11 Years Ago

11 years ago today at 11:58AM, I gave birth for the last time to my last child, Monique Louise.  In honor of Susan Weinroth's upcoming birthday, I am going to list Monique's accomplishments thus far.

At 11 you:
~Are in 5th Grade
~Get A's & B's and maybe a C or two
~Are still baby fat cute
~Love monkeys
~Share a room with your sisters
~Still snuggle with your momma and daddy
~Likes boys and has had a few crushes
~LOVES macaroni & cheese
~Helps momma anytime she asks without whining about it
~Adore your brother and can still win his heart
~Can beat up said brother (because he lets you win)
~Is still the baby of the family even though you're not a baby anymore
~Is into all kinds of music and crafts like your momma

It has been an interesting 11 years and I can't wait to see what the next 11 bring for you, my baby MoMo.  Happy Birthday Monique-E.

Love Always,
Your Momma

The Big 4-0!

Today I have lived for 40 years.  At 3:31PM I will be EXACTLY 40 years old.  It seems like yesterday that I was just a little girl living in north Minneapolis and starting Kindergarten at Hamilton Elementary School with Mr. Olson as the Principal.  My childhood is filled with TONS of memories and I'm fortunate to still remember most of them as my long term memory is awesome, but that short term stuff gets lost in minutes.  All of my childhood birthdays were made special...even the teenage ones.  After all, it is MY day and it's the ONLY one I get to celebrate just being ME.  I try to instill this upon my children as they grow up and we try to do something special for each of them on THEIR day.  Today though, we have no special plans and I'm still trying to decide how I want to spend my day after I get done with work.  I do get to go to lunch with my mom, brother, and niece today.  After work I am headed to the high school to catch up with my favorite English teacher Bil (with one L) Hoff.  His birthday is tomorrow. 

So at 40 I embrace my age as I always have, and I look forward to the next 40 years and the suprises of life and living.  Life truly is too short not to embrace and live it.  I've always loved my special day and I always will. 

So at 40 here are my some of my current favorites:

Favorite Color:  Blue, any shade

Favorite Number:  2, because it's my birth day

Favorite Hobby:  Scrapbooking and Photography, you can't scrap what you don't shoot!

Favorite Musician:  My dad still, and George Michael second ONLY to my dad. :)

Favorite Actor:  Tyler Perry,  Madea is near and dear to my heart after living in Georgiarrrrr.

Favorite Food:  Lasagna still.  It's the only thing that rhymes with my name.

Favorite Drink:  Water for non-alcoholic and Sex On The Beach for alcoholic.

Favorite Sport:  Football, then Surfing.  LOVE to watch both.

Favorite Scrapbooking Manufacturer:  Currently, Little Yellow Bicycle (Thanks to Kim Kesti and Tania Willis!)

Favorite Local News Anchor:  Don Shelby, WCCO.  He is retiring in November after 30+ years.  He's been with me almost my whole life.  I will miss you Don!

Favorite Team:  Minnesota Vikings.  Then the Twins.  Timberwolves.  Wild.  Lynx.  In that order.

So that's all for now.  It's raining outside this morning, but in my world the sun is shining today. 

A BIG THANK YOU to my parents for giving me life. :)

Love,
TT

One Month Update

Well this update is late, but I think you will forgive me. 
After one month of walking, I have lost only 2 pounds.  Not a major deal, but at least now I'm not heavier than my son (we are the same now).  I won't measure my inches until the 3 month mark as there is no signifigant change.  I am up to 2 miles per day in my walking and can do those 2 miles in 30 minutes.  I'm pretty proud of myself for that.
And the delay was because of Tommy.  Yes I always blame him, but this time it is for real. :)
He finally made it home on Thursday morning, which happened to be our 15 year church wedding anniversary.  I dropped him off at home, he showered and went to the dr.'s office who sent him to the ER.  Let me backtrack a bit to say that ever since the Friday before he has had an infection in his groin and it got progressively worse. 
Back to the present day...the ER contacted the Urologist at the clinic and he said it was too complicated and to send him to a bigger hospital.  So off to St. Mary's in Rochester he went by ambulance.  I went and gathered kids and headed down there. 
Once we got there and the situation was assessed (5 HOURS LATER), it was decided that they would operate and put in a suprapubic catheter so that the infection would heal faster.  So at 10:30PM they took him down to surgery and returned with him at around 2:30AM.  ARE YOU KIDDING ME?  They operate 24/7 there as it's a huge place and it's Mayo run.  We FINALLY got to sleep around 4...until the lab girl came at 5:30AM...ARE YOU KIDDING ME?  You only know I bitched.  Don't bring your ass in here before 7.  Then the Urology Tech came in.  Then the nurse and doctors.  Then another lab girl.  I told them ALL we can get that many interruptions at home.
Anyway, long story short, he spent the night Friday night as well because his white blood cell count was elevated higher than when he came in on Thursday.  Saturday, that finally went down and so he came home.  It took them 2 hours to discharge him.  I will NEVER EVER recommend Mayo.  If I was taking my last dying breath, you AIN'T bringing me there. 
We are glad he's home and hopefully he will have a speedy recovery.  I want to thank you all for the Get Well wishes that were posted on FaceBook.  We appreciate the love and support and love you all!
Love,
TT

Progress Made

I am making progress in my jump on the exercise bandwagon. 
I started out on Sunday July 11, 2010 walking for 4 minutes 49 seconds and .25 miles.
Last night I walked 2.3 miles in 32 minutes 29 seconds.
All of this according to my Nike + on my iTouch.
I've increased my mile time by 5 minutes.  That is I can now walk a mile in 14 minutes 7 seconds, where on the first day it was 19 minutes 5 seconds.
I can run (without pain in my knee) for 30 seconds even.  Someday I will get to where I can run for miles, but until then, we are working into that.  
Not bad for someone who's quite overweight.

Oh and I am trying to make the transition from the treadmill to the great outdoors.  Weather depending of course.  I think I've walked outside 3 or 4 times this week which is a HUGE accomplishment for me since I don't like being outside much unless the conditions are absolutely perfect.

And I am making healthier choices when it comes to eating.  I am also trying to cut back on my portions.  That part is easy for me as I don't require much food anyway.  It's the healthy choice thing that I have to think about constantly.

Since I started out on July 11, I think I will make the 11th of every month my weigh in date.  I did lose 2 pounds in the first couple weeks, so we will see this next week what my weight is.  Hopefully some of this fat is turning into muscle as I continue to walk on a daily basis.  I was thinking I should take a day off, but I want this fat gone like yesterday.  I even consulted with my sister on joining the gym to get a regular regimen going so I can hurry up this process.  We'll see about that though.

I'll check in on the 11th and post my progress or digress here.  Hopefully it will be progress.
Until then.
Love,
TT

I Did It

Well I finally did it.  Jumped on the "Exercise" bandwagon. 
I purchased a treadmill from a friend for $50.
I purchased a pair of Nike+ shoes for $50.
And I upgraded to an iTouch.
And started to exercise daily.  At first it was 10 minutes.  Then I worked my way up to 15 in a couple days.  Now I can go 25 minutes and 1.3 miles a day.  It's only been 3 weeks.  And 2 pounds less.
My measurements and weight as of today:
Weight=245lbs
Waist=41in
Hips=54in
Chest=39
Breasts=43
RThigh=33
LThigh=32.5
Now that's some personal stuff going up on here, but you know what it comes down too?  Accountability.  If I throw my stuff out there like that, I have to be accountable for my progress.  Period.

And I highly recommend the Nike+ website.  AWESOME to set goals and track my progress.  Even MORE awesome to meet and/or EXCEED those goals.  I set weekly and realistic goals.  I am not even close to running a marathon yet, but maybe one day next year I will be.  First, I have to ease into that running thing as I'm just walking now.  But I'm walking 6 miles a week at around 19 minutes, so it's all good. 

