On The Third Day of Christmas...

Wooahhh.  It's been five days since Christmas.  Tough to wait for our third blog post?  Lots happening here in Montana with family, friends, eating, more eating, church, gifts, more food, appetizers, cookies, dinners, breakfasts and brunch, snowboarding...  Hopefully you all enjoyed our savior's birthday!

My True love gave to me:

A Wonderful Household of Three

You can stop the cute "aww's" ....now. But here is the reality: I LOVE our little family, Andy, myself and...... FRANK!

The most important thing to know about our family unit is that at least 70 percent of all communication between Andy and I, is medium'ed through Frank. Let me give you an example:

Andy and I are sitting on the couch and I'm hungry. Instead of saying, "Hey dear, I'm hungry do you want to get something to eat?" the conversation plays out more like the following: (It is important to note that I have a "Frank" voice that blends the tone of Eeyor and with the conversation skills of Debbie Downer.  All of my text below should be read in said voice):

Mimi: I'm gonna bite ya
Andy: Oh no, Franky, what's wrong?
Mimi: Well daddy, I don't like you.
Andy: Franky Boy, don't say that. How 'bout we get you a little treat?
Mimi: Oh ya that would be good but I'm pretty mad and I still wanna bite ya.
Andy: Why don't you ask the mommy what she would like to have?
Mimi: I'll bite her too. I"m so mad, but she worked so hard today and doesn't want to cook so lets go to Noodles.

Boom! We've figured out my "need" and then the conversation progresses until we have a solution. Anyways, just a little insight to our horribly anti-social, ridiculously unstable antics. I pray for our future children.

Hope all of you had a Merry Christmas!

A & M

On the Second Day of Christmas...

We are on a roll here in the Salonen household, and are thankful you are reading our version of a Christmas newsletter.  God has blessed us in so many ways this year and taught us so many things.  Follow us in the upcoming days and read The Twelve Days of Christmas!

On the Second Day of Christmas, my true love gave two me: Two married siblings!

I think people heard we got married, saw how wonderful it could be and decided to tie the knot too.  Okay, maybe Liz and Tom had different reasons.

Andy, Mimi, Tom, Diane, Liz, Ryan at Fort Hamilton

Mimi's sister, Liz was the first and married Ryan in July.  They couldn't have chosen a better venue: Vegas!  Between the stretch Hummer limo, drive through ceremony, delicious steak dinner at Gallagher's Steakhouse and Fremont Street experience, the weekend celebration was a lot of fun.  Ryan and Liz are an amazing couple and we are very excited for both of them.

 Tom and Diane were married over Labor Day weekend in September, Big Apple Style.  That's right, Diane grew up in Queens, and the couple decided Fort Hamilton in Brooklyn would be a perfect wedding location. Fort Hamilton is the only active military base in metropolitan New York City, and I recommend visiting if you're ever in the area.  The original fort was a perfect place for dinner, dancing, cigars and lots of fun.  Mimi and I both visited New York previously, but this trip was really special, and we enjoyed time with family, friends celebrating this great occasion.

Congratulations Ryan & Liz and Tom & Diane!  Married life is sweet.

Tom & Diane Allen - September 1, 2012

Ryan & Liz Gage - July 25, 2012

12 Days of Christmas! ...

Well we said we'd do it-- in fact you may even get a Christmas card telling you so-- but here is a a look at the 12 days of Christmas Salonen style. A wrap up, if you will, on the year from our perspective! Did you know the 12 days of Christmas actually begins on Christmas day? ABC Family has been lying to us all for years!  Our 12 Days will start right now.

So with out further ado....

On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me.... 1 NEW HOUSE! 

HOME OWNERS! 

