Baby Landon Maines!

Disclaimer: I am terrible at maintaining a blog, and I apologize that I don’t blog consistently…seems to come in spurts. That being said, I’m going to try and do my best to blog more often.

As I’m sure you know, I am now SUPER pregnant – I’m talking full out waddling (more on that later)… but throughout my pregnancy journey, I have been fortunate enough to have my good friend, Shelly, to share the experience with.

Yesterday, January 15, 2013 at 3:13pm Shelly and Craig (her hubby) welcomed Landon Nicolas Maines into the world! Weighing in at 7lbs 12oz, he is a perfect little angel. I had the pleasure of meeting the little guy for the first time last night, and I couldn’t have been more excited and proud of my friend for growing (and then pushing out!) a beautiful, healthy baby boy…not only that, Shelly looked fantastic. Gave me hope that having Baby B isn’t actually going to kill me!

So congrats Shelly and Craig, I can’t wait for Baby B to arrive so our little guys can meet each other officially!

Mommy and Baby!

Meeting Landon for the first time!

Welcome Baby Joshua!

I’ve been holding off on writing a post about Megan and her new bundle of joy, since Baby Joshua decided to arrive earlier than planned. But now that everyone is doing great, I thought it was about time I did a post on my best friend, and her beautiful new baby! Joshua Raymond Holston arrived 2 weeks and 1 day ago, and he couldn’t be cuter!

Megan and Joshua (and Ray!) had a little bit of a rough time, but it seems like Joshua is thriving, Megan is back to her old self and Ray can finally take a breath!

I’m so excited for them, and I love being Auntie Erin B. I got to hold Joshua for the first time over the weekend, he is so precious, I just didn’t want to let him go!

The newest little man in my life!

Need Inspiration

I’ve found myself recently lacking ideas for things to blog about. Not that anyone really reads my blog anyhow, but still…I said I was going to try and write at least one post a week, and clearly, that has not happened.

So, for lack of better things to share, here’s what’s new.

I completed my first half marathon. (You probably already know that if you’re reading this tho, since I couldn’t stop talking about it all last week!) It was a great experience. I had some serious doubts about my ability to run the entire thing, so it felt great to actually do it. And there are some really funny photos of me running. Maybe I’m not as graceful as I thought. Regardless of my bad form, I’m now sporting a new 13.1 bumper sticker. It’s pink, as per usual. Next half marathon is in May. Maybe my goal can be to beat my previous time, rather than just crossing the finish line!

Matt and I are headed to Mexico soon. I know we just went on our honeymoon, but we have lots of plans this summer so we decided to go on vacation sooner, than later. Plus, after the outage (sort of the equivalent to a security audit) at the Power Plant, I know Matt has got to be ready to get away. Personally, I’m really looking forward to some scuba diving!! Matt is even going to take a beginner course. I hope he likes it as much as me!

Over the past weekend, Matt and I spent some time fixing up the front yard. If you’ve been to my house, you know that all the lawns look dead on our street. There is continuous sunlight on the front side of my house, so keeping anything alive (including the tree) has proven rather difficult. We specifically asked the woman at a local nursery for plants that will be able to survive the intense sun (and the black –not green-- thumb I inherited from my mom). Right now, the yard looks good, and I actually really enjoyed gardening…hopefully the plants and my enjoyment makes it through the summer.

On another note, Matt is about to tackle crown molding. I’m SO excited. I think it is really going to take our house up a notch. With a little help from his dad and uncle, we’re hoping it goes smoothly…. If all goes well, maybe we can demolish our problematic bathroom and put in a giant rain shower?! (That might be overly optimistic wishful thinking.)

Other exciting news…all worthy of exclamation points…

Christine is coming soon! (I get to meet Oscar!)
Megan is going to have a baby!
Tasha is getting married!
Shelly got a cool new job!

