it's the little things...

We've all been sick.  I mean, all of us.  First the Chicken, then Hubby, and me, and finally Buns.  I think everyone has turned the corner.  Even me, who seemed to have turned away from the corner after Saturday...  Goodness.  There's nothing sadder than a hoarse infant.  And probably not much that's more exhausting than everyone being sick at once--especially if you're the breastfeeding mom.  Sheesh.  Anyway, just a quick little post here to say that this didn't stop me from participating in the Gritty Goddess mud run on Saturday with lots of my favorite ladies.  It's a 5k obstacle course for women only.  Nearly all of us were mud run virgins so doing a girls' race seemed to be a good intro.  We had planned this for about 2 months.  I harassed people into doing it.  We came up with a team name (Bast's Bodacious Babes, based on our wave's name) and then designed and made t-shirts.  So, yeah, even though there w...

I realize that 99% of posts now have to do with the baby. I was thinking about that and wondering what else is going on in my life. Honestly, the baby really is taking up most of it (which is fine and awesome) but there have been a few other things to keep me busy. Work has gotten much busier. To the point of overwhelm at times. I've been traveling more and August isn't looking much better. We had our annual July 4th party. Everything turned out really well. I didn't put as much work into it as I usually do. No new craft projects--just used what I already had and bought (gasp) one new decoration. Didn't make as many food items as normal and the pot luck ended up working out perfectly. It's amazing how that happens. For the first time, we had multiple little ones running around (as well as one being held--that would be mine). No fireworks this year since we had the party on the 3rd but I think that was the best option. Good times. The following weekend we had our fam...

My first baby shower was the day before Halloween, hosted by my SIL (The Brother's wife) and her mother. Guests were mostly family and some friends of the family. Most of the ladies were mothers (or grandmothers or great-grandmothers) so there was a lot of experience in that room. And a little advice. The theme was fall (with a few Halloween decorations thrown in because it was, after all, the day before Halloween). As usual, the ladies did a great job on decorations and food. I love that one guest said that she had eaten before she came and another responded with, "Oh, I didn't. The last time I was here they had great food." And she's right. Uh, yeah. See that? Super freakin' cute pumpkin babies. I took those home and they're still sitting in the kitchen. Unfortunately, I have a feeling Hubby will use them for pie next week. So. Cute. Also? Punch. Mmmmm... I'll spare you the crazy faces I make when opening presents and move right along to some of my ...

My word, it's been a whirlwind 2 1/2 weeks since the wedding... All of The Hubby's things have been moved in and I'm guessing more than half of it has been put away. That's meant that I go through all the items I own to purge and make room. So far, I've made it through the kitchen (whew), living room, dining room, hall closet, guest bedroom and closet (also whew), guest bath, and office (blech). That leaves the linen closet, our bedroom/bath, the sunroom (nightmare), and garage (not looking forward to it). I'm not gonna lie to you people. Moving him in has been difficult. I've lived here on my own for almost three years. You've seen my house. It's pretty much filled. He doesn't really come with a ton of stuff in comparison but it's been hard for me to change things and hard for us to compromise on where we want to put stuff, etc. Add to that that we're now living together and I haven't been traveling much so we're almost...

Getting married really takes a lot out of you.  On Saturday night, The Hubby said he had so much running through his head.  I welcomed him to my world.  That's how it's been for weeks.  Finally, though, after sleeping in my own bed and taking a few naps, I'm starting to feel more like my old self.  My old self who is now married.  Crazy. Before we get to wedding recaps, perhaps I'll share a few parties with you.  I now have pictures from our engagement party (back in the beginning of the year) and two showers (one in June and one in July).  All were fantastic. Here's the engagement party (our buffet, live guitarist, and end o' evening picture): Up next?  The family shower, where I learned that you can't take good pictures of me while opening presents... And the second, friends shower...  There were a few better pictures at this one. What? You're not satisfied with bad pictures of me? You've been to parties before (although I doubt any thrown by as ...

The weeks are just flying by! I must say, though, a lot has gotten marked off the GIANT LIST this week. It's so nice to meet with people who know how weddings work. Ones who can be helpful in making last-minute plans and timelines and such. It's also reassuring to know that you're not forgetting much (or if you are, so is everyone else). In addition to meeting with the photographer, I got the bulk of our playlist to the DJ. And met with the reception location people. Seems like things are better there than I dared hope. And I met with my Day of Coordinator aka my MIL-once-removed aka The Brother's MIL. And The Fiance has been in touch with the baker. So, yeah, feeling more organized. Don't get me wrong. The list is still long but I'm only out of town one more day for work before the wedding. That could not make me happier. Not wedding-related? Boy, we sure had some rain this afternoon! Enough to knock out power in the parking garage, leaving us briefly trapped. ...

