I sometimes feel like that, when the boss is away (T is out of town), I seem to slack more on the job. I start kinda leaving things laying around, I am little slow getting a dish in the dishwasher and I avoid the necessary chores until he gets back (such as bathrooms). I guess it is like this in any job. Not that I need to be micro-managed because I don't work well under those conditions either. But I think I am more motivated when T is here and working so hard in his office to also work hard to pull my weight. And here I am blogging in my PJ's watching the clock so that I get to the gym on time. I am meeting up with Amber - a local BFF that I haven't seen or caught up with in a while - at her place for salads and pool! Ahh, tough life! The toughest part? Remembering the raft!
The dream log is still pretty crazy. I had a dream last night (or may have been this morning) that incorporated a couple of my recurring themes. I was at the airport with my Dad, SMom, T and Tay (I think, at one point, my Mama and Papa where there too). I felt like we were running late because we were all kinda rushing around. T was talking to Michelle (Tay's Mom) on one of those sit down phone booths. I guess she wanted to talk to Tay. So Tay got on the phone and I could feel the anxiety that we were running late. Somehow, I ended up going on through security but, before I could, the lady at the security chair wanted my ticket - an ACTUAL ticket, not my boarding pass. I couldn't find what she needed but she said that she could look it up by my luggage tag number (she called it a tracking number).
Dad was going through security with me. We were kinda cutting in line since we didn't need any of the buckets for our stuff. Somehow during this whole process, I had asked my SMom how much time we had before the flight left and she said 20 minutes. Dad and I rushed through and started running down to the gate. I don't know what we thought we could accomplish by getting there before everyone else - but this is a dream!
As we were running down the terminal, there were glass windows all around and you could plainly see out of the far window that we were running towards - a perfectly formed tornado (this is a recurring dream for me...being in a glass structure with tornados around me). We quickly turned around and started running back the other way to get away from the glass windows. You could see to the sides of us other funnel clouds and things being picked up off the ground. We ran even harder. That's when we heard a huge crash and looked in front of us. A fireball was making its way down the hallway so we were trapped. I threw myself on my Dad to protect him and the fire went right over us. I woke up.
It was still dark outside when I woke up so I tried drifting back off to sleep. Usually I can't continue a dream at that point. Once I break it, I can't return to it. But this time I did. Dad, SMom, T, Tay and I were all in the airport. I think Jackson was there too - he definitely was later in the dream. We had found our gate right in time but then I had to go to the bathroom. I was sitting on the toilet and felt like I drifted off to sleep or something. Because all of a sudden I jolted off the seat and realized that a lot of time had passed! I quickly washed my hands (in a very odd sink) and headed back out to the gate. When I exited the bathroom, the airport was almost empty - especially our gate. Dad and SMom had gone on. T and Tay stayed behind waiting for me.
I was completely freaking out and crying that I made us miss the plane. Especially since I didn't know what had happened in the bathroom. T and Tay didn't seem too concerned. We started to walk back out of the airport - I assumed that we were going to find an airport hotel to stay in until we could catch a flight the next day. Somehow we made friends with a family that was standing out there. They were really nice and taught Jackson (see? He turned out to be there too) how to walk on his back legs. Then I woke up.
I keep reading that the hormones and the amp'd up emotions cause pregnant women to have strange, vivid dreams. The thing is, I have ALWAYS had VERY vivid dreams - in color, with distinct smells, etc. And now they are just that much more intense. Several times over the past couple of months I have awoken crying - my pillow wet. Or laughing out loud! Which happened last week! It is pretty bizarre but, with the length of these dreams, I feel like every night is a full feature film.
Wanna interpret my dream from last night?
I guess that's it for the housewife. A quick note on the apple seed blog and maybe I will actually vacuum a little. =P
Friday, July 17, 2009
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Home Sweet Home
Well, we made it back (and survived) our July 4 trip home to Louisville. I must say it was quite the busy one and we are very wiped out but it was so much fun and I already miss everyone so much!
