A Day at the Speedway

This past Sunday I was lucky enough to spend the day with some of my family, which was extra special because this wasn't an extensively planned trip...it was all thrown together in the week prior! Every year, my dad makes his way up for the Brickyard 400 and this year, my brother and sister came along with him. Ironically enough, Nick's mom won tickets to the race through work so we had the opportunity to go, too. We didn't jump on the chance to go at first (neither of us are NASCAR fans) but the more I thought about it, I really wanted to see my family even if it was only for a brief hello. Nick (somewhat begrudgingly) decided to go so the three of us woke up before the sun and ventured down to Speedway, IN. 

We met up with my family at a nearby shopping plaza and followed each other closer to the track to find parking. We were able to park together on one of the side streets (fo' free), packed some coolers, and started walking. And walking. And walking. If you've never been to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, I would first suggest that you attempt to go at least once in your life. I would then suggest that you wear comfortable shoes because you will do a ton of walking! Even if you don't like racing, you'll enjoy yourself. The sheer size of the place is something you can't comprehend until you are actually there. I went for the first time last year for the Indy 500 and was shocked at how gigantic it was. Like I said, I'm not a NASCAR fan, but the environment is just so exciting, it's nearly impossible not to have a good time!

Once we got into the track, we walked around and took in the sights for close to two hours. We made our way to the south end of the track and then made our way back to our seats, on the north side. 

Sibling love

The Pagoda

We sat in our original seats for the start of the race but eventually made our way to where my dad's seats were. There was plenty of room and much warmer where he was! I never thought I'd be cold sitting at a race at the end of July...but I was! It was the coldest Brickyard in history and the wind didn't help matters. But I will gladly take a chilly day at the track over the brutal heat I experienced at the 500 last year (which was the hottest in history...so at least I have those neat stats going for me).

All in all, it was a great day and I'm so glad I got to see some of my family! And I already can't wait until next year's 500...only 298 days and counting!

Good Eats

Another week is in the books of my life up here as a Hoosier. Nothing too exciting has been going on, just more organizing the house and perfecting my housewife-in-training skills. I am definitely enjoying spending the days at home and really getting a feel for my new life up in Indiana. Since we are still settling in we haven't gone out and done too much (other than our lake weekends) but this past Wednesday I ventured out without Nick for a little girls night! 

Sandy and Kayla are two friends of Nick's who I have met in the past and have gotten to know rather well. Sandy and I always kept in touch even when I was still in Florida and it's been really nice having some girlfriends up here already. The two of them try to get together every week or so and do any and all sorts of things and I was thrilled when they invited me to tag along. Typically, the get togethers take place on Wednesday (so they can dub the term White Girl Wednesday) and this week we made our way out to the fair. I'm not really a fair type of gal, but I'm always up for trying something new and figured it would be fun! We ate corn on the cob and shared an elephant ear and a lemon shake-up. I was actually proud of myself for having some self-control of the deep-fried deliciousness that surrounded us. Great night and I already can't wait for next week!

Sandy, Kayla, and myself enjoying our corn. Seriously...SO good!

Mmmm!

Speaking of food, one thing I have really enjoyed since being up here is the cooking I've done. I love planning dinners for the week and having a home-cooked meal ready for Nick when he gets home. I feel like that, in addition to household chores, is the least I could do! I'm constantly on Pinterest looking for new recipes and have found several hits...and some misses. So far, Nick has enjoyed everything I have made and don't worry, he would certainly tell me if he didn't! As many of you know, Nick works in the food industry with Gordon Food Service. One of the many perks of his job is that he brings home the bacon. Literally. I think we have at least 15 pounds of bacon in our deep freeze right now. He is always bringing home samples from customers and items from the marketplace which is a huge plus. Before we even went on the dreaded grocery shopping trip, we had close to 150-200 pounds of food in our freezer. I can definitely get used to that! This makes it even easier to experiment and try out new recipes because usually we already have all of the ingredients in the house!

Here are some of my favorite Pinterest finds that I have whipped up this past week!

Chicken Fried Rice
This was great!! I followed the instructions pretty closely, but Nick thinks onions come from the devil, so I have to nix those from anything I cook. Which totally sucks because I love cooked onions. Especially in fried rice. Occasionally I'll pull his portion out first and then finish it, but many times its just easier to forgo them. All about compromise! I marinated the chicken all day in General Tso's sauce and then added some orange ginger sauce to the skillet when I added the soy sauce. Threw some frozen egg rolls in the toaster oven and we had ourselves a tasty meal!

