Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Catching up



So...it's been a little while since I last blogged. This year has been a teensy bit busy with the birth of Benjamin Carter and now having three kids under the age of four in our house. We are filled with joy and love but never seem to have a spare moment for anything. I'm going to share some of our highlights over the past year. Our greatest gift has certainly been the addition of our son to the family. We have all fallen in love with him....




Monday, August 23, 2010

Go Andrew!

So, most of you know that my husband is very laid back and chill about, well, everything. Most days I am grateful for his energy because it forces me to slow down, really evaluate what's important and step outside of my type-A MO. However, I am just so excited about this thing that is going on with him, that I can't contain myself. I am so happy for him and I feel like sharing it, of all places, here - on our little family blog. Andrew has lost 20 lbs.! He would never share about this, or even talk about it, but I am so proud of him. Despite my over-indulging on icecream and french fries while pregnant, he is eating heathly and exercising everyday at lunch. He even got me interested in this class at Lifetime called Total Body Conditioning -- until he demonstrated some of the exercises! Anyway, I just wanted to share my excitement for him. As an avid runner and basketball player, I know that really 'being inside' his body is important to him, so I'm happy that he's working toward this goal. I'm proud of you, babe.

Saturday, August 21, 2010

Sweet Baby #3

We are excited to welcome baby #3, due 2/3/11. For the first time all summer, my body is starting to feel pregnant. I've been sick since the get-go, but this week marks the first week that I haven't felt so comfortable in my regular clothes. I am officially 16 weeks. This Thursday in yoga class, I felt the baby move for the first time. Earlier that morning, I had my regular ob visit with Dr. Schneider and expressed that I hadn't felt the baby move yet. She reassured me and reminded me that most ladies in their first pregnancy don't feel the baby until week 20. The third time around, we have the hang of it and expect these milestones to come earlier. And then just an hour later in the middle of camel pose, I felt the small stirring of a baby stretching. It is amazing to me that I'm already finished with my first trimester and in 5 months we'll have another sweet baby in our family.

I am already looking forward to the sweet snuggle time and even the middle-of-the-night feedings. Am I crazy? After hearing in my early 20s that conceiving was unlikely for me and struggling to keep a pregnancy through my late 20s, I am so thrilled to witness the growth of our family. It is a miracle. At times I feel overwhelmed by balancing it all, but then one of my girls calls me back to the present. My business coach reminded me this week that having multiple children finds a way to force women into making the hard choices about priorities in life. What is most important to me right now? My family. My husband, who always seems to see the best in me and the best in life and my sweet girls -- Charlotte with her endless dance parties and dreams of being an astronaut and Finley with her contagious, loud laugh and the way she simply lights up a room. I am so eager to embrace this new little addition to our family, to open our hearts to a BIG being in a small body as Carrie Contey would say. Everything else can wait.

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Arkansas

We took a trip to Arkansas to visit Andrew's grandparents in Bella Vista. They live on a beautiful lake and it was wonderful to visit in the summertime. We had a fun time swimming in the lake, boating and visiting with family. Grandma Ginny cooked great food and the girls loved playing with their cousin, Emily.
Finley and Emily playing together.
Our family with Grandma Ginny and Grandpa Bob.


The Greatest City in the World

Anyone who knows me knows that New York City is my happy place. This may seem obvious or cliche because most artists would agree that NYC is Mecca. There is just something magical about this sparkling, energetic city. I love it! Sure enough, I left feeling charmed yet again.
Every summer I attend a dance conference in the big apple. As a benefit to my staff, I invite them to come along as well. It is such a good time. This year we attended the Pulse -- a convention put on by Broadway Dance Center. All of the SYTYCD peeps were there. My favorite class was with Mia Michaels. Anyway, the weekend was grand and for a moment I stepped outside of my life and partied like a rock star.
I missed my family like crazy! It was so hard to be in NYC without them b/c they always come with me. But, it was really great to have time to re-connect with old friends, hang out in the city that never sleeps and get my dance on....Can't wait to go back!


Grand Central Station with Elizabeth, ADC instructor.
Out to dinner with Jaime.

Going to the new Twyla Tharp show, Come Fly Away. Absolutely fabulous -- she is my creative role model and I love her choreography. The dancers were incredible.


Our lovely hotel room at the Waldorf Astoria -- thanks Seth!



My favorite place to enter Central Park.





Welcome Baby

I was so excited to meet my dear friend Staci's little girl, born June 6th, 2010. She is precious! Staci and I have been friends since freshman year of highschool at Westlake. She was new to Austin and was in my Spanish class. Apparently, I started chatting with her and we've been friends ever since. Anyway, it was so wonderful to get to meet her sweet bundle, baby H. Jana and I went together to hang out with Staci. We had bar-b-que and played at Staci's beautiful home. I love you baby!

Sweet sleeping baby.
Outside our dinner spot in Fort Worth.


Mom & Dad's Trip to Hawaii

On June 23rd, we celebrated our 8th wedding anniversary with a romantic trip to Maui. We honeymooned on Kauaii, so it only seemed fitting to celebrate on Hawaii. This was the first time for us to leave the girls and they had a wonderful time without us -- I think it was all of the activities and field trips that Gigi planned! It was so fabulous to reconnect and enjoy each other's company -- long, uninterrupted dinners, sleeping in, watching the tide come in and out and going hiking. We're ready to go again!



On our lanai at our beautiful hotel.
Our secret beach that we found -- fabulous snorkeling and calm waves.

Twin falls hike and swimming hole.


Andrew summitting.



The river we hiked along in Iao Valley.