kansas city

This weekend I drove to Kansas City to meet up with my sweet friend Nicole. We haven't been able to see much of each other over the past few years, and it was so nice to have time to catch up and just hang out together. It was rainy in KC, but we still had a great time!! She is due in June and I can't wait to meet her baby boy!

(ahem.... please ignore the fact that I am wearing light pink and dark pink together....it's a rain jacket - ok?)

Patrick is on call this weekend - so he couldn't join us. Nicole's husband had some friends in town so he didn't make the trip either. Pat said Elle was a monster yesterday and not much has changed since then. I made it home around 1ish, so she had been cooped up since around 7 this morning. Of course it's raining and nasty out today - no run or dog park in her near future...

But we did find this HUGE stick in the courtyard. See - that was after I ran around the courtyard like a crazy woman in circles trying to wear her out...only to trip over her and I bu-sted on the concrete. Yeah...I fell. Fo-real. Like an all out, small sized adult fall. The ones you laugh really hard at when you see. I came out of it with a few battle wounds and a very good laugh. Too bad there was no one to share it with. I hate wasted falls. Maybe something is wrong with me

- but -

#1 - I laugh really really hard when I see grown ups fall (no worries, I don't laugh at children or the elderly...just all those in between)

#2 - My first reaction isn't to ask if the victim from the attack of the concrete or steps is okay, it's to laugh. Then, if I see that there is an injury, I continue to laugh - of course at this time trying my best to act my age instead of acting like I am 13 yrs old - and gain my composure to see if I can help them. Usually I fail miserably with the whole acting mature approach.

#3 - I really enjoy a good fall if someone is with me to witness it. I don't like to fall alone. It's never quite as fun.

#4 - I must tell on Courtney. When she was visiting in January, we were out on a walk. She was right behind me, slipped on ice and dove face-ish/hand-ish first onto the concrete. h.i.l.a.r.i.o.u.s - I mean - one of the funniest things I had seen in quite some time..

I remember falling on our honeymoon and I was laughing, and Pat wasn't. I was very confused as to why he was acting so concerned and why he wasn't laughing...??? He explained to me that he was worried. What an interesting response....or maybe a normal one??

Does anyone else have this problem??

See - I told you that stick of choice today was HUGE. She carried that sucker all the way up stairs, smashed it through the doorway and furniture to make it right out onto her designated stick chewing area. Such an angel.

1,000,000 years ago

I feel like I am in a dang time machine. I look outside thinking I may see a brontosaurus eating leaves from the courtyard trees. A caveman building a fire. Or maybe a man in a top hat with a cane, climbing into his horse and carriage.

Why, you may ask?

I am cellphone-less.

You may not think this is a big deal...but you should try it. If you don't have a land line, you are screwed (...we don't have one...therefore I am screwed).

This is my phone:

We have been through a lot together. A few weeks ago it dove into a sink with running water...but I saved it's life. Yesterday is a different story. It took a jump from about 5 feet 2-3 inches off the ground, plummeting onto a dirty hospital tile floor - to its death.

Remember car phones. I vividly remember the one between the front seats of Mom's van...

I am so desperate for contact with the outside world that I would take one of these and use it with pride.

For now it is a homing pigeon for me.

I will be collecting phone numbers whenever I get reconnected to the world...

Happy weekend.

the 'd'

This poor baby stayed at the same doggy hotel that we used when we went to New Orleans. Last trip she got the 'v' (aka - throw ups, vomiting, or vomikin if you're coming to the ER). This trip she got the 'd' (....you can figure it out yourself, I am sure)

She's been eating boiled rice again and is slowly recovering.

They bathed her before we picked her up Sunday night and even gave her this lovely, stylish bandana. She was so excited to see us. Her little...I mean big.. nose was peeking over the gated area, they let her out and she was so jumpy that she busted my lower lip.

I think she missed us ;)

savannah 4.16.10

Our trip to Savannah was wonderful, eventful, and I don't even know where to start!

So - we'll go from beginning to end.

Patrick and I finally got to meet our new niece, Lillian.

Cutest. Sweetest. Quietest. Cuddliest. Baby. Ever.

She's beautiful and Maymels and Uncle Pat love her to death!

Emory and Grayson have gotten so much taller since we saw them in November and are busy bee's - still cute as ever, of course!

*this picture's stolen from Alison and Michael at Easter, just loved them checking out their baby sister*

Chillin and watching some Sesame Street

Lunch in downtown Savannah

And who did we see????

Mom and Dad!! Crazy... ;)

We spent a night out with some friends, always a fun time...

Got a group shot of the Broderick's

I think he needed some attention from me so he just climbed in my lap like Elle does

jk.

but it is really funny...

Mi Familia

And last but not least

The birthday girl...

*pictures stolen from uncle 'paparazzi' paul* haha

And most exciting of all

Adele and Jordan are Engaged!!!

We are so so excited for you both!!! And know you will love starting your lives together - enjoy every minute! Congrats!

I am tellin' you...it was a fun, exciting, relaxing weekend away from St. Louis and it's always hard to leave our families!

Back to reality...

peace offerings and plumbers

We may or may not have had a "moment" (meaning I had a moment and my sweet husband couldn't escape the emotion and wrath of the moment...)

So he got me these :)

Isn't he the best?

I saw them at Trader Joe's a week before and said I wanted them, he told me to get them, I said no....

Then the moment happened and he later surprised me with them! (and I was greeted at the door with a glass of wine and dinner...lucky me)

Onto the plumbers...

Our drip continued to make itself known and got worse pretty quickly.

Since we were headed to Savannah it was something that had to be taken care of.

