And They're Off...

Honeydew

2011-11-08T13:07:00.000-08:00

This is a honeydew...

I have an app on my handy, dandy iPhone that updates me weekly on the progress of the baby...you know, things like what is developing that week, what she can do (hiccup, sucking thumb, yawning, etc.), what my body is doing and how it is changing, stuff like that. It also shows how far along I am and does a little countdown to my due date. Then there is my favorite part....the fruit/vegetable comparison. Every week it changes to a different sized fruit or veggie to compare to show the baby's size for the week and shows approximate height and weight. Well this week, Kate is the size of a honeydew. Approximately 17-19 inches in length, 4 1/2 pounds. Do you know how big that is??

I am starting to feel more and more pregnant each day. I know you are probably thinking, "um...you are 8 months along, you SHOULD feel pregnant!". It's just that I have had SUCH an easy pregnancy and now I am starting to have trouble standing up from the couch, getting out of bed, even shaving my legs! I didn't show for what seems like forever and then WHAM! There she was. I definitely have a baby bump these days.

At the Breeder's Cup this past Saturday...
almost 32 weeks in this picture!

Tonight my best friend Sara and I are going to get pedicures and have dinner...a much needed night of best friend time and some pampering will hopefully make me feel less like the ever expanding woman and more like myself.

So for the next week, myself and the honeydew will be busy getting things ready for her arrival. I swear, if that app ever tells me she is the size of a watermelon, I am breaking my phone into a hundred pieces and cursing it's existence!

Family

2011-09-30T08:38:00.000-07:00

I love my family. I am one of those people that could spend every day with my family and be perfectly content. But I must say that I am extremely blessed. I have the BEST relatives anyone could ever ask for (and no, that isn't just because I may be a teeny bit biased). Being around my family just makes me feel good, like all the problems in the world disappear and everything is going to be just fine because they are there...they love you, and that is all that matters. I have a large extended family with grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, step-aunt uncles and cousins, in-laws, etc. and they are all wonderful. Our times together always include lots of story telling, lots of laughs, and new stories are always developing!

This weekend is the fourth annual Smith Family Summit. What is this you might ask? Well, it is basically an excuse for my entire mom's side of the family (all 40 of us) to get together for no real reason at all except to just hang out. All day and all night. Everyone is getting to mom and Doug's house a little after lunchtime and many will stay until 4:00 or 5:00 in the morning, some will even spend the night. Usually I am one of the last to leave but I don't know if Baby Kate and I will make it that long this year...I am guessing no. Not only are they throwing me my first baby shower during the day (I told you they were the best) but I also will get to see some cousins that I only see on Christmas which is always fun.

Growing up an only child, I really enjoyed the time I spent with my cousins and we are all super close, I am lucky to call them some of my closest friends! I saw this today on pinterest and thought it summed up my feelings perfectly.

So here's to a great weekend...whatever you are doing, I hope you are surrounded by people that make you happy!

What I learned this past weekend

2011-09-12T11:39:00.000-07:00

1. It really is sales season...Hunter worked most of the weekend which meant I was left to do many things alone. He looks awfully cute in his light blue shirt and Taylor Made tie but I would prefer him in a t-shirt and jeans on the couch with me!
2. When the recipe you are using for chocolate chip pecan cookies says it makes 5 dozen cookies, it isn't lying.
3. Bags of flour explode upon hitting the floor, especially if your 90 pound chocolate labrador decides to try and get it off the counter while you are not at home. This is obvious by the large amounts of flour all over your kitchen....and by the fact that your dog has flour all over her nose, ears, and side. The fact that she then decided to drag said busted bag of flour into the living room is a whole different story.

Note: This photo does not begin to show the actual
flour disaster or how covered our dog actually was.

4. When deciding on paint colors for the nursery, samples blocks painted on the walls look different in all shades of light. I think Hunter and I both were up looking at the same patch of wall at least 20 times over the period of a day.
5. When you are pregnant and are trying to find a proper bra to wear during your pregnancy AND you are already blessed by God in that area...good luck. It is darn near impossible to find exactly what you need. I have purchased three bras from three different stores, all have failed.
6. Nothing makes your husband smile more after a SUPER long day of selling horses than homemade cookies (he better like them since we have dozens) and ice cold milk. Well...let's be honest, I am sure there are plenty of other things that would make him happier but at 11:00 last night it sure seemed to do the trick.
7. It is a strange feeling running errands on a Saturday in September....which coincidentally is also the first home football game of the season. And you have hardly missed a game in as long as you can remember. Stupid responsibilities.

Hope you all had a fantastic weekend!

Oooooooooooooh....

2011-09-01T11:17:00.000-07:00

Although the outside temperatures would tell you differently, it is the first day of September. Soon will be the days of sweatshirts, fall leaves crunching under foot, chili, and of course football. But wait....Christmas has come early this year because our first UK football game is TONIGHT! It kind of makes me want to make a big pot of chili and cuddle up on the couch with the husband to watch it this evening. But let's be honest, 90 degrees isn't exactly chili weather and with a 9:15 kickoff there is no way I'll make it to the end of the game.

In other news, Hunter was a victim of Hurricane Irene. Yeah, that was fun. He went up to Saratoga, New York last Thursday night to spend the weekend at the races with two trainers he has been working with closely. All was great until air travel was cancelled for all Sunday flights into and out of New York. Please keep in mind that I expressed this concern before he even left, he however did not see this as an issue until a day or two before he realized it was a real threat. So he spent an extra night up in New York. His hotel lost power but only for a few hours and they sold wine by the bottle...needless to say he was just fine! :)

The baby bedding I ordered finally came in last Friday and I LOVE it. It is just perfect. I had originally thought I would paint her room in a light yellow or green color but since the bedding I chose is mainly light green and white with a few pink accents I feel that pink is the only way to go! This is the bedding we picked out:

I think pink walls and a white monogram above her bed will be just perfect! We also have ordered the furniture for the nursery so it should be in by late September...hope Hunter has his cordless drill ready!

A while back I told you all about the amazingness of the Erin Condren planner and mine finally arrived on Monday! They have so many fun cover designs to choose from and I REALLY wanted one with a photo but since our family will be growing by one I thought something a little more plain was the way to go. Next year I will do a picture for sure!
First off, how cute is this box that it came in???

Sara told me the box was cute, she wasn't lying!

And here she is, the most amazing planner of all time...

I am in love.

So that is what is going on in our lives right now. Hope you all are doing great and are getting geared up for college football...I know I am!

Oooooooooooh.....C-A-T-S, CATS, CATS, CATS!

The verdict is in!

2011-08-05T09:53:00.000-07:00

It's official. Kathryn (or Katherine...we are still debating on spelling) Taylor Houlihan will be arriving in January! Yep, that's right...it's a girl!!!

Hi everyone, my name is Kate!

The ultrasound tech said everything looked perfect. She looks to have a perfect spine, brain, heart, kidneys, the works! Thank you to everyone for all of your thoughts and prayers, our little girl is happy and healthy.

If you need me this afternoon I will be shopping for lots of little pink things!!

pink or blue?

2011-08-04T11:22:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is the big day! Hunter and I will be venturing to our ultrasound appointment a little before 9:00 in the morning and we will (hopefully, fingers and toes crossed!) know just a little bit later if we are having a boy or a girl! We have names picked out, room ideas, heck I even volunteered to work the Little Lambs sale last night so I could shop early today to get some stuff we might need for the little one. Now all we need is to know whether our lives will be filled with bows and ruffles or grass stains and lots of blue.

At first it seemed that EVERYONE thought we were having a boy. I initially thought it was a girl and have slowly started thinking that it just might be a little man in there. (But I switch back and forth almost daily so that doesn't mean much in my book.) Now it appears that more people have jumped on the girl train than the boy train. I really honestly don't care either way, I just can't wait to be able to start calling them by their name and finally getting to say him or her instead of it...I hate saying it.

I have tried every online test I can find...they are pretty much split 50/50 with the results. So here are my "stats" (for lack of a better word) and you all can tell me what you think!!!

Heartbeat was 182 at first ultrasound, 170 at first doppler reading, 152 at the second doppler reading.
I seem to be carrying high and long vs. wide. Like the baby seems to be more up and down than to the left or right of my belly (does that make sense???)
I haven't had any morning sickness at all.
I haven't gained a pound (don't throw things...I am sure there are plenty on my horizon)
I kind of swich up my cravings...first it was sweet stuff, now it is more salty.