We told Tay about her "big sister" surprise Tuesday night - the night before we left. I was super nervous about telling her but she was very excited at the news. We bought her a "Big Sister" T shirt and her Aunt Lauren made her a "Big Sis" bracelet. We put these items in a bag and let her open it before bed. Since she can't read yet, Daddy helped her sound out what was written on her T Shirt. She kinda looked confused at first until Daddy finally explained to her that I had a baby in my belly. She made the cutest facial expression and then came over to tell me something about her cousin Aubrey. I had no idea what she was talking about so I finally asked her if she was happy. She nodded excitedly! I took video of all of this but turned it off at that moment so that I could give her a big hug. From that point on, I (or rather my stomach) was the HIT of her world! I was treated like a celebrity by a five year old! Not to mention all of the helpful tips and advice that she extended - including my need for a hooter hider. This from a five year old.
Thursday morning was a very early morning and, after my usual restless night of sleep, the alarm at 4 AM was very unwelcoming. We had to get up, get ready, strip the bed linens, take care of the babies, wake Tay, dress Tay, pack the car and leave the house no later than 5:30 in order to make it to the PHX airport by 7. This is a tough job especially - did I mention earlier - when you are on NO sleep!!
Tay did great and really got going pretty fast. I already had clothes laid out for her and she quickly decided how she wanted her hair for the day. We headed out right at 5:30 and I must say I was very impressed. Until we hit I-10. That's when T asked me - did you get my toiletry bag? Now T took a shower after me so I didn't put his toiletry bag in the suitcase figuring he would need to use it for his shower. Well, I guess he assumed I was going to take care of the packing of the toiletry bag even though I was busy trying to get Tay going. Long story short, we had to turn the car around to go back and get the toiletry bag. This began a little stress for me because the exit after our exit is quite a ways up the road for a turn around. I was afraid this mess up was going to make us late for our flight.
When we got back to the house, I ran in and grabbed the bag. As luck would have it, I had left my cell phone sitting next to the toiletry bag so it was good that we went back. I scooped my life line up and headed back out the door.
It was such a nice morning. Still pretty dark when we left with a nice light monsoon shower starting. This light monsoon shower turned into full monsoon madness as we headed up I-10 towards PHX. Another little stress knot to add to the collection in my chest! But we made it to the airport with time remaining to pick up a little breakfast.
When we landed in Louisville and walked out of the airport I was pleasantly surprised by the beautiful weather! The temps were perfect and the humidity non-existent with that awesome smell of cut grass and Kentucky rain! If I believed in a heaven, this would be it! Mom pulled up to the curb and we all gave our hello hugs. She commented how I didn't even really look pregnant - just a small bump of sorts. Remember that comment later when she says otherwise for the send off! Anyway, off we went to their house for some dinner and visiting!
We stayed that night at Mom's - Tay loves her room there with the vanity, lip gloss and nail polish. We didn't see her for a good couple of hours while she played dress up and make up! Mom and John made chicken on the grill along with a bunch of veggies which is what I dived into! After dinner we all crashed and looked forward to Six Flags the next day.
Well, what they say about the weather in Kentucky is true - if you don't like it today, wait until tomorrow and it will be different. Well, the next day (Thursday), it was very chilly (which is VERY odd for July in Louisville) and rainy. Looks like we would have to alternate plans for Six Flags. I was hoping Tay wouldn't be too disappointed since we made it such a big thing the night before. But, after she woke up at NOON, I explained to her it may be a little too cold for water rides and recommended Incredible Dave's which is a fun kid place with jungle gym, bumper cars and games. She was all for it!!!
Speaking of all for it, Tay LOVED Grandma Carolyn's bathtub! It is a garden tub with jacuzzi type jets. Jets + bubbles = tons of fun for Tay. Take a look:
With an audience
Bubble girl!
We had a great time at Incredible Dave's. Last year when we went, I was crawling through the obstacle courses and sliding down inflatable slides. I opted out this year which left Daddy in the trenches. He hung in there for a bit until Tay told him goodbye. She had made a friend in the obstacle course so she didn't need Daddy to entertain her anymore. Even though he was definitely entertaining us! Our pics aren't all organized yet so I don't have any to really share at this time of Incredible Dave's.
Thursday night we went back and had a laid back evening and a light dinner which included fried green tomatoes and potato soup. Hey, we don't eat very healthy in the south folks!
