How I Survived A Raccoon

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So this raccoon.

Y'all.

Okay.  Let's start from the beginning.  Matt and I were venturing out to Gatlinburg around maybe 8-8:30 p.m. one evening.  We had one of those cabins with the walk around porches, you know?  So we were making our way around the back to the stairs where all of the cars were parked.  I heard something coming from the dumpster that was at the bottom of the stairs.  Sure enough, I see two little eyes poking out staring back at me.  Like a freak, I take off running back into the cabin.  I may have even screamed "holy shit" several times, most definitely loud enough for my in laws to hear me.  Score one for daughter in law of the year.

I retold the craziness of my encounter with the raccoon, psyched myself up (with the knowledge that the only thing standing between me and my fudge was that little beady eyed bastard), and headed back outside. 

We made our way slowly to the stairs when suddenly the raccoon jumped out of the dumpster and started after us!  I ran to the other side of the cabin and found myself at a dead end.  Matt was close behind me trying to shoo the monster away with what I believe was a fleece hoodie.  Very intimidating.  Apparently this raccoon had no intentions of backing down as it continued to back us into a corner.  So I did what any sane person would do.  I jumped up onto the railing and jumped off the cabin. 

Technically, Matt jumped off first.  And I thought to myself, "Okay.  I guess we're really jumping!"  And then I jumped. 

I'm not sure how to describe how high we were.  But it was high enough that you had to think twice about jumping for fear of hurting yourself, but not high enough that you wouldn't do it.  I contemplated jumping on one of the cars but I figured a huge ass print on my FIL's Infiniti would not be the best present to give.  Especially after the "holy shit" incident.

We ran to the car, jumped inside, and had ourselves a good laugh about how crazy it was.  I mean, we were chased by a raccoon!  And we jumped off of our cabin!  Too funny.  Unfortunately I came away with two scraped knees to prove it.

When we got back, we found out our little friend had made it's way onto the porch and brushed up against Matt's cousin's leg!  And if you can believe it, he thought it was a cat!  Ah!  After everyone was finally inside, the raccoon stood outside the sliding glass door, peering into our cabin for most of the night.  Needless to say, it was a good thing I wasn't there to witness that. 

Now I know these little guys must be accustomed to having people around all the time, but come on.  Is that really normal?  Eek!  It gives me the heebie jeebies just thinking about it!

Rocky Top Tennessee

Seriously peeps, check out what I'm giving away this week!

A few weeks ago Natalie and I took our first solo plane ride into Nashville to visit my aunt and uncle.  We had an absolute blast there.  We spent Monday-Wednesday with them in their gorgeous home and soaked up all of our one on one time with them that we could.  I cannot tell you how incredibly these two are.  Do you have those people in your life that you know God hand picked just for you?  Well these two are it for me.  I didn't come from a truly Godly home, but the best decision my parents ever made in terms of my faith was choosing these two as my godparents.  And I'm thrilled Natalie will have them as her examples as well.

before we left for the airport

view from our room onto the golf course

We took nightly walks with their dog Kali, ordered pizza, ate chocolate dipped strawberries, Skyped with my sweet, mama-to-be cousin in South Korea, and just relaxed.  Do you know what a weird feeling it is during nap time not to have something to clean or cook or someone to call?  It was amazing.

this is how Natalie sleeps...head right in the corner...every.single.night.

Thursday, Matt flew into Nashville and we made the drive into Gatlinburg.  His side of the family rented a cabin and we all stayed together.  It was...interesting.  I mean, don't get me wrong, it was lovely to see everyone and I am so glad Natalie got to spend time with her extended family.  But seriously, we did nothing.  All these people want to do is sit in a cabin all day and talk.  Call me crazy but if I'm going to drive my booty all the way to Gatlinburg, I'm going to at least go into the city and get myself some freaking fudge.  So after we put Natalie to bed on Saturday evening, Matt and I headed out by ourselves.  I got fudge, wine, and ended up having just the best night with my hubby.  And let me just add that after I have wine, I am much more open to just sitting around and talking.  Win, win people.  Win, win.

 every good road trip needs a stop at Shoney's right?

 

 someone is rapidly growing out of her clothes...

Our last day we did head out to the outlet mall and enjoyed a full day of shopping.  Somehow only Natalie and Matt ended up with anything.  Not sure how that happened.  Why do moms always get the shaft?  Hm.  We made the drive back to Nashville on Sunday (holy traffic Gatlinburg!) and flew back to Cleveland on Monday.  Although we had some serious travel issues (i.e. flight being delayed then cancelled...and 16 hours of traveling) we made it home in one piece.  My sweetie did develop her first cold when we were away and is still suffering from a runny nose.  And to top it off, we have tooth number 4 coming in.  When it rains it pours, huh?

Matt's sundae.  Perhaps we should've gone with the regular?

And coming up...how I was almost killed by a raccoon.  And no I am not lying. 

PCB 2011, Baby!

On the 3rd of July, we left bright and early in the morning for Panama City Beach!  My whole family is big into road tripping.  Me.  Not so much.  I think the idea of it sounds really fun.  But once I'm in the car for more than an hour I'm completely bored.  Luckily, Matt feels the same way.  So flying it was.