Um...that is all I can think of right now, let me know if there is something else you all need for this very vital decision :)

I will be sure to post tomorrow with the results. If you're lucky I just might even tell you the name too!

Yes, a post about poptarts

2011-07-28T11:35:00.000-07:00

Growing up I had an unfrosted brown sugar cinnamon poptart almost every morning for breakfast. Nothing better than a hot one of those bad boys and a big glass of milk. Well I hadn't had one in years and this little baby growing inside me has made me want one REALLY bad here recently (or at least that is what I tell myself when I "crave" ice cream late at night :) ). I was at Kroger a month or two ago and wandered down the cereal/breakfast aisle and all the poptarts were frosted. This must have been some kind of mistake. So on my next visit I checked again. Same story. A panic rushed over me...could it be??? Is it possible that my delicious poptarts are no longer being made? I refused to accept this as fact and made it my mission in life to find them. I told Hunter about my little delimma and he laughed at me. Partly because I was obsessing over poptarts and partly because he didn't actually believe they had ever even existed. He had never seen them or had one and he thought I might have just forgotten that they were actually covered in frosting. He was wrong...so, so wrong.

So we started an immediate internet search to find said poptarts and wouldn't you know it...they do exist!

We found out that all of the Wal-Mart stores in town carry them. Problem #2: I hate Wal-Mart, I am a Target girl all the way. But I knew I had to put the hatred behind me and continue my mission. Our first trip to the store was a failure. We saw the shelf tag showing us where they should have been but alas, they were all out. It seems I am not the only one obsessed with this little snack. So last Sunday we were on our way home from Hamburg and I suggested we go try again. We were walking down the aisle and I could see that there didn't seem to be any empty spots on the shelves. I got excited and, after all of our research and failed attempts, Hunter seemed really excited too. We started walking a little faster and then we saw the beautiful boxes all in a row. We grabbed all they had, three boxes, and happily made our way to the check out line. I have eaten almost a whole box already, Hunter still hasn't had one even though I did offer to share :)

Please disregard the fact that we bought breakfast
foods for 24 people at 2:00 in the afternoon.

So, crisis averted...the poptarts have been found.

Planner Fever

2011-07-26T05:39:00.000-07:00

I absolutely LOVE planners. Sure I have my outlook calendar on my computer at work and we keep a monthly dry erase calendar on the refrigerator (after one too many "you never told me that (insert name of event here) was this weekend!" - even though I totally had!) But there is nothing better than a hand held planner with everything written on the pages. Late last year Sara found this amazing site for the greatest planner we had ever seen. She ordered one for this year and loves it. Well, they just came out with all the new designs for next year and I am in heaven. I can't figure out which cover design to choose....my life is full of many hard decisions. :)

There is just one thing...they are a bit pricey. Don't get me wrong, I was going to get one and pay the full $50 and still love the beautiful planner just as much as I would if it was cheaper. But then I found this amazing coupon deal that is only available for the next day or so and saved myself $25!!! Could this day get any better??

So if you need me, I'll be deciding on my cover design (I really wish I could do a family photo but since baby won't be here until January that really isn't possible) and shopping for Sharpie fine tip pens so I am all ready when the beautiful planner arrives.

Yes, I need therapy for my planner addiction.

New Wheels

2011-07-20T07:29:00.000-07:00

I am not the kind of person that is obsessed with cars. Sure, some are really pretty and I'm sure drive really fast but I just don't see the point in spending so much money on something that gets you from point A to point B. This is the exact reason that I have driven this fine automobile for over 5 years now.

This isn't my actual car, but Google images came pretty darn close.

So as you can tell from that fine looking machine (yeah, I know it's hideous), it isn't necessarily what you might call spacious or kid friendly. Hunter and I had always said that once we started having kids we would upgrade my car to something that could fit a baby, carseats, and all the other stuff kids need. We knew we needed a new car by January but with Hunter's busy sales season getting into full swing in a month or so, we knew it needed to happen sooner rather than later.

This past Saturday we decided to go test drive a 4Runner we had seen at a local dealership before running some other errands that afternoon. The next thing I knew we had both driven it, filled out paperwork, and had made an appointment to come in Monday after work to get my car appraised for trade in and drive away the new one! Who knew buying a car was so easy??

So, as I said earlier, I am not obsessed with cars. Well, at least I used to not be. I am in LOVE with this new beauty.

Introducing my new baby, my Toyota 4 Runner.

Mom thinks I should name her Betsy...I kind of like it. She has everything we had wanted in a new car and drives amazingly. My friend Julie told me that once you switch to an SUV you'll never go back to a car...after having the car just a few days I already know she is right!

So baby Houlihan, you will have a comfy and safe ride to come home from the hospital in...get excited!!!

**Baby Update: Went to the doctor last Friday and everything is looking great. Anatomy ultrasound is scheduled for just a few weeks away so we will know if we are having a boy or girl very soon.

They say it's your birthday...

2011-07-13T12:00:00.000-07:00

We all know that I love birthdays, they make me happy inside. I always get excited no matter who's special day it is becuase it is a day all about them! Today is one of those special days.

This beautiful person, who just happens to be my best friend in the whole world, is celebrating her birthday today!

Sara and her beautiful family Joey, Blake and Callaway
at the beach this summer in Destin, Florida

Sara is hands down the best person I know. She is kind, giving, has the biggest heart, and her laugh just makes you feel happy. She has been there for me through all the ups and downs and she and I have always come out on top no matter what situation we have been faced with. She is someone I know is always there for me, no matter what. I can call her to tell a funny story, cry about something, or just because. It doesn't matter...she is always there. And not just for me...for everyone in her life.

Tomorrow we have a birthday date that is right up our alley...pedicures and dinner! Can't wait to have some best friend time and get pampered all at the same time!

Love you Sara!!!

Bedtime

2011-07-12T06:50:00.000-07:00

So being pregnant does a lot of crazy things to your body. Things no one tells you about until you start complaining and then they say, "oh yeah...that was awful." Lovely. But I really shouldn't complain. I haven't had any morning sickness, my backaches have been minimal, and, other than some EXTREME fatigue, I really am feeling great.

I have always been the type of person that likes their sleep. Ask any of my friends and they will tell you that I am the queen of naps. There is nothing better in my opinion than curling up in your comfy pants on a lazy Saturday or Sunday afternoon and taking a nice, long nap nestled in some freshly clean sheets. With this being said, you would think I would handle the ridiculous level of tired that has come over me very easily. Wrong. It doesn't matter what time I go to bed at night or what time I get up in the morning, I always feel like I could sleep 10 more hours. Last night is a prime example of this.

I got home from work, Hunter was already there as he was able to leave the July sale a bit early yesterday afternoon. We made a yummy dinner of BLT's, baked beans, and regular Lay's potato chips...the picture of health, I know. After cleaning up dinner and talking/watching t.v. for a while on the couch I decided it was time for bed. I went in, layed down on our comfy bed, almost melting into my soft pillows, and then i turned my head to the right. It was still light outside. It was 8:00. Yes, I am now an 85 year old woman that goes to bed before the sun even pretends to set. But I was fine with it.

The next thing I knew our dog Abby woke me up because she needed to go outside. I thought about pushing her away but then realized she never does this so she meant business. After stumbling around to the back door and letting her out I glanced up at the clock on our microwave. It was 11:04. I literally felt like I had been woken up from the deepest sleep ever and that it had to be 3 or 4 in the morning. Wrong. It was the time most of our neighbors were probably starting to talk about going to bed for the night.

Moral of the story: if you are trying to find me for any reason and it is past 8:00 on any random night, good chance I will be sleeping.

I am really starting to wonder how I will be able to do this whole midnight feeding business when this baby comes...

Anyone up for a nap?

2011-07-05T10:51:00.000-07:00

So as I have mentioned, I work at good ol' UK and we all know there is plenty of construction going on all the time. Well, with construction comes dirt, dust, etc. I quickly learned that my window at work would be almost cloudy to look out of until the end of time. I was okay with it...I mean who needs complete natural light or to be able to clearly make out who is walking down the sidewalk without pressing their nose to the glass? Obviously not this girl.

Well something crazy happened today. I went to lunch with my coworkers, Allison and Denise, and when I came back my office felt different. I couldn't quite figure out what it was...things looked brighter, my overhead fluorescent lights could even be turned down. Then I figured it out. My windows had been washed. Yes, you heard me correctly. After 3 years of dirt and grime I am now able to clearly see outside.