Friday we met my cousin Kristin for lunch at a Cuban restaurant. Enjoying another nice, cool day, we sat outside. It was so nice catching up with her. We have always been close but, with her busy schedule and my distance, haven't been able to chat in a while. Of course she was as beautiful and awesome as ever. What's new there! =]
After lunch we headed to the most intimidating, scary store in the western world - Babys R Us. Mom really wanted to help us get started with our registry - at least that's what she said. I think she more just wanted to be humored watching me stare aimlessly at a bunch of baby crap that I know nothing about! Our first stop was the registry desk. Thankfully they give you a list of more crap than you could possibly need or could fit in an average sized home! Of course! How else could they build these stores bigger than a mall?
We started down an aisle with a five year old mom and a scan gun. First stop, "travel systems" or what I would call elaborate strollers with lots of buttons and some great cup holders! I swear we were in this area alone for a good hour. I was so confused and, since I have never needed or had one of these gadgets before, wasn't sure what features I wanted or didn't want. I knew I wanted cup holders for the cold beers at festivals and what not. Other than that, I don't know.
Finally we moved on when I just couldn't wrap my head around it anymore. But it didn't get any better. Next stop "pack n plays." Ummm, what? Again I had no clue what these things were or why we needed them until T helped me put it in perspective. When we want to have beer Sunday's on the back patio but need to watch cashew at the same time, in comes the pack n play. Sold. I picked one out that I thought was "cute" but T informed me that there is more to it than that. How easy is it to take down and "pack" away? If only we rolled video on T taking the pack n play off the shelf and testing the take down methods. Of course, after several minutes pulling and tugging, a simple read of the directions had it down in no time. Our first gun scanned item.
Then came the swings and bouncy things - again, no clue why you would need both but whatev. Scan away. Finally, after my nerves were shot and my brain thoroughly confused, we decided to look at the bedding I picked out. Ahhh, something I can understand. Bedding. Although I scanned our bedding kit, I will probably take it off the registry and buy it myself. I will want that bedding kit when the crib arrives so who am I kidding? Other than that, a few "onesies", "receiving" blankets and something that looks like a baby straight jacket was all scanned. Time started to run behind and we needed to get to Dad's for our evening entertainment.
A couple of pics from our first BRU experience:
After arriving at Dad's, we all piled into the PT Cruiser (one of Tay's fave cars) and headed to Skyline Chili. Since we don't have Skyline in Tucson, I couldn't wait to have my old regularly ordered item from there - black bean burrito deluxe (which doesn't actually have any of their famous chili in it but I love the abundance of cheese they give you and the taste of their hot sauce). We had a great time while watching some pretty crazy looking people walking down Bardstown Road. Geez I miss my home!!! There is just so much to do and see.
We left Skyline to head to the baseball game. Once we arrived, Dad found an awesome parking spot right in front of the stadium. We headed to the ticket window to find out it was sold out - standing room only. After a brief discussion, we decided that three hours of standing up wasn't going to be in the cards for us. Being the awesome city Louisville is, there was a huge concert and festival going on at Waterfront which is walking distance (actually spitting distance) from the stadium.
They had a huge area for kids to play which Tay enjoyed a lot. Pics to come I hope. There were inflatables, mini golf and other fun stuff to play on. We went from there into the concert area where I saw a bunch of my buddies from the ol' Axxis days. That was so awesome! I was so glad to run into them. Then we found a seat on these huge concrete steps, listened to some (bad) country music and waited for the fireworks to begin.
We started walking towards the car about 10 minutes before the fireworks began which was a great plan to try and beat the mob. The fireworks were nothing compared to Thunder Over Louisville (which some girl behind us kept mentioning in the best potty mouth she could muster) but it was nice nonetheless.
After the festival and boom booms, we headed on over to Dad's where we stayed the night. The next day was the 4th of July. This is Dad and Twila's big event - this year was the 20th anniversary. We kinda hung out during the day and dodged the raindrops in order to play with 3D sidewalk chalk. That evening, the whole gang rushed in which consists of Twila and Dad's family. Twila's sister made Tay a quilt with an area on it people could sign. It was so nice and Tay was really excited about it. She took it upon herself to ask everyone to sign her quilt. It was sweet.
The night went late with lots of fireworks (black market fireworks) from my cousin. He is the one we count on every year to bring the heavy arsenal. It's funny as the night progresses, you sound like you are in a war zone. There are fireworks going off all around you in the neighborhood. Some with the squeal of a mortar and others that sound like missiles hitting a small building! Dad mentioned that a couple of them may have been meth labs exploding. We all half laughed not knowing if this could actually be the case! Haha!