And I'm making healthier choices.  Except for Sundays.  That's my cheater day.  And I don't feel guilty at all for making any choice.  As long as I exercise, it's all good.

Happy Sunday!
Love,
TT

SummerTime

Ahh...the smell of fresh rain and the sound of thunder and sirens greeted us this week.  Summertime is here. Finally.
We had some storms blow by last week and some more yesterday.  Hopefully the rest of the summer will be uneventful.
The kids are trying to keep busy with the library and other fun stuff to do while I work for my mom taking care of my brother during the daytime hours.  I see a trip to the zoo soon, along with some trips to the lake.
Tommy is still driving for Swift and still enjoying it.  Other than that, not much else going on at the Trump household.  We're just trying to stay cool and out of the sun for the most part.
Happy Thursday and Happy Summer!
Love,
TT

Father's Day Tribute

Thank You Dad

Thank you dad for all that you did for us as we were growing up in your house and under your guidance. 
Thank you dad for being so strict with us and trying to teach us the rights from the wrongs.
Thank you dad for listening when you should have and for speaking up when you shouldn't have.
Thank you dad for showing us that family is everything, even if you don't like some of your family members much.
Thank you dad for sharing with us your talents and abilities even if you weren't so proud of them.
Thank you dad for letting us be ourselves.
Thank you dad for being you.

Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there.  Even though it may not always be said, know that you are loved very much by your children!
Love,
Tonja

Blake Beske 1996-2010

God Wanted You More

You had to be riding your bike

At that time and that place.

The accident happened so fast

And word traveled much too fast.

But God wanted you more.

We begged, pleaded, and prayed

For your life to spared,

To have just one more chance

To let you know we cared.

But God wanted you more.

You must have been an Angel

In the eyes of our Lord,

For when he called your name,

Like a good boy, you came.

Because God wanted you more.

Yes Blake Beske, you will be missed.

We'll always remember and love you

For the boy that you were and

We will always remember that

God wanted you more.

In Memory of Blake Beske

April 8, 1996-June 12, 2010

Love,

The Trump Family

Since May 12, 2010

May 28, 2010 was my baby sister's 37th birthday. On the 29th her friends and husband threw her a suprise party.
The drive up north=4+ hours
Food and Drink=$200
The look on Tessie's face when she opened up the door to her kitchen with 30+ people staring back at her=
PRICELESS!!

We went to Tessie's softball game a couple of weeks ago and I was fortunate enough to catch her swinging the bat at that ball. She made it to first and eventually rounded the rest of the bases to home plate. Her team lost, but not without a fight and not by much!



Ashley had a hairbrained idea to throw her mom a suprise party. So she planned and schemed and threw her one for the family the weekend before her birthday. Ashley even told a white lie to get money so she could pay for it! I was so proud of Ashley for doing this big project by herself with minimal help from me!
Way to go Ashley!!




Mother's Day 2010 was celebrated at my Aunt Danna's house with my Aunt Darlene, my mom, and my grandmother all in attendance. My uncle grilled brats and there were salads and beans and bars and good times as always.







Grandma and the girls. I made the girls huddle around grandma for this priceless photo. Ashley, Jaimee, Natalea, Gabby, and Monique all love their grandma and great-grandma. She's looking good!







Happy June y'all!
Love,
TT

The Alice Cooper/Rob Zombie Experience

Wow. What a great show. Of course I went to this show with no expectations whatsoever and came out of it a new fan of both Alice Cooper and Rob Zombie.

Those of you who know me, know my favorite artist is George Michael and while I have a variety of artists I listen too, I stay in the pop category most days. So for me to attend this was out of the norm so to speak. Not that I haven't heard metal before (there was the summer of 91 when I went to see Metallica and Ozzy), but you know, it's just not my normal self.


I took these photos with my cell phone, but I really should have borrowed my niece's camera as everyone had one and nobody said a word to me or anyone else. The soundstage was to the left of us and you could see backstage and behind the scenes REALLY good from where we were sitting (section 115, Row N, Seats 1 & 2).

The special effects were so worth the $40 ticket. I was truly impressed to say the least.

The other thing that impressed me was how Alice Cooper helped his roadies pack the stage stuff away after his show was over. Most artists would have just went back to the dressing room and left them to fend for themselves. I think it shows an artist's true class when they can get in beside the hired help and get their hands dirty themselves.

Before last night, I had never heard a Rob Zombie song. I was suprised at how much I liked his music as well as the special effects of his show. And the spurts of fire were warm on my face even from our seats.

It was a great time and a great time was had by all. Joe thought he was going to leave in the middle of Zombie's performance until he saw I wasn't going anywhere (and the topless girls that were on stage at that moment)! I don't leave in the middle of shows...I might miss something important. And in fact, I like to hang around afterwards and let the crowd thin out and watch the guys tear down for a bit. I guess that comes from watching my dad tear down all those years. I've always liked the behind the scenes stuff most.

OH and my biggest epiphany at that show was when I saw the photographers down in front of the stage. OH YEAH I wanna be that photographer and take photos for tour books and artists. How cool would that be to go on tour with a band and do that.

Neil Diamond and Brett Michaels here I come...watch for my resume and portfolio!

Happy Hump Day y'all!

Love,
TT

Another Concert Under My Belt

Next Tuesday I'm going to see Alice Cooper with Rob Zombie. Yep, Alice.
This ain't no George Michael I know. But it should be a great time anyway. He did have some pop songs in the 80's that I remember. As for RZ...who the hell is he? LOL! :)

It's a small sacrifice to make yet another friend's birthday a little more special. I agreed to go because it's my buddy Joe's birthday (he'll be 42 and we went to Jr. High together) and he really wanted to go and has nobody else to go with. If he wouldn't have gotten the tickets, we (the kids and I) would have had a little birthday party for him. Everyone's birthday should be special, no matter who they are.

All my life, all my birthday's were and continue to be special. That's how it SHOULD be. That's YOUR day to celebrate YOUR life and life is a gift in itself and should be specially celebrated. Get my point yet? I *HEART* MY BIRTHDAY!

Tommy just laughed when I told him. He knows I'm no rocker chick...I'm all about George and M&M's for pity's sake! Throw in some Neil Diamond and hey you have my whole life in music!

Tommy comes home tomorrow. I can't wait to see him...I actually miss him for once! Life is good ya know. Except can someone please ask God to turn on the sunshine and heat? It's cold here at a very windy 56 right now. My fingers are almost too cold to type this up...such is life in MN. One day Dear Jesus I am going back south to Tybee. Speakin' of which, I need to order up my onions. Anyone else want any? HOLLA! :)

Love,
TT

So Many Things

So many things to talk about and while I have extra time this morning (due to a 2 hour late start at school) I'll update you.

First, the Brittney Landsverk Memorial Scholarship fundraiser was an awesome, overwhelming success. I was privileged enough to be asked to make the donation box for this event and it turned out beautifully! The event was held at Basilleo's Pizza in Faribault and will be a yearly event on the first Saturday in May in honor of Brittney who is presumed drowned and still missing. Everyday we pray for her to be found so that the family can finally have closure. I am honored to be a part of this as my niece Megan is on the Faribault Emeralds danceline team. The scholarship will go to a graduating member of the Emeralds danceline team as Brittney was on the danceline and a dancer for many years. She was only 20 when a car she was riding in went into the Cannon River.

For May Day, my sister and another danceline mom made a May Day basket with 20 roses in it and asked me to compose a poem that was sort of from the dancers. The family loved it.

Here's what I wrote:

Brittney Rose

1989-2010

20 years have gone by,

20 roses will wilt and die.

To our hearts we held you dear,

To our hearts you'll always be near.

15 years of song and dance,

15 years we've had the chance,

To watch and admire you grow and bloom,

And always never any gloom.

We'll never forget you

Our teammate and friend,

And we'll always remember to smile

Until the end.

