Haircut and Other Things

We haven't been all that busy since coming back to Hometown, USA. Yesterday AJ and I went on a little Mama-Daughter lunch date and got some real, honest-to-goodness, hometown food. It was wonderful.

AJ has been waking up super early for whatever reason, so we're all a little tired. She was so tired yesterday that she almost fell asleep in the car on the way to lunch. I'll tell you, I did not have high hopes for how lunch was going to go with a sleepy toddler, but it was great. We were there early enough that it wasn't very crowded, plus its not a sit-down restaurant, so we didn't have to wait around forever for a waiter to come and take our order, bring us our food, etc.

We had another early wake-up again this morning, so when I noticed AJ was laying down on the floor with her blankie watching TV, I knew it was about time for nap. I'm actually pleasantly surprised with how well she's been doing since she is so tired. I guess I'm kind of hoping that this will continue through until next week when we make the drive home. Maybe she'll be so tired by that point that she'll nap the whole way home. Wishful thinking.

As for me, I'm excited. We have a big, fun, busy weekend planned! I'm starting things off right by getting my first haircut in a long time(since AJ was a newborn?). I think I'm going to do something drastic. I'm ready for a change. Plus, anything other than a trim would be drastic based on how long my hair is now. After my hair cut, we're heading to the in-laws for dinner. Tomorrow morning AJ and I have a breakfast date with one of my roommates from college who lives in the area. We're going to the best breakfast place around, so I'm definitely looking forward to that.

I'm planning on getting my hair cut like one of these ladies below. What do you think?

I like the length of LC's cut without the bangs, though.

Heidi's hair looks great, but mine will never stay styled like this.

I like the way Jenn has her's styled in this picture.

Gwyneth's hair is most likely what mine would end up looking like. We have the same hair "type."

My sister is also making the trek home for the weekend so she can spend some time with us while we're here, even though we'll see her next month in sunny FL. The plan for Saturday afternoon is to take AJ to the Children's Museum now that she is actually old enough to enjoy everything. Following that, we're going to order pizza from the neighborhood joint infamously known as "Little I." (Short for "Little Italian.")

Sunday we have another busy day planned, we're going to hang around in the morning, but then after nap we're going to head into the city to go to the Auto Show and then have dinner at my cousin's house. He and his wife have a baby who is about 8 months old now and the last time I saw her, she was a newborn! Crazy how time flies, especially with little ones!

That's the big excitement around these parts! I'll be back Monday to update on the weekend, hopefully with lots of pictures (if I remember to charge my camera tonight) of everything, including the new hair cut!

Bloggy BFF Meet-Up!

I didn't really mention it before, but AJ and I are on a little road-trip of sorts. Its the same one we make about every six months or so, we drive from our house to my Aunt and Uncle's house, stay a few days, see all my grandparents and relatives and then drive the rest of the way on to my parent's house. We're going to be in Hometown, USA for about a week before we head back to our house to welcome the man home from the field.

Well, last time I was here I took AJ out for Skyline Chili and ice cream at Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams as a Mama-baby date. This time we had an extra person on our date with us. My bloggy BFF, Moe, is back in town and she met up with us for a late lunch and ice cream yesterday! We had tons of fun, we chatted, we laughed, we wrangled AJ, we shared food!

We were both laughing because we told our significant others that we were going to meet a relative stranger and neither of them really seemed all that concerned for our safety. ;) We both said we were glad that we aren't axe murderers or something!

The three of us at Jeni's.

It was so much fun to finally meet Moe in real life, and I hope that I get another chance to come through town again so we can expand past Skyline Chili!

After eating ice cream (in the dead of winter, mind you) I realized that we were close to the neighborhood and house I lived in as a little girl (from ages 3-5) so I drove past it and took a picture of it for my parents to see. I was lucky that there was a For Sale sign in the front yard, otherwise I would have felt like a huge creep!

My old house. I promise there is a "For Sale" sign just to the left of the picture. ;)

I also have AbbyDog with me on this trip, and she has been making herself feel right at home at my Aunt and Uncle's house. So much so, that my Uncle had her doing tricks last night for a little snack before dinner.