On Sunday we headed back to Mom's for an open house. This is an awesome concept where we get to stay in one place while others come over to visit. It allows us to see a lot of people without having to go to a lot of different places. When you have a huge family and lots of friends, this is the way to go! It was a pretty manageable crowd and all the talk seemed to gravitate towards cashew. We even got our first round of gifts. My Mom made us a beautiful crocheted blanket and also gave us a cute outfit and a little toy. Aunt Linda "returned" a book I had when I was a baby that has been passed around to my cousins for when they had babies. It is the coolest book ever and I remember it clearly. She had it custom made with my name, address and other personal information. It is so old (or should I say, I am so old) it is TYPED. With a typewriter, my young friends. That's what we used to use before computers! Anyway, it was awesome to see that book and it amazed me how much of it I actually remember.
Our friends from Atlanta, Denny and Kathy (Denny and my SDad have been friends for YEARS - since college or something) gave us some lullaby CDs and an iTunes gift card to look into other soothing baby music (or maybe just something for us!). It was a very cool and thoughtful gift. Mom had the great idea that we could get some baby friendly headphones and use those CDs on its first plane ride home! My bestest friend Pris and her handsome sweetheart gave us a Lousville Cardinals onesie! Although I have always been a Kentucky fan, I find my heart (and loyalty) has shifted to my city (and the actual college I went to!) so I was excited to get that!!
The blanket my Mom made:
My sista!!!! I was so glad I was able to see her:
The open house was a success. We had about an hour between when people headed out to when we had to head out. My SMom was surprising my Dad at a friend of their's house. His friend had acquired some ribbons and medals from when he was in the Vietnam War and also made him a video. We went over to Dad's friend's house to watch his friend surprise him with all of this. It was very touching and Dad was definitely surprised! Seeing the display of all his medals and ribbons and watching the video (which was a snapshot of my Dad's life) made me so very proud of my Dad.
In addition to enjoying the surprise, we got to listen to my Dad and his buddies play music. His friend's house is pretty cool with a pool and beautiful backyard. They have a bar area set up on the patio and it was just the perfect party place. If only I could have had a cold beer! But the couple was very nice and I could see T and I hanging out with them frequently if we lived in town. They were just very welcoming and you could tell they didn't know a stranger. The guy and my Dad have known each other since they were small kids.
A sidenote hear, while we are talking about guys my Dad has known since he was a little kid. One of his childhood friends that actually taught my Dad how to play guitar, died on June 24 from cancer. He was a huge icon in Louisville and all across the country in the music industry. While we were home, Dad showed us a video of a parade they had for Tim after his funeral service. Up to 800 people in the Louisville community participated in this processional. That alone shows what an influence Tim had on the community. His death really affected my Dad and all of his other friends, I'm sure. His legend will live on through his music where he talks about being happy and enjoying life. I never got to meet Tim. T and I were going to go with my Dad and SMom to see him play over the holidays but it was the night when my miscarriage began. So I never did get to see him live or meet the man that my Dad has known since a small kid who taught him how to play guitar which ended up being my entertainment for years to come.
Back to Sunday. After we left the party, T felt pretty hungry so we started looking for a place to eat. I was so exhausted at this point I wasn't sure if I was hungry or was just ready for bed. But we headed down Poplar Level Road (my old stomping ground before heading to the desert) to seek out something quick. As I started passing by old memories, we kept driving until we made it to Germantown and my first house I owned. We took a look, and a pic, and then decided to look at my second house (and the last house before moving to Tucson) on Brandeis. After the grand tour, we jumped on the highway towards Mom's. That's when I had the idea to have dinner on the river in Indiana. So we crossed the bridge and had some local fare - Rocky's pizza - on the river viewing the gorgeous Louisville skyline.
A quick note to my family and friends in Louisville. Please don't take for granted the beauty of Louisville. I did when I lived there and now I am mesmerized by the beauty of our city. The green grass and trees, the river (as much as we make fun of it), the huge array of things to do and the gorgeous skyline of downtown. We should be VERY proud of our city and take it all in everyday. I wish I still could!
