Some Things to Smile About

I've been absent from the blogosphere lately, but here are a few things worth nothing, I think...

*JW and I have been working on our Spanish speaking skills, in preparation for my Spain trip. I was a Spanish minor in college, but the saying, "what you don't use, you lose" is so true in this case. It's been both fun and extremely helpful to get back into it and I'd like to continue working on it, even after returning from Spain.
*L, S, and I met earlier this week to discuss a new project we are working on. I'm excited to not only start working on it, but happy to have an excuse to hang out with two of my fav people. (as if one is needed) And we had a fantastic meal, compliments of Top Master Chef Stacy.
*Ran a PR on our 7 mile route Sunday morning, clocking in at 59:30.
*And finally, while walking around VM today, KC and I discovered these gems:

It's Official

I love to travel, explore new places, and experience new things. I've been lucky enough to travel to many places within the U.S. and travel internationally to Mexico and Greece. Recently, I was presented with a fantastic opportunity, an opportunity I could not imagine passing up - a trip to.....

SPAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!

One of my friends from college currently lives there, so I'll be going to visit her. We have yet to discuss what all we'll be doing/seeing while over there, but a Skype meeting is in the works and I'll of course post details of my trip.

Spain is one place I've always wanted to go, ever since I first started learning about it in Spanish class in high school. It sounds cheesy and a little cliche, but it's like a dream come true and I cannot wait for my Spanish adventure to begin!

Gaga

S, L, and I headed to Omaha Thursday to see Lady Gaga in concert. The concert was pretty fantastic. She put on a great show - great voice, provocative dancing, scandalous costumes - pretty much what you would expect from her. My favorite performance from the show was her encore performance of "Born This Way" and my favorite moment was when she talked about how it's okay to be who you are and not let others bully you or make you feel bad about who you are. It's a great message to be sending out.

I thought we girls would be on the tame side, outfit-wise, but I was surprised at how many jeans/tanks combos I saw. Don't get me wrong, there were some crazy/fun costumes - glitter dresses, leotards, one guy had blown up surgical rubber gloves and attached them all over his shirt and pants...Probably the best I saw was a girl who replicated Gaga's red lace outfit she wore at one of the award shows.

We kept it pretty simple with fun dresses and glammed up with our eye makeup, thanks to L who served as the makeup artist for the evening. We each got a pair of fun lashes to wear for the night - S wore some sassy purple ones, L donned a seductive pair that were long and curly on the outsides, and I wore black feather ones.

A couple pics, pre-show:





It was a fun evening and I was so happy to be sharing it with two of my favorite people.

A Podcast Worth Listening To

On my way to my sister's, I caught an episode of This American Life. One of the stories revolved around David Finkel's book, The Good Soldiers. Several excerpts were read, sharing the perspectives of different soldiers who were involved with "the Surge". I teared up several times. One soldier and his wife talked about their struggles - the wife, frustrated that she was having to make all the family decisions while her husband was away, dealing with the car breaking down on the highway alone, handling her 4 year hold child with down syndrome as she vomited at a restaurant, etc. Her husband fearing he's not the same person he once was and how he is going to handle being back home. Another soldier described how he felt when he got home on leave and saw his 17 year old son's beat up old truck, leaking oil everywhere. He struggled, knowing there was a possibility that after he went back to Iraq that he wouldn't come back home, with the decision on whether to repair the old truck or buy his son a new one, even though they didn't have much money. And there was the soldier describing waiting for the helicopter to take him home...for good...after finally admitting that he was having suicidal thoughts. Ugh, it's heart-wrenching.

I'm terrible at storytelling and summations, so I highly recommend checking out this particular podcast, as it was definitely eye-opening for me. It's not that I do not have an appreciation for our troops, because I do, but it's hearing stories like these that open my eyes to just how much they do for us and how much they've given up for us and our country.

Girls Weekend

I headed to my sister's Saturday for an impromptu girls weekend. Movies, ice cream, and lots of QT with Rachel - it was the perfect way to spend my weekend. Rachel did this most of the time I was there:



but that was okay. I was able to hold and cuddle with her lots :)

A Special Day

Today is March 9th, a day that means many different things. It means Rachel is 2 days old. It marks the beginning of the Lenten season. It is the day some friends have made a significant step into their future.

Although all the things I've mentioned are both true and significant, I've been reflecting a lot today for another reason. Today is my grandpa's birthday. It's hard to believe he's been gone for almost a year. It's not that I ever doubted that I would miss him, but what continues to surprise me is how often I think about him and just how often I miss him. It's not just when our family gets together, or holidays, or a day like today. But it's a random Monday afternoon or Sunday evening.

He was one of the greatest men I've ever met in my life. He was smart, he was kind, he was funny, he was generous, he was a hard worker, and he was loving. He was a true family man and because of that, I never had to doubt for a second his love for me and all my family.

There are all kinds of thoughts and memories that pop into my head. Today, I am reminded of how excited he was to meet his first great-granddaughter and while holding her, looked at her and told her, "you're my new best friend" and asked my grandma if she could go home with them. I think about how happy he would've been to have met Rachel. But, I take comfort in knowing he's looking down at her right now, with a big smile on his face. Today, I'm thinking about how I lost to my sister while racing down the alpine slide at Chestnut because my grandpa and cousin were going so slow and I almost ran into them. Today, I hear his distinct "hardy har har" laugh, and think about how he got such a kick out of the Peanuts cartoon each day. It seems silly, but it was one of the things that bonded us I think, because from the very young age of 2, I was enamored with Snoopy. Today, I'm thinking about the picture of my grandpa, my sister, and I on his birthday 20 years ago, when we were helping him blow out his candles. Today, I'm thinking about how just one year ago, we were all gathered together, celebrating his 85th birthday. It was the last time I got to hug him and the last time I told him that I loved him. And it was the last time I would hear him tell me "I love you."

I am thankful to have been blessed with such an amazing grandpa like him. And although I have these pangs of sadness, I take comfort in these and all my memories with him.

Happy Birthday, Grandpa!! I love you!!

Newest Addition

She's finally here!! After about 2 1/2 weeks of anticipation and false alarms, Rachel finally arrived yesterday, weighing in at an impressive 8 lbs 8 oz. I can say with 100% certainty (although biased) that she is absolutely beautiful! It took everything in me to let go of that little baby girl this afternoon and come back to dsm. I already cannot wait to get back up there and see her again. A few photos to share: