tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83886741017867703812024-03-12T23:24:05.300-05:00It's a Rowdy LifeMemoirs of a Rowdy MammaRowdyatHearthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03193429908209210000noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8388674101786770381.post-13218451667449378562014-01-01T21:04:00.000-06:002014-01-01T21:04:12.724-06:00Baby's First ChristmasThis Christmas we stayed at home in The Woodlands to celebrate with my side of the family. As much as I looked forward to Rose's first Christmas, it was very bittersweet. The closer I got to Christmas, the closer we got to her cleft lip repair surgery which was scheduled for the day after Christmas. I am going to write a separate post about that entire experience as I am still going through it (stitches and nose stents come out tomorrow) and haven't really had a chance to process all of it.<br />
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We started the Advent season by preparing our home for the excitement of Christmas: putting up the lights on the house (forgot to get a picture and due to a nasty wind storm have already been removed courtesy of Mother Nature), setting up our Christmas tree, advent wreath, and multitude of Christmas nic-nacs. I am one of those freak show people who LOVE decorating for Christmas. Like, I have to control myself or I would COMPLETELY redecorate our entire house during the season. It drives John nuts, but at the same time makes him smile. While I was putting ornaments on the tree, he smiled at me and asked, "How happy are you right now?" To which I responded, "SO HAPPY!!!". I think you get the idea.<br />
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This was before everything was done, but you get the idea. Not pictured: the shelves of Xmas nic-nacs :)</div>
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Here is the mantle....next year I'll add lights to the garland.</div>
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Rose's favorite part of dinner, she may or may not grow up to be a pyromaniac</div>
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My favorite part of dinner = Baby Chub for dessert</div>
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Another thing I'm kind of obsessed with is family traditions. My mom made all of our stockings and she wanted to start the tradition of making the grand chillrens too. So I picked one out and apparently picked one with way too much detail or Grammy is a little rusty on her skills because we didn't get it completely finished by Christmas, but it looks AWESOME! I love it so much and know Rose will cherish her stocking made by Grammy-Grams for years to come! </div>
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I can't get the picture to stay upright, so do me a favor and tilt your head to the right when viewing...thanks</div>
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Also, right after I took this picture, my Mom instincts kicked in and I realized she could choke on any one of those bazillion sequences. Rookie Mistake.</div>
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Christmas Eve we had a yummy meal prepared by Pops with everyone except Auntie KK (Kristen). She was out in the Sonoma Valley with her main squeeze Matt. We missed her! After dinner we went to mass and came back to my parents to open gifts. Christmas Day was full of relaxing and watching football. I hope everyone's holidays were grand!</div>
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Classic Family Pic</div>
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Auntie H-Town with her favorite niece!</div>
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Uncle Steve making Rosebud laugh</div>
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Pops loves his Rosie girl! </div>
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Could my parents look any happier?</div>
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The sweetest Christmas baby you have ever seen</div>
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Uncle Stevie turns into a big softie around this girl!</div>
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MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!</div>
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<br />RowdyatHearthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03193429908209210000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8388674101786770381.post-29157774032867823912013-12-17T15:31:00.000-06:002013-12-17T15:41:47.547-06:00First Family Vay-CayBack when we were relishing in the newborn glory phase (aka sleep deprivation had not yet set in), John and I decided we should plan our first family vacation for a WHOLE WEEK. Don't get me wrong, it was a blast, but we pretty much decided we won't be taking any whole week family vacations with little ones for a whilllle.<br />
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Rose did awesome on her first 2 flights to get us into Pittsburgh, she fussed slightly on the way down due to ear pressure but I nursed/pacifiered her and she settled down. We were feeling like very accomplished parents. We drove into Steubenville, OH where we stayed for a few days to visit my sister Helen. She is playing basketball up at Franciscan (following her older, awesome sister coughcoughMEcough) and is graduating in May so I wanted to see her play. Plus John had never been to good ol' Steubs before so obviously that had to happen.<br />
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And of course, gi-gan-tor winter storm made a nice visit during our stay, so Rose got to be in her first snow storm! We also took a day trip into Pittsburgh which was a lot of fun. Here are a few family highlights:<br />
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Franny Bookstore dress up!</div>
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Roughly 20-some odd-degrees. Franciscan is so beautiful in the snow!</div>
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The ONLY thing that is cute about being in cold weather with a baby: Bundled up babies!</div>
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Kelly Hermann my old bball couch @ Steubs.</div>
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25, Hellllleeennnn Raaaaiiinnnesssss</div>
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We were pretty proud of our creative signs! </div>
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Can't handle the cuteness.</div>
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In Pittsburgh eating some Primanti Bros!</div>
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I look at this picture just about every day on my phone. To die.</div>
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Rose's first time meeting Santa! He was the sweetest Santa I've ever met! He adored Rose, I had to finally take her away because the line was starting to give us bad looks! </div>
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She just stared and smiled at him the whole time he was talking to her. </div>
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Then we made our way up through Ohio on my 29th birthday (YIKES) and had a pit-stop lunch to see the Smith family! They got to meet Rose, gave us some adorable outfits for her and yummy buckeyes (John wasn't too happy) to me for my birthday!<br />
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I luh da Smifs.</div>
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We also stopped in Ann Arbor, MI to see John's Aunt, Uncle, and Cousin's (The Voss Family) but sadly I didn't take any pictures :(</div>
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We spent the rest of our week in Marine City, MI visiting John's family: Grandma and Grandpa McCarthy, Uncle Joey, Great Aunt Marilynn, Great Aunt Gwen, and Great Uncle John. Pretty much the highlight of my week was getting to see Rose in her much anticipated Turkey Hat and making her dance to "Wobble" by V.I.C. a la her "Gobble til you Wobble" outfit. Hahah. BEST MOM AWARD RIGHT HERE.</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dz63VvkUiC7WIgEAaqGVTRoRhvfff25o6oee2v6cKQGvqMueIWNhlFnEb4dJo4kKQ-Dwsw4cJykfN9jRCvHcg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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We also celebrated Joey's 32nd bday and had a blast relaxing with family. Here are some other great pics:<br />
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She was excited about it as much as her Mama! </div>
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Daddy and his Turkey!</div>
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Aunt Htown. Her favorite.</div>
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Celebrating Uncle Joey's b-day!</div>
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Worst part about the trip: Rose was teething! At 4 months. Mama no likey teething! But now she does have some pretty cute pearly whites on the bottom. This may be the cutest picture I have of her to date:<br />
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Hard to tell but you can see those little white chompers if you look close! </div>
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You don't have to tell me, I KNOW I have the cutest girl God ever made. Have a great week!</div>
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RowdyatHearthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03193429908209210000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8388674101786770381.post-48753987785886986582013-12-06T13:05:00.000-06:002013-12-06T13:05:54.444-06:00The Rowdy Birth Story You've Been Waiting For...I thought I would go ahead and start this post off with a picture reminder of "Big Bertha" (my preggo alter-ego's name). Yes, I've posted it before, but it never ceases to amaze me how large I was. Granted I DID allow myself to gain twice as much as you are supposed to, which I am regretting erry day since Rose's birthday. 17 more lbs to go to get to pre-pregnancy weight. Hey, at 4 1/2 months I am feeling pretty good about that! Next pregnancy will hopefully be a whole lot healthier, but hey, I enjoyed all those late night ice cream runs so I'm not going to dwell on it! What's past is past, know what I sayin'?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQYhjp79kskK6YbvOj6EoxkLzc04WIXKSOea6E5bdGBmNsbc9r4POVLiQDteOC5Ud2uuxcmrOK_Q2_8sOs9qLPdXpfs46n95ru74xPJ3DIsf64LpMxdcaktAJRzkNkQyduVDWaGdgtcNr2/s1600/Fall+2013+262.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQYhjp79kskK6YbvOj6EoxkLzc04WIXKSOea6E5bdGBmNsbc9r4POVLiQDteOC5Ud2uuxcmrOK_Q2_8sOs9qLPdXpfs46n95ru74xPJ3DIsf64LpMxdcaktAJRzkNkQyduVDWaGdgtcNr2/s320/Fall+2013+262.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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Anyway, back to the birth story.<br />
