3rd Anniversary

Three years ago today, Andrew and I got married.

I always feel really nostalgic on our anniversary.  Our wedding day was magical, truly perfect in every way.  Our wedding was at a winery in southern, Illinois.  The weather was beautiful.  Our ceremony was so heartfelt and personal.  The reception was a blast.  The music was brilliant, and best of all, we were surrounded by our loved ones who came together to help us celebrate.

It's the kind of wedding that every girl dreams of.  

I'll never forget the moment when I first saw Andrew as I walked down the aisle.  The emotion and love that I saw in his face filled my heart.  I'll never forget the way he looked at me.

We've packed a lot into these three years together.  We've become parents.  Andrew started and completed his Master's degree, and I've made some major progress towards my PhD.  At times it has been difficult as we've made so many big transitions, but we really do work well together as a team.  

With each passing year we seem to get better and stronger, and know more clearly what each other needs.  I am so very grateful for having this man in my life.  He is everything I have ever wanted in a partner and so much more.

Happy Anniversary Andrew!  I love you to the moon and back, and I look forward to many more years of wonderful.

Grateful Monday

Well here we are back to Monday again!  How did that happen?!

To start my week here are five things I'm grateful for:

• That the storm that came through last night didn't do any more damage than it did.  We have a few, very large limbs down but that's it.  The wind was fierce, and when it came through at 4:00 a.m. it jolted me awake.
• A lovely evening on Friday spent with my sister-in-law and her husband and a couple of friends.  We made our own sushi, which was surprisingly delicious!  It was nice to catch up and relax a bit.
• Looking forward to our annual Memorial Day canoe trip this weekend.  I'm so excited!
• Also looking forward to celebrating my anniversary this week!
• Sunday I spent the day planting flowers and fresh herbs.  I love flowers.  Sitting on the deck is even more enjoyable now!  I'm particularly fond of my hydrangea...which is one of my favorites.  Now, I just need to get those flowers to turn blue!

Have a wonderful week!

xoxo

Girls' Weekend

Last month I wrote about a girls' weekend with some of my dearest friends. 

A couple of weeks ago, I traveled to Nashville, TN for a girls' weekend with another group of close friends, my roommates from college.  These ladies are also like my sisters.   

I can hardly believe that its been fourteen years since we graduated from the University of Notre Dame.  It seems like it was just yesterday.  Here we are then (looking our finest!).  I have very vivid memories of that day....it was such a rite of passage.  The world was so exciting and none of knew where we would end up, but we swore that we would stay together and sure enough, we've made that happen.  

Do you ever feel like time plays tricks on you?  I really don't feel like that was fourteen years ago.  And when we get together, it never ceases to amaze me how quickly we pick up where we left off....as if we haven't missed any time.  We know one another so very well. 

Here we are in Nashville, fourteen years later.  Still together.  Still making each other laugh like it's our job! We met up because the last of us is about to get married this August, and we gathered to celebrate her in all of her bachelorette glory!  

We have kept in touch via regular group emails and though we are scattered about the country, we manage to see one another at least every year or two.  

These ladies are amazing.  When I first got to Notre Dame, I struggled a bit because I wasn't sure where I fit in.  I felt a little lost, like I was different from most.  But then I found a place with these ladies, and they quickly became my home.  We all lived in the same girls' dorm and were roommates in some form or another throughout our four years.  I have so many wonderful memories of our time living together.  

We are all very different but that's part of the beauty of the group.  Despite our differences, we have always loved one another unconditionally and supported each other through all of our endeavors.  We have seen each other through many ups and downs, numerous relationships, break-ups, marriages, pregnancies, children, graduate school, and career moves. I'll never forget when I was going through a particularly tough time, and this group of women surprised me by gathering for a weekend in Chicago.  I'm not sure if they know it, but for me, that weekend was a turning point where I finally began to find myself again.  

This is one inspiring group of women.  They are smart and driven and extremely successful. Simply put, I adore them.  And I'm a better woman for having them in my life.

Friendships like these are such a precious gift, and I'm so very grateful.  My hope is that we continue to maintain our connection, growing old together, sharing in all of our joys and sorrows.  I like to imagine us as old women, gathered around, drinking cocktails and laughing until our bellies hurt! 

Grateful

It's not Monday, but I'm still grateful for many things this week!

