Friendsgiving

After college I started a little tradition of Friendsgiving...or what I have entitled my Charlie Brown's Thanksgiving Feast. The holidays are all about spending time with family; but my friends are also my family and before we all head off every year I love being able to pull all of us together to enjoy the same thing we will with our family. A Thanksgiving feast! With all the trimmings.

I've been doing it now for 5 years, and every year is different. Each year has a new obstacle to overcome (typically its with one of the side dishes going awry). One year it will be not having enough space to cook all the food and transporting the turkey from one location to another (cooked - with the juices going all over the car...awesome smell afterward let me tell ya). The next year it will be the turkey not being cooked on time. THIS YEAR was the mashed potatoes. My beloved potatoes. MY FAVORITE PART of thanksgiving.

I tried a new recipe this year, and must have mismeasured or something....added to much milk to quickly and they became mushed potatoes. A somewhat runny potatoes that were not clear mush but not real potatoes.....damn it. They did settle somewhat after standing a bit....but not to MY liking. They still tasted good and everyone seemed to like them (as there were ZERO leftovers), but it was my own personal disaster.

BUT besides that it was a wonderful day. Full of friends, food, drinking, football. I find myself constantly reminded of how blessed I am. To be surrounded by such amazing people. My friends and family are the most wonderful source of love and support for me. The only thing missing from the day was my sister who was unfortunately stuck home sick. But I did send her leftovers that she was able to enjoy days later when she regained her taste for food.

Hoping everyone else is able to spend their holidays truly grateful for what they have in their lives. Because no matter how hard things may get, and how hard our lives can sometimes seem the one thing we should realize is that typically we're better off than majority of the population. We're unbelievably spoiled in our lives and if I can provide only a portion of the happiness in my life to those around me then I can feel like I've done at least something right.

Peek a boo!

My organizational skills at their best...damn I'm a nerd

Turkey - all wrapped in love and yumminess!

Mom helping with the prep work

more organization

veggies extreme!

the aftermath...yum yum delicious

Ms. Rich and I pregaming 

its as big as my FACE!

All decked out for the party!

End of Summer - Minnesota Style!

Labor Day weekend....the culmination of all things summer....damn it...did i GET a summer this year?! Well given that Seattle's summer only started oh 3 weeks prior to Labor Day it seems weird to already be saying goodbye to it....but such is the life of a Seattlite. 

I was lucky enough this year to be able to jet off somewhere new for Labor Day while being brought back together with old friends. Minneapolis was the destination to visit my fabulous roomie (I refuse to call her my ex-roomie btw) Katie. We may live thousands of miles apart but we are still and will always be roomies :)

By the time I arrived it had been two months since she'd moved back to Minnesota and I think we were both ready for the return of some normalcy....even if we were not in our old apartment and in a completely different state. We were reunited....and it feeeeels so good! Sorry....I'll stop singing...promise!

The weekend was exactly what I had asked for and exactly what the doctor ordered. I arrived Thursday evening and Katie and I made dinner at her house and sipped on some wine, catching up on ALL the things that happened over the last couple months. We'd been saving up all the good stories from our phone convos because we knew that dishing in person would be so much better. 

Friday was a chill day as Katie headed out to work and I used the day to detox from work and life in general. Getting a nice 3.5 mile run in and exploring her neighborhood.....I will say that somehow I got lost on my run (Still not ENTIRELY sure how)....considering it was supposed to be a loop around the lake....only THIS girl could get lost when supposed to be running in a circle :)

We headed north that afternoon to Katie's hometown to enjoy some much anticipated homemade cooking, lake time and family time with the Rasinski clan. The weekend consisted of some true Minnesota activities!! Horseback riding, apple picking, driving tractors, bonfires, a turkey feed, tubing, waterskiing, and just enjoying the amazing outdoors. I honestly can say that this was THE BEST weekend I've had in a VERY LONG time. It was just refreshing to be in a place where you could be out and about, with family, friends, and having a great time. Her family took me in as their own and I cannot tell you how much it warms my heart. Her mom and dad, Dyana and baby C! I love them to pieces. And this whole trip made me miss my roomie very much though! Leaving Minnesota was almost as hard as the day that Katie moved. 

