San Diego December 2009

1st day of December

The weather has been mild for most of November thank goodness because I still can't take the cold and dreariness even though we have officially been back in KY for a year. Not to mention I lived through the ice and snow storm last year, however I am thinking of warm and sunny SoCal as I am headed there tomorrow. I can't wait to walk on the beach and see my San Diego family!

The latest update on the littlest blogger in the household is that it is a boy and he is busy all the time. Kicking Mom so much it is almost making me sick to my tummy but I like knowing he is in there and growing. :)

I really knew it was a boy from the beginning somehow and told G. Paul that one picture looked like him and one looked like my brother - and that was before I was told it was a boy. Here is his picture as of last week and he weighs almost a pound. I know you are waiting to see pictures of my pregnant belly though I am not so into that but maybe I will be willing when I see the sun and sand this week so stay tuned.

Summer turns to fall before you know it

August brought some other unexpected changes and the reason for the delay in updating the blog. We found out after a couple weeks of me struggling through yoga and being quite nauseous that we are pregnant!!!

I went to my first doctor appointment with my mom to confirm and got an early ultrasound to check out just how far along the little one was. Here is the first pic!

Due date is April 10, 2010 and we couldn't be more excited.

Let's back up to August 2009

These are pictures from our anniversary trip to San Diego. To celebrate our 3rd anniversary we went back to our wedding night villa in Temecula, CA @ South Coast Winery (not pictured here). We enjoyed a day at the spa, had lunch at Wilson Creek Winery (home of the famous Almond Champagne), and then headed inland to the Mission Inn in Riverside, CA. We got a private tour of the grounds and had a wonderful dinner.

The next day we headed back to San Diego to spend time with friends esp. all my yogis at Bird Rock Yoga who kicked my butt back into shape with 4 yoga sessions. We drove around the old neighborhood and even got to see Jovis -one of Hana's first friends. We were able to spend a Sunday at the concert in the park at Kate Sessions- we used to walk from our apartment and now we know why because parking was not easy to find. It was a great trip!

Happy Birthday Linda!

These photos are only 3 days old. We are trying to "be better" as Julianne would put it! :) Enjoy our photos from a trip to the Louisville Zoo. G. Paul is an awesome photographer.

Canada 2009

Here are photos from our trips to Whistler, B.C. and Banff, Alberta. We have some movies of our hikes and gondola trip but that will take some time to edit and share.

Both trips were great. G got to go mountain biking both places. Whistler was quite chilly but the adrenaline of going zip lining was enough for me. We also saw 2010 Olympic venues while there and they were pretty amazing. In Banff we got to see more wildlife as you will see in one photo and did an incredible hike up to near the glacier. At the end is a neat tea house which is also in the pictures. These crazy girls live out there 5 days a week with no electricity or plumbing and yet serve good food to the hikers. The weather was a bit warmer in Banff although not in Calgary for Stampede which was really really cold. I did enjoy the sun staying out until 10 at night and up at 5:30 in the morning.

Hana stayed with her grandparents both times which was so nice and we have pictures to show of her time there- thanks to Popsi who kept us updated. She will be staying with them again in a couple of weeks as we head back to San Diego for our anniversary.

Last but not least, since our last real post we need to say very happy belated birthdays to Ryan, Hillary and Grandma Hawkins. Also happy dad's day to all the dads. More photos and fun to come in August so stay tuned and thanks for reading our blog and keeping up with us!

Just to prove we did it!

We are still in Canada so more detailed posts will come when we return to the States, but I wanted to post two pictures from our zipline adventure. G seems to enjoy it much more than I do! :)

Happy Birthday Mary Stuart!

Happy Birthday to my youngest niece on my side of the family! It has been a while since we posted. So happy belated birthday also to my brother.
We have been busy helping my mother in law and sister in law with their cupcake business- it has been fun to spend Saturdays at the Farmer's market and see some familiar faces from around Louisville. We sell out every week so it is quite busy.
Hana has decided now that we don't live near the beach that she quite likes splashing in water so I bought her a baby pool. It is a great tool to wear her out, entertain herself and keep her cool in the heat of the summer- she has not adapted to this humidity.
G is busy with his road show and I am going to help this next week - we are traveling to Seattle and then crossing the border to Vancouver. We will also spend a few days in Whistler where G hopes to do some serious mountain biking. We have had some interesting wildlife events the last few days- last week a bird was stuck in the garage, then on Monday, G had to save a baby possum who had gotten his head and front legs stuck in a cup. This morning when I went to walk Hana in the park behind the house, I ran into a coyote! I was shocked to see one in a suburban area because I have never even see them when hiking out west. I feel sorry for it if it is hungry but I am concerned about all the pets that could be potential victims- the coyote was not phased by me, Hana or my big purple umbrella!