Brittney Rose you'll always be,

A Faribault Emerald to our team.

And now it's time for you to shine,

For a team that's so much more divine.

Once again, I feel honored to be able to contribute my talents where they are needed. I may not be able to contribute money, but I can offer my services.

In other news Tommy was stuck on I-40 just outside of Nashville on Sunday. They shut all roads down going into and out of Nashville, so he (and many other truckers) had to park on the side of the highway until the police re-routed them to another road. He finally made it to his destination drop east of Nashville this morning. From there he'll pick up a load in Danville, TN and head to Wisconsin and then home for the Mother's Day weekend.

Speaking of Mother's Day weekend, I have to work Saturday night at the hotel. I still have that job, just on weekends now until school is out and then I can pick up more hours during the week. My part time day job will start winding down now and I continue to look for a law office job close by. Those are few and far between though. I may have to suck it up and start looking towards the Twin Cities or Rochester areas.

Not sure what we are doing on Mother's Day yet since I am working overnights, I may just stay home. We were invited to my aunt's house, so we'll see how I feel. Sleep is essential for the control of my seizures and my #1 priority.

Erik and I ripped out the front flower box weeds and I plan on planting some hostas and other stuff in there this weekend if it doesn't rain and the sun shines. It's supposed to be chilly out, so we'll see how far I get.

That's enough for today. I'll update more later on in the week. Happy Tuesday!

Love,

TT

A Tribute To Jill

Dear Jill,

You're Facebook page description says you are JUST amazing. Sweetie, you were SO much more than JUST amazing. All the wishes and condolences on your page say so. You have touched the lives of so many people with your amazing selflessness, your amazing smile, and your amazing attitude. I never got to meet you and I'm sure that I missed out on something truly wonderful, but I feel like I know you so well and that we're family in a way. I want to thank you for being friends with Ashley and for going on vacation with her and giving her priceless memories and photographs to share with the rest of the world. She will never forget you and neither will we.

You've only been gone for 2 days and already people miss you immensely. No, I don't think you will ever be replaced, nor could you ever. You will leave a hole in so many hearts and many tears will shed for you, including mine. That's the power you have dear, sweet Jill. I never knew you and we are mostly strangers, but yet you have touched my heart. God will surely bless you in Heaven tonight for He is the lucky one to have you with Him now. We love you and miss you Jill. Rest In Peace my friend.

Love,

The Trump's

Catch Up

It seems that someone around here has been slacking on the ol' blog. It couldn't be because I've been busy working 2 part time jobs or buying and redecorating a house...nope...that didn't occupy all my time for sure. I wonder if it was the haulin' of the kidlins around that did it? Hmm...no, I don't think it was that either.

WHATEVER my reasons (and there are TONS), I apologize to my followers and blog readers for slacking off and hopefully I can get back into the swing of things this month...that is...if I can pull myself away from Facebook for a while. Dang thing has all those dumb games that I am addicted too. Shameful to be addicted, but at least I acknowledge it. Ha! :)

I've decided to open up shop and scrapbook and organize photos for others. Trump's Treasures is officially open for business. Now it's just a matter of GETTING the business. My concept is simple. I will make your scrapbooks for you. You provide the photos, I will provide the service and supplies for a reasonable fee. If you don't want a scrapbook, but still want your photos organized...I'll do that too. With graduations coming up and my niece going off to Europe this summer, it's a great time to start this adventure. I've already had a couple ladies interested, so we'll see what happens.

All that in addition to working at the Days Inn part time and working at Affinity Funding Group part time and probably working for my mother taking care of Remington part time. I DO like to stay busy sometimes ya know. Oh and Tommy is driving for Swift Transportation so if you see him on the road (truck 309xxx) give him a toot of your horn! :)

I'll try to update more later today. Right now though, I must put the breakfast out for the guests. Yep, I'm on my overnight shift and silly me agreed to work Friday nights overnight until June. Should be fun. NOT! :)

Love as always,
TT