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I feel like I should give you a little background of my last trimester so you get a feel for the "downward spiral" as I call it that led up to my c-section.<br />
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<b><u>7 months preggo:</u></b> We decided that we were going to move from Austin, TX to The Woodlands, TX to be closer to my family. It was something we always wanted to do, but the honeymoon baby really accelerated the process. Luckily for me, I work from home so my job was secured no matter where we decided to live. John on the other hand is a high school teacher, so we began the mad-hunt to find him a new job in the Houston area.<br />
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We decided that we would buy our first home since we knew we would be there long term and we could get a 3% interest rate secured before they started going up again. (Thanks to the generosity of our awesome parents for help with the down payment!) Well, for those familiar with the Woodlands area, Exxon is building it's corporate headquarters there and needless to say, the available houses on the market are slim to none. You have to JUMP on a house the DAY it goes on the market and bid AT LEAST list price to even have a chance. (Investors are offering more than list price to flip homes) We knew about our home 1 month before it was even on the market, our realtor was able to work out a deal with the home owners to let us get a sneak peak due to "our situation" not living there and being super pregnant. She also allowed us to put in our offer the day before they were going to put it on the market. Well, we offered list price with a long letter of how we wanted to raise our daughter there, etc. and THEY ACCEPTED! Whew.<br />
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<b><u>8 months preggo:</u></b> Packing. Enough said. Luckily we saved up enough money to hire movers! Because John was still teaching I "over-saw" the move. Which was me sitting on a couch directing the boxes. LOL That part was awesome, see pic below.<br />
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<b><u>9 months preggo:</u></b> Crazynestingimusthaveeverythingunpacked,setup,andorganizedbeforethisbabycomes. Also started a brand new position within my company (stress). But the nursery sure did look cute! </div>
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At my 38 week appt (I had been 1 cm dilated and 50% effaced since 36 weeks) my BP jumped to 140/76. Which honestly I KNEW deep down was because of stress/anxiety of baby coming. But of course erryone freaks out if your BP jumps in pregnancy due to pre-eclampsia, which I get, but I had no protein in my urine. Anyway, Rose had been measuring @ 80% (a little on the larger side) my whole pregnancy. I honestly wasn't worried about pushing out a big baby as my family has a history of larger children and so did John's side and almost all were delivered vaginally. The OB suggested that we induce due to high BP and a big baby. OK, looking back I am mad at myself for just trusting that the OB was making the best decision for me. I am not saying I shouldn't have done anything, but there ARE ways to help keep BP down if no other signs of pre-e and I really wish I would have tried that first. But honestly, I was stressed, I wanted to meet my baby, and maternity leave was sounding pretty darn good. So I agreed. I was excited and scared and looking back wish I would have trusted my gut more. </div>
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<b><u>Sunday, July 14th 8pm</u></b>. I checked into the hospital to start the whole induction process, which included 2 pills of Cytotec inserted behind my cervix to help "ripen her up" a little more. Again, looking back, I wouldn't have allowed this drug after reading about it. It helped to cause INSANE contractions later on. My cervix was already soft. Here is a pic of me super excited to meet my little girl! (ignore floppy-boobs. they wouldn't allow me to wear a bra which I thought was really weird.)</div>
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I got close to zero sleep that night because who can sleep knowing you ARE meeting your babe the next day. Around 3am I started having mild contractions, felt like period cramps, about 6-10 minutes apart. I was ready to DO THIS! </div>
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<b><u>Then July 15th, 7am</u></b> rolled around. Pitocin, a drug straight from hell, was started. Contractions went straight to serious breathing to get through them. They were 1-2 minutes apart.</div>
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<b><u>7:30-8am</u></b> my OB showed up wanting to break my water. Again, ANOTHER thing I wish I would have listened to my instincts on. I didn't want it broken, but my RN was complaining it was hard to keep track of baby girl's heart rate (I hate those stupid band things) and was really pushing to get an internal monitor. OB was also saying this should be done and this will really speed up labor. (I was at 2 1/2 cm and 60% effaced at this point) I consented. </div>
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<b><u>8:30am</u></b> They had raised my pitocin, and my contractions started "doubling up" where I would have 2 in a row, no break between, then 1 minute break then 2 in a row. They were so intense I could barely breathe through them. I wasn't trying to go all natural, but I knew I wanted to wait until 5-6 cm before getting an epi to help move labor along. </div>
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<b><u>9am</u></b> My contractions started a pattern of 5 IN A ROW lasting about 1 minute each, no break between, after the 5th would subside, I got a 1 minute break to start it all over again. I can't even explain how I felt. It just was awful not to get a break to recover from the craziness. And they kept raising my pitocin! I wanted to sucker punch the nurse, but apprently "The only way to get the contractions to become normal instead of multiple in a row is to increase pitocin" Bullshit. I still think that was a load of crock. </div>
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<b><u>9:30am</u></b> I couldn't take it anymore. I got the epidural. Which I will not lie to you, was amazing. It completely numbed me from chest down, but I could still move my legs. They warned me of my BP dropping with the epi. </div>
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<b><u>At about 10:30am-ish</u></b> am the RN brought me a push mirror to do my makeup in...hahaha, yes I wanted to look good giving birth, and not 5 minutes later I felt like passing out. My BP had dropped pretty low so they had to give me something to bring it back up. </div>
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Less than a minute later, about 5 RNs came running into my room starting to flip me from side to side, then had me flip over onto all 4s. I honestly had NO IDEA what was going on. I thought it had to do with my low BP since we had just treated it. While on all 4s my OB came into the room, then I knew something was going on with the baby. She checked me, I was a 4, no prolapsed cord buy they said baby's HR was dropping into the 60s and not recovering. I am really not sure of the time that went by during this time, but I was remarkably calm. I tend to not freak out during crisis, but go into "get er dun" mode which is why I think I didn't freak. </div>
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One funny side note, my Mom was in the room with me during this whole time and had sent John and my Dad to the gift shop while I got my epidural. They came back and walked into the room right when I was on all 4s, arce in the air, OB's hand up my whoo-ha. Yup, that was cool Haha, I saw my Dad quickly walk out (we haven't spoken of it to this day) and John came around to the front of the bed. One of the RNs told him to hold the oxygen mask on me, and bless his heart he was so nervous he basically flattened the mask to my face. I just about gave him a right hook, yelling that he was suffocating me and he felt so bad. I guess it was a lot to walk into :)</div>
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The OB said that she couldn't get Rose's heart rate to come up and stabilize and I needed a csection now. (Which at that point I did, but as you can tell from reading this, I could have made a lot better decisions to my care that may or may not have prevented a csection) I was wheeled into the OR and I'll always remember that they had Jack Johnson's "Banana Pancakes" playing. I was like wait, what's going on. haha I started to sing along out of awkward fear! Then I saw this random 20-something dude just sitting in a chair chillin' and he announces to the OB I'm so excited, I've never seen a C-Section before! I just about yelled at him to get his dumb ass out of this mother effin OR, but I kept my mouth shut and gave him the look of death. I think he got the hint. (I still have no idea who he was)</div>
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The freakiest part of the whole thing was the anesthesiologist determining if I was "numb enough". She wiped a alcohol pad on my chest and asked if I could feel it. I said yes. Then she asked if it was cold, I said yes. Then she wiped the alcohol pad on my stomach and asked if I could feel it. I raised my voice a little, YES! Then she asked if it was cold, I said no. Wait, maybe? I don't know! Then they pulled up the curtain and asked if I could feel anything. Obviously, they were poking me with something sharp so I was like No, I don't think so but I'm not sure! She was smiling and was like you are good. If you feel anything, just let us know. My biggest fear was that I would feel them slicing me open! I didn't but I'll never forget that part. </div>
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John enters the OR and sits right by my face. I tried to start making awkward conversation but he had straight fear written all over his face. It was so weird to just be laying there waiting for your baby to be born. I was excited to see/meet her though! Then they yelled out here she is! And I could hear her cry, it was the sweetest sound I had ever heard. They pulled the curtain down and I got about a 10 second view of my little chunky-monkey. I told John to go be with her and he said "Are you sure, are you OK?" Which was the sweetest thing he could have said to me at that moment then he went to be with Rose. </div>
