I'm Back!

So, I've been lazy with my posts recently, but we have been very busy finishing up school and moving home. I'm officially done with college (with the exception of my internship this spring)! I can't believe I won't be getting up for 8 o'clock classes and pulling all nighters to get my assignments done anymore. That sounds soooo nice :) I'm going to be doing my internship at the hospital in Pontiac. I will be there on Tuesday's and Thursday's. My supervisor is Eric Saxton who was a year older than me in high school. This internship is going to be a blast and Eric has told me I'm going to see alot! Ryan finished up at Kishwaukee College this semester and has received his Associates Degree. He will be attending ISU next fall.

These past couple of weeks home we have been kept very busy. Tyler had his big show at a venue in Chicago on December 6th. Ryan and I rode in a limo to Chicago with Judy and her friends. We all agreed that The Unemployed Architects were the best band there!

That night we had a 80's Bedazzle Bday Bash for my friends Kori (Dec. 10) and Chelsea (Dec. 23). We dressed up in 80's outfits topped with glitter and bright make-up! And yes we went out to the bars dressed up. We are all 80's children and I think our outfits were put together very well.

Tina skated around all night! She won "best outfit" for sure!!

Love this picture!

On the 13th, my best friend Kym Graduated from St. Francis Nursing School in Peoria. Ryan and I drove over there to watch the ceremony and celebrate with her and her family. She will be working at OSF in Pontiac as well. I know she is going to be a great and caring nurse. Way to go KYM!! Congrats!!!

After Kym's graduation we came home and took part in the Christmas Caroling my parents put on. Lots of family and friends came over and Grandma & Grandpa M. drove us around town in their motor home. We stopped at all the nursing homes in Pontiac along with Audrey (G-ma and G-pa M. neighbor), Aunt Helen (Pat and Lisa's aunt), and we crashed the business christmas party going on at the Elk's. My friend Dan met up with us at one of the nursing homes and couldn't believe this was the first time we put this party together. He said we looked like pro's and like we had done it before. I assured him this was our first Christmas Caroling party. It was funny to hear people in our group say "I think we are sounding better everytime!" I don't have any pictures to share, but Ashley took some which she will be posting soon.

Happy Birthday! / Happy Birthday!

Today is Ashley AND Zach's 21st Birthday!! How cool is it to share your birthday with your significant other!! Ashley is not only my cousin, but a third sister and my best friend! There are sooo many stories I could share about us growing up and some of the weird things we would do! I hope once I become a wife and mother I can be as GREAT as she is!

I am so happy she found such a loving and caring man to spend the rest of her life with. Zach's a keeper!

I love how funny and goofy these two can be.

I guess they were dancing in the kitchen...I love how the "man" is kissing the lady's hand, but the he's wearing a pink/furry dress!!

We both get soooo excited when the day comes to leave for Minnesota. Ashley and I both introduced our boyfriends to the lake the same summer (2005). Ryan loves to fish and this past summer Zach caught the fishing bug. They both have their own tackle boxes (thanks to grandpa!)

The guys helping grandpa with the garage roof.

Being goofy again.....but I think they both fit into the Meiner family well!

the LIFE

I tried looking up some old school pictures of these two, but this is all that I have on my computer. I think they'll do!! :)

One of my favorite memories of Zach is when he was holding Grace, while Ashley and I were showing him a stunt with Elizabeth. We were at a family get together at Ashley's and Grace was just a baby. He was such a sport when we asked him to hold a little baby and watch us do cheerleading....ahahha....we should have known then what a great father he would become!

I love Reagan's face in this picture....they had no idea I was taking it!

I was Ashley's Maid of Honor in her wedding and this coming summer she will by my Matron of Honor. She has been such a great help thus far, but I know in the next couple of months I will be bothering her 24-7! She came to cheer me on during my Running of the Bride's race....and look at the "not embarrassing at all" sign she made me! No, I really LOVED it!

Ashley is such a creative person. She is always doing my sister's hair when we meet up and I can't wait for her to have her own daughter. She will be the most stylish girl on the block :) Ashley also made Reagan's Halloween costume this year. He was a dog and looked soooo realistic! ahhaha....

Here are some more pictures from Tricia and Urs wedding.....

I had to put this picture up because I had no idea we took one together! I'm glad we did Zach!! :)

So I have been waiting for the perfect time to post these last two pictures...and today seems better than any.....

How studious! These were their senior photos, I believe, that were hanging up in the mall!! Reagan has the COOLEST parents!!!

Happy Birthday!!! We Love You Guys!!!

