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A Summer of Health...Small Victories!

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I've been open about my Crohn's disease to most anyone who is willing to listen since 2016.  I've had Crohn's since January 2006 when I was diagnosed at age 17.  It is a form of Inflammatory Bowel Disease which basically means the beginning of my colon and the end of my small intestine is pretty much always inflamed.  Crohn's is an autoimmune disease which causes a number of digestive symptoms.  You can look the symptoms up.  Basically anywhere I go -- especially a place that is new to me -- I'm mentally taking note of where the bathrooms are. I've been telling myself for years that I don't digest raw veggies and fruit well.  Which is kind of true -- salads and strawberries can literally be my worst enemy if I eat too much.  But it's also something that I've been leaning on and using as an excuse for far too long.  I also haven't had much luck with running in the past due to it shaking up my intestines and causing sometimes urgent needs...
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Take Steps for Crohn's and Colitis

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Today, I attended my second annual Take Steps for Crohn's and Colitis walk at CHS Field in St. Paul.  You might wonder what this means for me...let me tell you my story... In January 2006 my life was forever changed.  I had digestive problems for about a year prior to that and I went to countless appointments, had many blood tests done, and had a number of procedures.  In January of 2006 I agreed to have a colonoscopy at age 17.  The results were in: I had Crohn's Disease. Crohn's is a form of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) and is an autoimmune disease which attacks the base of my small intestine and the beginning of my large intestine.  It causes a number of issues including abdominal pain, diarrhea, gas, and every other "lovely" symptom you can think of. In 2016 at age 27 I decided to commemorate 10 years with Crohn's by "coming out" with my story.  I wrote a note and put it up on social media -- something that to be honest terr...
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Extraordinary Moments

Welcome!  I am so glad you're here!  This blog is to document those things that make my life not just ordinary but EXTRAordinary. Every day is amazing.   All of us forget that sometimes.  We are gifted every day.  Every. Single. Day.  24 hours.  1,440 minutes. 86,400 seconds.  Some days may seem mundane: hit snooze three times (guilty), groggily roll out of bed, get ready for the day, drive to work in traffic, work for what ends up being 10 hours most days, drive the mundane commute home.  Rinse.  Repeat. I find myself in that mindset some days.  It feels like I'm slogging along day in and day out.  What makes every day amazing? For me as a music teacher I am thankful that I get the opportunity to shape kids' lives on a daily basis.  It could be as simple as a band student mastering the next note, or a kindergartener stepping out of their comfort zone and singing a solo.  I get to see the life-changing moments t...
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You Need a Budget!

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Personal finance has become a deep passion of mine.  I love talking about money, budgeting, investing, saving...everything money!  Recently I've found a love for budgeting, and it's all thanks to one app: You Need a Budget. Excel spreadsheets have never thrilled me.  I took a computer class in high school where I had to learn how to input formulas and it was seriously the most mundane thing I've ever done.  I entered number upon number upon number to figure out the sum, input multiple formulas, and to figure out how to set a certain calculation to an entire column in Excel.  Yawn.  One thing is for certain, my brain does not function on spreadsheets.  I use them when I need to (read: 1-2 times per year...if I have to...) and that's about it. Years ago, still relatively fresh out of college I wanted to start budgeting.  I loyally dug out Excel on my laptop and put in my anticipated income and expenses.  I put in formulas and sums (inco...
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