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About 5 minutes after she was born the OB leaned over to talk to me and tell me that she was born with a cleft lip, but it was very minor and didn't appear to affect her gumline, nose, or palete. At that point I didn't even care! I just wanted to hold me sweet baby girl, the hardest part was hearing her and John and the RNs talk about her and I was just laying behind a curtain. Finally, John came walking over with our sweet girl and us 3 got to snuggle while they finished sewing me up. It was my favorite moment, ever. As soon as they rolled me back onto my wheel-o-bed, they asked if I wanted to hold her on the way back to the room. I yelled YES! I've heard of so many csections were they take the baby out of the room or don't let the Mom's hold them for a while so I was so happy that I got to do that. </div>
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Immediately when we got back to the room I did skin to skin and started to breastfeed. The only thing I was nervous about when they told me she had a cleft was that she may not be able to latch on to breastfeed and I was so looking forward to that experience. Girlfriend latched on like a champ. </div>
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Recovering from the Csection was awful. I hated it. I suffered some post partum depression. I was mad. I was sad. I still mourn not being able to experience birth the way it was meant to be done, but I am very blessed to have such a sweet little babe. I am slowly getting over the negative feelings and am already looking foward to my next pregnancy and hopefully a wonderful VBAC experience. In the meantime, I get to soak up all of the beautifulness of the precious gift of Rose Catherine McCarthy. Born 7/15/13 8 lbs 11oz, 21.5 in long. </div>
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Enjoy the birthday pics! </div>
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<br />RowdyatHearthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03193429908209210000noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8388674101786770381.post-57943582482586178832013-11-07T11:33:00.002-06:002013-11-07T11:33:38.990-06:00It's a GIRL!!!!Thought I would pick up where I left off on the blog there with the title, haha. So let's catch ya up real quick.<br />
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<li>We moved from Austin to The Woodlands, TX and we bought our first home!!! Note to self: Don't ever move 8 months pregnant ever again.</li>
<li>Rose Catherine McCarthy was born at 11:58am on 7/15/13...don't worry, I'm saving all the juicy birth deets for another time!</li>
<li>Rose is now almost 4 months old and to be honest with you, the first 6 weeks of her life feel like a bad dream where I was tortured without sleep! I mean, don't get me wrong I love the girl but this Mamma does NOT do well without sleep. </li>
<li>I am now a full time working Mom and time has never gone by so quickly!! I hope to start picking back up on the blog including a revamp on the site! For now, I leave you with pictures...enjoy</li>
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Our New Home!</div>
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3 Days before I was induced...I call this "Big Bertha"</div>
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She's Here!</div>
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Rose was born with a micro-cleft lip, we were unaware until she was born. Luckily he gums and palate are not affected! She does have a deviated septum and will have surgery to fix her lip and nose on 12/26.</div>
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Our little (aka humungous!) sweet pea! She is consistently measuring in the 90% percentile, that's my girl! </div>
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RowdyatHearthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03193429908209210000noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8388674101786770381.post-69333021822639937692013-02-28T16:19:00.001-06:002013-02-28T16:19:46.401-06:00Am I crazy?!I just love how everything in life is planned "so perfectly" and then God's plan is "so different" than what you had planned! Ha. I will never learn.<br />
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In our dream world of what would happen the first year we were married was this:<br />
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<li>We would live in our house rental in Kyle, TX (just south of Austin) as happy little newlyweds until our lease was up in July 2013. </li>
<li>After John's school year was over he would start looking for new jobs to either move closer into Austin or in the Houston area.</li>
<li>At that point, we would look at moving back to The Woodlands, TX (where I grew up) or into the Austin area depending on where John found a job. </li>
<li>Sometime in the fall of 2013 we would get pregnant and start settling in wherever we ended up and hopefully buying our first home. </li>
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And here is how it has actually gone down:</div>
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<li>We lived in our rental for approximately 1 month and then found out we were pregnant! </li>
<li>And the baby's due date was conveniently July 21st (the same month as our lease being up)</li>
<li>Soooo, what do we freaking do?!</li>
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And thus we have come to the place where we are: 19.75 weeks preggo and having no idea what we should do! We have been having a lot of talks the past couple months and coughcoughargumentscough and have finally made a decision. A decision in which I feel will be one I look back on in my life and either think it was one of the best ones we ever made or what were we thinking?! We were crazy!</div>
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We have decided to move at the end of John's school year (unless he finds a job sooner) to The Woodlands, which puts me right at 7-8 months preggo. Mmmhmm, in Texas, in the summer, it's going to be soooo much fun. I do have a game plan so that I don't die, but let's be honest, game plans never go according to "plan". </div>
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We are very lucky in that I have a job that I can live wherever I want, so it won't affect anything for me. John on the other hand is diving into the fun world of job searching, which is always stressful and is probably great timing to go through during the last couple months and birth of your first child! People who know me well are probably assuming that I am freaking out, but I am surprisingly very trusting that this is what God wants us to do (maybe I am learning?!). I know that John will find something, we will find a place to live, and everything will go along happily ever after. So, keep us in your prayers! Oh and if you know of anything in the Houston area job wise...holler at us! </div>
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For now, enjoy my almost 20 week bump. I don't even want to know what I am going to look like at 40 weeks! And for those wondering 1 week from today is our 20 week sono and will keep everyone posted on the BOY or GIRL news!!! </div>
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RowdyatHearthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03193429908209210000noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8388674101786770381.post-58109092641112376022013-02-15T13:01:00.000-06:002013-02-15T13:01:01.591-06:00How am I seriously almost 1/2 way?!OK, I realize this is probably the worst quality, unattractive picture I could ever post of myself...BUT it is the first one that I feel like I have take where I actually (possibly, maybe, please-say-yes) look pregnant! I am officially 17weeks 6 days so pretty much I'm counting it as my 18 weeks picture...<br />
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Oh yah, did I mention I had a turban on my head? I seriously just got dressed and was walking by the mirror and stopped...OMG I look preggo! Snap, enjoy...</div>
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Mmmhmmm, enjoy that nice glare from the morning sun. Maybe next time I will actually get all did up in my shiny new maternity clothes and really blow you guys away! </div>
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A little less than 3 weeks until our 20 week ultrasound where we find out if our little cub is a he or she! Until then...I'm trying to keep myself occupied. I've already taken about 10 online "Is it a boy or girl?" quizzes...most of them say boy, but I'm still feeling it's a little mini me in there! We will soon find out!</div>
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RowdyatHearthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03193429908209210000noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8388674101786770381.post-82208878725774041852013-02-04T23:31:00.000-06:002013-02-04T23:31:09.183-06:00So it's been 5 months...Wow. 5 months sure goes by fast! I totally let my "blogosphere" world down and have realized this: I am MUCH better as a stage-5-clinger-blog-stalker than I am at keeping up with my own life on the ol' blog!<br />
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In any case, it's a new year so I get a re-do right? Right. So I'll catch up realll quick:<br />
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1. Got hitched Oct. 20th, 2012 to the man of my dreams : John Daniel McCarthy<br />
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2. Yah, we are THAT couple. July 21st, 2013 (exactly 9 months +1 day) we are expecting our first little babe! After pretty much feeling like a shock wave drowned me, I am now adjusted and am super excited to start our little family! We find out March 7th if we are having a little boy or girl and I CAN NOT WAIT! </div>
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***No, sorry no pics to show you. I mean I could post the a.) sonogram from 8 weeks and let's be honest...if the Dr. hadn't written BABY!!! next to the white mass swimming in the black hole, I wouldn't have believed her...in any case, it's not that exciting. Or I could post b.) a 16 weeks preggo picture which really just looks like I indulged in too many holiday treats (which I did) and don't really want everyone checking THAT out. </div>
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3. Well, that pretty much sums up my life in the past 5 months. haha Pretty exciting right? And I vow to keep you up-to-date at least once a month...I'm going to try and do a short clip once a week with some highlights! </div>
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If you are reading this, thanks for sticking around! Things about to get crazy up in my life! </div>