Now the sad part to this little story is that I just didn't realize how dirty the window was. It's like when you clean your sunglasses or your t.v. after way too long and wonder how you ever saw anything at all before with all that dirt and grime. I feel like I'm looking out to a whole new world. Please note that this view I have of the world is still full of people in hospital gowns wheeling themselves and their IV stand to the sidewalk for a cigarette. Beautiful view.

So that is all for today. Hunter and I had a great long weekend for all the July 4th celebrations and I have a funny little story to tell you all later this week about our firework experience. Until then...have a great day!

Positive

2011-06-27T09:45:00.000-07:00

After four tests (three of which were different brands as I was convinced the same brand would lead to inaccurate results)...

and a visit or two to my doctor's office it's official.

We are expecting a baby January 2nd! Happy New Year everybody :)

I've got the fever...

2011-06-15T10:45:00.000-07:00

GARAGE SALE FEVER!

I have several friends that have had garage sales over the past month and each has made SERIOUS money. Whitney had one last weekend and made a pretty penny, enough to help fund a good portion of their vacation next week in Florida. We have plenty of stuff that can be sold, old furniture, household items, clothes, etc. Now I just have to get the motivation to get it all together, get it priced, and set a date.

Our neighborhood has an annual yard sale day but wouldn't you know it, it was a few weeks ago and we had no idea until the day before when the signs went up at the front of the subdivision. Clearly we are out of the loop.

We plan to have our first ever Houlihan garage sale sometime this summer...keep your fingers crossed we don't go insane getting it together and we make enough money so it was worth all the work! I'll keep you posted!

height

2011-06-07T12:22:00.000-07:00

Both Hunter and myself have definitely never had to shop in the petite section of any store. Hunter is 6'2" and I am 5'9". This most certainly has to mean that our kids will be on the taller side. Well...now that I think about it that may not be the case. Our brother and sister in law, Spencer and Jessica, are both tall as well (6'3" and 5'8" respectively) and our niece Maysie is SO tiny. She will be five next month and her two year old little brother is 2 inches shorter and weighs the same that she does! Something tells me he got the tall genes for the both of them!

So we are used to always being able to reach top shelves, water hanging baskets, etc. without much trouble at all. This past Easter we were at Hunter's grandparent's house for brunch and his cousin Heather went to find something in one of the cabinets. Heather is super tiny. She is just a short, petite girl and, from what I have heard, she always has been. She pulled out the step stool and just as she was getting ready to step back down we all busted out laughing. Hunter had looked at her, smiled, and walked over and wouldn't you know it...they were the same height!

It definitely made for a good laugh!

Happy Tuesday everyone!

One Year.

2011-06-02T10:11:00.000-07:00

How has it possibly been a year? One year ago today I was getting my pedicure, manicure and having lunch with my best friend. Today I am sitting at work trying to get everything in order for our new incoming students and trying not to get lost in a sea of colored file folders, labels, and application packets.

This Sunday, June 5th we will have been married for one year. It has flown by.

It was the greatest day of my life...everything went perfect, just as I had always dreamt from the time I was a little girl. I do secretly wish I could do the day over again just so I could remember more of it. People aren't lying when they say it is the fastest day of all time.

I remember my parents and grandparents always telling me when I was younger that time flies by the older you get. I never believed them and seemed to wish the days away for summer vacation, Christmas, etc. to arrive. Boy were they right. I feel like I blinked and the whole year just passed us by.

We will be celebrating this weekend in Cincinnati. It is close enough so we can get there easily after work tomorrow evening and they have plenty of great restaurants and things to do. I also may or may not be a small child at heart and am dying to go to the zoo so we will be doing that Saturday morning/early afternoon. I have heard that you can help feed the giraffes if you are there at the right time...fingers crossed people! Hopefully the top of our wedding cake will thaw out in time for us to have a bite or two on Sunday...we will see how that goes!

yes, please!

2011-05-20T12:01:00.000-07:00

Could it be any nicer outside? I think not. It is perfect...sun is shining, light breeze blowing, 70 degree temperatures, easily the most perfect day we have had in a LONG time. My friend Whitney and I went to lunch today and sat out on a patio chatting and enjoying our burgers and sweet potato fries, I didn't want to go back to work. But alas, I am here. There aren't many people here at the good ol' College of Health Sciences today...clearly some people were given the great weather memo earlier this week in time to plan for a vacation day.

Hunter and I are notorious for having a ridiculous social calendar. I think he secretly hates the fact that I somehow manage to fill up all of our weekends and a majority of our week nights with events with family and friends. I ended up having to buy a dry erase monthly calendar that hangs on our refrigerator just so we could keep up. What can I say, being popular is hard work (ha!). But this weekend? Nothing, nada, zilch. We somehow have made it to this beautiful Friday with NO plans and can actually do whatever we want all weekend long!

Tonight we are having a much needed date night with dinner out at one of our favorite restaurants, tomorrow we are sleeping in (do you know how excited I am about this??) and have no other plans but to watch the Preakness when it runs late afternoon/early evening. Sunday will be more sleeping in (insert sound of angels singing here) and maybe some yard/house work depending on how ambitious we are. Isn't it funny how I used to live for busy weekends and hated being at home with nothing to do...oh how the times have changed.

And now...a little something to make your Friday a little brighter...

Sara's precious Callaway. How could this not make you smile?

Happy Friday Everyone!

2011-05-18T11:27:00.000-07:00

It's raining, it's cold, and it's the middle of May. All I feel like doing these days is this.

How cute is that little guy? It is a mini horse that was born on the horse farm Hunter works a few weeks ago. We went to see him and he was so teeny tiny, I just wanted to pick him up and rub his ears.

Here he is with his momma.
You can get a good indication of how small
they both are compared to the wall and door behind them.

Today may be an after work nap kind of day...

Let's catch up.

2011-05-03T07:44:00.000-07:00

With all that has been going on in my life these past few weeks I haven't been able to keep up with all of my life happenings on this blog. Today we are going to get all caught up!

On one of my many hospital trips I saw this cute little number hanging on one of the doors. I will be stealing this idea for future use!

Hunter works for Taylor Made horse farm and he really has an amazing group of co-workers and supervisors. The farm is owned by four brothers and one of their very close friends. The five of them always try and do fun things to include employees and their families. A few weeks ago, we went out to the farm for dinner and then they had Dan James show his amazing talent to the group. He can take a horse that has never been ridden and within 40 minutes, gain the horse's trust to not only ride on it's back but to stand on it's hind end cracking loud whips above the horse's head. It was truly amazing.

Mom and I went to see Legally Blonde one Sunday afternoon. She bought tickets for me as part of my birthday gift this year and we had a great time!

"Oh My God, Oh My God You Guys!!!!"

I work at UK, there is ALWAYS construction going on. Well, just recently they decided to finish up the turn around area in front of my building and get all the landscaping completed so they could focus all of their attention on the new hospital. It is a fairly tight turning area, so tight that you would think any educated bus driver would realize it was not large enough for them to maneuver. Boy was I wrong.

It is actually stuck in the median.

This provided an entire day's worth of amusement.

My mom's birthday was last Friday and so we celebrated this past Sunday afternoon with brunch at Dudley's. Food was delicious, as always, and she loved her pomegranate "Lexington" placemats and book that we gave her.

I'm sure there is more I am forgetting but that is all for now!

Tea, anyone?

2011-04-29T07:33:00.000-07:00

I joined the 2 billion other people all over the world today and got up super early to watch the Royal Wedding. At 4:30 AM my alarm clock went off and I jumped up to get in the shower so I would arrive on time. My co-worker Jane had a party at her house, we were required to wear a hat, gloves, and pearls. Upon our arrival, each guest was announced by the butler (her husband, Harold, who had taken the day off to assist to our every need), given a white rose, and escorted to their seat. They had a great spread of teas, coffees, scones and muffins. We all sat with our eyes glued watching every detail.

Disregard the disheveled appearance...
it was 5:30 in the morning!

Her dress was GORGEOUS. She is the perfect princess.

Growing up, I was always convinced that I would one day marry Prince William. We were almost the same age, it would be a real life fairytale! But instead I dumped him for my wonderful husband so he had no other choice but to choose Kate! ha!

I must say they are a cute couple!

Watching the wedding was amazing. Princess Diana and Prince Charles got married before I was born so this has been something I have waited so long to see. I can't wait to see photos from inside the receptions throughout the day.

