Ben's Birthday!

What a lucky boy Ben is! He was able to celebrate his 24th birthday in Seattle with our fun family!

no birthday would be complete with out multiple renditions of happy birthday by Ray!

 Robin cooked an amazing dinner of crab cakes and halibut with cauliflower puree! UMMM...yum!

Eating dinner here makes me feel so Frasier fancy. 

The amazing meal. If you look closely to the right, Robin made me a mocktail. He literally did this at every meal and then at other random parts of the day and night. I could TOTALLY get used to that! 

The chef!!! 

The birthday boy with his yellow cake and chocolate icing. Little icing on his piece of course.

Happy Birthday little brother...you will always be little to me! I'm so glad we were able to be on this fun trip during your big day! 

For Natalie's News this has been, Natalie-Corinne. 

gum wall

The gum wall... I'd heard about this "phenomena" but never realized the massive amount of it. It's so gross, I was almost afraid to take pictures. I kept thinking there would be some way I would be accidently bumped into the massive walls of nasty. Ugh. 

of course.

I love the business card... why yes in fact I have been looking for a new realtor and I will obviously use this guy I found advertised on the gum wall.

Loved it. One of those things that was too crazy to look away! Calling it a night for blogging but up next is the goob's bday and 3 more days of sight-seeing!

For Natalie's News this has been, Natalie-Corinne. 

Pikes Place Market

I've always wanted to come here and it did not disappoint. The flying fish were amazing and I strangely wanted to catch one of them...without touching it of course. Well, this didn't happen but I really loved walking around and looking at everything. 

ugh, that tongue! 

We also had lunch here.. you know because the 6 donuts for 4 of us clearly was just a light snack. I really loved being here and kept thinking of Mom. She always wanted to come here and never did. I kept hoping that she was able to be with us and could finally experience this cool city she always wanted to! Up next... gum wall. Gross. 

Seattle

Last weekend Ben, P and I went to Seattle to visit our uncles Ray and Robin. I was so ready for our family reunion/ Babymoon and we had such a fun time! Friday night we arrived in Seattle around 9PM (11 our time) and pregnancy hunger had taken over my soul. Let's take a minute to talk about pregnancy hunger. It's like nothing else. All the sudden you're doing your thing and then all the sudden! Bam, you're so hungry, you seriously contemplate stealing food from an elderly lady while attempting to not puke or cry or both. So, yeah I was at that stage of hunger. We went back to the amazing Frasier-style apt and P, Ray and I got on their private, European-size elevator that goes directly to their condo. Well, obviously we were over the weight limit because it stopped in between floors. Panic immediately set in and I felt myself begin to get really hot and kept repeating to myself that my initial plan of screaming and weeping would help no one. I kept thinking the elevator was going to drop and immediately I began thinking of how I would survive the crash. Would I stand on my suit case? Would that be enough to brace the fall? Or should I just try to time the fall and jump? Robin was able to get the door open and gave Ray a step ladder for him to jimmy himself in between the floors. I didn't say it but I was so stressed that the elevator would begin working while he was in between floors but I just put it out of my mind and he was able to get in the apartment easily. With Ray out, the weight limit wasn't maxed and we were able to get to safety. Obviously, I did not get back in the death trap aka elevator for the rest of the trip. The rest of the night was far less dramatic. Robin made an amazing dinner for P and I that included a yummy mocktail. 

Saturday morning we went to Top Pot Donuts and had a few (box!) of donuts..you know for nourishment. 

After carb loading we went to the Space Needle. 

I'm so glad we went on this day. The weather was nice and we were able to see so much. Such a great view!

Up next...Pikes Place Market! For Natalie's News this has been, Natalie-Corinne. 

30 for 30 update

This month was big for the 30 for 30 challenge. Since the babes is coming, some of these goals will most likely just not get done. Not complaining, but keeping it real. Going to Napa without being to partake in any vineyard tastings sounds about as good as stepping on a rusty nail. Anyway, this month we went to Seattle and I threw Philip a huge, fun, blog worthy 30th birthday party... which I took exactly no pictures of. SERIOUSLY!?!?!?! We decorated our house with no less than 20 pumpkins, had all kinds of food, and so many friends and family attended...and I have no proof of it! ugh! Blame it on the baby brain?!?!?