Its brought some serious thoughts about looking at potential opportunities out in Minneapolis...but those are thoughts to mull over in my head for now.

Here are some pics from the weekend festivities!

Team Alex - Running for a Cause

As most of you know, I have been training for a half marathon that I will be running in Las Vegas on December 4, 2011. Originally I began this training and decided to also challenge my friends and family to help me raise money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Well, some of you may or may not know, but last week my nephew Alexander was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes.

The week started like any other week. I went to work, getting back into the swing of the week and prepping myself mentally for my 3 mile run that night. And then it all changed. With a simple email from my mom telling me that Amanda was bringing Alexander to Seattle Children's Hospital. I immediately freaked out. My mind went to the worst possible scenarios. How could something be wrong with my handsome little man?! He doesn't deserve to feel any kind of pain, and my sister and brother-in-law do not deserve to go through this, to watch their son deal with illness....

So of course my mind was going a million miles a minute. And then another email telling me they were testing for potential diabetes. Still my mind kept going, it wasn't as bad as I had originally made it out to be, but still....this was not something that they should have to deal with.

The next 3 days were spent at Children's Hospital. With the first night being spent in the ICU, Alexander hooked up to an IV and having his blood sugar levels checked every hour. I'm pretty sure the hardest day was the first, at least for me it was. Alexander having IV lines in both arms, being hooked to a machine and all he could do was look to each of us and give the saddest face I'd ever seen. He just wanted us to help him, to take them out of his arms, let him be free. Crying. And we all had to look at him and tell him we couldn't do it. That they were gonna help make him all better. My heart just broke. Over and Over and Over.

After the first day he was able to have the IV's taken out, and we roamed the hospital. Rolling his cars/trucks all over the place. Nurses would laugh and comment that Alexander was quite the roamer! Going ALL over the hospital. He especially loved the Giraffe statues in the hospital. Wanted to be lifted up and touch their noses. During the next few days we all went through a LOT of education. Checking blood sugar levels, counting carbs, insulin injections and the list goes on.

Alexander is home now and everyone is adjusting to the new way of life. And Alex is....Alex. The happy, smiley, laughing, goofy kid we all love. The one that brings more joy than we could ever ask for in our lives. And so he makes it all worth it.

Throughout this whole process I have to say that the thing I'm proudest of is how our family came together. We were all there for each other, as much as we could be. Because I know that there are things that I can't do to make the situation better. No matter how much encouragement we give, support you offer....sometimes there are things that no one else can help you get through. But we can try.

And so with everything that’s happened in the last week with Alexander’s diagnosis, I can’t ignore that there is a new cause that I am determined to devote my time and effort too.

I am still maintaining my fundraising for St. Jude; however, I have decided I can’t wait till the next race to start fundraising for JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation). So I will be splitting the total campaign effort of $1,500 between St. Jude and JDRF at $750 a piece. I have set up my fundraising page for JDRF and you can now start putting your donations up!

I am so grateful for the amazing family and friends I’ve been blessed with, especially my little man Alexander. And I hope you will take a stand with me and help do all that we can to find a cure. He deserves nothing but the best life that we can give to him, and this is one way that I know I can help support not only him, but Amanda and Nick as well.

I ask that you please support me and more importantly Alexander.
TEAM ALEX ALL THE WAY! SO STRONG!

The link for the website is
http://jdrfevents.donordrive.com/campaign/amybodnar


Love you all
xoxo
Ames

Training Day #4

Cross-training!

This week my cross training activity was dance :-)
Fitting right?! I mean its my favorite thing to do in the world, and it gives me a way to cross train at the same time! Throughout the training process my cross train days will be changing as we go. It's going to either be dance, hot yoga, walking, running, hiking....the list goes on. Nothing TOO crazy as I don't want to injure myself during the process but its good to have an outlet  throughout the training process.

