Olivia

Olivia Marie is here! She arrived at the end of August. She weighed eight pounds, four ounces and measured twenty-one inches long. Will and I are absolutely in love with her, and the pup is crazy about her too. It's been such an adventure already and we can't imagine life without her.

I'm going to take a bit of time away from blogging to simply spend time with her. I hope you all have a lovely couple weeks -- and I look forward to seeing you again soon!

Photo by me.

Getting Close

Our baby is due in three weeks, and we spent part of the weekend putting some finishing touches on the nursery. I love spending time in this room already! Sunshine filters in through the trees outside, and inside there are so many sweet touches from loved ones. My mom sewed the pink and white crib skirt and bed pillows, and my aunt made a quilt and crocheted a cast of Star Wars characters as a gift to my husband. We're just so excited for what's to come!

Photos by me. 

On the Lake

This weekend was wonderful. It was so nice to spend time up north, in this land of forests and lakes. And I'm excited to say my parents just bought a house up here. It's right on a lake and came with a big pontoon boat. I can't wait to come up to enjoy the water and woods peacefulness, and to keep our connection to this beautiful area that means to much to my family.

Photos by me. 

Family Time

This weekend, we're headed up north to visit family. I've spent a lot of time here, especially at my grandparents' home, which has always been a natural -- and very lively -- gathering spot. We often came up in early July to celebrate my grandpa's birthday. He would have been ninety this week, but he passed away a few years ago. Still, when my grandma, parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, sister, and all the spouses and kids come together like this, we tend to feel like he's still with us. Here's a photo of my grandparents in their younger, carefree days. Weren't they cute?

Have a great weekend!

Baby Love

This weekend was lovely, and filled with so many baby celebrations and preparations!

My husband and I had a wonderful time on our babymoon at the spa. We got a couples massage and then swam, read and relaxed outside by the pool. Our suite was luxurious, from the fluffy bed to a whirlpool tub to the fruit salad, chocolate cake and a bottle of chilled non-alcoholic champagne waiting for us. All this pampering came at the perfect time.

On Saturday, my sister threw me a baby shower at our parents' house. She and my mom went all out -- pink flowers, baby photos of Will and me on display, pink champage and fruit punch, cupcakes and frosted cookies in the shape of hearts and baby feet. Both of my grandmas, as well as aunts, cousins, neighbors and my best girlfriends came, and it was amazing being surrounded by such important women in my life. Their love and support has meant so much!

Photos by me. 

Sunshine Day

Saturday was pretty much a perfect day. It began with my mom and me taking the pup for a hike (she was quite the dirty dog by the end of it!) and continued with relaxing by the pool. My dad came out to join us, followed by my sister and her husband and baby, and then my husband. My mom brought out drinks and appetizers, and we swam, talked and laughed until we headed inside for a family dinner. I hope this beautiful day is a preview of more to come this summer!

Photos by me. 

Spain

I've been back from Spain for a week, but jet lag, pregnancy exhaustion and work busyness have kept me from blogging. But I'd love to share some photos of our trip! We had a wonderful time exploring Madrid, Segovia, Barcelona and Montserrat. I especially enjoyed the fantastic art museums and public parks, and stopping for tapas or dinner at outdoor cafes was such a treat. But the best part was simply spending time and sharing the experiences with my mom, dad and sister. Here's a peek at what we saw.

Photos by me.

Hasta la Vista!

This week I'll be in Spain! I'm traveling to Madrid and Barcelona with my sister and our parents. My husband and brother-in-law couldn't get away from work so they won't be with us on this trip. It'll be strange to go without them, and I'm going to miss my husband and our pup like crazy. But my mom, dad, sister and I love to travel and I'm looking forward to sharing this experience with them. I hope it's a great time and I can't wait to visit some new places. See you in a week!

Photo from here. 

Happy Weekend!

This week has flown by. But I'm looking forward to the weekend. My grandma will be in town so I hope to spend a lot of time with family and enjoying the nice weather. Have a beautiful weekend!

Photo from here. 

Irish Spirit

A few years ago, my mom, dad, sister, her husband, my husband and I took a trip to Ireland. We spent a few days exploring Dublin, took a train ride across the country to Galway, and then rented a van (we looked like a traveling family band in that giant green VW!) and drove down the coast to Dingle. It was an incredible trip! We loved the energy of Dublin and the beauty of the countryside. We had so much fun popping into pubs for Guinness, music and conversation. We'd all love to go back one day. This St. Patrick's Day weekend, I'm going to be thinking about those perfect days and all that gorgeous green.

Have a great weekend -- and happy St. Paddy's Day!

Photos by me. 

Happy News

I'm excited to share that my husband and I are expecting! After the ups and downs of last spring, we couldn't be happier about this pregnancy. I'm just into the second trimester now, and starting to feel less exhausted and queasy, which is wonderful. I've started wearing some maternity clothes, and Will and I have been making plans for the baby's room. It's all really exciting!

Photo by my mom. (Do you like the wallpaper at my grandma's house?)

Happy Weekend!

This morning my mom, sister and nephew are piling into the car and heading up north. We'll spend the long weekend with my grandma, aunt, uncle, cousins and their children. It should be a full few days of babies, food, laughter and walks in the snowy woods. I can't wait.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Photo from here. 

Starting Fresh

Happy new year! It feels wonderful to say 2012 has begun, and that's partly due to this nice long weekend. My husband and I spent New Year's Eve with my sister, her husband and their adorable baby. We had margaritas and burritos -- and a lot of laughs -- and then we went home and rang in the new year in bed with the pup. Neighbors even set off fireworks in the park behind our house at midnight! The rest of the weekend, we relaxed at home and enjoyed the last few days of our Christmas decorations (I love how the ornaments from our Disco Christmas party cast cool patterns on the ceiling). What's even better is the long weekend continues today.

I hope your new year is off to a fantastic start!

Photos by me. 

Wonderful Weekend

This was such a fantastic holiday weekend! We kicked it off with a Disco Christmas party on Thursday, complete with disco ball ornaments, holiday songs set to disco rhythms and friends decked out in sparkly clothes. On Christmas Eve, we hosted my husband's parents and had a nice evening relaxing by the fire. And on Christmas we went to church and spent the evening at my parent's house, with grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins stopping by as the night went on. And today, my husband and I both have the day off. We're not sure yet what we'll do, but I hope it's something to make the most of this last day of a great long weekend.

How were your holidays? I hope you had a wonderful weekend of your own!

Photos by me.