A Wintry Weekend of Weddings!

For the second time this year, Daniel and I attend back to back weddings- one on Friday and one on Saturday! This time around the Friday wedding was for my dear friend, Emily, and her wonderful fiance (now husband), Mike, who is an Ensign in the Navy. I've known Emily practically since birth and it was great to see her walk down the aisle so soon after my own wedding to a man in uniform. Who would've thought two little girls who loved playing dolls together would end up marrying military pilots?

Here are some pictures from their wedding:

Walking down the aisle!

The happy couple at the reception!

In between Em and Mike's ceremony and reception, we headed to the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner for my cousin, Mary Kate and her new hubby, John. Despite heavy traffic, we were able to get all the necessary players to the church and then to the Claddagh Irish Pub for the rehearsal dinner, which was delicious! After a yummy dinner, we hopped back on the road to celebrate with the first newlywed couple of the weekend!

After a steady snow which started late Friday night, Saturday morning brought an early wake up call and a snow covered landscape for me. Daniel dropped me off at the Venetian Salon at the Waterfront and preparations for Mary Kate and John's wedding day began at 9:00am. Bridesmaids Jenny and Becky (cousins of John) arrived shortly after me by way of Starbucks. The bride, matron of honor (Mary Kate's sister, Sarah) and mother of the bride, my Aunt Ann, arrived within minutes and the hairspray, bobby pins and curling irons were flying during the chilly, snowy morning.

With several calls to vendors and possible indoor photo locations, Sarah arranged to switch us from a 10 passenger limo (aka "sled on wheels" according to the limo company) to a smaller, but safer Escalade. She also found that the Carnegie Museum would let us "unofficially" inside to take photos. A quick call to my dad and we had secured transportation for the whole wedding party with the help of his Acadia.

Back at Aunt Ann and Uncle Wayne's house, we enjoyed some lunch and got dressed in our beautiful bridesmaids gowns- but nothing could compare to Mary Kate's gorgeous wedding dress. She was absolutely breathtaking! After anxiously waiting for the Escalade to return to the house after dropping off the first trip, Sarah, Mary and I were on our way to the church!

A beautiful ceremony was followed by a fantastic photo shoot at the Museum. We got access to the Grand Staircase and the photographer snuck the bride and groom into the Hall of Architecture for some great shots. The photo op was completed with an outdoor group shot with snow covered trees in the background. The reception was held at St. Nick's Cathedral Room, the same location as our reception in July. It has a huge dance floor, which was filled with both sides of the newly combined family for a great evening of celebration. Another wedding detail that Mary Kate and John had in common with Dan and I- they chose to honeymoon at a Sandals resort in Jamaica, although they'll be at Sandals Whitehouse while we chose Sandals Grande Ocho Rios. I'm looking forward to hearing about their balmy, Jamaican Christmas when they get back in a week!

Here are some photos from their big day
(to see them bigger, go here):

Latest belly photos- weeks 20 and 22

Here are a couple photos of me and my ever-growing middle:

Week 20, which is the halfway point!

Daniel and I after Emily and Mike's wedding- Week 22

Where We Are Now!

So after an ingenius packing session (see below) and lunch at my parents' house, Daniel and I hit the road for our halfway point- St. Louis, MO. When we arrived at the Cherokee Lodge and got settled, it became our home, which is why I am only letting the housekeepers in about twice a week- I enjoy our privacy and since I spend a lot of time in the room, I use the "Do Not Disturb" sign a lot.

 Here are some pictures of our first place at Vance AFB.

Here is the kitchen... yes, the stove is that small... and I have fully learned to appreciate the usually standard double sink in the kitchen. Thank goodness we have a normal sized fridge!

Our bed- not quite as pretty as when the housekeeper makes it, a recliner that we've never used except for storage and a nightside that plays host to my glasses and cell phone which is what wakes us up every morning.

Outside of the building- our room is on the other side where we see this outside of our door:

There are displays like this all over the base! I'm excited to show our little one all the different planes once he or she arrives!

Where We Were....

While Daniel and I were living in Pittsburgh, we rented a house that was close to work, close to my parents' home and within walking distance of my favorite pizza shop! Some of you have visited, but for those who didn't get to see it, I thought I'd post some pictures. Unfortunately, the rooms will look extremely bare because the pictures were taken while we were packing up the car to drive out to Vance...

Here is our beautiful HUGE kitchen- though we didn't have a lot of cabinets, we had space- something I miss very much since moving into the Cherokee Lodge.

Here is our pretty mantle in the living room- once covered with several picture frames, candles, but left rather empty after my in-laws came and helped us pack up our many wedding gifts!

Another view of our living room. The pretty china cabinet that came with the rental was one of my favorite pieces and displayed some of our china and crystal while we lived here.

Gracie, my littlest sister, in the guest bedroom- furnished with a twin bed, my wicker desk and a vanity set lent to us by my mom.

Daniel, me, Mom and Gracie at our side door- the house is rather unique in that there is no front door, but our little stoop was always welcoming- especially after Gracie left her hand prints on the corner during a painting session!

Black Friday Frenzy!

Though I'm always up for a good sale, I am definitely not a morning person nor someone who tolerates waiting in line for hours so for the 4am doorbuster, I was still fast asleep while many Black Friday shoppers were waiting to get those 'perfect' presents for a steal. However, after a relaxing morning, Pat and I headed out to the mall in search of some good deals at JCPenney's. Not only did we score there (maternity pants for me, new jeans and great jackets for Pat) but also at Motherhood Maternity where Pat treated me to some beautiful dresses, including this one which I'll be wearing to my cousin's rehearsal dinner and friend's wedding in less than 3 weeks!
But the sales didn't stop there- Saturday was our Target and Ulta day where I found great gifts and some wonderful steals for Dan and I, like queen flannel sheets for 13.99 and a queen down comforter for 29.99! I brought Pat over to foundation heaven by introducing her to bareMinerals. While I restocked my makeup bag, she purchased the starter kit to try it out.
Just when I thought the savings were over, today turned out to be another great day and I didn't have to leave the comfort of my in-laws' house! After checking the availability of our bedding set that we had registered for and finding it was no longer at Bed, Bath and Beyond, I started hunting for something that would match the sheets we had received as wedding gifts. It was a long and, at times, overwhelming hunt, but it had a successful end at Overstock.com. For less than what our original set cost, I purchased the beautiful set below plus 2 Euro (square) pillows to go with the Euro shams that came with the set.

This is my first purchase from Overstock, but I'm confident that I'll love it. My mom purchased our baby bedding for us from there and it is darling! (see below)

I hope all the shoppers who are reading this came away from this weekend with some good buys! Feel free to comment on the post to share your favorites.

Turkey Day 2009

It's been hours since we finished our amazing meal at Dan's parent's house and I'm still full! We drove in last night and today we probably spent the most time apart as a couple since we've moved to Oklahoma. He was able to get some 'gaming' in with his brother, Ben, and best friend, Dan H., while I helped his mom in the kitchen. We worked diligently and were rewarded with a feast fit for kings. My main contributions were the mashed potatoes (I diced, boiled and then mashed/mixed until there wasn't a lump to be found!) and keeping the kitchen clean by washing our utensils, pans, pots, etc during the preparing. We had delicious, hot dinner rolls which aren't usually featured at my family's Thanksgiving feast since there are so many of us, so I really enjoyed eating those up. Our turkey was very juicy and tender and just the right size for our group.
In between our cooking, Dan's mom (Pat) and I watched our wedding DVD. It was the first time she had seen it and loved every minute. She was very excited when I told her that we had 2 copies and that she could take one to show her mom when she makes a visit to Cleveland early next year. I hadn't watched it in a while and it was nice to see my wonderful family even though we're apart for this holiday. I surprised myself by not getting super emotional (ie: sobbing) today because I wasn't with my family since having married Daniel, I have added to his family to my wonderful family and got to celebrate with them today (and Dan H., who might as well be another brother-in-law).
I hope you all had wonderful Thanksgivings wherever you may be. God bless!