1. Run a half-marathon.

2. Decorate our guestroom with items that are not college leftovers. Have currently painted, replaced the bed with a crib and are working on the rest of the guestroom.

3. Find a bathing suit that I love and feel good wearing. Does a huge t-shirt count?

4. Find a charity that I like and donate some time/money/etc.

5. Go on a really fun weekend anywhere with my Mom.

6.Learn how to make 5 really good cocktails. I'm thinking this will get done around the holidays when I have some big parties, etc. to attend.

7. Learn to really, really, really love my Dad's beer.

8. Buy a nice piece of art.

9. Learn how to grill.

10. Do a pull up.

11. Learn how to make lemon icebox and lemon meringue pie..

12. Find a new brunch place with a great group of friends. 

13. Enjoy the holidays. BAM!!!!

14. Do one of those painting/drinking nights with friends.

15. Read a book for pleasure at least once a month. Still doing this one. Okay, maybe it's not always one a month. Some months I read 3 and then some none but it is equalling out so I'm counting it.

16. Grow tomatoes.

17. Throw P a really fun/stylish/blog-worthy 30th bday party.  DONE THIS WEEKEND!!!

18. Grow herbs (and cook with them!)

19. Love my job!

20. Visit Ray and Robin in Seattle.SO FUN!!! 

21. Find a skin product routine that I like/can afford/will stick to.

22. Try some cheese and see if I still don't like them.

23. Join a new club/organization.

24. Learn how to make crepes.

25. Go to Napa Valley. Ummm, this is might be waiting until 31.

26. Own a wardrobe that I'm proud of. 

27. Buy Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking and make something in it.

28. Recycle. (omg, shame...shame, shame!)

29. Whiten my teeth.

30. Take a photography class.

31. Watch Ben graduate and celebrate B-I-G.

Oxford reunion

I've totally fallen off the blog bandwagon. I've been legitimately busy, but I can't get over the very severe lack of blogging. Earlier in the month, I went to Oxford and reunited with all my favorite choir kids. The choir alumni are invited back every homecoming to sing the anthem on the field and it is always so fun. Last year I was unable to make it and I was so excited to hang in my favorite town with my favorite people. Friday I left work and got to Oxford around 7. We went to Philip's grocery and I had so much fun catching up and being around people who find it normal to sing loudly in restaurants. 

My peeps!!!! 

Thomas and I go back.. I mean way back. He used to come to the AOII house so much that Mama Reid thought he was my brother. 

The game was really fun and WE WON!!!! Rebel fans have the most character out of any  SEC team...well in any conference. We have had so many losing seasons that we have the mantra "we may not win every game but we've never lost a party"...well being preggers definitely changes things. Winning, the grove, seeing friends, singing with DT were all truly amazing, but...being completely sober in the grove/game/square was quite a different experience.  

Famous friends! Thanks Jenny for the picture!

After a really long day of the grove, game, square, etc. we went back to Ann Marie's house and had so much fun. Well, not the kind of fun that most people would expect, but this felt like old times, only thing lacking was a theme and costumes.

I loved being in Oxford and hope I can go back in December to see all the lights and magic of Christmas! 

Hotty Toddy!

For Natalie's News this has been, Natalie-Corinne. 

Seattle

We have been LOVING our fall break in Seattle with the uncles! Promise fun blogs when we return!

For Natalie's news this has been, Natalie-Corinne.

one year ago.

One year ago seems like yesterday. This week has been weighing heavily on me a lot. I keep feeling the need to document it. I don't see how I could ever forget any detail from last year but I feel the need to write it down for some reason. Of course this is all from my point of view so I feel a bit selfish like I'm not presenting it fairly, but it's all I know. 

Last year at this time I was embarking on my first concert as a high school choir director. To say I was nervous is quite the understatement. I knew nothing of sound and lighting equipment, choir formations, and entertaining parents who actually attended concerts. My Mom had not been feeling well for a while and she was admitted to the hospital. She called me multiple times and said she was going to have her gallbladder removed, it was a relatively easy procedure and she would be out after the weekend. They felt terribly that they could not come to the concert and my Mom even cried on the phone. The concert was okay, a lot of really sweet friends came and I learned a lot. 