Some photos from Derby and famly visit

Julianne and Tripp, Mary Stuart, G and I at Derby! More to come...

Happy Mom's Day & Happy Birthday Cara!!

So much has been going on lately that we haven't had time to post. First many belated birthday wishes to G. Paul! I think he had a great birthday even if I missed a post.


Last week my brother brought two of my nieces to visit and my parents joined us as well. It was so fun to see Tripp's personality and Mary Stuart's following right along in Tripp's footsteps. Friday night we celebrated G's birthday with all three of our nieces and families for dinner at W W Cousins- we tried to get pictures of all the girls together and I will post them as soon as I am able but most are blurry because a 4 year old and 2 two-year olds don't stand still long! Finally Lane arrived on Saturday so we got to spend some time with him- he is so tall, I couldn't believe it.

G got to go to Derby for this birthday and we had a blast. The weather wasn't great but we made the most of it- although no one had the winner. We did see a few celebrities- Brooke Shields, Valerie Bertinelli, Michael Jordan and Aretha Franklin! Then we went to his parents to have dinner and cake after a long day.

Since then I have been working some and thankfully G has been home because after 3 weeks on the road, he was home sick. Hana did really well with the kids and today we went to the dog park where she proceeded to hop in and out of the tub of water- then go right to wipe it all off by rolling in the dirt and grass. I think we will have to get her a pool this summer to keep her cool and busy.
Pictures will be coming soon...

Happy Belated Birthday Mom!

It has been a busy week to say the least so forgive me that I was unable to post yesterday and wish my mom a very happy birthday. Of course I was visiting with her so that should make up for it!

It is hard to believe a week ago today we were leaving Hawaii and headed to Phoenix. Our time on Oahu was very hectic with G working and my feeble attempts to help him set up and take down all his equipment for training and shows on Thurs. and Friday. I also discovered that someone had been in our hotel room, stole cash from my wallet and made long distance phone calls. It is very scary to know someone was looking through your things- so far it does not appear they did anything else but calls to the credit card companies were made just to be safe.
Our last night was spent in West Oahu at the same hotel we spent the first night of our honeymoon. We lounged by the pool all day to soak up our last full day in Hawaii. We had one more dinner at Roy's and all was delicious as usual!

Sadly when we got ready to board the plane last Sunday we received a phone call telling us that a colleague of G's, who are friends we have been fortunate to travel with and get to know their family, had lost their 19 year old son in a car accident. We were sickened and heart broken for them but it always makes you appreciate every day you have even more. G left his events in Vegas to be with them at the funeral in New Orleans. So he is due home any minute now for the first time in 3 weeks! Hana will be so excited to see her daddy dog.

The Derby festivities have begun and since we have not been home for this in quite some time we are hoping to enjoy a few of them. Perhaps tomorrow at the Chow Wagon where dogs are allowed to join!

A little late for Tuesday

Our last day in Maui was gorgeous! We spent the morning doing some snorkeling-although I was only able to go in for a little bit and it took me 20 mins. to actually be able to go the whole way in- the Pacific is just too cold for me! We got to see lots of pretty fish but no turtles on this day.

G was off to work and I went to lay by the infinity pool which some of you have seen pics- the rest will have to wait because we cannot download the card at the same time we are connected to the Internet. The sun was brilliant and G showed up early so he could spend a little time by the pool with me before lunch. Lunch was at Lulu's and then I went to read a book while G was at a couple of appointments- on the last one I went in to see our friend Umber and there was an 8 month old golden retriever waiting to see us. Max was almost as sweet as Hana and let me rub his belly for the entire hour that G was in a meeting! He was lovable and if I could take him to meet Hana, I think they would be best buds.

We flew over to Oahu around 7 and grabbed dinner at Sam Choy's-food was so great but they do not believe in small portions around here! When we were stuffed we came to the hotel and met up with G's assistant and wife who are also here for the Road Show. They are really nice and hopefully I will get to spend time with her this week while the boys are working.
So far today the weather is partly cloudy and supposed to be around 80- perfect!

Monday in Maui

Another day in paradise- although believe it or not, it was partly sunny most of the day.
We woke up around 6 (I swear no one in Hawaii sleeps in past this time) and went to Fred's again for breakfast- it may seem crazy that we eat there all the time but it is probably the only place where you can spend less than $30 per couple on breakfast.