When we arrived back to Mom's, we found Tay in her favorite spot at Grandma Carolyn's house - the tub!! She had done good with Grandma Carolyn while we were at the party and was already done for the night. We put her to bed, visited a tad more with Mom and John and then crashed hard for the night.
Monday was Bernheim Forrest day with Dad and Twila. We met them at my Grandparents' house for a quick visit and then off to Bernheim. What a beautiful place. Green, green, green!! Oh how I miss GREEN!! We had a nice picnic, played on the playground, fed the ducks (and turtles and fish) even though we kinda weren't supposed to according to the posted signs. The grand finale and Tay's favorite part was when we visited a deer that is being protected. It was injured - missing an eye and had a limp - and is now being protected (along with another deer) in the safe fencing of Bernheim. It was the sweetest thing to see Tay make friends with this deer and do something for the first time - feed a deer.
Other pics from Bernheim Forrest:
After Bernheim, we headed back to Mom's for dinner. My Aunt Cathy and Uncle Rick came over to visit. I am very close to them so I was excited that I would be able to see them before we headed back. The whole group was really tired - Rick and Cathy had been up late the night before getting their house ready for a showing - so the night ended fairly early. After we put Tay to bed, I barely made it another hour before I had to crash as well.
The next day we had lunch at...hmm, I can't remember the name of the place...but had our final lunch before heading to the airport. We were able to stop by my Dad's work for a last goodbye and then to the airport. Mom dropped us off, gave us big hugs and that was the end of our visit. It was such a whirlwind and so much fun. It is ALWAYS hard to leave and it NEVER gets easier. Tay kept saying during the trip that we should just move to Louisville which just made it harder knowing that we won't. At least not now. When we got in the line for the check in kiosks, Tay looked out the window of the airport and said "I miss Kentucky already." I lost it. I was trying hard not to cry in front of her but had it welling in my throat. That brought it to the surface and I couldn't fight back the tears anymore. Me too, Tay. I miss it everyday.
We told Tay about her "big sister" surprise Tuesday night - the night before we left. I was super nervous about telling her but she was very excited at the news. We bought her a "Big Sister" T shirt and her Aunt Lauren made her a "Big Sis" bracelet. We put these items in a bag and let her open it before bed. Since she can't read yet, Daddy helped her sound out what was written on her T Shirt. She kinda looked confused at first until Daddy finally explained to her that I had a baby in my belly. She made the cutest facial expression and then came over to tell me something about her cousin Aubrey. I had no idea what she was talking about so I finally asked her if she was happy. She nodded excitedly! I took video of all of this but turned it off at that moment so that I could give her a big hug. From that point on, I (or rather my stomach) was the HIT of her world! I was treated like a celebrity by a five year old! Not to mention all of the helpful tips and advice that she extended - including my need for a hooter hider. This from a five year old.
Thursday morning was a very early morning and, after my usual restless night of sleep, the alarm at 4 AM was very unwelcoming. We had to get up, get ready, strip the bed linens, take care of the babies, wake Tay, dress Tay, pack the car and leave the house no later than 5:30 in order to make it to the PHX airport by 7. This is a tough job especially - did I mention earlier - when you are on NO sleep!!
Tay did great and really got going pretty fast. I already had clothes laid out for her and she quickly decided how she wanted her hair for the day. We headed out right at 5:30 and I must say I was very impressed. Until we hit I-10. That's when T asked me - did you get my toiletry bag? Now T took a shower after me so I didn't put his toiletry bag in the suitcase figuring he would need to use it for his shower. Well, I guess he assumed I was going to take care of the packing of the toiletry bag even though I was busy trying to get Tay going. Long story short, we had to turn the car around to go back and get the toiletry bag. This began a little stress for me because the exit after our exit is quite a ways up the road for a turn around. I was afraid this mess up was going to make us late for our flight.
When we got back to the house, I ran in and grabbed the bag. As luck would have it, I had left my cell phone sitting next to the toiletry bag so it was good that we went back. I scooped my life line up and headed back out the door.
It was such a nice morning. Still pretty dark when we left with a nice light monsoon shower starting. This light monsoon shower turned into full monsoon madness as we headed up I-10 towards PHX. Another little stress knot to add to the collection in my chest! But we made it to the airport with time remaining to pick up a little breakfast.
