Looking back on the memory of..........

The Dance! Isn't that what life is all about? or Shouldn't that be what life is all about? I absolutely love the Holidays but sometimes they make you focus on loved ones "lost." What a hard time! While driving home from Boise Whitney and I decided to scroll through some old songs one of which was Garth Brook's "The Dance". What a great song! Loved so much that it was played at my Dad's funeral. (For those of you that don't know, I lost my Dad to Cancer on September 1, 2008.) Honestly I haven't really listened to this song for a couple of years because it instantly brings tears to my eyes however this time was different, I was able to find inspiration in the music.  I knew immediately I needed to blog about this song (As well as add it to my music list for this blog). I also wanted to post the lyrics so everyone knows what I am talking about.  

Looking back on the memory of 

The dance we shared 'neath the stars above 

For a moment all the world was right 

How could I have known that you'd ever say goodbye 

And now I'm glad I didn't know 

The way it all would end, the way it all would go 

Our lives are better left to chance 

I could have missed the pain 

But I'd have had to miss the dance 

Holding you, I held everything 

For a moment wasn't I a king 

But if I'd only known how the king would fall 

Hey who's to say? you know I might have changed it all 

And now I'm glad I didn't know 

The way it all would end the way it all would go 

Our lives are better left to chance

 I could have missed the pain 

But I'd have had to miss the dance 

Yes my life, it's better left to chance 

I could have missed the pain 

But I'd have had to miss the dance 

I think we have all had those moments where we feel like "all the world is right." How great are those moments? Do we actually live in that moment and remember it as days go by? Honestly, I'm glad I didn't know how it "all would end, how it all would go" Life can be funny at times, you might think you have everything figured out then out of nowhere you are quickly knocked down only to realize you really don't have anything figured out. I don't want to miss the dance, but with this I understand that I will have to face the pain. Life is all about taking chances, possibly getting knocked down but then we have to quickly jump back up and start dancing.  (Thank-you Dad for still being there when I needed a little more inspiration.) 

One of our favorite places: The Golf Course

So grateful for this picture.

This bucket list has made me realize that it is so important to make goals, strive to achieve them and hold yourself accountable. It is so easy to make excuses (I know, because I am really good at doing this) but lets not forget to live a little too. Look for opportunities to be spontaneous, step out of our comfort zone, reach out to other people. Lets focus on making the world a better place, can you imagine if everyone lived this way and life was a big "DANCE"? I don't know anyone that was better with people then my Dad. He knew faces, he knew names and he loved people. I hope that I can reach out a little more. My Grandma Behrend used to quote the Lee Ann Womack song: "when you get the choice to sit it out or dance...I hope you dance!" So here is a little more inspiration....Let's all go DANCE!!

"Mile" stones

Ok no judgement on this post.  I ran my fastest mile this week since I have started working out.  Yes I am very aware that this is slow but it is a "step" in the right direction. On my first run/walk I was averaging a 16 1/2 minute mile (OUCH!), but I am now down to a 12 minute mile. (Sad thing is I felt like I was going to fly off of the treadmill.) I am super excited for this "mile" stone and look forward to improving. To help with the motivation I have officially registered for the Red Rock Relay in September and the Utah Spring Dirty Dash in June.  I have been fitted for new running shoes and I am ready to rock and roll.  I am finally starting to enjoy my workouts and I sometimes even look forward to them. Now, don't get me wrong, some days are still hard but I have some great friends that give me a little kick in the right direction. (Thanks Everyone!)  I have found a little trick that seems to work for me....If I don't work out in the morning I have to pack my workout clothes and head straight to the gym when I am done with work or meetings. No excuses.  If I have to run home really quick I am not allowed to sit down...I might fall asleep. :)  I have noticed a huge difference and I am sleeping better at night. Food is still a work in progress but I have cut my portions way down and I am more aware then ever of what is going in my mouth. Now I just need to focus on weight lifting and core strength, any and all suggestions are greatly appreciated. I will also pay someone to show me around the gym..hint hint.

The official results are in for this week and drum roll please............................................. I am down 13 pounds which adds up to 3 inches off my Hips, 2 inches off my waist, and 1 inch off my thighs.  I was really hoping to have better results since the Golds Gym Challenge ends next week but honestly I feel like these are results that will last forever.  I am going to keep "inching" forward knowing that I am striving for long term health.  

Sushi anyone?

First I want to pose the questions, How many of you actually enjoy sushi? Is it because it tastes good or is this more of a social food? I really wanted to answer this question and form my own opinion on Sushi. After leaving the hockey game Whitney suggested that we try Sushi at Happy Fish just a couple blocks from the arena. I have heard a lot about this place and thought that if I was going to try it I might as well go to a place that people brag about. We walked over to the restaurant and walked right in. I was a little overwhelmed with the menu since I didn't even know what kind of fish they were talking about.

We decided to enlist the help of our Waitress.  I let her know what I was doing and that I wanted the full Sushi experience. She  didn't even hesitate and immediately recommended 2 rolls that she claims are the best on the menu the Caterpillar and the Kulchack Combo.

