Vacation Recap

Well, it's been a solid week or so since we returned from paradise, a.k.a. Kiawah Island, South Carolina. This was my fourth time going and the first time with a child of my own! Two years ago, the last time we went, we were hoping that we could start a family very soon. We had already had the loss of one miscarriage, and we were praying every day that we would have a baby to bring to Kiawah the next time. Sure enough...our dream came true!

We had a great time with Luke's family. Of course, we greatly missed Abe & E, as they were unable to make the trip this year. However, we managed to have fun and relax in the 90 degree heat. We also managed to protect Noelle from sunburn, which was a major victory.

Here are some highlights of the trip.

Introducing Noelle to the ocean for the first time and watching her toes wiggle in the sand as she exclaimed "Wa wa!" We walked the beach in the mornings and enjoyed the peace and quiet.

Noelle took a bath with a couple of cousins. She also peed on the bathroom floor.


Noelle loaded down with SPF 50, giving her a nice "face mask."

We enjoyed a little carnival at the resort. Our nephews were fearless as they went down the large, inflatable slide. Noelle fell asleep before it started, so she stayed at home with Nona.

We spent the day in Charleston and enjoyed looking at all the shops.

Our nephew, Juda, was baptized while we were in Kiawah.

Luke and I got to enjoy a date night out on the last night to a nice Italian restaurant and a movie with Seth & Liz. The grandparents watched all of the kids....and survived!


We really had a great time, and we are already excited to return!

Greetings

Hello from vacation! I am writing this with a frosty, cold, alcoholic beverage next to me. OK, I lied, but it's a nice thought, right?

Anyway, I am on vacation in South Carolina...Kiawah Island to be exact. We are here with Luke's family, and we are having a great time. Noelle has now officially seen, touched, and played in the ocean. She has exclaimed "wa wa" many times (water), and she has enjoyed swimming in the pool as well. She has managed not to get burned, rockin' the SPF 50, sun hat, and swim shirt daily. She is pleasantly rosy-cheeked and sleeping in her pack 'n play as I type.

We have long-awaited this vacation...as I believe we scheduled it in when there was still snow on the ground. Luke and I both have deserved some rest and relaxation, away from the stress of school, residency,  and the selling-buying-moving trifecta of horror. Unfortunately, my phone has not been ringing with people wanting to see the house while we were gone, even though we left it in pristine condition-- not an easy task to do when leaving for a week and with a bouncy 15 month old undoing all you have done. Whatever.

While we are loving it here and enjoying time with family in the sun, I must say that I am infused with a little guilt-- a little disappointment. I am disappointed in myself because I did not get my act together in time to actually look decent non-heinous in a swimsuit. It's pretty ridiculous that in the 15 months since Noelle was born, I have not gotten these last 10 pounds off my body. And it's not even like they are a "good" 10 pounds (as if there was such a thing-- but some women seem to get to choose where their weight goes and it isn't all bad). They are ugly, stubborn, jiggly 10 pounds that mock me as I stare at them in the mirror with my 2 piece on, wishing I would have just gone with the "mom uniform..." a modest one piece with a knee length skirt. I slap my forehead in stupidity and shudder as I make my way out the door. I have decided that I officially do not give a shit if my stomach is tan, so I am gonna keep that covered up for the remainder of the trip.

As soon as I get home?? I am gonna be hitting it hard to get this weight off. I no longer wish to torture myself on vacations that should be full of fun and frolicking without worrying about how unflattering of an angle you are working. At least now my schedule is wide open and I can work out whenever I want and not eat dinner at 9:30 p.m. like I was doing before school was out.

Cheers to a great summer ahead!

Vacation: Accomplished

After toying around with the idea for what seemed like years (really, a couple months), I decided we needed a Fall Break getaway, and I literally threw a dart at a map and it landed on Nashville, Tennessee. OK...not really a dart...but we had never been, and we decided it sounded like a doable trip with our 7 month old nugget.

So, off we went on Saturday. Noelle did amazingly well the whole way there (5 hours!). She didn't cry. She slept most of the time or played with her toys. She ate in a high chair at Wendy's (because you aren't American if you haven't been in a high chair at a fast food joint before 1 year of age).