Would you prefer a bulleted list or crazily disjointed paragraphs? Let's mix things up a little this morning... Yesterday was our RSVP deadline. We've probably heard from about 75% of folks. I think that's quite good. Not good enough to avoid sending a mass email to the other folks... And yes I know that the mail doesn't run on Sundays but it would have been Dad's birthday yesterday so I thought that was a good date to pick. And, you know, I'd remember what we put on the RSVPs. Last week I was out of town for 4 days. All in the same place. I can't tell you the last time I stayed in the same hotel for 3 nights in a row. I crafted there. Finished a little project for The Fiance and his guys, rehearsal/rehearsal dinner invitations, and baby shower invitations for the Matron o' Honor. It's getting to the point of difficult crafting. Most of the easy stuff is done. What remains are the things I've been waffling about or have been uninspired by or just...

Yes, there's a lot to do. Yes, I occasionally freak out. Yes, sometimes I am still surprised that we're getting married. Period. Let alone in a matter of a few short weeks. But, really, I know that I'll get everything done (with help) and whatever doesn't get done won't get noticed anyway. And I know that everything will turn out well. People will come. They'll have fun. Things will be pretty and memorable and a little quirky and us. And the day will fly by all too quickly. So what's really important about all of it? That our people are there. That the ones who can't be there--whether they're on bed rest in Florida or were lost years ago--are there in spirit. That my bridesmaid who had a freakin' heart attack on Friday is there. That The Fiance's Grandma makes it. And that at the end of the day, in front of all those people, we'll be married. (Also? For the record, God, Mother Nature, etc? It would be swell if we could avoid any hurricane...

I started things off with a productive Friday (which has been like pulling teeth around here lately). I got to help someone out at work, get some office things done, had lunch with The Fiance, and worked a bit on The Ugly Bathroom. Then The Brother spent the night so that he could rest up before his big certification exam. Why are all certification exams the same? You have to pick the alleged best answer from a group of terrible ones, you leave without any good sense of how you did, and then you don't find out for at least a month. On Saturday I was forced to clean the house and I did a little rearranging in the office. We took advantage of the fantastic weather and The Fiance ran while I walked briskly along some of the nearby trails. I remembered how much I love those trails and wondered why I don't venture down there more often. We got a little window shopping in and got ready for the most super awesome engagement party ever. Three of my lovely bridesmaids hosted the ...

So it's been almost a week since I last wrote. Thing is, I don't have a lot of coherent things to say. Another braindump it is. There are some active little squirrels around my yard today. In other wildlife news, I had two raccoons walk across my porch while I was watching tv the other night. One just looked in at me. Freaked me out a little. Something (maybe them) have been digging in my newly weed-free (mostly) front bed. Hey, whatever. Just don't eat any new plants (if I ever get around to planting them). I am now planning on visiting one of my good high school friends when we go to DC in December. Yea! I haven't seen her or her husband since they got married in 2000. Is that right?! Crazy. Also get to meet their daughter. Even though my schedule this week has been slightly better than expected (because I rearranged some things), it's still been nuts. That said, I was very happy to get home at 9:15 last night instead of 11:30. It was only a 16-hour da...

Since I had a Halloween party this year and actually made my house look a little scary, I had intentions of taking a picture of the creepy front porch to post on Friday. You know, wishing you a happy Halloween. But I didn't. And then the rest of the weekend came along and I didn't feel all that productive but I did take down the decorations. Without taking pictures. So, um, yeah... The party was fun. I like it when adults dress up and almost everyone did. And my favorite thing about being Pippi Longstocking was that in the pictures it just looks like my head is constantly in motion because, really, who has hair that sticks out when you're still? Also at the party I got to meet a very cute 4-month-old Boxer puppy who could be my puppy if I wanted him. Who doesn't want a cute Boxer puppy? Who, rationally, shouldn't take one? Someone who travels out of town every week, who also volunteers, who lives alone, who has a potential puppy support system (except that...

Awhile back I realized what makes life (and blogging) interesting sometimes is the part of today that makes it stand out. What happened today that was different from any other day? Sometimes you are hard-pressed to find anything. Other days, it's simple. So for June... 4th : The Boyfriend's first birthday since we met. 5th & 6th : Finally getting a grip on one of my new studies. Thank goodness for the help of kind co-workers...one whose job should not have included training me. 8th : Went sailing on The Boyfriend's dad's boat for the first time. Also planted our tree babies. This was the first time I planted trees that I actually had to then take care of... They are both still alive and growing. 13th : Last last day in Shreveport. 14th : My first time seeing the Yankees play in Minute Maid Park. (Oddly enough, second time to see them this season.) 15th : Fantastic day at the local winery--complete with tour, tastings, food, live blues, and dancing. 18th & 19t...

