Blizzard of 2010

Unlike last weekend, the weathermen actually got the forecast pretty much right for this weekend.   I was lucky enough to be able to work from home on Friday, even though it really wasn't that bad and it probably wouldn't have been a problem for me to go into work.  I'm not complaining.  It was nice to not have to get dressed for work and to be able to sit on the couch all day cleaning out the DVR (while working diligently, of course).  The snow really started picking up after Ryan got home from work on Friday and didn't stop until late afternoon yesterday.  I was slightly annoyed that I had to reschedule my prenatal massage to next weekend, but it was pretty nice to be snowed in for the weekend.  We've been sitting by the fire and watching movies (Star Trek and The Hurt Locker).  I've gotten to work on my knitting - I'm making a blanket for BGL (Baby Girl LeNoir).  I finished all the laundry while Ryan shoveled/used the snowblower yesterday and I even pre-registered at the hospital!  I even went out this morning to help Ryan finish digging us out.  Since we live in Elkridge and apparently had the highest snow totals in the state of MD (38.3 inches according to the news), I thought I'd share some pictures that I've taken over the past few days. 

Our walk-up from the basement

A view from the porch while it was still snowing

A squirrel who was out during the storm

Ryan using the snowblower - best money we've spent in a while

A view into our back yard.  The mound of snow in the bottom right of the picture is our grill. 

Me in the driveway today - the snow came up to at least my belly button!  Crazy!

Ryan working hard today.

The fire hydrant is almost buried! (It's the orange thing right in the middle of the picture).

A view from the street. 

View from the street, looking the other way. 

The driveway is finally dug out!

Wordless Wednesday

Some of the other blogs that I read do a "wordless Wednesday" post, so I thought it'd be fun to play along (although, this post is not exactly wordless). With that said, I'll leave you with some ridiculously cute pictures of Ryan and Connor watching football on Sunday while Dave & Cindy were visiting.

Blogging While in California = FAIL

Despite my good intentions to blog while we traveled to San Francisco & Monterey, I was a complete failure. Even though Monterey was really relaxing, I just couldn't find the time to blog, and I was so exhausted from all the sightseeing in San Francisco that I couldn't even think straight! I'm working on some recaps from the trip and still need to finish the honeymoon recap, so it is clear that I have a ton of catching up to do. For now, we're on a semi-vacation in Atlantic City. Being the good CPAs that Ryan and I are, we are here to take a class for continuing professional education in order to keep our licenses current. Conveniently, Ryan found a class that we could take that was located in Atlantic City. Imagine that... Ryan found somewhere to go where he could get an accounting class in AND gamble. Whatever, I'm just happy to get away for a few days. We're staying at the Borgata and after a minor snag while checking in at 9pm (there were not any non-smoking king rooms clean - not quite sure how that happens, but we were able to get an upgrade to a suite, so I guess we won't complain), we've had some cheesesteaks with wiz (Cheese Wiz for those who aren't familiar) from Tony Luke's and Ryan is happily seated at a blackjack table hopefully winning some money. After walking around the casino floor and checking out the minimum bets at the blackjack tables, I decided that I just couldn't part with that much money, so I headed back up to our suite and relax. Here's hoping that Ryan manages to walk away a winner tonight.

Sunflowers!

I came home from work on Thursday to find that my dad had left us some sunflowers from his garden! So pretty! Thanks, Dad!!

Observations from the Gym

• People (mostly guys) who wear jeans, cargo shorts or work boots to work out. How could that possibly be comfortable?
• Spandex (need I say more?!)
• People who use the weight machines and put so much weight on the machine that when they go to lift, it is so heavy that they are literally lifted off the floor. If you are being lifted off the floor, clearly, it is too heavy for you.
• Women who go to the gym with freshly applied makeup and their hair done and their best jewelry on (I'm talking pearls here and not just earrings). Is that really necessary?
• People who spend a good 30 minutes riding the bike, but put forth so little effort that they aren't even sweating at the end. What's the point?
• The girl beside me on the treadmill who turned the speed up so fast that she couldn't run without basically putting her whole upper body on the railing and holding on tightly. Seriously?

Drumroll, Please....

So... Ryan and I have a big announcement to make. We are so excited to announce that there will be a new addition to our little family. This is something that I have been thinking about for months, and I could not be more excited. Ryan, while excited, is a little hesitant about this new arrival. Scroll down for a picture of our addition that will be arriving soon.

What? You didn't think I was going to say I was pregnant, did you?

This post is dedicated to Aunt Sue who told me she was happy that I am keeping the blog going so I can post our next big announcement. I assumed that she meant the next big announcement would be that we're having a baby, and I jokingly told her that the next big announcement would be that we're buying a DSLR. Well, it's true. We are buying a DSLR, and I am very excited about it!

Where Does the Time Go?