After breakfast we decided to brave the cold Pacific for a little snorkeling. I literally thought I would hyperventilate from the cold- once we got moving it was worth it. Lots of amazing fish and finally a sea turtle- their movements are the epitome of beach life- take your own pace. Also we were able to hear the whales again under water! It is one of the coolest things I have ever experienced and I wish I was wearing a wet suit so I could stay in all day and listen to the sounds they make- and they sound so close!

We grabbed a couple of box lunches from a deli and headed to the top of Haleakala. This is a 38 mile trip from where we are staying and the steepest incline in that amount of distance anywhere in the world. The temp. at the top was 20 degrees cooler and windy! The pictures we took reflect that because my hair is doing all kinds of crazy things. At the summit, we were over 10,000 feet above sea level and my lungs could tell after being right at sea level for so long.

We drove back to the hotel in time to have a Lava Flow at the bar and watch the sunset- we arrived just in time because one of the humpbacks was in a mood. We could see the tail fluke several times and lots of big splashes- it was so neat to watch until that one moved on and all we could catch were glimpses of water spouts floating across the water from a few others.

Another wonderful day in the islands and we wish you all could be here!

Happy Easter!

This post comes via Maui, Hawaii. In fact I am sitting on the balcony, listening to the ocean as I write about our most recent adventure.
It took 3 different airlines through 4 different cities and over 5000 miles in the air for me to arrive here. G and I met Friday morning in Phoenix and had a great day there with friends. G's friend Scot took us to lunch at Alice Cooper's restaurant- where the entire wait staff wears eye makeup like Alice Cooper, it was distracting but the food wasn't bad. Then we had dinner with our good friends Lynn & Dave in Tempe. What a cute town and seems like it would be fun if we had more time. When we got back to our room that evening we were able to enjoy the bottle of wine that Lynn & Dave had thoughtfully sent up as a surprise.

We left Phoenix bright and early (although it was raining which was a bit of a shock) and landed in Oahu and then boarded another flight to Maui. We got here about 3 Maui time and promptly headed straight to one of our favorite places, Fred's, for cheap Mexican food and a margarita.
Once we checked into the hotel we were excited to see the new addition of an infinity pool and of course went for our first Lava Flow at the bar. We walked a little to stretch our legs and had a small bite to eat at Humuhumunukunukuapua'a- oh yes we can pronounce it too- it is the name of a fish here in the islands and also a restaurant at the Grand Wailea.
Then we were in bed by 8:30 because I was still really on EST and G was at least on PST. Sleeping with the sounds of the ocean in the background is so peaceful.

Today we spent most of the day lounging around- breakfast again at Fred's, a walk, pool time, and then lunch at Cheeseburger in Paradise, some more reading and lounging by the water until it was time to drive over to Lahaina and have dinner at our favorite place, Roy's. The meal was delicious as always and dessert (famous chocolate lava cake) perfection! It was a great Easter and we are so blessed to be able to spend some vacation time in Hawaii once again!
P.S. In case anyone is wondering how we do anything without Hana, it is because she is in the caring hands of Linda that we are able to be here at all. We even have considered driving to her namesake again but I think once was enough for me! :)

One year

It has officially been one year to date that Hana has been a part of our pack. Little did we know the joy, anxiety and unconditional love she would bring to our little family. She was the shyest, most fear aggressive puppy when we picked her up from the shelter and now she has become quite the intelligent, Frisbee loving, gentle soul.

Her good doggy friends in San Diego (we still miss Dude & Hovis) who spoiled her as they let her wrestle and have her way with them. She hasn't found friends quite as good yet though Daisy, Bella & Ginger are all learning to deal with her. Hana still frets over getting in the car but she has learn to catch a Frisbee and that is all she wants to do.

Hanalulubeardogpups is part of our pack forever - to know her is to love her!

Long time no post

I have been slacking in the post department but working full time keeps me pretty busy. Happy Belated Birthdays to Tripp & Galen!!! Thankfully Galen's birthday was the complete opposite weather wise than last year. We miss seeing Tripp and hope to see her very soon.

March is a very busy month for us. Not only is it March Madness- we are still riding high on the Cards Big East Championship and expect a #1 seed this evening!! Spring is bringing lots of activities and friends. Last night we celebrated G's friend's 40th birthday, next weekend I am walking the Rodes City 10k with my college roommate (she has graciously agreed to walk with me though she could run it with her boyfriend), and then the last weekend in March we finally get to meet Elena and celebrate the Rath family return to the States with their beautiful daughter. We cannot wait!