<br />RowdyatHearthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03193429908209210000noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8388674101786770381.post-43789931336937939552012-08-15T10:53:00.002-05:002012-08-15T10:53:47.968-05:00Bridal Showers and Bachelorette Parties, OH MY!Soooooo, yah. It's been a couple months. My apologies! So much to catch up on, but I will leave you with the fun stuff!<br />
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Since my last post I have REALLY started to dive into my new job as an account manager and I have been BEYOND busy. I have been to 9 states in the past 3 months. (Oregon, California, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Florida, South Carolina, Texas (not at home), and Kansas) So this is my #1 excuse for being so behind on my blogging. My #2 excuse is that my amazing sisters, friends, and family have thrown me some awesome bridal showers and one hell of a bachelorette party.<br />
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We actually had "Bach Bash 2012" which included a partially combined bachelor and bachelorette party! It was SO. MUCH. FUN!!!! We started the party with a 3 hour party barge (double decker boat) out on Lake Travis with the boys and girls and my parents (awesome! seriously, had a blast with them!) and then broke off into our separate groups. The girls checked into the Embassy Suites downtown to relax/get ready for the night, while the boys went straight to Alamo Drafthouse to see the Batman movie.<br />
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My sister decorated the hotel room (complete with "Pin the Macho on the Man"...it came in handy later on, hahaha) and we had the lingerie shower. Then we went out to several different bars on 6th Street. It was such a blast, we even ended up running back into the boys for some final 2-stepping to end the night. It was definitely a day I will never forget thank you so much to my sisters and my wonderful friends/bridesmaids!<br />
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Enjoy the slide show!<br />
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This was my bridal shower in The Woodlands! So much fun, thanks Kris!</div>
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My Bridal Shower in Lubbock, TX...fun family time! Thank you Htown!</div>
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My ATX shower. Jayne, ludge ya!</div>
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The Bride and Groom having a blast on the Party Barge! Kayne sun glasses and hand made coozies. bomb.com</div>
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Little Flowers on the Boat! <3 you ladies!</div>
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Told ya my ol' Mom and Pops are a blast!</div>
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Everyone enjoying the cool water on a hot summer day!</div>
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Man toast.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ZOn-y098wo0n8kk8jM4Gw0qP7vvT8O5itr8dLlvSXPjeNZQjBpzHh4c6Z1jzgCFci-weR6bLUOZ5je8PUwlEPtLz-mx_XChzfbKid6BdqFofkMlLRDjj-WanyGeHECUHFOO_t-k3dl40/s1600/macho.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ZOn-y098wo0n8kk8jM4Gw0qP7vvT8O5itr8dLlvSXPjeNZQjBpzHh4c6Z1jzgCFci-weR6bLUOZ5je8PUwlEPtLz-mx_XChzfbKid6BdqFofkMlLRDjj-WanyGeHECUHFOO_t-k3dl40/s320/macho.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Me in all my bachelorette glory. Complete with Mr. Macho in the background!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSlTHKXYXIb0uKXaXKnq7gevHIgEl3iJhFUsCNMd1KAzlAltfdudGJ4Ju5KyT0FwSsao0t_2YFOGP1PBu1pObl9q1ApmZE9BsVWjbJQLLhwd-lJkntQhF82IcXDy8aSNWB99d03PVvimZz/s1600/kris+and+me.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSlTHKXYXIb0uKXaXKnq7gevHIgEl3iJhFUsCNMd1KAzlAltfdudGJ4Ju5KyT0FwSsao0t_2YFOGP1PBu1pObl9q1ApmZE9BsVWjbJQLLhwd-lJkntQhF82IcXDy8aSNWB99d03PVvimZz/s320/kris+and+me.jpg" width="238" /></a></div>
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My beautiful Maid of Honor #1</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCBtfp5ZWL7i5yMePAWGId7QqrhRuUQNUUEroznnanZ418qpfoZMPY1Q_a8JTNusSlkvs-ZydJRlDlo7C-Xbd-d0hmg4W2NDCV1AC8OFA50BnsxEQfdHl199EdlMmtAu6CYAR2WtxT9pfw/s1600/helen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCBtfp5ZWL7i5yMePAWGId7QqrhRuUQNUUEroznnanZ418qpfoZMPY1Q_a8JTNusSlkvs-ZydJRlDlo7C-Xbd-d0hmg4W2NDCV1AC8OFA50BnsxEQfdHl199EdlMmtAu6CYAR2WtxT9pfw/s320/helen.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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My other beautiful maid of Honor #2</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrF2FPgPgGWXPB0ximgP2mXUUBzOrcytv-BfTis3ymYxHIveCHss3L42GOfRVvS2KRrzMRIRGozE-v2ra2NDueCIIyUcXz_KGZ0UObbrq_xiu49dW1XpBmXLFVAtNmU-EzgVHZBTJthaVo/s1600/sibs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrF2FPgPgGWXPB0ximgP2mXUUBzOrcytv-BfTis3ymYxHIveCHss3L42GOfRVvS2KRrzMRIRGozE-v2ra2NDueCIIyUcXz_KGZ0UObbrq_xiu49dW1XpBmXLFVAtNmU-EzgVHZBTJthaVo/s320/sibs.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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My siblings. <3 y'all! </div>
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AND IN CASE YOU WERE WONDERING! 66 DAYS UNTIL I'M MRS. MCCARTHY!</div>
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RowdyatHearthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03193429908209210000noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8388674101786770381.post-60566810586662237212012-05-03T17:38:00.000-05:002012-05-03T17:38:14.647-05:00DIY: 1990s Cherrywood to 21st Century Shabby Chic!Well, it finally happened. Pinterest convinced me to step up to the plate and DIY myself to fabulousness!<br />
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<i><b><u><span style="font-size: x-large;">From THIS:</span></u></b></i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUKMsEtxejeg3t7BPIs4yhyphenhyphenxdGnRe0nAOz0s6SkxWkzOFXCKifh9UcJf7Uxxi0zjrkEVzjzF3s-wQ7LhszcPkrWW2uCSVvTslo-cd2YO8NFmQ3J50WOwJiWaH-lL3Ryxd5hdqfyD0BZJ7H/s1600/IMAG0897.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUKMsEtxejeg3t7BPIs4yhyphenhyphenxdGnRe0nAOz0s6SkxWkzOFXCKifh9UcJf7Uxxi0zjrkEVzjzF3s-wQ7LhszcPkrWW2uCSVvTslo-cd2YO8NFmQ3J50WOwJiWaH-lL3Ryxd5hdqfyD0BZJ7H/s320/IMAG0897.jpg" width="191" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV4Ovm9fp1h1POkJKgQEugMHrb5-NDak2z7Juf5td-RBrtNus3CXXmOTS0wUQlQxViXGjGLnUqjGRvZON5OQRBtyk38gPZSBZnUvlUXV3087-nvg7iq1AbarjvHO57uLQG8dfM6iq73s8B/s1600/IMAG0898.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV4Ovm9fp1h1POkJKgQEugMHrb5-NDak2z7Juf5td-RBrtNus3CXXmOTS0wUQlQxViXGjGLnUqjGRvZON5OQRBtyk38gPZSBZnUvlUXV3087-nvg7iq1AbarjvHO57uLQG8dfM6iq73s8B/s320/IMAG0898.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-size: x-large;"><u>To THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!</u></span></i></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhvj0wlTuXP4uDTFIsfq8vXk4DSZGACNQ9MExT8CXSEhj1N5mXiKWV8MXl5dLpWLzxOWEpZEmEg3qNQo1uBgUU_kJnPxR6I8WGOzZIKSmPLrypAMvHwTnhLleyXiRg-gnCprRJigQPh3Pv/s1600/IMAG0925.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhvj0wlTuXP4uDTFIsfq8vXk4DSZGACNQ9MExT8CXSEhj1N5mXiKWV8MXl5dLpWLzxOWEpZEmEg3qNQo1uBgUU_kJnPxR6I8WGOzZIKSmPLrypAMvHwTnhLleyXiRg-gnCprRJigQPh3Pv/s320/IMAG0925.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Ehhhh, let me me be honest about how this all exactly started...</span><br />
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Day #1:<br />
So, me, being the amazing fiance that I am, decided to "surprise" my future hubs to an Extreme-Home-Makeover. And by that, I wanted to turn his bachelor-pad into something a little more "homey". I had it all planned out in my head, I was going to buy a furniture set and storage hutch, then my roomie Jay-nay and I were going to kick him out for a boy's night and make that apartment look fantabulous! Jayne and I had been texting back and forth about how amazing this was going to be all day....that evening, John and I were going to meet with the priest for marriage prep for the first time. (It was a very exciting day, let me tell you) On the way to the church, I got a text. Instinctively John went to grab my phone since I was driving....I normally have nothing to hide, until my under cover Pinterest project commenced earlier that day. I grabbed the phone from John's hands to read the text, which obviously raised red flags. Of course once I told him I was surprising him with something, the boy couldn't think about anything else. Great, I thought, he is going to be acting weird and distracted when we are meeting with the priest for the first time. So I just spilled the beans...after he got over the shock of me taking over his bachelor pad, I think he got (a little) excited about the makeover.<br />
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Day #2:<br />
Well, things weren't going as exactly planned. First I couldn't find a full furniture set within my budget. If I was going to do this makeover, I wanted to show him what an amazing and thrifty wifey I'll make doing all my makeovers on a budget! So, my budget was around $300 hoping to find 2 nightstands, a big dresser, and a large storage hutch. Off to craigslist I went, after much searching I found what I was looking for! A large storage hutch for $150 and a dresser and nightstands (Cherrywood) for $175! (ok so I went a little over) The storage hutch is in great shape and looks like it fits into the 21st century. The bedroom furniture, not so much. After reading something and being inspired by pinterest, I watched roughly 2-hundred videos on You Tube on "how-to" repaint/update furniture. I decided I could do that, easy. Furniture bought.<br />
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Day #3:<br />
So, next up....trip to Lowe's. I had my list: plastic sheet to lay-out and paint on, sander, sand paper, primer, and of course, paint. Boom, let's do this. Except, I accidentally bought white paint instead of primer (trip back to Lowe's). Annnddd I only thought I would need 1 can of it (trip back to Lowe's). Of course, 1 pack of sand paper would work for 2 medium and 1 large piece of furniture, right? (Trip back to Lowe's) Figured out I was probably not going to do all 3 pieces of furniture in 1 day, so I would need more plastic sheets (Trip back to Lowe's). Oh yah, and in case you are wondering spray paint DOES dry a million times faster than painting the old fashion way, you just need around 1 million spray paint bottles to get the job done. (Trip back to Lowe's) I'll save my other bagillion trips back to Lowe's for later on in this post....<br />
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Days #3 (cont.), 4, and 5:<br />
Since this was first attempt at pretty much anything major DIY, I decided to start with one of the smaller night stands just in case I totally botched it, I'd still be left with 2 usable pieces. (And here is where I try to attempt my first blog "how-to")<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>STEP 1</b></span><br />