Friday I was supposed to go to a wedding for friends John and Ryan in D.C. I remember talking to Dad and asking if I should still go and he kept saying yes, she would be better very soon and that I should still go. I caught an early flight to D.C. and had a marvelous time at their wedding. Everything single detail was perfect. We had so much fun and I laughed all weekend long. I kept in contact with Dad and he kept saying Mom was doing okay and they were running tests. By Saturday I was itching to get home and see Mom. I knew by the time I got home there would be a reason for her feeling badly. 

I got on the flight home on Sunday and for the first time ever puked on the plane. I usually don't get motion sickness but I did that day. It was even worse because half of the flight was service men and women coming home. They were all so excited and sweet and kept offering to pay people to use their phones. Of course nobody took their money and let them call loved ones to say they were about to take off. What a welcome home. I puked (a lot) right when we were landing and it was just awful. I just hung my head and never made eye contact with any of them. The flight attendant came back and was incredibly sweet. She said, "oh my gosh, honey!" and immediately began helping me clean my nasty clothes. Even the pilot came out and apologized and I felt so badly because it wasn't his fault. I was so embarrassed, I couldn't wait to get off the plane. 

Before the epic flight, I talked with my parents and my Mom was allowed to go home. I was thrilled. She said she missed us and wanted us to come over. We were going to go there right after I landed but P said I smelled "pukey" so we went home and I bathed and changed. 

We arrived and they were sweet. Ben came home from college and we were all just hanging out like normal. I told them about my epic flight and we were all laughing etc. and then life changed forever. Mom was sitting in her normal spot on the couch and I was in the middle and Ben was on the right. She was looked us in the face and said she had cancer. It was very advanced and there were not tons of options but she was going to do everything possible to fight it. She didn't shed a tear in front of us and immediately we turned to mush. She was so sweet and kept apologizing to P because she was sorry he was going to have to do this again. I don't know how long we cried. It felt like forever and then no time all at the same time. She just kept comforting us and it really was all about us and how we were feeling. I remember feeling badly because this news was about HER and all I could do was sob and she was taking care of me! It should be the other way around!

I know this sounds so stupid but I kept thinking of how I wish I hadn't led with that stupid puke story. Clearly there were more important things going on and I was blabbing about puking on a plane and "how awful" it was when Mom had been given such terrible news. But that's how naive we all were. Mom is the strongest person I've ever known. She seemed invincible and the idea of her having something so serious was just out of my realm of thinking. 

It's such a strange range of emotions when you get news like that. At first it was the first obvious breakdown. I wanted to shake myself and wake up from this awful nightmare. Then within an hour I was faking a trip to the bathroom to research treatment options on my phone. As we were all hanging out we would try to lift each other's spirits but the haunting heaviness of this news was too thick. The boys went somewhere (see, I guess I'm already forgetting stuff) and I asked her personally...so is there no hope? And she said, "no, no, there is hope. It will be difficult but I believe there is hope". We stayed over there and I think we ate but that is a blur too. 

Finally P and I came home and I felt a cross between sinking into our couch and never getting up and driving back over to our house and getting in bed with Mom and never leaving. Half of me wanting to find my care bear from my childhood and just pretend I was 6 and relive every minute with her again. 

I cancelled our family's Oktoberfest and immediately I began getting texts and calls asking why this big event was cancelled! That made it feel more real. People knowing. Again, such weird things you think about but I remember thinking about the clothes I was wearing and how I could never wear them again and honestly I haven't. 

Everything became before that minute and then after. Life never was and never will be the same.  

Gender Reveal Party

We were so blessed to have a gender reveal party on Sunday organized by our friends Jenna and Christina. P and I really felt so amazed with the amount of people who came and we left saying to each other how fortunate we feel to have such amazing family and friends.

Whitney made a delicious lemon (MY FAVORITE) cake! Do we have talented friends or what?

 

Cutting the cake!

Jenna made this cute box where people could vote for either a girl or boy and there were balloons inside that would reveal the gender. Very pinterest-y.

Cute friends Christina and Sarah.

Everyone brought delicious food! Yum!

Brett voting for a girl!

It's a BOY!

I love this picture!

A great view at Arrington Vineyards! Such a wonderful venue and day.

Sweet Dad, so glad he was able to come.

Our amazing friends! Thank you so much! What a wonderful day, we really are spoiled rotten! We are beyond excited for Baby Boy Pratt!

For Natalie's News this has been, Natalie-Corinne.