AbbyDog doing tricks.

Abby, right at home. Jumped up and sat at the kitchen table before dinner.

We have another day here before we hit the road again. Tomorrow we are going to see my mom's parents and a cousin of mine who still lives in this area. It should be interesting.

The Post-Christmas Travel-Fest

I've mentioned a few times that we went out of town right after Christmas and were gone through New Year's Day. We went to visit my in-laws for a few days in Hometown, USA and then we make the trek across a few states to attend a wedding of some of our best friends (D was the best man). This was one of the first weddings that we have ever taken AJ to (the first was my cousin's wedding in September) and she was fairly well-behaved.

We knew that this wedding would be a fun one, not only because it took place on New Year's Eve, but also because we have a lot of mutual friends with the bride and groom, and both of our families were invited to the wedding as well. We saw old friends from when we were all stationed at Ft. Hood together. The Ft. Hood group was a crazy, fun group. We were all around the same age, none of us had kids yet and the guys were all freshly back from Iraq. We did lots of drinking and eating out, BBQing and nights at the comedy club in Austin. It was great to see everyone again and get to meet the kiddos! ;)

As for the wedding itself, AJ didn't last very long since the ceremony started at her usual dinner time. AJ and I, along with my friend Nickie's son (who just turned 2) and her hubby Mike spent the ceremony in the back room and then headed over to the reception site. AJ enjoyed "looking" at the sparkly ornaments on the HUGE Christmas tree during the cocktail hour. She also enjoyed walking around the reception hall carrying her purse. She basically thought the crowd was there to see her and she was loving it. It was hilarious.

Walking around with "Mimi" (my mom) and her purse.

The centerpieces that looked just like the ball in Times Square!

My brother and his girlfriend.

Looking at the sparkly ornaments with Grandpa (my FIL).

My sister and her boyfriend.

One of the highlights from the night was when we were sitting at the table eating our salads and we looked over at AJ, sitting quietly in her chair, spoon-feeding herself ranch dressing.

Me and my girl at dinner.

AJ with the bride and groom.

Somewhere between the salad course and the main course AJ completely lost her cool and I decided that it was time to head back to the hotel with my Aunt-In-Law (? D's Aunt) and put Miss AJ to bed. We hopped on the shuttle and I put AJ right to bed when we got back. I dropped off the monitor and room key with D's Aunt and caught the shuttle bus back to the reception with Nickie.

It was about that time that things got out of control, in a good way. It was a long night, so to shorten this post up a bit, the evening included lots of vodka tonics, red velvet cake, cigars, party hats, noise makers, vodka shots with new friends, silly pictures, inappropriate dance moves and so much more.

When I look back at the evening I consider myself lucky that I felt decent enough Sunday morning to successfully navigate a 1.5 hour car ride to the airport for a noon o'clock flight on New Year's Day with an almost 2 year old. What the eff was I thinking? Ha! In all reality, I'm glad I didn't worry about it and let myself have a fun night out with my hubby and friends. I'm sure I'd feel differently if I had felt worse on Sunday, though. Maybe its an omen for how the rest of 2012 will go. That would be nice.

Army-Navy Weekend

We had such a fun time in Washington, D.C. for Army-Navy weekend!

D got off work early so we were able to leave here mid-afternoon. That meant we weren't too late getting in, and the boys (ages 5 & 3) were awake and waiting for Miss AJ to arrive! The three kiddos played until almost 11 when we finally put AJ down and crashed ourselves.

AJ did not nap on Friday and was over-tired from no nap and staying up late so she did not sleep well at all the first night we were there. She and I were sharing a room, so I was VERY tired Saturday from her waking me up over and over!

Saturday morning the kids played after we had breakfast and then we got everyone dressed and ready for the day's events. We took the Metro into the city, where D, his friend, and W, their older boy went to the game while the girls and PJ, the younger boy, went to the Smithsonian Natural History museum! Yep, there were two Mamas and 3 kids at the museum (we had a double stroller and a wheelchair we were pushing around--people were moving out of our way!). We were a little outnumbered, but it was very fun!