Tortellini Bake
I made this last night and it was quite delicious. You can't every really go wrong with tortellini though! This could not have been easier and the only thing I did differently was use a light
Alfredo sauce and add some bacon crumbles to the top right before I popped it in the oven. A bagged Caesar salad and french bread with homemade olive oil dipping sauce made this meal complete. Nick's friend Taylor was over and ate with us as well. We got to use the dining room table for the first time!

Thanks for mowing the lawn, Nick! ;)

Perfect comfort food!

Spicy Sausage Pasta
This is probably my favorite Pinterest find to date. It is SO yummy and has the perfect amount of spice to it. I used the turkey sausage as was suggested and it didn't taste "light" at all. I've made this three times since I've found this recipe and it is a keeper! Had to do without the onions again, but I don't think that makes or breaks this dish by any means. Highly recommend!

 Can't get enough!

Candied Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies

...And finally these babies are currently waiting to be popped into the oven. I made the dough this morning and am letting it chill in the refrigerator. I am always SO impatient when making chocolate chip cookies because I never want to let the dough chill and if I do I keep sneaking trips to the 'fridge to take a spoonful or twenty. Before I know it, I'm left with enough dough to fill up one cookie sheet and not the "three dozen" that it says it makes. Regardless, I am being patient with this one and practicing some will power. I've only gone to the 'fridge once...thank you very much! I'll let you know how they turn out but how can they not be delicious?!

**Update** These were pretty good! I definitely prefer just a good, old fashioned chocolate chip cookies but these were fun and I'm glad I made them. I wouldn't want them all of the time, but in moderation. I think I only ate 2 or 3 of them, but Nick managed to polish off the rest :)

Brown sugar coated bacon. Uh, yum. 

Plus, I got to use my adorable new measuring cups!

The best part, let's be honest

The final product! I will say that they were perfectly fluffy which was an accomplishment in itself. I pressed a few extra chocolate chips into the top of each ball of dough right before they went into the oven and I loved the way they looked. I will probably use this recipe (minus the bacon) next time I just want plain chocolate chip cookies!

Even with all of this food talk and my love for cooking and eating, in general, I'm happy to say I have lost 20 pounds since the beginning of this year! I've been exercising and counting calories and for the first time, I can really see it paying off! I feel great and I am rather proud of myself. I haven't gone on any crazy diet, I really am just being more mindful of portion sizes and measuring out everything I eat. It can become time consuming, but after awhile it just becomes habit. I love food way too much to cut out entire food groups altogether (couldn't live without bread and cheese) so I've just been limiting the amount that I intake with the help of the My Fitness Pal app. Back in Gainesville, I was going to the gym or working out at home at least 5 days a week. I haven't been quite as good about that up here, but I have been running...which for me is a huge feat. I used to DESPISE running with a passion. I thought it was stupid and couldn't even run to the mailbox without becoming irritated and exhausted. I've definitely overcome that and have really learned to love it. Plus, the 75 degree weather is motivating too!

First run in our new neighborhood yesterday.

We are headed down to the Brickyard on Sunday and I'm looking forward to seeing my dad, Drew, and Jody! Have a lovely weekend!

Until next time :)

The Best of What's Around

Dave Matthews Band. If you don't know of my slight obsession with them, then you don't know me. At all. Luckily, I have found a significant other who shares this same, and sometimes unhealthy, obsession. We are both extreme dorks when it comes to our knowledge of the band and their music, but we always say that's how we know we're perfect for each other. Because without DMB, we would not be where we are today. You might think that's a bit dramatic and exaggerated, but it is the absolute truth. Here is the whole story. 