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Remove drawers from furniture and all hardware from the drawers.<br />
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Note: You may find hidden surprises left for you by the last owner...<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Which could be <i>BAD</i>:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV4Ovm9fp1h1POkJKgQEugMHrb5-NDak2z7Juf5td-RBrtNus3CXXmOTS0wUQlQxViXGjGLnUqjGRvZON5OQRBtyk38gPZSBZnUvlUXV3087-nvg7iq1AbarjvHO57uLQG8dfM6iq73s8B/s1600/IMAG0898.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV4Ovm9fp1h1POkJKgQEugMHrb5-NDak2z7Juf5td-RBrtNus3CXXmOTS0wUQlQxViXGjGLnUqjGRvZON5OQRBtyk38gPZSBZnUvlUXV3087-nvg7iq1AbarjvHO57uLQG8dfM6iq73s8B/s320/IMAG0898.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Yes, those are someone ELSE'S panies and socks stuck back behind those drawers</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">OR which could be <i>GOOD</i>:</span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIuh3iNk5GwS6jrSQ9QMK7oAgTHF28ifc4cTvcEIXmdlclVbx8jxNpBg4pQYesgRb4izta7aoPdmuLE-6F8Usl9xEm5_wnIdLND-jlX_sIuUqvtFcdseOcbJTKe4W10ZwUeMot6q97xtLC/s1600/IMAG0918.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIuh3iNk5GwS6jrSQ9QMK7oAgTHF28ifc4cTvcEIXmdlclVbx8jxNpBg4pQYesgRb4izta7aoPdmuLE-6F8Usl9xEm5_wnIdLND-jlX_sIuUqvtFcdseOcbJTKe4W10ZwUeMot6q97xtLC/s320/IMAG0918.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Jackpot baby! A couple strands of pearls, a beautiful locket, and Men's gold ring. (the rest, junk.) Yes, I thought about tracking down the owner, but I bought this off Craigslist from a guy who sells used stuff. And he bought it off this other guy who buys items from lot sales. Long story short, don't make me feel bad. </div>
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I considering this an added bonus. </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>STEP 2</b></span></div>
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Sand down the furniture. I bought a Black and Decker "Mouse" (Cost: around $35) because sanding by hand takes WAY too long. Although, on this piece there were several curved pieces so I had to end up doing a lot by hand anyway. </div>
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Note: If you are repainting a wood piece of furniture and not re-staining it, you only have to sand it enough to take off the "shiny" and make the piece very smooth. Since you will prime it, that is what actually covers up the dark wood before painting. I used around 120-150 grit sand paper to do this. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOd1IE4LE8s8Sl-sRJIEIiFD6nQ7f2HOZWa_uJ-G0TUBjZJqF7IaFSCy63sj2XuPksbwkI0V1LW4clEzJ875mBcPEUl17Icflc508WngIdnVztvp6JJLX5MP5zL2jIk6Yv_955CQmkrLBa/s1600/IMAG0899.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOd1IE4LE8s8Sl-sRJIEIiFD6nQ7f2HOZWa_uJ-G0TUBjZJqF7IaFSCy63sj2XuPksbwkI0V1LW4clEzJ875mBcPEUl17Icflc508WngIdnVztvp6JJLX5MP5zL2jIk6Yv_955CQmkrLBa/s320/IMAG0899.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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My shiny new sander....</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjLa2L5OHpavm5H7thlhICmqeQSryeoLIk-V5dNMT6s3X8DuVYHsk-9Eyug9PnEGwsc_QwRD5N5zSHWS_IRwWwrIcY64EaUNtLdVnFR7IlAIibsVGWZpACuWdYUCIlhOYg41hS766IDQ1C/s1600/IMAG0904.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjLa2L5OHpavm5H7thlhICmqeQSryeoLIk-V5dNMT6s3X8DuVYHsk-9Eyug9PnEGwsc_QwRD5N5zSHWS_IRwWwrIcY64EaUNtLdVnFR7IlAIibsVGWZpACuWdYUCIlhOYg41hS766IDQ1C/s320/IMAG0904.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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This is what it should look like after you are done sanding. </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>STEP 3</b></span></div>
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Prime the wood. I used spray primer because I was also using spray paint. It dries SO much quicker than painting it on with a brush. But I'm sure either do a great job. Because I was going from a very dark wood to a light paint, I used 2 coats of primer. </div>
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Sorry, I forgot to take a picture of what it looked like after I primed it. But let me tell you this, you aren't painting it so it's ok if some areas are "whiter" than others and it isn't perfect...it is just to make the wood a lighter surface for the paint to show up on. </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>STEP 4</b></span></div>
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Painting! Again, I used spray paint. Which if you are in a hurry and have zero patience like me...it's the way to go! You don't have to let it sit for more than a couple of hours and it is dry and will be done setting overnight. Vs. several days with paint & brush. I put on 2-3 coats of paint, letting it dry for about 10-15 minutes between coats. </div>
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Also, with spray paint you MUST do it outdoors for many reasons. #1 it's SPRAY, you don't have as much control over where it lands (especially if it is windy), so you will need a plastic sheet to lay down. #2. Fumes! They are extremely potent....and I'll let you check out my extremely flattering picture below before I say this, I recommend wearing a mask. Dorky, yes. Worth it, probs. </div>
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Note: You will need A LOT of spray paint. It is always better to OVERestimate than under. It will save you a lot of trips back to the store. I used about 5 bottles of primer and 12 bottles of spray paint for all 3 of these pieces. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEins37BnwZ0mIC1bQpBdMUrEEL5aPV_by_o1bz6Sjvcbh9Wnvt5m1XGzrL_LbgQtMucpx__S10zm3zAqMC6hLpOgb4SImiEEIRecyeW9RvBWNuVhJG4pVYwotfndUVv0-kXLqPgLtZLHVkX/s1600/IMAG0901.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEins37BnwZ0mIC1bQpBdMUrEEL5aPV_by_o1bz6Sjvcbh9Wnvt5m1XGzrL_LbgQtMucpx__S10zm3zAqMC6hLpOgb4SImiEEIRecyeW9RvBWNuVhJG4pVYwotfndUVv0-kXLqPgLtZLHVkX/s320/IMAG0901.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Work in progress. </div>
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And, this is why you should wear a mask. </div>
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If you are going for the Shabby Chic look, you are not done yet my friend! Once the paint is completely dry, I let it dry overnight, you will need to distress the furniture. Basically, you are going to sand off the paint to give it that antique chic look. It's really easy, I used 100/150 grit sand paper, and you just sand, enough to were it wears off the paint, on all the corners and edges. I sanded any area that I thought normal wear and tear would occur over the years. </div>
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Note: Don't be worried about doing it exact! Imperfections make it look better, some areas I sanded more and some less to give it a real effect. </div>
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You can see how I sanded the edges and corners...even on the drawers.</div>
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The top looked too shiny and new once I did the corners and edges, so I took 60 grit sand paper and make some scratches across the surface (enough to wear the paint wore off a little but didn't take off too much) and then used a very fine (220 grit) sand paper to smooth off the ridges. </div>
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So it looks worn, but is still really smooth and new feeling. </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>STEP 6</b></span></div>
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If you want to take it even a step further for an updated look, you can change the hardware and give it some really shabby new pulls or knobs! However, after making around 5-6 trips to different hardware stores, I discovered that the drawer pulls that came with the furniture are about 3.6 inches apart (the holes where you drill them into the drawer). And I now know that pulls are primarily 3" or 3.75"....SO, I decided to stick with what the came with to save myself extra work and money. I think the originals actually look OK. </div>
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So there you have it folks. I have my first DIY home project under my belt, and I am feeling good (and tired). I can honestly say though, it wasn't that hard and didn't take as much time as I thought it might. Just be prepared and again, OVER buy. You can always return what you don't need. Now on to the old hutch, front hall table, 2 old book shelves, and the old coffee table.....</div>
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<br /></div>RowdyatHearthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03193429908209210000noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8388674101786770381.post-89495607766263223022012-04-24T16:49:00.001-05:002012-04-24T16:49:54.193-05:00Mary is Married!!!!I would like to start off by saying: CONGRATULATIONS TO MARY AND KEVIN CHIEREK!!!!<div>
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What. A. Weekend. </div>
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It happened ladies and gentlemen. 1425 entered into a new stage in our friendship. Marriage. haha Do you like how I said "1425" entered...Kevin (and soon to be), John, and to the other future hubbies...I have to let you in on a little secret. There are no secrets. Haha, jk. (kind of)</div>
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We all knew it would happen one day. We would find the loves of our lives and settle down. It just all seemed to start happening...so fast! I know, we are 27 and 28, but that is the new "young adult", right? (you better say right) We (1425, and for those who don't know what in the hell that is...it's our college government housing project # that us 5 besties lived in during college. Yah, you read that right) have always been so close, in part, because we have always all been in about the same stages of life. Which for the past 5 years mainly consisted of single-hood. While some may read that as a "yikes!" we had and are still having the times of our lives!</div>
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We have made it a point to get together AT LEAST once per year, mainly being a ski trip to Colorado...thank you Frank and Mama T! But have also been able to share in many other vacations and trips to visit one another. I truly believe that we are so blessed to have one another...how many people can say that they still talk to their best friends from college at least a couple times per month (if not more!) and are able to see each other so often? </div>
