Sitting on Top of the World...

Zeke's First Trip to Maryland part 2 (long overdue)

So when I last wrote, we were only on day 3 of our adventure. Well, as expected, the fun continued. On Monday evening, we drove back to Maryland and visited with Patricia's friend Jennifer and her 3 little ladies Alessa, and twins Kyra and Kendra…so cute and so sweet!! Alessa kept saying “I just love this baby”! Zeke had a wonderful time with all the girls' attention on him!!
       Tuesday was very exciting. We went up to Barrie (the day camp that I used to work at) and visited with Paige. Zeke got his first introduction to horses!! Auntie Paige took him right into the barn and plopped him on Aspen's (a pony) back. He got a huge smile on his face...so did I!! He got to meet his first cat, Stan, who just sat cuddled up on the couch while Zeke tried to pet him. The most exciting part of the day though, was when we went to visit my dad. This was the first time that Papa got to meet Zeke and boy did they love each other!! Both of them were all smiles. It was the whole "love at first sight" thing ya know? At one point Zeke was so comfortable with his "Pepe" that he just sprawled out on his lap and fell asleep.  You can't beat that!  Tuesday evening we spent with Patricia's friend Nicki and her son Logan. We had a great time with them. Zeke was very fascinated by Logan. He loved watching him play his video game and move around the room.
      Wednesday, Zeke and I went to stay with Jessica (Poop) and her little boy Mikey!! We have been waiting to get these two little boys together since, well, the second we both found out we were pregnant. Actually, truth be told, probably since 5th grade when we first became friends. It was so much fun. First thing we did was a photo shoot (of course). All I can say about those two together...how cute!! For dinner that night Jessica had a bunch of the girls over so that we could all hang out and catch up. Zeke got to meet Diane(e), who brought her two little 4 legged children Sophie and Sammie, Jenny Boyd who just got engaged (yeah), Nita and baby Josh, and Jen and Lana. So much fun!! 
      Thursday, Poop and I took the boys over to see Meredith, James, Emma and Faith... AKA, the cutest family ever!! We hung out over there most of the afternoon. It was so nice to just sit and talk and spend time with them. We even had a surprise visit from Grandma Pam (Mer's mom)! Thursday evening Zeke and I went to the airport to pick up Josh. Boy, were we missing him!! Even though it was way past his bedtime, Zeke woke up to see his dad for a few minutes of good cuddle time. It was so sweet.
       Friday, my mom came to pick us up at Patricia’s place to take us, well Zeke, to visit the folks at her office. We drove into D.C. and ended up also visiting Patricia’s office as well. Zeke got to meet all kinds of people and even interrupted his first board meeting! Then it was off to lunch with “Pepe”. Poop and Mikey joined us too! We all had a great time watching the two little boys hang out and Papa was so happy to get to meet Mikey. After lunch we went to see my Auntie Joyce. She had just had double knee surgery so we thought she could use a little pick me up. She had a great time hanging out with Zeke. He thought she was wonderful and just kept smiling away at her. Our last event for Friday was heading out to Baltimore to see Alana, Bob, Davis, and Meg for dinner at their house in honor of Meg’s second birthday. Davis and Meg were very excited to meet baby Zeke. Meg was very sweet and kept hugging on him. Davis wanted to talk to him and try to make him laugh. They are great big cousins!! We enjoyed our time at their house. It was nice to see Bob’s parents “Grandsir” and “Grandma” and his sister Karen.
        Saturday, mom had a bunch of folks over for an “Easter Brunch”. Patricia’s boyfriend William and his parents and sister came over as well as Auntie Jo-ann, Auntie Sonia and Pat, and some of the great friends mom has made in her neighborhood Lisa, Rachel, Kwame and his parents. We all had a great time chit-chatting and telling stories. It was a really great way to spend the day…great people, great food, lots of laughs. Zeke got to meet two other little guys from the neighborhood, Kabi (just over a year) and Kojo (8 weeks). Kabi put on quite a show for his little audience!!
       Sunday was our last day in Maryland. Mom, Josh, Zeke and I spent the morning just hanging out. We were all a bit tired from all the activity of the week and it was nice for mom to have some time with Zeke all to herself. He was very to have the time as well.   
      I must say our trip home was a wonderful whirlwind. It was so nice to see all the people that we did and get to do all the things we got to do. However, I always leave wishing I had had more time to spend with everyone. There are so many people that are important to me that I want Zeke to know and love just as much as I do. I feel very lucky to have the family and friends that I do. That’s what makes home feel like “home”. Thanks to everyone for making Zeke’s first trip to Maryland feel like “home”. I know it’ll always be that way! 