So long...Farewell

Sunday was my last day at Steak 'n Shake! I can't believe I have worked there for a year. Last fall I was working at Starbusters and hating it. Ryan told me he could get me a job at Steak 'n Shake. Thanks so much for the help hunny! Now I need to buckle down with school these last couple of weeks and then home sweet home.

what a sexy uniform!

my last bin of silverware....oddly, this was my favorite part of sidework!

Everyone would ask if it was weird to work with my boyfriend, but I loved it! We are always so busy and it's hard to find time to hang out. Even tho we were at work, we got to spend time together. It also made me not dread going to work as much because I knew he would be there with me!.....oh and if I didn't want to work I would beg him to go in :)

We have made some great friends at Steak 'n Shake. I'm going to miss movie/chicken melt (no tomato)/milk lady, sunday night/TSK (triple steakburger)/large cheese fry/coffee guy, diet coke with lemon/veg. beef soup extra crackers/single steakburger well done with bacon lady, and of course, my $3 tipper guy who only dine's-in when I'm there....creepy!! ahahaha......ohhhh, the steak 'n shake usuals! :)

Lots and Lots to Share

So the past weekend was pretty eventful for us. I went home Thursday for a dress appointment at Bridal Elegance. I tried on my top 2 choices again and I have decided on "the dress." I'm going home again tomorrow to get fitted and purchase my gown. Yay!! After our appointment last week, we went out to eat at Avantis.

Mom and Elizabeth at supper.

Grace's Artwork!

The ladies on the other side of the table (minus grandma)

Ryan called during the middle of our meal and requested I bring him home a gondola. I'm pretty sure the whole thing was eaten by the next day.

Our second round playoff game ended up being on Saturday, so with no clinicals on Friday I didn't know what to do with myself. Meg and Becky are the two girls who are at Genoa with me, so I called them up to see if they wanted to go shopping and have a girls night. Of course they said "yes!" Our day started off with some excitement as we drove downtown Dekalb. They are doing alot of renovations and while stopped at a red light we got to see one of the downtown buildings get torn down. The direction we were going went from two lanes to one, so when the light turned green I asked Becky if I could get over. She told me there was a car next to me and to wait. The car was very impatient and gunned it to get past me. Little did she know there was a car 3 cars ahead of her turning left. She slammed on her brakes, hit the car in front of her, which made that car hit the next and so on. We witnessed a 4 car accident literally 1 minute after watching a building collapse!!

My goal for the day was to buy new shoes and khaki's. Me being so picky, I couldn't find a pair of pants for the life of me! The girls came along for the ride and ended up getting way more things than I did. We shopped at the Geneva Commons and I had my first experience at Noodles and Company for lunch. I had Mac n' Cheese, which I will admit was delicious. When we got back into Dekalb, we went to Walmart to look for sunglasses and something to do for the night. Sunglasses were a bust, but the child inside us came out and we bought a puzzle and Family Feud DVD game. We kept it classy and bought some wine to drink for the night.

I ended up staying the night at Becky's so we could get ready together in the morning for the football game. Meg was unable to make it to the game because she had to work :(

Unfortunately, the Cogs lost :( They had a great year tho!!

Ryan and I decided to meet up with some friends in Chicago Saturday night once I got home from the game. Our best friends, Brandy and Craig, moved to an apartment in uptown Chicago last month and it was Craig's 23rd Birthday. We always have a blast with our friends and this night was no exception. We went out in Wrigleyville. Here are some cute pics from the night.

The Girls...Tina, Brandy and Me!

The Boys....Craig "Birthday Boy", Schafe Daddy, Cass, and Ryan!

Saturday was also Tyler's Birthday!! I can't believe he's 20!! He continues to play guitar and has a show coming up on Dec. 6th in Chicago. If interested in tickets let me know....

Things you may not know about Tyler:

-He attends Heartland College and lives in Bloomington

-His cousin is also named Tyler, so when visiting that side of the family he is referred to as Gus and his cousin is Bud

-When he was younger he wanted to be a penguin....(sorry tyler! :)

-He had an iguana named Murray

-His mother wanted to call him TJ so his middle name is Jon, but he's never gone by it.

Happy Birthday Tyler!!!

So Monday, my godfather/uncle Steve had surgery. He had a stroke a couple of weeks ago and the artery was still 90% blocked. He went under a 6-7 hour surgery and had a stint put in. I got updates from Ashley during the day and everything turned out GREAT! He is already home and word on the street is he went to an ISU game the next night.....Crazy!! Check out From A to Z to read a play by play of the day from Ash. I'm so glad you're doing good uncle Steve, I Love You!!

Alright, one more thing before I go. On Sunday we sat around all day with our friends and looked at old pictures of us from grade school and high school. We laughed for HOURS!! Here is a picture we found of Ryan that I absolutely LOVE! I think he is wearing Judy's glasses.....

ahhahahhahaha.....that's my man!