So yesterday? Second coolest thing ever. Today? Coolest thing ever. N***'s kids cannot go so I'M GOING TO PARIS! On Saturday! I have no words, only squeals.

So yesterday I was going to meet one of my best friends so that we could carpool to meet another friend for some drinks and dinner. I had just gotten off the phone with Friend #1, letting her know I was running a bit late. The radio had been turned down while I was on the phone. I vaguely hear the DJ say, "Is this N*** L*** [insert name of different best friend here]?" And it was N*** L***! She was on the radio screaming with excitement, the perfect radio winner. I was excited for her. Then as the conversation progressed, I was more excited! I was screaming! I was shaking! I was giddy! Want to know what her prize was? A trip to see Madonna in concert. In Paris. In Paris! How awesome is that?!?! She'll probably take one of her kids because she's the best mom ever. She really is one of the best people. It made me want to call the radio station and congratulate them on picking the best winner. I was still so excited for her last night that I couldn't fa...

In no particular order... The most recent wedding , my friend's from last weekend was held in the country . This was her reception area (taken after we had done most of the set-up). This room was above the newly completed horse stables. Tons of green grass, bluebonnets, and Indian paintbrushes could be seen beyond that window. Another picture from our perfect day (the day after the wedding). You can almost make out some of the bluebonnets back there. The Brother, SIL, The Boyfriend, and I went to Opening Day . We also went the day after. Yea! My orchids are blooming again. KatieLady gave me these for a housewarming present. Awhile back, The Boyfriend and I had a quick little trip to Vegas . This was the view from our hotel room: This was one of the decorations in the hotel. Beautiful spinning parasols hanging from the ceiling. They also moved up and down. If only there were room for these in my house. This was the floor. I just loved the color and the designs...all mosaics. W...

Off to the country. Giddyup!

I don't know about you, but sometimes I get too busy living to have time for writing. This happened to me long before I started blogging. Believe it or not, it's actually easier for me to keep up with post-blog (and that's really sad when you consider my lack of substantial posts as of late). So, after scrolling through, it appears that I haven't written much in the past month. While each of these topics probably deserves (deserved) its own post, I'm just going to lump it all together because I have a few minutes to spare here. My birthday --Good. Thirty-one is a little freaky. Turning 30 was weird but I guess I grew accustomed to it. It's a nice round number. And now it's the past. I've had several moments lately where it's apparent that I'm (we're) getting older. That, too, is weird. I compare my timeline to that of my parents' generation (and some people's today) and I'm overwhelmed at what some people accomplish at such a youn...

I made it home yesterday. A little early even. I caught the 10:05 am flight...at about 3:10. Those poor people. But I made it home and made it to the fancy dinner and to The Boyfriend's. And I got to wear a cute new dress. I'm feeling very grateful for many things: for all you wonderful people who sent well wishes in various forms. for fun gifts and cake. for the last day of my project at work going smoothly (which means maybe only one or two more trips to Shreveport). for not having to travel again until the 26th. The 26th! for an intact Valentine's gift shipment (for The Boyfriend) waiting for me at home--even though we had such bad weather many things were moved around or knocked over on my porch. Big things like chairs. for having a Valentine. Life is good. So far my 30s? Way better than my 20s.

I have no idea where the last 3 or so weeks have gone. Things have been nuts. I know things in my life are often nuts but this has reached a whole new level. Since vacation was coming up, there were lots of things to plan and lots of last-minute things to figure out. I thought that once last Thursday came I'd be able to just enjoy it and feel relieved that the planning part was over. I did, thank goodness...for a bit anyway. Vacation was good and I'll have to wait until maybe Friday to post pictures (currently on the road and traveling with two laptops is ridiculous even for me). The thing is, while I was on vacation, my friend's daughter went into the hospital, then ICU, then was gone. I don't even know what to say. She was only 26 and is leaving a 4-year-old son behind. It's so terrible and so sudden. I felt so bad for not being in town and couldn't wait to get back. It's just all so surreal. I'm having a hard time grasping it. So the services are goin...

I still feel like I haven't had a substantial post in quite some time. Perhaps the 10 on Tuesday is ruining my other potential posts. It helps me come up with things to write but then I write nothing else... Oh, who knows. "So what's been going on?" you ask. Not much. Same ol ' traveling nonsense. Back to Shreveport today. (If you now feel compelled to come to my house to steal, please at least weed a little before you go.) Work has been busy and won't settle down for awhile. I had a good mid-year review. And I'm presenting at our national gathering in October. The leisure activities are a bit jam-packed as well. I have a ridiculous amount of Astros tickets (long story) so if you're interested in any extras, just let me know and I can include you on a mass email. I've had family gatherings and baby showers and will have friends in from out of town. There's the singles' thing at HMNS . The celebrations of The Brother's engagement. Weddi...