We Made It

OK Bloggers, another long overdue update from the Andrews. We started our track back to Colorado last Wednesday. With help from my cousin, Bryn, we were able to get the 26 ft Penske rental truck loaded (full) and on the road by 1:00pm. We drove and drove and made it to Conway, AR (about 45 miles north of Little Rock) on Wed. Night. Last Thursday was a long day on the road, but we made it to our goal - Hays, Kansas. That only put us about 5 hours from Denver, which we finally reached Friday at 1:00pm. Home at last.

I must first say that Zeke and the dogs were great on the trip. We had to stop every 3-4 hours to feed the baby and walk the dogs. They were fantastic and completely worn out on Friday night. Our track took us through Birmingham, AL - Little Rock, AR - Tulsa, OK - Wichita, KS - to Denver, CO. 3 days and 23 hours of drive time. Friday night, we help from friends, we were able to get everything unloaded from the truck and in the house. Saturday through today has been unpacking and putting everything in place. Other than a few boxes we are all moved in, comfortable, and back to work.

Now, it's the following Wednesday and we have moved our whole life cross country (again) in one week's time. It's amazing really what all can be accomplished in a short period of time. We are extremely happy to be back where we know we belong. It's so beautiful here and I can't think of a better place to live.

More blogs to come...

Katherine's new employer is 4 1/2 months old and they just left for the dog park with Auntie Amy...

Home Alone with A Lot To Do

I thought I would give everyone an update on what I've been doing while my family is away. Work, Work, and Packing. Seems like so much to get done and no time to do it. This whole process reminds me of the Yogi Berra Quote - "This is like deja vu all over again." Alabama to Colorado, Colorado to Alabama, now Alabama back to Colorado. Packing is not fun. The bubble wrap and suitcases, taking pictures off the wall, Taking apart furniture, not to mention your house is in chaos. I can't wait for it to be over. Soon enough. The one good thing about this week has been the weather. The past few days has been in the 70s, that means a lot of quality time outside in the yard with the dogs.

My Next Two Weeks:

Thursday - finishup work for the week and fly to Baltimore. Arrive at 10pm (finally get to see Katherine and Zeke. I must say it's been hard and lonely having them away this week. I'm can't wait to see them!)

Friday - show Zeke off to Jyl's (my fabulous and not too shy mother-in-law) work in DC, visit and have lunch with Felix (Katherine's Papa), then off to Meg's (my niece) two year old birthday party in Baltimore. My mom will also be there, so will be good to have everyone together again.

Saturday - hopefully, not much. This is Zeke's day with Grandma Jyl.

Sunday - return to Auburn and finish packing.

Monday - back to work. evening packing. Katherine is now officially employed by Zeke.

Tuesday - finish-up my work and pickup the rental truck.

Wednesday - up bright and early with my cousin, Bryn, to help load up the truck. Plan is to hit the road Wed afternoon and stay with Kevin in Nashville Wed night. Who knows, maybe have dinner and go to the Wild Horse Salon?

Thursday - on the road agian. i can't wait to be on the road again. Hotel night with two dogs, one who's a bit crazy and a baby.

Friday - hopefully we can finish our drive and arrive back home in Denver. My map is telling me 21 hours of total drive time. I thinking 8pm Friday night arrival time.

Saturday - unpacking, unpacking, unpacking.

Sunday - same as above.

Monday - relax day - finish unpacking - take the dogs somewhere fun.

Tuesday - back to work

This kind of reminds me of another Yogi Berra Quote -

"You've got to be very careful if you don't know where you're going, because you might not get there."

It's Official, We're Moving, Again!