So I'm training at Westlake Dance Center. Two classes on Thursday evenings. A beginning hip hop class that allows me to really just let loose and have fun. I don't worry about the steps. It's all about going, having fun and performing the crap out of the routine. And its AMAZING! Being separated from dance for so long has been such a drain on my life. Not doing the ONE thing that ALWAYS makes me happy. The ONE thing that I'm truly passionate about. That I need in my life. Its my passion, my hope, my love, my everything. Dance is who I am. It is what defines me as a person.

The second class is a hip hop III class. The teacher is phenomenal and really inspires me to try my best. I was worried that after being so far removed from dance classses that my pick up would suck. But luckily it wasn't bad at all. It was like riding a bike....you fall off but you get straight back on. And the great thing about the class is that the students in it are very inviting. A lot of times I feel like a class is a very tight nit group who doesn't let in outsiders, but this class is completely the opposite. I didn't feel like the outsider at all, and felt at home right away.

I can't wait to continue this voyage and my dance classes at Westlake. Getting back to me and what I love. Who could ask for anything more?

In Loving Memory

Yesterday was a very difficult day. July 14, 2011 would've been my grammy's 94th birthday. Grams passed away this past March, after battling cancer. It was the first year without her, and throughout the day I found myself thinking about her and how much I wished she were still here with us. But I know that she is in heaven smiling down on all of us and guiding us through this life. I could not ask for a better guardian angel than her.

Every year since Grams turned 90, my Aunt Mimi hosted an amazing birthday extravaganza in which family would gather from all over the country. We'd come together for this one weekend to celebrate my Grams and share in family. These get togethers for me were one of the biggest blessings I could've asked for. They gave me a chance to see my family at least once a year, no matter how far apart we all lived, and it also served as the catalyst for reuniting a family that I feel for many years had been separated. The separation occurred for a multitude of reason, but Grams brought us all together. She helped us all erase years of loneliness without the comforts of family.

My most favorite moments in the last years of her life were the times we were all together. Whether it be at her birthday fiestas or the many weddings that blessed our family (Kristin and Josh, Amanda and Nick, Josh and Maureen, Nick and Lyndee, Caitlin and Peter, Emily and Sean, Adam and Janelle), these were the moments that I rejoice in now. Mostly because Grams, a woman after my own heart, always enjoyed her time dancing out on the floor with her family :-)

I will forever remember the family gatherings at Gram's house. Kids running around the house (there are 19 first cousins), singing at Christmas, scrabble nights at the old house in Bula....these are the things I think stay with us. The small little memories that we cherish. Her birthday will always be celebrated by those who loved her....and that is a LOT of people.

I love you Grams. Thank you for all that you gave to our family. We were blessed to have you in our lives for so long, and we are even more blessed to have you watch over us in Heaven.

In Loving Memory of Florence Bodnar (July 14, 1917 - March 3, 2011)

Seattle Life

So it has been far too long since I posted on this blog, but things have been just a LITTLE busy these last few months.

As most of you know, my sister gave birth to her first baby.

Mr. Alexander Taras Datz!
He was born November 4, 2009 at 1:51am
8 lbs 2 oz and 19 inches long



He is now two months old and needless to say that from the very first second we met the little guy he had us all wrapped around his tiny little fingers.

The last two months have been filled with lots of family and fun. Mom has been up here helping with the baby and staying with me, my friends Casey and Dorian came up for Thanksgiving weekend, and then Liz was able to come out for NYE :-)

My place has been FULL of visitors and it has definitely helped make this place feel like home. I've been able to explore so much of Seattle and get used to my new surroundings. From the Space Needle to the Ballard Locks, Alki Beach to Discovery Park, Bainbridge Island to Queen Anne, and of course Pike Place Market. Plus so many other places! I'm still getting all of the pictures from my iphone to my computer but there will be pics soon!

Among other things I went to my first UW football game and even made trips to surrounding cities (even as far as Missoula, MT!) crazy let me tell ya!!