We arrived safely to our hotel...Aloft in Cool Springs, TN. It was a really cool, modern little hotel that had an elevator that was nearly all charcoal gray and had curtains hanging in it. The floor of the elevator had this blue gel stuff that turned white when you stood on it. Cool, huh? (or creepy when you are standing in it with strangers)

Our room was neat. It had a cow print painting above the bed. The bathroom was subway tiled (like the way my future kitchen back splash will be), and the free shampoo and soap? From Bliss spa. Don't tell Luke, but I paid $36 for body scrub from that brand once. Here they are, giving the crap away for free? Don't think I didn't throw the baby sized shampoos and soaps in my bag. I ride dirty like that.

Saturday night, we headed to Vanderbilt's campus and hung out at Centennial Park. They have a replica of the Parthenon there. I am still trying to figure out why a park in Tennessee has a replica of a structure that was built to honor the goddess Athena, but it was pretty cool to see and made for some cute pictures.

We ate at a great pizza place, thanks to Amanda Eichenberger's recommendation, and we headed back to the hotel to swim. Noelle was adorable in her little swimsuit and was splashing and playing like a little maniacal nugget. She squealed and laughed and hissed (the thing she does now when she smiles and blows air out of her crinkly nose...it sounds like she is hissing). Her diaper swelled up like some fast-rising bread dough, and I totally didn't care that the sign said "no diapers in the pool unless wearing rubber pants." My daughter does not wear rubber pants. Nor will she ever. Period.

Anyway, Sunday, we got up and went to breakfast at a place called J. Christopher's. It was yummy. I had pumpkin pancakes. Our waitress was from Noblesville! Crazy, right? We had a great chat with her and headed out to the zoo. The Nashville Zoo is soooo pretty. The habitats for the animals are just so well designed and really, really cool. The Indy Zoo probably has more animals, but the Nashville Zoo was prettier to look at. The only thing I missed was the aquarium/dolphin show. I wish it would have had one of those. Other than that, it was a totally great place, and Noelle had a great time!

After the zoo, we went downtown. We had no idea the Titans had a home game, so it was pretty busy. We were on a mission to find this place called the Cupcake Collection. It was a bakery I had heard about. I love cupcakes and decided that we had to find it. Finally, we found it, and Luke enjoyed a sweet potato cupcake while I had a wedding cake cupcake. Soooo good. I wish we could have bought some to take home, but it was pretty warm outside that day. Melted cupcakes don't taste as good.

We ate at a place down by the water and listened to the football game. I guess a difference I noticed was if we were in Indy on a Colts home game Sunday, the restaurants/streets would be crawling with people in Colts jerseys, just trying to be close to the game. There was really no one walking around in a Titans jersey (for obvious reasons... haha), and we got right in to a restaurant that was literally a stone's throw away from the stadium.

After lunch, we walked down the streets and marveled at all the cowboy boot stores. We also loved walking by each bar...which seemed to have a spot in the front with an aspiring music artist singing away. It was fun to walk past each doorway and hear something different each time. It definitely was everything we thought Nashville would be.

We did make the trek to the Opryland area, just wanting to see the Grand Ole Opry and the hotel from the outside. They were still working on repairing the flood damage, so we couldn't get in at all. After that, we went back to the hotel to swim once more and then get ready for dinner.

We found a restaurant called Saffire in Franklin, TN. We enjoyed a really great dinner there. I loved that none of the tables/chairs/center pieces matched in this restaurant. It was really funky and dark and cool in there. Noelle slept most of the time, so we were able to enjoy a nice, long dinner. It was a great ending to a fun trip.

The next day, we were up before the sun and ready to head out. Our trip home was uneventful, though about 30 minutes before we were home, Noelle decided she was done with the trip and wanted to be out of the car. She cried the rest of the way home, but I suppose it was a small price to pay for how well she did the rest of the time.

Now it is back to the daily grind. {enter long-winded sigh here}

Weekend Getaway

In August, Luke and I decided that we would need a little mini vacation this fall. With the excitement and nervousness of the baby coming, me starting back at school, and Luke well into his third year of med school (but, hello....I do see a light, a very faint one, at the end of the long tunnel!), we knew that we would need some time alone to decompress.

We made reservations at the West Baden Springs Hotel in French Lick. It is very beautiful and has some awesome history. We arrived early Saturday afternoon, after we spent Friday night in Muncie at a Brian Regan show with all of Luke's family. He was super hilarious, and it really struck me that laughter is so therapeutic. I needed it really bad! I laughed so hard that my sides hurt, and I thought I might make myself go into labor.