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What I believe it so funny about it all is how different we all are! I mean, I would never have imagined such a random group of girls with different hobbies, interests, and personalities being so close...except for one uniting factor: Christ. There is just something about a friendship when it is rooted in Christ: you can TRULY be honest about everything and know that you won't be judged (well at least not to your face, right? KIDDING.) and that you will be truly supported during tough times and praised during times of joy! </div>
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Well, this past weekend, Kevin Chierek married one of the best of 'em. Mary formerly O'Keefe. And I couldn't be more thrilled to welcome Kevin into a lifetime of 1425 festivities, drama, and let's be serious into the nursing home. (bahaha) Kevin, you have found yourself one hell of a woman. And you have all of our love and support as you two start a wonderful life together! </div>
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Don't have a whole lot of pics, I was too busy dancing and enjoying the open bar. Don't judge me. </div>
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At the rehearsal dinner at Maggiano's. Our newest member included!</div>
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After we got our herrr and makeup did, in the limo "Going to the chapel to get married"!</div>
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Hands down, probs THE most beautiful bride I've ever seen. </div>
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While I am not a fan of how preggo I look in this picture (no, I am not preggo in case you people thought I fell off the chastity train) I love how beautiful the flowers and dresses look! And we are obviously very into Mary and Kevin saying their vows. </div>
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Classy bridesmaid.</div>
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At the recep-tionnneee! Such a blast!</div>
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<br /></div>RowdyatHearthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03193429908209210000noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8388674101786770381.post-20329839249871014202012-04-01T14:46:00.001-05:002012-04-01T14:46:23.673-05:00Another reason I love Austin, TXThere is nothing like spring weather in Central Texas. Sunny and 70s, wildflowers cover the grass, and everyone outside to enjoy it! I love living in Austin, there is so much to do outdoors. One of the things my adventurous mind thought of a couple months ago was to do the Austin Jailbreak. It is a 5k race that involves 16 different obstacles from sliding down a huge water slide to crawling through a field of mud...I know, why would anyone want to do this to themselves? It's actually fun, I promise...I did it last year and had a blast.<br />
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Well, about one month ago I started doing a high protein diet and can't really do too much exercising because I don't have carbs to burn...SO, I convinced my sister to take my place. Which was NBD (no big deal, duh) because her crazy a$$ runs marathons all the time, but I also graciously signed up John as well. We have both been super busy and he didn't really start training until about 5 days ago...<br />
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Let's just put it this way, after about 2 miles I caught up with them to take an action picture and it was in that moment that I thought: "Hmmm, he probably is really annoyed that I signed him up for this right now"...and once I saw his face, that was confirmed. He didn't talk to me for a solid 5 minutes post race, but after he cleaned off all the mud I asked, "Are you mad at me?" and he quickly replied, "I was.............................................but now I've caught my breath and it actually was kinda fun." Hah. This boy better realize that he is in for a hell of a lot more fun surprises like that if he is going to marry the Rowdy Raines :)<br />
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Saturday was topped off taking the suppy logs (yes, I call them that to their faces) to the Red Bud Isle Dog Park...I love going there, it's so beautiful and so do the bitches. Well, I'm off to pack yet another bag....this week it's Springfield, OH. Awesome.<br />
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This is before the race, everyone chipper and ready to conquer...</div>
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Still pumped. John said (and I quote) "I feel as if I have the energy of 8 red bulls running thru my veins.."</div>
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About 0.1 mile into the race</div>
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One of the fun obstacles...</div>
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LOL</div>
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And, rrriiiiggghhhhttt about here was when I realized, yah, he's pissed. </div>
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To top it all off....</div>
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I shiny and clean as a new penny, wanted to capture the moment</div>
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And a beautiful day at the park. Bella NEVER gets in the water...I was so excited to capture them both playing around in Lady Bird Lake. </div>
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Have a great Holy Week Everyone!!!! </div>
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<br /></div>RowdyatHearthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03193429908209210000noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8388674101786770381.post-60785112802015728002012-03-28T19:25:00.001-05:002012-03-29T08:53:00.151-05:008 hundred weeks and counting....Ok, so maybe not 800 but 8 weeks on the road sure feels like it! Work is so crazy busy right now...I can't even explain how much I would give for an entire week at home! I am just praying once I start my new position as an account manager that my life slows down a LITTLE. If it doesn't, don't blame me if my wedding turns into a casual ho-down in the streets of Austin...don't worry, there will still be free beer!<br />
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So where do I start with the (ENTIRE) month of March...OH! I know, how about vacation :) John and I were able to slip in a little vacation to Last Vegas during his spring break week. We decided that it would be our one year together celebration...and it ended up being wonderful! Because of my crazy traveling and John living 30 minutes outside of Austin, we really only get to see each other on the weekends so it was definitely nice to be able to spend a whole week together! We didn't just do the "what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas" bit probably mostly because John gave up alcohol for lent and I was on a diet...HA, but it was wonderful! Enjoy the pics.<br />
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p.s. Pat thank you SO MUCH for letting us stay with you. We had a blast...and John enjoyed some man time.<br />
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Red Rock Canyon...beautiful day for hiking!</div>
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Mmmmk, so I found another chance to show off my gorgeous ring! It was beautiful in the sunlight!</div>
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Obviously by these gorg smiles you can tell how much fun we had hiking. </div>
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Then we saw the only socially acceptable land mark to consistently use a foul word..Hoover DAMMMM!</div>
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Our 1 year anniversary dinner, it's ok to be jealous ladies ;)</div>
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So, onto the other great adventure of the month: the first 1425 Bachelorette Party everrrrr!!!! Whew. Let's just start by prefacing with a couple reminders:</div>
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#1. I have been on a strict diet to prepare not only for mine but Mary's wedding. It doesn't seem important to know this now...but most of you get where this is going....</div>
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#2. We are all 27 and 28, that college age have a crazy night and bounce right back thing juuuusssst doesn't quite work out as well as I want it to sometimes. </div>
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Yes, it made me feel better by putting excuses prior to this story. </div>
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So what better day to celebrate a bachelorette party than good old St. Patrick's Day?! Especially for Mary O'KEEFE! We started out the morning with an adorable "Cloudy with Showers" themed party and before we knew it, it was time to put on our party pants. Green party pants. First stop: Iggy's Mexican Restaurant. Let's just say, I wasn't about to let this party get started on the wrong foot. Round 1 of shots commences. A couple of Margaritas and Vodka waters later (I tried to stay on my diet...) Round 2 of shots. Annddd before dinner was completed, rrrroooouuunnnnddd 4...Liz and I even bust out our "special" shot glass just for Mare. It. was. great. </div>
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What comes next, you may ask? Karaoke party bus. That's right, unlimited karaoke + cooler of booze + a bus of fun ladies = awesome. Let's just say, we sang a lot of songs...my personal list included: Baby Got Back by Sir Mix-A-Lot, Get Low by Lil Jon, Fancy by Reba McEntire, and Whitney Houston group sing-a-longs. And yes, personal dance performances or should I say "presentations" were involved. We even stopped at a couple of bars along the way and met very interesting people. There was a video I took or Mary talking to this guy and I may or may not have told him 20 times that "She's getting marrriiiieeeddd." hah. </div>
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After being dropped off at the hotel, we kicked the first to hit the pillows to the Hepatitis C infested couch bed (right, Liz?) and then were off to the casino! Kathleen and I walked away about 100 and 60 bones richer...Mary 3HUNDRED bones richer, and we decided to end that on a good note and hit the haysack. The pillowless, sheetless, crowded hay sack. </div>
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The next morning, we woke up with great stories, gigantic headaches, a large bruise the size of a grapefruit on my left butt cheek, and a corona salt shaker. I would say it was successful. Didn't get too many pictures...</div>
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At the bridal shower that morning...</div>
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1 shot down....