Now I am just hoping I can make it through my work day without napping at my desk. Wish me luck!

If you are my friend, you are probably pregnant.

2011-04-26T07:09:00.000-07:00

I have a closet full of bridesmaid dresses just like in 27 dresses and have spent a small fortune on everything wedding for all of my friends over the years. I knew that one day this would change, that my refrigerator would become cluttered with baby shower invitations in pale pink, green, or blue instead of having 10+ weddings to attend in a single summer. But it didn't slowly happen. Everyone I knew got pregnant all at once. Okay, not EVERYONE but you get the idea. I attended five baby showers in March, after this weekend I will have had two in April, and I have another couple in May.

So I of course knew that all of the happy mommas would one day deliver their babies and I would get to ooh and aah over them, smothering them with kisses, trying to get as much snuggle time in as I could before the next visitor came to steal them away. I just didn't expect so many of them to happen at the same time. Four babies, eleven days.

Sarah is my cousin Erin's little girl that I talked about here.

Kaylee is the second child for my cousins Jason and Geri. Big brother Kaden was pretty excited!

Liam is one of my good friends from high school's little boy. I saw them this past weekend at the hospital and she unfortunately had to spend a lot of her time there in the hallway with all the tornado warnings!

Little Ellie was born just last night and I am going to visit them today after work at the hospital. Her mommy, Laura, said they are all doing great and that little miss might just have red hair like her daddy!

So if you need me anytime over the next few months, I will most likely be holding a baby and loving every second of it!

FOUR!

2011-04-25T13:24:00.000-07:00

Yesterday my favorite three year old turned four. How is that possible? It seems like just yesterday I got the call saying he was here and walked into the hospital room to see my best friend's face light up as she held the precious little boy she had been waiting so long to meet. Sara has wanted children for as long as I have known her and she was elated!

I may have been just a little excited myself, can you tell???

How is it possible that four years have gone by?

At his birthday party on Saturday.

He is the sweetest little boy, so caring and a heart full of love. Don't get me wrong, he has his "all boy" moments but his sweet smile melts them away. There is nothing quite like a hug from Blake Mills!

Happy Birthday Blakers!

Happy Birthday!

2011-04-15T07:05:00.000-07:00

At 3:53 this morning my cousin Erin became a mommy. She finally got to see the cute little girl that had been inside her for 40 weeks and 4 days and from what her husband and sweet momma (my aunt) said, Erin cried and cried just looking at her beautiful face.

I can't wait to see them both. I am so excited to finally hold that little girl in my arms and smother her in kisses. I can't wait to walk in the room and see Erin, watch her light up and give her the biggest hug I possibly can. She is one of my best friends and I am so proud of her, more than she will ever know. Erin and I weren't always this close, but when our grandfather got ill almost 7 years ago it just happened. She is someone I know is always there for me. I feel like I can call her day or night, that she totally understands me in and out. She married in December of 2009 and I was honored to be standing next to her on her big day, just as she did for me when Hunter and I got married last June. I am probably the annoying little sister she never had, but I like to think she always wanted. I am so proud to call her my cousin.

I only have a few pictures that Rick's sister was able to send me (more to come...I promise) so here is just a little glimpse of the sweet little girl!

Proud Daddy bringing little Sarah Kathryn out to
the waiting room to meet to meet her grandparents!

Happy Birthday Sarah! I love you already.

quack, quack

2011-04-12T08:02:00.000-07:00

It has been raining here for almost 24 straight hours. When the alarm went off this morning I just wanted to put the covers over my head, listen to the rain hitting the french doors in our bedroom, and drift back to sleep but nooooo...I had to get up and do the responsible adult thing and come to work. It usually takes me about 15 or 20 minutes in the mornings to get to work depending on traffic, this morning it took almost 45. Working at UK means lots of great things but it also means you have to deal with the horrible parking situation.

When I was a student at UK I can remember my best friend Sara and I talking about how great it would be to have an Employee ("E") pass so that we could park in all the reserved employee only parking areas instead of having to walk to and from the lot at Commonwealth Stadium. (Disregard the time I parked somewhere without a parking pass, my car was towed, and sat in the tow lot for almost 2 weeks. I was completely unaware that it had been towed until Sara saw it, called me, and I somehow sweet talked my mom into releasing it from jail). Oh how naive we were. Sure employees get an E lot pass and there are several lots and structures that are only for E lot passholders to park, but there are a few details I failed to notice as a college student:

1. Every employee that wants a pass, can get one. That does not mean there are enough parking spaces for every employee...see the problem here?
2. Parking lots and garages are a good 5-10 minute walk depending on where you end up having to park for the day. On a sunny, 70 degree afternoon in May this is no problem and even enjoyable. During a monsoon (like today) or a blizzard it is MISERABLE.

This leads me to my morning.

Most mornings I am pretty with it and together, picking up things from the house that I may need during the day (lunch, paperwork, etc.) and this morning I was especially efficient. I made sure to wear waterproof shoes, grabbed the outer lining of my North Face jacket and even double checked to make sure my umbrella was in the car. So I arrived on campus, found a spot in one of the garages and started making the trek to my building. The rain had of course decided to pick up as soon as I got out of my car so I zipped up my coat, put on my hood and opened the umbrella. About 20 feet from the parking garage exit it happened. My cute little blue umbrella caught a giant wind gust and bent in half. The damage had been done.

The metal isn't supposed to bend....

I ran the rest of the way and even with my waterproof coat and shoes I was soaked. My hair that had fallen from being under the hood was wet, my pants were soaked through.

Regular umbrella shape

My now flat and completely broken
umbrella's shape

I guess it's a good day to be a duck!

2011-04-08T08:19:00.000-07:00

It's Friday. I get to leave work early. Today is opening day of Keeneland. Do you see where I'm going with this??

Happy Friday everyone!

JORTS

2011-04-04T13:38:00.000-07:00

JORTS. I never thought in my wildest dreams that I would ever be in downtown Lexington surrounded by 20 and 30 something year olds all wearing jorts. It happened this weekend.

If you have been living under a rock recently then let me explain them to you. Jean shorts = JORTS. Josh Harrellson wears them all the time + he has become a God in this town = everyone cuts some old jeans into jorts. Enough said. So on Friday evening my husband and I were sitting at home when all of a sudden he decides that he needs jorts for Saturday's Final Four game. I immediately jump on this bandwagon and grab the scissors.

Can you tell he is just a little bit proud? What is even a bigger shock is that he actually wore them out to watch the game on Saturday night!

The bottom part of the pant legs strategically placed
on Abby to look like actual jorts. Priceless.

(Please do not inspect any of the above pictures for dust or dog hair. Thank you.)

Sadly, our UK Wildcats were just a point away from clinching the victory but we are all still so proud of them. The entire crowd at Village Host (a new pizza place downtown, you must try it if you haven't) erupted into the CATS cheer after a few minutes of mourning. Even when we made our way to the bars afterwards, everyone was just so proud of what those boys accomplished this year. It was a great feeling.

In other news, my father-in-law fell off of a ladder Saturday afternoon and shattered his ankle. If you know Spence, you know this is not a good thing for him. Doesn't he look thrilled to be at the hospital, in a gown, waiting on doctors and nurses??

He would kill me if he knew I posted this picture.

So there you have it, my weekend in pictures.

enough is enough

2011-03-31T11:21:00.000-07:00

I know, I know. The birthday celebration is over. I should not still be talking about it. But I have just one more thing to share...

This card is from all of the first year graduate students in our program here at work. I just love them. I work in the Communication Sciences & Disorders program at UK and have about 150 students (undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral) that I deal with on a daily basis. They are some of the nicest and most genuine people I have ever come into contact with, I am so blessed that this is my job. So for my birthday, the 29 first year grads decided to all sign this big card...I was so surprised when I came back to my desk on Tuesday and there it was waiting for me! I have convinced myself that they did this because they love me, not because they are trying to earn brownie points :)

I survived

2011-03-29T08:45:00.000-07:00

You all hadn't heard from me since Friday morning, you knew my birthday was this weekend, and it had been almost 4 whole days since you had heard anything from me. Don't lie...you were getting a little worried I hadn't survived the whole birthday extravaganza weekend. But don't you worry, I'm here!!!

As you all know by now, I love my birthday. I love everything about it and this may have been one of the best birthdays yet. All of my friends and family made me feel so loved and so special. Friday night some of my closest friends all met up to have a birthday dinner and to watch the UK game. I had a lot of fun celebrating.

