Paddlefest

So I am a sponsor and board member for Outdoor Adventure Club of Greater Cincinnati and we get urban teens outdoors.  All profits from Paddlefest go to OACGC, so I got involved with Paddlefest this year (which of course means I got Tim and friends involved too)!  Paddlefest is the largest paddle event in the United States!  Thousands of people paddle the Ohio River via kayak, canoe, or even paddleboard.  My job was to get students who participate in OACGC involved in helping at the Covington landing, a halfway mark for the event.  It was a beautiful day for the event and the students had a blast.  I have made some great connections through Paddlefest and OACGC and continue to meet outdoor enthusiasts who support great causes!

On the Farm in Indiana

Tim and I went up to visit my family in June; it's always an adventure on the farm!  We were able to have a BBQ with the fam, visit the cows, see the bald eagles, let the bull into the pin, and have lovely discussion around the campfire.  I love my family and I love when Tim gets to know my family better and better each year!

Chicago!

My awesome college roommate, Andrea, had a work trip in Chicago and extended it into the weekend.  I took the MegaBus up (which was quite convenient) and met her and Laura in the windy city! 

We stayed at the Congress Hotel on Michigan Ave. and had an amazing time.  We ate deep dish pizza and caught up on Andrea's 2nd pregnancy and thoughts of buying a new house.  She got to see my engagement ring and we got excited for the wedding!

 

 

On our first full day, we went to the top of Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower, which apparently is what all Chicagoans still call it).  The line was HUGE, but it was super cool at the top.  They had a special on my favorite movie of all time: Ferris Bueller's Day Off.  I got to hang with my pals Cameron, Simone, and of course Ferris!  I also ventured out into a glass box hanging over the city.  Andrea and Laura were too nervous to enter, and I don't blame them; it was totally freaky being able to see a drop over 100 floors tall!

 

 

Then we ate Chicago style hot dogs.  I cannot believe I have been missing out on this "relish"ing treat for so long!  It was loaded with I don't even know what, but it was delicious!

Then, to continue our Ferris tour, we went to the Art Institute of Chicago.  So much to see, including a touring display of miniature rooms that reflected different periods and eras.  Very cool!

The next day we went to Navy Pier to ride the Ferris Wheel (which was invented for the World's Fair in Chicago).  Then we took the architecture tour on the Chicago River.  It lived up to the hype and we learned heaps about the Chicago fire and all of the skyscrapers that have been built in that great city.  And they served cocktails on the boat!

That night we made reservations at RPM Italian; apparently a place where celebrities frequent.  I felt a little out of place there, but the food was pretty good (better than a Chicago style hot dog? the jury is still out). 

Our final day consisted of a FREE walking tour.  We got to see the Tiffany glass inside Marshall Fields and outdoor art by Picasso and Chagall.  We ended the tour in Millennial Park at The Bean.  Then I had to catch my bus back to Cincinnati!  It was a great trip in a city I love.  Thanks Chi-town!

Tim Proposed!

It was a typical Saturday morning. The night before we had met friends out in OTR and rode our bikes home.  I asked Tim if he wanted to stop by our spot (where we met) on the way home, and he said we would go tomorrow because he had to pick up his computer at work anyway. 

So, like I said, it was a typical Saturday.  We decided to ride bikes to Tim's work to grab his computer and then get breakfast.  He told me his boss and coworkers might be at work, so I threw on a skirt over my bike shorts and off we went.

Casually, on the way over the bridge, Tim asked if I still wanted to stop by our spot.  "Of course!" I said.  So we biked over to where we first met in the park and looked out over the river.  I tried to turn my head once and Tim smiled and turned my head back to the river.  Then he told me to turn around and there was his mom, brother, and sister and my mom, sister, and nephew with signs that read, "Will You Marry Me?"  I looked at Tim with big eyes and a wide smile.  He thought I would walk toward our family first, but I wanted to hear the question from him.  He got down on one knee, held my hand, and asked me to marry him.  I shook my head in complete surprise and happiness and Tim was wondering if I would actually verbalize a yes, to which I finally did!  He put the ring on my finger and we became engaged! 

