Goodbye Mick Jagger

It's pretty much true that my mom and I do not share the same affinity for horses. She has this amazing passion and love for riding, training and being with her horse most every day. 'Every day' now excludes the past 4 months of chemo. She decided to sell him since she couldn't ride him for a year-ish and he's really big- like 18 hands big. Woah.

So this is usually how it goes w/ me & horses: (picture taken last summer, the last time I rode Mick)

I am looking forward to the new beauty of a stallion my mom will get after the new year when she feels better. And who knows, maybe I'll become a dressage rider.

On more random notes: I listened to part of Handel's Messiah tonight. It was amazing and makes me excited about Christmas. I also talked to my bff, who is a married lady, for almost an hour last night. It was a great part of my week! I also miss Liz Spangler so much! My mom had her second chemo (in this series of treatments) today and we have two more left! Oh my, that makes me so happy. I think I'll never want to drive by the cancer center ever again. I am suuuper excited about Sara & John's wedding, Matt & Lauren's wedding & Maggie & Neal's wedding- all so soon! Have I mentioned how much I LOVE my dog Petals (I call her Petolsh because I have to have a nickname for everyone)- we go for runs and sometimes I let her sleep on my bed at night. And now I'm going to make a chocolate chip cookie recipe from a cafe in the Hamptons- b/c if you can't be in the Hamptons during the summer, this just might be the next best thing. And last, but not least, somebody very special has a birthday tomorrow! :D

Jump

I LOVE these pictures of Alec from his super cool pirate pool party a couple weeks ago. It makes me miss them!

Happy Birthday Katie & Katie!

Happy Birthday Katiebug! Hope you had a wonderful weekend and I wish I could've been there to make you a yummy birthday cake. I can't believe I've missed your birthday two years in a row! Have a happy day! (And happy 1 year w/ Mark :D)

Katie, Miriam & me- Summer 2007















Happy Birthday Katie Liebmann Anderson! I hope you & Seth have a great day today. I can't wait to catch up over coffee and *maybe* feel the baby kick?!!

La, Mich, me, Katie & Bec this past Christmas Holiday

Aaah, sweet summertime

This past weekend that Ginna girl came home and we got to be all together as a family, which was wonderful! Early Saturday morning we went to watch Lucy Goose in her second triathlon. She's amazing. Open water swim, 15 miles of biking and a 5k. I'm impressed.

Then we had a cookout w/ extended family- but it was more of a cook-in since most everyone stayed inside, boo! I guess it was because of the skeeters, as my Dad likes to call it. Oh well. I made a yummy pretty, pretty princess pink cake from scratch. It turned out good, a little dry, but looked like a Magnolia cake, which made me overlook its flaws.

The kids in the pictures below are my cousins children, Jesse & Missy. They are so sweet & loving! We had fun playing with them.

50!

Yesterday we celebrated Mom's 50th birthday! It was a special day for me- of course it was special to be there with her on her 50th, but also because things could have looked a lot differently than they do now. Horrible thought, I know! I don't like to dwell on it, but lately I've been so THANKFUL that we found the cancer back in March and not this summer. God is good and his timing is perfect. Even more reason to celebrate!

Here are pictures of last night at dinner!

Back

Well I am back from New York and it was an awesome trip! I put up some pics on Facebook, so go check them out. It was a really sweet time to be in the City and on LI; I packed a ton into a short amount of time.

It's good to be back- my Mom's a-c chemo isn't as bad as taxotere, which is great news. But what is the best news of all: tomorrow is my Mom's 50th birthday!! I'm going to get the house clean, figure out meals for tomorrow and bake a cake. Ginna will be home this weekend to continue the birthday celebration! Hooray!

NYC here I come!

Tomorrow morning I leave for a fun-filled weekend in New York City! Oh I am just bursting with excitement.

I can't wait to:

catch a cab from JFK, see the skyline, go to my apartment, hug my roooomies, say hello to my doormen, go see my deli guys and get my "usual", run in CP (wishful thinking, I never run on vacation), smell the smells of the city (which is kinda gross), see my desk (I miss my desk; I think everyone should have their own personal desk), go to LONG ISLAND, oh how I love LI in the summatime!, hang out with Tammy like the good ole days, have fun in Glen Cove, be carefree, wake up, hopefully get breakfast w/ Jutta, take it all in, go to favorite shops in Huntington, go to Bon-Bon's (the BEST chocolatier in the world), go to my FAVORITE wrap place for lunch, then .... I can't wait to head to Lloyd Harbor to hug my little boys, to celebrate Alec's 4th birthday pool party, visit w/ T&D, enjoy it all, head back to the city, dinner w/ a friend (tbd), get ready to celebrate Matt & Lauren's engagement party, rooftop bar w/ my friends, drink (and not have to worry about driving), laugh, catch up, get home late, take one last gander at the beautiful city lights and sleep.

Then on Sunday I can't wait to sleep in, get up, run the reservoir (again, wishful thinking), get brunch w/ my BS girls, relax, figure out apartment stuff for the move (not fun), clean the kitchen, pack, get a slice of NYC pizza (yes, please), hopefully see Mir & Chris, relax, shop, meet up w/ LA!, head to church, have I mentioned how much I miss REDEEMER?, worship, oh to worship!, see friends, be excited to be back, dinner, sleep, wake up and head to JFK, head home and give my Mama a great big hug!