Maybe a little too much fun...

They brought cupcakes that were DELICIOUS!

Since Amy and I decided to have our own little photo shoot at our end of the table, I only have pictures of the two of us...

Aren't we cute??? :)

Saturday was a bit of a struggle (to put it lightly) but we had a busy day of party preparations so we were up, showered, to Magee's, Sam's, and at his parent's house in Winchester all by 1:00 that afternoon. Four of our dear friends are getting married this year and it just so works out that they are marrying each other!! Ashley and David are getting married in May, Melanie and Corbin in October. We wanted to have a party for both of them so we thought, "why not have a joint party??" Hunter's parents graciously offered for us to have the party at their house since they were also wanting to do a little something for the happy couples.

The guests of honor with the hosts.
David, Ashley, Melanie, Corbin, me, Hunter (who needs a haircut),
and my in-laws.

Sunday (the day of my actual birthday) we slept in and then went to brunch with my mom, step-dad, and my step-brother Drew. Our plans for dinner that evening were changed because our UK Wildcats were playing for a chance to be in the Final Four and, more importantly, because my stepfather wasn't feeling well. He had actually gone to the emergency room Saturday afternoon with severe abdominal pain. They sent him home with a referral to a surgeon...looks like someone might be losing his gall bladder soon!

After brunch we went to Village Host to meet up with some friends for a beer before the game started and then made our way to the home of our friends Adam and Brittany's parents. They have a giant theatre in their basement perfect for watching games or movies. Everyone erupted into the CATS cheer as soon as we won...HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!! I couldn't have asked for a better birthday gift!

So I am now 29 years old, my Wildcats are going to the Final Four, and I felt so loved this weekend by all the phone calls, text messages, facebook wall posts, and all the fabulous people that came out to help me celebrate. What more could a girl ask for???

The celebration continues...

2011-03-25T07:26:00.000-07:00

Last night Hunter and I went to Kobe, a Japanese steakhouse, with my dad for a little birthday celebration dinner. They bring out these large, hot rocks that you actually grill your steak on at your table, so cool and was SUPER delicious. Since I found a love for sake while in Chicago, I shared a little of my dad's cold sake at dinner (Ashley, I know you love this!).

Today I am leaving work a few hours early since they don't allow us to work overtime and I worked extra on Monday and Tuesday of this week. I plan to run to the mall to try and find some new jeans, then home for a nap!! We all know how I love my naps. Ashley is coming to pick me up (so we Hunter and I only have one car) after she gets off of work and then we are heading to The Cellar to have dinner with some of my closest friends and watch my UK Wildcats beat some OSU butt.

So my mom has gotten into the tradition of making my favorite cupcakes (yellow cake with chocolate frosting) and bringing them to me at work on or around my birthday. I had completely forgotten about this until about 9:45 this morning when she came walking through the door, plastic cupcake holder in tow. I may or may not have eaten one at 10:00 AM, don't judge me. It was delicious and I will probably have another one before I leave work, one of the many reasons I love birthdays!

Please disregard the disaster that is my desk.

It's Birthday Time!!

2011-03-24T13:21:00.000-07:00

My birthday is this Sunday. For those of you that know me, you know how excited I get about my birthday. It is without a doubt my most favorite time of the year. I used to celebrate my birthday for weeks or even a month at a time but this year the celebration has been condensed down to just a few days. Maybe I am growing up...well at least just a little bit! :)

The birthday celebration started today with a special birthday lunch with three of my favorite people in the world. Sara and her two beautiful kiddos took me to lunch at Firehouse after she picked up Blake from preschool. They picked me up from work (since getting to my car and then finding a parking spot upon my return to UK is nearly impossible) and when I got in the car Blake immediately screamed, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY MEREDITH!!!" It was the sweetest thing. He then informed me when his birthday is and told me it seemed so far away, even though it is just a month away. I think someone may have inherited the love of birthdays from his Aunt Meredith.

We had a great lunch and someone got a fire hat. He had to do a little pose instead of smiling, please note the hand on the hip :)

Little Miss Callaway was pretty sleepy all through lunch but I did manage to get her to give me a few Happy Birthday smiles.

What a great way to begin the birthday festivities!! Seeing them always gives me this calming feeling, not really sure how to explain it but it just makes me happy. Thanks to my best friend for being the amazing person she is and for always being by my side.

Duh...winning!!

2011-03-23T13:38:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was my dear friend Ashley's bachelorette party in CHICAGO!! We piled in a couple of SUVs (minus the 3 that flew in from Louisville, Tennessee, and Los Angeles) and made the 6 hour drive north for three fabulous days and nights in the windy city. We had the BEST time. "Duh...winning!" quickly became our phrase for the weekend.

We all met at Cassie's house at 5:45 Thursday morning so we would arrive in Chicago in time for St. Patrick's Day festivities! When we were almost through Indiana we came upon this windmill farm that left us all in amazement. Hunter later made fun of me for how excited I was about it but it really was so cool. We saw one and then there were HUNDREDS for miles and miles.

Once we made it to Chicago we checked into our hotel and then walked down the street to this really neat Irish bar called Timothy O'Toole's. They were obviously having a big party and we joined in! Immediately upon entering April and I grabbed the bachelorette for a first drink...er....chug...

CARBOMBS!
April, Ashley and I

That night we went to several fun bars and all made it home in one piece. Friday we found this great mexican restaurant that was directly across the street from our hotel that had great food and margaritas. After a drink or two we were all wondering why we felt a little happier than normal, turns out they put 4-6 shots of tequila in each margarita. Well that explained it! After some afternoon shopping we all got ready to WIG OUT :) Ashley really wanted us to have a night that we all wore wigs and Hannah found a drag show for us to go to as well. It was the best time, I will never listen to that Pink song the same again!

How is it possible that she still looks so stinking
cute in a pinkish/purplish wig???

After the show we danced our butts off at a nearby club and somehow managed to sweet talk our cab driver to making a sidewalk hotdog stand have a drive thru. He literally stopped in the middle of the road, we rolled down our window and ordered. They were delicious!

Saturday we all needed a little extra sleep :) so we got started a bit later than planned. We went for some Chicago deep dish pizza and to watch our Kentucky Wildcats play for a chance to be in the sweet sixteen. The pizza was great (minus the 2 hour wait) and we won!

Mmmmmm!

That evening we ate at a great hibachi place just down from our hotel and celebrated April's 30th birthday! Sunday morning we packed up bright and early to head back to Kentucky. It was nice to get home but the reality of having to go back to work soon set in.

We had a great trip and I swear that the fact that we were one block from this place had NOTHING to do with it...

Yes, that says Michigan Avenue...

Margaritas the size of your head!

2011-03-22T12:29:00.000-07:00

A few Fridays ago I went with Brittany, Ginnie, and Ashley to a local mexican restaurant for some yummy food and margaritas. We had all decided we deserved a little girl time so what better way to celebrate that than with good food, fun, and drinks??

We were to meet at the restaurant about 5:00 but Brittany and I were both a little early. I immediately went to the restroom and when I came back this is what I saw sitting at our table in front of her:

She said she wanted a drink the size of her head...mission accomplished.

Cheers!

You know you've missed me.

2011-03-16T08:32:00.000-07:00

My goal of posting at least 3 or 4 times a week has obviously not happened this week. Not only have I been super busy at work but I have also been trying to get myself and my husband ready for our respective bachelor/bachelorette party trips this weekend. Mix in a serious case of "the funk", as I have been calling it, and that makes doing anything other than necessary life functions almost impossible.

I went home Monday night from work with a bit of a fever mixed with a sore throat, chills, bad body aches, talk about a great night to lay on the couch. Yesterday I made it in to work but still was feeling awful so I left about lunchtime to come home and ended up taking a three hour nap. I woke up feeling a little better and laid low the rest of the night. Today I am perking up a little, my throat is still feeling awful but the rest of my body feels pretty good. Let's hope this means I am on the mend!

Next week I will have a lot of catching up to do...recap of last weekend's festivities, recap of the bachelorette party for Miss Ashley in CHICAGO this weekend (I was a little worried I wouldn't be able to make it earlier this week with the funk), and all the other fun happenings of life.

Enjoy the rest of your week and don't forget to wear your green and UK blue tomorrow!

It's FINALLY Friday!!!

2011-03-11T09:24:00.000-08:00

I don't know about you, but this has been one of those weeks where it has seemed to last FOREVER. Work has been crazy busy and we have had a lot going on this week after work as well. But it came, it finally came...Friday is here!