I was a terrible blogger and I literally only took 1 picture the entire time we were at the museum. My friend took some pictures of the kids and things, but I haven't gotten them from her yet, so maybe I'll post them when I get them!

AJ was so funny at the museum. She had certain things that she would focus on and she didn't want to move forward to see other exhibits, she just wanted to stay where she was. The first time this happened we were in the room with all the skeletons and bones. She found funny chairs and just wanted to sit there and hang out. Later she got hung up on the actual map of the exhibits that was situated at the beginning of where all the taxidermied animals were. Once we got her moving again she went crazy for the animals, but she really liked the sign! Ha! Kids are so funny sometimes.

As I'm sure you know, Army lost (again--10 years in a row, WOW). Its okay, the guys had tons of fun and it was really just great to be able to spend time with our good friends again! The last time we saw their kids was PJ's baptism in 2009, and they saw AJ when she was about 3 months old, so its been a while! It was also the first time the boys and AJ had met. They had so much fun playing together and AJ was walking around the house yelling out PJ's name Saturday night! So cute!

We got up Sunday morning and drove home. Its not too far, so we were able to get home by mid-afternoon and put AJ down for a nap to try and catch her up on some of the sleep she missed this weekend with all the fun and excitement!

All in all, it was a great weekend and I think we're both hoping that we'll be able to get back up to D.C. again and spend some time actually touring the city, going to the monuments and doing all the touristy stuff! I know I haven't done that in years and would love to go back and see it all again as an adult.

Guess What?!?!

Now that D is back to work and things are starting to settle down around these parts, I figured I'd let you all in on how our weekend went.

First off, guess what I did this weekend. Or rather, what I didn't do.

I didn't take any pictures.

Perhaps that is a fail on my part, but I thoroughly enjoyed not having to lug my camera or phone around with me 24/7. I just enjoyed the holiday, friends, neighbors, and family. How's that for fun?!


Our neighborhood is situation around a private lake and part of our homeowners' association dues pay for a private 4th of July firework show, so on the 3rd, we decided to have a little impromptu block party on our street and wrap it up by watching the fireworks that were being shot off from the dock.


The best part about our street is that we're almost exactly directly across the lake from the dock, so the fireworks were basically shot off right down the street. We had a great view and we didn't even have to leave the yard!

The party on the other hand. Oh, the party.


To say that it got out of hand would probably be an understatement. It was so much fun though!

We started at about 5 by rolling the grills out to the street and bringing out lots of food, and more importantly, beer. There are 7 houses on our cul-de-sac that people live in, plus 2 more that aren't finished, but the new residents came to the party anyway.


Everyone was out and all the kids were running around in various states of undress. Nothing says, "Let's party!" like butt-nekkid kiddos running around!


After grilling, eating, drinking, and partying all evening, the fireworks started.


I did something I NEVER do. I let AJ stay up past her bedtime to watch the fireworks. She was doing pretty well, she had a late nap and seemed to be enjoying playing with all the other kids, so I let her stay up. Then we got to the point where it seemed silly to try and put her down before the fireworks, so she watched them in my lap. She did so well!

After the fireworks ended, I took her straight upstairs and she went down almost immediately.


I was glad she went down so easily, because lots of the adult neighbors were heading down to the vacant lot to float in the lake and have a bonfire. I put my suit on, grabbed the baby monitor and off I went to join the fun!


There were about 10 of us floating around on noodles, drinking beers and watching all the houses across the lake set off fireworks. It was a fabulous end to a fabulous night! When I'd had enough water, I got out and stood by the bonfire to dry off/warm up for a while. Then we headed back up to our house and chatted until after 0100!

You know its a great party when it doesn't break up until after 1!

I think part of the reason it was so much fun was because no one had to worry about driving home, since we all live on the same street! I just have to say that I'm very glad we live where we do and have such great neighbors.

All the neighbors for one last picture before the fireworks started!

**In case you're wondering why I said that I didn't take any pictures and then posted a bunch, my lovely neighbor took all these. ;)

The Wedding

This post will be very picture heavy. I apologize in advance, but you've been warned!

MBD, me and Sirrah (the bride) the night before the wedding.