When we landed in Louisville and walked out of the airport I was pleasantly surprised by the beautiful weather! The temps were perfect and the humidity non-existent with that awesome smell of cut grass and Kentucky rain! If I believed in a heaven, this would be it! Mom pulled up to the curb and we all gave our hello hugs. She commented how I didn't even really look pregnant - just a small bump of sorts. Remember that comment later when she says otherwise for the send off! Anyway, off we went to their house for some dinner and visiting!
We stayed that night at Mom's - Tay loves her room there with the vanity, lip gloss and nail polish. We didn't see her for a good couple of hours while she played dress up and make up! Mom and John made chicken on the grill along with a bunch of veggies which is what I dived into! After dinner we all crashed and looked forward to Six Flags the next day.
Well, what they say about the weather in Kentucky is true - if you don't like it today, wait until tomorrow and it will be different. Well, the next day (Thursday), it was very chilly (which is VERY odd for July in Louisville) and rainy. Looks like we would have to alternate plans for Six Flags. I was hoping Tay wouldn't be too disappointed since we made it such a big thing the night before. But, after she woke up at NOON, I explained to her it may be a little too cold for water rides and recommended Incredible Dave's which is a fun kid place with jungle gym, bumper cars and games. She was all for it!!!
Speaking of all for it, Tay LOVED Grandma Carolyn's bathtub! It is a garden tub with jacuzzi type jets. Jets + bubbles = tons of fun for Tay. Take a look:
With an audience
Bubble girl!
We had a great time at Incredible Dave's. Last year when we went, I was crawling through the obstacle courses and sliding down inflatable slides. I opted out this year which left Daddy in the trenches. He hung in there for a bit until Tay told him goodbye. She had made a friend in the obstacle course so she didn't need Daddy to entertain her anymore. Even though he was definitely entertaining us! Our pics aren't all organized yet so I don't have any to really share at this time of Incredible Dave's.
Thursday night we went back and had a laid back evening and a light dinner which included fried green tomatoes and potato soup. Hey, we don't eat very healthy in the south folks!
Friday we met my cousin Kristin for lunch at a Cuban restaurant. Enjoying another nice, cool day, we sat outside. It was so nice catching up with her. We have always been close but, with her busy schedule and my distance, haven't been able to chat in a while. Of course she was as beautiful and awesome as ever. What's new there! =]
After lunch we headed to the most intimidating, scary store in the western world - Babys R Us. Mom really wanted to help us get started with our registry - at least that's what she said. I think she more just wanted to be humored watching me stare aimlessly at a bunch of baby crap that I know nothing about! Our first stop was the registry desk. Thankfully they give you a list of more crap than you could possibly need or could fit in an average sized home! Of course! How else could they build these stores bigger than a mall?
We started down an aisle with a five year old mom and a scan gun. First stop, "travel systems" or what I would call elaborate strollers with lots of buttons and some great cup holders! I swear we were in this area alone for a good hour. I was so confused and, since I have never needed or had one of these gadgets before, wasn't sure what features I wanted or didn't want. I knew I wanted cup holders for the cold beers at festivals and what not. Other than that, I don't know.
Finally we moved on when I just couldn't wrap my head around it anymore. But it didn't get any better. Next stop "pack n plays." Ummm, what? Again I had no clue what these things were or why we needed them until T helped me put it in perspective. When we want to have beer Sunday's on the back patio but need to watch cashew at the same time, in comes the pack n play. Sold. I picked one out that I thought was "cute" but T informed me that there is more to it than that. How easy is it to take down and "pack" away? If only we rolled video on T taking the pack n play off the shelf and testing the take down methods. Of course, after several minutes pulling and tugging, a simple read of the directions had it down in no time. Our first gun scanned item.
Then came the swings and bouncy things - again, no clue why you would need both but whatev. Scan away. Finally, after my nerves were shot and my brain thoroughly confused, we decided to look at the bedding I picked out. Ahhh, something I can understand. Bedding. Although I scanned our bedding kit, I will probably take it off the registry and buy it myself. I will want that bedding kit when the crib arrives so who am I kidding? Other than that, a few "onesies", "receiving" blankets and something that looks like a baby straight jacket was all scanned. Time started to run behind and we needed to get to Dad's for our evening entertainment.