Enter Natalie's first flight.  

 

She did so great!  I decided to bring the boppy with me on the plane and it was the best decision I ever made.  It gave me a comfortable place to feed her and then she was able to fall asleep!  Girl slept almost the whole time on all the flights.  Passengers even complimented us!  Like we did anything...but it was nice to hear :)

Once we got settled in the condo, we headed downstairs for Natalie's first swim!  However, the girl was so pooped from her early morning flight that she fell asleep on the way down to the pool.  Ha!  I let her hang out with Grandma in the stroller and I got some much needed pool time with my sister and her hubs.  

But once she woke up, girl was ready to play!

She had so much fun!  The floatie we bought for her worked so well.  Until she discovered she could put her face down in it and suck up water.  Yeah.  That was awesome.  I finally decided to bring Sophie the Giraffe down to the pool with us so Natalie would be distracted with her and it worked.  Sophie, however, will never again squeak the same.  Ha!

We spent the rest of the vacation transitioning between the pool and the beach.  Natalie was not much of a beach fan, especially when Mama accidentally let a wave hit her.  Plus, the sand got EVERYWHERE!  We had to immediately hose Natalie off in the sink when we got back.  I don't think there was a spot on her body that wasn't covered in sand.

 

On the 4th, we watched fireworks from our balcony.  They shot them off from the pier and we had the best seat in the house.  And most importantly, Natalie didn't wake up at all!  We also celebrated with this yummy trifle my dad made.

I'm so grateful Natalie got to spend so much time with her family on this trip.  It's rare all of us get together, especially uninterrupted for a week so this trip was priceless.  

Plus, my sister got to experience Sonic for the first time!  We were happy to take her there.  Twice.  Maybe once right after we had Chick-fil-A.  Hey.  No judgies.  What are vacations for?

And yes, Matt did come.  I just realized he really wasn't in any pictures.  Ha!  He's not much of a beach vacation person.  He spent most of his time in the condo playing Monopoly on his iPad.  But as long as he wasn't working, he was happy as a clam.

Natalie took fantastic naps in her stroller by the pool everyday which allowed me some time to visit with my family and enjoy the weather myself.  She slept great in her pack 'n play and was just such a good little baby the whole time.  I will say, Matt and I were not fans of sharing a room with our little booger.  She's a loud sleeper and kept us up quite a bit.  And the early morning wake up calls weren't so much fun either.  But overall, she did a fabulous job during her very first vacation.  We can't wait to do it again!

 

Oh, did I forget to mention I chopped all my hair off??

Leaving On a Jetplane...With an Infant...HELP!

This Sunday, my little family of three will be boarding an airplane headed to the gorgeous state of Florida.  We are meeting my parents, my sister, and her husband for a long over due vacation.  While I'm super excited about this trip, I can't help but be a tad nervous about flying with our sweet girl. 

The sheer volume of crap she requires on a daily basis is overwhelming.  The girl's list surpasses mine.  Luckily, I was able to take advantage of my in laws being up here last weekend and I sent some things home with them to give to my parents who offered to bring them down for us.  They're driving.  So is my sister.  Matt and I?  We fly.  We are not road trip people.  Especially with our sweet new addition.

We've decided to just hold her on the flight as she is not a huge fan of just chilling in her car seat.  This way I'll be able to easily feed her on board as well as pass her off to Matt if need be.  Unfortunately, we don't have a direct flight so we're looking at about a 2 hour flight followed by another hour. 

Have any of y'all traveled with small children?  Do you have any tips for this mama?  We're going to check her car seat at baggage claim but keep her stroller with us so we'll have somewhere to put her.  We're also thinking of bringing her Baby Bjorn with us as it's pretty much her favorite place to be.  I'm more worried about her on the plane, though.  Feeding her will only last so long and the girl gets restless!  Plus, her talking is more like 'screaming.'  We are so going to be those parents...  Good thing she's so cute.  Perhaps people will give us a pass?

But you know what?  It's just one morning.  We'll be there by 10:30 a.m., head to the pool, and all of my worries will fade away.

Until 6 days later when we have to do it all over again :)

Hope everyone has a fabulous Fourth of July!!  Loves!

Girls Week!

West Palm Beach recap...headed your way!

After arriving Wednesday evening, we rested up for our week of fun in the sun.  Thursday was spent lounging by the pool.  Later on, Matt's aunt gave us a tour around the city.  We got to see Trump's house (did you know he has a golf course on his property?  yeah...) and a bunch of other houses with amazing views of the water.  Could you even imagine living on the beach?  I mean, whoa. 

Phyllis forced us to get all posey with our pictures.  This is not typical.

Friday we spent at the beach.  The water was so perfect, clear and warm.  I'm not a huge ocean person (the thought of things swimming around with me kind of grosses me out...) but it was enjoyable enough.  I got a lot of reading done and the weather was just perfect.