• Yesterday was a BIG day.  I had to defend my dissertation proposal.  I did it, and I passed!  I wasn't too terribly nervous because of the feedback I had gotten from my adviser, but it's really nice to have it officially done!  I really feel like I can finally take a deep breath.  Now, the *only* thing I have left to do is to write my dissertation!  
• We had a wonderful Mother's day weekend.  Saturday, we spent the day at a local art fair.  Sunday, my in-laws came to visit for the day and we had a bbq.  It was fun and quite relaxing!
• I also got the chance to get out and hear some music on Saturday night.  I swear, a little live music does really good things for my soul!
• Warm, sunny days.  
• I'm loving the current stage that Liam is in.  He's pretty high maintenance, but it's oh so fun.  He's talking, and now that we can get outside more, he's truly exploring his world.  Right now, he's pretty fascinated with bugs and helicopters.  He's all boy!  On Saturday morning, he put on his dad's socks and belt and then threw on his frog backpack....the result is just ridiculous!

Have a wonderful week!

xoxo

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's day to all of the beautiful, wonderful mothers in my life.

To my own mother I offer this:

I want you to know 
how truly special
you are....

Today is a special day that 
celebrates the incredible kind,
loving, and supportive women
in this world.  Women who put
others' priorities ahead of their
own.  Women who give with an
open heart expecting nothing
in return. Women who always
know the right words to say
and whose hugs can cure almost
any ailment.  Women exactly
like you.

You are all the wonderful things
a woman should be. You deserve
to be celebrated today and every
day for all you do, for all you
are, and for all you mean to the
people around you.  I feel lucky
to know you and thankful that 
you are part of my life.
                               -  Elle Mastro

Thank you mom for all that you have given me.  I love you to the moon and back!

And thank you to this little guy, who made me a mother.  My love for him never ceases to amaze me.

xoxo

Grateful Monday

To start my week, here are five things I'm grateful for:

• Andrew submitted his thesis last night.  He. is. done!  I am so very happy for him.  I know how awesome it feels, and it's such a huge accomplishment.  He makes me very proud.
• Tomorrow night is my last graduate class ever!  I am so excited to have my evenings free again.  In the future, if I'm in a class, it's because I'm teaching it!  Fun, artsy classes will be an allowable exception, of course.
• I was also hired to teach an undergraduate course this summer.  I'm pretty excited to teach again!
• I am truly looking forward to some quality family time now that the graduate school craziness has settled down around here.  Life is good!
• On Saturday, I took Liam to the Tons of Transportation event in the city where Andrew works.  He got to see a real, live helicopter.  He can't stop talking about it.  So very cute.

Have a wonderful week!

xoxo

Busy busy

We have had a very busy couple of weeks!  Here is what we've been up to around here:

• I recently traveled to Washington DC for a quick trip to visit the National Science Foundation.  It was a whirlwind trip, but I came away with such invaluable knowledge about the grant writing process.  I may be writing a grant proposal with my PhD adviser this summer, so this experience could be rather helpful.

• I then traveled to Nashville, TN to meet up with my roommates from college for a girls' weekend.  I'll be writing more on that soon!  Here's a sneak peek:

• I submitted my dissertation proposal to my committee on Tuesday.  I have been living and breathing this proposal for the past six weeks so it feels really good to have it done.  I honestly can't believe I met the deadline.  It seemed so crazy when I first started, but somehow, I managed it.  It ended up being 85 pages long and included 97 references.  The craziest part?  I read most of those 97 references during the last six weeks while writing.  I'm pretty sure my brain is maxed out for awhile.  I have to defend it on May 13th.  Then, hopefully, I'll be free to start collecting my data.  In any case, it feels good to step away from the reading and writing for a bit!

• During this busy time, Andrew has taken on the bulk of the parenting duties.  I'm so grateful for his support.  I must say, I was really starting to miss Liam while I was gone.  It reminds me, once again, how blessed I am to be able to stay home with him part-time.  Today was my first day at home with him in a week, and it was such a treat. We spent most of the day playing.  I just love days like that!  Sometimes the simplest things are truly the most precious.

• Liam has learned how to count.  Here's a fun video of him counting to 10.  Of course I think he's a total genius!

Things should be settling down for awhile, and I am definitely welcoming the break.

I'll be back with more soon!

xoxo