Has it really been 8 months since our wedding?! Crazy. I know I've been neglecting the blog. Truth is, I just haven't had any motivation to update it. I always told myself I wouldn't be one of those brides who was depressed after the wedding was over, and I can't really say that I was actually depressed. In fact, even though we had an amazing wedding day, I was really happy that all the stress of planning and decision-making was over, BUT I still kind of felt like something was missing. I honestly didn't know what to do with myself. So, after the months of diet and exercise before the wedding, I gave myself some time to remember what good food tasted like (you know, the not-so-good for you stuff), stopped the gym routine and I learned how to knit! You know the whole letting yourself go now that your married phase. Lucky for Ryan, I think that phase has passed and I have returned to the gym and am back to eating a little better (with the exception of all the yummy Southern food that I had this past weekend in South Carolina - more to come on that later). Now that the weather has started getting better and the rain seems to have moved on at least for now, things are back to normal (whatever that is). I think I may even try to do some wedding day and honeymoon recaps. I know most of the people who read this were at the wedding, but I'd like to write some of this down so I'll be able to go back and read it someday in addition to watching the wedding DVD (which is really entertaining)! So keep checking back, there should definitely be more posts than what you've seen over the past 8 months!

When I Said I Do, I Didn't Mean Laundry

Note to self: It is okay to leave the laundry detergent sitting on the dryer while doing laundry, but ONLY if you have screwed the lid on tightly. And even then, probably not a good idea.

I am working from home today while we are getting new carpet installed in the basement (more to come on that later), and while doing said work, I decided to get a headstart on the chores and get all of our laundry done today. Great idea, no? About 3 loads in, I hear the signal that the next load is finished, go upstairs and find that the entire floor is blue. Blue! Blue, as in the color of our laundry detergent. At first, I thought that the washer had overflowed. Yeah, not so much. I had left the laundry detergent sitting on the dryer, lid on the container, but not screwed on at all. Apparently, the spin cycle of our washer caused it to fly off the dryer, spilling onto the floor, splattering the walls and basically everything else around. Fantastic. To make matters worse, I stepped in it with one of my socks, felt the coldness of the liquid on my foot, freaked out, and stepped on the hall carpet, leaving a pretty little blue footprint.

It's Official

I'm a little late posting this, but last Thursday, I started the process of officially becoming Mrs. L. I started at the social security office, got there about 10 minutes before they opened, and there were already 4 people waiting in line to get in! After spending about 45 minutes there, I got the receipt for my new identity name. I headed on over to the MVA, where thankfully, there were only 2 people in line ahead of me. I paid $30, took an eye test, and failed miserably at signing my new name for the first time, and they handed me a brand-spanking new drivers' license. I made one more stop at the bank, thinking that I'd knock out all of the in-person name changes in one day, but apparently, Ryan had to be there to sign the new signature card for our joint account. Why? I'm not exactly sure since his signature is not changing! Oh well.. I'll drag him there eventually. I spent a good part of the rest of the day on the phone with credit card companies, other banks, and updating reward accounts... Surprisingly, the credit card companies were the easiest to deal with - they didn't even ask for proof that I had gotten married! Kind of scary. All in all, not an awful day, just a little bittersweet. I did almost lose it in the morning when Ryan told me to "have fun" and I said something like, "Fun doing what? Losing my identity?" I know. I know. I didn't have to give up Chick, but I am a firm believer that it is way too confusing for kids when their parents have different last names. And, who knows, someday we might actually have some of those... Kids, I mean. Chick is still part of my name though. It has taken the place of Nicole - definitely a tough decision, but I just couldn't bear to part with it. Ryan did take me out to dinner to celebrate and try to cheer me up... I think I'll keep him... and his last name.

Phillies Win the World Series!!!

Since the baseball playoffs started, I have watched as Ryan was mostly overcome by nerves and pessimism (b/c the Phillies have consistently let him down), but tonight turned out to be a good night. The Phillies didn't let him down! Most of you know that I'm an Orioles fan, but since they are awful and have been that way for the past few years, I have slowly become a Phillies fan. I am not nearly as true a fan as Ryan or the rest of his family, but I have been known to cheer them on. So, it was great to watch them finally beat the Tampa Bay Rays tonight, and win their first World Series since 1980 (the year I was born, by the way)! And, even better to see Ryan so excited that his team finally won!! Go Phillies!!

Goodbye, Long Hair

Now that the wedding is over, I no longer feel the need to have long hair... Long hair that takes FOREVER to dry in the mornings and just hangs there when I take the time to ONLY dry it and makes me cold in the winter when I don't take the time to dry it completely... Long hair that gets all knotty because it gets tangled on my winter coats and sweaters. So, I went to my beloved hair salon, Zoom Hair Studio, after work today and had them cut it so that it falls at my shoulders. I'm feeling like a new woman! Not a drastic change, but definitely noticeable, right? Not if you ask Ryan... I walked into the house around 7pm (a little later than I normally get home) to find Ryan playing the new Guitar Hero. As I'm flipping through the mail in the kitchen, he says to me "Did you go somewhere after work?" And, I just look at him with a "Are you kidding me?!" look. So, he asks me again if I went somewhere, and I say, "I don't know. You tell me." Still nothing. So, I touch my new hair and say, "Umm, yes I went somewhere after work!" Finally.. he gets it. Are all guys like this??!!

We Had a Little Visitor Last Night...

I guess he really isn't so little, but he was in the woods behind our house last night right before the storm hit. I was able to walk out to the fence in the backyard to take this picture - He barely even flinched.

You Don't See Many of These in the City...

I was having one of my days where I just can't help but miss my mom. I was feeling sorry for myself because she isn't here to help me make decisions, and she won't be here to be a part of the wedding day. Don't get my wrong, I know I am so very lucky to have such great friends and family who have been so supportive and helpful... Sometimes I just want my mom. Well, Ryan must have known because he brought this home with him from work today. Something about rainbows always make me smile... Now, if only we could find that elusive pot of gold!