Buh Bye, See you!

This morning Aine was playing in the living room. She grabs her purse, walks to the front door, turns back and says "Buh bye, See you!" And tried to leave.

Hmmm ... she's caught on pretty quickly for 18 months.

Birthday Excursion

For my birthday we decided to go to the Georgia Aquarium. It was so much fun. Aine absolutely loved it. Of course, she had just as much fun pushing her stroller around as she did looking at the fish. She fell in love with Nico, the Beluga whale. We ended up going home with a stuffed one. Thankfully, it was one of the smaller ones. She was fascinated by the spider crabs and the jelly fish. The manta rays were SO cool. I even got to pet one! Not one of the big ones, but that was fine by me. I was a little disappointed that the river otters were sleeping -- they're so playful -- and that the penquin exhibit is closed until the new construction is complete. Penquins are my FAVORITE! It was a great day. I highly recommend going at 9 a.m., too, when the place is all but empty.

Later that night, Josh took me to Aspens in Marietta for my birthday dinner. We had yummy calamari & salad. I had chicken, he had steak. Then I got tiramisu for dessert! YUM! The man at the table next to us was celebrating his birthday as well, but he was turning 90 so he had a few years on me.

Well Whatdaya Know!

Apparently Mattel got wind of what an AMAZING child I have & decided to create a doll in her likeness. LOL! Or rather, discovered what I discovered when Josh introduced me to the name Aine -- the history of Aine, the Faery Queen. The Goddness of Love. So yes, Aine WILL be getting her first Barbie for Christmas, though I doubt she'll have any clue. I just think it'll be neat for her to have something bearing her name. Goodness knows it'll be one of the few things ... unless, of course, she moves to Ireland!

True Love!

I was leaving for work this morning & Aine came running over to give me a kiss goodbye. It was nice and sloppy as always. She always makes the "Mmmmm" sounds when she gives kisses. Hysterical! She threw her arms around my neck too. Then she said "Ah lurge ooo" which, if you speak Aine-nese, translates too "I love you." I could've died!

Home for the Holidays!

Is anybody else over the drama the inevitably surrounds the holidays? I swear, the past few years have made me want to skip the holidays and go straight to January 2. Nothing can be easy when it comes to planning a get together. Nobody can be pleasant. Nobody can be the bigger person. Everybody seems to hold grudges & doesn't understand that God forbid I'd want to be with MY family.

Maybe that's a bad thing to say, but even though I'm married I don't feel like my husband's family is my family. I mean, there are some members of his family that I feel that I've gotten to know well enough & I consider them family. But we've only been married for 2.5 years & just because we are family because we share a family name doesn't mean that I'm going to instantenously feel that bond. Honestly, I don't think a lot of these people understand what it means to be part of a family.

But I digress! What I want to talk about is where I AM spending Christmas. I'm so excited to say that we are going to see my family in Michigan! Josh has never been to Michigan before (& neither has Aine, for that matter). We are hoping to check out a hockey game while we are there & meet up with a friend of mine who lives outside Toronto. Most of the family will be there -- my grandma, my aunts and uncles, my cousins -- including my newest cousin who will be coming home from Guatemala sometime in the next few weeks! Unfortunately, my sister, her husband & step-son won't be with us. Wish us good traveling weather!

My Love Affair with Butch Walker

My love affair with Butch Walker began 10 long years ago. We've had our good times and bad. We've been through the days of Marvelous 3 & then going solo. Then there were the SAPPS (don't ask, but let's just say they were the obnoxious girls at the shows). He gave me more jaded love ballads than one girl needs but damn can that man write a song! If he is nothing else, he is honest.

If it weren't for Butch, I wouldn't know my husband. How's that for music touching your life? If I never heard his music I never would've met my "sistahs." It was through one of my "sistahs" that I started listening to another band. And it was through that band that I met Josh. Josh & I even danced to one of Butch's songs as our first song at our wedding. The song was Don't Move in case you're wondering.

I was really excited to get his newest album today (it came out last week). Sycamore Meadows is a blend of the classic Butch I fell in love with & the newer Butch I'm learning to love.

The Whole Famn Damily!

Last weekend Josh & I took Aine up to my parents' house on Sunday for the day. My sister, her husband, his son, and my parents' best friends were all there as well. It was a great day! We found out that my parents best friends are going to be moving down to TN (they live in Wisconsin, just across the river from Minneapolis/St. Paul)! The picture of Josh & Aine was taking on the porch of the house they are wanting to buy. Check out that view!! I am so excited for them & my parents. The 4 of them haven't lived in the same town since 1981. Hopefully they'll been able to put up with each other. Seriously, though, I can't imagine how excited they all much be. It's an amazing thing that they've been able to stay friends through an age before cell phones (free long distance), internet, etc. Most of that time they lived in Minnesota and we lived in Tennessee. At most, we'd see them for a few days in the summer up at Spruce Point. If we were lucky. They sure have earned this time together!