Anyway -- we walked around West Baden in awe for a few hours, and then we went to dinner at their hotel restaurant, Sinclair's. WOW! It was great. Luke raved that it was the best salmon he had ever had. We got dessert, but we were too full to enjoy it at dinner so we took it back to our room for later.

After dinner, we tried our luck at the casino. I had never been before, and Luke had only been once. He was showing me the ropes of the slots, and at first we weren't winning anything and I didn't think it was that fun. THEN we won $40! I then got hooked, and we played some more until we won $50 more! We quit when we profited $60. We thought we were pretty smart for walking away with cash in our pockets.

We enjoyed our dessert back at the hotel while listening to a jazz musician. It was a great atmosphere, and we had a really special time.

Sunday morning, we got up, ate at an incredible breakfast buffet in the hotel, and then we went to our massage appointments! It was a couple massage, and we really enjoyed it! This was a full-on spa, complete with white robes and "tranquility rooms." It was a great experience, and we felt like movie stars by the end of it.

After our massages, we decided to head back to Indy. We had a beautiful drive home...watching the fall colors and discussing baby names the whole way home.

It was so wonderful to spend that quality time with Luke. He's the best (that's why I married him!).

Oh yeah, and I celebrated 17 weeks of pregnancy over the weekend, too!

Much-Needed Vacation!

Luke and I made a reservation at the West Baden Springs Hotel tonight. We both are already a little stressed with school and other things around the house, and we thought that the fall season would be the perfect time to get away for a couple of days. We have always wanted to visit the West Baden Springs Hotel in French Lick, and we thought, "Why not?" So, like Nike, we just did it...

We have a one night stay with an atrium view that includes a couples massage and a dinner reservation. Very excited!

The place truly looks amazing, and I can't wait to spend an entire relaxing fall weekend with my husband!

http://www.frenchlick.com

Check it out!

Vacation....Gone with the Wind!

We saved and planned and dreamt about our Kiawah Island vacation for nearly 6 months, and it was over in just seven short days! However, we made many memories, took tons of photos, and really enjoyed ourselves with Luke's family. 

It would be difficult to go back through and document each day's events, but I will try to do a summary.

The daily routine usually consisted of waking up around 8, eating breakfast (for me, it was the sugary cereal like Captain Crunch and Froot Loops that never, ever buy myself), then lounging around until 10. At that time, E and I especially would get our suits on and go to the pool. We would bake for a couple hours, come in around noon, eat some lunch, then head back out for the duration of the day. I enjoyed a few daiquiris by the pool (at $9 a pop, I will emphasize the word FEW), read the book "Divorce Party," and started on "Chasing Harry Winston." I am having trouble focusing on the second book, however. Maybe I will get more into it throughout the summer.

We would come back in around 5, shower, then relax or go on a bike ride until dinner. The dinners were my favorite parts of the night. Each couple/family took a night to prepare dinner for the rest of the group. The first night was Abe/E and "Love Shack Chicken." The second night was Seth/Liz and Taco Soup. The third night was CeCe/Clare/Marcia and Pork Chops. We took a night off when we went to Charleston and just really ate a bunch of junk food and ice cream. Luke and I cooked pasta with shrimp, asparagus, and bacon. YUM! The last night, Eric and Lisa treated us to seafood at the Charleston Crab House. It was fun seeing the couples in the kitchen together and preparing dinner with love.

On a couple nights, we played a lot of games like Apples to Apples, Mafia, "Wah," and other fun little "summer camp" games. We also did some shopping in Charleston and in the island's marketplace. I managed not to buy one single souvenir, however! In my old age, my favorite souvenirs are my photos of the trip. I don't need anything else if I have those.

We got to spend a lot of time with our nephews, Gus and Sol. It was so fun to see this vacation through their eyes, getting excited by water, sand, the ocean, alligators, etc. It's amazing how this Kiawah tradition has come full circle...from Eric and Lisa bringing their little ones to the island so many years ago, to now Seth and Liz bringing their little ones. I pray someday that Luke and I can do the same.

I didn't enjoy the 12 hour car ride home as much as I enjoyed the 4 hour plane trip there. However, being with Abe and E, we shared many laughs and had good conversation. 

We were so tired when we finally got home, but we are few skin shades darker and feel rested and ready for the rest of the summer! 