Tim could not have planned the proposal any better.  I had no idea it was coming because everything just fell into place so normally and perfectly.  We all celebrated at the park with champagne and a little breakfast.  Two ladies walking their dogs stopped and had a conversation with us and took a family photo.  They were so excited.  Another lady offered us concert tickets to see Over the Rhine perform that night, but we already had tickets to an FCC soccer game.  Everyone around us was so happy for us!

 

 

The day continued as Tim, Meredith, and I enjoyed Taste of Cincinnati, went to Rhinegeist's rooftop bar, and Residence Inn rooftop bar.  I told everyone along the way that we were engaged.  We ran into the Fay family at Taste and the Rizzo family at Residence Inn.  I told strangers our big news and everyone was so excited.  I was terrified that my ring would drop down the elevator shaft; I wasn't used to it yet!  That evening we went to an FCC game and by the time we got home, we were exhausted!
 
It was a wonderful day filled with family, sunshine, friends, and being outdoors!  I love Timothy with all my heart and cannot wait to marry him!

Feeling Masterful

I graduated with my Masters from Georgetown College this past weekend! 

 

 

 I was going to skip the ceremony, but Tim encouraged me to go and I'm glad I did.  It helped make the degree more real, since all of my classes were online.  I told Tim that getting my Masters was something I had to do for my job; it was expected and necessary to climb the pay-scale.  All teachers get their Masters, so this is not a great big deal.  He was bothered that I thought about the degree that way.  He mentioned that many people do not do what they are supposed to or expected to do and that he watched me work hard on papers and give a lot of thought to class discussion and readings.  He's the best partner to have by my side; he supports me in everything and helps me realize my accomplishments.  And of course my mom, sister, and Michael were right there to cheer me on!  Michael cheered a little too much at the ceremony repeating my name "Nim" and wondering why I couldn't go sit with them!  It was a wonderful ceremony and I am proud of my MA in Leadership with an Endorsement in English as a Second Language!

 

 

Hello Again, Tahoe!

Spring break is here and I just can't let one go by unplanned.  I have no kids, a job with built in vacation, and friends to see!  My great friend Katie moved back out to Tahoe, so I had to give her a visit! 

Reno and Tahoe will always be a second home for me.  I still have dear friends there who always make me feel at home.  When I arrived to Reno, Katie and I went for a drink and ran into our friend Natalie as she was going to work...small world!

Katie and I got to ski Squaw Valley together and I am lucky enough to have friends help me out with comp tickets.  Robyn and James are working at Alpine Meadows.  Sometimes when I am around a kids ski school, I want to jump right in and help put little gloves on little hands and take kids out to the slopes.  The job never changes, but the staff does.  Another generation of ski bum instructors doing just what I did when I was there.  I felt like I should know all these new people, but I didn't; I just knew the atmosphere and characteristics of the folks.

Once I picked up my ski tickets, Katie and I headed over to Squaw Valley to hit up some of our favorite runs.  It feels like I never left!  And good old Squaw Kids had some familiar faces, like Ian, Karen, and Kerri.  I went into the office and felt like a staff member again!  I was able to ski some runs with Jonny too, the local legend.  We hit up Silverado and skied a little harder than usual.  Oh how I miss it!

And of course, what's a visit to Tahoe without Live Band Karaoke at the Silver Legacy in Reno.  Robyn organized it and we had our usual amazing time singing with a live band! 

I stayed with Robyn right near Lake Tahoe for the last few days of my trip.  It was nice to have some time by the beautiful blue lake which never fails to impress me.  Then Jonny picked me up, we headed up to Reno for all you can eat sushi with Katie, and it was time to go.

I miss Katie and the gang lots, and I am very grateful to be able to return whenever I get the chance!