Baby Update

To bring you all up to speed here's a summary on how our first little miracle is developing:

I am almost 19 weeks along and this pregnancy has been very uneventful and 'normal.' I have been extremely thankful for this fact. No morning sickness at all and the only concerning thing was some heart palpitations which were checked out and found to be caused by the extra blood flow and simply a normal symptom of pregnancy. (They have since gone away.) The baby has been moving for the few weeks which is really exciting. I'm the only one who can feel it right now, but in a few weeks the kicks should be strong enough to be felt by Daniel who is looking forward to it.
Even though it's fun to compare our little one to fruits and vegetables, I love visiting www.babycenter.com to see exactly how the baby is developing. Just click on the timeline to see what the baby looks like at specific weeks in the pregnancy. My little sister, Grace, likes to visit the site with me even though she says the baby 'looks sorta like an alien.' 
Here's a picture of my baby bump at week 17. I'll be posting these kind of shots as I grow so you can see the difference in size. 

Have a happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

"I'm part of a dying breed- the housewife." -Debra, Everybody Loves Raymond

After almost a week at Vance, we've adjusted from enjoying dinners at my parents' house to cooking our own meals. We've kept the first meals simple but delicious. Working in a tiny kitchen takes some getting used to, but I've managed to avoid catching anything on fire. However, our smoke detector did go off twice when I fried hamburgers the other night since there is not a fan in the kitchen and the ceiling is low. (Note to self: use non-stick pan next time and keep the windows open!) After that adventure in the kitchen, we made some delicious brownies to make the room smell like chocolate instead of hamburgers.

Another thing that takes adjusting is the idea of not working outside of the home for awhile. Although I will be putting my Saint Mary’s education to good use within a year (or possibly sooner), I’m taking time to develop my cooking skills, keeping my home nice and tidy and getting ready for our beautiful baby to arrive. I was fortunate enough to watch my mom perform her duties as housewife for the last 22 years so I know this is no easy task. I only hope that I can be as half as good as she is! Her ability to coordinate schedules, get delicious meals on the table every night and maintain her sanity while raising four children and not killing a crazy dog is extraordinary. Luckily, like her I have a wonderful husband who is very supportive and helpful. 

If anyone has good recipes they’d like to share- let me know! I’d love to try some new ones.

We have arrived!

After 18 hours, 1116 miles and one night in St. Louis later, we have safely arrived at Vance Air Force Base. Located in Enid, OK, the base is home to many student pilots and now us: Daniel, me and yet-to-be born Baby. We are currently living in a TLF (temporary living facility) until a base house becomes available. It is very similar to a hotel room (complete with housekeeper)with a comfy bed, a TV directly in front of the bed and perfectly coordinated curtains, chair and lamps. Unlike most hotel rooms, it has a full kitchen with a gas stove, big fridge and countertop which serves as both preparation space and dining table with two bar stools. My first experiences on base as an Air Force officer's wife have been very enjoyable. We visited the BX (base exchange) and the Commissary (aka grocery store) where we stocked up on a variety of things including boots, a paper shredder, laundry basket, and food because man (and woman) cannot live on Pizza Hut alone- despite how delicious their breadsticks are.
Daniel started in-processing this Monday while I attempted to put our limited space into some kind of order. It was a challenge with limited drawer space and a closet that does not lend itself to two people's wardrobes. Yesterday we visited the Base Clinic to enroll me in Tri-Care (military health insurance) and get a list of doctors that offer prenatal care and where I can deliver our little bundle of joy.

The weather went from typical Pittsburgh weather this time of year- cold, gray and rainy but it's been beautiful for the last couple of days. A bagger at the commissary said that we might be getting snow soon- I guess we'll have to wait and see! Our adventure into the wild, blue yonder has officially begun!