At least this is how I envision my weekend to be, who knows what it will actually look like. I am a little anxious to see if the City still "fits". I usually have a good feeling about things and hope & pray to know whether I should return at the end of the summer. I'm also anxious to leave my mom as she starts her new treatment tomorrow, the devils blood, they call it. Lovely. So, goodnight and I'll catch up w/ you next week!

Wedding Quilt

Oh it was so hard not to blog about this, or to tell Al about her wedding quilt. Brian's aunts (I think) sent everyone who was invited to the wedding a quilt square and loose instructions. I knew exactly what I was going to do.

*** Go back 4 years ***
Setting: Allison & Carrie are in their Eggers dorm and are packing to move.

I like to think this is how it happened:

Carrie: What should we do with these hideous bright orange curtains?

Allison: Oh throw them away! I never want to see them ever again!
Carrie: Give them to me.

Carrie's Mind Thinking: Muahahaha, yes you will see these curtains again!

And she did!

I used the fabric from our awful Eggers curtains to make part of my quilt square for their wedding quilt. I found this adorable Amy Butler fabric that matched perfectly. Also, my mom and I made an apron out of it that turned out well. All in all, it was a wonderful surprise for them and check out this quilt, what a labor of love!

Beach it up

This past week, my friend Emily & I headed to N. Myrtle Beach for some r&r. It was a great time as we hung out at the pool/beach, read, ate and enjoyed easy summertime living. Although I was deathly ill (ok, I exaggerate)... I had a cold but it was a really bad cold (thx, Gin) and I probably wasn't as fun as I could've been. Regardless, I still had a wonderful time. I mean, how can you not have fun when you have huge muscles and you're wearing a lei?

It was perfect

"It's time, Daddy, it's time"

"My colors are blush and bashful. Her colors are pink and pink"

"Momma, Momma, this nail polish is dryin way too dark! Practically pink my foot, it looks like a stuffed pig bled all over my hands."

All of those are quotes from the wedding scene from one of our favorite movies, Steel Magnolias. Which means.... Allison & Brian are getting married!!! :D

Ginna came home last night and we're going to run a few errands today then head up to Boone this afternoon. I can't wait- what a fun weekend it will be! I'm so excited my best friend is getting married. Here are a few memories.

One of our first pictures, not sure how old. But we did love to play dress up.



















I think this is the sweetest picture. Here they are in Jamaica, where they met in 2001.

Al & I went to Weaverville, NC to visit the Parker family... Fall of 2001, I think.

Photoshoot at Bicentinneal Gardens.

Congratulations, Allison & Brian!!

Happy Birthday Alec!!

My little Alec, who I affectionately call Alec-ie or Les, is 4 years old today!! Wow, I can't believe he's that big. I first met little Alec when he was 4 months old and then I was his nanny for almost 2 years. Even though I don't see them often, I have such a special place in my heart for Nicholas & Alec and love them deeply. Happy birthday, sweet boy!

Me & Alec on his first birthday













Celebrating his 2nd w/ the ice cream cake.


















I, sadly, was out of town for his 3rd birthday party last year. But it just so happens that his 4th pirate pool party is the weekend I'm in NYC. Hooray!

Wow, Paris, you got me

It's one of those 'where were you when...' with Michael Jackson. June 25th I was at Williams-Sonoma buying a wedding gift. I was already saddened by the death of Farrah Fawcett from cancer earlier that day. As I was looking for the perfect gift (because, let's face it: WS is the best), I passed by a WS associate on the phone and overheard her say, "Michael Jackson died". I immediately thought it was a joke but wanted to check- I turned to her and asked "what?!" and she confirmed it to be true. I'm sure I was absolutely rude as I continued to question and get more details as she was still on the phone.

But I couldn't believe it. It hit me- I remember thinking and feeling at that very moment how precious life is and how short it can sometimes be.

I didn't listen to his music a ton growing up but I certainly appreciate it all and especially those dance moves! Wow. Say what you will about his personal life but after the interviews I've seen and today's memorial service, I was touched. I teared up through parts of the service but it wasn't until the very end when his daughter spoke that the floodgates opened. I think that's what made it personal for me- his family & children on the stage and to actually see their loss displayed in words & tears.

Even though I haven't been consumed by his death (reading all the magazines, watching tv, etc) I can't help but get caught up in the significance. It's like that one time my sisters, Dad & I went to see the Dixie Chicks live in concert- at one part they stopped singing and had the audience finish the song. Of course we all knew the lyrics and as I looked around, I was overwhelmed by the amount of people all singing together. Another time I've felt this is in the Fall w/ the NYC marathon. I find it absolutely amazing & humbling how people will cheer strangers on with such love & excitement. All this to say, I think I'm a sucker for mass events- when people are all joined together for one cause or event, is something that overwhelms me in a mostly good & emotional way.

But time moves on- and so shall I. What a weekend I have ahead of me and if you've been following this blog at all you know what it holds!

Wedding weekend in Wilmington

This past weekend Al & I had another road trip. (Btw, Al, I think my fav. road trip will always be the one from Front Royal in HS.) I picked Al up at the Raleigh apt and we drove to hot Wilmington to celebrate the marriage of Julie & Josiah! Here are some pictures of the event:

next weekend, you're the bride, Al!!

Julie & her dad

Me, Al, Nina Ballerina & Sara

High School Musical

Ok, we didn't sing and dance, but it was wonderful to see my sweet high school friends last night! What a great turnout. Here's the after party at M'Couls in downtown Greensboro. I love you all!