After many months of merely passing each other day in and out, Chris and I finally planned a date night.
We often find ourselves making time for family and friends, but rarely just us. Well, this passed weekend end we got a little of everything...friends, family and just us.
Friday was just hanging at the house with Mackenzie. Saturday Chris had to work, so Mackenzie and I cleaned house, did a bit of laundry, got ourselves clean, and listened to music. She had nap while I got ready for a friend's wedding shower. Early in the afternoon, my Mom came and got Mackenzie to go spend the night and I headed to the wedding shower. After a few hours of good food, games, gifts and gabbing I made my way home to meet up with Chris and hit the town.
We had dinner at Outback and actually kept the conversation going without talking about diapers or daycare, etc. the entire time. Then we enjoyed a quiet, leisurely stroll through Barnes and Noble, which was Chris's idea. (This man once walked into B&N with me and 5 minutes later said he was bored.) We had a Starbucks coffee and called it a night.
Sunday, Mom and Mackenzie played hookie from church, so Chris and I went, just us...and the entire congregation. Since we did not have to rush Mackenzie home for a nap, we got to eat lunch with Mackenzie's godfather. Afterwards, we picked up Mackenzie and headed home for a lazy afternoon and then dinner at Chris's parent's house. Luckily, Chris's sister and her wife were home for visit and we ended up playing Guitar Hero/Rock Band into the night.
Monday, Chris and I had the day off and enjoyed a great lunch at a Japanese restaurant and went to see the movie "Red" with Joanne and Heather. Awesome movie!!!! I highly recommend it. We ended the day, again showing off our musical talent, with The Beatles Rock Band.
What a great weekend! Date night, church, a couple of lunches, a movie, and Rock Band...who could ask for more?!?!?!?!?!
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Our House
"There is nothing like buying your first house"....so I heard many times as Chris and I were buying our first house a little over 4 years ago. The house we currently still live in.
I remember how all my friends and family thought it was such a big deal. We were the first out of most of my friends to actually buy a house and everyone thought it was so cool. During the whole process I remember feeling really grown up and a sense of becoming an adult, but it didn't seem like such a huge event to me. It just felt like the next step in growing up and in my relationship with Chris. We knew this was not going to be the house we were going to live in forever, but it was a great starter home.
From day one we talked about how we would make it "ours" and how we could update, change, fix, improve, etc, various aspects of the house to make it a home and for resale value, of course. Once Mackenzie was born, our house shrunk, literally, overnight. And it has continued to shrink every month since then.
Chris has masterfully organized the attic to get the most out of the space, but even now, that has run out. The guest room has become the storage unit for random bits that we need too often to put in the attic, but not often enough to really find a permanent home for them. Despite having had 3 yard sales, the closets are stuffed, all beds have plastic storage bins under them, furniture has been sold or given away, and the house pack rat (me) has really learned to just trash the stuff I would normally keep. Because of all this we constantly talk about needing a bigger home...moving on to bigger and better things.
But recently, I've started to appreciate our house for what it is and love it while we're here because I know we will look back on this house with wonderful memories. This was all brought on as my sister sold her house and the reality of actually leaving it hit her. I started thinking, "How am I going to feel when we move?" I realized how sad I will be. I know some of you are thinking "It's just a house...don't let your possesions own you." But for me, it's about the memories we created in this house. Just about all my family member's sweat is in this house from when they came to help paint EVERY INCH of the interior. Chris and I started our life as husband and wife in this house. We brought a beautiful little girl into this house. We are watching her grow up in this house.
I feel lucky that I am able to recognize and appreciate what I have when I have it and not once I've lost it. And it goes further than just the house, I am appreciating what I have inside the house...my wonderful family! I hope I can continue to remind myself of this as other things get me down. So I guess I owe my sister a big "Thanks!"
Thanks Mendy!!
I remember how all my friends and family thought it was such a big deal. We were the first out of most of my friends to actually buy a house and everyone thought it was so cool. During the whole process I remember feeling really grown up and a sense of becoming an adult, but it didn't seem like such a huge event to me. It just felt like the next step in growing up and in my relationship with Chris. We knew this was not going to be the house we were going to live in forever, but it was a great starter home.
From day one we talked about how we would make it "ours" and how we could update, change, fix, improve, etc, various aspects of the house to make it a home and for resale value, of course. Once Mackenzie was born, our house shrunk, literally, overnight. And it has continued to shrink every month since then.