Almost 4 years ago to the day, I met Nick at a DMB concert in Noblesville, IN (Deer Creek) through a mutual friend, Jenna. I met Jenna through my friend Megan, who is from Naples but went to IU for college. Got it? When I met Jenna during spring break of 2009 in Naples, we quickly learned that we both loved Dave Matthews Band. We talked about how fun it would be for me to come up there this summer and go to the concerts with her and all her friends. She said that they camp the whole weekend and she had been going for years. It was one of those great ideas that you talk and talk about but never really end up happening. Not this time. When it involves DMB, I will do about anything I can to make it happen! As fate would have it, DMB was playing at Deer Creek during the same time my family scheduled our yearly summer vacation up to Louisville. I had planned on going to the Saturday night concert all along with my sister and some of her friends. But, me being me, I really wanted to go to the Friday night show too. I had kept in touch with Jenna over the past few months and we were both dead set on getting me up there. Through another crazy turn of events, I found a ride up to Noblesville on that Friday through my friend from high school, Alex. Her boyfriend (now husband, Josh) was driving all the way from Alabama to go to the concerts too, and offered to pick me up in Louisville along the way. I know, I am a TOTAL crazy person and you are probably super confused by all of these people and how Nick ties into it. Wait for it. 

As Josh and I made our way from Louisville to the north side of Indianapolis, I was texting with Jenna keeping her up to date on my whereabouts. As we were getting closer, Josh was becoming increasingly more concerned about dropping me off curbside in a camping lot to hang out with people who I had never even met before, other than Jenna. My 19 year old self kept telling him, "it's totally fine!!" but looking back, I can now see how ridiculous I probably sounded. Anyway. As we were approaching the venue, I needed some more detailed directions from Jenna on where exactly she was and where I needed to be dropped off. With that, she told me that she wasn't really good with directions but she would give my number to a friend of hers who would guide me along. That friend of hers...was Nick. He does a very good job at retelling this part of the story because as you can imagine he wasn't too pumped about having to text directions to "a random girl from Florida." We pulled into the camp lots and I start walking around looking for a stranger, literally. Nick said he would meet me near the entrance but neither of us knew of the other person's existence until two hours prior so neither of us knew what to expect. We found each other fairly easily and he walked me back to the campsite with everyone else. I had such a fun weekend and from then on, texted Nick back and forth non stop. It would end up being almost a whole year before we "officially" started dating, but I'd say it was well worth the wait :)

Since then, DMB has played such a big part in our relationship. We consider our first date and anniversary to be June 15th, 2010, when we saw a concert at Riverbend, in Cincinnati, together. Then in September of that year, we saw them play at Wrigley Field in Chicago and that was where he told me he loved me for the first time (don't worry, I said it back). So needless to say, big events have taken place in our lives thanks to DMB! So, what better way to top off the end of our move-in week? To go see a DMB concert, of course!

We ventured back to Cincinnati for the concert last Friday night. This venue holds an especially special place in my heart because it was where I saw DMB for the very first time back in 2005. That, in addition to it being a special venue for Nick and me, was enough to get me so excited! Not to mention, it was my 30th DMB concert and sadly will be the only show I make it to this summer. So I was ready to live it up! It was a much needed break from moving and we had a blast! We went with two of Nick's friends, Jace and Trevor, and despite some Cincy traffic jams (got more cars than a beach got sand) we made it there safe and sound. We had lawn seats, which I always love. I've been front row several times and have had some great pavilion seats, but I will always love the lawn too! You have more dancing room :)

Here are some pictures down DMB memory lane and of the concert last week!

Jace, Nick, and me the day I met them in Deer Creek back in July 2009!

Jace, Nick, and me 4 years later!

The show where we "officially" started dating. Riverbend, June 2010.

Wrigley Field, 2010. One of my favorite concert pictures :)

All smiles on our way to Cincy! Except for Nick, who refuses to smile when I ask him too. 

Classy boyfriend.

Typical looks. I look annoyed and Nick is ignoring me. 

One of my new favorite pictures of us. The perfect way to start off my new life in Indiana!

So, that's our story. All thanks to DMB!

Until next time :)

Our First Home :)

Long time, no blog...I know, I know. I've been a busy little bee these past couple of weeks but I am happy to say that Nick and I are officially settled in and loving our new home! Many of you know the story of how we came across the house and how lucky we were that the timing was just right! About a month before I moved up here, I got a call from my aunt (who lives in Fort Wayne) and she said that she was looking to purchase a home and rent it out to a responsible renter...me, me, me!! She had already found a house and was going to look at it that night and I could hardly contain my excitement at the thought of this absolutely perfect prospect. I immediately called Nick and naturally he didn't answer since it was mid-morning during a workday (someone has to keep the lights on in this relationship) but left a very detailed and long-winded voicemail giving him all the details. Long story short, Nick went with my aunt that night to look at the house. It was beautiful and more than we would have ever expected to find in our first rental home. A few days passed and I was anxiously waiting to hear whether or not my aunt was going to put in an offer. While I was milling around in the Dillard's bathing suit department with Jessica, Jody and the kids, I got a text from my dad saying she wasn't going to put an offer on that house. Even though I kept telling myself not to get my hopes up, I was super bummed. Even though there was another house already lined up to look at, I was becoming increasingly more worried with every passing day at the thought that I was moving in less than two weeks and we still did not have a place to live. 