These two girls were the first friends I made in college. MBD was literally the first person I met. Its kind of fun to look back at the pictures and stuff from the beginning of freshman year of college and see how far we've come!

MBD, me and Bert at the brewery.

A few interesting things you should know about me and my college roommates.

1. There are 7 of us. We can be very overwhelming.

Me and MBD (we apparently love to take pictures together).

2. Yes, all 7 of us lived in the same house, for 2 years! Before that we all (except one) lived on the same floor of the dorms together.

MBD, Pants, and Shel at the brewery.

3. We love each other. A lot. We love taking pictures. We love telling the same stories and inside jokes. We love talking. All at the same time. See overwhelming.

The NASCAR cooler and stone-washed jean shorts. A perfect match!

4. Each time one of us gets married we take it as a personal invitation to leave the other husbands at home and stay all together in a room, sleepover style. We also take it as a personal invitation to drink lots of beer and get offended when there are others invited to the wedding.

Pants, Linus, and Bert hanging out in the hotel on Friday night.

5. We have obnoxious nicknames for each other and only use them when referring to or speaking to each other.

Linus, Bert, MBD, Pants, and Shel hangin'.

6. We have some other friends from college who didn't live with us (boys) and they were ironically at this wedding too (Sirrah's new hubby lived with them in a big house).

MBD and me before the wedding.

7. I'm not sure how we all managed to live together without killing each other.

Shel, Linus, Bert and Me waiting out the rain before the ceremony.

8. We all talk about each other behind everyone's backs, but its okay, because its expected.

Me and Bert waiting for the ceremony to start.

9. We're the type of friends who can always pick up where we left off, no matter how long its been, without any awkwardness whatsoever.

The kiss!

10. We always want separate checks at restaurants, no matter what.

All the roomies!

11. We have a pose that we always do for pictures. Its the one right above this text. ^

Me and Sirrah on her wedding day!

12. Its still crazy to me to think that some people just lived with their roommates, while we created life-long, incredibly close friendships with each other.

The first dance as husband and wife.

13. Our husbands don't get it. True story: Pants once told her hubby (fiance at the time) that she was excited about seeing her roommates and he told her that he was her roommate. For us the term "roommate" is not so much a classification or a position, but a name. The boys just don't understand. I'm not sure they ever will.

Roomies at the reception.

14. We are cray-cray. Obvs. And I love them. The end.

Shel, Jacob, Tony, and honorary roomie Brittney* at wedding after-hours!

You know what the absolute best part of the weekend is? This girl comes today to visit for the week! I'm so excited to see her again and spend some one on one time with my girl!

Shel!!!

Shel and I weren't super close while we were in school, but after graduation, we moved to the big citay and started hanging out a ton. She was one of my bridesmaids and has been my go-to girl ever since our days meeting for cocktails after work and spending our Saturdays watching movies. We've been through a lot together and she is irreplaceable in my life. I can't wait to spend time with her and just hang for a week.

*Honorary Roomie Brittany is not really a roomie, but stayed in the hotel with us because she didn't have her own room.

Get In Mah Belly!

If you've been reading my {lack of} posts lately, you know that AJ and I are about to embark on a semi cross-country drive back to Hometown, USA for a little family time with my grandparents, a wedding, sleepovers with AJ's grandparents, dinner with relatives, and ohhhh, dinner with the relatives.

FIL, are you listening?

I need me some homemade gravy, pasta, meatballs, sausage, and maybe some manicotti and garlic bread.

Please notice that I said NEED, not want. I NEED someone to make me a delicious, multi-course, homemade Italian meal.

Oh, I also need to get some real Hometown, USA food while I'm home too.

You can bet that I'm going to make every effort to eat at Skyline Chili when I stop in Ohio to visit my grandparents. Also, at bloggy BFF Moe's urging, I'm going to hook myself up to an IV of eat some Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream as well.

I don't even consider Columbus, OH to be my hometown (although I did live there for several years as a youngster). I have lots (and lots) of family there and my parents grew up there though, so its kind of a second hometown for me (or third, but that's another story).