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1 day plus 1 million shots down...</div>
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<br /></div>RowdyatHearthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03193429908209210000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8388674101786770381.post-76329573343811289162012-03-06T11:46:00.003-06:002012-03-06T11:47:10.101-06:00Life is Insane. Just sayin....I know some of you are with me on this. Do you ever feel like you life is a whirlwind of craziness and that you are just getting through this "stage" and eventually it will slow down? And really, we KNOW it isn't going to slow down for a long, long time...it is most likely going to continue to accelerate at a rapid pace. I have to tell my self white lies that my life has blissful calmness sailing it's way or else I think that I might not ever be able to get up out of bed in the morning to tackle my list of 400 things to do.<br />
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For the past 3 months (I still can't believe that it is already March) I have been out of town almost every. single. week. trying to keep up on work projects that are pouring (or should I say hailing) down like a Texas thunderstorm. All of these new "meaningful use" requirements from the government have oncology clinics in a frenzy to adopt a certified electronic medical record system. While I am not a fan of most of the healthcare changes taking place...I can actually say that this one has benefited me :) I was promoted to an account manager earlier this year and it has given me a sense of job security like never before. And you know what job security actually means: A LOT of work. And on top of that, planning a wedding could pretty much be considered a full time job. This year is going to be insanely busy, fly buy, but has potential to be one of the best years of my life....if I can get thru it!</div>
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What I have come to realize in the past few weeks is in order to stay relaxed and enjoy a life that spins thru your day like a tornado on crack is to slow down. Doesn't make sense when you say it, but it's true. As most of you know, I love St. Therese of Lisieux. Her whole autobiography, "Story of a Soul" will change your life. I need to read it again just to refocus. One of the things I have always struggled with is being perfect. HA. I know. But I want to be the BEST at everything I do in life. THE best account manager, THE best fiance, THE best sister, THE best daughter, THE best friend, THE best (fill in the blank). But what happens when I concentrate on becoming the best at everything is I rely only on myself to get to the top. As I try to worry only about myself being better than anyone else, my thoughts, priorities, and concerns for God, friends, family, etc. diminish. And eventually I realize I can't be THE best at everything, and then it is a let down when I feel like I failed. </div>
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My absolute favorite quotes from St. Therese is this, "If every little flower wished to be a Rose, Nature would lose Her spring adornments and the fields would not longer be enameled with their varied beauty." Every time I read it or meditate on that quote I get a sense of peace. There also is something else that says, "A Rose doesn't take away the whiteness of the Lily or the simple beauty of a violet" (can't remember the exact quote) Long story short, I can't compare who God created me to be to others and what they are doing. Does that mean I shouldn't try my hardest...of course not. But I have to slow down and enjoy that I am exactly and doing exactly what God wants me to be doing. I can't get worked up over everything and not enjoy where I am right now in my life. What I should be doing when trying to achieve a goal is asking myself "Am I praying as if everything depended on God? Am I working toward my goal as if everything depended on me?" (St. Augustine's genius) Because if I am doing the latter without the first, I am going no where and am setting myself up for failure. </div>
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So, this lent I am trying to work on my prayer life and not just keeping it as a separate "relationship", but incorporating my relationship with God into my everyday life to help me slow down and enjoy this day in my life that I will never get back. So, onto the challenges of the day....</div>
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:) p.s. I have posted some pictures of weird, not normal, but still absolutely incredible, beautiful flowers. </div>
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<br /></div>RowdyatHearthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03193429908209210000noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8388674101786770381.post-37033452818942286722012-02-15T15:35:00.000-06:002012-02-15T15:35:41.682-06:00V-day. A day I can always be excited about (now)Ahhhh, so after 27 years of on-again, off-again relationships with St. Valentine...I can finally be excited for the "Love Day" having a Valentine of my very own for the rest of my life <3<br />
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John and I had our very first Valentine's Day as a couple this year. It is still crazy that one year ago I was living up single-hood and today I am counting down the days until I marry my love. We didn't do anything too crazy, had a toast of Champagne thanks to our friend Liz Johnson and my Aunt and Uncle who gave us beautiful toasting flutes from Tiffany & Co. to celebrate our engagement! We exchanged valentines and then went to mass and dinner with some of our wonderful friends. It was a lot of fun!<br />
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On to other goings-ons around here. Maggie Smith left us last week to move back to the Mile High City. In honor of her going away, obviously her BFF from Texas was going to throw her a little going away party. Well Rowdy Raines is no regular bff. I had decided to spice the dinner up a little bit and warned all who were there to think of the most embarrassing story they could think of about Maggie since she had lived in Texas. After we ordered dinner, we all went around the table and shared her most embarrassing moments in Texas. It. was. awesome. Hahaha I seriously think I am too funny for my own good sometimes. Smith loved/hated me all at the same time about her going away shin-dig, but let's be honest. That is why our friendship is so great. Never before has the saying "opposites attract" been so true. Smith, don't worry, I won't share your embarrassing moments with the blog-o-sphere.<br />
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Let's see. What else? Oh, John survived his first "Gaschen Family" meeting this past weekend. My Godmother, Lulu, turned 50 this past weekend in Lubbock, TX. My Mom's side of the family has a huge party for each of their siblings (there are 8 of them) when they turn 50. So I thought it would be a perfect opportunity for John to meet my aunts and uncles on my Mom's side of the family. My Dad's side will have to be next...didn't want to overwhelm him with too much at one time. Long story short, he survived! And he even won over all the aunts by showing off his dancing skills <3 He's a keeper!<br />
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Well, hope everyone had a blessed St. Valentine's Day!RowdyatHearthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03193429908209210000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8388674101786770381.post-71330740900163318642012-02-07T10:28:00.001-06:002012-02-07T10:28:22.448-06:00The Saga of a Traveling LadyWell, it's back to my life on the road this week. For those who don't know, I work for iKnowMed (an Oncology specific electronic medical record system) within McKesson Specialty Health. Right now, I am still working in implementation but will eventually transition into account management....what that means in layman's terms is that I travel, A LOT. Right now I travel 3 weeks out of each month (sometimes more, sometimes less) and you can pretty much call me the traveling queen, some would say diva. This week it is off to Staten Island, NY to train some nurses. And it is looking like it is going to be COOOLLLD. Awesome.<br />
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So this past couple weeks, since I was home-based (that's right, when I'm not traveling I work from home...don't be jealous. No seriously, don't be. If you know anyone who works from home, then you probably get me. I'll save all my funnies about working from home for another post!) I decided to tackle my next large get-ready-for-the-wedding task, which was......REGISTERING FOR GIFTS!<br />
So, I have to start off by saying I have both pros and cons to this ridiculously harder than you think it is going to be task. So I'll start off with the negative and end with the positive. Always the best way to go.<br />
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Things that are annoying about registering for wedding gifts:<br />
1. You feel like a total A-hole for picking out the nice stuff. I feel like I am saying, hello, thank you for supporting my marriage. Go ahead and drop some G's on us. Just saying, it feels a little uncomfortable.<br />
2. If you are like me and research EVVVEEERRRYYYTTTHIIIINNNGGG to a T, it is soooo time consuming. I can't just pick out "pots", I have to research the best pot for your money. Let's just say I spent a lot of time online reading consumer reviews the past week.<br />
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OK, it wasn't that many negative...but those two are big!<br />
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Things that are awesome about registering for wedding gifts:<br />
1. Contrary to my #1 for negative things, you DO get to pick out the nice stuff that my cheap ass would never normally want to dish out the dough for. haha<br />
2. I have NEVER been more excited to be a domestic diva. Can't wait to cook my man some seriously delicious homemade meals and bake fun little holiday treats for his high school kidos.<br />
3. I can't wait to decorate our home that we are going to have together. This could be a pro and a con for me because I will probably change my mind a million times on what color schemes I want to go with on things before our wedding...planning SO far in advance.<br />
4. John and I had our first little tiff as an engaged couple, actually, I think since we have been together and we resolved it like veteran pros! Because I can look back and laugh on it, I will go ahead and share the story with the class:<br />
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So, John obviously isn't as interested in all of the registry stuff. There are a few select items he wanted to pick: barware, grill, TV, Blu Ray, anddd I think that may be it? Anyway, so this was great for me because that meant everything else I could just pick what I wanted. Ahhh, sounds like I shouldn't be complaining, right? Well, I spent HOURS...seriously, hours, picking out all of these things that we are going to have in our home. So, when I want to tell John all about everything I picked he seemed like it was no-big-deal. Well, my feelings were hurt. I mean I didn't expect him to scream like a school girl when I told him the pots and pans I went with were Tri-ply stainless steel and next to All-Clad are the best you can have (duh), but I DID want him to acknowledge that I spent all this time picking this stuff out and be excited about how I will be cooking some pretty amazing dinner for him on those pans!<br />
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Needless to say, there was another emotional contributing factor that was contributing to my emotions that day, but that did not matter at the time. I was upset. John immediately felt awful after I cried and told him how much he just hurt my feelings. He apologized and told me sweet things for the rest of the phone call. (I know, he's so sweet!). And when I woke up the next morning, I had an email from him titled: Things We Need. It had about 10 links from our registry site of items he thought we should have. I clicked on the first link from my phone and it opened up a University of Michigan bed-set. I BURST out laughing, got on my computer and looked at the rest of the links. They included: a kegorater, beer glasses, a personal massager, and other man items. HAHA. I was laughing so hard, there was no way I could be mad any longer :)<br />
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Since then, anytime I say ANYTHING about registry stuff he makes sure he is excited. Last night I was talking to Sarah and Jayne about something and he turned around to them and said, "I want you guys to know, I am SO EXCITED about all of this registry stuff. Just want to make sure EVERYONE (looking at me) knows it!" hahaha. Heart that boy.<br />