In march we purchased our first home! An "A" frame as I like to call it. We have had a blast and some nightmares fixing it up. Things I thought we'd fix right away have taken the back burner to things I thought we wouldn't have to do--- you know the story :) But-- we have had a great time turning Snowmass place into our first little home!  We removed somewhere around sixteen trees from the backyard and Andy still had 50+ bags of leaves come fall (notice how I said Andy). We still have much to do but feel extremely blessed to be homeowners!

Someday I plan to get a garden going and some flowers planted. This year I was able to kill everything in sight... except the weeds.

Our cozy little living room scene... ahhh 

MERRY CHRISTMAS 

& check back tomorrow for another post :) 

All My Eggs Was Right There...

Yes, because I'm a feelings blogger I'll go ahead and say some things today. I was watching a recap of the XFactor recently (like today since I'm allowing myself a grieving period- I'm somewhere between bitterness and big dreams) and a contestant who blew his audition was caught saying "All my eggs was right there, all my eggs was right there." It gave me an immense amount of hope, oddly enough, because I've not put "all my eggs" in an earthly basket.

Yesterday, was my last day at a job I had big dreams for,  it was not my last day by choice. I was laid off, last man on the totem pole type thing I assume, I guess.

     It was funny, as I sat in the mini office with frosted doors at the circular table that I'm sure someone put much thought in to (laying people off should be done in the most pleasant of ways, with eye contact at a coffee table that lets people know, we're not presumptuous we're friends discussing matters that are ever so dreadful) I was caught up in the surrealism of it all. As cliche as it is, I couldn't help thinking the whole time "did I wake up this morning or am I dreaming?"
     While listening, or at least trying to listen, I watched the tears well up in the eyes of the girl next to me and vaguely heard her questions as they laid both of us off. I remember her asking if we needed to be escorted out and my brain snapped back down for a moment. Yes, out, I need to leave immediately; it was hot and uncomfortable in that room. Friends would tell you that my immediate reaction to tears is to run as far and as fast away as possible, I don't know how to console them and I probably have an even greater fear of being seen with them. Whatever it is, it's a flaw.
     I stood up as soon as  they stopped talking looked across the small round desk and said, "I wish I could say it was nice meeting you or thanks but I'm afraid I can't," packed my bag as quickly as possible and got in my car.

There was the worst feeling of shame about the whole thing.  It was the feeling of being replaceable in my own story. I hadn't made myself or my work invaluable, my daily life and tasks had not only been completely meaningless to someone, I myself had been counter productive to the entire company's vision.  Alright, that's probably reading into the whole thing a bit too much, but I have big feelings for such a small girl. The reality of the matter was probably closer to budget cuts and last in first out, but emotion escapes reality. I was ashamed, I was emotional, I felt vulnerable.  But alas, as you all can guess, I am not defeated. :)

Since I was a baby, or at least that's where I like to start this story, I've known I was created to do big things.  And so, it starts...again. I truly have appreciated all of the support so far, so thank you everyone. I'm great, the company is still great, and the world hasn't stopped, mine has merely shifted paradigms.

Heat, House, Mood

Life is swell. The summer's hot, my husbands hot and I've got a job! Yay!
 Things that aren't as swell-- 

1. No AC
2. House Projects
3. Bad Tudes.  

I'll begin with number one. This doesn't really need an explanation does it?  100 degree heat that bakes in your house is pretty ridiculous. Recently, the Husband and I were Face-Timing with my brother Tom, and he was showing us his new house with dual climate control ... to which I said "No Brother Bear, this is dual climate control," and gave him the panoramic view from one window to the next so he could see our fan set up. Legit.

Two fans-- and the long hallways that sits between... it's like AC only... worse.