But, as quickly as I got let down, my spirits were lifted again! This second house (spoiler alert: OUR house!!) was even more perfect than the first. Perfect size, great location, and the right price. Nick also looked at it that night with my aunt and he said it was love at first sight for everyone. Offers were made, inspections were passed, and closings were scheduled all within two weeks. And without further ado....

Keys in hand!

Our new house!


We have settled in quite nicely but I will say that moving sucks. It really does. While it was (and is!) a very exciting time, the physical and mental exhaustion that moving has on you is not pretty. We had lots of help throughout the whole week which we were incredibly grateful for. Nick's mom was actually on vacation during our move in week so she was able to help me out a LOT during the day while Nick was at work. I could not have done it without her!

We still have some unopened boxes and unorganized spaces, but overall we are just about all moved in. We are enjoying spending lots of time together, but we also both enjoy our "alone" time. Luckily we both feel this way and don't mind being in two separate rooms and not talking for a while (I promise, we do love each other though). Another task that we both QUICKLY learned we will not be doing together is grocery shopping. We went for the first time the other night and let's just say, I will be doing that alone from now on. Evidently, I move too slow for his Supermarket Sweep style of shopping. He's a self-checkout kinda guy and I am NOT. We both survived and made it out alive and had a good laugh about it the next day...but lesson learned :)

A few pics to close out this post...

This is the view of our backyard from our kitchen. I don't think I'll ever get tired of that! Except maybe when Fall comes. And I have to rake all those damn leaves.

My first home improvement project! I chalkboard painted our garage refrigerator  and had too much fun decorating it! Can't wait to change it out come football season ;)

Enjoying a cup of coffee on our back deck. Again, I don't think I'll ever get sick of this!

Freshly picked flowers from our backyard. How lucky are we?! The previous owners were big into gardening and we now get to enjoy the summer blooms! We have a raspberry bush too and I can't wait for those to ripen up!

Our house backs right up to the St. Joe River. Not exactly the Gulf of Mexico, but hey, beggars can't be choosers!

Our back deck and a very small glimpse of our very large backyard!


We truly do feel so lucky and blessed that the right house fell into our laps at the right time. We are so appreciative of my aunt for letting us rent from her. We hope to be here for quite awhile and we can't wait to make lots of memories as we start this new chapter in our lives.

We also can't wait for visitors! Your guest bedroom awaits you!

Until next time :)

Quick Update

Hello, friends. 

Still here and happy in Ft. Wayne! It's been a busy couple of weeks, with our weekends being spent at Nick's lake house. We are finally going to be getting settled into our house this week and once that happens, I promise I will post a long update and give all the details!

I've taken lots of pictures on my new camera, but Nick has already packed up all of his cords so I can't upload them to our computer :( But once I do, I will share them all...mostly from the lake!

Until then, here's just a few snapshots from my phone from that last week or so!

Last week for dinner all we ate was fresh, sweet Indiana corn. And it was delicious. If you have the means, I highly recommend picking some up. (quick...name that movie!)

I helped Nick move some of his already packed boxes out into the garage one day while he was at work. One of them wasn't taped up, so of course I had to sneak a peak. What do I find?  A box full of OLD Sega games and controllers. When I asked him about this, he responded "Yeah! I got all of that at a garage sale for $5!" Needless to say, we are having some "compromising" issues on what really needs to moved into our new house. Clutter.

My finest moment to date since being in Indiana was baking this fine looking Americana cake. It was a big hit at the lake and quite delicious, if I do say so myself!

Sunset on 4th of July at the lake

This is how we have fun up here on a Friday night. Cruising around the lake on the golf cart with a beer in hand.  (I actually enjoy this very much!)

He's really delicate, I know. Rarely will he take a good, real picture when I ask him to. Photobomb credit to Nick's mom, Carolyn

That's all for now. Until next time! :)