I wasn't familiar with Unagi and almost wish she wouldn't have explained that it was freshwater Eel. Yum! No worries though she let me know that it tastes just like chicken. :)

Just in case you wanted to see it in it's complete form. :)

We ordered and I patiently waited for the rolls to arrive. They first brought out the Soy Sauce and Whitney gave me a quick lesson on how to eat Sushi.

And then they arrived.....

Caterpillar and Kulchack

I picked up my first piece of the Kulchack Combo roll and I prepared to eat it. I wasn't nervous about this one because I like fried shrimp and I have had tuna before and it wasn't bad at all. Here goes nothing......

That was a big bite!

Initial bite wasn't bad and then I tasted the seaweed, yuck! I felt like I swam to the bottom of the ocean and licked it. Not my favorite thing in the world. Now it was time for the big one...the EEL! Whitney just kept saying don't worry it is just chicken. She had to show me how to eat it.

It was now my turn and honestly I couldn't get the picture of an Eel out of my head but I committed to this and I was not going to give up. Here goes roll number 2....

Pretty sure my face says it all...YUM! Haha

Honestly...the eel wasn't bad at all but again that Seaweed was horrible. I couldn't control it this time and I might have gagged as the waitress walked up to our table.  I quickly covered it up by saying that the Wasabi was super hot. I'm honestly not sure if I will eat Sushi again but I can say that I gave it an honest shot and I am convinced this is simply a social food and I am really curious to know if people actually like it as much as they say they do. 

Another great item marked off the list with one more picture to prove I was there...

So here it is

28. Try Sushi

It's ok to be barbaric, right?

Friday we decided to just enjoy our day and go with the flow. We woke up, ran a few miles, went tanning and then got our nails done. We then headed to Pad Thai (My favorite Thai restaurant). After enjoying the morning we got ready for the day and did a little shopping before the big hockey game. 

I was excited to cross another item off of my list. I haven't been to a Steelheads game for awhile but I knew it would be a ton of fun, which is why it is number 11 on my list. We headed to the event center, secured a parking spot and again went and stood in line to get into the arena. We had awesome seats right next to the ice - this was going to be a great game! Here are a few of the players warming up before the game.

And another famous, do it yourself photo....

The game started and I was on the edge of my seat, yelling the whole time. I wish I could say that I didn't jump every time a player or a puck hit the glass but I can't, I flew out of my seat a few times. The Steelheads were playing the Stockton Thunder from California. They pulled out a good win and even though there really weren't any fights and I tried to refrain from being barbaric I had a ton of fun. Here are a few pics from the game.

Ghost player!

I made him pose for quite awhile, my camera quit working.

I can finally cross one more item off of my list  with another picture to prove that we were there.

So here it is.....

11. Attend a Steelheads game

How do you spell that?

The streak continues and another amazing concert is complete.  On Thursday, March 29th, Whitney and I left work around 1:00 and headed home to pack our bags for our weekend trip to Boise. We were on the road by 2:30 with our music turned up loud, headed to see Donavon Frankenreiter. Wait a second...who is that?!? This was a very common question whenever I told people what concert we were attending.  About 2.5 years ago I was introduced to Frankenreiter's music by a good friend (Wes Schumacher) and I was hooked.  He is a pretty "CHILL" artist with some amazing talent. Google him, you might like what you hear. (You won't even have to remember how to spell his name, you can just copy and paste from the blog.) After making a few regular stops on our way we drove straight to the Knitting Factory in Downtown Boise. 

So excited! We are almost there!

We have arrived! Yes we are glowing! :)

We knew we were pretty early but we didn't really have time to do anything beforehand so we decided to just go stand in line. I think we had a pretty good chance of getting a seat.

Right by the door! :)

No one behind us!

While standing in line waiting for the doors to open I looked up to see Donavon walking towards the Knitting Factory.  I looked at Whitney and said "Look, its Donavon Frankenreiter!" Then I said "Never-mind, why would he be walking out here?" The security guard in front of me immediately said "Welcome back Mr Frankenreiter!"(I knew I shouldn't second guess myself.)  All Whitney could say was "I thought he was fat!" haha. Shortly after, they opened the doors and we walked in to again find Mr Franenreiter standing by his merchandise table talking to everyone. Security had made it very clear that Cameras were not allowed in the knitting factory so I decided to settle for a few autographed items and went ahead and purchased their special package (T-shirt, CD, Poster and Mustache for only $10). Donavon was very kind to personalize them for me.

After signing them he informed us that we could take as many pictures as we wanted and he told me to get my camera and hand it to someone behind the table so they could take the picture. So awesome to see someone care about the fans so much. He stayed out with the crowd until they called him on stage.

He is known for his mustache so everyone was walking around with the fake ones, we decided we better go along with the flow. 

I now know that I would not look good with a stache! Kind of scary!

The show finally started and it sounded great! Here are a few pictures from the night. 

He brought a couple kids up to sing with him. This boy kept grabbing the mic because he knew the whole song.

Concert 2 is done, only 8 more to go.................... any suggestions?