I can't post all 250 pictures that I took, but I can give a few of my favorites. Enjoy!

Before going out to dinner in Charleston

Luke when we watched the sunrise one morning

Beautiful sunrise

CeCe's world famous ugly face picture

Elizabeth and I eating lunch in Charleston

At the Airport!

Here I sit at the new Indianapolis Airport waiting for my flight to board to Atlanta! I am really excited (mildly nervous). One thing I love about airports is the gift shop! I just bought a book and Combos and bottled water. 

Today, I finished my 2nd year of school! I was actually pretty sad as I hugged each student goodbye today. You go through such an emotional roller coaster with your class when you are a teacher...especially an elementary teacher. You have a very strong love/hate relationship with each of your students. It was a neat moment for me today because I actually got to hug several of my former students who were "graduating" 5th grade today. It made me feel special that they sought me out and wanted to say "goodbye" to me. It's a big deal to be a 5th grader moving on to the middle school. I remember that time very vividly for me. We sang "Somewhere Out There" from Fival Goes West, and I remember bawling my eyes out, worried that I would never, ever see my friends again. Those same people ended up becoming friends that I still have today, but I didn't know the difference when I was 11. I guess I have never liked goodbyes!

I am looking forward to so much with regards to this vacation. I don't want to get ahead of myself, as I know that I will no doubt have too high expectations which will be physically impossible to live up to, so I just want to be calm and relaxed and ready for anything.

I can't wait to escape this 50 degree, rainy weather! Bring on the sun!

Lots Going On

Well, as I sit here on the eve of not only my last day of school but also the start of our Kiawah Island vacation, I feel overwhelmed, slightly frazzled, but really excited. I really don't like preparing for long trips. I always feel like I am forgetting something. Add to that the task of getting my room cleaned up and prepared for summer at school, and I am just an organizational disaster right now! However, my bags are packed for Kiawah, and Luke will be taking them with him as he hits the road in about an hour with Abe, E, and his Aunt Marcia. They will be driving through the night (pray for safe travels and ALERT drivers!), and I will be flying down by myself (ahhhhhh) tomorrow evening after school. I am always nervous before flights, but I am just trying not to think about it right now. I don't know which scares me more...flying, or the 90 minute layover in Atlanta by myself...either way, I am relying on faith and probably some good candy to get me through.

Since my last post, we watched CeCe cross the stage and receive her high school diploma from Wes-Del. It was surreal to be in that gym 6 years after our own graduation, and I really got thinking that it would be the last time we would be there for a good long while. No basketball games to watch, no more graduations or dances...it might be the end of an era. It was a great weekend, no less. Lots of family time, and of course time with our awesome nephews, Gus and Sol. They get bigger and cuter by the day, and we really are so blessed to have them enriching our lives. 

Luke and I successfully (if you can call it that) completed Level 3 of the 30 Day Shred with Jillian. HOLY COW it was ridiculous! If anyone out there is looking for a legitimate 20 minute workout that really gives results, it is the 30 Day Shred. We haven't done it for 30 consecutive days, but we have probably done it at least 4 times a week on average for a few weeks, and I can really see and feel a difference. It feels good to be back in shape, and I might even feel slightly LESS uncomfortable in my swimsuit on the beach! I have to keep at it and keep the long range goal in mind...to be healthy and fit so that I can be really healthy for the duration of my life, especially while I anticipate having children!

On that note, I am really looking forward to that day...I hope and pray that God's plan for us is for us to be parents. We are trying to listen and wait and be patient and ready...but until then, we are living for NOW! :-) 

Spring Break Summary

Well, here I sit on a Sunday morning....breakfast eaten, and I am thinking about my day. I have to get to church, grade a zillion papers that I neglected over the last week of freedom, take a shower, print some things for school, and get my meals planned for the next week. I am feeling reflective...and, I can't believe it, but I am feeling excited for the remaining 2 months of school.

I am so inspired by people, and I really have a renewed enthusiasm for my career as a teacher, and I am prepared to get my kids as ready as possible for 5th grade. We are writing research reports, reviewing for ISTEP, and reading a couple of novels this month. I have lots of ideas, and I am ready to get going again!