I am celebrating the arrival of Friday with margaritas and some mexican food with three of my girlfriends, Brittany, Ginnie, and Ashley. I have mentioned them all on here before but this is our first girl's night with just the four of us EVER! We always seem to bring those pesky boys along with us :)

Tomorrow I am going to Ashley's first bridal shower, should be a great time and I know she is getting really excited. I remember back a year ago when I was having showers thrown for me and it made it all seem so real! Can't wait to celebrate with her, the other bridesmaids, and her family.

After the shower, I am planning on heading downtown for some St. Patty's Day festivities. I will miss the shamrock shuffle and the parade but hopefully someone will save me a green beer or two. :)

Mmmm...tasty!

Hunter and I are planning to cook a big meal at home that night. We both love to cook and with all of the new things we got for the wedding, we have so many new gadgets that have prompted us to cook even more these days. I will post some recipes in the future, haven't quite gotten around to that yet.

Sunday I have a baby shower for a friend of mine from high school and then I am hoping for another Red Box Sunday! Even though we have a lot going on this weekend, we are going to try and spend as much time together as we can because next week we are both going to be out of town on bachelor and bachelorette parties! Ashley and David are getting married in May and so the girls are going to Chicago for some fun in the Windy City!! Our other friends Corbin and Melanie are getting married in October and so Corbin and David decided to combine bachelor parties and have a big (almost) week long trip to Las Vegas. Twenty guys in Las Vegas for at least 5 days...this could be trouble!

And please don't forget that there are some VERY important basketball games being played this weekend as well! Keep your fingers crossed, cheer REALLY loud, and don't forget to wear your blue!!!

Have a great weekend everyone!!!

So today it begins.

2011-03-09T11:12:00.000-08:00

Today is Ash Wednesday. For us Catholic folks that means it is the start of lent, a time to prepare us for Easter. We are supposed to go to church and receive ashes on our foreheads, pick something to either give up that is a true sacrifice or pick something that will make you a better person (if you ask me they are kind of one in the same), and to not eat meat today or any Friday during lent.

For lunch today I decided to walk across the street to the hospital cafeteria (it isn't as gross as it sounds, promise) and get a big salad. While waiting in line to check out, I overheard some nurses talking about how they were giving ashes in the hospital chapel. I poked my head in on my way back across the street and I got in line. Salad in one hand, diet coke in the other, I received my ashes. This seemed kind of wrong so I sat them down and knelt for a little prayer and then made my way back to my office. I love that the Newman Center was gracious enough to have people there for UK employees and hospital patients and visitors but I kind of missed not having the full mass to go along with it. Hunter and I are planning on going to mass tonight after work, it is being said by the priest who presided over our wedding so that will be great to see him again.

Now onto the sacrifice. I sometimes don't have the best mouth, that is something I have been trying to work on but I definitely have my moments. So this year, I thought that giving up cussing would help get me on the right track and hopefully it will stick!

I know it will be hard, especially during road rage episodes or after a beer or five, but I really think I can do it! Hunter has decided to do the same thing so hopefully we can help each other along the way.

In other news, one of Hunter's old co-workers and his wife, Brian and Sara, had their little boy Monday night. Isn't he the cutest??

Both Mommy and baby are doing great!

Happy Ash Wednesday everyone!

Pretty in Pink

2011-03-08T09:37:00.000-08:00

I promised in yesterday's post that I would share some pictures of Miss Callaway's church dedication as soon as Sara's mother-in-law had a free minute or two to send me some of the pictures she took.

Here is Miss Callaway with her beautiful mommy before church began.

And then with "Aunt" Meredith.

Joan was able to catch this great shot of Hunter and Callaway...I think she might have a crush!

Hunter's eyes are almost completely closed in this
photo but I still thought it was cute.

And last, but certainly not least, here she is with her Mimi. This is Sara's mom, Betty, who may be enjoying a salad or sandwich while reading this on her lunch break! :)

Don't you just love her chubby cheeks? She is one of the most peaceful babies I have ever been around. She is so happy, loves to smile, and seems to have such a peace about her. What a wonderful day we had celebrating the beginning of Callaway's journey in the church.

I'm tired.

2011-03-07T13:42:00.000-08:00

I had another whirlwind weekend, it began as soon as I left work on Friday afternoon and didn't end until late afternoon yesterday. And then to top it all off, I couldn't sleep last night. Lovely.

Friday night I went to the Jason Aldean concert with Julie and Kelly. We met up for drinks and appetizers first at the Hyatt.

We made our way inside to the madness. I have never seen so many people acting so crazy at a concert at Rupp Arena in my life. It was madness, very fun madness. An attendance record was set and everyone partied the night away. We were no exception.

After the concert was over we found our other friend Julie downtown for some more adult beverages and fun girl time.

The night ended with cab rides home for all 4 of us and I may or may not have had my cab driver swing through the Taco Bell drive thru line to pick up a late night snack for me and my hubby. Don't judge. Saturday I woke up feeling a little "under the weather" but an early morning snack and some laying on the couch made me feel so much better just in time for the big day we had planned.

My cousin Erin is pregnant with her first child and is due April 10th. I am secretly hoping she goes into labor early and little Sarah and I can share a birthday! So on Saturday, we had a family baby shower for her at my mom and step-dad's house. Everyone came, boys included, so that before and after the shower we could have fun, family time. My family is the greatest group of people I know. When Hunter met everyone for the first time at my cousin Laura's wedding he said, "I have never been around a group of people that love each other as much as you all do." And it's true. We all would drop anything to get to see each other for just a short amount of time. There are a lot of us, I am sure we are loud and overbearing to outsiders but we are perfect to each other. Isn't it funny how in life we go from wanting to spend all of our time with our friends and then one day that just changes. It's like we somehow wake up one day and realize that family is number one. I love it.

So we had a big lunch all together and then sent the boys downstairs to watch basketball and drink beer and we had desserts and mimosas upstairs! :)

Erin opened all of her gifts (such cute things!!!) and then my aunt Tootie had the great idea of making a baby pool. Everyone put in $1 to guess the weight and length and then another $1 to guess the day and time. And, because none of us care abuot the money, it was decided that whoever wins will get their money they put in back and Erin, Rick and Sarah get the rest!

After lots of laughs and some good, much needed, family time. I rode home with Erin (Hunter had left earlier in the night) and helped her unload all of Sarah Kathryn's goodies. Her husband, Rick, is in the National Guard and he had drill this past weekend so she needed help. It had been a long day for her, she was tired and ready for comfy pants. Please note the hilbilly boot look :) I thought this was hilarious!

Sunday Hunter and I got up early to get ready for a very special occasion. Sara's daughter Callaway was having her church dedication and we weren't going to miss it for the world! She looked so cute in her little pink dress and big white bow. Since our camera is not working at the moment and I didn't want to be the person in church holding up my iPhone to snap some shots, I am waiting for Joey's mom to send me some of the photos she took yesterday. Once she does, I will share them on here. There are some great ones of Hunter and Callaway...he melted a little bit each time she smiled.

We had lunch afterwards with Sara and Joey's family at Johnny Carino's. It was so nice of them to include us in their family lunch.

We stopped by a Red Box kiosk on our way home to pick up some movies. We have gotten into the habit of having "Red Box Sundays" where we just totally relax and do nothing for the afternoon. I managed to sneak a short nap in, we ate some dinner, and then it was bedtime!

A very fun weekend but very tiring, I think I am going to need a few days to catch up!

Girl's Night!!

2011-03-04T12:15:00.000-08:00

Tonight is only a few hours away. Not only is today Friday but it is also a much anticipated girls night with some of my best girl friends. Julie (#1) and Kelly were both bridesmaids in my wedding. Kelly and I went to high school together but actually didn't become close until we were in college at UK. We met Julie while we were in college and it was just an instant connection.

I love having great friends. There is nothing better than having someone that totally gets you, that understands all of your quirks and ins and outs. Great friends are there no matter what. If it's been minutes, days, or even weeks since you were last able to talk or get together it doesn't matter. They are still there, still the same great people who love you for just being you.

We will be meeting downtown after work for drinks and then heading to Rupp Arena for the Jason Aldean concert. There will be lots of laughs, lots of drinks, and lots of old stories told. After the concert we are going to meet our other friend Julie (#2) downtown for some drinks. Julie (#2) and I have known each other since first grade. She was my first best friend...being around her just makes you smile. She couldn't come to the concert because of work obligations, we will try not to have too much fun before she joins us! :)

Me, Julie (#1), Kelly, and Ashley at my bachelorette party.
Ashley is not joining us tonight but this picture was so cute I hated to cut her out!