Also, in case it wasn't clear, I equate food with happiness. A visit home isn't complete without at least trip to the best hotdog restaurant ever, or a sandwich (complete with hot peppers) from Potbelly. Don't even get me started on pizza. Oh, pizza. How I miss you when I'm gone.

Sidenote: I'm sure other cities have pizza as well. Its just not the same. Let's not get into a debate on whether Windy City pizza or Big Apple pizza is better. Just agree to disagree, k? Mmmk!

So folks, to wrap up the story, I'm going home to eat. I will most likely return to the land of eternal summer a good 20 5 pounds heavier than when I leave here next week. I'm also going to drink. Lots. I am going to a bachelorette party and a wedding sans bebe, I mean, what do you expect?

I just hope I don't gain too much to fit back in the car at the end of the trip! ;)

My Memorial Day Weekend

The entire weekend was a complete whirlwind!

Amidst thunderstorms, my family arrived in town on Friday afternoon. I had planned on grilling bratwurst and enjoying a nice afternoon/evening outside, but since the weather was not cooperating we moved the party indoors! We still grilled, but instead of hanging outside we enjoyed lots of cocktails inside.

My mom and I made an appetizer for our party we were throwing on Saturday night and we really just enjoyed being all together.

AJ hanging out with her uncles!

Saturday we got up, made a big breakfast and then some of us hopped in the car and headed to post to check out the memorial, a museum, and some of the planes on the Air Force base. My family likes that sort of thing, so it was a nice way to spend the morning. We came back and the boys all went to the beach while my mom and I started cooking! We hosted an engagement party for D's best friend and his new fiance who got engaged this weekend. (You can read all about the recipes on my food blog, This American Kitchen.)

The party was a huge success! D's friend knew that we were planning this party, but his new fiance did not, so when she came in and realized that the party was for her, she was very excited! I was glad we were able to pull it off and that everyone had a good time.

Sunday started slowly after the partying from the night before, but as soon as we decided that we wanted to go to the lake, people started moving! We even took AJ over to cool off a little bit. She continues to think she can swim and tries to dive face first into the water, which makes me incredibly nervous. Luckily she doesn't seem to be fazed, so I guess we'll have to find her some swim lessons!

After some time playing at the lake and in the sand, we came home and stripped her down and let her play in her little plastic pool in the backyard to get some of the sand off of her. I got some of the cutest nekkid baby pictures ever! She just loves water, she can't get enough of it!

Swimming in the backyard!

We were all exhausted Sunday night and I was all cooked out after making all the food for the party on Saturday, so we ordered Chinese food and sat around and relaxed. We played in the yard for a while and my brother, sister, brother-in-law, Dad and sister's boyfriend all walked down the street to the vacant lot to get back in the lake.

Memorial Day began with pancakes and bacon and then we decided to check out the neighborhood pool for an hour before the fam had to hop in the car and head to the airport. We had a nice time sitting in the sunshine and tossing the frisbee around. AJ had to stay home because she needed a nap, but D and I took her back right before dinner so she could swim around a little bit. I think that AJ and I are probably going to try and go at least a few times a week to get out of the house for an hour or so.

All in all, we had a great weekend! We hosted a successful engagement party and had a great time spending quality time with my family. Its always sad to see them go, but I know that AJ and I will be back in Hometown, USA soon for a wedding, and we'll get to see them all again then!

How was your holiday weekend? How did you spend your time?

Happy Birthday, AbbY!

Today is my friend AbbY's birthday. We went to college together and lived together for 3 of the 4 years there.

AbbY and my sister, Abby at my bachelorette party.

Me, Lindsay, Mary and AbbY in college.

Me and AbbY at my bachelorette party.

Me, AbbY and Mary in Texas.

Lindsay, AbbY and me in college.

AbbY and Mandy in "our" bar at our latest college roommate reunion.

Even though we live far away and don't get to see each other that often, I want you all to know that she's pretty awesome!

AbbY being goofy.

AbbY, Lindsay, Mandy, me and Abbie at Lindsay's parent's house a few years back.

Me and AbbY at my bachelorette party. I think I was saying, "NO! Don't pour me more sangria!"

AbbY and me at Mandy's wedding.