So this brings us up to numba two!  House Projects--- holy moly do they ever end? I think not. Andy and I have been super blessed with the amount of help from friends and family. It's a little ridiculous actually, so a HUGE thank you to all of you-- you know who you are I've probably baked you cookies or tried to feed you dinner as my way of saying "You are amazing, I love you and I don't know what I would do without your help and you in my life :)" ...in so many words or less. We've had a lot of fun so far though, knocking down walls (Steve), painting (Bill/Sue), furnishing (mike/kris/ann), and working on that lawn(Andy).....oh that lawn.  Hmmm... seems like I personally haven't done much on that list though :/  Shoot! I'll get right on that after this diet coke and episode of American Pickers....
But seriously, working on your house is a lot of work on your marriage. From different project priorities to everyday household cleaning; sometimes the one you love the most is just on a totally different page.  Many times Andy and I have wrestled with figuring out how to be respectful grown-ups with each other..  and sometimes the best option is to just actually wrestle ;)

Number three on the list directly ties into number one and two. Have you ever been sticky sweaty and your husband wants you to get up off the couch (from watching American Pickers)  and pull weeds? It makes for a bad tude. As my BFF, Laura Guay, would always say "We've got two options here; you can change your tude or you can go home!" Unfortunately, I am home when the tude hits. Our household at times is just an awful collaboration of feelings, snarky remarks, a couple screams and low self-confidence. You know those moments when you just lose you mind at a simple harmless remark that someone makes ... and then you lash out irrationally.... and then five minutes later you are apologizing and saying I don't even know where that came from?  Please tell me I'm not the only one who suffers from this-- but if I am-- lucky Andy.

At the end of the day though, for all my irrational moodiness, I know I've got my guy that loves me. He's tenderhearted and patient and because of this I will work on my tude. Until we see each other in Heaven (where we will all be perfect) he'll have to take my unkind words with a grain of salt and an eye roll... but from the other room because if I saw him roll his eyes at me..... oh boy.

With love and mercy,

Mimi

Catch Up

Well it's day two of working out - how do I like it? I"m not in love with it yet- but it does create a sense of accomplishment, accomplishment that quickly turns to embarrassment when you feel the sweat pour down your face from 10 minutes of brisk walking.  It's been a crazy couple of weeks here in the Salonen household so it's time to catch everyone up.

This month started with a loss so big that I haven't been able to even get close to the hole that it's left in my heart- my grandpa Paul passed away in March from lung cancer. His decline was swift and his deathbed peaceful. I'm not sure when it will sink in that I won't ever get to see him again, but it's definitely not real yet. I can still hear his voice in my head asking me if I'd like a cup of coffee, or how I'm doing or his favorite topic- "How's that dog?" For now,  I'll just listen to his voice and delight in my false vision.

I'm still unemployed and the job market has become increasingly frustrating. In fact so much that we are just going to skip this topic

Andy and I officially close on a new house in Longmont on April 27th!! We are soooo excited to be homeowners and DIY'ers!!! (well at least I'm super excited about being a DIY'er and Andy would like me to get a small reality check) Sample conversations between us

Me: I think we should just knock down that wall
Andy: I think we should paint
Me: Ok so we're knocking down the wall

Andy: We need a ladder
Me: OH, I can go find one at goodwill or craigslist
Andy: It's important that you don't buy a broken ladder, maybe we should just get a new one
Me: na, Goodwill has quality materials

Me: Where are you going to put your clothes?
Andy: It's a 4 bedroom house, there will be plenty of space
Me: I think we should build a closet, in the first week.  Do we know how to do that?
Andy: No.

And don't even get me started with paint samples..... oh boy. That's just nonsense. Let's just say Andy enjoys beige more than any person I have ever met. Anyways, it's something to look forward too and I can't wait for next week to be over so that I can have something to focus on-- besides finding a job.

I've been sick lately, actually hospitalized on Easter for a few days and have been doing at home IV's for this past week. All done on Sunday- whoo hoo.   I had to go to a different (non CFer) hospital this time and it was like a tragic dream replaying all over again- the doctor actually handed me a form that said Cystic Fibrosis on the top and then had some symptoms to watch out for.  My patience was definitely tried as I negotiated medicines with doctors and pleaded for someone to just let me write my own orders.  But that nightmare is over, things are worked out;  I'm working out, starting to feel much much better and life goes on. Did I mention I also gained 12 pounds in a week. A little ridiculous if you ask me but that's what the prednisone will do to someone. So I've set a goal to lose the 12lb's by May! Yay! Starvation? Motivation? One of the two will do.