Chris has masterfully organized the attic to get the most out of the space, but even now, that has run out. The guest room has become the storage unit for random bits that we need too often to put in the attic, but not often enough to really find a permanent home for them. Despite having had 3 yard sales, the closets are stuffed, all beds have plastic storage bins under them, furniture has been sold or given away, and the house pack rat (me) has really learned to just trash the stuff I would normally keep. Because of all this we constantly talk about needing a bigger home...moving on to bigger and better things.
But recently, I've started to appreciate our house for what it is and love it while we're here because I know we will look back on this house with wonderful memories. This was all brought on as my sister sold her house and the reality of actually leaving it hit her. I started thinking, "How am I going to feel when we move?" I realized how sad I will be. I know some of you are thinking "It's just a house...don't let your possesions own you." But for me, it's about the memories we created in this house. Just about all my family member's sweat is in this house from when they came to help paint EVERY INCH of the interior. Chris and I started our life as husband and wife in this house. We brought a beautiful little girl into this house. We are watching her grow up in this house.
I feel lucky that I am able to recognize and appreciate what I have when I have it and not once I've lost it. And it goes further than just the house, I am appreciating what I have inside the house...my wonderful family! I hope I can continue to remind myself of this as other things get me down. So I guess I owe my sister a big "Thanks!"
Thanks Mendy!!
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Girl's Trip
In the dictionary, next to the word "slacker" you will see a picture of me.
If anyone is still periodically checking to see if I am blogging, you'll be thrilled, I'm sure, to see a new post after a mere 4 months.
To bring you up to speed....
May = Joanne's wedding in Boston. First airplane ride with Mackenzie was a great learning experience and never a dull moment. :) Truthfully...not as bad as I was imagining.
June= Recovering from a super fun and busy trip to Boston, while trying to survive until going on vacation to the beach.
July= Fourth of July with family and the much anticipated, annual beach trip. Awesome!!
That brings us to August. This August I went on my first girl's trip ever with my best friend Brandy!!
After an 11 year friendship, dealing with the ups and downs of life, and staying in touch while in separate countries, we took a girls trip. I rented a condo in Destin with a pool and just a few minute walk to the beach. We watched movies, laid on the beach, floated in the pool, drank TONS of margarita, slept in late, cried, LAUGHED and had an overall fantastic time!!!! I can't wait for the next one! There is nothing like a trip with just girls. Don't get me wrong, I love vacationing with my husband, brother-in-laws, and dad, but I enjoyed being in the pool and not being splashed with water guns and cannon ball jumps. Also, we got to watch girly, romantic, chick-flicks with NO groaning.
I highly recommend it to all ladies!! Grab your moms, sisters, friends, a bathing suit, your choice of adult beverage, and hit the road.
If anyone is still periodically checking to see if I am blogging, you'll be thrilled, I'm sure, to see a new post after a mere 4 months.
To bring you up to speed....
May = Joanne's wedding in Boston. First airplane ride with Mackenzie was a great learning experience and never a dull moment. :) Truthfully...not as bad as I was imagining.
June= Recovering from a super fun and busy trip to Boston, while trying to survive until going on vacation to the beach.
July= Fourth of July with family and the much anticipated, annual beach trip. Awesome!!
That brings us to August. This August I went on my first girl's trip ever with my best friend Brandy!!
After an 11 year friendship, dealing with the ups and downs of life, and staying in touch while in separate countries, we took a girls trip. I rented a condo in Destin with a pool and just a few minute walk to the beach. We watched movies, laid on the beach, floated in the pool, drank TONS of margarita, slept in late, cried, LAUGHED and had an overall fantastic time!!!! I can't wait for the next one! There is nothing like a trip with just girls. Don't get me wrong, I love vacationing with my husband, brother-in-laws, and dad, but I enjoyed being in the pool and not being splashed with water guns and cannon ball jumps. Also, we got to watch girly, romantic, chick-flicks with NO groaning.
I highly recommend it to all ladies!! Grab your moms, sisters, friends, a bathing suit, your choice of adult beverage, and hit the road.
Monday, April 26, 2010
Family Photo
We are family!!! I got all my sisters with me!!
As you all know, my family and I are very close. And this weekend we found a way to capture that close bond. All 11 of us gathered together to take a big, ole family picture to give my mom for Mother's Day. We hired a fantastic photographer and met at a beautiful outdoor location. We even came up with a great way to coordinate our outfits so we looked like we came right out of a magazine!!