Hello of Shame

I’m sure I’m not the only one who has decided they didn’t like someone (pretty much for no reason) and then realized some time down the road that maybe their initial judgment was off base.  I find myself in that situation.  A few years ago I decided I didn’t like someone, and although at the time all of my feelings seemed perfectly justified, now I just feel silly.  The worst part? She actually seems really nice…

So I find myself in that awkward situation, where I have to introduce myself to someone (who is very aware of how I feel about her) and basically apologize for being rude and obnoxious for the past several years for no apparent reason.  I keep asking myself is this is just another fun part of being an adult, you know, fixing mistakes you made when you were younger…but I have a feeling (especially with my personality) that I should just try and learn from the situation and remember it next time I  jump to conclusions about someone I don’t even know.

So here’s what I’m thinking “Hi, I’m Erin. I’m not sure we ever actually met, but I wanted to apologize for being a total B for the past few years…”  I can’t imagine this is going to be fun, haha.

One More Wedding!

How could I forget?! There is another very special wedding this year! My long time friend, Kate is marrying her boyfriend (now fiancé) Marshall! Kate is an amazing photographer and a really creative individual, I'm so excited to see the photos of her big day!

2012 – Exciting Things are Coming!

It’s funny how life changes so quickly.  It seems like just yesterday we were all graduating from high school, and now look how much has changed.  2012 is just starting but somehow I’m already so excited for all of the fantastic things that are coming this year!  It’s only January, and already I know three people who are getting married (or at least got engaged!) in 2012.  One of my very special girl friends, Tasha, is getting married to my college friend Ryan.  I’m so excited to be  bridesmaid in their wedding!  Matt’s friend Mike is marrying his perfect match, Kelly and Matt’s other great friend Chad, just proposed to his beautiful girlfriend, Becca.  Now, you might say I’m a sap for love, but my goodness all this happiness just makes me giddy! I can’t wait to celebrate with all my friends! Oh…and if you know the song… “first comes love, then comes marriage….” I can imagine that at least someone will have a baby in 2012. I mean 2011 had three new babies, so I’m sure 2012 will have at least one too. (For the record, I’m not preggers!)

2011 - I’ll Miss You!

2011 has been a very exciting year for me and for many people who are important in my life. I have to say, I think 2011 has been my one of my favorite years in a while. Here are just a few of the highlights!

January: I started my new job in January. So far, I really love it here. I’ve made some great new friends and have really seen my skill set improve.

March: My mom turned the big six-oh in March. Although March was a really tough month (I won’t get into it)…I will try and focus on the good things that happened. I hope I’m as spunky as Mary Sell when I turn 60!

April : One of my good friends, and co-workers, Shelly got married in April. I absolutely love weddings, and I love that I got to celebrate with Shelly!

Shelly and me at her wedding!

May: We finally got around to painting our house in May.  I love how it looks! It’s amazing how a little color can really make a house feel like home.

Clearly I was working hard on painting...

June: The wedding festivities really kicked off for me in June. I had my “Bel Air” bridal shower in late June and it was really fantastic. Everyone who helped put it together did a fabulous job!



Cari, Megan, Me and Hope at my first Bridal Shower

July: In July, my best friend Megan got married. It was amazing to be a part of such a special day for her and her hubby Ray. I’m so happy for them!! Did I mention I love weddings?!

Me and the Lovely Bride!

August: August was really a continuation of all of the wedding festivities. I started the month with a crazy Bachelorette Party in Ocean City, MD. After hitting the beach all day, my girlfriends and I headed out for a night on the town (and on the bus!) Not only did I have an awesome Bachelorette Party, but I also had another Bridal Shower in August. The ladies of St. Mary’s through me a lovely shower!

The ladies at the beach!



I was super tacky!



Cari, Megan, Me, Missy and Hope at my St. Mary's Shower

September: September was really the biggest month for me. After all the planning and activities, I finally tied the knot. Not only did I have the wedding of my dreams, but I got to marry my best friend, Matt. I don’t think it gets much better than that! I have to admit, I was a little sad that my other best girlfriend, Christine wasn’t able to attend my wedding. Her absence tho, was for good reason. At almost the exact same time I was getting married, Christine was giving birth to a beautiful baby boy, Oscar. September really was the best month, EVER! Oh, and I forgot to mention I went on my honeymoon in September. Making the month even better!!

One of my wedding favorites!