Man, it's crazy how much can happen in one year. This time last year we were in the process of trying to sell our house in Colorado and make the big move to Alabama. I guess we needed a change and the appeal of moving back "home" sparked enough interest to make the move, along with Katherine's new job at Auburn's Vet School. So we sold the house, packed up everything, loaded Mutley and Duke, and we were on our way. Two solid days of driving and two solid days of unpacking, we made it, and it felt nice to be back. Not to mention we found out Katherine was pregnant pretty soon after getting settled. Everything seemed to be working off some higher plan. We so enjoyed being close to my parents, trips to the beach, hanging out with Andrew and Tara, and the Auburn football games (oh, the fun we had tailgating). But, as time went by we started missing Colorado.

It's hard for me to explain exactly what it is about Colorado. I think it means a sense of accomplishment. For whatever reason I've always been lead to the mountains. I've known since high school that's where I felt comfortable. I think the summer trip to Montana opened my eyes to living somewhere different. Through college I started considering Denver. The summer before my last semester at Auburn I made the decision to move. There was really no other option. As soon as I got to Colorado I started to learn who I was as a person and fell into a group of friends that fit my personality and interests. I'm so thankful now that I truly see that group of friends as family.

While Katherine and I were driving around this past weekend, looking for a place to live, we both felt as if we had never left. I think we both began to appreciate Colorado more throughout this past year. It felt like "home".

Although, it's going to be very hard to take away our precious baby boy away from family and friends, it's the best decision for us as a family. After all, Colorado is not a bad place to visit.

So now it's time for us to pack everything back up, with the new additions of Zeke (all his "stuff") and Sam the Boxer, and all the special memories of 2007 in Alabama, and drive back across the country. Our direction this time - West. The only thing missing on the trip back is our beloved yellow lab, Duke. His life started and ended in Alabama, but we will always carry his memory with us, no matter where we are. The companionship he gave me was unmatched.

We are headed towards the sunset. Move date is March 26th.

 

Sitting on Top of the World Makeover

I decided it was time for a new look...maybe I was inspired by sisters blog (Gray Matters)...or...maybe it was Valentine's Day...

I've had the banner idea in my head since the beginning, but of course I didn't know how to actually do it...that's where Jen at Blue Yonder Design came in...

I gave her my ideas in the below sketch (I have to apologize for my artistic ability. God gave me the gift of scoring some points in high school basketball, not drawing anything other than stickmen!) and she did a great job transforming it into the finished product...only $45...so everyone else who has joined the blogging ranks should think of a design to fit their blog and contact Jen...let the creativity begin...

Maybe this will inspire me to update posts with a little more regularity...let me know what you think.

www.BlueYonderDesign.com

[email protected]

The Road to "us"

So last night Josh and I went to dinner while Doll Doll came to visit with Zeke. We had a wonderful dinner, in a great atmosphere, but the best part of the whole night was the conversation. We started talking about our seperate lives and how we ended up in the place we are now. How, for both of us, Colorado had been a kind of shot in the dark, give it a try, see what happens kind of place. For Josh, the decision was made while sitting at a desk at his internship with C.H. Robinson in Atlanta. He said he was looking at an atlas with the names of all the cities where that company had offices, he saw Denver, Colorado and got to thinking. He knew he liked the mountains, he liked the idea of being near a big (but not too big city), and he liked to ski. Aaha!! Next thing you know, he drags his mom out there to help him find an apartment and that was that.  For me, it was an idea brought up by some friends while living in the caribbean. I was working as a vet tech (and loving it), knew that this was what I wanted to do, but didn't know how to go about doing it. My friends, who were getting ready to move back to Colorado, found a tech school in Denver and said "you should just move back with us". Hmmm, move to a place on the opposite side of the country from my family, where I have never been before, and know only two people, don't really like cold weather at all, and have no clue what life is like out there...sure why not!! Aaha!! A few months later, my sister and I drive across country with Mutley and all my stuff.