We were able to break out into smaller groups to get all the girls, all the boys, my sisters and I, the inidividual families, just the kids, etc. It was so wonderful!!! I cannot wait to get the pictures!! I makes me so happy to know that no one blinked an eye at the idea of coming into town, scheduling naps for the little ones, finding the perfect shade of green shirt to cooridnate with everyone, etc so that we could do this.
It's times like these that I have to hold on to so that I can make it through the day sometimes. When the world is getting me down, I know there will be someone at home to pick me up.
I never thought being close with my family was unusual, but as I got older, I realized how rare our situation is. My parents have been happily married for 35 years, I have a great relationship with both of my sisters (even though one is insensitive and the other is a diva......hahaha...just kidding!), all of our husbands get along great and the 3 grandchildren are the cutest little things in the world!!! Wild, right?!?!
Now...as nice as this all sounds and as true as it is, we're totally our own little circus. Two granparents, 4 parents, 1 married couple without kids, 3 kids, 3 dogs.....and a partridge in a pear tree. Yes, we can give the Ringling Brothers a run for their money. But....they're my family and I would rather be flying with the greatest of ease with them than sitting safely in the stands on my own.
As you all know, my family and I are very close. And this weekend we found a way to capture that close bond. All 11 of us gathered together to take a big, ole family picture to give my mom for Mother's Day. We hired a fantastic photographer and met at a beautiful outdoor location. We even came up with a great way to coordinate our outfits so we looked like we came right out of a magazine!!
We were able to break out into smaller groups to get all the girls, all the boys, my sisters and I, the inidividual families, just the kids, etc. It was so wonderful!!! I cannot wait to get the pictures!! I makes me so happy to know that no one blinked an eye at the idea of coming into town, scheduling naps for the little ones, finding the perfect shade of green shirt to cooridnate with everyone, etc so that we could do this.
It's times like these that I have to hold on to so that I can make it through the day sometimes. When the world is getting me down, I know there will be someone at home to pick me up.
I never thought being close with my family was unusual, but as I got older, I realized how rare our situation is. My parents have been happily married for 35 years, I have a great relationship with both of my sisters (even though one is insensitive and the other is a diva......hahaha...just kidding!), all of our husbands get along great and the 3 grandchildren are the cutest little things in the world!!! Wild, right?!?!
Now...as nice as this all sounds and as true as it is, we're totally our own little circus. Two granparents, 4 parents, 1 married couple without kids, 3 kids, 3 dogs.....and a partridge in a pear tree. Yes, we can give the Ringling Brothers a run for their money. But....they're my family and I would rather be flying with the greatest of ease with them than sitting safely in the stands on my own.
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Nick at Nite
Age is taking over.
Over the past few years, I have begun to notice how things are changing. From the gas station that closed down in my home town to techological advances to society/cultural changes. The changes let me know that I am getting....DUN! DUN! DUN!....older! I'm not OLD, just oldER.
Recently, I noticed the most depressing of changes. TV shows that once ran during primetime hours in the middle of the week are now on in the wee hours of the morning on Nick at Nite. WTF Batman!!! Since when is Fresh Prince of Bel-Air an old TV show. I'm mean, don't most of us still know the theme song by heart?!?!?!? (Eh Um....Mendy....What? I didn't say anything.)
When I was growing up, it was Mary Tyler Moore and Dick Van Dyke. Some shows were in black and white for crying out loud!! Now it's Fresh Prince and The Nanny!!
I guess I just have to accept the changes and age gracefully....but I don't have to like. So for the rest of the night I will be chillin' out, maxin' relaxin' all cool in my neighborhood. Peace!!!
Over the past few years, I have begun to notice how things are changing. From the gas station that closed down in my home town to techological advances to society/cultural changes. The changes let me know that I am getting....DUN! DUN! DUN!....older! I'm not OLD, just oldER.
Recently, I noticed the most depressing of changes. TV shows that once ran during primetime hours in the middle of the week are now on in the wee hours of the morning on Nick at Nite. WTF Batman!!! Since when is Fresh Prince of Bel-Air an old TV show. I'm mean, don't most of us still know the theme song by heart?!?!?!? (Eh Um....Mendy....What? I didn't say anything.)
When I was growing up, it was Mary Tyler Moore and Dick Van Dyke. Some shows were in black and white for crying out loud!! Now it's Fresh Prince and The Nanny!!
