked them. And then we got an unexpected gift- a toasting and cake cutting set from both of our parents.

Looking back, I'm so happy the parents got these for us. When my mom first suggested it, I said we didn't need it since we weren't doing a champagne toast and the caterers were cutting the cake. Turns out the whole set came in very handy... and look how cute they look in pictures! :)

Anyway, after the gift giving, we socialized a bit, took some pictures, and then I had to go pick up my dress! :)

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We all reconvened at my parents house for some hanging out and finger foods that night. I was able to show all the girls my dress and we were all getting excited and giddy!

 And my dad spent a lot of time DIYing this sign so Brian would know to stay away!

By 10:00, everyone had left left and it was off to bed... but I couldn't go to sleep right away. I had one pesky little task left before the big day... I STILL HAD TO WRITE MY VOWS...

30 Day Challenge: Day 10

Songs you listen to when you're happy, sad, bored, hyped, mad...

Maybe I'm the exception, but my life/emotions don't really revolve around music. I enjoy it, and I appreciate when I'm stuck in traffic or on an otherwise boring run, but in general, I'm not one of those people that puts their headphones on to get away from the world. Like, I've had an iPhone for almost 3 months and I haven't put ANY music on it yet.

With that being said, the only times I really pick out particular types of music is when I'm driving or when I'm working out.

When I'm driving by myself I like to listen to female singers whose voices I can (try to) match. So like Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood (yes, on a good day, under the right circumstances, I can sound vaguely like Carrie with a cold), Jo Dee Messina, Faith Hill, Sara Evans...

If I'm driving with others road-trip style, I'm still a country girl, but I'm usually not so comfortable belting out the tunes like I would on my own, so I like to bring in the guys- Zac Brown Band, Tim McGraw, Kenny Chesney, Toby Keith. Also, maybe some Journey, Bon Jovi, and Top 40 stuff... try to keep it uplifting and fun, ya know?

Now, onto working out... I used to think all of my workout music had to be intense and fast paced. This is true for pumping myself up for football or Jiu Jitsu, even kick boxing. We're talking sped up dance and/or hardcore music. One of my favorites for a while was Motorhead's Ace of Spades... pumps you up, right??

But for some reason, running is not my friend, and if I listen to fast music, I run way too fast and I'm out of breath to the point of no return before the end of my first mile... and awesomely enough, at my fastest pace, I'm still lucky if I break 9 minutes... but then I have to walk any extra miles, so my pace drops to like 15 minute miles. Not really too stellar.

What I found is if I listen to slower but still enjoyable music, a-la Jason Mraz or Colbie Cailet.

 

Ahhh, now isn't that nice? So it still entertains me, but doesn't give me a heart attack.

Now, I could be in the worst mood and if this song comes on the radio, I immediately smile... It pretty much captures the essence of our friendship/relationship/engagement and now marriage- Uncle Kracker's You Make Me Smile...

We like it so much that we danced to it as our first song at our wedding. Talk about an instant mood lifter. As soon as I hear the first line, a ton of wonderful memories flood into my mind and I relive the most wonderful day of my life!

So maybe I like music more than I originally thought. ;-)

30 Day Challenge: Day 9

Something you're proud of in the last few days...

Since last Tuesday, my mom and I have been going to the gym. We went 5 days in a row and took a rest day today. I'm extremely proud of both  of us. We're continuing this week, meeting at 6:15 every morning! It feels good to have a routine again.

Similarly, Brian just received Insanity. I actually have no idea what exactly it entails, but we're planning on starting that tomorrow, so wish us luck! Besides getting a good work out in, the guy is cute and he has some rockin' abs, so that should keep me entertained! (and I should probably find out what his name is...)



On another exciting exercise front, Brian and I picked up the bicycles that his dad has been fixing up for us! I see many exciting family adventures in our future!

It was hot again today, so trying to load up the bikes with all the dogs around in the heat was an exercise in and of itself...

Gizmo and Jake

Kev-o!

But we tried out the bikes, loaded them up, and now we can be bikers!

Get it?? From Super Troopers?

Anyway, we're very excited about the bikes. I think Kevin was too- he fell asleep on the way home!

I love that guy! Anyway, this week is going to be all about getting my workouts back on track. I'm very proud of the work outs I did last week. More than being proud for myself, I'm super proud of my mom. For someone who isn't a fan of sweating (she told me she hates it!), she did extremely well and stuck with her workouts like a champ! I'm excited to see how much more we can do this week!