Then we started talking about how we both ended up in Broomfield. For Josh, it was a decision made during a previous relationship. He was working in Denver, she was going to school in Boulder. Why not find a place in the middle...Broomfield. Aaha!! For me, it was very similar. I was going to school in Denver, my friend was going to school in Boulder. Why not find a place in the middle...Broomfield, where she had grown up and had friends and family. Aaha!!

Then we dug a little deeper. How had we actually ended up where we were when we were so that our paths would cross. For Josh, it was after his previous relationship had ended. It was a hard time for him and he was having trouble getting started again. His mom had come to visit to give him a boost and help him figure things out. Taking Duke for a walk seemed like the perfect time to do some good talking. Aaha!! For me, school had not started quite yet and I was bored and missing my life on St. Thomas. I was having a hard time finding a job, and didn't have a car. To pass the time I had been filling my days with 3 daily runs with Mutley around our neighborhood. Aaha!! We would run into each other then, and speak briefly (I think) about the dogs. He and his mom would see me again, running, at another time.

Then we got to the real deal. How had we both ended up on the field that day, talking (for quite awhile as I remember) about who we were and where we were from and everything in between. For Josh, he said he had started going out to the field everyday with Duke to look for me. He knew I would eventually run by. Aaha!! For me, I had started dog walking for a lady in the neighborhood and was on my way home from her house when my very well behaved dog, who ALWAYS listens (hahaha), took off running like a crazy person towards Duke and Josh. Aaha!!

And the rest, as they say, is history. It's amazing to me though when you think about it. The decisions that we were making at the time, in the moment, seemed only to effect our own seperate lives. We were going with what made sense for then. We had no idea it would lead to our future together.

I can't say how thankful I am for the life I have been able to live so far. I am so happy with all the traveling I have done, all the people I have met, and all of the things I have been a part of. My family and friends are everything to me. But of all the things I have done so far, and of all the things that are still to come, the thing I am most thankful for is "us". Because of "us", I get to be a friend, a lover, a wife, and most importantly a mother. My life is fulfilled because of "us".   

   

And now...let's re-visit our slideshow (Part I)...

and here's Part II

Snow in Alabama

Yep, that's right...Look what we brought with us from Colorado...

Trying My Best

I know I've been terrible about updating this blog lately...I have a lot going on...34 days to go until "expecting" ZEKE...new job (I'll explain below)...Auburn Football...Rockies Baseball...Business travel...Fun Times...

I'm still working full time with LifeSpan, while also doing some consulting work for two other companies:

PA & Associates -- www.paaa.com

OnePak Packing Solutions -- www.onepak.com (I have signed 90 day employment contract - 15/hrs week) I'm hoping and this should turn into a full time position in January...How am I going to balance everything...Going to be fun and challenging to figure that out...stay tuned.

Now for what's important...BIG TV Night...Game One World Series (tickets at Coors Field were impossible to get - I tried)...Kid Nation...Kitchen Nightmares...Can't Wait...

MY WORLD SERIES PREDICTION: RED SOX IN SIX GAMES

Work! Work! Work!

I have been busy, busy, busy with LifeSpan (my employer if you were wondering) over the past week...Have to go to Atlanta for the 4th time in 1 week tonight to be onsite for a work project...I'm sick of that drive...next week I have to be in Omaha, NE Tues through Thurs...what's in Omaha? I guess I can go see Rosenblatt Stadium...

Congrats to Jeremy and Annie...their staying this week in the same resort in Mexico we did on our Honeymoon...Man, what I would do to be there right now...paradise...

Katherine and Zeke are doing well...keeps on growing and growing...

Paraskavedekatriaphobia?

Do you have paraskavedekatriaphobia? That's fear of Friday the 13th.

When the 13th day of the month falls on a Friday, many people feel the day will be unlucky, but why?

Christian theology is one source. The number thirteen is significant because it is the number of people present at the Last Supper, and Judas, the apostle who betrayed Jesus, was the 13th member of the party to arrive.

Christians have also been wary of Fridays because it's the day that Jesus was crucified. Some theologians believe that Friday was the day that Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit, and Friday was the day that the Great Flood began.