Julie (#2) and yours truly, also at my bachelorette party!

Have a great night everyone! TGIF!!

...to my favorite octogenarian...

2011-03-03T13:18:00.000-08:00

Today is my grandmother's birthday. Her name is Mary Kathryn (a perfect Catholic name :) ) but I call her Munner, or Munns for short. She is one of my favorite people in the whole world. When my cousins and I were little she would keep us all for a week or two every summer so our parents could have time off. This means she went from having a quiet home to one filled with 12 high-energy children. But we had the best time. We would take walks to Jasper's store to buy candy for a nickel, we would play outside for hours, and put on shows wearing our parent's old clothes from when they were young. They are some of the greatest memories I have in life and they are all because of my grandfather and my grandmother. My grandfather, Gran-Gran, passed away 7 years ago. It was one of the hardest days of my life. I remember driving to their house a few days before the funeral with my mom and having this horrible feeling in my stomach. I was always so excited to see them, to walk in the side door that leads into the kitchen and see their smiling faces. How Munner would just light up and say, "ooooooh it's Meredith!" and then Gran-Gran would get a big smile and come over and give you a big hug like he just couldn't wait to see you. He was a quiet man but he loved giving hugs. That day I didn't want to get out of the car. I looked at my mom and said, "I think I am going to throw up." She told me it would be all right and we made the walk inside. But there she was. Standing there like always, with that big grin on her face and arms stretched out waiting for the hug and kiss. She said, "ooooooh it's Meredith". She comforted me more in that few seconds than she will ever know. She let me know that life would be okay, that she was still there and that she loved me. The day I got married she hugged me and looked at me in the eye telling me how proud she was of me and how much she loved me. She didn't say it but I think she was also thinking of how proud Gran-Gran would have been as well. She is one of the strongest women I know. She raised 7 kids while having a full-time career and made them each feel like they were the only child in the house. She is a model of love, compassion, strength, beauty, and kindness. She is my grandmother and today is her birthday.

At my cousin Laura's wedding a few years ago.

Happy Birthday Munner! I love you.

mmmmm....breakfast

2011-03-01T11:30:00.000-08:00

So apparently there are "National (insert name of food or drink here) Days" all the time. I was unaware of this. Last week was National Margarita Day. Who knew these important days were so close together? I also feel that calendars should list these right next to Columbus Day, Presidents Day, Flag Day, Boxing Day, etc. I mean who doesn't want to flip to the next week and see "National Pancake Day!!" already on the books for Tuesday, talk about exciting. Carbs excite everyone.

So my wonderful blog readers, today is National Pancake Day...eat yourself miserably full and try not to crash from the sugary syrup!

Leave it up to me to be the one excited about a free pass to eat pancakes!

Weekend Recap

2011-02-28T09:24:00.000-08:00

It's Monday...again. I think that we should all be off work on Mondays and Fridays as well as Saturday and Sunday. Just a thought.

Friday night we went to Giuseppe's for dinner. For those of you that haven't been you must go...tonight. It has the best italian food, I get the same thing every time we go and it never disappoints. They are always packed so a reservation is a must, just FYI.

Saturday I met Amy for lunch and then made my way over to Babies R Us for some shopping. No, no...this is not a hint. It seems that everyone I know is having a baby these days. I am going to three baby showers this week and have two others before March ends. I even got a Rewards Card while I was there. Hunter about died when he saw it in my wallet but it makes sense to get one. If I am going to be spending the money, I might as well get some rewards for doing so! Back to Saturday...
Hunter and I went to watch the game with some of our friends, Willie and Leslia. We were able to solve all the problems of the world :).

They like cowboy hats. (She might kill me for this.)

Then we met some friends Adam, Thomas, and Brittany down at Buddy's for dinner. Talk about good times. Adam and Brittany are brother and sister and Brittany is married to Thomas (confused yet?) so there are always funny stories coming from them.

This is Adam with his beautiful girlfriend Ginnie.
She couldn't come on Saturday night, we were all very sad.

Thomas and Brittany on their honeymoon. Aren't they cute??

Sunday we had a yummy brunch at Onizim's...super delicious but a bit pricey. Then we rented two movies at RedBox and snuggled up on the couch, wasting the day away. Nothing better than a lazy Sunday. Oh, and I didn't even take a nap...you all should be proud. Then we ate some dinner, watched The Oscars and called it a night.

All in all, a fun weekend with friends, wish we could see them all every weekend!

Tag...you're IT!

2011-02-24T07:45:00.000-08:00

Last week, I was awarded with the Stylish Blogger Award by Amy over at Sweet Expectations. Sorry it's taken me a while...

I'm supposed to:

1. Make a post and link back to the person who awarded you this award
2. Share 7 things about yourself.
3. Award recently discovered bloggers the award so it will be their turn next.
4. Contact these bloggers and tell them they’ve won

Drumroll please....

1. I am obsessed with the homes in Southern Living magazine. I pour over the pictures and articles every month trying to figure out how to convert our neighborhood house into a beautifully decorated southern home...for little to no money. I have yet to succeed with this mission.

2. This type of post is really fun for me because I am OBSESSED with lists. I love "to-do" lists written on cute note pads. There may or may not be one always running in our kitchen at home and on my desk at work. There is nothing better then listing out all the things you need to complete and feeling that great sense of accomplishment when you get to cross one off the list.

3. As I have mentioned before, my parents divorced when I was just a year old. Sometimes I wonder what they were ever thinking when they decided to get married. Not only are they opposites physically (my mom is 5'4" with blonde hair and blue eyes and my dad is 6'4" with almost black hair and really dark brown eyes) but they are COMPLETE opposites in every other way possible. I saw how hard it was on my mom when I was growing up since she was doing it all on her own. I can't even imagine.

4. Hunter and I got married in June of last year. We both want children...someday :) BUT if the situation were to present itself sooner rather than later I may or may not already have our unconceived, unborn children named...

5. We have a chocolate labrador named Abby. She is the sweetest thing in the world, I just love cuddling up on the couch with her and taking long naps. I have a tendency of calling people and animals by nicknames I give them, Abby is no exception. She has 9 nicknames so far. Sometimes I wonder if she even knows her real name.

She would like to wish you all a very Happy New Year.
Can you tell she was super happy to be taking this photo??? Ha!

6. I have zero desire to have a life-long career. Don't get me wrong, I love my job and the people I work with on a daily basis. But my idea of the perfect life would be staying at home with our unconceived, unborn children everyday and watching them grow. Now if we could just win the lottery or if Hunter could get a big raise this could be possible one day!

7. I am a softie. If it comes to animals, children or soldiers, prepare to break out the tissues. There is a new reality show called Coming Home that will be the death of me. Will it make me cry like a baby? YES. Should I just avoid the Lifetime channel and pretend it doesn't even exist? YES. (Sidenote: Hunter would also love for Lifetime to not exist because then made for t.v. movies wouldn't be all over our DVR box) Will I still watch it even though I know what the outcome will be? YES. I just can't help it.

So there you have it, the first seven things I could think to tell you about.

I am now tagging a few of you...get excited!

*Sara at Blessings of the Broken Road - not only is she my best friend but she is also a

new blogger for people to get to know!

*Emily at Emmopops - she had a blog several years ago and has just started up again.

She always has something funny to say!

*Whitney at Quip Whit - same as Emily above. I have never known anyone to have

such hilarious life experiences happen to them as she does!

*Laura at Camp Crawford - she is a fun blogger who always posts new recipes or

home decorating tips. She is going to be a mommy for the first time in a few months

so I know it will just keep getting better!

*MKH at daily days of MKH - she is a fellow Lexingtonian who I really enjoy reading.

I can also totally relate to her wedding talk :)

There are several others of you that I would have tagged but I didn't know if you had already done this yet or not!

Have a great day everyone...break out your rain boots and umbrellas.

Ole!

2011-02-22T13:53:00.000-08:00

So I just heard that today is National Margarita Day!

I love margaritas but with sugar on the rim, not salt and I like them either frozen or on the rocks. I would prefer to drink my "National Margarita Day" margarita on a hot beach in the Carribbean but I guess a 30 degree evening on my couch will have to do!

Bottoms Up!

SURPRISE!!!