December: As many brides do, I decided I needed to lose weight before my wedding. Instead of joining a gym, I decided to start running. Since I started running in the Spring, I have really come a long way. In early December, I completed my first 15k (a little over 9 miles). Although I was pretty wiped when I finished it, I managed to run the entire thing, no walking, in 1 hour 42 minutes. Not too bad for my first really long race! I have since signed up for a half marathon… hopefully it goes well!

Me, Diane and her friend Jen, before the Hot Chocolate 15k!

Like I said, 2011 has been a pretty great year for me. It’s wonderful to see all of the people in my life moving on to such great things. It’s time like this, when I can really be thankful for everything and everyone around me. Happy New Year!!


Holiday Party Time!

Matt, me, Shelly & Craig

Last night we had the holiday work party.  I was on the party committee, so of course I was a little stressed about it going well.  All in all, it was a lot of fun and everything went off without a hitch.  I’ve had a little trouble getting into the holiday spirit this year…not really sure why.  But now that we’ve had a few really chilly days, and we had our work Christmas party, maybe I can finally get into that jolly holly mood!

Gobble Gobble

A few weeks ago I had a conversation with one of my girlfriends about the holidays. The conversation started with religion, and digressed into the holiday season (at that time it was still in the ‘quickly approaching’ stages) Religion aside, I started thinking about what makes the holidays so special for me. It didn’t take me long to come to the conclusion that spending time with good friends and family is what the holidays are really all about. I think it’s one of those things that you really understand when you get older. When I was a kid, everyone always told me that spending time with family was the most important part of the holiday season, I think I finally realize how important it really is.

That being said, this holiday season is going to be different then many past years. Due to some ‘little’ developments, Christine and family will not be spending the holidays with us. This makes me sad, but then I see Oscar’s little face, and all that sad just melts away…how can an adorable blonde haired child not make you smile?! This will also be our first holiday without Ms. Vicki. Although it is going to be tough, that’s one of the great things about our family, we’ll be there for each other, and I’m sure we’ll have a good time reminiscing about silly Vicki moments.

Ah the joys of growing up. Although some things are changing, there are certainly plenty of new memories and traditions to be made. After all, this is our first holiday season of Mr. & Mrs…

Hope everyone has a safe and happy Thanksgiving!!

What a Week

Just a quick apology for my lack of blogging this week. It's really been "one of those weeks," if you know what I mean. I'm just glad the weekend has finally arrived. Although Matt is working (boo!!) I have some time to catch up on house chores and get some Christmas shopping done, which is nice. Believe it or not, I'm actually almost done my shopping this year. Just a few more things to cross off the list. Oh, and of course I made time for a nice long run this morning, and managed to sign up for a 5K tomorrow w/ Shelly...ahhh.

So, is everyone ready for Turkey Day? Next week is going to be crazy. Working Monday - Wednesday...headed to moms Wednesday night for Thanksgiving, Turkey Trot 5K with lots of great people (Me, dad, Mr. Sam, Megan and Tasha) on Thursday morning, celebrating Thanksgiving, back to work on Friday (boo!! who needs money on Black Friday anyhow?! pshhhh), then headed to WVA for Brogan/Brown family early Christmas. Busy, busy. I love the holidays!

Reminiscing about High School

I know high school was a tough time for most people, but I have to admit, high school was pretty fabulous for me.  Over the weekend, Hope and I went to see the remake of Footloose (it was actually pretty good!) and it got me really thinking about my high school days.  I made a list of things I really miss about high school.  I wonder if I knew then, what I know now, if I would have done things any differently?

Homemade Dinner, Every Night

Every night, I would come home from school and my mom would have dinner ready for my dad and me.  Over the past several years, I’ve really come to appreciate it when someone else cooks for me.  Cooking dinner after a long busy day is not always fun, I miss the days when I came home every day and it was already hot and ready!

Life w/o Technology

For those of you who knew me through my college days, I spent a lot of time dealing with rejection and heartache.  Looking back, I blame a lot of my long nights on technology.  In the movie He’s Just Not That Into You, Drew Barrymore points out that in today’s day and age, you can be rejected by about 27 different kinds of technology.  Not that I don’t love my smartphone and my facebook, but back in highschool, if a boy didn't call you, or you weren’t invited to a party, there wasn’t a way to stalk online and be hurt over and over again.