We finished the day with a movie...Letters to Juliet.  It was cute.  Predictable but cute.  And the guy was super hot...with an accent.  Always a plus.

source

Saturday we went out and got some yummy truffles and drove around the city a little more.  We spent the rest of the day lounging by the pool.  I finished the day with some delicious potato crusted salmon.  Yum!  You seriously cannot beat fish by the water.  

Sunday was our last full day so we spent it at the beach.  I was pretty much sunned out though so I spent a lot of the day underneath the shade of the pier.  A girl can only take so much 90 degree weather, you know?  We cooled off by the pool for the rest of the day and then enjoyed another dinner by the water.

Afterward we walked the beach one last time.  More posed pictures on the way...

Isn't Phyllis just the most beautiful little thing in the whole world?  Could not love her more...

We picked up some essentials on the way home and finished the evening with LOST.  Absolutely perfect.

Yes, they were as fabulous as they look...

After lunching in Fort Lauderdale before our flight...we said our goodbyes.  I could not be more thankful to Matt's aunt and uncle for letting us stay with them.  It was incredibly sweet and I'm so glad I had the time to get to know them better and visit.  

But I was very glad to be home to see my hubs and to sleep in my own bed!  Nothing beats a big hug and a snuggle from your love.

Sunny Shores

As you are reading this...


I am waking up here...

source

Last night, bestie Jill and I flew into Fort Lauderdale and made our way to West Palm Beach!  Matt's aunt and uncle live there and were nice enough to let us crash in their condo...so weather permitting...we will be enjoying sunny 88 degrees for the next few days!

This trip could not have come at a better time.  I am in some serious need of vacay from work and am so excited to spend some quality time with Jill.  Love her!

Trip to Gulf Shores, 2008

Four Days of Bliss

What I did with four days off:

Thursday:
Slept in
Baked double fudge brownies (in my perfect brownie pan...in case you were curious)
Baked Monkey Bread
Ventured to the grocery store and brought home Loftus Candy Cane cookies
Went out to lunch
Played Monopoly Deal (and beat Matt three times in a row therefore causing him to quit)
Sang my heart out on Rock Band
Went to a New Years Eve get together
Ate Loftus cookies, Monkey Bread, and brownies

Friday:
Slept in
Had Monkey Bread for breakfast
Started The Help
Played Rock Band
Ate all of the leftover Loftus cookies
Ate 1/2 of the brownies

Saturday:
Slept in
Had Monkey Bread for breakfast
Did at least 2 weeks worth of laundry
Besides to fold laundry, didn't leave the bed until dinner time
Read The Help
Finished off the brownies
Went to Chick-fil-a for dinner
Bought two new books

Sunday:
Slept in
Took down the tree and all of the Christmas decorations
Organized my wrapping paper and decorating supplies into my shiny new carryall
Finished The Help
Went out to dinner



Conclusions:
I do not cook on vacation (therefore I eat like crap...on vacation)
I do not clean on vacation.
I stay up late and sleep in every day on vacation.
I only do housework that is necessary on vacation.
I play an overwhelming amount of games on vacation.
I lay in bed all day and read on vacation.

I had the most wonderful time....on vacation!

Hope you all did as well!! Happy New Year!

Leavin' On A Jetplane...

Well ladies...I'm off!

Today is my last day of work until after Thanksgiving!! I am so ridiculously excited about this...you do not even know. Things have been a little crazy around these parts and I sure could use a break. I am leaving for Colorado tomorrow afternoon to visit my brother for a few days...then it's back to Indianapolis for some precious time with the rest of my family for the holidays.

Unfortunately, my dear husband will not be joining me on my trip out west...so keep him in your prayers seeing as he is going to have to fend for himself for 4 whole days without me. I can already see the pizza boxes on my kitchen floor. I will miss him like crazy when I'm gone (in fact I already kind of miss him and I haven't even left yet....weird?) but I'm excited to be able to spend some quality time with my brother. Living across the country...we do not see each other nearly enough.

I am going to be taking my laptop and I plan on attempting to keep up on my blogging from afar...but alas, I cannot make any promises. So I will say ta ta and wish everyone a very happy Thanksgiving!

But before I dash off, I wanted to give a shout out to a few of my bloggy friends! Since I started blogging many, many months ago I have won three giveaways. Yes, that's right. Three! And even though I won them all at different times, I got all of my packages within the last few days! How fun is that? One day, the only pieces of mail we had in our whole mailbox were from bloggers!

So what did I win??

I won this painted wooden letter in the color of my choice from A Journey Through the Waiting Game:


Isn't it lovely?? Please forgive the spot my flash made on the R. It is flawless in person. Maybe she could do two smaller letters for me to put on each side of the R and I could put our initials on our wall!?! Oh the wheels they are a turnin'...


I won this from Shaina:

It's some super delicious granola and a pedometer! Now we can be twins! Please ignore the fact that the granola is already 1/2 gone and I just got it yesterday.


And finally, very fitting, I won this from Dugout Daisy:


Just in time for New Moon...my very own Twilight coaster!


Thank you so much ladies!! You have no idea how special I felt carrying in all of those packages with my name on them! You rock my world :)