I guess I just have to accept the changes and age gracefully....but I don't have to like. So for the rest of the night I will be chillin' out, maxin' relaxin' all cool in my neighborhood. Peace!!!
Monday, January 25, 2010
Mackenzie's 1st Birthday
I can't believe a year has already passed!! I know everyone always says how fast time goes by, especially when it comes to your children, but this is crazy!
Mackenzie is now one year old!! And to celebrate this incredible milestone, Chris and I threw a birthday party with family and godparents this past weekend. We had fun ladybug themed decorations and a special "Birthday Girl" shirt for the occasion.
Of course, we wanted to do a good party since her birthday is so close to Christmas and I think it was a complete success! She got tons of clothes, books, diapers and toys.
When we bought the decorations online, they had a ladybug cake pan to go along with the theme that I just couldn't pass up. Now, I'm not so good at the "baking" (seriously....I've burned break-and-bake cookies before...more than once!!) so I did a trial run with Mom a few weeks earlier and then again the weekend of Mackenzie's birthday. Mom was a HUGE help!! I coudn't have done it without her! It was a 2 layered yellow cake with rasberry filling and butter cream icing. I'm actually kind of proud! There were no disaters, but I'm glad we made a test cake. It really helped us decide the best way to decorate.
Once all the decorating and food preparing was done, Mackenzie woke up from her nap exactly 13 minutes before the party started. Just enough time to rub the sleep out of her eyes and have a diaper change. Then it was all about her!!
I think she was having a pretty good time!!!
Mackenzie is now one year old!! And to celebrate this incredible milestone, Chris and I threw a birthday party with family and godparents this past weekend. We had fun ladybug themed decorations and a special "Birthday Girl" shirt for the occasion.
Of course, we wanted to do a good party since her birthday is so close to Christmas and I think it was a complete success! She got tons of clothes, books, diapers and toys.
When we bought the decorations online, they had a ladybug cake pan to go along with the theme that I just couldn't pass up. Now, I'm not so good at the "baking" (seriously....I've burned break-and-bake cookies before...more than once!!) so I did a trial run with Mom a few weeks earlier and then again the weekend of Mackenzie's birthday. Mom was a HUGE help!! I coudn't have done it without her! It was a 2 layered yellow cake with rasberry filling and butter cream icing. I'm actually kind of proud! There were no disaters, but I'm glad we made a test cake. It really helped us decide the best way to decorate. 
Once all the decorating and food preparing was done, Mackenzie woke up from her nap exactly 13 minutes before the party started. Just enough time to rub the sleep out of her eyes and have a diaper change. Then it was all about her!!
I think she was having a pretty good time!!!
Sitting like a perfect little angel...waiting patiently for all her adoring family to arrive.
We enjoyed a great little lunch, thanks to Publix and their party platters, while we watched Mackenzie's first year go by!!! Chris and I put together a bunch of pictures of her and put them on a CD, then we just let the slide show function on our Wii take us down Memory Lane (with background music and everything). It was a big hit!!!
We enjoyed a great little lunch, thanks to Publix and their party platters, while we watched Mackenzie's first year go by!!! Chris and I put together a bunch of pictures of her and put them on a CD, then we just let the slide show function on our Wii take us down Memory Lane (with background music and everything). It was a big hit!!! After reminising and visting, it was time for Mackenzie to have cake for the first time!! She had her own little cake and 16 people staring at her waiting for the reaction. She was a little hesitant at first, but she got the hang of it. She actually didn't eat that much (yesss!).
Then it was time for presents!! What was the hit of the day you ask? Bath toys of animals from the sea. There were 4 kids at the party and luckily there were 5 toys. They all just went nuts for them!!! (Thanks Aunt Joanne and Aunt Heather!) She also got some wonderful dressy dresses, tons of tops and bottoms to wear for the spring and summer, and a pile of books.
Once the cleaning up was done and we had pawned off as much cake and leftovers on everyone as we could, I sat and actually saw the slide show of my precious little girl. I know....I picked the pictures, but it was different seeing them melt across the screen, from the hospital when she was born to Christmas day. I couldn't help but cry. It has been so wonderful having her!!! It's the best gift I could have asked for!!! I was so sad to see some stages come and go, but I'm looking forward to the ones in the future. Walking is next on our calendar!!
It was a great party with all of our direct family and extended family!! Thank you to everyone that came!! Chris and I are so lucky to have family that will fly and drive from all over to go to a 1 year old's birthday party. We love you all!!!
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