Well this post is about as random as my day.  What do people do all day?  I'd like to say I'm taking this "unemployment opportunity time" to re evaluate my goals, read more, write,  and plan out my life but it's really hard to plan life when you just keep wondering what you're supposed to be doing. I'm sure I'll get it figured out though and will keep posting more. Maybe I'll find my voice here and you people will make me millions. Let's make it happen people.

With love,
Mimi

How bout that job market?

I need to get better at writing. More documentation of my life must be done!!

I'm on the job hunt, and let me just say that it is truly a hunt. Although a new career and a change up from my day to day work here as mail girl is exactly what I need there seems to be a shortage of jobs  out there- has anyone heard of this? Are we in a recession? Someone tell me what's going on!! :) Ah, well at least for the moment I get to sit snug as a bug in my office cubicle sipping on a Diet Coke( -side note here, there is a community case of DC in the fridge at work here, amazing-) listening to the hot jams of a progressive indi-chick Pandora station and mindlessly searching the classifieds. :)  Life is good, even with the looming deadline of losing my job in two weeks.

God works in the craziest of ways and more than ever he has shown me, in this job, how to be a witness for him where ever I am. Kelsey, who shares my office space with me  has become a great friend in these past couple months and the more chatting we do the more we realize how much in common we have; from The Last Unicorn and crazy hospital stories to struggling with loved ones battling cancer; we've been able to connect. I've been asking God to show me how I am supposed to connect with people and show his love to them and this week He really gave me that opportunity.

Kelsey's aunt passed away on Friday leaving her son heartbroken and penniless. When the opportunity arose to help him out I told Kelsey that Andy and I would love to give him some support to which she replied, "that's really sweet of YOU," at which point I blurted out "No Kelsey, that's what Christianity is. In it's purest form it is taking care of the widows and orphans- no matter what age". BAM holy moly, I think I just evangelised! It felt like the words were spoken from Him and not from me.

So, that is why I am ok job hunting until my eyes go blurry and I start attaching Dr. Seuss's "Oh the places you will go" book to every single application. That's why I'm ok not knowing what I'm supposed to be doing,because God knows what my purpose is. The more I've sat and pondered my days as mail girl, the more I've come to realize that God put me here to show me that my identity needed to be in Him, not in MY career, MY goals, MY accomplishments, MY life.

If the choice was open mail for the rest of my life but have amazing coworker experiences or be very very very important but minimize Christ-- I know I'd choose mail girl.

That being said, I have a resume and references for anyone that would like to take a look :)  

Happy Wednesday!

Christmas Letter 2011... I know.

Christmas Greetings!... In late January!

We finally took our tree down which means we thought we should send out Christmas cards as well! Better late than never, right?! 2011 was a fantastic and very busy year! Here are some of the highlights:

We started 2011 with a big move; well, Andy had a big move down to Colorado so he could be closer to his lovely fiance. The journey was somewhat arduous as we tested the lifetime waters and what family vacations might look like with an 800 mile drive while towing a U-Haul; let me tell you, it wasn't pretty. Little did we know the real journey hadn't even begun...