The maintenance man went upstairs, the water leak wasn't coming from their fridge...so this is what happened next -

Pat had to work, I had to work and this had to be fixed before we left. Patrick came home later in the morning, I left for work and he ended up getting stuck at the house for the rest of the day while they found, fixed and repaired the baby waterfall.

They still have to come back, do some more fix it stuff and the put our cabinets back up. For now, I will not show you our counter tops - they are decorated with kitchen supplies from the cabinets until we get them back.

falling apart

Thought you might enjoy this. This is a block of clean clothes. I am pretty sure it means the clothes sat in the laundry basket too long...

I don't mind sorting laundry, washing and drying it...but I hate folding laundry.

We have a problem. Our condo is kinda falling apart. Well - just the ceiling.

We had a small area of mold that we originally thought was a gap between the cabinet and ceiling. Obviously that is not the case. I feel like out of nowhere this thing became a monster. Now our cabinets are getting ruined and water is dripping down the front of them (thankfully into a platter that was already ontop of the fridge - which has now been switched out to a bowl). Someone is coming out tomorrow morning to our condo and our upstairs neighbors place to check into it. Cross your fingers that it is a quick and easy fix!

Hopefully they'll be done quickly so I can get to work by 10!

snail mail surprise

Eloise got a prize in the mail yesterday! I was running out of her heartworm meds and decided to look into that petmeds thing from TV. It was free shipping and a little cheaper to get her flea and heartworm meds from them, so I ordered it. Last night when Pat got home, he brought the box in and showed Elle her prize. She became super excited, as you'll see in her video - and we later found out why.

Look at that nose poking thru the hole she had chewed. She couldn't wait to get her prize out!

tater tots

I went for another run. Yes. Twice in one week.

I thought I was maybe running a mile, but I asked my personal GPS/'I have run all over STL' husband how far he thought my loop was, and he said close to TWO miles! (some of you may not think this is a big deal - but you see - I don't like to overexert myself unless completely necessary...) I think I am going to drive it tomorrow and watch my odometer. He is probably just trying to make me not feel like an out of shape loser. I think my inspiration came from the fact that Pat decided it sounded fun to run to and from work everyday........seriously? The other day I asked how long it took, he said "I don't really know because I took a run around the park, too." I have no words for this behavior.

So back to my second run of the week. I worked the first 3-4ish hours this morning at the hospital, then decided I would make the most of my morning with a little exercise for me and the monster. FIY - don't eat tater tots with hot sauce for breakfast with an iced coffee and then go for a run (not sure why I felt so inspired to add the hot sauce. I mean, tater tots and I are a given, its the hot sauce craving that threw me off). I cannot stop this burning bonfire in my chest - some of you may refer to it as indigestion, I, on the other hand, do not think that term does the pain justice.

And don't you worry, I have eaten a little bit of everything in this house trying to figure out how to make it go away...sandwich, hummus, crackers, banana chips, some more crackers, wasabi peas (not sure how those snuck in there...) and yogurt...and cheese. I am all out of ideas - but am still hungry after all of my face stuffing today...time for dinner!

spring time

Elle and I didn't know what to do with ourselves this weekend because Patrick was actually off work for 2 whole days!! After a run Elle got in some play time wrestling with her dad.

Don't turn us in to the animal abuse people....

but we attempted to stop the slow destroying of our wooden furniture by putting Tabasco sauce on the edges. When Pat put it on, Elle immediately licked it off, then sat -oh so obediently- in front of him like it was a treat he was holding in his hands. She actually likes the stuff.

Onto the next idea.

Spray deodorant

Notice the white film on the furniture -- and the missing wooden corner that is now decomposing somewhere outside in our courtyard I am sure...

(I promise, that's not a layer of dust on my floor...that deodorant spray is a bit unruly and doesn't go exactly where you want it to)

The dresser didn't get sprayed, but she is really proud of this one because it actually almost made her mother cry...

Needless to say, our house smells powdery fresh! Elle was left alone in the kitchen for about 7 hours yesterday while we were both working - and I can't seem to find any damage...yet.

My newest 'idea'

My sister had some old pictures hanging in her hallway, and so I copied them when I was in Birmingham. I just love old pictures of family. I have slowly gotten them framed, and now need somewhere to hang them. Maybe today i'll actually commit to a wall. I think I have picture hanging commitment issues. I get snervous (scared+nervous= snervous) that I am going to put a bunch of holes in the wall and not like it.. and maybe that's from previous experiences where I may or may not have done something like this...

Here are a few - and I need to collect some more

Top left is my Granny

The big one's my Grandaddy (looks just like Dad, just cover up this pictures nose...)

and the bottom left is my Gee Gee and Paw Paw

I have had a productive morning so far - a nice run (yes, nice and run in the same sentence. weird.) some play time in the dog park for the monster, good phone conversations about how I have morphed into being much like my super sarcastic father, and even some laundry in the mix - now onto the post office, and I am going to do some gift buying.

Happy Tuesday

Peeps

Least favorite Easter candy..peeps.

Best Easter egg hunt t-shirt decoration..peeps!

Last weekend Pat was (of course) at work in the CICU so I went with some friends for a scavenger hunt/easter egg hunt all over St. Louis.

We were the party peeps and Stacy and I decorated the t-shirts the day before. We used Peep bunnies, cut in half, and glued onto the shirts to be all festive and easter-y.

We didn't win the $500 prize :( but had so much fun on the hunt.

I came home to change for the night time egg hunt and Elle was cuddling with me - she quickly found out my shirt had delicious treats on it and started trying to get them off.. yellow was her #1 choice.

Stacy and Pam before our night time hunt.

its a girl!

Alison had a baby girl on March 29th! That makes 4 nieces and 1 nephew for Pat and I.

Here is a picture of the beautiful baby girl and her beautiful mommy!

Congrats Alison and Micheal - we can't wait to meet her!