2011-02-22T06:54:00.000-08:00

If you know anything about me at all it's that I have a ridiculous love of birthdays. Birthdays are my favorite thing ever. And not just mine. I have a tendency of making a huge deal about birthdays...often celebrating mine for days, let's be honest, weeks at a time. I blame my mother for this.

My mom (left) and my aunt at one of my cousin's weddings.

Isn't she cute? My aunt Tootie (on the right) has three daughters and one of them could be my identical twin. Okay, back to the point.

My parents divorced when I was a year old and my mom didn't remarry until I was 17 so we had 16 years where it was just the two of us. Mom always made such a big deal about birthdays saying it was a day that was all about you. And who doesn't love a day where they can do whatever they want and have their family and friends join in??

So Hunter's big 3-0 was this past Sunday and I knew I wanted to do something to make it the best birthday I could for him. He has always said there is no way anyone could ever throw him a surprise party because he would figure it out. Done. It was my mission. I was going to throw him the biggest party I could and pull it off without him having a clue.

After months of planning, the day finally came. The party was on Friday night at my mom and step-dad's house. It was perfect. I told him that we were going to The Heirloom restaurant in Midway for dinner but that we needed to stop by there to pick up gifts for my cousin's baby shower. We walked up to the house, they opened the doors, threw on the lights, and there were 45 of our closest family and friends standing there screaming "SURPRISE!" He was shocked. Please see exhibit A:
He stood like this for a few minutes, just looking around at everyone that was there.

It was perfect. There were lots of drinks and food, laughs and hugs, and even a few tears. The last people left at 1:30 but we stayed up until after 3:00 AM with Hunter quizzing me on how I managed to pull this off.

The rest of the weeked was filled with more celebrating. We went to my cousin's birthday/baby shower celebration (her birthday was on Saturday) Saturday evening and then met some friends downtown for drinks. Sunday we went to lunch with his family at Windy Corner and then out to see my parents that evening. It was a great weekend, he said the best birthday yet.

Now what to do for his 31st...

Finally!

2011-02-19T10:16:00.000-08:00

I have been waiting patiently for two weeks for this. I keep reading on facebook and in blogs that everyone had already gotten their March issue. I was starting to give my neighbors the shifty eye thinking one of them had taken it. But yesterday when I got home there it was, nestled in our mailbox amongst some birthday cards for my sweet husband (the big 3-0 for him is on Sunday, more on that later) and our electric bill. Guess we all know what I will be doing this afternoon...

i NEED this

2011-02-17T11:42:00.000-08:00

It also comes in navy.

But I think pink is better for the spring Keeneland meet, don't you.

Come on tax return.... :)

Weekend Recap

2011-02-15T08:26:00.000-08:00

This past weekend we stayed pretty busy and got to see so many of our friends and family.

Friday I was with my favorites, as I mentioned here. Got home a little before midnight to my husband playing Tiger Woods Golf on Wii in our living room...clearly he wasn't missing me at all. Saturday we woke up much early than any other usual Saturday morning because we were going to meet some new friends. Turns out those friends were furry, had the softest ears ever, and liked to stick their tongue out at me.

Hunter works in the horse business so our lives revolve around horse sales, Keeneland (but I don't complain about that one), and everything involving a horse's pedigree. He works for Taylor Made horse farm as the senior pedigree research specialist. That basically means he knows everything about any horse. Ever. So on Saturday he had arranged a few special meetings with some new horse friends. He invited our friends Mark and Chris to join us.

We started at Overbrook Farm and went to meet a very special guy...Storm Cat. For those of you who don't know who he is, google him.

After loving on him for a while, we we made our way to Taylor Made which was just down the road. We often go out to the farm to see the new babies that are born but hadn't been yet this year.

This little guy was 2 days old, his legs were all trying to work in opposite directions. But he was the softest thing I have ever felt. And his ears, oh those ears. I played with them until they made me stop. Then I tried to convince Hunter to let me put the little guy in the back seat and take him home with us. He could run in the backyard and sleep with Abby on her dog bed-they would be best friends. Then Hunter reminded me that he wouldn't stay that size and that we were never having a horse live in our house.

After some more ear loving we made our way to the Stallion complex and hung out with two of them for a while.

Unbridled's Song

Eskendereya

Sorry that Eskendereya's tongue is sticking out...but we couldn't get a picture without it. He did that the whole time. Finally I decided to give him a test of his own medicine.

He just kept on.

That afternoon we had lunch at Harry's and went home to watch the UK basketball game. I may or may not have a slight crush on John Calipari. That is neither here nor there. Then I settled in for one of my favorite afternoon activities...a nap.

One of my friends, Valerie, loves her naps just as much as I do. Our husbands frequently tell us that it can't be considered napping if you actually get in bed. We disagree. Washing my face, putting on comfy pants, and getting cuddled up in our big, soft, warm bed and sleeping the afternoon away is a nap. I don't care what anyone says! And I will keep telling myself that.

That night we went to have some drinks with some of our best friends downtown.

Ashley and David

Here are the two love birds at our wedding reception. They are getting married this May and Hunter and I both have the honor of standing next to each of them on their big day. Could they be any cuter?

Sunday we were supposed to go to Callaway's church dedication but Sara called just minutes before we were going to leave the house to say they were going to have to cancel, Callaway was sick. So we instead met two of our other best friends, Taylor and Amy at Windy Corner for lunch. Delicious. If you haven't been or don't know what I'm talking about, google that too.

Taylor and Amy

Then we ran some errands, watched a movie, and went to my parent's house for dinner. We watched the Grammy's that night...Katy Perry is gorgeous, Lady Antebellum makes me smile, Usher had some moves, Eminem...yes, please, and Lady Gaga is more ridiculous each time I see her.

So that about wraps it up. Hope your weekend was filled with as much love and laughter as mine was!

Wuv...twue wuv...

2011-02-14T09:31:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day!

I'm not the type of girl that needs flowers delivered to work and a big fancy night out for dinner (not that those are bad things!) so if it were up to me we would be having a quiet, normal Monday night. I am with Joy that I would rather have those things on random days all year long than just one specific day.

But my husband Hunter, well...he is a romantic. He wants nothing more than to have our own little celebration tonight and he has planned it all, every last detail. I am in charge of making a red velvet cake with cream cheese icing after work, he will be cooking our dinner. A filet with red wine reduction sauce, asparagus, and red potatoes are on the menu...my diet is going straight out the window but that is okay, right? I mean...it's Valentine's Day. The day of candy and chocolate and eating way too much just because you are in love. Or drowning your sorrows in too much food, or red wine, because you are spending it alone. Either works.

I work at UK and one of the faculty I work with brought me this today:

She is the best. How freaking cute is that?

I must admit that I am secretly hoping my loving husband will bring home a GIANT box of these.

I could sit and eat these for days.

Have a wonderful evening...

Happy Valentine's Day!!

My favorites

2011-02-11T13:19:00.000-08:00

Tonight I am going to be spending the evening with two of my favorite people in the world...and their combined ages equal just a little over four years old! My best friend, Sara, has two beautiful children and yours truly gets to watch them while she and her husband have a well deserved date night. Sara and I have known each other since high school, we had Geometry class together and it was an instant friendship. We have had our ups and downs, as most friends have, but she has always remained a constant in my life. We are more like sisters than friends, I know she will always be there for me...no matter what. She is one of the greatest people I know, I strive to be more like her every single day.

Blake and Callaway, Sara's children, are just the best. Blake was the ring bearer in our wedding this past June and boy did he do a great job. Is there anything cuter than a 3 year old boy in shortalls dancing to every song at the reception demanding I dance right along with him? I think not.

Callaway was there too...just staying warm and cozy in Sara's belly waiting to grace us with her presence this past September. Here is little Miss Callaway just minutes after she was born.

Please disregard the disheveled appearance...this was a very hectic morning, just ask Sara! But...can you tell I might be a little proud to be "Aunt" Meredith??

So that is where I will be tonight, snuggling and playing with two of my favorites. I have updated pictures on my phone that I need to save to my computer and we all know I will take plenty more tonight...get ready!

Well hello there...

2011-02-10T12:49:00.000-08:00

My name is Meredith and I have been wanting to try this whole blog thing for a while now. I married the greatest man in the world last June and have learned that being a newlywed brings so many new and fun experiences. I have the best family and friends a girl could ask for and I am sure you will get to know each and every one of them. I am hoping this blog will be a way for me to talk about my life experiences and that many of you will have things to share as well. Here goes nothing...