However, I would be lying if I said I didn't enjoy this past week of freedom. I woke up when I wanted, I didn't spend $100 on gas, I ate out with friends a lot, I got my hair cut, and I spent invaluable time with Luke. But...I do know that this is not reality. I have to work. I have to be productive. I have to keep moving. 

I have thought a lot about our baby this week. With not very much to do, I allowed my mind to wander and reminisce about "what might have been." Do I enjoy this? No....but is it necessary for healing? Yes. I can now think about what happened and not cry. I can remember the blank ultrasound and recount every memory without going hysterical. I can look forward to the future without fear. At dinner on Thursday with Allison & Nikki in Dayton, I shared some memories of pregnancy that I hadn't shared with anyone....and it was nice to actually acknowledge that yes....I was pregnant for at least a little while....and I should be allowed to talk about it. I talked this week....friends listened....and I am moving forward.

Friday night, I was blessed to spend time with my dear friends Candace, Megan, Alicia, and Allison, and we all got to spend time with Brayden (Candace's 1 month old baby) and Lachlan and Kamden (Megan's 6 week and 3 year old children). It was so much fun to see all of them....I miss having my friends as a part of my day to day to life, but I do know that no matter how much time/distance goes between, we will always be connected. This is the essence of friendship, I believe.

At the same time, Luke was able to do some guy stuff with Nick & Chris...watching games and relaxing. I am happy that Luke's life can also be enriched by friends.

Saturday morning, we got up early to go to Indy's west side to clean up an elderly lady's home as part of a med school community service initiative. We planted flowers, mulched, cleaned up trash, raked leaves and sticks, pulled weeds, and really gave her yard a facelift. She was pleased, and we felt really accomplished. Helping people is just such an amazing experience. 

So, I didn't go to Florida or go on a cruise this past week, but I rested, relaxed, healed, had fun, and renewed my energy for the remaining 2 months of school. Life is good, we are blessed, and I couldn't be happier than I am in this moment!

CHICAGO!

For my 24th birthday, Luke surprised me with a trip to Chicago! Since our honeymoon a year ago, we haven't "gone away" together. I would have settled for a weekend in a hotel in Indy, but he took it a step further! We had a WONDERFUL time together. The weather was beautiful, and we got to do so many fun things. We went to Shedd Aquarium, we walked along Michigan Avenue, we went to the Museum of Science & Industry, we spent a long time at Navy Pier, went to the planetarium, and our favorite attraction was the architectural boat cruise. We took it about 5:00 p.m., and it lasted over an hour. We traveled down the Chicago river with a wonderful guide who pointed out all of the beautiful buildings and the history behind them. It was very fun to spend a summer night on the water. 

We stayed at the Hotel Congress, a beautiful historic hotel! Fast forward four months, and Barack Obama's acceptance speech and celebration was held in the park right in front of the hotel. We of course got our picture taken at "The Bean," and we enjoyed some Chicago food. Overall, it was a wonderful trip that provided a ton of memories for us!

Gorgeous view, gorgeous day!

On a Water Taxi ride to Navy Pier...Luke is wearing my sunglasses by the way. 

On the ferris wheel at Navy Pier

Buckingham Fountain at night

Our vintage, yet modern, room

Birthday donut!

The Bean (which is incredibly difficult to get a picture in front of)

White Water Rafting

We had the best weekend White Water Rafting in Tennessee! I can't believe I was actually convinced to do it, but I am really glad that I did. I had these horrible visions of falling out of the boat and dying in a rapid, but it didn't happen and it was so much fun. It was also a great bonding experience with the family. What better way to get close to your family than to go down a river with Olympic grade rapids?

It was a beautiful day, and we enjoyed the sun as we got our equipment and watched a demo on how not to kill ourselves. The main thing I noted was to never let go of the paddle! The guys were definitely PUMPED to do this...the girls were a little apprehensive and cautious, but we all handled it like champs.

Apparently some of the rapids we went through were used in the Atlanta Olympics. To be honest, I didn't think they were that hard to handle (maybe I missed my calling...). Our guide was really good and fun. There were only a couple times when we all got bounced out of our seats into the middle of the boat. Thankfully we fell IN instead of OUT!

Overall, a great weekend, despite the HORRIBLE car ride home because Elizabeth and I got quite sick from our breakfast. Don't ever, ever eat at a Waffle House....enough said!

Luke showing off his muscles

The boys were really into showing their legs

We were all feeling a little crazy

YAY for White Water Rafting