A couple of pics from our first BRU experience:
After arriving at Dad's, we all piled into the PT Cruiser (one of Tay's fave cars) and headed to Skyline Chili. Since we don't have Skyline in Tucson, I couldn't wait to have my old regularly ordered item from there - black bean burrito deluxe (which doesn't actually have any of their famous chili in it but I love the abundance of cheese they give you and the taste of their hot sauce). We had a great time while watching some pretty crazy looking people walking down Bardstown Road. Geez I miss my home!!! There is just so much to do and see.
We left Skyline to head to the baseball game. Once we arrived, Dad found an awesome parking spot right in front of the stadium. We headed to the ticket window to find out it was sold out - standing room only. After a brief discussion, we decided that three hours of standing up wasn't going to be in the cards for us. Being the awesome city Louisville is, there was a huge concert and festival going on at Waterfront which is walking distance (actually spitting distance) from the stadium.
They had a huge area for kids to play which Tay enjoyed a lot. Pics to come I hope. There were inflatables, mini golf and other fun stuff to play on. We went from there into the concert area where I saw a bunch of my buddies from the ol' Axxis days. That was so awesome! I was so glad to run into them. Then we found a seat on these huge concrete steps, listened to some (bad) country music and waited for the fireworks to begin.
We started walking towards the car about 10 minutes before the fireworks began which was a great plan to try and beat the mob. The fireworks were nothing compared to Thunder Over Louisville (which some girl behind us kept mentioning in the best potty mouth she could muster) but it was nice nonetheless.
After the festival and boom booms, we headed on over to Dad's where we stayed the night. The next day was the 4th of July. This is Dad and Twila's big event - this year was the 20th anniversary. We kinda hung out during the day and dodged the raindrops in order to play with 3D sidewalk chalk. That evening, the whole gang rushed in which consists of Twila and Dad's family. Twila's sister made Tay a quilt with an area on it people could sign. It was so nice and Tay was really excited about it. She took it upon herself to ask everyone to sign her quilt. It was sweet.
The night went late with lots of fireworks (black market fireworks) from my cousin. He is the one we count on every year to bring the heavy arsenal. It's funny as the night progresses, you sound like you are in a war zone. There are fireworks going off all around you in the neighborhood. Some with the squeal of a mortar and others that sound like missiles hitting a small building! Dad mentioned that a couple of them may have been meth labs exploding. We all half laughed not knowing if this could actually be the case! Haha!
On Sunday we headed back to Mom's for an open house. This is an awesome concept where we get to stay in one place while others come over to visit. It allows us to see a lot of people without having to go to a lot of different places. When you have a huge family and lots of friends, this is the way to go! It was a pretty manageable crowd and all the talk seemed to gravitate towards cashew. We even got our first round of gifts. My Mom made us a beautiful crocheted blanket and also gave us a cute outfit and a little toy. Aunt Linda "returned" a book I had when I was a baby that has been passed around to my cousins for when they had babies. It is the coolest book ever and I remember it clearly. She had it custom made with my name, address and other personal information. It is so old (or should I say, I am so old) it is TYPED. With a typewriter, my young friends. That's what we used to use before computers! Anyway, it was awesome to see that book and it amazed me how much of it I actually remember.
Our friends from Atlanta, Denny and Kathy (Denny and my SDad have been friends for YEARS - since college or something) gave us some lullaby CDs and an iTunes gift card to look into other soothing baby music (or maybe just something for us!). It was a very cool and thoughtful gift. Mom had the great idea that we could get some baby friendly headphones and use those CDs on its first plane ride home! My bestest friend Pris and her handsome sweetheart gave us a Lousville Cardinals onesie! Although I have always been a Kentucky fan, I find my heart (and loyalty) has shifted to my city (and the actual college I went to!) so I was excited to get that!!
The blanket my Mom made:
My sista!!!! I was so glad I was able to see her:
The open house was a success. We had about an hour between when people headed out to when we had to head out. My SMom was surprising my Dad at a friend of their's house. His friend had acquired some ribbons and medals from when he was in the Vietnam War and also made him a video. We went over to Dad's friend's house to watch his friend surprise him with all of this. It was very touching and Dad was definitely surprised! Seeing the display of all his medals and ribbons and watching the video (which was a snapshot of my Dad's life) made me so very proud of my Dad.