Hana continues to be our pride and joy - she is getting smarter and better at playing Frisbee every day!. I have had a hard time leaving her but luckily Linda has stepped in to be our dog daycare on days when G is traveling. 9 hours is way too long to leave my baby at home by herself. Speaking of those 9 hours away- school is interesting and different from other places I have taught but I am enjoying it. I have already bonded with my 12 AP Psych kids and will miss not seeing them on a daily basis. I am still tutoring online as well.
We should have more exciting posts in the next few weeks with results from the 10k and pics from Elena's welcome to KY party.

The end of trees

Bye bye Birch & Pear trees. We are sad to see you go. We are so lucky however to have power, water, fuel and cars in one piece. This is more than so many have in KY right now. We took Hana for a short walk today to survey the damage in areas around us. You can hear generators humming and lots of yellow and orange tape where wires are down. Hana is still enjoying the snow and is pleased to play frisbee whatever the weather.

Snow, sleet, and ice- oh my!

Hana is the only one who seems to be enjoying herself in this weather. I was good with the snow but when it turned to sleet and then ice- I lost my enthusiasm. G managed to get out and go to Southern California without me this week, but he will repay me when he returns :).

This morning Hana was truly like a kid on Christmas day. We went for our first outing which is usually short so she can have her breakfast but today she could not wait to get back out there. This was real snow- about four inches where she could dig and run into piles- she didn't care that there were icicles forming between her pads and she had to stop to lick them every few feet. When we went back out this afternoon to a sheet of ice covering the snow- it did not stop her but it did slow her down a bit, she liked to hear the crunch as she sank in with each step and it was just more ice for her to eat.

All the schools are closed again for tomorrow so I don't have to worry about work, but I do have tickets to the U of L game and I am hoping I can still go- I will need to get out of the house by then. Keep your fingers and toes crossed that the ice does not snap power lines!!

Happy Birthday to me!

I am the only one who posts here so I am posting one to myself. I have already had a great birthday with lots of wishes from friends and pizza & game night at Cara's. They made me a delicious chocolate cake with peanut butter icing!

This past week has been fun with Hana experiencing her real first snow fall. Sunday night we walked out for her last outing to about 1/2 in. of snow- she immediately started darting back and forth trying to get them in her mouth and chase them with her paws. G has video that we will post as soon as we get to it. She makes dealing with the unbelievable cold a lot more fun.

I also taught my first yoga class on Monday night- OK so only one person showed up but any experience is good experience. I was just subbing for a regular teacher but hopefully they will ask me back. I have been taking yoga classes at the YMCA and though they are nice, it is nothing like the workout I am used to...so I continue to search for a yoga studio here that is similar to my home at Bird Rock Yoga in San Diego. I miss them all so much and I am excited that my fellow teacher trainees are teaching classes- I look forward to taking one from them some day.

Tonight we are going to see the musical "Wicked". I have been wanting to see it forever so I am super excited and can't wait. G already took me out to breakfast and we will probably go get lunch before my parents arrive to celebrate my birthday with me.

We are also wishing Mark safe travels to Colombia and can only imagine how exciting the reunion will be. We are praying for sentencia every day so we can meet Miss Elena. Thinking of the Rath 3!

Happy New Year from the Cardiac Cards!

I try to keep this blog neutral on some topics but since it is my blog let me just say- WHOOHOO!
We had so much fun watching the Cards beat UK yesterday!!!! The best part was being in KY with family and friends instead of G and I in our tiny CA apt. where the neighbors wonder what in the world has gotten into us. Julianne brought her cheerleader spirit and of course Bob made it without a road rage incident. It was great fun but mostly because we won when it counted and that isn't the way it usually goes for the Cardinals. Ahhh sighs of contentment all around. Now if they can just not lose to any more non-ranked opponents, it will be the season it first promised to be.

Even better than that if you can believe it was being able to talk to Jessica in Colombia yesterday- I got to wish her an early Happy Birthday and hear first hand all about the Colombian adventures with Miss Elena- we cannot wait to have them safely back here for us to hug on! Praying for those courts to get a move on it starting Jan. 13!!

Happy New Year everyone! Our year already promises to be filled with lots of travel for G (and maybe some for me too), training to walk the mini-marathon in the spring and continuing to search for a yoga home for me. Wishing everyone health, happiness and peace!