Short Pleated Skirts

Man do I love short pleated skirts! Unfortunately, I’m just too old for them. I have tried to wear one and I looked silly. Also I would like to lump Super Low Rise Jeans into this category.  I just look bad in them.  For the record, I used to look really cute in both items.

Field Hockey

I miss being able to have designated time for organized sports.  Instead of having exercise or sports as a part of my regular schedule, I find myself trying to squeeze in my exercise when I have a few free minutes.  I miss being part of a sports team, and I miss that feeling I used to get when we had a really great win.

Spirit Week

What’s cooler than dressing up like a goofball and parading around all day?! (nothing, duh!) 

Ice Cream w/o Consequences

Before I hit age 20, I used to eat ice cream and not even think about the calories. (that would explain my freshman 15)….but while I was in high school, I could pretty much eat whatever I wanted and always stayed the same weight.  Maybe that was directly related to my designated time for organized sports…

The Bus

Can you imagine how fantastic it would be, to have a vehicle pick you up at your house and drop you right off at work?  And even cooler, if you were late it was the drivers fault, and not your own?! Oh wait, that was the bus in high school.  Why wasn’t it cooler to ride the bus?  I hated it then, I wish I had it now!

Sleepovers

I still occasionally do sleepovers, but usually that is because I’m far away from home, or because I’ve had too much wine and can’t drive.  I wish it were still socially acceptable to drive 10 minutes across town and watch chick flicks all night and then just crash on your girlfriends floor. Living with boys makes it a tad awkward now!

Summer Vacation

Why on earth did I want to work during my Summer vacations?!  I should have learned to be broke and have more fun instead of working.  I would give anything to have off the three warmest months of the year, now!

Lunch

Lunch in an office is either boring or expensive.  Nothing is more fun than sitting in a quiet staff lunch room (not!) and when you go out of the office for lunch, it gets really expensive!  Wouldn’t it be great to have lunch with all your best girlfriends, everyday? And furthermore, wouldn’t it be great, if you forgot your lunch, to have a kitchen full of inexpensive options waiting for you?

Ahhhh nostalgia.  As much as I loved high school, sitting here in my own house, with my own family is pretty awesome too – don’t think I’d trade it.

Trick or Treat

I mentioned before that we had a little Halloween shin dig on Saturday night, in celebration of Matt’s 25th birthday. Just wanted to share a few photos from the event! Hope everyone has a safe, happy and maybe a little bit spooky Halloween!

The ladies :-)

Cowgirl Ginger!

Matt and Me, Sookie and Bill from True Blood

Happy Matt Day!

I certainly won't be quitting my day job to make cupcake
creations, but with a little help from Matt, it
came out pretty well! (and very tasty!)

Today is my hubby's birthday and he's turning the big two-five! Although the weekend has had some really crazy weather (snow on October 29th, what?!) all in all it's been a great weekend. Last night we had friends over for some Halloween fun, celebrating with Apple Cider rum punch and a homemade Halloween Birthday cake. Today we're watching the Redskins game here at home, with friends and family. Wings and pizza might not be every ones idea of a great birthday, but it's Matt's day, and this is how he wanted to spend it. Happy Birthday to the love of my life! (don't forget, you'll always be older than me!)

Facebook Frustrations

About 90% of the time, I really enjoy Facebook. It is a great way to keep up with old friends, especially when you don’t live right around the corner anymore. But lately, I’ve been increasingly frustrated with Facebook. I don’t want to find out about life altering events on Facebook, I don’t want to see 600 photos of the party I wasn’t invited to on Facebook and I certainly don’t appreciate being “friended” so that you can stalk your exboyfriend via my page, on Facebook.

I guess the logical thing to do would be delete my Facebook account…nah I love it too much for that. But if you’re interested enough to ‘post on my wall’…try picking up the phone and calling me…I would probably appreciate a real conversation instead of a half hearted wallpost.