In addition to enjoying the surprise, we got to listen to my Dad and his buddies play music. His friend's house is pretty cool with a pool and beautiful backyard. They have a bar area set up on the patio and it was just the perfect party place. If only I could have had a cold beer! But the couple was very nice and I could see T and I hanging out with them frequently if we lived in town. They were just very welcoming and you could tell they didn't know a stranger. The guy and my Dad have known each other since they were small kids.
A sidenote hear, while we are talking about guys my Dad has known since he was a little kid. One of his childhood friends that actually taught my Dad how to play guitar, died on June 24 from cancer. He was a huge icon in Louisville and all across the country in the music industry. While we were home, Dad showed us a video of a parade they had for Tim after his funeral service. Up to 800 people in the Louisville community participated in this processional. That alone shows what an influence Tim had on the community. His death really affected my Dad and all of his other friends, I'm sure. His legend will live on through his music where he talks about being happy and enjoying life. I never got to meet Tim. T and I were going to go with my Dad and SMom to see him play over the holidays but it was the night when my miscarriage began. So I never did get to see him live or meet the man that my Dad has known since a small kid who taught him how to play guitar which ended up being my entertainment for years to come.
Back to Sunday. After we left the party, T felt pretty hungry so we started looking for a place to eat. I was so exhausted at this point I wasn't sure if I was hungry or was just ready for bed. But we headed down Poplar Level Road (my old stomping ground before heading to the desert) to seek out something quick. As I started passing by old memories, we kept driving until we made it to Germantown and my first house I owned. We took a look, and a pic, and then decided to look at my second house (and the last house before moving to Tucson) on Brandeis. After the grand tour, we jumped on the highway towards Mom's. That's when I had the idea to have dinner on the river in Indiana. So we crossed the bridge and had some local fare - Rocky's pizza - on the river viewing the gorgeous Louisville skyline.
A quick note to my family and friends in Louisville. Please don't take for granted the beauty of Louisville. I did when I lived there and now I am mesmerized by the beauty of our city. The green grass and trees, the river (as much as we make fun of it), the huge array of things to do and the gorgeous skyline of downtown. We should be VERY proud of our city and take it all in everyday. I wish I still could!
When we arrived back to Mom's, we found Tay in her favorite spot at Grandma Carolyn's house - the tub!! She had done good with Grandma Carolyn while we were at the party and was already done for the night. We put her to bed, visited a tad more with Mom and John and then crashed hard for the night.
Monday was Bernheim Forrest day with Dad and Twila. We met them at my Grandparents' house for a quick visit and then off to Bernheim. What a beautiful place. Green, green, green!! Oh how I miss GREEN!! We had a nice picnic, played on the playground, fed the ducks (and turtles and fish) even though we kinda weren't supposed to according to the posted signs. The grand finale and Tay's favorite part was when we visited a deer that is being protected. It was injured - missing an eye and had a limp - and is now being protected (along with another deer) in the safe fencing of Bernheim. It was the sweetest thing to see Tay make friends with this deer and do something for the first time - feed a deer.
Other pics from Bernheim Forrest:
After Bernheim, we headed back to Mom's for dinner. My Aunt Cathy and Uncle Rick came over to visit. I am very close to them so I was excited that I would be able to see them before we headed back. The whole group was really tired - Rick and Cathy had been up late the night before getting their house ready for a showing - so the night ended fairly early. After we put Tay to bed, I barely made it another hour before I had to crash as well.
The next day we had lunch at...hmm, I can't remember the name of the place...but had our final lunch before heading to the airport. We were able to stop by my Dad's work for a last goodbye and then to the airport. Mom dropped us off, gave us big hugs and that was the end of our visit. It was such a whirlwind and so much fun. It is ALWAYS hard to leave and it NEVER gets easier. Tay kept saying during the trip that we should just move to Louisville which just made it harder knowing that we won't. At least not now. When we got in the line for the check in kiosks, Tay looked out the window of the airport and said "I miss Kentucky already." I lost it. I was trying hard not to cry in front of her but had it welling in my throat. That brought it to the surface and I couldn't fight back the tears anymore. Me too, Tay. I miss it everyday.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)