I'll be trying to keep better track of my blog in the upcoming months and continue to post pics

:-)

xoxo

Greetings from the MIA

So I've only been MIA for God knows how long, and this blog has been severely neglected for that same period of time. I'm going to try and get back into doing this regularly, but please bare with me as my life has been somewhat chaotic of late. I'm still trying to iron things out and figure out my course which has proved difficult during the recent months.



The Christmas holiday is over, which depresses me greatly. But New Years is around the corner and I don't know if thats exciting or even more depressing for me. Because I look at where I was last year at this point in time, the expectations I had of the coming year and all the excitement it was going to bring, and I look at how severely disappointing 2008 turned out to be. My expectations were blown to hell, and I was left struggling to pick up the pieces. I still AM struggling to pick them up and put them back together.

To say that 2008 fell short of every single one of my expectations might be somewhat harsh, and reality its not completely true. I had several GREAT things come my way that I would not change for anything. However, there were many struggles and let downs that I would rather erase from my memory and leave behind with no chance for rediscovery. Lost love, anger, and resentment among the top.

But looking back at 2008 has made me put new perspective as to the upcoming year. Actions need to be taken, rather than sitting by and continuing to live the same scenarios. I know this is all very vague, but many things cannot be written in explicit detail because of several things: 1) I still can't vocalize my feelings on the subject/person; 2) the events are still too fresh to be completely separated from them and reflect objectively and 3) its not the time to reveal my thoughts.

I know..complicated right? And that I think has been the hardest part about this past year. I have always been one to figure things out and make decisions without prolonging it. However, I have been incapable of doing that this year. I continue to mull in the same spot and cannot make heads or tails of what I really want or need.

Alright - I can't do heavy crap right now. So some of the good things that have come of this year

Funks/PGN - the dance team that I joined back at the end of January 2008 has now branched out and we have now started our own group PGN Dance Co. And this group of people has been my savior throughout the year. The new friendships I have gained have helped me get through the shit I didnt want to deal with and has offered me the greatest opportunity.

My new Place - I've moved out on my own. I branched out and have stepped into the world of living in a 2 story 1 bedroom loft. And I love it. It fits me perfectly. Allowing me to be as creative as I want in decorating, live the life I want to live, with no interference. Not that there was really ever interference before, but something about getting to be in charge of everything that comes along with the apartment has been such a blessing. Its been my little safe haven.

Weddings Galore - I think I lost count after the 4th or 5th wedding. I can say that I have traveled more this year than I have in any recent years, and that was due to the immense amount of weddings/bachelorette parties/family events etc. New places that I traveled this year include the following: New York, Seattle, Philadelphia, Newark, Detroit....and I returned to San Francisco for the first time in a very long time as well. Several bachelorette parties in Vegas, holidays at Sunset Beach...its been quite intense. As well as draining on the bank account, but in the end it was totally worth it :-)

Family - there have been several hardships that my family has gone through this year. Some which we thought we had gotten past that resurfaced, and others that have been ongoing struggles for many years. But these struggles have strengthened the bond within my family. I realize more and more every day as to how much they all mean to me and the lengths that I would go to for them. They are my world, and I only wished that we were all closer in proximity. Because the distance between us is sometimes more than I wish to bare.


So thats my update for now. I have concluded the first week of my holiday vacation and I have 2 more weeks! I don't know what to do with myself. Its insane to have so much free time but I'm loving it. I've finished 3 of the 4 Twilight books within the last few days (Xmas presents which I have not put down since I got them). And I can't wait to see what the next couple weeks pans out to hold. I know I am excited to finally get a chance to go home to Vegas for an extended period. Without bachelorette party obligations. I'll actually see my friends and family. And it has been way too long for that. I yearn to have that time with them. :-)

But for now thats all. I promise to keep this more updated. If I don't I give full permission to hound me until I do. Because I will hound others who have been slacking on theirs as well!!(cough::cough::: Sister::cough::cough)

<3