Career Moves
 Andy struggled the first couple months with the job market. After applying for over 120 jobs, one position in particular really tickled his fancy and his nerves. It was a "dream job" for him so to speak, and he had gone through all the applications and interviews and was waiting and waiting to hear back. Weeks passed from when they told him he should know, and every time he called they'd have another random excuse.  They encouraged him to wait and told him he was still in the pool. Finally, he got the call; he was hired at the University of Colorado Boulder as an Admission Counselor Intern! The reason for the long wait? They had to get approvals from all types of boards to hire him because the position was generally held for a CU alumni and obviously Andy didn't make that qualification. They literally created a position for him because he is so great (okay, at least that's my opinion). This opinion was validated when only a few months after he signed his one year contract with CU-Boulder they promoted him, creating a permanent spot for Andy on the admissions team as a counselor. He loves working in admissions and currently works with the on campus programs team while advising the Student Ambassadors Program; a team of 100 CU students who lead campus tours for prospective students and their families.  He also represents undergraduate admissions and recruits students in Vermont, Maine, New Hampshire, western Colorado, and the central coast of California. Not only does he read their applications, but he was able to travel to all three areas this fall.  I especially enjoyed his California recruitment but we'll get to that later :)

Mimi could find a job if she knew what she wanted to do.  Before November, she successfully planned and executed the Rocky Mountain Cigar Festival.  It was a job for someone with ten years of work experience, but Mimi was able to pull it off two years in a row right out of college.  Anyone who attended the festival remembered it, and will most likely return for round three.  Mimi is gifted in so many areas; she has an eye for detail, is personable, creative and hard working.  Working for her family at Smoker Friendly and planning the event was a wonderful experience, but she knows God is calling her to do more.  What that may be?  She doesn't know!  For now, she has been hired on with the International Admissions team at CU-Boulder (in a different building than myself) as a temporary assistant.  This job description is nice and short: she opens mail all day.  If a prospective international student applying to CU-Boulder sends transcripts, financial statements, test scores or letters of recommendation, Mimi opens it up and processes it.  It's an essential piece of the admissions process, and Mimi loves it.  She has an office partner, and as Mimi puts it, they are best friends.  Although this is a temporary, five-month position, Mimi is excited about the future opportunities God has in store for her and is enjoying this time to truly discover what she should be doing.

Some Scripture for this Season
Jeremiah 29:11  For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Romans 12:12  Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.

Wedding Bells
As most of you know, something big happened this year... we got MARRIED!  Thank you once again to our families and friends who helped make that special day take place.  We still dream about the food prepared that day, drool over the cake and reminisce when looking at our wedding pictures.  After an amazing wedding on June 18 we hopped on a plane and spent ten days in St. Lucia located in the Caribbean.  What a wonderful way to start a marriage, but as they say life isn't always a honeymoon...or something like that. Marriage is such an amazing gift, and we continue to learn and grow each day. Some of the more practical, sweet and humorous things we've learned:

• Don't leave the butter on the counter; Frank will eat it.
• Surprising each other with even the little things can make any day better.
• The Mazdaratti (Mimi's Mazda) absolutely requires snow tires to function in the winter.
• Boulder isn't as crazy as people make it out to be; it's unique, but we know God has a plan for everyone there.
• God always provides!
• If you have an iPhone, check out the app, Voxer.  Seriously, we have too much fun with it.  Thanks for the introduction, Mr. Bridges.
• Finding a church and friends can take time, but well worth the wait.
• "Go to bed mad" - great marriage advice from my good friend Janelle. The same principle "think before you speak" applies here. 
• Although Mimi is the actual diabetic, Andy gets very cranky when he's hungry.
• Andy gets scared easily and the closet is a great place to hide :)
• Above all, let God be the center of your life and it will be reflected in the way you speak to each other and the strength of your marriage

Some Scripture for this Season

Matthew 19:4-6  Haven't you read," he replied, "that at the beginning the Creator 'made them male and female,' and said, 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh'? So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.