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Well folks, I'm off to the airport to probably get my rights violated thru security. Have a good one! Annddd, in case you were wondering, these were the pots and pans I went with. I know you wanted to know.<br />
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<a href="http://www1.macys.com/shop/registry/wedding/product/calphalon-cookware-tri-ply-stainless-steel-13-piece-set?ID=468730&PseudoCat=se-xx-xx-xx.esn_results">http://www1.macys.com/shop/registry/wedding/product/calphalon-cookware-tri-ply-stainless-steel-13-piece-set?ID=468730&PseudoCat=se-xx-xx-xx.esn_results</a></div>RowdyatHearthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03193429908209210000noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8388674101786770381.post-33642129220100136752012-01-23T18:53:00.001-06:002012-01-23T18:53:07.605-06:00Good Bye to the Good Ol' Days...OK- so let's be real. I love John with all my heart. And I can't wait to be his little Catholic trophy wife <3 But I'm going to put this out there...it is going to be weird living with a man. Now for some, this is no biggie. I know in the world today it is a perfectly acceptable thing to live with a man before you are married, but it is something that both John and I have agreed should wait until marriage. (cough, cough, among other things, cough)<br />
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That being said, before I had a ring on my finger, I couldn't WAIT for the day to live with my husband blissfully ever after. Then, BOOM, you have the ring and allll your dreams are suddenly becoming reality. Like, HOLY-MOLY-YOU-HAVE-10-MONTHS-TO-GET-READY-FOR-THIS-LIFE-LONG-COMMITMENT, reality. It's funny, I mean it isn't like I've had 27 years to prepare for this. I mean, come on, little girls start dreaming about getting/being married in 4th or 5th grade. And there are SO many things I am super excited about. But for some reason, there is one thing I just can't imagine: LIVING WITH A BOYYYY (as Monica put it from "F.R.I.E.N.D.S." when she was off to live with Chandler)</div>
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I remember attending a talk given by Kimberly and Scott Hahn @ Steubs...and I always remembered Scott saying how the older you are to get married, the harder the transition into married life would be. Not the lovey dovey part, but the realization that the longer you live on your own, the more set in your ways you both will be. So, coming into a marriage, you have to be prepared and open to changing the way you do things. Ummm, well I am not exactly proud to admit this, but the way I do things is ALWAYS the best and right way. Duh. Why else would I do it the way I do it if it wasn't the most efficient? So yes, that part makes me nervous. But I know prayer and making more room for Christ and less room for ME in our marriage will help me to transition through those changes. </div>
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The one thing that I am not afraid to admit I am sad to leave: The Babysitter's Club. That is what John calls my house. Currently, it consists of 3 other women besides myself: Audrey Jayne Smith (lived with her on and off for over 7 years), Maggie Smith (lived with her on and off for over 3 years), and my sister Kristen (obviously, there's a history there). As much drama as living with 3 girls brings, I love being able to walk in any of their rooms at pretty much any time of the day and vent about any number of topics which I find highly important to discuss. All of which they find important to listen to and discuss with me upon any needed amount of time. Yet, when I discuss any of the topics the Babysitter's Club deems important to my hubs-to-be, I see a thick glazed look cover his eyes and start to get generic one-word responses. I know he means well and he has promised me he will do better...but deep down I know it will never be the same...guess that is why God invented Skype! Yes, I will have my girl time and thoroughly enjoy wine happy hours like never before, but in a sense, it is an end to those single years "living it up" with the girls. </div>
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So here is to the last 9 months of the Babysitter's Club and other great girlie moments, I've included some of my favorite memories over the past several years....which obviously equates to A LOT of pictures, enjoy!<br />
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Lady Baron's Basketball. 6am work outs never felt soo good. </div>
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SB06. Where the Embassy Suites happy hour legacy began.</div>
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This picture sums up the classic Raines/Jayne relationship. </div>
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Our last attempt at pretending we were in "normal college". Fail. </div>
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Our first 1425 reunion post-Steubenville at the Houston Rodeo. </div>
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The addiction to yearly vacations together begins!</div>
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Jayne and I did Mardi Gras in New Orleans 2007. FUN!</div>
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Kaitlyn, Jayne, and I threw a 80s themed Halloween party. It was during our post-college, but let's pretend like we are still in college phase. </div>
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The beginning of the yearly Denver ski trip/1425 reunion. Here we are on top of the Continental Divide!</div>
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Another themed party...you guessed it, President's Day! I was Jackie O and Jayne was good o'l George. </div>
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One of my favorite vacations, ever. Our trip to Punta Cana! All-inclusive was the best thing ever created.</div>
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Jayne and I did our first social with the Catholic 20somethings in Austin. Camping. With people we had never met before. Whhhhyyyy did we think that would be fun? Well, we got a kick out of taking goofy awkward pictures of ourselves, that is for sure. </div>
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My first 5k! The Warrior Dash....so much fun with my seester. </div>
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Another ski trip to Keystone and Breckenridge. So beautiful!</div>
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The nursing home. I miss. </div>
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Halloween in Austin 2010, Popeye and Antione Dodson. Remember him?</div>
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One of my favorite events in Austin. St. Padrick's Day. Celebrated about 2 weeks after the ACTUAL St. Padrick's Day on 6th Street. Everyone was LOVING that :)</div>
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Another pic from Padrick's...this was on the stage at the Dueling Piano Bar!</div>
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Another race we completed on a girl's day out. This one was the JailBreak...I think you can tell how much fun we had by this picture!</div>
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Celebrating New Year's with my seester @ Natalie and PTs wedding. Good time. </div>
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That's all for now, stalk me on the FB and you can pretty much see my single life history in tagged photos. </div>
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</div>RowdyatHearthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03193429908209210000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8388674101786770381.post-16831300126875497362012-01-21T08:48:00.000-06:002012-01-21T10:08:18.697-06:00And we're off!<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: inherit;">For a long time, I have thought about creating a blog for several reasons. </span><br />
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<li><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: inherit;"> It's a fun way to document your life and keep people caught up on the everyday. </span></li>
<li><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: inherit;"> I feel like everyone starts a blog once there are married with a couple kids. Don't worry all you Mommies out there...I'm not hating, I love reading about all your crazy Mom stories. Seriously. I feel like in some weird way, it is preparing me for what to expect someday. In any case, I think it would be fun to have a blog started when I'm single to share those experiences with people. (Because obviously, the life of Rowdy Raines should be shared and thoroughly documented)</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: inherit;">Facebook is getting a little creepy. I don't want Mark Zuckerburg to know my every move. At least this FEELS a little more secure. </span></li>
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: inherit;">So, with that in mind, starts the blog of "It's a Rowdy Life". For most of you that creep me on the FB, you know that I just got engaged this past Christmas to the love of my life, John McCarthy! Before I turned into an old married woman...just kidding babe...I thought I would document my last year of a single lady and the transition into wife-hood/mother-hood (someday). I hope to capture some of my favorite and not-so-favorite moments to look back and laugh at myself. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: inherit;">So, herrreee weeee gooooo! Posted some important pics from the last year...</span><br />
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Couldn't start my blog without including these two knuckle-heads. Macy (left) is the most scared-y cat-damn-dog-you've-ever-met, but I love her to death. Bella (right) is an attention-dog-whore. No other way to put it. If a thief came into our house while we were gone, she would probably make a new best friend.</div>
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February 2011 --- Mary O'Keefe is officially the soon-to-be Mrs. Kevin Chierek! Kevo popped the question at the beginning of our annual 1425 ski trip in Keystone, CO. First 1425er to get engaged!</div>
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I love this picture of John and me. It was before we were "officially" dating...our friends decided to celebrate St. Patrick's day round II on a random night on 6th street. We had a blast!</div>
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The fam damily at the 10 year Wagner Family Reunion in Grandby, CO!</div>
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After the family reunion, we went up to our cabin in Cody, WY for the 4th of July. </div>
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Lizard joined the Raines family for some fun! p.s. We saw 4 bears in Yellowstone National Park! Ahhhh</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyfQik-T5qxRJE67Lb69e0pCEvUxpksNtAjABCM8K-OqbKTHn8kjIb_n2sU6YoxYtcda7mpt23mTKqrvMsBsXnIiiTlpWVlqIHJDgVDp2ARZAHo0ULZCC12wLmyTRU1YVQI7OTkriNrGei/s1600/DSC00121.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyfQik-T5qxRJE67Lb69e0pCEvUxpksNtAjABCM8K-OqbKTHn8kjIb_n2sU6YoxYtcda7mpt23mTKqrvMsBsXnIiiTlpWVlqIHJDgVDp2ARZAHo0ULZCC12wLmyTRU1YVQI7OTkriNrGei/s320/DSC00121.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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In August 2011, my Mom and I took the trip of our lives to Europe with the St. Anthony of Padua Youth Group. We visited: Rome, Assisi, and Florence Italy; Nice & Lourdes, France; and ended our trip visiting Zaragoza and Madrid, Spain for World Youth Day!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrUfkD2l83sRZfHUzCL8a8myX6n5EckLxNCmJ-d_-a8hIsdN-4QEpiZoSfuAfSuy_gHl-iqQdr-BLvnF4d0JzuiSepTnlpVg_Vy2f8UE1PWgWgpezOIii8oFtGgo92qb_UQ8UYrBzxCBFo/s1600/DSC00205.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrUfkD2l83sRZfHUzCL8a8myX6n5EckLxNCmJ-d_-a8hIsdN-4QEpiZoSfuAfSuy_gHl-iqQdr-BLvnF4d0JzuiSepTnlpVg_Vy2f8UE1PWgWgpezOIii8oFtGgo92qb_UQ8UYrBzxCBFo/s320/DSC00205.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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My beautiful Mother and me in front of St. Peter's!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8aQs3V2sAf-oM_9ZHsBj_dwTwUrdyPw9R3ldhKO700qqAgiyyw-GOWpA7075RqcCF-XSI_EaFitr1j669O1ctSDH6adAoRwSzv8WEerYidxIAa1VoeMJZ-E-1djw-_W97zAkt4Mr0hXsC/s1600/engaged.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8aQs3V2sAf-oM_9ZHsBj_dwTwUrdyPw9R3ldhKO700qqAgiyyw-GOWpA7075RqcCF-XSI_EaFitr1j669O1ctSDH6adAoRwSzv8WEerYidxIAa1VoeMJZ-E-1djw-_W97zAkt4Mr0hXsC/s320/engaged.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Here it is folks! The moment I became the future Mrs. </div>
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Here's to a fabulous 2012!!!!</div>
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</div>RowdyatHearthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03193429908209210000noreply@blogger.com0