DANCE!

This last year for Christmas, Adam got me one of the best, most fun gifts I've ever gotten! He got us Couples Dance Lessons! They were held at the Moonlight Dance Studio in Downtown La Crosse, and let me tell you, I was EXCITED! He set us up for Swing & Foxtrot lessons. It was every Tuesday night for 4 weeks, 1 Hr each.
Now, I was prepared for how dance lessons go. When I was in High School, I was in Grand Central Station Show Choir, so I was familiar with counting steps, watching the choreographer closely, working on technique, etc. Adam, however, was new to these concepts. He's a natural when it comes to Snowboarding and Skateboarding, Kayaking, and even Running. (All of which are quite a challenge for me!) So needless to say, the first class to him was a bit stressful. However, as the classes went on, he picked up on things incredibly quickly! The instructors do go pretty fast, but in a thorough way. They want you to learn as much as possible in just 4 lessons-and they did it!
One weekend, Adam and I decided to practice. We went upstairs at the Radio Station where there is a big open room called the Liquid Lounge. We brought a boom box with our rehearsal CD that you get at the end of your first class. We popped it in, and danced away! It was an absolute blast.
By the time our last class rolled around, we were flowing all over that dance floor.
The class was a great way for us to spend time together, laugh, learn, and grow closer. (I know, that probably sounds corny, but it's true!) It's really fun to learn things that your significant other enjoys, and I have to give Adam credit. Lots of it. He decided to try something new for me. Something he knew I was already familiar with. He said he really enjoyed himself, and he would love to do more lessons! And yes, I DID try Snowboarding once...however, it not go nearly as smoothly! OUCH!
Anyway, it was an incredible experience, and I hope we can do more lessons in the future! Something we would DEFINITELY recommend to other couples!

No Colon and Still Rollin!

As many of you know, I was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis back in 2006. In 2009 I had my first of 3 surgeries to remove my colon and have been feeling incredible!

Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colits (along with many other digestive diseases) are commonly kept "hush-hush". People may find them embarassing, degrading, unattractive, or even icky! I, however, wanted to embrase my opportunity to learn from this disease and my surgeries, and to educate people on these diseases to create more awareness. When I was diagnosed, I had never heard of UC and I had to do a lot of research. Adam always says that he had never heard of it either, and then as soon as he learned I had it, he started meeting all kinds of people with those diseases that would finally open up after they heard about my story. I'm proud to be the reason they decided to come out of the dark and into the light of awareness!

There are many great websites out there where you can learn about these diseases, talk to people with the same problems, and get involved in raising funds to help research. Some of my favorite websites are
1) www.livingwithuc.com

2) www.ccfa.org

3) www.uncoverostomy.org

Uncover Ostomy is especially near and dear to my heart, because I did have a temporary ostomy bag. As a woman, you tend to feel shy, embarassed, and the exact opposite of the sexy desirable beauty that every woman wants to be. However, a woman by the name of Jessica Grossman (a young beautiful woman!) decided to fight back! She wanted to embrase her permanent ostomy, and show off how beautiful and sexy and fun you can still be with the "poop bag"! She is an incredible inspiration!

I recently learned of a fundraiser called "Take Steps Be Heard for Crohn's and Colitis". It is a group walk (nothing too strenuous!) to raise money and awareness for these types of diseases. People with "crappy poopers" from all over the place get together, walk, talk, take potty breaks, and share stories all while bringing us closer to more information and even cures! Needless to say, I was SO excited to be a part of this event! There is one in Milwaukee Wisconsin called "Take Steps Milwaukee". My mother, myself, and Adam formed a team called "No Colon and Still Rollin" and plan to grow our team to a few more people! It's on June 24th, 2012 and we hope to exceed our goal of raising $1,500 by then!

The link to our page is:

http://online.ccfa.org/goto/stillrollin

PLEASE take a few moments to visit our page. Feel free to donate, or even join our team! If you would like to, you can even form your own team! We'll be making shirts, and dogs are allowed to walk with us!

Ok, I've typed for too long-I must take a potty break! ;)