1 Peter 4:8  Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.
Around the World
We've had so many opportunities this year to see great places and more importantly to unite with old and new friends. Our love for Montana and the people who live there is never ceasing and we enjoyed ringing in 2011 with the Bischoffs and some Salonens in Helena. Mimi's job got really tough in March when she was asked to attend a conference in Mexico,  but she hiked up her socks, packed the sunscreen and headed South.  Andy headed to Vegas for a whirlwind bachelor party with some of his best buds, where rest assured they were all very "good". After the June 18th union, we were amazingly blessed to receive an incredible gift from Mimi's family; a dream honeymoon in beautiful St. Lucia! We stayed at an all inclusive Sandals resort and let us tell you it is just like the commercials; seriously. Pristine beaches, more food than you can imagine and people in love EVERYWHERE.  It was amazing and a special time we will cherish forever! We're just wondering who would like to pick up the bill for our one year anniversary vacation!:) Any takers???  After the honeymoon we hung low, sneaking in a couple trips to Montana before our schedules started getting crazy!  We also enjoyed a visit from Ryan & Liz when we saw Jurassic Park on the big screen at Red Rocks Amphitheater!  Andy traveled in the fall to the east coast spending two weeks visiting schools in Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine and also being a solo tourist which included checking out the Ben & Jerry's factory along the way. He came back to Colorado only to head into the mountains for another two weeks this time making stops at all the major resorts like Vail and Aspen. He has assured me we can move as soon as we make our millions! His last trip was out to California, and at the last minute it was decided that I got to tag along! A fantastic way to end his travels as we spent a week along the coast driving from city to city visiting family and reuniting with old friends! Thank you Gridley's, Bridges & Ryan! November & December were marked with hosting friends and family at our house something we both truly enjoy! Andy's folks made it down for Thanksgiving which was a gift that made us truly thankful. Mimi's brother Tom came west from North Carolina to celebrate Christmas and ring in the New Year.

    We both have a love of traveling but more importantly a love of people and so we hope in 2012 we will be listening to God's voice in our life and going where we are called; be that across the seas, to new places, to old friends homes or to our neighbors next door we are ready to be used!

Some Scripture for this Season
Isaiah 6:8  And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me."

Matthew 25:14-30  His master replied, "Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!"

Into the Future

2012 has already proven to be a season of learning and love. From football (Tebow) to house hunting we are leaning on God to guide us. We are currently on the house hunt and will keep you updated with that. So far no new home, but we know it's out there! We wish you and yours all the joy in this New Year; may the Lord bless you and keep you close. To all our loved ones near and far we hope to see you this year; but if it happens that we don't cross paths know that we think of you often and love you deeply! Lastly, since this card was so promptly delivered I want to take this opportunity to wish you a few more things ...

Happy Valentines Day, Pleasant Presidents' Day!, Happy Easter, We Love you Mom on Mother's Day, We honor you on Memorial Day, We Love you too Dad- Happy Father's Day, Happy Fourth of July!, & the Spookiest of Halloweens to you!! 

Okay, we should be good for awhile now!  Check back for more blog entries this year.

Love, 

Andy + Mimi + Frank

How Shamu Ruined my Day

I bet you're thinking this title is an analogy. Well, you're wrong. Shamu has literally wreaked havoc on my day and I'll tell you how: this morning my wonderful husband woke me up and I groggily lifted my arm from under the cover to check the top of his head to see whether or not he was seriously waking me up or just fake waking me up ( if his head is wet he's serious; he's showered which means he believes I should shower- puh).  Anyways it was the real deal which meant I promptly told him I was awake and then rolled over to catch a few more moments of glorious sleep; I firmly believe I would be an amazing full time sleeper- just saying. However, in this particular instance my dreams were rocked with a serious case of lively dreaming. I was instantly thrown into the ocean, I think I was about 300 meters from the wall where Free Willy had to make his jump to safety and I was swimming along side Shamu. I'm not sure what I was doing there but I do know this; I was swimming. Front stroke, back stroke, butterfly stroke, catipillar stroke, wolf stroke you name it (I'm POSITIVE those are all swimming strokes by the way). Needless to say, when I woke I had somehow thrown out my neck and so all day I've been cursing Shamu under my breath.  Next time I dream of Shamu I'm refusing to swim with him....

Good Day All!