To keep your mind off the matter of luck, here's some Friday the 13th trivia:

• The 13th of a month is more likely to fall on a Friday than on any other day. In each 400-year cycle of the Gregorian calendar, 170 years have one Friday the 13th, 171 have two, and 59 have three.
• It is impossible to have a year with no Friday the 13th or a year with four or more Fridays the 13th.
• When there are three Fridays the 13th in a year, they occur in February, March and November except in leap years. In leap years, they occur in January, April and July.
• When there is only one Friday the 13th in a year, it falls either in May, June, August or October.

My Office

In case anyone was wondering...this is where I spend my days...slaving behind my desk (ha!)...this past weekend is just what we needed...plenty of sleep and relaxation...we're trying to get as much of that as possible (before you know what arrives)...speaking of that - Thurs is a BIG day...Boy or Girl???We plan on video taping the results and posting on this Blog Thursday Night...going to the lake one night this weekend...looking forward to seeing some old friends...now, back to work...have a good week...(JA)

A New Week

Trying to get everything back to normal after a nice relaxing weekend at the Beach...great seafood (blackened grouper, ummmm)...ate way too much...getting better at horeshoes...maybe one day I can beat the Mayor of Southwind...good to see MB, MB, and TT for dinner in Dothan Friday Night...Alway's an open invite in Auburn...My First "Almost" Father's Day...crazy...staying in town this weekend...no plans - finally...(JA)

Angel Cabrera shoots a 69 at Oakmont on the Final Day to hold off Tiger...I was really hoping to see Tiger win on Father's Day...what a brutal course...how would you like to putt on those greens, ouch...

Someone let me know how the "Mesquite" Golf Trip went...

Beach Weekend

Katherine and I will be leaving this afternoon to spend Father's Day weekend in Panama City Beach, Florida. Looking forward to seeing Dad and doing a little relaxing. Not to mention...getting some good seafood to eat...

Katherine has been feeling great all week...starting to show a little more and more...reminder...our next Doc's appointment is on Thurs 0628...we find out the sex...exciting.

What to watch this weekend: US Open Golf Tournament...just see how tough Oakmont will be going into the weekend rounds...How can you pick against Tiger...That's my choice...Look out for David Toms and Jose Maria Olazabal... (JA)

Back in Colorado

After getting bumped on the first flight yesterday, I finally go into Denver last night...Thanks to Reese for the BP...40 degrees..Have to love that CO weather...nice change of pace...good to be back...playing Poker tonight with the guys...1st round of golf for 2007 on Sat...it's strange to be here to VISIT...

NBA Finals are under way...Spurs control Game One...Lebron IS ready...the Cav's are not...Spurs in Five...First prediction of many on this blog...

Billy Donovan deserves credit in my opinion...3.5 million a year to coach college basketball...unbelievable...more than Urban Meyer (currently making 3.25 mil per year)...interesting UF is paying more for basketball coach than Football...his style of play would never work in the NBA...At least it only took him 2 days to understand that...lesson learned from Petino...

"There was no words, there was no pressure by anyone to come back," Donovan said. "It was what was in my heart. You realize you made a mistake and you go forward. I think sometimes people think, 'Well what happened? What was the reason?' There really wasn't one. It had nothing to do with the Magic, my wife, the University of Florida, it was a process I went through myself that I'm sorry for."  --courtesy of cbssportsline.com

Today's toast goes to: Curt Schilling

No hitter broken up with 2 outs in 9th. I was really hoping Schilling would get his 1st No No. Yesterday's performance shows the true Schilling...Red Sox had lost 6 of 7...they were on the verge of getting swept in 4 games by Oakland...while the Yanks took 3 of 4 from the WSox...it's now a critical time for the Yanks to make a race out of this in Sept...BUT, if it comes down to a needed win - I'll give Schilling the ball everytime...(JA)

My New Blog...

So I'm attempting to start a blog...Who knows how or should I say where this will go...Thanks to anyone who reads it and hopefully it will give you a look into my view... My view on topics such as sports, music, life, family, etc... (and not necessarily in that order). Spelling is not a strong point...Rambling seems to be the only way to get things across...Family Reunion this past Memorial Day weekend...Nice to see everyone...One Night plenty...Let's see if I can figure this Blog thing out...Enjoy (JA)